Mamparas of the week

This past week an online podcast hosted by Open chat Podcast hosted by Mthokozisi, Sonwabile, Lefa Hlalele, and Busisiwe Radebe, caused major upheaval in South Africa when the four hosts made derogatory remarks about coloured people in South Africa.  These remarks were racist, vile and totally uncalled for.  These insensitive remarks have left the coloured community and others in uproar, and various charges have been filed against the group. The group very quickly deleted the video, but not after it had been viewed more than 1.3 million times.  Unfortunately for the group, once something is out on the internet, it can always be shared, and in this case, this is exactly what happened.  I myself watched the video on Tik Tok where it was shared.

The group then issued a so-called apology, which was anything but an apology; they basically just justified what they said. Link below

Open chat so-called apology.  You decide

https://www.tiktok.com/@coloured24seve7/video/7535938897411444024?q=open%20chats%20podcast%20coloured%20chow%20cousin&t=1754649905938 

Instead of showing true remorse, this group have continued to be defiant on their show, angering the coloured community and other South Africans even more.

It is time for the government to make an example of these misfits who openly continue to be defiant, just like other racist people have appeared in court.  In 2018 a woman named Vicki Momberg was sentenced to three years in prison (one of which was suspended for three years) for her racist abuse of black police officers at a crime scene. These 4 misfits are all born frees (born after 1994 in a free and democratic society) and should have known better, having grown up in a democratic South Africa.

Personally, I hope that the courts throw the book at them and show them that racism has no place in a democratic South African society.  It is time that the courts take a zero-tolerance approach to racism.

Political Opportunism

Recently a number of news events have made the headlines in Cape Town.  One of the events that made headlines was the story of the junior soccer players at BT Football Academy who were left stranded in Portugal by the BT Football Academy owner. Thankfully after the intervention of a group called Colored Girls Rock  https://www.facebook.com/ColouredGirlsRock led by Tracey Lange, started fundraising, and the players were eventually able to return home to Cape Town after being abandoned by BT Academy.  

Sadly, however, instead of acknowledging the group's effort and congratulating them on taking the initiative, the Democratic Alliance (DA) put out the following statement. https://wc.da.org.za/2025/07/da-commends-wcgs-role-to-assist-stranded-soccer-players-in-portugal 

In its statement, the DA completely ignored mentioning the group (ColoredGirls Rock) by name, instead including the sentence, 'While there has already been private funding raised," thereby putting themselves forward as the saviours of the stranded players and coaches. Is this not cheap politics/electoneering, considering that South Africans will go to the polls next year in municipal elections and the DA is trying to stay in the limelight of the work that others have done?

My Canadian journey: A new beginning.

In many countries around the world South Africa (SA) is known as the land of opportunity. Blessed with an abundance of natural beauty this might ring true for those living outside of South Africa and who wants to explore South Africa natural beauty and take advantage of the favourable exchange rate.  For those living in South Africa, its natural beauty takes second stage as locals focus more on survival and surviving from day to day in a sometime hostile environment.

Because of political intolerance, poor economy, crime and corruption many families opt to leave South Africa in search of better opportunities in other countries.  According to an article in Business tech published on the 21 August 2022 https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/616761/heres-how-many-south-africans-are-leaving-for-canada-new-zealand-australia-and-the-uk/ (staff writer, 2022)., many people opt to emigrate to countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

One such couple who decided to go the route of emigrating and leaving the country of their birth is Wickus J (WJ) and Clint E (CE).

In his own words WJ tells us of their decision to move to Canada in December 2016.

My partner and I moved to Canada on the 21 December 2016, and we became citizens in September 2021. On the 21December, 2022 we will be in Canada for six years. We decided to immigrated for various reasons: the ongoing challenges in South Africa with regards to violent crime, corruption, and an uncertain future. (As two white males the chances of us advancing our careers in South Africa has been severely limited due to the South African government policy of Black Economic Empowerment, (BEE) which aims to facilitate broader participation in the economy by black people, especially in order to redress inequalities created by apartheid – this did not apply to us or our careers).

CE and I decided to move to Canada because we wanted a completely different experience to what we used to in the Southern hemisphere, and opportunities for uncomplicated travelling. My partner CE has lived in Holland before so he had some experience of living overseas.  Canada on the other hand would be a whole new experience for us. We came with the mindset that there will be no turning back, and that we will have to make it work as there would be no other alternative. We have never been to Canada before the day we immigrated, and we did not know what to expect besides watching copious amounts of YouTube videos regarding living in Canada, in preparation before our move. 

Because of my profession I was allowed to find work in Canada.  I was able to secure employment in Canada before we emigrated. We arrived in Canada on the 21 December 2016, 10 days before I had to start to work, which was about a 2-hour bus ride away from our house. We chose not to leave Canada for the first 3 years until we became citizens, accept in a case of emergency.

We used this time to explore our surroundings, and to buy the necessary basics (we arrived with our luggage which weighed 46kgs each, in 3 suitcases each). We had to find my bus route to work, and the closest supermarket, etc. For the first few months

we were dependant on public transport or walking (until one of us could re-do our driver’s licences). After two months my partner got his Canadian drivers licence and we bought a cheap second-hand car to get around. Driving on the opposite side of the road and sitting in the opposite side of the car was weird and it took us a little while to get used to this.

I used the bus to get to work for 2 years before I got my Canadian driver’s license and bought a car. Having my own vehicle cut my travel time to work by 90 minutes a day. Public transport is great, as it runs mostly on time, I always felt safe (with the drivers & commuters), and it only ran late twice in 2 years due to bad weather. The weather in Canada was a surprise, and much colder than we anticipated. When we arrived in Canada it was the first time I touched snow, we adjusted faster than we anticipated to the conditions in Canada (-36 on January 6, 2018 was the coldest we experienced). 

