The Mzanzi year that was #2015

This will go down in history primarily as the year of the senseless hashtag trend. If you had an opinion contrary to the norm, or were simply gatvol of the shenanigans of The Establishment, simply hashtag it and add the word “…..mustfall”! Most prominent and followed hashtag trends were the #Rhodesmustfall, #Feesmustall  and #Zumamustfall trends, generating thousands,  if not millions, of followers. Although some were mostly successful, do not expect the #Zumamustfall trend to be a resounding success in 2016. The #Feesmustfall trend will continue in the New Year, with the intention of having Tertiary Education costs cut down or totally eradicated.  I Suppose that’s wishful thinking, considering the huge salaries those Vice Chancellors get paid. Who will then pay their salaries and 10%+ annual increases.

Chaos and pandemonium in Parliament set a new dimension for engagement and debate between our idiotic political entities struggling to find and cement identities with the populace at large. What with fist fights, forced removals (not of the kind from the Apartheid era), and blatant disrespect for fellow “honourable” MPs in the House and not to mention the electorate that put them there. The downward spiral of the ANC coupled with the infant behaviour from the EFF(ucking) stooges, gives one a lacklustre appetite for what is expected from our honourable MPs in the New Year.

 Let’s not forget our esteemed Corruptor-in-Chief, who still has the little issue of paying back the money as indirectly ruled by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). Notwithstanding other monumental cockups executed by said Corruptor-in-Chief, he has the rare honour of being named, by the Sunday Times, Mampara of the year for the third year running.  In a single year he has engineered so many blunders and voiced infantile comments on various subjects that he has made Julius Malema look like a more appealing leader to the electorate. If we as the electorate have to stoop this low for a competent individual to lead our country, God help us all!

Then, there are the unspoken sport blunders of the Cricket and Rugby World Cups.  What more can we say about our beloved Proteas but use the familiar phrase……….CHOKERS! And we did it again in the first test against England the other day. We need a new team compliment of 20 new players. So much has already been said about the Rugby world cup and that dreaded word, TRANSFORMATION. But on the brighter side Heineken did the honourable thing and fell on his sword before he was embarrassingly kicked out. Kudos to him! Let’s hope 2016 will bring some serious change and with it uncompromising success for the Springboks.

Overall, 2016 is predicted to be an uphill battle, economically, politically and socially for the millions of unemployed struggling South Africans, battling to make ends meet in 2015. The only way we can change the course of our current path, is to vote wisely and thoughtfully in the upcoming local elections and change our leadership with more competent people who will consider our wellbeing as the vanguard of their priorities. 

Sterkte vir almal in die Nuwe Jaar.

The question of our recognition for all victims of terrorism

I have posted a few pieces about terrorism and its repercussions on society in general.  Terrorism is an act perpetrated on the weak and vulnerable by those looking for ideological acceptance and recognition, those who seek revenge for some belief or another, and worst of all those looking for financial gain and hegemonic power. These can be attributed to anyone from fundamentalist Jihadi Salafists to global powers such as the US and the UK. I include the Western powers because an illegal war perpetrated on innocent civilians is the worst kind of terrorism, by virtue of its objectives and agenda.

There have been thousands of such despicable acts in the MENA (Middle East and North African) countries since the start of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in 2002/2003. We hear and read about this terrorism daily in newspapers or on mainstream television news channels and sometimes witness the atrocities carried out on God fearing innocent civilians in the region. Millions upon millions of civilians have died as a result of these acts of wanton violence of which very little is mentioned in the mainstream media. Occasionally the same or a milder version of such terrorism is perpetrated on a European country where a few people are unfortunately killed, and yet this makes headline news in every newspaper and television channel around the globe.  By no means am I excusing the murder of a few Europeans, because any act of violence where a life is taken should not be tolerated in the strongest of terms.  After all we are a race of humanity and as such should protest against the deliberate murder of any human being regardless of ethnicity, race or religious affinity.

I am at odds trying to understand the sudden wave of condolences for the families of the victims of the Paris bombings recently, when worse acts of terrorism are perpetrated daily on similar innocent victims in their thousands in the MENA region. But strikingly not one word of condolence is mentioned or posted for these victims where whole families and their livelihoods are wiped out without a shred of remorse. I’ve seen some posts and condolences from god fearing Christians who feel it is their ethnic and religious duty to send a “shout-out” to the Paris victims’ families. Yet these same Christians are eerily silent in the other situations mentioned.

