So Paul or no Paul – Well done to the Sharks!!!

I wonder what Paul the Octopus would have predicted on the big shark WP game yesterday. Had he lived in his natural habitat and seen Sharks in action maybe he would have gone for the clam under the less offensive blue WP colours. Quite frankly I never did understand this whole Paul the octopus thing and before I even got to understanding – it’s dead. My fascination is with those people who would want to fly it as an esteemed guest from Germany to Spain to honour the fact that he ate a clam under a flag and in so doing predicted a match win.

What would have happened to dear Paul after the match had he chosen the clam under the German flag before that fateful semi final when they lost to Spain!!

An Octopus has a fairly short lifespan of 2 and a half to 5 years depending on the species and in this time females can lay up to 100 000 eggs. The octopus is considered by some to be the most intelligent of all invertebrates!!!

The octopus Paul, who lived in the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen Germany, was born in Weymouth, England in 2008. He was called a traitor to England when he apparently ate the clam under the German flag predicting that Germany would beat England during the Soccer World Cup!!

For the prediction, two boxes were lowered into the salty soothsayer's tank, each containing a mussel and the flags of the two opposing teams. Astonishingly watched by a myriad of reporters, Paul would head to one box, wrench open the lid and gobble the tasty morsel and that country represented by the flag under which the box was placed was predicted the winner!! This two-year-old octopus that had been likened to having possible psychic powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the winner of Germany's five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also tipped Spain to beat Netherlands in the final!! Some of his predictions were hence carried live on rolling news channels in Germany. He was even given a replica of the World Cup after the final as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in picking matches as camera crews watched!!

And it’s actually been said - "There's no rational reason why he always got it right!!!" Are we even questioning that he got it right or that he happened to eat a morsel!!

Can you believe that even bettors from around the world made small fortunes based on Paul's uncanny picks, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London, one of Britain's largest bookmakers? Sharpe said he had at first been sceptical about the oracle octopus. But he soon became a believer.

"I suspect that Paul's predictions could have made about a half a million pounds," Sharpe said, adding he estimated William Hill paid out £100 000 pounds on his picks at its 2 300 outlets.

"We had people coming in asking who Paul had picked before they placed their bets," Sharpe said. "I'm sure there were a lot more people too who were too embarrassed to tell you they made their bet based on what the octopus said." But he kept getting it right," said Sharpe.
"I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time in 30 years I've ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them – a non-human tipster," Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a £10 accumulator bet on Paul's picks from the start of the World Cup would have won £3 000 by the end of the tournament.

Sharpe said he, unfortunately, did not follow Paul's advice. He deemed it too embarrassing and said he was going on holiday soon to the seaside where he intended to eat as much octopus as he could possibly cram down as revenge!!

Some Germans where upset at the treachery of their octopus Paul predicting Spain would win and with people threatening to eat him, Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero called for octopus bodyguards. – I ask any sane person out there to relook at this statement!!! And on top of that Spanish Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian called for the creature to be given an "immediate" free transfer to Spain to "ensure his protection." A businessman from Spain also offered €30,000 ($40,000) to buy Paul, but Sea Life declined. I bet they are kicking themselves now. They would have €30,000 in the bank and that business man would own a dead Octopus!!

The madness didn’t end there - the world's most famous octopus had also joined several other prominent English stars David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Lewis Hamilton, Noel Gallagher and Sting in supporting the English 2018 World Cup bid because he was born in England. Are we supposed to take these people and this bid seriously!!

Paul’s fame was short lived when management and staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre found he had passed away overnight of natural causes. The high life and fame definitely did not prolong his life!! Within an hour of his death, more than 150 messages of condolence were posted on Paul's "official" Facebook page.

In Argentina they tried similar predictions by using Sayco the dolphin. A psychic parakeet in Malaysia picking Spain and penguins picking Durban July winners!! They even tried to get a shark in the aquarium in Cape Town to predict a WP win over our men in Black. I ask you, using a shark to eat the food from a man in either WP or Natal colours!! Tempted fate they did by using a Shark!! They didn’t tell you did they that he nearly gobbled the WP man and the food all up!! – If only they had used another sea creature then maybe WP might have won!!!

So Paul or no Paul – Well done to the Sharks!!!

