We must struggle for transformation of higher education and study at the same time.

In the 1980’s, at the height of COSAS mobilization of the students – a defeatist narrative got some traction as a rallying call, but thanks to the leadership of the movement in exile, especially OR Tambo, that clarion call was backpedaled. The slogan was “freedom first, education later”.

Clarity was given that without education, the freedom that is being sought would be hollow in an uneducated society; a society that cannot run its own government and institutions because of large uneducated freedom fighters would reverse the very intentions of the quest for liberation, self-determination and its sustenance. And so, the political message was clear that there is no Chinese wall between the struggle for, and including the one directed for education transformation whilst studying at the same time. That kind of duality of tasks was by no means representing a betrayal of the former by pursuing the later at the same time.

2015 will go down in history as a year of students uprising putting to the fore the transformative issues both symbolic and substantive [Rhodes must fall campaign, Open Stellenbosch and the Fees must fall campaign]. As government, we listened very closely on the demands and agreed that these were legitimate.

We directed UCT, for instance, to remove the Rhodes statue away from the position of prominence and be kept either in the Museum or any place where it can be viewed as part of our distasteful history. We equally engaged with the Stellenbosch challenges even before the #Luister video. The Vice Chancellor of Stellenbosch, Prof. Wim De Villiers has been at the forefront, henceforth, in putting institutional mechanisms, including establishing a transformation office headed by a senior progressive Professor to redress the language issue, institutional culture and other racialized realities despite huge opposition including some elements in the Council.   

It is a matter of public record on how government has responded positively to the fees issue through substantial financial payment to universities for fee increase shortfall of R2.3 billion. We have additionally addressed the issue of student historic debt for those in NSFAS but were partially paid for or not paid for by the fund.

More than 71 000 students who were owing universities as a result, are now cleared to finish their studies. The President announced a commission chaired by a retired Judge on fee-free education for the poor. All the energies of those calling for free education must now be channeled towards the work of the commission.

But we have been recently worried about the 2016 resurgence of student’s protests. There is no doubt about the coordinated nature of these recent acts. Our concern is the displacement of the Students Representatives Councils which are an expression of student voices and leadership, by virtue of being elected by them.

A small fringe that is outside SRCs has emerged and raise demands through simultaneous institutional disruptions of academic programmes, using violence and burning of universities’ property. Because, in many instances, this fringe does not enjoy students-wide legitimacy, they coopt outside non-students mob to impose their will to students and Universities.

The intentions, like we have seen in TUT, is not about the issues that they raise at face value but to bog down institutions from one issue to the other in peace meal, so that we are held up throughout the year resolving this or that demand. The tactic is to raise issues in peace meal at various moments and times in the year, shifting the goal posts so that the impasse will deepen as the year unfolds.

We are extremely worried about the criminal conduct of burning universities now. The ugly scenes in NWU and UCT are as fresh to our minds as ever. This is the worst lowest ebb any country can accept to degenerate.  It can only be in a banana republic where such can be understood and be tolerated. South Africa’s universities and TVET Colleges are national assets, they do not belong to the government, but to the people of South Africa.

These national assets are essential to the empowerment of our youth and their communities. Anyone who destroys a building, a laboratory, a library, or any other university or college property is destroying the future of thousands of young people and generations to come.

We also condemn the emergence within these violent protests, the racial clashes that runs counter to the efforts of social cohesion and non-racialism for which universities should represent an advanced form.

We are calling for majority of students who want to get on with their studies, to stand up and resist this wave. They must stand up and saying “Not in our name”. We call for other social forces, parents and faith based leaders and communities – to assist to stand up and be a voice of reason against this destructive, violent tendency by a fringe and small minority within the students.

It is time for all sections of our society to raise their voices in defence of the institutions which belong to the nation as a whole.

- Let us together isolate this dangerous, self-centred minority who conflate violence protests and destruction for radical struggle for transformation and change

- Let the nation stand up against acts of destroying the people’s assets which we need to empower our young people and to transform our society. 

The struggle for transformation in higher education is as old as the struggle for our liberation. It has to continue with a much more vigorous tempo. But as we do so, we must not allow any elements and agents provocateurs to destroy these institutions of our next generations; we must struggle and study at the same time. Let’s isolate criminals and keep focus to the bigger transformation picture.

Khaye Nkwanyana is the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Education and Training.