well said Azania! On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 3:51 AM, Azania Matiwane <[email protected]>wrote:
> > On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 11:28 AM, Azania Matiwane < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> University of Free State (UFS) is renowned because of the infamous racism >> video <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4jq_sucA34> of white students, >> known as the Rietz 4 that forced the black workers to eat dog food that they >> urinated and farted on. This was a classic act of racism within the premises >> of higher education institution and this acts continues to characterise the >> UFS as an institution where racism is entrenched and embedded within the >> culture of the institution. I must say upfront that I have been one of those >> that supported Professor Jonathan Jansen on his quest to dealing with the >> issue of racism within the institution head on, knowing well how this was to >> be a challenge for him as a first black Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the >> institution. It should be said that Prof Jansen navigated the tide with care >> and skill due to the sensitivity of the matter of racism in South Africa, >> against the backdrop of atrocities suffered by the majority in the apartheid >> past of the country. >> >> >> >> However, throughout all reporting of this incident of these students, one >> cannot ignore the seemingly sexiness that’s being portrayed in various >> reports in various media houses. This leading to some sexy names like, >> “Rietz 4” which is taken from the name of the student residence where the >> incident happened, and the number of the racist students on the video. The >> thing is about racism, it hurts the recipient deeper than the naked eye can >> see. It undermines the self worthiness of an individual who is subject to >> such a racist practice, it causes an untold emotional harm that no one can >> realise except the recipient and casts self doubt. Recently, the UFS has >> launched an International Institute of Studies in Race, Reconciliation and >> Social >> Justice<http://mg.co.za/article/2011-02-04-take-the-baton-from-tutu>as its >> effort to address its long history of racial discrimination, this >> event being presided upon by the respectable Nobel Laureate Archbishop >> Desmond Tutu. >> >> >> >> All these efforts are yet again being undermined by four things, one, the >> UFS banning of the student political organisations within the university, >> two, the disbandment of the Student Representative Council (SRC) that was >> duly elected through internal constitutional means, the third, the statement >> by the AfriForum Youth (an Afrikaner youth formation), that they would not >> participate in SRC elections set in August 2011 if the South African Student >> Congress (SASCO) did not participate and the demand by the Rietz 4 for R1 >> million to tell the >> story<http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Reitz-4-want-R1m-to-talk-20110227>. >> >> >> >> >> There’s everything wrong with the above scenario, first, students >> political organisations are an embodiment of social, political and religious >> belief systems which students embrace and chose to associate themselves. >> This means therefore, these student bodies are the hub of student exuberance >> and contribute to honing of student intelligentsia for future society >> benefit. Prof Jansen on the opening of the Institute had said, “The >> university will become a place that exemplifies the scholarship and practice >> of reconciliation, forgiveness and social justice...... scholars and >> students from around the world will descend on the institution to study and >> understand the theory and practice of building a community across the >> divides of race but also religion, gender, disability and ability, national >> origins and .. sexual identity.” The learned Prof could not have said it >> better, however, his muzzling of the student organisation on the institution >> pissed on the face of such bold commitments. Moreover, institutions of >> higher learning are supposed to provide space to students to pursue their >> intellectual summits and encouraging social cohesion, absence of this could >> mean building the next generation of apolitical workers. This cannot be >> acceptable in the South African society which continues to have significant >> levels of inequalities. In SA workers need to be very conscious of the >> political state and context of their struggles and therefore >> de-politicisation of students means direct assault to the working class >> present and future struggles, which Prof Jansen also forms part. >> >> >> >> The disbandment of duly constituted SRC and replacement with management >> appointed caretakers, this couldn’t have happened at the wrong time in >> Africa more specifically, with so many uprisings against self imposed >> leaderships in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Iran, etc. These examples might be on >> a macro scale, however stock needs to be taken in that, these regimes >> were/are not enjoying support from the people that they claim to represent >> and hence the uprisings. Prof Jansen should therefore be understanding this >> better, that the June 16, 1976 was as a results of a culmination of forced >> medium of instruction, Afrikaans, above all political contestations. All in >> all, the anatomy of imposition of one’s views to the other has been proved >> beyond doubt that it’s an enigma to problem solving and is >> unsustainable. This couldn’t have happened in the worst place, the higher >> education institution, where core values of society that would continue to >> influence nations are supposed to be crafted, it should be expected that >> this generation of students would in future presume correctness of removal >> democratically elected authority through undemocratic means, this is not a >> catastrophic example to the momentum gained by democracy in the world but >> worse for Africa. >> >> >> >> The resounding endorsement of banning of student political organisations >> by the AfriForum Youth is rather suspicious that, perhaps all these >> activities are part of a coordinated effort to depoliticise the students of >> UFS and furthermore marginalise the voice of those that continue to be >> subject to acts of racism within the institution. >> >> >> >> Lastly, the demand by the Reitz 4 for R1million in order for them to tell >> the story of how they urinated and farted on dog food and gave it to the >> black workers to eat is not only blasphemous to the reconciliation process >> and the launch of the institute, its literally urine to the faces of all >> those that believed these racist video former students have changed and are >> remorseful. It proves further the incorrectness of the crass materialism, >> that these idiots believe that even through the worst case of racism act, >> there is an opportunity to amass wealth at the expense of black workers >> dignity. The workers cannot therefore sit on the sidelines and watch while >> their own are being subject to impunity, malign and humiliation. They should >> speak out against the anatomy of muzzling debate and its enigma to solving >> problems like >> ANC<http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=223369&sn=Marketingweb+detail>, >> Cosatu<http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=223366&sn=Marketingweb+detail>and >> Trevor >> Manuel<http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/trevor-manuel-s-open-letter-to-jimmy-manyi-1.1034606>has >> done against the racist comments by one Jimmy >> Manyi on coloured >> people<http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=223040&sn=Marketingweb+detail>, >> which saw him >> apologise<http://www.timeslive.co.za/Politics/article937985.ece/Blast-from-ANC-led-to-Manyi-apology>. >> Racism needs not be tolerated in all its manifestations irrespective of >> which race grouping that subjects the other to such a heinous atrocities, >> it needs to be rebuked in strongest terms it deserves. >> >> Mr Azania Matiwane >> Blog: >> http://blogs.fin24.com/Azaniam/anatomy-of-muzzling-debate-and-its-enigma-to-solving-problems >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > > -- > 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] .
