20Jan/120
Celebrate all Struggle heroes
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‘Whose Mandela is it anyway?” asks Busani Ngcaweni in his article “The true meaning of Mandela” (The Star, July 21). He concludes that Mandela belongs to all: “Mandela should be celebrated by the entire global community – progressives, tyrants, conservatives, public servants, etc.”
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Perhaps we should also consider the difficulty of the modern Mandela factor. This is the subject of this article.
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The first and main difficulty is that it resonates with a colonial mentality wherein a white minority would handpick certain black people and deem them “unique” from the broader black collective.
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In a condescending manner, they would say to one black guy: “You are not like them”, or “You are different”. It is for this reason, Ngcaweni, that the current Mandela factor is “depoliticised”, and “decontextualised”.
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The politically contextualised Mandela is properly located within the liberation revolutionary discourse and tradition. As Ngcaweni noted, Mandela must be contextualised as part of the collective of the ANC: “Mandela cut his political teeth in the ANC Youth League, which he founded together with activists like Anton Lembede, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo.”
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The celebration of a contextualised Mandela therefore, would lead to the celebration of black people as a collective. It would mean that the public discourse on Mandela would be couched in such terms as “liberation and revolution”.
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Now, this does not happen in white liberal dominated societies with remnants of institutionalised racism.
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The liberal establishment has, throughout the transition, sought to control and influence the country’s powerful institutions. These include the Reserve Bank, the Ministry of Finance, the public broadcaster and the meaning of Mandela.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
21Jul/11Off
Whose Mandela is it anyway by Busani Ngcaweni*
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Why is writing about Nelson Mandela so difficult? I often wonder. On the contrary, many people consider it easy and in fact most “write what they like” about this international icon, often in ahistorical and depoliticised narratives.
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Paradoxically, I am also inclined to concur; it is not difficult to write and say anything about Madiba. What is difficult is writing what ought to be written, what ought to be said about what he really represents, the milieu that shaped him, the context that shaped his decisions and numerous other considerations that, if truly appreciated by all those who invoke his name, the world we live in would undoubtedly be a better place today.
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Unfortunately, what most writers, commentators and politicians do is selectively draw and apply “lessons from Mandela”. Habitually, commentary is punctuated with posture that suggests those in power don’t qualify to be there because they are not a “Mandela”. In South Africa in particular, a debate is unfolding which unfairly gauges the performance and style of contemporary leaders in terms of the yardstick of the Mandela persona. The blemish in the comparison is two-fold.
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First, it depoliticises Mandela. That is, it removes him from his organisation, thus indirectly suggesting that his was a lone crusade not informed and influenced by organisational policies, discipline and decisions.
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Second, descriptors are applied instead of first settling definition questions. History has proven that in politicised debates, people elect to describe complex phenomena like Mandela instead of engaging with the most elementary aspect of analysis – defining phenomena. You do not define temperature by looking at the sun – temperature is to be felt and not seen!
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
7Jun/11Off
When a Makhosini becomes a McKing
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A FRIEND of mine, Makhosini Shongwe, has been offered a top executive position in a big company.
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Among the top five executives, he is the only black and has no decision-making powers.
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I decided to go to his place at KwaMashu to congratulate him. I boarded a minibus taxi from Durban station. An agitated woman complained the driver was too slow, although he drove at 100 km/h, the legal speed limit in the area.
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She urged the driver to move faster. As the taxi rolled into KwaMashu through section C, two passengers were discussing a friend of theirs who had left the area to live in the suburbs. Quite quickly, the topic was a free-for-all.
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Some lamented the move by blacks from their black roots to live in the white areas. They were labelled all sorts of things: sell-outs, cowards, and wanna-be-whites.
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Instead of leaving the townships for the suburbs, it was argued, blacks should stick to their areas and develop them.
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A passenger identified as Skhumba countered the above argument.
