[lg policy] South Africa:

[Harold Schiffman]

Afrikaans has become a punching bag’
news/politics <http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics> /
04 February 2016 at 16:42pm
*By:* *Jonisayi Maromo*

Pretoria – Afrikaans-speaking university students should stand up for their
right to be taught in their “mother tongue” language, AfriForum Youth said
on Thursday.

“In the past, especially the last three months, Afrikaans has become a
political punching bag. Unfortunately, Afrikaans students are now becoming
targets. They are now saying all problems started because of Afrikaans and
Afrikaans people,” AfriForum Youth spokesperson Ian Cameron said in
Pretoria.

Late last year, Stellenbosch University, a traditionally Afrikaans
institution, bowed to public pressure and said that in future all learning
at the university would be facilitated in English.

Cameron said students had to play an active role in preserving their
language and culture.

“Afrikaans is one of the official languages of South Africa. There is
absolutely no reason why we, as an Afrikaans group, don’t deserve the same
treatment as any other group in the country. We are here to build a nation
and to make sure that everyone, all groups deserve and get equal
recognition right across the country.”

Morné Mostert, AfriForum Youth National Coordinator, said his group would
approach the courts to ensure that Afrikaans remained a language of
instruction in universities.

“The last part of our five-point plan is for legal action. We have seen in
the last few months different universities acting in a manner not only
contrary to the Constitution but also to their language policy and plan.
The manner that we will use to approach this problem is using legal action.”

He said at the Stellenbosch University, AfriForum Youth was already seeking
an urgent court application “to ensure that the university stays within the
bounds of their own (language) policy and plan”.

“We are going to use the courts as well, as a mechanism to make sure that
not only Afrikaans, but mother tongue languages stay on campus,” said
Mostert.

Afriforum Youth further called on students to withhold tuition fees until
June as part of their demand to be taught in their “mother tongue” language.

“Why is our money good enough for you, but our language is not?” Cameron
continued. “We are tired of being treated like political punching bags.”

Stellenbosch University decided late last year to amend its language policy
to make English the main language of instruction on campus.

This came after pressure with students, mainly black and non-Afrikaans
speakers, saying they were disadvantaged and discriminated against because
of the language barrier.

The university said at the time it was committed to the further development
of Afrikaans and isiXhosa as additional academic languages.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/afrikaans-has-become-a-punching-bag-1980115


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