AfriForum NPC v Chairperson of the Council of the University of South Africa and Others (765/2018) [2020] ZASCA 79 (30 June 2020)

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[2020] ZASCA 79
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AfriForum NPC v Chairperson of the Council of the University of South Africa and Others (765/2018) [2020] ZASCA 79 (30 June 2020)

THE
SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL OF SOUTH AFRICA
JUDGMENT
Reportable
Case
No: 765/2018
In
the matter between:
AFRIFORUM
NPC                                                                                                      APPELLANT
and
CHAIRPERSON
OF THE COUNCIL OF
THE
UNIVERSITY
OF SOUTH
AFRICA                                                         FIRST

RESPONDENT
CHAIRPERSON
OF THE SENATE OF
THE
UNIVERSITY
OF SOUTH
AFRICA                                                    SECOND

RESPONDENT
THE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH
AFRICA

THIRD RESPONDENT
Neutral
citation:
AfriForum
NPC
v
Chairperson of the Council of the University of South Africa &
others
(765/2018)
[2020] ZASCA 79
(30 June 2020)
Coram:
MAYA P, PETSE DP,
LEACH JA AND KOEN AND EKSTEEN AJJA
Heard:
27 November 2019
Delivered:
This judgment was handed
down electronically by circulation to the parties’ legal
representatives by email, publication
on the Supreme Court of
Appeal website and release to SAFLII. The date and time for
hand-down is deemed to be 18h00 on 30
June 2020.
Ukuwiswa:
Esi sigwebo sawiswa ngeintanethi, ngokusiwa
kubameli-mthethweni bamacala onke ngeimeyili, nangokupapashwa
kwisiza sonxibelelwano
seNkundla Yezibheno Engentla nangokufakwa
kuSAFLII.
Umhla nexesha lokuwiswa kwaso
uthathwa njengokuba ngulo: 18h00 ngowama 30 kweyeSilimela 2020.
[1]
Summary:
Education – university language
policy – whether historically English/Afrikaans university’s
decision to
replace its dual-medium language policy with
English-only policy infringed principle of legality and unlawful –
held
that the university failed to establish that it was not
reasonably practicable to continue offering tuition in Afrikaans

under s 29(2) of the Constitution – appeal upheld.
Isishwankathelo:
Imfundo – umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
weyunivesithi – ingaba isigqibo seyunivesithi eyayikade
ifundisa ngesiNgesi nangeAfrikaans
sokuyeka lo mgaqo-nkqubo
kalwimi-mbini wayo isebenzise umgaqo-nkqubo othi IsiNgesi-kuphela
sacinezela umgqaliselo wobumthethweni
saba ke asikho mthethweni –
kugqitywe ukuba iyunivesithi yoyisakele ukucacisa ukuba bekungayi
kuba nokwenzeka lula
ukuqhutywa kufundiswa ngeAfrikaans phantsi
kwecandelwana u-s 29(2) woMgaqo-siseko – isibheno
savunyelwa.
ORDER
UMYALELO
On appeal from: The Gauteng Division of the High Court,
Pretoria (Keightley J
sitting as court of first
instance):
1 The appeal is upheld with costs, including the costs of two
counsel.
2 The order of the court a quo is set aside and replaced with
the following:
‘(a) the resolutions of the Council and Senate of the
University of South Africa to approve a new language policy on 28

April and 30 March 2016, respectively, are set aside;
(b) the new language policy adopted by the University of South
Africa is declared unconstitutional and unlawful and is set aside

to the extent that Afrikaans has been removed as a language of
learning and tuition;
(c) the University of South Africa shall prominently publish on
its website and in three major Afrikaans newspapers in South
Africa and transmit by email to all its students a notice:
(i) containing a full list of the modules that were on offer in
Afrikaans as at 28 April 2016;
(ii) offering all prospective students for the next academic
year admission in such modules as presented on first year level;
(iii) offering all existing students, if they were enrolled in
any one of those courses or would have enrolled for the subsequent

year course available in Afrikaans, but had perforce to follow the
module in English, a choice to enrol on the basis that
they may
follow the module in Afrikaans until completion of their studies;
(iv) all the modules mentioned above will be presented in full
in the following academic years until the language policy has been

lawfully amended, if at all.
(d) the University of South Africa shall pay the costs of the
application.’
Kwisibheno esivela: kwiSahlulo saseGauteng seNkunda
Ephakamileyo, eTshwane (uKeightley J ehleli njengenkundla
yokuqala)
:
1
Isibheno sivunyiwe, sihamba
neendleko eziquka iindleko zabathetheleli bezomthetho ababini.
2 Umyalelo wenkundla ebiqalile ubekelwa bucala, ze kubekwe
endaweni yawo lo ulandelayo:
‘(a) izigqibo zeBhunga nezeSinethi zeYunivesithi
yaseMzantsi Afrika zokuvumela umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi omtsha
ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpuzi nowama-30 kweyoKwindla ngo2016,
ngokulandelelana, zibekelwa bucala;
(b) kuyabhengezwa ke apha ukuba lo mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha usekwe
yiYunivesithi yaseMzantsi Afrika awuhambisani noMgaqo-siseko futhi

awukho mthethweni; waye ke ubekelwa bucala ngokubhekisele
kumbandela wokuba iAfrikaans iyekisiwe ukuba lulwimi lwayo

lokufunda nokufundisa;
(c) iYunivesithi yaseMzantsi Afrika iya kupapasha
ngokugqamileyo kwisiza sonxibelelwano sayo nakumaphephandaba
amakhulu, amathathu
eAfrikaans aseMzantsi Afrika ize idlulisele
nangeimeyili kubo bonke abafundi bayo isaziso esinje:
(i) esinoluhlu olupheleleyo lweemodyuli ezazizezokufundiswa
ngeAfrikaans ngomhla wama-28 kuTshaziimpuzi ngo-2016;
(ii) esivumela bonke abafundi abafuna ukufunda kulo
nyaka-zifundo uzayo ukuba bazibhalisele ezo modyuli zikwinqwanqwa
lokuqala;
(iii) esithi bonke abafundi abahleli bekho, ukuba
babeyibhalisele nokuba yeyiphi kwezo khosì okanye babeza
kubhalisela
ukufunda ikhosì yonyaka olandelayo ukuba
yayikho ngeAfrikaans, kodwa banyanzeleka ukuba bayifunde loo
modyuli ngesiNgesi,
bayavunyelwa ukuba baphinde bazibhalisele ezo
modyuli, kuxelwe ukuba baya kuzifunda ezo modyuli ngeAfrikaans
bade bazigqibe
izifundo zabo;
(iv) zonke ezi modyuli zikhankanywe apha ngentla ziya kubakho
ngokuzeleyo kwakule minyaka-zifundo izayo ude umgaqo-nkqubo

wolwimi ube ulungisiwe ngokwasemthethweni, ukuba iyenzeka ke loo
nto.
(d) iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika iza kuhlawula iindleko zesi
sicelo.’
JUDGMENT
ISIGWEBO
Maya P:
(
Petse
DP, Leach JA, Koen and Eksteen AJJA
concurring):
Maya P: (Petse DP, Leach JA, Koen and Eksteen AJJA bevumelana
naye):
[1] This case brings into sharp focus remarks which were
recently made by Chief Justice Mogoeng in AfriForum and Another v

University of the Free State.[1] In that matter the appellant
similarly challenged the validity of a university’s decision

to replace a dual Afrikaans/English policy with an English-only
policy. The Chief Justice said:[2]
‘Issues around language policy are as emotive as the
language itself. This would be especially so where plans are afoot

to effect changes that would water down the role or usage of
language, particularly Afrikaans. For, Afrikaans has for many

years been associated with dominion or power. Those whose mother
tongue it is once ruled this country. And everything official
had
to also be in Afrikaans. It was a compulsory subject for all
African learners and all law students. In at least five
of our
universities, Afrikaans was the only medium of instruction for
decades. To get to the point where Afrikaans now appears
to be
driven to virtual extinction as a university medium of
instruction, was always going to give rise to disaffection,

controversy or a suspicion that a less than innocent agenda was
being pursued’’
And he continued:[3]
‘Extremely difficult, sensitive and potentially divisive
as the language issue in general, and Afrikaans in particular,
was
and is bound to be for many years to come, the historical role of
Afrikaans inescapably has to be confronted whenever
possibilities
of its use or disuse as a language of instruction are explored.
After all, we come from a racially divided
past to which Afrikaans
was inextricably linked … The use of Afrikaans is thus one
of the most likely areas of fierce
disputation. “That is
part of the challenge of healing, reconciliation, and reparation
that our society will continue
to face for a considerable time to
come”. It is a difficult transformational issue that
requires a meticulous and detached
handling by all true defenders
and ambassadors of our constitutional vision. We all must
consciously guard against the possibility
of a subliminal and yet
effectively prejudicial disposition towards Afrikaans setting in,
owing only to its past record as
a virtual synonym to “racism
and racially based practices”.’
[1] Eli tyala liphuhlisa amazwi abesandula ukuthethwa yiJaji
Eyongameleyo uMogoeng kwimbambano ebizwa ngokuthi, AfriForum and

Another v University of the Free State. Kulaa mbambano, umbheni
wenza into efana nale, waphikisana nesigqibo seyunivesithi

sokuyekisa umgaqo-nkqubo kalwimi-mbini weAfrikaans/nesiNgesi
kumiselwe umgaqo-nkqubo othi IsiNgesi-kuphela. Ijaji Eyongameleyo

yathi:
‘Imicimbi emalunga nomgaqo-nkqubo ichukumisa iimvakalelo
kanye njengokuba ulwimi nalo lunjalo. Le nto iba njalo ngakumbi

apho kukho izicwangciso zokuzisa iinguqu eziya kunciphisa indima
okanye ukusebenziseka kolwimi olo, ngakumbi iAfrikaans.
Kaloku,
iAfrikaans inonxulumano lweminyaka emininzi
nokuphatha-ngobungangamsha okanye namadla egunya. Aba bantu
ilulwimi
lwabo lweenkobe, kaloku, babekhe balawula kweli izwe. Ke
yonke into eyeyasemthethweni kwakunyanzeliswa ukuba ibe
ngeAfrikaans.
Yaye isisifundo esinyanzelekileyo kubo bonke
abantwana besikolo abamnyama, nabo bonke abafundi bezomthetho.
Ubuncinci, kwakukwiiyunivesithi
ezintlanu zalapha apho iAfrikaans
kwakukuphela kolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa amashumi ngamashumi
eminyaka. Ke ukufikelela
kule ndawo yokuba kubonakale ngathi
iAfrikaans ityhalelwa ekubeni inyamalale, kungabi safundiswa ngayo
eziyunivesithi, kuyinto
ebisoloko iya kuvusa ukungevani,
neempikiswano, okanye kubekho ukukrokrela ukuba kukho into
ekujongwe kuyo engenabunyulu
ncam.’
Waqhubeka ke wenjenje:
Nakuba umcimbi weelwimi ngokubanzi, ngakumbi olu lweAfrikaans,
wawusoloko, nangoku usasoloko uya kuhlala uyinto enzima
ngokugqithisileyo,
enobuethe-ethe, ekulula ukuba idale
iyantlukwano ngoku nakwiminyaka emininzi esezayo, kuyanyanzeleka,
ngokungenakuphepheka,
ukuba indima yeAfrikaans kwimbali yeli
ixoxwe qho kwakubakho isizathu sokugoca-goca amathuba
okusetyenziswa okanye okuyeka
ukusetyenziswa kwayo njengolwimi
lokufundisa. Kaloku, sivela kwixesha apho sasikade sahlula-hlulwe
ngokobuhlanga, ixesha
eyayinxulumene nalo iAfrikaans
ngokunganamululekiyo … Usetyenziso lweAfrikaans ke ngoko
luyenye yemimandla engavusa
iminyele nengxoxo-mpikiswano ebukhali.
“Ke leyo yinxalenye yobunzima obuhamba nokuphiliseka,
noxolelwaniso, nezilungiso;
ezi zizinto uluntu esilulo oluseza
kuhlala lujamelana nazo, ixesha elide”.  Yingxaki esa
kwinguqu, kodwa inzima,
yaye ifuna ukuba iphathwe ngobuchule
nokuzibamba imvakalelo ngabo bonke abavikeli noonozakuzaku bombono
womgaqo-siseko wethu.
Sonke masenze ngabom ukuzigada singabi
nentliziyo engathi iyalungisa kodwa ibe eyona nto iphumelela
ukuyenza ikukuphatha
kakubi iAfrikaans, ngenxa yesizathu esinye
kuphela, esi sokuba yayifaniseka ncam “nobuhlanga kunye
nezenzo ezazisekwe
kucalulo ngobuhlanga”.’
[2] This caution is particularly relevant in this appeal. The
same party, AfriForum NPC, challenges the decision of the Gauteng

Division, Pretoria (Keightley J). The high court dismissed
AfriForum’s application in which it sought the review and

setting aside of the decisions of the Senate and Council of the
third respondent, the University of South Africa (UNISA),
relating
to its adoption of a new language policy. In terms of that policy,
which the Senate recommended and was approved
by the Council,
UNISA adopted English as its sole language of learning and tuition
(LOLT) and departed from its previous
policy in terms of which
both English and Afrikaans were employed as the LOLT.
[2] Esi silumkiso singena kakuhle ngakumbi kwesi sibheno. Kwa
eli qela linye, iAfriForum NPC, liyaphikisana nesigqibo seSahlulo

SaseGauteng, eTshwane (esika Keightley J). Le Nkundla ePhakamileyo
yasichitha isicelo seAfriForum apho yayicela
ukuphononongwa-kwakhona
okubekwa bucala kwezigqibo zeSinethi
neBhunga zommangalelwa wesithathu, iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika
(iUNISA), ezazithetha
ngokumisela kwayo umgaqo-nkqubo omtsha.
Ngokwalaa mgaqo-nkqubo, owakhuthazwayo yiSinethi, waze wavunywa
liBhunga, iUNISA
yamisela isiNgesi saba kuphela kolwimi lwakhona
lokufunda nokufundisa (iLOLT, ngesiNgesi) yaza ke yesuka
kumgaqo-nkqubo wayo
wangaphambili wona owawuvumela ukuba zombini
ezi lwimi, isiNgesi neAfrikaans, zisetyenziswe njengeelwimi
zokufunda nokufundisa.
[3] The review application was partly based on grounds rooted
in the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 (PAJA),

on the assumption that the impugned decisions constituted
administrative action. However, after the institution of the

review application, this Court[4] and the Constitutional Court[5]
held that a language policy decision taken by the University
of
the Free State did not constitute administrative action within the
meaning of PAJA. AfriForum then abandoned its reliance
on PAJA.
But it persisted with its challenge on the principle of legality.
It nonetheless failed to persuade the high court,
which then
granted leave to appeal its decision to this Court.
[3] Isicelo sokujongwa-kwakhona sasisekelwe, nganxanye, kwinto
ethethwa nguMthetho Wesi-3 ka-2000 Wokuthazo Lobulungisa
Kwezolawulo
(iPAJA), ngokuqikelela ukuba ezi zizathu ziphikiswayo
zazisisenzo solawulo. Kodwa, emva kokuba sifakiwe isicelo
sokujongwa-kwakhona,
le Nkundla kunye neNkundla YoMgaqo-siseko
zathi isigqibo esimayela nomgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi esasithathwe
yiYunivesithi YaseFree
State sasingesosenzo solawulo
ngokwentsingiselo yalo Mthetho, iPAJA. IAfriForum ke ngoko yayeka
ukwayama ngePAJA. Kodwa yema
nkqi ayajika ekuceleni umngeni
ngokomgqaliselo wasemthethweni. Noko kunjalo, yoyisakala
ukuyiqondisa iNkundla ePhakamileyo,
nkundla leyo eyayinika imvume
yokuba ibhenele kule Nkunda malunga nesi sigqibo.
[4] UNISA is a distance university with a long and
distinguished history. It was born of the University of the Cape
of Good
Hope, which was established in 1877, and was incorporated
into a correspondence university in 1959. In 2004 it merged with

two other major distance educational institutions, Technikon
Southern Africa and Vista University, and became the sole distance

institution of higher learning in South Africa and the largest on
the African continent. Through the years of its existence
as a
correspondence university, it has offered a wide variety of
graduate courses, in English and Afrikaans, to a vast number
of
local and international students.
[4] IUNISA yiYunivesithi efundisa umntu ekude, enembali ende
ebalaseleyo. Yazalwa yiYunivesithi yaseCape of Good Hope,
eyayisekwe
ngo-1877, yenziwa yaba yiyunivesithi yokufunda
ngembalelwano ngo-1959. Ngo-2004 yadityaniswa namanye amaziko
amabini amakhulu
ezifundo zamgama, ezizezi: iTekhnikhon
YaseMazantsi Afrika neYunivesithi YaseVista, yaza ke yaba kuphela
kweziko lamgama
lemfundo engentla apha eMzantsi Afrika, elaba
lelona likhulu kwilizwekazi leAfrika. Kuyo yonke iminyaka yobukho
bayo njengeyunivesithi
yemfundo ngembalelwano, iye yafundisa
izifundo zezidanga eziziindidi ngeendidi, izifundisa ngesiNgesi
nangeAfrikaans, kwintlaninge
yabafundi abangabalapha
nabangabezizwe ngezizwe.
[5] In terms of
s 26(2)
of the
Higher Education Act 101 of
1997
, UNISA comprises institutional governance structures which
include a Council and a Senate.
Section 27(2)
of the
Higher
Education Act empowers
it, subject to the policy determined by the
Minister of Higher Education and Training, its Council, and with
the concurrence
of its Senate, to determine its language policy,
publish it and make it available upon request. The policy referred
to is
the framework established by the Ministry of Education in
November 2002, the Language Policy for Higher Education (LPHE).[6]

