An Acumen Media Report 24th July 2020 (Seven Days)
#AndrewMlangeni, the last of the giants of the #RivoniaTrialists passed this week. Last week I wrote about #ZindziMandela. My heart can’t cope with another enormous loss. My timeline filled with images of the people who broke apartheid. They stood tall against the backdrop of Robben Island, again, too much for my aching heart. What must they think of the mess we’ve created? What must they think of the effort wasted? I’m glad they’ve gone to a better place, they deserve peace.
The infection rates breached 400k and the President addressed us last night. He said that schools would be closed (well that was a no-brainer). He also said fraud and corruption wouldn’t be tolerated. He did not say one word about the #CivilUnrest, about the number of jobs lost, about the nation that still doesn’t understand Level 3 lockdown regulations and so much
more we are begging for answers on. And about that corruption, we can see with our own eyes, Food parcels, grant money, blankets all disappear in front of our eyes. We are not fools, Sir. Stop talking and act, put the perpetrators in jail, not the smokers. KZN stole our blankets, most of it did not make it to the actual blanket and when some of that money did buy blankets they sat lying in storage in the middle of winter. Is this acceptable to anyone? Anyone at all? I call for a #PeoplesAudit, open the books to the public, we want to see something.
Just before this address there was a tweet by Government stating that cigarettes and alcohol would be banned for the duration of Lockdown. I take it #FITA and #BATSA had a word, and then another tweet stating it was an error and the ban was only to endure in #Level3. What does that even mean? #Level3 might as well be for the rest of our lifetimes, we’ve been here for seven weeks without a single set of comprehensive regulations, we have no end date or start dates for any level. So the new tweet doesn’t mean anything at all. A study from UCT found that the price of ciggies is up by over 400% and 93% of us are still smoking, as a smoker, I can buy those stats. #WhatBan? Seems the money that could be used in our fragile fiscus is being poured into the tsotsi’s back pockets. Please #LiftTheBan and stop making us criminals. In the cigarette industry alone there over 30k job losses, what about in the alcohol industry? Lift the price Mr President, remove prohibition.
#LandInvasions are on the rise, well what did we expect? it was well over a year ago we were promised #LandReform, there is so much lack of respect for government, that I’m not surprised we are taking our own action. The restaurant industry made one of the most powerful visual statements this week by putting all their empty seats in the street with signs saying #TakeASeatMrPresident and carrying the hashtag #JobsSaveLives. SAMWU took to the streets in Tshwane and shut down Pretoria because they cannot eat. The Tourism industry is in shreds with protests in both Durban and Cape Town. Here’s that #CivilUnrest
Bosasa accused #Mti didn’t bother turning up at the #StateCaptureInquiry, seems this is our #NewNormal. Nomvula #Mokonyane did turn up and accused Agrizzi of singling her out because she’s a woman and black. Please do not diminish the hard work we are doing as women and the #BlackLivesMatter movement to cover your theft.
The only good that came out of Government this week was that shining light #DrZweliMkhize who tore chunks out of the #EasternCape hospitals and laid down the law on when the situation has to be resolved (with deadlines and dates, imagine that?).
The Interprovincial travel regulations came out 7 weeks into Level 3 and guess what, feel free to travel, 100% capacity on taxis. How much time have we wasted to just say do what you always do?
I’m writing this on generator, so I won’t even talk to you about #Eskom
In short, South Africans are gatvol and I’m one of them, #MarkSham’s open letter said it all, but politely. #SACitizensUnite.
Oh and by the way… #NotKanye for president it seems. #MentalHealthMatters and #Twitter banned #Qanon. Spoil sports, where will I get my daily laugh now? There’s always #Trump I suppose. I’m taking the weekend off and so should you!
