MUGGED AT THE CONCERTS (BORROWDALE RACECOURSE)

As of now I have been to two concerts at the Racecourse, and both time have come away on a low..

I would just like to find out whether this Prime Circle show would entail any security in the car park? As the last two shows I have been to at Borrowdale Racecourse (Prime Circle - last year & Mean Mr Mustard this year) .... my car was vanalised the first time, and my friend an I were mugged in the car park the second time.

I am not sure who organised the last two shows, but would like to think that the people who do organise these event would kindly take into consideration young girls safety? We both had VIP tickets, but clearly both time those do not mean anything with concerns to our safety outside the Fusion premises.

I am now too scared to go to another show at the Borrowdale Racecourse as who knows what will happen to me next. Is it too much to ask for a little more security? I, of course, will not be attending any future events at the Racecourse for fear of what will happen next time to me.. I just hope for the sake of other young girls like myself who have a fantastic night out at these concerts will come away safely..

Who knows what will happen to the next girl this Saterday?? We obviously have to fend for ourselves as the organisers of these events have looked past the safety of the people attending these concerts and have not bothered to make an effort for our security!!

Kindest Regards (unknown)

Condolences

Cath Stephen, beloved wife of the late John Stephen, and mother of Jo and Lucinda , grand-mother of Sarah, David, Alexander and Elizabeth, passed away in London on 19 May 2010, surrounded by her family. She was a blessing to all who knew her.
e-mails: Jo dtastard@farmside.co.nz
Lucinda

lucinda.fordham@yahoo.co.u
+++++
M E M O R I A L S E R V I C E - GARY LOXTON
Date : Friday 4 June

Time : 3.00pm

Venue : Whitestone School Chapel
+++++++++++
Roger Nicholson

Management and staff of Zimplow limited would like to express their sincere condolences to Kay, Fiona and Gillian on the sad loss of Roger, a great man and a true friend to all.

Zimbabwe's plan to ship an 'Ark' of wild animals to North Korea

Conservation groups, elephant experts and biologists around the world have united in their condemnation of Zimbabwe's plan to ship an 'Ark' of wild animals to North Korea.


The plan, handed down by Robert Mugabe in a Presidential Decree, is to send two of each species of mammal found in the Hwange National Park to North Korea. Wildlife authorities, who last week denied the deal, on Wednesday moved to defend the sale. Addressing a press conference in Harare, National Parks director Vitalis Chadenga said the shipment was a "legitimate business arrangement."

"It's not an illegal shipment. From our professional judgement, these people have the capacity to handle these animals," he said.

The animals include two eighteen month old elephant calves that Mugabe is said to be giving as a 'gift' to his Korean counterpart, although Chadenga told reporters that North Korea had paid US$10 000 each for the calves.

Zimbabwean conservationists have warned that the babies will not survive that trip to Korea, with elephant experts stating that elephants so young cannot survive without their family group.

BornFree is one of more than 50 organisations that have joined together to protest the plan of the 'ark of death'. On Friday they said they are fearful that the capture, transport and incarceration of these wild animals in North Korea "will lead, for many of the animals, to an untimely, and entirely unnecessary death."

Despite the global condemnation of the plan, reports suggested that five other countries are now requesting a similar transfer of animals from Zimbabwe.

Will Travers, President of the Species Survival Network (SSN), stated on Friday that the general public "cannot sit back and watch this tragedy unfold. We ask everyone to join us in the condemnation of this terrible act of injustice for wild animals."

Meanwhile, Dr. Joyce Poole, Co-Director of the animal rights group Elephant Voices, and a world authority on elephants, has written a letter to the Zimbabwean authorities, outlining the reasons why the practice of elephant capture must be abolished. Her letter has been endorsed by these 50 organisations from around the world, plus numerous individuals.

"We simply know too much about the social, emotional and cognitive lives of elephants to ignore the suffering caused by the abduction, capture and incarceration of individuals. Capturing and shipping baby elephants around the world is inhumane and unacceptable," Dr. Poole said.

WATER supplies around Harare

WATER supplies around Harare, Chitungwiza and Norton town are set to improve after a subsidiary of power utility Zesa won a tender to refurbish the Morton Jaffray Waterworks.

The quality of water is also set to improve amid revelations that the refurbishment of the plant by Zent was now 80 percent complete.

Harare Town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi said more water would be supplied to Greater Harare once the exercise was completed.

“The refurbishment that we have will see more water being supplied to most parts of Harare which were experiencing water shortage.

“We had neglected this plant for a very long time but we are now solving the water supply problem in Harare where we are now pumping 680 megalitres of water from 330 megalitres, which is quite enough.”

The scope of the tender, won in September 2009, includes the rehabilitation of three clarifiers of stage 4,5 and 6.

The Director of Water, Engineer Christopher Zvobgo, said: “The refurbishment of the waterworks is now 80 percent complete. It will increase the production of water around the city, thereby addressing the water problems.

“The clarifiers are the ones which receive raw water and ensure that all the particles settle. Most of them have been repaired.”

He said Zent pumped out all water and sludge from the clarifiers, cleaned the clarifier and removed all the old alternating current (AC) troughs and stabilisers.

Joint sealing was also done to ensure that water consumers get reliable and clean supplies.

Prior to the refurbishment of the waterworks, consumers in Harare were not getting quality water due to the malfunctioning and ageing infrastructure.

The Morton Jaffray plant supplies water to an estimated 2,5 million residents in Harare and is currently operating at 40 percent capacity.

After the completion of the rehabilitation plant, 614 megalitres of water per day will be generated.

Meanwhile, council has procured new sets of traffic lights to be installed at 17 intersections in the city.

“We have procured more traffic lights worth US$500 000 for 17 intersections within the central business district.”

“Three containers with the traffic lights have been cleared already and installation will start next week,” said Dr Mahachi.

A grubby US$ note - but not the grubbiest I've seen!

