Maties language policy is not racism

THE imbroglio at Stellenbosch University (So Many Questions, August 30) seems to confuse issues of language policy with racism.

If, having arrived at Stellenbosch, certain students find themselves discriminated against on the basis of their ethnicity, that is one matter, one that is not acceptable within our aspirant “rainbow nation”.

On the other hand, Stellenbosch University has long held an internationally recognised reputation for academic excellence, notwithstanding that its language of instruction and discourse has, historically, been Afrikaans.

To expect such a revered and respected institution to jump to the beat of any upstart drum bent on disrupting the orderly education of those who wish to benefit from its academic offerings, is somewhat like, for example, the adherents of one religious order insisting that another order amend its spiritual offering to satisfy the whims of the other’s dogma. It would be reasonable to expect the disruptive elements to return home and practise their prejudices in a familiar environment.

An example perhaps closer to home might be if followers of one of the Soweto PSL giants, Chiefs and Pirates, were to invade the other’s space and insist on their colours replacing those of their rival. One can imagine the mayhem that would accompany such disruption, with the intruders, rightfully, being given short shrift.

In the same way, those scholars who seek admission to Stellenbosch should do so accepting that the medium of instruction includes Afrikaans. While disruption for its own sake can hardly be described as un-African, it can be recognised as antisocial and contrary to the norms of civilised society.

And having entered Stellenbosch’s hallowed halls with open eyes, minds and hearts, all scholars can legitimately expect to be treated with dignity as befitting a nation moving forward from a troubled past. — Thembelihle Williams, East London

Why lose right to language?

CHRIS Barron is completely out of line and unfair in his questions to Prof Wim de Villiers. Stellenbosch has always been Afrikaans-medium undergrad, and it is one of the most respected universities in the world.

Why should the Afrikaans- speaking community lose their right to lectures in their mother tongue?

There are many, many options for English-speaking students. In fact, just about all of the other universities in the country.

This Open Stellenbosch movement is mostly a rent-a-crowd bunch. — Steve and Adele, Paarl

Afrikaans part of heritage

AFRIKAANS is part of our diverse heritage. If we begin to use language as a weapon of racism, we diminish both heritage and culture.

Language in many ways defines each of us. Let not that definition be mired in past inequities that erode our future simply because we despise its origin. — Narendh Ganesh, Durban North

Dismantle, not transform

REGARDING “Essential steps towards a renewal of SA’s economy” by Enoch Godongwana (August 30).

South Africa has been at a visionary stage for some time, and the national general council meeting in October should really be focusing on implementation and frankly assessing South Africa’s successes and failures. You cannot transform something that is broken; you have to dismantle the apartheid economic structure and rebuild an appropriate structure. The ills of this country lie in the belly of the apartheid model and economic structure we are trying to transform. Hope has carried South Africa a great distance and hope should be fuelled by progress, and the rate of progress needs to pick up tremendously. — Molefe M, Fourways

Job creation is paramount

AWESOME article by Enoch Godongwana — well balanced, brilliantly backed up with, I’m sure, excellent research.

I have a more simple take that incorporates all his well-considered points. Only when every person in a position of power wakes up each day with a single thought, “Is what I am about to decide or do today going to create sustainable jobs?” will we start to change our reality.

Our little company has been able to develop more than 12 000 jobs this year. We have a term sheet of $800million, but no one seems to take us seriously. So much so, we have taken our term sheet and ideas to another African country, which has welcomed

What of albino sisters?

“BEYOND the pale: the hard life and grim death of an albino” (August 30) refers. It’s shocking that in the 21st century this sort of outrage can still happen. Thank you for reminding us that much still needs to be done so that this community of people can live in the safety and security that is the right of every individual.

In 2010, the Sunday Times ran an article about two sisters with albinism, Tindi and Bibianna. Bibianna had a leg cut off while she slept. This outrage occurred to a nine-year-old, who at the time of the article had not started speaking again.

The culprit was a relative, who sold the body part to an inyanga. The sisters were rescued by a us with open arms, cut the red tape and allowed us to supply a desperately needed service. They recognise the benefits of millions of dollars’ investment, its job-creating potential and delivery of a muchneeded service. Oh, by the way, my family has lived in Africa for about 200 years, mainly in Cradock, so I feel I can consider myself South African. — John Schooling, by e-mail

Cheerleader to fundraiser

PETER Bruce has morphed from cheerleader to fundraiser for the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance , “There’s hope for SA: It’s called ‘citizen power’ ” (August 16).

Despite Bruce’s credentials as business journalist and editor, I will definitely not take any financial advice from him. Especially not after he has confessed that he is happily paying R150 per month as an “insurance premium” to Outa.

Can Bruce be serious when he urges the public to just donate chunks of money to an organisation that only gives you 30 lines of “extracted figures” from its income statement of the past three years?

If he reads his own newspaper Bruce will discover that issues relating to e-tolling in Gauteng have already been before 17 judges in six courts, including the Constitutional Court. The score is Sanral 6, opponents of e-tolling 0.

Contrary to what Bruce believes, Sanral has not been “stopped in its tracks” by Outa. There are 1.3 million A VICTIM OF SUPERSTITION: Thandazile ‘Nanana’ Msweli Tanzanian MP, also a person with albinism, who took them in and looked after them.

Having been moved to pray for them over the years, I often wonder how things turned out for them.

Thandazile “Nanana” Msweli was not so lucky. My sympathies to her family. — Sue Anthony, by e-mail registered users and the payment graph is going upwards.

We trust Bruce will use his campaign to force Outa to become more transparent.— Vusi Mona, general manager of communications, Sanral

Poverty doesn’t breed crime

I AM tired of people blaming poverty for their criminal activities. I have a right to say this because I was born and raised and am still living in an informal settlement. My mother last worked in 1994 and we have lived on social grants since. Even under these circumstances, my mother, brother and I have never stopped dreaming. I graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2010 through sacrifices and working part-time. Even though I am still unemployed I am getting parttime jobs cleaning yards. I have never even once thought of crime. I know of people who were better off than us but still blamed poverty and living conditions for their criminal activities. — Viwe Sigenu, by e-mail