Jansen puts education first
In yet another debate designed to divide opinion into "black" and "white" camps, Jonathan Jansen wisely chooses the side of education ("Unravel history, don't erase it", yesterday). It is a testimony to his intelligence and integrity that he does not fall prey to the mass hysteria around the Cecil Rhodes statue.This issue was not an issue until it became one. No one was incensed until told to be. The problem is not the removal of the statue. It is a block of stone to which no one paid particular reverence.The problem is handing over authority to a small group of turd-throwers whose goals are selfish, not altruistic. What further "year zero" dictates will they seek to impose on UCT management? This has nothing to do with pigment, but principles.As Jansen's piece implies, recognising a shameful past is one thing, and "progressing" towards a shameful future is another...
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