1. Apathymaintainsthe statusquo
On the 12th
of Februarythe HumanitiesTransformationcommitteeheldtheirfirstpublicseminaron
the topic:Imagininga transformedhighereducation.The seminarpresentedaperfectplatformto
‘start’the conversationonthe multi-facetedissueof transformationininstitutionsof higher
learning,especiallyat the Universityof Pretoria.Itwasanopportune place forall studentstonot
onlycome and listenonthe progressof transformation,buttoalsoengage andpose questionsto
the highlylearned speakers,Prof MelissaSteynfromWitsandDr NomalangaMkhize fromRhodes
University.The seminarofferedaunique settingforstaff membersandstudentsfromall facultiesto
engage inthe robustdebate that tookplace afterthe presentationswiththe twospeakersandsome
members of the universitymanagement.
However,the platformshowedanumberof worryingsigns.First,how deeplydisengagedmany
studentsare fromissuessuchas transformation,which affectsall of us directlyandindirectly.
Second,howtopicslike transformation,race anddiversityalwaysseemtopredominantlyhave a
blackface to them.Andthird,the lackof representationfromstudentbodiesthatare usuallyvocal
on suchmattersbut failedto sendone representative,showingalackof accountabilityfromtheir
side totheirconstituents.
Universityof Pretoriaranksamongthe leasttransformeduniversitiesinthe country,ithashad a
numberof issuesthatspeaksdirectlytotransformation(thelackthereof) suchasthe blackface
incidentin2014, studentscant to justsitand waitfor the “management’tosolve ourproblems..The
importance of transformationandpoorstudentattendance atthiseventservesascall toall
students,tostopbeingapatheticaboutsuchpertinentissues,andrealisethattransformationatthis
institutionisacollectiveresponsibility,irrespectiveof race.
Variousplatformsatdifferentinstitutionsare raisingtochallengethe statusquo,andtheyare ledby
students.TransformWits,RhodesMustFall andOpenStellenboschare keymovementtothe notion
of transformation.Theyrecognise the plightof issuesthatcontinue todiscriminateand
systematicallymarginalisestudents,particularlythose whoare poorandsubsequentlyhappentobe
black.
Thisletterthusservesasa call to studentstostake an active stance on pertinentissuesthataffect
us,and secondlyforstaff memberswhocontinue tospew rhetoric withnoactionto reconsidertheir
position.University of Pretoriarequiresanew mind-setinordertotransform.
KennethDiole