Country Profile

This link provides Overview information and facts about South Africa. It also gives direct links to the major newspapers...

South Africa: Country Profile

Ban Zimbabwe from croquet...thats the solution...brilliant!!

In an attempt to decide whether to proceed with elections / polls in Zimbabwe, someone brilliant suggested that they ban Zimbabwe (a country heavily tied to athleticism) from the English croquet tournaments and this would off set the violence...brilliant you say, I think not!

Tsvangirai urges deal

Ookkaayy, SA Government...?

Interesting...? SA classifications have always been perplexing to me and they insist these classifications were abolished when apartheid was dismantled but clearly...

S African Chinese 'become black'

After reading this article, alot of read flags went up in my mind!

Wow! Are you serious...

Well, I emailed a colleague of mine regarding advisement concerning my SA trip. The following is my email correspondence and their response...

Greetings!My name is Sequoya Hayes and we have had periodic email correspondence throughout the Winter and also Spring / Summer semesters in relation to my trip to South Africa. I was awarded a CAAS SAIO Fellowship but to my dismay have been rethinking my trip because of the attacks that have been taking place throughout SA.Although my work is not primarily in the immediate vicinity of the reported attacks I have become increasingly worried. I have been monitoring the BBC news because as you probably know, the U.S. news has not "picked" the story up. I read Dr. Haniff's "Marumo Fatshe - Put Down Your Spear" however after researching and monitoring the news on a daily basis, I am still unsure of how to proceed.The volunteer program that I will be volunteering with has reassured me that we (volunteers) will be safe in Capetown however this is contrary to the reports.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7416256.stmI have been following the news reports and it seems that the environment and violence has gotten progressively worse. Especially considering the "migrant camps" that have been constructed, I am worried and I need advisement about what steps I should possibly take.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7422887.stmI was wondering if you could possibly give me advice regarding the current state affairs in South Africa. This trip would be my first time out of the country. Any advice that you or your colleagues may have would be greatly appreciated!Thanks again Sequoya HayesMSW Candidate '08

Response:
I don't know what to tell you except what I have written in the piece you mentioned. Both myself and my students were safe. There are incidents in all countries and you do have to have perspective on it.However since you have never travelled outside of the country this is a hard one to answer. The response to this from a seasoned traveler will be different from one like yourself. If you are afraid there is nothing I can tell you to alleviate that since you have no reference points of experience in South Africa. It is you in the end who will have to decide what to do. I am sorry not to be of more help.

Needless to say, once I finished reading the response I think my "face cracked" in about three places. After considering their perspective and what I was essentially asking...I'm not sure what type of response I was soliciting.

I know that this is a great opportunity that I may never experience again however, I don't want to jeopardize my safety because I feel obligated to the trip. Everyone that I have worked with over the past few months has been extremely supportive regarding my next steps however this is a decision that I have to make all by myself.

Which is scary...This is going to be a life changing experience and I guess I have to surrender control at some point...everything is not going to be perfect...

Continually monitoring....decisions to be made!

Violence Spreads to Capetown (Video Clip)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7416675.stm
(bbc.com)

SA 'Migrant Camp' conditions

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7415374.stm

This is the outcome to the solution of the migrant camps...

SA 'Migrant Camps'

What type of camps...? Where are the human rights activists...?

Are these modern day concentration camps?

S Africa to set up migrant camps
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7422887.stm

What should I do...?

The violence has definitely spread...

SA Violence Spreads to Capetown

http://http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7416256.stm

SA Travel Alert....

So, here is the link to the U.S. Department of State's Travel Alert regarding international travel information:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3250.html

This was issued May 21, 2008 and will expire July 1, 2008...let's see what happens!

Marumo Fatshe

What should ebonytraveler do? I am having anxiety about the trip as far as safety and security but I don't know when I will be afforded this opportunity again! I am slowly but surely leaning towards following through with my plan and going to SA.

You hear horror stories of Americans going out of the country and never being able to return and I just worry about that these are signs...there is clear turmoil taking place in a country that I am heading to. I am journeying straight into it...

However, after reading this article from one of a professor that I met and had a few email correspondence with, I am feeling more comfortable with the idea of moving forward....

Marumo Fatshe - Put Down Your Spear


Today in Kampala, Ugandans protested against the xenophobic attacks against Ugandans in South Africa and threatened to send home South Africans living in Uganda.Having been here for almost five weeks now I cannot say that I have heard of any Ugandans being attacked. The principle however of residents of African nationalities being attacked remains a valid point. The presentation of these incidents by the press used the words foriegners and xenophobia and as it was carried abroad, the interpretation was legitimately that everyone foreign was vulnerable. Indeed this was not the case. The attacks were an example of horizontal violence, the poor in the townships starting in Alexandria outside of Johannesburg, to Kwa-Zulu-Natal at Chatsworth, and townships in Capetown and the Western Cape - burnt the shacks of even poorer migrants, asylum seekers and refugees from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Mali, Sudan etc. Over 50 people died and it is estimated that over 20,000 people have been displaced.

No Americans or foreign nationals from Europe or other parts of the world were attacked. At some point during our stay here while the violence was going on I had a special class on the nature of these attacks and reflected on the fact that unless I had raised the matter, or they were following the news, they would have no idea of the level of these attacks. Most of the students realized the gravity of the situation when they received e mails from home and the university. When I first started to visit South Africa many years ago I would say that a person could visit this country and never see poverty or never see the homes where the people who served them lived, unless the informal settlements confronted them when they were whizzing from the airport as it does in Capetown-and then they are immediately swallowed up by the privilege and luxury of the city. Soweto is about 45 minutes away from Johannesburg, Khaiyelitsha is about an hour away from Capetown and Alexandria is about Half an hour away, the closest township to the city and one of the poorest in the country. This was the hub of the alarm that it would spread from there ... to Rosebank, to Parktown, to Bramley, to Sandton. It did not.

South Africans were shocked at this and there was a great outcry. May 25th was Africa Day. Indeed I would say that the majority of the country rose up and spoke out against this. the South African media for all its mistakes, like not covering the great contributions that the African foreign nationals made to South Africa, were vehemently opposed to this violence and every day aired messages against this by prominent persons. Many protected migrants who were afraid for their lives. Although this was an attack on South Africa as a place that celebrated human rights it was that principle itself that halted these attacks. It was the concept and practice of ubuntu(I am because you are) that prevailed. It was this African concept that protected us all and kept us and South Africa safe. The problems that caused this violence have not magically disappeared but civic society in South Africa made a decision to protect their society and their good name. Everyday they would say on television "Marumo Fatshe"- put down your spear.

Siyabonga
We Thank you South Africa

Nesha Z. Haniff
Director, The Pedagogy of Action
June 5th. 2008

Time to Make A Decision...

Well...I got word that South Africa's turmoil has definitely taken a turn for the worse! A few of the headlines include:

South Africa Violence: Beyond Racism
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1810805,00.html

South Africa: Attacks on Immigrants Decline
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/31/world/africa/31briefs-ATTACKSONIMM_BRF.html?ref=world

Chris Rock says poverty behind xenophobic attacks
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-ap-people-chris-rock,0,2443676.story

So, I called my program adviser I asked him about the program's position on sending volunteers into this potentially hostile environment and he responded that most of the attacks are in Johannesburg and a smaller townships. He also reports that current volunteers have not been in any immediate danger and the program has discussed that if any thing should arise between now and the time that any volunteers go to South Africa they will suspend the program and refund any costs.

I in turn responded that I needed to monitor the news a little closer and that I wouldn't be paying any more money so we will see what happens...