South Africans Worldwide Newsletter

Well the best news is....RAIN has been falling over a large part of Southern Africa.
Now at last much needed growth & re-growth in Nature will commence.
Fittingly perhaps, Nature has given us good nightly lightning-displays, whilst puny Man has tried to emulate the show with Guy Fawkes fireworks.

Wishing all Readers a good week.
'Till next time

Letters to the Editor TOP

Hi there

Just thought I would write to tell you I found this week’s newsletter
very interesting; full of great articles and news.
Keep up the great work.

Kind regards

Heather Rolls

Quote/s of the Week TOP

It's funny how dogs and cats know the inside of folks better than other folks do, isn't it?
-- Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna, 1912

Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book...
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To use fear as the friend it is, we must retrain and reprogram ourselves...We must persistently and convincingly tell ourselves that the fear is here--with its gift of energy and heightened awareness--so we can do our best and learn the most in the new situation.
-- Peter McWilliams, Life 101

Live your life as though there is great joy to be experienced... an abundance of goodness in each person you come in contact with, and the knowledge that you have enough inner wisdom to answer the mysteries that challenge you.
-- Meladee McCarty

Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.
-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 'Gift From the Sea'

America's greatest strength, and its greatest weakness, is our belief in second chances, our belief that we can always start over, that things can be made better.
-- Anthony Walton

Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language.
-- Henry James

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.
-- Thomas A. Edison

Life Recipes TOP

Neighbourly Love – a thought from the past.

“There are only two duties which our Lord requires of us, namely, the love of God, and the love of our neighbour.

In my opinion, the surest sign for discovery whether we observe these two duties, is the love of our neighbour, and be assured that the more you advance in the love of your neighbour, the more you advance in the love of God.”

By St.Theresa of Avila.
With acknowledgement to “Faith for Daily Living”

News from Ozzie TOP

We are Australians!

WE, the people of a free nation of blokes, sheilas and the occasional wanker. We come from many lands (although a few too many of us come from New Zealand) and although we live in the best country in the world, we reserve the right to bitch and moan about it whenever we bloody like.
We are One Nation but we're divided into many States:
First, there's Victoria, named after a queen who didn't believe in lesbians. Victoria is the realm of Mossimo turtlenecks, cafe latte, grand-final day and big horse races. Its capital is Melbourne, whose chief marketing pitch is that "it's livable". At least that's what they think. The rest of us think it is too bloody cold and wet.
Next, there's NSW, the realm of pastel shorts, macchiato with sugar, thin books read quickly and millions of dancing queens. Its capital, Sydney, has more queens than any other city in the world and is proud of it. Its mascots are Bondi lifesavers who pull their Speedos up their cracks to keep the left and right sides of their brains separate.
Down south we have Tasmania, a state based on the notion that the family that bonks together stays together. In Tassie, everyone gets an extra chromosome at conception. Maps of the State bring smiles to the sternest faces. It holds the world record for a single mass shooting, which the Yanks can't seem to beat no matter how often they try.
South Australia is the province of half-decent reds, a festival of foreigners and bizarre axe murders. SA is the state of innovation. Where else can you so effectively reuse country bank vaults and barrels as in Snowtown, just out of Adelaide (also named after a queen). They had the Grand Prix, but lost it when the views of Adelaide sent the Formula One drivers to sleep at the wheel.
Western Australia is too far from anywhere to be relevant. It's main claim to fame is that it doesn't have daylight saving because if it did all the men would get erections on the bus on the way to work. WA was the last state to stop importing convicts and many of them still work there in the government and business.
The Northern Territory is the red heart of our land. Outback plains, sheep stations the size of Europe, Kangaroos, Jackaroos, Emus, Uluru and dusty kids with big smiles. It also has the highest beer consumption of anywhere on the planet and its creek beds have the highest aluminium content of anywhere too. Although the Territory is the centre piece of our national culture, few of us live there and the rest prefer to fly over it on our way to Bali.
And there's Queensland............While any mention of God seems silly in a document defining a nation of half-arsed sceptics, it is worth noting that God probably made Queensland - it's beautiful one day and perfect the next. Why he filled it with dickheads remains a mystery.
Oh yes, and there's Canberra. The least said the better.
We, the citizens of Oz, are united by Highways, whose treacherous twists and turns kill more of us each year than murderers. We are united in our lust for international recognition.
Not that we're whingeing; we leave that to our Pommie immigrants.
We want to make "no worries mate" our national phrase, "she'll be right mate" our national attitude and "Waltzing Matilda" our national anthem. (So what if it's about a sheep-stealing crime who commits suicide??)
We love sport so much our news readers can read the death toll from a sailing race and still tell us who's winning. And we're the best in the world at all the sports that count, like cricket, netball, rugby, AFL, roo-shooting, two-up and horse racing. We also have the biggest rock, the tastiest pies, the blackest aborigines and the worst-dressed Olympians in the known universe.
We shoot, we root, we vote. We are girt by sea and pissed by lunchtime. Even though we might seem a racist, closed-minded, sports-obsessed little people, at least we feel better for it.

