Activism Global

#FeesMustFall: South African Students Protest Rising Cost of Education

Yesterday, in their continuing fight to push Parliament and University staff to lower fees for education access, students from the University of Witwatersrand and University of Cape Town marched on Parliament to meet with the Minister of High Education Blade Nizamande and President Jacob Zuma, while Parliament support staff walked off the job to protest Parliament’s treatment of workers.

The protests, which began in October, have focused on putting pressure on school administrators to lower fees for students at the University of Witerwatersrand after school administration told them to expect a 10.6% increase in tuition fees in the coming year. More than 10,000 people joined the October March, making it the largest student protest since the 1976 Soweto uprising against apartheid.

Students united to protests for weeks, prompting President Zuma to announce a 0% increase in university fees for students. The protests have spread from University of Witwatersrand and UCT to other campuses in South Africa, such as the University of the Western Cape.

Students in the United States have also united against rising tuition costs, including protests in the University of California system.

Media Resources: Mail & Guardian 11/9/15; The Guardian 10/26/15; IOL News 11/2/15; NBC Bay Area 3/18/15

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