HOW CIVIL IS OUR UNION?

There is no connection between the law and the people.Today’s 10th-year anniversary of the Civil Union Act is bittersweet for any activist advocating for human rights, especially for the LGBTI community. Hate crimes have continued unabated. Lesbian women raped and beaten up.

South Africa became the first country in the world to use its Constitution to protect the rights of the LGBTI community. And we should say thanks to Simon Nkoli, Bev Ditsie and others who, during apartheid, still fought for sexual minorities. They fought a long, layered and complicated battle. These achievements are on paper. Society is still very resistant and life is still not easy for gay and lesbian people.

It was never going to be easy with leaders like President Jacob Zuma and Mmusi Maimane. Zuma had to apologise for his homophobic comments, while Maimane had to clarify his comments on whether he thought gay people are sinners.

We have conservative leaders. Sometimes their beliefs border on being very primitive. That’s why you still hear men saying women should not wear mini-skirts because it’s provocative. That’s why you still see people being okay with a leader randomly referring to women as “Ntombazana” with a suggestive tone. Treating people with dignity is a requirement by law, but we still see dignity being stripped off people. Let me not get off the topic.

The Civil Union Act is enjoyed by resourced members of the LGBTI community. If you don’t command enough social power as a gay man or lesbian woman, you are unlikely to enjoy the fruits of our progressive Constitution. Most of the hate crimes take place in poor areas. We’ve heard stories of police making a mockery of lesbian women who wanted to report rape or attempted rape. Poor Black bodies in the LGBTI community are vulnerable and can only dream of planning a wedding and finding a willing marriage officer who will officiate and get them married without a hustle.

LGBTI issues are never mainstream because they don’t make business sense for the media. You still have heteronormative adverts and portrayal of family life. The only time you find a story about gay or lesbian people is when it sells the newspapers or gives TV news channels good ratings. Basically gay and lesbian people are there to only create a gaze or become some sort of exhibition for the “normal” people. There are good attempts by people like Thami Kotlolo who has been organizing the Chevrolet Feather Awards for about 8 years now. Even that has not made headway in getting most of the “celebrities” to be ambassadors and advocates of LGBTI rights. When it’s done it’s more for publicity than it is done as the right thing to do.

Heterosexual celebrities use LGBTI people for posture and to achieve goals only known to them. Openly gay celebrities use their “gayness” to make a living. People will say “I love his personality”. But my position is, we don’t “gay” for a living. We don’t “lesbian” for a living. If I am not flamboyant, but gay, I would not cut it as something mainstream media uses to represent all gay people. These are some of the things that stand in the way of progress for sexual minorities. It forms part of the reason why the Civil Union Act means nothing to most people in the LGBTI community.

I would like to highlight that the institution that we all grew up viewing as refuge is also complicit in perpetuating hate for the LGBTI community. The church still dishes out conditions to gay and lesbian people before they can be members or even leaders.  The Catholic Church, even under the most progressive Pope, will not accept the LGBTI community. What’s the point of being a member of the congregation but do not enjoy the same privileges as heterosexual fellow congregants? Archbishop Emeritus Tutu’s daughter had to choose between the church and being gay. Really?

Lastly, the LGBTI community and its lobby groups also need to do something about the mess that we are in. I never hear of any LGBTI group taking part in broader community activities. We mostly focus on what our funders want us to do. We must join other civil society movements and act like part of society. We must get rid of “we don’t get involved in politics” attitude and join in causes that will integrate us. At this point we are alienated because we want people to learn about us, when we do nothing for their advancement.  We may argue that our HIV/Aids campaigns are for everyone. But there are things we do in our campaigns that do not make everyone feel like joining in.

I am not sure what it is. 

Tribute to Prof. Mzilikazi Khumalo

It actually took a strange event for me to realise that we should not wait for people's demise before we honour them. My partner got what we call a "visa" to go out and party till very late. When he came back home, I could not fall asleep. When this happens I usually raid the fridge, make a snack and read a book. But Prof. Mzilikazi Khumalo had been on my mind ever since another musical talent, Sidwell Mhlongo revived Prof. Khumalo's gem. Ushaka. This was in itself an honour to South Africa's living legend. The 2015 grand performance by Gauteng Choristers, under Mhlongo's baton was, for me a call to introspect and recognise all the great things that still make this country a great place. 

As a classical music lover, I take it upon myself to elevate and pay homage to South African greats in this genre of music. There are many others like MM Moerane, JSP Motuba, JP Mohapeloa, Podu Mamabolo, TL Tsambo. The list is long and their work and contribution to our society is immeasurable. At this time, Prof. Khumalo stands out because of what he was able to do with something that represents some of the violent times in the history of our country. The rule of King Shaka as documented by European historians, was not always a great one, especially for his subjects. However, in the music of Prof. Khumalo about The Zulu King, one is able to find a sense of pride. The lessons on heritage and a sense of belonging are also key factors that embody the creativity in which this history is documented. Thank you Mntungwa and we give thanks to God and to your ancestors; Nin' enadl'umuntu nimyenga ngendaba. Mantungwa aluhlaza! 

