Is government able to hold officials accountable?

Yes, those in public office are sufficiently held accountable to the public. Firstly it is utmost important that one should understand the values and principles of democracy when discussing public matters within a democratic state.  However, it is also essential that one should understand that South Africa is under the supervision of a democratic form of government where accountability is regarded as the golden concept that no one can be against. Having understood the roles and responsibilities hold by government officials in all different levels of government and how they are mandated to work in the public office.

Those in public offices understands very well that they have been elected or voted into public office, simply to represent the public. They themselves have the obligation and roles to perform while ensuring that public’s needs are being championed by the government. Because these people are public representatives, which means they are anticipated to be trustworthy towards the public and ensuring transparency in everything they does that concerns the public. However, it is of no doubt that under a democratic state and as far as South African political context is concern, those who hold public office are held accountable.

It is the traditional principles of democracy that those who hold public office must be held accountable for their wrong goings. Nevertheless, in many instances ministers and heads of government departments often use the privilege of being in the public office to milk the money of the public and enrich themselves and their families. Some of them they commit maladministration and improper conduct by certificating their relatives and friends into a public positions. To concretize this phrase on the basic foundation of a democratic system of government, I therefore, get the sense that accountability is necessary and it cannot be demolish in the country that uses democracy as form government. Unlike in an autocratic form of government where power is over used towards the public.

It is the right and responsibility of the public to ensure that those who have committed misconduct in the public offices are dealt with decisively so as to account for their dirty deeds. In a contemporary political discourse even the head of state is expected to be held accountable when he or she commits misconduct. Knowing precisely that the head of state elects ministers and other heads of government departments. Now this might rises questions, or sometimes one can try to argue to say, how the head of state can be held accountable when found doing or done wrong doings. For example violating the constitution of the country. Definitely the answer is yes, it is possible that even the president is held accountable, because that’s the reason South Africa has the constitutional court, which part of it is to deal with matters of accountability in the president towards its citizens.

Few years ago, the Mail & Guardian newspaper reported that South African president, Jacob Zuma, built his private house in Nkandla in the outskirts of Kwazulu-Natal with the state money. Moreover, this is to say the president was found committed misconduct prior to his obligation in the public office. In other words public’s rights has been violated in this case, and therefore accountability must be applied in order to maintain the integrity of the system of government, democracy in South Africa. And that was exactly what had happened to him, he has to be compelled to pay back the money which was stolen from the taxation of the public. Even though sometime it seems a bit difficult to make those who hold public offices to account, but prior to the constitution of the country accountability is nonnegotiable.

Another example, this year, the deputy minister of Higher Education and Training, Mduduzi Manana, was reported by the Eye Witness News to have assaulted a women. Him being  the public figure and having done wrong before the eyes of the public, such act definitely tested the reality of the South African law enforcement in terms of the accountability as enshrined in chapter 10 of the 1996 constitution of the republic of South Africa.

The government itself had to take a firm decision against him and found him guilty for assault. In addition to this, he himself came to a realisation that he had wrong the public and thereby he decided to apologise publicly to the entire nation. Meanwhile he saw the need to resign from the public office, because he misrepresented the public by his action. This story somehow shows that in South Africa the government tries to hold government officials accountable in a procedural manner.

Nevertheless, accountability has become an icon for good governance in both the public and private sector. In the recent years The Citizens Newspaper found that, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the former SABC COO has constituted maladministration and improper conduct, this come after he was found having occupied the SABC COO position illegally. The SABC being one of the public institution which is designed to educate the masses of South Africa, was in the hand of an unqualified COO. This case had to be taken to High court and to the public protector to investigate, reason being, this institution involves the public more than an individual. However, Hlaudi Motsoeneng had to account for his wrong doings. He was then removed from the office as COO of the SABC.

To this end, the government carried the obligation and right to continuously ensures that those who hold public office are held accountable for their wrong doing, in respect of the values and principles found with the constitution of the republic and for acceleration of open government towards its citizens who elected them to public office.

Cape Town experience becomes a life desire 

The mother city blows my mind 

I felt like I was dreaming when they told us that, journalism second level students would embark on a journey to Cape Town for an academic excursion. Knowing that I was amongst the qualified students for this trip, definitely my heart pump higher and higher with joy and happiness. At first I thought we would use flight to go there since is too far, but only to find that the department organised us a translux buses. I felt it was going to be boring to travel (18) hours inside bus, since I wanted to fly for the first to Cape Town. Nevertheless, I tolerated the bus up until we reached the Mother City. I was like wow what the paradise is this! Is this South Africa? I asked myself many questions but sadly there was no one to answer my questions.

