Drugs - addiction … calling on Homo Sapiens

brd.instablgs.com

One has to only Google the issue of drug addiction to confirm an incredibly depressing reality. For instance Read …

Most countries in the World are in a death grip of what must be recognized as an international pandemic. Drug use and addiction has a strangle hold on the world, is strengthening its grip and causing death and human suffering of now unimaginable proportions.

Millions of mostly young people are dying, with death coming as a welcome relief for many; such are the truly awful effects of drug addiction. This is apart from the problems of social dysfunction, involving anything from theft to prostitution and child abuse.

Here is the rub. By and large we are treating the pandemic as an inconvenient truth that needs to be ignored.  We are in a state of collective denialism.

You see if another country were to attack South Africa, and kill just a fraction of the people that drug addiction does, the whole country would be up in arms, all State resources would be amassed and we would fight to the death.

However, as regards this cruel enemy within, we shrug our shoulders, look the other way and all, but a few valiant souls, contribute to what is a deafening silence and inaction.

houstoncriminallawjourn

What crass hypocrisy to earn ourselves “brownie points” with the now ever so fashionable anti smoking lobby whilst ignoring the devil himself!

At a guess, one must conclude that the reason for this paralysis is steeped in ignorance and frustration as to a solution.

There is a solution; and it is a fairly obvious one. However, in order to just get it, like the first step in rehabilitation of an addict, we need to admit our shared culture of denialism as the first step in rehabilitating our thinking.

The solution is, in fact, blindingly obvious. It has two components – 1. Education and 2. Decriminalization.

1. Education

I spent my earliest years nurtured by a grandmother and Roman Catholic nuns. In its first formative years a child is all ears. It internalizes everything it sees, hears and feels. In my book[1] I explain that had the nuns asked me to be a suicide bomber I would have gladly done it without blinking. In addition I explain that, in later life, there were certain things I simply could not do, on account of this early “brainwashing”. Now I did not do too badly; going from starting life in an orphanage for Coloureds, in a racist society, to ending up as a judge of the High Court in two different countries.

Surely it is blindingly obvious that we must sensitize, indoctrinate, brainwash (whatever you want to call it) children about the dangers of drug use at their most impressionable and receptive stage. Surely?

We are not doing it. Can we please just do it!

2. Decriminalization.

This one is contentious, with a plethora of convenient thinking blocking truth. Mention decriminalization and there are many who quite understandable experience a “panic attack” and reason flies out of the window.

Therefore, I will start with indisputable real life circumstance and fact. Facts are awkward things.

I was brought up in Rhodesia. It was racially segregated.  Coloureds lived in suburbs designated for Coloureds. There were White and Black police officers – but no Coloureds.

So, in our areas we could do pretty much what we liked. Police only arrived when sent for by us. As a result, drug use (cannabis sativa) was an option open to, and adopted, by a proportion of our community. It really was no big deal.

Here is the rub. Drug addiction did not assume pandemic proportions. It was no big deal. The social harm accruing was but a fraction of what alcohol abuse induced.

There can be not the slightest doubt that the main reason for this was the legendary quality of Rhodesian teachers, as discriminatory as the education system was. In the result, the attitude of the “educated and informed” majority kept the problem in check.

So, our Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe) Coloured model/experience makes a telling argument. It is not all surprising that, in the United Kingdom, a police chief is also joining in this call.

"After several scientific experts have recently put forth their view with regards to decriminalizing drug use, Tim Hollis, a senior UK police official has also joined hands with the scientists and has voiced his opinion about decriminalizing personal use of drugs such as cannabis. In addition, both PM David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg are said to be questioning the effectiveness of Britain’s drug policies."  Read ...

In addition, there is the very big problem of organized crime. For goodness sake, the whole World knows that the reason why organized crime became established and America has the Mafia was prohibition, i.e., the vain attempt to criminalize the drinking of alcohol. It is a no brainer!

Incomprehensibly we deny the lesson learnt; and stubbornly refuse to apply it as regards drug use. We do this despite the fact that the lesson continues to prove itself as we lose the battle to organized crime, more drug use, more deaths, and more untold human misery.

It is mind boggling! Before our eyes we see, not only the direct consequences of addiction, but also the infinite boost given to organized crime whose tentacles then reach out to make our lives a misery in so many other ways.

