|
| Contents |
Issue No. 326 -- 18 April 2005 |
Editor's Message
Quote/s of the Week
Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week
Bits and Bobs
The Legal Beagle
Help Desk
Where are they now?
Club and Other News
Humour
Recipes
Sports News
Credits and Contact Info
Subscribing and Unsubscribing
| Send this Issue to a Friend! |
TOP |
After one month to the day we have our land line back in operation! We were busy phoning Telkom and discovered they had no idea when a technician would be appearing when said technician appeared at our door! Ten minutes later our line was back up! It’s quite novel at the moment to actually be able to use the phone at my desk instead of having to write down the number and go either next door or upstairs to beg use of a phone!
Now I suppose we will battle to convince Telkom that we are within our rights to not pay for the line for the time it was out of order.
We have stopped our early morning visits to the dam as it is too dark to see to drive the course at six in the morning. Now we go four evenings a week. Captain Ken is still out of action with his shoulder but he had another visit to the chiropractor this morning and apparently his shoulder is doing well. Next stop is a biokinetist to check the strength... then back to gentle water skiing for a while. SAW Advertisement
Time to celebrate Mom!
* she endured 3 a.m. feedings...
* she was the one who kissed the hurts better...
* she was the one who tidied up after you - and your hamster...
* she was the one who fetched and carried...
* she was the one who was always there for you - even when your girlfriends weren’t...
This year, warm her heart - tell her you’re thinking of her for a change.
Check out our great selection of virtual cards to send to all those ‘moms’ in your life.... mummy, granny, new mothers, stepmothers... even mums to be! We have cards to suit everyone... all free and all brought to you courtesy of us!
And once you have chosen your free cards, why not add a gift? Cards has partnered with the number one gifting experience company in South Africa… EGOS.
Simply click here to see the interesting and novel Mothers Day experiences they have on offer!
SAW Advertisement |
|
These from me...
The rock that is an obstacle in the path of one person becomes a stepping stone in the path of another. Source Unknown
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a gazelle - when the sun comes up, you’d better be running. Source Unknown
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it…Autograph your work with excellence. Source Unknown
This from Alet Dreyer...
Happiness is not the result of favourable conditions. That's backwards. Favourable conditions result from happiness. So what does it take to be happy? Nothing more than a willingness to be happy. Happiness comes from the way you respond to life.
There are people who have every reason to be miserable, but who still live with happiness and joy. In every life, there is room for happiness.
Everyone has challenges. Everyone has disappointments. Yet they do not have to get you down. True happiness comes not from the absence of problems. True, enduring happiness comes in spite of the problems.
Happiness is not a reaction, it is a choice. Let it be yours. - Author Unknown
Send in any quotes you love... that have some special meaning for you... and I will use at least one every week. Usual address! editor@saw.co.za
| Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week |
TOP |
Coming Home
Each week we will feature a question and answer sent in to the Company for Immigration. We hope these will help answer any questions you might have regarding any part of the coming home process. If you would like to send in your own question, please feel very free to do so.
We will also be featuring a great amount of information on the SAW Website (www.saw.co.za) under the Coming Home section. You can also find out info by visiting our newly relaunched site, South Africa Online (www.southafrica.co.za) and checking out the Coming to SA section.
Here is a bit more info...
Whenever and wherever South Africans meet, the surest way to start a lively discussion, is to ask someone for an opinion about emigration from or remigration back to South Africa. In 2002 we (i.e. the non-profit immigration service, Company for Immigration, and the trade-union, Solidarity) realized that the return of South African expats had become a fact and that their inputs are essential for the growth and development of the country. We are neither interested in a debate about the reasons why people leave or come back, nor about the merit of their decisions. We prefer to provide a practical service instead:
offering advice and assistance to prospective remigrants;
addressing the problems which cause people to emigrate; and informing people about the pros and cons of emigration, to help them make an informed decision before leaving.
Interested? Want to receive our monthly newsletter by email? Have questions or suggestions? If so, please visit our mirror sites www.comehome.co.za or www.komhuistoe.co.za and leave your details on the visitor's page, or contact us at admin@cfi.org.za. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Alana & Annatjie
COME HOME CAMPAIGN
Alana is away this week so no Q&A.
Company for Immigration / Maatskappy vir Immigrasie
P.O. Box 1283, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
T: 0027-12-3231428
F: 0027-12-3239587
admin@cfi.org.za
More on books...
Hello Maureen
Over looking you latest newsletter I see the e-mail I sent on a book we re-printed was not included.
Any possible way you can include in the next?
