Siyabonga Reflects

Meet X, the one and only genius beyond the age of 203 with a mind as brilliant as a diamond and a wit as sharp as a cactus! Yes, we're talking about the real-life Tony Stark, the man with a plan, Mr. Elon Musk. And let me tell you, he's so obsessed with the letter "X" that you'd think it's his long-lost sibling or something, like Professor X from the X-Men! Now, this Musk guy loves "X" so much that he even named his shopping spree Twitter account "X." And oh boy, he's like a business wizard, transforming Twitter's business strategies faster than a chameleon on a rainbow rollercoaster. Remember way back when Twitter was just a little birdie called X.COM? Beyond Twitter Back in the ancient days of 1999, Musk founded X.com, which Wikipedia tells me was one of the earliest online financial services or bank thingies on the internet. The co-founders were Harris Fricker, Christopher Payne, and Ed Ho (according to Wikipedia, of course, we

Imagine this: Mr. Smith comes home from work at noon. As he steps inside his apartment, the lights automatically turn on. A computerized voice says, "Welcome back, Mr. Smith. I hope you had a good day." The smart TV screen turns on and Twitter feeds appear. The AI voice reads the messages for him, and then it proceeds to read important Facebook messages and emails. The microwave makes a clanking sound. He had put food in it ten minutes ago. The computer voice notifies him of the dropping temperatures and the storm in the vicinity of his workplace area. The cradle of human culture and innovations It seems like humanity was created to live a simple life without sweat or stress. One could argue that all civilizations have been seeking to automate our daily lives. Indeed, all civilizations have contributed to the development of automation.  Our ancient ancestors domesticated animals and taught them to do some work for us. Animals like donkeys carried heavy loads for humans, whi

From the moment they come into this world as infants, it is evident that children are here to learn and grow. With their bright eyes, tiny hands, and innocent hearts, they embark on a journey of discovery and development. A male pre-school teacher, doing ECD work. Image: Microsoft Designer AI Early Childhood Development (ECD) education plays a vital role in shaping the foundation of a child's future. However, the gender disparity in this field is evident, with women predominantly taking up roles as caregivers, while men often remain underrepresented. Challenging Gender Norms in ECD   Historically, societal perceptions have stereotyped men as the stronger gender, leading to boundaries being drawn around certain aspects of their lives. Caring for toddlers requires a nurturing and patient approach, traits that are often associated with femininity. Sadly, this has created a phobia against masculinity, causing men to shy away from pursuing careers in ECD.   Promoting Inclusivity a

Lethukukhanya made headlines a few days ago when her photo went viral on social media. The three-year-old girl was captured standing on mud, holding bread in an emotionally moving image.  The 3 years old Lethukukhanya Mjaji awesomely standing on the mud, holding bread This beautiful photo of "Miss Albany" was taken by her uncle, Lungisani Mjani, who is a photography student. The post quickly gained attention, sparking a flurry of activity on social media. People began expressing their opinions, suggesting that Albany should choose her as the face of their brand. Lungisani Mjaji, the photographer, on his Tik Tok page (Innovative_Photog), revealed this message (below), from Bokomo. In this message, Bokomo South Africa was asking for his contact number. Left, a message from Bokomo South Africa, requesting Lungisani Mjaji's contact number. On the right,  Albany Bread representative giving gifts to Lethukukhanya Mjaji Other artists rode the wave and contributed their art.  Enn

It's not easy to imagine our lives without paper, ink, and printers. Since childhood, we have been fascinated by the touch and feel of paper, and we've witnessed the importance attached to it by our parents and elders. As young children, we may have even tried our hand at writing on paper, quickly realizing that certain documents held great significance for adults. It's worth noting that paper itself is an invention of ancient civilizations. The Egyptians, for instance, used a plant called papyrus to create paper, and it's possible that other civilizations also developed similar methods around the same time. Throughout history, paper has been valued for its convenience. It can be folded, written on, and corrected easily. Different types of paper serve various purposes and are relatively easy to carry around. This mobility and ease of use have made paper a prominent medium in our lives.   The Digital Age and the Promise of a Paperless Society   The concept of

