Unisa online - UNISA hosts Colloquium on Race and Racism in South Africa

Against the background of racism in South Africa and the xenophobic attacks across the country in May and June 2008, the Student Affairs Directorate, on behalf of Professor David Mosoma: Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Principal: Learner Support, organised a Colloquium on Race and Racism in South Africa on 18 June 2008 in the Senate Hall, Muckleneuk Campus. The aim of the colloquium was to discuss the issue of racism in the context of a desire for social, economic and institutional transformation in the country.

Welcoming the many delegates, Professor Mosoma emphasised that the purpose of the colloquium was to crystallise ideas and mobilise strategies to combat racism. Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Barney Pityana delivering the opening address, made the point that racism is truly embedded in the psyche of South African society. He referred to the vital point made in paragraph 17 of the Declaration made at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 8 September 2001 (the Durban Declaration):

We note the importance of paying special attention to new manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to which youth and other vulnerable groups might be exposed

According to Professor Pityana, much of higher education in South Africa shows the perpetuation of racism and he was insistent that the seedbed of racism in this context needs to be exposed and countered.

Manifestation of racism

The first session of the colloquium was chaired by Dr Thandi Sidzumo-Mazibuko, Executive Director: Corporate Services, and focused on the definition as well as the causes and manifestation of racism. While no one clear definition of racism could be agreed upon, all acknowledged that it is necessary to be aware of the pain that racism causes.

In the second session, members of the panel, chaired by Professor Catherine Hoppers, Incumbent of the Unisa SARChI Chair in Development Education, considered some of the impacts and effects of racism in various spheres.

Professor Peter Stewart, Department of Development Studies, chaired the third session of the day, which looked at strategies to combat racism. While it was clear that there are some resources in place to do this, policies do not effectively address all the issues. Professor Hoppers made the important point that people must not only work curatively but also act preventatively to fight racism in whatever form it occurs.

Need for focused research

In summation, Professor Phumla Mtala, the acting Dean of Students, stated that it was obvious that the question of racism needed to be considered further, and that it was necessary to sustain the debate and discussion that had started at the colloquium. “This marks the beginning of a long journey of continuous engagement on this issue and of telling the stories that have affected us in one way or another,” she said. She added that there was a need to embark on focused research: a structured collective effort by a dedicated group of people, and proposed that a forum comprising a wide spectrum of individuals be established that would be facilitated by Unisa.

The proceedings and papers of the Colloquium on Race and Racism in South Africa will be published in full in due course.