Kind Reghards
Bill McDonald
Info below
TITLE: Fireforce – One Man’s War in the Rhodesian Light Infantry
AUTHOR: Chris Cocks.
This out of print book has now been reprinted and is available at www.Rhodesiaissuper.com
This is the compelling, brutally honest account of Chris Cocks’ service in 3 Commando, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, during the bush war was considered a close parallel to the French Foreign Legion. He joined the RLI at the age of 18, after living a somewhat sheltered life. Fireforce, a method of combat developed by the Rhodesians and perfected by the RLI, involved troops being helicoptered or parachuted into an area immediately after a guerrilla presence had been reported or a sighting made. Due to the enormous shortage of ground troops the same men were sometimes parachuted into contacts as many as three times per day. This is his story of his experience.
Editorial Reviews
Armed Forces South Africa
Of the many books that are appearing dealing with Rhodesia and the war years, this is probably the best.
Maj. D.A. Wilson, The Australian Defence Force Journal
"Fireforce" is the compelling story of one man''s experiences...(it) is hard to put down - read it soon.
Book Description.jpg "Fireforce")
"Fireforce" is the compelling, brutal, but true account of Chris Cocks'' service in 3 Commando, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, during the bush war. Serving in 3 Commando's elite ranks, other than born Rhodesians, were Englishmen, Irishmen, Scots, Welshmen, Americans, Norwegians, South Africans, Portuguese, Brazilians, Australians, New Zealanders, West Germans, and Canadians, plus a host of other nationalities. It was the closest parallel to the French Foreign Legion in recent times.
Chris Cocks joined the RLI as a National Servicemen in 1976 for 12 months at the age of 18, then signed on as a regular for three years. He soon became a stick leader and at times, after promotion to lance corporal, acted as Troop Commander. His upbringing had been a sheltered one and he knew little of life...but he was due for a radical change.
Fireforce, a method of combat developed by the Rhodesians and perfected by the RLI, involved troops being helicoptered or parachuted into an area immediately after a guerrilla presence had been reported or a sighting made.
The combat strain on a fighting solier was almost unbelievable, for the Rhodesians, who were always desperately short of ground troops to deal with guerrilla incursions, sometimes parachuted the same men into as many as three contacts a day.
While estimates of enemy casualties vary, there seems little doubt that the RLI successfully accounted for at least 12,000 ZANLA and ZIPRA Communist-trained and equipped guerrillas during the long years of war. "Fireforce" is not for the squeamish. Although it has been written with unforgettable pathos and humor; it also tells of face-to-face combat in the bush and death at point-blank range. It is a book which does nothing to glamorize or glorify the war. For as Chris Cocks found at such a young age, war is merely a catalogue of suffering, destruction and death.
"Fireforce" has been described by critics as being to the Rhodesian War what "All Quiet on the Western Front" was to World War I. Read it...it will be an experience you will never forget.
The Good News – Further initiatives to encourage entrepreneurs in SA
This from Guy Lundy...
Several initiatives have recently got underway to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship in South Africa. Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) have been identified by government as vital to the ongoing growth of the economy, and to the reduction of the country’s high unemployment levels, since they create jobs for more than just the entrepreneurs that start them.
The 2005 budget was lauded by most commentators as being very positive for small businesses (businesses with turnovers of up to R6 million a year), largely because it reduced their tax burden, enabled them to depreciate equipment more favourably, and allowed them to pay VAT only every four months if they choose. While this will encourage more people to go into business on their own, there are still not enough South Africans who choose to be entrepreneurs.
According to the results of the 2004 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey, South Africa has the lowest entrepreneurial activity compared to the other 33 countries surveyed. South Africa scored 5,4% on the Total Entrepreneurial Activity index, compared to an average of 9,4% for the 34 countries. Peru topped the list, with over 40%.
Encouraging South Africans across the board, especially young South Africans, to want to become entrepreneurs requires role models who they would like to emulate. One such role model is Mark Shuttleworth, who has spent a tremendous amount of time travelling around to schools and universities encouraging youngsters to take a greater interest in science and mathematics, and to start their own businesses. Shuttleworth’s own venture capital business, Here Be Dragons, identifies entrepreneurs with great ideas and provides them with seed capital and ongoing support while they get established in the market.
The Young Entrepreneurs Organization (YEO), which started in the USA, has also just opened a branch in South Africa, with the help of auditing firm Ernst & Young. Allon Raiz, CEO of Raizcorp, an incubator for entrepreneurs, is the organisation’s first South Africa membership chairman. He points out that the SME sector is the biggest generator of jobs, and therefore YEO seeks to encourage the culture of entrepreneurship in South Africa by putting entrepreneurs on a pedestal. He says, “Research has shown that people normally aspire to become what they see.”
