Closing down the Season in Style

2016, has been a year of trials and triumph for me and my team. My team and i have battled so many challenges this year that we have even termed it "Year of Fall"
We have fallen and risen, fallen and risen so many times that each and everyone of us have lost count. B but one thing that kept us going was the spirit of togetherness and the fact that we always had each other's back, no matter what.

So coming to our closing in style of the season. The Head team Leader of Great Talk suggested that, we do what we call a retreat and surrender. This we will bow down on the eve of the 31st December 2016 and kiss the ground goodbye. So each of us will hold a chain prayer prior to the dawn of 2016, each will pray for at least 30 minutes and then buzz the other to take over and so it will go until the break of 31 st where we will all bow down wherever we are and kiss the ground of 2016 away. This we do to usher a new season, where we expect to break even, grow our series of Great Talk into a series of not just Articles on the Blog, but we aim to position this as a series of small to large intimate dialogues in TV  Q&As Show. But Great Talk will not be in studio like, instead we will take it to every community hall, Schools and Auditoriums. The Great Talk Team will assemble a team of Captains of Industry, Community Builders, Politicians, Youth Leaders and Leaders who's influence benefit society to an intimate Great Talk Q&As.


For this season, what we did as Great Talk was to launch the Series here on Blogspot.co.za to arose appetite and generate conversation. Now our beloved readers, I humbly request that you join me and my team on this exciting journey to discover and expose men and women who are doing their best to change lives. Stay with us Readers, i need you more than ever. I want to move and grow with you.

Great Talk is going big, so many changes will occur and i want you to be big part of this move.

2016 wasn't a great year for us at Great Talk and we hope the almighty bless and contain all of us, as we gear ourselves for the next season. Its going to be awesome, its going to be wonderful, dreams are going to come true and excitement will be ours again.


GOODBYE 2016:
HERE'S TO A NEW YEAR WILL ALL POSSIBILITIES!!!!!

Defeating HIV/AIDS

South Africa has the biggest and most high profile HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world. The virus is more prevalent in this country than anywhere in the world. And these statistics keep rising. It is estimated that the were more than 7Million adults and children die every year from it. The most vulnerable to catch or get infected are mostly young people (Youth), female pregnant and it is also noted that this trend keeps growing year in and year out. We are the only country in the world with the highest antiretroviral roll out, according to statistics obtained from the National Department of Health and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). This statistics has not shown any sign of decline ever since it was collected.

Government said, it spend close to R23Billion a year on HIV/AIDS alone. A large chunk of this capital goes to patient Antiretroviral treatment, while the remainder is dedicated to research and finding a better method for effective treatment and possibly a cure. As much as government is showing care and concern about all this, it is also clear that people, particularly young people are not showing any sign of protecting and concerned about their health.

Most youth who are promiscuous when it comes to their sexual health tend to blame others for their woes. But statistics has shown that is not the case. The prevalent of HIV/AIDS among young people high and caused by a number of factors. These include poverty, inequality and social instability, high levels of sexual transmitted infections, sexual violence, uneven access to quality medical care, etc. That’s according to Aids Foundation South Africa.

Now if we look very closely among ourselves, be it in township or rural (Village of Riba Cross, Driekop, etc.) one would spot one or more of this factors. These causes are human-made and it therefore will take a human like you to confront such, thus find a solution.

As a society it is high time that we confront the scourge of this virus eating away our young people. The time is now to deal with this illness and get rid of HIV/AIDS in our communities. But to do that effectively we don’t need certain dates in our calendars to remind us. We need real humans; we need the integrity, concern and togetherness to fight it. The solution lies in a united society that realise protecting its youth, is growing their own communities. For the fight against HIV/AIDS to be successful we need a whole sphere of society. We’ll need churches, Schools, stockvels, funeral societies, charities organizations, government and business, households, taverns and shebeens. In each of these places you’re bound to find a flock of young people, female and male. It will be simpler if massages of education, campaigns, guidance and mentorships about HIV/AIDS as well as other chronic illnesses are resumed and spread from there. We must vigorously challenge this epidemic and i believe together we can defeat HIV\AIDS.

Defeated and Deflated. Is this what Solomon Mahlangu Fought

“If they spill my blood, maybe it will give birth to other Solomon’s”

Still remember who spoke this lethal words and why did he say this words? Was the situation conducive enough for him to speak them..?

These words came to me when i was reminiscing about the continued scourge of poverty and inequality engulfing our country. The spilled blood of this astute freedom fighter who wrecked havoc to the previous apartheid regime clearly hasn’t birthed the right calibre of Solomon’s that he, Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu envisaged at his death.

South Africa continues to be a land of inequality and the spiralling of high of unemployment will put Solomon Mahlangu to shame if he was still alive. I doubt this is what he sacrificed his soul and caused his family agony for. Solomon Mahlangu did not fight and die for this country to be where it is now. He envisaged a prosperous country in which its citizen lived in peace, with equal access to opportunities, land and jobs.

I am using Solomon Mahlangu because his fighting consciousness was awaken and rose after he witnessed the 1976 Soweto uprising, where students from Soweto townships revolted against the apartheid government after its imposition of Afrikaans on them.

Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu was at the time, a young boy playing soccer at an open field near his four roomed house, according to his elder brother, Lucas Mahlangu. I doubt today Mahlangu would be excited to see the extend of violence against men, women and children so rife and perpetuated by the very same people he fought to liberate. Day after day we are bombarded with multiple deaths, rape, Assaults and kidnappings of partners by their partners, parents and trusted confidante. Our society has amassed victims and perpetrators of multiple acts of violence and abuse, yet we do nothing about the situation. We no longer have conscious society where a child is raised by the village. We claim to have attained freedom and think democracy is our beacon of hope when we witness violence on a daily base yet we remain silent and pretend it doesn’t exist.

