tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89884687655345629272024-02-19T22:42:01.341-08:00MONAREMy name is Modibe Julius Modiba from Benoni and i'm a 23 year old pan-African who believes in African Renaissance as the cornerstone for Africa's development. I'm currently a BA International Relations and Diplomacy student at the University of South Africa and i also write frequent opinion pieces which feature in numerous South African newspapers. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-16227511918866351722016-06-17T02:51:00.000-07:002016-06-17T03:01:10.098-07:00"Social Cohesion" ??? It's become common sense that our South Africa which is adored by the rest of the world for its imaginable "rainbow nation", remains a land of two halves and in need of some "social cohesion" as many have liberally said. But is social cohesion really what we need right now?<br />
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Now I've got a problem with the way social cohesion has been seen as the solution to South Africa's problems, without looking at the economy and its one sided ownership. If Social cohesion means we as black and white people must unite, hold hands, and sing together only when it suits our white compatriots and after all that return to our townships which black people have lived there as a direct result of apartheid and back to poverty, unemployment and the harsh reality of being black, then I personally as a black child don't want to be part of this social cohesion.<br />
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We as South Africans, need to fundamentally understand that the fight against apartheid, wasn't a mere fight that black people could now enter areas regarded as "Net Blankes" meaning, white persons only, but the fight against this inhumane regime, was that of the disposition of our land and eventually our economy.<br />
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Social cohesion will never work until the question around the economy and the land has been answered, in the sense that the economy, the land, and the means of production are placed in the hands of the black majority.<br />
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How should there be social cohesion when there's nothing economically coherent about our country, because without dealing with the structural flaws in our economy we can never have a successful social cohesion plan. Truth of the matter is, if social cohesion means celebrating each other as white and black people, I would indirectly be celebrating the legacy of apartheid and of black pain without redressing the core issues here.<br />
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What's there to celebrate as all white people have in fact benefited from apartheid even to this day, were they've had the privilege of being economically viable, and as a result, all black people have suffered from the inequities of the past and therefore I cannot fully accept the notion of celebrating each other, without transforming the economy first.<br />
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As a young black student, by celebrating and embracing white people as part of social cohesion, I would be in fact embracing whiteness and how they've benefited from a system which was perfectly created to benefit them leaving the majority marginalized, the same way as a white person who'll be supporting social cohesion without focusing on redressing the inequities of the past would be celebrating black pain.<br />
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Failing to redress the inequities adds on to centuries of black pain and black suffering, and now focusing on social cohesion would in fact not be solving the problem but putting it under the table and leaving the wound untreated, which would then lead to many other problems.<br />
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The only plan we need as South Africans at the moment, is an economic plan to help us redress the inequities of the past and how all South Africans can come together towards that shared goal. We need economic cohesion first in our country and therefore dealing with poverty and unemployment as a direct result of the injustices of the past.<br />
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I mean we share the same national flag, the same seasons and we sing the same national anthem, so why don't we share the economy according to the demographics of our country. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-79033908633708069832016-06-09T03:04:00.000-07:002016-06-09T04:06:08.972-07:00"BLACK MIDDLE CLASS" A MYTH.<b><i><u>"BLACK MIDDLE CLASS" A MYTH.</u></i></b><br />
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<img src="http://www.voice-online.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/455/black%20middle%20class.jpg" /><br />
{ Picture taken from google search-Black Middle Class}<br />
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If there's a term in South Africa which i totally disagree and one which exasperates me just like "born free", has to be the so called "black middle class". Just like the term "born free", the "black middle class" commonly known as the <i>black diamonds</i> by white capital, is one which has been carefully created to persuade and align black peoples thinking in a certain anti-revolutionary way.<br />
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The so called <i>black middle class </i>is far from being a true meaningful middle class, as they don't own the means of production compared to the white middle class. The white middle class has capital, inherited wealth, paid up property, assets, and own the means of production, unlike the pseudo <i>black middle class.</i><br />
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The imaginable<i> black middle class</i> is heavily indebted, is caught up in<b> black tax</b>, has no capital nor generational wealth and therefor has ACCESS to credit and NOT money. Our so called black middle class is the same group of people whom suffer from entrenched institutionalized inequalities and are living in societies were neoliberal economic policies are the order of the day, of which benefit the white middle class.<br />
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We cannot continue to classify our parents as middle class, as there's nothing middle class about them, as they've not caught up with the white middle class of which is far ahead of them due to our colonial and apartheid history. We are still far from having a true and meaningful <i>black middle class</i> considering that black South Africans account for the majority of the population.<br />
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The very dangerous term <i>black middle class</i>, refers to nothing but 21st century slaves of which sadly own nothing and gives black people hope as they automatically believe that they've "made it". honestly speaking, the difference between our <i>black middle class</i> and those lower to the, is in-fact the difference regarding what they materially consume and access to buying in credit.<br />
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The<i> black diamonds</i> are a bunch which have been carefully targeted by white capital and as a result, spend most of their income paying debts, driving cars of which many can't afford and contributing to the well being of lesser fortunate family members [ <b>BLACK TAX</b>] of which the white middle class don't have to worry about and in the process have much less to accumulate wealth and valuable assets.<br />
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As South Africans we need to be very honest with each other and we need to start grabbing the bull by its horns. We don't have a <i>black middle class</i> and in-fact have a collective of people who materially consume more instead of saving.<br />
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Now one would quarrel with this group of people, of which wouldn't be 100% fair, but one needs to understand their historical background, all they've ever wanted to do was move away from poverty and a have sense of having "made it".<br />
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Black people have lived for centuries of years where whites have lived in better economically viable areas, driving nice cars, attending the best schools and have therefore psychologically also wished for that, hence them changing lifestyles, moving to town and having all the things which were previously denied to them, even though most can't afford to.<br />
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Black South Africans whom are far better of compared to what they were previously, need to be educated about what it really means to be middle class and the responsibility they'll have to carry in-order to introduce a real and meaningful black middle class and being the first generation to accumulate wealth and therefore circulating it within the black community.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-41660476427549181322015-09-06T05:17:00.000-07:002015-09-06T05:17:09.908-07:00SASCO should WAKE UPAs SASCO celebrates it's birthday today, I hope they'll take part in a serious self-introspection as an organisation!<br />
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SASCO which is supposed to be a student organisation fighting for the interests of students and being a vanguard for all students studying in South Africa, has over the years allowed itself to be swallowed by mere party politics.<br />
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In my humble opinion SASCO should've never associated itself with a certain political party from the onset, because by that you are indirectly compromising the values and key mandate of the organisation itself.<br />
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SASCO should be a non-political vanguard student organisation which should be attracting all students irregardless of their political affiliation and while other political student formations play politics which each other, SASCO should be mobilizing and bringing students together to fight the common enemy and push for a student agenda.<br />
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It's therefore very clear that SASCO is losing ground on various campuses which is the harsh truth we need to accept as students, I mean SASCO lost a historical institution such Fort Hare to DASO out of all organizations and lost Turfloop to the fast growing EFFSC just to name a few.<br />
