God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand — true to thee, O God, and true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we’ve shared this day. We pray now, O Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant, Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration. He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national and, indeed, the global fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hand, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations. Our faith does not shrink, though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.

For we know that, Lord, you’re able and you’re willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor or the least of these and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.

We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to achieve a more perfect union. And while we have sown the seeds of greed — the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little, angelic Sasha and Malia.

We go now to walk together, children, pledging that we won’t get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone, with your hands of power and your heart of love.

Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around — (laughter) — when yellow will be mellow — (laughter) — when the red man can get ahead, man — (laughter) — and when white will embrace what is right.

Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen!

REV. LOWERY: Say amen –

AUDIENCE: Amen!

REV. LOWERY: — and amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen! (Cheers, applause.)

END.

Incoming search terms:

mncube road in dube

Serenading her to the alter
For matrimonial felicity
At the same old Methodist church
Where Dr Lowery had presided
For many rains ago
And was cofounder
Of the SCLC with the late Dr Martin Luther King
He recently prayed for President Obama
His opening remarks read like
So God of our weary years
God of our silent tears
Beneath thy hand may
We forever stand
And true to our native land

In my wedding ceremony
Dr Lowery said
Let this marriage symbolise
A child from the deeper
Killing grounds of apartheid
Joining hand with a child
From the cotton field of Georgia
May this union show consanguine ties
Between the two world
The wedding was truly symbolic of a couple
Who in their blood flow a tribe of people
Who know rivers of the land
before the mayflower

Came to the shores of America the beautiful
And a people who bathed in the Limpopo
Before the white settlers
Usurped the land and rivers
And renamed them as they pleased
The last word of the wedding
Belonged to her mother
She simple said when you get tired of her
Just bring her back home
My daughter showed her love
You kept her waiting for long
All her sisters were in tears
When you showed up very very late
May our ancestors be with the two of you
In all your endeavours

After the rituals of thanking everybody
For the wedding
The greatest joy in my life
We packed the presents given to us
By so many well wishers
And off we went to Rochester, NY

Sister Bernard Ncube was born to Benedict Khosi Ncube and Annah Dichia Ncube in Edenvale in 1935.

One of the 11 siblings, her family was forcibly removed to Dube, Soweto; perhaps a felony that ignited a sense of disgust over the then apartheid system of separate development.

Sister Bernard – as Ncube was popularly known as – leaves behind two brothers, four sisters and a South African community that she served with compassion and dedication.

EDUCATION

Sister Bernard started her primary school as Sacred Heart in Dukathole, Germiston and proceeded to St Thomas Catholic School for her secondary education.  She was then sent to Roma College in Lesotho where she completed a Diploma in Theology.  In 1955 she entered the Companions Catholic Order and took the name Sister Bernard.

WORK

She taught at St Peters Primary School in Kagiso, Krugersdorp, and was moved by the condition of learners.  She eventually mobilised young people to form the Congress of South African Students (COSAS).

Sister Bernard was also a Director for Ministries in the Institute of Contextual Theology, an institution she formed with Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa. Contextual Theology was an organisation that aimed to define religion from the liberation struggle standpoint, something that Sister Bernard was passionate about till her passing.  She often bemoaned how religion today spoke generally of the hereafter, and referred little to issues of self-reliance and the current living condition of the people. She was actively involved in bringing senior church leaders closer to the war for justice.

In 1991 she was elected to the National Executive Committee of the ANC where she served until 1997.  After the 1994 elections, Sister Bernard was elected ANC Member of Parliament, where she served as Chairperson of the Portfolio committee on Arts, Culture, Science and technology.  She also served as Executive Mayor of the West Rand District Municipality from 2002 to 2005.

Despite her strong Christian beliefs, religion did not stop Sister Bernard from pursuing her civic calling and she never wavered in her call for human rights and justice for all, especially the downtrodden.

MEMBERSHIPS AND ORGANISATIONS

As a found member of the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW) in 1955, Sister Bernard, together with Albertina Sisulu; Helen Joseph; Rita Nzanga; Maniben Sita; and Francis Baard, amongst others, took a decision in December 1984 to resuscitate the organisation by forming the Federation of Transvaal Women (FEDTRAW).

She served as its first President.  She was tasked with the responsibility of recruiting, training and preparing women for participating in an organisation whose mandate was to popularise the ANC’s Freedom Charter; to support families of political detainees, in particular student detainees; and to address the plight of rural women, to mention a few.

Sister Bernard was also tasked with finding and resuscitating membership of every veteran of FEDSAW and starting the process of establishing women’s organisations in every town and village in South Africa.

She worked with a team of young women around her, including Zeni Tshongweni, Nomvula Mokonyane, Jessie Duarte, Baby Tyawa, Leila Patel, Cecelia Palmer, Susan Shabangu and Feroza Adam.

