Joseph Kony:A good guy

ANC urges citizens to boycott City Press

Security Guard does the unexpected at The Spear defacing

Courtesy: ENews...

I am an African!

I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the

trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land.

My body has frozen in our frosts and in our latter day snows. It has thawed in the warmth of our

sunshine and melted in the heat of the midday sun. The crack and the rumble of the summer thunders,

lashed by startling lightening, have been a cause both of trembling and of hope.

The fragrances of nature have been as pleasant to us as the sight of the wild blooms of the citizens of

the veld.

The dramatic shapes of the Drakensberg, the soil-coloured waters of the Lekoa, iGqili noThukela, and

the sands of the Kgalagadi, have all been panels of the set on the natural stage on which we act out the

foolish deeds of the theatre of our day.

At times, and in fear, I have wondered whether I should concede equal citizenship of our country to

the leopard and the lion, the elephant and the springbok, the hyena, the black mamba and the

pestilential mosquito.

A human presence among all these, a feature on the face of our native land thus defined, I know that

none dare challenge me when I say - I am an African!

I owe my being to the Khoi and the San whose desolate souls haunt the great expanses of the beautiful

Cape - they who fell victim to the most merciless genocide our native land has ever seen, they who

were the first to lose their lives in the struggle to defend our freedom and dependence and they who, as

a people, perished in the result.

Today, as a country, we keep an audible silence about these ancestors of the generations that live,

fearful to admit the horror of a former deed, seeking to obliterate from our memories a cruel

occurrence which, in its remembering, should teach us not and never to be inhuman again.

I am formed of the migrants who left Europe to find a new home on our native land. Whatever their

own actions, they remain still, part of me.

In my veins courses the blood of the Malay slaves who came from the East. Their proud dignity

informs my bearing, their culture a part of my essence. The stripes they bore on their bodies from the

lash of the slave master are a reminder embossed on my consciousness of what should not be done.

I am the grandchild of the warrior men and women that Hintsa and Sekhukhune led, the patriots that

Cetshwayo and Mphephu took to battle, the soldiers Moshoeshoe and Ngungunyane taught never to

dishonour the cause of freedom.

My mind and my knowledge of myself is formed by the victories that are the jewels in our African

crown, the victories we earned from Isandhlwana to Khartoum, as Ethiopians and as the Ashanti of

Ghana, as the Berbers of the desert.

I am the grandchild who lays fresh flowers on the Boer graves at St Helena and the Bahamas, who

sees in the mind's eye and suffers the suffering of a simple peasant folk, death, concentration camps,

destroyed homesteads, a dream in ruins.

I am the child of Nongqause. I am he who made it possible to trade in the world markets in diamonds,

in gold, in the same food for which my stomach yearns.

I come of those who were transported from India and China, whose being resided in the fact, solely,

that they were able to provide physical labour, who taught me that we could both be at home and be

foreign, who taught me that human existence itself demanded that freedom was a necessary condition

for that human existence.

Being part of all these people, and in the knowledge that none dare contest that assertion, I shall claim

that - I am an African.

I have seen our country torn asunder as these, all of whom are my people, engaged one another in a

titanic battle, the one redress a wrong that had been caused by one to another and the other, to defend

the indefensible.

I have seen what happens when one person has superiority of force over another, when the stronger

appropriate to themselves the prerogative even to annul the injunction that God created all men and

women in His image.

I know what if signifies when race and colour are used to determine who is human and who, subhuman.

I have seen the destruction of all sense of self-esteem, the consequent striving to be what one is not,

simply to acquire some of the benefits which those who had improved themselves as masters had

ensured that they enjoy.

I have experience of the situation in which race and colour is used to enrich some and impoverish the

rest.

I have seen the corruption of minds and souls in the pursuit of an ignoble effort to perpetrate a

veritable crime against humanity.

I have seen concrete expression of the denial of the dignity of a human being emanating from the

conscious, systemic and systematic oppressive and repressive activities of other human beings.

