AfriForum Youth sets conditions for peace: EFF hate speech must stop
23 February 2015
AfriForum Youth today set conditions for peace in the language debate at the University of Pretoria (UP). AfriForum Youth wants to ensure with these conditions that studies are resumed as soon as possible and that Afrikaans is acknowledged, respected and protected.
While skirmishes on campus are escalating, the University’s Management is complicit in these dysfunctionalities by their poor actions. AfriForum Youth is of the opinion, however, that there is a very strong possibility for calm to be restored if the following six conditions are met:
1. The University should protect and preserve Afrikaans. This means that it should maintain its decade-long undertaking to ensure that a number of core courses remain available in Afrikaans. The University should also provide sufficient support to these students and allow a healthy Afrikaans student life for Afrikaans students to prosper. This position is maintained within the context of multilingualism, and Sepedi and other African languages should therefore enjoy the same attention. If Afrikaans is to be removed, Sepedi and other African languages will also have no chance of survival.
2. The EFF’s attacks on Afrikaans students should be stopped. If this does not happen and the University is not able to prevent this violence, AfriForum Youth will continue to mobilise and protect students. The University can start the process by suspending violent EFF members and no longer allowing any demonstrations on campus.
3. The University can no longer remain closed. It is an academic institution that must ensure that students can in fact study. If the University is to cancel more classes, students will fall too far behind. The University simply cannot afford this to happen.
4. The University must launch effective programmes to help all deserving poor students with accommodation. Student who deserve to study at UP must be able to study here. Without accommodation, they are prevented this opportunity. This remains Government and the University’s responsibility, and AfriForum Youth will support any student’s right to accommodation – black and white. Deserving students who require food aid should also receive it. No student can study on an empty stomach, and it is the University’s duty to help these students.
5. There should also be ample bursaries available to allow deserving poor students to be able to study.
6. AfriForum Youth wants to see UP functioning as an Afrikaans, Sepedi and English university. The Constitution allows this, and if this right is not defended, it will have a negative impact on all other minority rights in South Africa. AfriForum Youth is sympathetic to students who suffer and have other specific needs – Afrikaans is not the enemy, however, and no campaign against Afrikaans is necessary to address these needs. On the contrary, students will realise that Afrikaans students will gladly help if they are approached for help.
AfriForum Youth can no longer watch while certain student groups wage their racist war full of hate speech against us, while threatening the safety of other students. The organisation would like to see all students study in peace – but this peace means that Afrikaans as well as other languages must also have a place on campus. It is practically possible and viable to protect Afrikaans on campus. The University has given this assurance often in the past – especially by Prof. Nick Grove.
AfriForum Youth invites all students to gather on the lawn in front of the Aula tomorrow 24 February 2016 at 12:00 for a peaceful gathering.
Ian Cameron
National Spokesperson
AfriForum Youth
Morné Mostert
Spokesperson
AfriForum Youth
Statement issued by AfriForum Youth, 23 February 2016
