Church, Beaches are open.. Have a Merry one

Hellow everyone, ke summer boss mo South Africa.

This is the time where everyone who is still in the office gets irritated because e-mails communication comes back with an automatical seasonal greetings.

By this time, the receiver or the person whom the message is meant for is either on holiday or if you are a journalist in the newsroom your e-mail will be read next year and by then, the story will be long over. When I worked in the coast. I used to love this time of the season, I never took leave in December No! Not me, I was out there, writing about girls wearing bekinis at Kings Beach, fun things to do at Hobbie Beach or that exciting opening of the Summer season at Summerstrand Beach. I love December and all the fun stuff that comes with the festive season. Hence, when I received an invitation to attend King of Gomara's birthday party I really didn't hesitate.

The old man, the God father of many and government of the oldest township in South Africa was on another level this year. This whole past weekend was his weekend and as always, he had everyone. I mean the smallest child in Alexandra Township to the his age mates feel that ekse, die groot maan is baie groot. This year, his day kicked off at his centre, the Phuthaditjhaba Care of the Aged at 17th Avenue Alexandra. This is where, he has displayed and documented all his work through out the decades. Earning a recognition by the Sowetan, Old Mutual and SABC ONE as the community builder of the decade.

Through working with a local church, God Never Fails(GNF) headed by Bishop Nhlanhla David Nhlapo.

He has flown the grannies from the township to a four day stay in Cape Town where they also visited the famous Robben Island. While the primary school kids had their first experience of riding a helicopter.

An experience that was made possible by the church in partnership with the old man. Not to mention the houses build for the poor in the past 22 years GNF had been in the area working with Bab'Linda. So this past weekend, he pulled all the stops

Toyota SA was amongst the sponsors who came to donate goodies so that Bab'Linda who was now the father Christmas can distribute to the kids of the township.

For the three days, the grannies travelling from all corners of the township also recieved their food packs Together with Mc Donald

donated soccer balls and party packs for the kids. Both the pre- event and the main event were MCed by Alex FM and South African Traditional Music Achievements Awards (SATMA) nomineem Musa Mabika.

But the draw card was the East London cheifs, chief Salakuphatwa and wife Xolelwa, Chief Mtoto and Nobahle as well as Chief Mshweshwe who came in their traditinal regalia to celebrate with the man.

I remember when he invited my son and I to his party three years ago, I was surprised and shocked that at his age, 78 years he was still active and helping out with the grannies food distribution. According to him, her mother inspired him to start this after the burial of a local Gogo, Mashabalala in 1967. There is no way of telling an Alexandra Township story without roping or mentioning this man. Over the decades, the township has produced some of the finest who are served or serving the country on national level. Umbhaqanga king, Mahlathini and the Mahotela Queens had their taste of fame in this township. I remember back when I was a kid, Brenda Fassie and the Soul Brothers were said to be amongst the people who came to perform in Kwa Nobuhle Hostel and made it big then. Bab'Twala himself has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Operah Winfrey,Bill Clinton, King Zwelithini, Queen Elizabeth to mention just a few.

Africans do we still have Ubuntu?

FEW years ago, just before the Covid 19 lockdown. I had the pleasure of meeting up and be part of a small acting workshop group that met every Sunday afternoon at the workers museum in off Mary Fitzgerald Square down town Johannesburg. Back then, I was preparing and focusing on going full time on my art.

By then, I had done everything that I thought would please amongst others, my father who was against the idea of me becoming a full time artist and making a living out of it as my childhood dream. I had ticked all the boxes to prove not only to the public but to myself that I was educated enough to make and maintain myself through art.

Through working as a domestic worker, security guard and later print journalist. I had earned all the experiences needed to manage, budget and use my money wisely. So financial savy that, when I started my beads business, I had no car instalment as the Toyota Etios 2012 model payment was long over even before I purchased my second property.

