Nonqaba said ...

Maseru Bridge, one of the border controls between Lesotho and South Africa. Online pic. Lesotho and Ukraine, sister countries? Not at all, one is in Africa, south of the continent. The other is in Eastern Europe, where it is joined at the hip with the Soviet Union and other countries. The sisterly connection is being landlocked, surrounded by other countries, and not free geographically like Australia or England. Canada and U.S. are joined but are not landlocked as such, because they have access to oceans around them. Lesotho is totally surrounded by South Africa. The Royal Kingdom is smaller now. Apartheid governments invaded it and seized land to give white settlers from Holland and Germany, massive farms maintained with black prison labour. Most of the Free State Province was built on land seized from Lesotho. Africans there speak Sesotho, the language of Lesotho. Vladimir Putin, is using language as one of the reasons why he endorsed  Donetsk and Luhansk, the two regions that broke

Online pic: DeMar Darnell DeRozan. DeMar Darnell DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls must be bullish with podcasts about how he left Toronto Raptors. He must make a statement that he will not entertain questions about it anymore. He has said it all. There’s nothing to add. Darnell was in Toronto from 2009-2018. How he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs is old news, archives, w ater under the bridge and we don’t want to hear it anymore. Darnell should take a stand that he will only answer questions about Chicago Bulls, his present home. No more Toronto Raptors. He moved. New country, new city, new zip code and NBA affiliation. Podcasts can be a disappointment at times. Technology provides them with a platform that can give viewers alternative opinion, opinion that is not dictated by a producer shouting questions in the ear piece. Podcast hosts wear two critical hats: producer’s and director’s. They are supposed to be independent thinkers like community and college radio stations back in the d

Pic: Nonqaba waka Msimang, before the pandemic.   I can’t wait to move out. Mum and dad drive me crazy. What kids don’t know is what parents do as soon as they arrive home, after leaving their now independent son in his new apartment. In fact, he nudged them out to prepare for the after-party with his friends. The feeling is mutual. Parents also uncork their supermarket champagne.  What a relief! The YouTube star, I’m an adult mom  is gone. They are also celebrating his first lesson, Budgeting 101. He used to resent Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners. He took for granted meat, fish or chicken on the table. Budgeting 101 kicks in. He stops at the food mart rotisserie and stares at that juicy chicken, reminiscent of mom’s  handiwork. Budgeting 101 makes food shopping pure torture. He walks aimlessly in grocery store aisles with an empty basket, with only macaroni n’ cheese boxes as tenants. He didn’t know food is so expensive. What’s up with soap to wash dishes? He has never washed a pla

Pic: Nonqaba waka Msimang. While snow shoveling is an alien concept in Africa, Caribbean and most Pacific Islands, it is common in Europe, Canada and some parts of the U.S. However, it is a status symbol.  It denotes home ownership. Yes, some students and other temporary residents that prefer to rent stand-alone houses instead of apartments, also shovel snow. Radio hosts and T.V. anchors lyrically compare notes on the amount that fell on their driveways. The internet has cute videos of kids helping mum and dad shovel. Snow shoveling is an unconscious admission that you are financially stable. That is why the bank gave you a loan to buy a house with a driveway. How about condo owners? Some bought them to avoid it. Snow shoveling might bring back sad memories for some condo owners, older Canadians and Americans in particular. It is a back breaking exercise that requires premium health. Aging gnaws health. That’s why some senior citizens sell their homes and opt for maintenance-free livin

What is the connection? Value.  Banks own more land than governments because when they ask for collateral, they mean land, not your vintage car collection or roomful of shoes. They’ll even take a run down apartment building with structural and tenant problems you inherited from your aunt, because it sits on a piece of land. Buying a house? First question from real estate agents is: do you own your home or rent?  Indigenous people have always known the value of land. That is why they do libation, which is pouring a drop of local beer on the ground before drinking. This is testimony that everything comes from the land. When children were born, their umbilical cord was buried behind the house or under a tree.  Africans like Ama-Zulu of South Africa and Igbo of Nigeria used to bury family members in the yard. Kids grew up knowing that grandpa is lying there, so the concept of ghosts didn’t exist. Therefore, in ancient times, libation was for people close by in family graves. Ancestors were

Jay-Z album Magna Carta, with some Justin Timberlake collaboration. Black History Month is not only about admiring beautiful African American men and women with their white teeth and mostly night-black eyes. It is also celebrating how they survived as a race. Early slaves appreciated waking up to a new day. Suicide was not an option. Surviving every whip, rape and lynching was the only option. They literally prayed for one day at a time and gave thanks when they saw it. They went to the forest to congregate and pray. They embraced Christianity, although it was the slave master’s religion. The Bible became their drinking well. Early slaves also used carry-over culture from Africa to give thanks. Libation is a part of it. Libation is pouring a drop of wine or whisky on the ground for ancestors: grandparents and great great grandparents that gave birth to the race, and to thank them for survival in America. Libation connects them to the living. There’s a belief that ancestors watch over u

