Johannesburg - The #FeesMustFall protesters’ demands are genuine as no student should be barred from accessing higher education only because their parents cannot afford to pay tuition fees, said Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng as he delivered the annual Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture in Johannesburg.
Mogoeng said it was time for all South Africans to stand up, listen and help the protesting students.
“If we ever have to demonstrate patriotism, this is the time to rally around, we do not want those institutions to burn down. Everyone, every organisation must identify solutions engage the students,” Mogoeng said to loud round of applause on Thursday.
“If we condemn the students from afar, without meaningfully engaging them, we would only be hardening their attitudes.
“You must never give the students the impression that they are crazy just because they are young and are students, and we think that they are confused and need to be ignored.
“One is encouraged by all sectors of society to engage with students just so a lasting solution can be found. I can only encourage all of us, government included, to do more than what has been done already.”
He said he believed that government “knows better than I do” that the situation cries out for more concerted effort on an ongoing basis and communication that would give students hope that their concerns were being entertained and given the attention they deserve.
For the past six weeks, thousands of students have abandoned classes - with end of year exams looming - and have instead held protests to demand free higher education at the country’s public universities.
The #FeesMustFall campaign has been marred by violence, death, injuries and destruction of property as running battles between the protesting students and police raged on.
Thursday marked the birthday of Oliver Reginald Tambo, one of South Africa’s leading anti-apartheid struggle heroes. He lived in the community of Wattville, Ekurhuleni with his wife, Adelaide Tambo, from 1948 until he went into exile in 1960, and then on his return to South Africa in 1991. Tambo served as ANC president from 1967 to 1991.
He died in April 1993 aged 76.
African News Agency