Living in Canada is easier than South Africa because everything works well and efficiently, banking, cell phone contracts, and public health were different to what we were used to, and an unexpected adjustment, for e.g., a more conservative financial system, and the public medical system was overloaded. Buying property is also very different from SA, and it is much closer regulated process, and the way you move in was new., for e.g., closing date & time). We were fortunate enough to buy our first property within seven months after moving to Canada as we used the profit from the sale of our property in SA as a down payment on our house. The first three years were tough financially because we had to build up a credit profile/score, and we were still a single income family at the time. We were fortunate enough to stick it out without too much effort as the sacrifices we made was worth it in the end. 

Covid-19 hit us really hard as it did the rest of the world but it was closely managed by the Canadian government with loads of lockdowns & restrictions. We listed to sell our first property just as Covid hit but were able to move to a new location before the huge property price hike in Canada during 2020. We are now a dual income family as CE started his own business venture and we live comfortably in the country side of Ontario. A dual income family living in Canada we have a higher/better standard of living than in South Africa, without the ongoing uncertainties & hypervigilance. 

Covid unfortunately also delayed the process of becoming citizens with 18 months due to staff shortages.

Travelling was a challenge before we became citizens. I think most South-Africans experience the same challenges because of the limitations the SA passports afford  Since we became Canadian citizens we have travelled twice outside the country since Covid restrictions has been become more user-friendly, once to South Africa in April 2022 (our first time since we immigrated), and once to the United States (USA). 

It is much easier being a Canadian citizen, and we decided to give up our South African citizenship. We have travelled vastly within Canada to explore our new country; it is huge and it has a lot to offer. Canada is also known as the country of immigrants which embraces diversity and it has a multi-cultural population. As a gay couple, we have never experienced any form of discrimination, and have been welcomed everywhere we have gone. 

We have managed to make new friends, it took time as we did not know anyone & it took time to meet new people outside of work but we find Canadians very friendly with warm personalities, and they love our South African accent & courage. I have not once regretted moving to Canada, it has become my home, and I will never be able to live in South Africa again.

Love and peace from Canada

WJ.

 

A presidential award. A presidential honour in memory of my son.

 In July 2018 Cornelius B. lost his son to gang violence in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, South Africa.  In a continuos battle to bring the murders of his son to justice Cornelius took up the fight to find the perpetrators of his son murder.  His son murdered is currently appearing in court afer being on the run for two years. To ensure that his son death was not in vain and to keep his memory allive Cornelius wrote to the President of South Africa and apply for a presidental award, which honours whose who put the well being of others ahead of themselves.  

This is the story as told by Cornelius

I applied in October 2018 to the Presidency when the invitation was made to be considered for these prestigious awards. Three years passed and I thought I was unsuccessful. In October 2021 I was informed that President Ramaphosa has agreed to bestow upon my heroic son Chad Basson the Order of Mendi for Bravery (posthumously).This is amongst the highest award to be given to any Citizen of the Republic of South Africa by the President under the different categories. It was an all-expenses paid event, from the shuttle picking me up at my house on the 17th of November for the airport, the flight tickets as well as staying at the 5 star Sheraton hotel opposite the Union Buildings.

I was chauffeur driven to every destination I needed to be at. The event was broadcast live on national television on the 18th of November. Before this auspicious event, there was a meet and greet session with President Ramaphosa as well as group photos. I was the proudest father under the sun when I had to walk up to the President to receive the awards, which included three pure silver medals with a small emerald in the middle as well as a beautiful scroll inscribed with my son`s details as well as the heroic deed he performed, personally signed by the president. I returned by business class to Cape Town on the South African Airways (SAA) on the 19th of November.

What also kept me sane during the last three turbulent years was that I wrote a manuscript about my beloved son and how his untimely death has  affected our family, friends, and the community at large. The book is titled "Not All Heroes wear Capes" Funding was the biggest stumbling book to have the manuscript publish and I had to embark on a Crowd funding campaign which raised only a quarter of the cost to have the manuscript published. The manuscript  is now with  a good hearted publisher, and I hope to have it published soon.

I will give up all the trips, awards, appearances at Parliament, hotel accommodation and meeting the President at the Union Buildings in Pretoria if I could have my son back....but unfortunately it does not work that way. My son had to die for me to be rewarded in all these magnificent ways.

*This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased!!!

I thank you.

Mr Cornelius B.

Christ the Saviour

Lentegeur

The day I lost my son:

Late last year, on 28th July 2018, to be precise, our lives as a family were permanently and irrevocably changed when ruthless criminals ended the life of my youngest son, Chad Basson. This was yet once again one of the daily/weekly incidents of barbaric acts of this mindless thugs, who in their battle for turf to maximise their criminal activities, fire indiscriminately in our communities on the Cape Flats. Most of the time it is the young, innocent souls who have to die as they fire indiscriminately.

My son, Chad, was brought up to make a change and be the change on this Earth of us and as parents we are so proud of the child who he was and the incredible young man he became! He matriculated in 2017 with distinction and had his whole future ahead of him! I was so glad that he was active in the church and was someone his peers could look up to.

On that fateful night, he attended a 21st Birthday party a few streets away, normally he would not even go that far away from home! After the party, he was chatting with some girls, when a car pulled up and began to shoot at people standing around the house where the party took place. Running into this particular house as the shooting continued started Chad instinctively, began to push people into this house. When he looked around, he saw that one girl was still standing alone with him in the yard. He then flung himself onto her, holding her tight and shielding her from the bullets. He died of multiple gunshots wounds, but the girl escaped unharmed. People of the house where the shooting took place, and the people that he saved afterwards were so thankful for Chad selfless deed as he didn’t know anyone of them personally.

When we were told ,we rushed to the scene but on arrival he was already deceased! Our world stood still as we cried uncontrollably. My wife and I lay next to him and rubbed his still warm hands waiting for the pathologists to arrive! I had to rush my wife to the hospital as she became in a zombie-like state. His siblings, three of them had to be comforted by friends and family as we were at the hospital. Then my daughter (his only sister) had to be booked in at Medical Centre for a month counselling. Before that we also attended short counselling sessions with the Department of Social Development.

