The (ware)house is on fire

An ordinary morning turned into a rush of a heart beat for workers and by-passers when a building caught fire on Thursday. Pelican building situated in Orlando West, Soweto is a run-down warehouse which house mechanic workshop.

The building caught fore unexpectedly sending workers into frenzy. The police responded abruptly and within minutes were joined by the fire brigades.

Teboho Phadi a worker at the building said “I was on my way from a nightshift when I decided to pass-by at a friend’s place, on my return I noticed smoke coming out of the building and alerted my colleagues who were fast asleep. As the door was locked we had to use spanner to gain entry, I believe the pile-up of plugs resulted in the fire”.

An estimated cost in damage is believed to be around R10 000 and no casualties were reported.

Will the real man stand-up

What does it mean to be a man… this is a question that was posed at a men’s forum held recently at the Orlando Police Station. Sonke Gender Justice under their programme Brother for life led the proceedings which included the men in blue. A host of matters affecting men which are not talked about as they are considered a taboo were discussed, and this seemed to have a positive feedback judging by the attendee’s response.

“A leader, protector and pillar are some of the words that define a man, and we are made to believe that men are not supposed to show emotions as this is seen as a sign of weakness. The reality is that we are human, take a second and ask yourself why there are an escalating number of suicides by cops; we die unnecessary because we bottle things up and for each and every time they report for duty they are dealing with the prospect of death. It is a necessity to find someone whom you can confide in” said Mbuyiselo Botha.

Captain Joseph Mpuru said “We appreciate this initiative as it was a first of its kind at our station but we deeply need to look at the real course of people (in
this stance police) acting in this manner. We are slowly but surely deviating from our roots and have adopted the western culture hence we don’t know how to deal with matters affecting us let alone following the proper channel.

Declaration and Programme of Action of the National Social Cohesion and Nation Building Summit held at Kliptown, Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, 4-5 July

Preamble

At this Summit we are reminded of the symbolism of our National Coat of Arms and the Flag:

“It is both South African and African, it is both African and Universal. It serves to invoke our distant past, our living present and our future as it unfolds before us. It represents the permanent yet evolving identity of the South African people as it shapes itself through time and space. Through this new Coat of Arms we pay homage to our past. We seek to embrace the indigenous belief systems of our people, by demonstrating our respect for the relationship between people and nature, which for millions of years have been fundamental to our self-understanding of our African condition”.

Declaration

We, representatives from all sectors of our society, gathered at the Walter Sisulu square of dedication, Kliptown, Soweto, on 4 and 5 July 2012 to participate in the National Summit on Social Cohesion and Nation Building, under the theme “Working together to create a Caring and Proud society.”

We came here representing the diversity of our nation, black and white, women and men, rich and poor, young and old, urban and rural, speaking different languages, with a diversity of beliefs, coming from many different places, seeking to fulfil the injunction of our Constitution “diverse people’s unite.”

We came together to renew our commitment, mobilise and unify society in our on-going national movement of healing the divisions of our painful past and establishing a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.

Informed by the deliberation of the Summit and inspired by our forebears, who assembled at this Freedom Square 57 years ago to adopt the Freedom Charter, we hereby declare:


1. That our discussions were informed by our common commitment to the injunction in the Constitution of the Republic South Africa, adopted in 1996, that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, both black and white, united in our diversity.”

2. That South Africa is a unitary and sovereign state based on democracy, the rule of law, pursuit of equal human rights, non-racialism, non-sexism and the equality of all persons.

3. That our past was based on racial and ethnic divisions devised to systematically exclude the majority of South Africans from full and unhindered participation in all aspects of national life and left deep and persistent social, cultural and economic divisions and inequalities in society.

4. That advances have been made to entrench and consolidate human rights and restore the human dignity of all South Africans.

