OR Tambo airport

Friends and family seem to have been travelling around an awful lot during the past few months, so I've found myself at OR Tambo airport (what used to be called Johannesburg International) on what seems like a weekly basis. Apart from one surreal experience where I parked in newly opened and unsignposted parking and got so lost trying to find the terminal buildings that I joined a disconsolate band of fellow travellers on the same quest to find my way out, I am pretty impressed with the developments at the airport. (We were forced to ask one of the people directing traffic with those giant hands that people wear at cricket matches before we found our way out of the parking and into the terminal buildings, and I had resort to this again to find my car.)

OR Tambo airport now boasts new international arrivals terminals, a host of new shops, new information and help points, and more and more parking is being built. Parking has long been a problem at this busy airport; much more is now available, and event more is being built. Lights have been installed above each existing parking bay, red indicating that the bay is already taken, and green that it is free; blue is for disabled parking. The nightmare of finding parking here is now slowly receding.






Most impressive and exciting are the first signs of the long awaited Gautrain, a rapid transport rail system, one branch of which is to run from Sandton to OR Tambo. You can't miss the giant concrete pillars as you approach the airport on the highway, or as you enter the international section of the airport. Apparently once the train is running, you will be able to check in your luggage at Sandton station, and travel to the airport unencumbered with bags, and then retrieve your luggage at your final international destination. Sounds a bit too good to be true; but I love the idea.

Labels: Gautrain, Johannesburg airport, OR Tambo, OR Tambo airport

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Christmas images

Some images of Christmas in South Africa:

Wire and bead Christmas tree and decorations at the Red Plate restaurant in Haenertsburg:




Luggage stacked up at the taxi rank at Komatipoort, near the Mozambican border, as people prepare to catch taxis home for Christmas:


Christmas light and ANC poster on a lamp post, Northern Province:

Labels: Christmas, Red Plate restaurant

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In the Cape: the Cape Peninsula

Some spots on the Cape Peninsula



I've been visiting lately:

Fish Hoek Beach






Kalk Bay Harbour

This is a small fishing harbour, with some great eating places (the Brass Bell where the sea spray hits the windows, the Olympia Cafe; to name only two); and a collection of small, interesting shops.

View from the window of The Brass Bell




The Olympia Cafe



Silvermine Wetlands Conservation area




Sophea Gallery and Tibetan Teahouse in Simon's Town

This teahouse has an amazing view and tasty and imaginative vegetarian food. Paintings and Tibetan items are on show and for sale.



Penguins on Boulders beach

Labels: Boulders Beach, Brass Bell, Cape, Cape peninsula, Fish Hoek, Kalk Bay, Olympia Cafe, penguins, Silvermine, Simon's Town, Tibetan Teahouse

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More South African music

More bits of South African music I like:

African Jazz Pioneers and Jonas Gwangwa from the best of South African Live jazz on the John Player Jazz Music Special:



Koos du Plessis singing one of his compositions, Skielik is jy vry (Suddenly you're free):



Josh Groban, Vusi Mahlasela (who comes from Mamelodi, not too far from where I live!) and the Soweto Gospel Choir, singing Weeping at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert at Hyde Park in London in June 2008. Weeping is remarkable for the fact that, even though it was a protest song, it avoided being banned in the 1980s, a time when banning was all the rage, and instead became a hit. Weeping was composed by Dan Heymann and originally sung by the Cape Town band, Bright Blue.

Labels: African Jazz Pioneers, Bright Blue, Jonas Gwangwa, Josh Groban, Koos du Plessis, Nelson Mandela Birthday Concert, South African music, Soweto Gospel Choir, Vusi Mahlasela, Weeping

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Standing together

When we moved into our house, there was no fence at all. We put one up after we had a break in, and although it felt a bit like living in a prison, we thought it would be irresponsible not to take all reasonable precautions to prevent harm coming to anyone living in the house. For a while we felt safer, but then, two years ago, crime began to escalate rapidly. By that stage, most people in our area were living behind high walls and fences, but these did not prevent burglaries, armed robberies and attempted hijackings becoming the order of the day.

