Book Review: Nomaswazi by Busisekile Khumalo

The story begins with a recollection of a wedding. You would think they live the happily ever after. Instead find yourself on a high speed train ride that is the relationship between Nomaswazi and the man that left her at the altar. An innocent girl, she is crushed by the rejection and flees to Johannesburg.

One day she is minding her own business when he saunters casually back into her life and decides that he has no intention of leaving. She loves him, yet she hates him. He loves her, yet he feels undeserving of her after ditching her at the altar and trying to keep a lid on the demons of his past. He pulls out all the stops in his effort to get her back. The story will have you hooked, wondering what other curveballs the writer will throw and she has plenty. Busisekile’s imagination is unparalleled and her research is on point making the story so real.

With recollections of war, weapons smuggling, intrigue, hot erotic encounters as well as a fatal sibling rivalry, this story set mainly in rural eSwatini will keep you up late as you try to find out whether Nomaswazi and her man eventually make it down the aisle and get their happily ever after.

Thread by @NomaDzino: We recently celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you for all the lovely messages and good wishes. For those asking How did we mana…

Thread by @NomaDzino: We recently celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you for all the lovely messages and good wishes. For those wondering how did we manage to stay married? TBH, I don’t have all the answers. Looking back here’s what I learnt. A Thread W…
— Read on threadreaderapp.com/thread/1249348666797830146.html

Book Review: The Memo:What Women of Colour Need To Know To Secure A Seat At The Table by Minda Harts

This book was clearly written out of frustration with the career advice offered to women in books such as Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office by Lois Frankel. It’s great advice but the majority of the standard-issue career tips they offer don’t always address the experience of a woman of colour in a white male-dominated corporate environment. Women of colour face unique challenges in the workplace because of gender and racial discrimination as well as structural inequality. The answer is no, we don’t have the same 24 hours as men or white women and we start the race further back than they do.

Minda shakes the table and evens the scales for us by pointing out what the real problems are and how they should be addressed. As an African woman in a corporate job, it was a relief to finally read a book with career advice that speaks to my experience of working in a largely hostile environment. I have personally experienced many of the things she writes about and witnessed the others being experienced by women I know. The validation is heartfelt and appreciated.

We are not crazy. The micro-aggressions, passive-aggressive behaviour, gaslighting and the resulting anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress that we suffer are real. However she offers actionable insights that will put you in the driver’s seat of your career and well on your way to that seat at the table and the C-Suite. She talks about negotiating pay and benefits, being intentional in your career choices, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, setting boundaries and leveling up in terms of skills. She delivers her advice in a straight-talking manner. Call it tough love, but after reading this book you’ll put your big girl panties on, wipe those tears and come out of that corner swinging harder and faster than Muhammad Ali.

She also addresses white people, stating how their behaviour in the workplace is problematic. The truth is most white people suffer from unconscious bias and just don’t know how damaging their words and actions are. In this book she does not give them any free passes and tells it like it is in #DearWhitePeople style. When they get the message, they too will know better, do better and get on the team by becoming success partners for black women. In Minda’s own words, success is not a solo sport and to quote Jesus Christ, ‘he who is not for us is really against us and he who is not helping us gather is really scattering.’

My favourite quote says: “There are future generations of women of color counting on us to finish this race and make it better when they arrive! Please don’t bite the apple and leave the garden before your time.” Oh Amen! Was there ever any more encouragement than that?

Reading this book is like having lunch with a girlfriend, having the best time with laughter, a few tears, dessert and wine and coffee. I would definitely recommend it for any woman who’s tired of bumping her head against the glass ceiling. This is the sledgehammer you’ve been waiting for. Get your goggles because baby, that glass gon’ break in every direction.