Youngsters do not wish to emulate the likes of Solomon Mahlangu because society has relegated these freedom icons to mere celebratory dates on our calendas. They are at loggerheads with their schools, parents and governments because violence, and inequality continue to harbor over, this youngsters are exposed to high level of violence and intolerance which makes them believe its the way of life. As the government commemorates the 16 days of Activism for No violence against men, women and children, let us be reminded of the sacrifices that Solomon Mahlangu, Mondy Motloung and others made to all of us. It wasn’t sacrifices to see partners, parents, families and governments to continue abusing and violating others.

Let young people remember that, heros such as Mahlangu did not wish for things to be like this now, but be reminded as he (Mahlangu) puts it blindly before he was hanged “aluta continua”

The is no messiah who is still to come, the struggle to liberate the country has not ended and as we commemorate days of such nobleness as 16 days of Activism let us remember that you are the touch bearer, a light that shines in the dark and a compass that provides direction. Your fight is not yours alone and what you’re fighting for now is to benefit generations to come after you. Instigating violence and abuse is not a good fight if you’re the perpetrator or victim, but you can contribute to the fight to end it, just as Solomon Mahlangu fought to end apartheid.

Glorifying gangsters, violence, drugs and partying should not be your modus operandi; yours should be to crush it down from its head going down, breaking it into pieces and bury it beneath the soil.

“My blood will nourish the trees that will bear the fruits of freedom. Tell my people i love them and they must continue the fight. A luta continua” said Solomon Mahlangu.

Real Pastors, rise and defend the gospel

Congregants made to eat snake.

Is the gospel taken down to the wire, who among the few good remaining Christians can stand to reject the influx of this men and women masquerading as “Men of God”, who’s teachings and deeds continue to put the lives of our naive families in danger? May the real preachers of this gospel stand and denounce what these pastors of gloom are subjecting our society to? Where are the voices of our Pastors, Can they, real Pastors rise and defend the gospel?

These are many of the questions that arose concerning the true existence of preachers, because so much has happened which warranted their voices yet their silence continues to deafen our ears. We as a nation have bear witness to so-called pastors that are emerging in our society with all sorts of signs and wonders claiming to posses powers that can make or turn anything into everything at the command of their voices.

This pastors ‘signs and wonders come with mechanisms that expose our parents, sisters and cousins to dangerous acts of heroism. Christianity is one religion that has been exposed to too much abuse, this days, anyone who is everyone claim to be called into pastoral without the Christian community questioning this sudden calling.

We are seen lots of churches with names i can’t pronounce mushrooming at every corner, yet nobody dares to raise questions. I doubt the bible prevents us from questioning this things, i also doubt that the bible allows us to just follow whoever comes with miraculous signs in the name of the Lord. I remember explicitly that in Mathew 7:21kjv, the bible says, “Not all who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven”

This scripture by its own compels us to watch out for fake pastors who come calling Lord’s name.

 

pastor Lethebe Rabalago spray with congregant with doom..

In this country, we have recently seen troops of pastors appearing left and right bearing miracle signs that lure our vulnerable, sick and desparate parents, relatives and friends into their churches, thereby exposing them to indoctrinated elements. In Limpopo, we were woken to one particular pastor, Lethebe Rabalago. The pastor used an insect killer, doom to spray it in the face of a sick female congregant while at his church in Zebediela. He claimed the dangerous insecticide will heal this woman at the command of his words, not realising he is endangering the poor woman’s life.

It has emerged that, Rabalago’s stunts was a tip of an iceberg. He has done so many including throwing stones on people’s bodies, making them drink petrol among his other acts of heroism. But it was when he sprayed doom to the woman that the country and the probably the world caught a glimpse of him.

His acts prompted the provincial Department of Health to subject him to a mental evaluation, whether the results come back positive or negative, too much damage has been done to the already Christian denomination.

Just as we were still digesting the news of this pastor, another one emerged from slumber. I gues he didn’t want to be outdone and outshine by Lethebe Rabalago. This one is said to have commanded another desperate sick congregants to toch and walk on live electric wire, he too promising them healing.

The two pastors are a culmination of several “men, women and daughters of God” who came before.

One such being the Penuel Mnguni “AKA” Snakepastor. Remember Mnguni made people of Soshanguve to eat grass, snakes, rats and drink petrol. Yes, he’s the one who irked the EFF, who retaliated by setting his tent on fire.

This two are a by-product birthed by scrupulous pastors on a fishing expedition of lost souls, with soul intention of misleading and accumulating wealth at all costs.

We expected to hear the voices of real preachers and Pastors denouncing and condemning in strongest term what these fake preachers are doing, instead they are nowhere to be seen, heard and found. Some hide behind “I don’t want to judge “as if speaking up against wrong is ungodly. While they are silent, fake pastors are claiming innocent souls and taking them to hell.

 And their silence is diminishing the true existence of Christianity and renders the good work done by Christians before them cheap and vein.

 The continued silence of our trusted pastors hurts, because souls are yearning for good news and all they receive is dangerous miracles. Our society is lost, so many sheeps are without sheppards, yet those entrusted by God hide behind veiled curtains of biblical terms.

 

Congregants worshiping.

No wonder self-righteous, indoctrinating ratchet churches are flourishing, amassing so much earthly wealth at the expense of thirsty souls.

