INTRODUCTION
The recent announcement by NSFAS to
temporarily halt the Direct Payment System has been received by revolutionary
students with a warm reception. However, this major victory in the broad scheme
of things sets the stage for an even bigger victory, the fall of neoliberalism
in the sector of Higher Education. The time is ripe; however, the subjective
conditions still play a role in the ebb and flow of the revolution. It has been
proven from time to time in the history of South Africa that revolutionary swings
start in centres of education be it in high schools (Soweto uprisings) or in
institutions of higher learning (#RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall). The
objective conditions in the sector favour mass uprisings due to the objective
failure of the NSFAS Accommodation Pilot Project and the looming introduction
of a SANTACO-NSFAS shuttle service. The objective reality is that the freshly
minted GNU will continue to maintain the neoliberal character of the system,
while continuing to oppress the students and the workers in the sector.
Reflections on recent victories and defeats in the Sector
The sector has been faced with many
issues which have filtered down to various institutions across the country. The
continued mismanagement of NSFAS has sharpened the plight of students coming
from working class and rural poor backgrounds. This mismanagement continues
even after there was a slight increase in the budget, even though this was
achieved through the defunding of over eighty-seven thousand students.
According to the former Acting CEO NSFAS, they intend to defund approximately
one hundred and twenty-six thousand students in the next academic year
(2025). This defeat came at the back of an ineffective and illegitimate SAUS
selling out on the issue of Direct Payment System service providers, and the
continued sidelining that SRCs are experiencing. The reason why this has lasted
long is due to the lack of political will to form a national union of SRCs
which will rival the gradually defunct SAUS. This lack of political will is the
sole cause of the lack of revolutionary demonstrations. This is largely caused
by a very institutional-centric approach to the issues which are currently
gripping the Sector. This is largely due to a lack of appreciation that the
struggle is nationwide.
The unity of students should be the
priority of all SRCs due to the need for a revolutionary push towards the total
defeat of neoliberalism within the sector as the starting point. However, we
must not labour under the illusion that a defeat of neoliberalism within the
sector is a defeat of neoliberalism in totality. This is why we need to also
unite with the workers who work within the very same system. This neoliberal
system does not only affect students but also workers who toil to make this
system work for the capitalist order that continues to benefit from this
education system. The unity of SRCs was possible but was also disrupted by the
overarching reality of national elections which stretched the SRC deployees of
various organisations, mainly, the EFFSC towards electoral campaigns. It must
be said that the defeat and the electoral decline of the EFF has spurred a
sense of despondency while sparking the desire for the students to increase and
amplify their voice within the EFF, while shifting their gaze to their
immediate struggles. The unity of SRCs now rests on what is to be done in the
immediate to ensure that the neoliberal system feels the sting of an awakening
revolutionary student populace. The leadership of the EFFSC at all levels needs
to rearm its leadership to repeat the heroics of 2023. The
heroics of 2023 have led to the defeat of the direct payment system while
opening the way for a renewed fight for Free, Quality, Well-resourced, and
Decolonized Education. The victory against the 4 service providers must be
underlined as a starting point, and a refined and perfected approach to dealing
with similar issues must be implemented consistently, consciously, and in a
revolutionary manner. Spontaneity does not drive the revolutionary swing to
success!
Towards a new revolutionary national students' union
The moment that faces the student
populace requires us to think outside of the box. We must not hold on to old slogans and old notions. They have been made obsolete by the changing material
conditions, and the present situation. It must be noted that a large section of
students does not know anything about SAUS or SATVETSA and have never heard of them because
they are nowhere to be found in the struggle of the students. The time has come
for us to abandon old slogans and old vehicles that cannot trudge through the
neoliberal mud which has intensified due to an accelerated implementation of
neoliberal policies which have enabled a situation whereby private interests
practically run the sector. Almost all the basic functions of the sector are
outsourced to private interest, and little remains in the hand of the state.
The managements of the institutions have been leading the charge in ensuring
that the status quo takes firmer shape in the lives of students. That is the
reality of the moment we are in, and it will not wither away with time but will
remain if we fold our arms. The death of SAUS and SATVETSA now is just a mere
formality. Revolutionary students must gather under one roof, and create a
manifesto, program of action, and a constitution of a new revolutionary students' union
which will champion the struggles of students. The current SRCs from across the
country owe it to the students to form such so that the struggle against
neoliberalism in the sector continues to be waged with intensity and much
needed vigour.
As this blog, The Spark; we call upon all
like-minded students to join the banner of revolution. We call upon all SRCs in
institutions of higher learning to meet under one roof and form a Revolutionary
National Students' Union of South Africa. Students in South Africa must reclaim
their revolutionary heritage and mission now and not tomorrow!
