Breaking a rainbow, building a nation

Breaking a Rainbow, Building a Nation covers the university protests that took place in 2015–2016, better known as the #FeesMustFall protests. Rekgotsofetse (Kgotsi) gives us his first-hand account of what happened prior to the protests and what led to the events of October 2015 at the various university campuses and nationally. This is a four-part retelling of what happened on the ground amongst the students, first at #RhodesMustFall, then moving to the university responses and management and what ultimately led to #FeesMustFall nationwide. Chikane then looks at student politics now and how they are different from 1976, specifically the fact that the protests were being led by so-called coconuts, who are part of the black elite. The book poses the provocative question, can coconuts be trusted with the revolution?

Rekgotsofetse Chikane has found his passion in the field of youth development and politics since 2009. He is a University of Oxford graduate with a Masters in Public Policy. Chikane was involved first-hand in the #RhodesMustFall movement, including his arrest in Cape Town. His perspective is informed by his personal experience as events unfolded, and his subsequent insights in terms of what happened and what needs to be done in South Africa.

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