Please spare a payer for these two children..
Gracie is a sweet little baby girl who has just had a hear transplant and the new heart is not working properly - things are not looking good :
http://www.thegledhillfamily.blogspot.com/
The second is for Cody. Cody is coming to the end of his life hear on earth, Cancer seems to have won this time. Please visit the blog and comment with messages for his heart-broken family.
http://deckapes.blogspot.com/
I know both families will really appreciate the support.
Friday, 27 February 2009
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Hi/Lo Thursday!
This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts and get your link on their site.High for the week:
My high for this week has been taking care of Daniel's illness without antibiotics! I always regret how I let the Doctors insist Caleb had to have antibiotics all the time - the more he takes them, the weaker his immune system becomes and the less effective they are - I am determined to not go down that path with Daniel - Once you know better, you do better! Daniel is fighting off the infection on his own, and building his immune system at the same time!
Low for the week:
Both boys have been sick this week - Caleb has just finished his second round of antibiotics for the month. Caleb is still coughing, but is on the mend. Daniel has been a very sick little boy - vomiting every day and more phlegm than you would think one wee baby could produce!
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Happy Birthday Baby Girl!
Today would have been my daughters 4th birthday!
I miss you so much little girl.. the world keeps on moving.. your brothers keep me busy... life rushes by.. people forget.. but not mommy.. I will never forget..
I keep wondering who you would be?
Would you be funny?
Would you be chirpy?
Would you have blonde or dark hair?
Would you be grumpy when you wake up.. just like your mum?
A child lost is never forgotten...
I love you baby girl.. now more than ever!
Happy Birthday my Angel
Love
Mommy
I miss you so much little girl.. the world keeps on moving.. your brothers keep me busy... life rushes by.. people forget.. but not mommy.. I will never forget..
I keep wondering who you would be?
Would you be funny?
Would you be chirpy?
Would you have blonde or dark hair?
Would you be grumpy when you wake up.. just like your mum?
A child lost is never forgotten...
I love you baby girl.. now more than ever!
Happy Birthday my Angel
Love
Mommy
"We want Zuma, corrupt or not"
"ANC Youth League president Julius Malema outdid himself at a rally in Durban's Cato Manor yesterday, branding DA leader Helen Zille "racist", "colonialist" and "imperialist".
Her deputy, Joe Seremane's role.. is to smile at the madam every time, he said.
The Inkatha Freedom Party was "Mickey Mouse" and COPE consisted of "angryists who don't smile".
He came to ANC president Jacob Zuma's defence: "If Zuma is corrupt, then we want him with all his corruption. We want him with all his weaknesses. If he is uneducated, then we want him as our uneducated president."
Zuma, he said, understood SA economics, which amounst to, "Put a bread on the table. We don't want sophistication".
- The Sunday Times, Paddy Harper -
This is the article that appeared in South Africa's Sunday Times this week - I am so shocked by these statements that I am finding it difficult to word this post.
This man, Julius Malema, has said many things in the past which have landed him in hot water, but this speech seems to be the worst of them (so far). Forget all the other things he said about our oposition leaders, the fact that he says the ANC Youth League will endorse a known corrupt leader, sends out a clear message to South Africa and the world - We, the ANC youth league, endorse corruption.
There is so much more I wish to write about this, but I have two sick children at home, and so time is not on my side, hopefully I will get to write more soon.
Her deputy, Joe Seremane's role.. is to smile at the madam every time, he said.
The Inkatha Freedom Party was "Mickey Mouse" and COPE consisted of "angryists who don't smile".
He came to ANC president Jacob Zuma's defence: "If Zuma is corrupt, then we want him with all his corruption. We want him with all his weaknesses. If he is uneducated, then we want him as our uneducated president."
Zuma, he said, understood SA economics, which amounst to, "Put a bread on the table. We don't want sophistication".
- The Sunday Times, Paddy Harper -
This is the article that appeared in South Africa's Sunday Times this week - I am so shocked by these statements that I am finding it difficult to word this post.
This man, Julius Malema, has said many things in the past which have landed him in hot water, but this speech seems to be the worst of them (so far). Forget all the other things he said about our oposition leaders, the fact that he says the ANC Youth League will endorse a known corrupt leader, sends out a clear message to South Africa and the world - We, the ANC youth league, endorse corruption.