Two boys, Bennie Monama and Ohara Diseko, completed a posse od dedicated and radical youngsters that milked every bit of political knowledge and substance from a dedicated Sister Bernard – who was also anchored by stalwarts such as albertina Sisulu and Winner Mandela, to mention a few.

Their often nomadic and dangerous missions resulted in the resuscitation of FEDTRAW, which attracted affiliation from other women organisations like the National Organisation of Women (NOW) and the United Women’s Congress (UWCO), among others.

During her detention FEDTRAW launched a campaign “VUKANI MAKHOSIKAZI, TSOGANG BASADI” to demand the immediate release of detainees and for the troops to leave townships.

Sister Bernard also worked clandestinely as a conduit of the AND – operating under the instruction of Ma-Sisulu – and was part of the United Democratic Front (UDF).

When Kagiso was occupied by the South African Defence Force (SANDF) and turned into a war zone in 1985, Sister Bernard and the priests in the area mobilised parents to assist with large number of children detained and killed. The repression in Kagiso spurred the establishment of the Kagiso Residents Association (KRA), which became the leading organisation in the area.  No stranger to repression, Sister Bernard and twelve members of the KRA were charged with sedition but discharged because the state had failed to prove its case.  She inspired a generation of activists who were responsible for turning around the West Rand politically.

She also worked very closely in Kagiso with Father Lebamang Sebidi, one of her closest friends who passed away in June this year; in improve the living condition of that community.  The two were quite close until Sebidi’s death.

TRAVEL

Sister Bernard was constantly in contact with the ANC Women’s Section in exile and her sister, Gloria, was her runner, periodically taking messages to Lusaka.  She had contact with Gertrude Shope, Ruth Mompati and Ray Simons; to whom reports were sent on the progress regarding the organisation of women in the country.

In 1989 Sister Bernard was part of the United Democratic Front (UDF) delegation that travelled to the USA to meet with George Bush Senior and Margaret Thatcher.  The delegation was led by Albertina Sisulu and included Azar Cachalia, Titus Mafole, Curnick Ndlovu and Jessie Duarte to present the conditions of South Africa under an apartheid-infused Nationalist Party-led government.

Sister Bernard, Albertina Sisulu and Jessie Duarte also travelled to Sweden as guests of the Socialist women’s International where the delegation met with Swedish First Lady, Lisbet Palme, the wife of Olof Palme, the Swedish Prime Minister who was a strong opponent to the apartheid regime, and discussed assistance with the establishment of scholarships for women.  The Three women then travelled to France to meet with Danielle Mitterand, the spouse of the President Francois Mitterand, and secured her support for projects by women in Soweto.

From Paris the women flew to Lusaka and met with the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC and President Oliver Tambo.  Sister Bernard was invited to meet with President Nelson Mandela before his release to report on the status of women’s organisation in the country.

This history and much of the unpublished and unknown work, clearly demonstrates her political commitment which dictated her life’s work as a personal sacrifice to serve her country, its children and women in particular.  She leaves a legacy as a fighter for justice and freedom, a notable advocate of the rights of women and a stricter for socio-political and economic order and transformation.

LALA NGOXOLO KHAMBUL’ELIHLE MZILANKATHA!

Incoming search terms:

example of an orbituary, A short example of an orbituary, an example of an orbituary, example for orbituary, lala ngoxolo, zulu poetry lala ngoxolo

Singing for Madiba

At 8am on Wednesday morning, millions of South Africans, including pupils from the country’s schools, prominent artists and personalities, united their voices in song to wish the country’s favourite icon good health and a blessed day – a gesture of love and appreciation broadcast on national TV and by most radio stations.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga led pupils from a school in Limpopo in song.

Approximately 12.5-million school children participated in the initiative of Lead SA in partnership with the Department of Basic Education and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, supported by Shout, Brand South Africa and Proudly South African.

Lead SA said the unique and memorable rendition of the Happy Birthday song mark a place in time for all South Africans to preserve Madiba’s living legacy.

The organisation said they wanted to an enduring memory by giving him the best birthday present ever – the love of the world.

67 minutes for Mandela

In honour of the iconic leader, businesses, schools, government structures, charitable groups and ordinary South Africans gave 67 minutes of their time to give back to their communities.

July 18, which is known as International Nelson Mandela Day, is not only special to Madiba but to ordinary citizens as they celebrate by taking action to help change the world for the better.

And this year was no different, as people across the country played their part by ploughing back into communities through activities that included refurbishing schools and helping out at old age homes and hospitals.

Various events, both by government and non-governmental organisations, took place across the country. The national event was held in Zeerust, where Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile and the Premier of North West Thandi Modise set aside time to do community service.

