CRUSADE: Billionaire may be the final arbiter in the tension between censorship and freedom of expression…

By Oupa Ngwenya

SINCE Telsa CEO Elon Musk took over Twitter, now X, technology stands revealed as a tool that can either oppress or liberate.

Between censorship and freedom of expression, Musk is inadvertently the last man standing. Unscrupulous governments known for excelling in escaping accountability are not impressed with Musk rooting to err on the side of freedom of expression than on the opposite.

Depending on the role of Big Tech, the driving force behind billionaires and hands-on advertisers and sponsors with itchy fingers to scramble to cross the editorial line in exchange for exposure of their respective messages to audiences on offer, the world can either thrive to greater heights of nobleness or be sunk deeper into the dark grave of ignominy for the burial of our common humanity. Truth should not be allowed to be put for sale or betrayed.

Truth was on the robes upon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform. Without that assumed crusade, there was no one to look up to for all voices to be heard.

Without means to do battle with oligarchic power, freedom of expression enthusiasts soon cast Musk as the biblical David facing the tyranny of the merciless Goliath. He was giving freedom of expression a fighting chance. As to how long the stance will last was the lingering question.

American television host, political commentator, comedian and author Greg Gutfeld agreed: “Elon Musk may be the last man standing between the real freedom of speech and the suffocating block of the censorship industrial complex which is made of the media, government and tech forces. Musk realises that advertisers have no spine. They are easily cowed by special interest groups in cahoots with political allies. If you do not believe me, I have two words for you, Tucker Carlson.” Gutfeld was referring to number one Fox News commentator whose contract was terminated after Carlson had given the other side of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Taking over Twitter was as good as walking into the Covid-19 pandemic storm. Narrative fixers and perception shifters were hard at work shepherding the rest of humanity towards herd treatment in the name of ‘science’ the World Health Organization (WHO) was championing. All those that thought otherwise were branded ‘anti vaxxers’ and ‘conspiracy theorists’, meriting to be de-platformed. Holding the WHO line was the gospel to be preached.

Failure to hold that line made users’ stay on the social platform precarious. The political sass by which Musk was expected to exhibit as new owner of X, was not as prudent either. Musk’s irritable response to the EFF political haka of ‘kill the boer’ chant at the end of its 10th anniversary celebration on July 29 2023 was a case in point.

But that proved a passing storm that nevertheless did not eclipse a pledge akin to a dictum attributed to Voltaire: “You may differ with me but will defend to death your right to say it.”

The striking hour of Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, presented another storm Musk had to sail through. Initial response by Musk was to the effect that the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ would be inappropriate for X.

This was in the face of increasing international opinion that could no longer tolerate the genocidal implications on the Palestinian population by Israelis in the raging seven-decades-old conflict between the occupier and the occupied. On November 16, the Wall Street Journal had cited: “The billionaire had agreed with a post on X that said Jewish communities push hatred of white people.”

While denying his visit to Israel on November 27 to meet PM Benjamin Netanyahu was no apology visit, bending a knee for Israel it undeniably was a diplomatic coup for Israel. Netanyahu milked as much as he could from that visit. One would be naïve not to see that X is much sought after in the communication war arsenal that Israel could wish to affirmatively have on Tel Aviv’s side. The 500 million X users and no less than 200 million posts per day is no idling heaven not to wish for by extortionists, be it in war or peace time.

In a one-on-one meeting with Israel President Isaac Herzog was visibly pleased to hear Musk say: “Those killing civilians must be killed.”  But, in an interview Musk had with the New York Times on his return from Israel, he expressed an aversion to being extorted by advertisers. “They must go f*ck themselves.”  But co-hosts to Jimmy Dore’s podcast, Rusell Dobular and Keaton Weiss, hold that Musk’s political stance is difficult to decipher nor is he reputed to be a man of principle.

In an interview Musk gave, he was agitated to an extent of saying Disneyland could keep its advertising, indicating that advertisers had no last word on what voices to keep or shut down on X.

Standing on the opposite side of Jimmy Dore is podcaster Dave Rubin, whose mind is decidedly on the occupying power to see any good in the cause of the occupied.

Rubin’s tear-jerking calmness characterises the Israel side of released refugees into an idyllic atmosphere of undisturbed air-conditioned intact facilities never touched by bombs to portray a resilient mark of surviving civilisation. The exuberance characterises the chaotic side of Palestinian released refugees into an eyesore rubble.

To this, Rubin sees things moving at breakneck speed, featuring Elon Musk in flesh in Israel with events vigorously shaking the fence for the billionaire to pick a side. Judging Musk’s language during his visit to Israel, it was undeniably a battle for the billionaire’s heart. From Netanyahu’s lens, Musk says those that kill civilians must be killed.

