The struggle continues

#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.

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.