#feesmustfall
has been the talk of the nation for more than a week when it was announced that
fees will increase in 2016. students from all universities in South Africa
decided to take action against the fee increment which I think was a wise
decision made by students in history, many students depend on Nsfas and
bursaries to pay for their fees I know exactly how it feels when January comes and Nsfas results come out
only to find that your application has not been approved, not knowing if you
will go back and study or not, some parents don’t even earn half of their
children`s` fees a year so indeed fees had to fall, It was amazing to see students put their
differences aside and protests against the fee increment.
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| i was there when history was made |
Buses
and trains were organised for students from different universities who were
part of the protest in Union building, students who are members of different
parties Sasco, Dasso EFFSO etc and despite representing different parties the
goal was one ‘fees must fall’ the march started at 10 when president Jacob Zuma
was suppose to address students but unfortunately he didn’t and that inflamed
anger in students that they started burning mobile toilets, pulling out the
union building`s` fence and others who were there preferred a peaceful march
but as students we come from different backgrounds others believe that if you
want to be listened to then violence it is and others don’t this is where differences invaded. student leaders argued that those who want no
violence should leave but because there were many students if one university
had decided to leave it would had to leave with all their students due to the
chaos it was not possible so no one left police used teargas, grenades and rubber
bullets to mobilise the situation but those who believed in violence were not
intimidated they started making petrol bombs and throwing stones while police
were shooting they were screaming “We want more” it was scary and fun at the
same time.
What
was more interesting is that it was not just black students but there were also
white, Indian and students from other countries were supporting South African
students, this was no 1976 we were all united it somehow showed how we have
transformed as a country back in the days it was only blacks however we still
demand radical transformation, demands for decolonized society and decolonized institutions
should be met.
When
students were finally addressed they were told that 0% fee increment had been granted
that was the immediate goal achieved but the long term goal had not been met
students want free education. The 0% has been granted for 2016 what about the
year after that. Does it mean we will have to protest again the coming years?
these are some of the questions students are asking themselves, what made
students more angry is that they were not addressed directly by the president as
promised and police dispersed everyone away from the Union building with rubber
bullets however the 0% did not really mean anything the struggle continues
until the government decides on free education,
This
day was prove of how powerful the youth can be if united, anything is possible
including free education and it should be a lesson to others that unity and
solidarity is a powerful weapon.
