ohhh crap this is a secret.........but what the heck, its not law yet!

I have over the last couple of days struggled with the idea of a free society in the height of the secrecy bill. What has been more alarming to me has been how the ruling tri-partied alliance has been so divided over how this bill should be rolled out and if its what south Africa needs right now. I don’t know quite honestly what the fuss about this bill is?

I mean if you trace back to the last 17 years, except Tony Yengeni (during Mbeki’s reign) and Shabir Shaik (at the end of Mbeki’s reign) no one has really been brought to book for any of the things that have been exposed/reveled/ put to public, surrounding corrupt practices by senior civil servants be them ministers, DG’s, associates and family politicians, note that I call family and friends civil servants deliberately because they have continued to reap the benefits normally reserved for civil servants in all abnormal countries called democracies.

So what was the noise really from the right to know foundation supported by SANEF? Was it just an issue of not selling enough papers for these previously white owned companies? Because nothing sells papers like a Malema expose you know!  

So I have read this bill and I fear that it might just make it legal to raid Thuli Madonsela’s offices or even make Mzilikazi wa Afrika disappear longer than the time he spent in the hawks cells earlier this year, that it might be too important to try the killers of Jimmy Mohlala and Sammy Mpatlayana who believed they shouldn’t keep quite about how the tenders for the World Cup stadium in that province were handled.  But hey lets wait a little here this has happened before and Black people fought it and won and now they are implementing it again! Bloody ironic hey!   So now are we about to see white people take this on  when Zuma signs it into law? White people surely won’t stand for that shit they’ll take the “bloody ANC” on all the way to the constitutional court right?  Its mos their turn now?  

Also call me optimistic but I know this rubbish piece of legislation will never be legally practiced in this country and but if it does it wouldn’t affect you differently, here are my 21 reasons why:

1. The ANC is scared of the constitutional court. (Ask Afri-Forum, plus they always take unprepared cases there)

2. The ANC is still dealing with hiding its mess in public administration and by the time they finish with that they would have forgotten about the bill.

3. The ANC has practiced the bill illegally all these years and it never affected you, so why would they go to the trouble of making it legal?

4. Because we live with thugs in our communities and we don’t snitch.

5. Because Eric Miyeni will remind us of what we do to snitches. (I love this one)

6. Because COSATU is a member of the ANC and they haven’t eaten.

7. Because Julius doesn’t understand what the bill means. (otherwise why wouldn’t he have supported this when it is developed to ensure we never know how he got this rich)

8. Because the sense of state doesn’t exist in our country. (Lets face it Zuma will never appreciate South Africa the way Mangope appreciated Bophuthatswana Mangope had a plan for his republic while our president seems clueless sometimes)

9. Because South Africa is the only country you can be fired from cabinet and remain an MP instead of heading to the courts because you have a case to hear and opposition is quite)

10. Because opposition parties are good at reacting and with President of the opposition parties (Hellen Zille) in charge this shit wont fly.

11. Because Vavi wants to be an MP and the longer he sounds like opposition the more it delays the ANC from implementing the bill.

12.  Because it didn’t work under the NP rule

13. Because it wouldn’t work under ANC rule (actually what does work under their rule?)

14. Because the ANC MP’s didn’t really read the bill (they just understood that it would protect them from going to prison)

15. Because South Africa is much better than Zimbabwe and it would never be a Zimbabwe proto-type with or without the civil war.

16. Because 90% of the protesters protest about everything for free T-shirts and a bus ride to town.

17. Because they ANC is planning multiple parties for next year. (who going to be busy kidnapping people when everyone is partying a tender storm?)

18. Because SNI will adopt a position to join all civil society movements opposing implementation of this bill on their own terms. (Otherwise Andile, Masello and Matjamela pasop)

19. That this bill has nothing to do with freedom of speech you can still pretty much say the shit you want to say just be careful that you don’t walk around dark alleys when you have classified documents in your house.

20. Because when the two white lawyers who are going to make money from this case at the constitutional court are done arguing the case the judges are going to send it right back to parliament to fix. (Imagine the tax that could have fixed roads in Zwelitsha, Gugulethu, Seshego going to some guys living in Paarl and Duinfern)

21. and my favourite: “‎"check this: in 1982 Luwell Landers was a deputy minister in PW Botha's white supremacist cabinet when they passed laws against blacks. In 2011 MP Luwell Landers is the chairperson of a parliamentary adhoc committee of the ANC! He chaired the passing of the SECRECY ACT! And you want to tell me that the ANC is not the National Party in drag? How do ANC members explain this shit to themselves mara?" - Andile Mngxitama. Makes you think. Just a lil bit.

