tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258482562009-11-09T06:38:30.736ZMatuba Mahlatjie writes as regularly as possible on issues ranging from love to politics. Intended to start constructive debates with the new generationMy Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.comBlogger304125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-65591418463125541292009-09-14T04:10:00.001Z2009-09-14T04:10:42.712Z

We sang like broken violins. It was always from the depth of our hearts. The drums would make the little hair on my body stand. The last days of winter would have been the cause of my death without song.As time progressed, tears became pointless. When they rolled down my chicks, the cold winter wind would dry them quickly. When we ate, it was not to fill our tummies. It was to satisfy those who

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-24600805009516969172009-08-18T04:23:00.003Z2009-08-18T06:07:49.484Z

"The last days of winter" is a title of a book I intend to publish. It Will be a book that depicts my last few weeks as iThwasa or a Sangoma initiate. They were coldest and most difficult days to get through. Everyday was a long journey. A lot had to change in order for me to heed the call of my ancestors. It is really true that you do not choose to be a Sangoma. As a gay man I have suffered

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-50820108200340760792009-07-20T05:40:00.002Z2009-07-20T06:07:57.651Z

The fact that Woolworths, SPAR, Shoprite and Pick n Pay are facing damning allegations into their purchasing methods, rental agreements and possible collaboration is daunting to say the least. Especially for South African farmers and farm workers. This post was inspired by a a facebook conversation I had with a farmer friend of mine. He told me how he felt guilty about not being able to pay his

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-9084202039991621792009-07-10T07:08:00.003Z2009-07-10T07:42:54.563Z

The sins of our fathers are not necessarily bad in this instance. Maybe they are not sins at all. I sit here with an unexpected heritage. My great-grandmother used to call me Sangoma. She would laugh at my attempts of dancing like my mother and Aunt who already went through the journey of being a thwasa. We sang the songs and made music with drums, We clapped our hands in excitement of their

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-22072219283659947292009-07-01T07:27:00.003Z2009-07-01T07:51:37.064Z

Today I will agree with some of the most discredited journalists and say "Let Africans tell their own stories". It was shocking to see SKY NEWS reporting the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament as not so glamorous! They reported transport as a "MAJOR" problem. Something that we in South Africa viewed as a minor problem that can certainly be worked on! Just a few weeks ago they reported on a drag

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-15544938536688290532009-07-01T06:02:00.002Z2009-07-01T07:20:02.171Z

I know I am running the risk of over exaggerating government's obligations and also sounding slightly anti-ANC. Well, trust me, I am not. There is nothing wrong with wanting a government that reacts to its citizenry. That is the expectation of the electorate. It is just not good enough that Dr Amos Motsoaledi acknowledged the short-comings of our health system. He must act! His Excellency

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-75805152614101873432009-06-26T02:42:00.004Z2009-06-26T03:08:10.540Z

This morning South Africa and other parts of the world woke up to the news of the death of pop music royalty. Michael Joseph Jackson died at the age of 50 just days before he was about to grace the world with what appeared to be 50 concerts to reclaim his throne as the King of Pop! Like many South Africans I was still hung-over from the Confederations Cup match between Brazil and Bafana Bafana.

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-7392533868827205892009-06-22T03:53:00.001Z2009-06-22T03:55:31.247Z

The women’s rights movement brought with it new ideas about patriarchy. Feminist thinkers believed that patriarchy signified the cultural and social domination of women by men. Feminist thinkers questioned why sexual inequality persisted even after women had won the right to vote and had achieved legal equity. They also debated whether or not patriarchy is universal to all societies throughout

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-51278936745638504702009-05-12T16:33:00.003Z2009-05-12T16:43:47.682Z

This is probably the most exciting times for our politics. The newsrooms a buzzing and I am enjoying the opinions of my fellow journalists. We all thought the storm will subside after the elections. The war of words between ANC and Hellen Zille calls for popcorn and a comfortable spot. Just so we can watch the drama unfold. But you know....journalists are human beings as well. We also get home to

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-41869916607172567002009-05-11T13:12:00.003Z2009-05-11T13:29:07.297Z

Mr President, you have made some interesting changes to the government. I will come out and say that I was hoping you would get rid of the over-glorified minister Trevor Manuel. In my opinion, he failed the poor people of this country. While income tax became bearable - the Value Added Tax (VAT) remains a thorn in the flesh of our impoverished citizens. The ridiculous appointment of Amos

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-20495313877361205152009-05-07T09:34:00.005Z2009-05-07T14:36:22.028Z

The fact that the former president Nelson Mandela divorced and married multiple times did not send tongues wagging demonising him. But now we are about to, for the first time, have a president married to three women. The media is already having a feast. Nasty face book messages I encountered this morning made me realise just how unfair we can be. I take this seriously because I too belong to a

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-87179090692281045762009-04-23T09:57:00.001Z2009-04-23T11:04:55.829Z

It is only a matter of time before the SABC projects the ANC as the winner of the National and Provincial election. So my congratulations to the African National Congress. We are in a maturing democracy and I forsee all the other parties that did not do well - conceding defeat without violence or intimidation. Let me jump the gun and also wish President Elect Jacob Zuma a good and productive five

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-25847924844079698152009-04-17T12:46:00.006Z2009-04-17T13:05:45.544Z

