Menu

Home

About

Articles

Media Listening

Feed Rural KZN

Connect

Category: Acumen News

#LockedDown #TooLong #WeWait

Date: 02.17.2025

Written By

Tonya Khoury

It’s September, the last quarter of 2021 and the beginning of Spring.  It feels like it’s been sixteen years since we rang the New Year’s bell on a humdinger of a year that most of us want to forget.   We no longer say things like “this year has flown” anymore, because it hasn’t. #LockedDown #TooLong.  Allow me to take you through the week in media numbers:

Digital Vibes

The #SIU finally delivered their report to #PresidentRamaphosa on the #DigitalVibes scandal and it’s damning!  It recommends the prosecution of #ZweliMkhize and others and we didn’t expect anything less, but we were quite surprised at that strong recommendation. The President has not released the report to the public, but the ruling party has more leaks than #DearLiza’s bucket. (Some of you are far too young to remember this reference but laugh because I promise you it’s funny).  #NicholasCrisp was appointed acting Health DG which appears to be a sign of no return for #Mkhize. Now #WeWait, we wait in a #LockDownTooLong, we wait in a snaking queue for everything including justice.

Babita Deokaran

The assassination of #BabitaDeokaran resulted in several arrests this week and a bunch of cash was found at one of the suspects premises.  This story is a tragedy on many levels. Why are there droves of bodyguards and security personnel   protecting the thieving politicians, but nothing of the sort for the #WhistleBlowers?  #MinisterCele we don’t even want to see those who assassinated #Deokaran we want to see those that paid for that assassination and quickly please! #WeWait

Impact of Lockdown

11 million people applied for special grants this week.  That’s about a fifth of our population and these are new criteria grants, not the normal SASSA grant where the queues stretch on for miles each month.  #WeWait. Government admits that the situation is untenable and that unemployment is a path to starvation and yet we still wait #TooLong. #Sisulu says that the safe houses for women involved in #GBV are not enough and… ?  The Gauteng rebuilding fund opened this week and as applications continue to pour in  #WeWait.

Zuma

Every week I vow not to give the #Zumas any airtime, but here I am, yet again, having to write explanations to people who actually believe that Zuma was subject to #DetentionWithoutTrial.  It’s simple everyone: there was no trial because Zuma refused to attend the hearing and like anyone else that ignores the law of the land, the punishment is detention.  Shall I spell it out in capital letters?  Will that work?  The level of downright stupidity is exasperating.  How is Zuma by the way? Ah, no one knows. According to the #JZFoundation his illness has been “diagnosed”, yet they won’t release the details so he continues to languish in hospital.  He has still not served a single day of his sentence in jail.  So actually, he’s not detained without trial at all is he?  He’s in a plush room filled with nurses that wait on him, just the way he likes it. #RememberKhwezi.  The “doctors” have refused to let the State in on the #DiagnosedCondition to evaluate their findings and now that has gone to the NPA.  So here we wait in anticipation, maybe months, maybe even until his so called “prison time” is over.  #TooLong

 #InsurrectionInstigators and #DZ22

Those pesky instigators of the insurrection are still aloof, however #SphithiphitiEvaluator was arrested this week and then released.  She was told not to tweet anymore.  Um, do the courts know how Twitter works?  I don’t think that’s going to stick guys, she can call herself #EvaluatorSphithiphiti1 and she’ll be back to the nasties quicker, in fact much quicker, than you can read your dodgy report on who did what on social media. When will you arrest the #ZumaTwins?  #TooLong.

We showed you #MrPresident that we #WeWillNotBePlayed and our overwhelming physical and social media voice was drowned out by the arrest of the keyboard warriors, instead of those who were responsible for orchestrating a war against our country. A coup, a plot to remove you from your seat and still you make us wait.  We are starting to lose hope that you are listening to what we are shouting out. Louder? As if to add salt to the wound that needs surgery, #DZ22 started trending! Yip, the real instigator is running for President, but there’s no mention of which party Duduzane is running with though. #WeWait

ANC and #CrowdFunding

Supra #Mahumapelo’s disciplinary is starting afresh and just in case you don’t remember him, he’s the guy that made #Mahikeng burn in 2018. That was three years ago and we are still waiting. #tooLong

The government can’t even pay their own salaries as the #ANC resorts to crowd funding to pay its staff.  Maybe they got the idea from #Zuma with his #Capitec account?  By the way has SARS got that Capitec number?  Not that I believe a single person donated (I hope not), because #CashCrunch.  Regardless, there should be scrutiny on this latest fad – where the people that you stole from – are now asked  to give what little money they have left to gluttonous politicians.  #Tsek

There is some good news; #Eskom is recovering as it ONLY declared an R18bn loss.  Apparently, that’s quite good, it’s only numbers guys, it’s not like it makes an impact on our lives hey?  #LockedDownTooLong

