Poverty wars vs. greedy potbellies

Our governing system in South African has seen the worst of days, predominantly during the legal racial segregation era which lasted for over 40 years.

Some of us have relatives and neighbours who bear emotional and physical scars as a result of the abuse that came with the segregation. Their scars narrate the era way better than lyrics that escape the lips of seasoned artists like Simphiwe Dana or the magnificent poetess, Lebo Mashile.

Victims forgave their perpetrators and races became one dominion. Black people learnt twang while white people enumerate sawubona accentuated by a notable grin. Sadness and anger vacated South African premises and oneness became the supreme head boy.

The books we read and the stories flashing on our computer screens acknowledge a positive objective that Nelson Mandela meant to implement. Due to running out of time, he merely spoke about the concept. I assume, those who were to succeed him were expected lay the actual brick on the cement.

Rightly so, the current ruling administration does not skip a day without making it known just how fuelled up it is to embark on a trail to enhance the lives of the previously disadvantaged South Africans while upholding the objective of bringing balance in racial, political and societal standards. 

This excites many people, but I am not fooled.

The efforts of the current government might have worked, in some measure. The old pensioner in the rural Natal can testify and my HIV positive relative shares the sentiments.

However, political leaders and policy makers have became short of transparency and honesty; a tendency that has impacted negatively on many communities on grassroots level.  

One would have thought the year 1994 painted South Africa clean. But, it appears the battle is not over.

We are half way through wiping racial discrimination out, but the trend of corruption and empty promises has taken several politicians by a storm.

This is why there are still households that have never had electricity. This is why, even after 16 years of democracy, there are still schools that are running short of desks, books and even chalks. Why then do we question the roof-hitting fail rate in black schools?

And, that is why many routes to Newcastle have the worst potholes any car could drive on.

It is because; the people entrusted to represent the poor and unemployed South Africans care more about feeding their own pockets and going on a bender using taxpayers money with the belief and confidence that although big brother can see them he will not punish them.

The system we have in South Africa is a joke. The politically affiliated broadcasting institutions have proved this.

No, not by doing their job of reporting – vague details – on the issue of corruption, but by chipping in on fraudulent activities that have left a question mark and a huge dent on the ingenuity of journalism in South Africa.

The people chosen to be leaders have failed to represent poor communities in South Africa and they have failed to represent this country as a society that value of humankind and human rights.

All we have in us is the hope that, in the near future, things will be better. Of course, this is if individuals learn to clutch as much education as they can and cling on it. This does seem to be the only route linking people to white bread and away from brown slices.

We need to put into practice methods aimed at providing useful advocacy tools so as to promote grassroots prioritisation in South Africa. This needs the sane people left in South Africans to work collaboratively towards a goal that will benefit everyone equally.

Or at least better the lives of poor people.

Happy read!

As we lay, foolishly

He belonged to me just for one night. Stupid me, I failed to keep it at that. I had to strut around town carrying a feeling in my heart. At least, I think that is where it was and not in my pants.

Signs cuffed my belly as I humped and pumped his rubber, but I forced my mind to focus on my near destiny. I even faced complications reaching that destination due to being intoxicated, but I loved it. So did he.

The night faded and it dawned; the sun penetrated the window and its reflection hit the wall behind me and off to his face it went and it found comfort. He was beautiful. He was sexy. He was mine; tall, light with a loud mouth.

The loud mouth he is, he seemed to have exhausted his speech during last night’s blurting at the bar. Therefore, I took it upon my smitten abilities to chat him up. He reciprocated my efforts with looks and smiles that drag me to the deepest route of love. Now and then, his head would meet mine half way and our lips would lock. And every time my lips brushed his, I died a million deaths because I could not believe what I was experiencing; it was more than I had ever experienced before. And to think I have heard and seen it all.

It had not even been 24 hours yet, but I was in love already. I realised I had been transformed. And that exact moment I was hurt in advance because I knew what was coming. Even though we both did a great job in making that night the best time of our lives together, him and I were an illusion.

I forgot to acknowledge one thing; he can never be mine. Instead, I went ahead got lost in the moment. I sank in his kisses and I refused to shift from his side while we lay. But I had to go. I left, but it feels like he left me.

Poor him, he’s going on with his business, unaware that I wish one of us could get on a Santaco plane and fly over to play a scene of two fools in lust.