During the day and at night, I was faced with having to attend to my sobbing wife or one of his siblings. We were sometimes living on sleeping pills. As the father, I had to be strong for them and decided to go to the morgue alone to identify his lifeless, bloodied body as well as attending to funeral arrangements! We are a close knit, God Loving and Fearing ,law abiding citizens but had to be worried as my one son, all good boys who behaved, said if someone must just give him a gun ,he would go look for them .Although we knew he wasn’t going to do it, we had to constantly keep an eye on him. On top of it for the last 15 months, we were frustrated as potential witnesses  kept on saying that they were too scared to speak out!

I love my whole family incredibly (although they say he was the apple of my eye!) and would take a bullet for them, not knowing that I would be too late to protect my own son. My family never went to church after my son’s murder and they still question God, but I am patient with them and go alone as the father. Our battle for justice is still continue!

Many Thanks

Mr C.Basson

22/11/2019

 

This weekend has been a dark one for the people of Hout-bay especially the people of Hangberg as first 2 policemen aged 26 and 27 were shot dead in Imizamo Yethu on Friday evening and then on Saturday a pleasure boat capsized near Duiker Island which resulted in the lost on 2 lives and 34 people being rescued from the icy sea, according to unconfirmed reports the engine of the boat seized and a waved rolled the boat over, the suicide of a young girl of Hangberg addicted to drugs earlier in the week  area went by unnoticed.

This is probably the 2^nd biggest sea disaster in Hout-bay in the last 6 years since 5 fishermen lost their lives in March 2006 when a wave capsized their newly refurbished crayfish trawler.  The killing of the 2 police constables were probably the biggest shock of all, everyday we read in the newspaper and we hear on tv of police personnel who have been killed in the line of duty but you don’t expect it to happen in your own backyard.

The response of the community has been great and a lot of people are outraged about the shooting of the cops during the course of their duty.  The police in Hout-bay are severely traumatized by needles shooting of their colloquies who were on patrol in Imizamo Yethu when they were shot at close range.

The capsizing of the pleasure boat has thrown out a lot of questions about the safety of the passengers on the boat and the involvement of poachers in the rescue, it is rumoured that the death crewmen gave his lifejacket to a child on the boat, truly a wonderful jester as would be expected from a fishermen.  This may have been the first time that a pleasure from Hout-bay has sunk.  Poaching is an evil that needs to be eradicated, but on Saturday they were at the right place at the right time and many lives were saved due to their quick thinking and willingness to assist.

Drug abuse among teenagers is rife in the Hangberg area and the kids can’t seem to get out of it as peer pressure is forcing them to do this evil if they want to be part of a friend circle and feel excepted, girls as young as 12-13 are caught up in drugs and spent late nights outside their homes on the street getting high on drugs and getting drunk.

It has been a sad week for the people of Hout-Bay Hangberg community and it was wonderful to see the people in the community pull together and supporting the families of the bereaved.

I am reminded of the bible verse ” I can do all things through Christ who strengthened me”, the power of God will indeed be seen in the people who are affected by this tragedy.

 

Our Adoption story: From heartbreak to Triumph

 In July- August 2014 mutual friends of my wife and I told us about the Arise adoption conference which were taking place in October of that year and where various adoption agencies would be displaying  their information and various guest speakers would be talking about the adoption process. Although we had spoken about adoption it was the furthers thing from our mind at that time.  Our daily routine at the time consisted of work, home, church and the annual visits to the Northern Cape to visit the wife family and socializing with friends.

On the 26^th November that year we got in contact with one of the agencies and after a brief telephone conversation with the adoption administrator we were emailed an application form which we had to work through and send back to the agency.  On the 12^th January 2015 we submitted our application form to the adoption agency. This involved also paying an admin cost. On the 23 January 2015 we met with the social worker to discuss the adoption process and were afforded the opportunity to ask question to clear up any uncertainty which we may have had at the time.

The first meeting out of the way to had to fill out a whole lots of forms including criminal checks and Form 30 application forms which we had to send to the Department of Social welfare in Pretoria.  We also had to submit the contact details of 5 references who could vouch that we would be good parents to a baby.  This was also the first time that family and friends became aware that we have started the adoption process. On the 15 May 2015 we signed the formal adoption agreement with the agency to confirm our commitment to the adoption process.

On the 25 June 2015 we went for a psychological assessment to assess whether or not we were suitable candidates to be parents.  An assessment feed needed to be made to the agency before the assessment took place.  This assessment was done with a psychologist and the assessment was done online after which we met with her on an individual basis and also as a couple to talk through the results.  Thankfully we were declared fit to be parents and it felt like the weight of the world has been lifted of our shoulders.

As part of the adoption process we had to create a profile of the 2 of us as a couple and as individuals.  On the 31 July we had a home visit with our social worker to determine if our home was suitable to bring up a baby and for her to help us with our profiles for the prospected mothers who will decide who they want to adopt their child and to talk through other questions we may have had.

On the 12 August we had a day long group session at the adoption agency with 6 other couples.  During this session we worked through various issued relating to the adoption etc.  We became quite close to two other couples who we develop a close bond with.

 

Hermanus Outreach

 

This past weekend a group from our church went on a short outreach to the Hemel en Aarde Vallei in Hermanus at the invitation of Jean and Noel Livesy to experience firsthand the work they are doing on the farms in the area.  Noel and Jean have been working on the Hermanus farms for the past 5 years after returning to South Africa from 27 years in the Philippines, working with the Manobo tribe. The drive to Hermanus was fortunately uneventful as the heavens opened up shortly after we left Cape Town – and so, with the rain pelting down on the cars we proceeded with caution over a dangerous mountain pass.

