Malawi: Government statement rejecting the notion that Prophet Shepard Bushiri was on President Chakwera’s Plane (16.11.2020)

The Bushiri Escape is straight outta of a movie..

Sometimes things are to good to be true. There are some stories that sounds like fiction, but is still happening in real life. In this instance, the story of Prophet Shepard Bushiri is one of those.

Yes, the man is the definition of a pastorpreneur, who set up churches like a business. The man is using the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) and the Prophetic Channel as his company, which he profits massively from. This is the hustle of the man and his family. Both in Malawi and all the way to South Africa.

In South Africa, the authorities has charged the pastor for money laundering. The pastor has gotten bail with some strings. However, for some obvious reasons he has still been able to flee. Not by the plane of the President of Malawi. Who was passing by on a brief working visit. Even if there was speculations about that.

There are more likely ways he has done it. As he has been part of a Car Thieving Enterprise or a Syndicate who exports stolen cars from South Africa to Malawi. In this instance he fled through the borders together with sophisticated thieves. Straight out of a movie. “Gone in 60 Seconds – Bushiri Edition”. A road movie gone totally wrong.

Yes, a pastor/prophet should hang out with thieves, sinners and the lower class of society. That is to show interests in their plights and their needs. Also guide them to a better life and redeem themselves. However, if he joined these criminals. He most like entertained and bribed himself out of it all. Yet, again continuing to do illegal stuff to get away from money laundering charges. That is not repenting, but adding more sins. “Thou shall not sin” instead more “thou shall sin”.

Prophet Bushiri is in a league of trouble by doing this. He might been able to string along the flight, the ability to cross the borders and enter Malawi. However, why does he has a connection to thieves selling illegal imported vehicles? Is the reports true that he got a diplomatic passport? Why does a prophet have a diplomatic passport? Why did the judge accept the conditions of the bail? Is it true that the judge of this case is a member of his ECG church in South Africa?

Because, there are so much going on. The Malawi government haven’t entertained anything. While the South African authorities now have to issue orders and negotiate an extradition of Bushiri from Malawi to return for prosecution and face the charges on him. While he might have caused more counts of criminal cases as a fleeing suspect and involving himself with other criminal activity. This is all not good look on a pastor. Who is supposed to look holier than thou.

Prophet Shepard Bushiri only looks more guilty by fleeing and being a fugitive running away from the law. This is not the message and the thing that should haunt a prophet or a “Man of God”.

The way he fled and by the means of doing so… should be a movie. Also a lesson in how not to run a church and use the donations to the “works for God”. Because, this seems illegitimate and insincere at best. When he goes with criminal syndicates to be able to flee from a Court Case. That is what I am seeing…

Prophet Bushiri should know better, but he used his station and possible laundered money illegally out of South Africa back to Malawi. That is something he got to answer too and address in the Courts. Not run away, because that suspects his ill intent and also his guilt.

He needs to be brought back to South Africa and face justice. His not above the law. The man could have used his ministry for good, but instead sponged on it. If he was sincere and honest. The man would have stood tall in the Courts and not fled with a bunch of thieves. Peace.

 

Opinion: World Bank shouldn’t punish countries with a revamped SAPs

“Countries will need to implement structural reforms to help shorten the time to recovery and create confidence that the recovery can be strong. For those countries that have excessive regulations, subsidies, licensing regimes, trade protection or litigiousness as obstacles, we will work with them to foster markets, choice and faster growth prospects during the recovery“ (Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass on G20 Finance Ministers Conference Call on COVID-19, 23.03.2020).

It is like the head of the World Bank didn’t learn anything from the past. His just saying he will re-issue old programs, which wasn’t effective. Unless, his earning his fortunes from the “Washington Consensus”. Because, instead of being able to make functional states, these states who are already in the dire need of loans and grants. Now, would need the IMF and WB if they got into a new period of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). Instead of trying to rebuild and actually make them work. His instead dismantling the institutions they do have and lack of fiscal support to build more.

