|
Last Update: August 12, 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 52 53 54 55 |
|
Mugabe denies kicking white settlers out Harare - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe denied on Sunday that he was forcing white farmers out of the country as more terrified families packed up their belongings after their property was looted and attacked by mobs of squatters. Mugabe, speaking on the sidelines of a southern African summit in Malawi, defended his controversial land reform programme, saying: "We are not kicking the white settlers out but we are being humane and humanitarian." About 300 members of the white farming community have fled from about 100 raided farms in the tense Chinhoyi area, 120km north-west of Harare, since last week. One farming official said: "It's totally out of hand. We are evacuating women, children, the elderly and the sick." The upsurge in anti-white sentiment was fuelled by clashes between a group of white farmers and the squatters who invaded their land - with Mugabe's blessing - in Chinhoyi last Monday. No squatters were arrested, but 21 white farmers were detained on assault charges and were still in jail on Sunday awaiting the outcome of a bail hearing. Three police officers were suspended from duty in Chinhoyi on Sunday, apparently after they allowed the farmers to receive food and blankets from their families. Mugabe defended his land reform programme, which has had a disastrous effect on the country's economy. "We are not kicking out the British altogether, although they usually kick us out of their own country." The reform plan calls for the confiscation of most of the mainly white commercial farmers' land without compensation for redistribution to landless blacks. Mugabe argued that the farmers were using only 30 percent of their land and his government was taking the 70 percent that was not being utilised. The white farmers were "absentee landlords sitting in the House of Lords and other places, and farming by remote control," he charged. Zimbabwe's white farmers called for swift action to halt mounting lawlessness in the countryside, accusing "marauding bands" of wreaking havoc following clashes between white farmers and resettled blacks. "More of the farms in Doma (near Chinhoyi) are being pillaged and looted by lawless elements in marauding bands of up to 300," said Colin Cloete, president of the Commercial Farmers Union. "Little action has been taken to recover stolen property," he said, adding that theft and property damage so far had totalled more than R30-million. * South Africa does not believe sanctions should be imposed on Zimbabwe in a bid to end the political crisis there, Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said on Sunday. He said sanctions would not help to solve Zimbabwe's problems. "We can't take any action that would lead to the collapse of the Zimbabwean economy," he said. Pahad said Zimbabweans were likely to stream across the border into South Africa if their economic and political situation did not improve. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Ek dog ons bly in ‘n eerste wereld land. In die lewe het ek nog nooit so gesukkel met bad service nie. Of in ongeloof gestaan en kyk hoe goed sommer net bly verkeerd loop nie. As jy my vra moet ons plumbers vanaf SA begin invoer en vir hulle almal werksvisas gee. En bouers ook. Ek dink Washington DC sal een van die eerste stede wees wat verdwyn of ‘n nuke vanuit China/Irak gaan ons almal uitwis, of die stad gaan sommer net eendag uitmekaar val. Dit gebeur in elk geval stukkie vir stukkie. Lyk vir my almal het vloede in Washington. As jy ‘n basement het, sal die basement oorstroom, dis is Murphy’s law. En Murphy se woord is wet. Ek het meer klein vloede die lente en somer beleef as in my hele lewe. Ek dink dit het alles begin toe ons basement die eerste keer gevloed het. Nou kyk dit is niks ongewoon nie, ons ou huis vloed gereeld, om die waarheid te se, ek kan nie onthou of ek die basement al droog gesien het nie. Toe berig die Big Cheese na die groot reens dat die vloedpype of iets van die aard in Georgetown oorstroom het, en dat rioolwater riviere in die strate van die mooi woonbuurt geword het. Skaars ‘n paar weke later, toe bars die mains in my backyard, toe is my basement ‘n swembad wat ook die bure se basement laat oorstroom. Ek is toe vir ‘n naweek sonder water. Natuurlik het my sisteem ‘n wil van sy eie, en een teen 10:00 die nag toe het ek dringend die toilet nodig. Wat anders moes ek doen as om aan die bure se deur te gaan