South Africa will host the world's first Peace Conference in Johannesburg next month which will focus on racism, xenophobia and the power of soccer in generating peace and harmony. The South African Peace Conference is an initiative of the 2010 Local Organising Committee.
In a statement issued on Wednesday Conference chief patron and LOC chairman Irvin Khoza, said: "We have a huge responsibility to leave a legacy after the World Cup, and with this conference I hope we can focus and stress what we need to do in South Africa and in Africa to keep a country and continent in peace and harmony.”
"Soccer has played a huge role in bringing unity to South Africa and now more than ever we must show our responsibility as a nation, as a soccer family, and as a host of the World Cup.”
“The event must be the most peaceful World Cup in its history with people from all nations inter-mingling in harmony as guests of South Africa," Khoza added.
The conference has been endorsed by the Norwegian Nobel Peace Committee and will see Nobel laureates from each continent gather in South Africa for their first official visit to an event outside Norway. Confirmed participants so far include the Dalai Lama, and Martti Ahtisaari (2008 Nobel Peace Prize winner) as well as South Africa's three living Peace Laureates; Archbishop Emeritus Tutu, Nelson Mandela and F.W De Klerk.
The conference gala dinner will be co-hosted by South African actress and newly appointed United Nations Peace Ambassador Charlize Theron, as well as actor Morgan Freeman, who plays Nelson Mandela in an upcoming movie about the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
"We are honoured and privileged to host an event of this magnitude and calibre of people involved," Khoza said.
Laureates attending the conference will conclude their visit by attending the Nelson Mandela Challenge match at the re-opening of the Royal Bafokeng Stadium where Bafana Bafana will host Norway.
The South African Peace Conference will take place on the 27th of March 2008 at Constitution Hill.
E.L.C.A. - M.U.D.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ash Wednesday: Concrete Solidarity (Barbara Born)
A fast is proclaimed. An assembly gathers, walking in procession to have ashes placed on their foreheads, while the refrain echoes, “turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” The cross received is not to be dusted away as we go forth from the church. It is worn in solidarity. We rend our hearts to turn away from our sins — self-centeredness, ecological insensitivity, and consumerism beyond our needs — and to stand with the alien and marginalized, globally and in our midst.
How can the solidarity we feel – our faith’s call to emulate the Lord’s compassion toward those engulfed in darkness on the labyrinth of life – become concrete in our Ash Wednesday fasting? Consider spending $2 or less on the meager meal you will eat, remembering how much of the world lives on $2 per day or less. Take the time to place a glass of water on the table, remembering millions that suffer disease, poverty and conflict, for they have no glass of water to drink. May the water remind us of our baptism, which calls us to be Christians not just in name, but by the actions we undertake for justice and peace.
Let your daily walk, used to dispel a sedentary lifestyle, become a fast from consumerism. Place in a grocery bag items you would take if you were going to be homeless, and carry them while you walk. Feel the solidarity by remembering those without shelter — what it is like to place all your belongings in one bag — and think about the earthly treasures we reverence.
As the day wanes, the ash cross on your forehead may be smudged from holding your head in prayerful reflection, creased by sweat from your brow, or withered by rain or sleet glancing your face. You will come to the door of your home, placing a key in the lock. Stepping inside, pause to reflect on all without a key tonight. Pray to God in private for the conversion of your heart to support those you remembered through your fasting today with a commitment to act for social justice.
For on this journey of Lent, with endurance, patience, and kindness, we are called to display a steadfast spirit and to open our lips for systemic change — to move beyond condescending charity to a solidarity which empowers those in our midst and around the world.
Barbara Born, Ph.D., is a freelance writer and volunteer, with interests in urban public policy, the environment, peace, and social justice.
How can the solidarity we feel – our faith’s call to emulate the Lord’s compassion toward those engulfed in darkness on the labyrinth of life – become concrete in our Ash Wednesday fasting? Consider spending $2 or less on the meager meal you will eat, remembering how much of the world lives on $2 per day or less. Take the time to place a glass of water on the table, remembering millions that suffer disease, poverty and conflict, for they have no glass of water to drink. May the water remind us of our baptism, which calls us to be Christians not just in name, but by the actions we undertake for justice and peace.
Let your daily walk, used to dispel a sedentary lifestyle, become a fast from consumerism. Place in a grocery bag items you would take if you were going to be homeless, and carry them while you walk. Feel the solidarity by remembering those without shelter — what it is like to place all your belongings in one bag — and think about the earthly treasures we reverence.
As the day wanes, the ash cross on your forehead may be smudged from holding your head in prayerful reflection, creased by sweat from your brow, or withered by rain or sleet glancing your face. You will come to the door of your home, placing a key in the lock. Stepping inside, pause to reflect on all without a key tonight. Pray to God in private for the conversion of your heart to support those you remembered through your fasting today with a commitment to act for social justice.
For on this journey of Lent, with endurance, patience, and kindness, we are called to display a steadfast spirit and to open our lips for systemic change — to move beyond condescending charity to a solidarity which empowers those in our midst and around the world.
Barbara Born, Ph.D., is a freelance writer and volunteer, with interests in urban public policy, the environment, peace, and social justice.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
South African film breaks silence on female circumcision
A new South African short film, “Cutting Silence”, has been selected to appear at the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles in February, reports screenafrica.com.
Written and directed by Reina-Marie Loader and produced by Kit Reynolds of International Radio Pictures, the 29-minute film looks at the traditional but highly controversial practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in North African countries.
Loader was inspired to make a film about FGM after reading Waris Dirie's “Desert Flower”. “I was so impressed by Ms Dirie's courage as an African woman who chose to speak up against what has been done to her as a child in the name of tradition,” says Loader.
Set in Somalia, the fact-based film explores the dilemma of a family on the eve of their daughter’s planned circumcision. A mother’s vivid memories of her own brutal and traumatic experience begin to cast doubt in her mind while her daughter prepares for the rite of passage that is demanded by their community and ensures social acceptance.
The film was entirely shot in South Africa with a local crew and cast. “We built an entire Somalian village in Irene, just outside of Johannesburg,” says Reynolds.
The purpose of the film “is to restore an awareness of the plight of women in these communities. We want to make people aware of the fact that what is happening doesn’t need to happen. This brutality can be offset by a symbolic ceremony,” Reynolds says.
