The DA comparative election advert mocks ANC

The  jaw dropping DA advert that was aired  on SABC 1  on Monday 4th July 2016 has kept a lot of people talking. The advert  shows a young woman going to a voting station and along the way come across  ANC  or people wearing ANC t-shirts canvassing.  When she gets to  the  voting booth, she is tempted to vote for  the ANC  but suddenly changes her mind and vote DA.

The DA has decided to  go bare hands in the boxing  ring and takes the fight to another level. The creativity in the use of comparative advertising is simply stunning. The advert specifically shows ANC emblem and its purpose is to show how the rival is going to lose.

Making fun of the competitor is an age old theme in advertising. However  When political parties address their rivals directly by name or by subtle references,means that they acknowledge that the competitor is a big deal and a threat.

Jimmy mathews a victim of his own demise

Jimmy mathews can not be glorified as a hero, He has proven that there are some of the leaders in the public entities who have low self esteem, He has failed at SABC because of his own weaknesses.

Mathews engineered his own demise, and is an epitome of a leader who lost confidence in himself. He began  to think that controlling his subordinates and telling them what to do was impossible. He  gave in to political influence and fell victim to his own demise.  Truth be told,  there will always be people who would try to influence editorial policy in the SABC but it would take Madonsela's guts to deal with such challanges. There will always be underground forces,  as a seasoned journalist he knew it before hand but could not formulate the action plan to counter and lay down the law.

Mathews can blame circumstance and other people, but it is completely or largely his own fault. It is really nice to subscribe to the victim culture, where nothing is your fault because everything that was done to you was out of your control.  Blame your politically connected subordinate for keeping you down or blame your inefficient weak dog for letting criminals break into your house. but remember good people that he was an active participant in his own failure.

"Certain individuals in the ruling party including people like Hlaudi were of the view that we should not be giving Julius and his crowd
coverage‚" He added: "I should have said ‘no that's ridiculous’ certainly‚ with the growing popularity
around the 2014 elections and if anything the EFF is out of all the political parties probably the masters of the media so we should have given them a lot more coverage… That is one of the decisions I was part of and from a
journalistic point of view is unjustified."-Mathews

Hlaudi and "certain individuals in the ruling party"  would not be able to dictate without someone to dictate to. Mathews should have shown who is the boss,  it comes with the territory.  They rather fire you or bad mouth you for doing the right thing. By letting them dictate what must be aired he actually partake in the censorship and must accept the
result.

According to a research an upward bullying has some health impacts. In the questionnaire  managers indicated a number of personal impacts, such as intention to leave or leaving the workplace, not wanting to go to work, or a loss of confidence.  ( https:// bullyinworkplace.com/2012/08/03/when-bosses-are-bullied/)

One can deduce that Hlaudi Motsoneng made his  boss’s
life miserable to a point where he called it quit. I believe bussines meetings were power struggles that hinge on games meant to humiliate one another.

Matthews never lived and led with
courage and conviction in the sabc. He was afraid to do  the right thing, even when the right thing was not popular or easy. He should have made  decisions based on his core
values, and show the world that
He can not be bought. His decision were influenced as an outcome because he never had courage to stand up and put his foot down. As a result the consequences are detrimental to everyone in the country.

Nonetheless,  he must be commended for coming back to his senses and diging deep to his core values before it was too late.  He has done the right thing by resigning,  I hope the predecessor will not fall in the same pit!

SABC ban of violent protest visuals smells propaganda and politics

The media has an important role in society, there are Acts that requires public broadcasters to provide a varied range of programmes in the
fields of information, culture, education and entertainment. They are also responsible for providing a reliable news service.

The public broadcaster can help to maintain diversity and play an important role in fulfilling the public's right to know. The SABC also rely on the public funds and the public right to know is a reason for its existence.

One can not deny the fact that the media like any other sector should not harm, but promote environment and sociocultural aspects.  We need the media that is social responsible,  and social responsibility by definition is: is ethics that guide any action, be it in media or other organizations, that put an obligation towards environment, society, culture and economy.

Today we have social responsibility in the mass media  which provides that one’s right to free expression must be balanced against the private rights of others and against vital society interest. one believes that news reporting should not affect the social order but it must be objective and of public interest.

The decision by SABC to ban visuals of violence when reporting community protests in South Africa is very strange.  It is the very SABC that go out its own ways to feed our kids with violent programms.  They  play movies that contains too much violence and sopies that contains too much sex and nudity.  Today hlaudi motsoneng tells us that news reporting can incite violence,  what a contradiction!!

The  audience have the right to know what is going on in their country and the reporting must be real,  and not sanitised .Showing people burning schools would not harm the public but it would help us improve as a society in terms of security and other aspects.  For example if you show people barricades roads and burning tires a lot of questions will be asked about our police ability to enforce law and order.  In that way spike debate and improve our security system and our people's behavior. For instance,  Pretoria protester have learnt that burning of schools is not the right thing to do and even some of vuwani protester were actually in defense and protective of their schools. We want to see the visuals of those conducting criminal activities being apprehended,  and we want to be the judges.  

