tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70496801990872993612024-02-07T11:23:45.896-08:00Life in MzanziGeorge Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-2904736169435680622019-11-03T00:15:00.001-07:002019-11-03T00:34:13.477-07:00The drug for a nation<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6XvG_wmWXCHWVnSm4PFw8ZRvzAF4tqKSDZ4G_gibtJhsxz6fLzmV7KnKV1AokI2klVFTk-JtQwJu0zjNIRWqYHXJGggy9D1l1mgCw2l8bFuJUqrVLM9YvawwysDAQ6t8u1VFhlaIzOwl/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6XvG_wmWXCHWVnSm4PFw8ZRvzAF4tqKSDZ4G_gibtJhsxz6fLzmV7KnKV1AokI2klVFTk-JtQwJu0zjNIRWqYHXJGggy9D1l1mgCw2l8bFuJUqrVLM9YvawwysDAQ6t8u1VFhlaIzOwl/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
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As I sit here this morning,
nursing a moerse baabelas, curtesy of a 22-man rugby team plying their trade in
the Land of The Rising Sun, I wonder what a marvel it is to win a World Cup
Championship for the third time. Then I ponder what it was like for the
Brazilians to win the Football World Cup, five times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jubilation and euphoria compared to any
other event is incomparable, given that football and rugby are the apex of
global sports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing the Brazilian
affinity to party and celebration, I think South Africans may come a close
second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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But what happens when the
euphoria and celebrations are over, after the music had died, the barman retired,
the guests had all left; what else do we have left but the pride of a 22–man squad
that had overcome the odds of a rugby game? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Yet we had the pleasure of
experiencing that THREE times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So, in light of our unique
sporting experience, has an 80 minute game of rugby really united a nation as the
media would have us believe? If so, what happened in 1995, 1996, and 2007 when
the Rugby World Cup, the African Nations cup and again the Rugby World cup, respectively,
acceded to the talent of South African sport? Did those sporting achievements
really have such an effect on our psyche that we can truly say; we really are a
united, rainbow nation? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After the euphoria and jubilation
had dissipated, <span style="background: white; color: #222222;">what have you got</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">,
<span style="background: white;">at the end of the day; What have you got, to
take away; A bottle of whisky, and a new set of lies; Blinds on a window, </span><span style="background: white;">and a pain behind the eyes……..but, scarred for life
we will always be; because no sport will cure a lifetime of an economic
hangover, pretentiously……?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Ok. So
I stretched the point with a little Dire Straits classic…..but,
nevertheless; what do we really have after the euphoria? Let’s unpack it a little
from 1995…..don’t worry I won’t bore you with a long winded……ah
fuck….whatever…..this won’t take long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;">The
1995 Rugby World Cup win was a godsend from heaven for the nation’s populace
(or so we believed).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were literally
trying to recover from the other moerse monumental baabelas<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the miracle of 1994, when suddenly we were
bombarded with another (miracle) of epic proportions. If politics and sport were
a drug at the time, we would be loaded with coke, heroin, dagga, and every
other drug that was available, and life had fuck-all on us! We were invincible,
as we took in the miracle of the transformation of our (new) country. We were
the superhero of Hulk, Superman, Spiderman and every other Marvel character from
Gotham City. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222;">That’s
what was portrayed to the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;">What
was not as famous was the economic situation of the masses ignored by the
Apartheid Monster. Again, let me not bore you with the details. But, what
really came out of the 1995 victory was the unmitigated embarrassment of one
Chester Williams (Bless his rugby soul) who couldn’t find decent employment in
his field of expertise; let alone the despicable manner in which he was treated
by his so called “team mates”, until the University of Western Cape “took him
in”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222;">By the
time of the other “miracle of 2007”, the national unemployment statistics had
already jumped from 17% to 23%. How do I ask you, with tears in my eyes could
this have possibly united a nation? By my unrefined logic, I would’ve thought
that a job for all would make for a society equal and acceptable by all? But
no, the government of the day had no such vision. The government of the day was
lost in limbo. The Springbok victory of 2007 was the achievement and highlight
of the year. FUCK THE PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Fast
forward to 2019, and the unemployment statistics have ballooned to a whopping
29,2%. And that is the “official” unemployment rate for Satafrika. Expanded
unemployment, including people that have just decided “fuck this, I’m gatvol of
even looking for a job”, has reached around 37%. So, from a “reasonable” employable
base of around 20%, and,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure
what my point was supposed to be here, but anyone can see that coupled with the
expanded unemployment rate of 37% and whatever other fucking statistic they
come with for unemployment in this country would correlate my ambit of
argument. I’m not sure if that really makes sense, but you know what I mean….or
do you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Winning
a global sporting showpiece in this country is just another drug fix to the population
that goes on a high for 24 hours, who is then brought back to earth by reality
when that euphoric drug has worn off. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
millions are still unemployed, the cost of living is still sky high, society is
still divided by wealth and status, and the DA has quietly shifted a little to
the right….sneaky mutherfuckers, those.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-26067550331429293442019-10-30T05:41:00.000-07:002019-11-03T00:20:48.148-07:00Are gay individuals really "Born that way"?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlXDHds3uet64KqA3g4pBMkRvSduPsPk-l3dwWy2Jml68ZxxIsC2bgx-8pgqrn1M0WMJ6ryuK0ausAxCBhB0uqXZgrKp8CJ2CvgTiFnPwWua0_okOCva23me9yJ2bytmMrq89gw3Ea8OL/s1600/1024px-Gay_Pride_Flag.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1024" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlXDHds3uet64KqA3g4pBMkRvSduPsPk-l3dwWy2Jml68ZxxIsC2bgx-8pgqrn1M0WMJ6ryuK0ausAxCBhB0uqXZgrKp8CJ2CvgTiFnPwWua0_okOCva23me9yJ2bytmMrq89gw3Ea8OL/s320/1024px-Gay_Pride_Flag.svg.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One can fool
some men, or fool all men in some places and times, but one cannot fool all men
in all places and ages" – </span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jacques Abbadie, 1684 (stolen by Abraham
Lincoln in 1865)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Family chatter of a close
relative “coming out” hardly ever goes down smoothly. In a “normal” functioning family (immediate
and extended) the likelihood of this revelation is least foreseen; though one is
expected to be open-minded and sensitive thereof. As expected, there was a
sense of taboo and “don’t go there” approach. Suffice it to say, this being the
first in generations of strictly heterosexual individuals enjoying (loving)
heterosexual relationships; it naturally triggered some consternation and
denial from the parents of said wandering youngster, because while growing up, he displayed no signs of homosexual behaviour. On the
contrary, my recollection of his youth is mischief personified; a domestic
terrorist if you will. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, out of
concern for the child in question, myself, true to form hit the information highway, to search for some legitimate medical/biological/environmental/cultural
explanation for the attraction between same sex individuals; To vindicate skepticism of his affliction, the information discovered in the hunt for the truth, shed a
new light (in my opinion) on the narrative that “<i>homosexuals are born that way…” <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">[<b><u>Sidebar</u></b>] For the sake of sharing an opinion, please do not
shoot the messenger……my message, to be clear, is to debunk the assumption that “being
gay is a natural thing” or “people are born that way”. So to emphasize: <u>THIS
IS NOT A MESSAGE OF HATE OR RIDICULE FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY.</u> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Although, I probably will be branded a homophobe, nonetheless).</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The long held belief that
homosexuals and Lesbians are “born that way”, is much further from the truth
than what society would have us believe. First, let’s be brutally frank about a few
facts; (1) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2-e_wJthmk&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Human sexuality is binary</a>, in that, gender is determined by a set of
chromosomes, you are either male (XY) or female (XX); (2) Naturally, the
primary purpose of intercourse between a
male and a female is procreation, that is, to ensure the survival of the human species;
(3) Anal sex between two men is the abnormal act of Sodomy; (4) Sodomy has no
natural purpose in life which, in a normal society, may be seen as sexual
violence, or rape. Yet, in a homosexual relationship, it may be termed
consensual Sodomy, which goes against society’s norms and principles; especially
religious beliefs and practices. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Regardless of whether one is
religious, atheistic or agnostic, the act of Sodomy is abnormal; at least (in
Western Society) this was the general consensus up to the late 1960s and early
1970s. In the last decade or two, homosexuality and Sodomy has been
romanticized to the extent that it is seen in the same light as heterosexuality,
i.e. that it is a normal thing, because…… “<i>Gays
are born that way</i>” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How western society was
duped<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1968 a book entitled <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/book-incited-worldwide-fear-overpopulation-180967499/" target="_blank"><i>The Population Bomb</i> written by Paul Ehrlich</a>,
an entomologist at Stanford University, sent shock-waves throughout the US with
his predictions of an unmanageable global population explosion within 2 decades.
Considering that his academic studies and profession had nothing to do with
demography, his book was more a reflection of his experiences while on a visit
to the overcrowded city of New Delhi. Nevertheless, some of the statements
shared in his book had a telling impact on its audience that spread and inadvertently
exploded country-wide. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This gave rise to a slew of statements, debates and
arguments on the subject from high profile politicians and academics which
eventually led to several proposals and recommendations being tabled to control
and manage the “problem”. If the below
graph of global population growth is anything to go by, the policies to manage
the population explosion “problem”, didn’t seem to have much effect.
