Yesterday saw renewed #FeesMustFall protests at Wits University, some of the administration offices being closed and lectures disrupted.

As the dust settled one thing became clear: that there was not exactly a unified front put on by protesters. A group characterising themselves as “feminists and queer persons” wasn’t backing the EFF and Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania protests, using sjamboks and throwing sanitary products to disrupt proceedings.

At the centre of the dispute was Chumani Maxwele, the UCT student who headlined the university’s ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ protests before falling foul of the university. Here’s TimesLive:

Two images of female protesters being restrained by male protesters are being circulated on social media‚ prompting angry outbursts.

Students named one of the men as being Chumani Maxwele‚ the poo-throwing Rhodes Must Fall activist from the University of Cape Town.

The Rhodes Must Fall‏@RhodesMustFall Twitter feed stated: “Wits men & Chumani Maxwele (red cap khakhi trousers) strangling a Black woman after saying “sthabane” (meaning a gay person). #NotMyFMF”.

Wanelisa Xaba ‏@blak_terrorist responded angrily. “We want him out the movement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!‚” She also posted this challenging statement: “#1Patriarch10Sjamboks”.

Here’s a statement from the Wits SRC:

“We are greatly concerned about a meeting called over the weekend without inclusion of all vital groups & student governance structures at Wits. “There are indeed elements of political opportunism that have taken hold #Wits.

“The exclusion from the meeting is evidence of the patriarchal erasure of transgender & black feminist voices who have been instrumental #Wits.

“These groups and students who were excluded have been active and were among the first to start the protests at #Wits.

“The exclusion of all stakeholders is evidence that (Monday’s) actions cannot be seen as non-partisan or in the best interests of students.”

If I was Chumani I would be watching my back.

[source:timeslive]

[imagesource:here]