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Post by tod2 on Jul 17, 2021 12:47:34 GMT
Oh its fine. I know Kerouac well enough to know he has a suspicious mind....I think the text was sent to me via our neighbor across on the farm. He is teaches doctors studying anaesthetics, so I guess that makes him an Anaesthesiologist. Whoever it came from, they mean well.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 17, 2021 13:18:11 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Jul 18, 2021 9:36:20 GMT
Meanwhile, looting a store that sells party supplies is just plain ridiculous. Kerouac, you are 100% right in saying looting a party shop is just ridiculous. But that is what the looters set out to do. Not only grab fridges and washing machines. The plan was to destroy South Africas economy by trashing all businesses that happened to be in the path of their frenzied avalanche into the selected areas they were told to attack. It has been discovered that many people were trampled to death as they surged forward. What surprised me most was that a large majority were women that had brought their young children along - not toddlers but teenagers and younger. This was told to me by our gardener who has eyes closer to the ground than we have. My permanent tenant managed to get a flight home to his parents in JHB but before he left he told me a friends Optometrist shop was looted for spectacles. Not satisfied with the haul they set about tearing up all her patient cards so she would have to try and piece them together for patient information. I suppose it could have been set alight as most looters did after all goods were taken. There is a lot of fake news. Deliberately put out there. But this morning we had a warning to be more vigilant than ever as this attempted Coup has only finished with stage 1. Another strategy is planned for this week, maybe even starting tomorrow - It seems every man in the street knows about it so I'm certain our President is well aware and is taking steps to quelle any violence. Gosh I certainly hope so. I left home with Mr.Tod this morning for the first time. I wanted to stock up on butter, milk, more bread and fruit. It took two stores to get all. It is a beautiful day again. Clear weather and a cool 21C.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 18, 2021 9:50:09 GMT
A footnote: The police are hot on the heels of looters. Retired magistrates have been asked to come back to hear prosecutions dealing with looted goods. I'm sending you a photo I got on my phone and I don't think its fake.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jul 18, 2021 9:51:34 GMT
Good morning tod.
Take care.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 18, 2021 10:02:46 GMT
The photo looks very authentic to me. It is really common for people to steal things they don't even need. That's why the police regularly find rooms full of stolen goods all in their original packaging.
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Post by whatagain on Jul 18, 2021 12:06:21 GMT
Thanks to keep us posted Tod. Crossing fingers and waiting for more good news.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 18, 2021 18:17:54 GMT
this morning we had a warning to be more vigilant than ever as this attempted Coup has only finished with stage 1. Another strategy is planned for this week, maybe even starting tomorrow - It seems every man in the street knows about it so I'm certain our President is well aware and is taking steps to quelle any violence. Gosh I certainly hope so. I left home with Mr.Tod this morning for the first time. I wanted to stock up on butter, milk, more bread and fruit. It took two stores to get all. It is a beautiful day again. Clear weather and a cool 21C. Quoting you, Tod, so that the most recent information is here further down the page. Again, thank you for the updates, as we need to be reassured that you're okay. It must have been nice to get out of the house and I'm sure you wanted to take a look for yourself at the condition of your city. Take care, dear girl!
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Post by tod2 on Jul 19, 2021 10:44:06 GMT
Hello everyone. I'm feeling so much better today. Yesterday was just awful. My stomach in a knot all the time resulting in me taking a "calm down pill" OTC but it did help. Being told by "reliable sources" what the situation is heading for does not help, and Mr.Tod's phone bleeps constantly as he is registered with the group that keeps a constant vigil day and night in our area. Having to discuss plans with the family in case of an evacuation does a shredded job on my nerves. Having to get passports ready, a plan where we will all head for together when we leave the house, where are our valuables such as Kruger coins and jewellery. Then my mind races as to "how are we taking the dog?" - Oh dear, should I bring the document I have with Rudyard Kiplings autograph? What about all my photo albums documenting my sons life from a baby? So you see how tormented my mind got. Apparently all the threats were directed at the arrival today of Jacob Zuma for a Supreme Court Hearing. Whether this was a tactical move by the police (and the President) we don't know but it was cancelled. I reckon they should keep doing a Ön-Off" "date so that the trouble-makers don't know what's happening for sure. At any rate this withdrawal of todays appearance has calmed the waters and it seems all back to normal....for now I guess.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 19, 2021 10:57:29 GMT
I agree that the uncertainty is the most tormenting factor. People who suddenly lose everything by surprise (flood, tornado, forest fire...) seem to get over things pretty fast after the initial shock. Not everybody of course, but it's a wake up call that being alive is more important than your "stuff." But not knowing what is going to happen and worrying about it is just awful.
