Hustle Simmons & Blood Diamonds

I watched Russell Simmons on CNN the other day and saw what many may have considered a strange sight. He was on there basically slamming the new movie ' Blood Diamonds' and demanding that its parent company Warner Brothers be responsible with what they put out there because it could unduly influence the public.

When I heard that, I said to myself, I will forever quote Russell whenever I engage some of these industry types about the type of material they are releasing to the public. After all if a big time music mogul like Simmons is calling for restraint and balance because he see the potential for undue effect, then its time for the industry to clean itself up. After all, who would know better?

But pushing that aside, this is not what that's about. In this CNN interview Russell said its important that all of us know our history. It is with that sentiment in mind, that I found it strange to hear Simmons defending the diamond trade in South Africa and Botswana, which were the two countries he recently visited on a 'fact-finding' mission.

Please note that the horrific bloodshed and genocide of the early 90s which the movie 'Blood Diamonds' focuses on took place in countries like Sierra Leone and Angola. In my opinion those conflict zones should've been included in any sort of fact finding mission. By only going to Botswana and South Africa and defending their diamond trade Simmons by default wound up defending the De Beers Company which for years had a worldwide monopoly and brutally ruled the diamond business in those two countries.
For folks who aren't old enough to remember, De Beers was set up by a colonizer named Cecil Rhodes (yes the same Cecil Rhodes who the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship is named after). He took over what we now call Zimbabwe and called it Rhodesia. His De Beers diamond company was and will forever be in many people's minds associated with the brutal Apartheid regime of South Africa.

I recall as a kid hearing all sorts of horror stories about how the Black majority population in South Africa were forced to work in diamond mines in subhuman conditions for pennies a day by the De Beers owners with the military backing and blessings of the white Apartheid government. Many Blacks were killed or crippled by cruel De Beer bosses and Afrikaner police when they went on strike to demand better work conditions. It was more then troubling to see how these workers were forced to mine diamonds off their own land and have these colonizers sell them all over the world thus making both the De Beers company and the White South African government rich and powerful.

It's interesting to note that we didn't call those South African diamonds 'blood diamonds' back in the 80s when many of us in the Hip Hop generation first became aware of all the atrocities, but in many ways they really were. The blood of Black south Africans were on many of those De Beer stones.

If that wasn't bad enough, De Beer had a nasty practice of keeping diamonds off the market so they could artificially raise prices and create an illusion of scarcity. This practice was highlighted in the 'Blood Diamonds' movie.

The brutality of Apartheid along with the horrors of the diamond trade was what motivated many of us as young college to become involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement where we demanded that our universities and other US businesses divest any and all funds from South African businesses.

Many compared 'Apartheid' with the 'Holocaust' because of how harshly whites treated the Black majority. Sadly we had in people in power like then president Ronald Reagan, Senator Dick Cheney, and later President George Bush Sr. along with Israel all staunchly supporting this white terrorist Apartheid government every step of the way.
They refused to go along with and vetoed every single UN proposed sanction. They called then incarcerated Nelson Mandela and his organization the African National Congress (ANC), terrorists who were to be feared. There was even a point where right-wing knuckleheads in this country advocated that we actually purchase South African diamonds as a way to oppose the ANC because they were getting help from Fidel Castro and communist organizations. Remember the folks in power who guarded our beloved Democracy here in the US were doing very little to end Apartheid. This is the 'history', as Russell Simmons pointed out, we should always remember and never downplay or conveniently overlook.

Now during his CNN interview Simmons noted that he understood De Beers had a bad history, but times have changed and that this once notorious diamond company had also changed for the better. Simmons noted that up to 80% of De Beers diamond profits now go back to South Africans and that the money generated from diamond sales now allow Africans an opportunity to get a stronger economic foothold.

As I listened to him run all this down, I kept saying to myself 'Fuck That! De Beers shouldn't own any of those diamond mines. In the backdrop of all the brutality that occurred over the years, there should be NO splitting of any profits. It should be a full 100% controlled and owned by Africans. Hearing Simmons somehow defend the diamond trade while including De Beer company representatives at his press conference in NY last week, would be like Jewish leaders inviting the representatives of a company once owned Adolf Hitler to a meeting where they explain how and why it make sense to split profits with a company with a people that built a business around them being slaughter and their natural resources stolen.

I know in South Africa, they have this 'Truth and Reconciliation' thing jumping off where a lot of the atrocities of the past have been overlooked and forgiven. But for many of us here in the US there was no truth and reconciliation process. Many of us have vivid memories where we emotionally bled and emphasized with the plight of our South African brethren. The memory of De Beers being a stalwart of the White Apartheid regime is still firmly etched in many of our minds.
The money that De Beers and others have sunk into launching today's PR campaign to counteract the overriding message of the movie 'Blood Diamonds' was never used to by them to go around the world, apologize and try and make right the role they played in keeping the Apartheid regime running. In fact, the folks from De Beers hanging with Russell and explaining that things are now somehow different is the first time many of us have heard from them since the Apartheid days 15-20 years ago.