We arrived in Hermanus just after 13h00 and after the customary “Hello’s, How- are-you’s and Pleased-to-meet you” we sat down to lunch and a chat.  Noel and Jean shared with us the nature of the work they are doing in the Valley and Noel spoke of his personal experience when they started off in the Valley. Challenges there were a plenty and included gaining the trust of the farm workers in the area and their initial struggle to get buy-in into the vision.  Noel is an engaging storyteller and had our attention during tea, served with desserts and cakes. After exchanging some cake recipes we headed to the farm where the get together was taking place. We were told that a big rugby match was taking place on the neighbouring farm and to expect only about 15 people at the gathering. 

 Arriving at the farm we introduced ourselves to one another and engaged in some activities which we planned before hand.  As the farm workers are predominately Afrikaans speaking and some of our group members spoke limited or no Afrikaans, my wife Sonja (who was on her 1^st missions outreach) and I acted as translators for the group. Much fun and laughter was had by everyone as we learned about one another and about God and what He means to us as individuals during the 90 minutes we spent together.  Not even an almighty downpour of rain could damper the spirits of anyone.  After some more treats and coffee we said goodbye to our new friends with a promise to return soon - we met as strangers and parted as friends.

 After popping in at the Livesey's on the way home for a quick goodbye we hit the wet road back to Cape Town –filled with joy and happiness.  The 6 of us who went on the outreach brought their own God-given talent on the outreach - from helping someone during the games, , acting, singing to sharing stories on a particular topic. The presence of God was truly present amongst us. Our thanks to Noel and Jean for sharing their precious weekend time with us and for allowing us to observe the work God has called them to do in the Hemel and Aarde Vallei of Hermanus.

Xhosa Rituals

 

Xhosa Rituals: the initiation School ( As told by K.F)

Why this custom:

The Xhosa culture in South Africa practice the art of circumcision to prepare and teach young boys the diverse techniques and responsibilities of resisting the challenges of being a man.  The boys are taken to initiation schools in the bush or mountain for a couple of weeks where they are taught how to make quick and correct decisions, to respect those more senior than (to) them as well as how to be selective about what they consume in their lifetime as a man.

What is the right age? When are the boys old enough to go the initiation school?

The boys themselves cannot unilaterally claim that they are ready to go (to) initiation schools; they can only express their desire to do so. Drawing from experience the elders of the clan are the only ones that are qualified enough to make this decision. Factors taken into consideration are age, mental and physical maturity and in some cases education.

The ritual:

Traditional customs must be observed before the boys are sent to the initiation schools.  If any of these procedures aren’t followed correctly it could have a severe impact on the boys while they are busy with their initiation into manhood.

If a baby boy has not undergone the Imbeleko ritual whereby a castrated male goat is slaughtered to introduce him to the ancestors of the clan, he has to do the ritual before he leaves for the bush or mountain.  If this is not done then the boy might not respond positively to the initiation process.

As for physical readiness the boys must be checked to see if they have  performed the Ukuphondla  and the Ukuqhawula, this is the process whereby the foreskin that covers the head of the penis is pulled down and the three arteries that connects the head of the penis to the shaft is cut off. Both these processes are extremely painful and can take up to a week to heal.  Both these processes can be done long before the boys are ready to go to the initiation schools although most boys tend to delay the process until their late teens.

The boy’s initiation ceremony into manhood has financial implications and the immediate family responsible for the ritual would meet to discuss the budget. Once they have reached consensus a date for the ceremony will be set for the boy to go to the initiation school.  These include paying for a traditional surgeon (Inqcibi) and a traditional nurse (Ikhankatha)

On the behavioural side, the boy is instructed to abstain from doing certain things, including refraining from sexual intercourse for at least seven days before the circumcision day and consuming alcohol at least a day before the actual circumcision. Disobeying any of these restrictions may result in undesirable results during circumcision and the healing period.

The boy’s father or any of the male elders of the clan will organise an experienced traditional surgeon Ingcibi and a traditional nurse Ikhankatha.  It is the responsibility of the traditional surgeon to cut the boys foreskin, while the traditional nurse will be entrusted with looking after the boys during the initiation.  Because the initiation ceremony is strongly believed to be sacred by the Xhosa clan, both the Inqcibi and the Ikhankatha must be of sober. On the morning of the ceremony the boys leaves for the mountains early accompanied only by men who have done the initiation ceremony before.

Arriving in the mountains the boys run to the river to bath themselves.  By the time they come back from the river a lodge Ibhoma has already been build for them where they will stay for the duration of their initiation ceremony.  In urban areas the lodge is build from plastic and the cardboard boxes.  As soon as the boy arrives at his lodge he is instructed to sit flat on the ground with his legs wide open.  All this time the traditional doctor (Ingcibi) hides in the bushes avoiding contact with everyone.  It is only when the boy is ready that he will appear, walk straight to the boy and examine to the boy to see if he has undergone the Ukuqhawula and Ukuphondla. Once he is satisfied that this has been done he takes out a traditional dagger and in a swift motion he cuts the boy’s foreskin.  The boy is then instructed to shout Ndiyindoda (I am a man), the boys facial expression are closely observed when he shouts these words. 

The boys must not show any signs of having felt any pain.  If he has suffered any pain it indirectly indicated that he is not likely to endure the pains that will follow and he may decide to escape from the mountain. It is the responsibility of the traditional nurse to keep a close eye on the boys during this period.  Immediately after the foreskin is cut all the men present at the initiation ceremony will examine the boys foreskin to satisfy themselves that the traditional surgeon has done a proper operation.  From his bag the traditional healer will take out a special leave Isichwe which he will wrap around the boys wound with a traditional bandage Ityeba.  The boy is then led into the lodge which also signals the end of the traditional healer involvement during the initiation ceremony.  From this point on the traditional nurse provide the nursing care duties.

