Carol Lazar wrote this in the Star on Monday:
We are a proud democracy. We call ourselves the rainbow nation and we are the only country in the world that voluntarily changed from a tyrannical apartheid regime to a fully-fledged democracy where all our citizens, irrespective of race, creed or colour have full human rights.
With our ground-breaking Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established after the end of apartheid, we were hailed as champions of democracy, a flagship among nations, a beacon of light.
So what happened? How did we lose our credibility? And why has UN Watch, the very respected and credible non-governmental organisation based in Geneva, placed South Africa at the bottom of the human rights list?
To read the whole thing, go HEREShe concludes by saying:
I used to feel proud of being a South African.
But when my democratic, rainbow nation votes for those who practice human rights' abuses, I feel ashamed.
Will we again become the polecat of the world?
Tuesday, November 27
From Up There to Down Here ...
Friday, November 16
How A Country Goes Down While Everyone Stands By and Watches ...
"Jacob Zuma is your next president - and get over it," says leading political analyst Dr Xolela Mangcu. Speaking at a Bureau for Economic Research conference entitled Key challenges facing the South African economy, Mangcu said Zuma was a strong candidate for next month's ANC's leadership election conference, even though many outsiders doubted his candidacy.
"This is Zuma's election to lose," said Mangcu, to the disbelief of several hundred delegates.
I used to just shake my head and laugh at the antics of politicians in this country - I'm NOT a political animal by any stretch of imagination. But now I am reduced to tears. Tears of rage and disbelief and deep helplessness.
How can there be any hope for a country when a leading political analyst tells us that we're going to have to accept this man as our future president and that all we can do is to 'get over it already'?? A man who was previously sacked as deputy president of the ANC, who has been charged with corruption (his former financial advisor and lifelong friend is now in prison following convictions for fraud and corruption), charged with rape (acquitted but the whole thing was very dodgy AND revealed that he thought he could avoid AIDS by showering well after sex).
The sad and scary thing is that he has the support of the people who think that his behaviour is just fine! He is currently front runner in a race in which the only other serious contender for the position of leader of the ANC, and therefore future president of SA, is the current president (who, if he won, would be having THIRD term in office).
I'm so angry and so frustrated. This whole country is rife with fraud and corruption - this morning's news was about new evidence re the Land Bank scandal, where employees have stolen over a billion rands worth of funds. Today, no less than FIVE board members have been arrested in this regard! The leader of the Scorpions (the leading crime-fighting division in SA) is on trial for irregularities. The police chief is being investigated for who knows what.
It's a total fucking mess. GREEN CARD, where are you???
"This is Zuma's election to lose," said Mangcu, to the disbelief of several hundred delegates.
I used to just shake my head and laugh at the antics of politicians in this country - I'm NOT a political animal by any stretch of imagination. But now I am reduced to tears. Tears of rage and disbelief and deep helplessness.
How can there be any hope for a country when a leading political analyst tells us that we're going to have to accept this man as our future president and that all we can do is to 'get over it already'?? A man who was previously sacked as deputy president of the ANC, who has been charged with corruption (his former financial advisor and lifelong friend is now in prison following convictions for fraud and corruption), charged with rape (acquitted but the whole thing was very dodgy AND revealed that he thought he could avoid AIDS by showering well after sex).
The sad and scary thing is that he has the support of the people who think that his behaviour is just fine! He is currently front runner in a race in which the only other serious contender for the position of leader of the ANC, and therefore future president of SA, is the current president (who, if he won, would be having THIRD term in office).
I'm so angry and so frustrated. This whole country is rife with fraud and corruption - this morning's news was about new evidence re the Land Bank scandal, where employees have stolen over a billion rands worth of funds. Today, no less than FIVE board members have been arrested in this regard! The leader of the Scorpions (the leading crime-fighting division in SA) is on trial for irregularities. The police chief is being investigated for who knows what.
It's a total fucking mess. GREEN CARD, where are you???
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