Young gifted and gloom…?

South African youth are constantly reminded that they have much to be appreciative of. Being born into a free country, abundant opportunities, quality education, a promising future and growing up in an non sexist, no racial and inconclusive South Africa.  If so why is it that most young people I come across so despondent, unmotivated and doubtful of the direction the country is currently on and ever getting their share of the “South African dream?

Twitter was a buzz after US president Barack Obama managed to secure a second term in office beating Republican challenger Mitt Romney in what many pundits refer to as “one of the hotly contested elections in history.” While many were nothing but pleased of this result, it was a bittersweet result for many South Africans who hope for an inspirational leader such as the US president.

Why not us…?

When Obama was giving his victory speech one of my colleagues said “why can’t President Jacob Zuma be like that when he gives a speech? America has problems yes but this man gives you hope that his administration will do much to tackle them.” Another tweeted “Zuma congratulated Obama on his win but was relieved Romney didn’t win because it would have meant him (Zuma) handing over his Worst President Title to the Republican challenger.”

These tongue-in- cheek tweets no matter how playful and sarcastic one might regard them, are a clear indication that most of SA’s youth is despondent with little confidence in our government’s ability to tackle the massive challenges South Africa is confronted with.

President Jacob Zuma last week criticised many for what he called “misguided pessimism” about South Africa and if they did not stop it would bring the country down. Zuma went on to say that his administration had done much in improving many South African’s lives (Nkandla does not count Mr President). The general feeling is that while issues such as Marikana massacre, wildcat mining strikes, increasing unemployment, depilating  education system and persisting inequalities the presidency seems more concerned about building bunkers in Nkandla rather than attending to challenges that SA is embattled with.

Mangaug is not the answer…

The African National Congress elective conference takes place next month where delegates will decide if they support Zuma for a second term (sadly it seems likely) or his reluctant deputy Kgalema Motlanthe will succeed him to the highest office in the land.

Whatever the outcome is many are not confident that this will bring about real change in the way that government deals (or doesn’t) with the countries issues. Graduates are without jobs, poverty is still rife, job creation is stagnant with the middle class complaining that rising costs are making it hard for them to make ends meet. Judging from the wildcat strikes labour union Cosatu has emerged as a hypocritical organisation which lambasts government corruption but still pulled its weight behind Zuma to get another term.

The ANC has a tough road ahead as more and more young people are becoming less patient with the slow pace things seem to be moving for them. The ANCYL was one of Zuma’s loudest supporters at the last elective conference in Polokwane but even they have voiced their dissatisfaction with the current leadership. Julius Malema and co have gone from being prepared to kill for Zuma to cataloguing as the worst president SA has ever produced.

Zuma has an enormous task awaiting him if he is re-elected for a second term as South Africa’s president. With young people struggling to penetrate the job market, education hanging in the balance (WEF ranks us among the worst) and rising living costs the “South African dream” is slowly turning into a pipe dream for many youngsters.

 

Find me on twitter @BongaDlulane.

The Language (D)efect

South Africa is one of a few countries that can boast about having a multicultural society which is so proudly reflected in our colourful flag. We have gone as far as dubbing ourselves the “Rainbow nation” in celebration of our diversity.

This of course has placed us in a unique position when it comes to most countries considering that they have no more than 2 to 3 official languages. We as the Republic of South Africa have a total of 11 official languages. You heard right, we can say hello in eleven languages including English, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana, Zulu, Sesotho among others (this column is not enough to list all of them).

While this may be something we hold dear to our hearts, it does present its own challenges.

Breaking barriers

A colleague of mine recently quizzed me about my generation’s (I don’t know what that means) lack of appreciate for the vernacular language. To quote her she said “kutheni uthanda uthetha isilungu kangaka kodwa uthetha nomntu omnyama” and my immediate response was why shouldn’t I? Does speaking English to my fellow black brother mean I have no respect for the Xhosa language? I don’t think so but sometimes it’s better to say things in the queen’s language.

There have been calls to most schools and universities to start offering classes and lectures in other languages as English and Afrikaans do not represent most of the people in this country.

While I completely agree with this sentiment, how practical is it to have academic institutions offering lectures in all eleven official languages. With our current ailing education system, can it handle the infrastructure that would be needed to implement these plans to promote these ‘neglected’ languages?