As long as drugs are illegal drug lords and other crime bosses are guaranteed multi billionaire status and many of us are killed and maimed in the process. What hope do we have if they have the money to buy off the police, judges and politicians?

nationalturk.com

This is not theory. In South Africa we need only remind ourselves of who Jackie Selibi is and why he has been sentenced to prison. What is the point of Lead SA calling on us to be good boys and girls and leaving the crime bosses in a position to bribe the head of Interpol?

In addition our quality of life is reduced as disposable income is hit hard by taxes extracted to fund a war that everyone knows is unwinnable!

My over 30 years of judicial experience confirms that arresting and charging kids who “try using’ guarantees a rich supply of more users and members of deviant subcultures to organized crime. Thus, our criminal justice system actually supports the criminal underworld.

Despite all this incontrovertible evidence, we seem to be in “donkey mode” about the issue and bent on maintaining this idiotic status quo.

WOW!… did someone say we are Homo Sapiens as a species? Did we really go to the moon as early as 20 July 1969? Surely we should know better ... much better ... surely?

In this culture of denialism, we demean ourselves and continue to destroy the very fabric of our society.

So can we please muster the considerable expertise and talents we have as a country and do the obvious.

Effects of the strategy:

It would be naïve to claim that decriminalizing drug use will solve the problem immediately. Like fixing one’s golf swing, things may even get worse before they get better.

Critical is that the strategy must include a comprehensive drug addiction management model. South Africa already has the basic infrastructure and expertise for this on account of the sterling work that is already being done at so many rehab centers and by so many good people.

Here are the keys to the suggested strategy:

a)      It will not be an event, but a process.

b)      A key is that the stigma of being a user is removed. We have the analogy of HIV/AIDS victims don’t we? Like drug addicts their problem is largely self inflicted but they are not condemned. They are encouraged to admit their status and, in return, receive support.

c)      Concomitantly the allure, mystic and "forbidden fruit" attraction of an illicit sub-culture product evaporates overnight. Criminologists will confirm that this has enormous benefits.

d)      An overnight gain of gargantuan proportions is that control of drugs is taken away from drug lords and organized crime is dealt a massive blow. Multi billion Rand income evaporates overnight.

e)      Current addicts are then managed on the same basis as other addicts, e.g., alcohol and gambling.

f)       Discouragement and education starts, and this is critical, as soon as children start learning. So the whole nation must be committed to this. In this way, formal education is complemented by home and community based schooling on the issue.

In the fullness of time the problem will be beaten. It will be beaten because we will have implemented a strategy that is based on reason, that most precious commodity that, as human beings, we have been blessed with.

Now, if Lead SA really wants to do something for our country … since sadly we seem to have passed up the opportunity to refine, embed and export ubuntu ...

Surely we can do better than just boerewors as a South African innovation?

Is it too much to dream that Africa can actually be an example …?

yes we can

If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right

Henry Ford

---

[1] “The Other – without fear, favour or prejudice” published online by Lulu.com and Amazon.com

FIFA - Sepp Blatter must resign

livederby.com

This was the bad news for all soccer lovers in particular -

“FIFA has provisionally suspended two members of the executive committee, Nigerian Amos Adamu and Tahitian Reynald Temarii, over allegations the pair were bribed to sell their votes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals.

The duo was in the 24-member committee that would vote to decide the destination of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on December 2 in Zurich.

Temarii is accused of demanding around 1.5 million pounds from undercover journalists in order to build a sports academy, while Adamu was videotaped asking for around 500,000 pounds for a "personal project".

Four other officials who appeared in the undercover footage - Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite, Ahongalu Fusimalohi and Ismael Bhamjee - have also been suspended for 30 days on the same terms, the Guardian reports.” More …

It will be noted that Sepp Blatter, president of football’s governing body FIFA is “extremely distressed’ and has appeared on TV footage with a matching face. "I am extremely distressed, it's true," said Blatter in Essen where he was attending the German Football Federation (DFB) annual congress.

With great respect we should not buy it. We cannot buy his posture of shock and disappointment.

The reason is quite simple. The bad news should not come as any kind of shock to anyone.

Please contact any reputable criminologist or forensic auditor and you will be told that that any person or entity that is content to have systems that admit of, or permit fraud and corruption is already inherently corrupt, as matter of probability.