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This is Africa, he said, and there is no place that should be identified as a white area. Africans were at home on all the inches of African soil; SA was no exception.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
31May/11Off
A new public service cadre can do things differently by Busani Ngcaweni*
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Lately, a question has arisen seeking to establish how the President’s call to ‘do things differently’ implicates the public sector manager. Understandably, this pertinent enquiry invokes assorted feelings of doubt, flux, excitement, hope and pride. In conservations, public sector managers doubt whether they indeed can ‘do things differently’. Some feel the very same question result in volatility. But more encouraging is noticeable rise in energies and patriotism when prospects of a new way of doing things are explored.
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All in all, indications point to a public service pregnant with possibilities of efficiency, responsibility, caring, and responsiveness.
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Developing a ‘new public service cadre’ should not be mistaken for winning a lottery – for it’s neither a gamble nor an instant gain. It is a long haul. First, there must be appreciation of the President’s call:
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“…we need public servants that will always uphold the interests of the people they are employed to serve… we want to build an administration that knows where people live, which knows what they think, and which acts fast, efficiently and effectively on the issues they raise.”
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This ought to develop out of a meta-consciousness premised on normative values from which our democratic society and government stand for: a united, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous society.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
31May/11Off
Much Of A Muchness Are Men To Women; Save For Intent…By Thobeka Conco
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“Women nag, consistently and insistently” so say men and you know what…I agree, I really do! I humbly ask my sisters to give me the opportunity to explain before they start baying for my blood. Believe me it hurt me too to admit to myself that yes, we do nag...however my strong belief in that for every action there’s a reaction prompted me to find reason in this maddening reaction…nagging. First let’s look at the meaning of the word, shall we?
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Nagging;
a) To annoy by constant scolding, complaining, or urging.
b) To torment persistently, as with anxiety or pain.
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Attention is drawn to the fact that the meaning of this word is two-fold. The first meaning especially rang familiar, because if you asked any man who has a nagging woman in his life to elaborate on this, he would probably tell you that she complains non stop usually about the one and the same thing. I’ll take the risk and assume that nagging is as a result of something hence I keep referring to this word as a reaction; purely because I refuse to believe that any sane person would just wake up one day and decide to nag. One can never react to nothing and repeating yourself is tedious at most therefore I doubt that anyone would voluntarily and happily engage in such an act.
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For example; a female neighbour of mine had a problem with her man who would, without fail, drink himself to a near comma every weekend wherein he would either crash his car or loose a very expensive cell phone or his wallet…you see where I’m going with this. We won’t focus on his apparent drinking problem as that is another topic all together, however she found herself having to deal with the aftermaths of his escapades on a continuous basis. In the beginning she would plead with him to be prudent as this was exerting heavy financial and emotional burden on their relationship and he would listen (even if it were for a moment) but then the vicious cycle would resume again. So what then transpired was that whenever he headed for the door on any given weekend, she would go off and “annoyingly complain and scold” him about his carelessness and insensitivity before he even had the chance to start drinking because she was well aware of what was to follow. What had begun as genuine concern for her man had by now evolved into a verbal boxing match because she felt powerless over a situation that was slowly but effectively eating away at the very core of their relationship. The point of this borrowed story is that most often than not when a woman nags it a) starts off as genuine concern over a situation that she perceives as threatening either to her man or their relationship and b) this said concern takes on another form when the man continuously engages in the same transgression over and over again with little or no concern for his partner’s feelings.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
31May/11Off
BEWARE THE STROKE OF GENIUS…(pun very much intended)
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Women are attracted to different types of men for different reasons. Emphasis is placed on the word “attracted”, because we are first attracted to each other before that whole love/commitment story rears its ugly head where character then comes under scrutiny. Unfortunately everything has a beginning, and attraction is where relationships start.
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Some women are attracted to cute men, you know the head turners possibly because good looking men are just good look at plus everyone wants a cute baby...should the relationship progress to the level where the couple decides consciously or subconsciously to not put on a condom (for some reason we figure three months into the relationship is a full proof testing tool for STIs) or get married and decide to procreate. Others are drawn to men with gorgeous bodies, I’m assuming because to them this communicates a sense of self pride. We all appreciate a man who takes care of his body; I mean let’s face it, these days they are far and few in between. Men now adorn themselves with pot bellies of different sizes and, heaven forbid, textures…a topic for another day.
