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Donald Woods, 'editor with no fear', dies President Thabo Mbeki has paid tribute to crusading former Daily Dispatch editor Donald Woods, who died on Sunday after a fight against cancer. He was 67. As other tributes poured in for Woods, who used the East London newspaper to wage an anti-apartheid battle in the 1970s, Mbeki praised him for displaying courage in the face of an onslaught from the apartheid government. "The government and the ANC appreciate the courage that Woods showed in standing up to the apartheid regime and in enduring the remarkable circumstances of their escape from tyranny," said presidential spokesperson Bheki Khumalo. PAC president Stanley Mogoba described Woods as a great African. "It was a very difficult time, but he took a very clear stance as an editor to express shock at apartheid laws." Mogoba said Asking For Trouble, Woods's book on Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, who died in police custody in 1977, had been written out of Woods's passionate liking for Biko and not, as many had suggested, as a ladder to gain fame for himself. The book was later the basis of the Richard Attenborough film Cry Freedom, starring Kevin Kline as Woods and Denzel Washington as Biko. The ANC said it was shocked to learn of Woods's death. Spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said he had learnt of his death with a "deep sense of frustration". "In a time like this we need someone like him who fought so relentlessly for the freedom of others," he said. The leader of the Democratic Alliance, Tony Leon, said Woods had been "a brave warrior in the fight against apartheid. "History will remember him for his unflinching stance over the death of Steve Biko and his determination to expose the cover-up attempted over those shameful events." Woods was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II last year with a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) for his contribution to human rights. South African National Editors Forum chairperson Mathatha Tsedu expressed shock at Woods's death. Woods had "started off as a typical white editor", but his understanding of black people grew along with his relationship with Biko, which saw him "cross from the mediocre to the committed editor, an action that turned his paper into an instrument of liberation", Tsedu said. "Woods's death is a serious loss to journalism, but he leaves us with the legacy of the role journalism and journalists at all levels can play in the fight against racism." Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Op die oomblik is ‘n girl van Volksrus op ‘n eet staking. Sy bly deesdae in California en sy is bekommerd oor ene George W. Bush se “militarization of space”. Volgens Lara, is daar talle vriendelike alien life in space wat deur die groot moondhede se missile defense plans bedreig word. Nou kyk, Kytie glo enigiets is moontlik. Waar daar ‘n rokie is mos gewoonlik ‘n vuurtjie. Ons het dit mos nou al lankal geleer in die tragiese geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika: Alle regerings is besig met allerhande onheilige covert operations. Ek weet nie hoekom ons so bang is vir die Mafia nie. Die regerings en wereld banke en selfs die red-die-aarde NGO’s (non-government organisations) van hierdie wereld het almal ‘n vinger in ‘n vrot pie. Waar daar geld is, word daar geld verduister. Die girl van Volksrus, Lara, glo in conspiracy theories. Vandat ek in Amerika kom bly het, het ek kennis gemaak met Conspiracy Theories. Sommige is veel meer credible as ander. Sommige klink totaal bizar, ander klink vir my nogal asof hulle die kat aan die stert beet het en sommige ander het bewyse en teoriee wat heel moontlik is. Soos Lara. Lara se ons moes destyds ons perception of reality verander toe ons uitvind die aarde is rond maar nie plat nie. Sy se dit is nou die tyd om te begin glo in extraterrestrial life. Sy meen dit is nou die tyd om die aarde te red en in vrede met ET en ander hemelse wesens saam te leef. Wel. Waarom dink ons ons is die enigste planeet met lewe? Is dit arrogant om so te dink? Kytie weetie. Ek weet net dit is glad nie vergesog om te dink ‘n Guinea Pig of ‘n Honde het ‘n persoonlikheid nie. So waarom sal honde persoonlikhede he en nie voels nie? Of nie miere nie? Of nie aliens nie? Nou waarom glo die girl van Volksrus in alien life? Sy het die informasie wat die Disclosure Project (Disclosureproject.org) versprei deurgelees en geluister na die getuienis van talle korporale en offisiere en voormalige CIA agente ens wat beweer hulle het talle UFO’s gesien. Volgens hulle is hulle die instruksies gegee om stil te bly, soos duisende ander aan wie dieselfde instruksies gegee is. Wie nou actually aan die hoof staan van die hele conspiracy is nie duidelik nie, maar die is klaarblyklik die US regering. En basically soek die Disclosure Project se main manne ‘n Congress hearing sodat hulle voor koerante en die mag van die wereld kan getuig oor wat hulle gesien en geglo het. My ander favourite conspiracy theory is Die Manipulation van die Gold price teorie. ‘n Organisasie met die naam GATA het selfs sover gegaan om ‘n lawsuit te file teen Alan Greenspan, die Feds se voormalige treasury secretary Lawrence Summer en verskeie ander bullion