No way, it can't be Friday already!

.......so that means Skywatch.... I don't know where this week has gone! I intended to do all sorts of posts, (and visits) but as usual time got away from me. And the few times I did manage to sit down long enough to marshal my thoughts, the power was off. We have had some pretty brutal load shedding this month, but are learning to work around the power outages.

Speaking of brutal, I hope things in Zimbabwe don't go the way of Kenya! Oh dear, I feel a rant coming on..... so I'd better post a pretty sky pic first for those who can't handle all the politics, and then those with strong constitutions can read on................

This little wooden treehouse is on a farm on the outskirts of town that has been set up as a 'touch farm' for kids to make friends with a whole selection of farm animals. Our 3 year old grandson LOVES going there! The sun going down behind the stormy cloud really gave it a great atmosphere.

By the way, the trees are Australian blue-gums, which thrive in this country, as they lack natural enemies.

Ok, ..... ranting again......

I must confess to being HUGELY frustrated by our current State President. He has set a clear pattern of being out of the country whenever there is a crisis, and the silence from his office is deafening. He is so busy, involving himself in the affairs of the rest of the world, that he has totally abdicated his responsibilities to his own nation, and its neighbours. Of all the countries that actually need his input right now, Zimbabwe is top of the list, but as usual he is sitting on the fence, and refusing to take a stand. He has a total paralysis when it comes to dealing decisively with the misdemeanours of former "heroes of the liberation struggle." It seems he is incapable of separarting their past actions from any current law breaking, and it seems that, if anyone took a role in the struggle, he is willing to turn a blind eye to even the most extreme abuses of power or position. He has done this repeatedly on behalf of his cronies such as the Commissioner of Police and the health minister, among others, and of course old fatcat Bob Mugabe is one of his untouchable heroes too.

It is also with growing concern that I view the way the Eskom issue is being managed at Government level. As the economy teeters, the man in the street is squeezed from every side. Many are already on the brink of losing their homes due to price hikes, and the poor are battling to cope with rising food prices. Yet Eskom demands a huge 60% price increase and then has the cheek to refuse to disclose all the facts behind it. (They claim that diclosing all the figures will weaken their position in negotiating coal prices!)

If Eskom was being led by people who had established their credentials as trustworthy, pro-active managers, that might make it easier to accept. But clearly this is not the case. They have already created serious doubts about their ability and integrity, both in the mismanagement of the power supply, and more seriously, in the disturbing details which keep surfacing regarding huge bonuses being paid to the head honchos, and preferential deals with neighbouring countries, who have uniterrupted supplies guarenteed, at well below the price we are currently paying. Not to mention all the ducking and diving that has accompanied these disclosures.

The lame reasons that are being given for refusing to be transparent about the enormous price hike are not acceptable. I believe that a reluctance to disclose the true nature of the deals with the neighbours is more likely to be behind it, because the public will, quite justifiably, be outraged if the full truth emerges. And of course, any future juicy bonuses and pay packets would also be embarrassingly hard to justify. To write a blank check in these circumstances would be irresponsible in the extreme, and would be a blatant breach of taxpayers trust.

But again, Mbeki is gallivanting somewhere else in his personal presidential jet! (Although apparently, his hand having been forced by Zambia's President calling for an urgent meeting tomorrow, he will return for that....) It is time for firm leadership. We need the office of the State President to take an interest in affairs closer to home, and not to follow the usual pattern of deafening silence in the face of issues needing urgent attention. The lives of too many are being affected by the goings-on at Eskom. Transparency, efficiency and sound management must be demanded from those in charge of our power grid, and we cannot afford for our leaders to sit on their hands while Eskom steamrolls this price hike through.

You know a President is doing a lousy job when his probable successor, (a man currently on trial for corruption, after already recently facing rape charges, and whose favourite song is "bring me my machine-gun" ) is starting to look like a better proposition as our leader! He may lack any political wisdom, and probably a lot of ethics too, but at least he has the balls to take a stand and say what needs to be said, even if it means offending a former hero of the struggle. He has already taken a clear position on Zimbabwe, and called for an immediate release of the election results. (Don't worry, I am not becoming a rabid Zuma supporter.... far from it.... but at the moment he certainly appears to be the lesser of two evils!)

I was thinking the other day that I really need to think through my position on one country taking a hand in the affairs of another... on the one hand I find myself totally opposed to Bush and his war on Iraq, yet I am frustrated at the lack of intervention over Zimbabwe.... but I think it is not an opposition to interference per se, as much as being disgusted by the cynical way a revenge attack for 9-11, and opportunistic attempt to control a major oil producer, was sold to the world as a noble attempt to save the poor Iraqis from their brutal dictator.... give me a break!

