Worker’s death cannot be used by those in power to delegitimise the call for free quality education
Statement on the passing of comrade and worker at Wits
29 September 2016
Remembering Our Comrade, and Father
It is with the greatest of sadness that we have lost one of our own in the struggle for free quality decolonised education. It is with deep regret that we reflect upon the life of our comrade, a worker on the Wits Braamfontein Campus, who passed away last week.
As has been communicated in various platforms, the exact cause of the worker’s death has not been established and what we know so far is that the condition that led to his immediate attendance at the Wits Campus Health and Wellness Centre, was through the release of a fire extinguisher that triggered his asthma. He spent three days at Milpark Hospital subsequent to that and was discharged for home, where he developed complications and passed away as his family was attempting to return him to the hospital.
We note with great regret that we have lost a comrade at a time when all of us as black exploited bodies on the Wits campus have mounted a challenge to the state and Adam Habib, in his proxy as Vice Chancellor, to undo the many years of dehumanising and exploitative conditions upon which Comrade N* worked under for the duration of his working life at Wits University.
When we call for Outsourcing to fall and for free quality decolonised education, together with comrades made up of students, workers and progressive academics, our call is precisely meant to accord those like Comrade N* the humane working conditions and benefits such as medical aid and pension fund that will enable his family to carry on living in his absence.
As we mourn our Comrade’s untimely passing, we can never allow a situation where his death is used by those in power to delegitimise the call for free quality education and an end to exploitative labour practises on the Wits campus and South Africa. We can never allow a situation where our comrade’s death is captured by liberal corporatist interests to invalidate the very struggle our Comrade was involved in.
We extend our deepest condolences and regret to the family of Comrade N* and will honour his life through a memorial service to be held at Wits tomorrow, 29 September 2016, from 12h00 in Solomon Mahlangu House Lecture Hall 6 (SH6).
We further, would like to request that the public give any donations to Comrade N’s* family as the funeral is in KZN and the body needs to be transported from Johannesburg to KZN and this is a very expensive. Anyone who wishes to donate can do so by depositing into this account:
Name of account: #Asimanali
Account number: 74584360230
Bank name: FNB
Branch number: 200005
Reference: Memorial Fund
In honour of our comrade.
#FeesMustFall
#OutsourcingMustFall
#Fees2017
*name omitted out of respect for the family
Issued by Wits FeesMustFall, 29 September 2016
