South Africa: Racial Discrimination and Accused War Criminal on Wits University Campus

Open Letter to the Vice-Chancellor of Wits University

We write to you as members of the Wits community with a deep sense of distress. Over the past week, and in the lead up to the scheduled presence of accused war criminal Lieutenant Colonel David Benjamin on our campus, a series of events have gravely disappointed us as students and staff of this University.

There have been persistent attempts to engage the University through letters and petitions, but the University’s ‘responses’, combined with subsequent events, have been a severe disappointment to all those who have been ethically and politically moved by the case.

As a result, we write you this open letter stating our three primary concerns with regard to the events of this last week:

1) ACCUSED INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMINAL SPEAKS ON CAMPUS

David Benjamin was the prime legal advisor to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and served in the Military Advocates Corps, which approved all of the military details regarding Israel’s December 2008 attack on Gaza. He authorized the use of white phosphorus which illegally targeted civilian population, and is directly implicated in the deaths of 1 400 Palestinians during the attacks.

Students informed the University that Benjamin’s name was included in an application by prominent South Africans (including former Wits Law Professor John Dugard and others), alleging war crimes against a number of Israeli political and military figures, and that, by the end of the week, formal charges had been laid against him.

Despite this notification, the University persisted in allowing Benjamin to speak without any formal dissociation or public statement issued by the University. The public silence of the University throughout this matter tacitly endorses the murderous acts with which Benjamin is closely linked. This certainly cannot be the tarnished reputation the University aims to be associated with.

We cannot allow our University to maintain this impression and we demand that a formal statement be released from the Vice-Chancellor’s Office that states in clear terms that the University of the Witwatersrand formally dissociates itself from David Benjamin as an accused war criminal.

2) RIGHT TO PROTEST BY STUDENTS AND STAFF ON WITS CAMPUS

On Sunday, 9th August 2009, a peaceful and non-violent protest by students and staff was held in symbolic condemnation of David Benjamin’s presence on our campus. There were direct attempts by senior management to prevent the peaceful protest from taking place, despite the fact that notification of the intention to protest had been given. It is an offence to our sensibilities as democratic citizens that an accused war criminal can be afforded a protected platform, whereas students and staff have to struggle for the ability to even stand in silent protest against him.

Vice Chancellor, it is imperative that the University reassures us that there is indeed commitment to valuing the right to protest by members of the Wits community.

3) RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, INTIMIDATION AND HARRASSMENT ON CAMPUS

On Sunday 9th August, ‘private security’ was permitted to establish primary and directing control over Wits Medical School campus. Such security restricted access and freedom of movement to students and staff, with blatant racial and religious profiling. Several black members of staff were harassed and asked repeatedly for identification, whilst many students were intimidated, harassed, and some even denied access to campus for their studies. Campus control, rather than facilitating protection of such students, worked for and in co-operation with the external security.

Vice Chancellor, words cannot adequately express the painful experience of seeing and being subjected to blatant Apartheid-era racial profiling and racial discrimination on our campus.

It is imperative for the integrity of the University’s public image that it clarify its policies regarding the presence of ‘security’ organizations on campus and we demand that the University does no less than issue a public apology to students and staff who were subjected to such degrading treatment at Wits.

This is a summary of our concerns as students committed to an institution that upholds the spirit and values of equality, dignity and freedom. We expect a response to these pertinent issues and demands by end of workday today, that is 5pm on Tuesday 11th August.