63-yr-old, 28 others charged to court as students demand Blade Nzimande's head

South Africa has charged 29 protesters, including a 63-year-old parent of a student at the University of Cape Town, have been charged to court for public violence as the tuition fee protests continue to rage.

gathered from a BBC report that the 29 people, arraigned in a Cape Town court, did not have their pleas taken before the case was postponed to February.

All the accused were released from police custody.

There were initial reports that the accused would be charged for "high treason" but it was not mentioned in court.

READ:Anti-apartheid activist's son arrested as students storm parliament

The nationwide protests, which began at the Johannesburg's University of Witwatersrand (Wits), was ignited by a proposed plan by the management of universities to increase tuition fees by up to 10% to 12%.

The students rejected the increase, even after the government capped it at 6%, arguing that they cannot afford fee increases.

A twist to the protests emerged on Wednesday after Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, said the demonstrations were not a national crisis even though some of the nation's top universities have been shut as a result.

READ: Journalist’s shocking images show SA police brutalizing Cape Town students

The students has now added his resignation to their demands.

Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma has said he would meet with student leaders on Friday to resolve the matter.

"It is important that we work together to find solutions," Zuma said in a statement published by the BBC.

"Nobody disagrees with the message that students from poor households are facing financial difficulties and possible exclusion."

READ: Students vow to shut down all tertiary institutions over fees

Thursday's protests saw the students breaching the headquarters of the governing African National Congress (ANC) which has been in power after minority rule ended in 1994.

On Wednesday, they stormed the parliamentary complex where police met them with stun grenades and arrested Kgotsi Chikane, the son of anti-apartheid activist, Rev Frank Chikane.