Bringing up the issue of race or colour in South Africa is still difficult and in some places it is simply not done. It has been over a decade now since the country ended minority rule and finally became a democracy, in the process giving freedom and equal rights to its entire population no matter their race, gender or standing. The Rainbow Nation was born at last, uniting all of its people beneath one flag, and the promise of tomorrow never tasted so sweet.
But…
Does the colour of your skin still make a difference in South Africa today? I will explore this question in the following and upcoming articles, making observations of what I have seen and heard myself during my stay here, beginning with the area where I live – the National Park and our slice of the Northern Cape province I call home.
Let me first tell you a little bit more about this place in order for you to better understand the situation: this area of the Northern Cape is, much like the rest of the province, very sparsely populated. The harsh climate (semi-desert) and the lack of industry or other economic activities are mostly to blame for this – few people would be motivated to move to this area who weren’t born and raised here. There is only one major city in this area of the province, Upington, but even many South Africans have never even heard of it let alone are able to pinpoint it on a map. But for those of us who live near it (120 km away in my case) it serves as a lifeline to a more developed world – mostly because it’s the only place around here you can get some KFC (I’d kill for a Wrap right now). The thousands of square kilometres that make up the Northern Cape know only a few “oases” – the area around Augrabies Falls is certainly one of them, as far as the regional standard goes anyway. The park itself generates a healthy number of tourists every year of course, creating much sought after jobs for the local population, but more importantly farmers were able to grow grapes in the soil along the Orange River. Raisins and wine are the two (and only) exports of this region, but it is certainly better than nothing as both goods generate enough investment and tourism to be profitable. In fact most people’s employment history could be summed up as follows: you worked in the grape industry, worked at the National Park or never worked at all. Still…most folk around here tend to fall in the latter category. Unemployment in South Africa as a whole is a problem, but in the rural areas it is even worse: 50% of the rural population is out of work at any given time, usually this percentage is even higher. Around here much of the work is seasonal (grapes), creating periods of high unemployment in between and forcing many families to live on the income generated during grape-season.
Working in the National Park could be considered something of a luxury as it provides its employees with a decent income, a place to live if they so choose, health-care and the best job security a person will be able get around here. Although compared to Europe or even more developed areas of South Africa an income of R3000 is pretty low – that is the kind of money regular employees make in the park (approximately 320 Euros). That’s monthly wages, just to be perfectly clear. Unfortunately for the locals nearly all of the vacancies at the park concern jobs requiring more formal education and work experience than most people have around here, invariably causing these positions to be filled by people from further away. On the upside however, the National Parks try to initiate projects which especially call upon local contractors and labour, such as construction work, fence building, alien plant removal or erosion control – not the most glamorous work imaginable perhaps but essential for many families to survive out here. Besides these two main employers, people do find other work in the farms and guesthouses or in shops at the nearby towns (some even travel as far as Upington). Many others find their salvation at the bottom of an empty bottle, but I will leave the harsher realities of the area for later.
The population statistics of this area of South Africa are also a bit different than what an ignorant traveller from Europe (read: me) would have expected. The majority of people belong in the “coloured” category – trust me, that is the politically correct term. Foreign visitors who expected to see a lot of Africans (black) interspersed with the occasional whitey will be surprised to find few of both around here. In case you’re having trouble picturing what exactly a coloured person looks like – well just come down to the Cape provinces and see for yourself because I’m not about to describe them to you. If somebody asked me to describe a white person I would say: well, they’re…white aren’t they? The same applies here. Coloured people are…well…coloured! There is some confusion about their origins amongst the many visitors to the area that I feel obliged to set straight: coloured people are not the result of frowned-upon romances between white colonials and black natives. While there are undoubtedly plenty of mixed-race children the coloured population of South Africa is not the result of a massive interracial love-fest. In fact the majority of coloured people are descendants from the original (as in the very first) inhabitants of this part of southern Africa, namely the various Bushman tribes. There is quite a lot of arguing over what to call the people many now know as Bushman (or San), but the truth is that they themselves do not have a name for their “people” and apparently do not really care what the rest of world wants to label them as. Good for them I say. Eventually of course some white “adventurers” came upon this area as well as some African tribes from the East, signalling the end to life as the Bushmen knew it…but that is a whole other can of worms, which I will keep warm for another day.
In the area where I live coloured people, not Africans, are the majority – one of the few places in the country where this is so. This has presented me with many sad, but at the same time comical, examples of how the government has been trying to implement an equal employment policy for the previously disadvantaged majority.
But more on that in Part 2.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Who To Elect?
“Blurry” is a term politicians hope the public will never use to describe them – at least that is what they are supposed to hope. It is certainly a struggle no matter the century or location. Some politicians simply have a better understanding of the definition for “transparency” than others. At the moment the ANC appears to be struggling with this exact word and what it might mean. At the recent ANC policy conference held outside Johannesburg this was all to obvious: at the opening of the conference many exhuberant delegates were waving flags and chanting in favour of the party’s number two, Jacob Zuma. However at the end everybody seemed to be back on-message and singing the praises for Thabo Mbeki.
The biggest issue is the upcoming ANC election in December when a new leader must be chosen – this person will most likely become president as well – making the fight for the leadership all the more relevant to all South Africans and the region. At this moment it seems likely that current president Mbeki will run for a third term as party leader, effectively blocking his greatest rival, Zuma, from becoming president of South Africa. Zuma, who was recently acquitted from a rape charge, has many sympathisers within the ANC who feel he has been wrongfully accused because Mbeki felt threatened by him. Nevertheless, Zuma’s financial advisor has been convicted for fraud and he himself could still face corruption charges…blurry.
President Mbeki is still popular, but his two terms in office have been characterized by attempts to centralize much power in the president’s office and away from the party. His quiet, backroom diplomacy has failed to bring political change to Zimbabwe, even though Mbeki has been promoting South Africa as the “superpower” in the Sub-Saharan region. His unwillingness to take a tougher stance on Zimbabwe’s leadership and his refusal to acknowledge the severity of the HIV/AIDS situation in his country during his first term have caused him to lose much of his popular base…blurry.
