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Last Update: December 26, 2001 |
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We'll stay in SA, say robbed couple A KwaZulu-Natal businessman has decided not to emigrate after he and his partner were helped by taximen who chased and recovered their goods after they were robbed. Paul Godwin and his partner Pat Bonini, both managers of an advertising company, were in their last days in South Africa and were preparing to take their business to Europe. The couple said that they were waiting at a traffic light in Warwick Triangle when unknown men appeared "from nowhere" and snatched Bonini's bag which contained money, documents and other personal items. They said that their biggest mistake was to leave the car windows open. Godwin said that after the bag was snatched he switched off the engine and chased after the men. "The men ran in the direction of a taxi rank in Etna Lane and I lost sight of them. I was taking a chance chasing them because I did not know if they were armed," he said. Godwin said a few minutes later an old man with a couple of other people approached him while he was looking for the suspects. "I was surprised when the group handed over the bag and all its contents. They told me that they had got the suspects," he said. Godwin said he took the bag and thanked the men. "In my whole life in South Africa I have never experienced such honesty from people whom I did not know. This robbery changed my perception about the taximen and the people of the country," he said. Bonini praised the people who helped her remove the car that had caused a traffic jam. "The contents of the bag were very important to me and when it was snatched I knew I had lost everything. It was a relief when Paul brought it back with all the items inside. There is still hope in this country and we have already made up our minds that we are no longer leaving South Africa," she said. Bonini said it came as a surprise to get help from taximen, who were often regarded as thugs. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Krismis is sacred in my kop. Dit is ‘n tyd vir sonskyn en my gesin en vroeg-oggend kerk en noedelslaai en beach en die Berg en ‘n klein fake kersboom wat ons elke jaar versier met ‘n spesifieke tema. As ek Kersfees dink dink ek aan die opgewondheid oor ons persentjies op Oukersaand en ma wat klavier speel terwyl ons Stille Nag sing. In my kop, is Kersfees altyd ‘n somer Kersfees in Suid-Afrika sonder Santa Claus. Dit is ‘n tyd wat ek so graag sou wou terughe. Om vriendeliker te wees, en my familie te waardeer. Ek dink ek het altyd kersfees saam met ma, pa en boet for granted gevat. Kersfees was nie altyd vir my die happyste tyd van die jaar nie. Soms, as dit net ons viertjies in die huisie op Kuilsrivier was, het die melankolie my gevang. Dan wou ek ‘n groot familie he, en ek wou in Krismis spirits wees. En my ma probeer altyd so hard: sy versier die boom en maak kos en met haar borrellag probeer sy haar eie alleenheid weglag en sy probeer selfs om pa en boet uit die tipiese manlike apatie uit te sing. Op die ou end was dit meeste van die tyd net boet, sus, ma en pa in ons huisie. En ek wat altyd voel asof almal rondom ons moviese tv-kersfees hou met groot bome en blink ligte en klomp persente en ‘n partytjie gevoel, asof ek die enigste alleen mens op die planeet is. Tog het elke kersfees altyd spesiaal geword, tussen die viertjies van ons is daar genoeg liefde om enige alleen mens happy te maak. Wat as ‘n alleen somersaand in Kuilsrivier or St Helenabaai tussen visfabrieke of in Saldanha baai in ‘n klein rondawel of by die huis sonder ouma of niggies en ooms en tannies begin, het op die ou end ‘n gesinsaand geword. Krismis is alweer om die draai. Actually begin my kersfees mos alweer sewe ure voor die kollegas by die werk, die vriende, housemates en die boyfriend se krismis. myne begin mos Oukersaand SA tyd. En my Krismis eindig Amerikaanse tyd. So ek het ‘n langer Kersfees as die meeste ander mense. Myne is ook sad, want my hart is op ‘n ander plek., ook vanjaar. EK het Krismis probeer ignoreer. Ek het my kersfees shopping vanoggend gedoen. Ek het nie ‘n enkele krismis carol gesing en my ma’le se pakkie al twee weke terug oopgemaak en als opgeeet wat ek kon opeet en die parfuum gespuit en gemaak asof die nie ‘n kers persent is nie. Nou sit ek hier, Maandag 24 November, op kantoor en ek kan nie van die Krismis carols af weghol nie. Almal draai pakkies toe en se, Merry Christmas vir mekaar. Die nuwe boyfriend doen darem ‘n goeie job om my te laat smile, ek moet dit erken. En vanaand gee ek aan sy pa KWV 10j oue brandy en vir sy ma ‘n bottel Cabernet van Sevenwacht, die wynplaas naby my ou dorpie Kuilsrivier. Hopelik sal dit hulle aan die praat kry want Kytie se woorde is maar min die Kersfees. More gaan ek by die Ice Rink werk as RINK GUARD in my rooi jacket om myself daaraan te herinner dat ek in ‘n land is waar dit koud genoeg is in die winter om op ‘n outdoors rink te kan skaats. Geen lekker Kersdag braai vir my nie. Ja, daar’s soveel mense, soveel mense rondom my hierdie Kersfees. En ek is nog meer alleen, wat ek nie sal gee om weer saam met ons ou viertjies Kersfees te hou nie. Die hart le swaar in die chest. Kersfees is mos sulke tyd. 