The boy is now referred to as an Umkhwetha (an initiate).  For the first day he will smeared with mud on his bald head and face.  From the second day onwards until the traditional nurse gives the all clear he smears his body with white clay which helps to protect him from snakes and keeps him clean as he cannot bath until he has healed completely.  The initiates do not wear any formal clothing but covers him with a blanket.  The first week is the most painful and critical period.  The traditional nurse has to ensure that the wound is kept clean and the traditional bandage Ityeba and special leave Isichwe are changed 3 times a day.

Every time the bandages and leaves have to be changed the initiates undergo new pain.  They are not allowed to drink pure water during the first week. The only sip of water they must take during this period is always mixed with pure white clay.  The only food they must eat is half cooked dry grains of maize with no salts or fats.  Only natural’s herbs are used during this period as medication.  After the 7 day period and once the traditional nurse is happy with the healing process the mother of another family member will be instructed to start cooking food for the initiate with salts but no fats. The initiate are now also allowed drinking pure water, tea and coffee.

After about 2 weeks the wound will show signs of healing. During this time a goat or sheep will be slaughtered.  This ceremony is called Ukojiswa and is in a sense giving permission to the initiate to start eating fatty foods and to hunt wild animals for their meat.  He is now allowed to go to the river to bath on a regular basis.  Only his face is now smeared with white clay this makes it easy to differentiate between the new initiates Makoti and the older cured initiates Amaqqala.  The dress code also changes and the Makoti no longer covers themselves with a blanket except on cold days. In urban areas the Makoti will cut up a blanket to make himself a short skirt called Isibheshu and a matching top.  Hats or caps are made out of cardboard

After four to five weeks the Makoti are completely healed and they are ready to be send home.  Only the Amaqqala are allowed to fetch the Makoti from the mountain.  On the day of his return home the men chase him to the river to wash.  On his return from the river the elderly relatives anoints him with a special ointment and smears his whole body with white margarine. They are then covered with a new white blanket and they hoist a black stick in front of their face. Their faces are covered with only an opening for one eye so that they can see path home. His lodge is now set alight and burned along with all the belongings he used during the initiation period, depicting the new beginning as a man.  The Makoti is not suppose to look back and see his belonging being burned down,  On his way home he is assisted by the boy who helped him in the lodge during the initiation period. This boy also hoists a black stick and covered with a new white blanket.

When he arrives home he is led to the kraal where the admonition of the young (Ukuyalwa) takes place. The first people to have that opportunity are the elderly men of the community. They will give him gifts such money or livestock. During the warning of the young, he is told to respect older people and the society at large. He will then be dressed in new clothes and sent to join other members of his social status (Amakrwala).

Glossary of the Xhosa Ritual:

Imbeleko: A castrated male goat is slaughtered for a baby boy to introduce him to the ancestors of the clan.

Ukuphondla: The boy must be checked if he has pulled down the foreskin that is attached and covers the head of the penis.

Ukuqhawula: Cutting off of all three arteries that connect the head of the penis to the shaft.

Inqcibi: An experienced traditional surgeon.

Ikhankatha: An experienced traditional nurse.

Ibhoma: Lodge

Ndiyindoda: I Am A Man

Isichwe: Special Leaves

Ityeba. Traditional bandages

Umkhwetha: An Initiate

Ukojiswa: This is the time when a goat or sheep will be slaughtered.

Ukuyalwa:

Amakrwala: Social Status

Makoti: New Initiate

Amagqala: Old cured Initiate

Isibheshu: A short skirt

Izigqwathikazi: Contact with women

 

 

 

How well do you know your country

 

This past weekend my fiancé and I hosted a few friends for dinner for some catching up. As we sat in the kitchen chatting and making small talk before dinner I got to know 1 of the guests whom I met for the first time as  a down to earth guy, well spoken with good Christian values. He is a senior manager at 1 of the biggest telecommunication companies in the country which I will refer to as Company T….?As we had dinner the conversation led to his area of expertise telecommunications. It is a well known fact that my fiancé is not fond of his company. Being a well spoken articulate man he acknowledged that there are service delivery problems and human nature plays a role in this, i.e. it not uncommon for a service consultant to say to a client that because they live in a less affluent area their problem will not be seen to immediately. This is not the policy of the company and any service consultant making statements like these can be fired. He then asked her just 1 question: “How well do you love your country?” Not how much do you love your country?

He followed up this statement by saying at the end of this evening you will be an ambassador for his company. He proceeded to explain how on a flight back to Cape Town he stood up to take his laptop from the baggage compartment overhead and the person sitting behind him remarked “ You work for company T….? I hate Company  T….! Feeling the eyes of the entire airplane on him he knew he had to say something and he simply said Company T…. Loves you. During the flight down to Cape Town he and the “Company T- hater” struck up a conversation and he proceeded to inform the person of the ins and outs of his company and its operational procedures. As they disembarked in Cape Town this person walked away with a whole new perspective of Company T……

Back to our dinner guests - my fiancé said that she loves our country and wants it to succeed. Our friend informed us that if his company T…. and Eskom(Electricity supplier) were to fold or get sabotaged the entire country would come to a standstill. And thus our “lesson/conversion” started….There are 5 cellphone operators in the country and some of them claim to be the leader in the field when it comes to telecommunications and make claims that their networks are the best.  However what these companies don’t tell you in their advertising is that they are dependent on company T’s infrastructure to continue operating optimally, ie if I were to make a phonecall from one mobile operator to another the call is connected from tower A to tower B between the networks and the network charges us accordingly, however for tower A to connect to tower B a cable has to be connected between the 2 and this is where Company T comes in. If Company T cuts off the connection between the towers, mobile operators will not be able to operate as they claim they do, and they would only have connection in a small area- this of course will lead to major chaos in the country.

