THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL OF SOUTH AFRICA
JUDGMENT

Reportable
Case No: 765/2018

In the matter between:
AFRIFORUM NPC
APPELLANT

and

CHAIRPERSON OF THE COUNCIL OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
FIRST RESPONDENT

CHAIRPERSON OF THE SENATE OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
SECOND RESPONDENT

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
THIRD RESPONDENT

Neutral citation:      AfriForum NPC v Chairperson of the Council of the University of South

Africa & others (765/2018) [2020] ZASCA 79 (30 June 2020)

Coram:
MAYA P, PETSE DP, LEACH JA AND KOEN AND EKSTEEN AJJA

Heard:
27 November 2019

Delivered:
This judgment was
handed down electronically by circulation to
the parties’ legal representatives by email,
publication on the Supreme Court of Appeal
website and release to SAFLII. The date and
time for hand-down is deemed to be 18h00
on 30 June 2020.

Ukuwiswa:
Esi sigwebo sawiswa
ngeintanethi,
ngokusiwa
kubameli-
mthethweni bamacala onke ngeimeyili,
nangokupapashwa kwisiza sonxibelelwano
seNkundla
Yezibheno
Engentla
nangokufakwa kuSAFLII. Umhla nexesha
lokuwiswa kwaso uthathwa njengokuba
ngulo: 18h00 ngowama 30 kweyeSilimela
2020.
[1] Summary:
Education
–
university language policy – whether
historically
English/Afrikaans
university’s decision to replace its
dual-medium language policy with
English-only
policy
infringed
principle of legality and unlawful –
held that the university failed to
establish that it was not reasonably
practicable
to
continue
offering
tuition in Afrikaans under s 29(2) of
the Constitution – appeal upheld.

Isishwankathelo:
Imfundo – umgaqo-
nkqubo wolwimi weyunivesithi – ingaba
isigqibo seyunivesithi eyayikade ifundisa
ngesiNgesi nangeAfrikaans sokuyeka lo
mgaqo-nkqubo
kalwimi-mbini
wayo
isebenzise umgaqo-nkqubo othi IsiNgesi-
kuphela
sacinezela
umgqaliselo
wobumthethweni saba ke asikho mthethweni
– kugqitywe ukuba iyunivesithi yoyisakele
ukucacisa
ukuba
bekungayi
kuba
nokwenzeka lula ukuqhutywa kufundiswa
ngeAfrikaans phantsi kwecandelwana u-s
29(2)
woMgaqo-siseko
–
isibheno
savunyelwa.

ORDER UMYALELO

On appeal from: The Gauteng Division of
the High Court, Pretoria (Keightley J sitting
as court of first instance):

1 The appeal is upheld with costs, including
the costs of two counsel.
Kwisibheno
esivela:
kwiSahlulo
saseGauteng
seNkunda
Ephakamileyo,
eTshwane
(uKeightley
J
ehleli
njengenkundla yokuqala):
1 Isibheno sivunyiwe, sihamba neendleko
eziquka iindleko zabathetheleli bezomthetho
ababini.

2 The order of the court a quo is set aside and
replaced with the following:

‘(a) the resolutions of the Council and Senate
of the University of South Africa to approve
a new language policy on 28 April and 30
March 2016, respectively, are set aside;

(b) the new language policy adopted by the
University of South Africa is declared
unconstitutional and unlawful and is set aside
to the extent that Afrikaans has been removed
as a language of learning and tuition;

(c) the University of South Africa shall
prominently publish on its website and in
three major Afrikaans newspapers in South
Africa and transmit by email to all its
students a notice:

(i) containing a full list of the modules that
were on offer in Afrikaans as at 28 April
2016;
(ii) offering all prospective students for the
next academic year admission in such
modules as presented on first year level;

(iii) offering all existing students, if they
were enrolled in any one of those courses or
would have enrolled for the subsequent year
2 Umyalelo wenkundla ebiqalile ubekelwa
bucala, ze kubekwe endaweni yawo lo
ulandelayo:
‘(a)
izigqibo
zeBhunga
nezeSinethi
zeYunivesithi
yaseMzantsi
Afrika
zokuvumela
umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
omtsha
ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpuzi
nowama-30
kweyoKwindla
ngo2016,
ngokulandelelana, zibekelwa bucala;
(b) kuyabhengezwa ke apha ukuba lo mgaqo-
nkqubo
mtsha
usekwe
yiYunivesithi
yaseMzantsi
Afrika
awuhambisani
noMgaqo-siseko futhi awukho mthethweni;
waye ke ubekelwa bucala ngokubhekisele
kumbandela wokuba iAfrikaans iyekisiwe
ukuba
lulwimi
lwayo
lokufunda
nokufundisa;
(c) iYunivesithi yaseMzantsi Afrika iya
kupapasha
ngokugqamileyo
kwisiza
sonxibelelwano sayo nakumaphephandaba
amakhulu, amathathu eAfrikaans aseMzantsi
Afrika ize idlulisele nangeimeyili kubo
bonke abafundi bayo isaziso esinje:
(i) esinoluhlu olupheleleyo lweemodyuli
ezazizezokufundiswa ngeAfrikaans ngomhla
wama-28 kuTshaziimpuzi ngo-2016;
(ii) esivumela bonke abafundi abafuna
ukufunda kulo nyaka-zifundo uzayo ukuba
bazibhalisele ezo modyuli zikwinqwanqwa
lokuqala;
(iii) esithi bonke abafundi abahleli bekho,
ukuba
babeyibhalisele
nokuba
yeyiphi
kwezo khosì okanye babeza kubhalisela

course available in Afrikaans, but had
perforce to follow the module in English, a
choice to enrol on the basis that they may
follow the module in Afrikaans until
completion of their studies;

(iv) all the modules mentioned above will be
presented in full in the following academic
years until the language policy has been
lawfully amended, if at all.

(d)
the University of South Africa shall
pay the costs of the application.’

ukufunda ikhosì yonyaka olandelayo ukuba
yayikho ngeAfrikaans, kodwa banyanzeleka
ukuba bayifunde loo modyuli ngesiNgesi,
bayavunyelwa ukuba baphinde bazibhalisele
ezo modyuli, kuxelwe ukuba baya kuzifunda
ezo modyuli ngeAfrikaans bade bazigqibe
izifundo zabo;
(iv) zonke ezi modyuli zikhankanywe apha
ngentla ziya kubakho ngokuzeleyo kwakule
minyaka-zifundo izayo ude umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
ube
ulungisiwe
ngokwasemthethweni, ukuba iyenzeka ke
loo nto.
(d) iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika iza
kuhlawula iindleko zesi sicelo.’

JUDGMENT

ISIGWEBO

Maya P: (Petse DP, Leach JA, Koen and
Eksteen AJJA concurring):
Maya P: (Petse DP, Leach JA, Koen and
Eksteen AJJA bevumelana naye):

[1] This case brings into sharp focus remarks
which were recently made by Chief Justice
Mogoeng in AfriForum and Another v
University of the Free State.1 In that matter
the appellant similarly challenged the
validity of a university’s decision to replace
a dual Afrikaans/English policy with an
English-only policy. The Chief Justice said:2
[1] Eli tyala liphuhlisa amazwi abesandula
ukuthethwa yiJaji Eyongameleyo uMogoeng
kwimbambano ebizwa ngokuthi, AfriForum
and Another v University of the Free State.
Kulaa mbambano, umbheni wenza into efana
nale, waphikisana nesigqibo seyunivesithi
sokuyekisa umgaqo-nkqubo kalwimi-mbini
weAfrikaans/nesiNgesi kumiselwe umgaqo-

1 AfriForum and Another v University of the Free State [2017] ZACC 48; 2018 (2) SA 185 (CC). See also Daniels
v Scribante and Another [2017] ZACC 13; 2017 (4) SA 341 (CC) para 154.
2 AfriForum ibid paras 3-4.

‘Issues around language policy are as emotive as
the language itself. This would be especially so
where plans are afoot to effect changes that
would water down the role or usage of language,
particularly Afrikaans. For, Afrikaans has for
many years been associated with dominion or
power. Those whose mother tongue it is once
ruled this country. And everything official had to
also be in Afrikaans. It was a compulsory subject
for all African learners and all law students. In at
least five of our universities, Afrikaans was the
only medium of instruction for decades. To get to
the point where Afrikaans now appears to be
driven to virtual extinction as a university
medium of instruction, was always going to give
rise to disaffection, controversy or a suspicion
that a less than innocent agenda was being
pursued’’

And he continued:3
‘Extremely difficult, sensitive and potentially
divisive as the language issue in general, and
Afrikaans in particular, was and is bound to be
for many years to come, the historical role of
nkqubo
othi
IsiNgesi-kuphela.
Ijaji
Eyongameleyo yathi:

‘Imicimbi
emalunga
nomgaqo-nkqubo
ichukumisa
iimvakalelo
kanye
njengokuba
ulwimi nalo
lunjalo.
Le
nto
iba
njalo
ngakumbi apho kukho izicwangciso zokuzisa
iinguqu
eziya
kunciphisa
indima
okanye
ukusebenziseka
kolwimi
olo,
ngakumbi
iAfrikaans. Kaloku, iAfrikaans inonxulumano
lweminyaka
emininzi
nokuphatha-
ngobungangamsha okanye namadla egunya. Aba
bantu ilulwimi lwabo lweenkobe, kaloku,
babekhe balawula kweli izwe. Ke yonke into
eyeyasemthethweni kwakunyanzeliswa ukuba
ibe
ngeAfrikaans.
Yaye
isisifundo
esinyanzelekileyo
kubo
bonke
abantwana
besikolo abamnyama, nabo bonke abafundi
bezomthetho. Ubuncinci, kwakukwiiyunivesithi
ezintlanu zalapha apho iAfrikaans kwakukuphela
kolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa amashumi
ngamashumi eminyaka. Ke ukufikelela kule
ndawo yokuba kubonakale ngathi iAfrikaans
ityhalelwa
ekubeni
inyamalale,
kungabi
safundiswa
ngayo
eziyunivesithi,
kuyinto
ebisoloko
iya
kuvusa
ukungevani,
neempikiswano, okanye kubekho ukukrokrela
ukuba
kukho
into
ekujongwe
kuyo
engenabunyulu ncam.’
Waqhubeka ke wenjenje:
Nakuba
umcimbi
weelwimi
ngokubanzi,
ngakumbi
olu
lweAfrikaans,
wawusoloko,
nangoku usasoloko uya kuhlala uyinto enzima
ngokugqithisileyo,
enobuethe-ethe,
ekulula

3 Ibid paras 4-5.

Afrikaans inescapably has to be confronted
whenever possibilities of its use or disuse as a
language of instruction are explored. After all, we
come from a racially divided past to which
Afrikaans was inextricably linked … The use of
Afrikaans is thus one of the most likely areas of
fierce disputation. “That is part of the challenge
of healing, reconciliation, and reparation that our
society will continue to face for a considerable
time to come”. It is a difficult transformational
issue that requires a meticulous and detached
handling by all true defenders and ambassadors
of our constitutional vision. We all must
consciously guard against the possibility of a
subliminal and yet effectively prejudicial
disposition towards Afrikaans setting in, owing
only to its past record as a virtual synonym to
“racism and racially based practices”.’

ukuba idale iyantlukwano ngoku nakwiminyaka
emininzi
esezayo,
kuyanyanzeleka,
ngokungenakuphepheka,
ukuba
indima
yeAfrikaans
kwimbali
yeli
ixoxwe
qho
kwakubakho isizathu sokugoca-goca amathuba
okusetyenziswa okanye okuyeka ukusetyenziswa
kwayo njengolwimi lokufundisa. Kaloku, sivela
kwixesha
apho
sasikade
sahlula-hlulwe
ngokobuhlanga, ixesha eyayinxulumene nalo
iAfrikaans
ngokunganamululekiyo
…
Usetyenziso lweAfrikaans ke ngoko luyenye
yemimandla engavusa iminyele nengxoxo-
mpikiswano ebukhali. “Ke leyo yinxalenye
yobunzima
obuhamba
nokuphiliseka,
noxolelwaniso, nezilungiso; ezi zizinto uluntu
esilulo oluseza kuhlala lujamelana nazo, ixesha
elide”.  Yingxaki esa kwinguqu, kodwa inzima,
yaye
ifuna
ukuba
iphathwe
ngobuchule
nokuzibamba imvakalelo ngabo bonke abavikeli
noonozakuzaku
bombono
womgaqo-siseko
wethu. Sonke masenze ngabom ukuzigada
singabi nentliziyo engathi iyalungisa kodwa ibe
eyona nto iphumelela ukuyenza ikukuphatha
kakubi iAfrikaans, ngenxa yesizathu esinye
kuphela,
esi
sokuba
yayifaniseka
ncam
“nobuhlanga
kunye
nezenzo
ezazisekwe
kucalulo ngobuhlanga”.’

[2] This caution is particularly relevant in this
appeal. The same party, AfriForum NPC,
challenges the decision of the Gauteng
Division, Pretoria (Keightley J). The high
court dismissed AfriForum’s application in
which it sought the review and setting aside
of the decisions of the Senate and Council of
the third respondent, the University of South
[2] Esi silumkiso singena kakuhle ngakumbi
kwesi
sibheno.
Kwa
eli
qela
linye,
iAfriForum NPC, liyaphikisana nesigqibo
seSahlulo SaseGauteng, eTshwane (esika
Keightley J). Le Nkundla ePhakamileyo
yasichitha isicelo seAfriForum apho yayicela
ukuphononongwa-kwakhona
okubekwa
bucala kwezigqibo zeSinethi neBhunga

Africa (UNISA), relating to its adoption of a
new language policy. In terms of that policy,
which the Senate recommended and was
approved by the Council, UNISA adopted
English as its sole language of learning and
tuition (LOLT) and departed from its
previous policy in terms of which both
English and Afrikaans were employed as the
LOLT.

zommangalelwa wesithathu, iYunivesithi
YaseMzantsi Afrika (iUNISA), ezazithetha
ngokumisela
kwayo
umgaqo-nkqubo
omtsha.
Ngokwalaa
mgaqo-nkqubo,
owakhuthazwayo yiSinethi, waze wavunywa
liBhunga, iUNISA yamisela isiNgesi saba
kuphela
kolwimi
lwakhona
lokufunda
nokufundisa (iLOLT, ngesiNgesi) yaza ke
yesuka
kumgaqo-nkqubo
wayo
wangaphambili wona owawuvumela ukuba
zombini ezi lwimi, isiNgesi neAfrikaans,
zisetyenziswe
njengeelwimi
zokufunda
nokufundisa.

[3] The review application was partly based
on grounds rooted in the Promotion of
Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 (PAJA),
on the assumption that the impugned
decisions constituted administrative action.
However, after the institution of the review
application,
this
Court4
and
the
Constitutional Court5 held that a language
policy decision taken by the University of the
Free State did not constitute administrative
action within the meaning of PAJA.
AfriForum then abandoned its reliance on
PAJA. But it persisted with its challenge on
the principle of legality. It nonetheless failed
to persuade the high court, which then
granted leave to appeal its decision to this
Court.
[3] Isicelo
sokujongwa-kwakhona
sasisekelwe, nganxanye, kwinto ethethwa
nguMthetho Wesi-3 ka-2000 Wokuthazo
Lobulungisa
Kwezolawulo
(iPAJA),
ngokuqikelela
ukuba
ezi
zizathu
ziphikiswayo zazisisenzo solawulo. Kodwa,
emva kokuba sifakiwe isicelo sokujongwa-
kwakhona, le Nkundla kunye neNkundla
YoMgaqo-siseko zathi isigqibo esimayela
nomgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
esasithathwe
yiYunivesithi YaseFree State sasingesosenzo
solawulo ngokwentsingiselo yalo Mthetho,
iPAJA. IAfriForum ke ngoko yayeka
ukwayama ngePAJA. Kodwa yema nkqi
ayajika ekuceleni umngeni ngokomgqaliselo
wasemthethweni. Noko kunjalo, yoyisakala
ukuyiqondisa
iNkundla
ePhakamileyo,

4 In University of the Free State v AfriForum and Another [2017] ZASCA 32; 2017 (4) SA 283 (SCA) para 18.
5 AfriForum fn 1 para 35.

nkundla leyo eyayinika imvume yokuba
ibhenele kule Nkunda malunga nesi sigqibo.

[4] UNISA is a distance university with a
long and distinguished history. It was born of
the University of the Cape of Good Hope,
which was established in 1877, and was
incorporated
into
a
correspondence
university in 1959. In 2004 it merged with
two other major distance educational
institutions, Technikon Southern Africa and
Vista University, and became the sole
distance institution of higher learning in
South Africa and the largest on the African
continent. Through the years of its existence
as a correspondence university, it has offered
a wide variety of graduate courses, in English
and Afrikaans, to a vast number of local and
international students.