In a process known as infabulation “everything is cut away and the girl is stitched up, leaving a small gap for urination and menses - all this without any kind of anesthetic,” says Reynolds. “Eventually when the girl gets married, her husband either cuts or tears her open for intercourse.”
“I am delighted that the film was selected for the Pan African Film Festival. Festivals such as PAFF represent the notion that film can play a role in combating these injustices or ensuring that they are never forgotten and repeated,” says Loader.
“I hope the audience will realize that what the film represents is the truth. It is something that is happening now with real physical and psychological consequences - perhaps not for men, but most certainly for the women,” she adds.
The Pan African Film Festival is attended by over 200 00 people and presents 175 quality films from across the world, showcasing the diversity and complexity of people of African descent.
The festival was started in 1992 and has been instrumental in promoting works of creative expression that uphold cultural and racial tolerance and education. Past festival features have included award winning films such as “Ray” and South African Oscar-winning film, “Tsotsi”.
See the trailer for “Cutting Silence” and find out more about FGM by clicking here.
Monday, February 16, 2009
What Change Can Tsvangirai Bring to Zimbabwe? (Seth Naicker)
Feb. 11, 1990, marked the wondrous day that Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was released from prison. South Africa and the world rejoiced at seeing Mandela free after 27 years of imprisonment, free to grace his fellow comrades, nation, and global society with what commonly became recognized as “Madiba Magic.” President Mandela had an aura about him that spoke of promise and convinced one of a bright future and hope for the South African nation.
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe. One must question if this 11th of February, 2009, in Zimbabwe is to be considered as promising as the 11th of February, 1990.
Tsvangirai is a champion of the people and has propelled the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in a manner that has remained true to the cry of the oppressed and disenfranchised people of Zimbabwe. But as I reflect on this moment I am skeptical of the way change has presented itself. I believe that a peaceful and diplomatic path has been chosen to appeal to the plight of the people, who have been facing dire circumstances. It must be considered that Robert Mugabe’s actions are self-serving, and one should wonder as to the authenticity of this shared power scenario.
The people of Zimbabwe have faced human rights abuses and atrocities that would make one shudder. The militant acts of the Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), under the leadership of Mugabe and his cronies, as it relates to people being tortured and stripped of their every human dignity, must not be forgotten. It is my hope that Mugabe will come face to face with his conscience, where one who was once hailed as a freedom fighter and liberator of people somewhere lost sight of his call to serve, protect, and lead with integrity, and turned into a devious and deadly dictator.
President of South Africa Kgaleme Motlanthe has pointed out that this result of shared power serves to prove that the path South African leadership chose in dealing with the Zimbabwean crisis was the right path. I dare to differ, for in my understanding, South African leadership chose a silent diplomacy, standing back without pressuring Mugabe, or holding him to account for the human rights abuses that transpired over the past five years.
The sharing of power as has been initiated by the installation of Tsvangirai is, at the very least, a step in the right direction, but I believe that our South African government and leadership could — and should — have played a much more direct role in ensuring that Mugabe felt the heat for his villainous ways.
It seems that Mugabe will never come to trial or have to account for his actions. It is my prayer that Tsvangirai will be able to do the work of bringing economic stability and security to Zimbabwe, in the midst of having to deal with a global community and global leadership who by and large distrust the current shared power scenario. There have been reports by MDC comrades stating their dissatisfaction at the sharing of power, and some who believe that this is all a charade. Ultimately for many Mugabe must relinquish his power, stand down, and stand trial for true justice, freedom, and democracy to be realized.
It is my hope and prayer that Feb. 11, 2009, for Zimbabwe will be truly yield a future where people will testify of the beginning of a new day of justice, hope, and positive change. May we continue to uphold in our prayer, thoughts, and actions the plight of the Zimbabwean people.
Seth Naicker is an activist, advocate, speaker, writer & contributor, artist, trainer, and consultant for inclusivity and diversity, justice and reconciliation.
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe. One must question if this 11th of February, 2009, in Zimbabwe is to be considered as promising as the 11th of February, 1990.
Tsvangirai is a champion of the people and has propelled the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in a manner that has remained true to the cry of the oppressed and disenfranchised people of Zimbabwe. But as I reflect on this moment I am skeptical of the way change has presented itself. I believe that a peaceful and diplomatic path has been chosen to appeal to the plight of the people, who have been facing dire circumstances. It must be considered that Robert Mugabe’s actions are self-serving, and one should wonder as to the authenticity of this shared power scenario.
The people of Zimbabwe have faced human rights abuses and atrocities that would make one shudder. The militant acts of the Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), under the leadership of Mugabe and his cronies, as it relates to people being tortured and stripped of their every human dignity, must not be forgotten. It is my hope that Mugabe will come face to face with his conscience, where one who was once hailed as a freedom fighter and liberator of people somewhere lost sight of his call to serve, protect, and lead with integrity, and turned into a devious and deadly dictator.
President of South Africa Kgaleme Motlanthe has pointed out that this result of shared power serves to prove that the path South African leadership chose in dealing with the Zimbabwean crisis was the right path. I dare to differ, for in my understanding, South African leadership chose a silent diplomacy, standing back without pressuring Mugabe, or holding him to account for the human rights abuses that transpired over the past five years.
The sharing of power as has been initiated by the installation of Tsvangirai is, at the very least, a step in the right direction, but I believe that our South African government and leadership could — and should — have played a much more direct role in ensuring that Mugabe felt the heat for his villainous ways.
It seems that Mugabe will never come to trial or have to account for his actions. It is my prayer that Tsvangirai will be able to do the work of bringing economic stability and security to Zimbabwe, in the midst of having to deal with a global community and global leadership who by and large distrust the current shared power scenario. There have been reports by MDC comrades stating their dissatisfaction at the sharing of power, and some who believe that this is all a charade. Ultimately for many Mugabe must relinquish his power, stand down, and stand trial for true justice, freedom, and democracy to be realized.
It is my hope and prayer that Feb. 11, 2009, for Zimbabwe will be truly yield a future where people will testify of the beginning of a new day of justice, hope, and positive change. May we continue to uphold in our prayer, thoughts, and actions the plight of the Zimbabwean people.
