University vice-chancellors are vigorously debating racism on campuses after University of Limpopo vice-chancellor Mahlo Mokgalong urged his 22 counterparts to acknowledge that the practice exists at all institutions of higher learning.
In an email, Mokgalong accused his colleagues of not being ”honest with and among ourselves” on racial matters in higher education.
This comes amid a flurry of activity to tackle transformation on campuses with both Higher Education South Africa (Hesa) and Education Minister Naledi Pandor this week setting up special committees to investigate the issue.
Vice-chancellors from the country’s 23 public higher education institutions met on Tuesday to discuss a collective approach to deal with racism.
Convened under the auspices of Hesa, the meeting focused on a task team to investigate racial tensions.
”In the longer term the working group will also advise the Hesa board on mechanisms to monitor and promote good relations on our campuses,” said Hesa chief executive Duma Malaza.
These events follow the outcry against a racist video produced by four University of Free State (UFS) students from the Reitz men’s hostel. The video depicts five elderly black workers duped into eating food that had been urinated on. The students are facing criminal charges and government has proposed that Reitz be closed and turned into a centre for transformation, unity and reconciliation.
Chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee, Shepherd Mayatula, said that after meeting with university management, students and staff bodies in Bloemfontein on Monday March 17, ”It is clear that divisions over Reitz still exist.”
Mayatula proposed that Reitz be closed as a residence. He said the implementation of the university’s residence integration policy this year was a giant leap for the university, but felt that management needed to fast-track the process to avoid a repetition of incidents such as the racist video.
Meanwhile, Pandor announced this week at a meeting with university council chairpersons that a commission on ”progress towards transformation, social cohesion and elimination of discrimination” in public higher learning institutions was being established.
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