I miss school

When one was young, He never really appreciated school holidays. After two weeks at home I would get irritated and wish that they could reopen. After just over 6 years of being a tax payer I truly miss those days. I miss being at home chilling and not knowing what do to with myself. I miss waking up at 9am and return to bed. But most importantly I miss waking up eating soft porridge and wearing my pyjamas all day. In the past three weeks things have been so hectic, I did not get a chance to do laundry. I also found my self missing school again. I remembered the day I went to school not wearing proper uniform and my grade 12 English teacher at Hlokoma High School, Miss Ngxale said "my baby you are going to miss this school uniform." Well she was telling the truth because I really miss wearing wearing uniform. I cannot take it anymore. I wish here at work they can supply me with work suits or uniform. As I continue to miss High school I need to focus on my other school work. I have to pass this B Tech this year.

All in a day's work with President Thabo Mbeki

Hijack stories

Induku entle ikhiwa ezizweni

The idiom that says "induku entle ikhiwa ezizweni" came true when I went to a wedding in Lebowakgomo in Limpopo. My colleague Xolani Mbanjwa, who is from KwaZulu Natal was there to fetch induku yakhe entle

Ulwaluko, what went wrong again

Luzuko Pongoma
The death of young men due to botched circumcisions at initiation schools in Eastern Cape has been a thorn in side of the cultural practice.
With the intervention of traditional leaders, the numbers seem to have dropped but a new problem is threatening the tradition.
Since 2007, the deaths have dropped to 26 by June this year but another problem has emerged as initiation schools are being seen as places that breed criminals.
The Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders is playing a leading role in restoring the practice to its former status, which is about producing men who are of value to their families, communities and the country.
Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders Nkosi Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said they were “on top of the deaths”.
“The main problem is that those who return to the society are not what is expected of them. They do not add value to the community,” he said.
Matanzima said the problem was that amakrwala (young men who have recently completed the circumcision ritual) were thieves and rapists terrorising their communities.
“They are supposed to be caring for their families, making sure their livestock is well, provide for their families if they are not at school and be helpful to the community at large. With the moral decay in the country they are supposed to be an example, not part of the problem,” said Matanzima.
He said that, as part of the war on moral degeneration in initiation schools, the House of Traditional Leaders had held a meeting with traditional surgeons and doctors (ingcibi na ma Khankatha).
“The meeting was about sharing experience and expertise. We made brochures detailing the responsibilities of parents, the boy going to initiation school, the community, the traditional leaders and the ingcibi ,” he said.

He said that the responsibility of the parents was to make preparations, select an ingcibi and ensure the boy was ready physically and emotionally, did not have sex and did not do bad things that could lead to bad luck while in the school.
Matanzima said the traditional leader had to talk with the boys going to initiation school, and the community had to select the place for the school.
Matanzima said that the tendency of young men loitering at initiation schools had to stop.
“That is where the problem starts. Then they start smoking drugs. Respectable men must go there to monitor the situation, and teach the initiates about their responsibilities when they return home.”
Prof Masilo Lamla, an anthropologist at Walter Sisulu University, said initiation was not about circumcision only and it served as a passage from childhood to adulthood.
Lamla said initiation school served as a force for moral regeneration and should teach boys how to be of value to their communities.

Job for pals is killing youth confidence

In my recent visit to Mdantsane, I was happy to see that the government was putting tar on the  street opposite  my home. My  wild horse ( Sikanisi) struggled to get into the yard because of the digging done by the workers. 

The workers helped open the  road for me so that I can park Sikanisi inside the yard.

To my shock my brother,  and his friends were not happy with  this act. They shrugged it off as an act  of  sucking up. 

I later learnt that  only one person in my area was employed in the street tarring  project.  Everyone was taken from other areas. 

When I say my area  I am talking about  12 streets with more than 100 houses. To  add insult to injury the person employed is a "senior youth" who is older than 35 years. 

I know of more than 10 young people who are unemployed in the area excluding my two younger brothers who are both over 21 years-old.

 On Wednesday  while cooking goat meat with a group of young men, a peer who is said to be connected to the ANC  told  us that  they were employing more people for further paving of the road.

To my surprise not even a single person out of the 6 unemployed young people moved an inch.

 I quickly told them I will not dish out the meat until they come back from the meeting.

 To assure them I further told them that the old men (Amaxhego) in the community were still sleeping and the meat cannot be dished out until they are awake.

 I got a shocking response from a close friend. He said: " Hay suka saluka ezi kaka ze ANC ziqeshana ebusuku  zakugqiba zivuke zisibizele  amasimba e community meeting."

What was a light early morning  conversation about women and cars turned into a serious debate about the faults the ANC has made  in my community.

The guys  started among others, questioning the procedure followed when putting tar on the road  and why was it  a rush job.

They also talked about the  relationship between the employed people and the councilor and other senior ANC officials in the community.

From the insults, and complaints that came out of our conversation I realised these young people have lost confidence in government.

They have also  lost confidence in their  neighbours who are ANC members.

  

The ANC was using employment as a tool to divide poor because the unemployed people were blaming the employed for "coming from far and taking jobs in their area," they said.

This made me wonder,

•  is the road paving as the last resort of  spending money in the current financial year?

•   Will the tarred road be of quality or it is likely to be washed away by the summer rain and Sikanisi will not be able to set his four feet on it?

• Who is really benefiting from it?

• If my younger brothers could not benefit from the expanded public works programme in front of their home  where and when will they benefit from it?

• When the ANC says jobs for all does "all" means only its  members?

 If things continue to be like this I will also join the Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu in praying for the demise of the ANC.

And  as they say  Hlonipha umthandazo wegqwirha no Mhedeni, I am the latter. LET US PRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FIVE SKIPA

How many skipaz do you have? As a proud Orlando Pirates Fan I have FIVE SKIPA

Mdantsane FM "Siguqula Ubomi"

I still feel guilty that I have not listened to Mdantsane FM. My former classmate for 3 years at Hlokoma High School, Mncedisi Mabhulu works for them.  When I go home I must listen to incubeko yase Ntsane ndidikiwe ngalamanyawunyawu e YFM.

Four years of chasing stories

A lot has happened  since 2008. This month marks 14 months since I have been working for The New Age newspaper. I returned to school last year to study B Tech in Journalism and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)  and I could not finish my research project but I passed the other three subject (madoda skoro). I enjoyed studying features and reviews. This year my goal is to write one feature a month.
With all the fun I have had the question is; Should I give up or should I keep chasing front pages????

Merit Mention at the Vodacom Journalism Awards

ya neh that is the highlight of my career since I started this blog when I was an intern journalist in 2008.... kuthiwa u ncuntsu aka fani no cwaka kodwa ke ndinesikrokro ndifuna impinda