Its chief aim is ‘to promote multilingualism and to enhance
equity and access in higher education through the development,
in
the medium to long-term, of South African languages as mediums of
instruction in higher education, alongside English and
Afrikaans;
[t]he development of strategies for promoting student proficiency
in designated language(s) of tuition; [t]he
retention and
strengthening of Afrikaans as a language of scholarship and
science;  [t]he promotion of the study of
South African
languages and literature through planning and funding incentives;
[t]he promotion of the study of foreign languages;
and [t]he
encouragement of multilingualism in institutional policies and
practices’.
[5] Ngokwesolotyana u-26(2) loMthetho weMfundo ePhakamileyoa
u-101 ka-1997, iUNISA inamaqonga olawulo lweziko-mfundo ekukho

nala kuwo: iBhunga kunye neSinethi. ISolotya u-27(2) loMthetho
weMfundo ePhakamileyo liyayigunyazisa ukuba, phantsi
komgaqo-nkqubo
oqingqwe nguMphathiswa weMfundo ePhakamileyo
Noqeqesho, iBhunga layo, livumelana nayo neSinethi yayo, liqingqe
umgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi wayo, liwupapashe liwenze ufumaneke xa
ufunwayo. Lo mgaqo-nkqubo kubhekiswa kuwo sisikhokelo esamiselwa
liSebe LezeMfundo
ngeyeNkanga ngo-2002, uMgaqo-nkqubo Wolwimi
Wemfundo ePhakamileyo (iLPHE ngesiNgesi). Injongo yayo ephambili
nantsi: ‘kukukhuthaza
iilwimi-zonke nokuqinisela ukulungelwa
ngokulinganayo nokufikeleleka kwemfundo engentla ngokuphuhlisa,
kwixesha elingekude-kuyaphi
ukuya kwelikude,   iilwimi
zaseMzantsi Afrika ukuze zibe ziilwimi zokufundisa kwimfundo
engentla, ndawonye nesiNgesi
neAfrikaans; ukwenziwa kwezicwangciso
ezinobulumko  zokukhulisa ukwazi kwabafundi ukusebenzisa
ulwimi olumiselwe, okanye
iilwimi ezimiselwe, ukuba kufundwe
ngalo/ngazo; ukugcinwa nokomelezwa kweAfrikaans njengolwimi
lofundo-nzulu nolwenzululwazi;
ukukhuthazwa kokufundwa
kweelwimi zaseMzantsi Afrika noncwadi lwalapha, yenziwe loo nto
ngokuyiplanela, nangokuyikhuthaza
ngemali; ukukhuthazwa kokufundwa
kweelwimi zasemzini; kwanokukhuthazwa kobulwimi-ninzi
kwimigaqo-nkqubo nakwizenzo zamaziko
(emfundo)’.
[6] The language policy sought to be replaced was approved by
UNISA’s Council in 2006. Its aim was to inform ‘the

use of language in all aspects of communication of the University,
ie. tuition, public, internal and external communication’.

It promised, inter alia, that UNISA would make tuition available
in the official languages of South Africa on the basis of

functional multilingualism[7] and that where English and Afrikaans
already had the capacity to operate as higher education-level

languages, UNISA would pro-actively support African languages with
a view to them becoming the medium of instruction at higher

education level.[8] Its preamble provided:
‘The University adheres to a policy of functional
multilingualism in order to accommodate linguistic diversity. The

promotion of the principle of multilingualism is enshrined in the
Constitution of South Africa.
The University is committed to the promotion of equitable
language rights with particular emphasis on uplifting the status

and usage of the marginalized indigenous languages.
Multilingualism is also acknowledged as a powerful tool to promote
social
cohesion between diverse groups in our society.
The development of the diverse languages of our country will
take time and resources and should be pursued in a phased way, as

resources and developmental opportunities allow.’
[6] Lo mgaqo-nkqubo ozungulwa ukususwa wawuvunyiwe liBhunga
laseUNISA ngo-2006. Injongo yawo yayikukunika iingcaciso ‘malunga

nokusetyenziswa kolwimi kuzo zonke iindawo zoqhakamshelwano kule
Yunivesithi, oko kukuthi, ekufundiseni, nakuqhakamshelwano

nowonke-wonke, nolwangaphakathi, nolwangaphandle’.
Wawuthembisa, phakathi kwezinye izinto, ukuba iUNISA iya kwenza

ukuba kufundwe ngeelwimi ezisemthethweni zaseMzantsi Afrika,
kulandelwe inkqubo esebenzisekayo kwelwimi-ninzi, kanjalo, apho

isiNgesi neAfrikaans sele zinawo amandla okusebenza njengeelwimi
zemfundo ekwinqwanqwa elingentla, iUNISA yayiza kukusungula

ngokwayo ukuxhasa iilwimi zesiNtu ukuze zide zibe ziilwimi
zokufundisa kwinqwanqwa lemfundo engentla. Imbula-mbethe yawo

yayisithi:
‘Le Yunivesithi ihambisana nomgaqo-nkqubo wobulwimi-ninzi
obusebenzisekayo isenzela ukuba ikhuthaze ubundidi-ninzi
ngokweelwimi.
Ukukhuthazwa komgqaliselo wobulwimi-ninzi
kumiliselwe ngokukhuselekileyo kuMgaqo-siseko WaseMzantsi Afrika.
Le Yunivesithi izimisele ukukhuthaza amalungelo akhuthaza
ulingano kwiilwimi, ngokugxininisa ekuphakamiseni iwonga kunye
nosetyenziso
lweelwimi ezicinezelekileyo zakweli lizwe.
Ubulwimi-ninzi buyavunywa ukuba busisixhobo esinamandla
sokukhuthaza udibano lwabantu
phakathi kwamaqela andidi-ninzi
kuluntu esilulo.
Ukuphuhliswa kweelwimi eziziindidi-ndidi zelizwe lethu kuya
kuthatha ixesha, kufune nezinto zokwenza ezininzi; ke kufanele

ukuba kwenziwe ngokwezigaba ngezigaba, kangangokuba
izincedi-kwenza kunye namathuba ophuhliso zivuma.’
[7] In 2010, the Council approved the revision of the language
policy. According to UNISA, the need for the revision arose from
a
natural attrition of the demand for Afrikaans, the move for parity
between Afrikaans and other African languages as support,
rather
than as language of learning, and the inclination of students
wanting to study in English. Accordingly, in 2012 it
introduced
the ‘Guidelines for the Discontinuation of Afrikaans in
Certain Modules’,[9] which operated together
with the old
policy. In terms of these guidelines, all undergraduate modules
were grouped into three categories. These were:
(a) Fully Bilingual, English and Afrikaans, for any module that
had consistently not had fewer than 100 Afrikaans students in
the
last three years;
(b) Mixed Mode Delivery in terms of which all modules that
consistently had, over the last three years, between 15 and 100

Afrikaans students in every registration period, would
automatically discontinue formal tuition and printed study
material;
and
(c) English-only. Modules that consistently over the previous
three years had less than 15 Afrikaans students in every
registration
period, could be discontinued, provided the Senate
Language Committee (SLC), which was established by the Senate to
review
UNISA’s language policy and, thereafter, make
recommendations to the Senate, was informed accordingly.
Departments
had the option to continue tuition in Afrikaans in
these modules but make study materials available on a digital
platform.
Examination papers for these modules would be in
English, but with an option to have Afrikaans papers.
[7] Ngo-2010, iBhunga lakuvumela ukuhlaziywa komgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi. Ngokutsho kweUNISA, olu hlaziyo lwaba yimfuneko ngokusuke

kunciphe abafuna iAfrikaans, nokuzama ukuvala isithuba phakathi
kweAfrikaans nezinye iilwimi zesiNtu ngokuthi izixhase, endaweni

yokuba lulwimi ekufundwa ngalo, kwanokukekelela kwabafundi
ekufuneni ukufunda ngesiNgesi. Ngokwezi meko ke, yathi ngo-2012

yaqingqa iZalathandlela Zokuphelisa iAfrikaans Kwiimodyuli
Ezithile, ezaye zasebenza kunye nalaa mgaqo-nkqubo mdala. Ngokwezi

zalathandlela ke, zonke iimodyuli zabangekabi nazidanga zahlelwa
zaba ngamaqela amathathu. Yayingala loo mahlelo:
(a) Abanobulwimi-mbini obupheleleyo, besiNgesi neAfrikaans,
babeza kufunda nayiphi na imodyuli eyayithe gqolo ukuba nabafundi

ababengekho ngaphantsi kwekhulu (kwe-100) abenza iAfrikaans
kwiminyaka emithathu edluleyo,
(b) Abafunda Ngendlela Engumxube apho zonke iimodyuli ezazithe
gqolo, kwiminyaka emithathu edluleyo, ukuba nabafundi beAfrikaans

abaphakathi kwe-15 ne-100 ngawo onke amaxesha obhaliso, zaziza
kuvele ziphelise ukufundisa okumiselweyo kwanoshicilelo

lwamaxwebhu ezifundo; kunye neli
(c) AbesiNgesi-kuphela. Ngokweli lokugqibela ihlelo, iimodyuli
ezasoloko zithe gqolo, kwiminyaka emithathu edluleyo, ukuba

nabafundi beAfrikaans abangaphantsi kwe-15, ngawo onke amaxesha
obhaliso, zazisenokuyekiswa, kuqinisekiswe ukuba yazisiwe ngaloo

nto iKomiti Yeelwimi YeSinethi (iSLC, ngesiNgesi). Le Komiti
yayiye yamiselwa yiSinethi ukuba ijonge-kwakhona umgaqo-nkqubo

wolwimi waseUNISA, ize, emva koko, inike iSinethi iingcebiso ngalo
mba. Amasebe ayenemvume yokuzikhethela ukuba aqhubeke
nokufundisa
ngeAfrikaans kwezi modyuli kodwa izinto zokufunda azenze
zifumaneke kwindawo edijithali. Amaphepha eemviwo ezi
modyuli
ayesenokuba ngesiNgesi sodwa, kodwa kuvumeleke ukuba abekho
naweAfrikaans amaphepha.
[8] The review process started in 2013 and the various minutes
of the Senate’s meetings reflect that the
issue
was a standing item on its agenda since that time. The process
involved the Senate, the Council, the SLC and their constituent

members, and UNISA management. The Student Representative Council
(SRC), one of the constituent members, is a statutorily
recognised
and democratically elected students’ representative body at
UNISA. It expressed its views, which supported
the change to an
English-only LOLT. As UNISA described it, ‘many disparate
views’ were expressed and considered.
These included the
objection to the adoption of an English only language policy, by
the UNISA Forum vir Afrikaans, represented
by Professor Elirea
Bornman, who deposed to affidavits in support of AfriForum’s
case.
[8] Le nkqubo yokujongwa-kwakhona yaqala ngo-2013; kukho
imizuzu ngemizuzu yeentlanganiso zeSinethi; loo mizuzu ibonisa
ukuba
lo mcimbi wawuhlala ungumba okhoyo kwiajenda yeSinethi
ukususela kwelo xesha. Kule nkqubo ke kwakusebenzisana iSinethi,
iBhunga,
iKomiti yeSinethi (iSLC) kunye namalungu eengingqi-zomelo
zazo, kunye nabolawulo baseUNISA. IBhunga Labameli Babafundi
(iSRC),
elinye lamalungu eengingqi-zomelo, liliqumrhu elivunywe
ngokomtheto nelihoyiweyo futhi elinyulwa ngabafundi baseUNISA
ngokwentando
yoninzi. Lazivakalisa izimvo zalo, ezazixhasa inguqu
le yokuba ibe sisiNgesi-kuphela ulwimi lokufunda nokufundisa
(iLOLT).
Njengoko ichaza iUNISA, ‘zaba ninzi iimbono
ezahlukileyo’ ezavakaliswayo, futhi zaphononongwa. Phakathi
kwazo
kwakukho noluyichasayo le nto yokumisela lo mgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi wesiNgesi-kuphela, olwalulolweUNISA Forum vir Afrikaans,

yona eyayimelwe nguNjingalwazi uElirea Bornman, owenza amaxwebhu
obungqina obufungelweyo exhasa lo mcimbi weAfriForum.
[9] In 2014, a draft language policy and its implementation
plan, which provided for an English-only LOLT, was formulated.

On 22 October 2014, the Senate noted that the SLC had approved the
draft document. On 10 March 2015, the Management Committee

resolved to recommend the amended language policy and
implementation plan to the Senate and the Council for approval. At

a Senate meeting of 21 October 2015, a number of concerns were
raised by the members, including that they had not been afforded

sufficient opportunity to give their inputs, that it was
regressive for UNISA to offer its tuition in English only, and
that it made no sense for students to be offered tuition in their
mother tongue and then write the examinations in English
as was
proposed. In the event, the Senate resolved to refer the matter
back to the SLC to address these concerns.
[9] Ngo-2014 kwakhiwa umqaliso womgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
nowesicwangciso sokuwenza usebenze, zombini zithetha
ngesiNgesi-kuphela
njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa (iLOLT).
Ngomhla wama-22 kweyeDwarha ngo-2014, Isinethi yaba nenqaku elithi
iKomiti
iSLC, iyaluvuma olu xwebhu lwaloo mqaliswa. Ngowe-10
kweyoKwindla ka-2015, iKomiti Yolawulo yenza isigqibo sokuba
ikhuthaze
ukuba uvunywe lo mgaqo-nkqubo utshintshiweyo
nesicwangciso sokuwusebenzisa yiSinethi naliBhunga. Kwintlanganiso
yeSinethi
yangowama-21 kweyeDwarha ka-2015, kwabakho ukungaqondi
kakuhle izinto ezininzi okwavakaliswa ngamalungu ayo, ezaquka
ukuba
la malungu eSinethi ayengazange anikwe thuba laneleyo
ukwenza awawo amagalelo, nokuba yayikukubuya umva le nto yeUNISA
yokufundisa
ngesiNgesi kuphela, kwanokuthi yayingavakali
inantsingiselo ibhadlileyo ncam  into yokuba abafundi kuthwe
mabafundiswe
ngolwimi lwabo lweenkobe, ze kuphinde kuthiwe iimviwo
baza kuzibhala ngesiNgesi, njengokuba kwakusitshiwo. Kwathi
kwakuba
njalo ke, yabona iSinethi ukuba le ndaba mayiphindiswe
kwiKomiti iSLC, ukuze yona iphonononge la maxhala.
[10] A draft language policy was ultimately presented to the
Senate at its meeting held on 26 August 2015. It elicited a number

of objections from the members once more and was consequently not
adopted. Instead, it was remitted to the SLC for further

development that would address the objections. It met the same
fate in subsequent Senate meetings convened on 26 August and
21
October 2015.
[10] Kwade kwathi ke, ngomhla wama-26 kweyeThupha ka-2015
kwintlanganiso yeSinethi wanikezelwa umqaliso womgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi.
Kwaphinda kwabakho iimpikiswano eziliqela ezivela
kumalungu eSinethi, waza loo mqaliso waphela ungadange uvunywe.
Koko, wabuyiselwa
kwakwiKomiti iSLC, ukuba iphinde iwusebenze kude
kugqibeke ezi nkcaso. Yaphinda yaba kwayiloo nto ukungavunywa
nakwezilandelayo
iintlanganiso zeSinethi ezazibizwe ngowama-26
kweyeThupha ka-2015 nangowama-21 kweyeDwarha ka-2015.
[11]   Thereafter, the SLC revised the language
policy draft document. On 11 March 2016 a SLC meeting was convened
to consider and finalise the task in anticipation of a Senate
meeting which was scheduled for 30 March 2016. The Senate’s

