Whatever the Agenda, Malema's Cause is Relevant

Lindokuhle Mnisi
@Dr_Dream_SA

Throughout 2011 the leader of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), Julius Malema, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in South Africa’s media industry and the reporting on him has been pretty negative. Event he views by some intellectuals have not been flattering ones and some of those who often comment on him think he desperately seeks media attention and wants to be seen as a champion for the poor when South Africa’s history books are re-written in future. He is also undergoing a disciplinary hearing at the ANC and there are those who think he clashes with leadership, especially President Jacob Zuma.

But lately Malema has impressed me much. He has been criticised for bringing the topic of nationalisation to South Africa’s many discussion tables. He may not be the right person to talk about this, but someone had to as millions of South Africans live in dire poverty while a small minority enjoys the wealth that comes from resources such as platinum, gold and diamonds that our beautiful nation has.

His latest idea which came to fruition on Thursday, 27 October 2011, was criticised by some commentators, journalists and some in social media. Even at it was starting some were predicting many of those who were there at the beginning would not make it all the way to Pretoria from Johannesburg. But they did make it and the critics never apologised or admitted their predictions were false. It’s estimated that those who joined the young Malema on his economic freedom march were estimated at over 10 000.

Along the way there were two stops – one at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and another at the Chamber of Mines before proceeding to protest on the Union Buildings in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. The 60km walk couldn’t have been easy and many picked on Malema’s physique predicting it was the result he wouldn’t make it far. One or two fell along the way, but that didn’t stop the other thousands from continuing.

The importance of this march was shared by many on twitter while critics continued to make fun of it. I am one of the supporters of such initiatives – it may not bear fruit tomorrow or the day after, but it will make many notice that young, unemployed South Africans have a voice too and they also want to share in the economy and the growth of Africa’s richest nation.

South African Prisoners' Organisation for Human Rights president, Golden Miles Bhudu, was there too saying: "We want economic freedom in our lifetime. When the intellectuals and rich are sitting in their boardrooms, they must know that we mean business.”

Julius Malema has brilliant ideas but he lacks strategies and skills to implement these ideas. He knows what is right and what is beneficial to the youth, he just can’t articulate this in a manner that is acceptable to those who speak English through their noses and received a better kind of education they could afford to pay thousands for. He says things as they are, he doesn’t have any hidden agenda.

Maybe many are uncomfortable with the fact that he is never politically correct, but politically correctness would mean bowing down to certain individuals and not realising your dreams and ideas.

This march is not against the ANC and President Zuma. It is about the youth living in hunger and seeking economic freedom. After all the effort he puts on a struggle against economic freedom. These people would normally be ignored and at least someone is giving them some kind of voice. If there is a hidden agenda, at least there is a bigger struggle being fought for hiding that agenda.

Mr&Miss S.C.O, The Ayobaness Event

By Lindokuhle Mnisi

The student centre hall of the Tshwane University of Technology’s Soshanguve South campus was loaded by more than 300 enthusiastic audiences who attended the Miss&Mr Student Christian Organization (Miss&Mr S.C.O) that occurred on Saturday night, 15 October.

The event normally happens yearly during October, was referred to as one of the best they’ve ever had since the organization was formed. Former Miss S.C.O, Tsakane Ngobeni ensured the success of the event as she acted as a background organiser and she was the one training the contestants. “I had to have patience. Working with people is never easy, but I had to persevere for the love of it and for the love of the organization,” said Ngobeni.

Contestants went on stage with confidence from the 1^st round to the 3^rd with no destructions. One of the judges went on stage to announce what judgements were based on. “We were looking for eye contact, movement, confidence, pose, presentation, style and the way they (contestants) understood and responded to the questions,” said Mpumelelo Nkosi, Mr S.C.O 2006/2007. Eliminations were performed and left 5girls and 5guys competing for the king and queen position.

