My position is very straight forward: we want free education now. It must be de-colonial. It must also be liberatory
By Phethani Madzivhandila
The Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania is committed to the struggle for the total destruction of capitalism in all its manifestation (i.e. neo-colonialism, white supremacy, imperialism, etc) and strives for the establishment of Africanist Socialist Democracy, free from exploitation and oppression of man by man.
As a custodian and vanguard of students we are committed to jealously defend students against the attack of capitalism in the education system, eradicating all ruthless characters that find host in this system and complement capitalism. This entails neo-colonialism, commoditisation of education, racism and all forms of discrimination.
Education is an instrument to transform the society into a non-racial, non-sexist and classless order. Hence I am convinced and believe that education should not be commercialised and/or privatised but should rather remain a right, freely accessible to all. Consistent with our objective of rallying all students behind the revolutionary banner of socialist internationalism and permanent social revolution, I contend education should be linked in its fate with proletarian struggle against capitalist exploitation for total emancipation of mankind.
My position is very straight forward: we want free education now. It must be de-colonial. It must also be liberatory. The struggle of insourcing of our mothers and fathers is one which is closer to us as Pan Africanists as we believe that student wars are labour wars and labour wars are land wars. We also demand that all NSFAS monies be turned to free funding.
The struggles of fees must fall echoes with the socio economic position of the landless disposed Africans of this county who after 22 years of so called liberation are still at the bottom of the food chain and live in dire conditions. As #FMF activists it is our duty to rally the masses within universities and the community, and preach to them how the struggle in the university directly speaks to them as we are black first before we are students.
If government can’t afford free education, then we can’t afford it too. Izwe lethu!