Posts Tagged ‘Politics’

  • 02 Mar

    Posted by
    Christopher Meier


    Category

    Faulty Moral Compass

    0

    Wonderful, not only do we have to find out over and over again that our President has no clue what constitutes morally acceptable behaviour, but we now also discover that our Minister of Arts & Culture doesn’t have any.  And is homophobic too.

    Lulu Xingwana’s department gave R300 000 towards a Innovative Women exhibition, and the exhibition has toured the country, returning now to Constitution Hill where she was to open the exhibition.  Sadly she never go to read her speech -  after taking one glance at the work of prominent artist, and lesbian activist, she referred to it as pornographic, spoke to her aides, and then left in a huff.  And believe me, our politicians are very good at leaving in a huff.  I’d say Prima Donna, but then they don’t have the same grace of Opera singers.

    The offending pictures were as far from Robert Mapplethorpe as you could imagine: -

    A somewhat explicit Mapplethorpe

    A somewhat explicit Mapplethorpe

    Zanele Muholi Photographs

    Zanele Muholi Photographs

    Obviously I’m in no position to decide what is offensive and what is not.  A statement she released later stated

    “Our mandate is to promote social cohesion and nation building. I left the exhibition because it expressed the very opposite of this.

    “It was immoral, offensive and going against nation-building.”

    “Minister Xingwana was also concerned that there were children present at the event and that children should not be exposed to some of the images on exhibit.”

    We live in a society (and I’m specifically referring to South Africa here), where young children are being exposed to rape, and worse, in their neighbourhoods and even in their homes.  Rape and child abuse are far worse than the sight of two women embracing, instead we are left with a bitter taste realising that this dear minister is shamefully homophobic – what disturbed her more was not the site of naked flesh, but the knowledge that these photographs were taken by a lesbian, and therefore the embraces suddenly became something more in her twisted mind.

    Immoral, offensive and against nation building?  I challenge you to look at both the images above and point out exactly how they are immoral and how they could go against nation building.  I concede that the one image may well be offensive to some, but that is all

    She clearly would have preferred the works to have been censored, or not shown at all, and this in a country which supposedly has the most liberal constitution.  Alas, the liberal minded individuals who put that great document together have been replaced by narrow minded idiots (sorry, is there a better word?) not fit for the office they hold.

  • 05 Feb

    Posted by
    Christopher Meier


    Category

    Lies, Half-Truths & Politics

    1

    Two stories have featured heavily in the local media over the last week and a bit -  the arrest of Sheryl Cwele, and the news that Jacob Zuma has fathered another child.

    Sheryl Cwele’s story goes back two years, to the arrest of Tessa Beetge in South America with 9kg of cocaine in her luggage.  Allegations way back then already implicated Sheryl, with the mother of Tessa producing e-mail and text messages.  Following her arrest she has filed a bail application which is being opposed by the State who have rightly labeled her a flight risk – she claimed to only have a temporary passport, but a query to Home Affairs showed she has 4 identity documents, 3 passports and 1 temporary passport.  You have to love it when someone proclaims innocence, but is then caught out lying over something else, really speaks volumes about their integrity.

    Then you have the small bit about her husband being the State Security Minister and supposedly having no idea of his wife’s shady activities.  We are faced with two scenarios, and neither one is reassuring.  Either he is lying, or he really had no idea.  Whichever it is, one cannot help but ask should he remain in charge of State Security?

    Moving on to Zuma, South Africa’s own one-man baby factory.  It has only recently come to light that the 67-year old leader has fathered yet another child, his 20th.  First we are told it was born out of wedlock, then we are told that they are actually married under customary law.  The truth will out, as they say, but until then the story continues to generate heated debate.  On the one side you have political allies and sympathisers who call for everyone to respect his privacy, oblivious to the fact that since he is the President of South Africa, and supported by our taxes, we have a fairly legitimate right to know what he is doing. This is especially true when his behaviour is in stark contrast to what he encourages – i.e. be faithful to partners and to ‘condomise’.

    The ANCYL doesn’t seem to think his behaviour has compromised their safe-sex campaign, which beggars belief; but then they are the same group calling for the nationalisation of all mining operations and the Reserve Bank.

    Both of these stories will continue to be featured prominently in the local media until the next politician, or highly placed person, does something embarrassing.  This being South Africa that should be in the next week, two at the most.