Ven vil Sven venture viss way?

Talk to any Seffiken about Bafana Bafana in the present tense, and be prepared to contend with a can of angry, disappointed worms. Honestly, nothing makes us happier than just reminiscing about the Glory Days. Remember when we won the African Cup of Nations? 1996 seems so long ago. And remember when we actually made it into the World Cup?

Corny as the way I've put this question is, it is one that needs to be asked. Will he indeed come around our neighbourhood to help out our Boys?Eriksson is among 13 coaches that SAFA has put on its 2010 wishlist, four of whom are Seffikens, Jomo Sono, Gordon Igesund, Pitso Mosimane and Steve Khompela.

But the question still remains, is our problem the lack of a good coach or is it something else? In a rather outdated (apologies) article this columnist offers his half-a-cent, which I naturally do not remotely agree with.

Whatever it is, we obviously need to get to the bottom of it very soon, 2010 is just around the corner.

Related Article

Arrive Alive futile?

Despite the millions spent on the Arrive Alive campaign, many are still falling victim to deplorable car-accidents on South Africa's roads.

American R'nB diva, Ashanti got more than she bargained for on her trip to South Africa when her 20-year old cousin, Quinshae Snead, was killed in a road accident hours before the artist was scheduled to perform.

Every holiday season we witness the death toll on South Africa's roads sky-rocket due to the likes of the 17 year-old drunk driver who had stolen his mother's car only to rear-end the car Ashanti's cousin was driving in, resulting in her flinging to on-coming traffic.

What beats me is people know the dangers of drinking and driving, but they still do it.

This horrible incident comes at a time when South Africa has been getting an enviable list of American performers every year. The likes of hip hop star Ludacris and Alicia Keys have not only gone back to the United States to raise awareness about the plight of poverty and Aids in South Africa, but they've also played an important role in educating Americans about the positive side of things, with Ludacris particularly passionate about spreading the message that there's more to South Africa than what people see on the Discovery Channel. However, this incident is disheartening, and can only take us two steps back.

The sad thing though, is that I found myself sighing with relief that at least Ashanti's cousin wasn't murdered.

Crazy Monkey actor, Brett Holdin, wasn't as lucky, he was found dead and naked with his friend, with bullet wounds at the back of their heads in Cape Town over the weekend.

Halos and warheads

The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has brazenly summoned the United States to make good on its promise of action against his country, vowing that the America would not succeed.

General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the Guards' chief commander, has been reported as saying that Iran has been keeping a close eye on American troops and their operations in the Gulf for the past 2 years, and as such that country was ready for anything ranging from sanctions to military action.

"You can start a war but it won't be you who finishes it," said Safavi to the US, adding that they should "first get out of their quagmire in Iraq before getting into an even bigger one." These statements come amidst a flurry of speculations on what the United States will do about Iran's nuclear ambitions.

The president of Iran does not seem fazed either; in his usual line of anti-Semitic platitudes, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been cited outlining an 'inevitable' end to the state of Israel.

"The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm," said the Islamist President on Friday, at a conference held in Tehran to lobby financial support for the Palestinian Authority whose administration has been in dire need since the US, EU and Israel halted funding the Hamas-led government of the occupied territory of Palestine.

Karl Rove, US president George W Bush's political adviser, says a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear stand may not be feasable as Ahmadinejad is "not a rational human being."

Ahmedinejad has reportedly said he felt he had a halo around him that transfixed UN delegates as he made a speech at the General Assembly last year.

Zuma's Brain, Gatta Luv It

Source

The World According to Zac

Jurors would be creating a grave mistake if they give Moussaoui the death penalty.

As much as it is seen as the fair punishement for the sole person on trial in connection with the 911 attacks on the United States, the death penalty for this defendant, may just exacerbate the situation of US national security, while strengthening the resolve of Al Qaeda militants and extremists to fight the "infidels".

Under normal circumstances, in the US justice system at least, the death penalty would be a fitting punishment, but this situation can hardly be considered customary. The death penalty in this situation could be viewed by such groups as a mandate for reprisal, as in this case Moussaoui would become an unquestionable martyr of sorts- having been killed by the 'unholy' Americans.

