Minister Nzimande’s statement on the Democratic Alliance filing of a complaint against minister with the Human Rights Commission
28 September 2021
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande dismisses with contempt the Democratic Alliance idea that he hates Afrikaans.
Minister Nzimande said that the DA is recycling its old and tired strategy that was defeated in 1996, that of seeking to privilege Afrikaans as an instrument to exclude majority of South Africans in accessing education, especially in former white education institutions.
Minister Nzimande recognises Afrikaans as one of South Africa’s eleven (11) official languages. However, he cannot allow Afrikaans to be used as a means of exclusion and oppression, nor as a means to pursue a narrow and racist Afrikaner nationalist agenda, as was the case under apartheid.
“Afrikaans should and must be located in a democratic South Africa and be rescued from a white right-wing agenda. This should not be viewed as being in conflict with promoting mother tongue instruction in a democratic South Africa,” said Minister Nzimande.