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Monday, June 15, 2015

South Africa Al-Bashir Slipped Out of the Country

South Africa President Omar Al-Bashir, slipped out of the country, has left Johannesburg, and is expected to land in the Sudanese capital Khartoum this evening. Sudan’s State Minister confirmed that President Al-Bashir will address the crowds gathered to meet him on his return.

Al-Bashir stands accused in connection with crimes committed in Darfur which lead to the murder of almost a half-a-million civilians and displacement of millions. The International Criminal Court (ICC) instructed the South African government to arrest Al-Bashir, who arrived in the country over the weekend to attend the African Union Summit.

The South African government undermined the judicial system and challenged the court’s decision. President Jacob Zuma let a precious moment pass to bring justice to the millions that died in Darfur. Opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, called for the arrest of Al-Bashir but failed to achieve this end of justice. From the onset of the arrival of Al-Bashir, the bid by the South African Litigation center to have the Sudenese president arrested was an exercise of futility.

Zuma said that all international delegates attending the African Union Summit were given diplomatic immunity and as such could not be arrested. The ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), said that the ICC is no longer a useful organization and holds the view that it is a court of last resort for the prosecution of crimes against humanity. The unwavering commitment from countries in African and Eastern-Europe to uphold human rights, continue to bear the brunt of ICC decisions, and the most recent is the Sudanese example.

Al-Bashir was allowed to return home unchecked, and South Africa’s decision will be severely condemned internationally and not so loud throughout the African Continent. It will be a massive blow to the credibility of the ICC. On the other hand, if South Africa did concede to the demands of the ICC and arrest Al-Bashir, African leaders would condemn the action. The South African government would be accused of ensnaring African leaders into a set-up. Should the ICC leave African problems to the African leaders? The ICC would now have to go to Sudan to arrest Al-Bashir and will probably realize that there is more unity among African leaders than the west.

Zuma, the president of South Africa should be charged with aiding and abating the escape of a murder, after South African President Al-Bashire slipped out of the country. There must have been an over flight and landing request provided by the South African Defense force, prior to the departure of Al-Bashir. Zuma and the ANC government are accessories to the genocide of more than 300,000 Africans. Zuma should have detained Al-Bashir and sent him to the United States for trial for the gruesome crimes committed.

South Africans have turned the entire Al-Bashir escapism into a racist argument and comments on social media state that Africans do not want the president of Sudan arrested because he is black. Crimes of the past do not matter and the current state of the country being in shambles is of no concern. There is a peace process presently being facilitated between Sudan and Southern Sudan, including the rebels. Although people are displaced and subjected to extreme poverty, the only hope for peace and stability is through the current process of negotiation. ............READ THE ENTIRE STORY - PUBLISHED TODAY ON THE GUARDIAN LV

South Africa Youth Day June 16

The aim of Youth Day, which falls on June 16th, is to celebrate victory and freedom from the fight against oppression. It is a day to reflect on the young school children who lost their lives in a protest for better education. Youth Day is a day to remember those that died to bring freedom for the majority.

When the African National Congress (ANC), ruling party of South Africa, flaunt luxurious lifestyles around poor communities, what message does this send to the people living in poverty? Some will argue that there is nothing wrong with the ANC members driving luxurious cars, wearing designer brands and sporting a Rolex watch. Quickly, members are reminded of what the ANC have done for the poor people; building RDP houses, supplying electricity and water and giving grants to help sustain families. People will say that nobody has ever done something on a grand scale for the people as the ANC have, and remain proud supporters of the liberation movement.

Some youngsters will say the youth of today only knows the luxury of cars, tender money laundering, parties, and disrespect. Some will say the ANC need to bring radical programs for the youth of today, something that will help sustain and develop an active community. Some say people cannot eat when branding is pushed to the fore. South Africa Youth Day is not about Nkandla; it is an outcry of a black child, a child of the earth, an outcry to close the loopholes in education. To understand that education is the key to a brighter future and a democratic tomorrow is crucial for South Africa.

Some will say the South Africa Youth Day (June 16) celebration is a sad state of affairs. The government should prioritize urgent matters, instead of celebrating against the poor communities who do not have a job, bread to eat, or a home to keep warm in. Would this be a betrayal if the government does not share a story that compels the urgency of dramatic change in this democratic country?

Perhaps a solid reminder of what happens when government fails to address the poverty, inequality, and unemployment is the story of four black children. In 2011, four children (aged nine, seven, six and two) left the poor informal settlement of Verdwaal, in the North West Province of South Africa, in search of food. The children traveled through rugged sand roads and open fields in the excruciating heat but never found food to eat. A few days later, police recovered the tiny lifeless bodies of all four children and described the horrifying scene of the decomposed bodies of skin and bone only. In a democratic society, this should never have happened; it is an unacceptable situation, and the government must be compelled to move faster with transformation and avoid such scandalous reports.

