Last Update: Dec. 26, 2000
Last Update: Dec. 26, 2000 |
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Tourists flocking to cheap, sunny SA South Africa has become one of the most popular holiday destinations among British and European tourists. According to British Airways, South Africa is their fourth most popular long-haul destination this year after New York, Singapore and Miami. This is an improvement for tourism, as last year South Africa was rated sixth. The increase in tourists is attributed to the strength of the pound against the rand as well as the cold, gloomy weather in the northern hemisphere. With excess rain and flooding over the past few months, many residents of the UK and surrounding European countries have chosen sunny South Africa as their holiday destination. Two other major airlines, Sabena and South African Airways, also report an increase in the number of people flying to South Africa. A Sabena spokesperson said South Africa was a popular choice particularly for people from Belgium and for Swiss expatriates coming to visit family members. Alitalia was not able to give figures, but said there had been an increase between December 1998 and December 1999 and that an increase was expected this year. Spain's Iberia airlines said South Africa was ranked high on its list of most visited countries. Meanwhile, Johannesburg International Airport has become increasingly busy with overseas holidaymakers stopping in Johannesburg before catching connecting flights to coastal and inland areas. In April 1996, Johannesburg International became the busiest airport in Africa. In the past financial year, it handled 10,7 million passengers and 323 533 tons of cargo. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnIlda Jacobs Washington D.C. - Ek kan skaars skryf vanoggend. Die trane lê sommer baie vlak. Vanoggend bel my liefste ouma met haar bietjie geldjies uit 'n klein dorpie in die Transvaal uit om vir my geseënde Kersfees te sê. Ek kry 'n e-mail van my ma waarin sy sê sy hou nie die jaar kersfees in haar hart nie, want haar kind is nie by die huis nie. Miskien sou ons vreeslik baklei het as ek by die huis was. Oor die nuwe "Tuiste vir almal" dokument wat Antjie Krog en Carl Niehaus geloods het. As jy die dokument teken, het dit implikasies. As jy wit is, erken jy aandadigheid in apartheid en jy maak 'n finansiële bydrae. Jou handtekening beteken: Ja, ek is deur apartheid bevoordeel, ja, ek dink wit mense het almal deur die bank aktief of passief bygedra tot apartheid. Ja EK HET AKTIEF OF PASSIEF BYGEDRA TOT APARTHEID. Vra jouself vandag die vrae. My ma sê sy is nie skuldig nie. Moet sy nou vir haar wit vel om verskoning vra, vra my ma? Soos swart mense in die apartheidsregering vir hulle kleur moes? Sy sê sy het nooit nasionalisties gestem nie, en my pa ook nie. Ek weet nie mamma. Ek weet nie met wie ek saam stem nie. Alles is so relatief. My ma en my pa was "polities liberaal" volgens standaarde in klein Afrikaanse dorpies. My ma was 'n onderwyseres by 'n "gekleurde skool", my pa 'n dosent by die Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland. Hulle was nie NG kerk, soos die meeste Afrikaners nie. Hulle was Valies wat skielik in 1984 in die Afrikaanse voorstede van Kaapstad "agter die boereworsgordyn" kom intrek het. Ons was anders, ons het dit van altyd af geweet. Daarom was Stellenbosch universiteit nie eers vir my 'n opsie nie, want dit was die Afrikaner bastion. Daar was geen swart mense in die suburbs nie. My 5 jaar ou kop het gedink dit is maar 'n geografiese gegewe: sommige plekke in die land het nie swart mense nie. Eendag het ek by die skool gese my ma'le stem PFP. Dit was soos 'n kriminele oortreding. ALMAL was nasionalisties. So ek het geglo my ma'le was anders, nog altyd. Nou moet ek baklei om hulle te verdedig. Want hulle was nie liberaal genoeg nie. Hulle was nie aktief in die Struggle nie. En hulle moet om verskoning vra. Dan moet die Britte ook om verskoning vra, sê my ma. "Ek het vir alles bleddie hard gewerk." Wat van die arme vroue wat uit die konsentrasiekampe gekom het met niks nie? Wat van die plasie waar my oupa grootgeword het wat eers in 1986 elektrisiteit gekry het? My ma was 'n myndorpie- kind; hulle