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Last Update: May 20, 2001 |
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Sharks crush Cats - off to OZ for final If Sharks coach Rudolf Straeuli had words of advice after his team's stunning victory against the Cats, he could have done worse than quote Muhammad Ali. "These eliminations are only imitations - it's not the real championship," was what Ali said before Joe Frazier and Jimmy Ellis met for the world heavyweight championship in 1970. This was after Ali was stripped of the title by the World Boxing Association and the World Boxing Council for refusing to do military service in Vietnam. The Sharks are in a not too dissimilar position. Stripped of their dignity following the ignominity of finishing rock bottom of the Super 12 last season, the Sharks have regained their supremacy as South Africa's top regional side after reaching the final of the competition by routing the Cats 30-12 at Absa Stadium on Saturday. But, in truth, the semi-final was only an elimination. This Saturday sees the heavyweight championship of the world as far as regional rugby is concerned. The Sharks have fought with courage and have emerged triumphant so far but, realistically, at best they stand a "puncher's chance" in the final. The ACT Brumbies, whom the Sharks will meet at Bruce Stadium in Canberra on Saturday, have the grace and style of Ali. They, like Muhammad, rely on speed and skill to outdo their opponents. The Sharks, much like "Big" George Foreman, rely on brute strength, pressure and determination. It was those traits which saw off the Cats on Saturday, but let's be honest, the Johannesburg-based outfit never really had the stomach to fight. Had it been a boxing contest, the referee (in this case Australia's Stuart Dickinson) would have called a halt to proceedings halfway through the contest. And no one more epitomised that lack of stomach than Cats flyhalf Louis Koen. Who knows how he became a Springbok, let alone be allowed to play at Super 12 level? In boxing parlance, he should be in the amateur division. One man who is certainly not in the amateur division is Brumbies flanker George Smith, who tore the heart and soul out of a Queensland Reds team which included Wallabies skipper John Eales, ace fullback Chris Latham and a host of other stars. Smith will instil fear into the hearts of even the most hardened Sharks supporters, but the dreadlocked loose forward holds no such worries for big Charl van Rensburg. "We can't just look at George, even though he had an outstanding match against the Reds; we have to look at the whole side. "It was just like against the Cats, we couldn't just look out for the likes of Johan Erasmus or Dean Hall. "To do that would be narrow-minded. To do that, one would be wearing blinkers," he said. Straeuli has the luxury of going into the final with no serious injury worries, which is more than can be said for the Brumbies. Centre Stirling Mortlock, who boasts a goalkicking average of above 70%, walked off against the Reds with what appeared to be a serious shoulder injury. And flanker Owen Finnegan has picked up a suspension for stamping during the game. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Dit was asof tien maande skielik in my kop ontplof het. Soos 'n slow motion movie sequence. Ek het die bob bruin hare gesien en begin hardloop, deur die groot glasdeure en haar sommer so bo-oor die relings buite die "domestic arrivals" vasgegryp en skielik was my pa se bekende glimlag en bril ook iewers tussen my trane en my letterlik het my hart skielik aan stukke begin breek, sommer so eensklaps was dit asof Kytie terug was binne haar regte vel en alles het ewe skielik net sin gemaak en ingepas, dit moes HIER wees waar ek hoort en ek kon nie ophou huil en huil en huil nie, tien maande se verlange en trane en tough en onafhanflik wees en skielik was ek weer iemand se dogtertjie, en my pa sou my tas dra en my ma sou vir my kook en ek sou saam met my familie na 'n restaurant kon gaan en lang ente langs die strand gaan loop, maar op daardie oomblik, daardie groot oomblik, het niks saak gemaak behalwe die OOMBLIK nie. Dalk is dit hoe die einde van jou lewe behoort te voel, wanneer jy skielik jou lewe in repeat en in fast forward sien en jy al daai oomblikke onthou waarin jy alleen was, so alleen, op metros in Washington DC en op straat tussen die bleek onvriendelike gesigte van New York en op jou rusbank in 'n rowhouse met gesigte wat alewig vrae vra omdat jy nou maal eenmaal 'n foreigner is, 'n alleen foreigner, 'n temporary alien van planet Suid-Afrika. Daardie lewe het afgespeel en toe ontplof, ontplof in my kop, en uit my keel uit geglip en ek kon voel hoe my gesig vertrek, vertrek, ek was weer Kytie met 'n famile, 'n struktuur, 'n Kytie wat HOORT, 'n Kytie met foto-albums en 'n verlede en 'n geskiedenis en 'n home en honde. Ek voel asof ek weer 'n mamma en pappa