It is amazing how the world community has become so fearless. Despite the ongoing poverty affecting many people in the world, there are still those who go on bragging about their billions. Visit – http://www.woopidoo.com/reviews/news/rich-list/billionaires/2009.htm  

This needs to be contrasted with the world’s poorest people. That the world’s richest people have decreased from 1125 in 2008 to 793 in 2009 is laughable! Millionaires are not counted in these.

Seemingly these money-makers could come and buy many African states and municipalities.

But, is it that hard for them to adopt all the poor families and ensure that these families live a normal life? After all, such expenses are a petty cash to them.

There are many people, mostly employed by private sector, who earn R1 000 a month! What about those who are unemployed then?

It will be interesting to learn how much does the lowest paid worker, say in Bill Gates’ Microsoft earn in a month, for example!

To view the comple list, visit: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html

I fully support the stance taken by Sanef. Similarly, trade unions protect the workers and their membership no matter what.

Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act rears its ugly head again, despite fifteen years of democracy. Journalists report, and police have to do their job which includes investigations and enforcing the law.

It is very surprising that even some journalists and academics seem to support the Ministry of Police for haunting e-tv’s news editor Ben Said and reporter Mpho Lakaje. I have never heard of  Aljazeera being subpoenaed for airing videos associated with Osama Bin Laden, for example. The same goes to the recent Angola attack where Togo national team’s bus was gun fired by a separatist group, the Front for the Liberation of Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) during the Afcon. No journalists were harrassed to name or point where FLEC is hiding, nor were journalists labelled as sleeping with terrorists or being terrorists themselves. FLEC made more threats that there would be further attacks. 

If this Minister of Police succeeds, many more journalists will in the future be compelled to name sources at will. The 2010 Fifa World Cup cannot, and must not be used as a scape-goat, similar to the outcries the 2010 Local Organising Committee’s Danny Jordan was at pains to explain that Angola and South Africa are two totally different African countries.

We the media need to be free from any fear or favour, reporting what is of public interest. The police must use the intelligence to track down the criminals.

What happened to Football Fridays on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day? They were the best opportunities to market the oncoming 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup. These two days were falling on Football Fridays! Thousands of South Africa and foreign visitors descended to our beaches, game reserves and holiday resorts to relax and have fun. Parents could have been encouraged to save a lot, particularly on Christmas Day, by ensuring that their kids don Bafana Bafana colours instead of the usual Christmas new clothes. Retailers could have been encouraged (even through incentives) to flood their shops with South African and Bafana Bafana colours during the festive season shopping. South Africa did not need rainbow colours this festive season (where kids wear the usual special Christmas clothes) but a Bafana-bow nation! Danny Jordan has recently cried out that support from the South Africans is dwindling.

Someone or some people in the Eastern Cape’s Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, or the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, or the Fifa 2010 Local Organising Committee (provincial and national) did not do their homework and the marketing job properly. In Port Elizabeth, as a host city, more visible are the Continental Tyres, Good Year Tyres and Vodacom season’s Greetings banners dominating the Beach Road where thousands converged. One would be forgiven to think that formula one is taking place as only two 2010 advertisements, facing one direction only, were visible! Other than that were the A5 flyers distributed early in the morning by one white guy (the only one that I came across), trying to do his good job on a New Year’s Day, nogal (you have tried your best, man, keep it up)!

South African politics and political parties are good example and lesson for the marketing and communication of the soccer world tournament. T-shirts are freely distributed all over. Posters flood the towns and townships until other parties complain due to lack of space or sabotage. Even the municipalities tend to threaten some of these parties due to disrespect of municipal by-laws. Political parties fill stadiums, community halls and schools. Everyone talks of party this or party that. This is despite the number of limited eligible, registered voters, or those who blatantly refuse to cast their votes. Children get involved too, in many ways, showing massive support of their parents and communities. They know for sure that they are the future voters, as it happens with our local football where you find families’ support split in supporting Kaiser Chiefs, Orlando Pirates or other Premier Soccer League’s teams. I still maintain that thousands of Bafana Bafana t-shirts should have been freely distributed at our beaches during Christmas and New Year’s Day. Financial support for the world cup can never be less than that of elections! Instead, retailers like Edgars and Woolworth are cashing in on these t-shirts, going for over R100, 00 each. I do not know about other cities, but Port Elizabeth, as the only host city in the Eastern Cape, should have seized the opportunity of flooding the beach front with 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup banners. This does not imply that the city and the country are not ready, but it clearly shows that either the communication and marketing is not properly financed and supported, or someone in this department (communication and marketing) is failing the tournament, the municipality, the provincial government and the country.

 A national anthem should be simple, sang only with one version.

The reggae remix rendition of our national anthem by Ras Dumisani is not something new. Who is to blame? Schools? Teachers as usual? Sporting events have been offering a variety of our national anthem. We have been worse than Ras Dumisani. Many, young and old, cannot even finish the national anthem. Kwaito artists have for a long time wanted to make money out of the national anthem.