5. That the task of uniting diverse peoples to work together to build a caring and proud society is complex and challenging:
Slow economic growth and transformation result in wide-spread unemployment, poverty and inequality and exclusion based on race, age and gender.
Landlessness and homelessness among many South Africans and the persistence of apartheid spatial divisions, perpetuate patterns of disproportionate land-ownership and segregation.
The burden of disease in particular HIV/Aids and tuberculosis exacts a heavy toll on communities and society at large.
Uneven access to quality education and training which deprives young people the knowledge and skills needed for social and economic development.
High levels of crime, the abuse of the elderly, women and children, affect communities and threaten safety and security.
Gender inequalities in households, the workplace and society hinder the advancement of women and gender mainstreaming.
Racism and xenophobia perpetuates divisions and conflict in communities.
Service delivery failures in local communities lead to social instability, disintegration and conflict.
Perceived and actual corruption in the public and private sectors erode confidence and trust.
This summit recognises that social cohesion depends to a large measure on our ability, as society, to address these challenges. On the other hand, we need as society to cohere around a vision of a better South Africa, the attainment of which would not be possible if we do not work together. Consequently to effectively address these challenges, we the delegates resolve:
To mobilise society in its entirety to work together to build a caring and proud society based on shared values and a vision informed by the following principles:
Constitutional democracy
Ubuntu
Human rights and equality
Non-racialism, non-tribalism and non-sexism
Inclusivity and social justice
Redress and transformation
Intercultural and community cooperation
Social solidarity
Empowered, fair, inclusive and active citizenship
Civic responsibility
Unity in diversity
National consciousness and identity.

2. To work towards the implementation of the recommendations of the 2030 National Development Plan as a long term vision which should serve as a basis for partnerships across society to attain the South Africa of our dreams, eloquently articulated in the constitution.

3. To ensure that social cohesion and nation building underpins all national, provincial and local government strategic priorities, inclusive of integrated economic and social development, education, health, human settlement, land and rural development, safety and security, immigration policies and programmes, arts, culture, language and heritage development and preservation, technological innovation, research and development.

4. To promote and preserve all indigenous cultures and knowledge.

5 To accelerate change in improving the quality of life of all people, with special attention to the needs of the youth, women and people with disability.

6. That the state must continue to build capacity to drive the socio economic agenda in the country, including absorbing young people and women into economic activity, employing professionals, investing in skills required by the economy, and investing in research and development to respond to the demands of the knowledge economy

7. To continue to fight any forms of discriminations, which are threats to social cohesion and nation building.

8. To respect human dignity and equality; promote freedom, the rule of Law and Democracy; improve material well-being and economic justice; enhance sound family and community values; uphold honest, integrity and loyalty; ensure harmony in culture, belief and conscience; show respect and concern for all people; strive for justice, fairness and peaceful co-existence; and protect the environment as contained in the Charter of Positive Values adopted by the Moral Regeneration Movement in 2008.

9. To expand existing national, heritage and other honours and awards to recognise individuals, organisations and communities who have contributed significantly to social cohesion and nation building.

10. To develop a Nation-Building Project Management Manual and Toolkit for application by practitioners at all levels and to convene social cohesion and nation building summits at provincial, local and community level within the next twelve months.

11. To convene a National Social Cohesion Report Back and Monitoring Summit in 2014, as we celebrate 20 years of our freedom and democracy, and thereafter at five year intervals, to report on progress.

12. To develop a detailed plan arising from the proposals made during this summit, to be presented to the President and Cabinet on our behalf, by a group of eminent South Africans.

In pursuit of these objectives, we wish to commit ourselves, and all sectors of society represented at this summit, to work together to realise the ideals enshrined in our constitution, and to assert that each of our organisations and institutions will strive to contribute all we can to realise our common national objective to attain a decent and improving quality for all, in a society united in its diversity.

We depart from this historic venue united in our commitment to building a nation that is caring, dignified and with a great sense of humility and mutual respect for one another.

