Dlamini embarked on a debilitating walk of 56.6 km from Wits University to the Union Buildings on Friday to ask President Cyril Ramaphosa to release student activists who had been arrested during # FeesMustFall protests that hit the country since 2015.
With only his cell phone and a letter addressed to the president in a brown bag, Dlamini left on his journey at 10 a.m. on Friday. On the way, he posted on his Facebook page how far he was progressing.
He arrived at the Union Buildings the same day and managed to hand over his letter to a representative of the Presidency.
Dlamini said he was taking the trip because everyone seemed to be going as usual, while many students fought heavy persecutions.
Dlamini was arrested numerous times and spent three years in and out of courtrooms.
He was arrested in October 2016 and released on bail on R2000 on November 9 by the South Gauteng High Court.
He said that he made the decision to plead for amnesty on behalf of the students, not for self-glorification, but because he was subjected to bail conditions together with other students that effectively isolated them.
"Many of us are not allowed to take part in illegal meetings or be part of mass protests, so it means in short that we are alone now.
"But it is also another way for us to protest and show that we do not need mass or damage property to let people hear our problems."
Dlamini said that he and other students who are being persecuted "die" and that nothing was done to help them.
But most importantly, he said, he did not want to irritate the public by causing disturbances, but to get them talking and get sympathy for this important goal.
From his journey, Dlamini said that it was long and difficult and that he often had the feeling of giving up.
"I had no experience and had no training, so it was difficult, but people on the road continued to encourage me to tell me that I was close and others wanted to walk beside me or offer me fruit and drinks."
The most important thing, he said, was that people were now talking about the problem – the seed that he planted.
Dlamini posted on Facebook yesterday: "I have sent a letter to Adam Habib (deputy chancellor and director of the University of the Witwatersrand) with the request to take a solidarity view and to amnesty and pardon # FeesMustFall activists across the country. ask.
"I also asked Wits academics / lecturers to march in solidarity with students around Braamfontein, and Habib has called on time to consult. & # 39;
He said he wrote to the presidents of the universities, because many of the universities whose properties were damaged were the applicants in the cases that students had to deal with.
Through Habib he said that he hoped he could argue with the other universities to support the call for student amnesty.
More than 800 students were arrested after the protests.
They are faced with a large number of allegations, including arson, public violence and malicious damage to property.
The Education for Social Justice Foundation supported Dlamini's appeal and also asked Ramaphosa to feel sorry for students who were imprisoned after the protests.
Vice President Hendrick Makaneta said she called on the government to grant students amnesty so that they can continue their studies. Makaneta said that the foundation would ask a meeting with Ramaphosa to discuss issues relating to the whole field of higher education.
"We pray for common sense to prevail and for the president to find it in his heart to listen to our plea and let these young lives flourish." The students did not expect their actions to lead them to prison.
"They participated in the protests against the costs due to difficult conditions they faced during their studies," said Makaneta.
"We fully understand the seriousness of the accusations, but our modest plea is that we forgive the students and allow them to live a normal life because the future of the country is in their hands."
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