UP language process a smokescreen for an English-only language policy

24 May 2016

If Tuks students, personnel and alumni won’t stand up now, the days of Afrikaans at Tuks are numbered.

These are the words of AfriForum Tuks after the organisation withdrew from the University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) language policy workgroup. According to Henrico Barnard, Spokesperson for AfriForum Tuks, the organisation had no other choice but to distance itself from the stealthy activities of this workgroup. This follows after a provisional proposal by the language policy workgroup has been circulated that advocates an English-only language policy (see attached).

After the EFF and DA had withdrawn from the language policy workgroup, AfriForum Tuks tried in vain to influence the process positively. “We worked hard to find a solution through which all students could be accommodated, but our rights and needs are not taken into consideration at all. There are now no registered student organisation who is part of the language policy workgroup,” said Barnard. 

The composition of the language policy work group has been a problem right from the start. It does not represent the broad campus community, but was hijacked by the Law Lecturer Prof.  Danie Brand, as well as Quraysha Ismail-Sooliman, Ulrike Kistner, Helen Inglis and Nisha Pillikar. They are part of the UP’s Academics for Change (UPAC).

Barnard said that, in the meetings of the language policy work group, students were exposed to the above people’s intolerance and bouts of anger when Afrikaans was being discussed. UPAC is an informal organisation that played a key role in the destabilisation of the Tuks campus earlier the year. UPAC enjoys the sympathy of various members of UP Management. “Every time that we try to bring these problems to Prof. Anton Kock’s attention, we are simply pushed over,” said Barnard.

With more than 13 000 students, the Afrikaans student community is the largest single language group at Tuks. Despite this fact, the work group rejects the pro-multilingual opinions as minority opinions in favour of an English-only language policy. The UP is therefore busy depriving students of their constitutional rights.

AfriForum Tuks is worried that that UP Management does not play open cards with students. During the February discussions that AfriForum and the ANC had with the Rector, Prof. Cheryl de La Rey, and the Registrar, Prof. Niek Grove, it was agreed that the positions of Afrikaans and Sepedi would be safe at UP. However, UP Management has it on record that they’d rather prefer an English language policy for fear of violence. Violence therefore now dictates UP’s management decisions.

“UP is not interested in a fair language process. The current exercise is a half-hearted attempt to obtain the buy-in for the demands of violent groups. This management practice has indeed resulted in the climate of violence created in February. With the new intuition fee increase to be discussed soon, Prof. de la Rey’s capitulation in terms of the language issue will give impetus to a renewed #FeesMustFall campaign,” said Marthinus Jacobs, Chairperson of AfriForum Tuks.

AfriForum Youth will submit a memorandum to the University in which our language policy recommendations are included. In the meantime, AfriForum has already instructed its legal team to investigate the legitimacy of the language policy process.

Issued by Henrico Barnard, Tukss Spokesperson, AfriForum Youth, 24 May 2016