So Ja there call me ignorant, racist, arrogant, dumb, full of shit, loud mouth (and if you really like me) optimist and rascal but this piece of rubbish law will never see the light of day in South Africa for as long as there are white people, who are the actually the real owners of everything not just the economy, I mean the justice system, the land where illegal squatter camps are built, the companies that are using the fronts of BEE to build us shitty roads, houses, Education and health facilities.

They are the main train behind the ANC delaying every possible opportunity for black people getting a better deal out of their own suffering?!  I swear by them on my grand fathers grave. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN

“Material want is bad enough but coupled with spiritual poverty it kills” – Biko

 Vuka Darkie 

Maybe being white isn't such a bad thing under ANC rule

This morning someone accused me of trying to be white! I thought me? Never!!!!!!!!!!! But then I got thinking that this high ranking ANC persons (in his mind at least)   point might be directing me to less suffering and it got me thinking so here goes.

 This is one blog I had hoped that I wouldn’t write, but it is necessary now that I do, the has been a lot of confusion in South Africa regarding the performance of the ruling party over the last 17 years and this mainly amongst black people and people who identify with black suffering.

While this has been a good exercise of sorting and determining our fate under ANC which has been dodged by corruption, poverty mainly amongst blacks, weak economic planning that’s affects mostly black and a constitution that has by far preserve white privileges than it takes care of the suffering of the black man, I fear there is a culture that blind loyal ANC, its leagues and its alliance supporters are growing into. And a largely disposable political leadership (think of Mbeki recalling and the whole Cope defection and the mess thereafter)

That a culture of racial profiling within the race, suddenly we are experiencing the “not black enough” notion when you don’t identify with the ideas of the current ANC leadership.  There is a growing sense of irritation towards the people who are offering a different opinion and possible BLACK alternative from the ruling party and their friends, it is so rife that they don’t care if you are an award winning journalist and editor, whether your father was on Robben Island or whether you are just a frustrated 35 year old, the tone that one gets is laden with disgust and hate and that I cant take but its made by completely ignorant blind loyalist who act and reason with their sentimental commitment to the ruling party than common sense. Sometimes the ignorance of these people reminds you of how and why the genocide in 1994 happened in Rwanda, at this rate heaven help us all.

I mean yesterday I uploaded the following on my Facebook status wall;

“I don't need a march, Malema's lies and the ANC denials of their internal mess to know I am not economically free, after all I am worse of than when all the guilt funding came here from europe atlas then we could do a play about our suffering under the boers and the europeans would feel guilty that they are benefiting from our misery and take us there to eat croissants and goats cheese and when we got back we would still have enough to buy ourselves melrose in keeping with a fake cheese eating tradition, I swear apartheid was bad for a black man but democracy under the ANC is worse”

 Alexandra Township the bane of our suffering pics courtesy of google search

This done to completely demonstrate my disgust and irritation at how my life under apartheid was a mess but even a bigger mess under the “freedom movement” simply put the ANC has endured more suffering in 17 years than the national party did during its entire reign.

The response I got demonstrates how loyalists in the ruling party will disregard everything and every one who offers an alternative dialogue to the agenda and that they will do anything to disregard fact no matter how glaring it is, so welcome to my face book madness below:

 We shall call this guy Loyalist 1 or otherwise known as L1: “Political education is really needed for real.”

Me: how do you mean L1? Please enlighten me who does need political education? Because I don't believe the majority of the people of this country care much for that right now, all they need is common sense, something the ANC leadership seems to have lost! I mean what is so hard about realizing that promises that were made even before 1994 are still not kept? And perhaps while we are on the subject of education they might just fix our education system don't you think?