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It's time for SASCO to go back to basics or run the risk of being irrelevant and compromising it's mandate by being political. When one looks at the amazing work being done by non-political student movements such as #RhodesMustFall and #OpenStellenbosch one cannot help but think that it's actually supposed to be SASCO doing what #RhodesMustFall and #OpenStellenbosch are perfectly taping into, which is bringing students of all political student formations together which is what SASCO is failing to do at the moment.<br />
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To show you that SASCO is compromising it's values, since the establishment of SASCO, SASCO has always been fighting for free education which the ANC led government should've long implemented by now, but minister Blade Nzimande is busy drinking red wine, SASCO has always been fighting for radical transformation in higher learning institutions which the ANC led government is running at a very slow pace to ensure that radical transformation, but every time when elections come near, SASCO is expected to say "Vote ANC" which is very disturbing and creates a contradiction of which students are beginning to realize.<br />
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SASCO should never in whatever way possible endorse,any political party no matter what, and should stop involving themselves in ANCYL politics, SASCO should leave politics for political formations and should fight for students rights, since it's a students organisation.<br />
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The only time SASCO should engage themselves in party politics is the day they have a seat in the National Assembly.<br />
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South African students are yearning for a true radical student organisation which will robustly fight the status quo and the lack of transformation in higher learning institutions of which many students are beginning to move towards the EFFSC leaving SASCO weaker, even more students are looking for a militant, unapologetic student movement which will be non-political and focus on the students FIRST instead of involving in party politics which is delaying The Student Revolution.<br />
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As South African students we need an organisation which we can all identify with first before anything and one where we can ALL join together to fight white supremacy and bring meaningful radical transformation and the reconstructing of our higher learning institutions!!<br />
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Aluta ContinuaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-85656686189297668252015-09-03T13:08:00.000-07:002015-09-03T13:08:46.153-07:00The Student Revolution is near...<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Student Revolution is near........</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span>( written by Modibe J Modiba) </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">21 years into our relatively young democracy, black students from all corners of our economically untransformed country are beginning to ask the right questions and are pressing the correct buttons. Unfortunately, it's still black students who are finding it difficult to survive in higher learning institutions and are forever reminded of what it really means to be young and black in this country. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Truth be told, many of South African universities are anti-black! I mean UCT is anti-black, Wits is anti-black, so is UFS, UP, NWU (potchefstroom), Rhodes University as well as the notorious pro-Afrikaans Stellenbosch University just to name a few.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Let's be honest, with all these student protests taking place across the country, one can only be reassured that as black students we are sick and tired of being spectators in our own god-given country, we are tired of feeling as if we a being "accommodated" on our own land, we've realized that white privilege should be fought with all we have and that its time we started fighting for what rightfully belongs to us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Every year it's black students who get financially excluded, it's black students who get failed by NSFAS, it's black students who get given a colonised curriculum, who walk around all these racist imperialist institutions and are constantly reminded of their suffering and misery, as well as the fact that, It's black students who face extreme cases of racism on a daily basis and all these have contributed to the awakening of black students across the country who are now ready for a revolution. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">South Africans must also understand that non-partisan movements such as #RhodesMustFall and #OpenStellies for example play a crucial role not only in higher learning institutions but in our societies as a whole, it is therefore very important to note that when students called for the statue of Rhodes to be removed from the University Of Cape Town or when students at Stellenbosch started protesting about the pro-Afrikaans language policy, it wasn't about just removing the statue or fighting Afrikaans on the other hand, but it was about fighting the status quo, fighting institutionalized racism, decolonising the curriculum and to spark a necessary national debate</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">As an ordinary black child from any black household, I know how education is forever stressed by elders and how you're made to realize from an early age that education is important and that it's the only way out for the black child. But yet again, with all this institutionalized racism happening in higher learning institutions, is there really any hope for the black child? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It's therefore very evident that South Africa is headed for a revolution which will undoubtedly be led by black students from across the country and that we as students mean serious business and that those who are reluctant to transformation, are in serious trouble. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">What interesting times it is to be young and black, The Student Revolution is near.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-51270596299692204802015-07-29T12:37:00.001-07:002015-07-29T13:14:54.826-07:00#OpenStellenbosch #OpenStellenbosch<br />
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It's so embarrassing that 21 years into democracy, we still have higher learning institutions such as the untransformed Neo-liberal Stellenbosch University, who make it a point to have some classes offered in Afrikaans only. It's not fair that some students will enjoy being taught in their mother tongue, but others have to struggle and make use of translator devices which students at the University have continuously claimed that those devices are not audible and are certainly uncomfortable.<br />
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The use of Afrikaans at the university is certainly done deliberately to keep non-Afrikaans speaking students out of the university, especially black students. It makes no sense that classes must be offered in Afrikaans only and certainly shows the lack of transformation in higher learning education.<br />
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I therefore commend the good job that the group #OpenStellenbosch is doing at the university, by protesting and disrupting those Afrikaans only classes which should not be allowed to continue because they symbolize apartheid style segregation, and how dare some students who've benefited from Apartheid go around claiming that they're being "disadvantaged" because their Afrikaans only classes have been disrupted. What should happen to the other students who are forever disadvantaged every time the lecturer speaks Afrikaans?<br />
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The language policy at the university should certainly be reviewed and should make it a priority that all classes should be offered in English, I mean don't Afrikaans speaking students understand English? It's a universal language.<br />
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Stellenbosch University must accommodate all students so that they're all on the same level and have the equal opportunity to succeed academically, and not just Afrikaans speaking students. Like many other "white universities", Stellenbosch University has been at the forefront of racial segregation for many years and therefore should be leading the pack in ensuring a balanced and non-segregated university.<br />
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It must also be noted that #OpenStellenbosch and those disgruntled students at the university are not fighting Afrikaans speaking students, and this should never be seen as an attack on Afrikaans speaking students, but those students are merely fighting to be accepted and to be accommodated in an institution which they pay fees at.<br />
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The days of having institutions, especially higher learning institutions which prioritize white Afrikaner students only, should've been dealt with during the very early days of "our" democracy. What have our leaders been doing? I mean it's 2015 and we as students are still fighting issues such as the language policy among other things, that's totally embarrassing.<br />
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Our leaders have certainly failed us with regards to transforming "our universities" and have left such institutions to continue using their apartheid style segregation tactics while many students suffer.<br />
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It's not fair that some students should work two times as hard and make use of devices which have been placed to frustrate students while others enjoy the benefits of being taught in their home language. Does South Africa really belong to all who live in it? Certainly not.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-26518600632661075382015-07-25T13:00:00.001-07:002015-07-25T13:00:23.086-07:00Expropriate land WITHOUT compensation Expropriate land without compensation!!<br />
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I find it really embarrassing when we as South Africans, 21 years into our relatively young democracy, debate about the whole land issue. First and foremost, we all know how land was forcibly stolen from millions of black South Africans by white colonialists and how the Native Land Act of 1913 made it a priority to see the black majority of this country landless and segregated, while the majority of the land laid in the hands of the white minority.<br />