Direct translation

President Jacob Zuma in August came under fire for saying that single women need to have kids in order to practice to be mothers. The President further fuelled the fires by saying that in a democracy the minority have less rights to the majority after a parliamentary question was posed by the tenacious DA leader Lindiwe Mazibuko.

Another colleague of mine (I have lots of those) said the media misunderstands the president because he thinks in Isizulu therefore he screws up when he is trying to covert his thoughts to English. The accuracy of this may be a mystery but it’s not completely improbable. Now direct translation is something that is prevalent in a multicultural society like ours.

I wanted to strangle a white lady I was having a conversation with in my daily train ride. Before she got off her stop she made a blunder by saying to me “you speak English so well”. I kid you not. I responded b saying as opposed to what. Now she might have “thought” in Afrikaans by to me what she said sounded demeaning because it suggested she expects blacks to speak XoEnglish.

No matter how she meant it, people should not say that to other people no matter how sincere they’re trying to be.

Indlela endikuthanda ngayo becomes “the road I love you” when translating to English. Do not even get me started on the pronunciation debacle. We have politicians who get away with saying our COW-TRY (country) leaving you wondering how they came up with that word.

We end up with people defending their blunders with the famous phrase “it’s not my mother tongue” or “there is NO school for pronunciation.”

Lessons to be learnt

I recently visited a museum with my colleagues and our guide there gave us a mini history lesson before commencing the walkabout. She said one of our biggest problems in this is that we do not want to learn each other’s languages.

We as various ethnic groups must stop being so concerned about which tribe or language is superior rather appreciate our uniqueness and make an effort to learning other South African languages. If we don’t our colourful Rainbow Nation only exists in our beautiful flag.

@BongaDlulane…

The Education Conundrum

When the World Economic Forum revealed that South Africa was the fifth country with the worst quality of education in the world (no 140/144) I cringed with disbelief as to how could this be true.

Surely this couldn’t be true because we produced the most famous statesman in the world. There must be a mistake because we are the richest economy in the African continent. Why do we have a status as one of the world’s leading gold and platinum producers, if we do not pour that money into growing our economy.

What further perturbed me was the fact that Zimbabwe was no 30 which translates that their education system is first rate compared to SA’s. What? Zimbabwe? This couldn’t be true. This is a country plagued by poverty and inequality because the Western world has imposed sanctions of their long ruling president Robert Mugabe. A number of Zimbabweans are fleeing that country and finding refugee in South Africa. Surely Zimbabwe could not have a better education system I said.

But then it dawned on me that despite these challenges, education is something that Robert Mugabe takes very seriously. He is after all an intelligent man with numerous academic degrees and accolades to his name. While we are stuck with a President that fails to fire a minister who did not make sure that textbooks are delivered to schools in her capacity as Minister of Education.

Now I am not blaming Angie Motshekga for the dire state that this country’s education system is in but when leaders who are elected into office fail to carry out simple tasks like these we are in trouble.

Mamphela Ramphele, Desmond Tutu and Professor Jonathan Jansen have all called on government to fix the ticking time bomb that is education in this country. Instead Zuma replies with an attitude that “we inherited a problem child from the apartheid government which we still trying to rehabilitate.”

Instead of playing the blame game our leaders should be engaging with academics and specialists in the field to try and fix this ailing system. Hire a minister and officials who are there to make change not to spurlge on the latest German luxury car because the ministerial handbook allows them to. Not to rely with a simple “I did not know” when asked why children have no textbooks six months into the school year.

When universities reject students because they are illiterate and cannot count, it’s a reflection that their teachers did a botch job as educators. We need to hire hardworking, dedicated teachers to eviscerate the problem of numeracy and illiteracy in this country.

What is now known as the Marikana massacre is an explain of what happens when a nation is lacking skills, inability to create lucrative job opportunities and quality education not being accessible to most South African’s. This was far more complex than some miners demanding better pay but a reflection of what happens when government fails to better the lives of those who contribute to this country’s economy.

After 18 years of democracy no one is expecting miracles but rather a government that listens to the electorate, delivers on its promises and provide quality education that will translate to the obliteration of poverty, curbing of unemployment and reducing crime.

