A certain journalist, author and African-American gentleman celebrates being an American in a book whose title I cannot remember but which caused a stir a few years ago when it came out or at least when it hit the South African bookshops. The name of the gentlemen and the title of his book are not the point; the point is the celebration of his American-ness or rather, the words he uses to express that celebration: “thank God I’m an American”. Nothing wrong with that; I have been heard to express similar sentiment about being a South African, since 1994, that is.
In the book, the gentleman states that he is grateful that his ancestor(s) survived the perilous journey across the Atlantic and the ravages of slavery on their arrival in the land of the free. He is grateful that they did not succumb to scurvy or wanton killing aboard the slave ship; or that they did not find themselves on the wrong side of the massa’s rifle. In his celebration and gratitude he makes it clear that he is even happier that he was not born in Africa.
There is a context to this book and the sentiments that are expressed by the author. The book was apparently inspired by the scenes witnessed by the author while as a journalist, he covered and reported on the genocide in Rwanda. He describes how while standing on the banks of some river in Rwanda, he saw bloated discoloured dead human bodies floating down the river like logs. I am not quoting from the book; I am paraphrasing at great liberty. This gruesome experience leads to the celebration of being an American as opposed to being a citizen of one of those vicious West African countries. My interpretation: “thank God for the slave trade”. This brings me to the point of this blah, blah, bloody blah . . . But before that, one more story.
Another journalist/columnist, this time a South African, in his letter chastising the present minister of basic education for all manner of faults not the least her cordial relationship with one Julius Malema; celebrates the “good” virtues of Bantu Education. He says that the current lot in government when they took over some 15 years ago threw out the Bantu Education water with the good values, respect and discipline baby. He states that respect and discipline were one of the good virtues of Apartheid/Bantu Education and these, he pleads, we should have kept and in fact advises the minister to restore them. When addressing discipline, he promptly reminds the minister that it is her ilk in the ANC that did away with corporal punishment in schools and threatened any teacher who administers it with jail (without passing begin or collecting 200). My interpretation: “there is a lot that was good about Apartheid/Bantu Education”.
I am somewhat of a zealot when it comes to these things. You see, I struggle to see how any good can come from evil. Having caught the tail end of Bantu Education, I am no expert on the system. When 1994 came, I was already a father of a 3 year old girl (yes, I started farming early). I managed to get through school ok and gained access to tertiary education. I do not however celebrate Apartheid, Bantu Education or any of the so-called good virtues of that system. Those of us Black people who made it, did not do so because of Bantu Education but in spite of it. The terrible high school that I attended (which for reasons that can only exist under Apartheid, was very popular) boasts some impressive individuals among its past students. Take the daughter of a mineworker who now holds a BSc Honours from Kings College London among her numerous qualifications least of which is a medical degree from South Africa’s top university. She doesn’t celebrate Apartheid, Bantu Education, the migrant labour system or the terrible school. She celebrates her father who insisted on her being the best she can be. She celebrates her mother who nurtured and inspired her unbreakable spirit.
The so-called good virtues of Apartheid or any of its monstrous sub-inventions deserve a better analysis than they routinely receive in our media and academic writing. We need analysis and commentary that appreciates the enormity of the task before the political leadership while decrying poor leadership. It will not matter how much work the government and schools put into solving the challenges faced by the education system. What would matter is for parents to take a page out of that old mineworker’s book of encouragement and support for our children. Of course it makes for great politics to make speeches and debate the issues and to point fingers. Unfortunately it is in that time that we will continue to produce school leavers who are only qualified to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. Maybe that is not such a big deal when our own are taken care of and poised for greater things in those other schools where teaching and learning happens all year through.
In the book, the gentleman states that he is grateful that his ancestor(s) survived the perilous journey across the Atlantic and the ravages of slavery on their arrival in the land of the free. He is grateful that they did not succumb to scurvy or wanton killing aboard the slave ship; or that they did not find themselves on the wrong side of the massa’s rifle. In his celebration and gratitude he makes it clear that he is even happier that he was not born in Africa.
There is a context to this book and the sentiments that are expressed by the author. The book was apparently inspired by the scenes witnessed by the author while as a journalist, he covered and reported on the genocide in Rwanda. He describes how while standing on the banks of some river in Rwanda, he saw bloated discoloured dead human bodies floating down the river like logs. I am not quoting from the book; I am paraphrasing at great liberty. This gruesome experience leads to the celebration of being an American as opposed to being a citizen of one of those vicious West African countries. My interpretation: “thank God for the slave trade”. This brings me to the point of this blah, blah, bloody blah . . . But before that, one more story.
Another journalist/columnist, this time a South African, in his letter chastising the present minister of basic education for all manner of faults not the least her cordial relationship with one Julius Malema; celebrates the “good” virtues of Bantu Education. He says that the current lot in government when they took over some 15 years ago threw out the Bantu Education water with the good values, respect and discipline baby. He states that respect and discipline were one of the good virtues of Apartheid/Bantu Education and these, he pleads, we should have kept and in fact advises the minister to restore them. When addressing discipline, he promptly reminds the minister that it is her ilk in the ANC that did away with corporal punishment in schools and threatened any teacher who administers it with jail (without passing begin or collecting 200). My interpretation: “there is a lot that was good about Apartheid/Bantu Education”.
I am somewhat of a zealot when it comes to these things. You see, I struggle to see how any good can come from evil. Having caught the tail end of Bantu Education, I am no expert on the system. When 1994 came, I was already a father of a 3 year old girl (yes, I started farming early). I managed to get through school ok and gained access to tertiary education. I do not however celebrate Apartheid, Bantu Education or any of the so-called good virtues of that system. Those of us Black people who made it, did not do so because of Bantu Education but in spite of it. The terrible high school that I attended (which for reasons that can only exist under Apartheid, was very popular) boasts some impressive individuals among its past students. Take the daughter of a mineworker who now holds a BSc Honours from Kings College London among her numerous qualifications least of which is a medical degree from South Africa’s top university. She doesn’t celebrate Apartheid, Bantu Education, the migrant labour system or the terrible school. She celebrates her father who insisted on her being the best she can be. She celebrates her mother who nurtured and inspired her unbreakable spirit.
The so-called good virtues of Apartheid or any of its monstrous sub-inventions deserve a better analysis than they routinely receive in our media and academic writing. We need analysis and commentary that appreciates the enormity of the task before the political leadership while decrying poor leadership. It will not matter how much work the government and schools put into solving the challenges faced by the education system. What would matter is for parents to take a page out of that old mineworker’s book of encouragement and support for our children. Of course it makes for great politics to make speeches and debate the issues and to point fingers. Unfortunately it is in that time that we will continue to produce school leavers who are only qualified to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. Maybe that is not such a big deal when our own are taken care of and poised for greater things in those other schools where teaching and learning happens all year through.
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