Seth Naicker is an activist, advocate, speaker, writer & contributor, artist, trainer, and consultant for inclusivity and diversity, justice and reconciliation.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Mobilization to End Poverty (April 26-29, 2009)
Mobilization to End Poverty
April 26-29, 2009
Washington Convention Center
The Mobilization to End Poverty (M2EP) will be a historic gathering. Thousands of Christians will come together in a powerful movement committed to the biblical imperative of reducing domestic and global poverty. The Mobilization will call the new President and Congress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and cut domestic poverty in half within 10 years. ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson will speak at the event along with a host of other well-known speakers such as Jim Wallis, Elizabeth Edwards, and Governor Mike Hucakbee. Events include keynote addresses and plenary sessions, workshops and trainings, Lobby Day, networking opportunities, and public rally in Lafayette Park.
For more information on the Mobilization to End Poverty, see: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=events.M2EP&item=M2EP-home&source=rsvp_0810_mobelca_dm
April 26-29, 2009
Washington Convention Center
The Mobilization to End Poverty (M2EP) will be a historic gathering. Thousands of Christians will come together in a powerful movement committed to the biblical imperative of reducing domestic and global poverty. The Mobilization will call the new President and Congress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and cut domestic poverty in half within 10 years. ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson will speak at the event along with a host of other well-known speakers such as Jim Wallis, Elizabeth Edwards, and Governor Mike Hucakbee. Events include keynote addresses and plenary sessions, workshops and trainings, Lobby Day, networking opportunities, and public rally in Lafayette Park.
For more information on the Mobilization to End Poverty, see: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=events.M2EP&item=M2EP-home&source=rsvp_0810_mobelca_dm
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Weakness (Jacinda Shields)
There have been a few times in my life when I’ve wondered what God is planning for me. This experience as an ELCA-MUD volunteer in South Africa is one of those times. I have never embarked on a journey like this before. Probably the most adventurous things I’ve done happened when I was in Australia for a month in 2005. Going to Australia was for me, I went because I had an opportunity and I took it. I went because I wanted to go. Honestly, God had little, if anything, to do with my decision. Now it is 2009 and I am in the middle of something else, something with much more meaning for me. God had everything to do with this decision. My husband and I came here because we believed God was calling us to do mission work overseas. Making this decision was easy because I was convinced that I was following God’s will.
What I didn’t realize was how difficult this experience would be for me. Before I came to South Africa, I thought this year would be a kind of “crowning jewel” of my life thus far. I tried to imagine what it would be like; I tried to examine my expectations so that I could pare them down and go with an open mind. I suppose many times our ideas of what things are going to be like are far different from God’s ideas, far different from the way things actually play out. Although I don’t want a sympathy vote, I want to be honest with my supporters, my family and friends because they deserve my honesty and full-disclosure.
These last five months have been the most difficult five months of my life and I never expected that to be the case. I want to share in this reflection why this is because for the past few months I have been embarrassed to talk about how I feel. I suppose I thought that I should be silent about my feelings because so many people I know would love to be in my position, working in South Africa for a year. Also, I was so excited before I left that I feel guilty that the excitement has worn off. I feel like if I say that this experience has been hard for me that I’m letting my supporters down. Finally, I feel like I’m failing myself and failing God because I’m not achieving what I thought I’d achieve; I’m not reacting to this opportunity the way I thought I’d react. I guess I don’t want to admit that I’m struggling. That has always been difficult for me. My pride convinces me that I should tough it out and not complain so others don’t think I’m weak.
I know that these things may seem ridiculous and that many of my family and friends at home say supportively and lovingly: “It’s okay to feel this way. You are doing something really good and we are so proud of you. We love you no matter what. ”
I appreciate those words so much because they remind me that I’m not here for me. I’m here for God. I am here for His purposes. And I should be weak. I should be weak enough to allow God to work through me. No matter how useless, impotent and lost I feel, I should not worry because God is carrying me. He is using me for His purposes, even if I don’t see them right away. Maybe I’ll never know why God brought me to South Africa. Maybe I will never feel that “sense of purpose” that I yearn for. I must come to terms with that and accept it. I cannot demand an explanation from God. I should be clay in His hands, willing to be shaped however He sees fit without accusing Him of shaping me the “wrong way.”
I have been struggling through these feelings and have found myself being angry at God for not “explaining himself” to me, for not allowing me to feel a sense of purpose and a reason for being here. Through this my husband has been exceptionally supportive and he helps me work through these feelings. He prays for me and encourages me to pray. He played a Rich Mullins song for me called “Hard to Get.” One of the lyrics says: “Still I’m so scared I’m holding my breath, while you’re up there just playing hard to get.” I have been feeling that God’s playing hard to get with me. I am angry because He won’t let me in on His plans. I do not like to feel out of control yet I feel frighteningly out of control of myself and my surroundings. I’m used to being able to solve most of my problems, used to taking care of myself. Here in South Africa, I do not have the independence I had in the States, which allowed me to take control of myself and my surroundings.
The song continues: "I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears, all these words of shame and doubt, blame and regret; I can’t see where you’re leading me unless you’ve led me here, to where I’m lost enough to let myself be led.” Part of me thinks it’s unfortunate that I need to be “lost enough to let myself be led.” The other part thinks that it’s human nature, it’s sin, that tells us we can solve everything on our own, even things we have no hope of understanding.
I am at God's mercy. It will continue to be difficult for me, but I will let myself be led because I am that lost. I believe that is what God wants. He wants us to be lost to ourselves yet find ourselves in Him. He wants me to trust in Him completely in a way that I couldn’t at home because I was able to put much more trust in myself at home. This will be an incredible experience if I allow myself to be God’s clay, to let Him lead me, to trust in Him completely and really learn what it means to put my faith in Him.
Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (4:13). Paul also says that “this ‘foolish’ plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength” (1 Cor. 1:25).
As I struggle though this challenge God has laid upon me, I will continue to recognize and be grateful for all the blessings God has given me in South Africa: shelter, food, provision. He has blessed me with wonderful relationships with incredible South Africans. He has blessed me with a husband who understands me, is compassionate and unconditionally loving and ever-supportive. He has blessed me with grace I do not deserve as I strive to obey the will of the One who loves me best.