It was through Prof. Mzilikazi Khumalo that I got to know some of the great singers in South Africa. The people till this day, I still associate with choral music. Sibongile Khumalo, Sibongile Mngoma, Themba Mkhwane. I learned that loving classical music was not weird or unusual. Prof. Khumalo was the window to the outside world. A world with people like me who love this craft. Growing up in a Lutheran home with parents and siblings active in church, choral music became my main reason to stay safe in church. It was the only place where I could live my passion. The passion inspired by the Salvation Army choir Prof. Khumalo conducted on TV every Sunday evening. As I grew up to be more independent, I never missed the Annual Mass Choir Festival at the Standard Bank Arena. Prof. Khumalo, Richard Cock and Danny Pooe were conductors of the mass choir. It was also my first experience listening to a live orchestra. A feeling that I still cannot explain up to today. 

I could write a whole book about my love for music and the legends of choral music in this country of ours. Khabi Mngoma and George Mxadana are among those who kept the candle burning even when strong winds blew their way. Black excellence during their time was unimaginable. Few mastered it. Prof. Mzilikazi Khumalo forms a great part of the foundation of my passion for music. May he be blessed with comfort, good health and a legacy that lives on for generations. 

Photo Credit: AfriClassic

Mystery still surrounds Samora Machel’s death.

By Dan Moyane

(Sharing one many articles he wrote on the death of President Samora Machel. Bra Dan was supposed to be on that plane that killed President Machel and many others.)

2016 will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Samora Machel, the founding father of independent Mozambique, and yet we still do not know who actually caused the Mozambican presidential plane to veer off course and crash inside South Africa on 19 October 1986.

President Machel, who had attended a Frontline States summit in Lusaka, Zambia, was on his way back to Maputo on that night aboard his presidential plane. But the plane would mysteriously crash on the rugged hills of Mbuzini in Mpumalanga province. Machel and 34 other people, including senior Mozambican government officials and journalists, were killed in the crash.

I recall my own personal and the general public’s sense of shock when the news of Machel's death was confirmed by the then Vice President of Frelimo, Marcelino dos Santos, live on national radio. I was one of the journalists who had initially been offered a seat on Machel's plane in order to report on the summit in Zambia. It was a rare invitation to the External Service of Radio Mozambique, where I worked; to report on the summit direct from Lusaka. However, I was bumped off at the last moment when my boss at the time, the late Iain Christie, was called by the Presidency and informed that more members of the government delegation were required to travel with Machel.

When news of the plane crash was broadcast on the morning of Monday the 20th of October 1986, there was stunned silence in Maputo. All of us at Radio Mozambique were gripped by a sense of disbelief. Mozambicans, from Rovuma in the north to Maputo in the south, were literally numbed by anguish and grief.

The months preceding the crash had seen rising tension in southern Africa. Mozambique's civil war was getting worse. South Africa had reneged on the Nkomati Accord, a non-aggression pact signed with Machel in 1984. Mozambique kept its side of the agreement by forcing ANC exiles to leave the country, but Pretoria never stopped its support for the Renamo rebels fighting the Frelimo government. On other hand, Malawi had been collaborating with Pretoria by aiding Renamo. The situation came to a head when Machel threatened to deploy missiles on his border with Malawi.

A few years ago former President Thabo Mbeki paid tribute to Machel, describing him as a "towering giant of the African Revolution". Mbeki said one question remained unanswered - was the apartheid regime responsible for the tragic deaths at Mbuzini where the plane came down?

In 1998, South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) launched a special investigation into Machel's death. However, it was unable to reach a firm conclusion and said that a number of questions had been raised, including the possibility of a false beacon.

In 2006 the South African government announced it would try to solve the plane crash, which remains one of the great mysteries of the apartheid era. But to date no investigation has reached a conclusion. Today the big question remains - who orchestrated the crash? Was it the apartheid regime? Were there any other forces involved?

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the crash in 2016, I hope that the authorities will work even harder to solve the mystery. The Machel family and the people of Mozambique need to know what really happened. The anti-apartheid movement needs to know what happened. The people of Africa deserve the truth.

Sabela ANC, uyakhuzwa! (Listen ANC, you're reprimanded)

The African National Congress has underestimated the people it has governed since the dawn of democracy. The 2016 local government elections is testimony that the ANC has lost favour with South Africans. This also means that President Jacob Zuma will have presided over yet another decline in elections for the governing party. 

