Bleeding Heart

Blog Mid Aug 08

Bleeding Heart!

I've taken the liberty, and without permission, of including as I have before, political cartoons of our ever so fine and internationally recognized cartoonist, Zapiro. His sketches and insights always say more than a thousand words. To see a vast compilation of his work, visit: http://www.mg.co.za/

I confess. I am a bleeding heart, its true. In the west where I hail from, the term often as not refers to a ‘bleeding heart liberal’ (as in politics). Effective political PR spin deliberately twisted the label to mean something else altogether, implying that a bleeding heart, a liberal, is politically immature, naive, dangerous embarrassing, even traitorous, someone to look down upon, as though active compassion for the unfortunate members of our national and world society is a waste of time, undesirable. "The poor will always be with you." Jesus.

It’s amazing how words can be turned around with the spin and smoke and mirrors of the debauched, all from folks with agendas or witless ignorance.

I was raised in a truly democratic country, Canada, where it was and is expected that individuals raised to political power and government are selected by the people en mass. Election by free and fair vote was acknowledgment, but also expectation by the community that the elective would strive with passion to raise the bar for our country, society and the world, our global village, and for the greater good of all.

That successful misinforming of the words, ‘bleeding heart liberal,’ as someone to be ashamed of, has had a dramatic impact on the West’s legislation for too many years. Is one to be ashamed of being a bleeding heart? I think not!

Why does my heart bleed? It bleeds for the fiasco taking place around our globe, and as I live in Africa, it especially bleeds for the fiasco taking place in the Sudan, in Zimbabwe, other African countries, but also here in South Africa, the miraculous home of Madiba and evolving democracy. My heart bleeds; it's skewered by the crime, corruption and violence that day by day afflicts the people. It bleeds for the lack of implemented legislated services which rarely ever reach those in desperate need. Were you to know of how many instances we suffer with corruption within government, the public service and businesses of South Africa, it would boggle your mind. And its getting worse.

I bleed for this overwhelming criminality which has taken our South African businesses, government and civil service by storm. I cringe with shame on seeing governments’ guilty self interest, then their self defensive spin statements (as though it were truth, repeated often enough) and actions, then their aggressive attacks on all our valued democratic service instruments good and promising, the judiciary, the media, our freedoms, striking against the very foundations of democracy and freedom, and ever so aggressively.

They attack even our praised (and justifiably world wide) Constitution as counter revolutionary. The man who would be king, our likely future president, Jacob Zuma, he with the shower head on his cartooned head for saying showers prevent HIV, is a man who will not swear allegiance to our Constitution. Can you imagine? He plans to change it, this lofty Constitution, so that no leader in the ruling party can be investigated or charged with a crime. Failure in that, he will pardon himself.

This man was charged with rape, (granted, he was acquitted - his accuser swiftly led away to safety in Europe for fear of her life). His corruption is really not even in question for those of thinking or legal minds. His financial adviser is already in jail. After all, who but the corrupt would attack the Constitutional Court which has a sterling record, or the incredibly successful Scorpions of the National Prosecuting Authority who battle corruption with 85% success levels, or the Media who reveal his misdeeds so successfully, all of whom are in his sights. And remember, as I stated before, his political calling call, his song which is sung so often by the emotional immatures who long for wealth through government, is 'Bring me my machine gun!"
Its sexual connotation, it violent connotation, its criminal in a society ruled by a constitution which stresses the rule of law.

As a Canadian South African I bleed for the continuing and ruthless impact on the people in need, by the unassailable greed which rules our government and businesses, and I bleed for the not so silent or bloodless coup which has unfolded here within the ANC, and which now is about to rule and loot the country as whites have so feared for so long.

I sincerely hope the world, and that is the world of the UN, the world of national governments with global reach, the world which hopes, for various reasons, that South Africa will remain the spring board for our continent, Africa, that they note what has and is happening here at the southern tip of Africa.

I deeply wish that the Euroopean world recognizes, admonishes, and charges those foreign international arms companies who offered and gave so many bribes to South African politicians, that they in their greed, their criminality and lack of ethics, have set South Africa on a decent which may well destroy this incredible country and reverse all hope for the continent. This is no small thing. Remember Reagan's trickle down theory. Well here, that trickle will be a drought.

The arm sellers’ national Governments must see the damage these companies have brought to South Africa, possibly nation breaking damage. If even in self interest, France and Britain need to see that their citizens’ and Government’s investments in South Africa will diminish significantly, possibly even be lost. More importantly for a bleeding heart, I wish them to see the impact on the poor of sub Saharan countries and their worsening suffering. Perhaps these governments would consider the inevitable future expenses to sort out the unfolding ramifications of their arm companies’ criminal dealings which are already in play.

Mostly I bleed for the people, the vast majority in Africa who are poor, who have almost nothing, often not even shelter or food. I know many who go to bed at night hungry, especially the children.

South Africa must succeed in its democratic non racial rainbow community for all who live here, regardless of skin colour or culture, citizen or foreigner, for sub Saharan Africa to establish true democracy. For without democracy the majority will continue to suffer and die unnecessarily, too early, and often cruelly. Zimbabwe’s life span is now 35 for women; let’s imagine something longer.

After Madiba,the saint, stepped down the ANC spun into uncontrollable greed which has grown incredibly fast, exponentially. Aligned with incompetence, a seemingly complete lack of compassion or understanding that as government and civil servants, their role is to serve, and for which they are paid, they have instead served themselves at the proverbial trough with one goal in mind, to enrich themselves, and to hell with everyone else, which is exactly where the poor remain.

The poor get poorer. And Hell gets larger.

There are many good people in South Africa wanting the best for all South Africa’s people, this Mother site of the world from whence we all originally traveled.

I have the greatest respect for many South Africans. I see them as a truly amazing people. And it is no surprise to me that four South Africans have won the Nobel Peace Prize, (has any other country produced that many) and of course there is Gandhi who spent many years here. Great challenges produce great men and women. So it has been in South Africa.

These good people believe South Africa is for all who live within her boundaries.

But we are being overwhelmed….

From within.

They, the criminals, the nation killers, must not succeed.

Cause it all trickles down.

Solinus, Aug 17, 2008

July 2008 - Worries

The blog issues of January and March, 2008, I have posted today, preceding this one. Since early 2007 South Africa entered a tumultuous and extremely dangerous stage of its unfolding 1994 democracy. By late 2007 I was finding it extremely difficult to blog my observations, feelings, and now fears, for this amazing country. I worried that I would be adding to the negativity which has been steadily advancing in the minds of most thinking citizens, and worried I would project this negativity to the international readers and to South Africa’s detriment.

Although I wrote two blogs in early 2008 I deliberately failed to post them. Following my unwillingness to post March, I decided not to write for a period. But now I feel it is time again. Perhaps I have adjusted, perhaps not.

My 8th anniversary of landing at Cape Town from Salt Spring Island, BC, in Canada, passed last Wednesday, June 9. I have never regretted a moment of my stay here, nor my fortunate participation in community activities. Indeed, I feel these have been my most effective and meaningful years, after raising a considerable family in Canada.

In 2000 when I arrived, I observed both a significant wounding on the part of all South African communities, but with it I recognized a subtle and bubbling hope that South Africa was becoming a truly democratic and non racist society, Tutu's rainbow nation. Although the hurt was evident everywhere but within the growing, excited and elitist ANC corridors, there was still a fully germinated seed within most people hearts that we were succeeding, that civil war had been averted by Mandela and Tutu, that the country was on the right path, that the economy was bursting and well managed. South Africa had the respect of the world, not only for Mandela’s seemingly magical abilities but also the renouncing of a nuclear weapons program.

But then, unfortunately all the mismanagement and greed that the whites so feared they would have to live with under Black government, started to rise up like tenacious weeds in a garden. Then, the killer was the arms deal.

Accepted wisdom in South Africa is that the arms deal destroyed the soul of the ANC. We have the Brits and the Germans to blame for this, both countries giving significant bribes to formerly poor people newly in political power, and this during a period in which it was illegal in the bribers’ countries to do so, and for obvious reasons. Even Mandela and Gracia, his wife, received half a million dollars each for their truthfully effective charitable foundations. To be clear the money was not received by them personally, but for their foundations dedicated to uplifting orphans and children, but nevertheless these funds were accepted and tied to the arms deal.

More than one analyst has decried the ANC government as organized crime since their corrupted activities go far beyond the Arms deal. The arms deal was simply a taste. However, it was the arms deal that made so many of the ruling ANC elite rich that their body politic decided they wanted in as well. Now corruption is so overwhelming we are swamped with failed support for the people who really matter, the poor who represent 80% of South Africa’s citizens.

