The #FeesMustFall movement and student leadership at the University of the Free State (UFS): Reflections from SRC members

The #FeesMustFall movement and student leadership at the University of the Free State (UFS): Reflections from SRC members

Mohau Soldaat , Kabelo Noosi & Letsika Leqoalane

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 7 2026 Article 13 pp. 861- 878
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267713 Published online 25th September 2026.

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ABSTRACT

The academic year 2015/2016 took the South African government and institutions of higher learning by surprise when students took to the streets to protest for #FeeFree higher education, among many issues. The protests became known as the #FeesMustFall campaign, which engulfed all 26 South African public universities. The Students Representative Council (SRC) at the University of the Free State (UFS) faced a mammoth task of uniting students under the same banner of these protests and campaigns. Some students perceived protests as a hindrance to their academic journey, while others felt that protests were needed. The article examines the inner struggles faced by SRC members during #FeesMustFall at UFS. This article was located within the Interpretivist paradigm, using Critical Reflection Theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework, which assisted in reflecting on past experiences of the seven SRC members. A qualitative research method was used, which permitted the utilisation of newspaper clippings, semi-structured interviews and secondary published data, among others. The data was thematically analysed and assisted the researchers in making informed conclusions. The article concludes that SRC’s, when united, can achieve a lot. Additionally, political differences are not a hindrance when participants have a common goal. This article contributes to the growing body of knowledge in reflecting on the perceptions and views of SRC members regarding the #FeesMustFall at UFS.

Keywords: #FeesMustFall, Student Representative Council, Fees, University, Leadership

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AUTHOR(S)

Mohau Soldaat is a PhD candidate at the University of Johannesburg (History) and works as a Lecturer for History Education at the University of Limpopo, Department of Social Sciences and Economic Management Education. His recent publications include a co-edited special issue for the Yesterday and Today journal, published in November 2025; Guest Editors: Paul Maluleka (UNISA), Sarah Godsell (WITS), Mohau Soldaat (UL) and Paul Hendricks (WITS). Co-authored a paper with Paul Maluleka: Weaving Together a Tapestry of Historical Knowledge in the Post-apartheid School History Curriculum: The Case of Palesa Beverley Ditsie, November 2025. Co-authored a paper with Fezeka Gxwayibeni: Exploring the Potential of Oral History Project (OHP) in enhancing metacognitive abilities in a History Classroom, July 2025. In January 2025 single authored a paper: Twenty-Five Battalion, The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Changing the Decorum in the South African Parliament, 2014 to 2018. His research focuses on “children” against apartheid, Oral Histories, Contemporary histories, Youth/Student Politics and Metacognition in History teaching/assessment.

Kabelo Noosi is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, North-West University, Potchefstroom campus. His research interests are Higher Education Studies, Curriculum Studies, History, and Language for Education. He is passionate about decolonisation scholarship and social justice in education, exploring decolonial pedagogies in both History and Language Education. Kabelo Noosi is a PhD candidate in Higher Education Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Co-authored a paper with Bongani Shabangu and Ogodiseng Mokakale titled Centring African Vocabularies & Terminologies in Representing the Past: Insights from South African School History Textbooks, November 2025.

Letsika Leqoalane is a lecturer in Geography and Environmental Education and a researcher at the Community-Based Educational Research (COMBER) research entity at North-West University (NWU), Vanderbijlpark Campus, Gauteng. He is also a PhD candidate in Curriculum Studies at NWU. His research interests include Geography and Environmental Education, instructional leadership, Education for Sustainable Development, and Geography teacher education. His work seeks to contribute to meaningful and contextually relevant educational practices that promote geographical and environmental knowledge and sustainable development.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Soldaat, Mohau, Kabelo Noosi, and Letsika Leqoalane. “The #FeesMustFall movement and student leadership at the University of the Free State (UFS): Reflections from SRC members.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.7 (2026): 861 – 878. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267713