[4] IUNISA yiYunivesithi efundisa umntu
ekude, enembali ende ebalaseleyo. Yazalwa
yiYunivesithi yaseCape of Good Hope,
eyayisekwe
ngo-1877,
yenziwa
yaba
yiyunivesithi
yokufunda ngembalelwano
ngo-1959. Ngo-2004 yadityaniswa namanye
amaziko
amabini
amakhulu
ezifundo
zamgama,
ezizezi:
iTekhnikhon
YaseMazantsi
Afrika
neYunivesithi
YaseVista, yaza ke yaba kuphela kweziko
lamgama lemfundo engentla apha eMzantsi
Afrika, elaba lelona likhulu kwilizwekazi
leAfrika. Kuyo yonke iminyaka yobukho
bayo
njengeyunivesithi
yemfundo
ngembalelwano, iye yafundisa izifundo
zezidanga eziziindidi ngeendidi, izifundisa
ngesiNgesi nangeAfrikaans, kwintlaninge
yabafundi abangabalapha nabangabezizwe
ngezizwe.
[5] In terms of s 26(2) of the Higher
Education Act 101 of 1997, UNISA
comprises institutional governance structures
which include a Council and a Senate.
Section 27(2) of the Higher Education Act
empowers it, subject to the policy determined
by the Minister of Higher Education and
Training,
its
Council,
and
with
the
concurrence of its Senate, to determine its
language policy, publish it and make it
available upon request. The policy referred to
[5] Ngokwesolotyana u-26(2) loMthetho
weMfundo ePhakamileyoa u-101 ka-1997,
iUNISA inamaqonga olawulo lweziko-
mfundo ekukho nala kuwo: iBhunga kunye
neSinethi.
ISolotya
u-27(2)
loMthetho
weMfundo ePhakamileyo liyayigunyazisa
ukuba, phantsi komgaqo-nkqubo oqingqwe
nguMphathiswa weMfundo ePhakamileyo
Noqeqesho, iBhunga layo, livumelana nayo
neSinethi yayo, liqingqe umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
wayo,
liwupapashe
liwenze

is the framework established by the Ministry
of Education in November 2002, the
Language Policy for Higher Education
(LPHE).6 Its chief aim is ‘to promote
multilingualism and to enhance equity and
access in higher education through the
development, in the medium to long-term, of
South African languages as mediums of
instruction in higher education, alongside
English and Afrikaans; [t]he development of
strategies for promoting student proficiency
in designated language(s) of tuition; [t]he
retention and strengthening of Afrikaans as a
language of scholarship and science;  [t]he
promotion of the study of South African
languages and literature through planning
and funding incentives; [t]he promotion of
the study of foreign languages; and [t]he
encouragement
of
multilingualism
in
institutional policies and practices’.

ufumaneke xa ufunwayo. Lo mgaqo-nkqubo
kubhekiswa kuwo sisikhokelo esamiselwa
liSebe LezeMfundo ngeyeNkanga ngo-2002,
uMgaqo-nkqubo
Wolwimi
Wemfundo
ePhakamileyo (iLPHE ngesiNgesi). Injongo
yayo
ephambili
nantsi:
‘kukukhuthaza
iilwimi-zonke nokuqinisela ukulungelwa
ngokulinganayo nokufikeleleka kwemfundo
engentla
ngokuphuhlisa,
kwixesha
elingekude-kuyaphi
ukuya
kwelikude,
iilwimi zaseMzantsi Afrika ukuze zibe
ziilwimi zokufundisa kwimfundo engentla,
ndawonye
nesiNgesi
neAfrikaans;
ukwenziwa kwezicwangciso ezinobulumko
zokukhulisa
ukwazi
kwabafundi
ukusebenzisa ulwimi olumiselwe, okanye
iilwimi
ezimiselwe,
ukuba
kufundwe
ngalo/ngazo;
ukugcinwa
nokomelezwa
kweAfrikaans njengolwimi lofundo-nzulu
nolwenzululwazi;

ukukhuthazwa
kokufundwa kweelwimi zaseMzantsi Afrika
noncwadi
lwalapha,
yenziwe
loo
nto
ngokuyiplanela,
nangokuyikhuthaza
ngemali;
ukukhuthazwa
kokufundwa
kweelwimi zasemzini; kwanokukhuthazwa
kobulwimi-ninzi
kwimigaqo-nkqubo
nakwizenzo zamaziko (emfundo)’.
[6] The language policy sought to be replaced
was approved by UNISA’s Council in 2006.
Its aim was to inform ‘the use of language in
all aspects of communication of the
University, ie. tuition, public, internal and
[6] Lo mgaqo-nkqubo ozungulwa ukususwa
wawuvunyiwe liBhunga laseUNISA ngo-
2006. Injongo yawo yayikukunika iingcaciso
‘malunga nokusetyenziswa kolwimi kuzo
zonke iindawo zoqhakamshelwano kule

6 ‘The Language Policy for Higher Education, GN R1485, GG 24101, 25 November 2002.’

external communication’. It promised, inter
alia, that UNISA would make tuition
available in the official languages of South
Africa
on
the
basis
of
functional
multilingualism7 and that where English and
Afrikaans already had the capacity to operate
as higher education-level languages, UNISA
would
pro-actively
support
African
languages with a view to them becoming the
medium of instruction at higher education
level.8 Its preamble provided:

‘The University adheres to a policy of functional
multilingualism in order to accommodate
linguistic diversity. The promotion of the
principle of multilingualism is enshrined in the
Constitution of South Africa.

The University is committed to the promotion of
equitable
language
rights
with
particular
emphasis on uplifting the status and usage of the
marginalized
indigenous
languages.
Multilingualism is also acknowledged as a
powerful tool to promote social cohesion
between diverse groups in our society.
The development of the diverse languages of our
country will take time and resources and should
Yunivesithi, oko kukuthi, ekufundiseni,
nakuqhakamshelwano
nowonke-wonke,
nolwangaphakathi,
nolwangaphandle’.
Wawuthembisa, phakathi kwezinye izinto,
ukuba iUNISA iya kwenza ukuba kufundwe
ngeelwimi ezisemthethweni zaseMzantsi
Afrika, kulandelwe inkqubo esebenzisekayo
kwelwimi-ninzi, kanjalo, apho isiNgesi
neAfrikaans
sele
zinawo
amandla
okusebenza
njengeelwimi
zemfundo
ekwinqwanqwa elingentla, iUNISA yayiza
kukusungula ngokwayo ukuxhasa iilwimi
zesiNtu
ukuze
zide
zibe
ziilwimi
zokufundisa
kwinqwanqwa
lemfundo
engentla. Imbula-mbethe yawo yayisithi:
‘Le Yunivesithi ihambisana nomgaqo-nkqubo
wobulwimi-ninzi
obusebenzisekayo
isenzela
ukuba ikhuthaze ubundidi-ninzi ngokweelwimi.
Ukukhuthazwa komgqaliselo wobulwimi-ninzi
kumiliselwe
ngokukhuselekileyo
kuMgaqo-
siseko WaseMzantsi Afrika.
Le
Yunivesithi
izimisele
ukukhuthaza
amalungelo akhuthaza ulingano kwiilwimi,
ngokugxininisa ekuphakamiseni iwonga kunye
nosetyenziso
lweelwimi
ezicinezelekileyo
zakweli lizwe. Ubulwimi-ninzi buyavunywa
ukuba busisixhobo esinamandla sokukhuthaza
udibano lwabantu phakathi kwamaqela andidi-
ninzi kuluntu esilulo.
Ukuphuhliswa
kweelwimi
eziziindidi-ndidi
zelizwe lethu kuya kuthatha ixesha, kufune
nezinto zokwenza ezininzi; ke kufanele ukuba

7 Clause 4.2.1.
8 Clause 4.2.6.

be pursued in a phased way, as resources and
developmental opportunities allow.’

kwenziwe
ngokwezigaba
ngezigaba,
kangangokuba
izincedi-kwenza
kunye
namathuba ophuhliso zivuma.’
[7] In 2010, the Council approved the
revision of the language policy. According to
UNISA, the need for the revision arose from
a natural attrition of the demand for
Afrikaans, the move for parity between
Afrikaans and other African languages as
support, rather than as language of learning,
and the inclination of students wanting to
study in English. Accordingly, in 2012 it
introduced
the
‘Guidelines
for
the
Discontinuation of Afrikaans in Certain
Modules’,9 which operated together with the
old policy. In terms of these guidelines, all
undergraduate modules were grouped into
three categories. These were:

(a) Fully Bilingual, English and Afrikaans,
for any module that had consistently not had
fewer than 100 Afrikaans students in the last
three years;

(b) Mixed Mode Delivery in terms of which
all modules that consistently had, over the
last three years, between 15 and 100
Afrikaans students in every registration
[7] Ngo-2010,
iBhunga
lakuvumela
ukuhlaziywa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi.
Ngokutsho kweUNISA, olu hlaziyo lwaba
yimfuneko ngokusuke kunciphe abafuna
iAfrikaans, nokuzama ukuvala isithuba
phakathi kweAfrikaans nezinye iilwimi
zesiNtu ngokuthi izixhase, endaweni yokuba
lulwimi ekufundwa ngalo, kwanokukekelela
kwabafundi ekufuneni ukufunda ngesiNgesi.
Ngokwezi
meko
ke,
yathi
ngo-2012
yaqingqa
iZalathandlela
Zokuphelisa
iAfrikaans Kwiimodyuli Ezithile, ezaye
zasebenza
kunye
nalaa
mgaqo-nkqubo
mdala. Ngokwezi zalathandlela ke, zonke
iimodyuli zabangekabi nazidanga zahlelwa
zaba ngamaqela amathathu. Yayingala loo
mahlelo:
(a)
Abanobulwimi-mbini
obupheleleyo,
besiNgesi neAfrikaans, babeza kufunda
nayiphi na imodyuli eyayithe gqolo ukuba
nabafundi
ababengekho
ngaphantsi
kwekhulu (kwe-100) abenza iAfrikaans
kwiminyaka emithathu edluleyo,
(b) Abafunda Ngendlela Engumxube apho
zonke iimodyuli ezazithe gqolo, kwiminyaka
emithathu
edluleyo,
ukuba
nabafundi
beAfrikaans abaphakathi kwe-15 ne-100
ngawo onke amaxesha obhaliso, zaziza

9 The Guidelines were approved by the Senate on 14 March 2012 and revised and approved by the Senate on 14
June 2014. They would be valid for the period 2013 to 2015 and would be revised after the results of a student
preference survey became available in 2014.

period, would automatically discontinue
formal tuition and printed study material; and

(c) English-only. Modules that consistently
over the previous three years had less than 15
Afrikaans students in every registration
period, could be discontinued, provided the
Senate Language Committee (SLC), which
was established by the Senate to review
UNISA’s language policy and, thereafter,
make recommendations to the Senate, was
informed accordingly. Departments had the
option to continue tuition in Afrikaans in
these modules but make study materials
available on a digital platform. Examination
papers for these modules would be in
English, but with an option to have Afrikaans
papers.

kuvele ziphelise ukufundisa okumiselweyo
kwanoshicilelo
lwamaxwebhu
ezifundo;
kunye neli
(c)
AbesiNgesi-kuphela.
Ngokweli
lokugqibela ihlelo, iimodyuli ezasoloko zithe
gqolo, kwiminyaka emithathu edluleyo,
ukuba nabafundi beAfrikaans abangaphantsi
kwe-15, ngawo onke amaxesha obhaliso,
zazisenokuyekiswa, kuqinisekiswe ukuba
yazisiwe ngaloo nto iKomiti Yeelwimi
YeSinethi (iSLC, ngesiNgesi). Le Komiti
yayiye yamiselwa yiSinethi ukuba ijonge-
kwakhona
umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
waseUNISA, ize, emva koko, inike iSinethi
iingcebiso
ngalo
mba.
Amasebe
ayenemvume
yokuzikhethela
ukuba
aqhubeke nokufundisa ngeAfrikaans kwezi
modyuli kodwa izinto zokufunda azenze
zifumaneke
kwindawo
edijithali.
Amaphepha
eemviwo
ezi
modyuli
ayesenokuba ngesiNgesi sodwa, kodwa
kuvumeleke ukuba abekho naweAfrikaans
amaphepha.

[8] The review process started in 2013 and
the various minutes of the Senate’s meetings
reflect that the issue was a standing item on
its agenda since that time. The process
involved the Senate, the Council, the SLC
and their constituent members, and UNISA
management. The Student Representative
Council (SRC), one of the constituent
members, is a statutorily recognised and
[8] Le
nkqubo
yokujongwa-kwakhona
yaqala ngo-2013; kukho imizuzu ngemizuzu
yeentlanganiso zeSinethi; loo mizuzu ibonisa
ukuba lo mcimbi wawuhlala ungumba
okhoyo kwiajenda yeSinethi ukususela
kwelo
xesha.
Kule
nkqubo
ke
kwakusebenzisana
iSinethi,
iBhunga,
iKomiti yeSinethi (iSLC) kunye namalungu
eengingqi-zomelo zazo, kunye nabolawulo

democratically
elected
students’
representative  body at UNISA. It expressed
its views, which supported the change to an
English-only LOLT. As UNISA described it,
‘many disparate views’ were expressed and
considered. These included the objection to
the adoption of an English only language
policy, by the UNISA Forum vir Afrikaans,
represented by Professor Elirea Bornman,
who deposed to affidavits in support of
AfriForum’s case.

baseUNISA. IBhunga Labameli Babafundi
(iSRC), elinye lamalungu eengingqi-zomelo,
liliqumrhu
elivunywe
ngokomtheto
nelihoyiweyo futhi elinyulwa ngabafundi
baseUNISA
ngokwentando
yoninzi.
Lazivakalisa izimvo zalo, ezazixhasa inguqu
le yokuba ibe sisiNgesi-kuphela ulwimi
lokufunda nokufundisa (iLOLT). Njengoko
ichaza
iUNISA,
‘zaba
ninzi
iimbono
ezahlukileyo’
ezavakaliswayo,
futhi
zaphononongwa. Phakathi kwazo kwakukho
noluyichasayo le nto yokumisela lo mgaqo-
nkqubo
wolwimi
wesiNgesi-kuphela,
olwalulolweUNISA Forum vir Afrikaans,
yona eyayimelwe nguNjingalwazi uElirea
Bornman, owenza amaxwebhu obungqina
obufungelweyo
exhasa
lo
mcimbi
weAfriForum.

[9] In 2014, a draft language policy and its
implementation plan, which provided for an
English-only LOLT, was formulated.  On 22
October 2014, the Senate noted that the SLC
had approved the draft document. On 10
March 2015, the Management Committee
resolved to
recommend the amended
language policy and implementation plan to
the Senate and the Council for approval. At a
Senate meeting of 21 October 2015, a
number of concerns were raised by the
members, including that they had not been
afforded sufficient opportunity to give their
inputs, that it was regressive for UNISA to
[9] Ngo-2014
kwakhiwa
umqaliso
womgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
nowesicwangciso
sokuwenza
usebenze,
zombini
zithetha
ngesiNgesi-kuphela
njengolwimi
lokufunda
nokufundisa
(iLOLT).  Ngomhla wama-22 kweyeDwarha
ngo-2014, Isinethi yaba nenqaku elithi
iKomiti iSLC, iyaluvuma olu xwebhu lwaloo
mqaliswa. Ngowe-10 kweyoKwindla ka-
2015, iKomiti Yolawulo yenza isigqibo
sokuba ikhuthaze ukuba uvunywe lo mgaqo-
nkqubo
utshintshiweyo
nesicwangciso
sokuwusebenzisa
yiSinethi
naliBhunga.
Kwintlanganiso yeSinethi yangowama-21

offer its tuition in English only, and that it
made no sense for students to be offered
tuition in their mother tongue and then write
the examinations in English as was proposed.
In the event, the Senate resolved to refer the
matter back to the SLC to address these
concerns.

kweyeDwarha
ka-2015,
kwabakho
ukungaqondi
kakuhle
izinto
ezininzi
okwavakaliswa ngamalungu ayo, ezaquka
ukuba la malungu eSinethi ayengazange
anikwe thuba laneleyo ukwenza awawo
amagalelo, nokuba yayikukubuya umva le
nto
yeUNISA
yokufundisa
ngesiNgesi
kuphela,
kwanokuthi
yayingavakali
inantsingiselo ibhadlileyo ncam  into yokuba
abafundi kuthwe mabafundiswe ngolwimi
lwabo lweenkobe, ze kuphinde kuthiwe
iimviwo
baza
kuzibhala
ngesiNgesi,
njengokuba
kwakusitshiwo.
Kwathi
kwakuba njalo ke, yabona iSinethi ukuba le
ndaba mayiphindiswe kwiKomiti iSLC,
ukuze yona iphonononge la maxhala.

[10] A draft language policy was ultimately
presented to the Senate at its meeting held on
26 August 2015. It elicited a number of
objections from the members once more and
was consequently not adopted. Instead, it was
remitted to the SLC for further development
that would address the objections. It met the
same fate in subsequent Senate meetings
convened on 26 August and 21 October
2015.

[10] Kwade kwathi ke, ngomhla wama-26
kweyeThupha
ka-2015
kwintlanganiso
yeSinethi wanikezelwa umqaliso womgaqo-
nkqubo wolwimi. Kwaphinda kwabakho
iimpikiswano eziliqela ezivela kumalungu
eSinethi,
waza
loo
mqaliso
waphela
ungadange uvunywe. Koko, wabuyiselwa
kwakwiKomiti
iSLC,
ukuba
iphinde
iwusebenze kude kugqibeke ezi nkcaso.
Yaphinda yaba kwayiloo nto ukungavunywa
nakwezilandelayo iintlanganiso zeSinethi
ezazibizwe ngowama-26 kweyeThupha ka-
2015 nangowama-21 kweyeDwarha ka-
2015.

