Ryanair Holdings is ordering South Africans travelling to the UK to complete a list of questions in Afrikaans to prove their identity – only one of 11 official languages spoken in the country.<\/p>\n
Europe\u2019s largest low-cost airline-imposed the measure to prevent the use of fraudulent passports, the company said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n
“If they are unable to complete this questionnaire, they will be refused travel and issued with a full refund,” Ryanair said.<\/p>\n
The quiz contains 15 general knowledge questions about South Africa, including a multiple-choice to identify the nation\u2019s capital, according to a copy published by the Beeld newspaper. Others asked which side of the road people drive on and the name of the country\u2019s highest mountain.<\/p>\n
Afrikaans is the third-most spoken first language in South Africa, behind Zulu and Xhosa. It is a legacy of the earliest colonists from the Netherlands in the 17th century, and was a cause of contention during the apartheid era over attempts to enforce its use in schools.<\/p>\n
News of the measure prompted a backlash on South African social media over the weekend. Alex Macheras, an independent aviation analyst, called it \u201ccategorically insane and discriminatory.\u201d<\/p>\n