To a Canadian the remarks and comments by those in power absolutely astound me.
Spin, smoke and mirrors is the daily norm. Denial, outright lies and political violence are now almost daily. It started with President Mbeki who followed Mandela. Mbeki is known as the King of Denial and his denial has resulted in a thousand people a day still dying of HIV-Aids, with infections rates still rising. His denial has resulted in Mad Bob Mugabe decimating a country once known as a jewel in Africa. His denial has been the support of dictators and a thorn in the Security Council with respect to Human Rights at the UN. He shames all South Africans. His term of office has been so severely damaging to South Africa’s potential it will likely, if possible at all, take twenty years to correct.

Mbeki recently deported thousands of Zimbabweans in direct contravention of SA’s signed agreement with the UN, sending what are effectively political refugees back to massive political violence, torture and death.

Now, we get to the crunch of it all: there has been a major split within the ANC, and literally blood is flowing, with political violence growing at an amazing rate.

In 2000, I was introduced to the ongoing concerns about Zimbabwe, as that country is our bordering neighbor, much like Ontario and Michigan. Almost immediately, I was able to see that Zimbabwe was a situation which students of political science could easily observe as a state practicing systematic and predictable moves to descend from democracy to tyranny. Roberts Mugabe, a Stalinist, has taken exactly the same steps through words, action and legislation that all former world dictators have taken after receiving the people’s hopeful and optimistic mandate, then deliberately moving down the power obsessed slope to fascism in order to consolidate total control and wealth, regardless of the people’s needs. Most South Africans think he is insane. A common rumor is that he suffers from Syphilis. Others say his problems and dysfunction arose from childhood. Whatever, if there is a compassionate God, Mugabe will end up at the Hague. Quite simply, he’s a monster exhibiting pompous idiocy. All of Southern Africa has been negatively impacted by his actions. More importantly, the people… men, women, children, the elderly, the sick, all are suffering terribly with little hope because of his seemingly meaningless existence.
And everyone, including the international community, is paralyzed, impotent.

To say it is a disaster is an understatement. It is horrific to the extreme. Imagine a modern country, which it was, with middle class people doing middle class things, with food on the table for the poor, with jobs and an excellent education system, with business evolving at a rapid rate…. And now? What punishment could ever address what Mad Bob has done to Zimbabwe and its people, and what he is still doing. It is heart breaking.

And now, it is heartbreaking in South Africa as well. We have been thrown off a ski jump with the inevitable destructive landing, likely fascism. Leaders within the ANC are actually saying they will kill for Zuma, kill those who oppose his ascendancy to the throne. The enemies of Zuma include the Constitutional Court, outspoken media personalities, the exemplary National Prosecuting Authority, and all those who oppose Zuma, he of “bring me my machine gun”, or any who speak badly of him, any who oppose him politically. As with Bush, any criticism is traitorous.

Everything which is of value to democracy in South Africa is under serious and seemingly unstoppable and unpreventable attack. Even the South Africa Human Rights Commission has been forced to submit. We’ve been taken over by organized crime and it seems as futile to oppose it as it is for Zimbabwean nationals now under the violent and brutal control of the Zimbabwean military.

This is why I couldn’t post. The white’s fear that they will be driven into the sea, that South Africa is the only country in Africa where it hasn’t happened yet, (whites being driven out) is now appearing to be inevitable. Already 20% of all whites have left South Africa, and more every day. There is much despair. When the whites are gone, the country will disintegrate, becoming just one more failed African state. Without the white wealth, without the white commitment to democracy I believe there will be little hope for the country.

Black South African government has degenerated into personal and tribal animosity, the rulers and their sycophants interested only in what they can acquire in wealth and power.

As one of the ANC leaders so openly stated. “We didn’t take power to be poor.”

Conclusions: All expression of true concern for the people are absent, all that is evident is spin and electioneering. All service delivery is paralyzed. The greedy have won. South Africa may well be lost.

I have one final comment in this blog. In eight years I have come to understand true poverty, poverty which is the result of a government incapable of serving the people, though wealthy beyond belief.

In 2004 we started the Huis Tuintjies program. Our very first and most enthusiastic members were Sid and Tamara. They had three children, lived in a trailer shack at the Mandela Square Shack Settlement. Their garden, with the help of Rural Women Association, was magnificent and lasted two years. Then Sid died of Aids in 2006. Tamara left Mandela Square and moved in with friends in the Ashbury matchbox-house township attached to Montagu. In 2007, Tamara’s six year old daughter was raped so badly (while Tamara was away working on a farm picking fruit for export) that the daughter was hospitalized for three months requiring extensive reconstruction, with Tamara’s remaining children taken by the state for her negligence.

That rape, following two others of our children in the same week, led to the Rural Women Association defying a court order and opening the Sakhikamva (Xhosa) Better Life ECD & Crèche. (ECD = Early Childhood Development).

Two weeks ago, Tamara was stabbed to death, slowly bleeding her life away while an ambulance took an hour to arrive from a hospital ten minutes away. The following Saturday, our Crèche children attended her funeral and sang her soul away.

This is poverty, and this is Africa.

How sad!

Nothing will improve until we have truly committed and humanitarian government.

See also RWA’s new web site on our community activities, which continue regardless.

http://sites.google.com/site/ruralwomensouthafrica/

solinus

March 2008 - The Man Who Would Be King

The man who would be king:

I haven’t blogged since January, 2007, for many reasons. Primarily, I’ve been far to busy with three successful programs, all jammed full of details needing to be attended to. Our Huis Tuintjies (House Garden) program is now spreading through the Western Cape. Our Market Garden and community gardens are very demanding with all the preparation for feeding programs, sales and daily feeding of 80 children now registered with our ECD, the Early Childhood Development Centre at the local squatter shack camp known officially as the Mandela Square Informal Settlement.

If ever there was an indication of the failure of the black ANC government now in control for 14 years, it is Mandela Square. Those of you who have visited my gmail album sites will recall some of the striking pictures of how these people live while their politicians, service departments and businesses hold them in crippling and increasing poverty, spinning political nonsense of their compassion for the poor, actors, virtually all of them, feeding at the trough and getting fatter by the day while the nation is crumbling.

But mainly I haven’t blogged because I’ve been in shock since November and indeed, haven’t known how to write about it. Even now, I’m not sure how to describe all the nonsense going on. However, we have a wedding later today on the property and whle we’re all preparing for that, my duties complete, I have an hour or two to try and describe what has happened in South Africa

For this Canadian in South Africa, having come here in 2000, I’m stunned by South Africa’s fall from grace. 2000 was a time of optimism and cheer, the majority embracing Mandela and Tutu’s new rainbow nation with idealism of an equal society, where racism and prejudicial hatred would be defeated once and for all, where the masses of poor and formerly oppressed would have access to houses, basic services and opportunities. Well it hasn’t happened. Its actually much worse, now a shambles, with chaos looking imminent. There are few whites here who don’t say in conversation: “well, I told you so”. Others say: “this is Africa… don’t have expectations, get used to it”.

We have a man here who would be king and he is very frightening indeed. Jacob Zuma is the new President of the ANC, (as distinct from President of the Republic) scheduled to replace the incompetent and obstructionist President Thabo Mbeki in 2009, unless Zuma is stopped by the corruption, tax evasion and racketeering charges he faces over the accepting of bribes on the arms deal and other deals. He’s a big man, wears top designer black suits, black sunglasses and is surrounded by similarly big scary men dressed identically, and toured where ever he goes in a convoy of shiny black 4 x 4’s. He has four wives and is planning to marry two more by the end of the year.

Effectively, South Africa has had a coup d’état, not a sudden violent seizure of government as described in the Oxford, but rather a not so subtle take over through the vote of a few thousand self interest seeking ANC members who wish to raze the public treasury, and this they will do. They know the present ANC government officials and patronaged bureaucracy have gotten very fat indeed and now they want their turn. These are the same people who demonstrated for Zuma at his famous rape trial with placards screaming ‘Burn the Bitch’. This is the same Zuma whose theme song is “Bring me my machine gun”, a song which is sung at all his gatherings, and with great gusto.

One-third of all the new National Executive Committee voted into power at the recent conference in December have been convicted, charged or are under investigation for crimes. The national Afrikaans newspaper, Die Burger (which means The Citizen) quoted my companion Nettie Pikeur recently in their editorial. The quote is as follows: “When the vinegar is bad to start with, the result is inevitably disastrous”. Says it all, doesn’t it?

Our government, the ruling ANC party (of which I was once a proud member) the bureaucracy, the police, the ruling businesses (banks, telkom, fidelity trusts) are riddled with corruption and theft, from the working class through to the political class. The effects are devastating.

