Fall of the Tomb

There are certain instances whereby in analysing a visual art object one can simply commit a folly by pitting that work against other artworks which, by some law of which one need not have to adhere to, seem to belong to the same category or genre. Such a viewing or a reading is problematic in that it delimits our independent viewing from making discoveries which can only be unearthed if that work was to be looked at in its own glory isolated from the accompaniment of other works which, if we are imbibed with an open mind, might even be proved to be inferior to it.

African Consciousness (revised Edit)

I

Quite interesting as we move towards our next forth coming democratic election is the fact that the final appeal to us to register to vote was organized in February, the month of which the 11th day of marks Madiba’s release from prison in 1990. The teaching of that historical moment was not exhausted let alone touched on, as the campaign ensues. Someone reading this article may as well roll their eyes inwardly with impatience. However they will be missing the point that we are witnessing a remarkable transition in African history let alone the history of the African people as far as charting our history and our destiny is concerned. We are in the midst of the soap opera of change and it can be dizzying sometimes because the events are not reported in retrospect but in medias res – in real time as they take place. Individuals’ and organizations’ awareness of this fact can put people in an advantageous position to take charge of the situation and ultimately lead them to a fruitful desired state of development or ,on the contrary, ignorance can lead  the nation into  the destruction of a brighter future for Africans . Africa must rise! And it will take Africans to uplift it.

What Happened at Jules?

This week and the week before as well as other weeks that have passed it is just violence and more violence when one switches on the telly or the radio. There is the story of the massacre in Natal and the serial rapist in Gauteng. One may find a bit of solace in the fact that in these two terrible fables the perpetrators have come under the strangle hold of the law. It is one particular story that rocked my psych though, that of a raped girl in a ‘private school’,  not that the fact that the setting is in a private school enhances the setting.

Next

Today in South Africa there is a known fear that is slowly creeping back into our consciousness or perhaps should we say hatred for the ‘other’ for that matter. The powers that be has appealed to the masses that they must harness the positive energy from the remnants of the effects of the FIFA 2010 World Cup in each other to instill a feeling of African Unity, camaraderie and sharewood.

The Black Stars – Africas rightful hope!

Soccer, even I my self cannot help but be swayed by its charms. It has been wonderful to watch the matches, to be educated concerning the players from our own home soil and also be exposed to the world’s teams featured in the tournament and above all else to be acquainted with the theater of the beautiful game itself.

The Danger of Fundamentalist Shove

If we are to acknowledge the present South Africa, the Now South Africa we will have to take into consideration the behavior of the Center of Power through its State Apparatuses. By State Apparatus I mean to use the term in situ with Luis Althusser’s writings on Ideology in mind.

Today South Africa is part of the global village in terms of its participation in Trade, Sport and Arts and Culture. It posses a proper infrastructure in terms of access to world knowledge and it is a contributor as well. On other levels of media it is importing as well as exporting its own content to the rest of the world. It is wired. It is a player in Mass media domain. However, like the so called developed world, it faces challenges of economic development. It also posses a surplus of educated young people both black and white but unfortunately unemployment is a major challenge.

The Rainbow Nation: The Neglected Discourse

Relationships have their nourishment entrenched in communication. Without communication, even with the self itself, from an individual perspective, there exists no growth. We can see that everyday when we wake up to tackle the world we are in constant communication with who we are and the goals we have set out for our selves. However even if we are fueled by self ambitions, but because by default we are social beings, we are compelled to establish relationships outside of our own personal spheres in order to achieve our personal goals; additionally those formed relationship need to be maintained and sustained over particular periods of time as bargaining chips in order that our multifarious selves, fueled by personal ambitions, succeed in getting towards the finishing lines of our individualistic goals.

Relocating the Rainbow Nation

In my last meditation I spoke about the acceptance of the status quo as a positive progression towards unity; specifically speaking towards – a United Rainbow Nation. Otherwise-obliviously our Republic suffers an internal conflict within itself as disunity creeps in and outright and visible separation makes itself the prevalent order. Also in that very meditation I have ushered us opaquely unto the doorstep of a particular concept, that of dialogue.

