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Title: The student struggle Author: Workers’ Solidarity Federation Date: 1995 Language: en Topics: education, student movement, Workers Solidarity, South Africa Source: Retrieved on 29th October 2021 from http://struggle.ws/africa/wsfws/1_1student.html Notes: Published in Workers Solidarity Number 1 May/June 1995.
In February and March this year Technikons and Universities exploded
with protest actions. Black students, sometimes supported by workers,
have been FIGHTING to change tertiary institutions. They are fighting
the legacy of apartheid.
The protests were organized by the South African Students Congress
(SASCO) and other student bodies
Protests were country wide. Students at the 7 Vista campuses called for
the resignation of their Broederbond controlled University Council. They
marched on the government calling on it to support their demands.
The Vista students were also calling for an end to financial and
academic exclusions.
At University of the Western Cape students forced the management to
allow 57 students to continue with their studies even though they had
been excluded. This followed a successful disruption of classes. It was
despite the deployment of police on campus.
At OFS Technikon, Black students demanding more representation on the
Students Representative Council were attacked by armed right wing
students. Students who defended themselves were dispersed by police and
subsequently arrested. None of the racists were charged .
Wits University students and workers have fought for the reinstatement
of 9 workers and 7 students. These were expelled or dismissed for 1994
protests against unfair dismissals, exclusions and the resignation of
the university Council. The workers were organized by the National
Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU).
The Wits students and workers used a number of tactics, such as a mass
sleep- in, a strike and also a class boycott. Despite this, the admin
refused to drop the charges and issued more notices of expulsion to
student leaders. The admin is also charging the
NEHAWU shop steward and one student with “kidnapping”.
Because of the legacy of apartheid, many Black students find it
impossible to pay their fees. Even if they are told to leave. Black
students are often also given inadequate academic support to deal with
the legacy of Bantu Education.
Also, many of the Universities were reserved for Whites up to 1991.
Students are fighting to make the staff, and student bodies more
representative of the country as a whole.
Students have objected to the undemocratic practices of the University
and technikon managements. These do not consult students or workers on
policies which deeply affect them, such as fee schedules. Many of these
managements were appointed by the apartheid government.
The student movement has been waging this campaign since the early
1990s.
The student protests have been condemned for the use of tactics such as
trashing campuses and hostage taking. At the National Business
Initiative in March, Mandela called on White rectors to take firm action
against “unruly” Black students.
He had to quickly revise his statement’s when angry students and workers
marched on the ANC headquarters at Shell House. Banners were carried
such as “WHAT DID WE VOTE FOR?” and “WE WANT MANDELA THE REVOLUTIONARY,
NOT MANDELA THE MESSIAH ..”
The student movement must lose its illusions in politicians and MPs.
Even though SASCO helped campaign for the ANC in 1994, the ANC has shown
itself to be unwilling to intervene on their side.
Only through struggle, through mobilization of as many people as
possible, can we transform Universities and Technikons. The government
allocated R220 million for student aid after the protests rocked the
campuses. Unite to Fight!
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FEDERATION STANDS
We in Workers Solidarity support the student and worker’s struggle to
transform the universities and technikons. We stand against racism. We
are for equal access to education of all people and this means fighting
against the legacy of apartheid.
We believe that we need to change the role of tertiary education, which
is usually geared towards training experts and managers that make
decisions affecting our lives every day, totally outside of our control.
It is the wealth that the workers produce that sustains the
universities. So the universities must help address the needs of the
Black working class.
We stand in solidarity with the workers struggle. Only united against
the bosses can we win anything. We need to break the tradition of
repressive labour relations in the public sector for once and for all.
We also stand with our class because we believe that it is in struggle
that people can be won to the need for revolution.
We agree with our comrades that the universities must be democratized.
The old apartheid managements must go. But instead of replacing them
,with a new elite on top of the administrative hierarchy, we need to
work out ways to genuinely empower workers, students and staff on
campus.