As followers of the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths, I fail to understand why or how we can turn a blind eye to the descendants of the people who gave rise to these religions since the dawn of civilisation in the Middle East.  If anything, our allegiance and religious affinity should be to those victims in the ME by virtue of their ascendancy from biblical figures from the region.  Countries like Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan, etc.  have a direct bearing on our religious and biblical beliefs.  For those who read the bible, some may not realise that the country called Iraq was actually the region of Mesopotamia.  Iran was the region of Persia, and Syria was the region of Babylon, Canaan and Assyria.  Israel is the region of Palestine and Jordan still maintains its biblical name.   The region is rich in Archaeological history dating back to the birth of civilization. When searching for answers to our religious heritage we mostly refer to the bible where we read about the birth of the different religions and faiths originating from this region.

Although our religious heritage based on the above is plain to see, we prefer to give precedence and allegiance to a country or one of the European countries mainly responsible for endless suffering through colonisation and imperial domination of millions of Africans in North and Central Africa, and various parts of the ME. The question I cannot answer is why we repeatedly embrace our colonial masters who subjected our ancestors to brutal slavery, yet ignore the pure and real heritage of our religious ancestors that gives real meaning and substance to our lives. From a humane perspective I can understand the reactions, but why is this reaction not universal for an act of terrorism against any single nation or culture?

Has the Arab Spring eventually arrived in South Africa?

Following closely on the heels of protests for improved service delivery, unemployment and job creation, government corruption and graft, and public sector salary increases, come the inevitable student protests against unrealistic university fees increases.

Historically, the cost of tertiary education has consistently outstripped inflation, where the average yearly increase for tuition fees was always between 10 and 12%. The fact that tertiary education has become almost unaffordable to most South Africans, was enough reason for the powers that be to have sounded the alarm bells  and prevent the current situation from occurring.  Were they really as naïve to think that the South African public, and specifically the students who crave for a better life for themselves, that they would just back down and accept the status quo?

In various countries around the world tertiary education is offered free with specific conditions and prerequisites, e.g. Scotland, Cuba, and France. Other countries offer various courses and undergraduate degrees free to national students, e.g. Trinidad and Tobago, yet others have scholarship schemes that subsidise each and every student in any undergraduate programme, e.g. Brazil. These governments’ assistance to students in the form of tuition, residence or any other costs incurred while studying is non-negotiable and it is evident that an effort is made to ensure students are successful in their studies before they enter Industry.

Since his inception as Minister of Higher Education and Training in 2009, what can we truly say has Blade significantly achieved? Has his elevation to this portfolio really changed or improved the lives of the thousands of students around the country? He had 6 years to look into, especially the costs of higher education, which was ample time to prevent the current situation from occurring.  His response to the #feesmustfall protests? He ponders creating his own #studentsmustfall following!

A simple suggestion by Pieter Dirk Uys; why not reimburse any matriculant his/her school fees of 12 years, and subsidise their college tuition through these funds! Alternatively, research the business models of educational Institutions of the countries mentioned above, and formulate one from a combination of these, whichever is closely relevant to our South African Society. But knowing Blade, he’ll probably create his #studentsmustfall following and tell them all to “go to hell” in his well-known uncharismatic style!

Has the Tunisia day arrived in South Africa, as Moeletsi Mbeki predicted in February 2011?

South Africa's blind patriotism is shaded with Green and Gold blinkers.

The progress of the Springboers to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, dare I say, was inevitable given their record at this level of competition. Their clinical despatch of the Eagles (USA), in their last Pool game, was awe inspiring. In view of the fact that the USA is a second tier rugby nation, the result was always going to be a forgone conclusion. That said, the only reasonable competitor in the Pool is Scotland, who fielded a second string side against South Africa, and saved their top players for their game against Samoa this coming weekend. The other two teams in the Pool, Japan and Samoa, are also second tier nations ranking above 10 in the IRB rankings. The real test for the Springboers will be in the quarterfinals when they face either Australia (currently ranked number 2) or Wales (ranked number 3).

It is naturally assumed that every South African should be behind the Sprinboers and support them unconditionally for this World cup and every other tournament in future.  It seemed that I was the only outsider rooting for the other team whenever the Springboers played a group match, and my betrayal of the team was met with astonishment, and disgust.   I may have been threatened had it not been family and friends who was subjected to the betrayal. The debate around politics and sport, specifically rugby, always ends in the predictable notion that the two should be kept separate and as such our support for the Springbok team should be unquestionable.  I seriously beg to differ on this notion, given the fact that Rugby as a sport was always mired in political controversy given the segregation ensconced in it during the Apartheid era.  The fact that after 21 years of democracy, we still have a major imbalance in terms of demographic representation in the squad, speaks volumes of the extent to which discriminatory policies are still a controlling force in the sport. Historically, top rugby talent was usually sourced from elite schools and rugby academies as it was assumed that these institutions produced the best the Rugby fraternity had to offer. To this day, the same applies, and broadening the search for rugby talent through other channels, is frowned upon with little effort being made to explore these alternative channels for fresh non-white talent.