I was personally at the elections results centre and there was a sense of mourning among the ANC cadres. It was not my first time working at the results centre and over the years I have observed the jovial mood among ANC members ahead of the announcement. There were pre-planned celebrations. They knew people would vote for them, because there was no other party believed to care for the majority of the poor black. 

In my opinion losing just one more municipality on top of the Western Cape, was already a big loss to a party that has never had to convince people to vote for them. But as I write this, it is not clear if the ANC will manage to win Tshwane and Johannesburg. Who created this situation?

Could it be Marikana? I don't think so, because the ANC won general elections after the massacre that killed 34 miners. The Nkandla saga had already been in the media spotlight when we went to the 2014 polls. There had been hundreds of service delivery protests when we voted two years ago. So many that academics have compiled so much material on the hotspots of protests. There is so much information out together on why people protest more and more. The ANC has always held the view that people had a right to protest because we live in a democracy. Even in the build up to the 2016 local government elections, the ANC dismissed the political killings in KwaZulu-Natal as a democratic process. President Zuma made this bizarre comment more than once. He said the fight for political positions was a sign of a maturing democracy. That for me, is a sign of detachment. We forgot where we come from. The 1994 election came after so many people lost their lives. How can pre election violence in 2016 be dismissed? 

The people of South Africa used these local government polls to tell the ANC they are fed up. I am not discounting the fact that the ANC still enjoys majority support. But personally, I have not met an ANC supporter who does not benefit from the party in one way or another. Most people I know and support the ANC are often connected through work, business or some other commitment. I would never claim there aren't people who love the party as a matter of principle. But it is also undeniable that the party became a magnet for people who have ambition to amass wealth. Service for the people was never a priority for them. The ANC was tainted. The rot continued. It got to a point some people could not stand the stench of corruption. We see that today in the polls. People made a choice to vote for other parties. Some of my friends, colleagues and relatives told me how painful it was to vote for other parties and not the ANC. Because it is the ANC of our mothers and fathers. It is the ANC that made sure we were fed when our parents were incarcerated by the apartheid government. The ANC of Nelson Mandela, Luthuli and Tambo. 

The ANC must root putt he rot, if it wants to win the 2019 elections. People are not as gullible as everyone thinks. 

Activism in the not so new South Africa

Since the dawn of democracy, what we all experienced as activism dwindled. The last real fights for people was the Treatment Action Campaign forcing government to give HIV patients antiviral medication. Arguably, this is the battle that tainted the legacy of the Mbeki presidency. It was clear who the winner was. 

Many years down the line, there are many pockets of activists for different causes. But the main social issues remain a thorny issue for poor Black communities. It is my view that gay lobby groups will be fighting the same fight ten years from now if they are not seen fighting social ills of the broader communities alongside their own agenda. Simon Nkoli was an anti apartheid activist, gay rights activist and Aids activist. If we can say this about one man, why can't we still contain social ills when we have so many lobby groups? 

Activism should start with the communities that we live in. If Matuba Mahlatjie wants hate crimes against lesbian and gay people to stop he has to know and understand his community. Why can't Matuba lead a march titled LGBTI community against drug abuse. Why can't he print pink posters with a message that support the community's battle against a wave that's killed the soul of so many parents? You cannot fight for your own cause in a volatile atmosphere where family life is destroyed. People have to be in the right mindset to acknowledge your cause. They also have to see you as part of their "family". 

I referred to Simon Nkoli, who was part of the movement that fought and eventually dismantled minority rule in South Africa. There were no gay rights at that time. But he priorities freedom for all before moving to desensitise his comrades about gay rights. This is a good formula and a formula we should all follow. Imagine if sex workers, LBGTI community and environmentalists all marched on the same day at different times and venues? Where is the impact.

A recent good example is the EconomicFreedom Fighters' successful march in Johannesburg under a common cause. More than Fifty thousand people heeded the call. I will take a wild guess and say among them were people who supported many other causes, but felt on that day, they support emancipation of the working class. 

Let's not be Like the political elite that takes  all the credit for our political freedom, but have lost touch with the people they say they liberated. 

The twenty one years of freedom is long enough for all of us to realize and accept what is working and what is a setback in our bid to move South Africa forward. Politics affect the price of bread. We need to be involved from the bottom up. 

Activists cannot be seen rubbing shoulders with government officials cutting ribbons and "earning respect" of their peers. If we deserve it, we should be earning it from our communities. That is where I believe we should be contributing positively. That's where we should be explaining Laws that protect minorities. 

Sisonke Msimang,  a writer and activist says com minty members can document their little victories, but it's important to get journalism involved in exposing everything that stands in the way of Justice. 