On a lighter note, I must tell you that I am doing aquarobics twice a week, and loving it. This may not seem like an earth shattering statement, but anyone who knows me well will have heard my views on going to any form of gym, and any regular exercise routine is like an allegen for me, I come out in a rash at the very thought of jogging and that sort of thing... but this is amazing. After an hour in the water, doing a workout that isn't percussive to painful joints, I feel great! And it is cool because the classes are led by a physiotherapist, and all of us are overweight, on the wrong side of 50 and have ricketty joints, so we don't have to endure the gorgeous sylph-like and immaculately togged babes in the gym wailing because they are SOOO FAT because they are 300 grams overweight! Ok, I'm off to squeeze into my swimsuit....thank goodness it is a heated pool, winter is definitely on its way. Hope to catch you later, (but it might be difficult, load shedding is scheduled for another 2 and a half hours tonight....Some amazing statements were made by the deputy minister of Safety and Security this week, encouraging Police to "shoot to kill". I am dying to tell you all about it, but again time is the enemy, so it will have to wait!) Have a great weekend!

Skywatch Friday....something Fishy going on!

Well, due to pressure of time, and feeling bad about not being able to reciprocate visits, I had withdrawn from Skywatch Friday. But Mr T has graciously assured me that all is understood, and even the odd visit to a new member is fine. So here I am, and I must say it is such fun looking for interesting skies, so I am pleased to still be part of the group, even if only a rather lame duck one lingering on the fringes!

Tom did a fascinating post recently showing a "mackerel sky". It is not a phrase I am familiar with, so I was wondering, would the top two of these photos be mackerel skies, or is it not the same thing?

The bottom one was so apt, at Port St Francis where we often see whales, here is a whale tail cloud in the sky!

Cheers, have a great weekend everyone!

and we wait...and wait...........

is there now hope of rebuilding the ruins left by Mugabe?

Goodness, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission are certainly making a meal of releasing results, wonder if they are getting paid by the hour? Certainly any credibility they may have had is evaporating more with each hour that passes!

However, it does look promising, and it seems the political tide has turned there. It will take many years to undo the damage that has been done, but at least there is now some sort of hope for the future there. We still have to hold our breath though, (as if we are not blue already!!!) because it all hinges on Mugabe bowing out gracefully. It appears the fly in the ointment is the Chief of the Army, who refuses to let him do so, as he has claimed the armed forces will never be loyal to any other leader....... without the co-operation of the police and army the handover could be very ugly. And these guys have enjoyed absolute power for years, they have "tasted blood' so to speak, they have enjoyed getting high on brutality and controlling people with fear. It seems unlikely that they are suddenly going to put aside self interest and care about human rights and integrity overnight.

So for the MDC, winning the election is only the first step on what promises to be a very rocky road, but I really wish them all the best.............. may they be wise, honest, and strong leaders. And I really hope that the leaders of the first world, who have, to their shame, remained so passive in the affairs of this desperate country, (obviously not enough oil or gold there to make it worth their while!!!) will now come to the party, and help rebuild the shattered lives of so many Zimbabweans.

On a lighter note, it is school holidays now, and living in a house with a pocket handkerchief sized courtyard with a very active 3 year old gets somewhat stressful, so our daughter was feeling the strain. So yesterday I took K and the wee E on an outing to the Boardwalk, and he let off some steam in the funfair. Great fun!

if he could have thrown money into the wishing well all morning he would have!

HOLDING OUR BREATH........

ZIMBABWE HANGS ON A KNIFE EDGE................

.....and it is inexcusable that 60 hours after voting ended, so few results have been officially released. It is extremely worrying that so much time has passed, because it is almost impossible to imagine a scenario when a delay like this is not caused by some sort of vote rigging or other manoeuvering.

That election observers are already leaving the country before the results have been fully announced throws the whole thing under an even bigger shadow than the dark one that already looms over the integrity and fairness of this crucial election.

That the SADEC South African observers (with the exception of 2 DA members who refused to sign) have declared this election free and fair so prematurely is nothing short of immoral and criminal, given the level of suffering there and the number of lives who will be impacted by the outcome of this election. There is not a chance, given the number of reports filtering out of the country to the contrary, that this election has taken place in a free and fair way and the honesty and objectivity of many of the observers is as questionable as that of the ruling Government there.

All we can do is wait and hope that our family and friends will be safe, and that sanity will prevail, because it is going to be tense there, whichever party is finally announced as the winner. There was a miracle here, when the anticipated bloodbath did not come to pass in 1994. Let's hope the same thing happens there.............

In the meantime, we continue to hold our breath.

(The rather disturbing picture illustrating this post is a painting I did last year, and is called "Fat Bobcat". I just got up one morning and started painting and this was the result...it was obviously a result of the frustration and anger brewing inside me about what Bob Mugabe is doing at the expense of his people. When you talk to Zimbabweans and get a true picture of the suffering they are going through, and then you look at his new mansion on Google Earth.... and when the true tales of torture, brutality, intimidation and gross corruption are told, it is impossible to have any belief in the integrity or humanity of this man. The only word I can apply to him and his henchmen is EVIL, and I guess that is what poured out of me the day I did this painting, it even took me by surprise!!)

this 'n that again

Old habits die hard. So although I reluctantly withdrew from SkyWatch Friday a few weeks ago (because with pressure of time and the huge growth of the group, I felt it was unfair to be a member but not be able to reciprocate visits) I still look out for good sky shots wherever I go. Here are a couple of recent ones.

