North West University denies suspending student for Afrikaans speech
North West University has denied suspending a student at its Potchefstroom campus amid allegations of discrimination.
The claim follows an incident where the head of one of the residences addressed an annual dining session in Afrikaans instead of English over the weekend.
It is reported that the student said she had prepared her speech in Afrikaans because she was not expecting black students to attend the event, and that those who needed translation should come to her after the speech.
The university has four official languages, namely English, Afrikaans, Setswana, and Sesotho.
University spokesperson Louis Jacobs says the incident made students feel excluded.
"The university stance has always been that language should never be used as a way of excluding stakeholders from any event, nobody was suspended, no action has been taken by anyone and we are investigating the matter."
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus is demanding answers from Vice-Chancellor Dr Bismark Tyobeka following allegations that the student was suspended for speaking Afrikaans.
"Regarding the alleged suspension of the Primaria of the Karlien ladies' residence on the Potchefstroom campus after she gave a speech in Afrikaans at a residence dinner. If the allegations are true, the FF Plus will lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, seeing as it amounts to blatant discrimination against Afrikaans," said FF Plus Pieter Groenewald.
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