Therefore government I say to say spare some of the attention you pay to Julius Malema and will start making some headway in tackling SA’s education conundrum…

It’s All Just The Same

Barack Obama has come out (pun intended) and voiced his support for same sex marriage ahead of his all-important second term run for the Oval office.  His supporters have said it’s the trump card he needed to secure another four years while his detractors say that it will be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back in his already fragile campaign.

Mitt Romney’s Republican Party alas the Tea Party is dead set about granting the LGBT community any civil union rights because marriage is about “procreating” in their books. While the liberal Democrats maintain it should not matter if two people want to get married regarding their gender.

This piece is certainly not about the complex American current political situation but it’s about whether two people of the same sex should be allowed to enjoy the same rights as everyone else. Black people in Africa and America where once oppressed because of their skin colour, should the gay community also endure such discrimination and prejudice because of the people they choose to have a relationship with.

Why are people so sensitive when it comes to the issue of same sex relationships? If it is not the church condemning it as biblically wrong, it’s heterosexuals claiming it’s unnatural. But are these the beliefs of a few or are there deep underlining factors that need deeper understanding when it comes to the laws of attraction.

 Having been watching a few medieval television shows lately, I have noticed the sexual relations between men are always present in these shows. Are writers simply using their imaginations in claiming they exited centuries ago or is society so repelled with these homosexual relationships that they condemn them as barbaric behaviour of the current generation?

Of course in a complicated subject like this, one has to tread carefully to avoid accusations of being callous when it comes to other people sexual preferences. What is attraction? How does one define this when they feel it? Does it know any bounds such as race, gender or nationality? Is it something that one can explain or you just know when you feel it?

Religious groups will quote the bible and say “A man shall not lie with another man like he would lie with a woman.” That’s their argument that God created a man and a woman so they could reproduce to grow the Creators children.

Only problem with that scenario is not all of the Earths inhabitants live their lives according to the teachings of David. They will retaliate by saying why should someone else’s beliefs determine the courses that their lives should take.

Popular soaps like Isidingo and Generations have both tackled gay storylines more or less in terms of the modern era. Generations shows a black affluent father and son falling out because the father does not understand his son’s sexuality. To him he would have preferred id he settled down with a young woman and extended the family name.

While Isidingo recently took the approach of a white conservative father who doesn’t want to accept his daughter’s new found lesbian tendencies. To him he always imagined his little girl settling down the conventional way. Now these may be TV characters but real life is not far off.

Life is complicated and sex makes it all the more complex. The issue of sexuality is so sensitive that some individuals would rather stay in the “closet” rather than subject themselves to discrimination and bullying. Now a lot of straight people will tell you that being gay is wrong, say it’s a sickness or unnatural! Now is this really the case or is society so conservative that it fundamentally fears anything it does not understand.

What constitutes a sound and healthy union? Is it having a man and a woman in a relationship or is love so powerful that it can develop between any two individuals regardless of their genetics?

A friend of mine said that society is to blame for all these negative perceptions when it comes to same sex relationships. He said that putting people in boxes and labelling them will never end well as it never did with Apartheid or the Holocaust for example. He went on to say that if you would replace gay with black in all these points, you would say why it is wrong to discriminate against homosexuals.

Is he right? Is society so frightened of change that it’s willing to condemn other peoples lifestyle choices as nothing but sin and immoral? Why do we as “straight” people have problems with the gay folk? If their fraternizing doesn’t affect us, why does it make so many heterosexual people disgusted what same sex couples get up to?

Does the question of being gay or straight define a person exactly the same way as being born black or white? Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King for the better time of their lives fought against being stereotyped because of their skin complexion! Do the same rules apply to the gay community or does race beat sexual orientation hands down when it comes to that debate?

Life choices are mostly probably the one thing that people judge other human beings on. What does he do? Is she a gold digger? His parents have bailed him out of jail a couple of times. I heard she accused her former boss of sexual harassment in her previous job! Are people what they do or is it the other way round?

Sex between a man and a woman is regarded as natural while the opposite is frowned upon. Why? Is it because they cannot pro create? Is it because woman on woman or man on man is something that our backgrounds have taught us it’s wrong and immoral? If so, why? If not, why not?

I guess in all these points that I have levelled or raised, my question still remains! How different is it to judge a person on whom they sleep with from judging a person based on the colour of their skin?  What two people do in the bedroom is there concern, so butt out (pun intended).

