Education breeds success, but for some Born Frees to grasp their promised freedom, parents have to make the difficult decision of placing them in schools outside the township – with or without the government’s help in getting them there.
The born-free generation
It is 6am, on a cold, dark morning in the middle of an average 2008 winter. The sun has not yet risen in the cosy three-bedroom Segoale household, yet it is warmed by the steam of multiple drawn baths. My slow movements in waking up are countered by the family of four’s frantic yet seemingly choreographed dance around the house: securing uniforms, jackets and ties in a flurry of green and red, the colours of our primary school. A 10-year-old Tumi Segoale, who had been awake for at least an hour, sits on the couch and offers me a warm bowl of cereal while I chase the sleep from my eyes. “Dude, when do you sleep?” I ask him as I sit down, exhausted from the rush. “I usually use the drive to school to catch up. You get used to it. But we let you sleep in a bit.”
Itumeleng ‘Tumi’ Segoale starting his accounting articles in 2021. Photo: Nancy Segoale/Supplied
Tumi Segoale’s story, navigating the opportunities available to him as a Born Free, reflects the truth President Cyril Ramaphosa attempted to allude to in his story of Tintswalo. It is not a tale of fantasy, but real struggle – and, more importantly, effort – to get into the desired middle class, which many people often find to be a mirage.
The born-free generation are democracy’s children: those “born without the burden of apartheid”, either after 1990, the year Nelson Mandela was released from prison, or post-1994, the year of the first democratic election. Supposedly, Born Frees are able to enjoy a standard of living and a recovering economy withheld from their parents.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that unemployment among people with less than a matric is 30% higher than among those who have graduated from a tertiary institution. Born Frees, therefore, need to access education before they can access this economic advantage.
Itumeleng “Tumi” Segoale was born in 1998 at the Johannesburg Hospital. He has stayed in the same house in Jabulani, Soweto for as long as he can remember. “Listening to my parents talk about how they grew up and how tough it was… it dawned on me just how flippin’ lucky we are that we were born at the right time,” he says.
Children’s Geographies published a study exploring the relationship between school choice and geography in Soweto. As a result of the apartheid-era Bantu Education Act, the educational policy of schools and the resources devoted to the specific institutions were wholly determined along racial lines.
What this created, even in the democratic era, is a legacy of well-performing, well-resourced schools typically found in “white” areas. “It has left behind a persistent set of geographically defined inequalities in educational infrastructure and resources,” the study states. According to South African Policy, a learner is considered to attend a “local” school if they travel a maximum of 3km from their home. The study notes that about a third of children between1997 and 2003 travelled more than 3km to school, with about 20% travelling more than 10km.
Tumi Mashiane, the executive manager’s assistant of the Southern African Bus Operators Association, contextualises the transport system before 1994. “Pre-democracy, the transport system was fragmented, largely serving affluent areas while neglecting townships. Infrastructure was underfunded and often inadequate.”
In 1996, the national government released the White Paper on National Transport Policy in an attempt to address these disparities. Former minister of transport Sindisiwe Chikunga reiterated its goal in June 2024, saying the White Paper “articulated a mission that promoted the use of public transport over private transport…. This system would be designed in such a way as to improve levels of accessibility for all.” The National Land Transport Strategic Framework outlined the national land transport strategy. It also established key performance indicators (KPI) to track the progress of policies and strategic initiatives – KPIs that the government continues to struggle to meet. So by 2004, when considering which school to place their child in, if Tumi’s parents aimed to “escape” the legacy of apartheid, they needed to send him to a school with better resources, outside Soweto. They were not the only parents in Soweto to make this decision. In 1996, the Mail & Guardian reported that tens of thousands of parents in Soweto chose to send their children to schools in wealthier suburbs.travelling more than 10km.
2004 to 2011: Primary school begins
Bedfordview is a quiet suburb in eastern Johannesburg. Some 14,000 people populate the calm streets, with two-thirds of them being white and English-speaking. Tumi attended Bedfordview Primary School (BPS), one of the few public schools in the suburb. The well-known school is surrounded by a bright, green fence, providing just enough space to see the six-lane swimming pool and newly built classrooms glimmering in the sunlight. The opposite side of the school hosts the general pick-up and drop-off area. This is well-paved with a gorgeous exposed brick display, sponsored, in part, by the students and parents through a buy-a-brick campaign. The school takes advantage of its location in a suburb where the average cost of a property is just shy of R3-million. Tumi’s parents worked near the school and it became the natural choice to send their son there.