minutes of that meeting record that:
‘Prof IOG Moche made a presentation on the Language
Policy.
The implementation process would be tabled at the meeting
scheduled for 19 October 2016.
RESOLUTION
Senate resolved that the Language Policy to be recommended to
Council for approval.’
[11] Emva koko, iKomiti iSLC yalihlaziya ixwebhu elingumqaliso
womgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi. Ngowe-11 kweyoKwindla ka-2016 kwabizwa

intlanganiso yeKomiti iSLC ukuze kujongisiswe kugqityezelwe lo
msebenzi, kulungiselelwa intlanganiso yeSinethi eyayimiselwe
ukuba
iza kuba ngowama-30 kweyoKwindla ka-2016. Kwimizuzu yeSinethi
yaloo ntlanganiso kubhaliwe kwathiwa:
‘UNJing IOG Moche uye wathetha ngawo lo Mgaqo-nkqubo
Wolwimi.
Inkqubo yokusetyenziswa kwawo iya kubekwa etafileni
kwintlanganiso emiselwe owe-19 kweyeDwarha ku-2016.
ISIGQIBO
ISinethi igqibe kwelokuba lo Mgaqo-nkqubo Wolwimi mawusiwe
kwiBhunga, likhuthazwe ukuba liwuvume.’
[12] According to minutes of the Council’s meeting held
on 28 April 2016, Prof Moche presented the revised language policy

for approval, which was granted. The implementation plan compiled
by the task team appointed by the SLC would, accordingly,
be
recommended to the SLC, Senate and Council for approval.
[12] Ngokwemizuzu yentlanganiso yeBhunga eyayikho ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpuzi ngo-2016, uNjing Moche wathetha ngalo mgaqo-nkqubo

wolwimi ulungisiweyo wacela ukuba uvunywe; wavunywa ke. Ke
isicwangciso sokuwusebenzisa esasisenziwa liqelana laloo msebenzi

elalityunjwe yiKomiti iSLC sasiza kuthi naso, ngokwaloo ndlela,
sisiwe kwiSLC, nakwiSinethi, nakwiBhunga, ukuze sivunywe.
[13] AfriForum took issue with the decisions of the Senate and
the Council and launched urgent application proceedings in the

Gauteng Division of the High Court, Johannesburg to challenge
them. It sought an order that UNISA suspend ‘the

implementation of the new language policy adopted by the Council
of the University of South Africa on 28 April 2016 (with the

concurrence of the Senate … granted on 30 March 2016)’
pending the final decision of the application for a review
and the
following relief:
‘1. That the respective resolutions of the Council and
the Senate of the University of South Africa to approve a new

language policy on 28 April and 30 March 2016 respectively be
reviewed and set aside;
2. That the new language policy adopted by [UNISA] be set aside
as being unconstitutional and unlawful;
3. That the new language policy be set aside as a whole;
alternatively be set aside insofar and to the extent that
Afrikaans
has been removed as language of learning and tuition at
the University of South Africa;
4. That within 10 days from date of judgment, [UNISA] shall
prominently publish on (a) its website and (b) in the three major

Afrikaans newspapers in the country, (c) as well as by
transmitting by email to all students a notice with the following

content:
4.1. A full list of the modules that had been on offer in
Afrikaans as on 28 April 2016;
4.2 Offering all prospective students for the next academic
year admission in such modules as presented on first year level;
4.3 Offering all existing students, if they were enrolled in
any one of those courses or would have enrolled for the subsequent

year course available in Afrikaans, but had perforce to follow the
module in English, to re-enrol on the basis that they
may follow
the module in Afrikaans until completion of their studies;
4.4 That all those modules will be presented in full in the
following academic years until the language policy had been
lawfully
amended if at all;
4.5 That it shall, within 10 days after compliance with prayers
4, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 submit to this court proof that it has

complied with the terms of the order.’
[13] I-AfriForum yavakalisa ukungaxoliswa zizigqibo zeSinethi
neBhunga, yaza yafaka enkundleni isicelo esingxamisekileyo
kwiSahlulo
SaseGauteng seNkundla ePhakamileyo, eJohannesburg,
iphikisana nazo ezi zigqibo. Ngaphezu kokufuna ‘ukumiswa
kokusebenziseka
komgaqo-nkqubo omtsha owawumiselwe liBhunga
leYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika ngowama-28 kuTshaziimpunzi
ka-2016 livumelene
neSinethi … okwavunywayo ngowama-30
kweyoKwindla ngo-2016’ yafuna noku kuphunyezwa kulandelayo:
‘1. Ukuba ezaa zigqibo zeBhunga neziya seSinethi
zeYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika zokuvuma umgaqo-nkqubo omtsha
ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpuzi nowama-30 kweyoKwindla ngo-2016,
ngokulandelelana, zijongwe-kwakhona, zibekwe ecaleni;
2. Ukuba laa mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha uye wamiselwa yiyo
[iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika] kubhengezwe ukuba awuhambi
ngokoMgaqo-siseko,
futhi awukho mthethweni;
3. Ukuba lo mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha ubekwe bucala xa uwonke;
kungenjalo ubekwe bucala ngokwendlela nangangokuba iAfrikaans
iye
yayekiswa ukuba ibe lulwimi lokufunda nelokufundisa eYunivesithi
YaseMzantsi Afrika;
4. Ukuba maze kuthi kwisithuba seentsuku ezili-10 ukususela
ngomhla wesigwebo, yona [iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika] ipapashe

ngokugqamileyo (a) kwisiza sonxibelelwano sayo (b) kumaphepha
amakhulu amathathu eAfrikaans akweli lizwe, (c)
kwanangokudlulisela
ngeimeyili kubo bonke abafundi isaziso esinesi
siqulatho silandelayo:
4.1 Uluhlu olupheleleyo lweemodyuli ezazizezokufundiswa
ngeAfrikaans ngomhla wama-28 kuTshaziimpuzi ngo-2016;
4.2 Bavunyelwe bonke abafundi abafuna ukufunda kulo
nyaka-zifundo uzayo ukuba bazibhalisele ezo modyuli zikwinqwanqwa
lokuqala;
4.3 Bavunyelwe bonke abafundi abahleli bekho, ukuba
babeyibhalisele nokuba yeyiphi kwezo khosì okanye babeza
kubhalisela
ukufunda ikhosi yonyaka olandelayo ukuba yayikho
ngeAfrikaans, kodwa banyanzeleka ukuba bayifunde loo modyuli
ngesiNgesi,
bayavunyelwa ukuba baphinde bazibhalisele ezo modyuli,
kuxelwe ukuba baya kuzifunda ezo modyuli ngeAfrikaans bade
bazigqibe
izifundo zabo;
4.4 zonke ezi modyuli ziya kubakho ngokuzeleyo kwakule
minyaka-zifundo izayo ude
umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi ube ulungisiwe ngokwasemthethweni,
ukuba iyenzeka ke loo nto;
4.5 Ukuba iya kuthi, kwisithuba seentsuku ezili-10 emva kokuba
ithobele izikhalo

eziku-4, 4.1, 4.2 naku-4.3, ingenise kule nkundla isibonakaliso
sokuba iye yayithobela imiqathango yalo myalelo.’
[14] AfriForum trenchantly criticised the process followed by
UNISA in reviewing its language policy. Its core contention, in

addition to the abandoned PAJA-based review grounds, was that the
impugned decisions violated the rights, by its count, of

approximately 30 000 existing and prospective Afrikaans
students, which included White, Black and Coloured students
from
Afrikaans speaking communities, to receive tuition in their mother
tongue. This was in breach of s 29(2) of the Constitution
as there
was no justification for the adoption of an English only LOLT
policy when no feasibility study had shown that it
was no longer
reasonably practicable to use the old dual language policy, so
went the contention. The change was slated for
breaching the LPHE
by not being responsive to the desire of Afrikaans students at
UNISA to be educated in the language of
their choice when it was
reasonably practicable to offer tuition in Afrikaans; denying them
their right under s 9 of the
Constitution not to be unfairly
discriminated against; and impairing their right to human dignity
by removing Afrikaans,
which was already developed as a language
of science and academic learning, as a LOLT.
[14] IAfriForum iyayigxeka kabukhali inkqubo eyalandelwa
yiUNISA xa yayjijonga kwakhona umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi wayo. Ingxam

yokungavumelani kwayo, ethi iyidibanise nezaa zizathu
zojongo-kwakhona ezisekwe kwiPAJA eyaziyekayo, yayikukuba ezi
zizathu
ziphikisekayo zanyhasha amalungelo abafundi beAfrikaans
ngokubala kwayo ababemalunga nama-30 000 ababekho
nababesengakho,
ekukhokubo abaMhlophe, abaMnyama, nabeBala
ababesuka kwiindawo ezinoluntu oluthetha iAfrikaans, baze bona
bavaleleka ukuba
bafumane ukufundiswa ngolwimi lwabo lweenkobe.
Oku, yayikukwaphulwa kwesolotyana u-s 29(2) woMgaqo-siseko,
njengoko kwakungekho
kuthetheleleka kokusetyenziswa kweiNgesi
kuphela njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa (iLOLT), ekubeni
kwakungazange kubekho
luphando lolwenzeko olwaye lubonisile ukuba
kwakungasekholula ukwenzeka ukusebenzisa laa mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
mdala kalwimi-mbini,
yayisitsho ke ingxoxo yokungavumelani. Laa
nguqu yaxatyelwa kukugxekwa oku, kusithiwa yaphule iLPHE
ngokungakhathaleli umnqweno
wabafundi beAfrikaans eUNISA wokuba
banikwe imfundo ngolwimi lokuzikhethela kwabo ekubeni kwakuyinto
enokwenzeka lula
ukuba kufundiswe ngeAfrikaans, nto leyo
yabahlutha ilungelo labo eliphantsi ku-s 9 woMgaqo-siseko lokuba
bangacalu-calulwa
ngokungalunganga, ngaloo ndlela kuqhwaleliswa
ilungelo labo lokuba nesidima njengabantu ngokususa iAfrikaans,
eyayisele iphuhlisekile
njengolwimi lwenzululwazi nokufundiseka
kwaseyunivesithi njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundiswa (iLOLT).
[15] AfriForum further contended that the language review
process breached the principle of rationality. This was so because
organisations advocating for the promotion and protection of
linguistic rights at tertiary institutions did not participate
in
the review process[10] and no research or formal investigation as
envisaged by the old policy was conducted to determine
the needs,
attitudes and preferences of Afrikaans students whose rights would
be adversely affected.[11] The SLC also failed
to table the
representations of the Forum for Afrikaans, which were timeously
submitted, before the Council. This was despite
the fact that the
representations were compiled by respective members of the Senate
and the SLC, Professors Bornman and Potgieter,
who had
participated in published research on the subject and sought to
advise the Council on the impact its decision would
have on the
approximately 30 000 Afrikaans UNISA students.
[15] IAfriForum yaqhuba yaxoxa ngelithi inkqubo
yokujongwa-kwakhona kolwimi yawaphula umgqaliselo wokucingisisa.
Le nto yayinjalo
kuba amaqumrhu athethelela ukhuthazo nokhuselo
lwamalungelo olwimi kumaziko emfundo enqwanqwa lesithathu zange
athathe nxaxheba
kuloo nkqubo yokujongwa-kwakhona kanti zange
kubekho naluphando-nzulu, okanye uxilongo oluqingqiweyo, izinto
ezazibonelelwe
kulaa mgaqo-nkqubo mdala, zokuqikelela kubonwe
iimfuno, neemo-ntliziyo, nazinto kukhethwa zona, zabafundi
beAfrikaans abamalungelo
abo ayeza kuchaphazeleka kakubi. IKomiti
iSLC kanjalo yoyisakala ukuzibeka etafileni phambi kweBhunga
izimvo zeQonga LeAfrikaans
(iForum for Afrikaans), ezazingeniswe
ngexesha kuyo. Le nto yenzeka nakuba ezo zimvo zaziqokelelwe
ngamalungu eSinethi nawayo
iSLC, ooNjingalwazi uBornman
noPotgieter, ngokokulandelelana, abantu ababethathe iinxaxheba
kuphando-nzulu olupapashiweyo
malunga nomba wolwimi, baze bazama
ukucebisa iBhunga malunga neempembelelo esasiza kuba nazo isigqibo
salo kubafundi abamalunga
nama-30 000 beAfrikaans baseUNISA.
[16] AfriForum pointed out that the Senate, at its meeting of
21 October 2015, referred the matter back to the SLC. It lamented

that the SLC nonetheless failed at its subsequent meeting of 11
March 2016 to address the concerns for which the matter was

remitted. Some of those concerns were raised by students, it was
argued. But only the SRC, which in AfriForum’s view
did not
represent the students with an interest in Afrikaans tuition and
actually associated itself with the ‘Afrikaans
must Fall’
student protests, was given a hearing, to appease protesting
students and avoid student revolt, it claimed.
Thus, the SRC
exerted ‘unauthorised or unwarranted dictates’ on the
review process and no attention at all was
given to the Senate’s
decision that there had been insufficient consultation.
[16] IAfriForum yayixela into yokuba iSinethi, kwintlanganiso
yayo yowama-21 kweyeDwarha ka-2015, yayiwuphindisile lo mcimbi
kwiSLC. Yakhathazeka ke yinto yokuba iSLC nangona kunjalo
yoyisakala kwintlanganiso yayo elandelayo yowe-11 kweyoKwindla
ngo-2016 ukuwahoya amaxhala owawungeniselwe wona kuloo
ntlanganiso. Kwakuxeliwe ukuba amanye aloo maxhala ayevakaliswe

ngabafundi. Kodwa kwamanyelwa iSRC kuphela, kanti ngokwembono
yeAfriForum, yona yayingabamelanga bona abafundi ababenomdla
ekufundeni ngeAfrikaans, futhi yayizinxulumanise nemiqhankqalazo
yabafundi eyayisithi ‘iAfrikaans Mayiwe’; loo
mkhethe
wawusenzelwa ukuze kuthonyalaliswe abafundi abo babeqhankqalaza
ukuze kuthintelwe uvukelo lwabafundi, yatsho ke.
Ngoko ke iSRC
yaba namandla nefuthe lokuphatha ‘okwakungekho gunyeni layo
futhi kungafunekanga nganto’ kulaa
nkqubo
yokujonga-kwakhona, akwabikho luhoyo tu olwanikwa isigqibo
seSinethi esasisithi khange kubekho ludliwano-ndlebe lwaneleyo.
[17] Regarding the Senate’s meeting of 30 March 2016, it
was contended that Prof Moche misled the Senate by holding out

that the issue of the number of modules offered in English and
those offered in Afrikaans was debated and taken into

consideration by the SLC, when this was, in fact, not done. Thus,
it was contended, the Senate resolved to recommend the Council’s

adoption of a new LOLT on insufficient information, without
considering whether the SLC had addressed any of the concerns
that
were raised at its previous meeting; and it adopted the new
language policy without notice and proper consultation with
the
persons who would be most directly affected by it. Moreover,
neither the Senate nor the Council made any reference at
all to
the reasonable practicability of their impugned decisions at the
relevant meetings, and the reasons for these decisions
were
compiled after the fact.
[17] Malunga nentlanganiso yeSinethi yowama-30 kweyoKwinda
ku-2016, kwakhalazwa kwathiwa uNjing Moche wayilahlekisa iSinethi
ngokuthi ingxaki yenani leemodyuli ezazifundiswa ngesiNgesi nezo
zazifundiswa ngeAfrikaans yayiye yaxoxwa, yanikwa umqwalasela

yiSLC, ekubeni le nto yayingazange yenzeke phofu. Ngoko,
kwakhalazwa kwathiwa, iSinethi yagqiba kwelokuba ikhwezelele ukuba

iBhunga limisele ulwimi lokufunda nokufundisa olutsha lingabanga
nazinkcukacha zaneleyo, kungakhange kuqwalaselwe nokuba
iSLC
yayiye yaxoxa na ngawo la maxhala awayevakaliswe kwintlanganiso
yayo yangaphambili, yaza ke yawuvuma umgaqo-nkqubo omtsha

ingaziswanga futhi ingabanga naludliwano-ndlebe lufanelekileyo
kunye naba bantu babeza kuchaphazeleka ngokuthe ngqo kakhulu

