Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande danced around questions on a potential conflict of interest between his new Cabinet position and his leadership of the South African Communist Party (SACP) on Wednesday.
He is only three days in the job as minister, but is already facing criticism from ”pro-poor” student groups such as the South African Students Congress (Sasco).
Nzimande said on radio on Tuesday he did not believe it would be his prerogative to decide the fate of university chancellors, most notably that of Barney Pityana, the Unisa vice-chancellor who is believed to have supported Congress of the People, the African National Congress (ANC) breakaway party.
The SACP youth wing — the Young Communist League (YCL) — and the Jacob Zuma Education Fund have called for Pityana’s removal from office.
Since Nzimande’s comments on Tuesday, Sasco has also voiced its disappointment with his stance.
But Nzimande reiterated at a congress of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on Wednesday: ”It’s not the function of ministers to fire chancellors.”
Nzimande, speaking in his capacity as SACP general secretary, was asked by a congress delegate if he believed blacklisting students who did not pay tuition fees was fair.
”The blacklisting of students is a major concern to the SACP,” replied Nzimande, carefully adding that the ”SACP would raise the matter” within government structures.
Sasco called on Nzimande on Wednesday to ”attend to the crisis of thousands of students who are refused to write their examination because they don’t have money to pay their fees upfront, the banning of student organisations and the problems of study material which have been continuing for many years under the leadership of Prof Pityana”.
”We are hoping to urgently meet with the minister to raise issues that need urgent attention rather than prioritise job security for a vice-chancellor who has failed the nation by abusing his position as a leader in a very important public institution,” Sasco secretary general Magasela Mzobe said.
He called on Nzimande to ”hasten long overdue programmes to regulate fees in institutions of higher learning, as a strategic role-player in the skills development of our country”.
After his address to the congress, Nzimande was asked by reporters for more details on his new position, to which he replied that he could only give ”vague” answers because he was still in the process of consulting with President Jacob Zuma.
Asked if he believed all students should receive free tertiary education, Nzimande said the ANC election manifesto clearly stated that ”poor students” should be prioritised.
He evaded questions about a possible conflict of interest between his leftist beliefs and his role in the government, saying that if differences surfaced, the tripartite alliance of the ANC, SACP and Congress of South African Trade Unions would ”grapple” with them.
Nzimande said he did not expect any major changes to the education system.
”We need to say, what are the strengths, let’s keep that, what are the weaknesses, let’s change that.”
He expressed concern about racism within tertiary institutions.
”There is talk of academic freedom and yes, we want academic freedom, but they [some universities] are silent about the need to transform those institutions.”
Many formerly white universities were still racist, he said, adding that talk about academic freedom amounted to ”human rights fundamentalism”.
”That’s where you only emphasise your rights but you don’t take responsibility,” said Nzimande. — Sapa