Jacinda Shields is an ELCA-MUD volunteer serving in Port Elizabeth.
What I didn’t realize was how difficult this experience would be for me. Before I came to South Africa, I thought this year would be a kind of “crowning jewel” of my life thus far. I tried to imagine what it would be like; I tried to examine my expectations so that I could pare them down and go with an open mind. I suppose many times our ideas of what things are going to be like are far different from God’s ideas, far different from the way things actually play out. Although I don’t want a sympathy vote, I want to be honest with my supporters, my family and friends because they deserve my honesty and full-disclosure.
These last five months have been the most difficult five months of my life and I never expected that to be the case. I want to share in this reflection why this is because for the past few months I have been embarrassed to talk about how I feel. I suppose I thought that I should be silent about my feelings because so many people I know would love to be in my position, working in South Africa for a year. Also, I was so excited before I left that I feel guilty that the excitement has worn off. I feel like if I say that this experience has been hard for me that I’m letting my supporters down. Finally, I feel like I’m failing myself and failing God because I’m not achieving what I thought I’d achieve; I’m not reacting to this opportunity the way I thought I’d react. I guess I don’t want to admit that I’m struggling. That has always been difficult for me. My pride convinces me that I should tough it out and not complain so others don’t think I’m weak.
I know that these things may seem ridiculous and that many of my family and friends at home say supportively and lovingly: “It’s okay to feel this way. You are doing something really good and we are so proud of you. We love you no matter what. ”
I appreciate those words so much because they remind me that I’m not here for me. I’m here for God. I am here for His purposes. And I should be weak. I should be weak enough to allow God to work through me. No matter how useless, impotent and lost I feel, I should not worry because God is carrying me. He is using me for His purposes, even if I don’t see them right away. Maybe I’ll never know why God brought me to South Africa. Maybe I will never feel that “sense of purpose” that I yearn for. I must come to terms with that and accept it. I cannot demand an explanation from God. I should be clay in His hands, willing to be shaped however He sees fit without accusing Him of shaping me the “wrong way.”
I have been struggling through these feelings and have found myself being angry at God for not “explaining himself” to me, for not allowing me to feel a sense of purpose and a reason for being here. Through this my husband has been exceptionally supportive and he helps me work through these feelings. He prays for me and encourages me to pray. He played a Rich Mullins song for me called “Hard to Get.” One of the lyrics says: “Still I’m so scared I’m holding my breath, while you’re up there just playing hard to get.” I have been feeling that God’s playing hard to get with me. I am angry because He won’t let me in on His plans. I do not like to feel out of control yet I feel frighteningly out of control of myself and my surroundings. I’m used to being able to solve most of my problems, used to taking care of myself. Here in South Africa, I do not have the independence I had in the States, which allowed me to take control of myself and my surroundings.
The song continues: "I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears, all these words of shame and doubt, blame and regret; I can’t see where you’re leading me unless you’ve led me here, to where I’m lost enough to let myself be led.” Part of me thinks it’s unfortunate that I need to be “lost enough to let myself be led.” The other part thinks that it’s human nature, it’s sin, that tells us we can solve everything on our own, even things we have no hope of understanding.
I am at God's mercy. It will continue to be difficult for me, but I will let myself be led because I am that lost. I believe that is what God wants. He wants us to be lost to ourselves yet find ourselves in Him. He wants me to trust in Him completely in a way that I couldn’t at home because I was able to put much more trust in myself at home. This will be an incredible experience if I allow myself to be God’s clay, to let Him lead me, to trust in Him completely and really learn what it means to put my faith in Him.
Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (4:13). Paul also says that “this ‘foolish’ plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength” (1 Cor. 1:25).
As I struggle though this challenge God has laid upon me, I will continue to recognize and be grateful for all the blessings God has given me in South Africa: shelter, food, provision. He has blessed me with wonderful relationships with incredible South Africans. He has blessed me with a husband who understands me, is compassionate and unconditionally loving and ever-supportive. He has blessed me with grace I do not deserve as I strive to obey the will of the One who loves me best.
Jacinda Shields is an ELCA-MUD volunteer serving in Port Elizabeth.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Conversion (Crystal Hall)
[After Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus…] And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized.
- Acts 9:18
We say that we want to help the poor, but do we really? I thought that I was compelled. When I attended my first Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference in Washington DC, I had a conversion moment. I knew that the way I lived out my faith would never be the same. My life had been going in one direction and took a complete U-turn. During those few days I knew, that on some level, I would spend the rest of my life on the side of the poor. My rationale for going to the developing world, for volunteering, was that I wanted to put a face to the statistics. I wanted to engage with people, not just read about them in glossy NGO brochures. I felt that if I was truly going to advocate on behalf of the poor (or if anyone was going to take me seriously) that I needed to spend time on the ground, to witness what it really means to confront the daily realities of poverty. Frankly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I said I wanted to help the poor. Do I really have any idea what that statement means? Am I ready to be converted yet again? That is something about which I’m not so sure…
NGOs, government agencies, and churches (among many others) have institutionalized development work. This is both a very good and a very bad thing. There is a constant emphasis on numbers and results. In “NGO speak” development happens through baseline studies, action and business plans, M & E (monitoring and evaluation), and statistical analysis. The process is clinical and dehumanized. Agencies no longer deal with human beings but with “the poor,” “the marginalized,” “the disadvantaged,” “the [insert appropriate adjective here].” People become objects. It is so much more comfortable, palatable, and safer to objectify a person than to enter into their lives, in the same way that it is so much easier to mail a shoebox full of semi-useless items overseas than it is to think about systematic socio-economic inequality. We praise Mother Theresa, because she selflessly gave her life to serving the poor, but we murder Archbishop Oscar Romero because he asked why people are poor in the first place. Romero was murdered because he threatened the status quo in a radical way, in such a way that people were willing to kill him.
People say all the time that they want to help the poor by volunteering their time and donating their money to charity. It’s a fashionable, socially acceptable, résume-building, even noble thing to do. (And it looks great on university applications.) The wealthy give to charity by attending lavish dinners and golf tournaments. To the world this is “helping the poor.” The entire process is sanitized. The typical charity event involves no interaction with people that are poor, the people that will be scavenging the dumpsters after the event. Even those experiences that are interactive, like volunteering at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter, leave the volunteers the luxury of leaving at the end of the day, to returning to the comforts of their daily lives.
