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Rebels and Rage: Reflecting on #FeesMustFall
Adam Habib, the most prominent and outspoken university official through the recent student protests, takes a characteristically frank view of the past three years on South Africa's campuses in this new book. Habib charts the progress of the student protests that erupted on Wits University campus in late 2015 and raged for the better part of three years, drawing on his own intimate involvement and negotiation with the students, and also records university management and government responses to the events. He critically examines the student movement and individual student leaders who emerged under the banners #feesmustfall and #Rhodesmustfall, and debates how to achieve truly progressive social change in South Africa, on our campuses and off.
This book is both an attempt at a historical account and a thoughtful reflection on the issues the protests kicked up, from the perspective not only of a high-ranking member of university management, but also Habib as political scientist with a background as an activist during the struggle against apartheid. Habib moves between reflecting on the events of the last three years on university campuses, and reimagining the future of South African higher education.
Adam Habib, the most prominent and outspoken university official through the recent student protests, takes a characteristically frank view of the past three years on South Africa's campuses in this new book. Habib charts the progress of the student protests that erupted on Wits University campus in late 2015 and raged for the better part of three years, drawing on his own intimate involvement and negotiation with the students, and also records university management and government responses to the events. He critically examines the student movement and individual student leaders who emerged under the banners #feesmustfall and #Rhodesmustfall, and debates how to achieve truly progressive social change in South Africa, on our campuses and off.
This book is both an attempt at a historical account and a thoughtful reflection on the issues the protests kicked up, from the perspective not only of a high-ranking member of university management, but also Habib as political scientist with a background as an activist during the struggle against apartheid. Habib moves between reflecting on the events of the last three years on university campuses, and reimagining the future of South African higher education.
This book is both an attempt at a historical account and a thoughtful reflection on the issues the protests kicked up, from the perspective not only of a high-ranking member of university management, but also Habib as political scientist with a background as an activist during the struggle against apartheid. Habib moves between reflecting on the events of the last three years on university campuses, and reimagining the future of South African higher education.
Adam Habib, the most prominent and outspoken university official through the recent student protests, takes a characteristically frank view of the past three years on South Africa's campuses in this new book. Habib charts the progress of the student protests that erupted on Wits University campus in late 2015 and raged for the better part of three years, drawing on his own intimate involvement and negotiation with the students, and also records university management and government responses to the events. He critically examines the student movement and individual student leaders who emerged under the banners #feesmustfall and #Rhodesmustfall, and debates how to achieve truly progressive social change in South Africa, on our campuses and off.
This book is both an attempt at a historical account and a thoughtful reflection on the issues the protests kicked up, from the perspective not only of a high-ranking member of university management, but also Habib as political scientist with a background as an activist during the struggle against apartheid. Habib moves between reflecting on the events of the last three years on university campuses, and reimagining the future of South African higher education.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2019
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August 21, 2019
Adam HABIB: Rebels and Rage. Reflecting on #FeesMustFall
Wits Vice Chancellor, Adam Habib gives his view of the 2015/16 #FeesMustFall movement from several unique perspectives: strategising with the Senior Executive Team on the 11th floor of Senate (since renamed Solomon Mahlangu) House; through-the-night debates with students in the Senate House atrium; discussions with distressed academics in the Senate Chamber; and personal interactions with student, government and political leaders. My perspective was from the classroom and my office, which overlooks the Wits Great Hall piazza. I could see and hear students and service workers gathering, singing, toitoing, marching; security guards and public-order policemen taking positions on the Great Hall steps; insults being thrown, followed shortly by rocks and the inevitable answering fusillade of rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas; protesters fleeing.
Habib remarks that a successful movement should employ strategies that are compatible with the required outcome, and that participants should practise politics that are more ethical than the system it opposes. While some of the demands of students and service staff undoubtedly had merit, the means that were employed in an attempt to achieve these ends were problematic. Students and staff members were intimidated, teaching and learning was seriously disrupted, windows were broken, and a bookstore, library, bus and police van were set on fire. Habib names student leaders, staff members, government officials and politicians whose words and actions were less than honourable. Some of the student leaders were naïve, others inflamed by righteous rage, intoxicated with rebellious excitement, or manipulated by political players. Habib describes how he, when under duress, would don an impassive mask and refrain from emotional outbursts or actions. He is a social scientist, political analyst, and a master at playing the long game. While Habib describes the toll that the events took on students, academics and his own family, his writing is restrained. The book is a factual account and reasoned personal reflection, and, like the #FeesMustFall movement itself, sometimes confusing and tedious.
Habib concludes that the historical and social conditions make South Africa an ‘incredible social laboratory from which to investigate global challenges and potential solutions’. While experiments produce knowledge, not all subjects live happily ever after. So I hope that Habib’s reflection on #FeeMustFall is widely read and contributes to an increase in social justice because students and scholars are not lab rats.
Wits Vice Chancellor, Adam Habib gives his view of the 2015/16 #FeesMustFall movement from several unique perspectives: strategising with the Senior Executive Team on the 11th floor of Senate (since renamed Solomon Mahlangu) House; through-the-night debates with students in the Senate House atrium; discussions with distressed academics in the Senate Chamber; and personal interactions with student, government and political leaders. My perspective was from the classroom and my office, which overlooks the Wits Great Hall piazza. I could see and hear students and service workers gathering, singing, toitoing, marching; security guards and public-order policemen taking positions on the Great Hall steps; insults being thrown, followed shortly by rocks and the inevitable answering fusillade of rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas; protesters fleeing.
Habib remarks that a successful movement should employ strategies that are compatible with the required outcome, and that participants should practise politics that are more ethical than the system it opposes. While some of the demands of students and service staff undoubtedly had merit, the means that were employed in an attempt to achieve these ends were problematic. Students and staff members were intimidated, teaching and learning was seriously disrupted, windows were broken, and a bookstore, library, bus and police van were set on fire. Habib names student leaders, staff members, government officials and politicians whose words and actions were less than honourable. Some of the student leaders were naïve, others inflamed by righteous rage, intoxicated with rebellious excitement, or manipulated by political players. Habib describes how he, when under duress, would don an impassive mask and refrain from emotional outbursts or actions. He is a social scientist, political analyst, and a master at playing the long game. While Habib describes the toll that the events took on students, academics and his own family, his writing is restrained. The book is a factual account and reasoned personal reflection, and, like the #FeesMustFall movement itself, sometimes confusing and tedious.
Habib concludes that the historical and social conditions make South Africa an ‘incredible social laboratory from which to investigate global challenges and potential solutions’. While experiments produce knowledge, not all subjects live happily ever after. So I hope that Habib’s reflection on #FeeMustFall is widely read and contributes to an increase in social justice because students and scholars are not lab rats.
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