#FeesMustFall
The year 1976 was the year of student uprising and protests that shook the apartheid regime, which brought them to their senses. Using the term "Soweto Student Uprising" just diminishes the efforts and successes of all other student groups across South Africa; and it is therefore more politically correct to say that their collective protesting was the catalyst that fragmented and finally transitioned South Africa from its demeaning system of apartheid to one of majority rule and equal opportunity. This was a major achievement for the previously disadvantaged, even though apartheid only officially "fell" in 1994. With the "fall of apartheid" universities enrollments were available to everyone and ratio of privileged whites to underprivileged blacks gradually changed. By looking at the figures below, it is very evident that there are currently far more black university students than white students. The difficulty with being previously disadvantaged, money or rather a lack of it was more often than not the problem and to pay exorbitant fees for an education is almost impossible for most previously disadvantaged families. #FeesMustFall is a student led protest/march/demonstration that began in October 2015 in response to a controversial increase in South African universities fees.University of Pretoria (UP)
The University of Pretoria has some 62 000 full-time and part-time students and it also has the largest residency in South Africa. Black students represent about 56% whereas White accounts for some 39% with other race groups and international students composed of the shortfall. They want Fees #Must Fall
North West University (NWU)
North West University has more than 47 000 students which resulted from the merging of the historically black University of North-West and the historically white Potchefstroom University. Black students currently stands at 28% whereas White students amount to some 69% and once again the shortfall is composed of other race groups and international students. They want Fees #Must Fall
University of Johannesburg (UJ)
University of Johannesburg also has some 47 000 students because it was a merger of the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) and the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU). It has 73% black students and 20% white students. They want Fees #Must Fall
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University was formed when the University of Port Elizabeth, the Port Elizabeth Technikon and the Port Elizabeth campus of Vista University merged with a collective of 23 500 students composed of 58% Black students and 25% white students. They want Fees #Must Fall
University of the Western Cape (UWC)
University of the Western Cape is also known as bush collage and targeted towards the “coloured community”, since inception. UWC has a long history of activism by disadvantaged groups. The total number of students exceed 15 000, of which 38% are Black, 4.5% are White and the difference is predominantly Coloured. They want Fees #Must Fall
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is traditionally an Afrikaans university and one of the few institutions that didn’t undergo a merger with a historically disadvantaged institution, even though it is one of the oldest universities in South Africa. Of its 26 000 students 67% are White and 13% are Black. They want Fees #Must Fall
University of Cape Town (UCT)
University of Cape Town is the oldest university in South Africa and one of its leading teaching and research institutions. UCT was formerly an advantaged institution yet opposed to apartheid, admitting its first black students as long ago as 1920 and also didn't merge with any other previously disadvantaged institutions. With 22200 students 19% of them are black whereas 38% of its students are white. They want Fees #Must Fall
#FeesMustFall
The problem with the Fees #Must Fall is that the opportunistic thug element takes advantage of the situation and destroys the property of the educational institutions. Just a few days ago as many as 17 schools were torched /destroyed in Vuwani, Limpopo Province. Resulting in schoolchildren walking around aimlessly throughout Masakoma and Mashau villages contemplating their future after their schools and their records were reduced to ash. In his Presidency budget speech President Zuma said "A school or two is one thing‚ but when it is 17 schools is not a small thing‚ it looks suspicious"‚ and added that "We must look deeper because there are some rumours that in many of these protests there is some motive and some people take advantage of that". Each school will cost an approximately R30 million to reconstruct. Based on Zuma words, there could be a third force at work. "Third Force" is exactly the term used by ANC leaders during the late 80s to early 1990s referring to a clandestine forces believed to be responsible for a surge in violence in KwaZulu-Natal, and in townships in and around the Witwatersrand.