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The list of what attracts women to certain men is long and windy, considering that it’s a woman’s list *hides*, however this is all very normal. On the one hand we have the “ordinary” woman who is attracted to the “normal” man then on the other is the courageous woman who is attracted to the intellectually gifted man. These women deserve a medal of honour for taking the bull by the horn…confused? IGMs (Intellectually Gifted Men) are closet eccentrics; bear with me if you will and I will attempt to clarify.
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We can all agree that creative people are a tad eccentric; they are special if you will. I have been in the company of very creative people in my very distant past and as much as I enjoyed the world in which they exist I found that theirs is the Bermuda triangle of sanity; although alluring you may loose yourself never to be heard of again. I therefore decided quietly to myself that I would rather be at the receiving end of their gift to humankind, which is either to buy their music or attend their concerts and so forth. The comforting thing though about their eccentricity is that it is genuinely transparent, so you are clear from the word go of what you may encounter.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
8Apr/11Off
Africa can’t have it both ways by Nyiko Mabunda
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The people led revolutions currently sweeping the Middle East and North Africa are proving to be a major test for the African Union’s diplomatic skills and those of individual African countries, when dealing with the West in “African matters”. A number of African leaders led by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia have condemned the military action sanctioned under Resolution 1973 of the United Nation’s Security Council, to ‘impose a no fly zone in Libya and do all possible to protect civilians” (own emphasis). This resolution was passed with no objections, and with all three non-permanent African members on the UN Security Council (South Africa, Nigeria and Gabon) voting in favour. This is despite the AU stating through the Chairman of the AU Commission Jean Ping that it does not support an imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya, let alone military action. I didn’t have to wait long to hear the familiar noises against ‘imperialism, re-colonization of Africa, war for oil’ and other big, fancy English terms used to describe the activities of the West in Africa to come out flowing from the mouths of “Pan-Africans”. This anti-Western (mostly anti- French and -USA) movement against “meddling” in African affairs cannot just be dismissed as simple anti-colonialism rhetoric of yesteryear by despots that have long passed their sell by dates, trying to make sure that they prevent similar action against them. They do raise valid points that need to be addressed. The history of the UN’s intervention in Africa is muddied by a number of dangerous episodes on the continent. That having been said, the continent does need the UN and the West. In fact the most deadliest times on the continent happened when the UN and the West took indecisive actions or simply stayed outside of the continent so that it can have an ‘African solution’ to its challenges.
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When the USA left Somalia in 1993 after what came to be known as the “First Black Hawk” accident, many African leaders rightly condemned it, saying that it was abandoning the country because it is an African country. Some continue to blame the US for the current state of affairs in the country. In 1994, with the world celebrating the South African ‘miracle’, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was left hamstrung with no adequate support to fulfill its ‘peacekeeping’ mission. The West (especially the Belgians), the UN included, was rightly condemned for not doing enough to stop the butchery, which resulted in 800 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead, within 100 days. In Ivory Coast, it is still being debated whether the French actions improved or worsened the situation, when they responded to the September 2002 start of the Ivorian civil war. There is a loud chorus of Africans alleging that France supported and supplied both sides of the war with arms and military support, with both sides accusing them of being on the opposite side.
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I had to go back in time so that we are reminded of how the West has impacted on ‘peace’ efforts for the continent and what informs the current rumblings amongst African leaders. But coming back to the Libyan situation, it is very interesting to note that even though South Africa voted in favour of UN resolution 1973, our President has also issued a number of statements criticizing the air strikes, suggesting they were part of a "regime-change doctrine" by the West. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has even gone to the length of writing a longish newspaper article accusing the West of double standards. Namibia's President Pohamba agreed, calling the “bombardment interference in internal affairs of Africa". Nigeria's Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia went further to accuse the West of serious "contradictions with the international community intervening in Libya but not Ivory Coast, where some 435 people have been killed and 450,000 forced from their homes over a disputed election.” Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, a long-standing critic of the West, has also condemned the air strikes, saying the conflict is really about control of Libya's oil wealth and has nothing to do with civilian protection. President Zuma has in fact repeatedly issued a statement calling for “an immediate ceasefire and rejected any foreign intervention, whatever its form".
