Bad Omen?
For the most of the year, because we don't have a TV or play the radio at the flat, I have been ignorant of most of the local politics. This, in my opinion, was a good thing, because the international news, which I do follow to a degree, alone depresses me too much. But, today I returned home to study before my exam and the first news item already upset me. Tonight on the news they announced that the name of the Johannesburg International Airport has official been changed to the O.R. Tambo International Airport. Oliver Tambo was the ANC leader for a long time and a martyr. Or so I'm told. I don't know much about him and I never met him. But, from what I hear, he was not just a good politician but also a great guy and everyone who supported the ANC loved him.
But, there's a problem.
Johannesburg International Airport's (JNB) former name was the Jan Smuts International Airport. Jan Smuts was a great (white Afrikaner) South African politician at the start of the 20th century: he was, among other things, a Field Marshal in the British army (South Africa, then, was still a British dominium), he served in the Imperial War Cabinet under Winston Churchill and helped found both the League of Nations and the United Nations. As leader of the young, recently unified South Africa, he stood opposed to the more right-wing political opposition. So, in short, he was a great guy and people loved him not just because of his politics.
But there was a problem. He was a leader of “white” South Africa.
Before the 1994 democratic elections, the country's major political parties (most notably the ruling NP government and the newly unbanned ANC), held a series of meetings to discuss and ease the upcoming transformations: the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA). Many things, of course, were ultimately decided at these meetings, but one is of importance now: the names of South Africa's international airports were to be changed so that they were “apolitical”.
And now?
Great way this country's democracy is heading in, especially with the ANC trying to oust the local government in the city of Cape Town because they are sore losers.
I'm back at home for the exams and I'm probably going to be pretty quiet until after the exams. Nothing new then, so, until next time, good luck with your endeavours and enjoy!
But, there's a problem.
Johannesburg International Airport's (JNB) former name was the Jan Smuts International Airport. Jan Smuts was a great (white Afrikaner) South African politician at the start of the 20th century: he was, among other things, a Field Marshal in the British army (South Africa, then, was still a British dominium), he served in the Imperial War Cabinet under Winston Churchill and helped found both the League of Nations and the United Nations. As leader of the young, recently unified South Africa, he stood opposed to the more right-wing political opposition. So, in short, he was a great guy and people loved him not just because of his politics.
But there was a problem. He was a leader of “white” South Africa.
Before the 1994 democratic elections, the country's major political parties (most notably the ruling NP government and the newly unbanned ANC), held a series of meetings to discuss and ease the upcoming transformations: the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA). Many things, of course, were ultimately decided at these meetings, but one is of importance now: the names of South Africa's international airports were to be changed so that they were “apolitical”.
And now?
Great way this country's democracy is heading in, especially with the ANC trying to oust the local government in the city of Cape Town because they are sore losers.
I'm back at home for the exams and I'm probably going to be pretty quiet until after the exams. Nothing new then, so, until next time, good luck with your endeavours and enjoy!
posted by phantom-99w at 22:17
1 Comments:
Hehehe, jy's so klein bietjie agter, ne? Ja, ons het so bietjie rede om te bekommer - die ANC het te veel mag en te min opposisie. Ons kan dankbaar wees dat die slimmer mense, en nie die populiste nie, nog in beheer van die ANC is. Nie altyd so competent nie, maar darem nie gevaarlik nie. Ek sou myself nie te veel bekommer voor die ANC se kongres volgende jaar nie. Ons kan maar net hoop dis die anyone-but-Zuma kamp wat die oorhand kry.
En btw, die ANC het hul poging om Kaapstad oor te neem laat vaar, so twee dae terug.
Jy moet so bietjie meer gereeld blog!
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