#Thabo Mbeki

[readyforevolution]

[cindydacatpink]

B.R.I.C.S. but in 2003 (2000s)

I was inspired with @/viktor_regnsky on Instagram, Eggcountries an CountryHumans version.

That's why I draw them.

[afrotumble]

[neighbourhood-rambler]

Referring to time in presidential administrations only to comment on something totally removed from politics simply because.

: "Cartoons during the Bush Administration were so unhinged."

: "Fashion during the Mbeki Administration was so American influenced"

[himbo-blacksmith]

Eskom (South Africa's power generation & distribution company) has been On One for a few weeks. Or, rather, a few years. More than a decade, really.

Under Thabo Mbeki (called himself the African Thatcher), the state owned entity was forbidden from building more generation capacity in order to make space for the private sector to build generation capacity. During this period, a white paper was released showing that the company needed to add 24 GW of generation capacity, none of which should be coal powered. Rolling blackouts begin in 2007, a year before Mbeki is ousted as President.

Then, under Jacob Zuma (Currently under investigation for multiple corruption related cases), the company sought to build two of the world's largest coal burning power stations, which even international firms refused to undertake because the projects were doomed. Kusile and Medupi were begun in 2011, expected to finish construction in 2017. Neither are finished, and the units that are functioning on both power stations continuously break down and require expensive repairs. The company refuses to build renewable energy. During this period it goes into so much debt that it is at risk of defaulting, and it is only this ill-advised borrowing that allows for a handful of years without rolling blackouts.

Under Cyril Ramaphosa (Tries to be the New Deal Guy, ends up just being Jimmy Carter), the company has been trying desperately to recover from the debt crisis that Zuma's policies put it in. This would not be a problem if the company were just an organ of state, rather than a nominally independent state owned entity. Malcontent contractors have scored maintenance contracts worth millions of rands which they are not qualified for, leading to half-measures which result in breakdowns that require even more repairs, creating a feedback loop of perverse incentives to continue sabotaging infrastructure for ever more money.

We are finally investing in renewable energy, slowly, but things are being severely hampered by Minister for Mineral Resources & Energy Gwede Mantashe, who is widely rumoured to be bankrolled by coal barons. He also brought in a Turkish company that provides grey hydrogen power generation, the Karpowership, which was irregular and which would be environmentally detrimental in the harbour it would be docked in.

Essentially, due to a reduction in state capacity and political paralysis, local elites have been allowed to usurp the functions of state for their own profit. Like wolves nipping at the heels of a sick cow, these robber barons are profiting from the death spiral South Africa finds itself in. Only drastic and punitive action will stave off these scavengers, but due to the aforementioned political paralysis, no one is going to take that necessary action.

[ghost-37]

“I am an African. I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land.” ~ Thabo Mbeki ✊🏿

[culmaer]

just saw the US American version so I thought I'd ask :

it's interesting just how much you can deduce about the history of the country just by looking at the names and titles

[ptseti]

MBEKI: AFRICAN LEADERS HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH EACH OTHER

The African Union (AU) has become a club to defend the interests of African heads of state, not the people. That’s according to Thabo Mbeki, South Africa’s president from 1999 to 2008.

He said part of the problem lies in a lack of accountability. Take the case of Ivory Coast’s Allasane Ouattara, who performed a constitutional coup to extend his presidential term in 2020. We hear not a murmur from the African Union.

Compare that with the AU’s response to revolutionary coups that have swept Africa’s Sahel region in recent years which were backed by the masses on the streets. The continental organisation suspended Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger for throwing off the neo-colonial yoke, even as Western-aligned African leaders keep their AU seats.

[thehollowwriter]

Wide awake because of stupid fucking loadshedding omg. It's midnight and there's absolutely no power and I'm so hot and uncomfortable. For those wondering what loadshedding is:

"South Africa's energy crisis or load shedding is an ongoing period of widespread national blackouts of electricity supply. It began in the later months of 2007 towards the end of Thabo Mbeki's second term as president, and continues to the present." -Wikipedia (I'm too tired to look elsewhere)

There are multiple stages and the highest we've gotten to is stage 8 which is 8 hours of no power. Currently, we have a very important substation that is at risk of breaking. And if does, loadshedding will be ramped up to stage 13. I'm just lucky I live an area where it isn't as bad and we have a wi-fi box.