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
5Apr/11Off
“THERE ARE TWO TRAGEDIES IN LIFE; ONE IS NOT GETTING WHAT ONE WANTS AND THE OTHER IS GETTING IT” OSCAR WILDE by Thobeka Conco
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When women are converged the one topic that never fails to make an appearance is what it is they want in/from a man. In a room full of - let’s say - thirty something women (who obviously have experience on their side) one would assume that they would by now have conceded defeat at ever coming across such a man. However women have a wonderful quality, you see this particular trait renders them fearless that they would swim in shark infested waters or venture into dark forests riddled with unimaginable dangers. It’s called HOPE. What else would you call a woman who would intentionally go for a bad boy even after numerous warnings to steer clear, well apart from foolish…hopeful. She’s hopeful that “one day he will see what a good woman I am and he will change his ways, uzongithanda”. If each of us were to look back we would realise that as we grow older and go through our various experiences our wants evolve.
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On days where I’m feeling particularly brave, I look back at my decisions and where they led me to. Last weekend I was feeling somewhat strong so I took a trip down memory lane, and while I was there greeting some of my favourite memories and dodging some really bad ones I realised that what I considered important back then has now moved to the bottom of my hierarchy. What I want in/from a man has been forever changing, and the question I posed to myself was why that is. The answer I came up with might not be for everyone but I realised that this constant change is a clear indication that most of these wants I can live without.
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You see at seventeen, I wanted a gorgeous man with an equally gorgeous body who could dance *no laughing allowed*. I even had a shrine of Zam Nkosi on my wall! That was it, oh how simple life was back then. In my early twenties I still wanted a good looking man, a man that turned heads. In addition he had to have a car, be a fashionister of note and be able to converse in English (with a twang) because I didn’t want him to embarrass me amongst my peers. Late twenties I wanted a man who wanted to get married. He had to be taller than me, be dark in complexion and have beautiful hands (really beautiful hands). What was important to me during those days was outward satisfaction, it was all very superficial but nonetheless very important to me because I wanted all those things for good reasons. I will humour you with one example of course; a tall man gives off an unconfirmed sense of security, it’s as if he can take on a band of thieves single handed, does knight in shining amour ring a bell? You see the problem with things that you want is that you actually get them, and boy did I get them, well…except Zam Nkosi.
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Please do not misunderstand me for if I could go back and change things, I would do no such. What I’m trying to say is; wanting certain things in a prospective partner is not wrong especially if the reasons are valid to you, however my stance now is, how then do I clearly define my principles if my measuring tool is not solid. One moment I want this and the next that, I want, I want, I want…!!!!
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
17Mar/11Off
Does a mutual and mature relationship need the skills of a senior administrative officer to sustain it? By Lindee Kunene
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The modern complex working life shrinks the time we ought to have to ourselves and our loved ones. Modern technological gadgets such as cellphones, laptops and 3Gs put us in a perpetual working mode such that our social lives are diminished.
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One big victim in all this is our love relationships. Our hectic lives simply do not allow us to have ample time with our romantic partners. Our love lives are increasingly getting lesser and lesser attention from both men and women. Thus, I want to argue that perhaps it is time we outsourced the management and administration of our love affairs.
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I have experienced quiet a number of relationships come and go. Some pleasant and some not so quite. Some adventurous whilst some have been dreary and should never been entered into in the first place. Perhaps, you also have a dose of relationship experiences. The hopeful quest to find Mr. Right does indeed keep one going. This reflection has led one to ask why we failed at a particular relationship that almost warranted one permanent occupancy.
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What then dawned was, perhaps, one’s relationship lacked the skills of a senior administrative officer. This may sound one sided or better yet ludicrous, but when looking at this from a business perspective which most of us are an integral part of the professional elite class where time and money are always at stake, it may not be so ludicrous after all.