My surburb flat allocated at the back of the fluent surbub of Melrose Arch, a five or ten minutes drive to Sandton Mall and a walking distance to Alexandra Township together with my son were the only huge responsibility I had then. I was so prepared for the future that even in my wardropethrough out the years,had special clothes for that audition job for a TV presenter/ talk show hosts or a role of a classy businesswoman on the biggest South African Soap Opera, Generation the Legacy.

I could speak at least seven South African languages then and the magazine and TV had trained me enough on what to expect. So me being with this crew on a Sunday was a step closer to my dream world.

One of the sister, I met at Melrose Arch Camphor Cream advert auditions told me about these classes which were offered for free for any inspiring actor. But the lady forgot to tell me that the person giving them was a Nigerian national.

I'm not sure if she had kept that information from me deliberately, knowing how I will act towards the information. The only part I got was that, he was the director of of Isibaya, a popular drama series that was airing on Mzansi Magic daily,it was quite big on our telies then. His name he did tell me, but out of arrogancy, I thought he was either Vhenda or xhitsonga or Pedi.

So there I was in the workers museum every Sunday amongst other inspiring actors some who had done a bit of TV work while others were still hustling to get in.

The guy was so nice. Coming to his work shops made me forget my troubles with the big Sunday national newspaper then. Lets just say, it had some attachement issues and I was just enough with being bullied for a salary. The bullying had made the passion for writing and reporting on national stories on print vanished. Instead, I was looking at the other means of telling and documenting our African stories. Coming to the acting workshop though was a therapy, it reminded me of the 90s British sitcom, Mind your language which aired on SABC1 but this was an African version of it. The Mr Brown was this Nigerian guy, with students from all over the township of Johannesburg. He spoke English, his students could hear him but others find it very hard to express themselves in the language. As a reader, you need to understand how apartheid affected especially the black men's education system in order to know and enjoy how these young actors reacted. But the nicest thing, the master was patient, no one had wrong answers in the class. Some answers were right but not for use in the current moment, they were prophetic answers. His work ethic made me forget one of my my life rule ie....Stay as far away from Nigerians as possible especially when have no back up. Sorry Nigeria but in South Africa, Nijas are notorious for many things ie abduction of girls and forcing them into prostitution. As a journalist, one of the most inhumane brutal stories ive ever done was that of a small body of a teenage girl thrown out of the fourth floor building in Central Port Elizabeth. The three Nigerian men who were well built and more masculine than her were trying to force her to take drugs. This was a high school girl from New Brighton, a member of an Apostolic church and the only child her mother had. Nor will I ever forget the humiliation, dissappointment and betrayal of Nolubabalo "Babsie"Nobanda from Grahamstown. She was well educated, came from a well off family what she did didn't add up with her character according to what I picked up from relatives and friends. But like all stories, there was a Nigerian man behind her betrayal. I interviewed her family soon after her arrest and dumped the SA drug mule in Thailand. Her story read like something in the movie and yes, there was a Nigerian brother played with her innocense. He didn't care of the pain, humiliation he had caused to not only the family but the community and South Africa at large. Trust was already broken even if you met a nice one there was always that...."But you are Nigerian my friend, I dont trust you" Anyway, the guy heading the workshop was generally nice had his coworkers from the drama coming in to talk to us or help him out. I remember one of the event he took us to Sandton convention centre to present our short theatre play on xenophobic, it was so nice I even twitted about it,

Khanyiswa Ndabeni🇿🇦 (@ndabenik) posted at 9:14 am on Sun, Nov 17, 2019: Nigerian artist, @iam_kcee and I were preaching the same message at the @RiseupNija an event aimed at uniting Africans and saying no to Xenophobia https://t.co/eS8nlVdJKk

I was sold to the whole Idea, with little knowledge of what the root course of the so called xenophobic attacks.

But I was all over preaching no xenophobic and even gunned an interview with NijaTV. Telling the whole continent and the world how we needed to stop the hate and start loving each other.