nguwo. Ngaphezulu, zombini, iSinethi neBhunga zange zibhekise kuko
konke ukusebenziseka okulula kwezi zigqibo zabo ziphikiswayo
kwezo
ntlanganiso zazifanelwe zizo; ke izizathu zezi zigqibo zabhalwa
emva kokuba sezenziwe.
[18] AfriForum further criticised the Senate’s conduct at
its meeting of 30 March, alleging a breach of a number of

provisions of the Senate’s own delegated legislation, namely
Senate Rules 6.2, 11.1 and 13.1 to 13.6. These rules respectively

require:
(a) the adoption of Senate resolutions in a meeting at which a
quorum is present;
(b) the submission of the agenda and related documents to
members of the Senate five days before the meeting;
(c) resolutions of the Senate and its Committees to be adopted
by a majority of the members present and on a show of hands; (d)

resolution of a matter by preferential order vote or another
procedure agreed upon by those present;
(e) the resolution of policy matters by a two-thirds majority
of the members present; and
(f) a unanimous resolution, which must be properly recorded, to
dispense with the procedural provisions prescribed by the rules,

if the Senate is satisfied that there is sufficient justification
therefor. AfriForum contended that the Senate’s failure
to
comply with each of these rules invalidated its resolution and
that this permeated and tainted the resolution of the Council
as
well.
[18] IAfriForum yaqhuba ukugxeka iSinethi ngokuziphatha kwayo
kwintlanganiso yayo yowama-30 kweyoKwindla, ityhola ngelithi

kubekho ukwaphulwa kweqela lemimiselo yomthetho wayo ngokwayo
iSinethi, le Imigaqo YeSinethi engu-6.2, 11.1 no-13.1 ukuya

ku-13.6. Ngokulandelelana kwayo le migaqo, ifuna oku:
(a) ukuthathwa kwezigqibo zeSinethi kwintlanganiso ekhoyo kuyo
ikhworam;
(b) ukunikwa kwamalungu eSinethi iajenda kunye namaxwebhu
ahamba nayo iintsuku ezintlanu phambi kwentlanganiso leyo;
(c) ukuba izigqibo zeSinethi nezeeKomiti zayo zenziwe luninzi
lwamalungu akhoyo kuphakanyiswa izandla;
(d) ukugqitywa komcimbi ngevoti evumela ulandelelaniso
ngokuzikhethela okanye ngenye indlela- yokwenza ekuvunyelwene
ngayo
ngabo bakhoyo;
(e) ukugqitywa kwemicimbi yemigaqo-nkqubo ngesininzi
esisisibini kwisithatu samalungu akhoyo; kunye
(f) nesigqibo somntu wonke, ekufuneka sibhalwe
ngokufanelekileyo, sokuba ingalandelwa imimiselo yendlela-yokwenza
ehambisana
nemigaqo ukuba iSinethi yanelisekile kukuba
iyathetheleleka ngokwaneleyo loo nto. IAfriForum ixoxa ngelithi
ukoyisakala kweSinethi
ukuthobela le migaqo ngaminye kwaphelisa
ukuba namadla okusebenza kwesigqibo sayo, nangelithi le meko
yasityhutyha yaza yasidyobha
neso seBhunga isigqibo.
[19] UNISA conceded at the outset in its papers that the
procedure it followed ‘may not have been perfect in every
respect’.
However, it contended that the procedure was still
‘sufficiently fair to survive legal scrutiny’.
Regarding the
question of consultation, it admitted that it did
not consult with the public and averred that it was not obliged
‘to
separately consult with specific parts of or groupings
in the student population in order to obtain their views,’
as
demanded by AfriForum. It sufficed, in its view, that it
consulted with each of its constituent bodies that took part in

the decision-making process. It further highlighted that the SRC,
which was engaged in the review process, in its capacity as
a
statutorily recognised and democratically elected body that is a
constituent part of the Senate, represents all UNISA students,

including the Afrikaans speaking students.
[19] IUNISA yayivumile ekuqaleni kumaphepha ayo ukuba
indlela-yokwenza eyayilandelayo ‘isenokuba
yayingagqibelelanga
kuyo yonke into.’ Kodwa, yaxoxa ngelithi
laa ndlela-yokwenza yayisenako ‘ukuba yelungileyo
ngokwaneleyo ukuba
isinde ekugxekekeni ngokwasemthethweni’.
Malunga nendaba yodliwano-ndlebe, yavuma ukuba zange icebisane
nowonke-wonke,
yatsho isithi yayinganyanzelekanga ‘ukuba
ithetha-thethane ngokwahlukeneyo namabutho athile okanye amaqela
athile akhoyo
kwisihlwele sabafundi ukuze ifumane izimvo zawo’
njengokunyanzelisa kweAfriforum. Ngokokubona kwayo, kwakwanele
ukuthetha-thethana
kwayo nayo nganye kwiingingqi-zomelo zayo
ezathatha inxaxheba kuyo laa nkqubo yolwenziwo lwezigqibo.
Yacacisa ngakumbi ukuba
iSRC, eyayisebenza kulaa nkqubo
yokujongwa-kwakhona ngokwewonga layo lokuba iliqumrhu elivunyiweyo
ngokomthetho nelanyulwa
ngokwentando yesininzi, eliyinxalenye
eyakha iSinethi, limele bonke abafundi baseUNISA, bedibene nabo
nabafundi abathetha
iAfrikaans.
[20] UNISA denied that its decisions were irrational,
contending that it did not ‘remove’, ‘abolish’,

‘eradicate’ or ‘abandon’ or ‘do away
with’ Afrikaans tuition, as AfriForum claimed. Instead,
it
said, ‘the new language policy favoured the use of English
as the language of learning and tuition at the university,
whilst
placing Afrikaans on the same footing as the other official
languages in the Republic, with tuition in Afrikaans and
the other
official languages being offered where there is capacity, with
learner support, in the student’s language,
and with the
intent that the development and place [of] Afrikaans as well as
the other official languages should be promoted’.
[20] IUNISA yakhanyela ukuba izigqibo zayo
bezingacingisiswanga, ixoxa ngelithi, yona zange ‘isuse’,
‘igxothe’,
‘incothule neengcambu’, okanye
‘iyilahle’ okanye ‘iyiphelise’ imfundo
yeAfrikaans njengokuba
isitsho iAfriForum. Endaweni yoko, yathi,
‘lo mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha ubeke phambili ukusetyenziswa
kwesiNgesi njengolwinmi
lokufunda nokufundisa apha kule
yunivesithi, ngeli lixa uyibeke iAfrikaans endaweni efanayo
neyezinye iilwimi zasemthethweni
zeRiphablikhi, apho kuthi
kufundiswe ngayo iAfrikaans nangazo ezinye ezi iilwimi
zasemthethweni apho kukho umntu onokuyenza
loo nto, ekukwakho
nenkxaso yabafundi nolwimi lwakhe umfundi, nangokuzimisela ukuba
uphuhliso kwanendawo yeAfrikaans kwanazo
ezi ezinye iilwimi
zasemthethweni, ezo nto zikhuthazwe’.
[21] To bolster its contention, UNISA pointed to clause 4.2.3
of the new language policy, which provides that ‘[w]here
there is capacity, a selected number of modules and programmes
will progressively be offered in more than one official South

African language in order to support relevant national policies’.
This clause, it stated, ‘takes UNISA’s
new language
policy into a realm of genuine multilingualism’ because ‘the
previous language policy entrenched
English and Afrikaans whilst
paying lip service to developing other African languages, whereas
the new language policy made
it possible to offer courses in
African languages as well as Afrikaans’.
[21] Ukunika ukomelela kwingxoxo-mpikiswano yayo iUNISA
yabhekisa kwigatya 4.2.3 lomgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi omntsha, elithi,
‘apho
kukho umntu onolwazi, inani elikhethiweyo leemodyuli
neeprogramu liya kufundiswa ngokumana kusongezwa, kufundiswe
ngeelwimi
zasemthethweni ezingaphezu kolunye, zaseMzantsi Afrika
ukuze kuxhaswe imigaqo-nkqubo efaneleneyo yesizwe’. Eli
gatya,
yatsho ke, ‘liwusa umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi omtsha
waseUNISA kummandla wobulwimi-ninzi obunyanisekileyo’ kuba
‘lo
wangaphambili umgaqo-nkqubo wawubethelele isiNgesi kunye
neAfrikaans wabe uthetha nje ngomlomo kuphela malunga nokuphuhlisa
ezinye iilwimi zesiNtu, kanti lo mtsha umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
wayenza yaba nokwenzeka into yokuba kubekho iikhosi ezifundiswa

ngeelwimi zesiNtu nangeAfrikaans.’.
[22] UNISA further contended that the consideration of
‘reasonable practicability’ infused the entire
language
policy review process, even if it was not specifically
referenced at every turn, and was pertinently raised at the First

Consultative Indaba that was held in the early stages, in April
2014. It pleaded that it did not have the capacity to offer study

materials, online tuition and an automatic translation programme,
which were being developed, in all the official languages
to bring
them on par with Afrikaans. Offering a course in both English and
Afrikaans, it contended, was not in the interest
of the ‘economies
of scale’[12] because it necessitated doubling the number of
courses and splitting the student
numbers between the two courses.
To illustrate its point, UNISA provided as an example that if a
course had only ten Afrikaans
students, printing only ten study
guides would be more expensive per student than for the same
course which had a thousand
English students. Thus, it was
contended, an Afrikaans student cost UNISA more than an African
language student who studied
in English. This resulted in
disproportionate resources being spent on students studying in
Afrikaans as opposed to other
students who had to study in English
because tuition was not offered in their mother tongue. Mother
tongue tuition could
not be reserved only for Afrikaans students
which, it was alleged, would be better supported and have a better
chance to
survive as a LOLT under the new language policy.
Existing UNISA students receiving tuition in Afrikaans would still
be able
to complete their courses in Afrikaans.
[22] IUNISA yaqhuba yaxoxa ngelithi ukuqwalaselwa ‘kokwenzeka
ngokulula’ kwayizalisa yonke laa nkqubo yokujongwa-kwakhona

komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi, nokuba kwakungasoloko kukhankanywa lonke
ixesha; futhi kwakuye kwathethwa ngako ngokubalulekileyo

kwiNdibano Yokuqala Yodliwano-ndlebe eyayithe yabakho kwizigaba
zasekuqaleni, nngenyanga kaTshaziimpuzi ngo-2014. Yacenga
ke yathi
ayinabo ngokwaneleyo abantu bokunika amaxwebhu okufunda,
ukufundisa kwi-intanethi, kunye neprogramu yoguqulo oluhlala

lukho, kodwa olusakhuliswayo kuzo zonke iilwimi zasemthethweni
ukuze zikhuliswe zibe mgangathweni mnye neAfrikaans. Ke,
ukufundisa ikhosi ethile ngazo zombini ezi lwimi, isiNgesi
neAfrikaans kwakungazikhuthazi ‘indlela zolungelelwaniso

kwezoqoqosho kuba bekusenza ukuba kufuneke ukuba ikhosi inye
ifundiswe kabini, baze nabafundi bahlulahlulwe phakathi kwezo

khosi zifanayo. Ukucacisa eli nqaku, iUNISA yenza umzekelo othi
ukuba ikhosi ibinabafundi abalishumi kuphela beAfrikaans,

ukushicilela izikhokelo-zifundo zabafundi abalishumi kuphela
bekusiba duru ngomfundi ngamnye ngaphezu kokuba kunjalo kwakuloo

khosi inye xa inabafundi abaliwaka besiNgesi. Ngoko, kwaxoxwa
kwathiwa, umfundi weAfrikaans uziindleko kwiUNISA ngaphezu

komfundi wolwimi lwesiNtu ofunda ngesiNgesi. Le nto yazala ukuba
kusetyenziswe izincedi-kwenza ezingalinganiyo nezinye kubafundi

abafunda iAfrikaans, kungekho njalo kwabanye abafundi
ababenyanzelekile ukuba bona bafunde ngesiNgesi ngenxa yokuba
kwakungafundiswa
ngolwimi lwabo lweenkobe. Akubanga yinto
enokwenzeka ke ukuba kugcinelwe abafundi beAfrikaans bodwa
ukufundiswa ngolwimi
lwabo lweenkobe, le kubangwa ukuba iya
kuxhaseka ibe nethuba elingcono lokungaphelelwa xa isebenza
njengolwimi lokufunda
nokufundisa (iLOLT) phantsi kwalo
mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha. Kodwa ke abafundi baseUNISA abakhoyo
ngoku ababefundiswa ngeAfrikaans
baya kuba nako ukuzigqiba iikhosi
zabo ngeAfrikaans.
[23] The high court was not persuaded by AfriForum’s
submissions. The first leg of its application, in which it sought
interim relief in terms of Part A of its notice of motion, was
heard by Sutherland J. He dismissed the application on the
basis
that the element of irreparable harm to the affected persons had
not been established. Keightley J, who heard the main
application
in the high court under Part B of AfriForum’s amended notice
of motion, was equally unimpressed by its
case and dismissed the
application in its entirety.
[23] INkunda ePhakamileyo zange yaneliswe kukubaluleka
kwezimangalo zeAFRIFORUM. Isigaba sokuqala sesicelo sayo, apho
yayicela
ukumiswa okwethutyana ngokweNdawo A yesaziso sayo
sokuthatha inyathelo, wawuchotshelwe nguSutherland J. Yena ke
wasichitha
esi sicelo esithi, le ndawo yokubeka engozini
ngokungenakulungiseka kwabo bantu bachaphazelekayo ayicaciswanga.
UKeightley
J, owachophela undoqo wesicelo eNkundleni ePhakamileyo
phantsi kweNdawo B yothatho-manyathelo olulungisiweyo lweAfriForum

naye zange abone kubaluleka kweso simangalo sayo, waza wawuchitha
loo mcimbi.
[24] Regarding the contention that the new language policy was
unconstitutional, the Judge accepted that UNISA changed its

language policy and resolved to offer tuition ‘only in
English due to the lack of demand and lack of capacity for

Afrikaans tuition’. In her view, language parity and the
need to treat students equitably when it came to mother tongue

tuition were ‘critical drivers’ in UNISA’s
adoption of the new language policy. She found that on the
evidence it was not reasonably practicable for UNISA, which is
committed to redressing the imbalances that exist in languages,
to
offer tuition in Afrikaans while not offering tuition in the
remaining official languages as the LOLT, as ‘the cost

associated with developing all … the languages to that
level at this stage would be prohibitive’. She held that