Everyone was really amazed about the beauty of the Mother City. Immediately when I set my eyes and looked at the geographical setting of the buildings, I eventually became overwhelmed. There came a time when I wanted to swim in the ocean but the funny thing was that I knew that I can’t swim. The only way I could satisfy my heart it was when I put my feet inside the ocean. It was awesome to see the waves blowing around, which definitely blew my mind, like really blew my mind. It made me to completely forget that I only came to Cape Town for only four days. I remember when my cousin called and ask about the date in which we would come back to Soshanguve.

 

 I couldn’t answer her directly; I kept on diverting from the question, because I was already on my fantasy world. At night when I walked out, I could hear the weasel songs which was sang by the sea birds. The profound melodies prompted me to get deeper into imaginary world, feeling like I already had a family and job in Cape Town. I couldn’t accept that my days are limited, the last day arrived and when they told us to checkout, I then realise that indeed I’m going back to Pretoria. 

Sadly even though I knew that I’m oblige to go back, I couldn’t get rid of my fantasy world. It came to a point when I woke up and saw the bus entering Tshwane University of Technology North Campus, That’s when I forced myself to get rid of my fantasy about the Mother City. Indeed the City became my life desire. 

Zim first lady receives diplomatic immunity in SA

It is essential to understand the roles and responsibilities hold by the department of international relations and cooperation towards preserving the status quo of the democratic South Africa on international matters and conflicts. However, I particularly get the sense that some cases that concerns crimes which involves internationalists, should not be handed or handled politically but it should be directed to law enforcement of the country to avoid unnecessary confusion.

 To critically analysing the case of Grace Mugabe, who recently been found to have deliberately assaulted a South African citizen in South Africa and still been granted diplomatic immunity as if she had not committed crime. I think South African law should have been enforced or applied against her as it is applied to others. The attitude and approach of ANC led government on this matter definitely depicted incapability and inconsistency of the South African justice towards handling international issues. 

 Knowing the fact that I am living in a democratic country where human rights are respected and valued, as it is enshrined in the constitution of the republic to abide by. Now, I therefore, find it offensive and meaningless to carry on respecting the constitution and law of this country, because to me it appears as rhetoric or myth. How do I explain the fact that our constitution state that, no one is above the law and everyone should be treated equally before the law, but when the so-called first Lady of Zimbabwe assaulted a fellow woman during women’s month and still walked free, where is justice here? So RSA treats people based on their prestige or legitimacy? If that is a case then the constitution and law of RSA is just a rubber stamp of a guideline that seek to steer the country.

Even though the government tried to justify to say that, they were obliged to grant her immunity, because they wanted to maintain and sustain relationships between the two neighbouring countries. But still this person committed serious offence. I find the reasons of government to be totally illegitimate to accept as a citizen. Recently South Africa revoked International criminal court (ICC) after having been being condemned by the international court for having not arrested president of Sudan Omar al bashir, when he visited South Africa. I thought perhaps they learnt a lesson during that case. Now I am glad because South Africa did not cancelled the treaty from the ICC as they wanted to. This will however give the ICC a chance to condemn them again pertaining the case of Grace Mugabe.

To this end, I find it importantly to suggest that Grace Mugabe should be dealt with decisively by the South African law rather than considering African Court of Justice (ACJ) system. All I know is that a leader is compelled to be an example but what Grace did is totally an opposite of being a leader. Lastly the minister of international relations and co-operation Maite Nkoana Mashabane must give the people of South Africa an explanation towards her action and decision to grant Grace Mugabe immunity.  

ConCour’s judgement on secret ballot pleases the ANC

There is a verbatim reflections and statements that second the reality of the decision undertaken by the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in taking the Motion of no confidence against the President of the Republic of South Africa to constitutional court so as to request that the process should be conducted through a secret ballot.

It is very explicit that the UDM came a realisation that the National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete already failed to make a legitimate ruling in several occasions, in many cases that the speaker presided over to the cases that involved the president, such cases consequently amount to being silenced by the parliament under her supervision. 

The notion of secret ballot tabled by the UDM at first in parliament where the National Assembly Speaker was anticipated to make a legitimate and unbiased ruling that would favour the interest of the people of South Africa and also in respect and defends of the constitution. During the first ruling of this case, Baleka Mbete claimed to have no power to make parliamentary judgement on whether the motion of no confidence in the president could be conducted through a secret ballot or not. Since there are other process and method that could be utilised which include the open ballot system.

 The sadness reality in this matter is that parliamentary speaker seems to be scared and this followed by her words on the 06 April 2017 “I have no power to authorise a vote by a secret ballot against the president.” Although her statement may sound as if she’s not against the notion of secret ballot as stipulated but I am unashamedly persuaded by her past ruling of the cases that she knew exactly that a decision and power to grant a secret ballot to remove the president in the motion of no confidence lies upon her as the parliament speaker.

