South Africa P.I.G.

White farmers 'being wiped out'

Over 3,000 have been killed since 1994. Now the ANC is accused of fanning the hate. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454183353579109394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJApHQFQ8LHS_I3WPMzfVuBpRhl4CHFWPyjbowMsZm1JU5nEqhIP-MOwgtiSuJ8-MAqVHaGO0N_Vt18BxQJyGfj34K5RLVw1uql7DnW83P3nGJecggDp3qiAHJu4BOFEmzbptYrubaeUmT/s400/Farm_Murders_White_crosses.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 385px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 185px; CURSOR: hand" />THE gunmen walked silently through the orchard. Skirting a row of burnt-out tyres, set ablaze months earlier to keep the budding fruit from freezing, they drew their old .38 revolvers. Inside his farmhouse Pieter Cillier, 57, slept with his 14-year-old daughter Nikki at his side. His 12-year-old son JD was having a sleepover with two teenagers in an adjoining room. As the intruders broke in, the farmer woke. He rushed to stop them, only to be shot twice in the chest. In his death throes he would have seen his killers and then his children standing over him, screaming and crying. The attackers, who were drug addicts, simply disappeared into the night. Cillier’s murder, at Christmas, was barely reported in the local press. It was, after all, everyday news. Death has stalked South Africa’s white farmers for years. The number murdered since the end of apartheid in 1994 has passed 3,000. In neighbouring Zimbabwe, a campaign of intimidation that began in 2000 has driven more than 4,000 commercial farmers off their land, but has left fewer than two dozen dead. The vulnerability felt by South Africa’s 40,000 remaining white farmers intensified earlier this month when Julius Malema, head of the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) youth league, opened a public rally by singing Dubula Ibhunu, or Shoot the Boer, an apartheid-era anthem, that was banned by the high court last week. Malema’s timing could hardly have been worse. Last weekend in the remote farming community of Colenso, in KwaZulu-Natal, Nigel Ralfe, 71, a dairy farmer, and his wife Lynette, 64, were gunned down as they milked their cows. He was critically injured; she died. That same day a 46-year-old Afrikaner was shot through his bedroom window as he slept at his farm near Potchefstroom. A few days later a 61-year-old was stabbed to death in his bed at a farm in Limpopo. The resurrection of Dubula Ibhunu, defended by senior ANC officials as little more then a sentimental old struggle song, has been greeted with alarm by Tom Stokes, of the opposition Democratic Alliance. He said the ANC’s continued association with the call to kill Boers could not be justified. “Any argument by the ANC that this song is merely a preservation of struggle literature rings hollow in the face of farming families who have lost wives, mothers and grandmothers,” he added. He was supported by Anton Alberts of the right-wing Freedom Front Plus party: “Malema’s comments are creating an atmosphere that is conducive to those who want to commit murder. He’s an accessory to the wiping out of farmers in South Africa.” Rossouw Cillier, Pieter’s brother, bristled as he pointed to the bullet holes in the panelled kitchen of the farmhouse near Ceres in the Western Cape. “They shot him through the fridge from the back door — the bullets came straight through here, into his heart. He never had a chance,” he said. A successful apple and pear grower, he believes his community is living on borrowed time: “More white farmers have been killed than British soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Yes, we are at war here.” His brother’s farmhouse is now shuttered and empty. “I can’t spend time here. We’ll have to sell. This farm has been in our family for generations but it must go. Who’ll manage it? The children will never come back here. They held their own father as he died in front of them. Will they ever get over that?” As we walked across the orchard, fruit destined for the shelves of Tesco and Sainsbury’s in the UK was still being picked. A tractor passed a 10ft cross erected in honour of the murdered farmer. “It lights up at night,” Rossouw said. “My brother was a religious man. It’s all that’s left of him here.” Across South Africa many farmers feel endangered. In Northern Province a tribute has been created beneath an enormous sign with the stark Afrikaans word “plaasmoorde” — farm killings. Thousands of white wooden crosses have been planted across a mountainside, one for each fallen farmer. Recently the government’s department of rural development has been airing proposals to nationalise productive farmland as a “national asset”. Critics claim it is designed to deflect criticism from the ruling ANC’s failures. “It’s a lot easier talking about nationalising farms than building decent houses, making clean water come out of taps or honouring promises to redistribute farm plots to millions of landless poor,” said a spokesman for AgriSA, the farmers’ union. On the outskirts of Ceres there are few groceries in the township store — tins of pilchards, baked beans, some dried biscuits. A group of teenage boys sit on the burnt-out remains of a Ford Escort. This is where Cillier’s killers gathered, in a shebeen, a drinking club, where they fortified themselves with cheap hooch before they set off to rob him. They escaped with nothing. According to Rossouw Cillier the most telling detail is that his brother was unarmed when they attacked. “If we brandish a weapon, we’ll go to prison, not them. What did they gain from this murder? It was an act as pointless as their lives.”From The Sunday Times - <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article7078730.ece">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article7078730.ece</a>

White farmers 'being wiped out'

Over 3,000 have been killed since 1994. Now the ANC is accused of fanning the hate. THE gunmen walked silently through the orchard. Skirting...

3:02 PM

Deathly silence while SA fat cats lick the cream

By Jane Steinacker Every day the media publishes reports on tender corruption and fraud. Yet government is still sitting on its expensive leather seats. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz22BLOH7Zwl667aBPUbg3Sxor5aaB6qzCGsTDCNGyLk0jmxML_MYntHedrFSl1Ta6N3PK3QWsafwW7gJi1pBKBy7CD6CahHaGrvLnLJIUAU3pHWaJUW6P7FSY78sXDvMwtb-tpeIcrxm/s1600/corrupt-parl.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453812918274576546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz22BLOH7Zwl667aBPUbg3Sxor5aaB6qzCGsTDCNGyLk0jmxML_MYntHedrFSl1Ta6N3PK3QWsafwW7gJi1pBKBy7CD6CahHaGrvLnLJIUAU3pHWaJUW6P7FSY78sXDvMwtb-tpeIcrxm/s400/corrupt-parl.bmp" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 311px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>Government tenders for the most part are meant to provide services to communities who need them: healthcare for children, books for schools and infrastructure that will help our country succeed. Every time a tenderpreneur knocks back a glass of expensive whisky, a child dies because the money that is meant to go to healthcare is paying for his black luxury car. Shacks are burning and people are freezing to death as the money for their housing is, instead, paying for fake Tuscan villas in expensive areas. Parents aren't able to clothe and educate their children as corrupt officials spend money on bespoke outfits with tasteless hats. Just last Sunday it was reported that the list under the Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, monitored by the National Treasury, which is meant to blacklist corrupt tenderpreneurs, is still blank. But we know for a fact that there are thousands of examples which show that millions of rands are being stolen. Why are these companies not on the list? Why are these companies still being awarded tenders? And why are the corrupt government officials still going to work every day? According to a published report, treasury spokesman Lindani Mbunyanza says that it's up to the courts to issue an order for the convicted to be placed on the register. "To date, no such order has been issued by any court," says Mbunyanza. This means that contractors and government officials are still skimming the cream off deals and an effective manner in which to deal with this is not in sight. I would like to know why not. And while this legislation is not being abided with, government has decided to try a new tack by setting up task teams to fight corruption. But my pessimistic self has no faith in new measures - nobody has bothered to try implementing the old ones. There is a part of me that believes that these task teams are simply a deflection strategy to keep South Africans happy under the illusion that our elected leaders are, in fact, doing something. My inner-voice says it's because corruption and a sense of entitlement at the expense of others comes from the top of our food chain. A fish rots from the head. It is distressing that every week there is at least one new report of tender corruption. I am tired of hearing about task teams checking procurement policies to tighten loopholes, or sub-committees reviewing reports. What I'd like to hear is the cuffing of the criminals as they are brought to justice and the slamming of doors as their unlawful businesses are shut to make way for the reputable and honest contractors I believe are out there. Businesses that will truly benefit from transformation and who will do their bit to improve the lives of South Africans do exist. What I want is less talk and more action. I hope that my pessimism in our leadership turns to optimism and that corrupt officials and companies are dealt with. Our government needs to stop with the myriad of task teams and start producing results. There are lives at stake here.

Deathly silence while SA fat cats lick the cream

By Jane Steinacker Every day the media publishes reports on tender corruption and fraud. Yet government is still sitting on its expensive le...

