What a time to be alive. Ululating and voices of change can be heard from the majority of higher education campuses across the country. The energy of protestors is tangible; it incites others to join their cause, to become a part of an integral part of the youth of South Africa’s lives.
The date is Monday the 19th of October 2015, the University of Cape Town was caught off guard on this morning. A group of young students have taken up the reigns from the students at Wits University, and have begun protesting against an increase in fees for the 2016 academic year as well as the out-sourcing of labor to Multi-National Corporations.
I find myself in-line with the protestors; I feel that it is unfair to discriminate against those who cannot afford university fees and are therefore academically excluded. I also feel that it is irresponsible to out-source labour to exploitative Multi-National Corporations. However, at the same time I feel that UCT through their issuing of a statement on Sunday night seemed to address the issue in a fair and justified manner. Since then, things have escalated fairly quickly. I was witness to people driving through barriers, where they were barred exit. In no way do I condone the behavior of the people speeding through barriers, which ultimately lead to people being injured. Yet I fail to see why some people were not allowed to leave the campus? And those of us who tried to assist one man in leaving very quickly received abuse and criticism for our actions. As a result of this type of escalation a court interdict has been put into place by the management of UCT. Something, I believe, that groups which are involved in the protest will not take lightly.
If violence is the answer, should this violence be directed toward the institutions in question? Should it be directed to those trying to learn, those trying to write their assessments and get their projects and essay’s handed in on time? In my opinion I believe that these matters do need to be raised amongst the Adam Habib’s and Max Price’s of the country, so that they can be brought to task, and then help us students in raising these issues amongst the government. Ultimately the government needs to deal with the issue of higher education within the country. They need to step up to the plate and ensure that education is their number one priority at the moment. Burning books and causing structural damage to the property of the university will be of no assistance to anyone who is fighting to secure fees at a lower rate. I once read a quote that has stuck with me, and relates to institutionalised violence:
“Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings” Heinrich Heine
If this violence occurs, and places of education are damaged and people are disallowed to write exams, to access their education, I fear that people, young people, will be harmed.
With that being said, it is also wrong to disallow one that access to an education based on the fact that they cannot afford to pay their bills. This I believe is a problem for ALL students who cannot afford the price for higher education within this country. In all honesty the race factor cannot be ignored when regarding this topic. It is of no illusion that the majority of people who cannot afford to attend said institutions are of color. The very same people whose parents have toiled for freedom within a country which is rotten to the core with corruption and inequality. I accept my privilege, my white privilege. I accept that I was born into it, and I accept that essentially I am lucky because of it. But this does not define me per se, just because I am white, it does not mean that I have the same privileges as other white people who may be wealthier than my family and I. At the same time just because a person is of color, it does not mean that they have the same luxuries and opportunities as some people of color do. This also does not mean that all people of color are poor and live in poverty. The problem here is inequality across the board, affecting households of many a South African, as their income cannot sustain a life where higher education is a feasible possibility. This is where we need to accept that what we face is a student problem, and that ALL, by right, should be allowed to participate or not participate according to their own free will.
I do not wish to idolise my friend or I, but I say these words to prove a point. I now have two jobs, coaching water polo and working at a restaurant in town, in order to stay at UCT. I was lucky enough to receive a rugby bursary to UCT for the past three years and I can only hope that I receive one for the coming academic year. My friend, in the video above is in a very similar position to me. He is on two bursaries, one for rugby like myself and another for academics. He works tirelessly to pay bills to be able to stay at UCT and study. We would both love for fees to be lowered so that we can maybe spend one less night at work, and our parents could breathe a little easier. I understand that we both cannot escape our privilege, and we will never be able to. But surely, as he so rightly states in the video: “this is a student thing” it embodies ALL students of ALL racial groups. It is a problem that we all face. But I honestly believe that the position the one protestor took was wrong, by insinuating that due to the fact that my friend was white, he could so easily afford to attend the University of Cape Town. It is an issue, which needs to be raised, not all white people can so easily afford fees. Of course this figure is minuscule in comparison to the number of people of color who cannot afford exorbitant university fees. However, it is a real issue and should not be brushed aside.
I am interested to see how this precarious situation plays out. I really do hope that it does not become a culmination of violence towards students and misdirected anger towards those who are not protesting. This country has spilt enough blood, some of it in vain, for the constant hunt for equality. The government needs to wake up; the revolution will not be televised. The government needs to act soon, the revolution will not be televised, it will be on their doorstep before they know it.
We All Waiting 