MY CONTRIBUTION TO SOUTH AFRICANS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM DAY CELEBRATIONS PART 2 CONTINUES

MY CONTRIBUTION TO SOUTH AFRICANS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM DAY CELEBRATIONS PART 2 CONTINUES

As we are a day closer to Freedom Day, I thought that I should write a reality story to showcase as to why I still believe that days such as Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Workers Day, Youth Day, Women’s Day and Heritage Day will mean nothing if we as Africans are still victims of oppression, victimization, and discrimination. Those who are celebrating these days and that these days mean anything to them are lucky and should appreciate that they have not experience any of violations that I have related below should write those positive stories and educate the nation as to why we should be celebrating this democracy as it means nothing to me and those who still become victims of crime, rape, violence, victimization as I did on the 25 April 2013 at Forest High School. This article is a real story showcasing as to why we must stand up against this kind of discrimination and oppression by those who think are law and have more privileges than others.

I thought that I should think of what is meant by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996 that was promulgated on the 04^th February 1997 by our former President Nelson Mandela and signed at Sharpville on the 10 December 1996. In my studies during my years as a student, one of the courses that I was enrolled with was some Interpretation of Statutes 101 that is outstanding in my degree. I have written a lot on this course in some of the correspondence with different institutions as I still believe that I will not pass this course as I still believe that this Constitution does not represent the Constitution that I believe should be celebrated as it was proposed during the Interim Constitution of 1993. My argument covers that the only version that is currently law of South Africa is in English while we have other 10 official languages that were not included in that promulgated version, then it pose a challenge to many South Africans who are not English. What will it mean for a Tswana in Taung, a Xhosa in Nyulula, a Zulu in Emahlbathini to understand the opportunities and the challenges that this Law poses to us as a nation. We have a number of people who are still in limbo in knowing what I mean despite having managed to get an education in the most established institutions, they are unable to understand their constitutional mandates as Ministers, Government officials, what will those uneducated poor unemployed South Africans, black in particular, understand this document that is in English. One of my other arguments is that, if it is the supreme law of the nation, why is it Act 108? My experience below will attest to what I mean as you read through my story with Forest High School and hope that it will make you understand what the bone of contention of my argument is.

Let me first clear some air for those who are not abreast with the developments of what I mean, starting with the Constitution, one has to understand what it is. The background behind the establishment of the constitution that as a citizen you are obliged to learn, understand and know. As a Nation we come from a Roman Dutch Law, and in some parts of the country Customary Law was practice mostly by Traditional Courts and as you are aware that there was a revolution that made sure that people are liberated from the injustice that came with the Apartheid system introduced early in the 1900s, and about 100 year ago, in 1913, the Native Land Act was introduced to force our people to live in only a 13% part of the land, the so called homelands. During the early 1990s, after the National government decided to free all political parties a Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) was adopted on the 20^th of December 1992 to try and look at the terms of reference of what kind of South Africa should be established. Even though its 100 years ago, we are still oppressed in our own land and nothing seem to change and improve the African souls and give back what belongs to Cesar what is due to him. We would only keep on hoping that we as Africans will be treated as customers (just as in a shop) by our government and get the services that we deserve, not what I was exposed to at that Forest High School. Thus I will not let this one go like I did in 2012 when I met the rude Indian lady for the first time, I need the serves I deserve from that School, with the hope that I will be employed by some institutions that might need my services hope that never, never, and never again I will get that experiment again and again.

All political parties were called upon to come on board and debate as to what kind of South Africa should be adopted, as we all know that when discussing ideas, people will not agree, so they then as political parties, agreed to disagree for the sake of ensuring that there is peace and that the take over become a peaceful constitutional democracy one and that we did not follow what happen in other parts of Africa. CODESA 1 failed to reach an agreement, then there was CODESA 2 mostly referred to as Kempton Park resolutions where the late Terblanche and the AWB crushed the meeting as they were not happy with what the NP was doing, saying they (NP) are selling out their country to Africans. To cut the story short, (visit your nearest library and read about this, as a citizen you’re obliged to understand the history of South Africa), in 1993, the tricameral Parliament adopted an interim Constitution to reach a compromise and breakthrough from the apartheid laws that were there before and shape the rules of the new political game scheduled to kick start in April 1994, which led to the first democratic elections that we all know of 27 April 1994 marking 19 years in the celebration of our freedom. I will have to try and cut it short so as I can come to the reason why I wrote this paper, the well known S v Makwanyane case that marked the scraping of the old apartheid laws and created a platform in which courts are now using as reference in their judgments. What is the significance is that the Bill of Rights was now seen to set a precedent for South Africans to enjoy. These were efforts of those who died for the liberation of this country, the question is what it means to you as we will be called to cast the votes to mark 20 years in next year’s NPE.