In light of the recent developments regarding the cessation of funding to Palestine, a video from Al Qaeda threatening more attacks in the US and Australia, and Islamist groups' ideologies about the West and dying for their cause, perhaps the jury overseeing this trial should be a little cautious when it comes to the death penalty.
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I recall an initial sense of awe when CNN announced that Zacarias Moussaoui (aka "Zac", and the only suspect being prosecuted in relation to the 911 bombings in New york) had admitted to being part of the plot to hijack planes during 911, along with Richard Reid (the Shoe Bomber).

My awe turned to suspicion and disbelief a few minutes into my absorption of the story, but I clearly wasn't alone. I formulated a thesis, that Moussaoui had nothing to do with the initial planning of the September 11 attacks, but he instead wants the death penalty in order to fulfill his role as an Al Qaeda martyr.

Sure enough, the news today have strengthened my suspicions. The latest reports out of the courtroom quote Moussaoui as resisting efforts by his lawyers to portray him as insane.

The prosecution this week has elicited powerful, wrenching testimony from witnesses to the attacks, and survivors and family members of victims. Prosecutors also played tapes of 911 messages from victims in the World Trade Center. On Wednesday, the jury heard the cockpit voice recorder from United Flight 93 as terrorists seized control of the plane and slashed the pilots' throats.

Moussaoui was uncooperative with his defense lawyer, Gerald Zerkin, presenting Zerkin with handwritten questions he wanted him to ask. But he seemed happy to cooperate when cross-examined by the government.

"Are you crazy?" asked lead prosecutor Robert Spencer.

"I am not," Moussaoui said.

"Are you delusional?"

"I am not."

Spencer asked him if a suicide attack was an act of madness.

"It is not crazy," he said.

Was he ashamed of his role in the Sept. 11 conspiracy? "There is no remorse for justice," Moussaoui said. "... No regret. No remorse."

Would he do it again tomorrow? Would he take flying lessons again tomorrow and pilot a hijacked plane into the White House, as he testified last month he was preparing to do.

"Today," Moussaoui said.

Source

Talks

While trying to make sense of South Africa's engagement of Hamas, I came across an interesting article by Tim Hughes- a member of South Africa's Institute of Internatinoal Affairs. He takes a shallow, yet scathing look at SA's would be role in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The article hasn't given me any sufficient answers, but I do feel he gives a somewhat balanced analysis of the proposed talks.

What's missing from the commentary that I've seen regarding this issue is word from the President's office. People are speculating, with many really just choosing to ignore the proclamation and the visit by Abu Mazen a few weeks ago. There was a haunting silence, for example on the part of CNN regarding the visit, BBC had a short little article, and If my memory serves me correctly, The NYT didn't run anything either.

Hughes raises some interesting points, and seems to view SA as being delusional if it thinks it can teach Israel and Palestine a thing or two when we couldn't even effect the situation in Zim. He does, though, redeem our efforts right at the end of his article.

Downfall

Our down fall is indeed his incomprehensible tolerance for hardship. Like the African Americans tolerating human suffering in the diaspora, our down fall has definitely been this ideal that we prize called Ubuntu.

Why else would it be that while Africanist voices within the ANC were vehemently against the Freedom Charter, which called for the equality of all people living in South Africa, despite of colour or ideology, the Charter and its proponents still triumphed?

It is this very same charter that has thrown bigoted (note: not all) white South Africans and their offspring blindly into oblivion of their ancestors' (and their own) wrong-doing against the black people and everyone 'less' than white in that country.

While surfing the net sometime a few weeks ago, I came across a blog linking to a very interesting exercise to measure one's personal biases. I forgot to bookmark the site, so I went back to look for it, and I did find it sure enough.

What I saw today was rather disturbing, and it brought back to mind the things that I dread about South Africa. I came across the blogger (who's black) in a cringe-worthy dialogue with a typical white South African racist bigot.

Birth of a blog

Hmm. Aaah. The smell of the bloggoshphere. I sure am glad to be here.