klop met ‘n groot emmer. “Hey, I’m your neighbour, I don’t know you, (because ons kennie ons bure in hierdie land nie) but can I have some water please because my toilet doesn’t work. Natuurlik het ons nou al twee or drie vloede gehad in ons kantoor omdat die een of ander onbekwame plumber nou maar net nie die toilet kan fix nie. Asof dit nou nie genoeg is nie, het ons mos groot reens gehad die naweek na die hectic heatwave. Die paaie is gesluit, die krag was uit en omtrent almal wat ek ken het ‘n vloed gehad in hulle basement. Waarop dui al hierdie vloede? Miskien moet ‘n mens jou huis op die aarde bou en nie in die aarde nie. “No we don’t have basements in SA,” se ek vir my een housemate. “Where do you store stuff, you need a basement” se die housemate uiters verbaas. It’s not like we buy tons of TV’s and computers and bicycles wat ons nie gebruik nie, dink ek. Bo en behale al die ou plumbing en die crappy plumbers, blaas al die manholes mos nou op. Waar het jy nou al so iets gehoor. Ons bly mos nie in Zim nie… Dit het als begin in Georgetown.Toe besluit die manholes in Friendship Heights dis tyd om te pop. En almal blaas gelyk op. Hulle moes my local Giant en die parkeer area afsluit terwyl hulle die damage assess en herstel. Nou kyk, Friendship Heights Wisconsin Avenue is ‘n soort mini 6th Avenue shopping area, met ‘n posh movie theatre en shops soos GAP en al daai designers wie se name ek nie kan onthou nie, en die Cheesecake Factory waar Gore destyds kom eet het, etc. Een goeie Sondag-middag, toe stort die hele balkon reling en ‘n deel van die dak uitmekaar reg bokant die dak van metro-uitgang. Sommer net so uit die bloute, en dit was ‘n nuwe kompleks, in apparently goeie shape…ons het dus bouers nodig wat weet hoe om te bou ne… Nou manholes part two: Laas Woensdag aan sit ek by my gunsteling Kubaanse kafeetjie op die patio, En die een of ander Nuus Personality van die een of ander nuuskanaal kom staan reg voor die kafeetjie om te broadcast. Klaarblyklik het die manhole op die sypaadjie vlak voor, die vorige nag opgeblaas. Nou dit is buite ‘n bar, en die bars van die jollerwoonbuurt Adams Morgan is nooit leeg nie. Vanoggend berig die public radio ‘n hele klompie manholes in Dupont Circle het hulle toppe geblaas oor die naweek… Die Capital is of die target van die een of ander ondergrondse operation wat deur die Mafia of die Chinese of die Russe of die Kubane gerun word, en hulle kies soft targets soos manholes, of die stad is net oud en vervalle, ‘n soort Havana wat nie vervalle lyk nie omdat daar soveel blink is oral, blink vensters, skoon sypaadjies, blink karre en geboue…bo blink, en onder stink… Nou die service aspek… Op die liewe aarde kan ek nie glo hoe ‘n mens sukkel met eenvoudige goed soos ALARMS nie. Vier-uur Saterdag middag begin ons buurman wat ons nie ken nie, se alarm te loei sonder ophou. Nou ‘n mens vermoed die polisie sal uitkom en ten minste kom opcheck; of die bure sal die polisie bel of die alarm company sal iemand uitstuur om die kom check wat op die aarde in die huis aangaan. Ek bedoel, selfs in hierdie day en age in ‘n veilige woonbuurt soos Friendship Heights waar niemand vriende of vyande is nie, is dit moontlik dat iemand dood langsaan in sy huis kan le terwyl sy alarm nutters gaan. Teen Saterdag aand 10:00 toe lui die alarm nogsteeds, maar ek worry nie daaroor nie want Saterdae is ons meer op straat in Adams Morgan as by die huis, ek’s mos ‘n tipiese apatiese suburbannner.. Teen 4am Sondag nag toe is ek nie meer impressed met die situasie nie. Ek gaan soek ‘n nommer vir die bure se alarm company, maar sien nie die vlaggie in die donker nie, en ek is te bang om om die huis rond te sluip, imagine nou juis terwyl ek soek vir die alarm co nommer daag die polisie op, arresteer en deporteer my? Ek sluip stert tussen die bene huis toe. “No don’t phone 911, you’ll get arrested” se die housemates. “it would be a false alarm.” Maar dis mos nie my stupid false alarm nie, dink ek. 911 moes in elk geval gerespond het as hulle ‘n alarm hoor afgaan, want wat as iemand binne in die huis le en bloei.. Ek bel toe die local police station, en hulle gee vir my twee nommers want hulle kan my dan nou nie die tyd van die nag help nie. Die DC police nommers bel ek toe, en hou aan vir omtrent ‘n volle halfuur terwyl die antwoord masjientjie praat, You have reached the DC police emergency line. Maar dis nie ‘n emergency nie, dink ek. En as dit ‘n emergency was was ek teen die tyd self dood, so lank vat die emergency line om die telefoon te antwoord. “Ja but they’re busy’” se