Notwithstanding the fact that there do not seem to be an astronomical population
growth prior to 1960, according to this graph.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzro7PaDnE9i1nGpST6b8vYiWZqLgdiNyzm0p2fPDjquhpYj1Srxc_9h4AT-OzfkJjA46FUXAMc3UnWGPvrc6ZI7dmJ5zY7CUk-05HhD0ODuZ6njc4l2JH7F9DmGizDTDTG-g8LMqo4Is/s1600/janfeb2018_o99_populationbomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1072" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzro7PaDnE9i1nGpST6b8vYiWZqLgdiNyzm0p2fPDjquhpYj1Srxc_9h4AT-OzfkJjA46FUXAMc3UnWGPvrc6ZI7dmJ5zY7CUk-05HhD0ODuZ6njc4l2JH7F9DmGizDTDTG-g8LMqo4Is/s400/janfeb2018_o99_populationbomb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: World Peace Foundation, Tufts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In March of 1969, Frederick Jaffe,
then Vice President of an organisation called the Planned Parenthood Federation
of America compiled and published a memorandum (<a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/understanding-the-jaffe-memo-planned-parenthoods-disturbing-proposition-of-population-control/" target="_blank">The Jaffe Memo</a>) outlining strategies
and methods for combating a [mythical] population explosion. Included in the list of strategies, was a
proposal to “<i>Encourage increased
homosexuality</i>”. In July of the same year, President Nixon <a href="https://www.population-security.org/09-CH1.html" target="_blank">addressed the US congress</a>
and reiterates that “<i>population growth
has become a serious concern and needs to be managed accordingly……</i>” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another academic central to this policy development,
a sociologist, Kingsley Davis put forward that along with methods promoting
birth control, he endorses “</span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">unnatural
forms of sexual relations”</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. As a result, and in conjunction with these
policies, Preston Cloud, a Bio-geologist representing the USA National Academy
of Sciences suggests to legalize abortions and the union (marriage) of same-sex
individuals as a matter of urgency (US Congress, December 1969). These
developments spark open debates between defenders and detractors for the normalization of the lifestyle; bearing in mind that it was openly
discriminated in the early 1960s.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>[Note]</u>:</b> Here the question must be asked, why such a
provocative proposal would be considered, especially when only 1 to 2% of the
US population was gay; apart from the fact that the population included a majority practicing a faith that absolutely rejected the homosexual lifestyle. One could
easily assume that this small gay community was to be afforded special
attention over the vast majority of the population. Why would that be?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before these ground-breaking
pronouncements, as stated, the subject of homosexuality was taboo, and broadly frowned
upon. Gay and lesbian bars were hidden
from society where they were used by the gay community to exercise and practice their lifestyle far from the prying public eyes. Resistance from the gay
community to frequent raids, arrests and vilification from authorities was
sporadic with very little appetite for protest. Shortly after the policy
recommendations were proposed by government and academic bodies, the attitude from
authorities towards the gay community softened, with a political and public
campaign to legitimize the homosexual lifestyle as a normal entity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In June of
1969, the famous <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-stonewall-riots-what-really-happened-what-didnt-and-what-became-myth" target="_blank">Stonewall riots</a> occurred in downtown New York City, and
carried on for six days. Suddenly homosexuals were emboldened and retaliated as
authorities were loath to use the force exercised previously to stifle their
activities. In the weeks following the Stonewall riots, the LGBTQ movement
exploded with radical groups, magazines and other propaganda publications
pushing their demands for equality and the immediate recognition of their
lifestyle, as normal.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The medical diagnosis and classification<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prior to 1973, the American
Psychiatric Association (APA) classified homosexuality as a mental disorder in
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMII). In 1963, the New York Academy of medicine
published a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1750648/pdf/bullnyacadmed00292-0088.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> in which it stressed concerns about the rapid spread of the
homosexuality phenomenon in the US. These
concerns were primarily based on the distribution of startling literature (homosexual
propaganda in media and entertainment) and the spread of venereal diseases. Studies
have proven that the spread of venereal diseases are more prominent in
homosexual than heterosexual relationships; confirmed to be a direct result of
serial promiscuity. Historical data shows that long standing homosexuals would have
been involved with more partners during their lives compared to heterosexuals. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1750648/pdf/bullnyacadmed00292-0088.pdf" target="_blank">report </a>also declares that “<i>The homosexual is an emotionally immature
individual who has not acquired a normal capacity to develop satisfying
heterosexual relationships. Consequently, overt homosexuality may be an
expression of fear of the opposite sex and of an inability to accept adult
responsibility…</i>” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Homosexuality has been identified as a mental illness because
of the impeded development of an individual’s psychological aspects for sexual
arousal. Psychiatrists have attributed this symptom to a range of factors,
including social, economic and environmental causes. Furthermore, the American Organization of
Psychiatrists has defined homosexuality as “<i>abnormal
personality development with persistent emotional and physical attraction to
members of the same sex</i>”. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Despite the factors mentioned, scientists have
zeroed in on the one factor contributing mostly to (said) impeded development; namely,
family relationship dynamics. These include a wide range of psycho-social factors, including parental behaviors and relationships, family neglect,
rejection, over-protection, fatherless homes, dominant mother, etc. They have thus
concluded that homosexuality may be onset in the earlier stages of a child’s
life, and their relationships between parents and siblings are highly
significant.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birth of the Gay Liberation
Front<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Out of the ashes of the Stonewall
riots came the Gay Liberation Front, adopted as an analogy to the National
Liberal Front in Vietnam; ostensibly politicizing the gay movement and its assault
on society. Through this organisation, the gay community put forth a list of
demands as a prerequisite for social equality. Some were targeted specifically
at the American Psychiatric Association;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The APA to review its diagnosis of
homosexuality as a mental disorder.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Publicly declare that homosexuality is
not a disease</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Start a campaign to remove widespread prejudice
on the subject, with legislative reforms as an end result.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Collaboration between the GLF and the
APA to ensure reforms are implemented per demands.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thus, starts the attack on
psychiatry through a strategy of staged protests and riots beginning in 1971.
Conferences are disrupted with violence and venues trashed. The authorities make
little effort to crack down on the rioters; (a reason for the lack of action
from them; the protests were faked by a few activists and actors
creating a performance for the media to create public awareness. Naturally this account cannot be proven
without substantial evidence, although the bizarre non-reaction from
authorities seemed out of character). Any Academic or practicing psychiatrist
who persists in labeling homosexuality as a disease is targeted and threatened.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An expert on the subject of
sexual relationships, Dr Charles Socarides laments (from his book <i><a href="https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Homosexuality%3A+a+freedom+too+far.-a030185105" target="_blank">Homosexuality: A Freedom too far</a></i>), “<i>Militant groups of homosexual activists
launched a real campaign aimed at harassing specialists, promoting arguments
against excluding homosexuality from the list of deviations; they penetrated
conferences where problems with homosexuality were being held, staged
debauchery, insulted and interrupted speakers</i>”. These misdeeds were
followed up with anonymous telephone calls and letters threatening violence on
them and their families. The APA eventually relented and created a special commission
to negotiate with the Gay organisations. The fact that this special commission
consisted of only gay participants, didn’t seem to raise much suspicion,
although the conflict of interest was blatant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Depathologizing homosexuality : </span><o:p></o:p></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Putsch of the American Psychiatric Association</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alix Spiegel, granddaughter of
the President-elect Dr John Spiegel (Who incidentally happened to “come out” in
his later years) of the APA gives an <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/204/transcript" target="_blank">extraordinary account </a>of how a coup on the
APA began in the early 70s, beginning with private meetings and gatherings at her grandfather’s home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. With a sub-committee for
gay rights firmly entrenched in the APA, she details how these “Young Turks”
planned on establishing a leadership structure that would be sympathetic to their
demands. They cynically called themselves the GAYPA, a sarcastic analogy of the
APA. Naturally, leading the group was none other than her grandfather, John
Spiegel who was later voted onto the Board of Trustees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This internal pressure from the
(GAYPA) coupled with protests, riots, and disruptions of conferences took its
toll on the APA. In 1972, through a referendum the APA Leadership was
overhauled, with a majority of homosexuals in key decision making positions.
The APA leadership now boasted a powerful lobby of proponents for homosexual
ideology. A year later, in 1973, the final nail in the coffin of the fight for
gay rights and equality would be enacted.
By a unanimous vote (13 out of 15 votes from the Board of Trustees of
the APA), <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201509/when-homosexuality-stopped-being-mental-disorder" target="_blank">homosexuality as a mental disorder was struck from the list of mental diseases</a> in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMII)
and redefined as an <i>Ego-Dystonic Disorder.</i>
And so the decision to overturn a researched, scientific and documented medical
condition was made by a simple cast of votes. No scientific evidence,
testimonies, or conventional medical trials were referenced to justify the
decision.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dr Robert Spitzer, who authored
the new definition for homosexuality in the DSMII manual, had this to say “<i>I came up with a definition in 1973 that
made it possible to argue that homosexuality was not a mental disorder. The gay
activist has taken the viewpoint that, from a politically strategic
perspective, they would do better if they can convince society at large that
once you are a homosexual, you can never change. I can appreciate that this
helps them politically, and I’m sympathetic towards their political goals. But
I think that it’s just not true</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Barbara Gittings, known as the
mother of all gay rights movements openly admitted in the 1992 edition of “<i><a href="https://217boxes.com/making-history/" target="_blank">Making History, The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights</a></i>”, (20 years after her appearance at the APA Conference
in 1972), “<i>This never was a medical
decision and it is precisely for this reason that everything happens so
quickly. After all, it was only three years from the time that feminists and
gays first zapped the APA at a behaviour therapy session to the time that the
Board of Trustees voted in 1973, which excluded homosexuality from the list of
mental disorders. This was a political decision…..we were healed overnight by
the stroke of a pen”</i>. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A survey in 1978 sampling 10,000
US Psychiatrists, showed an overwhelming 68% of them admitting that
homosexuality is pathology. A 2003 poll of International psychiatrists also
concluded with 70% of them considering homosexuality to be deviant behaviour.
In 1987, the APA secretly removed all classifications of homosexuality, without
consensus or justifying its decision. The World Health Organisation followed suite
in 1990 (ICD10) and removed its classification of homosexuality as a disease. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who’s WHO in the (Medical) Zoo<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_409t0esCvWNyWqm3LSFEbX3W5SN8hmC0XJrRM_xMFKsI3em5at4OyGkJh57y90lGpi4LMUnQgHfkVhN856lT1e3ocEWTecoaP6RJ1VhuwYA-iJBd_js1yA3J74ataZbBxM28ZzPnZy-/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_409t0esCvWNyWqm3LSFEbX3W5SN8hmC0XJrRM_xMFKsI3em5at4OyGkJh57y90lGpi4LMUnQgHfkVhN856lT1e3ocEWTecoaP6RJ1VhuwYA-iJBd_js1yA3J74ataZbBxM28ZzPnZy-/s1600/download.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World Health Organisation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The APA and WHO (World Health
Organisation), are not considered to be scientific institutions with binding authority
on medical science and its practices. The APA is apparently a glorified trade
union that represents the interests of US psychiatrists and contributes little
scientific weight in the diagnosis of mental diseases. The WHO is an
administrative body in the UN that coordinates the medical interests of
autonomous organisations. The ICD10 (International Classification of Diseases)
is an administrative document of the WHO, that defines a list of medical
conditions through opaque coding. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This declaration is taken
directly from the <a href="https://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/bluebook.pdf" target="_blank">“Bluebook” (pg-9) </a>of the ICD10 Classification of Mental
Disorders; “<i>These descriptions and
guidelines carry no theoretical implications, and they do not pretend to be
comprehensive statements about the current state of knowledge of the disorders.