Various government agencies and departments, working in conjunction with the country’s major banks, have also committed to providing entrepreneurs with preferential funding for their start-up businesses, particularly in key growth sectors such as tourism. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), for example, provide grants for entrepreneurs wishing to start tourism businesses, allowing them to invest in the necessary capital and buildings at preferential rates with repayment holidays to help with cash flow.
Local and provincial governments have also begun encouraging entrepreneurs with funding and support. For example, the Western Cape government has recently launched a scheme to promote entrepreneurship amongst the unemployed, making R1000 available to 1000 unemployed people in the province. Applicants are chosen based on their business idea and given a loan for six months, during which time their businesses will be judged by a panel of experts to establish the best amongst them. The winner will receive a further R5000 towards their new venture, as well as mentoring from the province’s RED Door initiative, which is a one-stop shop for small businesses to receive advice.
With the interest rate having been lowered by another half a percent last week, now is a better time than any to start a business in South Africa. The surprise interest rate cut, which caught most economists unawares, was based on consistently low levels of inflation and solid growth, and is expected to give a further boost to the economy. With the new initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, growth in small businesses and jobs is expected to follow.
For more interesting and exciting news about developments in South Africa, subscribe to the International Marketing Council's regular BrandSA newsletter by visiting www.imc.org.za/goodstuff.htm or www.imc.org.za/subscribe.asp.
To those I care about
This from Des Cowie des.a.c@btinternet.com
People come into your life for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered, and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons: things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Mind Massage
Mindfulness and Creativity: The Wow of Wonder
You are so creative.
Don't deny it. Whether or not you consider yourself a creative type, the truth is that you are constantly creating ideas.
Mindfulness invites you to be aware of this constantly flowing river, and offers an opportunity to choose to sit beside it instead of swimming in it. By watching the ideas from that calm riverbank, you can more clearly see the ones that float to the top and sparkle in the sun.
But mindfulness is more than just mind watching mind. When we are engaged in the process of creating--whether that's words, numbers, music, art, or movement--without getting swept up in the concept of where it might be leading, that is a very pure form of mindfulness.
If creating is mindfulness in action, the little push that gets things moving is the thrill of discovery. As humans, we are fascinated by novelty, and we are pulled by our joy of seeing something in a new light.
Mindfulness allows us to approach the world with childlike wonder, to play with new concepts, and to see things from a shifted perspective. You can't always engage in new activities, but through mindfulness, you can look at the same-old same-old with fresh eyes.
The Wow of Wonder is what stimulates us to be creative. Without it, we are likely to come down with our culture's most prevalent malady--mindlessness. Mindlessness causes us to move through life without really connecting to any of it. It's living on auto-pilot. It's living without wonder--or fun.
Here's a helpful reminder: fun is good. We don't have to make mindfulness HARD. There is nothing hard about it. We were incredibly mindful and creative as children, and guess what? We had a lot more fun then, too!
The things that captivated you as a child were objects and ideas that triggered your sense of wonder. You noticed something new, and jumped right into the Wow of Wonder. And there were plenty of things that elicited that response every single day.
A bug you'd never seen. A card trick. Something under a microscope. A new musical instrument. A dance move. A song. An animal. A poem. A historical fact. A new flavor of candy.
Mindfulness is a catalyst for wonder. You notice something. An idea is sparked. A distinction is made. A perspective shifts. There is a fullness in that moment, ripe with possibilities but unburdened by expectations.
The Wow of Wonder is what allows us to transcend what we "know" and float in that river of ideas without sinking under the weight of evaluation. In our most mindful moments, it is wonder that saves us from overthinking and keeps things light.
There's no need to work at making mindfulness a part of your life. It's already there, and you can glimpse it in all of your favorite memories. Being right there in the moment, full of wonder, and playing with discovery--this is you being a creative person!
Pay attention to your moments of fun, and you'll see that there's a hefty dose of mindfulness in there. You are smiling. You are fully present. You are creating ideas and responses. You feel alive.
Becoming mindful is simply getting reconnected to wonder about the world and your place in it. Look for the Wow of Wonder, and you'll find yourself immersed in mindfulness.
Isn't it wonder-ful?
Great New Magazine
I've been a fan of Scientific American magazine for years (I told you I was a geek!) but now there's a brand new quarterly that I really enjoy-- Scientific American Mind.