Loyalist 1: Simple logic says we were under colonialism for centuries and apartheid since 1948. And those are facts, as a freedom fighter i agree fully with u than we cud have done things different in the last few years including bettering our education. The truth is Malema is not a factor but the POA of youth league is, some of the programs are the resolution of the conference and are above Malema.I refuse to let my tools of analyzing politics be dictate by jewish media. White and Indians youth are filthy rich but nobody says anything about them why? U sound extremely bitter what happen, sound like a war veteran who was refuse special pension, what's up (now at this point I am not sure if he is reading what I am saying)

Me: Are you then suggesting that corruption, lack of service delivery, internal ANC squabbles restrictive legislation is the way to go? I think let's stop this sentimental alliance to the ANC if we can't tell them who must? I quite frankly know how the Jewish and Indian got their money apartheid legacy! The one that the ANC is failing to defeat with it's policies and I also know how Julius got his money corruption and both these incidents of wealth accumulation are driven by theft from me, my kids and any self respecting black south African citizen. Corruption is a crime just like the land looting that happened during both colonialism and apartheid, I don't blame white people for what has happened in the last 17 years I blame the ANC they have the political control and they messed it up and I refuse to wait until our country is looted like Nigeria before I say something about it. The only thing that has progressed and if we don't stop if will take over is the DA and unless we want to see it run the country let us continue and be sentimental to rubbish. Julius is a corrupt thief and so are the people paying him to continue making vague statements that aren't backed up by serious plans of action. I don't want the mines I want the land and all in it, from farms to diamonds, roads to parks but I can't trust the ANC the ensure it benefits the people who mine it, who plough it and who tend it, simply put our wealth doesn't belong to the politicians and we have to make them know. Biko, Sobukwe, Mashinini, and even Tambo must be rolling in their graves when they realize the mess this ANC government has made our public administration system and finally the papers that have been chasing corrupt leaders are owned by blacks and Afrikaners lest we assume they not and Malema is a member of the ANC NEC if he needs to raise economic issues he has many outlets, he must put it in writing for it to be included in the NEC agenda or wait for the policy conference next year right? Or did that ANC rule change? He doesn't need to further exploit poor people suffering. (And at this point I thought I got him now, surely he has to see reason)

Loyalist 1: Chief I have a great respect for u and I like the way u see and interpret the world. No 1 is bigger than the ANC and this movement has been tried and tested, hence we are not seasonal politicians who just get excited by sensational white media content and so called analysts. Malema is not a factor and maybe ur deficiency and short coming is the lack of indepth understanding of the movement processes. I agree with u fully dat u cud have done things better by now, my chief is that ur too bitter and angry, in the back our mind u truly believe ur talking facts and that a challenge. Honestly u sound like some whites, and ur observation is based on a white jewish media. Remember media deals with perceptions and minds and if ur tool of analysis are challenge u wil urself as white media ambassador unaware. (now at this point I lost it, I wasn’t going to take this patronizing bullshit)

Me: With all due respect L1 what you just plainly patronizing and ignorant, if the ANC is so tried and tested why does it still not have 1 million registered members in a country of close to 50 million people? Your ANCYL was encouraging people to aspire to be white on Friday at the Union Building nogal! and you calling me like white! I don't need to be affirmed and you are right I am angry and bitter that my grandmother has to pay for water while an unemployed man can buy a 3,6 million rand house and demolish it with no proven source of income. You like those blacks who glorify criminals in the township because they don't steal from them, and quite a beneficiary of your membership card and that’s why I am all of a sudden not black enough, I am a member of the ANC and am no ones ‘chief’ because this sense of ‘chief’ is the one that has put OUR movement in this mess, my understanding of the ANC doesn't need to be informed by my silence rather by challenging and debating it and where possible exposing political ambiguity and careerism and right now between the tender gang and the ministerial hand book gang you cant still be insisting that the ANC is in good hands. A couple of days ago you were talking about how people should rise up and challenge Mittal with the mess its has made the Vaal atmosphere you think there will be such recourse without political will? Thabo Mbeki in 1999 took the side of multi national companies when black individuals took them to the UN and the Hague to demand compensation for their suffering and you are expecting those people to trust the ANC because they aren't black enough if they don't listen to what Thabo had to say? Maybe what you need L1 is education on the African political discourse because if your political opinion is based on your blind loyalty to the ANC then I walk away from the respect you are affording me. FACT is Malema is a member of the ANC 1st that’s why he sits in its NEC so lets stop pacifying people about his bigness when its convenient to us, when he was killing for Zuma nobody spoke about his size now that he'll kill for Tokyo he is not that significant anymore? Talk about animal farm! (Ok now he is finished right? noooooooooooooo he get very intense)

L1: My challenge with u is that ur Politics angle deals with an individual and ur not taking policy issues, instead entertaining person. ANC is like an Ocean its cleansers itself that who come to the movement with wrong concept will automatic al fall away ,my appeal to u don't approach politics like football match in a sheeben after reading papers. Let's talk about fundamental issues in line with NDR and other progressive issues.

