Hon Chair, the DA objects to this budget of unfunded expansion. It won't meet the ambitious expansionism of the Minister's own strategic plan. It will again leave thousands of poor students without support. It will force the further expansion of universities and technical and vocational education and training institutions, TVets, without sufficient funding.
It is substantially out of proportion to the broader education budget, constituting a mere 12%, as opposed to 20% in the rest of Africa. It reflects the ANC-led government's belief that higher education and training are fairly important, but not important enough to fund in a 21st century manner, or in a manner consistent with the National Development Plan, NDP. Tragically, what this budget, like other Higher Education and Training budgets over the past 20 years, will produce is thousands more unemployable young people. The next generation deserves better. Thank you. [Applause.]