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TheNewAgeNewspaper
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Thursday, 21 January 2016
EDITORIAL
THE
HORSE’S
MOUTH
Parliament panel
vital intervention
National Assembly Speaker Baleka
Mbete’s announcement of a panel lead by
Kgalema Mothlanthe to probe whether the
laws made by Parliament are working and
if there are unintended consequences in the
application of the nation’s statutes is most
welcome.
The fact that the panel includes a range
of experts with vast experience in relevant
fields such as social equality, employment
equity and land reform will ensure that the
team will be able to present us with meaningful findings that will be used to break
logjams in crucial areas of transformation
in our society.
Making good use of funding from the
United Nations Development Programme,
the panel will, according to deputy Speaker
Lechesa Tsenoli, be able to respond to problems with the ineffective implementation
of laws and would make recommendations
that could result in amendments to legislation or even the scrapping of laws that are
deemed inoperable.
An important feature of the panel’s work
is that in addition to research it will gather
evidence and submissions from the public
this process is in keeping with the democratic principles that are at the core of our
Constitution.
An admission by Mbete that the equality
laws have not been able to deliver substantially on their mandate is a good point to
start for the panel. Daily we see evidence
of the fact that our country is plagued with
inequality which is the root cause of many
of our social and economic problems.
Our democratically elected Parliament
has since 1994 been at the forefront of
change and has achieved so much in breaking from the oppressive past and this is an
opportunity to build on that success.
Greed has DRC
exploiting kids
The shocking report released by Amnesty
International and Africa Resource Watch
that the use of child labour on mines in
places like the Democratic Republic of the
Congo is rife, should give us all cause for
concern.
Cobalt clawed out of the ground by children is being used to make batteries for the
world’s various gadgets.
The report also contains details of the
health hazards these young miners face as
they are cynically exploited by the greedy
operators of the mines.
We as consumers of these products need
to take action and support the work of
organisations that draw our attention to
the horrors of child labour and find out how
we can challenge this abhorrent practice.
We need to lobby our government to
ensure this practice is taken up at the
government to government level and that
companies who are making use of minerals
mined in this way are taken to task.
But more than that we need to begin to
become discerning consumers voting with
our wallets by boycotting companies using
material or products that exploit children.
WISE WORDS
“You can discover more about a person in an
hour of play than in a year of conversation.” –
Plato
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We have
said it before
that killing a
police officer is declaring
war against the state.
Killing a police officer is
threatening the security
of the country and we
will never allow coldblooded criminals to run riot in our country.”
– National head of the Hawks Gen Mthandazo
Ntlemeza
head over heels: The faithful jump into the waters of the Fasilides Bath as part of a ceremony in which the waters are blessed by the
priest of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church during the second day of Timket in Gondar, Ethiopia, yesterday. Timket, the greatest
Ethiopian festival of the year is to commemorate Jesus Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. picture: REUTERS
Market distortions,
not Zuma must fall
President must be allowed to correct markets, even if his decisions seem abrupt
Whenever I try to pin down the issues
that warrant this anti-Zuma campaign (ZumaMustFall), the specific reasons that make it
necessary, the specific causes which we might
feel bring it credence, the conversation with
its champions always seem to follow a path of
infinite regress.
Do you want him to fall because many
South Africans can’t get jobs and can’t upskill
themselves to available jobs? But market distortions are predominantly the reason for this.
Or perhaps it’s because many children are
on drugs? Perhaps it’s because of your warm
concern that peoples homes have no heat and
no decent living space? Maybe you can try to
avoid such questions because the bell is also
tolling for thee. It’s safer to choose something
esoteric as the rand/dollar exchange rate as an
indulgence.