I just love the colours of Africa - Don't you?

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!!

A really good overseas holiday has a checklist, some more important than others. Its about what you saw, what you did and what you experienced so that you can wear that ‘been there, done that got the T-shirt’ phrase on a nice new Top!! Better than ‘all I got was this lousy T-shirt’ because that would mean you actually hadn’t even been there!!! One of the most important aspects is experiencing a different culture! I’ve been to The Yangtzee river, Xian and the Great wall in China, The Tran Siberia train ride from Moscow to Beijing and even seen Santa Claus in Lapland so I should know am little about these things.

Today I’m going to take you through a virtual tour of that experience in the Eastern Cape.

Most people like to shop till they drop. They even take an extra suitcase. A family I knew literally went with the clothes they were wearing and overnight bag and bought a whole new wardrobe to bring home!!

While the women are out shopping with Mr’s credit card the men are sitting in the pub having a few ales, drowning their sorrows before they get those statements, some even wondering how lucky they might get from the guilt of her spending!!!

Eventually the women get tired and need a good chin wag over a cup of coffee! They have to convince themselves that all ‘that’ spent on ‘this’ was absolutely worth it!!

No holiday would be complete without visiting a few old churches. I was upset to hear that when one now pays to light a candle they go on electrically. No more good old fashioned wicker candles!!

A few cultural places are always on the map although some people like to just look at it from the outside and then brag about what they did!! I met an American traveller once and all he did in each place he visited was to go the American Embassy in that area and take a picture!! Quite a collection he must have!! But back to the Eastern Cape and a little bit of culture!!

Of course the old buildings are always my best. I just love to wonder the streets and look at the architecture!! I could spend all day just walking, snapping and experiencing.


One has to experience the night life, drinks and a disco maybe!! Even at 75 they like a good party and a few drinks. I took a trip to Russia once, average age 75 years!!! There were amongst the crowd 5 single ladies and one single gent!! All the ladies wanted favour with Sir and Sir was happy to wine the ladies!!! There’s hope for us all!! He was buying the drinks and the ladies were drinking!!

These days you can’t go anywhere without looking at real estate and imagining the life if you could just buy a house or some property there!! A place with a view – position is everything!!!

And in the end I am always fascinated by how others live and what it would really be like to actually make that move!!

If that is intolerance and I am intolerant…I don’t mind!!

To wear or not to wear the headscarf is a question being asked in many non Muslim countries of the world today. With the banning of the burqa (full head cover) in public places in some countries France, Belgium, Turkey and Kosovo and the headscarf banned in schools in France and about to go the same way in some other European countries I had to ask myself the big Question – How tolerant of others am I??

I was walking through the mall the other day and a woman (I think) in full black outfit and burqa with slightly dark reading glasses on through the slit in the eyes, came walking towards me and I looked really hard trying to understand what this was all about. I have not read the passages in the Koran that insists on this practice so am fairly ignorant on those matters on this subject. My understanding is from my perspective of freedom!! I am not being rude when I say ‘I think’ but in full honesty it could have been anyone under that garment!!

Anyway back to this idea of looking…and I remembered a brilliant 2 part series TV show I watched fairly recently when the first picture was of a young suicide bomber blowing himself up in London and then followed the whole story on how he got to that moment in time and in the mind. His sister who was a devout Muslim did not wear the burqa and was ostracised by those who did and the men who wanted her to do so. One day she tried it after a friend explained to her that when wearing a burqa people treated you really badly…like a ‘non person’. She then got similar ‘non person’ treatment!!

I do apologise in advance for my feelings but when looking at a person who is choosing or maybe forced into choosing to cover up the whole body with a flowing rob just like Denis Roussos did when trying to hide his large size, I got to thinking of others who do the same for different reasons!! Our nuns in Catholicism wear full dresses and cover their hair. Practical philosophy followers wear flowing ankle skirts and not so tight tops. The Amish wear simple outfits with long sleeves and long skirts. The fundamentalist Mormons also have their thick course dress material and the ‘we all buy from the same catalogue one choice style’ look and awful long thick stockings that must be worn. I am sure there are many other instances of dress code which make you conform to belong through religion, customs and beliefs. We have the total opposite here In SA with the Zulu maiden who is allowed to let it all hang out!!

