AFRICA REJECT SOUTH AFRICA

Initially I wanted to dedicate my blog post to the magnificent and terrific performance displayed by my home-grown talented Youth Choir, the Ndlovu Youth Choir at the America’s Got Talent (AGT) stage. One would know how America values this show; by the way its citizens fill up every seat ensuring a sold-out show. So for our talent to appear there and reach the finals, even if they didn’t win is a feat compared to none. It’s a win on its own! The Ndlovu Youth Choir really took our country and placed it at the highest level in terms of art and talent. We saw this by the way they nailed every son and the way they dressed on stage. I know America is one country that isn’t shy to emulate. Soon you will see how they’re going to emulate the styles and infusions of every song sang by this choir. Congratulations to this amazing, talented choir of young people whom I know many of them will cherish this moment forever. I see great things happening to this choir in the future. Appearing at the America’s Got Talent was just the beginning.

But like I said, that was what I wanted this blog to be about, until I stumbled on the remarks of our Minister of Home Affairs Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi in this Sunday’s City Press, 22 September 2019 when he was addressing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee about the issue of migrants in South Africa, especially those undocumented ones, who are refugee seekers. This in the wake of a recent attack South Africans inflicted on foreign nationals. The Minister’s address forced me to take a detour from my initial intended purpose of this blog to address the issue, not directly so about what Minister Motsoaledi was addressing at the committee but rather what the whole country stand to gain from the recent attack of foreign nationals by our people.

Africa will reject South Africa. As a country we have been aware of how fellow African countries treat us whenever we are in their shores and it isn’t good. Now imagine what they are going to do to us now that we have killed and displaced many of their uncles and Aunts, forcing them to flee here empty-handed. It’s not going to be a pleasant one; they are going to make our stay in their home lands nasty, unpleasant, volatile and dangerous. They are going to reject every item we export to them, as they have already started doing so with businesses coming from here. We have seen how MTN and Shoprite were recently forced to shut down their businesses after they were attacked and vandalised. They are retaliating; they are inflicting every pain possible just to show us that they are also capable of doing exactly what we have done here. Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi tells Parliament’s Home Affairs Portfolio Committee about the lamentations of International Judges at the recent Conference about our judge’s judgements and how they impact on them in their respective countries. The Minister even goes further and proposes that we overhaul the entire country’s legal regime, citing an abuse to the system as if we created that system.

One is tempted to agree with him. As truthful as this may sound and be, particularly since we have seen how some of this migrants abuse the refugee status. However this is not a justification of a violent attack to any foreign national, whether they are legal or illegal in South Africa. South Africans who continue these xenophobic attacks without being slammed for it continue to cause calamity to fellow South Africans who like to travel to other African countries. I agree with Miss South Africa, Zozibini Tunzi when she said, “This is making things harder for me”

It is making things hard for her and for some of us to make South Africa look great to foreigners because we attack and kill them when they are here. Yes, we may put the blame on the system, but it’s our very own people who abuse the system, making it difficult to identify who is documented and who is not. What the Minister should first propose is to do away with the current abused system and come up with the new system, strengthen our border controls and pay officials well so that they can be discouraged from accepting bribes.

Overhauling the entire legal regime would not assist much, the people who allow foreigners in our country illegally are the officials not those judges who passes those judgements or the parliamentarians. Minister Motsoaledi should rather slam the violent manner in which foreigners are attacked, deal with his systems and officials as soon as possible. Then, just maybe then we can come up with a solution to address the cries of those Judges at the International Judges Conference. Until then the Minister should just stay away from the legal regime.

Ralepane Mmamekwa is back town

                                                                                    Mayor: Ralepane Mmamekwa.

Naume Phala and Ralepane Mmamekwa

Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) has a new boss. Ralepane Mmamekwa is back in town to resume the mayoral role AGAIN. Mmamekwa was first elected mayor when the Municipality was known as Greater Tubatse Local Municipality (GTM) between 2007/2008 after the ANC successfully won the local government elections. At that time Tubatse was still a relatively unknown town on the verge of a booming mining Industry. Mmamekwa led the municipality as mayor, where he first experienced the wrath of the community of Ga-Malekane after he failed to deliver basic services there. This writer was told that the situation became so volatile that the mayor ran and left his bodyguards behind.

Ralepane Mmamekwa was again retained as mayor after the sacking of Nkosi Josias Mahlake. The ANC council sacked Mahlake after accusing him of poor performance and coming to work drunk. When he (Mmamekwa) arrived, the municipality was under a great distress. Service delivery was slow, and in some other areas non-existing. Wards went months without water; others had no electricity, Roads and Sanitations. Mmamekwa arrived with great promises of turning Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality around, but the community saw the same pattern of slow service delivery, lack of water, electricity and Roads normalized.

The was no change which communities saw when Mmamekwa was mayor, except that their living conditions deteriorated and became unbearable. His promises only benefitted the select few, presumably those closest to him. One can argue that FTLM is not responsible for water services, but the municipality was allocated R 84, 9 Million for water projects in several villages, that money just evaporated because those villages are still as dry as the karoo desert. In his speech of July, 13, 2008, he promised a sanitation project worth R20, 5 Million, but today Burgersfort stinks like hell. Some parts are so dirty you wouldn’t tell whether you’re in town or some hell hole.

Mmamekwa still continue to be touted as the man up for the job of Mayor. And he is back into the driving seat AGAIN! On August,8, he was appointed Mayor of FTLM for the third time. He is replacing Naume Phala who also replaced the recently resigned Mayor Choris Phokane. Naume Phala went back to being Speaker while Ralepane Mmamekwa resumed his role immediately after he was appointed. And word on the street is that he is the only capable Cadre to turn things around at the Municipality. Let’s hope this time he will do better than last time he was here, because communities on the ground are crying for services and so far none has been coming forth.

Nelson Mandela, a life changer.

Note: This is an extract of a speech I delivered today, 18^th July 2019, at Sunrise Place of Care, Riba Cross, Burgersfort in Sekhukhune District of Limpopo province, where Mandela Day was being celebrated. I was invited as a guest of honour and Keynote speaker.

Nelson Mandela, a life changer.

Good day, Abusheni, Sanibonani, Molweni, Dumelan..!

 I rise before you to address the purpose of the day. I am not going to take much of your time so borrow me your ears.

Today marks Mandela Day- also known as the International Nelson Mandela Day.this means that we as South Africans, we are officially joined by the rest of the world to celebrate this day. Mandela Day is an occasion for all of us to take action and inspire change.

Why was Nelson Mandela Important?

I would like us to remember few things about Nelson Mandela today;

1.      He spend 27 years in prison fighting for our freedom, when he was released instead of seeking revenge, Mandela asked all of us to forgive and create peace.

2.      He was the first black president of South Africa who said, “ there can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return”

3.      And that “education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can be become a Doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of a farmworker can become the president of a great nation” let us be mindful of the fact that Nelson Mandela asked us to contribute to a better South Africa.

Mandela Day is the day we are asked to give 67 minutes of our time to do good, change someone’s life and contribute to make South Africa better- we can do this by working with the police to fight crime, create jobs for our youth, encourage our children to take education seriously, and assist the elderly with patience.

“it is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it” Nelson Mandela. And the opportunity to do so is today, right now, right here.

Make your Mandela Day meaningful today; let us all contribute to building a better South Africa, a better Riba Cross (My village), a better community, a better neighbour.

“Forgiveness liberates the souls. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon”

And “the true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children”

with this words, I want to say Mandela Day is your chance to change. To be courageous and brave to forgive and create peace around you and your community, after all, it is Nelson Mandela International Day.

Thank you, Kea Leboga!!!!!!!

Khanyi Dhlomo shuts down Ndalo Media for Good.

It pains us in the media fraternity to learn of the complete shutting down of Ndalo Media, the company that has been bringing us Destiny, Destiny Man magazines, DestinyConnect and ELLE Magazines. 

Ndalo Media is one of the few successfully black owned Media company in South Africa and it was founded by Kanyi Dhlomo who cut her teeth at True Love Magazine. 

