Perseverance

Life comes with challenges not rewards. Losing something makes me cry and weak but not when a challenge brings you down. There is nowhere to go but up. Respond like tennis when you hit the ground hard, bounce back and reach a higher level. Listen to your critics with an open mind that no one will say he/she have seen you in Durban were else you never been in Durban. When you lose something in life you feel like giving up but not when you lose a challenge, you should get up and fight for one more round. Nothing has power over you unless you give it, keeping your eyes on the ball is crucial as you don’t want to play the player but play the game. As much as a defender is told that ‘if we don’t concede were won’t lose we` think of yourself as a striker, scoring for the win. Don’t set back make every day your exam eve. Perseverance is one of the keys and try to put in the other pieces.

years later

Twelve years ago when it all began, I never thought twelve years later everything will just collapse, a sad ending indeed. I had everything and the world at the palm of my hand. For every beginning there is an end. I never, not even once, anticipated a sad ending. It’s not only a sad ending but a lonely one. Alone and lonely to be precise, it’s unfortunate yet a factual reality. I had it all but I (think) let everything slip through my fingers. My confidence is at an all-time low (maybe I’m down and out.) you know sometimes when you feel like the whole world has turned its back against you, when you feel like everyone is against you, when every door is shut at your face? I’m currently at that phase. You know when you’re hurting and you even think the pain will never go away because instead of being better, it gets worse by every turn you make. I’ve been running the human race for the past 22 years and believe you me; the past three years has been hell with no return.

I still live in hope that I will rise again but for how long will I be down. I grew up in a healthy and happy environment, yes my dead (dad) was not there but the people I had around me were enough to give me the upbringing I needed. They were able to satisfy my childhood needs at the time and I was a happy chap, life was so good and so perfect. I knew I had a home, a family which loved and cared for me. I was a child who had no burden, no problems, no stress and no worries. My childhood was great, I enjoyed, I was always happy. My day was simple, wake up at any time (at least before noon) take a bath and go play outside with my friends, go back home when I’m hungry and then go back to the street and play with my friends. Usually we played nearer to home, so I would go home when it’s dark. At home they will shout at me but I knew they did that because they CARED and they LOVED me. That was family love, pure family love without conditions. I miss my childhood!

Post pre-school I went to one of the best primary schools in the township I grew in and that’s where everything began, just three years into my primary school days. I was 10 when I made my first move on a girl and guess what; she agreed to be my girl. The relationship lasted two and a half years and then followed a triangle relationship on my last year at primary school, it didn’t end well but I survived. I then went to high school.

The brand STAM 7 gained momentum and status, it became a household and so were my character and then my ego. I was a heavyweight and the world was revolving around me, I was calling the shots. I was BIG. High school came with its own challenges and obstacles but against whatever, I conquered and remained at the top throughout the five years I spent at secondary school. Besides being a heavyweight in class, I was a superstar on the soccer field. I was captain of the school soccer team and an essential member of the team, yes we never won anything major during my captaincy but on a personal level, it was a great achievement for me to be a leader. And I was also popular with the girls… yes I had more than one girlfriend. At one stage I had seven girlfriends from different schools and from the same school. But there were two who were special. I spent eight years combine with them and that was me at the very top, at my best.

On my last year at high school, that marked 12 years sitting behind the desk, I did something that left my name on everybody ’slips, I left a legacy that took five years to fade away surely but slowly. Everybody knows that there was an individual, once upon a time, by the name Samukele ‘Stam 7’ Manzini. I had a newsletter that exposed a lot that happened in the dark, which gave the voiceless a voice, which gave my peers and everybody something to talk about. Everyone was always looking so forward to the next edition and that to me, that was a big achievement and a job well done. Today when I meet my former school-mates on the street, they ask: “Stam, but how did you do it?” I just smile and change the subject. And then there was the matric dance, the traditional grade 12 event that is meant to bid an officially send off to the grade 12s. Our school decided to take us to some lounge just to take photos, eat and listen to speeches and then go back home. I don’t recall any after party! Oh before I forget, my final exam was nearly a disaster because the History question papers were swapped instead of writing paper one, we wrote paper two and vice-verse but the other subjects were a walk in the park.

To be continued…

Crime sometimes does pay

Reviewed by Samukele Manzini

Crime sometimes does pay. This is the general message presented by the movie How To Steal 2 Million.

