That is not Jacob Zuma on the painting “The Spear”. That is not my President. The worse I could do as a citizen is identifying my president in a so said ‘disrespectful’ graphic art. If I do that I put words in ones ideas and say he painted such. I was at the opening and there I don’t recall a time when the artist said that is President Jacob Zuma neither is the artwork titled ‘Pres. Jacob Zuma’. And if as a citizen I am to claim that is my president I think there is something wrong with me. Such as having tons of disturbing images at the back of my head about my president and I desperately need a black, red and yellow graphic image of a man wearing glasses, with his genitals hanging, carrying a knobkerrie to associate with my president. My president is black and the rainbow is black, yellow and green representing the spear of our nation not the ‘The Spear’ at Goodman Art Gallery. And I think inorder to go to the gallery and criticize art first one will need to know something about art, art history and as well as interpretation of images other than that one will end stating and pointing the wrong. Among such artworks on display there is an image with a Jonnie Walker label with a writing “Forward Comrades”. Now imagine if Jonnie Walker people were to come and say hey that is our brand you are messing with, ours is not like that. And guess what, they are not and they won’t cause that is not how they view their brand. Theirs is not like that. Is ours like that? How are we as citizens viewing our president as a brand? What do we associate him with? Is it Brett Murray, the artist, or is it us as a nation who have these ideas about our president?… #Just my thoughts.

Someone once asked if I could bring clarity and my understanding over the term ‘makwerekwere’used in South Africa to refer to our foreign brothers and sisters.  Firstly, as a Zulu speaking person I would like to take ownership association of the word or term, not that Zulu speaking people are racist or anything,  and classify it as a Zulu noun which belongs to the Classification category number 8 & 9 (isigaba samabizo 8 & 9) which is (i)_kwerekwere- (ama)_kwerekwere. These group category classifications accommodate words that have a tendency to identify things that are in groups like izambane (potatoe) to amazambane (potatoes). Secondly, Zulu language is the most spoken and tempted native language in South Africa. Thirdly, the Zulu language name things accoding to their behaviour, function and sounds they make. For example,we have  a bird named ‘inkankane’ and this is because this bird make sounds that goes ‘nka nka, nkankanka nkanka’ thus we name it inkankane because of the repetitive sound it makes. I could go on giving examples but let us cut to the chase and focus on the term I am trying to clarify. Let us create and visualise a scenario of a foreign guy coming to the homestead of a Zulu clan. He knocks and they open the door. He speaks and they don’t understand but all they could pick up is clicking sounds of his language and accent. He pronounces a sound that mostly goes something like ‘kr kr kr’ all the way. Now without any disrespect or any stereotype and derogatory intended, the Zulu people practise what they know better and that is to name what they see or hear. And this one they will say ‘uyakwereza’ meaning he is making the ‘kr kr kr’ clicks or sounds repeatedly. Thus he is ‘ikwerekwere’ and now this is what they will use to refer to him because of the lack of communication and they can’t pick up his name or anything about him.  This from now on will be his name and identity without any disrespect or derogatory intended. Now let us picture another scenario where they take and accommodate this guy, gives him food, place to sleep or even a piece of land and everything is nice and going well for him. Now will he have any problem being addressed ‘ikwerekwere’? I doubt he will have any. Now things will change and have different perspective if they were to treat him bad and push him around, curse him and do all sorts that is not nice. He will hate being called that because of the lack of communication meaning he will not understand how it came about and they are using it in a wrong way as a derogatory term to push him around and make him feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. Now I am not saying this is what Zulu speaking people did but a national incident that we farmiliar with. Now I would like to take this point and raise that most people get offended over a silly thing that which they don’t know how it came about and those who do not know how it came about and use it for their wrong agendas. That is some using the term to push their agenda of xenophobia over their own justified and insecurities and stupid reasons such as “they take our women and jobs”.  

