We all let varsities reach boiling point
IHAVE great respect for Professor Njabulo Ndebele’s literary achievements. But I was left traumatised by his silences in his lecture, an edited version of which you carried in “Fire destroys — but it can also forge tools to build the future” (September 25).
While his references were, in general, to the student protests at South African universities, they were specifically about the burning of colonial artefacts at the University of Cape Town that said nothing positive about the San and Khoi (coloured) peoples on whose land the university was built, or about the Africans and Indian South Africans who were forcibly removed before and after the Native Land Act of 1913.
Ndebele was on point — hitting hard at the core of black pain — except that he evaded miserably inserting himself into the centre of his critique about UCT.
He was the second African (black) vice-chancellor of this institution, after Dr Mamphela Ramphele. During their terms of office, black students, black faculty and black support staff thought transformation of the university would be fast-tracked. Instead it was arrested development.
It raises the question: what did VC Ndebele and VC Ramphele do with the colonial art works and symbols of Europe that euro-centrically said Africa had no art, culture and heritage that UCT could display to represent the aspirations of the university’s black community?
I was at UCT on March 25 2015 when the institution had a University Assembly to make a decision on the Rhodes statue. Footage of this meeting is available unedited on YouTube, so you cannot dispute what the students across the races courageously told the university leadership about their black pain.
This was 18 months ago, and we all left it to get to this boiling point, which resulted in an address titled “They are burning memory”! — Dr Neo Lekgotla laga Ramoupi, by e-mail
Protest with order
THE culture of burning academic buildings by students is disgusting and distasteful.
Students, as the future of this country, need to abstain from behaving like hooligans and looters of key academic infrastructure.
As much as the issues they are raising are vital and need much more attention, burning does not look pretty.
Laboratories and libraries are major assets for those who will be coming to varsity after the current crop have completed their studies.
Students, let’s protest with order and respect our key infrastructure and preserve it for our future generations while we demand free quality education for all. — Mikateko Advice Mkhatshwa, Agincourt
Paralympics tally no surprise
“CONCERN for SA Paralympics” (September 25) refers. Why is there surprise at South Africa’s lowest, lowest medal haul since Barcelona 1992, when so little interest is shown in anything disability-related the rest of the time? — Derick Brumer, by e-mail
Sparks deserved better
I TAKE issue with Chris Barron over the tone of the obituary “Allister Sparks: Legendary editor who courted contention” (September 25), in particular the implication that Allister was somehow responsible for Nat Nakasa’s suicide.
With the best of intentions, Allister recommended to Nat that he advance his journalistic career by accepting a prestigious Nieman Fellowship in the US. He was devastated when he heard the news of Nat’s death.
South Africa is a better place as a result of Allister’s brilliant journalism and his determined investigations into the corruption and deceit that reigned in the days prior to 1994 and thereafter. Barron’s cynical description of an honest, wise, insightful and courageous man was uncalled-for. — Jill Storrar, Gillitts
A win-lose situation
I WOULD like to register my displeasure and angst at the lack of reportage about Mamelodi Sundowns’ victory over Zesco United at the weekend. I am an avid reader of the Sunday Times, which I sacrifice to buy every Sunday. I was raised in Mamelodi, so you can understand where my loyalties lie. This weekend’s blackout on Mamelodi Sundowns’ victory rubbed salt into my gaping wounds. — IM Maphalla, by e-mail
The match report was carried in later editions. — Editor
Update the IRP, Tina
DEAR Ms Joemat-Pettersson,
I wish to add my voice to the call in “Nuclear deal drifts closer in a cloud of unknowing” (September 25), for you and your department to treat the taxpaying public who you have been elected to serve with the respect that we deserve.
We want clarity, which can only be achieved by communicating with us in an open and transparent way, and with intelligence, not in the extremely obfuscatory and evasive manner that has been the case to date.
I appeal to you to take cognisance of the global changes in the energy sector, and the electricity sector in particular. Energy companies and utilities the world over are turning to agile and adaptable approaches to providing energy. For planning to be done in a rational and least-cost, least-regrets manner, we desperately need an updated integrated resource plan. — Anthony Williams, by e-mail
Not wild about conservation
“LONG live the king” (September 25) refers. The South African government’s meek attitude is in contrast to the policies of other large wildlife protection countries such as Botswana, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania.
These countries, with their presidents taking the lead, go to enormous lengths to conserve their precious wildlife resources, which are vital for their tourism industries. This is particularly evidenced by their massive fight against the everincreasing ivory trade. Canned lion hunting is banned.
South Africa drags its heels on virtually all conservation issues — it took many years to develop a semi-effective policy with action against rhino poaching. While nearly 1 000 rhinos are killed every year, our authorities in South Africa go around and around in circles with neverending meetings and discussions on what to do next. — Gavin, Cape Town
A dorp that dops
“YOU drink . . . you walk . . . you’ll be in big trouble” (September 25) refers.
If this ever happened in our little
Misplaced praise
I AM confused about the praise heaped by Jan-Jan Joubert. All the senior posts that Tina Joemat-Pettersson has been involved with appear to suddenly blossom with hundreds of millions of rands involving major deals by selected parties. Also many local communities appear to have lost out in terms of benefits. — Peter H, Margate dorp, hundreds could be charged every weekend. You should see the huge numbers of empty plastic wine bottles littering the streets, especially over the weekend, and our town hall seems to be the chosen hangout for walking — and driving — drinkers.
There is huge concern here about drinking on the streets, and the police have said that they will act but, judging by the empty and broken beer and whisky bottles on the town hall steps in the morning, they are not doing much.
The main problem is that this is a small dorp, and many of the police are local, so they are reluctant to take action against drunks who might be friends or neighbours. And it would probably be risky to do so. — Douglas Hendry, Riebeek West