I am, you are, we are Australian.

Contributed by Mike Elliot

Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week TOP

Save big with transer fee loophole

Amendment to transfer duty act will save thousands in divorce and death transfers. By Ingrid Smit

The result of a stroke by the government's pen in July this year will save divorced partners and surviving spouses thousands of rands – money that they would previously have had to pay to the South Africa Revenue Services (SARS) in the form of transfer duty on their properties.

This is according to Durban-based conveyancing attorney Roy Wolfson, who was commenting on the recent amendment to the Transfer Duty Act that removes the requirement by divorced or surviving spouses to pay transfer duty on the acquisition of their properties.

Wolfson says that the act previously exempted divorced or surviving spouses from paying a portion of the transfer duty on an acquired property only if they had been married in community of property. This section has now been amended by Section 16 of the "Small Business Tax Amnesty and Amendment of Taxation Laws Act, Act 9 of 2006", which was published on 25 July 2006 in Government Gazette No. 29068.

In effect, this means that no transfer duty will be payable by a surviving or divorced spouse who acquires the sole ownership of the property registered in the name of his or her deceased or divorced spouse on transfer into their name, says Wolfson.

He adds that in his opinion, the definition of the word 'spouse' in the amended Act appears to include unions recognized as marriages in accordance with the tenets of any religion.

It also encompasses same sex and heterosexual unions which the SARS Commissioner is satisfied are intended to be permanent. "The important provision here is that the definition goes on to say that in regard to these two institutions and in the absence of proof to the contrary, these unions or marriages are deemed to be without community of property."
Read more...

http://www.property24.com/

Taxi Recap officially launched.

The official roll-out of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme (TRP) by the national government was launched on 28 October 2006 at the Botshabelo Sports Stadium.

The overall goal of the TRP is the replacement of the current ageing and old fleet that constitutes the bulk of the taxi industry with new vehicles that are safe and reliable.

It will be implemented over a period of up to 7 years at an estimated cost of R7.7 billion.

This programme has the following 5 key pillars, namely: (1) safety requirements, (2) regulation of the taxi industry (3) scrapping of the old taxi vehicles, (4) effective law enforcement, and (5) economic empowerment.

The event was officiated by Transport Mister Jeff Radebe and graced by the presence the Free State Premier, Me Beatrice Marshoff as well as Transport MEC’s from all the nine provinces.

The Free State was also the first pr ovince to issue operating licences during last year’s October Transport Month.

For more info contact Gunnett Kaaf at +27 827714931

e-Blockwatch News Letter

Kids beware of mobile chat servicesEblockwatch connecting U 2 community power.

Dear X....
You are aware that our Cop Of the Years Stroppie caught him.
Kids beware of mobile chat services.

Parents have been urged to ensure their children understand the dangers of using anonymous chat rooms. It comes after a Springs teenager was abducted last week by a man she met through the popular cellphone chat service MXit.

Neighbourhood watch network eBlockwatch was involved in the search for the missing girl who was found at a house in Carltonville on Sunday morning. eBlockwatch's Andre Snyman says such chat services are an easy gateway for paedophiles. A 33-year-old man was arrested on Monday and will appear in court next week on charges of abduction.

Eyewitness News. A bit of research on the internet will teach us how to catch more perverts.If you are an IT boff.Help do some research please.How to catch a paedophile on MyspacePosted 11:20 - 17 October 2006 - by Ryan Garside MySpace is a popular site for children and it would seem paedophiles.

Former hacker and current Senior Editor of Wired, Kevin Poulsen, has recently sparked a bit of internet controversy by uncovering paedophiles lurking in Web 2.0 wonderland, Myspace.

