This is to all those who have taken the stance of violence
by either their acts or violation towards the law when approaching the
#FeesMustFall campaign; particularly my fellow students who might I add, my
compassion and prayers have been with during their efforts to be heard by the
government who felt that, those of us who didn’t dodge rubber bullets and tear
gas were traitors to the struggle. Regardless of how many people may view this
letter, I refuse to be a victim because I happen to have a different view . You
see, this often becomes the case in South Africa. When your opinion especially
if you are black disagreeing with the larger population of other blacks, you
instantly become prey for scrutiny, harassment and degradation. I’ve seen this
with Metro FM radio DJ, Idols judge and musician, Unathi Msengana who dared to
voice out the ignorance of a black student attending Stellenbosch University
who failed to read the language policy clause in the #Luister campaign recently
launched by numerous people of colour at the University who felt being taught predominantly
in Afrikaans was wrong and a violation of their human right; education. Black
South Africans couldn’t believe the “audacity” of Unathi, a black woman, A
Xhosa woman to be exact who dared to disagree with other blacks. They failed to
see the validity of her opinion but attacked her based on the fact that she was
a black woman supposedly disagreeing with another black woman. The debate
ceased to be about the #Luister campaign but shifted to be about black on black
“hate”, Which was ludicrous because Unathi was posing a valid question, a
question that sought to understand whether or not this girl black or not, had
read the language policy before calling the University racist. I have observed
that this is the case with me with this #FeesMustFall campaign launched by
South African students after Wits began revolution on their fee increment for
2016 tuition fees.
The initiative went even bigger when UCT began the rant on
the unfairness of the fee increment and tuition fees. The fee increment that
sat at 6%. As a University student, black and proudly so to be exact ,I was
moved. I was moved because a 6% leap is a huge one that has many implications
on my very own parent, a single parent and widow. I accept that I grew up
rather privileged and that I had and continue to receive a good education. I
accept that I do not know poverty. I accept that the government was wrong in
implementing such a huge increment and I accept that we as students have every
reason and right to be upset to the extent of taking action in injustices that
we face. I do not dispute that Black students are at a rather disadvantaged
margin economically because of the Apartheid era. I accept that we have rights,
education being one of them. Moreover I accept that the #FeesMustFall campaign
was just. So it startles me that anyone with a brain would even question if
this initiative moves me at all. It startles me that I have and continue to be
receiving hate via status updates and conversations of political engagement in
the past few days because I choose a non-violent approach. Because I refuse to
be a hooligan by throwing stones at police and expect them not to retaliate. By
refusing to vandalize that poor mans fruit stand at our student centre, by
refusing to break into the cafeteria, taking money from the counter, taking
products that have been placed to be sold, breaking windows in our student
centre, using graffiti to vandalize a million rand building and other
prestigious buildings on my campus. I am startled that I am insulted because I
refuse to drop my study week to further my studies and obtain a qualification
to go and sit on the road to obstruct incoming traffic in one of Cape Town’s
busiest roads. I am seen as a failure to other zealous students because I
refuse to be choked by tear gas and I refuse to be hurt by rubber bullets in
the name of fees falling.
It startles me that my concerns of dinning hall outlets and
all the other shops have been closed because students are threatening the lives
of those operating them, who have nothing to do with the anger of our cause has
been seen petty. Furthermore, students cannot even get a loaf of bread or
airtime, basic necessities of our daily lives. What humours me is this, the
violent students claim to be fighting for us, those who are not resorting in
violence yet they are infringing on our rights.
The right to a basic need like
food. We cannot eat because dinning halls have been closed. We cannot
communicate with loved ones because shops are closed to get airtime. They are
closed because the heroic comrades of 2015 have decided to violate, threaten
and scare them into closing for business. Those employed by these businesses do
not receive their daily wage, their children suffer, the children that are
allegedly being fought for, how smart. Moreover, the zealous class of 2015
claim they have the interests of all students at heart, yet they are banging on
their doors during their study week, forcing them to go and break windows, sit
on the road, risking their lives and their future. When they fail, they will
not be anywhere to be found. Sad. It
scared me to establish that TERTIARY education learners, FUTURE ACADEMICS,
DEGREE holders and recipients had such a shallow way of thinking. I would lose
my breath trying to explain to someone that the act of sitting on a road,
obstructing traffic is an offense, legal to a high extant. isn’t right. The
road is for motorists to utilize. The zealous comrades wouldn’t have it,
claiming police just attacked them for nothing. When police are employed to
protect, prevent commotion, maintain order, maintain the legal justice and
protect the state. When they fail to do so we will be the first to call them
useless. It is worse when police had warned students to vacate the roads and
gave them a warning and when they did not comply they took action. You see,
that is the problem.
