Nationalising the University of the Free State (UFS), ”to protect the national asset”, must start immediately, the African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance partners said on Friday.
About 1 000 workers from various unions affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) marched to the UFS in Bloemfontein to hand over the demand, contained in a memorandum on racism at the institution.
It was addressed to the Department of Education and the UFS management.
Cosatu deputy chairperson in the Free State Sibongile Makoe, in handing over the document, said the UFS management had allowed racism to ”breed” within the institution. ”It has become clear that during all these years, while basking under the glory of being a transformed university, the UFS has actually been a breeding nest for racism and racist elements.”
The march followed a video that surfaced recently showing black university workers on their knees, eating food that had apparently been urinated on. This was part of a mock initiation by white male students at the Reitz men’s residence.
Various provincial ANC leaders, members of the legislature, councillors of the Mangaung local municipality and provincial union leaders led the march to the UFS.
The protesters also demanded that the Department of Education disband the governing and management structures of the UFS.
”The governing and management structures of the UFS have turned a blind eye to the breeding [of racism] and have actually nurtured the growth of racism in the institution by not dealing with racism,” the memorandum read.
Other demands included that Minister of Education Naledi Pandor dismiss UFS rector Frederick Fourie and the dean of student affairs, Natie Luyt.
The chief of staff in the ministry, Thulani Mavuso, received the memorandum on behalf of the department.
ANC deputy chairperson in the Free State Pat Matosa told the crowd the university management should not provoke the alliance because it would not be able to ”contain” it. He said the message should be clear that ”apartheid” would be destroyed at the UFS.
”It will never rise again,” said Matosa to huge applause.
He also called on authorities to change the name of the university and the province to rid them of their colonial image.
Matosa said the protest would not lose momentum until the university ”belongs to the people”.
The provincial secretary of the South African Communist Party, Phel Parkies, said the Reitz video was no ”accident”. He said it is a clear indication that racism is still present in South Africa.
Parkies said a deadline should be set for Fourie to resign or be removed.
South African Students Congress spokesperson Biko Mathe said racism is not only a UFS matter. Students at other institutions grapple with the same problem, making it a ”South African issue”.
He also called for Fourie to resign because he was not an ”agent of change” after seven years on the job. ”It’s time that we have a black vice-chancellor,” Mathe said. — Sapa