#FeesMustFall was a student-led protest movement that began in mid-October 2015 in South Africa. The goals of the movement were to stop increases in student fees as well as to increase government funding of universities. Protests started at the University of Witwatersrand and spread to the University of Cape Town and Rhodes University before rapidly spreading to other universities across the country. Although initially enjoying significant public support the protest movement started to lose public sympathy when the protests started turning violent.
The 2015 protest ended when it was announced by the South African government that there would be no tuition fee increases for 2016. The protest in 2016 began when the South African Minister of Higher Education announced that there would be fee increases capped at 8% for 2017; however, each institution was given the freedom to decide by how much their tuition would increase. By October 2016, the Department of Education estimated that the total cost in property damage due to the protest since 2015 had amounted to R600 million (equivalent to US$44.25 million).
Background
The protests followed a three-day student lockdown of the University of the Witwatersrand campus the week before following an announcement by the university that fees would be increasing by 10.5% in the following year despite an inflation rate of only around 6% for the same year. The university's chief financial officer stated that the cause of the high increase in fees was:
# The rand-dollar exchange rate has fallen by approximately 22%, which has resulted in a substantial increase in the amount of money that we pay for all library books, journals, electronic resources, research equipment that are procured in dollars and euros.
- Salary increases for academics are set at 7% based on a three-year cycle and these increases are necessary to ensure that we retain the best intellectual minds in the country.
- Generic inflation is hovering at around 6% which impacts on all other expenses that the University has to cover.
- Utilities are increasing at rates substantially higher than the inflation rate.
Although the focus of the protests was focused on a rise in fees a number of factors formed the background for the protests from a lack of funding for poorer students to attend university, high incomes for university managers, a real decline in government funding for higher education, lack of social transformation, to broader socio-economic and racial inequality issues.
The vice chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand Adam Habib estimated that if government could provide an extra R8 billion per year "that will cover the tuition fees of every student at every university in the country." South Africa spends 0.75% of its GDP on tertiary education which is less than the African or world average.
The movements were started and led by the SRC leader of the University of the Witwatersrand of 2015, Shaeera Kalla. On 2 October Kalla attended her last council meeting as SRC president, she is accompanied by incoming SRC president-elect, Nompendulo Mkhatshwa.
Timeline 2015
12–19 October
Students at the University of Witwatersrand started protesting on 14 October 2015 in response to an announcement by the university that fees would be raised by 10.5%. This led to a sit in and lock down of the university by students and some staff that, on 17 October, resulted in the university agreeing to suspend the fee increase and renegotiate it as well as not seek disciplinary action against participating students or staff members.
On Sunday 18 October messages started circulating on Facebook about a possible complete shut down of the Rhodes University campus.
19 October
By Monday 19 October fresh negotiations between students and the university had begun. On the same day similar protests had spread to the University of Cape Town and Rhodes University. On the same day management at the University of Cape Town -which had announced a 10.3% fee increase the week before- applied for and received a court interdict to prevent protests at the university. Students started blocking vehicle access by placing rocks, dustbins, and benches on the roads leading into the campus.
Students went ahead and led by the Rhodes Must Fall movement occupied the university's administration building. Riot police were called to forcibly evict the protesters with over 25 students being arrested late at night. Reportedly over a thousand students then gathered at the Rondebosch police station and held an all night vigil calling for the students' release.
At Rhodes University students reportedly started barricading themselves into the university and forcibly turning away others from entering the campus. Students at the University of Pretoria reportedly initiated plans to lock down three of that university's campuses for Wednesday 21 October.
20 October
On Tuesday 20 October students assembled at the University of Cape Town and marched down to the local police station to demand that the students that were arrested the previous night be released. The Cape Peninsula University of Technology students started protesting and locked down the campus. At the Fort Hare University students also began protests and a campus lock down. They refused to disperse or write exams until university management had dealt with concerns over fee increases and issues of corruption. Students at the University of Stellenbosch handed over a memorandum of grievances to university management outlining their complaints whilst students at Rhodes University continued their protests. At the University of Witwatersrand students rejected a proposed compromise by the university to cap fee increases at 6% and instead demanded that there be no increase in fees.
21 October
On Wednesday 21 October 2015 students from both the University of Cape Town as well as the Cape Peninsula University of Technology formed a crowd of around 5,000 protesters marched on the South African Parliament which coincided with the meeting of the National Assembly -with both Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and President Jacob Zuma in attendance- which was in session to hear the medium-term budget. Following the finance minister's address, Nzimande tried to address the crowd but was repeatedly booed by the crowd whilst President Zuma left the Parliamentary buildings from a side entrance. Other parliamentarians were advised by the speaker of the house to wait out the protests in their offices.
