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The Weekly update to life in post-apartheid South Africa.

Gareth Cliff - ata boy! So our former Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang past away. For those who don't know the story, this is the one (or was the one) who with Mbeki, killed off thousands of HIV/Aids sufferers in South Africa with her recommendation of eating healthy and not taking anti-retrovirals. The beetroot and garlic story.

Mail & Guardian had the following to say :

“Manto is dead. Good. A selfish and wicked bungler of the lowest order. Rotten attitude and rancid livers — all 3 of them … ” These were the words written by Gareth Cliff on Twitter yesterday upon finding out that the former and much vilified South African minister of health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang had passed away. These words might end up burying him alive, not just because we are intolerant of other people’s views, it’s the lack of compassion that we find difficult to stomach.

According to M&G it's all about tolerance. Should we tolerate those who rob the innocent of their lifes? Should we tolerate people who rob and steal from honest hard-working people? Should we tolerate an inept government or government officials? Tolerance have a line - once that line is crossed should we extend our tolerance?

Where does one draw the line though? We all have different levels of tolerance. We all will reach the end of that line at some stage. We tolerated Msimang and were all hugely relieved when she got removed by Kgalema Motlanthe (our interim president). We shouldn't have, but barking against thunder is a hugely impossible task.

Of course one have to have compassion. That is a very real human emotion which we're all capable of. Not only for the dead, but their family and friends. Also for the dumb and retarded. So maybe that's why our capacity for tolerance can be stretched if intertwined with compassion. Problem is that there are very few people these days with either of these human emotions. But does that justify glorifying the dead? We will all die one day and when that day arrives, will you really care what people have to say about you? I think not. Would your relatives and friends care - sure. Do we need to respect the dead? Sure. Does a murderer respect life or have tolerance or compassion? I think not. That's a hugely different thing with hard-headed stupid people though.

Isn't it a bit two-faced when one criticise someone and then make an about turn and only have good things to say once that person dies? We're getting to a stage where we need to move back to basics. In computers it spells one or zero. A computer is based or true or false - it can't be in between. Religion is the same, there's no middle path. Sure Manto did some things in her life which we should acknowledge and honor, but lest not forget the immense harm she's done to our nation.

The same applies to many so-called officials from our ANC government. Take ole' Julius Malema. The S.A. Communist Party had enough of him. They boo' d him when he tried to explain his viewpoint on the nationalisation of S.A. mines. He ran to the ANC demanding an apology from the SACP. Does not matter how he insulted SACP deputy secretary general Jeremy Cronin publicly, does not matter. Seems there are all sorts of political infighting not only in the ANC but also in the SACP. But maybe we're just looking at a stupid youngster who tends to speak first and then run to "daddy" when things don't go his way.

The biggest problem we have is that Zuma is standing behind Malema. What the future with Malema holds for us seems (at this stage) like a very dark one.

On a more positive note - our stadiums are all ready for 2010. Our transport systems still need a bit of work but the hospitality sector is poised and ready. The SAPS is having huge successes in getting crime down - more due to the outright killing of criminals than effective investigative work, and with that innocent lives being lost as well. It is time to get tough on criminals, and they're getting there slowly but surely. No, I'm not going to spoil this with criticism of bad, rotten or unqualified cops patrolling our streets - something is being done, just for a change.

Sad to note that in spite of numerous roadblocks, we are loosing more lives in road related accidents than last year. It's time every citizen take a breather and re-evaluate his/her own values and standards. It's time we become human again. It's time for that compassion and tolerance to make a huge return. Without these human traits we're not going to win.

And over here Christmas is still about the celebration of the birth of Christ. We don't have holiday trees. Have a blessed Christmas and be safe.

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