Be proud of our brave and resolute students
Didiza’s heart, it seems, is not where home is
THE STUDENT Fees Must Fall protests are dominating the national discourse. Thus, we read mindless diatribes alluding to so-called anarchic destruction on campuses, instead of with open minds, interrogating the reasons for the students’ frustrations and the need for the general public to seek solutions towards a quality and affordable, preferably free, tertiary education which would ultimately advance our nation.
The simple truth is that the majority of student protesters are doing so peacefully, albeit boisterously, which is their democratic right, while being regularly brutalised by being shot at by over-zealous security force bullies.
It only takes a handful of yobos in their ranks who resort to anarchic destruction to taint a noble cause.
We should be proud that we have such a brave and resolute group of students who seek to expose the government’s lack of resolve to honour past promises of free education and to fight for an end to colonialist education. Throughout history, such brave student groupings have been vilified as they strove to improve antiquated educational systems.
Then there is the infantile conversation advocating the sole use of English, the language of the colonial oppressor, in commerce and education.
Perhaps the reason that English is so dominant is that English-speakers like myself are either too lazy or too stupid to have the courtesy to learn the African languages of fellow South Africans.
Many Africans can speak about six languages, whereas lazy English-speakers generally cannot even competently speak the other main European language in South Africa, which is Afrikaans.
Due to a declining birth rate, the white population is rapidly shrinking and there would therefore be an enormous commercial advantage to be able to converse with black people in their own language as they make up 90 percent of the population.
The regional vernacular which is in the majority should be compulsory learning.
One thing the Afrikaners did right when their Nationalist government came to power in 1948 was not to accept the English language’s dominance. They successfully strove to put Afrikaans on an equal footing in commerce and education as their English European cousins.
Many of the most successful economic giants such as China are dominating world trade without uniformly following an imperative to master the English language. The leaders of European economic power houses France and Germany probably cannot even speak English.
Correspondent Normam Goldstuck (“English-only rule discourages cliques”, The Star Letters, September 23) is an apt example of selfish colonial prejudice.
Mr Goldstuck supported the draconian decision to prevent the speaking of indigenous languages on school premises, averring that it prevented cliques that promote gossip and intimidate other pupils.
He further said it was bad manners to speak a language that others do not understand. Wow!
The solution is simple Mr Goldstuck. If teachers or fellow learners feel ill at ease, they can learn the language of fellow South Africans.
It’s the tyranny of the oppressor that still dominates in democratic South Africa. I wonder if Mr Goldstuck would agree to his children being banned from speaking their home language on the playground as if it is an embarrassment?
Apart from the non-imperative of having to master English for commercial use, surely Africans should be accorded the common respect of being addressed in their language in an African country, and having their cultural identities observed in schools and the workplace.
Nelson Mandela in his usual inimitable fashion put it succinctly when he said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you speak to him in his own language that goes to his heart.”
Surely that is exactly what is needed to reconcile a wounded, fractured country.
So, for goodness sake, let’s raise the standard of national debate from predictable stereotypical sectarian refrains, because quality discourse is vital to plotting a successful shared future. Ken Bening
It’s the tyranny of the oppressor that still dominates
THOKO “Pretoria is my home” Didiza failed to get the Tshwane Metro mayoralty and promptly decamped back to Cape Town as if Pretoria was no longer her “home”. It was her home only if she could be the mayor.
The Tshwane voters had seen through her interloping and decided that, with the help of the EFF, Solly Msimanga of the DA would be their preferred mayor. And what an inspired choice the voters made!
It would seem Didiza was motivated more by position and money than by service to Tshwane residents. As mayor, she would have received a salary higher than that of a parliamentary officer, her old position which she now holds.
But as leader of the opposition in council, her salary would have been a million rand less than if she were in Parliament. Moreover her status would have been greatly reduced. So, better forget the fiction of Pretoria being her home and return to her old stomping grounds.
Good riddance too because Tshwane residents now have an infinitely better mayor. Msimanga is not only a bona fide Tshwane home boy but an effective mayor, even in the few weeks he has been in power.
Didiza would have continued the culture of ANC arrogance, corruption and incompetence. But it does not mean the ANC will lie low. In fact, it will devise disruptive ways to render Msimanga’s mayoralty feeble, as evidenced in Hammanskraal a few days ago. Msimanga’s MMC for housing was providing RDP title deeds to Temba residents when goons dressed in ANC T-shirts and claiming to be ANC members sought to chase away Mandla Nkomo from this “ANC ward”. Nkomo was escorted away by police.
More evidence will emerge that the ANC is a sore loser especially when Msimanga performs well. We should all thank the voters of Tshwane for giving us the change we needed. When governments fail to deliver or are corrupt, they must be removed. Themba Sono