SA Today - Shooting from the hip will not beat crime

A weekly letter from the Leader of the Democratic Alliance 25 April 2008
Shooting from the hip will not beat crime

Deputy Minister of Safety and Security Susan Shabangu has risen from
relative obscurity to become a household name after urging police to
disregard the law and "kill the bastards". That her comments found
favour with so many indicates just how hungry South Africans are for
the government to take action against crime.
Shabangu's call was backed by Jacob Zuma, although he was careful to
say that the police should act within the law. The irony of a man
about to appear at his own criminal trial calling for tougher action
against criminals is not lost on most South Africans.
Despite the recklessness of Shabangu's original comments (she has
since limited her shoot-to-kill stance to life threatening
situations), this attitudinal shift is encouraging. Her tough talk is
certainly preferable to the denial and obfuscation of Minister Nqakula
and President Mbeki.
But tough words must not be confused with tough and lawful action.
Pandering to populist sentiment with rhetoric will not beat crime if
it is not backed up with clear plans. What is required is an admission
that current government policy has not worked and the introduction of
a clear set of policy proposals to face the crisis head-on.
This approach might attract fewer headlines, but it might actually do
something to reduce crime.
One immediate and tangible step is the re-establishment of the
specialised crime-fighting units that have been disbanded. These
include Rural Safety Units, the Anti-Corruption Unit, the Child
Protection Units and the South African Narcotics Bureau.
Evidence shows that their closure has drastically reduced the state's
crime fighting efficacy. For example, when the Child Protection Units
were running, conviction rates for child abuse were at around 75%. Now
that the units have been closed, conviction rates have halved. Since
the South African Narcotics Bureau was disbanded in 2004, drug related
crimes have multiplied.
The same fate now awaits the Scorpions – the dissolution of which will
drastically reduce the capacity of the state to tackle organised crime
and the drug syndicates that operate with impunity in every major
urban centre. The fact that drug syndicates have allegedly bribed the
National Commissioner of Police indicates that we are well on our way
to becoming a narcotic state.
There is simply no conceivable way that incorporating the Scorpions
(with a conviction rate of around 90%) with the SAPS (which has
conviction rate of around 10%) can be a successful strategy.
For one thing, it will destroy the prosecution-led approach that has
made the Scorpions so successful. For another, experience has shown
that in mergers such as this, it is the best performer that is dragged
down to the level of the worst.
These facts are indisputable and the ANC has given no clear reason
(besides its personal anathema to the Scorpions) to disband the unit.
If Shabangu and her party want to show that they are tough on crime,
then they should desist from their plans to shelve the Scorpions.
The government should also start taking steps that empower citizens to
protect themselves. This is crucial in a country where the state
cannot do so.
One would be to initiate an urgent review of the Firearms Control Act
which places severe constraints on the rights of legal gun owners.
This law might have been appropriate in Canada (from where our law
comes), but its application has been cumbersome in South Africa due to
the incapacity of the police to process applications timeously and
efficiently.
To obtain or renew a firearm license in South Africa, one has to jump
through a number of bureaucratic hoops. Many of the onerous
requirements of the Act make sense, but by definition they only apply
to responsible, law-abiding citizens who, because of bureaucratic
inefficiencies, can wait months - and sometimes years - to obtain a
fire arm to defend themselves.
The vast majority of criminals on the other hand do not, and will not,
comply with these regulations. This goes some way to explain why there
are almost three times as many illegal firearms as there are legal
firearms in South Africa.
This is a classic example of instituting state of the art laws in a
context where we do not have the capacity to implement them
effectively. Given our constraints, it is appropriate that the
application of the Firearms Control Act is reviewed to ensure that
law-abiding gun owners are empowered to defend themselves and their
families.
Another way to empower citizens to protect themselves is to make
private security tax deductible, which has long been a policy of the
DA. Households should be given tax relief of up to R5 000 or 5 percent
(whichever is the greater) of taxable income spent by households on
verifiable private security-related expenses. This is one way to
compensate for the state's inability to adequately protect citizens.
The development of public-private sector partnerships must also be
encouraged. Where these have been implemented, they have shown to be
very effective, as the case of the Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch
programme illustrates. Working in close consultation with the police,
this public-private partnership reduced crime by up to 60% in some
categories within the first two months of its formation.
Over the next few months, the DA will be undertaking a comprehensive
review of the state's capacity to fight crime. This will result in a
concrete, costed crime policy which will form part of our policy
platform for the next election.
It is all very well to talk tough on crime, but you need to have a
real plan to deal with it. While Shabangu's initial comments were
disturbing in that they gave scant regard to the law, it is
encouraging that the denialism and obfuscation of the Mbeki-era is on
its way out.
However, this needs to be replaced by frankness, honesty and the
political will to rectify policy failure. If Mbeki's denialism is
substituted with populist rhetoric that makes good headlines but
contains little substance, then we will have achieved very little.
Best Wishes