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Take for instance in business most departments have an administrator who oversees to all office needs for other personnel. This ranges from managing information systems, personnel and looking after Finances such as timeous and prudent procurement. This takes away the stress of having to run around sorting out day to day paperwork or errands that can easily, effectively and efficiently be managed by the administrator. The less you stress about issues of administration, the easier to concentrate on the more important areas of one’s job.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
14Mar/11Off
Justice Still Racial in SA? – By Siphamandla Gumbi
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Recently on SAFM I listened to Piet Byleveld with interest. He was announcing his retirement from SAP. Piet is a renowned SA Police Superintendent and was lead investigator in the Leigh Mathews case. He was telling the nation how much (at the time of his departure) they are still having sleepless nights, leaving no stone unturned and sparring no penny in trying to find accomplices who assisted Donovan Moodley in the kidnapping and brutal killing of the Johannesburg Student in July 2004. Leigh Matthews was a South African university student who was kidnapped and murdered on 9 July 2004. Three months later, Moodley was arrested, and found guilty of kidnapping, killing and trying to extort a ransom of R50000 from Mathew’s parents.
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Tragic images of the naked Mathews are still vivid in the minds of many South Africans who closely followed the case. This senseless killing sparked nationwide and international outrage. Hundreds of thousands of Rands were spent to investigate the murder, the best investigating team SA has ever seen assembled, call centers with dedicated phone lines and 24hour agents were set-up, a reward offered, case reported by all media, and it became a huge political point scoring for some.
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The result was the successful arrest and conviction of Moodley. Only God knows the feeling of loss the parents of both Mathews and Moodley must be going through. Better for Moodley’s parents because they can still visit him in jail. Mathews’ parents will never see their daughter again. They have lost her forever. Moodley’s greed robbed them of seeing their daughter graduate from university and experience the beautiful life ahead of her, and for that he is rotting in jail. Mathews’ parents buried their daughter. I hope with time they have found closure and they can hopefully sleep in peace in the knowledge that their daughter is resting in everlasting peace.
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The work done by the Police, under the leadership of Piet Byleveld, to get to the bottom of this case is highly commendable. I am sure by now, resources spent to find killer and those that assisted in the killing of Leigh Mathews are well into millions of Rands. It is money well spent. Money used to bring justice for the parents robbed of the child they reared for 21 years.
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However South Africans have not forgotten about the beautiful police Constable Frances Rasuge who disappeared on August 27 2004 (just over a month after the death of Mathews). Her former lover William Nkuna is serving life in prison for her disappearance and suspected murder. He was found guilty despite her body never being found. At the time of her disappearance and assumed death, she was busy building a house for her mother in Hammanskraal, and that house probably still stands half built as I doubt the 72 year old mother can afford to finish the house.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
14Mar/11Off
So there I was thinking, what can one write on?
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There I was, eighteen months after I wrote my last ‘public issues’ article, debating with my mentor and African brother Dumisani Hlophe, as usual about current affairs, when he said authoritatively like a rural primary school teacher: “You haven’t written anything for a long time, put it down on paper and we will publish it.” And there I thought, it was straight forward, but we had discussed almost all topical issues and a few theoretical ones. I asked: “which one specifically?” His answer: “Anything goes!” So here I am, back in the academic world, seating in front of my laptop trying to synthesize all the information I collected and analyzed for the past year and a half into a page and a half! Alas, it is not that simple!
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Last week the “Copers” that are Mbhazima and Terror couldn’t COPE again, and I read that they moved back into their new ‘Headquarters” at the Cape High Court (for the Shilowa clique) and the South Gauteng High Court (for the Lekota clique). It would be easy to write about their coming funeral on the 18th of May 2011, but writing about COPE would enrage the tree huggers as it is just a lot of hot air from the big bellies of two men behaving like they have half the intellect of a retarded seven year old. So what to write about then?