Another understanding of the term is the history of foreign people coming into the country. This will date back to the time some were not even aware and that which group first came mostly into the country and in numbers.  That will be people of Malawi origins who fled due the fall of British Empire. And this will give us another perspective on the come about of the term. These people mostly came to work in South Africa with no harm intended and they still do and they are friendly and innocent as ever. They give a greeting that to me sounds like ‘makwara kwarim’ and the response needed is ‘ndiba makore’. Now going back to the language of the receiver who interprets and give a name to what he hears. Makwara kwarim was soon to be translated to ‘makwerekwere’ because it was what they heard the most from the friendly people of Malawi who likes greeting. The relationship between the two was no harm until the struggles of the country tear them apart over jobs and other misunderstandings. Most of you all know the politics and this is not what this writing is about. We all love foreign people. Writing this paper I am listening to the greatest hits of Oliver Mtukudzi and I love the sound and just wish if I could understand what the music is about. Call it the love of foreigners I don’t care. There is a lot and enough love to go on about than unreasonable hate. Point is we share a lot as Africans even that which we don’t know and not spoken about. What brings us together is something in common and what separates us is nothing but a misunderstanding which is also one thing we also have in common. Point is we can learn a lot from each other. I wish I had more foreign friends who are to teach me their language and culture and I will do the same, than fighting over resources both which we don’t have, and call each other silly things such as ‘makwerekwere’  from time to time and laugh about it cause there is nothing wrong with the term it’s the connotations that come with it from a certain phobia that is constructed to tear us apart and while we fighting man upstairs are busy counting cash. Let us face it. Africa was raped long time ago and we are the distructed result of that. Now that we know are we going to allow this to happen to us? I understand words such as ‘kaffir’ and ‘kwerekwere’ are in no way near sounding cool that we can go around the streets of South Africa calling each other that and built a culture around them but who said they can’t be? Only if we have an understanding and friendship brought together by bondages of struggles and war. When I explained to some of my foreign friends and local people I know this knowledge and understanding of the term they do nothing but laugh and thank me for the clarity and that they had no idea the term was so harmless and was originated with no bad intentions. This does not mean I am right. So let us not allow xenophobia to get in the way of our language and understanding as Africans. The term is not the driving force behind xenophobia. Xenophobia used the term to further its course. And to my fellow South Africans, white people called us ‘kaffir’ when they came to the South because they misunderstood something about us or lacked knowledge of and ended up using the term to further their course. So let us stop using the term ‘kwerekwere’ to further our own. It was originated with no bad intentions.

Let us do a job because we love it. We love to fix the problems it entails or to provide solutions needed in that field not because we want to make money out of it.

I understand that others will be so lucky to be able to do what they like the most…and it is a bonus to even get paid for it. Those will be blessed to be able to fulfil themselves both professionally and personally. Others won’t be. Now let us look at those who will be just in it for the money. I say it is not good at all but I understand society destroyed us even before we were born. Let us think if a man who makes coffins if he were to pray to God and ask to be able to make more money. In order for God to grant his wish he will have to let more people die so a man’s coffin business will boom. Same as a traffic cop and an emergency rescue man who can pray to make more money that means working overtimes. God will have to grand their wish by letting more road accidents happen. Same with a doctor will be asking for people to get sick even more, the lawyer asking for more people to break the laws. Now you might think you are not part of this picture with whatever job you are doing that is not part of the above mentioned but you are. We live in one society regardless and we need to spread nothing but love mostly loving what you do and doing what you love not because you have to and you need and wish for because the person next to you his wish maybe your death or your friends and family dangers and risks.

Let us do the jobs we do because we love them. We love to fix the problems they entail or to provide solutions needed in that field not because we want to make money out of it. And pray to God for the goodness of our selves, protection and to nature our skills and talents, and we use them as a way of giving back for we have been given so much. Now if you are not working yet, think about the job that you are praying for or still studying for and make a change.

(via tr3yday)

(via tr3yday)

The greatest weakness of man is not believing, doubt. In believing there is existence, healing, comfort and a beautiful tomorrow. All this is possible in believing in God. Believe in fairytales, myths and other mysteries of the world but God. John Lennon. God is the guide to everything you believe in. It’s like that hope, faith that even kids, with no teachings of the bible, have in fairies, dragons and Santa. This is neither church, Christianity nor any other religion. Even people who don’t believe in God you hear them once in a while pronouncing “Oh My God!” and you often hear that when they trip, in disbelief, in turmoil  and mostly when their guide has failed them. God is our entire guide, Believers and non-believers, Christians and Non-Christians. 

Prayer is hope. Hope that whatever you wish for will come through and true. Christians announce or pronounce their prayers out loud and quoting the bible from time to time. The way I see it here is that others ask their guide, God, what they wish for through a prayer and others through hope. It seems there might be a choice in how we portray our guide. You wrap or tie it around Christianity or any other religion or be free spirited and believe in your guide, God.

