UFS postpones ‘Gangster State’ discussion with author

The University of the Free State has issued communication stating that the much-anticipated book discussion of Gangster State: Unravelling Magashule’s Web of Capture by Pieter-Louis Myburgh has been postponed until further notice.

The notice was issued via e-mail, stating that the discussion was postponed following a risk assessment which was done, which ultimately led to the event – which was scheduled for next week Thursday – being pushed back.

When asked for comment, the University’s spokesperson, Lacea Loader, requested OFM News to give her and her team more time to draft an official statement on the matter.

Meanwhile, Myburgh said he was hearing about the postponement for the first time when OFM News reached out to him for comment on Wednesday. Myburgh said he would need to confirm the matter with his publishers, but says if it is true, it’s a sad indication of media freedom in South Africa.

Meanwhile, the ANCYL spokesperson, Sello Peterson, says they would have loved to intellectually engage with Myburgh to demonstrate what he calls the falsehood and lies allegedly contained in his book.

“In our view, we would have been very happy to form part of that nonsensical lecture because we are prepared to go and expose it for what it is.

“For the university to postpone it, is not really a train smash. It’s assisting because, like we said before, the book does not belong in the [archives of] our history, it does not belong anywhere within the intellectual discourse because it’s fiction, which must be understood as the rubbish which it is.”

Responding to the risk assessment done by the UFS, Peterson says there is no place in the country declared as no-go zones.

“We would have welcomed that white boy to come to the province and engage [with] him,” Peterson concluded.

– OFM News

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