Now, Let me reaffirm, for all time, Jacob
Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the president of the
ANC and the President of the Republic of
South Africa. Zuma is a through and through
product of the liberation struggle and the
pleasantly changing form of this our country,
son of the soil, who like many of us has known
his fair share of adversity and uncertainty in
life. Don’t ever let the temporary enclave of
the Presidency make you forget that. Zuma
is that South African who, despite the megalomania of many who harbour illusions about
their skills and capacity, actually contested the
ANC presidency and won, right in the midst of
a great recession, an economy at its weakest
since the great depression of 1929, bringing
the South African ship to the other side of
the shore. Zuma is the standard-bearer of the
ANC.
In 2009, the year Zuma assumed the presidency of the republic, was the toughest year
for any president to take office. The Great
Recession was at its calamitous worst; means
of exchange were frozen, countries could not
sell their produce, they could not pay their
debts and they were shedding jobs at a rate
not seen since 1929.
Zuma’s administration, to halt the disaster,
began measures that would save our means
Analysis
Yonela Diko
Key points
» Whenever I try to understand
ZumaMustFall its champions always seem
to follow a path of infinite regress
» Do you want him to fall because many
South Africans can’t get jobs and can’t
upskill themselves to available jobs?
» But market distortions are
predominantly the reason for this
» Or perhaps its because many children are
on drugs?
» Zuma is that South African who, despite
the megalomania of many who harbour
illusions about their skills and capacity,
actually contested the ANC presidency and
won
» Jacob Zuma is the standard-bearer of
the ANC
of production and exchange. Despite these
efforts, Zuma, the ANC, and all South Africans knew that no matter how many jobs
they would save or create post-2009, there’d
still be millions more waiting, worried about
feeding their own kids, trying to keep their
hopes alive. Zuma believes, with no doubt, that
we can build a new South African economy,
driven by fairness and creativity, by education
and by working together towards a common
goal and a shared vision.
Again, despite all these efforts, there remain
those who want to push the now discredited
views of the make-up of the economy. You
have people who suggest that all those who are
doing well, all those who amount to anything,
all are completely self-made. There is nobody
who was born in a log cabin he built himself.
Here is what Zuma and the ANC believe in.
We believe in business and the government
actually working together to promote growth
and broadly share prosperity. We believe
that extending the ladder of opportunity up
and down the social spectrum and economic
empowerment is both morally right and good
economics.
Now, what is puzzling lately, and this may
well be all that this ZumaMustFall is about,
because we are a country that had all the
reasons to hate but did not, is the level of hate
for our president. In a country with a history
of genocide, to hate someone for choosing a
different approach to yours is a betrayal of
all that this country has overcome. The time
when politics move away from issues to the
person, it degenerates.
When times are tough and people are frustrated and angry and hurting and uncertain
the politics of constant conflict may be good.
But this is a race to the bottom that does not
work. What works in the real world is cooperation. What works is cooperation, business and
government, foundations and universities, all
working together.
We hear a lot of talk daily about how the
president is bad for the economy, how the
ANC wants everybody to be dependent on the
government. This could not be further from
the truth. What is bad for the economy are
market distortions which have given us almost
oligopolies in every sector of the economy,
crowding out new entries.
In every industry you have top four companies, whether it’s construction, banks or
mining, that dominate almost all of the market
share. How are we supposed to expand economic participation in such an environment?
Every economist worth his salt will tell you
that with a market economy working properly
there would be more companies of almost
equal size in every industry making modest
profits, unless there is collusion and distortion
that seek to keep the wealth for the few.
Zuma must be given the space to correct
the markets, even if his decisions seem abrupt.
It is better to be criticised for change than for
keeping a predominantly unfair status quo
that only seeks to serve a few.
Yonela Diko is the ANC Western Cape media
liaison officer. He writes in his personal capacity
We are
entitled to
ask why a
black child is 100 times
more likely than a white
child to grow up in poverty.” – DA leader Mmusi
Maimane
Theology is
itself a cultural exercise
located in
a cultural context and
conditioned by cultural
lenses through which
the world is perceived.” –
South African Council of
Churches general secretary bishop Malusi Mpumlwana
THIS DAY
IN
HISTORY
January 21, 1960
IN THE worst mine disaster in South Africa,
a large section of the Clydesdale Colliery at the
Coalbrook mine near Sasolburg in the Free
State caved in on January 21, 1960 and trapped
at least 435 mineworkers about 180m underground.
