Lesufi’s trying to kill Afrikaans in schools

The National Party’s ideology of “separate development”– or apartheid, to give it its correct name – was the epitome of social engineering. It sought to keep races apart. And it used various seemingly innocuous terms and words to explain, and justify, that which was, in reality, what the world has called a crime against humanity.

So, it is understandable that there is little sympathy for those who are either descendants of those oppressors, or those who benefitted from that ugly reality.

Many have sided with Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi as he appears – and we emphasise appears – to tackle injustice through his efforts to ensure Afrikaans, the “language of the oppressor”, is not forced down the throats of those who suffered under apartheid or their children and grandchildren.

So, Lesufi has fought the stance of Hoërskool Overvaal in Vereeniging in refusing to take in 57 English-speaking pupils because it is full and does not have the facilities for teaching in that language. The problem is that it appears that some of the statements in support of Lesufi were, according to High Court records, adduced through intimidation.

The MEC has claimed he does not have a vendetta against Afrikaans. And, he claims, many Afrikaans or dual-medium schools have been converted to English-only because the “demographics” of urban areas in Gauteng have changed such that Afrikaans is disappearing.

So, 119 schools have had Afrikaans removed completely from the way they operate. Yet, Lesufi has offered little real, scientific evidence of this metamorphosis in society. On the contrary, many changes have occurred in historically “coloured” areas, which have not changed their language or cultural preferences.

Afrikaans is being systematically removed from the school system in Gauteng. That is the reality.