Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande has slammed Stellenbosch University’s Senate for voting against a motion on “Genocide and Destruction of Scholarship and Education in Gaza”.
Stellenbosch University’s Senate held a special meeting on Tuesday, 30 April 2024 to discuss the motion after it had been tabled in March. The Senate voted 80 for and 101 against the motion, and 18 abstained.
The proposed resolution called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel, the passage of humanitarian aid and the return of all captives including the safe return of hostages captured by Hamas and include the safe return of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons.
It also called for the condemnation of the destruction of the education sector in Gaza, urging the international community to ensure that the provision of humanitarian aid includes the restoration of the education sector in Gaza. rejection of the definition of antisemitism by the IHRA and express the university's support for academic colleagues in Gaza as well as the intention to assist in the rebuilding of the academic sector after the war.
The university said while the motion was not passed, they support the academic and student communities in expressing their views peacefully and engaging in constructive discussions within the boundaries of its policies and the law.
While the resolution was not passed by the majority of the Senate, SU recognises that the Israel-Palestine crisis affects our community, and as such, it therefore emphasises that our institution stands firmly for the principles of peace, respect for human rights, freedom of expression, and the principles of International Humanitarian Law.
Higher Education Minister Slams The Decision.
Nzimande labelled the stance taken by Stellenbosch University as profoundly racist and fundamentally problematic.
This decision by the Senate is both insensitive and blatantly racist and fails to appreciate that, at stake here, is a matter of fundamental human rights- the genocide and mass murder of Palestinians.
He questioned why members of the Senate would vote against revolutions to rebuild the education system in Gaza.
"Even worse for a university to take such a stance when about 100, just under 100 professors at the last count of universities in Gaza have been killed and more than 12 universities in Gaza have been destroyed."
Nzimande said while he respects Stellenbosch’s right to autonomy, the senate must understand that there is no autonomy when it comes to racism, genocide, apartheid, and violation of fundamental human rights.
By taking this repugnant decision, the Senate of Stellenbosch University has essentially legitimised the mass murder and dispossession of the oppressed people of Palestine, including that of fellow academics. It is a shame for a university senate such as Stellenbosch to adopt such a problematic stance.
In his interview with Newsroom Africa Minister Blade Nzimande continued his stinging criticism of the Stellenbosch University Senate decision. "They are actually endorsing the mass murder and genocide of Palestinines by the (decision) they have taken. There can be no other way of describing this," said Nzimande.
"I am calling on the university communities across South Africa, starting with Stellenbosch itself, to stand up and be counted.
I am personally offended, as a Black South African who grew up under Apartheid, when we were butchered and massacred, with he collaboration of the Israeli regime. You have a university in South Africa, its Senate in 2024, that stands up and says there should be no ceasefire in Gaza. Everybody in the world is calling for ceasefire," said Nzimande.
"What are these academics teaching in their own classes if they can actually adopt what clearly is barbarism? There is no other way to describe what is happening there. So to have a SA university Senate actually supporting barbaric acts must be a shame to the entire academic community in South Africa. That is why I am calling on them to stand up," added Nzimande.
Nzimande added that he was not calling for disruption of academic programmes but that it would be good if the entire academic community in SA should stand up and be counted. For example he expressed his view that all SA universities should break relations with all Israeli universities.
Nzimande recounted his own experience when he tried to go to Palestine in 2015/16 to establish relations between SA and Palestinian universities and his visit was blocked by the Israeli government.
Minister Nzimande went on to call for alumni, students and others associated with the University of Stellenbosch to stand up against this decision of the Senate - which he called 'repugnant'.
The South African government presented a case at the International Court of Justice at the Hague, in January of this year, alleging that the Israeli government was guilty of genocide in the way in which it was prosecuting its war in the Gaza strip. The final decision of the ICJ will take many years but in its preliminary find the ICJ's conclusion was that there was a plausible case of genocide to be answered by the Israeli government and that the case would continue.
The actions of the South African government, in which Nzimande is a part, were supported by such countries as Brazil,Colombia, Ireland, Namibia, and other. However they were strong criticised by the United States, and there have been calls from some US lawmakers for diplomatic and trade relations with South African to be curtailed as punishment for lodging the case.