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PONDOLAND TIMES
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PONDOLANDTIMES
ANC BGM MEETING AT KWAKHANYAYO & KWACHICHWAYO IN WARD 15 TURNED VIOLENT
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FRIDAY 18 JUNE 2021 REACH OVER 50 000 READERS EVERY WEEK
ISSUE 13, VOLUME 1 By: Quan Dambuza Recently, in ward 15 at KwaKhanyayo and KwaChithwayo under the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality; a BGM meeting turned into a war-zone when members of the ruling party had to run for their lives. On a video which recently circulated on Facebook, crowds of people are seen running and screaming in what appears to be a fight near a community hall. “it’s sad to see this kind of behavour in the ANC, the movement is a non-violent movement. The ANC must take action against those who turn a political platform into a chaotic environment.” comments a Facebook follower. One of the community members attending the meeting can be heard in the video saying “inamaqhinga le ward” loosely translated “this ward is corrupt”. “If it was about improving the lives of our poor people, this nonsense would not happen. Every man for himself.” another comment on Facebook post reads. The BGM’s are still ongoing in a number of wards across the country as South Africa moves closer to the local government elections. One comment in the Facebook post reads “Lorhulumente wezisu”. Meaning, the government of the stomach.—Photo from the facebook vi
Wild Coast Sun officially welcomed a new Marketing Manager By: Avela Gontsana grand welcoming event was held at a Wild Coast Sun Hotel & Resort on Saturday the 12th of June 2021 where the general manager Mr Peter Tshidi of the Wild Coast Resort and the team officially welcomed Cynthia Nene all the way from Port Elizabeth. Who have been with Sun International since 2006 at the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World; Cynthia is filling Sandy Burger’s shoes, who served 35 in this position. “When Sandy left after 35 years which is a very long time in one position, we were looking for someone who can fill Sandy’s shoes not only from the work capacity point of view but also someone that can fit in to the culture of the wild Coast sun, the culture that we are very proud, someone with personality, someone with customer oriented and someone that can feet in with the colleagues because at wild coast sun we are a very small team we work together as a family, so we looked very hard to find someone that can actually wear that shoe and we couldn’t find any better person than Cynthia Nene” Said the GM in his speech while presenting Cynthia Nene to the audience.
Cynthia said the most important thing in her life is family and this is the reason for her to jump in to this opportunity for they share the same value with the Wild Coast resort, she went on and compared her journey with Wild coast as that of a marriage “I felt like I was a bride and the wild coast was the groom and I must say, this marriage is going well” said Cynthia describing her feelings when she was signing her contract with Wild Cost Sun, she also mentioned that the Wild Coast Sun assists the local communities something that she is passionate about. Sun International strives to uplift, empower and share values across all the communities in which they operate and plan to be at the forefront of the Social Economic Development projects to better the communities. “I am ready to run through the challenges that come in front of taking a big resort such as Wild Coast Sun” said Cynthia. She went on and praised the beauty of the beach front resort and said it is breath taking and makes things much easier.
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FRIDAY 18 JUNE 2021
PONDOLAND STREETS ABUZZ WITH STREET ART By: Lolly Mhlongo
The 19year old self-taught taught photographer who also dabbles in hip hop music, has always been obsessed about everything media related but became even more inspired to pursue a career in photography when he met Pondolands media mogul Uncle A Media who took him under his wing and taught him all the skills needed for photography. When asked on the challenges faced by local arts scene, the young aspiring photographer replied, “one of the main disadvantages of being an artist in the rural areas is that the local municipalities never give us any support to expose and promote us to opportunities”.
Pondoland streets abuzz with street art as young people take their cameras to the streets to revive the vintage culture of street photography. Young people can be seen in every corner of the small towns of Pondolands adjusting their lenses to best capture events and locals in their best characters. This week we caught up with one of the talented photographers Onke Ntshuba from Lusikisiki to find out more on his passion and inspiration.
