Nompendulo Mkhatshwa the perfect face for #FeesMustFall

Incoming SRC president from Wits University Nompendulo "Ulo" Mkhatshwa is the cover girl for December edition of Destiny magazine. Mkhatshwa rose to prominence during #FeesMustFall movement which initially started as #WitsFeesMustFall. There is nevertheless, a growing discontent amongst student population that Mkhatshwa shouldn't have been made a cover girl for Destiny magazine.

 The argument is that this would unfairly idolise her as the face of #FeesMustFall. Mkhatshwa's detractors claim she was not the sole leader of #FeesMustFall movement, that she shouldn't have worn her trade-mark ANC headscarf when she posed for Destiny magazine camera and that she has generally sold out on the students'movement.

Nompendulo Mkhatshwa was one of the four prominent leaders of #FeesMustFall movement who included Mcebo Dlamini, Shaeera Kalla and Fassiha Hassan. There is a myriad of reasons that made Mkhatshwa more conspicuous than her co-leaders and that's probably why she got the nod as Destiny magazine cover girl. 22 year-old Mkhatshwa is the incoming SRC president at Wits University and represents the future of student politics at Wits. She has always been glowing with her trade-mark ANC headscarf which she wore religiously throughout fees protests.

Though a research intern at ANC's headquarters, she didn't kowtow to her ANC masters when she led a protest march to hand over a memorandum. She remained resolute in her demands as she handed a memorandum to ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe. As a black female leader, she invoked nostalgic memories of struggle heroines like Lilian Ngoyi and Winnie Mandela. It also made business sense for Destiny to align its brand with Mkhatshwa after her pictures leading the march went viral.

Personal attacks on Mkhatshwa's persona are unfortunate and warrant no further engagement. She has always been open with her SASCO membership and allegiance to ANC from the onset and nobody had a problem with her preferred political path until she made it to Destiny's cover page. She's called a sell-out for branding herself as the face of #FeesMustFall movement. What her detractors fail to elucidate is that she didn't approach Destiny magazine but, the opposite occurred.

Mkhatshwa was meticulous in marshalling her brigade to Luthuli House without resoting to violence. Suffice it to say, Mkhatshwa is a lioness that resuscitated a feminine touch in the broad mass democratic revolution.

Mngcineni "Mambush" Noki popular as "The man in green blanket", was paraded as the face of Marikana massacre though he wasn't the only one who died on fateful August 16 2012. If people claim that Mkhatshwa is being branded as thee face of #FeesMustFall, I dare say she has earned her stripes. I'm also glad that she remained loyal to her true colours as she posed for Destiny camera in her signature ANC headscarf despite being asked to choose neutral colours.

Every movement at one stage or another is given a face as it gains momentum. Nelson Mandela was universally regarded as the face of 1964 Rivonia trial though he wasn't the only accused who stood trial. My one message for Mkhatshwa's detractors #JealousyMustFall.

Stuggle for fees not over yet

 Students from the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) embarked on #WitsFeesMustFall campaign demanding that the proposed 10.5 fees increment for 2016 academic year be suspended. What started as #WitsFessMustFall soon escalated to University of Cape Town (UCT), University of Stellenbosch (Matties) and the University of Free State (UFS) becoming a nationwide #FeesMustFall by all universities.

The bone of contention for Wits students was that they came from under-privileged backgrounds of single parenthood where parents hardly receive 6% salary increases from employers. University rectors and officials from department of Higher Education adopted a nonchalant approach to #FeesMustFall campaign added fuel to fire until things fell apart.

Only after students had vandalised property, clashed with police and invaded parliamentary precinct did officials wake up to the most rebellious post-apartheid student activism. One of the major propellants of #FeesMustFall was the 8th principle of Freedom Charter which proclaims "Doors of learning and culture shall be opened for all." The principle further elaborates " Education shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all children; Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit. The colour bar in cultural life, in sport and in education shall be abolished."

As the only surviving custodian of Freedom Charter, ANC should have grabbed the opportunity to engage students on how this ideal would be realised. It should have also accentuated the strides made through TEFSA which later became NSFAS. The students' march to Luthuli House, Union Buildings and parliamentary precinct shouldn't be misconstrued as an attack against ANC.

In the face of unrelenting capitalist academia students had to seek recourse from the party they elected to lead government. Though disappointed, students were willing to grant President Jacob Zuma an audience as opposed to any other political leader. True to their struggle, students refused to be used as political pawns by forces of anarchy whose aim was to advance prima donna interests.

The 0% fees increment announced by Zuma on 23rd October is a victory to students on their well marshalled struggle. In my books however, 0% increment is a temporary reprieve - registration and tuition fees still remain exorbitant at South African universities. Most poor black students are still systematically excluded by high fees and plunge further into "black debt."

In 2014 Global Financial Integrity ( GFI) reported that South Africa loses R147 billion per annum due to illicit capital flight - this is the money that could have made free education possible. What 0% increment has not answered however is: will NSFAS inject more funds to enable students to service their debts with universities and what impact will 0% increment have on future salary increases of poor non-academic staff at universities?

