The #FeesMustFall protests in South Africa: Exploring first-year students’ experiences at a peri-urban university campus

Keywords: #FMF protests, peri-urban, rural-origin students, first-year experiences, Higher Education Institutions (HEI), university, South Africa

Abstract

Students experienced unique challenges in transitioning to their first-year during the FeesMustFall (#FMF) protest actions. It is important to examine students’ first-year adjustment experiences amidst study disruptions to ensure better outcomes of first-year study experiences. The impact of protest actions on the economy, higher education institutions (HEIs) and the individual student may be harmful when not managed effectively. The current study aims to clarify the first-year experience to explore how South African first-year students enrolled at a peri-urban university campus experienced the #FMF protest actions. The peri-urban university campus serves a large rural catchment area. Using the Mmogo-method® and unstructured individual interviews, researchers gathered in-depth experiences of fifteen participants who provided insight into their subjective experiences of their first-year transitions during the #FMF movement. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: Clashes between students and police or campus security; the impact of protest actions on students’ lives; psychological experiences of trauma and physical harm; and student attitudes towards and needs in times of crisis. The study uncovered the experiences of first-year students at a peri-urban campus. The knowledge gathered could aid universities to develop proactive measures to minimize the impact of the protest actions or disruptions on the institution itself, students and stakeholders involved.

Author Biographies

K. Mostert, Management Cybernetics, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)

Professor

Management Cybernetics / WorkWell Research Unit, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)

C. Kahl, Management Cybernetics, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)

Independent Researcher

Management Cybernetics / WorkWell Research Unit, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)

C. Jonker, WorkWell Research Unit, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)

Professor

WorkWell Research Unit, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)

References

Badat, Saleem. 2016. “Deciphering the meanings and explaining the South African higher education student protests of 2015–16.” Pax Academica 1(1): 71‒106.

Bantham, Belinda. 2018. “NWU connects rural students with a brighter future.” North-West University News. http://news.nwu.ac.za/nwu-connects-rural-students-brighter-future.

Bitzer, Eli and Eloise De Jager. 2018. “The views of commerce students regarding ‘free’ Higher Education in South Africa.” South African Journal of Higher Education 32(4): 12‒36.

Bohler-Muller, Narnia, Benjamin James Roberts, Jarè Struwig, Steven Lawrence Gordon, Thobeka Radebe, and Peter Alexander. 2017. “Minding the protest: Attitudes towards different forms of protest action in contemporary South Africa.” South African Crime Quarterly 62: 81‒92.

Cicchinelli, Louis F. and Andrea D. Beesley. 2017. “Introduction: Current state of the science in rural education research.” In Rural education research in the United States, 1‒14. Cham: Springer.

Costandius, Elmarie, Ian Nell, Neeske Alexander, Marianne McKay, Margaret Blackie, Rhoda Malgas, and Evodia Setati. 2018. “#FeesMustFall and decolonising the curriculum: Stellenbosch University students’ and lecturers’ reactions.” South African Journal of Higher Education 32(2): 65‒85.

Creswell, John W. and J. David Creswell. 2014. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.

Dandara, C., E. R. Chimusa, and A. Wonkam. 2017. “South African student protests, 2015‒2016: The aftermath viewed through Medical Science Honours students at the University of Cape Town.” SAMJ: South African Medical Journal 107(9): 723‒723.

Dennis, Jessica M., Jean S. Phinney, and Lizette Ivy Chuateco. 2005. “The role of motivation, parental support, and peer support in the academic success of ethnic minority first-generation college students.” Journal of College Student Development 46(3): 223‒236.

Department of Health. 2015. Ethics in Health Research: Principles, Processes and Structures. 2nd Edition. Pretoria: Republic of South Africa.

Dominguez-Whitehead, Y. 2011. “Executive university managers’ experiences of strike and protest activity: A qualitative case study of a South African university.” South African Journal of Higher Education 25(7): 1310‒1328.

Du Preez, Petro, Shan Simmonds, and D. John Chetty. 2017. “Critical transformation in higher education: Ethical reflections on.” South African Journal of Higher Education 31(6): 96‒112.