Helen Zille : SA Today - Crisis? What crisis? The tragic consequences of Mbeki’s ‘do-nothingism’

A weekly letter from the Leader of the Democratic Alliance 18 April 2008
Crisis? What crisis? The tragic consequences of Mbeki's 'do-nothingism'

Last Saturday afternoon, on the tarmac of Harare International
Airport, the presidency of Thabo Mbeki hit its lowest ebb. The image
of Mbeki holding hands with Robert Mugabe published alongside the
headline "Crisis? What crisis?" destroyed whatever credibility Mbeki
still held as the chief proponent of an African Renaissance.
Yesterday, Mbeki did it again. When he was asked about the 77 ton
shipload of Chinese weapons in the Durban Harbour destined for
Zimbabwe, he replied: "What weapons? I think you should ask the
Chinese. There might be a consignment of coal that is being exported
to the Congo or something. It is a port, those weapons would have had
nothing to do with South Africa."
His response to the Zimbabwe crisis typifies the denialism and
'do-nothingism' that has become the hallmark of his Presidency. It
echoes his now infamous denial of the Aids pandemic and his response
to the growing narcotics crisis in South Africa. "What is Tik?" he
asked at an imbizo last year.
It also reflects his view on crime, which many South Africans regard
as the biggest crisis of all. "Nobody can prove," said Mbeki, "that
the majority of the country's 40 to 50 million citizens think that
crime is spinning out of control". Similarly, in 2006, when challenged
about South Africa's electricity generation capacity, he responded
"There is no crisis….whatever needs to be done…is being done".
Mbeki's capacity for denial is his greatest failing as a leader, and
it will define his legacy. It is an even greater failing than the
other hallmark of his Presidency, the growth of racial nationalism.
Denialism will eclipse his considerable contributions in the arena of
macro-economic policy.
Mbeki's instinct is to deny a problem and do nothing, until he is
forced to apply retrospective crisis management. His insistence that a
"normal electoral process" has been followed in Zimbabwe, is a classic
example of this pattern.
There is nothing "normal" about the "recount" due to take place in 23
constituencies tomorrow, when the results of the original count have
not been released. Does anybody in their right mind believe that the
"recount" will not be used as an opportunity to stuff ballot boxes
with votes for Mugabe in the names of some of the estimated 3 million
"ghost names" on the voters roll?
At the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Mbeki dodged the Zimbabwe
question until he was pressed on the issue. He then simply repeated
his assurance that the situation was manageable.
Yesterday, instead of moving swiftly to halt the transport of the
Chinese arms through South Africa en route to Zimbabwe, Mbeki's
Cabinet did nothing. This was because, in the words of Cabinet
Secretary Themba Maseko, we have to "tread very carefully" in
relations with our neighbour.
Why? For fear of upsetting Robert Mugabe, who is no doubt preparing
for the next phase of the intimidation campaign he is already waging
against opposition supporters as he tries to force a presidential
run-off election?
Transporting the arms across South African territory to Zimbabwe is
illegal under certain circumstances. In terms of the National
Conventional Arms Control Act, anyone who conveys, freights or
transfers weapons is required to apply for a conveyance permit that
can only be granted only by the National Conventional Arms Control
Committee (NCACC) after consideration of how those weapons will be
used.
The law clearly states that the NCACC must not allow the transfer of
arms to governments that suppress human rights. It prohibits the
conveyance of weapons to countries where the weapons are likely to
escalate conflict and endanger peace. Zimbabwe fits the bill on both
counts.
It is encouraging that the South African Transport and Allied Workers
Union is reportedly refusing to off-load or transport the weapons
cargo. The DA has today called on the Chairperson of the NCACC, Sydney
Mufamadi, to immediately suspend the permit and to explain how it was
granted in the first place.
If neither Mufamadi nor Mbeki intervene, they could be complicit in
state-sponsored terror of genocidal proportions. It is worth
remembering that it was a consignment of Chinese machetes that
prefaced the killing of 800,000 people in Rwanda in 1994. [1]
The mind boggles when one considers the damage that could be done with
the consignment of rocket launchers, grenades and semi-automatic
weapons that are sitting in the Durban harbour.
Mbeki's denial and do-nothingism infects government office-bearers
across the board. When I was in New York last week, I met with our
Ambassador to the United Nations, Dumisani Kumalo. I urged him to use
South Africa's position as rotational Chair of the Security Council to
address the crisis in Zimbabwe.
It was clear from our interview that, true to the President's policy,
Kumalo had no intention of putting Zimbabwe on the agenda. He called
it an "internal matter" – despite the devastating implications the
Zimbabwe crisis has for the whole sub-continent. He told me he was
unable to influence the agenda of the Security Council. In fact, the
truth seems to be somewhat different. South Africa has, in fact,
resisted calls by numerous countries to raise the topic; it was only
after the intervention of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon that
Zimbabwe was put up for discussion.
Mbeki's denialism is a flaw of tragic proportions, and its cost to the
region and South Africa is incalculable. If he had faced the grim
reality of the AIDS pandemic from the outset, millions of lives could
have been saved. If he had recognized and confronted the reality of
the emerging dictatorship in Zimbabwe, he could have played a role in
preventing the systematic abuse of human rights which has seen
thousands beaten up and murdered.
President Mbeki has forfeited his carefully honed legacy as the chief
proponent of the African Renaissance. Rather than the statesman who
advanced good governance and democratic practice in Africa, he will be
remembered as Mugabe's junior partner – the Mussolini to Mugabe's
Hitler – in the brutal oppression of the people of Zimbabwe.
It is ironic that Mbeki's actions – or lack of action – feed the
negative stereotype of Africa that he has sought to dispel. The damage
done to South Africa's international image as an emerging viable
democracy will take years to reverse.
This, the lowest ebb of Mbeki's tenure, will be long remembered. Those
hands clasped across the tarmac, and the denial and do-nothingism they
symbolise, will remain the defining image of Thabo Mbeki's Presidency.
Best Wishes

