The Cost of Silence: Who Pays for the Student Struggle?
Amidst the ongoing turmoil in South African universities, one institution has emerged as a beacon of resistance; the University of Cape Town (UCT). Leading the charge, UCT students have taken to the front lines for those who have been unfairly barred from registering for the 2025 academic year. Some students have been forced to sleep outside, condemning a system that has failed to provide adequate housing. However, this is not an isolated crisis. It is a national affliction. Thus, the question remains: why are the rest of us silent? Have we been pacified, misguided, or have they simply found ways to dilute our sense of collective struggle?
I cannot answer for other institutions, but I will speak for mine–the University of Pretoria (UP). Here, heroes have risen not in protest but in action. Rather than taking to the streets, The UP Student Representative Council (SRC) launched 'A Re Ageng Bokamoso,' a fund aimed at assisting students unable to afford registration fees or blocked from registering due to historical debt. Within a week or two, they managed to register students without pre-existing debt, requiring financial aid for the first time. The next step? Extending this assistance to students with debt below R10 000.
Their advocacy has not stopped there. The UP SRC has vocally condemned the university’s decision to revoke offers from accepted students, particularly those who had paid their registration and levies. They have coordinated donations from anonymous benefactors, extended the registration date by seven days, until 28 February, 2025, and have initiated a nutrition program to address food insecurity amongst students.
My curiosity lies in an uncomfortable truth: Although these efforts are commendable, they are temporary solutions to a much larger problem. Questions loom–how many students have been assisted? Exactly how much has been raised? Will these students be able to afford the next installation of fees? Is a mere seven day extension enough? And, in a more provocative turn, how much is the SRC compensated for these heroics? Perhaps transparency is a luxury we do not deserve. Our heroes are, after all, doing their best. Right? One could argue that a true demonstration of solidarity would require the choice to relinquish their decadent salaries to support these struggling students, in addition to external donors.
While the UP SRC has taken meaningful steps, the unfortunate reality is that they have grown quiet on the broader fight. It seems the collective struggle has been abandoned. Should we not stand alongside the many universities lacking anonymous benefactors? Is it enough that our own are edging towards stability?
Silence has its cost. Who pays it? True patriotism is not in isolation nor is it left to our soldiers alone if we wish for a future for our nation.