Although 8 players of colour out of 32 in the squad were selected, it still did not meet the transformation requirements of 30%.  To add insult to injury, at any point in time thus far in the tournament, only 5 players of colour were chosen, and a minimum of only 3 started each game. The age old excuse of not finding the relevant players of colour who meet the high standards is becoming more boring than a TV soapie. In addition, the assumption that players of colour struggle to perform at this level of competition, is nothing but blatant discrimination. To oppose that argument, the performance of Brian Habana with his World Cup achievements, surpasses any performance by a white South African player in the history of the World Cup, or since we returned from isolation.

What exacerbates the situation is the fact that South African supporters of the game unintentionally turns a blind eye to the administration of the game and is solely interested in a winning team, regardless of the makeup of its demographics, which for all intents and purposes is what all supporters around the world want from their various sporting codes. This suites the SARFU and political establishment quite fine, because as such, they are under no pressure from, especially the public, to do something concrete about transformation in the sport.  As a result, most non-white talented players begging for a chance to play top level rugby never gets to realise their dream of playing for their country or even at Super Rugby level.  Unless rebellious leaders within SARFU take a moral stand and demand transformation, and thus get the South African public to support their efforts, we will always have this quadrennial debate on transformation, which disappears after each World Cup event. Therefore my allegiance to the Springboers in World Cup 2015, is suspended until further notice!

When the Prey becomes the Predator

In the wild a predator stalks and seeks out his prey by singling out the weakest, oldest or slowest in a herd.  Often times the predator is thoroughly successful in his hunt and claims his trophy with a meal for his whole family.  Sometimes the prey gets away and the hunt is unsuccessful. Sometimes the herd turns on the predator in an effort to save a member of their group. On the odd occasion, the prey miraculously recovers from the shock of the attack and turns on the predator with all the weapons in his arsenal to prevent himself from becoming a mouth-watering dinner, then beats off his attacker tenaciously.

One such occasion was the wholesale humiliation by Japan over the Springboks on Saturday evening. This was a game that was assumed to be a forgone conclusion by every South African and his dog. Some predicted a margin in excess of 30 or 40 points in favour of the Bokke. Some suggested that South Africa should make a statement of this game and thrash the Japanese, to send a signal to our most favoured adversaries, that we mean business!  How disrespectful!

But it was not to be…..well, not by a long shot if Eddie Jones had anything to do with the game…..! As the game progressed it became evident that the Japanese were growing in confidence and they could sense a weakness in the Bokke they knew was exploitable. As their confidence grew, they became bolder, and they were not going to allow themselves to be thrashed by one of the giants of world rugby. They fought like the tenacious prey, beating off their predator with all that they could muster.

The slick ball passing and the consistent possession through phase after phase, was the trademark of an Eddie Jones influence. The Japanese lived up to the expectation of playing at a relentless pace and seemingly outplayed the Boks in almost every facet of the game. The final ten minutes was the deciding factor where the Japanese could have settled for a penalty and take the three points to draw the game.  Instead, they decided to go all the way and claim five points from a try, knowing they had overcome the Bokke.

The reality of the Springbok situation was there for all to see, yet in our blind patriotic support for our men in green and gold, we deliberately cover our eyes with green and gold blinkers to temporarily disengage from that reality. A squad that consists of injured players who are still trying to recover, veterans of the game that should have hung up their boots a while ago, and players who haven’t played in top flight rugby in over a year, would almost certainly trip up at the first hurdle when faced with any formidable challenge. This is not to say the Bokke are doomed to return after the next game against Samoa. But should Heineke Meyer fail to see the light before the next game, he may have to book return flights earlier than he anticipated!

The Quadrennial debate on the transformation in Rugby

We can say one thing for sure; the debate on this topic has at least progressed over the last four years. Some inconspicuous political party calling themselves the Agency for a New Agenda (ANA(L)) party, has taken the extraordinary step to challenge the justification of the current World Cup squad representing South Africa at this year’s instalment of the tournament, and thus to stop them from participating. Surprisingly, they did get a hear-in from the sitting judge in the matter, who agreed that transformation in sport and other sectors of South African Society has taken on a snail’s pace over the 21 years of democracy. Well done to the ANA(l) party; pity they decided to leave it at that and not pursue it further. It may have turned out to be a box office hit comedy, or someone may have taken them seriously. But that’s where the current situation will stay for the next four years.

Over the years, this debate has become more farcical than pretentious. The Rugby Fraternity at SARU are probably laughing their arses off at the latest miserable attempts at the protests of the makeup of the squad for this year’s tournament. They are well aware that once the tournament is over, everything returns to normal again, and the Minister of Sport, Fikile (Razmataz) Mbalula, carries on his day job by tweeting away about everything except the progression and transformation of sport (in this case rugby) for all South Africans of different persuasions. The fact that he looks at the situation through a pair of racehorse blinkers, does not give South Africans any warm feeling that much will be done, specifically at the highest level of the sport, in the next four years, or beyond.

