Professor Jonathan Jansen perpetuated “white supremacy and anti-black racism” and there are hopes that his departure will “pave a way for the eradication of the narrow institutional culture” at the University of the Free State (UFS).
The Higher Education Transformation Network (HETN) on Tuesday said it “welcomes” the news Jonathan Jansen will step down as vice-chancellor and rector to take up an invitation as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University in the USA in September 2016.
The HETN’s Hendrick Makaneta said Jansen had “failed black students and staff at the university by focusing his energy on manufacturing fake race relations at the expense of the fight against racism and abuse of human rights”.
“We are equally disappointed in him because he failed to transform UFS into a racially and culturally inclusive university‚ in line with the new dispensation‚ thus perpetuating white supremacy and anti-black racism on campus‚” he added.
“Despite misguided attempts to portray him differently‚ Prof Jansen will go down in history as one of the most conservative university managers in the 21st century.”
Makaneta highlighted “the manner in which Prof Jansen handled the racism case of the Reitz 4”‚ in which white students recorded the humiliation of five black workers by feeding them urine-laced food in 2007.
He said that “although the Reitz 4 were finally found guilty by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court in July 2010‚ Prof Jansen in his capacity as the vice-chancellor had long decided to withdraw all charges against them when he took over in 2009‚ an action that angered many South Africans”.
Makaneta said it appeared “his new US employers…have seen his true colours” as will “occupy a significantly lower position (a demotion) after his tenure as VC at UFS”‚ as a fellow is equivalent to that of a senior lecturer.
“The HETN hopes that the departure of Prof Jansen will pave a way for the eradication of the narrow institutional culture which exists at UFS. We trust that the new VC will embrace a broader and inclusive national culture instead.”
Departing VC Jansen perpetuated ‘white supremacy’ at UFS
The Higher Education Transformation Network (HETN) on Tuesday said it “welcomes” the news Jonathan Jansen will step down as vice-chancellor and rector to take up an invitation as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University in the USA in September 2016.
The HETN’s Hendrick Makaneta said Jansen had “failed black students and staff at the university by focusing his energy on manufacturing fake race relations at the expense of the fight against racism and abuse of human rights”.
“We are equally disappointed in him because he failed to transform UFS into a racially and culturally inclusive university‚ in line with the new dispensation‚ thus perpetuating white supremacy and anti-black racism on campus‚” he added.
“Despite misguided attempts to portray him differently‚ Prof Jansen will go down in history as one of the most conservative university managers in the 21st century.”
Makaneta highlighted “the manner in which Prof Jansen handled the racism case of the Reitz 4”‚ in which white students recorded the humiliation of five black workers by feeding them urine-laced food in 2007.
He said that “although the Reitz 4 were finally found guilty by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court in July 2010‚ Prof Jansen in his capacity as the vice-chancellor had long decided to withdraw all charges against them when he took over in 2009‚ an action that angered many South Africans”.
Makaneta said it appeared “his new US employers…have seen his true colours” as will “occupy a significantly lower position (a demotion) after his tenure as VC at UFS”‚ as a fellow is equivalent to that of a senior lecturer.
“The HETN hopes that the departure of Prof Jansen will pave a way for the eradication of the narrow institutional culture which exists at UFS. We trust that the new VC will embrace a broader and inclusive national culture instead.”
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