The fact of the matter is that football, and its administration, has been plagued with corruption, particularly “match-fixing” for a very long time now.

For instance see – “The £66m 'bribe' shadow hanging over Fifa” in March 2008.

As regards match fixing, this has a very long history. See – “One of the earliest examples of this sort of match fixing in the modern era occurred in 1898 when Stoke City and Burnley intentionally drew in that year's final "test match" so as to ensure they were both in the First Division the next season.” More …

It is not as if concerns about possible “match fixing” at this particular World Cup had not been raised. See for instance – “Match fixing allegations hit Fifa World Cup in South Africa”.

See also this 2005 report – “FIFA has expressed its deep shock at the news that the German referee, Robert Hoyzer, has confirmed the veracity of match-fixing allegations levelled against him. The match official has admitted that the charges are in essence true” More ...

To this Blatter, in response stated - "Referees are guarantors for impartiality and fair play and for ensuring that matches are conducted impeccably. They therefore have greater moral and ethical responsibilities. FIFA is deeply concerned that a promising young referee has violated those requirements in the worst possible manner, as well as by the fact that his actions went undetected for so long."

Alessandra Tarantino

Given this history, common sense demanded that appropriate action be taken to address the problem. Appropriate action obviously includes measures that prevent or mitigate any facility that match officials have to “fix’ matches. The most obvious of these are the “game breaking” decisions involving the awarding of penalties, sending off players and the awarding of goals.

 That this was obvious became blindingly obvious during the last World Cup when several “game breaking” decisions were seen on TV by the whole world as being 100% wrong. This led to the World Cup being dubbed “the Home of Bad Decisions”.

The Tarantino picture shows clearly a goal scored by Frank Lampard in the German encounter. How was it disallowed by three officials? How did they rule that it had not crossed the line?
Long before the World Cup, simple video replay technology, now used in other sports like cricket, tennis and rugby, was available as an effective practical tool, to ensure that mistakes and corrupt decisions are prevented regarding “game breaking” decisions, i.e. ball crossing goal line, foul in penalty area, “hand of God goals … etc.
Sepp Blatter blocked its use! He blocked its use in the full knowledge that even honest officials will make mistakes and that the door was being left open for dishonest officials.

guardian.co.uk

“FIFA president Sepp Blatter today all but ruled out the introduction of video replays saying he would never allow matches to be halted as long as he remained the most powerful figure in world football.

Speaking at the Soccerex conference in Dubai, Blatter said instant goal-line technology could be used within a year - either by means of a ball with a microchip or a behind-the-goal camera linked to a computer - but he would never permit other controversial decisions being analysed the same way”. More …

He blocked it even though as early as 2005 he had complained that detection was a serious problem. WOW!

It matters not that Blatter may be innocent of corruption. What matters is that, under his stewardship, perfectly reasonable measures to prevent corruption were not being employed, let alone embedded.

Our criminologists will also confirm that once you have this situation, i.e., the deliberate passing up of measures that serve functional integrity, the culture of the relevant entity will blend and harmonize to the signal being given. People within the entity will not see it as being “risk averse”. They will not see, feel and live any commitment to functional integrity. In part, that is what is meant by the saying "the fish rots from the head". The subliminal message will be “… well just make sure you just don’t get caught”.

It is therefore not in the least bit surprising that one of Blatter’s team has confirmed, whilst being secretly taped, that the acceptance of bribes by his officials was par for the course. My criminologist friends and I say –“what else would you expect?”

It is also not at all surprising that we now have “Foul”, a book about shenanigans within FIFA –

“Andrew Jennings, the world's foremost investigative sports reporter, spent four years delving into the dark side of 'the beautiful game'. The result? This explosive and damning exposé of football's world governing body FIFA – a story of racketeering, bribe–taking, election–rigging, illicit trading, and dirty tricks.

No individual has managed to penetrate the sanctified domain of FIFA or to probe successfully into its often criticised yet unproven corruption of the world game... Until now.

Author Andrew Jennings will demonstrate how FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, and his army of supporters have misappropriated their positions at the head of the world game in their desire for power, control, and a lucrative payoff. How did these bizarre characters manage to take such control? Foul! has the story.” More …

What is also of relevance (and significance) is that this latest exposé was not effected by FIFA itself, but by an outside agency. This is not surprising, given the lack of a risk averse culture godfathered right from the top.

