Freedom is not only a right, it is also a responsibility.

Freedom to know the truth is regarded as a basic human right in countries where the governing bodies are prepared to take the responsibility for their actions.

Institutions with something to hide or cover up, on the other hand would welcome a secrecy bill.

Is it possible for any leading African country to take a step back to the days of Apartheid with gagging policies on information sharing?

I do not think the world will tolerate another iron curtain.   Instead of hiding information with secrecy bills, the truth will be published in through the international media, which will focus the world attention on other government shortcomings also.

Parallels will be drawn with countries like Zimbabwe and the suppressive era in our history, resulting in negative criticism for the Sub Saharan African region.

The truth will come to a boil in Google, Twitter, Facebook, U-Tube etc through the internet and other international media.   

We are moving towards globalization.       The world is moving towards responsible action and cover-ups are not tolerated any longer.    The global media hunts the revealing of truth behind a cover-up with the same passion as an Astronomer in his search for undiscovered heavenly bodies.

Fair Politics

Narrowing the gap between rich and poor should start at the very top, with the politicians who up to now considered themselves as separate from those who voted them into those positions. .

Some politicians behave as if they can walk on water while “the people” are no better than pigs rolling in mud.
We can see that in the way their million rand vehicles are being driven with no consequences for road rules and the deaths caused by disposing of those who may be blocking their path.

Some African politicians give the impression that to them “the people”, sometimes referred to as “rate payers”, “voters”, “tax payers”, “previously (20 years ago) disadvantaged” or “the underprivileged”, depending on what they need to milk from them, are merely tools to furnish their popularity and riches.

Most African politicians are counted among the highest paid politicians in the world.
If measured by the wealth of their economies, they may emerge as the wealthiest on the globe.

It is time that politicians stop blaming the past for the state they are in.
If the past was to blame, one should be able to see a decrease in poverty and suffering after twenty years of freedom in countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe.

In twenty years a whole generation reached maturity and all that we can see is more fighting, more crime, more poverty, a collapse of services and politicians together with a hand full of often related BEE partners and crime lords living in luxury that is beyond the imagination of the average African citizen.

If some citizens can enjoy one meal at a restaurant that costs more as the total pay packet that another person will earn in five years (or in some cases a life-time) then there must be a rotten apple in the bag.

One of the missions of both Jacob Zuma and Helen Ziller is to make those in power accountable for their areas of leadership.

We can only hope they succeed and that they rethink the mode of wealth distribution in the country, including their own.

It is impossible to create a sustainable living by multiplying zero by X. One needs to subtract the zeros from those who have millions. Wealth need to flow from those at the very top - not from the middle classes who managed to get there by hardship.

Taxing the average working citizen will just push him to the brink of unemployment.
Taxing his home will make him homeless. Over charging him for medical services may kill him.

By taking from the very rich, will at the worst force him into a comfortable middle class.
This will be the best way to level the playing fields.

We need to remove glut, starting by those who consider themselves (or should consider themselves) as role models.

the growing unemployment situation in South Africa

Unless a solution to the growing unemployment situation in South Africa can be found, we may need to rethink our border control policies.

Perhaps temporary work camps can be arranged where unemployed emigrants perform jobs that will benefit South Africa while they receive shelter and food in exchange.

Immigrants should only be allowed beyond the work camps if they have a legal address and/or secure job to go to.
Immigrants should never cause further unemployment in any African country.

Perhaps some bright mind can think about ways of employing immigrants in a way that would have a positive spin-off for our own unemployed.

Read a previous post (http://grannypolitics.iblog.co.za/2009/06/22/51/)

Photograph: Newspaper clipping from the Cape Argus

The African dilemma

If the world lets the Zimbabwean government get away with dictatorship, threats like "Killing for Zuma" gains much more power, and human rights in Africa will only be a pipe dream.

Give Mr mbeke time to solve problems on the home front

It may be unfair to expect Mr Mbeke, the South African prime minister, to be a mediator in the Zimbabwean crisis, while he needs to focus all his attention on the local issues.

