The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) echoes the sentiments of those demanding that the North-West University take a stand after the EFF openly sang the controversial “Kill the Boer” song on the Potchefstroom campus.
Although the EFF’s march was apparently much smaller than anticipated, the incident remains serious.
While bellowing this violence-inciting song, they brand AfriForum as a “right-wing terrorist organisation”. Ironically, neither AfriForum nor any other Afrikaner organisation is calling for violence against specific groups during these tense times – on the contrary.
When this is compared to the public outcry over an alleged “Nazi salute” on the campus in 2014, the contrast is stark. A severe media attack was launched by the Naspers newspapers, in particular, predominantly led by Beeld’s editor at the time, Adriaan Basson.
The then Director-General of Higher Education, Gwebs Qonde, demanded action rather than explanations from the North-West University.
However, the official report indicated that the salute, which the students in no way linked to National Socialism, had already been discontinued before it was widely reported on.
The campus Rector at the time, Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk, had pointed out its sensitivity.
If this history is anything to go by, the NWU has an immense responsibility on its shoulders to take a strong stand against yesterday’s EFF march. And if academic freedom could not be used as a defence in 2014, then the Department of Higher Education certainly cannot hide behind it now.
In the current political climate, any university simply has to take a stand against such conduct, even if the Constitutional Court does not consider it hate speech.
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