Is Professor Malegapuru Makgoba smoking his dirty socks?

When a man the rest of us expect to possess an above average intellect, such as the learned Professor Makgoba, goes on to concur with the rubbish uttered by Julius Malema and Zwelinzima Vavi about killing for Reverend Kangaman, then we have a very big problem. While I continue to hold in esteem the studies of the schools, which add enormously to our sharpness of mind, it appears that for some education has no significant effect in the manner in which they conduct themselves; it appears that for some like the learned Professor, education gives them a platform to express their dullness of mind, or perhaps it may have been a momentary lapse of his mental faculties. I place hope in the unlikely prospect of the Professor stating that he was misquoted.

The 18th century Scottish philosopher and historian David Hume remarked that, “the greater part of mankind may be divided into two classes; that of shallow thinkers, who fall short of the truth; and that of abstruse thinkers, who go beyond it … and all people of shallow thought are apt to decry even those of solid understanding, as abstruse thinkers, and metaphysicians, and refiners; and never will allow any thing to be just which is beyond their own weak conceptions.”

It is in that that we may be able to draw distinction between morons and men of genius, by realising the shallowness and depth of the principles upon which they proceed and which inspires their preposterous utterances. It is vital that the likes of Professor Makgoba, the next time they engage us in public matters, at least endeavour to induce themselves to exercise reason, follow its dictates and obey its mandates, instead of condoning and promoting idiocy. None of us should be condoning this repugnant bile spewed by these peacetime revolutionaries who are subverting any form of progress towards nation building.