Help Courtney Sparrow

We do not do appeals because that is not the purpose of our humble blog but, we are not without compassion and we do share the fate of our neighbours to the north - hence why we report on Zimbabwe often.

Also, I have a daughter of the same age and I would hate to be in these peoples' shoes.

Most of you may have heard about that bright little girl Courtney Sparrow that was attacked by lions last week. This is an appeal to help her. If you can donate a little, please do. They have suffered as Zimbabweans, and now to have this happen is really life kicking them when they are down.

Dawn Holtzhausen: Courtney Sparrow - Please urgent assistance is needed. Tue, 30 Sep 2008.

HI THERE – As most of you are now aware, Ron and Margaret Sparrow's little girl – Courtney Sparrow (9 years) was attacked by lions last Tuesday.

Her parents own a safari ranch in Masvingo and Courtney innocently went next door, last Tuesday, with the maids when they went to clean the one partner’s house (he is away in Canada).

The partner, had brought up a couple of lions and left them in the garden vicinity to look after the house and as a form of protection as they have had a long on-going saga with war vets etc. Courtney was inside the house, with the maids, and was standing next to a window.

The lioness put her paw through and got Courtney’s arm and actually managed to pull her through the burglar barred window. The gardener rushed and beat the lioness with a pole and Courtney managed to get away – she ran to the gate only to find it was locked, she panicked and ran back to the window – and on the way a young male lion then attacked her.

Margy, her mom, managed to beat the male lion with a pole and they got Courtney away and out the enclosure. She was air lifted to Avenues, Harare, where there was absolutely nothing that could be done for her – fortunately they managed to stabilize her enough and then Ron and Margy were able to arrange to have her flown to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Her oesophagus had to be rebuilt and miraculously none of the puncture wounds from the mauling damaged any internal organs and although the front of her skull was bitten off - there is no brain damage.

Her left eye was pulled out the socket and the skin and bone on top damaged - but amazingly her eye is intact and she has had an operation to repair the eye socket using bone and skin from her hip.

Sadly with all the hassles the farmers have had here the last few years, this family's income has dwindled drastically to a point where, like most of us Zimbabweans, they were already at a point of just making do (survival), and were hoping and praying things would turn the corner soon with regards to our economy.

I am led to believe that like most of us, they were unable to afford the exorbitant cost of external Medical Cover and now they have been left in the devastating position of having to fund these unbelievable medical bills.

More than anything, this family - especially Courtney, desperately needs your prayer, and if you can afford it and feel compelled to do so, a small donation to help with the enormous costs incurred saving this child’s life and now her continued treatment which will include further surgeries.

Although she is stabilized, and off the respirator and breathing on her own, she still has a long road ahead as far as full recovery is concerned and already, one week in, the medical bill is sitting at R500 000 (half a million rand).

We are doing every thing we can here to try and raise money but as you can imagine it is difficult in Zimbabwe. If you would like to make a donation then please contact either myself costalotazw@yahoo.com, Lynn and Leanne McBean mcbean@mweb.co.zw or Ron & Margy sparrowsmith@yoafrica.com or simplywild@zol.co.zw.

Lynn McBean together with Ron, will be instrumental in setting up an account for this purpose. More than anything please be assured, as mentioned earlier – your prayers and support are far more valuable than dollars and cents and are VERY, VERY much appreciated by the Sparrow family. (One can only begin to imagine the trauma and desperation that they have been through).

Thanks and God Bless
Dawn Holtzhausen 023 751170
Lynn McBean 09 289666

(Ok, Zapata?)

Shilowa: ‘I create a problem for the ANC’

And I speak gooder English.. twit.

The ANC has spent days selling us the BS that all is well within the ANC. They pretend everything is cool when we know the shit is still en route to the fan.

I cannot see how Mbeki and his supporters can just forgive and forget the Zumites(?)...Zoombies(?) and shake hands and be all pally again. Not on your nelly, not ever. And especially not after the shocking, thuggish and disrespectful manner in which they did it.