Not so long ago a group of black indigenous people on the Southern tip of Africa were addressed by their white citizens by the term ‘Kaffir’ which is an Arabic term that means ‘that doesn’t believe in God’. This term was painful mostly because of the connotations that came with it, both the physical and emotional aspect that came with being a ‘Kaffir’. And I am not to dwell on that but bear in mind the results of that. Now back to the subject of believing in God. It was not that the indigenous people did not believe in God, I think the problem was that they did not believe in the white man’s God. The God they preach from their bible. The God they wrapped around Christianity and other religions that quote the bible. Black people had their guide, their God, uMvelinqandi, uQamata, Modimo, their almighty in different indigenous languages or terms. I guess the problem they had with them is how they praised their God. Their belief system to God. And as people on earth especially black people especially in Africa, I don’t think we are to criticize and look down on others when it comes to the belief systems to God. After all we know better the worst result of that. God is all our guide. Period.  Loving God does not just mean going to church on Sundays. Fix your relationship with God. The Bible says to love God is to hear and obey His Word. And for those who believe not to judge the non-believers for God wants to reach out to them through those who believe. One reason we need to prosper and be in victory is to show people around us that God is good. The word ‘show’ means “to boldly stand out opposite, to manifest, announce always by the one present, to expose, explain, praise, certify, declare, expound fully, plainly profess, release, report, show forth, speak.” God wants His people to stand out boldly opposite so that others can see that there is a God in heaven. He wants to tell the world something through the lives of His people. Now I have experienced so many issues about people judging one another because of believing in God and being a Christian, relationships breaking, etc. People of South Africa and the Manifest the Glory of God. Don’t let religion interfere in your relationship with God and have you judging and criticising others. Remember, God loves us all especially the ones in the so called ‘darkness’ and he wants you to bring light in their lives.

distinguishedcompany:

goodoldvalves:

Cadillac 1949 interior

When we were babies we loved to be touched, loved, adored, cuddled, comfort and feel safe in the arms of our elders and we seem to have never had enough of that since we need it so badly. We still love to be loved, touched and cuddled and called by those who do love us ‘baby’. And while still there we are afraid of love. We fear to give ourselves to the arms of the other for they might drop us and we get hurt and yet love is the only rational thing and you must remember that the fear of love is the fear of life. Love brings us closer while fear tears us apart.  Even if we have people who cuddle us and make us feel safe we still ask ourselves if they are going to be able to buy us a new dress or our favourite toy for Christmas, just like when we were babies. The truth being those people brings us a great deal in life and we shouldn’t let materialism live outside the boundaries of our reality cause the only reality we need is love. When we sick, in need and dying we want to be surrounded by love just like when we were babies. We do not long for material things. The truth is we are still and will always be babies of this world and we will always be, there is one or two people who will call us baby till the day we die or the day they die, however this is my idea of love and its origins. So my friend if you have that person who thinks you are the best thing that ever happens to her, her greatest gift from God and if you love her and feel the same, don’t hesitate. Life is love and love is life. And life is not about the amount of breaths you take it’s about the moments that take your breath away.

They say love is something you can see and if you won’t see it, you can hear it and if you won’t hear it, you feel it and so you love someone because you see, hear and feel love for them. With no doubt being in love should be about these combined feelings for an individual. And if at the moment you can’t think of anything else you rather have than somebody loving you, keep breathing and wait for that moment that will take your breath away. People take love for granted and you don’t go out trying to find love. It is actually love that finds you. It happens at a time when you think your life is a living hell and something happens that makes you realise that even in hell sometimes an angel does make an appearance and before you know it Cupid has visited you and struck you with his arrow, and before you know it you are smiling again. Once you find it know that love doesn’t count the number of wrongs. Love doesn’t get fed up of loving. Love doesn’t get finished but forget. And when you love someone, their journey becomes yours as much as theirs. Sometimes you don’t need anybody’s love to approve you happiness. One once said you don’t have to have a lover to have love in your life. You can be the love of your life. No doubt love is happiness. Find happiness or that person who makes you happy. Always remember, life is love, love is happiness and happiness is life. And the fear of love is the fear of life. Love brings us closer while fear tears us apart.

curioos-arts:

Rachel Caldwell (USA) - Portfolio

curioos-arts:

Studio Muti (South Africa) - Portfolio