Publications
Partners
The #Feesmustfall movement is back in full swing after minister Blade Nzimande announced that the fee increases would be for each university to decide on. In my opinion, this was a spineless move by the government who are unwilling to alienate any more voters than they already have.
By leaving it up to the universities to decide, the government has somewhat absolved itself from any part in possible fee increases because it is well known that "free" education isn't feasible, nor is the notion that fees shouldn't ever increase.
Here's the problem with "free" higher education though. Much like the SABC try to convince you that their stations are "free" to air television, the majority of us are made to pay for TV licences every year. Just ask anyone who was at Mandoza's funeral. Hlaudi Motsoeneng hi-jacked proceedings to make the death of a star, all about him and the SABC.
More to the point however, not only are we made to pay for TV licences, we are made to pay for the blatant corruption, government (tax) bailouts and bonuses that are awarded to COO's who have been declared to be in a position that was never legal to start with. Let's not mention the fact that said COO, is being appointed the acting COO until December, before being re-deployed to another high paying government post.
Just like the SABC, someone, somewhere is paying for the idea of "free" education. Taxes are being used to pay for the damage to universities and lecture halls that have been scorched in the "quest" for "free" education under the banner of social justice.
When did the privilege of attending university get replaced with the right to attend? Whoever got it into their heads, that tertiary education should be freely available to all (all who decide they don't want to pay), let the idea spread like wildfire.
So here's my solution; instead of spending so much time and energy being angry at the varsities, perhaps that anger should be directed at the government who are hell bent on self-enrichment and squeezing the life out of state coffers for money.
Go protest at Nkandla. Go protest at SAA (R10 BILLION loss under Dudu Myeni). Go protest at the SABC and ask Hlaudi Motsoeneng to donate his R11.4 MILLION rand bonus to "free" education. Go protest at ESKOM who love overspending money on projects that are years over completion deadlines.
If those same students who are "protesting" for free education took the time to educate themselves, they would also recognize where the problem lies. I guarantee you, it's no longer at the colonialists' feet.
