Mcebo Dlamini’s long walk for student freedom

Fees Must Fall student activist Mcebo Dlamini on Friday embarked on a walk from Wits University to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to ask President Cyril Ramaphosa to release activists arrested during the student protests.

#FeesMustFall activist Mcebo Dlamini is pictured just before the Woodmead off ramp while he walks from Wits to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to submit a letter of demands to the Presidency. He is asking for the release of students arrested during the #feesmustfall movement Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

Mcebo wrote on his Facebook profile that he took the decision to write a formal letter to Ramaphosa “calling on him to exercise his prerogative powers and grant amnesty and pardon all the fees must fall activists”.

“Before the end of the day tomorrow (Friday) the letter will be delivered. I am walking from Wits to Pretoria- Union to hand a letter to the President. I start walking now at 10am,” he said before he started his journey on Friday morning.

He has an envelope and his cellphone but no water. It normally takes just over 12 hours to walk from Wits to the Union Buildings, but he said he was physically fit for the journey.

He told The Citizen’s photographer Tracy-Lee Stark that he hoped to be at his destination by 7pm, which might be an optimistic target. When The Citizen spoke to him he had not yet made it to Midrand.

Watch his interview with her below:

The Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC) earlier this week also threatened revolt and promised to make the country ungovernable should the state continue to hunt down and prosecute student activists involved in the protests.

Last week Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor revealed to the Democratic Alliance that institutions of higher learning suffered nearly R800 million in protest damage in the past three financial years.

On Monday, Fees Must Fall activist and Durban University of Technology student Bonginkosi Khanyile was convicted on charges of public violence‚ failing to comply with the police and possession of a dangerous weapon. The charges relate to the violent protests at the Durban University of Technology (DUT).

#FeesMustFall activist Mcebo Dlamini is pictured just before the Woodmead off ramp while he walks from Wits to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to submit a letter of demands to the Presidency. He is asking for the realease of students arrested during the #feesmustfall movement Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

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