To make this quadrennial debate a fun experience, maybe a public debate should be formulated every four years, with this topic as the agenda.  All political parties or other organs of society of sound and reasonable mind are barred from the debate. Only groups like the ANA, FF+, the ANC Youth League and the EFF(ing) party stooges will be eligible to participate. The group that comes up with the most (in their little minds) thoughtful analysis and suggestions for transformation in rugby, will be crowned the winners and their leader should be made the Minister of Sport for four years until the next Rugby World Cup, or specifically the next transformation debate. The current Minister has lost his lustre and therefore we need a new clown to light up our lives in situations like these!

 

The farce that is the Department of Correctional Services

Kudos to Justice Minister Michael Masutha for referring Oscar Pistorius’ parole back to the review board for clarification and process authenticity, albeit only after political pressure. It emerged that at the time of the decision to release him on parole, he had only served six of the mandatory 10 months (1/6^th of the full sentence) BEFORE a decision is made to grant parole. This is apparently the normal order of things on most parole boards across South Africa’s Correctional Services institutions. The standard (but flawed) process is that the review boards unanimously grants parole to a prisoner, without verifying all the details of the prisoner’s sentence, and other extenuating circumstances. In other words, gross incompetence from officials in the Parole Review Boards, hence the reason why violent criminals are released prematurely and without merit.

It’s also heart-warming to know that his parole was vehemently opposed by various women groups around South Africa, including the ANC Woman’s league, by protesting the release of a convicted woman abuser, during woman’s month; especially given that Pistorius did not even serve the mandatory 1/6^th of his sentence. Agreeably, this negates the value of recognising the abuse of woman and children in the month of August and giving the ideal little or no power in the ongoing fight against the abuse of women and children.

Coupled with the incompetence and insensitivity of prison officials highlighted by these various groups, the matter of the NPA who appealed the judgement and subsequent sentence from the case was filed and is to be heard in the Supreme Court of Appeal in November. With this being a circumstance of the case, the parole board conveniently ignored it and wanted Pistorius “out of prison as soon as possible”.

The treatment of Pistorius during his short term in prison is similar to the treatment of a sick patient in a hospital ward (although he did feign illness). He is kept in a separate cell of his own. Every request he made was subserviently carried out, and his needs were cared for above that of a normal prisoner; thus not only does he get the best lawyers to defend his case, but when found guilty of a serious crime, he still gets the best treatment in prison, regardless of the gravity of the crime he committed.  The reasons given for his special treatment is that he may be mistreated and abused in a crowded cell, with his person violated! If your average Joe committed the same crime but had different social and financial circumstances, he would be thrown with the wolves. But, because Pistorius is a “high profile prisoner”, he gets special treatment and care.

As far as I’m aware, if you are a convicted criminal, most of your Constitutional rights are revoked, and you become just a statistic and a member of the prison population of South Africa. There should be no discriminating or differentiating between prisoners convicted of the same or similar crimes. The realisation that “South Africa is the most unequal society in the world” does not stop in our free society, but is extended to the society of the criminally convicted as well. In South Africa money not only buys you wealth and prosperity but it also buys you a comfortable life in prison when convicted of any crime!

All South Africans are good people, except the band members playing for the Nkandla Crooner

A close friend alerted me to the "open letter to South Africans" by Dawie Roodt on the news24 website, regarding a burglary at his home a few weeks ago. After reading it, one instantly acknowledges the fact that South Africa is filled with good people who will go out of their way to help or assist anyone in times of distress. His unfortunate experience is another statistic contributing to the sad state of affairs in which our security establishment, who is mandated to protect the People of South Africa, (and not only the Nkandla Crooner and his incompetent cronies!), finds themselves.

Although the experience was somewhat traumatising for him and his family, he still had the courage to look beyond the horror and acknowledge the fact that South Africans are good people. The overwhelming response and the way in which help was provided, assisted him in overcoming the terror that transpired in his home and gave him the courage to appreciate the positives of the whole ordeal.  His response to the question of whether his experience will make him consider relocation abroad, is laudable, and instead he provided some points for our esteemed government leaders to ponder.  Whether they will take heed to his suggestions or provide some sympathy for him and his family remains to be seen.

Enter Gwede Mantashe, the mumbling, has-been unionist who berates and scorns anything or anyone critical of the ruling party. His response to the open letter from Dawie Roodt…."They are in a publicity stunt and I don't engage such people," he said. "The letter was not directed to us, it was directed to everyone." 

Suppose it was wishful thinking that the sycophant incompetents will show some leadership and integrity……..

