AfriForum and SASCO: a war of words

by PDBY Staff | Mar 8, 2011 | News

NINA VAN WYK

Members of AfriForum Youth serving on the SRC (Student Representative Council) and student parliament of the University of Pretoria this week laid complaints against members of SASCO who serve on student parliament.

According to a press release from AfriForum Youth, this apparently followed after members of SASCO displayed “violent” behaviour and after various attempts to disrupt student parliament meetings. SS Lukhozi, one of SASCO’s former leader figures, also allegedly insulted and threatened members of the SRC and student parliament in a series of emails.

This followed after SASCO was refused the option of adding a discussion point to a student parliament meeting agenda.

Apparently the agenda had already been approved by parliament. According to the parliamentary constitution, the agenda of a sitting of parliament cannot be amended once it has been approved.

In a recent media release, Nikke Strydom, branch chairperson of Afriforum at UP, said that SASCO would have been allowed to discus their point at the (next) meeting of parliament.

In emails obtained from AfriForum Youth, Lukhozi wrote: u [sic] haven’t seen anything.The best is yet to come……. I hope to see the day that will witness [sic] the disappearance of Afrikanerdom at the University of Pretotia [sic], God knows when…. I decided to leave this university comrades I can’t endorse the leadership of the blind and those who vote on skin pigmentation [sic] and not on vision and principle….. Amandla…. SRC Secretary General escapes dismissal Dubula dubula dubula dubula… am [sic] nt [sic] even proud to be an alumni of such an institution…

A member of the SRC, Hugo Kruger, commented on the various spelling mistakes in the email sent by Lukhozi. He also suggested that this should be taken up with university management, because it reflects badly on the university if alumni cannot spell correctly.

Lukhozi replied to these allegations in a second email: you are such an idiot and you should know that…I am not sure whether you live in an [sic] cave or somewhere in the bushes or in [sic] the farms that your forefathers stole from us so that you can have better lives than us..MORON….YOU MAKE ME SICK, PITY THERE IS NO MEDICAL SURGERY THAT IS CLOSER [sic], I WAS JUST GONNA [sic] GO FOR CONSULTATION… NOW I DIDN’T USE SMS LANGUAGE, SEE IF YOU CAN FIND ANY SPELLING ERROR YOU STUPID RACCIST [sic] WITCH….NXXXXX

According to Strydom SASCO does not use the platform for debate made available to them. “If everything is always viewed [as] critique and judged with suspicion, there can be no constructive conversation. Pride for your own culture does not necessarily have to be linked to fear and hate for other races.

There are civilised ways to sort things out. This is not behaviour that can be justified by adults.” When Perdeby approached SASCO for comment we were referred to their chairperson Sedupe Ramaghopa.

Perdeby’s requests for comment were acknowledged, but a formal response from SASCO was not forthcoming.

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