Staff at the North West Premier’s office handed out gifts to three schools: Madiba Comprehensive School in Rooigrond, and Thutlwane and Madibogo Pan Primary school in Madibogo Pan.

Cabinet ministers get involved

Several other Cabinet ministers also rolled up their sleeves to do their 67 minutes. Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi was at the Refilwe Orphanage, Disability Centre in Cullinan, east of Pretoria, giving the centre much needed support.

The centre – which hosts 60 senior citizens, 200 vulnerable children and 56 people with disabilities – operates as a drop-in centre where vulnerable children, senior citizens and people with disability are cared for during the day by giving them food, educational and recreational activities.

Basic Education Deputy Minister Enver Surty led proceedings in Gauteng at the Batsogile Primary School in Pimville, Soweto.

Deputy Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi was at Boitumelo High School in Ficksburg, where she mobilised the local community to provide their time and labour for free to paint the school; laying the foundation for toilets; cleaning the school yard and planting trees.

Deputy Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu and her team handed over blankets, soup and pizza and to people living on the streets in and around Tshwane on Tuesday night.

Provincial initiatives

Provinces also honoured their 67 minutes pledge. The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport undertook a cleaning campaign at the Mabopane Driver’s Licence Testing Centre – one of its busiest centres in Tshwane. The campaign created a new face for the centre, while helping to make it environmentally friendly.

Other activities included story-telling, motivational talks as well as sporting activities.

In the Eastern Cape, the Department of Transport, together with Minister Ben Martins and Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu, honoured the 67 minutes initiative by painting road markings in Sutherland Street in Mthatha before teaching pupils at Milton Mbekele Senior Secondary about road safety.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) played their part countrywide as their staff dedicated their 67 minutes to 15 projects.

One of the projects was the New Jerusalem Children’s Home in Midrand. An estimated 60 IEC staff members cleaned, painted and heped with maintainance at the home, which provides residential care for abandoned, abused, traumatised, orphaned or HIV-Positive children and vulnerable youth.

Others include the Ratanang School for people with disabilities in Limpopo, the Othandweni Family Care Centre in Soweto, and the Kgomotsego Old Age Home in Kuruman.

IEC Chairperson Pansy Tlakula said she was excited at the high levels of energy demonstrated by IEC officials nationally, and proud that the organisation was involved in so many projects.

They hoped that all who worked on the project would remember the values that Madiba embraced and that they would honour his legacy every day through acts of kindness to fellow South Africans.

On Wednesday evening, soccer fans at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban sang Happy Birthday to Madiba ahead of the kick-off of the match between AmaZulu and Manchester United.

Incoming search terms:

18 July commemoration day, orphanage care centre around madibogo

Motlanthe was addressing the inaugural ICT Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Tuesday.

The three-day event, organised by the Department of Communications and endorsed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which aims to formulate an African agenda to promote ICT as a catalyst for socio-economic development on the continent.

ICT ‘key to higher growth, development’

Motlanthe told the high-profile gathering that, while primary or traditional industries remained important, “the biggest commodity in the world today is knowledge, and the ability to generate, access, and distribute knowledge have become key determinants for a higher developmental trajectory for any nation”.

Moving towards a knowledge-based economy would “allow us to adapt to changing conditions and design solutions that will enhance the competitiveness of our emerging nations”.

Africa’s low rankings on the most reputable global measures of ICT penetration should therefore be of concern to the delegates at the Indaba, Motlanthe said.

He cited the ITU’s ICT Development Index, on which no African country is in the top 50, and the World Bank’s Knowledge Economy Index, whose top 100 features no African country.

“In 2011, only 5.7 percent of the population of Africa had access to the internet,” he added. “In global comparison, while Africa accounts for 14 percent of the world population, only 3.6 percent of internet subscribers are Africans.”

Creating an investment-friendly environment

To overcome this, African countries had to find ways to improve both the reliability of their policy environment and their ability to foster foreign investor confidence, on the one hand, and the ability of their regulatory frameworks to lower costs and ensure secure networks.

At the same time, Motlanthe said, it was crucial for Africa to grow its skills base in order to “acquire the critical mass of human capital to drive a robust knowledge-based economy”, and to ensure universal access to broadband and ICT services.

Improving Africa’s information communication technologies was a precondition for improving its productive industrial capacity, and increasing broadband penetration was the first priority, Motlanthe said.

He cited World Bank studies indicating that, for developing countries, a 10% increase in broadband penetration generated a 1.4% increase in GDP growth.

African innovations for Africa

In addition, he said, strategic investment in the ICT sector would allow Africa to play an increasingly important role in the development of new applications and innovations that were relevant to the needs of the continent, which in turn would have a multiplier effect on economic growth.

“African countries can provide the innovators for future technological development in ICT that can in turn continue to drive economic and social development on the continent, through developing innovations and applications relevant to the needs of our peoples.”

