Racial tensions mount at UP
“The university is complacent in allowing white students to mistreat black students.”
University of Pretoria (UP) EFF student command (EFFSC) has called the varsity decision to suspend its candidate for the student representative council (SRC) election racist and influenced by “a white Afrikaner lobby group”.
The disgruntled group of EFFSC members levelled the damning allegation against the institution of higher learning during its picket on Tuesday in which they also called for an end to racism on campus.
The group further demanded the university release the SRC election result with immediate effect in order for a democratically elected body to serve the students.
EFFC accused the institution of ill-treatment.
A student leader who elected to use the name Sihle Mdletshe to conceal his real identity for fear of victimisation, claimed the university has made it impossible for students to talk openly about irregularities that occur there.
His real name is known to Rekord.
“We are picketing about the racism that is happening at the institution,” Mdletshe said.
The leader accused the institution of allowing racial division to persist, adding that, on August 6, a group of white students approached a gathering of black counterparts and made “monkey sounds and used the k-word, but the institution did nothing about it because it targets the students of colour”.
“The university is complicit by allowing white students to mistreat black students.”
He alleged that black students suffered discrimination for exercising their constitutional right to run for office and participating in democratic SRC processes.
He added that the situation had worsened since the EFF SRC candidates were singled out, citing that this was happening because of pressure from “the white Afrikaner lobby group.”
The protest leader urged the institution to carry out a credible inquiry into the subject to pinpoint the root of the issue and take appropriate action.
The protesters have vowed to continue their picket until their demands are met.
AfriForum Youth announced in a statement that on August 6, it had written an urgent letter to UP in which it demanded that EFFSC be deregistered as a student society and its SRC candidate be suspended.
It also announced that it had deployed private security to protect the students who felt unsafe on campus.
“Students who feel unsafe approached AfriForum Youth for help after EFFSC boisterously tried to campaign for votes outside ladies’ dormitories until midnight.
“EFFSC members drove up and down the streets even singing ‘Kill the Boer’ over loudspeakers,” said René van der Vyver, spokesperson for AfriForum Youth.
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