Last week, disturbing images and videos of some University of the Witwatersrand students going on the rampage amid their protest of historical debt, exclusion and accommodation went viral on social media.
Students, many of whom will in the near future be seeking to enter the job market and be meaningful contributors of society, were seen yanking out street signages, tearing out concrete dustbins and emptying their contents onto the streets of Braamfontein.
Much like we see in mob action, their fellow protesters clapped and cheered in approval, others joined in while some watched and even took videos of the chaos unfolding before them, with not a single one among the crowd calling for more sensible action.
While the student’s concerns are undoubtedly valid and anyone who understands the struggles that come with acquiring higher education in SA would empathise with them, their course of action was disturbing.
Destroying assets and property — whether it belongs to Wits or the public — is simply unacceptable.
Year on year, we have reported on scores of service delivery protests where, in what may be described as an act of cutting one’s nose to spite their face, frustrated community members have destroyed schools, libraries and municipal property meant for their own benefit to protest a failure to deliver on another service.
While it’s unjustifiable, we often excuse such acts as a lack of knowledge as to who stands to suffer and feel the impact of such action.
But what excuses do we have to offer for Wits students, academics so great they have been accepted in one of Africa’s most prestigious universities, for the scenes we saw unfolding last week?
Our view is that private security should not have to be on campus, unless there is some state of emergency that our internal security cannot manage.
— Nompendulo Mkhatshwa, former Wits SRC president and now chair of parliamentary committee on higher education
Wits responded by suspending student leaders and some of those it could identify partaking in the foolery. Amid reports of class disruptions, the university called in private security forces to guard the school — a move that seemingly further irked students.
On Wednesday, Wits sat down with student leaders where during discussions, the students bargained with the university, offering a ceasefire if — among other demands — the suspension of their fellow suspended students are lifted.
On Tuesday, former Wits SRC president Nompendulo Mkhatshwa, who now sits in parliament chairing the portfolio committee on higher education, made valid points in support of the students’ challenges.
But Mkhatshwa missed an opportunity to show support and in the same breath condemn condemning the violence that we have seen in previous years result in unnecessary loss of life.
Instead, Mkhatshwa said: “We’ve been questioning why we are bringing in private security on campus because they have no appreciation for institutional culture. You cannot hold them to account ... Our view is that private security should not have to be on campus, unless there is some state of emergency that our internal security cannot manage.”
Has violent protest action become part of accepted “institutional culture”?
Mkhatshwa said the sector needed to put up systems, policies, protocols, that would guide students and universities on how grievances and protests should be handled.
She added: “Management brings in security support way too early, before they’ve gone through enough measures of negotiation and mediation, and that does not help the situation.”
One thing we do agree on is that violence, whether from students or private security personnel, is not the solution, but the scenes we have seen warrant Wits to protect itself from potentially irreparable destruction, which could leave a dent in the SA education system.
Realistically, if restraint is not practised and violent protest action, like we have seen, continues unabated with little to no consequence, we could see historical institutions such as Wits burnt to ashes by the very students it seeks to educate.
To Wits students: there’s nothing heroic about destruction of property, instead it mars, taints and destroys the very essence of what you are fighting for.
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