A Constitutional Assembly was setup in assisting to adopt a Constitution that will be the final Constitution that we see today, where public opinion were called to take part in shaping what would later become our supreme law in two years. As students we were called upon to submit our opinions which were later recommended to the final principles and what I could remember was that the adopted Constitution should be in all eleven official languages with the hope of adding the Khoi and Sun languages once everyone is clued up with these developments. My argument then comes to this as I still feel that we have not managed to reach the objectives in this regard and thus we should not be celebrating the freedom that we achieved in the past 19 years. There is much work that needs to be done before we can be able to celebrate these freedom that are aimed at our development, thus I also share the same sentiment with Falco Mazwelane in ‘The History of South Africa and ANC 20 years later’ unedited version as published in my blog site. After our democracy in 1994, we (as a nation) did not find space and time to focus on what will be the targets, timeframes of achieving certain goals and what measures /tools should be used to help us as a nation to monitor the failures that we see today done by those assigned with responsibilities to serve. We did not have time to talk as a nation (South Africans) and discuss what this freedom mean to all of us as a nation, thus I will still see people as Indians, Europeans, Chinese despite the effort of having a non racial society. When one completes a form, you must indicate if you are Black, Indian, Colored, or White, thus I feel that those ladies treated me the way they did because of the color of my skin and still believe that a lot of my people have been getting the same treatment from those ladies. We have not received any reports from the Monitoring and Evaluation Department as yet on the performance of the departments except things that are in the public for everyone to see, we need reports and recommendation will be able to guide those mandated with such responsibilities.

I would hope that this has managed to give a picture of what my understanding is on the Constitution that has to guide all of us in ensuring that we just don’t waffle but we raise issues that has to assist all of us in shaping our constitutional democracy. Coming to the reason why I wrote this, it started on the 24 April 2013 when I phoned the Principal of Forest High School where my daughter is getting an education. I appreciate the efforts done by our government (Right to Education) by creating a platform that should serve all of us despite the backgrounds that we come from. The only challenge as I have raised in the articles that I have written this month, on the theme of Freedom month, I do not see any point as to why I should be celebrating as I still feel that I was unfairly treated by this school for the past three years since my child enrolled at this school, I hope that this article will not prejudice her and discriminate her as I really had to do this as I felt that I was suffocated by the administration of this school and that I am not happy with the way things have transpired since I was part of this school. After realizing that the principal was not prepared to respond to my requests, on the 25^th April 2013, I went to this school to collect the subsidy forms as it supposed to happen since they could not give them to my wife for the past two months of her visits to this school. On arrival, I greeted the lady at the reception and introduced myself and asked if I could speak to the principal whom I was told was in a meeting with some officials from the department of Education. I thought it was some crisis management from yesterday’s march of teachers who are not happy with their Minister as well, I then asked if I could wait until the meeting finished but was referred to the Deputy Principal (a Mr. Fisser, if not mistaken)who was talking to some gentlemen across me at the foyer.

