Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, has expressed his deepest condolences on the passing on of internationally acclaimed linguist, academic and struggle veteran, Dr Neville Alexander, describing it as a great loss to the left wing intellectual community.
“I had a lot of respect for Neville, for his contribution in the struggle for liberation even though we come from two different left traditions, and we often disagreed on many things, I deeply respected him as a committed socialist intellectual and activist,” Minister Nzimande said.
The Minister shared with Dr Alexander a similar passion on the issue of language and the need to develop African languages as a critical dimension of the liberation and social emancipation of the majority of South Africans.
In 2011 the Minister hosted a roundtable that interrogated the state of African languages in universities which was attended by representatives from the public higher education institutions, civil society and statutory bodies concerned with language development in the country.
“Neville’s passing is a great loss especially for the left wing intellectual community which for decades now has been suffocated by a right wing, neo-liberal discourse and ideology. It is an unfortunate coincidence that he passes on at a time when neo-liberalism is in deep ideological crisis, a moment which is fertile for the emergence of better and more humane ideas,” Minister Nzimande said.
For more details and to request interviews with the Minister, please call:
Vuyelwa Qinga
Tel: 012 312 5538/39
Cell: 076 883 4144
Fax: 012 323 5618
E-Mail: Qinga.V@dhet.gov.za
Minister Nzimande pays tribute to Dr Neville Alexander