Sepp Blatter is the president of FIFA. The buck stops with him! Members of his team have been caught out in very serious corruption. They were not caught out by systems embedded under Blatter’s stewardship. It took an outside agency to expose his administration for what it was – inherently corrupt. That state of affairs was facilitated, at the very least, by his stance on preventable match fixing.

In terms of trite governance principles, Blatter is accountable

He must resign

Show us the light … Lead SA



news.bbc.co.uk

 The laudable Lead SA campaign is exhorting all drivers in South Africa to drive with their vehicle headlights on.

It is claimed that doing this will help bring down road carnage, in respect of which, alas, South Africa is now one of the World leaders.

I have just returned from dropping off my lovely daughters at work. I travelled about 60 kms and came across some 500 or so other vehicles on the road, only three (3) of which had their lights on.

Guess what? I could see all these vehicles as clearly as I could see the steering wheel of my car, the watch on my wrist and vendors darting in out of the traffic.

So the question must be posed. What in the name of heaven is the point of having headlights on … if one can see vehicles perfectly with their headlights off?

Is it imagined that the road carnage is largely attributable to the fact that vehicles are not visible to the human eye?  It is? Is it really? Is that the problem?

Since this simpy cannot be the case, then the answer must be that vehicles are “not sufficiently visible”, so their visibility needs to be enhanced. That is the only answer indicated.

WOW! Objects that are perfectly visible need to have their visibility enhanced? With respect, how more daft can we get?

fotosearch.com

This stance certainly has application to motor cycles and cycles which can sometimes blend with the background … but vehicles?

Think it through. When everyone becomes “conditioned’ to seeing vehicles on account of the now ocular “headlights trigger”, concomitantly they will have been conditioned to not see a vehicle whose lights are off. We will have created new danger on the roads because, as sure as night follows day, any amount of vehicles will travel without headlights, for reasons as varied as the birds in our skies.

Remember this. The late Dr. Mantombazana 'Manto' Edmie Tshabalala-Msimang contended that poverty alleviation coupled with ingesting good vegetables and herbs, like beetroot and garlic, would be effective in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

We all poo pooed her, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. We heaped opprobrium on her.

Guess what. She was not wrong. Her claim was, in itself, correct. But, as with the “lights on” campaign,  it was not an answer to the problem posed. It was “band aid” stuff. It was daft!

Oh yes Lead SA will say – “studies have shown that … having lights on does lead to a reduction … blah blah …”

We can also have no doubt whatsoever that studies would also show that using neon paint and flashing lights on vehicles will have the same result. Will we then do that? Of cause not!

Do we really want to now add lights, of infinitely different capacities, some “zeon”, some bright, some dim … etc … to the bedlam on our roads?

So, can we please all just take a step back and, like my friend M, see the reality of the situation. Our road carnage is due to many other factors. Except as regards motor cycles, cyclists and pedestrian in certain situations, these do not include not being able to see other vehicles.

We need to tackle these factors, starting with the primary driver of all of them – irresponsible road use culture.

When in doubt, tell the truth

Mark Twain

And the winner is ... Kumi Naidoo

In my post titled “Voice of the voiceless” the point is made that acquiescence, submission, silence when subjected to abuse, entrenches the abusers and leads to more abuse. So it was heartening to read that -

“The Democratic Republic of Congo's first lady has led thousands of women on a march against sexual violence.

Olive Lembe Kabila headed the rally in the town of Bukavu in the east of the country, where Congolese and foreign armed groups have operated for years.

Last week, the UN said government troops were raping and killing women in the same villages where hundreds were raped by rebels in July and August.

On Friday, the head of the UN mission in DR Congo, Monusco, said an estimated 15,000 people had been raped there last year …” Read more ...

Also making the news was –

“Anger as marchers protest against Secrecy Bill

By: Issa Sikiti da Silva

An estimated 500 people from various parts of Gauteng marched yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, 19 October 2010, from Wits University to the Constitution Hill in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, to vent their anger and frustration against the Protection of Information Bill - also known as the 'Secrecy Bill' - a soon-to-be enacted legislation many believe will stem the free access to information and create a totalitarian and secretive South Africa.