Despite these two frontline candidates stabbing each other in the back while smiling at the cameras, other candidates – unencumbered by blurriness – might yet emerge: Tokyo Sexwale, a former political prisoner on Robben Island turned prominent business man saidhe would run if asked; but he has probably been out of the party’s top leadership for too long to have a chance. Cyril Ramaphosa is another possibility. A former trade unionist with strong international ties, he still occupies a place in the ANC’s leadership. He has not made any noise regarding the candidacy however and people wonder if he would really wants the job. Finally, Kgalema Motlanthe, the ANC’s secretary-general, could become a compromise candidate. With the trade unions, the communist party and other opposition parties all questioning the ANC’s current leader’s sincerity for a democratic South Africa, perhaps it is time to hope for a radical change in leadership for the African National Congress.
The biggest issue is the upcoming ANC election in December when a new leader must be chosen – this person will most likely become president as well – making the fight for the leadership all the more relevant to all South Africans and the region. At this moment it seems likely that current president Mbeki will run for a third term as party leader, effectively blocking his greatest rival, Zuma, from becoming president of South Africa. Zuma, who was recently acquitted from a rape charge, has many sympathisers within the ANC who feel he has been wrongfully accused because Mbeki felt threatened by him. Nevertheless, Zuma’s financial advisor has been convicted for fraud and he himself could still face corruption charges…blurry.
President Mbeki is still popular, but his two terms in office have been characterized by attempts to centralize much power in the president’s office and away from the party. His quiet, backroom diplomacy has failed to bring political change to Zimbabwe, even though Mbeki has been promoting South Africa as the “superpower” in the Sub-Saharan region. His unwillingness to take a tougher stance on Zimbabwe’s leadership and his refusal to acknowledge the severity of the HIV/AIDS situation in his country during his first term have caused him to lose much of his popular base…blurry.
Despite these two frontline candidates stabbing each other in the back while smiling at the cameras, other candidates – unencumbered by blurriness – might yet emerge: Tokyo Sexwale, a former political prisoner on Robben Island turned prominent business man saidhe would run if asked; but he has probably been out of the party’s top leadership for too long to have a chance. Cyril Ramaphosa is another possibility. A former trade unionist with strong international ties, he still occupies a place in the ANC’s leadership. He has not made any noise regarding the candidacy however and people wonder if he would really wants the job. Finally, Kgalema Motlanthe, the ANC’s secretary-general, could become a compromise candidate. With the trade unions, the communist party and other opposition parties all questioning the ANC’s current leader’s sincerity for a democratic South Africa, perhaps it is time to hope for a radical change in leadership for the African National Congress.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
My Transfrontier Park
I will be the first to admit and defend the statement that South Africa has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. There's just no getting around it: this place must have been first in line when natural beauty was handed out. Despite its many social problems, South Africans can rest assured that their natural heritage is well protected by the National Parks and is available for all to see, even for the poorest amongst them. Most of the parks are reasonably easy to access, some will even allow pedestrians access, and all can provide good to luxurious accomodation and facilities.
But there are a few renegades to this rule. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is one of these. It is difficult to access, being situated in the northern most tip of the country, squashed between Namibia to the west and Botswana to the east. The last 40km to the entrance are not even tarred, making it difficult to reach with regular cars. Vehicles without a decent suspension and people with weak bladders or prone to migraines might want to avoid it alltogether, as it can get a little bumpy. A species that will not be found in KTP is the day-tripping tourist: this fact makes it all the more attractive in my eyes. Due to its remoteness and size it is impossible to visit for just a day and most visitors will be travelling for a week or longer along the endless dust roads, perhaps crossing into the Botswanan side of the park as well. Speaking of size, the park is about 3 million hectares, making it a bit bigger than the Netherlands and exactly one million hectares bigger than the more famous Kruger Park.
It is true wilderness. Of all the national parks and reserves in South Africa, the KTP is without a doubt the most pristine. This simply because of its size, a minimum of human interference and the chance for wildlife to actually migrate, something which has been made impossible in all other parks, including Kruger, because of the fences. And while the South African side still has some basic tourism infrastructure, the Botswanan side only has a few 4x4 roads, making it one of the roughest and loneliest areas to travel through in southern Africa. This is one of the harshest environments in the region, with summer temperatures draining all moisture from the earth and winter nights reaching well below -10 degrees. Massive red sand dunes greet visitors upon entrance, while herds of antilopes (predominantly oryx, eland, wildebeest and springbok) play the endless cat-and-mouse game with the predators of the Kalahari - lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyena's.
I went to KTP a few weeks ago with two of my charming colleagues from GVI, namely the volunteers from Namaqua NP and Tsitsikamma NP. We had intended on making this a true GVI reunion, but logistics are sometimes tough to manage when people need to come from all over the country to one of the least accessible places one can imagine. As all the traditional camps were fully booked (not a rare occurrence) we managed to persuade the park manager to allow us to stay in the Education Centre - normally used for visiting schoolgroups. This centre, about 30km from the nearest restcamp, is hidden between two massive dunes and is on a staff-only road in the middle of nowhere. It was our private desert camp, and if not for the lack of heating at night it would have been truly perfect - trust me, getting up to go to the bathroom at night (which was located outside of course) was a true feat of willpower. The temperature dropped to -6 at night you see.
I will spare you any further details of our daily activities, but will instead leave you with several of my best pictures - I took about 400 of them. Not in vain either because our final tally of "What Did You See" beats any wildlife experience I have ever had - alright, except getting charged by an elephant, but it was a close call! To sum up:
Three leopard sightings. One of which was of a mother with subadult cub. Not a glimpse either: mom and son walked in front of the car for about twenty minutes. I know.
Two lion kills. Our second sighting was of a fresh eland kill and we arrived just as the man was taking his share. A few minutes later he was joined by about six cubs and two females. The cubs were especially keen to inspect our car (we were the only ones there) and if I had stuck my arm out of the open window I would probably have lost it.
Two brown hyena sightings. The brown hyena is NOT the hyena we always see on those documentaries or in the Lion King movie. This one is very shy, mostly solitary and much less aggressive than its spotted cousin. A very rare sight to be sure, and we were priviliged with two. Think werewolf and you have an accurate picture of them.
Several wild cat sightings. A nocturnal predator, we were lucky to see them in the evenings because it was too cold for them to hunt at night.
Countless horny things (antilopes I mean your dirty rascal).
