Teaching South Africa

One of the English-speaking countries that we teach our students about is South Africa. I don't dislike teaching South Africa - it's an interesting country - but sometimes I wonder if it's a good idea.

First, South Africa has something like eleven official languages of which English is only one, and not even the most common native language. It is the most common in government and media (according to Wikipedia), but it's not the most common language in the country. Also, much of the history and heritage of whites is Dutch rather than English.

Second, most of the information we have and most of the information that we can use focus on apartheid. Apartheid hasn't been an official part of government since 1994. I worry that, because we end up focusing so much on apartheid, we give students the impression and idea that this is still a concern, or that it's the main thing about South Africa.

Third, by focusing on South Africa, we neglect other English-speaking countries, particularly Ireland. Most of the Realia resources that are now being published have Ireland instead of South Africa, making it less likely that our students will need the South Africa information. Also, this makes it even harder for us to break away from the apartheid emphasis that our current resources keep us almost trapped into.

I agree that South Africa and apartheid should not be ignored, just like the Civil War and slavery should not be ignored. But when does remembering the past and maintaining awareness turn into keeping grudges alive?