THEY didn’t have a sports field in their school, nor did they have the kit to play with. All of them come from poor family backgrounds and the school in the local community was declared by a no fee school by the government. Yet despite all the odds stacked against them; this dedicated team of young boys is now representing South Africa at the DANONE under 12 soccer World Cup in Pretoria.
The DANAONE Nations Cup was established 11 years ago. It was a vision from the current chief executive Franck Riboud; who believed in developing children through sports and creating values for children from across the different cultures. He thought a mini World Cup would be a sufficient platform for children to learn more about themselves and other cultural backgrounds. After its inception in 1999 the tournament grew and today 40 countries participate and the young players get the opportunity to meet soccer heroes such as Zinandine Zidane and Neil Tovey.
Sinenzuzo Primary is located in Hammersdale outside Durban in a remote village called Mlaba Village. The people of the village are friendly but the are is represents the social dynamics that one has been accustomed to in South Africa.
The road to qualifying for the Nations Cup is long and rigorous which requires a high degree of discipline and hard work. Makhotso Fako, the brand manager of DANONE South Africa says the boys had to compete with other schools in Durban and around KwaZulu-Natal. After winning their provincial tournaments the boys proceeded to compete with teams from other provinces where they won and are now representing the country.
Fako paid a visit to the school congratulate the young players and along with the DANONE Southern Africa team and former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey, established a food garden for the school and the community. She says they decided to visit after they won and saw an opportunity to give back to give back to the disadvantaged community.
“We visited their homes and after we saw their living conditions we decided to go the extra mile and ensure that its more than just a soccer tournament but an initiative to improve the lives of talented children.”
Bafana Bafana legend and Northwood old boy, Neil Tovey attended the launch of the food garden as a DANONE Nations cup ambassador and role model. According to Tovey, the food garden is there to help the boys prepare for the tournament. He says they still have lots work to do in the build up to the games in Gauteng.
“We want to inspire them and assist as much as we can in tournament. We want to give them a sense of pride and the idea behind the food garden is that if we taught them how to do it themselves then they would have a sense of achievement.”
Tovey says the boys learned how to prepare a garden bed and learned about controlling the soil and how to irrigate it properly.
“The preparation of the garden is like preparing for football, they know how to nurture it and guard it which will assist them in maintaining it.”
The principle of the school, Phumelele Nxele couldn’t conceal her joy at the boys achievement.
“I feel very great, words cannot express how I feel; I’m very proud of them.”
Nxele further explains how the boys had no soccer ground to practice on and had to walk seven kilometers everyday to practice on another schools grounds.
“Our school is one of the poorest schools in the province. We have also be defined as a no fee paying school because of the conditions our community live under. Just take a look around you, at least with this achievement we can bring hope to parents and children.”
She says the behavior of the boys has changed and soccer has made them more confident and disciplined. She says the other children in the school look up to them.
Ayanda Mkhize, who coaches the boys believes they have the potential to go all the way in the tournament. He says the biggest challenge with coaching such a young team is that you always have to understand their issues. The only way to get them to play their best is if they enjoy every moment on the field.
“You always have to encourage them and laugh and play with them. They have to enjoy the hard work which is quite challenging especially when it comes to fitness training. I took them to the beach on a daily basis so they could run on the sand but after that there was an incentive where we would play games and swim at the sea. The trick is to always practice playing soccer and have as much fun as possible.”
He added that the biggest motivating factor was when they met French football legend Zinedine Zidane.
“He motivated them and they had an opportunity to ask him questions about how to manage pressure and how to handle being a star.”
Mkhize says he hopes to see the boys become professional soccer players one day and that the tournament will be platform towards a brighter future.
Eleven year old Sanele Mkhize is the center midfielder, star player and captain of the team and is grateful for the opportunity. The young player supports Orlando Pirates and he hopes to wear the black and white number 10 jersey one day.
“My favorite player is Andile Jali, I like the way the ball sticks to his feet like glue on the soccer pitch. I think we will do well in Johannesburg because we listen to each other and respect each other. We have team spirit and it doesn’t matter whether we win or lose. We just want to play,” said Mkhize.
These young boys have done us proud, they are a true example of how hard work, dedication and a bit of luck can make a difference in our lives. This school is in the outskirts of KZN in a poverty stricken community. They defeated the privileged and the so called best to be where they are today. They had no league to compete in, didn’t play in any prestigious club and none of them were invited for Natal or Durban district trials; but look at where they are today.
The opening game kicks of on the 23rd of September and the final will be held on the 3rd of October at the Orlando Stadium.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Remember ladies; no one has the right to abuse you!
IMAGINE you are a five year old child watching your mother being bashed head first against the wall by your father. You want to help but you can’t, you feel helpless and you grow with that state of mind for another fifteen years. If you are a male, chances are you'll grow up thinking it's normal to beat women and if you are girl, chances are you'll think it is normal to endure abuse in a relationship.
Women's month is upon us, yet we still experience cases of domestic violence and women abuse in our homes. We hear stories of husbands and boyfriends killing their wives and children growing up in abusive households. A tragic incident preceding women's month occurred in Glenwood where a woman was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend shortly after she had ended her relationship with him. Her boyfriend was released on R1500 bail and is attending trial at the Durban magistrate court.
In another incident, a man killed his six month old baby, attacked his 13 year old and bludgeoned his wife with a hammer and strangled her before commiting suicide. People who know the man say he was depressed and unemployed. His wife and 13 year old survived the ordeal but six month old Naledi was not so lucky, she died at the scene.
Many children grow up in single parent households where women have to play both the role of mother and father; coupled with the pressure to provide for their families and ensure that their children get a good education. Many children are also raised in dysfunctional two parent households where mothers are subject to violence and other acts of emotional and physical trauma. Kimber Adams (not her real name), grew up in such an environment and she shares her experience:
“Growing up in abusive relationship can be very damaging emotionally and psychologically. It is a cross that I will always carry as woman, I can forgive my farther for what he did to my mother but I will never forget. Talking from my mothers experience I think it is a pattern which most women don't notice. I fell into the same trap with my ex-boyfriend who was exactly like my father, thank goodness I realised before it was too late and I left him. My mother stayed in an abusive relationship because of security reasons and I appreciate her for that but I still feel that she didn't have to.
We all encounter hardships in relationships but no one has the right to abuse you. Women need to realise this and know that there are places of safety where they can go and get the help they need. I believe that God never puts you in a situation you cannot handle, we just have to learn to trust ourselves and be strong,” she said.
Adams says she has now found another boyfriend who respects her as woman and as a person. She says although the trauma of her childhood experiences still haunt her she has dealt with the issue by being positive and trusting herself. There are many women like Amber in our society who have endured abuse and keeping silent doesn't solve the problem.
Women in most sections of our society are still subservient to men; in the workplace at home and even on the social scene and this subservience has seen an increase in trends relating to domestic violence. Makhosazane Nxumalo who heads the Commission for Gender equality in KwaZulu Natal says violence against women in South Africa has become so bad that it is no longer a matter of “if” a woman will get beaten or raped but a matter of “when”.
