Snowie East

Several towns in the Eastern Cape were covered in snow. The snow hit Queenstown and other neighbouring towns.

Others, mostly children were excited about the snow. They played outside making the snow man. It was indeed a wonderful experience.

Others were not thrilled by the precipitation. It caused road closures in the area. Many businesses came to a stand still. It was very difficult to travel around those areas.

It was not only the businesses suffering but the community as a whole. People living in very rural areas had no water supply as the tap water was frozen. Livestock on the other hand had no grass to eat.

Although the snow did not fall for long the people really felt its effects. It was up to each individual to choose whether to enjoy the experience or not.

Lucky Rain

Nelson Mandela Bay gets lucky this year. Thanks to all the cold fronts, the bay has received as much rain as it needs. Bay Dams are quickly filling up. This 2011 winter has come to be one of the best winters. Last year the whole of Eastern Cape was in a drought. People witnessed one of the longest droughts in history.

There were even water restrictions in place. The Mandela Bay Municipality lifted the water restriction on seeing that there was enough water. People will want to waste this water, so the municipality has increased the water tariffs.

Having less water in dams was a very big concern for Bay residents. They were not allowed to use sprinklers or wash their cars. Huge billboards were placed all over the area telling people to save their water. There was constant updates of how much water is left in the dams.

Although we needed the rain, it became too much. It has flooded houses leaving people misplaced and others homeless. It ruined the infrastructure as well such as the bridge in Cape St Francis. It has done more good than bad though.

Concerned Student

  The lucky one

Graduation Hat 

May I remind you how fortunate you really are. May I say how many people envy you. The envy is not for the puma or Nike that you wear. This is not for the Brazilian weave you have on. This about your future.Yet it is you who take things for granted. Everything is handed to you. Opportunities are available to.

This is the truth for a person growing up in suburban areas. You had better education, good opportunities and whole lot was your disposal.

May I please remind you where you came from. May I please request that you get your priorities straight. This might have been your last chance and so many an arm for the shot you had at a better life.

This is for you who grew up in the rural areas. You had less opportunities but you managed to get to this stage.

"Some come to the fountain of knowledge to drink and some just come to gargle" (mxit joke portal).

Which side are you on? University life is the most awesome yet hardest part of our lives. This is where you decide were the rest of your life takes you . Why are we letting external forces rob us of this wonderful opportunity.

Every single weekend students go out, they get drunk forgetting what hey came here for. If its not parties its taking risks with sugar daddy's.

  We need to be reminded that expensive clothes and exclusive parties only delay the process of studying. Our parents send us to institutions with high hopes. A lot of students have broken their parent's trust with their actions.

Mid year exams have begun but other institutions are busy striking. You have the power to choose where you want to go. Use that power wisely and effectively.

Homophobia




We are all humans

 

Gays in Africa

Africa  is a poor and conservative continent. Many leaders do not accept change, so their people are not as free as they are supposed to be.

There are many phobias (extreme or irrational fear of something). In the spotlight are those that discriminate against other people. Those would be Xenophobia and Homophobia. Almost all African countries deal with these differently. Some governments are very extreme.

Recently Uganda proposed a  bill for a death penalty for all homosexuals. Ugandan leader had assured the clergy that they do not have to fear for they will take care of everything.

In 2008 Gambian leader gave gay people a day to vacate the country. He  promised "stricter laws than Iran" and that if anyone is found to be gay in Gambia they will "cut off the head".The speech was condemned by  Gay rights activist .

Killing people for their sexual preferences undermines human rights. Many churches support these killings as they say being gay is against God.

South Africa is the only country that lawfully accepts homosexuality. This does not mean that they are completely free. Homophobia is still there as crimes are committed to these people like corrective rape.

 Gay people are still living in fear and some are scared to even come out fearing backlashes from their communities.

Save Animals

Do Your Share

Animals both domestic and wild are part of our existences. Somehow they complete us. Their existence is in tune with the environment and the atmosphere. Each and every animal has a purpose to fulfill and its life makes a difference to a person or another animal.

In the rural areas domestic animals are kept for different purposes like chickens and pigs are kept for food. Dogs are kept for protection and cats for pests. In most cases they are well taken care of by their owners.

Wild animals are kept in zoo’s or game parks. They are also well taken care of but for profit. These animals bring profit to game parks owners, increase in job creation for both the people who take care of them and those who are in tourism. Some hotel’s survival is based on these game reserves. 

Both domestic and wild animals are slowly disappearing.  Marine life is no different. All animals are in danger from drought, climate change, deforestation and of course poarchers.

Every year animals are unjustly killed for money. Hunting is regulated but to a certain extent. It does not cover nor monitor the rural areas where there is abundant wild life.

As soon as people realize that these animals need us as much as we need them, maybe there will change in how they treat them.  Everything that is changing is caused by human activity. The oil spills killing marine wild life, the hunting and animal abuse are all caused by humans.

Toilet Elections

Latest Campaigning

Today is the 18 of May 2011. It is the local government elections day. These elections are the same as the previous one, yet the campaigning is different.

