by Albert Bangirana
The #FeesMustFall movement was founded by students with an explicit and clear mandate of pursuing free education through ending the commodification of education and decolonisation of the higher education system. The student movement has also remained resolute that education is a basic necessity and a right.[1]
Students have protested against the continual increase of tertiary education fees in South Africa for the last two decades now. Fees protests have initially been recorded at predominantly black Universities such as Fort Hare, Cape Peninsula University and Tswane University of Technology since 1994[2]. Most recently the Universities of Witwatersrand, Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and others have also joined the protests. Free education has formed part of election manifestos for major Political Parties in the country before, notably the ANC election manifesto for 2014 contained this clause[3].
However, at the wake of the renewed protests, the Deputy Vice-president Cyril Ramaphosa was quoted in ‘The Citizen’ to have noted that, “Free education for all – whilst it is a desirable notion in South Africa – it is simply not affordable…”[4] while Winnie Madikizela Mandela went further to propose a review of the freedom charter[5] all together. Further, the Minister for Higher Education Blade Nzimande recommended an 8% capped increase, with government to subsidize the poor and the ‘missing middle’[6]. This in a nutshell sustains the idea that ‘free education’ is still illusive, or arguably, a strategic political tool than a wilful achievable reality.
Nationally, protests have now subsided while the loathed police presence on most university campuses has significantly dwindled. Despite some students still languishing in jail, the battle seems to have defused into political caucuses and opinionated rhetoric on campus sidewalks and residences. The critical question, however is, is the struggle really over or has it again been pushed into the background, simply hidden from view? The CIHA Blog recaps the trajectory of the #FeesMustFall discourse while juxtaposing critical thinking with the humanitarian reasoning behind the cause.
For more on this debate go to:
Free higher education? Why it’s not possible in SA. Brilliant analysis!
Free education is possible if South Africa moves beyond smoke and mirrors
Free education is not possible – Winnie Madikizela Mandela
Nzimande puts a price tag on Fees Must Fall protests‚ blames anti-ANC agenda
Fees Must Fall 2016: Where to from here?
South Africa: Call for Justice and Reconciliation
[1] http://www.rdm.co.za/politics/2016/10/04/our-plan-for-free-higher-education [Accessed 6 November 2016].
[2] http://mg.co.za/article/2016-10-10-feesmustfall-history-of-south-african-student-protests-reflects-inequalitys-grip [Accessed 7 November 2016].
[3] https://www.enca.com/south-africa/sadtu-welcomes-anc-manifesto [Accessed 7 November 2016].
[4] http://citizen.co.za/news/news-national/1334518/1334518/ [Accessed 6 November 2016].
[5] http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/free-education-is-not-possible-winnie-madikizela-mandela-20160922 [Accessed 6 November 2016].
[6] Ibid.
Albert Bangirana is a PhD candidate in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.