Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

A full UN battalion of South African troops will be redeployed from tomorrow in Darfur, Sudan, amid doubts about the new “hybrid” UN-African Union mission’s chances of success.

Titled the UN African Union Mission in Darfur (Unamid), it will take over the under-equipped and under-strength African Union Mission in Sudan (Amis).

Current Amis soldiers whose terms have been renewed – including the battalion of about 650 SANDF members – will be “re-hatted” in a ceremony at midnight tonight, exchanging their green helmets for the blue ones of UN peacekeepers.

But the UN’s top official and humanitarian organisations in Darfur have expressed concern over the international community’s commitment to the peace process in Darfur.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has been going hat in hand to world leaders asking for 24 helicopters for Unamid. By yesterday, these have not yet been pledged.

In addition, a new round of stalling tactics by the Sudanese government has slowed down deployment of the new force, as has a bridging “heavy package” for Amis that had been scheduled for November.

Sam Mkhwanazi, spokesman for Defence Minister Mosiua Lekota, said yesterday there were no plans to provide SA helicopters to Unamid.

He reiterated Lekota’s statement earlier this year that should this be requested, SA would provide extra command personnel in Darfur, “resources allowing”.

South Africa was already over-committed in other conflict zones, such as Congo and Burundi.

In a letter early in December to the UN Security Council – itself accused of averting attention from the crisis in which at least 200 000 civilians have died since 2003 – Ban wrote: “While helicopters alone cannot ensure the success of the mission, their absence may well doom it to failure.”

The SA government has been criticised for supporting Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, in his insistence on Unamid having an African character.

Amis commanders have publicly admitted Bashir wanted Africans because he could manipulate them.

Unamid commander, General Martin Agwai, has said the force would need about 15 000 troops and police to become operational. Yesterday only about 9 000 Amis re-hatted soldiers and police, plus elements of the “heavy package”, appeared to be “on the ground”, said Unamid.

A UN Security Council resolution launching the force in July said it would eventually consist of 25 000 uniformed personnel and 6 000 civilians.

Critics have scoffed at the “re-hatting”, saying Amis in a new guise will fail to the same extent it has failed before.

NEARLY 3 000 young South Africans start basic training in two weeks time after signing up for a stint of service in the SANDF.

On January 8 and 9, 2 954 recruits will join the SANDF as part of the Military Skills Development System (MSDS) and start with basic training at various military bases across the country.

The SANDF’s Brigadier General Kefilwe Mathlbe said the aim of the MSDS was two-fold: to enhance the defence force’s mission readiness through the systematic rejuvenation of its staff complement and and to provide skills to enable young people to contribute to society.

“Subsequent to their basic military training, deserving MSDS recruits will be afforded an opportunity to choose training in specific careers. These include pilots, navigators, engineers, doctors, dentists, nurses, naval combat officers, divers, etc.”

Next month notices of the 2009 intake will be advertised nationally.

The South African National Defence Union (Sandu) is demanding an inspection of weapons similar to the computerised gun which killed nine soldiers when it malfunctioned during a training exercise in Lohatla in October.

It wants the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to "temporarily withdraw all such weaponry from active duty" including operations and exercises, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

This, pending a complete and substantial safety check and safety certification by independent ballistic experts.

A preliminary police probe has found no indications that negligence was to blame for the shooting, which also injured 14 soldiers.

Captain Cherelle Ehlers said on Monday that the police investigation was at an advanced stage.

A separate investigation by the SANDF has apparently been concluded, but will not be made public until the families of the dead soldiers are informed.

Reacting on Wednesday, Sandu said the police ballistics report indicated that the weapon involved had mechanically malfunctioned.

"This finding vindicates Sandu in its concern it expressed publicly as to the maintenance and age of the specific weaponry in question," said Sandu acting national secretary Pikkie Greeff.

"... There now exists reason to doubt the safety of all weaponry of similar age and function."

Sandu also demanded that, in the interest of transparency, the findings of the SANDF investigation be made public "without further delay".

They needed to be compared with the police findings and those of an investigation by the Labour Department.

"The findings of the (South African Police Service) already indicates by implication legal liability by the Department of Defence in this incident," said Greeff.

The Defence Department now had to do what was "morally and legally correct" in making proper offers of compensation to the injured victims and the families of the deceased.

It also has to take "decisive and visible steps" to show soldiers the weapons were being independently inspected and certified or decommissioned to ensure their safety in an already extremely hazardous occupational environment, he said.

Geseende Kersfees en n voorspoedige nuwe jaar !

Youpi, ça y est, j'ai vu un film en Afrikaans!!! son titre est: Poena is Koning! C'est une histoire de post-ados... peut-être pas très intello mais bon, c'était mon premier film en Afrikaans!

http://www.poenaiskoning.co.za/ 

et voici le résumé en Afrikaans: (c'est une langue que j'adore)

Hierdie fliek is tuisgebak en vertel die verhaal van die seksuele ontwaking van Poena Pieterse en sy beste pêl Vaatjie. Die twee is vasbeslote om nie meer 'n maagd te wees by die tyd dat hulle klaar is met skool nie.

