THE ENDLESS ENDING OF PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA

Outgoing President Jacob Zuma

This could be the worst ending for the president Jacob Zuma's term of office should the National Prosecuting Authority decides to prosecute him for corruption and money laundering charges to mention a few. This could mean the end of his political career and the beginning of enormous strain by NPA on his charges . Given the fact that his term is phasing out and South African citizens are patiently awaiting his end of term or possibly his long overdue resignation could also mean reemerge of the charges that were swept under the table since he came into power.


As controversial as it sounds, this country needs a high principled leader who can strategically transform the economy and focus his energy in tackling the issues faced by many South Africans. Unemployment, inequality, access to higher education and empowerment of small business owners are the challenges that the new president will have to address as a matter of urgency.
 

We cannot run away from the fact that South Africa's economy has been struggling followed by two rating agencies downgrading it to junk status. This, however, was the result of political instability that revolves around corruption, state capture and divisions amongst leading party's officials to list a few.

Cyril Ramaphosa:ANC President

Can Cyril Ramaphosa be that president our country needs? It goes without saying that CR can take this country forward and uplift the economy of our beloved country.  With Rand showing tolerance against US dollar as a result of CR being elected as the new ANC president, we can have high hopes that the country might see a rapid economic growth should ANC win the 2019 national elections and CR become the president of South Africa.

LAZY or NOT

I was thinking about how people blame South Africans for unemployment and attributing it to the laziness. It has become one of the excuses that government officials, and most business people use in response to the questions pertaining unemployment in South Africa. A question which asks, why do high profile South Africans mostly hire people from other countries? The answer that usually comes up is; South African are lazy.

I think South Africans are not lazy but they know what  they deserve. If someone could live with salary of less than R1,500 a month, then why do we still have high unemployment rate? Others say it is because of the currencies where these fellow Africans come from i.e, A person from Mozambique, Malawi and other African countries can work for less than R50,00 a day and accumulate R5,000 after 12 months then they will have more than 5 times their savings when they return to their home countries.

Then, take for instance, you work for hundred rand a day and you spend R800 for rent, R800 for grocery and R500 for transport then how much will you left with? Absolutely nothing. This is the major course of unemployment in South Africa. People cannot afford to work for peanuts. Political parties always entertain unemployment and job creation and they sing it everyday. However, they keep on singing the very same song again and again without actually converting their words into action.  They over promise and less deliver if ever delivered, yet they expect people to believe their mission statements. Unless our government can deliver more than they promise, unemployment will always be an issue in South Africa.

The national minimum wage should be implemented and reinforced across all industries, whether agriculture or non-agriculture, domestic or professional work. This can become a solution of all time in South Africa to balance the gap between a higher class and the lower class, (rich and poor). If someone cannot live the whole month with a grocery of R1,500, then why do we have to expect other people to live a normal life with a salary of R1,300 a month? Think about it. Rich people spend plus or minus R7,000 for a dog's food but they cannot even increase your R1,300 salary by at least 10%. You pay a monthly installment of R5,000-R11,000 for your car but you confidently pay your house-keeper R1,800 I mean someone who have a family responsibilities, a bread winner who have to look up to 6 family members. Give it some thoughts!

Education gives knowledge and of course, prepares one for the job market. However, graduates still find it difficult to land their dream jobs or at least a decent job. An educated person can hardly work for peanuts and of course, they remain unemployed. South Africa is in the top 20 of the world countries with high unemployment rate. Wonder what might be the course since South Africa is the most developed country in the African continent but when it comes to the unemployment is at the top of the list.

South Africa needs more than just a formal education but an innovative and creative minded graduates who can practically tackle the issue of unemployment and create jobs through starting new businesses rather than waiting for the government to provide jobs. There are people with degrees without jobs, I mean university degrees, thus, getting a university degree does not guarantee one to automatically get a professional job. However, getting education allows one to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas that can change their lives, our country and the world at large.