Undefeated by the adversities of pursuing art in the rural areas Onke still strongly believes the future of Pondolands youth development is the responsibility of the artist. His advice to young aspiring artist and his peers from rural areas is to work together and remember why you started on days you feel defeated. For bookings contact details: 0638902856 Facebook and instagram @seanoxen6 - Photo Supplied
A Young Farmer From Komani Talks Agriculture By: Zintle Gqibani
Growing up in the rural areas with parents who loved agriculture inspired him to venture into farming. “ My parents would call me to help them plough vegetables and sometimes they would give me my own seeds to plant so that we can also eat something I planted,” he recalls. “to plant so that we can also eat something I planted,” he recalls. In 2019 his mother got sick and everything she looked after kept on decreasing to a point where there was nothing to sell. The passing of his mother made him realise that there was a gap left and if he does not change his mindset they will struggle financially. “ I am grateful that lockdown happened I was now able to start my own farming business using my food allowance money from NSFAS,” he says.
kosinathi Makamela(21), hails from Komkhulu Emunya Village in Idutywa town. He's a third-year Animal Science student at the University of Fort Hare. As a young, dedicated man who takes risks, he started his small-scale farming not knowing everything will turn out to be a success. “ I believe nothing comes from nothing, yet something can come out from a small thing, I am a hard worker, and I am a farmer,” he explains.
As a new young farmer facing capital challenges and water shortage does not stop him from wanting more. Being nominated at the Eastern Cape Youth Awards under Agriculture motivated him to do more than just hiring people from his community to help him when harvesting. “I am what people call a big dreamer in the next 5 years I want to improve Idutywa by opening my own abattoir and a small store next to my abattoir where I can sell vegetables,” he concludes. - Photo/supplied
UKUTHWALA BY MUTUAL CONSENT This is a form of ukuthwala whereby the woman or girl is aware of it but her parents may not be aware. It is usually done when the parties are in love with each other and the man may have not received consent from the woman’s parents in order to marry the woman or where the man does not have the necessary lobola to institute marriage proceedings in terms of customary law. The woman may in this instance mock resistance when she is carried away so that bystanders are of the idea that she was in deed taken without her consent. The above scenario shows that the woman had prior consented to the act and as such there is no Constitutional provision that is violated. The parents of the woman still need to give consent to the marriage and may in some circumstances refuse to give such consent, thus repudiating the marriage. Individual consent now becomes another question which comes into play because the parents may refuse to give consent even if the woman in question is a major! UKUTHWALWA KOBULAWU This kind of ukuthwala occurs when the girl's or woman's parents agree to the act but the girl or woman is unaware of it. Without the woman's or girl's understanding or consent, both parents or families enter into an agreement. The father allows the prospective husband the right to take the daughter against her wishes, and it is often customary for the woman's father to agree to the man having intimate contact with her in an effort to create a bond. Sexual contact is not considered rape in this case. If the woman or girl expresses a rejection during one of the above actions, she is taken back to her home. This form of ukuthwala infringes on the woman’s or girl’s right to dignity as she is only aware of the marriage negotiations after the practice has been forced on her. The marriage is thus not between the girl and the suitor, but between the two families. This gives rise to a problem as consent in the Eurocentric sense differs from consent in the African customary sense. The girl does not have the right to choose who becomes her lifelong partner thus, the right to reproductive health is infringed in that the girl may fall pregnant after sexual intercourse which was, in the Eurocentric sense, against her will. In this day and era, this type of ukuthwala is clearly in violation of a plethora or rights enshrined in the Constitution, it not only undermines a woman’s dignity but also puts her life at risk as sexual intercourse may cause other complications such as sexually transmitted diseases. UKUTHWALWA WITHOUT CONSENT Neither the parents nor the girl agree to the thwala in this type of ukuthwala. Without her or her parents' permission, the child is abducted or kidnapped and detained at the man's house. This type of ukuthwala contains apparent human rights abuses, such as infringement of a person's freedom and protection, physical integrity, independence, equality, privacy, and the right to choose one's own husband. It is claimed that this kind of ukuthwala abuses the rights of women and children.
A WEEKLY COLUMN BY: Bongani Dinga Ka Luvatsha - Bachelor of Laws (WSU)
PONDOLAND TIMES
FRIDAY 18 JUNE 2021
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Black consciousness movement And Soweto student revolt of 1976 By: Mr R.M Mdingi
Moreover, despite the fact that the BCM distinguished enemy on basis of skin color, its provided a means by which a penetrating criticism could be made of black petty bourgeoisi stoogies who were prepared to participate in the governments schemes of divide and rule over black working class. At a period when the reactionary role of Gatsha Buthelezi had not come to be understood. The youth of 176 class forced his unmasking compelling him to establish himself very rapidly as the enemy of the working class. The proletarian school youth took the slogans of BCM out the university debating chambers and tested them in the field of the living struggle, accelerating debate about the adequacy of BCM as a guide to the nation.
