Why is X still marking the spot for the ANC???

It’s certainly not Thabo Mbeki’s dazzling smile on the ballot papers, or the great service delivery in our country. It’s certainly not the unity inside the African National Congress either. So why are the majority of voters throwing away their votes to the ever-crumbling ANC?
Fear! This is the only reason why the ANC is still the X that marks the spot in government. People are afraid of the unknown, afraid of searching for greener pastures.
The oppression era crippled people with fear; it engraved a sense of fear that is still today a fresh wound to the core of black voters. People are tired of getting useless results, but they would rather suffer than vote for a “white government”.
Are we so crippled by the scars of oppression that we have actually turned a blind eye to the incapability of our ruling party in delivering results? Is the ANC taking advantage of its historical stature during the freedom struggle, to make the public feel indebted to it? Isn’t it time that people demanded superior service or sought alternatives to provide this superiority? These are questions that bombard my mind every day.
James Moroko, Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela, Olivier Tambo and Govan Mbeki are just some of the men who have made the African National Congress. These are men of integrity, honour, wisdom and intelligence; men who humbled themselves to the people. They are the embodiment of passion. Where is that passion now?
We are obligated to watch as these great leaders’ devotion to the people are ridiculed by reinforcing them with corrupt, malicious, flamboyant excuses for real men who simply perpetuate violence by creating a cheer (Umshini Wami) by which criminals celebrate every time another criminal is acquitted.
Jacob Zuma is an insult to the stature of the men who have served as president of the ANC. He will never possess half the integrity these great presidents had, yet the “people” voted for him to become leader of the ANC.
If the ANC wins the upcoming national elections, it is inevitable that he will officially be the country’s president — my people’s president, my beloved country’s president. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa! (And who will be the first lady?)
Let’s see how that will work out. Zuma will be responsible for his own downfall. He will be the “brains” (laughs) that will run the country (straight down). Let’s just hope our foreign investors like singing and dancing clowns, and let’s just hope his singing is good enough to secure those investors. At least if the politics thing doesn’t work out, he could always start a music career.
But it is pretty clear that Zuma is doing something right, with all the support he has secured (or maybe his followers are naive?) — especially among women; they seem to go mad for our prospective president. perhaps all secretly wishing to be wife number 100.
It is disgusting to see a woman (I know, there’s freedom of choice and expression) acting as a staunch Zuma supporter. To me it’s mind-boggling seeing this reaction from our mothers. I felt despair when Zuma was acquitted in his rape trial and women marched and cheered the verdict. As a black young woman, I started to realise how fragile this so-called “womanhood” is that we claim to have. I felt betrayed and still do every time I see a woman wearing a JZ T-shirt with the words “Innocent till proven guilty” boldly printed on it.
What if our future president is found guilty of the corruption charges still pending? Not a big intellectual loss, but we will be left with that pathetic Cabinet of back-up singers. I’m praying hard for this country. How are we trying to portray our country to the outside world? Do we believe so much in the rehabilitation of criminals that we would bet our country’s presidency on it? What message is being sent to criminals in the streets — that crime is alright, that as long as you have enough money and power to buy the justice system, you can get away with anything?
Today it is all about money and power; that’s why there is so much fraud and corruption in the government. Politics has lost its essence — the science of effective, efficient governance. This no longer exists in the government. Why would there be when many public servants are uneducated and unskilled to perform in their posts?
Are we so possessive of black rule in our country that we would stoop to such low standards? Once again we are proving the number-one point of the oppression era — that “the black man by birthright is incapable of leadership”. This is the bitter truth to swallow, but it’s fast becoming our reality. The current government is incapable of taking care of its people. The oppressors must be smiling wherever in hell they are, watching the government ripping itself to shreds just like they had predicted it would. Our government is a joke and an embarrassment.
The ANC today is an insult to the great people in its past; the people who led us to freedom. The ANC stood for unity among all Africans, regardless of race or gender. The rift in the ANC is becoming more eminent (Mandela, we need a little magic please) and it is affecting the entire country. It’s enough to cripple the party, given time, and it is ammunition for other parties to kick a dog while it is down and ultimately shatter the wings of the ANC.
The ANC is a great party, but with all these defects it could crumble. It should start reclaiming its greatness — not by empty promises, but with strong actions. The only reason people are still putting that X next to the ANC is because of blatant fear of the unknown. Unfortunately fear is temporary and voters might soon have the courage to seek greener pastures. Then the ANC will be a has-been quietly losing supporters and fading away, a party you will hear of in shebeens when the men boast about feeble things like belonging to the ANC once upon a time.
To many the ruling party is a living dream. ANC, do not commit suicide. To many you are, still, hope!