There the victims parade with no mask to hide the brutish reality - the beggars, the prostitutes, the

street children, those who seek solace in substance abuse, those who have to steal to assuage hunger,

those who have to lose their sanity because to be sane is to invite pain.

Perhaps the worst among these, who are my people, are those who have learnt to kill for a wage. To

these the extent of death is directly proportional to their personal welfare.

And so, like pawns in the service of demented souls, they kill in furtherance of the political violence in

KwaZulu-Natal. They murder the innocent in the taxi wars.

They kill slowly or quickly in order to make profits from the illegal trade in narcotics. They are

available for hire when husband wants to murder wife and wife, husband.

Among us prowl the products of our immoral and amoral past - killers who have no sense of the worth

of human life, rapists who have absolute disdain for the women of our country, animals who would

seek to benefit from the vulnerability of the children, the disabled and the old, the rapacious who

brook no obstacle in their quest for self-enrichment.

All this I know and know to be true because I am an African!

Because of that, I am also able to state this fundamental truth that I am born of a people who are

heroes and heroines.

I am born of a people who would not tolerate oppression.

I am of a nation that would not allow that fear of death, torture, imprisonment, exile or persecution

should result in the perpetuation of injustice.

The great masses who are our mother and father will not permit that the behaviour of the few results in

the description of our country and people as barbaric.

Patient because history is on their side, these masses do not despair because today the weather is bad.

Nor do they turn triumphalist when, tomorrow, the sun shines.

Whatever the circumstances they have lived through and because of that experience, they are

determined to define for themselves who they are and who they should be.

We are assembled here today to mark their victory in acquiring and exercising their right to formulate

their own definition of what it means to be African.

The constitution whose adoption we celebrate constitutes and unequivocal statement that we refuse to

accept that our Africanness shall be defined by our race, colour, gender of historical origins.

It is a firm assertion made by ourselves that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.

It gives concrete expression to the sentiment we share as Africans, and will defend to the death, that

the people shall govern.

It recognises the fact that the dignity of the individual is both an objective which society must pursue,

and is a goal which cannot be separated from the material well-being of that individual.

It seeks to create the situation in which all our people shall be free from fear, including the fear of the

oppression of one national group by another, the fear of the disempowerment of one social echelon by

another, the fear of the use of state power to deny anybody their fundamental human rights and the

fear of tyranny.

It aims to open the doors so that those who were disadvantaged can assume their place in society as

equals with their fellow human beings without regard to colour, race, gender, age or geographic

dispersal.

It provides the opportunity to enable each one and all to state their views, promote them, strive for

their implementation in the process of governance without fear that a contrary view will be met with

repression.

It creates a law-governed society which shall be inimical to arbitrary rule.

It enables the resolution of conflicts by peaceful means rather than resort to force.

It rejoices in the diversity of our people and creates the space for all of us voluntarily to define

ourselves as one people.

As an African, this is an achievement of which I am proud, proud without reservation and proud

without any feeling of conceit.

Our sense of elevation at this moment also derives from the fact that this magnificent product is the

unique creation of African hands and African minds.

Bit it is also constitutes a tribute to our loss of vanity that we could, despite the temptation to treat

ourselves as an exceptional fragment of humanity, draw on the accumulated experience and wisdom of

all humankind, to define for ourselves what we want to be.

Together with the best in the world, we too are prone to pettiness, petulance, selfishness and shortsightedness.

But it seems to have happened that we looked at ourselves and said the time had come that we make a

super-human effort to be other than human, to respond to the call to create for ourselves a glorious

future, to remind ourselves of the Latin saying: Gloria est consequenda - Glory must be sought after!

Today it feels good to be an African.

It feels good that I can stand here as a South African and as a foot soldier of a titanic African army, the

African National Congress, to say to all the parties represented here, to the millions who made an

input into the processes we are concluding, to our outstanding compatriots who have presided over the

birth of our founding document, to the negotiators who pitted their wits one against the other, to the

unseen stars who shone unseen as the management and administration of the Constitutional Assembly,

the advisers, experts and publicists, to the mass communication media, to our friends across the globe

- congratulations and well done!

I am an African.