Sibongiseni Abram Gentsu (known as “The Black Guy with a chinese surname” who present “The Network” 19:00pm-21:00pm, Mondays to Thursdays on TUT-FM was a vibrant and energetic MC who made everyone laugh and enjoy from the beginning until the end of the show.

The crowd jumped and screamed with excitement when Gladness Maoto took the belt and became the new Miss S.C.O 2011 and Confidence Mokumbila to the position of new Mr S.C.O 2011. “I feel very great, there was a bit of a competition but I managed to do it, all by being myself,” said Mokumbila.

Audiences carried plarcards and they were screaming and dancing as they way of showing support to some contestants. One of the cards was written “LOL, LIMPOPO ROCKS”. “The show was nice and fantastic. I encourage the winners to continue to praise God as the leader of their lives,” said Loveness Zulu, an Audience who was full of excitement after the event.

With the form of entertainment, no-one would tell that S.C.O is church based. It is a Multicultural Socio Politico and Christi-centric Organization with its slogan that says: Seeks to serve Christ by developing opportunities for students to be transformed by him to be effective leaders of today’s world.

Performers that placed the stage on fire included 1-NOT, Dark Force Cliq and Hellafresh. Another similar event will occur probably next year October.

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Rural Activists Organization (R.A.O)

By Lindokuhle Dr Dream Mnisi



Rural Activists Organization (R.A.O) representation picture. Voices of the rural people.



AIM: To achieve a fair balance of living conditions among all South Africans.

MISSION: To express the views, grievances and sentiments of the rural people by giving them the pltform to directly speak to their Government.

VISSION: To see change, balance, fairness, and equality between the rural areas and other states in South Africa.

THIS IS YOUR TIME TO TELL THE GOVERNMENT HOW IT HURTS TO BE IGNORED AND LEFT TO SUFFER IN RURAL AREAS.

THE VOICES OF THE RURAL PEOPLE SHALL BE HEARD. THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME...

DISCRIPTION:

This is an organization formed to cater for all rural people and villagers. This is where rural people express their sentiments and grievances about how it affect them and hurts to be left behind and abandoned (by the Government). This organization also serves as a platform for all rural people to speak out publicly about the imbalances, unfairness and inequalities of law and poor living conditions within the rural areas.

This group serves as a new chapter for villagers to start stretching their minds and think innovatively about what is good for them. This will help every villagers to be informed about all the necessities of life they are suppose to receive form thier government. Therefore this initiative acts as an informatory tool that will ensure that people are well informed about their South Africa.

The Government have forgotten about the people living in rural areas, informal settlement and villages. Corruption replicate itself within the state government and in the higher offices. No one goes back to the rural parts of South Africa to provide information and clarity about whatever is happening, but people are affected by some sort of laws and policies taken by the state. People do not know about ANC, DA, PAC, COPE or IFP until comes the election times. When all the promises are being made, that is when and where our people know about these above political parties. When it's time to implement all those promises, we only hear of corruption.

That is where and when the Rural Activists Organization (R.A.O) comes in to begin to say, we want clarity and better life for all. You cannot keep us there and forget about how we make a living. That is when we begin to spread our views and act to meet up with our government. There is no age restriction in this organization because even teenagers are facing the problem of being abandoned. service delivery in rurals is the poorest of them all.Reporting.

In the rural areas you hardly find journalists and reporters who comes to monitor the situation. Journalists do not know what is happening in the rural areas because no body want to work in a filthy place like rural villages, therefore that is when R.A.O comes in to go direct to the officials and government and say "We want to see change in villages. You want to silence the media? for what? so that we can continue to be oppressed and neglected in the villages"? A group on facebook will ensure to mobilise a number of villagers around SA who will post updates about what is happening in their rural places, and we will tackle that issue until Government takes action.

We strive for equality and fairness for all.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/206847562719121/members/#!/groups/206847562719121/

Regards management

Lindokuhle Mnisi (Founder and Chairperson)