Maties academics, staff support English plan
Cape Town - A group of more than 220 academics and professional support services staff at Stellenbosch University have come out in support of the proposal to have English as the primary language of instruction at the institution.
"The choice of English as the primary language of instruction with augmented support for Afrikaans and IsiXhosa is based on the principles of social justice and inclusivity," they said in a statement.
"This decision will provide the university the opportunity to become a truly South African university that is open and accessible to all our country’s students and staff as well as from other parts of Africa and beyond."
The statement, which bore 226 names, said there was concern about talks of backlash to the proposals.
"This backlash effectively celebrates the ‘exclusivity’ of Afrikaans and closes the door on the university’s ability to embrace different people from a wide range of cultures and language groups.