Let’s revive ubuntu to save our country

Thandisizwe Mgudlwa2019-09-19 23:55

This philosophy of ubuntu, a Nguni word meaning humanity in the Queen’s language, appeared in South Africa around the mid-19th century.Once upon a time there was a philosophy called ubuntu.

Although ubuntu has not always received the support and following it should have received from all sectors of South African society, it nevertheless espoused the promotion of humanness through goodness, kindness, sharing, loving and all the qualities encouraged by most faiths universally.

Somehow, by the attainment of democracy in South Africa in 1994, ubuntu, for whatever reason, became an afterthought.

The democratic government, although not opposed to it, at least publicly, did not go out of its way to promote the philosophy of ubuntu as the guiding principle of the post-apartheid dispensation.

Instead, ubuntu would be mostly mentioned in passing by various leaders when and where it suited them to talk about this noble humanistic programme.

THE DEFINITIONS OF UBUNTU RANGE FROM A PERSON IS A PERSON THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE TO I AM BECAUSE WE ARE OR HUMANITY TOWARDS OTHERS. BUT MORE ROBUSTLY IT WOULD MEAN THE BELIEF IN A UNIVERSAL BOND OF SHARING THAT CONNECTS ALL HUMANITY.

The anarchy that has come to characterise the post-1994 dispensation can and must be linked to the demotion of the ubuntu philosophy.

The definitions of ubuntu range from “a person is a person through other people” to “I am because we are” or “humanity towards others”.

But more robustly it would mean “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity”.

The toxic news on violence against women and children, including that on foreign African nationals living in South Africa, which is the talk of the town all over the world these days, is a sign that South Africa remains a traumatised society.

The blatant truth is that all people, including men, are victims of this violence and anarchy crippling the land.

And the sad part of all this, apart from the loss of lives and injuries inflicted on other human beings by supposedly other “human beings”, is a setback to investments that South Africa desperately needs.

FROM CORRUPTION TO POOR SERVICE DELIVERY, SOUTH AFRICA IS FURTHER SLIPPING AWAY FROM BECOMING A CARING AND PEOPLE-CENTRED NATION. 

From corruption to poor service delivery, South Africa is further slipping away from becoming a caring and people-centred nation.

The triple effects of unemployment, poverty and inequality surely do not make matters better, more so when they are not declining but increasing because of poor leadership.

Many of our societal ills are centuries-old challenges that have not been met with the same measure of leadership needed to overcome them.

HAD THERE BEEN A MORE DETERMINED EFFORT BY THE NATION’S GOVERNORS, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SYSTEMATIC INSTITUTIONALISATION OF UBUNTU IN EVERY FACET OF SOUTH AFRICAN LIFE – INCLUDING SCHOOLS AND MOST CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS. 

The many commissions of inquiry that have unfolded since the dawn of democracy in 1994 are testament to this.

But I get the feeling that, just like the increasing number of South Africans from all walks of life, marching in solidarity with those directly affected by the madness that is crippling the nation right now, people are sincere and genuine in calling for an end to violence against others.

Had there been a more determined effort by the nation’s governors, there would have been a systematic institutionalisation of ubuntu in every facet of South African life – including schools and most civil society groups.

Today, South Africa is a shadow of itself. We are no longer the beacon of hope many in the world thought we were when we embarked on what seemed to be a “new beginning” in 1994.

Those who can possibly make a positive contribution in the nation-building project are ignored, and they lack capacity and resources to make themselves heard through the limited platforms and forums they can access.

A lack of a united and coherent voice on what it will take to make South Africa the best in all its endeavours does little to inspire a citizenry starved of meaningful participation and involvement in the development of their communities and country.

As a way forward, all South Africans and the country’s various sectors, industries, institutions and organisations, have to rise to the occasion by providing leadership in how the ubuntu philosophy can be renewed and made to heal the country’s centuries-old traumas.

• Mgudlwa is a journalist and writer of the bestselling children’s book Kiddies World

Imagine if South Africa was like this ...

Thandisizwe Mgudlwa2019-08-02 16:24

The South African flag in the Constitutional Court.

