QUANTITATIVE v QUALITATIVE EDUCATION IN OUR LIFE TIME: The Challenges Faced By UBPA!!
The core purpose of all clusters or portfolios at UBPA is to develop road maps and/or guidelines that assess what are the issues or problems confronting our people and come up with ways in which those issues or problems can be addressed. Following that will be to pull together available resources within UBPA to implement and execute those road maps and/or guidelines. What is to follow is a road map from the education cluster.
The education cluster at UBPA currently led by the Chairperson and the Treasurer/Organizer has since its inception been in a forefront of educational development of our people. Obviously assisted by the human resources we have within UBPA our task, particularly during winter classes has been less cumbersome. The education cluster and the current executive of UBPA have focused primarily on matric success. The logic behind this has been that once we increase matric success then the task of getting deserving people to tertiary institutions will be easier.
UBPA is still a new formation and that it is yet to celebrate its second birthday. Because of its infancy it is difficult to give accurate and convincing projections of how the education cluster and UBPA has fared in this task. What is known however is that in our first attempt we achieved the record highest pass rate of 70% in matric of Uthaka Secondary School for the academic year of 2007. The only thing worrying about those figures was the quality of the passes themselves. We are told that there were fewer exemptions and A symbols. This means that we did exceptionally well quantitatively but less convincing qualitatively.
The year 2008 is not going to be anything like 2007. Firstly, this year we have worked with a different class of students. The 2008 class of students looked a year or two younger in comparison to the 2007. Whether this age difference will play any role at all in outputs is yet to be seen. Secondly, the curriculum itself and the methods of assessment are fundamentally different. This year we were dealing with the standardized National Curriculum Statement (NCS). The outcomes of this curriculum worry even the national minister of education because as a nation we do not know what to expect. As UBPA we are optimistically hopeful that once again Uthaka Secondary School will do well even if it is quantitatively.
Quantitative and qualitative outcomes only matter in an advanced stage of success. In the beginning stages where there is no meaningful difference between dawn and sunset we learn to accept whatever we are given even if it is quantitative. But once the difference between dawn and sunset becomes significant we move to accepting nothing short of excellence. This is the advanced stage where we may begin to ponder questions of qualitative outcomes. This distinction is not in anyway suggesting or indicative of the fact that the two cannot go hand in glove or together. The reality of the matter is that it is possible to have students of quality passing their matric in droves at Uthaka Secondary School. However, the trick is to know when to expect this and what under circumstances.
UBPA and the education cluster have been committed to bringing more and more of our deserving students to tertiary institutions. This desire is demonstrated by the fact that we provide information and even application forms that are intended to get our deserving students to the various tertiary institutions. At this juncture we do not have comprehensive numbers or statistics that show how we have done in this regard. But what we have noted is that, probably because of the nature of the institution, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) presents the best opportunity for our learners to enter tertiary. For this reason, we as the education cluster suggest that the open day trip scheduled for next year should go to UJ.
Our task however is not only limited to ensuring matric pass rates and tertiary acceptance. We further have a responsibility towards those who do not make it to tertiary institutions for various reasons. Word out there on the streets of Wakkerstroom seem to suggest that once people have passed matric and not make it to tertiary institutions we forget about them. UBPA we cannot afford to be one dimensional in our approach to societal problems as they confront Wakkerstroom nor can we afford to be naïve in our solutions to such problems.
It will be one dimensional of us to expect every successful matriculant to go to tertiary. We should accept the fact that we live in a country where tertiary education besides what the freedom Charter says remains a privilege for the selected few. The question then will be how we propose to deal with the dilemma presented by those who do not make it to tertiary.
Tertiary is unfortunately a place where success is hard to achieve. It will therefore be naïve of us to expect everybody who gets admission to tertiary to rise to the highest level of success expected of a tertiary going student. The question we need to address is what mechanisms we have put in place that will enable our people to succeed in tertiary once they are admitted. As things stand we are setting our people for failure if we drag them to tertiary institutions but do nothing to ensure that they get all the assistance they need so to guarantee success. This issue ties in with the bigger problems faced by black students in all tertiary institutions and all faculties and departments. There are just not enough support systems in place to ensure that the transition from secondary to tertiary is less scary and cumbersome on a recent matriculant.
Going forward UBPA as a matter of urgency must come up with strategies to deal with matriculants who cannot be absorbed to tertiary institutions. We all know what happens to those matriculants so soon as the school re-opens. They become serious alcohol consumers and drug abusers, they engage in reckless sexual activities that expose them to unwanted pregnancies and serious epidemics like HIV/AIDS. We have to then find constructive and creative ways to prevent them from falling victim to alcohol and drug abuse. We have to assist them to find better ways of recreation.
