Universities have not sufficiently transformed – Report

Public universities have not sufficiently transformed in the past 20 years and discrimination remains prevalent‚ particularly on the grounds of race‚ gender‚ disability and socio-economic class, writes Ernest Mabuza for Times Live.

This is according to a report published by the South African Human Rights Commission on transformation at these universities. The commission held public hearings to investigate the matter following incidents of systemic exclusion and discrimination. One such incident occurred at the University of the Free State when four black members of the support staff were subjected to inhumane treatment at the hands of white students – commonly referred to as the ‘Reitz Four’ incident.

The commission’s report found that despite the relative gains‚ transformation in the higher education sector had been relatively slow. It strongly recommended that the Department of Higher Education and Training take a leading role in developing policies to support the transformation of the higher education system and for it to use its powers to hold universities which fail to transform to account.
Full report on the Times Live site