[11] Thereafter, the SLC revised the
language policy draft document. On 11
[11] Emva koko, iKomiti iSLC yalihlaziya
ixwebhu elingumqaliso womgaqo-nkqubo

March 2016 a SLC meeting was convened to
consider and finalise the task in anticipation
of a Senate meeting which was scheduled for
30 March 2016. The Senate’s minutes of that
meeting record that:

‘Prof IOG Moche made a presentation on the
Language Policy.
The implementation process would be tabled at
the meeting scheduled for 19 October 2016.
RESOLUTION
Senate resolved that the Language Policy to be
recommended to Council for approval.’

wolwimi. Ngowe-11 kweyoKwindla ka-
2016 kwabizwa intlanganiso yeKomiti iSLC
ukuze
kujongisiswe
kugqityezelwe
lo
msebenzi,
kulungiselelwa
intlanganiso
yeSinethi eyayimiselwe ukuba iza kuba
ngowama-30
kweyoKwindla
ka-2016.
Kwimizuzu yeSinethi yaloo ntlanganiso
kubhaliwe kwathiwa:

‘UNJing IOG Moche uye wathetha ngawo lo
Mgaqo-nkqubo Wolwimi.
Inkqubo yokusetyenziswa kwawo iya kubekwa
etafileni
kwintlanganiso
emiselwe
owe-19
kweyeDwarha ku-2016.
ISIGQIBO
ISinethi igqibe kwelokuba lo Mgaqo-nkqubo
Wolwimi mawusiwe kwiBhunga, likhuthazwe
ukuba liwuvume.’

[12] According to minutes of the Council’s
meeting held on 28 April 2016, Prof Moche
presented the revised language policy for
approval,
which
was
granted.
The
implementation plan compiled by the task
team
appointed by
the SLC would,
accordingly, be recommended to the SLC,
Senate and Council for approval.

[12] Ngokwemizuzu
yentlanganiso
yeBhunga
eyayikho
ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpuzi ngo-2016, uNjing Moche
wathetha ngalo mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
ulungisiweyo
wacela
ukuba
uvunywe;
wavunywa
ke.
Ke
isicwangciso
sokuwusebenzisa esasisenziwa liqelana laloo
msebenzi elalityunjwe yiKomiti iSLC sasiza
kuthi naso, ngokwaloo ndlela, sisiwe
kwiSLC, nakwiSinethi, nakwiBhunga, ukuze
sivunywe.

[13] AfriForum took issue with the decisions
of the Senate and the Council and launched
urgent application proceedings in the
Gauteng Division of the High Court,
[13] I-AfriForum yavakalisa ukungaxoliswa
zizigqibo zeSinethi neBhunga, yaza yafaka
enkundleni
isicelo
esingxamisekileyo
kwiSahlulo
SaseGauteng
seNkundla

Johannesburg to challenge them. It sought an
order
that
UNISA
suspend
‘the
implementation of the new language policy
adopted by the Council of the University of
South Africa on 28 April 2016 (with the
concurrence of the Senate … granted on 30
March 2016)’ pending the final decision of
the application for a review and the following
relief:
‘1. That the respective resolutions of the Council
and the Senate of the University of South Africa
to approve a new language policy on 28 April and
30 March 2016 respectively be reviewed and set
aside;

2. That the new language policy adopted by
[UNISA] be set aside as being unconstitutional
and unlawful;

3. That the new language policy be set aside as a
whole; alternatively be set aside insofar and to the
extent that Afrikaans has been removed as
language of learning and tuition at the University
of South Africa;
4. That within 10 days from date of judgment,
[UNISA] shall prominently publish on (a) its
website and (b) in the three major Afrikaans
newspapers in the country, (c) as well as by
transmitting by email to all students a notice with
the following content:

4.1. A full list of the modules that had been on
offer in Afrikaans as on 28 April 2016;

ePhakamileyo, eJohannesburg, iphikisana
nazo ezi zigqibo. Ngaphezu kokufuna
‘ukumiswa
kokusebenziseka
komgaqo-
nkqubo omtsha owawumiselwe liBhunga
leYunivesithi
YaseMzantsi
Afrika
ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpunzi
ka-2016
livumelene neSinethi … okwavunywayo
ngowama-30
kweyoKwindla
ngo-2016’
yafuna noku kuphunyezwa kulandelayo:
‘1. Ukuba ezaa zigqibo zeBhunga neziya
seSinethi zeYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika
zokuvuma umgaqo-nkqubo omtsha ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpuzi
nowama-30
kweyoKwindla
ngo-2016,
ngokulandelelana,
zijongwe-
kwakhona, zibekwe ecaleni;
2. Ukuba laa mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha uye
wamiselwa yiyo [iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi
Afrika]
kubhengezwe
ukuba
awuhambi
ngokoMgaqo-siseko, futhi awukho mthethweni;
3. Ukuba lo mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha
ubekwe bucala xa uwonke; kungenjalo ubekwe
bucala ngokwendlela nangangokuba iAfrikaans
iye yayekiswa ukuba ibe lulwimi lokufunda
nelokufundisa eYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika;
4. Ukuba maze kuthi kwisithuba seentsuku ezili-
ukususela
ngomhla
wesigwebo,
yona
[iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika] ipapashe
ngokugqamileyo (a) kwisiza sonxibelelwano
sayo (b) kumaphepha amakhulu amathathu
eAfrikaans
akweli
lizwe,
(c)
kwanangokudlulisela ngeimeyili kubo bonke
abafundi isaziso esinesi siqulatho silandelayo:
4.1
Uluhlu
olupheleleyo
lweemodyuli
ezazizezokufundiswa
ngeAfrikaans
ngomhla
wama-28 kuTshaziimpuzi ngo-2016;

4.2 Offering all prospective students for the next
academic year admission in such modules as
presented on first year level;

4.3 Offering all existing students, if they were
enrolled in any one of those courses or would
have enrolled for the subsequent year course
available in Afrikaans, but had perforce to follow
the module in English, to re-enrol on the basis
that they may follow the module in Afrikaans
until completion of their studies;

4.4 That all those modules will be presented in
full in the following academic years until the
language policy had been lawfully amended if at
all;

4.5 That it shall, within 10 days after compliance
with prayers 4, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 submit to this
court proof that it has complied with the terms of
the order.’

4.2 Bavunyelwe bonke abafundi abafuna
ukufunda kulo nyaka-zifundo uzayo ukuba
bazibhalisele ezo modyuli zikwinqwanqwa
lokuqala;
4.3 Bavunyelwe bonke abafundi abahleli bekho,
ukuba babeyibhalisele nokuba yeyiphi kwezo
khosì okanye babeza kubhalisela ukufunda ikhosi
yonyaka
olandelayo
ukuba
yayikho
ngeAfrikaans,
kodwa
banyanzeleka
ukuba
bayifunde
loo
modyuli
ngesiNgesi,
bayavunyelwa ukuba baphinde bazibhalisele ezo
modyuli, kuxelwe ukuba baya kuzifunda ezo
modyuli ngeAfrikaans bade bazigqibe izifundo
zabo;
4.4 zonke ezi modyuli ziya kubakho ngokuzeleyo
kwakule minyaka-zifundo izayo ude
umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
ube
ulungisiwe
ngokwasemthethweni, ukuba iyenzeka ke loo
nto;
4.5 Ukuba iya kuthi, kwisithuba seentsuku ezili-
10 emva kokuba ithobele izikhalo                  eziku-
4, 4.1, 4.2 naku-4.3, ingenise kule nkundla
isibonakaliso
sokuba
iye
yayithobela
imiqathango yalo myalelo.’

[14] AfriForum trenchantly criticised the
process followed by UNISA in reviewing its
language policy. Its core contention, in
addition to the abandoned PAJA-based
review grounds, was that the impugned
decisions violated the rights, by its count, of
approximately
30 000
existing
and
prospective
Afrikaans
students,
which
included White, Black and Coloured students
from Afrikaans speaking communities, to
[14] IAfriForum
iyayigxeka
kabukhali
inkqubo
eyalandelwa
yiUNISA
xa
yayjijonga
kwakhona
umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi wayo. Ingxam yokungavumelani
kwayo, ethi iyidibanise nezaa zizathu
zojongo-kwakhona
ezisekwe
kwiPAJA
eyaziyekayo,
yayikukuba
ezi
zizathu
ziphikisekayo
zanyhasha
amalungelo
abafundi beAfrikaans ngokubala kwayo
ababemalunga
nama-30 000
ababekho

receive tuition in their mother tongue. This
was in breach of s 29(2) of the Constitution
as there was no justification for the adoption
of an English only LOLT policy when no
feasibility study had shown that it was no
longer reasonably practicable to use the old
dual language policy, so went the contention.
The change was slated for breaching the
LPHE by not being responsive to the desire
of Afrikaans students at UNISA to be
educated in the language of their choice when
it was reasonably practicable to offer tuition
in Afrikaans; denying them their right under
s 9 of the Constitution not to be unfairly
discriminated against; and impairing their
right to human dignity by removing
Afrikaans, which was already developed as a
language of science and academic learning,
as a LOLT.

nababesengakho, ekukhokubo abaMhlophe,
abaMnyama,
nabeBala
ababesuka
kwiindawo ezinoluntu oluthetha iAfrikaans,
baze bona bavaleleka ukuba bafumane
ukufundiswa ngolwimi lwabo lweenkobe.
Oku, yayikukwaphulwa kwesolotyana u-s
29(2)
woMgaqo-siseko,
njengoko
kwakungekho
kuthetheleleka
kokusetyenziswa
kweiNgesi
kuphela
njengolwimi
lokufunda
nokufundisa
(iLOLT), ekubeni kwakungazange kubekho
luphando lolwenzeko olwaye lubonisile
ukuba
kwakungasekholula
ukwenzeka
ukusebenzisa laa mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
mdala kalwimi-mbini, yayisitsho ke ingxoxo
yokungavumelani. Laa nguqu yaxatyelwa
kukugxekwa oku, kusithiwa yaphule iLPHE
ngokungakhathaleli umnqweno wabafundi
beAfrikaans eUNISA wokuba banikwe
imfundo ngolwimi lokuzikhethela kwabo
ekubeni kwakuyinto enokwenzeka lula
ukuba kufundiswe ngeAfrikaans, nto leyo
yabahlutha ilungelo labo eliphantsi ku-s 9
woMgaqo-siseko lokuba bangacalu-calulwa
ngokungalunganga,
ngaloo
ndlela
kuqhwaleliswa
ilungelo
labo
lokuba
nesidima njengabantu ngokususa iAfrikaans,
eyayisele
iphuhlisekile
njengolwimi
lwenzululwazi
nokufundiseka
kwaseyunivesithi njengolwimi lokufunda
nokufundiswa (iLOLT).

[15] AfriForum further contended that the
language review process breached the
principle of rationality. This was so because
organisations advocating for the promotion
and protection of linguistic rights at tertiary
institutions did not participate in the review
process10 and no research or formal
investigation as envisaged by the old policy
was conducted to determine the needs,
attitudes and preferences of Afrikaans
students whose rights would be adversely
affected.11 The SLC also failed to table the
representations of the Forum for Afrikaans,
which were timeously submitted, before the
Council. This was despite the fact that the
representations were compiled by respective
members of the Senate and the SLC,
Professors Bornman and Potgieter, who had
participated in published research on the
subject and sought to advise the Council on
the impact its decision would have on the
approximately 30 000 Afrikaans UNISA
students.

[15] IAfriForum yaqhuba yaxoxa ngelithi
inkqubo yokujongwa-kwakhona kolwimi
yawaphula umgqaliselo wokucingisisa. Le
nto yayinjalo kuba amaqumrhu athethelela
ukhuthazo nokhuselo lwamalungelo olwimi
kumaziko emfundo enqwanqwa lesithathu
zange athathe nxaxheba kuloo nkqubo
yokujongwa-kwakhona kanti zange kubekho
naluphando-nzulu,
okanye
uxilongo
oluqingqiweyo, izinto ezazibonelelwe kulaa
mgaqo-nkqubo
mdala,
zokuqikelela
kubonwe iimfuno, neemo-ntliziyo, nazinto
kukhethwa zona, zabafundi beAfrikaans
abamalungelo abo ayeza kuchaphazeleka
kakubi. IKomiti iSLC kanjalo yoyisakala
ukuzibeka etafileni phambi kweBhunga
izimvo zeQonga LeAfrikaans (iForum for
Afrikaans), ezazingeniswe ngexesha kuyo.
Le
nto
yenzeka
nakuba
ezo
zimvo
zaziqokelelwe ngamalungu eSinethi nawayo
iSLC, ooNjingalwazi uBornman noPotgieter,
ngokokulandelelana,
abantu
ababethathe
iinxaxheba kuphando-nzulu olupapashiweyo
malunga nomba wolwimi, baze bazama
ukucebisa iBhunga malunga neempembelelo
esasiza kuba nazo isigqibo salo kubafundi

10 AfriForum referred to various organisations which it claimed support the retention of Afrikaans as a language

of tuition and should have been consulted, namely Die Afrikaanse Taalraad, Die ATKV, Dagbreek Trust and

Trust for-Afrikaanse Onderwys, Die Afrikanerbond, Die Dameskring, Die Voortrekkers, the FW de Klerk

Foundation, The SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns and Afriforum Youth.

11 The Proposals for amending UNISA’s Language Policy encapsulated in the Presentation of College of Human

Sciences titled ‘First UNISA Consultative Indaba on the UNISA Language Policy dated 10 March 2014,

envisaged, inter alia, a complete overhaul of the Preamble to ‘reflect a commitment to multilingualism and to the

development of African Languages’, ‘decisions by Council and Senate made in a consultative manner, and

including research and formal investigations’ and consultation which would ‘include some external stakeholders,

eg Convocation’.

abamalunga
nama-30
beAfrikaans
baseUNISA.

[16] AfriForum pointed out that the Senate,
at its meeting of 21 October 2015, referred
the matter back to the SLC. It lamented that
the SLC nonetheless failed at its subsequent
meeting of 11 March 2016 to address the
concerns for which the matter was remitted.
Some of those concerns were raised by
students, it was argued. But only the SRC,
which in AfriForum’s view did not represent
the students with an interest in Afrikaans
tuition and actually associated itself with the
‘Afrikaans must Fall’ student protests, was
given a hearing, to appease protesting
students and avoid student revolt, it claimed.
Thus, the SRC exerted ‘unauthorised or
unwarranted dictates’ on the review process
and no attention at all was given to the
Senate’s decision that there had been
insufficient consultation.

[16] IAfriForum yayixela into yokuba
iSinethi, kwintlanganiso yayo yowama-21
kweyeDwarha ka-2015, yayiwuphindisile lo
mcimbi kwiSLC. Yakhathazeka ke yinto
yokuba iSLC nangona kunjalo yoyisakala
kwintlanganiso yayo elandelayo yowe-11
kweyoKwindla
ngo-2016
ukuwahoya
amaxhala owawungeniselwe wona kuloo
ntlanganiso. Kwakuxeliwe ukuba amanye
aloo maxhala ayevakaliswe ngabafundi.
Kodwa kwamanyelwa iSRC kuphela, kanti
ngokwembono
yeAfriForum,
yona
yayingabamelanga
bona
abafundi
ababenomdla ekufundeni ngeAfrikaans, futhi
yayizinxulumanise
nemiqhankqalazo
yabafundi eyayisithi ‘iAfrikaans Mayiwe’;
loo
mkhethe
wawusenzelwa
ukuze
kuthonyalaliswe
abafundi
abo
babeqhankqalaza ukuze kuthintelwe uvukelo
lwabafundi, yatsho ke. Ngoko ke iSRC yaba
namandla
nefuthe
lokuphatha
‘okwakungekho
gunyeni
layo
futhi
kungafunekanga nganto’ kulaa nkqubo
yokujonga-kwakhona, akwabikho luhoyo tu
olwanikwa isigqibo seSinethi esasisithi
khange
kubekho
ludliwano-ndlebe
lwaneleyo.

[17] Regarding the Senate’s meeting of 30
March 2016, it was contended that Prof
Moche misled the Senate by holding out that
[17] Malunga
nentlanganiso
yeSinethi
yowama-30
kweyoKwinda
ku-2016,
kwakhalazwa kwathiwa uNjing Moche

the issue of the number of modules offered in
English and those offered in Afrikaans was
debated and taken into consideration by the
SLC, when this was, in fact, not done. Thus,
it was contended, the Senate resolved to
recommend the Council’s adoption of a new
LOLT on insufficient information, without
considering whether the SLC had addressed
any of the concerns that were raised at its
previous meeting; and it adopted the new
language policy without notice and proper
consultation with the persons who would be
most directly affected by it. Moreover,
neither the Senate nor the Council made any
reference
at
all
to
the
reasonable
practicability of their impugned decisions at
the relevant meetings, and the reasons for
these decisions were compiled after the fact.

wayilahlekisa iSinethi ngokuthi ingxaki
yenani leemodyuli ezazifundiswa ngesiNgesi
nezo zazifundiswa ngeAfrikaans yayiye
yaxoxwa, yanikwa umqwalasela yiSLC,
ekubeni le nto yayingazange yenzeke phofu.
Ngoko, kwakhalazwa kwathiwa, iSinethi
yagqiba kwelokuba ikhwezelele ukuba
iBhunga
limisele
ulwimi
lokufunda
nokufundisa
olutsha
lingabanga
nazinkcukacha
zaneleyo,
kungakhange
kuqwalaselwe nokuba iSLC yayiye yaxoxa
na ngawo la maxhala awayevakaliswe
kwintlanganiso yayo yangaphambili, yaza ke
yawuvuma
umgaqo-nkqubo
omtsha
ingaziswanga futhi ingabanga naludliwano-
ndlebe lufanelekileyo kunye naba bantu
babeza kuchaphazeleka ngokuthe ngqo
kakhulu nguwo. Ngaphezulu, zombini,
iSinethi neBhunga zange zibhekise kuko
konke ukusebenziseka okulula kwezi zigqibo
zabo
ziphikiswayo
kwezo
ntlanganiso
zazifanelwe zizo; ke izizathu zezi zigqibo
zabhalwa emva kokuba sezenziwe.

