Beirut by the sea

Not to worry all be be complete for the massive influx of tourists come the 2010 world cup. Right now though Addington beach looks like a set for a war movie. The old life guard building is being demolished and the beach has disappeared under a mountain of sand as foundations consisting of 8 meters of stacked sandbags are being laid for the new promenade. In the mean time surfing icon Shaun Thompson was summoned to the city managers office for a chat on the status of Durban's beaches. What with ever diminishing waves some claim because of sand being washed away because of the open pier designs and one of the premier surfing competitions the Mr Price Pro migrating up the coast to Ballito for the next three years I'm sure there was plenty to share a cup of tea over. Would love to be a fly on the wall at that meeting!

Doctors on the March

May 29 2009 History was made as thousands of doctors nationwide downed stethoscopes and took to the streets. I spoke to a patient who could only hop on one leg and had the use of one arm after a motor bike accident. He had elected to go home as there were no doctors to help him with further ops. He was fully behind the strike and said conditions at King Edward Hospital were real bad. The government has since upped some of the wages but many doctors are still not happy with conditions and vow there could be further action at any time. In the meantime SA's brand new subs costing billions lie mostly idle due to lack of suitable crew and other technical problems.

Up to Speed (At last)

At last. A strange but welcome animal burrowed its way under the beach and jungle to come to rest in a smart new building. The quiet fishing town of Umtinzini on the KZN North coast is probably still unaware of this tiny hair like creature that has berthed here. Fact is, this tiny hair is actually a fibre optic cable that can carry massive amounts of data. Internet usage has just taken one giant step in Africa. As I stood and looked in awe at all the buzzing gizmos and goodies inside the purpose built cable station I couldn't help wondering how many more of us Africans will get addicted to the now non flickering screens of our charged up computers. Doctors will be able to perform live ops on instruction via the net and scholars will have access to the worlds databases in an instant.It will also open up reams of porno and on line movies to a new generation. No more sitting down by the river side and gossiping while collecting the days water. The Internet has arrived big time and all will soon be one global village thanks to this hair like creature.( Update Nov 2009..I am still waiting for the rush)

Fruit & Veg

They have been there for the past ninety nine years. Stalls passed down from father to son/daughter. Durban's early morning market is something of an institution. The city fathers have other plans. Lets smash it down and build a shopping mall with national chain stores inside. We'll remove these people and plonk them in a disused shed nearby. None of them will be able to afford the new rents and hopefully they'll just go home and leave us alone. Meanwhile back at the ranch the aging grannies and Aunties hitched up their saris and marched on the city managers office down at the town hall. Lucky for him he had left the country. They sang chanted and perspired in the midday sun. Eventually one of the appointed suits emerged and accepted their memorandum. Promises were made to give them a week or twos grace before the bulldozers moved in. In the meantime international organisations have stepped in and the fight continues. Just another day in our new and fragile democracy

Update Nov 2009 After a "Rent a Crowd" using massive advertising attracted about 100 people who were for the demolition of the market the Early Morning Market traders turned out in mass force on 18 Nov in a further march to City Hall demanding the market be retained)

"Dr Livingstone I presume"

So the last of the great white explorers sets off on another great African expedition. This time there are no local bearers to carry the whiskey over the great plains of Africa. Instead powerful metal beasts consuming vast amounts of fuel will tour across nine countries distributing soccer balls and chalk to mark out football fields. The Humanitarian and Community Objectives will be - Ongoing “Right to Sight”, One Net One Life Malaria Prevention and Teaching on the Edge Programmes. With dedicated TV crews filming every turn of the wheel sponsors are keen to get their product on international and local TV screens. Such a pity that that the biggest tobacco company in South Africa, British American Tobacco have their logo and name plastered over the expedition vehicles. In what is supposed to be a humanitarian cause I wonder if the participants pause to ponder how many premature painful deaths their sponsor has caused in Africa. With tobacco advertising banned in South Africa this is one of the only ways to still push out the companies killer products. Shame on you lot! Follow these modern day "adventurers" at http://www.boundlesssa.com/en/

Harley Davidson

Way back in 1903 I wonder if this Harley fellow would have envisioned that his followers would one day gather in mass at the seaside town of Margate in South Africa. Thousands pitched up to admire and covert these once again sought after machines. After taking a serious dip some years ago the Harley brand has once again resurrected itself with a wide range of models. Appealing to a more mature (and well healed) rider these machines with their distinctive exhaust sound are now a common sight on South African roads. Each bike was meticulous and I'm sure many of them sleep in the lounges of their owners. Not surprising when some cost more than your average car. The first Africa Bike Week was certainly a humdinger.

