As we prepare for the Union buildings I realize I need a hat. So I consider the three gifts that different students blessed me with. All of them in my office right now. The question is which one should I put on? The revolution will not be televised.

Of course at some stage all the demonstrations will stop and life will go on. As higher education we will have to deal with the implications of asking government to intervene in times such as these. What does it mean for the future of the idea of a university and its autonomy. As society we will have to face the difficult question of whether we are ready for free higher education as a country and what that means for each one of us as tax payers. And as individuals we will have to ask ourself whether we are ready, willing and able to do what it takes to face poverty as an enemy and ensure that the abject poverty we see is alleviated.

If we don’t want crime then we must be willing to do something about the poverty levels. After all how can we be comfortable when there is so much discomfort, misery and poverty around us? So let’s march to the Union Buildings and then remember that there is life after the march. The match itself is important because it raises attention to the important issues. However, after all the singing, the talking, the speeches and the memoranda of demands, there is  important work to be done and my hope is that each one of us will all be committed to doing it. I prefer doing rather than just talking, because it is only through DOING that we can find solutions.