Justice is not such a popular, socially acceptable concept. It points to our hypocrisy, the dichotomy between “helping the poor” and sharing in the lives of the poor, coming down on the side of the poor. That is a concept for which people are martyred, one of the very things for which Jesus was crucified. Jesus was always hanging out with the "wrong" people. Who are the sinners and tax collectors of our day? The homeless man on the street corner, the drug addict in the alley, the physically and mentally disabled that act out in public, the illegal immigrant working in a restaurant kitchen, the HIV positive person rejected from her church… What philanthropist is willing to do a photo-op with a homeless person? We have to ask ourselves, who is the absolute last person we would want to be seen in public with? Those are exactly the people, the people on the margins, that Jesus would be spending his time with now.
Six months ago I thought that I was compelled. I thought that I knew what it meant to live with the constant knowledge that a person dies every four seconds from a preventable, poverty-related cause. But I was wrong. I was still operating in the charity paradigm. Have I ever been willing to be seen with the wrong people? What would everybody think? How would I feel? Would I have to think and act differently? Am I willing to be converted again and again? To admit that I more of a Pharisee than I ever thought, because I’m so wrapped up in my own self-righteousness that I can’t see the Son of God right in front of me? This is the kind of conversion that happens every day, as I realize more and more (and perhaps less and less) what sort of life a follower of Christ is called to.
Crystal Hall is an ELCA-MUD volunteer serving in Pietermaritzburg.
- Acts 9:18
We say that we want to help the poor, but do we really? I thought that I was compelled. When I attended my first Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference in Washington DC, I had a conversion moment. I knew that the way I lived out my faith would never be the same. My life had been going in one direction and took a complete U-turn. During those few days I knew, that on some level, I would spend the rest of my life on the side of the poor. My rationale for going to the developing world, for volunteering, was that I wanted to put a face to the statistics. I wanted to engage with people, not just read about them in glossy NGO brochures. I felt that if I was truly going to advocate on behalf of the poor (or if anyone was going to take me seriously) that I needed to spend time on the ground, to witness what it really means to confront the daily realities of poverty. Frankly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I said I wanted to help the poor. Do I really have any idea what that statement means? Am I ready to be converted yet again? That is something about which I’m not so sure…
NGOs, government agencies, and churches (among many others) have institutionalized development work. This is both a very good and a very bad thing. There is a constant emphasis on numbers and results. In “NGO speak” development happens through baseline studies, action and business plans, M & E (monitoring and evaluation), and statistical analysis. The process is clinical and dehumanized. Agencies no longer deal with human beings but with “the poor,” “the marginalized,” “the disadvantaged,” “the [insert appropriate adjective here].” People become objects. It is so much more comfortable, palatable, and safer to objectify a person than to enter into their lives, in the same way that it is so much easier to mail a shoebox full of semi-useless items overseas than it is to think about systematic socio-economic inequality. We praise Mother Theresa, because she selflessly gave her life to serving the poor, but we murder Archbishop Oscar Romero because he asked why people are poor in the first place. Romero was murdered because he threatened the status quo in a radical way, in such a way that people were willing to kill him.
People say all the time that they want to help the poor by volunteering their time and donating their money to charity. It’s a fashionable, socially acceptable, résume-building, even noble thing to do. (And it looks great on university applications.) The wealthy give to charity by attending lavish dinners and golf tournaments. To the world this is “helping the poor.” The entire process is sanitized. The typical charity event involves no interaction with people that are poor, the people that will be scavenging the dumpsters after the event. Even those experiences that are interactive, like volunteering at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter, leave the volunteers the luxury of leaving at the end of the day, to returning to the comforts of their daily lives.
Justice is not such a popular, socially acceptable concept. It points to our hypocrisy, the dichotomy between “helping the poor” and sharing in the lives of the poor, coming down on the side of the poor. That is a concept for which people are martyred, one of the very things for which Jesus was crucified. Jesus was always hanging out with the "wrong" people. Who are the sinners and tax collectors of our day? The homeless man on the street corner, the drug addict in the alley, the physically and mentally disabled that act out in public, the illegal immigrant working in a restaurant kitchen, the HIV positive person rejected from her church… What philanthropist is willing to do a photo-op with a homeless person? We have to ask ourselves, who is the absolute last person we would want to be seen in public with? Those are exactly the people, the people on the margins, that Jesus would be spending his time with now.
Six months ago I thought that I was compelled. I thought that I knew what it meant to live with the constant knowledge that a person dies every four seconds from a preventable, poverty-related cause. But I was wrong. I was still operating in the charity paradigm. Have I ever been willing to be seen with the wrong people? What would everybody think? How would I feel? Would I have to think and act differently? Am I willing to be converted again and again? To admit that I more of a Pharisee than I ever thought, because I’m so wrapped up in my own self-righteousness that I can’t see the Son of God right in front of me? This is the kind of conversion that happens every day, as I realize more and more (and perhaps less and less) what sort of life a follower of Christ is called to.
Crystal Hall is an ELCA-MUD volunteer serving in Pietermaritzburg.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sustainability is a Question of Sewage
Belem, Brazil — "Our thinking about sustainability must deal with sewage because we have to live with our waste. It cannot leave the globe. It hangs around and it comes back to haunt us," Steve de Gruchy of the University of KwaZulu-Natal said in an address to the 3rd World Forum on Theology and Liberation, which met from 21 to 25 January in Belem.
"Previous civilisations may have got away with flushing the problem downstream, but in a globalised world there is no downstream, or, more correctly, we all live downstream," De Gruchy told the forum, which focused on the theme of sustainability, under the slogan "Water, Earth, Theology - for another possible world".
The question of sewage, De Gruchy said, speaking on 23 January in this northeastern Brazilian city, "is the place where economics and ecology collide Outside of our ability to deal with our s**t, there can be no real talk of sustainability."
In post-apartheid South Africa, he noted, the government has been unable, despite making it a national goal, to eradicate the bucket system of sewage collection in poor communities, where human waste is collected in open buckets and taken away by municipal workers.
