Hello All.
I have been very slack about visiting blogs lately.
So, maybe I have missed some posts.
I don’t know how much news you ,guys overseas, see about South Africa.
This week 30 miners died in a confrontation with the police.
It was a killing field.
It was, apparently, about two rival unions.
And the police stepped in to quell the violence.
With tragic results.
30 people died.
And that is unacceptable.
However, there are always(well, almost always) two sides to every story.
Earlier in the week two policemen had been hacked to death.
By the same crowd.
The story is that the police tried to stop the two groups with water canons.
And stun grenades and rubber bullets.
And the crowd still descended on them.
Armed with pangas, knives and (apparently) guns(one being stolen from one of the dead policemen.)
I don’t know about you lot but if I was a policeman, and a huge crowd was descending on me, I would also panic.
Especially if two of my comrades had already been hacked to death.
I am sad.
Very sad.
Not only about the deaths and the violence.
But I feel incredible sadness that our country has deterioated to this extent.
We are supposed to be a democratic country.
But, we have turned into a land of thugs.
Who will resort to violence if their demands are not met.
As for the police force.
While I am sure there ARE good cops the feeling is that a huge number of them are corrupt.
People have lost confidence in the law.
And respect.
The police force is badly paid.
Lack training.
And top brass have been promoted on the basis of family and friends.
How the hell do we get out of this mess?
And, yes, this is really my blog.
Just in case you were checking the address.
Sometimes I get hot under the collar.
On a lighter side.
How many of you are being inundated with invitations to do sex dating?
And to take Viagra.
At my age the two will have to go together!
After my Letterdash experiences with Litnet morons I have become very reluctant to comment on anything that could have a remotely political connotation, but I do think the Newsferret who monitired via news pages Marikana carefully may just within the next 24 hours post a Marikana blog. The police acted correctly in my opinion.
By: newsferret on August 18, 2012
at 5:53 pm
I look forward to it.
By: granny1947 on August 18, 2012
at 6:02 pm
Sorry but if you are protesting bearing arms then you have to expect retaliation, I think the police did the right thing. I believe everyone has the right to protest, but do it in a peaceful manner.
By: Sous Chef on August 18, 2012
at 6:30 pm
I agree Sue….it wasn’t even a service delivery protest…it was two unions…not acceptable.
By: granny1947 on August 18, 2012
at 6:42 pm
Oh yes, I have seen it on TV. It is terrible..surely there must be a better way than killing each other. How can you live in such a country.. I would be terrified…come and live with me..it’s safe in Bulgaria, still living in a corrupt way of life but I don’t think there is any killing….
NO…where is this sex dating…I am missing something!!!! Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey…that would make your hair curl (and your toes)
By: misswhiplashm on August 18, 2012
at 7:22 pm
Hi Patrecia…this is such a beautiful country…but things are going horribly wrong…once again…it is greed.
By: granny1947 on August 18, 2012
at 8:33 pm
Oh yes….sex dating…coming up in my spam….on a daily basis.
By: granny1947 on August 18, 2012
at 8:33 pm
It has been a sad week for SA. It is unfortunate, however, that even though these stories hit the overseas pages, it is of short duration and is soon forgotten.
I still get adverts for Viagra on my old Hotmail address (in the junk mail section) and sometimes requests for meeting up with women, nogal.
By: Pussycat44 on August 18, 2012
at 7:26 pm
Hehehe…wonder if the requests to meet women has anything to do with your name???
By: granny1947 on August 18, 2012
at 8:32 pm
I use a gmail addy for this blog, but hotmail has had many complaints about that type of junk mail.
By: Pussycat44 on August 19, 2012
at 12:16 am
Granny, I listened to the news about the clashes and the deaths this week and it made me feel angry and disillusioned. Much like you write in your post. It is such senseless violence. But then, I started thinking about who is really to blame for this terrible situation and I have to say — with only my own opinion to back me up — that it has to be the owners of the mine. For things to get so bad in a work situation that the people go on strike to try and get their demands heard is a sign that things are wrong in the workplace. The mine’s owners should have stepped in long before things got to such an ugly head. That said, I do have to say that any violence – especially hacking someone to death with knives — is completely abhorrent. And so not a mark of a civilized people.
I feel bad for everyone who has suffered in this. Especially all the good people of South Africa who have worked so hard since the days of apartheid to show that their country is peaceful, democratic and civilized.
Peace
By: klrs09 on August 18, 2012
at 8:11 pm
Hi Klrs…I am not sure if I am correct but, from what I gather, it was a fight between two unions and not really anything to do with the mine.
Whatever the reason….a senseless loss of life.
