As The Future Fades

Ours is a country of many contradictions. We have very educated people and we have the most illiterate people, we have the biggest economy in the continent and yet we have the poorest people. We have for many a decade tried to rid ourselves of the burden of disease and ill-health, yet our public health systems have deteriorated to unimaginable proportions. We also have some churches and spiritual leaders in our communities, yet the moral fabric of our communities has been torn with everyday that passes by.

Many of us (Black people, in Cape Town specifically) GREW UP IN THE RURAL Eastern Cape villages where the notion that "a child is raised and belongs to the whole village" applied without question. We saw, in people, a divinity of sorts, we saw something worth preserving, we saw a promise. The promise was that one day, through the efforts of the whole community in raising a child, a positive change will befall the community at large. This caused us to pay attention to what our kids were getting up to; no kid would get away with any crime, however petty it would seem.

Neighbours took care of each others households without reservation. People were never reluctant to land a helping hand, even if it meant putting oneself in the line of fire. I am afraid, though, that we as a people, have abandoned the principles which made us a wonder before the eyes of the world. It is a saddening thought that 53000 youths are languishing in South African jails. Minister Sbu Ndebele attributed this dilemma to a community that has ceased to care.

“The fact that these children, as young as 17 years of age, have committed serious crimes, should make society question where we have failed in protecting our children from a life of crime," said Ndebele in an interview with a local newspaper. This articulation by the Minister is indicative of the society we have become. A society where crimes like armed robbery, breaking in and stealing, have become part of our routine.

This is also indicative of that which we, as a people, have lost; the principle that "a child is raised and belongs to the whole village", because if we had not lost this, a different picture would be painted in our society.

The Minister goes on to say: "We need to accept that crime and criminality is entirely about failures in society and not a direct consequence of the failures of the system of corrections,".

In attempting to apportion some of the blame to the inmates' families, Ndebele said preventing young people from leading a life of crime "begins with the family unit, the social fibre and the opportunities for growth that our children get access to.

Now this, affirms my opening remarks that the society has given up on its own future. We sit a watch as our youngest brothers and children loiter the streets with drugs and illegal firearms at hand. We admire the material things they bring at home every night, yet we don't worry ourselves about how they got to possess such. We frown upon a police man as though he alone  is responsible to the checking of our kids.

We conspire in dark corners about how to render the city ungovernable while the fundamental issues of morality and righteousness linger in the air waiting for solutions. We have become accustomed to having youths walking the streets of the township when they should be at school. We sit and watch as our kids torment asylum seekers and political refugees who find a peaceful rest among us.

We encourage, especially in the Cape Town townships, Negrophobic (Xenophobia) activities, sacrificing the Somalian brotherhood to allow the youths to loot and steal, so we can have something to eat. To what end? Is there ever going to be a South Africa for all? Yes. Yes is the answer.

We need to look back in time and reflect upon the very essence of our existence and the many years in history that we once lived as a progressive and prosperous peoples, with no one looking at another with scorn, greed and envy. We must mobilise the youth towards a single progressive goal.

In the next few days, I will announce an initiative aimed at making strides towards the realisation of a South African youth whose dreams and future are not eclipsed by the soulless greed the system has subjected them to. I will therefore call on all those who wish to see a change to become the very change they long to see.

Let"s chat about this!

Winds of Change

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," so said a great philosopher. Ours is a very long journey, as South Africans, and with so many achievements we celebrate, a lot must yet be done to advance the ambitions our land, our rights, our lives and our aspirations of becoming the star upon which the worlds gaze for guidance.

For many a century the people of this country have been aggrieved by their very brothers. For many a century, my Black brothers have been used, abused and refused by my White brothers. We fought, we cried and we smiled, eventually. We looked upon elected leaders for guidance and all we got was more politics. We cried unto the international worlds for help and all we got were sanctions. All that we are had been lost on battlefields, as we tried to fender off our own brother from killing us, their own brothers.