Protesters broke through the gates of the parliamentary precinct and began to stage a sit-in protest, but riot police soon moved in to disperse them using stun grenades, tasers, coloured gas, riot shields and truncheons. After the riot police had cleared the precinct of protesters and shut the gates, police warned protesters that they were contravening the National Key Points Act and that if they do not disperse with in 15 minutes, they will be arrested. The protesters did not leave, and police went ahead and arrested a number of them. It was claimed that protesters identified by police as particular troublemakers were arrested. The presence of riot police was questioned by the press.
Mass meetings at Stellenbosch University were held on the same day to demonstrate against fee increases.
Protest action also started at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, when students blocked the main roads onto the Summerstrand campuses. At least one altercation with the police took place when tear gas and rubber bullets were used to push students back onto campus.
22 October
The University of Johannesburg experienced protests, during which an altercation between students and private security guards took place. Students at Fort Hare University lit bonfires at the university's entrance and vandalised the campus security offices. In Johannesburg students marched on the ruling African National Congress's (ANC) headquarters at Luthuli House where students handed over a memorandum to ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe. Protests continued in Cape Town with students gathering at the central magistrates court to witness the court appearance of the 29 students arrested during protests outside Parliament the day before.
Despite assurances by NMMU management that classes would resume on 22 October 2015, protesters continued action. This included disruption of some classes that staff and students attempted to attend. A meeting was due to take place at a stadium on campus, but this was not attended by students, partly due to rumors on social media that there was a heavy police presence at the stadium. Students then insisted that Vice-Chancellor meet them where they had gathered, which he refused to do, citing safety concerns of a large number of people at that location. Following the meeting, students moved to block vehicle access to campus, which lasted until approximately 18:00, trapping some staff and students on campus.
23 October
In the United Kingdom a group of around 200 students gathered at Trafalgar Square in front of South Africa House to show support of protesting students in South Africa. A Cape Town daily newspaper, the Cape Argus, invited student co-editors to edit the day's edition of the newspaper. Articles were written, commissioned and edited by the students involved in the #FeesMustFall protest.
Classes at NMMU were cancelled, and student protesters continued blocking entrances to campus. This was followed by a peaceful movement to another campus (2nd Avenue).
During the morning university vice chancellors and student representatives met with President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria to negotiate a way forward. Whilst they were meeting, a large group of protesting students assembled outside the Union Buildings to await Zuma's response. A small group turned violent, setting fire to a portable toilet and breaking down fences. The police responded with tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets. The students themselves called for discipline, stressing it was a peaceful protest.
Shortly after 3 pm, President Zuma announced from within the Union Buildings that there would be no increase in university fees in 2016. Whilst this was a major victory for the protest, protesters were upset that the president chose not to address them directly. A number of students tried to storm the Union Buildings demanding to address Zuma. Police responded with force, using rubber bullets. After being driven out of the Union Buildings, students continued to protest in the streets.
One consequence of the #FeesMustFall movement was the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training. President Jacob Zuma launched the commission's probe in January 2016, the reported goal being to report on the feasibility of providing free tertiary education.
Costs
The South African Department of Higher Education and Training calculated the damage caused to universities during the 2015 #FeesMustFall protests to R300 302 848.58, with the North West University's Mahikeng campus having suffered the most damage at R151m due to unrest that saw buildings torched, students shot at with rubber bullets and the university closing for a month.
2016 Revival and #FeesMustFall2016
In mid-August 2016, the Minister of Higher Education and Training was widely expected to announce fee structures for the 2017 academic year. This led to a revival of the fees must fall campaign under the hashtag #FeesMustFall2016.
August
10 August
Led by Honourable Justice Jonathan Heher, a former judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal, the Fees Commission began set 1 of the hearings. It included submissions and testimonies from student representatives and unions.
12 August
The Council on Higher Education concluded that a 0% fee increase would be unsustainable and recommended an inflation-related increase for South Africa's universities in 2017.
14 August
Calls were made on social media for students to shut down universities on 15 August. These purportedly came from the South African Union of Students.
Later in the day Minister for Higher Education, Blade Nzimande called for calm stating that no decision had (yet) been reached about fees. Meanwhile, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe reaffirmed the National Executive Committee's prevailing policy of no fee increases at South African universities.
15 August
Protests at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Mangosuthu University of Technology over the purported fee increases lead to the suspension of the academic programmes at those universities. Police were deployed to some other universities in anticipation of protests. Blade Nzimande reiterated that no decision had been reached over fees for 2017.
20 August
Protests broke out at Walter Sisulu University's Ibika campus in Butterworth and Nelson Mandela Drive campus in Mthatha. Hundreds of students blocked the N2 in both towns and are reported to have thrown stones at vehicles. Police in Mthatha responded with teargas and several students were arrested in Butterworth.