WATCH: Public hearings into free education held in Durban
Vice-Chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Albert van Jaarsveld believes those who can afford to pay for tuition should pay for their education while those who struggle financially should be assisted by the state or taxpayers.
Van Jaarsveld has been making submissions at public hearings by the Commission of Inquiry into the feasibility of free education.
The hearings are being held at the Moses Mabhida Stadium Conference Centre in Durban.
Van Jaarsveld says the country is at a crossroads of deciding the best development interests of the nation and maximising opportunities for young people irrespective of their socio-economic background.
"Unfortunately in our engagements with some of the financial structures in government at the moment - it appears that education is viewed broadly as a cost to society and is not necessarily seen as an investment in terms of the future of what we trying to live up [to]," he said.
(Photos, video by Khatija Nxedlana)
UKZN says free education is feasible but only for the poor. They say it is difficult though to define "poor"
— The Fees Commission (@FeesCommission) August 29, 2016UKZN says in as much as we are dealing with funding issues, but the country has a long history of many societal challenges #FeesCommission
— The Fees Commission (@FeesCommission) August 29, 2016