At home, in South Africa, the policy of non-interference will not work. Diplomats must show that they are people of action when it comes to resolving problems also.

Children with guns

Perhaps Robert Mugabe is a great old man, but has been going senile steadily for a long time. Like so many other old people, he reverted back to his childhood as a freedom fighter. In his mind he really believes that Great Britain is the enemy. He may come over as an honest man with great integrity, which he is, except for the senility, which makes him relive the past.

It is also possible that children with guns, are running Zimbabwe.

That may account for the discrepancies of what happens in Zimbabwe, and what Mr. Mugabe reveals to the international community.

Is Mr. Mugabe the mascot and a front for the child army and their terror campaign?

Just think about it, it is possible.

No election in Zimbabwe can be fair after the torturing and killing many of the opposition.

Many of people not cast their votes in the next election in fear of retaliation.

14-05-2008 Granny White

(Original Post)

NEPAD NEWSLETTER Issue 224

01 TICAD in Japan sees Africa as a continent of hope and opportunities

.02 NEPAD tourism conference aims to spread the benefits across Africa

.03 FAO expert tells MPs about the effects of high food prices on Africa

.04 Good governance – and its relevance in Africa

.05 Pan-African Parliament discusses peace, security – and the Zimbabwe elections

.06 Social movement to involve grassroots communities in decision-making and delivery

.07 First disbursements from NEPAD-Spanish Women’s Fund

Read this newsletter Online

War a Global Cancer

3-08-2008

2008 THE YEAR THAT STARTED A WAR THAT WIPED OUT THE WORLD, AS WE KNOW IT?

Could 2008 be the year when the world looked on how one madman destroyed a beautiful country and did nothing – or not enough - to put an end to it?

One can think of Robert Mugabe as a cancer cell (in a body) attacking a beautiful healthy organ.

Robert Mugabe happens to be one of the African Brotherhood that fought oppression. This cancer could easily spread to nearby organs if it is not surgically removed before doing so.

This cancer may also infiltrate the far-off nodes, of the lymphatic system, in the body if not removed.

We know that China is supplying arms to Zimbabwe.

Soon the whole body (world) will be in a fight for survival once the nodes carry the cancer to other organs.

We know on which side China will be during a world war, after all she is supplying Zimbabwe with arms. Who will Japan support?

Has Hiroshima been forgotten and forgiven?

The best and only treatment for cancer is surgery at an early stage.

Post Mugabwe rule - a possible outcome

A diagrammatic forecast of a possible wealth distribution in Zimbabwe for a post Mugabe rule.
see the explanation of he diagram below

Everything depends whether the economy of the country will be a main criteria in a non-racial shared society.

The situation as it was pre-Mugabe dictatorship. Note the cener indicates the governmental system.

The lighter colors indicate the wealth distribution.

The arrows indicate the circulation of wealth within the country.

1. Pre Mugabe rule - wealth in the hands of few, but not much reaching the general population

2. Mugabe Rule - the wealth in the hands of the government and a few who found favor with Mugabe and others who managed to hold onto some of their wealth, while virtually nothing reaches the people. Much of the wealth leaked out of the country, while many of those who are able to provide poverty alleviation emigrated.

3. Post Mugabe Rule (possibility) Wealth returning to the country, but this time-shared among the people. Much help from outside.

4. Prosperity for all. A good circulation of wealth and education. An example of "Unity is strength"

Levelling the plying fields

South Africa in stormy waters

During the apartheid years in South Africa, the economy was built on the sweat and suffering of people with colour. Leaders need to take care, today, not to level the economy in an attempt to level the playing fields. Racism always has a negative impact on the economy of any country. (Rhodesia / Zimbabwe is a prime example).

South Africa seems to be sliding backwards very fast too.

Rather than colour code executive positions, one could utilize the experience of skilled workers to educate the underprivileged while standards of service remain high.

Any ship will sail for a while, and look as pretty as ever, without experienced sailors in charge. but sooner or later she will sink. South Africa is sinking and there seem to be no one at the rudder. Zimbabwe is gone, yet she seems to be a role model for many African heads of states.