On 23 February 2021, Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa signed off on the renaming of Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha. Learn how to pronounce the new name in the video below: "Qey Beh GAH - The Q click is important - hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth and force it down. The First G is silent." Visit https://mygqeberha.com to learn more about Gqeberha. In 2019, the Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee recommended that Port Elizabeth be renamed Gqeberha, which is the Xhosa name for the Baakens River that flows through the city. Despite opposition from residents, the city's name change was officially gazetted on 23 February 2021. History has taught us that things (and place names) change. Ubuntu has taught us to embrace our fellow man. Just as we are proud of Nelson Mandela Bay and the towns found therein so too can we be proud of Port Elizabeth's new name - Gqeberha - signed off by Minister Nathi Mthethwa on Tuesday 23 February 2021. On a personal note this name change is going to hit me hard in the pocket as I have spent years building up a web site to support and selflessly promote the MyPE brand. Now the time has come to embark on a new historical venture whilst MyPE (probably) fades into the background. Join us here: https://MyGqeberha.com - sign up to the forum and have your say, contribute your history and let's make this a positive experience that will support others who rely on the geographical name of Port Elizabeth - namely those in Tourism who have lost years of branding and work promoting this fair city. Other major name changes will see Uitenhage changed to Kariega, and Port Elizabeth Airport will now be known as Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport. The name change issue dragged on for about two years with residents submitting thousands of objections to the proposed new names. The men who nominated the renaming were Boy Lamani of KwaMagxaki (Gqeberha), former ANC MPL Christian Martin (Chief Dawid …
Opinion: Is there life after the election? The USA and the world prepare for change
Johannesburg, 16 November 2020: Following the controversial outcome of the US election in November, Daniel Kibel, Co-Founder of CM Trading, speculates on its economic effects. “What a year it’s been. We’ve had a global pandemic, mass unemployment and a US election that was a spectacle to follow. Following Biden’s win, the markets were on the up. But I am not convinced that Biden was the primary reason for the upturn. “There was speculation before the election that a contested or uncertain result would cause uncertainty in the markets. The reality is, though, no one is currently taking Trump’s outlandish claims of election fraud seriously, apart from his supporters. Even Fox News has distanced itself from him. Market instability only comes when there is uncertainty. And the markets, it seems, have just had enough of Trump’s erratic behaviour. “There simply was no election fraud as Trump claims. The President has been sewing these seeds for months – if not years. Big business knows it and everyone else knows it as well. Unless Trump suddenly comes along with decisive evidence that the election was tampered with, the markets are turning a blind eye to him. The Senate and big business “The most important market in the world is the US. When the American markets go up, everything else is dragged up with them and over the last week, performance has been very good. This could well be a result of the announcement about Pfizer’s COVID vaccination, which is said to be 90% effective, rather than Biden’s victory. “There was a lot of expectation that the Democrats would flip the Senate, giving Biden more control in terms of passing legislation. That didn’t happen. The concern was that, should Biden win Senate, a more left wing agenda could hurt big business. Corporations don’t adapt well to changes that spread their wealth more thinly and Biden is seen as a steadying hand that would try to enable that. But with the Republicans maintaining Senate control, the …
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“I will change your life,” many said. “#aimforchange” I said
Being a South African Citizen is certainly an interesting occupation - we live in interesting times, our lives are turbulent, we are emerging from years of oppression and want the good life NOW. And that, dear friends, is the reason why we are so gullible. We realise that we cannot make our lives better completely by ourselves so we embark on a campaign to find someone else, a like minded person or organisation that will echo our wants and needs and fight for them on our behalf. Sadly for us we seem to always pick the one horse that goes lame halfway through the game. We rejoice when a new broom wins the votes at the polls and then joy invariably turns to despair when we realise that the people we chose cannot fulfill the mandate that they swept to political power on. So we 'rinse and repeat' never really thinking about what the fundamentals demand of a well run Ward, City, Province or Nation. A total of 48 political parties contested the National Elections in South Africa on 8 May 2019. Of those 48 here is a sample of the