Cape Town - Stellenbosch University is a “mini-apartheid
island” in urgent need of change, South African Students' Congress (Sasco),
national executive committee member Luntu Sokutu said on Friday.
He was speaking outside one of the university's
administration buildings after Sasco led a group of students through the
streets, in protest against the apparent lack of transformation at the
institution and its language policy.
"There is an urgent need for radical transformation at
SU," he said "There is an Oranje there to accommodate all those
Afrikaner racists who refuse to accept their defeat of 1994."
The institution does not reflect the demographics of the country
and excludes non-Afrikaans speakers, Sokutu said.
"Why do we celebrate June 16 when there are still students
who are forced to learn in Afrikaans in SA? Are we not spitting on the graves
of those youths who gave their lives to ensure that Afrikaans is not forced as
a medium of instruction in institutions?" he asked.
"We want to make it clear that we don’t want a negotiated
settlement to transformation at SU. We are not applying for
transformation. It is a demand - one we must fight for."
In Sasco's memorandum, handed to university management, it
demanded that transformation be speeded up and prioritised at the institution.
Rector and Vice Chancellor Wim de Villiers accepted the
memorandum, saying the university was committed to this.
"The language policy is being revised and we have a task
group looking at it. The findings will be presented to council at its next
meeting scheduled for September 28," he said.
De Villiers admitted one of the biggest challenges facing the
institution was the lack of diversity among its lecturing personnel.
Rector
and Vice Chancellor Wim de Villiers accepted the memorandum, saying the
university was committed to this.
"The language policy is being revised and we have a task group
looking at it. The findings will be presented to council at its next meeting
scheduled for September 28," he said.
De Villiers admitted one of the biggest challenges facing the
institution was the lack of diversity among its lecturing personnel.
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