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

How digital media has changed our lives

The invention of the digital media marked a new era for communication. In the past one would walk miles to deliver a message or had to go an extra mile in order to find information about a particular topic. The internet has made all that accessible in an instant. Imagine what you were going to do without the internet in a profession like journalism, where information is more imperative than anything and every fact has to be accurate….

Until the World Wide Web came into being, the era of information was born because it could now be accessed instantly and easily largely due to the fact that it could be stored on the net in vast amounts. Then came the invention of devices that enabled people to extend their ability to communicate, when in the past communication was often  halted by certain barriers and the digital media introduced reforms that made it easy to communicate without facing challenges.

Who would have thought that a small object like a USB flash disc can store a large amount of information? Well, that is true. Blogs have enabled citizens to raise their concerns about all the social ills they face on a daily basis and the online encyclopedia has made it easy to access information about particular individuals.

 We are now able to communicate beyond borders, thanks to the new media.

 The world now is a global village because of the internet and this has made trading between countries much easier. Imagine what the world would be like without the internet?

 Today we have been introduced to social networking with sites like twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn etc. having taken the world by storm.

The 3^rd edition New Media guide by Terry Flew is a must read in order to know how digital media came into being.

 Courtesy: New Media guide 3rd edition and Google.

Online news and journalism in South Africa

Online journalism has taken reporting in South Africa to another level. It is composed of both print and broadcast journalism because of its inclusion of videos, audios and news. The manner in which online publications report shows high expertise and professionalism largely due to the fact that news are not fabricated or distorted but are reported in a similar way as print and broadcast news. This justifies their reliability and integrity. Online news comprises different multimedia elements ranging from videos and audios of various newsworthy events to blogs and opinion pieces.

These elements allow you to watch certain events which you have missed. For instance, I was able to watch highlights of the Grammy Awards on www.timeslive.co.za and I also watched some interesting highlights of the Miss World pageant also on www.timeslive.co.za. News online are updated daily and are told as they are happening. News are divided accordingly and are told in details. So it becomes easier to access them than going through page to page in a newspaper or waiting for the entertainment section at the end of a news bulletin in broadcast news. All publications or news corporations without online publication as an alternative should consider creating one.

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

Timeslive.co.za is a very appealing online publication because of its versatility in reporting news. Fresh news and videos are uploaded daily. The lay-out is beautiful and the adding of colour has made it stand above the rest. Videos and audios are of top quality but I think their duration is too limited. Newsworthy events are not given much coverage but videos of entertainment news are given too much preference. For instance, the Grammy Awardswere not told in details but there were more video clips to demonstrate what happened. But newsworthy events such as the hearing of Julius Malema’s suspension appeal for example, are not covered in pictures to show his emotions but are told in print format. This is something in my opinion, that is lacking content wise. News are told as they are happening. For example, the Malema suspension appeal hearing, they updated us every minute. Their opinion pieces are unbiased and are full of content. This shows hardwork and professionalism on their side.

http://www.news24.com

Their “today in history page” has made the site more interesting and appealing than all. News24 is more or less the same as twitter because news are always updated. They make sure that their content is fresh and is of public interest. In terms of multimedia, they upload videos and audios of relevant news. Four to five videos are always available daily. News videos are given much preference. The lay-out design is unique and adds meaning and colour to their news content and news are told in pictures.

http://www.ewn.co.za

Eye Witness News online does not tell news in visuals but are told in details. They are brief and are updated daily depending on the event taking place. They lack multimedia elements such as blogs and videos.  But they have audios where you can listen to the latest news and latest traffic report. Their lay-out is appealing and has made the site look cheerful.

http://www.ewn.co.za/#media

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

http://multimedia.timeslive.co.za/

http://www.news24.com/Multimedia

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

MUAMMAR GADDAFI'S DEAD BODY PUT IN PUBLIC FOR DISPLAY!!!!

Lebohang Pita

@LeboPita

The tragic end of Muammar Gaddafi. What can we draw from this picture? Was it really imperative to the Libyans that the "Brother Leader"s supreme reign end the way it did?

Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate Maathai dies

Reuters, Times LIVE | 26 September, 2011 11:12

Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, has died in hospital after a long struggle with cancer, says her environmental organisation the Green Belt Movement.

Maathai, 71, who was also a veterinary anatomy professor, won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for campaigns against government-backed forest clearances in Kenya in the late 1980s and 1990s.  

Maathai had to endure being whipped, tear-gassed and threatened with death for her devotion to Africa’s forests and her desire to end the corruption that spells their destruction.  

“It’s a matter of life and death for this country,” Maathai once said. “The Kenyan forests are facing extinction and it is a man-made problem.”  

She called the clearance of forests a “suicidal mission”.  

“To interfere with them is to interfere with the rain system, the water system and therefore agriculture, not to mention the other industries dependent on hydro-electricity.”  

In 1989, Maathai’s protests forced then-president Daniel arap Moi to abandon a plan to erect an office tower in a Nairobi park. In 1999, she was beaten and whipped by guards during a demonstration against the sale of forest land in Nairobi.  

“It is with great sadness that the Green Belt Movement announces the passing of its founder and chair, Professor Wangari Muta Maathai, after a long illness bravely borne,” the organisation id in a statement on its website.  

“Her departure is untimely and a very great loss to all of us who knew her — as a mother, relative, co-worker, colleague, role model, and heroine — or those who admired her determination to make the world a peaceful, healthy and better place for all of us,” the statement said.  

Tributes poured in on social media, and Kenyan television stations broadcast past interviews with Maathai.  

“We join family and friends in mourning Prof. Wangari Maathai, a phenomenal woman, a friend and role model. You lived, you inspired,” said Kenyan politician Martha Karua on her Twitter account.  

Maathai’s Green Belt Movement has spread across the African continent and gone on to plant millions of trees around Africa in a campaign to slow deforestation and erosion.  

Besides founding the Green Belt Movement, Maathai campaigned for civil and women’s rights and also served as a member of parliament.  

“Rest in peace Dr. Wangari Maathai. A great woman, an inspiration for many women across Africa, a magnificent visionary and embodiment of courage,” Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said in a Twitter message.

Achmat Dangor, Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation says the organisations offers their deepest condolences to the family, friends and comrades of Maathai.

“It was with great sadness that we learned today of the passing of this exceptional environmental activist.

• COURTESY OF TIMES LIVE



TUT HONOURS ATHLETES

Elated students poses for a photo with their accolades.

Lebohang Pita
@LeboPita

TUT Soshanguve campus hosted an award ceremony at the Soshanguve South Campus gymnasium on Thursday night, October 20.

This ceremony is held annually to give gratitude to  sportsmen and women who have excelled in their respective sporting fields.

The athletes have represented the institution in regional, provincial and national levels and have collected many accolades, putting TUT among the best sporting Universities in South Africa.

Director of TUT sports and recreation, Mr. Chaka Croukamp, opened the event with an inspiring speech and congratulated the Ga-Rankuwa campus acrobatics team for reaching the semi-finals of the acrobatics world championships taking place in Australia.




Athletes of the year Kgopotso Mhlongo

 and Thoblle Mbonani.

  “Events like this are very important to students who excel in sport. TUT is unique and it’s about your performance and respect when you don the institution’s jersey"he said." I’m in a buoyant mood because the Ga-Rankuwa campus acrobats have reached the semi-finals of the world championships.” concluded Croukamp.

Students were entertained with good music by various DJs and the Master of Ceremonies, TUT FM’s Venda Boy, kept the guests on their toes with his funny antics.

The night saw about 50 winners, with some students and staff members scooping several awards.

The most notable are karate players Gugulethu Ngwenya and M.W Damisa who received three awards apiece for their contribution and participation in provincial and national levels.

These sport stars are not excelling only at sport but are also doing well academically.

The academic sportsman and woman of the year award went to Maletsatsi Modise and footballer S.L Khumalo.

Both these athletes were jubilant.

“I am speechless and I am grateful that the good work I am doing is being recognised.” Said Modise.

Khumalo echoed Modise’s sentiments and thanked his coach for giving him courage.

