EFF statement on the judiciary pronouncement on Afrikaans at UNISA

24 September 2021

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) rejects with the contempt it deserves, the Constitutional Court judgement restoring Afrikaans as a dual medium of instruction at the University of South Africa (UNISA).

This judgement has huge implications to the 2016 similar decision by University of Pretoria on dropping Afrikaans. Moreover, the Court has ignored that there is linkage between race and language in the context of the country's history. Language is our heritage and is at the centre of identity and history — and as such, if Afrikaans is restored as a dual medium of instruction at UNISA, so should all South Africa universities introduce African languages as official languages of instruction including Swahili.

The selective choice of Afrikaans as a superior language perpetuates superiority over indigenous languages, and is an insult to the standing of Africans and their heritage of rich languages.

In the grace period to 2023 determined by the court, we call on UNISA to retrace its steps correctly and with lawful and procedural precision, do away with the 1976 language of national oppression, racial segregation, exclusion and supremacy.

Issued by Leigh-Ann Mathys, Elections Spokesperson, EFF, 25 September 2021