FINALLY...A glimse of a Rainbow....?

I have to say I feel a little lighter on the feet since Kgalema Motlanthe was ‘shoved in’ as president. Having heard him speak before his presidency he makes a lot of sense and more importantly he does not seem to be trying to cut a CD with his one hit wonder ‘umshini wami’.

Sure there may be a few leeeettle grey areas, like socialism and communism in his past BUT he seems to bring a much needed calming influence to the ranks of the ANC, which as we know is needed nowadays. It has sadly become a party of self serving twits that are more worried about its ‘leader’s’ trial than leading a country of people in a democratic way.

So a little ray of sunshine appears in what was seeming [to me] to be an endless grey sky… BUT time will tell. A few good moves have been made so far, namely the Minister of Health is now Barbara Hogan and helmet head-Manto has been moved to the presidential office..[think she needs close watching]. Pity she was not fired BUT she aint gonna be a problem in Health anymore. Then someone finally made a decision to fire Robert McBride after 6 months of haggling about his drunk driving charge [costing the tax payers money].. etc etc. It will be interesting to see what happens to Selebi and what will be done about crime…I wait with anticipation!

It will also be interesting to see if our dome headed ‘rock star’ [Zuma that is] does ascend to the highest position in the country in a few months time….Good Lord I hope not, lets have the trial first shall we… Kgalema might start enjoying his new found fame anyway.

So SA politics has suddenly become more interesting and I am 100% sure will hot up as the months roll into election time. For the ANC a new era has arrived..I cant help but wonder if a split in the party is imminent…it would make sense but predictions are not cool nowadays..

Quickly moving to US politics… I think they could have a bigger problem if the Republicans win the election over there. A president that is about to kick the bucket and could end up leaving the rains to his deputy…. Palin. Why is that such a problem you ask…? WELL for one…she has NEVER traveled outside her country! And they worry about Obama’s lack of experience! Palin only got her passport now…in her 40’s! HAVE YOU EVER! How much can she really know about how America fits into the world, what a bad choice! [For her it’s probably more about how the world fits into America..aren't we the world?!....I can hear her asking!] Backwards and Scary. VIVA OBAMA...at least he actually knows where Africa is!

If Mugabe was a white man...tra..laa...laa

Two quick thoughts for today:

Mr Mbeki has a short memory. He seems to have forgotten how it feels to be oppressed. For him, it seems keeping in favour with 'The Mug' is more important than millions of starving Zimbos. I am actually in total shock by his 'quiet diplomacy' approach. Africa and the rest of the world were very outspoken about the previous oppression under the apartheid government in SA. That pressure eventually aided the internal change. What has Mugabe got on Mbeki, why is he really supporting a dictor? He is laughable really.

I wonder if Mugabe was white, would his actions to date still be acceptable? Would the AU have been quiet as lenient? During the Xenophobic violence, I heard many comments about how bad 'black on black' violence was, and it needed to be stopped at all costs. Clearly we are not really serious about that, as a country or a continent as The Mug continues to starve and 'rape' his country and its people. All this whilst our government and Africa looks on in quiet diplomacy like a bunch of 'bloody idiots'.

I am speechless really I am...

SA’s Leadership crisis

I had the misfortune of listening to Julius Malema [ANC Youth League] on Carte Blanche last night and decided that each day is getting just that little bit harder to see the leadership light in this country.

If this guy is the kind of leader that the ANC deems to be the future, then we are doomed to a future of anger, killing and war. Sadly there are many underlying nuisances when these leaderless leaders actually open their mouths lets review…..
Julius as a point in case in the Carte Blanche interview said 2 things [without actually saying them] sending a kind of coded message out. Malema- ‘They try to sabotage our government, they try to use the media to discredit black leaders; project them as racist, as corrupt, as people who need easy money.” For me this begged the question…Why is the word black relevant in this case? It prompted the interviewer to ask if he was in fact referring ‘to whites’, to which Malema responded "No, we are not talking about white people. Even black people there are counter-revolutionary forces which are also black, and very black for that matter." Sorry I may be confused… why mention black then? What was the point other then to send a message that whites are behind the ‘Zuma conspiracy’?

