Pretoria - The South African Students Congress (Sasco) has vowed to ensure that all higher education institutions are transformed, whether AfriForum likes it or not.
At a media briefing on Tuesday regarding the violent race and language related protests at universities, Sasco president Thabo Moloja said they were not willing to negotiate with AfriForum because it was a racist organisation.
Mostly black students at the University of Pretoria (UP) and the University of Free State (UFS) have held protests over what they termed racist policies and the use of Afrikaans as a language of instruction. At UP, 14 students were arrested at the weekend when black and white students clashed over the language policy.
On Tuesday, students at UFS vandalised and set alight the statue of apartheid-era president CR Swart.
The removal of the statue came after a Varsity Cup match between UFS and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University was called off on Monday night after protesters disrupted it. Fights broke out when spectators ran to confront protesters.
On Tuesday, the university announced that the campus would be closed until Wednesday.
While other student formations were calling for the scrapping of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, AfriForum has been stressing that the language needed to be protected.
Moloja said on Tuesday: “We don’t plan to meet them. AfriForum is masquerading as a civic organisation, but it’s not. AfriForum was created to protect white privileges and apartheid policies. Transformation will happen at the University of Pretoria whether AfriForum likes it or not.”
Moloja said the recent protests were different from last year’s #FeesMustFall. “#FeesMustFall was about financial exclusion experienced mostly by black and working class students. Change of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction touches on Afrikaans privileges (which is) what AfriForum stands for.
“White students need to understand that this is not a battle against Afrikaans. Until such a time that those who have been comfortable with privilege recognise that it is wrong to sit there and benefit unduly, then we will be never be liberated.”
AfriForum Youth national spokesman Ian Cameron said:”AfriForum Youth can no longer watch while certain student groups wage their racist war full of hate speech against us, while threatening the safety of other students.
“The EFF’s attacks on Afrikaans students should be stopped. If this does not happen and the university is not able to prevent this violence, AfriForum Youth will continue to mobilise and protect students. The university can start the process by suspending violent EFF members and not allow any demonstrations on campus.”
Solidarity also entered the fray on Tuesday, saying they have told their 1 000 members not to report for duty at UP until the institution could guarantee their safety.
Pretoria News