RMF10: ‘One of the most influential global movements’

The University of Cape Town (UCT) commemorated 10 years since the removal of the statue of Cecil John Rhodes from its upper campus precinct and reflected on issues of contestation, the Rhodes Must Fall narrative and legacy.

Several actions preceded 9 April 2015, including heated transformation debates in 2014, and the throwing of faeces [at the statue] in protest, month-long protests – and finally, the removal which was broadcast far and wide.

Speaking at the commemorative event, held at the Centre for African Studies Gallery, Professor Elelwani Ramugondo, the deputy vice-chancellor for Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness, noted, “I understand this to be contested terrain, outside and within the movement. We should not be surprised about the level of contestation that Rhodes Must Fall conjures up. Cecil John Rhodes, the figure, represents different things to different people. Rhodes Must Fall continues to be both an intellectual and political project for black liberation.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela used the opportunity to appeal for the preservation of stories of the time – no matter how good or bad – to ensure that students don’t endure the same aftereffects of protest which students 10 years ago went through.

“It is important that the story of Rhodes Must Fall is told from different angles and different perspectives so that we do not hear just one version of the story. The current generation of students here today know very little about what happened and if they only hear one narrative of the story, they will not get the full picture,” he said.

“One mistake we can make as UCT is to forget. We must capture the stories in such a way that it gives us lessons for the future. It is important for us that the current crop of leaders be protected from the trauma that Rhodes Must Fall activists and leaders faced – and we must be intentional about that. Let us make sure they experience leadership in a positive way.”

“Transformation policies at higher education institutions in South Africa and internationally have typically focused on the race question.”

The commemorative event included a musical item from afro-jazz band Kujenga, a film screening and reflections from people who were closely involved at the time. Faculty of Humanities dean, Professor Shose Kessi, delivered the keynote address.

Using the method of photovoice to collect and narrate students’ experiences, she noted how one response from a student was that for the first time they felt black; in other words, she noted, having to constantly check in on the colour of your skin because of the environment you are in.

“There was also an alienating sense with certain courses having classrooms named after Cape Town locations. Camps Bay in the front where white students sat, coloured and Muslim students would sit in Micthells Plain (in the middle) and black students at the back of the class in Khayelitsha,” Professor Kessi recalled.

Rich tapestry of ideas

She continued: “Many stories reflected how experiences of blackness were complicated by intersecting identities. Black women students and black LGBTQ students described their experiences of isolation. Higher education institutions have been described as patriarchal, masculinist, heterosexist and heteronormative, meaning being black at a university will be coloured by other factors such as class, sexual and gender diversity.

“Transformation policies at higher education institutions in South Africa and internationally have typically focused on the race question and have not paid sufficient attention to how other markers of identity impact on people’s experiences of blackness.”

Despite the excruciating experiences of marginalisation, the students, Kessi found, were resilient and resourceful and employed multiple strategies to cope even though these were complex. “For example, students assimilated into the dominant culture by taking on certain cultural practices such as modifying their language and changing their accents. These strategies lead to difficult dynamics among black students, some of whom were accused of being ‘coconuts’ and other derogatory labels which added an additional layer to their marginalisation.”

Despite the motley of thorny issues, Kessi believes Rhodes Must Fall was powerful in bringing black students together. “Yet we can see how the movement has been thwart by the same gender and class dynamics. The Rhodes Must Fall movement must take its place as one of the most influential global movements in the call to decolonise universities. Rhodes Must Fall successfully centred questions of black identity, unity and self-determination that remain at the centre of social movements for social justice. Its synergies and contradictions offer much food for thought and a rich tapestry of ideas and possibilities for the continued struggle against the legacies of coloniality in our institutions.”

The audience also had an opportunity to hear from former student activist and current union leader, Athabile Nonxuba, who said they are not claiming any victory because there is a constant need to check in on agreements made back then, including on matters of workers’ insourcing. “There’s more that needs to happen. What happened in 2015 was a laying down of the marker and introducing the project. The implication of that is that impact can be felt because some people continue to implement some of the things spoken about ten years ago.”