South Africans Worldwide Newsletter

The publication of this week’s SAW Newsletter was delayed due to fact that the Editor-in-Chief needed minor treatment for which we wish her a speedy recovery.

It is always amazing to observe the stark contrasts in Nature. Just looking about Africa now demonstrates this.

The temperatures:- In Johannesburg today it will rise from 9 to 18 C, whilst in Cape Town the range will be from 22 to a whopping 40 Celsius! What with the power shortages, one can already predict that there will be outages again as people try to use air-conditioners.
The water: In the Vaal River basin, and the Orange River there is presently a surfeit of the stuff after copious rains,yet countries in East Africa and the Horn-of-Africa, are in a desperate drought situation!

Scientists are already predicting more droughts in the near and long-term future in addition to the looming fossil-fuel and power shortages. Man’s resourcefulness will be tested to the utmost to provide solutions. By contrast, the most severe winter conditions in 15 years is now causing hardship in Europe, especially around the Alps.

In South Africa we are pleased that the municipal elections on 1 March, were relatively peaceful in most areas.By fostering a optimistic hope, there could be much-needed improvements in service delivery.

We’re still working on gathering more news about South Africans scattered all over the world.

South Africans are all overjoyed over the news that the movie Tsotsi won a Oscar.

We wish all readers a positive week.

Theo

Readers Survey -closed TOP

Many thanks to all that sent us their completed Surveys.
The information will now be collated, analysed & used - Ed.

Letters to the Editor TOP

I’ve heard that Johnny Clegg will be touring the UK later this year, but I can't seem to find any information on the internet. Can anybody help PLEASE? Thanks, Desiree. [send replies to Editor]

Quote/s of the Week TOP

You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was. - Irish Proverb

Submitted by Maureen Cram

News from Kiwiland TOP

Sorry ! No article this week.

Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week TOP

Rural setbacks for DA – De Lille is queen-maker

The Democratic Alliance failed to regain most of the hinterland municipalities in the Western Cape it lost to the African National Congress through floor-crossing, despite its aggressive “Take back your city” campaign. Instead, Patricia de Lille’s Independent Democrats emerged as potential queenmakers in several finely balanced rural municipalities.

Read more at http://www.mg.co.za...

Clean sweep for ANC in N Cape

The ANC won 69.96% of the votes cast in the Northern Cape, the first province for which complete results were in, and won 40 of the 55 available seats in Kimberley, the province's industrial hub.

Read more at http://www.news24.com/...

DA in lead for CT metro

Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance was leading the race for the Cape Town Metro Council with nearly 89% of votes cast in Wednesday's local government poll captured and audited by 19:30 on Thursday.

Read more at http://www.news24.com...

IFP 'excited' with KZN win

Johannesburg - The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is excited about winning a majority vote in 32 KwaZulu-Natal municipalities.

Read more at http://www.news24.com/News24...

No more power to the people

Eskom has almost reached the end of the line when it comes to providing enough electricity to cope with the country's needs, say experts. South Africa has reached its limit in supplying electricity. Experts warned this week that the rest of the country could expect similar serious power failures to the ones Cape Town has experienced since November.

Read more at http://www.mweb.co.za/news/...

SA 'must cut power'

Cape Town - Eskom will launch a campaign next week to convince South Africans to consume less electricity because the margin between peak demand and supply will be the smallest in decades this coming winter. The smaller margin will be intensified by the problems at Koeberg, which will be generating less than half its normal supply into the network until the end of July.

Read more at http://www.news24.com/News24.com...

Generator sellers struggle to meet demand

The continuing electricity cuts across the Western Cape are playing havoc with businesses that have already lost millions of rands in production and they are now trying to find ways to generate their own power.

Read more at http://www.iol.co.za/...

Laptops get next-generation DVD

Tokyo - Japanese electronics giant Toshiba said on Tuesday it has developed the first laptop computer with a next-generation HD DVD drive despite a looming format war with a rival group led by Sony. Toshiba, in collaboration with South Korea's Samsung, will start selling personal computers with a slim HD DVD drive designed specifically for laptops by the start of next year in Japan.

Read more at http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology...

Can a laptop be too small?

