What would Walter Sisulu say about his university? by Gareth van Onselen, 02 September 2013, 05:54 Opinion & Analysis / Columnists WHEN Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape was first put under administration, in October 2011, a university statement said the move would "strengthen (the university) further and boldly build this great brand that proudly bears the name of Walter Sisulu". It did no such thing. Last week, the complete collapse of the institution was described in horrific detail in every newspaper. Bankrupt, unable to teach, mired in conflict and corruption, it is a complete and utter shambles — a disgrace to the name Sisulu. The "great brand" has become a "great bane". Name changes and nationalism go hand in hand, and the African National Congress (ANC) has drawn heavily on its history in its obsession with symbolism and ceremony. Increasingly, however, those allusions to dignity and respect have been subjected to a messy reality. They have been dragged through the mud and become associated not with historical glory but with contemporary shame. If name changes are justified as an attempt to restore pride but are reduced to a source of ridicule and embarrassment by the conduct of an institution, then they have the opposite effect. The university has brought the name Sisulu into disrepute and should no longer have the right to use it. It is now the laughing stock of our tertiary education system, at a time when poor education is the greatest threat to South Africa’s future. Indeed, Walter Sisulu University is an interesting test for the ANC. The ruling party is the first to scream blue murder when its history is not properly recognised, but the university has, for a good five years now, done more damage to the Sisulu name than any lack of recognition could ever have achieved. It is like the South African Revenue Service being renamed the Julius Malema Institution for Sound Financial Management. Yet the ANC is happy to look on quietly as the name of one of its greatest icons is reduced to a farce. Where is the moral outrage now? More to the point, what would Sisulu have said? Would he be proud of the chaotic self-enrichment that saw R48m in bonuses paid to staff in 2011 while the university’s financial collapse had forced it to ask for a R3bn government bail-out? Would he want to be associated with an institution that does more to rob students of their education than to provide it? The ANC’s silence on this subject gives the game away. Name changes are often not, as it claims, about the restoration of pride. They are about a broader hegemonic drive to refashion every element of the public sector after the party’s own image. It does not matter what the name stands for, only that it belongs to the ANC. It’s about political ownership, not principles, values and ideals. And once ownership is secured, what does it matter if the institution implodes? The ANC owns the destruction. This trend is not particular to Walter Sisulu University. Hospitals, many of which have been renamed after ANC stalwarts, are good examples too. Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital faces a crisis as staff threaten to resign due to cuts in overtime pay — that is, when it isn’t suffering a power failure or broken infrastructure. Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital was recently brought to a standstill by protesting staff and stands accused of fraudulently obtaining a R120m tender for radiotherapy machines. Helen Joseph Hospital has cancelled operations because service providers were not paid and, like many other hospitals, suffered financial losses running into the millions on its private wards, with a bed occupancy rate of just 18%. Another example is Robben Island, its name fused with the ANC’s history, which makes headlines for the wrong reasons as ferries break down or its financial management fails. But Walter Sisulu University epitomises the problem. It is an absolute disaster, and that is a kind description. There is a massive gulf between the enormous pressure the ANC applies to ensure its heroes are commemorated and the chaos that inevitably comes to define those self-same institutions. And, while the party is all too willing to talk about securing its legacy, it has little to say when that legacy is subjected to the turmoil of its existing administration. All of which prompts the question: what part does history really play in South Africa today? Is it a lesson from which wisdom can be drawn or a convenient label, used to mask or distract from our current condition? Does the name Walter Sisulu University inspire thoughts of excellence, a noble tradition and a proud history? Or is it becoming a synonym for mismanagement? Google "Walter Sisulu University" and read the top stories that come up. Those whose are commemorated through the naming of institutions should stand tall in history, and that usually requires the passing of time to evaluate their contributions fairly. On those grounds, Sisulu qualifies. But there is another requirement, equally tough — the thing that is named should live up to the ideal bestowed upon it. It does no good to name a road after a legend only for it to become potholed and dangerous. The ANC has disgraced one of its heroes. Its eagerness to control and transform has seen the goal of name changes perverted. And, if the motivation truly is dignity, respect and pride, the party should remove Sisulu’s name from this basket case and find something worthy of his great accomplishments. Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande, himself fairly obsessed with liberal agendas and hegemonic power, should be especially attuned to this problem. Here is a chance for him to show that he cares about the way in which universities under his watch are systematically tarnishing the name of higher education and, with it, the names of ANC icons. I am sure he will rise to the challenge — unless, of course, all of a sudden, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 11:18:24 +0000
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