|
Last Update: July 15, 2001 |
| RSA-O Homepage | Live Chat | Find-A-Friend | Events/Announcements |
| Previous Editions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 |
|
C.T. mayor refuses to meet "land-grabbers" Facing strong demands from opposition parties to intervene in land grab attempts in the Cape, where 220 000 families lack adequate housing, mayor Peter Marais has refused to meet anyone involved in such attempts. More than a thousand Capetonians tried on Saturday to invade some land near Macassar, but the group decided to disperse in anticipation of a meeting on Monday with Marais. The possibility of a meeting with the mayor followed reported discussions between unicity acting interim manager of housing Trevor Mitchell and Peter Makute, the group's spokesperson. Cape Town has a population of 3,2 million and this will increase to 4,3m by 2003, which will create massive housing problems if the situation is not addressed speedily. At stake in Macassar are about 400 hectares owned by the city council. Marais, who is on holiday, will "definitely not meet them tomorrow (Monday)," said his spokesperson, Johan Smit. He added that, in Marais's opinion, the incident near Macassar was a "media creation" of the African National Congress. The ANC's Western Cape spokesperson Cameron Dugmore said the mayor's office had not responded to three attempts by people responsible for the weekend invasion to see Marais. The ANC had intervened only when it became apparent that the mayor and the Democratic Alliance did not have a plan of action. The Pan African Congress's Patricia de Lille said, while she was opposed to land invasions, it was "clear" that neither the DA nor the ANC had "the policies in place to deal with land issues". She said Marais must meet the invaders "instead of creating another confrontation". She added: "All these incidents, not only in Macassar, emphasise the need for land for residential purposes. That need is extended by the rapid rate of urbanisation in this country and it is clear that the government does not have a proper urbanisation policy." The ANC will release a land audit this week in which the party identifies 2 900 hectares of open land owned by the state in Cape Town and surrounds for low-cost housing. This includes land on the Foreshore, the defunct Ysterplaat air force base, the Wingfield military base and other land owned by Transnet in Kensington. The situation at Macassar remained tense on Sunday with a police presence, although no further land grab attempts were reported. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Ek het 'n erge toeriste ding gedoen die week. My housemates het vir my gelag en vir my gekyk asof ek toe wel van 'n ander planeet af kom. Wat vir my 'n novelty was, is vir hulle 'n gewone familiebesigheid. Ek het die huis ingestorm Woensdag-aand met 'n bruin papiersak, en binne-in was 'n krap gedoop in Maryland seasoning. "Check" het ek gese en die ding aan sy poot opgehys en rondgeswaai. "I had crab for the first time. We don't have crab industries in my country." Die housemates se gesigte was so half gefrons. Hierdie girl uit Afrika eet droe rou vleis wat sy biltong noem maar nie krappe nie.iewers maak iets nie sin nie. Almal eet mos krap in hierdie land en in die Maryland -streek is krap-eet 'n sosiale-en familie aktiwiteit.Ek het gesien ma's en pa' bring hulle 2 jariges vir krap-aand etes. Kyk, ek is 'n Cape Town girl. Ek het langs die strande van L'Agulhas grootgeword en gesien hoe duik my pa alikreukels en perlemoen uit. Skulpe het nie voete nie.ek het gesmul aan die goed. Ek was effens meer skepties oor mossels en shrimps, en het polite geweier om lobster te eet deur die voelertjies oop te kraak en uit te suig. Maar op die ou end van die dag, het ek prawns en lobster in verwerkte vorme geeet en probeer vergeet dat hulle op 'n stadium voelertjies gehad het wat knyp en beweeg.soos wat jy nooit dink dat jy eintlik 'n vurk in 'n koei insteek en smul daaraan nie. In elk geval, onthou - ek is 'n kleindorp girl. In Suid-Afrika was die Spur en Panarottie die enigste restaurant wat my gereeld gesien het omdat dit goedkoop is. Ek het Nachos by die Spur geeet en dit was die somtotaal van my texmex ervarings.Ek het Thai en Chinese en Grieks en tipiese Midde-Ooste kos geeet wat ek by take-away plekke koop en dit was my cuisine ervarings in Suid-Afrika... Toe ek hier in DC opdaag toe roep al die cuisines van die wereld my. My gunsteling is steeds Vietnamese. Binne die eerste maand het die Big Cheese met hierdie funny rysrolletjies en sous hier opgedaag by die kantoor. Sushi. Rou vis. Ek het 'n proe gevat want ek is mos 'n mooi groot girl wat nie vol fiemies is nie, en boonop proud ek myself in my oopkopgeit, so ek proe aan als en maak dan besluite, soos 'n mens doen in 'n demokrasie.Ek is nie closed minded nie, want ek gee alternatiewe smake en idees 'n kans en maak 'n verantwoordelike keuse.. Ek het oombliklik besluit presies een jaar terug: SUSHI is nie vir my nie. But the times are changing... 