Mr Speaker, it is in part the purpose of the DA's education campaign to prod unfocused decision-makers like Minister Nzimande into action. In his address to the National Council of Provinces, Minister Nzimande said that, and I quote, "We were happy to note that there were fewer disruptions on campuses this year." The facts are not altogether clear, but I believe that the Minister understates the severity of the problem.
At the start of 2010 there were major clashes between nursing students and security at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Dozens of students were injured in clashes with the police at the Mangosuthu University of Technology in Umlazi.
During the course of 2009 and 2010 I visited the Tshwane University of Technology, Soshanguve campus, and discovered that students had rented their rooms to nonstudents who conducted themselves in a manner that is reminiscent of criminal entrepreneurs. These individuals engaged in activities such as stealing toilet seats to sell, growing marijuana in the horticulture facility and rigging tenders by smashing kitchen equipment.
The DA is insistent that a decisive effort is needed to deal with crime on campus and calls on government to proactively assist in this regard. [Applause.]