We were very lucky indeed. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
But there are a few renegades to this rule. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is one of these. It is difficult to access, being situated in the northern most tip of the country, squashed between Namibia to the west and Botswana to the east. The last 40km to the entrance are not even tarred, making it difficult to reach with regular cars. Vehicles without a decent suspension and people with weak bladders or prone to migraines might want to avoid it alltogether, as it can get a little bumpy. A species that will not be found in KTP is the day-tripping tourist: this fact makes it all the more attractive in my eyes. Due to its remoteness and size it is impossible to visit for just a day and most visitors will be travelling for a week or longer along the endless dust roads, perhaps crossing into the Botswanan side of the park as well. Speaking of size, the park is about 3 million hectares, making it a bit bigger than the Netherlands and exactly one million hectares bigger than the more famous Kruger Park.
It is true wilderness. Of all the national parks and reserves in South Africa, the KTP is without a doubt the most pristine. This simply because of its size, a minimum of human interference and the chance for wildlife to actually migrate, something which has been made impossible in all other parks, including Kruger, because of the fences. And while the South African side still has some basic tourism infrastructure, the Botswanan side only has a few 4x4 roads, making it one of the roughest and loneliest areas to travel through in southern Africa. This is one of the harshest environments in the region, with summer temperatures draining all moisture from the earth and winter nights reaching well below -10 degrees. Massive red sand dunes greet visitors upon entrance, while herds of antilopes (predominantly oryx, eland, wildebeest and springbok) play the endless cat-and-mouse game with the predators of the Kalahari - lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyena's.
I went to KTP a few weeks ago with two of my charming colleagues from GVI, namely the volunteers from Namaqua NP and Tsitsikamma NP. We had intended on making this a true GVI reunion, but logistics are sometimes tough to manage when people need to come from all over the country to one of the least accessible places one can imagine. As all the traditional camps were fully booked (not a rare occurrence) we managed to persuade the park manager to allow us to stay in the Education Centre - normally used for visiting schoolgroups. This centre, about 30km from the nearest restcamp, is hidden between two massive dunes and is on a staff-only road in the middle of nowhere. It was our private desert camp, and if not for the lack of heating at night it would have been truly perfect - trust me, getting up to go to the bathroom at night (which was located outside of course) was a true feat of willpower. The temperature dropped to -6 at night you see.
I will spare you any further details of our daily activities, but will instead leave you with several of my best pictures - I took about 400 of them. Not in vain either because our final tally of "What Did You See" beats any wildlife experience I have ever had - alright, except getting charged by an elephant, but it was a close call! To sum up:
Three leopard sightings. One of which was of a mother with subadult cub. Not a glimpse either: mom and son walked in front of the car for about twenty minutes. I know.
Two lion kills. Our second sighting was of a fresh eland kill and we arrived just as the man was taking his share. A few minutes later he was joined by about six cubs and two females. The cubs were especially keen to inspect our car (we were the only ones there) and if I had stuck my arm out of the open window I would probably have lost it.
Two brown hyena sightings. The brown hyena is NOT the hyena we always see on those documentaries or in the Lion King movie. This one is very shy, mostly solitary and much less aggressive than its spotted cousin. A very rare sight to be sure, and we were priviliged with two. Think werewolf and you have an accurate picture of them.
Several wild cat sightings. A nocturnal predator, we were lucky to see them in the evenings because it was too cold for them to hunt at night.
Countless horny things (antilopes I mean your dirty rascal).
We were very lucky indeed. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
My Campfire Reunion
Although the title is 
slightly misleading, there was a reunion of sorts. But it was not held at Campfire nor did it include any of the friends I've made there, except one. My very first foreign visit since I arrived in South Africa and needless to say I was looking forward to it. Not only because since my remote location makes any visit from Europe (or US for that matter) a bit of a challenge and therefore a rare occurrence, but also because I wanted to hear some first hand news, any news, from back home. It would also be interesting to get an outsider's opinion about life here in Augrabies, as I have grown used to it by now - the shock when I return home next year is not something I'm looking forward to.
slightly misleading, there was a reunion of sorts. But it was not held at Campfire nor did it include any of the friends I've made there, except one. My very first foreign visit since I arrived in South Africa and needless to say I was looking forward to it. Not only because since my remote location makes any visit from Europe (or US for that matter) a bit of a challenge and therefore a rare occurrence, but also because I wanted to hear some first hand news, any news, from back home. It would also be interesting to get an outsider's opinion about life here in Augrabies, as I have grown used to it by now - the shock when I return home next year is not something I'm looking forward to.Still being in possession of my precious rental car I went to pick up my Campfire buddy from the
busstation in Upington, 120km away. Unfortunately it was a Saturday afternoon, the time of the week when the roads in South Africa are not for the faint of heart. Especially in our rural areas, many people like to unwind during the weekends in very colourful ways - usually some heavy drinking is involved beforehand - and lying, tumbling and crawling over the roads is one of them. Doing my best to dodge the masses and nearly failing as a little girl suddenly came out of nowhere and crossed the road, I couldn't help but think if these people had made some kind of communal suicide pact...I believe one man succeeded in this because I saw his unconscious/lifeless body lying in the ditch next to the road. I presumed he was just passed out, but one never knows around here.
busstation in Upington, 120km away. Unfortunately it was a Saturday afternoon, the time of the week when the roads in South Africa are not for the faint of heart. Especially in our rural areas, many people like to unwind during the weekends in very colourful ways - usually some heavy drinking is involved beforehand - and lying, tumbling and crawling over the roads is one of them. Doing my best to dodge the masses and nearly failing as a little girl suddenly came out of nowhere and crossed the road, I couldn't help but think if these people had made some kind of communal suicide pact...I believe one man succeeded in this because I saw his unconscious/lifeless body lying in the ditch next to the road. I presumed he was just passed out, but one never knows around here. In any case no roadkill -human or otherwise - was committed and we safely arrived back at Augrabies. First thing's first of course, we immediately began watching the homevideo's from Campfire which I got from Laetitia when I was there in January. The very worst of the worst, our Circle of Death party, we had already seen and were not keen to see again however so we skipped over that one.
