‘Race tension fuels violence’

Parties condemn university attacks

CAMPUS VIOLENCE, INCLUDING clashes among students at a Free State University rugby match and at the University of Pretoria, were signs of deteriorating race relations and racial tensions.

This was the view of the ANC yesterday in the wake of Monday night’s attack when a small group of black protesting students were outnumbered and attacked by their white peers and their parents – who were among the spectators – when the protesters disrupted a university rugby match in the 17th minute.

Other political parties have joined the ANC to condemn the violence, while on social media some have taken to Twitter to dismiss Nelson Mandela’s notion of a rainbow nation.

The protesters want outsourced workers at UFS to be permanently employed.

Yesterday, a statue of CR Swart at the UFS in Bloemfontein was defaced and burnt.

At the University of Pretoria, black students opposed to Afrikaans teaching and white students in support of Afrikaans fought, with security stepping in.

The UFS was shut down yesterday.

It said it would take action against those involved in the violence at the match identified in video footage.

ANC spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, condemned the violence and said everyone had the right to protest.

“The utter disregard of these (social cohesion) principles which create a platform for coexistence for our people flies in the face of the determination of peace-loving South Africans who want to work together, live in harmony and work for common prosperity.”

He called on police to act with restraint and reminded them of their role to “respect, promote, protect and fulfil the rights contained in the Bill of Rights”.

There have been calls on Twitter for UFS vice-chancellor, Professor Jonathan Jansen, to resign.

After tweets asking #WhereIsBlade, the Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, said the violence on campuses showed there were “fringe elements”.

He said these elements sought to destabilise universi- ties as part of a political agenda that wanted to dislodge elected student leaders, workers and staff through illegal activity, violence and destruction of property.

“The department urges university management to engage with democratically elected structures, and address the concerns and grievances raised by these legitimate structures and not be held to ransom by elements who had no legitimate mandate.”

Nzimande called on students and workers to obey university rules and to use the relevant structures.

“We need to intensify the struggle against racism, but at the same time condemn the short-sighted anti-white chauvinism rearing its ugly head on some campuses, as ours is a struggle to build transformed and non-racial universities and South African society.”

Attack

Lobby group Equal Education said the attack on protesters was a “brutal manifestation of the lingering, defensive and militarised racism among groups of white South Africans”.

Equal Education general secretary, Tshepo Motsepe, said the protest was part of a national renewal of student activism that fought fee increases and worker outsourcing last year.

He said the university had failed to implement agreements with workers, including increasing salaries to R5 000 a month and reporting to a task team on insourcing by the end of last month.

Motsepe called on First National Bank to withdraw its sponsorship of the UFS rugby team.

EFF spokesman, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, condemned the “mob” who assaulted protesters.

“The reality is had it been white students protesting, the reaction was going to be different. Violence would have not been preferred on an unarmed and peaceful protest seeking to raise the plight of outsourced workers at UFS,” he said.

DA youth leader, Yusuf Cassim, said Nzimande could no longer ignore systemic issues plaguing universities.

“The minister must show that he has learnt from last year’s #FeesMustFall protests and show bold leadership in this regard to prevent further academic disruptions.”