Was Ras Dumisani at fault? Oh, yes! And, we all love to blame him because the Boks were beaten and the Toulouse hoodoo continued. One wonders whether his singing could have got so much attention had the Springbok won.

 Blaming Ras Dumisani is just a tip of the iceberg. Calls have been going on for the national anthem to be revised. Worse of all, many have shocking and appalling disrespect when it comes to the national anthem. Many talk, shout and laugh. The South African media did not help the situation either, with some accusing Ras Dumisani of being “high”, or “of seeing the green grass” when seeing the rugby field.

I maintain, again, that our national anthem should be simple, sang only with one version. Everybody should show respect by standing up in Madiba pose, and sing proudly in unison. To be proudly South African, and patriotic, this should also happen even at our homes and sports bars when watching our national teams.

East London and Mdantsane are suffering when it comes to what used to be a bioscope. I grew up attending films at both Empolweni and Victory Cinemas. We sometimes use to enjoy movies during the night until early morning, unlike the partying going on nowadays called Jiva Mzansi, where drinking, drug abuse, sexual activities, attacks and killings are the order of the day. That Victory has decided to close now is a shame. My son was beginning to love it too, after I have introduced him while I was studying at Rhodes / Fort Hare East London branch.

I have fond memories too of all those action movies. There were days when we could not get in because of long queues. Films like Rambo were sold out, even during their re-run. Many became story-tellers, writers, actors and budding filmmakers because of movies played at our community-based cinemas. Films like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly also taught us to listen and concentrate for a long time. We also became good readers when we discovered that many of the movies originated from certain books.

Prices have been very good at our community cinemas. Two movies usually cost less than R10.00, as compared to upmarket cinemas where one pays over R10.00 for a movie. It is disappointing that some of us will have to resort to going to the likes of Nu Metro or Ster Kinekor. These places do not offer that much other than ‘pick-pocketing’ families who pretend to be well-off. For example, more money is spent on popcorns, sweets and drinks than actually watching movies. DVDs and television do not even offer much of entertainment either. Films are repeated several times, making us wonder why the TV licences and DSTV rentals.

The Eastern Cape Film Office should be making great use of venues like Victory, and bring back African movies which are not available in the circuit. The venue could also be for budding moviemakers where they meet, train, analyse and discuss ups and downs in the film industry. The closing down of the ‘the last cinema’ is a shock as it happens when filming seems to growing in the province.

Yes, we can! Well done to Ghana for instilling the spirit of Africa. This shows that Amajata, South Africa’s U/20 national team was beaten by a better side, a world-class team that went all the way to lift the world cup.

All that is left now is for African senior national teams’ coaches, and club coaches, particularly in South Africa to have full confidence in our youth. The national squad could easily emulate the juniors and deliver the goods. Amajita were a marvellous to watch. Goals matter in any tournament. Ghana, for example, had a bad final, and ended up finishing the game with 10 men. Despite all that, they defended the African continent with all their might. The reward will forever live with them. This has to change their lives for good. Things like free tertiary fees, housing and medical scheme for all the players should be showered as a ‘thank you’ for dying for Ghana and Africa.

All the spectacles will now turn on Bafana Bafana. Our players are not performing even at club level. Most of the foreign-based players are benched. And yet, we all blame the coach for lacking tactics. We all agree, YES, he must be fired so that when we lose the world cup, he is not blamed, but another African coach must take that blame.

South African players need to start looking at playing for some of the African clubs like Asante Kotoko, Esperance, Asec Abidjan and Al Ahly. This will surely go a long way in ensuring that South African clubs and the national teams are able to match other African clubs and other African national teams. The thinking that Europe is the best must be secondary. Some of the best players in Europe come from these African clubs and national teams, more so than South African clubs and Bafana Bafana.

Shame, poor Caster! Is it her fault, and her own-making all these stories that we hear? With the rate of suicide cases from distressed South Africans, it seems that she is also being shoved in that direction. What does a poor, shy, rural girl know all about all this anyway? Well, the west has spoken anyway, and Africa, as a Third World, must dance to their tune. Caster grew up as a girl, chose to be a woman, and chose sport as a career. She did not choose crime. She did not choose prostitution. She did not choose drug addiction. She also chose studying, hoping to be professional somebody one day. She is surely preparing for the final year examinations. After all this, what message is the world sending? Is it that Caster, you are neither a woman nor a man?   

And, what about her privacy? Seemingly, UK and Australia are saying, who cares, Caster, siyakumenya (we are embarrassing you). Moreover, these reports are surely causing discomfort and distress to her parents and family. Being a rural woman, more things would be said, including witchcraft. It will be difficult for her to ever get married. Black South Africans never even think of leaving the country to go and live in UK or Australia. Black South Africans do not care about having dual citizenship.

It seems that ‘this world’ is also judging God’s creation. An ordinary, simple girl from rural areas chose to be a proudly South African. She chose to be woman and to participate in what she thought she love best. ‘This world’ is saying, ha-ah, not so fast! These are super-powers who know and defy creation, forces of nature, who create and determine science, and who stuck to their guns even when they are wrong because they would never say SORRY. Maybe when Semenya is dead, they will take her to their museums, display her with home-made male testes that produce large amounts of testosterone, with a note “Athlete: get one of these…you will run faster”.

