The Democratic Alliance (DA) has asked minister of higher education and training Hlengiwe Mkhize to intervene in the registration processes at tertiary education institutions.
This comes after what they believe is "President Jacob Zuma's reckless announcement" on free higher education and "the EFF's inflammatory calls" for any qualified matric students to demand to be registered for study in 2018.
"Mkhize must now provide an unequivocal stance on whether she supports Zuma's announcement of free education, and what her department intends to do to mitigate against registration processes turning violent," the party said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Demanding that higher education institutions accept walk-in registrations is in direct contravention of many institutions' registration procedures and places undue strain on their systems and resources."
It goes on to say that Zuma's announcement of free education was "ostensibly made without consulting the national treasury or the department of higher education and training". They have called it "a tool of cheap politicking, aimed at scoring points ahead of the ANC conference in an attempt to salvage the legacy of his failed presidency".
The party has also criticised the EFF's calls for walk-in registrations.
"Demanding that higher education institutions accept walk-in registrations is in direct contravention of many institutions' registration procedures and places undue strain on their systems and resources," the DA said.
The DA says it believes all deserving students should have access to higher education and that financial support should be provided for poorer students –– within the confines of the law and the country's available resources.