South Africa's Second Miracle

The “legend” of South Africa’s first “miracle” is well known.  The peaceful transition from the apartheid era to the new democracy.

Those who have read Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom” – and maybe even those who have not, will know and acknowledge the huge part that this icon played in the miracle.  But the main part was played by the people of South Africa.

For days and hours we stood in long lines waiting for our opportunity to vote.  The voting process was not slick or elegant at that time.  Everything was so new.  We had never done this before – black and white, standing side-by-side.  Census information was not that reliable, and no-one knew exactly how many people would turn up where to cast their vote.

I personally stood in line for about 5 hours.  What was so amazing was the camaraderie that existed.  There was no frustration at the long wait, no “racial” tensions, no police presence – just South Africans getting on with it.  We were all unprepared for the long lines, we didn’t bring food, or water.  That was no problem, someone would go and fetch bottles of water from home, from the shop, and share it out with all around them.  Others would buy bread and make sandwiches for themselves and the people around them.  Those remaining in the line would “keep their place” in the line.  No fuss, no bother, just come back into your place in the line when you returned.  Calls of nature were treated with the same goodwill and co-operation.  How amazing is that?  Is that what anyone expected at the time - South Africans from all cultures and creeds mixing together for the first time?

Let me assure you, it was a time of immense pride in being a South African, and a time of incredible excitement at the prospects for South Africa in the future.  I had learned the new national anthem and stood proudly in front of my TV singing the words at the inauguration of our first democratically elected President.

Photo: Gail Sturgess

So, what is this about a “Second” miracle?  Well, one thing I discovered comparing the second miracle to the first is – it’s the PEOPLE of South African that make miracles.  Not politicians, not business leaders – the people!

The second miracle is the World Cup that took place in South Africa in June and July 2010.  There was so much questioning and Euro-pessimism leading up to the World Cup.  And even people in South Africa – the same people who still don’t understand the first miracle – were pessimistic about what would happen.

Stories of soaring crime because the police were all engaged in the World Cup.  Stories of attacks on tourists.  Stories of stadia not being ready.  Stories of not enough visitors coming to South Africa.  Stories of what would happen with “white” people going to Soweto, and “black” people going to Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.  The world abounded with these “stories”.

But, “cometh the hour, cometh the man” (John 4:23), in this case - cometh the people of South Africa.  Man – were those “doomsayers” knocked back in their socks!  The people of South Africa, as ONLY a South African can do, opened their cities, their restaurants, their parks, their homes, their vuvuzelas, and, most of all, their hearts to the visitors, the players – and yes, even to the FIFA officials and foreign dignitaries.

Oh, of course the politicians were there – the “blue light brigades and squandering our hard-earned taxes as only they know how best to do.  But they really didn’t matter.  They played no role in the magic and miracle of the South African World Cup.

I have the privilege of living in Cape Town.  I didn’t have tickets to any of the games, but “did” the Fan Walk for two of the major games that were played at Cape Town Stadium.  Between 120000 and 150000 people were on that Fan Walk – about 60000 (?) had tickets!!  What an experience!.  The friendship and solidarity of all, the mingling of supporters of all sides, the “side shows”, the stalls of memorabilia, the painted faces, the waving flags, the “fan gear” adorned by fans, the endless sound of the vuvuzelas, the fellowship of just enjoying each other’s company and the basking in the pride of just being a South African!

Photo: Gail Sturgess

My friend and I stopped along the Fan Walk for a drink.  We sat and watched the joyous cavalcade of humanity pour by.  No problems, no arguments, no incidents.  Just the most amazingly happy amity.

As I sat watching, I experienced, as I had experienced in 1994, the deep-down, gut-wrenching feeling of absolute and total pride in just being a South African.

So – I’ve experienced two South African miracles in my life-time.  Greedy or not, I can’t wait for the third one.  Until then, I refuse to give up on that feeling – my mirror socks are still on, my flag is still flying, and my scarf still adorns my neck.  I wait in excited anticipation.

When “Sorry” Just Doesn’t Cut It!!

“Sorry” – a word that is sometimes just SO hard to say, and sometimes just TOO easy!!

So, when is “Sorry” just not enough? I suggest that any attempt at saying “sorry” by the taxi driver, Mr Jacob Humphries, is just not enough. Mr Humphries was directly responsible for the death of 10 young school children outside Cape Town, South Africa, on Wednesday 25th August 2010.

He was the driver of a taxi taking them to school early in the morning. He had been doing this for years. On this morning, for some reason known only to him, he got impatient. There was a line of vehicles waiting at a railway crossing. The boom was down – meaning the arrival of the train was imminent.

Mr Humphries, however, could not wait patiently in the line of cars, like other responsible drivers. He had to drive past the waiting cars, on the wrong side of the road, and through the boom. Maybe he had done it before – I think one can assume that he had.