Heck, I don't even recall seeing or hearing any mass media PR campaigns from this company when all that horrific bloodshed and genocide was taking place in Sierra Leone. De Beers wasn't running around showing up on BET or CNN back in the early 90s explaining that they had nothing to do with Blood Diamond conflict in that region.

With respect to Russell Simmons, he said that on his fact finding mission he was asked by leaders of Botswana and South Africa to come back and deliver a message about the 'real facts' surrounding diamonds. First he pointed out that he went to the diamond minds in Botswana and everything he witnesses seemed up to speed and that there were no abuses taking place.

Next, he pointed out that blood diamonds are only 1% of the diamonds being purchased worldwide He also noted that the diamonds we buy today go and directly help Africans. He then cited Nelson Mandela as one of the leaders who asked him to pass this message along to counteract the message many would be getting in the movie 'Blood Diamonds'.

Now a couple of things need to be kept in mind. A good friend and fellow writer Nida Khan of the Source raised the question at Russell's press conference if he would've really been exposed to the harsh conditions and unsavory behavior that still goes on in many of these diamond minds? Would the governments of Botswana or South Africa really show such a high profile figure with media access the dirt that goes on behind the scenes and off camera?

The second thing to keep in mind, if Russell is delivering a message from Nelson Mandela, why didn't Mandela himself, a Noble Peace Prize winner who is admired and recognized all around the world, issue his own statement and hold his own press conference? No disrespect to Russell, but why speak for a guy like Mandela on such a volatile subject? Now perhaps I missed something, but I searched Google, Yahoo and a number of South African newspapers. I couldn't find anything about Mandela speaking on this issue. I did see a couple of articles with Noble laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu coming out against the Botswanian government and De Beers sister company bushing the Bushmen off their native land In fact as I am writing this I'm going to do one last search. I

Thus far I checked the following papers in South Africa

http://www.bday.co.za/
Business Day (Johannesburg)

http://www.mg.co.za/
Mail and Guardian (Johannesburg)

http://www.suntimes.co.za/
Sun Times (Johannesburg)

http://www.sundayindependent.co.za/
Sunday Independent (Johannesburg)
In all these papers I did not see one mention of Nelson Mandela talking about how us buying diamond encrusted pieces from Jacob the Jeweler or any other diamond dealer here in the US was somehow going to be saving Africans. Folks are welcome to do the search themselves. I'm not perfect, so maybe I overlooked something.

Most of the articles I read spoke about the connection and partial ownership De Beers has with the main diamond company in Botswana called Debswana. Many of the articles focused on how the Bushmen in Botswana have been tricked and forced to get off their native land so De Beers and everyone else can mine diamonds. Most importantly many of the articles focused on how the average person in Africa is not seeing the benefits of all those diamond sales. The whole scenario reminds me of how we been tricked into going along with the lottery. Everybody buys lottery tickets to help get much needed money to improve our school systems however, public schools from NY to Cali are still in shambles.


In the Capetown Daily News I did come across an interesting story that talks about how the United States state department is making all sorts of moves to counter the message of Blood Diamonds. They feel the movie can have adverse effect on the economy. It's a story I haven't seen here in local papers out here in Cali.

As I read the story I could only shake my head because when it comes to the people in power they are all too familiar with how influential pop culture can be. They understand the power of image and lyrics and all that. They clearly understand that this stuff is 'not just entertainment' as many would like to believe. So it's not just Russell running around defending the diamond industry it's our own government. Go figure. I guess some things never change. It's the same government that defended De Beers during Apartheid. It's the same Government defending De Beers now that movie 'Blood Diamonds' is out. Here's that article.

http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3580999

The only positive article I saw regarding how diamonds are somehow helping out Africans was in South Africa's Business Day newspaper. It's an opinion piece that was published in August 2006. I saw no other articles supporting this claim or remotely touching upon this in recent months and weeks leading up to and now that 'Blood Diamonds' is out. We should also note the recent so called studies that some are citing about the benefits of the diamond trade are financed by the diamond industry.

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A252341

One thing Russell did say on CNN which I agree with is that Hollywood and many others had never given a damn about Blood Diamonds. He rhetorically asked where were all the movies and films when genocide was taking place in the early 90s? It's a good question that many will have to wrestle with. That would include then President Bill Clinton, The NAACP and dozens of other organizations and churches.

Sadly many of us within Hip Hop around the time of all this bloodshed had suddenly abandoned our leather African Medallions and started blinging out with platinum and diamonds. This would include some of the artists that Russell himself worked with. If you recall, when all this slaughter was going on in Sierra Leone, many of us were watching Biggie and 2Pac videos talking about how jiggy we were. We all have to own up to our collective silence and ignorance on one of Africa's most devastating periods.

But with all that being said, the debate is being raised now and it's important that we both understand history and the politics of the day. One thing that I find especially troubling is that while De Beers is launching an all out PR campaign and Russell is telling us to go buy diamonds to support Africa, I still have yet to go to a diamond district in NY, LA or here in the Bay Area and see some cats from Botswana or Black South Africans selling me some diamonds wholesale in store they own 100%.
I see commercials everyday from diamond retailers like Zales, Tiffanys and 'Paul from the Diamond Center', but I never see us Black folks doing the selling.