The movie tells of a story of an ex-convict who was convicted of theft then later of murder that he committed while in jail through self-defence. Menzi Ngubane who plays the led role of Jack, an ex-convict released on parole. Jack tries by all means to stay on the good side of the law but struggles to get capital to start his own Transportation Business.

Jack is also portrayed as this bad guy changed to a good guy after serving some time in jail. Unfortunately he is caught up in the world of crime, deception, vengeance and lies. A failed business presentation leads to Jack turning to crime in order to raise some money to start his entity. His friend in crime, Twala, offers to help him raise the cash, the only way they know how; robbing. That’s when the 2 million heist plan starts rolling. Twala played by Rapulana Seiphemo is a character spoiled from birth by his father Julius Twala (legendary actor John Kani) who when he was fed up with him, told him; ‘If you want my help, help yourself.’ The consequences of these words are unbearable.

Directed by Charlie Vundla the offspring of Generations Executive Producer Mfundi Vundla, How To Steal 2 Million reflects the everyday happenings in Johannesburg, the nucleus of everything in the South Africa. His first project as an independent movie director came in 2009 with this movie, How to Steal 2 Million. Vundla who happens to be a journalist by profession is a native of New York City and graduated in film production program at the University of Southern California.

Crime and violence seems like the only language Jack knows and the only thing he uses to get what he wants. While for Olive acted by Terry Pheto, crime is her only source of money and she uses her beauty to charm her way to the big price.

How to steal 2 million does not necessary show viewers tricks or ways on how to steal money but shows people that thieves do not only rob big banks to get a million bucks or need a big plan to steal money. The movie does not attempt to answer the movie’s title because the title is not a question. Hence the title How to Steal 2 Million is a statement aimed at showing viewers THIS is how money gets stolen.

The aim was achieved, the storyline was almost a ten out of ten and the setting was excellent, a production by a 27 year old Charlie Vundla with a ‘dream cast’ that includes several seasoned actors and actresses. The movie did not disappoint and the actors and actresses brought their A-game to it and gave everything to make the movie a success. Most of the role players are sopie performers but this movie really showed their versatility and experience.

Amazingly excellent on a wheelchair!

Amazingly excellent on a wheelchair!

 

by Samukele Manzini

Usually the right mindset and attitude leads one to greater heights. Hailed as a pioneer and a go-getter by her colleagues and close associates, she comes across as friendly and energetic.  Following a horrific car accident in 1995 (she was in grade 12 at the time) that left her crippled, she defied all odds and passed her matric in 1996 while studying at home with no teacher to teach her. “I only had one thing in mind after the accident, passing my grade 12 and owning a matric certificate” she explains.  Lender Malope has been in a wheelchair for 17 years and she’s living proof that disability is not a curse but just being differently able.

“I believe education is everything, it is the cornerstone of our arsenal in our journey to achieving our goals.” To Malope, the accident was just a stepping stone that she used as a springboard to touch the sky. “After the accident, I didn’t sit at home and fold my arms and think government will look after me. I empowered myself with good initiatives.” (She owns LN2000 Printers based in her township, KaNyamazane.)

We met on a sunny Monday morning at Ligwalagwala FM studios in Nelspruit’s Aero Park building. She’s been with Ligwalagwala FM since 2003 and currently host a morning show which airs between 09H00 and 10H00, daily. Malope is the first and still the only disabled presenter at the station.

“People hear the hype and energy behind the microphone that I have but I’m a very shy person and I love my space.” Dumisane ‘Madumane’ Simelane, Lender’s colleague, sees her as a perfect example to women and the disabled.  “She is amazingly extraordinary and special, easy to work with and is a big inspiration.” He claims

“Initially I wanted to be a doctor but after the accident, I had to consider another career because my disability meant I couldn’t be physically strong to deal with patients.”  To my surprise, she said that laughing. “You know what, I tend to forget that I’m disabled, because the only difference between me and you is that I can’t walk but everything works normal, my state of mind is hundred percent. Why should I hinder myself from fulfilling my ambitions?” She asks rhetorically. Malope believes God gave her a second chance at life after the horrific accident in 1995. “It’s a second chance at life and I’m going to use it wisely.” She then looks straight into my eyes and says “My life is a story book authored by God, my mentor.”