Nie dat die matriekeksamen die regte tyd is om met jou hormone op galop te gaan nie. Dan is daar boonop 'n juffrou wat bereid is om die tweetjies uit te help, maar wie sou nou kon dink dat haar kerel op die petalje sou afkom. Poena moet uiteindelik sy eksamen onder polisiebewaking skryf. Na skool besluit Poena om al sy energie te fokus op sy ander droom - om 'n popster te word. En hy is goed oppad om die eerste selibate popster te word tot hy die dag verlief raak.

Strategic Review for Southern Africa by University of Pretoria, Institute for Strategic Studies

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/browse_JJ_S236 

Twenty-four hour service centres were opened in Polokwane ahead of the ANC national conference and police and armed forces were beefing up security measures, said Limpopo Traffic and Administration Services on Saturday.

"We started the 24-hour operations last Monday and we are working with the SAPS and the defence force for this operation. We have checkpoints all over the city and are monitoring all roads leading to the university," said spokesman Gordon Horen.

The department of transport had also positioned traffic officers in the area.

"One hundred and twenty six traffic officers have taken their positions on the N1 Bridge and are patrolling from Maopane up to the Bay Bridge. There are road blocks on all the roads leading up to the Mankwenge Township where the university is located," said spokesman Boiki Tsedu.

Arrive Alive spokesman Ntau Letebele said a number of road blocks had been set up along the N1.

"We have emergency services and ambulance services at the scene of these operations and we are targeting vehicle road-worthiness and enforcing compulsory stops," Letebele said, adding that officers were also on roving patrols.

Meanwhile, Horen said two people had been killed on Dendron road after a sedan and bakkie collided on the weekend.

Limpopo police also said that a number of passengers had been injured on Friday when their bus overturned on the N1 about 35km from Polokwane.

Tshwane Metro Police officers swooped on Wierdabrug taxi rank yesterday.

They searched for drugs, illegal immigrants and unroadworthy or unlicensed taxis. They also checked on bylaw offences, such as the sale of unhygienic food.

The Metro Police officers were accompanied by SANDF members.

Wives of generals in the SA National Defence Force have joined together in a project for the spouses of South African soldiers deployed outside the country’s borders over the festive season.

This Christmas, the wives and husbands of South African soldiers on peacekeeping duties in Africa, will receive a hamper with food from the SANDF Spouses Forum.

"I think the idea was to say to them thank you for allowing a member of a family to serve on peacekeeping missions,” Busisiwe Ngwenya, wife of Head of the Defence Force, General Godfrey Ngwenya.

"I think it is a small sign of goodwill from our side," she said.

The hampers would be delivered to 3500 families of South African soldiers currently serving abroad in missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Uganda, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Nepal and the Central African Republic (CAR).

Ngwenya said most of the hampers, donated by private companies, would be delivered to the families by Friday, and that she hoped it would become an annual event.

In the meantime top ranking officers wrapped up their goodwill visit to South African troops abroad on Thursday with a stop in Kinshasa.

The group, led by Chief of Defence Corporate Staff, Lieutenant General Rinus van Rensburg, made stopovers in Burundi, CAR and Kinshasa, handing over gifts and assuring troops of the public's support over the festive season.

The Goodwill parcel project started seven years ago when each sergeant-major in the defence force donated a Rand towards buying small packets of sweets for the troops.

This year several large South African companies have donated a total of R3.5 million which was used to buy the soldiers rucksacks with picnic equipment.

The soldiers also received small devotional booklets.

"While they appreciate the gifts, it is the fact that their work is recognised by the South African public," Van Rensburg said.

The fact that large companies were willing to associate themselves with the defence force was something that meant a lot to the troops and their commanders, said Van Rensburg.

L'Afrique du Sud est un eldorado... enfin surtout si on joue à "au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois"... De toute façon, on est toujours l'eldorado de quelqu'un...

"La police ne dit rien parce qu'elle nous connaît." Depuis deux ans, Pretty, une ancienne représentante en commerce venue de Mutare, dans l'est du Zimbabwe, campe avec sa famille au bord d'une route à Marble Hall, une riche bourgade agricole, à 120 km à l'est de Pretoria. "En 2000, j'ai commencé à faire du commerce avec l'Afrique du Sud. Maintenant, nous sommes sept adultes de la famille à faire l'aller-retour à bord d'une vieille camionnette." Tout Marble Hall a acheté les sculptures et les meubles en rotin qu'ils proposent. Leur commerce marche plutôt bien - environ 1500 euros par mois - et ils pourraient louer une maison. Mais ils préfèrent économiser le moindre sou pour nourrir leurs enfants restés au Zimbabwe. "On rentre tous les trois mois, quand notre visa de tourisme a expiré. On bourre la camionnette de nourriture et de produits qu'on revend là-bas, et on revient ici avec du stock."