en ouma het, het ek vir die drie bekende gesigte gese, bekende gesigte, met glimlagte en trane en liefde soos ek vir tien maande nie gesigte gesien het nie, en my ma het gese, waar is jou bagasie, en ek het skielik onthou dat my hele lewe nie by daardie GROTE oomblik van reunie geeindig het nie. Iewers in my deurmekaar vreemde hart van die afgelope tien maande het ek gedink as ek die dag terug kom van die VSA, en met my familie reunite, sal my lewe eindig. Asof tyd sou ophou bestaan en ek net vir ewig tussen die arms van my familie en die Berg sou kon bly staan en huil en huil, 'n hoogtepunt waar my lewe sou kon ophou. Dit het nie. Daar gaan nog baie goodbyes en reunies wees, elk so moeilik soos die laaste. Ek sit vanaand in tik, en ek kan Blouberg se see ruik, en die branders raas en my twee hondjies le by my voete en my ma en pa slaap rustig en oums snork liggies en die grootboet met sy nuwe halfgeskeerde look le en leer vir sy derdejaar half jaar exams, en ek is al klaar hartseer. Ek hou my honde vas asof ek desperaat is; ek raak kwaad want alreeds is alles weer normaal,asof daar nie tien maande verby is nie, maar asof tyd weggeval het en asof ek nooit weggegaan het nie en asof ons al klaar gewoond is daaraan om vyf borde te dek en tjops op te skep vir Kytie ook, en ek weet, binne twee wekies is als alweer oor en verby. Dan is kytie weer vreemd, iewers anders, aan die move, move, daar is mos drome en ambisie, en ek kan mos nie vir ewig by ma en pa freelodge en happy go lucky toeris wees nie, en dalk is ek daarom hartseer. Oor alles noodwendig moet verander. Alreeds sien ek Heinz ketchup in die nuwe Spar, tien maande terug was daar nie so iets nie. En ek wens ek kan net die oomblik soms 'n bietjie rek, pause druk, die oomblik laat aanhou.. Ek weet nie asof ek OOIT in die pas van hierdie lewe sal inpas nie, ek leef te veel in slow motion. Dalk probeer ek om te veel te leef in 'n kort ruk, dalk wil ek in 'n tyd leef waar tyd van tyd tot tyd gepause word. Sodat ek nooit ouer as 23 hoef te word nie, sodat ma en pa en boet dieselfde ouderdom kan bly, sodat die honde nie skielik epileptiese toevalle begin kry nie, sodat ek nie ouma se 75 ste verjaarsdag hoef te mis nie. Dalk is dit dan wat die reunie vir my laat besef het, ek is skielik bewus daarvan dat tyd vinniger verby gaan as jy ouer word. Te vinnig, ek probeer daaraan vasgryp en dan raak ek stuck in die verlede. Alreeds is daai grote oomblik op die lughawe verlede, dalk skryf ek kyties om die verlede te probeer vasvang en om dit te herleef. Ses ure telefoon verskille en die groot bills en die e-mail van die afgelope tien maande het my definitief nie voorberei op die grote oomblikke wat voor jy hulle behoorlik kan verstaan, tussen jou vingers deur glip en verlede word nie. Ek is vanaand 'n bietjie hartseer. Ek kan nie vir altyd 'n dogtertjie wees wat met die honde in haar arms le en wag op mam op koffie in die bed te bring nie. Ek kan nie vir altyd die 23-jarige wees wat vir die eerste keer huis toe kom en in trane uitbars en voor al die mense huil "Ek voel asof ek weer 'n mamma en pappa het nie." Ek is nou die groot kind wat vinnig-vinnig vir 'n heen en weertjie huis toe gekom het. Ek is dit nie vir altyd nie. Ek het nie 'n dag jonger geword nie. Die familie en die land ook nie. 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 ] Cape Town roads closed for movie shoot The up side of having the action movie Manhunt shot in Cape Town is the money it will generate for the city - but the bad news is that several roads in the city centre are going to be intermittently closed, starting this weekend. The movie, which stars South African actor Arnold Vosloo, is set to generate an income of about R60 million. Saturday's closures will affect road traffic while Sunday's will affect mainly pedestrians. On Saturday one lane of Darling Street between Parliament and Plein streets will be closed to traffic from 7am until 2pm. Darling Street between Plein and Adderley streets will be closed from 2pm until 7pm. Parliament Street from Darling to Longmarket streets will also be closed from 2pm to 7pm. On Sunday, the lane of Wale Street in front of St George's Cathedral will be closed to traffic from 8am until 3pm. Government Avenue from Wale Street to the South African Library will be closed to pedestrians from 10am to 3pm. Pedestrians are asked to use the Queen Victoria Street entrance to the Company's Garden. Special effects such as the sound of gunshots will disturb the peace on Sunday. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] Brandy drinking cops in trouble Gauteng MEC for Safety and Liaison Nomvula Mokonyane has come face to face with the police's inefficiency and lack of discipline. During a round of surprise visits to police stations in Soweto and Eldorado Park over the weekend, Mokonyane was horrified to find, among other things, two on-duty police detectives drinking brandy with friends while case dockets lay on the roof of their police car. Despite the under-resourced police officers who work hard, she also discovered serious cases of poor discipline. Mokonyane started the random visits as a follow-up to reaction to her public awareness programme, during which people complained of poor service at police stations, particularly at night. Late on Saturday night at Eldorado Park police station she found two detectives drinking brandy in a police car with five friends. Said Mokonyane: "When they saw us, the detective who was seated in the driver's seat ran away. We apprehended the one who remained behind and found him drunk while in possession of a state firearm. "The driver, who had fled with the car keys and left the car unlocked, kept phoning his colleague to ask what was happening. He refused to disclose his whereabouts." "When the branch commander arrived, we decided to start internal disciplinary action." She pointed out that collusion among officers was an obstacle to disciplinary action and would have to be dealt with. At Jabulani police station, Mokonyane found a police vehicle being illegally used by the head of communication and the human resources chief respectively over alternate weekends. "This was when the vehicle was most needed," she said. "It is simply unacceptable and I have taken up the matter with the police station," Mokonyane said. She refused to be served by police officers who sat eating at the client-service centre at Jabulani police station, unaware that they were dealing with an MEC. "One of them had food in both hands when he (eventually) came to the counter and asked if he could help me," an angry Mokonyane said. At Kliptown police station she discovered that domestic violence cases were not noted in the register during weekends because the female officer responsible for the task was only on duty on week days. "It is common knowledge that many domestic violence cases occur during weekends. That is when they should be noted in the register," Mokonyane said. She singled out Naledi police station, which is supposed to serve high-crime areas, as "so pathetic it is not fit to be called a police station". She said the client-service centre is too small. "There is no privacy in the case of rape and other sensitive cases." Democratic Alliance spokesperson on safety and liaison Shelley Loe commended the visits. "It is good that the MEC is taking her monitoring and evaluation programme very seriously." But, said Loe, the police could not be held responsible for the dearth of facilities in their work environment. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Ragel Nel ColumnRagel Nel Washington D.C. - Dear Readers, welcome to my soapbox, my rage page, my brand new column. Henceforth, I wish to see you gathered here weekly at the mercy of my weak wit, watered down wisdom and manic musings. (Shown here in my desperate attempts at clever alliteration.) All of it remnants of the humour and heartache stemming from a divinely unique South African upbringing. Something we can all still relate to, I'm sure, no matter where in the world we find ourselves today. In my case: Baltimore, Maryland. A ruggedly charming harbour city on the East Coast of the United States, north of Washington D.C. and, roughly, south of Philadelphia. But allow me to save the travelogues for a rainy day. First, I would like to enroll your help. You see, having a very own weekly column is possibly the highest honour that can be bestowed on any journalist. (All right, perhaps second only to the Pulitzer Prize. But it's a very close call!) Let's face it, most journalists are an opinionated, attention starved bunch. Therefore a column is just what the doctor has ordered to get rid of all that pent up, undiscovered genius. I have been a fan of the genre for many years. Ever since I discovered the weekly wisdom of Karel Kabouter (a pixie, reporting from Fairyland with a juicy tell-all letter.) which I faithfully read in Die Huisgenoot every week as a pig-tailed girl. Eventually I graduated to newspaper columnists on the Op Ed pages of big South African dailies like Beeld, Pretoria News, and The Star. One of my personal triumphs came when I managed to bribe my way into being published in Stoep Talk, a hilarious piece of work by James Clarke. Now that you grasp the importance of a column, you probably understand how improper and utterly unacceptable a column without a name will be. And that, dear reader, is where your fierce originality comes into play. In a clever (even if I have to say so myself) ploy to discover how many readers I have (or don't have… but let's be gentle for now.), I would like some input from you to … drum roll, please … name this column! At stake is, well, the honour of seeing the name you suggest slapped onto this column every single week for as long as Webmaster Coetzee allows me the cyber space to produce it. Promptly e-mail