“Violence against women has spread into the younger fragments of society. The principles of ubuntu are decaying and it is mostly the younger generation who commit these acts. If people break into a house where there is women, the first thing that they'll do is rape or even murder before stealing.”
She says most cases involving domestic violence are created by financial and emotional dependence and the psychological need to have a man, which is driven by poor self esteem and societal oppression. She says women abuse is not limited to any class aspect in our society. “Women professionals and women in rural areas are subject to abuse, it affects all classes, and people hide it because they don't want to lose their homes.”
There are also issues of women reporting domestic violence and not being able to go back to their families, Nxulamo says this has resulted in a backlog of shelters and services that deal with women abuse. “The numbers of shelters are very limited and we need to establish more resources where people can go if they are abused.”
The effect of domestic violence on school children is also a cause for concern. Nxumalo believes that some children do not perform properly at school because of the abusive environment they subjected to at home. Bullying at school can be attributed to domestic violence because the child thinks that in order to gain respect; he has to do what his farther does to his mother at home and there are not enough services to deal with these issues in our schools. Children in abusive relationships need counseling and the biggest problem is that they don't know where to go and who to talk to.
She says the signs to spot a prospective abusive relationship are difficult because men approach women in a sweet way at the beginning. However, one can spot an abuser by their actions and personality.
“Control is usually the first sign, especially when a man wants to know where you all the time and tells you what to wear. Some men also want their partners to depend on them and arguments about these issues can escalate to violence.”
There are various organisations that women can go to if they are in an abusive relationship such as People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), Commission for Gender Equality and the KZN Network on Violence Against Women. All these organisations offer support and advice on abusive relationships and domestic violence. Women must understand that they are not alone and help is available.
People Against Women Abuse (POWA): 083 765 1235
Commission for Gender equality (CGE): 031 305 2105
KwaZulu natal Network on Violence Against Women: (031) 261 3471
Women's month is upon us, yet we still experience cases of domestic violence and women abuse in our homes. We hear stories of husbands and boyfriends killing their wives and children growing up in abusive households. A tragic incident preceding women's month occurred in Glenwood where a woman was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend shortly after she had ended her relationship with him. Her boyfriend was released on R1500 bail and is attending trial at the Durban magistrate court.
In another incident, a man killed his six month old baby, attacked his 13 year old and bludgeoned his wife with a hammer and strangled her before commiting suicide. People who know the man say he was depressed and unemployed. His wife and 13 year old survived the ordeal but six month old Naledi was not so lucky, she died at the scene.
Many children grow up in single parent households where women have to play both the role of mother and father; coupled with the pressure to provide for their families and ensure that their children get a good education. Many children are also raised in dysfunctional two parent households where mothers are subject to violence and other acts of emotional and physical trauma. Kimber Adams (not her real name), grew up in such an environment and she shares her experience:
“Growing up in abusive relationship can be very damaging emotionally and psychologically. It is a cross that I will always carry as woman, I can forgive my farther for what he did to my mother but I will never forget. Talking from my mothers experience I think it is a pattern which most women don't notice. I fell into the same trap with my ex-boyfriend who was exactly like my father, thank goodness I realised before it was too late and I left him. My mother stayed in an abusive relationship because of security reasons and I appreciate her for that but I still feel that she didn't have to.
We all encounter hardships in relationships but no one has the right to abuse you. Women need to realise this and know that there are places of safety where they can go and get the help they need. I believe that God never puts you in a situation you cannot handle, we just have to learn to trust ourselves and be strong,” she said.
Adams says she has now found another boyfriend who respects her as woman and as a person. She says although the trauma of her childhood experiences still haunt her she has dealt with the issue by being positive and trusting herself. There are many women like Amber in our society who have endured abuse and keeping silent doesn't solve the problem.
Women in most sections of our society are still subservient to men; in the workplace at home and even on the social scene and this subservience has seen an increase in trends relating to domestic violence. Makhosazane Nxumalo who heads the Commission for Gender equality in KwaZulu Natal says violence against women in South Africa has become so bad that it is no longer a matter of “if” a woman will get beaten or raped but a matter of “when”.
“Violence against women has spread into the younger fragments of society. The principles of ubuntu are decaying and it is mostly the younger generation who commit these acts. If people break into a house where there is women, the first thing that they'll do is rape or even murder before stealing.”
She says most cases involving domestic violence are created by financial and emotional dependence and the psychological need to have a man, which is driven by poor self esteem and societal oppression. She says women abuse is not limited to any class aspect in our society. “Women professionals and women in rural areas are subject to abuse, it affects all classes, and people hide it because they don't want to lose their homes.”
There are also issues of women reporting domestic violence and not being able to go back to their families, Nxulamo says this has resulted in a backlog of shelters and services that deal with women abuse. “The numbers of shelters are very limited and we need to establish more resources where people can go if they are abused.”
The effect of domestic violence on school children is also a cause for concern. Nxumalo believes that some children do not perform properly at school because of the abusive environment they subjected to at home. Bullying at school can be attributed to domestic violence because the child thinks that in order to gain respect; he has to do what his farther does to his mother at home and there are not enough services to deal with these issues in our schools. Children in abusive relationships need counseling and the biggest problem is that they don't know where to go and who to talk to.
She says the signs to spot a prospective abusive relationship are difficult because men approach women in a sweet way at the beginning. However, one can spot an abuser by their actions and personality.
“Control is usually the first sign, especially when a man wants to know where you all the time and tells you what to wear. Some men also want their partners to depend on them and arguments about these issues can escalate to violence.”
There are various organisations that women can go to if they are in an abusive relationship such as People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), Commission for Gender Equality and the KZN Network on Violence Against Women. All these organisations offer support and advice on abusive relationships and domestic violence. Women must understand that they are not alone and help is available.
People Against Women Abuse (POWA): 083 765 1235
Commission for Gender equality (CGE): 031 305 2105
KwaZulu natal Network on Violence Against Women: (031) 261 3471
The Drug Despair in Durban
MANY DURBAN youths continue to fall into despair as a heroin wave sweeps across communities, devastating the lives of families and the future of their children.
In some areas it’s sugars and in others it is whoonga, but these drugs share dangerous common characteristics. Their main ingredient is heroin and dealers enhance this with ARV’s and rat poison. Durban communities which have been affected by this pandemic include; KwaMashu, Chatsworth, KwaDabeka, Claremont, Marian hill, Chesterville, Ntuzuma and Inanda. It is also prevalent in the Durban CBD and the Berea area.
Addicts risk their lives to get their hands on anything that can be sold to get a fix. They steal anything – from copper cables and clothes from their neighbour’s washing lines to their mother’s kettle and food in the fridge. Others quit their jobs or get fired from work because they feel they have to smoke.
The drug busts which took place last week will not fix the problem because the authorities and parents seem to overlook the power of addiction.
