<div dir="ltr"><h2 class="">UFS language policy court ruling a victory for Afrikaans: Afriforum</h2>
<div class="">
Nomahlubi Jordaan | 21 July, 2016 14:58</div>
<div id="single_image">
<img src="http://www.timeslive.co.za/Feeds/2014/02/27/students-at-free-state-university/ALTERNATES/crop_630x400/students+at+free+State+University" alt="" height="400px" width="630">
<div class="">
DIVIDED, BUT UNITED: Black and white students at Free State University have stood together to condemn the attack</div>
</div>
<h3 class="">
AfriForum has hailed Wednesday's court judgement overturning a
decision by the University of the Free State (UFS) to have English as
the sole medium of instruction as a victory for Afrikaans.</h3>
<div class="">
<div class="">
<h3>Save & Share</h3>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="">
</div>
<div class="">
</div>
<div class="">
</div>
<div class="">
</div>
<br>
</div>
<div class="">
<h2 class=""><a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/07/21/UFS-language-policy-court-ruling-a-victory-for-Afrikaans-Afriforum?filter=email" rel="nofollow" title="Email this article">Email</a></h2>
<h2 class=""><a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/07/21/UFS-language-policy-court-ruling-a-victory-for-Afrikaans-Afriforum?service=print" rel="nofollow" title="Print this article" target="_blank">Print</a></h2>
</div>
<div class="">
<h3>Related News</h3>
</div>
<ul><li>
<a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/07/21/AfriForum-wins-court-battle-over-UFS-language-policy">
<img src="http://www.timeslive.co.za/incoming/2014/02/19/university-of-the-free-state/ALTERNATES/crop_80x80/University+of+the+Free+State" alt="AfriForum wins court battle over UFS language policy" class="" height="40px" width="40px">
</a>
<a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/07/21/AfriForum-wins-court-battle-over-UFS-language-policy">AfriForum wins court battle over UFS language policy</a>
</li><li>
<a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2016/06/03/The-taals-last-stand">
<img src="http://www.timeslive.co.za/Feeds/ipad_images/2015/05/23/panyaza-lesufi/ALTERNATES/crop_80x80/Panyaza+Lesufi" alt="The taal's last stand" class="" height="40px" width="40px">
</a>
<a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2016/06/03/The-taals-last-stand">The taal's last stand</a>
</li><li>
<a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/06/02/Save-Afrikaans-schools%E2%80%9A-pleads-Afriforum">
<img src="http://www.timeslive.co.za/Feeds/Reuters_Images/2015/04/15/2015-03-11t124347z_01_stl111_rtridsp_11-03-2015-16-03-59-408.jpg/ALTERNATES/crop_80x80/2015-03-11T124347Z_01_STL111_RTRIDSP_11-03-2015-16-03-59-408.jpg" alt="Save Afrikaans schools‚ pleads Afriforum" class="" height="40px" width="40px">
</a>
<a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/06/02/Save-Afrikaans-schools%E2%80%9A-pleads-Afriforum">Save Afrikaans schools‚ pleads Afriforum</a>
</li></ul>
<div class="">
<div id="div-gpt-ad-1377771185441-3">
<div id="div-gpt-ad-1377771185441-3_ad_container">
<ins style="width:160px;height:600px;display:inline-table;border:0px none;vertical-align:bottom"><ins style="width:160px;height:600px;display:block;border:0px none"></ins></ins></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>The lobby group had took the university to the High Court in
Bloemfontein‚ arguing that its new language policy was unconstitutional.</p><p>In
a statement following the judgement‚ Afriforum described it as a
victory‚ "for Afrikaans‚ its speakers and the language right of South
Africans in general".</p><p>In March‚ after weeks of student unrest‚ the
UFS council reached a unanimous decision to make English the primary
medium of instruction.</p><p>"It became clear during the hearing on 20
June 2016 that the University's management did not consider the
provisions of the South African Constitution regarding the right to
choice of language of instruction‚ but rather bent the knee to anarchy‚
while parading their political games as a language issue in the
process‚" Afriforum said.</p><p>"The phasing out of Afrikaans as medium
of instruction would have significantly affected the rights of members
of AfriForum‚ AfriForum Youth and Solidarity‚ which include Afrikaans
students‚ prospective students‚ their parents and employees of the
University.</p><p>"The organisations therefore welcome the ruling by the
court. The continuous Anglicisation of the tertiary education is not
only out of touch with international tendencies‚ but impacts heavily on
the rights of 90% of the country's indigenous mother-tongue speakers.</p><p>"The
argument that English education offers greater access is a myth – it
only benefits English mother-tongue speakers. Nothing is gained by
scaling down Afrikaans education‚ because rights cannot be promoted by
taking away the rights of anyone else."</p><p>AfriForum‚ AfriForum Youth
and Solidarity are also involved in legal action over similar
discriminating decisions against Afrikaans as medium of instruction at
the Universities of South Africa‚ Pretoria and Stellenbosch.</p><p><a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/07/21/UFS-language-policy-court-ruling-a-victory-for-Afrikaans-Afriforum">http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/07/21/UFS-language-policy-court-ruling-a-victory-for-Afrikaans-Afriforum</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
</div>