THINK RADICALLY, BUT ESCHEW BRUTE FORCE

RECENT weeks have been marred by violent student protests, which revolved around a demand for accommodation, financial aid and the cancellation of debt.

It began in 2015 with the Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall protests, which shook middle class South Africa and drew global attention.

The first phase of protest, under #Rhodesmustfall, emerged alongside the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and connected with an international impulse towards decolonisation. It was a complex moment in which important critiques of racist curriculums and symbols were blended with often problematic elements of American identity politics.

The response to student protests as they evolve remains disappointing. Commentators tend to be either wholly for or against the protests, taking nuanced stances. This makes evidence-based and rational discussion very difficult.

The problem is compounded by a vicious form of online authoritarianism and bullying from within the ranks of the protesters.

In our society it has always been the prerogative of youth to challenge their elders. When we reflect on the protests, we need to remember that the youth are often a source of intellectual renewal.

But for many my age, some of whom certainly have not “sold out” in the new order, it is disturbing to see the wholesale dismissal of the achievements of an entire generation.

The older generation should not enter the discussion with the assumption that their experience and power mean they have all the answers. But the youth also do not have all the answers. A mutually respectful conversation is needed.

Students have had many successes. The statue of Rhodes did fall. The first wave of protests delivered a significant blow to colonial hegemony. They put the question of free education on the table in a decisive way – and made significant strides in this regard.

However, the student movement has failed to link university and broader societal issues. For instance, the atrocious state of public schools is not seriously addressed.

If the students want to broaden their support, they need to deal with the authoritarian elements within. Violence, threats to the media and the harassment of other students and staff are unacceptable.

And much greater theoretical clarity on the question of a new curriculum is needed. Many activists use the terms “Afrocentric” and “decolonised” interchangeably.

Afrocentricism is a right-wing movement that emerged in the US and is closely associated with the conservative intellectual Molefe Asante. The decolonial movement is a radical one that emerged in Latin America and is closely associated with progressive intellectuals such as Walter Mignolo and Enrique Dussell.

Our universities are major national assets that need to be nurtured to grow and develop into engines of social progress. Violence has no place in them. Those who use intimidation, insult and character assassination are not radicals.

The authentic radical project is rooted in democratic values and a commitment to rational discussion.

Buccus is a senior research associate at ASRI and research fellow in the UKZN School of Social Sciences. He wrote a chapter on student protests in the recently published book We Are No Longer At Ease.