There is so much more I wish to write about this, but I have two sick children at home, and so time is not on my side, hopefully I will get to write more soon.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
It hurts!
Yesterday I was in an operating room for minor surgery, but today I am very sore and bruised and I just feel "out of it" - So I have decided to take today off and not do my usual posting!
I will be back soon!
I will be back soon!
Monday, 16 February 2009
One more hour...
I read a blog today about not having enough time in the day and it started me thinking about all the things we always want to accomplish but never seem to have the time to do. This question fascinates me so, I decided to Google it and it would seem that 80% of people would catch up on sleep.
The thing about that is would that extra hour really make a difference to how tired we all are? I know that I am tired most of the time – for example, if I take my car to the car wash to remove “toddler” from all over the windows and seats, I normally fall asleep in the 10 minutes it takes to get through the machine. In fact, I have become so good at it that I nod off pretty much as soon as the wash starts and sleep quite happily until I hear the familiar “woosh” noise of the water being switched off – It just occurred to me as I was writing this how absurd this must seem to everyone outside my car; on the other hand, the fact that I have a booster seat and baby seat in the back leads me to believe that perhaps people would understand when they see a women slumped over her steering wheel whilst in the middle of the car wash!
Anyway, back to the topic..
If the question is what you would do with a 25th hour, then we have to set some rules. Firstly, you cannot use it to catch up on sleep. Secondly, you are not allowed to use it to “do the right thing” – in other words, you may not use it to vacuum the house, study for an exam, or pack the children’s lunch for the next day. If you had a 25th hour to spend just on something for yourself, something indulgent, just because you could, then what would it be?
I have to be honest and say, I would have a difficult time choosing between two things. The first would be to use this time for a little pampering for myself – which would probably translate into a regular facial, waxing and a massage or 27. The second (and my first choice) would be to take myself off to my local library and spend the time pouring over old books in the peaceful setting of a library. So many people do not read anymore, and those who do read are often just getting through a page or two before falling asleep at night. I would love to sit in a library with my phone switched off and all my cares forgotten while I discover some of the wonders of the world of books. People do not really visit libraries anymore. Why should we when we have all the information we need at our fingertips? I think this is a very sad fact, as holding a really old book, smelling the paper and becoming lost in its world is an experience that no computer screen will ever deliver.
So those would be my choices.. What would you do with your 25th hour?
The thing about that is would that extra hour really make a difference to how tired we all are? I know that I am tired most of the time – for example, if I take my car to the car wash to remove “toddler” from all over the windows and seats, I normally fall asleep in the 10 minutes it takes to get through the machine. In fact, I have become so good at it that I nod off pretty much as soon as the wash starts and sleep quite happily until I hear the familiar “woosh” noise of the water being switched off – It just occurred to me as I was writing this how absurd this must seem to everyone outside my car; on the other hand, the fact that I have a booster seat and baby seat in the back leads me to believe that perhaps people would understand when they see a women slumped over her steering wheel whilst in the middle of the car wash!
Anyway, back to the topic..
If the question is what you would do with a 25th hour, then we have to set some rules. Firstly, you cannot use it to catch up on sleep. Secondly, you are not allowed to use it to “do the right thing” – in other words, you may not use it to vacuum the house, study for an exam, or pack the children’s lunch for the next day. If you had a 25th hour to spend just on something for yourself, something indulgent, just because you could, then what would it be?
I have to be honest and say, I would have a difficult time choosing between two things. The first would be to use this time for a little pampering for myself – which would probably translate into a regular facial, waxing and a massage or 27. The second (and my first choice) would be to take myself off to my local library and spend the time pouring over old books in the peaceful setting of a library. So many people do not read anymore, and those who do read are often just getting through a page or two before falling asleep at night. I would love to sit in a library with my phone switched off and all my cares forgotten while I discover some of the wonders of the world of books. People do not really visit libraries anymore. Why should we when we have all the information we need at our fingertips? I think this is a very sad fact, as holding a really old book, smelling the paper and becoming lost in its world is an experience that no computer screen will ever deliver.
So those would be my choices.. What would you do with your 25th hour?
