EDITORIAL OPINION

THE elections are well and truly over and it is time for our politicians to get down to work.

One sign that there is no more political campaigning is that our political leaders are no longer bending over backwards to be all things to all people.

Two events of the past week or so brought this home quite markedly: the deaths of pop singer Brenda Fassie and of Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer.

The response from the political who's who of the province has been interesting.

Fassie, a self-confessed drug addict, hospitalised in connection with her crack cocaine habit, received condolences from the entire leadership while no word from any of our political leaders paid tribute to Courtenay-Latimer, whose contribution to science, South Africa and this region in particular was certainly a lot more than Sunday tabloid headlines.

Dr Courtenay-Latimer was honoured by the international scientific community by having an entire genus named after her due to the work she did in bringing a fish believed to be long extinct to the attention of the world's public.

She was a scientist and a woman who worked hard towards inspiring other members of her gender to interest themselves in science.

For decades Courtenay-Latimer was doing hands on what the government has identified as areas of educational priority.

Politicians and educators have been pondering for years how to get more learners involved in mathematics and science, and gender equality, or the increased involvement of women, in these subjects has been a matter of concern.

Here was a woman who, in small measure, was able to do what the government wanted. Yet when she died none of our national, provincial or even local leaders had anything to say on her passing.

Buffalo City executive mayor Sindisile Maclean sent no formal messages of condolence before he left on an overseas trip.

Eastern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela, who worked with Courtenay-Latimer when she was MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, has yet to send a message of condolence.

The incumbent Sports Arts and Culture MEC Nomsa Jajula was prominent at a local memorial service for Fassie but has not commented on the death of one of the Eastern Cape's most prominent scientists.

A bus to take people of the province to Fassie's funeral was organised by the Department of Sports Arts and Culture. President Thabo Mbeki and a host of other dignitaries stood in line to pay tribute to Fassie.

It will be interesting to see just who from the world of national and provincial politics turns up at Courtenay-Latimer's funeral on Wednesday.

It would also be interesting to see just what the city and provincial leadership do to provide not only a fitting tribute but something which could be seen as a lasting monument to one of the Eastern Cape's most respected botanists and ichthyologists, and the primary assembler of one of the finest collections anywhere of ancient Xhosa culture and tradition. Without her efforts much would have been lost.