Its bad enough that in the greater democratic world South Africa has the highest violent crime rates (equal to Columbia), rape rates, HIV rates (still a 1000 a day dying), rampant collusion on price fixing along with various other noxious problems including a seeming collapse of justice, electricity supply, health and education, but the ramifications of this thickening morass is deepening poverty and suffering for the masses… and growing unrest. As South Africa is a very rich country, were the challenges of the poor to be taken seriously then growth could be incredible. But the will isn’t there, let alone the wish. My South African friends would be aghast to hear me say this, but I see very little concern or action on behalf of the poor from any of the segments of South African society. It is mostly those rare individuals with the strength to fight daily obstruction from all sides, and traditional service club members, who give any impression that anybody cares.

I’ll give a wee example which is only one of millions of separate frauds, drowning this beautiful country. Two years ago I submitted a major proposal, upon request by the Dept of Social Development, for a Canadian style Indian Friendship Centre which would service the needs of a township attached to Montagu called Ashbury. A few thousand match box houses, boxes really, had been built two years previously for the ongoing farm worker evictees, although corrupted development individuals took 40% of the funds for the development and fled. In this large development not one public facility was emplaced.

Rural Women’s envisioned objective was a comprehensive Centre servicing as a facility for HIV orphans and the elderly, a soup kitchen (unemployment was high, about 70%), an FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) ECD, a large community garden and marketing stall, a green treed park (in the middle of a present dust bowl, for women and young children, and a security building attached to the police to deal with rising community crime. Virtually all the sponsors were in place, including the Dept of Social Services. Firstly, the local municipality fought us at every step, not only refusing to be helpful, but working against us. Eventually we had to withdraw, there was so much resistance. It was then we started a version of the Centre as an ECD at the local squatter camp, only to face a high court summons for land invasion.

However, I’m digressing. Six months after the original proposal had been submitted in 2005, which included a detailed budget for the construction of the centre and its maintenance and operation for five years, a member of the Provincial Social Development Dept showed up with a cheque for 1.2 million rand. He was a tall cocky black man who took more interest in a female district representative, whose breasts were breaking free from her blouse, walking around with his arm about her whispering whatevers in her ear, showing much more interest in seduction than in discussing the centre with Rural Women Association. In short he eventually said: “Well, I can’t give you this cheque as you don’t have the facility built.” We were disappointed naturally but accepted we’d just have to get a facility built first ourselves. That failed due to the obstruction of the local old regime council who forced our withdrawal. We then moved our efforts to the squatter camp across from the township, which fortunately, although across the street, was in a different Ward.

Two months ago we got a demand from the Dept of Social Development for a financial report on the funds we had received in 2006, the 1.2 million. To make a long story short, the Provincial official, mid 20’s, had opened a Rural Women account elsewhere with some corrupt banking clerk, and absconded with the funds. When I think of what isn’t on that parcel of land where the centre was to built, and what services we haven’t as a result of his actions been able to supply to the people of that township, I can recognize what has happened across the nation of South Africa.

The Dining Room Syndrome: The ANC is planning to build a new dining room at Parliament. The cost is in the many hundreds of millions of Rand, an updated banquet hall, obviously desperately needed for the over weight government elite. I added up the cost of implementing the Victim Support Room, the Huis Tuintjies program, the ECD centre at Mandela Square, for which we still have no government support, and divided these figures to show that the cost of the dining room was equal to the cost of completing our same RWA projects in 2,000 South African communities. Government do not care! They simply don’t care! Law of the jungle. International communities, beware. If you are supporting South African initiatives, insure it goes to qualified and credible NGO’s, not government.

Now we have an incoming National Government which is even more rabid, attacking every facet of democracy, the judiciary, the media, and the Scorpions, our elite National Prosecuting Authority’s investigative and prosecuting arm which has an 85% success rate in convictions. And it looks like the new usurpers and disbanders will succeed. Government anti-white, anti-non-black (coloureds, Indians etc) give spin, smoke and mirrors to the people, and all this began under Mbeki. It has been growing significantly. In 2000 when I got here I started observing the descent of Zimbabwe into dictatorship, step by observable step. We’re a third of the way there in South Africa with those steps and I don’t see any significant or capable resistance either now, or in the wings. Civil society seems powerless.

So I say a coup d’etat has happened, and the results will likely be devastating. And the coup d’etat is organized political crime.

The level of this crime, corruption, and lack of service in South Africa has left most of the population extremely anxious and unsettled, especially the disbanding of the Scorpions, supposedly by June, and without Parliamentary authority. They are to be merged into the police where corruption is endemic. Our national police chief is now on leave pending his trial for corruption and racketeering, charges being pursued by the aforementioned ‘Scorpions’, whose only mistake was to do their job exceedingly well. With their demise, there will be no further protection from political corruption and public service theft; it will be an open field for bureaucratic and business corruption, the obvious result being that the people in need will suffer all the more.

Government spin is that all those who criticize ANC government personalities are anti-revolutionary. In fact, it is they who are anti-revolutionary, striking at all the underpinnings of democracy, all of them, justice, media, transparency.

After arms deals, the greatest opportunity for corruption is nuclear, and guess what South Africa is after now, with the French President and Carla here committing hundreds of billions of rand to build nuclear power facilities in South Africa, and with government members owing a large portion of South Africa’s Eskom, our incompetent and aging electricity supplier, once a hallmark of South African success.

In addition we have in the Western Cape, the reverse Trek. The first Trek was when the boers started marching north long ago to claim land at a time when southern South Africa was brown, not black. Now many whites living in northern South Africa are trekking back to the Cape because of the crime and uncertainty, even though 40% of SA’s crime is in fact in the Western Cape. Houses are now more expensive in the Cape than in Canada, as so many whites in fear are returning from the northern provinces, while at the same time relatively equal numbers of white South Africans are leaving the Cape for other countries. I know many who are leaving, and in a sense they have in reality, been driven into the sea as so many prophesized to me would happen, when I arrived in 2000. Violent crime really, really is, very scary here.

One of the more visible ramifications of all the unrest in South Africa is that racism is on an accelerated rate of increase, with evidence of this exhibited daily in our newspapers. There are horrid and disgusting stories of violent and irritation racist behaviors from all sides, as frustration, old prejudices and fear levels rise. The rainbow nation dream is virtually dead. There are no more Mandelas and Tutus, only greedy self seeking individuals after power who control government with 76% of the seats. Actors, virtually all of them, knowing what to say, how to spin, and with few exceptions seem interested only in advantage to themselves and their friends, and to hell with the poor, the country and democracy. These reapers of the public coffers regularly repeat their mantra: “well you know, democracy isn’t an African thing”. We all know what is ‘the African thing’, it’s the Big Man, its dictatorship, its Zimbabwe, Kenya and the seemingly endless poverty and cruelty exhibited in so many African countries.

Will there be a miracle? I don’t know. I would like to think so. However a great many of the good, and the skilled have left or are leaving. In reality, Organized Crime now controls the ANC, likely we are all lost. It was bloodless, it was legal; nevertheless it was a coup and a coup which will do the country, the people and the continent, no good at all. Its perhaps interesting to note that Jacob Zuma’s middle name in Zulu means ‘deceiver’. His up coming trial in August, if it happens at all, will likely tear the country apart. Pray for us.

For the moment, and with an optimistic wedding about to unfold on this gorgeous property from whence I type, its time for a glass of wine under South Africa’s clear blue summer sky and a walk in the gardens amongst the thriving plants so I can listen to the birds, insects and the running river ‘onder blopunt’ , (under Mt. Blopunt at Montagu). It will be a meditative moment to remind myself that, regardless, I am peaceful, well, and happy nevertheless to be in Africa. Cheers.

Update: Since writing this in March, we have had the horrific xenophobic attacks, the burning man whose image undoubtedly you have seen in your papers. These internal refugees are still interred in horrid camps within SA, although they may have lived here for a decade or more. Many hundreds have been deported to Zimbabwe against UN rules which SA had signed onto, and although the situation in Zimbabwe remains disastrous.

27 South Africans were murdered during this Xenophobic outbreak, being mistaken for foreigners.

solinus

January, 2008 - Worries

January 2008

I have not contributed to my blog for some months, for various reasons. One, I had another expensive nightmare with three separate internet servers which kept me off line for about two months causing great disruption to all my internet activity, especially communication with government departments pertaining to the various programs, as project manager for Rural Women.

Since arriving in South Africa in 2000 the expense, awkwardness, and corruption in telecommunications has been one of my significant frustrations. So great in fact I consider SA telecommunications the great business betrayer of South Africa and the new dispensation since 1994.

Prior to 94 the fiber optic broadband cable to Europe and then to the Saint Lawrence in Canada was established on tax payers money, at least South Africa’s part in it. After 94 Telkom was effectively privatized with shares virtually given, and sold also at very low cost to the new and growing black elite, many of them government figures. The profits and growth in value over the years has been astounding with net profit in 2005 at 1500 % with no new lines or infrastructure emplaced. Not only was speed kept slow on purpose as fees for use were based on time on line, and we’re talking here 30 or 40k, but difficulties experienced with the company and its monopoly were and generally are impossible to remedy as the company is not interested in helping its customers, only snaring their money.