God damn it this is annoying

[rubberizer92]

🌍 Thabo Mbeki: An Environmental Visionary in OBEY Season 11! 🌿🌟

Gentlemen, prepare to embark on an eco-conscious journey with Thabo Mbeki from South Africa 🇿🇦, an Environmental Scientist who's dedicated to preserving the planet's beauty. In OBEY Season 11, Thabo's mission is to raise awareness about environmental issues and inspire change.

In the world of OBEY, where passion meets purpose, Thabo shines as a beacon of hope for our planet. His commitment to sustainability goes beyond his profession; it's a way of life. Get ready to witness the power of environmental consciousness!

Now, let's discuss how you can support Thabo in his mission to protect the Earth. Your votes on Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter are like a breath of fresh air for the environment, ensuring that his message of conservation reaches far and wide. Every like, comment, save, and share contributes to a greener future. Join us in celebrating Thabo Mbeki's visionary dedication!

Stay tuned for more updates and eco-friendly initiatives as we follow Thabo's journey in OBEY Season 11. Prepare to be inspired by the transformative impact of environmental awareness! 🌍🌟 #OBEYSeason11 #EnvironmentalAdvocate #MeetTheContenders #ThaboMbeki 🏆🔥

[badley]

just got reminded that thabo mbeki was an aids denialist jesus christ

[sageglobalresponse]

The ‘little girl’ from Warri who spoke at US Congress

By Prof. Hope Eghagha

The 385-page book, “I Spoke at the American Congress: The Little Girl from Okere-Warri” published by Rolldat Publications, Lagos Nigeria, in 2022, is Dr. Evelyn Omawunmi Atsiangbe-Urhobo’s bold and detailed account of her life from the early ages till she retired from formal employment. From the remote corners of Okere, despite all odds, Omawumi Urhobo made it big to the international stage through hard work, common sense, courage and God’s help. It is therefore a written narrative that will, should inspire young people.

By their nature, autobiographies capture past personal experiences and how they fit into an institutional, national, or international framework of things which the author believes will be useful to readers by informing, educating, or stimulating them into doing positive things in life. For Dr. Omawumi Urhobo, there is a deliberate attempt to present her experiences from childhood into adulthood through the graceful age of 70 to demonstrate the overwhelming power of disciple, commitment, determination all by the grace of God. So, we are dealing with a book that is introspective and reflective, narrated with the benefit of experience and time. To achieve these, the power of memory is very important. Time obliterates or moderates or plays tricks on memory. However, in the book under review, the author has a knack for recalling intimate details of experiences which she had some sixty-five years ago. And I wondered if she kept a diary from Age 10!

Often, biographies tend to be hagiographical; presenting only palatable experiences, leaving out aspects of their encounters with people and institutions which they believe might portray them in bad light. The fighter in Dr. Urhobo abhors this. ‘I Spoke at the American Congress’ by all standards, is frank, honest and unpretentious in the well-articulated narratives. Indeed, the subtext is that of an activist, a highly focused personality who decided very early the path of life she wanted to tow. With the help of Heaven, she was able to achieve her life’s dreams, concluding at the end of the interesting narrative, that ‘as I cruise on towards my seventieth birthday, I know that God still has a lot lined up for me to achieve.

I Spoke at the American Congress though biographical, falls into the motivational writing category. For, it details the personal determination and rise of a little girl from the poverty-stricken environment that was Okere-Warri in the late 1950s and early 1960s to the glamorous world of diplomacy. With little or no role models to copy, an inner spirit spoke to little Omawunmi that she must not end up like the other girls who were made pregnant and whose lives and dreams were truncated by that social accident. Omawumi was by her on account, ‘a militant child who found a cause to fight on every occasion’, who ‘fought for others more than I fought for my own personal causes, p. 59.

