The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) said it was looking at establishing committees to “fight racism” across South African universities.
The response is in the wake of a storm at the University of Stellenbosch after the release of a tell-all documentary titled Luister (listen).
The documentary was organised by students’ rights group Open Stellenbosch (OS) and tells the stories of 32 students recounting instances of racial prejudice and enormous challenges due to the use of Afrikaans as a language of teaching at the institution.
It also relays the story of a white lecturer who says she has felt sidelined at the institution for her stance against racism on campus.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, DHET spokesman Khaye Nkwanyana said universities were symbolic institutions that should be championing democracy in the country.
“I was alerted to the video footage on Sunday by the parent of one of the learners who participated in the documentary. We are going to monitor the situation quite closely and deal with it as it arises.
“Last year we gazetted a social cohesion policy in universities to fight racism and enforce social cohesion amongst students, staff and senior academics in these institutions.”
The release of the documentary on YouTube caused a frenzy on social media.
An East London father contacted the Dispatch, concerned about his son who had been accepted to study at the university next year.
The boy is a Grade 12 pupil at Port Rex High School.
“My son is now worried, He is a good kid. After seeing that documentary, he no longer wants to study there. I want to know what the government is doing to fix this problem,” the father said.
In the documentary, black students spoke of how racism spilled over from classes to restaurants, night clubs and student residential areas.
An unidentified lecturer on the video said her employer had classified her as “high risk” after she went around the university putting up stickers stating “racists are not welcomed here”.
One student objected to being taught in Afrikaans.
“I cannot, after 23 years of freedom, be in a space where I am fighting to simply go to a class, that I pay for like any other student, and understand what is being said in class,” he said.
A spokesman for the university, Martin Viljoen, said: “The video touches on several important issues that affect students at the university.”
He said management was not indifferent towards these issues and that such challenges were receiving attention on various levels and in high-level discussions with groups and individuals on campus.
OS spokesman Majaletje Mathume said the documentary had reached a wide audience.
“We were tired of writing articles, petitions and commenting about the issue on social media,” Mathume said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
VIDEO: Racism fight at SA varsities intensifies
The response is in the wake of a storm at the University of Stellenbosch after the release of a tell-all documentary titled Luister (listen).
The documentary was organised by students’ rights group Open Stellenbosch (OS) and tells the stories of 32 students recounting instances of racial prejudice and enormous challenges due to the use of Afrikaans as a language of teaching at the institution.
It also relays the story of a white lecturer who says she has felt sidelined at the institution for her stance against racism on campus.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, DHET spokesman Khaye Nkwanyana said universities were symbolic institutions that should be championing democracy in the country.
“I was alerted to the video footage on Sunday by the parent of one of the learners who participated in the documentary. We are going to monitor the situation quite closely and deal with it as it arises.
“Last year we gazetted a social cohesion policy in universities to fight racism and enforce social cohesion amongst students, staff and senior academics in these institutions.”
The release of the documentary on YouTube caused a frenzy on social media.
An East London father contacted the Dispatch, concerned about his son who had been accepted to study at the university next year.
The boy is a Grade 12 pupil at Port Rex High School.
“My son is now worried, He is a good kid. After seeing that documentary, he no longer wants to study there. I want to know what the government is doing to fix this problem,” the father said.
In the documentary, black students spoke of how racism spilled over from classes to restaurants, night clubs and student residential areas.
An unidentified lecturer on the video said her employer had classified her as “high risk” after she went around the university putting up stickers stating “racists are not welcomed here”.
One student objected to being taught in Afrikaans.
“I cannot, after 23 years of freedom, be in a space where I am fighting to simply go to a class, that I pay for like any other student, and understand what is being said in class,” he said.
A spokesman for the university, Martin Viljoen, said: “The video touches on several important issues that affect students at the university.”
He said management was not indifferent towards these issues and that such challenges were receiving attention on various levels and in high-level discussions with groups and individuals on campus.
OS spokesman Majaletje Mathume said the documentary had reached a wide audience.
“We were tired of writing articles, petitions and commenting about the issue on social media,” Mathume said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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