Sunday, 15 February 2009
What a sweet little giggle!
Daniel is finally giggling.. it is too sweet.. I took a video of it - I apologise for the angle and sound of the video, but I did it in such a hurry as I didn't want to miss it! Daniel seems to have a strange side..lol.. Adam was slapping himself on the back and that is what was making Daniel laugh.. every time Adam would hit himself Daniel would giggle.. hmm.. wonder which side of the family this freaky side takes after?
(Having trouble loading the video, will try again tomorrow)
(Having trouble loading the video, will try again tomorrow)
Friday, 13 February 2009
Outmaneuvered by a 3-year-old!
Caleb is at home sick again today – He has a nasty cough and a sinus infection. So by 10:30 (considering we all get up at 05:00) Caleb and I are both feeling a bit of cabin fever, I decide to take him to the video shop to choose a movie. While I am drawing money from the ATM, Caleb spots a row of toys in Spar (a Supermarket) so he starts that whining that all 3-year-olds do begging me for toys.
So I decide to be firm with him and not let him manipulate me, so I say to him, “Caleb, you may choose one item and only one”. At first he is a little unhappy about this, but after a few minutes of me standing firm and feeling like a responsible parent, he scuttles off to pick his one item.
However, to my (secret) amusement he returns with the largest box he can possibly carry in his little arms. Upon inspection of the box, I was amused to find it contained approximately 10 toys! I was so amused and impressed with his ability to deduce the best possible solution to his problem that I allowed him to keep the box!
If nothing else, this has proven to me what a smart little boy I have!
Thursday, 12 February 2009
For what am I searching?
The truth is that I have never been a religious person - I have always felt that something is missing from inside me - now don't take that the wrong way, what I mean is there is a part of me that is not complete.
Over the past few weeks the feeling has been growing and during this time I have felt a very strong pull towards something spiritual. What that something is, is anyone’s guess, but I have definitely been feeling the need to connect with something greater than humanity.
I, like many people, had a bumpy childhood and some of my early experiences (dealings with spiritual teachers especially) left me feeling disillusioned and without faith, but as I get older, I realise that faith and spirituality have nothing to do with others - it is about me, my faith and what I believe in. The question is, what do I believe in?
My complete faith in the fact that Jorja, while not “alive”, is still with me and I that I feel her close to me, leads me to believe that there must be more. It cannot just be that we live and we die.. there must be something else.
About a year before Daniel was conceived, someone (whom I had never met before) told me that my daughter watches over me and is often with me – this validated my belief that I feel her near me often, but how could this lady have known about her? She also told me that my son was ready to be born and was just waiting for my soul to be ready to receive him.
Before Daniel was born, I went to see a Reiki healer to see if the use of Reiki would be able to turn Daniel from a transverse position to a head-down position. While I was there, the lady refused to do any Reiki with me – she said that Daniel had a message for me and that Reiki was not part of the greater plan. Some of the message was very personal, but one part that I do want to share is that she said that Daniel (his soul) had chosen us as parents because he had something to teach us about faith and spirituality. She said that Daniel will lead us (and especially Adam) to God. She said that Daniel has a special connection to God’s Angels and that he will be a very spiritual and religious child as long as we (and especially me) give him the faith and freedom to become who he must be. The weight of that responsibility weighs heavily on me.
Since his birth, I have spent many hours pondering this problem and asking myself some very tough questions, with the result that I am now more confused than ever..
For what am I searching?
Over the past few weeks the feeling has been growing and during this time I have felt a very strong pull towards something spiritual. What that something is, is anyone’s guess, but I have definitely been feeling the need to connect with something greater than humanity.
I, like many people, had a bumpy childhood and some of my early experiences (dealings with spiritual teachers especially) left me feeling disillusioned and without faith, but as I get older, I realise that faith and spirituality have nothing to do with others - it is about me, my faith and what I believe in. The question is, what do I believe in?
My complete faith in the fact that Jorja, while not “alive”, is still with me and I that I feel her close to me, leads me to believe that there must be more. It cannot just be that we live and we die.. there must be something else.
About a year before Daniel was conceived, someone (whom I had never met before) told me that my daughter watches over me and is often with me – this validated my belief that I feel her near me often, but how could this lady have known about her? She also told me that my son was ready to be born and was just waiting for my soul to be ready to receive him.
