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Violent Student Protest At University Of Western Cape (Member's Statement)
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Adv A D Alberts (Ff Plus) 13 Mar 2014 hansard
Speaker, we unfortunately have a bad ANC story to tell.
Hierdie week was daar by nog 'n universiteit in Suid-Afrika 'n voorval wat al die elemente gehad het om die voorblaaie van koerante te haal en waartydens die ANC en die Minister van Hor Onderwys en Opleiding persoonlik kon ingryp, maar dit het nie gebeur nie.
Net soos in Potchefstoom was daar ook studente betrokke, maar wat hier gebeur het, was baie erger. Dit was egter nie net 'n saluut wat die studente as deel van ontgroeningspret gebruik het nie, maar dit was studente wat aggressief alle rels van die universiteit en die samelewing oortree en gebreek het. Hulle het medestudente aangeval, eiendom beskadig, klasse ontwrig en alle bedrywighede tot stilstand laat kom, maar die media en die regering het geswyg.
Ek wonder of die Minister ooit van die voorval weet. Dit het hier reg onder ons neuse by die Universiteit van die Wes-Kaap gebeur, Dinsdag hierdie week. Dit was studente wat glo ontevrede is omdat hulle medestudente nie registrasiegelde kan betaal nie. Hulle het 'n staking gerel en dit het heeltemal handuit geruk.
Die rede vir die stilswye is moontlik omdat die studente wat die chaos veroorsaak het t-hemde van die ANC en di van die EFF aangehad het. Dit is heel moontlik die rede vir die tydelike blindheid, maar ek is seker dat die sig weer helder en duidelik sal terugkom wanneer daar iets by 'n tradisionele Afrikaanse universiteit gebeur.
Die ANC moet wakkerskrik en besef dat dit nie net die ANC alleen is wat regte en voorregte in hierdie land het nie. Dit is al sy inwoners - swart, bruin en wit - elke minderheidsgroep, elke student en elke skoolkind. Dankie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[This week there was an incident at another university in South Africa that contained all the elements for reaching the front pages of newspapers and for the ANC and the Minister of Higher Education to intervene personally, but this did not happen.
Just as in the case of Potchefstroom, there were also students involved, but what happened here was much worse. However, it was not only a salute that the students used as part of initiation fun, but it was students who aggressively violated and broke all the rules of the university and of society. They attacked fellow students, damaged property, disrupted classes and brought all activities to a standstill, but the media and Government were silent.
I wonder whether the Minister even has any knowledge of the incident. It happened here, right under our noses, at the University of the Western Cape on Tuesday this week. These were students who were apparently dissatisfied because their fellow students were unable to pay registration fees. They arranged a strike and matters got completely out of hand.
The reason for the silence is possibly because the students causing the chaos were wearing ANC and EFF T-shirts. This is quite possibly the reason for the temporary blindness, but I am sure that vision will return once again bright and clear when something happens at a traditionally Afrikaans university. The ANC must wake up and realise that it is not only the ANC that has rights and privileges in this country. This applies to all its residents - black, brown and white - every minority group, every student and every school pupil. Thank you.]