Students at Fort Hare

BBC Learning EnglishPeople and placesStudents at Fort HarePresenter: Hello, I'm Dima, and today we're travellingto South Africa to find out whatyoung people there think about the state of democracy intheir country. We're joining Lisa and Pumalele, twostudents from what has always been the home of SouthAfrica's black intellectual elite 2 - the University of FortHare in the country's Eastern Cape 3:
　　Lisa & Pumalele:
　　I think our democracy is in transit 4. It's a work inprogress.
　　The majority of the people who vote [the] ANC into powerare the working class and yet they do not really have aclue on what is going on within the ANC.
　　Presenter 1: Fort Hare was founded in 1916, and it's theoldest historically black university in Southern Africa.
　　Throughout the years, Fort Hare graduates have come from asfar North as Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, and many of them -including Nelson Mandela - enjoyed prominent careers. Butwhat about today's students? What are their political viewsat the time when the country is preparing for an electionlater this year? Let's listen to Lisa who tells us what shethinks of the state of South Africa's democracy. As you'relistening, try to catch the words and phrases she uses toexpress these two ideas: 'something that isn't finished andneeds more effort put into it before it's complete' and'sometimes, every now and again'. Also listen out for thesetwo words: 'to consolidate 5', meaning'to make something stronger and more certain'; and'integrity', which means'being honest and having strong moral principles'.
　　Lisa:
　　I think our democracy is in transit. It's a work inprogress, and our government and the ANChave done tremendous and good work to try to consolidateour country into this new state.
　　But as a student and as a young person, I do feeldisappointed here and there about the kind ofleaders that we select. The person that should lead thiscountry is someone that knows what integrity is.
　　Presenter: Lisa says the democracy in South Africa isnot yet well-established, or, as she puts it, 'it's a workin progress'. 'It's a work in progress' - a usefulexpression you can use when talking about almost anythingthat's not yet finished or complete. And which expressiondid Lisa use when she wanted to say'sometimes', 'on occasions'? It was a very colloquialphrase, 'here and there'.
　　'Here and there'. And don't forget the two other words weasked you to listen out for: 'to consolidate', that's 'tomake something stronger and more certain',and 'integrity', meaning 'being honest and having strongmoral principles'.
　　StingPresenter: Well, Lisa is certainly not the onlystudent at Fort Hare who is quite open abouttheir political ideas. Our next interviewee, Pumalele, isjust as eager to express his views. Let's now listen to himas he tells us more about some policies of the rulingAfrican National Congress, or ANC. How happy is he withthem? As you're listening, try to spot these two things:
　　first, the phrase that refers to working people who make upthe majority of the population; and second, the colloquialexpression meaning 'to be completely unable to guess orunderstand something'. Ready? Here is Pumalele:
　　Pumalele:
　　I feel we are being betrayed in the sense that the policiesthat the ANC is using are much more focusing on the economygrowth, the GDP and so on and the people at the grass rootsthey do not have access to basic needs like food. Themajority of the people who vote [the] ANC into power arethe working class and yet they do not really have a clue onwhat is going on within the ANC.
　　Presenter: Pumalele says the government doesn't payenough attention to the working majority of the population,or, as he put it, 'the people at the grass roots'. Instead,he says, the government is too keen on general economictrends and statistics. And most of the people just don'tunderstand the ANC's policies -'they don't really have a clue'. 'They don't have a clue'.
　　In a moment you'll get another chance to listen to Lisa andPumalele, but first here's a quick reminder 6 of some of thelanguage we've heard today:
　　'It's a work in progress'
　　'to consolidate'
　　'here and there'
　　'integrity'
　　'people at the grass roots'
　　'they don't have a clue'
　　See if you can spot these words and phrases as you'relistening to our interviewees again:
　　Lisa & Pumalele:
　　I think our democracy is in transit. It's a work inprogress, and our government and the ANChave done tremendous and good work to try to consolidateour country into this new state.
　　But as a student and as a young person, I do feeldisappointed here and there about the kind of leaders thatwe select. The person that should lead this country issomeone that knows what integrity is.
　　I feel we are being betrayed in the sense that the policiesthat the ANC is using are much more focusing on the economygrowth, the GDP and so on and the people at the grass rootsthey do not have access to basic needs like food. Themajority of the people who vote [the] ANC into power arethe working class and yet they do not really have a clue onwhat is going on within the ANC.