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So therefore it breaks my heart, as a young black South African, who has familiarized himself with the struggle for land which was stolen from our forefathers, whenever I see my black government buying stolen land from land thief's. It also breaks my heart whenever we as black students stand up and start talking about land and later get told by some that, we are a "threat to democracy" as if white colonialists were democratic when it came to the land debacle.<br />
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When it comes to the issue of land, black South Africans from all corners our Neo-liberal and Neo-patrimonial country must unite and show solidarity in the fight for our our own land. I really do not see why black South Africans in the DA ( Democratic Alliance ) for example, should not align themselves in the struggle for land, after all, it's the black people who remain landless, not the DA. Among other issues, the fight for land should be fought by all black South Africans as well as white South Africans who've realized that the current one sided ownership of land is dearly costing our much talked about "rainbow nation", thats if it really exists.<br />
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The struggle for land should be a unifying factor among all black South Africans irrespective of their political affiliation, and should move beyond mere party politics, as this is a black struggle.<br />
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The expropriation of land WITHOUT compensation is therefore the only way forward for South Africans, as the willing buyer willing seller policy has certainly not helped. Buying back stolen land will therefore be a spat in the face to people such Robert Sobukwe and Solomon Plaatjie who robustly opposed the racist Natives Land Act and to our forefathers who lost their lives during the struggle.<br />
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By buying back our own land we are essentially supporting crime and painting a negative picture that crime pays, and that its ok for someone to steal your candy and that you can always buy your candy back later on, at a highly inflated price. It therefore cannot be politically, socially and economically viable, for the majority of land to be owned by just a very few minorities, while the majority of the people fight for mere crumbs and remain landless.<br />
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Why should we compensate? Compensate for STOLEN land? NO!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-29799165135809818032015-07-20T12:39:00.003-07:002015-07-20T12:39:53.044-07:00South Africans are NOT lazy <b><i>South Africans are not lazy!! </i></b><br />
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Those who go around uttering words such as "South Africans are lazy" are indeed lazy thinkers themselves, it cannot be justifiable for certain people especially government officials, claiming that fellow South Africans who by the way vote them into power are lazy. The people of any country are a true reflection of their societies and the system of the country they reside in. I've heard many people openly claiming that South Africans are dependent on the state and cannot stand on themselves and depend on government handouts such as grants as if it's the people's fault.<br />
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Nobody ever says the Chinese are lazy because their own government has set out clear policies which will be favorable to the majority of the Chinese people and policies which have been implemented to see the Chinese people succeed.<br />
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Reality is government has made its people dependent on grants, so that the people of South Africa are forever dependent on them and that they can never see themselves in isolation from the government. By failing to give South Africans an effective education system which will equip them with necessary skills to help them start up businesses, by failing to introduce radical policies which will see our people becoming the true owners of the means of production, by failing to economically emancipate the black majority, by failing to eradicate poverty and creating sustainable jobs will certainly lead to a country where it's people are dependent on grants and food parcels.<br />
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One thing that many people fail to understand especially those claiming South Africans are lazy is that, you can give your neighbour R10 a day, but by doing that you are actually making them dependent on you forever, which is exactly what our beloved government has done instead of educating the people on how to create their own income.<br />
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It's black South African students who every year face the same misery and struggle of getting funding for their higher learning education, it's black students who every year get financially excluded and now have to return home and face the harsh reality of being a black child. It's these black students who end up being frustrated from sitting at home and later on indulge themselves in drugs, crime and unprotected sex which most likely leads to pregnancy.<br />
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After all this has happened we'll see an unskilled and unemployed black child giving birth to another black child and sooner or later both will become dependent on government grants and fall victims of being called "lazy" by those who should be solving the root cause of this.<br />
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It's the black majority who're called "lazy" because when people say South Africans are "lazy" they're actually referring to the black majority of this country. White South Africans never fall into the trap of being called such because, they own land, they run the economy, they've been the beneficiaries of political and economic policies which have favored them for centuries of years and are still favoring them and are therefore better equipped and NEVER fall into the bracket of being called "lazy" unlike black South Africans.<br />
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Our government should be focusing on ensuring radical changes across all spectrums of our societies which should be beneficial to the black majority FIRST, but instead it lies stagnant and remains confused with regards to economic policies. Our government should be at the forefront of mentally unslaving the black majority and then economically emancipating them so that they don't depend on government.<br />
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Free the black child economically and provide them with necessary resources to get an effective education and see if they'll be "lazy"!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-80766839821264585052015-07-08T10:03:00.000-07:002015-07-08T10:03:05.333-07:00Black COLONIALISTS !! Black colonialists<br />
(Written by Modibe Modiba)<br />
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Who said colonialists came from Europe only? Seeing our own African brothers and sisters fleeing their own land through extreme means in order to find a better life abroad makes me sad, I'm reminded of all the slavery and colonial documentaries I've ever watched, where our fellow Africans would be sold and shipped abroad to their masters but this time, our own brothers and sisters are shipping themselves away from their own people.<br />
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Black colonialists are certainly on the rise in Africa and instead of radically correcting the injustices caused by colonialists in the past through the political power they've been given by their own people, they've certainly emulated their oppressors and have become black colonialists. These black colonialists just like those who held the Berlin conference do not have the interest of Africans at heart, instead all they care about is their own selfish interests at the expense of their own.<br />
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Now unlike those who took part in the "scramble for Africa", these black colonialists have been in most cases democratically voted into office by their own people, they've lived most of their years on the African continent and know the struggles of their fellow countrymen more than anybody else, they look like their own people, speak the same language as their own people but yet portray a lack of urgency and will to transform the lives of their own.<br />
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These black colonialist portray such power and could easily pass radical legislation, ensure true economic freedom and free their countries from those seeking to exploit our resources and colonise us yet again, but continue to keep their own people deadlocked without any true taste of economic freedom and political freedom in some instances. These black colonialists govern countries which are blessed with mineral and natural resources yet remain relatively poor, unlike European colonialists who never acted as if they care about us, these black colonialists go around as if they care but do the direct opposite.<br />
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Now, it's no lie that one of the successes of colonialism was indoctrinating the African man In order to hate himself or anything associated to him, a success which is still very alive even today. Now it wouldn't be fair to single-handily blame this on colonialists, although the foundation of this problem is rooted deep into colonialism. Our own leaders are to be blamed.<br />
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When African girls were abducted in Nigeria did our black colonialists urgently meet or funny enough hold a march in Nigeria the same way some of them attended a march in Paris during the whole Charlie-Hebdo killings? When 34 innocent miners in Marikana were brutally killed by their fellow countrymen did our black colonialists urgently meet and demand answers?<br />
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When an African head of state violates the constitution and demands a third term in office are any of them condemning their counterpart and calling him to order? When minorities own more land, run the economy and control the wealth while the black majority remain poverty stricken why don't they reverse such an undemocratic thing, were the majority are certainly not the rulers and implement radical economic policies which will benefit fellow Africans first. <br />
