Hon Speaker, four students at the University of KwaZulu- Natal who are doing postgraduate studies, Lukhona Mnguni, Mnikeni Phakathi, Siyabonga Khumalo and Thembeni Khumalo, are going to appear before a disciplinary hearing tomorrow for writing an open letter to the Vice- chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal expressing their concerns about what is going on in that institution. For doing that, they have now been called to a disciplinary hearing.
We cannot allow a situation where we confuse different views on dissent. This is a gross abuse of power and amounts to nothing but bullying students, who are wanting to be active citizens of our country and bring forward different suggestions on how best we can handle the problems facing South Africa.
Instead of listening, the management has decided to have a long list of charges laid against them. Tomorrow they are going to find themselves before a disciplinary hearing, and they are not even allowed to have external representation so that their case can be heard.
If this continues, it means that we are trampling on fundamental rights, in particular on the right to freedom of expression. These are the rights we struggled for and it is incumbent upon all South Africans to ensure that they are enshrined in the daily lives of our people.
What is going on at the University of KwaZulu-Natal cannot possibly be allowed to continue and amounts to gross human rights violations, where students are not even allowed to express themselves. Thank you. [Applause.]