It seems like when half the rap community goes out to purchase diamond encrusted grillz to make their mouths look like 'disco balls', they are usually purchased from fellow rap star Paul Wall. Is the money he's charging for all those 30 thousand dollar plus grillz going to help Africans build a clinic to fight AIDs in Botswana? Is Lil Wayne, Nelly, Jermaine Dupri and other grill wearers sporting those gaudy mouth pieces with the intent of helping impoverished Africans?

I can't call it, but stuff don't seem right. As for me I'm not buying any diamonds, especially if they're from De Beers or any other company connected to them. If we really wanna help out Africa how about making sure the debts they incurred from first world nations when they got rid of colonizers is forgiven and forever erased. How about us demanding that they be allowed to use generic drugs to fight the scorch of HIV and Aids and not be caught up in some super rich drug company lobbying our government to put the screws to Africa because they violated some unfair trade agreement. How about we look at the insidious ways in which countries like Belgium manipulated things to help cause some of the wars that led to genocide over diamonds. Lets bring those people to justice.

Anyway in 2007 I'd rather buy some damn property before I buy diamonds. If you're really about blinging hold a land deed not a stupid diamond chain.

Something to think about…

Davey D

sourced from http://mrellington.blogspot.com

Godfather of Soul' James Brown dies

'Godfather of Soul' James Brown dies December 25, 2006

Atlanta - Singer James Brown, the self-proclaimed "Godfather of Soul," who billed himself as the hardest working man in show business, has died at age 73, CNN reported on Monday.

Brown had been admitted to Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta over the weekend for treatment of severe pneumonia, his agent, Super Frank, told CNN.

The singer, also known as "Mr Dynamite" is credited with bringing the word "funk" into mainstream musical vernacular and influencing a new generation of black music that spawned rap and hip-hop.

Brown's hit "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" became a civil rights anthem during the turbulent 1960s and he performed the song at Richard Nixon's inaugural in 1968 - an act that temporarily hurt his popularity among young blacks.

He had more than 119 charting singles and recorded over 50 albums, was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 1992.

Even Nelson Madiba Mandela is Chiefs fan!

Meet Kaizer Chiefs' most valuable fan: MADIBA!

Five in a row but Bartlett looking for more

Kaizer Chiefs striker Shaun Bartlett headed off on his summer holidays a happy man as he closed out his first six months with Chiefs in style, as he scored what was the match clinching goal on Wednesday evening as Chiefs rounded off their fixtures for the first half of the 2006 – 2007 season with a 3-2 victory over Santos.

In what has been a remarkable climb for The Amakhosi, which has seen them ascend the PSL table as PSL fixtures for 2006 drew to a close, has been all the more special for Shaun Bartlett, who has found the back of the net on six occasions in his last five league games for Chiefs.

Bartlett’s recent goal flood which included an injury time equalizer against Chiefs arch rivals Orlando Pirates on the 9th of December, in what was the last Soweto Derby to be played at the FNB Stadium in its current form, has seen the former Bafana Bafana hit man score in five consecutive Premier Soccer League games for Chiefs - a feat previously unmatched by any Chiefs players in the eleven seasons of the PSL.

The former Charlton Athletic striker who is currently Chiefs top scorer in the league with seven goals, and by finding his way onto the score sheet in five consecutive games, Bartlett has matched and bettered the achievements of the likes of Collins Mbesuma and the speedy Siyabonga Nkosi, after coming in for much criticism earlier in the season.

When Chiefs were finding the going tough, Bartlett has shrugged off the sceptics and critics and has come into his own recently, and would have preferred to have continued playing matches, and says that although the Christmas break is a welcome one, it has perhaps come at the wrong time.

“At the moment I am happy with the way things are going, obviously I need to keep up the hard work as well as continue to find the goals when we return, for me it would have been a good thing if we did not have this break. The only reason I say that is because not just myself but as a team we got some good momentum going, if we continued playing another couple of games I am confident we could have won them and kept up the pressure on the log leaders” added Bartlett.

Even though he might have preferred the training ground to the beach as the team were hitting the high notes, the Chiefs striker is welcoming the time off and says that he and his team-mates, will have their work cut for them when they resume their league programme on the 6th January.

“From a football point of view continuing with matches would have been advantageous to our league ambitions given our recent form, on the other side this break does give us the opportunity to spend time with our families. When we return next week from the holidays we going to have to work extra hard, once the new year comes in we have a very tough schedule and we need to be well prepared for the five games we have in January” added Bartlett.

Having over come a barrage of criticism from the media in his first six months at Chiefs, Shaun is looking towards making the second half of his first full season with Chiefs just as memorable and successful as the last six weeks of 2006 were, wherein he scored six goals in five games. In just six months as a Chiefs player he has earned himself a place in the history books.

Shaun Bartlett’s six goals in five consecutive PSL matches in 2006 – 2007

1. 11th November 2006: Scores a 90th minute penalty as Chiefs defeat Moroka Swallows 2-0 in a match played behind close doors.

