Where's Mandela? And What's Up With Prince Charles?

Associated Press -- Source

When was the last time former president Nelson Mandela was seen or heard from? In what condition is he? Is he even still alive? Let me know, I'm really curious and concerned.

A few days ago Brittain's royal couple, Prince Charles and Lady Camilla arrived in South Africa. They are on a five day visit in South Africa. Yesterday they met with Mandela's wife Graca Machel but not with Madiba. I find it curious. Yes, former president Mandela is sickly and weak, but ever the more reason for Prince Charles to at least drop in and give his old peer a nod, for surely he is unlikely to see Mandela again. Unless, of course, the reason he is not visiting with Mandela is not because Mandela "is not receiving visitors," but because he cannot receive anybody since he had passed away. Yeah, all conspiracy theory stuff, but there would be good reason for the powers that be to keep news of his passing hushed for the time being. In politics timing is everything!

Regarding the royal visit: The comments I read under some [1, 2] news reports of Charles and Camilla's visit was most unfavourable. One person said that they are "as exciting as a bar of soap", another wrote "who cares?!", another suggested to get "eggs and naartjies ready" presumably to throw them with, and yet another suggested that they "go back to their island." Gathering from these and other even less flattering comments, it would seem that the average South African is not too keen on the English royals.

The prince is spending much of his time in South Africa talking about climate change (his favourite topic) and economic ties between South Africa and Britain. On Sunday he will depart for Tanzania, which is another African country like South Africa with very strong trading ties to China and lots of local Chinese investment. Maybe his visit to South Africa had more to do with concerns about China's foothold in Africa, than anything else. As I wrote last month, the ties between South Africa and China is much more sinister that we are led to believe.

Car Got Stolen

Isn't it ironic how my previous (Afrikaans) post was about how much I miss the farm ("Die plaas"); i.e., how I miss South Africa, and then I get the news from my brother that my car in South Africa got stolen yesterday. Now foil this against the post I wrote on Monday ("Lost & Found") about losing my backpack with all its valuables inside here in Korea, but getting it all back intact--not a dime missing. While the possibility of getting things back in Korea is quite high, the possibility for the same thing happening in South Africa is pretty darn small. I have little hope that my car will be found and if it is found I doubt will be worth more than its value in scrap, for the robbers will strip it down to its frame.

Admittedly, it is not a terrible loss for me personally. Since I live in Korea and only visit South Africa for a couple of weeks per year it is not as if I'm using the car regularly. Okay, so it wasn't an expensive car. As a rather old Volkswagen Golf, it is considered an entry level car and is probably worth less than R10 000, based on today's exchange rate that is less than US$1300. 

During my 2009 visit in South Africa I lost a tyre after
I hit a pothole. It was a lovely day to change a tyre,
and I didn't even get robbed, raped or hijacked.
One has to count one's blessings! 

Nonetheless, it is still a loss. It is something that belonged to me and that was taken away from me. Furthermore, I lend my car, which is pretty light on fuel consumption, to my brother whom is going through some financial difficulty. So not only was I stolen from, those I care for are inconvenienced by this crime. 

Now here is the truly disturbing thing. I am thankful that my brother was not in the car when it was stolen, because hijackings in South Africa often lead to the murder of the victim. I am thankful that my family was not harmed and weighed against their lives, I'd gladly give up a car. What is sad about it, is that South Africa is such a criminally violent place that when your car gets stolen without someone being injured or killed in the process, you consider it a blessing. "Hey, my car got stolen. Nobody's dead. What a blessing!" Sadly this is not a joke. I spoke to a South African friend a week ago, who told me of a friend of his who was stabbed to death a few days earlier. The robbers took his cellphone. In South Africa a life is worth a cellphone! For South Africans such crimes are so common that we forget that it is actually abnormal. We live there without thinking it strange. Here in Korea I enter my apartment and immediately lock the door behind me. The force of habit. Most Koreans don't bother. In Korea I'm the strange one for being so over vigilant. In the martial art class when I teach self-defence they think my techniques are overly excessive and I guess in a country like Korea it probably is. 

Die plaas

Pierneef, "Plaas naby Derdepoort"
Beeldbron: Litnet

Ek wou 'n skrywe geskryf het oor my verlange na die plaas vandag, maar toe onthou ek dat ek reeds so 'n skrywe gemaak het sowat twee jaar gelede. As ek vandag die skrywe sou skryf, sou dit basies 'n woordelikse herhaling gewees het van wat ek toe geskryf het: Ek verlang na die plaas. Die plaas bestaan nie meer nie. Daar is dus geen lafenis aan my verlange nie.

In die verlede, nadat ons plaas onteien is, het ek darem weekliks 'n draai by een van my vriende wat ook toe nog op plase gebly het, gaan inloer. Op 'n Vrydagmiddag het ek saam met Howard die beeste gaan haal en kraal toe gejaag of oor 'n naweek het ek by Jaco gaan kuier en ook so tussen bees of skaap gaan stap. Vandag bly albei van hulle in dorpshuise.

My broer bly op 'n plot. 'n Plot is seker beter as 'n dorpshuis omdat daar darem diere op die plot is: perde, hoenders, honde. Maar 'n plot is nie 'n plaas nie en ek verlang na die plaas. Groot oop stroke veld. Doringbome. Reuse bloekoms. Klipperste klip. Rooi grond. Suid-Afrikaanse blou hemele. Kiewiete wat raas as jy verby stap.

Ek sit in my kantoor in Korea en merk vraestelle. 'n Kantoor is beslis nie 'n plaas nie. En Korea se plase is nie soos Suid-Afrika se plase nie.