Thousands of South African students marched have marched to the seat of government in Pretoria to meet President Jacob Zuma over fees hike.
Protesting Students
Campuses around the South Africa have been closed over the last week as students demonstrated against proposed fee rises that they say will mean poorer black youths are unable to attend university.
AFP reports that the issue of education fees has ignited widespread frustration over lack of opportunities for young people since the end of apartheid in 1994, worsened by a weakening economy and high unemployment.
Kgotsi Genge, a 22-year-old student at the University of Pretoria, told AFP at the protest in the capital. "The government thinks we are playing, they think it’s because we want to run away from school.
But we will keep fighting. South Africa needs to invest more in education. This movement is because we are being oppressed."
Protests have also erupted in Cape Town, Johannesburg, University of Fort Hare in Eastern Cape province and several other provincial cities.
On Friday morning, riot police in Pretoria stood watch over students who were prevented from massing directly outside the Union Buildings by high fences.
Many protesters demanded that Zuma address the crowd later in the day as crowd numbers swelled.