Shaka Zulu: Coming Soon to Viasat-1 !

I was really thrilled to see that Shaka Zulu, the television series, is going to broadcast soon on the new station Viasat-1. Thrilled because:

• This series made my Sunday evenings special as a kid back in Southern Africa
• I loved the theme song, loved the mighty Shaka portrayed by the late Henry Cele and of course loved the whole mysterious witchdoctor plot (gotta watch it to understand)
  

The series also featured some high-profile British actors like Edward Fox, Robert Powell (did someone say Jesus of Nazareth ?), Trevor Howard and Christopher Lee. During apartheid, it was probably one of the few series that targeted a wide audience where black characters were portrayed with any sort of power or dignity. It was only years later during my short stint at the University of Cape Town that I learned that there was a lot more to the Shaka Zulu series than met the eye. The storyline did not quite follow factual events but then again, which historical series does?! The series was actually produced for the apartheid-era South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) but this fact was concealed perhaps to get round the sanctions of the time. Apparently, the apartheid government also used the series to promote Zulu dominance over other groups in South Africa by highlighting historical Zulu dominance spearheaded (literally) by King Shaka. All about divide and conquer. Mmmmm....

Anyway, it seems apt and appropriate that someone is broadcasting this fascinating series at a time when South Africa is about to be led by another powerful and colourful Zulu warrior. Who else but Mr. Jacob Zuma.

15 Years On: 100 Days that shocked the world (*much later*)

Mass Grave at the Kigali Memorial Centre, Kigali - Rwanda

It is hard to believe that today marks 15 years since all hell broke loose in Rwanda culminating in the brutal murder of 800,000 people in the space of 100 days. At the time, the international community seemed not to notice or care. Fifteen years later, the world seems more aware about what went on thanks to films such as Hotel Rwanda and Sometimes in April or books such as Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. However, these were all too late for the victims of the genocide. This got me thinking. Has the world really learned any hard lessons from Rwanda? This morning on the BBC I heard a song by a Rwandan singer and the Ugandan girl group Blue 3 called "Never Again". Are there any guarantees that a genocide will not go almost unnoticed by the world EVER again?

I would recommend a virtual tour of the Kigali Memorial Centre online to learn about the genocide and read some of the harrowing stories from survivors.

Things grinding on my last nerve this week

I'm annoyed this week. There are a number of things that are grinding on my nerves. Thank goodness none of them involve being harassed by a faceless phone-stalker. Anyway, there has been too much drama in my life but have opted to spare you the gory details on all that. What better way to purge my frustrations by focusing on the things around me that are irking me to the 10th degree. Here are a few:

1. Unofficial Load-shedding in Accra
If you were living in Ghana in the late 1990s and in 2006/2007, then you know all about load-shedding! Load-shedding is basically mandatory light-out/light-offs/power outages to conserve energy. It arises from an over-reliance on hydroelectricity and bad planning on the part of governments. I was only around for the 2006/7 debacle but it was a real atmosphere killer, fridge food-rotter and costs businesses like loads of money. Well, aside from people selling generators that is. The immediate-past load-shedding was well-advertised in the papers and you knew when your lights would be going out. However, for almost a month now, our lights are being turned off almost every night for a few hours! What is this all about? Is this a sneaky attempt to have us conserve energy without letting us know?


2. Water, water nowhere and not a drop to drink
Accra is in the grips of a water shortage. Just ask the people carrying yellow jerrycans in search of water every morning . This has been going on for the past 1 week or so. These water jerrycans were nicknamed "Kufuor gallon" some years back when President Kufuor was still at the helm of Ghana. I heard today that people were agitating changing the name to "Mills gallon" after our dear new President . I should add that President Mills is indeed a fine gentleman and a father to all of us.



3. Fuel prices on the rise or
When your father lies to you!
Sometime in December 2008 after the first round of Election 2008, then-candidate Mills released a TV ad telling us all that he realised that we were suffering under the evil hardships of the Kufuor administration and that although fuel prices had just been lowered, he said "they can be reduced further". He did not tell us about the complexities of fuel price being governed by petroleum prices on the international market. So, after President Mills came to the helm, we eagerly awaited the promised fuel price reduction. *Finally* it came last week! Although it was not very dramatic, I still filled my tank up with a smile. But in a strange twist of fate, a week later, the price of fuel has gone up! The government is telling us that this is in line with the increase in the international fuel price...Say Whoa??! NOW the international fuel prices matter? What about in December 2008? What about the past 8 years?

*********ARGGGGHHHHHH******************

That was cathartic.... Alas, I have to fly out. Apparently our water reserves at home are finally up. Have to go and grab a couple of jerrycans and join my peoples in search of water in the 'hood! Oh Joy.