Imperialism In South Africa

“The existence of different languages was recognised and perversely celebrated to legitimise the policy of “separate development” that formed the cornerstone of apartheid...The use of language policy as an instrument of control, oppression and exploitation was one of the factors that triggered the two great political struggles that defined South Africa in the twentieth century – the struggle of the Afrikaners against British imperialism and the struggle of the black community against white rule”

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, 25 November 2002, HIGHER EDUCATION ACT, 1997
The language policy has been used in the past to control, exploit and separate through the instruction of the governments, both colonial and apartheid, yet through the implementation
This caused them to become an even tighter community with their main aim being the desire to protect the purity of their culture and race and their solution to the impounding English/ British culture was to embark on what is now known as “The Great Trek” between 1830 and 1840. The reasons being lack of land, lack of labour due to the abolishment of slavery, lack of security “There are no rights for Burghers anymore, only for blacks” ((Giliomee, H & Mbenga B, 2007 pg 109) and most importantly: Political Marginalisation. The Afrikaners had little, if any, representatives in Government, their strongholds were abolished and they felt marginalised as their language and culture was disrespected.

The Afrikaner volk were now competing for work with the Africans due to the discovery of gold and diamonds. This along with the territorial wants of the British caused The Boer War which was a resistance against the British Colonialism and cultural and political imperialism. In 1879 the GAR was published which encouraged the affirmation of the Afrikaner community once more and was an act of resistance to the English Powers and medium of the
Today we see a language policy that uplifts each individual regardless of race, culture, ethnicity or religion. It promotes critical thinking which is an extremely important factor in this day and age to prevent an apartheid system from occurring again. It is an inclusive curriculum whereby it caters for adult education and training – ABET, Special needs education (Education White paper 6), recognises the importance of education development from grade R and promotes an anti biased curriculum. The education policy differs from the past language policies in that it allows “every student to be instructed in the language of his or her choice where this is reasonably practicable... every person to the freedoms of conscience, religion, thought, belief, opinion, expression and association within

education institutions ....every person to establish, where practicable, education institutions based on a common language, culture or religion, as long as there is no discrimination on the ground of race...every person to use the language and participate in the cultural life of his or her choice within an education institution”