Phones, Attention Seekers.

Growing up at my grandparents’ house, we had a rotary phone. Every time the phone rang, my siblings and I would race to answer it. Being a boy and the eldest, I had an advantage; I always outran them and answered the phone. Until my siblings came up with a plan and it was to wait by the phone. This made them to miss out on other things.

After reading “Thoughts on the phone”, an article by Wayne K. Spear. It got me thinking about the effects of these modern phones aka smart phones. Their effect on our awareness of the environment and immediate spaces we live in.

Jokes are made in an attempt to have those without the smart phones feel inferior “how do you sport a person without a blackberry in a circle of friends? – the one not facing down does not use a blackberry!”. Even the saying “chin up” lost its meaning because walking around without your phone in hand and looking at the screen is un-cool.

How many times have you been in a situation where you were busy with your phone and missed out on something happening around you? It could have been an accident or just someone missing a step and having the ground catch them. Maybe we no longer get to be finders-keepers of money because we never see it on the ground. We no longer hand out money to the needy and less privileged because we never notice them at road intersections and road side pavements. We bump into each other at malls because we don’t see each other approaching.

While driving on the M1 south, just before the Marlboro Bridge on the right hand side of the highway I used to notice a company that made inflatable jumping castles. After it moved, I always wondered what would happen to that building. Only yesterday I realised there is a nearly complete three storey building. But I drive past there nearly every day; honestly it is just five days a week. For some reason, I never saw when they were laying the foundation or when they started building the walls and planting the pillars. Please don’t remind me not to use my phone when driving, because this device is an attention seeker and it is irresistible. Can you believe it; even now I am using it to write this piece.

A lot has changed since those years of the rotary phone back at my grandparents’ house. We now carry the smart phone with us everywhere we go. In them we have access to the different radios stations, some of the novels and books we would like to read, friends and family are always a touch of a finger away and our favourite news publication cost less with the latest news always available.

Remember, to not let life pass you by while giving your phone attention. Be aware of your environment and what is happening in your community.

Peak Hours Prohibition

Dear SANRAL and Gauteng Traffic Police.

ImageI stay in the South of Johannesburg and work in Midrand, and for me to travel to and from work I have to drive either on the N1, M1 or N12/N3 five days a week. My concern has always been the horse and trailer trucks that we share the roads with, especially on the N3; this influenced my decision to always try to avoid the N3 at all times unless I have no choice but use the road.

I assume the drivers of these trucks own private cars and yet they seem to forget or disregard the fact that when they are driving their big trucks, maneuvering these big vehicles in traffic affects other users and adds onto the burden caused by everyone rushing to work. Unlike all the other smaller cars, trucks take time to adjust the speed they may be travelling; no matter whether they decide to increase or decrease. When changing lanes, it takes these heavy vehicles, to move from one lane to another more time compared to smaller cars.

After the N1 road accident on the 04 March 2013, I said a prayer and thanked the lord I was not already on the road; asked the all mighty to strengthen the families that lost family members and to give strength to those affected.
So, on 05 March 2013 I decided to use the N3 since the M1 was packed and that would possibly affect the time I would arrive at work. I passed the Van Buuren off-ramp, just under the Kloof Rd Bridge. There they were 3 trucks; one ploughed into a private car which was driving in the middle lane, and about 250m further there were 2 twelve wheeler trucks which collided with each other, one was on the third lane and the other on the forth.

At least at the N3 accident, it seems there were no fatalities and fewer lanes were affected. I am in no way claiming that only trucks cause accidents, but we should take into consideration the size of these vehicles and the impact they have on the smooth running of traffic and fatalities should they be involved in an accident.

I suggest a law that once existed that prohibited these big trucks from using the main roads during certain times should be reinstated with immediate effect. I am sure this will have a huge impact on the current traffic volumes compared to the suggested e-toll system, which will after a time be ineffective once people get used to paying the suggested high charges.