Five months ago Poulsen wrote a few lines of code which searched through Myspace's 1 million plus user profiles searching for the names and addresses of anyone who is on the sex offenders list.

That code uncovered 39 year-old Andrew Lubrano, father of five, a convicted sex offender, who it seemed was once again up to no good.The code looked through Myspace profiles, searching for 385,932 registered sex offenders in 46 US states.

Poulsen claims that Myspace said that what he was doing was not possible. Poulsen discovered 497 people registered on Myspace had committed sexual crimes against children.

Most of these people turned out to be using Myspace innocently or simply not using it at all but then Poulsen stumbled upon a 39 year old man named Lubrano. Here is an extract from the original article which you can read here:"Lubrano stood out early in the results. His rap sheet was chilling, and by the time I found him, a half-a-dozen underage boys populated his friends list, many commenting on his message board.

He lavishes particular attention on Jacob (not his real name), the 14-year-old in Virginia, lamenting the distance from his home on Long Island to the house Jacob shares with his grandparents near Washington D.C. -- about a six hour drive. "Damn," he writes, "it's a shame you don't live close by; boy the things we can do! "

It's a truly shocking read – raising the question of how many sex offenders are using sites like Myspace incognito? Surely they can't all be as stupid as Lobrano and use their real names.

Myspace has said since that it is hoping laws will come into place that will allow them to prohibit all registered sex offenders from signing up with the site.

The article is a very interesting read, with more details about how Poulsen went about creating the code and how the police eventually invited Poulsen along to the stake out and eventual arrest of the sex offender.

Kind Regards
The eblockwatch team.
webmaster@eblockwatch.co.za

Death to criminals, says a fed-up SA

Majority surveyed want a referendum on capital punishment

A staggering 76.5% of South Africans polled in a national survey want an urgent referendum on the death penalty because crime, they say, is out of control and 69% say they would vote to bring back capital punishment in such a referendum. These are some of the findings in a survey conducted by Plus 94 Research.

Asked to state their feelings about crime, 95% of all races said that it was unbearable, with the majority of those saying it was “severe and out of control”.

The main reason given for wanting to have the death penalty was that it would reduce crime, as other measures seemed to be failing.
Among blacks polled, 64% would vote to have the death penalty reintroduced as a last-ditch effort to deal with crime.

Among other races, 93% of whites, 87% of coloureds and 88% of Indians would vote to have the death penalty reinstated.

More than one in five felt that crime was a national problem and that the government should involve citizens in attempting to curb it.
Across the race groups, many were worried about murder and rape, and most felt they were helpless in the face of these crimes. They also said jail sentences were too short and ineffective.

Only 22% overall did not want a referendum and said they were opposed to the death penalty.

Responding to the findings, Jody Kollapen, chairman of the Human Rights Commission, said the death penalty could only be brought back if the Constitution was amended. “The Constitution states that everyone shall have the right to life, and the death penalty would be inconsistent with that.”

In order to amend the Constitution, aggrieved parties can take the matter up with Parliament’s Constitutional Review Committee, which considers amendments to the Constitution. “The route to follow would be to petition the committee, followed by a referendum by government,” he said.

The survey, of 3000 people in all nine provinces, also found that:

•Over 80% of the women interviewed wanted a referendum, compared with 72% of the men;

•On how they would vote on the death penalty issue itself, 74% of women, who, say the researchers, are primary victims of crime and who carry the largest emotional burden of a family where someone has died a violent death, wanted the death sentence back, compared with 64% of men;

•Of the black population polled, 72% called for the referendum, compared with 94% of whites, and 90% of coloureds and Indians; and

•When asked when a referendum should be held, 64% felt that the decision should be seen as a matter of urgency.

The race breakdown showed that 57% of blacks felt that the decision was long overdue, compared with 90% of whites, 84% of coloureds and 80% of Indians.

Plus 94 CEO Sifiso Falala said the results of the research showed that the country was at a cross-roads regarding the criminal justice system and a decision on the death penalty. “Given the current loopholes in the system as viewed by the public, the death penalty appears mandatory as an apparatus for deterring violent crimes, rather than one for punishment.”

David Bruce, a senior researcher in the criminal justice programme of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, said the call for the death penalty reflected the feeling that there was a lack of direction and seriousness from the government in dealing with crime. But it would be a step backwards for the state to once again become “a machinery of death”, he said. “Crime is a reflection of underlying social chaos. Most people are still outsiders in South African society. We haven’t created a genuinely inclusive social system. It would be the same people who have been brutalised through systematic violence in the past and who still suffer because of inequity and the legacy of racism who would bear the brunt if the death penalty is reinstated,” he said.