The effect has been that one, SA lost all potential to become internationally networked or for that matter nationally networked without paying costs which regularly amount to 10 times that of other countries. There has not been a month in the over seven years I have been here that my telecommunication costs haven’t been five or more times the cost of my residential rental. Also it has meant that only a small percentage of the population can afford telecommunications, and thus the cost of doing business or community work is burdened to such a degree that the effectiveness of each of these groups is perhaps at 1/10th of its capacity.

Both last year and this year my computer’s broadband, which is now, if I’m lucky 500k, has been hijacked. By that I mean, we not only pay for line, server and speed separately, we also pay for the amount of data which is uploaded and downloaded. We pay by the gigabyte and if you have arranged for say two gigabytes and it gets used up in a week then they shut you down and in my experience it takes two weeks to two months to get it running again.

How has it been hijacked? Well, corruption is so strongly ingrained in virtually every government department and most commercial business (law of the jungle and all that) that someone from either Telkom of Vodacom (which is owned by Telkom) sold my pin and log-in information so someone else was able to access my limited and expensive two gigabytes of broadband. In discussions with Telkom, which took days and days to bring about they simply took the position: “well you’ve obviously given your pin and log in to someone else, so its your fault and your problem, and you owe us two years in payments as you signed a two year contract.”

Last year it cost me Rand 20,000 to repair, this year only R10,000, so I guess that’s some sort of improvement. Considering I had seven days usage of a two year contract, I’m somewhat peeved.

On other matters, I’m not optimistic about 2008. My New Year’s was terrible for various reasons including rushing my ECD Crèche administrator to hospital after being bitten twice by a scorpion. Mostly, we’re all very worried about South Africa’s political situation which is nothing short of being a farce. The White response is: “see, told you so, its Africa”. We desperately needed a change from Mbeki, a president who apart from giving economic advantage to the ‘black diamonds’
(our growing black elite) has failed miserably, and as Steven Lewis said: ‘may well be charged with crimes against humanity in the future for his obstructionist stand against medical help for HIV-Aids sufferers, his cozy relationship with Mugabe and many of the other world’s tyrants, the blocking of important resolutions on the Security Council of the UN and his over all Denialism of the growing poverty and continually accelerating crime.

Zuma, who you’ve likely heard of, has now been charged with crimes befitting Al Capone, and Selebi, our national police chief is likely to be charged as well. I’m still amazed that Interpol hasn’t publicly launched an investigation on him, very mysterious.

So here we have a Zuma president elect as of 10 days ago, and additionally, highly charged Zuma supporters openly stating they will not allow Zuma to be brought down. These are the supporters who massed in the thousands and screamed “Burn the Bitch” when Zuma was charged with and acquitted of raping the daughter of an old and deceased friend. She and her mother have been moved to Europe somewhere for their protection. From Zuma’s side the argument is that it is a government conspiracy to prevent his presidency, which is nonsense. The man as a populist is a crook and a thief, not to mention a puppet to very unsavory people, as alike to Selebi. Who knows what will happen to this exquisitely beautiful country and the dream of a non-racial all inclusive society.

Looking at other countries, take Kenya for example this very day, and it is possible to understand the very real fears that South Africa will go the way of Zimbabwe and other African nations. When I arrived here in June, 2000, many new white friends told me it was only time before the last remaining significant white African community, living in South Africa, would be pushed into the sea. I’m not so sure now that this fear won’t be realized.

Ethics isn’t even considered in South Africa, not that I can see. You rarely see an analysis or column speaking about ethics. Pity! Without it, the downfall of any nation is determined.

I’m off to the garden. At least there, I find comfort and freedom from worry.

For further information on cyber hijacking, see:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7154187.stm

Extremes

Its nearing the end of October already, the time flies so quickly. The weather this month has been both extremely hot and extremely cold, alternately. In Ceres, not far from here the temperature reached -3 degrees destroying millions upon millions of rands worth of crops just into bud. Many thousands of already poor farm labourers were subsequently put out of work and the farmers themselves worried how they will survive the year. In the affected areas there will be no picking this year so expect your South African fruit exports to Canada to cost more. Famous Western Cape South African seedless table grapes, for example, were decimated.

The country also is up and down with many other extremes, and so much is uncertain; the succession battle, the corruption, the murdering once again of a South African music icon; this time it was ‘Lucky Dube’. He was shot three times last Thursday in front of his children in a botched hijacking. South Africa has lost so many artists to crime in the past two years it is difficult to keep track of those murdered. For nearly 30 years Dube has been a Continental Africa and international music star. During the apartheid era he was one of the most defiant of the protest singers, and although his music was banned, it was played throughout that period in the townships and hovels of the people. He is a huge loss to the soul of South Africa.

In his more recent “Crime and Corruption” album he predicted his own demise as follows:

Do you ever worry
about your house being broken into?
Do you ever worry
about your car being taken away from you
In broad daylight
Down Highway 54
Do you ever worry
About your wife becoming
The woman in black
Do you ever worry
About leaving home and
Coming back in a coffin
With a bullet through your head
So join us and fight this
Crime and corruption.

Dube left behind 6 children and his wife Zanele, and is only one of the 60 murdered daily in South Africa. On Friday, when my men took a load of garden refuse to the dump they came across a woman murdered and tossed in with the garbage.

To balance all this craziness in South Africa, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, there was the Rugby World Cup won by South Africa on Saturday evening in France. South Africans as a whole are as fanatical about Rugby as we Canadians are about our hockey, perhaps even more so. When the Springboks play, the streets are significantly diminished of traffic. Just prior to a game one witnesses drivers speeding on mass to insure they get to view a game with friends in a pub somewhere.

This Cup was a big one for South Africa, now embroiled in a very fearful period, and also there has been much government interference and pressure on the team to be more affirmative versus selection of players by merit. Government is demanding the players represent the population demographics while white South Africans want selection by merit. In South Africa the Blacks own Soccer, the Whites, Rugby and Cricket. It’s about identity, pride and being the best, for both groups. Our Springbok coach, Jake White, who led them to victory has had enough. This was his final game. Rumors are he will coach England or Australia next season. Since the win, however, there is an outcry for White to remain.


As a final addition to this, my October blog, I’ve decided to include a letter to Madiba by Xolela Mangcu (South Africa’s leading black intellectual, as published Oct 16 in Business Day), and a second article, the lead ‘Opinion’ on the Editorial page of the previous Sunday, October 14, by Sunday Times senior analyst, Justice Malala, titled “Deafening silence as Mbeki and Co reduce South Africa to a state of fear!”

You may not be interested, but herewith for those of you who are:
.
An open letter to former President Nelson Mandela from Xolela Mangcu

"Dear Tata:

I hope this letter finds you well. I am not well. Tears came to my eyes as I read news of the imminent arrest of Sunday Times editor Mondli Makhanya and Jocelyn Maker. I am not exactly sure whether I was crying for Mondli or for myself or for our country or for you in particular.

I was probably crying for all those things and more. You see, Tata, the foundations of our democracy have never been shakier, the credibility of our justice system never more suspect, the institutions of state never more compromised and our public culture never more hateful as it is under your successor, Thabo Mbeki.

He has single –handedly taken this country to its most dangerous and most perilous moment. He has become a god unto himself, accountable to nobody in particular but himself. He fires, suspends and punishes those who stand in his way.

Everywhere I go people are shaking their heads in disbelief. “What has gone wrong with this man?” they ask. I will not presume to comment on the legalities of the cases and the dismissals of high-level ANC cadres such as Jacob Zuma, Nozizwe Madlala-Routlege, Billy Masetlha and Vusi Pikoli; and now Makhanya.

These are just the state’s most public victims. That is what dictatorial regimes do – they isolate individuals and punish them in public in order to demonstrate that they will not tolerate dissent.

You know from your experience, Tata, that power knows no limits. Stalin showed us that not even the most loyal comrades were beyond the gulag. Power jails, power silences, power banishes and power ultimately kills those who are a threat to it. Power is conscious of itself but power is most dangerous when it is unconscious of its actions or when its actions take on a certain automacity.

The reflexive instinct to punish takes over all faculties – public perception and consequences be damned.

For a while, there have been rumors that the wolves are circling around Makhanya. I don’t think there is a journalist more hated by Mbeki’s regime than Makhanya. This is because he has dared to expose the depravity at the heart of Mbeki’s government.

Now we hear that Makhanya and Maker’s cell phones have been tapped. When the news broke that the SABC had a blacklist of certain commentators, I said any state that blacklists its citizens is only a step away from assassinating them.