Conclusion

As set out in the 1994 Reconstruction and Development Programme:

No political democracy can survive and flourish if the mass of our people remain in poverty, without land, without tangible prospects for a better life. Attacking poverty and deprivation must therefore be the first priority of a democratic government.

As representatives from all walks of society we are determined to fulfil the vision of the 2030 National Development Plan:

We have created a home where everybody feels free yet bounded to others; where everyone embraces their full potential. We are proud to be a community that cares.

SOURCE: www.dac.gov.za

Social Cohesion Summit

The Social Cohesion Summit took place recently at the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto. Among those who attended includes the cabinet, delegates, political and traditional leaders from all sphere of the society.

The summit which was themed “Working together to create a caring and proud society” proved just how much (or little) the country has done in building a socially inclusive society.

United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa said “The government must build an economy that will deal with xenophobia, lawlessness and many others. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is stagnant as a result of corruption in the government, without ownership of land our people are unable to participate in the economy” he further blasted the National economic development and labour council (Nedlac) for failing the nation.

Dehumanisation of Africans will ever be erased, hence social cohesion is a matter where one can’t go through then come out and still be the same. South Africa needs to develop a sense of belonging and promote respect among itself. Social cohesion is not something that the government can impose, we can build a good community only if we work together and that can be possible when there is a balance of rights and responsibilities.

“With the kind of freedom that we have today, what has our government done when it comes to social cohesion, to what extend would the minority go in order to be recognised and be given a piece of cake which they are entitled to. Freedom should lead its citizens to rediscover themselves, explained African People’s Convention (APC) Themba Godi.

WHAT IS SOCIAL COHESION?
Social Cohesion is how we as South Africans, unite and work towards a common goal – it comes down to recognising our common humanity in meaningful ways which involve meeting basic human needs, amongst them decent shelter, food, meaningful work, tolerance, respect, family and friendship.

The social cohesion campaign is called South African at Heart: a national dialogue is kick-started on values that are important and ways we can build social cohesion and nation pride. Diversity, inclusivity, values, and access are four pillars which are built on the Constitution, which guarantees rights to every South African citizen as well as to foreigners.

We are a diverse country, but we also have a shared heritage and values. Our diversity makes us rich; our commonalities make us strong.

ADDITIONAL SOURCE: www.dac.gov.za

Whack screen writers...

Lately I have been abundant with whack production from scriptwriters who either don’t do research or plainly just don’t have an idea of what they’re doing. This irks me and unfortunately it won’t help making noise about it, miskien I should polish my scripts and pitch for better screenplay.

22 Bullets/L’Immortel - Starring Jean Reno, a former mafia. After dropping his kid off and driving into an underground parking lot, twenty-two bullets pumped into his body after deciding to quit the gang, that is not a child’s play and don’t believe the hype (not even 50cent). There and then he was out of a coma and raring for revenge, walking with an aid of a stick. From the first shot it is clear how severe it was going through his right side of the face, on the cheek to be precise. Here’s the drill…the least they could have done, install wires and bolts around his jaws to support the mouth and spend some time on the wheelchair (to make believe). Much as the right hand was now malfunctioning after the incident but revenge while sitting (on a wheelchair) would have been marvellous.

Daylight Robbery – a film shot in the UK, actors in an-England accent reminded me of Paul Ince as an analyst for public broadcaster during the 2010 SWC. From their preparation for the stick-up, one could see these were below average robbers, not the kind to convince me to open the safe even if they had a bomb in their possession. First act, reversing the panel van into the bank and one of their accomplices fell out of the window (emergency exit) as it crashes, despite the alarm going off immediately it took a staggering 20-30minutes for police to respond (did I hear you say it’s a norm in our country). As if that was not enough there were dumb FBI-lookalike members who couldn’t negotiate for the release of customers held hostage, by the time they made their forceful entry into the bank the robbers had long gone and boarded a plane out of the country.