‘[b]oth locally and internationally, English was the
accepted and preferred medium for communication, academia and

business. The adoption of English as the sole LOLT under the new
policy was a matter of simple practicality’. In sum,
as she
put it, ‘it was plain that the removal of Afrikaans was
justified on the basis of considerations of equity,
practicability
and the need to redress the results of past racially
discriminatory laws and practices, as required under
section 29(2)
and in accordance with the principles laid down by the
Constitutional Court’. The court thus concluded
that the new
language policy did not violate s 29(2).
[24] Malunga nembambano yokuba lo mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha
awuhambisani nomgaqo-siseko, iJaji yangaphambili yayiqale yayivuma
into
yokuba iUNISA yawutshintsha umgaqo-nkqubo wayo yaza yagqiba
kwelokuba ifundise ‘ngesiNgesi kuphela ngenxa yokuba
kungekho
bafundi baninzi nabantu baneleyo bokufundisa
ngeAfrikaans’. Ngokwembono yayo, ulinganiso ngokweelwimi
kunye nemfuneko
yokuba abafundi baphatheke ngobulungisa
obulungeleleneyo, xa kufikwa ekufundisweni ngolwimi lweenkobe,
yayizezona ‘zimeko
zibukhali’ ekumiseleni kweUNISA lo
mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha. Wafumanisa ukuba ngokobo bungqina
kwakungekho lula ukwenzeka
ukuba iUNISA, ezimisele ukulungisa
iimeko zokungalungelelani ezikhoyo kwiilwimi, ikwazi ukufundisa
ngeAfrikaans ekubeni ingafundisi
ngazo ezinye ezi iilwimi
zasemthethweni njengoko ‘iindleko ezinxulumene
nokuziphuhlisa zonke … ezi lwimi de
kube kwelaa nqwanqwa
okwangoku ziya kugqithisa’. Wayithetha into yokuba ‘apha
ekhaya kanti nakwizizwe ngezizwe
isiNgesi lulwimi olukhethwayo
lukhethelwa uqhakamshelwano, nezemfundo, nezamashishini.
Ukumiselwa kwesiNgesi sibe kuphela
kolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa
phantsi kwalo mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha kwakukusebenzisa umgqaliselo
‘wokwenzeka lula’.
Ukushwankathela, ngokutsho kwakhe,
‘kwakucace phandle ukuba ukususwa kweAfrikaans
kwakuthetheleleka ngenxa yokuqwalasela
ukulungiselelwa
ngokulinganayo, nokuba nokwenzeka, kunye nemfuneko yokulungisa
iziphumo zemithetho yocalucalulo ngokobuhlanga
nezenzo zalo
zexesha eladlulayo, njengoko kutshiwoyo phantsi kwesolotya
lama-29(2) mangokuhambelana nemigqaliselo eyabekwa
yiNkundla
YoMgaqo-siseko’. Laa nkundla ke ngoko yagqiba kwelokuba laa
mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha wawungalinyhasi isolotya u-s
29(2).
[25] The high court further dismissed AfriForum’s
argument that the adoption of the new language policy was not
rational.
In its view, the review process conducted by UNISA since
2013, including the language colloquium, research and continuous

debate in the SLC, the Senate and in the wider university
community, could not be ‘impugned by the alleged paucity of

information before the Senate and the Council when the policy was
ultimately adopted.  The legality complaint based
on the
alleged failure by the SLC to consult affected persons, and the
procedural irregularities relating to the Senate’s
meeting
of 30 March 2016, namely the breaches of the Senate’s
rules,[13] was given short shrift. The high court found
that there
was evidence of extensive consultation with the relevant
institutional stakeholders over a number of years before
the
adoption of the new policy. It also accepted UNISA’s
evidence that all members of the Senate were fully acquainted
with
the content of the draft language policy when it was discussed and
adopted at that meeting and that there was substantial
compliance
with the rules. In any event, held the court, even if the rules
were breached, considerations of certainty, finality
and
practicality would still save the adoption of the new language
policy from being set aside. Otherwise, ‘to turn
the clock
back would have obvious practical resource and costs implications
for UNISA for the benefit of an ever-diminishing
small number of
students’.
[25] INkundla le iPhakamileyo yaqhubeka ukuyichitha ingxoxo
yeAfriForum ethi ukumiselwa komgaqo-nkqubo oomtsha
kwakungacingisiswanga.
Ngokwembono yayo inkqubo
yokujongwa-kwakhona eyenziwa yiUNISA ukususela ngo-2013, equka
imboniswano malunga nolwimi, uphando,
kwaneengxoxo ezingapheziyo
kwiSLC, nakwiSinethi, nakuluntu lwaseyunivesithi zizinto
ezazingenako ‘ukuphikiswa ngenxa
yeenkcukacha ekubangwa
ukuba zazingaphelelanga ezaya kwiSinethi nakwiBhunga xa wawude
waba uyamkelwa umgaqo-nkqubo lowo.
Isikhalazo
esingobumthethweni esisekwe kwinto ekuthiwa kukoyisakala kweSLC
ukudlana indlebe nabantu abachaphazelekayo kunye
nezigingqi
zendlela-yokwenza malunga nentlanganiso yeSinethi yowama-30
kweyoKwindla ngo-2016, ukwaphulwa kwemigaqo yeSinethi,[14]
naso
sathiwa qwaka-qwaka nje sajulwa phaya. Inkundla ephakamileyo
yafumanisa ukuba babukhona ubungqina bodliwano-ndlebe olubanzi

nabantu abaneenxaxheba phaya eyunivesithi ngethuba leminyaka
eliqela phambi kokumiselwa kwawo lo mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha. Yabamkela

nobungqina beUNISA bokuba onke amalungu eSinethi ayeqhelaniseke
ngokupheleleyo nesiqulathi salomgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi lo xa

yayixoxwa, yaza yamiselwa kulaa ntlanganiso, futhi kwakukho
uthobelo oluninzi lwemithetho. Phofu ke, yatsho inkundla, nokuba

imigaqo yayaphulwe, ukuqwalaselwa kwengqiniseko, nokuba
sekugqibeleni, nokuba nokwenzeka kwakusaya kukuhlangula ukumiselwa

komgaqo-nkqubo lo mtsha wolwimi kuwenze ungabekwa bucala.
Kungenjalo ‘ukubuyisa ixesha umva kwakuya kuyingenisa

ezingxakini ezininzi zokusebenza nezezincedisi-kwenza iUNISA
kulungelwe kuphela abafundi abanani labo lihleli lisiya lisehla’.
[26] On appeal before us, the issues were pared down to whether
(a) the impugned decisions contravened s 29(2) of the
Constitution;
(b) the Senate did not follow its rules, in breach of the
principle of legality; and
(c) UNISA did not consult the persons most affected by the new
language policy, in breach of the principle of procedural
rationality.
AfriForum contended that UNISA’s review process
and the new language policy fell short in respect of each of these

aspects.
[26] Kwisibheno esasiphambi kwethu, le micimbi yayibekwe ngolu
hlobo: Ingaba
(a) ezi zigqibo ziphikiswayo zazinxamnye na no s 29(2)
woMgaqo-siseko,
(b) iSinethi yayingayilandelanga imigaqo yayo, ibe ke njalo
yayaphule umgqaliselo wobumthethweni, nokuba
(c) iUNISA zange idlane ndlebe nabona bantu babechaphazeleka
ngakumbi ngulo mgaqo-nkqubo, olo ilulwaphulo lomgqaliselo
wokucingisiswa
kwendlela-yokwenza. IAfriForum yaxoxa ngelithi
inkqubo yeUNISA yokujongwa-kwakhona kunye nomgaqo-nkqubo lo mtsha
wolwimi
zazisilela ngazo zombini ezindawo.
[27]  Regarding issue (a), it was contended for UNISA that
the new language policy constituted an attempt at a reasonable

measure to make education progressively available and accessible
to all, on an equitable basis, taking into account the
practicability of a single medium English tuition, the dwindling
demand for Afrikaans tuition, the responsibility not to continue

entrenching historical privileges accorded to Afrikaans which were
no longer justified by student numbers, and the alternative
of
unqualified multi-medium tuition not yet being reasonably feasible
owing to constrained resources. Thus, it accorded with
s 29(2).
Issue (b) was dismissed on the basis that AfriForum had no
standing to complain about any non-compliance with the
Senate’s
rules, which were in fact observed, but would not have vitiated
the impugned decisions in any event. As to
issue (c), it was
contended once more that considerations of rationality did not
oblige UNISA to consult with existing or
prospective students who
studied in Afrikaans and that its consultations with the
institutional bodies sufficed.
[27] Malunga nomcimbi oku-(a), kwaxoxelwa iUNISA ngelithi, lo
mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha wawungumzamo owawunesizathu esivakalayo
wokwenza
ukuba imfundo iye ibheka phambili ukufumaneka,
nokufikeleleka, kuye wonke ubani, ngokolungiselelo okunolingwano,
kuqwalaselwa
ukuba nokwenzeka kokufundisa nolwimi lokufundisa
olunye, olusisiNgesi, njengoko kwakubonakala ukuba iAfrikaans iya
iphelelwa
kukufunwa ukuba kufundwe ngayo, kuqwalaselwa noxanduva
lokuthintela ukuqhubeka ukubethelela ukulungelwa calanye
okusezimbalini
zeli lizwe okwakunikwe iAfrikaans,
okwakungasenakuthetheleleka ngamanani abafundi bayo, ekubeni ke
enye indlela le yokufundisa
ngokungathandabuzisiyo ngolwimi-ninzi
iseyinto engekabi nakwenzeka ngokuyimbadla ngenxa yokunqaphazeka
kweizincedisi-kwenza.
Ngaloo ndlela ke kwathiwa iyahambelana no-s
29(2). Umcimbi oku-(b) wachithwa kusithiwa iAfriForum ayinamhlaba
wakuma ikhalaze
ngako nakuphi na ukungathotyelwa kwemigaqo
yeSinethi, eyaye eneneni yenziwe, kodwa nokuba kwakungenjalo laa
migaqo yayingasoze
iyenze mbi imeko yezaa zizathu ziphikiswayo. Ke
wona umcimbi (c) kwathiwa ngawo ukuqwalaselwa kokuba ucingisisiwe
na, kwakungayinyanzeli
iUNISA ukuba mayidlane iindlebe nabafundi
ababekho okanye ababeza kuza ababefunda ngeAfrikaans nokuba
ukudlana iindlebe kwayo
namaqumrhu angaweziko eliya kwakwanele.
[28] I deal first with the question whether UNISA gave effect
to the right of its Afrikaans students, enshrined in s 29(2), when

it made the impugned decisions. The provisions read:
‘Everyone has the right to receive education in the
official language or languages of their choice in public
educational
institutions where that education is reasonably
practicable. In order to ensure the effective access to, and
implementation
of, this right, the state must consider all
reasonable educational alternatives, including single medium
institutions, taking
into account–
(a)  equity;
(b)  practicability; and
(c)  the need to redress the results of past racially
discriminatory laws and practices.’
[28] Mna ngoku into endiqala ngayo ukuyiqwalasela ngumbuzo othi
ingaba iUNISA yalihoya yalisebenzisa na ilungelo labafundi bayo

beAfrikaans, lungelo elo limiliselwe ngokukhuselekileyo ku-s 29(2)
ngokuya ngokuya yayisenza ezaa zigqibo zayo ziphikisekayo.

Imimiselo leyo ifundeka ngolu hlobo:
‘Wonke ubani unalo ilungelo lokufumana imfundo ngolwimi
lwasemthethweni okanye ngeelwimi zasemthethweni azikhethele

ngokwakhe kumaziko karhulumente emfundo apho loo mfundo inako
ukwenzeka lula noko. Ukuze kuqinisekiswe ufikeleleko olunembadla

kulo eli lungelo, nokusetyenziswa kwalo, urhulumente kufuneka
eqwalasele zonke iindawo zemfundo zokukhetha kuzo, eziquka
ezo
zifundisa ngolwimi olunye, kuhoywe nendaba–(a) yolungiselelo
olunolingano;
(b)  neyokuba nokwenzeka; kunye
(c) nemfuneko yokuba kulungiswe iziphumo zemithetho
yocalu-calulo yangaphambili nezenzo ezazihamba nezothe.’
[29] It is readily apparent from the wording of its provisions
that s 29(2) entails an enforceable right against the State to

provide education in the language of choice where this is
‘reasonably practicable’.[15] The Constitutional Court

described the constitutional test of ‘reasonable
practicability’ in determining whether the right in s 29(2)

may be invoked in Head of Department: Mpumalanga Department of
Education and Another v Hoërskool Ermelo and Another.
It
said:[16]
‘[T]he reasonableness standard built into section
29(2)(a) imposes a context-sensitive understanding of each claim
for
education in a language of choice. An important consideration
will always be whether the State has taken reasonable and positive

measures to make the right to basic education increasingly
available and accessible to everyone in a language of choice.
It
must follow that when a learner already enjoys the benefit of
being taught in an official language of choice the State
bears the
negative duty not to take away or diminish the right without
appropriate justification.’
[29] Kuzicacele kwakwindlela abhalwe ngayo u-s 29(2) ukuba
uphethe ilungelo elifanelwe kukusetyenziswa ngokunyanzelwa
kukarhulumente
ukuba abonelele ngemfundo efunda ngolwimi
lokuzikhethela apho le nto ‘inokwenzeka ngokulula’.
Inkundla Yomgaqo-Siseko
yayichaza indlela yoMgaqo-siseko
yokuvavanya ‘ukuba nokwenzeka okulula’ ekuqwalaselenei
ukuba elaa lungelo liku-s
29(2) lingenziwa lisebenze, kwityala
ekuthiwa ukubizwa kalo: Head of Department: Mpumalanga Department
of Education and Another
v Hoërskool Ermelo and Another.
Kwelo tyala yathi leNkundla:
‘Umgangatho wolwenzeko olulula omiliselwe ku-29(2)(a)
unyanzelisa ukuba kufuneka umntu ngamnye ajonge le ndawo aza
kuwusebenzisa
kuyo, aqonde ukuba kuloo ndawo inako na ukwenzeka le
nto ayifunayo, le yokufunda ngolwimi oluthile azikhetheleyo. Into
eya
kuhlala ibalulekile kukuba kuqwalaselwe ukuba uRhulumente
kukho mizamo inembadla na nencedayo ayenzayo kuloo ndawo, imizamo
yokwenza ilungelo lemfundo esisiseko liye linyuka ukufumaneka
nokufikeleleka kuye wonke ubani ngolwimi azikhethela lona.
Kufuneka ke into emayilandele ibe kukuba uRhulumente uqinisekisa
ukuba xa umfundi sele elifumene eli lungelo lokufundiswa
ngolwimi
lwasemthethweni azikhethele lona, uRhulumente ngumsebenzi wakhe
ukuba agade angalisusi okanye alinciphise elo gunya
kuloo mfundi,
angayenzi loo nto engabekanga zizathu zivakalayo’.
[30] In light of the fact that UNISA students could elect to be
taught in Afrikaans in respect of some modules when the new

language policy was adopted, UNISA bears the negative obligation
of establishing appropriate justification for taking away
their
right to receive tuition in the language of their choice. And in
doing so, it must show that it was not reasonably
practicable’
to sustain the dual English/Afrikaans tuition. The enquiry into
whether s 29(2) has been complied with
is objective. This Court
held in University of the Free State v AfriForum,[17] that the
requirement contains both factual
and legal elements – the
latter, the legal standard of reasonableness, to be tested against
constitutional norms which
include equity, redress, desegregation
and non-racialism, and the former entails practicability, which is
concerned with
resource constraints and the feasibility of
adopting a particular language policy.
[30] Ke njengokuba abafundi baseUNISA babenako ukukhetha
ukufundiswa ngeAfrikaans iimodyuli ezithile wakuba umiselwe laa
mgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi mtsha, iUNISA ke ngumsebenzi wayo ukuba ize
nezizathu ezifanelekileyo zokuba ilisuse eli lungelo labo kubo,
eli lokuba
bafumane imfundo ngolwimi abazikhethele lona. Kunjalo
nje, xa isenza le nto, kufuneka ibonise ukuba ‘kwakungenakwenzeka

ngokulula’ ukuhlala iyigicinile imfundo kalwimi-mbini
engesiNgesi/neAfrikaans. Ukubuzisa ukuba ingaba u-s 29(2)

wathotyelwa na kusisenzo esingenachuku. Ke njengokuba le Nkundla
yatshoyo kule indaba: University of the Free State v
AfriForum,[18]
into esiyifunayo iqulethe izinto eziziinyani,
nezizezomthetho – ezi zesibini, ezizezomthetho, zezalo
mgangatho
wokuba lula ngokusemthethweni; zona kufuneka zivavanywe
ngokwemimiselo yoMgaqo-siseko equka ulungiselelo ngokolingwano,
ukulungiswa,
ukupheliswa kocalucalulo, nokungabikho kwempathwano
ngobuhlanga; ezi zokuqala zikokwaa kujonga imo yokuba nokwenzeka,
yona
ke ichaphazeleka zizinto ezinjengokunqongophala
kwezincedisi-kwenza nokuba lula kangakanani ukumisela
umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi
othile.
[31] As mentioned above, AfriForum complained that UNISA failed
to provide ‘appropriate justification’ for abrogating

its students’ right to be taught in Afrikaans. The
principles underlying s 29(2) were not explicitly considered in

the final meetings of the SLC, Senate and Council which culminated
in the adoption of the new language policy. ‘[R]easonable

practicability’ was also not mentioned in UNISA’s
reasons for the decision. Without in any way underrating the

substance of these submissions, there is, however, a bigger hurdle
for UNISA in this regard, even assuming that ‘reasonable

practicability’ remained a consideration in the review
process as it strenuously contended.
[31] Njengokua kukhankanyiweyo apha ngentla, iAfriForum
yayikhalazela ukuba iUNISA yoyisakala ukuxela ‘izizathu
neenkcazo
ezifanelekileyo’ zokwaphula ilungelo labafundi
bayo lokuba bafundiswe ngeAfrikaans. Imigqaliselo eseke u-s 29(2)
zange
iqwalaselwe ngokuphandle kwiintlanganiso zokugqibela zeSLC,
nezeSinethi, nezeBhunga, ezi yaba zizo eziphela zikuvuma
ukumiselwa
kwalo mgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi mtsha; kanjalo ‘imo
yokwenzeka ngokulula’ zange ikhankanywe nayo kwizizathu
zeUNISA
zaso esi sigqibo. Andizithathi ngokungathi azinaxabiso ezi
ntetho zeUNISA; kodwa ndithi kukho, nakuba kunjalo, umqobo othe

