Women making waves in the construction industry

 

Urban renewal and hostel revitalisation

 

Gauteng rolls out the Rapid Land Release Programme

 

BNG Journal

The 5th edition of the BNG Journal. I am one of the contributors

Sowetan, show empathy to fugitive's GBV claim

 It is unfortunate  that the Sowetan in a story headlined 4m fugitive keeps herself one step  ahead of the police published 28 September 2020,  decides not to believe that Bathobile Mlangeni is  a victim of gender based violence.

 The newspaper  states that Bathobile “..Sought refuge in a three –roomed RDP house…under the pretext of being on the run from an “abusive boyfriend.”

Pretext is defined as a pretended reason for doing something that is used to hide the real reason.

The story failed to state that if indeed Bathobile had a boyfriend during the time the alleged crime was committed. It also fails to prove that she was not abused.

Violence against women in South Africa has shown that no woman is spared from it, as women from different races and social class have been victims.

The story trivialises the matter and fails to take into account that if the abuse had happened it might have pushed Bathobile to commit the alleged crime as she needed money to flee from her abuser who had threatened to “make the docket disappear” because he is a police officer. Also, Bathobile might have committed the alleged crime under duress from the said police officer.

By belittling the reason the Sowetan perpetuates the idea that only a certain type of woman can be abused. Saying Bathobile cannot be abused because she is an alleged criminal is no different from asking a woman what she was wearing when she was raped.

It is a duty of all of us in society to create an environment that allows all women, to speak out against violence without having to worry that they will not be believed because of their other life choices.

 

From Luzuko Pongoma

Naturena

NB: This letter was published in the Sowetan Newspaper on the 30 September 2020. It was a response to the story with the link below

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-09-28-woman-who-stole-millions-from-mall-of-africa-continues-to-give-the-cops-the-slip/

ULUTSHA NE MPILO KWI XESHA LO BHUBHANE WE COVID 19

 

Luzuko Pongoma

Ulutsha olumnyama luzifuma lunoxanduva olulongameloyo nkalo zonke  ebomini balo. Kwabo sebekhulile olu lutsha luzalwe ngeminyaka yama 1980s lubonakala njengabantu abonqenayo abangazimiselanga ntweni.

Kaloku, olu lutsha luzalwe ngeminyaka ye 80s, luzalelwe ku Mzantsi Afrika ubuphantsi kwengcinezelo, yabantu abamnyama ngabamhlophe. Kodwa luthe xa lusithi dlundlu, lufikisa yafika inkululeko.

Inkululeko leyo ke ifike nezithembiso ezininzi eziquka, imfundo efelefele, imisebenzi ephucukileyo, nobomi ubungcono.

Ngokweze politiki luye lwakhona lona utshintsho, abantu bakhokelwa zinkokheli ezimnyama kodwa wona amathuba awavulekanga ngoluhlobo uninzi lwabantu belulindele ngalo. Ingcinga yokuba amathuba ayimfumba kodwa iye yaqhubeka ibhebhethekiswa. Lento yokungakhuleli phantsi kwe ngcinezelo nokubhebhethekiswa kwentetho yakuba amathuba afele, yenze ukuba kulindelwe  lukhulu kolu lutsha. Lemeko yenze ulutsha lube kwisimo esifuna ukuba lujike amatye abezizonka.

Ngenxa yoxizelelo ngokulindeleke ngakubo, olu lutsha luzibhaqa luntyumpa ntyumpeka kumatyala kuba luzama ukufezikiza iminqweno nezithembiso. Phofu ke  eminye iminqweno ingeyoyabo, iyeyabazali. Lento ke yaphinda yongezelelwa lukhuphiswano no ntanganani. Uninzi luzibhaqa lungaphilanga ngokwase moyeni nase ngqondweni lufunyanwa zizigulo ezayamanelene no xinzelelo namaxhala. Luthi ke ulutshwa lwakuthetha ngalemeko lu nyenjwe lukwekwe ibethelwe buyaba imeko yabo. Ibhelu lomsele ne ziyobisi ziye zayi ngubo yozibopha amanxeba, nto leyo eye yakhokela ekuphileni ubomi obudlakadlaka ebukhokelise ukwanela obuza msinyane futhi kuhlale ithutyana.

Besaphila obubugxwayiba bobomi bungenasiphelo siphuhlileyo,olu lutsha lutshovelwe enzulwini yesiziba ngu bhubhane I COVID 19 oye washiya uninzi luphelelwe yimpangelo abanye bethotyelwe imirholo.

Lento iye yongezelela uxinzelelo ngakumbi ebomini bolu lutsha. Iziyobisi ezifana no tywala, ebebezisebenzisa njengomthoba ntliziyo nazo bezivaliwe. Ezo bezithengiswa bezifumane nge ntyunkula yemali futhi usaphula umthetho.

Ubomi besantya esiphezulu obungahambiselaniyo nokubase mpilweni buvele bama bhunxe kungakhenge kubekho saziso.

 

Lo bhubhane uye wabhentsisa impilo egwenxa ephilwa lulutsha, into efana nokuphila ubomi obungaphezulu kwemali umntu anayo, ubukhoboka ematyaleni. Ukuzinikela kutywala nakwiziyobisi, nokungakhathaleli imizimba. Ulutsha kumele luxoze mphini wumbi ukuze lizokwazi udlala indima ecacileyo elizweni. Kumele lufunde luphinde luphuhlise ubudlelwane lwalo ne mali. Ulutsha kumele luqhaphele indlela ubomi balo elububeke esichengeni ngenxa yokubeka “ubumnandi” phambili. Nangona amanani akhutshwa zingcali esithi abantu bazophila ubomi obude, ingaba ke luzophila ubomi obude obukwiqondo eliphezulu na xa bewuxhaphaza kangaka umzimba ebutsheni babo.