The latest issue has a feature story called "Unleashing Creativity" and it discusses some of the latest findings about how those new ideas pop into our heads.
My favorite part was the little sidebar offering "Steps to a Creative Mind-set" and the top suggestion is this:
"Wonderment. Try to retain a spirit of discovery, a childlike curiosity about the world. And question understandings that others consider obvious."
Check out the magazine at http://www.sciammind.com
Remembering Kindergarten
Last week, I mentioned the latest book by Dr. Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist who has written several books on mindfulness.
As an amateur painter (but a mindful one!), Dr. Langer talks about the joy of creating without evaluating the final product. The point is to become immersed in the process.
In other words, it's all about the FUN.
Her book inspired me to pick up some watercolors and a big tablet of paper, and set them on an inviting table in my home.
Last night, my two youngest daughters and I played with paint, just for fun. It's amazing how much it felt like kindergarten.
I loved kindergarten. How about you?
I heartily encourage you to set up some paint, or markers, or macaroni and glue and get as creative as you like.
Or, you can read Dr. Langer's book and see what it inspires YOU to try. Here it is again:
http://tinyurl.com/3kqxu
**********************************
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse offering specialized mindfulness training to individuals and groups in Portland, Oregon. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 100 countries. To subscribe to her free ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.
**************************************
©Copyright 2004, Maya Talisman Frost
52 Best Stories – Times Change
Stanford University. Good school. I spent four years there as a undergraduate. During my freshman year in 1959 I pledged Sigma Chi and lived in the fraternity house until graduation in 1963.
We were a jock house. Had nearly half the varsity basketball team and a quarter of the football team. I was captain of the varsity soccer team which went to the NCAA finals in St. Louis plus we were strongly represented in nearly every varsity sport. We weren't too shabby academically either.
Funny thing. None of the Sigma Chi brothers were African American. I don't remember during rush ever deciding to vote "yes" or "no" to pledge someone based on color. Pure and simple there were very few black men coming through rush and none that clicked with our fraternity.
1965 was different. I was at Stanford in law school and on April 3rd our Sigma Chi chapter pledged 20 men and began having them over to the house for meals with the actives extending the warmth of new friendships to each pledge. Along with the necessary paperwork, photos of each pledge were sent to the national Sigma Chi headquarters in Evanston, Illinois.
One pledge was different from any pledge that had ever accepted a bid from the Stanford Sigma Chi chapter. Ken Washington was black. He was the son of a Denver physician, captain of his high school basketball team, a jazz musician, and the state speech champion. Plus he was one very fine young man.
It didn't take long. On April 10th the chapter received notification from the Sigma Chi national executive committee that it had been suspended for a year. The Grand Consul didn't hold back any words saying: "it has been made crystal clear to us that your group is not particularly interested in carrying on the rituals, standards and the traditions of the Fraternity" plus the chapter had "the dirtiest fraternity house I have ever seen."
The chapter did not back down and received the full support from Stanford's President, Wallace Sterling, from Senator Metcalf of Montana who was a Sigma Chi alumnus as well as support from many other universities, organizations, and individuals throughout the United States. None-the-less the one year suspension was extended to two and then three years until the Stanford chapter was no longer affiliated with the national.
Even though the Sigma Chi replaced it's "white clause" in 1962 with a clause that stated no chapter could pledge a man "who for any reason is likely to be considered personally unacceptable as a brother by any chapter or any member anywhere," it took until the early 70's for the national to accept African Americans as pledges and brothers. The Stanford Sigma Chi chapter then applied for and was readmitted into the national.
About 10 years ago I was visiting Stanford and decided to stop back to the Sigma Chi house for a visit. Actually the former Grand Consul wasn't totally off base, the house was still pretty dirty.
After walking around the house for awhile, I met a few of the pledges and had a great time visiting with them. If this were the future of America, I felt we are in good hands.
One man was a black pledge who was especially personable. What a good man. I thought back to when I was in graduate school and how the chapter had been forced out of the national. I felt good inside that the national had finally come to its senses. How wrong they had been.
I didn't think much more about my visit to the house. About a year later I picked up a copy of a magazine and there was the black fellow. Right on the cover.
Tiger Woods. How about that. Bet he would be considered acceptable "as a brother by any chapter or any member anywhere."
~ The Author is C. F. Sandy Pofahl who is editor of 52Best ~
http://www.52best.com/times.asp
One Man’s Australia – Once upon a time
... there were an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman. In about the mid-19th century they became the Chief Engineers of the infant New South Wales, the infant Victorian and the infant Queensland railways.