[1] NEW YORK TIMES : "The Genocide Next Door", 6 April 2004

Virus warning

It is
not a hoax. Its been checked out - (
<http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp>
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp)

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message
with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD,' regardless of who sent it to
you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole
hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone
who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason
why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to
receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a
friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by
Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered
by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus.
This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the
vital information is kept.

COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT
TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.

Rape of a corpse ?

15/04/2008 21:27 - (SA)

Pretoria - A farm worker who escaped the gallows for murder 23 years
ago faces a possible life sentence after pleading guilty in Pretoria
High Court to another charge of murder.

Acting Judge Peter Mabuse convicted Amos Zulu, 57, of Bapsfontein on
Tuesday of murdering his 76-year-old employer, Johanna Maria Erasmus,
in February last year.

Zulu took her cellphone on her farm in Welbekend near Bronkhorstspruit.

He pleaded guilty to the charges, but denied raping Erasmus or
alternatively violating her body.

Mabuse found Zulu guilty of violating a corpse after hearing DNA evidence.

The judge said there were no witnesses to the attack and it was
possible that Zulu's semen could have been deposited inside his victim
after she had died.

Became angry in argument

The State alleged that Zulu attacked his employer, who was alone at
the farm that day, at a stable and raped her before slitting her
throat with an okapi knife.

Zulu said in a statement he attacked Erasmus with a knife that was in
his pocket after becoming angry during an argument.

The argument ensued when she asked him why he had locked up the goats
so early, and he told her he had just arrived at the farm.

Zulu said he continued with his usual daily duties after slitting
Erasmus's throat and taking her cellphone.

Zulu has a long list of previous convictions, dating back to 1970,
when he was first convicted of assault and cautioned.

The trial was postponed to June 2 for a pre-sentencing report by a
probation officer.

Zulu will remain in custody.

Source:News24

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2306405,00.html
For more information visit http://www.dienuwesuidafrika.com

ESKOM RAISE

> > Subject: FW: 53% ESKOM RAISE

The latest is that Eskom wants to raise our electricity rates by 53%, but
most of us think that it is outrageous and unfair! Why should we pay for
their mistakes? Besides who of us can afford this kind of increase in
addition to everything else!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's try and stop them.
The government is prepared to spend R30+ billion on the stadiums for the
2010 World Cup, and a couple million on generators for these stadiums.
Wouldn't it make more sense to give the money they are prepared to spend
on generators to Eskom instead? Maybe then by 2010 they will be able to
generate enough power to supply SA and generators will not be needed.
We could write pages and pages about Eskom and their problems, but the
bottom line is that they messed up and should not hold us responsible to
pay for their mistakes.
If you are against Eskom raising our electricity rates, please sign and
send to as many people as you possibly can. Please press forward key and
then add in your name before sending. Time is running out and we need to
move fast!
Every 500th person should please CC to thulani.gcaba...@eskom.co.za

Forward this via email function of this blog to start your own
petition or the Full list of names and chance to add yours:
http://groups.google.com/group/ourvoice-of-a-nation

End of ESCOM monopoly

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Given the frequency with which power cuts have occurred and the 14%
price hike of electricity, bonuses are not warranted… their
performance for the year ending March 31 was disappointing and any
talk of bonuses would be unfair to the consumer."