Someone called me the other day, under the guise of a journalist, seeking commentary about the leadership succession race in the ANC. But I could immediately sense that I was talking into a tape. Maybe I am being paranoid. How could I not be paranoid when there are allegations of links between the highest offices in our land and the criminal underworld?

The very things that were done to us – the reflexive instinct to punish through imprisonment – have become the order of the day in this land at its birth. To paraphrase the scholar Achille Mbembe, we have forgotten that this democracy was born at the edge of the grave.

I read Justice Malala’s painful plea for ordinary South Africans to stand up and express their outrage. But it is his conclusion that scared me so much: “When one day, we open our eyes and our mouths, our children will not have a country to live in. This country will be a Zimbabwe because we allowed Mbeki and his cronies to rape it.”

Those of us who can run will, of course, run, if we can get out before the wolves get to us. Another writer, Jacob Dlamini, described Mbeki as “one of the pettiest presidents South Africa is likely to ever know”. And this is based on the view that he uses state institutions to persecute anyone who mildly disagrees with him.

In such a short space of time, since you stepped down from the presidency, the state itself has become indistinguishable from the individual (President Mbeki).

This is a disgrace for a country that was held aloft as the beacon of freedom, democracy and justice just a mere decade ago. How did we fall so quickly from grace? Where are the good men and women of the ANC? How could they allow their senses to be deadened this way? How could they connive in the dismemberment of the very project everyone gave up so much for?

How could people who were so brave under apartheid, just cower under one man? What is it that they know that we do not know?

I am writing this letter, Tata, to say that you are our last hope, our only chance. You cannot watch silently while your successor deliberately pulls apart everything you and your departed comrades so carefully put together.

Your voice would reverberate across this land, across this continent and across the world. Your voice, Tata, could help avert evils that are certainly going to be visited on the people of this country by a power-mad bunch in the Union Buildings.
Your voice could pull this country from certain ruination. Your voice could save our lives."

Mangcu is executive chairman of the Platform for Public Deliberation at the University of Witwatersrand.

Also herewith the following article, published by the Sunday Times senior analyst, Justice Malala, titled “Deafening silence as Mbeki and Co reduce South Africa to a state of fear”

“I am angry and I am afraid, I am deeply afraid for my country. The sound of silence has fallen over our country while the government of President Thabo Mbeki, in its anger and its shame over its numerous failures and acts of deceit, uses state security apparatus to go after every man and woman who dares to speak truth to power.

While all this happens, the many good men and women in Cabinet, in government, in business, in the trade unions and in civil society, keep quiet. Where are the good men and women of the United Democratic Front? Where are the many good men and women of the SA Council of Churches, such as Brigalia Bam?

They are silent. They are in agreement while the democracy they fought for is abused to protect the increasingly paranoid and discredited presidency of Mbeki and to settle petty personal scores. We should all hang our heads in shame.

I write this having just heard that the editor of this newspaper, Mondli Makhanya, and its head of investigations, Jocelyn Maker, will be arrested this week. Their crime is that they published a story alleging that the Minister of Health, Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, screamed at hospital staff and drank huge amounts of booze while in hospital for a shoulder operation.

The minister, the custodian of our nation’s health, has denied none of these allegations. The newspaper also published allegations that Tshabalala-Msimang was a drunk and a thief. This story has not been refuted by the minister nor any other government official.

Instead, the minister of Health has abused public funds by getting two of her generals to publish wasteful, unintelligible advertisements in various newspapers to allege that it is a crime to access personal medical records. No one has said a word about the public interest. Instead, the case was handed to the Western Cape’s top detective.

The imminent arrest of Makhanya and Maker is nothing new in the ignominy that is now the Mbeki regime. It has long been alleged that Jacob Zuma, the ANC’s deputy president, was investigated by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) under Bulelani Ngcuka, husband of the current deputy president, because he dared dream of succeeding Mbeki while the President did not wish it to be so.

I have always dismissed this allegation as conspiratorial bunkum. I am not so sure anymore. Where once I would have asked Zuma’s supporters to show me the evidence, I am forced to ask Mbeki and his cronies to show me the evidence that they did not indeed set the Scorpions on Zuma’s trail.

Of course, the worst abuse of state apparatus is playing itself out today while we consider the fact that Makhanya and Maker will be arrested, prosecuted and perhaps even jailed. That abuse is the refusal by Mbeki to let the law take its course and have National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, an Mbeki confidante, arrested by the Scorpions.

Mbeki went to extraordinary lengths to stop the current NPA head, Vusi Pikoli, from arresting Selebi (National Police Commissioner and Head of Interpol) on corruption-related charges, despite a warrant of arrest and search warrants being issued by magistrates and judges.

But Mbeki went further. For more than a week he and his office lied to the public and the parliamentary opposition about the existence of such a warrant. These past two weeks they have been going to extraordinary lengths to cover up this outrage.

The question has to be asked: is this the South Africa of Nelson Mandela and Albert Luthuli? Did the heroes of June, 1976 and the veterans of the fires of ‘80s lose out on schooling and normal lives to be in a country where journalists are prosecuted as happened under apartheid?

The Mbeki regime has been an unmitigated disaster from the onset. But ineptitude – ranging from the failure to deal with HIV/Aids and rampant crime to consorting with criminals such as Robert Mugabe – is different from pure, unadulterated corruption such as we see unfolding today in the Pikoli saga and now the persecution of Makhanya and Maker.

These are steps into the worlds of Mobute Sese Seko and Mugabe. Only 13 years into our democracy, Mbeki’s Stalinist leanings are fully on show: journalists and editors arrested and jailed; opponents jailed on trumped-up charges; everyone in government living in fear that they are been followed, watched and bugged.

How long before a bullet arrives for a pesky journalist or Jacob Zuma? Remember, we used to say Mbeki would not interfere with the judiciary. We were wrong.

The worst part of this whole outrage is that Makhanya and Maker could go to jail. They will go to jail while good men and women stand and watch. They will be jailed while Mandela and many others stand and watch while the country they fought for so valiantly falls deeper into the hands of a corrupt and power mad coterie at the Union Buildings.

I am angry and I am afraid. But mostly I am ashamed; ashamed and embarrassed to call myself South African. Ashamed that in this country we all keep quiet while evil is so routinely perpetuated by a bunch we ourselves put into power.

When one day, we open our eyes and our mouths, our children will not have a country to live in. This country will be a Zimbabwe because we allowed Mbeki and his cronies to rape it."

Thus ends my blog for October, 2007.
What does the future hold
for South Africa,
for the Continent
for this Canadian boy
Onder Blopunt

solinus

On the State of the Nation

It may appear I’ve given up on my blog; rather I have been too occupied with all our many successful projects. And for the past 6 weeks it’s been non stop planting in the gardens, like spring planting in Canada. Success has its own pros and cons, and one of the cons is the overwhelming detail which accompanies continuance of success. With now close to 200 gardens in the Montagu disadvantaged communities, a large community and market garden and requests to start the program combined with soup kitchen in two other communities, I’ve been literally swamped with details. And to be honest, I’m having trouble keeping up. Having had no break from my duties since returning from Canada three years ago, I’m a little worried about my health and how to slow down, or at the very least how to work smarter.

I am proud to tell you that Rural Women Association, of which I am the project manager and treasurer, won the National JET Award for Social Development in the West Cape Province. It was both an honour and a surprise and puts us on a short list of five organizations in South Africa now being considered for first prize in November, the national South African award. In some ways I think it would be best if we didn’t win this one; the initial prize is enough, can’t imagine Rural Women getting any busier and such an award would be as demanding as it would be recognition. One of the ironies is that Rural Women has never been able to acquire sponsorship for the organization itself, only for specific programs with very tight budgets. Our work is volunteer and our fuel, office and communication costs horrific. It’s very challenging at times.

In our initial years we were regularly treated like beggars by all we appealed to, an attitude unique not just with the civil servants we must deal with but government leaders who tell us to quit whining or leave South Africa. In contrast, recently President Mbeki authorized a R90 million wall to surround his personal residence while cutting budgets for major hospitals and reducing their capacity by about 30%. R90 million is about $13 million Cdn at the moment. The security wall must be gold plated.

Of note, my work on developing the Victim Support Room, the Huis Tuintjie program and the ECD Crèche and Soup Kitchen cost about R100,000, that about $14,000 Cdn. Makes one think, doesn’t it.

The biggest mistake our new Black government made when coming into power in 1994 was to fail to realize that it is the people who are the Country’s greatest resource and who if given competent opportunity, would transform this country. Instead, it’s the new political pig at the trough and black elite who have taken charge, and they are very rich indeed on the backs of the people. And consider this, the ANC of which I am a member, came in on a social democratic agenda to right the wrongs of the past, to uplift the majority non white population and keep peace with the whites, coloured and Indians, and to end poverty. Ha.