[18] AfriForum
further
criticised
the
Senate’s conduct at its meeting of 30 March,
alleging a breach of a number of provisions
of the Senate’s own delegated legislation,
namely Senate Rules 6.2, 11.1 and 13.1 to
13.6. These rules respectively require:

[18] IAfriForum yaqhuba ukugxeka iSinethi
ngokuziphatha kwayo kwintlanganiso yayo
yowama-30 kweyoKwindla, ityhola ngelithi
kubekho ukwaphulwa kweqela lemimiselo
yomthetho wayo ngokwayo iSinethi, le
Imigaqo YeSinethi engu-6.2, 11.1 no-13.1
ukuya ku-13.6. Ngokulandelelana kwayo le
migaqo, ifuna oku:

(a) the adoption of Senate resolutions in a
meeting at which a quorum is present;
(b) the submission of the agenda and related
documents to members of the Senate five
days before the meeting;
(c) resolutions of the Senate and its
Committees to be adopted by a majority of
the members present and on a show of hands;
(d) resolution of a matter by preferential
order vote or another procedure agreed upon
by those present;

(e) the resolution of policy matters by a two-
thirds majority of the members present; and

(f) a unanimous resolution, which must be
properly recorded, to dispense with the
procedural provisions prescribed by the
rules, if the Senate is satisfied that there is
sufficient justification therefor. AfriForum
contended that the Senate’s failure to comply
with each of these rules invalidated its
resolution and that this permeated and tainted
the resolution of the Council as well.

(a)
ukuthathwa
kwezigqibo
zeSinethi
kwintlanganiso ekhoyo kuyo ikhworam;
(b) ukunikwa kwamalungu eSinethi iajenda
kunye namaxwebhu ahamba nayo iintsuku
ezintlanu phambi kwentlanganiso leyo;
(c) ukuba izigqibo zeSinethi nezeeKomiti
zayo zenziwe luninzi lwamalungu akhoyo
kuphakanyiswa izandla;
(d) ukugqitywa komcimbi ngevoti evumela
ulandelelaniso
ngokuzikhethela
okanye
ngenye indlela- yokwenza ekuvunyelwene
ngayo ngabo bakhoyo;
(e) ukugqitywa kwemicimbi yemigaqo-
nkqubo ngesininzi esisisibini kwisithatu
samalungu akhoyo; kunye
(f) nesigqibo somntu wonke, ekufuneka
sibhalwe
ngokufanelekileyo,
sokuba
ingalandelwa imimiselo yendlela-yokwenza
ehambisana
nemigaqo
ukuba
iSinethi
yanelisekile
kukuba
iyathetheleleka
ngokwaneleyo loo nto. IAfriForum ixoxa
ngelithi ukoyisakala kweSinethi ukuthobela
le migaqo ngaminye kwaphelisa ukuba
namadla
okusebenza
kwesigqibo
sayo,
nangelithi le meko yasityhutyha yaza
yasidyobha neso seBhunga isigqibo.

[19] UNISA conceded at the outset in its
papers that the procedure it followed ‘may
not have been perfect in every respect’.
However, it contended that the procedure
was still ‘sufficiently fair to survive legal
scrutiny’.
Regarding
the
question
of
[19] IUNISA
yayivumile
ekuqaleni
kumaphepha ayo ukuba indlela-yokwenza
eyayilandelayo
‘isenokuba
yayingagqibelelanga kuyo yonke into.’
Kodwa, yaxoxa ngelithi laa ndlela-yokwenza
yayisenako
‘ukuba
yelungileyo

consultation, it admitted that it did not
consult with the public and averred that it
was not obliged ‘to separately consult with
specific parts of or groupings in the student
population in order to obtain their views,’ as
demanded by AfriForum. It sufficed, in its
view, that it consulted with each of its
constituent bodies that took part in the
decision-making
process.
It
further
highlighted that the SRC, which was engaged
in the review process, in its capacity as a
statutorily recognised and democratically
elected body that is a constituent part of the
Senate, represents all UNISA students,
including the Afrikaans speaking students.

ngokwaneleyo ukuba isinde ekugxekekeni
ngokwasemthethweni’. Malunga nendaba
yodliwano-ndlebe, yavuma ukuba zange
icebisane nowonke-wonke, yatsho isithi
yayinganyanzelekanga
‘ukuba
ithetha-
thethane
ngokwahlukeneyo
namabutho
athile
okanye
amaqela
athile
akhoyo
kwisihlwele sabafundi ukuze ifumane izimvo
zawo’ njengokunyanzelisa kweAfriforum.
Ngokokubona
kwayo,
kwakwanele
ukuthetha-thethana kwayo nayo nganye
kwiingingqi-zomelo
zayo
ezathatha
inxaxheba kuyo laa nkqubo yolwenziwo
lwezigqibo. Yacacisa ngakumbi ukuba iSRC,
eyayisebenza kulaa nkqubo yokujongwa-
kwakhona
ngokwewonga
layo
lokuba
iliqumrhu
elivunyiweyo
ngokomthetho
nelanyulwa
ngokwentando
yesininzi,
eliyinxalenye eyakha iSinethi, limele bonke
abafundi
baseUNISA,
bedibene
nabo
nabafundi abathetha iAfrikaans.

[20] UNISA denied that its decisions were
irrational, contending that it did not
‘remove’, ‘abolish’, ‘eradicate’ or ‘abandon’
or ‘do away with’ Afrikaans tuition, as
AfriForum claimed. Instead, it said, ‘the new
language policy favoured the use of English
as the language of learning and tuition at the
university, whilst placing Afrikaans on the
same footing as the other official languages
in the Republic, with tuition in Afrikaans and
the other official languages being offered
[20] IUNISA yakhanyela ukuba izigqibo
zayo bezingacingisiswanga, ixoxa ngelithi,
yona zange ‘isuse’, ‘igxothe’, ‘incothule
neengcambu’, okanye ‘iyilahle’ okanye
‘iyiphelise’
imfundo
yeAfrikaans
njengokuba isitsho iAfriForum. Endaweni
yoko, yathi, ‘lo mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
mtsha
ubeke
phambili
ukusetyenziswa
kwesiNgesi
njengolwinmi
lokufunda
nokufundisa apha kule yunivesithi, ngeli lixa
uyibeke
iAfrikaans
endaweni
efanayo

where there is capacity, with learner support,
in the student’s language, and with the intent
that the development and place [of]
Afrikaans as well as the other official
languages should be promoted’.

neyezinye
iilwimi
zasemthethweni
zeRiphablikhi, apho kuthi kufundiswe ngayo
iAfrikaans nangazo ezinye ezi iilwimi
zasemthethweni
apho
kukho
umntu
onokuyenza loo nto, ekukwakho nenkxaso
yabafundi
nolwimi
lwakhe
umfundi,
nangokuzimisela
ukuba
uphuhliso
kwanendawo yeAfrikaans kwanazo ezi
ezinye iilwimi zasemthethweni, ezo nto
zikhuthazwe’.

[21] To bolster its contention, UNISA
pointed to clause 4.2.3 of the new language
policy, which provides that ‘[w]here there is
capacity, a selected number of modules and
programmes will progressively be offered in
more than one official South African
language in order to support relevant national
policies’. This clause, it stated, ‘takes
UNISA’s new language policy into a realm
of genuine multilingualism’ because ‘the
previous language policy entrenched English
and Afrikaans whilst paying lip service to
developing other African languages, whereas
the new language policy made it possible to
offer courses in African languages as well as
Afrikaans’.

[21] Ukunika
ukomelela
kwingxoxo-
mpikiswano
yayo
iUNISA
yabhekisa
kwigatya 4.2.3 lomgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
omntsha,
elithi,
‘apho
kukho
umntu
onolwazi, inani elikhethiweyo leemodyuli
neeprogramu liya kufundiswa ngokumana
kusongezwa,
kufundiswe
ngeelwimi
zasemthethweni
ezingaphezu
kolunye,
zaseMzantsi
Afrika
ukuze
kuxhaswe
imigaqo-nkqubo efaneleneyo yesizwe’. Eli
gatya, yatsho ke, ‘liwusa umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi omtsha waseUNISA kummandla
wobulwimi-ninzi obunyanisekileyo’ kuba ‘lo
wangaphambili
umgaqo-nkqubo
wawubethelele isiNgesi kunye neAfrikaans
wabe uthetha nje ngomlomo kuphela
malunga
nokuphuhlisa
ezinye
iilwimi
zesiNtu, kanti lo mtsha umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi wayenza yaba nokwenzeka into
yokuba
kubekho
iikhosi
ezifundiswa
ngeelwimi zesiNtu nangeAfrikaans.’.

[22] UNISA further contended that the
consideration of ‘reasonable practicability’
infused the entire language policy review
process, even if it was not specifically
referenced at every turn, and was pertinently
raised at the First Consultative Indaba that
was held in the early stages, in April 2014. It
pleaded that it did not have the capacity to
offer study materials, online tuition and an
automatic translation programme, which
were being developed, in all the official
languages to bring them on par with
Afrikaans. Offering a course in both English
and Afrikaans, it contended, was not in the
interest of the ‘economies of scale’12 because
it necessitated doubling the number of
courses and splitting the student numbers
between the two courses. To illustrate its
point, UNISA provided as an example that if
a course had only ten Afrikaans students,
printing only ten study guides would be more
expensive per student than for the same
course which had a thousand English
students. Thus, it was contended, an
Afrikaans student cost UNISA more than an
African language student who studied in
English. This resulted in disproportionate
resources being spent on students studying in
Afrikaans as opposed to other students who
had to study in English because tuition was
not offered in their mother tongue. Mother
[22] IUNISA yaqhuba yaxoxa ngelithi
ukuqwalaselwa ‘kokwenzeka ngokulula’
kwayizalisa yonke laa nkqubo yokujongwa-
kwakhona
komgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi,
nokuba
kwakungasoloko
kukhankanywa
lonke ixesha; futhi kwakuye kwathethwa
ngako
ngokubalulekileyo
kwiNdibano
Yokuqala
Yodliwano-ndlebe
eyayithe
yabakho
kwizigaba
zasekuqaleni,
nngenyanga
kaTshaziimpuzi
ngo-2014.
Yacenga ke yathi ayinabo ngokwaneleyo
abantu bokunika amaxwebhu okufunda,
ukufundisa kwi-intanethi, kunye neprogramu
yoguqulo
oluhlala
lukho,
kodwa
olusakhuliswayo
kuzo
zonke
iilwimi
zasemthethweni ukuze zikhuliswe zibe
mgangathweni
mnye
neAfrikaans.
Ke,
ukufundisa ikhosi ethile ngazo zombini ezi
lwimi,
isiNgesi
neAfrikaans
kwakungazikhuthazi
‘indlela
zolungelelwaniso
kwezoqoqosho
kuba
bekusenza ukuba kufuneke ukuba ikhosi inye
ifundiswe
kabini,
baze
nabafundi
bahlulahlulwe
phakathi
kwezo
khosi
zifanayo. Ukucacisa eli nqaku, iUNISA
yenza
umzekelo
othi
ukuba
ikhosi
ibinabafundi
abalishumi
kuphela
beAfrikaans,
ukushicilela
izikhokelo-
zifundo
zabafundi
abalishumi
kuphela
bekusiba
duru
ngomfundi
ngamnye
ngaphezu kokuba kunjalo kwakuloo khosi

12 A concept which was described as applying only to the provision of distance education and means that the

greater the of students who are registered for a course, the more the cost for each individual student drops.

tongue tuition could not be reserved only for
Afrikaans students which, it was alleged,
would be better supported and have a better
chance to survive as a LOLT under the new
language policy. Existing UNISA students
receiving tuition in Afrikaans would still be
able to complete their courses in Afrikaans.
inye xa inabafundi abaliwaka besiNgesi.
Ngoko, kwaxoxwa kwathiwa, umfundi
weAfrikaans
uziindleko
kwiUNISA
ngaphezu komfundi wolwimi lwesiNtu
ofunda ngesiNgesi. Le nto yazala ukuba
kusetyenziswe
izincedi-kwenza
ezingalinganiyo nezinye kubafundi abafunda
iAfrikaans,
kungekho
njalo
kwabanye
abafundi ababenyanzelekile ukuba bona
bafunde
ngesiNgesi
ngenxa
yokuba
kwakungafundiswa
ngolwimi
lwabo
lweenkobe. Akubanga yinto enokwenzeka ke
ukuba kugcinelwe abafundi beAfrikaans
bodwa
ukufundiswa
ngolwimi
lwabo
lweenkobe,
le
kubangwa
ukuba
iya
kuxhaseka
ibe
nethuba
elingcono
lokungaphelelwa xa isebenza njengolwimi
lokufunda nokufundisa (iLOLT) phantsi
kwalo
mgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
mtsha.
Kodwa ke abafundi baseUNISA abakhoyo
ngoku ababefundiswa ngeAfrikaans baya
kuba
nako
ukuzigqiba
iikhosi
zabo
ngeAfrikaans.

[23] The high court was not persuaded by
AfriForum’s submissions. The first leg of its
application, in which it sought interim relief
in terms of Part A of its notice of motion, was
heard by Sutherland J. He dismissed the
application on the basis that the element of
irreparable harm to the affected persons had
not been established. Keightley J, who heard
the main application in the high court under
[23] INkunda ePhakamileyo zange yaneliswe
kukubaluleka
kwezimangalo
zeAFRIFORUM. Isigaba sokuqala sesicelo
sayo, apho yayicela ukumiswa okwethutyana
ngokweNdawo A yesaziso sayo sokuthatha
inyathelo, wawuchotshelwe nguSutherland J.
Yena ke wasichitha esi sicelo esithi, le ndawo
yokubeka engozini ngokungenakulungiseka
kwabo
bantu
bachaphazelekayo

Part B of AfriForum’s amended notice of
motion, was equally unimpressed by its case
and dismissed the application in its entirety.

ayicaciswanga. UKeightley J, owachophela
undoqo wesicelo eNkundleni ePhakamileyo
phantsi kweNdawo B yothatho-manyathelo
olulungisiweyo lweAfriForum naye zange
abone kubaluleka kweso simangalo sayo,
waza wawuchitha loo mcimbi.
[24] Regarding the contention that the new
language policy was unconstitutional, the
Judge accepted that UNISA changed its
language policy and resolved to offer tuition
‘only in English due to the lack of demand
and lack of capacity for Afrikaans tuition’. In
her view, language parity and the need to
treat students equitably when it came to
mother tongue tuition were ‘critical drivers’
in UNISA’s adoption of the new language
policy. She found that on the evidence it was
not reasonably practicable for UNISA, which
is committed to redressing the imbalances
that exist in languages, to offer tuition in
Afrikaans while not offering tuition in the
remaining official languages as the LOLT, as
‘the cost associated with developing all …
the languages to that level at this stage would
be prohibitive’. She held that ‘[b]oth locally
and internationally, English was the accepted
and preferred medium for communication,
academia and business. The adoption of
English as the sole LOLT under the new
policy was a matter of simple practicality’. In
sum, as she put it, ‘it was plain that the
removal of Afrikaans was justified on the
basis
of
considerations
of
equity,
[24] Malunga nembambano yokuba lo
mgaqo-nkqubo
mtsha
awuhambisani
nomgaqo-siseko,
iJaji
yangaphambili
yayiqale yayivuma into yokuba iUNISA
yawutshintsha umgaqo-nkqubo wayo yaza
yagqiba kwelokuba ifundise ‘ngesiNgesi
kuphela ngenxa yokuba kungekho bafundi
baninzi
nabantu
baneleyo
bokufundisa
ngeAfrikaans’.
Ngokwembono
yayo,
ulinganiso ngokweelwimi kunye nemfuneko
yokuba abafundi baphatheke ngobulungisa
obulungeleleneyo,
xa
kufikwa
ekufundisweni
ngolwimi
lweenkobe,
yayizezona ‘zimeko zibukhali’ ekumiseleni
kweUNISA lo mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
mtsha.
Wafumanisa
ukuba
ngokobo
bungqina kwakungekho lula ukwenzeka
ukuba iUNISA, ezimisele ukulungisa iimeko
zokungalungelelani ezikhoyo kwiilwimi,
ikwazi ukufundisa ngeAfrikaans ekubeni
ingafundisi
ngazo
ezinye
ezi
iilwimi
zasemthethweni
njengoko
‘iindleko
ezinxulumene nokuziphuhlisa zonke … ezi
lwimi
de
kube
kwelaa
nqwanqwa
okwangoku ziya kugqithisa’. Wayithetha
into yokuba ‘apha ekhaya kanti nakwizizwe
ngezizwe isiNgesi lulwimi olukhethwayo

practicability and the need to redress the
results of past racially discriminatory laws
and practices, as required under section 29(2)
and in accordance with the principles laid
down by the Constitutional Court’. The court
thus concluded that the new language policy
did not violate s 29(2).

lukhethelwa
uqhakamshelwano,
nezemfundo, nezamashishini. Ukumiselwa
kwesiNgesi sibe kuphela kolwimi lokufunda
nokufundisa phantsi kwalo mgaqo-nkqubo
mtsha
kwakukusebenzisa
umgqaliselo
‘wokwenzeka
lula’.
Ukushwankathela,
ngokutsho kwakhe, ‘kwakucace phandle
ukuba
ukususwa
kweAfrikaans
kwakuthetheleleka ngenxa yokuqwalasela
ukulungiselelwa ngokulinganayo, nokuba
nokwenzeka, kunye nemfuneko yokulungisa
iziphumo
zemithetho
yocalucalulo
ngokobuhlanga
nezenzo
zalo
zexesha
eladlulayo, njengoko kutshiwoyo phantsi
kwesolotya lama-29(2) mangokuhambelana
nemigqaliselo
eyabekwa
yiNkundla
YoMgaqo-siseko’. Laa nkundla ke ngoko
yagqiba kwelokuba laa mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha
wawungalinyhasi isolotya u-s 29(2).

