YCLSA demands the release of the 27 UJ students
The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] in the Linda Jabane district [Greater Johannesburg] is utterly disgusted at the detention of 27 University of Johannesburg students. This action comes after student activists were fighting against financial exclusions at UJ. Their detention is a clear indication of the undemocratic repressive bourgeoisie management in some universities in our country.
We want to re-emphasize the living fact that education is a right not a privilege, and therefore every academically qualifying young black South African deserves a right to access education without any form of discrimination and bigotry. The YCLSA is highly committed to championing and revolutionarize the interests of all the young people in South Africa, we remain inspired by the late Comrade Nelson Mandela's words when he said: "Education is the only weapon we can use to change the world"
The YCLSA is also disturbed by the rumours of the illicit system used by the university to allocate funds to students. Young vulnerable female students are allocated funding in exchange of sexual favours. There are those who are also requested to pay a certain amount in order for them to be given or allocated trust funding. It comes as a shock too, to be informed that those who protested in the University were removed from the University's trust funding, that ordinarily is an absolute anomaly.
The true law breakers and criminals are the institutions of higher learning that continuously close the doors of learning to students who are not financially well off. The universities continue to serve the interests of the rich and criminalise the working class and this will not be condoned in our lifetime. Registration cannot and will not happen until all students are given equal opportunity to study at the university.
It can't be correct that in the new democratic South Africa, racism and oppression still rule a black person, we need change, we need transformation, we need justice and we need access in the institutions of higher learning.
The YCLSA Linda Jabane District supports the action taken by SASCO and the students, and call on the immediate release of the UJ27. The white dominated capitalist UJ management has yet again shown the brutality and violence of capitalism.
Tomorrow we are handing ourselves over to the Brixton police to have them arrest us all should the UJ students not be released. Their fight is our fight too.
Statement issued by Alex Mdakane, YCLSA Linda Jabane District Secretary, January 29 2014
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