We were introduced to the Western governance methods and we bought in, all for the love of peace, progress and care. As we now look back at the two decades of the end of war in our Mzansi, many new and old problems emerge and threaten to reverse the gains we have made. I refer to such incidents as the murdering of farmers and their employees, the exploitation of youth through labour brokers, the merciless conduct of our police service (which acts like a police force), the poor state of education for the poor people like me, the crippled public health system and many others.

Yet, with all these ills taking place, South Africans are chilling and behaving as though all is normal. We must reject the idea that a mediocre state of affairs in the labour force, in the schooling and public health system and other sectors, is normal and acceptable. We must realise that this is our country. We must wake from our slumber and take to the streets to work this land. I am appalled by the community that is ready to sit for a week when drainage pipes have burst just on their door-steps. I am even more livid to behold an recall how many parents absent themselves from matters relating to their children's education.

We sit and look throw our curtains when we hear screams and gunshots as the Somalian brothers, seeking refuge in our supposed warm country, are being robbed of the little money they try to make for their families, by our neighbours' sons, and at worst our own sons and brothers. We look upon each other with anger, jealousy and greed. We have lost sense of what democracy is, and what it means to us South Africans. Have we forgotten the day when we were called "swart gevaar"? Have we forgotten the principles of our revolution? I suspect so because we exhibit what I call "RDP mentality".

Apart from the good things we do for yourselves as individuals, the country is in dire need for a united South Africa. There must be an end to the killings, the raping, the exploitation, the stealing and such craze. A citizen-driven effort is required, so as to show strength against such poisons. As Gandhi said: "You must become the change you wish to see in the world", and it'a sad pity that a democratic South Africa is failing to educate the free children our forefather fought for?It is disgusting that political leaders enrich themselves, while in public office, at the peril of the poor people.
We should start posing questions as to why is it so that those who constitute a smaller percentage of the population hold the monopoly over our economy?

Are we cowards? Are we afraid to march to Luthuli House and The Union Buildings to demand that which is entitled to us? No we are not. Yet, it seems, we are too scared to stand up and call the neighbours when one neighbour is being robbed en route to work. We are afraid to going to the nearest clinic to lend a helping hand. What about the graduates who are unemployed? Why is are they being forgotten in the system. I was told recently that 600 000, give or take, graduates are currently unemployed. Why is this? Are there no areas in our community for these graduates to work? I doubt this very much.
On the other hand, we must also realise that the well-marketed concept of Ubuntu is irrelevant if it is not applied in a practical fashion.

We need to stand up and realise that volunteer work does more good for the recipient than the giver. As the scrolls suggest; "Blessed is the hand that gives than the one that receives". Let us be active citizens and realise that we are our own leaders. The Zumas and Zilles are political people and they will be excused for missing the point sometimes, even though this is often detrimental to the nation.
If you have unwanted clothes, go donate those, I promise you you will be surprised how many people need those. What of food? What of textbooks, magazines and other stuff needed by the people. I am sure that everybody knows someone in need yet not all of us are very happy to help. What have we become? To what end is this madness of carelessness.

I am inspired by The Citizens Movement's work, because such pictures as the two above are indicative of the work that we, as citizens and not political parties and government, must still do.
I am bleeding.

Let's chat about it!

Story of Appreciation

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".
The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time. Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'
The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."

The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not  be the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*

NB
You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done. 

Please be aware that this is not my original work, I have borrowed it from someone who sent it to me and I felt the need to share.

Let's chat about this!

Operation Take Back

I am one of those who were not very privileged growing up. The schools at which I went were all of the lowest standards, in terms of academic support and development.

Having began my education Queenstown, Eastern Cape, I did not pay much attention to such details as the quality of education I was receiving and quality of teaching offered but I have always treasured it because of a couple of reasons. One of those was that we were very poor at home and I had hoped that through my education, change will come.

