Here is a short video recording of Noor Nieftagodien making his concluding remarks. He speaks on the book, the importance of the 2015/2016 student movement, race-based politics and the predicted university fee increase next year.

Amandla! media hopes to provide a safe space for critical discussion and debate over the issues of the day. One of the ways in which we endeavour to do this is through hosting Amandla! forums, book launches, seminars and screenings.

The most recent event (14 July 2016) was the launch of the book Students Must Rise is a book compiled of various essays, drawing on research and writing by leading scholars and prominent activists. Students Must Rise takes Soweto ’76 as its pivot point, but looks at student and youth activism in South Africa more broadly by considering what happened before and beyond the Soweto moment. The book was edited by Anne Hefferman and Noor Nieftagodien. You can purchase the book online at Wits Press

The panel of speakers included:

Noor Nieftagodien, the editor of the book and the South African Research Chair in Local Histories, Present Realities, and is the Head of the History Workshop at Wits University.

Phindile Kunene author of Chapter 14 in the book Students Must Rise, titled – Fighting for “our little freedoms”: The evolution of student and youth politics in Phomolong Township, Free State. Her research variously explored the history of the local state in South Africa, youth-activism, apartheid forms of co-option and youth political demobilisation. An activist herself, she has been involved in youth and student movements.

Simon Rakei is a University of Cape Town (UCT) student and Rhodes Must Fall Activist. Here is an extract from his blog: “For as long as I can remember I’ve always questioned the meaning of existence and whether everything has a purpose. Over time I came to find a nuance and perhaps a meaningful distinction between meaning and purpose. These two main ideas have been the main guidelines in my life thus far shaping how I see myself and how I view the world. Explicitly though I’ve committed to the pursuit of social justice and advancing social change and the betterment of humanity. Even if there is no meaning to anything, ultimately if I can make society a better place regardless of the “grand scheme of things”, I would have lived a life worth living.” You can read more here

Noncedo Madubedube a Final Year student at University Western Cape (UWC), doing a Bachelors Degree in Education majoring in Mathematics and Languages. Western Cape Training and Organising Cordinator at Equal Education. Where she has been involved with the movement since 2012.  In 2014 she was elected Chairperson of the UWC Equal Education branch.

An audio recording of the panel discussion will be available soon.