ANC: UFS council too white

2009-11-11 22:06

Bloemfontein - The ANC and its alliance partners demanded the disbanding of the University of the Free State's council during a protest march to the institution on Wednesday.

In a memorandum addressed to the Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, the group asked for the immediate disbanding of the council and for its new composition to reflect a transformed and democratic institution.

The group said there were only seven black people on the council of 30 members. The protesters also accused the UFS of ignoring affirmative action principles.

"The staff profile in all faculties, especially senior positions, also manifests the institution's intention to keep itself as a 'whites only' institution," the document reads.

The group also want the UFS to "wipe out the apartheid ghost" on campus and to rename streets and buildings which still have names of apartheid leaders.

The process of renaming should also be linked to the "Racism Truth and Reconciliation" process the university should initiate under the leadership of the Human Rights Commission.

The Free State ANC recently said the party fully backed a transformation process decided on during a meeting between UFS rector Jonathan Jansen and the ANC Youth League.

Jansen drew severe criticism recently when he announced that four former students of the Reitz men's residence, who landed the institution in a race row in 2008, would be allowed to continue studying if they wished.

The former students currently face charges of crimen injuria in court.

Their case was postponed to February 24 2010.
 

- SAPA