By: granny1947 on August 18, 2012
at 8:31 pm
I did read about it in the news but I don’t remember the part about the policemen. You know how they sometimes leave out parts. But then again I might not have fully read it. It’s horrible. Police everywhere are becoming corrput. I think it best we all have our own guns. I foresee a time when we will need them.
By: Booksphotographsandartwork on August 19, 2012
at 1:47 am
They probably didn’t write about the policemen…it sounds far more exciting when it is police violence.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 10:28 am
Yes, I heard the news and knew I would only be hearing part of the story. Thanks for a closer to home view. I hope that situations like this one reminds everyone of what they could lose if violence is condoned through silence or fear. From what I’ve experienced of South Africans, there will be action taken with decency. May the creative juices flow liberally to bring this into line with phenomenal swiftness and jurisprudence.
By: souldipper on August 19, 2012
at 1:53 am
Hi Souldipper…you have more confidence than me.
Numerous commissions of enquiry will be set up and we won’t hear another word.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 10:27 am
really nasty business, is how my dad in the UK described it. Must admit, it is horrendous regardless of how is to blame. I’m hoping this will be an isolated case. ButI feel for the poor families left behind and also such a tragic way to die.
By: Ruth2Day on August 19, 2012
at 1:32 pm
It will never be an isolated incident while people demand instead of negotiating.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 10:25 am
What a terrible thing to happen in your country. I understand why you are upset. I am upset just reading about it. No matter who is to blame, things like this shouldn’t happen. I am so sorry and sad.
By: mairedubhtx on August 19, 2012
at 1:44 pm
I agree Maire and all one hears is the blame game.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 10:23 am
It’s just too awful and I am terrified that things will get worse. It’s near impossible to see any kind of future here.
By: theonlycin on August 19, 2012
at 3:35 pm
I know Cin…but what alternatives do we have?
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 10:22 am
I get an invititation to a dating site about once a month, not too often but in the last week I have received at least 10 spam messages a day from “lista de emails” I have no idea why this spam is targeting me.
By: Gobetween on August 19, 2012
at 3:35 pm
It is not just you…I am getting loads of those too.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 10:22 am
I have no words.
By: grannymar on August 19, 2012
at 8:01 pm
I have plenty of words Mar but I can’t say them here.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 10:21 am
I don’t blame you for becoming hot under the collar! We live in sad and strange times. My heart goes out to the families of the miners and policemn who were killed. Why, why WHY can’t people respect each other and live in harmony.
By: Piglet in Portugal on August 20, 2012
at 12:49 am
You have hit the nails on the head PIP…there is no respect anymore.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 10:20 am
As long as traditional weapons are regarded as a cultural item to be brought out when ever there is a strike or industrial action the police will be between a rock and a hard place. Strikers bearing any type of weapon should be prosecuted and locked up for a very long time.
By: optie on August 20, 2012
at 12:30 pm
I agree Optie…when you choose to arm yourself you have to take the consequences.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 1:28 pm
Yes, our news did cover that horrible bloodbath, but we didn’t hear about those two policemen who had been killed earlier. I thought of you when I was hearing about it, especially when our news agencies made Zuma sound like a concerned leader. It seems like more areas around the world are descending into free-for-alls and the criminals seem to be winning because they have no morals to stop them from victimizing others for their own gain. Governments, including ours, are slowly taking away rights and freedom of choice – very scary. Don’t get me started…..oops, too late….
By: raisingdaisy on August 20, 2012
at 5:22 pm
Hi RD…it is unusual for Zuma to comment on anything. It is interesting that the killing of the two policemen was not reported…makes me mad…there are always two sides.
By: granny1947 on August 20, 2012
at 6:35 pm
I feel the same way
By: bibibapka on August 22, 2012
at 9:44 am
I believe there is incitement we haven’t yet heard about. and lies from many sources.
By: SidevieW on August 24, 2012
at 5:33 pm
I would be simply terrified to be a police officer at the moment. The problem however, comes from the top. If you are earning next to nothing, putting your life on the line every day and see your superiors taking bribes, why would you not do the same? The change has to start from the top.
PS – giggled wildly at your last bit
Yes, I do get all sorts of offers – very weird.
By: Long Life Cats and Dogs on August 25, 2012
at 10:41 am
I guess I would have panicked too.
The only future I think, is one of tolerance and respect, across the world.
By: sarsm on August 26, 2012
at 10:51 am
Whither are we going?
What an apology for a life
When peace lies bleeding
In the arms of tension and strife.
The faces are grim
And strange to each other
No resemblance we find
That reminds us of a brother.
How easily the hand rises
To kill and to maim!
It’s the intolerance we nurture
We have ourselves to blame.
By: dreamingthruthetwilight on September 2, 2012
at 6:30 pm