[25] The high court further dismissed
AfriForum’s argument that the adoption of
the new language policy was not rational. In
its view, the review process conducted by
UNISA since 2013, including the language
colloquium, research and continuous debate
in the SLC, the Senate and in the wider
university
community,
could
not
be
‘impugned by the alleged paucity of
information before the Senate and the
Council when the policy was ultimately
adopted.  The legality complaint based on the
alleged failure by the SLC to consult affected
[25] INkundla le iPhakamileyo yaqhubeka
ukuyichitha ingxoxo yeAfriForum ethi
ukumiselwa
komgaqo-nkqubo
oomtsha
kwakungacingisiswanga.
Ngokwembono
yayo
inkqubo
yokujongwa-kwakhona
eyenziwa yiUNISA ukususela ngo-2013,
equka imboniswano malunga nolwimi,
uphando,
kwaneengxoxo
ezingapheziyo
kwiSLC,
nakwiSinethi,
nakuluntu
lwaseyunivesithi
zizinto
ezazingenako
‘ukuphikiswa
ngenxa
yeenkcukacha
ekubangwa ukuba zazingaphelelanga ezaya
kwiSinethi nakwiBhunga xa wawude waba

persons, and the procedural irregularities
relating to the Senate’s meeting of 30 March
2016, namely the breaches of the Senate’s
rules,13 was given short shrift. The high court
found that there was evidence of extensive
consultation with the relevant institutional
stakeholders over a number of years before
the adoption of the new policy. It also
accepted
UNISA’s
evidence
that
all
members of the Senate were fully acquainted
with the content of the draft language policy
when it was discussed and adopted at that
meeting and that there was substantial
compliance with the rules. In any event, held
the court, even if the rules were breached,
considerations of certainty, finality and
practicality would still save the adoption of
the new language policy from being set aside.
Otherwise, ‘to turn the clock back would
have obvious practical resource and costs
implications for UNISA for the benefit of an
ever-diminishing small number of students’.

uyamkelwa
umgaqo-nkqubo
lowo.
Isikhalazo esingobumthethweni esisekwe
kwinto ekuthiwa kukoyisakala kweSLC
ukudlana
indlebe
nabantu
abachaphazelekayo
kunye
nezigingqi
zendlela-yokwenza malunga nentlanganiso
yeSinethi yowama-30 kweyoKwindla ngo-
2016, ukwaphulwa kwemigaqo yeSinethi,14
naso sathiwa qwaka-qwaka nje sajulwa
phaya. Inkundla ephakamileyo yafumanisa
ukuba babukhona ubungqina bodliwano-
ndlebe olubanzi nabantu abaneenxaxheba
phaya eyunivesithi ngethuba leminyaka
eliqela phambi kokumiselwa kwawo lo
mgaqo-nkqubo
mtsha.
Yabamkela
nobungqina
beUNISA
bokuba
onke
amalungu
eSinethi
ayeqhelaniseke
ngokupheleleyo
nesiqulathi
salomgaqo-
nkqubo wolwimi lo xa yayixoxwa, yaza
yamiselwa
kulaa
ntlanganiso,
futhi
kwakukho uthobelo oluninzi lwemithetho.
Phofu ke, yatsho inkundla, nokuba imigaqo
yayaphulwe, ukuqwalaselwa kwengqiniseko,
nokuba sekugqibeleni, nokuba nokwenzeka
kwakusaya
kukuhlangula
ukumiselwa
komgaqo-nkqubo
lo
mtsha
wolwimi
kuwenze ungabekwa bucala. Kungenjalo
‘ukubuyisa
ixesha
umva
kwakuya
kuyingenisa
ezingxakini
ezininzi
zokusebenza nezezincedisi-kwenza iUNISA

13 Proclaimed in terms of s 32 of the ‘Statute of the University of South Africa, GN R 108, GG 28464, 3 February
2006’.
14 Made in terms of s 32 of the ‘Statute of the University of South Africa, GN R 108, GG 28464, 3 February 2006’.

kulungelwe kuphela abafundi abanani labo
lihleli lisiya lisehla’.

[26] On appeal before us, the issues were
pared down to whether
(a) the impugned decisions contravened s
29(2) of the Constitution;
(b) the Senate did not follow its rules, in
breach of the principle of legality; and

(c) UNISA did not consult the persons most
affected by the new language policy, in
breach of the principle of procedural
rationality.
AfriForum
contended
that
UNISA’s review process and the new
language policy fell short in respect of each
of these aspects.

[26] Kwisibheno esasiphambi kwethu, le
micimbi yayibekwe ngolu hlobo: Ingaba
(a) ezi zigqibo ziphikiswayo zazinxamnye na
no s 29(2) woMgaqo-siseko,
(b) iSinethi yayingayilandelanga imigaqo
yayo, ibe ke njalo yayaphule umgqaliselo
wobumthethweni, nokuba
(c) iUNISA zange idlane ndlebe nabona
bantu babechaphazeleka ngakumbi ngulo
mgaqo-nkqubo,
olo
ilulwaphulo
lomgqaliselo wokucingisiswa kwendlela-
yokwenza. IAfriForum yaxoxa ngelithi
inkqubo yeUNISA yokujongwa-kwakhona
kunye nomgaqo-nkqubo lo mtsha wolwimi
zazisilela ngazo zombini ezindawo.

[27]  Regarding issue (a), it was contended
for UNISA that the new language policy
constituted an attempt at a reasonable
measure to make education progressively
available and accessible to all, on an
equitable basis, taking into account the
practicability of a single medium English
tuition, the dwindling demand for Afrikaans
tuition, the responsibility not to continue
entrenching historical privileges accorded to
Afrikaans which were no longer justified by
student numbers, and the alternative of
unqualified multi-medium tuition not yet
being
reasonably
feasible
owing
to
constrained resources. Thus, it accorded with
[27] Malunga
nomcimbi
oku-(a),
kwaxoxelwa iUNISA ngelithi, lo mgaqo-
nkqubo
mtsha
wawungumzamo
owawunesizathu
esivakalayo
wokwenza
ukuba
imfundo
iye
ibheka
phambili
ukufumaneka, nokufikeleleka, kuye wonke
ubani,
ngokolungiselelo
okunolingwano,
kuqwalaselwa
ukuba
nokwenzeka
kokufundisa nolwimi lokufundisa olunye,
olusisiNgesi,
njengoko
kwakubonakala
ukuba iAfrikaans iya iphelelwa kukufunwa
ukuba kufundwe ngayo, kuqwalaselwa
noxanduva
lokuthintela
ukuqhubeka
ukubethelela
ukulungelwa
calanye
okusezimbalini zeli lizwe okwakunikwe

s 29(2). Issue (b) was dismissed on the basis
that AfriForum had no standing to complain
about any non-compliance with the Senate’s
rules, which were in fact observed, but would
not have vitiated the impugned decisions in
any event. As to issue (c), it was contended
once more that considerations of rationality
did not oblige UNISA to consult with
existing or prospective students who studied
in Afrikaans and that its consultations with
the institutional bodies sufficed.

iAfrikaans,
okwakungasenakuthetheleleka
ngamanani abafundi bayo, ekubeni ke enye
indlela
le
yokufundisa
ngokungathandabuzisiyo
ngolwimi-ninzi
iseyinto
engekabi
nakwenzeka
ngokuyimbadla ngenxa
yokunqaphazeka
kweizincedisi-kwenza. Ngaloo ndlela ke
kwathiwa
iyahambelana
no-s
29(2).
Umcimbi oku-(b) wachithwa kusithiwa
iAfriForum ayinamhlaba wakuma ikhalaze
ngako
nakuphi
na
ukungathotyelwa
kwemigaqo
yeSinethi,
eyaye
eneneni
yenziwe, kodwa nokuba kwakungenjalo laa
migaqo yayingasoze iyenze mbi imeko yezaa
zizathu ziphikiswayo. Ke wona umcimbi (c)
kwathiwa ngawo ukuqwalaselwa kokuba
ucingisisiwe
na,
kwakungayinyanzeli
iUNISA ukuba mayidlane iindlebe nabafundi
ababekho okanye ababeza kuza ababefunda
ngeAfrikaans nokuba ukudlana iindlebe
kwayo
namaqumrhu
angaweziko
eliya
kwakwanele.

[28] I deal first with the question whether
UNISA gave effect to the right of its
Afrikaans students, enshrined in s 29(2),
when it made the impugned decisions. The
provisions read:
‘Everyone has the right to receive education in
the official language or languages of their choice
in public educational institutions where that
education is reasonably practicable. In order to
ensure
the
effective
access
to,
and
implementation of, this right, the state must
[28] Mna ngoku into endiqala ngayo
ukuyiqwalasela
ngumbuzo
othi
ingaba
iUNISA yalihoya yalisebenzisa na ilungelo
labafundi bayo beAfrikaans, lungelo elo
limiliselwe ngokukhuselekileyo ku-s 29(2)
ngokuya ngokuya yayisenza ezaa zigqibo
zayo ziphikisekayo. Imimiselo leyo ifundeka
ngolu hlobo:
‘Wonke ubani unalo ilungelo lokufumana
imfundo ngolwimi lwasemthethweni okanye
ngeelwimi
zasemthethweni
azikhethele

consider all reasonable educational alternatives,
including single medium institutions, taking into
account–

(a)  equity;
(b)  practicability; and
(c)  the need to redress the results of past racially
discriminatory laws and practices.’

ngokwakhe kumaziko karhulumente emfundo
apho loo mfundo inako ukwenzeka lula noko.
Ukuze kuqinisekiswe ufikeleleko olunembadla
kulo eli lungelo, nokusetyenziswa kwalo,
urhulumente kufuneka eqwalasele zonke iindawo
zemfundo
zokukhetha
kuzo,
eziquka
ezo
zifundisa ngolwimi olunye, kuhoywe nendaba–
(a) yolungiselelo olunolingano;
(b)  neyokuba nokwenzeka; kunye
(c) nemfuneko yokuba kulungiswe iziphumo
zemithetho
yocalu-calulo
yangaphambili
nezenzo ezazihamba nezothe.’

[29] It is readily apparent from the wording
of its provisions that s 29(2) entails an
enforceable right against the State to provide
education in the language of choice where
this is ‘reasonably practicable’.15 The
Constitutional
Court
described
the
constitutional
test
of
‘reasonable
practicability’ in determining whether the
right in s 29(2) may be invoked in Head of
Department: Mpumalanga Department of
Education and Another v Hoërskool Ermelo
and Another. It said:16

‘[T]he reasonableness standard built into section
29(2)(a)
imposes
a
context-sensitive
understanding of each claim for education in a
[29] Kuzicacele kwakwindlela abhalwe
ngayo u-s 29(2) ukuba uphethe ilungelo
elifanelwe
kukusetyenziswa
ngokunyanzelwa
kukarhulumente
ukuba
abonelele ngemfundo efunda ngolwimi
lokuzikhethela apho le nto ‘inokwenzeka
ngokulula’.
Inkundla
Yomgaqo-Siseko
yayichaza
indlela
yoMgaqo-siseko
yokuvavanya ‘ukuba nokwenzeka okulula’
ekuqwalaselenei ukuba elaa lungelo liku-s
29(2)
lingenziwa
lisebenze,
kwityala
ekuthiwa
ukubizwa
kalo:
Head
of
Department: Mpumalanga Department of
Education and Another v Hoërskool Ermelo
and Another. Kwelo tyala yathi leNkundla:
‘Umgangatho wolwenzeko olulula omiliselwe
ku-29(2)(a) unyanzelisa ukuba kufuneka umntu
ngamnye ajonge le ndawo aza kuwusebenzisa

15 Gelyke Kanse and Others v Chairperson of the Senate of the University of Stellenbosch and Others [2019]
ZACC 38; 2020 (1) SA 368 (CC) para 22.
16 Head of Department: Mpumalanga Department of Education and Another v Hoërskool Ermelo and Another
[2009] ZACC 32; 2010 (2) SA 415 (CC); 2010 (3) BCLR 177 (CC) para 52. See also Mazibuko and Others v City
of Johannesburg and Others [2009] ZACC 28; 2010 (4) SA 1 (CC) para 47; Jaftha v Schoeman and Others 2005
(2) SA 140 (CC) paras 31-34.

language of choice. An important consideration
will always be whether the State has taken
reasonable and positive measures to make the
right to basic education increasingly available
and accessible to everyone in a language of
choice. It must follow that when a learner already
enjoys the benefit of being taught in an official
language of choice the State bears the negative
duty not to take away or diminish the right
without appropriate justification.’

kuyo, aqonde ukuba kuloo ndawo inako na
ukwenzeka le nto ayifunayo, le yokufunda
ngolwimi oluthile azikhetheleyo. Into eya
kuhlala ibalulekile kukuba kuqwalaselwe ukuba
uRhulumente kukho mizamo inembadla na
nencedayo ayenzayo kuloo ndawo, imizamo
yokwenza ilungelo lemfundo esisiseko liye
linyuka
ukufumaneka
nokufikeleleka
kuye
wonke
ubani
ngolwimi
azikhethela
lona.
Kufuneka ke into emayilandele ibe kukuba
uRhulumente uqinisekisa ukuba xa umfundi sele
elifumene eli lungelo lokufundiswa ngolwimi
lwasemthethweni azikhethele lona, uRhulumente
ngumsebenzi wakhe ukuba agade angalisusi
okanye alinciphise elo gunya kuloo mfundi,
angayenzi
loo
nto
engabekanga
zizathu
zivakalayo’.

[30] In light of the fact that UNISA students
could elect to be taught in Afrikaans in
respect of some modules when the new
language policy was adopted, UNISA bears
the negative obligation of establishing
appropriate justification for taking away their
right to receive tuition in the language of
their choice. And in doing so, it must show
that it was not reasonably practicable’ to
sustain the dual English/Afrikaans tuition.
The enquiry into whether s 29(2) has been
complied with is objective. This Court held
in University of the Free State v AfriForum,17
that the requirement contains both factual
and legal elements – the latter, the legal
[30] Ke njengokuba abafundi baseUNISA
babenako
ukukhetha
ukufundiswa
ngeAfrikaans iimodyuli ezithile wakuba
umiselwe
laa
mgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
mtsha, iUNISA ke ngumsebenzi wayo ukuba
ize nezizathu ezifanelekileyo zokuba ilisuse
eli lungelo labo kubo, eli lokuba bafumane
imfundo
ngolwimi
abazikhethele
lona.
Kunjalo nje, xa isenza le nto, kufuneka
ibonise
ukuba
‘kwakungenakwenzeka
ngokulula’ ukuhlala iyigicinile imfundo
kalwimi-mbini
engesiNgesi/neAfrikaans.
Ukubuzisa
ukuba
ingaba
u-s
29(2)
wathotyelwa na kusisenzo esingenachuku.
Ke njengokuba le Nkundla yatshoyo kule

17 University of the Free State v AfriForum and Another [2017] ZASCA 32; 2017 (4) SA 283 (SCA) para 26.

standard of reasonableness, to be tested
against constitutional norms which include
equity, redress, desegregation and non-
racialism,
and
the
former
entails
practicability, which is concerned with
resource constraints and the feasibility of
adopting a particular language policy.

indaba: University of the Free State v
AfriForum,18 into esiyifunayo iqulethe izinto
eziziinyani, nezizezomthetho – ezi zesibini,
ezizezomthetho, zezalo  mgangatho wokuba
lula ngokusemthethweni; zona kufuneka
zivavanywe ngokwemimiselo
yoMgaqo-
siseko equka ulungiselelo ngokolingwano,
ukulungiswa,
ukupheliswa
kocalucalulo,
nokungabikho kwempathwano ngobuhlanga;
ezi zokuqala zikokwaa kujonga imo yokuba
nokwenzeka, yona ke ichaphazeleka zizinto
ezinjengokunqongophala
kwezincedisi-
kwenza nokuba lula kangakanani ukumisela
umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi othile.

