NELSON MANDELA - FINALLY WE HAVE AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Hello everybody,

Open up a newspaper, check the internet online channels and listen to the radios, the death of Nelson Mandela is broadcast. The South African government have officially announced his death, and this is world news.

Here are two links to stories published about this end and I will honestly say they are worth the read.




Article 1

Article 2

I would still say that the South African Government did not announce his real date of death and that Mandela was kept alive on life support machines for a long time. His agony started last year December when he was admitted to the Military Hospital and received treatment for a gall stone surgery. Something went wrong there and the truth was not told.

Mandela suffered most of this year and the announcement of his death is at least an admission by the government and his family to let the man return to his ancestors in dignity (if any is left) and rest in peace.

The timing of this announcement, in my opinion, is carefully orchestrated, the South African schools closed for the December holidays. Manufacturing and industrial companies start their three to four week annual shutdown and most of the South Africans will take annual leave. Even parliament closes for the year-end. I reckon that nearly 70 percent of the people will not be working, and can you see, it is perfect. There will be no disruption with traffic, no public holidays need to be implemented, no economic panic, and everybody who wants to pay respects and enter a period of mourning for the legendary Nelson Mandela will have the time to do so.

Another opinion I express is that the recent reports on president Zuma and his lavish spending on his homestead Nkandla, and the vast amount of money for road upgrades leading to his retreat have been in the spotlight recently and this is a national embarrassment to the country. Now that Mandela is once again front page news, the Zumaland affairs will quietly disappear and people will forget.


Well now we move forward and hope for the best.

Take care.
Your friend,
Laura

We Cannot Think Like Africans

Dear Friends,

Hello again, I am sharing another article that I wrote and was published in the Guardian Express a month ago.

I am sure you will recall the media frenzy regarding the Zuma comments on this one.

South African President Jacob Zuma has once again outraged the people of the African Continent. "We can’t think like Africans, in Africa, generally. We are in Johannesburg, this is Johannesburg. It's not some national road in Malawi," Zuma said. He was addressing a meeting of the Gauteng Manifesto Forum at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on E-tolls among other matters.
His arrogant statement has caused widespread outrage and promptly spiked a ripple effect on the social media sites, including Twitter.

Public comments range from hilarious to serious concern. People are angry and not only black people but many whites are referring to this comment as calling all South Africans ignorant. One of the comments stated that had a white person uttered those words, it would be considered racist and cause an uproar. How true that is. The younger educated generation seem angry with Zuma for referring to them as ignorant and emphatically stated they were not stupid. Scores of people are requesting the presidency to scrap the E-tolling project. This additional tax system will generate a greater degree of poverty for the already millions of people who cannot afford to pay more.

Zuma said in his speech that if people could afford a car they could pay the E toll tax and if not they should use public transport. That comment is inappropriate; the president has no idea how pathetic the public transport system actually is. There are a few buses with drivers always on strike, they never arrive on time, and many areas do not have buses. The train monopoly is unusable, besides the continues strikes, the persistent delays, these carriages are a health hazard, the filth and stench would certainly create further problems. The only reliable public transport is the infamous Gautrain, and it is subject to delays, strikes and overcrowding. The other option would be to use the Mini Taxi's and that would be like taking a death ride. The taxis are not roadworthy, most drivers have fabricated licenses, they are always overcrowded, and they drive like hooligans. The road accidents involving these taxi's are high. Zuma perhaps should attempt to address the public transport issue before trying to create additional revenue from the already heavily taxed system implemented in South Africa.The taxes paid by the citizens are high, and there are virtually no public services available.

Such a classic racist comment from the top man of the country. The government the ruling party, the ANC, support Zuma. Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said Zuma’s statement has been "taken out of context" and "blown out of proportion" by the media." Were made in the broader context of South Africa “achieving more” in the past 19 years of freedom and democracy.
"The African National Congress welcomes the role played by traditional and social media in our national discourse," spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.

"It is important therefore that those privileged to form opinion on these networks do so with the intention of promoting fair and balanced reporting, a call we believe would not have arisen had the president's comments been placed in context."

The opposition party, Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the president to retract his statement.

Well only in South Africa, can the president utter such undermining harmful and downright stupid comment? The government is still determined to blame the media for taking the president's words and turning it into a national scandal. It is a dishonest attempt by the government to condemn the media when they have a transcript of the recorded speech. Such a statement can only be summarized by stating that Zuma is talking like an African!

The End!

I must admit that President Zuma certainly is a hugely entertaining president, he does raise a few laughs and always seems to produce a smile upon our faces with his off the cuff remarks.