Then two women who are neighbours decided to take action. They began holding community meetings, and after a lot of discussion, the community in this area implemented two things: a community patrol and an sms system. The patrol is run by a security company employed by the community. Men on quad bikes patrol the area 24 hours a day. People living in the patrol area contribute financially to cover the costs. Financial contributions are voluntary, but enough people contribute to make the patrol a viable option. The sms system allows us to alert each other via our cell phones if we notice anything strange or if we have a problem that other people in the area should know about. In addition to preventing crime, the system has helped reunite a parrot, rabbits and numerous dogs with their owners. On one occasion it was used to find a lost child (thankfully this only took 10 minutes).

The results? Crime has dropped by 97% since implementing the patrol. The community has a good working relationship with the police. Co-operation is spreading into other areas; a joint venture with the Parks department is underway to upgrade a small park in the area; one park clean-up by residents has already taken place. A newsletter is being produced, meetings and community braais are held; neighbours now know each other better and high walls feel less like prisons. Safety is a community issue, and standing together does make a difference. Crime remains something we need to be aware of, but we now feel less helpless and scared by it.

Crime is a difficult thing to deal with. While I condemn crime, and any violence and victimisation of people, I am uncomfortable with the fact that discussions about crime often assume that the world is two dimensional, made up of criminals and victims; baddies and goodies. None of us are wholly good or wholly bad. Probably, given certain circumstances, I too, would be capable of criminal action. But recognizing this should not prevent us from taking responsbility for preventing harm to ourselves. Standing together as a community is a way doing this. How we choose to stand together will be different in different communities. Employing a security company will not always be the answer, but the principle of working together as a community is the start of a good crime prevention strategy.

Labels: community, crime

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Follow up on Feed in Tariffs bill

Discussion around the Feed in Tariffs private members' bill in parliament has resulted in the government promising to have a renewable energy strategy in place by February 2009. Hardly earth shattering stuff, but discussion has helped keep some focus on renewables. Read more.

Labels: feed in tariffs bill, renewable energy, renewable energy legislation in South Africa

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Hamba Kahle Miriam Makeba

Yesterday South Africa began a period of official mourning for one of our most loved musicians, Miriam Makeba. Miriam Makeba, 76, died shortly after performing at a concert in Italy on Sunday 9 November. According to her band, she enjoyed the performance, and finished it with one of her most famous songs, Pata pata (Touch, touch). A fitting exit for a dedicated musician and remarkable human being.

Miriam Makeba singing Pata pata in Brazil


Miriam Makeba's warmth and humanity informed her life and her music. Her commitment to Africa earned her the name Mama Africa; but also brought her pain, as her outspokenness against apartheid led to 31 years of exile after the apartheid regime revoked her South African citizenship in 1960. Other sorrows, such as the death of her daughter, did not diminish her joy or vitality.

Miriam Makeba singing Oxgam


Despite being the first African woman to win a grammy, one of Africa's best known musicians, and singing with world reknowned musicians such as Harry Belafonte, Miriam Makeba remained a humble person. I remember a radio interview I heard with her, where in talking about her early years touring with the musical, King Kong, she told the story of how, the first time flying overseas, she went and changed into her pyjamas when the lights were dimmed on the plane. Her ability to share stories like this, along with her exceptional musical talent, and her commitment to music and human rights, explains why she is loved and revered, and will be sorely missed.

Miriam Makeba, is one of singers in this video of Nkosi Sikel' iAfrika. The videa was taken at the Paul Simon Graceland concert in Zimbabwe in 1987. Her first husband, South African musician Hugh Masekela, is also in the video along with South African guitarist Ray Phiri and the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambaso.


Miriam Makeba's first husband was Hugh Masekela, and she was also married to the activist Stokely Carmichael. A memorial service, open to the public, is to be held on Saturday 15 November at the Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg. Hamba Kahle Miriam Makeba.

Labels: Graceland concert, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Oxgam, Pata pata, Paul Simon, South African music

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