Before Daniel was born, I went to see a Reiki healer to see if the use of Reiki would be able to turn Daniel from a transverse position to a head-down position. While I was there, the lady refused to do any Reiki with me – she said that Daniel had a message for me and that Reiki was not part of the greater plan. Some of the message was very personal, but one part that I do want to share is that she said that Daniel (his soul) had chosen us as parents because he had something to teach us about faith and spirituality. She said that Daniel will lead us (and especially Adam) to God. She said that Daniel has a special connection to God’s Angels and that he will be a very spiritual and religious child as long as we (and especially me) give him the faith and freedom to become who he must be. The weight of that responsibility weighs heavily on me.
Since his birth, I have spent many hours pondering this problem and asking myself some very tough questions, with the result that I am now more confused than ever..
For what am I searching?
Hi/Lo Thursday!
This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts and for a chance to win $100.HIGH:
Adam securing a fabulous job that gives him a significant increase - YAY! What a clever husband I have; Love you Husband!
LOWS:
On Monday the job looked like it may not happen as there were issues with protocol, but by Tuesday the job was secure!
I am so proud of Adam for winning this position - it is a job that he has never done before; has absolutely no experience in it, and yet he made such an impression they offered him the job on the spot!
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
How many hands do you have?
I was in the bank this morning ordering a new card - picture it - I was carrying Daniels baby-bag on my back, Daniel in one hand and his blanket and my car keys in the other. So I get to the counter and I have to put Daniel's blanket on the counter and then sit him on top of it just to free up one of my hands. I then take his bag off my back and put it on the counter next to him - this then allows me to take out my ID to show the clerk.
Whilst this is going on, Daniel is "singing" at the top of his lungs (it is his new noise) and just as I get my ID out Daniel spits-up milk all over the place - down my top, on the counter, all down himself and eventually on the floor. By now I am starting to feel really embarrassed and all I can smell is milk.. euuuw! So I say to the clerk (while at the same time mopping milk up from all corners of the earth), "I think God should give parents more hands, in fact, everytime you have a child you should automatically sprout a new hand - everyone in the bank chuckles and I feel a little better.
As I am leaving the bank, a dear little old lady grabs my arm and whispers to me, "Jacob Zuma has 18 children, if he sprouted a hand for every child he wouldn't be able to walk up-right!"
Ha ha ha.. I had a good chuckle at that one.. there was no way for her to have known that Jacob Zuma (and everything surrounding him) is an interest of mine!
Whilst this is going on, Daniel is "singing" at the top of his lungs (it is his new noise) and just as I get my ID out Daniel spits-up milk all over the place - down my top, on the counter, all down himself and eventually on the floor. By now I am starting to feel really embarrassed and all I can smell is milk.. euuuw! So I say to the clerk (while at the same time mopping milk up from all corners of the earth), "I think God should give parents more hands, in fact, everytime you have a child you should automatically sprout a new hand - everyone in the bank chuckles and I feel a little better.
As I am leaving the bank, a dear little old lady grabs my arm and whispers to me, "Jacob Zuma has 18 children, if he sprouted a hand for every child he wouldn't be able to walk up-right!"
Ha ha ha.. I had a good chuckle at that one.. there was no way for her to have known that Jacob Zuma (and everything surrounding him) is an interest of mine!
Laughter Lives Tuesday!
The topic for this week is "Funny Pictures" - this is Caleb last week trying to frighten Mommy.. too sweet!
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
A suspected criminal for president! VIVA!
Jacob Zuma... ahhh.. now there is a name that is never boring!
Jacob Zuma is the ANC's candidate to be the next president of South Africa!
For those of you who don't know, Jacob Zuma has (for a number of years) been under the spotlight on suspicion of fraudulent activities! Mr Zuma has often protested that he is being framed by his opponents so as to ensure that he does not come to power. He has always said that all he wants is his day in court to prove his innocence - the funny thing about this is that every time a court date is set, Mr Zuma's lawyers find some urgent reason why the case should not go to court.