In a discussion with Sam Pillay, the chairperson of the Anti Drug Forum in Chatsworth, several issues regarding the effects of the drug were raised. One centered on the need to tackle addiction itself instead of just its consequences.. Pillay says the parents of addicted children sometimes press charges against them in the hope of getting them off the drug. Likewise, authorities arrest young offenders who steal or engage in prostitution in order to buy “a fix”.
Pillay argues that community vigilantism doesn’t work because it doesn’t deal with the root causes of addiction. An incident in Mount Moriah is cited, where four whoonga addicts were rounded up by an angry community mob and beaten half to death with shamboks, sticks, bricks, belts and any thing else that could inflict damage on the human body. The police had to break up the mob with the threat of pepper spray. They threw the young boys into the back of a police van and escorted them back home. People in Mount Moriah called it community justice.
He says that in most instances, the Department of health, police, parents and teachers are not equipped to deal with these issues.
The entry level of drug addiction is getting lower and the moral fibre of society is disintegrating. This is corroborated by figures indicating that there is a high level of child prostitution, associated with the drug, in Durban.
Girls, as young as 15 can be seen on the roads near the Chatsworth Youth Centre and shopping malls, selling their; bodies at night. They signal motorists to stop, desperation written all over their faces. They discard their chastity for as little as the cost of a fix – about R20 to R50. During an investigation which led to the Mercury breaking the story on the deadly whoonga in Durban townships, some of the boys told of tales where girls would offer themselves to dealers and drug pals for a few hits of the drug.
One of the young addicted prostitutes said the pain of withdrawal from drugs was unbearable and that she had to smoke at all costs.
“We started smoking after school with some of the boys in my class. I realized once I was hooked that there was no turning back, it is really painful. I just want to smoke so I can feel normal and happy again. I started selling my body when I couldn’t get money from the drugs.”
If Durban is to overcome substance abuse, then it must strike at the root cause - addiction.
There is medication which can suppress the urge to smoke - such as Subutex. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Subutex is a long-acting opiate primarily used to treat narcotic (opioid) dependence. It is sold as a pill that dissolves under the tongue. Its purpose is to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
The pill stimulates the opiate receptors in the brain and has a greater attraction to the opiate receptors than other drugs, such as heroin and methadone, resulting in a drastic reduction of the desire to take drugs. However, the downside is that it also causes dependence and has also become available on the black market.
Ironically, Sam Pillay said, some of the dealers were selling both Subutex on and heroin. If the addict ends up becoming addicted to the cure, which causes another problem.
Another drug available for sugars and whoonga addicts is Naltrexon. It is similar to Subutex, but is more effective, according to Pillay. It shuts down the urge completely. The tablet is important because it tackles the root causes of drug abuse. Pillay adds that once addiction had been overcome therapists can start psychological evaluation, goal setting and reintegrating addicts into society.
“It is all in the mind and we need to show addicts that they can lead normal lives. We have to show them that they can’t go back to the lives they were living before. They can’t expect to change if they are still going to hang around at the same places and be friends with the same people; they have to be ready to change.”
Although it is not enough to rid the effects of a drugs with another drug, more emphasis should be put into equipping teachers with the tools to fight addiction in the schools. since most drug addicts are school children and drop outs. A start would be to include substance abuse in the curriculum when students study towards a teaching qualification. This would enable them to understand that addiction is not just a dependence on a chemical substance, but it is a dependence which has manifested into a lifestyle.
In a socio economic perspective, drugs in Durban are more readily available in poorer areas of society where the youth don’t have access to recreational activities. Children just don’t have much to do, they go to schools where sports and extra mural activities are not taken seriously as private or semi-private schools. Pupils who participate in extramural activities such as sports, debating, drama, the arts and spiritual upliftment programmes are less likely to fall victim to substance abuse than pupils who go to school and come back home to hang around on the streets or in corners and drug dens.
Sam Pillay says there are former addicts who kicked the habbit thanks to Naltrexon and spiritual change. He said once they had seen that there is more to life than drugs they change for the better and play a more positive role in society. However, the only addicts with a higher success rate were the ones on Naltrexon and expressed an eagerness to quit and change their lifestyle.
Durban residents need to make a stand and fight back against this deadly drug. They need to understand that addiction leads to actions that people wouldn’t normally do in a sober state of mind. It is simple, if we get rid of the addiction, and change the lifestyle of school children in our underprivileged communities, we will get rid if the crime and the drug abuse that is associated with it.
In some areas it’s sugars and in others it is whoonga, but these drugs share dangerous common characteristics. Their main ingredient is heroin and dealers enhance this with ARV’s and rat poison. Durban communities which have been affected by this pandemic include; KwaMashu, Chatsworth, KwaDabeka, Claremont, Marian hill, Chesterville, Ntuzuma and Inanda. It is also prevalent in the Durban CBD and the Berea area.
Addicts risk their lives to get their hands on anything that can be sold to get a fix. They steal anything – from copper cables and clothes from their neighbour’s washing lines to their mother’s kettle and food in the fridge. Others quit their jobs or get fired from work because they feel they have to smoke.
The drug busts which took place last week will not fix the problem because the authorities and parents seem to overlook the power of addiction.
In a discussion with Sam Pillay, the chairperson of the Anti Drug Forum in Chatsworth, several issues regarding the effects of the drug were raised. One centered on the need to tackle addiction itself instead of just its consequences.. Pillay says the parents of addicted children sometimes press charges against them in the hope of getting them off the drug. Likewise, authorities arrest young offenders who steal or engage in prostitution in order to buy “a fix”.
Pillay argues that community vigilantism doesn’t work because it doesn’t deal with the root causes of addiction. An incident in Mount Moriah is cited, where four whoonga addicts were rounded up by an angry community mob and beaten half to death with shamboks, sticks, bricks, belts and any thing else that could inflict damage on the human body. The police had to break up the mob with the threat of pepper spray. They threw the young boys into the back of a police van and escorted them back home. People in Mount Moriah called it community justice.
He says that in most instances, the Department of health, police, parents and teachers are not equipped to deal with these issues.
The entry level of drug addiction is getting lower and the moral fibre of society is disintegrating. This is corroborated by figures indicating that there is a high level of child prostitution, associated with the drug, in Durban.
Girls, as young as 15 can be seen on the roads near the Chatsworth Youth Centre and shopping malls, selling their; bodies at night. They signal motorists to stop, desperation written all over their faces. They discard their chastity for as little as the cost of a fix – about R20 to R50. During an investigation which led to the Mercury breaking the story on the deadly whoonga in Durban townships, some of the boys told of tales where girls would offer themselves to dealers and drug pals for a few hits of the drug.
One of the young addicted prostitutes said the pain of withdrawal from drugs was unbearable and that she had to smoke at all costs.
“We started smoking after school with some of the boys in my class. I realized once I was hooked that there was no turning back, it is really painful. I just want to smoke so I can feel normal and happy again. I started selling my body when I couldn’t get money from the drugs.”