They are simply a set of symptoms and comments that have been agreed, by a
large number of advisers and consultants in many different countries, to be a
reasonable basis for defining the limits of categories in the classification of
mental disorders.”</i> By this statement, one can reasonably conclude that the (ICD)
classification of diseases (in this case, mental disorders) do not promote
scientific or academic interests. The fact that homosexuality is removed as a
disease bears no correlation to historic scientific data. Therefore, any reference to ICD10 for homosexuality classification has no merit, due to the
absence of factual scientific data supporting its removal.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Desensitization of homosexuality<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prior to normalizing the gay
community, around the mid-to-late-70s, the term homosexual was the general term
to describe any individual in a same-sex relationship. From the 70s this
gradually gave way to more socially appealing terms such as “gay” and
“lesbian”. This was the first step of
desensitizing the wider population from the stigma of homosexuality. In 1987 an
article, “<i><a href="https://www.sott.net/article/401391-The-Overhauling-of-Straight-America-A-1987-blueprint-for-transforming-social-values" target="_blank">Overhauling straight America</a></i>”
by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen appeared in a magazine called <i>Guide</i> that explicitly outlined a
strategy to transform society’s approach into accepting the gay lifestyle as a
normal entity and an equivalent to heterosexuality. These tactics included the
following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Talk about gays and gayness as loudly and as often as
possible.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Portray gays as victims, not as aggressive challengers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Give protectors a just cause</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make gays look good</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make the victimizers look bad</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This strategy was extended into
media, entertainment and education. In 1989 the article was then developed into
a book, called “<i><a href="https://albertmohler.com/2004/06/03/after-the-ball-why-the-homosexual-movement-has-won/?fbclid=IwAR05DEdU0otYhmjzPw2bLCB8GsAlV1EJZE64EtLXXpsEZl6gaLK1-033UwM" target="_blank">After the Ball: How America Will Conquer its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s</a></i>”. The book was dubbed
the “Gay Manifesto of the ‘90s”. As a result of this propaganda drive the mere
mention of the gay lifestyle in a negative light would be seen as one being a
homo-hater, or more succinctly, a homophobe.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Link between Homosexuality and Pederasty (paedophilia)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Old Oxford Dictionary defines
<a href="https://albertmohler.com/2004/06/03/after-the-ball-why-the-homosexual-movement-has-won/?fbclid=IwAR05DEdU0otYhmjzPw2bLCB8GsAlV1EJZE64EtLXXpsEZl6gaLK1-033UwM" target="_blank">Pederasty</a> as the act of sex between a man and a teenage boy. In Ancient Roman
and Greek cultures, this lascivious act was acceptable in society, seen as a normal
relationship and no different to a heterosexual one. Today, proponents of
homosexuality go to great lengths to separate the two and deny there is any
link or connection between them. I’m not saying that all homosexuals are
Paedophiles, but the LGBTQ movement would have us believe that homosexuality is
far removed from paedophilia, which in retrospect is baseless propaganda. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Extensive research has proven the exact
opposite. Studies have shown that there are different levels of homosexual behaviour,
from once off experimentation to full blown, in your face public pride and
affection of “love” between same sex partners.
Paedophile behaviour, falls somewhere between serial promiscuity and
developing an independent taste (sexual arousal) for young adolescents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An <a href="https://voice1nthecrowd.blogspot.com/2014/09/homosexuality-and-paedophilia-reference.html" target="_blank">independent study group </a>of
British researchers used evidence from a range of sources, including
biographies, criminology, history and news reports to prove the undeniable link
between homosexuality and paedophilia. The evidence shows that a very high
percentage of known homosexuals and even higher percentage of homosexual
activists, globally, are paedophiles. News reports and press coverage of entertainment
and high profile public figures have been implicated in paedophile rings
involving underage boys and girls. Of the most famous cases, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2018/feb/03/actors-condemn-woody-allen-hadley-freeman" target="_blank">Woody Allen</a>, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-polanski-victim-20170609-story.html" target="_blank">Roman Polanski</a> and most recently, Harvey Weinstein and <a href="https://www.mintpressnews.com/genesis-jeffrey-epstein-bill-clinton-relationship/261455/" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, stands out.
There are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_abuse_in_Hollywood" target="_blank">countless others</a> who are worth a mention, but the point is made,
nonetheless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Homosexuality and Education<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When teenagers go through the natural biological transformation at puberty, the question of sexuality is common. They are at their most vulnerable during this period of their lives, and it is the perfect time to blur the question of sexuality in the confused pubescent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The campaign to introduce homosexuality
in education started when the <a href="http://www.rslevinson.com/gaylesissues/features/collect/onetime/bl_platform1972.htm" target="_blank">1972 Conference of the Gay Rights Platform</a> included
in their “Rights for Equality”, a declaration for Government to support sex
education courses, taught by gay men and women promoting homosexuality as a
valid and healthy preference of lifestyle. Other demands included the repeal of laws
governing the age of sexual consent and encouraging the right for homosexuals
to adopt and take custody of children. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If one were to unpack the relentless drive (in
the West) to include homosexuality as a subject in school and college curricula
I would be writing a book on the topic.
Therefore to keep it short, school kids in the West
(<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/25/school-children-must-taught-different-education-secretary-says/" target="_blank">specifically the US and UK</a>) are being brainwashed through education that
homosexuality is a normal, natural thing and are encouraged to embrace it like
they would heterosexuality. The result of which has confused millions of
teenagers as to their gender. They are indoctrinated to identify as anything but
a male or female. Facebook in the UK has <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/10930654/Facebooks-71-gender-options-come-to-UK-users.html" target="_blank">71 different gender classifications</a> for the modern male and female. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a nutshell.....<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In an effort to overturn the scientific
evidence for the case of homosexuality as a disease, various academics and
others attempted to prove otherwise with their own tests and research. Most
notably was the research done by <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/psychology-yesterday-and-today-evelyn-hooker" target="_blank">Alfred Kinsey and Dr Evelyn Hooker</a>. Firstly, both of these individuals were gay;
secondly Alfred Kinsey was a zoologist who had no academic studies in human sexual
relations (sexologist), and his research was not ratified by the psychiatric
community. Dr Evelyn Hooker was a psychologist, and hers also never made the
cut. The fact that the condition was
removed from the DSMIII-R list of mental diseases without scientific evidence as justification
clearly proves that the research by the individuals mentioned did not stand up
to academic scrutiny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main reason the gay community
succeeded in their efforts, and turned the tables on factual scientific
evidence of homosexuality being a mental disease, was primarily due to high
profile public, private and academic figures with very deep pockets advocating
for its normalcy. Currently a whopping
$424M is spent on LGBTQ lobbying and transgender funding. The reason why the
case was made initially is quite plain to see; very high profile individuals who
have a sickening sexual attraction to young teenagers looking for a safe haven to practice their affliction. The gay community was the perfect host.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every CONSENTING ADULT on this
planet has a constitutional human right to sexual preferences. The gay community has every right to exercise those
preferences within the boundaries of the law and within their own circle of
influence. But when there’s a concerted campaign to enforce that lifestyle on
other groups in society, and then have the audacity to coerce governments to
literally brainwash young teenagers to adopt it, the future of western society is at risk of social decay, as values and principles are sacrificed for
an ideology that is proving with time, to be degenerative. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lastly, all teenagers experience diverse biological changes at the time of puberty.. The danger, at this transformation, is not only beating it naturally, but still being influenced by nefarious groups with an agenda. Hopefully its not too late for the parents in my family's case to rescue the situation. If they cannot afford the expensive
costs of a reputable psychiatrist, a <i>moerse
klap</i> and a good tongue lashing should straighten him out, followed by
unconditional love and careful nurturing.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-88960297169703702002019-08-18T06:53:00.000-07:002019-08-18T06:53:30.232-07:00The National Health Insurance Conundrum<br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The definition of
insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result
each time</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. – (Allegedly) Albert Einstein</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve always wondered what really
goes on in the mind of the South African politician. The blatantly senseless introduction
of a National Health Policy which has been proven to be a <a href="https://city-press.news24.com/News/nhis-hits-and-misses-20190727" target="_blank">complete failure during its Pilot phase</a>, has given the (progress) naysayers enough political fodder
to denigrate the ANC government until the next National elections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While some would rubber-stamp the
policy as an instrument for achieving equality in the healthcare sector, others
see it as a waste of money and resources at a crucial time when the Government
really don’t need to undertake additional senseless expenditure, suffice it to
say, from non-existent funding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given
the state of our healthcare system, I would agree with the latter group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The NHI policy may have really good
intentions and may be a ground-breaking piece of legislation in the history of our
young democracy, but sadly the Bill is lacking in crucial detail and the timing
is questionable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Public Healthscare
Phenomenon <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Public Healthcare system is
grossly underfunded and understaffed. The Health Facilities are old and
dilapidated. Hospital and clinic Infrastructure is falling apart. Employee morale
is all but non-existent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cold stares
and <strike>subtle</strike>, sorry, blatant verbal aggression from staff would leave
one with additional psychological scars after visiting a health facility. Anyone
who has had the unfortunate experience of visiting a day clinic or a public
hospital would know that their day is basically fucked, and they should know to
pack a picnic basket and a blanket (in winter, one may as well sit outside in
the cold, rain). The average time spent in a clinic for an average patient is
nothing less than 4 to 5 hours, with moerse (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sic</i>) long queues starting long before the clinic or hospital doors
open. It’s not enough that more than 80% of the population is subjected to such
psychological torture, that they still have to endure the wrath of incompetent Health
“Professionals”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Most day clinics are staffed with
a bunch of Interns let loose from their Academic Institutions to use the sickly
poor as their lab rats. Whether diagnosis and prognosis are sound is neither
here nor there. Their efficiency is measured by the number of times a patient may
return for the same symptoms. The number of qualified doctors and specialists in
the Public Health System are comparable to extinct animals. You just don’t find
them as freely as you would find one in the private sector. But, can one blame
these guardians of the welfare of the population? What with working long hours
for a tenth of the remuneration his fellow professionals would get in the private
sector. The lack of available resources and equipment to carry out his
profession effectively, and the threat of crumbling infrastructure is enough to
drive any healthcare public servant into the private sector, or as is the
current trend, to greener pastures over there</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then there are the various hospital
tragedies where hundreds of patients died from blatant neglect and corruption…….maybe
I’ll discuss that on another day when I’m not sick to my stomach of just
thinking about it. As a result, the National Department of Health is facing an
array of Lawsuits which is being paid for by Government Funds meant for the
delivery of Healthcare services; one innovative way to kill off more of the
poor and poverty stricken, and so the cycle continues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Sound of Music<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE00AzCeJhKF9zKH29mbEYLdIpGzfheACOhq8CvalyadsDUZaNT8FCBg6zT3k4qtjEGIe4z0us66eKepCg1QRI_ZB5yxSFh59e25-jF3_9FAned4QG_mp0NG2-JK2zkhJmbO1SCp5j5Tem/s1600/TSOM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE00AzCeJhKF9zKH29mbEYLdIpGzfheACOhq8CvalyadsDUZaNT8FCBg6zT3k4qtjEGIe4z0us66eKepCg1QRI_ZB5yxSFh59e25-jF3_9FAned4QG_mp0NG2-JK2zkhJmbO1SCp5j5Tem/s320/TSOM.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source : Gstatic.com</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Conversely, the Private
Healthcare system is purring along quite nicely with enough Surplus Funds to
buy out the Public system. Any Private medical aid scheme that claims they are
not making a profit, are only comparing their bottom line to the previous year,
because they didn’t meet their target of increasing profits by another 20% (A
bit of a stretch , but you get my drift).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Compared to heath facilities in
the Public sector, when you walk into a private GP Consultation room or hospital,
you’re greeted with lots of smiling faces and a Doctor whose behaviour and “Professionalism”
can be compared to nothing less than saintly; it’s like walking into a scene
from the movie, The Sound of Music. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re
pampered and spoiled with air-conditioning in summer and heating in winter,
complimentary reading material that is three years old and other small titbits
of insignificance. But you KNOW in the back of their minds they’re relishing at
the fact that they’re going to screw your medical aid, and go about it “Professionally”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As a private medical aid member
for the better part of 30 years, I took this privilege for granted and used and
abused it to the best of my feigned health fragility (I was justified, given
the huge chunk taken out of my salary every month). Yet, most times, the total yearly
cost of my family’s medical expenses NEVER exceeded the yearly contributions.