'n Jaar later eet ek ten minste een maal 'n week die SUSHI lunch special vir $5,50, en spiced salmon en California rolls is soos om boerewors te eet. Ek ken selfs die beste sushi restaurante met die beste pryse in die area. Ek sal sover gaan om myself deesdae 'n seekos liefhebber te noem. Die oseane van die aarde hou besondere bekoring vir my in met al hulle eksotiese kossoorte. Maar krap se vriend laat my dink aan die odd krappie of twee wat ek in my lewe in donker poele in Bainskloof gesien het, dit laat my dink aan my heilige vrees dat 'n krap my aan die toon sal byt. Daarom toe die Big Cheese Woensdag-aand, presies een jaar en een dag na my aankoms in die States, voorstel dat ek na 'n Crab House gaan vir die luxurious maaltyd, toe se ek, ja wat, ek sal dit probeer. As ek my tande in rou tuna kan inslaan, kan ek krap ook eet, NO PROBLEM. Maar krap se vriend stink so dat ek net uit daai restaurant wou weghol. Hulle bring vir my 'n houthamer en ek dink, dit is so goed soos om 'n dooi vlieg doder te trap. so iets.. Ek kyk vir daai gedoente en wonder of ek wel wil suig aan die kloue wat ek so vrees. Krappe het mos so levertjie agterop sy dop wat jy oplig, en soos ek die levertjie oplig voel ek al hoe meer onaardig. En toe skrik ek my boeglam. Met sy binneste oopgespalk op my bruinpapier, sien ek toe hierdie wollerige sakkies, die longetjies. Die longetjies is soos iets uit 'n grilmovie. Daar is ook sulke gelerige, korreltjie-rige papperye in wat ek dink my krappie se agterkant moet wees. "Its the eggs, its delicious" se die Baas. Ek eet en dink, solank jy dink aan kos, en nie dink aan krappe en poele en eiers nie kan my gestel die voedsel verwerk. Sielkundig moes ek my trauma on hold sit... "Last time I saw a crab, it was a giant one crossing the road in Cuba" se ek vir my Baas. EK knyp oe toe en eet toe voort, ek het vier krappe verslind, en ek dink nie eers die grote van 'n halwe stuk witvis uitgekry nie. Jy betaal baie vir min meat. En hoe meer ons eet, en hoe meer ek vir die res van die mense rondom my kyk, toe dink ek hoe ironies dit is dat so 'n uncivilised manier van eet met doppe en stink reg rondom jou, so 'n delicatessen is, so 'n besondere sosiale aktiwiteit. EK dink definitief nie dit is besonder romanties nie en sal nooit op 'n date gaan waar ek tussen 'n klomp doppe en pote sit en stink nie. EK het wel 'n couple gesien wat mekaar krapvlesies voer. Ek het lekker geeet maar elke keer as ek aan daai longetjies dink wil ek liewer vergeet dat ek ooit krap geeet het, gee my maar krap cake en restaurante met verwerkte kos en borde vol netjiese sushi rolletjies. Ek wil in onkunde leef en nie daaraan dink dat ek op 'n goeie woensdag aand met 'n hamer gesit en krappe slaan het nie. Dalk is dit 'n soort oerdrang, dat ons almal actually langs 'n river wil sit en krappe vang. Veral die gesofitiskeerde eerste wereldse Amerikaners het mos nie 'n Afrika nie, hulle het verfynde suburban lewens, en keer dus terug na 'n vorm van pre-oond en mikrogolf cuisine. Dis hoekom ons sonder borde op bruinpapier eet en nie met messe of vurke of sushi sticks nie maar met jou vingers. Ek wil liewers nie daaraan dink dat sushi eet, so goed is soos om op 'n boot te ry en survivor te speel en vis te vang en dit rou te verorber nie. 'n Verfynde soort terug keer na ons roots dus. 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 ] Schwarzenegger visits South Africa Movie actor and Special Olympics patron Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday called for South Africans to become involved with helping the mentally disabled. Schwarzenegger, who was speaking to a gathering at the Takalani Home for the Mentally Disabled in Diepkloof, Soweto, said he admired the "love, patience and caring" he felt in the home. Some of the activities during Schwarzenegger's visit included musical performances by the residents of Takalani and a special tree planting ceremony. Other guests at the event were the president of South African Performing Arts, Kid Sithole, the manager of Kaizer Chiefs, Bobby Motaung, and Loretta Claiborne, a Special Olympics athlete, whose story was told in the Disney movie The Loretta Claiborne Story. Schwarzenegger arrived in South Africa last Tuesday to launch a campaign to increase the