The Englishman chose to build the New South Wales system using the 4'-8.5" "standard" gauge. The standard of the 4'-8.5" had been set by the Romans for the track of chariot and wagon wheels to enable them to provide pedestrian crossings in the form of stepping stones across their streets to keep pedestrians' feet out of the manure. The standard gauge spread right across the Roman Empire.
As the Romans had built the Imperial road system to match the standard gauge and as building wagons with any other gauge resulted in broken wheels as a consequence, the standard gauge remained after they gave up on Empire and went home.
The Pilgrim Fathers were English and took the standard gauge with them when they emigrated. So when the wagon trains rolled westwards across the prairies they used the standard gauge on the wagons. And the whole of North America today uses the standard gauge on it's railways.
Henry Ford was a farm boy who built his early cars to the standard gauge and made a fortune as they did not break wheels in the ruts on the roads. The diameter of the boosters on the Space Shuttle was set by the gauge as they have to be railed from Utah to Cape Kennedy.
On the other hand the Romans did not conquer Ireland. So the Irishman chose to build the Victorian system using a 5'-3" gauge as that was the length of the Great King Brian Boreu's sword-arm. South Australia followed suit.
And the Romans did not conquer Scotland either. In fact Hadrian built a wall clear across Britain to keep the fierce b@stards out. So the Scotsman chose to build the Queensland system using the 3'-6" gauge - presumably to match the smaller size of their Shetland ponies.
Confusion reigned in Australia for over a century with passengers having to change trains at State borders and freight having to be re-loaded.
When I joined BHP and was sent to Whyalla in South Australia our iron ore railway systems, which we built to the standard gauge throughout Australia, did not match the South Australian gauge so Whyalla was isolated.
In fact the standard gauge track only reached Whyalla at the beginning of 1974. To celebrate the occasion the Indian Pacific was diverted from Port Augusta to Whyalla. The passengers were given a tour of the steelworks and the locals were given a tour of the train.
Robert was agog! He had no idea that a train could have beds! And toilets! And a dining room! And...
All he had ever seen was iron ore trains.
Since she was 15 months old Miranda has been a rabid fan of Thomas the Tank Engine. She can identify every engine by name, has tapes and watches the daily Thomas the Tank Engine sector every day on children’s TV.
She and her parents left at 6.00 am this morning for Lithgow to ride on the famous Zig Zag railway at Lithgow in the Blue Mountains, 150 kms west of Sydney, as her birthday treat. This Sunday the engines were fitted with Thomas the Tank Engine faces on the fronts of their boilers.
Grandpa was scheduled to ride along on the BMW but...
Robert had borrowed my BMW for work on Tuesday, had put it back in the garage with a bone dry tank and had not told me. I discovered the problem after I had a drink yesterday evening and, being bound by the pilot's 12 hour bottle-to-throttle rule I could not refuel it until this morning - which was too late.
So I had a freelance 200 km ride after breakfast and spent the time alternating between realising that even when your kids are adults parental love is that last thin thread that prevents you strangling them - and working out how to recover a column of sorts.
.jpg) The Zig Zag Railway was built between 1866 and 1869, and acclaimed a major engineering feat of its time. It was constructed to enable produce to be taken to Sydney from the prosperous farming areas beyond the Blue Mountains and to develop the coal and iron ore deposits found in the Lithgow Valley.
The prodigious feat of bringing the railway from the top of the mountains to the valley below was accomplished by John Whitton, Chief Engineer of the NSW Government Railways. At the time The Great Zig Zag was regarded as one of the engineering wonders of the Victorian age. The track passes over three magnificent sandstone viaducts, through two tunnels. There are striking views over the surrounding countryside.
.jpg) The Zig Zag Railway today is now a heritage railway on the site of the famous Great or Lithgow Zig Zag which operated between 1870 and 1910 to take trains from cliffs overlooking the Lithgow valley to the valley floor..jpg)
The original plan had been to build a 3km tunnel, but this was beyond the resources of the state of New South Wales at the time. The zigzag alternative - straight up the cliff face - still required several short tunnels and some viaducts.
.JPG) By the early twentieth century, the Zig Zag had become an increasingly inefficient bottleneck owing to the growing traffic on the line between Lithgow and Sydney, and it was eventually abandoned in 1910 and replaced by the so-called Ten-Tunnel Deviation, which is still very busy today.
Figure 1 shows the Zig Zag railway shortly after it was constructed. It clearly shows the lower, middle and upper legs of the zigzag track.
Figure 2 shows locomotive no 934 at Top Points in recent times. The upper and middle legs of the Zig Zag can be seen.
Figure 3 shows locomotive no 934 at Clarence - the station at the top and where the train is boarded..JPG)
Figure 4 shows that Thomas the Tank engine is REAL! (To a little girl anyway),
Figure 5 shows a slightly apprehensive little girl who had never realised that Thomas was so hot so smelly, so noisy or made the ground shake so.
One of the things I love about Australia is that volunteers will go to great lengths to make things come alive for children - and that our children can safely enjoy them.
Ramblings Of A Francophobe
"The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, one of South Africa's premier tourist destinations, is being held hostage by vagrants and street children who prey on visitors, snatching bags and harassing them for money.
About 80 vagrants and 30 children spend every day at the Waterfront and are regularly arrested for brazenly stealing bags and cellphones. Most are released by the police, and are back in the area within minutes.
The V&A's executive manager of safety and security, Duncan Cloete, said: "Sometimes we take the same kid to the police 10 times in a day but they just come back."
Security guards are often abused and bitten by the children and adults who, tenants say, appear to be untouchable and above the law.
Waterfront security claims its hands are tied because legislation means they cannot refuse admission to anyone. But they have become so desperate that they plan to get legal opinion to find out how they can legally handle the vagrants and street children and protect tenants and visitors to the Waterfront.
Matters have gone from bad to worse with vagrants and street children now completely defying the law.
"It's a no-win situation. They play games with us because they know we can't touch them. And now tour operators are starting to say 'Pull up your socks or we won't bring tourists to the Waterfront'."
Tenants recently handed a petition to Waterfront management pleading for something be done urgently to address the situation before their businesses started suffering.
Already, they said, visitors arriving were harassed because they were regarded as easy pickings.
The manager of Tasca de Belem said they needed to call Waterfront Security up to 10 to 15 times a day. He said the Waterfront created a lot of jobs and generated an enormous amount of income for the Western Cape so it would be a disaster if patrons stopped coming.
Atholl Mitchell, owner of Mitchell's Waterfront Brewery, said they had adopted a zero tolerance policy and did not allow street children or vagrants into the pub.
"These people are a bloody nuisance but then we also have people who come to our pub and get trashed and become violent."
Waterfront spokesperson Maureen Thomson said they took the situation extremely seriously and she urged visitors to report every incident, even a minor one, to security."
The above article presents a frightening scenario of how one of the world’s top tourist spots, for Cape Town’s Waterfront justifiably deserves that title, is gradually sliding into a state of lawlessness. When I was in Cape Town in February I was made aware of this problem, which I'd not noticed before, when we had a very good and otherwise most enjoyable dinner at the Tasca de Belem, mentioned in the article. Sitting outside after dinner with our Dom Pedros, we were approached at least twice by aggressive beggars who totally ignored the requests of the restaurant staff to go away, in fact a couple of them even went inside the restaurant.
There is also a scam going on at the car park, where vagrants stand around the cashpoints where you pay and pretend that the machines don't work properly and won't accept notes, then offer to exchange your notes for coins for the machine. I'm sure it's a ploy to distract or simply to short change you. There is no visible security there and I haven't noticed security cameras.
I thought mendicity was an offence, so I don't understand how these people can be “untouchable and above the law”. In the old days the police would have taken them away, given them a bloody good hiding, and probably been accused of brutality by the do-gooders, but it would have worked and the Waterfront would have remained safe for all to enjoy.
It will be a tragedy if the Waterfront suffers because of lack of action. South Africa depends heavily on tourism and the further adverse publicity after a major incident affecting tourists will have a significant effect.
You may wonder why I am publicising this matter here. I am doing so in the hope that firstly awareness of the problem will encourage caution on the part of visitors, and secondly that as it gets wider publicity the authorities will see the urgency of acting before there is a major incident or the place simply gets such a bad reputation that tourists stay away.
Tot siens
MIKE
Legal Beagle - SA
Hello Maureen,
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy the SAW newsletter, and so nice to hear you are 'back home'. I too will be returning shortly and this is in no small way as a result of the help I have received from Mr Julian Pokroy, whom I heard of through SAW.
I have been dealing with him for some time, ever since I was advised by the SA consulate in London that I would have very little chance of returning to South Africa!
Thanks to Julian and his staff we are aiming to be in South Africa by the end of this year, if not sooner!
Just a big thank you once again to Julian, and my advice to anyone if they are having problems is to contact him.
Kind regards
Agnes Watson
London
Nobody needing help this week.
If you are looking for a lost friend... if you would like old friends to contact you... If you want to find old school friends... if you just want people who used to know you to find you again for a chat...
Send in your info, the info of anyone you are looking for and let’s see if we can find them for you!
I am trying to find Andre Hendrik van Heerden and Leon Theo van Heerden, sons of the late Philippus van Heerden who was born in Barkly East on 19-6-1930 and married Edith nee Hall on 30-1-1954 in East London. They lived in East London. Philippus died on 15-3-1982. I am Philippus' daughter. Please contact me at rdschroeder@hotmail.com if anyone knows of their whereabouts.
Thanks.
Rita
USA – New York
Greetings all in YeboLand!
Yep! Winter is Gone and Spring is here...break out the shorts and "plakkies" and roam the streets legal eagle.
The month of April is jam packed with events and what not, so we decided to delay the release of The Global Village 2005 E-Newspaper and hold off till beginning may so we can continue to conduct interviews, and noted upcoming events.
New Changes:
* The Web site was given a face lift and there are a few gremlins here and there, but otherwise its good to go.
Upcoming Events:
* I will spare you the attachments and graphics so just follow the link to the events and its all "deidelik"
http://www.sacultureinny.org/events.html
Articles & Issues:
* If there are any issues in particular you wish to raise and have them put in our e-newspaper, then please feel free to let us know asap.
* If you have a great cover story to tell or information that need to be followed up... drop us a line.
* If you have found a great eatery or hang out spot in NY for us to do a story or review on.... drop us a line.
* If you have a good hero story or anything that will make for good reading...drop us a line ... You catch the drift.
Projects:
For those who frequent our site, will see that we have 2 projects posted:
1. The Cosmic Africa Education Project:
We need volunteers to assist us in making the nature of this project a reality. Each one of us here in NY will have a chance to make a difference back home, its not a must, just a humanitarian and unselfish act of good will. Click on the site-link to know more about it.
2. The Aids Walk, May 15th, 2005
All South Africans and their friends are encouraged to join Ubuntu Education Fund Walk Team to raise money for current Aids & Health initiatives happening in rural Port Elizabeth in South Africa. Click on the site-link to know more about it.
Other than that, stay true, stay cool and stay out of trouble... and visit us at www.sacultureinny.org
The SA Culture Team
Luxembourg
Hello All
The South African Embassy together with the South Africa club of Luxembourg have organised a 3 day event to celebrate Freedom Day.
Venue: Abbaye Neumünster
Dates: 21st April – 24th April 2005
The event is starting off on Thursday evening, 21st April, with a reception, which is by invitation only.
Then will continue on into the weekend, with load of fun.
Come and try typical South African dishes at the Brasserie de l’Abbaye de Neumünster or have a boerewors roll while strolling around looking at the stands. Ostrich steak and various products will also be on sale.
Sally Arnold a South African artist living in Luxembourg will have some of her art work on display.
Mark Bellingham, living in Brussels, will also be exhibiting his paintings.
As usual we will have the South African crafts, flowers, jewellery and food products. Beer and wines will also be on sale.
Sales Lentz will have a stand promoting tourism in South Africa.
Music and activities:
Fade to Gray will be playing on Saturday afternoon.
Come and see the djembi players. Join the workshop to learn how to play the djembi and to make a musical instrument called a Kora, on Saturday and Sunday morning.
All are welcome!
Hope to see you all there!
Regards
South African Club
Creative Writing
This from Shep Adkins gnu356@charter.net
A professor, teaching creative writing, told his class to write a short story in as few words as possible. The short story had to contain the following three themes:
Religion
Sexuality
Mystery
There was only one A+ paper in the entire class. Below is the A+ short story:
*Good God, I'm pregnant; I wonder who did it?*
A South African love poem
This from Sharon Waddington shazzz@absamail.co.za
I smaak you stukkend, please say you'll be mine,
Your'e my moon, my stars and my beach day sunshine.
You're so handsome, it makes me go 'wow',
You're better than a proper Durban bunnychow.
You're my beaded love letter, my breeze in the night,
You're my tea, my koeksister, my blitz firelight
You're my Discovery, my Tracker, my ADT
My pap, Mrs Balls Chutney, my Nandos for free:
You're my lambchop, my gumdrop, my partner in crime,
My chilli, my roti, my samoosa sublime.
The list is just endless and that isn't all.
You're my lotto jackpot, my Bioplus, my zol.
Bru', your my 4X4 when the road is hilly,
You'r the clover pure butter on my mielie.
One look from you and I can float to the sky
I feel like the Springboks have just scored a try.