Reflecting on this decision, he tells me, “There’s always a weird conception about… going to school in the hood that I’ve seen and it’s not good.” Tumi felt he attended a school that forced him to take his education seriously, an experience his friends attending local schools did not receive. In 2010, Soweto had 60 underperforming schools; other townships, such as Sharpeville, Tembisa and Mamelodi, recorded only 10 each. Then MEC of education Barbara Creecy hosted a summit to address the extensive rate of underperforming schools in Soweto compared to other townships. Although many parents were now placing their children in wealthier, “white” schools, resources were not necessarily committed to match this increase in mobility.
With apartheid’s legacy of confining black people outside urban centres, public transport infrastructure could not adequately address urban development in overpopulated, under-resourced areas like Soweto. “We have a new tendency called the urban sprawl, meaning areas coming into existence not far outside our urban centres of work and or residence,” says Lunga Jacobs, a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Transport at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
One KPI set out in the 1996 White Paper was an average travel time to work of less than an hour. Every morning, during peak traffic, Tumi would spend up to an hour-and-a-half on the road to get to school. The government had 10 years to make schooling more accessible for students like Tumi, who attended BPS the year after this milestone was meant to be achieved. At this time, taxis from Soweto dropped their passengers off at the Eastgate Mall taxi rank, a 35-minute walk to the school. Fortunately, Tumi attended school near his parents’ work and they could drive him. Unfortunately, due to a budget shortfall in the billions, expired bus contracts from 1997 were renewed on a short-term basis, ranging from month-to-month to three years. Short contracts and underfunding required prioritising the maintenance of the ageing bus fleet, preventing conductors from adding additional routes to meet passenger demands. When contracts were offered, none were awarded. Therefore, any bus routes entering Bedfordview (and similar areas) did not travel deep enough into the suburb to reach Tumi’s school. “[W]e in transport… have a term called ‘sunk cost’… meaning it’s costs you forgo for the benefits you will reap on the infrastructure over the long term,” Jacobs says. But without such outlay, bus owners are unable to effectively plan for the future of urban development.
A rea vaya bus in a state of disrepair. Photo: Thato Gololo
2012 to 2016: Imperfect progress
“In high school it got even worse. At Jeppe it was more strict that I be at school [on time]. So [… we] became a lot more [disciplined]. [W]e needed to be ready to leave the house at six…” Tumi says. He is not alone. Stats SA found that almost 30% of students in 2013 had to leave home between 6am and 7am to make it to school on time. “Why didn’t you use other methods [of transport]?” I ask. “[Because I’m] living next to actual thieves,” he responds.
Safety is a concern surrounding any method of public transport, whether rail, bus or taxi. “I was so terrified that once I had a phone, if it got stolen, my parents just wouldn’t have the cash to buy it for me,” Tumi says. Stats SA’s National Household Travel Survey continuously emphasises this same sentiment. The 2013 survey, specifically, demonstrated that households had to wait even longer to access public transport than previously, with their journey times increasing. This lack of reliability, combined with safety concerns, likely contributed to the increase in private vehicles on the road, directly contradicting the government’s KPI of decreasing private-vehicle use. More than two-thirds of people in the country now use taxis as a means of transport, but the taxi sector is a notoriously difficult industry for the government to regulate. Although taxis are an affordable method of transport, the industry is marred by ‘intimidation, lawlessness [and a] lack of vehicle safety protocols’. A study on transport economics reflected on taxis’ increasing market share, saying that, should other means of transport not be developed, “The country will soon become entirely dependent on the informal minibus taxi industry.” A haunting warning of what was to come.
2016 to 2021: Independence comes at a cost
Tumi’s parents reflect differently on those same formative years. For them, their mode of transport was less about convenience and more about the money they saved by travelling together as a family. The National Household Travel Survey shows the proportion of income spent on transport has been increasing. In 2020, more than 30% of households spent more than 10% of their income on public transport. Another KPI not met.