Lets just say, ugal was already running with the vision with no direction. But the little information from the stiries i picked up and read while doing full time print journalism. To be quite honest, it is only now when I think of it.... Were South Africans really xenophobic or were bullied by our own African brothers out of everything they had. No one dared to really listen to the voice of SA then, it is only now through drips and drabs that we seeing the real cause.

Bullies have been at it and got away with it for a long time while even the good guys were painted with the same brush. As Africans, what happened to our communal set up. Why would a fellow country men keep quiet when another is doing wrong as this affects the image of everyone from that country. Black leaders, do they stop to lead and guide their people once their outside their homestead? Im saying this because I've seen for myself that some of the incidents could have been avoided had a leader rose up and told their people to stop it.

I am a born story teller...Thank you Mr Richard H Nosworthy and WGSA

I am a born South African story teller. Even if I am not paid or work in a commercial set up, I will tell stories not even aware that what comes out of my mouth is attention grabbing to slow the production of any group work. Whether people believe the stories I tell to be true or not. I have really outgrown that stage of trying hard to convince them. But I do still trying hard almost everyday to hone my skill. But from when I was young, story telling has been around me and has been the only or major way to get my attention or teach me something. Whether these came in a form of a family evening gathering under tree and fire wood down in Engxongweni in Port St John's Ceskei in the early 80s. Or watching and imititating the Chinese movies starring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and other 90s Chinese movie with the line "You killed my mother and father, now I've come to kill you" at the Port Elizabeth township bioscope. Or better yet, spending my evening at my aunt's house in 3rd Avenue Alexandra Township watching and learning all kinds of story telling platforms from action movies, drama, comedy, soapies, romantic to reading different genre of books and ended up being a collector of amongst other favourite authors then, Sydney Sheldon an American screenwriter. Inspired by him, especially his novel Rage of Angels- a novel released in the 80s about a female lawyer who beds both powerful politicians and dangerous gangsters- I wanted to study law as it is said story tellers are best lawyers in the world...LOL!*Winks*. But anyway, driven by my passion to try other platforms of story telling that would open doors for me for screenwriting or writing. I saw myself in Mafatsane Hall, Evaton,South Africa. Attending a Scriptwriters workshop hosted by Writers Guild South Africa( WGSA) with the late Mr Richard H Nosworthy the main tutor. The week long free event was organised to benefit writers from the previously disadvantaged community. That is creative writers in South African who cannot either afford training or access to information about the industry due to their financial background. The guilt also protect the writers rights as many of them in South Africa are freelancers and do not get royalties on work repeated on other platforms of media in the African continent. The guilt was established in 2009 and aims to train more local writers in their South African vernacular language and also helps with their business education planning. They work with International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG) and American Guilt and had been instrumental in getting writers included in the South African Film and Television Awards. Mr Nosworthy was a very paient man as he encourages most of us to believe in ourselves. Knowing that I was a writer for print, he wanted me to know that the very same words written must know be acted out on stage, tv, through music, film or animitation. "The must be a reason why you telling the story," his words as I battled to polished my short film, Holly Gangsters. The film was a test of our knowldge gained from the workshop and if selected stood a chance to be entered in the Muse awards with the overall winner announced at the SAFTAs of that year, 2019. Anyway,I think due to Covid19 WGSA is still to issue me with the certificate and results of the film. Being a passionate writers of what is now going on in South African churches. Especially after my mother's death. The film, Holly Gangsters focused on a family of a woman seeking justice after a man of "God" and congregants conned community members and preyed on those desperate for long term illness healing. Based on my experience and a series of articles that I have written while with main stream media. Mr Nosworthy helped bring the emotions of trust and disgust as I reveal how the grieving family is expected to pay transportation and accommodation for one of their leaders to conduct the service. The family was also not getting anything from the R10 000 funeral burial plan taken by the deceased in the church. Even though, she had constantly paid monthly fees for years. Close members of the family revealed how in the last days the church discouraged her from taking her medication and instead should rely on the water and salt the church was offering for healing.