For those who do make it to tertiary we have to come up with delegations of senior students amongst our ranks who will help them engage and understand their course material. We should ensure that they succeed so to graduate in record times. Our interests to the developmental agenda of our youth should not end after matric but should continue well beyond that.
Going further, there are many dimensions and approaches to education. What the education cluster has discussed above can be termed external dimensions of education. External in the sense that these are strategies targeting people outside UBPA. We now turn to internal dimensions intended for those at UBPA. As UBPA we have not benefited from the knowledge possessed by our associates. The education cluster has not encouraged the culture of sharing, receiving and parting of information amongst associates. How can we then expect to share information with others outside UBPA if we do no appreciate the fact that charity begins at home?
It is a sad day indeed that after two years of being together as associates; we are yet to receive a crash course on basic emergency medical care from our associates who are knowledgeable in the intricacies of medicine. It is equally sad that we have stood in front of learners without any guidance on how to teach from those amongst us who have received knowledge and competence on the art of teaching. The fact that many amongst us are clueless on politics, economics, foreign policy and law could be attributed to the failure of associates to enlighten each other. An educated man or woman is one that possesses knowledge well beyond his or her books.
Going forward, we as the education cluster recommend that associates should bond with one another in the true spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood where we make it a point that we enlighten one another as much and as far as possible. We recommend that there should be formal gatherings particularly at Wakkerstroom where we can exchange and share what we all have learned thus far in our respective universities and career paths. This will further enable us to generally gather if our associates comprehend their course material, and perhaps come up with ways on how to assist where there is a need.
In closing, South Africa in president Monthlante and perhaps Zuma next year is testimony to the fact that such formal gatherings amongst people with the same vision work. Research shows us that in the training of combatants for armed struggle in the various countries where they were stationed, in the evening the combatants will gather in small groups to study and learn. This is where Zuma learned to speak and write English this well. So in these formal meetings that we suggest perhaps people may learn skills that may be handful later on in their lives.
Prepared by the heads of the Education Cluster at UBPA, Thulani Nkosi & Nozipho Khumalo, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Going to year 2009
Politics in South Africa: Positives and Prospects Opinions from the Chairperson
The year 2008 has the potential of going down in history books as the year that changed the political climate in post apartheid South Africa. This is so for various reasons. First, year 2008 precedes year 2009 when the nation will be expected to go for its fourth national and provincial elections. Year 2009 will be interesting merely for the fact that this will be the year that opposition parties are expected to have a real chance of dethroning the African National Congress (ANC). Some opposition party leaders like Rev. Kenneth Meshoe of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) are already saying in interviews that the ANC will not even get 50% of the vote in 2009 let alone the two thirds majority they held. Meshoe is so convinced of this that he even tells the nation that he is laying his head on the block for this to happen.
Second, parties that have been or that have fashioned themselves in the past as opposition parties like the Democratic Alliance (DA) have turned 180 degrees from being opposition parties to branding themselves as parties of government. The DA tells us that it plans to be the ruling party in South Africa by 2014. This means one of two things – that they really fancy their chances of dethroning the ANC or it was just a marketing stint on their part.
Third, the Independent Elections Commission of South Africa (IEC) following the registrations of the 8th and 9th of November 2008 have already indicated to the nation that there were more people than ever who registered to vote in 2009. They attribute some of this turn out to the Obama effect in the United States particularly the interest shown by the young people who have been known to be apathetic. They predict that the numbers will increase running to the 2009 elections.
Last, political parties as expected have been maneuvering in anticipation of 2009. The ANC officially split with the splinter faction forming what is called Congress of the People (COPE). COPE has made its intentions clear that it wants to challenge the ANC for power in 2009, and that it is prepared to form alliances with other political formations. The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) has also split into various factions of late. There is the African Peoples Convention (APC) led by Themba Goni and now more recently there is the Pan Africanist Movement (PAM) led by Thami Platjie.
Now, these are some of the developments in the political scene in 2008. These developments have been largely viewed as positives for democracy by many who argue that it was always unhealthy for the ruling ANC to hold 80% of parliamentarians in parliament. Some say this power made the ANC arrogant and even ignorant to the needs of the electorate. For me the real question is how much of an influence will these developments have in the outcome of the 2009 elections. How much will they affect the ANC.?
The ANC leadership has largely welcomed the emergence of COPE as a political party in the political scene (although they have a problem with the name). They have told the nation that we are living in a multi party democracy where people are free to establish and belong to political parties. They have further kept a strong face and a united front in saying that they do not think COPE will pose a serious threat for them in 2009. Whether COPE poses a threat to the ANC or not is not material to me because I think that is to a certain extent at least a given, what I am interested in is how much of a threat they pose.