3:49 PM

SAA sucks - 79% People Agree

A consumer survey on airlines shows that Kulula and South African Airways (SAA) are the most used brands but the majority of respondents (62 percent) say that British Airways (BA) is the airline they would be happiest to fly. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cPZGqQ4c1Kw_1gE2dmCp6CK8DdyO_sXVpn22R2ySioo1j7A1dqWou6LyjMwpsQOyeNoYYulzETse4E8S7EQ8phtuA_mKkjSNazJAFXSOQKTZI66mYaA6mDfiwD1b3GL9ppnk8liaTukY/s1600/you_suck.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453827490907949954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cPZGqQ4c1Kw_1gE2dmCp6CK8DdyO_sXVpn22R2ySioo1j7A1dqWou6LyjMwpsQOyeNoYYulzETse4E8S7EQ8phtuA_mKkjSNazJAFXSOQKTZI66mYaA6mDfiwD1b3GL9ppnk8liaTukY/s400/you_suck.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>The survey was conducted by Interact RDT (Research Design Training) among local consumers on their experiences and perceptions of the domestic airline market. Of the 93 percent of respondents who have flown domestically, a combined 70 percent fly SAA and Kulula (each carry 35 percent of respondents). The reason for these two brands' dominance is directly related to the availability of Voyager Miles for SAA and the low cost of fares on Kulula. The least used is BA with only five percent of the sample flying them, followed by 1Time and Mango with 12 percent and 13 percent respectively. The cost of a ticket on BA is the reason for its relatively small piece of the pie. Least favourable experience <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT9ywgiA7rzJYF91YNVORkC8atv7M7gdU42ARGa8zMndYFeDvL3uDAEfnyqUND4u74WiwKVwJnrrLF-IIN4a16OX_MqemQlkTMINygIqOj4RE52NI7Is66DzA63tRIVIUy7VZphNJFRCi/s1600/saasucks.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453824105290211666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT9ywgiA7rzJYF91YNVORkC8atv7M7gdU42ARGa8zMndYFeDvL3uDAEfnyqUND4u74WiwKVwJnrrLF-IIN4a16OX_MqemQlkTMINygIqOj4RE52NI7Is66DzA63tRIVIUy7VZphNJFRCi/s400/saasucks.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 171px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 76px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>On assessing actual experiences on the various airlines, SAA is ranked as offering the least favourable experience with its booking and check-in processes and attitude of flight crew pulling down its rankings. The online survey conducted in mid-March asked respondents to rank their most used airline only on seven categories of service; booking process, check-in process, flight punctuality, food served, attitude of flight crew, flight comfort and overall experience. On average all airlines' booking and check-in processes were highly rated with BA just taking the lead. They also lead on flight punctuality; a category where Kulula lags way behind its competitors. The category in which Kulula leads the pack is the attitude of flight crew. Across all categories, 1Time and Mango are reported as offering a middle-of-the-road service. When asked why respondents chose to not use a particular brand, a lack of trust was near the top of the list of reasons why 1Time is not an option. The same was not true for Mango which is reportedly not picked because respondent claim never to have had the opportunity to do so. SAA perceived as expensive "It's interesting to note the power of a loyalty programme. Although SAA is so well used, it doesn't appear to be all that well liked," says Gary Greenfield, managing director of Interact RDT. "We also assessed consumer's perceptions about the various local airline brands and SAA is perceived as being relatively expensive, which indicates that people are using their 'free' Voyager miles to travel locally." In terms of consumer perceptions, BA is considered to be the most expensive while Mango the least. However BA is perceived to be the most reliable (38 percent) and comfortable (48 percent). When asked which airline would potentially give consumers the most hassles, SAA was the brand named most by 21 percent of respondents. When asked which airline respondents would be happy to fly with, BA ranked highest with 62 percent of the vote followed by SAA (56 percent), Kulula (44 percent), Mango (25 percent) and 1Time (23 percent). These results correlate almost directly to the power of the grapevine; with respondents saying that they had heard good things about each airline as follows; BA 50 percent, Kulula 28 percent, SAA 25 percent, Mango 12 percent and 1Time 11 percent. "Regardless of whether the perceptions given by our respondents represent the true facts is immaterial," says Greenfield. "In the competitive world of consumer buying activity, perception is reality. So, if the local airlines are concerned about our consumer panel response, we suggest they look very carefully at what has created these opinions and what will change them." Source - iafrica.com See - <a href="http://www.saasucks.com/">www.saasucks.com/</a> - <a href="http://amplicate.com/sucks/saa">http://amplicate.com/sucks/saa</a>

SAA sucks - 79% People Agree

A consumer survey on airlines shows that Kulula and South African Airways (SAA) are the most used brands but the majority of respondents (62...

3:26 PM

Black billionaires count for less then 1% among world's wealthiest

Despite there being 937 dollar billionaires on planet earth according to the Forbes Rich List – among the high flyers are people of color albeit they count for less then one per cent. Only eight of the 937 dollar billionaires in the world reside on the African continent while only three of them are from South Africa. We take a look at Africa's richest people. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453844284705127522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XKjlM-u2rnpz5GHKoyvMfalAjaPOCtJ98bgciK-Ociv_kCfH027lvywYQXiTtjS8FXa7Az2SZ2ea2mAmerp5KmU5pWoqpGDXzNIIFmSZ4XUNNBPkzRK9ZiwXOvzObTVrmtcXFR2s103K/s320/Top10CountriesWitrhMostBillionares.gif" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 278px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" />Number 8 Samih Sawiris, the 655th richest person in the world and eighth richest African is the middle son of Onsi Sawiris, the founder of the Orascom conglomerate a construction and estate and hotel business. Sawiris (53) is the chairperson of Orascom Hotel Holdings. He has an engineering degree from the Berlin Institute of Technology and is fluent in German. Orascom's hotel business has operations in Egypt, Jordan, Oman, UAE, Switzerland, Mauritius and Morocco. Shares in the Egyptian hotel company have gone up 150 percent over the past year. The hotelier's net worth is estimated to be around $1.5-billion. Number 7 Nigerian Aliko Dangote (52), the 463th richest man on the planet and seventh richest African became president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in August 2009. Dangote's career spans over various industries including trading in sugar, flour milling, salt processing, cement manufacturing, real estate and oil and gas. His Dangote Group is currently expanding cement operations in Senegal and Zambia. The stocks of his cement firm Benue Cement doubled in 2009 helped by demand from China. He has previously boasted that he is much richer than US talk show queen, Oprah Winfrey. The Nigerian's net worth is estimated to be around $2.1-billion. Number 6 South African billionaire Johann Rupert (59) is the sixth richest person on the continent and the 421st richest person in the world. Head of his family business, Swiss luxury group Richemont, Rupert also owns Remgro, a local investment holding company. Rupert has interests in two prestigious wine farms as well as an exclusive golf club. Rupert holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Stellenbosch and is married with three children. His net worth is estimated at $2.3-billion. Number 5 South Africa's first black billionaire Patrice Motsepe (48) is the fifth richest man on the continent and one of only two self-made billionaires on our list. A qualified lawyer, the Johannesburg-based mining magnate was born in Soweto and started investing in low-producing gold mine shafts in 1994. The billionaire heads up mining conglomerate, African Rainbow which has interests in platinum, nickel, chrome, iron, manganese, coal and gold. Motsepe got a massive boost from the country's BEE laws which required companies to be 26 percent black-owned in order to qualify for a government mining licence. Motsepe also holds a 6.2 percent stake in Sanlam. He is married with three children. His net worth is estimated at $2.3-billion. Number 4 Eldest son of Onsi Sawiris and brother of Samih Sawiris (number eight), Naguib Sawiris (55) heads up Orascom Telecom, one of largest mobile providers in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The fourth richest person on the continent and the 374th richest man in the world, Samih has investments in Italy's Wind Telecomunicazioni and Greece's Wind Hellas. The Egyptian holds a Master of Science degree and is married with four children. Samih's net worth is estimated at around $2.5-billion. Number 3 The third richest person on the continent, the second self-made billionaire on our list and father of fellow Egyptian billionaires, Onsi Sawiris (80) is the founder of Egypt's business empire, Orascom Construction Industries. Onsi studied agriculture but found it boring and opened a small contracting firm in Upper Egypt. He remains the chairperson of the Orascom Corporation — the share prices doubled in 2009. Onsi is married with three children. His net worth is estimated at $3.1-billion. Number 2 Local businessman Nicky Oppenheimer (64) occupies the third spot on the continent and is the 154th richest person in the world. Based in Johannesburg, Oppenheimer is the head of De Beers Diamond mines in which his family holds a 40 percent stake. He holds a stake in fellow mining giant Anglo American which was founded by his grandfather, Ernest, in 1917. Oppenheimer also owns the country's largest private game reserve, Tswalu Kalahari. He holds a Master of Arts degree and is married with one child. Oppenheimer's net worth is estimated around $5.0-billion. Number 1 The richest African and 127th wealthiest man in the world is the fellow Egyptian and youngest Sawiris son, Nassef Sawiris (48). Nassef took over leadership of Orascom's construction and fertiliser division in 1998. The Egyptian conglomerate's share prices doubled in 2009, while a tie-up with French heavyweight LaFarge three years ago gained Nassef a seat on the board and a 13 percent stake. A joint venture with Morgan Stanley to invest infrastructure in the Middle East and Africa gave the billionaire's net wealth a major boost. Nassef holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago. His net worth is estimated at $5.9-billion.

Black billionaires count for less then 1% among world's wealthiest

Despite there being 937 dollar billionaires on planet earth according to the Forbes Rich List – among the high flyers are people of color a...

3:07 PM

South Africa remembers 1960 massacre, government ignores daily massacre

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJKeCAHbVoJwWzn4rzE1dc60e1ELIDrxSDnGTOXf6UXJKbVZFFtWPVqgJQ1vTwAJ1qx4qqZr9n3WBhKnLgCw5Kzx77ASwAlZEomaalgObqmkjGfF7ufTe62FXBp1GGiv4mikmieabRbC8/s1600-h/Crime-ancblood.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451594982059454994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJKeCAHbVoJwWzn4rzE1dc60e1ELIDrxSDnGTOXf6UXJKbVZFFtWPVqgJQ1vTwAJ1qx4qqZr9n3WBhKnLgCw5Kzx77ASwAlZEomaalgObqmkjGfF7ufTe62FXBp1GGiv4mikmieabRbC8/s400/Crime-ancblood.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px" /></a>SHARPEVILLE. As South Africans remembered the 1960 Sharpeville massacre that claimed 69 lives and galvanized the liberation movement into greater action, the government confirmed that it would not be galvanized into greater action by the daily massacre of 50 South Africans by criminals. "It's different," said a spokesman. "Murderers aren't racists." At a moving ceremony at a BMW dealership on Sunday, the ANC released the official history of the 1960 massacre in four leather-bound volumes, describing how Jacob Zuma, aged 18, and Julius Malema, still just a fetus and armed only with a pointy stick, took on four battalions of boers at Sharpeville. When the shooting had stopped all the boers were dead along with several dozen rapists and Tony Leon. Asked if this version undermined the history of the civilian massacre, the ANC Youth League explained that history was "whatever the ANCYL says it is". Official ANC historian Stalin Mxenge also rejected allegations that the ANC had hijacked the struggle legacy and achievements of the Pan Africanist Congress and its iconic leader Robert Sobukwe. "Comrade Sobukwe never existed," explained Mxenge. "He was a cardboard cutout created by the boers to confuse and divide the Comrades." He added that "Robert Sobukwe" had accidentally been left out in the rain after a rally in 1966 and had become "really soggy", triggering the beginning of the PAC's decline. He said that he would love to stay and chat but had to get back to his darkroom where he was erasing the faces of PAC leaders from thousands of archival photographs. Meanwhile the government has explained that the murder of 69 people in 1960 was a cause for national mourning and remembrance whereas the murder of 50 people every day throughout the country was "a major hassle and a bit of a downer". "You can't compare them," explained Police Ministry spokesman Pussyfoot Maroga. "Our murderers are not racists. They might be depriving their neighbours of life but they are not trying to take away their dignity or impose a racist regime." Asked if the government would show the same fight against crime that it showed in liberating the country, Maroga said, "Meh." hayibo.com

South Africa remembers 1960 massacre, government ignores daily massacre

SHARPEVILLE. As South Africans remembered the 1960 Sharpeville massacre that claimed 69 lives and galvanized the liberation movement into gr...

2:54 PM

The joke is you, blue light bullies.

