Richards Bay

This weekend is shaping up to be interesting. On Wednesday, I was called by the District Clerk, and advised that the District Presidency meeting for that evening had been cancelled - the municipality had cut the power because the Durban Physical Facilities had not paid the Electricity account! I just hope that they sort out their act in time for this weekends District Conference.

With no power, we would experience:-
No lights
No loudspeaker system
No airconditioning system
The entrance gates would not even work.

I wonder if Physical Facilities thought that they could save cash by not paying our account, or maybe the Municipality has mis-allocated the receipt! (That would not exactly amaze me!)

My studio apartment literally just around the corner from the Church, is different! It has a pre-paid electricity supply. When it runs out, you purchase additional time - at the local Spar if you need it! Great thing is that pre-paid power is slightly cheaper (they do not have to worry about bad debts or delinquent consumers! Once the money runs out, the power is automatically disconnected) The municipality needs no-one to monitor delinquent accounts, or service staff to go round, cut the supply, then reconnect it! Also great is that you can see on the supply box thingy, how much power you have left, at a glance!

I hope that between Wednesday evening and Friday evening, the problem has been rectified. I know that the actual debtor (he who pays!) is in Durban, where the consumer lives in the far out reaches of Darkest (literally) Africa. When we were part of Durban Stake, I felt that we were inconsequential because we are North of the Tugela River (the historic divide between Natal and Zululand)

I had a thought the other day.
If someone is educated in either Britain or worse in the USA, they grow up believing that nothing outside of the road to the local mall actually matters! I was shocked in Los Angeles when a friend of my brother stated "So you are from South Africa! I've been near there. It is just outside of London!" - Sure, only a 13 hour jet plane flight south! These sort of people stun me and they know nothing - except the local Mall!

On a program broadcast on BBC Entertainment - "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" the question was posed "Which of these 4 categories, are residents of the Southern Hemisphere?" listing Zulu's as one option and 3 other natinalities from the Northern Hemisphere! I will bet that there are even college graduates in the USA who dont know that there is even a Southerrn Hemisphere! I grew up knowing these things!

After having to "phone a friend" the contestant decided that he knew Zulus live in Africa, but was not sure if Africa was in the southern hemisphere or not! Even his friend - a school teacher - was not sure, so he guessed! I know that most of Africa geographically is in the Northern Hemisphere, but it is a huge continent that spans the equator!

American children do not even know that Zulus are from Africa. That amazes me since I live in Zululand, and have known that Zulus were native to Southern Africa for as long as I can remember! When I was in San Diago zoo, I came across a White Rhino, where the info placque stated "Caught in Hluhluwe Game Reserve!" I commented aloud "That is my home!" and those around me were stunned? "So you have these in your garden? - and "You're not black!" I could not help stringing a line and saying "When you cross the road, you look both ways - twice! Once to see if the road is clear of Rhinos and then to see if it is clear of traffic!" Everyone was stunned, but they swallowed it hook, line and sinker!

I even supported my brothers story that both of us had been bitten by a real live lion! Sure I have - the absolute truth, cross my heart - but it was maybe a month old and did not draw blood! It was called "Ruff" and like a kitten, all it wanted to do was to play - sharp teeth, but no power yet in its jaws!

I know that in South Africa there are some universities who pass students even if they dont attend classes - proven by the undeniable fact that a number of their students graduate without even being able to read or write, even if it is in their home language! Illiteracy is a HUGE problem! How they even get into university amazes me as they cannot even write their names, let alone write exams!

Another thing that amazes me is that current belief is that Man has descended from Africa! As far as I have always been aware, Adam was white. Natural African citizens are black or at least quite dark in colour! The coloured gene is quite dominent, so how did the white man get to bleach his skin? - Michael Jackson did not truly succeed! That makes no sense to me at all, especially after it was revealed that a skin of blackness first came about as a punishment for sin!

I have nothing against the native races of Africa - in fact there are a number of black gentlemen whom I really admire, for who they are and what they have achieved, not because it is fashionable!