[31] As mentioned above, AfriForum
complained that UNISA failed to provide
‘appropriate justification’ for abrogating its
students’ right to be taught in Afrikaans. The
principles underlying s 29(2) were not
explicitly considered in the final meetings of
the SLC, Senate and Council which
culminated in the adoption of the new
language
policy.
‘[R]easonable
practicability’ was also not mentioned in
UNISA’s reasons for the decision. Without in
any way underrating the substance of these
submissions, there is, however, a bigger
hurdle for UNISA in this regard, even
assuming that ‘reasonable practicability’
remained a consideration in the review
process as it strenuously contended.
[31] Njengokua kukhankanyiweyo apha
ngentla, iAfriForum yayikhalazela ukuba
iUNISA
yoyisakala
ukuxela
‘izizathu
neenkcazo
ezifanelekileyo’
zokwaphula
ilungelo labafundi bayo lokuba bafundiswe
ngeAfrikaans. Imigqaliselo eseke u-s 29(2)
zange
iqwalaselwe
ngokuphandle
kwiintlanganiso
zokugqibela
zeSLC,
nezeSinethi, nezeBhunga, ezi yaba zizo
eziphela
zikuvuma
ukumiselwa
kwalo
mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha; kanjalo ‘imo
yokwenzeka ngokulula’ zange ikhankanywe
nayo kwizizathu zeUNISA zaso esi sigqibo.
Andizithathi ngokungathi azinaxabiso ezi
ntetho zeUNISA; kodwa ndithi kukho,
nakuba kunjalo, umqobo othe kratya ukuba
mkhulu elindwe nguwo iUNISA kulo mba,

18 University of the Free State v AfriForum and Another [2017] ZASCA 32; 2017 (4) SA 283 (SCA) para 26.

nditsho naxa sesinokuyicingela into yokuba
‘imo yokwenzeka ngokulula’ yaqwalaselwa
ngexesha besenza ukujongwa kwakhona
komgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
wabo
wangaphambili,
njengokuba
begxininisa
kanobom ukuba bayiqwalasela le mo.

[32] Criticism voiced against the SLC and
Senate for failing to address s 29(2),
especially in view of the guidelines which
provided for a methodical discontinuation of
Afrikaans module by module, the new policy
adopting as a principle and purpose the
importance of mother tongue education, and
that Afrikaans has developed to an equal
status with English as an academic language,
fully capable of giving effect to this
principle, drew a concerning response from
UNISA. In her supplementary answering
affidavit, the SLC’s chairperson, Prof
Moche, stated that the considerations
prescribed by s 29(2) ‘would arguably be
relevant to the State when it is required to
fulfil its responsibility … to ensure the
effective access to and implementation of the
right concerned, but are not relevant to
UNISA when [it] determines its language
policy’. This was so, she went on, because
‘[a]s opposed to the State, UNISA is not
liable to ensure the effective access to, and
implementation of the right concerned’.

[32] Isigxeko esibekwa iSLC neSinethi
ngenxa yokoyisakala kwazo ukuhoya u-s
29(2),
ngakumbi
ngenxa
yokubakho
kwezalathandlela ezaye zenza kwabakho
indlela
equlunqekileyo
yokupheliswa
kweAfrikaans, ngemodyuli emva kwenye, lo
mgaqo-nkqubo
mtsha,
ngokuthatha
njengomgqaliselo
kunye
nenjongo,
ukubaluleka
kwemfundo
ngolwimi
lweenkobe, nale nto yokuba iAfrikaans sele
yaphuhliseka yafika kwiwonga elilinganayo
nelesiNgesi njengolwimi lobumfundimani,
olukwazi ngokuzeleyo ukuwenza usebenze
lo mgqaliselo, njengoko yatsho iAfriForum,
eso
sigxeko
sahlangana
nempendulo
exhalabisayo
ephuma
kwiUNISA.
Kuxwebhu
lobungqina
bakhe
obongezelelweyo, usihlalo weSLC, uNjing
Moche, waxela ukuba ezaa ngqwalasela
ezimiselwe
ngu-s
29(2)
‘kungaxoxwa
kuthiwe ziya kuba nokungena kuRhulumente
xa kufuneka ukuba enze uxanduva lwakhe …
ukuqinisekisa ufikeleleko olunomphumela
kulo, nokusebenziseka kwalo, eli lungelo
sibhekisa kulo, kodwa azingeni ndawo
kwiUNISA xa iziqingqela umgaqo-nkqubo

wolwimi wayo’. Uhambise wathi, le nto
injalo,
kuba
‘ngokungafaniyo
noRhulumente,
iUNISA
ayinaxanduva
lokuqinisekisa ufikeleleko olunemiphumela
kulo, nasekusetyenzisweni kwalo, eli lungelo
kubhekiswa kulo’.

[33] This interpretation does not, however,
conform with the meaning which the
Constitutional Court has ascribed to s 29(2)
and the ambit of its application. In AfriForum
and another v University of the Free State,19
the Court stated unequivocally that ‘[s]ection
29 of the Constitution applies in its totality to
the education sector’20 and that ‘no sound
legal basis exists for the isolation of parts of
s 29(2) in seeking to understand the totality
of
the
requirement
of
‘reasonable
practicability’ as its different parts are
mutually reinforcing.21 The court went to
define the meaning of the ‘reasonableness’
envisaged in these provisions as follows:

‘Reasonableness within the context of s 29(2)
demands that equity, practicability and the
critical need to undo the damage caused by racial
[33] Le ndlela yokucacisa ayihambelani ke
kodwa nentsingiselo enikwe yiNkundla
Yomgaqo-siseko
uyinika
u-s
29(2)
kwanommandla
wosebenziseko
lwayo.
Kwityala elibizwa kanje, AfriForum and
another v University of the Free State,
iNkunda yatsho ngokuvakala phandle ukuba
‘Isolotya u-29 loMgaqo-siseko lisebenza
lonke
ngobunjalo
balo
kwicandelo
lezemfundo.’
Nokuba
‘akukho
sizathu
siphilileyo ngokwasemthethweni sokwahlula
mhlaba
wasemthethweni
uphilileyo
sokwahlula ngazine iindawo zika-s 29(2)
ekuzameni ukuqonda zonke ziphelele izinto
ezihamba
nale
nto
yokuba
kufuneka
iqwalaselwe ‘imo yokwenzeka ngokulula’
kuba kaloku iindawo zayo ezahlukileyo
zinikana amandla. Inkundla yaya kuchaza
intsingiselo ‘yokuba lula ngokweemeko
ezivumayo’ le exelwa kule mimiselo ngale
ndlela ilandelayo:

19 AfriForum and Another v University of the Free State [2017] ZACC 48; 2018 (2) SA 185 (CC) para 50.
20 Ibid para 46.
21 Ibid para 45; Ermelo fn 15 para 52.

discrimination, also be the intrinsic features of
the decision-making process relating to effective
access to education in a language of choice. For
they are some of the decisive factors to which
regard must be had even where ‘a learner already
enjoys the benefit of being taught in an official
language of choice’.

‘Ubulula
bokwenzeka
ngokweemeko
ezivumayo’ apha ku-s 29(2) buthetha ukubakho
kolungiselelo
ngokolingwano,
ukuba
nokwenzeka, kunye nale mfuno ibaluleke gqitha
yokuba
kususwe
umonakalo
owabangelwa
lucalulo
ngokobuhlanga,
kwaneempawu
ezendeleyo
zenkqubo
yokwenza
izigqibo
ezibhekisa
kufikeleleko
olunemiphumela
emfundweni ngolwimi ozikhetheleyo. Kuba
zikhona ezi meko zimele ukusetyenziswa
ukwenza izigqibo ezithile, ezo meko zifuna
ukujongwa kanye nalapho umfundi sele enayo le
nto
ilungileyo
yokufundiswa
‘ngolwimi
lwasemthethweni azikhethele lona.’

[34] Suffice it to say that UNISA’s
understanding of its responsibility under s
29(2) was fallacious. It ineluctably suggests
that the institution did not properly
comprehend the implications of the right to
receive education in the official language of
one’s choice, the constitutional parameters
within which its powers had to be exercised,
and the precise ambit of responsibility which
s 29(2) imposed upon it, when it reviewed its
language policy and adopted a new one. This,
of necessity, affects the validity of the
decision to adopt the new policy.

[34] Kwanele ke apha ukuba sitsho ukuba
indlela
iUNISA
eyayiluqonda
ngayo
uxanduva lwayo phantsi kuka-s 29(2)
yayineziphene.  Ikwenza ungabi nakuzinceda
ukucinga ukuba eli ziko lalingaziqondi
ngokufanelekileyo izinto ezizalwa lilungelo
lokuba ufumane imfundo ngolo lwimi
lwasemthethweni ozikhetheleyo, abayiqondi
nemida yomgaqo-siseko ekufanele ukuba
igunya lalo eli lungelo lisetyenziswe kuyo,
kanti nobungakanani obuthe ngqo, ncam
bomhlaba woxanduva lwalo, ezabekwa ngu-
s 29(2) kuyo iUNISA mhla yajonga-
kwakhona umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi wayo
yaza yamisela omtsha umgaqo-nkqubo.

[35] There is a further chink in UNISA’s
armour. The considerations upon which it
relied to prove that it was not ‘reasonably
practicable’ to continue with dual-medium
[35] Kukho esinye isikroba kwisikrweqe
seUNISA.
Leyo
yile
miqwalasela
yayiqamele
ngayo
ukuze
ikwazi
ukubonakalisa
ukuba
kwakungekho

tuition, were the cost-saving that it claimed
would be generated by offering tuition in
English only which could be used to develop
the other official languages and would avoid
giving
Afrikaans
students
preferential
treatment by offering tuition in their mother
tongue, while mother tongue tuition was not
available to non-Afrikaans and English
speaking students.

‘ukwenzeka
ngokulula’
ukuba
iqhube
ngemfundo
kalwimi-mbini,
nokuba
ukungaqhubi nayo kuyinceda ekuphunguleni
iindleko
ngokuthi
ifundise
ngesiNgesi
kuphela ize isebenzise loo mali iyigcinileyo
ekuphuhliseni
ezinye
iilwimi
zasemthethweni, nokwa kukwazi ukuthintela
ukunika abafundi beAfrikaans ukuphatheka
okukhethekileyo ngokufundisa ngeAfrikaans
ngeli lixa ufundo ngolwimi lweenkobe
lungafumaneki
kubafundi
abangathethi
Afrikaans,
kwanokwehla
kwamanani
abafundi abafunda ngeAfrikaans.

[36] The first problem is that none of these
issues was discussed at the final meeting of
the SLC, Senate and Council in which it was
resolved to adopt the new policy, as the
relevant minutes show. Regarding cost-
saving, the only reference is to a document
titled ‘Template for Council Documents’,
which served before Council in a meeting of
22 April 2016. It reads:

‘3. BUDGET / FINANCIAL IMPACT
The financial impact of the amendments will be
a reduction in the operational budget for the
printing and despatch of study material. The use
[36] Ingxaki yokuqala ke yile yokuba ezi
zinto akukho nanye yazo ezakhe zaxoxwa
kwiintlanganiso
zokugqibela
yeSLC,
neyeSinethi, neyeBhunga apho kwakuye
kwagqitywa ekubeni umiselwe lo mgaqo-
nkqubo
mtsha,
njengoko
imizuzu
yezintlanganiso
ibonisa.
Malunga
nokunciphisa iindleko, imibhalo yakhona
ibonakalisa ukuba kwathethwa kwaba kanye
kuphela
ngale
nyewe,
kuxwebhu
olunetayitile ethi, ‘Template for Council
Documents’ Elo xwebhu lalibekwe etafileni
phambi
kweBhunga
kwintlanganiso
yowama-22 kuTshaziimpuzi ka-2016. Elo
nqaku lifundeka ngolu hlobo:
‘3.
ISICWANGCISO-MALI
/
ISIPHUMO
NGAKWEZEMALI
Isiphumo
sezi
zilungiso
esiphathelele
kwezemali
siya
kuba
kukuncipha
kwesicwangciso-mali sokusebenza ebesenzelwe

of one language only will reduce these costs
when the language policy is implemented.’
The challenge posed by this entry is that it is not
explained anywhere in UNISA’s papers and there
is no indication at all that it was debated at the
relevant meeting. This is despite AfriForum’s
pertinent challenge in its supplementary affidavit
(in terms of Uniform Rule 53(4)) that ‘there is no
costing whatsoever to arrive at a rational
comparison of costs with or without the cost of
retaining Afrikaans … [no consideration of the
fact that] if a student elected to proceed in
English and joined a module with more than 100
students, the cost of printing and despatch would
increase because such a student would be entitled
to receive hard copy study material … [t]here is
no costing of the “scaffolding”.’

ukushicilela
nokuhanjiswa
kwamaxwebhu
okufunda. Ukusetyenziswa kolwimi olunye
kuphela kuya kuziphungula ezi ndleko wakuba lo
mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi sele usetyenziswa.’
Ingxaki
ebekwa
leli
nqaku
yile
yokuba
alicaciswanga naphina kumaphepha aseUNISA,
kwaye akukho nento ebonisayo tu ukuba kwakhe
kwaxoxwa
ngayo
nakuloo
ntlanganiso
kwimizuzu yayo. Le nto yenzeka nangona
iAfriForum
sele
iyicele
umngeni
ngokugxininisayo kwixwebhu lobungqina bayo
obusisixokomezelo (ngokoMgaqo Wofaniso u-
53(4)) isithi akukho kubala zindleko kwakha
kwenziwa nje tu, okwenza ukuba kufikelelwe
ekuthelekiseni iindleko ngendlela eqiqisisiweyo,
apho zikhoyo, nalapho zingekhoyo iindleko
zokuyeka ihlale ikho iAfrikaans … [akukho
ngqwalasela yale nyaniso yokuba] ukuba
umfundi uye wakhetha ukuqhubela phambili
ngesiNgesi, waza wajoyina imodyuli enabafundi
abangaphezulu kwe-100, iindleko zokushicilela
nokuthumela ziya kwanda kuba loo mfundi uya
kuba efanele kakade ukuba afumane amaxwebhu
aprintiweyo ezifundo …  akukho kubala zindleko
kunjalo zalo “olo phahla”.’

[37] Moreover, AfriForum’s undisputed
contention that Afrikaans study guides were
not printed but were made available and
accessible online, so that the cost of printing
would be borne by the student instead of
UNISA, was not addressed. UNISA merely
alleged that economies of scale are lost when
course materials have to be printed in many
languages. This obviously did not apply
when the study guides were made available
[37] Ngaphezulu, ukungavumelani nabo
kweAfriForum okungenakuphikiswa okuthi
izikhokelo-zifundo
zeAfrikaans
zazingashicilelwanga,
kodwa
zazenziwe
zafumaneka zaza zafikeleleka kwi-intanethi,
nto leyo ithetha ukuba ke iindleko zoshicilelo
zaziya kuba zezomfundi, endaweni yokuba
zibe zezeUNISA, zange kuhoywe. I-UNISA
yavele yathetha nje ityhola ukuba iindlela
zolungelelwaniso kwezoqoqosho ziyalahleka

online. As AfriForum pointed out, UNISA
never assessed the commercial viability of
the approximately 300 modules offered in
Afrikaans in comparison to the average
commercial viability of about 2 300 modules
offered in English. I agree that an equitable
comparison would have been one comparing
the commercial viability of the 300 Afrikaans
modules to the 300 least profitable modules
offered in English, as part of the exercise.
This was not done.

xa kufuneka ukuba kushicilelwe izinto-
kufunda
zeekhosi
zishicilelwe
zibe
kwiilwimi ezininzi. Kodwa ke le ingxoxo
ngokucacileyo yayingangeni ndawo xa
izikhokelo-zifundo zazenziwe zafumaneka
ngeintanethi.
Njengoko
yatshoyo
iAfriForum, iUNISA zange ikhe yenze
luhlolo
lokujonga
igalelo
kwezemali
elenziwa zezi modyuli zimalunga nama-300
ezifundiswa ngeAfrikaans ize ithelekise
nelenziwa ziimodyuli ezimalunga nama-2
300 ezifundiswa ngesiNgesi. Ndiyayivuma
into
yokuba
uthelekiso
olunolinganiso
beluya
kuba
luthelekiso
lokusebenza
kweemodyuli ezingama--300 zeAfrikaans
kolwemodyuli ezingama-300 lweemodyuli
ezinenzuzo eninzi ezifundiswa ngesiNgesi
njengenxalenye yolo thelekiso. Lento zange
yenziwe.