I do not even mind the head scarf that covers up the hair. It is the face and the eyes that matter to me!!!! It’s the covering of the face and the mouth and the eyes with the burqa that make me think ‘non person’. If your personality shines through your face and eyes and expression which to me it does and I can’t see you, you become ‘non person’!! And I can only think that out of choice or husband’s choice that person wants to be a non person. Intolerant - yes absolutely but my intolerance goes deeper than that!!

Gheerah is the driving emotion that is supposed to protect and safeguard a man’s own woman and children from the leering look of strangers. Hijab the terminology for covering yourself fulfils this action. A real man would thus want this for all women so he can’t leer at others and others can’t leer at his possessions. If people choose to really wear these full outfits because of their own relationship with God and the humility they feel in face of him. I understand; but when it is a male that dominates the world and is doing this to curb the lust he might feel. I freak out.

Especially when living next door to a brothel! The police have checked the number plates and the car owners are a large percent Muslim! They even arrive from Mosque still dressed in their white robe and turban. I know this is a small percentage of men and men from all religions do visit (trying very hard not to generalise) But when you walk in a mall and the man is dressed in jeans and normal clothes and the woman is covered from head to toe…I just don’t get it!! My intolerance level heightens!!

I realise that my tolerance is ruled by do unto others as you would do to yourself.

In calcutta in India (a largely Hindu society) a devout Muslim teacher who does not wear Hijab with full face burqa was told by her students that they would not come to class unless she wore it. In some places in France and Norway statistics show rape has increased in certain areas where hijab is not practised!! Even in Australia a Muslim cleric condoned the rape because the girl was ‘asking for it’.

If their was absolute freedom world wide and only those women who really wanted to wear it, did and I was free to visit Iran, Iraq and a few other Muslim countries without conforming to Hijab I think I would be more tolerant and advocate to not ban the burqa – full face cover. But in its symbol of suppression for so many people in worlds where freedom of women is non existent in mans insistence to keep her as a non person because of what he feels and his non ability to fight these feelings with reasoning instead of succumbing to it – I say – Ban the burqa!!

If that is intolerance and I am intolerant…I don’t mind!!

P.S. – thought left in a Muslim internet chat room!!

‘What kind of dignity a non-believer has by the way; they conduct their life and expose themselves. They have removed the shield of protection, that modesty of Hijab and left themselves unprotected and that is the cause for the assault, which takes place once every ten seconds in rape and murder around the world. But those true Muslims who observe proper Hijab are protected from such assaults and not one [case of] this type is ever heard of.’

Afrikaans - To speak or not to speak!!

I was very upset the other day when I read the following in an article in news24 the other day.

"Cosas condemns any racial tendencies that seeks to close doors of learning for the black African students, who are indigenous people of this country and Africa at large by having foreign, unoriginal Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in some racist schools, more especially in the West Rand region under racist Afrikaners management," a statement from Gauteng provincial secretary Oagile Louw said.

I was left wondering if all Afrikaans schools are racist or only those on the west rand!! And furthermore why are some people still intimidated by Afrikaans 16 years into our democracy. It was the language of the oppressor but in Africa so was French, Portuguese and English and that hasn’t stopped the people in those countries from expressing themselves in these European tongues!!

Afrikaans is an interesting language and it is a relatively new language in History but that does not make it a language that should thus be ignored. If you asked me where Afrikaans came from I would always say that the Dutch bought it out in 1652 when they established a colony in Cape Town. A couple of years later the Huguenots, mainly French protestants who had moved to Holland fleeing catholic persecution came to South Africa on ships to settle in distant lands. There were German, French and Dutch Protestants in this group so although never mentioned I am sure that German and French did have an influence as well as the Malay, Portuguese and some African languages in its development.

According to Wikipedia and South African statistics Afrikaans is the 3rd most spoken language and it has the widest geographical and racial distribution of all official languages. It is widely spoken and understood as a second or third language. When I go to my sister’s farm in Bloemfontein we have to communicate to her staff in Afrikaans. We don’t force them to speak Afrikaans - it’s just that they don’t know any English!!

So why am I making all this fuss!!