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 ] We won't abandon Zim, says ANC group While the Commonwealth is to consider tough measures against Zimbabwe for consistently violating the organisation's principles, an African National Congress delegation on Thursday reiterated its support for the troubled country, saying it would not abandon Zimbabwe. The comments by Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana in a television interview come as the Commonwealth considers suspending Zimbabwe, although it is unlikely to impose sanctions on the country's shattered economy. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley, speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Commonwealth ministerial action group, warned Zimbabwe that it faced suspension, saying the grouping of 54 mainly former British colonies was frustrated by the continuing chaos in the country. The action group, in effect the Commonwealth's democracy watchdog, insists that President Robert Mugabe stop farm seizures and media and political intimidation. The group will meet again on January 30 to decide what to do. "There is a range of actions that can be taken, including suspension, and those are all going to be on the list of options when we review progress in six weeks," said Manley. Mugabe, who faces pressure over the violent takeover of white-owned farms, says that the redistribution of farmland to blacks is a vital step toward redressing old injustices. Manley said that there would be little point in imposing economic sanctions on Zimbabwe, given the damage already done to the economy by the farm seizures. Meanwhile, Mdladlana, who was part of a four-member ANC delegation that visited Harare on Thursday, following media reports that President Thabo Mbeki had hardened his stance towards the Zanu-PF government, said the allegedly critical comments by Mbeki had been taken out of context. "It's unfortunate that there are people who have quoted the president out of context. Mbeki is a friend of Zimbabwe," said Mdladlana, adding: "We have never even mentioned that we will abandon Zimbabwe." Other members of the delegation were ANC chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota, secretary-general Kgalena Motlanthe and National Executive Committee member Sydney Mufumadi. [ Top ] Kruger Park is fair game for everyone There is work to be done to attract local people, especially black South Africans, to the Kruger National Park. William Mabasa, public relations and communications manager, says: "We are not sure whether the problem is economic or historical. In the past, blacks were not allowed to visit the park. "There is also the perception that the park is unaffordable to the average person, but we are reaching out to previously disadvantaged communities." Efforts are under way to encourage visits by small groups and sponsored tours from Mpumalanga and Northern Province. Mabasa says the park can provide accommodation for as little as R100 a night for two people sharing. All the accommodation facilities have ablution blocks with a kitchen, and are serviced daily. Retail facilities for fuel and restaurants are also available in the park. Bedding is supplied at all accommodation, and cooking utensils and fridges are provided in most units. The five-star Jock Safari Lodge was opened by Tourism Minister Valli Moosa recently. It will cater for visitors from the top end of the market. The lodge, the first private camp in the park, is in the south at the confluence of the Mitomeni and Biyamiti rivers, halfway between Skukuza and Malelane airports. It is over 6 000ha in size and is easily accessible by road, a little more than four hours' drive from Johannesburg. The luxury lodge incorporates the romance and elegance of the colonial era and also reflects the indigenous Zulu and Shangaan cultures. The huts have been converted into en-suite bedrooms, each with its private sala overlooking the river and with outside showers. A swimming pool overlooks the riverbed, and a magnificent wooden stairway leads up to the bar. This exclusive lodge can accommodate about 24 people. Jock Safari Lodge is offering opening specials until January 15, starting at R3 500 for two nights per person sharing. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - On Christmas Day in 1998, an unusual, but very heart-warming story appeared in The Washington Post. It made a tremendous impression on me – must’ve done, hey? If I still remember it after all these years – and as a special Christmas treat, I want to share it with you. It revolves around an elderly couple in Massachusetts and one of their garden ornaments. Now, I know what you could be thinking, what’s with this girl and her obsession with lawn ornaments? And I’ll be the first to admit, here in Baltimore the garden gnomes belonging to our neighbours – who are forever changing their ornaments with the season and for whatever holiday – have provided me with endless entertainment and column material. But to get back to this particular story (which had impressed me long before my own, close encounters with garden accessories began.). Just after Easter in 1998, Gertrude Knight noticed that someone had stolen one of a pair of 10-pound cement frogs that sat on a cement bench under a cement umbrella, from their front lawn. The girl frog was still there, but the boy was missing. At first her husband, John Knight, thought it was some up-to-no-good kids who had probably swiped it, broke it and then simply threw it away. His wife had no reason to disagree. But a few weeks later, they realised their speculations were inaccurate when the Knights received a postcard, showing sunset on the Chesapeake Bay, from Maryland. They didn’t know it then, but it was merely the beginning of what turned out to be a great mystery. "Sick of sitting on your lawn," the card said in capital letters. "Had to get away. Love, the frog." A letter from New York followed a few weeks later. It was written in the same capital print and read: "Dear Ma and Pa, Hope things are good! I’m being well taken care of! I’m in New York right now! Should be back for the holidays! Take care of my lady frog for me. Write you again soon! Love, the frog. Attached to the letter was a photo of their cement frog sitting outside a New York subway station and being held aloft near the street signs at Broadway and 52nd Street. After that, the letters, postcards and photographs started pouring in for the Knights, who were both 67 years old at the time. The frog got around quickly and travelled far. Postcards arrived from Switzerland, Sweden and Paris. "Hi Mom and Dad, Can’t stay in Paris too long. I hear frog legs are a delicacy. Gotta go!" He "wrote" from Hawaii, Italy and Beverly Hills. "This is where the rich and famous frogs hang out. Like me." More cards arrived from London, Denmark and Indonesia. "President Suharto stepped down. Me and the children pray for peace in Indonesia and for everyone around the world." From Japan, Las Vegas and Amsterdam (the froggy had clearly embarked on a global mission.): "Catch you around Christmastime." Four days before Christmas in 1996, Skip Around Limousine Company in Taunton, Massachusetts, received a phone call. "My boss said I had a job to pick up a Mr. Frog at City Hall in Fall River," said driver Jim Smith. "I just figured I was picking up a person by the name of Mr. Frog." As soon as Smith pulled up to the curb, someone dashed to the limousine, opened the rear door, put something inside and handed instructions and an envelope with $100 to the driver. Then the mysterious man made his escape. All Smith noticed was that he had long hair in a ponytail. The directions led the limo and its cargo to the Knight residence. The normally quiet suburban street was a hotbed of activity that day, because someone had spread the word that the frog – who had by then grown into a media celebrity – was coming home. Television cameras were rolling as the Knights were handed their long-lost, world travelling frog. They were hoping that the person responsible would also be in the limousine, but no such luck. All they found in the back of the car was a bottle of champagne, flowers for the frog’s lady friend, a Christmas card from the frog to the Knights and a letter from whomever had started the whole affair. "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Knight, I am glad to send Phil the Frog home for Christmas. Never thought the joke would become this big! You don’t know me, and I've never met you. It was a totally random thing for my best friend and I to do! We took good care of him. Hope you keep him inside from now on, seeing he is famous. Best wishes for a happy holiday season, and thanks for being good sports!" It was simply signed: "Frognappers." The journalist, who had originally reported on the amphibian affair for the Providence Journal, went on to speculate that the whole thing could have been a matter of life imitating art. He wrote: "Virginia novelist Sharyn McCrumb, in her 1990 mystery "The Windsor Knot", used a purloined garden gnome as a subplot. In the book, the gnome is stolen from a Scottish family, who then receives postcards from exotic locales, each purportedly written by the globetrotting ornament. It returns just in time for a character’s wedding." I don’t know if the Knights ever found out who the mysterious frognappers were, or if Phil ever embarked on