Beloved poster, starring Kimberly Elise, Oprah and Thandi Newton.   Critical race theory books are in the noose in southern states, of the country called the United States of America. I don’t know much about the theory because I’m lazy. No time to read, busy doing things that don’t tax my brain, such as pressing LIKE and RETWEET. What I know though is that old books I’ve read and some films talk about the ‘race.’ There are ‘race films’ and it was an honour to be called a race man or woman back in the day. It was not only about being born black, but recognizing that slavery and post-slavery was an attempt to eliminate the race, that was brought in shackles from Africa. We cannot talk about attempts to exterminate the race, without talking about black women. White masters raped slaves, and sold children as soon as women pushed them into the world. Slaves who were lucky enough to fall in love, watched in horror as massa sold the infants. We don’t know this history, because we don’t want t

Pic: Nonqaba waka Msimang. Dictator truckers, blocking Canada’s inlets and outlets are broke. They will declare bankruptcy as soon as they go back home. The problem is, they won’t go back despite the injunction that orders them to pack up and let the majority of Canadians re-live their safe and healthy lives. They are bankrupt, which makes them dangerous. They have nothing to lose. Bankrupt? Yes, because lovely Canada is a capitalist country. We borrow from the bank to buy cars, houses, farms and trucks. Banks take over these things when we don’t pay monthly rental fees. Instead of saying they are bankrupt and that their business is over, dictator truckers claim they are blockading Canada because of vaccine mandates. They want Canadians to believe they are doing them a favour, fighting on their behalf. They are not. They have nothing to do. Wheels of capitalism are already in motion. You borrow money from the bank, with the promise to pay monthly interest. You don’t pay for a few month

Pic: Nonqaba waka Msimang. Various reports indicate that about 80% of licensed Canadian truckers are fully vaccinated. Only 20% are holding the country hostage with entry port blockades and paralyzing Ottawa, the capital city. There is division in the trucking industry. Minority truckers are using vaccine mandates as a scapegoat to hide the real reason for the blockade: internal rot. Just to recap. We are in a pandemic. All countries have strategies of trying to contain COVID-19. That is why I’m sent to quarantine when I land in a foreign country. Masks and the requirement to be fully vaccinated before having a meal in a restaurant, sitting in a plane or crossing the Canada-U.S. border in a big rig is a health issue. Why? Because there are other people in the restaurant or plane. It is interesting that minority truckers holding Canada hostage are silent about the health issue, why we are here wearing masks and having fully-vaxed certificates in our phones. It’s because the industry has

Countries that have polygamy in the constitution or religion don’t worry about romantic dinners on Valentine’s Day because wives eat together, if they live under one roof. Husbands also don’t have to re-hash the three little words. Culture and religion determine how a man shows love for his wives. Raise The Red Lantern , a classic film directed by Zhang Yimou, is set in ancient China. The man is rich and has four mistresses. Where does he sleep? He tells servants to place a red lantern in front of the woman he wants for the night. In Hollywood movies, TV soap opera and Instagram, women want store-bought gifts for Valentine’s Day, including cars. The lantern, is the most romantic gift in the film. It is also a source of power. The mistress the man spent the night with, determines the menu. Raise The Red Lantern  is a very sad film because the four women do despicable things to each other for an individual who doesn’t care about them. They are replaceable, that’s why he has four. Today’s

Winnipeg Manitoba, protest outside provincial legislature. The presence of American flags as big as doors on truckers’ rigs, does not warrant the conclusion that  U.S. elements are behind the dictator convoys, that started beginning of February. The occupation is purely Canadian. Some truckers occupied Ottawa, the capital of Canada, protesting government rules about being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The assumption that because of flags, the U.S. is responsible for truckers blocking Ottawa and other border posts is off base. It gives the impression that U.S. is the big bad wolf, leaving its dirty paws on white as snow Canada. Far from it. Canada has flaws, like any country. The Constitution keeps them under wraps. But  now and then, elements that believe government decisions are wrong, and should be challenged by force, come out of the woodwork.   The trucker intimidation is as Canadian as what happened outside some Canadian hospitals in 2021. People who did not want to be vaccin

Most parents don’t know what kids do online. One thing for sure, they want to be rich and famous, like yesterday.  ‘Show me the money,’ is the script they know by heart. Parents should instill at an early age that in business, things are written down and the ‘cool’ way to do it, is writing emails that make potential partners conclude you are a serious player.  Electronic mail is basically writing a letter. It is still an effective business tool despite all the platforms brought about by the digit present. Parents can supplement what kids are taught in school by teaching them how to write an e-mail, especially rich kids because they have laptops. Most kids are hungry for easy money brought about by online opportunities. They download stories of teens that drop out of school to run profitable business ventures. If it is business, it needs communication. If it’s communication, it needs e-mail. If it’s business, it has certain ways of doing things, a culture of some sort. In the film  Boyz