Since in the language of Netanyahu, Palestinians ‘are human animals,’ they fall outside the definition of citizens to earn Rubin’s empathy. From Rubin’s side, as is Piers Morgan and Christiane Amanpour, the line is clear for all to hold: ‘Do you condemn Hamas?’

Same has been the line of march with Ukraine: “Do you condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” And the ‘truth’ of victory that has been parroted since February 2022 on behalf of Zelensky is proving difficult to get by.

The battle of the hearts and minds continues. It is not clear if Elon Musk’s heart has escaped his rib cage too. The final judge to tell if it is so will be by show of voices that are allowed or not allowed on to be heard on X. The events shaking the fence on which Musk sits to pick a side are far from stopping.

• Oupa Ngwenya: Corporate Strategist, Writer and Freelance Journalist

INTRODUCE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES AS MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AT SCHOOLS

CURRICULUM: Move long overdue, yet a catalyst for the improvement of results…

By Mabutho “Kid” Sithole

Today December 16 in what is “Dingane Day”, however today referred to as Reconciliation Day, coincides as usual with the festive season, the time when transport and tourism become brisk revenue generators for those in the industry whilst deaths on our roads remain our major challenge.

A time for multitudes of learners who have completed their final-year examinations, anxiously waiting for results, particularly the Grade 12 pupils. An unpredictable and uncertain future as others will be shedding tears of joy over their children’s success, and others tears of sadness – mixed reaction for families and friends!

Since the usual narrative about education is that it is a societal issue, it is a period in which a string of social partners and well-wishers look out for percentage improvements, particularly regarding results.  We, in ILIFA, are one such interested and affected social partner about the state of our education system.  The Indigenous Languages Initiative For Advancement (ILIFA) is an NGO created to engage in efforts to promote, protect, preserve and develop indigenous languages to redress, rescue all of them from possible extinction. ILIFA is convinced that the reintroduction of indigenous languages in the education system will be a catalyst to improve education; and indeed, the much awaited Grade 12 results!

We argue that learners will have trouble in understanding first the question paper in a second language used, in this case English, then interpret it in their mother tongue, formulate, interpret and respond back in a second language, “a very tiring process for all children in the education system that is not in their mother tongue”.

Learning through a second language and/or not a mother tongue can certainly derail any plan to finish on time during exams, a time-consuming process. It is proven by research that learners taught and instructed in their mother tongue, learn easy, quicker than even other languages too. We join the popular narrative that,”if it’s not broken, why fix it”.

Unluckily this time around, a lack of mother tongue education system has derailed a million of learners, most of whom coming from underprivileged backgrounds, and mostly from urban and rural locations. The mother tongue instruction has proven to be a success in cases where it has been introduced at institutions of higher learning such as UKZN & UCT, which have insisted on IsiZulu and IsiXhosa becoming part of language of instruction. For instance, UCT insisted on IsiXhosa, even in the training and development of their medical students. They are correct because their patients will be speakers of all languages, and the majority being isiXhosa speakers in Western Cape!

It should be citizens of our land who lead in repositioning and mainstreaming indigenous languages from the periphery to the centre of the economic growth and recovery as  frequent and regular language usage will result in job creation for indigenous languages such as, but not limited to film makers, content creators, graphic artists, fashion designers, sculptures, curators, visual artists, performing artists, musicians, photographers, architectures, media, authors, reviewers, graphic designers, animators, editors etc.

The benefits to the culture value chain, from book writers, filmmakers, script writers, creative, broadcasters right up to the consumers, as well as to listeners, viewers, readers. Let’s not deprive our children of options, let them study in their mother tongue. We thought SA citizens learnt when the 2010 World Cup was staged, when foreign soccer coaches from different parts of the world brought into the country their interpreters along. Truly, languages create diverse JOBS! Indigenous Languages are projectors of culture and identities which can’t be relegated to the dustbin of history. They set us apart and define us. Leboko, Isiduko, Tshirenzo, Direto, Isithakazeloetc, our education must be decolonised. The education system and learners too must be decolonised, we can’t voluntarily colonise them, political freedom must be paired with cultural freedom as only then the 1955 Freedom Charter clause: “The doors of Learning and Culture shall be open to all” will be realised.

We urge all patriots and progressive entities to support a call to go back to our roots by returning our learners to themselves, mother tongue education now, mother tongue education in our lifetime, as a lack thereof is a dream deferred. Should Grade 12 Matric Examination Results be the measure of how our learners, educators and parents are weighed, without mother tongue education?

The countries doing well in education outcomes have their education system in their mother tongue, with the Best Educational Systems – 2020 Global Citizens for Human Rights in order of the performance: Denmark, Finland, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Singapore and South Korea.

All have their education system in their mother tongue, with the dominant and popular languages as second languages.

• Sithole is the founder of Ilifa Lethu Institution (Mother Tongue Shield)