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Mmusi Maimane at UCT

CAPE TOWN. — DA leader Mmusi Maimane was stopped from addressing protesting UCT students yesterday afternoon as they booed and chanted for him to leave. “I’m here primarily to discuss the issue of student funding,” Maimane told reporters.

A group of the students shouted for him to go, and took up a chant of “leave, leave, leave”, but Maimane said he had expected that reaction.

“These are Sasco students,” Maimane said.

“I don’t have a problem with that. Sasco’s agenda has always been that there can be no engagement. Unfortunately, it’s a misdirected agenda.”

Maimane said by fighting against UCT, the protesters were at risk of not directing their concerns to the people at the heart of the problem.

“If they are fighting against the institution, they are missing an opportunity,” he said.

“Blade Nzimande has underfunded universities continually and the issue must always be what happens with access to funding.”

Maimane avoided weighing in on the methods the protesters had used, shutting down UCT and preventing others from attending class and writing exams. “Protests are protests,” he said. “They must continue. The plight of students is a serious one, and we must take cognisance of it.

“We must fight this battle against the Department of Higher Education.” UCT students continued their protest on Tuesday against a proposed increase in fees that started on Monday. Police arrested some of the students who burnt tyres and barricaded entrances to the campus.

UCT management said that due to the protest, all classes were suspended until further notice. — IOL.