DA welcomes SU’s apology over ban on Afrikaans
18 April 2023
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes and welcomes the public and “unequivocal” apology issued by Stellenbosch University (SU) over the ban that had been imposed on the use of Afrikaans in some residences in 2021 through a policy of “English only.”
The effect of this policy was that some newcomer students were told not to speak Afrikaans in their rooms, on campus, and even on park benches. The university’s apology follows after the DA last month won our case with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against the ban, with the Commission confirming that the ban violated the human rights of Afrikaans-speaking students to freedom of expression, language and culture, equality and human dignity.
In addition to requiring a public apology, the SAHRC recommended that additional training be provided to ensure that no student is ever prevented from speaking their language of choice, that residence leaders must be informed that no policy of “English only” may be implemented, and that the university adjust its language policy to make it explicit that no student’s language rights may be infringed upon.
The university’s apology alludes to these aspects, and the DA will closely monitor implementation, including the proposed change to the language policy which we initially suggested.