Since 1994 it appears the freedom fighting comrades’ real intent, and this is expressed virtually across the spectrum of government and civil service, showing that the ANC and other political parties have been running for government positions to get rich, or more simply put, to rule by the Law of the Jungle. It’s their greed which blinds them to their own corruption and constant ‘Denial’ which appearance-wise, is official government policy, denial after denial, and ‘No Comment’, naturally. Undoubtedly there were well intentioned and concerned activists who initially formed the government, and of course there was and still is Madiba, who commentators now wonder how uncomfortable at 89 he must be with the present state of ANC affairs. And can we blame the former oppressed population if when thinking about Democracy they see that Democracy means acquiring wealth by any means. If they are to be free they believe they must make big bucks. It’s an economic thing rather than desiring to serve. Thus corruption is swamping effective government. The top dogs are fortressing, having lost their integrity, principles and the country's trust.

What is not being denied by some ANC and all opposition politicians, and responsibly detailed by the Press, is that the ANC has now in Constitutional Crisis, and that the Party is split within itself and with its alliance partners. No one knows what will happen and fear abounds for our future. Why do we have a Constitutional Crisis? It is because our President fired the head of the National Prosecuting Authority for issuing an arrest warrant for the National Police Chief. The President is constitutionally required to keep hands off Justice. By firing Pikoli to protect his Police Chief, the President committed an act to 'obstruct Justice'.

Sadly, since writing my last blog in early August, our deputy Health Minister was also fired. She is the amazing woman who brought about a complete change in government policy towards HIV-Aids while our ultra incompetent Health Minister was having a liver transplant brought about by her alcoholism. Press also detailed how when our Health Minister was a Hospital Superintendent in Botswana she was not only fired but deported and banned from Botswana for stealing a watch from an anethesized patient in her hospital. When Deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routlege responded to her dismissal she voiced a new 'in' quote as follows: "Speak truth to Power". But Power here won’t listen.

Both Rutledge and Pikoli are considered intensely principled. It was Rutledge who disclosed that 200 children were dying unnecessarily each month in each of two hospitals in the Easter Cape. Mbeki used the pretext of her attendance at an overseas Aids convention without permission, which she thought she had, for firing her. Most think our President and Health Minister’s distaste for Rutledge really flowed from her incredible competence in changing policy and uplifting the HIV-Aids battle while the Health Minister was in hospital for a liver transplant. The economic connection here is that many US10 million dollar cash consignments in US$100 notes, have been detailed moving from the President’s office to a company supporting an illegal and toxic HIV treatment. The stink goes deeper in that the head of that Company is expected to be appointed Chair of SABC, (CBC type format), widely regaled as being the unabashed mouth piece of Mbeki and government.

You will recall in an earlier blog my excitement that finally South Africa, which is losing 1,000 people a day to Aids, many of them children, had finally got serious about the epidemic. Well, that has now all changed with our Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang back in full control of both government HIV-Aids Denialism and the Dept of Health, continuing to promote beetroot, garlic and African potato as a cure to Aids, while also supporting and promoting a legally banned treatment, all the while pushing her belief that anti retrovirals are toxic. Whew, talk about hopelessness on the part of suffering victims and concerned loved ones. And I do see them as victims. Alice, for her part in Wonderland is still living on a Snakes and Ladder board. She complains constantly but no one listens, certainly no one in position to do anything. Fortunately our Press is excellent and for a while yet relatively unfettered pending new legislation, otherwise we'd know little.

I’ve written about Selebi, our national Police Chief, also head of Interpol, who is widely regarded as the top international gangster in South Africa and very close to Mbeki. This week, as I referred to earlier, Vusi Pikoli, who was head of the National Prosecuting Authority, responsible for overseeing the Scorpions (similar to the US FBI) filed an arrest warrant against Selebi and was summarily fired by President Mbeki the day before Mbeki left to address the UN. No one now knows what has happened to the warrant for Selebi’s arrest, of which there are two, one to arrest, one to raid his office, not even the BBC can get the truth. The question which beggars to be answered is... where is Interpol in all this…? Don’t they feel an investigation is in order from their end? What gives? Selebi’s their present Head. Hmmm.

The corruption in the South African political realm is so rife as to be unbelievable to this Canadian farm boy. Mbeki gives a certain impression to international leaders and business, these all putting their hopes on 'the man', our President, and viewing South Africa as the springboard for the resource rich continent of Africa. Mbeki’s promoting of NEPAD (Ethical governance in exchange for foreign Aid) is a joke which westerners seem ever so happy to swallow. However, the most telling of all actions is in the pipe line. Legislative moves are afoot to clamp down on media which is daily filled with news on corruption and court cases against the mighty and powerful, and also legislation to weaken Justice and the Scorpions who give the top gangsters and political pigs at the trough so much headache. Media publishers and watchers are aghast at the intended legislation going the rounds. Government rattles off a spin assuring their citizens that these growing restriction proposals (such as submitting copy to government before publishing) is to protect us all from child porn, something I never see here. There is not the slightest indication that we have a serious problem with child porn, other crime, yes, corruption, yes, child sex tourism yes, child rape yes, internet child exploitation yes, but child porn in our daily and weekend papers, hardly.

I should tell you that SA democracy appears to me more and more as a pseudo democracy. Representatives are not really elected by the people. Voters can’t throw them out of office in the next election for incompetence, fraud or other misbehavior. We do not have constituency democracy. We have representative democracy. And what we also have is a Party, the ANC liberators now presently holding, I believe, 76% of the seats in government, the representatives appointed in accordance to ANC loyalty lists. Scattered throughout are the occasional diamonds sincerely striving to serve the people. I'm fortunate to work with one.

To be fair there are elections, and individuals within each community run for office. Generally these punters are appointed by their local party cell and subsequently spin one lie and promise after another. Then we see them only rarely in their expensive cars or in meetings that go nowhere. I have spoken to many of these representatives, and in my most charming voice of course, I say: “You should work with us. We succeed. Failure is not an option for the people and our successes will be on your watch and thus to your benefit.” Unfortunately my experience is that in almost all cases the political representatives and officials will not support organizations like ours and others. The most used excuse is: There is no money for that. Our new ANC Executive Mayor for example did not support us when the local Municipal officials took us to High Court for land invasion, which it wasn’t, and without consulting Council before having us charged as they were required by law to do. I saw this as straightforward intimidation and recalled David Lewis' cry: "Fight the Good Fight." We won. Thank you David.

We also unwittingly elect ‘floor crossing’ representatives. We refer to this greedy lot as ‘crosstitutes’. Every two years members in any of the parties are able to cross the floor to another party. It is inevitably about a better position and more money. Simply put, it’s disgusting. You have to live with it to recognize how shameful and undemocratic it is. There is no accountability whatsoever to the voters.

The President of the ANC, and thus to date also the President of South Africa, will be decided by the delegates in December and not by the common citizens of South Africa. Period! And without question it’s all about patronage. We don’t have democracy, we have patronage and sycophancy. They rule the day and the country. And the result is delayed advancement for the people, and suffering and death for far too many citizens.

Since Mbeki cannot constitutionally run for a third term without changing the constitution, he is running for president of the ANC party so he can control the man or woman who becomes President of South Africa. This new direction has resulted in a huge and acrimonious split in the ANC. Why, like Mandela, can’t African leaders step down? “It’s the money stupid.” And it is also fear of future legal action against them. If you are confused at this point, I do understand.

Of note, South Africa’s ‘Mail & Guardian’, I think our finest paper, has polled the listed delegates for the December election of South Africa’s 2009 incoming President and has found to the horror of all thinking caring South Africans, that Jacob Zuma is in the lead. This is the Zuma who is to be charged with corruption on the Arms deal, charges now pending for more than a year, although with Pikoli having been fired, perhaps not. This is the Zuma, who as head of the HIV Aids and Moral Regeneration Committee while he was Deputy President but subsequently dismissed by Mbeki, raped the daughter of a deceased exiled liberation friend and then claimed when questioned in court why he didn’t use a condom, said that he took a shower immediately afterwards to insure he didn’t contact Aids.

Additionally, Zuma stated under oath that he was aware the young woman who considered him a father figure, was HIV Positive. The trial was typical. The victim became the bad woman seducing a high public figure to tarnish him…. Everything was used against her. The result on the ground, significantly fewer rape charges across the country and even women columnists advising women to stay clear of laying charges. Incoming victims at our Victim Support Room were significantly reduced and most who do come in are not willing to lay charges. Generally they head off to the hinterland once released from hospital so detectives can’t pressure them to lay or continue charges.

Subsequently, Jacob Zuma’s victim and her mother had to be whisked out of the country to some unknown European destination since the crowds were screaming: “Burn the Bitch!" Burning by the way means ‘necklacing’, and that is a horrific and cruelest of acts, placing a tire around the victim’s neck, throwing gas on the poor soul and setting them alight. It’s a favorite punishment utilized by our more emotional South Africans. This retribution has continued since the anti-apartheid days when it was regularly used to settle scores and erase those considered traitorous to the cause, often falsely.

