Vele Manenje Contract with Phalaphala FM terminated 8 days after joining the station

Multitalented TV and radio personality, Vele Manenje's contract with Phalaphala FM had been terminated 8 days after joining the station. Vele was recently a co-host for the morning drive show with Terry Mudau, from 6 am to 9 am weekdays, but this did not last. She only worked for 8 days hosting the Breakfast Show, before she parted ways with the station.

It is reported that the Phalaphala FM management received numerous complaints from its listeners who were not pleased with Vele behind the mic, and wanted the changes to be made. Twitter influencer Musa Khawula broke the news to the public by tweeting that “Vele Manenje’s contract has been terminated by Phalaphala FM." The Skeem Saam actress known for her role as Evelyn also made stint on numerous TV dramas such as DiepCity etc.

Manenje has also come out with her side of the story. She says there are a lot of projects she is currently working on and she is also a new mother. She also said that juggling everything has become a lot and she has decided to part ways with the radio station. She further stated that there is no bad blood between her and the station.

IS IT STILL RELEVANT FOR PUPILS AND STUDENTS TO LEARN AND STUDY IN ENGLISH?

Is it still relevant for learners and students to learn and study in English, when they have their own home languages?

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced that the government will soon be implementing language changes in South African schools. According to Angie, children are performing poorly in school because they are being taught using English – a language that is foreign to them.

This is a good step in the right direction... Lot of people out there are struggling and failing in schools because they don’t understand the language. Every year when you check the matric pass rate, the country is sitting at around 70%, but the fact of the matter is that only less than 20% of those who have passed matric, qualify to go to University.

Back in the days I used to do three languages in Primary school, until I abandoned Afrikaans because it was adding no value to my studies and the school also abolished Afrikaans at the later stage. I think this is how the home language policy could be implemented. I've been saying this for years and I believe that this will work and improve our quality of education and subsequently improve our quality of life as South Africans. 1. We group our African languages in 3 groups. Sotho, Nguni, Northern Lingos (Venda and Tsonga) 2. You study all the subjects in your mother tongue. 3. You do three languages in school, English, Mother tongue e.g Sepedi and One Nguni language. 4. You study in a language of choice from Grade R to PHD in University. 5. Change this modernised Bantu education and bring in a new effective and decolonised education from Primary to the University.

By doing this, South Africa will produce more professionals and entrepreneurs, unlike now when we produce more job seekers, when already there are no jobs. This thing of people who are saying we should study everything in English is nonsense. English should just be a language and it should be optional and not mandatory.

Other nations like Chinese, Arabs and more are flourishing both academically and economically because they are doing everything in their mother tongue. Some of them can't even say Good morning in English, yet they are far much better than English speakers. If you still have the mentality of thinking that English determines the person's intelligence, then you're still mentally colonised and you belong nowhere in the Africa we want. I conclude by Nelson Mandela's words: If you speak to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his mind but if you speak to a man in his language, that goes to his heart.