Dube, Bevelyn. 2017. “Afrikaans must fall and English must rise-ironies and contradictions in protests by South African university students.” Africa Insight 47(2): 13‒27.

Etheridge, Jenna. 2016. “Huge student march planned for Union Buildings.” News24. https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/huge-student-march-planned-for-union-buildings-20161020.

Friese, Susanne. 2019. Qualitative data analysis with ATLAS. ti. 3rd Edition. London, UK: SAGE Publications Limited.

Glover, Graham. 2017. “University protests, specific performance, and the public/private-law divide.” South African Law Journal 134(3): 466‒480.

Gon, Sara. 2016. “Fees can fall but first ....” South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) report. https://irr.org.za/reports/occasional-reports/files/irr-fees-must-fall-report-fnl-111.pdf/view.

Gopal, N. and C. van Niekerk. 2018. “Safety in student residences matters!” South African Journal of Higher Education 32(3): 172‒188.

HR Pulse. 2015. “The impact of #feesmustfall protests on students’ employability.” http://hrpulse.co.za/editors-pick/233123-the-impact-of-feesmustfall-protests-on-students-employability.

Hunt, Matthew R. 2009. “Strengths and challenges in the use of interpretive description: Reflections arising from a study of the moral experience of health professionals in humanitarian work.” Qualitative Health Research 19(9): 1284‒1292.

IAmKateRoth. 2016. “Adam Habib’s job is just horrible. I feel sorry for him.” Twitter post. https://twitter.com/IAmKateRoth/status/780439605489336320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E780439605489336320&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news24.com%2FSouthAfrica%2FNews%2Flive-feesmustfall-ukzn-pietermaritzburg-campus-set-ablaze-20160926.

Karimshah, Ameera, Marianne Wyder, Paul Henman, Dwight Tay, Elizabeth Capelin, and Patricia Short. 2013. “Overcoming adversity among low SES students: A study of strategies for retention.” The Australian Universities’ Review 55(2): 5.

Keet, André, Sahar D. Sattarzadeh, and Anne Munene. 2017. “An awkward, uneasy (de)coloniality higher education and knowledge otherwise.” Education as Change 21(1): 1‒12.

Kotzé, Martina and Ronel Kleynhans. 2013. “Psychological well-being and resilience as predictors of first-year students’ academic performance.” Journal of psychology in Africa 23(1): 51‒59. doi: 10.1080/14330237.2013.10820593.

Langa, Malose, Sandile Ndelu, Yingi Edwin, and Marcia Vilakazi. 2017. #Hashtag: An analysis of the #FeesMustFall movement at South African universities. Johannesburg: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation.

Lekhetho, Samantha. 2016. “Protesting NWU students burn building.” Ewn.co.za. https://ewn.co.za/ 2016/02/24/protesting-nwu-students-set-building-alight.

Liu, Sabrina R., Maryam Kia-Keating, and Sheila Modir. 2017. “Hope and adjustment to college in the context of collective trauma.” Journal of American College Health 65(5): 323‒330.

Maphasa, T. 2017. “The mental effects of #FeesMustFall haunt me to this day.” LiveMag. http://livemag.co.za/projectdemoza/mental-effects-of-feesmustfall/.

Mbembe, Joseph Achille. 2016. “Decolonising the university: New directions.” Arts and Humanities in Higher Education 15(1): 29‒45.

McKay, Tracey, Anban Naidoo, and Zach Simpson. 2018. “Exploring the challenges of first-year student funding: An intra-institutional case study.” Journal of Student Affairs in Africa 6(1): 19‒32.

Moja, Teboho, Thierry M. Luescher, and Birgit Schreiber. 2015. “Equity and social justice in higher education.” Journal of Student Affairs in Africa 3(2).

Moolman, A. and L. Jacobs. 2018. “Responses to the short-term effect of the zero per cent fee increase on South African universities.” South African Journal of Higher Education 32(1): 178‒191.

Mutekwe, Edmore. 2017. “Unmasking the ramifications of the fees-must-fall-conundrum in higher education institutions in South Africa: A critical perspective.” Perspectives in Education 35(2): 142‒154.

