Spare us the thin-skinned reaction to others’ points of view

THE recent viewpoint espoused by Lebogang Hashatse, senior director: communications and stakeholder liaison at Nelson Mandela University, concerning the university’s name change (“Nelson Mandela name itself becomes university’s logo”, September 1) is written in a rather defensive style – almost as if “the lady doth protest too much”.

In his attempt to defend the university’s new logo, Hashatse reverts to many of the old clichés, such as “to transform the institution”, “cutting-edge knowledge for a sustainable future”, “social justice and social sustainability objectives”. Hashatse fails to contribute any novel thoughts or concepts to the debate, but rather, he in fact denigrates the thoughts and words of his opponents as being “disagreeable talk and criticism”.

Hashatse, it would seem, is actually quite fond of the word “disagreeable”.

Perhaps his dislike of other people expressing their thoughts and opinions is the cause of his confrontational approach. Such an attitude is clearly not conducive to occupying a senior position at a university where the free expression, defence and debate of one’s opinion is fundamental to the integrity and rights of free-thinking individuals who work in such institutions.

The fact that certain aspects regarding the launch of the “new” university were raised at the recently held AGM of the university’s Alumni Association is pertinent in that alumni of the university are as much part of the institution as any current students and staff members.

Whether they are “local (advertising) business people” or not is totally irrelevant.

A significant question regarding Hashatse’s agenda (hidden?) is why on earth does he raise a single item on the agenda of the Alumni Association’s 2017 AGM in an accusatory article in the press (The Herald)?

Surely the few words spoken on this issue during the meeting do not warrant a long-winded rant in the newspaper.

Hashatse’s rationalisation of the so-called name-logo is fatally flawed.

The use of a circle and a triangle in place of an O and A in the name of Nelson Mandela is an act of blatant disrespect for the man Nelson Mandela.

Defacing and vandalising his name in this manner is abusive and reduces this iconic name to nothing more than graffiti script.

Hashatse’s defence of the graphic artists and branding team who conceived this miscreation is an embarrassment to me, an alumnus of Nelson Mandela University.

Referring further to the logo issue, Hashatse states “it is not about merely changing emblems”, but “creating and building a distinctive identity . . . to transform the institution into an innovative and dynamic African university . . . generating cutting-edge knowledge for a sustainable future”.

Goodness me! Is that not exactly what the NMMU’s vision and strategies were all about?

Did not all the same people in management and in the academic structures of the NMMU have the same goals since the inception of the NMMU in 2005?

I support the name change wholeheartedly, but please, don’t insinuate that just because there has been a name change, everything that the NMMU previously stood for now suddenly becomes redundant.

The name change is good, and proudly acknowledged and accepted by all.

However please spare us the superfluous rhetoric and especially the thin-skinned reaction to other people’s points of view.

The staff of the now defunct NMMU will continue, under the new banner, to seek to fulfil the goals which they, as a collective, conceptualised and have been implementing for the past 22 years.

There really is thus no need to re-invent the wheel through worn-out clichés.

Bruce Robertson, alumnus, Nelson Mandela University