2009 will be a challenge for the ANC but more so for COPE. If COPE has a political life in South African politics then it will be forced to do well in the 2009 elections. They will have to get a substantial percentage of the vote so to make their mark. If they fail to do this then they stand a chance of being another minority party on the fringes of the political scene. The disgruntled ANC members they have attracted thus far will soon vanish into thin air, either back to the ANC or to wherever.
It is most interesting that opposition political parties have welcomed and appear to support COPE. I guess they do this because they are also tired of the ANC’s domination. But the reality is that COPE will also dent on their support base. There are voters in South Africa who are not loyal to any party and their tendency had been to vote, if they do vote, objectively so to spread their vote evenly between and amongst the opposition parties. The arrival of COPE increases the pool of parties but yet decreases the voters who are available for those parties.
The DA under Tony Leon used to call this the splitting of the opposition. I agree with that assertion and I go further to say having more political parties available for less voting voters does not only split the opposition but also protects the ruling party because the few voting voters are also loyal voters who will vote for the ruling party as they have always done. The many people who show an interest in registering to vote still have to actually vote. It is possible to get a situation where there is a high registration turn out but a less voter turn out.
Another question that I ponder is the impact the branding of the DA will have in 2009 and perhaps 2014 as they say. There is no doubt in my mind that the DA is still the old wine we all know but in a new bottle. The sun rising over the rainbow as per their new logo represents in my view what they have always stood for. It is common cause that the DA has always been seen by many black South Africans as nothing but a white party. In this branding the DA is trying very hard to present themselves as a South African political party that can be a political home for both black and white South Africans. Whether many black South Africans will be convinced is yet to be seen but what puzzles my mind is that if the colors of the logo are to resonate some sorts of a message then why choose a rainbow. A rainbow has many colors of the spectrum but not the color black.
The political scene is well laid that is clear, but how the parties and the electorate will choose to play is far from being clear. Perhaps we should all wait for 2009 to see if Meshoe has correctly laid down his head on that chopping block. My overall feeling is that the ANC will remain in government come 2009 but as to how much of a margin that I do not know nor am I prepared to lay my head on a chopping block for. Provinces like the Western Cape and Kwazulu Natal will continue to be hotly contested. 2009 will come and go and life will go on irrespective of the outcomes.
Thulani Nkosi
Chairperson and Co-head of the Education Cluster at UBPA, 2008
The year 2008 has the potential of going down in history books as the year that changed the political climate in post apartheid South Africa. This is so for various reasons. First, year 2008 precedes year 2009 when the nation will be expected to go for its fourth national and provincial elections. Year 2009 will be interesting merely for the fact that this will be the year that opposition parties are expected to have a real chance of dethroning the African National Congress (ANC). Some opposition party leaders like Rev. Kenneth Meshoe of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) are already saying in interviews that the ANC will not even get 50% of the vote in 2009 let alone the two thirds majority they held. Meshoe is so convinced of this that he even tells the nation that he is laying his head on the block for this to happen.
Second, parties that have been or that have fashioned themselves in the past as opposition parties like the Democratic Alliance (DA) have turned 180 degrees from being opposition parties to branding themselves as parties of government. The DA tells us that it plans to be the ruling party in South Africa by 2014. This means one of two things – that they really fancy their chances of dethroning the ANC or it was just a marketing stint on their part.
Third, the Independent Elections Commission of South Africa (IEC) following the registrations of the 8th and 9th of November 2008 have already indicated to the nation that there were more people than ever who registered to vote in 2009. They attribute some of this turn out to the Obama effect in the United States particularly the interest shown by the young people who have been known to be apathetic. They predict that the numbers will increase running to the 2009 elections.
Last, political parties as expected have been maneuvering in anticipation of 2009. The ANC officially split with the splinter faction forming what is called Congress of the People (COPE). COPE has made its intentions clear that it wants to challenge the ANC for power in 2009, and that it is prepared to form alliances with other political formations. The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) has also split into various factions of late. There is the African Peoples Convention (APC) led by Themba Goni and now more recently there is the Pan Africanist Movement (PAM) led by Thami Platjie.
Now, these are some of the developments in the political scene in 2008. These developments have been largely viewed as positives for democracy by many who argue that it was always unhealthy for the ruling ANC to hold 80% of parliamentarians in parliament. Some say this power made the ANC arrogant and even ignorant to the needs of the electorate. For me the real question is how much of an influence will these developments have in the outcome of the 2009 elections. How much will they affect the ANC.?