It is the stories of young people who have lost lives when all they should have had was a home, food and security. It is always the unexpected, .....................................READ THE ENTIRE STORY - PUBLISHED TODAY ON THE GUARDIAN LV

Opinion by Laura Oneale

Read more at http://guardianlv.com/2015/06/south-africa-youth-day-june-16/#2M2tRmcFcwpLmkbW.99

I am adding a photo of ANC vehicles geared up for the celebration of Youth Day - You can decide!

South Africa ANC Freedom Charter 60th Anniversary

June 26, 2015, marks the 60th anniversary of the ANC Freedom Charter adopted by South African in 1955, a foundation for a national culture based on a set of values that reinforces the new constitutional dispensation. Marking the anniversary is in remembrance of a country that remains committed to the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. The African National Congress (ANC) governing party, do not adhere to the founding grounds of the freedom charter, and after 21 years of democracy have failed miserably.

It is the primary objective of members to declare solemn allegiance and abide by the aims of the ANC as set out in the Constitution, the Freedom Charter and any other adopted policy generated by the party. When members join the ANC, they take an oath to respect the values and adhere to principles of having no motives of material or personal gain through membership. It is a promise to work and utilize skills within the organization make the ANC an effective instrument of liberation, and to defend the unit, its integrity and principles as well as avoid disruption and factionalism.

During 1955 the ANC (whose Freedom Charter’s 60th anniversary is being celebrated this year) a banned terrorist group in South Africa, sent out volunteers to collect “freedom demands” from the people. It was a system to give all citizens an opportunity to express what freedom would be needed to ensure liberty for all. A final document listing the requirements of freedom for all was implemented on June 26. Freedom to earn a living wage, land for the landless people, free education and equality for all races were included. The freedom charter is a notable document that demands a commitment to a non-racial country, the platform of the ANC. Within the text, human rights, labor rights and nationalization are called for in a democracy.

The Freedom Charter is a mandate for the ANC government of South Africa to continue to advance human dignity, equality and liberty, as well as accountability and the realization of democratic values through legislative roles. The ANC are in the fifth term of ruling South Africa, and so far this has been a vibrant, robust and messy governance. The oversight and accountability are missing. There is no efficient and responsive public participation, nor any intentions to stop corrupt management.

The constitutional responsibility is ignored, and respect for human rights and justice of the law is in shambles. Good governance is missing, and corruption has replaced the dignified freedom charter mandate. The ANC government will remind members, the 62 percent ignorant masses, about the struggle for freedom. The wrong or nonexistence of performance by members of the government are ignored, and only the liberation struggle is remembered. The years of hiding and exclusions from South Africa, where members such as President Jacob Zuma, Mandela, Mbeki and others left South Africa, as well as family and friends, to train and unite recruits for the liberation movement is the story that is foremost in the minds of the masses. It is the sad story of how ..........................READ THE ENTIRE STORY - PUBLISHED TODAY ON THE GUARDIAN LV

Opinion by Laura Oneale

Sunday, June 14, 2015

South Africa the Good News Story

Does South Africa have a good news story to tell? Not yet but if elected officials are held responsible for actions, then a good news story can develop. The leaders of the country, the African National Congress Party (ANC) see matters in black and white and as long as this is maintained no problems will be fixed.

The economy of the country has taken a turn for the worse, and continuing to look at matters through black and white does not fix the problem. The economy is based on trust and investment. Nobody has confidence in South Africa due to high levels of corruption and crime. The new affirmation action Black Broad-Based Economic Empowerment based on the color of skin and no real qualifications does not help the growing crisis. The people need to stand up and demand change.

What is the plan of the ANC government? Over the past 21 years, there has been the constant looting of the country’s resources financially, killing of Afrikaans farmers and turning South Africa into a Zimbabwe-style land, barren and cold. Rainbow nation, indeed not so, there has never been the diversity of unity among the different cultural groups.

The United States and European Union should impose sanctions on the ANC government for the grand theft of funds. The real news story is that South Africa is run by a criminal government. The law abiding and good citizens cannot sit back and let the country slip into a total abyss of unruly hooligan style governance. When will the people stand up and say enough is enough? It is time to stand up to this tyranny.

The middle-class citizens and probably the biggest contributors to the fiscal via income tax might be educated enough to understand the dangers of the direction the political powers are heading toward yet continue to ignore the plight of the poor. It is the vast majority and incidentally the biggest voter base that does not have the ability to comprehend what is best for a collective future for all South Africans.