University councils must account what informs their above-inflation fees hikes when they produce unemployable graduates en masse, who add further burden to the state. Government should streamline it's funding model to universities in tandem with production that adds value to the country's economy. A microscopic view must be taken into annual perks that go into pockets of university management teams.

Competition commission should also look for signs of possible collusion on fees-fixing by universities. Until all these measures are taken, the struggle for fees will continue. As Freedom Charter concludes "These freedoms we shall fight for, side by side, throughout our lives, until we have won our liberty." Government be warned that #FeesMustFall inferno shall not be extinguished by a few empty promises that lack political-will. Students realised that the term "Previously disadvantaged" is a misnomer, as a matter of fact - they are Permanently Disadvantaged. Female student leaders rose to the occasion, wore their doeks like struggle veterans Lilian Ngoyi and Winnie Mandela and took the fight to capitalist academia who expect poor black students to reconcile with lack of education in the name of social cohesion.

Fire Kohler Barnard or lose black vote

Democratic Alliance (DA) veteran MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard reposted an inflammatory statement by Noseweek's freelance columnist Paul Kirk that said: "Please come back PW Botha - you were far more honest than any of these ANC rogues, and you provided far better services to the public- we had a functioning education system." Botha's regime was both barbaric and cannibalistic towards black people in his tyrannical regime from 1979-1989. Kohler-Barnard shared on her Facebook page what Kirk wrote, thereby endorsing his assertion.


She only removed the post after her KZN leader had called her to order. She claimed she didn't see the Botha part of the 10-line text that a Grade 2 pupil could easily read in one minute. Surprisingly she didn't offer an apology back then - she only apologised two weeks after it exposed on twitter. Why only apologise two weeks after reposting that apartheid innuendo?

I may not be a social media trend analyst but, I know people share or retweet  statements or posts they align themselves with, or the ones they think are palatable for public consumption. Kohler-Barnard endorsed  Kirk's post because it represented her obvious nostalgia for apartheid, considering Botha was penultimate president of apartheid South Africa. It's disingenuous of her to say she didn't share Kirk's sentiments, nor did she see the Botha line. This is the same person who was on Bheki Cele's case for signing Roux Shabangu lease agreement without meticulously perusing contents thereof.

What Kohler-Barnard reposted is dialectically linked with sentiments of the party she represents in parliament. Though many prefer to pull stunts like this incognito, the blonde MP had gumption to go public with her nostalgia for Botha. In case Kirk and Kohler-Barnard have forgotten who Pieter Willem Botha was, let me take them down the memory lane. It was under Botha's regime that the apartheid death squad, Vlakplaas Unit, was established to eliminate anybody who promulgated resistance against the system. Human rights lawyer Mlungisi Griffiths Mxenge was also brutally murdered by the same unit in Umlazi in 1981.

Under Botha only blacks continued to carry dompas (dumb-passbooks) until the law was repealed in July 1986. - seven years into his reign. He didn't think blacks were worthy of electricity hence millions were kept in the dark. Finger-wagging Botha also declared state of emergency in 1986 that saw thousands of black people detained without trial. Winnie Mandela had her phone tapped and house burnt down by security police while Botha was negotiating with her husband. I shudder to think if this is the same man that Kohler-Barnard wishes to come back and if this is the best service that Kirk and Kohler-Barnard say people enjoyed under Botha.

What this Honourable member did was not honourable. Actually it was a spit in the face of a black DA leader who claims to have equally suffered under Botha while the likes of Kohler-Barnard took cover under the colour of their skin. Kohler Barnard's re-post is an epitome of dinner table conversations by many who call DA their political home.

Relegating her to the back benches in parliament is a slap on the wrist, like it happened with Mike Waters who depicted ANC voters as dogs and Allistair Sparks who eulogised Hendrik Verwoerd at a DA conference. If DA is to salvage its already tainted brand and keep an elusive black vote, then the best thing to do under these circumstances is to fire Kohler-Barnard as MP. If she keeps her job as MP, then I will be justified in my assertion that Mmusi Maimane is not really in charge of DA, but just a glorified intern or a hook that catches the fattest black vote.

The intelligentsia cruising away from society

The role of "Educated Class" popularly known as the intelligentsia, is not only hard to understand but, also mercurial. Though primordial definition of this class was only confined to individuals with a high academic pedigree, a contemporary interpretation has broadened the scope of this class to include organic and indigenous intellectuals.

Throughout the evolution of man, there has always been individuals such as herbal healers, traditional and spiritual leaders who possessed indigenous knowledge. They always had pervasive influence within their immediate vicinity which included configuration of moral discourse, treatment of chronic ailments, observation of culture and oral history. Bringing on board indigenous and organic intellectuals who may not necessarily possess a PhD, is pivotal if social cohesion is anything to go buy.

