Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma addressed South African Students’ Congress (SASCO) from across the Western Cape on Wednesday for a Women in Leadership discussion at Stellenbosch University (SU), which quickly saw the Fees Must Fall amnesty question take centre stage.
Panelists (from left) Gcobisa Yani (SU transformation office), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (Minister in the Presidency) and Zizo Vokwana (deputy chairperson of SASCO Stellenbosch). PHOTO: Ross Michaels
ANC heavyweight and Minister in the Presidency for the National Planning Commission for Policy and Evaluation, Dr Dlamini-Zuma tackled various issues facing women in South Africa ranging from “being edited out of history” and “boys being raised as princes and girls raised as servants.” However, the pardoning of students involved in #Feesmustfall protests was arguably the most pressing issue that was brought up.
Members in the audience did not hesitate to convey their concerns to the minister. One such student, Lwazi Phakade (23), a final year Political Sciences student at SU, asked Dlamini-Zuma to assist students who were criminally charged with public violence during the Fees Must Fall protests.
Lwazi Phakade poses a question to Dr Dlamini-Zuma. PHOTO: Ross Michaels
“In terms of the question that has been posed about a week ago by Mcebo Dlamini regarding amnesty of those students who are with us and are arrested, we’ve got a response by the President saying that if he was to take a decision in terms of granting us amnesty, he would be undermining the role of the NPA. I want to understand from your perspective […] when we are fighting for a good cause which the ANC has adopted as a policy of free education. We are still suffering here with some our colleagues still going to court for a purpose that still serves the entire government of the ANC and the country at large, what is your view on that and how do we move forward?,” Phakade asked.
Brief statistics on the aftermath of the fees must fall protests. Ross Michaels
Dr Dlamini-Zuma insisted that she is “not just giving you face,” and responded diplomatically by saying that the President’s hands are tied.
“Once the case is with another arm, such as the Judiciary, there isn’t a lot that the President can do except pardon you once you are found guilty. If you are found guilty the President can only come at that point and say I’m pardoning you,” Dlamini-Zuma said.
“I assume those who are in court went beyond the peaceful marches and were arrested because there was also violence. I think we can all at least show remorse for that, that yes it was a just cause but the just cause did not need violence,” she continued.
Students embracing Dlamini-Zuma after the discussion concluded. PHOTO: Ross Michaels
Zizo Vokwana (20), deputy chairperson of SASCO’s Stellenbosch branch and BSc Earth Sciences student at SU, felt that the Fees Must Fall issue hijacked their Women in Leadership event, but could somewhat be excused because it is an issue that affects students.
Zizo Vokwana (second from left) interacting with audience members. PHOTO: Ross Michaels
“We were a bit angry about the fact that our event was hijacked, because that wasn’t the platform for the issue of Fees Must Fall, but because it was an issue that affects us as students and we are women who were involved it’s almost okay,” Vokwana said.
“We are also aware that [Dlamini-Zuma] doesn’t necessarily have the full power of changing things, because that is the duty the Judiciary has at the moment. She says she can’t make promises but at least she can speak to the Minister of Justice to rethink the issue, because at the end of the day it was a struggle and things happen in struggles,” Vokwana continued.