The problem lies in the fact that the youth of today label
themselves as victims of everything. They have this mad mentality of thinking
the world owes them. They can do everything and anything because they have
rights. They forget that these rights have responsibilities. Truth be told, 90%
of the march demonstrations had very irresponsible measures. Students conducted
themselves very shamefully. It is sad that parents give up everything for their
children to come to tertiary but the children decide to conduct themselves
wrongfully. The cause is right and just I believe and emphasize but the actions
involved are sickening. They are wrong, yes they are and we all damn well know
it. It boggles me to establish that we all claimed we were fighting for one
thing when in actual fact we weren’t. #FeesMustFall became something else
especially on my campus. It started becoming shop prices must fall, res must
accept everyone campaign, free education, long lectures must fall, student card
prices must fall , SRC must fall and the absurd list goes on… I established
this at a rally I attended where students voiced out their grievances and I
realized we are not all fighting for one thing. Yet we have the audacity to
compare ourselves to the class of 1976, who had one objective and one voice.
Not us honey, not us. Others want their selfish desires to fall from the sky.
Where is money going to fall from to educate YOUR UNBORN children?? Who’s fault
is it that you grew up in the bundus?? I have an opinion on our president but
let me defend Nxamalala this once; it isn’t his fault! And yes, I am sorry that
you grew up disadvantaged, I am sorry that you feel dinning hall prices are too
high, I am so sorry that you grew up in a rural area but that isn’t the South
African government’s fault. It is virtually impossible to educate the entire
population free. Impossible. I was in
stitches when I realized that students were STILL unhappy when our president announced
0% increment. Suddenly it wasn’t about 6% but rather free education. Wasn’t the
fight for the fall of 6?%? now suddenly it changes to free education. It is
even worse when you have grown individuals who encourage children who do not
know better to go provoke authorities like police while they hide behind their
office desks and computers. I was revolted.
Then, as our vice chancellor came to address us yesterday,
it dawned on me that we are not legends as we assume we are. The shear
disrespect shown to him was sickening. We call ourselves comrades of the
struggle yet we lack respect. Respect might I add was something our hero’s like
Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and Chris Hani had. They had
respect for themselves and in the manner they conducted themselves and that is
why their cause together with other great comrades succeeded. Our Deputy Vice
Chancellor (DVC) had taken time to
address us, assuring us of his continued support to our movement, assuring us
of his support, he even left the national meeting just to address us, and we
treat him like yesterday’s rubbish? A family man with integrity, an academic
with esteemed stature, began to shake like a nervous four year old at an
oratory competition because of rowdy and unruly students who insulted him. I
was saddened., appalled and disgusted. How can we even compare ourselves to
1976 heroes? What right do we have to disrespect an elder. An elder who is on
our side moreover. Is that how our parents raised us Africans? To disregard
elders? Did your parents teach you to act like hooligans or rather to stand for
what is right? Those are two different things. I was at two rallies in
solidarity with the campaign. I did this when and only there was no unruly
behaviour. It is possible to fight a cause with dignity.
Take a look at the heroic women of 1956 who marched to the
Union buildings on August 9th in dignity, standing for what was
right. They did not act unruly. They were dignified with their petition in hand
and marched in one accord. Today we remember and honour them in South Africa, a
public holiday is in their honour, womans day. You see, such causes I will
gladly rant and rave about, we do not need to behave like uncultured animals to
prove that we are born frees who are proud and zealous. The moment you do not
comply with majority you are called a snob, a “friend of Jannie”, a sellout.
You become the worst case scenario. A misfit. That is outright bullying! Because
some one does not believe in what you believe in gives you no right, no right
at all to swear and insult them. I was mortified to receive a tagged post from
a former facebook friend who had issues with my stance on the matter at hand,
she tagged me in some girls status who I assume is from KZN at a university
there who swore and insulted us and called us all uncultured names. Isn’t she
infringing on our rights? Human dignity? A belief?. Shame on her and all those
who have joined in her cause.
Listen, it is possible to fight a cause with dignity. It is
possible to refrain from burning things and being violent to make a statement.
Stop blaming the entire world for your problems. You came to university to better
yourself. That is how our parents became successful. Not because education was
free, not because they were privileged but because they were wise enough to
know that education is the greatest liberator in order to achieve success. I am
privileged because my mother took that decision. Not because I necessarily went to “White schools” or have “Jannie” as a
best friend, because I don’t. Stop blaming the government for where you grew
up. Stop being too ambitious, next thing you going to demand free GTIs from the
government. Keep calm and remain. Most importantly, go to class fellow compatriots,
study and get that degree. If you didn’t make DP then stop disrupting those who
did, because when they fail they’re going to blame government for that too
right? Most importantly and finally, I am convinced that though the fee
increment has fallen, behaviours and respect from the youth must not fall with
it but rise. The way in which “we” are behaving isn’t an accurate depiction of
how respect has been drilled in our homes and certainly not how disciplined comrades
behave. Respect must rise! Andijiki.
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