After learning about the remarks of ANC General secretary Gwede Mantashe with regards to continues fees must fall protest I feel a need to publicly condemn his unfortunate and sell outing position remarks made by him. We understand that Gwede Mantashe is getting older but also there is no justification of his remarks he made where he said students are doing no one a favor. A leader of his caliber would have been expected to support a generational struggle of the youth of today than being anti free education struggle.

Mantashe must know that the youth of today in universities have identified it struggle and is ready to put their bodies in the line to see it being achieved. For Mantashe to say if he was a higher education minister, he would close universities for a prolonged period to teach protesting students a lesson was uncalled for and very unfortunate especially when students nationwide are on a revolution to put pressure to government until free education is declared. What Mr Oldman Mantashe must know is that students struggle for free education does not need his approval and it will continue with or without his support, we know that he is no different than other south African politicians who goes home with tones of money and able to pay for their children to study in these colonial expensive universities.

He must know that students are not revolting through excitement but they revolting forced but circumstances. We have number of students who are excluded by education system in this country, we have students who are owing universities while others their results are being withheld simple because they owing universities, we have students who can’t afford to pay registration fees and those who are forced to prostitution and crime just to pay for their fees. Granny Mantashe should have kept quite if he has nothing to say with regards to our struggle. He must relax or tell his ANC to implement 1994 promise of free education now. The struggle for free education is inevitable and would never be stopped by remarks made by the selfish politicians like Gwede Mantashe and his class.

He is talking of being able to fund education of his children and that he sells his cattles [sic] to pay his kids if he doesn’t have enough money, what about those who don’t even have cows not to mention a chicken in their yard. He is rendering students as people who are not appreciative and not taking a responsibility.

First of all education in south Africa is still not a right, but a privilege. It is only achieved by those who have money in fact privileged kids. Students must never take this old man serious, he is just getting older and being a blind loyalist of the ruling party hence he is trying to be relevant in a wrong platform, yesterday he was a yellow communist today he is an old useless man who is trying to be relevant to the public, worst part he is talking of the struggle he does not understand at all. Mantashe is not a student in these colonial and brutal universities, his kids are not affected by any of these. He is affording hence a necessity of free education is not a priority to him and his rich family.

I request Mantashe to shut up and allow poor students to embark on their struggle since he himself knows nothing about being poor not to mention being in a space which denies a black child free access to education. Students must continue with their struggle for free education now and rejects any of these sell outing comments from ANC elders and its alliances or anyone who want us to be apologetic. We the youth of South Africa must not allow these elders to dilute us. We must soldier on and put more pressure to government, This is our year, Free, quality, and decolonized education now or death.

By Sthembiso Ka shandu – Fees Must fall activist and former TUT Vice President