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These black colonialists need to wake up and understand that whatever they do, should firstly be beneficial to their fellow brothers and sisters before anyone else.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-7939218546351430322015-07-07T08:21:00.001-07:002015-07-07T08:27:59.368-07:00Africans REVOLT<b>Revolting and being violent is necessary at times.</b><br />
(<i>Written by Modibe Modiba)</i><br />
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In a continent where many African leaders treat the states resources as if they are a family business, in a continent where some African leaders often amaze more wealth than the country itself, where leaders hold on to power as if it was created by them, revolt and violence is necessary. When most of our leaders take the law into their own hands, ignore the constitution, destroy civil society and when those who show nothing but great loyalty are rewarded with tenders and top positions at the expense of the people, revolt and violence is needed.<br />
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Being Diplomatic at times will not help the African people solve their problems, after all, our people didn't gain their freedom by being diplomatic, but taking to the streets, being disobedient and revolting, which is the only language African leaders will understand. It has become very evident, that some of our own African leaders who are so loud when it comes to colonization, have indeed become black colonialists themselves. They've absolutely lost touch with the people they're supposed to be representing, and have left the people frustrated.<br />
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We have leaders who now see themselves superior over the people, leaders who account up rather then down to those who vote them into office, leaders who've done very little to better the lives of their people and change their societies, instead they've bettered their own pockets, the pockets of those who stay loyal to them and by doing that, they've actually made the already leaking pockets of the people even more poorer. I wouldn't be surprised the day our own leaders who we unfortunately vote into office, start telling us that we should set an appointment to see them or that they are too busy to see their own people, mark my words, that day is coming soon at this rate.<br />
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Our leaders are so obsessed with power, that they think they own their countries, they've even started doing their corrupt dealings in broad daylight without even hiding anymore and having the decency to impose that they want a third term in office. Taking them to court and pleading with them won't work unfortunately, waiting for the next elections to deal with them won't effectively work as well, but we can learn valuable lessons from the people of Burundi, who revolted and took to the streets.<br />
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When they continue looting state resources, using state funds for their own personal gain, the people must revolt.<br />
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The same way soccer fans bombard a stadium after their team has won a trophy, the African people must bombard the streets, revolt and demand change at all costs. With the high levels of corruption going on, inequality, poverty and unemployment on the African continent, revolting is the only way forward, our people have begged for far too long.<br />
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Aluta ContinuaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-24747883447421311042015-07-06T09:24:00.001-07:002015-07-06T09:24:13.292-07:00BLACK STUDENTS/GRADUATES YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!! <br />
<img alt="image.jpeg" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/s/?view=att&th=14e414d7b5ded2d0&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1" style="border: none; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;" /><br />
( Picture taken from Twitter)<br />
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<b>Black students/graduates you're on your own!! </b><br />
(<i>Written by Modibe Modiba)</i><br />
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This is a picture of a young black gentleman from the University Of Johannesburg I recently came across on twitter. I couldn't help but think that in-fact, this is what a majority of black students from all corners of the country go through on a yearly basis.<br />
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One of the biggest problems facing young black South Africans after 21 years of democracy apart from unemployment, is the struggle of funding your higher learning education which is well and alive in a lot of black homes.<br />
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With the ever increasing university application fees which is the start of a long daunting process for a lot of students, most of our brothers and sisters can't even afford the high application fee never mind the ever increasing tuition fees, textbooks, accommodation and if one lives at home, transport fare which would also be a mission for most black students and their families.<br />
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"Free education in our lifetime" shouldn't be a mere political slogan used by our uneducated leaders( in some cases) to get votes but should start being a reality. Every year we see black students especially, dropping out of our universities because they simply cannot afford it.<br />
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In some cases, students will apply for financial assistance (NSFAS) receive assistance for that year and when the students return the following year for assistance the already failing NSFAS will claim that it's run out of money.<br />
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One thing our leaders must understand is that the more black students drop out and sit at home due to financial problems, the greater our socio-economic problems will become as country.<br />
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Our untransformed private sector should also come to the party and should not leave this to the government only, because by having students sitting at home doing nothing, you are actually creating a generation of angry black students who will then add to the increasing list of peoples dependent on government grants because they're unskilled as well as unemployed and who will then have children who will ALSO depend on government grants.<br />
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Sooner or later this generation of angry black students will start taking part in criminal activities just to make ends meet and the day we wake up as a country, this will be a cycle in the black society.<br />
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NSFAS has certainly failed the students, especially black students who every year queue in long lines in the corridors of higher learning institutions seeking financial assistance just for it to be given to undeserving fraudulent students and due to money lost to incompetent corrupt officials within the scheme.<br />
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If no radical solutions are found urgently to solve this problem faced by many black students as well as problems faced by thousands of graduates sitting at home who can't find employment, we will certainly find ourselves with a major national crisis which will then become out of hand as well as lead to revolt and then a revolution which will turn very messy.<br />
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We are always reminded by our leaders that the only way out for the black child is through education, but if such problems persists for a majority of black students, is there really any hope for the black child? Certainly not!<br />
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Steve Biko once said, "black man you are on your own", and after so many years it's now become, black students and graduates you're certainly on your own.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-89351970187803363372015-05-15T01:48:00.001-07:002015-05-15T01:51:24.636-07:00Black South Africans are nothing but mere numbers!<i><b>Black South Africans are nothing but mere numbers!</b></i><br />
(written by Modibe Modiba)<br />
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It is no lie that black South Africans are the majority population in our beloved country, but that's all, being the majority in this country has absolutely not changed the lives of ordinary citizens on the ground except create elite politically-connected blacks. Black South Africans STILL remain the owners of poverty, unemployment, inequality and are the biggest losers and most affected when it comes to corruption. Being the majority population, black South Africans remain economic slaves to white capital monopoly, they remain custodians of economic peanuts, they are nothing but mere spectators in their OWN country and 21 years later are found searching for real radical transformation.<br />
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It's no lie that during negotiations which were meant to pave a smooth transition into democracy, the economic part of the transition was not decisively dealt with by our OWN leaders. Even in a democratic society like ours were "majority rules", blacks are certainly not the rulers of the mainstream economy, which makes me wonder, are we really the majority? Absolutely not! We cannot pride ourselves as being a majority while the ownership of the countries wealth paints a different story.<br />
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Now South Africa is a like a school which has 100 matric students, highly qualified staff and proper resources, but when it comes to the pass rate, only 10 students end up succeeding, now that's totally nonsensical. Having numbers by your side is always a good way to succeed politically, but if you are not going to use your numbers decisively, you are no different to a party which has absolutely no numbers by their side. Dr Somadoda Fikeni recently said and I quote "we are a numeric majority but a cultural minority" which is very correct I must add.<br />
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A true reflection of our country is that blacks remain a population rich in numbers but poor in terms of economic ownership and development, another issue is South African banks make huge amounts of rands from stokvels which are run by blacks as well as churches run by blacks, but when it comes to giving capital to upcoming black businesses, they are no where to be found, instead they'd rather take that money which they've been given by black South Africans and fund European foreigners living in South Africa to open up businesses at the expense of the black majority.<br />