You see after this line I couldn’t argue anymore, this guy not only undermined my time of sleep but he was completely clueless about anything and everything and he will definitely kill for the ANC, so good South African I am going to say this in bold capital letters and you can quote me on this:

“I DON’T BLAME ANY WHITE PERSON FOR BLACK PEOPLE SUFFERING IN THE LAST 17 YEARS I BLAME THE AFRICA NATIONAL CONGRESS FOR ITS POLITICAL UNWILLLINGNESS TO CHANGE THE CONDITIONS OF BLACK PEOPLE AT THE EXPENSE OF NOT WANTING TO PISS OFF WHITE PEOPLE”

The only answer I could give after that rather mis-informed summation of my politics was very humble: I am sorry L1 then you'll never get what I am saying, once again go to:  www.septembernationalimbizo.org and get informed.

I also belong to a civic organization called September National Imbizo and like it sounds its not a political party but a highly political aware stable of frustrated, angry, bitter, intelligent, skilled, motivated, clever, street wise, volunteering, writing, reading, debating, conscious, AFRICANS who would never let this country be Nigeria-rised. Sometimes the ignorance of these people reminds you of how and why the genocide in 1994 happened in Rwanda. We need to advance our struggle before the poor decide to advance their struggle and share their poverty with the rich, financial emancipation cant wait for the next election.

What of the key demands of SNI is that “We want all civil servants, politicians, and leaders of government and their families and relatives to use government services” from transport, to education, health to each and every service governments provide for our people, then they will know how hard it is to be BLACK in South Africa today. We have to get rid of the “eat first brigade and replace them with the serve first leaders”

  "Black Consciousness is an attitude of the mind and a way of life, the most positive call to emanate from the black world for a long time. Its essence is the realisation by the black man of the need to rally together with his brothers around the cause of their oppression - the blackness of their skin - and to operate as a group to rid themselves of the shackles that bind them to perpetual servitude." Biko

Vuka Darkie 

20 reasons why you shouldn’t vote the ANC

1.     Because they are scared of Afri-Forum

2.    .Because under their leadership the DA is thriving and needs to be stopped and they ANC wont achieve that they have had 17 years of practice still nothing.

3.     Because they have Julius Malema

4.     Because he fired Mbeki

5.     Because any organization that allows a guy with a degree in economics to be fired by a guy who failed standard 9 isn’t serious about the economy

6.     Because they cant even manage money they still

7.     Because Kenny Kunene is a member

8.     Because Jacob Zuma never takes a decision unless is to save his skin

9.     Because Thabo Mbeki introduced us to GEAR and left it with idiots

10 Because Tokyo Sexwale wants to be president of the country

11 Because Kgalema Motlhantlhe never says anything

12 Because Blade Nzimande is a member

13 Because Zwelinzima Vavi isn’t sure if he is still a member

14 Did I mention that the most powerful person there failed woodwork?

15 Because why would Zuma fire Mahlangu Nkabinde and suspend Cele when they are both charged with the same thing?

16Because they allowed a 14 year old work on Tereblanche and now he is accused of killing him

17 Because all government parastatals they gave to their friends are a mess and they keep bailing them

18 Because Khulubuse Zuma and Zondwa Mandela irresponsible members of the self made royalty of our country and no one within government has come out strongly against their actions at Aurora mine

19Because the ANC is direction less

20 And my favourite BECAUSE MY GRANDMOTHER SAID SO!

So after this you can you 20 reasons why you wont vote them.

 “The philosophy of Africanism holds out the hope of a genuine democracy beyond the stormy sea of struggle”- Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe

Vuka Darkie

Shut the F*^k Up You Are Black

There have been sporadic incidents of censoring that have been happening in South Africa in different industries young vocal and opinionated black youth/ people have been subjected to a new thread to towards individual opinion and freedom of speech.

More and more of us have found us sidelined and or black listed by industry captains and their friends, to ensure that the status quo remains the same.  I was recently subjected to a lengthy labor case and because of this I have come across a lot of young people who unfortunately haven’t had the media glare that I have had and their cases remain largely unreported. While the media has advocated for a broader control of its own industry it has largely been very biased to those with greater control, finance and superior race and religious belief.