“Reminding myself I’m still beautiful and ‘able’ helped my confidence a lot since the accident.” She never got the chance to be a professional doctor but she is a ‘doctor’ on the airwaves. “The accident shattered my goal of being a doctor but radio has given me a platform to help people using my voice.” The-48-year-old definitely has the confidence. Malope, who won Miss Confidence in 2002, is lean, dark and yes, she is tall! It’s clear the radio dj didn’t allow her disability to be an obstacle. “The accident didn’t stop me from modelling because I didn’t allow it to,” she says.

Malope can play table tennis, wheelchair ballroom and Latin dancing. According to her, there are only two things she can’t do, flying and walking. Discipline, education and the right attitude are elements she had on her way to achieving her goals. Her message to people is simple: the sky is the limit. “I don’t have limits, people should never limit themselves, especially disabled people.”

Juju was always being used

Phumla Matjila | 08 May, 2012 00:36

 

Oh my, how the world turns. One day you are the cock of the walk, the next a feather duster. But this is not the 1985 Australian post-apocalyptic film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome; this is South Africa post-2008. So it is more accurate to say: One day you are accused of fraud, corruption and rape, the next you are the leader of the biggest political party in the land.

One day you're South Africa's No 1 citizen, the African Renaissance guru, the next you are "recalled" in the middle of the night and given a deadline to resign and pack your bags before your comrades can say "ngoku" (now).
One day, you're a youth league head honcho, with a multimillion- rand pad under construction at one of Johannesburg's most desirable addresses, the next you are disposed of like a "condom".
The expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema sure has a way with words. But when did he realise he was being screwed? We, on the other side, have known this for quite a while.
Oh, Julius, have you not learned anything from your involvement in former president Thabo Mbeki's recall? Have you not learned that when your fellow comrades have had enough of you, the best you can do is bow out gracefully?
To paraphrase Frank Chikane when he described Mbeki's mood on September 20 in his book Eight Days in September: The Removal of Thabo Mbeki, when he [Chikane] went to Mahlamba Ndlopfu to confirm the news of his recall - Malema must look like a "soldier who is ready to die", if he has to, for the sake of the country, "a lamb to be slaughtered for a cause".
Mbeki, too, had "lived his whole life for the ANC and had no life outside the party" and his recall "felt like 'feeding on your own' or ending his life", Chikane tells us.
"What would he be without or outside the ANC? What would become of his life outside the ANC? What would South Africa be like after his removal? What would happen to the ANC?" Chikane ponders in his book.
I'm sure these are the questions that keep Malema awake at night while unashamedly trying to find a way to go back to the only political home he knows.
But Juju should find solace in the fact that Mbeki is fine. To this day, because of the dignified way in which he left office, even after his comrades tried to make the exit as humiliating as possible, he still makes President Jacob Zuma quiver in his shoes, some say.
South Africa is fine too - sort of. The usual cancers - crime, corruption, unemployment - are still as problematic today as they were during Mbeki's term in office.
And the ANC is still as divided as it was before Mbeki was recalled. So, Juju must not worry. South Africa will survive without him.
What Malema should do or should have done - and can still do, because it is never too late to behave as if you had been well-groomed for the position of ANCYL president - is to take a leaf out of Mbeki's book regarding how he handled his recall.
Mind you, this was the president of the country, so the stakes are not that high for Juju, who was just the youth league's prez. His expulsion should not be that painful to bear.
Chikane writes that Mbeki, who saw no life outside the ANC, believed that "if his organisation asked him to leave office, he would comply, since he saw his role as that of 'service to the people' rather than 'a position' that he needed to fight for".
And he did comply. No mess, no fuss. No kicking, no screaming, no empty threats.
He resigned when he was asked to, addressed the nation when he was asked to, vacated the official residences - even when his own house was not yet complete. He did what he was told.
And it was the last we heard of him, except occasionally when the Presidency flexed its muscle and complained about footing the bill for his travels to Sudan to perform his duties as the chair of a panel tasked with implementing recommendations of the African Union on Darfur.
Or when tensions began to develop between Zuma and Juju, and Malema resorted to praising Mbeki's leadership and intellectual capabilities.
What Juju should know by now is that you are as powerful as the ANC wants you to be.
If the ANC can wake up a long-retired, 92-year-old, sickly, frail and senile former president on a cold winter night to parade him on a golf cart in a stadium filled with World Cup soccer fans - and with billions more watching on TV around the world - and that's when they are being nice - what more can they do with a wayward youth leader?
If the ANC can boot out a parliament elected president a few months before his term ends - and have a new president installed quicker than you can say constitution - what more can they do to a 31-year-old youth leader who is seen as biting the hand that feeds him.
Juju thought he was bigger than the leadership of the ANC, and some people even believed this to be true. Well, he was wrong, and so were they.
But it is never too late for Juju to behave like a "soldier who is ready to die" or "a lamb to be slaughtered for a cause".
Who knows, one day someone, somewhere - when the ANC leadership makes another turn and it is that person's turn to be the cock of the walk - the future might not look so gloomy for Juju.