Business minded people know where and when to start a business.We tend to neglect fast-paced businesses because there's already someone or lot of people on it. We should take into account that the more people flood into a certain business, the more bigger and potentials for growth the business is. Remember the law of supply and demand? The higher on demand the higher on supply. Do not hesitate to take a risk, however, a calculated one whenever you see an opportunity, that is how ground breakers do. Seize every opportunity that seems to have potentials for growth, embrace it with two hands and never let go until it eventuate success. Let us, once and for all, rely on ourselves for our own development and success. Relying on government to create job opportunities might take forever dude, create opportunities yourself!

AFRICA IS BLEEDING

From west Africa to South Africa, the entire continent is bleeding. Our beloved brothers and sisters are cruelly killed. The pride we had for so long of being a South African has faded.We have been seeing this since in the beginning of time whereby our grand parents were treated the same way by the apartheid government and it is now continuing taking place among black Africans. Where in the history of all time did we hear about white people doing the unthinkable, brutally killing each other?

We can't tolerate such barbaric and satanic behaviour in our continent. Why do not we say NO to such demons which have become tendencies to the South Africans. I devoutly hope there are people and lot of them who are actually against this behaviour pattern yet they do nothing to protect our fellow Africans. We are all Africans and of course this means that we are all the same as human beings. Let us not allow the boundaries of our countries' instill the cruelty and steal our conscience and humanity. Let us not allow the frustration we have be the defending reason to the criminals. Let us not attribute the blame for our personal failure to those who are not South Africans.

We have a moronic thinking that our frustration would be resolved should those who are not South African by birth return to their countries of birth. That is just a dumb thinking. USA has almost half of population as foreigners and this includes South Africans who are there for various reasons and some as their home away from home but Americans never treat them the same way we do in South Africa. Why? because they do not attribute their failures to other people but they look for solutions to their problems instead. Would you bear the violence should you or one of your family or friends be treated like we do to our fellow Africans? Would you feel just okay to see your mom, dad, brother or sister dies burning burnt by other human being? You would definitely feel heart-broken. 

Just imagine if you were one of those Not-foreigners but Africans and you were being treated like we do to them and try to think and feel the pain. We need to stand together and Say-No-To-Xenophobia. Criminals are opportunistic they seize every opportunity that comes their way to loot, mug, rape and to kill innocent people for what they have worked hard for. Together we Say No To Xenophobia.

AFRICANS LOST THEIR IDENTITY

I think we should go back to the earlier 19th Century whereby our grandfathers lived their true identity. We are unconsciously losing our identity as Africans and embracing others' cultures. We have somewhere, somehow lost our originality. We are more adopting the western cultures and neglecting our very own. Of course we cannot run away from the fact that westernization has induced almost everything on how we do certain things. It has set us a criteria on how we should perceive things and judge others in spite of their actual being. However, we should not get overwhelmed by its influence in a way that we all completely become Americans. 

Back then teenagers could feel so unfortunate to have small narrowed breasts and wish they could have those "big-balled-breasts" as much as do their contemporaries. It was all the influence of the western culture in which celebs and models with big breasts were portrayed and considered sexy by the american modellers. Lately, the likes of Nicki Minaj (anaconda) and Katy Perry promote the notion that booty is sexy. This again made those who are not so booty feel inferior and not sexy. Nevertheless, we should know our value-being as Africans and embrace our identity. Although we need to acknowledge that westernization has super-powered  the globe but we should never throw our cultures and customs. We must go back to where we left our identity.
  

Sending your children to private schools where they speak English all-day long it's not a matter of concern but when they come home they should speak their original language, not just a mother-tongue but their home language. 
Why is it so common when one cannot speak or express themselves in English fluently we ought to laugh at them but when they fail to speak their original language we consider it okay? Speak your language and live your African but don't forget to adapt to the new and constantly changing lifestyle but most saliently,  never lose your identity.   