Banning  of violent protest Visuals doesn't solve any thing it only contradicts with audience right to know which is crucial. The audience have the capabilities to interpret the news themselves and can't be guided to a certain interpretation. 

Sometimes I am accused of creating complexity out of something that is perhaps very simple and straightforward
to others because I spend time analyzing things. But if people can look at SABC decision juxtapost the current Paranoia of the ruling party,  perhaps some would agree with me that the SABC has a hidden agenda, and they are banning violent visuals to protect the current government. There can not be any sensible justification by the broadcaster,  their general program content is violent as it has been mentioned on this writing.  The current government is paranoid after what happened to Brazilian government and they believe that there is underground forces that want to overthrow the government.  Remember jessie Duarte utterances? "many of the protests were not about service delivery but fights over power and resources.  The sad thing about our country is that wherethe ANC has truly delivered you find the worst nature protests. The reality is that BRICS (Brazil ‚ Russia‚ India‚ China and South Africa) is being attacked at the moment. What happened to Rousseff in Brazil could happen so easily here tomorrow because of what people call a colour revolution‚”. The ruling party believes that the protests are less about service delivery and more about a fight about resources and power.
"And so are we in trouble? Yes. And what must we do? We must close ranks now". Closing ranks start by controlling what people must see and hear,  you  start to promulgate propaganda and making people to believe that all is well. 

In the same vein Gwede Mantashe said “We are aware of the programme that takes young people to the United States for six weeks then bring them back and plant them everywhere in the campuses.”
"We must defend the revolution and defend every attack on the ANC structures,". As if it was not enough COSATU has came out with an election powerful phrase like "Defend the revolution".  The question is against who?.. So It is not a coincidence at all,  unless they can convince some of us.

One on one with Vazaya

This time  The Only Truth blog website have a  one on one with one of the son of the soil,  the all rounder of Xitsonga music,  get to know the artist who has an impeccable talent,  Mr Mackson Shirinda.

The Only Truth: When did you start your music career and What inspired you 
Vazaya: I started my music career in 1998 and was inspired by my father General MD Shirinda.  He is a great singer and has spiked zeal for me to want to sing, I wanted to emulate and walk on his foot steps. I also mingled with artists like Matshwa Bemuda whom I liked his music so much,  it also kept my dream to be a singer alive.

The Only Truth:Your place of birth
Vazaya: I was born in a village called Makhasa in Malamulele,  under the Hosi Maxeleni 

The Only Truth: Can you briefly give us your background
Vazaya: I would not say things were rough when I grew up,  I had almost everything a child needs that includes the necessary support and guidance. My family encouraged me and my siblings to go to school and learn.  I followed the music career because of the the desire and passion instead of everything else.

The Only Truth: how can you describe your music career in detail 
Vazaya: like I said I  started singing in 1998,  we  formed a group called miyakayaka na vo  makwavo and released two albums.  I left the group and worked with penny penny and was playing drums for his Makhwaya albums. I also worked with  Gezani Thomas Mzamani where I  also played drums and key board.  I was also a drummer for Flora and Sunglen when they were recording,  in a nutshell I worked with lots of artists.  Having played drums to lots of artists,  I ended up starting my own thing Producing people like Xindendefu and also people like Minge swikoti Magaza.  I have produced almost twenty artists,  I have got a mini studio for programming and also work with other people for further production.

The Only Truth: How would you like to be remembered 
Vazaya: I want to be remembered as a person who sings songs that empower people with knowledge and teaches them the way of life.  Most of my songs talks about family issues and also guide and teach those who are single

The Only Truth: How is it like to work with Rhangani and Dumusani 
Vazaya: it is life changing,  I have been uplifted from the place I was in the past.  I  have personally grown up and working with these two guys has changed some of the things in my life.

The Only Truth: Is this your first  CD
Vazaya: No,  actually it is my  8th, but we can say it is the first because I have twirled the style of singing and the first in my collaboration with Rhangani and Dumusani,  and for this reason we call it goal number one.

The Only Truth: Why did you feel it was important to sing about bushiri track no 6
Vazaya: when I walked around people have been talking a lot of things about Bushiri.  Some  talked good of him while others bad mouthed  him.  I then asked people who believe in his teachings and they told me a lot of good things about him.  I then realized that what people perceive about Bushiri  is not true,  I then decided  to write a song to  change people perceptions  and to make them realize that judging other people without facts is wrong.

