LL-L "Afrikaans" 2004.04.13 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 13.APR.2004 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: ezinsser <ezinsser at icon.co.za>
Subject: LL-L "Afrikaans" 2004.04.13 (06) [E]


Hi Uilleam and all,

I'll respond on Marco's points:

1. there are still more first language speakers of Afrikaans in SA than of
English (appr. 16% vs 9% of the population - Afrikaans is the 3rd language
of SA -after Zulu & Xhosa- English only the 6th);

- true, although recent stats says that Sotho has taken up the third
position.
Historically, Sotho speakers were speaking Afrikaans rather than English as
second language. I suspect that Sothos are now more keen to embrace English
as preferred language to follow the government's English preference
policies,
rather than promoting indigenous tongues, including Afrikaans.

2. there are roughly just as mucht coloured people speaking Afrikaans as
there are white people;

-no, there are more white Afrikaans speakers than coloured Afrikaans
speakers.
The coloured population is smaller than the white population.

3. although it's only a fraction of the total of black people in SA, over
80,000 use Afrikaans as their home language against only 50,000 who use
English;

-that is true. Diversity is tolerated as long as it speaks English.

4. I believe that only a part of white people who speak Afrikaans consider
themselves Afrikaner or Boer;

- No, the majority of white Afrikaans speakers consider themselves as
Afrikaners.
Smaller groups consider themselves as either a Boer or plainly a South
African.

I suspect older, conservative urban and rural people would refer to
themselves as
Boere (the plural), but one cannot generalize. I believe, perhaps wrongly,
that descendants
from the Great Trek are more likely to call themselves Boere.

5. Afrikaans is still widely used as a contact language between (white,
coloured and
black) speakers of other languages, including a lot of African languages,
although
it is in this language domain where English is getting more and more
important;

-that is true and it directly relates to the government's push to make
indigenous
languages redundant in the 'higher' spheres of society.

6. English is the trade-language of SA and it's also more and more becoming
the language of radio, tv and politics, but Afrikaans plays a very important
role in printed media, litterature and leisure;

-not only in trade but also in the judicial system, government departments,
education,
training, etc etc. The state controls the content of public service
television and radio,
and the focus is on the advancement of English. One can still hear good
Afrikaans radio
but I have heard of instances of editorial gatekeeping.

In state procurement policies, there's a definite drive to advertize state
tenders only in English
language dailys.

7. As for the way people look at European descended South Africans: I think
that is impossible
to answer that question because that depends on the social & cultural
situation & history of the
area, the local economical situation, etc., and even more on the individual.

-this is true in the day to day living, sharing and interpersonal contact.

Whites are generally, by virtue of their skin color, viewed as having lots
of money and
are favorite targets for hijackings, attacks, burglaries and murder. Because
the white SA
population is predominantly Afrikaans speaking, the impact on Afrikaners is
possibly more
severe. To give you an example: Over the last 8 years, my parents and 5
siblings residing here
have suffered in total 4 hijackings, 5 robberies, one attempted murder and 6
house burglaries.
None are particularly rich or racially biased.

Most educated Afrikaner families that I know have their passports and a
close family member
overseas prepared for "in case". The US appeal court has recently passed its
first refugee/asylum
hearing for whites who feel it unsafe to be resident in SA. I expect more to
follow.

In terms of economic issues, black advancement and affirmative action
policies are keeping
white graduates and poor unskilled blacks out of jobs. Postgraduate
bursaries are awarded to
those who can claim 'historically disadvantaged', despite having read for
Master degrees at UK or
US universities.

Young white people who previously did not benefit from apartheid now also
don't benefit from new 'equal opportunity policies'. Equal opportunity does
not necessarily mean gender and physical disability equality. The result is
that white graduates (teachers, medical specialists, doctors, IT
specialists) are leaving the country in droves to work in the UK, the United
Arab Emirates, the US, Canada, Australia and Nieu Zealand.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

Regards,
Elsie Zinsser

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