Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 11 August 2011 — Page 8

Page 8 • The Muncie Times • August 11, 2011

SOUTH AFRICANS IN JOYOUS SPIRIT, MARK MANDELA’S 93RD YEAR - The birthday of national hero Nelson Mandela was marked with tree planting, children’s choruses of Happy Birthday Madiba, and “67 minutes” of good deeds suggested by The Nelson Mandela Foundation. “Read to someone who cannot see, help the elderly with grocery shopping, get tested for HIV with your partner, help a neighbor in need,” the Foundation suggested. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged people around the world "to make a difference" by tutoring a child, feeding the hungry or volunteering at a hospital or community center.

Analyst David Africa, writing for Al Jazeera, was one of a few who expressed skepticism at the “re-branding” of Mandela - from fiery youth leader, commander of the armed wing of the African National Congress to peacemaker, moderate and saint. “The capture of the Mandela icon and his transformation from militant to moderate saint is now almost complete,” writes Africa. “And yet, this is not the Mandela that black South Africans know... Throughout his long imprisonment Mandela refused offers of personal freedom in exchange for abandoning violent resistance to the apartheid government.” “The transition (from apartheid) in South Africa has thus far failed to meet the expectations of the

dispossessed and poor,” Africa notes. “The economy, land, academia and private institutions remain firmly in the hands of white South Africa, while black people are expected to be satisfied with the smattering of black faces in corporate boardrooms. “In this context the image and legacy of Mandela must be regained to reflect the progressive and restless character of the man himself. The Mandela that is militant, defiant yet deliberate is the one that did, and can again inspire South Africans to continue the struggle for the change the country so desperately needs." *David Africa is an independent security analyst based in South Africa. He has previously worked in counter-terrorism intelligence

Nelson Mandela

and research, and served in the underground of the then-banned African National Congress in

NOTORIOUS APARTHEID ENFORCER DIES IN SOUTH AFRICA By Fungai Maboreke -Former apartheid-era defense minister Magnus Malan, who led the resistance to black rule, died at his home on Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday. He was 81. The notorious General Malan viewed domestic and foreign threats to South Africa as a "total onslaught" against the whiteminority regime that could only be answered with a "total solution" that included bombing southern African countries that opposed apartheid. Malan and his "securocrats" in the police and army sent troops in South Africa's townships to violently repress anti-government riots in the 1980s, leading to the declaration of a state of emergency in 1986. He also launched bloody raids against African National Congress bases in neighboring countries, and joined with rebels in Angola to fight Cuban troops aligned with the government in Luanda.

Nelson Mandela In 1995, Malan and 19 other top military brass were charged with the murder of 13 people, seven of them children, in what was called the KwaMakhutha massacre in 1987, and the creation of hit squads. After seven months, the court voted to acquit, finding the apartheid government had paid vigilantes of the Inkatha Freedom Party for the killings. No link to Malan was proved. He leaves his wife of 49 years, three children and nine grandchildren.

ZIMBABWEAN WRITER SCOOPS CAINE AWARD By Fungai Maboreke

hungry children from a slum who

steal guavas from an upscale

suburb.

Speaking to the BBC, NoViolet said: “I try to write stories that don’t normally get told.” Ms Bulawayo explained that she was

THOUSANDS RALLY IN DURBAN AND JO’BURG OVER LOW WAGES, RISING COSTS -South African workers displayed frustration with “poverty wages” in major rallies this week across the nation. They called on government to halt the trend to temporary work, shortened work contracts, and the use of labor brokers who keep wages low while the cost of basic necessities is on the rise. About 70,000 workers in the chemical sector started striking last Monday for a minimum

monthly salary of $872 ($6000 rand) and a 40-hour work week. Congress of South African Trade Unions' general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi told workers South Africa faced a “major crisis” because of inequalities. “Africans are living in poverty with 58 percent earning a salary of $47 ($325 rand) a month,” said Vavi. “We are not enjoying the fruits of our democracy because we remain affiliated with a crisis of unemployment, with 36 percent of people unable to find job opportunities to work.” Food, housing, transport and health care are nearly out of reach

Africa’s leading literary award. She won the award for her story “Hitting Budapest” about six

SOUTH SUDAN TO GIVE WOMEN LONG-DENIED RIGHTS - Tens of thousands of South Sudanese danced and cheered as their new country formally declared its independence on July 9. Much remains to be done, however, to undo the legacy of oppression of women. "The statistics of domestic violence cases are increasing,” said minister of gender, children and social welfare, Agnes Kwaje Lasuba. “This is unacceptable and must be stopped." She commented on a recent report of a girl beaten to death by a relative over a disputed marital gift. “We have a lot of gender-based

violence in the rural areas where men still beat their women to instill discipline", said Lasuba. “The government condemns such practice and looks forward to ensuring that those who commit such crimes are tried in court without delay." Ms. Lasuba was in Juba, leading a ten day capacity building workshop on traditional beliefs. The new national Constitution provides for equal pay, benefits such as maternity leave, equal participation in public life, equal property and inheritance rights and the development of laws to combat traditional practices that are harmful to women. Meanwhile, Northern Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir

-Zimbabwean writer Elizabeth Zandile Tshele, better known as NoViolet Bulawayo, is the recipient of this year’s Caine Prize for African Writing, considered

to begin with, growing up less privileged and having these

"marrying the personal with the dreams," she said. imaginary". Among the other writers on the “Some of these incidents in shortlist were Beatrice Lamwaka Hitting Budapest are taken from from Uganda for her story Buttermy own life - the stealing of guavas fly Dreams, Tim Keegan (South

Africa) for What Molly Knew, Lauri Kubuitsile (Botswana) for In the Spirit of McPhineas Lata and David Medalie (South Africa) for The Mistress’s Dog. Award-winning author and Chair of Judges, Hisham Matar

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of the working class, union leader Simon Mofokeng told the marchers. He blamed capitalists for creating unhealthy competition among workers over the last decade.

said on Tuesday the north will launch austerity measures to compensate for the loss of oil revenues after the south's secession. North Sudan lost 75 percent of its 500,000 barrel-a-day oil production after the south became independent on Saturday. Oil is vital to both economies.

Agnes Kwaje Lasuba

said, “The language of Hitting Budapest crackles. Here we encounter Darling, Bastard, Chipo, Godknows, Stina and Sbho, a gang reminiscent of Clockwork Orange. But these are children, poor and violated and hungry..