Cry the beloved Limpopo: iLIVE

I used to be proud of the Eden of Africa (Limpopo Province), poor yet peaceful; dusty yet lovely; hot yet green. That’s the place where the communities know that “bana ba motho ba ngwathagana hlogo ya tsie” – meaning people will share whatever, no matter the size.

Where people know that hard work is the key to everything; education is a way of life; and communication is a weapon that can defeat anything and everything.

Growing up in Limpopo was a blessing to me in so many ways than one, most importantly by the way one will do in order to stand out in the community, to be respected and admired.

The pride that, “I can do it regardless of my background, regardless of the hills I will have to climbe, regardless of the distance I will have walk…” - all of the obstacles most kids in Limpopo had to face, was a step to great things and a better person.

We used to look up to those people who said I went to the poorest school, now I am an Charted Accountant, those who said I used to study with a candle light, now I am a Doctor; those who said I used to walk kilometers to school, now I am Lawyer.

We used to be proud people who used to say “if not why not”; “yes I can”; “kodumela moepa thutse”… We used to be people who know that “letsogo le hlatswa le lengwe” – meaning together we can overcome anything.

People whom we trusted to make things better for the people of Limpopo Province are failing us; the government whom we took our time to go and vote for them, is giving us cold shoulders.

The high school I went to, still to date has only three blocks, where is the government; where are the people who told us that they are our champions; that promised us that working together we can do more; that said they will fight corruption?

Now my lovely Province is Eden of Shame, it is used as a play ground for corruption – poor people are taken for a ride. It really saddens me when I hear all the allegations of tender processes, maladministration in the province; when certain groups of individuals are playing around with funds that are aimed to improve the standard of living in the province.

Is this really what Mokaba fought for, what Mothopeng sacrificed for, what Makhado suffered for, the answer is big NO. Mokaba was not sleeping on the mountains for tenders to be awarded to certain group of idiots who think only for their pockets, for the masses to be deprived better life.

Ever since the allegations of tender corruption and maladministration broke, I never heard the Premier of the Province saying anything. As a senior citizen in the province it is his responsibility to see that his house is in order (or I expect him to do so). Is this because he knows for sure that those allegations are unfounded?

Why is Cassel Mathale so silence? Why there is no commission inquiry to look into these allegations? Does the premier really have the interest of the province at heart (or he is just a BUSINESSMAN and this is part of a business transaction)? Does he even know that he is the premier or what is expected of him?

Where are the people of Limpopo – why are we not doing anything, for how long are we going to be fooled by these individuals including him Caswell Mathale.

How much power do these individuals have or is he part of them? Why are we so blind to see what these people are doing with our funds, our future and those of our children’s children? Why are we not sharing this wealth? When are these funds going to be used to empower the poor people of Eden of Africa?

Why are we (youth of Limpopo) taking our valuable time and energy to travel all the way to Gauteng and support some people for their childish games whereas we have bigger problems of our own in the province?

We continue to suffer, the unemployment is raising still we turn blind eye – we spent nights out in the cold and come back home to starvation and they go to Sandton / North of Joburg and “say go tlo loka” (really now).

I have million questions about the state of affairs in the province, the mindset of the people of Limpopo and a premier who in my opinion is useless.

There is a lot that I expect from a leader, from a premier, but what can one say he is another greedy businessman. It is true that a fish rot from the head, meaning we have a rotten premier or no premier at all and all this mess is because of his lack of interest in the province.

There is no point crying or sounding like a cry baby. I’m happy that Public Protector will or is conducting an investigation on the alleged tender processes; however I still feel that there are more rotten potatoes in the province and the provincial government.

It is high time we fully use the Public Protector to nail these individuals. I urge the people of Limpopo to act and follow suite in a quest to clean the province, let’s report the wrong doings to the Public Protector and follow it up.

The time is now…