The taxi industry, with its increasing market share in transport (almost 90% of the country at this point), is not subsidised by the government in the same way as the train and bus systems. Olga Mashilo, the director of Boleng Bontle Consultants, which specialises in transport and logistics research, says that a major contributor to the expense of transport is the cost of fuel. “We’re putting too much [in]to the fuel levy and there is no return on investment when you look at the infrastructure,” she says.
Nevertheless, craving independence, and to avoid that early morning struggle his parents still experience, Tumi began to actively explore his options during university. When he started at UJ, he discovered a web of transport allowing him to arrive at school at his leisure. Going to UJ’s Soweto campus allowed him to take a shuttle directly to the main campus. After that it was a simple Rea Vaya bus to anywhere else in the city. This is a path that many students in Soweto follow.
Near the end of Tumi’s primary school days, the City of Johannesburg introduced the Rea Vaya bus system, in preparation for the 2010 football World Cup. Its large red buses were reminiscent of the Metro bus system they were introduced to replace. With many abandoned bus stations scattered throughout the city – some of them complete, but lacking the staff and accompanying buses that populate the operational stations – many passengers pack the taxi ranks to travel home. Although the Rea Vaya system remains incomplete, it carries Tumi and many others like him from Soweto to and through Johannesburg for as little as R10 – a price possible only due to government subsidisation.
The Bellevue Rea Vaya station. Like many other incomplete stations, there is 24/7 security to ensure the structure is not looted. But this station is unique in that the surrounding traffic lights also do not work. Photo: Thato GololoThe Park Station Extension Rea Vaya station on the corner of Rissik and Wolmarans streets. Construction began in 2021 and continues till today with workers still assembling the hand rails. Photo: Thato Gololo
The future awaits – if you can drive there
Living in the same house in Jabulani – now by himself – Tumi is responsible for his own food, expenses and transport. After spending late nights playing PlayStation, he wakes up early to start his day. His work as a trainee auditor takes him all over the province, occasionally as far as Pretoria. The days spent in the central business district made him realise how traversable a city Johannesburg has become. Despite this, more than half of Johannesburg learners still walk to school, driven only by their resilience.
To survive this city, you’ve got to have thick soles. And, if you can’t drive, walk.
FEATURED IMAGE: The vandalised sign of the Orchards Clinic Rea Vaya station. While the structure was completed in 2020, the actual station has yet to open. Photo by: Thato Gololo
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa on August 13, 2024, the unemployment rate in South Africa has increased from 32.9% in the first quarter of the year to 33.5% in the second quarter. Unemployment has increased in the second quarter of each year since 2019.
FEATURED IMAGE: Poster saying ‘help unemployed graduates’, held by a rally attendee. Photo: File
Once legal representation disputes are settled, the infamous Grindr 7 will receive a trial date.
The Grindr 7 case was remanded again on August 12 to settle disputes regarding the legal representation of three of the accused. This comes after a spate of appearances and postponements to address the same issue since March 2024 in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.
The seven accused, Sanele Ndlovu, 26, Vikani Khanyeza, 28, Sohollo Khumalo, 26, Sphamandla Mavundla, 33, Lungisani Shabalala, 33, Thulani Mazibuko, 23, and Khayelihle Zulu, 24, were arrested in late 2023 for the alleged kidnapping of a Wits University student using the LGBTQI+ dating app, Grindr.
The seven accused as they descend the steps to return to custody until their next date. Photo: Thato Gololo
Further charges were brought against the men for extortion and attempted murder as the state alleges that upon kidnapping the victim, the men held him for ransom of R30 000.
The case had previously been postponed on July 11, 2024, so that the state and the attorney for Ndlovu, Khanyeza and Khumalo could settle internal disputes regarding certain submissions made by the defense to the state.
According to the defense, these submissions were not addressed by the state, therefore the matter cannot proceed, yet the state refutes this, claiming they require written proof that these submissions were made in the first place.
