A 'lost generation' by a 'losing generation'

Young people in the democratic South African black neighborhoods are generally referred to as a “lost generation”. This is mainly attributed to African youth’s obsession to western culture, but who is to blame. As a young person myself I can partly agree that indeed we are a lost generation, all thanks to our parents and elders (the losing generation)  in communities in which we grew up at.

For instance, as a black child you are told by an elder not to eat while standing and you ask why? Here is the typical response which creates more questions than answers: “Do not ask me why, that is just how it is my child”. It is human nature that no one accepts as true something with no proper or satisfactory reasoning. It is just impossible!

When African families conduct traditional rituals, young family members are normally sidelined from some “adults and the wise only” secret meetings. Then as a young one you join a charismatic church in trying to make sense of the world and in these churches everything is done in an open and automatically one finds comfort, join in and believe in their teachings. Before you know it, you are labeled the lost generation because you “do not respect African customs.” The people who are on your case are the very same as those who  refuse to provide you answers for your questions on African customs.



Typical of 21st century African youth,
most black parents hate tatoos. Image supplied.

Middle class black families usually enroll their children in former Model C English schools and such pupils are freely allowed to speak English even at home, in fact in most cases parents themselves proudly communicate to their children in English. This obviously prepares a lost generation of poor vernacular speakers and parents are to blame.

It is a rare case for African parents to spend just a minute in the table with their kids, just to share wisdom and some important pointers on African traditions. Confusingly the offspring is a lost generation when the welcoming western culture feeds the youth with all sorts of what is “immorality” in the black culture.

African languages in our land are at a “critically endangered” stage of extinction and black culture is fast losing ground. Yes, black youth is a “lost generation” and the western culture is making huge inroads and offering the warmest reception to this group of lost generation . Thanks to our elders for permitting us to get lost right in their watch.

It starts on top and goes right down to the bottom. Our elders need to change attitude and accept that this is the globalization era and as young Africans we are exposed to too much that we end up getting confused. It is their responsibility to protect African culture by explicitly educating the youth as future citizens about Africanism. With that phenomenon, black youth can without a doubt embrace and celebrate African traditions in today’s global culture.      

Bloody politicians, crewing up SA!

South African politics lost meaning the very same day (April, 27, 1994) hopeful citizens waited in long queues to vote for “a better life for all”. The blood of those who fought for that day was in vain and they must be turning on their graves as I write this piece. Shame on our selfish political leaders.

Nowadays, when the black elite morons who live lavishly in suburbs visit the townships, they feel discomfort over a “group of suspicious youth standing in a street corner.” More often than not, this group of “suspicious” young minds is conversing about their dreams of making it big one day and our visionless politicians who have crewed up our beloved country left, right and centre since the dawn of democracy in 1994. 




Citizens protesting against crippled service delivery,
thanks to our useless politicians. Photo: supplied

  In these street corner conversations, you often hear young people accusing one another: “Do not think you can do better, you would also tell lies if you were a politician; that’s the name of the game.” It is therefore confusing to observe that young people in this day and age look up to people who continuously cripple the country with no mercy whatsoever. South African border gates have become a useless mechanism as dodgy foreign nationals get in and out of our motherland as they please. These opportunists are well-known drug lords in the streets of Hillbrow and many other SA big cities, yet no politician has ever bothered to speak out against such.

Our education system and public health care are mediocre and as such no politician goes to a public hospital when ill, neither none of their children attend public schools. Surprisingly, it is these very politicians who exploit every platform given to them by media calling for “heads must roll” to those responsible for not delivering textbooks in Limpopo schools until forced to do the right thing by a court of law. All they do is talk, talk and talk while deep inside they are laughing at “stupid uneducated masses who can’t smell coffee”.

Masses are not stupid and the day shall come where we shall unite and say enough is enough. Ministers throw expensive birthday parties and establish foundations which their real meaning remains unknown. Some youth leaders say this today and the exact opposite tomorrow but claim to championing the needs of the poor masses, how do we trust such hypocrites? Others misuse public money and insist they are innocent, only to admit the truth when media pressure mounts. One is left with a question: do our politicians have what is called conscious?

