History repeating itself.



A policeman fires at protesting miners outside

 Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine

 in Rustenburg on Thursday, August 16, 2012.

Times News



What could have caused the turmoil at the Marikina mines? Do we always have to fight for our rights through violence? What does freedom mean to us South Africans? Are we there yet? Why cannot we sit down and come up with a way of solving issues instead of using force and violence at the expense of other people?

I was very saddened to see the police and mineworkers of Marikana shooting at each other tirelessly. This reminded me of the Sharpeville Massacre 1960, even though I was not even born at that time. This goes to show that there is still tension with in the South African society and it should not be underestimated. But, how does the South African Police Service project grievance solving to a sense that we the citizens, start respecting our fellow police men and woman? I thought the police service is/was there to solve problems and tensions, but this proves otherwise and it goes back to the apartheid era, when citizens used to fight with the police repeatedly. Think back when an innocent man Andries Tatane was brutally killed by the police last year on 13 April 2011 , my question still stands, how does the police service solve issues of an angry crowed?

Now this comes to crowed control and crisis management. Although, crowd control is not the simplest thing one can do but, once you are jointly working together it becomes a lot easier. Communication is very vital when doing crowed control.  I was once involved and engaged in a huge event, when the University of Johannesburg held a two day open day on 11 and 12 May 2012, and I have to say we worked well together with my fellow student marshals. We did crowed control like we were professionals and this is because we were jointly working together as one and, we communicated well each other.

Now coming to the issue of crisis management, this is where the Marikana mines should have involved their public relations department to resolve the dispute while there was still time. How do companies effectively use PR for a speedy recovery? This for me shows that PR techniques were not effectively used to solve the quarrel that was between the management and workers of Lonmin. Sadly, a blood pool of people was the answer to the dispute between the two parties…WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WHAT IS DEMOCRACY IF WE ALWAYS HAVE TO REPEAT HISTORY TIME AND AGAIN? 

HAS THE RDP MET THE CRITERIA YET?



RDP houses in the Western Cape. Vrygrond

What was the purpose of coming with the resolution of RDP houses? Was this programme really designed to cater for the less unfortunate? Well, what I have seen and heard about the RDP houses is totally working against the mission and vision of this programme. I further say that; the standard that it was set upon has not the met criteria standard to suit the needs of our people.

Upon reading the RDP framework, I came across following statement stating that: “It seeks to mobilise all our people and our country’s resources toward the final eradication of the results of "apartheid". It’s amazing how this statement is well written but we still find people struggling out there; whereas they were told and promised so many things of which some of them have not yet been fulfilled. We hear of cases of fraud, alleged planning, inadequacies, procurement irregularities including corruption leading to defective house (Sowetan).  Does this mean that our people were deceived and not told the truth? Why is that people in high place are always taking advantage of the vulnerable?

To me this seems as if the government of South Africa is not willing to reach out to the people, and do what it said it will do to change and reform the imbalances of the past. At times one would say that the apartheid was much better than our current government. One of the six basic principles of the RDP says that it is people driven and seeks to bind up with the peace and security of the people, but where is peace in that? Why are people so angry that they are always embarking on strikes? This for me means that a lot needs to be done and people need to be given what they were promised a long time ago.

Although, some have granted the RDP houses but we find the houses are not well constructed or are not in the rightful allocation, so now where is integrity and sustainability in that? What I’m trying to convey to you my readers is that much needs to be done hence I believe that community relations has not been done and maybe a lot of public relations needs to be done as soon as possible. I believe that with the knowledge that public relations have about community relations by the government and the private sector many things can be achieved enormously.

For god sake he is our president!



Expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema,

seen here with President Jacob Zuma in May last year.

                            iOl News

Every time when I read the newspaper, it’s Julius Malema throwing insults at President Jacob Zuma…I’m like why? Is it really a necessity that when Julius Malema is given a platform to give a speech of some sort he has to include President Zuma in his speeches?

I know President Jacob Zuma has done his fair share of mistakes and I believe he knows that too, but he also deserves some little respect at least. For god sake he is our president and well he is also human; if we could think about that for a moment, particularly Malema then we could perhaps spare our feelings for a moment.  Sowetan has reported that each and every time the expelled ANCYL president is given a platform to give speeches he makes it a point that he insults President Zuma. (Sowetan). I mean what is that? I think and I say that Julius Malema should GET OVER HIMSELF!

I know that everyone in South Africa is entitled to his or her opinion but, what does this say about freedom of expression? Does freedom of expression mean that other people’s rights should to be side lined and overlooked? Check this out Rights + Responsibility = Rightfully Responsible.  Hopefully you, my readers will be able to understand what I’m trying to bring to your attention, and somehow make me understand these personal vendettas Julius is bring to our public attention continuously.

According to the practice of public relations as a public relations student, I was told and taught that, an organisation has got to work cohesively together to show an open working system. But what does this say about the ANC? For me it says that, issues management was not thoroughly done, to best suit the interest of the people of South Africa. Instead what we are experiencing now is leaders throwing stone each other; most of which are directed to one person who is our president at the moment and I deeply feel that we and, particularly Julius Malema should give him a break. This for me is called human decency to show respect at an elderly person who happens to be your leader; our president and a father to his children. Imagine how they feel.

Not that I am Zuma’s fan but I’m bringing this to your attention the things that I have noticed ever since Julius Malema has been expelled from the party. STOP AND THINK!!!

  

Limpopo textbooks, a crisis or sabotage?



Basic Education minister, Angie Motshekga.
The Times



What came to your mind when you first heard of the Limpopo textbook situation? Is it sabotage or just the government neglecting education, one of the most essential things of life? Well I think the Limpopo provincial government is blame in this whole situation. If they were so much concerned about the future of their province they would have challenged the issue a long time ago, not when the first two terms have passed and everybody is planning towards the next coming year.  

I fail to understand why South Africa is called a democratic country, while we are still struggling to provide simple books for learning for schools. Why when books are supposed to be delivered to the respective schools; someone just decides to dump the books in a veld? This for me is purely sabotage and it is clearly intended to the government. Not that I’m playing the government’s advocate but, I’m purely saying that there is something not going well with this issue and, hence the Limpopo officials have answers to this.

It is said that the company responsible for delivering the textbooks, EduSolutions distanced itself from the whole Limpopo textbook solution. Limpopo is the only province right now struggling with textbooks yet other provinces are doing fine and going well; therefore I strongly say that this could be some kind of vendetta or sabotage if I must say. Looking at the EduSolutions website, the company indicates that it has successfully managed the entire supply chain for public schools in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng since 2002 This statement for is contradictory to what has occurred to the two months ago at Limpopo, definitely.

My communication angle is that there some lack of communication between the department of education and the Limpopo province. If there was any vivid communication the two, then they would have sat down to discuss the future of the learners that is at stake, some of which are doing their final year in matric. According to public relations organisations should work hand-in-hand at all times even when in times of crisis. The following are 10 crisis management steps by Jonathan Bernstein

·         Identify Your Crisis Communications Team

·         Identify Spokespersons

·         Spokesperson Training

·         Establish Notification Systems

·         Identify and Know Your Stakeholders

·         Anticipate Crises

·         Develop Holding Statements

·         Assess the Crisis Situation

·         Identify Key Messages

·         Riding Out the Storm

In concluding I would like to stress the fact that our government should find a way of solving this problem particularly the Limpopo provincial government. Communication is the key solution, to every problem or crisis and therefore I think that our government should thoroughly implement better ways of making the South African education a better one.



Textbook thrown in a veld at Limpopo, 30 June 2011. Eye Witness News