The people in the ANC hold grudges. Ask us whiteys. You stretch out the hand of friendship and you are lucky if it comes back with only bite marks.

No my friends, there is trouble in paradise down at Luthuli House. This is the beginning of some turbulent times for the ANC. But, mmm.. still enjoying my popcorn though. Honey, where's my slurpy?

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Former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa says the ANC should learn to deal with dissension in its ranks and not regard members who hold opposing views as traitors.

“In my view those of us who are in the ANC have a duty to ensure that there is a balance between open debate and discipline,” Shilowa said.

He was speaking during an interview with 702 Talk Radio yesterday.

“It is important to continually enhance our unity in diversity,” he said. “Because if we do not have this balance I create a problem for the ANC and the government.”

Shilowa announced his resignation on Monday saying he could not “with conviction, publicly explain or defend the national executive committee decision on comrade Thabo Mbeki”.

Yesterday Shilowa said the decision by the ANC leadership to recall Mbeki was “fundamentally wrong”.

Mbeki was recalled after comments by Pietermaritzburg high court Judge Chris Nicholson inferring that the former president and some of his cabinet ministers had interfered with the national prosecuting authority decision to prosecute ANC president Jacob Zuma.

Shilowa was censured by the ANC leadership after he made pro-Mbeki statements following the ruling.

He then warned that getting rid of Mbeki would lead to resignations in the cabinet and could lead to divisions in the party.

He also warned the ANC to deal with its members who are disgruntled about the decision to axe Mbeki.

Councillors 'to drink for free'

What is a councillor? Well, they are the turds that sit on do-nothing municipal councils, collect fat salaries and spend your rate money on lavish celebrations like finishing an audit or passing a budget. That's right, they are, as political careers go, the shit on a real politician's shoes - and that's not saying much in the new SA.

Observe the state of our hundreds of councils countrywide and try and fathom what it is exactly that these people DO. Not much would be my guess.

Note this pathetic, only in the New! Improved! South Africa!™ tale and wonder no more. I had to check my calendar. I thought someone was playing an April Fool's joke on me. Nope, not April 1st.

Keep that bottle of brandewyn near when you read this. That, or a box of razor blades.

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Potchefstroom - Councillors from the Tlokwe city council will get free beer and soft drinks at the Aardklop Arts Festival hospitality centre, in order to placate them. (wtf?!)

All other sponsors's representatives will have to pay.

This follows a request by a senior council official for "an arrangement" to be made in order not to insult councillors.(wtf?!)

"We all know that not all the councillors are supportive of the festival and we don't want to make them unhappy, " (wtf?!) the official told Chris Redelinghuys, manager of the hospitality centre, within earshot of Beeld.

The council has expressed its dissatisfaction on various occasions in the past, because it regards the festival as not inclusive enough.

Redelinghuys offered to open an account for the councillors so that they wouldn't need to pay at the bar.

The official said "that would be a better idea", but that it would have to be monitored really carefully.

Acknowledgement
The official also asked Redelinghuys to give the council the "necessary" acknowledgement by, among others, addressing the chief whip and the Speaker's by their correct titles (wtf?!) when they arrived at the hospitality centre, which is situated in the central festival area and only open to selected guests invited by the sponsors.

Marguerite Robinson, Aardklop's programme manager, told Beeld on Monday that "everybody pays for some of the drinks".

When asked whether councillors would have to pay for beer, for example, like the rest of the sponsors, she said: "I don't see the relevance of this question. Why would your readers care?"

Festival spokesperson Sunet van der Merwe said all the sponsors would be treated in the same way.

"The juice, wine, coffee and tea are free. For other drinks, like beer, hard liquor and soft drinks, everybody has to pay a nominal fee."

She denied that special arrangements had been made for the city council.

But Magriet Hefer, a spokesperson for Tlokwe city council, said councillors would not be paying for any of the drinks at the hospitality centre.

Zuma case: NPA fire back

The State versus Zuma, round numberrr..um, who gives a %@$#?

Actually, it is good that the NPA is still putting on the show for the sheeple because I think we all know where this case is going in the long haul.