At times I wanted to level the playing fields by living a grossly unhealthy
lifestyle, subject my family to the same, and hope, by way of more medical
expenses, I would get my money’s worth. But these fuckers are tricky; they have
this very cool “incentive”, called the medical savings account, where you as
the ignorant member fall for the trick of having additional funds for
emergencies or extraordinary medical expenses, although you are already paying
almost 10% of your salary to cover those very expenses. When you eventually realise
you’re being screwed, they’ve already taken the balance of your “savings”, which
would be protected by a clause that says it cannot be carried forward (you
know, like an accounting transaction) to the next year. But I digress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Private Healthcare system
services just under 20% of the South African Population but accounts for 50% of
the total National healthcare budget. The patient-to-doctor ratio is six times
higher in the Public Sector compared to the Private sector. Over the last 10
years private hospitals have increased their tariffs by almost double the rate
of inflation, hence the huge profits enjoyed by the biggest 3 Hospital Groups,
i.e. Netcare, Life Healthcare and Mediclinic, with Discovery Health coining it
in the medical scheme segment. The Private Healthcare system in South Africa is
such a monumental money making machine, that International investors are falling
over their feet to buy into it. Yet the 20% of South Africans using Private
Medical care is none the wiser as to how they’re being ripped off in broad
daylight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The huge profits made in the
Private Healthcare System are mainly attributed to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">Higher than inflation membership scheme contribution increases</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">Higher than inflation tariffs and other Hospital
charges</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">Disproportionate distribution of benefits</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">per medical plan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">Higher percentages of contributions going to
non-healthcare costs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">A lack of Competition in the Hospital and Medical
Scheme markets</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">Member and Consumer apathy in relation to Scheme
plans and Medical jargon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">A lack of measurement data to assess Quality Healthcare
from really bad Healthcare; (except </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">between</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
Public and Private Sectors, but not within the Private sector)</span></li>
</ul>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">National Health
Insurance for Dummies<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, now that we know the Public
Health system is fucked beyond comparison, and the Private Healthcare system is
rolling in billions from ripping off the Middle class, how would the NHI bridge
this huge gap in equality? To answer this, here are a few thoughts which our
esteemed Minister of Health, Dr Zweli “<a href="https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/325641/south-africas-nhi-will-be-introduced-soon-whether-you-like-it-or-not/" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>NHI</u></i><o:p></o:p></a></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><a href="https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/325641/south-africas-nhi-will-be-introduced-soon-whether-you-like-it-or-not/" target="_blank"> will be implemented whether you like it or not</a></u></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">” Mkhize has to offer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Firstly, as mentioned the primary
goal of the NHI is to bring quality, affordable Healthcare to every South
African citizen, and to reduce the high cost of private healthcare. Suffice it
to say that the access to free healthcare should be a Constitutional right,
because after all, a healthy populace would ensure a healthy workforce, not so?
If so many <a href="https://www.thebalance.com/universal-health-care-4156211" target="_blank">European and Latin American countries </a>can do it, it shouldn’t be
that much of a challenge? Right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">According to the National
Treasury, the cost of the NHI Bill will be in the region of R256Billion, but
this figure will be revised as the Project is rolled out. Some analysts have
put the total cost in the region of around R450B, when taking into
consideration the current costs of National Healthcare as a percentage of GDP. Right
there is already a huge problem; when the Einsteins of a piece of legislation
don’t even know how much said legislation is going to cost…..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Funding for the Bill, will be borne out of a series of
Taxes; (and don’t take the phrase “born free, taxed to death”, lightly).</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">General Tax,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Medical Scheme tax credits,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Employee and employer payroll taxes, and</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">A surcharge on Personal Income Tax.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Establishment of an NHI Fund,
which would be a centrally controlled State-owned entity, (you know, like the
many failed SOEs that we already have), will be introduced to manage and
control payments into and out of the scheme, to ensure “transparency” and “Accountability”……right!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The services offered by the NHI
have been touted to be basic comprehensive healthcare services; although, no
definition of these services have yet been documented in the Bill. The bill
states that a person seeking health care services from an approved health care
service provider must be registered as a user of the NHI fund, and must present
proof of such registration in order to use the benefits to which they are
entitled; likewise with specialist services. Over time your medical aid will
provide only health services that are not covered by the NHI. But, as
mentioned, these still need to be defined. Once you are a registered member of
the NHI fund, you cannot seek specialist services directly without consulting an
accredited NHI Service Provider, who will refer you to a specialist if the
required service is not covered by the Fund.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">According to the Project
timeline, and rollout, it is expected that full implementation should be
completed by 2026, with a dramatic downscale in the number and size of Private
medical aid schemes. Given the murky details and failures during the Pilot
phase, the target date of 2026 is wishful thinking, as opined by analysts in
the Sector. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And that, in a nutshell is what
the National Health Insurance scheme is all about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From A layman’s
Perspective<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is no doubt that our (Public)
Health system is in a bad state of disrepair. The fact that more than 80% of
the population is subjected to it, makes the task of regulation that much more
challenging. That less than 20% of the population enjoys quality superior
healthcare, one could say, is a travesty of justice. However, dismantling the
Private Healthcare system to accommodate the goals of this NHI scheme is
definitely not the way to go. And on the face of it, this is exactly the intention. The adverse repercussions that would result from such
careless legislation can only be destructive to the system as a whole. <a href="https://www.cgdev.org/blog/what%E2%80%99s-pilot-view-south-africa%E2%80%99s-national-health-insurance-nhi" target="_blank">The Pilot Phase has highlighted crucial inconsistencies</a> with many unworkable solutions. None of the highlighted issues have satisfactorily been resolved, but the first phases of the plan has already been launched in Provinces like KZN and the Eastern Cape. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Any
layman could see that the natural progression of achieving the goal of universal, quality
healthcare for all, is simply to fix what is broken, and then apply legislative
changes, in phases, to accomplish that goal; ensuring that all
stakeholders are accommodated fairly. There are numerous examples of Global countries with efficient <a href="https://fr.april-international.com/en/healthcare-expatriates/which-countries-have-best-healthcare-systems" target="_blank">world class Healthcare Systems</a> that can be used to model a
system successfully. But contrary to a layman’s opinion, our esteemed leaders
in government don’t really see it that way. They prefer the bulldozer approach
to fixing shit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-78320698368451416252019-07-25T07:24:00.003-07:002019-11-21T00:36:08.903-08:00 The Fourth Industrial Revolution - The future is here! Or is it?<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution, referred to as
4IR?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Four Revolutions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDIF4EuVdf0wrSaRlrm2rry5h9dF97zGvcyqboiLWBiMt6AxllZ5QX2uEOKZNFJm1t67FYZEl0VZnIBMGxPYUj8l8ecFpfFawFj90YI0Qiwjhw8sF7XtelFk_wJvhYbKphIq7SeLIudvP/s1600/fourth_ir_in_line.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="750" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDIF4EuVdf0wrSaRlrm2rry5h9dF97zGvcyqboiLWBiMt6AxllZ5QX2uEOKZNFJm1t67FYZEl0VZnIBMGxPYUj8l8ecFpfFawFj90YI0Qiwjhw8sF7XtelFk_wJvhYbKphIq7SeLIudvP/s400/fourth_ir_in_line.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:<a href="https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2018/12/what-is-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-4IR.html">.www.salesforce.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As the history books would
suggest, the First Industrial revolution was the advent of the steam engine in
the 18<sup>th</sup> Century, ushering in the Age of Mechanical Production. Steam
was the primary source of power for everything from agriculture to
manufacturing. The world became dependent on steam power and machine tools when
steamships and steam engines (railroad) were the revolutionary way of long
distance transportation. Through steam power, the agrarian life steadily gave
way to urbanization, with the founding of the factory being the centre of
community life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With the factory being the
driving force behind economic and social growth, Industrialization gave rise to
a middle class of skilled workers. Cities, Industries and economies grew
phenomenally with this new Age of Industrialization, as populations in US
cities, for example, grew from only 6% in the 1700s to around 40% in the 1800s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The invention of the petrol
engine, telephone, and electricity in the 20<sup>th</sup> Century transformed
the way people lived, as these new inventions expanded the labour workforce in
cities. Production lines in factories began taking shape as the Ford motor
company was the first to introduce the concept of the assembly line in
factories. The explosion of scientific and Industrial inventions in the 19<sup>th</sup>
and 20<sup>th</sup> Centuries ushered in what would become the Modern World of
today. The Age of Science and Mass Production thus became the Foundation for
the exploration and expansion of Science and Technology in Industry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The age of the Digital Revolution
in the late 20<sup>th</sup> Century saw the invention of the semi-conductor;
transistor and microprocessor introduce Digital computerisation in mainframes
and Personal Computers. Devices like TVs, wireless, telephones and other
analogue appliances were replaced with digital electronic technology.
Industries mostly impacted were Information Technology, Telecommunications and
Energy, as antiquated analogue Infrastructure mutated into high-speed digital
telecommunications, and advancements in the Energy Industry saw the development
of Nuclear energy as a (cleaner) source of energy over traditional coal powered
(dirty) energy production. Another Industry highly impacted was the Media,
where the Internet (Network) gradually became a primary source of information
as Media houses converted their products into electronic formats, and used the
Internet as a more efficient channel of delivery. The Digital revolution
transformed most Industries worldwide and changed the way people would live,
work and communicate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today we have the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, or simply 4IR, the name and definition as branded by <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond" target="_blank">Klaus Schwab</a>,
Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. Technological developments
such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Cloud computing, Internet of Things
(IoT), and Virtualisation has set the tone for the age of Cyber-Physical
systems. Cyber-Physical systems are characterized by a fusion of technologies
that integrates the physical, digital and biological domains. Mechanical
automation through robotics in Industries like Construction, Manufacturing, and
the Service sector has become a sobering reality. Breakthroughs in
Biotechnology have enabled the possibility of genetic sequencing and editing in
the drive to cure diseases like cancer, leukaemia, Androgenetic Alopecia, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Block-chain technology (an
Algorithmic Distributed Ledger), the platform from which Cryptocurrencies were
launched, are increasingly being used in supply chain and tracking Industries. Cryptocurrencies
were developed as an alternative to Fiat currencies, and has effectively made
trading between two entities more secure, with an explicit aim of removing the
middle man, i.e. Banks. <a href="https://blockgeeks.com/guides/best-cryptocurrency-exchanges/" target="_blank">Exchange trading markets for Cryptocurrencies</a>, have already been established in parallel with the
traditional stock and derivative markets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As more and more electronic
devices are Internet enabled, the demand for cyber information space has
skyrocketed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2018, a total of 23
Billion devices were connected to the Internet, with this number increasing
daily. IoT devices range from a light bulb that can be switched on through a
smartphone app, to smart cities with public enabled sensors that collect
valuable data in an effort to improve communities and to better understand and
control the environment. Other ground breaking technologies like Artificial
Intelligence and 5G has already been inducted into Asian and European Societies
as the benchmark for the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is absolutely no doubt that
the amalgamation of 4IR into Societies and economies have untold benefits and endless
possibilities. It can raise salary bands, improve the quality of life and
decrease the cost of trade. Through Automation, production processes and
product delivery in manufacturing can be streamlined with a higher level of
accuracy, quality and efficiency. 3D printing can potentially increase
productivity and market growth by approximately 40%, as advanced robots can
program multiple product designs, speedily manufactured by efficient 3D
printers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The development of a number of
Smart Cities in the Far East has already embedded the Fourth Industrial
Revolution into mainstream society across <a href="https://sociable.co/technology/southeast-asia-smart-cities/" target="_blank">South East Asia</a>. In the United
States, this trend is spread through various states, like Colorado,
Pennsylvania, California, Kentucky, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What sets these advanced cities apart from the rest of the world? They
all have stable and fast growing economies, a robust world class
infrastructure, and a highly skilled workforce. Therefore, the Fourth
Industrial Revolution as an enabler of smart cities was a natural progression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sadly, not in South Africa. So let’s get back to reality!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4IR in the South African Context<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The huge challenges we face in
the Social and economic spheres alone, is enough for the majority in this
country to forget about the dream of living in a 4IR world. The economy has
contracted by 3,2% in the first quarter of 2019, with a very low outlook for
the second quarter. <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/unemployment-rate" target="_blank">The unemployment rate</a> has been steadily increasing over the
last 5 years from 25.5% in 2014 to 27,6% in the first quarter of this year
(2019), as more companies downsize their workforce to cut costs. Youth
unemployment (25 to 34 years old) is at 34% and a staggering 55,5% for 16 to 24
year olds. These age categories are where the skills for 4IR should be exploited
and developed, yet the economy is not strong or stable enough to absorb them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">South Africa is well known for
being the most unequal society in the world, where 10% of the population earns
more than 50% of total household income in the country. The poorest 40% earns
less than 7% of household income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
significance of this indicator is the reflection of how many unskilled and
semi-skilled people there are in the mainstream economy earning minimum wages.