Would you buy a used car from these people

They came they saw they conquered. The masses made their mark and now are sitting back waiting for their lives to change. Wouldn't it be nice if the the new president reached out to all in SA on his inaugural speech. How about "lets all work together to lift South Africa from the doldrums and take on the worlds sinking economy". How about stamping out crime and going for the big one.... international tourism. 2010 is around the corner and what an opportunity going begging. Sadly many voters voted as they have been promised more grants and benefits. Trouble is with a shrinking tax base where will the billions come from. The government spokesperson Jessie Duarte instead accuses the South Africans abroad as being right wing because they voted for opposition parties. I guess Europe and the USA took hundreds of years to reach their democratic status so we have to be patient.

Humble Abode

This is the rural home of Jacob Zuma soon to be made president of South Africa. Nkandla is located in the Zululand district and even in winter the sun shines warmly here. Consisting of a number of thatched residences for the various wives and offspring it looks like a tourist lodge. Outside the police protected kraal Africa continues as it always does. Goats climb trees for tidbits and the ever present litter blows across the dry earth. Poor neighbours living off government grants are convinced that a Zuma presidency will have a trickle down effect on their impoverished lives. Strangely the Zuma abode was practically deserted with family members preferring to gravitate to the bright city lights and using the traditional home merely for special occasions.

Another one bites the Dust

The Ocean Conference Centre on Durban's beachfront goes under the hammer. All part of the cities new open beachfront look. The city fathers are promising a new modern restaurant once the dust has settled. Wonder if they will serve oats porridge for early breakfast like the old one did.

Every Five Years

It's election time in South Africa. This means politicians hit the road, hold babies and press hands. The president himself does the rounds and what better place than the grave site of Albert Luthuli one of the founding fathers of the ANC to start. The church and grounds looked immaculate after a quick spruce up for the pres's quick visit and the solemn occasion was marked by a short prayer and the laying of flowers. Then it was onto the serious business of convincing the locals that if the ruling party was once again returned their lives would all be improved. In this case it is easy for the present incumbent to make promises as he is number two on the list and could easily take retirement instead of facing up to the voters.

Cope with Zuma?

As I am in Cape Town on family business I have been neglecting this blog. On my many trips visiting Groote Schuur hospital I snapped this sign above a book shop. I get the idea that Cape Town people do not take politics as serious as those in KZN.

Blood River

170 years ago the Boers promised their God that if He spared them from being massacared by the Zulus they would build a church and forever honour the day. Well the Boers superior firepower triumphed over the Zulus spears. Legend has it the river ran red with blood. Today the two groups will still not commemorate the day together. The Boers claim it is a day of prayer for them while the Zulus engage in cultural affairs like singing and dancing. The solid brass wagons will no doubt be around for some time. An attempt was made to build a bridge between the two monuments but only the pillars stand while the waters gently flow past for probably another one hundred and seventy years.

Sailorboy

Ever since the first human floated off the land and ventured out to sea the lure of the ocean has continued to this day. Sixteen year old Zac Sunderland set off from California exactly six months ago. He wants to be the worlds youngest sailor to circumnavigate the planet as a solo sailor. Apart from storms at sea Zac has to keep his eyes open for modern day pirates who wouild hapily relieve him of his techinical gear on board. Zac told me that his mother took him straight from the maternity hospital to the family yacht. when I asked him about schooling he said he was taking a "gap year". I'm sure his current education in crossing the globe will far outweigh sitting in a classroom in California. Zac has been lined up for all the top TV shows and documentary programmes. He will be taking a Christmas break and fly back to the USA before continuing his journey. You can follow Zacs adventures at his blog http://www.zacsunderland.com/blog/index.html

