Cape Town - Xolela Mangcu “Going back to racist 1980s”(The Sunday Independent, March 13) once again defames me.
He misrepresents what I said when he attributes to me the claim that “Africa must still prove it has something to contribute to philosophy”. Careful readers who would like to know what I said should see my piece “Those who seek changes must show they are desirable”. One wonders if Professor Mangcu’s failure to represent accurately his opponents’ arguments is attributable to an inability or to an unwillingness to do so. Either way, he keeps getting it wrong.
He also asserts that during my tenure as head of the philosophy department I have “not seen fit to hire one black member of staff in the whole department”. Professor Mangcu seems not to understand how selection committees work.
Heads of department do not decide who is and who is not hired.
Appointments are made by selection committees who are (generally) chaired by the dean or a deputy and who include not only the head of department, but also members of the department, external representatives, and an “employment equity representative”.
Professor Mangcu also says “the weird thing is it has become hard for black people to call racism by name (at) the liberal universities”. In fact, people are alleging racism all the time, even when this is utterly without foundation.
Professor Mangcu’s endless accusations of racism, including in the now-infamous omelette and spinach cases, are indicative of his florid racial paranoia. He will some day be held to account for stoking up hatred unnecessarily.
The same goes for the media in which he is given endless and unfettered opportunity to spew his venom.
* Benatar is Professor and Head of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
The Sunday Independent