kratya ukuba mkhulu elindwe nguwo iUNISA kulo mba, nditsho naxa
sesinokuyicingela into yokuba ‘imo yokwenzeka ngokulula’

yaqwalaselwa ngexesha besenza ukujongwa kwakhona komgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi wabo wangaphambili, njengokuba begxininisa kanobom
ukuba
bayiqwalasela le mo.
[32] Criticism voiced against the SLC and Senate for failing to
address s 29(2), especially in view of the guidelines which

provided for a methodical discontinuation of Afrikaans module by
module, the new policy adopting as a principle and purpose
the
importance of mother tongue education, and that Afrikaans has
developed to an equal status with English as an academic
language,
fully capable of giving effect to this principle, drew a
concerning response from UNISA. In her supplementary answering

affidavit, the SLC’s chairperson, Prof Moche, stated that
the considerations prescribed by s 29(2) ‘would arguably
be
relevant to the State when it is required to fulfil its
responsibility … to ensure the effective access to and

implementation of the right concerned, but are not relevant to
UNISA when [it] determines its language policy’. This
was
so, she went on, because ‘[a]s opposed to the State, UNISA
is not liable to ensure the effective access to, and

implementation of the right concerned’.
[32] Isigxeko esibekwa iSLC neSinethi ngenxa yokoyisakala kwazo
ukuhoya u-s 29(2), ngakumbi ngenxa yokubakho kwezalathandlela

ezaye zenza kwabakho indlela equlunqekileyo yokupheliswa
kweAfrikaans, ngemodyuli emva kwenye, lo mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha,

ngokuthatha njengomgqaliselo kunye nenjongo, ukubaluleka kwemfundo
ngolwimi lweenkobe, nale nto yokuba iAfrikaans sele yaphuhliseka

yafika kwiwonga elilinganayo nelesiNgesi njengolwimi
lobumfundimani, olukwazi ngokuzeleyo ukuwenza usebenze lo
mgqaliselo,
njengoko yatsho iAfriForum, eso sigxeko sahlangana
nempendulo exhalabisayo ephuma kwiUNISA. Kuxwebhu lobungqina bakhe
obongezelelweyo,
usihlalo weSLC, uNjing Moche, waxela ukuba ezaa
ngqwalasela ezimiselwe ngu-s 29(2) ‘kungaxoxwa kuthiwe ziya
kuba nokungena
kuRhulumente xa kufuneka ukuba enze uxanduva lwakhe
… ukuqinisekisa ufikeleleko olunomphumela kulo,
nokusebenziseka
kwalo, eli lungelo sibhekisa kulo, kodwa azingeni
ndawo kwiUNISA xa iziqingqela umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi wayo’.
Uhambise
wathi, le nto injalo, kuba ‘ngokungafaniyo
noRhulumente, iUNISA ayinaxanduva lokuqinisekisa ufikeleleko
olunemiphumela
kulo, nasekusetyenzisweni kwalo, eli lungelo
kubhekiswa kulo’.
[33] This interpretation does not, however, conform with the
meaning which the Constitutional Court has ascribed to s 29(2) and

the ambit of its application. In AfriForum and another v
University of the Free State,[19] the Court stated unequivocally

that ‘[s]ection 29 of the Constitution applies in its
totality to the education sector’[20] and that ‘no

sound legal basis exists for the isolation of parts of s 29(2) in
seeking to understand the totality of the requirement of

‘reasonable practicability’ as its different parts are
mutually reinforcing.[21] The court went to define the
meaning of
the ‘reasonableness’ envisaged in these provisions as
follows:
‘Reasonableness within the context of s 29(2) demands
that equity, practicability and the critical need to undo the

damage caused by racial discrimination, also be the intrinsic
features of the decision-making process relating to effective
access to education in a language of choice. For they are some of
the decisive factors to which regard must be had even where
‘a
learner already enjoys the benefit of being taught in an official
language of choice’.
[33] Le ndlela yokucacisa ayihambelani ke kodwa nentsingiselo
enikwe yiNkundla Yomgaqo-siseko uyinika u-s 29(2) kwanommandla
wosebenziseko lwayo. Kwityala elibizwa kanje, AfriForum and
another v University of the Free State, iNkunda yatsho ngokuvakala

phandle ukuba ‘Isolotya u-29 loMgaqo-siseko lisebenza lonke
ngobunjalo balo kwicandelo lezemfundo.’ Nokuba ‘akukho

sizathu siphilileyo ngokwasemthethweni sokwahlula mhlaba
wasemthethweni uphilileyo sokwahlula ngazine iindawo zika-s 29(2)

ekuzameni ukuqonda zonke ziphelele izinto ezihamba nale nto yokuba
kufuneka iqwalaselwe ‘imo yokwenzeka ngokulula’
kuba
kaloku iindawo zayo ezahlukileyo zinikana amandla. Inkundla yaya
kuchaza intsingiselo ‘yokuba lula ngokweemeko
ezivumayo’
le exelwa kule mimiselo ngale ndlela ilandelayo:
‘Ubulula bokwenzeka ngokweemeko ezivumayo’ apha
ku-s 29(2) buthetha ukubakho kolungiselelo ngokolingwano, ukuba

nokwenzeka, kunye nale mfuno ibaluleke gqitha yokuba kususwe
umonakalo owabangelwa lucalulo ngokobuhlanga, kwaneempawu

ezendeleyo zenkqubo yokwenza izigqibo ezibhekisa kufikeleleko
olunemiphumela emfundweni ngolwimi ozikhetheleyo. Kuba zikhona
ezi
meko zimele ukusetyenziswa ukwenza izigqibo ezithile, ezo meko
zifuna ukujongwa kanye nalapho umfundi sele enayo le nto

ilungileyo yokufundiswa ‘ngolwimi lwasemthethweni
azikhethele lona.’
[34] Suffice it to say that UNISA’s understanding of its
responsibility under s 29(2) was fallacious. It ineluctably

suggests that the institution did not properly comprehend the
implications of the right to receive education in the official

language of one’s choice, the constitutional parameters
within which its powers had to be exercised, and the precise
ambit
of responsibility which s 29(2) imposed upon it, when it reviewed
its language policy and adopted a new one. This,
of necessity,
affects the validity of the decision to adopt the new policy.
[34] Kwanele ke apha ukuba sitsho ukuba indlela iUNISA
eyayiluqonda ngayo uxanduva lwayo phantsi kuka-s 29(2)
yayineziphene.
Ikwenza ungabi nakuzinceda ukucinga ukuba eli
ziko lalingaziqondi ngokufanelekileyo izinto ezizalwa lilungelo
lokuba ufumane
imfundo ngolo lwimi lwasemthethweni ozikhetheleyo,
abayiqondi nemida yomgaqo-siseko ekufanele ukuba igunya lalo eli
lungelo
lisetyenziswe kuyo, kanti nobungakanani obuthe ngqo, ncam
bomhlaba woxanduva lwalo, ezabekwa ngu-s 29(2) kuyo iUNISA mhla

yajonga-kwakhona umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi wayo yaza yamisela omtsha
umgaqo-nkqubo.
[35] There is a further chink in UNISA’s armour. The
considerations upon which it relied to prove that it was not
‘reasonably
practicable’ to continue with dual-medium
tuition, were the cost-saving that it claimed would be generated
by offering
tuition in English only which could be used to develop
the other official languages and would avoid giving Afrikaans
students
preferential treatment by offering tuition in their
mother tongue, while mother tongue tuition was not available to
non-Afrikaans
and English speaking students.
[35] Kukho esinye isikroba kwisikrweqe seUNISA. Leyo yile
miqwalasela yayiqamele ngayo ukuze ikwazi ukubonakalisa ukuba
kwakungekho
‘ukwenzeka ngokulula’ ukuba iqhube
ngemfundo kalwimi-mbini, nokuba ukungaqhubi nayo kuyinceda
ekuphunguleni iindleko
ngokuthi ifundise ngesiNgesi kuphela ize
isebenzise loo mali iyigcinileyo ekuphuhliseni ezinye iilwimi
zasemthethweni, nokwa
kukwazi ukuthintela ukunika abafundi
beAfrikaans ukuphatheka okukhethekileyo ngokufundisa ngeAfrikaans
ngeli lixa ufundo
ngolwimi lweenkobe lungafumaneki kubafundi
abangathethi Afrikaans, kwanokwehla kwamanani abafundi abafunda
ngeAfrikaans.
[36] The first problem is that none of these issues was
discussed at the final meeting of the SLC, Senate and Council in
which
it was resolved to adopt the new policy, as the relevant
minutes show. Regarding cost-saving, the only reference is to a

document titled ‘Template for Council Documents’,
which served before Council in a meeting of 22 April 2016. It
reads:
‘3. BUDGET / FINANCIAL IMPACT
The financial impact of the amendments will be a reduction in
the operational budget for the printing and despatch of study

material. The use of one language only will reduce these costs
when the language policy is implemented.’
The challenge posed by this entry is that it is not explained
anywhere in UNISA’s papers and there is no indication at all

that it was debated at the relevant meeting. This is despite
AfriForum’s pertinent challenge in its supplementary
affidavit (in terms of Uniform Rule 53(4)) that ‘there is no
costing whatsoever to arrive at a rational comparison of
costs
with or without the cost of retaining Afrikaans … [no
consideration of the fact that] if a student elected to
proceed in
English and joined a module with more than 100 students, the cost
of printing and despatch would increase because
such a student
would be entitled to receive hard copy study material …
[t]here is no costing of the “scaffolding”.’
[36] Ingxaki yokuqala ke yile yokuba ezi zinto akukho nanye
yazo ezakhe zaxoxwa kwiintlanganiso zokugqibela yeSLC,
neyeSinethi,
neyeBhunga apho kwakuye kwagqitywa ekubeni umiselwe
lo mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha, njengoko imizuzu yezintlanganiso ibonisa.
Malunga
nokunciphisa iindleko, imibhalo yakhona ibonakalisa ukuba
kwathethwa kwaba kanye kuphela ngale nyewe, kuxwebhu olunetayitile

ethi, ‘Template for Council Documents’ Elo xwebhu
lalibekwe etafileni phambi kweBhunga kwintlanganiso yowama-22

kuTshaziimpuzi ka-2016. Elo nqaku lifundeka ngolu hlobo:
‘3. ISICWANGCISO-MALI / ISIPHUMO NGAKWEZEMALI
Isiphumo sezi zilungiso esiphathelele kwezemali siya kuba
kukuncipha kwesicwangciso-mali sokusebenza ebesenzelwe
ukushicilela
nokuhanjiswa kwamaxwebhu okufunda. Ukusetyenziswa
kolwimi olunye kuphela kuya kuziphungula ezi ndleko wakuba lo
mgaqo-nkqubo
wolwimi sele usetyenziswa.’
Ingxaki ebekwa leli nqaku yile yokuba alicaciswanga naphina
kumaphepha aseUNISA, kwaye akukho nento ebonisayo tu ukuba kwakhe

kwaxoxwa ngayo nakuloo ntlanganiso kwimizuzu yayo. Le nto yenzeka
nangona iAfriForum sele iyicele umngeni ngokugxininisayo
kwixwebhu
lobungqina bayo obusisixokomezelo (ngokoMgaqo Wofaniso u-53(4))
isithi akukho kubala zindleko kwakha kwenziwa nje
tu, okwenza
ukuba kufikelelwe ekuthelekiseni iindleko ngendlela eqiqisisiweyo,
apho zikhoyo, nalapho zingekhoyo iindleko
zokuyeka ihlale ikho
iAfrikaans … [akukho ngqwalasela yale nyaniso yokuba] ukuba
umfundi uye wakhetha ukuqhubela phambili
ngesiNgesi, waza wajoyina
imodyuli enabafundi abangaphezulu kwe-100, iindleko zokushicilela
nokuthumela ziya kwanda kuba
loo mfundi uya kuba efanele kakade
ukuba afumane amaxwebhu aprintiweyo ezifundo …  akukho
kubala zindleko kunjalo
zalo “olo phahla”.’
[37] Moreover, AfriForum’s undisputed contention that
Afrikaans study guides were not printed but were made available

and accessible online, so that the cost of printing would be borne
by the student instead of UNISA, was not addressed. UNISA
merely
alleged that economies of scale are lost when course materials
have to be printed in many languages. This obviously
did not apply
when the study guides were made available online. As AfriForum
pointed out, UNISA never assessed the commercial
viability of the
approximately 300 modules offered in Afrikaans in comparison to
the average commercial viability of about
2 300 modules offered in
English. I agree that an equitable comparison would have been one
comparing the commercial viability
of the 300 Afrikaans modules to
the 300 least profitable modules offered in English, as part of
the exercise.  This
was not done.
[37] Ngaphezulu, ukungavumelani nabo kweAfriForum
okungenakuphikiswa okuthi izikhokelo-zifundo zeAfrikaans
zazingashicilelwanga,
kodwa zazenziwe zafumaneka zaza zafikeleleka
kwi-intanethi, nto leyo ithetha ukuba ke iindleko zoshicilelo
zaziya kuba zezomfundi,
endaweni yokuba zibe zezeUNISA, zange
kuhoywe. I-UNISA yavele yathetha nje ityhola ukuba iindlela
zolungelelwaniso kwezoqoqosho
ziyalahleka xa kufuneka ukuba
kushicilelwe izinto-kufunda zeekhosi zishicilelwe zibe kwiilwimi
ezininzi. Kodwa ke le ingxoxo
ngokucacileyo yayingangeni ndawo xa
izikhokelo-zifundo zazenziwe zafumaneka ngeintanethi. Njengoko
yatshoyo iAfriForum, iUNISA
zange ikhe yenze luhlolo lokujonga
igalelo kwezemali elenziwa zezi modyuli zimalunga nama-300
ezifundiswa ngeAfrikaans ize
ithelekise nelenziwa ziimodyuli
ezimalunga nama-2 300 ezifundiswa ngesiNgesi. Ndiyayivuma into
yokuba uthelekiso olunolinganiso
beluya kuba luthelekiso
lokusebenza kweemodyuli ezingama--300 zeAfrikaans kolwemodyuli
ezingama-300 lweemodyuli ezinenzuzo
eninzi ezifundiswa ngesiNgesi
njengenxalenye yolo thelekiso. Lento zange yenziwe.
[38] UNISA also did not explain why Afrikaans modules could not
be cross-subsidised by English modules in terms of the common

feature of university funding. AfriForum stated, without any
challenge, that many university courses, such as philosophy,