Jacob Zuma’s election theme song is: “Bring Me My Machine Gun”. All his populist fans sing along with him at every opportunity. On the rape trial, Zuma was acquitted. “Finish and Klaar”, as they say here.

Do we need to be worried? Yes! I am however optimistic that truth and justice will prevail, largely thanks to our Press and the ‘diamonds’.

Oh well, at least I’m not in Burma or Zimbabwe.

May All Beings Be Happy
Solinus
In South Africa

Ah... Life!

Winters in South Africa, as I know them in the Western Cape two hours North East of Capetown, is a mixed pleasure. Mornings the temperature is often 1 or 2 degrees, and houses being mostly unheated can be chilly and uncomfortable. However, the days are generally magnificent with temps regularly in the late teens to mid 20’s. One dresses in layers, then removes layer by layer as the day progresses, then sweaters donned again at evening time.

Cooking outdoors throughout the winter in the courtyard on the braai has not only culinary components but additionally keeping warm before the fire as the evening’s temperatures start to drop. I used to think as a Canadian that my culture grew up occasionally around the camp fire, that I was a campfire child, when camping. Here there is rarely a day passing without standing or sitting around the fire, whether at home or socializing.

The abundance of meat is quite astounding, and not just the meat but its quality and price. Coming from a vegetarian background I arrived here to find that all my new friends and acquaintances lounge around braais for socialized eating, but it is the stunning abundance of the meat itself both domestic and wild that is available and on the braai grill. I first thought ‘how will these few people eat all this meat?” I learned quickly. Rarely is there any left over at evening or afternoon’s end. Often rice or potatoes accompanies these choice slabs but the proportions between meat and non meat at the meal is staggering. And talk about family suppers, no hesitancy here for the children and young adults to make the evening meal.

Lamb, pork, beef, filet, sirloin, fish, calamari, all abound to delight the senses and appetite.

This week as once before I was asked to prepare the braai for a photo shoot. My dear friend Madelaine who I have lived next door to for 7 years, and known as the food journalist Nettie Pikeur, was doing a story for ‘Veg’ (not pronounced as in vegetable, more like ‘Vaq’) which is a glossy outward bound magazine. South Africa produces truly incredible magazines; I’ve always been impressed.

So there I am cutting up two and a half kilograms of top sirloin, each of them appearing like a raw roast when presented to me. After having set the braai (a real skill) I turned to the five person crew, all Afrikaners, and said: “I find this so unusual, here I am a Canadian in South Africa braai-ing again for Afrikaners”. They just laughed, knowing that their 3 hour shoot would end with the object of their lenses being jointly devoured with the wine.

And naturally, living in the middle of a major wine belt, the wine most certainly flows. With all the activity on the property I go through 10 or more litres of great wine weekly. It’s a given, when one visits one is offered wine. Those 10 litres, by the way cost me R110 which in Canadian funds today is $16. The two and a half kilos of top Sirloin at R170 resents $25. I’ve been away from Canada so long that I’m not sure of your prices there now, however I know it’s a deal, and the meat is great quality freshly sliced at the local butchery outlet (Slaghuis) as you watch, and comment.

I know these prices will have to climb considerably for the farmers and labourers to be sustainable. The exceedingly low farm wages produce these prices as well as the low wages in general amongst the working folk. The low wages giving us our privileged lifestyle continue to stimulate and worsen the poverty as everything the poor purchase is climbing rapidly in price. The change and growth which must come is difficult and challenging to all levels of society; the gap between privileged and disadvantaged is enormous. The majority of the coloured and black people I know only occasionally have good quality meat, and then minimally and on special occasions.

I wasn’t here very long before I realized that living the privileged life, with few funds in Canadian terms, nevertheless I needed to give something back. I suppose I actually felt guilty surrounded with so much poverty and yet finding myself living fairly grand, albeit in a small cottage, but with courtyard and gardens, river, mountains, wildlife and ceaseless beauty. I had to give something back, and that is when I accepted I was here to do community work. But more on that in later blogs.

On a final note to this posting, one cannot help but morn the people of Zimbabwe who are approaching a climax of descent into even greater chaos. For seven years I have watched Mad Bob Mugabe systematically transform the democratic country of Zimbabwe into a fascist state. In fact it can and likely is being studied as an example of a democracy being taken over by a populist revolutionary leader who at heart is fascist, and who then brutally destroys lives and country.

Mugabe has taken virtually all the steps of previous fascist states utilizing fear, oppression, hit squad murders by children and youth, genocide and absolute dictatorship over his people, and like all fascist leaders, blaming everyone else for the state of affairs, especially Blair and the UK. And he did it step by step, all perceivable, all understood by the educated and the compassionate as it unfolded, but ignored by our South African and other African governments due to black revolutionary loyalty. “You are my brother, we fought together, we brought democracy" (read 'Our Power'). "I will support you therefore in anything you do.” This has been the SA policy, and it has dire karma to answer for in this condonement since the Zimbabwean people supported South African blacks in their march to democracy. Ultimately, I believe, Mibeki’s greatest betrayal, larger even that his HIV denialism, will show represented by his policies towards Zimbabwe, called "Quiet Diplomacy".

Zimbabwe is our immediate neighbour. I know numerous Zimbabweans and I like them all. Comprised of two principal black tribes, like all tribes and cultures they have a distinctly emitted identity and interactive presence. Zimbabweans are in my experience a very pleasant and attractive black people, and are known for their intelligence and geniality under even the most distressing of situations, as has been the case for years in their beautiful country.

Mugabe is finished, the state almost totally in collapse. One third of all Zimbabweans now live in South Africa. Their flight to South Africa is being called a Human Tsunami. They have been rushing over the boarder wherever they can get through just to eat and survive, yet are still not officially recognized nationally or internationally as a new African refugee crisis. A third of Zimbabweans now live in South Africa, and most are in dire circumstances doing whatever they can to make desperately needed funds for family back home while anxiously evading the law as illegal aliens. The brothels are doing a roaring business.

If Mugabe lives to step down, I have no doubt the International Court has already completed the indictment for genocide against this monster and will issue it once he is removed. His massacre of 200,000 in Matebeleland utilizing North Korean troops will never be forgotten, nor his facist policies against his citizens. We await his day of removal and his day in Court. It will be a celebration for many of the people of South Africa, the democratic world, and unquestionably for the wonderful and incredibly patient people of Zimbabwe.

Till next month.
Solinus
Onder Blopunt

Actually I love South Africa

The question beggars to be asked: Why live in South Africa with all the incompetence, indifference, crime and poverty.

I’ve been thinking about this for some time, especially since I’ve been writing in my blog of the problems and challenges of living here when life in Canada is so safe and familiar.

When I arrived in South Africa on June 9, 2000, I remember flying for an hour over the most barren low mountainous terrain, a dull reddish brown as seen from the air.
Circling Table Mountain and the bay I first noticed what can best be described as exquisite beauty, Cape Town on the southern tip of Africa with only Antarctica as the next stop south. I came to visit, yet I knew as we were landing that something momentous in my life was about to unfold. Both excitement and fear shared my thoughts that day.

Driving from Cape Town I was immediately reminded of California, especially our highway the N1 which is much like the Ι5 running from Sacramento to Mount Shasta. Here we have bougainvilleas between the 4 lane highways in blossom most if not all of the year. The vistas are staggering.

Traveling further north east one passes through the majestic Franshhoek Mountain Range via the Huguenot Tunnel, a medium length 2-lane tunnel exciting into the Du Toitskloof pass. One can’t help but imagine the white settlers’ long journey through this pass with oxen, surrounded by high mountains, and also remembering that earlier for a period of 50,000 years the Khoi San freely wandered this very land, genetic ancestors to all people on Earth; then on to Worcester known for its Worcester Sauce, and then as the N1 continues north to Johannesburg we take Route 60 to Robertson, the centre of our abundant wine region starting East of Du Toitskloof, then to Ashton where Tiger Brands cans fruit and vegetables and ships them world wide, Canada included.

Traveling a little further one enters onto Route 62, as famous in South Africa as Route 66 is in the US, then passing through Kogmanskloof we enter a short tunnel or hole in the Longeberq mountain range It always reminds me of the rainbow tunnel coming north off the Golden Gate into Marine County. For some reason, passing through either of these tunnels appears to impress on me some physiological imprint or altered awareness, like entering a new realm or leaving behind an old one. All the Montagu(ers) I’ve revealed this to say they feel the same, the relief at seeing and entering the tunnel followed by a second relief crossing the bridge into Montagu where a proud sign states that since 2002, Montagu has been South Africa’s favorite village. Kogman’s Kloof also reminds me of the climbing canyon into Taos, New Mexico, driving north from Santa Fey, which likewise has a river running along side, though not as grand as the Rio Grande.