I love languages. I speak a few myself!! I never learnt Zulu unfortunately because in those days we learnt English, Afrikaans and maybe French or German!! I did not live on a farm like Eddie from Ficksburg or my friend Debbie and so have an extremely limited knowledge of the Zulu language and I can’t even call it Fanagolo. I also hated Afrikaans until the travel bug hit me and then I realised how fortunate we were!!

I was sitting alone but not by myself in a hot spring in Iceland, surrounded by snow, northern lights haphazard movement across the sky, bottle of Irish Baileys in hand and I was contemplating life. Those of you who spend time alone will know that other people’s conversations can be quite interesting during these times. I was listening to a foreign language spoken by an elderly couple and after understanding the just of the conversation I asked them what they were speaking. It was Old Norse a language spoken by the older generation of Norwegians and I could understand a bit – I am sure that was because of Afrikaans. 4 Months later I found myself in Akureyri watching the sun come down to the horizon on 21st June before bouncing off to start its next daily cycle. There we were a few in the back packers all come to see the midnight sun and once again conversation flowed in many languages and Afrikaans.

When I studied my Travel and tourism diploma in France; paid for by my fish cutting antiques in Iceland I had to choose a 3rd language. I had French with difficulty but essential, English as my 2nd language and I chose German. The girls in my class and I think one male student, had all done German for matric in France. Verbal comprehensions were my best. I understood a lot more than anyone else in my class – That was because of Afrikaans!!

My favourite sport is snow skiing. If you want to woo me, offer me a snow ski holiday somewhere in the world!! My most frequent destination is France but ski resorts are multilingual places in this modern world. I laugh now but my children definitely don’t laugh at their sergeant major mom who got them up before dawn, fed them breakfast and made sure they were standing at the ski lift as it started working in the morning. First up the slope and first to come down!! That powder some mornings was to die for!! Many a time on my own, I took my food and drink in a backpack, eating it sitting on the lift so as not to waste a single moment. The only time I took off those skis was to go into the powder room (but definitely nothing powder about a ladies toilet on a ski slope). Thank goodness I’ve mellowed and now will stop for lunch when others have gone back to the slopes after theirs!! The joy about the long ski lift rides was again those overheard conversations. I spoke Afrikaans and a few German words to people from Holland, Luxembourg, Germany and even spent a day following a man from Belgium slope to slope kamikaze style which never would have happened if I did not have Afrikaans. He could not speak English and would definitely not have wanted muted ski lift conversation that day!!

I remember in those early days of my travels, travelling in a combi called the DOOS from Nice, France to Bad Durkheim a place in Southern Germany. We stopped at a contact simply known as Jan, a big German wine maker. We had never met him before. We mentioned a few names and we were sleeping in the DOOS behind the garage in no time picking grapes during the day and drinking ‘neue’ wine by night, eating Kotelett, Bratwurst, Leberwurst, Sauerkraut and Apfelschnitz. Jan used to send his daughter Dagmar for translating purposes to the delight of my 4 male travel companions but he treated us special because we made an effort with him communicating in Afrikaans and 3 or 4 German words!! Before long we were all sleeping in the spare room of his house!! Incidentally I had the most fun as 21 polish men were also picking grapes at that time and minding my own business the vines were parted every now and then with a flurry of polish words being spoken and sung and raucous laughter from all other poles in earshot. Afrikaans definitely did not help me with that language but we had a good laugh!!

I went to Egypt once. Rode a smelly camel into the desert and bartered in the souks using the name Bafana Bafana which delighted the local ‘mad about soccer’ Egyptians. I thought I was buying bargains but I’m sure they made the most out of the deals we finally agreed too. I visited the pyramids just on the outskirts of Cairo. I had finished reading ‘The Orion Mystery’ and in days had booked my trip and here I was making my way down the narrow passage into the bowels of the pyramid. I thought I was the only one there until I noticed 2 people and a familiar language being spoken. All the way to Egypt sharing an ancient chamber visit with one other couple and they were speaking Afrikaans!!! We laughed all he way back to Cairo centre.

Power, drunk and younger chaps in mind!!

I am fascinated by the time line of Julius Malema. He was born on 3 March 1981, in Seshego, Limpopo province. He was raised by a single parent, his mother, and was the only child.