Lost sheeps will always follow any wolf, lion and hyena that wear the mask of a Sheppard.

We hope and pray that it will not be long before the right Sheppard emerge and denounce all this shenanigans. And we also hope on battered breath that, real pastors will soon rise and defend the gospel.

Will Tubatse ever grow up..?

I watch with sadness and dissarpointment at the latest developments coming out of Tubatse as a whole and i ask myself, will this area ever see growth and stability? When i say growth and stability, i mean growth and stability in all spheres; Economic, Socially, recreationally, etc. To a layman out there who doesn’t have a clue about this area called Tubatse, allow me to mesmerize you atleast.

Tubatse is an area situated in the eastern limb bushveld of the Drackensburg Mountains. I don’t know the origin of the name, but this area here boorst a gorgeous weather, natural resources to die for and a wonderful majesty nature reserves. The is approximately twenty (20) mines actively pursuing the depth of its soil, a wide spread of productive agricultural prescint sprawling on a vast amount of land, a land that is fresh and rich.

The municipality is called Greater Tubatse/Fetakgomo Local municipality, this came after the mergers of two municipalities namely, Greater Tubatse and Fetakgomo local municipalities. This municipality forms part of the Sekhukhune District also known as “Sekhukhune Land”. The merger happened immediately after the August 3 local government elections. Its sitting is in one of the fastest growing town Burgersfort. This town is the economic hub of Tubatse, of course we have another town Steelpoort about 20 kilometres from Burgersfort. Steelpoort is a small, mostly industrial town. It is mostly infested with warehouses, engineering workshops, a handful of restaurants, Supermarkets, liquor stores housed in a recently developed complex. All this is coupled with the mine’s residential complexes for most of their senior employees. But Burgersfort, oh boy, this town is the ultimate shopping centre of the rich and poor. The town has shown growth and potential future expansion. Currently Burgersfort has a state of the art Mall, Tubatse crossing, not far from it is another small beautifully encrafted mall, Burgersfort mall and several complexes with the potential to grow further. The is a total of 31 wards in Greater Tubatse/Fetakgomo Local Municipality, mostly under the African National Congress (ANC) Government.

This is where the state of better life ends, in Burgersfort. It is as if this is the only area that deserves attention when it comes to provision of infrastructure and other services. The state of Tubatse outside Burgersfort is disappointing, saddening, unstable and poor. No doubt, Tubatse is mostly rural, with villages under tribal authorities. However it doesn’t provide the powers that be to neglect it in this way. If one visits almost all the villages, you see the level of services provided is so disgraceful and leaves one with tears. Recently, an electrical contractor, who was suppose to electrify the remaining households downed tools and disappeared with municipal money leaving villages high and dry. The municipality was not aware, which shows the level of ineptitude in the municipality. They were surprised that the contractor they appointed and paraded infron’t of communities vanished without completing the project and with their money.

“As a municipality we were not aware that the contractor left without completing the project. We have already paid the contractor money to electrify the remaining villages, but now we are saddened to learn of his disappearance with council money. We will investigate and come back to report to the affected communities” was all Thabiso Mokoena, spokesperson of Greater Tubatse/Fetakgomo local Municipality could say when confronted with the situation.

“This has squashed all our hopes to celebrate Christmas season with some electricity in my house” said disappointed community member.

Tubatse is the richest most productive area when it comes to mineral deposits. The amount of precious stones embedded beneath the soils of Tubatse leaves me speechless. Yet communities above this deposits leave in squalor. You would assume with the hive of developmental activities happening, the fast pace with which minerals are extracted beneath, communities around them will be envied by far away communities but the opposite is actually the reality.

 The is approximately Twenty (20) fully fledged operating mines, daily extracting precious stones beneath but villages are a complete opposite shadow of this action.

 The is little to no contribution that this mines are doing towards making some of this villages better looking. Roads are in shambles, houses are falling apart, no lights, no water, no recreational facilities even a mere library or community hall is zilch. Big bosses of some of this mines pass by some of this villages when commuting to town and their residences on a daily basis, it’s not like they don’t see some of this challenges but none of them ever entertain the needs or lack of this villages. The only time you will get to meet them is when the youth have barricaded these roads, making delivery of goods, workers ‘busses and transportation of their commodities difficult to pass. They come pretend to listen, throw in a bit of bribe just to warde them off, then vanish leaving empty promises.

The situation in Tubatse is so dire and the consequences of such are catastrophic. Tubatse as a whole exist in contrast to what should have been better. With so much economic activity, communities shouldn’t be struggling, it is so sad and disappointing to live in an area so mega rich and blessed with natural resources, only for it’s suppose beneficiaries not to repeat the fruits. Who to blame when situation is like this, to who must the community go and shed a tear? When its government is the one failing them. Will Tubatse repeat the fruits of its God given natural resources? Will Tubatse ever grow..? Maybe with time, Only time will tell...

A Village burns because of a Mall..