The book is divided into fourteen chapters. The Foreword is written by Zanele Mbeki, wife of Mr. Thabo Mbeki, former President of The Republic of South Africa. It has attestations from such persons as Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, (CON), her children, Mr. & Mrs. Gbubemi Ukubeyinje, Sa’adat (Stella) Adiah Ibrahim, Mr. John Onyeukwu, Mr. Emmanuel Efeni and others. Each chapter captures the events of that period in her life, told with passion and attention to details. The narrative does not start from the beginning, which is the author’s way of drawing attention to issues and ideas that meant a great deal in her life.

The first chapter titled ‘Attending at (sic) the Global Women in Management Workshop’ is an account of a visit to the US when she had the opportunity to address a Committee in the American Congress. That she starts from the middle of the story shows how significant that experience was to her life’s trajectory. The interesting part of this narrative and experience is that she got on the delegation through her commitment to the challenges of the ordinary poor people of society, a woman who never forgot her roots. Because her heart was for helping the less-privileged God continued to give her opportunities that would enable her to fulfill her dreams.

Chapter Two takes us through her birth, circumstances, family, and primary school education. She paints a clear picture of Okere in the period under review. It was a community where there were many mothers and aunties and cousins all living together with a degree of harmony despite occasional fights, but with the absence of a father figure. It was also a community where ‘a rather barbaric tradition of killing of twins and children born from incestuous relationships’ (p.62) and where there was a ‘high rate of sexual openness and freedom (which) the young ones are exposed to’ p. 65. This chapter gives us an insight into character formation and development. Despite the predominant licentiousness, the little girl decided very early that she was not going to be a part of it. Writing about the Awankere festivals she observes:

“In fact, the festival itself has its sexual connotations. And so, very many young people get pregnant quickly and recklessly with this exposure. …Growing up there, then, there was this formed consciousness in me that I was not growing to toe this line of promiscuity. p. 65.

Chapter Three titled Hussey College (1965-1971) chronicles her years in that elite secondary school and how her days there helped to shape her future aspirations. Some of the friends she made there have remained close after many decades. Her brilliance and speed in athletics started manifesting while in Hussey College and she represented her school, the state, and the country at different sports outings. In Chapter Four, she documents her National Youths Service experience at Ibadan. The narrative in this chapter is very interesting starting from how she secured her posting to Ibadan.

Her involvement in the liberation struggle of South Africa using the International University Exchange Fund (IUEF) is captured in Chapter Five, titled ‘My Work with the International University Exchange Fund. The IUEF became a platform which launched her into the global network system. Chapters Seven, Eight, Nine, deal with her interaction with and foray into Education as a medium of developing potentials of individuals in society, Community Banking, and her business ventures. The Morgan Smart Development Foundation narrates activities of this body named for her late father and how it has impacted lives of people. We sense a strong devotion to the memory of her fate father Mr. Morgan Smart Urhobo a boxer who died rather young.

In Chapter Nine, she gives a detailed account of her personal life, especially the issue of single parenting. As usual her frank, unpretentious accounts are riveting, educative, and almost philosophical. Her capacity to recall the details of her romantic relationships is remarkable. It shows the personality of the author — she took deliberate and unpopular decisions and has stood by them despite what people may say. Of course, she acknowledges the fact that she was not mentally or psychologically prepared for some of the consequences of single parenting. This did not stop her from rising to the occasion and doing her best.

While Chapter Eleven — Travels/Award and Recognition Travels – deals with her travels around the world both for work and pleasure, with all the awards she has won in her colourful career, Chapter Twelve — My Sojourn into Politics — focuses on her foray into the world of politics at the grassroots level in Okere under the umbrella of a political party. In her brief romance with politics, she saw firsthand all the shenanigans of politicians and how the most popular candidate does not always win in elections.

