Racism on campus

Yandiswa Tembani (University of Fort Hare)

Racism is a form of discrimination based on race, especially the belief that one race is superior to another. Racism generalizes and some racists humiliate others, which reinforces their superiority and the inferiority of the victim of such humiliation.

Race related incidents have had a great impact on South Africans. It reminds us of our worst traits as people, but speaking openly about it can enable South Africans to confront the and allow us to see how much common ground has been created since 1994.

The recent racist video produced by four white students at the University of Free State generated a lot of fury from many South Africans. The contents of the video are an indication of the lack of transformation in tertiary institutions and the shallowness of the reconciliation among youth born a few years before democracy. This, tthanks to the circulation of this contoversial video, is a disturbing truth that has now been exposed to the whole world.

A tourist visiting South Africa at the time the video surfaced might have thought that racism was dead in South Africa and that the four UFS students were awakening an unwelcome ghost. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that racism in South Africa is not dead. It still thrives in many places and the UFS scandal is just one incident.

The incidents shocked the higher education community, A a result about 2000 students, lectures and directors of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's George campus marched against racism on in tertiary institutions. Campus principal Professor Fabricious expressed serious concern about the racial tension simmering below the surface in places of higher education.

Racial tensions are also running high at the University of Johannesburg's Kingsway campus after a string of violent incidents. Drunk white male students allegedly bursts into a womenʼs bathroom and beat up a black student and another black student was attacked and thrown down the stairs.

These are racially motivated incidents of violence and humiliation reported by UJʼs SRC in recent weeks. The SRC president, Mhlobowethu Hoyi, believes that the levels of racism on campus are unacceptable. The Star newspaper reported that the SRC has threatened the institution's management with mass protest action if urgent attention is not given to the problems.

Professor Grain Soudien, the chairperson of a committee set up by education Minister Naledi Pandor to address racism on campuses, said it was unavoidable that race related incidents were happening in South African universities.

As South Africans we are all part of the post apartheid South Africa and it is our responsibility to become catalysts for unity in our country.

Being a Student Journalist in SA- the hardships

Buhle Mbonambi (DUT)

These past few weeks have been so turbulant for the South African media that we almost believe that we can report on anything until the next controversial issue rocks us again. Think the UFS video, the DRUM journalist who got beaten up while covering the story in Bloemfontein, the Forum for Black Journalist vs Talk radio 702 drama and then the latest shocker, David Bullard's article.

Now you are probably wondering what all these issues have to do with being a student journalist, but they influence us big time...

These issues have made some of my colleagues and I to view the field in a different way. We were totally ignorant of all these issues and all of a sudden we now have to deal with them. Bahle Makohliso, a journalism student from DUT says; " It has shown me that we have been hiding behind this 'Rainbow Nation' facade. It is sad that the media created this image of our country and 2008 has brought about a change in our thinking, reporting, writing columns and has unfortunately brought fear in us student journos about the future of journalists and their wellbeing."

I was watching 3talk on Wednesday (16 April 2008), and the topic was about 'Media players at loggerheads'. To say that it was interesting is to disadvantage it. It was HOT! Heated from the word go. Noeleen had David Bullard, an intellectual from UNISA, Abbey Makoe of the FBJ and Katy Katopodis, news editor at 702, as guests on the show to discuss the issues they've in some ways started. They discussed everything professionally and they weren't scared to voice their opinions and that was so reassuring to know that we are after all allowed to voice our views on issues affecting us. Oh and David apologized.

Journalism should be about free and fair reporting and that isn't happening these days, even at the Sunday Times. Now it's all about who it is writing the column and racism is rife in the media. A friend , Fooh Mzimela said when we were debating about the FBJ in class: " I'd join the FBJ because the issues they standfor are true and I don't understand what the hype is all about." This is true, but the problem was how the matter was handled by the parties concerned and the manner in which the white journalists were excluded. She then added; " What would happen if a "Forum for Women Journalists" was formed? Would there still be an issue?"

Now that is the type of proactive thinking that student journos should be doing, and we don't seem to be doing it. I wasn't doing it. I wasn't looking at the bigger issue, just the small things that may affect us in the future.