La nuit, Pretty dort sous une bâche en plastique qui laisse passer l'eau par forte pluie. Son mari est allongé sur une paillasse. "Il a le sida, chuchote-t-elle. Lundi, il va commencer les antirétroviraux. On a de la chance, parce que dans certains hôpitaux ils ne veulent pas nous soigner gratuitement. Beaucoup de Sud-Africains sont hostiles, mais d'autres nous plaignent !"

"Hostel". Il y aurait jusqu'à 3 millions de Zimbabwéens en Afrique du Sud, soit un quart de la population totale, un chiffre invérifiable. L'afflux de clandestins a encore augmenté depuis l'instauration, en juin, d'un contrôle des prix au Zimbabwe qui a vidé les magasins. En août, les clandestins ont traversé le Limpopo - le fleuve, qui marque la frontière, est à sec pendant l'hiver austral - et sont arrivés nombreux à Marble Hall. Beaucoup sont très pauvres et parlent à peine l'anglais, comme Edmond, 21 ans. "J'ai d'abord dormi dans les collines, explique-t-il. On avait très froid et faim !" Edmond a trouvé du travail dans une ferme, où il gagne 3,50 euros par jour, un euro de moins que le salaire minimum. Il sous-loue à une Sud-Africaine un coin d'une pièce dans un hostel, une rangée de taudis où logent les travailleurs, séparé d'eux par un simple drap.

De nombreux fermiers profitent de la situation malgré les risques d'amenes - il y a des descentes policicières, avec de lourdes sanctions (2 000 euros par clandestin) - et de vols : la criminalité a fortement augmenté et, à tort ou à raison, les Zimbabwéens en sont rendus responsables. "Ils braconnent et volent tout ce qu'ils peuvent", affirme Nelus Potgieter, 36 ans. Cet Afrikaner a engagé six gardes de sécurité pour surveiller ses plantations d'oranges et ses bêtes. "Avant, j'employais des Mozambicains, et on n'avait aucun problème. Mais ils sont rentrés au pays, et depuis trois ans je fais venir 300 saisonniers du Zimbabwe, avec un permis. Je leur paie le salaire minimum, et on essaie de les aider. Mais ils sont arrogants, et certains sont de mèche avec des criminels. L'année dernière, on m'a volé pour 20 000 euros de câbles électriques sur les carrousels d'irrigation. Ils les revendent à des trafiquants de cuivre. Et ma maison a été cambriolée. Mais la police s'en fout parce que nous sommes blancs ! Les Zimbabwéens, on ne les aime pas ! Ils volent, prennent notre travail et nos femmes : ils se marient pour avoir des papiers sud-africains, font des enfants et puis les abandonnent !" Ces accusations reviennent comme une rengaine à Leeuwfontein, le township local.

Déportées. C'est le matin. Sur un trottoir, une dizaine de Sud-Africains sirotent des bières. Tous sont chômeurs. "Nous, on ne veut pas bosser pour des cacahuètes !" lâche Kenneth. Une discussion s'engage avec Junior, un Zimbabwéen habillé comme les jeunes du coin, en jean, casquette et boucle d'oreille. "C'est un peu trop facile pour les Sud-Africains de nous accuser de tous les maux alors qu'ils ne sont pas des anges ! rétorque ce plombier. Même certains fermiers sont malhonnêtes : ils nous font travailler un mois, puis refusent de nous payer et menacent d'appeler la police !" Patrick, le patron d'une agence locale de sécurité, emploie cinq clandestins parce qu'ils ne sont "pas syndiqués". Gacha surveille un supermarché de Marble Hall où, récemment, des Zimbabwéennes ont été arrêtées avec des produits de beauté volés. Elles ont été emmenées au centre de détention de Lindela, près de Johannesburg, d'où elles ont ensuite été déportées. Au total, l'année dernière, 82 000 Zimbabwéens ont été renvoyés vers leur pays.

Un imposant monument historique, qui accueille des visiteurs de jour comme de nuit, l'Union Building, le palais présidentiel, surplombe Pretoria (Tswane), la capitale d'Afrique du Sud. Symbole d'une nation qui, tout en réussissant plus ou moins à oublier le traumatisant passé de sang engendré par l'apartheid, aspire à une évolution harmonieuse, une « flamme de la paix» (Torch of Peace) scintille sur la façade principale de l'édifice.

En avril 2009, les Sud-africains seront appelés aux urnes pour élire le futur locataire de ce somptueux Palais de l'Union. A moins d'un an et demi de cette échéance, la nation arc-en-ciel vit un climat politique très agité. Depuis des semaines, le parti au pouvoir, le Congrès national africain (ANC), est engagé dans un processus électoral pour la désignation de son nouveau leader, prévue le 16 décembre à Polokwane, dans la province de Limpopo (j'adore ce nom Limpopo...).