<a title="Permanent Link: FIFA bullies target Kulula" href="http://www.marklives.com/wordpress/?p=1037" rel="bookmark">FIFA bullies target Kulula</a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn3NWqI5MRJSUg_2V5fzFfgqwetjMk1SgRCZduOdYftW5Hh7EsD8trn6aMDzsKydBEN5-NIFA-8M3DjZY_Vonxv1176w3T4bb3_FCf9xEwWNOWETd5UzDFdbgLtEuRNMhf50504xr1_9X/s1600-h/kulula.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451587006627794610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn3NWqI5MRJSUg_2V5fzFfgqwetjMk1SgRCZduOdYftW5Hh7EsD8trn6aMDzsKydBEN5-NIFA-8M3DjZY_Vonxv1176w3T4bb3_FCf9xEwWNOWETd5UzDFdbgLtEuRNMhf50504xr1_9X/s400/kulula.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>According to Kulula it has been targeted by FIFA for its ad on being the ‘Unofficial National Carrier of the ‘You Know What.” The low cost airline recently challenged other carriers to keep their fares low during the FIFA World Cup in June and July this year. News broke on its official Twitter account (@<a href="http://twitter.com/kulula" target="_blank">kulula</a>) with the following post; “oh dear letter from FIFA’s lawyers says we broke their trademark of the use of “South Africa” and think our non-WC ad was about soccer…” Apparently the lawyers are objecting not only to the use of “South Africa” but also to the use of soccer balls and the image of a stadium. Even use of the our national flag was an issue. It is absolutely outrageous. We have signed over our country, its symbols and our economy to one ‘Sepp’ Blatter. Nasty. <a title="Permanent Link: Kulula answers FIFA with new ad" href="http://www.marklives.com/wordpress/?p=1082" rel="bookmark">Kulula answers FIFA with new ad</a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJw1yms9ln9xfT0l3WbhxPIOLyZy8TPewgB1K-6nCnOshwZKp3AMRK93qAoLAAlHNZu0k7eZnu8_FaENUiF7v6QFyYIIXJmhJpFc008U39rs7CLriS-Ju016p9BIGsc3hG06Jr32KG0bq/s1600-h/kulula2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451587013984535330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJw1yms9ln9xfT0l3WbhxPIOLyZy8TPewgB1K-6nCnOshwZKp3AMRK93qAoLAAlHNZu0k7eZnu8_FaENUiF7v6QFyYIIXJmhJpFc008U39rs7CLriS-Ju016p9BIGsc3hG06Jr32KG0bq/s400/kulula2.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>Kulula ad agency King James chose to respond to FIFAs’ legal threats with another tongue-in-cheek ad that is running in the Sunday papers today. The ad looks similar to the original that caused FIFA and its lawyers to lose their sense of humour over the use of, amongst other things, the national flag, footballs and vuvuzelas in, gulp, combination. Click on images to enlarge The new ad, headlined Not Next Year, Not This Year, But somewhere in between (avoiding reference to 2010) replaces the image of a stadium with a rather similar looking image of the Storms River suspension bridge. Footballs are replaced with rugby balls, snooker balls and even glitter balls. Vuvuzelas definitely become golf tees. The national flag, apparently trademarked by FIFA, might be a beach towel (or not). Then there is the ’short sighted baby’ in the right hand corner which represent Who knows Who! It pokes fun at FIFAdiots. But it will probably fly over the heads of FIFA official dom like a green jet plane. Source as per the <a href="http://www.marklives.com/wordpress/?p=1037" target="_blank">original MarkLives.com story</a>.

The joke is you, blue light bullies.

FIFA bullies target Kulula According to Kulula it has been targeted by FIFA for its ad on being the ‘Unofficial National Carrier of the ‘You...

2:20 PM

FIFA gags Kulula

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_XzzqHVFPoteR5DKmaovXHTbuCvumenXgFig3e3SyeWpC1dZKHasGkW8RMfcYj6OfAl2qSzVT3LlkpQVWcM-25Xun2XXQWNVh7qsnaTQC6206r-IKmdFHqT3S5xwAJVBF7iugqDGGG1i/s1600-h/emirates_fifa_partnership.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451619829351120418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_XzzqHVFPoteR5DKmaovXHTbuCvumenXgFig3e3SyeWpC1dZKHasGkW8RMfcYj6OfAl2qSzVT3LlkpQVWcM-25Xun2XXQWNVh7qsnaTQC6206r-IKmdFHqT3S5xwAJVBF7iugqDGGG1i/s400/emirates_fifa_partnership.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 398px" /></a>Football body FIFA says that its gagging of airline Kulula should serve as a warning to other enemies of FIFA's "thousand year football Reich". "Today Kulula, tomorrow the world!" screamed a spokesman at a torchlight rally last night where it was decided that all advertising copywriters would be rounded up and sent east. Speaking from a FIFA internment camp in eastern Siberia, Kulula spokesman Ramjet Ramotswe said that the airline's marketing department "never stood a chance". "One moment we were brainstorming over a cappuccino in the break room and the next thing we heard the drone of long-range accountants and a huge PA system blaring out the Rhinemaidens' song from the beginning of Wagner's Götterdämmerung," recalled a traumatized Ramotswe. Moments later FIFA stormtroopers had rounded up the copywriting team and herded it into trucks bound for Russia. "We tried telling them that South Africa is our country and that vuvuzelas are a national symbol but an official slapped me with his leather riding gloves, adjusted his monocle, stroked his dueling scar in a menacing way and told me that South Africa has now been incorporated into 'Mother FIFA' and no longer exists," said Ramotswe. The Red Cross has urged the families of the copywriters not to give up hope, saying that they were trying to work on a deal whereby the copywriters' lives would be spared if they spent the next twenty years writing up-beat and life-affirming commercials for FIFA about how soccer unites the world in love and harmony. This morning FIFA confirmed that it had relocated the team to Siberia and reminded all South Africans to take down all flags, emblems, badges and graphics that showed allegiance to "the country formerly known as South Africa". "Anyone who flies the South African flag while blowing a vuvuzela and mentioning the current year is in direct contravention of FIFA copyright laws and will be summarily transported," said spokesman Pele Lebensraum. "The 2010 World Cup is a time of celebration, love, hope, unity and solidarity, and anyone who disagrees with this will find themselves in a cattle car heading east." Asked how and when FIFA annexed almost every national symbol in South Africa, Lebensraum said that it had been a simple transaction between itself and the South African government. "We asked them: 'Do you want to build houses for your people, fix your education system, get your crime problem under control and invest in food security; or do you want to host the World Cup?' "They were so excited and so busy swallowing drool that they couldn't speak. In the end they just pointed to a soccer ball and made whining noises. So here we are."

FIFA gags Kulula

Football body FIFA says that its gagging of airline Kulula should serve as a warning to other enemies of FIFA's "thousand year foot...

1:00 PM

Malema's FaceBook friends call him Adolf

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema's political career has been compared to that of Adolf Hitler. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450445337852050882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHSQ5TF_Lv-mtwlY6PvCjFEooHNViPcSDwWhiLDbdpxo3qhFyMXTP0Bvfi7ZDi1zUyWCGBgBpoJeTE98tFG6TQLOmeXxBPruVP0Ub7jADAOaJjCHP_T3wCH8M3krlU1-TvXNe0taPD9r6/s400/Julius%2520Malema%2520facebook.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 207px; CURSOR: hand" />Click on image to enlarge - what you will see on this Facebook page will shock you - if you can't access the page click on url link at the bottom of this post A Facebook group called "Official Petition: REMOVE JULIUS MALEMA AS PRESIDENT OF THE ANCYL" has, in the past week, accumulated 36000 supporters - and the group seems to be gaining momentum by the hour. By Wednesday, about 25000 users had joined the group and, by yesterday afternoon, it had 36569 confirmed "fans". One user, Alain Latham, wrote: "Hitler's rise coincided with, and was fuelled by, unemployment and misery brought on by the Wall Street crash of October 1929. Malema's rise has coincided with the Wall Street crash of September 2008." This group seems to be far from being a fun get-together by bored users - topics such as racism and nationalisation were brought up. Stefan Janse van Vuuren said it was up to South Africans to act. "And, like Hitler, most people will laugh at you if you say Malema could be the next president of this country. What's that old saying? 'For evil to triumph all it needs is for good people to do nothing' ." Nhlakanipho Mnguni wrote: "When this idiot speaks ... I prefer to block my ears; he is like some sort of retard." Malema has been embroiled in several scandals in the past few weeks, among them allegations that he has been dodging paying his taxes and that he was involved in a dodgy R250-million mining deal in Limpopo, He called DA leader Helen Zille a Satanist. His spokesman, Floyd Shivambu, came under fire this week after he threatened to expose journalists' personal lives. <a href="http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7826/julius20malema20faceboox.jpg">http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7826/julius20malema20faceboox.jpg</a>

Malema's FaceBook friends call him Adolf

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema's political career has been compared to that of Adolf Hitler. Click on image to enlarge - what you...

3:11 PM

Shocking images of Zimbabwe's starving people

Starving Zimbabweans descend upon and strip an elephant carcass bare 24 hours after they found it. Using machetes, axes and knives made from tin cans they set upon the six-ton carcass. It took just one hour and 47 minutes for the 13ft-tall elephant to be reduced to a skeleton. Every part was used for food, even the trunk and ears.The bones of the 70-year-old animal were taken to boil for soup and within 24 hours nothing was left but a blood-stained patch of earth. It was in the middle of nowhere, but within 15 minutes hundreds of people had arrived from all directions. The women formed a ring around the elephant and the men stood inside, fighting and stabbing each other to get to the meat. The images are undeniably shocking. But they illustrate the terrible lengths to which Zimbabweans are forced to go just to survive under Robert Mugabe. <a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img687.imageshack.us/i/zim01.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4275/zim01.jpg" /></a> Fallen giant: The corpse of the bull elephant lies undisturbed in deep scrubland in Gonarezhou National Park <a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img85.imageshack.us/i/zim02.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7970/zim02.jpg" /></a> The desperate descend: Within minutes, starving villagers arrive at the carcass <a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img511.imageshack.us/i/zim03.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3848/zim03.jpg" /></a> Battle begins: Soon, the villagers are fighting to get the urgently-needed meat <a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img191.imageshack.us/i/zim04.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/2070/zim04.jpg" /></a> Audience: People gather on a hill a short distance away to watch village men get to work <a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img30.imageshack.us/i/zim05.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/227/zim05.jpg" /></a> Brutally effective: Nothing goes to waste, with the skin, trunk and ears all removed <a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img16.imageshack.us/i/zim06.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7485/zim06.jpg" /></a> Starving: Zimbabweans grapple with each other as they set upon the elephant to get meat <a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img39.imageshack.us/i/zim07.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3053/zim07.jpg" /></a> Stripped: After less than two hours, only bones remain. Even these will later be taken <center><a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img511.imageshack.us/i/zim08.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/5030/zim08.jpg" /></a> Desperate: A blood-spattered villager <center><a title="ImageShack - Image And Video Hosting" href="http://img532.imageshack.us/i/zim09.jpg/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/1252/zim09.jpg" /></a> the spot where the bull elephant lay is completely cleared just 24 hours after it was found </center></center><center><center></center></center>

Shocking images of Zimbabwe's starving people

Starving Zimbabweans descend upon and strip an elephant carcass bare 24 hours after they found it. Using machetes, axes and knives made from...

