Men of all races have caused women suffering. In the work place, in religious spaces, in households and in politics. Therefore to say black men can’t be patriarchal is nothing but a misleading statement.

“Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property”

This means that oppression of women is multi-layered, it operates through inequalities at the level of the law and state but also in their homes and work place. Patriarchy is upheld by powerful cultural norms and supported by tradition, education and religion. It produces itself endlessly through these norms and structures which are themselves patriarchal in nature and thus it has a way of seeming natural or inevitable. In a liberal context it is obscured by piecemeal advances in gender equality.

In “BLACK HOMES” women still do the most of the domestic labour, in “BLACK COMPANIES OWNED BY BLACK MEN” a legal right to equal pay has not resulted in the eradication of the gender pay gap. At the State level where Presidents are “BLACK MEN” women are still underrepresented in parliaments, legislatures, and the military. In “BLACK SOCIETIES” women and men are still judged differently when it comes to sexual freedom. In “BLACK POLITICAL MOVEMENTS LED BY BLACK MEN”, men occupy strategic positions as compared to women. This is not because women are not capable but simply because being a man is a privilege on its own especially in the political space.

My own branch which is led by a “BLACK MAN” deployed males only in the SRC OFFICE this year, women did not find expression not because they were not capable but because they were put through the emotional trauma by the same “BLACK MEN”.  Is this not being patriarchal?

The #MenAreTrash hashtag has never been about individuals, it is bigger than individual experiences of manhood. The #MenAreTrash cry speaks directly to the system of patriarchy and oppression because we clearly understand that patriarchy is a catalyst of gender based violence.

As much as black men experience racial oppression, it does not give them the licence to manipulate, rape and murder women. For black women it is worse, they experience double oppression in this world which is racial and gender oppression however they do not resort to hate crimes and intimate partner violence because there is no justification for gender based violence.

Women of all races will continue holding hands and marching together for as long as men continue to victimize them, whether it is perceived as liberal or not. This is because feminists are here to cut the gap between the status quo and what they would like to achieve, not be an ideal feminist. For as long as patriarchy still exists, feminism is not going anywhere!

Background

It has been nine years since the demand for FREE QUALITY EDUCATION remerge in the history of South African politics. The 1994 moment promised our parents free education after the first democratic elections, where the ANC came blazing with empty promises, which included Free Education. This call is still an unachieved mission which was fought by 1976 generation of Cde Tiro.

I remember very well, it was my first year in the institution of higher learning when I joined SASCO as a graduate of COSAS. FREE EDUCATION was always our generational mission and we were prepared to fight for this genuine call to liberate our black people which are denied even under the current black government.

Let me take you back to PYA politics and why they ended up contesting each other. This will help give greater context to the discussion. It was 2011 where the wheel turned around in the largest students’ movement in Africa, SASCO divided into three factions in the PYA which include SASCO, YCL and ANCYL and started to contest amongst each other because majority believed that SASCO was, and still is no longer advocating the call for black students, however the three contested each other for powermonger and no battle of ideas.

The last President of ANCYL Julius Malema witnessed the takeover of power from SASCO by ANCYL which lasted for years. In 2011 the ANCYL resolved on numerous issues including free education and economic freedom in our lifetime amongst others. But now the disbandment of the ANCYL didn’t only affect the leadership of the youth league but the poor masses of our people including students in the institutions of higher learning as the last voice to their demands. This had the potential to lead to and unled revolution for economic freedom, as nature does not allow for a vacuum, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by CIC Julius Malema, filled that gap.

The introduction of African Mass Students movement

Let us now talk about the formation of the Economic Freedom Fighters Students’ Command (EFFSC) under the banner of EFF. Most of us believe that this was the right direction for the EFF to take and tackle the struggles of students in South Africa. Yes, the Students’ Command in its formative stage will always rely much on the mother body for policy position, funding and other strategic issues not forgetting discipline within the movement.

I disagree with the CIC on his comments about the disbandment of EFFSC and I don’t think that his comments are all about the disbanding of the SC as a structure and movement that has archived so many struggle credentials, and changed the students’ political landscape of our country. We can mention a lot of struggle achievements by this students’ movement, which has become a formidable force in Africa within three years of its existence.

2015 was a turning point in the student politics of South Africa. This was largely caused by the existence of EFFSC, led by the former President Mpho Moroloane. We cannot live in denial and it will be wrong to compare EFFSC with other students’ movements like SASCO and DASO so forth when it comes to the battle of students struggle and it work in and around the institutions of higher learning. Currently the EFFSC is leading majority of TVET’s and University campuses across the country and it’s a fact not an individual opinion, in 2015-2016 EFFSC won most highly recognised black universities this includes University of Limpopo, Vaal University of technology, Vhembe TVET College, and other campuses with representative in the Student Representative Councils this include NMU, UNISA, MALUTI TVET COLLEGE and many others.