 "An attack has been launched against us and we need to defend ourselves," march moderator and Right2Know coordinator Siphiwe Segodi told the excited crowd just after midday as they assembled in front of Wits Senate House in anticipation of the march. "With our mouths taped"

"We will march silently to the Constitution Hill with our mouths taped, because this is what this legislation seeks to achieve," he added.
The ambiguous and much-hated Protection of Information Bill, an apartheid-old style legislation now being resuscitated by the 'democratic' government, will classify all information deemed 'sensitive and vital' for the security of the state. According to the bill, anyone found in possession of 'classified' information could be jailed for up to 25 years.” Read more ... 



educationforum.co.uk



Demonstrating, as an effective means to confront, embarrass and discredit that which is wrong, has been with us for a long time. Two most notable examples are the suffragettes, of 1903, and the flower children, also known as hippies of the 60s. The former led to the near emancipation of women. The latter helped get rid of the Vietnam war and put a break on nuclear bomb proliferation.

Zimbabweans, in particular, will be forever indebted to Kumi Naidoo who even went on hunger strike in order to secure their freedom.

“Kumi Naidoo, born 1965, is a South African human rights activist and the International Executive Director of international environmentalist group, Greenpeace. He is the first African to head the organisation.

After battling apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s through the Helping Hands Youth Organisation, Naidoo led global campaigns to end poverty and protect human rights. Recently, he has led the Global Campaign for Climate Action, which brings together environmental, aid, religious and human rights groups, labor unions, scientists and others and has organized mass demonstrations around climate negotiations.” Read more …

Kumi did not succeed, even though he was joined by no oherb than Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as he was up against a powerful coalition led by Thabo Mbeki. See "Hunger strike for Zimbabwe change".
Some justice, however occurred when the latter, as powerful as he was, was later removed by the vote of ordinary branch members at the ANC’s last conference held at Polokwane.

Kumi Naidoo is our hero for his spirit of selflessness
for standing up
 for being a voice for the voiceless.

Congratulations Australia

“Australia was blessed with its first saint Sunday when Pope Benedict canonized a 19th-century nun who was once excommunicated for exposing a pedophile priest.

Sister Mary MacKillop

The pontiff praised Mary MacKillop for her "courageous and saintly example of zeal, perseverance and prayer."

"She dedicated herself as a young woman to the education of the poor in the difficult and demanding terrain of rural Australia, inspiring other women to join her in the first women's community of religious sisters of that country," he said.

MacKillop's elevation was met with wild cheers of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!" by admirers gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for the ceremony.” ¹

As a human being, I felt a solemn sense of exaltation. Here was someone being revered for her spirit of selflessness, a precious commodity in this world.

Also, Mary was a nun. My book², is dedicated to nuns of the Order of the Precious Blood. They too left their homeland, in 1946, to provide succor and sustenance to the unwanted, the homeless, to those in need of love.

Sister Mare Nugent

In addition honour and credence is given to Sister Mary Nugent, a Sister of the Order of Notre Dame, who taught us in 1958 - 1962.  Included in my book is  -

“It is a gross understatement to say that Sister Mary SND was ahead of her time. She was light years ahead. It is astounding that an Irish nun in the middle of the African bush was so enlightened. Sex education, social learning and life skills only hit the rest of the world nearly two decades later”.

Even if one does not have an ounce of religion to one’s makeup, we must still acknowledge and revere these nuns for their spirit of self-sacrifice and selflessness. Because of them, others were given hope, more reason and chance to realize their potential as members of human kind.

Congratulations Australia.

Because of your Mary Mackillop, we feel so much more bonded as human beings.

¹  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/10/17/2010-10-17_mary_mackillop_19th_century_nun_who_exposed_pedophile_priest_made_saint_by_pope_.html

²  “The other – without fear, favour or prejudice -” available online from Lulu.com and Amazon.com

Voice of the voiceless

Who of us has heard of Wilf Mbanga?  Who has heard of Liu Xiaobo? It is all too probable that more of us have heard of Paris Hilton.

commons.wikimedia.org

Should we be concerned? Probably. You see, Paris Hilton is, at the very least, a self indulgent and quite irresponsible individual, concerned with self.

china.hrw.org

Wilf and Liu Xiaobo are caring human beings, concerned with selflessness.

