South Africa: Teachers' Union Labels Lindiwe Mazibuko An "Oreo" For Demanding Quality Teachers

Getting called names for taking on the teachers' union

Apparently the phrase that they used is the South African version of the term "Oreo". From IOL News (South Africa), about the moderate-liberal parliamentarian: "DA [Democratic Alliance] Parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko was jeered and labelled a 'coconut' as unionists and teachers gate-crashed a protest march by the party on Friday demanding better education in the Eastern Cape. The dramatic scenes unfolded outside the offices of the provincial education department in Zwelitsha near Bhisho, where the Democratic Alliance's 'peaceful' march soon erupted into chaos, the Weekend Post reported."

The article continues about today's clash: "Sadtu [South African Democratic Teachers Union] and Nehawu [National Education, Health & Allied Workers Union] supporters wielded sticks and heckled Mazibuko and a group of 500 of her supporters. About 200 protesters loudly taunted Mazibuko while she addressed her followers, singing 'amabulu amnyama' (rich blacks or coconuts). 'It is like calling black members coconuts, only more derogatory,' said DA Eastern Cape provincial leader Athol Trollip. The protesters refused to give reasons for their protest and began chanting 'no interviews'. However, one woman, wearing a red Nehawu T-shirt, shouted: 'Ask those who come to invade us!"

Ms. Mazibuko responds to what took place today: "'I am worried about a culture in which protesters carry sticks because we wanted to ensure this march was peaceful,' Mazibuko told Weekend Post. 'We are not here to engage with Cosatu [Congress of South African Trade Unions] but with the Department of Education. They can shout all they like. They are here to cause a fiasco and provoke us when they should be in class. They are making a mockery of education. They are very immature, yet they are supposed to be educated,' she said."

Booker Rising response: It should be noted that one of IOL's readers states that when ambulu amnyama (which he says traditionally translates to "black farmers") is used in a negative context, it actually means "white blacks" and not rich blacks or coconuts.