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Tag: South African
Israeli policies reminiscent of apartheid (November 17 2012) Israeli policies reminiscent of apartheid (November 17 2012)

Heidi-Jane Esakov the South African researcher at the Afro-Middle East Centre, a Johannesburg-based think-tank, has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Israeli policies of dispossession reminiscent of South African apartheid’ discussing how plans to displace bedouins in Israel are reminiscent of the forced removals of blacks in Sophiatown. Esakov states “During the forced removals of the South African suburb of Sophiatown in 1955, around 65,000 residents were moved and “dumped in matchbox houses” in black townships. Only a few years before that, in 1948, Bedouins of Israel’s Naqab/Negev region, who Israel had not expelled, were also forcibly moved “from their ancestral lands into a restricted zone called the Siyag (literally, ‘fenced in’)”. And, just as Sophiatown was completely bulldozed, the Negev village of Al-Arakib was recently razed to make way for a Jewish National Fund forest. As a South African it is particularly difficult not to see the stark parallels between the experiences of black South Africans under apartheid and of Palestinians today. …The villagers of Umm al-Hiran and Al-Arakib are citizens of Israel: Its Arab citizens that Israel prides – and parades – as proof of its democracy. They are, however, not Jewish, a critical determiner of who is entitled to what land and how rights are allocated. …It is not for the oppressor to decide how the oppressed should understand their oppression. But, how is whites-only different to Jewish-only? And, if the forced removal of 30,000 Bedouins to make way for 250,000 Jews is not “systematic oppression… with the intention of maintaining the regime”, what, then, is it?”

 

Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/f5wnA image source Twitter ow.ly/f5wKR

The culture of corruption (October 19 2012) The culture of corruption (October 19 2012)

Nadine Gordimer the 88 year old South African writer, political activist and recipient of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature has spoken to Aljazeera on the ‘The culture of corruption’ and questions what happened to the democracy that Nelson Mandela and other South African leaders ushered in? The Aljazeera article states that “Social unrest these days is part of the fabric of South African life. The promise of what was once called the rainbow nation still to be realised. A different perhaps more ominous chapter has opened in this country – there is widespread public discontent with what is perceived as endemic corruption, and deep disappointment if not anger at the gross inequality that is still so much part of the society. How did it come to this? What happened to the democracy that Nelson Mandela and other great leaders ushered in? …Gordimer who for decades has provided a mirror in which the people of South Africa could view themselves. …She became a member of the African National Congress at a time when the movement was outlawed in South Africa and though many of her works were banned, she never stopped writing, never softened the voices of those entangled in the racist maze that was the system of apartheid. And in the years since the ANC came to power she subjected the new rulers to the same honest and rigorous scrutiny she applied to the white government they replaced. She continues to probe, to reveal truths that many would rather remain hidden. And above all, Nadine Gordimer continues to reject censorship of ideas in any form, her mantra unchanged through decades that a people can only be free if they are free to say what they want.”

 

Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/emxad image source Bengt Oberger ow.ly/emx2F

Elon Musk the 41 year old South African business magnate engineer and co founder of SpaceX has come under intense criticism from former astronauts Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan as a result of SpaceX’s incursion into the USA space program. In response Musk in an interview with 60 Minutes stated “I was very sad to see that because those guys are heroes of mine, It’s really tough. I wish they would come and visit, and see the hardware we’re doing here. And I think that would change their mind.” Tim Cavanaugh published an article on Reason giving a broader perspective, stating “A more divine view, we might say, is that Earth is not a prison or a curse but the promise of an infinite future, an invitation to consider a possibility that’s beyond our imaginations but also naturally fulfilling of who we really are. Think of the approach to space travel and interstellar colonization a culture could achieve if that was its point of departure! That’s too deep for me, but I agree that thinking space is going to be the place our species escapes to requires you to ignore the immeasurable worse-ness of space relative to even the harshest environments on this planet. “

 

Inspired by Reason ow.ly/by0fV image source Brian Solis ow.ly/bCqXw

Zwelethu Mthethwa the 51 year old South African artist photographer nominated to include his work in the prestigious Venice Biennale art exhibition, has withdrawn outraged and alleging transparency issues within the organizing group. Monna Mokoena a South African gallery owner who had initiated the South African return to the Biennale following non participation since 1995, has been appointed the commissioner by the government. Mokoena selected the curator and two of his own artists to exhibit, and as a token selected two others including Mthethwa while delaying them access to information and financial budgets. Malcolm Payne a former Dean of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town who had exhibited at the last South African participation in the 1995 Biennale, criticised Mokoena appointment as “A handout … What happened then is happening now”.

Inspired by Matthew Blackman http://ow.ly/6Si7M image source myglobalhustle http://ow.ly/6SiIj

Desmond Mpilo Tutu the 80 year old South African retired Anglican bishop who became synonymous with the apartheid struggle during the 1980s, has released a new biography marking his 80th birthday titled ‘Tutu:Authorized’. Tuto rose to worldwide fame as a tireless activist receiving tributes for world leaders for his inspirational activities. A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Tuto was regarded as a ‘playful’  individual who traveled the world campaigning to end the South African apartheid rule. FW de Klerk the last leader of the apartheid government is quoted as stating, “I developed tremendous respect for his fearlessness. It wasn’t fearlessness of a wild kind. It was fearlessness anchored in his deep faith in God”. South Africa’s first democratic president Nelson Mandela stated, ”If Desmond gets to heaven and  is denied entry, then none of the rest of us will get in!”

 

Inspired by myweku http://ow.ly/6TwI8 image source Dale Frost http://ow.ly/6Tx5I

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