Imagine if this governing party was fully behind its president and leadership as they tried to attract investment and create jobs for all in an effort to end poverty.Imagine if South Africa had a governing party that was united. This governing party had cadres who woke up every day more determined to serve the people of the country, be it in their communities, in the three spheres of government and in every other sector.

Imagine if South Africans woke up every day to the news of another corruption-free delivered government project to create jobs and improve the living conditions of the people.

Imagine if all South Africans woke up every day, knowing that by the end of business and by the end of the day, they would celebrate in the knowledge that they’d had another productive day. And that the results meant that fellow South Africans had a better life than yesterday.

For now, at least, President Cyril Ramaphosa is mostly dreaming, it seems. And, perhaps, the time for all South Africans to dream has come.

Polarising politics is the reality in the republic, be it the Public Protector going against the president or against the SA Revenue Service, the DA against Ramaphosa, or the EFF against Pravin Gordhan.

Imagine, instead, leaders, parties and people who trusted and respected the decisions of the country’s democratic institutions, even if they went against them.

Imagine if our politics were not about going against those with whom we differed, but rather about finding a half-way point at which we trusted one another and worked together to find solutions to the challenges confronting us as a country. It would make a great change from searching for loopholes to destroy others.

Imagine if our leaders, irrespective of party affiliation or ideological differences, worked every day to unite and build South Africa to be the safest, most powerful and prosperous nation on Earth, far surpassing what all the “superpowers” have achieved.

Imagine if all South Africans, every day, were united in dreaming, imagining and building a democratic and nondiscriminating country and the best nationon the planet.

Imagine a country where all its people had enough to eat and drink and acceptable living conditions.

And imagine a country that strived every day to create equal opportunities for all its citizens without regard for race, gender, culture, community and belief.

It could be that for the past 25 years of our constitutional democracy we have been overtrying to do rather than imagining and dreaming of the country in which we want to live.

And, as a way forward, we could join our president in dreaming of the most prosperous nation in the world and eventually achieve it through informed and positive action.

Let’s start dreaming and share our dreams of being a “superpower”, the best the world has seen, and then act on the dreams.

Dream, South Africa, Dream.

Mgudlwa is a journalist and writer of the bestselling children’s book Kiddies World

GUEST COLUMN

Give power to the people

2017-02-12 06:06

(iStock)

After a hectic 22 years’ rule by a democratically elected ANC government, South Africa’s post-1994 dispensation has proved too much to bear for many citizens.

There was a time when the world regarded our country as a beacon of hope. This occurred after we succeeded in narrowly avoiding a racially charged civil war in the 1994 build-up to our new democracy.

When elections and the transfer of power proved to be a relatively peaceful process, global observers called South Africa “the greatest racial miracle the world as ever seen”.

Fast-forward to today, and South Africa has been pegged as a country to avoid. One reason is the high crime rate which continues to plague our nation.

This continuing curse is defined by violence in its many and varied forms.

For example, towards the end of 2003, South Africa experienced its first wave of service-delivery protests.

At the time of the outbreak, many dismissed it as temporary, and part and parcel of the country’s transition from apartheid to democracy. It would not be long before matters returned to normal, they said.

We all know how wrong they were.

The flames of violent protests have been vigorously fanned, culminating in the Marikana massacre of August 2012 – described online as “the single most lethal use of force by South African security forces against civilians since 1960”.

Earlier, in 2006, the trade union movement experienced its darkest hour post democracy when a series of killings – the brutal byproduct of trade union rivalry – brought the country to the brink of instability.

And recently, the higher education sector has been brought to a standstill by students calling for economic transformation and a change in the education system.

Having seen what has happened since democracy, it is safe to assume that the country cannot depend on leaders who were involved in bringing about the new dispensation to turn things around and instil order.

Where did it all go wrong for South Africa? How did we get here? Let us go back to the early 1990s, during the series of negotiations for a new South Africa. These took place under the banner of the Convention for a Democratic SA (Codesa).

A major oversight then was that not all communities, organisations and other South African stakeholders were present at those talks.

The political organisations which took part in the discussions were more concerned about their own agendas than what was best for the country.

If they had placed South Africa’s interests first, we would not still be calling for an electoral system favouring the masses, who remain as voiceless and marginalised as they were during Codesa.

