| Storm over bursary for white men [boodskap #98269] |
Wo, 15 September 2004 13:41  |
Schorsch
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Geregistreer: Februarie 2004
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Storm over bursary for white men
http://www.suntimes.co.za/2004/05/16/news/news07.asp
The government and university challenge a will made in 1920
Jeanne Van Der Merwe
In 1920, Scarbrow ordered that his estate be placed in trust and used
to fund scholarships for male matriculants, 'of European descent,
gentile and with limited or no means'
...
The state is launching a legal challenge to a 1920 trust fund that
pays out university scholarships only to white men.
If it succeeds, it could open the way for challenges to other estates
whose restrictions could prove unconstitutional.
The Scarbrow Bursary Fund Testamentary Trust has awarded scholarships
for overseas studies to white, male graduates of the University of
Cape Town since the 1920s.
Now, the national Education Department and the University of Cape Town
(UCT) are seeking an order to change the conditions of the will which
set up the trust. It will be the first time the Constitution is used,
along with more conventional legal routes, to change a will.
In 1920, Edmund Scarbrow ordered that his estate be placed in trust
and used to fund scholarships for male matriculants "of European
descent, gentile and with limited or no means".
In a codicil he added a few months later, he said neither "persons of
Jewish descent" nor "females of all nationalities" would be eligible
for the scholarships.
Scarbrow died in 1921 and the fund has paid out the scholarships
since.
The trust's manager, Lorna Prosser, refused this week to divulge how
much the estate was worth or how often it paid out bursaries.
Former Education Minister Kader Asmal started the legal proceedings
against the trust after it called for applicants in a Cape Town
newspaper in 2002.
He wrote to Syfrets, the trust's administrators, asking that the
provision limiting the scholarships to white males be altered. Syfrets
responded by saying its attorneys had investigated "the legality of
discriminatory clauses in wills under the new Constitution" and found
that the Constitution also protected citizens' freedom to make wills.
Asmal filed the application in the Cape High Court last month.
The registrar of UCT, Hugh Amoore, said: "It is an important test case
because we believe that other bursaries or awards with conditions
which are repugnant to the Constitution could be dealt with in a
similar way if this application succeeds."
This is not the first time Scarbrow's wishes have been found
inappropriate. In 1969, UCT refused to administer the bursaries
because of the "discriminating conditions attaching to [the] awards".
The Master of the High Court said in court papers: "Should the court
grant the application this could have repercussions for various other
existing trusts which are not parties to these proceedings. To date no
case involving charitable or other trust objects has been decided
under the new Constitution or its related legislation."
Professor Johan van Schalkwyk of the University of the Free State's
law faculty said a similar application, against another charitable
trust had succeeded before the new Constitution was adopted.
Peter Jordi, an attorney with Wits University's Law Clinic, said if
the application was successful, it could lead to similar cases being
made against other trusts with restrictive conditions.
"You could use this case to say that either trust deeds for other
similar bursary funds should be changed or that they must be changed
by taking them to court."
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| Re: Storm over bursary for white men [boodskap #98279 is 'n antwoord op boodskap #98269] |
Wo, 15 September 2004 18:50  |
Plato
Boodskappe: 630
Geregistreer: Julie 2004
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Die vraag is of die regering die reg het (en indien wel, of dit 'n goeie
ding is) om in 'n persoon se persoonlike voorkeur in te meng. Onthou vir
elke besluit wat die regering van jou wegneem is dit een minder wat jy
die vryheid voor het om te mag maak. Ek het nie 'n pyn daarmee as iemand
'n rassis is nie. Almal diskrimineer op een of ander manier teen iets of
iemand. Dit is seker maar die ou omie se goeie reg om te sê vir wie hy
geld wil nalaat of nie. Ek dink dit het niks met enige iemand te make
waarom hy dit doen nie. Dit is sy keuse. Ek het pyne met wat mense doen
en nie wat hulle dink nie. As jy iemand doodmaak omdat jy 'n rassis is
dan is dit verkeerd! Maar die ou man (in my opinie) het die reg om sy
geld te spandeer op wie en wat hy wil. Iemand se reg om hulle hande op
daardie reeds verdiende geld te kry is minder as die ou wat dit verdien
het se reg om te bepaal hoe hy dit spandeer selfs na sy dood. Ek is
seker daar is testamente wat die teenoorgestelde m.a.w net swart mense
bevoordeel.
Groete
Plato
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