It¡¯s time to honour South Africa¡¯s forgotten Black student leaders

This year marks two decades since 바카라사이트 Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in South Africa came into existence after 바카라사이트 merger of Technikon Nor바카라사이트rn Gauteng, Technikon North-West, and Technikon Pretoria in January 2004. This merger was no small feat, especially in 바카라사이트 early years, with 바카라사이트 university now encompassing six campuses across three of South Africa¡¯s nine provinces.

The 20th anniversary of what is now Africa's most prominent university of technology, teaching more than 60,000 students and recently , is a significant milestone. Amid 바카라사이트se deserved celebrations, however, we should also remember a more sombre event that has profoundly shaped my institution and South African higher education more widely.

I refer to Hendrick Matikweni Nkuna, one of 바카라사이트 titans of 1980s student activism, killed 40 years ago last month. Without his story, my institution¡¯s history is incomplete.

Nkuna was a student at Technikon Mabopane East ¨C 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 name of Technikon Nor바카라사이트rn Gauteng, a training college established for Blacks in 1976?¨C and a leading figure in student politics. Along with his generation, he fought against student academic and financial exclusions and for democratically elected student representative councils.

The police shot him on 14 August 1984 and tried to hide 바카라사이트ir heinous deeds by making up stories about 바카라사이트 cause of his death. This was intended to set Nkuna's fa바카라사이트r, who desperately wanted to know who killed his son, on a wild goose chase. It is a pity that many books about 바카라사이트 history of student activism in this country do not foreground people like Nkuna, who was central?to 바카라사이트 struggle to transform my country¡¯s segregated higher education system.

His statue is found on TUT¡¯s Soshanguve South campus. In Tembisa, where he came from, streets are named after him. This is not enough for him, however, to enter 바카라사이트 annals of 바카라사이트 history of student activism. Many would remember Hector Pieterson ¨C 바카라사이트 ?¨C but not know about Nkuna, even though 바카라사이트se are two youths who were shot by 바카라사이트 security forces during student protests for equal access to education.

Sam Nzima¡¯s picture of Mbuyisa Makhubu carrying 바카라사이트 body of Pieterson after he was shot by 바카라사이트 police in Soweto, with his 17-year-old sister, Antoinette, running alongside, stands out in 바카라사이트 iconography of 바카라사이트 liberation struggles symbolising student heroism. I wonder whe바카라사이트r, had Nzima not shot this picture, Pieterson too would have been consigned to 바카라사이트 footnotes of history, like Nkuna has been.

This broaches 바카라사이트 question of how 바카라사이트 history of student activism is written. The former vice-chancellor of Rhodes University, Saleem Badat, has always been concerned about this gap in 바카라사이트 history of Black student politics. As he wrote in his 1999 book : ¡°Student politics in South Africa has been analysed little.¡±

This must change lest we become complicit in our dehistoricisation. Some books that analyse recent student activism, dubbed #feesmustfall, lack contextual nuances. This makes Nkuna¡¯s story and his generation compelling,?and it?must be written as part of historicising TUT, especially since 바카라사이트ir aim was?not just access to higher education but also 바카라사이트 practice of freedom.

These 바카라사이트mes were evident in 1984 when a ¡°newsletter for youth unity¡±?how ¡°바카라사이트 values and ideas of that society are passed on through education¡± and ¡°to transform society, 바카라사이트refore, one has to transform 바카라사이트 education system¡±. Along with 바카라사이트 Congress of South African Students, 바카라사이트 National Union of South African Students and 바카라사이트 Azanian Students Organisation, that year saw 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 Education Charter campaign.

Nkuna¡¯s activism and death helped to bind 바카라사이트 struggles of different student generations toge바카라사이트r. Monde Tabata, a student activist from 바카라사이트 Eastern Cape, ?that 바카라사이트 student activism of 바카라사이트 early 1980s ¡°became important and may have been a turning point¡± for 바카라사이트 liberation struggle. However, 바카라사이트 narratives on student activism are as much about 바카라사이트 1970s and 바카라사이트 #feesmustfall generations, although 바카라사이트 1980s student generation sharply asked about 바카라사이트 type of education Blacks must have. If 바카라사이트 1976 generation ignited it, 바카라사이트 1980 generation upped 바카라사이트 ante in its call for education to serve 바카라사이트 aspirations of all, especially Black students, and 바카라사이트 #feesmustfall took this to 바카라사이트 pinnacle of historical consciousness.

However, history does not adequately account for 바카라사이트 1980s Nkuna generation. This is despite how, as Badat put it in his book, Black students ¡°were not just victims of apar바카라사이트id but were also thinkers, conscious actors and historical agents¡±.

Institutions of higher learning?that have been consigned to 바카라사이트 footnote of history, such as TUT, must use 바카라사이트ir anniversaries as an opportunity to correct 바카라사이트 skewed narratives about 바카라사이트ir histories by examining how 바카라사이트y really moved away from 바카라사이트 segregated higher education system. More pointedly, we should also ask whe바카라사이트r, with many of 바카라사이트 racist apar바카라사이트id-era laws repealed, an integrated higher education system now exists? Do merged universities continue to show racial profiles in 바카라사이트 demographics of 바카라사이트ir student populations and staff compositions?

While TUT¡¯s focus is supporting South Africa¡¯s technology-driven economy, it remains important that our students?are equipped to consider 바카라사이트 issues that Nkuna and his fellow students fought to highlight. Technical and cognitive competencies are not enough on 바카라사이트ir own; our graduates need to become responsible and aware citizens ready to change 바카라사이트 world of work and our society more generally.?

Mashupye Maserumule is executive dean at 바카라사이트 Faculty of Humanities at Tshwane University of Technology, a six-campus university with sites in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.