[lg policy] South Africa: AfriForum, Solidarity head to ConCourt over UFS language policy ruling

[Harold Schiffman]

 AfriForum, Solidarity head to ConCourt over UFS language policy ruling
Virginia Keppler
[image: Main building of the University of the Free State, UFS. Picture:
Wikimedia Commons]

Main building of the University of the Free State, UFS. Picture: Wikimedia
Commons
Both organisations asked the court to dismiss UFS’s decision to adopt a new
language policy.

AfriForum and Solidarity’s legal team today submitted an application with
the Constitutional Court for leave to appeal against the Supreme Court of
Appeal’s ruling over the language policy of the University of the Free
State (UFS).

The institutions asked the court to dismiss the University of the Free
State (UFS) decision to adopt a new language policy.

This application follows after the ruling of the Supreme Court of Appeal on
28 March 2017 in favour of the UFS’s newly accepted language policy
according to which English will be phased in from 2017 as the only primary
language of instruction.

Against the background of the constitutional order for diversity (including
linguistic diversity) to be promoted, as well as the entrenched right to
education in a language of choice that is reasonably feasible, AfriForum
and Solidarity argues that the UFS council will not achieve integration
according to class and transformation by expunging Afrikaans education.

In its ruling, the court granted that the erosion of the position of
Afrikaans as a language of instruction is a legitimate cause for concern
and that the differences over the language policy will lead to complex
constitutional questions. AfriForum and Solidarity believe these viewpoints
create room for success with the application to appeal to the
Constitutional Court.

Their legal team is ready to argue in this court for the right of
Afrikaans-speaking students to receive Afrikaans instruction.

AfriForum indicated that the decision of the Constitutional Court
was eagerly awaited.

http://citizen.co.za/news/news-national/1492836/ufs-language-policy-ruling-paves-way-for-constitutional-court-case/


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