UCT comment boards fall
Price condemns ‘racist hate speech’ on ‘Have Your Say’ notices
UCT HAS removed notice boards, placed on campus for the university community to comment on the statue of Rhodes, after “racist hate speech” was included in the commentary.
In a letter to staff and students yesterday, vice-chancellor Dr Max Price said it had come to his attention that some of the commentary written on the “Have Your Say” notice boards next to the Rhodes statue “amounts to racist hate speech”.
“This is totally unacceptable and I condemn this in the strongest possible terms.”
He added if the writers were to be identified, they would face disciplinary action.
“Because we cannot monitor the boards at all times, and to avoid the offence caused by such anonymous posts under UCT’s auspices, we have now removed the boards.”
Price said there had been discussions on the statue with multiple stakeholders.
“I am now in a position to confirm that the proposal I have earlier made in my personal capacity – that the statue of Rhodes be removed from its current location – has been supported by all these constituencies, and that the senior leadership group will make this proposal to the senate, the PASS A VISITOR from Mars wandering on to UCT’s upper campus yesterday would have been astonished to be told it has been a hotbed of turmoil for the past few weeks.
The sun shone, and groups of students sat together on Jammie Steps, while others hurried to lectures. In the Otto Beit building – the names of the old empire builders do seem to abound – a group of illustrious literati from the UK and New York gathered to announce the shortlist for the Man Booker International award.
Above the rugby fields, the statue of Cecil John Rhodes, wrapped in black bin bags, cut a lonely figure. Students walked past continuously, but no one forum of professional and support staff, the institutional forum, the university assembly, the convocation meeting and culminating in the special meeting of council.”
Price urged staff and students to partic- ipate in today’s assembly, where they will be able to air their views on the statue as well as on larger transformation matters.
“I urge us all to participate in this week’s programme of discussion and to remain respectful of the views of those with whom we differ.”
On Monday, the Rhodes Must Fall movement, which has been occupying the Bremner building since Friday, criticised the university for its silence on the “racist backlash from white students”.
In a statement on Monday, the movement said it had taken issue with Price’s “reasoning” that a decision over the statue had to be taken by the university council, adding that the only view relevant was that of black students, workers and staff.