Take for instance my case, when the news broke that I had posted an “anti-Semitic’ statement and had subsequently been fired, the media went on a rampage to put the news in their radio bulletins, the papers went to town, the bloggers went to blog and even black journalists were allowed to speak to white people to find out who I was, what I meant, rather than speak to Blacks and find out whether or not I was an anti Semitic or was on point with what I was raising.

The fact about what I was saying what I am still saying is that our theatre industry which is mainly in cape town and Joburg is operated from a Jewish perspective because intentionally or unintentionally the captains of the performing arts industry particularly theatre are of Jewish faith and origin and that’s a fact not a thumb suck or bullshit. The fact is they are scared to transform and the ANC allows it and they even fund it, finish and klaar.  I also find it odd that one cant speak about the holocaust, Hitler or anything that relates to that history if they are not Jewish (at least in the south Africa of today) the fact that Jewish people speak freely of apartheid doesn’t raise any sensitivity or racism alignments from the media. I mean 4 radio stations, 5 daily papers and 3 websites carried my story and non-except 2 other newspapers (not listed with the others) called to find out what my story was? Like go figure! Better still what media freedom? The fact that all these media houses didn’t see it fit to ask me or black elders and or professional of whether I was allowed to use the word holocaust in any reference or say the word ‘fucking’ in the same sentence as Jew and holocaust equated to treason in my own land and I couldn’t even be afforded space that white, Jewish people were afforded in the media to voice their disproving what I had said about the state of an industry I work in.

The fact is I am a black man with no trust fund or a board of deputies that can speak on my behalf means I am consistently at a mercy of a superior race, the laws of the land as enshrined in our fucked up constitution, signed of by a corrupt government, led by a ruling party that continuously protects the oppressors of black people in our country.  I mean the fact that its former president have even gone as high as the UN human rights commission to justify why multi-national companies exploited blacks in this country demonstrates their unwillingness to understand our suffering.

We have all been clubbed together with Julius Malema and have been declared persona non-grata in our land, the African National Congress on the other hand is so clueless about how to change our suffering, the party is in such a messy state that they find themselves in, I mean for the last 17 years they have done nothing except steal from Blacks and cover each other’s asses than focus on the real problems that have faced black for the last 450 years.

So to the Nceba, who worked for a major fishing company in the Eastern Cape, Matjamela who worked at a theatre company in Johannesburg, Ernest who still works for the DSRAC in one of the provinces and is under constant investigation for his outspokenness, and a million other frustrated young black people in financial institutions, education, health, mining and any other industry please note, NO ONE WANTS TO LISTEN TO YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK AND KNOW WHAT YOU WANT.

We are now in a space where we have to realize that we cant continue promising politicians everything and expecting nothing in return, we cant agree to live in RDP houses when ministers live in Villas, we can go to Chris Hani Baragwanath when the President go to 1 Military Hospital, we cant take our kids to “continuously black schools” when government officials send theirs to private white owned schools that get subsidized by our tax, we cant continue to travel by shosholoza meyl or coffin like Taxis when government officials travel on the yellow lane with 5 luxury blue light  German sedan convoys.

We can’t allow Julius Malema to lead a call for economic freedom in our lifetime because he is taking our land, minerals, and wealth back to the ANC. The last 17 years has given us nothing but suffering, kind of shows that they never really participated in the struggle for our freedom they just became a political “Usain Bolt” for our votes in 1994.

The less we say about opposition parties and their concerns for Black suffering the better, the DA is exploiting the ineptness of the ANC while the rest of us stand more chance of the speaker of parliament calling us into order than the black opposition parties.  We have to say NO to the willingness of being exploited by the current government, the ANC and DA alike, as for the rest they should just fold if you ask me.

We have to say, shut up WE are BLACK and we are suffering so deal with US, here and now otherwise let’s declare the state ungovernable until it is for our benefit. We must seek a radical and brave black alternative movement.

While we seek an alternative, we should be vigilant of being infiltrated and ending up with revolutions like the Egyptian revolution where the people who used to eat with Mubarak are now eating without Mubarak, the Libyan revolution in where we are going to be called insurgents or rebels in our land, it has to consistently be about our desire for a better today, a repaired past and a monitored future, not something that’s going to leave us worse than a third world, like what Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt have all become.

