Thousands of South African university students have taken to the streets in the biggest unified student protests since the first democratic elections in 1994.
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The protests began at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on October 14. Over the following week, students from universities across the country joined the action – in many instances occupying campuses.
The principal demand of the protesters is for a zero increase in fees in 2016. While the heads of the universities grapple with the unrest, the government has failed to make any substantial concessions.
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The Conversation Africa has carried a number of articles on issues underlying the student unrest.
- Suellen Shay sets out why the South Africa recently missed a golden opportunity to address the systemic problems facing higher education. Patrick Bond argues that the men who control the country’s purse strings are to blame.
- A professor, David Dickinson, who has joined the student demonstrations believes that the escalating tensions reflect deep-seated problems in the country’s universities.
- Sioux McKenna writes that the protests show that students and many academics are fed up with high fees and a faculty that’s too white and too male.
- A different perspective is provided by Graeme Bloch, who argues that while free education is a worthy goal, South Africa is unable to afford it at present.
Caroline Southey, Editor, The Conversation Africa, The Conversation and Emily Costello, Politics + Society Editor, The Conversation
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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