Déjà vu today and yesterday

Last month the Orwellian 1984-style stand-off between the ANC and First National Bank (FNB) was most telling.  Let me start off by saying that FNB should be congratulated for having the guts to have produced a number of television adverts where young South Africans expressed themselves freely. They spoke about their vision of South Africa, education, crime, corruption and even the death penalty. They were expressing what millions of other South Africans echo.  At no stage was a particular party named or referred to.

Immediately the ANC freaked out. They were visibly threatened. ANC spokesperson, Keith Khoza described the bank’s commercials as an “attack on the president, his ministers and the government as a whole.” Ironically, these commercials called on South Africans to unite for a better future.

It was obvious to me that the ANC objections were reminiscent of the apartheid government’s approach to any dissent. The apartheid government of old consistently labelled a different opinion to theirs as “treasonous.”  This is exactly how the ANC reacted. They even used exactly the same language and wording.

Instead of taking note and acting on what the school children were saying in the FNB adverts, the ANC lamented at the use by FNB of children in their marketing.  In 1976, the government of the day also didn’t listen to the voices of children. Look where it got them.

Space precludes me from getting into the now-famous “secrecy bill.” It has become the symbol of what the ANC government wants to do when it comes to information, access to it and the management thereof. The parallels between what we’re seeing today and what happened in the dark days of the National Party (NP) are not only striking, but scary too.

During the terrible NP days, the then Minister of Information, Connie Mulder had to answer some particularly probing and embarrassing questions posed by the opposition about the funding by government of a new newspaper at the time. The Citizen “infogate” eventually created such a scandal and embarrassed for the then Prime-Minister BJ Vorster that he was eventually forced to resign.  I can’t help getting a feeling of déjà vu when I read about how The New Age is being funded and its cosy relationship with the government.

Just like the days of old, as the governments’ arrogance grows so does it’s paranoia. It wants to control the electronic media, print media and even what companies, such as FNB say. For example, it’s a fact that the SABC is the ANC’s very own de facto television service.

At the closing of the ANC’s conference in Manguang in December, Blade Nzimandle said in the usual paranoid tone that there was a “creeping counter–revolutionary threat to the deepening and consolidating of our democracy.”

This language should serve as a warning to us, just as they served as a warning in the old days, such language displays paranoia. There is nothing more dangerous for its citizens than when their government is one that is paranoid.  It is our duty to be vigilant as attempts by government to totally control information will lead it to become a danger to its citizens, just as it was in the past.

Cancer does not have to be a death sentence

The 4^th February marked World Cancer Day. The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) used the day to focus on dispelling myths and misconceptions about cancer.

World Cancer Day takes place annually and is an opportunity when everyone, locally and internationally, can unite together in the fight against the global cancer epidemic. Cancer kills more people that TB, AIDS and Malaria combined. It’s a chance for CANSA to raise awareness and improve general knowledge around cancer by dismissing some misconceptions about the disease.

More than 30% of cancers can be prevented. With this in mind it is important to make people aware of the risk factors and methods to reduce the risk of cancer. It is time to change preconceived ideas of what cancer is and who is affected by it as there is much ignorance and fear as a result.

Let me immediately squash the biggest myth of them all; that that cancer is a death sentence. It is not. The truth is that most cancers can now be treated and even prevented. Obviously early detection is the key. The biggest myths I’ve come across include:

There is nothing I can do to prevent cancer: At least 30-40% of cancers are preventable. Potential cancer risks can be reduced by avoiding cancer causing agents and by adopting a healthy balanced lifestyle. Many cancers can be prevented if one avoids tobacco, eats a healthy diet, exercises regularly, protects oneself from excessive sun exposure, limits or avoids drinking alcohol, and goes for recommended screenings regularly.

Cancer is always fatal: Although cancer is a serious disease that may cause death, ongoing new breakthroughs in prevention, early detection and more specific treatment regimens are promoting more effective control measures and help to make cancer a more manageable disease.

Cancer is a disease of white people only: Cancer occurs among people of all races, creeds, ages, genders, rich and poor; it knows no boundaries. Thousands of cancer survivors from all walks of life can attest to this.

There is no link between cancer and the eating of meat and animal fat, therefore cancer patients can eat meat freely: In 2011 a review of several studies by prominent scientists, the American Cancer Society and the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that cancer patients should eat very little or no red meat, which includes beef, mutton, pork, as all these meats are high in iron content which is highly absorbable and is a requirement for cancer cell growth. Certain amino acids in proteins further stimulate the growth of cancers. Red meat is considered a risk factor for colorectal, prostate, breast, uterus, kidney and other cancers.

Each one of us needs to take responsibility in preventing cancer. Let’s all take personal responsibility.