New York - Nobody wants to lug around a 4.5kg laptop anymore, but while computer makers scramble to roll out models that are ever smaller and lighter, nobody has stopped to ask just how small is too small.

Read more at http://www.news24.com/News24/...

'Hippie chimps' fast disappearing in DRC

Mokele, Democratic Republic of Congo - Even as Congolese villagers devise novel ways to snare the fast-disappearing bonobo, scientists are racing to save the gentle "hippie chimp" from extinction. The Bonobo, or Pan Paniscus, is closely related to man and known for resolving squabbles through sex rather than violence. It's also prized by some Congolese for its tasty meat.

The wiry, wizened-faced chimps are being killed in treetop nests in Congo's vast rain forest, their only natural habitat in the world,by villagers who do not seem to know how fast their prey is disappearing. "Bonobos are an icon for peace and love, the world's 'hippie chimps,"' said Sally Coxe of the Washington-based Bonobo Conservation Initiative. "To let them die off would be a catastrophe."

Read more at http://www.iol.co.za/...

[The Bonobo Sanctuary near Kinshasa is a most interesting conservation site to visit and requires donations. I was privileged to guide several fellow crew-members there during 1994 and took many photos too - Ed]

Bits and Bobs TOP

There's hope for SA's future

Jon Qwelane's column is published each week on News24, courtesy of Jon Qwelane and the editor of Sunday Sun, which originally carried the article.

I recently had the very good privilege of running into two white South Africans who continue to demonstrate a considerable amount of faithin the country and its people, and are investing their talents into growing the country. Garth and Shannon Farrent are a married couple who, I suppose, could easily have left South Africa to settle abroad had they so wished. In fact, they have indeed been overseas a lot, and continue to visit there in their efforts to improve their skills and to learn new methods,which they bring back and impart very generously.

Read more at http://www.news24.com/News24/...

Cancer in a can?

A dangerous combination of two preservatives in soft drinks and fruit juices could be increasing consumers' risk for cancer. That's according to a report in BeverageDaily.com, which states that tests on 230 soft drinks sold in the United Kingdom have benzene levels above the safety limit for water.

Read more at http://www.health24.com/news/...

The Cost of Children

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad, if you break it down.It translates into:

* $8,896 a year,
* $741 a month, or
* $171 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Read more at http://www.52best.com/...

Optimism good for the heart

New York - Men with a bright outlook on life seem to be less likely to die of heart disease or stroke than their more pessimistic peers, Dutch researchers report.

The findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, add to evidence that natural optimists may be a hardier breed. In an earlier study, the same researchers found a lower risk of death from any cause within a given timeframe among older adults who had generally optimistic attitudes.

Read more at http://www.news24.com/News24/...

Mindfulness and Clarity: What's In Your Pot?

No matter how enthusiastically we embrace the concept of simplifying our lives, things have a way of getting complicated.
Perfect example: My family sold nearly everything and moved to Mazatlan, Mexico to explore living with less stuff and more fun. And it's been working beautifully. It's amazing how much less there is to worry about when, well, you have less.

Read more at http://www.real-worldmindfulness.com/...

The Legal Beagle TOP

Nobody has requested help this week.

Help Desk TOP

Nobody has appealed for help this week.

Where are they now? TOP

No new requests received.

Club and Other News TOP

The Atlanta Sokkie 2006

This email is a once off email to ask that you let all your South African friends and Family know that there will be a South African dance party coming up later in 2006, from now on called Atlanta Sokkie 2006 We are trying to reach as many people in Atlanta as we possibly can.

The Queen of Sokkie (Etnel as her friends know her) teamed up with SABN-Atlanta to help with the planning of this event. For those of you who attended last year’s Sokkie in Atlanta will know why I crowned Etnel the Queen of Sokkie. It was a GREAT event last year and this year won’t be any different.

We just started the planning phase so please let all your friends know to sign up for our Newsletter to receive Atlanta Sokkie 2006 updates as we plan this event. The date of the event is not yet finalized.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please send them directly to Sokkie2006@SANetworking.com so that the whole Sokkie Planning Committee can receive it.

