Entrenching Privilege: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Afriforum Jeug During the #Mustfall Protests at the University of Pretoria: A Case Study

ABSTRACT

The #FMF protests at the University of Pretoria (UP) and universities across South Africa reflected a confrontation with power and an exhibition of distrust in democratic institutions. #Fallists consciously chose to challenge pre-determined notions of ‘the right to education' and the pervasiveness of gatekeeping and access. These were questions intricately linked with their past. On all campuses, including UP, the #Fallists encountered many challenges. At UP, students who had affiliated themselves with the AfriForum Jeug student society contested very specifically the ‘rights’ that the #Fallists were demanding. This paper involves a modest attempt at formulating the possibilities that have been opened up by considering the #MustFall events in light of the responses by white Afrikaans speaking students. In this case study, one of the challenges faced by the #Fallists at UP was the opposition they encountered from AfriForum Jeug. How was this tug-o-war to be read and understood? The AfriForum case study is particularly relevant since it has been significantly argued that a dominant motivation and rationale for participation in the #MustFall protests included a pushback against persistent inequality and racism.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 I make these distinctions because at UP, from my observation, there was a distinct difference in the manner and way in which black students were treated compared to the university’s response to disruptions and violence from Afriforum Jeug students.

2 This was my observation from participating in the protests at UP working behind the scenes and assisting with the political schools, fundraising and food hampers.