French and their ilk, are not commercially viable, as the cost of
presenting them cannot be covered by the revenues they
generate
because of the low numbers of students who register for these
courses. But they are still offered because they are
of strategic
and national importance, enhance the university’s
intellectual environment, and are cross-subsidised by
the more
popular courses which are highly profitable owing to the large
student numbers who take them, and the attendant
economies of
scale. It is well to bear in mind that even if the removal of
Afrikaans as a LOLT would result in a cost saving,
that it would
not necessarily render the decision to adopt the new language
policy compliant with the test in s 29(2), which
has a normative
content that goes beyond the availability of resources.
Nevertheless, UNISA failed to support its reliance
on resource
constraints because the figures it produced were not
substantiated: there was no record showing any investigation
or
research with reference to proper data and the source of such
data. It did not establish that it was not ‘reasonably

practicable’ from a commercial standpoint to continue to
offer tuition in Afrikaans.
[38] IUNISA kanjalo zange icacise ukuba kwakutheni iimodyuli
zeAfrikaans zingenakuhlawulelwa kwimali yezesiNgesi ngokwendlela

edibanisayo yoniko-mali yiyunivesithi. IAfriForum yaxela,
ayaphikiseka, ukuba iikhosi ezininzi zaseyunivesithi, ezifana
nefilosofi, isiFrentshi, nezinye ezilolu didi, azingenisi njengoko
iindleko zokuba nazo zingenako ukuhlawulelwa kwiimali ezivela

ngazo ngenxa yokuba mbalwa kwabafundi abazibhaliselayo. Kodwa
ziyafundiswa kuba ukubaluleka kwazo kokwesizwe
nokwezicwangciso-ezinobulumko,
zinegalelo kudidi oluphezulu lobomi
baseyunivesithi kwezobunkcuba-buchopho. Zithi ke zihlawuleleke
zezinye iikhosi ezi zithandwa
kakhulu zona, ezithi ke zingenise
inzuzo enkulu ngenxa yokuba baninzi kwabafundi abazithathayo,
kwakunye nezoqoqosho lolungelelwano
olusisiphumo soko. Kuya kuba
kuhle ukuba kuhlale kukhunjulwa ukuba nokuba ukususwa kweAfrikaans
njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa
bekuya kudala ucutheko-zindleko,
loo nto ibingayi kusenze esaa sigqibo sokumisela umgaqo-nkqubo
omtsha sibe sesifanelekileyo
xa sivavanywa ngo-s 29(2), yena
onesiqulatho esinika iimpawu zovavanyo ezidlulayo lee kubukho
bezincedisi-kwenza. Nakuba
kunjalo, IUNISA yoyisakala ukuxhasa oku
kwayama kwayo kunqongophalo lwezincedisi-kwenza, kuba amanani
eyawavezayo ayengaxhaswanga
njengoko kwakungekho rekhodi libonisa
uxilongo okanye uphando-nzulu apho kukho iinkukacha-luphando
ezifanelekileyo. Zange
ke ngoko ikwazi ukuzoba umfanekiso obonisa
ukungabi nako ‘ukwenzeka okulula’ xa kujongwa
ngakwezemali, into ke
ebiya kwenza ukuba ingabi nako ukuqhuba
ifundisa ngeAfrikaans.
[39] Concerning UNISA’s reliance on its student
demographics, it contended that the percentage of students:
(a) who indicated that Afrikaans was their home language, was
8,6 per cent in 2015, that it increased to 8,7 per cent in 2016

and that it would drop to an estimated 7,3 per cent in future;
(b) who registered for modules in Afrikaans was 0,6 per cent in
2015, and which decreased to 0,3 in 2016 (although these figures

were subsequently changed to 2 per cent in 2015 and 1 per cent in
2016); and
(c) who registered for at least one module in Afrikaans was 5,3
per cent in 2015 and 5,1 per cent in 2016. In sum, the number
of
its Afrikaans students halved between 2015 and 2016 and remained
‘extremely low’.
[39] Malunga nokwayama kweUNISA kwiimpawu-buntu zabafundi bayo,
yaxoxa ngelithi, ipesenti yabafundi:
(a) abaxela ukuba iAfrikaans yayilulwimi lwabo lweenkobe
yayingu-8,6 ekhulwini ngo-2015, yanda yaba ngu-8,7 ekhulwini
ngo-2016,
ke kwakuqikelelwa ukuba iza kuhla kwixesha elizayo iyo
kutsho ku-7,3 ekhulwini;
(b) ababebhalisele iimodyuli zeAfrikaans babeyi-0,6 ekhulwini
ngo-2015, behlela ku-0,3 ngo-2016, nangona la manani aye aguqulwa

emva koko aya kustho ku-2 ekhulwini ngo-2015 no-1 ekhulwini
ngo-2016; kanjalo
(c) ababebhalisele imodyuli yanye, ubuncinci, yeAfrikaans
babengu-5,3 ekhulwini ngo-2015 no-5,1 ekhulwini ngo-2016.
Ngokufutshane,
inani labafundi bayo beAfrikaans lafikelela
kwisiqingatha phakathi ko-2015 no-2016, laza lahlala ‘lisezantsi
ngokugqithisileyo’.
[40] AfriForum disputed these statistics as implausible because
UNISA did not disclose their source and they did not tally with

the national language demographics when applied to UNISA’s
student numbers. For its part, AfriForum relied on statistics

extracted from UNISA’s Structured Query Language database
system and from which a qualitative analysis was drawn. According

to this data, in 2016 out of 1 881 267 module and year
course registrations, 96 816 were offered in Afrikaans.
This
number translated to 15 per cent of the total modules offered at
UNISA out of which 5,15 per cent were chosen by approximately

25 000 students, each taking an average of four modules.
Afriforum contended that removing Afrikaans as a LOLT thus

destroyed about 100 000 study opportunities in that language.
Importantly, AfriForum highlighted that a single digit
percentage
was not indicative of a small number of students as, for example,
5 per cent could amount to as many as 600 students.
So, whilst
25 000 students may be a negligible number in UNISA, which
has massive student numbers, that number generally
constituted the
total student population in other major residential universities
in South Africa and was far from insignificant.
[40] IAfriForum yaziphikisa ezinkcukacha-manani yathi
azinabunyani, kuba iUNISA zange iyixele indawo ebizithatha kuyo,
zaye
zingahambelani nazo neempawu-buntu zolwimi zesizwe xa ezi
mpawu zifanekiswa namanani abafundi baseUNISA. Kule indawo,
iAfriForum
yaxhomekeka kwiinkcukacha-manani ezazikhiwe
kwezaseUNISA, ezikwi Structured Query Language database system
yathi yenza ngazo
uhlahlelo-luphando lophando olukhunyushwa
kuthiwe luqualitative. Ngokwe nkcukacha luphando ngo-2016 kwakukho
iikhosi neemodyuli
ezisisigidi i-1 881 267
ezabhaliselwayo. Phakathi kwazo ezingama-96 816 zazifundiswa
ngeAfrikaans. Eli nani
laba yi-15 yeepesenti, ekhulwini, yazo
zonke iimodyuli ezazifundiswa eUNISA. Phakathi kwazo i-5,15
ekhulwini zazikhethwe
ngabafundi abamalunga nama-25 000,
umfundi ngamnye ethatha umyinge weemodyuli ezine. Ukuyekisa
iAfrikaans ukuba lulwimi
lokufunda nokufundiswa ke ngoko kwachitha
amathuba amalunga ne-100 000 okufunda ngalo olu lwimi,
njengoko yayixoxa isitsho
iAfriForum. Into ebalulekieyo,
iAfriForum yagxininixa ukuxela ukuba ipesent elinani elinye
yayingaxeli ukuba inani labafundi
ephuma kulo lincinci, njengoko,
umzekelo, i-5 pesent isengaba ngabafundi abangama-600. Ngoko ke,
ngeli lixa abafundi abangama-25 000
basenokuba linani
elincinci gqitha eUNISA, kuba iba namanani amakhulu gqitha
abafundi, elaa nani lalilinani elingabafundi
abapheleleyo kwezinye
iiyunivesithi ezinkulu apho bahlalayo abafundi apha eMzantsi
Afrika, laye lingelonani lidelekileyo
tu.
[41] UNISA had two challenges to overcome under this heading.
First, without even taking the disputes relating to the actual
statistics into account, it was indisputable that despite the
decreasing demand for Afrikaans tuition, a number of students

still wanted to enrol for tuition in Afrikaans. And what is
evident from the record is that the statistics, which UNISA
claimed formed the basis of the adoption of the new language
policy, were not placed before the Senate and the Council at
the
critical meetings which resolved to adopt the policy. This was
indeed confirmed by its own admission that ‘[i]t
was not
necessary … for Senate and Council to have the exact
figures and percentages before them on 30 March 2016
and 28 April
2016 respectively when UNISA’s new language policy was
adopted to know that the demand for Afrikaans tuition
has dwindled
to the extent that it had’. It is incomprehensible why the
SLC would see no need for the Senate and Council
to have recourse
to the hard numbers of the students who would be affected by its
far-reaching decision, in determining whether
it was reasonably
practicable to retain Afrikaans as a LOLT. Its stance is entirely
insupportable. The omission to place
the statistics which founded
the recommendation to remove Afrikaans as a LOLT before the Senate
and Council breached s 29(2)
and rendered the decision to adopt
the new language policy unlawful.
[41] IUNISA yayineengxaki ezimbini ekwakufuneka izoyisile
phantsi kwesi sihloko. Okokuqala, singekahoyi neempikiswano
ezimalunga
neenkcukacha-manani, kwakuyinto engenakuphikiswa ukuba
nangona ayesihla amanani abafundi beAfrikaans, lalikho iqela
elivakalayo
labafundi ababesafuna ukubhalisela ukufunda
ngeAfrikaans. Kunjalonje, into ebonakalayo kwirekhodi kukuba ezi
nkcukacha-manani,
eyaye iUNISA isithi ziyinxalenye yesizathu sayo
sokumisela umgaqo-lwimi omtsha, zazingazange zibekwe phambi
kweSinethi naphambi
kweBhunga kwiintlanganiso ezazibaluleke
gqitha, ezathatha isigqibo sokuba umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi omtsha
mawumiselwe. Le nto
yabuya yaqinisekiswa kukuba kwayona iUNISA
yavuma yathi, ‘zange kubekho mfuneko … yokuba
iSinethi neBhunga zifumane
amanani athe ncam kunye neepesenti
phambi kwabo ngowama-30 kweyoKwindla ngo-2016 nangowama-28
kuThshaziimpunzi ngo-2016,
ngokulandelelana, xa umgaqo-nkqubo
omtsha waseUNISA wawumiselwa, ukuze zazi ukuba ukufunwa
kweAfrikaans kwakuhlile, kangangale
ndlela kwakuhle ngayo.’.
Akuqondakali tu ukuba kwakutheni na ukuze iUNISA ingayiboni
imfuneko yokuba iSinethi neBhunga
zibone amanani acacileyo
abafundi ababeza kuchaphazeleka sisigqibo sayo esinabele ezintweni
ezininzi kangaka, ekuqikeleleni
ukuba kwaye kukho na ‘ukwenzeka
okulula’ okanye hayi ukuze bayiyeke iAfrikaans ihlale
ilulwimi lokufunda nokufundisa.
Indlela eyithatha ngayo le nto
ayinakuxhaseka konke-konke, futhi ukulitsiba eli nyathelo lokuzisa
iinkcukacha-manani ezasisiseko
sokuvuma ukuba mayisuswe iAfrikaans
njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa kwaba kukwaphula u-s 29(2) kwaza
kwasenza esaa sigqibo
sokumisela umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi omtsha saba
sesingekho mthethweni.
[42] It should be made clear that this matter is distinguished
from Gelyke Kanse and AfriForum v University of the Free State,

which upheld the language policies, by some critical factors.
First, in those two matters the affected universities,

Stellenbosch and UFS, which are conventional residential
universities, the primacy of Afrikaans as a LOLT, in settings
which
provided for dual medium classes with interpretation from
Afrikaans to English coupled with a significant cost of upscaling
in one and separate parallel classes in English and Afrikaans in
the other, created a critical problem. It was not in dispute
there
that the arrangement caused the black students, who were in the
majority in the University of the Free State, and were
not all
conversant in Afrikaans, to feel excluded and marginalised in the
classrooms and excluded from other aspects of campus
life,
including university events conducted in Afrikaans. UNISA is, as
previously mentioned, a distance university with no
conventional,
physical classes or any campus life to speak of.  There is no
risk of racially segregated classes or any
danger of a racial
barrier to full enjoyment of any of the opportunities offered to
its students, that might offend constitutional
rights and norms.
In the circumstances I fail to see how the exercise of the right
of UNISA’s Afrikaans speaking students
to tuition in their
mother tongue could pose a threat to racial harmony and possibly
nurture racial supremacy as happened
in Stellenbosch and Free
State Universities.
[42] Mayicace ke into yokuba lo mcimbi wahlukile kule: Gelyke
Kanse and AfriForum v University of the Free State, apho
imigaqo-nkqubo
yolwimi ephikisekayo kwavunyelwana nayo, ngenxa
yeemeko ezithile ezibalulekileyo. Okokuqala, kwezi mbambano
zimbini, kwezaa
yunivesithi zazichaphazeleka iStellenbosch neUFS,
zona eziziiyunivesithi ekuhlaliwa kuzo ngabafundi, ukuba phambili
kweAfrikaans
njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa, kwiindawo
ezazifundisa ngolwimi-mbini, ekwakukho notoliko lweAfrikaans
itolikelwa kwisiNgesi,
kudibene neendleko ezivakalayo zokunyusela
umgangatho kwiklasi enye, nakwiiklasi ezaziqhubeka xeshanye kwenye
kube ngesiNgesi
kwenye kube ngeAfrikaans, kwadala ingxaki
eyayinzulu kunene. Yayingaphikiseki ke apho into yokuba abafundi
abamnyama, eyayingabo
abaninzi phaya eYunivesithi YaseFree State,
baye bengayazi ke iAfrikaans, ukuba bazive bekhutshelwe ngaphandle
kwezinye izinto
zobomi, ekwakukho kuzo nezinto ezenzeka
eYunivesithi, ezaziqhutywa ngeAfrikaans. IUNISA njengokuba sekukhe
kwatshiwo, yiyunivesithi
efundisela mgama, engenazo iiklasi
eziqhelekileyo ezisezindlini, ingenabo nabomi basekhampasini
esingathetha ngabo. Akukho
ngozi yokuba kungakho iiklasi
ezicalucalulwe ngokobuhlanga, okanye nayiphi na ingozi
yothinteleko ngokobuhlanga ukuba umfundi
angakhululeki ukuba
axhamle ngokuzeleyo kuwo onke la mathuba ewanika bonke abafundi
nayo, obelungaphula imimiselo yoMgaqo-siseko.
Andiboni, kwezi
imeko ukuba bekuza kwenzeka njani ukuba bathi abafundi baseUNISA
beAfrikaans xa befumana ilungelo labo lokufunda
nokufundiswa
ngolwimi lwabo lweenkobe babe bayingozi ngokobuhlanga baze futhi
baphakamele ezinye iintlanga, ngokwendlela
ekwakusenzeka ngayo
kwiYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch nakweyaseFree State.
[43] Secondly, there was no dispute in the two matters that the
universities had executed their mandate in reviewing their

language policies meticulously and properly. In Gelyke Kanse, the
Court set out the precise manner in which the ‘University

determined by careful study that the cost of immediately changing
to fully parallel medium tuition would total about R640
million in
infrastructure (including additional classrooms), plus about R78
million each year thereafter for additional personnel
costs …
which would entail a 20% increase in fees, an additional R8 100
on top of the approximately R40 000
per year students on
average pay now’. There was no dispute on the steps which
had been followed in the language policy
review process and no
procedural objections thereto. The universities had been driven by
increasing racial segregation to
downgrade Afrikaans in
Stellenbosch University and abolish it completely in the
University of the Free State which, incidentally,
had no resource
constraints to continuing with a dual-medium language policy.
Here, there is furthermore no risk that the
retention of Afrikaans
as a LOLT would have the consequence of concentrating
Afrikaans-speaking in the institution against
which the LPHE
cautioned.
[43] Okwesibini, kwakungekho mpikiswano malunga nezaa meko
zimbini zokuba ezaa yunivesithi zenza umsebenzi wazo ofanelekileyo

ngokujonga- kwakhona imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi yazo ngobunono
nangokufanelekileyo. Kwindaba yeGelyke Kanse, iNkundla yayiqingqa

kakuhle indlela ethe ngqo yokuba ‘iYunivesithi yayiqiqa
ngophando olunenkathalo into yokuba iindleko zokuthi ngesiquphe

itshintshe ingenise ukufundisa ngolwimi-mbini ozeleyo zaziya
kufika kuma-R640 ezigidi zeziseko, (eziquka neeklasi
ezongezelelweyo)
kunye malunga nama-R78 ezigidi unyaka nonyaka
emva koko, ukuze kongezwe abasebenzi … nto leyo yayiya
kubangela ukwanda
kwemali yokufunda nge-20%, ibe ke leyo
ngama-R8 100 eyongezelelekayo, phezu kwale sele ihleli
imalunga nama-R40 000
ngonyaka kumfundi ngamnye imali
ayihlawulayo kungoku’. Kakwungekho mbambano malunga
namanyathelo ayethathiwe ukujonga-kwakhona
imigaqo-nkqubo leyo.
Ezaa yunivesithi zaziqhutywe kukwanda kocalucalulo ngokubuhlanga
ukuba uthotywe umgangatho weAfrikaans
eYunivesithi
yaseStellenbosch, waze wayekwa tu eYunivesithi yaseFree State.
Kodwa ke yona yayingenayo ingxaki yokuncitshelwa
zizincedi-kwenza
ukuba ingaqhubeki nemfundo kalwimi-mbini. Apha akukho ngozi yokuba
ukuhlala kweAfrikaans ilulwimi lweLOLT
bekungabangela ukuphinda
kwande abafundi abathetha iAfrikaans kweli ziko, elalilunyukisiwe
ke ngayo yiLPHE.
[44] I am not convinced that UNISA has established on the
evidence that the practicability test or the considerations of
reasonableness
– equity, inclusivity and access of other
students – would be offended by the retention of Afrikaans
as one of
UNISA’s LOLTs. To find otherwise would, in my
view, mean that the mere exercise of one’s right to be
taught in
their mother tongue would be rendered unconstitutional
where it has not been shown that non-Afrikaans students would be
deprived
of learning and other educational opportunities by the
retention of Afrikaans as a LOLT, or that maintaining it as a LOLT

