On Monday tens of thousands of young South Africans marched in Cape Town, South Africa, to demand access to a quality education; that is for “… stocked libraries, running water, electrical connections, sports facilities, computer centres and sanitary toilets. In other words, all the infrastructural facilities that students need in order to learn and thrive.” For a sense of the appalling conditions under which the majority of mostly black elementary and high schoolers learn in South Africa, see here. The organizers were profiled by The New York Times a while back. The media there and here–with a few exceptions–chose to either ignore or downplay the march’s significance because it was not about the buffoonish Julius Malema, Kenny Kunene, Jacob Zuma’s sex life or his children’s business dealings, the media statements of the ANC Youth League, and no damage to public or private property was reported.
And the best the ministry could do was send out a lowly chief of staff to receive the marchers. Having said that, I still maintain Equal Education’s campaign is tactically wonky. The TAC playbook and all that. Pity.
Sbongile:
You’re right on the money about the lame tactics. What’s with that I wonder?
@Sbongile and @ekapa: Enlighten on the “wonky-ness” and “lame tactics” of Equal Education?
Well if “wonky” tactics inspire and motivate this many young people to come out in support of a basic human right, then VIVA “wonky” tactics.