PUBLIC NOTICE DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20 Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 127 (5) (a) of the Municipal Finance Management Act No. of 2003 and Section 21 A (1) of the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 as amended, that the Draft Annual Report for 2019/2020 has been Noted in a Special Council Meeting held on the 28th May 2021. The document is available for public inspection and / or comments and / or inputs.
The Draft Annual Report will be available at: •
Municipal Offices ( Lusikisiki & Flagstaff)
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Municipal Libraries ( Lusikisiki & Flagstaff)
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Municipal Website at www.ihlm.gov.za
Comments/ inputs must be forwarded to the Office of the Municipal Manager. They must reach the Office of the Municipal Manager within twenty one days (21) after the publication of this notice. Should you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact Mr Z.N.Matwasa during the working hours at 039 252 0131.
Issued by M.Garane Acting Municipal Manager
PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice is hereby issued to all parties to allow for Interested and Affected Party comment on the project below. URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK AND REGENERATION PLAN For the Umzimvubu Local Municipality THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT: The objective of the project is to provide a long-term development plan that serves to guide central business district development in KwaBhaca and EmaXesibeni. This have been undertaken to create efficient town structures and integrate opportunities for economic growth. OPPORUNITY FOR INTEREST PARTY COMMENT: All stakeholders: members of the Public, Communities within the Umzimvubu Local Municipality, Government Institutions, Faith-based Institutions, Non-profit organisations, the Private Sector, and Civil Society Organisations are hereby invited to submit representations in connection with this project. Information relating to this project is available from: Please leave a WhatsApp or voice note in English or isiXhosa on
079 862 4693. Alternatively, please write to us, in English or isiXhosa at Debbie@theworkplaceagency.co.za. Hardcopies of the report are available for public viewing in the following Municipal Offices:
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Umzimvubu Local Municipality Municipal Manager’s Office.
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Umzimvubu Local Municipality Reception Area both in KwaBhaca and EmaXesibeni.
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Umzimvubu Local Municipality Library
All comments to be submitted by: Wednesday 30 June 2021.
sense of nationhood had not developed amongst the oppressed.
It was from the inexhaustible struggle of the poor people that black consciousness movement received first frugal nourishment and learned to walk, the struggle and national liberation struggle shaped its thinking, and the movement, the principal platform for student’s organization thundered so loud to give sleepless nights to reactionaries of every ilk, but restoring hope and demolish capitalism, racism and its apartheid structure. The sharpness of our ideology and its resounding, accurate and implacable blow made oppressors, exploiters, the racists shake deep inside and our slogans and actions resounded through the muddy and turbulent nightmares of the apartheid capitalist government measures meant to decisively smash our uncompromising zeal for the complete emancipation. In response we put our own lives on the rear of the struggle and right called on our comrades to get ready for nothing less than a total bloody revolutionary war and challenge the monstrous and infamous genocide perpetuated by the South African defence force, the police and clandestine assassinators. We called on our cadres, the sons and daughters of the wretchedly poor and oppressed to awfully hold sky high the banner of our ideology, be courageously heroic in the face of violence and pogroms by apartheid darlings. Your commitment to Black Consciousness Movement thoughts pulls you closer to the edge of being killed, brings about great moral, political and the ideological orientation towards a completely radical world of war and conflict of exterminating of being exterminated war of killing to be free rather being killed oppressed. There is no better death than dying in your pursuit of freedom. Given martyrs like legendary characters, are part of the struggle from beyond the graves shining and teaching us today, tomorrow and forever to give. Live for the movement and the revolution. Black Consciousness Movement fired up the Soweto revolt and the June 16, 2021 marks the 45th anniversary of Soweto uprising. The Soweto revolt was chiefly caused by the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in African black schools, by the deposed Nationalist Party government’s department of Bantu Education. The imposition of Afrikaans was inexplicable shortsighted bearing in mind that Afrikaners had decades earlier Lord Millers attempt to Anglicize them. It was fanatical short-sightedness to expect the imposition of their language without resistance. The imposition of Afrikaans seriously undermined young blacks who over the years saw the derogatory way in which their parents were treated by the government officials. The formation of the South African Student Organization (SASO) by the likes of