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Maybe I should just write about the local government elections themselves, after all these will be the last municipal elections held separately from the general elections. Combining these two elections make a lot of sense. The constant paralysis on service delivery especially at the local level induced by political parties and power mongers, masquerading as saviors of the people, being permanently on election mode was becoming just too much an economic cost to the public purse and private sector. Minister Shiceka and his Department must ensure that the Turn-Around Strategies are now incorporated into the municipal IDPs so as to ensure that they become a funded mandate and don’t fall on the wayside just like the previous programmes (the Siyenza Manje programme comes to mind)! Two decades (well almost), into democracy… the ‘historical context’ of underdevelopment will become like the Dodo, extinct and irrelevant to the majority of South Africans. A “Better Life For All” in our lifetime, to paraphrase the struggle call of the legendary generation of the Alfred Nzo’s, Ahmed Kathrada, Oom Gov, Tambo, Oom Ray, Helen Joseph, Fatima Meer and many others. Let all responsible South Africans go vote on the 18th, it is our civic duty! The struggle for democracy was not only about the right to vote, but more importantly it was for the right to have equitable access to resources for self-betterment and economic enrichment. I am convinced though that many fly by night “political scientists” will without fail, offer political missives on which political parties will ‘emerge’, which will be ‘dealt’ with and why some parties are getting it all wrong on their manifestos! So I rather leave these ‘intellectuals’ inform us how to think, when and why! But the need to return to my writing days remain. As a so-called African Scholar we need to produce knowledge, regularly and frequently, so the question remains: What should I write on?
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I spent four years as a developmental consultant with ECIAfrica Consulting, an Economic development firm, which is American owned, with its headquarters in Johannesburg. During my four years I worked on assignments with South African departments ranging from the Presidency to the Department of Social Development, various Premiers’ offices and provincial governments, many USAID, World Bank, IFC, GTZ and EU funded missions into African countries north of the Limpopo, Orange and Molopo rivers. This should surely make for some good writing? I would talk about the experience of working with world leaders in the fields of public sector planning and budgeting for infrastructure development, economic and social analysis, community development. I could also talk about the exciting travels that as a consultant you get to undertake. I could also talk about the experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team from various countries in the world, mostly Eastern and Southern Africa, with a good dosage of Americans and a sprinkle of Europeans! Maybe I could write about the tribulations and emotional rollercoaster that we (as colleagues, South Africans and Africans) went through, during the yet to be explained, barbaric acts of afrophobia that took place some few years ago. Mind you, these were happening a stone’s throw away in Alexandra from our air-conditioned offices in Woodmead, Sandton. I could but I just don’t feel like relieving the harshness of life as an African in an anti-African society! What area then, can I contribute knowledge on?
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
24Jan/11Off
South Africa’s Multipartysm of a special type
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No political party will grow its membership in the year 2011. This is due to the fact that South African political parties do not contest against each other. Political party contestation happens within the parties themselves.
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Recently, the chairperson of the IFP, Ms. Zanele Magwaza-Msibi challenged the leadership of her own party in a court of law. The issue is not so much that she lost. It is that the whole process reflects badly on the leadership and political management within the IFP. Given that this problem played itself out in the public arena, it has left a negative perception on both the existing and potential members of the IFP. Not so long ago, the leadership of the IFP was at loggerheads with its youth wing. All these tensions, limit the prospects for growth in support base for the IFP this year.
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In fact, if the leadership of the IFP expels Magwaza-Msibi, there are real possibilities that she will leave with a sizeable IFP membership and sympathizers.
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Until ANC president Jacob Zuma reshuffled cabinet last year, the organisation was equally besieged by public mudslinging among some in the leadership. This mainly revolved around the forthcoming 2012 elective conference. In fact, the biggest challenge of the ANC is its own internal preoccupation with five year regime change rather than growing the support base.
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Zuma was less than a year when a debate ensued within the ruling party whether he should serve a second five year term. Soon this was followed by another debate on the position of the Secretary General post 2012. The incumbent Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe, was aggressively pitted against Minister Fikile Mbalula. At some point, the leadership of the ANC Youth League advocated the withdrawal of Mbalula from the cabinet so that he can dedicate his energies to campaigning for the position of the Secretary General.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
20Jan/11Off
Superiority of argument must prevail in the determination of information bill and media appeals tribunal by Busani
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Three recent developments could not escape one’s attention as vicious debates on the protection of information bill and a media appeals tribunal proposal rages.