2. 25th November 2006: Opens the scoring in the fifteenth minute for The Amakhosi as Chiefs defeat Black Leopards 3- 1 in Thoyandou.

3. 9th December 2006: The most memorable of them all, scores an injury time header against Orlando Pirates with Chiefs a goal down at the time, as his injury time heroics steal Chiefs a point.

4. 17th December 2006: Scores Chiefs sixth goal in a six one drubbing of Maritzburg United, with a delightful header after meeting David Obua’s pin point cross.

5. 20th December 2006: Opens the scoring against Santos in Chiefs final game of 2006

6. 20th December 2006: Heads in Chiefs third and goal against Santos and his seventh of the 2006 – 2007 season so far

It's not the size of the gift that counts..

It's sometimes hard to remember the real reason for Christmas when you look around the garishly decorated shopping centres, or rush around like mad on Christmas Eve looking for that last-minute gift.

Despite the over-eating and the frenzied tearing off of wrapping paper, the traditions of Christmas are deeply rooted in Christianity.

December 25 is the day Christ was born. The gifts we dutifully buy stem from the gifts given by the three wise men to Christ when he was born: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The legend of Santa Clause stems from Saint Nicholas, who lived in the fourth century and came to be known for generous gifts.

St Nicholas Day is still celebrated in Germany and some other European countries on December 6, the day of the good saint's death.

One story concerning Saint Nicholas tells how he helped the three daughters of a nobleman who had become so poor that his daughters had no dowries and could not marry.

On three successive nights, Saint Nicholas went to the nobleman's home and dropped a bag of gold down the chimney. Add some reindeer from Lapland, change the lean Saint Nicholas into a fat, jolly gentleman in a red-and-white snowsuit, garble the name a bit and you have Santa Clause (or Father Christmas as he is called in South Africa).

Although the origins of Christmas are quite clear, countries and people around the world have adapted their own traditions to the holiday.

However you spend this festive season, may it be good, peaceful and filled with laughter.

And remember, it's not the size of the gift that counts, it's the thought behind it.- Staff Reporter

• This article was originally published on page 9 of Pretoria News on December 22, 2006

Tis the season

Well the season to be merry is finally here! With just two weekends till then end of 2006, one can safely say that : IT has been great. Not all that we wanted came our way but most of what we need, we were able to get. Funny enough, most of us will still fall into the same trap, be it overspending, over drinking, overeating, all things in excess. Yep! Tis the season to be merry.

Be safe, tell your family members how much u love them (even if u don't mean it). I've realized that even the toughest cookies crumble when there's an exceptionally inviting emotional pass made at them.They start to open up and all mooshy on u and then bang! Ya'll are buddies.

For me, all i need is some skunk anansie and 25yr old pot-stilled fine whiskey bottle and Voila! Merry goes around! 2007 is here. Let's pick up where we left off and take off in a huff!

All the best!
One Love, the one and only : BLACKMODZ

Kaizer Chiefs Eye Candi

"Dub vaults: The South African Connection. Part II"

Artist: Various

Album: Dub vaults: The South African Connection. Part II
Genre: Dub/broken beat

This is one album I looked forward to since Part 1 was released a while ago. Like in the movies, sequels are usually a pain in the butt (ear in this case) to do as there’s already a hype, legacy, a standard to follow and exceed expectations while at it. With Rui from the 340ml fame being the compiler it was bound to be quite interesting. If you are a fan of big dub riddims from LKJ (Linton Kwesi Johnson), Lee Perry, King Tubby, Burning Spear, Midnite, Abyssinians then this disc is one for the serious kollektahz!. It boasts some of the gifted artists that our beloved South Africa can offer and had at least 10 previously unreleased tracks.

From listening big tunes like Morafe’s “Pon di road” to the ever impressive lyrical genius and prowess of Levi Pon di Mic, to Richard Tha IIIrd, I found myself in deep in the land of wicked drums and bass, reverb effects, thrown-in snatches of lyrical content. Thanks to the creative efforts from Veli Shabangu, Ben Amato, DubMasta China, Zaki Ibrahim, Mr. Mo, Sub-Saharan Dub Committee, etc, this compilation does confirm that we are a country of quality, the sooner we learn that, the sooner we earn for that! I bet you the live performances of the above mentioned artists should rock ones boat. Mo Faya unto dem Dub Selectahz!

Final Word: ‘Nuff to play it twice!
Rating: 3/5

By: BlackModz

Capital punishment as Chiefs hit Maritzburg for six

Posted on 17 December 2006 - 18:20

Kaizer Chiefs 6 (7. Motaung 24 min, 39 min, 61 min, 9. Djiehoua 68 min, 25. Schalkwyk 84 min, 17. Bartlett 89min)
Maritzburg United 1 (26. Ndlovu 22 min)
Vodacom Loftus Stadium, Tshwane
Premier Soccer League
Kick Off: 15h45
Weather: 30 °C

Kaizer Motaung Junior doubled his goal tally for the season as he scored a hat trick as The Amakhosi ran riot, in a 6-1 victory over Maritzburg United at their new temporary home at Vodacom Loftus in Tshwane Sunday afternoon.

