The biggest raise our mothers will ever receive

October 24, 2015 12:29 PM

On Friday, South African university students achieved a historic victory; after a week's protest they ensured there would be no fee increases at universities in 2016. This has been led by women.

South Africa's post-apartheid reality has unfolded with massive disconnects between the provision of the rights enshrined in our much-lauded Constitution and the realities on the ground. The current wave of student protests across universities is a clear indication that students are fed up with not being able to afford exorbitant fees; with the conditions they live in; the poor prospects of employment after studying; and with state money being wasted through corruption.

posted by infini (9 comments total)

It was amazing watching this unfold on Twitter!
posted by ChuraChura at 1:02 PM on October 24, 2015

My first year tuition at the University of Cape Town in 1997 cost me R8 000, and for the first two years I had R5 000 deducted due to academic performance. In 2015 the cost of a year's tuition for the same course is R50 000. It has gotten completely out of hand and the financial support for poor students is not there.
posted by PenDevil at 2:07 PM on October 24, 2015 [8 favorites]

Thanks for posting this. It has been such an amazing story to watch unfold.
posted by frumiousb at 3:07 PM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]

Awesome!
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 3:55 PM on October 24, 2015

Terrific post, thanks.
posted by col_pogo at 4:05 PM on October 24, 2015

I knew nothing about it until I was chatting to a South African friend on the train on Friday at lunchtime (in Switzerland). She was saying just how inaccessible tertiary study is there compared to other developed countries: student loans being difficult to get and affecting your credit rating if not paid back.

I'm clearly spoilt coming from New Zealand where student loans get wiped when you die, and don't affect your ability to secure credit, bank loans, or mortgages. But her description of the South African systems sounded pretty dire. Good on them for this significant achievement -- and I hope they can go further.
posted by tracicle at 2:50 AM on October 25, 2015

PenDevil, you started in '97? What did you study?
posted by psolo at 3:06 AM on October 25, 2015

Just to add another point. This is one of the larger nationwide mass protests in the country that was not done at the behest of the ANC or one of it's allies and the anger directed at government, especially the Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande and President Zuma, has got some within the ANC a bit nervous.
posted by PenDevil at 4:07 AM on October 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

The discipline of the students has been recognized, apparently they've been cleaning up the streets after their marches and what not. Those two young ladies at the helm are striking hearts across the continent.
posted by infini at 5:35 AM on October 25, 2015 [1 favorite]