EFF blasted over free education calls to foreign nationals
The #Nofreeeducationtoforeigners was trending on Tuesday with most of the tweeps saying party has lost the way.
The protest action saw student registration come to a halt at the institution. Students are calling for free education and scrapping of the registration fees. Picture: Alaister Russell
Tweeps were up in arms on Tuesday lambasting calls by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) student command calling for free education for all foreign African nationals in South Africa.
The #Nofreeeducationtoforeigners was trending on Tuesday with a huge majority of the tweeps saying that EFF has lost the way.
Students since Monday have embarked on a nationwide shutdown crying foul of financial exclusion and calling for free higher education.
Students from different political formations have since drafted a joint memorandum with seven key requests.
Lol the EFF hijacked the student protests and they want foreigners to have access to free education too ???????????? this is what happens when a student protest is hijacked by political party.#nofreeeducationtoforeigners
— Ernest Mahlangu (@LegendaryMusman) March 16, 2021
One request that has not been spared criticism by many is one proposed by the EFFSC that education for all foreign nationals studying in SA be made free as well.
“We demand that the university dismantles the upfront 75% payment of fees for African international students,” reads the request in the memorandum.
#nofreeeducationtoforeigners so you guys are getting shot so that foreigners can get free education? pic.twitter.com/n48lylZn7q
— Thapelo Seroka (@ThapeloSeroka) March 16, 2021
The EFF is known for advocating for the rights of African nationals and calling for a united Africa.
ALSO READ: EFF calls for one currency across Africa
In January the party made controversial calls to the government when it asked for the opening up of borders to foreign nationals from neighbouring countries. At the time the country was riding through the devastating second wave of the Covid-19 and forced to go back to national alert Level 3 of the lockdown.
Back in 2019 the party called for the scrapping of borders and implementation of the monitoring of free movement from one country to another.
I fully support the students fight for free education but number seven in nonsense. Tax payers can’t pay for free education of the entire African continent, the same graduates will later compete with SA citizens for employment#NoFreeEducationToForeigners pic.twitter.com/TmoKW97Esh
— Lerato Pillay (@Lerato_Pillay) March 16, 2021
African countries are NOT provinces of South Africa and narrow political interests are dangerous to our sovereignty! The EFF vulgarism & utopian of ‘Pan Africanism ‘ is going to cost us WHAT we didn’t have therefore we must reject any infantile proposal by them #NoFreeEducationtoForeigners pic.twitter.com/8uS103uhL0
— Kwena Molekwa (@Ruraltarain) March 15, 2021
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