Zimbabwe is more than a year into dollarization and hyperinflation has receded in our memories to a distant nightmare. However, we are now faced with the daily displeasure of having to handle US$ notes that pass through thousands of unwashed hands, their designated value testing even those with 20/20 vision as it is so faded and their erstwhile crisp allure long gone.

Sadly, although he would love to do so, Gono cannot print the US$ needed so Zimbabweans face major health risks when dealing in the grubby, infested cash.
The toll-takers on Zimbabwe's roads seem to have adopted a new policy for dealing with the cash health risks: no filthy, grimy, or faded dollar bills will be accepted!
I certainly sympathize with them. Confronted with a wad of disgusting notes, I'm feeling tempted to carry rubber gloves in my purse, or at least disinfectant wipes.
But what we really need is a proper cleaning service, a true money laundering service, that will clean up the muck that is the currency. After all, U.S. dollars are not made out of paper; they're recycled cotton and linen. So washing them really isn't such a mission: I tried it and it works!
So I'm planning on setting up a chain of shops - African Money Launders Ltd. - Cleaning Up Zimbabwe, One Note at a Time. For 5 percent of the value of the cash to be cleaned, we'd remove the worst of the grunge, on the spot.

The least hygienic notes - the ones that have become redolent of the sweaty cleavage of an unwashed cross-border trader - will command double the fee.

For the mafikozolos who need starched cash to match their crisp Mercedes, or the Sugar Daddy groupies who prefer their lucre soft, I'm planning to offer starch or fabric softener for a 1 percent surcharge.
Business will boom at my shops in urban areas, but I expect to make a killing with drive-up mini-branches by the nation's toll booths, offering emergency service for thwarted travellers, 24 hours at day.
Rather than run all the branches myself, I'm considering offering franchise possibilities. Who wants to open?
Only $5,000 - also payable in pula, rand, euro or pounds, but only crisp, new notes accepted, of course.

This entry was posted by Still Here on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 at 6:03 pm

...as Zimbabwe becomes a dumping ground for used cars

Written by WALLACE MAWIRE


Monday, 17 May 2010 15:24

...as Zimbabwe becomes a dumping ground for used cars

HARARE - Zimbabwe's Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is ready to start monitoring pollution emitted by vehicles in the country to meet world atmospheric control regulations.

EMA Education and Awareness Manager Steady Kangata, said they had at the beginning of April, deployed a team to South Africa to source the equipment needed for the monitoring exercise.

They had set up offices in every district and province in the country.

He said motorists will have their cars tested for pollution. This will be done using mobile equipment, which will be fitted on the exhaust of a vehicle and the driver asked to rev the car to determine the pollution levels.

Kangata said motorists should leave a reasonable distance when they are driving to avoid health risks associated with vehicle pollution.

He said every citizen had the right to a clean, safe and wholesome environment.

The EMA programme had two facets, which involved stationery and mobile monitoring. The stationery monitoring focused on industrial emissions from factories while the mobile monitoring was for vehicles.

He said in monitoring factories, comprehensive surveys of the type of gases produced and their concentrations will be done, and premises issued with licenses.

He said the licenses should be produced when needed by enforcement agencies, failure of which will lead to a fine or in extreme cases, lead to a close down of operations.

So far 64 licenses had been registered.

The mobile monitoring of motor vehicles will not require licensing.

Kangata said this may involve mounting roadblocks to test vehicle emissions.

Excessive emissions will result in a fine or impounding of a vehicle.

Repeat offenders will be prosecuted and may face imprisonment of up to three months.

He said the control of emissions had come in the wake of the rising concerns about the impacts of global warming and climate change.

He added that vehicle emissions remained prevalent and had become a major source of pollution in Zimbabwe.

The problem was worsened by the fact that most countries were using Zimbabwe as a dumping ground for used vehicles.

"The EMA is now out in full force to make sure that vehicular emissions are reduced," warned Kangata.

He also warned against the burning of worn out tyres to recycle the wire. He said the practice was prevalent in the Sunningdale and Willowvale areas, where thick clouds of heavy smoke from the burning tyres, was a common sight.

"Every citizen has a responsibility to act in a manner that protects the environment for the benefit of the present and future generations," he said.

He said it was therefore important to ensure to ensure regular maintenance of vehicles, which did not only help to reduce pollution but resulted in personal savings in terms of fuel.

Rodney Garth Murray

From: Heather [mailto:heather@goldenstairs.co.zw] “The memorial service for Rodney Garth Murray will be held on Monday 24 May at 2.30 at St Georges Chapel. All loved ones and friends are welcome. The Murray Family”

Message from the british Foreign Office

This email is to advise you that an article matching one of your interests has been published: Know the rules of the road in South Africa.


If you're planning to drive to World Cup matches in South Africa this summer, be aware of local traffic laws and other safety precautions.

South Africa offers some spectacular scenery for those thinking of driving around the country. South Africans also drive on the same side of the road as the UK. However there are other driving challenges you should bear in mind when planning your journey.

South Africa is a vast country and the driving distances on straight roads can be lengthy. Journeys between World Cup venues can take up to 15 hours. You should aim to take regular breaks, and be prepared for driving in unfamiliar conditions.

Driving at night can be particularly difficult as most areas have little or no street lighting. Care should be taken, especially with animals potentially on the road and other vehicles driving without lights on.

Make sure you are prepared by taking out travel insurance and checking the local rules of the road. You should also remember to take your full driving licence.

You can find more information on driving in South Africa in our World Cup travel advice, and our travel advice for South Africa.

Zimbabwe to give N. Korea baby elephants

May 13, 2010 ASSOCIATED PRESS

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwean conservationists say two baby elephants intended as a gift to North Korea are unlikely to survive the journey by air.
The independent Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said Thursday the 18-month-old elephants were being held in pens in the western Hwange National Park, along with pairs of most of the park's other animal species bound for North Korea. The country is a longtime ally of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
Johnny Rodgrigues, head of the task force, says elephant experts do not think the young elephants will survive the trip separated from their mothers.
No comment was immediately available from Zimbabwe's state parks and wildlife department.