With the development of Automation in 4IR, these are the very people whose jobs
are targeted. The Industries already impacted, as mentioned, are <a href="https://4irsa.org/news/the-fourth-manufacturing-revolution/" target="_blank">Agriculture,Manufacturing, Construction</a> and the Service Sector, where most unskilled and
semi-skilled individuals ply their trade. The effect this could have on the
current Inequality gap would border on criminality. The already marginalized, would not only be excluded from access to the benefits of 4IR,
but would also be removed from the labour force driving it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blight on Education and
Infrastructure<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A <a href="https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/292186/south-africas-real-2018-matric-pass-rate-is-under-50/" target="_blank">low Matriculant pass rate</a> (compared
to the number of grade 1 students through twelve years of primary and Secondary
Education), followed by an even lower (entrance) submissions to an institution
of higher learning poses interesting challenges to the skills development required for the Science and Information and Technology Fields. Currently there
is a drain of scarce skills required in the Coding and App Development
disciplines of Information Technology. This is directly attributed to the low
numbers of Students registering for Study in the field of Science and
Technology, which is a result of the low numbers matriculating with the
required exemption in the Mathematics and Science category of subjects. We find
a similar trend of scarce skills in the fields of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=scarce+skills+in+engineering+in+SA&oq=scarce+skills+in+engineering+in+SA&aqs=chrome..69i57.7777j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">Mechanical, electrical and Civil engineering</a>, where these make a significant contribution to the infrastructural
fields of 4IR.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As Industry evolves, a disruption
in labour trends is inevitable. The last three revolutions have proven that various
job skills were phased out with new professions replacing them. The downside of
this transition is that the number of job losses through automation and other
disruptions, is not proportional to the number of new jobs and professions
created. <a href="https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs" target="_blank">The trend of new job creation</a> through Industry disruptions has been
significantly downward. Currently, only 0,5% of the US workforce is employed in
Industries that did not exist before the 21<sup>st</sup> Century, compared to
8,2% of the workforce in new Industries in the 1980s and 4,4% in the 1990s. In
addition, the type of jobs created required a higher level of education and
skill, compared to the skill levels required for the jobs that were lost. In
other words, most Blue-collar jobs are affected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In South Africa, currently only
15% of the population has access to or can afford Broadband Internet
technology. Yet, 50% of the population are connected by smart phones through
mobile data access, which have become a daily necessity. It’s anticipated that
advanced IoT applications are being developed for the 5G Telecommunications
Infrastructure. Our Broadcasting Infrastructure has not yet been
migrated from analogue to digital broadcasting, which is required to free up frequency spectrum for mobile data
connectivity and to expand the access to broadband Internet for the rural
market of smartphone users.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Notwithstanding all the
challenges mentioned above which are crucial to the successful rollout of a 4IR
South Africa, the most fundamental challenge we face is the problem of keeping
the lights on. Our energy supply from Eskom is stuck in the second and third
revolutions. Ageing and outdated coal powered plants, have proven to be an
Achilles heel for the survival of the South African economy. More than 90% of
our energy generation is supplied by failing power plants, which have reached
its expiry date years ago. If that is not enough, the Power Utility has all but
gone bankrupt with Treasury continuously bailing it out with loans which it may
not be able to repay. The successful funding and rollout of IPPs around South
Africa has made very little difference in the constraints of energy supply. Unless
the energy sector is radically transformed and regulated to meet the current
requirements of our economy, 4IR for the majority of South Africa will be
nothing but a pipe dream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the last fifty to seventy
years, the pace of change in Industry and thus Society has quadrupled compared
to the pace of change of the first two revolutions. The number of inventions
and discoveries in Science and Technology more than doubled in the space of a
few decades compared to the period (approximately two Centuries) between the
first and second Industrial Revolutions. The next revolution may only be a few
years away as Millennial innovation radically change the Social and Economic
landscape. Through the process there will be winners and losers, though historically,
the most vulnerable of Society become the losers. In a race to patent, market
and sell a new invention, businesses tend to forget or conveniently forget the
implications and repercussions a new invention may have on Society, focusing
mainly on the advantages it will have to the few who may be fortunate enough to
gain access to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In Africa and specifically South Africa, whose economy is still
an “emerging” one, would the 4IR be a justified necessity, where only a handful
of the population would benefit from it? </span></div>
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<br />George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-18476653487711805792019-03-24T01:31:00.000-07:002019-03-24T02:49:57.338-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Zuma Elite is alive, kicking and seemingly have played
with an open hand.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for Zuma and Ramaphosa" src="https://cdn.primedia.co.za/primedia-broadcasting/image/upload/c_fill,h_289,w_463/reozu8hgbwloblhsrqjs" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Source: EWN</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">“</span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">." <i>- Sun Tzu, The Art of War</i>.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My thoughts on the Opinion piece by Mark Swilling, <i><a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2019-01-21-the-zuma-power-elite-is-alive-kicking-and-preparing-to-replace-ramaphosa/#.XJTsMogqbpt.twitter" target="_blank">The Zuma Elite is alive, kicking and preparing to replace Ramaphosa</a>, </i>as<i> </i>published
on the Daily Maverick Website.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Firstly, I comprehensively agree with Mr Swilling on these
points, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> . Retaining Zuma’s “Man of the people” image; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Consolidate his power base in KZN;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Rounding up the various PEC executives in Zuma’s favour; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Weakening the voter turnout against the ANC and;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Nullifying the State Capture Commission</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, his opinion on the
Russians/Embassy-cum-military bases/global expansion may be far-fetched for an
Academic of Mr Swilling’s stature. The
problem with these statements, firstly, is that Nuclear Energy build for peaceful
Civilian purposes is conducted under supervision and inspection by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure the Nuclear Build processes
are not manipulated for military purposes. Therefore the possibility that the
Russians are using Civil Nuclear Power plants as a cover for an
Embassy/Military base, could only occur if they (Russians) were not a signatory
of the NPT, and were therefore under no obligation to allow IAEA inspection of
their nuclear plants. Notwithstanding the fact that Mr Swilling neglects to
provide some clear examples of said Embassies-cum-military bases. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Secondly, the point
of the Russians using their Civil Nuclear Sector to expand their global
ambitions does not mean that the Russian Federation has plans to control global
nuclear energy proliferation as Mr Swilling is clearly implying, because they
ALREADY control approximately sixty percent of nuclear energy trade globally, see <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/07/27/commentary/world-commentary/russia-unrivaled-nuclear-power-plant-exports/#.XJcwFSgzbIU" target="_blank">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr Swilling
then suggests that South Africa would have become “….<i>another Russian-controlled failed state held together with violence and
fea</i>r”. I’m rather sceptical of the suggestion, because I’ve never heard of a
Russian-controlled failed state, and am extremely disappointed Mr Swilling failed
to provide an example of it. Coupled
with this he suggests, and again without providing the evidence, that “<i>There is now more than enough evidence to
suggest that the Russians want Ramaphosa out….”</i> Mr Putin has suggested many
a time that he is prepared, willing and able to work with any State leader
under mutually beneficial terms, but will not allow terms to be dictated to the
Russian State.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://thesaker.is/putins-lasting-state-translated-by-dmitri-orlov/" target="_blank">This Analysis</a> and <a href="https://countercurrents.org/2019/03/06/reflections-on-putin-as-a-leader-and-on-the-world-situation-in-which-he-works/" target="_blank">this Opinion</a> piece, provides a comprehensive
definition of how the Russian Federation and its leaders conduct their affairs
of State. Suffice it to say, there remains the scepticism in the West that the
Russian Federation is the USSR of old, because they believe that nothing has
changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the subsequent collapse of the
USSR. Nothing could be further from the truth, based on the articles mentioned
above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Coming back to the game being played by Zuma and
his cohorts, I agree that there definitely is a huge
fightback from the Zuma cartel. I also agree that there is some serious
transformation needed in the ANC as the ruling political party. There definitely
need to be some “Big Hitters” taken down and imprisoned for these changes to be
effective.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, while the Zuma cartel is
busy showing their hand and being as predictable as anyone would be, in their situation
(i.e. facing long term prison time), who is to say that Mr Ramaphosa is just
sitting back and watching all of this unfold without having a Strategic plan of
his own? In the lead up to the Elections in May, I think it would be expected
from Mr Ramaphosa not to make any significant changes that may give the Zuma
cartel a hint of his (Mr Ramaphosa’s) plan. Therefore, appointing various Commissions of
Enquiry was expected, a new NDPP was almost overdue, firing one or two
Ministers was necessary. These were the basic non-negotiables Mr Ramaphosa
needed to enforce in the period from being sworn in until the elections. We
have to bear in mind that Mr Ramaphosa’s victory at Nasrec was too close for
him to make sweeping changes across his Administration, which may have shortened
his tenure as ANC leader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For all intents and purposes, Mr
Ramaphosa is in the most advantageous position given that he can predict what
the Cartel has next on their agenda. Conversely, the Cartel could not know what
Mr Ramaphosa’s response may be because he’s not showing his hand. There are various
reasons why Mr Ramaphosa should be playing the long game. The most crucial of
them is that the ANC needs votes come election time, and a premature counter
attack from Mr Ramaphosa now, may have a worse impact on the ANC election result
than what is currently expected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Global stakeholders are watching
and waiting to assess post-election Economic and Foreign policy, the resulting
manoeuvres from State Capture and other Enquiries, and the fight against
corruption from the Ruling Party, for their own interests. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The electorate can only hope and pray that Mr
Ramaphosa IS playing the long game and have his game plan ready for some post-election
surprises. Failing which, we all may have to pack our bags and head for the exit in an Exodus-like stampede.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-70096206918550684372017-10-17T00:34:00.001-07:002017-10-17T00:34:24.448-07:00uBaba Ka Duduzane: The Ultimate Strategist?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7muUdtnK19fSl4yTTpEnsDeJ-jrIt-kuGmlHQU3O-EUC3QraH4DUAvSDgPSe9n7SY-B9YhXjHx0NdW8w9Q0-U6W1ULn4Cc8c3i9xu21H5loBxdv1HI0gqdtpkLQFvyo17wr2v93PCPgZe/s1600/chess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="389" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7muUdtnK19fSl4yTTpEnsDeJ-jrIt-kuGmlHQU3O-EUC3QraH4DUAvSDgPSe9n7SY-B9YhXjHx0NdW8w9Q0-U6W1ULn4Cc8c3i9xu21H5loBxdv1HI0gqdtpkLQFvyo17wr2v93PCPgZe/s320/chess.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: The Citizen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Following the amusing analyses
and predictions popping up in the media regarding P-P-Pr-r-r.e.s. Zuma’s (it’s rather
difficult to refer to him as “President”) strategy for the upcoming ANC
Elective Conference in December, I somehow couldn’t understand how these
analyses could be attributed to the mind of one individual who:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Took a shower to wash down a
potential infection after having
unprotected sex with an HIV positive woman;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cannot read numbers containing
more than 5 figures (some 6 year olds can read numbers containing more than 5
figures);</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Feels threatened by “clever
blacks”;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recites a passage like a 5 year
old who has just learned to read his first children’s book;</span></li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> What kind of in-depth analysis would one need,
to make an assessment for such mind boggling stupidity of an individual? But,
for the sake of satire, let’s unpack the reality and intellectual capacity of
one Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma. (And I will from here-on refer to him as
anything but P-P-Pr-r.e.s. Zuma)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is an assumption that No. 1
is using his ex-wife, NDZ (Nkosasana Dlamini-Zuma) as a front to mask his real
intention of making Zweli Mkhize his ultimate choice to take over the ANC reins.
