WE NEED TO TALK. By Jonathan Jansen

Review by Mpikeleni Duma


Arguably, Professor Jonathan Jansen, the rector of the University of
the Free State found himself becoming something of a household name in
South Africa when he was perceived by many as handling the
controversial “Reitz four” with kid gloves. His conciliatory, humane
approach baffled many – but later on won him many plaudits.

Yet Jansen is a formidable academic and intellectual also renowned for
his critical and, seemingly baffling voice. This book contains a
collection of his articles previously published in The Times. Here, he
highlights many issues our nation is assailed with - the issues we
need to talk about. There is a medley of humility, an emotive voice,
interspersed with a lot of common sense in these write-ups.

Jansen turns his pen to a wide range of issues, straddling education,
race and identity, the state of our nation, leadership, importance and
ramifications of modern social networking; and sport is not excluded.
His views show his eclectic and cosmopolitan outlook. He can be zany
too; as when he states:"A good column upsets half of your readers; the
secret is that it should be a different half each time.”

Indeed this work shows that Jansen takes his inspiration from a
cross-section of people, statesmen, teachers, students, children and
everyday South Africans he meets. We are creatively introduced to this
variety of individuals through these write-ups which project a vision
of South Africa we can build on. Again and again he stresses that as a
polity we must heal the wounds of the past

This collection is brought to life by the vivid anecdotal narrative
approach. For example we are gripped from the beginning when we read:
"The message on my Facebook page was heartrending: Professor Jansen,
please say something to us people in Lindley to give us some hope,
please?’ I did not know the woman writing from the rural, eastern Free
State town; it’s what happens when you accept all the "friends
request' that you come your way on this social network facility called
Facebook. But while the woman was a stranger, the context of her
desperate appeal was not…”

The author’s empathy with others is palpable. He is humane and
identifies with the so-called down-trodden and impecunious:

“What moved me most, however, were the ordinary South Africans living
their lives below the radar screen of mainstream media. These are the
"salt of the earth", hard-working citizens who eat their bread by
sweat of their collective brows. They are those single mothers
abandoned by wayward men and who yet find the will and resources to
put children through school.”

As a top-notch academic, it is no surprise that the author places much
premium on quality formal education. This can be gleaned for example
from his “letter to the President”:

Dear President Zuma. I am writing to you out of desperation.
Desperation is an emotion I seldom feel, except in relation to
education, for I believe very deeply that for most children, a solid
school education represents the only means available for ending the
cycle of family poverty. Skills come later; economic growth even
later. Social cohesion lies far in the distance. What matters is that
children complete twelve years of schooling with the ability to read,
write, reason, calculate and express confidence for the purpose of
further studies, skill training and high education”

This is a book that has a firm therapeutic effect and which is
illuminating to boot; a work that makes one to ponder issues more
carefully, reflect, discuss these ideas with others – We need to talk
indeed!
* Originally published in SOWETAN of 23 May 2001