Peter Gastrow, Cape Town director of the Institute for Security Studies, said that “a clamour for the death penalty” during a period of high crime rates was understandable and “something that appeals to the primordial parts of human beings, [but] it would be dangerous to raise it onto a populist flagpole”.

Making the issue the subject of a referendum would leave the door open for other populist and emotive issues to be put before the nation, for example, land redistribution. “South Africa has already dealt with the death penalty with wisdom and compassion,” said Gastrow.

Barbara Holtmann, project manager of the Crime-Prevention Centre of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research, said supporting the death penalty was “the most appalling response in our society — to say we will kill people when we’re angry with them. People may call for it, but are they prepared to be hangmen? “To implement it requires human beings to do the killing on their behalf. It’s horrible and disgusting. It’s no better than murder itself.

Protea at Kimberley Big Hole:

Protea Hotels has announced the construction of a new R44m four-star hotel in Kimberley, adjacent to the new Big Hole development.

Construction is beginning this month and is expected to be completed before its opening in July 2007. The hotel will have 94 bedrooms, conference and meeting rooms for 80 people and parking for over 100 cars. The development of the hotel is part of a larger project that will see the old mine museum upgraded to a world-class tourist attraction, including the Big Hole Visitors Centre. It is estimated that with the upgrade, the current 90 000 visitors per year will increase to 200 000.

web@emarket.co.za
http://www.bulletinonline.co.za

New SA showcase at Johannesburg International[now the Oliver R.Tambo Airport]:

The R23 million Absa International Trade Bureau (AITB) at Johannesburg International Airport, (JIA) is to be completed next month. The AITB will be an innovative permanent exhibition facility, showcasing 122 South African export companies representing 14 of the country’s most prominent industries.

To date, nearly all of the 122 available stands have been sold, with Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, the Small Enterprise Development Agency, Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Wesgro, Trade and Investment Kwazulu-Natal and the City of Tshwane buying a significant number of stands, which will be sold back to smaller businesses looking at establishing or developing an export market, at a reduced cost.

Among the most prominent participants are Mittal Steel South Africa, Macsteel, Nampak, Lafarge, Sasol, Siemens, Kimberley-Clark, National Br and Distributors, All Joy Foods, and SA.

New water management policy for SA:

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) is reportedly adopting a completely new approach to the management of the quality of the country’s water resources, an approach called Resource Directed Management of Water Quality.

Traditionally, DWAF elected to control land-use activities and their associated water use rather than to focus on the water resource requirements of users. This implied that source management controls were imposed on mines, industries, local authorities, and agriculture, to reduce the impact of pollution of our water resources.

The new approach applies to all the country’s water resources – ground water, rivers and other surface water (such as dams, ponds, lakes, and vleis), and estuaries.

DWAF- over 1 million people with basic water:

The Dept. of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) says in the last financial year it provided basic water to more than one million people and proper sanitation to 200 000 households. According to the department’s annual report (2005/2006), 80% of the population with access to water infrastructure, enjoy access to free basic water.

This is in terms of the Free Basic Water policy. From September 2004 to March 2006 the number of schools without adequate sanitation dropped from 4 300 to 2 118. In addition, 2185 clinics were provided with sanitation facilities during the last financial ending 31 March 2006.

However, the report noted that out of a population of 48,6 million there were currently 3,3 million people with no access to a basic level of water supply which does not meet the basic service levels.

The department’s director–general Jabu Sindane said since 1994 access to water supply infrastructure in the sector had improved from 59% to 93% of the population.

Absa and Seda PPP to assist small business:

Absa has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (seda) to increase SME access to the products and services of the two organisations through reciprocal granting of working space within Absa Small Business Centres and seda’s branches and Enterprise Information Centres.

They will also provide after care services to small business that have been granted business loans and the requisite non-financial assistance for small businesses that are battling to qualify for business loans.

For more info contact (012) 441 1186 or 082 573 0059
or svilakazi@seda.org.za

Upington new transport and cargo hub:

The development of airport facilities and other amenities at Upington to establish the government-approved transport and cargo hub is continuing apace. It includes channels of transport for general freight between Upington and Walvis Bay, between Upington, Cape Town and Gauteng, import and export of fish via air freight between Lüderitz and Upington and transport of vehicle parts between Upington and Port Elizabeth and East London.

