Yes, they are animals!

Yes, like animals! The Provincial Minister of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Bheki Cele, hit the nail right on the head with his comment about the brutal nature of crime in South Africa. Is somebody out there listening?







Bheki Cele

No Free Lunch

It seems no country is an island on its own, and what is happening in the USA in terms of people getting themselves hopelessly into debt and struggling to get out of it, is also starting to play itself out in South Africa. And this at a time when SA is battling with other social evils like hyper crime, corruption and increasing poverty. Definitely enough reason for people who are able to do it, to emigrate and look for better opportunities elsewhere.

Death penalty in South Africa.

It has been a long time since 1994 in South Africa when the ANC took over the government of this country, and a lot has happened in this time, especially when one thinks of the abnormally high rate of violent crime that seems to be spiraling out of control. Now somebody none other than the President of the ANC says that bringing back the death penalty is something that can be looked at again. SA is experiencing a crisis. Thank you Mr Zuma!

Get rid of this

In all societies across the world you will find those few members of the population who can only be described as the lunatic fringe. Think of individuals taking up fire-arms and shoot other people because of some grudge they harbour in their sick minds, men who commit rape and especially men who rape 4 or 5 year old girls, etc.

There have been and always will be mentally sick people who would commit atrocities and it the obligation of any society through the legal systems available to remove these creatures from society.

If it is true what has been reported about what happened at the University of the Free State where some students made black employees go on their knees and eat meat that had been urinated on, then these student should be dealt with in the harshest possible manner. God knows, there are so many other criminal and atrocious deeds perpetrated in this beautiful South Africa of ours, that this type of behaviour must be eradicated.

Everybody, citizens and government, should develop a strategy of total onslaught against crime and injustice at all levels and manner. Such a strategy is, unfortunately, not in place yet. Reading, listening and watching the news bulletins one really wonders if the tide of crime, corruption and injustice can still be stopped from engulfing us.

Trouble ahead

It is obvious that a lot of shit is going to hit the fan within the next 18 months in South Africa. And I am referring to the obvious conflict(s) that have started to play out after the ANC conference in Polokwane. On the one hand, for instance, you read about a forensic audit into the ANC's investment company called Chancellor House, and in this regard names like Thabo Mbeki comes up. Secondly you have the very "distasteful" happenings in Mauritius where the President of the ANC. Jacob Zuma, is trying to prevent evidence coming forward that might implicate him in alleged corrupt deals in connection with the multi-billion Rand arms contracts.

All these people walking the corridors of the Union Buildings and Luthuli House are busy with all kinds of investigations and what not, apparently with a view to discredit one another. In the meantime South Africa and its citizens is in dire straights with crime, corruption, nepotism, etc. and we need leaders to take care of these things and stop squabbling about their own selfish interests. Yes, you hear and read about so many intentions and plans to eradicate corruption but in the end nothings concrete happens.

Members of the ruling party is jostling for the best seats in the circus called South Africa. And, to play on the well-known saying about Rome burning, it can be said that while the big-wigs push and shove the circus tent is on fire.

Cry for our beloved country!

Well said, King Zwelithini

King Goodwill Zwelithini of the Zulus deserves a big applause for his criticism about the redistribution of productive agricultural land to people who allow the land to become under-utilized. The King calls it a Christmas tree approach to land redistribution. (Photo King Zwelithini).

They learned well.......

One must give credit for what seems to be a learning capacity by Black South Africans. Those who grew up in the apartheid years saw and experienced racism in many forms and disguises. They must have taken careful note of what was happening because they are not only practicing racism now that the ANC (read Blacks) are in power, but they are doing it with a vengeance almost unequaled in the past. The one difference is that their evil discrimination has not evoked the wrath of the international media and foreign governments yet.

Yes, THEY can use the k...... word (even Mbeki the President did); THEY can form their own Native Clubs and THEY can bar white journalists from press conferences! And so it goes on. Only whites can be racists!

Where are those journalists and other activists who fought so hard to end apartheid? Why do they not stand up now and cry foul? Where are those "verligte" authors who filled thousands of pages in so many books at that time to focus attention on the discrimination? Where are all those so-called "pink liberals" who were rattling off every conceivable word to denounce the National Party? This is NOT implying that apartheid was right! On the contrary. But we are experiencing the same radicalism now, with the colours of the "rainbow nation" all turning black and one day.........perhaps as red as blood.

Downward spiral

The President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, has exhibited a certain style of leadership. The features coming to mind when I think of him as President, are his seemingly clever use of vocabulary and manner of speech that can create the impression of extreme knowledgeableness, his abnormally high absence from South Africa and then, perhaps above all, his inability to stay in touch with his electorate.

I think it was especially the last feature that acted as the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, as it were. The people rejected him and for the period from now until next year when a new President will by elected, he reminds me of a elephant bull in the wild which has been pushed out of the group. Politics is not for the faint-hearted and Mbeki will have realized this long ago. As one of the top men in the so-called freedom struggle by the ANC years ago, he probably experienced then already a lot of back-biting and jostling for position. I am sure that helped in preparing him for his present role as President as well as the disappointment of being pushed aside now.

However, it seems that when Mbeki was "promoted" to presidency of the country he underwent what is commonly known as the Peter Principle: He was perhaps good at the level of operation he occupied before 1994 but he was not the ideal candidate for the higher position. His own people rejected him, Zimbabweans are disillusioned , other SADC members are disgruntled and many poor people in this country have not benefited at all by the beautiful promises made by the ANC, including the iconic Mandela. All they hear are more promises and plans.

Even leading intellectual Moeletsi Mbeki, the President's brother, outspoken as he might be form time to time, agrees that South Africa is in a downward spiral and the ANC is the main destabilising factor.

(Photo Thabo Mbeki congratulating Jacob Zuma on becoming president of the ANC)

Now the newly elected president of the ANC, Jacob Zuma who may possibly be the next President of the country, is in my opinion already showing weaknesses that make me believe that Moeletsi Mbeki, like so many thousands of other really knowledgeable people, is correct that there is really very little to get excited about when one looks at what the future may hold for this country.

No wonder most of the highly skilled South Africans are leaving South Africa to secure for themselves and their children a better future in other countries.

Motives suspect

A lot has been said and written about the pros and cons of "getting rid" of the Scorpions, the very successful crime-busting unit in South Africa's fight against crime. In the process a huge amount of emotion has been released and it is only reasonable that under these circumstances one will get both extreme and balanced viewpoints about this plan by the government to incorporate the Scorpions into the National Police Force, especially if the latter cannot boast the same efficiency as the Scorpions.

One view expressed is that by Lindani Gumedi this morning on MyNews24. I think Gumedi is making a few very valid statements, especially the one that the government as a whole should be seen as fighting crime and not separate entities. This is true, but this is also precisely where the problems seem insurmountable: Apart from talking and coming up with an increasing number of plans, the government has not got the credibility in the eyes of most South Africans that they can do something about the scourge of crime or even seem willing to do something about it.

The motives for the decision by government to "do away" with the Scorpions just seem suspect.

Africa unmanageable

A movie I saw some years ago, I cannot remember the name, was about a military intervention in some fictitious country in Africa where people from a missionary hospital had to be evacuated to safety. At one point one of the actors looked at this lot and said "May God help us". In reaction to this the main character said to himself "God has left Africa long ago".

When one reads, listens and sees what goes on in Africa, any reasonable person would feel desperation for this continent. Although I do not agree with the man in the film about God having left Africa, I must admit that somewhere inside myself something is searching for answers to a lot of questions about Africa and one question is certainly: What about a visible divine intervention into this beautiful land that just does not seem to be able to produce the right kind of people in positions of authority that would make things happen so that its inhabitants can believe there is a bright future waiting?

Kofi Annan is at present in Kenya where he is trying to broker some deal between the waring factions and Reuters carried an article on his latest observations. Well, Mr Annan, what you are quoted as having said hits the nail on the head. These statements, with a few alterations here and there, apply to the whole of Africa. And the challenge is there: We in Africa cannot afford to fail! Are there leaders in Africa who really understand this statement?

President Bush of America is also on a visit to Africa. He expressed the opinion Zimbabwe does not deserve a Mugabe. And so it goes on and on. People are talking, just talking. International leaders talk, African leaders talk (they love it). But nothing concrete seems to HAPPEN.

South Africa was the powerhouse of Africa, with plenty of development taking place, proper roads, railways, infrastructure, etc. Unfortunately all this happened against a political background that was and is not defensible. But does that mean we now have to accept a situations where South Africa must also lose these physical advantages, all in exchange for giving everybody the right to vote (which I agree with) but in the process allow incompetent people (some with criminal records) to manage this country and steer it towards disaster (which I expect to happen)?

