Tuesday, October 25, 2016

#FREE EDUCATION IN OUR LIFE-TIME

A CALL FOR A FREE DECOLONIZED EDUCATION FOR ALL 


This morning on the Cruise ship we were blessed by the presence of the Fees Must Fall movement activists who spoke volume about their stance with regards to 0% fee increment and FREE decolonized education.
The group consisted of students from various universities of higher learning in the Western Cape.

 In studio we had students from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

Among the problems students cited was the ignorance that management of these universities were showing with regards to their demands. Students have also cited that the resolution taken by council, the highest decision making body have not been put into effect. They claim that management does not take them serious.

Recently universities have been hit by violent riots, amounting to torching and destroying of university building and equipment. Recently, it has been reported that 5 vehicles had been set alight at the CPUT Bellville campus. Students, however, have been adamant that they have nothing to do with the burning of vehicles, rather points at the private security guards deployed by universities on campus.



Setuli, representing the workers says "We are saddened as workers, for the past 20 years, one of my colleagues has been working for CPUT as a cleaner, and her take-home salary is R2,400 till to date, and no one will employ her anywhere because of her age"

"We urge the university to take us serious and in-source us so that we can earn a decent wage" concludes Setuli.

Meanwhile, student activist, Xolisani Breakfast said "This struggle is influenced by the social economic conditions that we are exposed to. Last year, we had a similar instance of Fees Must Fall and the only issue that we have a problem with is that, resolutions taken and adopted last year have not been put in practice yet.

UCT's Lethawo Monye added that "Government doesn't understand peaceful talking and the only language that it understands is violence and disruption, of which we are not about that".

He adds "our institutions have institutional power to help us voice out our demands to government, that is all that we are asking for from them. If management could rally behind us, government will definitely take us serious.

On Wednesday, it is expected universities across the country will be marching to the Union Building in Pretoria and Parliament in Cape Town.

By: Mbasa Malusi Gqokoma