Student Protests in South Africa now using Rugby as a battlefield

[TRF_heineken]

I don't know how much this is published abroad, or even if you guys in the other countries even know what is going on in South Africa at the moment.

All over the country since November there has been student protests. First it was the #Feesmustfall campaign, where students were protesting that Universities must be free, and when they didn't get their wish, they protested that the fees must not be increased for 2016. Eventually the President announced that the increase won't happen.

Then there were protests at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where a group of EFF supporters protested over colonialism and eventually got the statue of Cecil John Rhodes removed from the campus.

Now, the latest protests are against Afrikaans. Where these same morons of the EFF are protesting that Afrikaans shouldn't be a language in which can be studied at the university of Pretoria (TUKS). Of course, the Afrikaans-speaking students won't sit back and are now giving these protestors a run for their money. Stating that all students have the choice in which language they want to study, and that they don't have to study in Afrikaans. Just so by the way, at TUKS you can study in Afrikaans, English and Sepedi.

On Monday evening there was a Varsity Cup match between the University of the Free State (UFS) and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). During the match there were protestors running onto the field and disrupting the game:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UMNqIUwYuIQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And lastly the North-West University (NWU), which has 2 main campuses, one in Mafikeng and one in Potchefstroom. Last night the Mafikeng's administration building was set on fire, and at the Potch campus a group is stating that the NWU must boycott the Varsity Cup because their team isn't black enough and if they continue to participate they will arrive at matches in numbers and disrupt the matches.

What it basically boils down to, is the ANC (the Ruling Party), is losing ground ahead of the municipal elections later this year. Now they are attempting to gain votes by using violence and racism as a tactic to get people to vote for them. The EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters), which are a relatively new party, led by Julius Malema (who was once President Zuma's lapdog), has openly talked about his killing the Boere, and the Afrikaner and it's language. They are disrupting everywhere, parliament, universities, municipal buildings and the streets. Trying to get the people not to vote for the ANC. There are even rumours that the EFF is being funded by the USA and trying to invoke a regime change.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country is holding on to dear life, trying to work/study, but mostly just surviving. These disruptions are affecting us and they are trying to hit us where it hurts the most, our language and our sport. But if there is one thing I've seen the last few days is that we will not be silent anymore. We have learnt from our historic mistakes of Apartheid and we are willing and able to stand together for the better future of SA, no matter your race/religion/sexual orientation/etc.

I think it's a pretty dumb move to disrupt rugby matches, as that is the one place where the supporters will stand together and fight back if needs be.

 

[Tony Manx]

Students worldwide are and always have been "revolting" in one use of the word or another!

What makes it very much worse here is that it appears to have been politically motivated by non students and it is causing serious damage and that is very worrying....disruption of sport or other meetings is not that unusual even if rare.

I do not know enough about the SA "troubles" but can only say that the worst kind are those caused because of religion or over "tribal" issues. In this case it is the latter with the Afrikaans being the target but why?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

http://www.rugby365.com/tournaments/varsity-cup/71384-varsity-cup-marred-by-violence

I knew about it because I tend to read Rugby365 a lot as I like the speed it sends out Super rugby info at.

Also been good at keeping up to date on the cluster fek that is Kings rugby.

Wasn't 100% sure on the entire story so nice to see more backstory given.

Hate it when politics and sports mix.

And although comments can get similar to YouTube comments it does provide some insight at what is going on.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Students worldwide are and always have been "revolting" in one use of the word or another!

What makes it very much worse here is that it appears to have been politically motivated by non students and it is causing serious damage and that is very worrying....disruption of sport or other meetings is not that unusual even if rare.

I do not know enough about the SA "troubles" but can only say that the worst kind are those caused because of religion or over "tribal" issues. In this case it is the latter with the Afrikaans being the target but why?

They still blame apartheid for their inferiority complex.

The ANC is crumbling and are struggling to hold power. They have been called out and the cracks are showing. Just look at the opposing party, the DA's chief whip giving them a grilling in Parliament last week:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3PJZRu1kG2o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

That was better than a Comedy Central Roast!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Press and people like EFS stirring the racial pot calling the rugby supporters racist for fighting the protesters, trying to make it like SA rugby fans are racists.

I'm getting fed up with all this white privilege BS, fortunately in UK it hasn't really taken off like it has in USA, SA and Aus. Prob because everyone gets screwed in the UK.

 

[j'nuh]

Press and people like EFS stirring the racial pot calling the rugby supporters racist for fighting the protesters, trying to make it like SA rugby fans are racists.

I'm getting fed up with all this white privilege BS, fortunately in UK it hasn't really taken off like it has in USA, SA and Aus. Prob because everyone gets screwed in the UK.