If Durban is to overcome substance abuse, then it must strike at the root cause - addiction.
There is medication which can suppress the urge to smoke - such as Subutex. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Subutex is a long-acting opiate primarily used to treat narcotic (opioid) dependence. It is sold as a pill that dissolves under the tongue. Its purpose is to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
The pill stimulates the opiate receptors in the brain and has a greater attraction to the opiate receptors than other drugs, such as heroin and methadone, resulting in a drastic reduction of the desire to take drugs. However, the downside is that it also causes dependence and has also become available on the black market.
Ironically, Sam Pillay said, some of the dealers were selling both Subutex on and heroin. If the addict ends up becoming addicted to the cure, which causes another problem.
Another drug available for sugars and whoonga addicts is Naltrexon. It is similar to Subutex, but is more effective, according to Pillay. It shuts down the urge completely. The tablet is important because it tackles the root causes of drug abuse. Pillay adds that once addiction had been overcome therapists can start psychological evaluation, goal setting and reintegrating addicts into society.
“It is all in the mind and we need to show addicts that they can lead normal lives. We have to show them that they can’t go back to the lives they were living before. They can’t expect to change if they are still going to hang around at the same places and be friends with the same people; they have to be ready to change.”
Although it is not enough to rid the effects of a drugs with another drug, more emphasis should be put into equipping teachers with the tools to fight addiction in the schools. since most drug addicts are school children and drop outs. A start would be to include substance abuse in the curriculum when students study towards a teaching qualification. This would enable them to understand that addiction is not just a dependence on a chemical substance, but it is a dependence which has manifested into a lifestyle.
In a socio economic perspective, drugs in Durban are more readily available in poorer areas of society where the youth don’t have access to recreational activities. Children just don’t have much to do, they go to schools where sports and extra mural activities are not taken seriously as private or semi-private schools. Pupils who participate in extramural activities such as sports, debating, drama, the arts and spiritual upliftment programmes are less likely to fall victim to substance abuse than pupils who go to school and come back home to hang around on the streets or in corners and drug dens.
Sam Pillay says there are former addicts who kicked the habbit thanks to Naltrexon and spiritual change. He said once they had seen that there is more to life than drugs they change for the better and play a more positive role in society. However, the only addicts with a higher success rate were the ones on Naltrexon and expressed an eagerness to quit and change their lifestyle.
Durban residents need to make a stand and fight back against this deadly drug. They need to understand that addiction leads to actions that people wouldn’t normally do in a sober state of mind. It is simple, if we get rid of the addiction, and change the lifestyle of school children in our underprivileged communities, we will get rid if the crime and the drug abuse that is associated with it.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Mohamed - fighting for survival
Mohamed wakes up early at five every morning to set up his stall on a street corner at six o’clock every morning between Monday and Friday. I usually pass him on my way to work wondering what made him come to South Africa. Was it the war in his country? Did he come here seeking a better life, or is he here because it’s easier to do business in South Africa? You can tell by looking at him that he is not South African, he has a striking resemblance of an Ethiopian, Sudanese or Somali. I wondered whether he belonged to any of the latter groups.
His hair is curly and his skin is dark, signifying generations of cultural and racial interactions between Africa and the Arab world. He is very approachable, sporting a welcoming signature smile of a street vendor trying to score some sales of a potential customer. After buying a couple of loose cigarettes and a bar of chocolate he agrees to give me five minutes of his time on this busy street corner. He comes from a province called Somaliland which is situated in Northern Somalia, a place with a rich history and culture. He doesn’t speak English very well, so my listening skills had to be sharp in order for me to get accurate information. As our interview progressed I realized that it was not about getting accurate structural information, but about understanding a culture that is totally different to mine and the different conditions that other people on continent live under.
Many men love talking about politics in general, and Somalis are no exception. Coming from a country with a deep political and religious history, Mohamed breaks down the differences in political and religious culture between South Africa and Somalia. We start off with the political climate and what drove him to come to South Africa, leaving his family and friends behind in his war torn country which was at the centre stage between the western forces and the communists during the Cold War. Somali is situated in the Horn of Africa, a region known for its many conflicts both on an interstate and intrastate level. These conflicts have been raging on for decades, resulting in famine and genocide and displacing millions of people in the process.
Mohamed talks about the conflict in his country as the main cause of making his way down to South Africa, in one of the most dangerous journeys he has ever embarked upon. They were always at risk of being shot, arrested or eaten by wild animals in their journey. In what started as a voyage of about twenty young men, only eight of them made it into the country and two of the eight died while crossing the crocodile infested Limpopo River. That was about nine years ago, and he remains thankful to Allah everyday for making it into the country, even after he was refused refugee status by the South African government because of his affiliation with a rebel movement in his home country.
“Life in South Africa is more than what I imagined while I was in Somalia.” He says, with a deep thoughtful expression on his face. He reckons we are very lucky not to have experienced a civil war during or after apartheid. “Wars in Africa are different, they are brutal, unlike the gentleman’s war of America and Europe where you die by the hand of a gun, in Somalia you can get hacked to death and have your heart cut out by the enemy while you are still alive.” I could tell by his facial expression that I had opened up old wounds that made my life experiences inferior to his. I realized that in Africa we fight different kinds of struggle; ours in South Africa was to be treated as equals and have access to the same opportunities. His struggle was about survival.
His hair is curly and his skin is dark, signifying generations of cultural and racial interactions between Africa and the Arab world. He is very approachable, sporting a welcoming signature smile of a street vendor trying to score some sales of a potential customer. After buying a couple of loose cigarettes and a bar of chocolate he agrees to give me five minutes of his time on this busy street corner. He comes from a province called Somaliland which is situated in Northern Somalia, a place with a rich history and culture. He doesn’t speak English very well, so my listening skills had to be sharp in order for me to get accurate information. As our interview progressed I realized that it was not about getting accurate structural information, but about understanding a culture that is totally different to mine and the different conditions that other people on continent live under.
Many men love talking about politics in general, and Somalis are no exception. Coming from a country with a deep political and religious history, Mohamed breaks down the differences in political and religious culture between South Africa and Somalia. We start off with the political climate and what drove him to come to South Africa, leaving his family and friends behind in his war torn country which was at the centre stage between the western forces and the communists during the Cold War. Somali is situated in the Horn of Africa, a region known for its many conflicts both on an interstate and intrastate level. These conflicts have been raging on for decades, resulting in famine and genocide and displacing millions of people in the process.
Mohamed talks about the conflict in his country as the main cause of making his way down to South Africa, in one of the most dangerous journeys he has ever embarked upon. They were always at risk of being shot, arrested or eaten by wild animals in their journey. In what started as a voyage of about twenty young men, only eight of them made it into the country and two of the eight died while crossing the crocodile infested Limpopo River. That was about nine years ago, and he remains thankful to Allah everyday for making it into the country, even after he was refused refugee status by the South African government because of his affiliation with a rebel movement in his home country.
