Stellenbosch university has conceded that despite all the efforts made to ensure equality, black staff and students do not feel welcome on campus.
“In other words, although the university appears to have in its arsenal a formidable transformation apparatus, black students and staff members still feel unwelcome and excluded at the university.
This is one of the observations contained in the report of the independent Khampepe Commission of Inquiry into alleged racism at the university.
In a statement released by the university on Tuesday, its reactor and vice-chancellor, Wim de Villiers, said the findings of the Kampempe Commission were “a tipping point” for the institution.
“This is a sobering moment for the university. It is evident that black staff members and students do not feel welcome here, despite our deliberate transformation efforts to date.
“We must face the reality that there is a gap between our intentions with regards to various transformation initiatives and the implementation thereof,” he said.
De Villiers was speaking after the release of the report by the commission looking into issues of racism at the university.
The commission began its work on 13 June this year, after the tertiary education body called for the external inquiry in May.
The investigation began after two racist incidents at the university in May.
The first incident involved a verbal altercation between two final year law students at the law faculty dance. It was alleged by an Indian student that a white student made racist remarks during the altercation.
The other incident happened at Huis Marais residence when a white first-year student, Theuns du Toit, entered the room of a first-year student, Babalwa Ndwayana without permission. Du Toit urinated on Ndwayana’s possessions, including his laptop and textbooks, before leaving the room.
Both incidents caused outrage among the black members in the institution, more especially the urinating incident.
Source: News24, IOL, Times Live, Eyewitness News, image from Twitter: @StellenboschUni