The Heavens Declare The Glory Of The Lord; The Skies Proclaim The Work Of His Hands

Scripture Reading: Psalm 19.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

‭‭Image from blog.timesunion.com

Human beings have studied the heavens for centuries to understand the past, the present and the future. In Genesis‬ ‭1:14-19, it is written that the lights in the sky will separate day from night and serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ There are two disciplines that relate to the study of the stars: Astrology and Astronomy. Astrology comes from the words astros meaning stars and logos, meaning knowledge, and the two words together mean ‘knowledge of the stars’. It was studied in ancient times to mark the signs and seasons for people to know when to plant, and to harvest. Astronomy is the study of the heavenly bodies, an exact science based on the absolute laws of physics and mathematics. Astronomers now bear witness to the hand of God in creating the universe. ‬

At the beginning and throughout the year, zodiac charts and predictions are published for people to read, to find out what the future has in store for them. Did you know that modern astrology to foretell the future is a corruption of the original study of the Stars by the Jews known as the Mazzaroth? Would you believe that the story of salvation is written in the stars? The difference between the ancient Mazzaroth star chart and the modern zodiac chart is that the Mazzaroth has 13 signs, while the zodiac has 12 signs. The number was reduced to 12 because it was easier to divide a circle into 12 to make the study easier. This means that the charts and the predictions are incorrect. The Mazzaroth tells the story of salvation, while the zodiac charts are used to analyse character and to foretell the future. The zodiac is a corruption of the original purpose of the chart. It keeps people trying to look into the future and to control events and keeps people from focusing on God and trusting in him for provision and protection.

THE GOSPEL IN THE STARS

People looked to the night sky to remind themselves of God’s promise of salvation. Mary the mother of Jesus praises the Lord in Luke 1:54-55, saying He has helped his servant Israel and remembered His promise to Abraham and his descendants just as He promised her ancestors. In the book of Job, written before Genesis, about a man who lived before Moses in chapter 26, verse 13 it is written: “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.” In the absence of a written bible, Job would have known about God’s plan for redemption from the stars. The gospel in the stars begins with Virgo, the virgin and ends with Leo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. It is the story of the conflict between the Seed of the woman (Virgo) and Scorpio, the seed of the serpent. This was declared by the Lord in Genesis 3:15 to the serpent or Satan, saying that the seed of the woman would crush his head while the serpent would bruise his heel. The son of the Virgin Mary is Jesus Christ the Son of God, while Scorpio points to the Antichrist.

WAS THERE REALLY A STAR THAT LED THE WISE MEN?

Amos 3:7 says that the Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. The Magi followed a star to find the new born king Jesus Christ. An Astronomer, Michael Molnar believes that the wise men were, in fact, very wise and mathematically adept astrologers. They also knew about the Old Testament prophecy that a new king would be born of the family of David. Most likely, they had been watching the heavens for years, waiting for alignments that would foretell the birth of this king. When they identified a powerful set of astrological signs, they decided the time was right to set out to find the prophesied leader.

Astronomers have calculated that the sign of the birth of the king began on April 17 of 6 BC and lasted until December 19 of 6 BC. The earliest time the men could have arrived in Bethlehem, the baby Jesus would likely have been at least a toddler. Remember Herod’s instruction to kill all the boys in Bethlehem under the age of 2, to ensure that he removed the threat of a Jewish King. Herod is considered to be the first Antichrist.

The story of salvation in the stars is also found in the book of Revelation. It depicts the visions of the past, present and future that were given to the Apostle John when he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. The Book of Revelation is written in symbolic language and contains several layers of interpretation and symbolism. This is just one. Revelation 12:1-6 says a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. The woman represents Mary and the nation of Israel and the child is Jesus Christ.

THE CONSTELLATIONS

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The story of the gospel begins with Virgo, the sign of the Virgin spoken of in Revelation. According to astronomers, the birth of Jesus was on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year between 18 and 20 September, a time when the constellation Virgo is hidden by the sun and the new moon appears beneath her feet! The sign of Virgo represents both the house of Israel and Mary, the Virgin who gives birth to Jesus Christ, who will rule the earth.

JUSTICE AND MERCY

Libra is the sign of the scales. In Daniel:5 , Daniel interprets the writing on the wall to Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar saying he has been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Libra represents the condition of the human race after the fall of Adam and Eve. There are two main stars in the sign of Libra, which tell the story of the prophecy. In one side of the scales, there is a star called Zuben Al Genubi. It means “the price which is deficient.” Undoubtedly, it points to the price which man might attempt to pay for redemption. There is no way one can obtain salvation through good works for the price is deficient. On the other side of the scales, however, there is a star called Zuben Al Chemali, meaning “the price which covers.” It is a picture of the price paid by Christ for the redemption of the sinner.

