These are subtle discriminatory exclusions that start from the application process. West Campus, which houses mostly law, engineering and commerce students, has a greater population of white and Indian people, while East Campus (where protests normally erupt and take place) houses the social science students, who are predominantly black people. This demonstrates itself even in the academic and social configuration of Wits University. Yet one fundamental question failing to occupy the public discourse is why, almost 30 years into the democratic dispensation, the face of struggle, the face of humiliation and exclusion, remains the black student. Inevitably, and true to sensational traction, the effervescent nature of the protests made headlines more than the issues raised by students. It takes South Africa back to the #FeesMustFall protests and preceding student protests at various universities across the country. He raised the issues of financial exclusion, accommodation and the pace of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme in paying students allowances, among others. (John McCann/M&G)Ĭonflicting commentary buzzed through social media about the protests at the University of the Witwatersrand.Ī determined Aphiwe Mnyamana, the student representative council president, flanked by the secretary general, Tshiamo Chuma, addressed the media, dissecting the issues that had led them to resort to a protest.

Universities, the private sector and the government have still not fully addressed the exclusion of students who cannot afford a higher education.

Student spotify