1:10 PM

Minister’s unlawfull R67.8m tender – a looter continua!

A company partly owned by Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda was allegedly unlawfully awarded a R67.8 million tender by the Gauteng roads and transport department <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3JzuqCdbMLSmLiQutSk32dLAoLVV4YCRyavOp8pHH2nVfXJZlL6oBOx6L0W7DGgvySZXv43PrBaeFL2Tj1NXcg3cg_UhnHmCAM1mb9hrzSBoRZ_dr_T9QYG-rE3UYaU8gfJSW0gt6WK6/s1600-h/Communication+Minister+Siphiwe+Nyanda.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450097709696617906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3JzuqCdbMLSmLiQutSk32dLAoLVV4YCRyavOp8pHH2nVfXJZlL6oBOx6L0W7DGgvySZXv43PrBaeFL2Tj1NXcg3cg_UhnHmCAM1mb9hrzSBoRZ_dr_T9QYG-rE3UYaU8gfJSW0gt6WK6/s400/Communication+Minister+Siphiwe+Nyanda.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 365px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>DA Gauteng corruption spokesman Jack Bloom said GNS Risk Advisory Services, in which Nyanda had 50 percent share, had benefited from a tender which was not publicly advertised. “This is outrageous. Treasury Regulation 16A6.4 allows for procurement of required goods or services by means other than competitive bids only if this is impractical, but how could there have been anything impractical in this case?" Bloom asked in a statement. The services provided by GNS, he said, could have been provided by other companies. "This contract also appears to have grown in value, and was not reviewed to see if another company could do it more cost-effectively." He said in awarding the tender, the department did not follow proper tender processes. "It seems highly irregular that Minister Nyanda continues to benefit handsomely from GNS's contract with a Gauteng government department that should have been reviewed long ago," said Bloom. Department spokesman Philemon Motshwaedi has yet to comment. Transnet on Wednesday dismissed two senior managers for manipulating a tender process involving GNS. A disciplinary hearing found the two guilty of dishonesty and misconduct that led to the awarding of a tender for security services at Transnet Freight Rail. The two managers were suspended in November last year. Transnet spokesman John Dludlu confirmed to Sapa that the dismissals were related to a contract awarded to GNS Security Company. And last month, the Congress of the People said it intended asking the Public Protector to investigate Nyanda's business interests. The party alleged his business interests were in conflict with Section 96 of the Constitution and Section 2 of the Executive Members' Ethics Act. This meant he could not undertake any other paid work, expose himself to a conflict of private and official interests, and use his position to enrich himself, or act in a way that could compromise the credibility of government.

Minister’s unlawfull R67.8m tender – a looter continua!

A company partly owned by Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda was allegedly unlawfully awarded a R67.8 million tender by the Gauteng road...

12:45 PM

Tribute To A Fellow Blogger

I just learned today that another family in South Africa has suffered a deep loss. A South African lawyer and dissident blogger critical of the ANC-led government, died March 16, under mysterious circumstances, allegedly from a self-inflicted gun shot. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uBvuAKVXU73TIAMp5tm2Tr2RU8ULkJwoXw2cW9OMuQdn0-EuepFw78opuSEsDbGz4iNA-fijh-KMOyudOGIVh7QIX_KrBbZpE1_bfHcaGhStgcP5FBm-4Z2URS7YgwFL0TPufVPLRwrH/s1600-h/SAS-FU.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449755258671898354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uBvuAKVXU73TIAMp5tm2Tr2RU8ULkJwoXw2cW9OMuQdn0-EuepFw78opuSEsDbGz4iNA-fijh-KMOyudOGIVh7QIX_KrBbZpE1_bfHcaGhStgcP5FBm-4Z2URS7YgwFL0TPufVPLRwrH/s400/SAS-FU.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 183px" /></a>Under the nom de plume of “doodler,” C.J. 'Neels' Oosthuizen exposed the hidden tragedy of the “New” South Africa on the blog <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/tag/south-africa-sucks/" target="_blank">South Africa Sucks</a>. "Doodler" was one of the founding members of the forerunner of the hard hitting blog, “WHY SOUTH AFRICA SUCKS” together with his brother known as “<a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/tag/uhuru-guru/" target="_blank">Uhuru Guru</a>” He posted his <a title="Permanent Link to Few reasons to stay on in SA" href="http://mysasucks.com/2010/03/11/few-reasons-to-stay-on-in-sa/" rel="bookmark">Final entry </a>less than a week ago on <a href="http://mysasucks.com/" target="_blank">My SA Sucks</a>. Doodler's opinions brought responses from countless followers because he not only expressed his own feelings but shed light on the grim realities of black-ruled South Africa. That was a man who put the power of the blog to worthwhile use. Political bloggers could learn a thing or two from his work. In praise of his work at the blog... RIP "doodler" you will be sorely missed and remembered always. <a title="Permanent Link to Few reasons to stay on in SA" href="http://mysasucks.com/2010/03/11/few-reasons-to-stay-on-in-sa/" rel="bookmark">Few reasons to stay on in SA</a> March 11th, 2010 <a title="Permanent Link to “More kak news!” – doodler" href="http://mysasucks.com/2010/03/06/more-kak-news-doodler/" rel="bookmark">“More kak news!” – doodler</a> March 6th, 2010 <a title="Permanent Link to Despondent Doodler Says…" href="http://mysasucks.com/2010/03/05/despondent-doodler/" rel="bookmark">Despondent Doodler Says…</a> March 5th, 2010 <a class="l" onmousedown="return clk(this.href,'','','res','1','&sig2=1RsJ7YHgRBnZnVNjM8HF7A','0CAkQFjAA')" href="http://mysasucks.com/2010/02/12/opinion-from-doodler-in-south-africa/">Opinion from doodler in South Africa </a> February 12th 2010

Tribute To A Fellow Blogger

I just learned today that another family in South Africa has suffered a deep loss. A South African lawyer and dissident blogger critical of ...

1:37 PM

Three attacks on farmers in one weekend

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2HMo63OVUhFJg4PJEtPd_IkiUqoWrHSIJRPXU6uLz5Vi_rLOEQG-mVjBGd1dL8Ox_rJAtYPOml7UfoyPtyo6qvSw4YwmFYcMTNZS2HivPaRWi2x-vqmjIl-e9YmJa2FKWNOZfL3mpdZT/s1600-h/bloody2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448965748144204626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2HMo63OVUhFJg4PJEtPd_IkiUqoWrHSIJRPXU6uLz5Vi_rLOEQG-mVjBGd1dL8Ox_rJAtYPOml7UfoyPtyo6qvSw4YwmFYcMTNZS2HivPaRWi2x-vqmjIl-e9YmJa2FKWNOZfL3mpdZT/s400/bloody2.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 60px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448965743767793618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdPj77rj1cgwCm1WhKioNBKJMYnGfQCdre4q_PaAwqkHurZoV0Ncyn_UbjVMspNmyDxjL_qh9eWesgwM48ICzDcrc_-X2mnkmESc5lkylsYNK245LowdP47Ov2Vi79Fo-rs9nr-AQs10X/s400/bloody.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 43px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448965735658741442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4z5q0noIfLpOQqrqw8m6D5KWOGiLFR5h4gow26psIlC_slCiiNUVbHmVWsfjBfZOUI0lXlCFvwmgvs8-dapsOagNp05ABTEFJPf-VKC6Gbq2iAYBzse73cf5Pn8dmSv4iZ-ujqswrneTa/s400/Farm_KillingFields_2_400.png" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 282px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /> Senseless attacks incited by hate speech that is the hall mark of ANCYL president Julius Malema. Malema's song "dubula ibhunu" (Kill the boer, kill the farmer) a call to murder white people. Dairy farmer critically injured, wife tragically killed in Colenso KZN 71-year-old farm owner, Nigel Ralfe, was critically injured while his 64-year-old wife, Lynette was tragically killed. It's believed that the gang members entered the farm at around 6pm pretending to be interested in buying some milk. They then allegedly pulled out their firearms and shot the farm owner twice. The farmer was assaulted and during the assault he said they kept asking him for money, and he informed them that they didn't have any cash on the farm. They ransacked the house but nothing much seems to have been taken. Lynette, who'd come outside to see what was happening, was then also shot. She sadly died at the scene. This is the third attack on farmers in one weekend. On Saturday night, a 46-year-old farmer was shot through his bedroom window while sleeping on his Rietfontein farm near Potchefstroom. The man was taken to Potchefstroom Provincial Hospital in a critical condition while police search for those involved. On Friday, 65-year-old Jan Wheeler was murdered outside Marble Hall in Limpopo. His killers gained access into the farmer's house by breaking the back door. They overpowered Wheeler in the bedroom and repeatedly stabbed him with a sharp object. The men took a few electrical household appliances and ran away. The DA member of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, Tom Stokes said he believed the issue of farm killings was aggravated by [Malema's] singing of struggle songs that advocated the killing of farmers. He was referring to Malema singing "kill the boer" song last week at a meeting while addressing students at the University of Johannesburg. This caused an uproar as some people viewed it as advocating the killing of farmers. "Malema's actions, along with subsequent attempts by the ANC's Gwede Mantashe to justify his conduct, stand in stark contrast to the pain and suffering being experienced by this family and the many others before them," said Stokes. "No deep thoughts are needed to realise that Malema's comments are creating an atmosphere which is conducive for those who want to commit murder...he is an accessory to the wiping out of farmers in South Africa." The argument by the ANC that the song was merely a preservation of struggle literature, rang hollow in the face of a family that had lost a wife, mother and grandmother, said Stokes, referring to Sunday night's farm murder in KwaZulu-Natal. The Freedom Front Plus was in the meantime preparing a report on farm murders and Malema's role in it. This will be given to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "We will also investigate the possibility to lay charges against Malema at the International Criminal Court, or in the least make the court aware of a growing phenomenon of the victimisation of minorities and specifically the Afrikaner in South Africa," said Alberts. This, he said, could escalate to international crimes. - Sapa

Three attacks on farmers in one weekend

Senseless attacks incited by hate speech that is the hall mark of ANCYL president Julius Malema. Malema's song "dubula ibhunu"...

