EFF to shut down UP over Afrikaans
The EFF Student Command at the
University of Pretoria (UP) said it will shut down the campus on Friday.
This follows a language policy consultation meeting between University Management and Student Organisations on Thursday.
EFF UP chairperson Kabelo Mahlobogwane said they will no longer negotiate the language policy.
“Afrikaans perpetuates white arrogance and white supremacy. Afrikaans speaking students receive better study materials than students in English speaking classes”, he said.
Mahlobogwane added Afrikaans has become the culture of the University, where students who live in the residences are forced to refer to people as ‘Oom’ or ‘Mevrou’.
AfriForum Youth at UP said the University should not do away with Afrikaans.
AfriForum’s UP Coordinator, Jaco Grobler, said the University should rather develop South African languages, like Sepedi, instead of making it an English University.
“Studies show that it is so much better to learn in your mother tongue and that is our argument around this language policy”, he said.
UP released a statement
stating it has not received any formal notification of a protest.
The University says normal security measures will be in place and any damage to property, violence or disruption of classes will not be tolerated.
Trade Union Solidarity has warned it will take legal action if the EFF proceeds with its planned protest.
Edited by Sune du Toit