YES, the involvement of EFF senior leadership in addressing our rallies is important not only to win SRC elections but, “Mobilising students behind the struggle for economic freedom, embodied in the EFF Founding Manifesto.” So that EFFSC members are found pushing the same mandate of liberating and perusing the struggle for economic emancipation among the students of South African.

It is always incorrect that leadership of EFF are the one who win SRC elections or even launch the branches of Students’ Command, truth be told no one can win elections by visiting once in a campus especially to address a rally then claim to be his or her efforts, “it takes a village to rise a child.” The same applies to the movements like the Students’ Command. Before any national leader arrived in last hour towards elections cannot win without the mobilisation and work of branches of the Students’ Command.

Let’s break down the constitutional commitment of the Students’ Command and check if it has diverted from its polices, section 3 reads as follows:  Aims and Objectives

1.            To establish and sustain a student society that cherishes revolutionary cultural values and to create conditions for total political and economic emancipation, prosperity and equitable rights of all students in higher learning institutions

2.            To attain and defend the National Integrity and Liberation of the oppressed black majority of South African students.

3.            To participate in the worldwide struggle for the complete eradication of imperialism, colonialism, racism and all other forms of discrimination.

4.            To participate in, support and promote all struggles for the attainment of the complete independence and unity of African education system s and by extension, the African continent

5.            To oppose resolutely, tribalism, regionalism, religious and cultural intolerance

6.            To oppose the oppression of women and the oppression of all other gendered persons

7.            To oppose patriarchy, sexism, and homophobia and any cultural or religious practices that promotes the oppression of any student, women in particular.

8.            To fight for and deliver FREE Quality Education in our lifetime.

9.            To fight for better learning facilities on campuses and living conditions in residences, and building more higher learning institutions and residences.

10.          To ensure transformation of all forms in higher learning institutions.

With the 4 years I have spent in the movement the EFFSC has championed almost everything, this includes the formation of FEES MUST FALL, championing and rallying being TRANSFORMATION and openly oppose women abuse, patriarchy and continue to fight for free quality education which resulted to a lot causalities where most of EFFSC members were brutally killed, jailed and suspended from the institutions. Fighter Bonginkosi Khanyile is still serving house arrest, Khanya Cekeshe is languishing in jail while other students are serving suspensions because of defying the status quo. It is no secret that black and poor students across the country have been given confidence, and a voice to confront injustice, because of the existence of the EFFSC.

Like any other movement, the SC managed to have its National Students Assemblies attended by delegates from branches across the country and it has proven that the Students command is alive and led by capacitated leadership with branches.

I cannot deny the fact that the growth of the Students’ Command has attracted may opportunists, who are trying to hijack this historic movement for their self-enrichment. Some of them are sponsored by the right-wing to destroy the EFF and EFFSC. However, disbandment is not the answer. Efforts must be made to isolate opportunistic elements within the movement.

On elections

Majority of EFF votes are EFFSC supporters, I hope by now you understand where I come from. It has been proven by many elections analysts that majority of EFF voters are young people between the age of 18-35 which most of them are students in the institutions of higher learning, the EFFSC currently leads more than 75% campuses in TVET’s and Universities this gives a signal to mathematicians who knows how to consolidate numbers.

The public tableted argument about whether we need the EFF Students’ Command or not, I can reply by saying yes! We need the EFFSC, and it is important not only to the current generation of 2015-2019. The Students’ Command fought a long battle in the three years of its existence, while SASCO and others continued to fail poor students. We don’t need the Students’ Command only to rally the young and students behind the banner of the EFF, but to fight the long overdue unanswered national questions after 25 years of fake democracy that favours those who can afford. The minority, which is favoured by the legal system, has access to quality health care, shelter and education.

We must welcome this criticism openly and ideologically apply our mind on a question WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? The third layer of Students’ Command theme is LEARN, PERSUADE AND CONSCIENTIZE, lets continue to learn from our struggle and persuade students and young people in conscientizing the world about the need for economic freedom for poor especially majority black people.

Currently, the three EFFSC members in parliament are continuing to fight in the opposition benches raising motions that speak directly to our fight for Free Quality Education and Insourcing of security guards and cleaners. A struggle that the EFFSC has championed even in the institutions of higher learning.

As we are approaching the NPA, this is the time for FIGHTERS to be careful of factionalists who seek to divide the movement. It cannot be correct that a six year old organization is subjected to factions. Both factions proudly call themselves with music track names that are not even a struggle songs. Our struggle needs more than that, EFF needs a united organization to champion the interest of the poor black majority and deliver Economic Emancipation in our Lifetime.

What will be the reason to give up the fight, and allow the oppressor to continue to oppress our people? If I have to remind you what is happening currently the JAMNANDS are in charge our country is being on auctioned to White Monopoly Capital, let us go and gear up in NASAREC and continue to be the voice of the voiceless!