More students need financial aid, says Manamela

Buti Manamela, YCL secretary, addreessing students at rhodes university, south africa


Young Communist League national secretary, Buti Manamela, told students that they must ensure that higher education becomes accessible to all the youth who cannot afford to pay by pressuring university management to enrol more students.

Addressing about 200 students at Rhodes University on Thursday night Manamela said: “There are students who have passed matric and are considering doing crime or prostitution because they cannot afford to go to university.”

He said that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, set up by the government to finance destitute students to study at tertiary institutions, must fund more students and stop operating like a bank by charging interest on loans.

Before Manamela’s arrival, some of the students left the venue after they were told that ANC Youth League president, Julius Malema, would not be attending the meeting.

Manamela said that the university had refused to grant Malema permission to come and address students and that this should be discouraged because “students have a right to invite leaders of their choice to address them in the run to the national elections.”

He took a swipe at the Congress of the People (COPE) when he said that the party goes around “creating uncertainty by telling people that the president will be a reverend.”

A group of protesters belonging to the 1 in 9 Campaign waved placards in protest against the statements made by Malema when he said that the Jacob Zuma rape complainant had a good time.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters Larissa Klazinga said that they believe that rape survivors had to be treated with dignity and that Zuma’s statements during his rape trial were uncalled for.



members of the 1 in 9 Campaign wave placards in protest against Zuma & Malema's statements regarding the Zuma rape complainant