LETTERS TO MY HEROES

Dear Black Child

I was born in this small town of Somerset East and raised within these dusty streets. This small town is engraved with my history and that of many great man and woman that have walked through these streets.  Many I have heard of but have never seen. Man and woman born and bred in the same roads who through hard work and perseverance had achieved greatness. This has left me with the questions of where does the journey of one’s greatness end. But more importantly where does it begin, it simple begins with a dream, the realisation that one can dream much further than the Blue Mountains that surround them, that one can believe to the core that she is build for nothing short of greatness. Greatness begins with believing. Believing in yourself but more importantly BEING BELIEVED IN. It is only than that the emancipation of one’s greatness can begin. I am sure even through your own experiences you have had hardships, moments of doubt, fear of failure and a lack of direction. Not knowing what the right step to take, or if the step you take will get you to the desired destination.

I recently came across a quote that read “it is better to build the youth than repair an adult” and it somewhat cemented the idea in my head that just maybe I should be reaching out to someone. This is by far not an attempt for a spoon feeding fest or being favoured but rather an opportunity for any individual who is in a position to make a sustainable difference in a youth’s life to do so. I realise that as much as we have the minimal means of obtaining a grade or qualification it is not a package deal that comes with security, clear direction or experience. The experience you have is priceless and that only you can share with an individual. I plead with you to share this with our youth in your respective fields. I am challenging you to commit yourselves to an individual and be his/her mentor and share you expertise, knowledge and intellect, I challenge you to commit to something bigger than yourself. Realise that we are not all unenthusiastic; we just simple do not know where to focus our enthusiasm. There are a number of determined young minds out there; and all I ask is for these young minds to be harnessed and not allow a potential great to be swallowed up by the pity they are constantly exposed to. Just because the majority of our youth have turned into alcohol abusers and promiscuous behaviour does no mean that this is the life she wants to lead. Like many of us this youth has dreams, aspirations and hopes of better life for themselves. But the unfortunate fact is that not all of us have had the best of parents that can provide us with limitless opportunities, resources and have raised us into confident young man and women who are inspired and believe that they can reach the stars.

Fine examples such as Dr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, to come from humble begins and grow into an international icon he is today. This icon is the product of man and woman who have shaped him into the character he is and represents to this day. Nelson Mandela is the fine product of being mentored by man such as the late Chief Albert Luthuli, James Moroko and Olivier Tambo, to name a few. Strong intelligent woman such as Winnie Madikizela Mandela are also products of woman such as Albertina Sisulu shaping them. Even the former president of South Africa Mr Thabo Mbeki is a direct product of mentoring from a tender age; he is the protégé of great man and woman.  A living example of what result can be yielded in investing in a young mind that is eager to learn. All these man and woman come from the typical black family that has no material to offer a child but through that have realised that arming a child with basics such as education, love, hope, and strong morals and values is what produces greatness. Education is the key to ultimate liberation for our black youth. We need believe in these young minds and arm them with the deadliest weapon to man that is, access to quality information and education that would change one’s perceptive of what life could be outside and through Nojoli, that would allow a child to challenge her limits, that would allow a child to dream a better life, that would allow a child to believe in a dream and chase after it vigorously taking no rest until such is her reality. To instil in these young minds old values that will shape them into the strong black man and woman God had fated them to be.

I have decided I would start this plight and I ask you to join me in taking our black youth out of destitution and give them unwavering hope for a better reality. It is ridiculous that at this point of our democracy we are still waiting for the government to pull our people out of impoverishment.  Government will build the schools but who will be build the souls. It is close to sinful that we are still being crippled by the belief that because of Apartheid, South Africa owes us something. We, the black nation because of Apartheid owe ourselves emancipation. We are much more than bearers of the side effects of past imbalances. Our people are a power house of knowledge, intellect and dynamism. Give us the audacity to dream. This is the beginning of greatness, a black youth in motion. An endeavour I believe right to and through my core in. Kuthatha ilali uk’khulisa umntana. Ngokuzi thoba, I ask someone to believe in our youth, to shape, sharpen and send them out into the world to break uncharted grounds, so they can one day look back and be the one who is in a position to do so for the next generation to walk through our streets (It might just be your own flesh). If this generation fails we automatically set the next for failure, it’s a vicious cycle that we all have the collective responsibility to eradicate from our young brothers and sisters futures. This letter is written for other young inquisitive minds who dream of being counted amongst the great. I hope this letter will touch even one individual to move and reach out to one soul. Take a young mind (one child) under your wing and make a fine young mould of greatness. Where will your journey of greatness end, it should with the start of another’s?  My generation has been labelled “the lost generation” and indeed in many ways we are but what we are not, what I refuse to be is “a lost cause”

I Thank you for taking time to read this and hope that you have had my heard my cry and that of many of my peers, who I hope will come forward in time and ask for help and I hope your hearts and minds will be open in giving it… I leave you with the words of Mahatma Ghandi – “Be the change you want in life”

This letter was not written for  the pessimists, floss stars “abafun’ uxhoma” and those with no sense of what ubuntu is but rather for the revolutionists, evolutionists and idealists.

Thank you

P.Dulwana