I am born of the peoples of the continent of Africa.

The pain of the violent conflict that the peoples of Liberia, Somalia, the Sudan, Burundi and Algeria is

a pain I also bear.

The dismal shame of poverty, suffering and human degradation of my continent is a blight that we

share.

The blight on our happiness that derives from this and from our drift to the periphery of the ordering

of human affairs leaves us in a persistent shadow of despair.

This is a savage road to which nobody should be condemned.

This thing that we have done today, in this small corner of a great continent that has contributed so

decisively to the evolution of humanity says that Africa reaffirms that she is continuing her rise from

the ashes.

Whatever the setbacks of the moment, nothing can stop us now!

Whatever the difficulties, Africa shall be at peace!

However improbable it may sound to the sceptics, Africa will prosper!

Whoever we may be, whatever our immediate interest, however much we carry baggage from our

past, however much we have been caught by the fashion of cynicism and loss of faith in the capacity

of the people, let us err today and say - nothing can stop us now!

• A speech by former President Thabo Mbeki.

Africa Day 2012



Africa Day 2012

Let's all celebrate Africa Day and embrace what our forefathers have left for us.iAfrica!!!!iZwe Lethu!!!Africa is our Continent!!!!

A nude Helen Zille

A nude painting of Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille

Zuma painting defaced

A person stares at the defaced the spear painting of President
Jacob Zuma

Courtesy: http://www.timeslive.co.za/

Isn't this abuse of artistic freedom?

An art fanatic stares at The Spear portrait by artist Brett Murray showing
 President Jacob Zuma's genitals 

• Picture courtesy of The City Press Online.

A better, brighter future Sipho Goes Harder than EVER!!!



Sipho Siluma makes a door.



Bruce Mbingeleli

Most people will start off their businesses in street corners, while others start their Empires in the comfort of their own houses.  Sipho Siluma (36) from Tembisa regards his township and closer urban areas as the best places to market himself as carpenter for his growing business.

 Since 2005 Sipho has been a familiar face in his community. Relating to Corporate companies, to ordinary people in townships to suburbs in his area, they have really shown interest to the ambitious carpenter. Every day he wakes up and heads to his clients who want their doors, kitchen, TV stand and ceiling to be fixed or renovated.

“When I started this business six-years ago I knew what I wanted to do and it was  going to be easy for me. Hence my  love and the passion of drawing  and fixing of equipment. This is when the thrive within me increased for what was once ahobby became a career,”said Siluma.

Siluma said the majority of hisclients are people who live in the suburbs and a few from corporate companies.

 He said his decision to develop his business venture in the township was motivated by a desire to get new customers and to improve his business to be locally-known and recognized.

“I realised that when I was still working for a company called Set-In-Stone, that is when I was still in training in dealing with derking, eletricity connection in housing, tiling etc., so that’s when I started my own business and I have learned  much which acknowledged and implemented it and have gained it from my working environment”.

Now he is working hand-in-hand with his friend Gift Makuebua. It has becomes more convenient for him since he has extra hands helping him out.

” The business is growing with its full potential,”bragged Sipho.

 Carpentry is not an easy job, but Sipho has made it easier through his hard work and determination.

“At times it’s not so easy doing the job we are doing, I remember during the Soccer World Cup things were not on our side because we did not get any customers which was bad for business and for us too.”

 Siluma and Makuebue are sub-contractors. They said they are happy and satisfied to be working as sub-contractors rather than working for someone and being paid peanuts.

Their main concern is how most people (especially youth) are not business-driven despite financial pressure we are facing in our country, but that is not the issue regardless of that “you can pursue anything in life without always thinking of money” Siluma concluded.

Uncompromising Motion, Everyday Is a Show for Us…





Spinners and drifters unite in Soshanguve to showcase their talent.

 Bruce Mbingeleli

The Soshanguve Spinning Palace (SSP) held an event that took place this weekend at Block F industrial site, which brought down the curtain to one of the closest-fought spinners, drifters in Pretoria.

