Lifestyle/Community
Durban U SRC calls for expulsion of Jews
VANESSA VALKIN
SRC secretary Mqondisi Duma had said in a statement Tuesday that Jewish students, especially those who do not support the Palestinian struggle, should deregister. After both DUT leadership, the Jewish community of Kwazulu Natal and other groups expressed strong opposition to the demand, the SRC President Ayanda Ngidi issued an apology and a clarification.
​“The Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Durban University of Technology (DUT) apologises without reservation to any one offended by recent demands made by us regarding Jewish students.
“We would like to clarify that our position is, in fact, that Israel is an Apartheid, genocidal and terrorist State and that in solidarity with our Palestinian people who are currently oppressed and colonised by Israel we demand that ANY student Jewish, Muslim, Christian even Atheist or any other that is funded by the Apartheid State of Israel and its institutions must not be students in DUT, and if there are any, they must be immediately de-registered. Our campuses will not be breeding grounds for Apartheid.
The SRC also confirmed that it had adopted a complete cultural and academic boycott of Israel in line with BDS.
The clarification from the SRC came about after DUT vice chancellor Professor Ahmed Bawa issued an official statement on the matter, calling the demand “totally preposterous, unjust, unfair, unreasonable and unconstitutional. It’s in violation of our values and principles. DUT does not discriminate against any person based on their race, religion, colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation or political affiliation.”
He said he made it very clear to student leaders from the SRC and the Progressive Youth Alliance that DUT would not agree to their demand and that the University treasures the diversity of its students.
Dawa also asked the University, via its International Centre of Non-violence (ICON), to develop a programme of engagement between students and staff to address the issue of tolerance and social cohesion.
david
February 12, 2015 at 10:34 am
‘Just a further proof of the dimwitted nature of the SRC at DUT
I wonder if Duma actually knows where Israel is on the map ?
​’
nat cheiman
February 12, 2015 at 10:55 am
‘the src should mobilise the students to trash and burn the campus if Prof Bawa denies their demands. After all, it is the African way. If the campus is burned and there are no more lecture halls, it would mean no more study and then the Varsity has to award degrees to all. Because an injury to one is an injury to all they will all be half wit graduates.Of course the {term used removed as it could be misconstrued -ED} that are on the SRC are the future of this country and \”did you got a licence\” types will be hailed as intellectuals.
\nWe are fast becoming a nation of rectums .’
Jonni
February 12, 2015 at 11:07 am
‘Are we surprised that these so called progressive students are mendacious demagogues and racists with the inability to think for themselves.
A bunch of clones who will one day run this country into the morass of dictatorship.
I hope they all swallow onions’
Joel
February 12, 2015 at 11:50 am
‘As a Jewish student and member of the SRC in the early 60s protesting for equality among races and an end to apartheid we clearly marched to a different drum. It is so sad that those we stood up for having nothing better to do than s to do that to do than take up arms for those who never cared about them!’
Denis Solomons
February 12, 2015 at 11:58 am
‘A very harsh move.
What could have prompted such a notion .
How many Jewish students doe Kwazulu-Natal university normally have ?
I would imagine that the big attractions at the University are Law and Medicine .
But this is blatant disscrimination that needs to be tackled and dealt with as soon as humanly possible !’
Miggo
February 12, 2015 at 3:37 pm
‘I say every Jewish student at DUT and for that matter in universities around the country needs to go to school with guns. And if any of these antisemites mess with them, blow them to kingdom come.
The time has come for Jews to stop being weak and pacifist. The time has come for Jews to learn martial arts and the use of firearms. The time has come for the Jewish community to encourage mass conversions to increase our numbers and our clout. There is security in numbers. Any organization that stands in the way of this agenda must be shoved aside.
I for one am sick and tired of Jews being victims generation after generation after generation. It will stop when we Jews learn to change our pacifist behaviors. You cant do the same thing over and over and over again and expect different results as the Jews have done.
Jews always say \”Never again\”. But I don’t see Jews taking the necessary steps as mentioned above to ensure that \”Never again\” really never happens again.’
Cherryl Katnich
February 12, 2015 at 7:01 pm
‘I commend Professor Bawafor standing up for the Jewish students. This horrible discrimination is how Nazi Germany started and the holocaust happened. The students should look at all the atrocities happening in the world, women and children being raped in Darfur’s, why he obsession with Israel? Why? The answer is anti-Semitism.’