Banks play a major role in any country-and as to be expected people want access to their funds from the moment it is deposited into their account – the public does not care about logistics. Once again the banks rely on company T’s infrastructure to make this possible.  1 of the major banks is company T’s biggest client with a monthly bill in excess of R300 million and in order to keep this client’s CEO happy, Company T has dedicated staff 24hours a day to ensure that this bank’s system is up and running at an optimal level at all times.  Internet service providers offers clients uncapped data on adsl with the promise of quick internet connectivity and speed - what they fail to tell customers is that they buy their bandwidth from Company T and as soon as the internet service provider notice that a particular customer is using a lot of bandwidth they start to throttle the customers connection to the internet. Should the customer then call in to complain about the slow internet connection, the service provider will then simply put the blame on Company T without acknowledging their role.

It cost Company T roughly a R1 billion each year to lay new cables to ensure that all telecommunication are up and running at all times - unfortunately external factors like theft and staff dishonesty and the theft of copper cables by syndicates are major problems. Government has for years ignored the call to make the ownership of copper a license requirement. It was only until copper cable theft affected the Gautrain that government took heed of this call and plans are now afoot that will require all copper dealers to be licensed to deal in copper. Telecommunication companies are more prone in using fiber optic cables to negate the theft of copper. Because work are always ongoing in telecommunication, the general public would not be able to differential legitimate operators from thieves when if new cables are being laid down – these syndicates invest millions in trucks and operate brazenly.

Staff dishonesty is also a problem within Company T - if a client calls into Company Ta call centre consultant would ask the client a few basic questions to ascertain the nature of the problem and to see if the issue can be resolved over the phone. This is done to save the client money as it could cost the client R780 in call out fees if a technician is sent out to look at the line to rectify the problem. Unfortunately some dishonest technicians charge the client on the spot and pocket the money without issuing a receipt. The correct procedure requires the technician to capture the job in his logbook and capture the details on Company T’s system once the work is done. Some clients aggravate this dishonesty when they ask technicians to do work privately and then offer the technician a sum of money “under the table” in exchange for the work done.

Unfortunately Company T is government owned under the leadership of the minister of Telecommunication, the minister has 25 advisors who advise him/her on various aspect of the business, these advisors however will not compromise their own interest in the field and would normally advise the minister with advice that will benefit their own interest as the minister is government appointed he or she may not have any knowledge of how to run the business.  The idea or feeling is for the government to privatise Company T. In the past there has been foreign owned companies who wanted to take over a majority share and invest money for further development - these companies however would want to have management control. These companies have no loyalty to the host country and can walk away at anytime, - an example is telecommunication company AT&T who invested R5 billion in a company and walked away with R45 billion 5 years later.

We as local people in the street don’t know what goes on behind the scenes in big companies and we often complain when things don’t go our way, but when an expert in the field shares inside information it certainly is an eye opener and we look at our companies with new respect purely on the basis of what they can do for us.

Amazing race to 40

 

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO, this countdown was what 11 teams have been waiting to hear since we accepted an invitation to a friend’s 40^th birthday bash on the outskirts of the Western Cape .  All the teams knew was that the start was at Pascals at 09h00 am on the 24 August in Napier, 2 hours drive from Cape Town.

After a quick cup of coffee and croissants the teams were sent on their way by the race marshals. The 1^st clue took us to the Millitaria museum in the town where we had to take a picture of the Der Fuhrers Signature with another team which had to be sent electronically to the race organizers before in order to receive our next clue.  After searching around for a while, all the teams found the clue and we were off to the next stop in the race a 20 minute drive away where we had to find a church whose congregation consist of washed-up old wrecks and take a picture of the Marie Elise statuette and another photo opportunity with a rival team.  With the museum only opening at 10h15 all the teams had a chance to catch up to one another.  As a lover of history I completely got lost in what was to offer in the 2 museums and it cost my team some valuable minutes.  In the shipwreck museum I missed a valuable hint when I was asked by the curator if I had seen the clue inside the main hall and answered in the negative.  Her confused smile said “It is inside”.  After finding the clue and my wife (who was searching elsewhere) we had our picture taken and were on our way to the 3^rd leg of the race, where we had to find a place that is big enough to house a ‘wagon’.

A phone call from team 1 with whom we had to take a picture sent us on our way to Waenhuiskraal nature reserve and a cave.  My attempt to hitch a ride in a 4x4 was unsuccessful and we had to walk more than a kilometre to the cave in loose sand. We received a celebratory Champaign drink and then proceeded over the slippery rocks to have our picture taken inside the cave while it was still low tide. Teams then received their next clue which sent us off on the 5^th leg of the race, taking the road less travelled via the farm Prinskraal to the Cape of Needles and on route have a picture taken with sheep.  As the signage to the farm was facing the wrong side of the road most teams drove past before eventually making a U-turn.  On the way we uncounted another road block as some cows from a nearby farm had wandered onto the main road. A bit of confusion ensued when a message came through that all the teams had been given the wrong clue and had to go back to Willene’s Arts and Craft in Kassiesbaai for lunch and the 4^th clue.  Following strict instructions from the race organizers the hostess at Willene told the teams of the next step in the race and the protocol each team had to follow. The 5th clue, which every team knew already, took all the teams back to Prinskraal.

Here some teams got delayed as their smartphones could not scan the next clue for the instructions which would take them onto leg 6 of the race to Pondjiebotter.  By now nerves started to fray as teams drove off into the unknown and phoned around for help. By now cars were low on petrol and drivers were looking out for the nearest petrol station.  The long drive to the next clue caused tension among drivers as uncertainty took hold of them;some co drivers also were not up to speed and were of no help to the drivers.  After stopping for petrol and asking for directions to the next clue the teams finally arrived at Pondjiebotter to look for the Ghost that protects the town at the entrance to the town of Cape Agulhas.

With cellphone batteries nearly dead and morale now at an all time low, teams were going through the motions to get to the end of the race. Next leg of the race took the teams to the lighthouse in town where every team ended up waiting for team 5 who wandered off to buy wine. The next clue took the teams to the southernmost tip of Africa and another photo shoot-this time with team 6.  With tired legs and weary bodies the teams arrived at the southernmost tip of Africa.  We spotted 1 of the race organizers giving us the idea that the race was almost over.  Leg 8 of the race took us to a parking lot from where we walked onto the beach looking for a clue which led us to a house at the bottom of the beach, which thankfully signalled the end of the race.

