Dear Learn and Teach,
I feel an exciting sensation running through my bloodstream when I read Learn and Teach. I like Learn and Teach! I love Learn and Teach! When I read Learn and Teach, I hear Learn and Teach sounds drumming melodiously into my ears in a heartsoothing manner.
When my mother has no sugar in the home, she brings me my tea together with a copy of Learn and Teach because the very reading of Learn and Teach makes my tea sweeter than honey, even without sugar in it. Too much to believe? Believe me, upon my troth, it’s true!
Thulani Mhlanga
MKHULU
Dear Learn and Teach, Please can you give me the address of the African National Congress? Freedom lover NEBO
Thank you for your letter. The ANC’s head office address Is: 3rd Floor Munich Re Centre 53 Sauer Street Johannesburg 2001
Dear Learn and Teach, I am a student in Standard 7. I need a part-time job so that I can help my mother. I used to work in AIrode on Saturdays and get R10 every two weeks, but I no longer have that job. I would like to sell your magazine so that I can make some money. I try to buy Learn and Teach whether I have money or not. Thabang Makolo KATLEHONG
Thank you for your letter, Thabang. We would be very happy for you to sell Learn and Teach. This is how we do it: you can either collect the magazine at our offices or we can post it to you. At the moment, the magazine costs R1.50. From this issue, sellers pay R1.10 for each copy. You must also pay half the postage costs. Send us a postal order or a cheque with the money for the
number of magazines you want and then we will send you the magazines. We hope that selling our magazine will go some small way towards helping your mother. Good luck!
Dear Learn and Teach,
My father had a life assurance policy with Colonial Mutual from 1979 to 1985. He died in 1987. We have written to the company three times, but they don’t want to answer.
Evaristus Willem
OSHAKATI
Thank you for your letter, Evaristus. We spoke to Mrs van der Vyver who is a department head at Colonial Mutual. She said that they have written to you several times and you have not answered. Perhaps this is because you now have a different box number. We gave her the new one. Colonial Mutual needs you to send your father’s policy document, not just the number. If you can’t find it, you must write and say why It can’t be found. Colonial Mutual has also sent a copy of the policy to the magistrate in Oshakati to sign because your father did not say who he wanted to leave the money to. The magistrate has not yet replied. Mrs van der Vyver also said that your father stopped paying in July 1982. You say he paid until 1985. If you have any proof that your father did pay until 1985, you must send it to her. If you have any questions for Mrs van der Vyver, phone her at (021) 488-6111. Good luck!
Dear Learn and Teach,
I want to congratulate you on the work that you do for the oppressed nation of this country. Your magazine broadens the reader’s knowledge of present day politics. Through your magazine ordinary people like me can get the chance to communicate with all our comrades out tnere. For them I have to say that the light turned green for us on February 2 1990. Now we can openly write and strive for the goal our forefathers set for us nearly eighty years ago. I urge readers to join political organisations and do your best to get your highest education so that we can walk the last few steps with the ANC to victory. I love you comrades!
Raymond Dube
EMGWENYA
Dear Learn and Teach, I am an exploited and confused worker from a certain printing company in Brakpan. We don’t have any union yet. My complaint is that we are forced to work on May Day. Why don’t the printing companies respect Workers Day?
D. N. TSAKANE
Thank you for your letter. Last year, May 1 was not a public holiday but this year the government did declare It a public holiday. But in many companies where the workers are not organised, the bosses ignored the public holiday. Since you don’t give us the name of your company, we cannot ask them why they ignored the holiday. We suggest that you contact the Printing, Paper, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (PPWAWU) and think about joining the union. The address Is: Palladium Building Cnr 4th Street and 3rd Avenue Springs Tel: (011) 56 7925
Dear Learn and Teach, Please tell me where I can get books on the following subjects: the Freedom Charter, the formation of the ANC until the 1980s, the formation of SWAPO until liberation, the formation of COSAS, the formation of COSATU and Karl Marx’s socialism. Mr. P. Thatho BOTSHABELO
Phew! That’s quite a list of books! You can write with your request to:
Ravan Press P.O. Box 31134 Braamfonteln
2017 Skotavllla Publishers P.O. Box 32483
Braamfontein 2017
COSAW P.O. Box 421007 2033 Phambili Bookshop
22 Plein Street
Fordsburg Johannesburg
2000
Dear Learn and Teach, We greet you in the name of the struggle. We write this letter to honour the magazine we get news from. The hand of apartheid is still very strong in our area. If you are a member of the Murraysburg Youth Congress or the ANC, you get fired from your job. The youth are becoming the slaves of alcohol. There are few public telephones and the Post Office people listen to our phone calls. Conservative Party members are promising us bullets. We will appreciate it very much if one of the ANC leaders comes down to Murraysburg to address the people and to secure peace. A Murraysburg Youth Congress Member
MURRAYSBURG
We are sad to hear of your suffering. As you know, old attitudes die hard and we can only hope that there will come a day soon when racist attitudes are well and truly buried. We hope that the ANC sees this letter in our magazine.