‘THE LAWLESS ONE’

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Scorpio represents the seed of the serpent, and is also depicted as a dragon or serpent trying to sting the heel of the mighty hero Ophiuchus, who is seen in the ancient star charts wrestling with a great snake, called Serpens. Ophiuchus is the 13th sign that is missing from the modern zodiac charts and lies between Scorpio and Sagittarius. While the Scorpion or dragon is trying to wound the heel of Ophiuchus, the head of Scorpio is being wounded as told in Genesis 3:15. It is said that the word, Scorpio, means “the Lawless One,” and as such, represents the seed of the serpent — the Antichrist. In Revelation 13:3, the beast is wounded in the head, this also identifies the Antichrist. God knew this before the world was made and placed the message in the stars. We should therefore put our trust in an all-knowing and all powerful God rather than predictions of the future and hidden knowledge that is based on inaccurate star charts.

THE ARCHER

Sagittarius appears in the form of a centaur — half human, half horse. The original meaning of the word centaur means two natures and represents the two natures of the Redeemer — His deity and humanity. The Centaur, or God-man, has a great bow in his hand, with the arrow aimed at the heart of Scorpio, the enemy. There are three other constellations places alongside Sagittarius to help to tell the story.

The first is Lyra – pictured as a harp and refers to the praise — so deserved by Sagittarius. The brightest star in the constellation is called Vega. It means, “He shall be exalted.” It directs our attention to the praise from the harp. In Revelation 5:9, we are told that the host of heaven will sing a new song saying, “Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation” (v. 9). The host of heaven will sing, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (v. 13).

The second is Ara— an altar seen upside down, with its fire poured out over the South Pole — called “the regions of outer darkness.” Here begins a cloud of stars, which runs throughout the heavens. Today, it is called the Milky Way, but in some ancient star charts, it was referred to as “the lake of fire.”The word Ara, name of the upturned altar means, “it is finished. There is no more sacrifice for sin.

The third is Draco, a long winding constellation made up of stars, which wrap around the northernmost part of the hemisphere. It covers one-third of the circumference we are reminded of Revelation 12:3 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven.” Some 4,700 years ago, the great dragon star, Thuban, was in fact the polar star. Over the centuries, however, Draco has fallen from his lofty position and has been replaced by Polaris — kicked out of heaven because he tried to usurp the throne of God and caused a third of the angels to rebel against God. This is in line with Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!”

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Capricorn is a goat with the tail of a fish. The goat represents the sacrificial animal used on the Day of Atonement and the fish represents that body of believers who have received life out of the death of the great sacrifice. Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrificial goat and believers are represented by the fish. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that Christ is the head of the Church while, in turn, the Church represents the body of Christ — thus the head of a goat and body of a fish. When Jesus appointed His first disciples in Matthew 4:19, He said, “I will make you fishers of men.”

LIVING WATER

Aquarius is the great water bearer. Our Savior identified Himself as the fulfillment of Aquarius in John 4:14, He said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Furthermore, we can see its fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out upon believers. Throughout the Bible, water has been symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The water bearer can be seen pouring out his water upon Pisces, the fish that represents that which was born of water and of the spirit — that great body of believers down through the ages.

Aries is the Ram, the sacrifice for sin under the law. The ram represents the Lamb of God without Blemish in Revelation. Taurus is the bull, the traditional sacrifice for sin. The bull or ox is one of the personalities of Christ reflected by the Living Creatures before the Throne of God (Ezek 1:10; Rev 4:7). The bull or ox symbolizes Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, as portrayed in the Gospel of Luke.

THE DUALITY OF CHRIST

Gemini – the Twins, with one usually being considered immortal and the other mortal – the Immortal One who comes at the Second Coming is the same as the mortal Son of Man who came at the First Coming. So, Gemini symbolizes the dual nature of the Messiah (that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human): Suffering Servant and Conquering King. John 1:1-2,14 says In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Cancer is depicted as a Crab. A crab holds on without letting go and sidesteps to avoid danger. The Arabic name for this sign is “Al Sartan”, which means “who holds” or “binds”. The Latin name “Cancer” means, “holding” or “encircling”.John 10: 27-28 says “My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

‘OF PEACE AND HIS REIGN THERE SHALL BE NO END’