The political organisations which dominated the Codesa talks engineered a party-based democracy.

It looked good on paper, but these days has come to refer to a governing party which calls the shots. Its cadres have to toe the party line or risk being punished for disloyalty.

Codesa proved to be flawed as the electorate have now become mere voters during election time. At other times, they have no say in how and what the party they vote for does, including how they elect their president.

Accountability and transparency from party leaders and elected representatives are nonexistent.

What’s more disturbing is that the opposition parties do not appear to bother much about the masses either.

If the country has a credible civil society, it must campaign for presidential electoral reform to restore power to the people – and do so now.

Mgudlwa is a journalist and writer of the bestselling children’s book Kiddies World

FOOD PRODUCTION

REALfarmacy.com

Why Growing Food is The Single Most Impactful Thing You Can Do in a Corrupt Political System

The most effective change-makers in our society aren’t waiting around for a new president to make their lives better, they’re planting seeds, quite literally, and through the revolutionary act of gardening, they’re rebuilding their communities while growing their own independence.

Every four years when the big election comes around, millions of people put their passion for creating a better world into an increasingly corrupt and absurd political contest. What if that energy was instead invested in something worthwhile, something that directly and immediately improved life, community, and the world at large?

The simple act of growing our own food directly challenges the control matrix in many authentic ways, which is why some of the most forward-thinking and strongest-willed people are picking up shovels and defiantly starting gardens. It has become much more of a meaningful political statement than supporting political parties and candidates.

Propaganda gardening, a combination of guerrilla gardening and political protest, is about developing self-sufficiency while making a simple, yet bold statement about the world we all share, and the rules we choose to live by. [Source]

Take, for example, Ron Finley, the ‘Guerrilla Gardener’ from Los Angeles who inspires the world with no-nonsense truth about how the corporate food system enslaves us, while proving to us that the most effective weapon in this fight is fertile soil. He makes growing veggies cool again, as it should be, because food sovereignty is the very foundation of personal independence.

I live in a food prison.. It’s all by design just like prisons are by designed. I just got tired of being an inmate. So I figured, let me change this paradigm, let me grown my own food. This is one thing I can do to escape this predestined life that I have unwillingly subscribed to. – Ron Finley

Think about it. Creating your own food supply challenges the status quo in a number of important ways. Growing your own food:

-Decreases dependence on a polluted corporate food system

-Improves health and wellness by providing exercise and nutritious food, freeing us from dependence on a for-profit medical system

-Undermines Monsanto and the agro-chemical industry that is polluting our world and killing bees

-Highlights issues of political control by pitting homeowners and gardeners against government and ordinance makers

-Builds and heals community by providing a place and activity worth coming together over

-Works to repair the damage we are doing to the environment with our consumer lifestyles

-Protects us against insecurity and food unrest

-Facilitates a greater awakening by setting an example for others to follow

When united, awareness and action create the kind of changes that a rigid control system cannot tolerate, and when extraordinary people like Ron Finley take the lead, a meaningful movement can take hold. This is real action, it is very effective, and as it becomes more mainstream to set up gardens in your yard and on your block, we will witness the re-emergence of the kind of society we just cannot create by playing by the rules of a rigged system.

I had sixty people putting in an urban garden while you all were marching. Now who do you think was more effective? – Ron Finley

Here’s Ron in a recent interview with Marc Angelo of the Superhero Academy:

Just a few generations ago, gardening for sustenance was not the fringe activity that it has become in recent decades, because it was a basic daily act of survival. One that will rise again as a controlled economy and engineered economic collapse will make it imperative to join forces with your community and defend your personal sovereignty.

Why don’t you churches get together instead of with your ‘my religion is better than yours’ bullshit, and get together and put in a healthy food market… isn’t that doing good business? If your people live longer, don’t you get more money? – Ron Finley

What happens when you transform yourself by deepening your connection to nature?What happens when you then transform your community by bringing your neighbors together in the goal of providing something of immense value to all? What happens then when a nation of transformed communities sees their world without the boundaries of and limitations imposed on us by a corrupt system?

The four-year cycle of presidential politics in the US is far more effective at stealing the constructive energy of motivated people than it is at bringing about meaningful change to our lives, communities and to the nation as a whole. Time to try something far more effective and rewarding. Let’s overgrow the system, and transform our health and communities in the process.

For a sign that this movement is spreading across the nation, check out this homegrown music video, ‘Gardening is Gangsta,’ by Mark Jankins and Sifu Paul Davis.

I don’t rely on new food stamps. Cuz’ every season got me harvesting some new plants.

Alex Pietrowski is an artist and writer concerned with preserving good health and the basic freedom to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and Offgrid Outpost, a provider of storable food and emergency kits. Alex is an avid student of Yoga and life. This article (Gardening More Meaningful than Voting in a Rigged Political System) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Vic Bishop and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement. Please contact WakingTimes@gmail.com for more info. 

Image: Featured image by Alternative Apparel, on this page from first to last rd.com, mnn.com, gamechangers.com

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NEWS

Main Local news LOCAL NEWSLATEST POLITICS NEWS Buhari reportedly signs executive order to prevent foreigners from getting jobs Nigerians can do 3 months ago 129305 views by  Nurudeen Lawal - President Buhari reportedly signed Executive Order 5 to improve local content in public procurement - The executive order also reportedly prohibits the Ministry of Interior from giving visas to foreign workers whose skills are readily available in Nigeria - The order, however, consideration shall only be given to a foreign professional, where it is certified that such expertise is not available in Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, June 3, in Abuja reportedly signed Executive Order 5 to improve local content in public procurement with science, engineering and technology components. According to The Nation, the Executive Order is expected to promote the application of science, technology and innovation towards achieving the nation’s development goals across all sectors of the economy. The president, pursuant to the authority vested in him by the constitution, ordered that all ‘‘procuring authorities shall give preference to Nigerian companies and firms in the award of contracts, in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007.’’ READ ALSO: Legit Poll: Nigerians consider Gbajabiamila best qualified for speakership race The Executive Order also reportedly prohibits the Ministry of Interior from giving visas to foreign workers whose skills are readily available in Nigeria. It, however, notes that where expertise is lacking, procuring entities will give preference to foreign companies and firms with a demonstrable and verifiable plan for indigenous development, prior to the award of such contracts. In the proclamation entitled ‘Presidential Executive Order 5 For Planning And Execution Of Projects, Promotion Of Nigerian Content In Contracts And Science, Engineering And Technology, President Buhari also reportedly directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies to engage indigenous professionals in the planning, design and execution of national security projects. It adds that ‘‘consideration shall only be given to a foreign professional, where it is certified by the appropriate authority that such expertise is not available in Nigeria.’’ PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has said that President Buhari cannot approve state policing just by his decree. Speaking during his guest appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, June 6, Falana said that the issue of state policing is a constitutional issue. The SAN said that for state policing to be created, the bill calling for its creation has to first go to the National Assembly, adding that the bill can originate from either of the national houses. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians | Legit TV Source: Legit Newspaper TAGS: Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1242035-buhari-reportedly-signs-executive-order-prevent-foreigners-jobs-nigerians-do.html?fbclid=IwAR25GFJFXXp88OzHZCgRocSs21tSesaDE0QmX8BFeVjLe9z5e3bMIbMn6yE

POLITICS

People go into politics not to serve but to enrich themselves - Emile Short

KOJO EMMANUEL

 Yesterday at 9:30 AM

Tell your friends  

The former Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Emile Francis Short has stated that people who venture into politics should use their power to make decisions based on their understanding of the common good.

Justice Francis Emile Short

He said those decisions should serve the office holder's constituency, that is those citizens who voted for him or her adding that decisions should not be made, nor should they appear to be made, based on the financial self-interest of the officeholder. 

Any such decision undermines the status of citizens as sovereign as well as the trust they have in the government, he said.

He condemned the practice of people getting into the political office just to enrich themselves.

In an interview on Accra FM, he stated that "In Africa, too many people go into politics not to serve the people but to benefit themselves, to benefit the party and party supporters."

He opined that the only time legislators from both parties (New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress) in Parliament unite is when it is in their collective interest.

"You hardly have consensus between these two dominant parties” but “the only time you would get consensus is when they introduce a policy that will benefit both Members of Parliament of the political divide," he noted.

Source: Pulse Ghana