Lwazi Lushaba is no stranger to controversy in the academic space. However, this time around, he may have traverse into unchartered territory when he made wild comments about Adolf Hitler in a pre-recorded lecture that’s since gone viral.
Lwazi Lushaba: Here’s what he said about Hitler
As reported by Times Live, a 14-second clip shows the Lushaba engaging his political science students on the wild notion that Hitler, one of the most deplorable mass murderers to ever live, was no criminal.
In justifying his claim that the genocide of millions of Jewish people, he said:
“Hitler committed no crime. All Hitler did was to do to white people what white people had normally reserved for black people.”
UCT to deal decisively with Lushaba
As expected, the revered thought leader’s words were not welcomed by the Jewish community in the Western Cape. The University of Cape Town has unreservedly distanced itself from the lecturer, describing his comments as “gravely concerning.”
“We are verifying all the facts. In the meantime, the university is clear that all brutalities of genocide constitute both formal crimes against humanity and ongoing sources of pain. We distance ourselves very strongly from any other view,” spokesperson Elijah Moholola said.
Lushaba is no stranger to controversy
What is even more shocking about Lushaba’s utterance is that it was made a few days after the Jewish community commemorated the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day.
However, those who know the lecturer too well are not surprised by the latest row he faces.
Dr Lwazi Lushaba is no stranger to controversy. What he said about Hitler few days after the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day was a bit insensitive, he gets away with saying things that are egregious and appalling.
— Karabo (@karabo_tjale) April 8, 2021
In 2019, Lushaba found himself in trouble with UCT after he dished out a string of verbal attacks on candidates who were vying for the dean of humanities post.
The university was forced to intervene with a written warning that described his behaviour as “unacceptable, inappropriate and disrespectful”.
At the time this article was published, the university had not made any indication of the current status of Lushaba in their employ.
And the professor? Well, he could care less about the backlash he’s faced.
“If you knew what university lectures are, you won’t be asking me that question you are asking me,” Was Lushaba’s response to the cited publication’s questions.