<div dir="ltr"><h1>AfriForum, varsity wait for ruling </h1><div class="gmail-instance-byline"><span class="gmail-social-share-header">2 Dec 2016 | <span class="gmail-social-share-platform gmail-has-text"><span class="gmail-social-share-icon"><br><br></span></span><span class="gmail-social-share-platform gmail-has-text"><span class="gmail-social-share-icon"></span></span><span class="gmail-social-share-platform"><span class="gmail-social-share-icon"><a class="gmail-j-sharethis-popup-top_1_154742" href="http://www.sharethis.com/share?publisher=54869764-0f12-4063-99cd-a49c07279e8a&url=http%3a%2f%2fbizcom.to%2f1%2f3bee&title=AfriForum%2c+varsity+wait+for+ruling&img=http%3a%2f%2fc.biz-file.com%2fc%2f1612%2f371209.jpg&summary=Afrikaner+rights+group+AfriForum+has+been+accused+of+ignoring+the+rights+of+others+in+its+charge+to+stop+the+resolution+of+the+University+of+Pretoria+to+drop+Afrikaans+as+a+medium+of+instruction..." target="_blank"><span class="gmail-sb-share gmail-st_sharethis_custom"></span></a></span></span></span></div><div class="gmail-kInstance-Summary">Afrikaner
rights group AfriForum has been accused of ignoring the rights of
others in its charge to stop the resolution of the University of
Pretoria to drop Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.</div><table width="625" align="left"><tbody><tr><td class="gmail-kContentImage"><img src="http://c.biz-file.com/c/1612/371212.jpg" alt="AfriForum, varsity wait for ruling" style="opacity: 1;" width="625" height="417"><div class="gmail-flip-cap">© vinnstock – <a href="http://www.123rf.com" target="_blank">123RF.com</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Adopted in September 1932, Afrikaans was the only language of instruction until 1993 when English was introduced.<br><br>AfriForum
wants the full bench of the Pretoria High Court - Judges Selby Baqwa,
Jody Kollapen and Peter Mabuse - to review the university council's
decision to start the next academic year without Afrikaans.<br><br>The
group said the resolution clashed with section 29(2) of the
constitution, which guarantees a right to instruction in a language of
choice where it is reasonably practicable.<br><br>But lawyers for the
university argued that AfriForum sought to "ignore that there is linkage
between race and language in the context of the country's history" .<br><br>Arguing
for the university, advocate Gilbert Marcus SC said the language policy
aims to address a history of exclusion and privilege.<br><br>He said only 18% of the university's population was Afrikaans-speaking.<br><br>Marcus
said AfriForum "purports to speak for the interests of future
Afrikaans-speaking students and yet fails to attach a single affidavit
by any affected student.<br><br>"[It also] leaves out the vast majority
of students who think otherwise and is advanced on the basis of a narrow
ideology," he said.<br><br>Gerta Engelbrecht, the AfriForum lawyer,
said the group recognised "the reality of our horrible past and could
not run away from history but it wanted to forge a future where each
individual has a right to learn in their language of choice" . Judgment
was reserved in the matter.<br><br><br clear="all"><a href="http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/499/154742.html">http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/499/154742.html</a><br>-- <br><div class="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>
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