Has the Arab Spring eventually arrived in South Africa?

Following closely on the heels of protests for improved service delivery, unemployment and job creation, government corruption and graft, and public sector salary increases, come the inevitable student protests against unrealistic university fees increases.

Historically, the cost of tertiary education has consistently outstripped inflation, where the average yearly increase for tuition fees was always between 10 and 12%. The fact that tertiary education has become almost unaffordable to most South Africans, was enough reason for the powers that be to have sounded the alarm bells  and prevent the current situation from occurring.  Were they really as naïve to think that the South African public, and specifically the students who crave for a better life for themselves, that they would just back down and accept the status quo?

In various countries around the world tertiary education is offered free with specific conditions and prerequisites, e.g. Scotland, Cuba, and France. Other countries offer various courses and undergraduate degrees free to national students, e.g. Trinidad and Tobago, yet others have scholarship schemes that subsidise each and every student in any undergraduate programme, e.g. Brazil. These governments’ assistance to students in the form of tuition, residence or any other costs incurred while studying is non-negotiable and it is evident that an effort is made to ensure students are successful in their studies before they enter Industry.

Since his inception as Minister of Higher Education and Training in 2009, what can we truly say has Blade significantly achieved? Has his elevation to this portfolio really changed or improved the lives of the thousands of students around the country? He had 6 years to look into, especially the costs of higher education, which was ample time to prevent the current situation from occurring.  His response to the #feesmustfall protests? He ponders creating his own #studentsmustfall following!

A simple suggestion by Pieter Dirk Uys; why not reimburse any matriculant his/her school fees of 12 years, and subsidise their college tuition through these funds! Alternatively, research the business models of educational Institutions of the countries mentioned above, and formulate one from a combination of these, whichever is closely relevant to our South African Society. But knowing Blade, he’ll probably create his #studentsmustfall following and tell them all to “go to hell” in his well-known uncharismatic style!

Has the Tunisia day arrived in South Africa, as Moeletsi Mbeki predicted in February 2011?