DA public enterprises spokesperson, Manie van Dyk comments this
weekend on reports that Eskom management would be paid performance
bonuses, despite the electricity crisis plaguing South Africa.

DA CALLS FOR AN END TO ESKOM'S MONOPOLY

The Democratic Alliance last Thursday welcomed an invitation extended
by the office of the Department of Minerals and Energy for DA minerals
and energy spokesperson, Hendrik Schmidt to meet with the Minister of
Minerals and Energy, Buyelwa Sonjica, to discuss the party's proposals
for energy sector reform.

"We applaud statements from spokesperson Bheki Khumalo that government
is open to arguments that the regulatory framework for independent
power producers needs to be made more attractive, and that government
must look at adjusting the regulatory regime," he said.

This announcement came in the wake of the release of a set of
proposals by the party, prompted by the prospect of South Africa
facing decades of electricity shortages unless Eskom's monopoly of
power supply was broken.

Presenting the proposals for electricity sector -
http://sheddinglight.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/videocast-da-press-conference-on-eskom-restructuring/
reform in Cape Town last Monday, Schmidt said the only permanent
solution to the country's electricity woes lay in the unbundling of
transmission from generation and in creating space for private players
to enter the market on competitive terms.

"Despite the government's identification of private sector
participation in the electricity sector as a key component of its
plans to pull the country out of its electricity crisis, a prohibitive
regulatory environment continues to keep independent power producers
at bay and will continue to do so unless steps are taken to dismantle
Eskom's monopoly," said Schmidt.

The government has set a market limit of 30 percent for independent
power producers and insists that only Eskom will be allowed to buy the
electricity generated by independent producers.

Potential investors thus face the double hurdle of relatively low
electricity prices on the one hand and being forced to sell power to
Eskom - their competitor - on the other.

This, argues Schmidt, is keeping independent producers from investing
in South Africa's electricity sector.

Eskom announced last week that US power producer AES had withdrawn
from an estimated R5-billion tender to build and operate two
open-cycle gas-turbine peaking plants, citing changes to the project
parameters after the tender was awarded as the reason for its
decision.

Schmidt went on to say that despite Eskom's R350 billion capital
expenditure programme, its reserve margin - the difference between
peak electricity use and installed capacity - was expected to decline
from 5.90 percent at present to 3.50 percent in 2014, Ideally it
should be 15 percent.

By the time Eskom's first new coal-fired power plant was operational
in 2012, the population and energy use would have increased markedly,
leaving Eskom once again lagging behind in electricity provision.

The utility's new open-cycle, diesel-fired turbines were also
extremely expensive to operate and would add significantly to Eskom's
operating costs.

The party proposed drawing up a timetable for reducing Eskom's market
share, from generating 95 percent of the country's electricity at
present, to a minimum of 35 percent by 2015. At the same time, more
independent producers should be encouraged to enter the liberalised
market.

"Although Eskom has taken steps to mitigate the situation, the utility
is yet to suggest a permanent solution. As such, even while in the
grip of the crisis, the gradual liberalisation of electricity
generation will provide as rapid a recovery as possible."

"Eradicating Eskom's monopoly is South Africa's best long-term
approach," Schmidt said.

IOL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3053&art_id=vn20080408060211118C151827

Mbeki's support of Mugabe slammed

MBEKI'S SUPPORT OF MUGABE SLAMMED

The Democratic Alliance has charged President Thabo Mbeki with
betraying Zimbabweans and making South Africa the laughing stock of
the world by publicly stating that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe.

Party leader Helen Zille said on Sunday that history would judge Mbeki harshly.

"Mbeki has shown himself to be a lame duck president at home. He has
now lost the opportunity to show that he can be an effective leader in
the region."

Mbeki's tacit support for 'the dictator on our doorstep' was not only
an embarrassment, but caused millions of Southern African inhabitants
and the international community to lose faith in the subcontinent's
ability to establish sustainable democracy.

As British Premier Gordon Brown, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and ANC
president Jacob Zuma demanded the immediate release of the election
results, Mbeki was of the view that the election must run its course,
Zille said.

"In all legitimate elections, releasing the results immediately as
they become available is part of the election running its course.
Mbeki should therefore have stood by his own logic and should have
called for the immediate release of the election results."

"Any notion of a recount or run-off election prior to the release of
the results is illogical and can be intended to subvert the legitimate
outcome."

"History will judge Mbeki harshly," she said.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3045&art_id=vn20080414053411853C233356

Mbeki's 'support' of Mugabe slammed

To: digitalmediadistributors@gmail.com

Mbeki's 'support' of Mugabe slammed
Opposition parties are accusing President Thabo Mbeki of betraying
Zimbabweans and embarrassing South Africans.
(Click here for the full story )
Visit http://www.int.iol.co.za for the hottest online news, sport,
jobs, property, motoring, classifieds and shopping in South Africa.

