You’d hope that being the weekend these University protesters would give it a break.

But no, last night they were definitely at it again

i had just returned from performing an Improv show as part of the MamaCity Improv Festival [You should totally go by the way – i’m playing again on Monday but they’re doing shows all weekend and it is good!] and i was hungry so my wife tbV and two friends and i headed to Trenchtown where we heard there were boerewors rolls on the go.

And that’s where the students were involved in some serious mob action. And this time not even on the university campuses. They have brought it into the suburbs. “This has gone too far”, i thought to myself.

Firstly, we had to pay a cover charge donation – basically any amount we wanted to – to contribute towards the cafeteria staff at UCT who have apparently not been receiving pay while the protests have been going on. There was also some banner up for a much longer collection they have been doing for workers on a farm in Robertson who haven’t been being paid for the last six weeks. Can you believe it? They can’t even keep it to their own issues.

Secondly, they were selling boerewors rolls [plus vegetarian option, the bastards!] from food that had been donated [that’s right, we had to pay money for stuff they had gotten for free just so some workers somewhere could receive money and be able to feed their families and stuff!]. There were live acts playing inside who had donated their time and money to support this mass action which to me is just another example of how untrustworthy these students are – it’s like they want everything for free?

My photos sadly don’t give much of the full picture cos i was trying to be respectful and not take pictures of people specifically but there must have been easily between two and four hundred people in there with people arriving and leaving all the time. That’s a whole big mob right there.

Tongue and cheek aside, this is the status i wrote when i shared these pics after arriving home last night:

Another night another experience of “WHY CAN’T THEY SEE THIS?” A packed courtyard in Obs where cover charge is money towards paying for the cafeteria staff at University who are not getting paid as is money for boerewors rolls etc. Two hundred plus young people of all shapes and sizes, students as well as musicians offering to gig for free.

Meanwhile the armchair critics over here and overseas will continue to grasp their fingers tightly on their latest headline and their unchanging broadstrokes opinion of what is going on in South African universities.

I said to two of the guys there tonight, “If only they could see, they, they, hm well let’s be honest they probably would not change their minds cos those were made up so long ago and they don’t seem to want to change them at all cos the “I told you so” feels so much sweeter.

Well I was moved. Again. And reminded of the layers upon layers. And the multi-faceted stories. And all of those who have had open minds, open pockets and the hope of a different looking future.

i am actually SO ANGRY with so many judgemental pieces of ridiculousness who have no idea what is happening on the ground – with students organising supplies, with lawyers offering pro bono work, with student leaders tirelessly meeting for hours in the evenings to debrief and plan and strategise, with peace justice witness teams on the ground, with mediators giving of their time to facilitate tense and frustrating and challenging meetings and try to steer both sides towards a mutual solution.

Yes, there are some idiots on all sides [police/private security/students/staff/VCs/media, maybe even us?] but there are also some incredible people and groups and moments and happenings that the media would do a much better job of reporting. And then maybe you would be that little bit slower to throw your own poo from your safe comfy privilege-denying couches.

AMANDLA!

AWETHU!

ALUTA CONTINUA!

Come on SA, let’s finish this strong.