SANRAL and Gauteng Traffic Police should work together on having this law reinstated and enforced at all times. The heavy vehicles should be prohibited from driving on the main highways [N1, N3, N4, N12, N17, M1 and M2] during peak hours [6am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm].

The reason I am suggesting this law is because the drivers have proved to be unable to follow the rules of the road and stay in the slow lane to allow smaller vehicles travelling at higher speeds to pass. They continuously insist to change lanes even when they see that there is a smaller car approaching on the faster lane.

Our Friendship

Lost trust in our friendship, now we are just coasting.
We were like two cubs born on the same day, now we just faking.
I was your big brother and to me you were the same.
I tried to talk to you but you thought I was lame.
I guess it’s part of growing up and time for change.
At least we are not enemies but just decisions made.
And I still respect, just like I always did.
I accept that we all mature at different ages.
Maybe your turn was early or mine is late.
Could it be, you could not deal with my clowning.
My late night rolling and going home early morning.
I guess you got tired and all you wanted was resting for the next day.
This might be how I see it, and not how it is.

Remember when you first met him, he use to think we were dating.
People use to proclaim “there is no way a guy and girl can be buddies.”
But  you and I had a lot to talk about.
My partner was jealous, and I don’t blame her.
Reassured her and told her not to worry.
That you had always been a shoulder.
You trusted me and I knew you would be there when I called.
To support me when I fall.
Told me I have the strength when I gave up.
If you were not interested in a guy, I’d be your protector.
Against your back stabbers, I was your defender.
Did we finally believe society.
Or fell in love, and forgot about our friendship.

It is kind of hard to be optimistic.
Or maybe I just don’t wanna be friends like that.
True, it is all about me.
I won’t hold back, I have new friends now.
Given, after a while they too will drift away.
And everyday I will meet new people.
Some of them are like ghosts in the dark.
At the right time they will appear like angels.
And those I moved away from,
Or those who moved away.
We will always be legendary friends.
No trust lost
And one day we will start again
No explanations, no blame game.

With these words I am showing you how I feel inside.
I am not asking for the past.
But thanking you for your part.
And for allowing me to play mine.

Dry As The Ink I Used

Emcee wanna be.
Hard at work, developing tight rhymes.
Summer dream on point.
Unchallenged, he stood strong.
Nonnegotiable, determined not to be part of a click.
Stood up screamed “I am in the building”
The land lord said “this is my building”
You got to pay rent.
Emcee wanna be.
Still trying to do his mic checks
About to make noise.
He got muted,
They didn’t hear him when he saluted.
He was left voiceless
In gold, their names he painted.
With one hand waving in the air.
Eyes tight closed
In another dimension, he could not hear the crowed booing.
The only thing in his mind was to lace his lyrics.
Nothing big,
The biggest thing they heard was beef.
Plotting how to murder him off stage.
This is the story of an emcee wanna be.
He does not look like a b-boy.
With baggy clothes and expensive watches.
He does not twang like the rest of them.
How many still pay the ultimate price.
The system aint friendly.
During development, you got to lick ass.
Call them sir, when you see them.
Treat them like royal emcees.
Or get murdered trying to rock a mic.
It all ends.
And you are left drawing pictures of the mic.
Your bedroom remain your stage
Your rhymes adored by the page.
Dry as the ink you used.

Hani Joyce N’wa-Hlanganisa Xahava Masingi

Image

Endzhaku ka masiku yo hlaya, ku navela iku ndzi va ndzi toloverile.
Mbilu ya ha khoma hi gome, yi pandza wonge yilo pandzeka hi lexi karhi.
Wonge ngati yo phomaphoma hile ndzeni.
Mi ehleketo yi endla hiku rhandza, yi ni tlhelerisela endzhaku.
Eka siku ra kan’we, ri ncingho ri ta ri huma eka Kokwana Mbilwana.
“Nyiko, uni siyile. Ufambile Joyce wa mina”
Ndzitwa ti ndleve ta mina ti talelana.
Ndzi twa ndzi ngalavi kutwa rito ra kokwana, kambe ndzi tsandzeka ku susa foyini andleveni.
Ndzi twa ndzi nga ha voni kahle, matihlo ya mina ya tala mihloti.
Mbilu ya mina yi ba hixi hatla.
Ndzi twa ndzi taleriwa, nomo na tinhopfu switsandzeka ku pfuna ma hawu ku hefemula.