I then waited until he was finished and informed me that I was there to request for the forms as was my wife refused for some two months now. He then went to the office to get the story why my wife could not access these forms from the lady charged upon that responsibility, some Indian lady who was rude to me the other time I went there sometime last year (2012). When Mr. Fisser came back he requested that I write the surname of my daughter on a piece of paper that he took to that lady, he came back to tell me that I must speak to the lawyers and gave me another piece of paper with the details of the school lawyers which I refused as I indicated that I did not see any reason as to why I should speak to lawyers if I only came to collect the forms. He told me that I could not be given any forms as I had to make an arrangement with these lawyers before they can give me any forms. It was at this time that the other two ladies (White or Colored) went to that Indian lady and whispering and started laughing. The so called Mr Fisser then informed me that there was nothing they could do for me, and I indicated that I will not just let this to rest; I would follow proper procedures on this matter. “Whatever” was what could echo in my ears as I left the foyer of that school. I was angry and was disappointed at the way I was laughed at by people that I hope were there to assist me. As I could foresee that I was going to face the same situation I did in 2012 when I went there and met with that rude indian lady and the principal when I had to inform them that I would go to the department of education about that. I am not going to accept this treatment this time around, I can understand that people make mistakes and have some patience in cases such as these. I will not also make an agreement with some lawyers as if it was my mistake for the forms of 2011 (which I still have with me) for some negligence of some incompetent official assigned by this school to only screen the forms and submit them to the department. She does not have the right to reject an application except to assist you as a parent on things that do not apply to them. As those forms were submitted in time to the school only to be rejected because I did not submit the correct proof of address. I still have the copy of the proof of residence that I submitted then with an affidavit confirming my proof of residence, only to be rejected by her. She was negligent not to accept those forms and should have been rejected by the department official, she is only there to serve us and not become a stumbling block to our applications. I have been submitting the same forms at Townsview Primary School (where my children went to school, I also served as the Chairperson of the SGB for that school between 2009 and 2011) and I know some of the legislative framework of the School Governing Act. I have never felt as humiliated as I did at Forest High School on the 25 April 2013, just two days before the celebrations of our Freedom Day, why should I celebrate?  I was laughed at because that I am unemployed and cannot afford to pay school fees for my child. The picture of the three ladies laughing at me cannot fade away from my mind on my way back home I could not understand as to why most these public servants cannot understand that they are there to serve us and assist people like us, the most vulnerable. If this freedom and democracy should be celebrated, we need a non-racial and a democratic South Africa as envisaged by the like of OR Tambo, I did not get that from those who were there, I could only see a white Mr Fisser, the Indian lady, the two white or colored women who are employed by this school to serve us, I would like to see some transformation in that school, see black /African faces people who will be willing to assist us, people who will understand the values of Ubuntu and a school that represents all of us. I could not sleep, as I had to write this article at 02H00 out of the frustration that is experienced by most people who are mistreated by those ladies in that office, in this day and age, how South Africa can have such people in that office and expect us to celebrate Freedom Day. If such people are in these offices in this day and age, on the 25 April 2013, just two days before the commemoration of Freedom Day, what is really happening to this land of my ancestors, a country in which I was also part of ensuring that it becomes free from oppression, discrimination or unjust actions I am trying to understand, please educate me on this one. What is it that people like us must do in getting the justice that we deserve? Why must I be celebrating the freedom if I will be discriminated and humiliated the way I was by those tasked upon to assist us and just expect to accept that things are smooth and that I must accept that if I am poor and unemployed, I must be treated in this fashion? I did not choose to be poor or unemployed; I have been applying for jobs but have not been successful as yet, I would also love to see that my children get the education they deserve and would be happy to pay for. But at this stage, I am unemployed and am not earning any salary, and I am under a lot of trauma /pressure /stress and did not expect this from that school while I know what needs to happen. What must I do in ensuring that I do not get the same treatment I got since 2011 from this school? What must I do that I stand up and does not allow this and that there is justice in this world and those who laugh at us are also punished and face the law that has to guard against such actions?