We are the ones we have been waiting for, our emancipation to freedom has to be the responsibility of each Black person suffering from the current political dispensation, let us treat the current government and political system with total contempt, because I don’t care what the noise is about but all I see is an opportunity to voice as a BLACK MAN what I deserve and not be labeled anything, because I am BLACK AND I AM PROUD.

"Merely by describing yourself as black you have started on a road towards emancipation, you have committed yourself to fight against all forces that seek to use your blackness as a stamp that marks you out as a subservient being."- Biko

VUKA DARKIE

Was Steve Tshwete a hired gun with no bullets?

I like sport and for weeks I have kept quite about my liking of sports because I have feared that within the euphoria that has gone on over the last few weeks about that team called the "Springboks". You see I call it that team because quite frankly from 1995 when I took notice of its existence it never appealed to me as a team worthy of representing this nation, when they flopped at the 1999 and 2003 World Cups I subsequently felt like it was a sign, more like the "broderbond" will realize that it was time for change, unfortunately this hasn't happened.

I am reminded of a time when minister of sport Steve Tshwete was dubbed "Mr Fix It" by the media, I had an inkling that our beloved ANC was finally recognizing the problem and were dealing with it head on, but need less to say "Mr Fix It" fixed jerk sh*t to this day we still waiting for the report on how it went with the qouta systems that he so glorious introduced and commissions of enquiries were set to work out what the real problems were and nothing has come off that either.
I could easily have let this slide you see but I got enraged when the current minister of sports minister Fikile "Razzmatazz" Mbalula (funny how their nicknames always tell you what they are in for)  told all and sundry that this team, with 90% white people is the reflection of our rugby and however who doesn't support it must basically go jump!

 Well this got me thinking that, if I voted for the ANC to mainly implement societal transformation, how can this politician tell me to go jump when he has conveniently forgotten his mandate as set out by me? How can for a trip to New Zealand he sell out 47 millions blacks and force feed them a team that is not reflective of their country? how can he sleep easy in business class on that flight for his ( I bet his taken his wife)  Kiwi jamboree take kind to the fact that there are still currie cup teams in the country that field 100% White teams? How can he claim that this is all good when there are stories of racism coming out of rugby fields and clubs across the country? how can he sign this off when in fact the Soweto Rugby Club is not allowed to win its matches in the Gauteng league purely because they are Black? How can he allow us to be duped by this mirage called Peter de Villiers who 3 years ago promised US a much more representative team and now he has forgotten color and only see rugby players? How come when we have to find a decent Black prop for the Springboks we have to cross the Limpopo and search Zimbabwe because the aren't dedicated training programs that allow our Black players to wear that green and gold in positions either than wing? Where is the Black mans BEE or AA in rugby because you have it in politics? Why is he signing off on rugby being a reconciliatory factor when it was never whole? How come he is not jumping up and down when Banyana Banyana, who are largely representative of our nation qualify for the Olympic games for the first time, yet he is a willing cheer leader not only for the Springboks but for the equally lilly white cricket and netball national teams?

But I quickly realize how minister "Razzmatazz" can do this, its because he is a member of the ANC and they are running riot messing up our country, the fact that the springboks jersey and merchandise is manufactured in China at a cost for job loses for black South Africans working in the textile industry is not a problem to him- because what is his cheer leading line again?

"Moer hulle bokke" feels like when P.W. Botha said it during apartheid!

Fact that there are no dedicated development programs in rural and township communities of our country spearheaded by our government contributes to the perpetual influx control of blacks in to former white sporting codes and the ANC as usual is the driving force behind these and this is not only in sports, its in everything, Banking , Mining, Health, Infrastructure development or Architecture and Engineering, there is a lot more of issues one can raise with the ANC on their inept and corrupt ways of handling the running our nation, its worse than an under-storked spaza shop in Phillipi!

So having had all these thoughts in my head, and as I walk past a beautifully (tender) built Steve Tshwete education complex in Zwelitsha, King Williams Town, I cant help but feel how this ANC politician who did nothing for our democratic emancipation is immortalized in our history(even with a whole municipality named in his memory), the people inside the walls speak of him each day when they describe where they work (hoping they do work, considering the state in which the ANC has allowed the education system in this province, its a mess that stinks like the veld if not the open bucket toilets our kids are made to use in schools) while no one in institutions speak of real african intellectuals and change drivers.

So Minister "Razzmatazz" while you are there jolting and kissing ass, please cross over to Australia and book Kylie Minogue for your sports awards concert next year because that what you do right? You are a fun guy, you bring "Razzmatazz" ask Brandy Norwood you even gave her an african name!

