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Madiba pays warm tribute to Nkosi Former president Nelson Mandela, paying tribute to the late Nkosi Johnson, has called on all South Africans to take the lead in a drive for moral renewal based on respect for women and children and a restoration of the father as a role model to create a caring family environment. He also called for a spirit of optimism among the country's leaders and teachers. "Moral regeneration starts at home," Mandela told an audience of 80 invited guests on Friday at a lunch hosted by his daughter Zindzi to pay tribute to him as a father under the auspices of the Hyatt Women of Vision Club. The guests included Andrew Young, a former United States ambassador to the United Nations. The event coincided with the International Day of the Child and the beginning of Child Protection Week in South Africa. Nkosi Johnson passed away early on Friday morning. Intermittently reading from a short prepared speech, Mandela spoke for more than 40 minutes about matters of the heart. His speech was peppered with dozens of anecdotes from his days in prison and the lessons he had learnt from reading about how people had triumphed over adversity. The recurring theme of his largely off-the-cuff speech was the interplay between the potential of the individual - once he or she had set their sights on a goal - and the primacy of the community as the context for achieving social progress. "The important thing to remember is that no single person can do everything," he said at one point. But he also returned repeatedly to the potential of the individual to triumph over adversity. "Some people are broken down by disaster, others are able to turn that into a triumph," he said, citing several case studies of people who had defied medical science to achieve what doctors said was impossible. "Once a person is determined to help themselves there is nothing that can stop them," he said. He said that Nkosi Johnson was an excellent example of someone who had triumphed over adversity and in so doing was a role model to children and adults alike. Mandela appealed to ordinary South Africans to become leaders in their own right and not to always look to the political leadership to solve the country's problems. Healing the society and solving problems, he said, had to be a collective act. "We are always surrounded by people who have done more than us," Mandela said. "Sometimes it pains me to see the real thinkers and the real architects of this transition who are never mentioned," he said. "Its no use thinking that President Thabo Mbeki or Deputy President Jacob Zuma or tourism and environment minister Mohammed Valli Moosa can solve all the problems. "You are leaders in your own right. You don't have to be a president or a former president - or a pensioner like me - to serve the society." Mandela also called for a spirit of optimism among teachers and leaders. "We need to work on and improve our thinking and our emotions. A good teacher is always optimistic without gloating over the problems which beset us." Dealing with the issue of family values, Mandela said that while women had taken the lead in this respect, men had a key role to play in moral renewal. "It begins in the home and the father has an important role to play in his conduct towards his wife and daughter and other women in the family," he said. "His conduct will determine to a large extent how his sons will conduct themselves in their own lives and how much confidence and self-esteem his daughters will go out into the world with. "The family helps create a climate of caring that can have long-term effects. "Our society needs to re-establish a culture of caring. "The young and vulnerable are being abused and very often it is by their own parents. The mother knows but does not want to report it to the police. "So it is a very difficult situation for the policy to deal with," he said, attempting to shift the responsibility onto society and family members themselves. Mandela said that the realisation that women were equal to men was "one of the most important developments in South Africa" in the past decade. Mandela described Nkosi Johnson as an "inspiration to both children and adults in how to deal with adversity". "He turned catastrophe into a triumph," Mandela said of the young boy who captured the hearts of South Africans across racial, religious and ethnic divides. Mandela received a framed painting made up of the imprints of the hands of young children suffering from HIV/Aids. The painting was presented by nine-year-old Lesego Mhlanga, who has been HIV-positive since birth. Lesego was abandoned in the KwaMhlanga