1:08 PM

Beneath a savage rainbow

Posted by <a href="http://sarahmaidofalbion.blogspot.com/">Sarah, Maid of Albion</a> <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448992831165949458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWTWA0JJLK_np7Roffk-A778d21g78WEG99e-jZN6LRd-jDd-Gbah6ssclLx7UBKUyyrgfK9bTFUZr82DCSncdO2uKGft7dt4oINIGWTnd1VPybKGShPpdQmNmP_f-aQulKkgzSXuGHfF/s400/Limpopo.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 263px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Limpopo, South Africa's northern most provinceFive more farm deathsThe unreported carnage continues in South Africa. At least five white have died violently in the Limpopo area alone since the beginning of February. In the most recent incident, the third farm murder in four days, the body of 70 year old Ron Smith was found at his smallholding in the Droogekaloof area. According to reports Mr Smith was on his bed with his hands tied behind his back. A gun shot wound to the old man's knee suggested he may have been tortured prior to death. This killing follows the gruesome murder of Belgian farmer, Etienne Cannaerts, 61, was found with his throat cut at his farm near Lephalale (Ellisras) In another incident, Paul Dunn, 49, a White farm manager at Constantia Products, a citrus farm in the Letsitele district outside Tzaneen, was shot dead in his home in the early hours of Saturday morning. Mr Dunn's son, who found his body had to receive trauma counselling (<a href="http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/b64bae8eef1741ff8c342a886c045e03/02-03-2010-11-45/Nog_â€™n_Limpopo-boer_sterf">News source</a>) This spate of killings come at a time when complaints have been made to the world cup governing body FIFA over the fact that the FIFA 2010 World Cup Stadium in Limpopo is named after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Mokaba">Peter Mokaba</a> considered by many to be an instigator to the widespread murders of Afrikaners. In the early 1990s, Peter Mokaba became notorious for his slogan “Kill the boer, kill the farmer” – which calls for the killing of all whites as blacks refer to all whites as ‘boers’ and is still widely chanted by black activists countrywide (One way hate-speech rule does not stop ANC-racists from chanting the Mokaba-slogan) . Mokaba also denied the existence of HIV. (Source – <a href="http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/">Censor bugbear</a>) The fact that a man who called for such murders is lionised, not only within South Africa, but internationally, at a time when the very killings he called for are actually taking place is further evidence of the manner with which world brainwashed by political correctness chooses to disregard the genocide of groups to whom they have been programmed not to grant victim status.-/-90% of Black owned farms failing <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448986621311386562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8MEA1b6pd7Uye8a8t-OZ4KYQgrM8JRSf_zckF-OSdA8IR8md6HVC36Y_Y3WWIXx6rcg8eIibYDpqQLILNN-beDgDJmcQdvJEllVAPK6-Swl-otgiCIwOOow1AR_C8qjfGT3upJcKjkBU/s400/SA+bush.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 254px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />In other news from <a href="http://southofzambezi.blogspot.com/">South of the Zambezi,</a> it has been reported that around 90% of all one time white owned farms redistributed to South Africa's black population have ceased to be productive, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8547621.stm">News report here</a>. What on earth one wonders can the remaining 10% be producing, Marijuana perhaps?Of course Zimbabwe was the prototype for the redistribution of white farms to the black population, in which respect, to see how that worked out I highly recommend that you <a href="http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/2010/03/06/the-last-white-man-54min-documentary/">click here </a>to watch a video called <a href="http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/2010/03/06/the-last-white-man-54min-documentary/">“The last white man”</a>.

Beneath a savage rainbow

Posted by Sarah, Maid of Albion Limpopo, South Africa's northern most province Five more farm deaths The unreported carnage continues in...

12:39 PM

SA schoolgirl butchered to death - neck slashed, hands chopped off

Another day in South Africa, another gruesome murder THE butchering of 17-year-old Anika Smit, who was found dead in the bedroom of her Pretoria home with her neck slashed and both her lower arms chopped off, has sparked outrage with many South Africans calling for government to step up its fight against crime. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-QR87tNlTt48rqdQtrzoOQB2ALhK93KxrkfZt3eRlA-OmYzjXsKLBecwK4E6qMWAUI9-hBYTw0qFknCUBE6q_o_gvLLMjCgsBTcItIDy-kojul1prWKJOZ_m_Y5PUe17dvYRbKPn0umd/s1600-h/anka-murder.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448629040972104114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-QR87tNlTt48rqdQtrzoOQB2ALhK93KxrkfZt3eRlA-OmYzjXsKLBecwK4E6qMWAUI9-hBYTw0qFknCUBE6q_o_gvLLMjCgsBTcItIDy-kojul1prWKJOZ_m_Y5PUe17dvYRbKPn0umd/s320/anka-murder.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 304px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>The calls, which saw the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) calling for a state of emergency to be declared for security reasons, come as police are still nowhere near to tracking down and arresting her killers. Anika Smit’s naked, mutilated body was found lying on the floor in the bedroom of her Theresa Park home by her father on Wednesday shortly after he returned home from work. Her lower arms had been hacked off and she had been stabbed repeatedly in the neck. An unidentified bottle was also found in her private parts. Police believe that she might have been raped or sexually assaulted. Anika, a Grade 11 learner at Hoerskool Gerrit Maritz, was attacked at home where she had spent the day sick in bed with an ear infection. According to Anika's father, it looks like she fought back and tried to run away as the dining room table had been moved and the dining room chairs were overturned. Her murder has caused outrage among her friends and South Africans sick and tired of crime with many posting messages on social websites such as Facebook calling for government to step up its fight against crime. Anyone with information contact your nearest police station or send a detailed, anonymous tip-off to 32211 or visit www.crimeline.co.za. Her friends Facebook tribute page in memory of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=search&gid=391721420179" target="_blank">Anika "Tikkie" Smit</a>.

SA schoolgirl butchered to death - neck slashed, hands chopped off

Another day in South Africa, another gruesome murder THE butchering of 17-year-old Anika Smit, who was found dead in the bedroom of her Pret...

10:45 AM

Matric mess: look out, the government has lied to you

Andile Mngxitana - from the Sowetan Shocking Education results - Black man writes... <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCR6RjT04EvlI3jSv5MsXqQBbZplbOA9rUUJmV_E_lUF_O1xOYBMDHL_qaeqUYLiIOGYPOthLs6BPVDej5N2FSRLEkKi61iGIuSHKhKRRPVdIWO2MI33SEy840x8b5hanRx9Aq1XM2FG9h/s1600-h/ancgovlies.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448653316888699474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCR6RjT04EvlI3jSv5MsXqQBbZplbOA9rUUJmV_E_lUF_O1xOYBMDHL_qaeqUYLiIOGYPOthLs6BPVDej5N2FSRLEkKi61iGIuSHKhKRRPVdIWO2MI33SEy840x8b5hanRx9Aq1XM2FG9h/s400/ancgovlies.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>DEAR reader, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your government lied to you when it said 60 percent of matriculants have passed. The truth is only 21 percent actually passed and I’m being generous here. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEQaHPZ24mwAX0uCCA0v1znbzkvHZIUvKoL9iqfTSdjwmZ9cHN0HfhfYWdg92hpV2gMv4HxfjMSwobEM5z1-2IeNv1Y34ONZTV0foqyGDukCZaFFCWXaAjq9CSiwt-sbxxKew4q5DCqab/s1600-h/sa_education.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQ-PUt0eBgH5FwhyphenhyphenEaSsDP1KoDl2GRrHIB08ObajdCFumqFzqfnlIMfIuF4b4lHCuDpSc46Qf91EGjVW0EDVylbBD1XOCgBtCCC_UG_3L4-T8LrqrgVW-DepB9YFowpYjMPjlLl6-IHv8/s1600-h/anc+incompetence.jpg"></a>Basically we have a situation where, if you had 100 children who were supposed to be in matric last year, only about 20 would have passed. Let me tell you about a well-kept national secret and monumental scandal. The media and most education commentators missed it. In 1998 about 1,5million children started school. Of these only about 500000 wrote matric last year. This means that during 12 years, the schooling system lost almost a million pupils. Yes , almost a million children who started school in 1998 dropped out before matric. We must ask President Jacob Zuma what the democratic government has done with a million of our children. We have lost these pupils under ANC rule so no need to blame apartheid . Only about 40 percent of those who started school in 1998 wrote matric last year. So the real pass rate is a shocking 21 percent as Martin Prew of the Centre for Education Policy Development said The pass rate could be as low as 10 percent if we discount those who got 30 percent and 40 percent in certain subjects. Yet our democratic government says if our children do not know 60 to 70 percent of a subject they have passed. Incredible! Further , those with university exemptions are likely to fail the first year, because they are hugely under-prepared. Black-wash, the Soweto based youth movement, explains the crisis thus: “The reality is that even though blacks and whites are supposed to have equal opportunities, blacks in township schools have few opportunities or skills. For example, a Grade 7 pupil in a white school is more likely to have better mathematics and literacy skills than a black matriculant. So blacks fail Grade 12 because they have been systematically under-prepared since Grade 1.” As we know, 97 percent of children in private schools, which is essentially a white system, have passed and of those, close to 80 percent have university exemption . These differences speak to different resource allocations, teacher preparedness, salaries and conditions of work. They also speak to the unchanged socioeconomic conditions of blacks. We need to blame the government 100 percent for the shocking state of our education. We must demand to know where the million pupils we lost in the 12 years are. We must demand that Zuma and his government declare our education system a national disaster. This means we need urgent and extraordinary intervention to correct the situation. We need to really stop the pretence we call education. If need be, we must stop schooling for two years to sort things out. Right now there is educational genocide for the black child. Truth is, if half the energy we put into the FIFA 2010 World Cup was focused on education we could turn the situation around within five years. But then, again, we care more about games and jamborees than our people, so don’t count on it. Next year this time I will reissue this same column. Expect no changes in our education disaster. I wonder how one can be positive under these circumstances.

Matric mess: look out, the government has lied to you

Andile Mngxitana - from the Sowetan Shocking Education results - Black man writes... DEAR reader, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but ...

