but it's not all grim...

Down in other valleys, people are still dancing and doing all the daily routines that keep them going... I'm going back to Maphepheteni to film a little bit more of Mdu's group this weekend. Unfortunately it seems that no one sells the appropriate firewires in this country so I can't edit it until I return to the UK, but I can at least get some good footage to use.

I can't stay in Maphepheteni as I refuse to wash in the river Dusi which is one of the most polluted rivers in the province. The recent Dusi Canoe Marathon was nearly cancelled because of the state of the water and yet families like Mdu's regularly wash clothes, themselves and even drink the water quite happily. And they look disgustingly healthy for it!

Above are a couple of photos I took last time, including the Gogos in their traditional attire.

The weather is not going to be so hot as last time so there's less chance of me getting sunburnt again, thankfully.

This is my last 'weekend off' and I need to spend it wisely, so a trip to the beach is also in order, just to say goodbye to the warm golden sands and lightly ebbing waves of crystal clear sea... Oh, how I'll miss it...

I told the kids I was leaving but they are so used to people coming and going that the reaction wasn't terribly dramatic. I'm organising a leaving party for them just before I go and THEN the realisation that 'Auntie Caroline' won't be around anymore might hit them...

But I'll be back to visit, I'm sure... ;-)

The New South Africa

Everyone is always going on about 'the NEW South Africa', but let me tell you things are going a bit wrong here at the moment...

Firstly, there's the small matter of 'load shedding'... the power is switched off with us maybe 3 times a day. Normally it's from 6-8am, then 12-2pm followed by 6-8pm, just to totally disrupt all meal times! Sometimes, like this morning, it will go off from 8.30-12, just to mess up the computers. It's totally disruptive to working as there are no lights, computers, phones etc working. This is happening all over the country and people are starting to get annoyed. We're well into our second week of it now.

Last week a couple of trains had to stop due to 'load shedding' and the people travelling in it got out and set the trains on fire in protest. Clever. Not so clever when the train people are now refusing to replace said trains and so there are less services running...

The response to crises like this tends to edge towards violence, unfortunately.

There was also a threat of no water for 48 hours last weekend, which thankfully didn't seem to happen. But my house is full of plastic water bottles filled with tap water, just in case. In any case the water from my tap has been green and murky of late and so I've resorted to bottled water for my last few weeks here, just to be safe!

It's really feeling like Africa, just as I pack up to leave.

And then on Tuesday the black teachers at our local primary school, where 33 of our kids go, managed to barricade the white teachers in the staff room and held them hostage for a day whilst the kids ran amok on the playing fields.

Very grown up behaviour, I'm sure you'll agree.

Not.

The TV cameras were back yesterday and other valley schools had to close as teachers rushed to join in the demonstrations against the management of the school, leaving kids roaming all over. This school was already in the news last year for another riot of the teachers for similar problems. In any case our kids are currently being educated by volunteers until the crisis is sorted. It's a bit worrying when these things happen basically in your back garden and could spark backlash across the province... As a result we've closed 2 of our preschools and the volunteers have to stay at home for their own protection. It will probably blow over in a few days, but just to be safe we have to take precautions...

You can read the story below from the local newspaper 'the Witness':

Racism alleged at KZN school
23 Jan 2008
Sphumelele Mngoma
ALLEGATIONS of racism were made during a protest that disrupted teaching at the George Cato Primary in Cato Ridge yesterday.Teachers affiliated to the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) were joined by union leaders and other Sadtu members.“We want you to tell [MEC] Ina Cronje to take the principal and take her to a place reserved for the boers … there is no place here for them,” said Mbuyiseni Mathonsi of Sadtu.
Teacher Bheki Ntuli said the protest was sparked by the alleged beating last week of a black gardener by his white supervisor, apparently for working too slowly.According to Ntuli, when the gardener went to report the matter to the Camperdown police, he was turned away and told to sort the matter out with the school.He said the 24-year-old man was offered R3 000 to drop the matter, or face being fired if he insisted on pressing charges.These allegations could not be independently confirmed.
However, according to Ntuli, the issue of racism is not a new one for black staff at the school.“We are called baboons and our children are called monkeys. We are constantly being told that we are incompetent because of Bantu education and yet not once have they tried to address that problem by developing the staff … ”Nkosi said they complained about the situation last January and the Education Department conducted an inquiry, but they have not heard what the outcome is.Now they demand a full report of that investigation and want action taken.Basil Manuel, vice president of the National Association of Professional Teachers of SA (Naptosa), also blamed the department for the deteriorating situation at the school.“They failed the school, they failed the pupils … Their delay has compromised people’s safety and the children’s education.”However, Manuel condemned the strike, during which, he said, teachers threw stones.One of the parents, who wanted to remain anonymous for her child’s safety, said she is concerned about her child’s education.She said her child spent about eight months last year without a teacher. “I don’t know anything about the children being called monkeys and the beatings … all I know is my child needs to be taught. That is what I demand from the department of Education.”Education spokeswoman Christi Naude said Cronje will visit the school today to do her own investigations into the matter.Naude could not say why the results of last year’s investigation have not been released, but said action will be taken in two days, as the department is busy studying all the reports and recommendations.

