Fort Hare destruction should not go unpunished

THE 1976 youth were the first generation to take action in openly expressing discontent with the education system imposed on them.

- THEMBILE NDABENI

The situation was worse then because they were fighting against the white-minority apartheid system machinery that imposed Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.

But they never burnt the schools, and believe me, it would have been understood had they done so. That was followed by school boycotts of 1980 and 1984-1985 especially the latter. Still no school was set on fire.

However, the youth in today's context are under democracy, and the environment is far better than the previous eras. The best part is that despite the shortcomings or challenges in this democracy, the youth can express themselves freely without intimidation.

Amidst the issues at University of Fort Hare, there is even a conspiracy theory, that those who burnt part of the institution were influenced by the people who are opposed to the current principal's anti-corruption stance.

Some of the people are still under investigation and therefore they want him gone because he is "disturbing their peace and enjoyment of looting". The best way is to use "children" (students) whose reasons will be understood.