9:51 AM

Malema linked to R250m mining deal

The most vocal proponent of the nationalisation of South Africa's mines, the leader of the ruling party's youth wing, Julius Malema, is linked to a R250m mining deal that involves politically connected individuals at the expense of impoverished communities, the country's Sunday Times reported. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNke6m6yfFl7bcxpssiG_kYXwlEtO79vJlhU_6XHghY4fmw-TPhTaZV1JOuqo2vHyprneSmWZbaTJiqSdYBok7-37dcVi0CzesTCiSmFAJLKQUppI6guN0XO5g0njmU0cAphjWonmU8gFO/s1600-h/Malema01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448426917035457266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNke6m6yfFl7bcxpssiG_kYXwlEtO79vJlhU_6XHghY4fmw-TPhTaZV1JOuqo2vHyprneSmWZbaTJiqSdYBok7-37dcVi0CzesTCiSmFAJLKQUppI6guN0XO5g0njmU0cAphjWonmU8gFO/s400/Malema01.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 314px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>The company at the heart of the deal is ASA Metals, which is 60% owned by Sinosteel subsidiary Eastern Asia Metals Investment Co Ltd from China and the rest is held by Limpopo Economic Development Enterprise (Limdev) of South Africa. ASA Metals owns a chromite mine and smelter near Steelpoort on the platinum-rich Eastern Busveld Igneous Complex. The Sunday Times said it had information showing those involved in the deal include soccer boss Irvin Khoza and Kgomotso Motlanthe, the son of deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe. Limdev will retain 10% of ASA once the deal is done. Malema was also a founding director in a consortium that was registered for the bid, shortly after discussions about the broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) deal started in 2006. He was later forced out, the Sunday Times said. But the Sunday Times said it understood he had since held several informal meetings with those involved in putting the deal together. Malema first publicly raised the issue of the nationalisation of mines at a Black Management Forum meeting on October 9 last year - about a week before ASA Metals and the Limdev were scheduled to announce the successful bidder, the newspaper said. Sinosteel denied speculation that it was being pressured into selling out of its 60% stake in ASA Metals. Sinosteel is to invest R3bn in the project, increasing it value 800 times, Suwei Zhang, chief executive of ASA Metals told the newspaper. An official announcement on the sale of 30% of ASA Metals, from Limdev's stake, is expected in three weeks, Sunday Times reported, adding it had been established that five consortiums and companies - from an initial short list of 43 - have been earmarked after being interviewed by the Limdev board a month ago. The five will each get a 12.5% stake of the shares being sold. The stake had been earmarked for impoverished communities living near the mine, but the Sunday Times reported there had been political infighting and intimidation by politicians. A number of politicians within the Limpopo ANC structures suggested Malema's increasingly strident calls for nationalisation were designed to deflected attention away from the ASA transaction. One of the short-listed bidders, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals, told the newspaper the entire transaction was "rotten". "You will be shocked to find out who else is involved (in this deal) ... I'm terrified just talking to you. I'm not only risking the deal but also putting my life at risk. These people mean business and are not prepared to lose this deal at whatever cost," the source was quoted as saying. He alleged that Khoza had used his political connections to "steal" a stake in the deal. "(A)nd there are other politicians and their families involved, who have either signed up in their own personal capacity or used proxies," he said, describing the deal as "a joke". The Sunday Times has established that the short-listed consortiums include Tunache Investment, led by Khoza and serial empowerment dealmaker Ronnie Ntuli; Rebone Mining Consortium; Kalapeng Mining Resources; Moribo Resources; and Dilokong Consortium. Buena Vista Trading, led by Kgomotso Isaac Motlanthe, features in one of the consortiums. Malema this week refused to speak to the Sunday Times. The youth league's spokesman, Floyd Shivambu, on Friday denied claims that Malema was benefiting, either directly or indirectly, from the deal or that he had lobbied on behalf of interested parties. Limdev's transaction advisers, SizweNtsaluba VSP, declined to discuss the deal or explain why the announcement of the successful bidders had been postponed twice. Limdev spokesman Leo Gama said he could not comment. "Once it is completed, our organisation will announce the winning companies and the public will know," he told the newspaper. - Fin24.comSee full story in Sunday Times - <a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article354776.ece">Malema and the R250m mining deal </a>

Malema linked to R250m mining deal

The most vocal proponent of the nationalisation of South Africa's mines, the leader of the ruling party's youth wing, Julius Malema,...

1:56 AM

Limpopo's kingmaker has finger in every pie

Malema's influence extends to appointment of senior provincial officials and tenders. It has been said that no major deal happens in Limpopo without Julius Malema's consent or knowledge. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MV883vdMUsHHUBExJemHRoXIDr3kRE55vn-1NY4VH-7ky0CADD4G18NoolnJIdJNWolHUwCdTyD69H7O8cVZRP8la9o9xxYr_piXqKnD_nltgfjkL-rfBLtOSrNFjjlUllt-aW2c99bt/s1600-h/malema.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448438162211557634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MV883vdMUsHHUBExJemHRoXIDr3kRE55vn-1NY4VH-7ky0CADD4G18NoolnJIdJNWolHUwCdTyD69H7O8cVZRP8la9o9xxYr_piXqKnD_nltgfjkL-rfBLtOSrNFjjlUllt-aW2c99bt/s400/malema.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px" /></a>At just 28, the ANC Youth League president apparently has significant influence over the awarding of government tenders and the appointment of senior government officials in the province. Malema led a vicious campaign to oust Sello Moloto, the province's former premier, and this week political players said it was no secret that Malema virtually controlled Limpopo. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-t-bxeOdB4q_uNaSCQVueYJ51cEgyJsIdYP6kUyy_TsXn7ltW5rNmervXRAkr6kY2cgualShbpkHIZbfqWWXjXL6qkpMqfYkfcMZkFppzmlBKNVmucl9SzYThHjxsgV7Mm4sLM6_Gs4t/s1600-h/limpopo-premier-cassel-mathale.jpg"></a>Even opposition party leaders said this was no surprise, since Malema is close friends with several MECs, senior politicians and premier Cassel Mathale. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIYaQHVtnhX3RTUidmH0FwDWknEFNGTVG_8UNaBRsD4nGII7dABvdw0iGYcWjuI2OqM2sNE5HyXV-xqRP2XS9RYmiu7r_UGUvvsWeETSB9KS8-qi9eh7BxfwBnCl7UufxtjIRFpudv3aZ/s1600-h/limpopo-premier-cassel-mathale.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448438606447090130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIYaQHVtnhX3RTUidmH0FwDWknEFNGTVG_8UNaBRsD4nGII7dABvdw0iGYcWjuI2OqM2sNE5HyXV-xqRP2XS9RYmiu7r_UGUvvsWeETSB9KS8-qi9eh7BxfwBnCl7UufxtjIRFpudv3aZ/s320/limpopo-premier-cassel-mathale.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" /></a>He has known Mathale since 2001, when Malema was national president of the Congress of South African Students. At the time, Mathale, though involved in politics, owned several thriving businesses, which may have inspired Malema's business plans. But while Malema is a director of four companies, Mathale is listed as a director of more than 20 businesses, ranging from transport and logistics to mining and property. There are also claims that the two have the final say on who is deployed to municipalities, and the appointment of mayors and municipal managers. The two also apparently make key appointments for state-owned institutions in the province. Cassel Mathale (pic right)Mayors and councillors in Limpopo's five municipal districts and 26 local municipalities are said to oblige Malema's every whim. And this is no surprise, as he has often indirectly threatened them about their futures and positions. At the Peter Mokaba memorial lecture in Vereeniging in September last year, Malema reportedly told the audience that they should "never be scared to iron out problems with your mayors and municipal managers because they are your servants". "We voted them into power so that they can serve us and not enrich themselves or those close to them," he said. Yet ANC leaders and opposition members in the province are concerned about the "irregular awarding of tenders". One senior official in the province, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals, said records of tenders awarded to Malema's companies and scores of other businesses were often not included in the provincial government's computer system. He said many were unaccounted for owing to lax auditing and due diligence. This may explain why there are scores of businessmen and women waiting to meet Malema on any given day outside his seventh-floor office in Luthuli House, Johannesburg. See also - <a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article354032.ece">Investigate Limpopo tender irregularities</a> ANCYL leaders, their girlfriends and relatives are exploiting all opportunities and becoming fly-by-night millionaires

Limpopo's kingmaker has finger in every pie

Malema's influence extends to appointment of senior provincial officials and tenders. It has been said that no major deal happens in Lim...

