Cape Town - Stellenbosch University (SU) said it has apologised to Afrikaans-speaking students who were affected by the implementation of the English-only policy.
This follows the SA Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) recommendation that the university apologise following its probe into allegations of unconstitutional language practices at certain of the university’s residences.
In the report, the commission found that SU had violated the rights of Afrikaans-speaking students with the said policy, which compelled them to not speak any language other than English at certain residences during a welcoming ceremony in 2021.
The SAHRC had received a number of complaints, including from the DA and Freedom Front Plus (FF+).
SU said it took cognisance of the SAHRC report on language and that human dignity was non-negotiable at the institution and had to be respected and upheld.
SU rector and vice-chancellor, Professor Wim de Villiers, said: “SU was disappointed by the incidents that came to light and notes the recommendations of the SAHRC report on language at SU. I am on record as having apologised to anyone who may have been negatively affected by these incidents. SU remains steadfastly committed to advancing human rights, multilingualism and inclusiveness for all its students, staff and stakeholders and are continuously evolving to emphasise this mindset and compliance with the SU Language Policy.
“I am on record as stating that SU’s multilingual journey is not easy. Mistakes are inevitable and we will learn from them towards charting a progressive multilingual and inclusive South African 21st century university. Within this context the university has already acted since the first reports about the use of language in a particular residence that came to the fore in 2021 – as was acknowledged by the commission.”
Deputy vice-chancellor for learning and teaching, Professor Deresh Ramjugernath, echoed De Villiers’s sentiments: “While we don’t necessarily agree with all the factual findings of the report at this early stage, the university will now consider the commission’s findings, proposed remedial actions and recommendations in detail and also consider its actions going forward.”
Ramjugernath added that the institution was aware of the importance of student leaders being informed about the Language Policy and the use of language on campus, residences and social spaces.
“The commission’s interpretation of how events unfolded and how language is used in residences are noted as we continuously evaluate the use of language across the campus, as well as in improving the language policy implementation,” he added.
The DA and FF+ on Wednesday said they welcomed the findings by the commission.
FF+ chief spokesperson for arts and culture, Heloïse Denner, said: “The ruling by the commission on the complaint that the FF+ lodged, as first complainant, is a great victory for Afrikaans in general.”
Cape Times