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Pretoria academics' letter to Makgoba
by imc-ct
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006 at 6:13 AM
Letter from University of Pretoria academics to Vice Chancellor Makgoba
Professor Malegapuru William Makgoba
Vice-Chancellor
University of KwaZulu-Natal
King George V Avenue
Glenwood
DURBAN
4041
10 January 2006
FAX: 031-2621873
Dear Professor Makgoba
We have learnt through the media of the banning of Ashwin Desai from employment at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Our attention has also been drawn to the open letter to you from the Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa.
We are shocked and worried about the banning of Dr. Desai. Whatever disagreement any of us may have with Dr Desai's academic work, we can find no justification for banning him from employment.
Desai is an intellectual committed to rigorous research and social justice. Academic freedom is critical to foster diversity of ideas, opinions and democracy. Democrats on our continent have a special duty to affirm this principle. Often African intellectuals have languished in jail or exile for their opinions and commitment to justice. Many fear to speak the truth or to publish research that offends power because they might lose their jobs or research grants. It is centrally important in the current era of globalization, to foster the idea of socially committed intellectuals and not to undermine it.
Moreover, the employment ban on Ashwin Desai violates his constitutional right to academic freedom. If the ban is allowed to stand a precedent will have been set that could well do major damage to our hard won democracy in years to come.
We trust that the ban will be revoked at the earliest opportunity.
Sincerely Yours
Michael Neocosmos (Professor, Sociology, University of Pretoria)
Kammila Naidoo (Associate Professor, Sociology, University of Pretoria)
Charles Puttergill (Senior Lecturer, Sociology, University of Pretoria)
Khumisho Moguerane (Lecturer, Sociology, University of Pretoria)
Sue Cook (Senior Lecturer, Anthropology, University of Pretoria)
John Sharp (Professor, Anthroplogy, University of Pretoria)
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