Thanks for your help and we are looking forward to see you at the Atlanta Sokkie 2006. It is going to be the Dance Party of the year.
Regards

Robert Kuhn
Founder SABN-Atlanta
C: 678-799-0326

Humour TOP

The Husband Store

A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband.

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates.

"You may visit the store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch: you may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!"

On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men have jobs.

The second floor sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men have jobs and love kids.

The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love kids, and are extremely good looking.

"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love kids, are drop-dead good looking, and help with the housework.

"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"

Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.

Baby planes

This sent in by Maureen Cram.

A mother and her son were flying with kulula.com from Johannesburg to George.

The son (who had been looking out the window) turned to his mother and asked, "If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, why don't big planes have baby planes?"

The mother (who couldn't think of an answer) told her son to ask the stewardess. So the boy asked the stewardess, "If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, why don't big planes have baby planes?"

The stewardess responded, "Did your mother tell you to ask me?"

The boy said, "Yes she did."

"Well, then, tell your mother that there are no baby planes because kulula.com always pulls out on time. Have your mother explain that to you".

Recipes TOP

South African Cuisine - A Melting Pot

South African cuisine is a combination of the recipes from the many cultural groups that have co-existed in the country over the past 350 years. The Khoisan, the first known inhabitants of the country, were mainly hunter-gatherers. Later, the Bantu people introduced agriculture to the country by growing maize, sweet potato, gem squash and other vegetables for their dishes.

When the Dutch and English arrived, they introduced sausage, later known as "boerewors" (farmer's sausage), bobotie and practical stews, such as "potjiekos". Home-made boerewors sausage actually evolved from recipes brought by German immigrants at a later stage. The slaves, imported from the east (India and Malaysia) added curry and other spicy flavourings to our dishes.

Read more at http://www.encounter.co.za/article/32.html

Ostrich Neck Casserole

Ingredients:

1kg ostrich neck
2 medium onions, chopped
200g small peeled carrots
3 celery sticks
4 tbs brandy
1 tsp garlic, crushed
2 tsp tomato paste
3 cups beef stock
2 cups red wine or 1 1/2 cup Red Wine and 1 cup verjuice
salt & pepper
½ tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
1 tbs olive oil, for frying
parsley sprig, decoration

Preparation:
Heat olive oil in a thick bottomed oven proof casserole dish. Add ostrich neck and fry until browned on all sides. Add brandy to ostrich neck & sauté for a few minutes - remove ostrich neck from casserole dish and set aside. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the casserole dish and cook until onions are transparent, stirring occasionally. Add bay leaves, salt & pepper, ostrich neck, wine (or wine and verjuice), stock, paprika and tomato paste.

If necessary, add more stock to ensure that the ostrich neck is submerged. Bring to boil and then transfer to the oven (very slow - 1200C) Cook for at least 7-8 hours or until meat falls off the bone. If liquid reduces too much, add more stock. Decorate with parsley.

[This is one of my favourites-Ed]

http://www.cookingbear.com/recipes...

Sports News TOP

Proteas post huge score

Cape Town - Justin Kemp struck a 41-ball half century to power South Africa to 289 for seven in the second one-day international against Australia on Friday. Kemp hit four sixes to finish with 51 not out as he and Shaun Pollock added 62 off 50 deliveries for the sixth wicket after South Africa had reached 192 in the 39th over.

Read more at http://www.news24.com...

South African dam levels TOP

Vaaldam at 111 % today

It seems as if everyone is making the visit to stare at the sight!With 7 top-sluice gates open, they are all fascinated and cause a
serious road hazard by stopping on the bridge below the Wall and walking across the busy road, seemingly heedless of the dangers.
Due to a early passing cold front, a strong South-easterly wind,
& resultant wave-action, many yachts have broken loose from their moorings and are aground around the Vaaldam.

These are my recent photos of yachts aground & the Vaaldam wall-dated 28-02-2006, when only 6 top-sluice gates were open.- Ed.

The downstream Bloemhof Dam level is 110%.. Upstream on the Vaal River, the Grootdraai Dam is overflowing.

Credits and Contact Info TOP

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Disclaimer TOP

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It should not be construed that we agree or disagree with any of the material. All information about events is published in good faith as received from the correspondents.

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