die housemates. Meanwhile loei die alarm steeds voort sonder ophou, en ek kry g’n niks geslaap nie. Teen Sondag-oggend toe voel ek soos een van die donderbuie wat die naweek in DC gewoed het. Ons kry die vlaggie en bel die alarm company. “No we need their name or phone number.” “No we cannot locate their account.” “No they may not have monitors.” “No they may be with an independent contractor.” Al die verskonings en die alarms loei rooi in my kop. Teen gistermiddag vier-uur, na 24 uur se loei wat in jou kop indruis en jou oordromme laat suis sodat jy selfs nadat die ding ophou, dit nog in jou kop kan hoor, Toe is daar weer rus en vrede in Friendship Heights. Maar ek is nie meer vriende of selfs potensiele vriende met die bure nie. Ek trust nie die polisie, die plumbers, die bouers of die alarmcompanies in hierdie land nie. En laat ek nie eers begin kla oor die telefoon service 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 ] SA's 'space tourist' nearly ready Moscow - South African billionaire Mark Shuttleworth, who wants to become the world's next "space tourist", could make his flight on board a Russian craft as early as April, the head of the Russian space agency said on Thursday. Shuttleworth's flight is possible either in April next year on a Soyuz "taxi flight" to the International Space Station (ISS) or six months later in October, Yury Koptev told a news conference in Moscow. He said the South African, who was in Russia last month for medical tests and training at the Star City astronauts' centre outside Moscow, is "expected to return within the next few days" to make further preparations for his flight. No contract with Shuttleworth has yet been signed, however, the space agency head said. Shuttleworth, who made his fortune in information technology, has told the South African press that space travel was a childhood dream and that he was learning Russian to cope with the training. American millionaire Dennis Tito became the first paying tourist in space when he was taken to the International Space Station in April as a guest of the cash-strapped Russian space programme. He paid $20-million (about R165,6-million) for the eight-day trip which angered the American space agency Nasa, who had said it could endanger the lives of the crew. Afterwards, the Russian space agency said it would not have seats available to take tourists in space for at least the next two years and would not take anyone until it had reached an agreement with Nasa on rules for selecting, training and sending amateur astronauts into space. But Koptev said Russia hoped to agree on rules for "space tourists" with its other partners in the 16-nation ISS project in August or September. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] SA wins gold at World Athletic Champs Edmonton - Hestrie Cloete sat at centre stage in the majestic Commonwealth Stadium awaiting her gold medal as queen of the world's high jumpers and watched as South Africa's 4x100m relay men performed like gladiators to capture silver in the final event of the IAAF World Athletics Championships on Sunday. Her triumph makes her the first South African woman to capture a major international championship title since Esther Brandt won the high jump gold medal at the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. This is also South Africa's first world championship gold medal since Marius Corbett won the javelin title in Athens in 1997. The relay team of Morne Nagel, Corne du Plessis, Lee-Roy Newton and Mathew Quinn caused the upset of the championships with their silver medal in a national record 38,47secs. They were beaten by America, but came in ahead of a swift Trinidad Tobago team led by sub-10sec sprinter Ato Boldon. The team's last-gasp success also boosted South Africa from 30th to 17th on the medals table. "We saved the best for last," beamed a radiant Cloete after defeating Ukraine's defending world champion Inha Babakova in a mighty struggle that swung the South African's way with the bar at two metres high. Both brought the bar down at 2,02m, but Cloete got the nod because Babakova failed with her first attempt at 1,97m. It was almost a carbon copy of her duel with Bulgaria's Venelina Veneva at the Sydney Olympics where she conceded at 2,01 metres for the silver medal. Cloete held the 50 000 crowd spellbound with her distinctive hypnotic build-up. Her eyes riveted on the bar, she used her hands to articulate each step of her runup. Then, with perfect timing and technique, she followed through flawlessly to clear the