Fees Must Fall participants recall how peaceful protest at Union Buildings in 2015 turned into chaos

As Thursday marks a decade since students from various universities gathered at the Union Buildings fighting for free education, some have remembered how what was meant to be a peaceful demonstration degenerated into violent chaos.

In October 2015, Fees Must Fall protests erupted in parts of the country, with students demanding free education and an end to rising university tuition fees.

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But some who were at the Union Buildings on the day that former President Jacob Zuma was meant to address students have remembered the day as disastrous.

The 23rd of October 2025 was a day anticipated by students who had spent months using protests and demonstrations to pressure Zuma to yield to the demand of free education.

Students had travelled from institutions across the country to be part of the historic event as Zuma was expected to address the large group gathered on the Union lawns.

Simon Machete, who was studying at the University of South Africa (UNISA), was one of them.

"There was a sense of pride, honour and dignity on what it is that we were about to achieve. We were anxious because none of us had the faintest idea of the impact of what it is we were trying to achieve."

But what started as a peaceful demonstration quickly became a scene of violent clashes between students and police.

"I remember a lot of screams – I remember seeing a lot of tears. One of the things that took me back was the amount of blood that I saw on that day."

Amla Monageng, a student leader from the University of Pretoria, has recalled how the students responded.

"What I loved most was the students not retreating. Despite police shooting at us, we were able to reconvene and reinforce."

While Zuma did not address the crowd as expected, he announced from within nion Buildings that there would not be an increase in tuition fees in 2016.