It was in 2015, a decade ago, when SA witnessed a seismic shift in its sociopolitical landscape with the emergence of the #FeesMustFall movement.
What began as a student-led protest against the proposed tuition fee hikes quickly evolved into a powerful and multifaceted campaign, highlighting broader issues of inequality, access, and transformation in post-apartheid SA.
A decade later, we revisit the geneses, demands, responses, and enduring legacy of this seminal movement.
The #FeesMustFall movement ignited at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) when students mobilised against a proposed 10.5% fee increase for the 2016 academic year.
Protests swiftly spread to other institutions, including the University of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch University, and the University of Pretoria, as students united under a common banner, calling for free, decolonised, and accessible higher education for all.
Fuelled by social media, the movement quickly garnered national and international attention.
The immediacy of hashtags such as #FeesMustFall and #RhodesMustFall allowed students to coordinate their efforts and articulate their demands with clarity and urgency.
While the movement initially focused on halting tuition fee increases in the postschool sector, its scope quickly broadened.
Students began to highlight systemic issues in higher education, including:
• The call for fee free education, advocating for a fully subsidised education system, particularly for poor students;
• Decolonisation of the curriculum, challenging Eurocentric content and promoting African perspectives in academia.
• Addressing institutional racism, demanding the dismantling of exclusionary policies and practices in historically white universities; and
• Improved living conditions, raising awareness about inadequate student accommodation and financial aid.
The government, led by former president Jacob Zuma at the time, and university administrations were initially caught off guard by the scale and intensity of the protests.
In response:
• Fee freeze (2016): Zuma announced a 0% fee increase for the 2016 academic year, a significant but temporary concession.
• Free education for the poor: In December 2017, Zuma declared that students from households earning less than R350,000 annually would receive free higher education, funded by the state. This decision was widely seen as a direct consequence of the #FeesMustFall protests.
• Policing of protests: The movement also faced the state’s militarised response, including police brutality and the arrest of student leaders. Images of clashes between students and police underscored the movement’s struggles.
Prominent commentators and thinkers have offered varied perspectives on the movement’s impact.
Prof Jonathan Jansen, a former vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State, observed in his book As by Fire: “The protests exposed deep fissures in our society, particularly around issues of inequality and access. Universities became the battleground for broader societal grievances.”
At the same time, Jansen raised concerns about the sustainability of free education and the disruption to academic programmes.
“The long-term consequences of these interruptions are yet to be fully understood,” he noted.
Activist and academic Dr Simamkele Dlakavu, a key voice during the protests, reflected on the movement’s achievements, said: “#FeesMustFall demonstrated the power of collective action.
“It forced both the state and universities to confront uncomfortable truths about inequality and privilege.”
In an interview with SABC TV, she reflected on the often-overlooked personal toll of student protests.
She emphasised the psychological trauma faced by activists.
Drawing from her experiences in #FeesMustFall, the Rhodes University Naked Protest, and the Remember Khwezi Protest, Dlakavu highlighted how these struggles were deeply personal and left lasting scars.
She underscored the long-term mental health impact and legal consequences many activists had to endure, which remain unresolved.
A decade later, the #FeesMustFall movement remains a watershed moment in SA’s history.
While it achieved significant victories, including policy changes and heightened awareness of systemic inequalities, many challenges persist.
Access to higher education has improved, but questions about quality, funding, and transformation remain unresolved.
As we mark this anniversary, the movement’s legacy serves as a reminder of the power of youth activism to catalyse change.
It also underscores the ongoing need for dialogue and action to address the structural inequalities that continue to shape society.
Many students are still faced with financial and academic exclusions.
The scarcity of student accommodation at many universities is the antithesis of creating access to higher education.
The #FeesMustFall movement was more than a protest; it was a call to action for a more equitable and just society.
As SA reflects on this decade of change, the spirit of #FeesMustFall endures, inspiring new generations to continue the fight for transformation and social justice in the education sector and beyond.
The 10-year anniversary of these seminal events, which were often referred to as the Arab Spring of Higher Education, should present an opportunity for the sector to do some serious and intentional reflection.
The Arab Spring and Fees Must Fall are symbolic of broader global struggles against inequality, racism, ageism, patriarchy, poverty, unemployment, oppression, and systemic injustice.
Despite their differences in scope and context, both movements demonstrated the power of grassroots mobilisation in challenging entrenched systems.
NMU deputy director for student life and development Sefoko Ramoshaba (PhD), and NMU senior manager: academic administration David Alexander. Both are at the George campus.