South African Violence

Ongoing Violence:

Police armed with rubber bullets were patrolling neighborhoods in Johannesburg on Tuesday in an effort to quell a recent spree of violence aimed at foreigners that police say has killed 22 people and displaced an estimated 13,000.

REF: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/20/southafrica.violence/index.html

Black On White Violence:

The ethnic cleansing of Southern Africa's commercial farm communities has taken the lives of 1,334 farmers, farm workers and their kin since 1994, the year the ANC took power. The farmers were killed most often in violent, organized attacks, always by young African males. Add to the death toll 12 farmers killed in Zimbabwe and four in Namibia. In 85 percent of the killings, not one item was stolen from the farms and farmhouses.

They are being murdered at 264 per 100,000 population group. It is the highest in the world!

REF: http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/447.htm

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»-(¯`·.·´¯)-> Love life ...

PS: See me at  www.iamviv.com, vivza.blogspot.com and vivswaffletour.blogspot.com

The Olympics !

Yes, It has started !

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»-(¯`·.·´¯)-> Love life ...

PS: See me at  www.iamviv.com, vivza.blogspot.com and vivswaffletour.blogspot.com

Very true...

--
»-(¯`·.·´¯)-> Love life ...

PS: See me at  www.iamviv.com and vivza.blogspot.com

Crime in South Africa

South Africa in the 2000s. A survey for the period 1998-2000 compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ranked South Africa second for assault and murder (by all means) per capita and first for rapes per capita.

Many emigrants from South Africa state that crime was a big factor in their decision to leave. Crime against commercial farmers has continued to be a major problem in the country. South Africa also has a bad record for car hijackings when compared to industrialized countries largely associated with the lower rate of car ownership. One South African insurance company, Hollard Insurance, no longer insures Volkswagen Citi Golfs as they are one of the most frequently hijacked vehicles in South Africa. In some areas there are road signs that indicate a high car-jack zone. A recent new trend in South Africa is for thieves to enter restaurants and rob the patrons eating there.

The Minister of Safety and Security, Charles Nqakula caused outrage among South Africans in June 2006 when he responded to opposition MPs in parliament, who were not satisfied that enough was being done to counter crime, saying that MPs who complain about the country's crime rate, should stop complaining and leave the country.

Also see: SA 'rape capital' of the world

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_South_Africa

Where is South Africa

Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It borders the Atlantic and Indian oceans and Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho, an independent enclave surrounded by South African territory. South Africa is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The South African economy is the largest in Africa and 24th largest in the world. Due to this it is the most socially, economically and infrastructurally developed country on the continent.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa

Cheetah

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a member of the cat family (Felidae) that is unique for making up in speed and stealth what it lacks in climbing abilities. As such, it is placed in its own genus, Acinonyx. It is the fastest of all land animals and can reach speeds between 112 kilometres per hour (70 mph) and 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph)[3] in short bursts up to 460 metres (500 yd), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) in three seconds, faster than most supercars !!!

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah

South Africa 101 !

South Africa 101 ...

Background:

Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together under the Union of South Africa. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in black majority rule.

Ref: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/sf.html

South Africa win world cup

DID YOU KNOW!

South Africa is the current Rugby Union World Cup Champions !

PARIS, 20 October 2007 - South Africa defeated England 15-6 in the world cup final at Stade de France on Saturday to add a second Webb Ellis Cup to the one they won as hosts in 1995.

The Rugby World Cup is the premier international rugby union competition. The event is organized by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), and is contested by the men's national teams. The inaugural tournament was held in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand, and is now contested every four years.

The winners are awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup, named after the Rugby School pupil credited with the game's invention. The tournament is one of the largest international sporting competitions in the world.[1][2]

South Africa are the current World champions, having won the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final in France on 20 October 2007 with victory over England, the 2003 World Champions and current runners-up. The next Rugby World Cup is due to be contested in New Zealand in 2011.

2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup

DID YOU KNOW !

In 2010 South Africa will host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup !

Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg is to undergo minor upgrades for 2010. It has a capacity of 60 000 and will host five first-round matches, one second-round and one quarter-final match.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup

Kilimanjaro

I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro
All my heart is yearning
Like a candle burning in the night
Seasons keep on turning
Sometimes hard to keep up the fight
I will climb the ancient mountain
I will find the last flicker of the light

I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro
I can see a new tomorrow
I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro
I cast aways all my sorrows

What a strange strange freedom
Only free to choose my chains
So hard not to weaken-
Just give up and walk away
I will climb the ancient mountain
I will find the last flicker of the light

I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro
I can see a new tomorrow
I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro
I cast away all my sorrows
I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro
It thrills me right down to the marrow
I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro
I can see a new tomorrow

Um ho um

I'm sittin' on the top of Kilimanjaro
I can see a new tomorrow.
I've reached the sun...........


