Nelson Mandela

[John Pruden]

Jacob zuma the president is under the cosh now he is getting all kinds of houses built costing millions for all his family ?? it will not be long before trouble will break out there? nelson mandela kept the lid on everything what is going to happen now he has gone.jp

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates, Ashore in newcastle ? years ago we all the lads I was a J.O.S. then on a B.P. tanker, we had a few cadets with us at the time, one of them was south African we were walking down a street in town, where he saw a mixed race couple a young black guy and a local girl, quick as a flash he jumped on the black guy and began to beat the crap out of him, we jumped in to stop him, he was enraged ,shouting and screaming thats not ----- ------ and words I did not understand, but he was lucky the police were not around? we took him back to the ship... found out after it was against the law in his part of the world.

[Louis the fly]

There will be a lot of Tory old guards hiding away in the Shires until all the acknowledgements are over and Madela is safely in his grave.
To them he was a terrorist.
Every man has his time in life to live. If it were today the drones would be circling.

[John Arton]

The last times I was in S.A. was in the mid eighties and a couple of incidents stick in my mind.
The first one was when we needed some gangway repairs to be carried out in Durban and I contacted Globe? Engineers to carry out the job. They eventually turned up late hours after there appointed time with two ex. pat Brits in charge of a gang of coloureds to remove the gangway in order to take it back to there workshop for repairs as it was of aluminium construction. The attitude of the ex pats disgusted me, they were half drunk and verbally abusing the coloured labourers, calling them stupid blick ******* etc. When I quietly admonished them for their attitude towards their workers I was told that as they had been in the country for years they knew how to treat their workers and by abusing them it was the only way to get them to work, not that the ex. pats did any work, they just stood around drinking beer and shouting. Further protests from me led to them threatening to walk off the job so I had to hold my tongue as we had to get the gangway fixed and were only in port for 72 hrs.
The next time was when I was in Cape Town and I had foolishly left quite a large sum of money in my wallet out on my cabin desk. I had been in my office attending to business, amongst which was signing for fresh water. Shortly after the water man left I went next door to my cabin and found that the money had gone. As the waterman had been the only person in the alleyway during the past hour I immediately suspected him. Going ashore to see if I could find him and confront him I found a police harbour patrol parked up by the gangway. They asked me what I was looking for and I explained the situation to them. They took off like a bat out of hell and returned shortly with a coloured man locked in the back. They said he was the waterman and did I recognise him?. I could not be sure I said but they replied No problem we will find out if he is the guy who stole your money. With that they started to beat the crap out of the guy until they decided he was not the suspect. They then took off and searched for any other watermen in the vicinity. An hour or so later they came back with my wallet, minus the cash, saying they had found it lying on the quay. I was not bothered about the cash (it was cargo bonus money) , just my bank and credit cards (this before chip and pin came in). Thankfully they were all intact but looking back I often wonder if they did not go around picking up any waterman and beating the crap out of tem till they found the one with my wallet and they helped themselves to the cash before returning the wallet or did they genuinely find the wallet abandoned with the cash removed?
Both instances left a rather nasty taste in my mouth thinking that if that was the prevailing attitude amongst the non-coloured then S.A. still had a long way to go before it could truly claim to be democratic.
All this after visiting Durban in the 70's where we had fabulous nights in the Smugglers etc. with gorgeous ladies.
rgds
JA

[happy daze john in oz]

I was drinking -----nearly ended up in trouble with the police for relating this story in a bar.
Regards.
Jim.B.

Jim, at last I have found someone else who remembers the Criterion on Point Road. Some pub if I recall and can just imagine what you saw there.as not a pretty place in those days and I can remember telling my dear ol mum after my first voyage there that the country was on the edge of a blood bath. Thankfully it never happened apart from Sharpville.

[happy daze john in oz]

Jacob zuma the president?----- nelson mandela kept the lid on everything what is going to happen now he has gone.jp

You may well be right there John, there is little in the way of an opposition party in their parliament and such is needed if you are to get good and honest governance.

[leratty]

Cappy & Jim, I too was horrified at the attitude arrogance of the whites, worse their treatment to the blacks + coloureds Must say with I guess some generalisation those that later joined the 'chicken run' as it was known fleeing as Mandela came to power (of course before that too but the mass exodus was then) took that surreal arrogant superior attitude with them wherever they went, Aus NZ US Hong Kong a most disliked mob always, maybe a little less in HK. I have not been to that part of the world for many many years, I know a lot of members had a great time there I just was not too keen on it. I did like the West Coast though & wonder how I still have my appendage in hindsight? Crikey that Tombo gin what one woke up with afterwards still haunts me (:
Mandela was a amazing man whether he was as so many claim a terrorist I do not know, freedom fighter more likely as per some of the Israelis after the war. The world is a poorer place without the likes of him. RIP

[robpage]

I had a conversation yesterday with an ex pat South African , whose parents were born here so he got out after losing a lot of money and a great lifestyle . he is very bitter about African Leadership , out of all the African Leaders , black , r white , or ant shade in between , and regardless of whether Nelson Mandela had his finger on the trigger of terrorism or not , he is the only Black African Leader who has ever wanted a nation with fairness to all , his replacements still seem to bang on about Apartheid . I don't like forgiving terrorists easily , but without that first step Ulster would still be a violent place as would many other countries . He was the sole voice of enlightenment , the single forgiver , the one man who could deliver the peace , let us wish for more with has vision . I am an old WASP , Britain for the British , but I hold Mandela in the highest regard , may his legacy live on

[happy daze john in oz]

We have two very good South African friends here in Oz, one a white lady from Durban and a Cape Coulored and his wife from Cape Town. Both are now concerned as to what wtill happen in SA. Mandela kept the peace and had many living in great hope of the future, but now J. Zuma does not hold that same appeal to many. There are worried that violence and hatred will once again come to the fore, believeing Zuma to be less than honest in may ways.

[alf corbyn]

i think i related this on the old site. we docked in capetown on the kenilworth castle and me and my mate went for a beer in the castle hotel,up on the roof.the captain turned up with the mate and two of the passengers, the bishop of mauritious and his wife, both coloured. this indian boy waiter went over and said we cannot serve you. the captain demanded to see the manager. he came up and threatened to call the police if they didn't leave. they left with the captain very embarressed he was captain black a gentleman.
john i used to drink in the criterion in durban it was by the dock gate and the vasco da gama cafe was opposite.