Read the full article here:

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Dawie-Roodts-open-letter-I-will-not-emigrate-20150812

Read Gwede Mantashe’s response here:

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ANC-Roodts-open-letter-a-publicity-stunt-20150817

The question of morality and the respect for life

I concur with all the animal lovers and nature conservationists who aired their disgust at the dentist who thought he was only giving Cecil a root canal, but administered too much anaesthesia, with the result that Cecil died on the operating table. I abhor cruelty to animals of any kind, domestic or wild. Some may be dangerous to human beings and therefore should be kept in the wild, while others are domesticated and becomes our closest friends and companions. Regardless of their place in the composition of life, animals were put on this earth for a reason, whether for human companionship or as a key element in the food chain. The protests and uproar against the shooting of Cecil the friendly lion is justified, as game hunting should have no place in society, regardless of any reasoning provided by the defenders of this “sport”.

The level of the uproar was quite fascinating, and it was heart-warming to witness the human spirit of concern for the right to life of any animal on earth. That said, I wonder how many of these animal rights activists and conservationists actually realised that there were thousands of people (yes, human beings) being slaughtered by fellow human beings (if we can call them that) in the same week that Cecil the Lion was hunted in the bush. The life of a single person should take much more precedence over the life of any animal, regardless of the circumstances.  Given the opportunity, that single human being can acquire the skills and ability to save a thousand lions at any point in time, yet we nonchalantly dismiss or choose to ignore the blatant killing of our fellow beings on a daily basis. I’d like to see similar protests and uproars from people across the globe, for the murder and maiming of people in the Middle East, Ukraine, and other regions on earth. The day that this happens, only then can we truly say we respect the right to life for all species on earth.

Chaos in the House of Assembly – Episode 246

It’s that time of the year again……the inevitable JZ question and answer session in the House.  We expect yet another thrilling episode of chaos, pandemonium and forced removals.  No, this is NOT apartheid South Africa and the forced removals from District Six. This is the forced removals from Parliament, of elected representatives of the people. A place where each individual’s constitutional right to Freedom of Association, speech, and Assembly should be respected and defended.  That said the Red Berets seemed to not understand what all this freedom really meant in the respected sanctuary of Parliament. For them, “pushing the envelope”, means any and everything goes, in getting what they want.

Once again, the ruling party went to extraordinary lengths to minimise disruptions from the Red Berets – Covert training operations for parliament security personnel, (read South African Police Services) is once again on the agenda; changing of Parliament rules are tabled, although it remains to be seen if this will be effected before the day in question. Then again, given the lengths these sycophants will go to defend their Emperor, holds no bounds. Will the Red Berets at least allow Mshiniwam to answer the questions put to him, before they go off on their predictable digression again? Or will they prevent any questions from being asked of Mshiniwam. Either way, we are in for another thrilling quarterly episode of Presidential Question and Answer session on Thursday, August 6^th. The Game of Thrones has nothing on this mini-series!

Who is this man?

Watching No 1 deliver a speech in his familiar amateurish way, makes a mockery of all officials and leaders in South Africa. Not only does he give the impression that he has no clue of what he is delivering, or supposedly did any preparation on the subject, he compounds this inefficiency with childish ridicule of fellow parliamentarians who simply exercised their right of free speech and filibustering in the House. 

His childish antics during his response to the president’s budget vote yesterday (27-05-15), shows the level of maturity (or lack thereof) of the man known to be our leader.  How does this show of idiocy reflect on the international community and what is thought of South Africans who elects someone to the highest office in the land, with the character to that of a retired clown struggling to make a comeback to his former glory. His responses to the challenge from the opposition to release the reports for the two scandals of Nkandla and Marikana borders on infantile. My 4 year old grandson would conduct himself with more maturity than this mampara did yesterday. I shudder to think what his fellow BRICS partners really think of him as our leader.

We, as the electorate, should insist that this idiot do NOT represent the South African people abroad, and that his speeches are delegated to his deputy instead. The more he is kept out of the public eye the better we (the South African people) are seen as a legitimate nation with reputable and effective leadership. He has become more and more embarrassing every time he appears in public and even in parliament. It’s time we overturned that 62% majority to a 38% minority vote. And it starts with the local Government elections next year, 2016. Vote anything but ANC next year!!

The scourge that is racism.

You are probably thinking, “Ai, not another opinion/complaint of racism!!”

The more the topic is discussed and incidents of it are exposed, the better our chances of eliminating it from our society.

