Call for Tuks name change

[Creed]

As far as I know Pretoria Tech/TUT was/is mostly black and they don't seem to care if the Uni wastes it's money on inconsequential crap.

 

[Creed]

I remembered reading this somewhere but couldn't find the link

In a substantial story on page 4, the newspaper reports that the Tshwane University of Technology is ”technically bankrupt” and has a financial shortfall of some R40 million last year. A large amount of that money – some R24 million – is from outstanding student fees. That was last year. This year the paper reports it is facing some R151 million in outstanding fees. The paper claims to be in possession of several confidential financial documents which set out the extent of the problem. In another story on the same page, the paper reports that there is a R650 million rescue plan underway to try and save the institution.

http://www.insidepolitics.org.za/blog_details.aspx?EntryId=122&page=search

This was printed in the RAPPORT

I wonder if they are still happy that they wasted money on a namechange

 

[neio]

/me waits for the proposed name change to Stellenbosch University.

Lol, I wonder what they would call it.

 

[Tanarri]

This is the preamble to their student profile. Don't attack me, I'm just presenting to you what's on the university's website. If it's not true you are more than welcome to take it up with the unversity's marketing/communications department

You are presenting it wrongly to skew it in your favour and you say things as facts without presenting numbers.

Give us numbers for students in the years from 1994-2000, then we can discuss the supposed 'dwindling' again.

Considerable transformation has taken place over the past few years, with the result that the University has changed from a mainly white, Afrikaans university, to a national university in the true sense of the word, accessible to all South Africans.

Tanarri, I studied at TUKS from 1987 - 1991, if you could find a class presented in English then I would have bought you a case of beer. It was then an Afrikaans language institution

1987-1991 was a long time ago. More than 15 years. I think an English class could be found before 2000, but I can find out if someone wants the info. I was not denying that UP was never an Afrikaans university. But can one take the numbers from the web page quoted and present it as sufficient evidence that the number of Afrikaans students are dwindling? No.

As a current student Tanarri should be ashamed of his ignorance about the University's history.

Ahhh shame, trying to play on my feelings. How about I go and memorise the exact proportion of Afrikaans to English classes in the years that followed 1994. Great idea! Let's get to it. Now my turn? You said earlier that you don't care about the University of KwazuluNatal after you left. And since then it has degraded. Ivy doesn't care about the future of the telecommunications in South Africa as long as her pockets gets stuffed and she can sleep on the job. Mbeki doesn't care about the country as long as he gets to visits most of the others in the world before 2009.

Great vision! Great ambition!

 

[supersunbird]

From the Freedom Front Plus

I don't know if I agree with Mothopeng University, but if Tshwane is accepted as teh name of the capital city, then surely, the University should change to University of Tshwane

BTW : for those who may not be aware - Zephania ( Zeph ) Mothopeng, was the founding President of the PAC, when they broke away from the ANC, he served time on Robben Island. He was released from Prison in 1989 and died a few months later in October 1990

Maybe when this "Tshwane" place gets a upgraded (like they have promised for a decade now) and good bus service that doesnt have 35year old busses being used that keep breaking down all the time all over the place, then we can look at some silly name changes...

Good things happen in Pretoria, bad things happen in Tshwane...

 

[xtermin8or]

Okay lets argue the point.

Reasons not to change:
Universities have limited funds at their disposal and their funds can be put to much better use.

A new name can be phased in, so as to reduce cost

This will result in even more racial tension

Or it could create greater social tolerance and healing

It will disrupt classes(marches for and agianst)

If people can accept the change there will be no need for marches

The current govt. had no hand in building the Uni so they should have no right in deciding it's name.

The age old argument, the Uni was built by the sweat and blood of the black man

The city is still known as Pretoria and the Uni is in Pretoria.

My argument was therefore when the city's name changes, then there is a need for the name to change

Reasons to change:
Free publicity for the ANC

The call was in all probability made by the PAC not ANC

 

[xtermin8or]

Good things happen in Pretoria, bad things happen in Tshwane...

And how does this make any sense, since Pretoria is in Tshwane, and even after Tshwane is accepted as the name of the capital city, Pretoria will still be inside Tshwane as one of it's many suburbs

 

[Nod]

Or it could create greater social tolerance and healing

How? By marginalizing the minorities? How do that create tolerance, when there is no tolerance towards minority identity or history?

