Should condoms be distributed in high schools?



 

Choice free condom issued by the
Government: source



My answer to this question is that; yes condoms should be distributed in high schools. We as a society need to face the reality that high school pupils are having sex inside the school premises without using protection. Let us forget about the law that is prohibiting 16 years old from having sexual intercourse and deal with this issue.  

The distribution of condoms in high schools is causing a legal snag because the law prohibits 16 years old from having sexual intercourse. I do not understand this how can the law prohibits 16 years old from having sexual intercourse and then allow 12 year old to have abortions.  Do you think that this is a valid reason or it is just an excuse not wanting to provide condoms to high school pupils? 

The soon-to-be-launched Integrated School Health Programme. In high schools, I think that it is a good idea that needs to be taken into consideration fast. The reason why I am saying that this is a good initiative is because the pogramme is going to offer a basket of services which including HIV counseling and testing, education on sexual and reproductive health, and the provision of condoms for the high school pupils.

Our high school pupil’s need this programme and the government should consider changing the law before it is too late.

Is there a need for streets to be renamed?

The unveiling of the Steve Biko drive
Bandile Biko, Helen Zele, Belinda Brett.source

I think that there is no need for streets to be renamed. The government is wasting money on renaming the streets. Who cares what the name of the streets is, as long as there is a name on the street, then there is no problem.

 The Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille unveiled the new name of NY1 road in Gugulethu on the 24^th of September, which was renamed the Steve Biko Drive. "This was because it replaced terms from the past, associated with inferiority, with names associated with power. “In the old road name, the NY refers to 'native yard'. "What was

unique in South Africa and the Black Consciousness movement was the mobilisation around asserting in the face of history for freedom. “This involved breaking down the "'mental prison" built through semantic means to emancipate the minds of black South Africans, said De Lille. I am against the renaming of the street; because if we are going to change everything from the past; I believe that we will not have history to tell about our past, people should know what is the NY , why the street was named NY, and where the NY street is.

Gugulethu is known for always striking for poor service delivery, therefore I think that, the money that was spent on the renaming of that street could have been spent on the things that the community needs the most. I am not against the fact that they are honouring our past heroes but I feel that we have done enough to honor them. The is a lot of people who were also put of the struggle but they are not being honoured i think that they are the ones who deserves to be honoured. What is your say on this?  

The Freebie Nation



COSATU's proposal for remission is going to
case the government pain. check to view source

South Africans have become lazy to do anything for themselves, because they believe that it is the duty of the government to provide each and everything for us. There is nothing wrong with the government providing us with free houses, water grand and education but we cannot expect the government to give us everything for free. Ever since South Africa has turned into a freebie nation, people do not want to do anything for them because they know that the government will provide for them for free.

I disagree with COSATU proposal of wanting R200 000 remissions from the government to help all South Africans who have being blacklisted read more . The reason why I disagree with this proposal is because there are people who are really suffering and that money could be used to help those people instead of paying for debts that people got themselves into welling.



If the government is going to pay for people’s debts, next time the government will be paying us clothes. The government is already providing too much for the people and the sad part is that people who really need help from the government do not get help. 

Enough is enough; it is time for this to come to an end people need to do things for themselves because this freebie scheme has gone too far. 

What is Julius Malema up to now?

First it was the anti-Mbeki campaign now it’s the anti-Zuma campaign. The anti-Mbeki campaign against our former president Thabo Mbeki was successful the question is will the anti Zuma campaign be successful too?  My advice to Malema is that he needs to accept that Jacob Zuma is the president of this country weather he likes it or not.   

on the 13 September Julius Malema was at the Lenasia Recreation Centre, south of Johannesburg  addressing the soldiers that were placed on special leave in 2009 for protesting at the union building.  What was supposed to be an addressing meeting turned into an anti-campaign against the president because he believes that the country’s confidence in its leadership needs to be rebuilt. What I want to know is that all along while he was part of the of the Africa National Congress (ANC) did he not see that the leadership needed to be rebuild and why didn’t he fix this problem because he was also part of leadership read more.

He also status that; “our Commander in Chief [Zuma] is engaged in other things such getting married every year “Here, children don’t have books, people in hospitals don’t have the necessary machines, and they don’t have roads or clean water.” We cannot blame the President for everything that is going wrong in this country because there are people who are assigned to make sure that all schools have books and all hospitals have the necessary machines that is needed it is the president’s job. I have to say that is about time someone put Julius in his place because enough is enough he want to keep on coursing trouble and he does not have respect for the president. 

