SRC president, Mcebo Dlamini, on Wits Campus outside the Great Hall. Photos: Stock Images
The full statement is reproduced below:
“The SRC President’s comments were made in his personal capacity and do not represent the views of the Council.
The Wits Student Representative Council notes that the Facebook account of our President Mcebo Freedom Dlamini has been under fire for personal comments that were made. Adolf Hitler like many other controversial figures cannot essentially be distanced from the crimes he committed against humanity.
As the SRC we condemn the actions of Hitler in the strongest terms and we find equally deplorable the generalization that all white people have elements of Hitler in them. We emphasize that these statements were not made in our name.
In no way do we condone the human rights atrocities of the holocaust, or the senseless killing and oppression of human beings anywhere at any time in history.
It is also important that we understand Mr Dlamini’s comment in his intended context, the comments made do not in any way condone Hitler’s actions. Mr Dlamini is in the process of clarifying himself and putting his comments into context. As it stands the comments made and the way in which they have been understood is unacceptable.
To all individuals who have been offended by this incident we want to apologise, this in no way reflects the values of the SRC. Regardless of the offensive nature of what was said by Mr Dlamini in his personal capacity, the SRC will continue to uphold and safeguard the rights of all students of the University of the Witwatersrand, and students can rest assured that the trust in which we were mandated to fulfil our duties on the SRC will be upheld.
-Issued by Senzekahle Mbokazi on behalf of the Wits Student Representative Council”