Having a friend from home visit made me feel as if I were on holiday as well, I had obviously 
taken the week off, and I was determined to see as much of the park as possible. And the best way to achieve this was of course by hiking the (in)famous Klipspringer Trail once again. The summer heat was decidedly gone however so the going was a lot easier than the first time. I do feel a bit guilty for taking my friend out on what is a tough trail any time of the year and especially the last day was a bit of a struggle, but we made it in the end. I do hope the pain has gone by now, so if you're reading this please except my humble apologies once again for making you walk it...
taken the week off, and I was determined to see as much of the park as possible. And the best way to achieve this was of course by hiking the (in)famous Klipspringer Trail once again. The summer heat was decidedly gone however so the going was a lot easier than the first time. I do feel a bit guilty for taking my friend out on what is a tough trail any time of the year and especially the last day was a bit of a struggle, but we made it in the end. I do hope the pain has gone by now, so if you're reading this please except my humble apologies once again for making you walk it...We did have several great wildlife sightings along the way however, chief among which is 
without a doubt the mighty fish eagle that was resting on a tree along the river on day two of the trail. I managed to get a good snap of him (or her, tough to tell with fish eagles) as he flying off. We also had some very close encounters with three giraffe who did not notice us approaching until the last few meters and with a gemsbok (oryx) who was so lost in his own thoughts that he nearly ran us over.
without a doubt the mighty fish eagle that was resting on a tree along the river on day two of the trail. I managed to get a good snap of him (or her, tough to tell with fish eagles) as he flying off. We also had some very close encounters with three giraffe who did not notice us approaching until the last few meters and with a gemsbok (oryx) who was so lost in his own thoughts that he nearly ran us over.In the end we spent a great week discovering the park. It was especially important to me as 
having a friend from home come to visit made me realize that the world I left is still there and waiting for me to come back to it. That sounds a bit dramatic I know, but it is the truth. Although instead of making me want to come home again, this visit gave me new strength and motivation to live out here in remotest Africa until the end of the year. My friends will all still be there when I return and that thought keeps me going.
having a friend from home come to visit made me realize that the world I left is still there and waiting for me to come back to it. That sounds a bit dramatic I know, but it is the truth. Although instead of making me want to come home again, this visit gave me new strength and motivation to live out here in remotest Africa until the end of the year. My friends will all still be there when I return and that thought keeps me going.(Thanks for coming to visit me Hil, good luck with the research and see you on the flipside. Oh, and don't forget to take off your sunglasses when it gets too dark :P)
(The first day of the Trail, struggling through reedbeds)
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Up Close and Personal
If I have to judge from what my friends, family and random Brazilians have said about my blogging, I am carefully optimistic that my writing is not complete bollocks. Unfortunately I have one very harsh critic, myself, and "he" is constantly thinking of ways how to improve or change what I have written so far or am going to write in the future. One such personal criticism my sun-dried brain came up with recently is that the blog could use more intimate, personal observations or messages. Not that the previous postings haven't had their share of my own mind, but I can do one better I think.
I know what you're thinking. Just stop whining about it and just write already!
I will, rest assured, but I am not able to right now because of work related nonsense. By the way, I am not able to say that I do not have the time for it as those of you who have been to Africa know that there is no such abstract concept here. Unless maybe in the urban centres of South Africa but let's face it those might as well have been anywhere in the Western world. So time is not something I consider on a daily basis. Very refreshing I assure you.
So until I can sit down and write properly about what I haven't thought about yet I will send along some of issues that are clouding my thoughts at this very moment. (intense or what?)
1) "That's Mr. Banana Beak to you, Fuzzy!" - Explanation: as one half of my brain is constantly occupied with such things as work, walking, speaking, and gosh-that-eland-is-getting-rather-close, the other half is always playing back my favourite movies. The quotation is from one such movie...and if you do not know which than you have no business reading this blog (or you're not from my generation).
2) Oh yes...George W Bush. Just as a humvee that keeps crashing through wall after wall or house after house, the driver not knowing where the brakes are, so does President Bush rule the most powerful nation on the planet. Constantly knocking through walls which everyone assumed were indestructible. Pardoning Lewis "Scooter" Libby is the latest in a long and disturbing row of bad decisions. The sentencing of Libby could be considered as the last glimmer of hope that there was still some control over the US government's use of intelligence and war propaganda. Scooter exposed a CIA agent to journalists, jeopardizing not only said agent but also her husband who was a US diplomat at the time - a diplomat who was publicly against the war in Iraq. Such underhanded tactics have no place in a free country and Libby was justly sentenced for such a breach of national security. Fortunately for him his president did not abandon him, a protectionist "buddy" attitude which generally has no place in politics, especially if it concerns a convicted criminal. Libby still has to pay a significant fine and has two years probation, but not going to prison for 30 months will surely come as a relief to the man. Hopefully he will be able to make good use of his time now that his political career is finished...maybe an executive position at Halliburton?
3) The South African elections. A one-party system cannot be called a democracy and it is time for all South Africans to realize that it is now allowed to vote for another party besides the ANC. Freedom was achieved over 12 years ago now, surely the biggest step that had to be made, but since then the government has been struggling with the smaller (but not much less difficult) steps of running a complex country like South Africa. A lesson that I had hoped they had learned by now is that no one party (or one person) should remain in power for more than, say, ten years. Change in politics is important for a smooth-running democracy. Because if there is no fear of an election loss politicians will eventually become placated and lazy, it's as simple as that. President Mbeki said that he might consider running as the ANC candidate again and likely become president for a third term. And why shouldn't he? He faces little or no oposition, especially from other parties, and no doubt he has grown used to the trappings of office, the curse of almost all post-colonial African leaders. But in the end it is the people's choice that will determine the country's future, for better or for worse. I hope they have grown as weary as I have with the ANC.
...more to come.
P.S. It is now possible for anybody to post comments on this blog, no need to log in anymore.
I know what you're thinking. Just stop whining about it and just write already!
I will, rest assured, but I am not able to right now because of work related nonsense. By the way, I am not able to say that I do not have the time for it as those of you who have been to Africa know that there is no such abstract concept here. Unless maybe in the urban centres of South Africa but let's face it those might as well have been anywhere in the Western world. So time is not something I consider on a daily basis. Very refreshing I assure you.
So until I can sit down and write properly about what I haven't thought about yet I will send along some of issues that are clouding my thoughts at this very moment. (intense or what?)
