SOUTH AFRICA: Students demand an end to racism

The South African Students Congress - the country's biggest student union - has called for students "to take up arms and fight racism" on campuses, for the sacking of the Minister of Education, a five-year plan to deliver free education and the renaming of Rhodes University because of its "imperialist" associations.

The mood was radical and vocal at Sasco's 15th national congress last week, held at Walter Sisulu University.

Among several gripes, students slammed lack of transformation in higher education, claimed there had been a racist attack on a black student at the University of Johannesburg, and in a statement issued by Sasco's national executive, labeled higher education a "breeding ground for racists who still see Africans as nothing else but savages". The statement continued:

"We call for an expulsion of these perpetrators before our students respond in the manner they responded to the apartheid racist regime in 1976. Our students' patience has been tested too far and we call on all students to take up arms and fight racism and all its manifestations."

Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, came under attack for a "failure to give clear political leadership" on the transformation of higher education. Students called for her removal "in the same manner that the ANC has removed inefficient premiers" - the leaders of two South African provinces were sacked by the ruling party last month.

Students also disapproved of the University of the Free State closing down Reitz Residence, site of the filmed racist initiation incident that sparked an international outrage earlier this year. The university's plan to turn Reitz into an institute of diversity and transformation, Sasco said, amounted to "camouflaging of racism". Rather, African and Afrikaner students should have been allowed to "live side by side" with each other in the residence.

The Sasco congress also expressed strong support for the renaming of symbols and buildings associated with colonialism and apartheid "as part of creating a forward-looking, caring, progressive, transformative and prosperous South Africa".

Sasco wants the name of Rhodes University to be changed, because of its connection to 1800s British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes, and his statue at the University of Cape Town to be removed to the Apartheid Museum. They also demanded urgent renaming of Mangosuthu University of Technology - named after Zulu leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi - who they called a "former stooge of the apartheid regime who murdered our people".

Turning more directly to education issues, Sasco welcomed a resolution taken at the ANC's national conference last December to progressively introduce free education - but wants this done with the "same zeal" with which the ANC injected funds into the 1990s arms deal, is prioritising 2010 Soccer World Cup projects and is dismantling a crack FBI-style anti-crime and corruption unit called the Scorpions.

"We therefore call for the production of a five year plan which must lead us to the attainment of free education in our lifetime," said the Sasco statement.

On the political front, Sasco expressed repugnance for the government of Zimbabwe which "has lost its revolutionary credentials" and become an enemy of its people, and supported a permanent stay of prosecution for Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa's ruling African National Congress, who faces corruption charges.

They described the treatment of Zuma by the Scorpions and judges as unfair and added: "At Sasco we are unequivocal in our support for a permanent stay of prosecution against Comrade Jacob Zuma." The Congress will participate in a 'million signature' campaign in support of Zuma, and will "mobilise thousands of students" to disrupt his impending trial.