The ANC leadership has largely welcomed the emergence of COPE as a political party in the political scene (although they have a problem with the name). They have told the nation that we are living in a multi party democracy where people are free to establish and belong to political parties. They have further kept a strong face and a united front in saying that they do not think COPE will pose a serious threat for them in 2009. Whether COPE poses a threat to the ANC or not is not material to me because I think that is to a certain extent at least a given, what I am interested in is how much of a threat they pose.
2009 will be a challenge for the ANC but more so for COPE. If COPE has a political life in South African politics then it will be forced to do well in the 2009 elections. They will have to get a substantial percentage of the vote so to make their mark. If they fail to do this then they stand a chance of being another minority party on the fringes of the political scene. The disgruntled ANC members they have attracted thus far will soon vanish into thin air, either back to the ANC or to wherever.
It is most interesting that opposition political parties have welcomed and appear to support COPE. I guess they do this because they are also tired of the ANC’s domination. But the reality is that COPE will also dent on their support base. There are voters in South Africa who are not loyal to any party and their tendency had been to vote, if they do vote, objectively so to spread their vote evenly between and amongst the opposition parties. The arrival of COPE increases the pool of parties but yet decreases the voters who are available for those parties.
The DA under Tony Leon used to call this the splitting of the opposition. I agree with that assertion and I go further to say having more political parties available for less voting voters does not only split the opposition but also protects the ruling party because the few voting voters are also loyal voters who will vote for the ruling party as they have always done. The many people who show an interest in registering to vote still have to actually vote. It is possible to get a situation where there is a high registration turn out but a less voter turn out.
Another question that I ponder is the impact the branding of the DA will have in 2009 and perhaps 2014 as they say. There is no doubt in my mind that the DA is still the old wine we all know but in a new bottle. The sun rising over the rainbow as per their new logo represents in my view what they have always stood for. It is common cause that the DA has always been seen by many black South Africans as nothing but a white party. In this branding the DA is trying very hard to present themselves as a South African political party that can be a political home for both black and white South Africans. Whether many black South Africans will be convinced is yet to be seen but what puzzles my mind is that if the colors of the logo are to resonate some sorts of a message then why choose a rainbow. A rainbow has many colors of the spectrum but not the color black.
The political scene is well laid that is clear, but how the parties and the electorate will choose to play is far from being clear. Perhaps we should all wait for 2009 to see if Meshoe has correctly laid down his head on that chopping block. My overall feeling is that the ANC will remain in government come 2009 but as to how much of a margin that I do not know nor am I prepared to lay my head on a chopping block for. Provinces like the Western Cape and Kwazulu Natal will continue to be hotly contested. 2009 will come and go and life will go on irrespective of the outcomes.
Thulani Nkosi
Chairperson and Co-head of the Education Cluster at UBPA, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
May their souls rest in peace
In a relatively short space of time South Africa lost two of its most valuable human assets. As a country did we not lose Eskia Mphahlele and now, more recently on the 9th of November 2008 Mama Africa Miriam Makeba? Was it not John Donne who said "Death be not Proud". Indeed Death may not have a thing to be proud of for having robbed us of such intellect in Mphahlele and such voice in Makeba but that does not make it any easier for us. Mphahlele was a well educated man and highly influential in the realm of African Literature.
For his intellect and his contribution to African Literature he won many prestigious awards from almost all walks of life and was appointed as the first black professor at the University of Witwatersrand. His untimely death came at the time when South Africa was thirsty for knowledge, when African scholarship in general was at war with itself needing new ideas and knowledge to transcend the deep divisions left by colonialism and apartheid. KwabakwaMphahlele sithi akwehli olungehliyo. Eningizimu Africa nase Africa yonke namaphethelo sithi ngempela ukufa kulinuku. Leliqhawe liyibekile induku ebandla ngalokho siyohlala njalo sikhumbula imisebenzi yalo emihle njengengcith'buchopho.
On the 9th of November 2008 South Africa awoke to the news of the death of Mama Africa in Italy. She was performing at a concert geared towards raising funds for the fight against mafias and lawlessness in Italy. Since she retired from the stage in the early 2000s Makeba dedicated her life to giving back to society and such concerts to raise funds were amongst the many activities high on her agenda. Indeed she was a selfless human being. She was a goodwill ambassador to many organisations in her life time.
Makeba was instrumental in the fight against apartheid in South Africa. In the late 1950s she appeared in a moving show titled 'Come Back Africa' and further appeared before the United Nations (UN) so to plead with the United Nations of the world to boycott South Africa and make it difficult for the apartheid government to function. As custom the apartheid regime responded in harshest of ways by suspending her passport causing her to miss the burial and the funeral of her mother.
