Letter to South African Parliamentarians

From:	Johan Beaurain, 23 Lower Collingwood Road, Observatory, 7925.
Tel:	021 4479727, Cell: 021 0763528901
Email:	johanbeaurain@yahoo.com
To:	<Name of South African MP> Parliament of the Republic of South Africa PO Box 15, Cape Town, 8000.
Tel:	(021) 403-2911, Fax: (021) 461-5372

Re: Parliamentary Questions to Education Minister.

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Dear Parliamentarian:

I am writing to you because I want to appeal to you as an honest individual who carries the community’s interests at heart. And I am writing to you in the hope that you will stand up for the truth.

In a letter dated 09 January 2006 I requested Mr. James Ngculu MP to pose three questions to the Minister of Education. Mr. Ngculu acknowledged receipt of the letter and also reassured me that he has sent the questions to the Minister of Education and that he will revert to me at a later stage. More than four months have now passed, but still I have had no indication as to when the questions will be posed to the Minister of Education. It is not that I do not have the patience to wait for a thoughtful response; provided of course that I am given the reassurance that they are at least thinking about the most appropriate response. But despite several telephonic conversations with Mr. Ngculu, he has never volunteered such assurance. When I enquired again on Friday 05th of May 2006, Mr. Ngculu requested me to email the document again, as he “can’t recall the matter”.

I think you will probably agree that it will be important for us to protect our democracy. But I must admit that it confuses me when I see that important questions can be treated with contempt for prolonged periods of time. Is it not reasonable for us to have expectations that our democracy must develop at a pace that will allow us to see the result of our contributions during our own lifetime? Apart from the obvious, I can think of several other considerations why Parliament should debate the issues highlighted in the letter to Mr. Ngculu. These are:

• Can we base our democracy on the aggressive unwavering pursuit of truth?
• Can we tolerate a situation that allows the corporate sector and the state, to dictate the agenda at our academic institutions?
• Can we afford to allow academics who are clearly not living up to the principles of academic freedom to remain working as academics?
• Can we afford to passively observe whilst elements amongst the academic leadership are actively involved in undermining academic freedom?
• How can we adjust the rules that are governing the autonomy of state-sponsored academic institutions?
• Is it possible to develop a monitoring system for institutions of higher learning that can:
  • Place academics under an obligation to try and pursue the truth?
    Encourage scholars to pursue even novel truths no matter where they lead?
  • Constantly monitor institutions to guard against abuses of academic freedom?
  • Constantly remind academics who participate in abuses of academic freedom that their conduct poses a threat to the respect that should be enjoyed by institutions of higher learning; and also to the respect that should be enjoyed by science and by our democracy as a whole?
  • Further strengthen our democracy by protecting truth seekers?
  • Improve the behaviour of abusive elements amongst the leadership of academic institutions?
  • Take swift and firm remedial actions against abuses of academic freedom?

Will you please make a contribution towards seeing to it that the questions as outlined in the letter dated 09 January 2006 to Mr. Ngculu are posed in Parliament? This letter can also be accessed electronically at the link: aras.ab.ca/articles/Beaurain

If it turns out that Mr. Ngculu is not prepared to pose the questions to the Minister of Education; will you please do so?
 
Yours truly

 

Johan Beaurain

cc: Several other individuals and interest groups.