He supposedly joined the Masupatsela ("Trailblazers") pioneer movement of the African National Congress at age 9, 10 or 14 according to different sources. Their main task was to remove National Party posters from outside police stations. They all agree that by age 14 he was receiving military training – was this for the daunting task of removing the posters from out side police stations we have to ask!! At this point it was 1995 and Mandela and the ANC were already ruling South Africa. There were many people out there who risked their lives in their real fight for Freedom from the apartheid government but just where does Malema fit in to all this!

His school career was undistinguished and he failed two high school grades as well as several subjects in his final secondary school examination. He finished his secondary school education at age 21 which would be end of 2002!!! We have all heard the rumours at how well he did in the woodwork class. Let me remind you all that soldiers don’t make coffins so he didn’t need the woodwork proficiency!!!

His early political career is very interesting. Malema was elected as chairman of the Youth League branch in Seshego, Limpopo and the regional chairman in 1995. This puts him at 14 years of age and also removing those posters from outside the police stations!!! Being so busy school was just a means to an end!!. In 1997 at 16 years of age he became the chairman of the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) for the Limpopo province. Would YOU be worrying about a woodwork class with all this responsibility at such a young age!! He just wanted to stay at school. Some of our children do post matric to stay at school and play sport, he just had other reasons!!! He was elected as the national president of that organisation in 2001 when he was 20 and still at school. There was method to his madness!! In 2002 at 21 years of age when most of us are celebrating the key to our futures at the coming of age 21st birthday and getting drunk on all sorts of drinks, Malema led a Cosas march by school pupils, through the streets of Johannesburg that was marked by serious incidents of violence and looting!!

Malema was elected as the president of the ANC Youth League in April 2008. It was a close race at a national conference held in Bloemfontein. The election – and the conference – were characterised by what Malema himself later described as "unbecoming conduct" which rumour has it – this unbecoming conduct is following him around since then. (BBC journalist incident, Kill the boer song, to name but a few!!). Allegations of irregularities in the polling procedure saw the conference adjourned shortly after the election results were announced. Malema's election was officially accepted when the conference was resumed only in late June. The integrity of his election has been criticised and questioned!!

Malema is well known for his controversial statements like - “He is a girl” and more recently on relationships - “one man one woman but that does not mean I’m against polygamy”!! He also said “One of the things I have learnt is never rely on any individual who is in politics," – So there we have from the horses mouth!!.

I am not sure about all of you out there but I will be watching the political arena with interest over the next few months. He is attacking the old men in politics saying they must give way to be ruled by the ANCYL and younger men and that they (the ANCYL) should have better representation in ANC matters. This week during the league conference he surprisingly extended that to his mentor Robert Mugabe saying “Mugabe must go and must hand over to those young chaps so that we can engage with (them) on the same level,”!!

While solving Zim’s problems he did admit to “sometimes power makes you drunk” but this statement was directed at Mr Tsvangirai and definitely not himself!!

So with power, drunk and younger chaps in mind this ANC conference around the corner could be very very interesting!!

This could be your daughter or son!!!

Some of you might have read my earlier report about a ‘Brothel in the neighbourhood’. Today my story takes you into the sordid world of human trafficking!! You might not know but human trafficking is rife in South Africa and it is defined as…

the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

I will talk mainly from the sexual exploitation angle and please note that this includes boys and girls, men and women!!!!

Our neighbourhood watch on our situation has uncovered that these girls (Thai, Taiwanese or Chinese) forgive my ignorance in not knowing their actual nationality – do not leave this house and as cars visit all day and all hours of night these girls have to be available!!

Prostitution is illegal in this country but we all know it IS the oldest profession in the book!! Although we would love to know that it does not happen… Who are we kidding!!

If that woman or man you are visiting is free to decide when to work or not and they are free to choose to have a night off or not then it is probably not human trafficking but a choice to be a prostitute!!

However if you are visiting a house or environment (lap dancing club) where the girls or boys never leave or are driven home to a owners house and back to work the next day then you are part of and condoning some form of human trafficking with out even realising it.