1:24 AM

Fire the Johannesburg Mayor, tar & feather him

Just months before the Soccer World Cup, the country's biggest city looks like a minefield, with potholes around just about every corner, accompanied by ditches that lie open like graves waiting for fresh loads. Street signs are either wrong, missing (stolen) or in disrepair; streetlights everywhere need attention; stormwater drains lie blocked and choked, and traffic lights seize up and back up traffic for 10km and more. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4Tsy_2OkzQyc3AVTaiw84fJoLl2odwEbaMVmIU1gOzXiiwysjjfHwwSej7O8kF1pNpHJj6s2AcmTqFdqqYn0kUjoxnFU__nN5heyAg5aR9_v7HvUZtIxo3XXeit8orJpqGMwlx_W1tsc/s1600-h/pothole-4ways.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZBkIXrjfdtvBzG1-jMd2Xbnhy02eVAzVnm8jX426dBOt0CQ3jBuReFtvNNLcx1gUvV_LO8i6JefF0Sjk6aNSfND02Vb-X9TDmL9drmzU-g8SK6JUCHUBRJZtYg64eXJOdhWLAZOe9JaG/s1600-h/road-accidents-positivity.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448672838772757378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZBkIXrjfdtvBzG1-jMd2Xbnhy02eVAzVnm8jX426dBOt0CQ3jBuReFtvNNLcx1gUvV_LO8i6JefF0Sjk6aNSfND02Vb-X9TDmL9drmzU-g8SK6JUCHUBRJZtYg64eXJOdhWLAZOe9JaG/s400/road-accidents-positivity.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>There are funny smells everywhere and rats are breeding like flies. Flies are breeding like rats. Residents of Johannesburg, which <a href="http://www.joburg.org.za/">advertises</a> itself as "A world class African host city" are sick and tired of the Masondo's of this world; the ex-Robben Islanders, ANC cadres who were automatically given licences to torture their fellow South Africans for a minimum of a century. Masondo and his cronies were quick enough to slash the 2009/2010 Johannesburg operational and expenditure budgets by R1.1bn to fund completion of the Soccer City stadium, yet another overblown FIFA knickknack. Masondo and his fellow vampires were quick to write off R2.8bn in bad debts, and just as quick to splash out R45m on the "Miss World" pageant, an apoplectic load of schlock. If Masondo and the ANC were vaguely aligned with reality, their focus would be job creation, 24/7. Among the numbers from the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, published on Tuesday, comes the news that during 2009 as a whole, the South African economy shed 870 000 jobs. That was the year when Zuma was promising . . . the creation of 500 000 jobs. What was he thinking? And if Amos Masondo is still thinking, what is he doing? It's time to go cadre; do yourself a favour and hand over the reins to a professional. Masondo's Mess <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_F6dk3OJYgXeF_IckmFgdu2tQxyqs6MHR-o4L-EraBGVEEuZqmWgmHPue9QhsgPPmvFBhgiIOpkEvr0yznPr2JVZxaJtCkSLQmNI5E2j3pOGEfcJZXWo3eUUh_z8UAAM5g2U67HA8HiR7/s1600-h/melville-7th+ave.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrCYqz4uEziOdmWQ4z6OyHVdutnTSCgzWQ0lrrMohiFyRnw0J_JTgSeQUMqnJQcmMCwXrD9gyTLS15i7k8uuPfEM1h1TQGgerm_jvh8DBZfxxPVEWhDhhylZrpBNlid2Ar2d4ruShJsgp/s1600-h/moron-index-lge3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448663189672769266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrCYqz4uEziOdmWQ4z6OyHVdutnTSCgzWQ0lrrMohiFyRnw0J_JTgSeQUMqnJQcmMCwXrD9gyTLS15i7k8uuPfEM1h1TQGgerm_jvh8DBZfxxPVEWhDhhylZrpBNlid2Ar2d4ruShJsgp/s400/moron-index-lge3.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 217px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>JOHANNESBURG is in a dreadful state. With potholes now so numerous they are a threat to life and limb, street lights and traffic lights broken for weeks on end, roadworks and pavement diggings started and abandoned, SA's biggest metro is looking about as beaten up as a modern city could be. Nothing illustrates better its decrepitude than the hole dug many months ago on the corner of 7th Avenue and 6th Street in the suburb of Melville -- it has been so comprehensively abandoned that for nearly a month it has been home to a TV set. It is a common story. There are literally thousands of unattended holes all over Joburg's pavements and roads. It is an absolute disgrace to SA and to Joburg's own citizens. It is not that Melville is some upmarket, spoilt, white place. Its homes are modest, and its inhabitants mixed. There would have been a time when the city's black inhabitants would have cheered the tarring of a road in Soweto at the expense of one in salubrious Hyde Park, but if any are still cheering they would be badly misguided. Joburg is increasingly one city. Joburg's problems are about leadership, starting with the mayor, Amos Masondo. His most striking political characteristic has been to be absent during Joburg's moments of crisis. Given the job by former president Thabo Mbeki as a reward for running Mbeki's first (1999) election campaign, Masondo has distinguished himself primarily as a cutter of ribbons and a deliverer of projects. Not for him the drudgery of also maintaining what he was given. But a contributing factor in Masondo's failure must surely be the way the municipal machine around him is structured. In Joburg, the municipality has been corporatised into fragments that enable Masondo to deflect direct responsibility for things like killer holes in the roads. The roads (and traffic lights and street lights and drains) are all the responsibility of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA). There are other agencies for water, garbage, electricity, buses, development and the like. Their effect is to create a distance between the city's leader and its problems that would take a person much, much more engaged than Masondo to overcome. But while water shortages, power outages and untidy rubbish collection are common, the JRA is a special problem. The JRA manages more than 9000km of roads and bridges and 3500km of stormwater drains. That would be a nightmare for the most experienced manager. For JRA MD Dudu Maseko, who made her way to the top as a human resources specialist, it has clearly been an unfair burden. The JRA's own "Stakeholder" booklet is a clear measure of the problem. It is a result of endless "workshops" building up through the "Customer Charter", the "internal controls being put in place", the Mission Statement ("to provide a sound transit infrastructure management system in support of enhanced mobility"), which must be settled before we get to the all-important Vision Statement. Here is part of the JRA's: "The JRA's vision is 'the vehicle that makes the City work'. The JRA regards itself as the ultimate catalyst that makes other services in the City realisable ... the means to a better quality of life for all." So much blather. It costs R100000 to maintain a kilometre of road, a year after it has been built, R1,8m for the same stretch if it hasn't been maintained for five years. Assuming 9000km of roads and that they are all just one year old, Joburg would need a maintenance budget just for roads of R900m a year. Yet the entire JRA budget is less than that. That mayor Masondo can argue that there is money to do the job is beyond belief. We hope the mayor is replaced at the next local elections. But that doesn't mean he still doesn't have a real job ahead of him. He does. It is to find the money to fix the roads. That's easy, unless you're Amos Masondo, deliverer of projects. Joburg collects just over 60% of the rates and taxes owing to it. Collect the other 38% and you'd have enough money to make this a world-class city in reality and not just in advertisements. But that money is largely owed by the ANC's poorer constituency, and collecting it would take political courage and will way beyond anything Masondo has demonstrated in office. President Zuma has made much of ending poor municipal governance. While it is understandable he should care about the backwaters where people struggle for a lifetime against municipal indifference, he ignores large cities at his and our peril. It's about the hole on the pavement that contains a TV set. The will to collect the money to fill the hole doesn't exist.

Fire the Johannesburg Mayor, tar & feather him

Just months before the Soccer World Cup, the country's biggest city looks like a minefield, with potholes around just about every corner...

11:19 AM

The fate of the nation

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA896MkKsachTwoRfHC0GWMWgBCCc8D5TOFSeTAS4jbAMIpVHW6b3U4CH9swjvCFZnG5gKPuTi7PtZeMl_Sw4hNBDPmvfaPboLseqgNBc7cuDLUMIOFCjUT5E1sJUZ0mrZkN9LN6X7_ts9/s1600-h/anc-terrorists.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447822865991085266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA896MkKsachTwoRfHC0GWMWgBCCc8D5TOFSeTAS4jbAMIpVHW6b3U4CH9swjvCFZnG5gKPuTi7PtZeMl_Sw4hNBDPmvfaPboLseqgNBc7cuDLUMIOFCjUT5E1sJUZ0mrZkN9LN6X7_ts9/s400/anc-terrorists.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 289px" /></a>John Kane-Berman Although many people are unwilling to read it, the writing is on the wall for South Africa. From the thuggishness of the police to moribund public schooling, from the endemic corruption of the ruling party to the chronic incompetence of the civil service, from assaults upon the Judiciary to official cowardice in the face of violent trade unions, from hazardous public hospitals to potholes in the roads, from failed land reform to declining life expectancy, from poisonous rivers to rampant crime and killer drivers, we are in trouble. What makes all of this worse is the contempt with which the government routinely treats the public, even as it filches more money from our pockets. Ministers - even the president - jet in to communities in violent revolt and make promises they have no more intention or ability to fulfil this time round than last. When a president with Jacob Zuma's track record wants to start a public conversation about morality, one can only conclude that he is either a complete and brazen cynic or-worse-that he does not understand that he has done anything wrong. When the Gauteng premier can send the cops to block off half Johannesburg for half the day while she makes a speech, you know we have a mini Mrs Mugabe in the making. We are not a failed state, but that is where we are heading. (The comrades don't notice this because they are forever busy with parties, launches, summits, lekgotlas, conferences, grandiose occasions, overseas trips, etc.) Even if South Africa can pull off a Soccer World Cup where tourists don't get mugged or raped to the extent that South Africans do, or where they don't disappear into potholes or down manholes, we all know that when the party is over the country will resume its downward slide. Bits of the place spruced up for the benefit of World Cup visitors will be nothing better than Potemkin Villages. Fortunately, criticism of the ANC's deployment policy and of poor public service is growing, even within the three-ring circus sometimes known as the tripartite alliance. Unfortunately, we know from the apartheid era how long it takes for failing policies to be reversed, even when the penny has dropped. But we also know from the apartheid era that change is not a function of government alone. The private sector, civil society, non-governmental organisations, and ordinary citizens can bring about change without waiting for the government. This is already happening in the labour field, where regulatory rigidities are being undermined by labour brokers and noncompliant clothing employers. Like apartheid, the ANC's ‘national democratic revolution' will eventually disintegrate.

The fate of the nation

John Kane-Berman Although many people are unwilling to read it, the writing is on the wall for South Africa. From the thuggishness of the po...

10:44 AM

His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Bheki Cele VC, DSO, MC

<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447139998619647186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lvJkRW_BVIcVXQ5f5gfd_OHr_zfG_wiC132ahxBpkEHMBERtoOYI94WQ9VvAUZQac3LND3rtq1FHlbgqcwACO2wKq61b5UP-b0Iv9HE2-pRLv4p9oQkvu8MYuSXeR0BmBr88K-vdRg32/s400/bheki-cele01.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 288px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /> Zimbabwe here we come... a militarisation of the state? a silent military coup? the junta/JOCs running the country? Is this 'army' preparing to protect the country or is it planning to "pull the strings" in the government of the country? Are Zuma's tight circle of "securocrats" masterminding a terror campaign to suppress the opposition to ensure Zuma does not step down in presidential elections, ever! AND/OR are they planning a military campaign against South Afica's minority people? General Bheki Cele of President Jacob Zuma's finest - While many might be tempted to say that the only time the word "general" should be used in connection with the South African Police is when it is prefacing the word "disaster", national police chief Bheki Cele is now insisting that henceforth he be addressed as such. Despite reservations that the police are militant enough apparently approval has now been obtained for them to use military rankings. This means that a constable is a private, inspector is now lieutenant, captain is still captain, superintendent is a major, senior supe a colonel, director a brigadier and commissioner a general. How this will assist in the fight against crime is anyone's guess. Cele advised Parliament's portfolio committee on police on Tuesday that he was "now called 'general" while, hilariously, they continued to refer to him as "commissioner". Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa's spokesman Zweli Mnisi told Sapa that the military rankings for the police had been approved by Cabinet but that the public announcement hadn't been made yet because they were still finalising some of the details. He did however confirm that Cele could now be addressed as "general". Who knows if he plays his cards right the cabinet may approve a special rank of "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Bheki Cele VC, DSO, MC which has precedence elsewhere in Africa. Apparently the idea of changing to military ranks arose during President Jacob Zuma's address to police station commanders from across the country in Pretoria. The idea being that it would achieve the type of discipline the South African military are now famous for. Accordingly stand by for strikes and examples of the kind of military glory we witnessed against that world hyper power Lesotho. Perhaps a small clue might assist : If you want discipline among the ranks you need to show that it exists at the highest levels both in the police and among the politicians that are calling for it. Without that you might as well make Cele a Field Marshal right now. As this rank can only be bestowed during times of war we suggest it be done quickly before he attacks Lesotho.