region of KwaNdebele and is now under the care of Major Lenah Jwili of the Salvation Army. Jwili runs the Bethesda House sanctuary for HIV-positive and abandoned babies and orphans in Klipspruit, Soweto. Jwili said that when Lesego was abandoned there were no institutions in the country that would accept HIV-positive babies. Bethesda House opened its doors to HIV/Aids orphans in 1993 and Lesego was the second child to be admitted. The sanctuary currently cares for 18 such children and Jwili is working with 100 families with HIV-positive children. "For the first six years, Lesego was nurtured on love and nutrition," Jwili said. It was only last year that he was put on medication and anti-retrovirals. "Lesego shows that there is still hope," Jwili said. "He came into my arms at 18 months and now he is nine years old." Mandela hugged the boy and exchanged jokes with him. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Jissie ma dissoe lekka innie Kaap, dat ekkie wil terug kommie. Ek skryf vanaand langtand aan hierdie rubriek, die woorde wil net nie kom nie. More klim ek op daai plein en ek los my mooi land agter my en ek is nie so seker hoekom ek dit doen nie. Ek het seker baie redes, die ervaring oorsee; die sterke dollar waarmee 'n mens so baie kan doen al het jy min; die mense van oral oor die wereld wat jy kan ontmoet; plekke wat jy kan sien; jy leer om selfstandig te wees; jy bou ervaring op en verbreed jou horisonne.; jy jaag jou drome, ideale en ambisie. Baie redes. Ek het ook my politieke redes. Ek is in die VSA om 'n ambassadeur te wees vir SA, en ek dink ek is 'n dekselse goeie een ook. My hart is immers op die regte plek, een maal 'n Souf African, altyd 'n Souf African. Ek weet dat ek weet my hart is oppie regte plekke: gebreek oor die land, 'n stuk le in Meyerton se rooi grond waar my ouma allenig in 'n woonstelletjie bly; 'n stuk le in begraafplase in Pietersburg en Lichtenburg; 'n stuk le in 'n kastrol in die kombuis van die huis op Kuilsrivier; 'n stuk le voor die kansel van die AGS Kuilsrivier; 'n ander stuk hol in die koshuisgange van Rhodes universiteit rond; ander stukkies le tussen dorings en grond en stof in die Bosveld en op Stellenbosch en by die Breerivier en op Oudshoorn en die res van my hart le in Blouberg by ons nuwe huisie by die see. Langs my sit my ma en speel computer games en sy stel nuwe rekords op; my pa le op die bank en kyk die een of ander stupid tv program op SABC 3, een van daai bizarre laatnagmovies; en Koos van die Bos, my broer met sy weekoue baard loop in die huis rond en mors sy eie tyd want hy willie leer nie en die eksamens begin Dinsdag. En teen Dinsdag wanneer hy die pen op tel om Fisika 3 in sy moederstaal te beantwoord en wanneer my pa sy tweede koppie Nescafe op kantoor drink en wanneer my ma met die twee brakkies gaan stap langs die strand in BLouberg, gaan ousus op die vliegtuig wees, alleen. My vriende, my dierbare developing world vriende van Suidelike Afrika is almal versprei oraloor die wereld en ons is almal alleen en ek weet nie regtig wat ons dink ons doen nie. Ons verbreed die horisonne. Sommige ontsnap van Suid-Afrikaanse politieke realiteite. Sommige reis, ander soos ek word deel van die suburbia in wereld stede. En my hart bly agter, in stukke, oraloor die dorpies en stede van Suid-Afrika. Langs my le die twee hondjies in hulle bed, altwee het hulle ou Transvaal rugby truitjies aan, rooi-en wit gestreep le hulle daar met sulke groot bruin ogies en loer vir my. Hulle weet iets is aan die gang, en hule ounooi is oppad iewers heen. As ek met die diertjies kon praat sou ek vir hulle se: Julle ounooi weetie wat sy doen nie. Sy kies: Die Maklike Pad of die Moeilike Pad. Ek dink juis in die Sondagskool het ek geleer, die Moeilike Pad is die pad wat belonings bring. Ek wag op daai belonings. Om maklike paaie te kies, sou wees om te se, ek bly hier innie Kaap want ek is lief vir die Kaap en my pa, ma, ouma, familie, diere en vriende, en ek sal die beste maak van wat ek het en nie het nie... Om die moeilike pad te kies, is om alleen in 'n vreemde land agter my ambisie te kom aan hardloop. Die British Airways ticket is klaar gekoop, ek is oppad terug DC toe, maar home is definitely where the heart is. So Kytie is nie Kytie nie daar in die District nie, sy is 'n foreigner, 'n vreemdeling, 'n temporary alien van planeet Suid-Afrika. 