Canadians are fortunate. They have the right to protest about this and that.   They have no idea how fortunate they are, because it doesn’t exist in other countries. However, the right to do anything is not absolute. It is limited. A neighbour might love his tree, but the leaves might be a nuisance to his right hand neighbour. Equally, the right to hit the streets to protest about anything is limited. That’s why there are laws for marches. Organizers must give the City or Municipality the where, when and how, if they want a permit to march. The City seals off certain streets, assigns police for the day and buses use alternative routes. Marches are an inconvenience, especially if you did not check certain websites before leaving home. But still, people don’t complain. They understand the right to protest. It is limited because infrastructure like roads is shared. In fact, the best way to put it is  having the right of way . Traffic lights control us, so do pedestrian walks and stop sign

Erin O'Toole, only 5 months as leader of  Conservative Party of Canada. Political party leaders of every stripe must come to grips with one fact. Twitter is not for them. It’s for us little people. No fame or fortune but we are independent. What we say is home grown. It’s what we think. We don’t speak, ‘on behalf .…..’ Party leaders are paid employees. No. Make that human megaphones. They are elected to represent what supporters think is the ideal. It could be: l  no taxes for the rich l   $20 an hour minimum wage l  free books for primary schools l  cutting down trees to build condominiums l  supporting oil companies to push whales from their homes to die on the beach l  reduced immigration from certain countries l  don’t buy anything made in China (which will leave us wretched and naked). Political parties have handlers that advise leaders about current headlines, upcoming religious holidays, controversial anniversaries, how to bring back members that defected, how to attack the

Truckers have big rigs, so they get away with criminal acts . Most drivers think twice about parking in a TOW-AWAY zone, even for two minutes while they dash in and out to deliver something. Truckers taking part in dictator convoys are an exception. Dictator convoys because they are immune to most law and order rules governing Canada. They are not ‘freedom’ convoys because it is two-pronged.  They are depriving the government from dealing with a health situation, COVID-19. They are also dictating to citizens who vaccinated because they understand the global attempt to contain the virus. Vaccine mandates. The majority of Canadians know that they must be vaccinated to travel. It’s not painful. The actual needle takes less than a minute. Canadians who don’t like to vaccinate have postponed travelling. Most truckers in dictator convoys are fully-vaxed but they are taking part for the fun of it, civil disobedience. RIGHTS There’s a right to protest and a right for protests not to deprive yo

Tabouna bread, from Tunisia. Online pic.   Classrooms and bread. Online learning or not, education must be a circle, like the sun and moon. That is why an assignment about a loaf of bread is half-baked knowledge. The sun and moon are appropriate examples because they are our parents. They nourish us with identical milk and love. They appear or disappear the same way. They make things grow or burn to death across the world. A loaf of bread assignment is territorial. Why? Because fewer countries in the world bake such bread and cut it into slices. Teachers who understand that knowledge is a circle will simply call the assignment: bread . I found homework frustrating when I used to wear a gym dress and a white shirt. I had two choices, which were not 2 at all.   l  What I wanted to say. l  What the teacher wanted to hear. I’m sure 2022 learners are in the same dilemma. That is why calling the assignment bread , instead of a loaf of bread is more embracing. The teacher will receive global

Buying something from gift shops used to be part of tourism, local and international. You still want to pick up something from Niagara Falls, even though you live in Canada. People who live in Birmingham U.K. buy some gifts to boast they were in Edinburgh Scotland. Before we blame Covid-19, let’s dust the cobwebs a bit. What is making gift shops haemorrhage? The internet is the main culprit because we can buy gifts from other lands online. It’s cheaper.  We don’t have to board a plane and book hotels. Another reason for gift shops’ diminishing sales might be quality. Yes, we buy T-shirts for the I LOVE VANCOUVER message, but quality also matters. Some of them are paper thin, which makes them candidates for size reduction after the first visit to the washing machine. Trying to function like high street shops might also be the problem. Some gift shops carry items we can buy cheaper at the mall. Redundant gifts like aprons, ash trays and letter openers are equally bad news for the cash re

Basketball and football players have special rooms called game rooms. The first thing that greets you is the television screen, big and high, like a wave in Hawaii. Online pic. Invite the boys over to catch the game in your media room.  For millionaires and billionaires only. South Korea, which makes most TV screens must be having sleepless nights. Why? Because the world is at our fingertips now, literally. When we are hungry, we punch the phone and order take-away, even groceries. Same thing with sports. We watched Rafael Nadal win the Men’s Singles title at the Australian Open on our phones. Beijing Olympics are here so,  we will follow the wins and tumbles from digital devices. Before the internet, we couldn’t wait to get home, relax and watch sports on a big screen TV. Now we watch the action on our phones, during lunch break at work.  Flat screens are not born equal. You saw this the last time you visited an electronics shop. They come in small, medium, large and largest. Most can