1) "That's Mr. Banana Beak to you, Fuzzy!" - Explanation: as one half of my brain is constantly occupied with such things as work, walking, speaking, and gosh-that-eland-is-getting-rather-close, the other half is always playing back my favourite movies. The quotation is from one such movie...and if you do not know which than you have no business reading this blog (or you're not from my generation).
2) Oh yes...George W Bush. Just as a humvee that keeps crashing through wall after wall or house after house, the driver not knowing where the brakes are, so does President Bush rule the most powerful nation on the planet. Constantly knocking through walls which everyone assumed were indestructible. Pardoning Lewis "Scooter" Libby is the latest in a long and disturbing row of bad decisions. The sentencing of Libby could be considered as the last glimmer of hope that there was still some control over the US government's use of intelligence and war propaganda. Scooter exposed a CIA agent to journalists, jeopardizing not only said agent but also her husband who was a US diplomat at the time - a diplomat who was publicly against the war in Iraq. Such underhanded tactics have no place in a free country and Libby was justly sentenced for such a breach of national security. Fortunately for him his president did not abandon him, a protectionist "buddy" attitude which generally has no place in politics, especially if it concerns a convicted criminal. Libby still has to pay a significant fine and has two years probation, but not going to prison for 30 months will surely come as a relief to the man. Hopefully he will be able to make good use of his time now that his political career is finished...maybe an executive position at Halliburton?
3) The South African elections. A one-party system cannot be called a democracy and it is time for all South Africans to realize that it is now allowed to vote for another party besides the ANC. Freedom was achieved over 12 years ago now, surely the biggest step that had to be made, but since then the government has been struggling with the smaller (but not much less difficult) steps of running a complex country like South Africa. A lesson that I had hoped they had learned by now is that no one party (or one person) should remain in power for more than, say, ten years. Change in politics is important for a smooth-running democracy. Because if there is no fear of an election loss politicians will eventually become placated and lazy, it's as simple as that. President Mbeki said that he might consider running as the ANC candidate again and likely become president for a third term. And why shouldn't he? He faces little or no oposition, especially from other parties, and no doubt he has grown used to the trappings of office, the curse of almost all post-colonial African leaders. But in the end it is the people's choice that will determine the country's future, for better or for worse. I hope they have grown as weary as I have with the ANC.
...more to come.
P.S. It is now possible for anybody to post comments on this blog, no need to log in anymore.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
My New National Park II
Aside from satisfying my need to make a roadtrip (at last) I was also drawn to the idea of going to this new park because it was not officially open to the public. A ceremony has taken place last
weekend, on the 16th June, so we had the rare honour of wandering through a national park which yet has to see its first sneaker-bearing-camera-toting-cry-baby-carrying tourist. I had a slight feeling that I was about to travel into a wild and unexplored place when we reached the front gate. There were no signs anywhere to direct people towards this pristine wilderness, not on the highway or on the dirtroad leading up to the gate, except for a small sign that stated "Dangerous Animals". This confused me slightly because at Augrabies Falls we also have dangerous animals - leopards, puff adders, cape cobras, thick-tailed scorpions...I was nearly run-over by an eland bull once - but no sign to state this fact to unsuspecting visitors. This simple and vague statement did add significantly to our excitement: we assumed that due to the lack of explanation, all animals encountered within were to be considered life-threateningly viscious and will not hesitate to assault you and those who travel with you. As the gate rolled shut behind us I rolled up my window.
In fact there are not that many dangerous animals at Mokala National Park, but the sign is there to remind visitors that two of its resident species should not be taken lightly - no pun intended - if encountered. The species are namely the rhino and buffalo, not exactly the anorexic supermodels of the African bush and both have a temper to match their size if they are provoked by silly humans. As we drove the two kilometers to the reception area I was naturally hoping to see one of these behemoths next to the road, but alas we had no such luck. The park
itself was stunningly beautiful however and a stark contrast to the semi-arid desert environment we had left in the early morning. It reminded me of classic wildlife documentaries in which all of Africa apparently consisted of endless stretches of grass savannah with the occassional acacia "umbrella" silhouetted in the distance. The tall grass on both sides of the road would provide excellent cover for any stalking predator, if there were any of course, and I wondered where the ancient herds of wildebeest and zebra were grazing on this vast plain. The park does have some of the latter two species but as migrating is not an option there are only a few dozen wildebeest and a handful of zebras. Although the rumour is that some wildebeest have taken to the sky by means of SAA (South African Airlines) in order to reach the Etosha Pan, but because of delays and strikes at O.R. Tambo International the idea was soon abandoned.
Mokala is the Tswana word for Camelthorn, one of the most recognisable trees in the park and in South Africa. It is a large, multi-purpose tree which provides shelter, food and protection to many animals throughout the country. Most visitors will recognize it by its large white thorns, although several other lesser-known trees sport similar protective devices. The name was only recently given to the park after what had to be months and months of corporate meetings, working lunches and an endless line of eager consultants. The previous name of the park was Vaalbos - an Afrikaans word meaning Forest of the Vaal (a prominent river) - but because the entire park was moved to a new location last year a new name probably seemed like just the thing. You see, the old park was located about eighty kilometers from the new park but was forced to close down due to a landclaim. These claims are a slight annoyance to the new South African National Parks because the previous governments (in all their precognisance) sometimes forced communities off their land to make room for a national park - or mining operation, or military training ground, or etc etc...Not exactly the most democratic way in which to conduct a country's nature conservation efforts and now thousands of claims have been made by those same people who now want their land back. It is a controversial issue but one that the national parks cannot ignore if they want to break with the past. Augrabies Falls also has a landclaim to deal with, but only concerning a section of the park, because in 1973 a local community was “uprooted” and placed in Namibia (then South-West Africa) and the Eastern Cape. The reason for this was that the government had earmarked this particular patch of land for the South African Army to do their push-ups and curious locals simply had to go. Currently a large part of the former training grounds has already been handed over to members of the community who returned from their exile, but another piece of land which since 1982 has been managed by South African National Parks (then the National Parks Board) is still under review, so to speak.
But I’m drifting off again.