L'enjeu de ce vote est capital. Avec l'arrivée au pouvoir de Nelson Mandela en 1994, l'ANC s'est imposé comme la plus grande force politique d'Afrique du Sud et domine toutes les autres formations. Qui plus est, fort d'une alliance avec le Parti communiste sud-africain et la centrale syndicale COSATU, son dirigeant est assuré d'accéder par la voie royale à la présidence du pays, au terme de l'élection présidentielle. C'est par ce canal que Thabo Mbeki est devenu à son tour chef de l'Etat en 1999.

Pour cette élection, un duel « fratricide » oppose Thabo Mbeki à son ex-vice président Jacob Zuma, numéro deux du parti. Derrière elles, les deux personnalités traînent des hordes de partisans surexcités, qui battent campagne par des affiches aux messages parfois provocateurs. Par exemple, ceux du chef de l'Etat appellent à ne pas voter son rival, arguant que celui-ci n'a pas l'étoffe d'un bon président.

« L'un des aspects du bilan de Thabo Mbeki repose sur sa vision panafricaniste. Il a ouvert le pays au reste du continent et a inculqué aux Sud-Africains la notion de solidarité envers leurs autres frères africains. Que tu sois Camerounais, Congolais, Ethiopien ou Algérien, tu te sens en Afrique du Sud comme chez toi. Je ne pense pas que ce puisse être la même chose avec Jacob Zuma. Mais il est une chose : c'est le futur président », souligne Mtyutu, un jeune homme d'affaires âgé d'une trentaine d'années, vivant à Pretoria.

Au terme des élections à l'ANC au niveau régional fin novembre, Jacob Zuma a reçu le soutien de poids lourds du Congrès des étudiants d'Afrique du Sud (COSAS), de la Ligue des jeunes de l'ANC, de la Ligue des femmes de l'ANC et de la Jeune Ligue communiste. Mais, son sort reste suspendu à l'issue finale de son procès pour corruption, devant la Cour constitutionnelle, et dont le verdict est également attendu dans les prochains jours.

Pour l'instant, Thabo Mbeki est frappé par la limite à deux du nombre des mandats présidentiels. Mais une réélection à la tête de l'ANC lui permettrait, selon des analyses, de faire modifier la Constitution afin de briguer un troisième bail consécutif à la magistrature suprême. Après tout, on est bien en Afrique, n'est ce pas?

A group of South African soldiers deployed as part of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo got a special gift this week.

Father Christmas came in the guise of Lieutenant General Rinus van Rensburg, chief of defence corporate staff, and a host of other high ranking SA National Defence Force (SANDF) officers on a goodwill visit to boost the morale of soldiers deployed outside South Africa’s borders over the festive season.

The first stop of the tour that would include the DRC, Burundi and the Central African Republic was in Kamina in the eastern DRC.

A group of 36 Air Force pilots and crew is stationed there to give tactical air support to an Indian battalion of peacekeepers.

A spread of snacks and food from home was laid out for the soldiers and presents, paid for by private companies, in the form of picnic rucksacks.

“We are grateful for the sacrifice you make being away from your families over the festive season,” Van Rensburg told the troops.

He said a recent flareup of violence in the eastern DRC should not deter the South Africans, who are part of the more than 18 000-strong UN force in the country.

Among the South African troops in Kamina is Lieutenant Phetoga Molawa (21) who recently became the first black South African female helicopter pilot in the SANDF.

For her, spending December in another country was exciting as it was also her first operational foreign deployment.

The defence sector has an important role to play in contributing towards advanced manufacturing in the economy, the departments of defence and public enterprises said on Monday.

In a statement the departments said Cabinet had considered a strategy report last week on the SA Defence Related Industry (SADRI).

The study found that the SADRI had developed a range of capabilities, including hi-tech electronic and communications products, sensors, land vehicle platform, turrets, ammunition, artillery, small arms, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles, stabilisation systems, aerospace manufacturing and aviation maintenance.

"The development of these capabilities was mainly driven by South Africa's isolation under Apartheid and significant historical spend on the sector (R14.1bn in procurement in 1990)," the departments said.

However with the advent of democracy, government spending had been re-prioritised.

Defence acquisition spend has steadily reduced over the past 12 years to a level of R6.5bn in 2007.

The study indicated that in order for many local defence companies to survive they were forced to rely heavily on export markets.

"Due to the above factors, many of the SADRI capabilities are now sub-scale, when compared to global standards, and the industry is generally fragmented."

The report was commissioned by the departments of defence, trade and industry, science and technology and public enterprises, with the involvement of the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association (AMD) and Denel.

The departments said that although the local acquisition budget had reduced, shifts in expenditure patterns had occurred over the last two years with changing material requirements by the SANDF.

These included the finalisation of the Hoefyster (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) contract (R8 300m), the A-Darter (Air-to-Air Missile) development programme (R866m, jointly funded with Brazil) and the Oryx Helicopter midlife upgrade contracts (R730m).

These contracts would have benefits for Denel and the local industry.

The departments said Cabinet had noted the strategy and recommended that, where possible, local main contractors be appointed for all defence-related material requirements.

Furthermore -- in line with global benchmarks -- a target of 60 percent to 70 percent of defence spend directed towards the SADRI, in areas that had capacity and the competitive advantage, had been set.

Based on international best practice, communication between the department of defence and the SADRI would be enhanced.

This would be through policy statements and communicating medium to long term procurement plans, through industry supplier forums.

The report found that although the SADRI had developed very good capabilities, not all capabilities were commercially viable.

In addition, managerial and technical skills within local companies needed to be on par with competing countries.

"Cabinet resolved that further alliances with global partners will be entered into to ensure that standards are raised to world class levels, to increase access to markets and to contribute to the viability of certain capabilities," the departments said.

Further export marketing support would also be needed.

"Given reduced defence spend and the current state of the SADRI, consolidation of the local industry is both desirable and inevitable. This ranges from collaboration in specific areas to company mergers."

In terms of national defence support services, Cabinet approved that test and evaluation functions -- existing in a number of entities -- be consolidated into the Defence Evaluation and Research Institute (DERI).

This will reduce duplication, resulting in the sustainability of the national defence technology base.

The institute will be established through a Bill and will report to the Minister of Defence.

Christmas came early on Monday for a group of South African soldiers deployed as part of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Father Christmas came in the guise of Lt General Rinus van Rensburg, chief of defence corporate staff, and a host of other high ranking SA National Defence Force (SANDF) officers on a goodwill visit to boost the morale of soldiers deployed outside South Africa’s borders over the festive season.

The first stop of the tour, that would see the top brass of the SANDF visiting troops deployed in the DRC, Burundi and the Central African Republic, was in Kamina in the eastern DRC.

A group of 36 Air Force pilots and crew is stationed there to give tactical air support to an Indian battalion deployed to keep the peace in the area.

A spread of snacks and food from home was laid out for the soldiers and presents, paid for by private companies, in the form of picnic rucksacks.

"We are grateful for the sacrifice you make being away from your families over the festive season," Van Rensburg told the troops.

He said a recent flare up of violence in the eastern DRC should not deter the South Africans, who are part of the more than 18,000 strong UN force in the country.

“You are working to ensure a democratic and effective government here and to ensure stability in the Great Lakes region,” Van Rensburg said.

Among the South African troops in Kamina is Lieutenant Phetoga Molawa, 21, who recently became the first black South African female helicopter pilot in the SANDF.

For her, spending December in another country was exciting as it was also her first operational foreign deployment.

“It is precisely the thing any SA Air Force chopper pilot wishes for,” she said.

"It is very good exposure, to see how other defence forces work and learning about their cultures and way of doing things."

Molawa said the locals were initially very surprised to see her flying.

“They point and ask the crew if it’s me flying ‘that big helicopter’ and don’t believe it when they find out it is,” she said.

The South Africans are from 15 Squadron and 19 Squadron from Durban and Louis Trichardt respectively.

They operate the two South African Oryx helicopters painted in the white UN colours over an area of 1000 square kilometres where the Indian troops are deployed.

“It is great flying here,” says Lieutenant Colonel Alec Kitley. He has been on several deployments, including in neighbouring Burundi.

While it was difficult to be away from family over the festive season, especially for the families themselves, it has become part of the SANDF work to be deployed abroad and soldiers and their families had adapted.

“They get to understand the purpose and the reason for us being here,” Kitley said.

The visiting group will be in Burundi on Tuesday where South Africans are the only foreign troops remaining to keep the peace after the UN shut down its mission in that country in December last year.

The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) on Monday confirmed that two nursing sisters were arrested on allegations of fraud after treating a civilian woman without authorisation.

"I can confirm that two sisters at Thaba Tshwane's 1 Military Hospital were arrested on Friday on allegations of fraud," said SANDF spokesman Colonel Petrus Motlhabane.

This comes after the two nurses put plaster of Paris on the broken hand of an injured civilian worker at the hospital, without being officially authorised to treat her.

Motlhabane said the civilian worker as well as another civilian had also been arrested.

"It may be that the woman was not on the SANDF's medical aid said Motlhabane.

"The sisters were to appear in the military court today (Monday)".

By 5pm he could not say whether they had appeared or what the outcome of the case was.

It was also not clear when the incident occurred.

According to Beeld newspaper Captain Peggy van Heerden and Captain Netta Pieterse, were arrested after putting plaster on the hand of the worker who fell and injured her hand in the hospital's cafeteria. One of the sister's felt sorry for the worker and an x-ray was conducted.

The daily newspaper reported that the worker offered to pay for the service seeing that the hospital only looked after uniformed personnel.

Advocate Pikkie Greeff of the SANDF Union, who arranged legal representation for the two, said it bordered on the ridiculous to charge them because of their compassion.