There is another prediction that, should
Cyril Ramaphosa win, he may cut a deal with MacBuffalo to look the other way and prevent him from
standing trial for his treacherous shenanigans. There are other assumptions of The
Nkandla Crooner changing tact at the 11<sup>th</sup> hour, and making Baleka “I
don’t recognise you” Mbete his running horse (pardon the pun); or the one where
he plans to redeploy the two main threats (CR17 and Mkhize) to his preferred
candidate (NDZ), and then proceed to secure a position for himself in the ANC top
six where he can still manipulate things to his advantage. Then there is an
analysis of why all the above will not transpire, and that Zuma intends to
disrupt things to the extent that the conference does not take place, so that
he remains Head Honcho until the General Elections in 2019 or until he’s ready
to skip the country. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only thing all of the above
proves, is that no one really knows exactly what Mshini-Wam’s intention is, but
the resounding agreement is that he definitely has no intention to stand trial
for any crime, and return to that 6 x 8 foot cell for the rest of his criminal
life. This, I would agree with, because this oke has no scruples and absolutely
no sense of moral decency and will NEVER “fall on his sword” or negotiate a
plea bargain with the new leaders. Jacob
G. Zuma believes that he is above reproach and stooping so low (in his little
mind) as to admit that he fucked up big time, is not in his persona.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here is my 10 cents worth of
analyses and predictions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>uBaba Ka Duduzane</i> is said to be a shrewd tactician, and a wily
strategist. This is ostensibly attributed
to him being an avid chess player, and the chairman of the Chess Club during
his time in incarceration on Robben Island.
I don’t, for one second, believe that he is any good in chess, although he
learned to play the game on Robben Island when he was in his 20s. Being an
honorary guest at the Commonwealth and South African Open Chess Championships
in Port Elizabeth in 2013, he chose to play a 5 year old toddler in a game that
ended in a stalemate. Really? Playing a
5 year old little boy barely out of his nappies (Diapers)? Some may argue it was an exhibition match or just
a photo opportunity; but why choose the youngest kid at the tournament? That said one cannot find any record of his
chess prowess or how many significant games he has ever won. But, there is another report of him losing at a similar tournament to a 13 year old girl. Nonetheless, being
the chairman of a chess club does not necessarily mean you are the best player
in the club. For all intents and purposes, he may have been one of only two members
in the club, with, probably his tutor as the second member! There is very
little, if any, information on the web about the club and its members. In
addition, we know for sure that he doesn’t (can’t?) read, so he may not be
familiar with various chess strategies or open and closed games. To know these
tactics and strategies, one should read to improve and understand how one plans
a winning game. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v2ab-BecWqlUMeS_YnGu1B2qK-kjKSOo9ruLRXzyc7deZXie-notUAnUQjqK0FNnNWPpoiOngVL8rBJfOdtsjEInQF0V1xGFi3iRZ-zbC9ZkvsKtMx3QTGbD8ODbXnZKcGXKSp223FdO/s1600/zapiro-free-speech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="674" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v2ab-BecWqlUMeS_YnGu1B2qK-kjKSOo9ruLRXzyc7deZXie-notUAnUQjqK0FNnNWPpoiOngVL8rBJfOdtsjEInQF0V1xGFi3iRZ-zbC9ZkvsKtMx3QTGbD8ODbXnZKcGXKSp223FdO/s320/zapiro-free-speech.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Artist: Zapiro</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since his rape trial back in
2006, controversy has followed him like a demon ready to take over his<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> soul. Amongst
his many embarrassing sexploits and misadventures, was the rape of an HIV
positive woman, his fathering a child with the daughter of a close friend,
fraud and racketeering charges involving his “Financial Advisor”, and the
latest Gupta-linked kak-storm hitting Mzanzi. Other stories emerged about his
dodgy relationship with ex-convict-turned-politicians. How many cabinet
reshuffles has he authorised since 2009? The level of corruption he is alleged
to be embroiled in is staggering, to say the least. One can write a book on the shit that this
extra-terrestrial, sex-craved, wrecking ball homo-noid has wrought on everyone
and everything for which he is accountable. But for fear of losing me in
derision and for the purposes of this analysis, these few glaring examples should
suffice to clarify the point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Given all the controversial, criminal
disasters he has engineered, and given the fact that each time he has been
caught, literally, with his pants down, does that sound like someone who knows
what he’s doing; someone who has this grand strategy that will dupe the whole
country into believing he is the ultimate tactician and master of deflection? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBywxqqeBWnHleQ6rHqmI_riDCHRK9lFUCIhj6DvUjXdVI41g7clmoiy2Vt19GN-HLfUZFTZysU-x43ZlaffFK2zzqDT-RK7q11pUK5GUKYslFu8AsBEOnQFx77zHkWaT1N858MFWPhI_a/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBywxqqeBWnHleQ6rHqmI_riDCHRK9lFUCIhj6DvUjXdVI41g7clmoiy2Vt19GN-HLfUZFTZysU-x43ZlaffFK2zzqDT-RK7q11pUK5GUKYslFu8AsBEOnQFx77zHkWaT1N858MFWPhI_a/s1600/images.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Artist: Zapiro</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think No. 1 has survived as
long as he has, simply because he is surrounded by a plethora of<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> corrupt,
thieving individuals just like him, and he has a folder for the criminal
activities of each and every one of them, inside and outside of Government. With this priceless information at his
disposal, he knows he can do whatever his heart desires without suffering any incrimination
at all. A case in point, his last cabinet reshuffle, was a big FUCK YOU to his
ANC detractors and the country as a whole.
He is so confident, to the point of obstinacy, that he proceeded with the
State Capture project by enacting said reshuffle of his most trusted
lieutenants into the Ministry of Finance to finish the job. Suffice it to say, through
courtesy of his Saxonwold handlers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He doesn’t give a flying fuck
about anything around him, least of all those pesky 783 corruption charges. I’m
quite sure he doesn’t make ANY decisions or gives direction for his defence of
said charges. He leaves all of that up
to his comrade-in-thieves to take care of, while he lounges at his fire-pool
drinking his Umqombothi and summoning his wives one-by-one to (amuse) him…..in
between pleasuring his head-bobbing masters from 5 Saxonwold drive. All he
wants to hear is that his preferred candidate will succeed him at the
Conference in December and that he’s not standing trial for anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think the Showerhead will see
the State Capture Project to its devastating end (as ordered by his
head-bobbing handlers), wind things up, and charter a flight out to Mars, where
Interpol can’t find him and therefore cannot be extradited. Given his infinite
stupidity, he probably thinks that Mars is an island in a remote part of the
globe, obscured from civilisation and inaccessible to normal people like you
and I. But, under mounting public pressure his Saxonwold handlers may have a
few surprises in store for him, or he for them…..<i>there is no honour among thieves.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, any predictions
would be irrelevant should Pikkewyntjie (Shaun the Sheep) suddenly develop a
backbone and decide to prosecute <i>uBaba Ka
Duduzane</i> for those annoying 783 corruption charges, in which case, the Nkandla
Crooner will be at his Karaoke best!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-77094011805686001732017-08-27T08:49:00.002-07:002017-08-27T08:49:14.711-07:00State Capture and the democracy that was<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWezLC_B4CwSI9xwdjJwLOIwSOcO2Bp3uLz4nq-GcWokTsdeJdVsNA5wHjlxDQJMOfocGMZ8QoR5jwadTgEA-RlGFUptPJrbFJJxEECp6hwaqpBHRRxCrX5ryfRGa7pp7kItAS1SDQsRx/s1600/gupta5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="650" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWezLC_B4CwSI9xwdjJwLOIwSOcO2Bp3uLz4nq-GcWokTsdeJdVsNA5wHjlxDQJMOfocGMZ8QoR5jwadTgEA-RlGFUptPJrbFJJxEECp6hwaqpBHRRxCrX5ryfRGa7pp7kItAS1SDQsRx/s320/gupta5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The topic of Politics is always
frowned upon in social circles and people are often reluctant to debate
political issues or developments, given our historical political landscape. I was recently asked not to engage in any
political discussions at a social gathering, for fear of offending
someone. In my opinion anyone who feels
offended by a political discussion, should engage in some serious
self-reflection and re-evaluate their standing and contribution to society. However,
and understandably, with a reflection on our political history, these discussions
or debates can become awkward, tense, and in extreme circumstances, can turn
violent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I take a strong interest in
politics, not because I have an affiliation to a specific political party or
movement, or for that matter have some kind of ideological belief, but merely because
I feel, as a citizen and taxpayer, we need to keep our politicians (on both
sides of the spectrum) ethical and honourable in their duty to society; however
difficult or impossible that may be. Holding our politicians to account is every
South African citizen’s moral obligation to ensure they deliver on their
promises and to ensure the future of our kids are not compromised. Social Media has become an extremely
effective tool for the purposes of the aforementioned, and is the perfect
platform for any reluctant individual to air their views. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This invariably brings me to the
subject of State Capture. As any South African, whose eyes are open for a
minimum of 10 hours per day, would know, the story of the Guptas make the front
page of most newspapers and the leading story on local News channels, almost
daily. The phrase “state capture” describes
how an immigrant Indian family, the Guptas, have manoeuvred themselves into a position
where they wield control over state-owned companies with their huge procurement
budgets, diverting large sums into their own pockets and, by extension, the
President, his family and his circle of cronies. While I will not go into
extensive detail and bore you to death about this sorry saga, I will attempt to
highlight some of the repercussions which affect every South African, as a
result of this State Capture. This may shed some light on why I suggest that
every South African citizen worth their salt are obliged to hold politicians to
account, in whichever way we can.
