Investigating Piet le Roux is a monumental disgrace

The inexplicable furore which has erupted around Piet Le Roux’s seemingly level head should be a clarion call to all South Africans who value the founding principles of our liberal democratic constitution. It also speaks to one’s instinctive sense for justice and fair-play.

Piet le Roux has committed none of the various crimes that our absent Minister of Police and inept Police Commissioner are unable to curtail, as illustrated by their release of the latest, rising crime statistics. Yet, the Stellenbosch University (SU) Council has appointed a five-person (no less) committee to investigate Le Roux in the wake of his utterances regarding transformation!

Let us look at Le Roux’s ‘charge sheet’.

Le Roux, a council member of SU, tweeted to the effect that National Education Minister Blade Nzimande’s ‘transformania’ agenda will not succeed, and that people should support some or other Afrikaans language cause.

This unleashed a vitriol of condemnation from all the usual suspects, amongst others a statement from Nzimande’s office that Le Roux should be investigated. And, lo and behold, what does SU do? They duly listened to the master’s voice and launched an investigation! Into what? The mind boggles…

Meanwhile, Le Roux has ‘explained’ his tweet, saying that transformation comes in many guises and that the debate around transformation can only be conducted sensibly and rationally on the basis of a consensual understanding about the meaning of the concept. This is entirely reasonable, and precisely the kind of approach one would expect from an institution of higher learning.

Secondly, Le Roux has expressed a degree of scepticism around the way ‘transformation’ has been dealt with thus far in this country. Again, no surprises here…’transformation’ has indeed in many instances become the very transparent ideological tool whereby ‘state capture’ and complete allegiance/loyalty to Luthuli House is directed. More importantly, Le Roux has called for an open discussion around ‘transformation’, for a bit of intellectual sparring, if you like. He wants universities, and the government, and civil society, and all other stakeholders to engage the topic in a rational and accountable manner. Apparently this must be avoided at all costs, if one reads between the lines.

Le Roux’s cheeky tweet has inadvertently opened up the very important debate around the meaning and application of transformation. The fact that SU has published several documents dealing with this very same topic without giving the concept proper meaning and context is in itself highly regrettable. And the fact that Le Roux is now the subject of an official university investigation because he is precisely trying to do just that, is bizarre to say the least. It smacks of intimidation and is an ill-disguised effort at silencing any would-be critics contemplating uttering similar sentiments.

It is simply un-academic, anti-intellectual, and in the best tradition of Apartheid-era tactics to stifle opposition. When I was a student at SU much was made of the need for the ‘oop gesprek’ , especially within the context of the university as an institution where no topic should be taboo, and where all views are encouraged and accommodated. Then, as now, the government of the day did not like the notion of the ‘oop gesprek’ one bit. Then, as now, the university authorities of the day obliged the government!

Make no mistake, Le Roux has done everybody a huge favour, except of course for the functionaries of ‘democratic centralism’ and the spineless university administrators trying to ingratiate themselves with the architects of the ‘national democratic revolution’.

Anybody at tertiary level who is vaguely interested in maintaining a semblance of academic autonomy should take an unambiguous stand against the bullying tactics of the ruling party’s gauleiters. And anybody in civil society who is vaguely interested in saving some small vestiges of intellectual freedom should voice their concerted opposition to the Jacobin way in which both the ANC government and the SU authorities have descended upon Le Roux for expressing a view which they do not like.

Perhaps the learned Rector of SU, and his coterie of advisers, should get a copy of Karl Popper’s ‘The Open Society and Its Enemies’. There they will find guidance as to how to proceed with facilitating institutional improvements without violence and intimidation, and within the context of guaranteeing everybody’s liberal democratic rights. If not, they may eventually find themselves amongst the ranks of those who threaten our freedoms and the very existence of the open society.

Max Price has already failed the test miserably at UCT. He caved in to thugs, and allowed the crazies to take over the asylum. What will Wim de Villiers do? Has he learned anything from Price? So far the evidence is not encouraging.

Nicholas Myburgh, a law graduate from SU, is the Executive Mayor of Swellendam Municipality. He writes in his personal capacity.