Indlela eya phambili icacile kumele ulutsha luguqule indlela eliphilangayo ubomi nedlela elibujonga ngalo. Lumele luguqule indlela ngokwasempilweni alukwazi kubuyela kundalashe ngenxa yalobhubhane. Kumele ke luthathe elithuba luguqule namanye amacandelo obomi balo.

 

 

Not voting is not an option, your vote counts.

Young ladies doing laundry at the Alexandra Women's Hostel

 wearing  T shirts of different political parties

The first democratic elections were a life changing event that brought excitement, anxiety, hope and fear. 

Fear was more dominant than excitement and hope 25 years ago. Parents walked in numbers when they were attending meetings and to an extent armed. As children we received various instructions, such as, Xa ubona umntu ongamaziyo uxelele umntu omdala,  ungazityi iilekese oziphiwa ngumntu ongamaziyo; xa ubuzwa umntu walapha ekuhlaleni uhlala phi uze uthi awumazi, wakugqiba ubaleke ubuye uzosibonisa lomntu ubuza abantu, ungazityi iilekese oziphiwa ngamapolisa, ungaxeleli bantu ngezinto zalapha ekhaya, among others.

If you were lucky, you would eves drop on the adult’s conversation about Inkatha that has been spotted near Mthatha or the Flagstaff region. The National Party threat was the one at the door and they shared  advises on how one should respond when approached by a National Party agent who was “buying” his or her vote or asked information about those in the forefront of activism in the community.

“Do not say no, take the money or food parcel and agree to vote for them. Do not eat the food or open the envelope or package, if the money is in it. Stay alive, do not give them a reason to kill you. They will not set their foot at the voting station to monitor you, we will be there,” was one of the common advice given as talks of NP agents roaming the streets of Mdantsane spread like wild fire in hush tones.

Watching news, discussing them, or using news as a cover to discuss political issues was the cover our parents used to meet. For many of us, who accompanied them to these talks it was a chance to continue playing even in the dark, a rare privilege I might add.

The day came, the parents left very early, I remember locking the door behind them with their peers already waiting for them in the street, safety in numbers was still prioritised.  I woke up late to a very cold isidudu and umbhako, that we ate throughout the day. Most the parents had gone to vote, we were free - free from bathing, free from making the bed, free from cleaning the house, free to play all the hours they were gone.

But the freedom ended slowly, as the parents started trickling in, in the groups that they left as. Each was called home to face actions of the short lived freedom, kwakhala ibhanti nentonga yomtshayelo.  For a few of us, it was worse as I was asked to go fetch the stick that would be used to meet my punishment in the tree nearby. Umthi weKwepire wakwa Sis Nombulelo, our parents swore by this tree, its branches did not break but would bend as they were giving us a beating. We stood there selecting and testing the best or should I say worst branch to take home.

As soon as the houses were clean, bed made, parents were back concentrating on the radio news , reports of violence in some areas, led to them calling loved ones to check if they are ok. The evening came, we went to the neighbour’s house to watch television. Parents roared, clapped and ululated as they saw Nelson Mandela vote, as children we discussed the beatings from earlier, those who did not get them laughed. The day ended, with excitement and hope overwhelmingly high but fear was still lacking in some dark corner.

As today’s parents, fear is the last thing on our minds, so is the excitement and hope. Reports of political violence linked with the elections have been almost nonexistence.  There has been service delivery protests that can be linked to the election season. Political messages are shared publicly without fear. Political party regalia has become a fashion statement that people wear freely.  There are no whispers about the enemy, we are not warning children about strangers who have ulterior political motives and there are no places regarded as no go areas for a particular group of people. Tomorrow, children are likely to be glued to their favourite cartoon channels when adults make a quick in and out at the voting station, if the parent votes at all.

The fear went out the window so is the excitement, besides the political die hard who have been up and down praising their political parties, there is no visible euphoria on the society at large, in fact you are more likely to hear people asking political party members or leaders to leave them alone. Elections also do not bring much hope for the general public anymore.  

Ndivotele ntoni, is a common question you will get when asking a person if they are going to vote. People have become despondent, as they see political parties and their leaders as devils who will not change their lives, thieves who do not aspire hope and self- riching megalomaniacs. South African politicians have proven that they put their parties first and the needs of the country take take second place.

It has become common for today's leaders to evoke the names of the fallen heroes who were seen as doing something positive for the society as they are draped in robes of scandals and are dripping stolen swag. That the country has offered us, these kind of people as our leaders is an indictment on us more than it is on them. How did we allow the bar  of leadership to be this hopelessly low? How did we allow ourselves to reach this point, is a question that we have to answer as society even after the elections

Enough about complaining,the ball is now in our hands again. Our forward step rests on the Ndivotela ntoni question. You vote to bring hope to the country, you vote to change what you do not agree with, you vote to maintain what you support and deem to be right for the country and generations to come, you vote for the betterment of the country and yes your vote does count.

AMANDLA, NGAWETHU. Let us reclaim our power tomorrow.