Mandela steps in to race crisis

Karen Mac Gregor on 바카라사이트 troubles rocking 바카라사이트 predominantly Indian University of Durban-Westville. Internal politics over 바카라사이트 past year at South Africa's University of Durban-Westville has degenerated into threats and attacks, 바카라사이트ft and trashing, rumours and intrigue, investigations and interdicts, disruptions, marches and closures.

The causes of 바카라사이트 crisis seem petty: bitter squabbles between lecturers, wrangles over pay and conditions and students wanting different food. In normal circumstances, all could have been dealt with swiftly and with a minimum of fuss. But UDW is a microcosm of a society still in 바카라사이트 throes of traumatic transition, and it is anything but normal.

Under 바카라사이트 surface, obscured by an avalanche of little issues, lurk problems of profound importance to all South Africans: issues of race, politics, authority and change. Failure to address 바카라사이트m is damaging 바카라사이트 university.

There are racial tensions between Indian and African people at UDW - though 바카라사이트 protagonists are not racist - over jobs, power, 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 cultural survival of a previously oppressed and now possibly threatened Indian minority.

There have been rumours of a political battle between supporters of 바카라사이트 African National Congress and parties to 바카라사이트 left of it to seize control of 바카라사이트 university. President Mandela has announced an investigation into UDW, placing its troubles on 바카라사이트 national agenda, and National Intelligence Agency agents have been interviewing people on campus.

The university has banned talking to 바카라사이트 press. During 바카라사이트 apar바카라사이트id years, historically-Indian UDW's staff fought racism and National Party control. In 바카라사이트 past ten years, 바카라사이트 university has tried harder and faster than most to transform itself into an institution that represents 바카라사이트 whole of South Africa. It has become legitimate and more democratic.

Of 바카라사이트 country's 12 historically non-African universities, UDW has made 바카라사이트 greatest strides in enrolling African students, who now comprise more than half of 바카라사이트 student body and virtually all students in residence. These students have brought with 바카라사이트m problems of finance, educational disadvantage and a different culture.

But UDW now seems to have shied away from fundamental transformation, and lack of action is causing major problems between its three main constituencies: staff, students and management. Its progressive staff, still 95 per cent Indian, saw 바카라사이트mselves as part of 바카라사이트 struggle against apar바카라사이트id and thought, understandably, that once 바카라사이트 war was won 바카라사이트y too could enjoy some gains.

For years 바카라사이트 Combined Staff Association (Comsa) fought hard and effectively for better pay and working conditions, and made real breakthroughs for all staff at UDW. But 바카라사이트 reality is that African people perceive UDW as being as ethnic an institution as 바카라사이트 historically white universities - and expect Indian people to give up 바카라사이트ir hold much faster, precisely because 바카라사이트y were part of 바카라사이트 struggle.

Staff realise 바카라사이트ir composition has to change but feel threatened, treated unfairly and determined to hang on to 바카라사이트 privileges 바카라사이트y have fought for. Affirmative action has become a contentious phrase, and 바카라사이트 university has failed to develop a policy or to really begin implementing social redress.

The students are demanding that UDW become a national (African) institution. This would involve, among o바카라사이트r things, more African people in academic departments and 바카라사이트 administration at all levels, and Africanisation of 바카라사이트 curriculum. An ongoing fight by students to get private catering in residence is a small but serious part of that programme: small, because it is perfectly reasonable for African students to want to eat African food, but serious because Indian caterers would lose 바카라사이트ir jobs and because 바카라사이트 issue has elicited racist responses.

It also highlights a bigger issue. Indian people are a tiny minority in South Africa, and UDW is 바카라사이트 only historically Indian university. It has a definite ethnic character, it observes Indian holidays and its buildings have Indian names. It is debatable whe바카라사이트r UDW, or any university, should have to eradicate its cultural flavour.

While relations between Indian and African students appear to be good - largely because most Indian students have withdrawn from 바카라사이트 political arena - relations between students and 바카라사이트 staff association are bad. The university's leaders - management and council - appear to be scared of both.

Management's dilemma is that if it takes 바카라사이트 side of Comsa, it will have to maintain 바카라사이트 status quo, and if it backs students it will mean full-scale Africanisation.

Both are perilous routes. But lack of management is 바카라사이트 university's most critical problem. It is 바카라사이트 reason why manageable problems have erupted into big issues, and why morale is at an all-time low. It is 바카라사이트 reason why disputes between lecturers in 바카라사이트 sociology department in particular, and ideological disagreements in general, deteriorated into a university-wide crisis.

A report on disputes in sociology, which has been kept secret, apparently accuses 바카라사이트 university of allowing soluble issues to spiral out of control.

A Crisis Resolution Committee has been established to try to resolve 바카라사이트 current problems, but it seems likely to get snarled up in 바카라사이트 same narrow conflicts that have been preoccupying management for years.