Amandla vir almal, always

AS advocated by Sun Tzu, Nelson Mandela's understanding of his former enemies proved crucial from 1994 to 1999, when he used that knowledge to tailor his approach in such a way as to bring disparate factions, political parties, racial and linguistic groups together to win the war for our nation's soul, and lay the foundations of peace in South Africa. Looking back on his presidency, I've come to see him in terms of a succession of "greats", as in the "great conciliator", "great inclusionist", and "great constitutionalist".

It was clear that an approach which involved reconciliation, inclusion of all groups in determining the future of this country, and basing it on building and respecting a democratic constitutional framework was the only feasible way to go. Unlike his successors, he demonstrated the necessity to respect South Africa's constitution by going to court when summoned to appear in a case involving Louis Luyt.

Since then, besides Jacob Zuma's criminal trial on rape charges, there have been no instances that I know of in which presidents, ministers and other politicians have gone to court. Worse still, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma's administrations have done a great deal to sow division among South Africans along economic, linguistic, social and racial lines.

Under their leadership, non-black groups have been increasingly alienated by depriving them of the opportunity to participate in government and the economy on individual merit. This is through AA, BBBEE, EE, and the continued use of race to define and direct state socio-economic policy, while simultaneously using demeaning terms to refer to whites, and constantly blaming them for proven ANC and government service delivery failures.

In this regard, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande's threat to remove the registration of Academia (a private Afrikaans medium university) on the grounds that refusing to teach in English is racist, is merely the latest in a long chain of assaults on Afrikaans culture. This started with sidelining the language in government, state-owned broadcasting, agriculture, primary education, business and now a university.

These assaults alienated Afrikaners (tens of thousands of whom have emigrated), raised the level of food insecurity and introduced an almost black supremacist-like mindset in government structures which has sought to describe black people as "Africans", while members of all other race groups born here were denied the right to claim this and thus suffered tremendously.

We need to be honest here and now – all born on this continent are Africans and those who, like myself, are naturalised citizens have the right at least to consider themselves South African.

Furthermore, just as studying and being taught in Xhosa isn't racist, neither is studying and being taught in Afrikaans.

In fact, it is a constitutional right which must not be limited or destroyed just because the primary education system has consistently failed to improve itself over the last 20 years and the higher education system has been allowed to languish.

The 11 official languages of our country are spoken not just by the racial and ethnic groups from which they spring, but also a great variety of Africans and South Africans.

Once again, I say with a loud and clear voice: "If you want to attend an English, Xhosa, Zulu or Afrikaans medium institution, first bother to learn the language it teaches in!"

Fellow readers, by now you see the irony of a European immigrant defending an African language and people (yes, Blade, Afrikaners are African) who harassed, insulted, marginalised and rejected him for nine years – in English and to top it all, in an English language newspaper.

But what you don't see is the fact that I don't speak or write Afrikaans well, and therefore must write here.

Besides, isn't reconciliation partly supposed to be about protecting one's former enemies because they're now friends and have been for 13 years? Wat se jy nou, ou Lem? Is jy nog skerp of nie? (What do you say now, ol' Blade? Are you still sharp, or not?)

An ethnic Romanian South African who writes in Afrikaans – strange but very South African, wouldn't you say? Improvise, adapt, overcome.

Do what you have to do to succeed.

Unite all South Africans!

M Negres, Port Elizabeth