Suffice it to say, without the involvement of the average citizen and
civil society, we expose ourselves to the kind of exploitation and blatant
theft witnessed in this State Capture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
State Capture is probably the
most controversial and embarrassing of events that had befell South Africa
since the days of Apartheid. The daylight robbery of SOEs (State Owned Entities),
like Eskom, SAA, SABC, Transnet, PRASA and Denel, brought a whole new level of
corruption and white collar crime in this country’s young history. The
corruption in the Arms Deal is dwarfed by the scale of corruption in the
capture of our state. The figure punted by former Minister of Finance, Pravin
Gordhan, in state corruption was around R100 billion, which roughly represents
10% of Government Expenditure. He emphasised that this money could have doubled
Social Grants for the 17 million South Africans on Social Welfare. It could
have built low cost houses for 5 million families, not to mention the number of
schools or hospitals that could have been built. A R100 billion could have made
a significant impact to the rate of unemployment through job creation. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The most embarrassing thing about
this story is that the perpetrators central to this pilfering are uitlanders
from the Indian sub-continent who saw the potential for grand scale larceny
through our compromised public officials and a pliable Government
administration. They were so enamoured with this potential that they arrogantly
set a goal of stealing no less than R10 billion in liquid assets in a set time
period. Their South African citizenship is under investigation, but this did
not deter them from realising these goals. The corruption and theft extends
globally and implicates various multinational corporations doing shady business
with the Gupta family, and corrupt government officials. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The impact on ordinary South Africans
is far reaching with the most vulnerable in society being affected directly. As
mentioned, the 17 million beneficiaries of Social Welfare could have benefited the
most, but instead face more controversy around non-payment of their social
grants in 2018. Over 30 million people currently live below the poverty line
which is more than half of the total population in this country.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The country is currently in a
recession, brought about by the ratings downgrades of various State Owned
Entities, and subsequently a downgrading in the economy’s investment grade. In the
bigger scheme of things this implies that Foreign Direct Investment in South
Africa slows down, with the possibility of an outflow of current investments; a
case in point, the exit of Ford South Africa.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As a result of the downgrades, and
with little or no future investments, the prospect of job creation becomes a
non-entity, and thus unemployment increases. The official rate as at June 2017
stood at a mind boggling 27.7%, the highest in 13 years. In numbers, that
represents a total of 6.8 million of the employable people in the country. The
unofficial rate which includes the number of people giving up looking for work
sits at around 37%.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Service Delivery throughout South
Africa has deteriorated to the extent that municipalities and local Governments
were under siege by gatvol and frustrated residents. The latest audit report
for 2016 of 263 Municipalities showed that only 49 country-wide, had clean
audits. The total amount of money wasted through corruption was around R16
billion, an increase of a whopping 50% over the previous year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
SOE’s are bankrupt, with Treasury
having to consistently bail them out. Public money urgently needed by other
Social programs like housing, education and health is being diverted to these
SOEs. The latest is SAA where it is alleged the government plans to sell its
share in Telkom to keep SAA afloat. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The NDP (National Development
Plan) vision for 2030 has been abandoned, as a result of the dire circumstances
of our ailing economy. The economic growth forecast for the period 2010 through
2030 is envisioned as best case scenario at 5,4% and worst case scenario at
3,3%. Over the past five years the average growth had already breached the
worst case scenario at a measly 1,6% annually. Based on these figures, the
expected growth for the next 5 years is an average of only 1,8 to 2,0%. That’s
assuming our economy is not downgraded further to junk status, in which case
the forecast may be much lower.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Latest reports indicate that 73%
of middle class income earners are buckling under extreme debt. The middle
class is the spine of the economy and the tax base and a lot of South Africa’s
sustainability as a nation depends on this group. This appears to be a direct result
of increased expenses on the back of lower annual increases. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As can be seen from the above
facts, the people most affected by the shenanigans of State Capture are the
poor and the middle class backbone of the economy. Should the situation deteriorate,
and the middle class collapses, there is a very strong possibility of becoming
another Zimbabwe. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Madiba’s dream of a rainbow
nation with the foundation of a prosperous society was stolen by three chubby,
head bobbling brothers who are alleged to have racist views of black people in
this country. While trumpeting and
promoting the notions of Affirmative Action and BEE, these thieves are secretly
racist bigots. Our hard fought after democracy is in danger of becoming an
almost well-deserved basket case if all patriotic South Africans don’t stand
together and hold our government to account for their actions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For more information on State
Capture, see <a href="http://www.gupta-leaks.com/" target="_blank">#Guptaleaks</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Please feel free to post your comments below. </div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-16656783364912405972017-03-29T04:22:00.002-07:002017-04-02T12:24:02.337-07:00It’s our time for sacrifice and selflessness<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The passing of one of the revered
icons in the liberation struggle closes yet another chapter in the story of our
democracy. Ahmed Kathrada, like Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Albert Lithuli and
others will forever be remembered for their lifetime contributions in the quest
for the freedom of the South African people from a vile, racist regime. Rarely
in a lifetime would one see the selfless acts of individuals so passionate
about an ideology that they were prepared to lay down their lives for what they
believed in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As ordinary South Africans, we
could never appreciate or comprehend the sacrifices they have made throughout
their lives so that we could be truly free. The desecrating of family homes, separation of family members, incarceration of whole families, the exile and banishment of
close families and friends. Not to mention the hounding and terrorizing, from the Apartheid State
Security, of those left behind to keep the revolution alive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Twenty-three years into democracy
we have all but forgotten what these legends of revolution had to endure so that
ours and our descendant’s futures are free from oppression and prejudice. We go
about our daily lives and excite ourselves in planning the future and success
of our loved ones. We are carefully focused on ourselves and our environment
and seldom give a thought for those in society who have still to benefit from
the democracy so hard fought for by individuals like Ahmed Kathrada. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Twenty-three years into democracy, 17 million South Africans still live off Social
Grants, courtesy of the Government. Twenty-three years into democracy, almost
half of the employable people are unemployed and live off U.I.F benefits, courtesy
of the government. Twenty-three years into democracy, service delivery is
sorely lacking in rural areas across South Africa, with no running water, no
electricity, deteriorating infrastructure, etc. Twenty-three years into
democracy we face the looming prospect of being economically isolated from the
rest of the world, courtesy of Global Rating Agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Given the state of affairs in our
country, leadership is non-existent, and those in power have very little or no
sense of accountability or responsibility to their oath of office. Their focus
and energies are expended predominantly on nefarious, selfish needs, which are contrary
to the values and principles espoused by our icons of the liberation struggle. Corruption,
theft, fraud is the order of the day, with no regard for the plight of the
people of South Africa. Questionable business deals with dodgy businessmen has
taken precedent as Government’s sole priority. Respect for a Constitution, that
has been a shining example to societies around the world has reached a
new low by the so-called leaders of our free society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For the lack of a more decent
description, the only words that could describe the state
of our country and our leadership, is disgusting, despicable and shamefully
disgraceful. To think that so many lives were sacrificed for a better South African
Society; so many families desecrated and torn apart, so many communities
trampled underfoot by the Apartheid State; all that hard work that was achieved
over a lifetime, only to be undone by unscrupulous, self-serving, corrupt
fraudsters who have no respect for a 100-year old revolutionary movement, or their fellow South Africans they are supposed to be serving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We, as patriotic South Africans
cannot afford to sit idly by and watch how this hard fought for democracy gets pummeled and trampled into the ground by the fraudsters who we call leaders.
We have a duty and a responsibility to acknowledge and show our appreciation of
what the Liberation struggle had achieved, through the sacrifices by individuals
like Ahmed Kathrada. We must fight, through whatever means we can, to take back
our freedoms and our democracy from those bent on destroying it. Anything less
than explicit action from us, the 55 million South Africans, would render the
hard work of the Liberation Struggle meaningless and all those lives
sacrificed, futile. Let the destiny of this “beacon of hope” for so many around
the world, lie in the hands of the people of South Africa who have an
obligation to say:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Yes, we can…..and so we should”!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-58050588293967425242016-04-19T04:58:00.001-07:002016-04-19T04:58:23.338-07:00The forbidden K-word that still pops up at private social events
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Picture the scenario. You are
invited to a family social gathering. You look forward to socialising with your
besties and close family. While standing around a braai, the conversation jumps
from one topic to another as the beer and wine flows freely. Someone unsurprisingly,
raises the topic of race and discrimination; the conversation becomes
uncomfortable and the inevitable happens, someone mutters the K-word!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a brief momentary silence (all of 3
seconds) and someone else adds fuel to the already lit blaze of discrimination.