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To show you that blacks are nothing but mere numbers, take a walk around the countries top estates and restaurants, you'd think that in a country were the majority of people are black, that the majority of people living in those estates would be black and that those dining in top restaurants are black, but that's wrong, it's totally the opposite. The very few blacks fortunate enough to be there, are either the very few blacks who've managed to escape the system and have had to work ten times more than their white counterparts or are simply politically connected and form part of the black bourgeoisies.<br />
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It is very evident that black South Africans have made every other race wealthy except themselves, and in that process they've created more problems for themselves. What black South Africans need to do is to wake up and start acting like the majority, they need leadership which is radical and decisive and which will not sell them out to white capitalists. A kind of leadership which will have the interests of the black majority at heart and not just a few blacks, a leadership which will not only use its majority in parliament as voting cattle, but use it to pass legislation and implement radical policies without any fear.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-89668834190442098962015-04-28T02:58:00.000-07:002015-04-28T02:58:01.595-07:00"Born Free" ? Nah that's a lie !! "Born Free"? Nah that's a lie<br />
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I couldn't help but comment on the ongoing use of the term "Born free" by many South Africans, which in my opinion is nothing but a blatant lie and false hope. 21 years into our new democracy young black South Africans face numerous challenges such as getting quality education, growing up in a white capitalist world, the struggle to get funding for their tertiary education, being given a colonized curriculum, having to encounter racial incidents in all spheres of society, having to go to higher learning institutions which are characterized by a sense of white privilege and not forgetting the daily ongoing struggles of many young black professionals in the workplace today.<br />
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The so-called black "Born free" might be born in a politically free society, but are still a very long way from experiencing true economic emancipation compared to their white counterparts. From the moment a black "born free" enters this world, they're already born fighting , they're already born fighting the status quo and the power structure which still exists to uphold white supremacy, they're are born fighting the injustices of institutionalized racism and a lack of transformation in various sectors of our country such as the economy.<br />
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The term "born free" is not just a blatant lie but also adds a sense of false hope and forcibly feeds fellow South Africans hogwash by brainwashing them into believing that those born after 1994 are "born free", this is not only a lie and imaginary but very dangerous as well, as its drifts the focus and the attention of the black majority into thinking that they are free.<br />
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Now don't get me wrong, South Africa certainly comes a very long way from where it was, but that doesn't mean we should just sugarcoat the struggles facing young black South Africans in 2015. For any young black "born free" growing up in the dusty streets of any township in South Africa, a better future is what he/she would generally want, a better education which would cost him/her money, a chance to go to university of which he/she would have to pay for, a chance to enter the workplace, the opportunity to run a successful business, to have a share in the countries wealth and eventually make it onto the JSE (which STILL remains very much white) and the opportunity to live in country which is very much transformed.<br />
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Now judging by the lack of transformation in the private sector( which also STILL remains very much white), the lack of black ownership in terms of the countries wealth, land and the economy, the lack of radical transformation in "our" institutions of higher learning, the lack of radical policies and the use of Neo-liberal policies which have done absolutely nothing to advance the economic emancipation of the "born free", but instead has created a group of elite black bourgeoisies. I now ask my fellow South Africans, are we really "born free"?<br />
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Now it's no lie that the term "born free" including that of the "rainbow nation" have indeed been over used, forced onto South Africans and are now beginning to crack as young South Africans today are beginning to scrutinize the societies they live in and are starting to demand answers.<br />
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It would be very unfair to refer to a black South African born after apartheid as a mere "born free", because he/she is constantly reminded of the economic injustices of the past even though he/she might have not physically been there. The very same "born free" generation will soon enter the workplace and quickly realize how they're being under-paid compared to their white counterparts, they'll soon realize that the wealth of the country lies in the hands of minorities, the very same "born free" will soon realize that South Africa is the most unequal country in the world and that the notion of a "born free" is nothing but a false wet dream.<br />
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I would rather propose we start using the term "born fighting", which does not only speak for itself but creates a sense of black awareness that there's still a lot to be done in order to fully transform our country economically, so that we can one day have REAL "born frees" who are born into not just a politically free country but economically free societies as well.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-70786832695550131712015-04-24T08:28:00.002-07:002015-04-24T08:38:51.750-07:00I DREAM OF AN AFRICA.........I DREAM OF AN AFRICA...............<br />
(<i>Written by Modibe Modiba</i>)<br />
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I dream of an Africa which firstly understands that it is blessed with an abundance of natural resource, and how those resources can be used to the advantage of FIRSTLY the African people.<br />
I dream of an Africa which takes pride in the education of its youth as well as that of its own culture and heritage and which embraces its own diversity.<br />
I dream of an Africa which is free from all sorts of economic exploitation of its land, resources and of its people, an Africa which is slowly shaping itself into a global superpower.<br />
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I dream of an Africa which is united from all corners of the continent, from Gugulethu to Cairo and an Africa which is free from all sorts of terrorism and oppression.<br />
I dream of an Africa where our leaders lead from the front by example, and an African leadership which is free from any form of corruption and wrongdoing at the expense of its own people.<br />
I dream of an Africa where it's leadership does not merely create followers but creates fellow young leaders as well.<br />
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I dream of an Africa where one day a child of a mine worker can one day be a CEO at the very same mine, an Africa where a child of a domestic worker on campus can one day graduate from the very same university and go on to empower fellow African children.<br />
I dream of an Africa where its potential is being fulfilled by its young population, an Africa which is transparent and an Africa which holds its mothers and sisters in its highest regards.<br />
I dream of an Africa where a fellow gay African can walk freely in the streets of Africa without being harassed, discriminated or killed, as well as an Africa where my albino brothers and sisters can also walk freely without being victims of sick crimes.<br />
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I dream of an Africa where governments across the continent show their seriousness in terms of empowering our African sisters and not merely subjecting them to households.<br />
I dream of an Africa where building quality infrastructure is a norm and where the doors of higher learning education are opened to the poor of thee poorest student.<br />
I dream of an Africa where the rule of law becomes the order of the day and an Africa where nobody dares to see themselves as being above the law.<br />
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I dream of an Africa which STOPS DREAMING and STARTS ACTING !!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-23586531278294307772015-03-26T02:48:00.000-07:002015-03-26T02:48:10.839-07:00#RhodesMustFall#RhodesMustFall<br />
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Why the hell are we even debating whether the statue of Rhodes the capitalist should be removed or not? It can't be that after centuries of oppression, the children of the oppressors find it in them to tell the children of the oppressed ( who today have to live with the burdens created by the past) how they should react. Rhodes symbolizes white supremacy which has no room in Africa and has instilled white privilege among many white South Africans which has kept them feeling superior for many years. It is also disturbing to hear the defenders of Rhodes coming out and openly telling fellow South Africans that Rhodes should not be removed from the University Of Cape Town since he contributed to the establishment of the university by donating portions of land to the institution. Wait a minute, let's get something straight, whose initial land was he donating in the first place? And in whose country was he giving it up?<br />
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Imagine how Jewish students would react having to see a statue of Hitler in a public area, especially at a place of higher learning. It shouldn't be acceptable for a black child to walk past a statue of a man who has been at the forefront of exploitation towards black workers for centuries, it also shouldn't be fair for African children to be told how they should deal with their anger and just move on as if nothing happened. It is very clear that the statue sends a very sck image towards many South Africans and not just students at UCT as well as the fact that students are now sick and tired of talking about transformation in "our" institutions and are now acting. We never see statues of Steve Bantu Biko, Oliver Tambo, Chris Hani, and even Robert Sobukwe just to name a few, but yet people feel obliged to defend statues of Rhodes who has been at the forefront of black misery for centuries.<br />
