Huge Improvements for Women but Many Live in Poverty

Gift Ngobeni

@nyikogifted

Every year we are in August South Africans celebrate women as the month is dubbed women’s month with the 9^th of August set aside as an extra special public holiday for these celebrations. Women have definitely come far and sitting at the helm of the African Union now is Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who is the first woman to head the body. She has served in South Africa’s government as a minister in the portfolios of health, foreign affairs and home affairs.

Another noticeable name would be that of our public protector Thuli Madonsela. Madonsela is also a Human Rights Lawyer and Equality Expert. She was also one of the eleven technical experts who helped the Constitutional Assembly draft the final constitution in 1994 and 1995. 

While a lot of strides have been made in South Africa and the above mentioned women have been an inspiration to many in our new democracy, there are many others there still continue to live the life of struggle. While I was listening to radio some time in August I hear a story done by senior specialist reporter, Mahlatse Gallens. The story was about 45-year-old Ruby Marais who, after 20 years in an abusive marriage, is now serving 25 year prison term for the murder of her abusive husband. The mother of one from Stillbaai in the Western Cape was convicted for paying hit men ten thousand Rand to kill her husband. She says it was her only way out of an abusive marriage.

TUT Students Not Returning to Lectures Until SRC Demands are Met

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) students are being blocked from entering Soshanguve campuses despite receiving text messages from university management informing them that classes would resume on Thursday. The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) has been leading a strike since last week.

TUT Students on Strike (Photo: Wilson Tladi)

Striking students at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) blocking entrances with fire at the Soshanguve campuses. Staff at the campuses has been told to resume duties on Wednesday. The students name reforms in the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), a lack of hot water in residences and the unavailability of free university transport as some of their grievances.

Chikane Says the ANC Won't Survive Another 100

Sthembiso Sithole 

@sitholeexpress

The African National Congress (ANC) celebrates 100 years as a political organisation this year but some former insiders are the biggest critics of the party’s current leadership. Expelled ANC Youth League president, Julius Malema, has been on a campaign of telling South Africans that President Jacob Zuma isn’t fit to lead South Africa’s ruling party and thus the country. Malema was one of the men that campaigned heavily for President Jacob Zuma when former president Thabo Mbeki was asked to resign and was replaced by his deputy Kgalema Motlanthe. Malema has apologised to South Africans saying he misled them when he supported Jacob Zuma.

Rev. Frank Chikane who was Director General in the Presidency when Mbeki was recalled authored his version of those events in a book called, Eight Days in September. Chikane spoke at the Think! Fest in Grahamstown earlier this week as part of The National Arts Festival at Rhodes University. He says the organisation that fought for the end of apartheid and eventually led South Africa’s first democratically elected government will not survive another hundred years as the party is already divided. “If you put a list of factionalism you institutionalise it. The elected group became a faction rather than leaders of the organisation.”

Foreign Nationals Mistreated By South African Health & Law Enforcement Authorities

Gift Ngobeni

@nyikogifted

In 2010, more asylum applications were lodged in South Africa than in any other country in the world. The trend continued in 2011, and the heavy demands on the asylum system have resulted in a backlog of more than 300,000 applications awaiting a decision. Even if they are granted legal stay in South Africa, many still get harassed by the police and are not granted adequate health care by South African nurses. Gift Ngobeni spoke to some foreign nationals about the hardships they face in South Africa and compiled this audio story. (VIDEO - AUDIO STORY)

UK Media News Must Turn Mirror on British Society

Siphumelele Zondi

@SZondi

For as long as I can remember British musician, Sade, has always played at home. I have memories of her and Kenny G. in my father’s car when we were going on long drives. That’s probably why Sade and her band are my favourite music group of all time. I also fell in love with British movies I was too young to watch such as Trainspotting and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. So it was probably the arts and their history that sold Britain to me as a place I wanted to study in and indeed I found a huge appreciation of poetry, cinema, theatre and music here. I have a Zimbabwean friend who was drawn to this country by football; he is a huge Manchester United fan. I would say that is what Britain has sold to its former colonies and those are the images we have bought.

When I watch British television I hardly see positive images of the developing world. They talk of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe sometimes, but that is to criticise him. Last year they had many stories on Libya, Gaddafi was just a bad North African dictator that had to be conquered to save his people. Now we see stories on Syria, a Middle Eastern country which has a horrible leader that kills people every single day. I have also seen stories on South Sudan and how hungry people are there with a currency that isn’t worth much. I have actually never seen a positive story on Africa or the Middle East on TV here. One would think their culture is perfect and needs no saving, but it takes no expert to realise that is not true. 

16 June 2010 – The Day Joy Turned Into Unimaginable Pain

Clyde Tlou

@clydegoal

It’s been two years since the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and Clyde Tlou remembers a match that took place on youth day. This is his journey as he made his way through Pretoria to watch South Africa take on Uruguay on 16 June 2010.

The streets of Pretoria were all green and yellow as the World Cup euphoria grasped the South African capital city ahead of the Bafana Bafana game against Uruguay. All roads were leading to Loftus Stadium or fan parks around Tshwane and the country as a whole.