Tweet… Share… Tweet… Share

Twitter and Facebook are the world’s most popular social networking sites. Why am I telling you something that you already know? It’s because they are more than just platforms to brag to your friends (yes don’t pretend like you do not) or follow the most popular celebrity.

When news breaks out, Twitters users are the first people to know and start retweeting to their friends. It’s a fast, convenient message 140 characters (take that Zuckerberg). While Facebook is more laid back with no character limitation, it’s were “friends” upload pictures, share a status and connect with old friends in a matter of seconds.

While things have become considerably easier because of our digital lives, it’s not all sunlight and roses when it comes to the world of social networks.

Users as are commonly known for both social platforms have the prerogative to post whatever they feel like on the internet. Pictures, status, posts, links, tweets and opinions are just some of the things we do on social networks.

Problem with the internet is that once you put things there, it’s almost impossible to forget or remove. This is why we have to be extra careful about what we post on the internet. Some of these challenges include:

Bad grammar: I don’t know about you bad most of my Facebook “friends” have difficulty differentiating between loose and lose. “I do not want to LOOSE my love” or “my laces are LOSE” are some of the horrendous mistakes people make.

When you correct someone its either you an ass or you think you are better than everyone else. Twitter and Facebook maybe for social activity but prospective employers are now on these sites. Nobody wants to hire someone who doesn’t know the difference between lose and loose. My advice, read more and make spell check your best friend. After misspelling gullible as gallable on my tweet, I now triple check what I post (thanks @sinovuyo).

Cryptic status and tweets: this is equivalent to putting a sign on your forehand which reads: “I am an attention seeker.”  If you want to say something say it, don’t tease its irritating not interesting. If you don’t want to then shut up nobody is forcing you to say anything. These include, “I can’t believe I just did that” or “is this really happening to me.” What follows is a furore of questions as inquisitive friends probe their friend of what they mean falling for the attention trap.

Know what you talking about: just because you have a twitter and facebook account does not mean we want to hear what you have to say (looking at you Kim Kardeshian). While there is pressure to sound intelligent on social networks refrain from commenting if you know nothing about a certain topic. You will sound dumb, people will crucify you (why do you think people retweet) and you will appear as a bigger idiot than Steve Hofmeyer and Todd Akin combined (thats saying something).

And finally nobody cares what you had for supper, which gym you attend, how much you love your better half or how often you visited the toilet. Tell that to people who want to hear it (I certainly don’t).

Social networks are about socialising, keeping up to date about what is happening around the world and generating interest. So in future before you tweet or share think very carefully about what you want to say…

Solidarity please take a sit...

Solidarity recently made news about how retail giant Woolworths was sidelining whites by advertising posts for people of colour(apparently this is unfair to white peopple). This unimportant issue of course generated a huge media furore(mostly by facetious tweeters) much to the trade union's dismay. Infuriated by Woolies "sidelining" whitey's, Solidarity along with some fanatics in the social networking world called for the boycott of the retail gaint. This promted the influx of sarcastic tweets ranging from serious right wingers to liberal humourous lefties. The media immediately jumped on the band wagon(I hate cliche's by hey) by inviting the corporations chief executive for radio and television interviews. What priqued my interest about this is that some idiot with access to a computer and internet managed to cause a storm in a tea cup, for something s/he is not interested in anyway. People need to take a chill pill and recognise that people of colour are still largely unemployed in this country. While I will be the first to say that BEE is hugely flawed, it doesn't know mean people who have been sidelined by the aparthied government should not be given preference over their white countrymen. Perspacacious City Press editor is an example that a person of colour can achieve so much when given the chance. In her piece titled the "Woolworths boycott brigade" she details how she sometimes felt inferior to some of her white classmates(confident as she is, i find that hard to believe) in varsity by not answering questions even though she knew the answers. This is an example of how the apartheid government set in motion a system that even today people of colour are still suffering the conseqences. This whole thing is not about the trade union trying to protect the rights of workers but about a few who feel that Woolies is being racist against white people. I say to them before getting their panties in a knot, consider the many others out there who will do anything to work as a cashier, cleaner or even security guard at a large retail store like Woolies. For them its about survival and putting food on the table for a family of five cramped in a shoddy shack in Khayelitsha. Affirmative action is not about discrminitating against white minority(get over yourself) but a policy designed to empower those who were once oppressed because they were not born white. This is not about racial profiling but about correcting the wrongs of the past that have left a huge divide our society. While this is a serious matter that deserves much scutiny, the euphoria this employment equity scenario did have a humorous side. One of my favourite tweets about this whole situation went like this "If white women boycott Woolies, think of all the white men that will starve. This could end badly." This showed that South Africans know when not to take some things seriously because they not worth the energy.