Being 21 years into our democracy much has changed regarding racial discrimination in society. The racial integration of schools and higher education institutions has empowered our future generations to be colour blind in the post-apartheid social sphere. Greater society has strived to eliminate the disease of racism in our lives, although various forms of it still very truly and openly exist. A typical example is the protest #Rhodesmustfall, from UCT students recently.  Very few people knew or understood that the protest was not only against the presence of a racist bigoted figure of the past, but was actually a result of their experiences of institutionalised racism within the policies of UCT. This kind of racism is still alive and well in our everyday lives. In the corporate world, the camouflaged presence of institutionalised racism is clear for all to see. People are still being side-lined from promotion opportunities, from enhancing their careers, or from being professionally trained in their line of expertise.

Other forms, like symbolism (stereotypical) or economic (Marikana?) racism evidently still exists in our society, and it may take another generation or more, to eradicate. Although I read about racist incidents daily, I’m utterly disgusted to still experience it in my own life with friends and sometimes family. I had the unfortunate incident of experiencing first-hand, disgusting discrimination of the worst kind from an old friend, who I thought was someone with an open mind given that this person hails from an alleged educated background and serves in the academic field. I was taken aback by the comments made, and realised I didn’t really know this person as well as I thought I did.

The gaffer who is Allister Sparks

One of my earlier posts included a reference to Alister Spark’s article on the state of the nation with his comments and thoughts regarding the #Rhodesmustfall protests at UCT. I objectively argued that his understanding of the protests were taken out of context and that it seemed convenient for him and other Rhodes apologists to brush the issue aside, and label it as  trivial and time consuming. It only took a matter of time for Mr Sparks to reveal his true colours and show what he really thinks of apartheid South Africa. With almost sixty years of journalistic activism against the apartheid regime, Mr Sparks had washed all of that away with a single line expressed in sheer arrogance. His utterances regarding Hendrik Verwoerd being an intelligent politician and leader sent shockwaves and disbelief in journalistic circles. His motivations or reasoning for including Verwoerd in his list of admirable leaders seemed to be a weak attempt of justification, but the damage was done. Subsequent to his speech, the question that could not be answered still lurks. How could someone so intelligent formulate a policy that disadvantages millions of people, and destroys, instead of builds, relationships between cultures?

As with all other apartheid apologists and protectors of apartheid privilege, even Mr Sparks with his glittering career in journalism and his outspoken views against the regime, cannot contend with or understand the concept of being discriminated against.  The life of privilege which he led under apartheid can never compare to the life that the millions of his South African compatriots had to endure during that era. Mr Sparks will NEVER know what it was (and still is) like to be a black man in South Africa, or anywhere else in the Western world.

The answer to the question that lurks is one of pure hatred and bigotry for anyone of a different culture or persuasion.  A case in point is Professor Anton Stander from the University of Stellenbosch. This is a man with an impeccable list of academic achievements who is a nuclear physics lecturer. He revealed his racist bigotry with demeaning text messages to a fellow student on campus. How stupid can one be to send a sms, and not think that the number can easily be traced back to him? This proves that racism and bigotry makes the most intelligent people look like idiots!

The question of leadership and the Elephant in the room

The latest round of xenophobic attacks around the country, have sparked off much debate, concern, and condemnation of such despicable acts of violence. The most blatant example is the open attack and subsequent death of one Mozambican, Emmanuel Sithole, in the township of Alexandria. With the SAPs seemingly inept in managing and controlling the chaos, the questionable decision of deploying SADF troops to quell the violence was more an over-reaction by Government than a genuine attempt to once and for all resolve the crisis efficiently. The subsequent shooting of an EFF member, while protesting the xenophobia attacks in Alexandria, a few days later proves there is little tolerance for those sympathising with the situation, hence the SAPS leadership running for cover!

The fact that the xenophobia debacle has reared its ugly head again since the attacks in 2008, proves that the Government has not done enough to prevent the same from recurring.  In an act of blatant denial various top officials in Government blamed everything from collusion of third force elements in society to criminal elements among the mobs instigating the violence. The most farcical excuse came from none other than our Karaoke king, who once again played the Apartheid card as the main source of violence in this country and as the indirect course of the violent attacks on foreigners. Not once did he mention or condemn the irresponsibility of our leaders inciting violence on foreigners.

Our Government and Leadership are solely to blame for the attacks happening again.  It’s quite clear that very little or nothing was done to prevent it from recurring. Our borders are still as porous as it was, and possibly worse since 2008. There are little regulations governing the influx of foreigners, whether legal or illegal. The unemployment rate has steadily stagnated since 2008, with no significant decrease.  No measures were put in place to ensure South African citizens gets first privilege for job security or business entrepreneurship. There is no process to ensure illegal immigrants are deported back to their home countries. There is no legislation outlawing the practice of employing foreigners at a fraction of the cost of employing South Africans. Prominent leaders in society make public speeches with vitriol bordering on hate speech, and then get protected by government unconditionally.

