#ScratchTheSurface – An Acumen Media Report
Early in the week there was simply no news, unless of course you were watching #Ukraine. South Africa had a lull in conversation over the long weekend. But it didn’t last long as the flood gates opened. Not the ones that are going to cost seven billion rand to fix on the #Vaaldam, but the news flood gates that churned out more headlines, in seventy-two hours, than Clover makes butter.
There was a huge focus on #NhlanhlaLux. Straight after a radio interview, #NhlanhlaLux was arrested. This interview was one of many this week, and I’d really like to know who does his PR because they need a prize. Most stations in this country carried an interview with Lux and the narrative #PutSouthAfricansFirst was front and center. The #EFF were not happy; they don’t like sharing the stage with other radicals. They chucked their toys out the cot and resorted to name calling. They called Lux a #ToySoldier. I didn’t see a #ToySoldier, instead, I saw something scary, something hopeful, something strange. A groundswell of #Xenophobic movement swept people from other African countries out of their homes in a wave of illegal evictions. Alleged drug dealers had their contraband confiscated without a single search warrant in sight. One in particular claimed he had been severely harassed by Lux (Hold that thought #RememberMafe #GuyFawkes). I went back and watched several interviews with Lux. He’s a character for sure, but he is not a #ToySoldier (no beret). I was a massive #Lux fan during the #insurrection, now days not so much because I am not a fan of vigilantism. It never ends well. This all happened while we were celebrating #HumanRightsDay. What a joke!
I would like to tell you how far we’ve come since #SharpevilleSix. Wouldn’t it be great to report that each person has access to water, electricity, education, safe housing and internet? The little things, you know #HumanRights? I’m afraid the #SharpevilleSix lesson has been lost in a cesspit of greed and a lust for power and instead we are focused on the narrative #PutSouthAfricansFirst. Lux’s story is not complicated, it’s administrative and should be handled as such. Illegal immigrants shouldn’t be here unless they have followed due process. Sounds so simple right? If we only did our jobs! We haven’t done our jobs in years. So here we are folks; we have now created this #notSoToySoldier #NhlanhlaLux who has run with the narrative introduced by #HermanMashaba. Now we have a group of vigilantes on the ground bringing kangaroo courts. Look, Lux literally, single handedly, saved #JabulaniMall, but now this same man is running a #Xenophobic movement to rid the country of illegal foreigners. #OperationDudula is not a game with #ToySoldiers Malema. We understand why you’re so peeved; a chunk of your red tide on Twitter are foreigners. The #EFF were so annoyed that they laid charges against #Lux by singling out one man the so called “drug dealer”. This pushed Lux from primetime media to a prison cell. He was arrested. This is where we are as a country. So desperate for our #humanrights that we use lawless, bold methods to rid ourselves of foreigners. All the while spinning a Trumpesque narrative like #PutSouthAfricans first.
While that was playing out across the screens, we also saw the #President (in an extraordinary moment) rebutting #Malema’s statement claiming that #Rama was scared to get rid of #BhekiCele. Our #President, the leader of our nation, pulled a #FikileMbalula and said he fears #Fokol. A member of parliament highlighted that the use of the word was unparliamentary, to which President said, “I withdraw the term fokol and replace it with ‘fear niks’.” What a riot, hey? I laughed, you have to. #OnlyinSA #ToySoldiers.
Later in the week, our #President, at the #FourthInvestmentConference, made it clear to the “investors” that their money was safe, and he banged on for hours about how wonderful our investment portfolio is and how well we are doing! I’m sorry what? Perhaps the President is hypnotized by his own voice, because what we saw was #EstherMahlangu, our national treasure, attacked. Her hands were bound and she was badly beaten in a robbery. I don’t get this story at all. EVERYONE knows #SisEsther and yet some creatures had the audacity to hurt this fragile wonder of South Africa. Hey Lux! This is one I’ll support you on. Kangaroo away #SoldierSoldier.
#TshwaneMunicipality employees went on strike, and the municipality ordered a notice of termination to those that were protesting. We still don’t know what the grievance was though. Perhaps #Nhlanhla knows because both media and the #President can’t figure it out. Just when we thought we had our strike of the week, the mother of all strikes hit major cities: #TaxiStrike brings Cape Town and Jozi to a standstill. Stop right there. Again, we’re not so sure about the grievance. There are messages that Bolt and Uber need to be regulated, that fuel prices are too high and that permits have been delayed and taxis have been impounded. Ultimately, whichever story the crowd chose – the impact was the same. They brought the country to a halt. Are you listening guys? #Nhlahla’s message is clear: the “ground up” is how you manage a useless government. The vigilantism aside, I firmly believe the broken window theory. We can fix this stuff ourselves, in fact we have to because the #President isn’t going to do ‘fokol’.
I should try and cheer you up, but I’m afraid you’ll have to watch our video for that. So make sure you like and subscribe! I promise you’ll laugh!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgGjpJfZSai13qLEN0696Ow
We are short of ten thousand nurses due to job cuts, nothing to do with foreigners #Lux. #SupraMahumapelo (the guy who caused the Northwest to burn) has been nominated for provincial chair. I had to rub my eyes for that one but it’s true #SihleZikalala joins #LindiweSisulu in the war on our #Constitution, and I suppose that was pretty obvious. Razzmatazz is in the firing line for ignoring the death of a cyclist by dismissing the road as “regional”, however, when the celebrity, #AneleMdoda, had her tyres damaged driving through potholes, Mr Fix wanted her to DM him. #ToySoldier. Afriforum have been busy. They are interdicting the 50 billion rand in aid we gave to Cuba, and they want #Jiba prosecuted.
What was our president doing during these human rights violations? Well, he was busy with that stooge, or “Zuma’s toy” as some might call her, our Public Protector #Mkhwebane. Good on you Mr President for firing her. And even better on you for not being intimidated in the #PoliceChief hunt and the axing of #KhehlaSithole. Good on you #MrPresident for appointing #Zondo as #ChiefJustice. The ardent tasks that await this man will surely be handled with as much power as Zondo can muster. Good on you Mr President for getting rid of masks outdoors, but why did you have to talk about a fifth wave? Seems this one is exclusive to SA? The #RepoRate went up, and we found out that the leading cause of death in SA is not #Covid, it’s TB. No surprises here, yet we do nothing to guide the sufferers with regard to medication and safety. #HumanRights Huh?
There is a #SenzoDoccie dropping next week and I’m all eyes and ears. #MakhosiKhoza got hoofed from Action SA. She’s really unemployable, right? She simply cannot hold onto a job. In other ridiculous news we are still looking for the #Tembisa10Doctor and the #DA vomited yet another racial slur on a colleague. #SoldierSoldier
Across the waters, Putin is called a war criminal as 3,5 million scared humans become refugees. G 20 nations want Russia out of its club. #NorthKorea’s little man fired a big missile. It appears that #Ukraine, together with Russia, are the breadbaskets of the world as shortages of grain and sunflower oil impact all of Europe. Russia now demands Russian rubles as payment for oil and gas in an attempt to prop up the currency. Picture an oil hog pushing the world’s cost of living into next level on a red wheelbarrow.
The #Metaverse saw #Heineken open a bar, so now we’re going to have virtual alcoholics going to virtual AA meetings. There is good news. #Ramadan is on its way and the generosity of the religion will ensure some of us are fed.
I’m Tonya Khoury and you’ve just #ScratchedTheSurface with Acumen Media.