[38] UNISA also did not explain why
Afrikaans modules could not be cross-
subsidised by English modules in terms of
the common feature of university funding.
AfriForum stated, without any challenge,
that many university courses, such as
philosophy, French and their ilk, are not
commercially viable, as
the cost
of
presenting them cannot be covered by the
revenues they generate because of the low
numbers of students who register for these
courses. But they are still offered because
they are of strategic and national importance,
[38] IUNISA kanjalo zange icacise ukuba
kwakutheni
iimodyuli
zeAfrikaans
zingenakuhlawulelwa kwimali yezesiNgesi
ngokwendlela
edibanisayo
yoniko-mali
yiyunivesithi.
IAfriForum
yaxela,
ayaphikiseka,
ukuba
iikhosi
ezininzi
zaseyunivesithi,
ezifana
nefilosofi,
isiFrentshi, nezinye ezilolu didi, azingenisi
njengoko iindleko zokuba nazo zingenako
ukuhlawulelwa kwiimali ezivela ngazo
ngenxa
yokuba
mbalwa
kwabafundi
abazibhaliselayo. Kodwa ziyafundiswa kuba
ukubaluleka
kwazo
kokwesizwe

enhance
the
university’s
intellectual
environment, and are cross-subsidised by the
more popular courses which are highly
profitable owing to the large student numbers
who take them, and the attendant economies
of scale. It is well to bear in mind that even if
the removal of Afrikaans as a LOLT would
result in a cost saving, that it would not
necessarily render the decision to adopt the
new language policy compliant with the test
in s 29(2), which has a normative content that
goes beyond the availability of resources.
Nevertheless, UNISA failed to support its
reliance on resource constraints because the
figures it produced were not substantiated:
there
was
no
record
showing
any
investigation or research with reference to
proper data and the source of such data. It did
not establish that it was not ‘reasonably
practicable’ from a commercial standpoint to
continue to offer tuition in Afrikaans.

nokwezicwangciso-ezinobulumko,
zinegalelo
kudidi
oluphezulu
lobomi
baseyunivesithi kwezobunkcuba-buchopho.
Zithi ke zihlawuleleke zezinye iikhosi ezi
zithandwa kakhulu zona, ezithi ke zingenise
inzuzo enkulu ngenxa yokuba baninzi
kwabafundi
abazithathayo,
kwakunye
nezoqoqosho lolungelelwano olusisiphumo
soko. Kuya kuba kuhle ukuba kuhlale
kukhunjulwa
ukuba
nokuba
ukususwa
kweAfrikaans
njengolwimi
lokufunda
nokufundisa
bekuya
kudala
ucutheko-
zindleko, loo nto ibingayi kusenze esaa
sigqibo sokumisela umgaqo-nkqubo omtsha
sibe sesifanelekileyo xa sivavanywa ngo-s
29(2), yena onesiqulatho esinika iimpawu
zovavanyo
ezidlulayo
lee
kubukho
bezincedisi-kwenza.
Nakuba
kunjalo,
IUNISA yoyisakala ukuxhasa oku kwayama
kwayo kunqongophalo lwezincedisi-kwenza,
kuba
amanani
eyawavezayo
ayengaxhaswanga njengoko kwakungekho
rekhodi libonisa uxilongo okanye uphando-
nzulu apho kukho iinkukacha-luphando
ezifanelekileyo. Zange ke ngoko ikwazi
ukuzoba umfanekiso obonisa ukungabi nako
‘ukwenzeka
okulula’
xa
kujongwa
ngakwezemali, into ke ebiya kwenza ukuba
ingabi
nako
ukuqhuba
ifundisa
ngeAfrikaans.

[39] Concerning UNISA’s reliance on its
student demographics, it contended that the
percentage of students:
(a) who indicated that Afrikaans was their
home language, was 8,6 per cent in 2015, that
it increased to 8,7 per cent in 2016 and that it
would drop to an estimated 7,3 per cent in
future;

(b) who registered for modules in Afrikaans
was 0,6 per cent in 2015, and which
decreased to 0,3 in 2016 (although these
figures were subsequently changed to 2 per
cent in 2015 and 1 per cent in 2016); and

(c) who registered for at least one module in
Afrikaans was 5,3 per cent in 2015 and 5,1
per cent in 2016. In sum, the number of its
Afrikaans students halved between 2015 and
2016 and remained ‘extremely low’.

[39] Malunga nokwayama kweUNISA
kwiimpawu-buntu zabafundi bayo, yaxoxa
ngelithi, ipesenti yabafundi:
(a) abaxela ukuba iAfrikaans yayilulwimi
lwabo lweenkobe yayingu-8,6 ekhulwini
ngo-2015, yanda yaba ngu-8,7 ekhulwini
ngo-2016, ke kwakuqikelelwa ukuba iza
kuhla kwixesha elizayo iyo kutsho ku-7,3
ekhulwini;
(b) ababebhalisele iimodyuli zeAfrikaans
babeyi-0,6 ekhulwini ngo-2015, behlela ku-
0,3 ngo-2016, nangona la manani aye
aguqulwa emva koko aya kustho ku-2
ekhulwini ngo-2015 no-1 ekhulwini ngo-
2016; kanjalo
(c)
ababebhalisele
imodyuli
yanye,
ubuncinci,
yeAfrikaans
babengu-5,3
ekhulwini ngo-2015 no-5,1 ekhulwini ngo-
2016. Ngokufutshane, inani labafundi bayo
beAfrikaans
lafikelela
kwisiqingatha
phakathi ko-2015 no-2016, laza lahlala
‘lisezantsi ngokugqithisileyo’.

[40] AfriForum disputed these statistics as
implausible because UNISA did not disclose
their source and they did not tally with the
national
language
demographics
when
applied to UNISA’s student numbers. For its
part, AfriForum relied on statistics extracted
from UNISA’s Structured Query Language
database system and from which a qualitative
analysis was drawn. According to this data,
in 2016 out of 1 881 267 module and year
[40] IAfriForum yaziphikisa ezinkcukacha-
manani yathi azinabunyani, kuba iUNISA
zange iyixele indawo ebizithatha kuyo, zaye
zingahambelani
nazo
neempawu-buntu
zolwimi zesizwe xa ezi mpawu zifanekiswa
namanani
abafundi
baseUNISA.
Kule
indawo,
iAfriForum
yaxhomekeka
kwiinkcukacha-manani
ezazikhiwe
kwezaseUNISA, ezikwi Structured Query
Language database system yathi yenza ngazo

course registrations, 96 816 were offered in
Afrikaans. This number translated to 15 per
cent of the total modules offered at UNISA
out of which 5,15 per cent were chosen by
approximately 25 000 students, each taking
an average of four modules. Afriforum
contended that removing Afrikaans as a
LOLT thus destroyed about 100 000 study
opportunities in that language. Importantly,
AfriForum highlighted that a single digit
percentage was not indicative of a small
number of students as, for example, 5 per
cent could amount to as many as 600
students. So, whilst 25 000 students may be a
negligible number in UNISA, which has
massive student numbers, that number
generally constituted the total student
population
in
other
major
residential
universities in South Africa and was far from
insignificant.

uhlahlelo-luphando
lophando
olukhunyushwa
kuthiwe
luqualitative.
Ngokwe nkcukacha luphando ngo-2016
kwakukho iikhosi neemodyuli ezisisigidi i-
1 881 267 ezabhaliselwayo. Phakathi kwazo
ezingama-96 816
zazifundiswa
ngeAfrikaans. Eli nani laba yi-15 yeepesenti,
ekhulwini,
yazo
zonke
iimodyuli
ezazifundiswa eUNISA. Phakathi kwazo i-
5,15 ekhulwini zazikhethwe ngabafundi
abamalunga
nama-25 000,
umfundi
ngamnye ethatha umyinge weemodyuli
ezine. Ukuyekisa iAfrikaans ukuba lulwimi
lokufunda
nokufundiswa
ke
ngoko
kwachitha amathuba amalunga ne-100 000
okufunda
ngalo
olu
lwimi,
njengoko
yayixoxa
isitsho
iAfriForum.
Into
ebalulekieyo,
iAfriForum
yagxininixa
ukuxela
ukuba
ipesent
elinani
elinye
yayingaxeli ukuba inani labafundi ephuma
kulo lincinci, njengoko, umzekelo, i-5 pesent
isengaba ngabafundi abangama-600. Ngoko
ke, ngeli lixa abafundi abangama-25 000
basenokuba linani elincinci gqitha eUNISA,
kuba
iba
namanani
amakhulu
gqitha
abafundi, elaa nani lalilinani elingabafundi
abapheleleyo
kwezinye
iiyunivesithi
ezinkulu apho bahlalayo abafundi apha
eMzantsi
Afrika,
laye
lingelonani
lidelekileyo tu.

[41] UNISA had two challenges to overcome
under this heading. First, without even taking
[41] IUNISA
yayineengxaki
ezimbini
ekwakufuneka
izoyisile
phantsi
kwesi

the disputes relating to the actual statistics
into account, it was indisputable that despite
the decreasing demand for Afrikaans tuition,
a number of students still wanted to enrol for
tuition in Afrikaans. And what is evident
from the record is that the statistics, which
UNISA claimed formed the basis of the
adoption of the new language policy, were
not placed before the Senate and the Council
at the critical meetings which resolved to
adopt the policy. This was indeed confirmed
by its own admission that ‘[i]t was not
necessary … for Senate and Council to have
the exact figures and percentages before
them on 30 March 2016 and 28 April 2016
respectively when UNISA’s new language
policy was adopted to know that the demand
for Afrikaans tuition has dwindled to the
extent that it had’. It is incomprehensible
why the SLC would see no need for the
Senate and Council to have recourse to the
hard numbers of the students who would be
affected by its far-reaching decision, in
determining whether it was reasonably
practicable to retain Afrikaans as a LOLT. Its
stance
is
entirely
insupportable.
The
omission to place the statistics which
founded the recommendation to remove
Afrikaans as a LOLT before the Senate and
Council breached s 29(2) and rendered the
decision to adopt the new language policy
unlawful.

sihloko.
Okokuqala,
singekahoyi
neempikiswano ezimalunga neenkcukacha-
manani,
kwakuyinto
engenakuphikiswa
ukuba nangona ayesihla amanani abafundi
beAfrikaans,
lalikho
iqela
elivakalayo
labafundi
ababesafuna
ukubhalisela
ukufunda ngeAfrikaans. Kunjalonje, into
ebonakalayo
kwirekhodi
kukuba
ezi
nkcukacha-manani, eyaye iUNISA isithi
ziyinxalenye yesizathu sayo sokumisela
umgaqo-lwimi
omtsha,
zazingazange
zibekwe phambi kweSinethi
naphambi
kweBhunga kwiintlanganiso ezazibaluleke
gqitha, ezathatha isigqibo sokuba umgaqo-
nkqubo wolwimi omtsha mawumiselwe. Le
nto yabuya yaqinisekiswa kukuba kwayona
iUNISA yavuma yathi, ‘zange kubekho
mfuneko … yokuba iSinethi neBhunga
zifumane
amanani
athe
ncam
kunye
neepesenti phambi kwabo ngowama-30
kweyoKwindla ngo-2016 nangowama-28
kuThshaziimpunzi
ngo-2016,
ngokulandelelana,
xa
umgaqo-nkqubo
omtsha waseUNISA wawumiselwa, ukuze
zazi
ukuba
ukufunwa
kweAfrikaans
kwakuhlile, kangangale ndlela kwakuhle
ngayo.’. Akuqondakali tu ukuba kwakutheni
na ukuze iUNISA ingayiboni imfuneko
yokuba iSinethi neBhunga zibone amanani
acacileyo abafundi ababeza kuchaphazeleka
sisigqibo sayo esinabele ezintweni ezininzi
kangaka, ekuqikeleleni ukuba kwaye kukho
na ‘ukwenzeka okulula’ okanye hayi ukuze

bayiyeke
iAfrikaans
ihlale
ilulwimi
lokufunda nokufundisa. Indlela eyithatha
ngayo le nto ayinakuxhaseka konke-konke,
futhi
ukulitsiba
eli
nyathelo
lokuzisa
iinkcukacha-manani ezasisiseko sokuvuma
ukuba mayisuswe iAfrikaans njengolwimi
lokufunda nokufundisa kwaba kukwaphula
u-s 29(2) kwaza kwasenza esaa sigqibo
sokumisela
umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
omtsha saba sesingekho mthethweni.

[42] It should be made clear that this matter
is distinguished from Gelyke Kanse and
AfriForum v University of the Free State,
which upheld the language policies, by some
critical factors. First, in those two matters the
affected universities, Stellenbosch and UFS,
which
are
conventional
residential
universities, the primacy of Afrikaans as a
LOLT, in settings which provided for dual
medium classes with interpretation from
Afrikaans to English coupled with a
significant cost of upscaling in one and
separate parallel classes in English and
Afrikaans in the other, created a critical
problem. It was not in dispute there that the
arrangement caused the black students, who
were in the majority in the University of the
Free State, and were not all conversant in
Afrikaans, to feel excluded and marginalised
in the classrooms and excluded from other
aspects of campus life, including university
events conducted in Afrikaans. UNISA is, as
[42] Mayicace ke into yokuba lo mcimbi
wahlukile kule: Gelyke Kanse and AfriForum
v University of the Free State, apho imigaqo-
nkqubo
yolwimi
ephikisekayo
kwavunyelwana nayo, ngenxa yeemeko
ezithile ezibalulekileyo. Okokuqala, kwezi
mbambano zimbini, kwezaa yunivesithi
zazichaphazeleka iStellenbosch neUFS, zona
eziziiyunivesithi
ekuhlaliwa
kuzo
ngabafundi, ukuba phambili kweAfrikaans
njengolwimi
lokufunda
nokufundisa,
kwiindawo ezazifundisa ngolwimi-mbini,
ekwakukho notoliko lweAfrikaans itolikelwa
kwisiNgesi, kudibene neendleko ezivakalayo
zokunyusela umgangatho kwiklasi enye,
nakwiiklasi ezaziqhubeka xeshanye kwenye
kube ngesiNgesi kwenye kube ngeAfrikaans,
kwadala
ingxaki
eyayinzulu
kunene.
Yayingaphikiseki ke apho into yokuba
abafundi abamnyama, eyayingabo abaninzi
phaya eYunivesithi YaseFree State, baye
bengayazi ke iAfrikaans, ukuba bazive

previously mentioned, a distance university
with no conventional, physical classes or any
campus life to speak of.  There is no risk of
racially segregated classes or any danger of a
racial barrier to full enjoyment of any of the
opportunities offered to its students, that
might offend constitutional rights and norms.
In the circumstances I fail to see how the
exercise of the right of UNISA’s Afrikaans
speaking students to tuition in their mother
tongue could pose a threat to racial harmony
and possibly nurture racial supremacy as
happened in Stellenbosch and Free State
Universities.

bekhutshelwe ngaphandle kwezinye izinto
zobomi, ekwakukho kuzo nezinto ezenzeka
eYunivesithi, ezaziqhutywa ngeAfrikaans.
IUNISA njengokuba sekukhe kwatshiwo,
yiyunivesithi efundisela mgama, engenazo
iiklasi eziqhelekileyo ezisezindlini, ingenabo
nabomi basekhampasini esingathetha ngabo.
Akukho ngozi yokuba kungakho iiklasi
ezicalucalulwe
ngokobuhlanga,
okanye
nayiphi
na
ingozi
yothinteleko
ngokobuhlanga
ukuba
umfundi
angakhululeki ukuba axhamle ngokuzeleyo
kuwo onke la mathuba ewanika bonke
abafundi nayo, obelungaphula imimiselo
yoMgaqo-siseko. Andiboni, kwezi imeko
ukuba bekuza kwenzeka njani ukuba bathi
abafundi
baseUNISA
beAfrikaans
xa
befumana
ilungelo
labo
lokufunda
nokufundiswa ngolwimi lwabo lweenkobe
babe bayingozi ngokobuhlanga baze futhi
baphakamele ezinye iintlanga, ngokwendlela
ekwakusenzeka
ngayo
kwiYunivesithi
yaseStellenbosch nakweyaseFree State.

[43] Secondly, there was no dispute in the
two matters that the universities had executed
their mandate in reviewing their language
policies meticulously and properly. In Gelyke
Kanse, the Court set out the precise manner
in which the ‘University determined by
careful study that the cost of immediately
changing to fully parallel medium tuition
would
total
about
R640
million
in
[43] Okwesibini, kwakungekho mpikiswano
malunga nezaa meko zimbini zokuba ezaa
yunivesithi
zenza
umsebenzi
wazo
ofanelekileyo
ngokujonga-
kwakhona
imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi yazo ngobunono
nangokufanelekileyo. Kwindaba yeGelyke
Kanse, iNkundla yayiqingqa kakuhle indlela
ethe ngqo yokuba ‘iYunivesithi yayiqiqa
ngophando
olunenkathalo
into
yokuba

infrastructure
(including
additional
classrooms), plus about R78 million each
year thereafter for additional personnel costs
… which would entail a 20% increase in fees,
an additional R8 100 on top of the
approximately R40 000 per year students on
average pay now’. There was no dispute on
the steps which had been followed in the
language policy review process and no
procedural
objections
thereto.
The
universities had been driven by increasing
racial segregation to downgrade Afrikaans in
Stellenbosch University and abolish it
completely in the University of the Free State
which,
incidentally,
had
no
resource
constraints to continuing with a dual-medium
language policy. Here, there is furthermore
no risk that the retention of Afrikaans as a
LOLT would have the consequence of
concentrating Afrikaans-speaking in the
institution
against
which
the
LPHE
cautioned.

iindleko
zokuthi
ngesiquphe
itshintshe
ingenise
ukufundisa
ngolwimi-mbini
ozeleyo zaziya kufika kuma-R640 ezigidi
zeziseko,
(eziquka
neeklasi
ezongezelelweyo) kunye malunga nama-R78
ezigidi unyaka nonyaka emva koko, ukuze
kongezwe abasebenzi … nto leyo yayiya
kubangela ukwanda kwemali yokufunda
nge-20%,
ibe
ke
leyo
ngama-R8 100
eyongezelelekayo, phezu kwale sele ihleli
imalunga
nama-R40 000
ngonyaka
kumfundi ngamnye imali ayihlawulayo
kungoku’.
Kakwungekho
mbambano
malunga
namanyathelo
ayethathiwe
ukujonga-kwakhona imigaqo-nkqubo leyo.
Ezaa yunivesithi zaziqhutywe kukwanda
kocalucalulo
ngokubuhlanga
ukuba
uthotywe
umgangatho
weAfrikaans
eYunivesithi
yaseStellenbosch,
waze
wayekwa tu eYunivesithi yaseFree State.
Kodwa ke yona yayingenayo ingxaki
yokuncitshelwa
zizincedi-kwenza
ukuba
ingaqhubeki nemfundo kalwimi-mbini. Apha
akukho ngozi yokuba ukuhlala kweAfrikaans
ilulwimi
lweLOLT
bekungabangela
ukuphinda
kwande
abafundi
abathetha
iAfrikaans kweli ziko, elalilunyukisiwe ke
ngayo yiLPHE.