“Life in South Africa is more than what I imagined while I was in Somalia.” He says, with a deep thoughtful expression on his face. He reckons we are very lucky not to have experienced a civil war during or after apartheid. “Wars in Africa are different, they are brutal, unlike the gentleman’s war of America and Europe where you die by the hand of a gun, in Somalia you can get hacked to death and have your heart cut out by the enemy while you are still alive.” I could tell by his facial expression that I had opened up old wounds that made my life experiences inferior to his. I realized that in Africa we fight different kinds of struggle; ours in South Africa was to be treated as equals and have access to the same opportunities. His struggle was about survival.
Growing as a Journalist (In leaps and bounds)
Ayanda Mdluli
The last few months have been a roller coaster ride in my world as journalist. I’m told by some of the senior journalist that the discipline has its ups and downs. Some of our stories get used and some don’t, “It is the nature of the business,” says Sipho Khumalo; a fascinating character, full of history and knowledgeable on the politics of the industry.
He has been a journalist for 25 years, and every morning I serve as an eager ear, listening to him as he reminisces about the pro’s and con’s of being a journalist during apartheid and how the industry has changed for the better. Each day has its defining moment, and the past month has changed my perspective on the kind of life I want to live as a journalist.
In the cadet school I was taught that one should never be complacent, we must always be willing to learn and in learning we must educate others and strive to make a difference in the world. Well, at least that’s how I understood it. Anyways two young bloods, studying first year journalism at Rhodes cam into our newsroom to do a 10 day work experience programme. I also did something similar at the Daily News, but I was in grade 11 at the time.
The young bloods were eager to work on something interesting and they seemed like sensible guys who wouldn’t panic if confronted with a threatening situation. I decided to take the gamble and invited them to come with me on a story about a deadly drug called whoonga which took Durban townships by storm. We went inside the ghetto and into the drug den, I spoke to the addicts and took pictures and tried to motivate them to turn their lives around.
The young bloods sat, watched and listened but because of the language barrier they couldn’t participate in the discussion as much as they would have wanted to. After that we came back to the newsroom and wrote a front page story and 1000 word feature which has received a wide range of positive responses from the public. Other news papers picked up on it and did follow up stories, broadcast media wanted contacts from me and even drum magazine ran a story about it. The discussions in various publications still continue and more Rhodes journalism students have followed in the footsteps of Daniel Whitehorn and Brendan Ward. There is a group of Rhodes students in Durban as we speak doing a strikingly similar story.
It was all about making a difference and when I was in the newsroom for the first time in 2002 I had a similar experience which motivated me to become a journalist and show the world what happens in the lives of South Africans behind closed doors.
Today, the ANC wants to gag the media and control the press and our freedom of speech. This is a nasty pattern and it is prevalent in African politics once liberation movements gain political power. It is slowly starting to take its shape and during that time one can spot a few African pessimists conveying I told you so attitudes and messages in the papers and social networking sites. I think about Sipho and his stories during apartheid; suddenly, I can see the future and I think to myself; here we go again.
The last few months have been a roller coaster ride in my world as journalist. I’m told by some of the senior journalist that the discipline has its ups and downs. Some of our stories get used and some don’t, “It is the nature of the business,” says Sipho Khumalo; a fascinating character, full of history and knowledgeable on the politics of the industry.
He has been a journalist for 25 years, and every morning I serve as an eager ear, listening to him as he reminisces about the pro’s and con’s of being a journalist during apartheid and how the industry has changed for the better. Each day has its defining moment, and the past month has changed my perspective on the kind of life I want to live as a journalist.
In the cadet school I was taught that one should never be complacent, we must always be willing to learn and in learning we must educate others and strive to make a difference in the world. Well, at least that’s how I understood it. Anyways two young bloods, studying first year journalism at Rhodes cam into our newsroom to do a 10 day work experience programme. I also did something similar at the Daily News, but I was in grade 11 at the time.
The young bloods were eager to work on something interesting and they seemed like sensible guys who wouldn’t panic if confronted with a threatening situation. I decided to take the gamble and invited them to come with me on a story about a deadly drug called whoonga which took Durban townships by storm. We went inside the ghetto and into the drug den, I spoke to the addicts and took pictures and tried to motivate them to turn their lives around.
The young bloods sat, watched and listened but because of the language barrier they couldn’t participate in the discussion as much as they would have wanted to. After that we came back to the newsroom and wrote a front page story and 1000 word feature which has received a wide range of positive responses from the public. Other news papers picked up on it and did follow up stories, broadcast media wanted contacts from me and even drum magazine ran a story about it. The discussions in various publications still continue and more Rhodes journalism students have followed in the footsteps of Daniel Whitehorn and Brendan Ward. There is a group of Rhodes students in Durban as we speak doing a strikingly similar story.
It was all about making a difference and when I was in the newsroom for the first time in 2002 I had a similar experience which motivated me to become a journalist and show the world what happens in the lives of South Africans behind closed doors.
Today, the ANC wants to gag the media and control the press and our freedom of speech. This is a nasty pattern and it is prevalent in African politics once liberation movements gain political power. It is slowly starting to take its shape and during that time one can spot a few African pessimists conveying I told you so attitudes and messages in the papers and social networking sites. I think about Sipho and his stories during apartheid; suddenly, I can see the future and I think to myself; here we go again.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Selling our souls to the superficial
OK wait a minute...rewind, take a break, deep breath and think. Wow, what a day this has been. I have been working on a big story since Thursday 17 June 2010. I finally finished last night on the 20th and got it Published on the 21st of June 2010 on the front page and background section of the Mercury. It was hard work, but thanks to two whiteys who had balls and were eager to learn, we finally managed to get it done, and well before dead line that is.
There are positives and negatives about this situation I find myself in. You see, I did a story on a drug that has been tearing apart the black community in Durban. The drug called "whoonga" has been eating away at the heart of the future of the black youth in our province. This drug, which is a concoction of the Storicin Anti-retroviral, heroin and rat poison leaves our kids feeling lethargic and amotivational, it takes away ones sense of urgency and well being which results in the user neglecting their personal hygiene. Safe to say we paved the way, for every other journo to write about it today.
Yeah I am a bit impressed about the work we have put in. Now, what leaves me in a malignant schizophrenia is the fact that this story has taken me to a place that I had long forgotten. It opened up old wounds and brought back memories of me as a youth, locked in the chains of poverty, surrounded by amotivational friends whom at one point in time I had felt that they were going to drag me into the depths of failure and unemployment squalor with them if I didn't catch a wake up.
You see, there is this ghetto phenomenon, a phase in life that every black- male township youth goes through. Ah yes, we call it the "merchant" phase of our disadvantaged, petty and limited lives. You see dear friends, every ghetto has its "merchants". Not your merchants of Venice, or spaza shops. No, not even the Indian merchants who wormed their way into our lives to ensure that a black man, according to Fred Khumalo, cannot be successful without his Indian. But the "merchant". The merchant of the hood, yes the one who sells weed at 50c a slope, yes oh wise ones, it is he; he who has an outside room at the back of his mothers/grandmothers match box house.