Makeba after all those experiences and set backs grew into an icon. In 1966 she won a gramy award with Belafonte. In all her endevours she was optimistic and convinced that it was only a matter of time before democracy came in South Africa. She was correct as democracy did come in 1994. But who will ever forget her role in Mbongeni Ngema's Sarafina. Makeba did a lot for South Africa and for this reason we bow our heads in honour of such a selfless person. South Africa is what it is now because of the contributions made by people like Mphahlele and Makeba.
UBPA mourns the loss of such inspirational people. Singathini bandla lekwethu, umhlaba kawunoni vezi kofa izinsizwa nezintombi kusale izibongo. Wena muntu omusha wanamuhla sizokukhumbula ngani? 2008 what a year. May their souls rest in peace.
Thulani Nkosi
Chairperson and Co-head of the Education Cluster at UBPA, 2008
For his intellect and his contribution to African Literature he won many prestigious awards from almost all walks of life and was appointed as the first black professor at the University of Witwatersrand. His untimely death came at the time when South Africa was thirsty for knowledge, when African scholarship in general was at war with itself needing new ideas and knowledge to transcend the deep divisions left by colonialism and apartheid. KwabakwaMphahlele sithi akwehli olungehliyo. Eningizimu Africa nase Africa yonke namaphethelo sithi ngempela ukufa kulinuku. Leliqhawe liyibekile induku ebandla ngalokho siyohlala njalo sikhumbula imisebenzi yalo emihle njengengcith'buchopho.
On the 9th of November 2008 South Africa awoke to the news of the death of Mama Africa in Italy. She was performing at a concert geared towards raising funds for the fight against mafias and lawlessness in Italy. Since she retired from the stage in the early 2000s Makeba dedicated her life to giving back to society and such concerts to raise funds were amongst the many activities high on her agenda. Indeed she was a selfless human being. She was a goodwill ambassador to many organisations in her life time.
Makeba was instrumental in the fight against apartheid in South Africa. In the late 1950s she appeared in a moving show titled 'Come Back Africa' and further appeared before the United Nations (UN) so to plead with the United Nations of the world to boycott South Africa and make it difficult for the apartheid government to function. As custom the apartheid regime responded in harshest of ways by suspending her passport causing her to miss the burial and the funeral of her mother.
Makeba after all those experiences and set backs grew into an icon. In 1966 she won a gramy award with Belafonte. In all her endevours she was optimistic and convinced that it was only a matter of time before democracy came in South Africa. She was correct as democracy did come in 1994. But who will ever forget her role in Mbongeni Ngema's Sarafina. Makeba did a lot for South Africa and for this reason we bow our heads in honour of such a selfless person. South Africa is what it is now because of the contributions made by people like Mphahlele and Makeba.
UBPA mourns the loss of such inspirational people. Singathini bandla lekwethu, umhlaba kawunoni vezi kofa izinsizwa nezintombi kusale izibongo. Wena muntu omusha wanamuhla sizokukhumbula ngani? 2008 what a year. May their souls rest in peace.
Thulani Nkosi
Chairperson and Co-head of the Education Cluster at UBPA, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
2008 What a year for the World
As UBPA we join the millions of people worldwide who have celebrated the victory of Barack Obama for the top job in the United States of America. We congratulate Obama on his victory as a person. We are convinced that indeed in him the US will achieve the change he stood for in the elections. We remain optimistic that his administration will do things differently. We are hopeful that the Africa - US relations will strengthen under his leadership. It is common cause that post apartheid South Africa did not enjoy a particularly good relationship with the US under the Bush administration and we hope that the Obama administration will change all that.
We hope that the Obama administration will stand for less hostilities in the world. We wish to see the total pull out of all the US troops in Iraq and perhaps an apology to the Iraqi people for the unlawful invasion led by the Bush administration. We wish the new administration will follow South Africa in adopting a two state solution in the Middle East. We hope to see better working relations between the US, Cuba and Venezuela. In every effort the Obama administration embarks on, as the people of the world and the youth of South Africa we shall be watching and ready to lend a helping hand whenever required to do so.
South African youth have important lessons to learn from Obama's victory. We are fast approaching a national general election in 2009. The lesson we can learn from Obama's victory is that the vote of young people can change the course of history. Reports reveal that Obama inspired a largest vote turn out, particularly from the youth in decades. The youth of 2008 in America spoke to change the course of history. In south Africa come 2009 we hope that the youth of South Africa will do the same and go out to vote for the leaders they entrust their aspirations and those of the country in.
Obama's victory will go down in history book as an event that changed the course of history worldwide. For many years it will be likened and even remembered in the same vein as South Africa's first democratic election in 1994. Obama As UBPA we salute you and the young minds of the US in this day and age.
