‘South Africa is not a reading nation’
The government reveals the country is not a reading nation and recently held a friendly yet intense competition in Kagiso to address the matter.
The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation alongside the National Library of South Africa (NLSA) organised a three-day Funda Mzansi Championship which took place at the Gauteng Province Archives Centre in Kagiso.
Present were many young women and men eager to read and connect.
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According to department spokesperson Nomazwe Ntlokwana, Funda Mzansi is an annual gathering that encapsulates the very essence of what makes books, stories, and reading so special. Book clubs, representing different regions, languages and demographics, converge to celebrate their shared love for reading and engage in friendly but intense competition.
“Department stakeholders and as many as 60 local libraries and literacy centres were at the archives centre to promote learning material and educate visitors on literacy.
The competition was the 14th edition of the annual championship to showcase their literary skills in the spirited yet educational showdown.”
Nomazwe added that a 2007 reading survey conducted by the South African Book Development Council revealed that South Africa is not a nation of readers. To address this, NLSA initiated the establishment of book clubs in schools and communities.
To participate in the competition, book clubs need to be registered with the NLSA.
The winners of these championships will represent Gauteng at a national event to be held in George on a date that is yet to be announced.
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