To add fuel to the fire his second ‘revolutionary code message’ was ‘ “they are serving the 'master'. They have been incorporated into the agenda of the imperialist." So once again a reference to the word ‘master’ [which clearly has apartheid connotations] and another Mugabe-like reference to imperialism…I fail to understand the need to for that comment either and what relevance it has to Mr Zuma’s corruption trial…I may just be missing the boat. Lets not even mention the other ‘k…’ word, kill that is, that just makes me feel ill, I am at a loss for words on that one..

As a white person in this country that has now had a 99.99% black government for 14 years I do not understand the hints of whites as the ‘enemy’…it is all very Zim-like…Mugabe has ruled for 28 years and still blames ‘colonialists’ for what is happening in Zim…its just to easy to put a colour to the problem in an effort to unite people playing on the memories of their pain and anger. Will we ever move on?

The use of words as tools of ‘war’ is nothing new, but is it really necessary in our fledgling democracy… Sadly Malema has been supported by others. Cosatu’s, Zwelinzima Vavi's ‘shoot to kill’ support statement is just one point in case. What are we seeing here and should I even be surprised that Zuma did nothing on the day to rebut the statement made by Malema. I suppose for a man that’s theme song is about a machine gun it makes perfect sense to say nothing against the killing speak..

Sorry I really don’t hold much faith in a majority of our people not buying into these coded messages…we just have to look at the group mentality of the Xenophobic violence to see that a few can lead many to hell with a few simple words [many examples exist worldwide…Hilter is a perfect example]. Timing is all important and it is clear that knowing that Zuma may be found guilty is resulting in some ‘leaders’ in the country resorting to desperate warring tactics that are irresponsible. What is even worse is they are not being condemned by our highest office.

This ‘Zuma strategy’ is clear and dangerous: Threaten and create enough fear and talk of war to ensure that a trial is compromised in the eyes of the public, holding our legal system to ransom. These groups keep questioning a fair trial…this current behaviour is far from fair and their constant undermining of, not only our legal system, but also our constitution is appalling and should be stopped and retracted [its actually too late for that in my view – what has been said can never be undone].Just one problem, with the total lack of leadership who will stop it…..?

I could not help but hear the faint chants/echos of some of the worlds most dangerous dictators….

“The only white man you can trust is a dead white man.” -Robert Mugabe
“He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.”-Adolf Hilter [Maybe Malema read this one]
“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it” -Adolf Hitler
“All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach.” –Adolf Hitler
“We pride ourselves as being top, really, on the African ladder ... We feel that we have actually been advancing rather than going backwards.” – Robert Mugabe.

We need help…and quick…

Can there be any justification for Violence?

Should violence have a ‘good side’?

I have been reading a lot about the recent Xenophobia attacks in SA and as usual I gravitate to the blogosphere to get the general take on the whole sad story. There is a broad condemnation, which is obviously good, BUT there also seems to be to be a growth in the amount of bizarre comments made by some black people that ‘black on black’ violence is ‘unacceptable’ as we are ‘all Africans’. A question to those people....does that mean that black on white/indian/coloured/asian violence would be acceptable in SA or anywhere? It appears the mentality of a few commenting on posts is that ‘whites deserve it’ or simply that no other colour or creed is as relevant in SA other than black people? Is this just because you happen to have a browner skin than mine? I am also African, South Africa is my home. I was born here and my family have been here for many generations.

I just don’t get it. Why do people even make comments like that? Violence is violence; it is unnecessary and will not aid us in building a united ‘Rainbow Nation’. A nation, that was supposed to be built on the fundamental pillars of tolerance and forgiving?