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 ] Viljoen might have surprises up his sleeve Even though the Springbok training camp has some way to go, South Africa coach Harry Viljoen made his first move on Friday evening when a shadow team ran through some moves. The make-up of the team was rather interesting, with the major surprises involving Percy Montgomery running at fullback, De Wet Barry and Japie Mulder forming the centre combination and André Venter partnering Mark Andrews at lock. On Saturday morning, Viljoen started with the exact same team - Montgomery, Paulse, Barry, Mulder, Hall, James, Van der Westhuizen, Vos, Krige, Erasmus, Andrews, Venter, Meyer, Smit, Le Roux - but he soon involved the entire 32-man squad in the session. Montgomery played at flyhalf for Viljoen in his first four Tests in charge last year, but with Butch James, who is still new to Test-level, likely to take over at flyhalf the team needs another goalkicker to fall back on. Also, Montgomery, who can be used as first-receiver in certain moves, started showing some good form towards the end of the Super 12 as opposed to Thinus Delport, who had a fairly quiet Super 12. Mulder and Barry at centre also raised a few eyebrows, but with the more-experienced Mulder likely to be Viljoen’s number one centre, the race is on between Barry, Robbie Fleck and Deon Kayser to fill the No. 13 jersey. Barry, who is brilliant at competing for the ball on the ground, seems to have the inside track at this stage, although it is still very early to say for sure. The forwards should not differ too much from the ‘first-choice’ pack that worked together on Friday and Saturday. Ollie le Roux was filling in for Robbie Kempson, who is getting over his hamstring injury, but otherwise this pack could be named to take on the French. Corné Krige’s ability to play to the ball and compete with the likes of George Smith, could have necessitated André Venter’s move to lock. Venter started three Tests at lock under Nick Mallett in last year’s Tri-Nations, but Viljoen moved him back to flank when Rassie Erasmus missed last year’s end-of-season tour because of injury. Viljoen admitted that he had been giving a lot of thought with regards to the make-up of the 26-man squad that will do duty in Tests against France and Italy later this month. “I’ve been playing around with it every day,” Viljoen disclosed. “I’m busy with that all the time - looking at options and mixes.” If the Test team stays as it is, Lawrence Sephaka, Charl van Rensburg, Francois Swart, Conrad Jantjes, Adrian Jacobs and Wayne Julies will probably miss out when Viljoen announces his 26-man squad next Sunday. Jantjes and Jacobs do however have the opportunity of playing for the SA Under-19 side at the SANZAR Under-19 tournament and Sephaka and Julies will slot back into the SA Under-23 team for more match-practice. If Viljoen releases the above-mentioned six players, there is a chance that he could pick up some flak, especially after comments made by the Minister of Sport, Ncgonde Balfour, earlier in the week, as four of them are players of colour. “I know the responsibility of transformation - it’s part of my challenge,” Viljoen said on Friday. “Sarfu have never told me how many players to pick, but my coaching staff and I take it [transformation] on as a challenge and we talk about it a lot.” Viljoen, it seems, will never get it right. After including as many as seven players of colour in his 32-man national training squad, he was first praised, but later criticised for selecting Boland centre Wayne Julies, who had just returned to fitness after a knee-injury. “I wanted to look at a player like [Julies],” Viljoen explained. “I was criticised because he hadn’t played Super 12 rugby, but it was a good opportunity for me to have a look at him. We have to fast-track things and we must do what we believe is going to help us in the future.” A likely 26-man Springbok squad: Robbie Kempson, Ollie le Roux, Etienne Fynn, Willie Meyer, John Smit, Lukas van Biljon**, Johan Ackermann, Mark Andrews, Albert van den Berg, Corné Krige, Rassie Erasmus, André Venter, Bob Skinstad*, André Vos (captain), Joost van der Westhuizen, Neil de Kock**, Butch James**, Gaffie du Toit, Japie Mulder, De Wet Barry*, Robbie Fleck, Deon Kayser, Dean Hall**, Breyton Paulse, Thinus Delport, Percy Montgomery. *Indicates capped players, but not contracted by Sarfu. **Indicates uncapped players and not contracted by Sarfu. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] SA, Namibia face border feud Cape Town – A dispute appears to be simmering between the Namibian and South African governments about the location of the southern border between the two countries, the exact location of which could affect diamond mining activities in the area, The Star's Business Report said on Monday. "We are not sure where the border is," Namibian surveyor-general Rudolf Isaks said at the weekend. "It is still to be negotiated at a higher level. We suspect the border has not been fixed yet. We are trying to set the boundaries of the offshore diamond concessions nearby." South Africa has always viewed the northern bank of the Orange River as the border between the two countries. But Namibia's constitution drawn up in 1990, says: "The national territory of Namibia … southern boundary shall extend to the middle of the Orange River." According to the Business Report, Northern Cape provincial government spokesperson Simphiwe Dhlamini said the national government was not at present engaged in any discussions on the issue. The two countries apparently discussed the issue in November last year. "The Old Man (Nelson Mandela) indicated to the Namibian government at the time of handling over Walvis Bay that the southernmost border would be looked at," said Dhlamini. "It was raised with the national government and the decision was not to redraw the boundaries." This decision was apparently based on and Organisation of African Unity agreement that national boundaries in member states would not be redrawn to prevent ethnic strife. Namibian chief inspector of mines Piet Liebenberg said the country would gain if the border was moved from the northern bank to the middle of the river, because the country's laws allows no mining within 500 metres from its borders. South African mining groups with concessions on the Orange River include Trans Hex and the Government- owned Alexcor. Namdeb, the Namibian subsidiary of De Beers, has completed the Daberas Mine on the northern bank of the Orange. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Ragel Nel ColumnRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - One of the definite perks of being an immigrant, is always having an accent and therefore being regarded as "exotic". Yes, even in America. (Especially if you are white and from Africa, but that's a different story.) Oh, but wait a minute. You will only have an accent if your name isn't Charlize Theron (push your tongue between your teeth, breathe out and say "Th" -eron so that it almost sounds like "throne", to hear how Americans pronounce it.), and if you can't afford to have an expensive speech coach to teach you how to speak flawless American. To my ignorant ear, Charlize - who has the coach - succeeds very well. Apparently enough directors and casting agents think so too, because she certainly gets enough parts to get her pretty face on magazine covers on a regular basis. Oh, and to flaunt that new accent on talk shows. The rest of us mere mortals have to deal with a daily scenario that more or less goes like this: American: "Hi. Can I help you?" Me: "Yes, thank you. May I please have some coffee?" American blinks and then gasps: "Oh WOW! Where are you from?" And before I can get it out, they start guessing: "Austr-AY-lia?" Me, sighing...: "No." American: "Are you Irish?" (Because my hair is red.) I shake my head, resulting in my hair shaking too. In all directions. It makes for great emphasis on the "no", but usually leads to a terrible hair day. Oh, what a girl won't do to defend her heritage! American holds up a finger and says: "Wait, wait... I've got it. YEAH! Definitely from England!" Me, sincerely sad that I have to break the news: "No." And then, quickly, before we zip around the globe: "South Africa." Astounded American: "Oh WOW!" And then: "You know, that was going to be my next guess." "Uh-huh," I say, complete convinced. Then, depending on the state of the person's knowledge of basic geography, the rest of the conversation could go like this: "Are you from Jo-HAHN-nesburg?" Then I have to explain that this is the one time that it's okay for them to pronounce "aaaaaaaaa" in their flat American way, instead of the "AAH" which they insist on saying when referring to our Egoli. But, as most of us have found out by now, the differences go beyond the "they say Tom-AY-to and we say Tom-AH-to." After four and a half years in the land of the free and the brave, I still experience moments when I lapse into authentic South African speech. (Count your blessings that it only affects my speech and not my driving-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-road skill.) Those moments usually lead to many blank stares, especially if I am directing an American friend and say something like: "Hang a left at the next robot." American: "At the WHAT?" Actually, many of the linguistic differences between us and them have to do with cars. There is boot for "trunk", bonnet for "hood", indicator for "ticker" (yes, I ASK you!) and then THEY find it hilarious that we say aerial for "antenna". Everyone knows that they call tekkies "sneakers". Sweater to them is also not what