Public Schools No Place for Minister with “fancy” words!



cartoon interpretation by Zapiro

I had the pleasure of reading and being entertained by an article in one of South Africa’s prestigious newspapers, the “Mail and Guarding”;were the Minister of Primary Education Angie Motshekga and Mamphela Ramphela, former vice councillor of University of Cape Town and World Bank Director were having a go at each other through the media. As I read the reporters detailed article I noticed how the "kid gloves" came off the Minister’s hands as she hit back in a reply statement made by the academic Ramphela .The main issue between the two educated ladies was about the level of South Africa’s Primary and Secondary public schools.Have we not all expressed a view about that issue?  Read more

The “Cat fight” to me looked like it was sparked by Mamphela Ramphela when she delivered a lecture at the sixth annual Solomon Mahlangu Lecture at University of Johannesburg held on 22 March 2012. She said, "Maths Literacy, what is that?” I was particularly entertained when the “Minister of Defensive” as she was dubbed by one individual commenting on the Mail and Guarding online article. She reacted by saying, “We may not be where we want to be. But it’s wrong -- I think treacherous -- to say we’re going back to Bantu Education.” Talk about a two-way asymmetric communication (little or delayed feedback by receiver to the sender of the message).

I believe it is high time South African public schools imitate what other African countries, like Zimbabwe have done, in adopting the British O and A Level system. The qualification equips primary and secondary children to prepare for a University entrance with a reasonable literacy rate. If I compare a Zimbabwean’s literacy level with that of South African, the later is put to shame dismally. Zimbabwe’s Examination Council before the fall from grace had long since partnered with University of Cambridge International Examination GCE systems, in order to deliver quality scholars. I ask what is stopping us from giving our children in public schools one of the best educational O and A Level systems our neighbours are using.Read more

In terms of the Public Relations angle, we can clearly see that emotional dialogue entertains and it fails to bring constructive solutions to the public school tables were children could learn what the Minister said when she used the word “treacherous”.

• Cartoon interpretation by Zapiro
• http://www.ace-sa.co.za/a-levels.html

Gang Rape Scars Get Elongated

http://www.iol.co.za/

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2012/04/20/warning-over-rape-video

One of the worst forms of violating a fellow human being is through rape. Rape points out the line between moral and immorality in terms of human behaviour. The law is put in place to help remind and enforce punishment if such violations are made such as rape. Some human beings need protection to and from themselves.

In the recent news a devastating incident occurred to a mentally disturbed 17 year old girl from Soweto, Johannesburg, in which she was gang raped. Let stop right here and ask ourselves where was her mother? As I read through the different articles, I was quick to notice that even when the little girl disappeared from home, her own mother did not see it necessary to report her mentally disabled daughter missing at the police station.

• Did the mother just brush it off as a stunt her daughter is used to pulling by being away from home?
• Was the mother careless about creating a security net for her child?
• What other issues are at play in this story that lead to the gang-rape of a 17 year old girl?
• In her own defence that 48 year old mother was quoted as saying she did report the rapes occurring to her child as from 2009 to the police but they did not open a case of missing as the 17 year old had tendencies of going missing and then turning up.

As I read further on one article in the Sowetan newspaper published on 20th April 2012, the 7 men not only are there minors among them but they took a video as well. I am flabbergasted as the reporter stated that the men had smiles on their faces as they took turns raping. At the back of my mind I am saying ''the reporter saw the video too''. It does not come as a surprise as this story is on everybody’s lips where ever I go in Johannesburg. The video went viral ladies and gentleman.

Immorality was passed on from person to person even now as you read this blog; the ugly side of social media communication is taking place.



5 of the 7 chraged men who gang raped the 17 year old girl hiding their faces as they enter the Roodepoort magistrate's court in Johannesburg



Not only is social media being used to promote and get the world connected, it is connection and promoting immorality as well. As human beings we should never forget that once a good thing happens or is discovered, that same thing will start having a few rotten apples in the ''social media communication basket'' in the case.

At the Bottom of the Barrel you will find Credibility



source

Credibility is defined as
"the quality of being believable or worthy of trust" of  ”. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/credibility.

A credible person is said to be an experienced, qualified, intelligent, skilled and trustworthy human being. “Charisma can increase credibility”,some may say. Does it mean people who are not charismatic will not appear to be credible enough? And how does one measure charisma on paper? As I blog about this particular issue the credibility of this specific article I have compiled is being observed under a microscopic eye and questioned by every reader who comes across each blog article, it is the basic natural reaction of human beings to question and individually evaluate  what is presented to them and conclude if whether it is factual or fictional truth I am presenting.