He belonged to me just for one night, but I feel like I have lost a soul mate. With that being said, it is killing me to have him in my life. So I pray to God and ask him to give me strength to get over this man.

Today, I have a price to pay. I mean, for every choice we make in life, there are consequences; good or bad, it does not matter. In my case, I have to endure a sore heart.  So far, not even one episode of Sex And The City has helped to erase him from my mind. I miss him every day. Hence I have opted to watch Glee with the hope of approaching the mending from a different angle. Being infatuated by him is killing me.

I know I am to blame for taking tomorrow for granted, but even fools deserve a third chance.

Happy read!

Subject imminent

Man, oh man he’s a good man
Fixed to his word, he’s keeping up
He makes up for the less I hear of him
He listens, he remembers and he does.

I told him. He acted
Like I had asked, he spoke on time yet he broke me into pieces.

His speech was packed with fruit. But I don’t like oranges and litchi
His words tore apart the tubes conveying blood from various parts of my body to the heart
He hurt me. I made him hurt me.

My heart is tired
Leaving my mental supremacy in doubt of the intense feeling of deep affection my heart exudes from its aperture.

I made a fool out of God
Now my nose bleeds stupidity
He must be glad
Though appalled, I will applaud the timing.

Happy read!

Oh Twitter, thy excellence is a charm

The masses have dubbed Twitter good while some see it as bad and very ugly; with a tinge of backstabbers, groupies and ass-kissers. Nonetheless, judging by its ever accelerating membership, it is only fair to agree that Twitter is popular.

A number of ordinary South Africans have celebrities because of this form of social media. Certain people’s egos and personalities have become bigger and more ostentatious due to how smart, rich and important Twitter people have measured them.

I’m thinking, this is the reason some companies have taken up this platform with the aim of promoting their services and products. Twitter brings an audience that carries some power in regards to publicising something without being paid to do so. This is exactly what some companies sought after.

Many companies have succeeded is utilising this tool while some have struggled and, to some extent, failed dismally.

Their mistake, in my opinion, has been to emulate the typical angles big corporates have already worn and tired. They failed to build their subsistence outside the box.

I believe that the lack of creativity (in these companies) can be blamed to not completely understanding the majority of people who dominate on Twitter and how they can actually take advantage of their presence in the sphere.

Case in point, many companies tend to associate their brands and products with musicians, actors and whoever is always on television. The intention here is to make sure that their product is always spoken about or at least seen on television without having to go the traditional way of advertising and selling it.

That is good and it works. Sometimes.

However, these companies fail to understand that Twitter exist on their laps free of charge and with it comes a number of people (let us call them Twiples) who are willing AND able to promote certain products to a reasonably large audience.

The majority of these Twiples have ordinary jobs – that which we never consider exciting – and some of them are just students. But, their tweets are read, and considered important, by many followers who are impending customers for these companies.

For example, I have less than 300 followers on Twitter and many of them are industry individuals. But, I follow – and get followed by - two people; Tendai Sean Joe and Lelo Boyana.

When Lelo and Tendai comment or retweet a photograph I have tweeted it gets viewed by thousands of people. Sometimes, if they retweet one of my tweets or comment on it I will get tagged on comments by a several people, whom I do not even know from bar of Twitter soap. At times I would get follow requests based on their one and only comment.

One more example: I usually tweet English translations of Xhosa terms and expressions. So, a few weeks back, Lelo was asked by one of her followers as to where can s/he get Xhosa lessons. In response, Lelo tweeted my name. From that one response, I got loads of follow requests within one hour. For me this was unusual and very scary. Thanks to having locked my tweets, I was able to opt for people I thought were of interest to me.

These are the people many companies, public relations agencies and products should be associated with. I know only two, but I bet you there are many where they come from.

While they might not be musicians, actors or leak nude photographs of themselves to get attention, they carry a very useful audience on Twitter.

So, using them comes in handy, literally.

Besides, many of these musicians, actors and ‘celebrities’ (God only knows of what) do not have many followers on Twitter. Of course, this can be blamed to the fact that they hardly tweet anything remarkable. Not even something that helps their image.

Possibly, I have just blogged about something many people have already said or tweeted. But, I see no harm in repetitively preaching this kind of gospel. Especially after receiving more than two thousand views on a photograph I tweeted last night simply because Lelo commented on it while I usually get less than five.

Happy read!