was brandarm. Sy't in die bank gewerk tot sy geld gehad het vir haar studies. Al hierdie goed gaan deur my kop. Suid-Afrika maak nog steeds van alles 'n swart of wit issue maak. Dit is nie so eenvoudig nie. My ma se Frankryk moet verskoning vra, en die hele Europa. Ek dink daai ou simpele NP regering moet boet, P.W. Botha in sy mansion in die Wildernis, die mediamagnate wat informasie van ons weerhou het, ek dink nie daardie mense regte skenders moet Amnestie kry nie..ja, ja, whatever, sug almal oor my tirades. Die feit van die saak is, elke dag as ek aan Suid-Afrika dink vanuit die vreemde, sien ek die arm swart vraagstuk. Die misdaad. Die AIDS. Dan konfronteer die geskiedenis my. Almal kan maar moun en kla oor die regering en korrupsie en sê ons moet die verlede agter ons sit, maar ek vermoed ou attitudes klou nog vas, orals. Ek dink miskien is hierdie dokument "Tuiste vir Almal" noodsaaklik omdat rou nerwe aangeraak word. Dit dwing jou om jouself te konfronteer. Dit laat ook daardie inherente, geindoktrineerde rassistiese houdings,orals hulle monsteragtige koppies uitsteek. Ten minste is daar die een of ander vorm van progressie: Ouma was gekant teen die Britte en het Nasionalisties gestem. Ma was gekant teen die Nasionaliste, en het PFP gestem. Toe kom hulle deurmekaar Afrikaanse dogter en vra te veel vrae en kry te veel antwoorde en immigreer na die VSA. As ek begin om verskoning vra vir my velkleur en my geskiedenis, bely ek dat ek nie meer in Suid-Afrika hoort nie? As ek bely, wat ek bely ek? Ek het kryte en boeke en 'n goeie skool gehad. Op die een of ander manier het ek uit apartheid voordeel getrek as 'n jong wit, Afrikaanse meisie'tjie. Ek weet ouma gaan nie bely nie. En sy het KP gestem. Oorspronklik VP, en sy wou nie vir die Natte stem nie. Toe stem sy maar KP. Konserwatiewe party. Ouma is 'n pensioentrekker, het 'n matriek agter haar naam. My oupa, dood net 'n paar maande na Mandela uit die tronk gekom het, het 'n standerd ses agter sy naam gehad. Met ander woorde hy is uit die skool uit toe hy 12 of 13 jaar oud was. Hulle, die Afrikaners, het na die Boere-oorlog die land opgebou tot 'n sogenaamde modelstaat met embarrasingly goedkoop arbeid en al die gruwels wat daarmee saamgegaan het; in die proses het 'n paar mense ryk geword en ander het middelklas gebly. En ander het arm, arm gebly. Is steeds vandag arm. Die legacy. Die Legacy van apartheid. Van arm grootword, is ma en pa nou middelklas. Sien daar is progressie. Dalk gaan ek hier in die VSA 'n man kry en dollars opgaar en ryk wees. Progressie, evolusie, wat ookal. Dalk gaan ek terug na Suid-Afrika en teken daardie "Tuiste vir Almal" en bou aan Suid-Afrika, op my manier. Soos my ma op haar manier probeer bou het: Ons het kleurlinge vir tee gehad in 1985 in ons woonbuurt en die bure was verstom. Ons het grootgeword en met ander kleure gespeel en tot in 1988 onthou ek hoe my ma die onbevoorregte "nie-blankes" probeer help het. Een ding weet ek kan ek voor dankie sê: Ons het grootgeword met "Jy moet jou naaste liefhe soos jouself." Daarom kon ek in 1991 toe die skole oopmaak, en die eerste nie-blanke meisie verlore op die skool speel grond staan, pouse by haar gaan sit. Ja, ek wou IETS demonstreer, as 'n 13 jarige met 'n konsep en 'n hero met die naam Nelson Mandela. En dalk was ek hipokrities en daaroor skuldig, maar dit was daardie iets wat my ma en pa gehad het, wat my gedryf het. Ek het goeie intensies gehad. My ma, en my KP ouma, het ook nog altyd net goeie intensies gehad. Goeie intensies is nie genoeg nie. Is my familie skuldig? Is ek skuldig? Bely ek, betaal ek? Gaan ek terug na SA toe? Hierdie Kersfees is alleen sonder my familie met hierdie hartseer vrae in my kop. Dit is my droom Kersfees, spierwit buite en die wêreld vol sneeu. Dit voel asof alles skoon is, witgewas is, asof die wêreld vol is van die genade wat ek, en my familie en my land so nodig het. Kytie K. Kytie Koekblik would like you to respond to her tongue-in-cheek running commentary on suburban life in America in this editorial. Fresh off the boat, she is ready to explore and experiment with American bath plugs and to drive on the other side of the road. You can contact her here. © RSA-Overseas & Matheson