Theuns Eloff
Theuns Eloff is a South African, who is the ex-Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation, an ex-Rector and an ex-Reconciler.
Beginnings
He was born on 17 May 1955 in Potchefstroom. He completed his school career at Potchefstroom Gimnasium. Eloff completed his undergraduate studies in Law and Theology at Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and later a PhD at Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. He was an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church of South Africa.Reconciler of the democratic process
The Dakar Conference was held on 9 to 12 July 1987 in Dakar, Senegal. It discussed strategies for bringing change in South Africa regarding: national coherence, Government structures and the economy with the African National Congress. The ANC was still banned by South African Government in 1987. Eloff was part of the Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa delegation.Vice–Chancellor of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education / North-West University
Eloff was the Vice-Chancellor of the university from 2002 to 2014.In 2004 the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education merged with the Mafikeng University to form the North-West University with 3 campuses, one each at Vereeniging, Potchefstroom and Mafikeng. Mafikeng became later known as Mahikeng. It is now called North-West University. It was Eloff who had to execute this merger. The merger was forced on Eloff by former Education Minister Kader Asmal after Eloff refused to remove the "Christian Higher Education" from the name of the Potchefstroom University. It was not initially Asmal's plan to merge the Potchefstroom University.
The Merger Mess Controversy
On 12 September 2008 the newspaper Mail & Guardian reported on the "merger mess". Professor Barney Pityana, Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa was quoted by the Mail & Guardian to have said that at Eloff's university, "the new institution is unmanageable". A subsequent government investigation, published in 2009 in the Government Gazette, described a failed merger, in the words of Dutch academics Boersma and Wells "a picture of a hopelessly divided university, inhabited by both demoralized and detached students and staff, ruled by a management that is either incapable or unwilling to see this reality, and lacks the policy framework to infuse diversity into the institution as an instrument of effective transformation and equity.".In early 2014 Eloff had to resign as Vice-Chancellor when it became apparent that a far-right fascist atmosphere reigned on campus, with students being initiated with Nazi-salutes.
Photos of the Nazi-salutes, and an account of a lecturer that was victimized and pushed out of the NWU by Eloff and his managers because she dared raise questions about these far-rightwing practices, can be read on Medium.
His position, which was already precarious by 2008, had finally become untenable. Following his resignation, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande lashed out against Eloff, saying that Eloff was "not committed to addressing the violation of human rights at this institution”.
His successor was Professor Dan Kgwadi
The Controversy around Dan Kgwadi
One year after his resignation from the North-West University, Eloff was still marking the waters of the institution with criticism against his successor, Professor Dan Kgwadi. Eloff criticised Kgwadi, stating that ""Dan Kgwadi is the biggest professional disappointment of my life. It's bad to say that of your successor, but with Kgwadi I momentarily lost my judgement. I thought he was the best man to lead the North West University." It has been suggested that one reason for Eloff's cricisim against Kgwadi was because Kgwadi instituted a forensic investigation into claims that Eloff was linked to a donation of R10m to a trust that was allegedly done without permission from the university's council.In response, a group of NWU students and workers reacted strongly, writing in an open letter that ""We are not surprised that you and other white Afrikaner neo-colonialist academics are not in favour of Prof Kgwadi’s transformational agenda and plan to deracialise Pukke."
Executive Director FW de Klerk Foundation
Eloff was appointed as Executive Director of the Foundation on 1 July 2016. FW de Klerk is a past president of South Africa, a former leader of the Nationalist Party, a former Chancellor of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. He is also a controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner. De Klerk founded the Foundation to:- Promoted the South Africa Constitution, and support the Bill of Rights. These two together with the rule of law are executed through the Centre for Constitutional Rights.
- Work to obtain unity in diversity through the Centre for Unity in Diversity.
- It also supports children with disadvantages and disabilities by means of charitable support.
Controversy at the FW de Klerk Foundation