[44] I am not convinced that UNISA has
established on the evidence that the
practicability test or the considerations of
reasonableness – equity, inclusivity and
[44] Andikholelwa ukuba iUNISA iye
yanabo ubungqina bokuba uvavanyo lokuba
nokwenzeka okanye ukuqwalasela ukuba
lula
kokwenzeka
–
ulungiselelo

access of other students – would be offended
by the retention of Afrikaans as one of
UNISA’s LOLTs. To find otherwise would,
in my view, mean that the mere exercise of
one’s right to be taught in their mother
tongue would be rendered unconstitutional
where it has not been shown that non-
Afrikaans students would be deprived of
learning and other educational opportunities
by the retention of Afrikaans as a LOLT, or
that maintaining it as a LOLT was
unaffordable, or would result in unlawful
racial discrimination in an institution of
learning with a proclaimed, ambitious vision
to promote multilingualism by developing all
the official languages including the San
languages.

olunolungelelwano,
ukudibana-nabanye,
nokukwazi kwabanye abafundi ukufikelela –
beluya
kuphatheka
kakubi
kukuyekwa
kweAfrikaans
ikhona
njengolunye
lweelwimi
zeUNISA
zokufundisa.
Ukufumanisa
ngolunye
uhlobo
kum
kungathetha ukuba ukusebenzisa nje komntu
ilungelo lakhe lokuba afundiswe ngolwimi
lwakhe
lweenkobe
bekuya
kuthiwa
kuyahlabana
noMgaqo-siseko,
ekubeni
kungakhange kubonakaliswe ukuba abafundi
abangathethi iAfrikaans bebeya kuvimbeka
ukufunda namanye amathuba emfundo
ngokuhlala kweAfrikaans iyiLOLT, okanye
ukuba
ukuyiyeka
ihlale
ibe
yiLOLT
bekuduru
okanye
bekuya
kukholelela
kucalulo
ngokobuhlanga
olungeluhle,
kwiziko lemfundo apho kuthiwa kuzanywa
ulwimi-ninzi,
kuquka
neelwimi
zomthonyama zaseMzantsi Afrika.

[45]  Stripped to its core, UNISA’s case was
that it was not reasonably practicable to
continue Afrikaans tuition for a minority of
its students because the other indigenous
official languages were not as developed as
academic and science languages as Afrikaans
was, and that it would be redeveloped later,
alongside the other indigenous languages to
bring them all on par. This raises the question
how UNISA’s noble and self-admittedly
progressive goal to develop all South
Africa’s indigenous languages to become
[45]   Xa sele kususwe ingxam yayo, ikheyisi
yeUNISA
ibikukuthi
kwakungekho
kwenzeka ngokulula ukuba kuqhutyekwe
nemfundo ngeAfrikaans isenzelwa imbinana
yabafundi
bayo,
kuba
ezinye
iilwimi
zasemthethweni
ezizezalapha
zazingaphuhlisekanga ukuba zibe ziilwimi
zobumfundimani
nezenzululwazi,
njengokuba yona yayinjalo, nokuthi yayiza
kuphinde iphuhliswe kamva, ndawonye
nezinye ezi iilwimi zalapha, ukuze nazo
zilingane nayo ngomgangatho. Le nto ivusa

LOLT’s, to benefit its students and sustain
this
precious
and
threatened
national
resource, will be advanced, and what useful
purpose will be served by knocking down a
fully developed and functional language of
learning and tuition to ‘develop the other
official languages to its standard’, when there
is apparently no sound reason to do so other
than dwindling interest in the language, and
avoiding offering mother tongue tuition to a
portion of students.  To my mind, there is a
lot to be said for AfriForum’s argument that
there was already a better alternative in place
to deal with the challenge of dwindling
demand for Afrikaans tuition in the form of
the Guidelines for the Discontinuation of
Afrikaans in courses or modules. Taking
away a constitutional right that is already
being enjoyed, in these circumstances hardly
satisfies the rationality test and cannot be
justified.

imibuzo yokuba iyakuphuhla njani le njongo
incomekayo yeUNISA, ezitsholo ngokwayo
ukuba inohambelo-phambili, yokuphuhlisa
zonke iilwimi  zalapha eMzantsi Afrika
zabantu,
ukuze
zide
zibe
ziilwimi
zokufundisa
nokufunda,
ukwenzela
ukulungelwa kwabafundi bayo nokuyenza
ihlale
ikhona
le
ndyebo
yesizwe,
iyakwenzeka njani, kona yintoni injongo
ebalulekileyo
eya
kuzalisekiswa
kukudodobalisa
ulwimi
olusele
lwaphuhliseka ngokuzeleyo nolusebenzayo
lokufunda nokufundisa, ukuze ‘iphuhlise
ezinye
iilwimi
zasemthethweni
zifike
kumgangatho wayo’ xa nje kubonakala
kungekho sizathu sicacayo sokwenjenjalo,
ngaphandle komdla onciphayo kulo olu
lwimi nokungafuni ukufundisa ngolwimi
lweenkobe kwigcuntswana labafundi bayo.
Ngokwam ukubona, ininzi into ethethelela
izimvo zeAfriForum, ezi zokuba yayisele
ikhona into ekwakunokusetyeziswa yona,
futhi
ingcono,
yokujongana
nomngeni
wokuncipha kwabantu abafuna ukufunda
ngeAfrikaans.
Iphaya
kwiZalathandlela
Zokuphelisa
IAfrikaans
kwiikhosi
nakwiimodyuli.
Ke
ukususa
ilungelo
lomgaqo-siseko
elisele
libasebenzela
abaninilo
kwezi
meko
aluphumeleli
nakancinci kuvavanyo lokuba icingisisiwe na
le nto, kungathetheleleki kananjalo.

[46] AfriForum v University of the Free State
envisaged the possibility of cases where
dual-medium language policies could be
maintained without causing any harm. The
Chief Justice said:22

‘At a conceptual level, dual medium institutions
might well exist without necessarily nurturing or
perpetuating
unfair
advantage
or
racial
discrimination and its exceedingly harmful
tendencies. When that is so, then the right to be
taught in a language of choice could be
effectively accessible and implemented …
Where the enjoyment of the right to be instructed
in an official language of choice is achievable
without
undermining
any
constitutional
aspiration or value, then the equity test might
well have been met.’

This seems to me to be such a case.
[46] Ndisabuyela
kule
kheyisi
ethi,
AfriForum v University of the Free State
eyaye yabonisa ubukho beemeko apho
imigaqo-nkqubo
kalwimi-mbini
inako
ukugcinwa
kungabikho
mntu
uviswa
buhlungu. Yathi iJaji eYongameleyo:
‘Xa ucinga ngawo nje, amaziko kalwimi-mbini
asengahlala
ekho
kungekho
mfuneko
yakukokosa okanye yakuqhubekisa ukulungelwa
okucalanye okanye ucalulo ngokobuhlanga
kunye nezimbo zalo. Xa injalo loo nto, ilungelo
ke lokuba ufundiswe ngolwimi ozikhetheleyo
lingaba
nako
ukufikeleleka
lize
lenzeke
ngokunemiphumela …  Apho inako ukwenzeka
le nto yokulifumana eli lungelo lokufunda
ufundiswe
ngolwimi
lwasemthethweni
ozikhetheleyo, loo nto kungenzekanga ukuba
kujongelwe phantsi umnqweno okanye isiko
ezingokoMgaqo-siseko,
apho
ke
uvavanyo
olumalunga
nolungiselelo
olunolingwano
lubonakala ngathi luya kuba luphumelele.’
Kubonakala ngathi kube njalo apha.

[47] To sum up: While the evidence suggests
that there may have been a need for a revision
of UNISA’s language policy, it has not been
established that the adoption of the new
policy in 2016 was conducted in a
constitutionally compliant manner, ie that the
factual
and
normative
‘reasonably
practicable’ requirement in s 29(2) of the
Constitution was satisfied.  UNISA failed to
discharge the burden that it was not
[47] Ukushwankathela: Nakuba ubungqina
bubonakalisa ingathi kusenokuba ibikho
imfuneko yokuba umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
waseUNISA
uhlaziywe,
ayikwazanga
ukuphuhlisa
kakuhle
into
yokuba
ukumiselwa komgaqo-nkqubo omtsha ngo-
2016 kwenziwa ngendlela ehambisanayo na
noMgaqo-siseko, oko kukuthi, ingaba laa
mmiselo uqulethe izinto ezibambekayo
nezinto ezalatha umgangatho, lo wokuba

22 Paras 51 and 52.

detracting from the right contained in s 29(2)
of the Constitution without appropriate
justification. This finding, in my view, is
dispositive of and dispenses with the need to
determine the other issues raised in the
appeal.

makuvavanywe imeko yokuba ‘nokwenzeka
ngokulula’,
uku-29(2)
woMgaqo-siseko,
wathotyelwa
ngokwanelisayo.
IUNISA
isilele ukuphuhlisa uxanduva lwayo lokuba
ingalisusi okanye ilinciphise ilungelo eliku-s
29(2) woMgaqo-siseko kungekho sizathu
sivakalayo. Oku kufumanisa ngoluhlobo
ngokwendlela endibona ngayo, kwenza
kungabi
sabakho
mfuneko
yokuba
sacubungula
eminye
le
imiba
ekhankanyiweyo phaya kwisibheno.

[48] The appeal accordingly succeeds and
costs must follow the result. The following
order is made:

1 The appeal is upheld with costs, including
the costs of two counsel.

2 The order of the court a quo is set aside and
replaced with the following:

‘(a) the resolutions of the Council and Senate
of the University of South Africa to approve
a new language policy on 28 April and 30
March 2016, respectively, are set aside;

(b) the new language policy adopted by the
University of South Africa is declared
unconstitutional and unlawful and is set aside
[48] Isibheno,
ngokokufanelekileyo,
siyaphumelela,
ke
iindleko
kufuneka
zilandele iziphumo. Kwenziwa lo myalelo
ulandelayo:
1 Isibheno sivunyiwe, sihamba neendleko
eziquka iindleko zabathetheleli bezomthetho
ababini.
Umyalelo
wenkundla
ephakamileyo
ubekelwa bucala, ze kubekwe endaweni
yawo lo kulandelayo:
‘(a)
izigqibo
zeBhunga
nezeSinethi
zeYunivesithi
yaseMzantsi
Afrika
zokuvumela
umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
omtsha
ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpuzi
nowama-30
kweyoKwindla
ngo2016,
ngokulandelelana, zijongwa kutsha, zize
zibekelwe bucala;
(b) kuyabhengezwa ke apha ukuba lo mgaqo-
nkqubo
mtsha
usekwe
yiYunivesithi
yaseMzantsi
Afrika
awuhambisani
noMgaqo-siseko futhi awukho mthethweni;

to the extent that Afrikaans has been removed
as a language of learning and tuition;

(c) the University of South Africa shall
prominently publish on its website and in
three major Afrikaans newspapers in South
Africa and transmit by email to all its
students a notice:

(i) containing a full list of the modules that
were on offer in Afrikaans as at 28 April
2016;
(ii) offering all prospective students for the
next academic year admission in such
modules as presented on first year level;

(iii) offering all existing students, if they
were enrolled in any one of those courses or
would have enrolled for the subsequent year
course available in Afrikaans, but had
perforce to follow the module in English, a
choice to enrol on the basis that they may
follow the module in Afrikaans until
completion of their studies;

(iv) all the modules mentioned above will be
presented in full in the following academic
years until the language policy has been
lawfully amended, if at all.

waye ke ubekelwa bucala ngokubhekiselele
kumbandela wokuba iAfrikaans iyekisiwe
ukuba
lulwimi
lwayo
lokufunda
nokufundisa;
(c) iYunivesithi yaseMzantsi Afrika iya
kupapasha
ngokugqamileyo
kwisiza
sonxibelelwano sayo nakumaphephandaba
amakhulu, amathathu eAfrikaans aseMzantsi
Afrika ize idlulisele nangeimeyili kubo
bonke abafundi bayo isaziso esinje:
(i) esinoluhlu olupheleleyo lweemodyuli
ezazizezokufundiswa ngeAfrikaans ngomhla
wama-28 kuTshaziimpuzi ngo-2016;
(ii) esivumela bonke abafundi abafuna
ukufunda kulo nyaka-zifundo uzayo ukuba
bazibhalisele ezo modyuli zîkwinqwanqwa
lokuqala;
(iii) esithi bonke abafundi abahleli bekho,
ukuba
babeyibhalisele
nokuba
yeyiphi
kwezo khosì okanye babeza kubhalisela
ukufunda ikhosi yonyaka olandelayo ukuba
yayikho ngeAfrikaans, kodwa banyanzeleka
ukuba bayifunde loo modyuli ngesiNgesi,
bayavunyelwa ukuba baphinde bazibhalisele
ezo modyuli, kuxelwe ukuba baya kuzifunda
ezo modyuli ngeAfrikaans bade bazigqibe
izifundo zabo;
(iv) zonke ezi modyuli zikhankanywe apha
ngentla ziya kubakho ngokuzeleyo kwakule
minyaka-zifundo izayo ude umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi
ube
ulungisiwe
ngokwasemthethweni, ukuba iyeneka ke loo
nto.

(d) the University of South Africa shall pay
the costs of the application.’

(d) iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika iza
kuhlawula iindleko zesi sicelo.’

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
MM MAYA
PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL
UMONGAMELI WENKUNDLA ENGASENTLA YEZIBHENO

APPEARANCES:
APPELLANT:
A Cockrell SC (with A Lamey)

Instructed by:
Hurter Spies Inc, Pretoria

Roussows Attorneys, Bloemfontein
RESPONDENTS:
M Chaskalson SC (with C P Wesley)
Instructed by:
Motalane Inc, Pretoria

Matsepes Inc, Bloemfontein

SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL OF SOUTH AFRICA
MEDIA SUMMARY –  JUDGMENT DELIVERED IN THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL

FROM

The Registrar, Supreme Court of Appeal

DATE

30 June 2020

STATUS

Immediate

Please note that the media summary is intended for the benefit of the media and does not form part
of the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

AfriForum NPC v Chairperson of the Council of the University of South Africa & others
(765/2018) [2020] ZASCA 79 (30 June 2020)

This judgment was handed down electronically by circulation to the parties’ legal representatives by email, publication
on the Supreme Court of Appeal website and release to SAFLII. The date and time for hand-down is deemed to be
18h00 on 30 June 2020.

___________________________________________________________________________

The Supreme Court of Appeal today upheld an appeal against a judgment of the Gauteng Division
of the High Court, Pretoria, concerning the legality of decisions taken by the Senate and Council
University of South Africa (UNISA) adopting a new language policy, which replaced its dual-
medium language English/Afrikaans policy with an English-only language as its language of
learning and tuition.
The issues on appeal were whether (a) the impugned decisions contravened s 29(2) of the
Constitution; (b) the Senate did not follow its rules in the conduct of its meeting, in breach of the
principle of legality; and (c) UNISA failed to consult the persons who would be most affected by
the new language policy, in breach of procedural rationality.
The Supreme Court of Appeal made the following findings. UNISA did not properly comprehend
the implications of the constitutional right to receive education in the official language of one’s
choice, the constitutional parameters within which its powers had to be exercised, and the precise

ambit of responsibility which s 29(2) imposed upon it, when it reviewed its language policy and
adopted a new one. The considerations upon which it relied to prove that it was not reasonably
practicable to continue with dual medium tuition such as affordability and the cost-saving that
could arise from the change, which could free funds for the development of the other official
languages as languages of learning and tuition at the university, were not discussed in the meetings
at which it was resolved to adopt the new language policy. UNISA further failed to prove the
resource constraints it alleged and that it was not reasonably practicable from a commercial
standpoint to continue to offer tuition in Afrikaans. Whilst the rationale for the new language
policy, namely that the demand for Afrikaans was decreasing, was indisputable, the evidence
showed that a significant number of students still wanted it but their actual numbers were not
placed before the Senate and Council when these bodies decided to discontinue Afrikaans as one
of UNISA’s languages of learning and tuition. UNISA’s position was distinguishable from the
other recent language policy cases involving the Universities of Stellenbosch and the Free State in
which those policies were set aside for unlawfulness to protect racial harmony and prevent racial
supremacy threatened by racially segregated classes and the exclusion of non-Afrikaans speaking
students from campus life by the use of Afrikaans. And those universities, unlike UNISA, had
conducted thorough and proper investigations and executed their mandate in reviewing their
language policies meticulously.

The SCA asked how what purpose it would serve UNISA’s noble and self-admittedly progressive
goal to develop all South Africa’s indigenous languages, which are a precious and threatened
national resource, to become academic languages, to knock down a fully developed and functional
language of learning and tuition ie Afrikaans, to develop other languages to its standard when there
was no sound reason to do so other than a dwindling interest in the language. The SCA held that
to take away a constitutional right that is already enjoyed ie tuition of Afrikaans students in their
mother tongue, in these circumstances did not satisfy the rationality test and was not justified.
UNISA had failed to establish that it was not ‘reasonably practicable’ to continue to offer tuition
in Afrikaans and the new language policy was unconstitutional and unlawful, so declared the SCA
.

………….