At the same time, a top South African water scientist, Anthony Turton, was suspended in 2008 as he was about to deliver a paper stating that five of the country's major dams were contaminated with toxin levels that were among the highest in the world. Meanwhile , in neighbouring Zimbabwe, an outbreak of cholera has claimed more than 1800 deaths, "caused by a complete breakdown in public health structures, water sanitation and governance".
These three events, De Gruchy said, "point to the fundamental crisis of sustainability that we face in southern Africa today". Political and economic aspirations that demand an end to dehumanising living conditions are colliding with "collapsing management" of public assets and growing shortages of water, and leading to an impending health disaster.
"How do we face up to the fact that it is not just human greed and rampant consumerism that is in conflict with the earth, but also the legitimate human aspirations of the poor?" De Gruchy asked. He called for legal constraints, "to bind the strong and to limit the powerful", adding that there is a need to resist the privatisation of water and sewage, "because profits cannot be put above human dignity".
De Gruchy urged the development of an "olive agenda" that blends the "brown agenda" focusing on poverty and the "green agenda" aimed at the environment.
"Bucket toilets, cholera and water shortages are about poverty and therefore economics, and therefore they must be high on the brown agenda. At the same time they are about water and sanitation and therefore ecology, and therefore must be high on the green agenda," he stated.
"Previous civilisations may have got away with flushing the problem downstream, but in a globalised world there is no downstream, or, more correctly, we all live downstream," De Gruchy told the forum, which focused on the theme of sustainability, under the slogan "Water, Earth, Theology - for another possible world".
The question of sewage, De Gruchy said, speaking on 23 January in this northeastern Brazilian city, "is the place where economics and ecology collide Outside of our ability to deal with our s**t, there can be no real talk of sustainability."
In post-apartheid South Africa, he noted, the government has been unable, despite making it a national goal, to eradicate the bucket system of sewage collection in poor communities, where human waste is collected in open buckets and taken away by municipal workers.
At the same time, a top South African water scientist, Anthony Turton, was suspended in 2008 as he was about to deliver a paper stating that five of the country's major dams were contaminated with toxin levels that were among the highest in the world. Meanwhile , in neighbouring Zimbabwe, an outbreak of cholera has claimed more than 1800 deaths, "caused by a complete breakdown in public health structures, water sanitation and governance".
These three events, De Gruchy said, "point to the fundamental crisis of sustainability that we face in southern Africa today". Political and economic aspirations that demand an end to dehumanising living conditions are colliding with "collapsing management" of public assets and growing shortages of water, and leading to an impending health disaster.
"How do we face up to the fact that it is not just human greed and rampant consumerism that is in conflict with the earth, but also the legitimate human aspirations of the poor?" De Gruchy asked. He called for legal constraints, "to bind the strong and to limit the powerful", adding that there is a need to resist the privatisation of water and sewage, "because profits cannot be put above human dignity".
De Gruchy urged the development of an "olive agenda" that blends the "brown agenda" focusing on poverty and the "green agenda" aimed at the environment.
"Bucket toilets, cholera and water shortages are about poverty and therefore economics, and therefore they must be high on the brown agenda. At the same time they are about water and sanitation and therefore ecology, and therefore must be high on the green agenda," he stated.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Tutu asks Obama to use clout
Cape Town — Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu yesterday called on U.S. president Barak Obama to use his powerful leadership to come down hard on African dictators.
Addressing a conference of international army chaplains, Tutu said the world is waiting for Obama to use his clout in areas such as Iraq, the Middle East and Africa.
Tutu also made a strong call on Obama to apologise to the people of Iraq for invading their country. He said Obama should also focus on climate change and take seriously the ratification of the International Tribunal Court.
“He can really come down on dictators, especially in Africa. They can’t say to him you are a neo-colonialist,” Tutu said.
“He can tell them, I am half African and I want to see you succeed, and you can’t if you are not accountable. He should really come down hard on them. They have disgraced us. The things that are happening in Zimbabwe are abominable - and our leaders took so long.”
Tutu was responding to a question on what advice he has for Obama as the newly sworn in president of the U.S.
Addressing a conference of international army chaplains, Tutu said the world is waiting for Obama to use his clout in areas such as Iraq, the Middle East and Africa.
Tutu also made a strong call on Obama to apologise to the people of Iraq for invading their country. He said Obama should also focus on climate change and take seriously the ratification of the International Tribunal Court.
“He can really come down on dictators, especially in Africa. They can’t say to him you are a neo-colonialist,” Tutu said.
“He can tell them, I am half African and I want to see you succeed, and you can’t if you are not accountable. He should really come down hard on them. They have disgraced us. The things that are happening in Zimbabwe are abominable - and our leaders took so long.”
Tutu was responding to a question on what advice he has for Obama as the newly sworn in president of the U.S.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The sound and the fury: Comments on Women and Sex
There has been much sound and fury over the conduct and comments of political leaders around women and sex. ANC Youth League President Julius Malema talked about date rape and pregnant teens, then revelations about President Kgalema Motlanthe’s private life set the blogs ablaze. Nicole Johnston, Thembelihle Tshabalala, Nosimilo Ndlovu and Monako Dibetle took to the streets to feel the people’s pulse.
It's an outrage
Reverend Bafana Khumalo, co-director of the Sonke Gender Justice Project
We are appalled by Julius Malema’s comments: they portray a lack of understanding of what women go through because of gender violence. But even more appalling is the silence from the ANC when a key leader makes such comments. It is an indictment on how it views women’s rights. We challenge the ANC leadership to come out clearly on this issue.
Our country has a high level of sexual violence and a justice system that cannot deal adequately with the problem, as well as a very high HIV rate. Many of the pregnant teenagers were raped or coerced into transactional sex because of poverty. It takes two to tango, but we hear nothing about the older men who often impregnate girls. Malema’s comments show lack of understanding of the complexity of our society.
It is worrying that people who are supposed to be leading our nation have such warped notions about women’s rights and women’s bodies.
Dr Sarojini Nadar, senior lecturer and programme director: gender and religion, University of KwaZulu-Natal
A woman who is raped doesn’t stay for breakfast or ask for taxi money is what rape expert Julius Malema told Cape Tech students. How does he know how a survivor of rape should behave? Has he been with one in the morning? Why is it not acceptable to ask for taxi money? Is there a ritual of walking (as opposed to taking a taxi) that must accompany the “culture” of rape in Malema’s imminent scholarly work on “Seven signs that a woman has been raped”? Is there a mandatory ritual of fasting (by avoiding breakfast) that the victim should follow to purge herself of the “sin” of being raped? Perhaps some of our regional and high court judges will rush out to buy a copy of Malema’s book, because clearly they too see themselves as experts on when a woman is raped, and why.