bar first time at 1,80m, then 1,90m, 1,94m and all the way through to 1,97m. By then Cloete, Babakova, Sweden's Kajsa Berqvist and Veneva were the only survivors from 12 finalists. Berqvist and Veneva failed in their three attempts when the bar went up to 2,00m and there was a gasp from the South African supporters in the stands behind Cloete as she brought the bar down with her first attempt. With tension at snapping point, both failed at their second attempt. When Babakova brought the bar down at her third jump, the gold medal belonged to Cloete and she let out a shriek of joy that echoed through the stadium. She had tears in her eyes and need not have gone for her third jump, but her coach Martin Marx urged her on. "I could hardly see the bar, but Martin told me to go for it," said Cloete. "He said I'd got the gold for South Africa, so finish off for Canada." She told a huge cluster of international media afterwards that she made her last attempt for the crowd. "The crowd were fantastic. The people of Canada and Edmonton could be proud of hosting a wonderful championships. "The South African team had a tough time this week, so today is the cherry on top. We saved the best for last," she said. The 23-year-old from Coligny in North West Province revealed that the 2004 Olympics in Athens would be her last. "After that I think I will have a baby," she said. "To my husband Andries who is at home watching on TV and all the people of South Africa, I want to say I love you and thanks for your support." She also praised God for her talent. "I will think of something worthy to dedicate my medal to when I get home," she said. Cloete set an Africa record 2,04m in Monaco leading up to the Olympics last year and is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion. Asked how she developed her style, with her arms spread like wings when she jumped, Cloete laughed: "I don't know. It just comes naturally. Maybe I'm a bird." Her gold medal certainly put wind under the wings of South Africa's relay team. No one, least of all the big and muscular men in the Trinidad Tobago team, gave them any hope after they squeezed their way into the final by finishing fourth in the semis earlier in the day behind Brazil, Japan and Ivory Coast. "After the semi, we went back to the warmup track to focus and work on our changeover," said Quinn. "When Hestrie won the gold medal, we were so overjoyed, we actually had tears in our eyes. "It gave us such a lift, that we went out there to give our very best. We had good changeovers, and that's what we needed." "It's like a dream. I'm still in shock," said Lee-Roy Newton. "We have a very young team," said Morne Nagel. "We can only go up from here." "I couldn't believe it," said JC Harper who ran the third leg for Trinidad Tobago. "Where did they come from? We'll have to watch them next time." South Africa's four rainbow runners, in fact, could have won gold on Sunday's performance because the American team had originally been disqualified for stepping over the line during a changeover in their first heat, but were reinstated after appealing. The 23-member South African team gave a sterling performance with seven finalists in Cloete, the relay team, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, Hezekiel Sepeng (both 800m), Frantz Kruger (discus), Janus Robberts (shot put) and Shaun Bownes (110m hurdles). Five achieved semi-final status, which eclipses the team's results at Seville where Sepeng claimed the 800m silver backed by two making the semis. They could have held their heads high before Sunday, now they can return as heroes. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - Many Americans have the peculiar, exhausting habit of doing more than one thing at a time. It can be quite unnerving to watch, especially if you happen to be a passenger in a vehicle driven by an American, at about 70 miles per hour, while he is talking on his cell phone, negotiating six-lane highway traffic, and eating a McDonald's drive-through burger with his free hand. (Yes, I know. Which free hand?!?). Oh, and in between all of that, he will be attentive to your deteriorating nerves at his astonishing high-speed juggling act and soothe you with some self-help book advice, while turning the dial on the car radio in order to get to a station playing music suitable for the occasion or mood. Or both at the same time. Why not? Did I mention that your nerves would be frayed because having a habit doesn't necessarily mean that you also possess the ability to successfully carry it out..? Not that this should serve as a deterrent. Because it hasn't, doesn't and won't. Instead, newcomers to the States should loosen up and learn how to join in the practice. After about five years in the country, I think I almost have it down. So I'm taking it upon myself to teach all I know about this phenomenon that is also known as Multi-Tasking. As with all strenuous exercises, we'll make a simple start. The following step-by-step tasks are designed to be performed in a stationary position - with the exception of a few carefully measured steps - in the safety and comfort of your own home: Here goes, at your own risk: How to Multi-Task (the American way). 