Quiet campus is only a lull in the ongoing fees battle

WITS STUDENT JAMIE MITHI

Looking back over the last seven weeks of the #FeesMustFall 2016 movement does not lead to easy conclusions. The University of the Witwatersrand is the home of Vice-Chancellor Adam Habib, perennial student activist Mcebo Dlamini and Shaeera Kalla. Wits has a special place in this conversation because this is where the movement was born and this is where many of the prominent voices for the movement come from.

Wits has now found a new equilibrium which is “unstable” to say the least – if you can talk of an unstable equilibrium. Classes do continue and the protesters have resorted to taking their protests off campus and there have been clashes in Braamfontein.

A university bus was burnt this week and there was a reported attempt to burn down a library. In the midst of this, classes continued as did most assessments. This new equilibrium only exists due to the massive police and private security presence, the pending examinations and the comprehensive stop-and-search policy adopted as students enter critical buildings.

In spite of the commitments that were given by Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan about additional funding being allocated, to the tune of R17 billion, the issues that have created the biggest movement uniting students in one cause, have not yet been resolved.

Those issues are the high cost of access to higher learning and the inadequate funding at present from the state to cover all students who are poor but eligible to study at higher learning institutions.

The proposed increases in funding higher education do not reduce the already high costs of education; it merely puts a temporary stop to the further escalation of costs. The demand this year has been more clear and direct: Free, decolonised, quality education now. The activists have clearly not got what they set out to fight for. The fight for them is not over.

Mcebo Dlamini awaits his trial in a jail cell and Shaeera Kalla is recovering from being shot 13 times with rubber bullets by the police. The frustration is still there.

In essence the stage is set for #FeesMustFall round three. All stakeholders need to reflect about what role they play. It would be naive to assume this is the last we have seen of the #FeesMustFall formations.

Jamie Mithi is a final year law student at Wits. He is the reigning African Debating Champion and has also served on the Wits SRC for two consecutive terms. It was his passion for debating and student activism that got Jamie interested in Israel when, in 2013, a piano recital was disrupted illegitimately by BDS activists. He spoke out against the acts of intimidation and realised there was a need for clear headed discussions on Israel. He has been involved in Israel advocacy ever since.