This was the very first opening event of 2012, car enthusiast from Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa and Mabopane came out in their numbers to support the SSP; this was highlighted as one epic event due to the number of spinners and drifters from Gauteng who were also part-en-parcel of this occasion.

“ I’m really happy with the organizers they way they organized the event, I’m overwhelmed with the attendance of the people and I’m so excited that I’ll be showcasing my skills, and the adreline rush that you get when people are screaming for more when your inside the car it’s really amazing” said Ricardo Carls who lives in Johannesburg, Florida.

 Spinners who attended the spinning event went all out in entertaining the people, by performing different types of stunts which left some of the masses amazed, shocked by the way the spinners and drifters did their stunts, somewhere hectic but truly impressive. The stuntwhich caught people’s attention was the way the tyres were place and the drivers had to do drift around the tyres, once they’re in the circuit the spinners had to do maneuvers up until their types blow up. “It’s really not difficult in spinning a car inbetween tyres it’s all about timing and controlling your car and knowing when to step on the pedal, and using the steering-wheel and knowing when your about to turn” said Carls.

Model abuses her freedom of expression on twitter



Model Jessica Leandra Dos Santos

 Lebohang Pita
@LeboPita

Jessica Leandra Dos Santos made headlines after her racial spat on twitter last Thursday against a black gentleman at her local supermarket. "Just, well took on an arrogant and disrespectful kaffir inside Spar. Should have punched him, should have," She tweeted.

This tweet landed her in hot water after she was stripped off her 2011 FHM model of the year title and lost her status as a brand ambassador for QuickTrim SA.

Was is necessary for her to use the K-word?According to several publications it was a step too far especially at a time when South Africa had just celebrated 18 years of democracy.

As an influential individual in SA and a prominent figure in the modelling world she should have known better.South Africa is just 18 years old and to abuse her freedom of expression in such a manner calls for order to be restored.Her racial spat will prompt her followers whom are mostly white to normalise the word in a country that endured 48 years of racial discrimination.The defunct draconian apartheid system still runs deep in many Africans' veins.The scars are still visible and this insult does not help but aggravate the division between black South Africans and white South Africans.

A friend conceded to me that such individuals should just go stay in Orania where they will be able to enjoy their own freedom and practice their racism freely.Candidly speaking,a person of normal intelligence will not show her anger in such a draconian way and Ms Leandra crossed a boundaty she should not have crossed.

Some South Africans say NO TO RACISM!!!!

It waits to be seen whether the forever active Afriforum when it comes to racism will open a case against her.Black South Africans are waiting anxiously and should the Afriforum do the right thing,it will prove many who are of the opinion that the lobby group represents whites or Afrikaners wrong.

Aspiring actress Tshidi Thamana echoed the late former ANCYL President Peter Mokaba's sentiments that all white people should be killed in retaliation to Leandra's spat."Dear Mr Peter Mokaba ... I wish All White People were killed when you sang 'Kill The Boer' we wouldn't be experiencing @JessicaLeandra's racism right now," Thamana tweeted.

This feud proves that South Africans are angry and I agree with political commentator Moeletsi Mbeki when he said intellectually and mentally South Africans are going backwards.

But why are we so angry as a nation?

Pictures courtesy: www.google.co.za
Qoutes courtesy: www.news24.com

Rest in Peace dear leaders

Lebohang Pita

@LeboPita

 Former communications and public service and administration minister Roy Padayachie.The minister died in Addis Ababa,Ethiopia,whilst attending an African Peer Review Mechanism seminar.South Africa has lost a leader who served the country with dignity and utmost respect.It is with great sadness that SA  mourns one of the pioneers of the new methods of communication that have reached the previously disadvantaged communities. Government will never be the same without you, may your soul rest in peace.



Sicelo Shiceka, affectionately known as Comrade Sicelo to staunch ANC supporters died on Monday April 30 after a long illness. A former co-operative governance and traditional affiars minister, Shiceka was fired last year after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela  released a report which found, among other things, that he had abused public funds. Be that as it may,we can't deny the fact that Shiceka served the people of SA with purpose despite his personal interests. May your soul rest in peace.

Pictures courtesy: Google