Shame to the Australian and UK media, and the IAAF. Your oppression and tricks of seeing another African (woman) not succeeding received top marks. The many boxing bodies that we have today were of your own making (the west). This is similar to America having to contest wrestling world titles within America and with Americans only. One wonders what tricks your teams will be bringing in Fifa 2010 World Cup.

Things for the government workers are changing eMzantsi. Government is stamping its foot. Any group that proves to be too vigilant is accused of being a third force. Intelligence will be sent to root out anything. That then has support of military veterans. The youth leagues will support the move. Those who expect huge returns of their votes are then crushed. Reasons? Undermining status quo? Lack of patriotism?

Let’s look at service delivery by municipalities. Protests were linked to a third force. This was despite genuine demands by blacks who are still in the same situation, 15 years after freedom.

Civil servants have not received their annual increment. Surprisingly, they are quiet. Firstly, they were told that the ODS was the real cause. Money for the OSD is also not coming forth. Nurses and teachers are sitting on the panic buttons, but they are not pressing them. The treasury also said that civil servants will have to do with little increment if the government is to realise job-creation. There were no reactions from unions.  The disparities in salaries continue unabated, 15 years on.  

Doctors could not bare it any longer. Accusation went left and right. Other unions tried too, but the recession and other factors were dangled as the main cause.

Then the soldiers hit the toyi-toyi bug. They were dismissed. Valid reasons were given on both sides, but the poor soldiers have to take all the blame, and learn to live their lives without jobs. The union’s mother body is silent.

The taxis, who are said to have been god unto themselves for too long, would not win the BRT saga too. The very same soldiers will soon vent their anger on them. Many will say that they deserve it. The country is not a banana republic.

Come to think of it. Who would want to go on and toyi-toyi from now on? Anyone who dare, no matter how genuine the cause, faces two very high possibilities: being purged, or being under surveillance.

Being a politician has become a must career, protected by the masses who voted you in, despite their poor living conditions, poor health, poor houses, and poor education. Soon it will be the Moseneke Commission recommending MPs salary increases of between 30 -70%. Voters will say: They deserve it because they did not bargain or toyi-toyi!

The Border Youth Dance Theatre in Mdantsane, founded by Xolani Sibuta and Thembinkosi Puwane, will miss it if it cannot come with a dance extravaganza in honour of Jackson. The pop star played a central role in the formation of the group during the Shell Road To Fame period which produced the likes of Rebecca Malope. The group has produced performers like Bongiwe Fumba, Simphiwe Mba, and actors like Nomathamsanqa Baleka of Soul City cast.

The group went on to represent Buffalo City and the Eastern Cape in the FNB Dance Umbrella and the National Arts Festival. Many of the group members are still influential members in the Dance category of the Arts field. Some of them are the core of the famous Guild Theatre Dance Company. The group has also been at the centre of many Heritage Day celebrations and international tours of the Eastern Cape government to countries like Germany, Jordan and China.

DA’s Helen Zille must be the happiest politician in South Africa, albeit being an opposition. Firstly, she got the Western Cape she was crying for until her voice ran out. Secondly, she managed ‘to stop the ANC and Jacob Zuma from getting the 2/3 majority’.

The opposition in a democratic South Africa still leaves much to be desired. Having managed to stop the ANC right at the end, they failed to seize the opportunity and offer a killer punch. A total of 34.1% (7 905 061 of 23 181 997) eligible voters were at stake and were not swayed by the ANC. The voter turn-out happened to be just at 77.3% (17 919 966) of which the ANC took 65.9% (11 650 748). This means all the opposition parties had to scramble for the 11.4 % instead of the 34.1% that was at stake (disregarding the undecided whooping 22.7% (= 5 262 313) voters!).

One would not even be surprised that the 11.4% voters for the opposition only went to the polls because of the ANC electioneering, and not because of their own parties’ campaigning.

Learners at schools and students at tertiary institutions will wonder with no answer from the politicians. Should our youth be blamed for low standards when our leaders, politicians who rule everything, are under-performing? Does this also mean that students getting less than 1% or 10% must also pass together with those who get 65%? The same can be said of athletes vying for Olympics that no matter how bad they perform, they are going!

The thing is, these politicians will from May onward go to parliament to decide the future of all South Africans for the next five years, and in some cases blaming the best achiever for being too clever than the rest.

It is high time that the IEC raises barometer for gaining a seat in parliament, as well as being an opposition. For example, how do we allow a situation in South Africa, of granting opposition status where a party has less than 10%? The only healthy example is in the Western Cape where the ruling party (DA in this case) has obtained 51.4%, and the opposition (ANC) has garnered 31.5%. The rest of the provinces are embarrassing and appalling with huge differences of between 40 and 77%. That is the same even at national level.
The IEC must not only focus on the registration fee. Membership of the party, branches and constituencies must also be taken into account.