Don’t embarrass yourself by posting here unless you’ve looked at the Statistics. I get to feel uncomfortable for you.

In 1968, I joined SATBA and helped them sell Xmas stamps to help eradicate TB among all races. They made amazing strides up until 1994 when things started going backwards. What is the current regime doing to combat TB? Why not find out about the progress and write us a blog on the subject. (Unfortunately, it’s pretty disgusting right now)

Your response Kennedy reminds me a lot of our current regime and “our honourable citizen” State President Mbeki. As you know, he talks first then has to support a stupid cause because he didn’t get the facts.

Hey Kennidy, why don’t you also post one area where our regime has performed exceptionally well? But do your research first or other people will cut you to pieces.

King Shaka wouldn’t have let some cheeky lowly bafanas and madodas and, especially, little impertinent ntombazanas, come and poke fun at the mighty king and his rule.

They’d all be dead by lunchtime. Or his majesty would have been diminished.

I want to touch on something peddled by the media about the incorporation of the investigative arm of the NPA to the SAPS. Surely any media that wants to earn the title of non-partisan and fair reporting will report accurately that this decision was only rubber-stamped at Polokwane, having been proposed at the ANC NGC, a half-term gathering of ANC branches in 2005 while Pres Mbeki was ANC President. An objective media would not drag its feet in pointing out that this is neither a decision by Pres Zuma, nor a decision designed to protect him by the 86 NEC members elected at Polokwane.

It’s time for you to start getting your stats from organisations like the World Bank, IMF and UN rather than from the “white owned” press or the “ANC” SABC.

The Aparhate government was bad yet in many important fields our current government, is much worse and that is no compliment to the people of this great country.

Why don’t you spend an hour on the web looking up SA,s honesty rating or our longevity or the TB statistics or any other topic that impacts all our people. Do it for the last 30 years and then post a blog telling us how proud (or otherwise) you are of your findings….

I’ve generally found that the first 5 to 8 years, things did improve. One must remember that when Mandela was in power, there was a government of national unity (with the Afrikaaner) that imposed checks and balances preventing our government from becoming so despotic.

We first need to understand what’s happening to MY and your great country and then do something about it. That means we need to study what’s happening, not listel to a politition when he tells us “just trust me…”

There is the distinct possibility that Snuki and Dali are supremely supportive of the government and not necessarily of the party at this stage. These two entities could have been the same thing before Polokwane. But no longer.

Just a thought.

On the US media, it’s amusing that those who claim it is “controlled by a right wing cabal” can’t cite any major media houses other than Fox and perhaps the Wall Street Journal (which is editorially well-insulated from its new owner, News Corp). The majority of the US media endorsed John Kerry for President in the last election, and I’ll wager that 60% will opt to support the Democratic nominee this time around. The US media has hardly thrown united support behind the Iraq war, or the Bush presidency, either. On the contrary.

PdV why do you equate Snuki Zikalala with SABC and ANC? If Snuki, ANC and SABC were one, we would not be seeing Helen Zille and other party leaders making comments and statements on the national TV. As for why Zuma is critical of the mass media, I couldnt say more than what Charlene Smith has already said.

As always, clearly articulated piece, it puts the situation into perspective.

Charlene Smith seems to have missed the point though. No other president of the majority party (with the exception of Smuts and the stupid British “death sentence in abstencia”) has had a pending high court appointment. No other has sung as stupid a song as “umshini wam” … and he danced so badly too.

As bad as the previous governments of South Africa have been, many seem to have forgotten that none have stood by as over half a million of OUR people have died from AIDS, that life expectancy is down to below 50 for an Aparthate high of 72 years. If you’ve watched people die from AIDs, you come to understand there can be few greater human rights violations than the failure to act against HIV. It makes de Kock, Niewoud and Wouter Basson look like the good guys. AND WE STILL DON’T HAVE A COMPLETE ARV ROLL OUT!!!

And crime, Charlene Smiths speciality…

I spent yesterday evening in a shabeen where there was a local ANC leader (Zuma man). He started telling me the evils of the White press and the Aparthate courts. Later in the evening, we discussed failure to pay tax on money earned. I pointed out that Zuma had not paid tax on the money paid to him by Shabier. A little later we discussed the money rural people must pay chiefs for the work they were paid to do by government and we went on to discuss payment of government officials for state contracts. I left about then because the support for Zuma was dwindling and I was scared there would be a riot. Very good fun was had by all.

We have much to do, we have to talk, talk, talk. We have to write, write, write.

We have to challenge all the sloth evil in this great country of ours.