THE local Afrikaans community has been outraged by a report titled “Afrikaners is dom en rassisties, sê Engelse studente van Rhodes” (Afrikaners are dumb and racist, say English students at Rhodes), published in Die Burger on 22 May 2008.
THE local Afrikaans community has been outraged by a report titled “Afrikaners is dom en rassisties, sê Engelse studente van Rhodes” (Afrikaners are dumb and racist, say English students at Rhodes), published in Die Burger on 22 May 2008.
The article was written by third year Rhodes University Journalism student Thinus Dippenaar. The story claims that English Rhodes students feel that Afrikaans is a dead language which is used by a group of “racist and stupid Dutchmen”.
The report quoted Afrikaans students who said they have been ill-treated by English students. Dippenaar’s article alleged that English Rhodes students discriminate against Afrikaans Rhodes students by making them feel unwelcome and calling them stupid. The story also mentions Hoërskool PJ Olivier’s pupils as being perceived as dumb and aggressive.
PJ Olivier principal Piet Snyders said he was angry that his school was referred to in the article without an attempt to contact him for comment. He added that he was “amazed” at the article, as he is in constant contact with Afrikaans students at Rhodes who have never complained of ill-treatment.
Snyders said that his school has had a 100% matric pass rate for the past 10 years, and many past pupils take up high positions across the country. Snyders said that the PJ learners are fully bilingual and the PJ debating team recently won a schools’ English debating competition.
Sweeping claims
In a letter to Die Burger, Rhodes Vice-Chancellor Saleem Badat argued that the paper’s report had been uncritical. He suggested Dippenaar had found a few Afrikaans students who had bad experiences with English students.
He wrote: “It is crucial to note that these charges are not levelled against a few or some students but against “Engelse studente” and the “universiteit” in general. As such, these are sweeping claims, if not also harmful and irresponsible. Their effect is to dangerously homogenise people into blocs and create stereotype of these blocs. In essence, your journalist sadly perpetuates the very stereotypes that he claims exist at Rhodes, and which, if they do exist, must be cause for concern.”
Badat added that it is unfortunate that those Afrikaans students who say they are victims of discrimination have not complained to university authorities.
“They have nothing to fear and are encouraged to assert their rights. I urge them to do so, so that complaints can be investigated,” he said.
Former PJ pupil Adele van der Merwe, who is studying towards her second Masters degree, said she has never had a problem as an Afrikaans-speaking student and felt that the article was poorly written and researched.
Snyders said the pupils at the school were upset about the article. He added that the pupils were free to express their concerns via SMS and email. Die Burger’s website was flooded with responses. The site closed comments on the article just after 1.30pm the same day the article was published.