Dialogue, undoubtedly, it is the key towards molding our entity as a society, as a nation into a working homogenous unit that can continue to lead the way for nations struggling with plurality in the continent and abroad. Surely if our Nation has been able to move beyond Freedom Day 1994 without disintegrating into blood shed and anarchy; then ours is a nation that can hold ground in the present circumstances: where it seems as if culture and skin colour are the deciding principles as far as who governs is concerned. Today we either acknowledge that it does not work or like a flock of sheep face the guillotine of a bleak destiny in a last bluh. The colours of the rainbow can coexist within the same space. In selling their ideals, the rainbow politician needs to be more creative as time goes by.

We cannot ignore the begging question that beckons us to address the locale of possibilities of making our nation work. I am of a stance that the moment we realize that the health of our politics is situated beyond the tribe concept. It rests inside dialogue itself between all constituencies where the needs of the society are addressed without dirty games being played out between those in power and those aspiring to acquire power. Otherwise all according to hue must acquire a piece of land within the republic and rule themselves as they see it fit; this, by all accounts, will render for us a giant backward steps by several dark centuries. In the present coexistence is the realm for all who want South Africa to work.

27 April

© Mmutle Arthur Kgokong 2010

Inter Space

The other day an Afrikaner friend of mine, dismayed by the turmoil of race conflicts that are slowly gripping our country, wondered whether the state of affairs will all end up in ashes.

‘Hardly’ said I optimistically despite the haggard look he flashed at me. I pressed on and said that in the face of the present situation it all rests on how we South Africans, both black and white, respond to the racial crises that is being played out before us. It is through a collective work-harmony why we have gotten so far in our democratic rule. Why then should the democratic mindset entrenched a decade and a half ago be bowed out and brushed aside while the serpent of tyranny assume rule through political polarization? Surely the Centre of power is not composed of misers moping around while so much security in our Republic is at stake. The haggard look contorting my friend’s face was accentuated by threats which are presently being thrown around through Malema’s Facebook account towards the Afrikaner society in our country and they in turn responding vehemently at the threats with similar racial gumption. As I tried to quelled the worries of my friend a similar event that occurred in cyberspace last year cropped up in my mind.

Tremor 3.4

The brutal murder of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) leader Eugene Terre’Blanche will inevitably cause a major tremor in South African politics. Unfortunately the landscape of politics in our country is defined by race, when a high profile leader dies, it matters whether he or she was black or white – before we even establish the cause of death. Then the establishment of the cause of death rounds off our impression from which we can move on. Despite the fact that post ’94 we viewed our selves as a Rainbow Nation, never has there been a time as conducive as now to inquire as to how many of us bought into the Rainbow Nation ideal. Perhaps when it was proclaimed, with glistening eyes, some Republicans scoffed and grunted ‘we will see whether it will work out or not’.

You can refer back to the Reitz Four (http://wp.me/puRfy-2S ) incident and the ensuing Farm Killings and shake your confused head as you try to ascertain whether this country, in the new dispensation of democracy, will ever work out or not. And then as you come to the darkness of the end of your thought trail, you will also see Steve Hofmeyr and AfriForum, in an effort to raise a concern about the volatile nature of the ‘Kill The Boer, Kill The Farmer’ anti apartness song being hauled-turned away from Luthuli House as if their concern was misplaced. Then it ought to grab your conscience, if there is any left, that this can not be the pinnacle of democracy.

The death of Terre’Blanche is playing out against an unpleasant political landscape under the ruling Center, which my last paragraph attempted to capture. Will the Center hold it all together when we begin to see retaliation from the far right? Any sane person should not underestimate the potentiality of revenge when a central figure to a movement is eliminated. Can the blood of TB, which is bound to revitalize AWB’s cause, be reconciled as just another tragic case in our vilolent society? Unfortunately this could proof difficult at a time whereby there has been a revival of a struggle song that, in the context of the New South Africa, promotes racial division and hatred.

Let us face a fact here. Should Terre’Blanch have died under a different setting, say a natural death, despite the dissatisfaction of AWB with the new dispensation, we wouldn’t be worried about innocent people’ lives which might be sacrificed should there be a retaliation from AWB’s arms constituency. The Center ought to think carefully in terms of its next move, definitely, now the world is really looking at South Africa – what is the next move? One thing for sure is that part of our society has been incensed by the death of Eugene Terre’Blanch despite his past deeds.

early autumn

4 April

© Mmutle Arthur Kgokong 2010