Get your own Free Home PageStudent- worker struggle against continuing racism and bad conditions at the universities and technikons is set to continue in 1996.
WHITES ONLY?
Many Black students cannot afford the high fees, yet too few bursaries and loans are available. Black people are still a minority at the old "White" universities and techs. Some historically Black universities are on the verge of financial and organisational collapse. Many institutions are run by conservative Apartheid- era managements.
PROFESSOR MAKGOBA
Recently, Professor Makgoba of Wits University was accused by 13 senior (mainly White) colleagues of falsifying his CV, and of failing to carry out his administrative duties. Makgoba, the only Black Deputy Vice- Chancellor at Wits, responded with evidence of corruption and incompetence on the part of the 13. He was then suspended for bringing Wits into "public disrepute".
ON THE GROUND
So far, most of the charges against Makgoba seem unfounded. The Admin also has no credibility amongst Black workers and students because of its failure to genuinely commit itself to transforming Wits. The suspension of Professor Makgoba for criticising Wits is an action typical of a reactionary Admin. that routinely arrests and expels student and worker protesters fighting for transformation.
For all these reasons, workers and students have rallied around Professor Makgoba and demanded a full investigation of the allegations on both sides by a legitimate taskforce. They also demanded an investigation into why the process of change has halted at Wits.
MASS ACTION
Mass actions like pickets have taken place around these demands, and for the lifting of Professor Makgoba's suspension. We are in a strong position because Admin wants things to quiet down before term starts in February 1996. It has already agreed to lift the suspension and appoint legitimate bodies to investigate all charges.
WHAT WE SAY: now is the time to step up the struggle against racism and to expel the reactionary Admin. We must rely on mass action to win change. Not on the Admin's investigating teams or on the "democratic government". The ANC leadership condemned the 1995 student- worker protests and refused to intervene on our side.
WORKERS UNIVERSITY
We cannot rely on a new Admin. to do things for us. Just changing a few faces at the top will not democratise tertiary education. We need real worker- student- staff control of the institutions. At present tertiary education trains privileged managers and experts for big business and the State. We say this must change. Tertiary education must serve the needs of the working class and poor NOT the bosses and rulers. We say: Forward to the Workers University!
Email us at wsf_sa@oocities.com
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