SOUTH AFRICA: University accused of covering up student’s death

The university says it is not aware of any new information which may shed light on the death of the first-year student last year(SABC) The Potchefstroom campus of North West University has again come under criticism for allegedly covering up the truth behind the drowning of former student Thabang Makhoang in the campus swimming pool last year. The University has also been criticised for maintaining alleged discriminatory human resource practices against some of its employees. Former NWU Executive advisor on Transformation, Dr Ingrid Tufvesson, says she was dismissed for trying to uncover how Makhoang died. “The racism there is intrinsic to the way it was formulated pre-1994 remains intact. It is supposed to be circularized and it is supposed to be inclusive. North West University has understood unacceptable behaviour of people to just be a matter of freedom of expression. For example, at the time of Thabang Makhoang's death what you saw on the Potchefstroom campus was a brandishing of the swartztiker, including the three legged AWB Swartztik,” says Tufvesson. Meanwhile, the university says it is not aware of any new information which may shed light on the death of the first-year student last year. Spokesperson Louis Jacobs says the dismissal of six employees may be followed by litigation which renders the matter sub judice. “All the allegations are unequivocally denied. Regarding the matter in question of the 6 dismissed employees, further labour related litigation may however follow which then automatically renders this whole matter sub judice. And as was also indicated the North West University is not aware of any new information which might shed any other light on the tragic incident last year,” he says.