We, the undersigned UJ academics, noting the freeze on student fee increases and endorsing the ideal of affordable education for all, recommit ourselves to excellent higher education in South Africa. We now expect government to provide proper resources to prevent a decline in the quality of education and conditions of academic and other staff, and therefore insist that the state should cover the cost of the freeze. We reject suggestions that any university should be expected to implement austerity measures to cover their present shortfalls, and instead challenge the government to dramatically strengthen investment in our educational sector in general. We call for the convening of emergency meetings of faculty boards, Senate and unions.