 These elections are characterised as the toilet elections. This follows an incident reported on the SABC news. The report contained information and images of toilets that had no roof or walls.

These toilets were installed in the Western Cape which is under the rule of the Democratic Alliance(DA). The African National Congress (ANC) took it upon themselves and took the DA to court for violating human rights.

Then later on the ANC came under fire after it was discovered that they had done the same thing in Bloemfontein. They had installed open toilets as well.

The whole campaigning process was based on service delivery with sanitation as the main selling point. The media were exposing sanitation conditions around the country.

Besides the open toilets there was an issue with the bucket system. The bucket system is  not good for both the users and the people working on it. Their working conditions are not favourable.

The workers have to wake very early to pick up the buckets. The smell from these buckets is also not good for them and for the last part they have to wash these buckets. While in the process of washing these buckets they are in the risk of catching germs leading to diseases.

I am almost positive that the people queuing in voting stations are not only there for the improvement of sanitation services, but for the increase of speed in service delivery.

Our Lost Land

Mineral Expoitation

South Africa is rich but poor . Our land has minerals that are needed around the world. Their discovery has made our country famous. Overseas countries are exploiting these minerals.

In the process of mining the minerals,  the survival of our land is in jeopardy. The ground has huge holes beyond repair. The mining magnates exploit the land and once its dried up, they leave it like that and move on to the next best thing.

The only reason countries such as America and China have relations with South Africa is because of our riches. It is evident that once the country runs out of gold or platinum, these countries won’t eeven remember that South Africa ever existed.

We are only recognised for our natural resources, this has been going on for centuries and it is still going on. With the help of our exploiters, minerals are dug up and they get rich, we end up with holes in our backyards.

 Mining whether it is shaft or open cast has long-term effects that continue to put not only our health at risk but also guarantees collapse in the ground resulting in loss of lives. Johannesburg will one day face its demise when the earth collapses.

Mining companies only damage, there are no approved backup plans that contain formation and reimbursement of what is lost when mining take place.

These mining companies do not only exploit our natural resources, they rob us of our future as well. Mining involves chemicals that put our health at risk. Mine dumps are adding to pollution. Compensation for this exploitation does not amount to the damage caused.

What is clear is that once we run out of these natural resources, our exploiters will rush out as fast as you can say gold. For now mining might seem beneficial but in the long-term it is causing more and more problems. Once all mines are dried up, poverty will be the least of our worries. The people will have more health problems from the fumes. The earth will have holes and will be out of balance with the ecosystem.

Triple R's

Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

The word re-use seems useless but in reality it is of use to us. Re-using things is not only benefitting you but our planet as well. Bottles and cans can be used to store things. It is simple really; it’s only a matter of washing the container and using it for something else.

In an attempt to reduce bottles, cans and containers, manufactures and retail outlets now have refill packs for everything. Instead of buying the same bottle of liquid soap, you can buy a pouch to refill. It is easier to dispose of a pouch than bottles because you can easily flatten it. As a smart buyer and lovers of our planet we should consider options like these in our daily lives.

A lot of products can be recycled; people need to participate in these projects. Many things can be done with what you call rubbish. Recycling now is also a booming business. Some companies get tenders from government to collect rubbish. Who knew waste would put food on people’s tables?

By reusing products, you are reducing the amount of rubbish out there and recycling you are helping our planet survive this trauma of pollution for a couple of decades to come.

Green Week

Green Habits

People are told to subscribe to “green” habits. This refers to the activities that people engage to, that in the end benefit the survival of the earth.

We often hear about the end of the world which is mainly caused by the things people do in their daily lives. Those things would be littering, using their car instead of walking, saving energy and much more.

Students can be the less caring generation or group in the world and certain values have to be instilled in them. They want everything to be fun and exciting. Let me remind you that these are future leaders.

It is not that they are not aware of the dire situation of climate change, global warming etc., but mostly choose to ignore things.

 When a student leaves a packet of chips or a food wrapper, they know that it is wrong they just don’t care. Except for the locations and rural areas, each and every corner there is a bin provided. It is all up to the person to destroy or save the planet.

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) is promoting a GREEN WEEK. SIFE in conjunction with GCI will be making a collage of the NMMU Logo. The Logo will be made out of waste.

This is all to commemorate GREEN WEEK and to “create awareness and environmental consciousness” (NMMUGeneral Email).

The Green week initiative starts from the 11 to 15 April. Students are encouraged to participate in this initiative as it is vital for the survival of mother earth.

People need to care more about their environment. They need to acknowledge the fact that practicing green habits ensures a home for future generations to come.

Share the planet

Let us Share

The earth was created on a balanced system. We sharing the planet with animals and plants, the whole planet was created to accommodate all of us. That balance is now in jeopardy.

Every now and then we read stories on animals being poached. People’s main concern is money and living a life full of luxury.

If it’s not poaching then it’s exposing them to things that are dangerous like plastics or food they are not meant to be consuming. Behavior is bound to change, as a person you would act strange if you ate plastic or any other things that animals eat out of curiosity.