Mokala was formed by combining two private game reserves which South Africa National Parks bought after it became clear the old national park was going to be no more. Fortunately this meant that all the accomodations from these private (hunting) farms would also be sold which
meant instant luxurious facilities. The guest accomodations and the main restaurant/bar are all constructed in the typical African style that so many luxury lodges prefer and I have to admit it looks stunning, both inside and out. I was particularly jealous of the enourmous oakwood bar, complete with comfortable barstools, shiny beertaps and a big-screen television: all things I do occassionally miss back in Augrabies if I may be brutally honest. But the most impressive feature had to be the massive open fireplace which could easily provide shelter for a small family (plus dog), further surrounded by the most comfortable couches I had the pleasure of placing my weary self in for some time.
However all this tempting luxury was not the reason we had come to Mokala of course. We wanted to spend as much time out in the park and early Saturday morning we headed out with
Marisa’s friend Mark – who works there – for some day-long gameviewing. Despite still not meeting & greeting the buffalo’s or the rhino’s we got some stunning sights of most if not all of the other residents of this curious bushveld/semi-desert paradise. Blue wildebeest, zebra’s, tsessebe’s, red hartebeest and the majestic sable antelope all passed in front of our eyes as we drove over the red sand. Seeing a wild sable was certainly the highlight for me as it is one of my favourite African mammals – its massive curved horns, large body and ink black coat always brings to mind some kind of mythological creature, not quite belonging to this world.
If you’re still reading by this point I congratulate and thank you, I promise to spin an end to this post shortly. I’ve actually got work to do you know.
So on Sunday we went rhino tracking.
I’ll give you a moment to let that sentence sink in.
Beat that.
Yes, on Sunday me, Marisa and Mark went out with a park vet, David, who happened to be at Mokala that weekend to check on the white and black rhinos. As we had not seen any on our drives we were especially keen, but also because
this meant a rare glimpse behind the scenes which few people are allowed to witness. Feeling incredibly fortunate and with some excitement we left early in the morning with David to the area of the park where the rhinos are usually to be found, riding in the back of the Landrover. The air was cool but the sun was already out and with warm fleeces on it was a very comfortable if sometimes bumpy ride to the first “koppie” – a small rocky hill where we would take our first telemetry. The black rhinos had been collared before their release in order for the vets to track them easily and keep an eye on their well-being. These animals are still dangerously endangered (while their “white” cousins are no longer on the critical list) and constant monitoring is a must to ensure their survival. When we stopped at the first hill the three of us quickly made our way to the top. This seemed only a short distance from the bottom of the road but turned out to be a steep climb over thousands of fist-sized rocks – I was utterly exhausted as I reached the summit, thanking God for not allowing me to break my neck. David in the meantime only climbed about half-way up because that was high enough for him to get a signal of the rhinos. He shouted up at us, asking why we went all the way to top because now he had to wait for us to climb all the way down again. The man had a point. After making another deal with God on the way down we drove on to two more vantage points but the black rhinos kept quiet so to speak – there were some weak signals which probably meant they were lying down in a dry riverbed.
While on the look-out from the third hill we visited several rhinos were spotted at last. There appeared to be some black ones in the distance, but closer by were at least two white rhinos asleep in a narrow riverbed. Although their black cousins were the real reason we were out there, it would not hurt to get a closer look at the resting whites as well. Because of the more relaxed attitude white rhinos have, David asked if me and Marisa would like to accompany him on foot to where the behemoths were having their siesta. After my intense encounter with a white rhino bull in the Kruger I was very eager to observe them in a more placid state of mind. What followed were twenty unforgettable minutes where we stood and watched three rhinos from a distance of perhaps 40 meters. The wind was in our favour and they never stirred from their nap. Lucky for us because the pitifully small camelthorn trees in the area would not have survived the onslaught of a disturbed rhino for long.
That afternoon we had to drive back to Augrabies Falls. The road was still long and mindnumbingly endless, but it had been worth every single 1200 kilometers. And having not become completely detached from Western society, we had a some KFC in Upington which if I'm honest (again) tasted like little ground-up slices of heaven...
weekend, on the 16th June, so we had the rare honour of wandering through a national park which yet has to see its first sneaker-bearing-camera-toting-cry-baby-carrying tourist. I had a slight feeling that I was about to travel into a wild and unexplored place when we reached the front gate. There were no signs anywhere to direct people towards this pristine wilderness, not on the highway or on the dirtroad leading up to the gate, except for a small sign that stated "Dangerous Animals". This confused me slightly because at Augrabies Falls we also have dangerous animals - leopards, puff adders, cape cobras, thick-tailed scorpions...I was nearly run-over by an eland bull once - but no sign to state this fact to unsuspecting visitors. This simple and vague statement did add significantly to our excitement: we assumed that due to the lack of explanation, all animals encountered within were to be considered life-threateningly viscious and will not hesitate to assault you and those who travel with you. As the gate rolled shut behind us I rolled up my window.In fact there are not that many dangerous animals at Mokala National Park, but the sign is there to remind visitors that two of its resident species should not be taken lightly - no pun intended - if encountered. The species are namely the rhino and buffalo, not exactly the anorexic supermodels of the African bush and both have a temper to match their size if they are provoked by silly humans. As we drove the two kilometers to the reception area I was naturally hoping to see one of these behemoths next to the road, but alas we had no such luck. The park
itself was stunningly beautiful however and a stark contrast to the semi-arid desert environment we had left in the early morning. It reminded me of classic wildlife documentaries in which all of Africa apparently consisted of endless stretches of grass savannah with the occassional acacia "umbrella" silhouetted in the distance. The tall grass on both sides of the road would provide excellent cover for any stalking predator, if there were any of course, and I wondered where the ancient herds of wildebeest and zebra were grazing on this vast plain. The park does have some of the latter two species but as migrating is not an option there are only a few dozen wildebeest and a handful of zebras. Although the rumour is that some wildebeest have taken to the sky by means of SAA (South African Airlines) in order to reach the Etosha Pan, but because of delays and strikes at O.R. Tambo International the idea was soon abandoned.Mokala is the Tswana word for Camelthorn, one of the most recognisable trees in the park and in South Africa. It is a large, multi-purpose tree which provides shelter, food and protection to many animals throughout the country. Most visitors will recognize it by its large white thorns, although several other lesser-known trees sport similar protective devices. The name was only recently given to the park after what had to be months and months of corporate meetings, working lunches and an endless line of eager consultants. The previous name of the park was Vaalbos - an Afrikaans word meaning Forest of the Vaal (a prominent river) - but because the entire park was moved to a new location last year a new name probably seemed like just the thing. You see, the old park was located about eighty kilometers from the new park but was forced to close down due to a landclaim. These claims are a slight annoyance to the new South African National Parks because the previous governments (in all their precognisance) sometimes forced communities off their land to make room for a national park - or mining operation, or military training ground, or etc etc...Not exactly the most democratic way in which to conduct a country's nature conservation efforts and now thousands of claims have been made by those same people who now want their land back. It is a controversial issue but one that the national parks cannot ignore if they want to break with the past. Augrabies Falls also has a landclaim to deal with, but only concerning a section of the park, because in 1973 a local community was “uprooted” and placed in Namibia (then South-West Africa) and the Eastern Cape. The reason for this was that the government had earmarked this particular patch of land for the South African Army to do their push-ups and curious locals simply had to go. Currently a large part of the former training grounds has already been handed over to members of the community who returned from their exile, but another piece of land which since 1982 has been managed by South African National Parks (then the National Parks Board) is still under review, so to speak.