Motaung took his goal count to six for the season with all three of his goals coming inside the opposition six yard area. Additional strikes from second half substitutes Serge Djiehoua and Gert Schalkwyk, along with a Shaun Bartlett headed goal at the end of regulation time, allowed Chiefs to record their best result under Ernst Middendorp.

Although the score line after ninety minutes was reflective of Chiefs dominance in the game, there was a time in the game when Chiefs had found themselves in an awkward position, this after twenty minutes when Maritzburg United’s Sandile Ndlovu evaded a challenge from Fabian McCarthy on the edge of the Chiefs penalty area and Ndlovu teed up a shot and drilled the ball past Fernandez who had no chance of stopping the ball.

Maritzburg’s joy was short lived as Chiefs were level two minutes later as Siyabonga Nkosi, who had been Chiefs live wire in the midfield, stormed down the right wing and turned in a cross along the ground. The intended recipient of which was Kaizer Motaung Junior, who fought off the Maritzburg United defenders and sent the ball across the line, to bring Chiefs level.

From then onwards there was no looking back for Chiefs as the Amakhosi found their second goal as the first half began to wind down. Captain Fabian McCarthy picked up the loose ball off a corner and played a neat pass to Obua and the Ugandan international lifted his head to see Kaizer Motaung Junior unmarked in the penalty area. He sent in a cross to the Chiefs striker who slotted the ball past a diving Bogunovic to give Chiefs a 2-1 lead.

Maritzburg United, though did have the opportunity to have gone into the break on a level footing and were really unfortunate not to have equalized in the forty second minute when Sandile Ndlovu headed against the Chiefs upright off a Graham King cross with Rowen Fernandez well beaten.

Before it all got worse for Maritzburg, they had one more opportunity to draw level as Sandile Ndlovu made Rowen Fernandez work hard as he unleashed a ferocious shot from a free kick from some distance away. Just after the hour mark and Kaizer Motaung completed his hat trick; the first from a Chiefs player this season, as he bundled the ball over the line after collecting a pass from Ditheko Mototo.

Soon after completing his hat trick Motaung and another of Chiefs star performers on Sunday Siyabonga Nkosi, made way for Serge Djiehoua and Thabo Mooki. Mooki’s entry into the game as a second half substitute saw the Chiefs midfielder equal Neil Tovey’s record of 364 appearances for The Amakhosi.

Mooki and his fellow second half substitute Djiehoua were soon into the action as the former sent in a corner from the left on sixty eight minutes, a mere three minutes after they had come on to the field of play. Djiehoua met Mooki’s headed with deadly precision as he headed home at the near post, to score his first goal for Chiefs since September 2005.

With the game over as a contest, Chiefs were content with holding onto possession and toying around with the opposition, with all their possession and dominance it was inevitable that Chiefs would score more goals.

They duly arrived as The Amakhosi scored two more goals in the last ten minutes of the game, first Gert Schalkwyk popped up to score with a half volley with four minutes left on the clock. This after Shaun Bartlett had played him in with a delicate chip – pass which was lined up perfectly for him, all he needed to do was get it pass the Maritzburg keeper which he did to score Chiefs fifth goal of the game. On the stroke of time David Obua supplied the cross and Shaun Bartlett headed home to score his fifth goal of the season and his fourth in consecutive games.

This is surely a result which would please coach Ernst Middendorp as well as send out a message to all comers that Chiefs are well in the Championship race, after collecting their 13th point from a possible fifteen. With recent league wins against Moroka Swallows, Black Leopards and now Maritzburg United, things are definitely looking up for Chiefs as these were teams who The Amakhosi had initially had tough outings against when Ernst Middendorp took over the reigns of coach at the start of last season.

After Sunday’s emphatic win it looks as though Chiefs have fitted in well into their new albeit temporary home at Loftus, with one more game for 2006 left for Chiefs on Wednesday evening Ernst Middendorp will expect nothing less then victory against Santos as Chiefs round out their fixtures for 2006.

Starting Line Up’s:

Kaizer Chiefs: 1. R. Fernandez, 2. J. Tau, 6. F. McCarthy, 44. S. Mkhonza, 33. D. Mototo (25. Schalkwyk 75 min), 10. S. Nkosi (12. Mooki 65 min), 13. D. Obua, 27. G. Sibeko, 8. T. Nengomasha, 7. K. Motaung Jnr (9. Djiehoua 65 min), 17. S. Bartlett
Substitutes: 16. E. Baron, 21. P. Mayo, 4. C. Nzama, 12. T. Mooki, 25. G. Schalkwyk, 9. S. Djiehoua, 31. D. Radebe
Coach: Ernst Middendorp

Maritzburg United: 1. D. Bogunovic, 21. O. Bhasera, 22. J. Motale, 4. N. Ngema, 27. I. Winstanley, 8. C. Masuku (17. Wiltwer 63 min), 15. S. Siphika, 16. L. Pule (10. Lekoelea 75 min), 18. G. King, 19. W. Qalanta (12. Zimba 46 min), 26. S. Ndlovu
Substitutes: 66. C. Makhanya, 3. T. Rooi, 24. T. Mashego, 12. C. Zimba, 17. E. Wiltwer, 10. S. Lekoelea, 33. K. Musasa
Coach: Kosta Papic

Cautions: Yellow Cards, Maritzburg United: 22. Japie Motale 3 min, 4. Nkhosinathi Ngema 87 min Yellow Cards, Kaizer Chiefs: 12. Thabo Mooki 83 min

3rd League win in a row!