Africans had to consider policy models and interventions that had helped other developing countries to re-position their economic development through their ICT sectors.

“Similarly, we need a closer policy discussion of infrastructure development initiatives in Africa, while reviewing the alternatives to leapfrog to a higher development level by leveraging on smart technologies and policy.

“We must also not forget that 55% of Africans live in rural areas,” Motlanthe said. “It is our responsibility to ensure that they are integrated into the knowledge-based society.

“As such, we are encouraged and inspired by the example of 28-year-old Saheed Adepoju of Nigeria, who has, despite challenges in funding and entrepreneurial support, designed and manufactured the first African tablet PC – the Afritab.

“Heeding this example, I hope that the deliberations at this conference will conclude with a comprehensive analysis of the lessons learned and will develop these into SMART – Strategic, Measurable, Attainable, Result-orientated – and time-bound initiatives and programmes between this and the next ICT Indaba.”

Child Work is defined as a child performing menial tasks such as mowing the lawn, washing dishes and generally helping in the home etc. These tasks should however not be exploitative, hazardous or inappropriate for the child’s age or detrimental to the child’s social, physical, mental, spiritual or moral development.

According to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, it is a criminal offence to employ a child younger than 15, except in the performing arts with a permit from the Department of Labour. Children aged 15 to 18 may not be employed to do work inappropriate for their age, or work that places them at risk.

Devterms does not support the atrocity of child labour. We believe that all children have a right to basic needs including education.

What are you doing in your community to eradicate this?

The Constitution provides for the establishment of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The aim of the Commission is to promote respect for human rights, promote the protection, development and attainment of human rights, and to monitor and assess the observance of human rights in SA. The SAHRC was launched on 21 March 1996, 35 years after the fateful events of 21 March 1960 when demonstrators in Sharpeville were gunned down by police.

The Native Laws Amendment Act of 1952 extended Government control over the movement of Africans to urban areas and abolished the use of the Pass Book (a document which Africans were required to carry on them to ‘prove’ that they were allowed to enter a ‘white area’) in favour of a reference book which had to be carried at all times by all Africans.

Failure to produce the reference book on demand by the police, was a punishable offence. The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) proposed an anti-Pass campaign to start on 21 March 1960. All African men were to take part in the campaign without their passes and present themselves for arrest.

Campaigners gathered at police stations in townships near Johannesburg where they were dispersed by police. At the Sharpeville police station a scuffle broke out. Part of a wire fence was trampled, allowing the crowd to move forward. The police opened fire, apparently without having been given a prior order to do so. Sixty-nine people were killed and 180 wounded.

In apartheid South Africa this day became known as Sharpeville Day and although not part of the official calendar of public holidays the event was commemorated among anti-apartheid movements.

Incoming search terms:

human rights poems for kids

Steve,

Incoming search terms:

kalamazoo mokone

Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Ms Edna Molewa is calling on all South Africans to join the department in celebrating National Water Week by making a positive contribution towards efforts to conserve and protect the country`s water resources.

The country’s already scarce water resource is further threatened by high levels of pollution in dams and rivers, water wastage that occurs in our homes as a result of leaking taps and pipes and a lack of commitment to conserve water by industries and the agricultural sector.

National Water Week is an annual awareness campaign of the Department of Water Affairs which seeks to focus attention on water as a scarce and precious commodity in our country.

Minister Molewa is therefore appealing to every South African to take practical steps to conserve and protect water resources. This means citizens are encouraged to use at least one of the water saving tips the department has introduced. These can be found on the department’s website www.dwa.gov.za and on various other media platforms available to all South Africans.

Celebrated under this year’s theme: Water is life; Respect it, Conserve it, Enjoy it, National water week aims:

• Raise awareness around the need to conserve and protect water resources.
• Highlight the Departments plans and achievements as custodian of the country`s water resources.
• Ensure water is put firmly on the national agenda.
• Encourage everyone to use water sparingly at all times.
• Call upon all citizens to ensure each person uses water wisely and sparingly at all times.
• Remind citizens that South Africa is a water scarce country and that water is a finite resource.

During National Water week a series of key activities are planned across the country. Minister Molewa and Deputy Minister Rejoice Madubafhasi will lead some of the events and activities (programme of events).

Minister Molewa will also lead a delegation to the 6th International World Water Forum (WWF) in Marseilles France from 12 to 17 March 2012. The 6th WWF is billed as a “Forum of Solutions” which aims find practical solutions to water related problems.

The launch of National Water Week will take place at the Vaal Dam on Monday 5 March 2012. This will be a Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement initiative aimed at highlighting the illegal activities compromising water use in the very important Vaal River system which forms the backbone of the country`s economic hub.

Devterms supports National Water Week and urges you to do the same. Share with us some tips on how you save water.