The biggest winners of the night were dancer Thobile Mbonani and basketball star Kgopotso Mhlongo who went home with the Soshanguve campus sportman and woman of the year.

Mbonani said she was astonished by the award.

“I am surprised by the award but I’m grateful and congratulations to all the winners.”

Mhlongo was coy.

“It is not the first time I am receiving this award. It’s all thanks to god.”

Event organiser Muzi Dlamini was ecstatic that the event was a success.

“As you can see, it has been well organized, everybody is happy and I’m grateful it’s a success,”concluded Dlamini. 

THE LEGEND LIVES ON

Lebohang Pita
@LeboPita

The 12^th of September marks the 34^th anniversary of the death of Steve Bantu Biko while in police custody. Biko’s ideas emancipated black people from the chains of oppression in the 1970s when apartheid was at its peak.

In honour of Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement, I rewrite this essay that I wrote in my history final examination in matric.

The 1960s saw little participation of black people in politics because many of the struggle icons were in detention at Robben Island and political parties were all banned. The only way for black people to engage in politics was through the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS). NUSAS was an “anti-apartheid” organisation that operated in liberal English speaking universities with the majority being white students. Subsequently, black students felt marganalised
within NUSAS and decided to leave the organisation. Steve Biko co-founded the South African Students Organisation (SASO) which catered for only black students in 1968, a body from which the Black Consciousness Movement emerged. Biko said the reason for the formation of SASO was that “blacks are standing at the touchlines to witness a game that they should be playing. They want to do things for themselves and all by themselves.”

Black Consciousness was a philosophy by Steve Biko in which he urged black people to free themselves from the chains of oppression and for all blacks to work towards liberation. Biko said “the basic tenet of Black Consciousness (BC) is that the black man must reject all value systems that seek to make him a foreigner in the country of his birth and reduce his basic human dignity.” The BC gave blacks a new sense of belief as it opened the way for blacks to remove their feeling of fear and inferiority and help each other gain freedom.

The Black Consciousness was an attitude of mind and a way of life and it condemned the idea that blacks be made foreigners in their own land. It told the oppressed to stop depending on the oppressors thus it poured in a new sense of belief in blacks and rejuvenated the liberation struggle.

Steve Biko was influenced by the writings of the first president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), Anton Lembende and the Black Power Movement in the United States of America. In particular the ideas of Malcolm X and the actions of the Black Panthers that stood proud of being black. Biko said to black people, “Black man you are on your own.” He told all black South African to take responsibility for their own struggle and not depend on white liberals.

In order to do this, he believed that they needed to regain their confidence and free themselves from the chains of oppression. He hated the term non-white because he believed that black people really wanted to be white but they couldn’t because of the colour of their skin. Biko said “being black is not a matter of pigmentation-being black is a reflection of a mental attitude.” His ideas were highly appreciated because their inferiority and fear was replaced by a new courage.

Black Consciousness ideas were put into action when Steve Biko set up Black Community Programmes in which blacks worked without whites' assistance. A clinic known as Zanempilo Community Health Clinic was established in Grahamstown and it was operated by blacks and run by a black doctor, Dr Mamphele Ramphele.

Biko set up the Black People’s Convention in 1972 to give expression to the ideas of BC in forms of African dances and poetry.  He also formed the Black Allied Workers Union that motivated black labourers to fight for their rights. These programmes conscientised black people and made them believe that they can do a lot better without whites' assistance.

The message passed by the Black Consciousness really inspired the youth and the results were seen in the events of 16 June 1976 Soweto Uprisings. The youth of Soweto was filled with self confidence and a determination and ability to address their own harsh circumstances.

Students were protesting against the harsh conditions they were taught under and the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction within all schools in South Africa. Their teachers were university drop-outs so they influenced all students to take action against their marginalisation. The events of June 1976 stirred the fight against apartheid and soon many other schools in the country followed with endless protests.

Due to the unrest in the country, Steve Biko was detained and he died in police custody on the 12^th of September 1977, becoming the forty-first person to die while in custody.

The minister of police Jimmy Kruger was quoted saying “Biko’s death leaves me cold.”

·         Information from sahistyoryonline and the new generation history textbook

photos taken from google