There were no survivors in the worst ever
mining disaster in SA.
No machine capable of drilling holes large
enough through which to rescue people was
available anywhere in the country.
Following this incident, the Chamber of
Mines decided to purchase a suitable drill that
would make it possible to reach men trapped
underground in coal mines.
The accident was believed to have been
caused by the disintegration of some 900
underground pillars which caused a massive
collapse.
At least 1 000 miners were underground at
the time of the disaster and only about half of
them survived.
After weeks of trying, no bodies were ever
recovered and the shaft was abandoned and
sealed with concrete. – www.sahistory.org.za
Find your true balance for academic success
By NOW every student knows that any matric
distinctions have to be left at the gate when
they become university students. They must
not be tempted to compare high school and
varsity levels because there’s a big difference.
There is a bridge between high school and
tertiary education that students need to cross.
Unfortunately most students fail to cross it
successfully due to a number of factors that
exist as barriers to success. In other instances
it’s the students themselves who are ignorant
and reckless. They are conscious about the
obstacles but behave irresponsibly.
The most significant cause of students
dropping out of varsity is the high cost of
tertiary education. Financial limitations often
mean that they have to suspend their studies
or abandon them completely. Universities have
become too expensive while incomes in real
terms have stagnated or even decreased for
the majority of our people.
Nonetheless, we must not consider exorbitant tuition fees as the only barrier to varsity
excellence, but also consider the hectic varsity
lifestyle and general campus environment.
The cost of books, accommodation, food and
stationery are among the major challenges
Analysis
Koos Kwena
faced by students in institutions of higher
learning.
Another factor that stands against university success is the lack of preparedness in first
year students mainly from public schools.
Many who come from villages and townships come to campus with no prior exposure
to a university environment. They are thus
faced with challenges when it comes to adapting to the sophisticated demands of universities, especially in the area of technology. Also,
these first years are often unprepared academically to handle the new pace of teaching
and learning.
Scarcity of information about university
demands in townships and rural areas is
indeed a cause for concern.
Pupils are not provided with adequate
advice or guidance in order to make conscious
choices of areas of study that will be best
suited for them.
Many pupils believe that maths and science
Key points
» By now every student knows that any
matric distinctions have to be left at the
gate when they become university students
» The students must not compare high
school and varsity levels
» There is a bridge between school and
college that students need to cross
Unfortunately most students fail to cross
successfully due to a number of factors
that exist as barriers to success
» In other instances it’s students
themselves who are ignorant
» The balance of having a social life
and being a true academic is what the
successful student is able to attain
are all that is needed to succeed in engineering, whereas there are also aspects such as
drawing and design which are integral to the
engineering stream.
Some end up choosing impressive courses
which later lock them into academic situations
they have no actual interest in and the only
way to escape is through dropping out.
Also, family pressure to pursue qualifications that students might not choose themselves steals the real joy of being a successful
student. Parents put pressure on their children to study towards degrees which the
children themselves are not interested in and
which require certain qualities that they don’t
meet. Those students end up losing focus and
commitment.
The atmosphere at universities is that of
freedom. Only those students who are already
trained in self-discipline and self-leadership
are able to survive the temptations that come
with being independent.
Once students get into their college schedule
they realise that despite their new independence the amount of responsibility that comes
with their freedom was not at all what they
anticipated. They therefore become discouraged and decide to turn away from academic
pursuits. They also succumb to the pleasures
of the city and abandon their primary goal of
getting qualifications to contribute to society.
The balance of having a social life and being
a true academic is what the successful student
is able to attain.
Koos Kwena is a social commentator