tired...

New Jeans! Shame it's altogether TOO hot to wear them...

New bike, but it's much more fun lying on the grass posing...

It's hot...



Very hot.



There was a big storm last night, and I would have hoped that it would have been cooler today as a result, but no. It's still hot.



But then I am in Pietermaritzburg right now and that's always a few degrees hotter than the rest of the area...

Anyway, as usual I've ended up in an internet cafe without the photos I wanted to upload, so I've put in a few more of my favourite kids, just because I can.

I am extremely tired. Need prayer for energy. Fell asleep on Sunday morning in church and am having difficulty getting up in the mornings (but then it is hot!). In any case, there are a lot of emotions flying around the office here for one reason and another and it's difficult not to get caught up in them, even though none of them are directly aimed at me... I need wisdom to be a good counsellor when called on.

Have packed my box of stuff to send home. It's going to cost me but then I want to keep these few things and Emirates would charge me more than what I'm paying... Now it's back to the report writing (when I can summon enough energy to focus!)

Have found a job that I really want to do in the UK, not sharing more details but pray that if this is the one for me that all would go well. Strange that it should appear in the adverts just as I wished it too. Either that's God providing or it's a big distraction. In either case, time will tell, but I need to get the application in soon...

random update

It's Friday afternoon and I've not had chance to blog all week, but then it's been a fairly busy week. I've started sorting through my stuff and there's a lot to do...

I'm looking forward to coming back to the UK (arrival date: Fri Feb 8th!) but keep waking up wishing I could magically just be there as I don't want to go through the hassle of packing etc. I'm giving most of my stuff away to a family in the valley who will appreciate it a lot, so that's one less thing to worry about, but I still have to get it to them and then sell my car!

This morning we were unable to go to the local Spar supermarket because someone had come at 2am, planted 2 bombs and blown up two of the cash machines there, which then led to a shoot out with security. Apparently there's a big whole where one of the machines was, whereas the other bank has already replaced theirs... Such is life in the 'new South Africa'...

I only have 2 'weekend off's left and am making the most of the sunshine tomorrow by heading to the beach somewhere near Durban. It's all fairly beautiful there so don't have to decide until I get there. I was thinking about what to do and remembered that going to the ocean is not going to be possible soon so I'd better make the most of it while I can...

A grand day out

Wednesday was a great day. I went down to the Valley of Maphephete-ni to meet up with Mdu and to take video footage and photos of his new and aspiring Zulu choir and dance troupe.
He'd done a good job of telling all his friends and neighbours and when I arrived there were about 50 people hanging around, either to perform or just watch.

It was an exceedingly hot and sunny day and I have never been so sunburnt on my back (grrr) but it will soon change to tan so that's not too bad. Half-way through filming I had to take a break and give my camera to Khaye, Mdu's brother, while I sat in very long (and probably snake infested!!) grass under an umbrella to get some shade from the blazing heat... I managed, by some miracle, not to get bitten by anything. We walked through some very long grass afterwards and I survived that too! (You never know how many snakes, ticks etc are lurking!)

Anyway, it was really cool as the 25 strong group were practising in a rondavel when I arrived and I managed to get some good footage of them in there, although the dust that arose every time they stomped was quite incredible. Then we met up with the Gogos, all dressed in traditional beaded costumes, and walked down to a grassy area by the river Duzi. Once there a man had to hack down some long grass with a machete type knife to make room for dancing. Then they choir began. They just love dancing and are so good at it, and singing. I got some great footage which I'll be editing as soon as I can get the right equipment sorted to do it.

It was so great to be able to come to an area like this in the middle of nowhere and to be a part of the local culture. Watch out for the DVD when I get back to the UK!