Some years ago I had the pleasure of driving a minister of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and her ambassador from Durban to Johannesburg.

Several times along the N3, she said: “Look at this world class infrastructure. Do you know what you have? Do you appreciate it.”

I recall feeling rather proud and expressed the wish that one day the Saharawis too could  have a motorway across their desert land. 

What might the minister have said had we been traveling along the road on Sunday?

With the burning trucks, it might have reminded her of the war her people have fought to rid their country of Moroccan occupation.

Together with arterial roads closed by demonstrators in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town in recent days, they are certainly not showpieces for a developing country heading for prosperity.

How do we explain this motorway mayhem to potential investors or tourists?

The authorities warned motorists on Sunday not to use the N3 at night.

Their caution is laudable, even though it sends a dire message to potential investors in and visitors to South Africa.

Such caution is invariably expressed by countries concerned about the well-being of their citizens abroad.

It invariably attracts fury from the targets of their warnings because it tends to deter tourism.

We saw this last month when Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu  angrily responded to a travel advisory from Australia.

She says it casts a slur on the country. 

Sisulu appears to have been responding to media  reports rather than  facts.

The Australian travel advisory was first issued in the year 2000.

True, it advises travelers to South Africa  to exercise a high degree of  caution.

Actually, it places South Africa on the second lowest degree of danger – in the same category as  countries like Belgium and France.

In much the same way as an advisory would use a health ministry warning of cholera to urge travelers take health precautions, the Australian document uses material from SAPS annual reports  to advise of the potential of murder,  rape, mugging and robbery.

The advisory has been updated to include water shortages in the Western Cape – again using language  deployed by the local authority.

I remember after contracting malaria in Zimbabwe , I asked the South Africa health authorities in high dudgeon: why did no-one warm me?

True, there were posters at the border posts. Surely I have a right to expect more from a caring government?

If you are traveling to a country where protestors make nocturnal travel hazardous, would you not expect your own people to tell you so?

It is axiomatic that there are good things and bad things about any destination: from insect-born lurgies and pickpockets to dread diseases and flat out terrorists.

The simple answer to avoiding them is stay home.

If you can’t or won’t accept this option, arm yourself with the information you need for your security. Above all: don’t shoot the messenger.

The post Travel advice: don’t shoot the messenger appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The provincial executive of the African National Congress in Gauteng, which houses both Johannesburg and Pretoria, has sent a not to branches saying Ramaphosa its its only candidate for leadership of the party at its elective conference in December.

It’s been a turbulent week for the trade-unionist-turned-politician-turned billionaire-turned politician.

This is hardly surprising as the race hots up for leadership of the African National Congress, which will in all likelihood also mean the national presidency after the 2019 election.

Cyril Ramaphosa was tipped by 16 of the country’s top 26 political analysts to become the next ANC leader.

Five of the analysts, who come from universities, risk advisers and research institutes, say President Jacob Zuma’s ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will succeed him. Four say it was too soon to call and one says Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe will be a surprise winner.

They say Ramaphosa surging ahead because he’s declared his hand and pledged to fight corruption.

Dlamini Zuma is suffering because she’s perceived to be too close to her former husband.

Results of the analysts’ poll came before the announcement from the ANC provincial executive in Gauteng.

Ramaphosa already has the support of provincial executives in the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape – popularly known as the cradle of the ANC revolution.

The post Ramaphosa gets Gauteng’s endorsement for ANC leadership appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Authorities are blaming parents who’ve left it to the last minute to register their children in Gauging and the Western Cape.

They insist they will eventually accommodate all the pupils. Last year it took until May to do this.

Finding desks for pupils is a perennial problem in South Africa – particularly in the urban areas.

The biggest jam is in the first year of school and and the first year of high school.

Parents are advised to register for places at least six months before the start of the new year.

Fewer than half do this.

South Africa’s schools are not only grossly  overcrowded, but they are of lamentably poor standard

In the week that results were released from South Africa’s final high school certificate called matric, the international news publication, The Economist, has declared the schools in Africa’s wealthiest country as among the most inept in the world.

The publication reported that South Africa ranked 75th out of 76, in a league table of education systems drawn up by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The post No place at schools for 60 000 South African children appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Mmusi Maimane says he may have to give up his ministrations from the pulpit now he has taken on this job of growing the Democratic Alliance which is dishonestly dismissed by the ruling African National Congress as a white party.
Mmusi Maimane will retain the parliamentary leadership of the Democratic Alliance where he earned his spurs confronting President Jacob Zuma.

His first task will be to raise funds for the DA to contest next year’s municipal elections which will be his first acid test as leader.

The DA controls the Western Cape and runs a close second to the ANC in the heartland province of Gauteng.

Maimane says in his inaugural speech at the congress in Port Elizabeth that he leads a party that espouses the principals and diversity cherished by the last Nelson Mandela.

He’s adamant there’s no place for racism and division in the DA.

There will be place for black veteran Wilmot James who opposed him for the post vacated by Helen Zille who led the party for eight years and retains the Western Cape provincial leadership.

Tony Leon, who was DA leader before Zille says Maimane will have to adopt strategies to continue the growth the party that stresses service above the acquisition of private wealth.

The post South African opposition party elects first black leader appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Temperatures soared above 40 degrees in what was the area’s hottest day in century.

Helicopters and fixed wing aircraft waterbombed the blaze and firefighters were drafted in from neighbouring towns. Ends intro

The endemic Western Cape scrub known as fynbos is tinder dry at the end of summer in South Africa’s thin southern sliver area of winter rainfall.

The cause of the fire that started over the weekend has not been established. It has spread rapidly across the peninsula.

Flames are fanned by the strong southeasterly wind that blows across the area at this time of year. The mountainous terrain has made fighting the fire difficult and dangerous.

Hundreds of square kilometres of bush have been left looking like a lunarscape on which slower-moving wildlife has died,.

Damage to property includes a luxury lodge and several homes razed.

There has been time to evacuate areas under threat – including residents of an old-aged gome. One firefighter has been hospitalised with burns. There are no reports of deaths.

President Jacob Zuma has congratulated the fighters. They are working day and night although their aircraft are grounded after dark for safety reasons.

Local communities are supplying them with food and drink which is being ferried to refreshment areas by the network taxi company Uber.

The post Cape ablaze on it’s hottest day in a 100 years appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.