Silence from varsity authorities

IT would be remiss of me not to remark on the recent racist utterances that have been made on both social media and in the press regarding white employees and students at Nelson Mandela University (NMU).

For example, Pedro Mzileni makes the following comment in an opinion article in The Herald (“University has become place where students fear being raped”, October 11), “NMU security is heavily deployed to . . . features associated with and prioritised by middle-income, white and male students and staff”.

There have been other racist comments on Facebook and Twitter.

What I find remarkable is that the university has not responded on any platform denying these false allegations.

This silence is tantamount to an admission by NMU that it is guilty of racially biased treatment of one race above other races – whites, by implication, according to the likes of Mzileni receive unfair privileged treatment at NMU.

Amazingly, the university does not refute it.

I am aware that the leadership at NMU has been confronted by certain parties about these racist utterances, requesting it to distance itself from them and to censure those making them.

To date the university authorities have failed to distance themselves or to censure those making racist comments.

I find it difficult to understand the silence of the NMU authorities.

Are they operating with their heads in the sand or is it denial?

Either way, it is odd that a university that has recourse to virtually unlimited legal resources fails to refute or distance itself from what can only be false allegations that it is discriminating against certain races.

Are those in leadership positions not consulting lawyers, because any lawyer would advise them to deny such racist allegations, simply because silence implies agreement?

Are they maybe too arrogant to seek legal advice, or are they supportive of this anti-white rhetoric?

It is hard to say, but remains a mystery.

There are, thankfully, certain parties at the university who are opposed to these antics by both those making racist utterances and the failure of the NMU authorities to take a stand.

It appears that just as our government fails in its duties and has to be taken to court to order it to do its job, the same is going to happen at the university.

My theory is that the NMU leadership is intimidated by those making these racist utterances because distancing themselves from these parties or censuring them could result in a violent backlash by these bodies that do not believe in democracy and reasonable debate.

The bodies I am referring to make unsubstantiated accusations and refuse to enter into discussions where they are required to prove their point.

If they are confronted about their conduct, they become offensive, aggressive and threatening, and the university authorities are afraid of them.

They use appeasing strategies with these parties, who are effectively ruling the roost at NMU.

Sadly, the only conclusion one can reach is that the NMU is leaderless at the moment.

Norman Kemp, emeritus professor, NMU