Hypocracy

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_2288347,00.html

ANC wants to nationalise UFS

Johannesburg - 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.

Some one thousand workers from various unions affiliated to the Congress of SA 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.

Racism

"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 and have actually nurtured the growth of racism in the institution by not dealing with racism," the memorandum read.

Other demands include that Minister of Education Naledi Pandor dismiss UFS Rector Frederick Fourie and the Dean of Student Affairs Natie Luyt.

Destroy apartheid

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 was a clear indication that racism was 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 was not only a UFS matter.

Students at other institutions grappled 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.

"IT'S TIME THAT WE HAVE A BLACK VICE-CHANCELLOR,"
now this last statement just makes me laugh, one of those ironic laughs. Here is a man that wants to destroy all racism, yet he demands a black vice-chancellor. Why a black vice-chancellor? Why not just another vice-chancellor? What if we demanded a white vice-chancellor? What exactly constitutes racism and racial prejudice if you are allowed to demand a black person hold a certain position, while just catching your breath from condemning racism?

I DEMAND a white news presenter on the Afrikaans news on SABC 1,2 and 3, thank you very much.