You are certainly in our minds a lot.
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Post by casimira on Jul 19, 2021 18:40:21 GMT
I agree that the uncertainty is the most tormenting factor. People who suddenly lose everything by surprise (flood, tornado, forest fire...) seem to get over things pretty fast after the initial shock. Not everybody of course, but it's a wake up call that being alive is more important than your "stuff." But not knowing what is going to happen and worrying about it is just awful. You are certainly in our minds a lot. What an incredibly insensitive remark to make Kerouac. I hope nothing like that ever happens to you.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 19, 2021 20:57:09 GMT
I grew up listening my mother's and grandparents' storiies about losing everything during the war. Is that good enough for you? And people didn't have home insurance back then, so just about everything that my grandparents owned dated from after 1945. They got over it. Just as they did in 1918.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 20, 2021 13:09:32 GMT
It looks as if Pietermaritzburg is trying it's best to get back to some kind of normality. The grocery shops have food and veg flooding in. Unfortunately the dairy farmers had to pour the milk down the drain but in some instances were giving it away free to anyone. Everyone is going about their business and taxi buses are getting staff to work again, but thousands have no jobs now... There will be another date set for Zuma to appear in court - 10th August. What will happen before then or after is not sure. Mr.Tod mentioned something about doing his appearance via a web link and not in a physical way which stops any supporters entering the city and making trouble. I'm keeping myself busy in the house. Expecting BnB guest arriving on Friday for the weekend.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 20, 2021 13:14:49 GMT
That sounds like good news to me, especially if deliveries to supermarkets are back to normal. Covid already showed us how easy it is to disrupts supplies and frankly civil unrest is a much more serious prospect.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 25, 2021 13:27:15 GMT
As the week has progressed a feeling of confident relief has been felt. Is this too early to hope that the "trouble makers/Coup" have decided to hold fire for awhile? We have been warned not to let our guard down. Rumours or truths are circulating that there will be a determined effort to ransack all police stations and relieve them of their fire arms and ammunition. Can you imagine this? We have also heard the government/police want to take away all firearms licensed to us. This is the most disturbing news. Without any defense what could we possibly hope for. A complete and utter one way to hell. In the last week I have been able to sleep calmly and function as a normal person. Before that I felt very ill at times. Every radio message to and from the people guarding our homes was torture. Tonight our President Cyril Ramaphosa will address us. Last time his reluctance to open Liquor stores supposedly caused the spark that led to looting. I think this measure will be relaxed and we will be able to live in an alcoholic haze once more....
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Post by htmb on Jul 25, 2021 13:52:16 GMT
Will continue to hope for the best, tod. Glad you’ve had a more restful few days.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 14:36:42 GMT
I have to smile every now and then in this serious situation. If the French government suddenly banned all sales of liquor, I can assure you that the entire country would revolt. But I very much understand that the situation is different although I am horrified to that so many indigenous cultures have been pretty much destroyed by the arrival of hard liquor (Native Americans, Australian aboriginals, Pacific islanders, South American native cultures and dare I say Muslim refugees from repressive cultures?). I do not at all blame the victims but the people who provided the products to them right at the beginning as a way to control them. Well, the control has failed. Once the box has been opened, you can't close it again. (Amusingly enough, at Monoprix in France all liquor sales are banned after 13:00 on Sundays but only because now that they are open all day on Sunday, there is almost no staff after 13:00. You can only buy things at the automatic checkout tills and there is no staff to control the age of the customers.)