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#RhodesMustFall and that's not up for debate, we have many pressing issues affecting our country and seriously can't waste our time debating whether Rhodes must fall or not. Having a statue of Rhodes is ignorance and a lack of transformation drive by management, how should we unite and build a social coherent country when white privilege is still the order of the day for many white South Africans especially if they see nothing wrong with that and if people STILL have the audacity to tell fellow black students that they should simply forget and move on, as if Jewsih students would ever forget about the holocaust.<br />
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What is currently happening at UCT will SOON spread across the country!<br />
#RhodesWillFallAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-62588285863348925492015-03-10T09:20:00.004-07:002015-03-10T10:31:26.017-07:00Born Fighting......<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Born fighting...</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Written by Jabulani Mabuza</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">People are always watching. Finding yourself in those tough early years of your career. The time where for the first time you need to be the majority investor of your future. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Flip! Outie doesn't even have time to chill with the guys anymore, be a good boyfriend or even have time for thoughts. Theme of the current moment: it is now or never. Slyza tsoti! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Born black, too rich for the shacks, too poor for the burbs. One either has to be smart and befriend books or just be innovative and create a new sock brand. I had to be smart, weird! I was never born smart or intelligent, I was born wanting. Wanting the best out life, best in my career, best in a relationship. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I did a lot of fighting to be the first out of my siblings to get that paper. I was told I was too ambitious when I said " I don't wanna be the Benoni lawyer" but hey I chose to believe in the great and forget the stand still critics. People make so much in bad and whispers in moment of Glory. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Now listen, done with school, got that degree. Life has changed! I found my voice, I found my light. I may not be wealthy LOL still far from it but I have started working on that path because I, choose to focus on exposure and experience as one guy once said "work hard now, money is a by product." Money, that you can</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> always get but credentials and a name that opens doors, nigga that u work hard for. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Black Child...the fight for a better future has begun. I will share mine as a young black professional in the legal field. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-42478183154145956232015-02-26T12:04:00.000-08:002015-02-26T12:04:02.027-08:00Rethinking Prostitution: A feminist critique of consent<div class="s4" style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: start;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Rethinking Prostitution: A feminist critique of consent </span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: start;">
<span class="s3" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;"><i>By Alexia Katsiginis</i> </span></div>
<div class="s4" style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: start;">
<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">‘In this line of thought, a sex worker doesn’t consent to sex; she is coerced because of her situation.’</span></div>
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<div class="s4" style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: start;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5">This </span><span class="s5">essay aims to respond to arguments that assert prostitution is ‘empowering’ and offers women the right to ‘choose’ what they do with their bodies. In a country where 3600 women are raped a day, where patriarchy is as entrenched in our culture as our flag and where prostitution steadily enters a liberal’s argument it is necessary</span><span class="s5"> to </span><span class="s5">reassess</span><span class="s5"> what it means to give consent. Apart from the obvious problem that rape is still con</span><span class="s5">sidered through the male gaze, I</span><span class="s5"> am more interested in how our understanding of consent in the context of prostitution acts as a fiction to justify the violent exploitation of women.</span></span></div>
<div class="s6" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: start;">
<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When a woman's economic position forces her into prostitution, surely it is unethical to consider her consent as freely given? Surely it makes better sense to conclude that she is being exploited by an order, which has offered her an ultimatum between poverty and accepting her constructed identity and value as a woman? Relying on the fiction of 'consent' allows us to de-politicize prostitution and consider it simply as a business transaction. In so doing we distance the ideals of prostitution from our social order and are able to accept it as a defect of society -a violent attack on our moral code, waged by the sexually perverted and promiscuous (or if you're feeling liberal, those who desire to be rich while indulging their laziness).</span></div>
<div class="s6" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5">When a social space mobilizes power in a way that subjugates a particular group, that mobilization needs to be legitimized by a body of knowledge in order for it to remain unchallenged. In society, the exploitative functioning of patriarchy is masked by normalized practices (such as gender roles and chivalry) that justify and de-politicize our daily interactions -in this way the power to subjugate is protected.</span><span class="s7"> </span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5"><div style="text-align: start;">
In prostitution, however, it is the free-market economy that protects this power and disposes the need to rely on the ideological functioning of the above normalized practices. The body of knowledge that exits in the social sphere has naturalized neo-liberalism as the only possible economic order and therefore legitimized prostitution (and its power dynamic) as a natural consequence of 'choosing your trade'.</div>
</span><span class="s5"><div style="text-align: start;">
Prostitution therefore becomes defined as a matter of neo-liberalism instead of patriarchy; allowing us to distance the possible exploitation of the prostitute from the violence in our own society.</div>
</span></span><br />
<div class="s6" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: start;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5">On the contrary, the sex industry must be understood as a mirror of the exploitation that the 'other' endures at the hand of the patriarch. Unlike the social, prostitution needn't perpetuate the illusion of respect and equality between the prostitution and the Jon as it finds justification in the free-market economy. The absence of this need allows it to </span><span class="s5">represent the relationship between men and women without the ideological mask that sustains the social order. Prostitution is an expression of our true relationship with the social, a representation of the social without the 'grid or lens' that legitimizes and de-politicizes our relationship with the 'other'.</span></span></div>
<div class="s6" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: start;">
<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It follows that support of this industry is not support of prostitution as an expression of sexual liberation but rather a desperate need to justify and legitimize our own patriarchal interactions. The unspoken entitlement to the other's body is fostered in the social and merely expresses its violence through the sex industry. It is therefore incorrect to understand this industry, whether it be pornography, prostitution or human trafficking, as a failure to adhere to our moral code. Instead we must consider it as constructed by our social ethos and acknowledge its dependence on a particular body of knowledge, patriarchy.</span></div>
<div class="s6" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s5">The solution, therefore cannot rely on laws that regulate the sex industry, such laws merely create the impression of progress.</span><span class="s7"> </span></span></div>
<span class="s5" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div style="text-align: start;">
<span class="s5">If sexual exploitation relies on the knowledge that informs patriarchy, then liberating the victims of this industry (and of society) can only occur after deconstructing this knowledge and reconstructing it in such a way that affords women their subjectivity and entitles th</span><span class="s5">em to something more than two </span><span class="s5"> letters in front of the word 'man'.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-654501929394673622015-01-05T15:56:00.001-08:002015-01-06T00:12:57.855-08:00Matric 2014, Good or Bad? Matric 2014, Good or Bad?<br />
By <b><i>Modibe J Modiba</i></b><br />
Good day<br />
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Before I go any further I'd like to congratulate all those matriculants who due to their endless efforts and sleepless nights have now reaped the benefits of what they've sowed for the past years and to those who didn't, it's not the end of the world. A wise person once said "dreams delayed are not dreams denied", so hang in there.<br />
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As the 2014 Matric results came flocking in I came across a very sad, worrying, terrifying but yet informative tweet by Nic Spaull (@NicSpaull) which stated, "Of 100 students that started school in 2003 (Gr1), only 48 wrote matric in 2014, 36 passed, & 14 qualified to go to university".<br />