All the reasons that Malema has provided; it is quite clear that he is doing this anti-campaign against the president because he wants to remove the president even though he claims that he is not planning to remove any government undemocratically. Yes, we don’t love this leadership... we want to remove it democratically,”

A strike turned in to a deadly zone

 

The National Union Of Mine Workers log
to view source please click here.

I hope that organisations will learn; how they should handle their internal issues by not letting things get this far and also by not involving unions in their internal issues. I am not only refering the organisation but also the workers, they should learner to speak for them self and they should not let the unions interfere in their internal organisational issues

I have to say that sometimes I find unions useless and I do not see the need for them and for people to pay for them. The mine workers at the Marikana were protesting for wages increase and 43 lives were lost during the protest. Why do they have to strike while they have a union that can represent them in a more professional way instead of run in the street and chanting? Where was the National Union of Mineworkers' (Num) at the time the miners needed the union the most read more.

I think that before we risk our live; we should consider asking ourselves why do we have unions and why do we have to pay for them. The reason why I want you to ask yourself this question is, because we pay for unions to represent us not for us to do their jobs. By the way what is their job because if we have a problem we have to go and protest on the streets, risking our live for us to voice out concerns instead of them handling the issue professionally?

From a communications point of view I would say that there was lack of communication from the organisation with its employees as well as the unions with its union members.

No strike for the teachers this year

Learners struggling to cope with the work load after the strike
to view source of image please click here

The question that I keep on asking myself is that; why do teachers have to strike at this crucial time of the year? This time of the year; is the time whereby learners need their teachers the most, due to the fact that they are about to write their trial and final examinations.

Apparently there was supposed to be a strike taking place on 15 August 2012, by the South African democratic teachers union (SADTU) in support of their secretary, who is facing dismissal following his conviction in a disciplinary hearing on charges of mismanagement and misappropriation of school funds at Kuzimisela Primary School in Daveyton."  Why do learners have to be affected by such senseless issues that have nothing to do with them? I have to say well done to the Gauteng department of education for putting a stop to that strike read more.

I think that our teacher should think about their learners and how striking is such a waste of time especially for issues such as this one, they should consider theirs learners first. That wasted time would have been spent in a classroom effectively by doing something constructive rather than running in the street and chanting.

I generally would like to suggest that, next time when teachers want to strike especially for such matters they should consider striking during school holidays or on public holidays so that their strike will not affect the learners.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         





Selebi released on medical parole



Jackie Selebi crying for a medical parole:
To view source please click here

Is it fair that Jackie Selebi is released on medical parole; while people die almost each and every day in prison waiting for their medical parole to be approved?

 I agree with the Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum and senior officials that the process followed in releasing Selebi was not transparent enough.

All along while he was busy with his criminal activities he was not sick now that he has to face the law he’s dying. Jackie Selebi was the former national commissioner of South African police service, who was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for corruption. He has only served 229 days of his 1^st year in prison for corruption read more.

Selebi, who is said he needs dialysis for kidney failure, was released from Pretoria central prison at the recommendation of an 11-member Medical Parole Advisory. What I want to know is that; is this other Schabir Shalk scenario? Does this mean that all corrupt government and ANC’s officials will get released on medical parole and not serve their sentences?

From a communication point of view, I think that the message that is being delivered to us by the South African justice system is that the poor deserve to die in prison and the wealthy will be released on medical parole. What is your say on this?

Who do we blame?



Residence at North West protesting for

 service delivery from the government: click to view
 source

The question that I keep on asking myself about our communities and the government is that, who do we blame for the damages made by people protesting due to for lack of service delivery from the government ?

Yes, I do understand that people want service delivery from the government, but why are they destroying things. What I want to know is how our communities are going to develop if we keep on destroying the little development that is made with in our communities.  

Tlotlang middle school in Bona Bona in North West appealed to the government for help due to the fact that about three weeks ago the anger residences of Bona Bona burned the only school they have due to lack of service delivery read more. Now who has to build a new school? Who do we blame the communities for wanting service delivery or the government for not delivering to the community?

This is not the first protest whereby community members destroy their own infrastructure. The sad part is that the infrastructure they are destroying is the ones they need the most such as clinics, libraries and schools.  To us south Africans it seems like protesting is the only way to solving our problems, but the really fact is that we are making thing worse for ourselves.  I believe that residence do such things to the fact that they believe that the government will respond quickly to their demands.