your suggestions to redafrica@hotmail.com until I say stop. (Oh, such power.) See you next week! © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Strong opposition to renaming Cape Town streets The Cape Town unicity mayor, Peter Marais, seems to have buckled under mounting pressure regarding opposition to the renaming of Adderley and Wale Streets by extending the deadline of the public participation process. He wants the streets renamed Nelson Mandela Drive and FW de Klerk Street respectively. The three-week extension means that the renaming ceremony, planned as part of the city's Youth Day celebrations on June 16, will be postponed until further notice. The initial deadline for public input was today. Marais denied that he has buckled under the pressure, and said the extension was an effort to widen the net of public participation. "This is not buckling. There is enormous support for this initiative, but it became clear that we need to open and extend the process," he said. However, Marais's announcement comes after growing speculation that most of the opposition to his initiative is coming from inside his own party and that this is a reflection of a split between the Democratic Party (DP) and the New National Party (NNP), together forming the Democratic Alliance (DA). The mayor's disappointment at the delay was reflected in his statement to the Cape Times in which he said the initiative was intended "to honour two of South Africa's greatest leaders in a manner which would symbolise reconciliation". "This would symbolise reconciliation not only between all South Africans, but also between black and white, the Groote Kerk and St George's Cathedral, and set Cape Town on the road to tolerance and non-racialism," Marais said. The mayor has also recommended that a multi-party committee of the council be established to assess the comments received and advise council via the executive committee on the steps to be taken. Marais added that the relevant portfolio committee would investigate and report to the executive committee on policy and criteria for the future renaming of streets, buildings or public squares. He was adamant on Sunday that despite media reports to the contrary, the responses to the renaming initiative had been "overwhelmingly positive". However, it also showed that people were "very poorly informed and few addressed the need for reconciliation". "All citizens of this country should show these two great statesmen the utmost respect and gratitude if reconciliation is to be achieved. "At the same time, the emotionalism around the possible name changing should make way for sober, intelligent reasoning," Marais said. Mandela and De Klerk where informed of the latest development at the weekend. The renaming saga has turned into a political hot potato and the first serious challenge, not only for the mayor, but the DA's marriage partners, the DP and the NNP. At the weekend, Marais accused traditionally DP-aligned businesses of racism because of their opposition to the renamings. Marais returned recently from a local government conference in Rio de Janeiro to face a barrage of criticism from across the political spectrum and organised business about the proposed name changes. The mayor has admitted that there were rumblings within his own party, while a survey by the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry has shown that its members were against the renamings. The DA's national management committee will discuss the renaming saga on Tuesday. At the weekend, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) showed the press a traffic summons which had the name Nelson Mandela Drive in brackets next to Adderley Street. The UDM warned that Marais's "window-dressing attempt" to test public opinion may well end up in court. UDM provincial secretary Grant Twigg has also called for a multi-party committee of the unicity council to be established. "This committee should ask Markinor and Idasa to test the opinion of the public through a referendum with an electoral college. "They can establish what a representative sample would be. An independent process to test the opinion of the public on the proposed street name changes to Adderley and Wale streets is the only solution," Twigg said. The UDM has also rejected the "lashing out attempts" by Marais against businesses in Cape Town as being opposed to the renaming. "To accuse business of being racist is low-level politics of the mayor. "The UDM has spoken to numerous business owners in Adderley Street who are excited about the proposed renaming of Adderley Street to Nelson Mandela Avenue. "They welcome it, as it could be the city centre's biggest marketing tool. "Tourists will flock to the street, even if only to drink a cup of coffee in such a world famous street," Twigg said. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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