The Only Truth: how do you compare yourself with other artists 
Vazaya: Other artists just compose music for dancing with no message what so ever.  There is no intent to build the nation nor to educate the public.  As much as I  make people dance I also share my knowledge in life and educate the public

The Only Truth: Thank you Vazaya for your time 

Vazaya: Thanks 

Loise van schoor being a government beneficiary a huge contradiction

I read with shock an article on the Sunday times 22 may 2016,  it is alleged that Van Schoor is benefiting from a government multi million Rand land reform programme. The  land reform programme main objective is to redress the injustices of the past and inequalities in South Africa.  

It is well documented that South Africa is one of the most racially unequal countries in the world.  In fact If one of the developed countries like America still experience the racial wealth Gap, in which a typical White household has 16 times the wealth of a Black one,  then what about South Africa? (forbe magazine, 26 March 2015). 

Let me rather not dwell much on the wealth gap,  which is a very sensitive issue currently in South Africa

The department of Agriculture is the only one that can tell us how did  the mass murderer ended up being the role model and an important member of the the public.  I mean the guy can not even tell how many people  he killed,  during apartheid he haphazardly shot at everything that moves. Killing people  like birds.. Pha!  Pha!  Pha! One by one .. Today he is the man of the people,  he is giving back to the same people by securing himself a paying job from government.. Mmmm! Maybe one would understand if he was volunteering,  I have seen remorseful sinners who turn up to be good Samaritans.  Remorse is the first step when you want forgiveness. 

Shock and pain does not just vanish  like what we see in Nigerian movies.  The dead are still dead, and sleepless nights of sorrow might be dragging on to the victims family. However, we are a forgiving nation! Let us not contradict the land reform,  let us rather build an equal Society   

Vuwani residents experiencing systematic forced removal

We pride ourselves and even go as far as coining phrases that has become the statement of core principles,  phrases like "people shall govern".  This is the most powerful phrase that made people to believe in themselves and spiked lots hope and  strength. 

Vuwani used to be a nice, quite and peaceful place that you would go to relax and to enjoy the state of solitude in a diverse and beautiful vegetation that surrounds the area. Today it has been turned into a no go area,  schools are burnt left, right and center,  while the vegetation is used as a shield and hiding place for protesters against the police.  More than 60000 learners have been left stranded,  denied their constitutional rights to education. 

But  if you look at it critically,  the government is the one that has engeniered the problem.  There would not be a protest,  had the demarcation board not made such declaration that vuwani be incorporated into a new municipality.

All the vuwani residents are saying is that they do not want to be incorporated into the new mysterious municipality.  They say you can form another municipality but please don't include us because we are happy where we are. 

Another problem is how the municipality was formed,  remember that the malamulele community also burnt tires and properties calling for a new municipality to be formed.  So the municipality was not formed peacefully.

This is the problem that will never be solved unless the process is reversed.  If the demarcation board succeed in imposing the new municipality to vuwani people then I foresee lots of service delivery protest to come.  Any dissatisfaction fication would amount to violence protest because you have incorporated bunch of unhappy people.

Blesser and blessie pure evil

Some people glorify the Blesser and Blessie trend as a proper arrangement where two parties are direct with one another with no strings attached. For people to even think that the Blesser Blessie is a new trend is pathetic and being ignorant to say the  least.  Suger baby and Suger dady has been there  for ages. The only thing that is new is  the word "blesser",  coined by those who are determined to continue to exploit the have not. If  you critically analyze and scrutinize the age gap between the Blesser and the blessie you would realize that the gap is huge.  It is not the peers having this particular kinda like business relationship. Pure prostitution!!!! of course, It depends on how you define it. Those in denial would even call a black colour  white just to protect their course. Honestly, humans have exchanged money and goods for sex
for thousands of years, and indeed it
seems that any society that begins to develop material wealth soon develops some form of prostitution. People think it is  ok for a "Blesser" to hand over a token to a "blessie" in return for a specific sexual  favor because they view
postitutes as a "special"  group of outcasts walking the streets half naked or bare.

The Bible says the rich rule over the poor.. Amen!!.. Most people accept that life is not fair, but the word fairness gets used a lot when we talk about income inequality. Is it right that some have so much material comfort and security, while others have so little? On the other hand, is it proper for the poor of the poorest to engage in prostitution just because they have nothing ?

I fully agree with Barbara when she said "it is actually more expensive to be poor than not poor."  for example as she highlighted,  If you can’t afford the first month's rent and security deposit you need in order to rent an apartment, you may get stuck in an overpriced residential motel. If you don’t have a kitchen or even a refrigerator and
microwave, you will find yourself falling back on convenience store food, which in addition to its nutritional deficits is also alarmingly overpriced. If you need a loan, as most poor people eventually do, you will end up paying an interest rate many times more than what a more affluent borrower would be charged.

This where those who have means,  the rich and wealthy come in.. They come at a time when you are vulnerable and stranded, and dangle the carrot that is difficult to refuse.