This is a man who has 5 wives - it would have been 6, but he divorced one, who, incidentally, is our Minister of Health. Yet even with all of these wives, he felt it necessary to have unprotected intercourse with a woman who is HIV positive. When this story was leaked to the media, Mr Zuma told the country not to panic, as he had taken a shower after the act, and so there was no way that he could catch the disease! SAY WHAT? This coming from a man who used to head the AIDS council in South Africa.
Even if you forget the ramifications that this has for his health, what about the message it is sending to the rest of the country? Especially since it is still believed, in some of the rural areas of Africa, that having sex with a virgin will cure/save you from AIDS! Now these same people believe that if you have a shower it will stop you catching the disease??? Give me strength!
Will we be the first country in the world to elect an idiotic felon as our president? Not to mention the fact that one of the first tasks of a new president is to appoint a new Chief Justice..
It will be a dark day for the whole of Africa should this man come to power.
Jacob Zuma is the ANC's candidate to be the next president of South Africa!
For those of you who don't know, Jacob Zuma has (for a number of years) been under the spotlight on suspicion of fraudulent activities! Mr Zuma has often protested that he is being framed by his opponents so as to ensure that he does not come to power. He has always said that all he wants is his day in court to prove his innocence - the funny thing about this is that every time a court date is set, Mr Zuma's lawyers find some urgent reason why the case should not go to court.
This is a man who has 5 wives - it would have been 6, but he divorced one, who, incidentally, is our Minister of Health. Yet even with all of these wives, he felt it necessary to have unprotected intercourse with a woman who is HIV positive. When this story was leaked to the media, Mr Zuma told the country not to panic, as he had taken a shower after the act, and so there was no way that he could catch the disease! SAY WHAT? This coming from a man who used to head the AIDS council in South Africa.
Even if you forget the ramifications that this has for his health, what about the message it is sending to the rest of the country? Especially since it is still believed, in some of the rural areas of Africa, that having sex with a virgin will cure/save you from AIDS! Now these same people believe that if you have a shower it will stop you catching the disease??? Give me strength!
Will we be the first country in the world to elect an idiotic felon as our president? Not to mention the fact that one of the first tasks of a new president is to appoint a new Chief Justice..
It will be a dark day for the whole of Africa should this man come to power.
Please don't let it be!
I think Daniel is developing some sort of illness..he has been really cranky since yesterday. He is normally such a good easy-going baby that I am a little freaked out by the change. Nothing is making him happy.. and he just niggles all the time..
I considered that perhaps he is teething as Caleb was a really early teether, but I don't think it is that as he is not drooling very much, and he doesn't seem irritated with his gums..
Will keep you posted!
Monday, 9 February 2009
Never a dull moment..
Caleb got hold of a large ball of string on Saturday and proceeded to wind it all around the garden - it was wound around all the gates, outside furniture, trees, buildings, drainpipes and even our driveway gate! Being the kind of parents that we are, we let him have fun with it - never guessing that it would turn into a nightmare!!!
Yesterday afternoon I went out to the shops quickly - as I was driving out our gate, it occurred to me that it was taking an awfully long time for the gate to open - I assumed the battery must be going flat on either the gate or the remote, and made a mental note to purchase new ones.. no problemo!
On my return from the shops, I could not get the gate to open properly; it went halfway and then got stuck and would not open or close. I, of course, jumped out the car to see what the trouble was and within seconds I was bent double with laughter. I am not sure if you can see the detail in the photo, but all the string had pulled loose from the rest of the garden and was now wound so tight, and in such a mess that it was impossible to open or close the gate.
It took Adam 45 minutes to finally free the gate and allow me to get my car inside.. ha ha ha.. always funny in hindsight.. was not so funny for Adam bent over double for 45 minutes!
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Abby
Please pray for Abby and the whole Riggs family this morning - Abby is really having a hard time, which means it is affecting the whole family, and yet they keep on smiling!
I know they could always use more support - http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/
I know they could always use more support - http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/
Friday, 6 February 2009
The reason is..
The reason is simple... Adam has been at home this whole week!
The reason I have not been posting much? See above...
Adam was retrenched two weeks ago, but I have not blogged about it as I wanted to wait until we had good news!
It has been a really frightening two weeks for us, as some of you know, I am on maternity leave at the moment and seeing as I am self-employed and the fact that I had to stop work at 31weeks pregnant due to pre-term labour means that we have been surviving on one income since August last year - and now having Adam retrenched has been really stressful!
