#NationalShutdown
Never have I lived in a prouder moment. I am no longer a student, what I am is a university drop-out, for a number of reasons to be honest, one of them being denied access to the student loan I had been once awarded and the other, varsity blues I guess, which on my part I accept.
A few days ago we were referred to as “pseudo-intellectuals posing as social media activists” who were no longer students and thus encouraging our young brothers and sisters to neglect their studies and forthcoming exams.
What began on social media and the campus of University Of Witswatersrand as a protest for #WitsFeesMustFall a week ago, soon escalated to a national outcry by disgruntled academics and the youth in general.
7 days later a motion to shut down the country had recruited every major institution of higher learning to join in and when the students of Cape Town decided to occupy Parliament and thus were met with stun grenades, teargas and rubber bullets as the outcry grew stronger and the anger towards the hostile treatment intensified on social media, Thursday the 22nd of October was going to go down in history as a day the leadership of the African National Congress will never forget.
As a #JHBShutdown hash tag in congruence with #NationalShutdown circulated social networks, it was clear that city of Johannesburg, the hub of South Africa’s business was going to be brought to its knees by the young lions and lionesses who are not only academically inclined but equally fired up by the arrogance and the neglect of the ruling party.
Let me be as clear as crystal, these protests were not political at all. They are a reflection of the state of affairs in our nation.
Lack of leadership
The current state of affairs in our country is evidence of how quickly those who enjoy the privilege of power forget. Has history taught our current leaders nothing?
Have they not been a part of a disgruntled youthful revolution? It seems the luxury of flying first class, doused with the fine selection of single malts, the efficiency of German engineering and perhaps the cushions of suburban comforts have eluded those who were once freedom fighters but now a well off collective suffering from political amnesia.
“Education is the key to success” a quote known throughout the world and yet the access to these keys has come at steep fee attached to it and today the children of this nation demand decent accessibility to the keys of what should be their future.
I may never know how fighting an oppressive government may feel like but I fully comprehend what being ignored by those we foolishly elected feels like. One can never take their vote back once you’ve casted it and worst yet when you are not heard by those you’ve electorally put in power, it cuts deeper and stings a little more.
Our country is riddled with protests of all sorts, wage increases, economic freedoms etc…
But never has a cause been so just and noble and just #FEESMUSTFALL – a cry for free education or better yet a reasonable fee for the majority.
Fees Have Fallen
This is a momentary celebration, the battle and war story. We are very aware of which is most important to our future and that of our brothers and sisters. The country is in every way unequal to those popularly referred to as under-privileged. In the midst of this “FREEDOM” we don’t thoroughly enjoy, the balance in society is far cry from being fair let alone being even.
WE SALUTE THE STUDENTS AND YOUTH OF SOUTH AFRICA. NO MATTER WHAT RACE YOU ARE, YOU PROVED THAT UNITED WE STAND.
#WitsFeesMustFall
#FeesMustFall
#StelliesFeesMustFall
#UCTFeesMustFall
#NationalShutdown
#JHBShutdown #CPTShutdown #DbnShutdown
#OccupyLuthuliHouse
#OccupyUnionBuildings