A “mistake president” attends an SACP (South African Clowns Party) congress and talks about "many who do not understand democracy. One begs to ask him/herself this: does Zuma himself understand democracy? Our leaders are preoccupied about who will emerge victorious in the next conference while a hopeless graduate struggle to make ends meet. This one tells that one to tie his shoe laces while his remain untied. Its policy conference after another and less execution. We are told “the state does not have the necessary resources to make change overnight,” while on the contrary municipalities and provincial departments return to the national treasury millions of unused money.

Cadre deployment continues to fail the poor, yet we have to argue with SAMWU about getting rid of the system. The first citizen tries to be a sweetheart to everyone in the tripartite alliance; all that is in his head is reelection in the next conference. MPs pitch in the parliament only when it suits them, but fact remains their bank accounts go obese come month end. After all this, when citizens in rural areas and black townships run riot for the below par service delivery, some stupid politician jumps to the stage: “comrades, you must be patient, plans are in place to fast track service delivery in this area and these things take time.” Hello, wake up and smell coffee Mr Liar, it’s been 18 years and you have been singing the same song out of tune. One day is one day and the voice of the masses shall prevail.

From best friends to enemies, fighting for the soul of the ANC!

“We are prepared to kill and die for Zuma,” these were the words of ANC Youth League president Julius Malema in 2008 pledging his undying support for his then political best friend Jacob Zuma. This was the time Zuma had multiple corruption charges hanging over his head and the two were the best of friends in the South African political front.

In the very same year, Malema was the champion of the Zuma camp that successfully pushed out of the Union Buildings then State president Thabo Mbeki. The poor Mbeki was sacked as president in September 2008, a few months prior the end of his term in office, all thanks to the outspoken Malema who went as far as threatening the ANC National Working Committee members that “if the ANC NWC does not recall Mbeki, we will recall them.”

Then following the ANC’s victory in the 2009 general elections, Zuma became SA first citizen and couldn’t stop praising Malema that he even declared him the RSA president in the making. Things started turning sour early 2010 when Malema realised Zuma was not the man he thought he was. Malema then started comparing Zuma to his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, the very same man Malema despised in 2008 that he couldn’t stand seeing him finish the last seven months of his term in the Union Buildings.

It is during this period that Malema gained huge popularity for advocating for “economic freedom in our lifetime ideology,” an idea that Zuma did not buy, nor support in the first place. The militant Malema ran riot saying what he wants, when he wants and verbally attacked all Zuma administration ministers who opposed his nationalisation of mines ideology.

Then came the ANC National General Council in September 2010, where Zuma in his opening political address speech deeply emphasized on a need to tighten disciplinary measures against “ill-disciplined cadres in the ANC,” an indirect slap in the wrist on the firebrand ANCYL president. A few weeks after the ANC NGC, addressing ANCYL members in a rally in the Free State, Malema publicly condemned leaders who have more than one wife. Mind you Zuma is a polygamist who at the time had four wives.

From this incident, cracks between Zuma and Malema’s strong political relationship started showing. Then early 2011, the ANC Disciplinary committee charged Malema of bringing the party into disrepute by comparing Zuma to Mbeki. Malema was found guilty and penalized with a suspended sentence. Then around mid-2011, following Malema’s re-election as ANCYL president, Malema made controversial “regime change in Botswana” comments, adding that ever since the departure of Mbeki in the Union Buildings, the “African agenda” has lost its relevance.

Malema was again charged for breach of ANC constitution and was duly summoned to appear before the party’s DC. Then early in 2012, the ANC National Disciplinary Committee found Malema guilty and suspended his membership in the ANC for five years. Malema appealed his suspension, only to get an even harsher one as he was then expelled from the party. Malema again appealed his expulsion, but realising that his time in the ANC was running out, the controversial Youth League leader lashed out at Zuma and even called him a dictator and stranger to democracy.

Malema’s political woes continued and Zuma realising that the Mangaung conference is fast approaching and his need for more friends than enemies to lobby for his re-election in the conference, the ANC gaged and censored Malema to secure Zuma’s re-election in Mangaung. The final appeal process for Malema’s expulsion was concluded on the late hours of April 24 and the ANC National Disciplinary Committee of Appeals confirmed Malema's expulsion from the oldest liberation movement in the African continent.

