Harold Wolpe Lecture
University of KwaZulu-Natal
17 May 2007
Introduction: a free speech code for Universities?
Recently, the University of KwaZulu-Natal has been a flashpoint for
controversies aroundкомпютри academic freedom, with disciplinary action having
been taken against two academics for a number of alleged misconducts,
including speaking to the media. A case has also arisen at Fort Hare
University, involving a law professor who is being disciplined for
criticizing the University administration in his lectures, at
conferences, in private conversations and in the media. These academics
are accused of bringing their respective institutions into disrepute,
including by lying to the media, and defaming University managers. A
member of the support staff of the Tshwane University of Technology is
being charged with the apartheid era offence of immorality, for
distributing sexually explicit photographs to some of his friends. A
disciplinary case is also being heard at Wits University, where students
are being charged for bringing the institution into disrepute for
criticizing the lack of freedom of expression on campus, in the
Many of you have approached us for a response to the dismissal of Fazel Khan. We have chosen to respond now, having carefully read the judgement published by the Management and having followed with interest the various debates on the issue in e-mail fora around the University. Read the rest of this entry »
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Today’s News
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Dismissals Raise Fears for Academic Freedom in South Africa
By MEGAN LINDOW
Cape Town
A spate of recent dismissals and disciplinary
actions taken by South African universities
against outspoken faculty members has signaled a
broad erosion of academic freedom in higher
education, academics and civil-society groups
here say. Read the rest of this entry »
For some time now the Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa (CAFA) has
been growing increasingly concerned about the academic freedom crisis at
the University of KwaZulu-Natal. There are now a long list of incidents
that are grave cause for concern. One of these incidents is the dismissal
of Fazel Khan an academic internationally respected for his work with the
shack dwellers’ movement Abahlali baseMjondolo. Read the rest of this entry »
Comrade Fazel Khan, the Acting President of COMSA was dismissed last week after a DC that lasted 7 months. After careful consideration of the evidence that was led we strongly believe that the final decision of the DC is biased, vindictive and fundamentally incorrect. We are certain that Fazel will win his case in the CCMA. Read the rest of this entry »
Change is urgent at UKZN, and everyone has ideas. There are a number of places where those ideas are discussed. The Change@UKZN site is one forum. But people are creating different fora for different kinds of discussion. If you’ve got ideas about how to make UKZN more open, and how to make management more accountable, please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Fazel’s case isn’t the first attempt made by the university to stymie academic freedom. Earlier this year, the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s head of Communications, Dasarath Chetty, lost a case in which he claimed defamation against world renowned academic, Professor Jimi Adesina. You can read the full transcript by clicking on this (287 page) pdf.
Media Release: FXI welcomes judgement in academic freedom case
21 February 2007
The Freedom of Expression welcomes the judgment handed down yesterday by Magistrate IM Ristow of the Grahamstown Magistrates´ Court in which he dismissed (with costs) charges of defamation made by University of Kwazulu Natal head of communications, Professor Dasarath Chetty, against Rhodes University academic Professor Jimi Adesina. Read the rest of this entry »
Available at this website.
Silvia Federici and George Caffentzis
For about twenty years our relation to the edu-factory has been shaped primarily by the experience we made first as teachers in African universities (George at the University of Calabar from 1983 through 1987, Silvia at the University of Port Harcourt from 1984 through 1986) and later as members of CAFA (Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa), an organization we helped to found after returning to the U.S. Read the rest of this entry »
A Thousand Flowers – Social Struggles against Structural Adjustment in African Universities
A review by Refilwe Senatla and Fazel Khan
‘A Thousand Flowers’ is a project of the Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa, and is published by African World Press and edited by Silvia Federici, George Caffentzis and Ousseina Alidou.
The book is a collection of articles that chronicles the social struggles against Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) in African universities from the 1980’s into the 90’s. It deals with experiences that are central to the lived experience on many African campuses but which almost never appear in donor funded ‘research’. In the realms of academic publishing and research, so thoroughly dominated by the money of the World Bank and others, and so removed from the lived experience of ordinary people, this book is, indeed, an insurrection of subjugated knowledge. Read the rest of this entry »
