The university welcomed the commission offer after being shrouded in racial tensions recently however, it maintains that none of its students were at the helm of the unease in the two incidents that sparked them. Director of Institutional Advancement Rikus Delport said the university was willing to cooperate with the SAHRC in addressing legitimate concerns about racial tensions. "We are committed to fostering dialogue, understanding and unity among our diverse community." Delport refuted claims that students were in the forefront of sparking racial tensions in the two incidents at the Hatfield campus. In the first on September 27, EFF member allegedly shouted "Only black students", which in turn spurred a civil youth organisation to placarding campus buildings and fences with "Blacks only" and "No whites allowed" on October 9. Delport said it seemed individuals that wanted to highlight conflicting agendas of the two parties were to blame. According to him, a preliminary investigation into the two incidents did not uncover any student involvement. He said if evidence however emerged, implicating students in causing racial unease, the university would address the situation per its codes and procedures. "It is important to clarify that the racial tension observed is primarily instigated by a small group of individuals, many of whom are not part of our university community," said Delport. "These individuals often have their own political agendas, which do not reflect the sentiments of the vast majority of our students and staff." He said the incidents occurred outside the university premises. "This means they incidents fall under the jurisdiction of the police." He said UP refused to be embroiled in disputes between the organisations and would concentrate on maintaining a stable and secure environment for its students. "The university strongly condemns any form of protest activity that disrupts academic progress, especially as our students are gearing up for their examinations." Tukkies had condemned what it called "a public relations stunt", involving the placement of "No whites allowed" stickers around the Hatfield campus. AfriForum was displeased with UP's "lightingquick" reaction to threaten disciplinary action against the culprits. It said the stickers were meant to provoke heated debate and highlight alleged racial exclusion and double standards by UP. AfriForum campaign officer Louis Boshoff said the group used the stunt to expose double standards after EFF members allegedly prevented white students from accessing the campus on September 27. Youth sent several letters to Tukkies, demanding the deregistration of the EFF student command SC as a student society.

Source: Rekord