IT WAS almost a foregone conclusion that the University of Cape Town and Dr Paul Ngobeni will soon part ways. Why? Blacks stating their opinions risk losing the approval of whites.

IT WAS almost a foregone conclusion that the University of Cape Town and Dr Paul Ngobeni will soon part ways. Why? Blacks stating their opinions risk losing the approval of whites.

Professor Sipho Seepe summed it up in his recent article that blacks whose views coincide with those held by a majority of whites are said to be independent.

Condemnation awaits those who dare to display any intellectual agency outside the script. Wits University hounded Prof Malegapuru Makgoba for daring to introduce the topic of Africanisation. Prof Mahmood Mamdani received similar treatment at the University of Cape Town.

Now it is Ngobeni's turn.

Julius Malema articulated similar sentiments recently when he visited Western Cape. There have been similar complaints from black academics and black students in Western Cape.

The legal fraternity, and in particular the law faculty at the institution, should be probed.

We need only to look at the anti-government rhetoric from Prof HughCorder, Richard Calland and the recently appointed Pierre de Vos in the faculty and the links with the likes of Paul Hoffman.

This is the bunch that has publicly declared that they hate Judge John Hlophe; that President Zuma is constitutionally idiotic; and that the ANC government will take this country to the precipice.

They have basically abrogated the role of political opposition to themselves.

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande should sort out UCT and in particular review the workings and the transformation of the law faculty.

Ngobeni concludes by saying law seems to be the only area where the conservative whites can exert influence, and they seem to be doing it with impunity. I cannot agree more.

Patrick Rampai, Klerksdorp