Street Art Update: A while ago I showed you a log that had been turned into a bikini clad woman by a clever artist.

Well, she has a family now! A man, child and dog have joined her on the grass. You can see more on Port Elizabeth Daily Photo.

On Thursday a new guesthouse opened in town. this is not particularly newsworthy, it happens all the time. But what makes this one special is the history behind it. In the early days of PE, parcels of land were granted by the Colonial Government in Capetown, and subdivided, to be sold off so that the funds raised could be used for special projects. One of the earlier land grants of this type was in 1856, and it was in favour of the Grey Institute, to fund the building of boys and girls public schools.

This is a photo of the original handwritten Land Grant, and the accompanying surveyors drawings of the subdivided plots.

The guesthouse is in Ivy Terrace, and is a delightful stone-built cottage with thick walls and beautiful wooden trim and floors. The new owners have a Title Deed showing that the house was bought by a Mr Bilson in 1858. What makes this really special is that the house has stayed in the Bilson family ever since, until it was sold recently, because Miss Bilson was too old to continue living there alone. You can see her at the opening of the guesthouse, with more pictures of the cottage on Port Elizabeth Daily Photo.

The new owners have restored it very sensitively and furnished it with period furniture and wonderful old items, even the garage has a delightful collection of old tools. If you ever want to stay in this fascinating old place, let me know and I'll give you a contact number!

And the ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT of my week has been a visit to the PE Opera House yesterday, to see the play Sizwe Banzi is Dead. What an amazing experience!

The play was created 36 years ago by Athol Fugard, along with acclaimed actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona, at the height of Apartheid. It is a protest play, dealing with the alienation of South African blacks, and their loss of individual identity under the Apartheid system. It was naturally banned at the time (freedom of speech was viewed as a Communist plot, and anything remotely anti -Government was outlawed and punishment for breaking those laws was very harsh.) So it played "underground" to black audiences, mostly in church halls in the townships. It has come full circle, and the actors who took such chances to perform the play in those days have returned to give absolutely BRILLIANT performances at the Opera House.

Note the very sparse stage set, this play did not rely on razzle dazzle or music to entertain, but pure brilliance! Also, because it was done at a time when a Police raid could happen at any moment, the props had to be easy to move around, and be seen as everyday objects. (Excuse the horrible photo, cameras were not allowed so I had to sneak a shot with my cellphone before the show started.)

One would wonder how relevant a this play could be 14 years into democracy, and played to mixed audiences. Well, it worked. It was almost a surreal experience, sitting there next to a black man a few years younger than me, both guffawing loudly at the absolute ridiculousness of the laws and human relations and behaviour portrayed on stage.

It was sort of awkward but not..... I am at a loss for words to describe the feeling. There were those of us from the group who perpetrated the injustices (and, lets be just blunt as usual, EVIL treatment) even if we personally were opposed to it. We sat in an anonymous audience, so who was to know who actively supported it and who didn't? It was purely the colour of our skin that could be seen there, "Whites", used in the play with the same derogatory undertones that the term "Blacks" attracted in white circles. So in a way, the sort of generalised loss of identity, and being lumped into a group that is despised or belittled was part of the experience for the whites at the theatre, and it was obviously an eye opener. Because it lasted for an hour, not for years and years, and we walked away unscathed by it, in contrast to those who suffered untold loss in those dark times. There was again the discomfort which I often feel when confronted with what really went on behind the scenes, the regret that I took so much at face value and didn't look beneath the surface to find out what was being censored so vigorously, guilt that I didn't do more to oppose it, the feeling that, by an accident of birth, I live in relative comfort and privilege, while so many around me, no less deserving, live in poverty and trauma, with little chance of ever breaking free from its grip.

But this is where the surreal part of the experience comes in, because you would have thought it would be a real downer to experience all that. But it wasn't. We had deep belly laughs all the way through. I can't speak for how the black people in the audience experienced it, but I can tell you that a real camaraderie developed between me and the stranger sitting next to me. In fact when asides were made in Xhosa, which had half the audience shrieking with laughter while the other half wondered what they had missed, he spontaneously translated for me. I almost got a sense that the feeling was...."now at last we can share the truth with you, see what it was like?" but not in a bitter revengeful way, but in a "wasn't it ridiculous?" way now that we all see each other as individual people and not as nameless members of the Black or White group.

The only words I can apply to the actors and their portrayal of the characters are superlatives, and even the strongest ones I can think of do not do justice to their performance. All I can say is that it was an HONOUR to be in the presence of such brilliance, and I left there awed, humbled, entertained, enlightened, challenged and enriched!