The great news is that Adam starts work at his new position on Monday - and it really seems to have been a blessing! This new job has many new opportunities for Adam, not to mention that the money is so much better than the job he just lost..
When one door closes...:)
Anyway, I will be back in full swing next week.. hope to see you here!
The reason I have not been posting much? See above...
Adam was retrenched two weeks ago, but I have not blogged about it as I wanted to wait until we had good news!
It has been a really frightening two weeks for us, as some of you know, I am on maternity leave at the moment and seeing as I am self-employed and the fact that I had to stop work at 31weeks pregnant due to pre-term labour means that we have been surviving on one income since August last year - and now having Adam retrenched has been really stressful!
The great news is that Adam starts work at his new position on Monday - and it really seems to have been a blessing! This new job has many new opportunities for Adam, not to mention that the money is so much better than the job he just lost..
When one door closes...:)
Anyway, I will be back in full swing next week.. hope to see you here!
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Is anyone reading my ramblings?
Nobody (except Kristin - thanks Kristin) ever leaves a comment, and yet my count is going up.. so is anyone reading this?
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Kristin - To answer your question on Mugabe...
Robert Mugabe has been in power for many decades. When he was first elected, he was indeed the saviour of his people. He (in his early years) helped many other African nations. He also led his people away from Apartheid and into freedom.
The problems began when he stayed in power for too long, and power has become all that is important to him.
This is exactly why he has such a hold over the people of Zimbabwe - he keeps telling them that it is Britain (and to a lesser extent USA) who is trying to take the country away from him and return it to British colonial rule. The Zimbabweans are so frightened of returning to Apartheid and British rule that they do not see the dictator for what he is! He is spreading countless lies and propaganda to ensure that he stays in power. He blames everything on Britain, even going so far as to tell his people that Gordon Brown is spreading Cholera in Zimbabwe so as to bring it to its knees and therefore allow Britain to take over once again.
Zimbabwe was once called The Breadbasket of Africa, now it is no longer capable of feeding its own people, let alone exporting the way it used to. Mugabe encouraged war veterans to violently take over all white owned farms - farmers were forcibly removed from their properties - they were beaten, raped and murdered and their farms over-run with veterans.
I completely agree that land in Zimbabwe needed to be returned to the African people it was stolen from years ago, but the manner in which it was handled is one of the reasons there is no longer food in Zimbabwe. Instead of letting the farmers teach the people how to farm, grow food and nurture the earth, they just brutally took the farms away from the farmers, and then left the veterans on the farms but without any support or training, or even finances to help them run them. So eventually the farms failed and the country starves.
There are many reasons why Zimbabwe is in trouble, but they all come back to Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF (his party) who have grown so rich and fat that they no longer see anything but money. It is terribly sad that countries across the world do not see the truth of what is happening in Zimbabwe - you only see pieces of it on the news rather than the full horror of what is taking place on the ground.
How is it possible that Grace Mugabe spends her time shopping at the finest boutiques in Europe and yet most Zimbabweans go for days without eating anything? Help should have come to Zimbabwe years ago - but it hasn't because we all look the other way. I am especially ashamed of the way my beloved South Africa has handled this crisis in Zimbabwe. The South African government will not be able to ignore the problem for much longer though as Cholera has now spread across the Zimbabwean border and into South Africa.. Unfortunately, it is not the Government who will suffer, but rather the poorest people in my country who will have to fight this disease. Those of us living in the "1st world" part of South Africa, like the large cities, will not be affected, but for those who live in poverty in the rural areas this Cholera outbreak is almost surely a death-sentence - and it is the young and the old who are most at risk!
How many people will die so that others may grow rich from exploiting the poor?
The problems began when he stayed in power for too long, and power has become all that is important to him.
This is exactly why he has such a hold over the people of Zimbabwe - he keeps telling them that it is Britain (and to a lesser extent USA) who is trying to take the country away from him and return it to British colonial rule. The Zimbabweans are so frightened of returning to Apartheid and British rule that they do not see the dictator for what he is! He is spreading countless lies and propaganda to ensure that he stays in power. He blames everything on Britain, even going so far as to tell his people that Gordon Brown is spreading Cholera in Zimbabwe so as to bring it to its knees and therefore allow Britain to take over once again.