All hell breaks loose when a misled developer attempts to build a R280 Million mall on a hotly contested land. This emerged during a consultation sitting which didn’t end as well as it was planned. The new mall was planned to be build at corner R37 and Steelpoort Road in Riba Cross, a dusty village near Burgersfort. The cost of the mall is estimated at around R280 Million, which the developer plans to plough into the infrastructure but because of the contention between the occupiers of the sports fields who call themselves, Kings Football Club, tribal council and the Councillors due to lack of consultation kings Football club are opposing it. Apparently the developer was misled into believing that all was sorted out and he can proceed but after Tuesday meeting, he was surprised to meet a community of youngsters at war. Kings Football Club demanded that the developer meet with them privately so that they can table their demands directly to him, but the tribal council and councillors refused to grand them that chance and asked them to submit their demands publicly which they unwillingly did. According to their demands as outlined by their leaders, Mr. Sebokwane Sekgogoba and Jerry Mabuza, Kings Football Club demands that the developer relocate their sports ground to an empty space across the R37 road, build them change rooms, develop the field according to SAFA standard, a lawn, a grandstand, lights, water, access bridge, maintenance of roads, Library and 35% employment for them only. Kings Football Club don’t just represent a Football Club, this group also represent the Matšianeng community but indirectly. Matšianeng is a section of Riba Cross, who have since identified themselves as the direct primary affected group and hence the demand for 35% employment which is strictly for them only.

The developer who is a company called Arlane lead by Matakanyane Sekhukhune didn’t oppose the group’s demands instead he agreed to fulfil some because he (Sekhukhune) believes that demands such as water, street lights, maintanace of roads are municipal responsibilities and there for should be taken up with the. He however made a mistake of mentioning that they plan to build “embankments” around the ground instead of a grandstand. This didn’t sit well with the leaders of Kings Football Club, they refused this “embankment” flatly and turned the meeting into a nasty exchange of words.

“No mall will be built on our field unless Matakanyane has met all our demands. We are not interested in his embankments, or explanations that some of our demands should be taken up with municipality, if its that way the he should go built some else. As for these Councillors it is clear that they are here to serve their interests “charged Sekgogoba as he continues to stroke fire.

Sekgogoba himself was also accused by the Tribal council of Ga-Riba of demanding about R1 Million from the developer so he could influence the Youngsters into giving away the ground, but he has flatly denied these accusations and in return accused the tribal council and councillors of trying to turn the tables over to him. Sekgogoba has further said that, those behind the mall are nothing but sell outs and selfish people.

“They are sell outs this tribal councils and the ward councillors. All they are interested in is disposing us of our ground to please this white man. And that will never happen here. We know that they have been given money to try to influence the outcome but we’ll make sure that this never happen” said Sekgogoba as he tries to make a point. He accused Kgoshigadi Riba of downplaying their demands and handing their ground to the developers on a silver platter.

In another meeting which took place on the very same Tuesday evening at around 21h30pm, in which a newly formed business Forum called Bakoni derdegeleid Business Forum attended, Kgoshigadi Riba went on an defence mode. She made it clear that this mall will be built, with or without the disgruntled group.

“Do you hear me, this mall is not going anywhere. Matakanayane, you will build the mall because this is an opportunity for this community to prosper and grow. To be held to ransom by some men who are interested in their own agendas over my dead body, you hear me this mall is going to be built right here at Ga-Riba. Sebokwane and his mob can go to hell”

By those words she signed the agreement allowing the building of the mall.

However as things stand currently the Kings Football Club and Matšianeng have mobilised their friends including the newly formed Business Forum and made it their mission to fight to bitter end, adamant that the mall will never take place on their ground without their demands being met. Things are tense that Matakanyene Sekhukhune and his investment partners are threatening to take this mall and build it elsewhere. No comment was obtained from the developer’s side as things became chaotic and they had to leave immediately.

South Africa is sinking

This country is sinking. It is sinking so fast and so deep into the waters of the sea that turning a blind eye is no longer an option to be exercised by anybody. Just for a moment pause and take a serious look at everything that is happening around us. Not so many things are working out for our country, few only dare to rise and those that do so are subsequently silenced. The use of force, use of state institutions to fight wrong wars has become the order of today. No longer do we feel that we can put our faith in certain organs of state because its clear that they are hell bent on serving only the select few over the majority in this country.

 

Ours is a sinking ship without a captain. Our captain is so embroiled in every part of the ship’s wreckage that he has lost the zeal and stamina to clear it. So many events that have unfolded and continue to unfold before us are clear proof that this country is heading down to the bottom of the sea.

First it was the debacle caused by “Nkandla” after the Investigation and release of the Nkandla report by the then Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela. This is one debacle that has left a deep wound in the hearts of many South Africans that its hard to heal it. The results of Nkandla epitomise what it means to abuse power and resources. It was only after the ruling of the highest court in the land that our suppose captain decided to heed the call and steer clear. Those who fell over on the wayside continue to master every defence and boldness amid calls for their heads to roll. This has not assisted them in anyway, instead the Captain has ran them over.

 

Then our captain came back to stun us yet again, when he fired the most competent and trusted servant amid flimsy excuses. After that the country’s status began to diminish with a blink of an eye. We lost so much value after that sacking of finance Minister Nene that till today we have not recovered. Captain further blundered by appointing a lowly backbench warmer to the finance ministry, this benchwarmer lasted only four days and he was re-packaged and shipped out when an uproar ensured. Then came Pravin Godharn, a man our captain brought to save the day. I’ve never in my life seen one man chased so high, at every angle with all might than this one. Mr. Pravin Godharn is highly sought after and persecuted at every angle that i can’t believe his still lives. But like Captain Zuma, he is a tactical survivor. The only difference is that Pravin has the whole country fighting for him. So far he has survived the onslaught but we are not sure for how long, because as things stand, he still has another investigation pending. The so-called “Rogue spy Unit “within SARS. So far the only thing we know about this is that the HAWKS have beefed up their squared around this investigation with the hope of nailing Godharn this time. Whether he survive this one as well is a matter of wait and see.