Karl Brian Stewart

The Memorial Service for the late Karl Brian Stewart will be held at Gecko Gardens on Friday 21st May, 2010 at 2.00 PM. Thanks you Ros brakeexpress@zol.co.zw

Latest Death notices and Condolences

CROCKETT, George. Passed away on Friday 7 May 2010 in Ireland; a true gentleman and a wonderful friend. Our love and deepest sympathy go out to Lisbeth, Colin, Leslie and families. Dee and Drew Gilmour.


++++++++
Stella Rose

The Chairman, committee and members of Bulawayo Light Tackle Club express their sincere condolences to Des and all the family on the passing of Stella. Stella was a long standing member and served on the committee for many years. Her services and loyalty will be greatly missed by all.

Stella Rose
A long standing friend who we have spent many happy times with on fishing trips. Deepest sympathy to Des and all the family and Justin. Will be fondly remembered by us all.
Tom, Heather, Karen, Shayne, Glenn, Adrian, Kyra, Riley and Jordan.



Wendy Davies
A remarkable lady angler and Trustee of The National Anglers Union of Zimbabwe. A great loss to the angling community.
Sincere condolences to all her family. Chairman and members Bulawayo Light Tackle Club.

Wendy Davies
Wendy was a much respected angler and opponent who became a wonderful friend. We will miss her incredible humour and down to earth comments. Deepest sympathy to all her family. Tom, Heather, Karen and Shayne.

++++++



GARY LOXTON
Gary passed away peacefully on 11 May 2010.
We will remember him with honour and pride and it
was a privilege to have him as a friend and a Dad
to his precious Chanel.
We know that there are many different ways to be
healed but for Gary he needed to be set free from
this life and fly high to his precious family. I know
he will find the peace and true happiness his soul
has been searching for.
We are sad today but know that he is happy and
only treasure his memory with love.
Pete, Sandy and Chani
Sandy Chase (00 263 )11 214 639  (00 263 9 ) 234611

++++++++

GARY LOXTON
Very much sympathy and constant thoughts to Sandy Chanel Di and Bryan.
Gary will always be remembered with love and affection -- many happy memories.
At peace with his beloved family now.Love Gill and family
The notice to read: LOXTON Gary Charles. - Remembered with love and affection. Peter, Megan and Jem

Nicholson - Roger. I am truly saddened to read of the passing of Mr Nic. My deepest sympathies to Mrs Nic, Gillian and Fiona at this very sad time.
Jacqui Accorsi.

*Africa*

Within my soul, within my mind,
There lies a place I cannot find.
Home of my heart. Land of my birth.
Smoke-coloured stone and flame-coloured earth.
Electric skies. Shivering heat.
Blood-red clay beneath my feet.

At night when finally alone,
I close my eyes - and I am home.
I kneel and touch the blood-warm sand
And feel the pulse beneath my hand
Of an ancient life too old to name,
In an ancient land too wild to tame.

How can I show you what I feel?
How can I make this essence real?
I search for words in dumb frustration
To try and form some explanation,
But how can heart and soul be caught
In one-dimensional written thought?

If love and longing are a "fire"
And Man "consumed" by his desire,
Then this love is no simple flame
That mortal thought can hold or tame.
As deep within the earth's own core
The love of home burns evermore.

But what is home? I hear them say,
This never was yours anyway.
You have no birthright to this place,
Descendant from another race.
An immigrant? A pioneer?
You are no longer welcome here.

Whoever said that love made sense?
"I love" is an "imperfect" tense.
To love in vain has been Man's fate
From history to present date.
I have no grounds for dispensation,
I know I have no home or Nation.

For just one moment in the night
I am complete, my soul takes flight.
For just one moment. then it's gone
And I am once again undone.
Never complete. Never whole.
White skin and an African soul

Written by Michelle Frost, a talented young poet and author. She is originally from Zimbabwe but lived in Gonubie and attended Clarendon High School, East London.

Life goes on

This last weekend I spoke to the Pioneer Society about the new research i have been doing into the life of Countess Billie - the first white woman to enter Mashonaland.
It was a happy meeting with over thirty people - all descendants of the first pioneers to enter this country.  What wonderful people,they are - having experienced losses and hardship they are still proud of their heritage.
They are staying here - nothing will move them.  I take my hat off to each and everyone of them.

An idea????

This email was sent to me by one of the bambazonke nhasi readers regarding the US Cents change at shops – anyone like to follow up on this great idea for Zim shops?

Just back from the shops and while paying, and trying to "square up" the change, the lady behind me had an excellent suggestion. I thought perhaps you could give it some "brainstorming" and with your connections may be able to put something in place? Her idea was to have "charity collection box" and anyone having "change" due to them, like the 0.23c etc - instead of the sweets and bubblegums ( so tired of!) , we the customer can get a "credit note" from the supermarket and post it into a locked collection box, and then once a month, the charity representative is present when the shop opens it, cashes up the total credit and the charity then gets to "shop" and redeem the credits in the form of groceries, or if say SPCA, then dogmeal, cleaning materials etc etc as I do not think the shops would be happy to pay out cash??

These could be placed at the more "affluent" shops , not only "chain" shops like Spar and Bon marche but also e.g. Belvedere Trading?? Someone/organisation would have to get involved to sponsor the "collection" boxes etc...do u know anyone at any of the chain supermarkets who could initiate this?

Norman Travers

Only the elephants could have delivered such a moving tribute to Norman Travers. Shortly before he was buried last month on his farm, Imire, in eastern Zimbabwe, two 40-year-old bulls arrived unbidden, wandered through the crowd of 250 mourners, lumbered up to the coffin and sniffed it, long and intently.


When the last spadeful of earth had been cast on the grave, they stood together on the heap of ground he lay beneath. Three times in the ensuing week, they returned and stood by the grave. Travers’s family is convinced they were mourning, for elephants are known to have a fascination with death.