I then moved to Mpumalanga to continue with my primary schooling there and again I found myself in a school similar to the one I went to in the Eastern Cape; not enough textbooks, shortage of specialised teachers, poor infrastructure etc, and again my hope lived on that one day my poor little family shall see a brighter day. Working hard to achieve this goal, I succeeded quickly in proceeding to secondary school, where a dismal infrastructure and the lack of resources was a constant pain for learners and teachers.

I observed with wonder the science learners struggle to make sense of an experiment because they have none of the apparatus required for the success of the experiment. I was among many who shared a Biology textbook with more than two other learners which meant that one had only a day or so to grasp the chapter taught in class before the other learner will take the book. I painfully observed, as Student Representative Council (SRC) Chairperson when I was in matric, the pain with which many struggled forward, studying for the final exams in this fashion.

It has been six years now since I passed my matric and having observed from my immediate area and those closer, without fear I will say that not much has changed.

However, I find peace in learning that not all is lost; young people can still have the quality education we all wish to have. The problem of textbooks that hit the country recently, surprisingly, has received more attention now than ever before; one would almost think other factors are at play here. One feels that the whole thing has been contaminated with politics and political agendas designed to serve a certain interest.

But that is not for me to say. I am only trying to see if political dynamics are so cruel that a future of a bright youth would be sacrificed in the hopes of political gain. It is time that those of us who care about education to stand up and put an end to this. I am pleased by the work of Equal Education and I hope many more NGO's will take a stance and act on this. Education must not be a political matter. The Zimbabweans have not always enjoyed the best of political environments yet their education is never sacrificed in the midst.
This is the time to remember the efforts of Haile Selassie I, Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela.
Speak out and let's mobilise against those who sacrifice our children's education to safe-guard their own interests.

Let's take back the education systems we so treasure and redefine what schooling means in South Africa.

Let's talk about this.

We are our own nemesis

The most dangerous things are those closest to our very hearts.

This, I say, in the light of the many challenges facing our world today. Specifically, I refer to the death of so many people from drug-related violence and if you know me, you know that when I speak of drugs in this piece I am referring to booze, majwala, mbobo, alcohol, whatever you call it.

The government is trying to curb disease and illness so they introduce legislation and law to outlaw cigarette smoking at certain places. They put all these warning signs, which we appreciate and as things stand, I can almost say that the systems that are in place to regulate smoking are understandable.
However, what I fail to understand is the continuous advertisement of alcoholic beverages. Is it an accepted reality in South Africa that alcohol consumption is a new way of having fun?

This, I ask, because the language used to justify this excessive use of this destructive beverage borders on such concepts as fun, relaxation and so forth. The soccer leagues here are sponsored by the makers of alcohol. People are encouraged to buy alcohol to win things, and then the government will complain about how the youth consumption of alcohol rises. We are told that many fatal and often careless road accidents are a direct result of alcohol consumption, yet not an hour will pass before they show another ad that shows "how successful people drink a certain brand" or how things come together with a beer on hand.

This is not true. This is not the Truth and Liberation is not this. The Capitalist maker of alcohol will sleep easy  with pockets swelling from the profits he's made, while our people reach overpopulation levels in hospitals and places of the dead, because of this. I am not saying there should be no sale of these drinks but the advertising of these on our public media is destructive to the youth.

Even government gatherings and celebrations are capped with a pop of a champagne, yet in all of this the youth is expected to turn a blind eye when they hear of how good in taste is a whiskey.

All I am saying is that the one problem that will spell the destruction of the South African youth, save HIV/AIDS, is alcohol/utjwala.

*or they must decriminalise the use of the Cannabis (Ganjah, MaryJane, Sensemelia) to level the grounds...lol* (this I had to add)

But, seriously, if we are to outlaw drugs, let alcohol not be left out. Now check this video out and tell me what you think. There is no evidence to suggest that the driver was drunk but only a drunk person would drive like this.

This is just a thought I had as I sat in my cubicle trying to work. This is by no means a position of the Institution at which I work. I post this in my capacity as Orllo.