She said, "Citizens can take pictures and they can document events, but journalism is an art and a science and it matters because it makes our country more honest and true. A normal person cannot dedicate the time and resources to interviewing people and phoning lawyers and securing documents."

Whatever our cause is, we need to be consistent and aware of the broader community so that we can apply the effective remedies to address our challenges. 

Pain, humiliation and a near-death experience

When you're  sitting comfortably in your home and prefer not to be depressed by news bulletins, you simply use the power of your remote controller. It's that easy to shut the whole world out of your life, for that moment. But I'm starting to believe that you're not a typical South African family until you experience a few episodes of crime. That's the moment you don't get to choose whether you want to experience it or not. Members of your community will invade your space, cause pain and leave you hopeless. 

Few weeks ago my elderly mother was kidnapped on her way from Thursday traditional women's prayer service. In her full church uniform, she was a target to people who wanted a quick buck. Thankfully she was dropped off a few kilometers from home unharmed. That did not deter her from walking alone to the Spaza shop to get bread, airtime or whatever she needed. But that incident left us in pain. Pained by this confirmation that we cannot trust members of our society. It dawned on us as a family that we had a potential to feature in the depressing news bulletins about the rot in our community. 

A few days ago, my 69-year-old father was attacked, beaten up and left for dead in Mabopane. Every Saturday without fail, Papa takes his car to a car wash. That's how he starts his preparation for his Sunday at church. Car was, then goes to the market for fresh veggies for Sunday lunch. This build-up landed him in ICU. The church fundraising cash he had on him stolen while lying there helpless. This was something I had seen on TV or heard on the radio. It was always another family. This time it struck ours. A 36-year-old man was arrested. Appeared in court and denied bail. His future probably doomed, because he fell into the cycle of many young men in the township. Jail, drugs or die of Aids. My father suffered pain, humiliation and a near-death experience, but somehow I still felt pity for the young man who now seemingly regrets his actions. 

He almost killed the man who sacrificed everything to make sure his five sons do not fall into the vicious circle that emasculated men in the townships we grew up in. This young man becomes a reminder that there are many individuals like him who will beat the crap out of a defenseless man in his late 60s. 

Maybe we are all victims of a system that widens the gap between the members of the same community. We also can't make excuses for criminal acts. But it makes you wonder why so many people opt for this shortcut. Crime.

This is a heartbreaking story. My father will probably never be the same man he was after this traumatic experience. But with the best medical care, he may recover and go back to enjoying what he calls "his last days". With a possible criminal record Sylvester Bafo Mashigo may never find employment. He's hurt so many of us I doubt karma will have mercy on him. There are no winners here.

The end of a generational crisis?

Since the beginning of the #FeesMustFall campaign, all we've been doing with some colleagues and friends is exchange how we survived this unjust system. It was some sort of therapy session, because most of us thought no one would understand why we lived from one cash loan to another. Today most of us look back and realise we need to catch up with people who did not have this burden.

It would be unfair of us we just stood by and not try reverse the situation for future news editors, doctors and other professionals that will take this country to greater heights. In most of my blog posts, I sound like a CD with scratch. I complained about how the ANC government deliberately kept majority of the people illiterate just to stay where they are. In power. My complaint was supported by the living conditions of the township I was born in and still live in. Poverty stares you in the face. But people are pacified with short-term solutions like social grants. And that is part of their campaign trail when they seek votes. We need money for bread. We will vote for that money. 

It has become normal for a child from Mabopane, Soshanguve or Sebokeng to say, "I have matric but I didn't have cash to further my studies". Not all of us have the fighting spirit to see us through beyond our circumstances. Why should we all work 15 times harder to have a decent life? 

The #FeesMustFall protest has revealed how sons and daughters of the working class survive to get education which they will spend first part of their careers (if and when they get jobs) paying for. It is clear that the "bornfrees" will no longer accept the generational crisis. Their fighting spirit reminds us all of the 1976 uprising. Sadly, some of the people in government today were in the class of 1976. The people who survived live ammunition, fighting back with rocks and blocking with rubbish bin lids. They are our leaders today. Using apartheid-style tactics on peaceful protesters. Have they forgotten?

Personally, as a journalist, it is not easy to be objective in this matter. The ripples of aparheid have set me 15 years behind my white peers. It is a painful reality that only makes me want to be in solidarity with the protesting students. This is not some sort of "reverse racism mechanism" as some suggest. If you look closely, the marching students are from all walks of life. It would be disingenuous to use this as an opportunity to be vindictive to irrelevant people even. 

I commend these young people. Long live the spirit of Steve Biko. Long live the spirit of Robert Sobukwe. Mandela. Sisulu. Ngoyi. Sekhukhune. Moshoeshoe. Makhosi amakhulu esizwe!