Travers was an eccentric Englishman, a war hero, an inspiring community leader and a lover of wildlife whose affection for his elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, hyenas and warthogs was as close as it was for his children. His numerous innovations in breeding, training and establishing techniques to enhance their survival drew scorn from experts but he was always proved right.

His three sons and daughter grew up in a household where his animals, including a half-ton juvenile rhino, wandered in and out of the house, ate up the flower beds and shared breakfast with the family on the lawn on Sundays. Most days he and his wife would go for walks with Cassius the lion (named after Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali), Bere the hyena, Dudley the warthog, Potter the otter, two labradors, a dachshund and a cat.

Cassius was barred from the sunset strolls after Travers noticed the lion slavering at the farm workers’ children they passed. Cassius’ favourite treat was being fed ice cream from a bowl by Travers, but despite that, died when he was well into his twenties, advanced years for a lion. His pelt ended up on the Travers’ lounge wall.

Rough-and-tumbles on the lawn with their pets often resulted in serious accidents. His wife, Gill, had a chunk of her calf taken out by a pet hyena. His son John nearly lost an eye to the swipe of a leopard. Cassius once tried to “serve” Travers, leaving him badly bruised and scratched.

But he was best known for being the first person to prove that African elephants, hitherto regarded as too dangerous and unpredictable, could in fact be domesticated. He developed a rhino breeding programme that doubled the rate of their unusually drawn-out reproduction. He pioneered the first buffalo herd free from foot-and-mouth disease that is endemic in the species.

Norman Meckiffe Travers was born in 1921 in what is now North Korea, where his mother, Amelia, ran a seaside hotel. His father used to hunt Siberian tigers before he abandoned the family for good when Travers was 6.

The boy was put on a boat to England to attend school in Tunbridge Wells. While back in Korea on holiday in the 1930s he was interned for three years with his mother by the Japanese during their annexation of the pensinsula.

He joined the British Army in the war and rose to command a tank regiment. In a battle with a German Panzer unit in Italy, one of his tanks took a direct hit, and Travers plunged into the blazing vehicle to pull one of the men out, an act for which he was awarded the Military Cross.

After the war he joined thousands of British veterans looking for a better life in Rhodesia, where he worked on a farm in the rolling hills of the Wedza district, about 110km east of Salisbury (now Harare). In 1950 he bought Imire nearby and began farming tobacco, maize and cattle.

In the late 1970s, during the country’s independence civil war, he was awarded the Legion of Merit award from the Rhodesian government for holding together the small white farming community at Wedza while under frequent attack from black nationalist guerrillas.

Around the same time, bored with conventional agriculture and longing for the presence of wild animals, Travers decided to branch out into game farming, and bought a herd of impala. They thrived and in ten years the farm was fully stocked with waterbuck, kudu, sable and eland as well.

In 1980 he took on an orphaned baby elephant from a wildlife sanctuary in Harare. As Nzou began to grow out of the confines of the Travers’ yard he decided to train her, defying the conventional wisdom that the African elephant was safe only behind a solid stockade.

The Indian mahouts’s technique — of subduing elephants with painful jabs behind the ear from a sharp iron rod — was anathema to him. Instead, he used kindness, affection and rewards of bucketfuls of horse cubes to overcome the animal’s mistrust of humans and to condition it to heed commands willingly. Soon Nzou was taking tourists for rides on her back, and Travers, simultaneously with a separate project on a farm north of Harare, could claim to be the first to domesticate the species.

He put Nzou and a bull elephant in a large paddock to breed, alongside a herd of buffalo. The bull died, and Travers stumbled onto another nuance of animal behaviour — that elephants, rather like Konrad Lorenz’s geese, could take on the identity of species other than their own. Nzou adopted the buffalo and became their matriarch.

She has continued to protect the bovines fiercely since then, and has killed 13 buffalo bulls who tried to separate females from the herd. When a bull pinned down one of Imire’s guides and was on the point of goring him, Nzou came to the man’s rescue and crushed the bull under her knees.

Ironically, Travers learnt of elephant behaviour close at hand from hunting expeditions since the 1950s in the Zambezi Valley. With curious detachment, he shot his last elephant at the age of 72. He argued that keeping down elephant populations was a vital strategy for their conservation in the wild.

In the 1980s, when Zimbabwe’s black rhino population crashed in an onslaught of poachers seeking rhino horn, Travers recognised the threat to the suddenly endangered species’ gene pool and decided to set up a breeding programme. Most experts derided him, insisting that a species from the dry heat of the Zambezi valley could not possibly survive in the freezing winters of Wedza. Travers’ answer was the 700-year-old cave paintings of the San people (Bushmen) near his farm and the many rhino depicted in them. If they were abounding there then, they could survive there now. He got approval for his project.

However, the two-and-a-half year weaning period for a baby rhino — after gestation of 15 months — would be too slow to stabilise the population. Travers applied the basic barnyard precedent of early separation of cattle calves from their mothers. He took baby rhinos from their mothers at a year to be bottle-fed, and had the mother back in oestrus within months. In 20 years Imire’s three female rhinos produced 14 calves to restock private and national reserves, twice as fast as other rhino breeding programmes.

Travers also pioneered the first introduction of wild buffalo on to farmland in 1980. Until then, buffalo were natural carriers of foot-and-mouth disease and had been restricted to corridors on the country’s extremities, outside a foot-and-mouth disease barrier. The African buffalo is one of the “big five” large mammals prized by big-game hunters, and its absence from private wildlife ranches in the rest of the country was a drawback to the industry.

Scientists at a research station near Harare, however, had developed the nucleus of a herd bred free of the pathogen and needed to test their hypothesis that buffalo could live on ordinary cattle-ranching land. Travers took them, and Imire soon became a breeding centre for foot-and-mouth-free buffalo too.

Travers is survived by his wife, Gillian, two sons and a daughter.