Maybe we should pray for Divine intervention because, Mr Annan, if things just proceed along the lines as is happening now, I am afraid somebody in a position like yourself will probably one day also be sent to South Africa to come and try to negotiate a peace deal in this country, and maybe international leaders will also say SA does not deserve its leaders. I sincerely hope my predictions will not come true.

Competent?

Our minister of Energy, Buyelewa Sonjica (photo), got the wrong message from cabinet or she did not understand what was possibly said at a cabinet meeting. Maybe the lame-duck president told his comrades in cabinet to become more visible in terms of efficiency and deliverance of services and goods. Being of the same lack of intellectual capacity as for instance our minister of health, the minister of Energy did not have the slightest idea what the boss meant and was too engrossed in thoughts about things ideology than service-rendering to the nation, that she picked up on these thoughts when she made a complete fool of herself in Parliament by uttering the most stupid thing that could have been said by a person in her position. Yes, our honourable minister reckoned the skin colour of the people working at Eskom should enjoy priority over their abilities to do the job. In the meantime, she insinuated, the country can go to the dogs for all she and her boss (the lame duck remember, because after all he appointed her) could care. Minister, you are an embarrassment to this country and you have securely positioned yourself in the same camp as some other brainless creatures who wear the title of cabinet minister and enjoy all the luxuries that go with it but haven't got a clue what it means to accept responsibility for mistakes made and also believe that only black South Africans can be patriotic. To me that is blatant racism that has nothing to do with so-called affirmative action.

Thabo Mbeki: Business as USUAL

The President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, mentioned in his state of the nation address that it was "business unusual". Yet when it came to replying in Parliament to this speech, he was actually back at "business as usual". Yes, notwithstanding the facts available and also findings contained in a United Nations report, Mbeki said whatever the facts by whoever, these facts do not necessarily reflect actual experience when it comes to corruption committed in South Africa!

Well. is that not our President of old (some now refer to him as a lame-duck president, having been pushed out as president of the ANC). No matter what experts said, based on scientific research, about the causes of HIV Aids, Thabo decided differently as to what causes aids and through his incompetent minister of health propagated ludicrous remedies as a cure, that made South Africa the laughing stock of the international community.

So again, Thabo thinks there is not such a high level of corruption and that is the end of the story as far as he is concerned. Maybe the old adage counts: Please don't confuse me with facts.

Another adage Mr President: You can't fool all the people all of the time! Even the millions of SA citizens groveling in dirt and poverty but remain loyal to the ANC, and who had been promised such a pleasant future under ANC "democratic" rule, eventually turned against you. Now a new president will take your place. However, in all fairness I must congratulate you on having accepted this decision with what seems to be a level of self respect and dignity which is difficult to find in the rest of Africa. Well done so far on that score.

Atrocities in Kenya

Kenya certainly has many problems to solve. Bloodshed and conflict have been a daily tragedy since the recent presidential election. Kofi Annan is the chief negotiator to try and bring peace to the country and according to a report on iAfrica.com he is confident that a deal could be reached next week. In the meantime people get killed probably by the thousands!!!!!

The photograph shows what goes on in Kenya (it also appeared on iAfrica's website) and any reasonable person would love to see calm and peace returning to Kenya.

Wisdom

I received the following through my email and thought it was very good. Good enough to put on my blog and give credit to whoever thought this up.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I told it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you’ve rested.”

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

☺ Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.

☺ always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

☺ Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

☺ If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

☺ If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

☺ It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

☺ Never buy a car you can’t push.

☺ Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have

a leg to stand on.

☺ Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

☺ Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

☺ When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

☺ Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

☺ You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one

person.

☺ Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

☺ We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are

dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colours, but they all have to

live in the same box.

☺ A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Scorpions sting in the wrong place?

The ANC has decided to close the crime-fighting unit called the Scorpions in South Africa. Al lot has been said and written about this very effective crime-busting machine and it would only be logical that a government who cares about its declared mission to stamp out crime would welcome the successes of the Scorpions and even try and do more to strengthen the structures and operational capabilities of this unit.