great intellectuals, martyrs and student activists from across various university campuses across spectrum led to the formation of Black Conscious Movement. Student leaders in the mould of the great Steve Bantu Biko, Seth Coopers, Muntu Myeza, Abraham “Onkgpotes Ramothibi” Tiro, Gomolemo Mokae, Patrick “let them dance” Molala. Peter Jones, Barney Pityana, Mapetla Mohapi were the pillars of 1976 student revolt. The uprising would not have happened the way it without the deliberate political decision taken by Steve Biko and his comrades. The first sign that all was not well for the regime, came when the black people started to struggle for selfdefinition, choosing to use their African names instead of imposed European ones. Blacks started rejecting their oppressor’s history and value system choosing to accept and redefine their own humanity. BCM helped to unite oppressed, exploited people under one banner. Blacks were as those who were by law and tradition discriminated against economically and oppressed, socially degraded, and saw black solidarity as the first and necessary step towards achieving their freedom. BCM position simply recognized where power resided and where it did not. The words of the great intellectuals student and political leader Onkgopotse Tiro are still relevant today. He gave us great words of encouragement in the struggle, words often attributed to Bantu Biko “it is better to die for an idea that will live than live for an ideal that will die”. In 1972 university student uprising placed hundreds of SASO activists in high schools throughout the country. Abraham Tiro, the teacher, the poet, the cultural activists, Fanyana Mazibuko became teachers at Morris Isaacson High School, the school from which Tsietsi Mashinini emerged. The imposition of Afrikaans began to retard academic progress as pupils increasingly failed subjects taught in Afrikaans. Sporadic class boycotts began to gain momentum at the beginning of the school year of 1976. One of the several heartening events of the time occurred in June 8 at Naledi High School, where two members of security police went to Naledi High to interrogate Enos Ngutshane. The pupils vehemently protested in the office of the principal NJK Molope. Telephones cut and pupils overturned the police car and set it alight. Police reinforcements were on the scene within minutes and the pupils were dispersed by teargas and rubber bullets. After Naledi high incident a planning meeting was held at which it was decided that a protest march would take place on June 16 1976. Tsietsi Mashinini was elected first president of action committee formed at the meeting. The committee became the Soweto Student Representative Counsel. Other important figures at the meeting included Daniel Motsitsi. Len Mseko, Mufi Morobe, Seth Mazibukho, Sbongile Mthembe, Dan Motapanyana and Kgotso Seathlolo. Morris Isaacson should be noted as one of the many schools where students voiced their displeasure at the forced use of Afrikaans as medium of instruction. The uprising at Isaacson gave it a prominence greater than other schools that were frontrunners in the protests against Afrikaans. The youth of the 1970s entered the struggle fresh and right after the 1960s era whereby there was a political . vacuum after the ANC/PAC and their prominent leaders jailed and others in exile. BCM also provided a banner under which the ethnic barriers within the African population and between African coloured and Indian people could be broken down and Karl Max explained in relation to the subjugation of the colonial peoples by imperialism this could continue only for as long as a
Before the youth turned to the workers in 1976, they considered themselves a sufficient force to lead revolution. One of the chairmen of the SSRC by the name of Kgotso Seathlolo said at a time “we are not carbon copies of our fathers. Where they have failed we will succeed the mistake they made will never be repeated. They carried the struggle up to where they could. We are very grateful to them. But now the struggle is ours. The ball of .liberation is in our hands the black student will stand up fearless and take up arms against a political system” Certainly, neither democracy nor equality Mr Seathlolo deserves your “absolute dedication”. Face to face with the murderous power of the state, and the capitalist system which it defended, the youth came to understand that their anger needed the piston engine of the movement of the workers in production to concentrate their struggle into a material force. The youth themselves were integral part of the working class. The reason for this were explained at the time in the marxist publication Militant International Review (Autumn 1977). “it is important that we do not overstate (the extent of the influence of Black Nationalism on the African proletarian and that we distinguish clearly the “nationalism of the workers from that of the radical petit-bourgeoisie”. From the stand point of the African proletariat, their class exploitation is the primary fact of life. They very institutions of apartheid foremost among them the hated pass law] press upon the African workers essentially as measures designed to maintain the slave conditions of their labour. The more advanced and experienced the worker, the more clearly he perceives the make shift character of Black power as a weapon of the working class struggle and the more insistently he demands on organization, a programme, a leadership that goes beyond it. The alternative to