Vote for #NOTA

I read a fabulous article by Colin Thakur, a professor at UKZN. He said when in doubt vote for #NOTA.  He went on to explain that if you are unhappy with the EFF/ DA or ANC, then vote #NOTA.  “None of the above”. He makes an excellent point. Dilute the powers of those that have failed us.  And the thought wasn’t even out of my head when #GodZille entered the room.  Remember her? She’s the one who resigned from the DA, often, but never left?  Remember?  Well she’s back and she’s electioneering and climbing onto every story that blames a Zuma or a member of the ANC.  This week she was often quoted on her opinion of #SIUReport and the #IECElection readiness assessment. Many will know that I am less than a fan of #GodZille and after this week nothing has changed.  She evades the question of why the Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor had a car crash after curfew and doesn’t mention that small thing called #Khayelitsha.  She doesn’t mention how Cape Town is so out of touch with SA that they want to break away from the rest of South Africa.  She doesn’t mention that the Cape Town Stock Exchange has opened because the wealthy have been living in their holiday homes since lockdown. There is a new word for this now: #Semigration (the old word is “gluttony”).  The disparity of the Western Cape and the self-righteousness of Gogo Zille are nauseating.

 Covid and the Vax

The wasp’s nest of disinformation and social media rebuttal to the vaccine grows each day.  I cannot believe I’m writing this, but an organisation called “Panda” compared the vaccine and the PCR test to rape.  This was during #WomansMonth.  Do you think it was a boys club who had this discussion?  Probably, I’d hate to think that a woman would make such disgusting remarks.  Hey Panda, a couple of questions: did you give consent during your last rape, because with the vaccine you actually have to?  Did the last rapist give the woman a choice to say yes or no?  The vaccine process does.  What an insult to all women who have to endure the rape capital of the world.  This time Panda should be extinct.

The #DeltaVariant has created havoc across the world to the extent that some countries are considering a booster shot in addition to the original vaccine.  You see when we read this, we all feel that sinking rollercoaster tummy, especially those of us who are vaxxed.  We did our bit, some of us felt quite heavy side-effects from the jab and now you want us to go again?  Even I’m going to say no to this one.  Well I thought that and then I saw the first glitch in my plan.  #Discovery made vaccination mandatory for its employees.  This is a natural next step for business and our planet I suppose.  #VaccinePassports are a big thing seeing that most of Europe has implemented the “#NoVax #NoEntry” law into restaurants, shopping malls and any other crowded places.  Jumping on a plane now requires more than one passport.  I don’t mind this. I want to feel some level of our old world where we can do as we like, if and when we choose, as long as it’s within the boundaries of the law.

Our Children & Other Tragedies

And then I watched the headlines read that a Grade 8 pupil was stabbed to death and a 15- year- old was charged with murder.  I watched in horror as I learnt that a six- year- old was raped in a school toilet, the very place that children should be safe.  I learned how nothing has been done on the #PitToilets.  What is the hold up? #TooLong.

#Liliesleaf, a place really dear to my heart, has run out of funding and will be shut down.  It was the place where I met #GeorgeBizos. It was the place where we joined in an interfaith prayer while #UncleKathy was breathing his last.  My generational cousin #AlanPaton’s name is on that wall.  This story made me cry and I can’t believe that our history is being cancelled because of the rancid impact of #Covid.

Beyond the carnage that is the result of an inactive government, we watched with horror as those who killed the frailest of our society in #LifeEsidemeni,  not get charged criminally.  We have waited so for long and then? #Nothing

Other News

In other news #TekkieTown moves forward with their case to liquidate #Steinhoff – no arrests yet #TooLong.  America asked SA to take #AfghanRefugees and we said “No!”.  My heart aches for the #Afhans but America and Britain this is your call, don’t drag us into your crimes against humanity.

Ending on a positive note: the #Paralympics made us proud, the show of courage and tenacity by these Olympians is a lesson to us all.  Rise regardless of your circumstance.  Dedication and talent will take us further than any politics will.  We’ve waited #TooLong SA.  Vote #NOTA

LockedDown TooLong

Want to see the data for yourself, here’s the link: https://app.talkwalker.com/app/project/99fc525c-8d4d-46c7-9a33-32ac03a78886/shared_dashboard/export_Acumen9_9aoQQSEO.html

 

more from our blog

Related Posts

If #LooksCouldKill: A Week of Creepy Peepers

If #LooksCouldKill: A Week of Creepy Peepers

It was surreal watching #Kagame (Rwanda’s President) tell Ramaphosa that if he wanted a war, he could have one. Kagame’s eyes terrified me. If looks could kill. That man meant what he said and Cupcake had touched him on his studio. Cast your mind back to when we sent...

News & Updates

contact us

We Talk to Strangers

Are you ready to ride the media meteor?

We'll take you on an extraordinary media journey.  A first of its kind in the world!

Phone

+27 73 874 5377

Get In Touch

contact us

Do You Want to KnowYourDay?

It’s not a trend; it’s a conscious shift.

Phone

+27 73 874 5377

Get In Touch

Share This