MH370 Mystrey. Whose concern is it anyway?

It is just over a month after the disappearance of the Malaysian airplane the MH370 which carried more than 200 people and the airline attendants. the whole world has joined in the never ending search of a more than 217,000 sq. km area in the Indian ocean. The search for this Boeing 777 has touched the lives of many and also united enemy states and countries who have joined together to find the ultimate truth about the where about of the huge bird of the sky.

The main question that remains with all of us is : should we be concerned as the citizens of the world? When looking at the issue  from the perspective of an ordinary South African who perhaps have never been exposed to an aeroplane or an airport for that matter, it is difficult to answer this question because  I would be looking at the issue as something that does not exist in my world. However this perspective is different when looking at the broader issue of its effect to the world and the also the effect to the relation between Malaysia and other countries.

 The families of more than 200 people who are spending sleepless nights thinking about their loved ones and their whereabouts which has lasted over a month now is an absolute trauma for them and their relatives and friends. These are ordinary people like me and you who their daily occupations has been affected just because someone wants to settle his political score with the Malaysian government but affecting innocent people in the same time.

Many people have come with different theories which are however not solving the problem yet brushing the skin of what seems to be the real problem that has resulted in the disappearance of flight MH370: That is Terrorism. This is a new phenomenon that is has invaded the 21st century and is increasing as fast as the virus in the computer. In just under the year we will be joining our colleagues for community services and in future some of us have desires of pursuing their careers over seas and including countries like Malaysia, Japan and the USA.This means one way or the other we are either directly or indirectly affected by terrorism hence my earlier statement : Whose concern is it anyway?

The disappearance of MH370 should not only be a concern to families of victims or the government of Malaysia. However this should be a cause for concern to each and every citizen of the world as this thing is the first of it's kind since the invention of the airplanes but it is indeed not the last. Nobody no one when the next plane will disappear and who will be the unlucky person in the plane that day. Terrorism was invented by people and it can be put to a stop by people united and speaking one voice. Therefore it is important to raise our voice and rebuke this demonic phenomenon in our midst.

Wishing the Malaysian navy,Australia and the rest of the countries involved  and all the countries involved a successful search in finding the bodies of those who disappeared.

The importance of preserving our water.

I recently drove past one of the informal settlements at Cator Manor Durban KZN, I saw a long queue of people with 25 litres of water cans  lining for water. Suddenly there broke up a huge fight between two women arguing who should get the water first. I told the friend of mine to pull over so that I can try to follow the story. As I was there looking at this "Kasi" drama one thing struck my mind: the importance of water in our  daily occupations and how can one undermine its role in our society.

The research regarding the determinants of World War III have highlighted that the next world war will not be fought over oil, nor mineral resources, or politics, but by the shortage of water. Water is becoming a scarce resource everyday and we are not quick to realise it because we still have water when we flush our toilets, water our gardens and shower during the night. However, this is not the case for the Cator Manor community, as the 25 litres of water is used to cover almost all the occupations within the house, such as bathing, drinking and cooking for the family per day. These are the people that understand how it is to go to a clinic having not had a bath all day due to water insufficiency in the household. These are the people who can use one basin of water for multipurpose reasons, such as bathing, then taking that same water to wash clothes, and thereafter water the plants with it, etc.

A challenge that one may perhaps pose is to start realising that ordinary lives of people somehow depend on the availability of water. An 18 year old girl, for example, will not feel comfortable with herself in a first year University having not had a bath due to lack of water at home. This might not affect only her hygiene, but may also contribute to her low self confidence resulting in poor performance in class.

What we do with limited water reserves is up to us, and what we teach those who have not seen the need to preserve water is working an extra mile. Preserving water is every citizen's responsibility which includes the author and the reader of this blog.