Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande is expected to make a presentation to the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training when it sits in Centurion on Thursday.

The commission was established by President Jacob Zuma as part of a range of measures to address a demand for fee-free education.

Nzimande’s presentation comes in the third week of violent protests over his announcement on fees for 2017.

On September 19, he announced that there would be no increase for students from families with an annual income of less than R600 000.

This was meant to assist the poor and the “missing middle”, but groups of students have rejected it outright, saying there should be no fees at all.

Extensive damage

Nzimande is among government representatives who have said they support a move towards fee-free education, but need to find ways of funding it.

In the meantime, some campuses have suffered extensive damage during the protests.

The entrance to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology was the latest casualty when it went up in flames on Wednesday morning.

Two security guards were locked in the building at the time and were in a stable condition in hospital after being rescued.

Classes have also been disrupted at many campuses.

In a speech prepared for delivery ahead of his Budget vote in Parliament in April, Nzimande said the government had provided R1.9bn of the R2.3bn shortfall resulting from the agreement to freeze fees for 2016.