It is the black elite of South Africa that have a spectacular future while there is nothing for the majority. All the corruption, nepotism and socialism of this elite black group need to deflect the attention to a scapegoat so that the majority remains unaware of the evil deeds performed. The wealth and accumulation of assets need to remain hidden from the masses, the 62 percent that keep the ANC in power. When the poor rebel in the form of protests against the unfair society and frustrations boil over it is not directed at the black elite, it is targeted at the scapegoats. Whites are already viewed by a significant sector as thieves of black’s wealth, racist, oppressors of the poor, unpatriotic and less deserving to live. The scene is well set for genocide.

The ANC is a black party for the poor and does not deserve to lead based on the struggling of the masses who do not learn, have no food to eat and have no economic benefits. The old leaders of the ANC, Hani, Mandela, and Tambo all loyal and patriotic toward the ordinary people are gone, and the new leaders continue to inflate the poverty of the masses. Thabo Mbeki former president said whites had too many jobs, complained about the wealth of whites, and said the imbalances must be corrected. It is evident that socialism lies in the heart of the ANC government.

The masses do not see the poverty, the crime, the corruption raging through the country. All the masses know that there is freedom to wander off around the country without harassment. The racial segregation is gone yet the overwhelming dislike of the white population is twisted with hatred. The masses remain ignorant of the ANC’s determination to attain a two-thirds majority for the government to change the constitution..............READ THE ENTIRE STORY, PUBLISHED TODAY ON GUARDIAN LV

Opinion by Laura Oneale

South Africa Government Faults on Service Deliveries

Water is precious, and when people do not receive this fundamental life-sustaining essential, it reveals a fault by the Government of South Africa who fails miserably on service deliveries. The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched investigations into several municipalities who have violated fundamental human rights by not delivering essential services to their communities throughout South Africa.

The Madibeng Local Municipality located in the North West province of South Africa has experienced water problems since 1994 and some areas do not have any water at all. Service delivery protests have rocked the area and authorities continue to fail the people. Complaints brought to municipal workers fail on deaf ears. Informal settlements around South Africa are the hardest hit with no water and dependent on tankers to deliver this fundamental necessity.

Madibeng is not the only municipality that experiences nondelivery of primary service deliveries and a report issued characterizes high levels of wasteful and irregular expenditure. Billions of rands are lost in tender fraud processes and incompetence. The government fails to punish or remove counselors who have failed in its constitutional obligations to provide basic services such as water.

South Africa Government faults on Service Delivery and protests happen all the time; people are frustrated with municipality officials who do not attend to grievances. A protest in Jerico and Letlhabile of the Madibeng district during March this year over water issues was the cause of municipal and tribal offices set alight. A water tanker was burned, burning tires lined the streets, and other counselor properties were destroyed by fire. The officials called for calm and said that violent protests were not a solution, as further damage to infrastructure caused problems to escalate. Residents have exhausted every avenue to get the officials to attend to the urgency of supplying water.

The suspension of the premier in 2009 was short lived and he was back in the top seat controlling the Madibeng municipality. A fearful person likened to the mafia where people are afraid to speak up against the kingpin of Madibeng. Kickbacks are rolling in, and people live in fear of saying anything against the premier who is a controlling person. The premier takes responsibility for placing people in positions within the council, and no doubt nepotism is strong. The premier was accused of corruption and denies any wrongdoing. The luxurious homes and string of expensive cars the premier owns is apparently from wealth accumulated personally.

Water trucks costing over ZAR15 million a year to deliver water is not a safe way of carrying water. Residents have to pay a fortune for water and with no running water in homes and people are forced to get water from tankers. Money is paid to contractors to perform certain duties, but the work does not get done. There are no investigations into corrupt contracts thereby allowing the corruption to continue in this community and the rest of South Africa.

The management of Madibeng has deteriorated into a severe crisis. Evil councilors are still receiving kickbacks for tender fraud, favors, and falsifying invoices for personal gain. Six years ago the Madibeng district was bankrupt and placed under administration. There is no money to get the water infrastructure working, and clean water costs a fortune for residents who are forced to buy from tankers. The missing millions of Madibeng would require extensive investigations. Money missing that should have trickled down to the people and service deliveries.
Residents cannot drink the water as raw sewage, abattoir contents, the blood of dead animals flood into the Crocodile River that fills dams reserved for drinking water. Tests revealed that chrome arsenic, selenium, and aluminum are present in the water. Lethal chemicals that will kill both young and old.
Residents of Jerico began rebuilding a borehole system from scraps gathered around the town. ...................READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE PUBLISHED TODAY ON GUARDIAN LV
Opinion by Laura Oneale

Read more at http://guardianlv.com/2015/06/south-africa-government-faults-on-service-deliveries/#tyr8RI6yo9zFehiT.99