Dalai Lama and the New Minister of Higher Education

Dalai Lama and the New Minister of Higher Education
Yesterday it was announced that the new minister for higher education is Dr Blade Nsimande. If he is serious about academic freedom he might turn out as a good choice for this important post as he is regarded as a keen educationist.

However, a few weeks ago, as was reported widely globally, Dalai Lama was refused visa to South Africa. He was to take part in a peace gathering together with Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and others as a promotion of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. As Dalai Lama was refused entry the whole conference was cancelled.

It appeared that the Chinese government had directly approached the South African government asking for a refusal. It was feared that the Lama would use the opportunity to speak for the independence of his country, the Tibet, which is totally under China.

Be that as it may, South African authorities denied being pressurized by China into such a decision. Quite an effort was used to prove that it was in South Africa’s own interest to stop him from coming at this point in time.

The Finance Minister Trevor Manuel also commented that Dalai Lama was of no importance, but that the relationship with China was, and that he had a political agenda that conflicted with that of South Africa. Slightly astounded by such words I a little later was served a very interesting comment by Dr Blade Nsimande, interviewed on SAFM. In this interview things became crystal clear. As leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP) he had a ready made opinion that could be served. He bluntly said that since quite a while South Africa had adopted China’s policy on matters like the Tibet and Taiwan. There was no discussion about it, there is only one China and it was also not in the interest of South Africa to have a discussion on such an issue on South African territory.

Having listened to this self-explanatory comment I held my breath. Apparently the government has already developed policies that are influenced by the SACP and seems to adhere to political stereotypes like those of China, rather than paying interest in Human Rights. One could ask whether the same would be applicable regarding Ethiopia, as there since many years exists a view of the one great Ethiopia, also including today’s independent Eritrea?

The legacy of fighting the evils of apartheid speaks another language. It speaks a language of an independent mind and a brave drawing of conclusions from case to case on the basis of the dire need to defend collective and individual Human Rights, wherever violations might occur. And the right to speak one’s mind has to be defended at all times and therefore the refusal of visa to Dalai Lama is so unacceptable.

Something less could not possibly be expected from a liberated South Africa who within herself have people, whose lives fervently have to be guarded, and who are descendants from such a wide variety of peoples, cultures and faiths, not only from the sub-continent of Africa, but the rest of Africa and a large part of the rest of the world. Such a promised land has to develop independent policies, not bowing to big and perhaps not so great powers, neither in the east nor in the west.

Footnote:
I thought first I would write about the Minister of Health, Barbara Hogan (until yesterday when she was taken out of that ministry for the ministry of public enterprises). She spontaneously spoke out against the decision to bar the Dalai Lama from coming, as it at the time was not even clear where in the government the decision was taken. A few days later she recanted and I thought, did she have to sell her soul for the health ministry?? Now it appears, in any case, that that ministry is gone for her, so perhaps she has already had to pay a price. Who knows, but this is also sad, I think.