Radio Islam International – 2019/01/28

The University Of Pretoria (UP) recently announced that the institution will be phasing out Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.

Established in 1908 – as the Transvaal University College in 1930 – the University College was upgraded into a fully-fledged independent University.

Since 1932 the medium of instruction became exclusively Afrikaans and the University was exclusively for White Afrikaans speaking people.

It is against this background that this new decision has been received with mixed emotions.

Alana Bailey, who is responsible for language policy at Afriforum says they have been engaged with the university for quite some time now.

“We hoped that they would retain both Afrikaans and English as mediums of instruction and bring in a third language, we had a court case against them, and we lost the case in the high court.”

Bailey says Afriforum hopes the discussion on the language policy does not end at this important juncture.

Last week, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni tweeted that, “I publicly, and in my personal capacity, DISAGREE, with the phasing out of Afrikaans as one of the mediums of teaching at the University of Pretoria. As a country, you are shooting yourselves down. You will regret it in 30 years’ time.”

I publicly, and in my personal capacity, DISAGREE, with the phasing out of Afrikaans as one of the mediums of teaching at the University of Pretoria. As a country, you are shooting yourselves down. You will regret it in 30 years’ time. pic.twitter.com/qNe43ErSQz

— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) January 24, 2019