This is reckless and irresponsible. It is disrespectful and a disgrace. That the World Bank didn’t learn from its mistakes and the reason for the peril of plenty of states. Since they drank the kool-aid and followed the plans of the past. Since they needed the funds and grants to be able to function as it was. Nevertheless, we needs to bring back more ills and more weakening of states, because that is how you create growth. More privatization and more elitism. Since, that is the medicine to the poverty and lack of social security. This is what I read from the man.

This is the lesson he never got, maybe because it didn’t hit home:

“The past two decades of World Bank and IMF structural adjustment in Africa have led to greater social and economic deprivation, and an increased dependence of African countries on external loans. The failure of structural adjustment has been so dramatic that some critics of the World Bank and IMF argue that the policies imposed on African countries were never intended to promote development. On the contrary, they claim that their intention was to keep these countries economically weak and dependent. The most industrialized countries in the world have actually developed under conditions opposite to those imposed by the World Bank and IMF on African governments. The U.S. and the countries of Western Europe accorded a central role to the state in economic activity, and practiced strong protectionism, with subsidies for domestic industries. Under World Bank and IMF programs, African countries have been forced to cut back or abandon the very provisions which helped rich countries to grow and prosper in the past” (Ann-Louise Colgan, Hazardous to Health: The World Bank and IMF in Africa, Africa Action, April 18, 2002 ).

So, why does this man want to punish the countries after the pandemic? Why scale the institutions and the states to salvage funds from the World Bank? Instead of helping them to increase and ensure better state functions. He wants them to take another round of Structural Adjustment Programs. Which has caused so much ills in the first place. More austerity and less investment in the states.

It is like the beacon was never set and the idea of it takes money to make money. That your only getting more with less. While the states will live on austerity, the reality is that the donors, the aid organization and multi-national organizations will never leave. The circle continues and we never get to build. There will always lack the need and the usage of foreign projects will only be short-term temporary measures, but not systemic relief. Which should be the basis for what the World Bank want to do.

Unless, they want states to hooked and also in need of them. Because, the SAPs creates this and make them addicted too it. Instead of actually becoming independent and also self-sufficient, which should be the goal of any developing agency. That is if they were sincere and wanted states to develop. Not only patch the hurt and move-on. Instead of building it, brick by brick. Peace.

Opinion: Prophet Bushiri’s tricks is soon over…

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves” (2. Peter 2:1, New International Version).

Yesterday, was a day where one who has been unbelievable, one that had visions so marvellous and done stunts in way; that many of us couldn’t imagine. This happens to be the Prophet Shepard Bushiri of Malawi, the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG), who is based in South Africa, but has branches in Zimbabwe, South Korea and Malawi. The man that claims that he has brought over 2 million people to Christ.

However, there are other stories that shows what sort of man this is. As he has bought three private planes. Bought a Masarati for his daughters birthday. That is just minor things, but what hit him yesterday. Isn’t his wealth and his followers donating cash into the Money Pit of the Prophet.

No, yesterday was the day, where the South African HAWKS arrested him and his wife on charges of Money Laundering. In November 2018, there was already speculations of a Half Billion Rand Scandal with the Prophet in the midsts of it. In the reporting from November, there was reports that the Prophet tried to bribe the State Officers to quash the criminal cases on him. That has no happen, as we have hit February 2019 and the HAWKS got enough on him to charge him.

Surely, the Prophet should have prayed so that God could have again appeared in his dream. To warn him about the HAWKS and the direct actions. So, that he could disappear in time and also not be in legal trouble, as he is lingering in jail until Monday, when he will appear in Court answering on the charges.

Maybe, the Prophet should have tried to do the trick of walking into thin-air and sway away from the officers. Apparently, he has had enough money to go through his businesses and churches. So, that the state could prosecute this and charge him. There already proof of illegal activity, as he was sentenced by his Shepard Bushiri Investment (PTY) Limited, where the corporation did an exchange, which the company wasn’t licensed to do. That was done about December 2016 until December 2017. At that time, because of this, the company of the Prophet got a fine of R 50,000 on the 13^th August 2018.