Remember the judge who -- in passing sentence on three rapists -- urged men who felt enticed to rape women because of their attire, to give them material instead to “cover up” their bodies. The worrying part is that the judges in our court system actually did progress beyond high school -- unlike Malema who still remains uneducated -- except, it would seem, on the habits of rape survivors.
Kumi Naidoo, activist and honorary president of Civicus
As a South African man I hope that all South Africans are ashamed that our leaders feel
comfortable expressing such atrocious views of women. It is up to our country’s leadership to make sure that Julius Malema and others know that these views are unacceptable. It is not only degrading, but it reveals a shocking insensitivity towards the issue of rape and gender-based violence that is so sadly prevalent throughout South African society.
Amanda Gouws, professor of political science, University of Stellenbosch
To say that Julius Malema is sexist would simply add another adjective to an already long string of adjectives that refer to him as stupid, ignorant and arrogant. Somehow he is immune to these. The banality of his statement about the rape survivor in the Zuma case shows that little of the gender rhetoric of the Mbeki era, or the 16 days campaigns, have rubbed off on the ANC Youth League or the laughing and cheering students he was addressing. Once more in their blind allegiance to Jacob Zuma his supporters have shown us the ugliness of misogyny in which rape can be equated with a pleasurable “sexual favour”.
Did Malema ever consider Kwezi’s shame in having to ask for taxi money from a man she accused of raping her? And in case Malema wants to know, Kwezi lives in destitution in a foreign country -- for all intents and purposes stripped of her citizenship. But I guess Malema will fail to see how Kwezi’s fate can be an issue at the heart of democracy and gender equality.
Lisa Vetten, researcher and policy analyst, Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to End Violence Against Women
What do the women’s rights’ activists in the ANC think when Jacob Zuma and his acolyte Julius Malema call for the internment of pregnant teenage girls in education camps? Were all those conceptions the result of parthenogenesis, with no male involvement or responsibility?
Do they -- like Malema -- think Zuma’s accuser had a “nice time”? And how do they uphold a man whose trial for rape was a textbook illustration of legal sexism? Indeed, some of the discriminatory practices employed in that trial (like the “cautionary approach” applied to the complainant’s testimony, or the negative inference drawn from her delayed report) are no longer permissible in terms of the 2007 Sexual Offences Act.
These are fierce and articulate women who drafted the Women’s Charter for Effective Equality, ensured the entrenchment of gender equality and reproductive rights in the Constitution, spearheaded model national gender machinery, pushed for progressive legislation such as the Domestic Violence Act and the Choice on the Termination of Pregnancy Act and fought for women’s representation in political structures.
How can they stand by so silently while their history and achievements are trampled by the members of their own party?
What's the problem?
Nombuso Zondi, Pietermaritzburg
I’m indifferent on Kgamela Motlanthe, but really you can’t be a public figure and be seen to be leading a life of having different women and sleeping with young girls. Soon we will hear him trying to talk about living a faithful life and condomising to stop HIV/Aids. He is contributing to the problems instead of helping to stop them.
Mike Mogale, Limpopo
It is known in our societies that younger women are more exciting than older women ... they are soft and sexy. Married women tend to be very boring, that’s why we men try to score the young ones. Personally, I think that Motlanthe behaved like a real man. Real African men always have lots of women. Motlanthe deserves a round of applause for being better than Thabo Mbeki. I think it is time we forget about Zuma now and start supporting Motlanthe. He is our new champion.
Julius Mathe Tladi, Soweto
Dating young people used to be contrary to the good morals of the society but not any longer. There are sugar daddies everywhere and they don’t even hide any more. It’s like this young woman dating Motlanthe -- she saw a man in a person old enough to be her grandfather. Who is to blame? Maybe the girl wants the nice life and money. Maybe Motlanthe is a good lover. Anyway, a young woman of 24 years is no longer a child. She’s a big girl and very ripe.
Viola Mabalane, Jo’burg
If our mothers understand and accept that we are dating older men then it means that this is what our society has become. I think this has very little to do with the men because men are men, it is more a reflection on us as young black women. We need to re-evaluate our morals when it comes to such things because it’s always easy to point fingers, while the actual problem is with us liking money and bling.
Qaqamba Tyopo, Jo’burg
There was a time when our culture didn’t allow older men to even look at younger girls in any way other than as daughters, but now things have changed. I am not sure that this is the kind of example that our leaders should be setting. The truth is that we have been seeing the trend of wealthy older men with young women because they’re rich. Very few of these relationships are about love, many are transactional.
Zeenande Nzama, Mpumalanga
What he is doing is nothing new. He is a sugar daddy, but because he is the president we expect him to be our moral leader. He can do anything he wants. He is human. Cut him some slack.
PM Melato Kagiso, Mogale City
Men are generally not happy with one woman and history can prove that. Remember the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky saga? I don’t care about the age difference or sexual morals. Those things don’t count
any more.
Mmathuto Legodi, Randburg
Some women date successful older men as a survival strategy. Women with rich sugar daddies are not in a taxi like you and I right now, they are either driven to work by their daddies or bought cars. I am not saying it’s right. I am just saying that women are still deprived of many opportunities, so very few of us will ever be independent women.
Willem Mnisi, Mogale City
Should Motlanthe die of hunger when there’s a queue of women waiting for him to ask them out?
It's an outrage
Reverend Bafana Khumalo, co-director of the Sonke Gender Justice Project
We are appalled by Julius Malema’s comments: they portray a lack of understanding of what women go through because of gender violence. But even more appalling is the silence from the ANC when a key leader makes such comments. It is an indictment on how it views women’s rights. We challenge the ANC leadership to come out clearly on this issue.
Our country has a high level of sexual violence and a justice system that cannot deal adequately with the problem, as well as a very high HIV rate. Many of the pregnant teenagers were raped or coerced into transactional sex because of poverty. It takes two to tango, but we hear nothing about the older men who often impregnate girls. Malema’s comments show lack of understanding of the complexity of our society.
