Interesting Times

So many things about the past are best left in the past, but one thing seems to bring only wonderful memories, and much sadness at its passing.

Recent abortion statistics for the Eastern Cape, as well as reports about schools functioning without books, stationery or even shelter, have highlighted the most tragic challenges facing this country.

As the DA prepares to march in Johannesburg today, it seems that the issue for which they are marching, the wage subsidy for the creation of jobs for young people, has been overlooked in favour of an emotional  knee-jerk response –  “how  dare ‘they’ approach COSATU”.

The phone woke me at 5.30 this morning. It was my daughter calling from Canada. I had spoken to her last night, so I was worried when I saw her number come up. I was right – but the crisis wasn’t about her, it was about my son. The first friend he had made after he was diagnosed with CF at 18, and during his first ever hospital stay, Jane*, had died on Tuesday. He had spoken to her two weeks previously. She was 28 – a year older than him. He was sobbing. Even through his pain, he hadn’t wanted to worry me, so had contacted his sister.

Once again a sangoma has been consulted in the case of a sudden tragic sudden death, this time north of Pretoria, in Soshanguve. On the simple say-so of a ‘relative’, the house belonging to an elderly person whom the sangoma accused of practising witchcraft was burnt down, along with two other houses.

As schools were once again affected by a strike this week, leaving deserted classrooms and unsupervised young people in several schools, it is becoming increasingly clear that education is no longer a priority for government. Despite the many and varied protestations to the contrary, some extremely heated , with only a below-average pass rate required, and teachers subject to the whims and orders of a union, what chance do young people have?

Africa time. We all know what it means, at least in Africa we do – things will happen when they happens. Watches, clocks, wasting time – all those terms are Western constructs and have nothing to do with the pace of life in Africa.

There is apparently a new and terrifying phenomenon in Zimbabwe, which is preventing the ongoing construction of much-needed water reservoirs. Water creatures, normally only seen crooning siren calls in order to maroon sailors at sea, are terrifying the workers. Yup – mermaids have been seen at the reservoirs,  and workers are too terrified to go back to work.

Technology is so much a part of everyday life that very few innovations should surprise us any more.