Dear Learn and Teach, I have been a reader of your magazine for ten years now. I think it’s a very important magazine for the poor people of South Africa. I have worked for the same Caltex garage for 31 years as a garage attendant. But I am not happy with my wages. I get R99.25 every six days for a 55 hour week. Please help me. Worried worker LETSITELE
Thank you for your letter. The government has set a minimum wage for garage attendants. In the rural areas, it Is R1.78 an hour. So for 55 hours, you should get a minimum of R98 a week. So your boss is not underpaying you according to the minimum wage. On the other hand, the government minimum wage is not a living wage. We also think that after 31 years of service you should be getting more. The government also says that if you work shifts, you should get an extra R10 a week and R1.50 a day for meals. It seems that your boss is not paying you this. You should also get free overalls. If you want to take this further, you can do two things. You can phone the Industrial Council and tell them your problem. They will send an inspector to the garage and he will tell your boss to pay the correct wage. You can also join the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa. They have agreements with Caltex garages and will help you get a better wage. We wish you luck and hope that you will carry on reading the magazine for another ten years! The addresses are:
Industrial Council
Manpower Office
Tzaneen
Tel: (01523} 71197
NUMSA
601/602 Nedbank Building
Landros Main street
Pietersburg, 0700
Tel: (01521} 5828
Dear Learn and Teach, I am 19 years old and have just completed standard 6. My problem is that I can’t find a job. The managers say that they want a senior certificate and work experience. How the hell can I have experience after I’ve just finished school? Please help me. I don’t want to find myself in the streets robbing hardworking people. I really do want to work and make an honest living. Unemployed worker NELSPRUIT
Thank you for your letter. We are sorry to hear that you can’t find a job. We get letters from people like you all over the country who want to make an honest living and can’t. Please contact the Unemployed Workers Co-ordinating Committee. They are trying to organise many things for unemployed people. | UWCC
P.O. Box 260143
Excom
2023
Good luck!
A soccer fan from Soweto asks for the telephone numbers of the following football clubs: Moroka Swallows 402-5535 Orlando Pirates 23-3180 Kaizer Chiefs 337-6245 Mamelodi Sundowns 337-4150 Sharp Blackpool 616-3144
Jomo Midas Cosmos 29-5161 Sharpeville United 29-9933
Dear Learn and Teach, I have been trying to get hold of a copy of Comrade Govan Mbeki’s book “South Africa: The peasants revolt” for a long time. Progressive bookshops and activists failed to help me but I am not bitter because I know Learn and Teach will not fail. Mdumzeli WESTRAND
We are pleased to say that we can help you. Phamblll Bookshop In Johannesburg has a copy of the book. You can phone or write to the bookshop to arrange how you can get it. Phambili Bookshop 22 Plein Street Johannesburg 2000 Tel: {011) 294944
N. E. Makumu sent us this poem:
EDUCATION CAN MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE
Education is priceless, It is a stream where water falls It is a key to success In all cities It is so hard to be clever Read hard and you’ll see what will be your rewards Do not think about your financial problems at home, Even if you are poor, you can achieve as much as the wealthy man did
Doctors, teachers, editors and accountants have experienced the same problems, So stand up and get your EDUCATION Because LEARNING will be your crown one day. Education is the key …