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Cape Town - Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene called for a long-lasting solution to financing higher education as he walked past protesting students at parliament on Wednesday.
Nene was walking down a street near parliament that an hour before was crowded with student protesters, who had broken through the gates to demand answers from Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande.
This was shortly after he finished delivering his mini budget speech.
WATCH: Nene remains calm amid student storm
Students from universities across South Africa rejected Nzimande's 6% increase cap proposal. However, after Nzimande braved the crowds to speak, they called for his resignation, chanting, "Blade must fall, fees must fall."
Nene told journalists ahead of his mini budget speech on Wednesday that the 6% cap is a short-term measure that will allow time for a sustainable solution to be found in the long-term.
Nene said he attended a cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, where he engaged with Nzimande on the situation.
Protesting students from the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters united as they protested outside parliament during Nene's speech.
Nene told parliament that the student fee protest reminded government “of the challenges of financing the expansion of further education and university opportunities”.
“(The) disruption of learning is not constructive,” he said. “But Minister Nzimande has rightly indicated the need to strengthen student financing further and to find solutions where current arrangements are inadequate.”