What has become evident in South Africa and in Africa as a whole is how much African on African violence seems to be linked to a lack of self worth. Sure we can blame this on colonialism, as years of oppression and abuse by ‘whites’ will definitely create that problem, but when will that stop…? When will it be appropriate to stop using that as an excuse. We need to stop looking into the rear view mirror. Why is ‘black on black’ oppression [which has been happening in many African countries for decades] not as bad? Is it because its seen as 'more' African because the leader happens to be black? When will the future become more important than the past in Africa? I am not being sarcastic when I ask this question, I am seriously concerned. I still maintain that whlist we all busy fighting amongst ourselves, we have another form of 'colonisalism' or control seeping into Africa. Greedy, African oppressors selling our mineral enriched continent off to the West and China under our noses so eventually we will never really own this land, only 'rent it'. If we dont stop it, corruption and greed will kill our country and our continent. They are the enemy.

A few of the people making comments on blogs used the ‘self worth/ oppressive whites’ argument as a reason for the latest Xenophobia violence. Lack of service delivery by our government to the poorest of the poor over the past decade is not cited in many comments I have read.

I am painfully aware that there will be those that will see me as a ‘foreigner' in my own country, [because of my skin colour] and that is sad. I also realise that there will always be people, both black and white, that will not move on. In the end though nothing will change if these views persist, as we will end up with the circle of hate that apartheid brought flying back at us again and we will forever be prisoners of our own mentality. Stop the violence.
Free South Africa. Free Africa.

Cloudy Nation...as it rains on foreigners

I don’t intend to ‘government bash’…but they seem to leave me with little choice nowadays…what the hell are they doing as we watch our country descend into chaos…The xenophobia is out of hand and still I am sure someone would say ‘there is no crisis’. I am ashamed to be a South African today after reading The Star.

Our own people, with persecution still so fresh in their minds, seem to have no issues with beating [in some cases murdering]/raping and taking from foreign nationals. Some of which have been in this country for years. It seems that some people have been waiting to have a ‘shopping spree’ on the back of the hard work of others?!! What kind of person rationalises that in their heads? There are currently over 500 police in Alexandra township [a picture on the front page of The Star shows one shooting a live round!]. Don't we need the the police fighting crime..? It seems like a war zone with armored vehicles being the order of the day?!

Lets assess the root of the problem….the total lack of control and corruption that appears to exist amongst our border patrol [and our police, government and.. and.. and]. Perceptions are a dangerous thing and with the total lack of consistent communication or action from our government, the average South African I am sure formulates their own perceptions regarding what is happening by the very facts presented. Thank God for the media.

Thousands of people are getting through our borders from a desperate situation in a country run into the ground by a mad man. Instead of assisting the crisis by [acknowledging there actually is one] and creating refugee camps for these people [we could then feed people through international aid programmes], we are letting them through to fend for themselves in any way they see fit. It seems that those that are caught and ‘deported’ are back the next day! Most I am sure attempt to find work [and will probably work for less out of total desperation] and others I am sure turn to crime. I the meantime our president makes a statement that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe…wake up Mbeki the crisis has moved right into our country…but hey government doesn’t seem to care….Still no refugee status for Zimbos has been declared…there is almost an ostrich approach to this situation [and many others] that makes me think that our okes are either 2 busy squabbling over how much cash they can get their hands on, how much power they can get or how to dodge convictions by crying conspiracy to even worry about South Africans are taking the law into their own hands.

All it takes is one ‘clever’ to see a gap to create a mob mentality that is more frightening than anything because mobs don’t have a brain…What has happened in Alexandra is terrible. The message is clear, people are desperate, both foreigners and South Africans alike and there needs to be action and quickly to resolve the situation…we have a large dark cloud over our nation today...the rainbow has long since gone along with tolerance.

[UPDATE 14 May: Can you imagine being thrown out of your house that you have lived in and paid for for years and come back to find a lazy South African thief in it when you return telling you 'this is no longer your house'. That is happening in Alex at the moment. I cannot believe this kind of 'land repatriation' is happening to foreigners on our soil...next phase Sandton?]

SA Criminal's National Anthem..Cry Conspiracy

Have any of you noticed the new trend of crying conspiracy by criminals...This is a worrying trend because it indicates there is a thought process [that seems to be working in some cases] that thinks the law can be manipulated by creating doubt and confusion. If the public had faith in the legal system would this kind of thing happen? Read this story not because the criminals involved have cried conspiracy [like the Knysna DJ that raped and murdered 2 young girls and DNA proved he was the person who committed the crime...but its a conspiracy you see..right!] but because if they were caught they probably would cry conspiracy!

