Rhodes Must Fall: Different layers of intersectionality in student protests in South Africa

Since 2015, students have been protesting against the discrimination against students racialised as Black and demanding free education in South Africa, in the name of decoloniality and intersectionality.The notion of decoloniality is related to the historical and present experience of racism against Black people.Based on qualitative research at the University of Cape Town, the paper analyses how students used decoloniality and intersectionality as a collective action frame and how intersectionality become a practice for inclusivity, while categories such as race, class, and gender reveal the perpetuation of power dynamics.The paper investigates these different layers of intersectionality in the protests known as Rhodes Must Fall.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Journal für Entwicklungspolitik
Published
2026-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.20446/jep-2414-3197-42-1-46
Primary Topic
South African History and Culture
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Rhodes Must Fall: Different layers of intersectionality in student protests in South Africa

Antje Daniel
Journal für Entwicklungspolitik
South African History and Culture
article

Rhodes Must Fall: Different layers of intersectionality in student protests in South Africa

Antje Daniel
article en

Abstract

Since 2015, students have been protesting against the discrimination against students racialised as Black and demanding free education in South Africa, in the name of decoloniality and intersectionality.The notion of decoloniality is related to the historical and present experience of racism against Black people.Based on qualitative research at the University of Cape Town, the paper analyses how students used decoloniality and intersectionality as a collective action frame and how intersectionality become a practice for inclusivity, while categories such as race, class, and gender reveal the perpetuation of power dynamics.The paper investigates these different layers of intersectionality in the protests known as Rhodes Must Fall.

Journal für EntwicklungspolitikVol. 32(42)
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
South African History and Culture
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