Though these disputes linger, Magistrate Simon Radasi confirmed the trial readiness of all the parties. This means that all evidence has been submitted, and all witnesses have been listed and confirmed. Regardless, Magistrate Radasi irritation was clear. “My role is to sit here and listen to evidence. If this [dispute] is not settled within the next two weeks, I will hold an inquest. If [the inquest determines] the delay is unreasonable, it will go for trial.”
Many members of LGBTQI+ advocacy group, Parents, Families and Friends of South African Queers (PFSAQ) were in attendance, filling almost half of the public seating available.
They expressed the belief that the defense is employing delay tactics to avoid trial. “What we are happy about is that the magistrate is saying, ‘whether representation or no representation, the case will proceed to trial’,” says PFSAQ member Virginia Magwaza.
As bail was refused for all the accused, they will remain in custody and appear on August 29, 2024, to assess whether the dispute has been resolved and the case can proceed to trial.
FEATURED IMAGE: The Grindr 7 being informed of the proceedings by Magistrate Radasi. Photo: Thato Gololo
If you think the return of Wolverine in this movie cheapens his well-earned death in Logan, then welcome to comics – nothing is sacred or permanent, not even death.
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Vuvu Rating: 7/10
The Merc with a Mouth’s third instalment is both a love letter to Fox’s X-men franchise and an obituary to the now Disney-owned 20th Century Studios.
Centered around Deadpool attempting to save his timeline from being annihilated, the film gives us an honest, if slightly underdeveloped, look at Ryan Reynold’s’ Deadpool’s view of himself. Someone destined for greatness but unable to reach it without the help of someone he views as greater than himself. Most portrayals of Deadpool often forget the core aspects of the character. The insecurity he masks with humour, and bravado he employs to cover the pain.
Irreverent to an almost masturbatory extent, the film starts right where 2017’s Logan concluded. In classic Deadpool fashion, he speaks directly to the audience while using Wolverine’s decomposed skeleton to decimate oncoming TVA agents to the tune of NSYNC’s BYE BYE BYE. Taking the multiverse shenanigans of post-endgame MCU to the extreme, Deadpool & Wolverine manages to reinvigorate Marvel’s fourth-phase slump, while packing the entire movie with enough fan service to make even the most casual fan salivate.
In 2019, Disney acquired Twentieth Century Fox for a whopping $71 billion and immediately renamed it to 20th Century Studios. This marked the final nail in the coffin for what was once a legendary studio, home to more iconic franchises than Deadpool has Disney-friendly euphemisms for cocaine. Allegedly, the prospect of adding the X-Men to its billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was the main motivation for the purchase. However, it left an important question unanswered: how will Fox’s favourite mutants wrap-up their convoluted (and occasionally disastrous) story?
The film gives Marvel a clean slate to work from, but more than that, helps us wash the salty taste of 2019’s Dark Phoenix from our mouths. With the titular characters travelling to “The Void”, a location for discarded characters accurately described as “a little Mad Max-y”, hilarious dialogue carries us from one gratuitous action scene to the next. Unfortunately, the plot and character work to take a back seat to Director Shawn Levy’s insistence on ever present winks to the audience.
The movie does more than laugh at the decline of Fox (who infamously butchered Deadpool’s first appearance), instead choosing to arrange a worldwide chorus of audience members to roar directly in their face. With a $400 million global box office, it is safe to say it managed to arrange a two-hour contemporary dance on Fox’s grave. But nonetheless, Reynolds’ love of the character can be felt in every drop of blood on-screen.
Deadpool & Wolverine wraps itself up with a montage of bloopers and clips from some of the most iconic scenes in the 22-year history of Fox’s X-men. The movie goes to great lengths to give every character stuck under the Fox umbrella a conclusion worthy of their influence. The modern reincarnations of the characters are given as much respect and presence as their original versions.
With some actors having portrayed these characters for the better part of two decades, Deadpool put a heart-shaped bullet hole into some of my all-time favourite characters. With the intricate web woven ever larger with each MCU release, this movie is a direct lesson. A character may actively desecrate everything you hold dear as a fan. And all you can do is enjoy the ride.
FEATURED IMAGE: Deadpool & Wolverine promotional poster. Photo: Disney
High rates of HIV are being addressed by innovative pilot project aimed at underprivileged citizens in particular.
