Manto Back in the Media

The health minister Manto Tshabalala Msimang just can’t help making a fool of herself in the media. In hospital yet again apparently this time around it was for a routine check-up…unfortunately for her that just doesn’t cut it! As a public figure she has already made a mess of her track record, routine or not people will talk.

It’s funny how some politicians in our country seem to be the exact opposite of the portfolio they hold in parliament.

For instance when I was in high school, my friends and I always wondered why Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, them minister of health always looked so ill. And now as the minister of foreign affairs one can’t help but wonder if the portfolio requires a certain amount of fluency in the English language. This is just an opinion!

Anyway, back to Manto’s antics…I recently spoke to the head of the AIDS LAW PROJECT and figured since he deals with one of the county’s biggest health issues, his opinion of our “healthy” minister should count for something.

He had this to say: “I think she is unfit to hold office [any office], “She has blood on her hands and is responsible for much human suffering.”

“The sooner she leaves public office the better!” he said.

Isn’t that sad? Manto has lost a lot of respect of the last couple of months and has brought her entire office under disrepute…and these are the people who run our country? It makes one quite scared doesn’t it?

We’ve truly come a long way

Photo: Blog Boy at www.flickr.com

This Saturday I witnessed a room full of black men/ African as they are politically correctly called scream, rant and rave over rugby.
Why is it such a big deal? Well maybe it’s not a big deal, but I found it quite amusing…
In mean South Africa has come a long way from our apartheid past where every thing including sport was racially divided. And for the longest time since, rugby has been considered a predominantly white sport, while soccer has always been known as a black man’s sport.

But this weekend I was surprised by what I saw. As newly recruited South African rugby supporter myself I found a bit funny that there was only one white guy who joined in on the spirit of patriotism to support the Bokke. By support of course I mean, he stood outside by the braai stand and only came inside the house to check the score or use the bathroom. All good and well while the 30 or so other males, screamed war cries and drank beer, made jokes and occasionally swore at the England side for playing dirty.
The lone ranger only came in when he heard a roar of ecstatic fans as the final whistle went to signal the end of the match.

For a first time rugby watcher, I must admit, I had the time of my life. It was just another reminder how far the country has come in terms of our previous racial divide.
Not only have managed to mend our broken past, we have through time come to enjoy some of the finer things in life that were usually reserved for the non-black population.

Now all that is left is for our soccer boys to do us proud. They’re performance still leaves a lot to be desired, but perhaps this world cup win will serve as a form of motivation.
With the world cup soccer tournament around the corner, South African soccer seriously needs a boost, they need to put their socks up…hell! they need to pull something up, it doesn’t really matter what it is.

From what I witnessed on the weekend, win or loose our country still exhibits qualities that all South Africans can confidently say they are proud of. I hope to see the same kind of patriotism, commitment and enjoyment at the 2010 world cup, as I saw with rugby. This is the kind of stuff that pulls at one’s heart strings without a doubt.

Despite many of the challenges we still face as a county, we have proved to ourselves and the world alike that we have the capacity to bring about change, not only in sports. South Africa is a nation to be reckoned with, and with time (as I had mentioned earlier) we can develop and master the skills necessary to combat some of our continents biggest challenges. Crime and lack of service delivery should be topping the list…but baby steps, baby steps.

Manto is a public figure

Writen by: Sebabatso Mosamo
The coverage of Manto Tshabalala Msimang by the media has been the hot topic on anyone who is anyone’s lips and there have been a variety of view that has come from the debate that warrants public and even private discussion.
As an up and coming journalist, the Manto saga particularly allegations of drinking while in hospital have taught me a thing or two about the world to which I plan to become an active member one day.
I have read about media ethics and how the media should handle the collection and processing of information. And the Manto saga has brought all these ethical issue to the forefront, and has had people who have even a small knowledge and interest in the media talking.

That is axactly why they media exists is it not? so the question on everyones, who care to muzzle the media is: Should the Sunday times have published the health minister’s medical records? Of course! I would have done it if i was Mondle Makhanya. It is part of the package after all and what are we doing here if we are not willing to fight for what we believe in and media for those who trust us to do so.

Firstly,it was and still is in the interest of the public to know how their Health representative conducts herself. She is a public figure and should lead by example. She’s a public figure for crying out loud, what the hell was she thinking. If she had nothing to hide then why the scene, her medical records should have done all the talking…we all know how that turned out.

The problems with people in the political arena seem to have lost respect for themselves and those they represent. For me I believe that the Sunday Times fulfilled its duty to society. Politicians seem not to realise the kind of impact their actions and behavior on the regular citizen who hang on every word they say. Jocob Zuma’s rape trail is also an example of how people in power use their powers irresponsibly and sometimes to the detriment of the normal citizen who does not know any better. People will believe that it is ok to force yourself onto a woman, if she is dressed in a suggestive manner, and part of your culture or people may believe it is alright to engage in unprotected sex with an HIV positive person, just as long as you take a shower afterwards.

Back to Manto’s battle with the media, personally I think she should have thought about that before drinking in hospital. Were the documents private and confidential? Yes, but if I had them in my possession I would also publish. It is the right thing to do. Whether they were stolen or not, only time will tell, but the fact of the matter is that if our representatives are not going to watch what they do, because people will always want to know.