1. Pour yourself a nice, strong cup of coffee (you will need the caffeine fix!). 2. Start drinking it (and continue to take sips while completing the following steps.). 3. Grab the cordless telephone (although a speakerphone would be even more ideal and much more comfortable!) and call a friend. Clutch the phone between ear and shoulder by pulling up one shoulder and tilting your head towards it, thus leaving your hands free. 4. As you are drinking coffee, and talking to your friend, take out your favourite sandwich ingredients and make yourself a sandwich. 5. Eat (while you listen to your friend complaining about her husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/whatever), drink the remainder of your coffee and ever so often, give your friend a monosyllabic reply. 6. Clear away the dishes that you used, and put the cheese back in the refrigerator (you still have the phone clutched between shoulder and ear.). 7. Pick up the newspaper. As your friend is launching into the second part of his/her passionate monologue, read the first article that catches your eye. Be certain to still reply "yes" or "no" or "mmm", whenever appropriate. 8. Have another sip of coffee. Your friend is wrapping up. By now you should have found the Ann Landers column containing an appropriate answer to at least one of your friend's problems. Read it to him/her, but take care not to give him/her the impression that you found the article while s/he was busy pouring his/her heart out to you. 9. Finish your coffee as you wrap up your conversation with your friend, preferably by scheduling a lunch date. (The more you accomplish the better. Our goal is quantity!) 10. Write down the date, say goodbye to your friend and remove the phone from your stiff neck and shoulder. Call your masseuse (using your hands this time to hold the receiver) to schedule a massage in order to get rid of this sudden, mysterious ache in your neck and shoulder. © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Gruesome end to search for missing children The week-long search for the missing Mans children ended on Sunday when the body of a second child was found in the Orange River near Upington in the Northern Cape. The body of five-year-old Gerhardus Mans was found tied up with nylon rope in a bag on Saturday. Wynand de Vries, a second cousin to the children's father, Johan, spotted a blue togbag on the river bank at about 5.30pm on Saturday. Soon after 8am on Sunday, the body of 13-year-old Dalene Mans was discovered floating in the river by Upington businessman Raymond Young, who had joined the community and police in the desperate search for the missing children. Dalene was found wrapped in a blanket weighed down with stones about five kilometres downstream from where her brother was found. Gerhardus had been tied up inside the bag and he had a small wound under his left eyebrow. An autopsy will determine the cause of the wound. Before apparently committing suicide last Monday, Johan Mans had earlier that morning set fire to his estranged wife Magda's flat in Lange Street. She was asleep in her bedroom but woke and escaped unharmed. Superintendent Hendrik Swart said the two children, Gerhardus and Dalene Mans, went missing more than a week ago while they were visiting their father, Johan Mans. He committed suicide on Monday after setting his former wife's flat on fire. Mrs Mans last saw her children when they left to visit their father for the weekend. Later on Monday, police found a pair of blood-smeared glasses next to Mr Mans's burned-out bakkie that are believed to have belonged to Dalene, who was short-sighted. A bloodied mattress and tarpaulin from the bakkie were found on Wednesday floating beneath the Keimoes Bridge over the Orange River. The Manses divorced in April this year after 14 years of marriage. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
|
