Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The Righteousness of Nepotism a thought provoking response

This is a brilliant criticism and response to my article "The Righteousness of Nepotism". Nkosivumile Gola critics my ideas and explains why nepotism is so bad. This article was always about exploring a dangerous idea in order to get to the truth in a fresh manner. This response achieves that.

I do agree to acertain extent. This is a great read Siki thanx cc a lot for sharing such a thought provoking read. I think then we need to ask ourselves who is our brothers and sisters? I think Jesus gives us an answer to this question in Matthew 12:50. I believe Siki that in the verse you have quoted on Genesis about Joseph and brothers if our view of that verse just ends with Joseph and family and not based on the promise to Abraham our view will be very limitted. Remember here God is showing the protection of His seed not just Joseph and family.

I think also the question you pose on "how can one eats whilst their own flesh is starving?" I think the question should go beyong just your own flesh, the question should reach the point of neighbour, just to remind you the story of a good samaritan. I think we need to ask ourselves a question of who is our neighbour at each and every given moment of our lives. At the end of the day there is no one who should starve whilst I eat, be it if we from the same womb or not. This just reminded me of what once happened to me. I was on my way to work in the morning when I saw my uncle (utatomncinci) eating in the rubbish bean, I was so hurt on the day such that I returned home crying (I hardly cry Siki).

This worked me such that I couldnt face him, because I was asking myself why didnt he come home coz we always had food for him. This worked me to such an extent at which I felt like God was saying "Do you see how you feel when your own relative is in that situation? Thats exactly how I felt whenever I see any person going through that missery".

This I think it exposed me to myself, I had seen many people eating on a rubbish bean before but on that particular day when it turns out to be my own relative I was so hurt, why was it not hurting before? This exposed how selfish, selfcentric I was. I think nepotism itself is a natural response. Everone is capable of that, Especially in the natural sense. Nepotism in the way inwhich you have explained here does not carry the weight and the ability to say one of the most powerful phrases in the bible as written in the book of Acts "there is no one lacking".

As for the question of the disciples being relatives I think we need to understand God as the God of the family, I love Acts 16:31 because it says exactly that "believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household". I think you can start looking into that from Adam, Abraham, Lot, Noah, Israel itself and today its the human family. So that is Gods grace and not nepotism lol. Looking into Jesus and his believed profession, as it is said by theologians that Jesus was a capenter ofwhich the only biblical grounds that we can have as evidence to that is that His father was a capenter.

And according to the Jewish custorm family businesses were passed on to the son and siblings, I guesse that was the case with Paul and his tent making business. If nepotism was to be true or righteous then there is definately nothing wrong done by Oppeinheimer, ruperts, Debeers, Guptas hence those families will never be poor in SA. I think Jesus displays His will for the church in one of His seven sayings whilst he was hanging on that Cross. Jesus says to his mother (who is alreeady a widow as it is believed that Joseph have passed away in this time) "woman here is your son, son here is your mother". This instruction can be equated with his instruction that says "take care of the poor, widows etc". If nepotism was beyond families and reaching to the neighbours I think I would more agree to it.

Currently we are faced with so much injustice concerning it, look at the tendering system, BBBEE itself and employment in general. Many people are complaining about job promotions and the reasons behind is the fact that there are family relatives that normally comes and overtakes everone. I dont think the p[roblem we are faced with is closeness fleshly speaking but lack of leadership that identifies with the pain. Jesus did not only lead his relatives or the most influential people amongst those Jesus lead were not His relatives yet look at the impact they had in the world. Thomas sankara didnt employ that kind of family related leadership yet his impact was major. Self I think we need to define keeping my own experience in mind, I am for the bigger picture and yes the family is as important but i think we should not have borders we creating in dealing with this. Let me pause.....

Monday, November 3, 2014

It ends where it began| the Mandela story

The Mandela Story
(first published in M&G)

How does this trouble maker end his story? How does he conclude his life? How does he continue to trouble the leaders who succeeded him? While Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla was still at the centre of national scrutiny, Mandela would be buried where the poorest people of the nation live. He would force the nation to look at the forgotten province of the Eastern Cape. He would make it most difficult for our leaders to ignore the state of the rural community in South Africa. He would add further pressure by being so important that all the leading men and women of the world would want the honour of attending his funeral in rural Transkei. He could have chosen to be buried in Johannesburg or a more accessible, developed area – one South Africa could later show off as a famous site, like we did during the 2010 World Cup. That event hardly registered in the Eastern Cape, cont. reading


Saturday, November 1, 2014

DearBlackMan: honour yourself

#DearBlackMan I was thinking a very sad thought. I was thinking about black men who are married who also have multiple girlfriends sometimes in the presence of their sons.

Sometimes with girls as old as their sons. So that their sons will continue to do the same without thinking just how terribly disrespectful this act is. It is not only disrespectful to the son and the mother but to the man who commits the act. How will we regain this self-respect? No, I am not talking about Senzo. I am talking about what I have seen. Too many times.

This is surely one of the many things we must lament.

Of course I am not saying white men never commit adultery believe me I have seen it, not once. Allow me to talk to black men because I have seen this too often.

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