Leadership and Ethics in Higher Education 14719 th Century colonial politician and businessman whose views on British
colonial and imperial expansion were undisguised, and so were his racist
views about the people of Africa in general. To varying degrees in the
course of 2015 and into 2016 the protests ebbed and flowed, but at
certain points they captured the imagination of the people of South
Africa. On 23 October 2015, President Jacob Zuma partially conceded
to the demand about fees by undertaking on behalf of the government
and universities that there would be a 0% fee increase in 2016. He also
established a commission of inquiry into the feasibility of providing free
higher education for all in South Africa.
Universities responded to the protest movement that was at times
violent and determined to disrupt to the maximum the ordinary
operations of the universities by acts of arson, intimidation, occupations
as well as blockages. It was noticeable that at its most violent, the
protests were not led by the elected student leaders, but by an informal,
ad hoc coalition of students, who were in no mood to negotiate, refused
to recognize the university authorities and were determined to make
demands and back up their demands by causing maximum chaos and
actual damage.
The university Vice Chancellors responded variously by seeking
court injunctions, enhanced the presence of campus security augmented,
at great cost, with hired private security agencies. Universities tried in
vain to keep the lines of communication with the students open, but they
made concessions at times. For example, the Council of the University
of Cape Town voted to remove the statue of Cecil John Rhodes from its
prime location on campus. That was done on 9 April with the support of
the Heritage Council. Universities also conceded a later demand from
the students being the end to the outsourcing of the non-core services of
the university e.g, security, catering, cleaning and gardens. They set in
motion mechanisms to address the problem of outsourcing. It was also
agreed that while fees would not be increased in 2016, universities