An Open Letter Government

South Africa is a country that is full of potential and promise. We are one of the few countries in the world who have had a fairy-tale ending after having a tumultuous past filled with racial oppression at the hands of an insecure minority… After the National Party led government depilated and the dawn of democracy emerged under the once banned African National Congress, a new dawn had risen for a country once condemned by the international community. Oppression was exchanged for reconciliation, racial segregation was replaced by integration and the apartheid government was decapitated by installing a new democratic government. Nelson Mandela a man once imprisoned for treason for 27 years by the minority government was propelled into the highest office of the land as a beacon of hope and champion of human rights for all. A perspicacious Mandela opted for unity and reconciliation to build a better tomorrow for South Africa rather than seek vengeance on those who had wrongly convicted him and his fellow struggle counterparts. This astonished the world and turned further cemented Mandela as a man of peace and nation building. That was 18 years ago and 13 years since the country’s most famous citizen was president of the republic. Now this seems like a story out of a story book. Make no mistake, we are a country that has a lot to offer but has been over shadowed by corruption, service delivery protests, failing education system and recently a wage strike that turned deadly now known as the Lonmin Massacre. The ANC led government has been fiercely criticised for its lack of action against those who are corrupt and financially mismanaging taxpayer’s money. Government seems to be less concerned about obliterating the rampant corrupt officials it has its midst. The latest scandal involving a multi-billion rand Social Development department deal which a judge denounced as illegal but not corrupt. Social Development minister Rethabile Dlamini focused more on the NOT corrupt but and said the contract would stand despite it being illegal. The Northern Cape, Gauteng, Free State and Western Cape have all been plagued with service delivery protests, some turning violent and deadly. After 18 years that South Africans first voted for a better future, these people are still fighting for basic necessities such as decent housing, water, sanitation, roads and functional lavatories. Instead of fast tracking delivery the government is involved into bitter spats with the opposition and shifting blame to the apartheid government. The state of the country’s education system is what many pundits have described as a ticking time bomb. Nobel Laurent Nadine Gordimer, academics Mampele Rampele and Professor Jonathan Jansen have all fiercely criticised the government for the state that education is in. in some instances some learners leave high school without being able to count, read and without the possibility of succeeding in a tertiary institution. The latest in involved the Limpopo province’s department failure to deliver textbooks to students half in the school year. Instead of taking charge of the situation Basic Education minister Angie Motshekga was more concerned about saving her political career when calls for her to be sacked grower louder. Wage disputes are known to get out of hand but the situation at the Marikana Lonmin Platinum turned into a deadly onslaught for the striking miners. Demanding that their wages be increased up from R4000 to R12 500 for drill operators, the illegally instigated strike reached disaster that shocked the country and the international community. After the alleged murder of two police officers at the hands of the striking workers, this unlocked a chain of events that the country is still dealing with its ramifications. Following the growing rage of the miners, police were called in to control the situation. Armed with knob-keries and machetes the miners refused to backed down and tensions cumulated to a point that police with semi-automatic weapons opened fire on the workers killing 34 of them in the process. National commissioner Rhia Piyerha described the onslaught as necessary as police were simply defending themselves. These events have sparked a much needed debate about the direction that the country is currently taking. With some feeling that the government has lost sight of what is truly important. After all President Jacob Zuma was the one who said “the ANC would be in power until Jesus comes.” Maybe this stagnant behaviour that Zuma and his administration have adopted is because they are comfortable and know no matter how much they screw up, they will still be kept in power by the voters. If only the ruling party was as vocal about the country’s problems as they were about the President’s penis. Policies which are in place to improve the lives of South Africans are set aside in favour of frivolous issues such as political points, party squabbles, crushing rivals and regulating the media. Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu fought for more than the current government is doing. Proverty, unemployment, crime and corruption are some of the conundrums that are currently eviscerating the full potential of our country. When President Zuma and his elected cabinet decide to focus on what is truly important, that will be the first signs of true leadership. South Africans deserve more than their current government is offering them. No one is disputing that apartheid set us back but reminiscing about the past will not create a better future. We need leaders who are prepared to act on corruption, implement policies that grow the economy, create jobs, take responsibility when they are wrong and be less consider about the second term will some people are dying of poverty and youth that is despondent because of lack of jobs. That dear government is your job,that is why you are in power.

