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30 RULES FOR CHANGED WOMEN

1). Never raise your voice for any reason to your husband. Its a sign of disrespect.(Prov 15v1)

2). Don't expose your husband's weaknesses to your family and friends. You are each other's keeper.(Eph 5v12)

3). Never use attitudes and moods to communicate to your husband, you never know how your husband will interpret them.(Prov 15v13)

4). Never compare your husband to other men, you've no idea what their life is all about.

5). Never ill treat your husband's friends because you don't like them, the person who's supposed to get rid of them is your husband.(Prov 11v22)

6). Never forget that your husband married you, not your maid or anyone else. (Gen 2v24)

7). Never assign anyone to give attention to your husband, people may do everything else but your husband is your own responsibility.(Eph 5v33)

8). Never blame your husband if he comes back home empty handed. Rather encourage him.(Deut 3v28)

9). Never be a wasting wife, your husband's sweat is too precious to be wasted.

10). Never pretend to be sick for the purpose of denying your husband sex (SS 7v12

11). Never compare your husband to your one time sex mate in bedroom.(SS 5v9)

12). Never answer for your husband in public opinion polls, let him handle what is directed to him although he may answer for you in public opinion polls.(Prov 31v23)

13). Never shout or challenge your husband in front of children(Eph 4v31)

14). Don't forget to check the smartness of your husband before he checks out.(Prov 12v4)

15). Never allow your friends to be too close to your husband.

16). Never be in a hurry in the bathroom and on the dressing table. Out there your husband is always surrounded by women who took their time on their looks.( 1 Sam 25v3)

17). Your parents or family or friends do not have the final say in your marriage. Don't waste your time looking up to them for a final word.(Luke 21v16)

18). Never base your love on monetary things. Will you still submit to him even if you earn more money than him?

19). Don't forget that husbands want attention and good listeners, never be too busy for him. (Gal 6v9)

20). If your idea worked better than his, never compare yourself to him. Its always teamwork. (Gal 6v10)

21). Don't be too judgemental to your husband.(Eph 4v29)

22). A lazy wife is a careless wife. She doesn't even know that her body needs a bath.(Prov 24v27)(Prov 20v13)

23). Does your husband like less cooked food?, try to change your cooking.(Prov 31v14)

24). Never be too demanding to your husband, enjoy every moment, resource as it comes.(Luke 11v3)

25). Make a glass of water the very first welcome to your husband and everyone entering your home. Sweetness of attitude is true beauty. (Prov 31v11)

26). Don't associate with women who have a wrong mental attitude about marriage.(Prov 22v14)

27). Your marriage is as valuable to you as the value that you give it. Recklessness is unacceptable.(Heb 13v4)

28). Fruit of the womb is a blessing from the Lord, love your children and teach them well.(Prov 22v6)

29). You are never too old to influence your home. Never reduce your care for your family for any reason. (Prov 31v28)

30). A prayerful wife is a better equipped wife, pray always for your husband and family(1 Thess 5v17)

ARMED ZAMBIA POLICE STORM MUVI TV STUDIOS IN SEARCH OF PILATO

Armed police officers in plain clothes from central police last evening stormed Muvi TV studios in search of musician Pilato.

The named police officers interrogated manager on duty Mabvuto Phiri on the where about of Pilato who was appearing on the assignment program.

Zibani Zambia had earlier reported that a directive was issued to have Pilato arrested while appearing on a live show.

The officers stormed the privately owned television station at exactly 21:00 hours and found that the singer had left.

Currently his whereabouts is not known as the officers vowed to continue searching for him.

PILATO LIKENS 'ALUNGU ANABWERA' SONG TO AN UGLY CHILD

Musician Pilato says there is no way he will be forced to appologise for composing the song 'alungu anabwera' which has sparked massive debate in the country.

Pilato says he has never seen any parent in the world parading himself for an appology after giving birth to an ugly child.

Appearing on Muvi TVs the assignment programme Sunday Evenning he stressed that he finds it illogical to force him to appologise.

He maintains that he is not affraid to face any jail term for singing about the truth which does not contain any defamatory words.

Meanwhile the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) says there is no element of defamation in Pilato's 'alungu anabwera' song.

LAZ President George Chisanga has said.

SAUNDERS TELLS PF TO STOP HARASSING MUSICIANS

Political Analyst Dante Saunders says the PF government will reap nothing in pursuing individuals who hold different views and opinions.
And Mr. Saunders has advised government to concentrate on issues of developing the country rather than harassing artistes.
Police have summoned musician Chama Fumba alias Pilato for questioning on Monday over his alleged defamation of President Lungu through his song. Overzealous Lusaka province police commissioner Charity Katanga said Pilato should report at some PF police station in Lusaka. But Pilato is not a Lusaka resident and technically Katanga is overstepping her jurisdiction by summoning residents of other provinces.

But Mr. Sauders says the move is unfair to the society and the artistes citing that it is putting the artistes in a difficult situation.
He points out that the best the PF and its members were going to do if they did not like the song was to ask the members not to play or listen to the song.
Mr. Sauders says it is sad that the PF is harassing innocent artists who want to speak to the people of Zambia through songs.
He further states that the PF should live the musician alone and deal with issues affecting the people of Zambia.

I am not saying it's bad, but if weed is good for you, continue, But for me?

Last sunday (after church). All a nigga did then was tweet, eat, sleep and repeat the routine, boredom was really the trend then.

A friend of mine (name and handle withheld) pinged me so we could hook up, Thank God! So I can leave this house? I was so excited. He lived close to my hood and had been a friend beyond twitter. I got there, we chilled, talked about girls (boys things) I then reminded him that we've been talking since, no MoFaya? (which happens to be my fav) He said he gon take me to a place, we go flex!

We got there, My brother, I first saw smoke, I thought we were going to choose the new pope, till I moved closer... !!! (weed). I feared, but I had been telling this dude about how dope I was when it comes to weed smoking (Lies) :( I had no choice but 2 play along. even the weed seller asked if I could/have ever smoked weed, I furiously told him he was down grading me, so he kept quite..

Everyone collected his rolled weed, we started burning, them pro(s) were taking it straight to the head, I was just pouring out. We all finished our first weed, I felt nothing, (in my mind I was like, 'is this the so hyped weed?) Psheew on to the next.

We all ordered for the second roll this time I wanted to feel it more so I was taking every smoke into my head, the guys were hailing me. Half way fam, something strange happened. Everywhere was moving, I started seeing things in a backward direction I loved the feeling.

Just like how they flashback in Furious 7, I was not there anymore, I saw a white paradise. I saw the beauty! Fam! It was like in heaven. suddenly! Someone patted me 4rm behind, it was Flamez, he smiled at me, He said! Son, u just made me proud. I also saw Zuma drinking tea.

Then to my surprise, guess who else I saw? My dad He was angry! I could tell by the way he looked at me, He was mad at me, He said, 'Son! I didn't raise you like this. Why did you decide to live this lifestyle? I was sad, He gave me a BIG SLAP!! I screamed out to reality, fam it was the weed seller that slapped me. I had been stiff. They were scared. I just smiled slowly.

Suddenly! I pulled off my trouser, because I felt it was disturbing me, They asked what happened? I said I wanted to shit (with a smile) The weed seller knew what was doing me, and said ' don't let him get out' that was when I knew something was wrong.

They gave me many things, ( water, coconut) fam! I was running mad that sunday! Even my nigga was trembling. I told him to come closer, wanted to whisper my twitter accounts password to him just in case if i truly run mad :( I was shaking) The weed seller then asked me if i smoked weed before?' I replied with speed 'Sir, not even paper, I never smoke before'.

He then told them to leave me (that I needed rest and fresh air) I was embarrassed, They said I was just looking like when they display apprehended thieves on channels TV. I was half naked, I regretted my life.

Am not saying it's bad, but if weed is good for you, continue, But for me?

Lol

Lol

WHAT A VOTE FOR PF MEANS

• A vote for PF is a vote to continue with wage freeze and employment freeze.

• A vote for PF is to continue in bad governance especially the abuse of the Public Order Act

• A vote for PF means to continue threatening students of their liberties and no bursaries for many others who qualify.

• A vote for PF means to continue borrowing without parliament oversight and increasing our DEBT for our future children

• A vote for PF is vote for continuous delay in paying our many peasant farmers

• A vote for PF is a vote for continuous demolishing of houses in cold season, firing of civil servants who want to go on strike

• A vote for PF is a vote for a continuous disrespect of our chiefs and non gazetting of chitimukulu

• A vote for a PF is a vote for continued employing of party cadres in the civil service positions that require real and true professionals

• A vote for PF means accepting Mealie meal cost from K38 to K65.

• A vote for PF means no more Access To Information Bill

• A vote for PF means continuous deportations of CEO heads of private companies.

• A vote for PF means a threat to us all through the Pangas even in the churches, schools damaged.

• A vote for PF means MINES will make super profits and nothing for Zambia.

• A vote for PF means locking of District Commissioners office shall continue.

• A vote for PF means to continue being called LUNATICS

Oscar Pistorius gets aprivate bath

By Debora Patta and Johan Eybers

Prison authorities are doing their utmost to ensure Oscar Pistorius is well cared for in jail, and are even building him his own bath.

Sources with access to the area of Pretoria's Kgosi Mampuru Prison, in which Pistorius is jailed, have told City Press authorities are building a special bath for him because it is difficult for him to shower.

"Because of his disability, it is easier for him to take a bath where he is away from the rest of the prisoners," said a source.

Another source told City Press the bath would be available to other inmates in future, but right now it is intended for Pistorius' sole use.

Until now, inmates only had access to showers.

Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day last year. He could qualify for parole after just 10 months.

But he might get to use the bath for longer than that because state prosecutor Gerrie Nel applied this week for leave to appeal both his conviction – Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide and not of murder, which the state strongly opposes – as well as his sentence.

Two weeks ago, City Press reported that Pistorius was broke after having racked up a R17.5 million legal bill, about R10 million of which is still unpaid.

Pistorius has been moved to the B section of the prison near the hospital wing, where he has his own private cell. Among his neighbours is Czech fugitive Radovan Krejčíř, whom City Press understands has his own television in his cell that is hooked up to DStv.

Krejčíř also celebrated his birthday in prison this week and he shared his birthday cake, which was delivered to the prison, with the other prisoners in the wing, including Pistorius.

Another source with regular access to the prison confirmed that a new bathroom is being built for Pistorius "so that Oscar does not have to walk past a number of prisoners to get to the toilet".

Pistorius was previously housed in the prison's EF section, but had to be moved after Etienne Kabila – who is awaiting trial for plotting to overthrow his half brother, Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila – allegedly flooded the cells.

City Press understands that Kabila had an argument with the prison wardens, which resulted in him smashing a television set. Later, he allegedly put a plug into a basin and left the tap running – flooding the entire section.

Pistorius then had to be moved because it was feared he might slip and hurt himself.

"It was so badly flooded that inmates were almost swimming, and this was seen as too dangerous for Oscar," said the source.

The B section single cells are a lot smaller than those of EF and a lot less comfortable. The security in that section is also said to be a lot tighter.

Pistorius and the awaiting-trial prisoners with whom he is being kept are to be moved back to their original cells as soon as the flood damage has been repaired.

Pistorius, who does not mingle with other prisoners, even at meal times, has become extremely depressed in jail.

His fellow inmates, sources say, have even been encouraging him to see the prison counsellor.

They have told him "he would not be regarded as a sissie" if he asked for help.

"He has even cried on occasion," said the source. "He really is battling with prison."

Sources say that Pistorius is apparently frustrated by the fact that everyone around him is so negative.

"Other inmates and wardens feel sorry for him or ashamed of his fall from grace and keep burdening him with their feelings," the source said.

"He is so tired of everybody wanting something from him and just wants to think positively and believe in God that his ordeal will soon be over."

City Press was also told that Afrikaans-speaking inmates were looking out for him.

"They have his back, he won't get into any trouble as he is being protected," he said.

Correctional services spokesperson Manelisi Wolela denied that the prison was having a bath installed exclusively for Pistorius.

"The planning and actual work to construct the bathroom and general maintenance started a long time ago. It was due for completion on May 31, many months before Oscar was even found guilty. He is using the communal bathroom."

Wolela said awaiting-trial prisoners "have privileges, which include access to TVs, but not to DStv. Krejčíř has access to TV but no DStv".

Wolela added Kabila used an "old trick by inmates to open taps for water to overflow. He was reprimanded for this and is currently with the others".
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Wynter Kabimba, Fred Mmembe, Mutembo Nchito Killed President Michael Sata.

The Cartel poisoned the Head of state in April 2014 , this poison they used on him was very powerful, and it caused him to start loosing weight at a fast rate , and also lead to the loosing of his memory, his team of Doctors from lusaka failed to find the poison in his body because it is very difficult to identify it, he was later taken to israel in late June were doctors found the poison but failed to locate its exact location, further more, the president came back from Israel and began to recover a little, then the poison hit him bad again which lead to him completely loosing his voice, he opened parliament after regaining little of his voice, and then left for the UN General Assembly in New York were he failed to give his speech as his voice had completely faded away again, he returned to Zambia after he was treated in His hotel room in New York when he had fainted and rumors went out that he had died,

He left for London on the 20th Of october 2014 5 days before Zambia Celebrated its golden Jubilee, before he left he left the instruments of power in the hands of Defense minister Edgar Lungu , he also did something he had never done before in the history of his life, he took along with Him his children, Chilufya Sata, Mwelwa Sata, Mwango Sata, His cousin Chanda Kasolo, His first born son Mulenga Sata, some of his Nieces and His other Son Mubanga Chanda Chilufya Jr, he spent time with them while in london, and Doctors at King Edward VII Discovered the poison in his body, when it was discovered it was to late as it had already Eaten up both of his Ribs, His Lungs and his liver had no enough Bile to support the Body, it began to attack his heart and this caused him to have problems with Breathing , he was taken to ICU and later doctors came out and informed the family that the President had gone to rest..

A few days before he died, Post newspaper boss fred Mmembe went to england and visted Michael Sata, while in the Hospital room, he asked to be left alone with Michael Sata as he had a lot of things to say to him, the family agreed and left them there, after which Fred Mmembe injected Michael Sata with another poison to speed up his death, the King George Hospital Security staff have this plot of Video as there CCTV cameras captured fred Mmembe poisoning the president.

After hearing that the president had Died, Wynter Kabimba and Fred Mmembe hosted a Party at Wynter Kabimbas House along independence avenue to celebrate the death of Michael Sata and officially declared Wynter Kabimba as nExt president.
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Why wasn't Oscar Pistorius convicted of murder?

Oscar Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide by Judge Thokozile Masipa after being cleared of murdering Reeva Steenkamp.

The prosecution accused Pistorius of premeditated murder, claiming he had deliberately shot his girlfriend Steenkamp after an argument on Valentine's Day last year.

However, Judge Masipa told the court that the state had failed to prove "beyond reasonable doubt" that Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder. "There are just not enough facts to support such a finding," she said.

Masipa said the evidence the state offered on the charge was "purely circumstantial".

Based on the objective facts, such as phone records, she accepted the defence's timeline of events that the shots were fired at around 3.12am. This meant that some of the state witnesses who claimed they heard a woman screaming after the time Steenkamp was shot must have been "genuinely mistaken", she said.

The judge also said that the WhatsApp messages between Pistorius and Steenkamp did not "prove anything" and the evidence suggesting Steenkamp had eaten two hours before she died was "inconclusive".

Masipa then turned to the lesser charge of murder. She said there was "no doubt" that when Pistorius fired shots at the door he "acted unlawfully".

However, she said that the evidence does not support the state's case that this was "murder dolus eventualis", a legal term for when the perpetrator foresees the possibility of his action causing death and persists regardless.

Masipa accepted that Pistorius believed Steenkamp was in the bedroom, noting that this part of his account had remained consistent since the moments after the shooting. It is "highly improbable the accused would have made this up so quickly", she said.

She described Pistorius as a "very poor" and "evasive" witness, but said it did not mean he was necessarily guilty.

"Clearly he did not subjectively foresee this as a possibility that he would kill the person behind the door – let alone the deceased – as he thought she was in the bedroom," she said.

Legal experts suggested that the state might be able to appeal the murder ruling. Masipa explained why Pistorius did not foresee that he would kill Steenkamp, but did not "explain convincingly" why she believed he did not foresee that he would have killed the perceived intruder, says Pierre De Vos, who teaches constitutional law at the University of Cape Town.

Writing in South Africa's Daily Maverick, De Vos says: "Given all the evidence presented in court about Pistorius's knowledge of guns and what the bullets he used would do to a person, it is unlikely in the extreme that Pistorius did not foresee that the person behind the door (who he might have thought was an intruder) would be killed."

Masipa offered a legal explanation as to why she could only convict Pistorius on culpable homicide rather than murder.

A "reasonable" person with Pistorius's disabilities would have foreseen that shooting into the door may have killed the person inside, she said.However, South African law warns against automatically assuming that because a perpetrator "should have" foreseen the consequences of his actions that he actually did.

She pointed to JM Burchell's General Principles of Criminal Law, which states that "the courts have warned against any tendency to draw the inference of objective foresight too easily".

Following previous cases, the courts have been told to "guard against proceeding too readily from 'ought to have foreseen' to 'must have foreseen'".

The onus was on the state to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pistorius foresaw the fatal consequences of his actions when he shot at the door. Masipa said the prosecution failed to do so.
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South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority has filed an appeal against the verdict and sentence given to Oscar Pistorius.

Prosecutors were not happy with the culpable homicide conviction and five-year prison sentence handed down by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

"Today, we announce that the NPA filed the application for leave to appeal both the conviction and sentence," it said today in a statement. "The appeal on conviction is based on the question of law."

Pistorius began his prison term on 21 October and will be eligible for release after ten months to complete his sentence under house arrest.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel had argued that only ten years' imprisonment would satisfy the public.

Some legal experts believe Judge Masipa erred in her interpretation of "murder dolus eventualis", a legal term for when the perpetrator foresees the possibility of his action causing death and persists regardless.

Masipa accepted that a "reasonable" person would have foreseen that shooting into the door of a small toilet cubicle may have killed the person inside. However, she said South African law warns against automatically assuming that because a perpetrator "should have" foreseen the consequences of his actions that he actually did.

The onus was on the state to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pistorius foresaw the fatal consequences of his actions when he shot at the door, but the judge said the prosecution failed to do so.

A date for the appeal hearing has not yet been set.

June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, said the family had been "devastated" when Masipa ruled out murder and pre-meditated murder, but said that after sentencing they felt that justice had been done. "We were happy with the sentence – five years is sufficient," she said.

She has since said that she believes the judge made a mistake in failing to convict Pistorius of murder (see below).

Oscar Pistorius: judge made a 'mistake', says Reeva's mother

3 November
The mother of Reeva Steenkamp believes the judge who convicted Oscar Pistorius of culpable homicide "made a mistake".

June Steenkamp has spoken out in a number of interviews since Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison for shooting Reeva on Valentine's Day last year.

Prosecutors announced last week that they will appeal against both the conviction and sentence handed down by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

"I had a lot of trust in her," June said of Judge Masipa in an interview with The Guardian's David Smith. "But I think she did make a mistake."

The Steenkamp family was said to be "devastated" that Judge Masipa ruled out murder and pre-meditated murder, but felt that justice had been done after Pistorius was sentenced to five years in jail.

June said she still did not feel any sense of closure, despite the trial coming to an end last month.

"I've actually been feeling much worse than at the beginning. It's like a realisation that she's not there any more. I sat there every day and I always had things to do, and now it's crystal clear that she's never coming back," said June.

Both she and her husband Barry are tortured by the thought of their daughter's final moments, she said. Reeva was hit in the hip, arm and head through the closed toilet door.

"Imagine what she went through in that toilet, petrified, waiting for God to save her," said June. "That's the worst part. Barry and I both have nightmares and it's always about that, because we always protected her."

June described her daughter as a "perfect child and lovable", saying she could not remember one argument that they had because she was so good.
"We would have loved to have had a little grandchild from her," she tells The Guardian. "We'd love to have had a wedding; her father would love to have taken her down the aisle. And all the great things she was going to do. She could have changed the world. She could have changed South Africa, the way she was going. She had a voice."

Oscar Pistorius: Reeva Steenkamp 'had decided to leave' athlete

27 October
Reeva Steenkamp's mother believes her daughter was ready to leave Oscar Pistorius when she was shot dead on Valentine's Day last year.

June Steenkamp, who is publishing a book about her daughter next week, claims that Reeva and Pistorius had not yet slept together and that their relationship was coming to an end.
In an extract from Reeva: A Mother's Story, she says her daughter had "nagging doubts" about their compatibility.

"She had confided to me that she hadn't slept with him," writes June. "They'd shared a bed, but she was scared to take the relationship to that level... She wouldn't want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn't sure. I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts, she didn't think it was making either of them happy."
June describes Pistorius as "arrogant", "possessive" and "trigger happy" in the book. "It was Reeva's bad luck that she met him, because sooner or later he would have killed someone," she claims.

Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison for culpable homicide last week. Judge Thokozile Masipa accepted the defence's timeline of events and said Pistorius's version of events – in which he claims he mistook Reeva for a dangerous intruder – could be "reasonably, possibly true".
But June does not accept Pistorius's story. "He said pulling the trigger was 'an accident'. What? Four times an accident?" she says. "He said Reeva did not scream, but she would definitely have screamed. I know my daughter and she was very vocal."

June speculates that one of them might have received a Valentine's Day message from another admirer and that might have sparked a row – although no such message was brought up in court. She believes Pistorius shot Reeva in a jealous rage and then shot three more bullets to ensure she could not tell the world what really happened.

"Her clothes were packed. There is no doubt in our minds: she had decided to leave Oscar that night," she claims.
The Timeshas paid to serialise June's book and also interviewedher following Pistorius's sentencing. Here is what else she had to say:

Reaction to verdict

The Steenkamp family were "devastated" when Judge Masipa first ruled out murder and pre-meditated murder. "I felt very, very disappointed. Heartsore, actually, and exhausted," says June. "It was the worst of double whammies – to lose our daughter and then to see her violent death officially deemed an accident."

Reaction to sentence

June says she felt "so much better" after the sentencing and believed that Judge Masipa gave a "balanced consideration" of the mitigating and aggravating arguments. "We feel justice has been done. We were happy with the sentence – five years is sufficient," she says. However, she has noted that no sentence could ever provide closure for her family. "Nothing can – unless someone can magic Reeva back."
Feelings towards Oscar
June says she has forgiven Pistorius "in the Christian sense" and has "no feelings" towards him, good or bad. "We just want the truth and he is the only person who can fill in the missing blanks of what happened that night," she says. Both June and her husband Barry would like to sit down in private with the athlete. June says she has "no hate" in her heart for Pistorius's family either and feels sympathy for what they have gone through.

Oscar Pistorius: prosecution has 'appetite' to appeal

22 October

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority is considering whether to appeal against Oscar Pistorius's culpable homicide verdict.
The athlete was yesterday sentenced to five years in prison for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year and has spent his first night in Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria.

Pistorius's defence lawyers suggested that he could serve just ten months in jail, a period only slightly longer than the duration of his trial.
His family told reporters that he did not intend to lodge an appeal and would "embrace" the opportunity to "pay back to society".

The NPA, however, has indicated that it has an "appetite" to appeal. "We have always stated first and foremost that we were disappointed with the conviction," NPA spokesman Nathi Mncube told reporters. "But we do find solace in the fact the accused will serve some time in prison."

Both sides have the opportunity to appeal within 14 days. Mncube said the NPA would use this time to consider whether the facts and the law allowed them to appeal, and suggested that the state would appeal the verdict, but not the sentence.

"It is not a straightforward matter because there is law we have to consider, to ensure that if we do take the matter to appeal, we are able to support the decision. But hopefully we will able to do so," he said.
Some South African lawyers questioned whether Judge Thokozile Masipa had erred in clearing Pistorius of murderlast month.

In explaining why she could only convict him on culpable homicide, Masipa acknowledged that a "reasonable" person with Pistorius's disabilities would have foreseen that shooting into the door may have killed the person inside. However, she said South African law warns against automatically assuming that because a perpetrator "should have" foreseen the consequences of his actions that he actually did.

She said that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pistorius foresaw the fatal consequences of his actions when he shot at the door, meaning she could not convict him on a murder charge.

Oscar Pistorius: is five years in prison justice for Reeva?

21 October

After an emotional seven-month trial, Oscar Pistorius was calm and composed today as Judge Thokozile Masipa sentenced him to five years in prison – but outside the courtroom, reactions were more extreme.

The defence team said it expects the athlete to serve only ten months behind bars and the remainder under house arrest, while the prosecution believe he will have to serve at least 20 months.
The prospect of Pistorius leaving jail within a year provoked outrage on Twitter, with the hashtag #Nojustice trending worldwide.

Sky Newsreporter Robert Nisbet said the overwhelming reaction on the streets of Pretoria was also negative. "He took the soul of another person. How can that be right?" one man said outside the court.

But Reeva Steenkamp's mother June says justice has been served. She told reporters "it doesn't matter" that Pistorius could be out of prison in ten months. "He's going to pay something," she said.

Pistorius's family also said they were satisfied with the sentence and added that the athlete will "embrace this opportunity to pay back to society".
Professor Stephen Tuson, of Wits School of Law, told News24it would be "inadvisable" for Pistorius to appeal against the sentence as he "got off lightly" for culpable homicide.
Masipa sentenced the athlete to a maximum imprisonment of five years for killing Reeva and a concurrent three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years, for discharging a firearm in a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013.

In The Independent, Chris Maume says Masipa "might have shown mercy, but she has delivered perfect justice". A non-custodial sentence would have "sent the wrong message" that if you are famous enough, you can get away with manslaughter, while a longer hail sentence "would have felt like grandstanding", says Maume.
But in The Guardian, Simon Jenkins thinks Pistorius should not be going to jail at all. Masipa's argument was "meticulously reasoned", says Jenkins, but "beyond the cause of consistency, imprisoning Pistorius can serve no purpose".

He describes imprisonment as "brutalism" and says no one will be more or less deterred by the length of his sentence.

"Finding why he behaved as he did, and working to prevent others doing likewise, would be the most useful outcome of his crime. That is unlikely to happen in a prison."
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See How Oscar Pistorius’ First Day In Jail Went!

While Pistorius might be eligible to serve the remainder of his sentence at home after spending 10 months in prison, he has a LONG way to go. Oscar seemed very tense and confused during his first day in jail (wouldn't anyone though!), which he spent with his eight disabled cellmates. He is being held in a single cell in a separate wing of the hospital section…

Oscar Pistorius spent his first night of a five-year jail term in a single cell in the hospital wing of a prison in the capital, Pretoria, said a prison official.

He seemed confused and tired when he entered the Kgosi Mampuru facility, prison commissioner Zebilon Monama told the South African Press Association. Monama said Pistorius was tense as wardens took his fingerprints and the prison chaplain met with him soon after his prison number was issued on Tuesday.

Pistorius had a medical examination before being locked in his cell in a separate wing of the prison where the double amputee Paralympian joins eight other inmates with disabilities and will be under routine 24-hour observations with two nurses on duty.

"Now the hospital section of the center accommodates two offenders with prosthetic legs, two blind offenders and five offenders on wheelchairs: Nine in total," correctional services spokesman Manelisi Wolela said in a statement.

Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday after he was found guilty of culpable homicide for the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Sent from my Blackberry® SmartPhone on MTN Zambia

WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT MALE CIRCUMCISION:

Csho Chilala:

WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT MALE CIRCUMCISION:

Am very disappointed with my fellow zambians who believe everything they hear about male circumcision but are too lazy to even do simple research about this issue. After carrying out my small research, today am going to bust the myths concerning MC and prove to you that you might have made the wrong decision. the following are the myths.

1. ITS A WAY OF BEING CLEAN..why? when i can simply use my common sense and just wash my foreskin when i bath everyday..

2. IT CURES PREMATURE EJACULATION.. actually premature ejaculation is often a mental and not a physical problem. The foreskin contains nerve endings that give you that sweet feeling and so MC just removes those nerve endings and make sex less satisfying for men. By the way, when it becomes cold some circumcised men even fail to have an erection.

3. IT REDUCES THE CHANCES OF TRANSMISSION OF HIV/AIDS AND STIs... where have you seen this information? what are the actual numbers/percentages? how was this information gathered? from my research i couldn't find any documents that gave a full report on this issue.. Can someone give me a copy when they find this. or a link.

4. IT PREVENTS CERVICAL CANCER.. A man is not born with the HPV in the foreskin bt it can only be transferred from one woman to another. So basically if a man is faithful to one partner then they pose no rise to the person. Further more, HPv is just one of the few causes of cervical cancer (Google the causes of cervical cancer

Thats why am never going for MC, not even my children..
Sent from my Blackberry® SmartPhone on MTN Zambia

How Carl Pistorius Dogged a Charge! Bang Bang Bang

The team prosecuting Oscar Pistorius believed it had a case against the athlete's brother Carl for defeating the ends of justice – but agreed not to if the defence accepted the chain of evidence related to Oscar's cellphones, including a handset removed from the crime scene.

Two separate sources close to both the prosecution and defence have confirmed that Carl Pistorius had his brother's iPhone for at least 24 hours after the athlete shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead in February 2013.

Oscar was convicted of culpable homicide last month and is due to be sentenced on October 13.

City Press' sources confirm what's revealed in a book by Eyewitness News (EWN) journalists Mandy Wiener and Barry Bateman.

Their book, Behind the Door: the Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp Story, was released today.

In it, Wiener and Bateman detail the police's desperate journey to Apple's headquarters in California to try and find out what was on the iPhone.

They failed, but, the two write: "What the police did establish through this exercise was that at some point the cellphone was synchronised with a MacBook – one named 'Titanium Hulk'. Only one person close to the accused has a fascination with the lumbering green Marvel Comics hero. It featured in his Twitter feed as quotes from comic strips; he wore green bandanas bearing the eyes of the behemoth; he edited pictures of himself to colour his own skin green; and one friend even remarked on social media, 'You truly are the Titanium Hulk'. Carl Pistorius. His Gmail address contains that very name.

"So this was what had put a spanner in the works – it was suspected that when the phone was last synchronised a new password had been created, so relying on Oscar's old password would obviously not have worked. To confirm their suspicions, a source said police were able to track the phone over the time it had been missing and compared it to data linked to Carl's phone, which showed a potential overlap. Both phones followed the same route over a period of days."

Police cellphone analyst Captain Francois Moller was supposed to start presenting evidence on Monday, March 24, this year.

"The weekend prior," write Bateman and Wiener, "there was a strong rumour among the media that Carl Pistorius was about to be arrested".

"Some had got wind that the Blade Runner's brother might be charged with defeating the ends of justice for allegedly removing the phone from the crime scene and tampering with it.

"But it wasn't to be – Carl was not arrested, nor was he charged."

A statement from the Pistorius family, issued jointly with the athlete's legal team last night in response to questions from EWN, read: "We are not sure of the allegations that are to be made or the source of such allegations, but we are not aware of any deletions having been affected by Oscar or effected on his instructions that could be relevant to this trial or could have impacted on this trial.

"As far as we are aware all relevant communications were put before the court. The relevance of the communications from Oscar's phones, iPad and laptop was properly dealt with by the court and ultimately played no role in the matter, this having been found by the court."

In the book, Bateman and Wiener write: "That Monday morning court started 11 minutes late and prosecutor Nel made an unexpected announcement to the court. Nel apologised to the court for starting a little late because the state had been 'engaging with the defence in terms of certain admissions'."

Nel made admissions, which he handed to the court, about the phones and how they had been handled by the police as part of the chain of evidence. That was the last of it, and Carl Pistorius was not charged.

"What had led to this unanticipated announcement of admissions being made by the defence related to the phones?" Bateman and Wiener ask.

"One might have expected that Oscar's counsel would have fought tooth and nail against the contents of the phone being admitted to a trial court with such ease. It was also expected that the defence team would challenge each and every step taken by the police investigators in securing information and maintaining the integrity of the 'chain of evidence', as is so often the case in criminal courts in the country. This was even more pressing in this trial, where the defence had blatantly accused the police of tampering and contaminating the crime scene. It all seemed too easy.

"Did anything happen behind the scenes while the prosecution 'engaged with the defence' on the admissions?"

City Press interviewed three independent sources with intimate knowledge of the trial and has been reliably informed that the state agreed not to prosecute Carl Pistorius with defeating the ends of justice if the defence accepted the chain of evidence related to the phones, including the handset removed from the crime scene.

Accepting the chain of evidence dispensed with the state's need to call the original investigating officer, Hilton Botha, who was seen by prosecutors as a liability.

"In hindsight perhaps we should have gone on the offensive but at the end of the day Gerrie Nel had to weigh up one evil against another – and the fact is Hilton Botha could have sunk the state's case," one source said.

A second source close to the National Prosecuting Authority said that because it wasn't clear what had been deleted from Oscar's cellphone, it would have been difficult to charge Carl Pistorius.

Oscar Pistorius Sentencing on Oct. 13, Father Speaks Out for the first time.

Oscar Pistorius, the Olympic runner dubbed the "Blade Runner," will be facing sentencing in October, after his trial regarding the fatal shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide instead of murder on Sept. 12.

His sentence will be carried out on Oct. 13 later this month.

Pistorius had been initially acquitted of murder but he had told authorities that he thought an intruder had breached his home and was hiding behind the bathroom door. Pistorius had shot his girlfriend four times.

The sentence will be carried out by Judge Thokozile Masipa and will range from a timed suspension and a fine, or up to 15 years in jail. Judge Masipa was also the one who carried out the verdict.

Oscar's father, 61-year old Henke Pistorius had spoken out about his relationship with his son ever since the shooting on February 2013.

"We've said in various conversations and text messages we must get together and have a long talk," Henke had said.

"Since the tragedy, he hasn't had a decent talk with me. He hasn't yet talked to me from his heart. I know it's going to happen. It's going to happen soon and it will be good for both of us," he added.

Henke had separated from Oscar's mother, Sheila, when Oscar was still a teenager and expressed his regret at how he raised his children.

"Perhaps I was sometimes too hard on Oscar. I was strict. I think I could have spent more time with my children when they were small. But I had to work. I had to earn money," he said.

Oscar's mother had died at the age of 43 when Oscar was still 15 years old.

JUDGE MASIPAGOT IT RIGHT: Oscar Pistorius andthe intentionto kill

Yesterday Judge Masipa, sitting at the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, handed down part of her much-anticipated judgment in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial.

To much public dismay, she held that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Pistorius had the requisite intention to commit murder. This is the standard for criminal liability in South Africa. Judge Masipa, as was expected, found Pistorius guilty of negligent (culpable) homicide. [UPDATED]

The preliminary view of analysts and commentators appears to be that Judge Masipa got it (horribly) wrong!

Eusebius McKaiser has — he admits (on his Facebook page) with incredible haste — commented that, “[Judge Masipa] did not apply the law to the facts correctly. She should have found Pistorius guilty of murder but instead offered unconvincing legal justification why she decided not to.” Professor Pierre de Vos (here) and Gushwell Brooks (here) raise similar considerations.

McKaiser’s criticism of Masipa’s reasoning is the following:

“Unlike in many other jurisdictions around the world, you can also be found guilty of murder in South Africa if you could have forseen that your action that you performed could kill someone, but you still performed that action, in effect reconciling yourself with the eventual outcome – death – that will result from your action…. So if Pistorius did not kill Steenkamp as a result of premeditated, unlawful action, it doesn’t yet follow in law that he is not guilty of murder.”

McKaiser is invoking the concept of “dolus eventualis”, which is itself not an unproblematic concept. The concept (which I attempt to explain below) found it’s way into South African common law (Roman-Dutch law) through German law. [Shannon Hoctor has written a useful review on the history of the concept in Fundamina (2008).]

Dolus eventualis: Why Judge Masipa is right

While it may be wise to wait for Masipa J’s full judgment and thus her reasoning, McKaiser’s (at al) criticism is not correct. Here is why, briefly:

1. Dolus eventualis has two components “a cognitive component, foresight of the possibility of harm, and a conative (or volitional) component, most often expressed as recklessness whether the harm will result.” (See Hector (above) and S v Malinga, 1963.)

2. The Supreme Court of Appeal has stated the test thus: “The question to be decided is whether the State has proven beyond a doubt that the appellant subjectively foresaw the possibility that his actions would result in the death of the deceased, and nevertheless persisted in his conduct.” (Shongwe JA in Makgatho here.)

What does Shongwe JA mean by “subjectively”?

