Cleaning up the aftermath

An international post-graduate Journalism student at Rhodes University, after seeing one of the cleaning staff in tears after clearing the fragments of glass from a window, has taken it upon herself to mobilise students to volunteer to clean up the University after the #FeesMustFall protests.

Kayla Molander said: “I was walking in one of my lecture rooms on Wednesday and I saw one of the helpers looking out of the broken window and in tears,” she said.

Molander said the worker did not say much except for “I am so tired, I am so tired” and that really touched her.

“The cleaning staff come in at about 7:30am to start the day but because of the destruction of property and the burning of things, they have to come in before that time to clean up after the mess. It is unfair,” she said.

Molander says she is hoping to get enough volunteers to start a Facebook or Whatsapp group, who will volunteer to relieve cleaning staff so that instead of them having to wake up early,they can take turns to do so on their behalf.

“I cannot fix inequality or make fees fall, but I can clear the aftermath of the protests,” she said.

Photo: Sinesipho Goqwana International student Kayla Molander standing outside the Rhodes Journalism Department where rocks were thrown at windows during fees protests on Tuesday night.