Wilf is the editor of the Zimbabwean, a newspaper that is dedicated to fulfill a mandate to be the “voice of the voiceless”. It is terribly hard work, with little material reward and exposes him to all kinds of opprobrium and personal risk at the hands of the powerful elite, its camp followers and spin-doctors. When you stand up for truth and justice even your own family may desert you.

Liu Xiaobo is a dissident who has been  awarded  the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up for social justice in China. For his trouble, the Chinese government has rewarded him with an 11 year prison term.

Do we care? Probably. Most human beings abhor injustice and all forms of unfairness. Most feel revulsion at the despotism and cruelty meted out by the tyrants of this world.

Do we do anything about that which we loath and condemn? Probably not. It is bothersome. It is inconvenient. It is draining. It is just too hard. Life is hard enough already. There are just too many other daily challenges that occupy us.

So, by and large, we look the other way … albeit after first muttering angrily in self-righteous tones about “Mad Bob”, “the useless UN”, the horrors of Rwanda and other instances of gross human rights abuse.

That’s it! We have done our share. What else can we do? That is the full extent of our selflessness! WOW!

The world moves on. Despots and tyrants remain secure to plan and continue their evil ways. More human beings are butchered, raped, starved and denied their rights. Nothing changes! Its business as usual.

And that is how it was in my own country of birth … Zimbabwe. For many years we were aware of disturbing trends such as the antics of the Central Intelligence Organization (“CIO”), Mugabe’s version of the German Gestapo. We knew about people disappearing. We heard about human bones in mine shafts. We knew about budding leaders dying in road crashes.

In all this, we simple acquiesced. That acquiescence eventually assumed the character of connivance and collusion when we heard about Gukurahundi, the systemic killing of some 20, 000 members of the Ndebele minority tribe.

Put differently, the reason why the number killed reached genocidal levels had much to do with our shared culture of “looking the other way”, not being bothered, not wanting to “stand up” … because of indifference, preoccupation or fear. It left tyrannical culture and mode unchecked.

What we did not understand was that, remaining dumb in the face of the victimization of others, meant that we too were already victims, i.e., divested of the right to free speech and association.  As Mugabe claimed more power, by our silence we accepted more powerlessness!

This has since been emphatically proved. The day of reckoning came. We have paid the price, and are paying the price, for our indifference; for being the sheep on George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Our self-imposed voicelessness has had terrible consequences.

For those still at home it is a daily grind just to survive. By 2007 Zimbabwe had the lowest life expectancy in the world. See –

 http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/92.html of the Human Development Report.

For the rest of us, who have fled into the Zimbabwean Diaspora, we exist as refugees, divested of our full dignity as human beings, beholden and grateful to those who accord us any degree of equality.

Some of us have economic security. Others have very little. Others have been burnt alive and thrown off trains. Mostly though, we scrounge around just for acceptance of who we are, trying hard not to be treated as a category.

Selflessness is no longer a matter of choice.

So can we please salute Wilf Mbanga and Liu Xiaobo.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

The World Cup moment

World Cup, the greatest sporting event on our planet, has come and gone. It was  staged by our South Africa, a third world country, still in the earlier stages of development.

worldofstock.com

The fact that we actually could not afford to stage such an event was brushed under the carpet. Human rights concerns about human displacement, brutalization of the homeless, ill treatment of vendors and irresponsible allocation of scarce resources, were simply fobbed off.

We needed to have this party … apparently to make us feel good about ourselves … and do something for the name and reputation of our leaders … and for Africa …

As South Africans we needed to present a refurbished image as our country affirmed its presence on the world stage.

Now we have the unaffordable multi billion Rand stadiums, as permanent monuments to our self indulgence. Sadly, editors in neighboring Botswana have agreed that the World Cup did nothing for Botswana and probably nothing for Africa.

We also have had teachers, nurses and others on strike, to the terrible prejudice of pupils and patients. They claim to be underpaid. They are underpaid … and have been for years!

But there is no money! What little money there was; was spent ... spent on our grand World Cup party … to make us, and our leaders, look good.

Near the end of the World Cup a 3 - 4 year old little girl, whom I will call Nomsa, was interviewed by a reporter, live on TV.