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Leo is the Lion. Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Revelation 5: 5 says when John weeps in his vision “But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” He paid the price to save humanity and has the power to unleash the Apocalypse that will destroy the wicked. Jesus Christ is the one Jacob spoke of to his sons on his death bed in Genesis, when he said the ruler’s staff shall not depart from between Judah’s feet until He comes. Jesus Christ is descended from Judah. His is the name above all names and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

THE PROMISE WRITTEN IN THE NIGHT SKY

The message seen in the ancient star charts tells a story quite different from that which astrology would have us believe. Those who foretell the future using zodiac charts pervert God’s original message given in the constellations. Satan did not invent the zodiac. He has only perverted what God originally created. God made and named the great constellations and their stars. And the meanings of their names represent the message of redemption — from Virgo, corresponding with His birth at Bethlehem, to Leo, corresponding with His return as the “lion of the tribe of Judah” to establish His kingdom upon the earth.

So when you look up at the night sky remember that the story of God’s promise of salvation is written in the stars and we can live with peace and joy in our hearts, knowing that our sins are forgiven. May the Lord bless you and pour out his Holy spirit upon you and give you the wisdom to understand his signs and spread the good news to all the people we meet.

References:

https://www.bible.com/111/psa.19.1-14.niv

http://www.bibletruthonline.com/themeaningofthezodiac.htm

http://theconversation.com/can-astronomy-explain-the-biblical-star-of-bethlehem-35126

http://heavensspeak.blogspot.com/2009/12/gemini.html

Book Review: The Y in Your Man is Silent Book 1 & Book 2 by Yvonne Maphosa

“He’s not your man, he’s OUR man.” That is the essence of the story in these two books. Whether she’s called the mistress, the side-chick or side dish, the other woman has many names in every language. This story is told from her point of view. An innocent, nerdy engineering student named Lastborn Fierce Nkomo from Zimbabwe falls for the charm of a handsome, dashing Ghanaian professor named Elikplim who’s a few years older than her. He’s a caring, sensitive man, a worthy contender in the Boyfriend Olympics, that is until he marries someone else. Despite that, the epic cross country love affair set in Cape Town and Johannesburg continues with Akon’s music as their soundtrack.

Just when you think you know what happens next, the author literally pulls the rug from under the feet of your mind and sends you tumbling as the couple lurch from one disaster to another, major and minor. Unlike most romantic dramas, in fact drama doesn’t even begin to describe it, the author unapologetically refuses to let them to catch a break. Rolling in money from his engineering practice with his best friend and partner in crime at every level called Lumka, Elik is the ultimate blesser. A generous man, not only with his money, he’s also extremely liberal with his umm… candy cane. There was so much cheating going on, even the players were getting played, I felt like I needed therapy after Book 1 and halfway through Book 2. I watched Star Wars then finished the story.

The story gives the other woman’s perspective of the extra-marital affair. Komla, the wife, favoured by the family, is not entirely innocent and makes a few fatal mistakes in her desperate quest to save her marriage. Betrayed repeatedly by Elik, physically and emotionally abused in turn by his wife, her sister and his other relatives; Fierce, named after a freedom fighter and true to her name, fights her wiser, more sensible self, her family, her friends and Elik’s wife and family to hold onto her love for him, repeatedly forgiving him and taking him back. She experiences a dramatic and cruel rejection by her own family, just as she is preparing to make things right by finally becoming an honest woman. The journey to redemption is equally arduous as the couple try to work out why and how their individual messes come together to create the hot mess that is their relationship.

With progressively steamy scenes as the story goes on, with break-up sex, make-up sex, revenge sex, theatrical break-ups and equally sudden make-ups, Fierce and her ‘Ghana Man’ as Fierce’s Aunt calls him, will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The ending is no less dramatic. A third book is definitely in order otherwise the suspense will kill anyone who dares to read both books.

As a self-published work, there is a lot of artistic license, so there is phrasing that would cause the grammar and syntax Nazis to take umbrage. Otherwise it’s a gripping and unforgettable read which needs its own Netflix series. I hope the universe is listening.