Choppers

Helicopters are great for getting to remote places quickly. They might seem glamourous to some but sitting for up to two hours in a confined noisy space soon loses the glitz. In this case we flew to the Swaziland border to cover a story on land re distribution which is always contentious. Sugar farms in the Pongola region have been bought out by the government. Selected tennants are then placed on these farms and given a chance to make them work. So far even by the governments admittance many have failed and once productive farms are in ruins. This time they feel they will succeed with more mentoring programs in place. After three years the co ops take over the farms. One can only wait and see. In the meantime SA continues to import food for the first time.

AIDS Day

Busi Mhlongo still knows how to belt out a song or two. She was doing her thing for world AIDS day in Durban.The politicians were there in full force telling the selected audience to use condoms and in general behave themselves. The new minister of health Barbara Hogan did not once mention eating beetroot and garlic to stave off this killer pandemic. Once the speeches were over the masses were given polystyrene containers of food while the "VIPS" retreated across the road to the Expo centre for a proper sit down meal.With about 7.6 million citizens of South Africa infected there is plenty of work ahead for the various health departments. Maybe they believe in what Napolean had to say.."An army marches on its stomach"

Against all odds

Asha Motala cuts a demure figure as she poses with her trophy. This diminutive thirteen year old managed to take on thousands of kids around South Africa and beat them all with a 100% test mark in the national science Olympiad. Asha comes from a humble family in Chatsworth. Mom is a refugee from Burma and her Dad was in exile in India. Asha said she started reading books at a young age and took on science as a special project. She would like to be a doctor one day. In her home there are the bare necessities. An old fuzzy TV and a tiny book shelf with some old encyclopedias . No computers or internet links just sheer hard work and a gifted brain. You go girl.

Birds of a feather

The only place in South Africa where they breed. White-naped Cranes are native to northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China, and adjacent areas of southeastern Russia. Habitat loss and degradation are critical problems throughout the range of the White-naped Crane. Destruction of wetlands due to agricultural expansion in the breeding range poses the most significant threat. Critical habitat is also threatened by a proposed series of dams in the Amur River basin and the Three Gorges Dam in China. Fortunately for Durban residents we now have five of these rare creatures. Two babies were succesfully hatched this spring at the Umgeni bird park and mom and dad are proudly showing off their chicks to the public. The "teenage" first born has been relegated to his own pen and will eventually be swopped out to breed with other captive cranes.

July 2009 Update. Seems like Durban's famous bird park will be shut down due to lack of funds. A sad day indeed!

Justice for All?

A man is accused of offering woman jobs for a fee. Together with his girlfriend the woman are then murdered and dumped in sugarcane fields. The first clue was when a dog was seen carrying a human head. Searches then revealed the bodies over a period of months. Finally the couple are brought to court. A contingent from the ANC womans league are on hand to protest the abuse of woman and children and lend their support to the victims families. A few are proudly wearing Jacob Zuma T shirts. Some might wonder at the irony of this.

Fatal Sequence of Events

It all started with a tanker parked on the side of the freeway just past the Ballito turnoff on the N3 north. At about five thirty in the morning a small pick up drove into the stationary tanker killing the driver. Polive arrived on the scene and began directing traffic. Unfortunatly the police car had no flashing blue lights and a further vehicle ploughed into the scene. The policewoman redirecting traffic was hit head on and died at the scene. A further two vehicles were then involved before road traffic officials were able to block off the freeway.Two dead and five injured some seriously.

No where to go

First they were hounded out of their own country. When they got to South Africa they were eventually met with a wave of zenophobia and once again had to run for their lives. Albert Park in Durban became their final refuge. They were given tents and food and encouraged to return to the Congo or the communties around Durban where they once lived. Some tried and were beaten up. Others managed to make their way back to the Congo. The tents and food supply were then removed. There is now only a small group of 56 living under plastic sheeting. They await the local authorities next move. The arrival of a TV crew gave the kids something to occupy their dull days with.(Update Oct 13 2008 Refugees are still there)