The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has tasked all public tertiary institutions to assess the feasibility of implementing free tertiary education by next year.

Minister Sanet Steenkamp made the announcement while responding to questions from PDM MP Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo, who sought clarity on the ministry’s position that the plan would be limited to critical fields needed for national development.

Steenkamp said the public must understand the President’s announcement in its proper context.

"First and foremost, let us go back to what exactly did Her Excellency say. She said that, come 2026, in all public institutions, inclusive of TVET centres, registration as well as tuition fees will be 100% government subsidised, that this will be a phased-in approach and that accommodation and other expenses will be carried by the families," she explained.

The minister added that a task force has been appointed with clear terms of reference to study public concerns and develop a framework for implementation.

"What is of crucial importance is to state that we've got two funding formulas at the moment, one from the National Council of Higher Education and one from NASFAF. Of course, it really requires in-depth discussions, not just around free education, but in general also the government subsidy to our public universities," she said.

Steenkamp said the task force will meet again in July and will engage with various stakeholders, including student and teacher unions.

"So therefore I'm requesting for the task force to be allowed to continue what they need to do. We've got time frames that we've given them. They have to have in-depth consultations with all unions, student unions, but also the teachers' unions. That's important."

She assured the National Assembly that the ministry will report back on the outcomes and urged members to allow the process to unfold without pressure or premature conclusions.