Spoornet is busy with a container depot at Upington, while 36 self storage units are being constructed at the airport at a cost of R2 million. SA Airways has also agreed in principle to utilize Upington Airport for the transport of general and perishable freight to Europe and the Far East. Meanwhile, in the Free State questions are still being asked why not Welkom but Upington got the nod for the first specialized cargo airport in SA.

Chinese cars to invade South Africa:

This time next year the spat between the clothing retailers and the government over Chinese imports will be forgotten. The big fuss, says CEO of Emerging Market Focus, Martyn Davies, will be the number of extremely cheap cars coming into South Africa from China. “By the fourth quarter of this year we will see seven makes of cars from China coming to South Africa that will be landed at half the price of a baseline VW or Toyota”, says Davies.

“With cars come the automotive component elements of the supply chain”, and Davies believes this will have a huge impact on automotive component manufacturing in South Africa.

Davies says the Chinese car imports, like the clothing, will still be far cheaper than those from other countries even after the addition of duties, shipping, forwarding and clearing costs. The reason is that the Chinese are becoming rampant in the manufacturing sector and are monopolizing the manufacturing chain.

With acknowledgements to http://www.bulletinonline.co.za

DTI allocates quotas in face of retailer opposition.

The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) announced yesterday that controversial import quota allocations on 31 clothing themes had been made available to importers, including retailers.

But clothing retailers restated their opposition to the quotas on Chinese-made clothing. The government and trade unions believe the quotas will lead to massive re-employment in the struggling sector.

Read more...

http://www.busrep.co.za/

Bits and Bobs TOP

SEEING THE WOOD FROM THE TREES------

As we mentioned in a newsletter at the beginning of the month, it has been a difficult few months in South Africa with the recent spike in crime, the fiasco surrounding the Zuma corruption trial, and sudden questioning about our ability to host the soccer World Cup in 2010 providing all sorts of real and perceived ammunition for the chattering classes.

After a fantastic few years where confidence in South Africa has risen to record levels, there appears to have been a return to the prophecies of gloom and doom and 'emigration talk'.

Considering our unashamedly positive view that South Africa is a miracle nation with a bright future despite its many challenges, we at South Africa: The Good News often receive vitriolic emails from those that don't subscribe to our optimistic views. "How dare you pull the wool over the eyes of South Africans with your nasty lies," they wail. "This country is going to hell in a handbasket," they moan through gnashing teeth. "I'm outta here, and off to the other side where the grass is always greener," they proudly exclaim.

In many cases, South Africans don't seem to want to celebrate all that is good. Any good news or reports of positive developments are met with scepticism and rejected as fiction. Any bad news or sensationalistic reportings are embraced, taken at face value and accepted as fact.

I think that we South Africans are generally too hard on ourselves. We are so wrapped up in our day-to-day lives, so influenced by the day-to-day challenges we face that we rarely can see the wood for the trees. We don't give ourselves enough credit for what we have achieved.

'It is always a mistake to sell South Africans short'--------

Fortunately, then, we are sometimes reminded by global leaders, global icons of just what we have achieved in so short a time. These influential giants, who have been
there and done that, look at South Africa and marvel at what we have become and see a great future for our nation. And they are putting their money where their mouths are, by investing heavily in South Africa. I'm talking about people of the calibre of Kofi Annan, Sir Anthony O'Reilly, Oprah Winfrey and Sir Richard Branson.

In a column in the UK's Independent newspaper this week, O'Reilly said that "there seems suddenly to be a rash of commentators predicting that the South African miracle is over.
"My reply is that those who believed in South Africa a decade and more ago should not get cold feet now. When I became the first major investor in the new South Africa back in 1993. I never thought it was going to be an easy ride."

He pays us the ultimate compliment when he says that "among South Africans, (Mandela) is no anomaly. To the contrary, he is the quintessential South African. That is why it is always a mistake to sell South Africa short."

After listing our achievements and the progress we have made, O'Reilly concludes by saying that "to call South Africa an "unqualified miracle" is to assert that the people who were responsible for what was called a miracle have somehow changed or gone away. Last time I looked, South Africans were still South Africans and still very much there. And it would still be wrong to underestimate them."
(For the full article, click here http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article1919547.ece)

'It is the land that most stimulates and inspires me'------

Oprah Winfrey has said that she feels an incredible connection to South Africa; that it feels like her second home. She even claims she has Zulu blood coursing through her veins! Winfrey told the Sunday Times Magazine, "I have such a deep affection for South Africa because of the spirit of the people. I connect with the strength of their spirit. I feel bonded to the land. It is the land that most stimulates and inspires me. It's like no place I've ever been."

