Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa letter to Prof. Makgoba : IMC-SA

October 12, 2006

Professor M.W. Makgoba
Howard College Campus
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Durban 4000
South Africa

Dear Vice-Chancellor M. W. Makgoba,

I am writing on behalf of the editorial board of the Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa (CAFA) to express our concern about disciplinary action instituted against University of KwaZulu-Natal sociologist, Fazel Khan. Our belief is that charges against Khan to be presented at the October 18th hearing, namely that he made comments critical of university management in the media, should be immediately dropped since they undermine basic principles of academic freedom. Universities are built on critical thinking, reflection, discussion, and free speech and thus we are very disturbed to hear that that staff and students at UKZN have become fearful of making any comments critical of the university and its management. We see this as an expression of the continuing repression of thought and speech that is developing at UKZN and believe that you must address these issues immediately.

Khan is well known internationally for his activist work in the struggle for equitable access to medicine. He has also become a well known documentary film-maker and is noted for his recent contribution to the book Asinamali.

The threat of dismissal against Fazel Khan is the last of an appalling trend over the past year not only to silence academics critical of the University, but also those perceived controversial or provocative. Additionally there are increasing attempts to control and undermine independent scholarly research. It has been reported that university management, at the request of the mayor of Durban, has threatened to act against academics working with the shack dwellers' movement “Abahlali baseMjondolo.” While the university has assumed the right to monitor staff email, there have been further instructions to both staff and students to avoid making public criticism of the university management.

All this points in the wrong direction for an institution that seeks to become the premier university of African scholarship. If the disciplinary hearing against Khan goes ahead it will do major damage to the credibility of the university of Kwa-Zulu Natal. We echo the statement made by the Head of the Freedom of Expression Institute’s Anti-Censorship Programme, Na'eem Jeenah that “this decision will set an extremely negative precedent for freedom of expression in South Africa’s academic institutions, because it will create a climate of self-censorship at the very hear of policy-making and intellectual life in this country.”

CAFA urges the university administration to stop the disciplinary hearing against Khan and that it cease the censorship of academics and staff at UKZN. At the same time we would like to place on record its support for Khan and to all those struggling to defend academic freedom which is vital to the intellectual and moral life of a university in KwaZulu-Natal.

Sincerely yours,

Nigel Gibson
For the Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa

undermining or preventing freedom of expression impedes ones progress toward or more civil and just society. Fazel Khan should be allowed to continue his outstanding work at the unversity and for society in South Africa and anywhere elso he so chooses.