EWN reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) on Thursday called on Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande to resign after he likened the protests for free higher education to a soap opera.

On Tuesday, Nzimande expressed concern over the disruptions at tertiary institutions where students are calling for historic debt to be scrapped and for government to deliver on its promise of free education. “Every year, it’s like a soapie now, The Bold and the Beautiful, every beginning of the year there is instability,” Nzimande said. Saftu's spokesperson Trevor Shaku said these statements were reckless. He pointed out that the minister should be fighting for free education instead of mocking those trying to hold government to account. In a statement, Saftu said: "For a minister who is the general secretary of the Communist Party to make remarks that undermine the efforts of students to free quality education and underplay the need for such education is shameful." Meanwhile, Nzimande said it was not true that he was refusing to meet with students to discuss their demands. The SA Union of Students announced plans to march to the Union Buildings after the minster failed to attend a planned meeting over the weekend. However, Nzimande said he had already held several meetings with student leadership and had responded to the union's written demands.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mia Lindeque at EWN

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