As you will note in the past blogs especially since the beginning of this Freedom month, I had to move from the hot pan straight to fire when I decided to go and visit that office, now this kind of treatment. How do you expect me to celebrate, what will I be celebrating as there is no reason for me to go and attend those celebrations? If we will continue having these misdeeds, thinking that we must not loose hope, things will work out at the end of the tunnel, the officials working for government department especially at this school portrayed a picture that they are only adding salt to the abrasion. I wish that they (these officials I met at Forest High) can also experience what it feels like not to earn an income and buy things for your kids and be able to pay school fees, then they will understand that my frustrations I am raising in this article. We are in some kind of a potsoyi and are loosing hope on a daily basis, things are not improving instead one gets exposed to discriminations, human right violations, and injustice such as these and are told that we must just keep quite, things will improve. Since the school has decided to take this to their lawyers, I could not find any assistance from them; the question then is what must one do if one has a problem like this? Who do we report to? Do we have to report to the public protector? How long will it take? I am waiting for them outside the court room, let them come. My only tool at my disposal is a pen and paper to write my frustrations with the hope that someone out there will come and assist people like us (as I am of the feeling that there are many parents from such institutions who also received the same treatment from these officials so as we can challenge it on some class action). My pen is running out of ink, my book is running out of papers to write at, I am loosing hope from this democracy that is supposed to serve us; I am running out of ideas as to what sanguine stories to mark the celebrations of the Freedom Day. Why do we still have the kind of government officials who treat people like us the way they do? To be treated as some piece of bull s**t, one is forced to have some self introspection; think as to what must happen next. As recommended in the last article, I would recommend that all government officials should be taught ubuntu /batho pele principles when they are employed to serve our communities. These officials must also not forget that the salaries they are paid at the end of the month is a grant and dole that all of us should benefit from, but hey, most of these officials seem to be infested by greed, corruption, and misunderstanding of our democratic values –I would not be surprised that these officials at this school are getting something from the law firm that represents the school and they get some commission from referring clients such as us to them. How many parents from Forest High School have also experience the same treatment from the same ladies? As indicated, I need some positive stories, please give me the reason why I should be celebrating Freedom Day. That law firm must just delete my name from their database, I am not from Nigeria or Zimbabwe I have applied for the subsidy and that those officials must just do their work and hope that, that school employs people who are competent and are people oriented instead of this caliber of negligent officials that I met on the 25^th April 2013, a day that will take time to fade away from my mind

IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 20 YEARS SINCE OR TAMBO PASSED AWAY: GREED, CORRUPTION, MISUNDERSTANDING OF OUR DEMOCRATIC VALUES SEEM TO BE THE SOCIAL ILLS THAT WE FACE AS A NATION

In Commemoration of the 20 years since OR Tambo passed away: Greed, Corruption, misunderstanding of our democratic values seem to be the social ills that we face as a nation

As we commemorate the 20 years since Oom OR left this world today, one can take stalk on the developments of the fruits of the freedom that was envisage by leaders such as him. Where are we as a nation? Did we manage to achieve what was envisage by people such as Tambo, Hani, Biko, Kotane, Sisulu, Sobukwe and all the leaders who have died fighting for this freedom that is aimed at the development of the African mind? Have we managed to achieve the aims, goals, objectives of the Freedom Charter? Have we managed to create a better life for all? Will those who come after us really judge this generation on the fruits of our liberation struggle that we have achieved since 20 years Oom R passed away? These are some of the few questions that need our leaders to come forward and report to us about.

As we move towards the next elections in 2014, anyone born after 1994 (the born free) will be casting the vote for the first time and will want to know as to why he /she should cast his /her vote for a particular political party and parties will be judged on their performance. Since I have been involved in some of the campaigns for the leading political party in the past electoral events I am wondering as to what those volunteers will say to the public when they go for election campaigns as from next month. Yes there has been some progress in the developments in our country, the hosting of the World Cup in 2010, creating a social welfare that is aimed at the development of our communities, political stability within our country, educational opportunities for those who have been suppressed by the old regime, electrification of houses, and many more achievements that one can think of. For that, yes one may accept that there were positive achievements created in the past 20 years, but is this enough?

The challenges and social ills that we face as a nation outweighs more than the achievements gained by this government that I have raised as questions above, but this makes one to think if this freedom does benefit everyone or does it still benefit those who were in power before 1994. If you would put these on a scale like that is shown on the justice department, one may see that the negative weighs more than the positive in that, as humans we tend to judge people on the negative things that people do than the positive things, it a fact.  Even though I can see that government tries very hard to please everyone, it’s a fact that this will not be possible as we see more negative things being done by those elected to serve the interest of those who have elected them. Yesterday I tried to look at things in a sanguine view when I watched the news and at least I was confident to see the positive developments on the Soweto open tournament hosted in Soweto.