Now the biggest question on everybody’s mind is whether or not Zuma should celebrate and rest assured of another term in Luthuli House because his biggest enemy has been eliminated out of the picture? My answer is Zuma shouldn’t celebrate as yet because if he suffers a defeat in Mangaung, Malema might make a surprise come back to the ANC and Zuma might run a risk of being removed in the Union Buildings the same way Mbeki was removed three years ago.

That is the reality of ANC politics in recent times, forever unpredictable. Who will come out victorious between the two? Only time will tell, but sure case is one must fall because you cannot two bulls in the same kraal. One thing I’m certain of though; Mangaung will separate boys from men.

Democracy vs. African democracy

They say: "democracy is the government of the people, for the people, by the people." Is it though? Theoretically, a democratic state promotes majority rule imposed to the minority rule. Really?

Democracy is a political system of ruling a country. Some say democracy is the most progressive and successful system of all governing systems that ever existed in history, but I doubt it works for the African continent. Due to democracy’s progressiveness (in the west), many countries around the globe have adopted democracy as the preferred system of governance.

In continents such as Europe, Australia, North and South America and Asia, democracy has succeeded in the majority of their countries, but in African states this system has collapsed and it continues detoriorating, even in the few countries that appeared to be implementing the system accordingly.  In this continent, we have what I call "African democracy". The success of democracy in other continents is because of their state governments ensuring that the interests of the nation (a sovereign state and its people) are in the forefront to those of individuals (ruling elite).

However, in most African states, democracy has failed due to certain minorities and individuals finding it hard to accept the majority rule notion that democracy praises. The major cause of democracy failure in many African countries are certain individuals putting their personal interests before those of their country’s citizens.

One other aspect that has imposed a major threat to democratic consolidation in Africa is the presence of many different ethnic groups with their different interests and beliefs. Due to this variety of ethnic groups, people in these ethnics tend to misunderstand democracy as they perceive it as a system that allows a certain ethnic group to dominate and have more power than others in making decisions that indicate the direction of the country. And in this case, the misunderstanding has led to conflicts and resulted to civil wars and thus democratic consolidation collapse.

The unhealed wounds that were caused by colonialism and apartheid in African countries are another challenge that threatens democratic consolidation in the African continent. The previously oppressed during the colonial and apartheid era which is blacks, believe that now is their turn to do what they want in what they believe to be the soil of their forefathers and certain heads of State refuse to leave presidential office  by ignoring the outcomes of the democratic elections, and thus democratic consolidation fail.

 Initiatives such as those invented to give better opportunities to the “previously disadvantaged” at the expense of qualifying and competent candidates is one of the African nationalisation policies that threatens democratic consolidation and also threatens the economic growth and development of African States. South Africa’s affirmative action and Black Economic Empowerment’s failure are a clear indication of "African democracy's" downfall..

The African democracy has in numerous times also resulted to different race groups working to fulfil their race group’s interests in a nation State and thus democratic consolidation collapse. This has also resulted to the arrogance tendency by African heads of State in international organisations such as the United Nations. As a result of this, we have and continue to observe African leaders protecting each other for stupidity in the UN councils such as the Security Council which is the most vital component to consolidate democracy in the world.

The variety of religious groups is another huge challenge facing democratic consolidation.

Africanism, too much variety of ethnic and tribal groups and religious groups are the major stumbling blocks to democratic consolidation and in my opinion, as long as these aspects exist or not addressed properly, democratic consolidation will never be accomplished. Samora Marchel once wrote “For a nation to live, tribe must die”.       

Voter apathy- a course for concern

The year 1994 marked a new dispensation for South African politics as citizens from all racial groups independently voted for a political party of their choice, for the first time in SA’s political history. A few months before the historic elections, various political organizations campaigned for votes by promising the electorate of delivering basic services for all.

After 17 years of political freedom in the very southern tip of the African continent, many voters, particularly young ones appear to be losing interest in voting for a number of different reasons. Amongst other reasons they claim that they have not seen any development or service delivery in their communities. Service delivery protests have been rife in the past few years with citizens expressing their anger and frustration over what they call the lack of service delivery by the government voted to power by them.

Grievances of certain communities have not been attended to by government and the electorate of such areas has opted to boycott voting in the May 18 local government elections. Voter apathy is predominantly amongst the youth, who are the most affected by unemployment, lack of development and poor service delivery in their communities. It came as no surprise to me when I observed that when others were standing in long queues at voting stations, some young people decided to organize sport tournaments at the expense of casting their votes.

The electorate appears to have had enough of what they term the blame game and empty promises by South African political parties. The youth is done watching the elite of politicians living luxury and lavish lifestyles while the young ones are running up and down the streets as a result of poverty and lack of decent jobs. It is high time that political parties change their ways as far as service delivery is concerned or the continuous voter apathy might mark  the birth of political unrest and civil war in SA, as a result of competition for survival and state resources.

Addiction is inevitable

Everyone is addicted to something, be it morally good or bad. Them societal description of the term “addiction” turn to be bias as it defines addiction as the devotion to morally wrong activities such as regular drinking of  alcohol and drug consumption.

Addiction is naturally like a two-ways street and goes hand in hand with habit, simply put no habit, no addiction. The more one performs a particular activity, the more that activity become a habit and thus developing into an addiction.

Participation in social media has invaded the lives of young people in the 21^st century to a point that they simply can’t avoid it. One thing about addiction is that it becomes hard to get completely get rid of it once addicted in something, even when the addict feels that their addiction is complicating or dramatizing their lives.

Certain addictions may at times make the addict seem stupid or foolish to spectators and one such addiction is that of using social networking sites such as Mxit, twitter and Facebook. Nowadays it is common to see people laughing alone to their mobile phones in public and you question their mental stability, only to find out they have been laughing at a funny status update by a friend on Facebook or a tweet on twitter.

Many alcohol addicts start consuming alcohol to experiment or to enjoy themselves for a moment and before they know it, they cannot go a single weekend without “one or two beers” and thus addiction takes over their lives. When I first started watching and listening to news on radio and television at the age of 8, I was just a young curious boy who wanted to be informed about the world around him, but today if a day passes without me having listened or watched some news, I go crazy just like an alcohol addict who goes to bed for one day without having had “two beers”.

At the end of the day, we are all addicts in our own nature, but what matters is the progressiveness or lack thereof of an individual’s addiction. This is better explained by a famous Xhosa idiom which states “Umntu yiNkosi ukuzazi” which translates to “Everyone is the Master of his/her own character and personality.

Attention US: The front man might be dead, but his followers live!!!

On Monday, the 2nd of May 2011, the United States of America reported the death of the Osama Bin Laden, the founder of the popular terrorist organisation named Al Qaeda. USA president Barack Obama officially announced to US civilians and the rest of the world that Bin Laden had been found and killed by US special troops in a compound outside the town of Abbottabad in Pakistan.

Bin Laden is said to have masterminded famous September-11-2001 crashing of the World Trade Centre which claimed closed to 3000 lives. Osama’s Al Qaeda is also reported to have caused a huge havoc and mayhem in other countries around the world such as the bombing in Kenya which killed approximately 300 people a few years back.

Americans civilians celebrated and danced outside the White House as a confident Obama made the announcement which he called one of the greatest achievements in USA’s history. The UK as usual did not waste time echoing Obama’s sentiments and many other heads of state followed suit congratulating the world’s economic powerhouse for what they phrased ‘a job well done’.

As the US and the rest of the world rejoice the death of Bin Laden, the question that comes to my mind is has human become so heartless to a point of celebrating the loss of a human soul? My varsity mates almost chopped my head telling me Bin Laden deserved to die as he has “killed” many innocent souls in his spell on planet earth. Martin Luther King Jnr was quoted saying “I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.” I strongly share Luther King Jnr’s sentiments and I believe that the US should be charged of murder and for invasion of a sovereign state (Pakistan).

United States appear to have turned a blind eye to the fact that Bin Laden was just a leader in a terrorist organisation comprising of huge membership, which will definitely not let the killing of Bin Laden be water under the bridge. A Pakistani popular terrorist group Taliban has already pointed out that they are going to retaliate against the US government for killing Bin Laden and illegally raiding their country.

The whereabouts of the Taliban remain unknown, which is something the most powerful nation in the world and its affiliates should be worried of given the threatening track record of Taliban as far as terrorism is concerned. USA has touched the snake in the tail as it is now facing a possibility of being attacked by 2 of the most dangerous terrorist organisations in the globe (Al Qaeda and Taliban). It is interesting to observe that the Al Qaeda head might be killed, but the rest of Al Qaeda members are unknown, in fact nobody knows what plan or strategy they might be currently up to.