Zuma will get off - just as soon as he can replace the people in the NPA and Justice Ministry with his lackeys *yawn*.

- - -

Johannesburg - South African prosecutors filed an application to appeal against a ruling that dismissed corruption charges against ANC leader Jacob Zuma, a spokesman said.

"We've filed our papers in the (Pietermaritzburg) High Court," National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Tlali Tlali told Reuters.

Earlier this month a judge in the court threw out the charges against Zuma and suggested there had been high-level political interference in the case. The ruling spurred the ruling ANC to oust President Thabo Mbeki.

ANC sweeps Travelgate under the carpet

Lest you forget that a leopard never changes its spots, the new crew in guvmunt have returned to business as usual.

While the nation's attention was diverted with the Mbeki/Zuma/Motl..the new guy, the ANC quietly got rid of the scam that was Travelgate.

Yes dear folks, our parleymunt 'bought' the 'debt' the 220 MPs STOLE so not only are we taxpayers losing out on the money they STOLE, we get to double up by using our money to cover the stolen money. In effect, we taxpayers lose out twice - and the criminals in parleymunt get off without having to face court or pay the money back!

What a country! What a system! The ANC is without a single shred of decency. It must be removed.

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Last week Tuesday - while the nation was understandably immersed the tumult surrounding the resignation of former-president Thabo Mbeki and his cabinet ministers - Parliament, under the stewardship of then-Speaker Baleka Mbete, took the opportunity to announce quietly that a decision had been taken to abandon the debt owed the legislature by the miscreant MPs allegedly involved in the so-called Travelgate scandal.

The decision is effectively a double-blow to the South African taxpayer: not only is this massive misuse of public money being brushed under the carpet, but the South African public must also foot the bill for Parliament's convenient political solution.

Earlier this year, under pressure from MPs, Parliament attempted to withdraw its mandate to the liquidators of Bathong Travel to recover outstanding monies from MPs implicated in the travel voucher fraud. This move was met with opposition from Bathong's other creditors, and was subsequently abandoned.

Parliament then requested a report from legal advisors which indicated that certain of the claims had prescribed; certain of them were procedurally faulty in that the legislature had not been joined as party to the claim; and that it was not economically viable to recover certain others because the cost of recovery through legal process would exceed the actual amount claimed.

As a result, Parliament has decided to withdraw its mandate to the liquidators to recover the debt, and, in order to prevent other entities from purchasing that claim and proceeding against MPs, Parliament has decided to buy back the claim - which exceeds R3 200 000 - at reduced cost of R200 000.

As a matter of principle the Democratic Alliance (DA) raises its vehement objection to this decision as it amounts to a double jeopardy for the South African taxpayer. Not only was Parliament (and therefore, the public) defrauded by certain miscreant MPs, but now the legislature plans to buy back their debt from the liquidators charged with recovering it.

The DA has consistently and repeatedly criticised the failure by Parliament to act appropriately and decisively against the MPs who are alleged to have been involved in this scandal - which has severely compromised the South African public's trust in the institution, and in the MPs who have been mandated to be their representatives.

This latest attempt at a political - rather than judicial - solution to the matter has been forwarded on the grounds of expediency. While it is tempting to see the "sense" in such a plan, it is in fact neither sensible nor ethically or morally acceptable for Parliament to go down a road which would essentially exonerate the fraud of those MPs who are guilty of criminal misconduct, at the expense of the very taxpayers whom their actions allegedly defrauded. Under these circumstances, the only acceptable course of action is one which will see those guilty of stealing from the people they are sworn to serve compelled to settle the full amounts due, or where necessary, face full criminal prosecution for their actions.

One of the principal functions of Parliament is to provide robust and effective oversight of government actions on behalf of the people of South Africa, by maintaining the transparency and accountability of the executive. If Parliament fails to take a principled stance in this matter and ensure that its own members are effectively brought to account, we will risk seeing the further erosion of the integrity and the dignity of this crucial branch of government.

Statement issued by Ian Davidson MP.