A friend of mine recently went to write her learners at the Auckland Park License Dept. She failed by 1 point so she duly went to the licensing officer and said …'Ahh come on it was just one point’... to which the guy said if you wanted to get that extra point you should have mentioned that before the test.

My friend 'interrogated' a little more on this ‘option’ only to find that the public servants there are… surprise…. surprise, completing the test for you before hand and bringing your paper back saying you forgot to complete your name etc…. Sorry to sound cynical but it is unrealistic to expect the public to have any faith in the government or their departments when there are constant reports of corruption and non delivery, so blatant.

You apparently have to pay the bribe up front to avoid all the anti corruption steps that have been put in place after the test. And the price of the sin… R350.00 per bribe and that is at a discount. Considering that your learners costs you around R110 odd rand [if you do it legally] I would say these guys are making a killing. ‘Great’ business that is slowly choking our country but hey who cares right?! I do, but I am one person with a blog..big deal.

What is scary is that in one sitting my friend saw 3 people 'that forgot to complete information' in other words…bribing rotten stinking corrupt bastards, which in my book makes them just as bad - it happens because it can. Sorry I am so mad I could spit.

What is happening to our country [so tired of that question] that this can happen so blatantly out in the open.. There is no fear of the law anymore as we are slowly becoming a lawless society. We need to fight against this…the problem is when some of our ‘leadership’ have a question mark hanging over their heads the message is clear…its a free for all….'see what you can get because nothing will happen to me approach'. The worst thing that can happen is maybe in 10 years time going to trial and then the case being dismissed because someone 'mislaid the file' or the public simply forgot about it.

I am sure these people have no fear of being caught [no matter how much evidence] the new national anthem for the criminals of this country is ‘its all a conspiracy or a public vendetta’ that ‘has no merit’ and is untrue 'provoked by the press' - of course. So hey create enough mud in the pond to ensure clarity is lost.

The implications of this….we have an entire generation that have illegally got onto the road but have the documents to say they are legal….its no wonder we cant control the death toll on our roads. Let me know what you think about this because I am furious. Cry...our beloved country...

Glass half full/empty...SA

I have been reading all the inspirational things that have been going around from the likes of iburst etc regarding our beautiful country. I agree with most of them but I noticed that I seem to cling to the words ‘we have been here before’. In reality though, I don’t think we have. At the risk of being labeled a pessimist [more like a realist] I think we have finally crossed over into another place as a country, a place not many of us know or understand. We have gone off track and need some drastic help to come back to a new version of normality.

Lets review our country ‘killers’ at the moment:

-Lack of credible Leadership
-Violent Crime
-Corruption / Greed
-Poverty
-Non-Delivery by Government
-HIV
-High Illiteracy & Low level of Education
-Infrastructure decay
-Uncontrolled entry of Foreigners

Now I would feel optimistic about being able to sort these out if we had some sort of future plan, a strong leader and a credible and effective government channel and legal system. Our people also need to start understanding that for every negative action there is a negative consequence [that is why laws are created].

It is sad for me to sit in discussions when youngsters are discussing the possibility of leaving the country because they don’t see a future. At this point how many people have actually left is pure speculation and no-one in government seems to think this is a big problem. So many families being split out of fear.

All this at a time when we need all hands on deck…I am beginning to feel like I have no voice and the constant state of lawless [a growing number of incidents now involving police] is wearing me down. Too many terrible stories…. its becoming difficult to remain confidently focused on how beautiful our country is....the lack of balance at the moment is awful.

So here’s the thing…I will continue to post my views on these topics as they are close to my heart and if my words contribute even 0.001% to the pressure required for change then its worth it.
We need to stand together sure...but first.....we need to be led.

Bye, Bye Mbeki...