On Route 62, passing through the ‘hole in the mountain’ which is topped by an ancient British Fort, or actually a small 4 square meter stone hut where the British Empire’s troops could control the coming and goings through the pass, one then enters into the Klein Karoo, the land so humorously depicted in the movie ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’. Here lies our exceptionally beautiful heritage village of Montagu snuggled into the joining of two mountain ranges, fed by two rivers and an agricultural bounty of tidy fields bounded by flowers and full of life, vegetation and sunshine.

It is perhaps best stated for me to say that I absolutely love living in South Africa, and why, one asks, since I write about all the problems? First, it is the beauty that surrounds me constantly, the living an outdoors lifestyle while having the comforts of home and indoor life as an integral part of it. My courtyard is my living room year round, my large gardens the fields I walk and work in. Beside the gardens runs both the lei water (original brick water way to irrigate the early homes and farms, and still running) and beyond that the Keisie River which although mostly reeds, runs year round. It is bounded by thorn trees with an abundance of birds of many species, even raptors.

Additionally I accidentally struck a fresh spring flowing from Mount Blopunt immediately above me and under whose majesty I reside. To have a fresh spring from which to draw drinking and cooking water seems miraculous to me, as is my ‘boorgat’ (a well) which waters the gardens, although this latter is not suitable for drinking, having too much iron in it.

It is also the people who I find so fascinating and satisfying. There is constant interplay, though often only verbal or work oriented, between the whites, the coloured and the blacks, each a very distinct grouping with specific challenges and levels of power. Unfortunately it is only a few who desire and can actually graciously accept the ongoing societal change for the good of all, who appear to be contributing to a more egalitarian non racist development. And therein I believe, lies the difficulties and challenges any government in South Africa faces. If any country represents the challenge of racism, it is South Africa. Racism as you know is everywhere in the world, but in South Africa, it is everything, the ‘numero uno’ of our daily lives.

If I was to be asked what one component in South Africa would change everything for the better, and considering that at the recent G8 gathering the sentiment that ‘a better world is possible’ was put forth, I would say that an enlightened awareness is desperately needed, one that recognizes ‘we are all in this together’, that ‘all are one’, that each of us is a part of the whole with an important role to play daily with those in our life. There isn’t a problem in South Africa that couldn’t be successfully met with this awareness. The problems and challenges are actually quite basic and simple. The answers to most of these challenges have already been grasped and implemented in other countries of the world.

Failing that, and knowing our many problems will remain for years, for now free and quality broadband internet and communication would change this country overnight. Our rates are 10 times that of the greater world and the speeds 100 times slower. I pay five times my rental costs for basic communication and I’ve witnessed startling growth in individuals who have easy access to the world’s knowledge on the net; unfortunately those who can afford access are few and the companies who supply the service are greedy to an extreme, traitorous I would say. They significantly hold back this country with their greed. Imagine this company Telkom, owned by the Brits and members of the national government, which makes 1,500 percent net profit over expenses in a year….. and this in a country starving for growth, education and a reduction of poverty.

Although the majority of people of South Africa and Africa do live in poverty they seem, as similarly described in the east Indian book, City of Joy, incredibly happy and acceptant of their station. The vast majority of people I meet and interact with appear to me as good people, some wanting to help and not knowing how, others, the majority simply not caring, but nevertheless appearing happy and welcoming of friends and visitors.

I am amazed that I have slotted into South Africa so well, and have been accepted to the point that I’m now a player in my community, something I’ve not been before, not significantly anyway. I’m known to represent, as a ‘white’, the needs of the poor and am treated with enormous respect by most. A friend here once said to me in discussions about why many of my white friends no longer socialized with me: “People say you are just doing these things because you yourself get a kick out of it.” I was rather stunned and replied: “You are a nurse, why did you go into nursing? Was it just to make a living, or did it also include the desire and satisfaction you achieve by making a difference?”

I love it that I have a domestic, and that on government grants I have three men and equipment to support various agricultural enterprises on behalf of the people. Although these men have worked with me for about 3 years, none of them speak English, two sign with an ‘X’. My domestic, an elder and activist in the community has the personality of one who is always happy and cheerful, yet works tirelessly with the weak and ill in her community.

With all those who I come to supervise as their ‘baas’, I insure they are paid well and with regular bonuses via items they need. For me it is an incredible experience sharing their daily lives and this daily experience feels to me like true community. It has its fill of poverty, illness, death, despair and victim hood from crime, but there is a comforting cohesiveness in the mutual support given within the community.

As for living in a residence, my wee house is a two room cottage, about the space on a 40 ft great lakes trawler, a bit like living aboard. However, I have a large brick courtyard under two majestic trees with high spreading branches, and a braai where I cook most nights under the stars and twinkling Christmas lights I use for night light. My best friend Madeleine lives 20 metres away in a large heritage house. Between that house and the neighbours are a medium sized garden and labyrinth, then a house of a close friend which we have joined as one property. I put in a small bridge over the lei water channel so we can walk back and forth easily. Then around us on three sides is the environment with Mount Blopunt towering above us and mountain peaks in all but one eastern direction.

At the end of my gardens is the entrance to what is known as Lover’s Walk, interesting enough it is where a close companion of mine was violently raped at 14. It is the most beautiful park in Montagu leading to the kloofs that cut up into Mt. Blopunt. Across from us is my favorite South African couple in their Victorian house, large lawns, large dogs (Great Danes) and two beautiful young children. They always appear to live the perfect family life, the father being a good father, attentive, and a good friend, a cheese maker and active president of our local Rotary Club, the prince in his established South African family line.

I love seeing the baboons, the owl that perches on my wall at night, and the long tailed otter which hunts the river birds, even the snakes, the cobra and the Puff Adder. These latter are deadly but part of our life here, as is the scorpion. The Adder, also called Night Adder, has a nasty habit of not moving when approached and unexpectedly strikes straight up and backwards over its head much like the ‘wheel’ in the yoga asana. I think it is the most feared. The Cobra likes to warn you, the Adder doesn’t. We lost a well loved local white resident this year to Cobra. She had just completed eye surgery and was not seeing well. She walked into it at her front door just down the street.

The weather is exquisite and I think it is something I will never wish to give up. Even our winters with lows occasionally reaching frost, on average about 12 nights a year, often produce temperatures in the 20’s during the day, sun brilliant and shining in our most lovely Klein Karoo. It is Cape Town which has such horrendous winter weather from the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Our air is fine and clean here in an agricultural belt with only the brick works a significant polluter, while Cape Towns’ pollution is producing some of the worst city pollution stats in the world. On winter days (four months) I dress warmly in layers in the late evenings and early mornings, and then during the day as the temperature heats up I peal off layer by layer, often removing my undershirt completely while working. Today at the beginning of mid winter, and as it has been for over a week, the sun is shining; the temperature will likely be 24 degrees, perhaps more.

Another reality however, intrudes daily. We’ve had three cases of prominent women hiring young men, teenagers as hit men to murder their husbands. A young girl, age seven, who disappeared a week ago in a community close to us was found last night having been raped to death and stuffed under a bed. When police arrived, the accused was drunk and ignoring the smell of her decomposing body. Everyone is sad today as the news circulates. The volume of crime will go on possibly for ever, humans beings being what we are, as will all the other horrid things that happen in Africa, but day by day South Africa’s citizens continue cheerfully (well in many cases) and I can see the positive movement in the political and public action undertaken to improve South African life, hopefully designed to leave racism and indifference behind.

It’s all relatively new for South Africans to live under black democratic government, only 14 years since Madiba’s inauguration, and the subsequent emplacement of a government whose members were tailored mostly in jail, and in the jungles while in militant exile, poorly educated, never prepared and barely able to take on governing what was and still is the most prosperous country on the continent.

Now, moves are afoot for a USA on the African continent, the ‘United States of Africa’. I support the intent. Stay tuned.

Most here pray that the monster who is our immediate neighbour, Mad Bob Mugabe of Zimbabwe, will be out by end of year, then charged under international indictment. I have a number of Zimbabwe friends who wait with bated breath as do many South Africans. All but the elite black comrades of the ANC who see him as their untouchable liberation brother, regardless of what he has done and continues to do to his people, pray for his demise. Watch the unfoldment… it’s about the future of all the many countries and peoples of our ravaged continent.

Life goes on, and although I miss Canada, its mountains, rivers, people, my family and comfortable life there, I think it will be a while yet before this Canadian boy leaves his adopted home here on the southern tip of Africa. It’s simply too interesting, too fascinating, its Africa!

Cheers,
Solinus, June 24, 2007
Onder Blopunt
Montagu, South Africa