Freedom of speech

The South African government, dominated by the ANC, is pushing through a draconian piece of legislation – the Freedom of Information bill.

The irony here is that this is the same legislation the Apartheid government used to suppress the media – to stop them reporting on the discriminatory practices of the unjust regime. The ANC is endorsing what the Apartheid government did. Add to this the disregard for those who died for this fundamental freedom – the freedom of expression. People like Steve Biko and Chris Hani – died for what – the same corruption, the same standards, the same suppression. It is a disgrace and as members of parliament, they ought to be ashamed.

So as South Africans we stand at new precipice – a government wrapped in greed, aiming to nationalise everything they can see, protect the corrupt, suppress one of the key instruments that every democracy relies on – the free press – and marches to the drum of the new colonisers – the Chinese.

What is inexplicable to me is how those in power fail to see why South Africa is slipping down the list of investment destinations, rising in the index of corrupt counteries and experiencing massive service deliery protests.

Hey Mr Zuma – would you put your money in a country where you cannot be sure that if it is stolen you would be able to track it and maybe get it back? Hey Mr Zuma, how about this, stand-up for freedom and then see if everyone wants to give you a Visa (like the Dalai Lama) – oh wait, that can be deemed a national interest secret so who would know? Hey Mr Zuma, give all your money away and go and live in a shack and then see what it means to have no water, no services, but watch your elected officials spend millions on hotels – oh wait that will also be a national secret. Hey Mr Zuma, when the opposition stands up and tells the world that your government has spent the tax payers money on their houses you can just make it a national secret and throw them in jail – hey? Hey Mr Zuma- knock knock – yes it is me, the one who told you about the fracking in the karoo – oh a national secret – lock them up – who cares about the land, the farmer and the worker when we can put some cash in the hands of our relatives – jobs for comrades?

What is it Mr Zuma – truth, freedom, VIVA! Fight the good fight or be remember as the black Vervwoed – which one are you Mr Zuma?

Maybe, just maybe, the government should change and if they don’t, then change the government … hhhhmmmm is there a new spring coming, an African spring?

Support democracy!

The Southern Sudanese have a chance to express their own voice. The question remains if the North will recognise the outcome or will the country sink into a war.

Democracy is a rare event on the African continent – even in counteries which are theoretically democratic (like South Africa) – in reality, deep rooted tribalism underlies most African democracies and democratic processes, but when there can only ever be 1 winner – it is not really democracy is it?

So, on this rare occasion, will one form of true democracy flourish for a brief moment or will the quagmire of kleptocracy, suppression of media freedom and nepotism once more overwhelm the one freedom that some people have.