I wish the Springboks all the bad luck in New Zealand, I hope they get out of the World Cup as soon as the knock out stages begin, so that the Afrikaner Media can blame the black man Peter de Villiers and remind him that even if he doesn't see color they do and next time I hope SARU can get a white man as coach who would at least feel guilty that he didn't select the only on form Black rugby player in our country Lwazi Mvovo, who can assure Elton Jantjes that just because he had two off games doesn't make him a non springbok, who make all the injured white springbok players (who are all in new zealand) know that if you are injured you cant make the team let alone the plane to an international tournament, who can give all the Black kids who are playing other rugby positions hope that they don't have to play wing to be future Springboks after all 16 years since 1995 we have only 6 black South African players to speak off  that made an impact to this team and they all wings, in my opinion!

So to answer my question, Was Steve Tshwete a hired gun with no bullets? yes he was, some body needed to shut the Blacks up and he did, so what is Fikile Mbalula then? He is just disco lights in a crowded room providing the illusions that everyone is dancing, African revolutionaries know time will catch up with the ANC and they will soon be a memory not so nice to keep.

“We are fighting for the noblest cause on earth, the liberation of mankind….there is only one race, the human race. Multi-racialism is racism multiplied.” - Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe 


Vuka Darkie 

Care to look for Biko?

The pseudo-intellectual conversation with permanent alcoholics.

Over the last couple of years I had been contemplating taking a tour to the eastern cape not that I haven’t been to the eastern cape, I have many times before but in all this time I made a point not to go to King Williams town not only the town but Ginsberg, you see Ginsberg is where Steven Bantu Biko, first emerged for the world to marvel at.

I don’t know Biko, but I know he was brutally murdered 72 days before my first birthday, something I am still holding a grudge with no one about, I have thought long and hard, struggled to reconcile why if this man never showed aggression against anyone, never encouraged violence in his ideals, thoughts and teachings, why then he had to die such a brutal death?

A couple of months ago something changed my life, I had moment of anger and said something I should have said a long time ago, I raised my issues around the “new oppression” that creative arts workers were enduring in the hands of mostly Jewish theatre producers, something that was blown completely out of proportion and me out of a job, and at this point I questioned myself, what I was, what I wanted to be and what I want my people, my children to remember me for, and this brought me right back to Biko about why he died,  about how he died and most importantly  what his death has  given to me, yes selfish as this sounds, to me I ask myself?

And I realize that there can only be one question to answer these questions, ‘What have I done to uphold Biko’s ideals?’

The answer is simple nothing, after hard and long struggle years I have simply wanted to be part of the rainbow, I have just wanted to be a happy go clappy, over indulging, materialistic rainbow nation man. I like many, have become an addict of oppression, I thrive on it, I eat at fancy places with fancy people and reckon this is the life, I live in a rented luxurious apartment because the bank doesn’t trust me enough for me to own one and I am happy because this is the life, I work with oppressors that have kept maids and gardens boys without the comforts and benefits they enjoy from the state and I justify it by saying they are liberal?

So I finally decided to take that journey I decided that I was going to go out there and I am going to look for Biko, not the idea of him, him the spirit.

Contrary to what most might have thought about the spirit, I felt I wasn’t going to seek it from a badly crafted bust at his house number 698 Ginsberg or at the Memorial Gardens where the body or Biko lies, or the Biko Bridge in East London or the currently being built Biko’s center and am glad I didn’t find it in this human art effects commemorating his name.

I did find the spirit though, the spirit of Biko is in the people all over the world but more so in the people of Ginsberg, they own Biko, they don’t need to be reminded who he was because each day they pride themselves with being the people of BIko.  I saw a street vendor with a badly erected stall and badly written graffiti, declaring “honorable Bantu Biko” that I for the first time saw the spirit, a little later I went out for a beer and a discussion that started off as electioneering talk ended up being about how mis-informed people are about the teachings of Biko and this achieved with drunk professionals of this place and not that they are drunk for today, no, they are drunk everyday that’s how they interface with their current reality.

 You see people in this place never knew it any different, when Biko was alive in this place they thought he was a trouble maker who continuously brought the attention of the special branch to the place and now that he is gone they find themselves trapped in this pseudo-intellectual areas full of alcoholics and poverty.

