South Africa’s Stellenbosch University in Nazi furore

A leading South African university says it is investigating Nazi-inspired posters that have appeared on campus notice boards. Stellenbosch University condemned “racial superiority and any attempts to polarise” the campus, a spokesman said.

Th e posters, reminiscent of Nazi propaganda to rally support for Hitler, called for a “Fight for Stellenbosch”. Th e university has been fraught with racial tension since white minority rule ended in 1994. Before the end of apartheid, it was an elite institution for Afrikaans-speaking white people. Th e university, now open to all races, has been hit by protests over language policy, tuition fees, and alleged racism. In 2015, the university’s governing body voted to retain Afrikaans as the main language of instruction, rejecting calls for it to be replaced by English. Most black people in South Africa prefer to speak English than Afrikaans.

Th e posters were issued in the name of “Th e New Right”, and called on “Anglo-Afrikaner” students to attend a meeting on Th ursday to “Fight for Stellenbosch”. Th e images were a recreation of the Nazi-era The US deployed armoured vehicles to protect YPG fi ghters after recent Turkish air strikes EPA Image The poster (l) was similar to that portraying the Nazi-era League of German Girls (r) Social media Image necessary to ensure a clear victory” over IS in Raqqa. Ms White also stressed the Pentagon was “keenly aware” of Turkey’s concerns.

“We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our Nato ally.” “Th e US continues to prioritise our support for Arab elements of the SDF. Raqqa and all liberated territory should return to the governance of local Syrian Arabs.” Th e Pentagon has previously armed only Arab elements of the SDF. On Wednesday morning, the Turkish government denounced the US decision. “We cannot accept the presence of terrorist organisations that would threaten the future of the Turkish state,” Mr Canikli told A Haber in an interview.

“We hope the US administration will put a stop to this wrong and turn back from it. Such a policy will not be benefi cial – you can’t be in the same sack as terrorist organisations.” Th e YPG and its political arm, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), denies any direct links with the PKK, which is waging an insurgency in Turkey for Kurdish autonomy. Th e BBC’s Mark Lowen in Istanbul says the US decision is a huge slap in the face of its ally, which has consistently said arming the Kurds would be its “red line”.

Ankara is particularly irked that it was announced days before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Mr Trump in Washington and as Turkish highlevel offi cials were there urging the White House not to go ahead, our correspondent adds. Mr Erdogan has argued that the YPG should be excluded from the Raqqa off ensive and urged the US to switch to supporting a Syrian Arab rebel force that has driven IS out of a border area in the past year with the help of the Turkish military. Ms White said the equipment provided to the Kurds – who make up 40% of the SDF’s 50,000 fi ghters, according to US-led coalition offi cials – would be “limited, mission specifi c and metered out incrementally as objectives are reached”.

She did not mention what would be provided, but other US offi cials indicated that it might include 120mm mortars, machine-guns and lightly-armoured vehicles. A senior Kurdish offi cial told the Associated Press that the US decision carried “political meaning” and “legitimise the YPG and the Syrian Democratic Forces”. But Ilham Ahmed warned it would likely be met with “aggression” from Turkey. Last month, Turkish air strikes in northern Syria and Iraq’s Sinjar region killed at least 20 members of the YPG and fi ve Iraqi Peshmerga fi ghters. League of German Girls, and of slogans such as “Th e German student fi ghting for the Fuhrer and the people”.

Th e posters have caused outrage, with people saying they were the latest example of racism and inequality at the prestigious institution, says the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani in the main city, Johannesburg. In a statement, the university said it had so far identifi ed three individuals who were allegedly linked to the “totally unacceptable” and “highly off ensive” posters. Investigations, led by the university’s Equality Unit, were continuing, it added. “Th ere seems to be deliberate mischiefmaking involved and, if that should be the case, disciplinary steps will be taken,” ViceChancellor Wim de Villiers said.

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