Norman Travers, MC, farmer and game conservationist, was born on October 10, 1921. He died of a heart attack on March 18, 2010, aged 88

Rest in Peace Norman. Condolences to the family from all ORAFs.

ORAFs records its thanks to the Times.

Kind Regards

Eddy Norris

Peter Chard

Peter Chard, husband of Jose, father of David, Sue and Daphne passed away peacefully on Sunday May 9 in Howick after a short illness. Messages of condolence for onward transmission to the Domoney's email domoney@zol.co.zw

Donald Clive Reeve

The Management and staff of Matabeleland Taxidermist regret to


announce the sudden passing away of Donald Clive Reeve in Port Alfred South Africa. He was a true gentleman and a good friend to us all will be sadly missed. Condolences to his family.

A Memorial service will be held at a date to be advised.

For more information please contact us on Bulawayo 888118/9

Van Niekerk - Abraham (Abie) aged 90

For all those who knew Abie, he passed away peacefully in Johannesburg on the 2nd May at 12pm, after a long battle with cancer.

'Abie baby, the last great white hunter, gone to a better hunting ground!'

Abie fought in the 2nd World War, he worked for many years at Hogarths Bulawayo and then at Zeco Bulawayo, working on projects all round Zimbabwe and Botswana. Abie was a member of the Van Niekerk family who built the Gwaai Hotel.

Sadly missed by his family Patti, Noaline, Michael and Kathleen, and their families and his brother in law and friend Buster, and Margaret MacLean

Reg French

Reg French died at the age of 90 on Wednesday 5th May 2010 in hospital in Poole, Dorset. Gone to join his late wife Marjorie and son Pete. A dear old friend of the McGroarty family.


We will remember all the laughs we had all those years ago Reg. Deepest sympathy to Mike and Chris.

NICHOLSON - ROGER

Passing of a very dear friend and colleague. All our deepest sympathies to Kay and Family. Barry Adrienne Elaine and Michelle

Nicholson - Roger. Passed away in Perth on the 9th May. Our sincere sympathy to Kay, Fiona, Gillian and all the family on this very Sad passing of Roger. He will always be remembered by Joan and all the Swindells family.
Love and God's Blessings on you all.'
Jane Swindells wiggles@smartchat.net.au

ENGAGEMENT NOTICES

Margie and Gina are delighted to announce the engagement of Carly, daughter of Margie and the late Fred Wilson, to Toby, son of Neil and Carol Williams in Johannesburg.

Carly Wilson carly@blueplatinumevents.co.za
It is with great pleasure that Gwen and the late Steve Cooper

announce the engagement of their daughter Bronwyn to Tom
son of Thomas and Lynn Benade.

ROY BENNET.

ROSES FOR ROY AND HEATHER BENNET. ROY WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY ON HIS "TREASON " CHARGE. WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR THE BENNET FAMILY.

STEAM TRAIN ADVENTURE - memories still alive

Mothers' Day saw a delightful steam train ride courtesy of the National Railways of Zimbabwe. The new venture run by Rail Leisure, was a wonderful trip down memory lane. Remember when we were young and life was carefree ?

We would travel to Rhodesia by the Sea or Beacon Isle in the Cape, for a six week holiday every second year. Who on earth could afford to do that today, both from a time and a money perspective?

The carriages were clean and comfortable and they had even brought some of the majestic old ladies out of the Railway Museum I believe.

There were the signs we remembered as kids "Do not expectorate " or "moenie spoeg nie"!!

Those fabulous old sleeping and dining cars in paneled walnut, with the RR engraved on the windows are still there. The water bottles which adorned every carriage end had gone but the leather straps that held them in were still there as reminders of the days when life was genteel and easy !!

Leisure Rail did everything in their power to make life as comfortable as possible, and as we pulled out of the Bulawayo station, which was clean and shining, that old familiar huh pulled at our heartstrings.

We passed Khami station, Figtree, Marula, and on to Plumtree where they had laid on a braai, a giant marquee and entertainment while we ate and drank.

How well we remember those crazy loos which showed the ground racing by as one depressed the pedal to flush !!

Those bunks in real leather, with the table that came down from between the windows, upon which we played card games and board games, and that dear little basin, just small people size, which was covered when the table was extended.

The Bedding cupboards were still there and although we did not sleep over, I could almost smell the crisp fresh starch and see the gleaming whiteness of the bedding that would be brought to us by the conductor before we slept.

There were loads of kids taking their first train ride, bouncing off the bunks and the padded leather or walnut walls, while the more sedate sat in the dining cars, sipping coffee and gazing out at the mopane scrub that flashed by the windows.

The train stopped several times to take on water, one could hear that familiar tap tap of the wheel tappers, and that glorious old nostalgic whistle could be heard "all aboard" as we puffed off to our next stop.

Wendy Davies

Wendy Davies (formerly of Payn's Boats) passed away at home early yesterday after a battle with cancer. There will be a Service of Remembrance for her on Friday 14th at 11 am in the Prince Edward Chapel.

This is what is happening here.....this e-mail was forwarded to me.il

Hi All

Last night (5th of May) I had my eyes opened in a big way. I feel that I need to share my experience, especially with parents who are allowing their kids out. Parents need to know what their children may experience and we need to stop people from getting away with such behaviour. I have never had an experience like this before so please do not think it happens every night.

Last night at about half eleven, Storm and myself arrived at a club called Rock Ball. Most of you would have seen it on Harare Drive . Within about half an hour I was offered drugs to buy by an elderly white man around the age of fifty. I refused the drugs and was surprised as to how this man could just walk up to strangers and offer drugs so openly. As the night progressed this man was acting really strangely. Not only that but he kept returning to the entrance where the bouncers were and was fussing over two cooler bags. I could see the bouncers were very uneasy about this. A bit later I saw two packets of mushrooms being taken out of the bag and could not believe that the man was wondering around with Packets of Magic mushrooms and selling them to individuals around the bar. Surprisingly, most of the clients seemed to be groups of men from the ages of 50 and up. I witnessed the group taking the drugs but am very sure there were many drug users that night. Another thing that was confusing me was the police that were wandering around outside the club and around the entrance. All the times I have been out I have never seen policeman on the grounds of a Club.