Rorbert Sobukwe

Tue Mar 27 13:51:26 SAST 2012

Sobukwe must be accorded rightful place in our history

27 Mar 2012 | Oupa Ngwenya |

NATIONAL days like March 21 remind us that the freedom we enjoy today would not have been possible without the brave hearts who not only came before us but also dared to dream and fight for its dawn to end the madness of apartheid in our land.

Picture taken from www.sabc.co.za

Who can forget the IFP's Mangosuthu Buthelezi's statesmanship when reacting to Biko's death: "Only a country as mad as South Africa can waste such a talent"

Unfazed by the brute force of the state, the brave hearts fired by the quest for freedom took a stand to express a yearning for a future consistent with true humanity.
Human degradation being the cornerstone on which the apartheid political system was built for its survival, killing became logical against anti-pass protesters who were tampering with its very foundations on March 21 1960.
The killings were consistent with the initial cruelty that neither saw nor conferred common humanity on those whom the system deemed fit to oppress as "bantus".
Tragically, 69 people were killed and 180 to 300 protesters reported injured in what history came to record as the Sharpeville Massacre.
The massacre also resulted in the banning of the ANC and the PAC.
The events prompted international condemnation of the system.
Analysts, historians and modern-day commentators who find objectivity unpatriotic will be inclined to strait jacket the factors leading to March 21 to tune into playing to the galleries of party zealots fixated with sanitising history to suit self-interested positions.
To make the lies they tell pass as truth for the day, blind followers are prone to confuse self-deluding wishes as enlightening facts. Were the founding president of the PAC, Mangaliso Sobukwe, alive today, I doubt he would claim the day for himself as footballers do after scoring.
It was not by mistake that Steve Biko counted Sobukwe, Nelson Mandela and Govan Mbeki, among others, when asked about who he considered to be the representatives of the people as a defence witness during the Saso/BPC treason trial in May 1976.
The government has already done so by recognising March 21 as Human Rights Day.
Wherever the government chooses to mark the day there should be no suggestion of denial of the historic significance that saw unarmed protesters being mowed down as a deterrent to people's countrywide response to Sobukwe's stance against a mad state.
A history that neglects his distinct role in the anti-pass call of March 21 1960 will tomorrow forget that Cosatu's Zwelinzima Vavi was the voice of the massive resistance to labour brokers and e-tolling of Gauteng roads on March 7 2012.
The parallel is too obvious to be missed.
President Jacob Zuma's statesmanship would be enhanced by according Sobukwe his place in history, in the same way as he did with Biko in this year's state of the nation address.
Who can forget the IFP's Mangosuthu Buthelezi's statesmanship when reacting to Biko's death: "Only a country as mad as South Africa can waste such a talent".
March 21 should help us know and claim our rights without allowing our rationality to give in to the madness of a country that killed Biko.

Ronaldo short of two teams

Kickoff

Another record looming for Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo

Another record looming for Ronaldo

Posted: 2012-03-26 12:36

Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo could become the first-ever player to score against every opponent in La Liga in one season if he finds the net against Mallorca and Barcelona in the next two months.

The Portugal international netted twice versus Real Sociedad on Saturday and has now scored against 17 different teams.

Ronaldo will make history if he also manages to add his name to the score sheet in the games against Barca on match-day 34, and versus Mallorca on May 13.

The 26-year-old did find the net versus the Catalans in their Spanish Supercopa tie and for the Copa del Rey, but has yet to beat Victor Valdes in La Liga in 2011-12.

Former Barcelona striker Ronaldo managed to find the net versus 19 different opponents, but at a time when the Primera Division consisted of 22 teams.

Goal.com

Register:
Name:
Surname:
Username:
Email:
Password:

Login:
Email:
Password:

Forgot your password:
Email: