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The people don't know their true power - Weekend Writing Competition
Kubatana Subscribers
July 2, 2012

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We recently encouraged our subscribers to write us a 500 word article on what this picture inspired in them.

We were thrilled with the number of entries we received, and with the variety of opinions and styles that came through. The two entries which tied for first place in our opinion are below, or download the full document to read all the submissions.

People-s True Power

More often than not people are unnecessarily abused. Abusers of innocent, and sometimes ignorant people, have utilized every tool at their disposal to inflict emotional pain to 'defenceless' people. Once people realize that they are not defenceless, action is summoned, and cruel abusers find no space to hide and realize that they are standing on sinking sand.

People have got true power vested in them. Imagine a 15-seater commuter omnibus carrying eighteen (plus one) passengers. Plus one, yes, I mean it; a tout is just crouching or leaning over passengers sitting behind the driver. His language is full of vulgarity; eighteen passengers keep quiet. Some may even share laughter with the abusive tout. The vulgar music in the omnibus is not music anymore; it is a pain on its own. People are dropped far away from their drop points. Who cares? Those who dare to voice are yelled at and the whole omnibus share the laughter still. People are paying their hard earned cash to maintain abusers.

In the picture Kubatana showed us, people are crammed on one side of the balancing plank. On its own, this is unfair. Such a huge crowd to be on balance with an individual! It is clear the huge weight of this individual symbolizes too much resources stashed to an individual at the expense of everyone else. Surprisingly, people continue to support one person, and sing praise songs to his admiration. He is joyfully pointing to the skies promising them heaven and the earth - false promises. Look at the distance he has kept between himself and 'his' people. He is too big to mingle with them. He must be a politician or perhaps a pastor of the modern church. Like a king, he treats people like his subjects; they come trembling before him.

But, there is still hope. Some have started to realize that their big leader is now too far away from them and they have become disenfranchised by slogans. They begin to move away. Who is going to remain balancing the 'good' leader? Oh, one by one they will surely leave! I shudder to imagine the thunderous fall of the dear leader once people claim their true power. The good leader will fall into an abyss of darkness and be devoured by yet to be known beasts of darkness.

If only, and if only! If only people could realize their power all shameless abusers would flee, even from their own shadows. How can one dirty person harass eighteen people in an omnibus, eh? Thousands of people being abused by few individuals who loot everything, eh! In the picture, people have surrendered their power to one person. They do not have a say in their lives but the good leader has. People should limit the power they invest in one person. They should summon their leader to come closer to them. Our leaders should be amongst us, and be accountable to us. We should not fear our leaders, NO!

Busani Nkomo

People-s Don't . . .

- I think I'll go and buy some airtime.
- really? That's what you think that guy's thinking?
- which guy? No, actually, I really think I am going to go buy some airtime.
- that's funny, actually. Airtime. Even better, Buy Airtime. Almost brilliant.
- funny how?
- you don't get it. Are we both looking at the same cartoon? Don't you think most of these sorts of things are just that, buying airtime? Some delusional guy standing in front of a bunch of equally delusional guys yabbering on about a whole lot of delusional nonsense.
- how come there aren't any women in the group?
- what?
- there all men. And if you look closer, they are all the same guy. Even the twit behind the podium.
- it's a cartoo-oooon. That's the format, stupid. It's like a quick drawing, ... sort of. It's not about the detail, it's abo . . .
- don't call me stupid, STUPID! How lazy can you be? THE PEOPLE...all men...DON'T KNOW. Period. You know, you were right, a bunch of stupid GUYS listening to an even more STUPID GUY.
-eeeeeish sha, panties in a twist and all.
- no man. Look at it. Really. How can this seemingly innocuous little drawing decide who 'the people' are?
- you're missing the point.
- who's point...pray do tell?
- the point being that, erm, it's kind of random I guess...shit, actually, they are all the same guy. Wow. That is kind of weird.
- it is quite unnerving. Sort of a subliminal comment on ubuntu.
- what?
- well, he IS because they ARE.
- I'm not getting you.
- I'm not sure I can actually articulate, ... I'll try...think about it - in some grand spiritual sense, we are...well, all the same. What really separates us is how we develop, or in the case of this image, how 'we' can regress.
- and so?
- and so, leaders are not really those that decide to stand in front of us, yabbering on about some delusional stuff, leaders are...well, it's so obvious, leaders are us. I'd even go one step further, and say that it's not about 'power'; it's really about choice. And then courage to believe and follow your choice.
- so, he's choosing.
- who?
- the guy who's stepping away.
- maybe. Or maybe he's just going to buy some airtime.
- how can you be so random, so nonchalant?
- because it's about so much more than just stepping away. Stepping away to what?
- freedom?
- really? You getting that from this cartoon. Guy, who looks like all the other guys, even the guy teetering, well not yet, on the edge, is stepping away to freedom?
- ya, I guess. I do.
- and what about the rest of them? What's going to make all of them decide to step away?
- what, like en masse?
- ya.
- teatime.
- stupid...........I-m going to buy some airtime.

Souxii's Phrend

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