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<div class="gmail-heading"><div class="gmail-content"><h1 class="gmail-headline">South Africa: Understanding the University of the Free State Afrikaans Court Case</h1>
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<span class="gmail-credit gmail-right">Photo: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/">Stefan Schäfer/Wikipedia</a> </span><br> <div class="gmail-figcaption">
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<cite class="gmail-byline">By Ohene Yaw Ampofo-Anti</cite><p class="gmail-story-body-text">On
29 December 2017, the Constitutional Court handed down judgment in a
case which has important implications for the right to learn in the
language of one's choice. The Court upheld the decision of the
University of Free State to change its language policy from a dual
medium institution (English and Afrikaans) to English as the primary
medium of instruction.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text"><strong>Background</strong></p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">In 2003, the
university adopted a bilingual language policy. However, shortly
afterwards, several of the university's top officials noted that the
policy had the undesirable consequence of separating classes along
racial lines. In addition, they noted that the policy increased racial
tensions.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">The university then
decided to commission a report into the matter. This report highlighted
the fact that the continued use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction
entrenched racial divisions on campus and reduced equal access to
knowledge; and noted that Afrikaans was declining as a language of
preference amongst students. In light of this, the university decided to
adopt a new language policy after consulting interested parties
including Afriforum, Solidarity, and language experts.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">The new language
policy adopts English as the primary medium of instruction. However, it
provides for tutorials to be given to students whose first language is
Afrikaans, Sotho or Zulu, in order to assist them into the new English
system. It also retains Afrikaans instruction in certain courses such as
Education and Theology, due to the considerable demand for Afrikaans in
these subjects. The new policy is to be phased in progressively over
about five years. The university argued that this policy shift was
needed to increase equal access to knowledge and promote racial
integration on its campus.</p>
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<p class="gmail-story-body-text">However, Afriforum
and Solidarity were not happy with the new policy. They argued that many
students (white and black) preferred to be taught in Afrikaans. They
also argued that insufficient research had been conducted and that there
was simply no justification for this policy shift. In the
Constitutional Court, they sought leave to appeal a ruling of the
Supreme Court of Appeal which upheld the new language policy.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">The Constitutional
Court had to determine two main issues in this case. The first issue was
whether it was reasonably practicable to retain Afrikaans as a medium
of instruction at the university. The second issue was whether the new
language policy had been made in line with the Ministerial Policy
framework on the language of instruction at universities. This policy
was developed by the late former Minister of Education, Kader Asmal.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">The majority of
judges in the court decided, based on the court papers, not to hear it
in the Constitutional Court. This means the Supreme Court of Appeal
order stands, but the reasoning of the majority judgment in the
Constitutional Court overrides the Supreme Court of Appeal's reasoning.
This is the first time dissenting judgments of this sort have been
written on a case without that case having been heard in the
Constitutional Court.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text"><strong>What is reasonably practicable</strong></p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">The Court noted
that everyone has the constitutional right to be taught in the official
language of their choice at a public school or university. However, this
right is qualified by the requirement that it must be "reasonably
practicable" to provide learning in that language. In considering what
is reasonably practicable, an institution should consider what is most
pragmatic and equitable and what will redress the results of past
discrimination.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">A majority of the
judges (Mogoeng Mogoeng, Bess Nkabinde, Chris Jafta, Sisi Khampepe,
Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Nonkosi Mhlantla, Phineas Mojapelo and Raymond
Zondo) found that it was not reasonably practicable to retain Afrikaans
as a medium of instruction. First, they noted that South Africa was
still in transition from "an era of unrivalled racism and inequity that
entailed the deliberate sub-standardisation of the quality of education
for black people." For this reason, they said, the right to learn in a
language of one's choice should not be protected at the cost of
perpetuating racial supremacy on university campuses.</p>
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<p class="gmail-story-body-text">They also found
there was a need to ensure equitable access to quality education, racial
harmony and a well-integrated campus. The judges contended that the
retention of Afrikaans had the unintended consequence of exacerbating
racial tensions on campus and keeping white supremacy alive.
Furthermore, they pointed out that the introduction of the new policy
had been done properly after consulting all the relevant stakeholders
including Afrikaans lobby groups such as Afriforum.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text"><strong>Compliance with Ministerial Policy</strong></p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">The primary goal of
the Ministerial Policy is to create a university that is "neither black
nor white, English or Afrikaans-speaking but unabashedly and
unashamedly South African." The policy aims to promote multilingualism
and supports the retention of the use of Afrikaans as a medium of
instruction. However, the policy highlights the potential use of
language as an instrument of oppression and discrimination and says
Afrikaans may be retained to the extent that this does not promote
discrimination and segregation.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">Afriforum sought to
challenge the new language policy on the basis that it is not
consistent with the Ministerial Policy. However, a majority of the
judges dismissed this argument. They found that the Ministerial Policy
required a university to develop a language policy which is largely
informed by the circumstances on that particular campus. Furthermore,
such a language policy had to advance constitutional values such as
equality and reconciliation.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">Repeating their
earlier statements, these judges found that the university had changed
its language policy because the dual language policy had undermined race
relations on the campus. Furthermore, it was neither feasible nor fair
to retain Afrikaans as a language of instruction.They also found that
the policy was flexible and balanced because it had accommodated
Afrikaans to some extent by continuing its use in Education and Theology
in particular.</p>
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<p class="gmail-story-body-text"><strong>Minority Opinion</strong></p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">A minority of the
judges (Johan Froneman, Edwin Cameron and Cynthia Pretorius) found that
it would have been better to grant leave to appeal and hear the case in
the Constitutional Court. They found that based on the papers alone
their decision would have been to reserve costs and send the matter to
the High Court for re-consideration. This would have enabled more
evidence on a number of the disputed points to be introduced.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">The minority argued
that the main issue was to determine under what circumstances a person
may be prohibited from learning in the language of his or her choice.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">These judges were
also sceptical that a clear link had been established between the use of
Afrikaans on the one hand, and increased racial tensions on the other.
They noted with concern that it had not been been alleged or proved that
Afrikaans-speaking students on campus had committed acts of racism. For
this reason, they believed it best that these issues be discussed
before the High Court in a fresh application.</p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text"><strong>More litigation likely</strong></p>
<p class="gmail-story-body-text">The case comes at a
time when there is still debate about the transformation of
institutions of higher learning. The language issue is possibly the most
divisive aspect in this respect. The case has far-reaching implications
for other universities which are still grappling with this issue. For
example, the University of Stellenbosch has also recently changed its
language policy from having Afrikaans as the primary language to
becoming dual medium (Afrikaans and English). This decision was upheld
by the Western Cape High Court. That may well be challenged, and whether
the Constitutional Court will reach the same conclusion in each case
remains to be seen</p></div></div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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