But.........NO! The Scorpions must close down as a separate unit and its members who wish to do so can join the SA National Police Force, the head of the latter at the moment up on charges of corruption and having a "working relationship" with big time gangsters! An article summarizing this whole picture very pointedly was written by Laurence Caromba and published on the IOL website. I personally believe there are people in the ANC who do not want these creatures with such a vicious sting in their tails to snoop around much longer now that the top structures of the ANC have members who may very well be averse to closer inspection of their circumstances. Please read the article, it will open your eyes to the fact that the newly elected ANC top brass only pay lip service to a desire to eradicate crime in this crime-ridden country. Read also what Johan Burger of the Institute for Security Studies has to say in this regard. Everything points to the government having a hidden agenda in their decision to close the Scorpions.

Africa, the same story always

When you open a newspaper, magazine or website to read about Africa, you turn away afterwards and wonder when, if ever, will the morality of governance change on this continent, with the aim to do things for the benefit of a country's population as a whole and not only to feather your and your friends' nests. And in the process the country concerned, looking at it from various angles, is slipping slowly (sometimes very fast) into chaos, proverty, conflict and epidemic diseases. In South Africa the incumbent President, Thabo Mbeki, has had his wings clipped properly at the ANC conference in Polokwane, when his arch-rival Jacob Zuma was elected president of the ANC and, provided he does not land in jail for alleged corruption, will in all probability be the next President of the country, in place of Mbeki. It was hailed as a victory by the populace. Mbeki and his autocratic style of governing would be something of the past, they reasoned.

Well, a new National Executive Committee was elected and it seems the delegates to the conference in Polokwane had hardly got back to their homes and the very distressing phenomenon popped up: It seems the person in charge really wants to impress on everybody that he is in charge and if in doing so his behaviour does not agree with democratic principles, so be it. City Press reported that there is already dissent among the members of the NEC and that Jacob Zuma gave them a good scrubbing for "doing things behind his back". Is this the eternal Africa? The people at the top fighting among themselves for the best seats in the circus while very little is done about what really would benefit the country as a whole.

Thabo Mbeki and other leaders in Africa came up with the wonderful scheme NEPAD, which in broad terms is a programme for the upliftment of the African continent. But it seems the name was unfortunate because when you look at Africa you can hardly find any reason to remain positive and you think maybe NEPAD is an abbreviation for the same old African story: Never Ending Poverty And Disease.

Maria the winner

Maria Sharapova won the Australian Open final, beating Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 6-3. A lot has been said and written since this victory of Maria's, but what also impressed me about this tennis champion were her comments after the match. Her words can be construed as "reaching out" for Ana, encouraging her to keep up her good play and that a lot more opportunities await them.I believe Maria is a humble and caring person, notwithstanding her fierce and ruthless approach when she is on court and playing to beat her opponent. This feature of Maria's character is beautifully highlighted in the excellent article by Bonny Ford on ESPN.com entitled Hard work, dedication and life perspective aid Sharapova. Hats off to both Maria and Ana.

Sharapova's done it.

Sharapova crushes top seed Henin at Australian Open

Maria has done it! Now for the nail-biting stretch to the end of the Open. See report on clash between Maria and Justin on Citizen.co.za.

Jacob Zuma and media

The ANC in South Africa seems to be no different than the previous government (apparently referred to as a regime) when it comes to hyper-sensitivity towards the news media. It is known that the pre-1994 era was accentuated by the then government to control what people were thinking and the main conduit for them in manipulating the desired state of thinking of the people was the news media.

The ANC and other "freedom" groups, with the help of sympathetic international support from organizations and governments, could not protest loud and violent enough whenever the apartheid government banned or restricted a news medium. At the same time it was also obvious that the SABC was the goverment's little lap dog.

What have we today in the new South Africa, in terms of the relationship between the government (read ANC) and the news media? Maybe it was best summed up by Jacob Zuma, after he was recently elected the new president of the ANC, when he declared that the media are politically and ideologically out of synch with the society in which it operates. (As reported in News24.com). Then he gives a lot of "reasons" (like the previous government did) why some form or other stricter control would be necessary to make the news media more acceptable.

Mr Zuma, you and your ANC cronies are barking up the wrong tree. There are enough laws and regulations to make sure the news media toe the line like they should in a true democracy (wasn't a true democracy what you were fighting for?). So, don't let the ANC enter the debate around this very important aspect of our new country as bullies and uninformed loud mouths.