Leadership and Politics of Belonging in a 2015 FeesMustFall Movement: A Case of UPrising

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines UPrising, a student-led movement that emerged at the University of Pretoria’s Hatfield campus during the 2015 Fees Must Fall protests in South Africa. Using the notion of politics of belonging, the articles shows how internal dynamics in UPrising sought to fragment students and student leadership solidarity as they challenged the state and the university on the imminent tuition, residential fees and food price increases as well as other campus-specific issues. We use the concept of politics of belonging to argue that toxic student politics that manifested through contestation for control of campus political space and politics of gender resulted in inclusion and exclusionary practices among student leaders. These contestations were mainly visible through actions of various campus-based student political formations within themselves and towards UPrising leadership. In light of these setbacks, UPrising and women student leaders and activists were able to respond and keep UPrising united and focused on the struggle at hand. This study draws from the authors’ personal participant observation, in-depth interviews and social media during 2015 Fees Must Fall protests in South Africa.