She is building what promises to be a remarkable educational institution - the $40 million Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls that is geared towards educating a new generation of African women leaders.

The school, at Henley-on-Klip in Meyerton, south of Johannesburg, will accommodate 75 learners per grade, for a total of 450 from Grade 7 to 12.

She told the parents of the chosen girls: "I want you to know that these are our daughters, I want you to trust me with them. I will create a good education environment for them and the world will know who these girls are."

Branson too sees immense potential in South Africa. "South Africa is a key market for Virgin and a country that I personally love very much," he said when launching Virgin Mobile in the country earlier this year.

Not only is he investing in our gyms, in our credit card market and in our cellular networks, Branson is also investing in the potential of South Africans themselves.

During the week, I attended a ceremony to celebrate Branson's latest social investment in South Africa. Together with his protégé, American entrepreneur Sara Blakely, he launched a multi-million rand fund to invest in South African women. He has also started the Branson School of Entrepreneurship in Johannesburg, a school that promotes the growth and education of budding South African entrepreneurs from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.

'A beacon of tolerance, peaceful co-existence, and mutual respect'------------------------------------

"South Africa today reminds us all of the remarkable African capacity for forgiveness and reconciliation, despite the pain of racial discrimination and oppression," said then United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan while addressing a joint sitting of the South African Parliament earlier this year.

"Your robust economy, stable democracy, support for the rule of law and - perhaps most important - your fully inclusive constitution have made South Africa a beacon of tolerance, peaceful co-existence, and mutual respect between people of different races, languages and traditions"

Standing on the shoulders of giants--------------------

These global leaders see a bright future for this remarkable country. They wouldn't be investing so much in South Africa if they didn't think that it was a good investment. They've risen to the top because they see what others can't.

Personally, I rather listen to these global icons then to the little people who delight in trying to drag others down into their pessimistic cesspits. I'd rather stand on the shoulders of these giants than be trampled underfoot by the bitter and the twisteds. From up on those shoulders it is possible to see the wood from the trees.

By Ian Macdonald –Editor. NEWSLETTER # 98
http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/

The Legal Beagle TOP

My husband & I are coming home (South Africa) for a visit in December.

We are departing from JFK to Heathrow (will be in transit) to JNB on Virgin-Atlantic, but are not sure what passports we use for each departure and arrival.

We are now US citizens but do have approved dual citizenship with both SA & USA, so therefore have both passports.

Can you please advise us on which passport we leave USA on, enter UK, leave UK, enter SA and visa versa? We don't want any problems at Customs/Immigration.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Regards
Debbie
Andrew.Nash@ArvinMeritor.com

Maureen Cram (ed-in-chief) replies:

I am a citizen of South Africa and also hold citizenship of the USA (being married to an American).

I show only my US passport when leaving the US, only my US passport when entering and leaving the UK (we also fly via Virgin when we go back to the US for holidays) and then show BOTH passports when I arrive in South Africa. I ask the passport control official to please stamp both passports for me. Sometimes they do that without asking but if they don't I ask them.

When leaving South Africa I show BOTH passports and ask that they be stamped. When arriving in the UK I show only my US passport and then when arriving back in the US again only the US passport.

As long as you show your South African passport when you arrive and leave South Africa you are OK. The US only expects that you have a US passport so as long as you have your stamps in that one you are fine there.

This advice was given to me by Julian Pokroy, the leading immigration lawyer in South Africa, and I have done this many times now.

If you need more info please contact me (chief@saw.co.za).

Help Desk TOP

Nobody asked.

Where are they now? TOP

I was so gratified when you found my sister for me in Johannesburg right where she lived when I stayed with her some thirty years ago.

Now if possible, I would like some help in locating a Michael B Brown, whose last know address was 8 Will Scarlett, Robindale, TVL JHB. I believe his phone number was 888-7186. He worked for Anglo American for many years and then with the SA affiliate of Tandy (Radio Shack). This is all I have, but would sure appreciate some help. THANKS!