A Jubilee Sunday for Alex as Fieldband lift up six national trophies

Hey guys, Hope you enjoyed the last read as I have enjoyed bonding with Alexandra Township these past two weeks. I mean, one of the Sundays.

Moa and son bump into a colourful, jubilant community of Alex last Sunday in high spirit as I visited the old man of kraal.

I was curious to know what was happening and couldn't resist but get on to taking pictures and videos of the beautiful display. I mean, I was home and there was work. You don't really need to ask for permission but do what you are known for around the world.

So me, missed my planned Sunday church services because God says start with him, family and the rest will follow right.

So there I was that Sunday morning following the Fieldband who were touring the township and showing off their victory celebration.

The first stop for the group who had beaten other band teams from as far as Eastern Cape and Western Cape at Wanderers Stadium, was the 1912 house in second avenue.

Here, Bab'Twala and his girlfriends were waiting to give the guys some blessings. Yes, the man and the Gogos were so ready and proud of the kids achievement.

I mean six trophies? He even organised a nice curried stamp freshly made by Devine Foods. I don't know how he read my mind, but I last ate a delicious curry meal like that in Woolhope High School back in Malarbar township of Port Elizabeth. But anyway, while I was admiring Bab Twala's work and consitancy for so many years.... I mean through his frika Tikkun, a non-profit organisation that man has put lawyers, chartterd accounted,businessman through school from their creche stage right up to their career stage. as I was waiting with the grannies outside the tent.

As I waited univited to the event, the granies shared powerful stories on how he automatically became the father of some household. Giving the widows food and the necessary support after they were almost kicked out of their homes. The celebration day coincided with their day of collecting clothes and food parcels. I did take some great pictures of the event that day, but unfortunately the ones saved for this blog were erased from my phone together with all the other material.

Hence you see some of the image material is collected from my social media pages. But one of the highlight of the day is in this video below. This women just spoke to my heart and I knew I was home... Please watch Explainer: She is basically expressing her proudness in the children.

The term used is not the vulgar term, here it describes how everything is going to be lit after all the preparation she will do to enter the competition. Anyway, chow for now and please do follow us on all social media platforms.

Time for accountability in our land

WOW!!!!

It has been such a looong time since I started writing here. I mean, my last article was published on May 2020 after a visit to the famous township of Soweto. I remember that year, I had a blast and was excited about the new stories I was founding here in the this city of gold. I must admit, personally. I was also going through a lot and didn't know where the hatred came from. I mean, I've always been a nice girl raised up in church and have all mannners in check. So who would dare touch me? A God loving woman, prayerful woman? A multi-award-winning journalist whose

work has been published in Ilizwi, Herald,Sowetan, Sunday Times and even had a stint in the Mail and Guardian's

Amabhungane investigative journalist centre. I mean, I am a South African legend in this industry. A veteran of the struggle and I can sniff and root out a corrupt company, government officials etc a miles away.

I am a trained but now self appointed country's top security guard. A veteran of the struggle. And if I am not mistaken, even God the creator of heaven and earth is so impressed with my work right now.

He might replace or add me in his holy book, ie The New Creation Testament Bible. So that South Africans can have something they can relate to when they read the scriptures. Just like the jews have the book of Esther in the old Testament, fair right? I guess, you must be wondering where I have been? Apart from MCing wedddings, attending showers and engagement parties as well as bonding with the African community from Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique etc. I mean I need to accountable to you readers for the almost four years I've been not scribbling any of your favourite articles.