  As the world changes also words used in our daily languages change in meaning. A long time ago the word arse or ass was known to mean a horse and the word cock was known to mean a rooster, but language use changed and some meanings took prominence. The word nigger or negra or any word with related syllables that may mean black comes from a word that was used in the past, a word for black. The Bible itself has a man called Simon the Niger, which in not so many words meant he was black and he probably had come from Lybia or surrounding areas. In the Spanish language, the word “black” is still negra or negro. But black people do not want light-skinned people (or white people, or any person who is not a black person) to call them negro or nigga, though they call each other as such, this is due to the past experience where the word negro was used as an insult to show black slaves that they were worthless commodities. The usage of the word “negro” in Spanish can be a sensitive and complex

  Tsotsi Taal is a South African slang, which is almost cross-cultural. It uses words that are formed by people in communities like in prisons or within townships and other habitats like under bridges, where some people stay. The word   tsosi   is a Zulu language word meaning thug while taal is an Afrikaner language word meaning language. Tsotsi Taal is made of many different languages How To Speak Tsotsi Taal. When people speak tsotsi Taal they mostly use their original vernacular and mix it with vital words from the Tsotsi Taal. Prevalent Tsotsi Taal variants are said to be Afrikaans and isiZulu variants, where words from other languages are integrated into the language to render meaning within the Taal. In South African media, we see people speaking Tsotsi Taal of their language variants, for example, a drama series like Zone 14, Yizo Yizo, and many other programs. How Is Tsotsi Taal Vocabulary Formed? Tsotsi Taal takes vital and good-sounding words from different languages. When th

  Since the late 90s (that’s 1997) the world has been bombarded by a mushrooming of social networks. The first social network I know about was a mobile-based social network that was created in South Africa. It was called Mxit. It started before WAP, using an SMS system, but when WAP was rolled out it became internet based. One may argue that it was just a messenger app, simply a mobile app, but in reality, it’s the mobile apps that become good social networks. Snapchat was a good mobile app and it now runs online, Discord was a good mobile app but now it runs online. It must be also noted that Facebook was a web app but now it’s also a mobile app. Now, let’s cut to the chase. The then mother company of a giant social network, Facebook, became META. The logo changed and became horizontal 8 i.e. ∞ which mathematically means infinity. A long time ago, when chickens were still sleeping on trees there was a well-made cartoon movie called Buzz Lightyear. From that movie, we get the slogan “t

Being rich is often associated with a multitude of privileges and opportunities that are not readily available to those with fewer financial resources. One aspect where the influence of wealth becomes apparent is in the belief held by some affluent individuals that money is the answer to all things. While this viewpoint may seem contentious or even arrogant, it is important to acknowledge that being rich can indeed grant individuals significant leverage and power to shape various aspects of their lives and the world around them. In this discussion, we will explore how the belief in money as the ultimate solution can hold some truth, particularly when examining the capacity of wealth to influence and catalyze change. However, it is also essential to recognize the limitations and complexities inherent in this perspective. By delving into these ideas, we can gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics between wealth, influence, and the belief that money can solve many problems. The power

  Maybe many of us view animals as lesser lifeforms because of our understanding of the earth. Taming the animals, it’s also believed that many years ago  when the human population began to increase, human beings also began to tame some animals. We began to tame the animals that we believed were going to be of greater use to us. Dogs are smart, and generally friendly animals This is evident when you look at animals like dogs. Dogs are generally friendly to their owners. They protect their owners and if the owner likes hunting, dogs can be at the forefront of the hunting activity. A dog can sacrifice its life for its owner, hoping that the owner will find a way to protect it or heal it if it’s injured. All it ever wants is to see the owner okay, alive and well. If a person is not well, a dog becomes worried. A story in the Bible says that there was a man called Lazarus, and this man was sick. This man, in his state of poverty and sickness, developed sores. Some people believe that dogs’