As the night went on I was beginning to feel really uncomfortable with the behaviour of some of the men. I decided it was definitely time to leave when some of the guys in my group of friends were also becoming annoyed and talking to the bouncers who seemed to be unable to do anything. As I walked out, I noticed a white car idling by the entrance full of African people all with drinks in their hands, including the driver. I was highly annoyed by the sight of the driver drinking and had to stop myself from saying anything. Storm was a few steps behind and as she passed the car, some of the men grabbed her hands through the window and began chatting her up and were not releasing her. Eventually they let go and after saying our good-byes to some friends, we got into the car and left. It was about half three in the morning and we came across a red robot. As I have practised many times, I checked there were no vehicles and went through the red robot. I have been told many times that two girls driving at night should not stop if it can be avoided. A few minutes later the white vehicle that had grabbed Storm was flagging us down telling us to stop and shining a torch into my car. They claimed to be the police and I refused to stop until they could prove to me they were police. Our initial reaction was we were being hi-jacked. One of them handed over an ID card and so we stopped. Luckily while this was happening Storm had managed to phone one of our male friends. The vehicle that had stopped us had eight people who were armed. Some were in uniform and some not. They were telling us I had to follow them to the police station as they were going to arrest us, keep us over night and we would have a few hours of Communal Labour to do. Not once did they ask if I had been drinking or for my driver’s licence. When we explained why we went through a red robot they told us that the security was much better in Zimbabwe than South Africa and that we were in Borrowdale area and hijacking did not happen in the area. Our friend arrived a few minutes later and we had to bribe the men to let us go. Only once we left did we realise they had followed us all the way from Rock Ball.

There seemed to be a large amount of corrupt things happening that night and I hope this has given some of you an idea on what goes on. How is it that people who are meant to be protecting citizens can turn a blind eye to drugs but worry about a red robot being overshot? A stop needs to be put to drugs and if we can not rely on the law, we need to come together as a community and put a stop to it!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and please do forward this to people as they need to know what is going on.

Regards

Clea Bridges

ZPSF

MAY 2010 UPDATE


We are saddened to report the death of Norman Nimmo and his wife in a road accident. Norman was involved with ZPSF over the years and his efforts will be greatly missed. Hannes Botha and his team continue the work.

MARCH 2010 UPDATE

Dear Friends and Donors,

Firstly, I start with the news that our oldest recipient at 97 years old has departed from Zimbabwe to start a new life in Perth, Australia, to live with her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. It must have been a traumatic experience having lived here for over 60 years to have had to sell almost all of her possessions as well as her house. I had wanted to say a final farewell as I had grown quite attached to this lady who had many stories of better days to tell, unfortunately, in the end her departure day arrived without my knowledge. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Anna all the very best of wishes in her new life ‘down under’ and we offer our thanks to her for all the work caring for others in the community over many years, God speed Anna.

I have been associated with S.O.A.P., here in Bulawayo for 8 years and have now decided that it is time to step down and give a younger person or persons residing in Bulawayo the opportunity to help Louise Campbell with assisting the elderly & destitute pensioners of Bulawayo. Accordingly I will leave S.O.A.P. Bulawayo immediately after the delivery on the 11th August 2010. For anyone who is interested in helping with this rewarding work. I reproduce a notice which will also appear in the e-mail publication ‘Morning Mirror’ published by Mags Kreil.

S.O.A.P. BULAWAYO are now looking for a conscientious person or persons to take on all or part, of Dave's work which includes on a monthly basis, the following duties; ordering & collection of vegetables, delivering them to a central packing point. Interviewing likely recipients of food parcels, collecting & delivering food parcels to approximately 50 people.

On an as and when required basis; answering e-mails promptly, publishing a quarterly update, raising funds and issuing acknowledgements. Occasionally unloading & storing groceries, also keeping in contact with and meeting donors from different parts of the world. This is a totally voluntary undertaking and no payment is offered other than an allowance for fuel.

If you are totally reliable, of good standing and can carry out all or some of the above duties and wish to assist over 180 destitute pensioners in Bulawayo, please in the first instance apply by e-mail to soap@netconnect.co.zw. Telling us why you think you are suitable so that an interview may be arranged.

Thank you.

For the next few months all our details will remain the same, a further update will be produced in late June with any amendments that are necessary. I would like to thank you all for the help, assistance and prayers over the last 8 years there have been some very challenging and difficult times. I could not have managed without the help of YOU ALL.

God bless you all and thank you,

Dave Gill.

PLEASE BEWARE !!!

Please be aware that there are 2 men going around in the Eastern suburbs claiming to be veterinarians employed by Kamfinsa Veterinary Surgery.
They are using the names BEN MOYO and WILLIAM KATSOMBE.

They claim to need to borrow money ( 50 or 100 dollars at a time) urgently for some reason and they say that the money will be re-paid by Kamfinsa Vet. They seem to know all sorts of details about Dr. Anthony Donohoe and his family so they make their story sound extremely plausible. At present they are claiming that Dr. Donohoe is away on a game count at Mana Pools and they need money to help this Dr. Moyo who is in one crisis or another.

WE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THESE PEOPLE AND THEY ARE NOT EMPLOYEES OF KAMFINSA VETERINARY SURGERY !!!!

The vets presently working at Kamfinsa are :

Dr Anthony Donohoe
Dr Helene Donohoe
Dr Nyasha Shoniwa
Dr Geoff Lay - who is out doing large animal work and seldom comes into the surgery.

ANY OTHER NAMES BEING USED ARE FRAUDULENT !!

Neither Dr A. Donohoe nor Dr. H. Donohoe are away in Mana Pools at present. This is all fabricated lies and nonsense.

