lost one

On Monday last week our old man at the office opened the basement door for me at around 06h30 and soon closed it again. It is not his job to open the gate but we are both early birds at the office so he made it his duty to open for me every morning. He told me that I must be careful Jozi Thugs could follow me into the basement and hijack me. There was nothing new in that we all know these guys can do anything to get their hands on to our valuable possessions. He also told me that he had some minor pains at his hip. I ask him to request a one-day leave and see a doctor or go to a clinic. On Tuesday morning he was not there to open for me and I thought I knew where he was, but on Thursday I began to be worried and the guy who works with him told me the old man has just disappeared. No one knew where he was even his family in Zola last saw him early on Monday morning. WE had grown so close to each other he was like my father and I still owe him a drink or a cup of tea after a good gesture he showed me sometime ago. My worse fear was confirmed on Friday… my old man died on his way home on Monday evening. His body was taken to government mortuary until his family could identify his body on Thursday. He will be buried in KwaZuluNatal this coming weekend.May his soul rest in peace.

Out to lunch

It is amazing how some commentator’s view 2010 and crime. Crime is a reality in South Africa but it looks like your David Bullard of this world are doing everything possible to scare the hell out of football fans by declaring that they would be sent home as corpses if they dare come to South Africa in 2010. South Africa staged Rugby World, Cricket world cup and recently Twenty 20 world cup. I don’t remember seeing or heard of corpses of fans being sent back in body bags in this crime spree David is talking about. No one warned rugby and Cricket fans of not coming to SA, because they would die in South Africa. why? Is it because the fans of Cricket and Rugby are strait and narrow and Soccer fan are criminals? I am tired of this double standard of reporting. I am a victim of crime like you everyone else but there is no point in creating the impression that it is soccer fans that will be robed in South African not cricket fans.

Communication blunder

Ye-I-yeee..h GCIS! When we were young that is what my sister use to say when I was in trouble ye-I-yeeeh Muuuzi. I couldn’t believe that an Etv reporter asked the president about the Selebi warrant of arrest. Immediately I knew the Government Communications was in trouble. Thabo Mbeki was away since he suspended Vusi Pikoli but up to yesterday Government spokes persons were still contradicting each other. Acting NPA boss Advocate Mpshe said the president was going to bring the nation up to speed with the Pikoli issue which has now become a saga and that only one case will be reviewed. Less than an hour later Themba Maseko said the president won’t entertain the Selebi issue. Remember it is Maseko whom a day earlier said Mpshe would review all the high profile cases. The president came back knowing that he hired the spin-doctors only to find that they have been making noise but no progress. The president was caught by surprise when a young journalist asked him about Selebi warrant. I must say I know that our president is clever and very diplomatic, but that question caught him by surprise he didn’t even have time to think he just jumped into intimidating the lady whom I must say she has got ball that woman… she stood her ground. But seriously was the president supposed to be embarrassed like that? I don’t think so, the NPA and the GCIS should have saved the president from that. I think they didn’t do their home work they kept on referring the media to what the president said and what he did not say with the hope that media won’t have a chance to speak to him now they will have to answer… how did it all happen. I think the Pikoli /Selebi issue could have been handled differently if both offices communicated well to avoid mixed messages. Pikoli/ Selebi was a PR disaster I think the president can’t wait for his term of office to come to an end. What an anticlimax to what I think was a good job he has done for this country. He will be remembered for being trigger happy ask Zuma, Masetlha, Madlala-Routledge and now Pikoli what a drama.

Are we all South Africans?

Do South African Indians consider themselves South Africans? Or maybe Africans as Dr van Syl Slabert put it? I watched Twenty 20 world cup with interest when South Africa took on India.I don't understand the wisdom of supporting another country against your country, I guess that is how things go. Was it really a good advert of South Africa overseas to sea the Indian community supporting the Indian team against South African team on South African soil? Let me also add that I supported India when it was playing against any other team and I am glad they won.

When South Africa was unceremoniously booted out of the competition the Indian community was rejoicing as if nothing happened to what I think is their team. I guess they would be very sad if South Africa won that match. That is where my question is coming from, do they really care about SA sport or do they aspire to go back to India like Jews do? I don’t think so they are South Africans their roots are here. I think it is one thing to be proud to be an Indian but it is a different story when it comes to supporting your country. Most blacks in South Africa don’t like the composition of South African Teams especially Rugby and Cricket but I can’t imagine myself Supporting Zimbabwe or Kenya playing against South Africa because they are Africans and South Africa is still lily white.

I am not sure of their reasons but to me it was a strange behaviour, I think it would be very weird to see African Americans support Nigeria in Soccer at the expense of the USA in America. It is okay for Indians to be Indians no one can dispute that, but at least lets draw the line between patriotism and foreign alignment. I think South Africans who are left now are those who know that we are all South Africans, those who think otherwise have left already (Rathbone, Pietersen and the likes). Good for them, but for us who are left can we stop shooting at our selves?