Recently, I saw a Facebook post about an event where the keynote speech was titled “What would Mandela do?” The speech, unsurprisingly, criticised the recent student protests. For the love of intellectual discourse, can we please retire this phrase? Don’t misunderstand me. I have nothing but respect and admiration — and gratitude — for Nelson […]
#FeesMustFall
Posted inMedia, News/Politics, Tech
#FeesMustFall: A movement of shares, likes, tweets and posts
In 2011 Chilean students began a protest movement to challenge the education system of their country. Known as the “Chilean Winter”, their dissatisfaction poured onto social media platforms. The students leveraged these sites to great effect to mobilise fellow academics, draw international support and express their own narratives which were ignored by the media. Fast-forward […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
#WitsOnFire: Student factionalism must fall
By Phaphama Dulwana The past two weeks have been something to marvel at. I watched for the first time in my life young black people take a stand against institutions and systems that perpetuate the poverty we have regrettably become so immune to. Every single day filled me up with an overwhelming sense of emotion […]
Posted inNews/Politics
ANC looking backward, looking forward
By Matthew Wate In early 2004 an enterprising businessman approached the ANC with a novel and interesting piece of gadgetry. Bactacles. These ingenious devices looked like normal sunglasses but actually had tiny cameras on the back and projected images onto the lenses, allowing wearers to see what is behind them at all times. The ANC […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
So #FeesHaveFallen but let’s not celebrate too quickly
By Marlyn Faure It’s all too easy to think now things can go back to normal. Of course, if by now you still don’t understand why students are protesting, please stop questioning the legitimacy of the struggle but rather the fibre of your conscience (or lack thereof). Over the last while there have been a […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
Fix the public education system to grow the economy
The essence of good strategic thinking and planning requires, for an organization, a critical capacity to anticipate events in the future that may have the capacity to derail its strategy and develop remedial measures to mitigate the threat. This is also true for a government. The crippling financial burden of university education for the poor, […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
TUT students vs The coconut bourgeoisie
In my previous article on the #FeesMustFall protests I made the point that a hierarchy of legitimacy was being entrenched in having the state publicly respond to political claims originating from historically white institutions and not when they originate from historically black universities (HBU). These claims, which the HBUs have for the past couple of […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Wisdom includes the art of picking the battles one knows one can win
Well done, students! You have done to this ANC government and establishment what years of scandal and maladministration have not. It has taken notice. It is worried. It is addressing the cause of your discontent. There will be no fee increases next year. I applaud your courage and convictions. The wise thing to do would […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
It is not about Rhodes, outsourcing, fees…it is about defining a new society for all South Africans
By Vissého Adjiwanou It started as a “mood swing” from some black academics at UCT, questioning the lack of transformation within their institution and challenging the inadequate responses from the administration. In their statement and later engagement with UCT, they called for the dismantling of any institutional discrimination, the recognition of the contribution of black […]
Posted inEquality
#BladeMustAid: An open letter to the minister of higher education
By Liezille Jacobs Dear Dr Bonginkosi Emmanuel “Blade” Nzimande, What an interesting time to live in South Africa! I am writing this letter slowly because it is very hard for me to fathom that we might have another 1976 on our hands. Do you need a reminder, lest you forgot? On June 16 1976 student […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
#NationalShutDown: Lessons from 1989 Tiananmen Square
I watched the evening news bulletin reporting how this current incarnation of the #FeesMustFall movement had spread to Fort Hare. I watched Fort Hare students, like students at other campuses, burn all manner of property. But what was odd in all that burning at Fort Hare, was the students throwing toilet paper all over the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Dear Mr President, I was hoping to see you at the Union Buildings
The podium was ready and your police officers were there ready to protect you. I was told you would address us at 12 noon. Some of us were naïve enough to think that you would really come. We are always full of hope. Some of us stood by the fence doing a countdown for your […]