Instead, Msihini wam stands on a podium making his annual Freedom day speech and claims that they (the Government) is not the only ones to blame for the chaos. Forget about him being the responsible leader and taking accountability. Forget about the buck stops with him. Similarly, writing open letters with empty promises to foreign journalists is not considered to be part of a 10 point plan. Turning a blind eye to reckless public speeches by prominent leaders is reminiscent of an ostrich with his head in the sand. The disgraceful way that our Leaders have conducted themselves throughout this chaotic mess, has culminated in retaliatory actions from our African neighbors with far reaching effects in diplomatic relations in the short to medium term. It’s time we as the South African electorate demands real leadership.

Will the axe fall on our top Cop, Riah Phiyega?

The pressure on our top cop, Commissioner Riah Phiyega is mounting. Reports in Weekend newspapers suggest that she will face a disciplinary committee for interfering with investigations into the Western Cape Commissioner Arno Lamoer for fraud, racketeering and a string of other corruption charges. She also faces possible charges stemming from the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the slaying of 34 striking miners during a protest at the Lonmin mines in 2012.

Although a committee has been setup by Police Minister Nathi Nhleko into the conduct of the commissioner, it remains to be seen if she will be taken to task through the recommended disciplinary hearing for her behaviour as the top cop.  History suggests that the final decision lies with our singing president whether the committee will proceed with steps to have her disciplined.  As in previous cases with action by the president, it all depends on the benefit the commissioner can offer him in terms of his survival in his second term.  The previous incumbent, the flamboyant Bheki Cele, did not prove to be of much significant benefit to the Nkandla Crooner, and therefore was expendable, with the result of him being fired as the top cop. Although the new Commissioner boasted a wealth of experience in the corporate world, in various parastatals and NGOs, she had no previous policing experience, as with the two previous top cops, Cele and Selebi.  Her close relationship with the singing president proved to be enough for her to land the post, with or without policing experience. Similarly with the two previous incumbents, her lack of experience will prove to be her ultimate departure as the number one cop in the country.

So, as the Nkandla crooner weighs his options regarding the Commissioner, will she prove to be of enough benefit to him in the medium term, and thus have all the controversies brushed under the carpet? Knowing the Nkandla crooner, he would probably have her seconded to a less significant post, ala Bheki Cele, and then promote another close friend into the post until a new wave of controversies hits the new incumbent.  By that time he (the Mshini wam rapper) would probably have bought enough time to implement his next tactic via the SAPS/Security Establishment for his political survival, and thus keep him from donning those orange jump suits distributed freely at our Correctional Institutions!

The more sex you have, the more you may earn.

Yep, according to various studies undertaken by Scientists in the UK and Brazil, it was concluded that people engaging in 3 or 4 times of sexual intercourse per week, earned approximately 4.5% more than those individuals who had sex less than three times a week. See post here : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11553243/People-who-have-sex-twice-a-week-earn-4.5pc-more-than-those-who-dont.html.

One can take the results of these surveys with a pinch of salt and weigh the information objectively. Firstly, it’s a widely known theory that people who lead active sex lives are more content and happy in their lives. See this post http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/ways-sex-helps-you-live-longer. They are more confident than the person leading an average or below average sex life. Their attitudes in their work environment reflect a more positive tone than their average colleague.

This assumption stems directly from the fact that during sexual intercourse a string of happy hormones, i.e. Oxytocin, Serotonin, etc. are released into the body. So it stands to reason that the more sex one has, the more happy hormones one releases, and the more one is content with the world around you.  Pair this up with a situation where such an individual loves their job and work environment and you have a consistently above average performer.

The study mentioned is basically based on the trends of individuals mentioned above. This is where it gets tricky; the objective of the exercise was to ascertain the earning levels of individuals who have more sex than those who are less active. The problem with the survey is that it cannot be ascertained whether the exercise was thoroughly exhaustive of any other theories for people earning 4.5% more than others.  For example, did an individual with drive, high performance, motivation, ambition, but little sexual activity, actually earn less than a person with a high sex life, whose performance may not have been on par? You may argue that the person with the active sex life would have performed in his job better than the person with a less active sex life, based on the theory in the previous section. The results of the survey also do not suggest the ratio of people who performed very well in their jobs were ALL individuals with a higher than average sex life. It only suggests that individuals who had healthy sex lives earned higher than those who didn’t!

So unless we are assured that the survey was thoroughly exhaustive of all probabilities, I’m not convinced this theory is conclusive.  I may be pissing up the wrong tree, but that’s my take and I’m sticking to it!

Statues and things that remind us of the bad old days

Prior to the removal of the CJR (Cecil John Rhodes) statue from the UCT campus, there was vociferous debate around it’s defacing and the protests of its existence after 21 years of democracy. There were some thoughtful comments and reflections from Academia, the media and from Industry.