It’s All Up To You…!

I and my unemployed friends usually talk about the predicament that we find ourselves in even though we possess the necessary qualifications. And that is joblessness. Yes you have heard about this topic countless times but I think we overlook one important aspect when reaching for our dreams. And that is being persistent and believing in one self.

While watching Meryl Streep’s Oscar winning performance in the engaging film Iron Lady, something she said in her portrayal as Margaret Thatcher got me thinking. She said “Our thoughts become our actions, actions become our habits, habits become our characters and characters become who we are.”

This saying did not strike a nerve with me because one of the most poignant personalities said it but because it effectively says that it’s up to us to make our lives matter. Our dreams, hopes, aspirations and ambitions purely depend on us as individuals. Yes we need the support of educational institutions, governments and corporations to succeed, but believing in one self is the key to making sure that you achieve all that you want.

There was some commotion about a recent letter that well known academic Professor Jonathan Jansen responded to titled Jobless Graduate. While I may not agree with everything that the UOFS rector said in his rely, I do concur that the youth needs to start making an effort in increasing their chances of success when they leave high school or tertiary institutions.

One of the world’s most famous universities Harvard teaches its students that it’s better to create your own job than wait for some else to hire you. Known for drop outs turned billionaires (maybe I should have dropped out) such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, it’s a philosophy one might say is proving successful then being at the messy of corporations after graduation.

South African youth need to start enhancing their own chances for better careers rather than waiting for some else to do it. This includes getting as much experience as possible before completing your diploma. Volunteering, internships, summer jobs, learnerships are some the ways one can ensure they produce an attractive CV for that all important job interview.

While employment is an albatross in many developing countries, limiting your chances of being a statistic is ultimately the graduate’s responsibility. Yes circumstances vary from student to student but that should not be an excuse for anyone not to try hard at reaching for something one wants. Young graduate’s and professionals need to start adopting a ‘can do anything’ attitude rather than stick with ‘the government must provide’ mentality.

Nothing that is worthwhile is free on this earth, someone said that and I agree with it. Ambition combined with hardwork can propel anyone from any part of the world to achieve everything and more they want in this world. This is especially true for young people as we have been provided with opportunities that many years ago seemed like a pipe dream.

To climb the corporate ladder is not for everyone but being successful on your own terms does not have to be for a select few.

Jacob Zuma’s Mshini!

Brett Murray’s satirical work of art depicting our President with ‘his’ business all but hanging out has the country locked in debate regarding Zuma’s penis. Yes you heard right. The latest top story in South Africa has nothing to do with policy rather how well-endowed the president is or isn’t!

The African National Congress through its ever zealous spokesperson Jackson Mthembu has condemned the Goodman Gallery for violating the president’s privacy and stripping him of his dignity for hanging that work of art with all his junk out. According to Mthembu “Its distasteful and portraying South Africa in a bad light as Zuma is the head of the state.”

So much so that the ruling party is planning to apply for an urgent interdict to compel the gallery to remove the provocative art work. This has divided the people into campus with the ANC and its supporters calling for Murray’s blood while some think it’s a humorous piece of art that the party is blowing out of proportion.

Now I believe that it’s always a good thing when a developing nation like ours in engaged in debate as it challenges us to think and develop our knowledge when it comes to the matters that affect our country.

The problem I have with this debate in that the issues we seem to be so interested in are the ones that require less of our attention and time. If trade union Cosatu is not throwing tantrums (literally) at the opposition DA for toyi toying, everyone is discussing how big the President is below the belt. Is this commotion about one man’s penis so necessary even though every second person on earth has one? Why does the ruling party allow itself to be dragged into pointless and immature discussions?

South Africa is faced with a conundrum of when it comes to the state of our education system and not to mention the levels of unemployment. Electricity is something of a pipe dream to some people, water is scarce at the rural areas with food and fuel prices taking their toll on motorists and ordinary civilians.