Well I think this picture sums up how I feel.
Have a wonderful week.
All the best.
Your friend,
Laura

SCARY HAILSTORM

Hello Everybody,

Trusting you are all well.

This week we had a freaky thunderstorm in and around Johannesburg. Although we are subject to thunderstorms during our summer months, this storm was slightly more hectic, and I think it is all related to climate change.

Huge hail almost the size of tennis balls pelted down from the grey skies, and bolts of lightning flashed from the heavens above. The heavy rain poured down, and the winds continued to rage as people sought shelter.

This storm caused extensive damage to motor vehicles, several trees were uprooted, and potholes appeared. There was a loss of electricity in different areas and flash flooding in townships. Squatter camps were severely affected and some shanty homes washed away.

Spooky photos show how the roaring bolts of lightning affects the camera, one part of some pictures blacked out.

This is what my pit bull Isaiah did during the storm!

All the best.
Your friend,
Laura

HUBPAGES

Hello Everybody,


Trusting all is well.

This weekend, I have tried to spend more time writing, and I actually managed to complete two articles.

I started writing on HUBPAGES and had my two articles published yesterday. I will share the links with you.

My real name is Delores, and I use the name Laura for writing; and I had to create a new name on the HUBPAGES and chose DORADEE. That name is one of the many names given to me by some friends, I won't mention all of them as I could probably confuse myself and not know who I actually am.

South Africa - twenty years into democracy

Are you a safety conscious person


Take care for now and remember to smile.

Your friend,
Laura

Three Children a Day are Murdered in South Africa

Hello again,

Sharing yet another article written last month.

"Three children a day are murdered in South Africa," the Director of the Children's Institute at the University of Cape Town, Professor Shanaaz Mathews told reporters in an interview this week. He mentioned the difference between actual discipline and abuse. He referred to the brutal death of a Cape Town toddler who died from head injuries caused by the father bashing his head because the child had a soiled nappy.

The past week several murders were reported, and this has highlighted the need for a more secure protection act for children. The Children's Institute based at the University of Cape Town is leaders in child policy research and advocacy in South Africa will play a vital role and facilitate policy makers in determining the best protection for the children of this country.

On Tuesday, this week, two baby girls were found dead, and their mother barely alive who was taken to hospital. It is assumed that they are immigrants from neighboring countries who lived in a derelict abandoned house on the East Rand. The mother is under police protection and could be charged with the murder of the two children as there are conflicting reports with her version of the truth. It is suspected that they had died of food poisoning. An investigation into the cause of death will continue.

Newborn twin babies were found abandoned in a basket near Muldersdrift, north of Johannesburg, on Saturday. Patrolling officers found the babies and rushed them to a hospital. It was discovered that one of the babies had died, and the surviving one remains in a critical condition. A murder document has been opened, and an investigation will follow.

Saturday, the body of a baby, wrapped in plastic was discovered floating down a stream in Diepsloot, a township between Johannesburg and Pretoria. The age of the child is unknown, and no further details have been reported and the investigating officer. This follows the gruesome kidnapping, mutilation rape and murder of two children who were discovered by a communal member on Monday.

Diepsloot, a densely populated settlement in the north of Johannesburg, consists of government-subsidized housing, and shacks. The shacks are built on any open piece of land and assembled with scrap metal, wood or plastic. Basic services are scarce and running water, sewage and garbage removal are not available to all residents. Most roads are not tarred. Living conditions remain a persistent problem in that township and most of the residents are unemployed.

On Saturday October 12, the mother's of 2-year-old Yonelisa Mali and her cousin Zandili Mali aged three reported these youngsters as missing to the local police station.
Diepsloot a township and a place where overcrowding of locals and immigrants remains a nightmare share some common toilets. It was on Monday that a resident discovered the two bloodied bodies of the missing children in one of these filthy toilets. Immediately the police were notified, and the crime area was closed to the inquisitive eyes of residents and media.

This horrific event revealed the rape and murder of two innocent girls. It was later discovered that five men were involved in this horrific crime. The police arrested four of the suspects who have been revealed as foreigners, and the fifth one was arrested toward the end of the week. All suspects remain in police custody.

The residents of Diepsloot are angry and wanted the police to release the men into the community, as they wanted to avenge the senseless murder and burn the perpetrators. This sparked violence that is further heated, and when the founder of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party arrived in Diepsloot, clashes between this party and the ruling ANC party emerged. A heavy police presence remains dominant within that community.


Terrible but so true!

Cheers,
Laura