another impromptu vacation. In fact, I don’t even know if both of the Knights are still alive. You see, during the same year that Phil took his trip around the world, John Knight fell quite ill. He had large benign tumours removed from his shoulder and lungs. He told reporters that Phil’s adventure and cards and letters helped him through his troubles. "I think it picked me up a bit," he said. "Unbelievable what a little cement frog can do – change your life around." The chubby-cheeked ceramic gnome standing in a flowerbed in my neighbour’s front garden looks quite bored. I don’t think he’s ever been out of Baltimore. Wonder if he’d like to travel to South Africa..? © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Romance of steam brings economic hope The smoke, the scalding jets of steam and the screeching hoots breathe life into the Umgeni Steam Railway locomotive as it heads north on the track between Kloof and Inchanga. The animated expressions of its passengers speak volumes about the ride: Children and adults are wide-eyed and gleeful. At their journey's end, it's obvious they relished a trip back in time. It's easy to succumb to the romanticism of the steam era. You are pulled along by an engine that derives its enormous strength from two men shovelling coal; a key ingredient is water and the pace of the journey is slow enough to take in the awesome scenery. The polished components of the engine are solid, and there seems a reliability about them and the time they come from. The fact that a trip like this is possible in Durban is thanks to the dedicated efforts of an ardent group of steam train enthusiasts, who work evenings and weekends for Umgeni Steam Railways, a non-profit company that has been in existence for about 20 years. About eight years ago they negotiated with Spoornet to make the Kloof to Inchanga run, which has become immensely popular. So much so that the old red brick and sandstone stations en route have been turned into thriving tea gardens and restaurants. The splendid Inchanga hotel (built entirely from imported British bricks) has been restored to its former glory, and boasts a craft market and music from a blue grass band. For Marc Bouchier, Umgeni Steam's chairman, the modest success of the venture is thanks to the energy of people who have made a hobby of restoring the company's two running locomotives and eight carriages. They recently struck a deal with Spoornet to turn a covered workshop at Mason's Mill in Pietermaritzburg into a "rejuvenation ward" for steam engines and carriages. There are about a dozen locomotives in a rusty shunting yard in Pinetown that will be moved to Mason's Mill. In South Africa, steam trains hung on until the 1970s, when they were de-commissioned from the main lines and relegated to shunting duties. Since then many beloved locomotives have rusted away in obscure country towns, and Bouchier and others are trying to get them to Mason's Mill for refurbishment - an expensive and ambitious project. There are about 150 locomotives dotted around South Africa, many at the mercy of scrap metal dealers who have also ripped up stretches of railway track on lines that Spoornet discontinued in the 1980s. If cynics question the effort and expense of maintaining old lines and locos as fixation with a bygone era, they should think again. A few years ago a wealthy entrepreneur established the Pretoria-based super-slick Rovos Rail Company that transformed a set of steam trains into a world renowned money-spinning tourism business. The company, now with offices in US, offers luxury train rides across southern Africa. Bouchier says the "Thousands Hills Choo-Choo" has done a lot to attract tourists and stimulate the economy of the region. In Ixopo, local business, the council and a group of enthusiasts lobbied new management at Spoornet to allow them to refurbish and manage 17km of track. It has been successfully marketed as Paton's Country Narrow Gauge Railway, to trade on a region popularised by Alan Paton's Cry the Beloved Country. It recently attracted a group of Norwegian tourists, who spent R30 000 in the area in a single day, and donated a classroom of computers to a local school. In an about-turn for Spoornet, the company's new chief executive officer, Zandile Jakavula, recently said the parastatal was opposed to ripping up old lines. Spoornet frequently uses only 9 000 of the 20 000km of rail track that criss-crosses South Africa. It has established a task team to consider the viability of the "branch lines", that connect small towns and are occasionally used to transport produce like cane and timber. Spoornet spokesman Mike Asefovitz said: "We are talking about potential partnerships, about how we can tie up with businesses and local government in different regions. " Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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