Although you feel very strongly about racist behaviour, you remove yourself
from the conversation awkwardly and maintain your silence indefinitely. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">On your way home, you find
yourself pondering the events and discussions of the afternoon, and wonder if
you had done the right thing by remaining silent during the racist tirade of
people you’ve come to believe is your support base and the fabric of your
being. Although you have differing views on the topic of racism and discrimination,
you ponder whether you should have “upset the apple cart” and reprimanded the
offending instigators. The fear of losing or falling out with close friends and
family is something you cannot afford, so your silence vindicates you from
being a part of that act of blind racism. You feel that it was enough protest
to voice your position on the subject.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Alternatively, had you voiced
your opinions and reprimanded the offenders, you may have undoubtedly fell out
of favour with your closest brethren and possibly never invited to a family
gathering again for fear of you “upsetting the status quo”. Nevertheless, you
felt that the conversation was reminiscent of the type of conversation you may
have experienced in the bad days of apartheid. You feel that you have progressed
and learned enough since then, yet are saddened that there are still people
within your social circle who share the same views they have shared more than
20 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You feel the democratic
dispensation of 1994 has done little to quell the thoughts and misdeeds of people
closest to you, and disparagingly, your community as a whole. As you ponder,
you reason, that, countering the racist argument would fall on deaf ears,
because it would be similar to having an argument with a 4-year old, on why he
should not be eating lots of sugary sweets and luxuries. You therefore feel
helpless under the circumstances, and resign yourself to accepting that you are
powerless in changing or influencing the thought patterns of people set in
their old fashioned racist ways.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">You wonder if it’s worth
abandoning your social circle for the sake of your ethical beliefs. If not, are
you also a silent racist like them or do you believe your reaction was
justification in maintaining your social circle, and the silent protest enough
to voice your difference of opinion? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In hindsight, my silent reaction
to a recent racist conversation, was unacceptable and I should have done the
right thing by reprimanding the offenders and cement my stance on all acts of
discrimination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By remaining silent, I
betrayed the victims on the receiving end of racism (all people of colour,
including whites) and my loved ones who I have taught to speak up against such
discrimination. Never again will I remain silent in the presence of old
fashioned racists who display very little knowledge of the pain caused by
Apartheid on the millions of people (and their ascendants) in this country, let
alone their own families and communities. The only way to rid the scourge of
racism is for each and every one to speak up against, and forbid any form of
discrimination in their presence…….albeit a childish prank played out by
supposedly elderly, responsible men who should know better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-72079499088015951862016-03-21T15:39:00.005-07:002016-03-22T03:13:45.609-07:00How unmitigated arrogance can be self-defeating<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Much has been written and discussed about the
latest Guptagate revelations. While browsing through the weekend newspapers, the
Guptagate saga took precedence over any other local or international story that
was worthy of being published. Claims of attempted “State Capture” by the
Gupta-Zuma alliance, affectionately named “Zupta” by the enfant terrible, has raised
considerable interest across various sectors of South African Society. The fear
of South Africa turning into a kleptocracy, and in the process our economy
being trashed with a downgrade to “Junk Status” by global rating agencies, was
a very real threat for every South African struggling to make ends meet in our
already dodgy economic climate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The impact of political uncertainty has already
affected interest rates, costs of energy, food, and basic daily living
standards. The lack of effective leadership culminating in factional fighting
within the ANC and the Tripartite Alliance, has caused reverberations
internationally and has discouraged any possible foreign investment this country
so desperately needs. A review by Moody’s rating agency with an
expected downgrade will seal our economic fate and render our investment potential
as toxic by international investors. The
repercussions of this will be felt for the next 5 to 10 years, with very little
potential for real economic growth. Can we seriously afford to have a
government with a ruling party whose leaders are embarrassingly incompetent,
corrupt and utterly out of tune with the expectations of the electorate. Do
they have any inclination of what they have wrought on the populace in their
last 5 years of national rule?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The general consensus for our continuous path of
downward spiral is the cause of one man and one man only, this being our
esteemed Commander-in-Thief himself. The corrupt relationship he enjoys with
dodgy businessmen and their attempt of absolute state capture through this
relationship is blatant for the world to see. Although the call for his
impeachment and recall, from all South Africans is overwhelming, the ANC leadership seems somewhat unperturbed. While there are some dissenting voices within the party and
the Tripartite Alliance, this has proven not to be enough for the NEC to
act on the public’s outcry for a recall of Mshiniwam. That said, Mshiniwam will emerge much stronger than before. Considering</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> his arrogance, t</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">his will undoubtedly
give him the impression that he is untouchable, with all-encompassing
powers over state, party and parliament. But, history has proven to unmask the self-proclaimed
untouchables, and it would be just a matter of time before the Nkandla Crooner
makes that one fatal mistake that would eventually bring the curtain down on
his illustrious criminal career, and as the leading Corruptor-in-Thief. I think we
as the public should be patient and allow the corrupted one to slowly tighten
the noose around his neck and eventually hang himself through his own arrogance
and self-indulgence. We wait with bated breath.....</span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-13973385845273982342016-02-25T05:22:00.001-08:002016-02-25T05:24:18.842-08:00The price we pay for being the most unequal society, globally.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Although South Africa, as a
nation, has transformed from an oppressed apartheid state to a questionable
democracy (I will leave this debate for another day!) since 1994, we have still
not liberated ourselves from the scourge that is racism. The only thing that
has evidently changed is the political dispensation from oppression to
democracy in the guise of a world leading Constitution. Ye t this, coupled with
22 years of hard work has not transformed our society from racist behaviour as
experienced prior to 1994. The latest confrontations between campus students at
various universities across South Africa, lends credence to the fact that ours
is a society still sick with racist and discriminatory tendencies, which is
evidently deep rooted in the individual psyche. Some would argue that 400 years
of oppression cannot be eradicated in the space of 22 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My argument is that if bad-ass legislation (something
similar to Saudi Arabia’s criminal laws) is put in place to curb the scourge of
racism, we can eradicate racism in our society within a period of 20 years!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">The introduction of BEE as
legislation, has expanded the middle and upper class, predominantly, and
improved the lives of PDIs (Previously Disadvantaged Individuals) fortunate
enough to have prospered from such legislation. Unfortunately, this has given
rise to another form of discrimination not only between people of different
races, but sadly between people of the same race, i.e. class and social
discrimination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result of the
expansive growth of the middle and upper class through BEE legislation (and
government corruption), South Africa has arguably become the most unequal
society in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Gini
Coefficient for South Africa, which measures the average wealth of the richest
ten percent compared to the poorest ten percent, has consistently been the
worst (most unequal) of all countries measured over the last 5 to 10
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Although some of us have improved
our lives from humble grassroots to the prominent middle class, in terms of
earning and living standards, we tend to have forgotten how we got there and
who we had left behind (or who was not fortunate enough to have prospered from
same said BEE legislation).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
country currently in a state of indefinite protest with sporadic violence and
pilfering by different protest groups, there seems to be a tendency of
favouring one group of protesters over the other, seemingly based on skin colour
and/or social circumstances. I may be barking up the wrong tree, but a case in
point is the protest of local residents from Parkwood in Cape Town, who were
protesting against the destruction of their settlement of shacks. Here, we have
a typical case where people from poverty stricken and low income earning
households objecting to the destruction of their humble homes. Given the circumstances,
it was inevitable that the protest may escalate into something quite familiar, i.e.
the looting of nearby businesses, or destruction of property through wanton
acts of vandalism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not condoning
these actions or saying they were well within their rights to take the protest
to the next level. On the contrary, there should have been a community leader
to co-ordinate the protest peacefully and ensure no such vandalism occurred.
But, as is wont in most unmanaged protest marches in this country, the
inevitable DID occur, with unfavourable repercussions. This unfortunate act of
vandalism (as a result of a legitimate reason for protesting) was scorned upon
in Social Media as a scourge worse than the bubonic plague. Unprintable words
and phrases to describe the perpetrators were strewn around social media sites,
with media hacks expressing their “utter disgust” of the act in question.
Amazingly, or should I say disappointingly, MOST of these comments came from
people of the same race……<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Turning to the two incidents that
happened at TUKS and OFS Universities, where protests of a more complex nature
were unfolding, the conclusion to these protests resulted in brutal violence
BETWEEN race groups. The social circumstances of these groups, I’m inclined to
believe, was that of a more progressive position than those protesters in the
Parkwood debacle. Although there were traumatised and hospitalised victims as a
result of this blatant act of violence from a group of racist white “intellectuals”,
I failed to find a similar uproar from the same group of people who so openly
showed their disgust for the Parkwood protest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m therefore inclined to believe
that if you are from a specific social class, or specific race, your behaviour
in public, no matter how unsociable, is acceptable and is condoned unreservedly
by the keepers of middle class society. Although the violent protests at the
campuses were denounced by people from different persuasions on Social Media
websites, the reaction was less so than that of the very distasteful reactions
for the Parkwood protests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THAT,
unfortunately, is the price we South Africans pay for being the most unequal
society in the world. If we are struggling to rid our Society from racist
bigots after 22 years of democracy, how long will it still take to rid our
society from class discrimination, and heaven forbid, BETWEEN people of the
same race group!<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--></span>
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-65710628454910338062015-12-31T01:16:00.001-08:002016-04-11T23:29:57.234-07:00The Mzanzi year that was #2015 <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and #Zumamustfall trends, generating
thousands,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
I </span>Suppose that’s wishful thinking, considering the huge salaries those Vice
Chancellors get paid. Who will then pay their salaries and 10%+ annual
increases.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Then, there are the unspoken
sport blunders of the Cricket and Rugby World Cups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Sterkte vir almal in die Nuwe Jaar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-84516528592962035312015-11-16T03:42:00.000-08:002015-11-16T03:51:52.290-08:00The question of our recognition for all victims of terrorism<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">I have posted a few pieces about
terrorism and its repercussions on society in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Countries like Iraq, Iran,
Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan, etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have a direct bearing on our religious and
biblical beliefs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who read the
bible, some may not realise that the country called Iraq was actually the
region of Mesopotamia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iran was the
region of Persia, and Syria was the region of Babylon, Canaan and Assyria. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Israel is the region of Palestine and Jordan
still maintains its biblical name. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">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?</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-22315726312995722792015-10-22T10:46:00.000-07:002016-04-11T23:30:46.868-07:00Has the Arab Spring eventually arrived in South Africa?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">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 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
prevent the current situation from occurring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His response to the #feesmustfall protests? He
ponders creating his own #studentsmustfall following! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Has the Tunisia day arrived in South Africa, as Moeletsi
Mbeki predicted in February 2011?</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-31375244360429242882015-10-08T15:09:00.001-07:002015-10-08T15:09:21.438-07:00South Africa's blind patriotism is shaded with Green and Gold blinkers.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although 8 players of colour out
of 32 in the squad were selected, it still did not meet the transformation
requirements of 30%. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-38522181640403250912015-09-20T13:24:00.000-07:002015-09-21T10:00:00.059-07:00When the Prey becomes the Predator<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
the wild a predator stalks and seeks out his prey by singling out the weakest, oldest
or slowest in a herd. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often times the
predator is thoroughly successful in his hunt and claims his trophy with a meal
for his whole family. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">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! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How disrespectful!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">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. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, they decided to go all the way and
claim five points from a try, knowing they had overcome the Bokke.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">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!<o:p></o:p></span>George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-24964952980342128932015-09-06T07:08:00.000-07:002015-09-06T07:08:07.535-07:00The Quadrennial debate on the transformation in Rugby
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make this quadrennial debate a fun experience, maybe a public
debate should be formulated every four years, with this topic as the
agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-57242382658761371012015-08-24T12:52:00.000-07:002015-08-24T14:36:00.380-07:00The farce that is the Department of Correctional Services<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">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<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> 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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">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<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> 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. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">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”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-6932310551379745422015-08-17T08:12:00.000-07:002015-08-17T08:12:01.716-07:00All South Africans are good people, except the band members playing for the Nkandla Crooner
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether they will take heed to his suggestions
or provide some sympathy for him and his family remains to be seen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">…."They are in a publicity stunt and I
don't engage such people," </b>he said. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">"The letter was not directed to us, it was directed to
everyone."</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Suppose it was wishful thinking
that the sycophant incompetents will show some leadership and integrity……..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read the full article here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Dawie-Roodts-open-letter-I-will-not-emigrate-20150812<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read Gwede Mantashe’s response
here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ANC-Roodts-open-letter-a-publicity-stunt-20150817<o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-70872968771614342262015-08-04T12:05:00.001-07:002015-08-04T12:05:31.781-07:00The question of morality and the respect for life
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-55787112915928258752015-08-02T13:02:00.002-07:002015-08-02T13:02:40.166-07:00Chaos in the House of Assembly – Episode 246<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
It’s that time of the year again……the
inevitable JZ question and answer session in the House. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We expect yet another thrilling episode of
chaos, pandemonium and forced removals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
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<sup>th</sup>. The Game of Thrones has
nothing on this mini-series! <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span>George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-43087869501461277732015-05-28T00:14:00.001-07:002015-05-28T00:16:21.500-07:00Who is this man?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-58808505356510209412015-05-19T11:34:00.001-07:002015-06-05T07:52:24.049-07:00The scourge that is racism.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You are probably thinking, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Ai,
not another opinion/complaint of racism!!”</i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The more the topic is discussed
and incidents of it are exposed, the better our chances of eliminating it from
our society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span>George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-26033794107625416012015-05-12T23:32:00.000-07:002015-05-12T23:32:58.090-07:00The gaffer who is Allister Sparks<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The answer to the question that lurks
is one of pure hatred and bigotry for anyone of a different culture or
persuasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049680199087299361.post-20495115947629678512015-04-28T13:04:00.002-07:002015-05-19T23:55:25.768-07:00The question of leadership and the Elephant in the room<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our Government and Leadership are
solely to blame for the attacks happening again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
George Titushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440601631454091129noreply@blogger.com0