Book Review: This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga

The novel is set in Zimbabwe in the 2000s. The economy is ruined and the populace are scrambling for what few opportunities are left for survival in the city. Smart office buildings in the city now house a motley assortment of small businesses providing different goods and services, whatever is in demand at the time. However bad things are in the city, they are worse in the village as few city dwellers can afford trips home or to send much-needed money and groceries. Yet with their generosity of spirit, people from the village send a share of their produce to help out family members in the city. Tambudzai Sigauke, the protagonist must use her wits to survive in the city. Degreed but unemployed like hundreds of thousands of others, she has to make her way in the unforgiving city environment, get a place to lay her head, feed herself and find her way back to the prosperity she feels entitled to, all without completely losing her mind.

If you ever lived in Harare any time after the year 2000, you can relate to this story. The looming possibility of descending into the ignorant bliss of lunacy is ever-present in a country where nothing makes sense. The narrowing range of choices and unspeakable deeds some people contemplate and others do in order to keep the wolf from the door are only things people in a post-conflict economy in a developing nation can understand. Zimbabwe may not have been at war with another nation, but the war by the state against its citizens continues unabated to this day.

This novel written in the second person, by the narrator taking a dispassionate look at Tambudzai and the choices she makes, that precipitate chaos within and around her. This is a novel that will need you to dig deep into the well of your English vocabulary and occasionally look up a few words. The expressions are an interesting, rendering of Shona to English, attempting to express the meaning without necessarily using direct translation. Being Zimbabwean, I easily recognise the stories, songs and the expressions that are particular to the Manyika dialect spoken in the Eastern region. This novel could easily be translated into Shona with no loss of depth meaning. Perhaps one day, there will be someone courageous enough to do that for all three of the novels in the trilogy. Our languages carry an entire knowledge system, which if we don’t preserve them, will completely disappear.

The story is a haunting testament to the women of our country who stand strong despite violence, abuse, poverty and deprivation but soldier on and triumph over circumstances that have broken people with a less robust mental constitution. The men are there, but not there, battling demons of their own, powerless over the circumstances that reduce them and sadly taking out that frustration on the women. Thank you Tsitsi for telling the story of our mothers, our sisters, the story of the women that endure to birth the future. May that future be a better one.

Poverty, Violence and Crime in SA. What Can We Do About it?

It pains me to write this. SA is a beautiful country. But the contrasts are hard to ignore. The ultra-rich 1%, the better off 9% that manage on credit & the 90% that are not able to make ends meet. We complain about crime, violent protests & derelict infrastructure. How did we get here? When we talk of apartheid and colonialism, people want to shut it down and say ‘get over it’. But it’s not over. Both had a terrible & lasting impact on the psyches of Black people which will take generations to erase. The violence & crime we see today is a direct result. 

The violence and oppression of Black people in South Africa because is now manifesting as violent crime such as robbery, rape etc. Black men felt powerless & took their emotions out on women & children, those weaker than them. They turn on foreigners for the same reason. The violence of the protests is a result of not being heard until essential infrastructure is damaged.

Black people have been underpaid and many still are, compared to white people in the same jobs. If you don’t pay the parents a living wage, they can’t feed their children properly. Inadequate nutrition & mental stimulation before age 3 leads to irreversible brain damage. Research has shown that poor people live under unremitting stressful conditions which lead them to make poor decisions of the short-term kind. They are unable to plan beyond getting the next meal by any means available. Those people unfortunately are the majority of the 90%.

Captains of industry complain that there are no skills in engineering, science & maths. Where will the skills come from? The people do not have the capacity to learn due to childhood malnutrition, because their parents were poorly paid plus they had ill-equipped schools. The same people complain about crime & how it deters investors. They refuse to connect their desire for short- term profit 2 generations ago to the social problems that we see today. They pretend that everyone has the same 24 hours & equal opportunity while bypassing BEE rules. 

There are no easy solutions. I agree with Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng  @UCT_VC calling for a wealth tax on the 1%. The 9% are burdened by income and value-added tax which take up a significant portion of their income. The wealthiest 1% do tax planning and manage to get away with legal avoidance of taxes because they can afford professional tax advice. The project for national renewal needs funding.

We need sound ethical leadership at all levels of society. The focus on short-term profit needs to be done away with. Shareholders who put pressure on businesses to make a profit at all costs are equally responsible. Naturally they belong to the 1%. The same shareholders look the other way when their executives bribe or make “facilitation payments” to get government business. The culture of corruption in the public sector is not a post-apartheid phenomenon. However our leaders learned from the best and have taken corruption to another level. Now there is nothing left to steal.