OUT LGBT, an organisation providing stigma-free health and legal services to the LGBTQIA+ community, has partnered with the Elton John Aids Foundation (EJAF) to launch a pilot project targeted at MSM (men who have sex with men) individuals that engage in chemsex, the use of certain stimulant drugs such as cocaine and meth for sex.
A study commissioned by the Human Sciences Research Council determined that there was a high prevalence of HIV among MSM individuals, with Johannesburg having a rate of over 26% and an astonishing prevalence rate in Durban nearing 50%.
OUT LGBT corroborated this as they discovered that among a group of 1,662 chemsex practicing MSM individuals tested over a 12-month period in Johannesburg, a prevalence of 20% existed.
“[Chemsex is specifically] the intention to use drugs to have sex… not just you’re high and you have sex. That’s sexualized drug use,” says OUT LGBT Executive Director, Dawie Nel. “Crystal [meth] is used the most.”
The 16-month project, which started in April 2024 and will conclude in July 2025, adopts a harm reduction approach in treating their 16 patients, contracting licensed psychologists and psychiatrists, alongside specially trained OUT LGBT staff.
The project looks at multiple aspects of treatment which are often overlooked in ordinary treatment plans, such as mental health, housing and food security, as well as the actual relationships and sex lives of patients.
“[They are] exposed to multiple risks. The sex is usually unprotected, quite extended sex. [It] can go up to 2-3 days at a time. When you’re on drugs, you are… rougher, wilder than you would usually be” which Nel says can often result in tearing.
OUT LGBT has run multiple programmes since 2021 specifically targeting people from lower socio-economic backgrounds from squatter camps in Yeoville, Soweto, Marlboro and the Orange Farm.
“What is important to realise is that [chemsex practicing] MSM individuals face different levels of stigma and harm, so we want to provide the services. If we can show it can be done affordably then it can take effect in other areas,” says technical advisor for the EJAF, Marriete Slabbert.
“The internalised shame makes it difficult for people to open up that they use drugs as they fear they will be rejected. This means that drug use medically [is] not dealt with sensibly… We want to see what does work to keep people in treatment,” said Nel.
Drug users drop out of HIV treatment programmes more frequently, Nel said OUT LGBT attempts to fill the gap by being a service provider that does not judge a patient’s history. The organisation aims to create a sustainable model that can be extended to the rest of the country which will ensure that men remain on their HIV treatment.
FEATURED IMAGE: Out LGBT contracted doctor treating a patient. Photo: Supplied/Out LGBT
The 2024 index was released today and the South African National Editors Forum looks at the country’s media landscape and its challenges.
In 2024, South Africa ranked 38th worldwide for press freedom, this is according to the World Press Freedom Index. This year’s ranking was informed by the increasing issue of low funding for media outlets, which has greatly impacted news production in the country.
The World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) is a grading of countries by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released annually on World Press Freedom Day. It is based on their assessment of each country’s press freedom records for the year prior.
These rankings paint a partial picture of the journalism landscape across the world annually; and help to identify countries with the least press freedom. In 2022, RSF altered the index methodology from what was used between 2013 to 2021. The new methodology centred on six main categories: pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information.
In the continent, South Africa has ranked well, oftentimes reaching the second highest position. RSF states it is because “South Africa guarantees press freedom and has a well-established culture of investigative journalism” but is hindered by the fact that journalists are often the subject of attacks by political leaders. However, in 2024 the ranking has decreased to 38 from 25.
Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela about the state of journalism in the country,Reggy Moalusi, the executive director of the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF), believes that South Africa has a robust press environment: “Over the years [South African Journalism] has proven itself to be among the best in the world, particularly when it comes to questioning the public and private sectors.”
Moalusi notes that the landscape could be better especially “from a point of view of how journalists are treated and [the] continuous and rising bullying online of journalists, particularly female ones.” This time last year, a documentary recounting the extensive harassment towards female journalists was released entitled Section 16, which takes its name from section 16 of the constitution.
Seasoned journalist and editor, Candice Bailey, said that since 2024 is a prominent election year, electioneering may play a prominent role in our ranking in the coming year. She reflected on news reports that Moshoeshoe Monare, the group executive of SABC had been intimidated by the State Security Agency over the weekend.