His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Bheki Cele VC, DSO, MC

Zimbabwe here we come... a militarisation of the state? a silent military coup? the junta/JOCs running the country? Is this 'army' p...

1:25 PM

ANC Fiddles over Malema while South Africa Burns

<div align="left">By Michael Trapido President Jacob Zuma is going to have to draw a line in the sand and decide where loyalty ends and common sense begins in his, as well as the African National Congress', approach to the ANCYL and its president Julius Malema. </div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447116618899017186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdCoGHpoRS2QVj78NSAwbqVMDtHr84Rf9ips44v4mkm5l4d-tHk_8J4CyOLPIbFncd7FH5eEPy3GHo9s8bFfVN4UZMVCBwm3nCuSHK1f849UICybj0B_Y_OPmldrhHH6731AXraoh-MSj/s400/Dr+Evil.bmp" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 259px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 306px; CURSOR: hand" /> First there was Dr Evil and Mini Me.... And now the new .... <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447116627815046914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_nEj9v27lFfy2V-srG6_eBlHS_6XuRQsQ4LpFbwX1qcxanKblwLMigPsxaItoxndh-VW9BlypDqfCv14IvHoAclgcLq0TNZRUF4j7bWZbTkV2SIGfCMyewgF_Sd8yECDgGDMgAksheHw/s400/Dr+Evil+mini+me.bmp" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 311px; CURSOR: hand" /> After yesterday's racist tirade at the University of Johannesburg the ANC has yet to decide on whether or not to meet with its youth league president. Spokesman Ishmael Mnisi said on Wednesday that the party was always in touch with the league, but had not decided whether to talk to Malema about this particular matter. In layman's terms the ruling party that forms the government that is in charge of all South Africans can't decide whether racist attacks on certain of their citizens needs to be dealt with by them. Perhaps at the next election they may wish to clarify before the vote that if the ANC are elected as the next government then they see their role as strictly overseeing the needs and requirements of the ANC membership. This in turn will mean that the remaining 45 odd million South Africans are going to need a separate government to deal with their issues. Pursuant to a declaration along those lines the ANC will be more than welcome to focus on purely party matters from what will then be fewer seats than those currently held by the ID. In the meanwhile, as they are the government and ruling party in charge of all South Africans - while clearly in desperate need of a few tutorials on what distinguishes a constitutional democracy like South Africa from the anarchy that is Somalia - perhaps they might want to consider what the implications are going to be if everyone starts behaving like Malema and certain other leaders. He is after all a role model to the masses. If every interest group that goes to make up the aggregate of what we consider our masses starts calling for violence and resorts to name calling against the ANC or the government every time it feels so inclined what will be the response? As things stand you can't even scratch your ear with your middle finger if the President's convoy is passing by in case you get picked up, have a brown bag put over your head and interrogated to see that you aren't endangering our leader. Yet when the leader of one of the biggest groups in the country - the ANCYL - calls the leader of the opposition a Satanist and the head of the ID a woman that no normal man could marry the ANC can't work out whether to deal with it or not. The hypocrisy is overwhelming. When Malema called for white people to be shot and accused them of being rapists somewhere, somehow, someone surely asked the question of how much longer this is going to be allowed to carry on before it turns on those who don't deal with it. For example if, once again, other groups followed the youth league president's fine lead and called upon their followers to shoot other races would the government expect the police to have to go in and arrest them and if so how would they be able to distinguish it from Malema's case without arresting him? Or is Malema simply above the law? As we saw earlier today the police are changing to military ranks to try and instill discipline. That's nonsense. You fight corruption and crime by setting examples at the top and clamping down on slackness at the bottom. The same way that you ensure that a culture of lawlessness does not arise by giving example after example of leaders and politicians who disregard the rule of law as if it is some kind of irritant. A disregard which seems to permeate every level of our society. What is going to happen when South African society, using our leaders as their example, start disregarding the laws that they consider inappropriate to themselves? Is the government going to try another do as I say not as I do number? At that point in time the very system that maintains law and order will, as a result of their own conduct, become ineffective in dealing with the society that it is meant to regulate and the people who are responsible for undermining it by gross disregard, will be the ones calling out the military. In a country where so much anger exists over the perceived failure of service delivery coupled to a culture of violence that arises from way back when the last thing that anyone would expect is that those in charge of the country do anything to jeopardize a criminal justice system which they may well need in the not too distant future.

ANC Fiddles over Malema while South Africa Burns

By Michael Trapido President Jacob Zuma is going to have to draw a line in the sand and decide where loyalty ends and common sense begins in...

1:10 PM

Malema sings the Mokaba anti-boer tune "Kill the boer, kill the farmer"

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema yesterday invoked the spirit of Peter Mokaba by singing "dubulu iBhunu" - echoing the late league firebrand's trademark chant "Kill the boer, kill the farmer" after arriving to address a student gathering in Joburg. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZP-NYpweQaKCvZ2hj-3-N_IYUsWgeiu9U4N1zHOCGq2PXdlqbN5nnsRagvNuUjki8aAAfOe77Ud1HuegqiZw9Mnn1a6Pd9ctcY9244hnsqeFrCXH5g-6eOVtSJv8x3mmqDq-t4Sg-68I/s1600-h/malema%20009.jpg"></a><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448973597480583986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHfoNa6w2-rEDfVnZ7LvCeis5rq3PsRzcLzKn1Ft9VhiVzuOJH38R1VjvX_plOErfBRakzAytVRutQEGJ8ncPWdzR6n7n-bJUQyZ9pTG39zz5HmF78OtJkJ5gj5x4FP1J6KEZRjmnj2pC/s400/ANC_HATE_SPEECHES.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 333px; CURSOR: hand" />Some of the crowd of about 500 students at the University of Johannesburg's Doornfontein campus - many of them there apparently out of curiosity - seemed taken aback at Malema singing the old struggle song aimed at white people who supported apartheid. Malema - who arrived in the back seat of a luxury white Range Rover urged black journalists to "close ranks" and not be critical of African leaders. He also made derogatory references to whites in the media, the opposition, and in commerce and industry. "I must never surrender to these Mickey Mouses, I must fight on," he said in reference to media probes into the R140 million in tenders awarded to businesses to which he was linked. He said he was motivated by the "ruthless killing by the whites on a committed revolutionary" (sic) - a reference to slain SACP leader Chris Hani. Daring the SA Revenue Service to send police to arrest him if it was found that he or his companies had not paid tax, as was recently reported, Malema said: "I'm a law-abiding citizen of this country. I am not above the law. If there is any crime that I have committed, let me be arrested. "But I can tell you now there is nobody who can arrest me, because I did nothing wrong. "I will never retreat. I will fight in the spirit of Peter Mokaba." Mokaba's repeated use of his signature chant in the early 1990s unleashed a storm of controversy as it was interpreted as inciting violence against Afrikaners. In a swipe at Cosatu and frayed alliance relations, Malema said he did not need general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi's permission to toyi-toyi. "Vavi doesn't hold permits for revolutionaries in South Africa," said Malema, who has been accused of being a tenderpreneur - getting rich through state contracts won through well-placed connections. He scoffed at Vavi, who last year said he would step down from Cosatu to make himself available for a leadership position in the ANC. "He (Vavi) said he was going to the national executive committee of the ANC... because he doesn't understand the ANC very well, he wants to start from the top. "We say to him, go to your branch." Only President Jacob Zuma - backed by the league - was guaranteed to have a second term in 2012, Malema said. Anyone "wanting to survive in the ANC" should support Zuma. Opposition parties weren't spared either. DA leader and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille - who once referred to him as inkwenkwe (an uncircumcised boy) - was a "monster" and presided over an "apartheid regime". She was "suffering from Satanism", Malema said - a reference to ANC claims that temporary structures used for church and Islamic ceremonies in Khayelitsha had been demolished by officials. "But we are glad because people will know they voted for a monster," he said. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqN33ub_pwYwPrLRNLi1smGWSGN-aGS-N3Y2cydnlckIaBTb7APTBDx2bGID4DbsPxR1H80QKlSK8Pl2uTqVFUyvY7SloP9C4DqvtIJckMKSyBsaH0OCpSGZgUDPnxWPY2JeDeDV6z6eO/s1600-h/ANC_HATE_SPEECHES.jpg"></a> Independent Democrats president Patricia de Lille also came in for a tongue lashing after she told City Press that Malema had not paid taxes since being elected ANC Youth League leader in April 2008. "She must go and build her own family and be concerned about the taxes of her husband, if she's got a husband," he said, to wild cheering. Malema repeated his calls for mines to be nationalised, and said the R140 million he reportedly made on tenders should also be nationalised. Supporter Shane Motala, in a yellow league T-shirt bearing a young Nelson Mandela's picture, said Malema's race invective was aimed at individuals such as Zille and not whites in general. But first-year students Mbali Nkosi and Simphiwe Hlatswayo said Malema's playing the race card was not on. "We have friends of different races, and there's no use comparing black and white like that. He needs to become more positive, because so many people listen to him. He never quotes someone like Nelson Mandela on reconciliation," they said. Metallurgy final-year students Kgotso Tsoai and Anthony Mello said they supported Malema urging students to study hard and graduate, but did not agree with everything he said on race.

Malema sings the Mokaba anti-boer tune "Kill the boer, kill the farmer"

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema yesterday invoked the spirit of Peter Mokaba by singing "dubulu iBhunu" - echoing the late l...

12:11 AM

South Africa P.I.G.

White farmers 'being wiped out'

Deathly silence while SA fat cats lick the cream

SAA sucks - 79% People Agree

Black billionaires count for less then 1% among world's wealthiest

South Africa remembers 1960 massacre, government ignores daily massacre

The joke is you, blue light bullies.

FIFA gags Kulula

Malema's FaceBook friends call him Adolf

Shocking images of Zimbabwe's starving people

Minister’s unlawfull R67.8m tender – a looter continua!

Tribute To A Fellow Blogger

Three attacks on farmers in one weekend

Beneath a savage rainbow

SA schoolgirl butchered to death - neck slashed, hands chopped off

Matric mess: look out, the government has lied to you

Malema linked to R250m mining deal

Limpopo's kingmaker has finger in every pie

Fire the Johannesburg Mayor, tar & feather him

The fate of the nation

His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Bheki Cele VC, DSO, MC

ANC Fiddles over Malema while South Africa Burns

Malema sings the Mokaba anti-boer tune "Kill the boer, kill the farmer"

Popular Posts

Blog Archive