Cash lost to corruption would be windfall
ICOULD not agree more with the excellent article by Professor Jonathan Jansen, “Why do our leaders despise competence and laud loyalty?” (January 3).
It is no secret just how big an impact the destruction of state-owned enterprises has on the people. Yet, the incompetent in power disregard these failings, which affect hard-working South Africans irrespective of their race, creed or religion. If SAA had competent leadership and board members, we could have saved billions in bail-out money that could have contributed to the higher learning institutions, thus avoiding the #FeesMustFall protest. Some of that money could have been applied to critical service delivery initiatives.
Then the circus at the SABC: a loss-making institution where an incompetent continues to hold sway with the backing of a wrecking-ball boss, and it is going to get worse.
It boggles the mind why Julius Malema and the #FeesMustFall protesters do not pursue with the same or even greater vigour what I term the two biggest impediments to the struggle — by backing #ZumaMustFall and #CorruptionMustFall.
If we could stop the corruption it would mean more money for tertiary institutions, more money towards the national health insurance scheme for better healthcare, more money into security clusters to protect citizens, and, most importantly, service delivery to improve the lives of the poor. My 2016 dream is that Zuma and other incompetent leaders will fall and be replaced with visionary, caring leaders to improve the lives of all. — Harry, Meredale
Wrong about maths, Prof
WHILE I agree with some of the sentiments expressed by Jonathan Jansen, I do wish he would stop banging on about mathematical literacy from a clearly uninformed position. Mathematics was not a compulsory subject under apartheid, and those who chose to study mathematics had two options: higher grade or standard grade. Many pupils chose not to take mathematics at all. Thus he is wrong in his contention that “everybody in the various departments did the same mathematics paper”.
Mathematical literacy is not a watered-down version of mathematics but a selection of skills that equips pupils for everyday life. Through mathematical literacy, for example, pupils learn the consequences of taking out a loan at an interest rate of 15%, which the front-page article “Maxed out: SA’s debt headache” identified as a major problem.
Mathematical literacy has meant that all matriculants receive instruction in numeracy skills that equip them for modern life. Do yourself a favour, Prof, and read the curriculum for mathematical literacy. You might just find something useful in there yourself. — Dr Edith R Dempster, by e-mail
Why loyalty trumps aptitude
PROF Jonathan Jansen’s illuminating article is headlined “Why do our leaders despise competence and laud loyalty?” I would have thought the answer is clear. If the elite blindly reward loyalty, the elite in turn will receive all they want. — Kevin Gill, Sandton
ANC helps keep status quo
VICE-chancellor Jonathan Jansen shows commendable courage in identifying misplaced loyalty as the cancer eating away at the respect for competence in our country.
Unfortunately, today’s basic education sector is primarily a legacy of Bantu education, which dumbed down the intellectual and skills development of a large section of our population.
However, the ANC government is not blameless in this situation continuing. It, too, to follow Jansen’s logic, has a stake in maintaining this status quo. It is as though too many “clever blacks” would be inconvenient to the distribution of patronage through cadre deployment.
Why did the ANC government close teachers’ training colleges and why is the South African Democratic Teachers Union so resistant to assessing teacher performance to identify those whose performance, if uplifted, would benefit the very pupils for whose education they are responsible?
Who is going to commit to making the necessary positive changes required to skill South Africa and give hope to the future generations of children who deserve a far better fate than the one that presently awaits them? — Bill Gould, East London
Retirees can teach
WHAT an excellent article by Jonathan Jansen! Proper education is the solution to all our problems in South Africa. It’s time to get all reasonably educated retired folks of all races out of their homes and into disadvantaged primary schools for a few hours per week, to assist with reading, writing and arithmetic. — Elize Gouws, George
‘Happy holidays’ won’t work
MS Lloyd (“Santa’s saintly archetype” in Letters to the Editor, January 3) missed the point. Christmas is a religious holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ and has been turned into a huge money-making racket. I object to people saying “Happy holidays” to me. Do you say to a Muslim on Ramadan “Have a happy holiday”, or to a Chinese person “Happy holiday” on the Chinese new year? I don’t think so. Try it and see the reaction. It’s called respect. — I Fuller, by e-mail
Chance to bash Afrikaners
REGARDING the obituary “Randall Wicomb: Afrikaans folk singer who beat apartheid at its own game” (January 3).
“So why this need to point out that an artist is black?” This is a question Oliver Roberts asked in an article in the Sunday Times Lifestyle on December 13 and I am now asking you the same question: Why this need to point out Wicomb’s past?
I thought it strange that you would publish an obituary about an Afrikaans singer, but when I came to the end I realised why: it was not about Wicomb, but about hitting out at the Afrikaans media and “musicians from the Afrikaans cultural establishment”, whoever they are.
Why is it wrong that no mention is made of Wicomb’s past? Did it occur to the writer and to your newspaper that the Afrikaans media and musicians may not see Wicomb’s race as a way to describe him? Is the writer’s view, then, not a racist view? — Lidia de Wet, Pretoria
Prejudice in mosque row
“UNHOLY row over plans for Knysna mosque” (January 3) is a clear-cut case of prejudice against Islam. Prejudice becomes dangerous when people try to get others to share it. Prejudice, like fear, is acquired. It is a seeping, dark stain, more difficult to fight than hatred. Let sanity prevail. — Farouk Araie, Johannesburg.