Aims of some: "Modernise The Security Industry Through Social -Cohesion" "To be a modern Pan Afrikan political Party that will build a united and prosperous country based on fairness, justice and equity." "We bring to South Africa hope for a strong, healthy prosperous and purpose-driven nation." "A better life for all" "We dream of a new future for this country, of a way forward no longer mired in the failures of our recent past." "One Nation with One Future built on Freedom, Fairness, Opportunity and Diversity for All." "We will with determination and consistency associate with The protest movement in South Africa and will also join in struggles that defy The unjust laws." And that is the crux of the whole matter - every single political party is founded on an 'Aim to Change' an existing status quo hence #aimforchange. But, with one main difference - I recognise that change cannot be forced, change cannot …
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The Heritage Society – PRIDE
During Lockdown Levels 5 to 2 we in Nelson Mandela Bay witnessed the coming together of many citizens as they beautified and cleaned their immediate surroundings, banded together to help those less fortunate and gave willing of their time and money in search of a better life for all. All this aided in instilling a sense of pride in place and people amongst us all. Building upon this exemplary work and taking cues from amateur historians, a core group of friends - Alan Straton, Mike Pantsi, Lungelo Ngabaza and Annette Du Plessis began meeting on a regular basis to grapple with the challenges facing all communities whilst seeking a way to combat the present downward spiral that many of our communities seem locked into. We would meet outside the Red Location Museum, at the South End Museum, at the Langa Memorial and other significant places in our Metro whilst we discussed just how we merry band of friends could really make a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens. Eventually that ton of verbiage and discussion became distilled into just one word - PRIDE. That germ of an idea is now taking shape and is ready to become a beautiful butterfly. By being the catalyst for many social programmes, by embracing all existing programmes and by being a positive agent for change The Heritage Society has one mission: By highlighting our Cultural History (tangible & intangible) we will bring back a sense of place and pride in all citizens. Out of that pride and acknowledgement of our rich shared heritage we will “Look Forward” to and help engineer a country, city, neighbourhood and society in which all people will Pro-actively Participate, Benefit from, have Fun (PPBF) and be proud of. Together we will walk side by side with pride. Join us on 23 October 2020 at Chief Ngqoko's Place in Ferguson Road, New Brighton from 9:00 am as we introduce ourselves to you and then embark on a short historical walk along Ferguson Road to the Mendi Memorial. Our aim …
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Joint Statement; Libyan Dialogue: Comprehensive Agreement on Transparent and Objective Criteria and Mechanisms to Occupy Posts of Sovereignty
Libyan Dialogue; Bouznika , Morocco - The delegations of the Libyan High Council of State and the Tobruk Parliament announced at the end of their meetings, that they reached a comprehensive agreement on the transparent and objective criteria and mechanisms to occupy the posts of Sovereignty. Berlin, Germany., September 21, 2020 -- According to a joint statement read by Driss Omran of the Libyan House of Representatives, in the presence of minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, the delegations of the Libyan High Council of State and the Tobruk Parliament announced at the end of their meetings in Bouznika Morocco, that they reached a comprehensive agreement on the transparent and objective criteria and mechanisms to occupy the posts of Sovereignty. Both parties also agreed to continue this dialogue and to resume these meetings during the last week of September. The objective is to complete the necessary measures to ensure the implementation and activation of this agreement. The two parties to the dialogue called on the UN and the international community to support Morocco's efforts to create the right conditions and a conducive climate to achieve a comprehensive political solution in Libya. They also reiterated their thanks and gratitude to the Kingdom and to King Mohammed VI for the support and assistance to overcome the Libyan crisis. These talks aim at achieving the hopes of the Libyan people and their aspirations to build a civil and democratic State that is governed by peace, security and stability. The two delegations also affirmed that their meetings took place in "a friendly and fraternal atmosphere marked by understanding and consensus". These talks were held as a result of the two Libyan delegations' awareness of the current situation in the country, as extremely dangerous situation is threatening its security, territorial integrity and sovereignty. this situation has become worse following foreign interventions …
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Morocco Talks Pave the Way for New Transitional Phase in Libya