It is worrying that people who are supposed to be leading our nation have such warped notions about women’s rights and women’s bodies.
Dr Sarojini Nadar, senior lecturer and programme director: gender and religion, University of KwaZulu-Natal
A woman who is raped doesn’t stay for breakfast or ask for taxi money is what rape expert Julius Malema told Cape Tech students. How does he know how a survivor of rape should behave? Has he been with one in the morning? Why is it not acceptable to ask for taxi money? Is there a ritual of walking (as opposed to taking a taxi) that must accompany the “culture” of rape in Malema’s imminent scholarly work on “Seven signs that a woman has been raped”? Is there a mandatory ritual of fasting (by avoiding breakfast) that the victim should follow to purge herself of the “sin” of being raped? Perhaps some of our regional and high court judges will rush out to buy a copy of Malema’s book, because clearly they too see themselves as experts on when a woman is raped, and why.
Remember the judge who -- in passing sentence on three rapists -- urged men who felt enticed to rape women because of their attire, to give them material instead to “cover up” their bodies. The worrying part is that the judges in our court system actually did progress beyond high school -- unlike Malema who still remains uneducated -- except, it would seem, on the habits of rape survivors.
Kumi Naidoo, activist and honorary president of Civicus
As a South African man I hope that all South Africans are ashamed that our leaders feel
comfortable expressing such atrocious views of women. It is up to our country’s leadership to make sure that Julius Malema and others know that these views are unacceptable. It is not only degrading, but it reveals a shocking insensitivity towards the issue of rape and gender-based violence that is so sadly prevalent throughout South African society.
Amanda Gouws, professor of political science, University of Stellenbosch
To say that Julius Malema is sexist would simply add another adjective to an already long string of adjectives that refer to him as stupid, ignorant and arrogant. Somehow he is immune to these. The banality of his statement about the rape survivor in the Zuma case shows that little of the gender rhetoric of the Mbeki era, or the 16 days campaigns, have rubbed off on the ANC Youth League or the laughing and cheering students he was addressing. Once more in their blind allegiance to Jacob Zuma his supporters have shown us the ugliness of misogyny in which rape can be equated with a pleasurable “sexual favour”.
Did Malema ever consider Kwezi’s shame in having to ask for taxi money from a man she accused of raping her? And in case Malema wants to know, Kwezi lives in destitution in a foreign country -- for all intents and purposes stripped of her citizenship. But I guess Malema will fail to see how Kwezi’s fate can be an issue at the heart of democracy and gender equality.
Lisa Vetten, researcher and policy analyst, Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to End Violence Against Women
What do the women’s rights’ activists in the ANC think when Jacob Zuma and his acolyte Julius Malema call for the internment of pregnant teenage girls in education camps? Were all those conceptions the result of parthenogenesis, with no male involvement or responsibility?
Do they -- like Malema -- think Zuma’s accuser had a “nice time”? And how do they uphold a man whose trial for rape was a textbook illustration of legal sexism? Indeed, some of the discriminatory practices employed in that trial (like the “cautionary approach” applied to the complainant’s testimony, or the negative inference drawn from her delayed report) are no longer permissible in terms of the 2007 Sexual Offences Act.
These are fierce and articulate women who drafted the Women’s Charter for Effective Equality, ensured the entrenchment of gender equality and reproductive rights in the Constitution, spearheaded model national gender machinery, pushed for progressive legislation such as the Domestic Violence Act and the Choice on the Termination of Pregnancy Act and fought for women’s representation in political structures.
How can they stand by so silently while their history and achievements are trampled by the members of their own party?
What's the problem?
Nombuso Zondi, Pietermaritzburg
I’m indifferent on Kgamela Motlanthe, but really you can’t be a public figure and be seen to be leading a life of having different women and sleeping with young girls. Soon we will hear him trying to talk about living a faithful life and condomising to stop HIV/Aids. He is contributing to the problems instead of helping to stop them.
Mike Mogale, Limpopo
It is known in our societies that younger women are more exciting than older women ... they are soft and sexy. Married women tend to be very boring, that’s why we men try to score the young ones. Personally, I think that Motlanthe behaved like a real man. Real African men always have lots of women. Motlanthe deserves a round of applause for being better than Thabo Mbeki. I think it is time we forget about Zuma now and start supporting Motlanthe. He is our new champion.
Julius Mathe Tladi, Soweto
Dating young people used to be contrary to the good morals of the society but not any longer. There are sugar daddies everywhere and they don’t even hide any more. It’s like this young woman dating Motlanthe -- she saw a man in a person old enough to be her grandfather. Who is to blame? Maybe the girl wants the nice life and money. Maybe Motlanthe is a good lover. Anyway, a young woman of 24 years is no longer a child. She’s a big girl and very ripe.
Viola Mabalane, Jo’burg
If our mothers understand and accept that we are dating older men then it means that this is what our society has become. I think this has very little to do with the men because men are men, it is more a reflection on us as young black women. We need to re-evaluate our morals when it comes to such things because it’s always easy to point fingers, while the actual problem is with us liking money and bling.
Qaqamba Tyopo, Jo’burg
There was a time when our culture didn’t allow older men to even look at younger girls in any way other than as daughters, but now things have changed. I am not sure that this is the kind of example that our leaders should be setting. The truth is that we have been seeing the trend of wealthy older men with young women because they’re rich. Very few of these relationships are about love, many are transactional.
Zeenande Nzama, Mpumalanga
What he is doing is nothing new. He is a sugar daddy, but because he is the president we expect him to be our moral leader. He can do anything he wants. He is human. Cut him some slack.
PM Melato Kagiso, Mogale City
Men are generally not happy with one woman and history can prove that. Remember the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky saga? I don’t care about the age difference or sexual morals. Those things don’t count
any more.
Mmathuto Legodi, Randburg
Some women date successful older men as a survival strategy. Women with rich sugar daddies are not in a taxi like you and I right now, they are either driven to work by their daddies or bought cars. I am not saying it’s right. I am just saying that women are still deprived of many opportunities, so very few of us will ever be independent women.
Willem Mnisi, Mogale City
Should Motlanthe die of hunger when there’s a queue of women waiting for him to ask them out?
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