Aside from social media, another avenue for the harassment and silencing of journalists is the legal system. In a secret court application, the Moti Group interdicted amaBhungane from using leaked confidential documents to expose their illicit mining ventures.
While unfortunate, Moalusi believes these instances shows the resilience of journalists as they continue to tell South African stories despite the attacks. “Media freedom embedded in journalism is our greatest tool.
“[We] need journalists to feel protected by the law”, said Bailey. She believes that the court victory by Karyn Maughan against former President Jacob Zuma will reflect positively in this year’s evaluations.
Infrastructure could potentially bring down South Africa’s ranking. South Africa is plagued by a financial crisis that does not seem to be improving. It came to a head this past year when Independent Media, the owners of publications such as The Star and The Cape Times, retrenched 128 employees, yet was still unable to pay severance packages on time. Less than a month ago, Daily Maverick shut down their entire website to highlight what they call a “state of emergency in journalism” where more than 70% of journalists have left the field.
The future is not all bleak. Moalusi shared that SANEF is launching a Journalist Sustainability Fund to “raise revenue to invest back into newsrooms.” He mentions that even though it is still in the developmental stage, “several companies and stakeholders have been receptive to the idea so we hope by the time we start raising our hands, corporate South Africa will respond.” Therefore, no matter the constraints, the passion felt by journalists will continue fueling robust, independent and thorough journalism and that will be reflected in this year’s rankings.
“There are few defining moments in life. And it is without a doubt, that graduation is one of them,” said Dr Eunice Cross, Acting President of the Convocation Executive
These words echoed around the room as the newly awarded graduates sat restlessly in their seats awaiting the chance to leave the Great Hall, at Wits University, to celebrate with their loved ones. While they may cross the stage alone to be conferred, graduates say the help of family, friends and their academic mentors was their propellent during their studies.
Widaad Mahamed with her family prior to her graduation ceremony on April 2, 2024. Photo: Thato Gololo
Wits Vuvuzela’s own, Ruby Delahunt (left) and Victoria Hill (right) after their graduation ceremony on April 2, 2024. Photo: Thato Gololo
There is no time more exciting on a university campus than graduation season. This year, from March 26 to April 05, 2024, throngs of supportive families flooded onto campus with multicolored flowers whose beauty came second only to the graduates themselves. The energy was exciting and infectious, and it is easily my favourite time of the year because beyond the struggle, all you can see is the hope.
Though the journey to reach graduation is always fraught with difficulties, Maureen Masedi advised that “You just think of the bigger picture and the end goal”. Sometimes the bigger picture is lost in the inevitable struggles in the pursuit of a qualification.
From academic and financial exclusion to something as simple as missing a bus, the help we need can come in so many different forms. It didn’t take me long to realise how difficult my undergraduate years would be. I had left my entire support structure across the country, and it left my family feeling powerless to help me on my worst days.
Ambesikhaya Ngobo and his wife Zusiphe Ngobo celebrating his graduation. Photo: Thato Gololo
After my father passed away in my second year, my mother arranged for his gown to be delivered to me so that I could wear it when I finally finished my degree. It took a year longer than it should have, but having a little piece of him with me made me know that if he could do it in the 1980s, I could do it now.
Though he had previously graduated twice at other institutions, Ambesikhaya Ngobo, from the Wits School of Business shared that “Being an alumni here is a long lived dream.” The excitement he shared with his girlfriend who saw him through his postgraduate diploma expressed untold stories of late nights and unwavering support through them.
Nazleen Plaaitjies stressed that each person she brought to graduation, had been individually called during exam season to pray for her. I still classify my undergraduate graduation as perfect. For the same reason as Nazleen, my family and best friends being present was more than icing, it was the cake itself.
All I know is that if I keep promising to write the name of every person who brought me to graduation on the back of my degree, I will run out of space. My community supported my dreams and for that I will forever be grateful.
FEATURED IMAGE: Ali Masedi, who graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, taking a photo with his wife, Maureen Masedi, and Kudos Kudus
Locals unite, in the north of the city centre, in JHB, to raise their voices to spotlight urgent human rights concerns.
