The incident reportedly took place on Wednesday (18/3) during an EBUS1514 lecture focused on public relations. Confusion arose when students thought the session had ended, leading to noise and disengagement in the auditorium.

A student asked the lecturer to speak up. She allegedly responded with the remark: “Well, you try teaching a class of monkeys.” Some students chose to leave the lecture venue shortly after the remark was made.

The university said it is aware and has been alerted to an alleged inappropriate remark made by a lecturer. “The UFS is treating the matter with the utmost seriousness and has initiated an immediate investigation, it said in a statement.

’The institution does not tolerate any form of racial misconduct’

“The institution does not tolerate any form of racial misconduct by its staff and will take decisive action should any behaviour be found to contradict its core values.”

It is alleged that as students exited, the lecturer stood near the door and made additional comments, including: “Oh, I guess they are mad at me,” and later asked remaining students whether they were also upset and intended to leave. Some students indicated that they now feel uneasy about attending future lectures.

This is not the first time the university has been in the spotlight for racism on the campus involving a lecturer.

In 2023, AfriForum youth spokesperson René van der Vyver accused Dr Pedro Mzileni of being divisive and also stoking racial division and hostility.

Mzileni, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology, was accused of referring to white people as “land thieves” and making other inflammatory statements. AfriForum also lodged a complaint against him to the provincial South African Human Rights Commission.

In February this year, the commission dismissed the hate speech complaint lodged by AfriForum against Mzileni. IOL reports the commission said after reviewing recordings, transcripts, lecture slides, and witness statements, it found no evidence of hate speech.

‘Students described the lecture as educational’

Students described the lecture as educational, and there was no proof that any racial group was called “enemies.”

Students have called for a formal investigation into the incident that occurred in the EBUS1514 lecture. Some have also requested that their identities remain confidential, citing concerns over potential academic repercussions.

• Have a news tip to share? Phone or whatsapp the OFM News Hotline: 066 487 1427.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame sm