Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Music Is The Window To The Soul of Society-an experimental documentary
Music is the window to the soul of society is an experimental documentary that desired to understand the ordinary people's views on music. We sought to understand the influence of music and its culture on people, behaviour and society. Through out our journey in this documentary, we got see and learn just how influential and powerful music is to people from different walks of life. Having interviewed a whole lot of people from concert to concert we saw that music is like a companion to people.
We made bucket lots of mistakes and some are visible on the documentary but it was an eye opening experience to the heart and soul of society.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The Sekhukhune Series: Land of my origins-part 1
Like
any other soul in in this side of Africa, Sekhukhune is governed by the African
National Congress a party that has reigned for 20 years. In a democracy that
has left its puberty years behind, the truth is that somewhere in the privacies
of our own souls we are going through our own insecurities that the old
government has left us. The insecurities in fighting the demons of who we were,
who we are becoming and who will lead us?
When
they let us go, our nativity story was told all over the world, a very rare
nation was born, rainbow people. Never seen anywhere in the world. Black and free.
We
knew that we were always destined for something greater than what we were told.
Yes we were “black” but by blood, custom and tradition we were always royalty.
Before blacks became presidents, our statesmen were prince; sons of chiefs, descendants
born of kings and heirs of the African kingdom in the homelands of South
Africa. Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, whom his mother was the daughter of King
Dinizulu and granddaughter of King Cetshwayo of the Zulu royal family is the
leader of Inkhata Freedom Party, Madiba-our first stateman his father Gadla
Henry Mphakanyiswa, was the chief anointed by blood and custom of Mvezo of abaThembu
nation, and the notorious customs of Msholozi that transcends into Nkandla and
the sum of 20 broods from his loins has always seen himself as king than a
president. Even before democracy was unveiled, we were always kings. It has
always been in us to lead.
So
with the freedom in my heart and the history in my mind I choose to return to
Sekhukhune. I have not registered to vote instead I am choosing to return to
Sekhukhune. I am going back to seek understanding. Yes these are age old
African politics, and to some it will sound like tales that should remain in
school novels. But this leadership battle I am speaking about has so much in
the palms of its hands. This is what has held Sekhukhune from being more. More
like the Royal Bafokeng Nation and others. The government has not completely
saw to it that they pay attention to the indignation that we walked in for so
long the indignity that we- the people in Sekhukhune walk in division because of
the two kingdoms clashing, two heirs fighting for the same throne. To this
there are mines and investments that are chowed behind closed doors and
development is no where to be found. And we
need that development to feed our selves and take care of our land. Deep down this conflict and the greed
involved ceases us.
Much of the development in Sekhukhune is
wrapped around this conflict. It is the war of the people; elders advanced in
age and prickled with grey hair and tribal loyalists who are content to treat
the truth with contempt. Maybe voting for someone different like Helen (DA)
would have brought with it a positive change to the unresolved politics in my
land. Or Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi of IFP would understand better the
situation and do something about it. That perhaps I will find out later.
For
now, the soul of the people is wounded. And I know getting my young self
involved in this; I will also have a wound somewhere under my skin.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
The manifestation of a promised Africa
Burundian Women Supporters at CHAN 2014, Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa
Football like politics is a personal affair. Football
fans take to the game the way political party supporters take to the affairs of
their affiliations. I have heard stories of men in the townships who place
their homes and wives as bets in vouching for the victory of their favorite
soccer teams, while others battle for their sanity after the loss of their teams
in a soccer match. Here in Africa, soccer is not a game. It is a hope, a love,
a coming of a special chosen time and an event followers deem worth to pray to
their sovereignty for a win and victory of their members.
As a testimony from a lover of Africa, what CHAN 2014 provided
in the soccer stadiums It’s like cultures collapsing on each other and melting
away. Omens, spells, negative meditations, xenophobic mentalities and
diplomatic issues against one another as a people are taken away by the spirit of
football, capturing a picture of a promised Africa visible and rolling in each
of our eye balls in that moment. People literally breath the same air. No prejudice.
People come to such unity in the body of football that lines between strangers and
genders become undefined.
I may not be a devoted soccer follower but what I
witnessed in soccer matches is real and solid definition of what my Africa is
and is to become. FIFA, AFCON and now in the moment CHAN amongst others
are big moments, shadows of things to come, symbolic of a unified body of
Africans. A coming together of a body of believers, chanting for victory for teams
and victory for their nations.
We have hosted so many sporting moments here in South
Africa; the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the 1996 African Nations cup, 1996 World Cup
of Golf, 2003 Cricket World Cup, 2006 Paralympic Swimming World Championships,
the 2010 FIFA World Cup, 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and the current 2014 Africa
Nations Championship or Chan amongst others and time has arrived for us to
acknowledge and accept the grace with which these acts of sports wish to teach
us and show us. Perhaps to our expectations and hopes in certain areas of development
these events have left us labouring in vain, but in our character as South
Africans and Africans a little we have been transformed into knowing that we
are as a body, a people called Africa.
Though only 6307 occupied the 45 000 sitting capacity
of the Peter Mokaba stadium to support DR Congo versus Mauritania and Burundi versus Gabon. I saw a glimpse of a Africa I
know we sometimes silently know it can become. This is the revelation that
Mandela had long before the rest of us, about what this kind of gathering does
for a people. Seeing Sport for what it truly is, a unifier.
In the interests of his efforts in the struggle
against apartheid, Peter Mokaba if he was there to witness in the same lenses
what I saw, he would have smiled a rainbow smile for what his name was carrying
inside the open hands of the stadium.
Pictures: Rent Minds
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Africa Insider: The Beginning
https://soundcloud.com/africainsider/africa-insider-the-beginning
There is always something about the beginning that is empowering. It is more than a phrase. It is a wholesome and liberating feeling that fills everything with hope.
This is the beginning of something that began a long time in secret places. A vision to unveil a new day in this continent.
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