Jamie (James) Spicer

A memorial service for the late Jamie (James) Spicer will be held at Highlands Presbetarian Church on Friday 7 May 2010 at 11:00am

Tea will be served in the garden after the service.
All are welcome.

PETER LOVEMORE

The Bristows on the Limpopo were shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Peter Lovemore in Cape Town on 26th April. So sad for Sonny and their family. Our deepest condolences to all his friends and family. He brought us so much joy with his booming auctioneer voice, fabulous sense of humour and wonderful warmth. We'll miss him at Easter most!

Father Neil Pierce

Father Neil Pierce died in the UK on 24th April.
Much loved husband of Christine and father of Michael and Jonathan.
On the staff of St John's Cathedral and lecturer at United College of Education 1975 -1981.
Headmaster of Cyrene School, Figtree 1982 - 2000.
Rector of St Francis Barham Green 2001 - 2004.

ENGAGEMENT NOTICE

Cynthia Taylor has much pleasure in announcing the engagement of Nicola Kim, her and the late Anthony Taylor's youngest daughter, to James Watson, younger son of Ally Evans and Greg Watson.

Be Warned!!!!!

ATTENTION TO ALL OUT THERE:- BEWARE A RED HONDA PRELUDE 2 DOOR THAT IS NOW SEVERLY SCRATCHED ON PASSENGERS DOOR AND RIGHT FRONT BUMPER NOW CRACKED. THEY ARE ARMED WITH KNIVES AND ARE ON THE PROWL. BEWARE ALL CARPARK AREAS AS THEY DRIVE AROUND SCOUTING FOR POTENTIAL WEAK SPOTS

How true this is - You Know You're a Zimbo if:

Ø You can still remember Sally Donaldson's voice.
Ø You failed your driver's licence first time.

Ø You saw 'Grease' more than three times.

Ø You still wear vellies without socks.

Ø You miss the smell of rain on a hot, tar road.

Ø You miss Christmas by the pool...

Ø You horrify people by eating raw, dried meat.

Ø You horrify other people by cooking boerewors 'to death'.

Ø You coveted a Raleigh 'chopper' bicycle.

Ø You got a 'Rebel' instead of a 'chopper'.

Ø You still secretly think that day scholars were pampered mommies boys.

Ø You took driving lessons in an Anne Hunter Anglia in Bulawayo .

Ø You still own some Spingbok Hits LP's.

Ø You still pee on the lawn at night.

Ø You carved your name on a famous landmark in Zim.

Ø You chatted up a farmer's daughter at a Country Club get together - with one eye on her Dad.

Ø You did wheelies on the Enterprise Road outside Gremlin's
Ø You almost lost the family jewels on the rock slide at Mermaid's Pool

Ø You spat from a window on the top floor at Monomotapa onto the Pool deck and ducked your head in quick.

Ø You can still sing 'Ag pleeez Daddy'.

Ø You actually miss the housebrick we were assured WAS bread.

Ø You played 'Bezant' at midnight, full of Castle, and ended up in a rockery.

Ø You whinged to the waiter at Caribbea Bay at the outrageous price of their beers during the Tigerfish Competition.

Ø You injected Cane spirit into a pocket of oranges to beat the booze ban at the Rugby at the Police grounds.

Ø You promised faithfully to meet the 'gang' at precisely noon 10/15/20 years 'from now' for a reunion, and haven't heard from them since.

Ø You still refer to toilet paper as 'bog roll'.

Ø You got a speeding ticket trying to make the border by 6 PM.

Ø Your forearms and the areas between you lower thighs and mid calf are irredeemably burned brown by the sun.

Ø You once owned an 8 track car tape player!!!

Ø You still own a record player and can pull out the vinyls when need be!

Ø You eat cuts of meat today that were ration meat in the old days.

Ø You have given up looking for a good meat pie.

Ø You had a domestic worker called Sixpence.

Ø You miss the smell of red stoep polish.

Ø You bore or frighten your children with harrowing tales of your deprived upbringing in the days when TV started at 17H00 and kids were expected to ride push bikes to school...

Ø You have graduated to more sophisticated food than chicken in a basket at a restaurant!

Ø You still butter bread by holding the slice in your hand... No Way!!

Ø You wish you'd had the presence of mind to keep mum's morrie minor

Ø You ate supper in Vila da Manhica, the Vila Perry or Guido's on occasions.

Ø You can remember the beer adverts on the tin trays the hotel waiters used...

Ø You can remember thinking that Bengal Juice was OK.

Ø You still believe it's wrong to use bad language in mixed company

Ø You still think of traffic lights as robots

Ø You know the words to more than two ABBA songs

Ø You HATE washing your car and mowing your lawn. Ironing is still something other people do

Ø You didn't see 'Are You Being Served' and other British comedies until 1980

Ø You still find it hard to throw things away when they could be Fixed

Ø You went to a school that taught real subjects like grammar and history

Ø You went to a school where instead of being 'counselled', unruly students were beaten - and it worked!

Ø You complained to your father that you were disciplined at school - only to find he thought it was a good idea.

Ø You used to call your parents' friends 'Uncle' and 'Aunty'

Ø You used to believe that in England and the USA they must be so much better at everything than we were - until you visited those countries and found they were inhabited by ordinary people who lived ordinary lives

Ø You have driven on a strip road

Ø You long for that soft morning glow that brightens the sky between 6am- 8am.

Ø Really miss a great, fantastic, bed rattling, window shaking earth tremoring, all-kids-and-animals-in-the-parents'-bed tropical storm.

Ø You parked your car in a car park and couldn't find it again, because it was a blue Renault 4.

Ø You shot every snake you saw even though you knew they were essential to the balance of nature.

Ø Someone stole your car and returned it the next day, because it was a Renault 4 and they felt sorry for you (hell they were too embarrassed to be seen driving it)!

Ø You remember watching the brown grass turn green after a day's rain.

Ø Arguing that Castle was for men Lion was for kids

Ø You put green stripes on your R4 so that you could find it in that car park!!! You found a hundred R4s with green stripes on them!!