But I’m drifting off again.
Mokala was formed by combining two private game reserves which South Africa National Parks bought after it became clear the old national park was going to be no more. Fortunately this meant that all the accomodations from these private (hunting) farms would also be sold which
meant instant luxurious facilities. The guest accomodations and the main restaurant/bar are all constructed in the typical African style that so many luxury lodges prefer and I have to admit it looks stunning, both inside and out. I was particularly jealous of the enourmous oakwood bar, complete with comfortable barstools, shiny beertaps and a big-screen television: all things I do occassionally miss back in Augrabies if I may be brutally honest. But the most impressive feature had to be the massive open fireplace which could easily provide shelter for a small family (plus dog), further surrounded by the most comfortable couches I had the pleasure of placing my weary self in for some time.However all this tempting luxury was not the reason we had come to Mokala of course. We wanted to spend as much time out in the park and early Saturday morning we headed out with
Marisa’s friend Mark – who works there – for some day-long gameviewing. Despite still not meeting & greeting the buffalo’s or the rhino’s we got some stunning sights of most if not all of the other residents of this curious bushveld/semi-desert paradise. Blue wildebeest, zebra’s, tsessebe’s, red hartebeest and the majestic sable antelope all passed in front of our eyes as we drove over the red sand. Seeing a wild sable was certainly the highlight for me as it is one of my favourite African mammals – its massive curved horns, large body and ink black coat always brings to mind some kind of mythological creature, not quite belonging to this world.If you’re still reading by this point I congratulate and thank you, I promise to spin an end to this post shortly. I’ve actually got work to do you know.
So on Sunday we went rhino tracking.
I’ll give you a moment to let that sentence sink in.
Beat that.
Yes, on Sunday me, Marisa and Mark went out with a park vet, David, who happened to be at Mokala that weekend to check on the white and black rhinos. As we had not seen any on our drives we were especially keen, but also because
this meant a rare glimpse behind the scenes which few people are allowed to witness. Feeling incredibly fortunate and with some excitement we left early in the morning with David to the area of the park where the rhinos are usually to be found, riding in the back of the Landrover. The air was cool but the sun was already out and with warm fleeces on it was a very comfortable if sometimes bumpy ride to the first “koppie” – a small rocky hill where we would take our first telemetry. The black rhinos had been collared before their release in order for the vets to track them easily and keep an eye on their well-being. These animals are still dangerously endangered (while their “white” cousins are no longer on the critical list) and constant monitoring is a must to ensure their survival. When we stopped at the first hill the three of us quickly made our way to the top. This seemed only a short distance from the bottom of the road but turned out to be a steep climb over thousands of fist-sized rocks – I was utterly exhausted as I reached the summit, thanking God for not allowing me to break my neck. David in the meantime only climbed about half-way up because that was high enough for him to get a signal of the rhinos. He shouted up at us, asking why we went all the way to top because now he had to wait for us to climb all the way down again. The man had a point. After making another deal with God on the way down we drove on to two more vantage points but the black rhinos kept quiet so to speak – there were some weak signals which probably meant they were lying down in a dry riverbed. 
While on the look-out from the third hill we visited several rhinos were spotted at last. There appeared to be some black ones in the distance, but closer by were at least two white rhinos asleep in a narrow riverbed. Although their black cousins were the real reason we were out there, it would not hurt to get a closer look at the resting whites as well. Because of the more relaxed attitude white rhinos have, David asked if me and Marisa would like to accompany him on foot to where the behemoths were having their siesta. After my intense encounter with a white rhino bull in the Kruger I was very eager to observe them in a more placid state of mind. What followed were twenty unforgettable minutes where we stood and watched three rhinos from a distance of perhaps 40 meters. The wind was in our favour and they never stirred from their nap. Lucky for us because the pitifully small camelthorn trees in the area would not have survived the onslaught of a disturbed rhino for long.That afternoon we had to drive back to Augrabies Falls. The road was still long and mindnumbingly endless, but it had been worth every single 1200 kilometers. And having not become completely detached from Western society, we had a some KFC in Upington which if I'm honest (again) tasted like little ground-up slices of heaven...
Much has happened since this trip to Mokala: I have had a visit from a good friend of mine from the UK who is now off doing research in a nature reserve near Pilanesberg (close to Jo'burg). Unfortunately we could not fit in a return trip to Campfire (where we met in 2005), but our livers are certainly not complaining. We again walked the infamous Klipspringer Trail, but since the temperatures have dropped it was a significantly more pleasant experience than in the summer heat. Oh, and last week I visited Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park with two of the other volunteers but that deserves a post all of its own...
Friday, June 8, 2007
My New National Park
As a European I am used to reaching any destination in about two hours or less, except under special circumstances such as a holiday. Driving for several hours through any European country will get you quite a long way for our standards of travel, if not into a new country all together. This type of thinking is sadly lost in Africa. Although I have come to realize that there are in fact many more remote places in South Africa than where I am currently living, it still takes me 45 minutes to reach the nearest supermarket - by Western standards an unbelievably long time as we - and I mean the European "we" - are blessed with some type of 24-hour grocery store or super, mega and hyper-market around ever corner. You barely have to lift your 10-hour-work-day body out of your couch and you will already have reached the shops where, let's face it, you always end up buying things you did not really intend on buying. Out here a trip to the supermarket requires careful planning because due to a lack of personal transportation you need to be well aware of which park vehicle is going into town so you can hitch a ride. That is my situation; the regular staff is only taken into town once a month on the back of a trailer in order to do their (yes, monthly) shopping. Who can imagine only getting groceries - and anything else for that matter - only once a month?