Communications [ Top ] SA holiday road death toll hits 614 The death toll on the country's roads had risen to 614 since the start of the festive season on December 1, Arrive Alive said on Tuesday. Of those killed, 148 were drivers, 241 passengers and 225 were pedestrians, the road safety agency said in a statement. KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest death toll with 110 followed by the Eastern Cape with 102. Arrive Alive spokesman Ntau Letebele said traffic volumes on many national routes was likely to increase from Tuesday as holidaymakers began returning home. He said the N1 south from Pietersburg was also expected to be extremely busy as members of the Zionist Christian Church returned from Moria where they had held their Christmas festivities. The bulk of holidaymakers were expected to begin returning home from Wednesday, said Letebele. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] Jan Ellis still in critical condition The condition of former Springbok rugby player, Jan Ellis, is still critical but stable, SABC radio said on Monday. The 58 year-old Ellis is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit at the Eugene Marais hospital, after he was shot and wounded during an armed robbery at his Rayton home, east of Pretoria, on Friday night. Ellis, who played 38 tests for the Springboks, was allegedly attacked by four armed men after collecting money from a petrol station that he owns. He was shot in the head and stomach during a struggle with the armed robbers who fled with the money, estimated at R2 000. His house was also ransacked and the robbers allegedly stole some household items. Police are investigating charges of attempted murder and armed robbery. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] Beach breathalysers a blow to boozers Lifesavers at Big Bay in Cape Town set up a "beach block" and conducted breathalyser tests on bemused bathers planning to go swimming to check whether they were sober enough to ride the waves. Reginald Johnson, a holidaymaker from Bloemfontein, looked alarmed when the breathalyser soared to 0,61mg per 100ml of blood - above 0,05mg/ml is over the legal limit - but insisted he had only had one small beer that morning. While the "beach block" raised laughs and was just a lighthearted gimmick to raise awareness, the underlying message was serious. Drownings account for the second-highest number of accidental deaths Seventeen people have drowned since November 1, most at beaches on False Bay and four on the Atlantic seaboard. Nicholas Reyneke, a SA Lifesaving spokesperson, said calls to the government and big business for support had gone unheeded. "Nationally, lifesavers have already pulled more than 600 people out of the water this summer alone and we're expecting even more drownings as people flood to the coast for their holidays," he said. The statistics are alarming: a person drowns every eight hours and drownings account for the second-highest number of accidental deaths, after car accidents. Yet South Africa relies predominantly on volunteers to save lives and the government provides little in the way of resources. More than 77 905 people have been rescued from drowning "Everyone assumes lifesavers are employed full-time, but most are volunteers and do it for nothing," said Reyneke. SA Lifesaving has a proud record: more than 77 905 people have been rescued from drowning since the association's inception in 1933. But a massive budget cut earlier this year and a constant battle for sponsorship has forced the organisation to put many of its educational and development plans on hold. Reyneke said 80 percent of drownings were alcohol-related and urged people not to take chances. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] SA sex ranch set to ride into the sunset The Ranch - Gauteng's most notorious upmarket brothel - may finally close for ever. After fifteen years in business, the owner of the club, Andrew Phillips was hit hard on Friday when most of his possessions were seized in surprise raids on his 19 properties. Up to R100-million worth of goods - including 20 cars, persian carpets, massive televisions and all of Phillips's belongings apart from "necessary household items" - were believed to have been taken from his luxury homes in Johannesburg's northern suburbs by the Assets Forfeiture Unit. A black Mustang and a Mercedes convertible were among the vehicles driven off. Although the official estimate was that his possessions were worth around R40-million, it is believed that the figure could climb to R100-million once everything has been seized and tallied. Forensic auditors are not sure whether they have tracked down everything. It is known, however, that Phillips was valued at R67-million when applying for one bank bond and at R45-million when applying for another. This is in spite of declaring his income at around R120 000 a year for tax purposes, unit head Willie Hofmeyr told the Saturday Star. Phillips's luxury homes include two residences in Morningside, Sandton - one with a special shower which accommodates at least three people at once. His lifestyle is likely to be severely curtailed as he will now have to live on an allowance decided upon by Deloitte and Touche. The firm has been appointed curator of the assets until a court case, in which Phillips faces charges relating to the Sexual Offences Act, has been finalised. The charges include keeping a brothel, living on the earnings of prostitution, bringing about and receiving consideration for the commission of people for acts of indecency, procuring females to have unlawful carnal intercourse and employing people regarded as illegal aliens as prostitutes and dancers. In February, The Ranch was raided by police and 44 prostitutes, Phillips and a bouncer, Mathew Palmer, were arrested. Back then, the upmarket club was boasting "90 of SA's hottest showgirl babes giving bust and behind as they bounce their boobs and grind their groins". It was alleged that at least one South African celebrity had been present at the time of the raid. Prostitutes from Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Thailand, Malawi and Zamibia were arrested in terms of the Aliens Control Act after being unable to produce work permits. Fourteen were later released after it was found that they were in fact South Africans. Phillips was released a week later on R10 000 bail - and Palmer on R1 000 bail - after being charged in Randburg magistrate's court with contravening the Aliens Control Act. Phillips later claimed that the raid severely affected his business clients, who apparently include prominent businessmen and married men who had been too scared to return to the upmarket establishment after the raid. In March, he sent video camera footage of alleged police brutality during the raid to the Independent Complaints Directorate. Phillips has persistently denied the charges against him, claiming they stemmed from corrupt Aliens Investigation Unit members, against whom he had once testified. He was not available for comment on Friday and failed to put in an appearance at any of the seizure scenes in spite of having a set appointment with the unit at around 1pm. Instead, angry staff protested outside The Ranch, saying it was a cruel blow to strike just before Christmas. "Why this place every time?" asked the men's club chef Annie Mahlangu, one of several to point out that far more dubious establishments in the city centre had been left alone despite engaging in similar activities. Even the club's neighbours sided with Phillips. One said Phillips was very co-operative, acted promptly on complaints and was merely a "soft target". Theo van der Heever, a Deloitte and Touche trust director, said a decision on permanent closure would be taken once "the situation is clarified". Although the companies targeted include some linked directly to The Ranch, auditors will first have to ascertain exactly the extent of control which has been obtained over the business before a decision can be reached. It is possible that The Ranch could stay open until the outcome of Phillips's trial to avoid damages claims from staff for job losses if he is not convicted. But this might mean Deloitte and Touche may have to effectively be operating a brothel, or something along those lines. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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