One could feel that at least something positive is coming after some negative news that I have monitored in the past few weeks or so, but as the news continued, only negative news came after that, starting by the Minister of Education and the SADTU debacle, the transport strike by SATAWU, CAR and the Minister of Defence parliamentary report, rape of young children and so on. I have then tried to figure if the current ANC leadership can manage to support the Minister of Education against the people who have voted into that position, I remembered Oom Harry’s tale of a man who needs to grow the beard and lead a church organisation and positions in the ANC as I have explained in the http://zolisamemani.blogspot.com/2013/04/where-are-we-going-to-as-nation.html. It is clear that our government has shifted from a people driven type of an institution to more of individual promotion type of institution, for only one person, our children had to lose a day because of one Minister who does not want to relinquish her position or does not want to give up her seat despite that failures that she has shown of incompetency. The current ANC administration shows that it is committing political suicide as its constituency will be pessimistic of voting the kind of leaders who have shown selfish tendencies and political purging against each other. Greed, corruption, misunderstanding of our democratic values that people such as Oom R died for seem to be the order of business day. Is this the kind of freedom that people should celebrate while there are signs of cracks in this ship that Captain Cook is sailing to messy. When you read the article on “Bayern show no Messi” on http://www.sportlive.co.za/soccer/championsleague/article8850925.ece everyone wants to know why did the couch kept on keeping Messi even though he has shown that he was not fit for the game, Barcelona shot itself on the foot, and was out gamed by Bayern while supports were singing that “we’re a team, not individuals and we play as a team” does the ANC led government also promotes individuals instead of team members?

These are some of the questions that one seeks answers for as we move towards the 2014 NPE as it will be 21 years since Hani and Tambo have died. The poor African mind seem to be the victim in all this experiences that we face as a nation, it seem the SADTU will not back up, maybe Zuma should just move her to another portfolio as it seems that she is prioritised instead of people, and allow her to move with her seat to the next political deployment. Greed and Corruption seem to be on the top of the apex for this administration, when looking at the Minister of Communications for example, the people only expect to be moved from the analog system to a digital system that will allow them the exposure to view other TV channels that will be created by this system once it becomes practical. But hey, what we only see is politics playing its part, and that should get the tender being at the centre of the debate. Both these Ministers and others should have gone through some induction of how people interests should be served first –customer relations course in their political education modules. It is only a few Ministers who can pass the test of “through the eye of the needle test” should it be implemented as it seem people tend to focus more on themselves than working for the people, “I cannot hear you!!!!!!!Can’t hear what you say, just get off that high horse and come to us so as we can hear what you are trying to say”.  What will an ordinary volunteer (some unemployed young person with no skills or formal education who will be promised to get a job once the party gets elected) say on his /her door to door campaign when asked questions about the current affairs of this administration by people who know a lot about the liberation of this country. Elected Political Leaders should not take things for granted and think that the 2014 elections will be a walk over the park, this will be a test of time as our leaders have failed us and have not considered the task at hand and then blame media for their own political onslaught that is out there like a dirty linen on the line. People will be judged for what they have done, no Brorskap business will work to the same people who have seen members of the labour movement marching down the street against the government that is becoming unpopular as the NP was during the last years of apartheid.

If it was done to apartheid, what will stop people from questioning what is happening to our nation? When looking at the Labour Relations Legislation as well, one will accept that we are a still backward nation as we are still living in the past days of bargaining, it’s 2013 for Pete’s sake, we should be moving with technology and applying ways that would benefit us as a nation, should we have this kind of bargaining system? I do not think so. While I served to assist the domestic workers on their labour relations issues, we could no longer apply the old ways of dealing with issues, we then had to apply a new template of establishing some working relations between the domestic workers and their employers and there were constant workshops that managed to benefit both the employees and the employers at the same time.  In 2013, I do not expect if I go back checking those systems, I will find the same challenges that we faced during the period I served that office, things need to have improved and a better system should be implemented. At this day and age, if we want to participate in the BRICS, we will have to withdraw or suspend our membership and focus on domestic issues that should improve the system. I am also not happy with COSATU at this stage as it was mandated to have managed to have established one union for all workers by now, all workers should be speaking with one voice and we should have bargaining tools that would be addressed in terms of the inflation rate, and the employers should not be questioning what is expected of them.  COSATU should think ways and policies that should be more worker-friendly and address labour issues, while also taking things like global economic crush into cognisance. The strike on SATAWU will be justified if one looks at the parities that are there between people who are called investors whose mission is only to take as much from the resources and pay as less as they can for those referred to as the proletariat (working class).