Zimbabwe was once called The Breadbasket of Africa, now it is no longer capable of feeding its own people, let alone exporting the way it used to. Mugabe encouraged war veterans to violently take over all white owned farms - farmers were forcibly removed from their properties - they were beaten, raped and murdered and their farms over-run with veterans.
I completely agree that land in Zimbabwe needed to be returned to the African people it was stolen from years ago, but the manner in which it was handled is one of the reasons there is no longer food in Zimbabwe. Instead of letting the farmers teach the people how to farm, grow food and nurture the earth, they just brutally took the farms away from the farmers, and then left the veterans on the farms but without any support or training, or even finances to help them run them. So eventually the farms failed and the country starves.
There are many reasons why Zimbabwe is in trouble, but they all come back to Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF (his party) who have grown so rich and fat that they no longer see anything but money. It is terribly sad that countries across the world do not see the truth of what is happening in Zimbabwe - you only see pieces of it on the news rather than the full horror of what is taking place on the ground.
How is it possible that Grace Mugabe spends her time shopping at the finest boutiques in Europe and yet most Zimbabweans go for days without eating anything? Help should have come to Zimbabwe years ago - but it hasn't because we all look the other way. I am especially ashamed of the way my beloved South Africa has handled this crisis in Zimbabwe. The South African government will not be able to ignore the problem for much longer though as Cholera has now spread across the Zimbabwean border and into South Africa.. Unfortunately, it is not the Government who will suffer, but rather the poorest people in my country who will have to fight this disease. Those of us living in the "1st world" part of South Africa, like the large cities, will not be affected, but for those who live in poverty in the rural areas this Cholera outbreak is almost surely a death-sentence - and it is the young and the old who are most at risk!
How many people will die so that others may grow rich from exploiting the poor?
Monday, 2 February 2009
Update on Zimbabwe
More than 33 000 people around the world refused to eat yesterday in protest over South Africa's support for Robert Mugabe!
Now don't get me wrong, when I say we support Robert Mugabe, I don't mean the average citizen of South Africa, I mean the South African Government! I often wonder how the "powers that be" in South Africa sleep at night when they spend their days supporting a man who is not only a dictator, but also the one to blame for so much suffering and death in Zimbabwe.
He (his party) kidnaps, tortures and murders anyone who stands against him - We have first-hand testimony of this happening on a daily basis in Zimbabwe and yet South Africa's official stand is one of "quiet diplomacy"! Quiet diplomacy??? There is nothing diplomatic about allowing thousands upon thousands of deaths while the President of Zimbabwe grows richer and fatter by the day!
Why is it that the "Superpowers" around the world do nothing to help Zimbabwe? Many of us in South Africa believe that the world stands by and does nothing simply because Zimbabwe has nothing left to offer - it is a desperately poor country; it cannot even manage to feed its own people let alone clothe or house them..
Why then should the rest of the world care? Perhaps if there was oil in Zimbabwe countries would rush in with their armies to "save" the dying and “rescue” the oppressed!
Now don't get me wrong, when I say we support Robert Mugabe, I don't mean the average citizen of South Africa, I mean the South African Government! I often wonder how the "powers that be" in South Africa sleep at night when they spend their days supporting a man who is not only a dictator, but also the one to blame for so much suffering and death in Zimbabwe.
He (his party) kidnaps, tortures and murders anyone who stands against him - We have first-hand testimony of this happening on a daily basis in Zimbabwe and yet South Africa's official stand is one of "quiet diplomacy"! Quiet diplomacy??? There is nothing diplomatic about allowing thousands upon thousands of deaths while the President of Zimbabwe grows richer and fatter by the day!
Why is it that the "Superpowers" around the world do nothing to help Zimbabwe? Many of us in South Africa believe that the world stands by and does nothing simply because Zimbabwe has nothing left to offer - it is a desperately poor country; it cannot even manage to feed its own people let alone clothe or house them..
Why then should the rest of the world care? Perhaps if there was oil in Zimbabwe countries would rush in with their armies to "save" the dying and “rescue” the oppressed!
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