banks. Volgens die teorie gebruik die Treasury Sec ‘n fonds met die naam die Exchange Stabilization Fund om die dollar kunsmatig op te pomp. Ook gebruik hierdie bullion banks te same met Mr Greenspan, glo die gold derivatives om die mark navraag te manipuleer. Klaarblyklik is daar so ‘n groot aanvraag vir goud, wat die prys behoort te boost. Nou volgens die conspiracy theory, release die bullion banks op die New York Index derivatives op die een of ander komplekse scheme en so bly die prys laag. Vreeslik complicated, maar dit lyk vir my ewe moontlik en interressant. Ek glo mos geld maak enige conspiracy of kroekspul moontlik. My ander gunsteling conspiracy theory is die US government se HIV-AIDS cover-up. Soveel Amerikaners lei aan yuppie-flu of mono, en die een of ander aids aktivis en joernalis beweer dat die regering nie aan ons die waarheid oor HIV/AIDS wil vertel nie omdat dit glo massive paniek sal veroorsaak. Volgens die aktivis is daar ‘n virus met die naam HHV6 wat klaarblyklik die klein skelmpie is wat AIDS trigger . En HHV6 word gevind in AIDS en mono patiente. Die hele storie raak meer kompleks en baie intriguing as jy eers daaroor begin oplees en wonder of jy nie maar nog altyd aan die neus gelei is deur die media nie. EK bedoel veral ons ou volkie, ons het mos nie geweet wat in ons eie land aangaan nie. Hoekom ons so blindelings die wereldmedia vertrou en spesifiek die Washington Post en die New York Times, gaan my verstand te bowe. Ek vermoed die media versprei soveel informasie wat net die aandag van die eintlik conspiracies aflei… Die internet is natuurlik ‘n lieflike resource vir conspiracy theories. Maar jy kan ook informasie op die internet kry wat jy andersins nooit op jou plaaslike nuus of in die koerant sal sien. Soos die HHV6 virus, wat wel bestaan op die website van die NIH. (National Institue of Health) maar weet die algemene publiek enigiets daarvanaf? Het ons ooit in ons wildste drome gedink Kissinger en Castro het secret deals gehad in die 70s? Nee. Onthou altyd dit, niks is ondenkbaar nie. Ons het dit eers meer as dertig jaar later uitgevind. Ek en die Big Cheese dink daaraan om ‘n nuwe besigheid begin - ons het mos hoeka affiliations in die “Bethesda mafia.” Ons het daaraan gedink om counterfeit receipts te verkoop, om mense wat met audits sukkel uit te help. Sien ek is mos ge-audit. Nou wil ek nooit weer in daai posisie wees nie. So die oomblik as die een of ander cabbi vir my ‘n receipt gee dan vra ek vir ‘n hele klompie receipts en dan photocopy mens dit net, so maklik soos dit. Dan het ek receipt-reserwes. Dis nou vir in geval ek weer in my lifetime ge-audit word, dan gaan ek in die boksie onder my bed krap en empty receipts optower. Maar ek en die Big Cheese meen dit is ‘n briljante besigheids plan. Imagine nou jy maak ‘n shop oop langs H&R Block (America’s number one tax preparers op elke hoek)waar jy receipts verkoop. Vir twintig bucks kan jy byvoorbeeld ‘n digital video camera receipt koop en jy claim dit net eenvoudig as ‘n business related expense. Maak Jan Taks heppie, en gee vir hom receipts. Of vir $2 ‘n piece kan jy restaurant receipts koop. En ons kan hordes daarvan bymekaar maak, quick-quick. Al wat jy doen is om elke flentertjie papier op te tel en hou die strate skoon. Of nog beter, gaan krap rond in die recycle bins, binne in elke plastiek sak is mos ‘n receipts. Dus noem ons die besigheid iets soos “Your Receipts Recycling Service) Of nog beter, ek kan receipts begin invoer uit Suid-Afrika. Die bedra daarop is enorm. En soms is daar nie Rand tekentjies daarop nie…Dus kan jy 5000 dollar claim vir ‘n kamera wat jou 5000 rand gekos het!!! Natuurlik sal so ‘n soort shop nie werk nie. Ideally moet ‘n mens dus die RecyclingREceipts.com website begin, ‘n soort trade jou receipts en koop en verkoop receipts. Man, ‘n mens sal darem die sisteem BEAT. Die Big Cheese sensor natuurlik hierdie week se kolom. (so much for freedom of press) Just for the record, wil die Baas het ek moet die volgende disclaimer aanbring: DISCLAIMER Some of this activity may be unlawful. Check with your accountant before you follow any of these ideas. My audit was ‘n stimulus van die regering om my criminal mind te aktiveer. Ek het nie geweet ek is tot sulke korrupte gedagtes in staat nie. Maar my baas is even worse… Vanoggend het die Big Cheese vanoggend vorendag gekom met die meesters-toeriste plan van die nuwe eeu vir die nuwe Suid-Afrika. Hy meen as ons marijuana legalise gaan ons ‘n influx van US citizens he wat in Suid-Afrika gaan kom woon, permanent. Natuurlik moet ons entrance requirements he. Ons soek nie die hippies of die dopekop white trash nie, ons soek mense met die statuur van George W. Bush, en Bill Clinton maar hy’t blykbaar nie ge-inhale nie, net gepuff. Daarom is nie Clinton nie welkom nie. Suid-Afrika se economy gaan ‘n boost kry want die Transkei is glo mos nie verniet die home van die groenste grass 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 ] Winter of discontent as strike season hots up South Africa faces yet another serious blow in the current wave of industrial action as the public service unions prepare to down tools in a nationwide strike. Public sector unions aligned with the Congress of SA Trade Unions announced at the weekend that they had reached a stalemate in the bargaining council. The move comes as the long-running strike in the motor industry enters a third week today. The public service unions decided on their action after the government refused to budge from its offer of a 5.5 percent pay increase. The unions are demanding 9 percent. Strike details will be announced this week after shop stewards have attended a regional council report-back tomorrow. The move also precedes the Cosatu nationwide strike, planned for August 29 and 30 and aimed at unravelling the government's privatisation programme. The government hopes to raise billions through the privatisation of state assets - it has budgeted for anticipated receipts of R18 billion in 2001/2002 - and has signalled its determination to proceed. Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin said on Friday that the government would stick to its privatisation policy. "It is unlikely that such a basic policy, which has been part of the ANC's central policy since 1990, could that easily be changed - I think that's a very unlikely prospect," Erwin said. The government plans to start the sell-off with the listing later this year of Telkom, which has shed about 17 000 jobs in the past two years. The privatisation programme is also focused on transport group Transnet, power supplier Eskom and defence group Denel. But the government faces an increasingly hostile labour movement, which appears equally determined to prevent privatisation and the job losses it considers inevitable. Last week marked the first phase of the national labour protest against privatisation, with Cosatu-organised marches, pickets and demonstrations in Gauteng, the Western Cape, the North West and Northern Province. Cosatu president Willie Madisha said the protest had been a huge success. It had proved "beyond doubt" that working people were determined to resist the government's plans to sell off public assets. The attendance had spoken "volumes about the fear of workers and poor communities of losing jobs, paying more for services such as electricity and water, and becoming even poorer than they are", Madisha said. The government had until the end of August to reconsider its policies, after which Cosatu would force them to do so through a general strike the likes of which the country had never seen before, Madisha said. "They are destroying our economy and our communities. Privatisation will put the cost of services beyond the reach of the poor and will further increase unemployment with inevitable job losses." The next round of the anti-privatisation campaign, a nationwide strike, is scheduled for next week, the same week the public service is threatening to begin its own industrial action. Elsewhere in the country, strike activity is looming in many key industrial and economic sectors. Other strike developments: *The National Council of Trade Unions will join the Cosatu campaigns against privatisation next week. Over half a million Nactu members were expected to join the two-day stayaway. *The SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union is ready to proceed on August 29 with protest action against retailers over high import levels and the shifting of work to low wages areas. * National leaders of the tripartite alliance of the African National Congress, Cosatu and SA Communist Party have scheduled week-long talks on privatisation and other issues bedevilling unity in the run-up to next month's alliance summit. A joint statement issued on Sunday said the group dealing with "restructuring of state assets" had been unable to complete its work. "Further work is still required," said Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven. The alliance leadership believed more time was needed to deal with various issues, including privatisation. "Piecemeal discussions over an extended period of time will not help the alliance deal with issues systematically." There would be intensive discussions on areas of disagreement, including at the planned week-long lekgotla by alliance leaders. No date for the lekgotla has been announced. "At this meeting, every area of disagreement will be debated," Craven said. The leaders' meeting would take the place of a previously planned 10-a-side meeting. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] M4 under the spotlight after 9 die in crash Provincial Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele will be taking action to deal with the spate of accidents along a treacherous stretch of the M4 highway near La Lucia Mall, where more people were killed at the weekend. Nine people burned to death and another nine were injured in a multiple vehicle pile-up on the M4 near Umhlanga early on Saturday. According to traffic officials, 12 people were killed on the same stretch of road, north of Durban, only a few months ago. The road falls under the jurisdiction of the Durban metro council and Ndebele will meet the executive committee to ensure that engineering and enforcement remedies are looked into immediately. The police are still investigating the cause of the latest accident as well as the identity of the victims who were burned beyond recognition. They are appealing to the public for assistance. Ndebele, who went to the scene, described the collision as "horrific". It involved a pick-up, a minibus taxi and two other vehicles. According to witnesses, a Nissan pick-up was travelling north when its trailer broke free and collided with an Opel Astra travelling behind it. A minibus taxi going in the opposite direction collided with the Opel and the pick-up. An Alfa Romeo collided with the other three vehicles. The minibus and the Opel burst into flames. The Opel's driver and two of his passengers, all Congolese citizens, were burned to death. Two other passengers in the vehicle had minor injuries. Six passengers, including a child, in the Nissan were also burned to death. The driver was slightly injured. The driver of the Alfa, who was alone in his car, was slightly injured. He was airlifted to St Augustine's Hospital where he is in a stable condition. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - A recent encounter with a crew from a racing sailboat docked at Baltimore's Inner Harbour took me back to my own -somewhat reluctant - international sailing debut a summer or so ago in Norfolk, Virginia. My reluctance stemmed from my nautical skills, which were (and still are) naught. Until that time, the closest I've ever come to a sailor was during Op Sail 2000, when a fleet of tall ships was also docked at the harbour in Baltimore. The sailors aboard the ships were leaning over the rails and doing what sailors are supposed to do: whooping and wolf whistling to the girls strolling by on the promenade. "In that case," I thought, "There can't be all that much to the art of being a sailor." It has to be said that I'm not exactly the sporty type, and that would still be a gross understatement. For one, I don't swim; I float (ala Ophelia). I love water, but frankly, I've always felt more at home with my feet planted firmly on Mother Earth. The thought of being ON the water had never occurred to me before that summer, except during elaborate fantasies of spending a Mediterranean summer on a yacht (manned by others who are more muscular... eh, I mean capable.). Actually, there was another time when I had too much Green Island Rum on Mauritius and I found myself hovering high above the Indian Ocean in a tandem parasailing flight. But that's a story for another time... Other than that, as far as I was concerned, boats were always just objects to complete the charming picture at the marinas and harbours of holiday towns, villages and port cities. Objects with names that I can read and laugh at - like the little dinghy of a thingy which I spotted in Boesman's Riviermond during a holiday one year called "Indestructible... the third". Or safely distant dots on the horizon. Until that one fateful day during a weekend in Norfolk, when I came face to mast with a catamaran. My host turned out to be an enthusiastic amateur sailor, a fact that he had wisely kept hidden from me until I was at his mercy for the weekend. This newly revealed facet to his personality would not have bothered me in the least, was it not for his sly little plans to incorporate me in his crew. "Aw, c'mon!" he begged, his grin revealing a set of teeth flashing white against his tanned complexion. "The wind is perfect, and just look at the bay!" I looked at the bay. Threatening white caps marred the normal sheet of calm, brilliant blue. It was one of those days that you didn't need to lick your finger and stick it in the air to confirm the presence of a stirring breeze... "What about sharks..?" I asked weakly in one last attempt at staying grounded. I still don't know whether it was my politeness, embarrassment or sheer stupidity - possibly a combination of all three - but the next thing I was an official crewmember ensconced in a bright orange life preserver and a type of harness contraption, and hooked up to the mast. He explained something about leaning backward off the boat for balance when we pick up speed, or something to that effect. (My attention span is remarkably short when I'm under pressure.) "Aye, aye, Captain." (Despite my panic I did remember some of the jargon appropriate for the occasion, like "Captain", "Starboard", "Aft", "Bow", and "Drown.") On that note, I was off on my maiden voyage. The further we advanced on the open water, the more the breeze felt like a gale force wind. Soon we were going very fast indeed. I don't know exactly HOW fast we were going, but over the past months, the number has increased every time I've told the story. I've since settled on about 50 knots. I must admit, something happens in the mind when you are let loose at such a manic speed; when the wind blowing in your face leaves you breathless. At some point, I even started to enjoy this new excursion. Suddenly I was fearless. When the Captain yelled "lean!", I kicked and leaned back so low over the water that my hair got drenched. My imagination ran wild, and I pretended we were taking part in a world class regatta. Must've been too much fresh air, but in my crazy daydream, we were neck-in-neck with a pirate ship. Suddenly I was jerked from the dream with a loud snap followed by a gigantic splash. It took me a while to realize that I had fallen overboard! The harness had broken, almost causing my premature expiration. My Captain swore that it had never happened before. He soothed, pleaded again and reassured, but that was the end of any further sailing aspirations for me. I'm secretly glad