Home Sweet Home

A young man repeatedly battles to get an ID document from the state. He needs the ID to get a job which he has been offered. They say he has no birth certificate, tear up his application papers and chase him away. He goes home to his shack and hangs himself. Apart from the tragic suicide this is a common occurrence in SA when one deals with Home Affairs officials. After this all hell breaks loose. The officials are fired, the national minister arrives and before you know it the red carpet is rolled out. The sister is presented with a brand new fully furnished home (donated by "local businessmen") and everyone puts on a brave face. They even present her with a brand new birth certificate and ID book of her now deceased brother. A convey of over a hundred vehicles including ambulances, medical staff and security attends the hand over. Never a dull moment in SA.

Almost there

After driving home through Durban's Warwick Triangle for the past 38 years I wonder if I will miss the buzz on the ground. Come April 2010 I will soar with the eagles or maybe just the pigeons thanks to the World Cup Soccer. Wonder how long until some fool does literally fly off this amazing piece of engineering. Hope not.

Suffer the children

For years there have been mysterious deaths at this modern hospital in Phoenix near Durban. Health minister after health minister have done the rounds but still the babies keep dying. Locals protest about everything from nepotism to corruption and mount regular marches to the hospital. Nothing happens.... Enquiries and commissions are established but thus far no results have been produced. Just another day in SA. In the latest march protesters vowed to give the Mahatma Gandhi hospital six months to produce answers and there after court action will be taken. Don't hold your breath! (Update Mar 2010 Guess what nothing happened except a 15 yr old who accompanied a sick 11 yr old gets raped in the hospital by one of the staff)