Thulani Nkosi
Chairperson and Co-head of the Education Cluster at UBPA, 2008
We hope that the Obama administration will stand for less hostilities in the world. We wish to see the total pull out of all the US troops in Iraq and perhaps an apology to the Iraqi people for the unlawful invasion led by the Bush administration. We wish the new administration will follow South Africa in adopting a two state solution in the Middle East. We hope to see better working relations between the US, Cuba and Venezuela. In every effort the Obama administration embarks on, as the people of the world and the youth of South Africa we shall be watching and ready to lend a helping hand whenever required to do so.
South African youth have important lessons to learn from Obama's victory. We are fast approaching a national general election in 2009. The lesson we can learn from Obama's victory is that the vote of young people can change the course of history. Reports reveal that Obama inspired a largest vote turn out, particularly from the youth in decades. The youth of 2008 in America spoke to change the course of history. In south Africa come 2009 we hope that the youth of South Africa will do the same and go out to vote for the leaders they entrust their aspirations and those of the country in.
Obama's victory will go down in history book as an event that changed the course of history worldwide. For many years it will be likened and even remembered in the same vein as South Africa's first democratic election in 1994. Obama As UBPA we salute you and the young minds of the US in this day and age.
Thulani Nkosi
Chairperson and Co-head of the Education Cluster at UBPA, 2008
2008 what a year for the world, what a year for South Africa and what a year for Wakkerstroom
For the last while UBPA has been consumed, understandably so, by the political developments as they unfolded in our native home town of Wakkerstroom. A lot was said under that topic and new issues, some though unfortunate, emerged that our associates are all aware of. The sad thing though is that whilst we were consumed in these developments we acted as if the world had stopped functioning. We did not tie the Wakkerstroom issues to broader issues that were also unfolding nationally and internationally. Associates, it is important that we remember that Wakkerstroom is not and will never be an island somewhere in South Africa.
Wakkerstroom is a member of the united provinces and districts of South Africa. South Africa is a member of the united nations of the world. From this realization it should become clear that Wakkerstroom is interconnected and interdependent to South African events and global issues alike.
The Chair is disappointed that we were labeled ‘Lekotas and Shilowas’ of this world without any justification and understanding as to why. What follows is that we may very well be labeled the Obamas and McCain’s of this world, again without any justification or explanations as to why. It is common cause that our associates have a tendency of labeling and name calling those they disagree with. The Chair has been committed to the fight against this tendency but without any tangible success thus far.
UBPA has an obligation not only to educate others but to also educate itself internally. Our associates will agree that after all charity begins at home and it should not end there. The year 2008 has been historic in all spheres for different reasons and motives. In South Africa most notably 2008 will be remembered as a true test of our post apartheid democracy. A sitting state president was recalled, so to say, by his party and a new acting president was appointed in the interim.
All this was done peacefully as there was no reported blood shed and lost of life in anyway. As a result of these developments, the oldest political party in the world, the ANC only experienced what is to be remembered as its second split. Since its formation in 1912 the ANC has, until recently, only split once. The first and only split followed the adoption of the freedom Charter in 1955 by the ANC and was led by Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe.
Sobukwe and others in 1959 formed the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) in order to challenge the ANC. Their argument was that the ANC was becoming too soft in its fight against apartheid. The PAC had serious difficulties in accepting the freedom Charter. As we see in UBPA, the break away faction decided to label and name call those they disagreed with. The ANC and those who accepted the freedom Charter were then labeled “Charterists”.
The recent split follows the December 2007 Polokwane Conference of the ANC. Some senior party members in that conference lost their positions in the top five, so to say, and in the National Executive Committee (NEC). The president and the National Chairperson, just to mention a few, were not re-elected in their positions.
It goes without saying that this may have been a bitter pill to swallow because these cadres have been in those positions for ten years. When their own party did not re-elect them it was clear that they were rejected, perhaps the party needed a change in leadership for an ever changing political environment. Whatever the reasons were not to re-elect these officials are only known by the party itself.
The lesson that UBPA and other structures in society must take from this is that nobody is born and entitled to rule for life in any democratic dispensation. It is only in chiefdoms where people are born and entitled to rule for life. At the end of this year UBPA is expected to go for its second Annual General Meeting (AGM) where new leaders will be elected to various positions within UBPA structures. Those who do not make it to the various positions they may be ambitious for should accept and concede defeat if it and when it materializes.
Wakkerstroom saw one of its most turbulent times in our history. Some and/or most associates at UBPA being bread and buttered at Wakkerstroom will know and even remember some upheavals that may have grasp the tiny town in the past. None has been so powerful, dramatic and traumatic.
We surely have not seen an upheaval that resulted in the destruction of a community hall and a house inhabited by a councilor. We also have never heard of an upheaval that resulted in a total express disregard of the law and law enforcement agencies.