Harriet Lauben
harril@mindspring.com

Hi Harriet
The 2005/6 Johannesburg Phone Book shows many a M.Brown but only one M.B.Brown, at Morningside Village in Fir Rd. Morningside
Tel.# +27 11 883 7589.
I suggest that you try ringing that number .
Let me know what the result is.
Cheers
Editor

Club and Other News TOP

SA Club Luxembourg
sa_club_lux@hotmail.com
Hello again,

November brings quite a variety of shows to den Atelier!
As expected, the Mando Diao show is solidly sold-out by now.
As usual, we’re very sorry for all late-comers¦

Tickets for the magical Jamie Cullum though have been going so slow for the Rockhal, that we moved the show to den Atelier.
Yes, you’ ll be in for a real treat as this will now be the ONLY clubshow on Jamie Cullumâs entire world tour! And that’s going to be a rather cosy experience at den Atelier!

But there’s more on the agenda at www.atelier.lu
such as:

Spanish Harlem Orchestra on Friday,
10th November
Straight out of New York City, charged with the rhythms of its vibrant neighbourhood, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra has quickly established itself as one of the hottest salsa groups in the world. A powerhouse Latin big band that the critics are calling the "new Buena Vista SocialClub".

Physical Graffiti & Catch Purple on Friday,
17th November
(Classic Rock Tribute) support: Doctor Robert Band “ promoter: LCTO
Catch Purple, a Deep Purple cover band, will play together with the Led Zeppelin tribute band Physical Graffiti.
Doctor Robert Band from Luxembourg will open the show.

Ezio on Sunday, 19th November
(Folk Rock) support: dream catcher promoter:
Kitty Music; It’s two lead guitarists in one band, Ezio Lunedei and Mark "Booga" Fowell who together form a perfect unit. And it’s two different kinds of music - at home it’s the perfect studio recordings, on stage it’s great live performances.

Johnny Clegg & Band on Friday
, 24th November (World / Pop)
Scatterlings Of Africa and the majestical Asimbonanga have become worldwide hymns –true classics composed during the dramatically intense struggle against apartheid in South Africa. The man who was to become famous as The White Zulu, Johnny Clegg,
and his band Savuka were to take South African music to the world - mixing African music with Celtic folk and international rock and pop sounds.
To this day, Johnny Clegg's shows are creating a magical momentum not to be missed.

Jamie Cullum on Monday, 27th November (Jazz / Pop)
support: Nizlopi,Jamie Cullum the so-called David Beckham of Swing is a true crooner! 2003's album Twenty Something made him the best selling British jazz musician ever, and he's still in his early 20s.
Cullum has one of the most attractive singing voices, allied to an appealing stage manner and a very carefully, well-chosen repertoire.
Jamie Cullum is Britain's answer to Michael Bulboa. He's producing music with a growing following among both seasoned jazz fans as well as young pop aficionados.
With this show now being at den Atelier, only very few tickets remain available¦! So, better hurry!

For more info on all those shows and tickets to see them, click to http://www.atelier.lu

Jamie & the Movers

Humour TOP

The Pond

An elderly man in Louisiana had owned a large farm for several years.
He had a large pond in the back. It was properly shaped for swimming,
So he fixed it up nice picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some apple and peach trees.

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and looks it over. He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit. As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond.

He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end. One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!"

The old man frowned, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked."

Holding the bucket up he said, "I'm here to feed the alligator."

Submitted by Maureen Cram.

If you need a laugh, then read through these-
Children's Science Exam Answers.

Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour? (brilliant, love this)
A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes
A: Premature death.

Q: What is artificial insemination?
A: When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized (eg. abdomen)
A: The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the borax and abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U.

Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie.

Q: What does "varicose" mean?
A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarean Section"
A: The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome.

Q: What does the word "benign" mean?'
A: Benign is what you will be after you be EIGHT.

Remember when ?
Gotta be over 40 to understand !

Mum used to cut chicken, slice eggs and spread mayo on the same cutting
board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't get food
poisoning.

My Mum used to defrost mince-meat on the kitchen sink AND I used to eat
a bite raw sometimes, too. Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax
paper, in a brown paper bag, not in icepack coolers, but I can't
remember anybody getting e.coli.

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of
a pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then.

The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a
pager was the school PA system.

We all played sport, and also did PT.... and risked permanent injury
with a pair of Dunlop runners (only worn in the gym or the sports
ground) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion
soles and built-in light reflectors .... I can't recall any injuries
but they must have happened, because they tell us how much safer we are
now ....