We should be balancing the investor confidence while also ensuring that we do not promote slave type of workers but workers who will have a stake of their labour, employees should be encouraged to buy shares in companies that they work for so as they can feel as part of the establishment. COSATU made a mistake to think for workers in buying shares at companies that the leadership thought was good investment for COSATU and not workers, look at AMCU from the mining sector who have felt that NUM was no longer representing their needs and can you blame them. If our labour or the working class will be a working class and a player at the same time, something will not work. The leadership of the labour movement cannot have financial interests in the same sector that they represent workers on, you can never be a referee and a player at the same time, chose one. While bargaining for the interest of workers, others representing government but being leaders of COSATU, it defeats the very same purpose of bargaining. If Sdumo Dlamin could emulate leaders such as John Gomomo in this struggle of the working class and stop focusing on finding things that would justify the call by the so called investors whom they sit and dine with after meetings, they should start representing the interest of workers as John Gomomo did when he refused to work for the Mandela administration to focus on building the COSATU we now see today. What will be their argument if they were offered an opportunity to sit in BRICS platforms? What agenda will be served, but coming back to the topic at hand, at this day and age, COSATU need to focus on looking at the interests of the working class and establish a system or template that should be of benefit to both the employers and the working class and avoid what we see happening today, as it is happening in the transport sector.

The workers has a right to strike for salaries that should be competitive enough for them to support their children, “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”. The gap between the employer and the worker seem to be something that should be negotiated by all so as we can have stability in these sectors, it cannot be justified to have people who earn R100 000 per month while those who work for them only earn less than R10 000, it does not make sense. There are no benefits for the children of these workers, is there a bursary scheme for their children? It cannot be justified as well if you have workers who just go on strike when they feel like going to strike without considering the economic conditions that the global village if facing of the meltdown that was experienced in the past few years, the negotiations should balance both conditions.

The government seem to be setting up commissions of enquiries that are not useful or of benefit to those in need but are structures created to benefit those that are also earning huge salaries, look at Marikana case for example, who is benefiting there? If all these monies were given to ordinary poor people who are victims of this Marikana and government could have just accepted responsibility and just paid the families that have lost their loved ones. What will the Commission on fitness test benefit? Families of those that were killed during this exercise should be compensated and let people move on with their lives. It is an exercised aimed at delaying what is due to Cesar, give him what is due to him and stop wasting taxpayers money on things that do not need a rocket scientist but only men and women who can recommend to those in power to just pay what is due, but hey, it is greed for example that led to Commissioner Phiyega to accept a responsibility in which she knew that she was not competent of. Politics is a dirty game, and if you do not want to be dirty, do not play in this game and just accept the way life is for you, she should have rejected the offer from SAPS. Will those who have their loved ones in Marikana vote for Ramaphosa should he stand for elections? Was Phiyega not aware that before she came to that office, we had Fivaz, Selebi and Cele with the last two not have succeeded their political appointments due to the hot seat? When looking at these developments one notices that if Phiyega was not greed, she should have been settled in her position and would not had the stress she is now facing that involves political deployment and setup, she must dance to the music because it’s her money on the slot machine. It is now clear that this position should be offered to someone who know the ins and outs of police work and not just give it some academic who you think will comply and be able to establish a template that will work for that department.

