We exist within a structure that makes it difficult and sometimes almost impossible for black people to progress, writes Mcebo Dlamini.
Students have been protesting over financial exclusion, lack of NSFAS funding and transport allowance among other issues.
Ongoing student protests in South Africa have once again highlighted various problems with higher education funding. They boil down to challenges of affordability and sustainability.
On Thursday, a small group of students staged demonstrations over registration and funding issues, which they claim have been raised since February.
The students had blocked some of the roads in and out of Umlazi earlier and officers were deployed to the scene.
This is in contradiction to a decision taken by the union to suspend all protests, following a meeting with Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande earlier this week.
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) said that the decision was taken following a meeting with Higher Education Minster Blade Nzimande earlier this week.
Unrest hits South African universities every year over prohibitively expensive tuition fees that many argue shut poorer, often black, students out of higher education.
On Tuesday, Nzimande expressed concern over the disruptions at tertiary institutions where students are calling for historic debt to be scrapped and for government to deliver on the promise of free education.
The officers from the Public Order Policing Unit appeared for the first time in court last week where they were formally charged with murder, attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice.
'Every year, it’s like a soapie now, 'The Bold and the Beautiful', every beginning of the year there is instability,' Minister Nzimande said.
Last week, the South African Union of Students (SAUS) called for a national shutdown of universities after they presented a memorandum of demands to the Higher Education Department.
Student leaders say they will begin the process of allocating the funds to qualifying students from Tuesday.
Wits University SRC’s Mpendulo Mfeka reiterated that they were not backing down until their demands were met.
They were arrested last week during protests in Braamfontein.
The initiative started last week Friday when media personality Lasizwe Dambuza asked his social media followers to get involved to help students currently facing a financial crisis.
Spokesperson Siya Nyulu said online courses must be suspended and the academic year put on hold until all deserving students were registered and funded.
As a former leader of student protests at Wits University, Mcebo Dlamini explores the resurgence in the Fees Must Fall movement.
