AfriForum Youth establishes complaints channel with NRF
AfriForum Youth today met with senior management of the National Research Foundation, a statutory research body responsible for funding more than 8000 postgraduate students, to establish a channel to be used by students who are of the opinion that they are the victims of racial discrimination when being denied bursaries.
The NRF conceded that the dignity of minorities should be protected and that policy based on race should be phased out in future, as far as this is possible within the framework of governmental stipulations," said Charl Oberholzer, National Chairperson of AfriForum Youth.
According to Oberholzer the meeting agreed that governmental targets which measure output in terms of race remain the biggest obstacle to a truly non-racial process for awarding bursaries. "Funding was also identified as an obstacle. With more funds, every person will have the ability to embark on postgraduate studies. Currently 7 from 10 applicants are denied bursaries by die NRF due to a shortage of funds," Oberholzer said.
AfriForum Youth pointed out that race should not be used to determine to what extent an individual qualifies for empowerment, as a poor white student should be as entitled to empowerment programmes and bursaries as black students.
"This was a constructive meeting and both parties discussed the complexity of representation and redressing policies. We should not be hogtied by die solutions offered by the ANC. It is possible to propose solutions that are to the benefit of all South Africans. AfriForum Youth and the NRF agreed that education and training are the most important factors in South Africa's future," Oberholzer said.