Delivering the Moses Mabhida memorial lecture in Imbali in Pietermaritzburg, he said it pained him to see universities being burned, as he had previously been higher education and training minister.

During the height of the 2015/16 "Fees Must Fall" campaign damage at universities reached R800 million. While the original reason for the protests was genuine, it had now been taken over by formations with different agendas, including the EFF.

“We know that the EFF is doing this because they know that they will never govern. Progressive youth formations should protect institutions of learning and not compete with others in destroying property, and I am challenging the YCL to deal with this,” Nzimande said.

Protesting was a constitutionally recognised right, but discipline was important, as this had been a guiding principle in the fight for freedom. “Even during the most difficult times under apartheid rule there was no destruction like we see today, because [former African National Congress leader] Oliver Tambo reminded us that we would govern one day and there was a need to preserve institutions when protesting. The EFF knows they will never govern,” said Nzimande.  

He again warned that factionalism would lead to the destruction of the alliance between the ANC, SACP, Congress of South African Trade Unions, and South African National Civic Organisation. “Ideological differences are one thing, but it is another when a comrade is said to belong to a certain comrade. This thing is starting to emerge in the SACP and we must deal with it," said Nzimande.

He appealed to the party faithful to campaign for the ANC in the May 8 elections. “By campaigning we are not giving the ANC a blank cheque, but still insist that the alliance needs reconfiguring,” Nzimande said.

African News Agency (ANA)