Tuesday 22 November 2011

Black Tuesday



Today was a sad day for South Africa and Democracy. Today our parliament voted if the Protection of Information Bill should be made law. And the African National Congress (ANC) jeering as they trampled on what Mandela promised would never happen, voted the bill though. It was obvious the ANC were not representing the majority but were trying to cover their own corruptness. Many South Africans dressed in black to protest this bill on what is now known as Black Tuesday, the end of our Democracy. Thankfully, the bill is not law yet but that is just a few hops, skips and a jump away.

In 1977 Steve Biko was killed by police while in police custody and the news of his death was banned by the Apartheid government because of National Security. Many people have fought and died for this democracy in South Africa and today the African National Congress voted in parliament that the very same law that tried to gag the media about Steve Biko back into our law. Have the ANC abandoned everything its founders fought for? Lindiwe Mazibuko, leader of the Democratic Party asked the ANC "what will you tell your children one day - that you helped destroy democracy. We fight on!"

Even the heavens protested as even the skies turned black soon after the vote with a huge storm breaking over Johannesburg. I even tried my hand at photographing lightning but being my first attempt, I know I still have a lot to learn. On this sad day for democracy I will leave you a quote from Anonymous "Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side."

No comments:

Popular Posts