Will the ANC's approach to Zim change?

To: digitalmediadistributors@gmail.com

Will the ANC's approach to Zim change?
Top ANC officials are to meet and discuss events in Zimbabwe as voices
in the party call for a tougher stance.
(Click here for the full story )
Visit http://www.int.iol.co.za for the hottest online news, sport,
jobs, property, motoring, classifieds and shopping in South Africa.

License to kill ?

Indien daar 'n onderskeid getref kan word tussen Ernstige
geweldmisdade en nie erstige misdade ; kan Me. Susan Shabangu (Adjunk
Minister van Veiligheid en Sekuriteit) se uitlating oor polisielede
wat moet skiet om dood te skiet ; goeie gevolge hê. Dit sal
polisielede in staat stel om misdaad effektief te bekamp en moontlik
die misdadigers afskrik om te oortree.
Ek is bly sy het die moed gehad om so stelling te maak. Ook verstaan
Mnr. JZ ondersteun haar stelling.

Daar sal egter eers MOET bepaal word, WAT?!! is ernstige misdaad en
wat nie , en dit daarvolgens kategoriseer.

Onderstaande voorbeeld is GLAD NIE AANVAARBAAR NIE.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sanderis Maartens <smaartens@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:50:47 +0200
Subject: Racial Anger Fuels the Fire of Police Brutality

Cape-Town: South-Africa
The Cape-Town MetroPolice allegedly assaulted , publicly humiliated ,
discriminated , arrested and verbally abused a woman of Seapoint by
calling her a "Dirty White Bitch" ; after her dog unburden itself on
the street .

Medical Treatment for Mrs. Deirdre O'Neill was initially refused . She
received serious facial injuries when her face was slammed into a wall
while she was choke-holded by the policeman.

O'Neill laid a charge of assault against the policeman.
Her daughter, Mrs. Tanitha Jolly , said her mother went
Tuesday-morning for a walk with her six month old "Jack-Russell" ,
Dogmatix.
"My mother always take a bag with her, for the dog pooh , when the dog
left a second dump, my mother did not have another bag with her"
According to Jolly , the Metro-Police official charged yellingly at her mother.
O'Neill explained , she have a friend nearby at which she can get another bag .
"But the police official did not want to listen to reason ".

When O'Neill asked the official for identification , he yelled to her
: " I will show you identification , you dirty white bitch !! ".
O'Neill ran away ; but the official chased her , grabbed her by the
hair and threw her on the ground.
He yelled on her , cuffed her twisting her arm so extremely some of
her legimants were damaged .
While se was hand-cuffed , he got her in a choke hold and slammed her
head, full face into a wall while yelling and cursing .

O'Neill was brought to Seapoint Police Office where she were thrown
into a jail-cell. The Metro Police official initially refused that
she receive medical attention.
Later, it was decided she could be brought to Somerset Hospital ; but
because one of her daughters died there previously , she refused and
wanted to see her House Doctor.
Her request was refused , so she had to stay in that cell, bloody and hurt.

O'Neill was charged with : riotous behaviour and attempt of preventing
a police official of carrying out its duties .
She appeared in court , but the case was thrown out.

"We will take this as far as possible" - reffering to the charge Mrs.
Jolly's mother laid.

Mr. Newellen Peterse , police spokesperson, said they can only take
action after a thorough investigation.

Me. Helen Zille , mayor of Cape Town ordered an official investigation
concerning unnecessary Police Brutality.

Photo: THIS is how Mrs. Deirdre O'Neill looked after she was assaulted
by a police official.

Note from author: South-Africa have one of the highest crime rates in
the world ; but our police prefer to victimize , brutaly assault and
publicly humiliate ; innocent defenceless old ladys .
This is a serious violation of human and constitutional rights.
This is not the only case of police brutality , here is one more :
http://m.youtube.com/details?v=yuo51aA_msw

and many other more
reported that are currently investigated.

Meet two men -

From: Anonymous

I'm attaching for you the epitomy of 'Silent Diplomacy'. A gutless
weakling who runs South Africa and holds hands with his 'better' in
Zimbabwe, who, by the way, at least expresses himself!

I'm also attaching for you the picture of the son of a ZANU PF w***e.

If this kind of e-mail makes you nervous, let me know and I'll take
you off my listing. I really don't need to have to do with any more
'silent diplomats'!

Sorry about this, but I'm VERY angry!

Cheers

Anonymous.