bourgeoisie democracy is offered by Lenin, he stated clearly “Proletarian democracy is hundred times better than more democratic than any bourgeoisie democracy. Proletariat democracy can only come about after revolutionary takeover of society by the proletariat. It also has a class character, a proletariat character represents the broadest and ever deeping participation of the formally oppressed and exploited masses in every sphere of the society. It requires the proletariat masterly affairs of state, of economic management, and other aspects of administration and in deed of superstructure as a whole including culture. Proletariat democracy is the democracy to the proletariat by the proletariat for the oppressed people of that a given country. It must never or could not be extended to the deposed former exploiters, oppressors, and the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie need no way democracy they need dictatorship. The socialist’s way of rule is simple give democracy to the masses, dictatorship to the profit hungry exploiters”. Perhaps it could help recall Mao Tse Tung’s view and explanation of democracy as a means of democracy to an end. He stressed. “Those who demand freedom and democracy in the abstract regard democracy as an end and not as a means”. Democracy as such sometimes seems to be an end, but it is in fact only a means. Marcism teaches us that democracy is part of superstructure and belongs to the realm of politics. That is to say in the final analysis it serves the economic base. The same is true of freedom both democracy and freedom are relative not absolute and they come into being and develop into specific historical conditions.” If therefore democracy is not absolute, then it can as well wither away. It can only do so once the oppressive relations in society are done away with. We will have a society that has nothing more than contradictions. Contradictions do not need state power, the police, class dictatorship to be squelched. Men and women could deal with them effectively as a part of the creative and revolutionary transformation of society and nature. We the youth of 1976 do we have recommendation of how our society the country should be shaped under the banner of “freedom and democracy” and Black Consciousness Movement. “South Africa does not need democracy, peace and fraternity as this can be a camouflage pf class exploitation. South African needs Freedom from bourgeoisie democracy, equality and fraternity. It needs a turbulent nightmare of working class liberation, the seizure of state power by the black proletariat democracy to the majority of black people (except black capitalist”). Thus the truth and its underlying basis is of such fundamental importance that anyone who does not mention it, denies it is nothing more that the loyal defender and apologist of the existing order. Long live the great proletariat socialist republic of Azanai forward with socialist programme against Neo Liberal capitalist policies of privatization, gear and capitalism down with imperialism and globalization.
-Edited by Lolly Mhlongo (Photo from ngopulse.org)
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FRIDAY 18 JUNE 2021
PHINDAFUTHI HIKING CLUB SUMMIT SIMAKAMAKA MOUNTAIN Recently, 30 fitness fanatics braved chilly weather and summited Simakamaka Mountain, Emaxesibeni "Mount Ayliff'. It was a very challenging hiking whereby hikers had to endure rough terrain that comprises mostly of loose stones; big boulders and they had to go as far as crawling due to nature of the mountain. Fitness guru and the coach Jay Gceba motivated those who were struggling along their that they must not forget their mission is to reach the highest peak of the Mountain.
SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS AS SINENKANI FC RELEASE COACH “As management we had given the coach clear and specific targets”
By: Mawande Genu
Sinenkani FC Management made a shocking announcement via their Facebook Page on Youth Day. The press release states that the teams management has released coach Phikolomzi “Ree” Noqazo after failing to take the team to the ABC Motsepe League play off this season. This is much to the dismay and disbelief of many fans who seem to believe that the coach has done enough to be warranted another chance. Sinenkani FC campaigned in the ABC Motsepe League Stream B and finished third place in the Eastern Cape province.
The team was in what many could consider a descent form this season but that was not enough to convince management to keep the coach. The Green outfit from Bizana played an overall of 16 games winning a whooping ten games, with four draws and two loses. Rumors have suggested that the coache’s release from his duties might have been due to more than just his troops performance on the field. As the next season approaches fans and the sporting fraternity is awaiting the announcement of the team’s next move before the start of off season training. -Photo Supplied
When reaching the highest peak and having sumptuous view of villages of Emaxesibeni and neighbouring villages from Mbhizana; Kwabhaca and Ntabankululu hikers were full of jubilation because they felt they have accomplished their mission. They had niece time whereby they educated each other about wild plants and also the importance of preserving springs for the next generation. They agreed in one word that they can't wait for their next mission and challenge which summiting Drankensburg Mountain at Underberg in the date to be announced. —Photo Supplied