Litnet

On Sunday, 23 February 2025, the life and work of Breyten Breytenbach – who passed away on 24 November 2024 – was celebrated at the Breytenbach Sentrum in Wellington. Herewith the text version of Francis Galloway’s talk as part of the event.

"The current fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a hugely complex issue, with roots going deep and, historically, going back a long way – thus being transhistorical."

"The powerful 1969 earthquake that struck the Western Cape in South Africa caused widespread destruction, but also became a moment for the government to reinforce racial segregation under the guise of reconstruction. ... The rebuilding of Lisbon, on the other hand, represents one of the most significant Enlightenment-inspired urban projects of the 18th century."

"For the arts and culture sector, Trump’s executive order might leave a small dent, but it is nothing that a good amount of panel-beating between South African and US institutions/organisations that hold shared values cannot navigate."

"By withdrawing the United States (US) from the global Paris Agreement, Trump is defying multilateral climate resilience cooperation, at a time when global average temperatures already exceed a critical 1,5°C warming threshold, and severe weather events are becoming more regular."

"Throughout the Cold War, and through to today, the credibility of nuclear deterrence was and is attached to all manner and sorts of things: the personalities of leaders, their rationality, the regime type, and whether leaders believe in the doctrine of nuclear deterrence."

"[I]n most cases, the causes and atrocities of the wars – Korea, Vietnam, numerous struggles for liberation across Africa and the Middle East, Latin America and a dozen other settings – have been brushed over or inadequately brought to light. South Africa stands out as an exception, with its Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But the truth of the lessons of Auschwitz holds true for a world in conflict since 1945, and makes the 80th commemoration all the more important."

"Your chosen favourite can say or do no wrong, and anything, however outrageous or immoral, can be justified, condoned and, with every-day use and reinforcement, it becomes your new normal, the standard from which to judge The Other."

"In simple English, even in cases where there are healthcare workers paid for by the government, medication cannot be handed out."

"Logically, what is the justification for fact-checking – and then monitoring and censoring – Facebook or X or Instagram, but not WhatsApp?"

"Frank Anthony’s activism was not just a political endeavour; it was a deeply emotional and personal commitment to the pursuit of freedom and justice ... With each word penned in defiance, each poem recited in solidarity, Anthony poured his heart and soul into the struggle, knowing that the price of freedom was steep, but believing fervently in its worth."

"For property rights holders, nothing dangerous will come of it. For the landless, their aspirations have been deferred. Perhaps once again."

"As much as I understand and respect the now common practice of clustering young boys under the care of a district surgeon or something similar, I lament the loss of other rituals in this arrangement. For one, unless families privately arrange this, there is now no teaching of the young men who they are amid the myriad clan origins. They come out of the mountains without any better or deeper understanding of their history and identity."

"Early in this ceasefire, it is, beyond the brief respite, hope and emotions, all too clear that this conflict has gained nothing meaningful in conflict terms."

"Human rights observers have pointed out that Meta has been inconsistent in applying its own policies when it comes to, for instance, content related to Palestine, which has reportedly been systematically suppressed. In this regard, Zuckerberg’s positioning of fact-checking as a form of censorship aligns with Elon Musk’s supposed 'free-speech absolutism', which has also been shown to be not only hypocritical, but clearly in favour of interests on the far right of the political spectrum. But most of all, the timing of Meta’s announcement, on the eve of the return of Donald Trump to the White House, strongly suggests that Zuckerberg is currying favour with the new political powers in the US."

"The party’s decision to extend financial support to Zuma, coupled with their simultaneous attacks on Ramaphosa, reflects a growing pattern of opportunism that is rooted in political manoeuvring rather than principled leadership."

"Forget the standard view of politics as left versus right, populist versus traditionalist, politically correct versus, well, just about everything else. That’s all old hat now in our brave new world. Instead, a simplified and much easier way of understanding the times we live in, compared with old school history with boring events and the like, is through something called vibe shifts."

"Over the past few weeks water services in Cradock in the Eastern Cape highlighted the plight of small towns when these services fail. It is reminiscent of a water sector adage that 'the problem is not the pipes; it’s the institutions that manage the pipes'."

"At this juncture in our country’s history, the words of Thomas Hardy come to mind when one thinks of the Springboks: 'Happiness is but an occasional episode in a general drama of pain.' Thanks to the Springboks for being the happiness in our lives."

"How and when will we find the simplification and Google Understanding Translate to help overcome the language and lexicon barriers to human understanding of universal or global issues?"