Photo: Henk Kruger, Cape Argus

This day, however, fate was not with him. A train crashed into his vehicle, throwing it into the air and against a nearby pylon. Nine children died at the scene and one died a few days later in hospital.

So – if he attempts to say “sorry”, what does it mean? Sorry for being impatient? Sorry for being irresponsible? Sorry for driving on the wrong side of the road? Sorry for driving through closed booms? Sorry that the train hit them? Sorry for killing ten children? Sorry for the sadness brought on ten families? Sorry for the trauma of the children that survived? Sorry for the trauma experienced by their classmates? Sorry for trauma to the train driver? Sorry for the horror of the other drivers that waited patiently and then had to witness such violence? All of the above? Well, I’m sorry, but this is just not enough.

He’s out of hospital now and in police custody charged with manslaughter. But a gaol term is also not enough – that’s also just too easy. What, then, would be enough?  I, for one, would like to know:

• What has he really LEARNED from this tragedy? Has he learned to be more patient? Has he learned to be more law-abiding? Has he learned to be more respectful of the passengers he transports? Has he learned to be more respectful of other drivers on the road? Has he learned to be more respectful of the laws of the road in this country? If he has not learned anything, then ten young lives were taken in vain!

• What will he DO to make recompense? Is he prepared to work in the Childrens’ Hospital trauma ward? Is he prepared to work in a trauma unit looking after victims of “accidents” such as this? Is he prepared to provide aftercare for victims who may take a long time to recover? If he is not prepared to take time to understand the aftermath of events such as the one that he caused, then ten young lives were taken in vain!

• What is he prepared to DO to make our country a better place? A week later, not much further away than the horror of the 25th August, a taxi transporting another group of school children overturned. Fortunately, no-one was killed. Is Mr Humphries prepared to give lectures to other taxi drivers on the need to be respectful of the laws of the road? Is he prepared to teach other taxi drivers what it means to respect their passengers? Is he prepared to teach other taxi drivers to be more patient in traffic? Is he prepared to be an example to other taxi drivers by driving with respect for people and laws? If he does not pass on the message of the horror of the result of negligent driving to other taxi drivers – then ten young lives were taken in vain!

Sorry, Mr Jacob Humphries, but “sorry” just doesn’t cut it!!! We want, and expect a whole lot more.

The Athlone Towers

Friday 20th August 2010 and I’m on my way from Somerset West towards Cape Town. I’m going to take my last photographs of the Athlone Towers. I approach from the East, so I first take the Bungu Road turnoff and pull my car off the road on the Northern side of the bridge.

I walk back across the bridge to see where the good photographs may be taken. A lady sees me walking with my bag, pulls over and calls to me. “Do you have car problems” she asks. I am so touched by this act of kindness. “No”, I said, “I just want to take some photographs of the towers before they are taken down on Sunday”. I thanked her and she drove away.

I walk back and forth across the bridge, taking photographs from different sides and angles. Suddenly there were 2 other people taking photographs. We chat a bit discussing viewpoints. I leave first – I want to take more photographs from the Jan Smuts Avenue side.

There are about 12 cars on the Jan Smuts side. All taking photographs of the towers. Some creative people are standing as though they are holding up the towers with the photographer a bit further away – I’d love to see some of those photos.

As I walk backwards and forwards taking photographs, I stop and speak to the others. The feelings are all the same – deep sadness that they are going. “El kannie glo dat onse torings nie hier sal wees nie ” (I can't believe that our towers won't be here). Residents of Athlone who were born and brought up in the vicinity of the towers – “Onse Torings!” (Our Towers!)

For me, they were my “weather cock” for about 40 years. I think that they played this vital role for every Cape Tonian who lived in the Southern or Eastern Suburbs. Whatever the journey, it is just second nature to check the wind direction on the towers. Is it going to be a nice weekend, or a wet weekend? Is it going to be good at the beach, or should I give the beach a miss today? Which beaches are going to be best – those on the Western side or those on the Eastern side of the Peninsula? The towers are more reliable than the formal weather forecasters in those days.

It took some getting used to, to not see the steam when they were decommissioned in 2003. It was just habit to check out the wind from the steam rising out the top of the towers – the ultimate forecaster for weather in Cape Town.

They are also key locational and directional indicators. “I’m just before the towers .... just after the towers ..... about 2 kms before the towers .... stuck in heavy traffic at the towers!” Everyone knows exactly where you are and how long it’s going to take you to get to where-ever it is that you are going.

Now its Sunday afternoon, 22nd August, and the towers are gone. The silent giants that played – not an important role really, but a definitive role in my life for so many years, are gone.

But I suppose that they haven’t really gone – at least, not until I have to drive that way again.