The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is on Friday to host “a racism dialogue” at the University of the Free State (UFS)‚ which has been the subject to two apparent race incidents this week.
The intention of the dialogue is to “contribute to developing a more comprehensive understanding of the manner in which racism manifests in the Free State province and provide guidelines on how to respond to it in the advancement of substantive equality”.
“…It is timely to examine race relations in the Free State province‚ the promise held by the Equality Courts and the spike in a number of race-related complaints lodged with the SAHRC‚” it said in a statement.
“Additionally‚ due to a number of incidents of race-related statements communicated via social media in early 2016‚ race relations continue to be an area of significant contention‚ which has resulted in spontaneous media driven conversations about race.”
The dialogue is being held in partnership with the Institute for Reconciliation at UFS‚ which this week drew the ire of the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Free State which condemned the behaviour of white students who allegedly poured urine over a black security guard on campus.
The university launched an investigation and the students are facing a disciplinary hearing.
“We share the pain‚ humiliation and embarrassment which the poor worker may have felt when this incident took place. We condemn these white barbarians and bigots‚ who have attacked and humiliated this worker in such a sordid fashion‚” Cosatu said in a statement.
Almost 10 years ago‚ the university was plunged into controversy when a video emerged showing white students humiliating black university cleaners by forcing them to consume food and drinks thought to be tainted with urine.
Cosatu also called for an urgent intervention following an incident at UFS in which Afrikaans-speaking students were given a question paper with answers during a test on Tuesday.
“Cosatu Free State has learned with horror the news that some students were discovered having two sets of audit module question papers at the University of the Free State. What is outlandish and unacceptable is the fact that the Afrikaans paper had answers and the English version did not have answers‚” the union said.
UFS spokesperson Lacea Loader described the incident as a mistake on the part of the lecturer involved‚ but added that‚ “nonetheless‚ the university management has decided on a disciplinary process involving the lecturer concerned given the seriousness of what happened”. – TMG Digital
SAHRC wants to know how 'racism manifests in the Free State’
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is on Friday to host “a racism dialogue” at the University of the Free State (UFS)‚ which has been the subject to two apparent race incidents this week.
The intention of the dialogue is to “contribute to developing a more comprehensive understanding of the manner in which racism manifests in the Free State province and provide guidelines on how to respond to it in the advancement of substantive equality”.
“…It is timely to examine race relations in the Free State province‚ the promise held by the Equality Courts and the spike in a number of race-related complaints lodged with the SAHRC‚” it said in a statement.
“Additionally‚ due to a number of incidents of race-related statements communicated via social media in early 2016‚ race relations continue to be an area of significant contention‚ which has resulted in spontaneous media driven conversations about race.”
The dialogue is being held in partnership with the Institute for Reconciliation at UFS‚ which this week drew the ire of the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Free State which condemned the behaviour of white students who allegedly poured urine over a black security guard on campus.
The university launched an investigation and the students are facing a disciplinary hearing.
“We share the pain‚ humiliation and embarrassment which the poor worker may have felt when this incident took place. We condemn these white barbarians and bigots‚ who have attacked and humiliated this worker in such a sordid fashion‚” Cosatu said in a statement.
Almost 10 years ago‚ the university was plunged into controversy when a video emerged showing white students humiliating black university cleaners by forcing them to consume food and drinks thought to be tainted with urine.
Cosatu also called for an urgent intervention following an incident at UFS in which Afrikaans-speaking students were given a question paper with answers during a test on Tuesday.
“Cosatu Free State has learned with horror the news that some students were discovered having two sets of audit module question papers at the University of the Free State. What is outlandish and unacceptable is the fact that the Afrikaans paper had answers and the English version did not have answers‚” the union said.
UFS spokesperson Lacea Loader described the incident as a mistake on the part of the lecturer involved‚ but added that‚ “nonetheless‚ the university management has decided on a disciplinary process involving the lecturer concerned given the seriousness of what happened”. – TMG Digital
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