Conflict in Libya: Morocco hosts reconciliation talks between Libyan parties in the framework of UNSMIL and calls for the end of foreign interference in Libya. Berlin, Germany., September 11, 2020 -- As of septembre 6th, the Kingdom of Morocco succeeded in bringing together the Libyan belligerents after a long period of blocking the political process. This meeting, between the delegation of the Chamber of Representatives and that of the High Council of State, is the culmination of a dynamic diplomatic initiative under the leadership of the King of Morocco. The objective is to bridge the conflict between the Libyan parties and bring them back to the negotiating table. These talks are part of the strengthening of the UN process and therefore fall within the framework of the UNSMIL vision and do not constitute an initiative parallel to the UN process. This meeting was organized in Bouznika, 40 km south of Rabat, under the chairmanship of the Moroccan Foreign Minister. This latter called for an end to foreign interference. Last July, the Kingdom of Morocco hosted two Libyan leaders, Salah Aguilah, president of the Parliament of Tobruk, and Khaled Al Mechril, president of the Libyan High Council of State, for reconciliation. The UN has been trying to resolve the issue of foreign interference in Libya and on August 27, Ms Stéphanie Williams, Special Representative and Interim Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya visited Morocco and praised the support provided by King Mohammed VI to the efforts made by the United Nations to solve the Libyan crisis. About Friends of Morocco: Friends of Morocco (FOM), active since 1988, is an organisation of Americans and Europeans, mostly returned volunteers, with experience in Morocco with an interest in promoting political, educational, cultural, charitable, social, literary and scientific exchanges between Morocco and the rest of the world. FOM is a non profit organisation with the headquarter is in the USA …
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Mali: Colonel Assimi Goita Thanks the King for Morocco’s Active Contribution to Resolving the Crisis in Mali
The leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People in Mali, Colonel Assimi Goita, expressed his thanks to King Mohammed VI for the active contribution of Morocco in the efforts to resolve the crisis in Mali. Berlin, Germany., September 1, 2020 -- 15 km from Bamako, an audience was granted, at the military camp of Kati, to the Moroccan Ambassador in Mali. During this meeting, Colonel Assimi Goita expressed "his deep gratitude" to the King of Morocco for the active contribution of the Kingdom to resolve the crisis. The leader of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People in Mali recalled, in this regard, that the Ambassador of Morocco was the first diplomat to make contact with the new authorities on August 20th. Colonel Assimi Goita also welcomed the long-standing relations and the fruitful partnership between the two countries. The two parties took the opportunity to discuss the latest developments in Mali following the events that took place in Aug. 18. Colonel Assimi Goita informed the Moroccan diplomat about the measures taken to calm the situation. He also assured that the political transition will be discussed between the different components of the Malian society. The new Malian leader’s appreciation for Morocco’s efforts in Mali comes after the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for a “peaceful civil transition, allowing a rapid and supervised return to constitutional order.” In a statement, Morocco says that it has full confidence that its “Malian brothers” will “draw on the values of peace and national harmony rooted in them” in the aftermath of the coup. The statement concluded that Morocco remains fully committed to the “serenity and stability of Mali,”. Prior to the coup, Morocco and Mali maintained a close partnership, particularly on issues of regional security and migration. About Friends of Morocco: Friends of Morocco (FOM), active since 1988, is an organisation of Americans and Europeans, …
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A Throne Speech Focused on Covid-19 and the Challenges Facing Morocco and a Call for Solidarity
Speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the King of Morocco’s accession to the Throne: A message of solidarity and hope for Morocco and its economy at this difficult time of the pandemic. Berlin Germany, August 4, 2020 -- During the annual speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the King of Morocco’s accession to the Throne, the monarch said that he cares as much about Moroccan citizens' health and the safety of their family members as much as he cares about his own Children and Family – even more so in the difficult times as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The King also told the Moroccan people that «It is quite natural in such circumstances to experience fear and anxiety", adding that what has sustained the hope and confidence of Moroccans are the important decisions and the crucial measures taken immediately after the first Covid-19 infections appeared in Morocco". Decisions, the King