At this rate Kulua's popularity might die,
'Cos for me you're the only and best way to fly :)
This, my snoekie, is the only start,
'Cos you're taken the cable car straight to my heart!
So, if I were the fork, then would you please be my knife?
'Cos, babe, you're the tomato sauce on the slap chips of my life!
How to clean your toilet
This from Geoff and Denise ezekiel33@dodo.com.au
• Put both lids of the toilet up and add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the water in the bowl.
• Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
• In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids. You may need to stand on the lid.
• The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.
• Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power-wash" and rinse".
• Have someone open the front door of your home. Be sure that there are no people between the bathroom and the front door.
• Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
• The cat will rocket out of the toilet, streak through the bathroom, and run outside where he will dry himself off.
• Both the commode and the cat will be sparkling clean.
Yours sincerely,
Blackie the Dog
A woman’s real prayer
This from Des Cowie
Now I lay me
Down to sleep.
I pray the Lord
My shape to keep.
Please no wrinkles
Please no bags
And please lift my butt
Before it sags.
Please no age spots
Please no gray
And as for my belly,
Please take it away.
Please keep me healthy
Please keep me young,
And thank you Dear Lord
For all that you've done.
Five tips for a woman....
1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.
2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.
3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to you.
4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.
5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.
Foot Note:
One saggy boob said to the other saggy boob: "If we don't get some support soon, people will think we're nuts."
I am a great fan of soups for supper! Here is a recipe I made for supper last night. It freezes well.
Pea Soup
1 Tbs olive oil
2 medium onions chopped
3 carrots grated or chopped
2 sticks celery chopped
1 packet split peas, rinsed several times in cold water
1 litre water
1 Tbs vegetable stock powder
1 tin small white beans
1 tsp dried sage
Fry the onion, carrot and celery in the oil on medium heat for about ten minutes.
Add the stock, the sage and the split peas and simmer for about 35 minutes until the peas are soft. Add more water if required. Strain and rinse beans and then add to mixture. Process in blender in batches. Be very careful if soup is hot at this stage. Do not fill blender more than half full and make sure the lid has air to it as hot liquids can splash up and force the lid off the blender.
Transfer the puree to a large bowl and keep blending the soup. Mix all well and put back in pan and heat again.
Add 1Tbs dry sherry (optional) and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with crusty bread and a glass of red wine!
Baby Bok stars are born [News 24]
South Africa's Under-19 rugby team made sure the victory fires outside King's Park were burning until late on Sunday after they won the IRB's world championship with a gutsy win over arch-rivals New Zealand.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Rugby/0,,2-9-838_1691453,00.html
Green light for Comrades route [IOL]
Various local and provincial traffic and security authorities have given the Comrades Marathon Association their thumbs-up for the 80th anniversary race, scheduled to be run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Youth Day, Thursday, 16 June 2005.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=197&art_id=qw1113815884427S163
England women face South Africa [BBC]
England's Women will play South Africa for the first time next month in their first northern hemisphere rugby union tour.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4451849.stm
Baloyi wins classic rematch [Dispatch]
Cassius 'The Hitman' Baloyi silenced all his detractors by convincingly beating Lehlohonolo ‘Hands of Stone’ Ledwaba in a scintillating rematch bout at Carnival City on Saturday night.
http://www.dispatch.co.za/2005/04/18/Sport/bbaloyi.html
| Credits and Contact Info |
TOP |
South Africans Worldwide - SAWmail Copyright © 1998 - 2005 Maesti
Editor: Maureen Cram
Copy Manager: Maureen Cram
Contributors: Everyone!
Web Development:Wizard
Post Master: Grokker
Bandwidth: All You Can Eat
SAWmail - An Internet service brought to you by Maesti. Web development by THOS:
Web: http://www.saw.co.za
E-mail: editor@saw.co.za
Tel: +27 11 708-2632
Fax: +27 11 708-2632
| Subscribing and Unsubscribing |
TOP |
SAWmail is only sent to subscribers and is never sent unsolicited
Please forward this message onto a friend!
Visit the link below to join up to SAWmail (subscribe):
http://thos.mojo.jtm.co.za/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi?f=list&l=sawmailhtml
You're receiving this newsletter because you signed up to get it.
If you prefer, alas, not to receive email from us, you can unsubscribe
from SAWmail by visiting the link below: (un-subscribe):
http://thos.mojo.jtm.co.za/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi?f=list&l=sawmailhtml
If you are having any technical problems with SAWmail, please send a message to: editor@saw.co.za
For advertising enquiries please contact us via e-mail: editor@saw.co.za
|
