It was meant to actually be Black Wednesday - the day the secrecy bill was originally planned for tabling before parliament - tomorrow. But it smacked too much of the original Black Wednesday - October 19, 1977 -when the apartheid regime shut down three independant newspapers, banned a host of civic organizations and arrested countless activists, less than a month after murdering Steve Biko. Today, Biko and those who laid down their their lives for freedom, weep in their graves - too exhausted too turn in them - shocked that those who they died to free, now imprison the nation in silence and secrecy once more. P.W. Zuma! How quickly the oppressors' mantle gets worn by those that they opressed. George Orwell where are thee now? Why did you have to be so blooming right in "Animal Farm"? Why are people so cruel, so selfish, so thoughtless, so dumb?

Hillariously enough, the ANC Chief Whip, Mathole Motshekga, in his statement released as a response to the National Press Club dubbing tomorrow Black Wednesday - before the ANC quickly moved the date up one day - said, "The only result this unfortunate comparison and the planned campaign, in which people are urged to dress in black, will achieve is to dilute the real history of the Black Wednesday and insult the victims of apartheid's barbaric laws".

Wow!

Stupid, self deluded and with no sense of irony. But don't worry - I can't be arrested for saying that, even though the secrecy was passed - It's not a state secret. Just simple fact. 

229 in favour, 107 against and 2 abstentions. That's how the vote went. Noone in the ANC came out vocally against it, and all essentially voted to pass it. They are now officially the New Nats. Soon they'll leave the black, green and gold for the good old orange, white and blue; and start hanging out with Adrian Vlok and Magnus Malan. Birds of tarnished feathers, lie to the people and stand together.

More than anything though, I would argue that current Black Wednesday references, far from 'diluting' the real history of the original, simply show the ANC repeating that history, stomping on it, and peeing on the graves of those who sacrificed everything for freedom's dream - a dream at first deferred, then forgotten and now completely abandoned - sold for cash.

Zimbabweans warned me about this a decade ago. I laughed at them then. It doesn't feel so funny now. Biko weeps - as we all should with him!

The real test comes next - Constitutional Court. This is not over - not just in songs where the words are uttered, "We've only just begun." And we'll beat it. And we'll beat it again and again, because we are not animals, this is not a farm, and bugger Orwell! We have the good in us to rise up and stop being sheep! Wear black tomorrow anyway!  

They thought the struggle was over and we'd ignore and forget. Are they insane? The revolution's returning, one more time with feeling! WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!!!!

Views: 233

Comment by alexandra avgitidis on November 22, 2011 at 19:08
Well said Strato!!
Comment by Paulo Do Carmo on December 2, 2011 at 10:28

How we spit upon the principles of our freedom?!

At the International Press Institute Congress, 14 February 1994, Nelson Mandela said,

"A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens."


Shame on you, Shame on us.

Comment by Beth Seagal on December 2, 2011 at 10:37

@Paolo...well said. Mandela must be cringing right now

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