Siku na karhi ndza tsundzuka vukona bya Hani.
Mafenya lawa avawa endla, swi tsundzuxo leswi ava hi nyika.
“Swilo yini bhut, utisa vana ndzi ta va vona”.
Vana va kona loko vo “GRANY” ava hetile na vona.
Loko andzi va yise vhiki ri n’wana na ri n’wana. Mbuya swi ndzi hundzuli.
Ku lo sala ku hlambanya, “LOKO” awundzi pfuni nchumu.
Undzi siya ni mbilu yo tika, mihloti ya tengatenga.
Xana ku bhokoloka swita ndzi funa yini xana?
Hani avata hlamula va ku “bhut, mabhibhi ya mbilu ivutomi”
Vutomi loko byi ritani, bya vava.

Namuntha eka nwheti leyi yinga hela, andzi ti twisa sweswi.
Tlhandla ka mbirhi, nwheti leyi yinga hela. Andzi kota ku tixisa.
Namuntlha, byongo abyi pfumeli.
Namuntlha mbilu yi tata xifuva.
Mabhibhi ya namutlha aya hluteki, kumbe ku vevukiseka.
Ndzi na ku navela, ka n’we ntsena.
Ndzi twa Hani vaku “Nyiko” kumbe “Bhut”.
“Kasi awu swi hleketisa ku yini, swa bhoha hi lova hinkweru” va ri karhi va ni vungunya.

Ehenhla ka swona hinkwaswo, na muntlha ndza tlangela [23 November 2012].
Ndzi huwelela ehenhla ematilweni.
Eka wena Hlanganisa, N’waBhodlhela, Eliazer Chechengwe, N’waMancerhani na wena Miyen Nkokolombani.
Lulamisela Joyce Xahava “Miyen” Masingi ndhawu.
Hiya loye utava na n’wina.
Hiya loye uta akuwise mabhibhi ya misava.
Tivisanani, hinkwenu leswaku usuke asiye Mana wa yena, Bhuti, vana na vatukulu.
Kombelani leswinene ntsena eka Yehova, an’wu pfuleli tinyangwa ta tilo.
Oum Zick! giya Mchavi, wana mukapa. Xisiva rhumbu xa wena xiku landzile…

Voters Masquerade

You felt used and misled, you said things you didn’t mean.
The masquerade was just perfect,
reason they were confused the next day when you marched against lack of service delivery.
Fingers were pointed, an imaginary third force was in control.

Factions formed within. It’s like your heart said YES but your mind said NO.
You thought of selling your vote for change and they realised.
They tried to confuse you with free bees, cheap T-shirts not worth our colours,
bearing their fat faces and empty words.
They look so stupid with those fake smiles.

Wise words get much older and the old try hard to fit in and be cool.
We look down at the old because they look up to us for inspiration.
Whoever said leaders are born, forgot to say leaders should have wisdom as well.
Their spirit is as old as an oak and they look as young as all of us.

This is not Biko’s freedom, not Luthuli’s freedom, never Lambede’s freedom
and please leave Hani to rest.
They passed the torch to us,
with hope we will find our way as they did theirs.
This is our freedom,
let’s preserve and hope for continuation by those after us.

If the young fail, blame yourselves.
The foundation they started on was weak.
Accept it now, the future looks bleak.
Fight against the norm, it is not acceptable to be a political freak.
A blind follower, easily impressed by strong communicators.
Those who sell a good life to those who can not afford it.
You are not alone, we are in a process.
The New South Africa can not be build in a day.