Reporter:  So Nomsa, tell us, who was the best player, who do you think was the best player?

Nomsa:      … er … er …

Reporter:  Oh' come on now Nomsa … was it Aaron Mokoena … or Teko Modise … hey … or Siphiwe Tshabalala … huh … tell us Nomsa … or Didier Drogba … huh … tell us Nomsa …. Who was the best?

top-footballer.com

The answer then came, from a face of utter innocence and a voice of such sweet plaintiff simplicity … the simplicity of truth.

Nomsa:      u … u’Forlaan [Diego Forlan]

This little girl, with a mind unencumbered by racial and ethnic prejudice, saw only truth, nothing else ... not what she was being prompted to see ... and chose Diego Forlan, blonde haired striker of Uruguay, as the best player of the tournament.

She was soon proved right, as Diego Forlan was then voted as the best, and officially acknowledged as such. Wow! “Out of the mouths of babes oft time come gems”.

“Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”

Is it at all possible for all of us to learn something from this defining moment? We were given such a fantastic start by Nelson Mandela. Can we not rid ourselves of the demons of the past?

How very, very wrong the reporter was in her presumptuousness. How very wrong. But do we see it?

Preoccupation with race, ethnicity and skin colour was an apartheid cornerstone! Why are we perpetuating it?

What are we teaching our children?

Can we not see that it is an obscenity when a court of justice is constrained, by our new race based laws, to rule that a Chinaman is Black!? Can we not see that we are legitimizing lies ... damned lies!?

Can we not just dump it ... dump it … as a culture that demeans us ... a culture of evil … that begets evil!?

But, No!; we can’t … we have race based Affirmative Action and Black Economic Empowerment … all ever so nicely packaged for a hopefull nation ...

policies that, in 15 years, have induced nominal transformation … serving the interests  of but a privileged few, distracting our young nation from real transformation and social and justice.

Can we not see that to have a system where –

·         a black person is entitled to employment or a contract, as of right,

·         with a white person being denied, regardless of personal circumstance

·         and a brown skinned person considered only if he/she is prepared to claim and prove that he/she is black …

is racist … racism of a most pernicious kind … howsoever packaged? Are we now all just sheep on Animal Farm?

 “The answer is simple: truth is is anything that corresponds to reality. As such truth is not determined by the popularity of a book like "The Da Vinci Code". Nor is it a matter of preference or opinion.

Truth is true even if everyone denies it, and a lie is a lie even if every one affirms it. When sophistry, sensationalism and superstition sabotage truth, our view of reality is seriously skewed.” Hank Hanegraaff

Chile Mine saga

I joined millions around the world this morning to watch as 18-year-old Jimmy Sanchez emerged from the capsule that had brought him to the surface from an otherwise 700 meter deep tomb. This ended a 69 day ordeal for him and others due for rescue today.

There can be little doubt that that the whole world feels so good about the rescue. In addition, we all, just for the moment, feel a strong bond with the families of the trapped miners and the Chilean people.

I also feel deep sadness as I recall what happened in my country of birth.

"In June, 1972, one of the greatest natural disasters to hit the country took place, when an underground explosion occurred in Wankie No.2 Colliery. Four hundred and twenty-six miners lost their lives - thirty six Europeans and three hundred and ninety Africans. Apart from the one hundred and seventy-six Rhodesians who died, there were ninety-one Zambians, fifty-two from Mozambique, thirty-seven from Malawi, thirty Tanzanians, fourteen Britons, twelve South Africans, nine from South West Africa, four from the Caprivi Strip, and one from Botswana. The disaster provoked reaction throughout the world, and messages of sympathy poured in from all quarters, and included those from Queen Elizabeth, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, the British Foreign Secretary, the Pope, and the Prime Minister of South Africa, Mr. B. J. Vorster.” (Excerpt from the book: - The Reluctant President, The Memoirs of the Hon. Clifford Dupont).

At the time I worked in the courts. One of the consequences of the disaster was that thereafter any number of accused persons would seek to gain sympathy from the court by claiming that his/her father had perished in the mine. Only a smattering of these claims were true.

M, my friend from Mars, is somewhat bemused as to how the world tends to unite when faced with natural disasters like Haiti, tsunamis, hurricane Katrina … etc … but is paralyzed as regards man made disasters like Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe … etc.