We can start by ensuring children are properly fed & early childhood learning centres are built. Then we can stop manufacturing criminals. This requires parents who are working to be paid a living wage. It’s a no- brainer. The multiplier effect alone of improving workers’ incomes will create a bigger more profitable market in the long run for business.

To address the issue of violence, we need conflict resolution work & debriefing to happen in our townships and schools to enable people to solve problems without resorting to violence. The work that Forest Whitaker @ForestWhitaker is doing with his foundation in the Cape flats is commendable. We need more of that. 

60% of households in SA do not own a book. Only 14% of the population read for leisure. A novel on average costs R250 in a bookshop. We need government to support the publishing industry by zero-rating VAT on books. Festivals like the Abantu Book Festival  @Abantu_ need support to build a reading culture. Because South African history is not taught in schools, works of fiction or historical novels and works of nonfiction can fill that gap. The lack of knowledge of history, whether our own i4 that of others means we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

The film industry can also be used to turn the culture around. Nollywood & Bollywood are the biggest film industries in the world by turnover. Investment in local films to provide entertainment and facilitate a culture change. Mobile cinemas can help reach people in remote areas. If we can make films that show what South Africa can be to the younger generation, then we have a chance to re-engineer the national psyche to create our best selves.

Government needs to be serious about creating employment for adults without STEM skills. It’s no use talking about 4IR in a developing country without basic infrastructure, roads, railways, bridges, water and electricity. That work can be done by unskilled people, just pay them. If you keep them busy and pay them well, then they can look after their families and not be tempted to rob, rape and kill.

If you don’t want crime, then stop creating fertile conditions for it, Incidentally among the 1% are those making money from the drug trade, trafficking of stolen goods & human trafficking. They too are responsible for corrupting government officials, who then look the other way as they continue with their nefarious activities. Luckily for them, they can afford armed private security & sip champagne & cognac behind high walls & gates. They can scoff at ‘the wretched of the earth’ but there will come a time when all that money will not save them, when social systems collapse completely.

The legacy of violence created by colonialism and apartheid will continue until the cycle is broken. There can be no freedom or security is the majority of the people are living in poverty & fighting for the scraps. Breaking that cycle requires conscious and ethical leadership that is prepared to do the right thing for the greater good. SA is not irretrievably broken at this point, however the longer we wait, the close we edge towards being a failed state. The country north of the border is almost there. South Africa is not special, no matter how highly we think of ourselves, it can happen here too. It’s not too late to stop it. Our future depends on what we do now.

Requiem for Old Bob

“Robert Mugabe

The former President of Zimbabwe has died”

A voice intoned over the radio.

I waited for the shock of loss.

None came.

I thought somewhere,

in the dark corners of my deeply scarred soul,

I would find at least a shadow of grief.

There was none.

I waited for the tears to come.

But there was nothing.

No lachrymose outpouring of grief.

They were long gone.

Shed over the years

For the unhealed wounds of my people

Dealt by that despot

Named for an angel

One of the best and brightest

God’s own messenger.

Who instead trafficked in death

It makes me angry

That he’s gathered peacefully to rest

With his forefathers

Leaving in his wake

A nation destroyed for generations.

Death was too good for him.

The nation cheated of retribution

What about the thousands?

Dead in mass graves in Matebeleland.

The car accidents?

Loved ones vanished without a trace,

Their bodies dissolved in acid.

A literate people dying of cholera in the city and

Of HIV AIDS in the village.

What about the millions?

Dead men walking, without hope, without God

Women raped, the scars on their souls

Veiled with hysterical laughter.

What about the billions

Embezzled & stashed outside the country.

Broken families scattered across a world.

Of increasingly hostile nations

Anxiously making a living.

What about the parents they cannot bury,

The children they cannot raise,

Beloved spouses parted by distance not death.

How dare he die?

Leaving us to live

With the consequences of his misrule.

There are others more deserving

Of my grief

The ones sacrificed

For his bloodthirsty lust for power

There’ll be no elegy for him.

No tears for old Bob.