This is from the same prophet that is known for taking R 5,000 for personal meetings. So, surely the Prophet just needed ten naive followers to pay-up to be prayed for, before being able to pay the courts back then.

Now, certainly the Prophet is in bigger trouble. The HAWKS can surely figure this out and have the tangible evidence of the money laundering and the illegal activity from the Prophet. The way he has made money is selling “anointing oil” for a small fortune. That he has displayed with cars and private planes, as previously mentioned.

Therefore, many was wondering how he could grow his wealth, as his mission and international tours has persisted. Bushiri are now in the spotlight and has been flagged by the HAWKS.

He could fake a lot things, but he cannot fake the transactions, the illegal money laundering or anything else the state has charged him with. He is not untouchable and now been touched by law enforcement.

He can pray in the cell for redemption, for salvation or for legal help. Whatever is coming for him, is a storm that he cannot control. This over R 16m dating back to 2015. However, there might be more, if they peel the onion. Because as I found out, there been other court cases and even unlicensed exchanges, that the Prophet was not allowed to do.

So, certainly, he will catch a break from making sermons and walking into the thin-air. Maybe, he will sell less anointing oil this year. Peace.

Opinion: Mugabe’s failing reputation has now even gotten stained by Botswana!

There are often many signs when someone has been in power for too long, their age and their will to serve. That is why the Mugabe family are riding new Rolls Royce’s down the streets of Harare, while the citizens are struggling to afford gasoline and possible hyper-inflation again. So, the Zimbabwean

President, the Head of State have the audacity to insult Botswana. Even if his own state is in tatters and self-indulgent of his cronies and ZANU-PF. A man like that should more careful with his words, but his use of power and His Excellence are used to be chauffeured and have enough “yes men” filling brigades. Therefore, they will not stop him or disagree with him.

That’s why these sort of acts and words comes from his mouth. President Mugabe wants to act like the wise, but comes off as the ignorant. Blaming Botswana for not sticking-up for itself. Would he have respected if someone said the same about himself, which was a fellow Statesmen? I doubt it, he would say other foreign forces had allied against him and wanted to invade his precious Republic. Because, then Mugabe become defensive.

Now, lets look at the quotes from recent events!

Mugabe publicly spatting about Botswana candidate:

“Speaking at a meeting with his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, Mugabe said everyone in the region had tried to support Venson-Moitoi, except Khama. “We worked hard, they worked hard, sweated. They sweated, you sweated, we sweated, but one man did not sweat. He sat at home and expected miracles to happen, but that did not happen. Everybody just said you (Venson-Moitoi), we have not seen your President here, he does not attend meetings. What will happen if we placed the organization (AU) in his hands. She had worked hard and we were sorry that she lost. But we knew in advance that we were trying the impossible one,” Mugabe said, drawing laughter from both the Zimbabwe and South African delegation attending a binational commission, aimed at strengthening trade relations between the two neighbors” (Mhaladi, 2017).

Botswana retort to Mugabe:

“The Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation wishes to respond to the recent media reports in which His Excellency, Mr. Robert G. Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe blamed the loss of the candidature bid of Botswana’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi for the position of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, on the lack of support by His Excellency, Lieutenant General Dr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of the Republic of Botswana. In this connection, the Government of Botswana has taken note of the comments and regrets these inaccurate and unfortunate remarks. However, the Ministry chooses not to comment any further out of respect for President Mugabe’s advanced age and as such, understands that allowances need to be made” (The Observer, 2017).

That President Mugabe has some age, that is true the President is now currently 93 years old and has been running the government since 1980. It’s high time for changes in Zimbabwe since the government is rotting on its roots. Therefore, political activists are detained on phony charges and no-sense policies are put on the people. The economy is fragile and weak, the reputation of the Bond-Notes is as low as it should be, considering it came with beautiful idea, let’s borrow money to print money. Could think they key economic adviser came from bankrupt banks and maybe it did!

