ANC Youth League supports University of Cape Town (UCT) student action against institutionalised racism
13 March 2015
The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Western Cape supports protests on the part of University of Cape Town (UCT) students against institutionalised racism at the university.
Not only do we stand in solidarity with student protests to bring an end to UCT celebrating the colonial looter and land thief, Cecil John Rhodes, but we call upon UCT to drop all charges against the students who have intensified their protests for the removal of this colonial symbol at their university.
It was in this light that the ANCYL Western Cape Provincial Chairperson Muhammad Khalid Sayed, himself a UCT graduate, addressed yesterday's open dialogue on institutionalised racism at UCT. Sayed expressed the ANCYL's view that the colonial relic of Cecil John Rhodes should be removed because it is difficult to take on the lack of transformation at institutions of higher learning when institutions continue to celebrate figures like Rhodes.
Sayed added that young black students who are seeking to liberate themselves from the legacy of colonialism through education do not need this symbol of anti-transformation and colonialism glaring at them on a daily basis. Sayed lauded the efforts of the students.
Our Chairperson indicated that Rhodes is a symbol of oppression and asked how UCT can claim to be committed to transformation when it pays daily tribute to one of the biggest beneficiaries of colonisation and undoubtedly one of the biggest thieves to have ever walked on South African soil.
Our Chairperson told students that the campaign for the removal of the Rhodes statue should herald in and stimulate a much broader and consistent campaign of solidarity between students and staff to fight for transformation in student demographics, academic staff demographics, curriculum and better learning conditions for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Sayed pointed out that UCT's resistance to this important campaign for transformation which includes the victimisation of black academics is not a crisis of the South African right wing but a crisis of liberalism which seeks to protect the status quo.
We echo Chairperson's commitment expressed yesterday that the ANCYL will take our concerns about UCT to our ANC mother body so as to ensure that the Ministry of Higher Education and Training plays a very active role in forcing transformation at UCT.
Statement issued by Marissa Van Rensburg, ANCYL Western Cape Provincial Deputy Secretary, March 13 2015
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