The amazing race was a great concept with teams determined at the start of the race to win. This mentality soon gave way to camaraderie as teams got to know one another and enjoyed each other’s company throughout the day.  The speeches at the party was a great testimony to the birthday girl, as friends and family celebrated her birthday throughout the night.

The Mayonnaise Jar

 

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 hours in a day is not enough;
remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and start to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again
if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
 
The golf balls are the important things - God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions
Things that if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are
important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time
to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand
and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Hiking in the West Coast National Park

 

Hiking in the West Coast National Park, Postberg reserve is awesome. If you a keen hiker get a group together and go, head up the R27 going north- way up the West Coast road.

The Postberg Reserve is only open to the public during August and September. After the San Park official talked us through the rules and regulations and mentioning that the walk would take roughly 4 hours we were on our way.  Excitement gripped our group when he mentioned that we would spot lots of wildlife. Off we went and almost immediately we came across 2 tortoises, 1 sadly just an empty shell.  2 Blue Cranes welcomed us as we passed the marshland where they were resting.

Upon reaching the top of the lookout point, the heavens opened up which made the clear visibility of the animals difficult. We had a bird’s eye view of the Langebaan lagoon to our right and Saldanha Bay to our left. Throughout the day we saw Ostrich, Gemsbok, Cape mountain Zebra and their babies and Bontebok etc. it appears that there must have been some dispute between some of the Zebra herds as 1 of the herds kept on chasing after another herd.  According to 1 of the park officials 1 of the male Zebras has challenge the alpha male in the group for the leadership of the group.  Interestingly the Zebras has all been given names by the San park officials which all starts with a Z.

Flowers were plentiful all day, beautiful Yellow, Orange, White, Pink and Purple all enjoying the sun that was playing Peek-a Boo all day.  Walking along the amazing coastline we saw huge waves upon waves breaking on the rocks below us.

Almost 5 hours and 15 kilometres later we came to the end of the hike or so we thought only to be told by the San Parks official that we missed a loop near the end. This did not matter to us as by this time we were tired, wet with sore feet and in serious need of a good cup of coffee.

As we left the reserve, we came across an Ostrich couple taken their little ones for a walk down the exit road of the park.  The West Coast National Park certainly has it all, flowers, wildlife, birds, but more importantly its the unmistakably Natural beauty that makes it worth going.

A homeless tale of seeking?

Bergies, Vagrants, Homeless,Strollers, Car Guards, Beggars - whatever we have learnt to call them, they are all around us. Vagrants and homeless people will hang around in one place and will either sleep in a night shelter or out in an open area protected from the elements, a stroller will move from place to place, do odd jobs and move on to the next area. We “see” them on the train singing, on street corners, in fact anywhere there are people or regular movement. They are young and old, moms, dads, even entire families who each occupy a corner - waiting for the traffic to come to a stop before approaching the often blank faced motorists at the traffic light or hurrying pedestrians for money or food. Often they don’t verbalize their need – an outstretched hand, pleading eyes, and sometimes a makeshift sign spell out the immediate need.

It is not uncommon for vagrants to target people who have helped them out of pity ones before. They hang around the shop and when they see “their” benefactor approaching the shop they intercept them with their “own shopping list”. My colleagues and I often observed a young lady with her 4 young kids – all under the age of 12. Her place of work: a corner on a busy 4 way stops. She stands with her youngest child on her hip and as soon as the traffic comes to a stop she would walk up the road, waving at the drivers while on the other corners the other 3 young kids (when they are around) would approach drivers of other cars or passing pedestrians for handouts. Begging is the norm, it has become second nature to them. On occasion we chatted to the kids who told us that they travel by train to Observatory from the Cape Flats to beg with their mom. One day, my colleague gave the dad (who is normally never around and just happened to be there) a few slices of bread which were quickly wolfed down without any thought being given to his wife and youngest child nearby.

I have observed that some homeless people go to bed early - if you were to walk down Lansdowne road Claremont, you would see them cleaning up their sleeping area and getting ready to settle down for the night in any available space they can find. Some vagrants do have their dedicated space they go back to every night- in alleys or simply in front of a shop or door. Store owners have unwittingly come to see the advantage of having a “security guard” right on their doorstep, while for most owners the stench left behind is comprehensible, and sees them actively trying to discourage and chase away these homeless souls. Off course, when the shop owners come to work the next day these people are long gone. Most homeless people have a regular sleeping spot which they see as theirs or those who can afford it sleeps in a night shelter where they pay about R10 for a bed for the night.

However, not all homeless people are happy-go-lucky. Some are loud, disrespectful, rude and have absolutely no respect for people or their donations of food. I have seen and heard about food being dumped in the nearest bin or in the street– their frustration evident as the withdrawal symptoms demand a top up of alcohol. Who knows what emotions they hope to suppress -perhaps too dull the pain of a bad memory or of poor choices made? Unfortunately for the vagrants their behaviour led to people turning a blind eye to their plight. Some car guards have adopted a pro active approach and demand money from drivers as they pull out of parking bays at malls, directing them in a half drunk stupor and the drivers are left to wonder if their cars were guarded. In the end, their methods are all justifiable to them I suppose – they need to receive something to eat from someone, if only these beggars could try and find a regular job even if it means sweeping the streets.

Which is more rewarding -begging on the streets or doing a regular job? If given an opportunity some beggars would probably want to return to a normal lifestyle. However the majority however find begging on the street and moving around more appealing than having to deal with social issues. 

Poachers and Poaching

Recently 2 stories made news headlines in Cape Town, in the 1^st story a pleasure boat the “Maroshga” capsized off  Hout-Bay and 2 people ( a passenger and a crew member) lost the lives, in another incident in Hawston outside of Hermanus poachers attacked a police station in protest of what they call “abuse of power” by the police, 7 police vehicles were damaged or destroyed  and 2 people including a 13 year old boy were injured .In the Hout-Bay incident poachers were busy diving for abalone when the Maroshga got into trouble, quick thinking and assistance by the poachers led to only 2 lives being lost at sea.