Now almost majority of South Africans  had been waiting for concourt to pass constitutional judgment that should have been passed by the Parliamentary speaker, the decision made by chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng today, 22 June 2017,  to grant a secret ballot in the motion of no confidence against the president has been remitted to Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete. This judgment definitely challenges the Parliamentary Speaker to stand towards adhering to the parliamentary principles in making sure that the request of the UDM is legitimised. To efficiently looking to the position held by Baleka Mbete in the ANC and also being one of the recommended hearsay candidate for 2019 presidential elections. 

This could somehow prompt Baleka Mbete to compromise the sincerity by not grating secret ballot system in the motion of no confidence against the president. To widely my politically point of view on this matter,  the Speak won’t consider secret ballot method or if she does, that means she would be prepared to be degraded in the ANC’s  position that she’s been promised to attain.

To this end, constitutional judgement left the ANC including the president himself smiling at the centre spot, because they themselves knows precisely that Baleka Mbete always defend the president irrespective of whether the president has been found guilty or not, to concretise this phrase, the ANC President Jacob Zuma recently violated the constitution overtly and was found guilty by the concourt but still in parliament he was defended by the Speaker of Parliament. 

I am scared the judgement made by the concourt today will somehow satisfy ANC’s  tripartite alliance well, simple because they themselves are not in support of the President after all the scandals he made which contradict  to their agreement as the ANC’s supporting structures.   

This whole thing of Zuma taken to court it sometimes worth people of South Africa nothing, because people certainly know that whatever kind of cases Zuma is involved such a case won’t go anywhere. The most vital question is, will Baleka Mbete grant a secret ballot in the motion of no confidence against the president? Every concerned compatriot is digesting on that to see if she will be able to fulfil the oath and preserve the status quo so as to serve the people of South Africa as anticipated.

British public relation firm fail its mandate in SA

Pubic relation determines the life and the death of an organisation, it is therefore stands as a pillar towards the profitability and failure of an organisation in terms of preserving its clients’ reputation from the allegations that seeks to put down its client under which public relation company serves. The inability and inconsistency of any public relation towards its clients likely to amount to a negative impact mostly in the political organisations status. 

UK Bell Pottinger Company failed to preserve the status quo of its client and devalued its prestige towards the interest of the world business. Bell Pottinger has been working for the Gupta family since March 2016, in a contract that worth £100, 000 a month, and they eventually contracted officially to the Gupta Family owned Oakbay Investments. The company’s mandate has been to repair and preserve the reputation of the Family from all the allegations that are in connection with the South African president, Jacob Zuma.

It is not amazing to see the UK Bell Pottinger terminated their contract and failing to practise their professional ethics as anticipated. In all companies and political organisations that Bell Pottinger has been contracted, they have never ran their services as appropriately and successfully as expected of them. In recently years Bell Pottinger provided electoral campaign support in Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria and Malawi. 

In 2105, the company worked for the former Nigerian President Goodluck Johathan which demonstrated a massive lead for opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari. Their involvement resulted to Johathan losing the elections, followed 2011 elections where MMD blamed their involvement for his party’s loss. “Our campaign was the well-funded in Zambia’s history, but we lost because of divisions in the party. He (Rupiah Banda) brought in his sons and outsiders from Bell Pottinger who ruin everything.”

It’s very clear that public relations practitioners play a vital role in helping all sorts of campaigns such as presidential election campaigns and also in influencing public’s perception. However, it happened that the poor service of Bell Pottinger Campany resulted to a negative impact politically in South Africa, since its client Oakbay Investments Company which is run by Gupta family, the very same family that is believed to have good relationship with the African National Congress president.

I am quite sure that that Gupta family trusted their PR expertise, and they did not expected them to be terrified and scared of the threats from the masses of South Africa.  Considering professionalism, UK PR Company shouldn’t have pulled out from its client and leave them undefended because of the threats they received from public and other political parties, that shouldn’t have prompted them to relinquish power over their client. But rather to withstand with and fulfil the actual agreement.  

This issue has turned to being a political dilemma in South Africa and has reached a  point where every citizen wants to understand what exactly was the mission of Gupta Family in South Africa, if it was not for business?, because vast complaints has been raised which entail Family linked to corruption in government institutions.

In addition to this, the establishment of deflection campaign built around social media, (twitter) that believes to have been designed to manipulate public opinion in terms of allegations and malicious stories that is regarded to be of a societal concern in South Africa.