The other day a whole lot of matrics went to a certain lap dancing club in Durban. Hey its young boys and they are only having fun after their trial exams….but…. we need to ask ourselves the question? Are these girls they were fraternising with, free to catch a cab home at night or are they driven to the owners house were they sleep and then bought back to the club the next day!! Does someone control their movements!! As a parent would you be happy knowing that your sons ‘innocent’ night out was actually in the greater scheme of things part of a human trafficking organisation.

Most these girls and boys are drugged and given alcohol to numb their feelings. If they cause trouble they are discarded or moved to other jobs in the chain of happenings and it’s almost impossible to get any evidence. The people who frequent these places don’t talk. The girls are shipped back to their countries so they can’t give evidence and the owners are linked to the best lawyers in town who will find any loophole to get their clients off the hook.

I phoned the eThekwini municipality the other day to see what they would do about a normal prostitution situation. I told them I had some evidence from the visitors. (Our neighbourhood watch are very busy!!!) I was told you cannot use the evidence from any visitor in court, but we will go in and arrest the girls. Now isn’t that ridiculous!!! Prostitution is illegal but not for those visiting the institution. It is only for those performing the acts!!!!

The owners of these placers have got very sophisticated and you with partners out there would be shocked to know that the choice is made from a photo line up on the cell phone. Payment is often made somewhere down the road so no money changes hands on the actual premises. Drugs are involved but drive by exchanges happen so no evidense can be found. All a raid will actually uncover is the sexy red underwear, the drawn red curtains in the middle of the day or night and red sheets and blankets!!!

Some of you might have watched the movie ‘TAKEN’ or seen the many documentaries on the subject. It does not only happen only in other countries but right here in South Africa. It was not a World cup thing and now it’s all gone away….It is still happening and there are parents around the world who have no idea what their young sons and daughters are subjected to. One day this could happen to your children….

Please be aware, be vigilant and above all don’t be quiet!!!

Who can do the Math?

I was shocked on Wednesday when I saw in the Local Natal Newspapers that stated that the municipal wards in Natal where to increase by over 800. That would mean over 1600 new councillor jobs to be created and paid for. Pretoria municipal wards will be increased by 10%. 600 new jobs created!! This is what the IEC chairperson Brigalia Bam has to say about it! - "Today's signing is a milestone in celebrating municipal democracy. It is a remarkable achievement in such a short space of time”

We all know that the ruling party can do what they want and that wards are created and demarcated solely for the purpose of the ruling party getting votes. This is all understandable but what about the Math?

As you know we are in the throws of a nation wide public servant strike and the ANC spokesman this week said there was no money allocated for this expense and there is no money in the coffers to pay these teachers and nurses.

We all know that teachers are pivotal in shaping our children’s future especially in a democratic society and nurses are extremely important when it comes to helping and saving lives. Even though we agree with more pay for these essential services this strike has made us debate whether these people really care about the positions they hold but that is another story!!!

So let’s look at a few facts on monies spent in the government!!

MP’s are milking the government on travel expenses and whatever else may be uncovered!!!

Large Tenders being given to family and friends

If the soccer world cup was a success financially it was largely due to government departments spending millions on tickets. That was our tax money spent on those who are already earning!!

JZ is adding another child to his already large flock. All his wives families and children need to be well looked after before he even looks at the rest of the ANC cronies!! You might wonder why there is nothing left for us!!!

Just look at the story of the mine owned by Zondwa Mandela (Nelson Mandela’s grandson) and Khulubuse Zuma (Jacob Zuma’s nephew). Typical fatcats who don’t pay salaries while they get richer and even might have killed with no consequence!!

Malema benefiting from government tenders and we are asking – Who the hell is he? The epitome of the culture of violence and entitlement and he hasn’t even arrived yet!! (We are obviously hoping he’ll never arrive!!)

I even wonder if Vavi takes a cut in salary in solidarity with these striking workers. He has some interesting points to make - “We have to intervene now to prevent South Africa from becoming a state where corruption is the norm and no business can be done with government without first paying a corrupt gatekeeper,” but really just one of them power hungry moguls!!

And now a whole lot more wards and over 1 billion allocated to fund these wards!! Unbelievable when ward councillors become more important than teachers and nurses. Amazing when democracy is not about getting votes but about rearranging the wards to get your votes and all this at the expense of education and health!!

Just do the Math?