Recently on SABC 3 showed a news program where people woke up with big holes in their bodies.  The rats in the area were tired of exploring the dirty water and eating rotten things. They started nibbling at people. Had the people kept the place clean then incidents like these would have never occurred.

Like us people, animals have rights but when a person kills an animal even if it is more than one the punishment is not as severe as it should be. The government can only do so much for the animals,   but as ordinary people we have a big role to play.

Animals have no way of defending themselves yet they are constantly under attack.  We need to realize that those animals have specific roles to play in our lives. 

Yes the Bible gives us power over animals and birds but we need to do so for pure reasons.  While we are busy with our selfish deeds, in the end we are the one’s suffering in the end. As their guardians we need to ensure that we create a safe environment to live in. People need to think twice before carelessly throwing rubbish out.

Save our Trees

It is more than just SHADE!

Everywhere you go you will find that places have changed. They are either developed or destroyed. It does not matter whether the destruction was justified for development it still the same thing.

Only a few yards of forest and trees are protected by the national government. Most of these protected areas are close to town and cities.

Cutting down of trees is not illegal, especially in the local villages. The citizens there depend on those trees for building material, fencing and making fire to cook and warm themselves.  The general public is not well-informed about the serious implications of cutting down trees.

What I have realized from the past ten years is that the human settlements in rural areas in the Former Transkei have grown.  There is no protection or regulation to cut down the forest so the areas are forever expanding.

The only people who have the privilege to be informed about planting trees are those living in the suburbs.  The older generation living in rural areas only grows trees for the shade. They do not realize that their lives depend on it.

The average number of houses per yard is five and their gardens are massive. These gardens have less use to them because of the climatic changes. The reason why the gardens are useless is the lack of knowledge of what is going on around the world.

If a person decides to reside right close to the river bank, it’s their choice and no one questions their motives and one is concerned about the forest and plantation they will be destroying while building their houses.

The department of water affairs and forestry need to start at the bottom where there is still hope to revive our indigenous forest. They owe it to the people to shed light to them about the dire situation they could be living in. They need to be taught that trees are more than just shade they are life

Xenophobia

Excuses for Xenophobia

South Africa is one of the most caring countries in the world. The country has its own special word for being generous, caring and most of the time accommodating. The word is Ubuntu.

Since the beginning of our young democracy, the government opened doors for our neighbours and fellow Africans to make themselves at home if they ran into trouble in their own homes.

For the past 2 years of my stay in Port Elizabeth, I have witnessed a very long que to the Department of Home Affairs. This que consists of fellow Africans  who want to live in our country.

Besides corruption and nepotism the national government tries to create employment for its people. It is not enough and the people need some one to blame for it. Who else but the poor visitor who has already overstayed their welcome.

To an ordinary South African a person from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ghana and all of the other countries in our poverty-stricken continent is a threat to their jobs. These people take the blame for the lazy people who choose to stay in the location and bask in the sun.

South Africans need to take into consideration of who was there for them when they were oppressed. Blessed are those with helping hands.

 Ask any South African citizen about human rights and they will tell you, yet the same people turn around and violate innocent people on the notion that they don’t deserve to be here.

The older generation does not realise what is instilling in the minds of the young generation.

South Africa you need to stop blaming people, stop cultivating excuses to chase your fellow Africans back to their homes. The sooner we work together the sooner we eradicate poverty and crime.

Bay Energy Saving

Bay Energy Saving

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is busy with a project of installing solar geysers in the townships.

Vuku Street in KwaZakhele is one of the beneficiaries of this project. The RDP houses in that area were built long ago and initiative like this could jeopardise the safety of these people.

These geysers are stuck on top of the roofs; those roofs are not strong enough to hold them. Furthermore the municipality will only take responsibility for the damages on the geyser and not the roofs. This raises concern because if anything should happen to those roofs the people will suffer.

Also the downside of this project is that these geysers use solar energy (the sun). During winter people use hot water for bathing showers not to mention tea, coffee and those hot chocolate cups.

The sun is very rare in winter therefore the people will still be using electricity to warm their water and the solar geysers useless. The really is no point in installing these geysers.

Climate Change

Every day we told to save water, save trees and to look after our precious planet.

Who is responsible for climate?

The people responsible for climate change are the ones who create cars, the people who drive those cars any person who releases

This is what we were left with to do our laundry

emissions and gases into the air.

Who suffers most from this climate change?

The people in rural areas are the ones who take the pinch because of this. They are the ones who have to suffer from lack of rain.

The Eastern Cape still has areas where the locals are completely dependent on the river. The government has limited programmes in place to deal with this.

If residents run out of water nothing is done by the municipality. The further you are from the municipality or town the less they care about you.

Many South African are deprived of the most basic needs.

I remember September last year we had to walk for an hour to get to the “cleanest” spring, when we got there we had to out cloths to filter the water.

In less than a week the whole village was up in arms because the bottom half of the village was accused of waking up very early, using too much water and others were doing their laundry.

The river was completely dry. To avoid killing each other, some people decided to walk for three hours  to the Kei River.

A lot of things like this event happen in these areas and no one in authority ever notices.

it is amazing what change in climate can do in one place. Drought can lead to poverty which leads to crime and violence