So President Mugabe should be more careful, its been years since his last success, unless seeing his wife fleeing from the law in South Africa on possible assault with battery charges on a South African model. The rampant injustice of the system and total control that put the whole state into abysmal performance because of constant oversight. Clearly, the Mugabe regime and ZANU-PF has not thought of letting it go, even if it means making the situation worse, than it already is.

So that he critique the Botswana government for their African Union position and blamed them for the way it went. Shows the lack of tact the man has now. Instead of concealing defeat and discussing it with the Botswanian counterparts, he bluntly speaks ill of them with South African President Zuma. So use others misfortune to bond with important neighbor. That just how Mugabe, the supposed elder Statesman is acting and not supposed to be.

That President Khama should take is offense is natural, but Mugabe can offend anyone because of his age and get away it. Still, he deserves to be rebuked for his words. If he continues he will has less friends on the continent. Not that the Zimbabwean Republic is strong friend for them in need either. Not at this point. Peace.

Reference:

Mhaladi, Bakang – ‘Botswana mum after Mugabe jibe on Khama’ (03.10.2017) link: https://southernafrican.news/2017/10/03/botswana-mum-after-mugabe-jibe-on-khama/

The Observer – ‘“Mugabe’s comments are inaccurate and unfortunate”: Botswana responds to Mugabe’s attack on Ian Khama’ (05.10.2017) link: http://theobserver.co.zw/mugabes-comments-are-inaccurate-and-unfortunate-botswana-responds-to-mugabes-attack-on-ian-khama/

Grace “Gucci Gucci” Mugabe [above the law] got her ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ today after her violent acts against several models at Sandton Hotel!

We can now officially say that First Lady of Zimbabwe are now standing above the laws of South Africa, a republic where she doesn’t reside, but because the relationship between Mugabe family and South African government, the RSA laws doesn’t matter to the Princes of ZANU-PF and their Family members. Grace Mugabe can now assault with battery and with intent, and get away it it. Since it was internal family matters, a visit to look after her long-lost kids who lives in luxury, while the Zimbabweans are starving. Such justice there, but the point now, is that Grace Mugabe can assault not only one person, but more with help of her bodyguards. Just take a look, first the ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ and then eyewitness stories from what she is free of charges from, because of her stature and place of life. The law isn’t the same for all kind, especially not when you have powerful friends, it seems.

Government Notice number 850 of 20^th August from Minister Maite Nkoana-Mshabane, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperations wrote: “In accordance with the powers vested in me by section 7(2) of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act, 2001 (Act No. 37 of 2001) and acting in the interest of Republic of South Africa, I hereby recognize the immunities and privileges of the First Lady of Zimbabwe, Dr. Grace Mugabe, in terms of international law and as set out in the attached Notice” (Government Gazette, 20.08.2017 – Government Notice No. 850 of 2017).

Victims of Grace Mugabe’s rage:

“One of the three women, who describes herself as a promotional model, told of her terror as Mugabe lashed out at them. Mugabe was accompanied by about 10 bodyguards and hotel security guards and she was looking for her sons, Robert jnr, 25, and Chatunga Bellarmine, 21. Both men had fled the room when they heard their mother coming. The attack took place in Sandton’s The Capital 20 West hotel. The woman said that at the time she did not know who her assailant was or why she and her friends were being beaten. “I really thought she was going to kill me … From the moment she stormed into the room she was ready to murder someone,” the woman said. “The electrical cord-cable was tightly wrapped around her hands. No one could stop her. The guards and hotel security guards just stood there and watched as she whipped me with the cord and dragged me across the floor by my hair.” Mugabe’s sons have recently been in the news for their behaviour. The brothers were kicked out of a Sandton hotel last month, allegedly for bad behaviour” (…) “When the three friends could not tell her where her sons where, Mugabe lashed out at them with the electrical cord. The woman said the attack carried on for 20 minutes. While she was being assaulted, her friends fled. “She dragged me by my hair and held me tight. She slashed me viciously with the electrical cord. She then dragged me by my hair across the floor and threw me on a couch where she forced me to call our mutual friend and Bellarmine’s best friend, but their phones were off. “She continued beating me with the cord; I was rescued by the hotel manager, who rushed to the room after hearing my screams for help.” Engels’s two friends said they were too frightened of Grace Mugabe to lay criminal complaints, but said they would support Engels in court” (Ndabeni, 2017).

This should be insulting to the victims, the families and to the justice system of South Africa. That a foreign dignitary can carry out assaults and violence on their citizens. Than, run home with immunity from her crimes. The violence done because of the sons wish of partying with models and expensive bottles wine. The sons of Robert Mugabe have already caused trouble on the same hotel in past, but because of their standing and ranks they are allowed back. If someone else did similar acts, they would be banned from the premises.

Still, as that is awful enough – Grace Mugabe put-up the ante and attacked fellow guests of her sons. She violated them and harassed them. Grace Mugabe actually torn them and used violence. The First Lady did not act against her sons in this way, but against strangers who was invited by her sons. She attacked innocent South African girls, who had no ill-intent and was invited to the hotel. This is vicious and insane!

So with this in mind, the RSA and the Minister Maite Nkoana-Mshabane should offer a leaf of faith. This should be investigated and taken to the law. First Lady Mugabe should stand trial and answer for the possible misgivings and assault with battery. This isn’t flattering, this is a clear violation of ordinary and civilian courtesy. The First Lady could have talked ordinary to the woman and asked why they we’re there and why her sons was gone. Instead, she attacked them with the force of 10 bodyguards and left no-one with wounds. The witnesses even fear the woman after this and that is not strange, she attacked them viciously.

What is more insulting, is that the State offers no sympathy for their own citizens and leaves them behind. They are just flesh-wounds and exchangeable, they can be traded with someone else. The next time the Mugabe boys looking for a fling. No big-deal, but the Mugabe family is so unique and special. So they can assault strangers without any consequence or facing justice. They are above the law, not only in Zimbabwe, but also in the proud Republic of South Africa.

This is just proving that the First Lady of Zimbabwe can do whatever she wants, the same for her sons and also the President. Since they are dignitaries and state officials with different passports, but that doesn’t mean they should get away with everything. Also, this shows how accommodating the RSA is the Mugabe family and therefore, accept this sort of behavior. It is okay and nothing wrong, apparently that is the message. Peace.

Reference:

Ndabeni, Khanyi – ‘ First Lady, Grace Mugabe ‘was ready to murder’ (20.08.2017) link: https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2017-08-19-first-lady-grace-mugabe-was-ready-to-murder/

“Gucci Gucci Mugabe” ditches justice in South Africa!

You know your an important person or of some influence when you can run from the law and not get into greater trouble. If it was an ordinary person or an ordinary Zimbabwean citizen who did something unjust in South Africa, the person would be questioned, would make an affidavit and been put for trial. Nevertheless, the First Lady Grace Mugabe could access lawyers and even run from the Republic. She was not on official business as a diplomat, but she was there for her sons. Just take a look!

“Gabriella Engels on Monday said she was visiting Mugabe’s two sons Robert and Chatunga at the Capital 20 West Hotel whom she met through a mutual friend on Saturday. Engels said a bodyguard asked her and a friend to wait in a separate room before Mugabe allegedly started beating her. “When Grace entered I had no idea who she was. She walked in with an extension cord and just started beating me with it,” Engels told News24 over the phone. Engels said Mugabe accused her of living with her sons. “She flipped and just kept beating me with the plug. Over and over. I had no idea what was going on. I was surprised… I needed to crawl out of the room before I could run away” (…) “Her ten bodyguards just stood there watching, no one did anything, no one tried to help me.” Engels said hotel staff escorted her out of the hotel. She immediately tried to open a case of assault at the Sandton police station” (De Villiers, 2017).

So when you have these sort of allegations against the First Lady of Zimbabwe, the South African Police Service (SAPS) should take this serious. Instead, they are doing this:

That she wants to use diplomatic immunity for her assault of a 20 year old lady and model at the Hotel in South Africa, shows the proof of using her reach of power to personal gain. This is disrespectful of the person violated by her and her assistance, there is nothing that justifies this and also it should be wrong of the South African state to disband the investigation and not look into the matter.

That means that VIPs and greater persons of power can be over the state and over the law. She should be indicted and put into question over the acts that happen at the hotel. That they can be verified and the assault charges can be put to rest. She was not a diplomat or a part of state convoy with state security ushering her around in South Africa. “Gucci Gucci” was initial a tourist in South Africa visiting family members, not being there to discuss trade and border issues between Zimbabwe and RSA. That was not the issue of the days, she was not at Gauteng or Pretoria trying to discuss important members with officials. Instead, she was there visiting her kids, where she met a model and hurt Engels.

This is really sad, how little the law matter, when VIPs and people of Power breaches the laws in the RSA. That is shown with the Gupta’s and Zuma’s, now also Mugabe’s, surely it must help that Zuma and Mugabe has houses close by in Dubai. So they have surely shared a few moments together there around the pool. This is disgraceful to Zimbabwe and also to South Africa. Both republics are played around by the First Lady Mugabe. This is beneath the State and the Authorities, as they can do as they want.

If the RSA gives “Gucci Gucci” diplomatic immunity in this case, than their true allies of Zimbabwe, but are disgracing their own laws and justice, which is not equal for all, but the VIPs can do as they want. Peace.

Reference:

De Villiers, James – ‘Grace Mugabe ‘assaulted’ me with an extension cord, model, 20, claims’ (14.08.2017) link: http://m.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/grace-mugabe-assaulted-me-with-an-extension-cord-model-20-claims-20170814

EFF statement on the police harassment of the CIC Julius Malema (03.04.2016)

#RhodesMustGo: Statement on the Marikana Campaign (18.08.2015)

Following the wave of decolonial rage incited and ignited by the #RhodesMustFall movement, we have been consistently misunderstood, misrepresented, silenced and intimidated by wolves in sheep’s clothing- the colonial institutions we are learning to deconstruct.

In the shadow of the anniversary of the massacre of Marikana, #RhodesMustFall will relentlessly drive forward the project of decolonisation to its logical conclusion. The University of Cape Town, as an integral part of the machinery of colonialism, is deeply implicated in the events of Marikana, and we are here, if only to break that machinery into pieces.

The massacre of Marikana lies at the center of the problem of South Africa. The collusion of the state and white monopoly capital has not been clearer since the negotiated settlement that formed the nightmare that is contemporary South Africa- the ‘new’ dispensation.

On Thursday, August 16th, South African Police Services killed 34 protesters at a platinum mine, owned by the Lonmin company, and located in a town called Marikana. This display of police brutality was targeted at protestors who were fighting for a living wage.

The tragedy of this expression of state violence must be historicised and contextualised. In amidst the nuances and contradictions of the details of the massacre, the #RhodesMustFall movement echoes the call to target the roots of the tree, and by the roots, we explicitly refer to the violence of a) South Africa, b) the state, and c) it’s police, as an underpinning and unholy trinity of our nation’s (dys)function.

As a movement standing for the notion that ‘Rhodes’- as a symbol of the colonial situation of our nation- must fall, it is with bittersweet irony that we discover that the London Stock Exchange listed company, Lomnin, was a former division of the company known as LonRho (London Rhodes).

‪#‎RhodesLivesOnInMarikana‬

Without decolonisation, these structures will continue to demolish post-1994 reforms as they move forward with their colonial objectives. In the words of the revolutionary, Frantz Fanon, we remember –
“Colonialism hardly ever exploits the whole of a country. It contents itself with bringing to light the natural resources, which it extracts, and exports to meet the needs of the mother country’s industries, thereby allowing certain sectors of the colony to become relatively rich. But the rest of the colony follows its path of under-development and poverty, or at all events, sinks into it more deeply.”

So what does this have to do with UCT?”

#RhodesMustFall, as we have articulated since our inception, has identified the University of Cape Town as amongst the key spaces and institutions that uphold the criminal status quo in which we find ourselves today. Through the legacy of the likes of Cecil John Rhodes, we have endeavoured to dig up the thinly veiled web of wealth, domination and violence that UCT has continuously benefitted from since its establishment.

In this, our next phase, we vow to hold the university accountable for its relationship to the unending violence against black bodies in Azania. It is an open secret that the University of Cape Town has, for several years, invested millions in mining corporations, in particular, Lonmin, through its retirement annuities. This has remained unchanged since the tragedy of Marikana.

We therefore encourage the public to work collectively in requesting the financial records of this institution because in moving forward, transparency is key.

The enormous financial contributions made by the mining sector to the university have, of course, come at a cost. The impact on knowledge production is most visceral in the engineering, economics and politics departments who house many programmes that propagate a neo-liberal conception of development and society that does little more than prepare them for careers and professions that exist to preserve the status quo and generate white monopoly capital. We note with disdain the particular deficiencies in the UCT economics department that has been established as a factory for the kinds of uncritical capitalistic thinking that will ensure that the events of Marikana will be repeated.

And of this we are certain:

Without decolonisation, Marikana will happen again.

As a self-avowed elite institution, UCT has garnered and fostered close relationships with multinational corporations who arrive at our doorstep with Trojan horses at career fairs, and on our donor acknowledgement boards. Many UCT graduates are granted safe passage into these organisations, while during education as students, are structurally and violently denied the information and history of the ground upon which they stand. The consequence is the repeated misdirection of potential skill, energy and passion away from the benefit of the majority of South Africans and toward the ends of white monopoly capital.

To further demonstrate the complicity of the ivory tower of UCT, we call to attention the presence of Judge Iam Farlam, the chair of the Marikana inquiry commission, on the university council. The #RhodesMustFall movement calls for the immediate removal of Judge Ian Farlam from council. This arises firstly out of a conflict of interest, as evidenced by the connections between Lonmin and UCT, but crucially as a response to the conclusions drawn by Judge Farlam in his report as highlighted below:

“The evidence shows -(a) that the tragic events at Marikana are rooted in widespread labour disputes in the area, particularly, at Lonmin’s Karee mine and at the nearby Impala Platinum Mine (‘Implats’) which were characterized by violence, intimidation and loss of life and the undermining of agreed collective bargaining processes; and (b) that the tragic events that occurred during the period 12 to 16 August 2012 originated from the decision and conduct of the strikers in embarking on an unprotected strike and in enforcing the strike by violence and intimidation, using dangerous weapons for the purpose”.

The conclusion listed above clearly places the root responsibility of the escalation of Marikana’s violence onto a disinherited black working class, which itself chooses to overlook the continual violence of the establishment of the mines themselves, and their historical role in the class formation and racialisation of African peoples. This is a tragedy of devastating gendered consequence, but this truth is unsurprisingly invisibilised by the power structure whose mobility is reliant on constructed and upheld ‘black dysfunction’.

Judge Ian Farlam failed to hold to account the state’s involvement in the massacre of Marikana and failed to identify the root of the violence that resulted in the murder of 34 mine workers. His decision and participation in this case must be problematised, as he sits on a governance structure that makes financial decisions regarding investments of Lomnin, (amongst others) the company involved in, and criminally complicit in this case.

The #RhodesMustFall collective reminds the UCT community in particular, that we are presently participating in the exploitation of our own workers. The struggle of the workers here is no different to those at Marikana. They demand a decent living wage of R10 500, as outsourced workers who are struggling for dignity, as they continue to prop up a university that celebrates its position as ‘the top in Africa’. We understand it as one whose ‘success’ lies purely in its upholding of the status quo.

In closing,

#RhodesMustFall demand the immediate renaming of the Jameson Memorial Hall to Marikana Memorial Hall, the removal of Judge Ian Farlam from council, a statement from the Vice Chancellor condemning the massacre, and the report and submission of a dossier detailing UCT’s relationship to mining corporations in Southern Africa.

Izwe Lethu,
M’Afrika

#RhodesMustFall