I was a fly on the wall at the time of #FeesMustFall, and I saw...
I WAS in the heart of the cauldron that was the #Feesmustfall uprising in the sense that I was one of the lecturers at CPUT, Bellville campus, who was escorted out of my office into the courtyard, as the students attempted to take control of the campus.
I was inspired to write this poem which also speaks volumes about how vital education is for future leaders. Ronald W. Springfield Springfield Training Solutions Freelance Lecturer/Facilitator/Assessor/ Moderator
“Education is the most powerful tool to change the world”
I was a fly on the wall and I saw… The “discriminating few” students take many steps back, In giving values, ethics and morals the sack, Whilst cultivating fear in the hearts of a divided nation And rejecting dignity in search of debt relaxation.
I was a fly on the wall and I saw… Challenged tertiary leaders defunct of words and rationale; Radical student leaders’ dictating the process, and tempting fate; The student fraternity’s patience threatening to derail, As they hopelessly watch their dreams disintegrate…
I was a fly on the wall and I saw… Potential school leavers view the status quo void of hope: From the “frying pan” of the challenges of OBE life Into the cauldron of the “#FMF” strife, they ponder, Or the “opportunity cost” of joining the UIF queue: With bleak futures on the horizon, they search for a tunnel light to ensue…
I was a fly on the wall and I saw… Two decades ago a proud nation took a forward stance, Shepherding an era that elevated every unified plea, Touching hearts and transforming minds at every fleeting chance; Heralding Madiba’s legacy of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace…
I was also a fly on the wall when Madiba said: “Education is the most powerful weapon one can use to change the world”. So distorting the view, a discriminating few seemed to misconstrue: That by “Using strife to change the world, ‘Free Education’ falls into your lap”. And as the smoke clears, it doesn’t allay many fears, ‘Cause the precedence that caused many tears, Is doomed to widen the generation gap…