~ In commemoration of 16 June 1976

A decade after the #FeesMustFall (#FMF) and #RhodesMustFall (#RMF) student movements, questions remain about how South Africans remember these protests and whether their demands for free, decolonised, and inclusive higher education continue to influence public opinion.

The #FMF and #RMF movements emerged in 2015 as student-led campaigns that challenged high tuition fees, institutional racism, colonial legacies, and inequality within South African universities. The movements advocated for free higher education, decolonisation, social justice, African-centred curricula, and improved access for disadvantaged students.

A recent South African study conducted by researchers from the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), including NRF-rated researcher Prof Thierry Luescher, assessed public awareness, perceptions, and attitudes towards the #FMF and #RMF movements and evaluated their lasting influence on higher education in South Africa.

The study analysed data from the 2024/25 South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). The nationally representative survey included 3 119 respondents aged 16 years and older across all nine provinces. Data was collected between February and March 2025 using face-to-face interviews conducted in respondents’ preferred languages.

The study found that #FMF remains the most recognised social movement in post-apartheid South Africa. Approximately 48% of South Africans reported awareness of #FMF, compared to only 14% who recognised #RMF. Nearly half of respondents (49%) had heard of one or both “Fallist” movements, while awareness was highest among younger, better-educated, and wealthier South Africans.

Among respondents familiar with #FMF, 77% described themselves as either “very” or “somewhat” knowledgeable about the movement. The public most strongly associated the Fallist movements with the demand for free university education, with 87% identifying this as the movements’ main goal. Other recognised goals included removing colonial monuments (27%), ending gender-based violence at universities (24%), promoting African languages (22%), and transforming universities to better reflect African identities and cultures (22%).

Half of respondents familiar with the movements (50%) believed the movements were successful in achieving their goals, while 32% remained neutral and 15% viewed them as unsuccessful. Younger and more knowledgeable respondents were more likely to believe the movements succeeded.

The study also found overwhelming support for free university education in South Africa. Approximately 88% of respondents supported some form of free higher education, with 51% supporting free education for all students and 33% supporting free education specifically for poor students.

The study concludes that the #FeesMustFall movement continues to shape public thinking about higher education in South Africa a decade later. Its strongest legacy remains public support for free university education, as well as ongoing discussions around decolonisation, social justice, and equal access within higher education institutions.