The #FeesMustFall movement locally is descending into confused messages as hashtag after hashtag appears on Social Media. Guys, the secret to success is CONSISTENCY, communicating your message clearly, precisely and at the appropriate time.
The reason why people are losing faith in the FMF movement is simply because it is trying to solve all the world’s problems and branching out into supporting a myriad other causes.
Q. How do you eat an elephant?
A. One bite at a time.
May I make a suggestion that you return to using two hashtags ONLY: #FeesMustFall (for national comments and notices) and #NMMUFMF (for local comments and notices).
The many different hashtags you are using are confusing your followers, your detractors, media and those who wish to spy on you. Remember the old saying (please don’t shoot me if it is colonial!); “United we Stand, Divided we Fall”? Well, if we look at the hashtags of the FMF revolution it certainly looks like there is a lot of division within the movement. Maybe you all need to go back to school/university to learn a bit more about running a successful revolution? Sorry, I forgot, no-one can return for an education.
Here are some of the hashtags I have stumbled across:
#1Zebra
#BringBackOurCadres
#CPUT
#decolonise
#decolonizethisspace
#DUT
#endoutsourcing
#FeesMarch
#FeesMustFall
#FeesMustFallNow
#FeesMustFallReloaded
#FirstAid
#Forthare
#FreeEducation
#FreeGcinaUpdate
#George8
#MakunyiweMacala
#NMMU10
#NMMU10COURTAPPEARANCE
#NMMU33
#NMMUCourtOrder
#NMMUFeesMustFall
#NMMUFMF
#NMMUShutdown
#NorthCampusResRaid
#NoStudentLeftBehind
#OnCampusRaids
#PoliceBrutality
#ProgrammeOfAction
#qinamfundi
#sciencemustfall
#StudentReportBack
#SuspensionOfAcademicActivities
#TogetherWeStand
#tut
#UCKAR
#UCT
#Uj
#Ukzn
#UntilFeesFall
#UPDATE
#URGENT
#UWC
#Wits
#Wsu
The above hastags were taken from Social Media account posts by people representing the movement.
Quantity is NOT Quality.
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- The Countdown On – Mind Matters Is Taking Over Cape Town Before Taking the Conversation Global - 28 September 2026
- Why Digital Equity Is South Africa’s New Frontier for Women’s Empowerment – By Matebe Chisiza-Asukile and Natasha Mboyisa - 25 September 2026
- New Champions Rise at the 2026 Street Lines Skate Tournament - 23 September 2026
- When Manufacturers Have a ‘Beef’ Then Both Suffer - 23 September 2026
- How Much Are You Worth per Year to Your Bank? - 23 September 2026
you make a valid point, but fail to understand two things.
1) What hashtags are for
2) How FMF works
Hashtags are simply a way of organising and adding some form of structure, to unstructured data (no sql). While the #FeesMustFall hashtag is used to make it easy to search all related posts, it merely references and does not represent the movement. In fact, many posts related to this don’t even have the hashtag on them, you can seen Michael Jordan’s (former FNB CEO) Twitter for an example.
Secondly, the movement is not owned by someone, it is rather talking to the problem that many South Africans face, which is why people can link whatever other views they have to the movement. In fact, the many tags that appear in your list, are in line with the goal of the movement, as these are some of the things the falling of the fees will address. Those who support the course decide for themselves how they want to participate and be heard. Some throw stones, others write articles, some tweet, etc.
As for the movement loosing support, that can be attributed to violence, the length of the shutdown, etc, but certainly not to hashtags.
Thank you for the explanation. One question – What is the one hashtag that will show posts by the movement?
As an example the Tag on MyPE that links all articles on Fees Must Fall is this one: http://mype.co.za/new/tag/feesmustfall
What I am demonstrating here is that a SINGLE unifying hashtag would allow people interested in the movement to learn more and stay engaged for longer.
I’m afraid there isn’t one. One just has to search the different tags, as you have shown above. Most posts usually have mutliple tags, and #FeesMustFall, #Fees2017 or #FeesMustFall2016 should get you most the post.
The point is, as mentioned in my article, uniformity can be impossible in movementd of this nature.
We all accept the ‘rebellion’ against uniformity and, wait for it, BUT in order to win the ‘fight’ the message must be consistent, concise, uniform and informative. Hence my ‘gentle’ pointing out that the movement has allowed itself to fragment (on social media at least) into other areas rather than sticking to that consistent, concise, uniform and informative message.
There is a bit of truth in this statement; “All causes contain an element of dictatorship.” That dictatorship must be the one that jealously guards and protects the one true message.
Stop and think about this – you say that ‘uniformity can be impossible in a movement of this nature’ to which I say that it is this very fundamental that those opposed to this movement are exploiting to divide and conquer.
The #FeesMustFall idealists have an array of forces aligned against them that must win because their livelihoods are at stake.
You make a compelling point, but I don’t think that’s possible. FMF is beyond a call for Free Education, it’s a youth rebelling against the ‘rainbow nation’ to mention one ‘lie’.
Allow me to draw you to the fact that culture and riligion, some of the greatest movements, lack uniformity by miles, but yet that doesn’t matter. In fact, people hold on to their cultures and religions despite this and in addition the crimes committed in the name of these organizations, and yet it is expected if FMF followers to drop support when crime and vandalism erupts.
Your reference of ‘FMF idealists’ reveals your stance on the whole thing. While you talk like someone from a neutral stand, you’re not. We all know what FMF’s call is about, despite then many other demands made. Why must they continue explaining themselves, why?
I’m incovenienced, I’m not enjoying this, but more than anything else, I fear we’re beimg caught up in the politics and the debate on dictatorship and whether FMF is captured or not.