Twitter reportage on Marikana mine

Various reporters kept the online community up to date with their on-the-scene-tweets on what was actually happening during and after the violent confrontation between the police and the striking miners. This confrontation which resulted in 34 deaths and 74 critically injured miners happened on the 16 August 2012 at the Lonmin Marikana mine in Rustenburg.

Media people often choose angles to base or approach stories in, and because of this and the fact that every news medium has time if not character limits and  sometime this often leads to certain information being leaf out.

We choose to focus out attention on three journalists to see how they reported (tweeted) the modern democratic South African massacre. We tracked down their tweets from on the day the shooting to place.

Is Journalism pass it's time?

Sibusiso Banda

Technology has not only made life a lot easier but it has also brought a lot of problems especially in the journalism profession.What we call "eye witness reporting" or citizen journalism has taken the news industry by storm resulting in journalists now fearing for their jobs.

With this kind of journalism, an ordinary person with a simple gadget like a phone is can be a news reporter. They can record, take pictures and also give their "unmediated" version of the events and send it themselves to various news agencies. This has caused various reactions in the industry.

Many journalist spend years and years in institutions harnessing their skill of reporting and now it seems as if all that academic effort was for nothing. They feel that this so called “gadget” reporting is taking bread from their mouths as it could mean that they is gradually starting to become a “no need for them” as people are now able to tell their stories themselves.

Rick Ross/CNN PROOF Freemason's/The Illuminati Control The World

It’s been said that illuminate exist. Over the years, the world has seen a bulk of  “analytical” videos on various social media networks, all claiming to be exposing the “hidden obvious truth” that the illuminate really exist. Well what do you think, does it exist or it’s just pure jealously on people climbing the success ladders? Well either way watch this video.

FYI: CONDOMS RATINGS and TRENDS

WARNING: Content might be OFFENSIVE TO SENSIVITE....

No matter how much we might prefer to go on without protection, today men have to wear the right armour when they go to bed: condoms. They’re saving live every single hour. I’m pretty sure they saved mine.

Since we HAVE to use condoms, why no to it style, with different types?

1.    Glow in the dark

I never saw the point until an ex-girl friend of mine suggested we use one. It was fun! It glowed! But it was a novelty I doubt I’ll try again.

2.    Durex ribbed

I didn’t see it coming

This past weekend I learned something interesting about the psychology of beautiful women. And it shocked me.

I went to a club and my friend introduced me to his cousin, Santho.

“Watch this dude around woman, you won’t believe it,” my friend told me. So obviously, my interest was piqued.

The club was packed with beautiful people. That’s when I started to get nervous, hoping that Santho wouldn’t embarrass us with his stunts.

It wasn’t long before the three of us spotted this gorgeous sister waiting to order a drink. She was a real-life Pocahontas; shapely, stern and super sexy. And of course, she has “UNAPPROACHEABLE” written all over her.

 

A SHOCKING AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY



Insight on New media

Sibusiso Banda

The word “brilliant” is what comes into mind when I think of Terry Flew’s book on New Media. I’ve only read two chapters so far but I can assure you that it’s not only easy to read and understand but it is also insightful.

The first chapter deals with the conceptualisation of the meaning behind the new media.  Flew points out the mistakes or views associated with other definitions of the new media concept. The way he does it is quite amazing, as even I never even thought of how far previous definitions are narrow-minded in their scope.

Mentorship plan for 2012

Sibusiso Banda

@sbudalicious

The first few months of a first years university  are always the hardest as students come underprepared about what actually goes on in university, especially if they are not 100 percent sure or agree with the type of course they have chosen.

That is why most first year-generation students not only face uncharted academic but also social territory challenges that tend to lead up to unfulfilled expectations, self-doubt and sometimes frustration and depression because they have difficulty in understanding and adapting to university culture.

Now that’s where I come in as a mentor. My role is simply not to use or abuse my powers, privileges or even status, not at all. My role is to assist, using my university experience, other students to achieve or to reach their potential.

In order to do this I must first establish a mentor-mentee relationship. Through my mentorship training, I learned that this relationship should be based on trust, patience and care, as these are the basic building blocks of an open two way relationship.

A two way process in the sense that I not only share let them share their experience but I also get the opportunity to also share and while at the same time, I will get to understand the some of the challenges that new university recruits  are being faced with. This give emphasizes to what philosopher Benjamin Disraeli was talking about when he was once quoted saying: “The greatest thing you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to lead him to his own”

Secondly, with regards to university culture and adaptation, I am going to teach mentees about the three most importance values that one should be able to practice in any other environment: Time planning, Goal setting and the different type of study methods that one can choose from. The reason I see this as fitting it’s because, I think, many people tend to lose their focus on the ball because they lack someone or something that will remind them about why they are here in university.

