Oh, romantic, rundown platteland?
“Depopulation of the platteland is a reality; people are suffering. Poor municipal management, a lack of employment opportunities and a crippling drought are all contributing to the rapid decline of numerous platteland towns. How can we reverse this trend? Why are some towns successful and others not? What does the platteland still have to offer?”
These three questions, under the title “O, wye en droewe land” in the discourse series listed in the festival guide for this year’s Woordfees in early March, caught Platteland’s eye. These same questions are occasionally posed in letters we receive from readers who, for the first time in years, and prompted by nostalgia and fond memories, had visited the town in which they'd been raised…
Dr Leslie van Rooi, Senior Director: Social Impact and Transformation at
