From: Greg@dip1.ee.uct.ac.za (Greg Cox)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: Absence of black posters from SA
Date: 12 Nov 92 15:07:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: ucthpx.1992Nov12.150740.8142
Reply-To: Greg@dip1.ee.uct.ac.za
Organization: University of Cape Town

We are not sure whether the posting by Paul M Mweene which we are
replying to is a joke, or a deliberate flame.  However, we feel that
unsuspecting netnews readers could possibly believe all or part of it,
and we will try to provide the facts.

In article 9418@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP, pmmst8+@pitt.edu (Paul M Mweene) writes:
> 
> I talked to my fiends Kaiser Modise and Jabulani Tambo who go the Univer
> sity of Cape Town. They tell me it is the most racist place you could
> ever go to.

This is obvously untrue.  UCT, like any institution anywhere in the
world, probably has a few black and white people who are rascist.
However, it does not tolerate rascism, or any form of discrimination.

> A black man had better watch his step or he will be gone.

Black AND white people have in the past made blockades, burned tires,
assaulted students in lecture theaters and defaced University property
in the name of peaceful protest, and are still studying at UCT.  Some
people even feel that the University has been too lenient, in order to
avoid disciplinary action being perceived as rascist.

Nobody has to 'watch their step', unless they cheat or plagiarise.

> As simple black people, they'd better not show too much ambition.
> A black man who wants to go in the sciences is discouraged.

No race group is discouraged from attending UCT.  In Engineering
disadvantaged students are ENCOURAGED to study further.  The academic
support programme (ASPECT) provides funds and facilities to help
students who have had inferior schooling to make the transition to the
university level.

> Most of the amenities are reserved for whites.

Nothing is reserved for any particular race group.

> The student union is infiltrated by the Burea of State Security and 
> the broederbond.

Four years ago UCT had an instance of security police spying (a student
being paid by the security police to observe certain groups at UCT).
But does this not illustrate that UCT is anything but alligned with
rascist policies.

The 'broederbond'?  At UCT?  Get real!

> A lot of the white students support Eugene Terreblanche.

Ridiculous.

> Every thing say and do is monitored and has sometimes come back to haunt
> many blacks.

The government may monitor and haunt people, but UCT certainly does
not.

> Everything was strictly monitored by the white supervisers and printing 
> of personal stuff was discouraged and in the case of blacks illegal.

Supervisors are not necessarily white or black - there is no
distinction at UCT.  In fact the only rascist act by a white supervisor
might be going out of their way for a black student, because they have
been disadvantaged by apartheid.  The printing of personal material is
discouraged for everybody - the university can't afford it.

---

That was the rational response to Paul's flamage, but there are a few
more points I would like to make about his posting.

Paul's posting refers to rascism, but another form of discrimination is
evident in his writing - Sexism:

> "A black man had better watch his step"

There are also women at UCT, Paul.

There is also evidence that our friends Paul, Kaiser and Jabulani are
homophobic:

> I asked them about homosexuality. They said I was asking a ridiculous quest
> ion and should as an African that such things were abhorred.

> (I think they are ok).

Paul, you definitely are not!


---
Greg Cox                Greg@dip1.ee.uct.ac.za
Image Processing Labs
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
University of Cape Town
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