Not Much Changed in Soshanguve, But Residents Content

Sthembiso Sithole@sitholesthe STHEMBISO SITHOLE FACEBOOK

Earlier this year these people built shacks illegally,
they still don't have land a few months on.

Earlier this year we covered a story about Soshanguve residents who said they had been waiting for government housing for close to 20 years and had decided to occupy land illegally so they could build their own shacks. We visited those residents recently to find out if there had been an improvement in their aim to access adequate housing or at least get land allocation to build shacks. Many say they are happy for now as their pleas seem to have been heard.

“Finally we managed to get a stand given to us by the councilor, Marutula. Anytime soon we will be build houses,” said group chairperson, Matshona Matjeke.

This is a different scene from earlier this year when the group was demanding the councilor’s resignation just days after the May 18 local government elections. They were not happy with the promises that had been made by those they elected and it seemed they wanted overnight change – understandably as some say they had been waiting for houses since the mid-1990s.

The poverty and the lack of opportunities are clear as one enters Soshanguve and apart from the few food stalls and beer outlets found all over the township – the high unemployment rate is visible as many young people sit on street corners during weekdays.

Mduduzi Lukhele is an unemployed resident who depend on the family tuck shop for money. He says as a result of a few opportunities the crime rate then becomes high.

“Unemployment among the youth has led them to steal for our own parents and that is a bad reflection of how we have been raised.”

Despite this there are those who defend those they elect saying they are doing enough for them.

When one walks around Soshanguve it is easy to spot that many young people are smoking a drug rare in most parts. They call it Nyaope and it is a mixture of marijuana, anti-retroviral drugs and possibly other drugs as well.

These people seem to go to the polls each time there is an election, but very little change is seen here and many still live in poverty that existed under apartheid. People should also not celebrate free land to build shacks – adequate housing is a promise that is always made by the ANC government.

Part 2: Democracy and the Scramble for Libya's Oil & Economy

Sthembiso Sithole
@sitholesthe/ Sthembiso Sithole on Facebook

 Muammar Gaddafi's killing after his over 40-years of rule has been met by celebration in Libya and abroad, but this was just the first phase of change as the second phase with the west probably stepping in more is beginning today. It's still unclear how the anti-Gaddafi forces, who were descibed by the media as disorganised at first, received so many weapons to carry out such a large scale operation, but that's all in the past now - the ones that helped them can celebrate, but I'm certain they won't be resting as they'll be working hard to ensure their interests are well looked after.

The new rulers, the  National Transition Council (NTC), have gone public to express their gratitude to those who assisted. “It is a historic moment. It is the end of tyranny and dictatorship. Gaddafi has met his fate," an NTC spokesperson told AFP.



This shows that Libya has won the power to run their country politically, but perhaps the ordinary Libyan celebrating on the streets will not enjoy all the benefits they think will come with it. The west seems to be planning to take some control and they haven't kept the fact that they want to help a secret.

Libya is rich in oil and just like in many areas where there have been resources in Africa, rich nations often step in under the guise of assistance. Rich nations were also behind the removal of Gaddafi and many are not known for being good Samaritans.

US Senator John McCain told AFP that the death marked the end of the first phase of the Libyan revolution. "The United States, along with our European allies and Arab partners must now deepen our support for the Libyan people, as they work to make the next phase of their democratic revolution as successful as the fight to free their country," he said.

Now this is a senator from a country that never criticised Egypt's Muammar Gaddafi to the point that President Barack Obama delivered his first speech in the region in Cairo. They saw nothing wrong with his
30 year rule until his people peacefully removed him from power earlier this year.

Politics is a game of favours and those who helped the NTC will have to have some returned in the well needed commodity - oil!

It will also be interesting to observe the kind of democracy Libyawill have and who will be in the driver's seat as the new chapter of this country starts.

Rural Nquthu Struggles with Few Resources

Sthembiso Sithole@sitholesthe/Sthembiso Sithole on Facebook

Schools have been built in Nquthu, but this doesn not mean
the community has access to other resources and information.

Growing up in Soweto I have come to understand that community meetings are taken seriously. These would often be held in the evenings or on weekends when people are back from work. At times they turn ugly if
the authorities don't listen to community leaders like it happened in the township's Chiawelo section when it turned violent earlier this year. Community members burnt down a section of a former councillor's house as she was blamed for high electricity tariffs.

During the recent September school and university holidays I visited the village of Nquthu in deep rural KwaZulu-Natal and much to my surprise the community here doesn't participate in meetings that can build them. I attended one meeting to discuss electricity tariffs and less than half the community was there.



I had assumed that many would be there as meetings are their only way of communicating with one another. Many are illiterate and those who can read and write have a lack of community newspapers and forced to read provincial papers, often coming from Durban or Pietermaritzburg.

While one would think water is a human right that everyone should have access to by now, it was one major point of concern that Nquthu residents have. The availability of water, or the lack there of, was another major issue during the meeting.

After the meeting I spoke to a few young people and they feel the youth is still overlooked in this traditional, patriarchal society. They say they often struggle to get their points across as young
prople.

On close inspection it appeared that the lack of resources is probably the cause of such poor attendance as councillors don't have resources to pass information about these meetings to those they represent. Community members also say they they don't know what's expected of them as this information isn't shared. What ends up happening is that councillors end up making decision as consultative processes are
difficult in this rural setting.

Journ Student Gives Power Talk in Rural High Schools

Sthembiso Sithole
@sitholesthe/ Sithembiso Sithole on Facebook

Matric pupils had many questions for Mbatha when he visited their schools.

During the one week September holidays second year journalism student, Bhekinkosi Mbatha visited schools in his rural community of Nquthu in KwaZulu-Natal to educate high school pupils about the option of
university. Mbatha also informed the students about government loans that can enable them to study beyond high school.

“It is crucial that we continue with our studies. Universities are not meant for whites or for
those who come from advantaged families only,” Mbatha told the pupils.

His audience of 200 was predominatly made up of matric pupils from Muziwephahla and Khethukuthula High
Schools.


He shared his experience of how he managed to come from the community and ended up studying journalism at one of the top journalism departments in the Tshwane University of Technology, a school recognised by UNESCO as one of four centres of potential centres of journalism learning in the country.

He emphasised the need to utilise the National Financial Aid Scheme that helps approximately 70% or more students in all South African universities every year.

Despite this power speech there was still a bit of scepticism as some were worried about accommodation.

One of the pupils, Zakhele Ngwenya, believes that nothing is done to help them choose the right career paths as information is seldom provided in schools with no support to help them get ahead in life.

“Career expos are mainly held in other areas such as Johannesburg but in this area there is nothing done for us to know about careers and opportunities,” Ngwenya said.

Although in some high schools in the area the government is building new classrooms for students - there are still no computers, equipment for scientific experiments and libraries.

One of the biggest challenges that this community is facing, is a lack of a community newspaper. Nqutu does receive a variety of newspapers though such as the Sowetan, Isolezwe, Ilanga, the Daily Sun, Zulu Land
Observer and so on.

Members of the community ranging from school children to adults say those papers don’t produce local content which reflects their society and that those papers are mostly in town and it is often expensive to get
there to buy them.

40-year-old Elizabeth Sithole says it is not easy for them to tell their stories as reporters often arrive late.

One Grade 10 pupil says the availability of newspapers, especially a local one, would help her with her grammar.