The #FeesMustFall campaign, and all that the movement stands for, has sparked a fire that can only be quenched by a call to equality... in all forms. As a country, the road to equality, economic freedom and a non-racial South Africa looks vague as these cries fall on deaf ears. This movement is based on empowerment and equal opportunity for all South Africans, giving the layman an opportunity to better him/herself and ultimately his/her community.
This takes me back to a conversation I overheard in a taxi between a woman in her early fifties and a man almost half her age. The woman highlighted two distinct ideas, the first was the high cost of her daughter's university fees, that she is currently failing to pay. The second idea was the 'illusion' of democracy and how things have not really changed that much. As I got off the taxi, I realised that a relationship must exist between economic freedom and equality...
As much as education is a national agenda, the lack of university funding affects mostly black people, the majority race in South Africa. The widening of the gap between the rich and the poor leaves black people at a disadvantage because no plans are being made to redress the wrongs of our past. The majority of our workforce cannot afford to put their children through university due to being too poor to pay for fees and too rich for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.. It is sad to see academically excellent students having to drop out of school due to financial constraints in this day and time.
Social media has played an important role since the inception of this movement, it displayed both positive and negative views and perceptions. A word that came up a lot in the online discussions was the word 'privilege', which made some racial suggestions which i shall refrain from including due to the academic relevance of this blog.
As much as the fees were frozen for 2016, the government should look towards implementing new methods on handling the #feesmustfall campaign because the time for temporary solutions should come to an end. The youth of South Africa has a voice that needs to be taken seriously. The fight for free education is a fight worth fighting for, simply based on the premise that we are tomorrow's parents and we shall not be subjected to high tuition fees.
For more information, click on the links below:
www.mg.co.za/article/2016-01-20-fees-are-just-the-start-of-things