Amakhosi breeze past Usuthu

Kaizer Chiefs handed in one of their best performances of the season thus far, when they beat AmaZulu 2-0 in a Castle Premiership fixture at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night.

Kaizer Motaung Jnr and David Radebe scored for the visitors, who looked like a well-oiled machine as they ran the hosts ragged.

Motaung Jnr opened the scoring the 17th minute when his glancing header from Ditheko Mototo’s left flank cross found the corner of the net.

AmaZulu wasted one of their few clear-cut chances in the 28th minute when Effort Sithole sent his shot from inside the area well over the crossbar.

The hosts threatened again four minutes later when Shoes Moshoeu put Dumisani Ngwenya clear, but with just Chiefs keeper Rowen Fernandez to beat, the striker put his effort wide of goal.

Chiefs were denied from extending their lead in the 40th minute, when Usuthu keeper Kemoko Camara produced a superb point-blank save to stop Gerald Sibeko’s header from hitting the back of the net, and the half ended at 1-0.

The Amakhosi dominated the second half from the offset and doubled their lead in the 58th minute when Radebe scored with a good left-footed finish following the Usuthu’s failure to clear a long throw-in by Simphiwe Mkhonza.

The hosts almost pulled one back in the 90th minute when Fernandez produced a good save to deny Thando Ngwabeni’s long range effort from finding the net.

9th December is the big derby against Orlando Pirates, a must win to keep our title aspirations alive... Till Then. KHOSI 4 LIFE

Too legit to quit!

I find it hard sometimes to understand the thinking of man. We are full of potential yet lack that killer effort that makes the difference. For sometime now, i have been pondering on the next move i should be making, the kind of decision that will most definitely make or break the bank. I find myself analyzing things to the N-th degree, which is logically in my nature, but recently it has gotten to a stage where i find corners in a circle, deeply hidden in the circumference.

Wow. Great thoughts. The times we live in are of paramount importance as we are writing the most interesting part of our South African history. We all want to be there, to stand and be counted, to lift our voices and sing (whatever the victory song). We have to be there. We got to be there. It's too legit to quit. It's the crest of a wave that entices man to think way outside the norm.
To break the mental boundaries. To take that step. I for one want to be there. The past weekend was a revelation to me, i saw lives that were being lived. Yes. Lived to the fullest.
I hope our people can realize that these opportunities are there for the taking. They are there to be exploited. They are there to be mined.

I 'm going for mine. I hope you'll go for yours.
I can't stop now.
I wont stop now.
I come too far to break down now
It's the showdown - take a bow
It's the shakedown - take a leaf of my life book
Plant, sow and reap the rewards
Not really doing it for the awards
But my ish is on point like darts
as i sink my teeth in the bite
Rise up!

Silly Twista : BlackModz does House!

In a rare but occasional occurance, the BlackModz dishes out a Silly Twista : House music mix. The selection is thumping to say the least, from Alcazar, Madonna, 2Unlimited, Harley&Muscle, Armand van Heerden, The Deep, Durban's Finest, Dj Fresh, dj Mbuso, Vetkook vs Mahoota!!!!
This is one for the summer house jams. Enjoy.. To download,go to: http://rapidshare.com/files/2469192/SillyTwista.zip.html


Mo' Faya in the dance halls.

1 Down, 2 to go : Telkom Cup

Bidvest Wits 1 (25. Hendricks 38 min) Kaizer Chiefs 2 (22. Kilambe 83 min, 100 min) 28th October 2006 Johannesburg Stadium, Johannesburg Telkom Cup, Round Of 16 Kick Off: 16h45 Temperature: 27° C

Chiefs came spectacularly from a goal down to defeat Wits University 2-1 at the Johannesburg Stadium, as they followed up their SAA Supa8 Cup title from a week ago by advancing to the ¼ Finals of the Telkom Cup.

It was Chiefs hero from a week ago Rotson Kilambe who once again provided Chiefs with the winning edge, as he scored a brace and collected the man of the match award and the ten thousand rands that came with it. The victory was made sweeter for Coach Ernst Middendorp as he celebrated his 48th birthday on Saturday, and will have additional cause for celebration on Saturday evening.

Poetic Justice

I known this woman for about 8 months and never did it cross my mind that she writes perfectly like the way ink dries on paper. Enjoy the poetic motion.

