One of Front National South Africa’s members in the Eastern Cape contacted us earlier this evening. Her son recently matriculated at a private Christian School and achieved his National Senior Certificate (matric) with two official languages – as is prescribed by the National Department of Basic Education. For English he had 96% and for Afrikaans second language he had 87%. He submitted an application to study at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth (formerly UPE)
This choice of University is purely for the sake that he can attend class from home and save his parents considerable expense.
He therefore applied for the Diploma course in Accountancy and Marketing Management. To his utmost shock he is informed that he does not qualify because he needs Sotho as language with a 60% pass rate in matric!
As a second choice he decides to apply for the Diploma in Jounalism. And once again he is refused, this time for not having passed Xhosa as matric subject!
FN addressed a letter to the vice chancellor, prof Derrick Swartz, to ask the following:
1) What other reason than the exclusion of Afrikaans first and second language speakers could there be in prescribing Sotho and Xhosa as second languages above Afrikaans?
2) How do you justify the unconstitutional act of refusing a student who actually speaks two official languages and passed the National Senior Certificate according to the prescriptions of Umalusi because he does not speak the language/s you prescribe?
3) What justification is there in expecting an accountant to be able to speak Sotho instead of Afrikaans, Venda, Zulu or any other? Are we correct in assuming that the requirement of speaking Xhosa and Sotho respectively is for the sole purpose of advancing a specific ethnic group in our society, which, by the way, is a Human Rights Violation.
We will keep you updated
By Front National South Africa
South Africa Today – South Africa News
