Pretoria - The fight to retain Afrikaans as a language of learning at both Unisa and the University of Pretoria is still on.
This is according to lobby group AfriForum who on Tuesday launched a second urgent application to provisionally interdict Unisa from implementing its new English language policy.
But the high court in Pretoria did not entertain this second attempt and referred the matter to Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba to direct on the way forward.
AfriForum lawyer Werner Human on Thursday said they are waiting instructions from Judge Ledwaba as to when the matter will be heard. The court is expected to then also deal with AfriForum’s application against UP’s new language policy.
Human is hopeful to return to court soon to continue this fight.
AfriForum urgently wants the new language policies to be put on hold, as it said that this will prejudice new students who are presently enrolling for the 2017 academic year.
The lobby group is set on later asking the court to review and set aside the new language policies.
AfriForum last month lost its urgent application to temporarily halt Unisa from implementing its language policy, as the court found the matter not to be urgent. The case was simply struck from the roll before the merits of the application were argued.
The judge last month said AfriForum knew about Unisa’s language policy since March this year, but only chose to come to court a few days before the new students were due to enrol for 2017.
AfriForum is adamant that the implementation of all steps to phase out Afrikaans as a language of learning and tuition should be halted, until the court at a later stage reviewed the language policy, with a view of setting it aside.
While UP said it would phase out Afrikaans at its university, Unisa made it clear that English is now the only language on offer.
Pretoria News