SOUTH AFRICAN JUSTICE FOR WHOM

I was really surprised by the judge Thokozile Masipa's decision against Oscar Pistorius. It tells me that our justice is not served as it should be. She proved me wrong about the notion that her judgement would be more influenced by the media since it was televised worldwide. the judge Thokozile Masipa overlooked the fact that the entire world was watching that trial.

It is patently apparent that she was just kind in her ultimate judgement without the fear of public criticism. The whole country and the world at large anticipated that she would not be sympathetic for the very fact that the trial was on the public view throughout. I am still wondering how our justice system is going to be like in the next few years if a murderer like Pistorius could walk away with guilt. This will have an impact increasing the crime rate in our country as criminals will commit crime knowing that they can walk freely.

Taking a broader look at the case, I think people need to be educated about the South Africa's law to know what it entails and to understand how our justice system works in different cases. People who just heard from the media how the incident took place will think the judge has been bribed to lessen her judgement to Oscar simply because they do not know how our the justice system works. This will lessen the value of our justice and of course eventually damage our reputation as a country globally.

I think such case and its outcome will also invite foreign criminals such as Shrein Dewani. (www.theguardian.com/shrien-dewani). He certainly chose South Africa  knowing that south Africa's law can be bribed and he can walk away with guilt. furthermore, since Oscar's trial has been televised globally, international investors will lose interest to invest in our country where its justice is not served accordingly. It threatens international investors.  Investors do not just look at the company's financial status but they are more attentive when it comes to the reputation of that country they are willing to invest in.

Now it seems like our justice is served to those whore are financially poor and set free extra ordinary murderers. Judges become more generous when they are having cases of high profile people such as Oscar and Jerky Selebi.

MALAMULELE RESIDENTS MADE AN IMPULSIVE DECISION FOR NOT REGISTERING TO VOTE IN THE UNPCOMING ELECTIONS

(malamulele residents burning tyres
 in their protest for municipality) 

I think the decision made by Malamulele residents was imprudent and it will have severe drawback in getting what we really need (municipality). My concern is, what is going to happen should they not take our demand into account because we did not register which disqualifies us to vote next year. We can hardly anticipate government to reconsider our demand after the elections since we do not take part in deciding  who should be our government. Nevertheless, such action would be very influential if we had a fair and caring government that works for its citizens.

For the past 19 years our ruling party has failed us to deliver better service especially in rural areas. we still suffer for basic water, enhanced infrastructure and the like. Despite all these failures, changing our ruling party would be just worsening the already worst situation. When things change is the more they remain the same, we need to be loyal to what we believe in until our demands are met. my suggestion would be that if I may have to put my advise. Let us not be violent in our protest, to sabotage the least we have, we are putting a financial burden to our government of which the damage will not be renovated over night but will take time and budget.

SHERYL CWELE TO SERVE HER SENTENCE IN JAIL





(convicted drug dealer:Sheryl Cwele)

After all ups and downs the constitutional court has showed its fairness on Cwele’s case. Sheryl was arrested and charged in 2009 by the Hawks over her alleged role in the recruitment of drug mules for an international drug-trafficking ring. In May 2011 she was found guilty of drug trafficking by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court. The former wife of the state security minister Siyabonga  Cwele was charged with a case of drug dealing. She started to serve her 20 years sentence in prison yesterday after handed herself in to the Westville prison. I am wondering as to why those people who were supposed to be great examples to the young people and the country as a whole fail to retain their perceptions.

However, I applaud the sentence given by the court. It really shows that our justice works to everyone. Since there is uncertainty about the equality when it comes to our justice, this will eventually restore its credibility and reliance. They say the prison is only for poor people. Think about Schabir Shaik’s case, how did it come to an end? What about Jeckie Selebi? All these people are of the high profiles, wealthy people. We need to bring our justice to equality and fair to everyone regardless of the individual’s status, material or occupation. We really need to have a balanced justice when compared to other countries in order to enhance our image and perception worldwide. Our country is rated number one in the entire continent with a large degree of freedom and democracy.
It is our mendate to retain that image.