Though I have mentioned above in the past blogs that I want something positive, to write about, I find it hard to get as we wake up moving towards freedom day. Will it mean anything to an ordinary poor African soul who only wants services while our children are not educated and are not in class? Will we blame our kids if they get pregnant while still young when they are supposed to be in class and are missing classes because of the social ills that we face on a daily basis? Will the Public Protector be able to do her job without any interference from government structures? Should there be a timeframe from those elected and have not submitted any positive reports on my table? If elected by the people, does that mean we should be applying Ganges Khan rule for those who do not comply with their responsibilities? Does this freedom day mean anything if our leaders continue to fail their constituencies and are not able to emulate leaders such as Tambo, Gomomo, Hani and all those who are turning in their graves because of what is happening in our beloved country? If it means that I must accept Ipotsoyi that I left some years ago in the bundus and accept it in town, then I need to attend a class that will induct me on this. If it was not allowed there to be done by those who come from the north of our boarders because they seem to enjoy more rights than us as citizens, then this is the South Africa we now live in not the one envisaged by those leaders mentioned above. If in Main Street you will have three taverns in the same block within 2 meters from each other, where are our bylaws? We really need to talk and educate each other as communities in helping on the social ills that we face with people raping young children, women and boys that are recruited in the same sex cultures that we were not prepared for when we were celebrating that “at last we are free”. We are not yet free if opportunities that are there only benefit only a portion class that seem not to care for the very same people who have voted them into office. People only want job opportunities and assist you in shaping the democracy that was envisage by leaders such as Tambo, Gomomo, Bharayi, Hani, Gumede, and those who have died for this freedom we should be enjoying in 2013, 20 years later since most of them left us at limbo. We pray for some divine intervention and help our national leaders to revive the spirit of Ubuntu and stop this greed and corruption and put people first instead of their selfish personal aggrandisement that we see daily. We would like to see a South Africa where our officials could start taking responsibilities and start cleaning our communities and inspire us on creating opportunities that must take young people from street and put them into formal educational establishment where they can learn with being prejudiced or judged because of backgrounds they come from. We would like to see our children in tennis courts, boxing clubs, soccer fields, netball fields, recreational facilities that are of benefit to them and the nation. 

This can only happen when our leaders start serving and becoming servants and not dictators as it is happening and do we have such leaders? Yes there are those who have kept on showing confidence in working for the people, do not lose focus, ‘keep on walking’ and serving the people your efforts will be recognised by people. I would recommend you to look at “What is Politics” blog, https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4805892690654925415#editor/target=post;postID=2899068315335826889;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=5;src=postname

We must be able to laugh at ourselves and learn to forget the mistakes done by those who do not see any wrong thing in their misdeeds just as we did at apartheid. We need to focus on building communities that will be free of rape, crime, corruption, racialism and start learning from each other. We hope people will understand that as human we are fallible and that no one is perfect, but we must not stop aiming at perfecting doing good instead of bad. Educate me to understand as to why some of the challenges that we face as humans seem to be manmade instead of being natural, maybe it’s the donkey, horse, water buffalo meat that was just served in parliament without our legislatures knowing that they were eating such meat, educate me to understand what are the effects of this meat. Publish the researches made by French companies on the GMO foods (especially meal-meal and porridge) that is dumped to Africa and has negative side effects (as tested on rats) as the number of diseases that are increasing in our country. What is really happening?

WHERE ARE WE GOING TO AS A NATION?

The challenge is on that people are challenging GOD and the way things are happening these days, you will be surprised as to the moral fibre that is there in this world. When one reads through these stories you'll find that it is married men with families who sleeps with boys just as the AWB leader who lived a double life as a men and gay at the same time, one is not shocked at what is happening as we have these practices continuing because the constitution has given people rights to choose. "The girlfriend of Durban tycoon Nhlanhla Gasa’s alleged killer says she is “shocked” to hear the father of her one-year-old child lived a secret life as another man’s lover" City Press's story of Was Gasa slain for sex? It is such men who are confusing this world and the number seem to be very high (especially those in powerful positions), one has the right to choose who he/she wants to sleep with, but the challenge is when you find powerful people using money to convert poor boys to be stabanes or gays when there are so many challenges that face the world. It is time that GOD sends the fire like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah happened to those who have continued with such practices, in the book "History of South Africa and ANC 20 years later" Falco argues that AIDS is mostly promoted by this practice of same sex, he questions what is the sickness that you (as men) get when you sleep with men who sleep with another men who has contracted STD from some women? You (as that man) sleep with your wife /girl friend who then sleeps with another men who has side sexual partners at the side, then AIDS come into the picture. While growing up there was a crime called sodomy, there was also a crime called besuality and which today are no longer criminal acts but are called Human Rights, I think we're testing GODs patience by these actions and would also share the same sentiment that this is some sickness that the nation has to have a dialog about.