The student protests at UCT and elsewhere, in my opinion, is called "exercising freedom of expression". Let's be clear on one thing, Rhodes was a racist bigot, who just as much admitted it.  What he built in his time at the Cape Colony was done for his settlers and their descendants, as he also admitted.  He very much declared that he “would use the native’s blood sweat and tears, to build his empire”. The Rhodes scholarship found in his name would never have materialised while he was living, and if so would only benefit his descendants.  The main reason this scholarship was founded was to whitewash his racist identity and paint his legacy as heroic and beneficial to all South Africans and Africans in general.

The fact that we are now in a democratic dispensation, with an inclusive society, is enough reason for us to have statues and the like to remind us of those individuals who brought us this dispensation. Those students were protesting exactly this little ignored detail of our new democracy, by demanding that reminders of the past be eradicated and replaced with our heroes of the day. Let the Rhodes apologists rant and rave all they want, and try to ignore his real identity. But the fact remains, the memory of his bigotry was there for all to see through the existence of his statue. That’s why his and all other statues reminding us of our belittled past, should be removed accordingly.

With UCT Chancellors still refusing to acknowledge that this piece of history had  be removed and that student protests had to remind them of it, speaks volumes of their commitment to an open, inclusive and democratic society in campus life.  It gives the impression that they (those reluctant Rhodes apologists) still needs something to cling to their chequered past to remind them of the “us and them” separate worlds from the bad old days.

A typical example comes in the form of an article written by Alistair Sparks, a respected journalist with a string of literary achievements and credentials to his name. See http://www.news24.com/Columnists/AllisterSparks/Lets-leave-the-past-and-focus-on-todays-failures-20150422. Although I acknowledge and respect his opinion on the whole statue debacle, it seems that the purpose of the protests, are taken out of context.  As Sparks suggests the country is in dire straits and have serious economic, social, political and other issues to be resolved, and we therefore do not have the time and energy to debate something as trivial as colonial and apartheid era statues.  That is all fair and well, but we find that there are wide ranging debates of various topics surfacing regularly, with the statue debate just being one of them.  To suddenly discount a very valid topic and write it off as time and intellectual waste, gives one the impression that Sparks is trying to brush off the issue by suggesting it’s not important.  If the students unanimously feel that it is of importance, and does affect their daily lives, then it must be up for discussion and resolution. Especially given the extent they went to, to have their voices heard.

The path to resolving the country’s issues will be littered with speed bumps in different forms which may require the attention of recognised leaders in our society, and the Statue debate was just one of those bumps that required immediate attention and resolution.

 

National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega has a new BFF, Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula

The Commissioner has decided that the current wave of xenophobic violence is just too much for her and her team of incompetent cronies. So what does the esteemed Commissioner do? She does what any Head of protection services would do, round up assistance, and in this case, in the form of the country’s Defence Force, i.e. her new BFF Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula!

Suffice it to say the SAPs police force was quite adept at putting down 34 striking miners  in 2012, see http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/marikana-massacre-16-august-2012. The police force was also efficient in arresting an unarmed Mozambican, Mido Macia, by dragging him behind their vehicle, until his death, see also http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-28-taxi-driver-killed-after-alleged-police-brutality. There are countless other cases of sheer police brutality on South African citizens, with little or no consequences for the perpetrators of such acts. Some members of the SAPS that were caught on camera brutalising members of the public are still in their jobs with no action taken against them for their deeds.

The SAPS are now faced with a situation of real public disorder, in the form of the xenophobic attacks, and decides to wash their hands of it and let the Defence Force deal with a problem which falls within the ambit of their duties. For the Commissioner to claim that the situation is beyond their control, smacks of sheer incompetence or blatant buck passing.  I may be delusional, but it seems the protection of huge South African Corporate Assets (e.g. Lonmin Mines in North West) is much more important and valuable than the protection of normal South African or foreign citizen’s lives. The SAPS was quick and vigilant in stemming the threat from the striking miners at the Lonmin Platinum mines, to the extent that they readily killed 34 people in the process.

The crime statistics in South Africa has steadily increased since the Commissioner has taken over the helm.  The murder rate as at 2013/2014 compared to 2012/2013 had increased by 5%. Attempted murder had increased by 3.2%. Robbery, with aggravating circumstances, increased by a whopping 11.2%! Specifically, for the period of 2012/2013 South Africa’s murder rate per day at 31.1 per 100,000 was approximately 5 times higher than the global average rate of 6 per 100,000.

With this deterioration of the crime situation in South Africa, we should not be surprised when the Commissioner one day decides that it’s all getting too much for her, then proceeds to hand over her duty to her BFF, the Minister of Defence to control the levels of crime in South Africa. She might as well do that now while the going is good, before she is found guilty of negligence in the killing of 34 striking miners!