MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Libraries’ Demise

By

Dear Editor

As the longest-serving ANC president, Kaizana ‘Oliver Reginald’ Tambo, humbly admitted that – let’s tell the truth to ourselves, even if the truth coincides with what the enemy is saying. Let us tell the truth.”, stereotypes, I opine, are often based on hard facts. To cut a long story short, the upkeep and maintenance of government institutions seem to be Black South Africans’ ultimate nemesis; if not outright treason confirmation.

The closure and/or vandalism of public libraries’ case study especially in townships would most-probably make the racist former prime minister of South Africa, Hendrik Frensch [HF] Verwoerd feel vindicated, through his often quotation that if one wants to hide something from Blacks, then a book would be the ultimate Fort Knox.

Long before the Covid-19 pandemic, library attendance was dwindling, mostly being visited for school projects or studying for examinations. By the way, it is disheartening that some books from the main library are damaged beyond repair and have to be destroyed. No wonder we have a hot-headed, militant, violent, reactionary, gossiping, weak-minded, murderous, quick-fix obsessed, greedy, boastful & easily-indoctrinated youth nowadays as their despised activity called reading has an ironically calming effect on any short fuse; a thing that runs concurrently with logic.

Just like some philosopher aptly put it: “Books are dangerous. They contain ideas.” However, to our faithless and hopeless youngsters, encouragement of reading is akin to teaching Shakespearen plays in Japanese or even Yiddish.

Regards

Luyanda Marlon Kama
Kwa-Dwesi, Gqeberha

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.