3. Snyman’s view on this point: “A person acts with intention, in the form of dolus eventualis, if the commission of the unlawful act or the causing of the unlawful result is not his main aim, but he subjectively foresees the possibility that in striving towards his main aim, the unlawful act may be committed or the unlawful result may ensue, and he reconciles himself to this possibility.”

4. The test, therefore, is wholly subjective. According to the Supreme Court, “The fundamental question is not whether he should have accepted that the result would follow, but whether in actual fact he accepted that it would follow.”

In Oscar’s case, the State failed to prove this “actual reconciliation” beyond a reasonable doubt. In fact, it was not the State’s case that Pistorius foresaw that he was going to kill the “intruder” and reconciled to that possibility. Instead, quite befuddlingly, Advocate Nel (the State prosecutor) opted for what most of us thought was an impossible route – proving that Pistorius intended to kill Steenkamp.

It is worth noting that saying Pistorius “should have foreseen” that opening fire at the “intruder” would lead to the intruder’s death is negligence, not intention. That is a “reasonable man” or objective standard. A subjective standard is what Pistorius actually foresaw and actually reconciled himself to, as the consequence of his actions.

Is Nel’s cockup fixable on appeal?

The answer to this question is (likely) NO. As a matter of principle, courts on appeal do not interfere with factual findings of the court of first instance. The appeal court deals only with the law. What Pistorius actually thought is a factual finding.

Therefore, it will be extremely difficult, if not utterly impossible, to overturn Masipa J’s findings on the facts as presented or proven by the State.

Who said life isn’t a bed of roses…? Of course it is…. and roses have thorns right…?

Who said life isn't a bed of roses…? Of course, life is sweet….sweet when you're wealthy. I am not only rich, I am famous as well….Rich, Famous and… hehehe…. very handsome!

The Limousine was very close to the Staples Center, Los Angeles; venue for the 56th GRAMMY Awards. I had been nominated in seven different categories including the Honorium Glorium- Album of the Year. My very own album…whoa!!!

I liked the sound of it. It's not everyday that a young man from Africa gets a nod from the GRAMMY. Now it was not just a nod but 7 nods. Oh boy…

Outside was Chaos. The guards were having a very difficult time controlling the Mammoth crowd that had come to witness history in the making. They wanted to see this young African who was defying all odds, who was breaking all man-made and seemingly natural laws. They wanted me!

Wow! That's a new one. She tapped me, offering a glass of Champagne.

She was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen, but I hardly remembered her name.

After all she was just my liege for the event. i collected the drink and nodded my thanks.

Minenhle Dlamini ' , Perfect. I smiled at her again and said you are not on Soccer Zone today Ma'am.

Money, Fame, Respect, Love, Beautiful Women, Classic Wine.

What more can one ask for? Who said life isn't a bed of roses…?

The Limo stopped and the door opened. The delightful screams that greeted my ears when i got out was music, beautiful music; perhaps only bested by the ones that got me here in the first place.

I was almost deafened by the yells, and blinded by the flashing cameras. I posed for a couple photographs, signed a couple autographs, answered a couple questions-paparazzi style- then walked the red carpet to my reserved front-row seat.

First time in America, first time at the GRAMMYs, Front Row seat.

Could life be any better?

The show progressed as planned-spectacular performances coming at the speed of sound. i lost the first award I was nominated for, but after the sixth one, I had two Statuettes in my kitty. When I was called upon to perform my hit song Dreams, the ovation was out of this world with DJ Fresh The Big Dawg in the mix .

I got on the stage, did a verse and then pulled a stunt that got the crowd reeling again.

I invited Jay-Z, Zahara and Alicia Keys to the stage to do the remix of Dreams. It was awesome.

Me. Jay-Z. Alicia Keys, Zahara and DJ Fresh The Big Dawg himself in the mix, One song. One stage.

Who said Life isn't a bed of Roses…?

Then the big one. Album of the year. "And the winner is….." You guessed right; Me, myself and I.

The biggest award in world music was about to be mine. i who was from an almost insignificant Southern Africa ; I who walked the streets of Africa, hustling odd jobs just to meet ends; I…the number one artiste in world music.

Amidst hugs, cheers, back rubs and pats, i floated dazedly towards the stage. Then somebody touched me…. more like tapped me continuously…. till I woke up.

I woke up!

It was the damned conductor of the damned bus. We had arrived and he wanted his damned money. If looks could kill, that conductor would have been six feet under. i paid him and got off the bus, clutching onto my Demo CD.

Who said life isn't a bed of roses…? Of course it is….and roses have thorns right…?

(•_•)

The Ultimate Experience

Where i come from, £20,000,000 is a lot of money. But after my Guider Ultimate Search experience, i have come to believe that it is a LOT MORE money where some other people are from. I mean, I used to think i desperately needed money and fame, but there are thousands of people who need it more desperately.

I've been registering for the show since I became eligible in the 3rd season, and they've been inviting me for the screening, but something always came up.

This year though, there was no reasonable excuse because I was on holiday. Right now, as I type this piece from my bed, in pains, I wish I was reasonable enough to stay at home.

I thought I had muscles, until. got to the Stadium. See crowd; crowd of bouncers and practising athletes. If not for the fact that I actually travelled all the way to the Stadium for the screening I would have turned back. Well, that and the fact that I have a big ego. Any ways, i went in, changed into my sport kits and sat down on the pitch like others, awaiting my turn on the marathon.

So many things look very easy on TV. You see people doing it and you say, "piece of cake, I can do this too". Well, news flash guys; competitive MARATHONS are deadly. Especially if you've been sitting at home doing nothing but eat, sleep, read, write and get fat, like I'd been doing. Each group ran in 20s and depending on how competitive they are, everyone in a group could proceed to the next stage. Sometimes though, the slowest ones were dropped. The aim was just to see how fit everyone was. Coming first didn't matter. But coming last could.

Anyways, when others were running I was laughing at those who were far behind. I called them lazy goats. If they couldn't run ordinary 2 laps –800meters, why register for Guider Ultimate Search? Well, my turn was coming. And finally, it came. When the whistle went off, i hustled my way to the front. i was leading. I felt fly. All these kids ain't got nothing on me.

Well, when we rounded the first bend, I decided to slow down a bit. I mean, what's the rush? One person passed me, then two, then three, then …. After the first lap i was in the tenth position. By the time we got to 500meters I'd lost count of all the people who had passed me. After running about 600meters, I started hearing angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus. Brethren I was dying.

Then a voice started asking me to just stop and lie down for a while, just a little while. The wonderful voice told me it wasn't a do or die affair, I should just stop and crawl away from it all. i paused a little, looked back, saw four ladies far behind me One of them was Redi Tlhabi, muttered 'hope they' and trudged on. One of them eventually passed me before we got to the finish line of course it was Redi Tlhabi. I barely made it because the last three ladies behind me were evicted from the competition.

The next drill was 'squats': Deadly squats. The first set was stopped after 3mins, 20 seconds. You need to see people's legs dancing loliwe. i couldn't even laugh my head off because I was too tired from the marathon and I knew it was going to be my turn soon.

I mean, some people who topped their group in the marathon couldn't do the squat. How could I that came 17th do it? How? See how people were collapsing and screaming Jesus' name up and down, see how Redi passed me?  … my mind cut. Well, my turn finally came – the last set. They put the girls in front an put us behind them. The whistle went off and we squatted. It wasn't so bad at first. Till we hit two minutes.

I thought it was a joke when my legs started vibrating. My legs have never vibrated like that before. I started thinking about very abstract things: thermodynamics, bole, roasted fish, Mampi's music and finally the love of my life. That helped, till it didn't anymore. Then this guy ( Robert Marawa) in front of me (God bless his soul) started making small swinging motions. I copied him and it worked. Whenever I felt a bit relieved I stopped and when i felt like giving up i started those motions.

Front, back, left, right, people were just collapsing but I was having a ball, a terrible one though. After about 4minutes, the remaining ladies were asked to stand easy, I saw Redi Tlhabi smilling. I started praying. The swinging motions were not even helping anymore. People around kept collapsing but i stayed. Prayed. And… mercifully, the whistle went off, after five plus minutes. I was the only person who didn't collapse immediately. I did a few stretches and tried walking away like a boss. Thank God the camera didn't catch me when my feet buckled and I fell.

On to the next drill – different variations of 'picking the ball'. Zanaco FC had an CCL football match against Chiefs so we were moved to the stadium's handball court. I knew it was a bad idea the moment I stepped into that court. The main pitch was covered with the same material used in covering race tracks, while the surrounding was rough coal-tarred.

The balls were placed in front of the perimeter brick- wall and the aim of the game was to race across, pick a ball and return to where you started. The fastest runners were selected. When it got to a few groups before mine, a different variation was introduced. 12 balls were dropped while 20 of them had to race across and try to pick one. Only those who picked a ball qualified for the next round.

Well, I finally lined up. To hasten things up, 5 balls were added to. he 12 and 6 guys joined us. 26 macho men; 17 balls …Macky's 'Zero To Hero' started playing my head. I wasn't scared though. I may not be good with marathons but short sprints are my thing. And the distance to the wall was approximately 60 meters.

The whistle went off and we charged. Of cause I was in front of the guys around me. My eyes were set on the blue ball and when I finally got there, i grabbed it with joy. That was when it happened.

You wouldn't appreciate what I'm going to say if you've never been hit by a vehicle before. I had the ball firmly in my grip when about 4 bodies slammed into mine, American football style. i was later told that the sound my head made when it impacted the wall was heard at the other end of the pitch.

For about 10 seconds I didn't know where I was. The dis orientation was total. When i came round, the race was over and my precious blue ball was not in my hand. I shook the nausea off and strolled straight to the medical-van, close to where the 'winners' were assembled. Normally, those who didn't qualify were ushered out immediately so they won't blend in with the winners. It was like magic when nobody stopped me.

I just got to the doctor and said, "my head". He said he heard the sound too and gave me an ice-pack to press it with. He collected cotton-wool and started cleaning my knee. That was when I even noticed I was seriously bleeding there. I was just praying I hadn't gotten a concussion.

Anyways, after a while I felt better. I was supposed to immediately go carry my bag and go back home, but … i majestically strolled to where the 'winners' queued up to register their names and collect tags for the next round. Again nobody stopped me. I registered my name and collected my tag. I was in the next round.

Err….don't call me a cheat please. I had the ball in my hand before I was battered so it was only fair that i proceeded to the next round … on merit. I mean, I couldn't even chew anything that night because the left part of my head was swollen. How could i have suffered all that pain for nothing?

The next day was swimming. Long story short, we swam in fours. I came second and the 'fish' who came first (may thunder fire him very well) qualified for the next round. That's where my Search ended.

The idiots didn't even allow me use the changing room. They asked me to leave the pool premises with only my trunks on. I had to change at the parking lot. Truly, nobody gives a damn about you when you're not successful. But God will judge them anyway.

So many people have been consoling me and telling me next year will be better. I keep telling them I'm done. I have an engineering degree and in a few months I'd be done.

There has to be easier ways to make money men. This is not for me.

Later guys, the 'wicked' Maureen the woman that has been massaging my body has come.

**tears**

Word on the street: Have gratitude, not attitude

Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Living life with an attitude of gratitude is both healthy and Godly.

The Lord expects us not to be bitter, angry, scared and full of complaints, but to be joyful, peaceful bold and compassionate.

Being grateful is a choice. Thankful people realise and acknowledge that all good and perfect gifts come from God, and that He ought to be thanked for them.

Ungrateful people on the other hand believe that the world owes them something, that their social or economic standing, be it poverty or wealth entitles them to certain benefits.

These kinds of people are often critical. They ridicule, slander and proverbially ‘bite the hand that feeds them’.

What kind of person are you today? You must always remember that there is somebody who looks up to you so much that they will embrace and imitate what you do without thinking twice.

You carry a lot of influence simply because you are made in God’s image.

Therefore instead of criticising other people, let us publicly applaud and celebrate what they do right and privately pray to God to strengthen them in their time of weakness.

I’m sure that’s how all of us would love to be treated.

It begins with you. Think of at least three people who could draw strength and courage from your compliments.

Now I dare you to find them and congratulate them to their face. Let us begin a new trend of true positive living for our children. It is never too late to make a change.

Here’s something to help you get started:

Father God, today I take responsibility and decide to be thankful.

Thank you for my life, family, community and nation.

I am grateful for your Son Jesus Christ.

Help me see and take advantage of opportunities to be both thankful and affirming to others.

I love you because you first loved me. Amen