I Am A River
by Marcia Nonkululeko Tladi (South Africa)

I am a river

Mine is the nature of a river
My roots are in the high mountains
My destination the wide open seas
I am born of a natural spring
Without perversion or malice
They call it naivety, I will learn
Morning suns greet me and
I see the 15 moons of Uranus
Go over and under the Earth
Like lights on a Ferris wheel *
Yet my vision is two-dimensional
And innocent perceptions
Of a flat and square world, I acquire
Everyday I learn to flow -
Not fluently at first
Returning to my beginnings every nightfall
Long-anticipating the rains that will be my rite of passage

Mine is the nature of a river
When the summer rains pour profusely
I will swell at the breasts
I will break my banks in joyous ululations
While I make my descent
In fast furious currents from majestic hills
Taking with me every lesson in sight
Good or Forsaken
For I do not discriminate between sand, gravel or soil
And only later will I learn clear distinctions
Between good and evil

Mine is the nature of a river
I hail from dizzy heights and think myself infallible
But I soon learn that not all waters will put out the fire
And that not every course run yields results desired
And that my speed cannot be solely determined by my own will
So when the mountain softens its slope
I learn a gentler flow
When the route forks
I learn to listen for dangers ahead
For my sight is but of two dimensions yet
And I still harbour no bias to my lessons;
I barely discriminate between sand and soil

Mine is the nature of a river
As lessons learnt yield wisdom
My channels getting wider
I near my destination
And I question and I question
Why I have learnt to sift through the soils
If my journey should end so abruptly
Surely these lessons I should have learnt at the mountaintop
No answers forthcoming,
I let the anger go with all the silt I carry
And make a free fall into the sea

I am a river
One of many in the sea
Tomorrow I make a glorious ascent
To the blue skies above
I shall look down upon the earth and
Learn of horizons that make it round
And learn why the waters don’t spill out of the seas
And when I have my three-dimensional sight
I will explode in uncontainable jubilation
Onto the earth its mountains its soil
I will taste all that I wish of natural splendour
And I will fill rivers on mountains
And laugh secretly
As they make their eventful fall to their destination
For nature does have a sense of humour

I am a river
Pure of nature
Immortal and Pure

*** end ***
The © Copyright to this poem is owned by the author.


Temptation
by Marcia Nonkululeko Tladi (South Africa)

It nibbles at my ear lobes
And whispers sweet nothings
To the tone of promises
Its tact is composed
Nothing hurried about it
Take your time
It seems to say
Take your time but
Show some urgency
It may not be there forever
You know
Someone else will take it
It says to me

It pacifies my lips
Soft sucking
Never fulsome
Tell me when you want me stop
It says to me
But I’m uncertain
Though not far at all from
Giving in
To the lushness
Of its touch
Voluptuously sensual
In its strokes

I lie in bed with temptation
Uncomfortably close to it
This time
My inhibitions fast escaping me
Leaving me alone
With this devil of a feeling
That lures me so cleverly
In the darkness
Further into the dark

It lures me so cleverly
Until someone hits the light switch

*** end ***
The © Copyright to this poem is owned by the author.

Lebo Mathosa

It's a sad morning in South Africa as we lost one of the best artists the country had. Lebo Mathosa. The Toyota Prado she ws travelling in lost control and smashed a tree, talking her valuable life instantly. Heres' more about the one tipped to take over the late Brenda Fassie's throne as the no nonsense diva. Sadly it's left untouched.

Lebo Mathosa is one of the hottest female singers in South Africa. Her professional dance act, sexy look and unique sound, which is a fusion of R&B, African music, dance and funk, has set new standards in the local music industry.
Lebo shot to fame in 1994 as front vocalist and dancer for the multi-Platinum success story, Boom Shaka. In 2000 she launched her solo career with her debut single Intro, a track that features on her debut solo album Dream. Four weeks after the launch of Dream, the album went Gold and in 2001 Lebo won Best Dance Album for Dream, Best Dance Single for Intro and Best Female Vocalist at the coveted South African Music Awards.
In 2001 Lebo performed at the South African edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town, the Celebrate South Africa concert in London's Trafalgar Square, on tour in Malaysia and Singapore and for the Malaysian queen. Back home she performed to over 16 000 people at Nelson Mandela's 85th birthday bash, to thousands of fans on Youth Day and Heritage Day. In 2002 Lebo performed at an Aids benefit concert in Botswana and Swaziland, for the showing of The Vagina Monologues and on tour in the United States.
Most of her performances have been broadcast nationally and internationally. She has shared the stage with world class musicians and recorded tracks with local and international artists, including with Keith Sweat on his Africa only album release. Lebo is known for her acting and singing roles in top South African television shows Generations, Backstage and Muvhango. She won the 2001 Style Best Dressed Woman of the Year Award and was nominated by FHM Magazine as one of Africa's sexiest women. Lebo has been on the cover of almost every local magazine and is regularly in the society pages of South African newspapers.
In addition to her live performances, she is sought after to perform at corporate launches and high profile private events. She owns the publishing rights for all of her albums and her deal with local record company Bula Records, has her with one album left to produce by the end of 2002.
RIP Lebo.