 However, all the allegations that include, state interference and capture, illegal appointment of cabinet ministers, these definitely raised the standard of political challenge within the country especially with the opposition parties, began shouting “Gupta must fall’’ every now and then. Despite the experience Bell Pottinger have, they themselves should have handle the pressure and criticism that was levelled towards the Guptas and help rescue Oakbay Investments reputation from its bad image.

Knowing the responsibilities of the PR Company to its client, I therefore, don’t see the necessity of Bell Pottinger pulling back its socks rather than sticking to its objectives as a protector. Despite the fact that Bell pottinger’s founder and other senior employees left the company, that doesn’t necessitate their sincerity towards their client in the business perspective.

The unprofessional conduct of UK PR Company went viral on internet, social media twitter in particular.  Although Bell Pottinger had strong relationship with the President, the campaign of calling for the resignation of President Zuma was obliged to occur, simple because of the scandals he committed and that shouldn’t have backward their interest on the family and its business.

 To this end, the PR CEO, James Henderson “I do not care one bit about international criticism being levelled at Bell Pottinger because of their work for the Guptas”. This sound as a contradiction of their present action. I therefore consider this quote as a controversial statement that is full of confusion.

Students face accommodation crisis at Universities

Housing issue had reached boiling point to most of the public universities in the country. Universities are facing housing crisis to accommodate students. The essence of this crisis derived from the poor universities residence system. However, universities and colleges tend to over admit students of which the majority would not be residentially accommodated. The lack of housing by the universities had negatively impacted the students academically and physically. Most affected students are international students and those from far provinces across the country.

At first I thought perhaps students are not placed in universities residences simply because they don’t meet the main criterion for admission to residence. Until I discovered the reality of the matter that universities does not have enough housing to accommodate students. One could say universities can’t be able to accommodate students without considering finances, yes indeed finances it’s a priority in almost every institutions of higher learning. But this crisis cannot be justifiable by the universities simply because majority of the students are financially funded by the government. This gives the clear indication that it is no longer the issue of students having financial issues but the institutions themselves having lack of residences.

This crisis led to many students protesting severely, dropping out from universities, academically poor performance, raped, mugged and victimised. These happen mostly to students who are staying off campus. Recently Tshwane University of Technology student was reported raped in her private residence near the campus. In addition to this, three months ago, University of the Western Cape students were reported staying in shacks. Lastly, last year January, Vaal University of Technology student was reported murdered and raped on her way to private residence from the campus library in the evening. Just to mention the few typically examples that came out from this crisis caused by the universities at large.

I just believe that universities carried the responsibilities to ensure that students are safe and protected at all times. But this crisis shows the opposite of their responsibility to their students. This conduct might tarnish universities’ image. Most international students might stop considering to study in South Africa. If the universities remains unaccountable and ignorant to this ongoing challenge, South Africa will however experience crime escalation. Inasmuch as the universities sees their students becoming victims every now and then. I think its high time universities realises their mistakes in protecting their students in as far as building enough residences is concern.

Universities should consider these provisions to help prevent this crisis. They should admit a specific number of students that can systematically be accommodated in the universities residences. Universities should consider building enough housing. They should also improve residence system criteria which can enable students to be accommodated or registered before coming to school in order to avoid long queues which mostly results to students being stranded of the place to sleep. In conclusion, universities should be held accountable for their students in case if this crisis perpetuates itself.

Hunger prompts Univen students to strike

photo supply: univen website 

photo supply: univen website
Univen students gathering to discuss strike  

Yesterday 27 April 2017, students at university of Venda took out their anger against the Management 
demanding NSFAS food pocket. Since the year began the students had been suffering, mostly students who depend on NSFAS for survival within the institution. The situation escalated further to a point where other students had to sleep without having put food on their month, while some students getting themselves and their parents in debts in order to buy food for their sustainability.

photo supply: univen website 
Univen students burning tires  

The situation of NSFAS led to students breaking up the issue of outsourcing within the institution, the students began calling for adoption of in-sourcing to cater and benefit the residents of Venda as a whole. 
The police are busy firing rubber bullet and tear gas trying to disperse the students, but it seems like the students really know what they are fighting for since they keeps on perpetuating and fighting back at police officers.

FACTS BOX

• Excellent service delivery by the government in the universities (public) can reduce strikes 
• In-sourcing must be prioritize by the institutions of higher learning 
• NSFAS must grant all deserving students the same amount of food pocket 
• The institutional properties should not be vandalize because of strikes
• Communities should not suffer victimization caused by students demanding academics needs
• The institution should be seen as a benefit to the community where the university is based    

Audio link: https://soundcloud.com/solomon-mathebula/2017-univen-strike-callinf-for-insourcing-and-nsfas