Students’ grievances eclipsed by violence

MAHATMA Gandhi once said: “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of a man.”

In the wake of violent protests engulfing our universities, I cannot help but voice my disappointment.

While I acknowledge the fact that the students have the right to demonstrate, I condemn the violence.

Why would you go all out to be violent when you can peacefully submit complaints?

At Wits, students clashed with the police as they threw stones at them and also at innocent motorists. This has resulted in other students getting arrested.

At the University of Fort Hare, students torched a building. At the universities of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan and KwaZulu-Natal, the students caused havoc.

What kind of madness is this?

Truth is, whenever people embark on violent protests, attention is shifted from addressing their grievances to the crimes they committed. Their problems remain unsolved, and these protests become a never-ending story.

If only these students would realise protesting does not mean vandalism. Surely you can’t solve a problem by creating another.

After all, protests are inspired by the need for a solution, not by imprisonment, injury or destruction.

The students must learn to address their challenges peacefully so they can return to class and help build the country. Malphia Honwane