Zena Cohen
February 12, 2015 at 8:23 pm
‘You are a bunch of ignorant, uninformed and bigoted people who do not deserve to be in a institute of higher learning. If you are to be the new leaders of South Africa, then I greatly fear for her future.’
Choni
February 13, 2015 at 7:48 am
‘Migo, It’s time for (young) Jews to go HOME. Period.’
nat cheiman
February 14, 2015 at 3:05 pm
‘When I give to charity or worthy causes I give to jews and animal charities. I have ceased giving the indigenous people anything whether it be clothing, money or kindness.’
Salome
February 14, 2015 at 6:35 pm
‘My word! You weren’t even born in the apartheid SA but you call Israel an Apartheid country. I do hope all your software and IT tools are from Palestine as when I last checked Israel was number 1 YET AGAIN in Technology. You need to check your facts as many South Africans unapologetically support and stand for Yisrael and the Jewish people. Am Chai Yisrael!’
Mpho
February 16, 2015 at 7:43 pm
‘We call on our courageous brother Mqondisi Duma to walk the talk.
We encourage you to be the first student in South Africa to discard your cellphone in a public display, as the first cellphone was developed in Israel.Away with cellphones ,away.We urge our comrade to close his facebook account and give his computer away.away with compurters.Israel developed the intel chip and the anti virus software.we dont need these things’
nat cheiman
February 17, 2015 at 2:24 pm
‘Of course you don’t need these things Mpho. What you and Zuma and all your pals need are german luxury cars, Range Rovers and Johnny Walker. Lifes a breeze and you can get more handouts from America and Europe when you go wth your begging bowl. NOT ANYMORE DUDE!!
\nThe world knows that you Africa has more corrupt (OFFENSIVE WORDS REMOVED -ED) like Duma are responsible for what Africa is today. ONE BIG SEWAGE PIT with IDI AMIN types ruling.By the way, your \”courageous brother\”is a half witted cretin.
‘
Mordechai
February 18, 2015 at 1:18 am
‘I totally echo Nat Cheiman views re charity only to Jews. Reading the above postings I am in a state of amazement. Address the real issue. It is not unique to the SRC of this so called education institute. The anti Israel policies which is the new Anti Semitism starts right at the top of the new rainbow nation of South Africa. That is where the problem begins. Like the 1930’s it began with government and trickled down to the universities, work places and the masses. In the new South Africa (which by the way and unbelieveably S A Jews are proud of) it began two weeks after Mandela was released from prison and began trickling down until today it is becoming an avalanche. I beg South African Jews to wake up and leave.’
dr j.c. younger
February 18, 2015 at 4:19 pm
‘Too often we hear \”we are not anti-semitic, we are against the politics of Israel,\” and we wonder whether it is true or if the real issue is bigotry. I think we now know the answer at least for students at the University of Durban. What a terrible shame that a University has become a symbol of closed minds and ignorant prejudices.’
Angelique
February 19, 2015 at 4:54 am
‘This ignorant person’s (I already forgot his name) opinion does not by any means represent the feeling of all South Africans. Clearly the South African education is failing- The Jews have contributed so much to humanity in just about all fields. Nobel prizes for Science, Mathematics, Chemistry… how many Nobel prizes have the Arabs who claim to be of Aegean decent been awarded? Oh, that’s right, they were too busy complaining.
I support Israel. God bless Israel. ‘
Russell Fig
February 25, 2015 at 3:00 am
‘It seems like those South African blacks that were on the left during the anti Apartheid days have the whrong idea about Israel. I am a South African Jew living over here in America and when I have heard some of the black South African friends that I have had who have studied over here it seems to me that they know nothing about Israel or Jewish people. We as Jews maybe shoud take the time to enlighten them for those who are willing to learn. It is unforunate that they saw Israel as an acomplice in Apartheid. ‘
Russell Fig
February 25, 2015 at 10:39 pm
‘Mpo You sound like a complete ****hole. Are you not an AA beneficiary? Have you forgotten that many Jews fought against Apartheid?
\n
\n I am a a South African Jew living in America and woud like to return to South Africa and make my contribution and woud like to tell a Mampara like you what to go and do. Do you have a set of brains? lol. Maybe you were a victim of the discedited bantu education system lol.
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\n Are you also one of the stupid black South Africans who are Xenephobic towards other Africans? Why don’t you send me your ontacts and let me teach you a few things? do you speand all your time getting drunk and stealing like so may of your black South African brouthers? lol. Smarten up you Mampara.’