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First, one has noted with interest a sudden surge in rulings by the Press Ombudsman against the press. In the month of August alone, we have read apologies to Zweli Mkhize, Lakela Kaunda, Matthews Phosa and a few other known individuals who have complained against “unfair/biased” reporting by various media houses. Perhaps it is mere coincidence: but a strange one indeed given the ongoing debate on the media appeals tribunal. That these apologies have made it to the front pages of our leading dailies cannot go unnoticed.
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Irrespective of the damage to the reputation of these individuals, occasioned by these unfair stories, nothing other than printed apologies is offered for remedy. Without necessarily weighing the depth of the said biased reporting, in all likelihood, these individuals will lose libel suits in our courts.
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Second, a daily newspaper reported on August 24 that the Press Council of South Africa announced a decision “to undertake a complete review of its constitution in the wake of criticism that emerged in debate over the ANC’s planned media appeals tribunal”. No coincidence here. The reason for such an intervention is declared upfront.
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Few questions arise in this case: why review the constitution if the establishment that believes current self-regulation model is ample? Review to what end? Another question is what is the profile of those chosen to conduct this review? A cursory look at the names announced leaves a lot to be desired. For those who missed out, they include Bewyn Petersen, Moegsien Williams, Frazn Kruger, Simon Mantel, Peter Mann and Susan Smuts.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
13Jan/11Off
Does God grow tired of political instability? by Busani
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A 2006 documentary tracking the journey of the “lost boys of Sudan” from Southern Sudan to refugee camps in Kenya and later to the United States carries a profound title: God Grew Tired Of Us. Narrated by the “lost boys”, the story profiles another side of civil strife in a country where young adults have a distant conception of peace and security. All they recall are the socio-economic and political wounds suffered by families and communities left behind the ruins of bartered communities.
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Searching for answers to decades-long political upheaval, they not only find refuge in Kenya and later the US, but also in religion. They reach a conclusion that maybe “God grew tired of us” and so the instability stifling Southern Sudan’s progress is a by-product of God’s anger.
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As we begin the year 2011, messages abound suggesting that the Sudan needs a prayer and the mercy of God particularly as it goes through such an historic moment in both its history and that of the entire continent. The country has just held a referendum to choose between unity and secession for Southern Sudan. If the latter prevails, Africa will have a new state – and new boarders in Sudan – determined by internal political processes.
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In this same period, Haiti marks the anniversary of the 2010 earthquake – the worst natural disaster in the region by any standard. There, too, the citizens attribute their suffering to God’s anger since ‘we practice too much voodoo and worship symbols’, as one Haitian put it. It is reported that voodoo is so pervasive in Haiti that once upon a time the country had a secret voodoo police force which terrorised people for many years.
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Call this a conspiracy or a defeatist mentality. The theory of God and the gods being angry and therefore punishing politically unstable communities does hold water for some. Let us explore.
To read the rest of this article download the PDF here.
13Jan/11Off
Let us shun racial entrepreneurs by Busani
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I take this moment to thank a number of prominent Afrikaner personalities for their contribution to the preservation of South Africa’s cataclysmic heritage – racism. I mean really, don’t these patriots deserve dais altitude? They’ve done more to keep the apartheid heritage alive than any of their contemporaries, books, TV and radio programmes, and the most infectious of contemporary communication mediums – the internet.
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Proliferating history through such monuments as Freedom Park, Robben Island and the Apartheid Museum is often difficult since these depend on the creative prowess of curators, public interest and dynamism of guides who take ‘tourists’ through..
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No wonder you’re more likely to exit Robben Island with the impression that it’s just landmark made popular by the incarceration of the founding father of post-apartheid South Africa – Nelson Mandela. Chances of learning, not hearing, about racism there are scant.
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Perhaps because it’s still embryonic; Freedom Park has not broken new ground either. The Apartheid Museum on the other hand gives you a sense of how apartheid expressed itself through instruments like the pass book. Voices of apartheid and anti-apartheid leaders also give oddments of the South African story.
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A balanced appraisal of these monuments is difficult without walking into them to decipher their offerings. More concerning, the crude narrative of racial and ethnic chauvinism is slowly being muffled at the Voortrekker Monument, a move concomitant with a general trend suggesting that no living South African actually supported apartheid!
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