These issues are what warrant not only warrant a high level of attention from our government but are a ticking time bomb if not resolved soon. But in all my existence I have never seen them being made a priority as the issue of the painting is being made into.

Being in the public eye in any democratic country at least means that you will be subject to scrutiny and satirical artists such as Brett Murray will use you as means of humour. Jonathan Zapiro is one of the most (in) famous cartoonists in South Africa. His work has included the likes of Mandela, Zille, Tutu and Zuma in the most unflattering way sometimes but none of them has made a fuss about it but Zuma and the ANC.

Is there ruling party becoming intolerant of what is meant to be funny and satirical? Or are artists like Zapiro and Murray simply picking on our President? Why are the ANC so easily offended by anything by this work of art?

A while back US president Barack Obama was seen in pictures circulating in the media and internet kissing European world leaders with tongue and all. Yes it was the work of some cartoonist or gallery(I stand corrected) but it got people all over the world talking. In a few days everyone news outlet that ran the story had already forgotten about it. You know why?

Obama and most of the leaders that were shown embracing in those pictures did not let themselves be drawn into some dialogue with those responsible. Sure they might not have liked it but instead of attacking the artist(s) they simply kept quiet and let it die down. Being drawn into a discussion with the artist would have caused unnecessary commotion like the ANC has managed to do with ones man’s portrayal of our president.

As I write this piece an urgent court interdict is being filed at some high court in Johannesburg to have the painting removed? Is all this necessary? Who will be footing the bill if this is prolonged into a court case? Is there ruling party justified in its reaction or are they overreacting to what is supposed to be a funny piece?

All I know I know is that if we devoted as much time and energy to the real problems that the country is facing as we are to this thing, al lot would be solved! The ANC is not the only organisation that is to blame when it comes to blowing things out of proportion.

If the media houses did not feel compelled to report to every action and reaction when it comes to matters like these, it would just die down! Yes the media has a duty to report on what our leaders are busy bickering about but is Jacob Zuma’s penis all that interesting that the country is faced with real problems such as crime, poverty and unemployment.

Everybody has an opinion and freedom of speech means that people are allowed to express it as long as they don’t infringe on other people’s rights. Just like the President and the ruling party welcome praise when it’s due, they should also acknowledge criticism and satirical work as exactly what they are.

So what if someone drew that president with his junk? Get over it people, every men on earth has a penis. President must just be proud of his business and attend to matters that really require his attention. The ANC must just sit down and relax, it’s not even their junk hanging out!

United? Or Just Plain Ignorant?

Tense race relations in South Africa, is almost a sure thing as paying taxes. Yes we have a sombre past when it comes to various racial backgrounds and it tends to creep out to the surface (social networks, politicians and gyms) these days.

Virgin Active has had its own fair share of scandals regarding racial spats, FHM model Jessica Leandra recently caused a commotion when she refered to someone by the K-word in her tweet and the other day I was sent a Facebook link about a white varsity student venting as how black people are lazy and will not get anywhere with that attitude in life.

This got my ever curious mind racing! Are whites secretly racist towards blacks? Are blacks resentful towards the white folk because of Apartheid regime? Or are we as the 21 Century generation trying so hard to present a united front that we sweeping racial incidents under the carpet in the name of a united nation?

These are questions that need to be answered individually as well as collectively. Julius Malema (when he was still relevant) often used to say he didn’t despise white people, he just wanted them to distribute the wealth they amassed on the other racial groups expense. Desmond Tutu even climbed on the same bandwagon and urged the white population to do more to empower non-whites who suffer daily largely because of being denied opportunities by the capitulated regime.

A while back my cousin and I got into a heated debate about outspoken DA leader Helen Zille’s remark that some Eastern Cape people were academic refugees in the Western Cape because of the dire education circumstances the former is embattled with. Suffice to say my cousin wanted to rip Madam Premier’s head off for labelling ‘black’ people as refugees.

When I commented on her post that I happen to agree to the statement to an extent, she thought my being based in Cape Town was corrupting me. When I asked her if it is Zilles’s statement that angered her or the fact that a white person said it she relented that it was both.

It’s a common fact that most black students, who come to varsity in the Western Cape, want better standards than the EC is able to provide. Was Zille wrong in pointing this out or is it downright callous of her?  If a black politician had said that? Would it have garnered the same condemnation as madam Premier did?