You see, the "merchant" played a significant part in our street education growing up. In my township at Inanda Newtown A, we looked up to our ''merchant", whether one smoked or didn't smoke, whether one drank liquor or not, the ''merchants'' place was our area of congregation, a place where topics raging from soccer, to girls and sex were discussed. It was a place where local gun-dubula's (gun toting tsotsis) and petty thieves sought refuge from the po-po. A place where we all joked and laughed and if there were quarrels between two parties, it was a place of settlement where an offender would broker peace by extending a "peace pipe".
If one had bunked school in those days, rest assured he could be found at the "merchants" place. We could rely on our merchant, it was innocent...No one would even think of selling stolen goods or contemplated any criminal activities because even the older, responsible working guys whom we looked up to would come after a hard days work and play round after round of the casino card game until we all decided it was time to go home, eat, sleep, shit and face another day.
Today, it pains me to see the new generation infected by this foreign rot that is severely chipping away at the moral integrity of our darkie communities. A rot that you will never find in your uMhlanga rocks, Sandtons and Campsbays of this world. Today when I look at these kids and the new "merchants" that have emerged, I think and wonder how it all went wrong. We always had a few scum bags who would try to corrupt young and Innocent minds, but they were always outnumbered by those who had big dreams and common sense.
But what do we do when all those big dreams get broken by the desire to get rich quick..not even rich quick, but just to have enough money to buy an expansive bottle of whiskey, get a new pair of designer jeans and bang a nice girl on a Friday night...Because that is what these whoonga dealers aspire too. Its all superficial I tell you...And our new generation has sold their souls to what they see on TV...A morally degenerate generation is looming, and I guess we only have our selves to blame. For we too have sold our souls to the superficial in one way or the other.
There are positives and negatives about this situation I find myself in. You see, I did a story on a drug that has been tearing apart the black community in Durban. The drug called "whoonga" has been eating away at the heart of the future of the black youth in our province. This drug, which is a concoction of the Storicin Anti-retroviral, heroin and rat poison leaves our kids feeling lethargic and amotivational, it takes away ones sense of urgency and well being which results in the user neglecting their personal hygiene. Safe to say we paved the way, for every other journo to write about it today.
Yeah I am a bit impressed about the work we have put in. Now, what leaves me in a malignant schizophrenia is the fact that this story has taken me to a place that I had long forgotten. It opened up old wounds and brought back memories of me as a youth, locked in the chains of poverty, surrounded by amotivational friends whom at one point in time I had felt that they were going to drag me into the depths of failure and unemployment squalor with them if I didn't catch a wake up.
You see, there is this ghetto phenomenon, a phase in life that every black- male township youth goes through. Ah yes, we call it the "merchant" phase of our disadvantaged, petty and limited lives. You see dear friends, every ghetto has its "merchants". Not your merchants of Venice, or spaza shops. No, not even the Indian merchants who wormed their way into our lives to ensure that a black man, according to Fred Khumalo, cannot be successful without his Indian. But the "merchant". The merchant of the hood, yes the one who sells weed at 50c a slope, yes oh wise ones, it is he; he who has an outside room at the back of his mothers/grandmothers match box house.
You see, the "merchant" played a significant part in our street education growing up. In my township at Inanda Newtown A, we looked up to our ''merchant", whether one smoked or didn't smoke, whether one drank liquor or not, the ''merchants'' place was our area of congregation, a place where topics raging from soccer, to girls and sex were discussed. It was a place where local gun-dubula's (gun toting tsotsis) and petty thieves sought refuge from the po-po. A place where we all joked and laughed and if there were quarrels between two parties, it was a place of settlement where an offender would broker peace by extending a "peace pipe".
If one had bunked school in those days, rest assured he could be found at the "merchants" place. We could rely on our merchant, it was innocent...No one would even think of selling stolen goods or contemplated any criminal activities because even the older, responsible working guys whom we looked up to would come after a hard days work and play round after round of the casino card game until we all decided it was time to go home, eat, sleep, shit and face another day.
Today, it pains me to see the new generation infected by this foreign rot that is severely chipping away at the moral integrity of our darkie communities. A rot that you will never find in your uMhlanga rocks, Sandtons and Campsbays of this world. Today when I look at these kids and the new "merchants" that have emerged, I think and wonder how it all went wrong. We always had a few scum bags who would try to corrupt young and Innocent minds, but they were always outnumbered by those who had big dreams and common sense.
But what do we do when all those big dreams get broken by the desire to get rich quick..not even rich quick, but just to have enough money to buy an expansive bottle of whiskey, get a new pair of designer jeans and bang a nice girl on a Friday night...Because that is what these whoonga dealers aspire too. Its all superficial I tell you...And our new generation has sold their souls to what they see on TV...A morally degenerate generation is looming, and I guess we only have our selves to blame. For we too have sold our souls to the superficial in one way or the other.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The News room scene
As a new journalist in the making, my news room experience has been an eye opener in what i want to do with my life and my career. I started at the Mercury on the 3rd of May with my fellow cadets from the Independent Newspapers Cadet school. I'm one of the first batch to hatch from this prestigous experiment aimed at nuturing young talent in field.
We were placed under the guidance of Jonathan Ancer, a gentle soul who scooped the Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Award for best hard news in 2004 and 2005. The opportunity to join the cadet school couldnt have come at a better time as I was stuck in a 9 to 5 government job with no prospect for future employemnt.
It was tough in the begining, I had no journalism experience and couldnt write a news article to save my life. Fresh out of writing essays at varsity I was employed by the department of public enterprises to do resaerch and write media analysis in its communications and International relations unit. My first piece of writing in this intense journalism programme was disected and torn into shreds (verbally), throwing me into a state of brief uncertainty about the future and my ability to cut in this cut throat business. Thankfully, the critisicm came with solutions and I was able to work on my weaknesses and overcome my obstacles.
There is no backing down now, my optical is limitless and i have realised that it doesnt matter what I think is right or wrong. It about the facts and having the ability to report those facts to the people in a way that they'll understand them. David Canning, the previous editor of the Mercury is my mentor and he is helping me walk the walk. I'm also surrounded by a team that works tirelesly to bring hard news to a broad audience and our editor has a vision to turn the paper into a publication that reaches all the different spheres of South African society.
I dont see mself doing anything else for the next five years. We live in a world of endless possibilities, and as long as there is a world and people living in it, their voices will be heard and their stories told.
We were placed under the guidance of Jonathan Ancer, a gentle soul who scooped the Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Award for best hard news in 2004 and 2005. The opportunity to join the cadet school couldnt have come at a better time as I was stuck in a 9 to 5 government job with no prospect for future employemnt.