 

As if that was not enough, right up came the fees must fall protest, which has since turned into a movement. Another blunder by Captain Zuma and his side-kick to heed the call of our protesting students and respond appropriately. Instead of Zuma and Nzimande engaging the protesters, they sought to impose decisions on them and this only fuelled the protesters. Today the protest has engulfed the whole country, and has even frustrated learners who are currently writing matric with the hope of enrolling in the very same institutions. Right now most universities are shadows of former self. We have seen students and police confront each other in the most brutal violent manner. So many of those students are relinquishing in jails, while others are nursing injuries in hospitals, yet the protest is still raging on with furry.

 

A matric exam paper has since been leaked, while state capture interdicts are playing out in our courts, with the Captain at the helm. How pathetic and a laughing joke our beautiful country has become. This ship called South Africa is at the tip of collapse and our Captain with his entire swagger has no clue on how to save it. It needs every patriotic citizen to come forward and avail in the fight to save it from sinking deeper. I believe every Citizen should support the campaign to save South Africa. We can no longer afford to idle around at the distant and watch as we plunge down into the sea of vultures capturing every institution for selfish gains. We must rise up to claim this country back from the jaws of defeat. It cannot be business as usual and it cannot be that we are made to suffer at the hands of one man serving the interests of his handlers and backers. Enough is enough; every one of our country men must bear the brunt and carry his own cross. South Africa cannot sink under our watchful eyes.

A PROMISE IS A PROMISE.

Dr. Blade Nzimande announced amid the chaotic #Feesmustfall fiasco that, only the poor and the missing middle whatever will be exempted from anything to do with paying tertiary fees. We must remember that Blade Nzimande is the Minister of High Education and Training department of South Africa, a department which in my opinion is doing a lot more than nothing really. This department is very ignorant and often loses its constitutional obligations to the people its suppose to serve.

First it was the fracas they and their deputy minister who goes by the name of Mduduzi Manana caused with the campaign and promotion of Artisan as a career of choice to FETs. This so-called promotion geared towards FET colleges caused a lot of mayhem which these institutions were unprepared for and didn’t deserve. The promises of immediate employment and a must-pursued career misled a lot of our young people who took this call and swelled all FETs in a hope to lend a job after employment. Today a lot of those youngsters are relinquishing at every robot begging for any work. Manana and his department are as quiet as lizards, and nowhere to be found.

  

Students protests

The department of High Education and Training has said nor done anything substantial to our country, instead it continues to cruz through chaos after chaos. In came Minister Nzimande, who spectacularly bragged to poor students who are begging for an ear to listen to that fees will increase come 2017. The minister failed like Manana to elaborate how students who are considered poor and missing middle class will be determined and identified amid the mass of tertiary entry students. Today students are protesting non-stop demanding what was once promised to them.

 

The governing party promised students free education. This promise was made repeatedly without blinking by the ANC, now when it’s time for the party to deliver they tell students and parents, free education is unforeseeable, expensive and the country has no money. Yet we have politicians throwing departmental monies into a sea of events, business class trips to overseas, tenders that have nothing to do with our country and a rampant corruption up to the president, who was once denounced by the highest court in the land as a law breaker and trustworthy. If all this weren’t the activities of our politicians, free education would be possible, foreseeable and implementable. It is absurd to question the moral actions of our students when they want the governing party to deliver on its promise. I don’t condone violence, nor the actions of some protesting students in various campuses but these students’ cries are legitimate and warrant an ear which Nzimande and Co failed to provide. It’s the rights of students not accept anything announced by Nzimande and its Nzimande’s right to do his job the way he did. But students will not stop protesting until their demands are met. Whether this government can afford it or not, a promise is a promise and students were promised free education. Blade Nzimande’s 8% capped fee increase will never go unchallenged; the government needs to do something urgently if it wants to contain the situation currently brewing in our major campuses. One thing is for sure, government must deliver on its promise it made for free education, period.

RESTORING MY IDENTITY.

I was reduced to tears as I watched in disbelief children as young as 13 years old from Pretoria girls High School take to the streets to make their voices heard over segregation rules aimed at dividing them according to race thereby oppressing and humiliating them as blacks with unclean “Afros hairstyles”. I was more than moved by a young girl, wearing her green school uniform, complete with a full grown black uncombed hair, and standing up to a white male adult daring him to chastise her. One can tell from this picture that this child was defiant and ready to bear the consequences should they occur.

 

The picture of this young lady brought in a sharp contrast reminder in my mind of the acts of the 1976 generation. They were a generation so defiant and ready for the consequences. The apartheid government’s style to respond to protest with violence only served to make things worse. The 1976, whom the majority where learners from different schools in Soweto took to the streets of Soweto to protest against the inferior education the apartheid government subjected them. That Soweto uprising as it is affectionately known today, brought to this country a worldwide attention and condemnation never felt before and this signalled the fall of apartheid. And indeed that regime fell upon their own sword.

Today another generation has risen to carry the torch they (1976 generation) left, the eruption of protest thou not similar in subject or reason, bears similarities in ways we cannot explain. These learners are fighting not for the abolishment of inferior education, but for the restoration of their identity. Yes, the war here is over the protection of the black child’s identity. The identity which they carry in part through their black “afro” hair. The school’s draconian “Hair policy” forces these kids to do away with their hair, a shame to our hard fought democracy. These girls in my opinion are brave and bold to take on such a well established institution over such a derogatory policy. It is important that apartheid era institution learn that our democracy will not tolerate backwardness and segregation let alone racism. This protest is a lesson to the school white leaders that they will never be allowed to prosper at the expense of our freedom and that they will never get away with inferior policies.