I know you do not pay me yet, but I still think I am accountable to you for disappearing for so long. Right now, I know my story will sound like those black brothers, who vanish from their homes with bonuses on December 16 only to reappear in their homes second week of January flat broke. Or those Sandton brothers that lie on pay weekend telling girlfriends in Sandton they were arrested for drunken driving on William Nicole Drive, now known as Winnie Madikizela Mandela Drive. Only o discover, the only house arrest was with his regte on 7th Avenue Alexandra township having loads of fun. I mean real fun, trust me, theres something about Alexandra Township ladies that keeps men hooked. I seriously don't know what it is', but if I am lucky enough to interview former president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, one day. I will ask him the secrete cause MaM Zanele Dlamini Mbeki is from Alexandra Township and has done tremendous work here.

But be happy readers, I was not kidnapped by Aliens or relocated to the Alien Nation TV Series. On a serious note though,as a veteran of the struggle, I was still haunted by apartheid ghost. Things that I thought were dead and buried in 1994 were not for some. To the point that my beloved country's image was tarnished. The whole world knew us as a xenophobic nation.... I mean can you imagine that? I remember when I was still in the newsroom and thinking it was all true. I mean pictures of a Mozambican man burnt alive were splashed all over for the world to see how inhumane, my people were. So was the others that followed, to make things worse, these were happening right here in the vibrant colourful, multicultural, multi racial township that I happen to experienced its love growing up. With the noise of the newsroom, journalist chasing deadline, there was no time to seat and reflect on why it happened.... I mean the real roots of the problem without being shunned as blaming everything on apartheid. The pictures and videos were enough evidence to support any work, especially if you have not been around for more than twenty years and your reliable sources were your colleagues... I mean we were all professionals right? No propaganda right? Well... Thats how the church girl first thought until I went on a journey of discovering who I was really. So, I did a lot of reading and one of the books I read was Helen Zille's Not Without a fight. According to her book, shes half German and half Jewish. In the book, I learnt how she neutrilised many clever blacks who moved to the surbubs after 1994. With her most targetted victims being those that came from exile.

Ms Zille also openly tells her readers how she mastered teh power of gossip since childhood to enforce social norms. How she used that to destroy people's reputation over night and knowing exactly that it took years to restore. To my surprise, Helen is from Hilbrow and went to a school right next door to me St Mary's for girls. She coppied the ways to control people. Often used by these fake pastors who instil fear on and their job prospects using Bible verses to support their abusive behavior. Oscar an accident waiting to happen and Reeva Steenkamp by her mom June Steenkamp.

Now I know exactly who has been behind my torture. Worse, I live in the DA controlled ward that is full of illegal immigrant who are clueless on the South African laws. I've also been reading Trevor Noah's Born a Crime many times trying to figure out what happened to Mam Patricia Noah and guess what.... The DA and Helen are to blame for some of that mess too.

Bassie my Journey of hope was another book and Good Morning Mr President by Zelda le Grange.

All these book paint a picture of why South Africa is in this mess. Its time for Helen to take responsibility. I had time to go around Alexandra Township and I can tell you the root of all this, hatred.

Theres someone who wants to tarnish everything that Bab'Linda Twala has worked so hard for all these years painting his people as xenophobic yet these are people who came through the back door, undocumented with a mission to kill and destroy what was build over the years.

I doubt if theres any African leader, who will instruct his people to go and destroy by another black men.Often, all these people calling South Africans Xenophobic are not proud to display who they really are. You do not even know why they are in South Africa and often, they are found loitering doing nothing at all accept gossipping and torturing South Africans. Now that we know the root cause, African leaders need to take responsibility for their own as well. Church leaders as well as we, South Africans cannot take it any longer. Theres absolutely nothing xenophobic when you ask for respect or else leave. Worse these are the people who don't mind killing or force girls into prostitutions. They have an I don't care attitude and the DA seems to have known about this for so long but blaming the African National Congress. Helen has full details to those who tried to challenge them but that time is over. Everyone must now take responsibility for their mess and be accountable even with the Fifa 2010 soccer world cup

As for me..... I am still in the beads business, studying ministry at JBC. I still document every day life on You Tube and now Tik Tok and still sell ice guava juice and oh by the way....

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