Free education for all deserving and disadvantaged students as announced by Pres Jacob Zuma towards the end of last year has ignited such a frenzy that even people who have not been to tertiary institutions for years are today (Monday) queuing to obtain a place at universities and technical colleges.
Since the announcement by Zuma, the EFF, through its leader, Mr Julius Malema, was the first to make a call that all who qualified should report at different institutions where they would be assisted.
The situation on Monday was chaotic but under control at the University of Venda (Univen) where thousands of hopefuls lined the main street leading to the campus. Security checkpoints had been set up all over and not everyone could pass without giving a valid reason. Some of those in the lines said they had arrived the previous day to secure a good position and they said they would not leave before they had been helped.
The announcement of free education for all took everybody by surprise because Pres Zuma had taken a long time to respond to the findings of a report regarding higher education. This has brought a lot of confusion, with universities and students not having details on how it will work.
Limpopo Mirror will follow the situation closely and a more comprehensive report will be published in our printed edition on Friday.