From a communication point of view I think that the government has to shop with making empty promises that they cannot fulfil and know their communication objectives that they need to achieve in order for them to satisfy they stakeholder.



Corruption is really taking over the taxi industry



This are some of the taxi's that are operating with
fake certificate.



Traffic officers have discovered a building in down town Johannesburg that makes fake certificates that taxis need in order for them to be able to operate on the road read more. This building was discovered by a traffic officer who pretended to be a taxi owner who wants to buy the fake certificate. We all know that down town is famous for its various scandals, but who could have thought of a scandal like this.

What I want to know is that do these taxi owners realize how many lives they are putting in danger just because they greed and do not want to pay for the original documents. I having been always asking myself that why if the is an accident that involves a taxi most of time the taxi driver is nowhere to be found, you will never find the driver at the scene. So I guess is it because they are using fake documents?

From a communicating point of view I that the department of transport is not doing their job because if they were doing their jobs they would have recognized that there is a certain number of taxis that are travelling on the road and the is a certain of taxis that are not paying for their certificate and would have made a research.  

The implementation of the e tolling has been delayed





The delay of the e tolling is good news to Gauteng's motorist
source


The announcement was made by transport director general George Mahlalela, just hours after the African National Congress and the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) said they would ask the government for a month-long delay Read more.

I really think that the delaying of the e tolling system is a relief to must motorist. I must say that travelling on Gauteng road it is going to be quiet expensive. The strike that was planned by the cosatu is going ahead as planned the strike will give motorists again the opportunity to vice out they opinions about the e tolling.  

I wonder what is going to be the discussion of the south Africa national road agency on the trifles, are they going to decrease the trifles or what. The Barden of the tolling system is too much for our motorists because the petrol price is going up again next week. The strike that was planned by the cosatu is going ahead as planned. 

Form a marketing communication view I that the if the South African National Road Agency (snral) wants the e tolling system to be implementation to be successful they should use this time given effectively to communicate with the people who will be using the road and  this is where integrated marketing communications (imc) is important and it should be effective.

Is the strike going to make a difference this time




Same of public concern that the sanral need to address
before  implementing the e tolling system

  Cosatu has received permission from the national economic development and labour council for it 2- million members to participate in a strike again on April 20, 2012 because the South Africa national road agency (sanral) has not addressed some of the public’s concern yet. What i want to know is the strike going to make a difference this time and is there a resolution that is going to be reached about the e tolling.

When cosatu held its first strike against the e tolling system on March 7, the response from the government was that the e tolling will go ahead as planned.  This time again it calling for a strike, will this strike help the government to back down. It is quite clear that millions of motorist are opposing to pay fees for the e tolling and now it is worse to to the fact that if you do not register you will end up R1, 75 per kilometer instead of paying a standard tariff of R0, 30 for registered users. This means that if you are coming to Gauteng and you travel on the freeway roads that has the e tolling system you will have to pay R1,75 per kilometers is that fair for people who do not use this roads on a time o time bases to pay that much.    

From a PRs point of view I think that the e tolling of the freeway has been poorly planned with no participation and engagement with the users.

A decline on the Easter death toll

One of the major accidents that occured during the
Easter holidays:source

The Easter weekend is one of the busiest weekends on our South Africa roads.  The Easter weekend is known for its high accident rates due to the fact that everyone is traveling to different places to enjoy their Easter holidays.

There has been a decline in the number of accidents this year; I have to say well done to our minister of transport and the traffic officers who took their interval for hosting such successful campaigns that were implemented during the holidays.

Transport minister Sbu Ndebele announced that the will be  authorities paying particular attention to drives fitness, drinking and driving, the use of seat belts and pedestrian safety due to the fact that most accidents are cost by this effects.  Objectives of the Easter Road Safety Campaign having identified the Easter holiday as a peculiar challenge to road safety, the enforcement plan considered the following: for more infor

v  To reduce critical offence rates that lead to crashes

v  To reduce crashes, fatalities and serious injuries

v  To inculcate safe road use behaviour and encourage voluntary compliance

v  To create heightened awareness of road traffic safety issues

v  To increase detection and prosecution of critical road traffic offences

v  To harmonise and co-ordinate common operations at all three tiers of service delivery  to maximise communications and publicity exposure on enforcement issues

v  To improve the image of the enforcement fraternity

From a PR's point of view I think that it was about time for the public relation practitioners of the transport department to do something about the high death rate during the Easter holidays.  