Ø You still wonder what this thing polystyrene is, you know of kaylite.

Ø You still refer to Koki pens as Neo's.

Ø Muuush is still common in your vocabulary, as is 'lekker'.

Ø You still have Wrexx Tarr's 'Chilapalapa' LP's and know the words to 'Cockie Lobbin'.

Ø You hear crickets in July and remember the December Christmas beetles.

Ø You know or still write to someone from PE, Saints, Churcill, Ellis Robins,Chaplin, Plummers, Guinea Fowl or Gwebi Agricultural College, Convent, GHS, Roosevelt, QE, Eveline, Townsend and the rest.

Ø You drank Tanganda Tips tea or Preema Coffee (or Day Break).

Ø You shopped at Truworth's, Edgar's, Meikle's, Barbours, Sanders or Kingston 's.

Ø You had an avocado,mango, guava and pawpaw tree in your garden.

Ø You played in a sand pit and on a jungle gym.

Ø You thought bilharzia was an incurable disease but still swam in the rivers and dams anyway.

Ø You remember jacaranda trees in full bloom.

Ø You remember when a Coke or ice-lolly cost a tickey.

Ø You miss the taste of bream fried on the side of the dam five minutes after you caught it.

Ø You have at least one ivory, soapstone or wooden carving.

Ø You still remember the taste of gem squash and melted butter, mealies and Mazoe Orange Juice.

Ø You think there is no green surpassing that of the Sandawana emeralds.

Ø You still expect to see a chongololo after an afternoon rain and a few flying ants.

Ø You still believe your A-levels were harder than most first-year University courses today.

Ø You still refer to an expert as a 'fundi'.

Ø You still say 'braai' instead of 'barbecue' or 'kopje' instead of'hill' or pk instead of toilet

Ø You were brought up to believe toilet a coarse word and used the word lavatory or WC instead, and still cringe at the word toilet.

Ø The following names mean something to you: 'Sandro's', 'Arkies', 'Club Tomorrow' 'Electric Circus' - or in Bulawayo - Hollies

Ø You collected coke cans on your trips to South Africa 'cos they were so cool.

Ø You still can't get your head around the idea of throwing away a glass coke or beer bottle, instead of taking it back for the deposit.

Ø You remember the days when you got ½ c change and used it to buy sweets at the tuck shop.

Ø You bought a Zimbabwe Cricket Union T-shirt from a girl vending them around the cricket grounds - and tried to get her to sell you the one she was wearing.

Ø You were there when the 'chicken farmer' beat England .

Ø You think the 'all Blacks' are the Zimbabwe Tennis Team.

Ø You were a member of Hellenics / Callies / Raylton / Alex / Postals /Salisbury Sports.

Ø You've even been boating on Lake Mac - before the hyacinth.

Ø You've even driven up to Montclair for an evening's gambling and been back at work the next day.

Ø You still think the most haunting sound in the world is the cry of the fish eagle.

Ø You've never carried your own golf clubs, and think that golf carts are a sign of weakness.

Ø You've spent an hour looking for a lost golf ball at the 'police' course - on the fairway!

Ø You thought that an evening at Reps was the height of culture.

Ø Good beer comes in brown bottles.

Ø You know at least one person who has 'streaked' at the Harare Cricket Grounds.

Ø You remember sitting for hours in petrol queues - and not getting any.

Ø You even got fifteen people into a VW Kombi - long enough to get past the gates at the 'drive-in'.

Ø You made out in the back of a car at the 'Nitestar' or the Mabelreign Drive-in.

Ø You thought the Borrowdale Road was a motorway.

Ø You remember with nostalgia the days when the Zim Dollar was trading at eleven to one against the greenback.

GREAT TIMES TO GROW UP IN AFRICA - we were fortunate, weren't we?

Peter Lovemore

The memorial service for the late Peter Lovemore will be held at Royal Harare Golf Club on Thursday 6th May 2010, at 2.30pm for 3pm. All are welcome.


Nicky Hamp-Adams

Silence

I have been without a decent Internet connection for weeks!  Things seem to be back to normal now! Lets hope they stay that way.
We have taken the bull by the horns and started to upgrade our solar system.
We had solar lights - put them in about 20 years ago - but with all our power cuts and the cost of power we decided to get our system up to scratch.
We now can run the computer and printer, the TV (vital for news), the alarm system, the gate bell and a few small appliances as well as chargers for cell phones etc.
All very exciting - the next step is LED lights - also run off solar.  Hope we will be able to run almost our whole house on the system.
We should have hours and hours of power as the system recharges as we use the appliances, lights and all.
Makes our power cuts a bit more cheerful!
Last week we had 50 hours at a stretch - not pleasant.
We have converted a freezer to a holdover deep freeze by freezing 2 litre plastic bottles with water in them as long as we only open the freezer for a few minutes this keeps everything frozen for at least 3 days.
Going green is not only an environmental issue  not only saves money but here it helps with the stress we have on a daily basis.

It amazes me that in a country like ours with so much sunshine that more people do not go solar.  We no longer have the sound and smell of a generator - although we have to put up with our neighbour's noise.  I am telling everyone about solar power now.
We have a solar geyser as well and every day we have masses of really hot water.  What a pleasure.

Our borehole still has to run on ZESA power but we will get that changed over one day.  We store water in a 5000 litre tank which gravity feeds to the house and garden - this means we no longer have to cart water for the bathrooms and kitchen from the swimming pool!

Next stop - a solar cooker - i have the design just need to make it up!

Trevor Blythe

The Memorial Service for Trevor Blythe will be held on Wednesday 14th April at Highlands Presby Church at 3.30pm

Silence

I regret the silence - have had internet problems!  Again!!

Peter Lovemore

It is with great sadness that I report on the passing away of Peter Lovemore in Cape Town this morning.

Please could you advise all our members and I will try and establish whether there will be a memorial service for him in Zimbabwe.