I have taken upon myself, to form my own policy or code of conduct that as a mentor I will be following. The following behavioral principle I am going o stick to, where highly sparked by the code of conduct that we mentors signed at the training two weeks ago:

-          Inspire mentees and students to new heights of personal development and growth

-          Display high level of commitment

-          To try by all means to be patient and understanding with mentees

-          Manage time efficiently

-          Refer mentees to appropriate professional if the problem is beyond my expertise.

-          Encourage mentee to ask questions if they don’t understand

-          Never have any relationship with my mentees beyond any other than the mentor-mentee relationship

-          To hold myself personally responsible for my professional conduct at all times

                                                 ********TO BE CONTINUED***********

Generations teasers

Coming up on Generations this February, 2012:

Monday 20 February 2012
Episode 38 (3540)

Susan is concerned about Ruby's state of mind. When all else fails, Ngamla resorts to emotional blackmail. Khaphela is taken aback by an unexpected peace offering.

Tuesday 21 February 2012
Episode 39 (3541)
Seems Khethiwe's change of heart might have come a little too late... Shocked Dineo realises her nightmare's only just started. Akhona gets the call she's been hoping and praying for.

Wednesday 21 February 2012
Episode 40 (3542)
Lungile can't hide the truth anymore. Senzo reveals the real reason he opted to stay with Memela Media. Rethabile is horrified by a confession she hears.

Thursday 22 February 2012
Episode 41 (3543)
Ngamla is irked when he's put on the spot. Jason makes a decision, against his better judgement. There's shock all round when the Fatale winner is announced.

Friday 23 February 2012
Episode 42 (3544)
Noluntu lets slip about her plans to sabotage Ezweni. Akhona receives a surprise visitor with a very surprising request. Khethiwe who has to be rushed to hospital when something goes wrong with the baby.

South Africa’s Choice of Friends Raises Serious Moral Concerns

By Sibusiso Banda
@Sbudalicious

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea

was recently hosted by President Jacob Zuma

The Catholic Committee Against Hunger and for Development has found that Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the president of Equatorial Guinea, has stolen billions of Rand worth of assets that belong to the people he claims to lead. Reporters Without Borders says the president filed a complaint in France against the authors of the report, but it was quickly dismissed.

Nguema is known for his lavish lifestyle and his youngest son, Teodorin, often shows off wealth by going on expensive boat trips and hosting huge parties while the people of the poor, oil rich African state go hungry. Nguema is also allies with South Africa as he was recently hosted by President Jacob Zuma, the man who once headed the Moral Regeneration Movement. Zuma hosted the dictator after exiled Tibetan spiritual leader; His Holiness – The Dalai Lama – was refused a South African visa to attend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s birthday party. The Nobel Peace Prize winner isn’t good enough for South Africa, but the dictator of an oil rich country who keeps his people in poverty while helping himself to their money is.


South Africa is a country that recently gained its political freedom and certain members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) often talk of fighting for economic freedom for everybody and President Jacob Zuma’s government claims it’s fighting to give all South Africans a decenlt living standard, but yet the same ANC led government and President Zuma see nothing wrong with the people of Equatorial Guinea being stripped off their oil and forced to live in abject poverty. The BBC news website reports that in 2004 the country was said to be the fastest growing economy in the world, but the paradox is that it sits at the bottom of the United Nations Development Index. Many of the oil riches end up in Nguema’s foreign bank accounts.

He is also seen by human rights groups as a dictator who possesses the similar style of rule to Idi Amin as they accuse him of being a cannibal. Since his took to power, Obiang Nguema has ripped off much of the fourth-largest producer of crude oil in Sub-Saharan’s oil wealth into foreign bank accounts instead of the countries coffers and brutally suppressed any political opponents who tried to stop him, including the press.

Equatorial Guinea’s abundant oil revenues do not reach the majority of its citizens; according to the watchdog group Global Witness, 60 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day. Because most of the oil revenues stop at State House, the average citizen still lives in abject poverty.

To show how important his visit was to South Africa the country rolled out a red carpet with full honours - a marching band was on show, an inspection of the troops plus a 21-gun salute. He was greeted by President Jacob Zuma.

On 30 November 2004 President Zuma, then South Africa’s Deputy President, said: “The MRM was founded on the principles that South Africans are highly moral beings, know the difference between right and wrong, and are appalled by the symptoms of moral decay, which sometimes occur in our country.” This was during the Moral Regeneration Movement conference.

As president Zuma clearly sees nothing wrong with shaking hands and hosting a dictator accused of harsh acts against those who oppose him or dare to question his authority. A good example of this is the November 1 arrest of Marcial Abaga Barril, an opposition leader arrested as his party was planning a “no’ vote rally in a constitutional referendum. Associated Press reports that the arrest was over a murder investigation.

I tend to wonder whether South Africa lives an ambiguous life with its leaders, many of whom who faced harsh acts under apartheid, choose to turn a blind eye to similar acts happening across the continent or around the world as they have something to benefit from it. Some have said that Zuma hosted Nguema because he would be a good “friend with benefits” in this world where one needs money and oil in order to thrive. It seems this is done in place of morals some of the leaders in the ANC claim to be champions of.

Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament, Kenneth Mubu, wrote in his article for Politics Web that “our government fawns over dictators like Muammar Gaddafi, Robert Mugabe and King Mswati III, while treating iconic peacemakers like the Dalai Lama with contempt”.

As our leaders try to forge a post-apartheid identity for South Africa and as they continue to define this country they perhaps need to look at what they stand for and whether those they choose to associate themselves with stand for the same values. It might be a lot to ask in a capitalist world, but it’s something they need to check regardless.

Wings of change blowing in Africa

By Sibusiso Banda
@Sbudalicious

 For the first time yesterday, the world saw the white teeth and heard the 42-year old hidden voice people of Libyans as the new of Muammar Gaddafi’s death made headlines worldwide.

Fire works took centre stage in Serti.

The recent violent streets of Libya where filled with the usual sounds of guns shoots and screams, but only this time it was not fearful as it was accompanied by the joyful voices and scream of woman and children with laughter and smiles plainly written on their faces as they came out in celebration of the end of the four decade rule of Gaddafi.

I must say the news about his death not only came as shock but it was unanticipated. No signs of victory showed, it was just unexpected. That’s why when I first got the news at first I also didn’t believe it. I thought this was probably a joke by one of my friends. Yes believe it or not, I have friends whom such type of a joke can be easily associated with without any effort of thought.

Besides that, just as everybody else thought (including the Libyans): a guy with reputation like Gaddafi with the 42-year old tyrant rule would not go just like that with no fight as even in movies the bad guy always put up a fight. Maybe that type of thinking is probably the reason behind the of decades silence as they were afraid to voice out their opinion. Call me crazy all you want but I’m sure that any of two thoughts passed in your mind, you just didn’t want to acknowledge it.

Sign of vitory: Libyan rebels celebrate

In countries as Egypt, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, just to mention a few, where there’s evidence of the rule of an iron fist; where the needs of the ordinary are not being met by leaders; where corruption and self-enrichment is the order of the day, Macmillan’s wings of change are hugely expected to sweep through the African landscape as each and every uprising in different counties is encouraging and instilling the motive that “divided we can’t..but together we can put an end dictatorial suffering".

Gaddafi’s death not only signalizes a significant milestone in Africans struggle for democracy but it also serves as what Macmillan described as ‘the wings of change are blowing” where Africans will rise to the occasion and fight to be freed from the chains slavery is happening right now. The only difference is that this time is not directed at apartheid or foreign rule but its directed at African leaders type of rule.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not supporting the manner in which these changes are taking place: people are on a large scale of bloody revenge as in the case of Gaddafi. How different are we to the dictators if we also kill.

Blood shedding can be avoided if African leaders actually do what they are supposed to do, because the more you people are being starved the fruits of freedom, it’s the more you ironical inspire the spirit and self esteem of fighting (at all cost) for change, evidence of this, look at what happen to Gaddafi’s rule.

Let regime change take place without any blood lost, just like it happend 1994 in South African.

Time to change our behavior and action: heritage lesson!

Sibusiso Banda

The term “heritage” is associated with many descriptions. Desmond Tutu coined the phrase "rainbow nation" to describe South Africa's diverse cultures, customs, languages, histories, and inherited traditions. World dictionaries the word as something " that we inherit: the sum total of wild life and scenic parks, sites of scientific or historical importance, national monuments, historic buildings, works of art, literature and music, oral traditions and museum collections together with their documentation."
For us South Africans, it’s associated with 24 of September. Heritage Day, the day which we recognize and celebrate significant aspects of South African culture such as creative artistic expression ,languages, traditions and our historical inheritance including the type of food we eat and well as the land in which we live which we live in.

Given our unique diversity and inherence it’s not surprising that we recognized as the leading country that is compliant with and by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s universal selection criteria of recognition and protection of areas of natural, historical and cultural value. According to Africapedia we are ranked number 21 as “having spectacular natural resources and wildlife” with 8 World Heritage Sites such as Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs, Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, Robben Island, Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape , just to mention a few.

We are a country that is rich in heritage but it saddens me to come into term that we south Africans hardly visit these world recognized place, I’m not sure whether is because of our overseas sits as holiday preference or maybe we don’t know longer see or values the significant of these sits. There is a saying that goes as “we don’t know what we have until it’s gone”, and frankly given the current escalating rhino poaching problem, from my side it seems as if we are not heading there with our eyes opened but brains intoxicated to even seek what’s happening.

Various debates over the years have taken place in the media public sphere over whether we area shamed of our culture or whether our cultural the preached cultural teaching are being practiced. Recently I heard on a local radio station the debated on whether the meaning of heritage day is gradually being taken over by the associated “National braii day”, which seem rapidly professed over the years.

It’s high time we started changing our attitudes on heritage because if we don’t teach or pass on the knowledge of taking care and the value of practicing our culture we run a huge risk of depriving future generations the opportunity of experiencing what we have today.