The reasons for such upheavals are only known to those who embarked in them. UBPA is in no position to judge, label or name call those who participated in such horrendous activities irrespective of how disappointed and disgusted we are. Our only duty as UBPA is to bring unity and not cast further divisions in our society by pretending and/or making out to be better than thou.
But what we stand to learn and gain from all this is that mightier is the pen. Differences of opinion, wants, needs or facts will and must always exist. The point is how we deal with those differences. We cannot suppress differences because we are not a tyrant or an apartheid state, but we need to find ways to work through them. The position of UBPA must be that izinto zilungiswa ngomlomo in a democracy.
For this reason we must strive to protect and uphold freedom of expression through peaceful and non violent ways. We must create opportunities for negotiations and debates. Those in leadership roles must always be accessible to the electorate. If we fail to do all this then we run a risk of being told by the ‘Lekotas and Shilowas’ of this world that our democracy is under threat and that the ruling party has violated the fundamental principles of the freedom Charter.
The world’s so call beckon of democracy, the United States of America (US) is choosing its 44th president in 2008. The candidates for the White House are most interesting. On the one hand there is an aging Republican McCain, the hero of the Vietnam war. On the other hand, there is the youthful (comparatively speaking) African-American Democrat Obama. Both gentlemen promise to bring something new to the table on the face of the global economic turmoil of recent times.
Our concern should be what each of these gentlemen will mean for Africa-American relations. At the moment none of them has convincingly propose something worth pondering on the subject. It then follows that a safer option will be for us to adopt a wait and see approach.
We are aware that Obama is likely to win and become the first black man in America’s 40 year history of democracy to make it to the White House. In 40 years of democratic practice in America no black person or woman of either race has led the Americans. But yet the Americans are always quick to tell the rest of the world who must lead in which states.
Surely this is imperialism of the highest form. Be that as it may, after these elections the course of history will never be the same again. As Africans we get to learn that it is possible for a black Kenyan to rule the strongest nation. If this is the case what is to stop UBPA from believing that anything is possible if we all work hard on our dreams and aspirations.
The South African matriculants are sitting for the historic national Outcomes Based Education (OBE) paper. Obviously as UBPA we have a vested interest on how this will impact on the education system of our country generally and how it will affect the passing rates of Uthaka Secondary. Many of us at UBPA have tested the syllabus in the winter classes and we admit that it is a challenging task. We remain convinced however that our matriculants will do well so to properly position themselves in the world after school.
The UBPA we lead is one that participates in any discourse from an informed and knowledgeable position. Wakkerstroom is not immune from any of these events. Our associates have a duty to learn and understand these events so that we are in a position to explain to our constituency if and when requested to do so.
History tells us that we can only lead and remain relevant if we have the correct information and knowledge of how different variables impact and relate to each other. It is important for us to view attentively all that happens around us and ask what positive lessons we can learn moving forward. We cannot afford to be complacent because that will speak to ignorance. An ignorant person in a leadership position is tantamount to a blind leading the blind. The English tell us that amongst the blind the one eyed man is king. UBPA is that one eyed man.
UBPA leads, UBPA lives, UBPA is relevant. One Condom = one round, One Round = one condom.
Thulani Nkosi
Chairperson and Co-head of the Education Cluster at UBPA, 2008
Wakkerstroom is a member of the united provinces and districts of South Africa. South Africa is a member of the united nations of the world. From this realization it should become clear that Wakkerstroom is interconnected and interdependent to South African events and global issues alike.
The Chair is disappointed that we were labeled ‘Lekotas and Shilowas’ of this world without any justification and understanding as to why. What follows is that we may very well be labeled the Obamas and McCain’s of this world, again without any justification or explanations as to why. It is common cause that our associates have a tendency of labeling and name calling those they disagree with. The Chair has been committed to the fight against this tendency but without any tangible success thus far.
UBPA has an obligation not only to educate others but to also educate itself internally. Our associates will agree that after all charity begins at home and it should not end there. The year 2008 has been historic in all spheres for different reasons and motives. In South Africa most notably 2008 will be remembered as a true test of our post apartheid democracy. A sitting state president was recalled, so to say, by his party and a new acting president was appointed in the interim.
All this was done peacefully as there was no reported blood shed and lost of life in anyway. As a result of these developments, the oldest political party in the world, the ANC only experienced what is to be remembered as its second split. Since its formation in 1912 the ANC has, until recently, only split once. The first and only split followed the adoption of the freedom Charter in 1955 by the ANC and was led by Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe.
Sobukwe and others in 1959 formed the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) in order to challenge the ANC. Their argument was that the ANC was becoming too soft in its fight against apartheid. The PAC had serious difficulties in accepting the freedom Charter. As we see in UBPA, the break away faction decided to label and name call those they disagreed with. The ANC and those who accepted the freedom Charter were then labeled “Charterists”.