Naicker, Kalisha. 2016. “Students troubled as ‘Fees must fall’ continues.” News24. https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Local/Hillcrest-Fever/students-troubled-as-fees-must-fall-continues-20161003.

Ngoepe, Karabo. 2016. “More students, no fees, puts pressure on universities.” News24. https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/more-students-no-fees-puts-pressure-on-universities-20160810

Ntongana, Thembela, Ashleigh Furlongand, and Tariro Washinyira. 2015. “University residences close early.” GroundUp. https://www.groundup.org.za/article/university-residences-close-early_3526/.

Northcutt, Norvell and Danny McCoy. 2004. Interactive qualitative analysis: A systems method for qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781412984539.

Patton, Michael Quinn. 2015. Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. 4th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage publications.

Pilane, Pontsho. 2017. “#WitsHungerStrike: Wits wasn’t prepared during #FeesMustFall. Has anything changed?” BHEKISISA Centre for Health Journalism. https://bhekisisa.org/article/2017-11-01-00-feesmustfall-wits-failed-to-provide-healthcare-and-police-targeted-first-responders.

Pillay, Suntosh R. 2016. “Silence is violence: (Critical) psychology in an era of Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall.” South African Journal of Psychology 46(2): 155‒159.

Platow, Michael J., Kenneth I. Mavor, and Diana M. Grace. 2013. “On the role of discipline-related self-concept in deep and surface approaches to learning among university students.” Instructional Science 41(2): 271‒285.

Postma, Dirk. 2016. “An educational response to student protests. Learning from Hannah Arendt.” Education as Change 20(1): 1‒9.

Roberts, Benjamin James, Narnia Bohler-Muller, Jarè Struwig, Steven Lawrence Gordon, Ngqapheli Mchunu, Samela Mtyingizane, and Carin Runciman. 2017. “Protest blues: public opinion on the policing of protest in South Africa.” South African Crime Quarterly 62: 63‒80.

Roos, Vera. 2012. “The Mmogo-method™: An Exploration of experiences through visual Projections.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 9(3): 249‒261.

Roux, C. 2017. “Human rights literacies and students’ paradoxical understandings of tolerance and respect.” South African Journal of Higher Education 31(6): 61‒78.

Sandelowski, Margaret. 2000. “Whatever happened to qualitative description?” Research in Nursing & Health 23: 334‒340.

South Africa. 1996. Constitution. Act, no. 108 of 1996. Pretoria: Government Printer.

South African History Online. 2016. Student protests in democratic South Africa – timeline. http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/student-protests-democratic-south-africa-timeline-south-african-students-at-universities/.

Tau, P. 2016. #FeesMustFall: Wits resembles a warzone as students, security clash. https://city-press.news24.com/News/feesmustfall-wits-resembles-a-warzone-as-students-security-clash-20160920.

Tinto, Vincent and Brian Pusser. 2006. “Moving from theory to action: Building a model of institutional action for student success.” National Postsecondary Education Cooperative: 1‒51.

Theron, Linda C., Linda Liebenberg, and Michael Ungar. (Ed.). 2015. “Youth Resilience and Culture. Vol. 11.” Cross-Cultural Advancements in Positive Psychology. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9415-2.

Thorne, Sally. 2016. Interpretive Description. 2nd Edition. Routledge.

Tracy, Sarah J. 2010. “Qualitative quality: Eight ‘big-tent’ criteria for excellent qualitative research.” Qualitative Inquiry 16(10): 837‒851.

Tracy, Sarah J. 2020. Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact. 2nd Edition. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Weidemann, Rodney. 2016. “The student accountant conundrum: Education.” Professional Accountant 2016(28): 6‒9.

Published
2021-09-18
How to Cite
Greeff, M., K. Mostert, C. Kahl, and C. Jonker. 2021. “The #FeesMustFall Protests in South Africa: Exploring First-Year students’ Experiences at a Peri-Urban University Campus”. South African Journal of Higher Education 35 (4), 78-103. https://doi.org/10.20853/35-4-4219.
Section
General Articles