What is our president thinking when he says 'Zimbabwe is not in crisis'..? People are starving, leaving their homes to cross our border… with nothing and in total desperation and yet.....'they are not in crisis'?? Thabo has finally lost the plot…..totally….maybe he has spent 2 much time out of the country and cant remember who he is and that S Africa is an important leader country on this continent… Any leader that treats his people the way Mugabe treats his people should never be tolerated.
In retrospect it is now clear what an ostrich Mr Mbeki has become…..
Supporting people within his team that are non-performers, taking a apparent Marie Antoinette [‘Let them eat cake’ or rather garlic and herb] approach to important problems such as HIV/Aids, Crime and lets not even mention his 'silent leadership' style which has positioned him as a remote leader with limited personality and now sadly a limited credibility.

It would be a lot easier if we had a powerful, credible leader waiting in the wings to lead us to salvation and deliver us from ‘evil’ intentions…
Whatever your intentions are Mr President, it seems you are supporting evil in Mugabe…. if I were you I would make some attempt to salvage the shredded threads of your credibility and do the right thing!
I cannot believe I voted for you.

The 'White Tribe' of SA

Ok..here I go again...
The Black Journalist's Forum has just attempted to justify why white journalists are not invited to the 'open discussion' today with the 100% Zulu- Mr 'JZ.
Sorry dudes, whatever you say to justify, in my books is just not justifiable...How can the exclusion of any segment of the population be justified anymore? There are now less than 4 million whites in this country out of around 48 million, is this the start of kak things to come? Where is democracy?
On 702 I just heard some dude [journo] say the reason whites were excluded was because they were not to be trusted with information that was discussed in a closed forum?

Two things here….. should this be a closed forum in light of the current problem with the lack of communication in the country? Do the people of the country not have the right to know what is happening behind closed doors when their futures' could potentially be impacted by the discussion? Is it not the media's job to do ensure this happens!? Enough is enough with the cloak and dagger.

Secondly, why would there be a mistrust of whites to hold information? Is that not in itself racist and generalist?
Has the dream of building at rainbow [nation] begun to crumble? Leaders advertising tribal preferences and intolerance seems to be on the rise. Sadly it seems that some are happy with the ‘white tribe’ being at the bottom of the pile when it comes to discussions/participating in anything to do with the future. I thought we were on the way to more tolerance and healing…? I will never deny that the past was a horrendous thing for black South Africans. As a white person, I sadly cannot change the past, but I know I can be part of building a better future. People that justify this kind of split are really just perpetuating the past all over again. When are we really going to move on? Maybe JZ will boycott the event [I am an optimist actually!]?? Lets wait and see...

Barack for President

I have mentioned in previous posts that Barak Obama could teach our Government a thing or 2 about inspirational leadership. The best SA can do at the moment is Zuma and his 'inspirational' song about violent machinery and sadly some call that inspiration [because of its history]. A reminder... we are now in the present, not the past and we need to find a different song that brings us all together to build a better SA for all....

Check out this video as an example [made in support of Barack Obama]. It seems to be made for SA!



PS: I am now an offical Barack fan...sorry Hillary

Living in the NEW NEW SA

I admit I have been scarce...lackluster is the word I would use to describe my mood. I am ashamed to say that I have been caught up in the constant bad news that seems to have become South Africa [over the past few months] - it seems to be everywhere you turn.
I am not going to reiterate what you all already know, but have finally realized that my mood was not going to help things. So I am back, albeit in pause mode for a while, waiting to see if any leadership emerges for the institution we call government.

Revolutions can be started by a handful of people [we have a history of that in this country] but there is something in the South African psyche [not only white South Africans] that tends to jump instantly to running away [to another country]. This at a time when we all need to stay and make a difference – the crime is a large factor in those decisions and I understand that fear [especially as a mother]. With the latest highlight of infrastructure decay a few just do not see hope, but rather decline.

A new thing has entered my mind this year with the emergence of Zuma and his 100% Zulu boy T-Shirt. [Something like that from a ‘leader’ encourages polarization not tolerance]. The question for me arose…where does this leave the white South African voice? An example of this is a sudden defensiveness I have picked up with any comments lodged by whites regarding Governmental inefficiencies. Are we racist, and the same comments made by a black person are realist? I am a little over that view. The government is simply not delivering and they need to bring the country back on track in a hurry, to deliver on the very basic fundamentals of our constitution.