you'd wear with a tracksuit. When they say sweater, they mean jersey. So what then, I hear you ponder, do they call the garment that to us is a sweater? Sweatshirt. (You have to admit, there is a certain kind of logic to it.) They also squeal with laughter when we say dustbin. To them, it's trashcan or garbage can. Something that still makes me cringe is that they pronounce advertisement as "adver-TAAIS-ment." The other big difference is with spelling. Colour becomes color, and the "u" is also dropped in words like harbour, saviour, etc. Thanks to that rule, my typing speed has significantly increased by about 10 words per minute. Oh, and aeroplane? When you write it in America, simply write airplane. And, on that note, as they drawl in the American deep South: See y'all (say "yaaaaaawl") next week! P.S. E-mail your suggestions for a name for this column to: redafica@hotmail.com © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Buthelezi warns land invaders Durban - Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi on Friday warned that the KwaZulu-Natal government would not allow a precedent for Zimbabwe-style land invasions in the province. Buthelezi lead a high profile delegation including Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza, KwaZulu-Natal premier Lionel Mtshali, ANC provincial leader S'bu Ndebele and a number of traditional leaders to Mangete in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Zwelithini requested the meeting to discuss the growing crisis in the area resulting from a land dispute. The Macambini community is at loggerheads with the descendants of John Dunn, a white Zulu chief. They were allegedly evicted from their land near Mandeni in 1976 and are now claiming vast areas of the Dunn land. The claim was lodged with the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights in 1997 by the local chief Khayelihle Mathaba. The community is dissatisfied over the stalemate in the land claim process and there have been several acts of arson on Dunn property since the beginning of the year. In the latest incident over the weekend, sugar cane fields on 12 Mangete farms were destroyed by arsonists, believed to be members of the community currently living on the land in informal settlements. Damage was estimated around R1 million. While the meeting was underway on Friday, the smoke was billowing from another farm apparently set alight by disgruntled community members. Claimants to the land have also threatened to invade the land and forcefully remove its occupants. Buthelezi said under no circumstances would the provincial government allow the province to become comparable to Zimbabwe. "We see what is going on in Zimbabwe and we do not want to see that here," he said. "If people abroad get the wrong perception that we are following the route of land invasion in KwaZulu-Natal, we will not get a single investor coming to KwaZulu-Natal or South Africa." Buthelezi said in settling the dispute the memories of the past had to be balanced against the reality of the world today. Didiza called on the two protagonists to find a lasting solution to the dispute before the end of the year. She said pressure should not be put on the Dunns through acts of violence. Both the Dunns and the Macambini were part of Mangete and they would have to find a solution to live together peacefully. The claim is currently before the Land Claims Court. The Macambini have indicated they would be willing to settle out of court but the Dunns have thus far refused to do so. Didiza said land claim issues were difficult, but not insurmountable. She referred to the Boomplaats land claim which took four years to settle. Zwelithini said he was shocked to hear about the destruction of sugar cane land. He said sugar cane was the backbone of the KwaZulu-Natal economy and the arsonists were sabotaging the provincial economy. He said the burning of the crops would also lead to unemployment to some of the farm workers. "You are not only destroying the future of the farmers but also that of the workers and you are lending a hand to economic destruction." Spokesperson for the Dunn family, Pat Dunn, said thousands of jobs had already been lost since the start of the invasion last year. More than a thousand Mangete families are living on the Dunn land. The land was given to John Dunn by King Cetshwayo in the 1800s along with 29 of the king's wives. Buthelezi said in addition to this land granted to Dunn the family at a later stage acquired additional property "which went beyond what our kingdom originally granted". Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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