Dell Foundation South Africa moves to Israel?

I am employed at the University of Cape Town, overseeing an academic program where the Dell Young Leaders scholarship has significantly impacted students on an extended degree path (referred to as EDU). These students, from public schools with an extended academic year, receive additional support to complete their degrees.

I have contributed to the Dell Young Leaders program in two ways over the past decade. Initially, I shared my research and experience during the program's initial consideration and setup at UCT. Secondly, I have interviewed students for the scholarship on two or three occasions.

I attended an on-boarding event for selected program students, where they express their gratitude by shouting your name in appreciation for the laptops. As a faculty member, I have also sat on stage during graduation ceremonies, witnessing many Dell Young Leaders being capped. I have only heard positive things about the placements of these students into their first jobs. Over the years, I have interacted with the dedicated staff behind the program, who, in your name, have worked tirelessly to address the challenges faced by students.

I hope you take my open letter seriously, considering my contribution to your program.

I must express my concern regarding a photograph posted on Twitter featuring you with President Isaac Herzog at Davos. This image has, to put it mildly, shattered hopes for many students and will have far-reaching implications for your staff. Let me elaborate on the consequences of this action.

There appears to be a misalignment between your values and those of South Africa. For many years, South Africa has been horrified by atrocities against the Palestinian people. Post the ICJ proceedings, people felt proud to be South African, and a spirit of Ubuntu (a term you can Google if unfamiliar) has been reignited. Images from protests show South Africans of various faiths, including Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and those with no faith, expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine. It would be the minority, comprising of conservative white South Africans and Zionists, who might side with Israel. Regardless of the ICJ outcome, the support for Palestine is extensive in South Africa, and your photograph and comment on social media appears inconsistent with these values.

Supporting apartheid and genocide while aiming to level the playing field for South African students is contradictory. It would be challenging for a student, especially from a township, to accept help from the Dell Foundation while you seemingly promote actions opposed to their history of overcoming oppression. I speak from my own awareness of privilege as a white South African, and I urge you not to put innocent students in such a difficult position. UCT management will not request a donor to leave, but I hope this letter encourages you to use common sense in realizing that there is no place for a funder with your values at UCT or in South Africa.

I empathize with your staff, and I can’t begin to imagine the awkwardness they may be experiencing in navigating these challenging circumstances. I want to publicly state that any employer receiving a CV from a member of the Dell Young Leaders staff should consider them a valuable asset. These creators of Dell Young Leaders will always have a place at UCT. Their contribution to the project has been inspiring. I encourage them to take their experience elsewhere to continue making a positive impact.

Michael, with just one photograph on Twitter, you have galvanized your support for Israel, alienated students from your brand, and negatively impacted the careers of talented individuals. You may perceive this open letter as a rambling of assertions and generalizations, but if you truly understood South Africa, it would make sense to you. I can only assume that, during the Foundation's work in South Africa, you never took the time to get to know the country and relied on talented South Africans to disburse your tax break.

Well, as a consequence, in the future, obtaining assistance from the Dell Foundation is likely to become increasingly challenging for students and organizations alike. It draws a parallel to a black child accepting financial support from Hendrick Verwoed, whose historical values were clearly not in favour of the black community. Perhaps it is time to move your family office to Israel?