It was tough in the begining, I had no journalism experience and couldnt write a news article to save my life. Fresh out of writing essays at varsity I was employed by the department of public enterprises to do resaerch and write media analysis in its communications and International relations unit. My first piece of writing in this intense journalism programme was disected and torn into shreds (verbally), throwing me into a state of brief uncertainty about the future and my ability to cut in this cut throat business. Thankfully, the critisicm came with solutions and I was able to work on my weaknesses and overcome my obstacles.
There is no backing down now, my optical is limitless and i have realised that it doesnt matter what I think is right or wrong. It about the facts and having the ability to report those facts to the people in a way that they'll understand them. David Canning, the previous editor of the Mercury is my mentor and he is helping me walk the walk. I'm also surrounded by a team that works tirelesly to bring hard news to a broad audience and our editor has a vision to turn the paper into a publication that reaches all the different spheres of South African society.
I dont see mself doing anything else for the next five years. We live in a world of endless possibilities, and as long as there is a world and people living in it, their voices will be heard and their stories told.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Pissing against the Wind
Politics in South Africa! Many think that South Africa is heading for political turmoil, economic stagnation coupled with the explosion of her racial melting pot when it reaches boiling point. There is an intrinsic aspect of South African politics that is worth dwelling into, and that is post liberation party politics.
Post liberation party politics has been studied through the assesment of post colonial African independence. Post liberation party politics is studied within post colonial dimensions and the type of states that have emerged from thereof. In South Africa however, the context is entirely different, there was no full scale intrastate conflict or civil war that brought about the libeartion of black people. There were skirmishes, protests, terrorists attacks, sabotage, philosophies such as Black Consciousness, Pan Africanism and international sanctions that contributed to the end of apartheid and the emergence of post liberation party politics.
There is a pattern in African multi party democracies, and that pattern is the dominant party system that has come to characterise the African democratic experience. All one needs to do is look at the state of opposition politics in Southern Africa with examples ranging from Mozambiques FRELIMO, Angola's MPLA, Namibia's SWAPO and South Africas Very own ANC. Now the question that is hot on the lips of every political comentator in the country is, "is the ANC leading South Africa into oblivion"? Not in those words, but clearly the proposed amalgamation of opposition parties in the country signifies the proactive measures that opposition parties are taking in trying to combat the ANC Titan. The question that needs to be raised in South African political discourse is: "To what extent will the governing political party cling to political power?"
Lets look at the political terminology that has charactersied post Thabo Mbeki ANC political discourse over the past couple of years. We have had terms sucha as militancy, cockroaches, womaniser, rapist, tenderpreneurs, hyena's, fat cats, elite, corruption, over indulgent spendthrifts and so on and so forth. Putting those into perspective, where is this country headed? Your guess is as good as mine but untill we move from liberation politics and entitlemnt to nation building, job creation and infrastructure developmentm, the better. Untill then all of our efforts to ensure the effective development of of our country will be like pissing against the wind.
Post liberation party politics has been studied through the assesment of post colonial African independence. Post liberation party politics is studied within post colonial dimensions and the type of states that have emerged from thereof. In South Africa however, the context is entirely different, there was no full scale intrastate conflict or civil war that brought about the libeartion of black people. There were skirmishes, protests, terrorists attacks, sabotage, philosophies such as Black Consciousness, Pan Africanism and international sanctions that contributed to the end of apartheid and the emergence of post liberation party politics.
There is a pattern in African multi party democracies, and that pattern is the dominant party system that has come to characterise the African democratic experience. All one needs to do is look at the state of opposition politics in Southern Africa with examples ranging from Mozambiques FRELIMO, Angola's MPLA, Namibia's SWAPO and South Africas Very own ANC. Now the question that is hot on the lips of every political comentator in the country is, "is the ANC leading South Africa into oblivion"? Not in those words, but clearly the proposed amalgamation of opposition parties in the country signifies the proactive measures that opposition parties are taking in trying to combat the ANC Titan. The question that needs to be raised in South African political discourse is: "To what extent will the governing political party cling to political power?"
Lets look at the political terminology that has charactersied post Thabo Mbeki ANC political discourse over the past couple of years. We have had terms sucha as militancy, cockroaches, womaniser, rapist, tenderpreneurs, hyena's, fat cats, elite, corruption, over indulgent spendthrifts and so on and so forth. Putting those into perspective, where is this country headed? Your guess is as good as mine but untill we move from liberation politics and entitlemnt to nation building, job creation and infrastructure developmentm, the better. Untill then all of our efforts to ensure the effective development of of our country will be like pissing against the wind.
The Discoverers – Bantam Books, July 1994
Here is a book that takes you to the pre colonial era of sea voyagers and adventures that stumbled upon a Africa. The Discoverers reader is taken on a journey that explores pre-colonial trade relations with European traders and African kings in the 15th century. A time when it was every explorers dream to reach the Southern most tip of Africa.
Paul King is well known for publishing pre-colonial voyager literature, with books such as the Dreamers and the Voyagers. The Discoverers was published in 1994 and gives an enlightening historical account of the life of voyagers that sailed across the seven seas hoping to find new worlds accompanied by the promise of riches and adventure. The genre has had an everlasting phenomenon on African culture with other Authors such as Joseph Conrad reaching critical acclaim for their work in books such as the Heart of Darkness and Victory. The literature has directed the African continents historical path, and an interesting fact about the book is that it highlights the how legitimate traders fell into the trap of acquiring quick riches through the slave trade.
The book is centered around the crusades, in 1453 when Constantinople fell to the forces of Mohammed II. The defeated Christians characters embark on individual voyages. Some motivated by honor, greed, revenge and glory. The literature is informative yet provocative in its description of pre-colonial African culture. With some of the characters admiring the exotic and rich culture of African people, while other characters see Africans nothing but godless savages and heathens who have created nothing of any historical value.
The literature is undoubtedly influenced by the likes of Conrad, however there are certain elements in the book that are very informative as the reader is taken on a journey of discovery through the eyes of the explorer.
Ayanda Mdluli
Independent Newspapers, 31 March 2010
Paul King is well known for publishing pre-colonial voyager literature, with books such as the Dreamers and the Voyagers. The Discoverers was published in 1994 and gives an enlightening historical account of the life of voyagers that sailed across the seven seas hoping to find new worlds accompanied by the promise of riches and adventure. The genre has had an everlasting phenomenon on African culture with other Authors such as Joseph Conrad reaching critical acclaim for their work in books such as the Heart of Darkness and Victory. The literature has directed the African continents historical path, and an interesting fact about the book is that it highlights the how legitimate traders fell into the trap of acquiring quick riches through the slave trade.
The book is centered around the crusades, in 1453 when Constantinople fell to the forces of Mohammed II. The defeated Christians characters embark on individual voyages. Some motivated by honor, greed, revenge and glory. The literature is informative yet provocative in its description of pre-colonial African culture. With some of the characters admiring the exotic and rich culture of African people, while other characters see Africans nothing but godless savages and heathens who have created nothing of any historical value.
