South Africa’s deputy President warns: poverty, inequality could cause revolution in Mandela’s country

South Africa’s deputy President warns poverty, inequality could cause revolution in his country.

Cape Town (AFP) – South Africa’s Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on Wednesday issued a

warning about the yawning gap between rich and poor, after a deadly mine strike highlighted inequality.
The country’s “conspicuous consumption… in the midst of grinding poverty” was likely to ignite strong feelings against the wealthy, he told journalists, adding: “It’s an ingredient for a revolution actually.”

South Africa has been rocked by increasingly violent protests over the slow delivery of basic services like housing while unemployment persistently hovers at around 25 percent.
Earlier this month, a strike over wage demands at the world’s third largest platinum producer Lonmin claimed 44 lives.
The violence, however, was unlikely to deter investors, due to South Africa’s rich mineral deposits and generally stable industrial relations, Motlanthe said.

“We don’t anticipate that investors would be put off or discouraged by these tragic developments in Marikana. However we must continue to reassure them as well,” he said.
And he said mining bosses should “think very differently” about their workforce’s living conditions, after it emerged that Lonmin workers lived in shacks.
“Stability is a pre-condition for productivity to improve but with these kind of conditions, stability is not guaranteed,” he said.
Around a third of South Africa’s 50 million population survives on welfare grants from the government.
“We are already in an untenable position (in) that we have 15 million recipients of grants,” he said.
While he condemned violence, he stressed that the striking Lonmin miners were within their rights to raise grievances.
“It’s a necessary volatility that we must respond to,” he said.

• For seasoned insights and breaking news on these issues, log on to USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica powered e-groups including Nigeria360 at yahoogroups and USAfrica at googlegroups. Follow us at Facebook.com/USAfricaChido, Facebook.com/USAfrica247 n Twitter.com/Chido247 

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Follow us at Facebook.com/USAfricaChido, Facebook.com/USAfrica247 n Twitter.com/Chido247

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The greatest Igbo ODUMEGWU OJUKWU’s great farewell in Aba. By Chido Nwangwu   https://usafricaonline.com/2012/02/28/the-greatest-igbo-odumegwu-ojukwu-farewell-in-aba-by-chido-nwangwu

USAfrica: Ikemba ODUMEGWU OJUKWU’s farewell in Aba, today February 28, 2012, reflected a fitting tribute, historically meaningful celebration, proper regard and deserving appreciation of the greatest Igbo, in my opinion, to have ever lived (like him or hate him).

I SALUTE Aba (aka Enyimba city), the robust and fearless town I was born, bred and raised, for giving the Ikemba, our Ochiagha, Gburugburu, Oka oburu uzo, dike na ndu ma n’onwu, mgbadike anyi, a hero’s farewell.

To the Ikemba, may your valiant soul rest in peace and dignity.

We will, and I, Chido Nwangwu, will never forget to continue to tell my generation and the next about your towering courage through tempest and thunder; through sorrow, pain, tears, blood…. •Dr. Chido Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher of USAfrica multimedia networks, first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.com; and recipient of several journalism and public policy awards, was recently profiled by the CNN International for his pioneering works on multimedia/news/public policy projects for Africans and Americans. http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2010/07/29/mpa.african.media.bk.a.cnn.

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• For seasoned insights and breaking news on these issues, log on to USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica powered e-groups including Nigeria360 at yahoogroups and USAfrica at googlegroups. Follow us at Facebook.com/USAfricaChido and Twitter.com/Chido247