Chapter Thirteen, aptly titled ‘The Conspiracy of Silence Against the Women of the Niger Delta’, Dr. Urhobo rails against the neglect which the poor women in the riverine areas of the Niger Delta have suffered over the years. ‘The women live under excruciating poverty, but in most cases, are still breadwinners in their homes and family’. She also blames government officials because ‘when visitations are carried out by top government officials even from the legislative arms, they always end by the water side leading to the riverine communities. p. 371.

Though well narrated in smooth and elegant prose, there are a few infelicities that should be corrected before the next edition is published. For example, the possessive apostrophe in nouns is completely missing throughout the text and the printer makes use of a full stop in its place. At page 369, the word ‘exuberant’ is used in place of ‘exorbitant’. Also, some of the otherwise historical and memorable pictures are blurred. A better production or resolution could have been achieved. These infelicities are minor and do not remove the pleasure of reading a well-written book which contents are inspiring and educative.

I Spoke to the American Congress evinces and promotes the virtues of commitment, love, single-mindedness, caring for the less privileged through advocacy on behalf of the poor, courage, determination, fairness, hard work and a life of purpose. It promotes the culture of sowing positive seeds in life, seeds that later would generate trees. It will be a good read for the younger generation, especially those who have invested in, or channeled their intelligence to the notorious Yahoo Yahoo social menace because of their desire for quick money. It captures the essence of the old life, how schools and parents inculcated discipline in children.

During her career the ‘little girl from Okere’ has won over twenty-five awards from within and outside the country as we read from page 341 of the book. Some of these include:

National award as Woman of Honour (WHO) by the National Council of Women Society (2004) A Merit award by the Student Union Government of Petroleum Training Institute in recognition of her outstanding efforts in elevating lives, especially youths in the Niger DELTA (2005). 

Induction into the University of Lagos Sports Hall of Fame Lagos, 2005.

The Corporate Woman of Excellence Award as Community Leader of the Year by Corporate Amazons Magazine Lagos, 2007.

African Icon of our Generation Award in 2007 bestowed on her for exemplary life of excellence.

An international Award as Woman Millenum Development Ambassador by Teachers Without Borders in the USA.

Finally, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the ‘Little Girl from Okere’ author of the well written ‘I Spoke to the American Congress’, the story of the Little Girl from Okere-Warri’ is no longer a little girl; she is now a grand dame at 70, for which we give thanks to God. Congratulations Ma!

*Professor Hope Eghagha is of the University of Lagos

[heysatanitsyourgirl]

Hello this is a great chance to talk about a story I love to tell: The Dunnes Stores Strikers.

I’m the 80’s Irish unions ( The IDATU ) voted to protest the apartheid regime in South Africa. Stores across the whole country were made aware that union workers wouldn’t be handling/selling any South African goods or produce. Most stores/management were okay with this and allowed its workers to implement the ban.

Except Dunnes store on Henry street Dublin.

Mary Manning, a young girl working at the till, followed her unions directive and refused to sell a South African Grapefruit. She was told by management to leave. Her floor supervisor, a woman named Karen Gearon, ordered a full walk out on the spot in solidarity.

The two of them aswell as other workers;

Liz Deasy, Michelle Gavin, Vonnie Munroe, Alma Russll, Sandra Griffin, Theresa Mooney, Cathryn O’Reilly and Tommy Davis. With Union representative Brendan Barron.

spent just over 2 years on strike, working against Dunnes and it’s selling of South African produce. They protested along side a refugee from the apartheid named Nimrod Sejake and for 2 years they spent every morning outside of Dunnes store, holding up the picket and encouraging people to boycott the store until they stopped selling the produce.

They were invited to go to South Africa by Desmond Tutu to see the situation with their own eyes, however the government treated them with extreme hostility and were forced to leave the country after being held within the airport with guns for hours.

They were so dedicated that Vonnie Monroe even chose to loose her house rather then break the picket like a judge had suggested.

Their strike lead to a nation wide ban and the creation of new laws. It contributed to the end of the regime, they were even recognised by Nelson Mandela who said “ordinary people far away from the crucible of apartheid cared for our freedom”.

There is even now a street in Johannasburg named after Mary manning and a Plaque on Henry Street seared by President Thabo Mbeki.

The Irish stand against apartheid and always will.

If you're going to do something similar you have to make sure the store knows you're targeting Israeli products specifically

[titou-nz]

Johannesbourg - South Africa

Criminalité

Johannesbourg est l'une des villes les moins sûres du monde en temps de paix, notamment au centre-ville. La ville est souvent citée dans des études pour avoir l'un des taux d'homicide le plus élevé au monde. Il y a en moyenne 20 meurtres par jour. La majeure partie de la population y circulant vient des townships miséreux, connaissant eux aussi de forts taux de criminalité.

Les gens de classe moyenne et supérieure habitent dans des maisons protégées par de hautes clôtures, munies de barbelés, de fils électriques, et surveillées par les compagnies de sécurité privées aussi appelé gated communities. Dans les quartiers pauvres comme Hillbrow et les townships environnants, la violence est importante. Les maisons de briques ne sont pas toujours protégées par des clôtures avec barbelés. Les maisons de tôle d'acier sont généralement sans protection.

Économie

Au XXIe siècle, l'activité minière n'est plus le secteur principal de l'économie locale. L'essor des services, ainsi que la construction d'un aéroport international, ont fait de Johannesbourg une cité de première importance pour le commerce africain et mondial. L'agglomération de Johannesbourg (Gauteng) assure 40 % du PIB de l'Afrique du Sud.

L'héritage de la période d'apartheid a maintenu une crise du logement pour les noirs, gravement touchés par le chômage, lequel, selon le gouvernement, avoisine les 40 %, entretient les rancœurs à l'encontre des immigrés accusés de rafler les emplois, de faire baisser le coût du travail, voire de faire augmenter la délinquance. Le gouvernement de Thabo Mbeki, qui a succédé à Nelson Mandela, a sous-estimé la crise au Zimbabwe limitrophe. Cette crise a précipité trois millions de clandestins de l'autre côté de la frontière. Les écarts de revenu et les tensions raciales créent d'importants problèmes d'insécurité dans le centre-ville, déserté par les blancs, et abandonné par les investisseurs. Ce centre-ville tente actuellement de se restructurer autour d'un nouveau quartier administratif et culturel à vocation touristique.

En 1999, Johannesbourg nomme un manageur pour la ville afin d'améliorer sa mauvaise situation financière. Ce dernier, conjointement avec le conseil municipal, élabore un plan de réforme stratégique appelé « Igoli 2002 ». La ville passe ainsi de la quasi-insolvabilité à un surplus de 153 millions de rands (23,6 millions USD).

[andizi]

Thabo Mbeki Tribute to Tito Titus Mboweni

[lboogie1906]

Bishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu (October 7, 1931 – December 26, 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg (1985-86) and Archbishop of Cape Town (1986-96) he was the first Black African to hold both positions. He sought to fuse ideas from Black theology with African theology.

He was ordained as an Anglican priest and moved to the UK to study theology at King’s College London. He returned to southern Africa, teaching at the Federal Theological Seminary and then the University of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland. He became the Theological Education Fund’s director for Africa. He served first as dean of St Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg and then as Bishop of Lesotho, taking an active role in opposition to South Africa’s apartheid system of racial segregation and white-minority rule. He was general secretary of the South African Council of Churches, emerging as one of South Africa’s most prominent anti-apartheid activists. Although warning the National Party government that anger at apartheid would lead to racial violence, as an activist he stressed non-violent protest and foreign economic pressure to bring about universal suffrage.

He became president of the All Africa Conference of Churches. After President F. W. de Klerk released the anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990 and the pair led negotiations to end apartheid and introduce multi-racial democracy, He assisted as a mediator between rival Black factions. President Mandela selected him to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He has campaigned for gay rights and spoken out on a wide range of subjects, among them the Israel-Palestine conflict, his opposition to the Iraq War, and his criticism of South African Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. In 2010, he retired from public life.

He was popular among South Africa’s Black majority and was internationally praised for his anti-apartheid activism, receiving a range of awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize. He has compiled several books of his speeches and sermons. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence