 Former president of South Africa, FW de Klerk with her wife Elita Georgiades, at the Ramaphosa Presidential inauguration in 2019. Former South African President Frederick Willem de Klerk, the last president of apartheid South Africa, has died. De Klerk died aged 85 after a battle with cancer. "Deputy President De Klerk's passing, weeks before the 25th anniversary of our democratic Constitution, should inspire all of us to reflect on the birth of our democracy and on our shared duty to remain true to the values of our Constitution" President Cyril Ramaphosa, said in a statement. He shared a Nobel Peace Prize with South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, in 1993, awarded to the men for their work in bringing about the end of apartheid. He remained a divisive, controversial figure up until his death. Archbishop Desmond Tutu paid tribute to his compatriot on Thursday, saying he "recognized the moment for change and demonstrated the will to act on it." "The former President occupied an historic but difficult space in South Africa," a statement from Tutu's office said. "Although some South Africans found the global recognition of Mr De Klerk hard to accept, Mr Mandela, himself, praised him for his courage in seeing the country's political transformation process through." His death comes with mixed reactions on social media platforms. Some have gone as far as calling for him not to get a state funeral. "South Africa is not divided we rejoice the death of De Klerk and we aree very clear on that" said one twitter user.  Former president of South Africa, FW de Klerk with her wife Elita Georgiades, at the Ramaphosa Presidential inauguration in 2019.
0 Comments
text and photos Dianah Chiyangwa Midrand , Johannesburg We will celebrate this year's Women Month under the theme:“Generation Equality: Realizing Women's Rights for an Equal Future”. The concept of Generation Equality is a global campaign and links South Africa to global efforts to achieve gender equality by 2030. Historically, men dominated almost every industry. Patriarchal societies expected women to look after homes and families. As the world evolves, women are now being acknowledged and envied for living their lives to the fullest while pursing their dreams. Inobubele Dube (21) Zimbabwe born trainee female pilot, has gone against all odds to achieve her destiny in the skies. Women’s Months is a global month and South Africa does not just celebrate the day on 9 August annually but has set the day as a public holiday. The day is celebrated to commemorate how women made a political statement in August 1956 by marching to the Union Buildings to protest against apartheid laws. Young and optimistic, she is a character who has a deep faith in her abilities and an indomitable spirit, that she believes nothing can stop her from succeeding in her pursuits and getting the just rewards. Dube is of medium height, lean and radiates an abundance of vitality. For her, passion is key in following one’s mission and attaining goals. “In our societies we lack a sense of passion; we do not do things because we love to do them but we do things because we feel we have to do them,” she says.  Dube is a trainee female pilot at Flight Training Services, Grand Central Airport in Midrand Johannesburg and hails from Gwanda, a mining town in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. Currently, she is doing a training circuit which involves practising landings and take-offs. She has already done most of the manoeuvres. “So, I now know how to climb and descend, make steep turns and medium turns. I have also learnt how to react in the event of a stall, a spin and an engine failure. I have also excelled in all my written examinations; there is one left to write but I’m all set with the theoretical part of my training,” she said, giving a wry smile. “I was surprised as to why there wasn’t much representation for black girls in the industry and I wanted to change that. Wanting to convince young women that their dreams are attainable was another push for me to dare the flying field,” she added. Dube found her way to the flight academy through assistance of South African based Zimbabwean businessman, Justice Maphosa, CEO of Big Time Strategic Group who is funding her studies. In her opinion, Dube sees a bright future as society is starting to accept that females can do whatever they want and can now penetrate some industries that were previously the preserve of men. “Boeing 747-400 and the entire Roll Royce Tent Range is my favourite engine” Dube shared. A placard on the walls at the academy that reads, “The engine is the heart of the airplane but the pilot is the soul,” has been Dube’s motivation since day one.   BLC, Africa's leading Earthmoving Equipment and Parts Dealer, who have been neighbour's of the Alexandra Community for decades, partnered with Gift of the Givers, has donates 2500 loaves of freshly baked bread and 2500 baked beans in support of those most affected by both the Covid Pandemic and the resent spate of looting within their township. Ten organizations collected their equal share of the donation, which they are distributing to the elderly, homes, orphanages and the most vulnerable. In celebration of peace, artists, namely Refilwe Pieterse and Paulina Sebenzi performed poems an songs of spiritual freedom. Peace Ambassador Thabo Mopasi coordinated the distributions within the Alexandra Community. Roslyn Toontas, Gift of the Givers Pictures Antonella Ragazzoni   Today in Alexandra, a township close to Johannesburg, Police and SA National Defence Force (SANDF) were patrolling the streets and houses to recover some of the goods that had been stolen by the looters. Police also had to attend to a number of incidents where roads were blocked in certain areas of Alexandra. The violence started last week in Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng when former president Jacob Zuma was jailed. At least 212 people have died in the unrest, including some in shopping-center runaway, and more than 2,500 have been arrested across the two provinces. Pictures Antonella Ragazzoni      by Giulia Gasperoni Our beloved country, already depleted by the Covid-19 pandemic and its related socioeconomic consequences, has been experiencing unrest, violence and looting for several days. It started in Kwazulu-Natal last week, when former president Jacob Zuma was jailed. A stream of protests started in the name of "Free Zuma" but they quickly escalated and took a dark turn: shops were plundered, vehicles burnt, roads blocked. The unrest quickly spread to Gauteng and reached Johannesburg, where we are still seeing shocking images of violence and terror. Yesterday 14th July 2021, our very own Dianah ventured to the Chris Hani mall, in Vosloorus. What she witnessed was brutal and shocking, if not traumatizing. The looting had evolved to a widespread and almost dystopian violence that left 3 people dead - one of which a 14-year-old boy. Although relieved and grateful that Dianah was able to return safe and sound, we feel greatly concerned (bordering despair) for the destruction through the looting but mostly for the loss of human lives. Pictures Dianha Chiyangwa       |
RSS Feed