The Comapny (ndalo Media) started experiencing financial difficulties earlier this year, this after it failed to pay for its printing debt of R13m with CTP Printers. The debt prompted CTP Printers to haul the company before the Gauteng South High Court to force it to fork out the money.
Now staff have been briefed by Kanyi Dlomo herself about the winding down of the company before month end of January 2019. But she has promised to ensure that staff' salaries are paid and everybody is prioritised regarding the monies.

It is so disappointing and frightening to learn of another failure of a black owned entity at the behest of our economy. Just when so much encouragement is placed upon young people to start their own businesses, a business owned by a successful, educated female entrepreneur falls down so hard. Even thou nobody really knows the real reason for Ndalo Media's downfall, But it is painful that such a promising company has to face this setback. Now we have an additional number of unemployed youth and adults who will be joining the queer of job searches. How sad a situation that our country has to face at such a delicate time.

We can only pray and hope that somebody out there will come at the rescue of Khanyi's Ndalo Media and save those jobs before the end of January, 29th, 2019.

THABANG MAUPA DIES HORRIBLY

Just as he was about to tuck in his car with his wife, death in a form of several bullets ripped through his body and he died instantly. This was how ANC Ward councillor Thabang Maupa, 49, met his mysterious death!
Apparently
the Councillor at the time of his death, he had just finished helping his wife to close their liquor restaurant situated at R37 Road, Riba Cross Village outside Burgersfort in Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality, Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province. When they had climbed in their car and ready to leave, an unknown man approached their car and started firing several shots at the car, killing the Maupa and injuring his wife who was with him in the car.

SAPS in Tubatse have confirmed his death and a huge reward is being offered to anyone who can assist with the arrest and conviction of the culprits.

The deceased family said, they are still reeling in shock, and are trying very hard to come to terms with the tradegy that just hit them. No one had anticipated this but it has happened, said one of the family members who wished his name not to be mentioned.

The police have confirmed that they are investigating a case of murder and appealing for anyone with information to come forward as soon as possible.

Take back our forefathers land.

Something is brewing in South Africa, as good as its variety of ingredients, it is emitting an intoxicating smell. So many sober minded people are turning into drunkards daily as they continue to inhale this toxicating smell coming out of the brew.  The issue of Land is grabbing attention from all angles and the narrative points to an unfavourable direction. Land is sought at every angle but so far the hasn’t been any pointable action from the powers that be. The election of Cyril Ramaphosa at the 54^th Conference of the ANC heralded a vigorous pursuit to the land issue and many, particularly black South Africans drank to the well as he (Ramaphosa) kept scoping out the contends.

Let me say up front, I support the idea of expropriation of land without compensation, even thou it goes against the prescripts of the constitution. However Ramaphosa should know that, those who took away the land wont give it back without a fight and definitely the will be casualties along the way to claiming that land. It will be naïve for the Government to talk expropriation of land without compensation on the same breath as without compromising the economy, food stability and marginalisation. South Africa must expect the economy to be shaken, food stability to be challenged and minorities to be marginalised as government expropriate land without compensation. But lets face it, those whites when they took our forefather’s land; they also ignored the economy, food stability and marginalisation. In fact they never cared at all, all they wanted was to grab as much land away as possible now why should we care?

When the apartheid regime in the Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga) sought the fertile land in the then Mashishing region, now known as Lydenburg, they pushed and shovel the swatis and Pedis people who had dwelled on that land for many years. The Swati and Pedi people had established themselves on those sprawling mountains of the bushveld. The formed small scale farming activities which were flourishing, their cattles and goats had ample fresh lands to grace, multiple water streams to drink from and a beautiful nature to enjoy. Those people were living among each other, as diverse as they were in peace and harmony until a white man arrived. Their economy was tossed aside, food provision destabilised and deeply marginalised by pushed and thrown into disarray. Those white men forcefully removed, uprooted from their land, chased down the bushveld escarpment my forefathers without any consideration or mercy.

