I urge all South African bloggers to also take up the call and post this to your own blogs.

This is what we have to say:

Last week, shocking revelations concerning the activities of the ANC Youth League spokesperson Nyiko Floyd Shivambu came to the fore. According to a letter published in various news outlets, a complaint was laid by 19 political journalists with the Secretary General of the ANC, against Shivambu. This complaint letter detailed attempts by Shivambu to leak a dossier to certain journalists, purporting to expose the money laundering practices of Dumisani Lubisi, a journalist at the City Press. The letter also detailed the intimidation that followed when these journalists refused to publish these revelations.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the reprisals against journalists by Shivambu. His actions constitute a blatant attack on media freedom and a grave infringement on Constitutional rights. It is a disturbing step towards dictatorial rule in South Africa. We call on the ANC and the ANC Youth League to distance themselves from the actions of Shivambu. The media have, time and again, been a vital democratic safeguard by exposing the actions of individuals who have abused their positions of power for personal and political gain.

The press have played a vital role in the liberation struggle, operating under difficult and often dangerous conditions to document some of the most crucial moments in the struggle against apartheid. It is therefore distressing to note that certain people within the ruling party are willing to maliciously target journalists by invading their privacy and threatening their colleagues in a bid to silence them in their legitimate work.

We also note the breathtaking hubris displayed by Shivambu and the ANC Youth League President Julius Malema in their response to the letter of complaint. Shivambu and Malema clearly have no respect for the media and the rights afforded to the media by the Constitution of South Africa. Such a response serves only to reinforce the position that the motive for leaking the so-called dossier was not a legitimate concern, but a insolent effort to intimidate and bully a journalist who had exposed embarrassing information about the Youth League President.

We urge the ANC as a whole to reaffirm its commitment to media freedom and other Constitutional rights we enjoy as a country.

Blog Roll

http://thoughtleader.co.za/siphohlongwane
http://rwrant.co.za
http://vocfm.co.za/blogs/munadia/
http://vocfm.co.za/blogs/shafiqmorton/
http://blogs.news24.com/needpoint
http://capetowngirl.co.za
http://thoughtleader.co.za/sentletsediakanyo
http://thoughtleader.co.za/davidjsmith
http://letterdash.com/one-eye-only
http://boyuninterrupted.blogspot.com
http://amandasevasti.com
http://blog.empyrean.co.za/
http://letterdash.com/brencro
http://6000.co.za
http://chrisroper.co.za
http://pieftw.com
http://hamishpillay.wordpress.com
http://memoirs4kimya.blogspot.com
http://thoughtleader.co.za/azadessa
http://watkykjy.co.za
http://fredhatman.co.za
http://thelifeanddeathchronicles.blogspot.com/
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/common-dialogue/
http://clivesimpkins.blogs.com/
http://mashadutoit.wordpress.com
http://nicharalambous.com
http://sarocks.co.za
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/stompies/
http://helenmoffett.book.co.za/blog/
http://01universe.blogspot.com
http://groundwork.wordpress.com
http://iwrotethisforyou.me
http://fionasnyckers.book.co.za
http://attentiontodetail.wordpress.com
http://blogs.women24.com/editor
http://www.missmillib.blogspot.com
http://snowgoose.co.za
http://dreamfoundry.co.za
http://www.vanoodle.blogspot.com
http://www.exmi.co.za
http://cat-dubai.blogspot.com
http://alistairfairweather.com
http://www.zanedickens.com
http://www.nickhuntdavis.com
http://guysa.blogspot.com
http://book.co.za
http://baldy.co.za
http://skinnylaminx.com
http://blogs.african-writing.com/zukiswa
http://www.mielie.wordpress.com
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/gatherer/
http://thoughtleader.co.za/sarahbritten
http://stii.co.za
http://blogs.news24.com/FSB_AP
http://twistedkoeksuster.blogspot.com
http://whensmokegetsinyoureyes.blogspot.com/
http://trinklebean.wordpress.com
http://commentry.wordpress.com/
http://matthewbuckland.com
http://blogs.news24.com/colour-me-fran
http://gormendizer.co.za
http://helenmoffett.book.co.za/blog/
www.harassedmom.co.za
http://ravingfans.co.za
http://khadijapatel.co.za
http://cat-dubai.blogspot.com
http://simon.co.za/speakza
http://synapses.co.za
http://fsi.org.za
http://gnatj.com
http://moralfibre.co.za
http://www.exmi.co.za
http://rwrant.co.za/
http://www.macgeek.co.za
http://gormendizer.co.za/
http://greenwitch-musings.blogspot.com/
http://guy.cognasium.com/speak-za-im-too
http://www.missmillib.blogspot.com
http://www.pieftw.com/

In case you wonder where this started, look no further than here and here. (And, just to show I love them, here.)

