By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has found Stellenbosch University violated the rights of Afrikaans-speaking students when it said they could only speak English in certain residences during their welcoming period in 2021.
DA leader John Steenhuisen lodged a complaint with the SAHRC after some students complained that they could only speak English in certain residences during their welcoming period in 2021.
The “English-only” policy applied in all welcoming activities and presentations led by the residences, as well as during ordinary socialising in and around the residences.
In a report released on Wednesday, the commission said the policy required all students at the residences, for the duration of the opening weeks only, to speak English exclusively.
“It is important to note that the residence policy did not apply within academic contexts or on the campuses of SU; it was limited to the residences in question and their daily operations during the welcoming period of 2021.
“In spite of the above, the commission did receive testimony from a number of students that, in numerous contexts within the university, including during interactions with lecturers and others, they were faced with hostility due to them speaking Afrikaans,” the SAHRC said.
The commission has directed the university’s rector and vice-chancellor Wim de Villiers to issue a written public apology to the affected students.
“This apology must make clear that the respondent recognises that SU is responsible for the conduct and policies of its residences and the human rights violations found by the commission to have been perpetrated herein; and SU undertakes to ensure that residences do not implement any policies or practices in future that will require any student to, or prevent any student from, speaking a particular language in residences,” the SAHRC said.
Meanwhile, the DA’s Leon Schreiber has welcomed the commission’s report and said he will table an urgent motion for the removal of De Villiers at the university’s next council meeting.
Schreiber said in response to confirmation of the finding by the SAHRC that it was “an enormous victory”. The complaint was lodged in 2021 when it came to light that newcomer students “were prohibited from speaking any language other than English in their residences, public spaces and even on park benches”.