"They are both officers and women. The two of them and the 63-year-old woman whose hand was in plaster were treated like criminals by male non-commissioned officers, and thrown into the van."

Greeff said: "Afterwards, they were held at the military police office, after the officer commanding the hospital ordered that they should be held for the weekend.

"They weren't processed by female police officers, as required by law, and weren't even allowed access to the toilet," he told Beeld.

J'ai un gros problème en Afrique du Sud: je n'arrive pas à donner d'âge aux gens. Même si cela peut vous paraître futile, c'est dramatique. En général, je donne aux gens 15 ans de trop. je donne aux gens de la trenteine, la cinquantaine... C'est très génant. exemple: mon petie collègue, je lui donnai 35 ans, alors quand il m'a dit qu'il en avait 20, forcément, j'ai eu un peu honte... Et ce gros  porc que vous voyez en photo, combien vous lui donnez? 40? 45? plus? il a 32 ans... et il m'a montré son passeport. Il voulait être sur mon blog, son voeu s'est réalisé... Je me permets de l'appeler le gros porc, car depuis qu'il me connaît, il essaie de me coincer,e t est persuadé que je suis amoureuse de lui et tous mes refus l'amusent: il croit que j'ai super sens de l'humour, j'ai beau lui dire n'importe quoi (non pas ce soir gros porc, je promène ma mouche apprivoisée, ni demain, je regarde les pubs à la télé, et après demain j'ai piscine etc... etc... mais dans 300 ans , je crois que j'ai 1 heure de libre...) , il revient toujours à la charge... Il se croit irrésistible, moi je l'ai "gentiment" surnomé le gros porc et le pire c'est qu'il adore quand je l'appelle comme ça... je ne sais pas comment il peut croire qu'une petite française délicate comme moi (et non célibataire faut-il le rappeler...) pourrait sortir avec lui... enfin, bref... En plus c'est un "reborn". Les reborn sont persuadés que Jésus les a sauvés et ils veulent sauver tout le monde... Je n'avais jamais rencontré de reborn en France ou en Suisse... et bien je n'ai pas été déçue: les membres de cette secte sont fous!!! Bon, il faut reconnaître que gros c'est un soft, il préfère coincer des filles que sauver les âmes d'autrui, ce qui est plus sain que sauter comme un cabri en hurlant "Jésus m'a sauvé, Jésus m'a sauvé!". Lol ... Donc gros porc est un reborn qui ira en enfer...

Gros porc qui se croit beau et qui distribue sa photo... (photo donnée, imposée, par l'auteur...)

Young South Africans need to be encouraged to join the SANDF as a career option because of a dire shortage of jobs and skills in this country.

The army has plenty to offer school leavers and graduates in terms of job security, skills training and exposure to new technology.

And this year the SANDF has gone public with its recruitment drive because it wants to attract top candidates, especially those who are good at maths and science.

What this confirms is that the army is not just about training soldiers for combat.

There is much more involved in serving the nation.

A high pass rate in maths and science will ensure that technical positions – such as mechanics, pilots and air traffic controllers – are filled.

Lieutenant-General Derick Mgwebi, the newly appointed chief of human resources in the Department of Defence, says that next year 4 000 recruits will join the army.

This is a huge intake. It will certainly go a long way in reducing the number of unemployed young people.

Bringing in young South Africans to serve in the army will also give the SANDF an opportunity to transform itself and refute the idea that is an old white man’s army.

More black people, women and young white people need to be included in line with the country’s transformation programmes.

We concur with Mgwebi when he says people must be able to identify with the defence force and see opportunities for themselves.

“To rejuvenate the SANDF, we must recruit young people to replace the old and those who are leaving.”

Your country needs you.

Ou quand on marche sur la tête... lol... Imposé, le mot est parfait...

A la chute, au début des années 1990, de l'apartheid en Afrique du Sud, 10 % de la population détenaient 90 % des richesses du pays. Depuis, le pouvoir politique ne cesse de pousser à la transformation de l'économie, en redistribuant le capital et les emplois. Même si rien dans la législation n'est réellement contraignant, personne ne peut échapper au Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE, charte pour l'avancement économique des Noirs), la nouvelle règle du jeu du business en Afrique du Sud.

Aucune loi n'oblige les entreprises à se mettre en conformité, si ce n'est celle du marché, qui crée un phénomène d'entraînement. Selon le gouvernement, entre 1995 et 2005, plus de 1 300 accords ont été conclus et 285 milliards de rands (27 milliards d'euros) ont changé de mains, passant des blanches aux noires.

Au départ, seules les sociétés passant des contrats avec l'Etat devaient répondre à un certain nombre de critères, le premier étant qu'une part de leur capital soit détenue par des actionnaires noirs - " noirs " incluant les Indiens et les métis. Elles devaient aussi prouver leur capacité à offrir des opportunités d'emploi et de carrière à cette catégorie d'employés. Une autre clause a déclenché l'effet domino : ces entreprises sont obligées de démontrer qu'elles favorisent pour leur sous-traitance des sociétés " noires ". Donc même si une entreprise ne travaille pas directement avec l'Etat, elle est indirectement sommée de se mettre en conformité.

