Zuma, who declared free education for all in December 2017, despite a finding by the Heher Commission that universal free tertiary education was not feasible, said that students were demanding what was rightfully theirs.
"It's not a small feat that students fight for the right thing and they get shot at. How do you explain this to people?" former president Jacob Zuma said.Former President Jacob Zuma did not mince his words during the latest tea party at his Nkandla homestead, slamming the ANC government for continued nationwide student protests which saw the fatal shooting of a bystander, Mthokozisi Ntumba.
“It's not a small feat that students fight for the right thing and they get shot at. How do you explain this to people? “We, the ANC government, shoot a child because it says we must implement the policy of the ANC, shoot him dead, dead,” he said.The former president was addressing a delegation of the ANC Women's League on Friday, led by its president Bathabile Dlamini, one of his strong allies.
The league had earlier said the purpose of its visit was to consolidate unity within the party. But Zuma used the occasion to launch a scathing attack against higher education and training minister Blade Nzimande. “Ngicela nitshene lensizwa yakwa Nzimande ucomrade ukuthi akangakwenzi lokhu akwenzayo ngoba kufana nokuthi uqhubela ukuthi siloqhu siqhubuluzana, sithukama ..." he said, which loosely translates to: “Please tell comrade Nzimande to stop what he is doing, it's like he wants us to be fighting and insulting each other ..."