It's not BS, white people generally do have it better. It's surprising that anyone could suggest otherwise, given e.g. the killings of ethnic groups by police in the U.S.A.

As a somewhat related example, in the U.K., rich white people shut down the campaign to get the Rhodes statue removed from Oxford by threatening to withhold donations to the university. Whatever your position on the matter - whether it should stay or go - I don't see how anyone can agree with the idea that rich people can shut down a public debate with their wealth.

Protests are a good thing. Rich and privileged people use wealth to dictate dialogue; poorer people need some method of getting their point across.

I think the thing that bothers me is when people become so disillusioned that they begin to hate the group that are privileged rather than the system. Protests can lead to violence in this case. Violence, accusations towards privileged groups - in essence, "reverse racism" - just breeds discontent on both sides.

I also think that protests that involve antagonising groups that have no direct influence on events (e.g. in this case rugby supporters) are likely to backfire, losing support for your case rather than generating it. On the other hand, take the junior doctor situation in the U.K. The public are extremely sympathetic towards their case at least in part because the junior doctors have worked well with the public in reference to dialogue. There's been no winding up of the public. Protests/strikes have worked to minimise disruption to people who crucially need to use the health service. And how powerful it has been... Jeremy Hunt must be the most disliked politician in the country right now.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

It does exist.

But White privilege surely only exists with the privileged, so why put white into it then? I know just as many Whites in poverty (living below minimum wage) than blacks in this country.

I'm speaking from a UK POV here. It probably gives me a different POV compared to USA race relations say because for me the notion of white privilege and white guilt is stupid generalization.

I don't mind protesting, I have an issue at targeting people who have nothing to do with matter in this case white Afrikaans students rather than the people that make the rules.

For example in this case international press aren't mentioning that they are trying to stop a language being studied in universities instead it has become a white racists fights peaceful black protestors completely forgetting that there are black rugby supporters in the videos fighting the protestors as well.

 

[Amiga500]

On the other hand, take the junior doctor situation in the U.K. The public are extremely sympathetic towards their case at least in part because the junior doctors have worked well with the public in reference to dialogue. There's been no winding up of the public. Protests/strikes have worked to minimise disruption to people who crucially need to use the health service. And how powerful it has been... Jeremy Hunt must be the most disliked politician in the country right now.

Probably the most immoral group or body in the UK is the BMA.

They are the ones restricting the throughput of medical schools and nursing schools. They are the ones who are restricting the number of doctors within the training systems, thus forcing long hours on junior doctors as there is no alternative. They are the ones who have constrained supply and forcing the NHS to pay over the odds salaries. They are the ones who have no qualms about blowing vast amounts of the NHS budget on sub-optimal drugs in order to recieve their "encouragement" from the big pharma firms.

It stinks. Really really stinks. But any time this is even hinted at, you get the bleeding heart doctors wheeled out on the news complaining about all and sundry and how the underpaid, overworked medical staff are barely able to keep anyone from dying and won't someone think of the children.


If Hunt and Cameron had any wit about them - they'd impose at least a trebling of the number of places in medical & nursing schools. If the BMA don't want to play ball fine - set up another accrediting body and ensure the NHS accepts people graduating through those courses.

 

[j'nuh]

It does exist.

But White privilege surely only exists with the privileged, so why put white into it then? I know just as many Whites in poverty (living below minimum wage) than blacks in this country.

I think it's because regardless of your socioeconomic status, there are challenges that minority groups face that are exacerbated by their minority status.

As an example, whereas a white person may fear interactions with the police for various reasons, it's unlikely that they will have as much fear about the implications that their race may have on the interaction as black people do.

Another example, although rape does happen to men, men presumably don't think or worry about it happening to them a whole deal because it is so rare to happen to a man. Whereas it is a lot more common than people think with women.

And bisexuals are a good example too. Bisexuals are often stereotyped, purely because of their sexuality, for being "promiscuous" or "likely to cheat". Whilst monosexual people might receive these tags, it's unlikely to be because of their sexuality.

That's not to say "privileged classes" don't have their own problems. In particular, it's concerning the state of parental rights when it comes to men. But majority groups don't face as many issues in regards to their majority status, as minority groups do. (Although in this case, since white people are a minority of people (but maybe not of power?) in South Africa, that deserves some consideration.)

But I appreciate what you are saying too. Often, when people talk about privilege, they gloss over pain felt by people who are in the "privileged classes" but, for various circumstances, don't have a great quality-of-life. Although privilege does exist, we shouldn't ignore pain felt by these people. And the rest of your post I agree with.