“The purpose of the meeting on Saturday, 23 January 2016 was to show the world, and the government that the students are not alone,” Trevor Ngwane told parents, students, workers, and community organisation representatives in Funda Centre, in Diepkloof Soweto. “We want to show the students and workers that we are with them,” he said.
He was addressing about a hundred people who attended the #FeesMustFall and #Endoutsourcing campaign solidarity meeting. The following organisations were part of the meeting, also giving their messages of support to the students and workers in the University of Wits and UJ: United Front, Democratic Left, Right2Know, SECC, OKM, Numsa, Khanya College (FAJ), New Unity Movement from Uitenhage, in the Eastern Cape province, SACC, and Wits and UJ Academics. They all speak with one voice that all organisations represented rally behind the students and the workers.
Oupa Lekake, Chairperson of the Gauteng United Front, stated that in Tshwane, on the question of outsourcing and insourcing, at present there is at least improvement, but we cannot relaxe. “The question of the working conditions, socio-economic crisis, food prices increment still need to be challenged,” he said. “All the discriminating issues will continue to challenge the working class,” said Lekake. “As Numsa and United Front we are there to support the students with resources and materials. As a union we will continue to make sure that working conditions change and community struggles are also challenged. We support students for free education from crech to university level. The Freedom Charter says, the doors of learning shall be open for all,” he added. The students said they do not trust the current leadership of SASCO and SRC, and they alleged that it is colluding with the ANC to cool down the struggles of the students.