I then ask myself what would Biko say? How would Biko deal with this sense of hopelessness and misfortune?  And then I realize that we haven’t done enough to change the situation, we have become passengers in of our own destiny, which I realy find as an anti-Biko like behavior.

We haven’t created a Mozart like feeling that Salzburg has created for kids growing up there or a Van Goch like feeling that Amsterdam has created for kids growing there, we haven’t created an environment that speaks of Biko the philosopher, the father, the teacher and yes dare I say it the spiritual guider espoused.

The efforts of the Biko foundation must be encouraged and supported however not at a spectator level, we need to engage young people especially of King Williams town in its entirety then later the eastern cape followed by the whole country, we need to encourage a spirit in them of independence and ideals that would ensure that we stop graduating drunks that can only talk politics at bars, that only aspire for a German sedan, a Tuscany apartment and Italian clothing, we need to aspire to encourage a belief that highlights the contributions of all our leaders and the beliefs they died for.

So what am I learning from my permanent sabbatical in this town? Nothing I didn’t know really, but this reinforced the bitterness that has grown throughout the country.  It has sought to highlight why Phillip Tatane had to die such a brutal death, why his kids have to uphold his ideals.

It reaffirmed to me that with all the service delivery protests, the gap between poor and rich growing by minute, the unemployment levels ballooning and the gravy train increasing speed with fat cats on board, that we have sought to believe in nothing, we have allowed ourselves to be led blindly by people who stand for nothing, hence to this day our history is still not being written by us, otherwise our kids would know that a world without ideals is a world not worth living in.

We need change and we need change urgently and the first step to this change would be to tell our history accurately, let us tell accurately the history of people regardless of tribe, clan or political movement let us tell our history as a people not as spectators defined by the  island off the coast of cape town, let us tell the history of Biko and and the Black Consciousness movement, let us tell the history of Sobukwe and the Pan Africanist Congress, the history of Sekhukhune and the Bapedi people, the history Tiyo Soga, Sol Platjie  and the black intellectuals in the time of colonialism, the story of the sinking of the  SS Mendi and black heroes on board and stop defining our history to 99 years of a political party because until we have ideals to live for we might as well die for nothing.

“ You are either alive or proud or you are dead, and when you dead, you cant care anyway. And your method of death can itself be a politicising thing” ‘- Biko, I write what I like.

End.

Matjamela Motloung  © 2011 

Simphiwe Dana

I have been listening to Simphiwe Dana since she came on to the scene a couple of years ago. In all these years I have truly enjoyed listening to her music, one thing tough that has bugged me througout these years is a live performances.

In the ealry years I used to truly believe that Dana was just a shy person who didn't want to be in the limelight and was just caught up in the business of selling records. I troed to justify to myself why her music was so strong and powerful, so inspiring but realised that it cant just be relegated to the shyness, Simphiwe should have known what business she was getting into and the requirments thereoff.

So for a while I decided I wasnt going to torture myself with her heavy clothed, dreary performances, but this was until she released her latest offering "Kulture Noir"  which is pure magic! I even saw a video of Simphiwe in a nice top and pants dancing on the street, I thought  to mysel wait a minute this person has transformed if she can be this care free on a video imagine what she can do on stage?

So naturally when the banners and TV ads started popping all over about her live performance with a 21 piece ochestra I couldnt contain my joy, I was beyond myself with excitement, that was until the SHOW.

I mean why wouldnt everything go wrong? The show for instance started 1h35 minutes after the advertised time and by then most of the audience had had more than enough at the bar, so the beggining of the show was just chaos, if you know what 600-700 drunk people can do.

When she finally came on she managed to pull through the initial noise and captured the audience and three songs later there was still no Ochestra wghich I didnt mind but she then had to PEE to my and many people horror never had I gone to any show where a musician had to dash to the loo when she had captured the attention and imagination of the audience!

from this point it just went pear shaped, from her amateurish handlers, who failed to inform people that they arent allowed to film the show to Sipho Sithole jumping up and down on the wing telling her to wrap up songs ;-(

In the end the show was saved by Dana's vocal abilities and talent, but if you asked me if I would pay money to see Simphiwe Dana perform live I would tell you straight to your face HELL NO wont even go if it's a free show, but I will definitely buy her music, for my personal music collection, for friends birthday's and special occassions because Simphiwe is a special occasion kinda lady handled by a BAD management team.

TheatreLover