Poverty is a new war against Africa

With everyone in South Africa feeling the pinch of the forever price increase in oil, interest rates and the soon to be the highest increase in electricity by over 50%, the poor will be hit the hardest. But most significant pressing issue of our time at the moment in the world - in particular in Africa, is the increase in food prices. The media has reported that these increases in high prices have a potential to invoke protests in poor countries because of shortage of food. In South Africa, the highest inflation to be recorded recently was food inflation. It goes without saying that those who will bear the brunt of the escalating food price are the poor in Africa. Poverty is a new war facing Africa and it calls for immediate attention. Unfortunately some stand to benefit from the hungry and poor as they make huge profits from the food demand all over the world. Photo: M&G

Sundown in Jozi

These are some of the beautiful afternoon scenes in Jozi. The main pic looks like a huge hand in the sky on the 22 April 2008.

Photos: Nkosana Lekotjolo

Parreira's depature is not a crisis

Many South African socccer lovers and maybe some in the continent and abroad, - feel that the departure of the Brazilian-born coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira amounts to crisis to the South African national squad.

Also there are already talks of another Brazilian coach Joel Santana who is said to replace Parreira and take reign of Bafana Bafana. For me there is no crisis to the departure of Parreira. But however, what seems to be a crisis though, is the fact that we in South Africa are not able to find a suitable coach in the country or in the entire Africa who is capable to lead Bafana Bafana to the World Cup. This says a lot about our confidence in our African coaches.

Mbeki is an idealist

While MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has passed a vote of no confidence against President Thabo Mbeki’s mediation efforts to try to resolve crisis in Zimbabwe; Mbeki remains optimistic about the situation in that country.

ANC President, Jacob Zuma has come out contradicting Mbeki by calling the situation in Zimbabwe a “crisis,” his cabinet ditching him and the mounting international pressure on SADC to come out to condemn the Zimbabwean situation. Mbeki however remains steadfast about his “soft” diplomatic approach towards President Robert Mugabe. Mbeki’s critics have labeled him as a denialist and have criticized his quiet-diplomacy. This is because Mbeki is an idealist who believes in diplomatic talks to resolve political deadlock in Zimbabwe. Photo: Alexander Joe, AFP

Mighty and strong...

This is a gigantic Fig Tree at the Court Yard Hotel in Cape Town. It was planted in the 1800's and it's a National Monument. Photos: Nkosana Lekotjolo.

Remembering Hani should open debate

Celebrating the 15th anniversary of the late and former communist leader Chris Hani, on the 10 April was a reflection of the social, economic and political ills facing South Africa today.

The tripatite alliance SACP, ANC and Cosatu leaders including Blade Nzimande, Tokyo Sexwale and Zwelinzima Vavi unanimously spoke about the deep social inequalities, greed, poverty and unemployment that confronts our country 14 years in democracy.

Fifteen years later after Hani was killed, many people remain poor and the gap between the poor and the rich widens. These are the realities that should have tha nation talking and reflecting on the gains of democracy. Photo: Nkosana Lekotjolo

Tsvangirai holds hope for Zimbabwe

MDC’s presidential hopeful, Morgan Tsvangirai, holds the lamp of hope in the troubled Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai’s meeting with the African National Congress (ANC) President, Jacob Zuma this week was critical, as this will help both South Africa and Zimbabwe if the two become presidents of their countries. Tsvangirai, a former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President, not only enjoys huge support among the Zimbabweans, but is also respected by the working class. There are sings of winds of change in Zimbabwe ahead of presidential election results.

The continuing meetings between Tsvangirai and Zuma are crucial in ensuring the future of Zimbabwe and strong ties between the two countries. Tsvangarai not only is seen as a natural president to succeed president Robert Mugabe and a man to bring change and rescue the country from the economic meltdown; but is also viewed as a liberal in the west. The liberal element works in favour of Tsvangarai, as he would be able to convince many of investors who have left the country in the wake of economic collapse and political instability to return. He would also entice foreign investors who are keen to invest in Zimbabwe once he takes rein. There is hope that, under Tsvangarai leadership, Zimbabwe will once again regain its status of being the breadbasket of Africa. Should Tsvangarai’s MDC rule Zimbabwe, there needs to be reconciliation and the extending of an invitation to Mugabe to form the government of national unity for the betterment of the Zimbabweans’ lives.

Lest We Forget

1976 - 2008

John Pilger, a world renowned Journalist, Author and Filmmaker delivered a moving speech entitled “Keeping the unbreakable promises” at Rhodes University to the graduates to which I was one of them.

Pilger spoke about many people across the world including South Africa who prefer we shun away from the atrocities, racism and realities happening in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and SA. Pilger said: “Unforgettable? For some, yes. But there are those who prefer we celebrate a system of organized forgetting: of unbridled freedom for the few and obedience for the many, of socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor.”

In the light of this statement by Pilger, it’s a reminder that we must not forget where we come from as a country. This is to say the University of Free State racist video by some white students is the legacy we have inherited from apartheid. In this video, old university cleaners are tricked to eating food urinated on. We must dare not turn a blind eye on racist realities that continue to confront our country.

In striving to be a better people – a better nation, we must work together to up-root and condemn the monster of racism. Our universities must be liberated from racism and racist attitudes. There needs to be an ongoing dialogue to address racism before it explodes again! The students must speak out in the universities against racism, because racism is still a daily reality in our campuses.

Only when we confront racism by talking about it - will we be able to heal, reconcile, forgive and forget as a nation.

It would be a sad day if Mugabe refuses to go

Zimbabwe's post election has been met with speculations about who will be the country 's president. There has not yet been an official announcement about the results of the presidential election. MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai has declared himself a winner of the presidential election. If the accusations of vote rigging are true and Mugabe holds on to power, it would really be a sad day for democracy in Africa. Democratic gains made by Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa would be reversed if Mugabe still wants to rule even when people would have rejected him. Zimbabwe, SADC and the rest of the continent should learn from Kenya and not to repeat the same mistake.