University re-opens divisive admissions policy debate

Social scientists would be hard-pressed to find a better lens into identity, privilege and race in post-apartheid South Africa than the University of Cape Town’s admissions policy debate, writes Osiame Molefe for Daily Maverick.

To its credit, the University of Cape Town has welcomed and at times stoked discussions over its own admissions policy, which currently gives preference to students who self-identify as black African, Indian, coloured or Chinese. For now, the policy says, these groupings best identify who was disadvantaged by apartheid’s race-based discrimination and must be provided with measures to redress the discrimination and its resulting inequalities.

To say this view has divided opinion would be a gross understatement, which is why the university last month invited members of the public to make written submissions to a commission set up to help the council and senate review the admissions policy as they do every year.
Full report on the Daily Maverick site