The word Sodomy from Wikipedia explains it as: -(/ˈsɒdəmi/) is any non-penile/vaginal copulation-like act, such as oral or anal sex, or sex between a person and an animal.[1] The word is derived from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in chapters 18 and 19 of the Book of Genesis in the Bible.[1] So-called "sodomy laws" in many countries criminalized not only these behaviors, but other disfavored sexual activities as well, but in the Western world, many of these laws have been overturned, or are not routinely enforced. The Jewish historian Josephus used the term “Sodomites” in summarizing the Genesis narrative: “About this time the Sodomites grew proud, on account of their riches and great wealth; they became unjust towards men, and impious towards God, in so much that they did not call to mind the advantages they received from him: they hated strangers, and abused themselves with Sodomitical practices” "Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence; and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their lodging in his house; and promised that if their inclinations could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their lust, instead of these strangers; neither thus were they made ashamed." (Antiquities 1.11.1,3[18] — circa AD 96). His assessment goes beyond the Biblical data, though it is seen by conservatives as defining what manner of fornication (Jude 1:7) Sodom was given to.

The next generation will be really lost if we continue with these practices and pretend that things are perfect, while there is a problem at hand. Does this Act 108, called the Constitution of South Africa really serve the interests of South Africa if it has created the kind of South Africa we have today? Is this the South Africa that was envisaged by those leaders who have securitised their lives for? Should we accept things through our throats even if we do not seem to accept or like them, should I be forced to eat pork even if I do not want to eat it? Should I allow my children to be exposed of such practices when I was never exposed to such practice? Should I be forced to go and attend gay classes (to learn more about this culture) even if I am not interested to learn about gays or lesbians so as I can accept this lifestyle since I am coming from the backward culture of Africanism? Were we prepared for this lifestyle when we were fighting apartheid, is there any induction that is there for communities to prepare themselves on these lifestyle behaviours? These are some of the questions I would like to be educated about so as I can also accept some of these challenges that we face as communities.

In one of them good cold days we were discussing about the choses that our children make these days, and one of them was about what will you say if your child chose to be gay or lesbian? It started with that most of us learnt about music at home, your parents would play music that later made us to choose the kind of music that we are now playing as parents. Does this have an impact on the way our children make choices in the way they live their lives? Does the kind of music that we play as parents have an impact on our children? In trying to answer this, we agreed to disagree as some of us believed that yes, the kind of music that we play has an impact on our children as it did to us. If you play classic music you child’s choice in music will be more of going the classical kind of music. We also agreed that since now there is music played on radios, television, mp3 and mp4, these impacts on the children kind of music that they play and you as a parent have no way of influencing your child on these decisions. As we accepted the way the argument was flowing, the question that was posed was, what will you do if you son asks you that a friend will be sleeping over during the week end, you then accept. In the middle of the night you wake up to get some water from the kitchen and when you pass you son’s bedroom you here some noise and you can feel that it’s your son’s voice making those sounds. You think that your son is in some trouble, then you enter……only to find that the friend is busy with your son…. Penetrating him at the back on the chocolate box, what will you do? What will your report be when you go back to your wife? Others said they would kill both the son and the friend, others said they would chase them away there on the spot, no one agreed that they would accept the choice that the son has made as they would have accepted the choice on music. These are some of the realities that we face a society, and that we were not prepared for these challenges, what happens if you grew up following religious norms that do not follow this type of lifestyle? Please educate me as to what must happen when my son has made the choice that I do not approve of, should I chase him away or should I go for counselling and learn to accept reality?