Over 1 300 children and adults go missing every month in South Africa. While we were all looking for #JoshlinSmith, a 3-year-old boy, Enzo Mtshobeni, has also disappeared without a trace. And the #MohammedCousins were kidnapped coming out of the school gates.
This incident was reported earlier in the week and then … crickets. Why? Well, obviously because it’s a kidnapping and a ransom is being negotiated and headlines make real gangsters uneasy. We get it, but where’s the justice for #Enzo?
Why does one child make headlines and 1 300 other people and kids don’t? It’s a difficult question. Don’t misunderstand me, I’ve been glued, like you, to any story related to #Joshlin and her #PrettyGreenEyes.
I’m Tonya Khoury and this is the Acumen Media’s weekly report where we scratch the surface of the media.
Police arrested two men and two women. Among them, #Joshlin’s mother. She was charged with kidnapping and human trafficking. They allege she and her boyfriend sold Joshlin and her #PrettyGreenEyes to a sangoma for muti. Let me say that again, a mother sold her child in exchange for drugs. She sold her child to be chopped up into little pieces and fed to others for witchcraft.
#GaytonMackenzie spoke about the death penalty this week. That’s one thing we can agree on (The Guillotine). Monsters preying on little ones with their #PrettyGreenEyes.
This is a callous question, but what makes #Joshlin so special that the entire week has been focused on her return? Why has every social media platform and every news desk been filled with suppositions about the girl with the pretty green eyes? Yet, we forgot about #Enzo; why?
I’ve been wracking my brain, and I can only draw one of two conclusions: the first and most likely is #GaytonMackenzie and the live interview between him and the mother giving a confession to being a junkie. #ElectionVulture. It’s either that or her #prettygreeneyes that distinguish her from the other 1 299 persons missing this month.
We know how this will end
We all know how this is going to end and we’ll watch the YouTube court case for justice to take it’s toll. The good news is her mother and the others involved were sent directly to jail and are on remand, which surely means the cops have an open and shut case. Where are the #MohammedCousins? What about the other children? #HumanTrafficking is rife in South Africa, it’s just another crime on the list. #JusticeForOurChildren. #OpenTheSexOffendersRegistry.
Those who know me know I lost a brother a few years ago. Truth be told, he was my cousin but he certainly was my brother. There’s not a day I don’t long to speak to him. This week I was contacted by a friend of his who met him decades ago in New York. This gentleman, a photographer, had done a photoshoot of my #Hylton years back.
Fast forward and this kind friend sent me these beautiful prints that were once showcased at an art exhibition. This treasure made its way from New York City to Mbazwana Post Office. Yes, can you believe it? It made it to the Post Office in the northern tip of South Africa. Unscathed and after a two-month journey. A miracle. The Post Office worked. Is this the last Post Office standing? #Magic4Hyl
Pension day hell
I picked up the treasured envelope on #PensionDay. There are two points to collect grants in Mbazwana, both had snaking queues that ran from the collection point all around the small town; so long was this queue that it doubled back on itself and started again. Gogos sitting on the floor, ready for a long day to get their change for bread.
My head spun, how is this okay? What on earth is going on with the pensions. Is this so very hard? Can you give everyone an ATM card and send them on their way? Pay the money once a month and be done. Is this so difficult? Some people travel 20-odd kilometers by foot to stand in the queue all day hoping to be helped. It really is time to vote these issues away, South Africa. This is inhumane. #PayThePensioners.
Last week our top story was how #Bheki and his Hat caught seven suspects in the #AKAandTibz assassination. This week we learnt that two of the suspects are foreign nationals from eSwatini and need to be extradited. We also know that two of the accused are already in jail for other offences, so that leaves three who were actually walking the streets in South Africa.
I smell a new season of #SenzoTrial where we just replace the names. Speaking of #Senzo, 10 years later, the trial within a trial about the affidavit of one of the accused received its final heads of argument. Now we wait before we can continue the original trial after months of more delays.
Bheki the hat
We also learnt this week that #BhekiCele (and The Hat) have been heavily involved in the trial itself. Was #Teffo sane after all? Who knows, I don’t think we will ever know. I saw an interview with #Cele and this time he was photographed behind his desk at home. He hasn’t worked at the #SAPSBuilding for over four years. You didn’t see him waving his finger at the rot in the building that is meant to house the head of police, did you? Neither did I. Neither did The Hat. #VoteSA.
It’s #ElectionMania with every party branded out on the streets and jumping on any story where there is a news microphone. We even saw the prez chasing after some missing equipment at a hospital. Does he know that there are over 300 000 fraudulent passports in South Africa? Does he know there is zero water in Roodepoort and Randburg. Zero, nothing, nada, zip.
You’re checking for what Mr President? You had better be checking your campaign nominations list for those criminal records. There’s a new rule that says if you have a criminal record you can’t be on the nominations list! If only the #ZondoCommission actually worked, almost all of your opposition and your own crew would be sitting in jail.