 

[xtermin8or]

How? By marginalizing the minorities? How do that create tolerance, when there is no tolerance towards minority identity or history?

The alternative: maintain old names and marginalise the majority ?

 

[Nod]

The alternative: maintain old names and marginalise the majority ?

Offensive names, sure. But to rename a place just because some person needs to be remembered, no. There is other avenues to use if that is the only reason.

 

[xtermin8or]

Offensive names, sure. But to rename a place just because some person needs to be remembered, no. There is other avenues to use if that is the only reason.

I did say, I was opposed to the change to Mothopeng, but would it make sense to have the University of Pretoria, if it is not in Pretoria ( When that happens )

 

[Nod]

I did say, I was opposed to the change to Mothopeng, but would it make sense to have the University of Pretoria, if it is not in Pretoria ( When that happens )

What is offensive about Pretoria in the first place?

 

[CeeBee]

how do u phase in a name change?.... letter by letter, one evry month?

still, once off or paid off over months, there must surely be more pressing needs for the munny...

but, this is a democracy, so if the majority chooses to change the name, and what to change it to, then let it be changed by all means.
But at least, in fairness, let the people, and students, decide, not the politicians (or politician wannabes)

 

[Syndyre]

The alternative: maintain old names and marginalise the majority ?

If it was Verwoerd University or similar I could see your point but how is Pretoria offensive?

 

[BobbyMac]

If it was Verwoerd University or similar I could see your point but how is Pretoria offensive?

I'm guessing here... it's very Afrikaans sounding?

 

[WebhostingTalk]

I’m currently studding at Tuks and there is no way me or any other student I know will stand for this name change black or white.

 

[dlk001]

I did say, I was opposed to the change to Mothopeng, but would it make sense to have the University of Pretoria, if it is not in Pretoria ( When that happens )

A name change is indeed imminent when its no longer in Pretoria. I have an MEng from Tuks. I really don't care if its changed. Maybe name change will rid off the culture of Affirmative Action bake sales

 

[Skeptik]

The age old argument, the Uni was built by the sweat and blood of the black man

What are you saying here? That a common bricklayer/ditchdigger must take credit for financing and founding a university. Get real!

 

[Bageloo]

You are presenting it wrongly to skew it in your favour and you say things as facts without presenting numbers.

Give us numbers for students in the years from 1994-2000, then we can discuss the supposed 'dwindling' again.

If you don't believe that Afrikaans is under threat at UP then at least you can believe the protesting Afrikaner students. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=248452&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/

University of Pretoria students sang the apartheid-era national anthem Die Stem during a protest on Thursday against the alleged sidelining of Afrikaans at the institution.

Protesters sported a Freedom Front Plus banner, the university coat of arms, placards and chanted slogans such as "Engels se gat [English's arse]" and "Waar's demokrasie nou? [Where is democracy now?]".

During a protest march on campus, the group delivered a memorandum to the university administration to complain about what protesters said is the marginalising of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.

"In July, the university management told us they were ready to do away with Afrikaans completely in classes," said march organiser and student representative council president Cornelius van Rensburg. "We cannot let that happen."

The group demanded an immediate halt to classes being "anglicised" and that students insisting on Afrikaans classes be accommodated.

Van Rensburg estimated between 500 and 1 000 students had joined the march.

"Afrikaans money paid for this university. We have paid for an Afrikaans education but we do not receive it.

"It is our constitutional right to be taught in our mother tongue," he said, addressing the crowd to loud applause and cheering.

He alleged that staff being hired at the university do not speak "a word of Afrikaans" and suggested that this increases the workload of Afrikaans-speaking staff.

The march was peaceful and was observed by campus security personnel.

You said earlier that you don't care about the University of KwazuluNatal after you left. And since then it has degraded.

I don't care really as I no longer play any role. I've been out of the institution for 10 years now and have only vague memories remaining. Why should i care?

How has the University degraded ? I haven't been there since the merger but I haven't read or heard anything suggesting that the new intitution is degrading. If however you know of anything then please enlighten me.

 

[xtermin8or]

What are you saying here? That a common bricklayer/ditchdigger must take credit for financing and founding a university. Get real!

no, but the finances came from years of oppressing the black majority, we can go on and on about this, but it is really OT - the fact is, how can you have the University of Pretoria, when the main campus is in Tshwane and not Pretoria