These figures were in a departmental motivation sent to Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk in January 2005 when he was first asked to introduce a permit system to regulate diving in areas of high poaching.

But the documentation was lost five times in the department's Pretoria office and it was only this week that new draft regulations to ban all diving in certain areas were gazetted for public comment.

The move is designed to enhance the effectiveness of the suspension of the commercial perlemoen fishery, due to come into effect in February.

Both moves have been cautiously welcomed by some but strongly criticised by others.

Critics include the DA, which says the proposed diving ban "is once again another initiative that punishes the law-abiding public for the transgressions of common criminals".

"What is needed instead is a co-ordinated, cross-sectoral approach to dealing with abalone (perlemoen) poaching and a more active approach to resource management and the enforcement of regulations that protect our marine and coastal environment," said DA environment spokesperson Gareth Morgan.

He suggested such an approach could include:

The use of high-powered "super ducks" (inflatable craft) which could be launched from the shore for policing and patrol purposes;

Better co-ordination between the department, the police and the SANDF for the protection of marine and coastal resources; and,

A reintroduction of environmental courts to ensure speedy trials. Local diving enthusiast Cleeve Robertson said he had been diving along the South African coast for 39 years and poaching had always been a problem.

"The issue is one of pervasive corruption of law.

"No one is prepared to enforce the laws that we've made, so making more laws and regulations isn't going to solve the problem."

Banning divers would do "absolutely nothing" to stop poachers who acted with impunity and who had the economic support of very powerful criminal syndicates, Robertson added.

"The ordinary law-abiding citizens of this country are increasingly being prejudiced by the corruption of basic administration and governance. It's easier to target the good citizens than defend against criminals."

Department spokesperson Mava Scott said the perlemoen resource was threatened with extinction.

"Urgent drastic measures are required to prevent this resource from total collapse. South Africa is not unique in respect of a nearly collapsed abalone resource, but we are unique in that we have an opportunity to recover the resource."

According to documentation sent to Van Schalkwyk in early 2005, the then proposed Danger Point to Cape Agulhas and Dyer Island controlled diving zones contained the last functioning perlemoen ecosystem.

Elsewhere, poaching and the migration of West Coast rock lobster, which eat the sea urchins whose spines provide protection for juvenile perlemoen, had decimated stocks.

"The extent of the decline in abundance has led to a zero recruitment in all but two of the seven abalone Turfs (areas supposedly reserved for harvesting only by the local community the so-called "Turf" system).

In some areas of their original distribution, no abalone can be found anymore."

The South African National Defence Force wants you, provided you’re young, have top marks in maths and science and are committed to defending the country.

Newly appointed Department of Defence (DoD) chief of human resources Lieutenant General Derick Mgwebi said yesterday they were committed to being the country’s employer of choice. “New recruits will be exposed to the best technology in the country.”

Mgwebi said the military’s drive to recruit top achieving youngsters was aimed at rejuvenating the defence force and addressing the skills shortage.

Next year 4 000 new recruits – down from 10 000 because of budget contestants – will join the armed forces while about 3 000 will hang up their uniforms.

Mgwebi said it was the SANDF’s responsibility to produce people able to protect the country but they needed competent people to do the job – human assets.

He said policies were put in place to encourage young people to join the armed forces.

“The community must be able to identify with the Department of Defence and see opportunities for themselves.

“To rejuvenate the SANDF we must recruit young people to replace the old and those that are leaving,” he said.

But, said Mgwebi, the defence force needed candidates with high matric pass marks in maths and science to address the skills shortage. Particular problems include a shortage of mechanics, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) operators, pilots, air traffic controllers and a host of other specialist careers for people manning the newly acquired navy fleet of ships. “They must be young and healthy and be focused on defending the country.”

Another challenge facing the recruitment drive was attracting white people to the defence force.

“We must target the young white South Africans and tell them that there is space in the defence force for them.”

Call for peacekeeping forces to be HIV-free Political Correspondent SA SHOULD not deploy HIV- positive soldiers on peacekeeping assignments until troops establish a record of good behaviour on such missions, says Lindy Heinecken, a defence analyst at Stellenbosch University.

She said deploying HIV-positive soldiers would pose a risk to their own health as well as their colleagues' wellbeing. It could also contribute to the spread of the virus in the civilian population in the country of deployment, with certain diplomatic implications.

The soldiers' potential to rape and spread HIV, that is more a concern to me than the human rights of the soldier, Heinecken said at a two-day regional conference looking at HIV and AIDS in the military.