number of Special Olympics athletes in Africa. The campaign, known as African Hope 2001, aims to reach 100 000 new athletes with intellectual disabilities in Africa by 2005. The former Mr Universe, who is the "global torchbearer" of the Special Olympics, will feature in a number of sport and entertainment activities to raise awareness of the charity goals. His tour will start at a formal news conference to launch African Hope at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, Nelson Mandela and guests from the charity will participate in a torch-lighting ceremony on Robben Island to launch the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics. The torch will be carried by 1 000 police runners and 200 Special Olympics athletes through the streets of Cape Town to parliament, where it will be received by government officials. On Thursday night, Nu Metro cinemas will host a charity event at the Il Grande theatre at Nu Metro Montecasino, where Schwarzenegger will be the guest of honour. The event, which will include a formal cocktail party and a presentation on the Special Olympics by Schwarzenegger, will be followed by a screening of one of the star's movies - the thriller Eraser. On Friday, members of the Special Olympics delegation will travel to a Soweto facility for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] Minister sacks fraudsters Pretoria - Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi has fired 21 officials from the Gauteng Department of Social Services and Population Development for stealing money earmarked for pensioners. The 21, whose names are known to City Press, have been found guilty of between 19 to 57 counts involving theft of money amounting to more than R30 000 between 1995 and 1997. They were suspended with full pay in 1998. The salaries of these employees - which have cost the provincial government R5.6 million - will be terminated from July 10, the date of their dismissal. Following an appeal lodged by their representative union, Nehawu, their cases were referred to the public health and welfare sector bargaining council under the auspices of the department of public service and administration. The employees, including senior service clerks and junior clerks who used to carry hard cash to pension pay points, were charged with conspiring either tacitly or specifically with each other to commit offences of theft in the execution of their duties as a pay team of pension monies. In a series of charges, the employees were discovered in several instances to have intentionally paid out pensions to beneficiaries other than those authorised. They were also found to have been negligent in carrying out their duties. They were discovered to have lied to the government by claiming they had paid monies to the relevant pensioners, while knowing the pensioners were not available at the time of the payout. The dismissal of the 21 brings the total to 41 employees who have been fired for defrauding the provincial government of pensioners' monies. Spokesperson for the department of social services and population development, Panyaza Lesufi, said the department will institute a process of recouping the money it spent on salaries of people who were not providing services. According to documents in possession of City Press, by the end of February this year, the total costs of paying the suspended officials was R5.2 million. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - "Can you sue a hairdresser for malpractice?" I managed to ask my mom over the phone between sobs. "Oh my," she said cautiously. "That doesn't sound good." She was right. It didn't sound good. Looked even worse than it sounded, unfortunately. I wore a hat for the next three months as I raged against the American justice system. "In this country, you can sue ANYONE at the drop of a hat, but not at the unjust drop of a hair?" I was inconsolable. And a soothing "but it will grow back" was NOT what I wanted to hear after my hair-raising experience. "Sheesh!" A friend spontaneously reacted and flinched as my hat blew off during a Baltimore breeze. "What IS that: a number one haircut?" Other (now former) friends dared to crack lame jokes and make what they thought were witty remarks like: "Always hold your head up high during a Kojak moment," and "Be bold!" My mother - although secretly amused, I'm sure - was much more sympathetic about the whole "coiffair" - or hair affair - as we dubbed it. "They should rename the salon to "Hair today, gone tomorrow," we fumed together as I overdosed on Bob Martins, specially imported from South Africa for the occasion. Over the next few months, I relived the experience in fits, starts and nightmares. It all started innocently enough one sunny afternoon. At that point, I had been living in the United States for some time sans a haircut. I was rapidly starting to resemble Rapunzel. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and so on that afternoon, deciding that I couldn't put it off any longer, I walked into the first hair salon I saw. Apart from three hairdressers and a shampoo girl lounging about, the place was ominously empty. If I did give it a second thought, I must have ascribed it to the time of day. All the hairdressers were immigrants too. For some reason, I found that to be reassuring. "Great place for eeleegal eemigrant to work," the shampoo girl said as she massaged my scalp amidst the flying foam. As she draped the towel around my head like a terry cloth turban, I selected a straightforward, simple hairstyle from a magazine picture. One of the hairdressers stepped forward to assume the task of trimming my tresses. She glanced at the magazine photo, brightly said the only 'Eengleesh' words that she knows ("No problem!"), tossed the magazine aside and picked up the scissors with relish. Despite her barely there command of the English language, she still decided to regale me with her life history while she worked. I now blame it on the fact that I was concentrating so hard on trying to decipher what she was saying, that I never noticed how she was ravaging my hair. By the time I did notice that she was carrying on like a sheepshearer in action at a farmer's show in the Karoo, it was already too late. Half the hair was chopped off, gone. I didn't even say anything. I was too shocked. When it was time to pay, the shampoo girl, better at English than any of the others, was instructed to take my money. It was remarkable how drastically her English suddenly improved! I jumped at the moment of comprehensive clarity and asked her why my new hairstyle was so different from the picture I had shown them. For a minute she looked puzzled, until I found the picture again. She quickly lit up as the meaning of my question dawned on her. "Aah!" she said. "You show picture of hair you NO want!" Years later, my untamed mane has fully recovered and grown back, but I STILL can't see the 'logic' in the above statement. I have since, wisely, tracked down an American hairdresser, and so far, we are snipping (and being snipped) happily ever after. © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Initiation leader in custody after 7 boys die Seven youths are dead, another was in a critical condition and 14 others are receiving treatment for dehydration and pneumonia, yet parents claim the principal of the initiation school they attended is still insisting on payment. On Friday, 20 youths from the Lefatlheng initiation school at Mathibestad, in the Hammanskraal area, north of Pretoria, were rushed to Jubilee Hospital by the principal after two youths died earlier last week. Three were confirmed dead on arrival. "Among those admitted, 14 were placed into medical wards suffering from lung infections. Three were critical and had to be placed in the intensive care unit. Unfortunately, two of them died and the third one is still critical," said Jubilee Hospital's Dr Jerome Losilo. He said the 14 were not suffering from complications due to circumcisions but were apparently left in the cold for too long. Losilo said those without lung problems were dehydrated and had to be put on drips. Martha Baloyi, whose son is in hospital, said her son went to the school voluntarily as it was a family tradition. "When he asked that he be taken to the school, we agreed." Although her son would only have finished this week, Baloyi said word had already been sent out that parents would have to pay the full fee to the owner. Parents had to pay R510, but if they gave the owner a 50kg bag of maize meal, a hen and a case of sorghum beer when the boys first went to the school, they would have to pay only R370. The North West Department of Health has acted swiftly and closed the school, and police have arrested the principal of the school at Lefatlheng. The department also closed a similar school at nearby Stinkwater. North West MEC for Health Dr Molefi Sefularo said on Sunday that the department had intervened to protect the health and lives of the initiates. Inspector Patty Khumalo, police spokesperson at Makapanstad, Hammanskraal, confirmed that a 42-year-old man who had been running the school was in police custody. Khumalo said the suspect would appear in court on Monday. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
|
