LETTER: Ryanair’s actions are not helping

We are deeply concerned about the fact that Afrikaans is still being used as a political tool by a stubborn international carrier such as Ryanair to confirm people’s SA nationality ("Ryanair gives South Africans Afrikaans quiz to prove their identity on entering UK”, June 6). There must be other ways to confirm their clients’ nationality.

SA has 11 official languages and it is strange, as pointed out to Ryanair, that the emotions and sensitivity around Afrikaans are not understood and respected. Afrikaans with its past is still a major obstacle for many South Africans, and many organisations and institutions have worked hard to promote Afrikaans as a language and cultural instrument. Ryanair's actions are not helping. 

One understands international airlines’ fears regarding South African passports. But this is a matter regarding which the companies should liaise with home affairs and other departments. Afrikaans cannot and must never again relinquish its hard-earned position as a bridge-building language in SA by being thoughtlessly abused and used as an instrument of exclusion by others.

Jan Bosman, General secretary, Afrikanerbond

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