Cape Town - Stellenbosch University could face a call to dissolve its council if the university does not respond to the student activists’ request for a meeting to address transformation issues.
This week, a large number of tertiary institutions were protesting against the slow pace of transformation and the protest at the Elsenburg turned violent.
On Wednesday, the provincial Department of Agriculture secured a high court interdict to prevent violent protests and disruption of college activities.
Open Stellenbosch (OS) has given the university until Friday to respond with a date for an emergency meeting with council.
Hundreds of students from Stellenbosch, UCT and UWC marched through the streets of Stellenbosch on Tuesday calling for a review of the university’s language policy.
The protest occurred while SU rector and vice-chancellor Professor Wim de Villiers and his management team met the portfolio committee on higher education and training in Parliament.
The committee had called on SU management to respond to allegations of racism made in an online documentary titled ‘Luister’, which filmed 34 students and staff members’ accounts of racism on campus.
Portfolio committee chief whip Danny Kekana said: “We would like to emphasise the need for radical transformation of the university. We are going to be monitoring the implementation of these plans.
“We are also going to keep a close eye on how each reported case of racism gets dealt with.”
OS has taken issue with the university’s “safeguarding” of Afrikaans in its language policy, and listed grievances which include the council closing down the university’s Centre for Inclusivity last year.
Other concerns are that the council remains dominated by white men.
“The power of the council in shaping Stellenbosch University is made evident through the university’s failure to transform in the 21 years that have passed since the legislative end of apartheid,” OS said.
SU spokesperson Martin Viljoen said the Executive Committee of the university council met on Wednesday.
“Council will discuss the latest developments on campus and transformation at SU at a scheduled meeting in September,” Viljoen said.
The Agriculture Department sought the interdict after the EFF was accused of sjambokking Elsenburg students on Tuesday.
A full programme to ensure that lost learning time is made up will be put in place, the department said.
Agri Wes-Cape said the college had decided that all lectures would be taught in English, but after meeting with students, a decision was made to revert to the 50/50 policy.
“The sudden decision to have all classes in English was a mere effort to hide the real problem of the college’s inadequate ability to take action,” said spokesperson Jeanne Boshoff.
EFF spokesperson Bernard Joseph said the party did not condone violence, and it was important that transformation issues were addressed. He said the EFF members were provoked by other students.