Characteristically I am drifting off again. The point I am trying to make is that going anywhere in Africa will take some time. The previous weekend I decided it would be a good idea to take my recently acquired (rental) car for a spin to the yet-to-be-opened Mokale National Park which is situated near Kimberley - famed for its alluvial diamond deposits and man's insatiable need to dig them up, creating big unsightly holes in the process. Although this park is not open yet for the public my good friend and Klipspringer Trail-companion Marisa knew one of the students doing his practical year at Mokale and she arranged for the both of us to stay at his house in the park. With transportation and accomodation all settled we began our roadtrip early Friday morning as the weak winter sun was failing hopelessly to keep us warm. I would be driving the 600km stretch by myself - with Marisa navigating - but I was actually looking forward to it because I have missed driving a car ever since I arrived in remotest Africa. A car, any car, is truly worth its weight in gold out here due to the seemingly endless roads and generally low incomes which prohibits most people from ever owning one. Taking advantage of having a car, even briefly, is therefore an obligation.
Being on the road for six hours can take you very far in Europe. In South Africa we did not even make it out of the province. Straight roads which disappear in the distance, their end never coming any closer is what drivers face when travelling through the Northern Cape province. Those who shared this road with us seemed as astonished as we were at both the loneliness and beauty of these apparently forgotten paths. Once we encountered a decrepit looking schoolbus on the road ahead of us and as we got closer, being comfortably swamped by black exhaust fumes probably responsible for about 50% of the world's CO2 emissions, we saw that it was packed full of students, most of whom were not even able to sit down due to lack of space. Because at that time the road was taking a slow incline I was unable to pass this smoking relic from the 60's and so we became the object of much amusement from the kids at the back of the bus. At times the smokescreen lifted and we could see their laughing faces. We waved and they waved back enthusiastically. After a while I reached for my camera and Marisa took several pictures of them before I was finally able to pass the bus and return to a world of clean air.
Characteristically I am drifting off again. The point I am trying to make is that going anywhere in Africa will take some time. The previous weekend I decided it would be a good idea to take my recently acquired (rental) car for a spin to the yet-to-be-opened Mokale National Park which is situated near Kimberley - famed for its alluvial diamond deposits and man's insatiable need to dig them up, creating big unsightly holes in the process. Although this park is not open yet for the public my good friend and Klipspringer Trail-companion Marisa knew one of the students doing his practical year at Mokale and she arranged for the both of us to stay at his house in the park. With transportation and accomodation all settled we began our roadtrip early Friday morning as the weak winter sun was failing hopelessly to keep us warm. I would be driving the 600km stretch by myself - with Marisa navigating - but I was actually looking forward to it because I have missed driving a car ever since I arrived in remotest Africa. A car, any car, is truly worth its weight in gold out here due to the seemingly endless roads and generally low incomes which prohibits most people from ever owning one. Taking advantage of having a car, even briefly, is therefore an obligation.
Being on the road for six hours can take you very far in Europe. In South Africa we did not even make it out of the province. Straight roads which disappear in the distance, their end never coming any closer is what drivers face when travelling through the Northern Cape province. Those who shared this road with us seemed as astonished as we were at both the loneliness and beauty of these apparently forgotten paths. Once we encountered a decrepit looking schoolbus on the road ahead of us and as we got closer, being comfortably swamped by black exhaust fumes probably responsible for about 50% of the world's CO2 emissions, we saw that it was packed full of students, most of whom were not even able to sit down due to lack of space. Because at that time the road was taking a slow incline I was unable to pass this smoking relic from the 60's and so we became the object of much amusement from the kids at the back of the bus. At times the smokescreen lifted and we could see their laughing faces. We waved and they waved back enthusiastically. After a while I reached for my camera and Marisa took several pictures of them before I was finally able to pass the bus and return to a world of clean air.
The stretch of road between Upington - our nearest "city" - and Kimberley is by far the most lonely that I have ever driven on. During the four hours that it approximately takes to go from the one city to the other we only passed through two depressing looking villages along the way. The rest of the time we drove past massive cattle farms and forgotten nature reserves, all blending into one because it is almost impossible to tell where one farm ends and the other begins. Marisa and I figured that these villages would be a good opportunity to refill and stock up on some snacks, but as we drove through what was supposedly the centre of town I put my foot down and speeded out of there. People were walking aimlessly along the road, often swaying dangerously from whatever drink or drugs they took, skinny dogs chased a rag which was being swept up by the wind and some fat lady was selling dubiously looking grilled meat which would have scientists guessing which animal(s) it originated from. The entire place made me think that if we happened to break down not only our car would be stripped and sold but that the same would happen to us. In these towns people could vanish and nobody will ever find out what happened to them. My thoughts involutarily wandered to all those Hollywood horror movies where hapless hitchhikers and roadtrippers meet their fates at the end of a meathook in some god-forsaken village in Texas (yes, I was playing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in my head, couldn't help it).
Fortunately none of that happened and before we knew it the familiar unchanging landscape greeted us once more. Finally we arrived on the outskirts of Kimberley in what can only be described as mild shock: we were faced with an urban landscape to which we had grown completely estranged of. Marisa is from the lively Cape area and I have lived in and visited cities in Europe for as long as I can remember, but after only a few months in the remote Augrabies Falls National Park we already experienced urban culture-shock. Neither of us was keen to explore Kimberley further...it looked daunting and unfamiliar...and after a much needed refill we drove a bit further south towards where the new park is located. One interesting anecdote as we reached Kimberley was that when I had pulled into the petrol station for a refill the attendant told me that they were out of unleaded fuel. Not being used to being confronted with a petrol shortage I stared at the poor chap for a few seconds in disbelief before asking him if he could point me towards another filling station which would have this rare liquid. Eventually the car was full of the black gold once again and our destination was at last in sight.
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