I take into account the many irregularities that have been splashed in the media. But I still maintain that the SABC is a wonderful employer. If you are in broadcasting, there is nothing that will please like the SABC. You know, as journalist, I have made "the story" my business and not the people. That's why I fly. That's why I feel that I have so much power given to me by the subjects of my

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-75072317542477090662009-04-05T15:52:00.005Z2009-04-05T16:19:45.983Z

I was drunk when the sad realities hit me. Can you imagine 8 savannah (340ml)in my system plus just bad news. Aowa man! It's about marriage. Ja I know. Don't get bored yet. And all this I witnessed with the person I already said I'd spend the rest of my life with. You know, when it happened I had a quick flash back of my mother's speech on my sister's wedding in 2006. I compared it to the one the

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-91722675244490688512009-03-26T23:14:00.003Z2009-03-26T23:41:21.086Z

Health Minister Barbara Hogan earned herself the title of the black sheep in the Luthuli House Corridors. She lashed out at the government for declining to give The Dalai Lama a visa. It turned out to be a nice dramatic story and lasted for a while in the media. South Africa's health ministry is cursed. I am not going to eleborate. Barbara should know better not to listen to her conscience while

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-71829531173273376062009-03-09T02:02:00.002Z2009-03-09T02:11:22.119Z

When Patricia de Lille broke the news about the massive arms deal scandal, I expected the South African people to rise up. They didn’t, and then there was time when a sitting president said HIV did not cause Aids. That time people in need of antiviral treatment lost out on a second chance to live. They died. That’s when I thought people of the South won’t stand for this. We all stood mute! Then

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-39514884125477644192009-03-09T01:55:00.002Z2009-03-09T02:14:24.106Z

The changes in our political landscape make it even harder to say who the true martyrs of our restored dignity are. The Promised Land is here, but our Moses is dead. Whoever he was! The ANC, the party well-known to our fathers and their fathers as the answer to our prayers is now completely tarnished. They used an old, frail and well-respected man to endorse whatever elusive course they are

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-69460697295513719942009-02-27T08:24:00.002Z2009-03-01T20:19:10.480Z

All of you will be wearing black garments. There will be no singing. You will all be asked to stand when my white coffin is wheeled into the chapel. The sound of steel against wood…that’s what you will hear. Distant cough from where my family will be seated. When the pall bearers leave my coffin in front of the congregation, you will hold back the tears in your eyes when you see the smiling

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-91294722893765969202009-02-27T08:23:00.001Z2009-03-12T15:29:40.780Z

What do you call someone who just waltz in your life, admit to loving you, assures you that you are the only but refuses to marry you? And please don’t give me the “right time speech” to justify people who drain the love out of you, save it and prepare for the day they want to leave you. If Jacob Zuma can be charged with money laundering, these people can be prosecuted for Love Laundering –

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-38817927807908900612009-02-27T08:19:00.000Z2009-02-27T08:22:43.366Z

Every single day I come to realize how life isn’t the work of some playwright. It takes turns that you sometimes must just follow. There are good and bad turns. In one of my turns I came across an artist who sang a song to the effect of “If you leave now, I won’t cry”. You see, if I had foreseen one of my past turns; I would have sang that same song for him. He took me by surprise; the turn was

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-76277699667313256242009-02-21T15:40:00.005Z2009-02-23T08:41:01.423Z

Mrs Evita Bezuidenhout, former South African Ambassador to the Homeland - Republic of Bapetikosweti, your excellency former president Thabo Mbeki, friends and fellow South Africans. His Excellency Matuba Mahlatjie has been running an administration that services the huge circle of his friends. Each and every year he appoints cabinet ministers to run the administration. This year is no different.

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-49603947993055620022009-02-20T14:43:00.002Z2009-02-20T14:58:14.767Z

I totally disagree with COPE's choice for the Presidential Candidate. Bishop Mvume Dandala is an ordained priest. Many gay people around the world and in this country suffer enormous criticism at the hands of people who label themselves Christians. This is a man who leads a denomination (The Methodist Church) that failed to reach consensus on same-sex marriages. Many South Africans are fed-up

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-4750273653094781822009-02-17T15:54:00.004Z2009-02-17T17:23:38.903Z

Carl Niehaus was destined for this kind of drama! If we analyse his name using phonetics we would agree that he wasn't meant to have a house. NIE-HAUS (IN ENGLISH IT TRANSLATES TO NO HOUSE). This I would call Malemaism. CARL that's his first name. if we use Malemaism here, his name sounds like KHALA which means to cry in IsiZulu. Did you guys hear him cry on Talk Radio 702? Eish! That's when my

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-10782242404080488172009-02-13T01:24:00.004Z2009-02-13T01:58:34.574Z

Valentine's Day is a few hours away. I was a Valentine to a bus-load of people. I am counting from primary school. It was actually this day that helped me fall out of the closet 10 years ago. Valentine's was also a money making scheme for schools in those days. I don't know about now. My school also had special activities planned for that day. We were supposed to be dressed in red and white. My

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25848256.post-46192890288220212612009-02-13T01:01:00.002Z2009-02-13T01:18:21.104Z

On many occasions I have used this space to vent, react and defend myself. This time is no different. I have addressed this issue before. It came to my attention again after a year and a half. You must be dying to know what this is all about. I won't keep you in suspense. But I like the fact that the person in the middle of this saga exercised maximum caution when bringing this rather thorny

My Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11438224584420480635matubaster@gmail.com0