This year has see a lot of hashtags being used for social change in a big way. South Africans are starting to appreciate the power of Social media, more specifically the hashtags. We have seen the call for the fall of the statue of Rhodes go viral on the hashtag #RhodesMustFall. Everyone who could, shared their opinion on the matter and the movement grew so much that it reached students overseas. Such is the power of Social Media. Ultimately the statue of Rhodes as a symbol of colonialism has fallen. Only we wonder if this truly meant the emancipation of the minds of those who still thought like colonial slaves; those who feel that everything white is deserving of the utmost respect and service. Those who believe that there exist only the White race and everything else relative to it.
The success of the #RhodesMustFall campaign could be blamed for what came soon after. I am referring to the #IamStellenbosch. I have never been more confused. I saw a bunch of loony looking young people holding up placards saying the most confused statement one could expect from University Students. I still have no idea what this campaign was trying to achieve with black students holding up placards you could swear a white person wrote for them and paid them to take a picture with. I cannot for the life of me imagine a situation in this decade, let alone in 2015 where a black child would refer to themselves in the negative as a non-thing, a non-white! As thought the goal was to be white and if you fail, you are a non-white, without identity as the only point of reference is white. such colonial mentality that obviously couldn't fall with the fall of Rhodes. This was a big blunder from the organizers who have shown just how out of touch they are with society. In this case Social Media worked in exposing the ineptness of (possibly) a white person trying to lead a social movement against discrimination, ending up demonstrating the continued existence of white privilege in South Africa
The next hashtag came to show every doubtful mind that this is the age of Social Media, the year of Students and the era of the Youth. This hashtag saw the country's leadership being pulled by the nose while institutions of higher learning went on a standstill. This was a call that resonated and still resonates with the whole world. It speaks of an issue that concerns all, young and old. This is the #FeesMustFall campaign which became a movement across the country and saw students from the UK and the US pledging their alliance and marching along in their respective countries.Students marched to the sits of South African Political Power as those in the country Marched to Parliament, Luthuli House and The Union Buildings in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria respectively, and the Supporters of the campaign from abroad marched to the SA Embassies in their countries.
This was a necessary outcry from Students over the unnecessary and discriminatory annual University fee increments. The cost of higher education especially University fees can be seen as a systematic method of keeping the life of the black person in the hands of the Oppressors, the colonialists who own the banks that offer us study loans. The situation is this simple, for as long as higher education cost this much, many of our people will remain restricted in the service of colonial interests. Social and individual development in the black communities will be a thing of mystery. Education is the key to mental emancipation, restricting black people's access to education is a means of keeping the black person oppressed. The is no other politically correct way of discriminating access except for financial excuse.
The unspoken truth is that majority of black people who either failed or dropped out of University had financial challenges. Majority of black kids in University either have a part time job, cannot afford the expensive textbooks, are struggling to cover rent for accommodation and/or feel the demand of the social environment is overwhelming without enough finances. Those who manage to make it through through a Study-loan from a Bank, for example have no reasons to celebrate yet. Firstly they will have to face a long period of unemployment while the interest in the loan are accumulating. This is a form of enslavement because for many years they will be working for the Bank owners who are previous slave owners who have creatively designed a way of keeping invisible chains on the whole black race. (This is done through home loans, car loans and personal loans and all other store accounts with exorbitant interests). On top of that there exist the "Black debt" (black tax to be discussed in a separate entry)
The call for the fall of University fees is one that every South African needs to support for the sake of the country itself. For the sake of the continued existence of the black race, for the sake of freedom. This is a step towards leveling the playing field in a country of vast inequalities and injustices. Free education means freedom to choose a profession or career; free education means freedom to think for yourself, it means mental emancipation. Free education means healthy living, it means less violent crimes and abuses; less frustration as a result of lack of understanding; it means more political involvement, more social involvement. More self understanding and more purposeful living. Free education represents an end to an inter-generational struggle of the black race. Free education means progress in a country where it was promised 21 years ago. Free Education means an opportunity for every black child to be all they can be, to unleash their full mental potential.
This is a call that every man women and child must heed to. When the revolution awakens again everyone must get up and join the hashtag. Fees Must Fall to the ground and be a thing of the past like Apartheid. In 1976 the struggle was against the use of language to deny black people an opportunity for an education, this time the struggle is against the use of Fees to deny the black child an education. We have been quiet for too long because we some how believed it is the way it has to be or that we didn't have the power to make a difference. Now we know this is not how it has to be as other Countries have scrapped University fees (German for example) and South Africa has scrapped Basic education fees, why stop there? If we thought we did not have the power to force the government, the students of 2015 have shown us that the energy and intelligence of the Youth is not to be taken for granted. We have seen the effectiveness of the Social medias and the usefulness of the hashtags as a tool for Social Change. We now know what power we hold in our hands, let us now come together and use it.
#Equality is Just and #Justice is Equal. #Freedom is a Right and yet #Rights are not Free. Freedom is Right!
#Education is the highest form of Freedom. Our Rights allow for Education to be Freely accessible. That is Justice! Is our Freedom not Free? Are our Rights wrong? Is the promise for Justice Unjust? Are we more Equal in our inequality?
#Freedom will Reign. #Justice must prevail. #Equality shall be realised. #Education will be Free!!!
#Freedom will Reign. #Justice must prevail. #Equality shall be realised. #Education will be Free!!!
*In referring to Education I focus only on Higher Education as Basic Education is free in South Africa and the bar on that has been lowered so much that the value is equal to what is paid
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