Flunking sport was not an option .... even for stupid kids!
There were not many fat kids.

Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the National Anthem and
got free school milk for strong bones and teeth, and staying in
detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention.
We must have had horribly damaged psyches.

What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurses?
Ours wore a hat and everything, and she could even give you an aspirin for a
headache or fever.

I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was
allowed to be proud of myself. I just can't recall how bored we were
without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable
stations.

Oh yeah .... and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got
that bee sting? I could have been killed!

We played 'king of the castle' on piles of gravel left on vacant
construction sites, and when we got hurt, Mum pulled out the 48-cent
bottle of Mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn't sting
like iodine did) and then we got our hair ruffled and got told to get
back out there!
Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a
$49 bottle of antibiotics, and then Mum calls the Solicitor to sue the
contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a
threat.

We didn't misbehave at the mate's house either, because if we did, we
got our bum smacked there, and then we got bum belted again when we got
home. I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his
tricks on the front veranda, just before he fell off. Little did his Mum
know that she could have owned our house. Instead, she picked him up
and swatted him for being such a yobbo.

It was a neighbourhood run amuck.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they
were from a "dysfunctional family". How could we possibly have known
that we needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes?
We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even
notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac! How did we ever
survive?

LOVE TO ALL OF US WHO SHARED THIS ERA, AND TO ALL WHO DIDN'T ....

SORRY FOR WHAT YOU MISSED. I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING!

Funny Airline yarns

X... is an Airline with head office situated in Y...

X... airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety
lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some Real examples that have been heard or reported:

On a X... flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where
you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"

---o0o---

On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will beturning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."

----o0o---

On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your
belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's
something we'd like to have."

----o0o---

"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."

---o0o---

"Thank you for flying X.... We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

---o0o---

As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at X... Airport, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

---o0o---

After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo, a flight attendant on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."

---o0o---

From a X... employee: "Welcome aboard X... 245 to C...
To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."

---o0o---

"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend
from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one small child, pick your favourite."

---o0o---

Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but
we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember,nobody loves you, or your money, more than X... Airlines."

----o0o---

"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

---o0o---

"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings.

Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight
attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."

---o0o---

And from the pilot during his welcome message: "X... Airlines is
pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

---o0o---

Heard on X... 255 just after a very hard landing in X... Town: The
flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bumpand I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

---o0o---

Overheard on a X... flight into X...Town, on a particularly windy and
bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight
it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxi's what's left of our airplane to the gate!"

---o0o---

Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

---o0o---

An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered
his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which
required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers
exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline. He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment.
Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking
with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Why,no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?"
The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

---o0o---

After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg, the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

---o0o---

Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of X... Airways."

---o0o---

Heard on a X... flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke,
the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing. If you can light
'em, you can smoke 'em."

---o0o---

A plane was taking off from X... Airport. After it reached a
comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, non-stop from X... to Y...
The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight.
Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOD!" Silence followed, and
after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I
was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!"

A passenger then yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!"

Recipes TOP

Latest food crazes

The latest food crazes are more likely to be described as crazy by some people, but if herby puds and chocolate chicken dishes are not your idea of fun, you’ll be glad to see the return of a few old favourites. Toni Jaye Singer looks at what’s hot on this winter’s menu…

A few years ago fusion food hit the South African scene like a tidal wave. Tentatively we began to order from menus boasting some strange combinations, and from the first bite we were hooked. Nowhere else in the world is the style of cuisine which combines ideas and ingredients from all four corners of the globe more appropriate than in South Africa.
Our rainbow nation is so famous for its ethnic mix of traditions and customs, that it’s no surprise we openly embraced the idea of intermingling cultures on a plate....

Read more...

http://www.women24.com/

Sports News TOP

Majola praises Proteas

04/11/2006 14:26 - (SA)

Johannesburg - Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola was a satisfied man when he welcomed the Proteas back from the ICC Champions Trophy in India on Saturday.

Speaking after their arrival at the ORTambo International Airport, Majola praised the team for their performance in the tournament, where they were knocked out in the semi final by the West Indies.

"The team's performance shows that things we have put in place are bearing fruit. The team fought well, and what was particularly pleasing was that they really played as a unit," said Majola.

"They reached the semi final, and came up against Chris Gayle, who was more like a tornado than a gale."

Read more...

http://www.news24.com/

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