Watch this space
But it didn’t work so basically this new rule will rile up the #MKParty and the #EFF. And what about #Gayton? Mmmhh, I don’t think that new rule is going to go down too well. #WatchThisSpace.
I told you last week that Zuma’s #MK’s party paperwork was inaccurate when submitted to the #IEC (Independent Electoral Commission). This meant that they wouldn’t make it to the ballot paper. A bit of poor admin that side of the fence, and they lost #Zuma, too, as he hangs in suspension from the ANC.
MK are furious and have threatened to draw the country into a #CivilWar if they are not on the ballot paper. Between you and me, and I mean that because the government don’t seem to know this: the people behind the #JulyInsurrection are the same people threatening us with #CivilWar. Mind yourselves. #VoteSA
It’s been rough out there. #Maimane took his box and his mic and dropped 140 000 signatures at the #IEC offices for #BOSA. He was bleating though; it was at the eleventh hour, and he called out how ridiculous this process was and why the ANC, DA and EFF didn’t have to go through this admin. Give them a break, #Mmusi, MK can’t even get their forms filled in properly. What are you expecting? Excellence? Free and fair elections? Let me guess Unicorns too?
Election rigging in our faces
Come on, we all know this time round the election rigging is going to be in our faces. We all know and that’s why there’s good people coming out with brilliant ideas to offer #ElectionWatch. I spoke to #DefendOurDemocracy this week and South Africans are taking this election seriously. Civil society is monitoring the IEC and all names on that ballot.
There will be no #VoterIntimidation or ballot boxes in the cupboard, because we, the people, will be watching. Working with big organisations to make sure we are heard. If you’re not involved, ask yourself why? Be part of #ElectionWatch and defend this democracy at all costs. #ItsTime. There will be no repeat of the #JulyInsurrection, Jacob, because we’re not going to be played again. #VoteSA
You still reading? Well, here’s today’s headline. #PravinRetires. He’s such a smart smarmy crook, go get, get out of my car. What else? There’s so much. Let me cheer you up first. Google Northwood High School #WarCry. You’ll love it. You’ll wish you were back in school. South Africans are so much better without politics.
Back to the mutters about matters that are malicious and melancholy. The man who confessed to starting the #MarshalltownFire was due to be charged with 76 counts of murder. He said he strangled a man and then set him alight to cover up the murder. In doing so 76 were killed, 86 injured and hundreds left homeless. Yesterday, he withdrew his confession.
Presidential hopefuls in diapers
A man in Mpumalanga got life after setting his girlfriend on fire. And a journalist played Alicia Keys ‘Girl on Fire’ after talking about #AaronBushnell. #SARS are suing #SASFIN for a fortune. The #Groblersdaal matter was postponed. And the Durban Mayor threw a hissy fit at striking union workers. It’s the #SowetoDerby this weekend so at least there’s that.
Across the water I’m going to have to say what we are all thinking. How on earth is the most powerful nation in the world meant to choose between two men that are probably using diapers? #NickyHaley pulled out this week. Well obviously, she needs to be three times her age to even qualify. #Trump and #Biden are the oldest presidents or wannabe presidents in the world. Read that again. In the world.
Hey Americans, come on down, let’s have a chat guys, what on earth are you doing? I didn’t think it could happen, and then #SuperTuesday really went ahead with the two talking heads leading the pack. Then there was the ironic juxtaposition that is the US and Gaza. Bombs in one plane and aid in another; what are you doing as videos of starving skeletons swamp social media from Gaza? And yet again, #Sudan’s children are without food and water in a country that was once termed the “breadbasket of Africa”. Can this please stop. Just stop.
Thought we were hacked
It’s #InternationalWomensDay today and I speak for all women when I ask: “What does that mean?” Are we meant to get flowers or are there no rapes today? Sorry this report should be funny; I didn’t sleep well. Nigeria wants to join BRICS, might as well, they’re owned by BRICS anyway. The former head of #Nickelodeon, #DanSchneider, is the subject of a documentary called Quiet on Set where this sex predator is now in the nightmares of so many children.
And finally, we all thought we were hacked as #FacebookDown and #InstagramDown drove many social users to #Twitter to see what was going on. #Elon must have loved that. To be fair so did I. I was also very relieved to see I wasn’t hacked.
Let me leave you with this #NotTheNews parting shot. I dived with big preggie raggies. Ragged Tooth Sharks are one of the most docile creatures in the ocean. During their pregnancy term they rarely eat, and they have two uteruses, or is that uteri? And the first baby shark eats all the other eggs in that uterus. It’s called in vitro cannibalism. Greg taught me that. I guess I must go back tomorrow? Life in #SodwanaBay.
Keep safe, thanks for scratching a long itch with me and Acumen Media.
