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Friday, June 19, 2015

South Africa Julius Malema Not Clowning Around

Julius Malema leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party of South Africa disrupts parliament again and is not clowning around when signing “Payback the Money,” which is aimed at President Jacob Zuma. Zuma did not have any time to answer questions due to the rowdy EFF members who are still chanting an old song. More pressing issues need to be raised and answers to Africa’s current problems need to be addressed yet Malema is adamant that the Nkandla story is not over.

The EFF members deny obstructing parliament, however, Malema did confirm that there will be no retreat from the Nkandla issue and the money spent on upgrades on the president’s homestead. Although the African National Congress (ANC) ruling party of South Africa, has acquitted the president of any wrongdoing over the vast amounts spent on Nkandla, Malema strongly opposes the ruling.

The ruling ANC party is deeply worried about the activities leading to the sudden and unfortunate adjournment of parliament. The National Assembly is a forum where parties, representing diverse views, discuss and resolve matters in an attempt to move the country forward. The ANC believe the incident of the EFF party is an attack on democracy and the constitution of South Africa.

The EFF are misleading the people into believing the disruptions of Parliament are in favor of good governance. It is the obsessive hatred of Zuma that causes the continuous disruptions and in doing so, it disrupts the critical debates of pressing issues. Malema would do well to engage in a discussion and tackle problems relating to unemployment, energy crisis, service deliveries, and many more pressing issues in South Africa.

In South Africa, there have been many disruptions in parliament over the past two years, and the EFF are the main culprits. No serious business is discussed or debated as each time Malema and followers will disrupt the session singing the same tune.

The EFF party was a spin-off from the ANC when Malema was banned from the ruling party. The new party was formed to challenge the principles of the ANC, yet, the mandate of the EFF is socialist and unruly. Zuma groomed Malema who in the past was the most ardent supporter of the president, yet the years have shown that loyalty within the ANC does have a price.

Malema is a clown, and the ignorant masses love the manner in which the EFF present the law. It is a cowards way of scoring cheap political points. The whole issue of money spent on Nkandla is over, Zuma will not pay back any money and Malema forgets the benefits he received as president of the ANC youth league. The EFF party does not have a strategy and purpose. The ANC have the majority seats in parliament and the six percent held by the EFF reflects their weak political strength.

Malema and the EFF members are acting with a boys club behavior and a gangster mentality. There is no respect for the proceedings and the country. The noises the EFF makes is indeed an empty jar of nothing................ READ THE ENTIRE STORY - PUBLISHED TODAY ON THE GUARDIAN LV

Monday, June 15, 2015

South Africa the Land of Golden Handshakes

South Africa is indeed the land of golden handshakes and the ruling African National Party (ANC) should implement legislation aimed at the public sector institutions. The law must stipulate the maximum benefits offer and consider creating specific incentives through the budget process to hold agencies and managers accountable for their golden goodbye handshake and subsequent personnel decisions. Most importantly, the legislation must provide for a post-audit of any golden goodbye handshake program authorized for the government departments.

The recent golden handshakes that have rocked the public sector are scandalous to say the least and an outrage to the citizens in general. There is no indication of these payouts benefiting the nation. Furthermore, the unfettered access to state coffers by ruffians, masquerading as political saviors, must be restrained at all costs. The state should concern itself with providing services to the nation given that profit making has never been the object of its exercise. ‪

South Africa has given far too many golden handshakes to unqualified comrades who should have been dismissed for nonperformance. A golden handshake with a suspension comprising of full salary because too much may be said to bring disrepute and destabilize the country. Between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance, who is destabilizing South Africa. ZAR246 million to one man for a cattle kraal, fire pool, and a chicken run. Another ZAR193 unexplained amount for in Mangaung in the Free State and heaps of money for eTolls. Municipalities around South Africa fail to receive a clean audit and the government calls for no accountability.

South Africa seems equated to the-the old Latin saying, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King” meaning that someone with limited ability is considered highly by those with no ability at all. In South Africa, the blind are the voters and the King is the ANC. Insanity would be the queen and that would sum up the ANC quite well. The insane policies are killing the country and the blind cannot see, yet there will come a time when the blind will feel.

Where are the tenacity, patience, forward thinking, and intelligence?.............READ THE ENTIRE STORY - PUBLISHED TODAY ON THE GUARDIAN LV

Opinion by Laura Oneale

Edited by Maurice Cassidy

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