Pretoria News reports that Irvin Jim, general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), says it’s a disgrace that more than twenty years after the ANC government has been in power, the police are still killing unarmed protesters as they did under the darkest days of Apartheid.
A disappointed Jim made the remarks lambasting the ANC-led government following the fatal shooting of civilian Mthokozisi Ntumba during a clash between students and protesting students on Wednesday. He said the union condemned in the strongest terms the actions of the police that resulted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Ntumba who was just passing by as the #Asinamali protests by Witwatersrand University students was unfolding. Hundreds of students have been protesting at Wits University in Braamfontein demanding access to tertiary education for those who have been financially excluded and prevented from registering at the institution because they owed fees. Protesters have been demanding free education for all and registration for students with historical debt. Jim said the union condemned the governing ANC for failing to uphold its promises to the working class. In 2017, with much fanfare, then president Jacob Zuma announced that poor students would no longer have to pay to access tertiary education. "We support the demands made by students and we call on all progressive formations to support students in their just demand for free education," Jim added.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by James Mahlokwane at Pretoria News
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