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“We want the violence to stop,” Minister Pravin Gordhan said in Parliament while stun grenades were being thrown at protesters outside.
Gordhan referred extensively to Fees Must Fall protests during his mid-term budget speech in Parliament.
In the MTBPS, Gordhan said an additional R9 billion would be allocated to National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in the next period. In February this year the scheme had already received R16 billion, Gordhan said.
In addition more than R8 billion will be needed to fund the frozen fee increment for students from households earning up to R600 000, also known as “the missing middle”.
Gordhan said the government understood the issues mentioned students but said they wanted the academic year to be completed.
Stun grenades & water cannon being fired to disperse protesters at same time as Gordhan says: We want the violence to stop #MTBPS2016
— janet heard (@janetheard) October 26, 2016
“We do not want them to lose the 2016 year,” Gordhan said much to the delight of members of parliament who cheered and clapped.
Meanwhile outside the Parliament gates students were protesting. Students were met by Gordhan, who accepted and signed their memorandum about 20 minutes before he was due to deliver his speech.
Twenty minutes before delivering the mid term budget, Finance Minister was meeting with the students outside Parliament gates.
— Scapegoat (@AndiMakinana) October 26, 2016
Students were not happy because they wanted Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande to meet them.
Students continue to protest outside Parliament demanding to be addressed by Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande. #FeesMustFall
— Scapegoat (@AndiMakinana) October 26, 2016
According to News24 reporters, students appeared to throw a burning box coffin towards the police which is what caused them to throw stun grenades.
Burning coffin thrown over police's heads! Cop rushed with fire extinguisher, at least 10 stun grenades went off. Students retreat. @News24
— Jenna Etheridge (@JennaEtheridge) October 26, 2016
Protesters scattered from the gates into the CBD where some smashed windows and cars.
Locked out of Parliament, alongside a former Miss SA.
— Scapegoat (@AndiMakinana) October 26, 2016
Workers from Parliament were outside asking police to stop shooting but were later removed from the area.
It's Parliament staff versus the police now.
— Scapegoat (@AndiMakinana) October 26, 2016
Staff yelling at police to stop shooting at students
The police are now removing Parliament staff members who were watching and yelling at them to stop shooting.
— Scapegoat (@AndiMakinana) October 26, 2016
According to City Press journalist Andisiwe Makinana the group outside Parliament this year appeared to be larger than that last year.
The students are coming back towards Parliament.
— Scapegoat (@AndiMakinana) October 26, 2016
And there are more students this time than last year's Fees Must Fall.
The stand-off outside Parliament is still continuing as students make their way back towards the gates.
Blade Nzimande reiterated in an interview with eNCA after the statement that the government was on the same side as the students, and called the protest outside Parliament “unfortunate”.
Gordhan's MTPBS word cloud and most commonly used words
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