 

A hair in my “Sepedi” culture is a very important symbol that distinguishes and renders my identity unique. But for a woman it means more than that, a woman in my culture is not suppose to cut nor shave her hair to a bald, it’s even important for her hair to remain natural, black with no additives which makes her uniquely beautiful and authentic. This hair as “afro” and black as it is is my identity that I hold dear. So trying to separate it from me will result in a backlash which is exactly what transpired at this prestigious school. It is unacceptable to draft “code of conducts” that infringe on the rights of human, codes that are not inclusive and at best aiming to divide our society. It’s amazing how fast things change, that today, we are going to have to come up with “Hair policies” this was unheard of till now. Pretoria girl’s high school and any other schools build from the era of apartheid are experiencing revolt from their own learners (Blacks) because they failed to realise that South Africa is moving forward not backward.

 

While it is appluadable for what this young generation of shakers did today, however society needs to take a bold step to address this issue. Our government alone cannot succeed, they can do so much, so it needs the broader society to confront this issue and come up with a solution. I’m sure it took many by surprise and I must admit that South Africa could have never foreseen such. But it has happened and now we need to take decisive decision that will deal with it once and for all as a society.

 

Learners in South Africa continue to be fed an inferior, failed education that has not produced anything substantial so far. According to Stellenbosch University researchers, they describe factors contributing to this failed system to weak institutional functionality, poor teacher content knowledge and insufficient learning time for pupils. This simply means in a nutshell that, our teachers in public schools know zilch about the content or subject they are teaching our children. What an unfortunate situation for all learners in school currently. Our learners are paying a heavy price and it seems like nobody dares to do anything to address this situation. The Stellenbosch Educational experts, who compiled this report, cautioned that, unless this factors are resolved, no amount of money or time spend will ever help.

We continue to have a Minister and MECs all around us whose responsibility is to see to it that such thorny issues are resolved but no they run around chasing ghosts. Our education is in ICU because it is managed by people who are less concerned about its well-being. And South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) is not helping the situation either. Instead of addressing the plight of our learners, the Union continue to interfere with the ability of the education to act in the best interest of our learners. SADTU is mismanaging things by not encouraging its members, who are teachers to put the interests of learners above theirs. No wonder so many teachers lost track and can’t even complete a syllabus. Today, you would not find even a single child of this teachers attending at the very same school where he or she teaches. This teachers take their children to this so-called multy-racial Model Cs schools because they know very well that, at their respective schools thy will not receive proper education or enough time in class with a teacher teaching. The state of our education today is in shambles. Our public schools have lost the grip of things, teachers go to school to collect pay cheques and not to teach and nobody is doing anything about it.

Limpopo province continues to be hard hit by this uncontrollable plethora. In this province you still find schools without teaching and learning materials. Schools with no classrooms, teachers’ quing at the nearest supermarket when they are suppose to be in class teaching. Limpopo schools are most undeveloped, powerless, teacher less and level of fails is catastrophic. There are very few that can boost better results, better infrastructure and great teacher turnout; i can count those with my bare hands. The rest are just a shadow of nothing.

Lack of insufficient learning time for pupils and poor teacher content knowledge continue to be the hall mark of education Limpopo province and learners are subjected to such on a daily basis. We need a saviour in Limpopo now than ever.

Big up to Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, the man is doing everything in his power to transform the state of education in the province. This include revamping the current learner registration system, even thou the system embarrassed  and exposed him to harsh words of frustrated parents but eventually he got it right. The least said about his counterpart in Limpopo, Mr. Ishmael Kgetjepe the better. This guy is doing absolutely nothing to address the state of our education in the province, he continue to blame it on administration. Kgetjepe has made no address, no mention of anything about changes in our education and has not even gone anywhere near poor schools to see the condition some teachers work under. Right now Panyaza Lesufi in Gauteng is ramping up the appointment of principals, a big move and a good one nogal given the influence of principals at their schools. While Kgetjepe continue to ride state property while failing in his job.

The state of education in South Africa is in dire need of a collective working relation now than ever. We cannot afford to have our schools producing inferior complex products when the are so many intellectuals at our disposals. Government must swallow its pride and approach experts such as those at Stellenbosch University to assist re-constructing our education system. Until then, no matter how much money or time spend, no matter the revamps and ramps guys like Panyaza Lesufi come up with, the will still be no change with core business of teaching which is educating the South African child for a better tomorrow.

Center save community from the gutter.

 

The local community’s struggle to access social services like, application of identity documents, safer place to apply and receive grants, obtaining affidavits and certifying of documents among other things became a thing of the past, when the opening of this disability center became a reality.

Lehlaba disability center also known as Lehlaba Protective Workshop operated in a tiny four room house build for them by a local donor since it was established in 2001 by a group of local disabled men and women. This after conducting an extensive research and found that many parents in the community hide their disabled children and relatives.  The centre lies in Riba Cross a village outside Burgersfort, Limpopo province.

According to the founder and Leader Mr. Steve Mabaso, Lehlaba Disability Center received the state of the art facility donation from Belgium funders, facilitated by Department of Social Development.

“The Department of Social Development asked us and other projects to make presentations on the kind of facilities we need. I presented and we were chosen together with another project to be sponsored with this infrastructure.” Said Mabaso.

After they were approved for such mega sponsors, Mabaso continued to mention that, they were further requested to present the kind of center they envision for their communities. He said he articulated the structure with a vision for the community at the back of his mind.

“I realized that the community needed access to social workers, grants, ID documents, and they traveled long distances to access police station when they want to certify their documents and write affidavits so, I asked for a center big enough to accommodate such extra services.” Elaborated Mabaso.