The Coming Darkness

NAVIGATION RHODESIA ZIMBABWE ICELAND

The Coming Darkness
A Warning for Americans: A message from South Africa

http://rhodesian.server101.com/coming_darkness1.htm

20th March 2004

People used to say that South Africa was 20 years behind the rest of
the Western world. Television, for example, came late to South Africa
(but so did pornography and the gay rights movement).

Today, however, South Africa may be the grim model of the future
Western world, for events in America reveal trends chillingly similar
to those that destroyed our country.

America's structures are Western. Your Congress, your lobbying groups,
your free speech, and the way ordinary Americans either get involved
or ignore politics are peculiarly Western, not the way most of the
world operates. But the fact that only about a third of Americans deem
it important to vote is horrifying in light of how close you are to
losing your western character.

Writing letters to the press, manning stands at country fairs, hosting
fund-raising dinners, attending rallies, setting up conferences,
writing to your Congressman - that is what you know, and that is what
you are comfortable with. Those are the political methods you've
created for yourselves to keep your country on track and to ensure
political accountability.

But woe to you if - or more likely, when - the rules change. White
Americans may soon find themselves unable or unwilling to stand up to
challenge the new political methods that will be the inevitable result
of the ethnic metamorphosis now taking place in America. Unable to
cope with the new rules of the game - violence, mob riots,
intimidation through accusation of racism, demands for proportionality
cased on racial numbers, and all the other social and political
weapons used by the have-nots to bludgeon treasure and power from the
haves - Americans, like others before them, will no doubt cave in.
They will compromise away their independence and ultimately their way
of life.

That is exactly what happened to South Africa. I know because I was
there and saw it happen.

Faced with revolution in the streets, strikes, civil unrest and the
sheer terror and murder practiced by Nelson Mandela's African National
Congress (ANC), the white government simply capitulated in order to
achieve "peace."

Westerners need peace. They need order and stability. They are
builders and planners. But what we got was the peace of the grave for
our society.

The third world is different - different peoples with different pasts
and different cultures. Yet Westerners continue to mistake the
psychology of the Third World and its peoples. Sierra Leone and
Zimbabwe are perfect examples of those mistakes. Sierra Leone is in
perpetual civil war, and Zimbabwe - once thriving stable Rhodesia - is
looting the very people (the white men) who feed the country. Yet
Westerners do not admit the same kind of savagery could come to
America when enough immigrants of the right type assert themselves.
The fact is, Americans are sitting ducks for Third World exploitation
of the Western conscience of compassion.

Those in the West who forced South Africa to surrender to the ANC and
its leaders did not consider Africa to be the dangerous, corrupt, and
savage place it is now in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Those Western
politicians now have a similar problem looming on their own doorsteps:
the demand for power and treasure from the non-western peoples inside
the realm.

It is already too late for South Africa, but not for America if enough
people strengthen their spine and take on the race terrorists, the
armies of the "politically correct" and, most dangerous of all, the
craven politicians who believe "compassionate conservatism" will buy
them more votes, a few more days of peace.

White South Africans, you should remember, have been in that part of
Africa for the same amount of time whites have inhabited North
America; yet ultimately South Africans voted for their own suicide. We
are not so very different from you.

We lost our country though skilful propaganda, pressure from abroad
(nor least from the USA), unrelenting charges of "oppression" and
"racism" and the shrewd assessment by African tyrants that the white
man has many Achilles heels, the most significant of which are his
compassion, his belief in the "equality of man" and his "love thy
neighbor" philosophy - none of which are part of the Third World's
history.

The mainline churches played a big role in the demise of Western
influence throughout Africa, too; especially in South Africa. Today's
tyrants were yesterday's mission school prot�g�s. Many dictators in
Africa were men of the cloth. They knew their clerical collars would
deflect criticism and obfuscate their real aims, which had nothing
whatever to do with "brotherhood of man."

Other tyrants, like the infamous Idi Amin, were trained and schooled
by the whites themselves at Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard. After
receiving the best from the West, they unleashed a resentful bloodlust
against their benefactors.

From what I have seen and read this far, I fear Americans will
capitulate just as we did. Americans are, generally, a soft lot. They
don't want to quarrel or obstruct the claims of those who believe they
were wronged. They like peace and quiet and they want to compromise
and be nice.

A television program that aired in South Africa showed a town meeting
somewhere in Southern California where people met to complain about
falling standards in the schools. Whites who politely spoke at the
meeting clearly resented the influx of Mexican immigrants into their
community. When a handful of Chicanos at the back of the hall shouted
and waved their hands at them, the whites simply shrunk back into
their seats rather than tell the noisemakers to shut up. They didn't
want to quarrel.

