Government officials don't speak English. If they know how to speak English, they refuse to use it when they deal with me.
I have recently been baffled by the way government officials choose to respond to articles and questions. Following several articles I wrote on the failing Gauteng Online schools project and the resignation of the Gauteng Shared Services Centre's (GSSC's) CEO, I received strong rebukes from the communications officer.
“Is it your intention to defame the CEO of the GSSC and to what purpose?” I was asked. I was accused of serving an agenda and was expected to publish a statement as punishment for my wayward articles. Tongue lashings I don't mind, but tongue lashings in a language I don't quite understand, I mind a lot.
In defending the departure of the CEO, who only stayed on for three years, I was told he had “turned the institution around and put it on a firm and solid growth and delivery trajectory”. In my interpretation, it means he hasn't yet delivered, but if the next CEO continues with his groundwork, some results could be seen. But I suspect that my interpretation has to do with my limited English skills.
I was then scolded for not revealing my sources and called names. (I'm glad I didn't reveal names, or else a few other people would have joined me in the corner.)
“Should these hide-behind-anonymity sources wish to repudiate that, then they should do that openly and with fact otherwise they remain nothing more than witch-hunters conducting their dirty deeds in the dark.”
I was then told I had forced the GSSC to expose its good work, something it had no intention of ever doing, it seems.
“Ordinarily, we would not go to this length to explain these matters lest we are accused of self-adulation. However, it would be to give credence to the allegations of the prophets of doom not to mention these.”
It must all be one big misunderstanding, I said to myself. What else would cause one agency to accuse me of witchcraft, misplaced loyalties and defamation? All in one week. But the more I read, the more I realised I needed to find some night classes for people whose English is as poor as mine.
Tongue lashings I don't mind, but tongue lashings in a language I don't quite understand, I mind a lot.
Audra Mahlong, journalist, ITWeb
The Department of Public Enterprises recently also had to deal with my low-level English skills. Following up on its plans to establish a new agency for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), I called to ask the department for some information. And this is what I got:
“It is our view that a framework for assessing, optimally structuring and capitalising SOE in a manner that aligns SOE strategy with government's socio-economic planning framework and programme of action should be established.”
I actually got five pages of that. While I know that I could have received more - I was still baffled by this language. I thought I knew what it meant - until I got to this sentence: “Therefore, given the complex nature of the task of balancing commercial and developmental sensibility in order to coherently mediate between strategic government objectives and the ongoing commercial viability of the SOE, and to transact with the private sector in cases of co-investment, we recommend the establishment of a specialised agency tasked with a strategic portfolio of enterprises and offering, on demand, shareholder management services to all shareholder departments in government.”
I then called and asked to speak to someone who could give me additional information. It was baffled by this request. Why would I need more information, it asked? After its concise, but detailed statement to me, did I not have enough information to write my story? My response - “no” - must have shocked the department, because I've been waiting for an interview for close to two weeks now.
From my limited dealings with government officials it seems that, like taxi drivers, they all went to the same school. If someone knows where I can find it, please let me know, because I clearly need to improve my English skills.
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