The Marais, De Kocks, De suissas and their companions occupied that land without any shame. They settled on the land from the mountain top all the way down to what is known today as Motsepula. Those white farms in Motsepula are built on land stolen by force and violence from our grannies and no mercy was shown to them. Burgersfort and Steelpoort are two towns build on land stolen from my forefathers with impunity. President Cyril Ramaphosa I hear you when you say, we must expropriate land without compensation, but it should be done without endangering the economy, food stability and all, however it is going to be impossible sir. I don’t expect you to understand the humiliation and shame suffered by my forefathers, but again South Africans cannot be expected to play nice with the whites when they didn’t in the first place. They continue to occupy almost all the fertile huge land in our country while we the rightful owners and heir continue to live in squalor.

Lets move fast, expropriate land including Motsepula, Burgersfort and Steelpoort without compensation, then we can come back to worry about the economy, food stability, etc. we cannot continue to be subjects in our land, live at the mercy of our colonisers and beg from those who oppressed us. Black people who were chased violently away from their land in Mashishing, Motsepula, Burgersfort and Steelpoort expect it back. This government dare not disappoint the many South Africans, including these Swatis and Pedis, who placed their hopes and faith in its hands.

Dear Mr. President....

Yesterday I watched you on television trying to convince us how the ANC NEC has error in elbowing you out of government. I also watched as you kept on maintaining that you have done nothing wrong. Mr. President, you continued to cry and reason with every issue that you discussed with Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa (even thou you tried hard and succeefully not to mention him by name, but I knew you meant him.)  you went on and on how you talked and agreed on ways in which the two of you are going to work together, introduce him to the SADC and BRICS Leaders, because you knew this leaders thinking. When you said this, to me it sounded as if, Mr. President this leaders won’t take Ramaphosa seriously if “you” don’t introduce him properly.

You spoke and said so many things on that national television but what really caught me is when you said, you have done nothing wrong and asked the ANC NEC to furnish you with evidence of wrongdoing. This you asked after the NEC decided to recall you from government and you had refused.

Well I thought I should share with you the narrative on the ground so that you get the grip of things and don’t become ignorant anymore. The people of South Africa are further up with you, your cabinet and your leadership. They simply want you gone! They accuse you of selling their country to an Indian family called the Guptas; they believe you are so corrupt together with several of your ministers that they don’t wish to see you at the Union Buildings any more. Mr. President since you took office, your government has been mirrored in controversy after controversy. You are the first president with first times for everything that is not right.  You are the first president to laugh at every turmoil befelling this country, you are the first president to preside over a state filled with incompetent ministers, the first president to lose every legal case before a court of law, first president to throw every individual that defend and defy you under the bus. First president to face more than “700” charges, first president to survive more than four motions of No Confidence, and still show no concern at all, first president to appoint a minister for four days and then remove him. Mr. President, you’re a survivor no doubt about that but your also a tainted man. You have caused your party to lose every city in which you and them live and work.

I think it’s a little immature for you to now rock up here and claim you have done nothing wrong. Yes, it may seem so on the basis of legality but hey! President your image and your actions are good enough to ask for your resignation. Leave Mr. President while you still have a little bit of your dignity still intact. The party cannot continue to be associated with you or your carhorts. That Indian family you thought are your best friends went way beyond and crossed an uncrossed line, subsequently messing up your presidency. You gave them too much power and made them feel as if they are running government instead of you. President you shouldn’t have done that at all. I know they took your son, gave him a job when nobody wanted anything to do with him.

Just resign Mr. President and go home to Mahlambandlovu to rest from all this attacks and hatred the nation harbours over you. Trust me; nobody wants to see you continuing as president. Even the so-called Transform SA cannot transform nor save you. They don’t represent anybody significant that South Africans know. You will be fired even if you refuse because as I write an axe is wielding in parliament in the form of a Motion of No Confidence in you. This time you WON’T survive it because your defenders have been runned over. Your life as President end today, right now before 12 O, Clock and no one is going to sympathise with you. Your time is up, your record is brocken, your totally defeated this time.

I hope by the time this letter finds you Mr. President; your senses would have prevailed and hopefully done the right thing. You would have resigned and saved yourself the embarrassment of being pushed out on the streets with all those heavy bags you still have to carry heading back home to KZN. I wish you all the best as you pounder on your next move.