Coming back home we have not been spared either. It baffles me as to where are film and television students/graduates from AFDA, Citi Varsity, Boston Media House, ML Sultan Teknikon, Monash, Wits, Big Fish and Nemisa to name a few. Would it hurt for the major players in these field to enlist their services whether be drama, movie or reality shows instead of trash we are been fed by production houses who don’t subscribe to originality but make a local version of overseas “boring” productions.

The free to air channel which promised to bring a breath of fresh has failed
dismally too as they are now the home of “repeats”. The so-called “Ekasi stories” series has lost its plot – it’s awesome that they are open for proposal submission but really now some of the local content screened leaves a lot to be desired.

Sebokeng came to a standstill when masses gathered at the Saul Tsotetsi Sports Complex in Zone 14 for the memorial service of the victims of a tragedy bus accident that took place in Meyerton recently.

In attendance were officials from Putco, government, Sedibeng District, Emfuleni Local, Lesedi municipalities, local church members, musicians, as well as family members and friends of the victims.

Speaking at a mass memorial service deputy transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said “There was nothing normal about 14 000 people dying in South Africa road accidents every year, we must join hands and wage a fierce offensive against road carnage, as each one of us has a responsibility to ensure that our roads are safe,”.
Chikunga said the government was responsible for necessary legislation to ensure safety on our roads. “However, we will not succeed if we do not get the buy-in and support of members of the public.”

A Putco bus driver lost control of his vehicle on the R59 outside Meyerton, last month. It crashed through a bridge railing and fell 10 metres to the ground, landing on its side. Fifty-five people were injured, three of them critical. The driver was among those killed together with 19 passengers, the last victim died on the eve of the memorial service.

The bus was reportedly among eight Putco buses taken off the road after it failed a roadworthy test at the Meyerton testing station. After conflicting roadworthy test outcomes were released by the Sedibeng District Municipality, Putco promised to ‘scrupulously’ investigate reports that the bus was unroadworthy. A preliminary investigation showed the bus failed one roadworthiness test, but passed another at sport complex.

A lot of questions have been asked about the road worthiness of the ill-fated bus.
The Gauteng Legislature Roads and Transport Portfolio Committee Chair Nomantu Ralehoko has also raised concern about Putco buses road-worthiness. “Commuters were telling us that most of the Putco buses are not road worthy. They were saying it’s a pity that we never get to ride in those buses, they also showed us pictures that show the buses are not road worthy,” said Ralehoko.

Boipatong monument constructors up in arms

The construction workers at the newly built monument in Boipatong, in the Vaal are up in arms with the main constructor after they were not paid their monthly salary since they started working in the beginning of the year.

A fuming sub-contractor Mpho Mmusi, told the executive mayors of Emfuleni Local Municipality, Greta Nomadlozi Hlongwane and her counter-part Sedibeng District Municipality, Simon Mahole Mofokeng that if they don’t get their money they will drop the tools and asked them to intervene.

This took place when both mayors and their entourage paid the Boipatong monument site a visit in full view of the victims’ families, community and media.
“We urge you as the sub-constructors to intervene because since we have started working here we haven’t got a single penny. Even now the engineers are no longer coming here because of being unpaid” said Mmusi.

It is believed the monument cost thirty two point seven million rands.
The monument is been erected after nineteen years where about forty-five people were gunned down and injured when Inkatha Freedom Party members and apartheid force members attacked the community on June 17th 1992. This follows after political parties taking part in pre democracy negotiations with the National Party government called for suspension, citing complicity in the attacks.

During the attacks Boipatong was ten years old.

According to him since the beginning of the construction of the monument they have been building it from their own pockets. He claimed that they are even afraid to walk in the streets because they owe people money.

“We have spent eight million rands from the money that we borrowed from people and banking institutions. As people of Boipatong we are proud of this monument and even the workers work as volunteers because they hope that someday they will get something. We don’t have money to continue the building of the monument, as we speak the roof is pending” added Mmusi.

Mofokeng promised ‘this matter’ will be attended to before Wednesday.