The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Wits Society (AKF Wits Society) was launched on 30 July at the University of Witwatersrand on East Campus.
The AKF Wits Society is a division of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and it will address various challenges that students face at the university. The society’s chairperson Nhlanhla Nkosi indicated that predicaments such as gender inequality and racism at the university would be addressed while promoting unity among students and the university management.
“University structure has been established by Wits students and follows the directive of the Foundation in promoting the work of non-racialism among youth,” said Nkosi.
The foundation was launched by anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada, director of the Wits Centre for Diversity Studies Professor Melissa Steyn and Shaka Sisulu.
Kathrada told students that all university campuses in the country were non-racial.
“More and more schools are mixed and it wasn’t there before. We must remember that in 20 years in the life of a nation, one cannot achieve much more than what we have achieved,” Kathrada said.
He added that the foundation would organise dialogues to encourage students to engage in discussion about their challenges in the hope of deepening non-racial society.
Acting president of the university’s Student Representative Council (SRC) Shaeera Kalla said students should not be afraid of discussing racial challenges.
“Many people feel uncomfortable about discussing racial challenges. This foundation creates hope for SRC and strengthens what we believe students should be talking about,” Kalla indicated.
She concluded that students should no longer see a racial topic as controversial but rather a topic that should be discussed more openly.
Details: Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Wits Society 011 854 0082.
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