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.