In America, the courts are still the final arbiters of society's laws.
But what will happen when your future majority refuses to abide by
court rulings - as in Zimbabwe. What will happen when the new majority
says the judges are racists, and that they refuse to acknowledge
"white man's justice"? What will happen when the courts are filled
with their people, or their sympathizers? In California, Proposition
187 has already been overturned.

What will you do when the future non-white majority decides to change
the names of streets and cities? What will you do when they no longer
want to use money that carries the portraits of old, dead white
"racists" and slave owners? Will you cave in, like you did on flying
the Confederate flag? What about the national anthem? Your official
language?

Don't laugh. When the "majority" took over in South Africa, the first
targets were our national symbols.

In another generation, America may well face what Africa is now
experiencing - invasions of private land by the "have-nots;" the
decline in health care quality; roads and buildings in disrepair: the
banishment of your history from the education of the young; the
revolutionization of your justice system.

What would you think of the ritual slaughter of animals in your
neighbor's backyard? How do you clean the blood and entrails that
litter your suburban streets? How do you feel about the practice of
witchcraft, in which the parts of young girls and boys are needed for
"medicinal" purposes? How do you react to the burning of witches?
Don't laugh. All that is quite common in South Africa today.

Don't imagine that government officials caught with their fingers in
the till will be punished. Excuses - like the need to overcome
generations of white racism - will be found to exonerate the guilty.

In fact, known criminals will be voted into office because of a racial
solidarity among the majority that doesn't exist among the whites.
When Ian Smith of the old Rhodesia tried to stand up to the world,
white South African politicians were among the westerners pressuring
him to surrender.

When Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe murders his political opponents,
ignores unfavorable court decisions, terrorizes the population,
siphons off millions from the state treasury for himself and his
friends, South Africa's new President Thabo Mbeki holds his hands and
declares his support. That just happened a few weeks ago.

Your tax dollars will go to those who don't earn and don't pay. In
South Africa organizations that used to have access to state funds
such as old age homes, the arts, and veterans' services, are simply
abandoned.

What will happen is that Western structures in America will be either
destroyed from without, or transformed from within used to suit the
goals of the new rulers. And they will reign either through terror as
in Zimbabwe today or exert other corrupt pressures to obtain or buy
votes. Once power is in the hands of aliens, don't expect loyalty or
devotion to principle from those whose jobs are at stake. One of the
most surprising and tragic components of the disaster in South Africa
is how many previously anti-ANC whites simply moved to the other side.

Once you lose social, cultural and political dominance, there is no
getting it back again.

Unfortunately, your habits and values work against you. You cannot
fight terror and street mobs with letters to your Congressmen. You
cannot fight accusations of racism with prayer meetings. You cannot
appeal to the goodness of your fellow man when the fellow man despises
you for your weaknesses and hacks off the arms and legs of his
political opponents.

To survive, Americans must never lose the power they now enjoy to
people from alien cultures. Above all, don't put yourselves to the
test of fighting only when your backs are against the wall. You will
probably fail.

Millions around the world wait your good life. But make no mistake:
They care not for the high-minded ideals of Jeffferson and Washington
and your Constitution. What they want are your possessions, your
power, your status.

And they already know that their allies among you, the "human rights
activists" the skillful lawyers and the left wind politicians will
fight for then and not for you. They will exploit your compassion and
your Christian charity, and your good will.

They have studied you, Mr. and Mrs. America, and they know your
weaknesses well.

They know what to do.

Do
you??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

By Gemma Meyer
NAVIGATION RHODESIA ZIMBABWE ICELAND

Helen Zille : SA Today - The enemy of the open society

A weekly letter from the Leader of the Democratic Alliance 4 April 2008
The enemy of the open society

