Agb Adjunkspeaker, ek wil begin deur vir die agb Minister te s dat die VF Plus met hom saamstem dat 'n professor 'n professor moet wees. Die standaarde moet van so 'n aard wees dat hulle internasionaal erkenning kan kry en dat daar groot waardering is vir hul navorsing. Dt is 'n professor. Hulle is soms 'n bietjie verstrooid, maar as dit oor hul vakgebied gaan, is hulle kundiges. Hulle is hoogleraars wat dit betref.
Ek wil vir die agb Minister vra, indien hy wil h professors moet professors wees, waarom hy dan kan toelaat dat 'n universiteit soos die Universiteit van Kaapstad verskillende toelatingsvereistes vir mediese studente het, waar die kriterium byvoorbeeld, argumentsonthalwe, 90 punte is vir wit studente, 85 vir Indirstudente, 80 vir bruin studente, en 72 vir swart studente. Dan kan u nie professors kry wat 'n professor is nie, want u verlaag die standaarde vir toelating tot die universiteit.
Ek wil vir die agb Minister s dat 'n universiteit nie sy beheer en sy kontrole nodig het nie. Die internasionale wetenskap is die kriterium waaraan 'n universiteit gemeet word. Sy gehalte van navorsing, sy gehalte van onderrig, en of 'n professor 'n professor is, word bepaal ingevolge internasionale standaarde. Die VF Plus maak ernstig beswaar daarteen dat die agb Minister wil inmeng by die bestuur en die beheer van universiteite.
U is behep met regstellende aksie, agb Minister, maar u kla. U s aan di kant van die Huis is daar meer doktorandi as aan die kant van die ANC. Nou moet u vir die mense s: Wil u die standaarde verlaag sodat daar meer doktorandi aan die kant van die ANC ook is, soos aan die linkerkant? Dan is dit 'n belediging vir daardie doktorandi. Daarom wil die VF Plus s dat daar nie ingemeng moet word met universiteite nie.
Laastens wil ek aan die agb Minister vra of hy 'n probleem met Afrikaans het. Wil u Afrikaans tot niet maak in Suid-Afrika? Wees dan eerlik. S vir die mense van Suid-Afrika, want in 1994 was daar 22 universiteite in Suid- Afrika, waarvan sewe Afrikaans was. Tans is daar vyf wat tweetalig is en basies net twee wat oorwegend Afrikaans is, nie net Afrikaans nie - oorwegend. Tog is u soos Lord Kitchener: u wil alles Engels h - Engels, alles Engels. U wil die universiteite herkoloniseer, agb Minister. S vir die mense waar u staan met Afrikaans en onderrig, want dan kan ons vorder en sorg dat 'n professor 'n professor is. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Deputy Speaker, I want to start by telling the hon Minister that the FF Plus agrees with him that a professor should be a professor. The standards should be of such a nature that they can get international recognition and that there will be great appreciation for their research. That is a professor. At times they may be a bit absent- minded, but where their speciality is concerned, they are experts. They are highly learned in that regard.
I want to ask the Minister why, if he wants professors to be professors, he can then allow a university such as the University of Cape Town to have different entrance qualifications for medical students, where the criterion for instance, for the sake of argument, is 90 points for white students, 85 for Indian students, 80 for brown students and 72 for black students. Then you cannot have a professor being a professor, because you are lowering the standards for entrance to university.
I can tell the hon Minister that a university does not need his management and control. International science is the criterion by which a university is measured. Its quality of research, its quality of tuition, and whether a professor is a professor, is determined according to international standards. The FF Plus seriously objects to the Minister wanting to interfere in the management and control of universities.
You are obsessed with affirmative action, hon Minister, but you are complaining. You are saying that there are more candidates for a doctorate on this side of the House than on the side of the ANC. Now you must tell the people: Do you want to lower the standards so that there will be more of them on the side of the ANC as well? That would then be an insult to these doctoral candidates. That is why the FF Plus is saying there should be no interference with universities.
Lastly, I want to ask the Minister if he has a problem with Afrikaans. Do you wish to destroy Afrikaans in South Africa? Then be truthful. Tell the people of South Africa, because in 1994 there were 22 universities, seven of which were Afrikaans. Currently there are five-dual medium universities and basically only two that are predominantly - not exclusively, but predominantly - Afrikaans. Yet you are like Lord Kitchener: you want everything in English - English, everything English. You want to recolonise the universities, hon Minister. Tell the people where you stand on Afrikaans and education, because then we can make progress and a professor will be a true professor. I thank you. [Applause.]]