Thanks for posting the article Cde Gugu. It will be worthwhile to monitor the situation since it is also part of TRC History files. Personally as former student activist during the era of Mr Mangope , I am disappointed and concern with the students views and NWU decision. Beyond consultation within the campus , also the surrounding communities and former students ought to be consulted when such project are initiated, lest we repeat the error of honouring the former agents of bantustan. The editorial of sowetan captured this issues clearly that: 'IT SEEMS there is a dearth of credible heroes and heroines in South Africa. The University of North West, in celebrating its 30th anniversary next month, will unveil a bust of Lucas Mangope.The erstwhile despot once (mis)ruled, with an iron fist nogal, an apartheid-created, nominally independent Bophuthatswana until democracy toppled him 16 years ago.Mangope, who will also deliver a lecture, will have the university's oldest residential block named after him. It is a monumental shame for the management of the institution to try to resuscitate the long-forgotten Mangope back to life.The likes of Mangope brought untold misery to freedom-loving South Africans, many of whom died for a united South Africa.Leave Mangope just where he belongs - in the dustbin of history' Given
Johannesburg - A controversial decision to name a North West University (NWU) campus residence after former homeland president Lucas Mangope came from a broad student community, the University said on Thursday. Spokesperson Louis Jacobs said the students suggested renaming the Lost City residence after Mangope, during a consultative process aimed at personalised names of campus residences in 2008. "The suggested name received for the Lost City residence was Lucas Mangope, with the motivation that he was the founder of the former University of Bophuthatswana." He said the students also requested that a statue be erected on campus to honour his contributions to this University. He explained that the campus residence committee, comprising representatives from campus management, student affairs, managers and wardens approved the names and motivations in June 2009, and recommended that the campus executive committee approve it. The campus executive committee met in July 2009, accepted the suggested names in principle and requested that the suggestion required communication and consultation to afford students further opportunity to give input. "Ensuing from this resolution, the residence counsellor of the (2009/2010) campus SRC communicated the proposed name for the previously named Lost City residence to the students residing in that residence to determine if there were any objections. No objections were received," he said. Barbaric act Mangope, 87, is expected to deliver a keynote lecture on October 8, when the University would name the Lost City residence after him and also unveil his statue. The ANC in the North West said it was shocked about the unveiling of the statue and called on Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande to intervene to stop the unveiling of a statue of "Bantustan tyrant" "As the ANC we strongly condemn this act as a betrayal of the struggle of our people who were subjected to torture, terror and murder by Lucas Mangope and his regime," said ANC North West co-ordinator Saki Mofokeng. The ANC will be mobilising its members to demonstrate their rejection of "this backward move" by the university on that date, he said. "It is our view that the role of the university is to contribute towards the healing of our nation and this gesture can only open wounds of the multitudes of our people who suffered under Mangope’s oppressive rule," Mofokeng said. He added that attempts in the past few weeks to engage with university in this regard have failed. "We therefore call on our people and stakeholders to show their contempt and their resolve to distance themselves from this barbaric act... we further call on all progressive forces, including our alliance partners and youth formations to take a stand on this matter." Police brutality Mangope became president of Bophuthatswana, one of many independent black homelands which only apartheid South Africa recognised. He had been accused of using police brutality to suppress protest. In 1988 he was reinstated by the apartheid government following a failed coup led by Rocky Malebana-Metsing, leader of the People Progressive Party (PPP). In 1993 in the build up to the first non-racial elections in South Africa in 1994, Mangope made it clear that Bophuthatswana would remain independent of the new and integrated South Africa and that he would not allow the upcoming elections to take place in "his country". Mangope was removed from office by South African Foreign Minister Pik Botha and Transitional Executive Council (TEC) member Mac Maharaj in March, 1994. His statue at the Ga-Rona government complex was removed soon after the new administration under Popo Molefe took over. He is the current leader of the United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP), a minor political party based in the North West province. - SAPA -- Gugu Ndima +27 76 783 1516 -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
