With protesting students and police lines drawn, the big question remains: Is this history in the making or another democratic sideshow? Is this our Arab Spring or just a lazy, hot summer?

Students across the country have called for a halt to university tariff increases, with many claiming they can no longer afford to stay in university.

The price hikes are a whopping 10% above inflation and with national government reducing its yearly university grant in aid, the costs now have to be carried by students.

10 years ago, 49% of the actual cost of university courses were covered by the government – now it is only 40%.

Click here to read more on the protests and opinion from sister paper, the Ladysmith Gazette.

Have the children of the revolution come home to roost and demand their share of what is perceived to be the action?

Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, himself a struggle veteran and a committed communist, has felt the full force of the students’ anger. He has water bottles thrown at him outside Parliament and been dubbed Blunt Blade.

Has he and other struggle veterans – those who fought for equality – been hoisted by their own petard?

The big question is how this will impact on voting in next year’s local government elections.
Observers say it won’t as those campaigns are all about local issues. Others disagree, commenting that local government is so politicised that voter’s may turn their backs on the ruling party just to show their resentment.
Whatever happens, this could be a watershed year – much like 1967 as in the USA with the protests against the Vietnam War.  Strangely, that too reached its peak in October 1967 when on the 21srt 100 000 marched in Washtington.

Can we really be expected to believe that the #FeesMustFall is the start of such massive change in South Africa?