added, were for “the sake of the safety of our citizens and in the interest of our nation,". “The sense of discipline, the level of awareness and the responsiveness shown by the citizens and by all the nation's forces during this past period are, indeed, a source of pride. Everyone has fulfilled their obligations diligently and responsibly” the King said. The Monarch expressed his thanks and appreciation to the various government authorities who carried out their duties to curb the spread of the epidemic, calling the people of Morocco patriotic. The sovereign reiterated that he is “aware of the magnitude of the adverse effects this crisis has had, not just on public health, but also at social and economic levels. This crisis has affected all productive sectors, family incomes and the state budget". The King also said that he called for the creation of a special fund to address the health situation as well as the economic and social repercussions of the epidemic, announcing that he is “heartened to see that this initiative has …
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#SmokersProtest to take the fight to the steps of Government
On Saturday, 4 July 2020, the founders of the politically-focused, turned activist group, Dear Mr President (DMP), Nj Hourquebie and Janine MacLean, will lead a protest gathering in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, starting at midday. The protest is to draw attention to the plight of ordinary South Africans under this illogical, psychologically harmful and, in some cases, even deadly, ban on tobacco sales that has been in place since the country entered lockdown on 27 March. This government has turned on its own people. Ordinary South Africans are being forced into criminal behaviour because addiction speaks louder than law and logic. At a time when the International Monetary Fund is predicting unemployment to exceed 35% by year-end, ordinary citizens are being threatened with criminal records that could harm their ability to obtain employment once this country returns to some semblance of normality. People are dying at their own hands due to being unable to handle the stress of dealing with both the COVID-19 pandemic and nicotine withdrawal. DMP started as a platform where ordinary South Africans could have their say on how they felt the government was doing its job, whether positive or negative. But the founders of DMP have realised that the only time government takes note is when citizens take to the street, not when they voice their opinions. In this time of crisis, it is unfortunate that we must protest to get our voices heard, but this does not mean that we, the people of South Africa, should be irresponsible in our protesting. DMP calls on South Africans all across the country to show their support by assembling, while wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing of 1.5m, in front of government buildings in their cities and towns. Protesters are also asked to wear black armbands in memory of people who have taken their own lives as a result of depression brought on by nicotine withdrawal and to carry placards, stating the names and …
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South Africans are more addicted than ever after lockdown
Doug Kemp Vice opinion interview So what actually happened in South Africa when 57 million people had their access to alcohol removed in lockdown? South Africa has a massive "binge” drinking or drug use problem at the best of times. It is so prevalent in the culture that we almost see it as a societal norm and accept it as life in South Africa. However, the answer is not exactly as clear-cut as one could imagine. It is too early to create the “stats” as we are still in lockdown, but the fallout indicators are all there. The problem with binge drinking is that it is a complete wipeout when people are able to drink again. The periods of abstinence temporarily stem the tide of extreme drinking when the opportunity re-emerges. The recent press about emergency room visits around South Africa (the moment the alcohol ban was lifted) is indicative to that binge drinking culture but I am sorry to say, it is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. How many people do you think were problematic alcoholics when lockdown started. It is so hard to say because the concept of alcoholics and alcoholism is a legacy of societal perceptions, understanding that alcohol use disorders are symptoms of many other issues. These issues involve relationships or traumatic events that still hold influence that can be compounded by many other things like burnout, stress, chronic depression and/or anxiety. If we factor all those into consideration we are talking millions of South Africans. We cannot uncouple any of these elements as they are routinely caused by similar factors the difference being that some people choose alcohol others to choose drugs, legal or prescription, it makes no difference to the mind that simply wants to restore calm it does not care what substance, so long as it works. What is the main cause of people being alcoholics in South Africa? People don’t willingly don the title of “alcoholic”. It is a progression over time and is a very unfortunate and …