For many years human credibility was the decider of whether a person’s views or words are authentic or not, even in many judicial systems of the world when credibility boils down to one person’s word against the others, individual credibility will be scrutinized to the letter. If everyone of us did not question, then we would not find people wondering if the same courts who are suppose to find credibility in a person, if they themselves are credible enough to serve the people. In all spheres credibility is questioned, from the gender gap of the courts to credibility of the witness. My question is does questioning bring results or truth?

I came across a book written by a woman and the book is said to have sold more than 1 million copies. When I accessed her credibility I am directed to a statement on the author's website which states, “Choo Thomas is a simple, down-to-earth Korean American. She is married and has two children and four grandchildren.” http://www.choothomas.org/ .

To summaries her book which was published in 2003 objectively, she claims to have had visited Heaven and she describes all her experiences in detail in the book.

 Moving closer to home (South Africa) in recent months an elderly man named Sibusiso Mthembu, who claims to have visited Heaven also, I cannot sideline his story and the similarity to that of Choo Thomas' story. They both claim similar encounters but amazingly their stories in the general public are received differently. This is a direct result of their credibility being perceived and projected differently by people. I would not be surprised if Choo Thomas’ story is trusted more than that of Sibusiso Mthembu, a man who claims to have visited Heaven; only because of trustworthiness. When I look at the article written about Sibusiso Mthembu, it is clearly visible that the writer of the article is not at all objective as they started the article with a statement which reads,” The self-proclaimed prophet, 64-year-old Sibusiso Mthembu, says there are 11 heavens, each of which he has visited, with his first heavenly journey having taken place in December 1998.”  

Sibusiso Mthembu

We can see how the beginning of an article can steer people’s perception about a certain individual in order to shape that particular person’s credibility through impulsive pre judgements from the general public. If you notice, the positive statement about Choo Thomas was taken directly from her official website.Obviously one would never paint a less credible picture of themselves. In my view, credibility is formed by opinions of others who question to get results or truth. The above two stories are only a reflection of many similar stories across the globe. Credibility to me is only made up of “subjective truths”. As public opinion is lead to the truth by already subjective research and views of others. Truth is out there, we all just need to dig a little deeper and at the bottom of the barrel we will find credibility of that particular individual.






Right or Wrong only depends on which side of the Equator you fall under!

http://www.africanviews.org/pundits/2012/03/01/race-in-south-africa-still-an-issue/

Morals and values guide human beings to make the right or wrong choices in the eyes of their peers or society they leave in. What is deemed right or wrong and most importantly who chooses what is right or wrong? Those are the questions aimed at an ever changing global culture. When we observe the issue on a more global setting, we have to consider other aspects involve, like culture, geographical location as well as different languages in decision making irrespective of what is seen as right or wrong. Cultural differences play a major role in the topic under discussion. An individual’s background and upbringing has to be considered when that same person behaves in a certain manner which falls outside the general norm of other global cultural behaviours. Neutrality and understanding of a different behavioural pattern has to be the basis for cohesivenes. Any statement made which is not understood,before the individual is classified as doing right or wrong we have to have dissected and categorised as to what did they mean and from which angle their statement is coming from before that person is judged. Just like culture, a person’s geographical location plays a major role in how they interact with the world in general.
 People in Africa, China, North America or Europe have their own set of morals and values. In African cultures it would be deemed right to slaughter an animal in the home backward whereas in other parts or the world it is seen as cruel and sometimes barbaric. So in geographical terms in Africa the practise is deemed right and elsewhere it will be seen as wrong. Language also plays a major role in bridging the gap of understanding and tolerance of our many diverse languages of the world. Languages translate our different cultures, though globally the English language is one of the most preferred means for communication purposes between two or more different language groups. So does this mean the English language is responsible for setting the standard on what is deemed right or wrong in society? Many may argue that it is a “temporary setting”, because as the different cultures with different languages terminate a particular meeting or gathering for instance, they each go back to their own cultural norms and behaviours.

In South Africa a person who has a black and a white parent we refer to them as coloured and that is how they refer to themselves.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4tbtFzdsPQ
As one moves above the Equator into North America or Europe, the word Coloured has a different meaning and it is viewed as a derogative word than in South Africa. In most parts of Europe Coloured people are called “Mixed Race’’ and in North America the Coloured race includes Blacks (African-Americans). Clearly a distinction is made in South Africa as to who is classified under Black or Coloured, but the issue of whether it is an offense when one calls a mixed race person in Europe Coloured that is based on cultural and geographical standards of interaction and communications.

Next time you are offended, stop and ask, “Am I really offended, and who is actually doing the verbal offense” before saying something is right or wrong. I believe a word can be right or wrong only in different contexts. Therefore when in Rome I will do as the Romans do.