An Acumen Media Report 14th August 2020 (Seven Days) by Tonya Khoury
#TonyasTakeOut:
#TakingNames – SA Fights Back!
Many may not know this, but Acumen Media records every major headline or social media story in SA daily and, once a week, I read all the posts that have the largest traction. I then measure them against one another to find out what you talked about the most. The short answer is still #Corruption, well corruption, #cigarettes or #booze and #Level2. And you thought it was #WomansDay. Tsk, are you mad?
There was one massive other story though, a tragedy and another loss for SA, the death of #BobMabena. At least we got the opportunity to celebrate the life of #TheJammer, thank you Bob for setting SA alight with love and kind words for the week. I’m happy that we see this outpouring of pure love for the media legend. The stats show almost 90 thousand mentions with over half a million people reacting to the untimely death of Bob Mabena and all with pure love. #ThisIsMySA
The President’s instruction for zero tolerance to corruption started to take its course this week and there were some really encouraging names put into the naughty corner, sadly most of them were names we didn’t recognise but remembering that our President is a chess player, will these “pawns” eventually lead to kings and queens of thieves? I have a good feeling. You’d have to be a pretty poor politician to think that a couple of names (we have never heard of), will appease a justice hungry nation and one thing #Ramaphosa isn’t, is a poor politician so it was encouraging to see #DavidMakhura finally stand up and speak, he said that all companies will be named from the #CovidTender list and there are a bunch of lifestyle audits coming up. Over ninety companies named and a list of nefarious individuals that took no less than R2.2bn from the sick and hungry. I was filled with joy as I read that #NomvulaMokonyane was among those names, well her daughter anyway, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree it seems. The PSC Director General, Mamphiswana, Eastern Cape Premier #OscarMabuyane and a further 10 MECs and their families, all hit headlines among others this week. A little off topic but deserving of the same treatment was #BusisiweMkhwebane we’d like to see your orange overall dear, and it seems the judge is on the same page. #Love4OurJudiciary
I had reassuring conversations with civil society and huge organisations that (as we speak) are putting right the injustices that are unraveling before our eyes. One of the questions raised in our conversations was “will the public be patient if we tell them the legal process is lengthy?” my answer: “Of course, it took two years to take #duduMyeni off the director’s role and we watched with rigour and clapped vigorously when justice was served”. You see, we are a patient nation if you are do the right job. We are very impatient when we see no movement at all. In fact, Bantu Holomisa said “the ANC cannot investigate itself”. #PeoplesAudit #ItsOurTime.
#liftTheBan and the BATSA court case gave us hope and then it went silent. Silence is an action. The next thing our timelines were flooded with messages of an imminent #Level2 and a national address by the President on Sunday. I’m not going to get hung up on the fact that we still don’t have a proper set of regulations for #Level3 but this time I am really holding my breath, because shortly after this I read how #BathabileDlamini joined #NDZ in endorsing prohibition. Hiding in plain sight, it’s time South Africa and it’s got nothing to do with cigarettes and alcohol.
My villain of 2020 (no it’s not Ace) is #SihleZikalala, when I see his face, I immediately want to punch the wall. He is so slippery and arrogant. This man is accountable for my region not receiving a single food parcel or blanket in rural KZN. This is the man who (without embarrassment) put up statistics to show that the entire KwaZulu Natal region received 200 food parcels. This is the man I would like to see go to jail. He called for calm a few weeks back as a good chunk of his team went under investigation and now the poison is coming out. Tender prices for one item are completely different to the same item under another tender. I tell you what Sihle, stay calm ok? In the meantime, I’ll #FeedRuralKZN
Sisulu blamed criminals for #LandInvasions, she’s right, the same criminals that promised #LandReform. Then #StellaAbrahams came under fire for a disabled man begging for a wheelchair. Within her own party she was criticised for “making an old man kneel”, only to find the man couldn’t walk. This story is too tragic to even unpack but it has been a catalyst for the factions in the ANC to show themselves.
Headlines read that Hawks raided illicit cigarette trade in Limpopo and found 42 boxes, that’s about what’s in my cupboard, how can you even use the Hawks for four cartons of cigarettes? It seems that the Hawks have a different mandate theses days, arrest car-keying perpetrators and a few cartons of cigarettes.
Cape Town issued fines to the tune of R1m and took 500ltrs of alcohol in roadblocks, will that money make its way back to Khayelitsha? No, the answer is no. While I’m on CT, they came up with their own flag, because you’ll remember that it’s the Republic of Cape Town, the flag, (and this will make you laugh) is the #ConfederateFlag without the stars, there are no stars here. So fitting.
#WomansDay depressed me as does #WomensMonth, what’s the point? There is nothing to see here folks, just a bunch of unemployed, abused sisters who enter a war zone just make their way to work. I saw many hashtags that removed the words man and men from the word #WomXn, I liked that, and that made me sad, because we have great men in our world, but we are helpless. Next year can we DO something, like build a shelter, start self-defence courses, focus on women’s health, mental and physical. #WomenInChains is an exceptional song, and it’s chorus says it all – #SoFreeHer #JustFreeHer
State Capture was jam-packed, we heard a list of journal times when money was packed into the boots of #BrianMolefe and #SalimEssa’s cars, and the number of visits to the #SaxonwoldShebeen. I felt so sorry for this witness, English is not his first language and he struggled to keep up with the likes of #Pretorius, but once you got through all that, this guy dropped the files faster than the #madibaz left the room. Also #PravinGordhan was “too busy” to attend the commission? Are you kidding? Please don’t tell me Juju was right about you Mr Gordhan. Minister CandyCrush / #Gigabyte did not leave the social media conversation and this time it’s not about the Hawks arresting his missus or for his terrible phone skills, this time it’s about his suits. Let’s be honest, he is an astonishingly good dresser, now we know why – they’re #GuptaSuits. Mr Brian Molefe, yes, the guy who cried about his looting of #Eskom, he had a bag of R200 notes in the boot see? #TheLifeofBrianMolefe. No wonder #VoetsekAnc trended again all week.
Salim “Slim” Karim told us #covid was a “marathon not a sprint” and that they need a few more days to decide on whether to move to #Level2, who is this guy anyway? Where’s Dr Mkhize? Please tell me that #Mkhize is still in control here?
My biggest good news story this week is scuba diving is finally open in my little town. I’m on the first boat out! This is a massive move for this community that bases its entire economy on tourism. I’m insisting on two tanks, they can fetch me on Monday before 9am!