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This literally means that, out of all the kids who started school in 2003(grade 1) only 48%(48 wrote matric) in their desired year (2014) and those that wrote in 2014 only 75%( 36 passed) and 38% of the 75% (14 qualified for university ). This in my view is very disturbing as I think about the many others or let me say the 52% of learners who never wrote Matric in 2014 and dropped out along the way. What happens to these kids?<br />
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Now to spice things up a little more let's do a bit of some mathematical literacy, now basically we have 52% of learners who never made it to Matric in 2014 PLUS the 25% of those who failed Matric in 2014 which gives us 77% of kids who've either been failed by the system, didn't take their studies seriously or dropped out of school along the way for various other issues.<br />
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What worries me is that only 14(38%) of the 2014 Matriculants actually qualify for university studies and out of the 14(38%) how many will eventually find the means necessary to go to university and how many of them will eventually graduate from university judging by the high dropout rate of students in university? And those that DO graduate from university how many will actually find employment judging by the HIGH number of graduates in the country who are without jobs and sitting at home?<br />
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This to me looks more like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode or am I just exaggerating things? Should South Africans be worried? I believe if nothing is done to change this worrying trend, our government in the near future will have to invest more on adult education and will that even be a REAL solution to this problem or does our education system need a major radical revamp as many worried citizens feel? Should the blame only be pointed at the education system or the learners?<br />
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I'd love to hear your views !Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-21064150484497969622015-01-02T01:16:00.000-08:002015-01-02T01:16:33.178-08:00African Youth RevoltAfrican Youth Revolt !<br />
By <i>Modibe J Modiba</i><br />
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We live in a continent infested by young people, we live in a continent where our leaders do not want to be challenged, questioned and called to order by the younger population. We live in a continent where the culture and respect card gets used every time young boys and girls call their leaders to order, we live in a continent where our leaders use "culture" and "respect" to keep the youth silent and limited.<br />
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If the "culture" and "respect" card is going to be used by our leaders to silence and keep us stagnant then we'll rather create our own culture instead of succumbing to the status quo. Don't get me wrong, respect is highly important in the African culture, but if our leaders are not going to respect us, then we will not respect them.<br />
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The African Youth are on the path to self discovery, the path to revolting and on the path of taking over. We are tired of playing second fiddle to the rest of the world, we are tired of leaders who have absolute no regard for their people and tired of being silenced by our leaders. In the African culture as a young person you are prohibited from talking "grown people issues" and disrespecting your elders, but politics affects everyone.<br />
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Why should we allow our old corrupt leaders to come up with policies which are going to affect us in the long run? When all their maladministration unfolds where will they be? Who will we as the African Youth blame ? Who will have to carry their corrupt doings and mistakes on their back ? It's time for us as the African Youth to set our priorities straight, revolt and fight for what rightfully belongs to us, because if we don't, who will ?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-60291192602330588142014-12-06T03:19:00.000-08:002014-12-06T03:19:03.860-08:00moAfrica, grow out of your inferiority ! <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>moAfrica, grow out of your inferiority.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Written by Dimpho Saal<b> </b></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I find myself being a passenger in a taxi where there's a great debate stirred by a video that has been going viral during the passed week- a video of a nanny, who appears to be foreign, brutally beating up a toddler for, well... for being a toddler.<br /><br />It was an innocent discussion until the one lady made a very interesting statement by saying that she wasn't surprised that this act was conducted by a foreigner because they are absolutely nothing but careless & useless. Her argument is that of many other South Africans: fellow african foreigners are but a disease slowly eating away the South african race.<br /><br />As two young gentlemen seated right at the back voice their opinion, the atmosphere took a complete turn. It became a feud. Two foreign nations stood their ground of their misinterpreted identities in the land of the people.<br /><br />Just as I think my observations are interesting, 2 white men enter the taxi (which is still a shock to some people who believe that taxi's are for, and only for the black man). One of the gentlemen goes on to say: "These are the people that do not belong here. Your anger is misdirected."<br />As the door opens, a fluent "san'bonani ninjani?" is uttered. Suddenly the entire taxi became silent for a moment. Surprisingly the silence is broken by a laughter, a laughter supported by the astonishment of a white man able to speak isiZulu - one of the top common languages in SA.<br /><br />If I were to unpack the numerous events of this brief journey, you & I would spend more time necessary with eyes fixed on the screen.<br />This incident, like many, demonstrates the narrow mindset of that of our fellow brothers & sisters. Whether or not the content of that video is reality or mere fiction, it does not change the fact that the comments stem from a mind rooted deep within the soil of insecurity & fear- fear that black people too, are capable beyond measure.<br /><br />Fact of the matter is, until we as a people allow ourselves to grow out of the spiraling mentality of inferiority, we will remain victims forever; the struggle of our forefathers would have been in vain. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-34688491438250754792014-12-03T23:47:00.000-08:002014-12-03T23:49:06.913-08:00WOULD I BE WRONG ? <b>Would I be wrong? </b><br />
<i>Written by Modibe J Modiba </i><br />
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Would I be wrong for saying that 20years into "our" democracy we remain a divided country? Would I be wrong for suggesting that the so called "Rainbow Nation" our leaders preach about is beginning to fade away? Would I be wrong for saying that some of our universities still make it a priority of accepting white students first ? Would I be wrong for saying that 20years into "OUR" democracy the black majority STILL remain economically frustrated ? Would I be wrong for saying that even 20years into "our" democracy I still receive a fake smile every time I say hi to a white person?<br />
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Would I be wrong for saying that a black person still gets looked at funny every time they enter a restaurant or pub filled with white people? Would I be wrong for saying that if we put two businesses there ( one black and one white) both selling the same product most South Africans would end up buying from the white business & not the black business, but why ? How should we build social cohesion when we are not economically on the same level? How should we stop referring to race the whole time when majority of our people live in absolute poverty, were our people still have no land , were our people are nothing but economic slaves and don't benefit from it, were our people work in mines which create billions of rands annually for foreign nationals but still receive below par remuneration.<br />
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Would I be wrong saying that a child in Alex does not receive the same quality education as a child who lives Sandton? Would I be wrong for suggesting that the formula we've used for nation building has been wrong all along ? IN MY view the first step to social cohesion is for the people to be economically free, for the majority of people to have a share in the wealth of this country and then we can talk about social cohesion and building a nation, if not social cohesion and the "rainbow nation" we so dream about will never work! How should our people be fully behind nation building or social cohesion when they go to bed on an empty stomach, if they don't have land, and are nothing but economic slaves to white capital monopoly? Would I be wrong for saying that indeed we've come a long way as a country? Indeed a black person can now walk into the same toilet as a white person, go to the same restaurant as a white person and sit on the same bench with a white person but is this really what our leaders fought for? Did they fight for us JUST to be accepted into our own land? If sharing the same toilet, sharing the same bench and finally being allowed to enter a restaurant previously meant for white people only, means our people should be economic slaves then we don't want to use them, we'd rather own land and have a share in the economy and be economically free!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-9813476169404476062014-11-27T00:07:00.001-08:002014-11-27T00:12:55.467-08:00VUKA AFRIKA <b>VUKA AFRIKA</b><br />
<i>Written by Ayanda Nkomo</i><br />
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Africa has everything yet we continue to suffer. The world's two super powers - China and America are battling each other for power, and the battlefield is Africa, because that's where all the treasures lie. We as Africans don't even see our own worth, we're too busy trying to be European and American to appreciate ourselves.<br />
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Our resources and minerals are being depleted by the day, yet our continent is starving and we have nothing to show for it, we're too distracted by social networks, series and fashion to even begin to see and understand the bigger picture. The white man has everything and we're too comfortable to do anything about it, we believe we have freedom, yet it is only an illusion,we are stuck in an oppressive system that enslaves Africans to generate money for the western world.<br />
