The title of this article draws on a quote from American feminist writer, Rita Mae Brown, who said, “…language is the roadmap of culture. It tells you where its people came from and where they are going”.
The Film and Publication Board Appeal Tribunal (the Tribunal) rather controversially decided on 13 February 2018 to overturn the original classification rating (16LS) of the film, Inxeba – The Wound to an X18.
Millions of South Africans are celebrating the departure of Mr Jacob Zuma, albeit under great duress, with an initial intransigence and a final goodbye just before 23h00 on 14 February. The nation has suffered politically, economically and socially, during his corrupt, strongman and divisive time in office.
The FW de Klerk Foundation is delighted that change is on the horizon and congratulates the Acting President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa. He has the weighty task to undo the legacies of his predecessor and set South Africa on a course of unity and renewal.
The odds were stacking up against Mr Zuma in the last few days and hours leading to his resignation, two hours short of a midnight deadline set by his colleagues in the ANC. The well-known saying, “…was he pushed, or did he jump?” comes to mind. Increasingly it is being revealed that behind-the-scenes activity indicates an ANC NEC that developed a remarkable unity on the imperative for Zuma to go. Added to this development was the possibility of interparty cooperation regarding a motion of no confidence. Perhaps this demonstrates a maturing of the democratic project in South Africa.
On February 2, 1990, to the surprise of both friend and foe – and only four months into his term as president – FW de Klerk announced that he would unconditionally release Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, and unban the ANC and other organisations. The goal was to create the circumstances within which negotiations on the future of South Africa could take place. As a result, he opened the door for a new future and the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to him (and Nelson Mandela).
The FW de Klerk Foundation was established in 1999 to promote and protect FW de Klerk’s most important legacy: the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Foundation has since commemorated 2 February 1990 each year by holding a national conference. The themes of these conferences are usually devoted to the most burning issues in the country.
This year’s theme was “Beyond state capture and corruption”. The intention was to move beyond the analysis of the origin and implementation of state capture and to give the audience (and the country and its people) hope for a better future. The words and actions of newly-elected ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa were cautiously welcomed. One could only wonder how it would be possible to broach such a topic if Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma had been elected as ANC president.
Join us for a discussion hosted by the Centre for Unity in Diversity (CUD), supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS).
The governing party has reintroduced a slew of words in the political lexicon over the last few days – from transition, to constructive, to fruitful, to closure – all to describe the crisis within the ruling party.
The dust has not yet settled over the Constitutional Court (CC) judgment in the University of the Free State (UFS) language policy case. What is the impact of this ruling on the future of Afrikaans as language of instruction, and by implication, the future of other indigenous languages in education? Are we destined for a completely English education system, with mother tongue education tossed into the trashcan of history?
Of course, one should not be alarmist or get discouraged. The CC verdict is, with respect, regrettable and could be challenged on many levels. However, there are some technical issues that could limit the impact thereof in future cases. One of these are the special circumstances at the UFS, for example, the size of the Afrikaans and English classes, which according to the UFS (and CC) would lead to unequal quality of education and would therefore be discriminatory and racist. Another set of facts could provide a different outcome.
Presentation by Prof Haroon Bhorat at the FW de Klerk Foundation – Annual Conference.
Presentation by Prof Thuli Madonsela regarding Beyond State Capture and Corruption.
