Last week we wrote about how the Fees Must Fall struggle left indelible scars on many student activists. Today, with fees having indeed fallen, we must ask: what fruits are we witnessing?
A lecturer at a local university shared a troubling observation:
“My brother, universities have become test grounds for marriages. Students use NSFAS money to cohabit, share everything, and act as married couples. The problem is, they do this physically without emotional maturity or understanding of the sanctity of marriage. When problems arise, they make quick, often wrong decisions, because the foundation of their union was flawed.”
He reminded me of chilling stories from campuses in recent years. One case involved a man who hid the dismembered body of his girlfriend in a fridge. Another girlfriend, visiting his home, discovered the remains while searching for food. She fled and alerted the police. The victim's parents believed their daughter was safely studying at university, not realising she had met such a gruesome fate.
Another widely reported case involved a male student who was caught dragging a large bag containing the body parts of his murdered girlfriend. Had fate not intervened, her disappearance might have become yet another unresolved missing-person case. These are not isolated incidents, he argued, but reflections of a darker undercurrent in student life.
The lecturer continued: “We act like social workers more often than academics. We know of ‘stint girls’ who ply their trade as prostitutes at night. We hear of jealous killings among students. Parents remain naïve, oblivious to the daily atrocities involving their children.”
When asked to sum up the gains of Fees Must Fall, he paused.
“Yes, a few students - perhaps due to upbringing or intuition - have used free education wisely. They avoid wrong crowds, live in solitude, and dedicate themselves to study. But they are a minority. The majority are here to while away time.”
Factual Context
• The Fees Must Fall movement (2015–2017) was a nationwide student protest campaign in South Africa that demanded free, decolonised education. It led to significant government concessions, including increased NSFAS funding and fee freezes.
• Several activists, including Mcebo Dlamini and Bonginkosi Khanyile, faced arrests and criminal charges, leaving lasting scars on their futures.
• The lecturer's concerns echo broader societal debates. While access to education expanded, questions remain about whether students are honouring the sacrifices made by activists who risked their careers, freedom and, in some cases, their lives.
• In contrast, the 1976 Soweto Uprising produced student leaders such as Tsietsi Mashinini and Murphy Morobe, who went on to shape South Africa's political landscape. Their struggle was marked by discipline, vision and long-term impact.
VKRA Reflections
It is heartbreaking to see how some students squander the hard-won gains of Fees Must Fall. When young people use NSFAS funds to mimic marriage, engage in reckless behaviour or descend into violence, it can appear as though they are disregarding the sacrifices made by activists who risked their futures in pursuit of free education.
The 1976 generation fought against apartheid with courage and vision, and many later became leaders who helped reshape the nation. Some observers argue that many of today's students face a different challenge: ensuring that expanded access to education is matched by personal responsibility and a commitment to making the most of the opportunities available to them.
The lesson is clear: free education is not a licence for recklessness; it is an inheritance won through struggle. To misuse that opportunity is to diminish the sacrifices made by both the Fees Must Fall activists and the generation of 1976.
Closing Question
Will today's students be remembered as builders who honoured the sacrifices of the past, or as squanderers who turned freedom into folly?