The Mark of a Christian Leader

I attended the recently introduced African Contemporary Service at Northrand Methodist Church today. With hymns and choruses sung in IsiXhosa and SeSotho, there’s nothing like worship in African languages. We worshippers are never at a loss, as long as there is music and the Wesleyan Methodist Church is one of the most musical of congregations.

The sermon was an amazing God moment for me, having recently assumed a more senior leadership position. Titled the Marks of a Christian Leader, it was to celebrate the induction into leadership of oMama bo Manyano, the Women’s Fellowship. The ladies were resplendent in their red, white and black uniforms, taking the oath of office to serve in the Executive Committee. Rev. Mntambo was in his element, effortlessly switching from IsiXhosa, to IsiZulu then SeSotho and mixing it with English. He exhorted the ladies to lead like Jesus Christ.

Marks of a Christian Leader

Firstly a leader must build a team, a group of people working together for a common purpose. A leader takes responsibility for every member of the team. After calling the disciples, Jesus was committed to their welfare. In John 17, he prayed for them. You must pray for your team members if you are a Christian leader.

It’s easy to lead with your title, if you have the position and authority. However, it’s not easy to lead by character. People will obey a title but they will follow a character. A leader should be loving, humble, kind and gracious for people to follow. When you lead by title, people will do the work when you are there and stop when you are not there. When people don’t follow you, they speak ill of you when you aren’t there. Lead by character not by title.

When the team members are expected to give 100%, a leader gives 110%. A leader must inspire their followers. The word inspiration comes from the same root word as that of spirit. As a leader you must breathe into people, your life, your character and influence. A leader is one who can show the way to others. If you don’t know the way, find the way. Depend on Jesus, He knows the way, because He is the way, the truth and the life. One shows the way he or she has walked. If it’s uncharted territory, he or she must move forward into the unknown with confidence. Focus on God who has called you and not the situation or other distractions in the environment.

Leadership and Perfection

Leaders are not perfect. Take the example of David, King of Israel who committed adultery, then plotted to have the woman’s husband killed. However God did not remove him from leadership. Paul, a sinner and a zealot who persecuted and arrested Christians was called by God, and became the greatest apostle. Peter, his life was a comedy of errors, saying and doing what was inappropriate all the time. On the mountain when Jesus was praying, he wanted to stay in the glory of God and suggested building 3 shelters, one for Jesus, another for Moses and another for Elijah. When you experience the glory of God, you need to take the glory with you to the valley, to the sick, the lonely, to those that need his love. Don’t keep it for yourself.

What does God require of a Christian Leader?

Firstly, true spirituality. Be filled & controlled by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit, who are you not to be? To fill your life with the Holy Spirit you must look upwards like a nestling waiting to be fed. Pray for the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit so you may live and lead. Secondly, be humble. Leaders must serve. The greatest shall be the least. God will elevate you. When God calls you to lead, no one can stop you.

What are the Marks of a False Leader?

A false leader joins a group for personal gain. He or she seeks a position for himself or herself. A false leader wants to occupy all positions and doesn’t want anyone else at the top. He or she uses other people as stepping stones to take him or herself to the top. Such leaders causes conflict within the team, and are constantly finding fault with other people.

A True Leader

A true leader led by the Spirit knows how others are feeling. He or she communicates with the people. They do not let problems simmer. If you see a problem deal with it kindly & graciously. A true leader asks what is wrong, not who is wrong. When you blame people for mistakes, your organisation does not grow. True leaders serve, like Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet. He does not expect to be served. Lead by character and not title so people can follow you.

Re-Member

To re-member is to put things

Back together.

To make whole

The scattered scraps of collective memory

Of who we once were.

Like dry bones of broken limbs

Strewn across the barren wasteland

Reminiscences litter the bleak emptiness

Of souls lost for generations

Desperate to forget yet recall

A past buried under a weight of pain

Replete with hopes and dreams,

Recollections of loved ones

Dead and unmourned,

Or left behind crying with arms outstretched.

They shuffled painfully,

Out of that dark dank little cavern

Through that little door

Of no return

To sail across water

Wetter than tears

Crying “Father!

Does your magic stretch this far

To save us.”

Tell the stories to your children

& your children’s children.

Teach them to sing

In the language of your people.

They will recall and sing

Uncomprehending

But one day

In the presence of those who know,

they will REMEMBER.

©️Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei 2019