Chaos at South African Universities

South African students have always had a very healthy protest history, which is a good thing as protests are undeniably an essential tool for changing the status quo. The issue has now, however, has become very complicated and extremely volatile. Student protests at universities have increased in violence over the years. The #feesmustfall movement in 2015, and related violent protests which have flared up at the University of KwaZulu Natal this week, are a good example of this. The incidences of violence are deplorable, and often fueled by mob mentality, but the fact remains the students feel powerless, and that their voices and concerns will be ignored, and so, they ensure that by their actions it will be impossible to ignore them.

(image: ewn.co.za - roads barricaded)

(image: @kznems twitter - standoff)

I attended the University of Kwazulu Natal Howard College Campus in the early 1990's, during a period of political transformation. Nelson Mandela had been freed from prison, but South Africa had not yet experienced the first democratic elections of 1994. Political protests at the University over this period were held mostly by the fringe groups, who wished a more radical change for South Africa. These protests did not make much of an impact on student life. Two other major causes protest action during those days were the unaffordability of university education for disadvantaged students, and many related issues surrounding fees, admission policies and financial aid problems. These problems form the basis of today's violence, so nothing as changed in all these years. The other issue that caused consistent strife, was the university's policies towards their labour force. The students stood in solidarity with university employees such as cleaners and groundsman. 

(image: news24 - meeting)

While I attended university, there were already rumblings of what was to come, but the level of violence and disruption then was nowhere near what it is now. In those years angry students forcibly evicted other students from lecture halls, often spraying them with fire extinguishers. Rubbish bins on campus were carried into university buildings and strewn throughout. During my three years as a student, the campus was only closed a handful of days due to protest action and I never experienced disruptions to my examinations.

(image: Aneesa Kubheka, ecr.co.za - fire in the university gardens, where I used to sit)

(image: @rinmor twitter - cafeteria building on fire)

(image: Dasen Thathiah twitter - law library blaze)

The situation at universities nationwide today is much more dire, marked by extremely violent student protests becoming the norm, and massive destruction to the very property whose function is to provide education. Students main concern, as it has always been, is the affordability of tertiary education. This issue has many branches and problems have arisen over bursaries, meal and book allowances, residence costs, and the refusal to enroll students in a follow up year due to entrance fees and deposits not being paid. The growing gap between the the entitled elite and the rest of the population, as well as resentment over colonial symbols also play a role. Additionally students are unhappy about unchanging curriculums and lack of representation on executive committees. Specific to the current spate of disruption is that the students want the charges of those students already arrested for violence dropped.

(image: enca.co.za)

(image: buzzsouthafrica.com)

"...the focus of the protests was focused on a rise in fees a number of factors formed the background for the protests from a lack of funding for poorer students to attend university, high incomes for University managers, a real decline in government funding for higher education, lack of social transformation, to broader socio-economic and racial inequality issues." (Wikipedia)

(image: The Citizen)

The current violence experienced by the three UKZN campuses has resulted in roads been barricaded with burning tyres, a campus cafeteria, lecture hall, cars and part of The Howard College Law Library being burnt down, destroying many rare and valuable books. Stones have been thrown at police, and at buildings, vandalising them in the process. Police and campus security have retaliated by using rubber bullets and teargas. There have been claims of police brutality, and accusations of an incident of sexual assault by a police member. So far 16 students have been arrested. UKZN has closed early for the September break, presumably in an effort to stave off further destruction. Last year a drunken student rampage, also in September, caused extensive damage to student accommodation to the tune of 80 million rand.

(image: The Witness - main exam hall burnt down)

(image: thedailyvox.co.za - scenes of destruction)

(image: @Jay_Naidoo twitter - burnt books at the Howard College Law Library)

(image: Maritzburg Sun - damaged university building)

This is a very complex issue. Black students feel that they don't have a voice, and want more access to government resources. They also want the plight of very poor students who are unable to study to be addressed. The #feesmustfall movement in 2015 began as a response to a fee rate hike, which resulted in a lock down of the University of the Witwatersrand campus for 3 days, before spreading like wildfire to all the other university campuses in South Africa. Unfortunately these student protests are infiltrated by criminal elements which lead to looting and political instigators promoting their own agendas. Alcohol plays a significant role, leading to mob mentality and drunken rampages. I am not classed as poor, but don't have the money to provide tertiary education for my daughter. As I am categorised as white I will not qualify for government financial aid. At this very moment, I think this may be a good thing. I don't feel that our children are safe.

(image: ukzn confessions)

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