The South African Student Congress (SASCO) welcomes the Budget speech presented by Minister of Finance Minister Mr. Enoch Godongwana. At this moment the student movement is encouraged in that the government of the ANC led alliance has directed resources where they matter by increasing budgets behind it’s apex priorities being Education, Health and Policing.
SASCO particularly welcomes the additional allocation of R32.6 Billion for financial support to current bursary holders and first-year students under the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). We believe that this additional funding will go a long way in rolling out Fee-Free Higher Education in our country and addressing historical injustices in enrolment patterns in our various institutions of higher education and training.
SASCO will launch various initiatives to ensure students look closely at how the allocated monetary resources are utilised and ensuring that institutions utilise these funds for the benefit of all underprivileged South African students.
Students are encouraged by the revolutionary student movement to be responsible with this progressive intervention as part of their patriotic duty in building our nation.
South African students have a breath of fresh air in Mr. Godogwana and we would caution the minister not to go down the wayward path of his predecessor Chef Tito, who when fattened by the decades of salaries by the peoples government morphed into an antithesis of the principles of the Congress movement.
The African National Congress (ANC) must however not forget that the ultimate goal is Free Quality & Compulsory Education for all, which is why we are still convinced that an introduction of Wealth Tax remains a sober call for the funding of Free Quality & Compulsory Education. Our people are slowly getting tired of the snail pace towards service delivery especially as it relates to this question of quality services.
Issued by SASCO
Bamanye Matiwane
President
Buthanani Thobela
Secretary General
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