“It seems to me” he muses “that, as a species, you regard nature as a true enemy. Perhaps that is why you have little respect for nature and are busy destroying your planet.

  I try to argue but give up when he reels off the grim facts starting with the 60 million odd bison that were nearly wiped out in the US, the 2 billion passenger pigeons that were wiped out, the slaughter of our whales, the denuding of the Amazon rain forests and our fish stocks … the list is endless.

 

“It is clear to me” he concludes “that, as long as it suits your so called leaders and big business,in particular, you don’t mind too much what destruction and mayhem is wreaked on the planet and your own species”.

Uh ... oh ... Does someone have an answer? 

South Africa's Protection of Information Bill (The Jacob Zuma saga)

The battle around this Bill rages on. Many suspect that the President feels aggrieved about treatment at the hands of the media. If so, he may be justified. Below is a copy of a letter I sent to the media houses. It was never published.

Why not ... considering that JZ had virtually no one batting for him on the issue?

Readers can decide for themselves whether or not the letter merited publication. I think it did in terms of a justice test. After all, a former judge was saying that, in terms of fundamental law, not only could JZ not be prosecuted, he had actually been victimized.

It bears mentioning that the background included the fact that, in the rape trial, the judge had found that the complainant had actually lied.  It was not a case that the judge found that there was a reasonable doubt to the benefit of JZ.

The finding that she had lied meant that JZ had, in effect, been “set up”, i.e., the victim of a nefarious agenda.

This important implication was accorded hardly any importance or credence by the media, let alone emphasis. The media concentrated on other things as regards the rape trial, mainly detrimental to JZ.

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Here is my letter -

“The Editor,

Now that Selebi has been prosecuted and sentenced, the hype regarding whether or not Jacob Zuma has been favoured is being resurrected. It needs to be put to bed once and for all.

The whole issue devolves around a simple but resolutive matter of law at its most fundamental and sacred level. Jacob Zuma cannot be prosecuted without violation of the universally accepted test that “justice must not only be done, but also must be seen to be done”. This is because, in effect, he has already been tried without opportunity to defend himself.

There is now no South African who is eligible to serve on the trial court as either a judge or, lets say, a juror if SA had a jury system. The reason is that non of us can survive the test for bias, as recognized in legal approach. This is because we each have to admit that we are completely aware that both the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal have certified that it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that Shaik bribed him. We have all internalized this information. Given that we also have to admit acceptance and respect for our superior courts, inherent bias against Zuma has been organically induced in the individual and collective psyche. It is quite impossible to imagine/perceive a more powerful inherent motive to convict.

The presumption of innocence, sacred to the administration of justice, is an unavoidable casualty. To claim that we presume him to be innocent is somewhat unbelievable. In law, the test is not whether or not the trial judge presumes innocence - it is whether a reasonable observer, knowing all the facts, might assume the judge does not. It is now inevitable that most reasonable people will/might have perfectly reasonable doubts and suspicions about any SA judge trying Zuma. In law bias is present and the judge is disqualified.

Furthermore if he is tried and convicted, the result comes as confirmation of what has gone before and is already known and accepted, i.e., fulfilment of an expectation. If he is acquitted the administration of justice is unavoidably discredited in being perceived for having bowed to political pressure or having wrongly convicted Shaik or both. Thus the test for justice being “seen to be done” again must fail.

The above represents the regrettable effect of the decision that was made by Bulelani Ncuka, correctly observed as bizarre by Judge Nicholson, to prosecute only the briber. You do not bribe a tree, a bridge or Table Mountain. You bribe a person. So when you are tried for bribery such person is also on trial whether present in court or not.

 The above cannot be denied, ignored or wished away. It is unarguable that the requirement that "justice be done and seen to be done”, in this instance, is simply unachievable.

The above is a simple explanation of the jurisprudence of the matter. It is no longer about Zuma’s guilt or innocence; it is about justice.

 Chris N Greenland

Former Judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe and acting Judge of South Africa”

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Now why was this not published  … if only to balance the debate? Personally, I am passionate about media freedom. However, I also must ask readers to share this creed -

I'm for truth, no matter who tells it.

I'm for justice,

no matter who it's for or against.

Malcolm X