A 5km march starting at the Old Fort building in Kotze Street, with the aim of fostering a collective action towards a more equitable and inclusive future, capped off this year’s Constitutional Hill Human Rights Festival.
Event organizers celebrate the success of the We; the People Walk, uniting communities for human rights and democracy Photo: Thato Gololo
The peaceful protest, organized by the Constitutional Hill, comes during the month of Human Rights and saw people march through Braamfontein on Sunday, March 24, 2024. The festival honours the memories of those who died in the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre.
Marchers held flags and posters with slogans like, “It’s your right to know it all.” Attendee, Princess Mkhwanazi told Wits Vuvuzela that she had fulfilled her responsibility as a civil citizen by partaking in the walk. “It’s for highlighting it to everybody, that as much as they (are) in their houses or at work, they also have human rights that should be respected, followed and adhered to,” Mkhwanazi said.
Marketing manager at the Constitutional Hill and Wits alumni, Joshua Sibeko, said, “What we stand for is that only the people of South Africa can change South Africa, if it was not for the people, South Africa would not exist.”
Other activities during the family-friendly festival included education on constitutional rights, film screenings, discussions, and taking people through the motions of voting on mock ballot papers.
FEATURED IMAGE: Locals march in unity, waving flags, during the We; the People Walk for South Africa’s Constitutional Democracy. Photo: Thato Gololo
Universities take the brunt of the frustration felt by students but the pressure of addressing student financial struggles cannot only be placed at their feet.
The material conditions of students have a monumental impact on the realisation of their right to further education. Since 2015, students have protested for the government to create an environment for “free” tertiary education at best and “affordable” tertiary education at worst. At present, one could argue that neither call has been adequately answered.
Section 29(1)(b) of the constitution places an obligation on the government, through reasonable measures, to progressively make further education available and accessible. Whether the material conditions of students have actually changed remains to be seen. With youth unemployment rising to over 80% for those with only a matric or less, the need for tertiary education is more important than ever.
Statistics from the Department of Higher Education show that the financial burden of student fees is increasing rather than decreasing. With Old Mutual estimating that it costs on average R55,900 to study in 2024. With 24% of South African households surviving on social grants, it is even more important that accessible higher education be made a priority. Much of the #FeesMustFall movement was centred on the fact that student historical debt was increasing despite the constitutional obligation placed on the government to assist students in need.
Former President Jacob Zuma announced a (rushed) free education policy in 2017, essentially ignoring recommendations regarding the lack of capacity of the state to provide such. As predicted, provisions were not made for the additional students who would inevitably register under this scheme resulting in student debt growing to an unparalleled R16.5 billion in 2021.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) struggles to reliably distribute funding allocated by the government. But what has been distributed has done little to alleviate the barriers which prevent students from accessing their constitutional right to further education. Capped NSFAS accommodation allowances came to a head when students were evicted from their accommodations in late 2023 for being unable to afford their rent in full.
While government spending on universities has also increased, it has made little difference as income, separate from students and government, has decreased. This past February, Wits University had set aside R30 million to assist academically qualifying students register for the coming year, and even that was not enough to accommodate everyone.
As the Student Representative Council president expressed earlier this year, constant protesting cannot be sustained, especially to address similar problems each year. Universities take the brunt of the frustration felt by students but the pressure of addressing student financial struggles cannot only be placed at their feet. The government consistently fails to meet constitutionally mandated obligations and near refuses to fulfil its own promises.
How powerful education is at unlocking the full potential of a human being to enjoy and exercise other fundamental rights is truly underestimated. The graduate unemployment rate (though significant in its own right) is over 22% lower than the national average.
To even begin redressing decades of historical oppression, an earnest attempt to empower individuals to access their own fundamental rights must be made. This Human Rights Day, we should consider whether a government that we cannot trust to even attempt to fulfil every person’s right to further education deserves our vote this coming election season.
FEATURED IMAGE: Thato Gololo, 2024 Wits Vuvuzela Journalist
Societal expectations and experiences can often place pressure on people’s relationships. With Valentine’s Day coming up we have asked individuals questions about their views on certain relationship dynamics especially when it comes to the most anticipated day of the year for some lovers, Valentines Day. Viewers shared their beliefs and Siyanda and Katlego talk about […]
