#FeesMustFall goes global
JOBURG - The ongoing #FeesMustFall saga in South Africa has made international headlines and citizens in the UK want to know more.
South African students have made news time and time again for the protests that have taken place since the proposed university fee increases last year.
Throughout the duration of the protests, the South African public has been watching closely as the student revolt took on other issues including outsourcing of staff and racial concerns, but little did they know that the whole world was watching too.
Outside Source, a news programme produced by BBC World News in London, was eager to learn more about what the students of South Africa have been facing and made their way to Wits on 1 March to hear the story from the students themselves.
Ros Atkins, presenter of the programme, explained why the buzz around current affairs in South Africa was of such great international interest.
“There’s a long-standing fascination with South Africa because of its history and because the world was transfixed by the ANC and Nelson Mandela’s efforts to overcome apartheid,” he said.
“Since then, the world has been incredibly interested in how it’s going since freedom has been achieved and how it’s actually manifesting itself. One of the big themes that came out of the coverage of Nelson Mandela was that there is a large part of South African society that is frustrated that change has not moved fast enough.”
He added that the issues faced in South Africa were not unique to the country and were faced by communities all over the world.
Atkins interviewed student representative, Vuyani Pambo, one of the driving forces behind the protests that ensued at Wits, to gain a better understanding of what happened and why it became as intense as it did.
Adding on to a question posed by a British citizen on Facebook, Atkins asked Pambo why the students set buildings on fire. “I’ve never seen that. I saw the video and pictures, but did you see the students setting them on fire?” Pambo challenged.
The student added that Wits had a number of cameras on campus and to resolve the issue of who set the buildings on fire, Wits vice-chancellor, Adam Habib, should release the footage.
What do you think?
Details: @BBCOS; @BBCRosAktins
