Proposal to rename UWC after Allan Boesak fails

The University of the Western Cape has rejected the proposal to rename the institution to Allan A. Boesak University.

The proposal was put forward by the Thinking Masses of South Africa Foundation, which has been advocating for the change since 2018.

The name change is said to honour Boesak’s 80th birthday, his role in the anti-apartheid resistance, and his influence on the university’s transformation in the 1980s.

Dr Clyde Ramalain argued that the university’s current name is not neutral, but rather a product of the apartheid government’s decision to exclude certain groups.

"I just don't think they are [honest] in that regard. An honest reflection would suggest that the name 'University of the Western Cape' was not decided by students of the Western Cape in any era. It was decided by the apartheid government for a particular reason at a particular time, with political content of a particular type."

He added that it is about recognising Boesak’s consistent commitment to the struggles of the South African people.

“It is just that this name symbolises, identifies, congregates, and brings together a particular struggle."

To listen to Ramalain in conversation with CapeTalk’s Clarence Ford, use the audio player below: