SELFLESS TRIBUNAL???

The proposed Media Tribunal, is a selfless travesty to a selfless course to our struggle, and contradicts everything that the African National Congress stood for and stands for today. A tyrannical era of passive and sporadic semi-armed resistance was fought to attain a Democratic, Liberal South African State. What is self-governance and freedom, when the politicians that govern our country want their actions and unruly discretion go clandestinely unnoticed and untouched? Where is freedom in that notion?

Media freedom, is an essential cornerstone to what is known as Democracy. It is the strength that keeps political and social relations flowing in a harmonious plateau. Media freedom is a partner to breathing, living developmental policies of our Constitution. The Constitution enshrines the seeds that will build our country into the best Nation in the world, including the transparency to the dissemination of information, without bias or prejudice ideals.

Media Tribunals are aimed at denying South African journalists their freedom to impart societal and political information about corruptions and corrupt individuals. Placing objective reportage in a bad subverted view, is an undeniably imprudent and inhumane, dictatorial stance that has subjected journalists around the world with unnecessary torture and destructive imprisonment. Where is a Selfless Struggle there?

When a governing cabinet constructs a Democratic State, from a directive of a solid Constitution, with corrupt individuals standing in the shadows, trying to undermine the power and control of the hand that voted it to power, by overlooking and substituting its demands to a better life; to jobs, housing, good health plans and education, with acquiring wealth and going to overseas tax-sponsored holiday trips with hedging diplomatic reasons, without considering what their position and duty is to the very masses that helped to construct the Democratic State, with a directive of a solid Constitution. Then, that individual’s pillaging mentality, needs to be placed in the public eye for scrutiny.

The Media’s Ombudsman and other regulatory ‘watchman’s judgmental heads are the only heads that have to reign over journalists without imposing or denying the media its fundamental right to do its job. Journalist who falsify information, are not the only ones that are guilty of that falsification. The responsibility of clarifying information falls with the person that gave information, the journalist that acquired that particular information, the sub-editor and the editor that has to check for the authenticity or source of that particular information before it goes to print. Why should political parties regulate the media, when the media has the Press Ombudsman and the Press Council?

South Africa has come a long way to emulate the ways of Zimbabwe or the ways of Cuba. The responsibility to what future generations of our land will have to deal with, starts with how we view our society - politicians included. The Media’s freedom is linked with the freedom to speak, write and acquire information without infringing on other human beings’ right to life, and National Security. An ideal to a selfless struggle does not exempt an individual from a lawful reprimand when a white-collar crime has been committed and when National Security has been compromised.

WORD TO A NEW FAIR MEDIA REGULATORY REVOLUTION

By Linda Sakazi Thwala

THE PITFALLS OF BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS TO RELIGION

HISTORY teaches us clearly that the battle against colonialism does not run straight away along the lines of nationalism. For a very long time the native devotes his energies to ending certain definite abuses: forced labour, corporal punishment, inequality of salaries, limitation of political rights, etc. This fight for democracy against the oppression of mankind will slowly leave the confusion of universalism to emerge. The lack of practical links between God and the mass devise a moment of the struggle that give rise to tragic mishaps.

In my opinion, it is not necessary to talk with Africans about African culture. However, in the light of the above statement one realizes that there is so much confusion sown, not only amongst casual non Africans, but even amongst Africans themselves, that perhaps a sincere attempt should be made at emphasizing the authentic cultural aspects of the African people by Africans themselves.

Since 1652- we blacks have been experiencing a process of acculturation. It is perhaps presumptuous to call it acculturation because this term implies a fusion of different cultures. In our case the confusion has been extremely one sided. The two major cultures that met and fused were the African culture and the Anglo –Boer culture .Whereas the African culture was simple and unsophisticated , the Anglo –Boer had all the trappings of a colonialist culture and therefore was heavily equipped for conquest. Where they could, they conquered by persuasion, using a highly exclusive religion that denounced all other Gods and demanded a strict code of behaviour with respect to clothing, education, ritual and custom. Where it was impossible to convert, firearms were readily available and used to advantage. Hence the Anglo –Boer was the more powerful culture in almost all facets. This is where the African began to lose a grip of himself and his surroundings.

It was the white missionaries under the veil of Christianity who confused the blacks with their new religion. They mythisized our people with stories of hell. They painted their God as a demanding God who seek worship “or else”. People had to discard their clothes and their customs in order to be accepted to the new religion .Knowing how Africans were, these pseudo- Christians stepped up their terror campaign on the emotions of the blacks with their detailed account of eternal burning, tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth. By some strange and twisted logic they argued that theirs was scientific religion and our was superstition. This cold and cruel religion was strange to the indigenous people and caused frequent strife between the “converted blacks” and the “resisting blacks”, for the “converted” have imbibed the false values of white society. The converted blacks were taught to ridicule and despise those defended the truth of their indigenous religion .With the ultimate acceptance of western religion down went our cultural values.

What I have tried to illustrate here is that in South Africa, religion has always rested under the white envelop. Not only have the Whites been guilty of being on the offensive habit but also, some skilful manoeuvres. They have managed to control the responses of the blacks to the provocation. Not only have they kicked the black but they have told him how to react to the kick. For a long time the black have been listening with patience to the advice he has been receiving on how best to respond to the kick. With painful slowness he should now beginning to show signs that it is his right and duty to respond to the kick in the way he sees fit.

While I don’t wish to question the basic truth at heart of Christianity, there is a strong case for blacks to re-examine their cultural religion which was bastardised at a helm of evils of colonisation. To the best of my research, I uncover very fundament aspects of black theology through our worship of ancestors. This theology wants to describe God as a fighting God not as a passive God who allows a lie to rest unchallenged. It grapples with existential problems and does not claim to be a theology of absolutes. It seeks to bring back God to the black man and to the truth and reality of his situation. The distinction between people and ancestors appeared to stem from the nature of the relationship between the living and the dead for it is believed that the dead are in close proximity with God. In Christian faith this is known as saint.

This acknowledgement of these beautiful angels opened a channel of communication between the living and those in the afterlife. Unfinished business in black theology is acknowledged and peace is made through rituals and ceremonies. Moments of transition at mile stones along one’s life are marked by rituals. Transitions such as births, initiations, graduations, changes in places of abode, acquisitions of important property, marriages and death are communicated to ancestors. Key ancestors in each household or clan are called by name and asked to participate in the significant occasion and bless it.

Such key ancestors are usually fathers, mothers, and grandparents. Whenever appropriate, ancestors are visited at their graves and informed about matters for which thanks are due and blessings are requested. In the event of personal or work related problems, rituals are performed to appease the death and restore good relationships. These rituals enable the living and those who have passed on to make peace and maintain it. It is this peace that is believed to open up opportunities for present and future prosperity. Therefore, when I survey all this and much more besides, I find nothing to sustain the long-held dogma of black theology, according to which our ancestor practice have become a symbol of fear, evil and death.

I speak of this long-held dogma because it continues still to weigh down the African mind and spirit, like the ton of lead that the African slave carries on their own shoulders. This heavy myth dictates to us that we will never straighten our back and thus discover that we are as tall as the slave master who carries the whip. An essential and necessary element of us blacks is that we all must take it as our task to encourage whoever carries this leaden weight, to rebel and assert the principality of our humanity. This is an important aspect of blacks who still swim in a mire of confusion –the aftermath of missionary approach.

We need to rewrite our history and produce in it the heroes that formed the core of our resistance to the white invaders. More has to be revealed, and stress has to be laid on the successful nation building attempts of men such as Shaka, Moshoeshoe and Hintsa. These areas call for intense research to provide some sorely-needed missing links. We would be too naïve to expect our conquerors to write unbiased histories about us. We have to persistently destroy the myth about our own religion, culture, customs and rituals which were wiped under cruel acts. We must reject as we have been doing the individualistic cold approach to life that is the cornerstone of the Anglo –Boer culture and keep the burning ashes of our ancestors -for to them blessings nourish.

By Cyprian Thwala

POWER AND POSSESSION

The Self is a wonderful place to be in, especially when it has realized, the three essentials contained by the Tree of Self, an individual’s spiritual affirmation and knowledge of the Self contained by the ‘temple’. Power and Possession are characteristics which are synonymous with the PROSPERITY of SELF. A yearning for Power and Possession is a psychological aspiration, which the Self needs to experience within, which leads to a content individual. Out of temple, materialistic or worldly Power and Possession can lead to tyrannical arrogance, when an individual is not accustomed to giving orders or reigning over others in an amicable way.

We as humans, are beings of Power and Possession. It is in our nature to take control in everything around us and in anything that wants to consume, manacle our physical, mental and emotional power. We are beings of rebellion and at times nonconformists in the ways of our forced habitual habitat. When an individual’s survival is, in any form threatened, and their living conditions are reduced to a degrading unruly state of chaos and free-falling pillaging. Is Power and Possession the right path for us humankind? To be in the right place in mind and spirit, is to understand that the material wealth that we are all casing, brings greed unto the world and kills the bonds that people had formed for years or decades.

Power and Possession is aligned with knowing how to talk the talk, walk the walk and walk the talk. Talking the talk is a mental centralism position, linked to your mental capacity – a loud mouth can be as load as they want, with sense or lack of sense, without acting on their rhetoric, it means nothing. Walking the walk, aligns to the impression of physical stimulus which is a form of physical dependence, which can be senseless, ineffective or null and void minus the talk. Walking the talk is an effective acquisition of results to the an individual’s goals in life – allies to Power and Possession. However, walking the talk can be arrogant, cold and lethal when talk turns dictatorial and dogmatically overtly that it shows the dark side of an individual’s hunger for Power and Possession, consequently the walking turns physically aggressive and diabolically uncompromising thus brings chaos unto the world (reflections of World War Two).

Out of temple or out of body acquisitions are meant to make one feel better about life and their individual efforts, however the buck stops there. Steve Biko, father of ‘Black Consciousness’, spoke of the “Noble Savage” (I write what I like: 1978), a relative concept that was not exploited to its peripheral nuances, to what it means to be a savage and yet be noble. A Noble Savage, means a person that is in a position of nobility or affluence, talking the talk, but is savagery in their actions - their way of doing things or leadership quality. A Noble Savage tells you what you want to hear, and does something else to the contrary of what was said. It’s a ‘you my friend with a smile and I’ll stab you in the back later’ type of thing. A Savage of nobility is an earthly dictator that aims to pillage a nation of its wealth and livelihood of its masses without considering, the consequences of their savagery actions.

A Noble Savage, thinks not of the inner spiritual entity that its masses need, coupled with the daily survival essential. A Noble Savage thinks not of their country, other than their possession perception in their pockets. A savage promises numerous things, but delivers zilch. Its yearning and acquiring of Power and Possession is uncompromisingly attributed to destruction to attain respect and honor. A Noble Savage thinks not of its Nation but its self-centered persona in pursuit of Power and Possession.

Out of temple, materialistic or worldly Power and Possession can undeniably lead to tyrannical arrogance, when an individual is not accustomed to giving orders or reigning over others in an amicable way. Power and Possession does not build resonance to acting love, transcending-love and to self-belief, it can assist in maintaining your self-worth, and serving as a humanitarian tool for the betterment of the world and humankind, when power and its possession is used in a proper way, to serve and protect. The Self knows no savagery ways, it is taught to be violent through earthly acquisitions.

WORD TO A NEW POWER AND POSSESSION REVOLUTION

By Linda Sakazi Thwala

THE TREE OF SELF: Three Essentials to Self Development

Within the Tree of Self, there are three essentials that can help improve and sustain the branches of self, in accordance to Self belonging. These three essential are: Mental Exercise, Emotional Exercise, and Physical Exercise. The three exercises of the self can help in improving your whole attitude about life during tenuous times and during salacious moments in your life.

It is imperative that your Mental attitude towards life is in harmony with what you believe in, what you are experiencing and with what you want to achieve. The Mental Exercise of self starts with a well grounded educational base (meaning what you read, see and hear), that an individual acquires from their family environment, combined with colorful social interactions or relations with other fellow human-beings. There is an axiom that states: “It’s all in the mind” – your mental attitude determines your latitude and it initializes with a good upbringing or learning to overcome restraining obstacles in your path to attaining sustaining growth.

Growing up in an environment that offers a right mental attitude to life, guards an individual to attain mental strength, adjoined to all your relationships with day to day conversations that help to champion your emotional strength. After all, assorted conversations lead to clarity of the self. Emotional strength is gained through Emotional Exercise. How your parents treated or treat you, how your siblings or relatives treat you, how you treat yourself, how you treat your friends and how you treat your lover; is linked to your Emotional Exercise to life. Controlling your emotions within all your conversations is an essential trait to life and to your mental well-being. Failure to do so, can lead an individual to commit themselves to unwanted violent tendencies that will lead to self annihilation.

Going out for a walk, a jog, weight lifting, or playing any type of sports is Physical Exercise and builds your physical strength, which builds your life’s longevity. Why is Physical Exercise an essential? When an individual exercises, a positive attitude towards life increases and gives mental refreshment and emotional relief, that helps to reduce stress (which is why romantic moments with your partner are also an integral part to improving your relationship, as they combine all three essentials of self). Physical Exercise helps towards self-love; it is when you are in love with your ‘temple’ or body that you learn to love others without hindering their existence or compromising your own path to realizing transcending-love. Physical Exercise is a form of Acting-love.

Love is action – how you are treated, how you treat your family or your lover in a relationship will determine the latitude and longevity of your love; acting love is also an emotional and mental triptych to all your friendships and all your acquaintances – showing hate gives back hate, showing love gives back love. Acting love comes in different forms; one being self-love – the ability to realize that you cannot love another unless you love yourself; two, exuding that love in everything you do; three, talk the talk and walk the talk – act on your promises; four, ability to know when you have faulted and acknowledge that you have; five, good communication – knowing where you stand with your life and where your partner stands in your life is critical.

The branches to the tree of self are the three essential; Mental Exercise, Emotional Exercise, and Physical Exercise – that will build resonance to acting love, transcending-love and to self-belief. These three essential can assist to forming a well balanced self and maintain a resilient love that is never shaken nor destroyed by our brief earthly matters, however a makes an individual a shining beacon, the necessary light in the world.

WORD TO THE NEW THREE ESSENTIALS TO SELF REVOLUTION

By Linda Sakazi Thwala