Race row divides Unisa law school
Allegations of racism and discrimination are driving a wedge between black and white academics at Unisa’s college of law.
Now, in a bid to defuse the tensions, vicechancellor Mandla Makhanya has decided to ask the South African Human Rights Commission for help.
The race row was highlighted in an application to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court this week by the deputy executive dean of the college of law, Melodie Slabbert, who sought a protection order against law lecturer Kgagudi Morota.
Slabbert alleged in court documents that Morota — who is secretary-general of the Unisa Black Forum, an organisation campaigning for transformation at the university — organised a march to her office during which participants kicked her office door and shouted “Melodie must go” and “white supremacy must end”.
She said in an affidavit: “Over the last few months I have avoided direct contact with Mr Morota at all costs as I physically fear for my safety.”
She alleged that when the post of executive dean of the college of law fell vacant in June, Morota had told Makhanya that she could not be appointed to the position in an acting capacity “purely based on the fact that I am a white female”.
The post was awarded to Omphemetse Sibanda.
Slabbert told the Sunday Times: “The college of law is basically collapsing because of all of these problems. Unfortunately this has now driven the race thing to a point where it is intolerable. It is so unnecessary and unfortunate.”
Facebook rant
Morota, who was criticised last year for a Facebook post saying he hated white people and “they must go back to wherever they come from or alternatively to hell”, denied organising the march or trying to threaten or harass Slabbert.
He told the Sunday Times that white women “overpopulate entire departments” in the college of law, outnumbering both black employees and white men.
Morota said the Unisa Black Forum inBy tended to convene meetings next year in which academics would be invited to lay bare their experiences of racism, discrimination and harassment.
Complaints of racism and discrimination in the college of law sent to Makhanya by black academics so far include:
That the chair of the department of criminology and security science, Pearl Dastile, who is herself black, had divided her department into a white faction, a black faction, and a group of her “black favourites”. According to the complaint, she once said: “I know that whites in my department are not liked because they are racist. But I like the whites because they can deliver and they can publish articles [in journals]”;
That Dastile had said in a meeting: “Black colleagues in the department are lazy. They can’t even publish articles. They are benchwarmers. The only thing they know is that they talk too much”; and
That the chair of the department of police practice, Bernadine Benson, had failed to respect the cultural norms and values of black people by moving into the office of her late predecessor within days of his death, despite having been told by the man’s family that certain rituals had to be performed in the office first.
A survey conducted among academics in the department of jurisprudence in April found that there was low staff morale due to bullying and political and racial interference.
Makhanya said in an e-mail to Morota that the issues required an in-depth investigation by an external third party and that the HRC would be approached to handle the matter.
Morota said: “We welcome the involvement of the South African Human Rights Commission. We want to have a normal college.”
Unisa spokesman Martin Ramotshela said the institution had acted to restore harmony and ensure the smooth running of the college of law. All allegations would be investigated in detail, he said.