The literature is undoubtedly influenced by the likes of Conrad, however there are certain elements in the book that are very informative as the reader is taken on a journey of discovery through the eyes of the explorer.
Ayanda Mdluli
Independent Newspapers, 31 March 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Soul-Jah Who Never Dies
They told him he never cried when he was born like the other babies of this world. His struggle has always been defined by conflict, which is why he refers to himself as a Soul-Jah. Not your professional soldier like those fighting in the Iraqi war, or mercenaries from Executive Outcomes, but the Soul of Jah, a proud member of the army of Christ. He is the soldier of society fighting a war against racism, oppression, poverty and HIV/AIDS. Through Gods guidance, he has outlived many of his peers and has overcome those who have tried to change his perspective and eradicate his belief in an after life and the inevitable Day of Judgment and Armageddon.
It’s a lovely Easter Sunday morning at the beach in the beautiful suburb of Sea Point in Cape Town. He sits on a rock and stares into the horizon. His dreadlocks are blowing east in the direction of the sunrise, chanting biblical songs while beating his drum with his palms and fingers. He is the raw breed, the years of pain and experience on face gave that away. The wrinkles on his face tell a different story, they said he is the no nonsense kind, very opinionated and would never renounce what he truly believes in. The wrinkles also said that he was selfish yet giving, loving but hateful, forgiving yet resentful. He is made up of different hypocritical characters that define your average poverty stricken Joe Public.
He agrees that who he is, reflects on the way he treats other people. He tries to be as honest as he can in his interaction with society. He notes that it is difficult, especially when he goes to bed on an empty stomach. Righteousness is his philosophy, with an empty stomach and all; defiant till the end and unfazed by the glitz and glamour the demons of the world throw at his feet. As he explains his position in a cut throat world, full of people who renounce Christ socially and academically, the wrinkles on his face change from that of pain and experience, to that of an undiscovered wisdom that makes South Africa such a beautiful country.
It’s a lovely Easter Sunday morning at the beach in the beautiful suburb of Sea Point in Cape Town. He sits on a rock and stares into the horizon. His dreadlocks are blowing east in the direction of the sunrise, chanting biblical songs while beating his drum with his palms and fingers. He is the raw breed, the years of pain and experience on face gave that away. The wrinkles on his face tell a different story, they said he is the no nonsense kind, very opinionated and would never renounce what he truly believes in. The wrinkles also said that he was selfish yet giving, loving but hateful, forgiving yet resentful. He is made up of different hypocritical characters that define your average poverty stricken Joe Public.
He agrees that who he is, reflects on the way he treats other people. He tries to be as honest as he can in his interaction with society. He notes that it is difficult, especially when he goes to bed on an empty stomach. Righteousness is his philosophy, with an empty stomach and all; defiant till the end and unfazed by the glitz and glamour the demons of the world throw at his feet. As he explains his position in a cut throat world, full of people who renounce Christ socially and academically, the wrinkles on his face change from that of pain and experience, to that of an undiscovered wisdom that makes South Africa such a beautiful country.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Going to School in the morning (Short and Sweet)
He woke up in the morning as he normally does like every other morning between Monday and Friday. His mother gives him a hard tap under his feet and pulls the blanket off his back at around five o’clock. The cold breeze blows through a crack in the shack, piercing his skin making way around the pores on his skin, causing the hairs on his body to stand up and a simultaneous formation of goose bumps around his arms and chest. His mother pours him warm water in a washing basin made out steel. Fresh from the kettle with a green bar of soap sitting in a cracked soap dish which is rough around the edges.
After taking a bath, he wears his neatly ironed school clothes, complemented by a slightly oversized blazer and a pair of parabelum shoes. Shoes so shiny that the reflection of the only light in the shack shows a faded image of his face on the black leather. It is a typical summer’s morning in the informal settlement of Makhaza. The morning sun gives a misty red color to the horizon facing the direction of the suburbs, a destination which he often embarked upon with mixed feelings and emotions.
The passage way through the informal settlement to the bus stop on the main road is filled with different characters and events. He often passes a local shebeen, a place characterized by the stench of intoxication, laughter, life, pain and death. The patrons of Engoja use the spot as a place of communal interaction, the point of socialization. The world view here is different, it is poverty stricken. The faces of each ageing citizen characterized by decades of humiliation and oppression. In the eyes of his community, he is the hope of the slums, he is a living testimony that the ghetto still produces good black men. To his teachers he is the prime example of what every young black man should be. He just takes it a day at a time.
After taking a bath, he wears his neatly ironed school clothes, complemented by a slightly oversized blazer and a pair of parabelum shoes. Shoes so shiny that the reflection of the only light in the shack shows a faded image of his face on the black leather. It is a typical summer’s morning in the informal settlement of Makhaza. The morning sun gives a misty red color to the horizon facing the direction of the suburbs, a destination which he often embarked upon with mixed feelings and emotions.
The passage way through the informal settlement to the bus stop on the main road is filled with different characters and events. He often passes a local shebeen, a place characterized by the stench of intoxication, laughter, life, pain and death. The patrons of Engoja use the spot as a place of communal interaction, the point of socialization. The world view here is different, it is poverty stricken. The faces of each ageing citizen characterized by decades of humiliation and oppression. In the eyes of his community, he is the hope of the slums, he is a living testimony that the ghetto still produces good black men. To his teachers he is the prime example of what every young black man should be. He just takes it a day at a time.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Mud Slinging Politicians Disregard Pledge of Unity
POLITICS has gone from free and fair general elections to Third-World, racially divisive “Rwanda genocide style” name-calling. Name-calling and insults have been the order of the day– and that only a few days after the inauguration of a democratically elected president and the announcement of an inclusive cabinet.
Respected public figures have degraded themselves by claiming that “they have it on good authority that Western Cape Premier Helen Zille is sleeping with members of her cabinet and using them as her concubines”. This came after Zille’s disrespectful and scathing attack on President Jacob Zuma, who she described as “a self-confessed womaniser, who put all his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman”.
I find it disturbing that the ANC and the DA refer to each other as enemies. It is also disturbing that the ANC Youth League wants to use “militant action” to bring about change. Are we not a free and democratic society? In these dark times of economic meltdowns, job losses and escalating poverty, South Africans should be working together, not against each other.
Ayanda Mdluli
Hatfield, Pretoria
Respected public figures have degraded themselves by claiming that “they have it on good authority that Western Cape Premier Helen Zille is sleeping with members of her cabinet and using them as her concubines”. This came after Zille’s disrespectful and scathing attack on President Jacob Zuma, who she described as “a self-confessed womaniser, who put all his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman”.
I find it disturbing that the ANC and the DA refer to each other as enemies. It is also disturbing that the ANC Youth League wants to use “militant action” to bring about change. Are we not a free and democratic society? In these dark times of economic meltdowns, job losses and escalating poverty, South Africans should be working together, not against each other.
Ayanda Mdluli
Hatfield, Pretoria
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