that I had that little adventure. Not only is it great dinner conversation or column material, but now I regard sailors with more than just a passing interest and a lot of respect. That's why a segment on NBC's Dateline a few weeks ago caught my attention. It followed the adventures of a young British sailor, Ellen Macarthur (25), in her solo efforts during the grueling, three month long Vendee Globe (They set sail from France, go down the Eastern Atlantic, around Antarctica, up the Western Atlantic and back across the Northern Atlantic to finish back in France). Ellen's story is remarkable, not only because of her age, but because she was a considerable novice competing against far more experienced, and predominately male, crews. She was also the only one who tackled the journey by herself. Ellen surprised everyone by surviving almost insurmountable obstacles (her mast cracked, amongst other things). She endured and finished in second place. By the time she docked her boat, Kingfisher, she was a celebrity in Europe. At the end of the Dateline segment, the reporter announced that Ellen was racing again, taking part in the EDS Atlantic Challenge. When I heard that one of her ports during the race was Baltimore, I decided that I had to meet her. Sadly, I didn't, but I did get to see the Kingfisher and I spoke to one of her shore crewmembers, a jovial fellow from New Zealand who willingly shared inside information about Ellen, Kingfisher, and racing in general. The next morning, I was at the harbour to bid them good luck and bon voyage as they set out on the fourth leg of the race to Boston. Corny as it may sound, I was lucky to be in the presence of greatness. Just before they set off, I asked a member of the crew what the nautical term for "Good Luck" is. He said he thought it was merely "Bon Voyage". I thought that was too boring, and pitched a few ideas at them. "How about putting a spin on the theatre saying, "Break a Leg" and changing it to "Break a Mast"?" The looks on their faces quickly dismissed my idea. As they left the dock, it dawned on me and I yelled: "Float your boat!" Noting my enthusiasm at the encounter, my former Captain thought it meant that I had some seaworthiness left in me. No such luck for him. "Find someone else as an offering to Neptune," I said. * Ellen Macarthur has since gone back to the UK. Soon she will be training with Alain Gautier for the Transat Jacques Vabre (France to Brazil) in November. As we go to press, Kingfisher is racing the final leg of the EDS Atlantic Challenge with Ellen's co-skipper Nick Maloney at the helm. For more information, go to www.ellenmacarthur.com © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Bullet train to speed Cape into global market A package - that is what the Cape Town Partnership (CTP) aims to offer international investors in its bid to help turn the city into a global player. CTP chief Michael Farr is firm: "If you want to attract international investment, you can't just have smart people, you have to have a package." Unveiling its macro-development plan for the unicity, the CTP includes the following in this package: greatly improved transport facilities, establishing city improvement districts (CIDs) on the Cape Flats, and consolidating business nodes. Projects that are being planned or investigated include: * A "bullet train" between Cape Town International Airport and the Cape Town International Convention Centre or Cape Town station. * An inner city bus shuttle service for city bowl residents in Oranjezicht, Tamboerskloof, Green Point and Mouille Point by March. Farr said it was estimated that the service would decrease traffic in the city centre by 2 000 vehicles a day. * A light rail system for the city centre, which Farr said was "hugely important" for the convention centre. "We can't have 4 000 delegates jumping into rented cars after a conference and driving them to hotels in the city." * The upgrading of the metropolitan public transport system along the city's traditional business nodes such as Claremont, Bellville, Athlone, Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain. "We can then attract investment by saying: 'We can give you, the international company, the necessary skills to run your information technology, administrative or call centre departments from our city. We have city improvement districts in our traditional business nodes and we're also offering a great environment in which to live and work.' "We should be pursuing a policy which capitalises on the growing phenomenon of global corporate disaggregation, which sees international companies hiving off their administration, information technology and call centre departments to countries where people needed to run them cost much less to employ." Swissair and Lufthansa have already transferred their international call centres to Cape Town. He said that according to investors, the weaknesses of the city include the high crime rate and the fact that the city has the highest "brain drain" rate in the world. "Where Cape Town has a distinct advantage, though, is our skills base," Farr said. He said crime had dropped by 47 percent in some areas where CIDs had been established. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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