was unaffordable, or would result in unlawful racial
discrimination in an institution of learning with a proclaimed,
ambitious
vision to promote multilingualism by developing all the
official languages including the San languages.
[44] Andikholelwa ukuba iUNISA iye yanabo ubungqina bokuba
uvavanyo lokuba nokwenzeka okanye ukuqwalasela ukuba lula
kokwenzeka
– ulungiselelo olunolungelelwano,
ukudibana-nabanye, nokukwazi kwabanye abafundi ukufikelela –
beluya kuphatheka
kakubi kukuyekwa kweAfrikaans ikhona njengolunye
lweelwimi zeUNISA zokufundisa. Ukufumanisa ngolunye uhlobo kum
kungathetha
ukuba ukusebenzisa nje komntu ilungelo lakhe lokuba
afundiswe ngolwimi lwakhe lweenkobe bekuya kuthiwa kuyahlabana
noMgaqo-siseko,
ekubeni kungakhange kubonakaliswe ukuba abafundi
abangathethi iAfrikaans bebeya kuvimbeka ukufunda namanye amathuba
emfundo
ngokuhlala kweAfrikaans iyiLOLT, okanye ukuba ukuyiyeka
ihlale ibe yiLOLT bekuduru okanye bekuya kukholelela kucalulo
ngokobuhlanga
olungeluhle, kwiziko lemfundo apho kuthiwa kuzanywa
ulwimi-ninzi, kuquka neelwimi zomthonyama zaseMzantsi Afrika.
[45]  Stripped to its core, UNISA’s case was that it
was not reasonably practicable to continue Afrikaans tuition for
a
minority of its students because the other indigenous official
languages were not as developed as academic and science
languages
as Afrikaans was, and that it would be redeveloped later,
alongside the other indigenous languages to bring them
all on par.
This raises the question how UNISA’s noble and
self-admittedly progressive goal to develop all South Africa’s

indigenous languages to become LOLT’s, to benefit its
students and sustain this precious and threatened national

resource, will be advanced, and what useful purpose will be served
by knocking down a fully developed and functional language
of
learning and tuition to ‘develop the other official
languages to its standard’, when there is apparently no

sound reason to do so other than dwindling interest in the
language, and avoiding offering mother tongue tuition to a portion

of students.  To my mind, there is a lot to be said for
AfriForum’s argument that there was already a better
alternative in place to deal with the challenge of dwindling
demand for Afrikaans tuition in the form of the Guidelines for
the
Discontinuation of Afrikaans in courses or modules. Taking away a
constitutional right that is already being enjoyed,
in these
circumstances hardly satisfies the rationality test and cannot be
justified.
[45]   Xa sele kususwe ingxam yayo, ikheyisi yeUNISA
ibikukuthi kwakungekho kwenzeka ngokulula ukuba kuqhutyekwe

nemfundo ngeAfrikaans isenzelwa imbinana yabafundi bayo, kuba
ezinye iilwimi zasemthethweni ezizezalapha zazingaphuhlisekanga

ukuba zibe ziilwimi zobumfundimani nezenzululwazi, njengokuba yona
yayinjalo, nokuthi yayiza kuphinde iphuhliswe kamva, ndawonye

nezinye ezi iilwimi zalapha, ukuze nazo zilingane nayo
ngomgangatho. Le nto ivusa imibuzo yokuba iyakuphuhla njani le

njongo incomekayo yeUNISA, ezitsholo ngokwayo ukuba
inohambelo-phambili, yokuphuhlisa zonke iilwimi  zalapha
eMzantsi
Afrika zabantu, ukuze zide zibe ziilwimi zokufundisa
nokufunda, ukwenzela ukulungelwa kwabafundi bayo nokuyenza ihlale
ikhona
le ndyebo yesizwe, iyakwenzeka njani, kona yintoni injongo
ebalulekileyo eya kuzalisekiswa kukudodobalisa ulwimi olusele

lwaphuhliseka ngokuzeleyo nolusebenzayo lokufunda nokufundisa,
ukuze ‘iphuhlise ezinye iilwimi zasemthethweni zifike

kumgangatho wayo’ xa nje kubonakala kungekho sizathu
sicacayo sokwenjenjalo, ngaphandle komdla onciphayo kulo olu lwimi

nokungafuni ukufundisa ngolwimi lweenkobe kwigcuntswana labafundi
bayo. Ngokwam ukubona, ininzi into ethethelela izimvo zeAfriForum,

ezi zokuba yayisele ikhona into ekwakunokusetyeziswa yona, futhi
ingcono, yokujongana nomngeni wokuncipha kwabantu abafuna
ukufunda
ngeAfrikaans. Iphaya kwiZalathandlela Zokuphelisa IAfrikaans
kwiikhosi nakwiimodyuli. Ke ukususa ilungelo lomgaqo-siseko

elisele libasebenzela abaninilo kwezi meko aluphumeleli nakancinci
kuvavanyo lokuba icingisisiwe na le nto, kungathetheleleki

kananjalo.
[46] AfriForum v University of the Free State envisaged the
possibility of cases where dual-medium language policies could be

maintained without causing any harm. The Chief Justice said:[22]
‘At a conceptual level, dual medium institutions might
well exist without necessarily nurturing or perpetuating unfair
advantage or racial discrimination and its exceedingly harmful
tendencies. When that is so, then the right to be taught in
a
language of choice could be effectively accessible and implemented
…  Where the enjoyment of the right to be
instructed
in an official language of choice is achievable without
undermining any constitutional aspiration or value, then
the
equity test might well have been met.’
This seems to me to be such a case.
[46] Ndisabuyela kule kheyisi ethi, AfriForum v University of
the Free State eyaye yabonisa ubukho beemeko apho imigaqo-nkqubo

kalwimi-mbini inako ukugcinwa kungabikho mntu uviswa buhlungu.
Yathi iJaji eYongameleyo:
‘Xa ucinga ngawo nje, amaziko kalwimi-mbini asengahlala
ekho kungekho mfuneko yakukokosa okanye yakuqhubekisa ukulungelwa

okucalanye okanye ucalulo ngokobuhlanga kunye nezimbo zalo. Xa
injalo loo nto, ilungelo ke lokuba ufundiswe ngolwimi

ozikhetheleyo lingaba nako ukufikeleleka lize lenzeke
ngokunemiphumela …  Apho inako ukwenzeka le nto
yokulifumana
eli lungelo lokufunda ufundiswe ngolwimi
lwasemthethweni ozikhetheleyo, loo nto kungenzekanga ukuba
kujongelwe phantsi umnqweno
okanye isiko ezingokoMgaqo-siseko,
apho ke uvavanyo olumalunga nolungiselelo olunolingwano lubonakala
ngathi luya kuba luphumelele.’
Kubonakala ngathi kube njalo apha.
[47] To sum up: While the evidence suggests that there may have
been a need for a revision of UNISA’s language policy, it

has not been established that the adoption of the new policy in
2016 was conducted in a constitutionally compliant manner,
ie that
the factual and normative ‘reasonably practicable’
requirement in s 29(2) of the Constitution was satisfied.

UNISA failed to discharge the burden that it was not detracting
from the right contained in s 29(2) of the Constitution without

appropriate justification. This finding, in my view, is
dispositive of and dispenses with the need to determine the other

issues raised in the appeal.
[47] Ukushwankathela: Nakuba ubungqina bubonakalisa ingathi
kusenokuba ibikho imfuneko yokuba umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi waseUNISA

uhlaziywe, ayikwazanga ukuphuhlisa kakuhle into yokuba ukumiselwa
komgaqo-nkqubo omtsha ngo-2016 kwenziwa ngendlela ehambisanayo
na
noMgaqo-siseko, oko kukuthi, ingaba laa mmiselo uqulethe izinto
ezibambekayo nezinto ezalatha umgangatho, lo wokuba makuvavanywe

imeko yokuba ‘nokwenzeka ngokulula’, uku-29(2)
woMgaqo-siseko, wathotyelwa ngokwanelisayo. IUNISA isilele

ukuphuhlisa uxanduva lwayo lokuba ingalisusi okanye ilinciphise
ilungelo eliku-s 29(2) woMgaqo-siseko kungekho sizathu sivakalayo.

Oku kufumanisa ngoluhlobo ngokwendlela endibona ngayo, kwenza
kungabi sabakho mfuneko yokuba sacubungula eminye le imiba

ekhankanyiweyo phaya kwisibheno.
[48] The appeal accordingly succeeds and costs must follow the
result. The following order is made:
1 The appeal is upheld with costs, including the costs of two
counsel.
2 The order of the court a quo is set aside and replaced with
the following:
‘(a) the resolutions of the Council and Senate of the
University of South Africa to approve a new language policy on 28

April and 30 March 2016, respectively, are set aside;
(b) the new language policy adopted by the University of South
Africa is declared unconstitutional and unlawful and is set aside

to the extent that Afrikaans has been removed as a language of
learning and tuition;
(c) the University of South Africa shall prominently publish on
its website and in three major Afrikaans newspapers in South
Africa and transmit by email to all its students a notice:
(i) containing a full list of the modules that were on offer in
Afrikaans as at 28 April 2016;
(ii) offering all prospective students for the next academic
year admission in such modules as presented on first year level;
(iii) offering all existing students, if they were enrolled in
any one of those courses or would have enrolled for the subsequent

year course available in Afrikaans, but had perforce to follow the
module in English, a choice to enrol on the basis that
they may
follow the module in Afrikaans until completion of their studies;
(iv) all the modules mentioned above will be presented in full
in the following academic years until the language policy has been

lawfully amended, if at all.
(d) the University of South Africa shall pay the costs of the
application.’
[48] Isibheno, ngokokufanelekileyo, siyaphumelela, ke iindleko
kufuneka zilandele iziphumo. Kwenziwa lo myalelo ulandelayo:
1 Isibheno sivunyiwe, sihamba neendleko eziquka iindleko
zabathetheleli bezomthetho ababini.
2 Umyalelo wenkundla ephakamileyo ubekelwa bucala, ze kubekwe
endaweni yawo lo kulandelayo:
‘(a) izigqibo zeBhunga nezeSinethi zeYunivesithi
yaseMzantsi Afrika zokuvumela umgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi omtsha
ngowama-28
kuTshaziimpuzi nowama-30 kweyoKwindla ngo2016,
ngokulandelelana, zijongwa kutsha, zize zibekelwe bucala;
(b) kuyabhengezwa ke apha ukuba lo mgaqo-nkqubo mtsha usekwe
yiYunivesithi yaseMzantsi Afrika awuhambisani noMgaqo-siseko futhi

awukho mthethweni; waye ke ubekelwa bucala ngokubhekiselele
kumbandela wokuba iAfrikaans iyekisiwe ukuba lulwimi lwayo

lokufunda nokufundisa;
(c) iYunivesithi yaseMzantsi Afrika iya kupapasha
ngokugqamileyo kwisiza sonxibelelwano sayo nakumaphephandaba
amakhulu, amathathu
eAfrikaans aseMzantsi Afrika ize idlulisele
nangeimeyili kubo bonke abafundi bayo isaziso esinje:
(i) esinoluhlu olupheleleyo lweemodyuli ezazizezokufundiswa
ngeAfrikaans ngomhla wama-28 kuTshaziimpuzi ngo-2016;
(ii) esivumela bonke abafundi abafuna ukufunda kulo
nyaka-zifundo uzayo ukuba bazibhalisele ezo modyuli zîkwinqwanqwa

lokuqala;
(iii) esithi bonke abafundi abahleli bekho, ukuba
babeyibhalisele nokuba yeyiphi kwezo khosì okanye babeza
kubhalisela
ukufunda ikhosi yonyaka olandelayo ukuba yayikho
ngeAfrikaans, kodwa banyanzeleka ukuba bayifunde loo modyuli
ngesiNgesi,
bayavunyelwa ukuba baphinde bazibhalisele ezo modyuli,
kuxelwe ukuba baya kuzifunda ezo modyuli ngeAfrikaans bade
bazigqibe
izifundo zabo;
(iv) zonke ezi modyuli zikhankanywe apha ngentla ziya kubakho
ngokuzeleyo kwakule minyaka-zifundo izayo ude umgaqo-nkqubo

wolwimi ube ulungisiwe ngokwasemthethweni, ukuba iyeneka ke loo
nto.
(d) iYunivesithi YaseMzantsi Afrika iza kuhlawula iindleko zesi
sicelo.’
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
MM
MAYA
PRESIDENT
OF THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL
UMONGAMELI
WENKUNDLA ENGASENTLA YEZIBHENO
APPEARANCES:
APPELLANT:
A Cockrell SC (with A Lamey)
Instructed
by:
Hurter Spies Inc, Pretoria
Roussows
Attorneys, Bloemfontein
RESPONDENTS:
M Chaskalson SC (with C P Wesley)
Instructed
by:
Motalane Inc, Pretoria
Matsepes
Inc, Bloemfontein
[1]
AfriForum and
Another v University of the Free State
[2017] ZACC 48
;
2018 (2) SA 185
(CC). See also
Daniels v Scribante
and Another
[2017] ZACC 13
;
2017 (4) SA 341
(CC) para 154.
[2]
AfriForum
ibid p
aras 3-4.
[3]
Ibid p
aras 4-5.
[4]
In
University of the
Free State v AfriForum and Another
[2017] ZASCA 32
;
2017 (4) SA 283
(SCA) para 18.
[5]
AfriForum
fn 1
para 35.
[6]
‘The Language Policy for Higher Education,
GN
R1485,
GG
24101, 25 November 2002.’
[7]
Clause 4.2.1.
[8]
Clause 4.2.6.
[9]
The Guidelines were approved by the Senate on 14
March 2012 and revised and approved by the Senate on 14 June 2014.
They would
be valid for the period 2013 to 2015 and would be revised
after the results of a student preference survey became available in

2014.
[10]
AfriForum referred to various organisations which it claimed support
the retention of Afrikaans as a language of tuition and
should have
been consulted, namely Die Afrikaanse Taalraad, Die ATKV, Dagbreek
Trust and Trust for-Afrikaanse Onderwys, Die Afrikanerbond,
Die
Dameskring, Die Voortrekkers, the FW de Klerk   Foundation, The
SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns and Afriforum Youth.
[11]
The Proposals for amending UNISA’s Language
Policy encapsulated in the Presentation of College of Human Sciences
titled
‘First UNISA Consultative Indaba on the UNISA Language
Policy dated 10 March 2014, envisaged, inter alia, a complete
overhaul
of the Preamble to ‘reflect a commitment to
multilingualism and to the development of African Languages’,
‘decisions
by Council and Senate made in a consultative
manner, and including research and formal investigations’ and
consultation
which would ‘include some external stakeholders,
eg Convocation’.
[12]
A concept which was described as applying only to the provision of
distance education and
means that the greater
the of students who are registered for a course, the more the cost
for each individual student drops.
[13]
Proclaimed in terms of s 32 of the ‘Statute
of the University of South Africa, GN R 108,
GG
28464, 3 February 2006’.
[14]
Made in terms of s 32 of the ‘Statute of
the University of South Africa, GN R 108,
GG
28464, 3 February 2006’.
[15]
Gelyke Kanse and Others v Chairperson of the Senate of the
University of Stellenbosch and Others
[2019] ZACC 38
;
2020 (1)
SA 368
(CC) para 22.
[16]
Head of Department: Mpumalanga Department of Education and
Another v Hoërskool Ermelo
and
Another
[2009] ZACC 32
;
2010 (2) SA
415
(CC);
2010 (3) BCLR 177
(CC) para 52. See also
Mazibuko
and Others v City of Johannesburg and Others
[2009]
ZACC 28
;
2010 (4) SA 1
(CC) para 47;
Jaftha
v Schoeman and Others
[2004] ZACC 25
;
2005 (2) SA 140
(CC) paras 31-34.
[17]
University of the Free State v AfriForum and Another
[2017]
ZASCA 32
;
2017 (4) SA 283
(SCA) para 26.
[18]
University of the Free State v AfriForum and Another
[2017]
ZASCA 32
;
2017 (4) SA 283
(SCA) para 26.
[19]
AfriForum and Another v University of the Free State
[2017]
ZACC 48
;
2018 (2) SA 185
(CC) para 50.
[20]
Ibid p
ara 46.
[21]
Ibid para 45;
Ermelo
fn 15 para 52
.
[22]
Paras 51 and 52.