Most of the poachers on the ground live in poor communities with a high unemployment rate and see stealing from the sea as their only means of an income since their parents or grandparents are or were fisherman who have lost their jobs as fishing companies were unable to secure fishing permits which would have allowed them to fish from the sea and earn a living.  Speak to poachers and they will tell you that they are doing this so that they can put food on the table and feed their families.

This is partially true as these poachers 'syndicates sell the abalone to the highest bidder for huge amounts, normally Chinese syndicates who smuggle the abalone out of the country for the Asian market.  From the money poachers earn they would buy better equipment (ski boats, scuba gear, air tanks etc), pay staff and finance their lavish lifestyles, flashy cars, clothing, alcohol and the smoking of drugs, rowdy behaviour is not uncommon and little or no respect is shown to the neighbours, in most cases only a small percentage of the money poachers earn filters down to their families.

Smuggling syndicates would contact the poachers with an order for abalone or poachers would alternatively contact the syndicates with an offer of abalone. Poachers would go out either under the cover of darkness or in broad daylight.  Poaching crews normally consist of a boat skipper, diving crew, and mules (to carry the abalone) and the ring leaders of the whole operation. If the poachers have a rowboat hidden away near where they will be poaching they would employ an oarsman to row the boat out to where the divers are busy poaching. What would normally happen is that not the entire crew would go out if poaching takes place during the day, normally it would only be the boat skipper and diving crew on the speedboat without any diving or poaching equipment with them, just normal fishing gear. The rest of the team would either drive or walk over the mountain to a designate area. 

After catching the abalone the speedboat would drop the illegal catch and diving equipment off from where the catch is then either carried or driven back to the home base. From here buyers are contacted and the abalone would be delivered as far afield as Joburg (Johannesburg). South Africa has protected marine reserve areas where no fishing or diving is allowed, because of a lack of man power to patrol and protect these areas it is open to abuse, it these areas that poachers target and poaching takes place. There are designated areas where anti poaching units are based to monitor the sea. These units would go out to sea and patrol the areas or watch from the beach and monitor the movement of poachers as they engage in their illegal activities.  If poachers see the anti poaching unit approach they would dump their catch overboard and try and make their escape, as the poachers will have nothing on them they can’t be charged with poaching, they can however be charged with trespassing in a nature reserve and the skipper could be charged with skippering a boat without a skippers license.  

In undercover operations at night the anti poaching unit together with the police will have sting operations whereby the anti poaching unit will go out at night and creep up on unsuspecting poachers under the cover of darkness and make arrest before the poachers had a change to dump their catch back in the sea and the divers are still in the water, in some cases police divers will be in the water already and intercept any bags of abalone the poachers tries to dump.  

If poachers happen to make to land the police will have roadblocks in place to stop the poachers from getting away.  Often a anti poaching unit will arrive at a lookout area among the dunes and see poachers racing away from them,  a high speed chase will ensue which may result in poachers being captured, this however is not often the case as poachers tends to fire at any of their pursuers.

 Poachers are well known in the area they live in because of their illegal activities and as long as the communities they live in protect them from the police the battle against poaching will be loss and poachers would continue poaching under the guise of putting food on their family’s dinner table

 

 

 

Mandela Day

As Nelson Mandela celebrated his 95^thbirthday in hospital, South Africans along with the rest of the world have celebrated his birthday.  Not only is 18 July his birthday, it is also the day when South Africans are called upon to give 67 minutes of their time in honour of this great man who gave 67 years of his life to fight for the freedom of all South Africans from the enslavement of apartheid -most notably affected by this oppression, were the non-white community of South Africa. His birthday day is now known  International as Mandela Day.

 Prior to 1994, the white community benefitted most favourably from the reigning government policies. Since the ANC government took over, it has made it a priority to right the wrongs of the past with policies such as the Black Empowerment Policy, whereby previously disadvantaged people are given opportunities for advancement in the workplace – an attempt to close the divide of many years of white rule.

 Somewhere along the way, the ANC government lost its focus of prioritizing the needs of the poor and the needy and many destitute people were forced to look after themselves with little or no help as the support systems within government were unable to keep up with the growing demands. Those affected, say they find themselves worse off than in previous years.

Government officials elected by the masses have thus far become known for their empty election promises, which repeat itself every 5 years. Unfortunately, because of a lack of education or due to blind loyalty for the ruling party, these down trodden communities continue to vote with their heart. We are trusting that the legacy of Nelson Mandela will not be forgotten, and that South Africans will free themselves from the emerging oppression of selfishness, which seems to reign far and wide within politics today.

On Mandela Day, many companies and individuals dedicate 67 minutes of their time to help the less fortunate.  Acts of selflessness can be anything – some paint schools, clean streets or make sandwiches.  Surprisingly, not everyone is aware of the meaning of Mandela day. Some are not sure why it is 67 minutes; some don’t even know about Mandela day - 18 July is just another day. If you ask a young person what they think of Mandela Day, they will say it is a good idea as we need to give something back to our communities. The more cynic say, come the 19^thof July, caring for the needy is all forgotten again and people go on with their lives as before. There is a mentality of “I did my bit on Mandela day”.  The question of sincerity is raised when the larger corporates, who support Mandela Day, ensure media coverage advertises their contributions. These corporates can make a real difference to the lives of the less fortunate, by contributing on a regular basis.

 Needless to say, Mandela Day should not just be about giving and receiving - those on the receiving end of this day’s spirit of community, should be empowered with skills to improve their plight and those of their neighbour.  Mandela Day is a great initiative and definitely a worthy cause – may we remain steadfast in spirit as we grow in desire to dedicate our lives, to make this word a better place for all of US.