Habib is not a racist, probe finds
PROFESSOR Adam Habib’s “mistake” of vocalising the N-word did not itself make him a racist, the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies’ (SOAS’) external investigation has found.
The former Wits University vice-chancellor was suspended from his new job as SOAS director after he used the N-word during a video meeting with students in March.
Habib had agreed to “step aside” while the matter was being investigated.
SOAS board of trustees chairperson Marie Staunton said it accepted the full recommendations of the independent external investigation.
“I want to be clear especially on the use of the N-word: the report notes that the director spoke the word in full while trying to say that it should not be used within the SOAS community and that he has since acknowledged that speaking the word in full was a mistake for which he has apologised,” Staunton said in a statement.
The chairperson added that the report was nonetheless critical of Habib’s response to students at the meeting and in his subsequent tweets.
“The report found that Professor Habib’s mistake of vocalising the N-word in full, while trying to say that using the word offensively is unacceptable, did not in itself make him a racist,” Staunton said.
Habib said in a statement: “I want to again apologise to all the SOAS community for my conduct, for the offence and hurt, and for the disruption this has caused … I reiterate my commitment to act against all forms of racism, and to work with the SOAS community in identifying and fashioning specific interventions to address the exclusionary experiences of black people and other communities within the institution.”