Stellenbosch University (SU) remains committed to the use of Afrikaans - together with English - as teaching languages in the context of inclusiveness and multilingualism, Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU, told Convocation members at the annual Convocation meeting where the importance of Language and SU's Language Policy came under scrutiny.
Prof De Villiers touched on the recent judgement in the Gelyke Kanse court case which challenged the process SU followed for the revision of the Language Policy and the 2016 Language Policy itself. The court found that SU's 2016 Language Policy complies with the requirements of the Constitution and according to De Villiers this verdict confirmed that SU has not turned its back on Afrikaans.
"The principle of inclusivity is the cornerstone of SU's current Language Policy, De Villiers said. "We are mistakenly depicted by some as a monolingual place - no more Afrikaans but now full English. It's just not true," he added.
De Villiers referred Convocation members to the full statement and judgement on the University website as well as the University's Language Policy.
In his speech, Dr Willem (Willa) Boezak, author and researcher and keynote speaker at the event, reiterated that Afrikaans is not a white man's language, but an integral part of the Khoisan's cultural heritage, identity and human dignity. It is exactly that thinking that Afrikaans is the white man's language, that we should decolonise, Dr Boezak said. "Language is vulnerable - you can pray in it and you can swear in it. One cannot punish a language and its speakers because of the unwise decisions of policymakers. A language is not an orphan - it has speakers, people with stories, dreams and values. It is a part of our culture, our heritage of who we are."
This year, the Convocation's annual community service award went to businessman and SU alumnus, Francois van Niekerk, who was honoured for his longstanding leadership in philanthropy. Van Niekerk is the founder of the Mertech Group and the Mergon Foundation. He is also co-founder of the Atterbury Group and was chairperson of Atterbury Investment Holdings from its inception to 2012. Van Niekerk, who wrote the book Doing Business with Purpose, has received a number of academic, business and philanthropy awards, including an honorary doctorate from Unisa.
In his report to Convocation, Prof De Villiers also shared the many highlights the University has accomplished over the past year.
"For Maties, 2017 was another year full of highlights - for which we would like to thank our staff members, students, alumni, donors and partners," he said.
"We enrolled more students than ever before, and awarded a record number of qualifications. Our total student body has grown to more than 31 000, and in the last full academic year, we awarded 8 348 qualifications, including 1 468 master's and 278 doctoral degrees."
He added that SU is maintaining its momentum of excellence and making a positive difference in society, referring to among others, the 2 000 smoke alarms that were installed in low-income homes and informal backyard homes in the Greater Cape Town area to prevent devastating fires and save lives as well as the Smart Water Meters developed in the Faculty of Engineering that were rolled out to a hundred schools in the drought stricken Western Cape, not only helping them save water but also spreading the preservation message far and wide.
In his report to Convocation, advocate Jan Heunis, President of the Convocation, called for honest and open discussions and the exchange of ideas. “It is an essential characteristic of a university that people should hold different viewpoints and be able to justify them. That others can judge or criticise, agree with or differ from those views. You don't have to accept my viewpoint, but I expect that you will accept my bona fides," he said.
Full speeches available here:
Photo: Dr Willa Boezak and Advocate Jan Heunis. (Photographer: Anina Fourie)
