Nelson Mandela

[happy daze john in oz]

It has been said that all we owe the dead is the truth.
Today in the early morning South African time Nelson Mandela passed from this world.

Adulations from many sources have come to the fore, but for some there may well be celebrations at his passing. It all depnds on how he is viewed. To many including the tribal nations of South Africa he was a hero, to some of the Boer communityand others he may well have been seen as nothing more than a terrorist. Freedom fighter or criminal, it all depends on how you determin why he did what he did.
I will not pass judgement but did wittness attrocities carried out by members of the ANC at the hight of his reigime prior to his imprisonment.

In time history will judge him for what he was.

He stood strong for what he believed in but for many it was the manner in which he went about the challenge that created the conflict.

He leaves a strong legacy and one would hope that in time the nation will benifit from it, to date there is little evidence that it has, unemployment and povety still sits high.


To his family I offer condolences.


Vale Nelson Mandela

[Les Woodard]

Got to say this about him. He had a bloody good innings did he not.

[j.sabourn]

Would like to think I had another 19 years to go. Might even consider a couple of more trips... some hopes. John Sabourn

[Doc Vernon]

A special Tribute Tonight on Channel 9 here in Australia! Think this will be worth the watch!
Cheers

At 7.30pm, in the news special Nelson Mandela: Warrior for Peace, Peter Stefanovic presents a tribute to the great man. Visiting Robben Island, where Mandela was held for so many years, we explore his battles, his old prison mates, his family heartache, and his legacy.

Then at 8.30pm, in the Clint Eastwood directed film Invictus, Morgan Freeman gives a powerful performance as Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President. The film follows Mandela as he initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

[cappy]

must say the ist time I went to the cape......Durban capetown prot Elizabeth lourenco marques 1958.......I did not like what I saw ......my mate and me wanted some teashiets and jeans and we were told to get a rickshaw and go to a certain shop .....the rickshaw man was a 6 foot 6....Zulu in leopard or tiger skins......we got to the shop and asked how much we owed ....something like 2 shillings ......out of the shop bounces a little fat twat who asked us how much we had been charged......we told him he then told the Zulu to give us back one shilling the big man gave us back a shilling which we said we didn't want the Zulu turned to go away and the little **** kicked him hard up the backside ......the Zulu just walked away the little guy pleased with himself said that's the way to treat these black barstewards.......to me that was so wrong ......I wanted the Zulu to give him a hard slap.....they were so kept down it was wrong .......ok I wouldn't want to live there but it was out of order ......butmy mate and I did savour the other delights

[Stuart Henderson]

Rest in Peace. Condolences to his family and countrymen

Stuart H

[Jim Brady]

I was drinking with a couple of South Africans in the Criterion,I went for a pee the same time as one of them a big fat b/std who was wearing shorts.He did'nt quite make the pee stone and soaked his shorts.The Criteria had an alleyway that ran from the docks to the dock road,this poor old black guy was in the alleyway as we came out of the toilet and I suppose the Sth African felt humiliated that he had peed himself and the black man had seen him.This big fat B/std did no more than grab the poor old man and leathered him around the ears shouting "get that tap fixed in there look what I've done"The truth of the matter was that there was not a tap in the toilet,this realy disgusted me and I thought you have got it coming to you one day.We went to Walvis Bay from there and i nearly ended up in trouble with the police for relating this story in a bar.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[j.sabourn]

If you were caught talking to a coloured girl, you were liable to be picked up and spend the night in a cell. Some of the coloured girls was hard to tell, but they reckon you could by the colour around the finger nails. There were quite a few used to hang around Duncan Dock in Capetown and the story got around that all they wanted was white babies. What a terrible system they lived under. The Chinese were also classed as Non Whites and yet the Japanese were classed as European. All this was in our lifetime laws made by the so called and democratic world. Now has gone to the other extreme, what a world we live in. John Sabourn

[Jim Brady]

I was telling the story of the Criterion to the Padre in the mission in Durban,I think he was from Birkenhead,he said you need to keep them down and they should treat the Indians the same.The Indians were like middle class there if I remember.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

I was there in 1976 when the Cape Town Riots were on, we had broke down and towed in, we were to be there for three months. one of our Liverpool Firemen was black as the ace of spade, but a typical scouse. He was nicknamed `Chalky`.
When we got alongside he found out he could nt drink with the rest of the lads.
The Captain got the British Consul and the SA immigration people on board and Chalky was issued with a pass.
He was now an Honary Whiteman, and Chalky could go wherever he wanted, On the top floor of the Heerengraat Hotel in the Penthouse Suite all the white women were near fighting over Chalky s favours.
He had more women there than the rest of us.
Cheers
Brian