Today Lehlaba Disability Center boast a beautiful building, it is also a beckon of pride in the community after being rescued from the gutter. Not only has the Center rescued the community of Burgersfort it has managed to create employment opportunities, saved the lives of disabled children either from abortions or being hidden by their parents and guardians.

“This center is all we have and have needed for a very long time. Since its arrival it has saved us from exorbitant costs of travelling far distances to obtain affidavits, consult social workers, certify our papers, and now I can just walk to Lehlaba and do all that once” said Yvonne Maile, one of the resident in the village.

Lehlaba Disability Center provides a safe haven for the disabled children and adults who mostly come looking for a safe, nurturing and comfort home to belong and be with others like them. And it’s safe to say, the center provides just that kind of environment and more.

No Country deserve a bad Leader

Leaders are by expectation the carrier of hope for many people, citizens all around the world expect nothing but the best from their respective leaders. Our leaders are expected to be of high stature, respect anyone and anybody, hold their position with the highest integrity that nobody will question its existence. As nations we tend to expect no faults from our leaders, we expect them to be immune to dodgy, scandals and always speak with high authority and morals.

But of late we have ourselves with leaders who contain not even a slight of this expectations, Of late we are seen more and more of our leaders deepening deeper into questionable acts, engulfed in scandals after scandals. Our leaders no longer commands the respect of nations they are suppose to lead, instead they have found themselves wanting, not knowing what to tell or not to tell. I have noticed that many of our leaders lack the moral compass that make them leaders and our expectations of them to uphold and respect the integrity of the office they occupy diminishing with a wink of an eye. W e faced with leaders that do not command respect nor demand authority from the citizens they lead. Our leaders today, be it politically or business play into the racial quoter of utterances and find themselves racially blurring the lines.
from example, South African Women were recently irked by comments made by a certain CEO of a large communications corporation. Apparently the CEO, whom i will not mention by his name commented on a CliffCentral station about women in the most racially, unflattering manner that he invited the harsh treatment of women all over. He was labelled a sexist, racially abusive and not worthy of the stature of the office he holds. So much that women even called for him to step down from the position he holds. So are some of the qualities of Leaders our nations are forced to come to terms with nowadays.
Then in follows or shall i say lead our very own president. This is one Hell of a Leader drowning in scandals after scandals. He hasn't said anything derogatory about any gender lately but his corrupt and captured friends have exposed him to be of the same coin as them. President Zuma has failed so many times to provide leadership that i even feel so ashamed to call him a leader. I will call him a leader because of the respect of the Office he occupy, not that he is a leader.

Leadership is a battle that intensify with each responsibility one assume, and if the person assuming this battle is not feed, the battle will spit such a person harshly. We are seen that happening a lot lately. Leaders no longer carry the hopes of citizens, they are swarmed in their pitfalls that they neglect their responsibilities. Today we are seen more and more leaders with questinables morals leading us instead of leaders with integrity and good intentions. If this is how our country is turning out to be, then God help all of us because disaster beckons our way.

Who to blame exactly

People on the streets believe destroying key infrastructure, preventing others from accessing roads and school children from accessing education is right way to sending massages across. Its very disturbing when people, particularly young people going on a rampant tour to destroy and dismantle properties meant to empower them, thus taking them out of poverty in the name of protest. What happened to dialogue, negotiation. What happened to this once peaceful country, because what is becoming of it today is completely akin to what the world knows of it.

Recently people have been taking to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction at what our current government is doing or not doing. Young people have been complaining of the government failing to look after their needs. We have seen various protests born out of frustrations, we have witnessed dissatisfactions from various quarters, such as the recent #feesmustfall to #zumamustfall growing popular, other we understood their cries since they were legitimate while others just flew across our faces as nothing but stuns emanating from racially divided quotas of the society. W e were contend with such protests since they didn't cause too much havoc. But recently a wave of protest has emerged that took us by storm and surprise. Even thou it once happened before, but I thought it has ended since its solution was found. Alas, this protest has once again reared its ugly tail again.

The dangerous often violent protest of the people of Vuwani Village in the Vhembe District in Limpopo province. No matter how legitimate their grievance with the government is, it doesn't justify the destruction of key properties in the area. I mean what does torching a school has to do with which municipality do you want to fall under, how do you begin, as a sane parent explain to your daughter or son the reason for burning his/her classroom. I don't think it makes sense to burn important properties just because we could not agree on a common thing. As people we differ on a daily basis, on many things but does that justify destroying something valuable just to attract my attention? I doubt it even make sense. Limpopo Province is a violatile region, people in this area are known for their violent often deadly nature, and I think that is something the province is failing to recognise. The province is often called poor, unimproved, less civilised and rural, delivery services most of the time reaches this region very late and at times is of low standard, but who to blame in such instances, of course one would put such a blame at the door of government. Its right because its the responsibility of government to improve the lives of its citizens and its people's rights to demand that government do so. But again the government can do so much at given time, in the meantime citizens should learn to embrace whatever infrastructure it has at its disposal. Not destroy it because it might ages for the very same government ages to replace such property when its vandalised. Destroying a school, road, library or a municipality does not serve any purpose instead it takes us backward.

its high time citizens are taught the importance of respecting and preserving infrastructure in our community, and refrain from destroying them when differences occur. Now children in vuwani will be forced to undertake learning in the cold since winter is here, the won't be any decent shelter for them to learn. Then soon we will be complaining that teachers bunk classes, or don't show up at school at all, I mean how do you expect them to conduct lessons in ruined classes in the mist of this terrible weather? when you parents instead of protecting the property, you have set it on fire.
Citizens, if differing with your government kindly refrain from destroying properties just to get back at it. Its pure criminality and selfishness. You set us backwards and this province will never grow to its envisaged potential. Differing we will differ, but setting alight a school will not solve our differences, it only escalate the hostility and thus send you straight to jail. Those people who destroyed schools, preventing children from learning in Vuwani should be arrested, charged be send to jail. And for the Chief who supports such acts, he should be ashamed of himself. I don't understand how a leader can condone such actions of criminality.

