A visit to Gauteng in South Africa is an experience not to be missed, especially if one's
vehicle boasts Zimbabwe registration plates !!
Visiting Zimbabweans in Joburg can be identified quite easily because their mouths hand
open awkwardly in a kind of looney grin, a cross between that of Disney's Pluto the dog
with his tongue hanging out, and the inane leer of that hyena in The Lion King, I forget
momentarily what his name is ..... was it perchance "Ed" ?
All these wonderful goods on the shelves for sale ? Oh my goodness, oh my goodness ......
My sister in law cannot get over how excited I get about the smallest things, things which
actually irritate the locals, but which give me immense joy.
Bread, hot fresh, soft sliced bread, sitting in aromatic mountains on the shop shelves !!
Zimbabwe bread is usually baked at home or purloined from the back door of the bakery
(sans anything even remotely resembling a plastic bag ) where queues stretch as far as the
eye can see.
Milk, rows and rows of icy white containers and actually purchased in a supermarket !!
Zimbabwe supermarkets have not had milk for many months now, rather go with your
container to an unhygienic alley and decant your litre into an old mazoe bottle (a very very
very old mazoe bottle as mazoe left our shelves six months ago !!)
Oh the joy of visiting a service station and saying "fill er up !!" with a flourish !! In
Zimbabwe one keeps one's fuel in a 44 gallon drum in the store room and one measures it
with a wooden stick to see that it does not "evaporate" and then decants it gingerly (do not
spill a drop please Sebastian( who is my faithful retainer) !!) it is liquid gold and very very
desirable !!
OMG And while you are at it Seb, check the oil and water, (the last time I had my oil and
water checked at a garage was about five years ago !)
And the radio, oh the glorious multitudes of channels, all worth listening too, lovely music,
brilliant diction, excellent commercials, how I miss a good old fashioned radio show .....
Yesterday I went to the butchery section in a Cresta supermarket. .. (tongue lolling out a la
Pluto ) ..... I fondled the meat lovingly, vacuum packed beautifully in clean strong hygienic
packaging.. pink and beckoning... ..
The last time I bought meat in Zim it arrived in a bloody lump in a second hand fertiliser
bag, on the back of an open truck ..... I waved aside the flies and repacked the meat into
used second hand Spar carrier bags, sucking the air out through a straw, a kind of
Zimbabwean vacuum speciality of which the rest of the first world is totally unaware !!
I gaze in awe at the "roller meal" the staple diet of 99% of Zimbabweans. Packaged neatly
on S.A. supermarket shelves, in military rows.
I shudder as I remember my last roller meal purchase in Zimbabwe.
I was summoned secretively by "Under Cover Brother" who met me on the street corner,
we drove together in chatty silence to an abandoned house in Killarney Bulawayo, where a
sixty KG bag of "maize meal" was hoisted into my truck, courtesy of the Zimbabwe
National Army !!
Much much changing of crisp new $750 thousand Zimbabwe dollars was undertaken, and
after tasting said "maize meal" with a practised tongue to establish it was not sand, I
sailed off happily with my bounty, leaving "Under Cover Brother" happily arguing with RSM
Moyo about the booty !!
But back to a Zimbabwean in Gauteng in Zim registered number plates ....
I am an instant hit at every service station, every parking area, every single intersection! !
Waves, smiles, thumbs up, the open handed MDC wave..... I get an aching face and an
aching arm, as I greet the hundreds of thousands of Zimbabwean exiles who live in
Johannesburg and who are thrilled to see a Zim number plate and a friendly face from
"home"..
After making excited small talk about whereabouts we are all from, and talking about the
sad sad situation back home, my final spiel is always "Come home in March and vote" your
country needs you like never before !!
Leah - congratulations on your engagement to Andrew, wishing you both all the very best
in you future together.
- Regards the "Rixon-Fuller" family.
ENGAGEMENTS
WAKEFIELD - DUNLOP
Richard and Terri Wakefield of Bulawayo have great pleasure in announcing the
engagement of their son Simon
to Tracy eldest daughter of Bill and Pat Dunlop of Uvongo.
Condolence
Mrs Steel simbi@zol.co. zw
Noel Philip Charles Little passed away early on the 30th December 2007 at Temple Balsall,
Knowle, UK. He was a gentle giant of a man whose word was his bond. He taught his
children and grandchildren that honesty, integrity, hard work and love were all that were
required to be successful in life. He lived in Bulawayo for over 40 years and loved the
city. He will never be forgotten and will be sorely missed by his wife Mary, his children
Jane Petrie, Robert Little and Margaret Steel plus his grandchildren Adam, Mary, Crystal,
Charlene, Sandy, Philip and Lance.
It is with great sadness that we advise the passing of Leix Desray Duppa-Whyte, wife of
Hugh for 55 years, mother of Kevin and Donald, rock for Heather, mother in law of
Frances, Grandmother of David and Great-grandmother of Shea, on Wednesday 19
December 2007. A Thanksgiving Service for the celebration of her life will be held at
Farley Funeral Services Chapel at 3pm on Friday 28 December 2007.
duppa@mweb.co. zw
CONDOLENCE:
Jack Kenneth Plumb, husband of the late Lou and father of Beryl, Denise, Jackie, Cherry
and the late Jill Craven, passed away in Cape Town on Saturday, January 5, 2008, after a
long illness. Long-time employee of Rhodesia Railways/NRZ. God bless you, Pop, we will
miss you.
Love from all the family. email contact peter.botwright@ homecall. co.uk
BUFE
Leon Johann Oscar. Beloved husband to Susan. Loving father to
Monique, Marcel Chantel. Loving father-in-law to Alan and
Karen. Adoring grandfather to Kurt, Troy, Dana, Marcel Jean-
Luc, Sergio. Died Peacefully at Mater Dei on 6/01/08, 17:51 hrs
after a long illness. May he R.I.P.
GALBRAITH Jean (nee Gillespie)
Suddenly whilst on holiday with her family, Jean beloved wife of Kenneth,
much loved mother of Kenneth and Seonaid and adored by all her
grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.
Memorial Service will be held on 15 January at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
Hillside Bulawayo Zimbabwe at 2pm to which all friends are invited.
McQuillan : Charlie. Much loved friend of Jenn and Malan. You fought a good fight. Rest
in peace Chas.
McQuillan : Charlie. Close and supportive friend of Julie, Paul and David. Thanks to Jenn
and Malan for their care. So sorry Chas.
McQuillan : Charles. Loving Father of Danny and Matthew. We will miss you Dad.
McQuillan :Charles. Respected colleague and friend of all at Femina Garments. You will be
sorely missed.
McQuillan : Charles. Grateful thanks to Daphne Clark of Island Hospice for her help, advice
and support.
"REMEMBRANCE - GEORGE & ALICIA SMITH
In loving memory of our beloved parents. One year has passed. Always remembered and
so dearly missed.
Love
Lesley, Ashley, Catherine and Victoria"
I will continue to forward this every time it comes around!
Because I care
STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.
My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously..
Please read:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was
fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because
of her new shoes.
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken
up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.
Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital -
(at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known
how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't
die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally
reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognised,
diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNISING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of
awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people
nearby fail to recognise the symptoms of a stroke
Now doctors say a bystander can recognise a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and
describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is CROOKED if it goes to one
side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet
that at least one life will be saved.
"Let it never be asked of any of us -
what did we do when we knew
another was oppressed"
- Nelson Mandela -
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