White students claim ‘racial targeting’

A racial dispute over the admissions policy at South Africa’s only veterinary institute has resurfaced with allegations that white students are being unfairly refused entry in favour of black students, writes Mogomotsi Magome for Independent Online.

The case has brought into the spotlight the issue of transformation at higher education institutions and the policies adopted to address the matter. AfriForum Youth, a group that protests minority rights, has accused the University of Pretoria and the Department of Higher Education and Training of “racial targeting” and discrimination against white students through the university’s admission policy at its veterinary science faculty. The policy intends to provide more spaces for previously disadvantaged students and those from various parts of the country to be trained as veterinarians.

Last Monday AfriForum activists staged a protest at the Department of Higher Education with their faces painted black, emphasising that they needed to be black to be treated equally and gain admission to the faculty. It has claimed that about 30 prospective students with a combined total of 190 distinctions had not gained admission because they are not black. The university has rejected AfriForum’s assertions and disputed some of its information.
Full report on the IOL site