Mr Speaker, yesterday the media covered the riots by students at the University of Johannesburg. It makes a mother's heart bleed to read the placards they carried, in particular the one that read, "Education remains an important pillar in community development". It seems we are back in the 1970s when young people, students in particular, had to take upon themselves the responsibility of forcing a self-absorbed government to halt and take notice of issues that our young people faced.
What was interesting to note was the heavy police presence. However, we just cannot tell if the intention was to keep the peace or to intimidate. Section 29 (1b) of the Constitution states:
Everyone has the right ... to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible.
The fact that we still see students rioting over the issue of education means that the state has instead progressively failed to make available and accessible the right to further education. The system of funding needy students in tertiary institutions is flawed and it ties them to huge debts when they finish studying. The majority of students that suffer in that process are black and as such it delays their full participation in the economic stream.
We need to change government's culture of keeping on making promises and having to be reminded by riots of the promises they made. Thank you. [Applause.]