The recent split follows the December 2007 Polokwane Conference of the ANC. Some senior party members in that conference lost their positions in the top five, so to say, and in the National Executive Committee (NEC). The president and the National Chairperson, just to mention a few, were not re-elected in their positions.
It goes without saying that this may have been a bitter pill to swallow because these cadres have been in those positions for ten years. When their own party did not re-elect them it was clear that they were rejected, perhaps the party needed a change in leadership for an ever changing political environment. Whatever the reasons were not to re-elect these officials are only known by the party itself.
The lesson that UBPA and other structures in society must take from this is that nobody is born and entitled to rule for life in any democratic dispensation. It is only in chiefdoms where people are born and entitled to rule for life. At the end of this year UBPA is expected to go for its second Annual General Meeting (AGM) where new leaders will be elected to various positions within UBPA structures. Those who do not make it to the various positions they may be ambitious for should accept and concede defeat if it and when it materializes.
Wakkerstroom saw one of its most turbulent times in our history. Some and/or most associates at UBPA being bread and buttered at Wakkerstroom will know and even remember some upheavals that may have grasp the tiny town in the past. None has been so powerful, dramatic and traumatic.
We surely have not seen an upheaval that resulted in the destruction of a community hall and a house inhabited by a councilor. We also have never heard of an upheaval that resulted in a total express disregard of the law and law enforcement agencies.
The reasons for such upheavals are only known to those who embarked in them. UBPA is in no position to judge, label or name call those who participated in such horrendous activities irrespective of how disappointed and disgusted we are. Our only duty as UBPA is to bring unity and not cast further divisions in our society by pretending and/or making out to be better than thou.
But what we stand to learn and gain from all this is that mightier is the pen. Differences of opinion, wants, needs or facts will and must always exist. The point is how we deal with those differences. We cannot suppress differences because we are not a tyrant or an apartheid state, but we need to find ways to work through them. The position of UBPA must be that izinto zilungiswa ngomlomo in a democracy.
For this reason we must strive to protect and uphold freedom of expression through peaceful and non violent ways. We must create opportunities for negotiations and debates. Those in leadership roles must always be accessible to the electorate. If we fail to do all this then we run a risk of being told by the ‘Lekotas and Shilowas’ of this world that our democracy is under threat and that the ruling party has violated the fundamental principles of the freedom Charter.
The world’s so call beckon of democracy, the United States of America (US) is choosing its 44th president in 2008. The candidates for the White House are most interesting. On the one hand there is an aging Republican McCain, the hero of the Vietnam war. On the other hand, there is the youthful (comparatively speaking) African-American Democrat Obama. Both gentlemen promise to bring something new to the table on the face of the global economic turmoil of recent times.
Our concern should be what each of these gentlemen will mean for Africa-American relations. At the moment none of them has convincingly propose something worth pondering on the subject. It then follows that a safer option will be for us to adopt a wait and see approach.
We are aware that Obama is likely to win and become the first black man in America’s 40 year history of democracy to make it to the White House. In 40 years of democratic practice in America no black person or woman of either race has led the Americans. But yet the Americans are always quick to tell the rest of the world who must lead in which states.
Surely this is imperialism of the highest form. Be that as it may, after these elections the course of history will never be the same again. As Africans we get to learn that it is possible for a black Kenyan to rule the strongest nation. If this is the case what is to stop UBPA from believing that anything is possible if we all work hard on our dreams and aspirations.
The South African matriculants are sitting for the historic national Outcomes Based Education (OBE) paper. Obviously as UBPA we have a vested interest on how this will impact on the education system of our country generally and how it will affect the passing rates of Uthaka Secondary. Many of us at UBPA have tested the syllabus in the winter classes and we admit that it is a challenging task. We remain convinced however that our matriculants will do well so to properly position themselves in the world after school.
The UBPA we lead is one that participates in any discourse from an informed and knowledgeable position. Wakkerstroom is not immune from any of these events. Our associates have a duty to learn and understand these events so that we are in a position to explain to our constituency if and when requested to do so.
History tells us that we can only lead and remain relevant if we have the correct information and knowledge of how different variables impact and relate to each other. It is important for us to view attentively all that happens around us and ask what positive lessons we can learn moving forward. We cannot afford to be complacent because that will speak to ignorance. An ignorant person in a leadership position is tantamount to a blind leading the blind. The English tell us that amongst the blind the one eyed man is king. UBPA is that one eyed man.
UBPA leads, UBPA lives, UBPA is relevant. One Condom = one round, One Round = one condom.
Thulani Nkosi
Chairperson and Co-head of the Education Cluster at UBPA, 2008
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