If you intend to comment, please consider doing so at the original location (Bloggers For a Free Press), where I will appreciate it so much more.

Our Dearest Minister of Arts, Culture and Bigotry, Lulu Xingwana has finally been getting some deserved flack for her little freak out last year. The photo above, by artist Zanele Muholi, managed to switch our country bumpkin of a minister minister over into homophobe mode. Her last, lame defence is that it is inappropriate to display images like this at an exhibition where children are present.

I’d let any child view the image above. There’s nothing sexual about it. Sensual, maybe, but also gentle and loving, the way two sisters might be when they comfort each other at night.

Dear Minister, you might not be able to stop yourself from seeing tits and sex in every naked body, but please don’t assume that our children share this affliction.

Zanele Muholi’s bio at Artthrob.

If you intend to comment, please consider doing so at the original location (Dear Xingwana, it’s time you quit now.), where I will appreciate it so much more.

So, there I was, dining at this fancy restaurant and who do you think walks in? None other than His Majesty, Prince Regent Julius S Malema, Duke of Gauteng and third in line to the throne of the Kingdom of Mzansi. His Majesty was here to eat, and eat he did. It was a marvellous spectacle to behold.

Note: No real politicians were harmed in the making of this parody.

PS. I’m not the only one laying into the bloke at the moment. Here’s Zapiro.

If you intend to comment, please consider doing so at the original location (Explosive Politics), where I will appreciate it so much more.

Continuing my series on exposing the grossly unfair and corrupt practices by the ruling ANC, here is a quick but nasty comparison between what an ANC favourite gets handed on a plate, and what a normal poor South African can expect to get.

I think it’s past disgusting that such corrupt relationships are tolerated.

Here is a link to a PDF of the graphic above. Click the image above for a larger JPEG. The image and PDF may be used and distributed freely. (Please link back to me if you do.)

Interesting links:

• Mail & Guardian: Malema’s lifestyle sponsored by govt tenders
• The Daily Maveric: The Star steals lifestyle audit thunder. Oh, and destroys Malema too
• The Daily Maverick: ANC Youth League vs The Star, round one: League throws a girly punch
• The Star: Malema’s lifestyle sponsored by tenders

Previously in this series:

• The inequalities of ANC spending

If you intend to comment, please consider doing so at the original location (Get your house on), where I will appreciate it so much more.

I was itching to do some creative time-wasting, so I figured that while I’m at it I’m going to do my little bit for South Africa, or at least what I believe to be in South Africa’s interest. So, why not pick on the biggest bully on the playground? Yes, that’s right, this time it’s the ANC who’s in my little dog box. (Oh yeah, you’re gonna get it now you bullies. My 3 readers and I are going to take you down!)

I’ve been keeping an eye on the rivers of money haemorrhaging out of the government coffers for idiotic reasons for some time now. What I saw inspired me to create this very simple infographic.

I hope y’all like it. Let me know what you think.

The version above is teensy, so please click here for the PDF or here for a higher resolution JPEG.

Edit: (9/11/2009) Thanks to Randy for linking here. Since creating this graphic the spend on luxury cars has increased by a few more millions. I’ve unfortunately been too busy to update. I’ll try get round to it. To get a good idea of how our government is wasting money while millions of poor people starve, get sick and live with unimaginable violence have a look at the Wasteful Expenditure Monitor – an initiative of the Democratic Alliance, one of our opposition parties. The total listed on the monitor currently exceeds R318 million, or enough to build more than 6000 houses which could house more than 24,000 people.

More in this series:

• Get your house on
  

If you intend to comment, please consider doing so at the original location (The Inequalities of ANC Spending), where I will appreciate it so much more.