I had begun to allow myself [my own fault] to think that as a white South African I had begun to lose my voice… [shock horror I know]. Then, I remembered choice and democracy and *‘that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our Diversity’.. I am African. I do not have or want a ‘get out of jail free card’ [in the form of a foreign passport]. This is my country, and I am white. We as a people talk of integration and tolerance and in the end we are all in this together. We ALL need to do what we can to fix the country and avoid the issues that face Kenya. The fundamental starting point however is to be heard as a united voice as the people of this country, all singing the same tune.
God forbid that I ever have to leave the land of my birth. I dread the day that I would have to consider that [which I would do if the risk for my family got to great].

So a prediction…this year and possibly the next 5 to follow will be a watershed for SA. People will come and go and we are in for a bumpy road, but we must do our best to work together and *‘Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights; Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law; Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and build a united and democratic South Africa’.

PEACE to the PEOPLE!

*Quoted from the South African Constitution

Bring 'Barack' moral leadership

As I am sure you have noticed, I like Politics. Following on from my previous post, I have a question: Could Barack Obama be a great moral leader?....[I can already see some of you questioning the use of the words 'moral leader' and 'politician' in one sentence!]

He seems to be different from the rest. It will be interesting to watch what happens over the coming months in the US especially knowing how the rest of the world will be impacted by the result. Whilst most the others [mostly Republicans of course] talk of war and isolating America in a quest to protect it, he talks of integration and change…. I like.

I have always been a Clinton fan [still am] but there seems to be something less rehearsed about Barack Obama... I look forward to watching..maybe if he doesn’t get in he could pop on over the head up the ANC?!?

ANC [political] Womens League....?

I could not have said it better myself...

Zuma zooming ahead...Eish!

Ok, I am going to admit it... I am not a Zuma fan. For many reasons, but mainly because I question his ethics. Sadly, I am also totally frustrated with Mbeki's inability to communicate to our people and deliver on important promises [I am not saying that delivery is easy BUT it would always be better to communicate realism rather than political crap]. Not really a political approach however [ I tend to be a little of a idealist]. In my view South Africa needs a mix of Zuma’s people personality [not sure if I would go so far as saying charisma] and his ability to gather the ‘troops’ on the ground mixed with Mbeki pragmatism and diplomacy [questionable at this point as he seems to be battling to communicate with his own country]. That mix would make an interesting presidential candidate.

It was pretty alarming for me to see that Zuma is leading
the ANC nomination race…. not just by a few points BUT by an enormous amount…. How can this be so? What the hell is going on? Have the voters got their eyes and ears closed…? I may be missing something [please let me know if I am].
What is a frightening prospect for me is having Zuma running the country [stands to reason that the newly elected ANC president will become the next Country president] when he has had so many brushes with the law. Perceptions are in some cases more powerful then reality and it worries me that people would cast aside certain legal realities that Zuma is facing and still vote for him? Where are the ethics in that? I am sure many believe in the so-called conspiracy ‘theory’ which is meant to 'defame' Zuma as a chauvistic and fraudulent money-grabbing politician. This may or may not be the case, but the fact that so many people are even discussing it brings his credibility into question. That is my issue....

I still see the value in bringing a credible business person in as a presidential option. Someone that has made money and been successful at running a large business. Running a country may be a little more complicated than running a business but in the end its all about Leadership, something that both existing candidates seem to be lacking… [Mbeki clearly more than Zuma]. This whole story reminds me a little of the Bush and Kerry ‘race’. It is dangerous for a country when there is a lack of clear leadership. People sadly feel they have no choice but to pick the ‘best’ of a bad bunch… and in America's case that lead to an extension of a war and many more dead bodies...Sad.

Zero Tolerance my backside!!!

After listening to the oke from the Metro police on 702 going on about zero tolerance this morning [even applying to taxis] you would think the heavy handed approach would be 'general' festive season standard...RIGHT? WRONG! These images are from the same spot that the arrest incident happened .. these are from the morning of the court case 15 November 07!