Cup Victory

In what was a match of two halves, the Mighty Amakhosi managed to put one past the "hoodoo" team, the so called cup kings, Supersport United FC on Saturday night to clinch their very first Supa 8 cup (previously known as BP top 8) in Durban. Scara Ngobese performed like a possesed man, running mazes through the United defence. In his trail he left three defenders chasing shadows as he pushed through left side of the 18 area before laying a cross for Rotson "Big Animal" Kilambe to slot home from an acute angle after Dennis Onyango parried the cross in his path. The solitary goal was all the Amakhosi needed to lift the cup, their second major, in six months.

Now next up is the league... Hmmm!

more of this at Kaizer Chiefs site...

Jay Z in .ZA

“Now can I get an encore, do you want more
Cookin raw with the Brooklyn boy
So for one last time I need y'all to roar…”

With opening lines like these for a verse, one can understand why Jay Z is touted as the lyrical genius. His word play comes second to none of the other known words-smiths. His final leg tour with Rihanna, the Caribbean songstress, staged at the Dome in Northgate Jozi was one not to be missed. Our own Kabelo of TKZee fame was billed as the local supporting act and he did not disappoint. He delivered are spirited performance including hits from his latest offering and had the crowd in a grooving mood. Next up was Rihanna who made sure her presence was felt through her wicked dancing moves while belting out chart toppers like “ ‘Pon de replay”, SOS and finished off with a Bob Marley classic, Redemption Song that got hundreds of souls in the Dome singing along. Mo’ Faya! We thought. The mood dulled as there was silence for about 30mins while awaiting the show stopper of the night, Jigga.

Between the silence and going to the Heineken stand, I met a quite a lot of interesting aspects about the crowd in attendance. There were a large number of teen followers who most surprisingly were accompanied by their parents and or elders who couldn’t keep up with the demands of marauding through the dense crowd in search of a better view of the US hip hop mogul whom was eagerly awaited for with baited breath. It wouldn’t have taken a 6yr old whiz kid to realize that this was a hip hop concert. Fans came though in their enterprising regalia, blings of note, all things baggy and most notably all things beautiful. For the eligible bachelors, this was the perfect hunting ground. We all fell prey to Sean Carter’s, aka Hova, bite as his tour dj, Green Lantern, exqusitley introduced H to Izzo with a remarkable offering of supreme turntablism. Wicked scratches and beat cuts was the order of the day. Moment of truth. Enter Jay Z. From his first song, he had the crowd eating out of his palm. One great thing was that the show was about reaching the people- no dancers were present as part of his stage act. His sidekick, Memphis Bleek was on site to add jam to the doughnut while performing massive crowd favorites like: “Girls, Girls, Girls”, “Big Pimpin”, 99 problems” and all time classics like “ Hard Knock Life”. The screams could shatter ones ear drums but one had to endure it as this was a performance of high regard. Jigga made the stage his, connected well with his fans and kept them truly entertained. During his amazing set he paid tribute to hip hop’s most beloved sons and daughters from Tupac, Biggie, Aaliyah, Left Eye, Jay Master Jay, Easy E, etc to the crowds’ delight. The organizers did a splendid job, from security to the sound-all was great. The show was success and Jigga, personally, said the Jozi crowd was the best he’s seen.

In an orderly fashion, after the last beat dropped, the fans headed home after an experience I believe they’ll remember for moments to come. These words truly reflect the essence and the charisma that is H.O.V.A!

“Who you know fresher than Hov'? Riddle me that
The rest of y'all know where I'm lyrically at
Can't none of y'all mirror me back?

I came, I saw, I conquered
From record sales, to sold out concerts
So if you want this encore
I need you to scream, 'til your lungs get sore!!”

Our Greatest Fear

by:Marianne Williamson from her book "A Return to Love"

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Shrug the Slump!

Well, after the much anticipated and widely publicised "big giants" match, all i got after 90 boring, non-enterprising minutes was questions rather than 3 points!!! I'm talking about Saturdays Premier Soccer League game between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns. The game never, at any point, lived up to expectation. One amazingly buffling thing i saw was Scara Ngobese's game on the day. If i recall properly, he never made a forward pass in the opposition's half and direction.

Then there's the mostly / frequenly ineffective and mostly expensive Sean Bartlett. I'm not gonna be harsh on our 36yr old prolific striker but simply put the guy is not carrying his weight. No ball marking. No runs. If there's no Authur Zwane to pin those crosses so does that mean Bartlett can't score? I just hope that we get to rectify what's not working in "our" TEAM. We have a great squad assembled and they have the potential to win the championship.

After a 0-0 draw, i hope our next game against Supersport will bring us the Cup. Till then, Khosi 4 life!

Out about Newtown

Once again, the BlackModz went out on Thursday nyte to the ever impressive Ragga Nytes @ Horror Cafe` in Newtown, Dowtown Jozi! Here's the evidence...



All races united under the THREE colours. RASTA KNOWS LOVE NOT WAR!!!















For dem dat were there, dem who witnessed one of the hottest ragga / dancehall sessions the duo of Admiral & JahSeed delivered, it was a blast.RRRRAAA! I know of two 1st timers who came to Horror and as expected, dem got Hooked!Massive Reskpek to Andy and JahSeed. Wicked riddims!