How to deal with a crisis

A putco bus that crashed into a house





A crisis is an unplanned event that can take place in any organisation unexpected. Crisis management is one of the essential components of the public relation practitioner and in practice must be used as comprehensive and meticulous as possible.

The benefits of a good public relations practitioner and crisis management can literally save lives, save money and save organisation from devastation any organisation should be prepared to face any crisis that takes place in an organisation.

On March, 28 2012 a Putco bus crashed into the bedroom of Motswiri 44 and his girlfriend Mathabiso Kamandi 33 at Soweto in Dobsenville killing two people, thirty six injured and four seriously injured. The bus driver apparently lost control of the bus. The Putco marketing team did a good job by dealing with the matter as soon as possible by offering to rebuild the houses that were damaged by the bus. Most company fail to manage crisises due to the fact that they donot know how to handle  a crisis.  Even thou the company cannot bring back the lives that were lost at the scene but the organisation managed to protect its image.

There are ten factors that each and every organisation needs to be considered when dealing with a crisis.for more infor

v  Strong leadership

v  Swift decision making

v  Prompt effective action on behalf of any people affected

v  Proactive action to mitigate any environmental impact

v  Clear, proactive and continuous communication

v  Robust crisis plans with clear roles

v  Ensure your crisis management team regularly trains and rehearses together

v  Good spokesperson

v  Effective spokesperson

v  Do not be afraid to say sorry

I hope that most organisations will learned how to deal with a crisis by considering the ten factors of dealing with a crisis.

The Violation of Human Rights



students figthing for the struggle in 1960
source from:http://todayinafricanamerican history.com



There have been a lot of events in relation to the violations of human rights recently. The question is. Do South Africa citizens know they rights?  On 1960 the police killed people at Sharp Ville who were participating in a protest against the past law. This people died fighting for the rights that we have today. It is surprising that after 10 years of democracy, there are people whose rights are still being violated.

Human rights day is a day that is about educating all South Africans about their rights and obligations, to make all citizens aware of their rights. Thandi Modise was at Groot Marico near Zeerust she addressed 1000 people about human rights day issues that ranged from service delivery to human rights violations, especially on farms and domestic workers as they are facing a lot of eviction and violation to their rights as this people did not know there rights.

There are a lot of campaigns that are involved in helping people to be aware of their human rights such as campaign such as the 16 days of activism for women and children campaign is there to help people to.  for more infor 

v  To help people to be able to speak out.

v  It also helps people from the donations they receive from the nation.

v  Seek to help if you are emotionally and physically abused

v  Seek to help people who have been sexually abused

v  Help children who have been abused.

Let us work together as a nation to generate an increase level of awareness amongst South Africans compaigns that are the to help people whose rigths are beign violated. Let us work together to encourage people to be active in such campaigns that will help and protect their rights from being violated.  

How can taxi drivers improve their Behaviour




Overload taxi
source:http//www.carmagblog.co.za/wp





Professionalism is very important in every organisation especially in terms of behaviour.  Taxi drivers are well known as reckless drivers who do not respect the rules of the road and the rights of other road users.

Even though taxis might be an informal industry I belief that they need public relation practitioner skills with the regards to the recent events  that involves taxi drivers. On March 7, 2012 a pedestrian was knocked off by a taxi and then he was beaten by the taxi driver for no reason and on the March 12, 2012 a motorist was also beaten by a taxi driver because the driver did not stop when the taxi driver asked him to stop. What I want to know is that what has happened to the right of pedestrians and other road users.

Skills that public relations practitioners can help taxis drivers with is to.

v  Help to develop their communication skills.

v  Help them to build and maintain relationships with their consumers and other road uses.

v  Help to create a better image of their organisation.

There is campaign that has been started to initiative striving to enhance road safety by addressing rewarding road safety amongst our minibus taxi driver, which the brand house number one taxi driver campaign which started in 2004

The brand house number one taxi driver campaigns objectives is to. (for more infro)

v  To motivate drivers not only to respect their passengers, but to respect the rights of pedestrians as well as other road uses.

v  This campaign is also aimed at providing the image of the taxi industry by prioritising the training of advanced in driving skills as well as customer care.

v  The brand house initiative posed opportunity for partnership between business and private sector to invest in the taxi industry and help to develop skills.

There are campaigns that are there trying to help with creating a better image for taxi drives but they are not doing enough and I think that they should give public relations practitioners a chance to deal with this issue