Whose human rights should weigh more heavily those of soldiers who want to serve on external deployment for 'money', much the same as mercenaries or the 'dogs of war', or innocent civilians who may become infected by their reckless behaviour? She said greater punitive sanctions should be imposed on soldiers who allowed themselves to become infected. Here the military has an entire legal and authority arsenal at its disposal to impose good discipline and demand conduct becoming a professional armed force. South African troops have been implicated in sexual misconduct along with other foreign troops deployed in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Peacekeeping is one of the key priorities of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which has a foreign deployment of more than 3000 soldiers, mainly in Africa.

UN recommendations for deployment require soldiers to be medically fit and free of HIV. Heineken's comments are made against the backdrop of a pending court challenge by the South African Security Forces Union (Sasfu), which seeks to overturn the policy on HIV. The SANDF does not accept new recruits who are HIV- positive, and serving soldiers who are HIV-positive are largely excluded from foreign missions.

Sasfu argues that this is unfair discrimination in recruitment, deployment and promotion. The case will be heard in the Pretoria High Court in May next year.

Heinecken said that should the military lose the case, it might have to conduct an assessment of what the critical uniformed posts were with a view to deciding what positions could be filled by civilians or outsourced. The difficulty the SANDF faces in terms of force preparation is that, unlike business, it cannot readily recruit personnel from the civilian labour market to fill gaps left by 'unplanned' attrition due to deaths, sickness, medical discharge or resignations. So far the SANDF did not have a problem finding recruits. According to Heinecken, last year the military received 93000 applications and 3500 were selected. The challenge was to keep training sufficient numbers, and for this the funding is too low.

The head of the Institute for Security Studies defence sector programme, Len le Roux, said the military had recognised HIV as a strategic issue as far back as 1998 and had rolled out antiretrovirals before the national programme was launched in 2003. The rate of infection in the SANDF was last reported to be about 23%. Le Roux said the length of deployments, and a lack of recreational facilities, contributed to the spread of HIV.

A decision made in the late 1990s to source out jobs such as those of chefs and mechanics has come back to haunt the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), its newly appointed chief of human resource Lieutenant General Derrick Mgwebi said on Wednesday.

Mgwebi said the defence force had started an active recruitment campaign in schools and among young people -- and it was looking for top matriculants to serve in the military.

"We want people with high marks in maths and physics," Mgwebi said.

This forms part of an effort to rejuvenate the defence force, but at the same time, the initiative would also fill highly skilled positions in the force including special force operators, engineers, doctors, pilots, air traffic controllers and explosives technicians.

Mgwebi said the military also needed people to fill chefs' jobs and mechanic's positions. The SANDF currently has about 56,000 uniformed personnel working in all four services; army, air force, navy and medical health service.

The SANDF has received more than 102,700 applications for the two-year-military skills development programme of which 4,000 would be appointed in the coming year.

Mgwebi, however, pointed out that there were challenges which required the recruitment of top matriculants.

He said the defence force was also struggling to recruit young white men and woman to join the force.

He said at junior level, there were too few white people -- this meant that the force was not achieving its equity targets.

"It means we must go out to schools and say to young white people 'there is a space for you, come onboard -- we can develop a future for you'," Mgwebi said.

Without mentioning the HIV and Aids pandemic directly, he said that it was also a challenge for the defence force to find healthy young people to join up.

The SANDF has launched a series of television and radio adverts including ads in Afrikaans targeted at young people, highlighting the military as an "employer of choice".

The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) will assist the Ivorian Defence Force with its integration process, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said on Tuesday.

He welcomed the Ivory Coast Minister of Defence N’Guessan Michel Amani to the defence headquarters in Pretoria for discussions on the integration process in the West African country.

"South Africa faced the challenge of integrating seven very diverse forces into a unified SANDF. We trust, therefore, that we may be able to make a meaningful contribution to your endeavours to integrate your defence force successfully," he said.

SA officers are already in the Ivory Coast assisting with the demobilisation project where those rebel and militia and defence members who are to be integrated into the united Ivory Coast Defence Force are identified, as are others who wished to be "civilianised".

"We would put in assistance in regard to selection and registration and where needed, we would provide training facilities and capabilities," Lekota said.

He said the donation of certain defence equipment would also be considered at a later stage.

"Where the issue of resources may arise, because there was quite a lot of destruction during the rebellion, we would exam the equipment and other material we might contribute," Lekota said.

"I’m here to learn, how to build a strong army and how to put this army at the service of the people of the Ivory Coast," Amani said.

He and a delegation of senior Ivory Coast officers will visit several military installations during the week that he is in the country.

Ivory Coast -- the world's biggest cocoa producer -- has been hit by civil conflict since September 2002, when rebels attempted a coup against Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo.

The country’s warring factions announced two weeks ago that disarming of rebel militants and hardline pro-government militia would begin by December 22, at the latest.

Wrangling between the two sides has stalled earlier attempts at disarming an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 members of former rebel leader Guillaume Soro's New Forces and nearly 10,000 militias loyal to Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo.

The country is also hoping to stage presidential and parliamentary elections by June 2008.