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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