Images not so good, 2 many and 2 big... but you get the drift..In Image 7 the Metro police stand an look on whilst this whole affair takes place under their noses... any arrests???NOT!

Thanks Paul for your post!

JHB Metro: "To serve, protect" and arrest

Hold onto your seats this is a long one...

A friend of mine was arrested yesterday, see the link for turning left in an area of the road where she should have used the slip road. She said she had indicated left up till the end of the road and no one let her in so she simply went forward and indicated to turn left once the traffic light had turned green and it was clear of no other vehicles. Once she had done so a Metro cop stopped her and told her she was under arrest! Yet surprise, surprise could not tell her what she was arrested for.

This is frightening for many reasons but mostly because, a more law-abiding citizen you would not find!

She was arrested at 6.50am [thrown into the back of the metro police 4 x 4] and was only released last night after 9pm…to appear in court at 8.30am this morning to be told at 11pm by the Prosecutor that all 17 charges have been thrown out!

Her experience is horrific to say the least. 17 People altogether were arrested and they were humiliated in every way possible from things like:
• Getting thrown into a cell with real criminals (not to mention puppy size rats).
• Police were totally disorganized, arguing with each other completing the documentation incorrectly etc.
• Doing things like full body searches, for what?
• Laughing at them and saying things like 'you people just think you can pay your fines and get away with it, we are going to teach you a lesson’??
• One cop even said 'you are lucky you are in a group as we would have tortured you if you were on your own'.
• They were not offered food and drink from 7am-9pm. Is that what we call dignified, humane, democratic treatment..?
Ironically, not once in the whole ordeal did anyone ask to see her ID/license? What bothered me the most about her story is the horrific power trips and revolting bully behaviour of the police and how we as civilians can be treated like hardened criminals and these so called ‘protectors’ get away with it.

Is this what we are going to accept as the norm in this country? I feel more afraid of the police now than ever before…

Some of these people are now laying a civil claim, but why should this kind of thing happen in a country that already has such limited policing resources? It almost feels like the police targeting regular people to make an example…? We are sitting ducks and the poor are in a worse situation I am sure. Some of these people are now so traumatized they have to seek physiological help. Sadly those that could not afford a lawyer had to stay longer... Why should people have to spend money fighting the country’s public servants for insignificant things, when it is really real crime and HIV/AIDS we should all be fighting together.

Surely police resources would be well spent actually catching people that are harming others? It is interesting though when you hear of how the police seem to try and cover their tracks when the journalists arrive and how they try and change the story making up what the charge is... like not wearing seatbelts which is a total lie.
To me, when I hear things like this it sounds like we are a lost and lawless society where civilians are not protected from their own police force.. is this sounding familiar to anyone?

It is really depressing and we need to stop this apparent God complex happening within the Metro police [they are clearly doing nothing to help their PR] they also need to remember that they are really servants of the country. I am also tired of hearing that this is an 'isolated incident', how many of those do you need before you have a state if emergency??
No person deserves the kind of treatment these people got, that could have been your wife [with your children], daughter, son, mother or father.

It’s so sad that these kinds of incidents give the country such a bad name. Good luck to us all for 2010 arrives…. Can you just imagine it? Lets hope we have our act together by then and the Metro police are actually protecting and not arresting civilians for ridiculous things. I agree that we need law on the roads but come on! Lets have some balanced policing 2!

[UPDATE: This morning 16/11/07 I heard 702 talking to one of the senior JHB Metro people about this 'incident'. As someone listening from the outside I agree with zero tolerance see my post its a looooong road BUT from the outside the 'operation' looks 'clean' and organised and it was far from that. I simply don't agree with the inhumane way these people were treated- only when experienced by someone you know do you realise the extent of the treatment. If you also checked out the reason that some of these people where arrested you would afraid.....like in this case - the cops themselves didn't know - wrong place, wrong time. There was no driving on a white/yellow line here! Excessive in my opinion and totally unacceptable. This round up and arrest strategy is not at all democratic and ruins peoples lives. I hope the Human Rights people do an investigation on this one and then 702 can bring that Metro okie back for another round.!]