Last weekend it was reported that ANC President Jacob Zuma believed in
the need to debate "anything" as widely as possible - even politically
correct sacred cows - as this was the essence of democracy.
Of course this did not stop Zuma from turning down my request for a
full and frank discussion with him on the future of the Scorpions. He
obviously wants to choose with whom he debates, a luxury that should
not be afforded a political leader in a functioning democracy.
Well, I am ready to debate Mr Zuma whenever he is, on any issue of his
choosing, preferably in a public forum. If he is really serious about
the need for debate, he will take me up on this challenge.
The truth is that while Zuma professes to be open to discussion, the
ANC is simultaneously shutting down the space for free and informed
debate without which democracy cannot exist. All the signs are there
that, behind Zuma's affable rhetoric, his party is determined to close
down real debate, public participation and access to information – the
hallmarks of the open society envisaged in our Constitution.
UNISA principal Barney Pityana warned this week that Zuma is not to be
trusted. Indeed, recent events would suggest that the image of
openness that Zuma is cultivating is just a smokescreen for the
closing down of the public space.
President Mbeki's refusal – no doubt at the behest of the ANC
leadership – to release the full Khampepe Commission Report on the
location and mandate of the Scorpions is a case in point. Instead of
releasing the report in good time before the legislation to disband
the Scorpions is debated in Parliament, Mbeki has cited "national
security" as the reason to withhold it from the public.
There are other more far-reaching plans afoot to close down the public
space. One is the ANC's resolution to institute a media tribunal to
make the media accountable to Parliament. Under this proposal,
politicians will have the power to call the media to account, a
fundamental attack on the constitutionally enshrined principle of
press freedom.
Another, perhaps even more sinister proposal, is contained in the new
Protection of Information Bill. Under this proposed legislation, the
publishing of "sensitive information", defined as threatening the
"national interest", will be a criminal offence if the intention is to
"prejudice the state." Included among matters in the national interest
are "defence and security plans", "significant political and economic
relations with international organisations and foreign governments"
and "details of criminal investigations."
As the Mail & Guardian pointed out last week, if this legislation had
been in place at the time, then that newspaper's exposés on the
National Commissioner of Police, Jackie Selebi, would have been
illegal. The reporters who broke these stories would not be free to
continue shining light in dark corners, but would be sitting in jail,
out of harms way – all in the "national interest."
Perhaps the starkest indication of the ANC's plans to shut down the
open society is the arena where robust debate is most needed – the
Parliament of South Africa.
The DA has long warned that the ANC wants to turn Parliament in to a
rubber stamp for the executive. The concept of parliamentary oversight
would probably be long forgotten, if it were not for the DA's
insistence on holding Ministers to account for their actions.
It has been particularly disturbing that the Speaker cannot understand
the conflict of interests inherent in her role as the Speaker (who
must impartially defend the interests of all parties in Parliament)
and her role as ANC chairperson.
Baleka Mbete has defended her dual role by comparing her situation
with mine. She has said: "If Helen Zille can do two jobs, so can I".
This misses the point entirely, since her "two jobs" are fundamentally
contradictory and undermine the intention of our Constitution. It is
impossible to be a player and referee at the same time.
It is for this reason that the DA's Sandra Botha resigned as Deputy
Chairperson of Parliament after she was elected as leader of the DA
caucus. In doing so, she showed respect for the distinction between
the party and the state.
This year, we also face the prospect of Parliament sitting for a mere
15 days for the entire second half of the year. In this time,
Parliament is expected to process the 102 bills before it. This is
risible when one considers that the National Assembly passed only 112
bills in the last three years.
This proposal, driven by the ANC, has been accepted by all opposition
parties – with the notable exception of the DA.
The ANC's aim is two-fold. Firstly, it wants to free up the time of
its MPs to manage the run-up to the ANC's list conference where the
next generation of ANC MPs will be nominated. Clearly, for the ANC it
is more important for the party to manage its own internecine conflict
than it is to represent the people of South Africa in Parliament.
Secondly, by limiting the time for debate in Parliament, the ANC aims
to rush through several controversial bills with scant regard for
meaningful public participation, debate and deliberation.
Not least of these is the General Law Amendment Bill to disband the
Scorpions. The ANC has already stated that it wants the legislation
passed by 1 June and the Speaker has said that she will do all in her
power to make this happen. This speaks volumes about her ability to
act as a neutral arbiter, especially considering the massive public
opposition to the Scorpion's dissolution.
There are two other bills in the pipeline that have attracted less
attention, but arguably have even graver consequences. Both the Draft
Expropriation Bill and Single Public Service Bill (not yet tabled)
have profound constitutional implications.
The Draft Expropriation Bill aims to rescind the "willing buyer,
willing seller" model of land reform provided for in the Constitution.
Instead, it gives the Minister of Public Works the power to determine
the value of the property without giving the owner full recourse to a
court of law to review the value set by government.
The Single Public Service Bill aims to bring all public-sector
employees under the control of the ANC Minister, a move that would
allow the ANC to destroy the autonomy of municipalities and provinces
that it does not govern. Again, the Bill is a threat to the
Constitution, which guarantees the independence of each of the three
spheres of government.
The thinking in ANC circles is that the quicker that these pieces of
legislation are passed, the less chance there will be that opposition
to these bills will turn into a groundswell of public dissent that it
cannot ignore. For the ANC, public participation is not something to
be taken seriously, it is an irksome obstacle that can be neatly
side-stepped when necessary.
The closing down of Parliament, the threats to media freedom and the
desire to shield information from the public all point to the ANC's
increased assault on the open society.
For all its populist rhetoric, the ANC forgets that there can be no
democracy without the people. And, in a democracy, when people are
shut out by government, they invariably respond by taking their power
back. This is the lesson that Zanu-PF learned this week.
Best Wishes

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