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 […]
students fees
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
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, News/Politics
Bravo students: ‘The doors of learning and culture shall be opened’
The ongoing student protests across the country confirm, unambiguously, the failure of the neoliberal system in South Africa, which requires a hefty increase in student fees every year, given the fact that universities are now part of the invidious neoliberal economic system, instead of being state-funded public institutions. And don’t tell me that it is […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
We seemed like a leaderless country yesterday. Who will stand up?
I left my office opposite Parliament (I work at the Human Sciences Research Council in Plein Street) after I heard the first stun grenade. The first thing I thought about was Marikana. I couldn’t just stand by if students — many of whom I teach — were going to be hurt by police. I followed […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
#FeesMustFall
Earlier on in the year when University of Cape Town students launched the #RhodesMustFall campaign, I was worried that students were focussing on the removal of statues when there were real issues that could lead to real change that needed to be tackled. I was concerned that while we were busy talking about old symbols […]