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We need to start taking ourselves seriously as Africans and especially as BLACK people. No other race likes black people, not even black people like black people, we need to pull together and start ensuring that the system starts working for us instead of against us and it starts with the youth.<br />
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We are tomorrows leaders and should therefore induce a paradigm shift. We have the capacity to change the world but we're too busy taking selfies . If we intend on the world seeing us as people instead of just second class citizens, we need to change the way we think. let Bantu Steven Biko's death not be in vain. Let's bring back black consciousness because it clearly seems to have been forgotten.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-35011131563999304842014-11-25T03:14:00.000-08:002014-11-25T03:44:04.660-08:00START SOMEWHERE BUT DONT START SMALL ! <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">START SOMEWHERE BUT DONT START SMALL! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><i>Written by Jabulani Mabuza ( candidate attorney at Khoza and Associates) </i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On Sunday I was invited to a lunch by a friend. Sat with a group of young people, from journalism graduates to psychology student safe to say in the group of 8 we had 2 graduates and 6 students. All of them young gifted and Black. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The converstations were quite growing "clever blacks" is what they are.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><br />The problem started when one said "we need to start small because without whites we are nothing" </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The debate ensued I'll leave it for the next article that will deal soley with the contents of the debates. Now what changed me was a comment from this law student who countered what was said with a bold statement </span><i>START SOMEWHERE BUT DONT START SMALL</i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><br />Is that how we measure our success? Via the white man? Being a Pan Africanist doesn't mean being anti white but rather liberating the black mind to apprehend that we are better even better than the white man.<br /><br />As a Candidate attorney to one great lawyer I look everyday at how great he is, I sit in hearings with him n see him as an Attorney tear apart the case of a White Advocate SC. That has taught me that only we limit ourselves by lowering the bar to reaching our goals.<br /><br />He Himself started as a Constitutional Court researcher at one stage he was the clerk to the late Chief Justice Arthur Charkalson. Today he is the best at what he is does. He started somewhere, he didn't start small.<br /><br />The Journey is never the same but the principles are. We honour the journey, we learn and we grow from it... Not every humble beginning has a great end, we can't start where our ascendents(parents/ grandparents) did.<br />We feel our success stories are only authentic if we have struggled.<br /><br />The black struggle is already heavy, don't add to it. I Started somewhere but I definitely did not start small. You decide Black Child !</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-18812022723133748832014-11-07T01:23:00.001-08:002014-11-07T01:23:22.991-08:00WHATS COMMUNIST ABOUT THE SACP<i>WHATS COMMUNIST ABOUT THE SACP ? Written by </i><br />
<b>Modibe J Modiba </b><br />
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For sometime now I've been asking myself one simple yet very relevant question, what's communist about the South African Communist Party? I mean if one looks up the definition of a communist party it would definitely be the direct opposite of this current SACP.<br />
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In MY view the SACP is supposed to be a very leftist movement and a vanguard of the working class today, they're supposed to be advocating for the adoption of communist policies through state policies,so is the SACP really doing this? I remember as I was watching parliament sometime back a member of the SACP who happens to be an MP stood up and proudly quoted the word RADICAL from an Oxford dictionary, like seriously speaking, have you ever seen a "Communist" quoting the word RADICAL from a dictionary? It wasn't until Floyd Shivambu the chief whip of the Economic Freedom Fighters who then asked why the honorable "communist" quoted the word RADICAL from a dictionary instead of quoting the word RADICAL from the Communist Manifesto. What guides the SACP if not the Communist Manifesto?<br />
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In MY view the SACP are supposed to be very loud regarding land, regarding our capitalist economy, regarding nationalization, they're supposed to be calling for the nationalization of mines and fighting for a minimum wage for the workers, but are they really doing this? Would Joe Slovo and Chris Hani be proud of today's SACP? I for one think that all the SACP does is provide an IDEALOGICAL COVER for the ANC and act like big mouths in public forgetting what it really means to be a communist, now let's be honest with each other, what's communist about Blade Nzimande or the SACP?<br />
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Is the SACP really a communist party or should we now rename it the South African Capitalist Party? If the SACP are really a communist party as they proudly claim to be, they'd be very left to the ANC and disagree with state policies most of the time, but they don't ! The SACP is so dead it hurts I don't even think a primary or high school learner even knows that there's a Communist Party in South Africa in fact, we've all forgotten!<br />
Now my question to you is, do you seriously believe that the SACP are a Communist Party?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-81156720130439378022014-11-06T22:22:00.000-08:002014-11-06T22:22:00.756-08:00Is Our Anger Perhaps Misdirected ? <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Is Our Anger Perhaps Misdirected ? Written by </i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br /></i><b>ZOLANI NKOMO </b><br /><br />In the fictitious Shaka Zulu fantasy TV Series derived from Ed Harpers imagination. There is one scene that captured me.<br /><br />King Shaka is sitting by a campfire with a white settler (nami angazi kanjani uShaka wabloma no mlungu baringa isi ngamla)<br /><br />Shaka asks; do you have beautiful skies like this in your land ?<br />He replies; no Shaka, we share the same sky but you have a much better view of it here.<br /><br />Kinga Shaka proceeds to inquire about the future of our land if they are to be our co-inhabitants.<br /><br />He; we will live besides each other, but far apart from each other, there is much land we can all peaceably live together and share in the fruits of the land.<br />King Shaka; what happens generations later when my descendants and yours can no longer live peaceably together, will your great grand children all return home or will they come to love this place as their own so much that they lay claim to it?<br /><br />This I believe is a metaphor for what really happened here. The descendants of the Dutch identify themselves as Africans (Afrikaaner) and their Afrikaanerdom is supposedly an expression of their African-Hood.<br /><br />While they inhabited our land and stole our identity. We became known as black the void of all colour and while there is no country or continent called black we lost our land claim.<br /><br />"When the settler came they had the bible and we had the land. They made us pray with our eyes closed and when we opened them they had the land and we had the bible" - Joseph Kenyatta<br /><br />And even so the Afrikaaners were also duped. Figuring that political power was the key to their to salvation. When the British left all the Gold and Diamond fields were signed over to them, they designated political power to a safer alternative the Afrikaaner, a strategic decision sorting out their differences and finding a common enemy in a group of people who could pose a potentially greater threat if given the power because they are the rightful heirs.<br /><br />The Afrikaaner failed to foresee a future where the people will govern. This unfair exchanged birthed a society which would be the most racially tempestuous and most violent outside of a war-zone.<br /><br />Afrikaaners and South African Africans are uncomfortable amongst one another because we're all fighting for a plate with crumbs on it. Not understanding that it did not begin with race but the economy. There are no agricultural billionaires in South Africa the farms don't have as much money as the mines.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>Zolani Tshemega Nkomo</b></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8988468765534562927.post-22348719085025328622014-11-05T21:15:00.000-08:002014-11-06T01:34:37.633-08:00FEED THE BLACK MAN <div style="text-align: justify;">
<u><b>FEED THE BLACK MAN</b></u><br />
<i>By Jabulani Mabuza ( 10-06-2014) </i></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We get food parcels and what has even become life to the black men is the social grant.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That is not what a black man needs, it is in us to make something from nothing. A black man needs knowledge. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I look in shock and shame when we ridicule miners and call them unrealistic. But let me be simple, have u noticed it's always the white man who complains when only two tellers are operating at the bank? It's the white man who goes to mcDonalds and demand that they change her childs toy? Well it is simple they know thier rights, they know what are viable business ethics and etiquettes. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Take all the money, and replace it with information. Information that alerts the black man that section 26 the constitution affords him the right to decent housing;section 27 affords him the rights to health care, food and social security. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is cruel and inhumane to not give our people knowledge, we toy with them as though they have no hearts that beat. Look at Lwandle. The is a child who never lived to see 19 months. When we raise the valid race card, we are told that we must get over it and move on, i ask how does one do that when limited by shacks and mudy roads? No textbooks to learn from? For how long will we be a shadow in the 'Rainbow' nation? </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717771822151527448noreply@blogger.com0