For example, indigenous and organic intellectuals like Chief Albert Luthuli, Father Trevor Huddleston and Joshua Polumo "JP" Mohapeloa were fountains of wisdom in their surroundings. They would always be available to impart knowledge and inspire hope were none existed. Hugh Masekela received his first trumpet from Huddleston and went on to become a world class musical troubadour. "JP"Mohapeloa was a choral composer extraordinaire who untapped raw Acappella talent in villages. All three were prompted by an intrinsic penchant to plough back to their communities. For this ilk, ploughing back wasn't optional but, a matter of principle. They derived a sense of social responsibility from a Sesotho maxim "Motho ke motho ka batho."

The role of intelligentsia in modern society is still imperative and can never be under estimated. South Africa is plagued by unemployment, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and embezzlement of public funds. Indigenous, organic and academic thinkers are indispensable for trajectory of development in the realm of politics, economy and other social domains. Their public persona should not be characterised by Glenfiddich whisky, stiletto heels and Harley Davidson (Iron883) motorbikes.

The sooner the educated class breaks loose from secluded cocoon of high walls and electric fencing, the better for a society whose streets are on fire due to violent service delivery protests. The intelligentsia must appreciate their role in society as ubiquitous and not just make flamboyant appearances at car-wash and chesanyama outlets on weekends. They shouldn't just be visible during ad hoc charity events in informal settlements where every moment is captured through the lens. They should be the proverbial light at the end of a tunnel ravaged by nyaope, rape, child-headed families and public violence.

Though there is no barometer to measure the extent to which "Educated Class" may plough back to society, my clarion call is for this class to spare a moment and incubate entrepreneurial skills of goal-orientated youth. They must influence government policy and ensure that democratic accountability becomes the order of the day. Their hiatus during psychometric architecture of a nation riddled with violent crime is an indictment on their social standing.

Theirs is not to flash opulence in the face of abject poverty. They must invest their intellectual capital in poor, rural areas thereby emancipating the people from State Dependency Syndrome (SDS). I dare say, the intelligentsia must descend from ivory-towers and gravitate to the humble beginnings from which their altitude was carved. They must realise that being in the media for the wrong reasons will not help their course of etching intellectual footprint in society. They need to overwhelm their central nervous system with trying to unearth prescriptive panacea for myriad of our social ills.www.dailymaverick.co.za
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Word of God goes commercial

In recent history, there has been a proliferation of deliverance churches led by charismatic pastors. Though not operationally related, deliverance churches and charismatic pastors have a lot in common all over South Africa. Churches are mainly temporary tent structures, based in townships and use TV or radio advertising to lure congregants.

They normally don't have a church council or constitution, the pastor's word is final. Charismatic pastors don't have any documented theological training from accredited institutions - they rely solely on charisma. They are relatively young in age and conspicuously black.

This breed preaches mainly in English and says incantations in foreign lingo even though their congregants are semi-literate. Charismatic pastors solicit enormous tithes and offerings from poor unsuspecting worshippers. There are lots of lose ends vis-à-vis` charismatic evangelism though it has gained unprecedented popularity. This trendy spiritual phenomenon is not regulated by any statutory or recognisable body in South Africa. Noise decibels from these temporary places of worship don't conform to municipal by-laws.

Though arguably divine institutions, their modus operandi renders these churches a nuisance to adjacent communities. In many cases, the pastor affectionately called "Man of God" is the sole prophet and the only one with direct spiritual communiqué. At most churches worshippers attending so-called deliverance services have to deposit cash into church's bank account and produce a copy of deposit slip as ticket to gain access to "Word of God."

SABC banned EFF's advertisement in the run up to 2014 general election as inciting violence. In the same period ICASA upheld the canning of DA's advertisement as misleading. Charismatic pastors use electronic media as conduit to advertise their supernatural healing powers. They promise instant wealth, job promotion, marriage and deliverance from evil spirit. These pastors are not subjected to prescripts of Advertising Authority of South Africa. Television stations that provide air-time for televangelism often use disclaimer: "Content and views expressed in this programme do not necessarily represent those of the channel. This programme has been paid for by the church concerned."

At least Federal Republic of Nigeria has banned all forms of televangelism on public media because their fallacious content. I dare say SARS must conduct life-style audits on pastors turned gospelprenuers. They must be subjected to tax collection like all other business people. They live in the lap of luxury while their congregants languish in poverty. I was hoping authorities would regulate charismatic evangelism the same way as they legislated against illegal initiation schools.

Charismatic pastors don't apply archetypal methodology of spiritual healing. They do strange things such as making their congregants eat grass, rats, snakes or drink petrol. as pastors Penuel Mnguni and Lesego Daniel have done recently. The most dehumanising of all, is when pastors jump on women's bodies, thereby humiliating a body that brings life to earth. Charismatic pastors don't preach "Word of God" in upmarket suburbs like woodlands or Helicon Heights. Most deliverance churches mushroom at the next vacant piece of land in informal settlements. They are run by charlatans who cajole poor and less informed members of society to advance their gospelprenuership. I'm astonished that so-called progressive women formations aren't vocal on charismatic evangelism that is prejudicial and thrives on dehumanising women.