But this is South Africa. And Stellenbosch - an Afrikaans institution - is still predominantly white. And so, the elections marketing strategy has consisted of posting various "controversial" fliers to get attention and more votes.
Out of a 21,000 student population, only about 3,000 are black, and while they are terribly upset by the images that have been plastered all across University grounds their voiced concerns have yet to receive an adequate response.
- "Hug a Black Friend" posters are not intended as a bridge, but rather to ridicule, and are eerily reminiscent of white American artists' condescending depictions of blacks in the early 1900s.
"Swart Gevaar" posters feature black animals on white backgrounds and a slogan that was used during apartheid to create hysteria amongst white South Africans. In the context of a student election, they serve as a reminder that the 'black threat' or 'black peril' remains.
The Students Representative Council, "representatives" of the (white) student body, claim that they are simply trying to draw attention to the elections by being provocative, but their campaign has offended many who consider it to be clearly derogatory.
Grievance letters were submitted to the SRC, to Student Affairs, to campus Peer Educators, and to election sponsors. One member of the SRC did reply and the following is what the individual had to say:
- "The aim of the posters was simply to draw attention by being controversial. Personally, I do not find them that radical, but I have received many shocked reactions from people - particularly about the "hug a black friend poster". People either find it totally offensive, or they absolutely love it. I think the important thing to remember is that they should be taken with a pinch of salt.
The posters have certainly drawn attention, and therefore fulfilled their intended aim."
While election sponsors, Van Schaik Bookstore - one of the largest suppliers of educational books in the country - demanded that the posters be removed from the election online site, their continued association with the campaign disturbs students, because as one student points out, "the posters are not only still all over campus, but these images are also available for sale on t-shirts!"
Not only are black students negatively targeted by this campaign, but women and homosexual students are as well. One student believes "...that these posters have dicsouraged the groups targeted in the campaign from participating at all i.e. running and voting!"
- The "Pasop die pink gevaar" poster warns 'beware of the pink danger/threat' - an attack on homosexual students.
Another poster "Do what you are told" shows a man seated while behind him stands a figure of a woman with the head of a dog.
These posters "...are simply derogatory in general, and hardly suitable in a campaign meant to unite students to vote for the next SRC," says one student and although he has yet to hear back from school administrators, he has moved the protest online in an effort to gain more support.
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