FF+ unhappy about removal of God

The removal of the word "God" in the slogan of the University of the Free State was criticised by the Freedom Front Plus on Wednesday.

"The FF Plus thinks the decision by the management of the university was wrong," said FF Plus youth leader Jan van Niekerk.

He said the FF Plus Kovsies student body send a letter to the chairman of the UFS Council in which it sets out its strongest disapproval.

"The areas from which the UFS gets most of its students are mainly religious which means that this change already excludes students."

The party said the university should understand the difference between transformation and excellence and that the UFS could still hold excellent academic standards without giving up the nature and principles of Kovsies.

Van Niekerk said examples of this were the University's of Princeston, Oxford and Yale, which "boldly give recognition to God in their slogans".

"Leaving out 'God' would not really change the students' problems at ground level, only education, leadership and support would change that."

FF Plus Kovsie leader Abrie Marais said many students were not happy with the decision as they were again left out of the decision.

Marais said the UFS was not handling the matter in a transparent manner because the matter was handled while the Student Representative Council was disbanded and over the December holiday period.

It was reported recently that the UFS had decided to remove the word "God" from its slogan and replaced it with "truth".