Dear Editor,
Professor Pityana is probably the most vocal Vice Chancellor in SA.
He is a respected academic and human rights activist, but I think he is sadly losing the plot.
His utterances discredit him. He has a good track record as an advocate for human rights, yet he blindly supported President Mbeki's HIV/Aids policies. Mbeki is known worldwide for being an Aids denialist. Nelson Mandela has said more than once that the problem of HIV/Aids is now a human rights issue.
He is totally against open criticism of academics and the judiciary, yet he uses every chance he gets to criticise the new ANC leadership in a very hostile manner. He says vice-chancellors and scholars don't "appreciate being called names", yet he calls Zuma a "flawed character" and labels his supporters with various names.
As an academic, Professor Pityana should know that what is acceptable to him might not be acceptable to others. The opposite is equally true. For example, when he slaughtered a bull at his official residence last year, some of his neighbours thought it was "utterly disgusting" and totally unacceptable.
Is it acceptable for a Professor and Vice-Chancellor to slaughter a bull at his residence instead of taking it to a place professionally designed for that? Like Mbeki, Professor Pityana avoids arguing based on the strength of his points, but resorts to discrediting and labeling those he disagrees with.
With all due respect, Professor Pityana should just stick to sorting out his own problems at Unisa. A student died a week or so ago at a Durban campus during a demonstration. You can't stand in a glass house and start throwing stones at others!
Lindani Gumede,
Midrand
Send a letter to the editor...
...more letters
Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
- News24
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.