CAPE TOWN – South African students were protesting Wednesday outside the parliament in Cape Town to force the authorities to grant amnesty to fellow students who were accused or convicted of the so-called FeesMustFall movement demonstrations against tuition fees, which became violent in the fall of 2016.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the student movement, but warned that he could not grant amnesty because this would undermine the independence of the National Public Prosecution Service.
Dozens of university students took part in the demonstrations on Wednesday, as witnessed by an ephepa photojournalist in Cape Town.
The FeesMustFall protests seized the universities of South Africa between 2015-16 and occasionally forced the total closure of institutions because student unions demanded free higher education and improved working conditions for non-academic staff.
Riot police were deployed on various occasions and tear gas was used to disperse crowds of demonstrators.
The government ultimately did not increase tuition fees.
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