Its a crime to torch, destroy and vandalise government property no matter how legitimate it may sound or look.

God saved us all in Burgersfort.

Saturday, the storm nearly wrecked the bits of the small town Burgersfort into unrecognisable pieces of crap. It started just after two o clock midday when least expected. Our town is small in stature  but big in shopping sprees that take place at our two important malls and the so many complexes sprawling the land. There, every shopper look forward to the wowing sales that takes place around the middle of the month when all are broke.

so the day turned into one messy chaotic experience for everybody. The heat wave was so strong, it burn right into our faces. We were sweating, water dripping down all over our bodies and we wished for a rain. We wished for one peaceful downpour to set us free from the scorching heat but what we received after that gave us all one hell of a fright. Burgersfort used to be a tiny station for that old gravy coal pushed train, they use to call it " ralla weng" I guess they wanted to say, railway. there were big shops then, except small outlets pushed by Indians who lived nearby the station. it gradually grew as immigrants flogged in looking to make some bucks through hawking around the passengers boarding the train. Soon the are became alive, a Police station was even build around and Whites also began to see home in the town. Then boom! a town was born by the name of Burgersfort. the discovery of the Platinum belt catapulted the town to what it is today, thus the tagline " A platinum city" was born. We further saw the constructions of two wonderful malls build and a grand hotel and casino came along as well.

So on Saturday we nearly lost all that. We didn't ask for a storm that would wreck havoc, we needed a rain to cool us off. We were minding the heat and our business when the wind that started mildly surprised us all. it blew little, we thought what a cool breeze. Eeh! suddenly a huge wave of dust gathered around the town. We heard tumbling and fall of boards and carts that had stood as adverts besides the road. They were squeezed and thrown into air and crushed on the ground broken. Dustbins filled with waste were squashed and rolled over spitting every piece of garbage on the floor. So soon the whole area resembled 'Haiti' squeezed by that tornado. It messy, stinking of all sorts garbage, broken glasses and bins mingled in the middle of the storm in fast paced motion. Luckily nobody got caught in the middle of the whole dance. I guess everybody's instincts told them to run for their life and they listened.

Greater Tubatse Municipality reported the extend of the damage as one inflicted on property and not any person. The estimate damage ran into millions of Rands. We didn't care so long as no loss of life was declared. Imagine your parent, Girlfriend, Boyfriend, or your child, grandchild leaving home in full only to return home later in pieces. Its one thing no one wishes upon any of his close friends and family. We are relieved that the storm is over, but the heat has not ceased one bit. Its so hot in Burgersfort. Its as if the storm was there to increasing the strength of the heat wave. nevertheless we are still praying for a rain to cool us off.

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Re-Invigorating, Re-Introducing and definitely Re-Occupying the Space

Hello Reader

Allow me to first take this opportunity to apologise to you, readers and followers of this Blog. I owe you an apology because of my absence from this space for such a long-time without informing you of my intention to do so. its not fair that I do this and expect you to just shrug it off and be ok with it. its not right that I introduce such a mega Blog, promise to educate, empower and share with you knowledge and then boom! I disappear. for that I am deeply sorry, I regret ever doing that and I undertake never to repeat this "vanishing act" as my friend eloquently put it to me recently.

The reason for my disappearance Reader is because I wasn't doing well, my family was going through a serious crisis. My little sister whom I care so much about kept on collapsing, fainting and when as a family we consulted various doctors and Sangomas without any help. We were so torn around the health of this child that life was bad. I guess that's how much we love this child. Its just that she is a very quate, innocent, young girl blessed with immersed beauty and brains. She couldn't attend much of her schooling period during her unhealthy days. Her health hurt all of us, us as a family, her teachers as well as her close friends. My parents also didn't make things easy, I have those typical traditionalist parents who hardly believe that prayer can change things around. I am a very spiritual person, I believe in the power of prayer, so finding myself surrounded by this people made things difficult for me.

I tried very hard encouraging my family to trust in prayer while pursuing other things but they were so stubborn and didn't take any of my advice. My mother being a Sangoma herself put it frankly to me,"God help those who help themselves and this time HE will understand our predicament Papa " she left me just like that. I was flabbergasted at her naïve thinking of the God we serve. So out of respect I left it up to her and my father to do as they see it fit for the betterment of my little sister.
Today as I write, my little sister is at some songoma in some village its name I can't even pronounce. Apparently she has an ancestral calling like my mother, so they admitted her to undergo her ritual, go thwasä (Ancestral training). She is there I spoke to her and she told me she's feeling better, the faintings and collapsing has ceased since arriving there. I don't know whether to take this gladly or be worried. But as a Christian firmly embedded in Christian principles, I have left everything in God's hands. He knows better than I do.

There my Reader you have it, that's what has kept me away from my responsibility to you. But now that's water under the bridge, I am back and ready to re-occupy my space here. You can be sure that this is going to be a well-worth taking with me jerney. I promise its going be an awesome ride, you won't even feel the bumps and the potholes. Stay with me on the course of this ride.

Till Monday...

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