Kilimanjaro with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawensi, and Shira, is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania. Although it does not have the highest elevation, Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain rise[1] in the world,[2] rising 4,600 m (15,100 ft) from its base, and includes the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 meters (19,340 ft), providing a dramatic view from the surrounding plains.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilimanjaro

Johnny Clegg

He has always had the African sound that has captivated me. Growing up I can remember listening to hours of this ! Yes, I LOVE it !

Jonathan (Johnny) Clegg, born June 7, 1953 in Rochdale (near Manchester), Lancashire, (UK), is a popular musician from South Africa, who has recorded and performed with his bands Juluka and Savuka. Sometimes called "The White Zulu", he is an important figure in South African popular music history, with songs that mix Zulu and English lyrics, and African / European / Celtic music styles.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Clegg_(musician)

Elephant in Musk

An Elephant bull in musk. They secrete a strong smelling liquid from a gland behind their eyes, signaling that they are looking for females.

Here is a YouTube video showing that they do get a bit 'edgy' when in musk. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb8rQI3b3RM

ViV

Zebra Again..

I had lots of questions about how you tell the difference between a male and female Zebra. Well, it is actually very easy.

Look at the picture. The male Zebra is actually black and has white stripes. The female is white with black stripes !! See, easy !

ViV

PS: The one above is a male !!

The Elephant

Elephants (Elephantidae) are a family in the order Proboscidea in the class Mammalia. They were once classified along with other thick skinned animals in a now invalid order, Pachydermata. There are three living species: the African Bush Elephant, the African Forest Elephant (until recently known collectively as the African Elephant), and the Asian Elephant (also known as the Indian Elephant). Other species have become extinct since the last ice age, which ended about 10,000 years ago, the Mammoth being the most well-known of these.

Elephants are mammals, and the largest land animals alive today.[1] The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kilograms (265 lb). An elephant may live as long as 70 years, sometimes longer. The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1956. This male weighed about 12,000 kg (26,400 lb),[2] with a shoulder height of 4.2 m (13.8 ft), a metre (3 ft 4 in) taller than the average male African elephant.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant

The Lion

The lion (Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. With exceptionally large males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight,[2] it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia with a critically endangered remnant population in northwest India, having disappeared from North Africa, the Middle East, and western Asia in historic times.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion

The leopard

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is an Old World mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four 'big cats' of the genus Panthera, along with the tiger, lion, and jaguar. Leopards that are melanistic, either all-black or very dark in coloration, are known colloquially as black panthers.

Once distributed across southern Eurasia and Africa, from Korea to South Africa and Spain, it has disappeared from much of its former range and now chiefly occurs in subsaharan Africa.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard

The Zebra

Zebras are odd-toed ungulates of the Equidae family native to eastern, southern and southwestern Africa. They are best known for their distinctive white and black stripes, which come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals and can be seen in small harems to large herds.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra

The Springbok

The Springbok (Afrikaans and Dutch: spring = jump; bok = antelope or goat) (Antidorcas marsupialis) is a medium sized brown and white gazelle that stands about 75 cm high. Springbuck males weigh between 33-48 kg and the females between to 30-44 kg. They can reach running speeds of up to 80kph.

The springbok was a national symbol of South Africa under white minority rule (including a significant period prior to the establishment of Apartheid). It was adopted as a nickname or mascot by a number of South African sports teams, most famously by the national rugby union team.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springbok_(antelope)

Sunset on a Baobab tree

Baobab is the common name of a genus (Adansonia) containing eight species of trees, native to Madagascar (the centre of diversity, with six species), mainland Africa and Australia (one species in each). The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that country. Other common names include boab, boaboa, bottle tree and monkey bread tree. The species reach heights of between 5–25 m, 10-80ft (exceptionally 30 m, 100ft) tall, and up to 7 m, 23ft (exceptionally 11 m, 36ft) in trunk diameter. They are noted for storing water inside the swollen trunk, with the capacity to store up to 120,000 litres, 32,000 US gallons, of water to endure the harsh drought conditions particular to each region.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baobab