I’m very afraid

My piece published in Reporter.co.za today

By Tsuai

Academic and freedom of speech under assault.

The flurry of criticism thrown at Unisa rector Barney Pityana for saying that Zuma is a leader who does not inspire confidence is alarming.

Pityana, a respected academic, recently told the Law Society of South Africa that JZ is a flip-flop leader. Most analysts concur that Zuma is a cunning politician who tells different sections of the population what they want to hear. In the process he sometimes contradicts himself.

Meanwhile, our society is degenerating as a select group of people want to claim monopoly of views in the battle of ideas. And those who differ with them are labeled as conservative, ultra-left, pushing the white/DA (Democratic Alliance) agenda, anti- transformation and racist.

Apparently I’m becoming a reactionary. But freedom of speech, freedom to differ with the opinions of others is a fundamental element of a democratic constitutional state.

I’m afraid to differ. I realised that you cannot differ and get away with it when I was personally attacked in a discussion forum of a prominent youth organisation for voicing a different opinion (http://tsuai.blogspot.com/2007/12/things-that-i-do.html). In this discussion forum, those who voice views that are not sanctioned by the majority are cut to pieces.

This makes me wonder what the purpose of debate is? Don’t we discuss and debate so that we can differ? After all, we are different and can never think alike.

http://www.reporter.co.za/columnists/article.aspx?ID=RP21A744650