Volume 40 Number 06 - Department of Computer Science

Why does BSS Pursue aPolicY
ofwn-pticipion?
"The non-particiPation PolicY
was unanimously adoPted bY black
students on this camPus and other
English-speaking canpuses
country-wide. What it means is
that black students do not
participate in structures such as the
SRC, Faculty Councils, class reP we should feel a part of this
system and Residence house university and participate at all
.t . . . ,
committees. Because black levels like white students but the
and their bofcott:- until the rccg'nt : : :
studeDts are a minoritY on camPus, reality is that we form a very small
the chances of our being able to minority here - bisatisco - dii almo$ all"eultural :,
unlike the South
,
infl uence these structures African reality, where we are the
ng activities is one of the mosf ,'
,
meaningfully is minimal.
majority.
ilalLisrrcs onbampUi:
"More important however, is the "Through the policy of non-
fact that we see ounelves as participation we have forged
members of an oppressed and tremendous unity arnngst
exploited community. As students students on campus. However, it
we feel a sense of responsibility to is important to sftess that this
ensure that the skills and
policy is a tactic and not a
advantages which we gain out of principle. This means that we are
university should be taken back to in a position to review this policy
our communities.
from time to time depending on the
"The reality of the situation is that conditions prevailing on this
we live in an apartheid societY, and campus and within our
the university enviroDment cannot communities."
be separated from it.
lf you contbue to otganLse
" Consequently black students sepmtely how do 1nu see tun-
experience difficulties which white rucinlism nmife sting i&elfr
students wouldn't really think "Although some students see us
about, or have do deal with - like as practising reverse-racism we are
black students being kicked off not racist. Our existence as BSS is
'white'
buses or experiencing dictated by the conditions that
more subtle forms of racism. prevail in our country today.
Accomrnodation and fees are also Apartheid has bred racial
issues of impor[ance to our discrimination and has widened
members.
cultural barriers. In our attempts
"For these matters to receive to desftoy apartheid, we can't
adequat€ attention we have to ignore the reality of these barriers.
address them as one solid and BSS believes that it is the
united body.
responsibility of all South Africans
"An ideal situation would be that to work towards building a non-
ocratic antl-apartheid people.
nisations saw the effectlve Since universities provide one of
banning of the South Afrlcan the few meeting places in South
National Students' Congress Africa for blacks qnd whites'
Sansco) - the umbrella body of student movements have alwaYs
black students at tertiary been cuncerned to use the situation
lnstitutions
and foster the exchange of ideas
and experiences.
Sansco has been at the forefront
of the struggle to change unequal Nusas, establlshed ln 1942,
educatlon. As an affiliate of the inttitially represented both black
now banned United Democratic and white students. However, in
Front, one of Sanscots aims has 1968, Steve Biko recognised that
been to ffve fa a future ln wNch conditions in South Afrlca did not
every person regardless of race or permit for one student body:
sex, will have equal rlghts and Nusas was comprised
opportunides
predominantly of white students
from middle and upper class
Students have often Perc€ived backgrounds and could not
Sansco and its afllliates on the accurately represent the vlews of
English-speaking campuses as underprivileged and disadvantaged
racist organisations which admit black students. Biko
only black students lnto their subsequently led black students
ranks. Thls perception has out of Nusas and formed Saso
deepened as the medla and Press (South African Students'
have become increaslngly unable Organisation).
b rturatelyportayfte tue realff
of South Afrlcan soclety. During the 1960s and'70s, Saso
Apartheid has effectlvely shut was one of the main proponents of
down the hearts and minds of a black consciousness - an important
large percentage of the whlte and formative stage of black
population - isolating them from opposition. Saso, along with
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racial and democratic society. The build non-racialisrn "We have
Freedom Charter says: "South worked together in opposing
Africa belongs to all who live in it apartheid education and apartheid
- both black and whi!e."
rule in the country as a whole and
We want to creale a new society on campus. Nusas and BSS wen
where discrimination based on actively involved together in
colour, sex, creed and religion will opposing De Klerk." they said.
be unknown.
While agreeing the non-racial
However, because of our
alliance is "not perfect", they
different backgrounds and
pointed out non-racialism is a
experiences, BSS feels that it is process embarked upon in the her
necessary l,o continue to organise and now of a racist and
independently of while students. undenncratic society. This mean
Black and white students come it can't be achieved overnight, nor
into organisations from different is it "something which can only
backgrounds and with different begin on the day of liberation."
experiences and perceptions -
"We are working together much
consequently their responses are better now - educating each other
often different."
and students in general and
Nusas and BSS
building non-racialisrn The
alliance has improved ten-fold,"
TheBSS
exec pointed out that BSS said.
Nusasand
the now banned Sansco BSS asserts that the possibility r
had
one student organisation for all
ansco banned
South African students who shar
the same principles has not been
dismissed. The present policy is
tactic, they poinled out, not a
principle. The policy is reviewed
rcent clamodown on three-quarters of South African hnnned in 1977.
from time to time and change
would depend on the conditions c
Student organisations emerged
campus and the needs of the
again in 1979 with the formation
democratic movement. They said
of Azaso (The Azanian Students'
"What we are saying is that right
Organisation) and Cosas (The
now conditions do not permit this
Congress of South African
change."
Students). Azaso was based on
University campuses, while Cosas ffi
operated in black schools. Cosas
was banned in 1986.
If such an organisation were to
Azaso retained elements of black be formed, a serious process of
consciousness until it adopted the consultation and debate would
Freedom Charter and broke awaY have to take place on tertiary
from its par€nt body, AzaPo' institutions nation wide "because
(African Peoples Organisation). there are no white students at the
In 198617 Azaso changed its universities ofZululand and Forl
name to Sansco - th€ name change Hare, The Soweto College of
was to be in line with popular, Education, etc.
progressive UDF-affiliated The BSS exec hembers said th
organisations who espouse non- policy of non-participation and
racialbrn
BSS' commitment to a non-racra
The banning of Sansco is a non-sexist. democratic South
serious blow to student Africa guides this relationship wi
organisation. Black students are other campus organisations.
They have "nothing
being hampered in their sfugle to
to talk abor
realise non-racialism and with the Students Moderate
democracy while white students Alliance" whose presence on
campus is seen as "a
are being denled thelr limited
threat to rac
access to the views and ideas of harmony and student unity."
fellow citlzens. Sansco's banning On the other hand BSS works
is an attempt to generate tension together with the Muslim Studen
and devisiveness among South Association (MSA) as they form
oart of the black student
the and manv other African students.