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What Africa has to do with #FeesMustFall

What Africa has to do with #FeesMustFall

Africans have taken to social media site Twitter to express their views on the protests by students at higher learning institutions in South Africa over proposed fee increments in the coming year.

There are African students who find themselves directly affected by the proposed increase to fees at academic institutions because many of them are enrolled there.

Mcebo Dlamini, the outspoken former SRC president at Wits University in Johannesburg, told protesting students that the fact that students from the other countries in Africa are obliged to pay what he described as "exorbitant fees" was making it seem like the University is not in Africa.

A Zimbabwean student at the same university had tweeted his displeasure at the fees international students have to pay.

As an international student at wits I don't even see the reason why we pay an annual international students clearance fee...

— Thabiso (@thabisosoprano) October 16, 2015

Google's former policy manager in Africa and director of investments at Omidyar Network Africa Ory Okolloh called for Kenyan students to take lessons from events in South Africa.

Kenyan University students have many legit grievances but have failed to learn to move beyond violence & co-option. Lots to learn from RSA.

— Ory Okolloh Mwangi (@kenyanpundit) October 20, 2015

The call for Africans to learn from the protests has proved popular.

And also nigeria"@alaminkimathi: Are young Kenyans taking notes about #FeesMustFall down South?"

— Osasuyi™ (@OfficialOsasuyi) October 20, 2015

Some Africans took a moment to compare the situation in their regions with that of South Africa.

Aren't you glad you were born in Botswana where #WitsMustFall #FeesMustFall is something you can't relate to?

— Kwaku Gyanteh (@KwakusNotAmused) October 15, 2015

Also notable was how some of the students who have taken to the streets in South Africa tweeted their admiration of former president of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara whose Oath For Politicians and Public Servants made the rounds on twitter in a bid to spur the students.

The Thomas Sankara oath for Public Servants. It is not crime to demand public services #FeesMustFall #FreeEducation pic.twitter.com/yrvC8w0ht6

— TimeTraveller (@Anele_Nzimande) October 21, 2015

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