Free education/Rhodes Must Fall

from Decolonizing Knowledge and the Question of the Archive by Achille Mbembe

To bring Rhodes’ statue down is far from erasing history, and nobody should be asking us to be eternally indebted to Rhodes for having “donated” his money and for having bequeathed “his” land to the University. If anything, we should be asking how did he acquire the land in the first instance.

Arguably other options were available and could have been considered, including that which was put forward late in the process by retired Judge Albie Sachs whose contribution to the symbolic remaking of what is today Constitution Hill is well recognized.

But bringing Rhodes’ statue down is one of the many legitimate ways in which we can, today in South Africa, demythologize that history and put it to rest – which is precisely the work memory properly understood is supposed to accomplish. "

Decolonizing Knowledge and the Question of the Archive

The movement began on 9th March 2015 with the occupation of Bremner building at University of Cape Town

The protests are continuing with an expanded focus on decolonisation of education and free education - with the slogan Fees Must Fall - and recently Shoprite at Khayelitas Mall was occupied by protesters with the slogan Bread Price Must Fall

see: w:Rhodes Must Fall

see also

• /reading list
• Free education
• Topic:Decolonise Knowledge