Racism is something that needs to be discussed openly and condemned fiercely in our adolescent democracy. I was quite impressed by the lashing miss model Jessica received on social networks following her ill-fated utterance by calling someone a k*ffir. Radio personalities, politicians and ordinary tweeting South Africans immediately called her out. Her week later (I stand corrected) apology rebuffed because many believe that she wasn’t being sincere.

Is this incident simply to be dismissed as just another ignorant racist bigot or are there deep fundamental issues we still need to attend to as a nation when it comes to race. I have friends who say Nelson Mandela was quick to offer an olive branch to white people following his election to the highest public office in the land. Some on the other side maintain that if he hadn’t, the country would have been plunged into a civil war which would have been disastrous for then vulnerable state.

18 years since the birth of our democracy, racial prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination are still prevalent in our 50 million inhabited country. Was reconciliation rushed in order to dismantle the oppressive regime? Are these the ramifications of a past that was not dealt with swiftly and delicately?

We as the Facebook generation are quick to dismiss things as primitive, irrelevant or buried in the past. Tradition and our western ways continually clash but we attribute it to the new South Africa. We document everything, rushing everywhere and constantly connected to the net. Perhaps we have rushed to embrace reconciliation rather than addressing the problems among racial divides.

To what extent is criticism by anyone of any colour fair or discriminatory? Are black people way to sensitive when it comes to dealing white people criticising them? Or are the white callous when it comes to acknowledging the extent of the damage the apartheid government inflicted on their oppressors. Was Silklour justified in his controversial BlacksRFools song or is he another democracy kid with no idea of what he is talking about?

All I know is South Africans need to deal with their racial divides in order to move forward. How we do that is the million dollar question!

Tale of an Unemployed Graduate

Last week Tuesday I graduated with a BTECH degree in journalism at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. You can imagine euphoria I had while our very own Trevor Manuel was there in his capacity as Chancellor to congratulate me and thousands of my fellow graduates on our achievement. As I walked towards him I kept telling myself that “this is it, what I have been working for these past four years.” With one of the deans there hanging the hood on me, I looked to the full hall and spotted my zealous family waving at me in celebration of my achievement. The excitement and pride of being on that stage surrounded by those academics and dignitaries is nothing compared to the pride I saw on my grandparent’s faces when I received my certificate. “Education is a privilege that one has to nurture,” said guest speaker Lance Witten during his uplifting speech. Then it suddenly donned on my while I was walking to my seat that this may be the end of a chapter but it’s still the early stages of the book. Over 6 thousand degrees and diplomas were issued this year but not even half of those graduates will get employment in their respective fields. Even though we were all proud of ourselves with our family members there to witness, one cannot help but think if what the future holds for me now. Getting a qualification is easy, making it work for you on the other hand is something else. In South Africa unemployment for a young person is almost as certain as paying taxes. A lot of factors contribute to this such as a dwindling economy, inadequate skills or language barriers. Whatever the reason be, chances are the most of the graduates in that hall will not get satisfactory employment, if they manage to work at all. Of course we could blame the government, parents, greedy corporations, the past or the very institutions that produced these graduates. South Africa is a country that struggles with employment so much that social grants are the alternative. One might say that I am one of the lucky ones to have graduated and maybe I am. But having a qualification and plastering it on your parents living room is not the reason I went to tertiary. Travel Manuel once said in an article I read a while back, if you are 24 years old and never have been employed permanently, chances are that you never will. That does paint a grisly picture for most of the graduates I shared a stage with recently. I am lucky in the fact that my parents are still helping where they can as I frantically search for employment. Every day is almost the same thing when looking for work. I send out my CV to various media houses, to government services, calling companies, going through the newspaper and pestering former classmates who have already secured work to find out if they can’t point you in the right direction. If you lucky someone will call to inform you that they received your credentials but you too young, inexperienced or not skilled enough. How is one supposed to acquire all these skills if no one is willing to hire me? It’s all good and well to have an education, a privilege one should to proud of because lots of people do not have it. But pride does not put food on the table; lets you climb the corporate ladder or let you contribute to the economy. It’s one of the best feelings in the world to climb a flight of stairs to accept your qualification in front of thousands of people, but that feeling quickly disappears if the only thing you have use for it is decorating your parents lounge with it. This always lives me with the burning question, if individuals with degrees and diplomas cannot find work, who does??