Academic freedom for some is academic freedom for none

Nithaya Chetty, the Dean of Science at Wits University, writing in his personal capacity, contributed a discussion piece to the South African Journal of Science provocatively entitled “Should our universities respond to geo-political conflicts around the world?” Referring specifically to “the Israeli–Palestinian conflict,” he called for higher education institutions to be neutral in global conflictual situations. FRED HENDRICKS’ response considers the implications ‘neutrality’ would have for the realisation of academic freedom, especially in the context of ongoing racialised inequality in the university sector in South Africa.