Firearms are of course a different problem. I don't see why licensed firearms would be banned unless it is a case of assault weapons or machine guns, which should have been banned in the first place. For "normal" firearms, I am not a big fan but I understand their need in certain places and situations. I think it is more likely that you have heard fake news -- the government probably wants to confiscate all unregistered firearms and ammunition, which is the proper thing to do -- in any country.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 25, 2021 17:11:54 GMT
Thanks for checking in again, Tod. I've lived through a period of protest here, but it was nowhere near the level of personal danger in which you all found yourselves. The sense of being on high alert all the time along with all the rumors flying around would certainly disturb sleep and make a person feel ill. I'm very relieved to hear the worst is over and that you are feeling calmer.
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Post by fumobici on Jul 25, 2021 19:59:03 GMT
I have to smile every now and then in this serious situation. If the French government suddenly banned all sales of liquor, I can assure you that the entire country would revolt. If the government here ever tried banning alcohol sales, I'd be on the front lines, burning and looting with the best of them.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 26, 2021 8:25:56 GMT
Last nights talk to the nation was a morale booster of note. The President spoke clearly and calmly first about Covid - Not such wonderful news except the vaccinations are stepping it up and now anyone above the 35 age limit can walk in and get jabbed every day of the week - Office hours....of course. I have told my gardener to please take a day off and round up his mother and go to get jabbed. He has the paper print out of his registration online. That whole business of having to register has become redundant as the government wakes up to the fact the majority don't have computers or smart phones. It was a whole waste of time. Well, now we know. There were promises of financial help for store owners who lost everything. Also a monthly amount of money given per person (not household) until March next year. A mention of overseas investment was glanced at so I wonder which big country will come and set up factories etc etc. They burned down a large Chinese warehouse and I see our local Chinese restaurant has closed. I think they are not hanging about to see who is next. Lastly and emphatically, the President re-iterated that the army is here to stay for now and will keep law and order assisting the police. Also, the people responsible for planning this failed Coup are going to be rounded up. We are anxious to see who exactly planned this terrible mayhem.
Kerouac: To add to your Indigenous cultures that have been almost destroyed by alcohol you can put our Cape Malay population somewhere in there. The mixed race of so called South African "Coloureds" has a known fact that they love their alcohol. Even the labourers on the wine farms receive a huge quantity of free wine every day or week - I don't know, but I think it was in the region of 5L each. We thats enough to turn anyone into an alcoholic.' Closing the liquor stores had one aim - to stop the population socialising and forgetting the crucial distancing and masks, and therefore getting infected resulting in hospital beds being taken up. Unfortunately this backfired somewhat as the profits of restaurants dimmed, and the liquor outlets suffered huge losses and so in turn, the beer and wine industry. It was all too much. The Shebeens (unlicensed outlets) could also not re=stock causing friction.
About the guns. We believe that there is new legislation being put forward that when applying for a gun license the reason of Self defense will not be accepted. Gun laws are very strict here for the responsible licensed firearm. As for the illegal guns - there are thousands. The government would be sorely mislead in thinking handing in all licensed guns will solve the Wild West attitude - No, that would be playing into the hands of the thieves, robbers and troublemakers. I'm sure they know this. I don't think anyone can buy a machine gun here. We only have short arms but farmers undoubtedly have shotguns and rifles. All guns are subject to being lodged in a gun safe on ones premises.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 26, 2021 8:47:20 GMT
Gun control cannot be done overnight. It takes generations to dissolve a gun culture.
You are very lucky that South Africa is the richest country of the continent. At least the promises of compensation and other financial aid can be honoured if the government is sincere. Lots of other sincere governments everywhere in the world are already broke.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 31, 2021 13:33:47 GMT
This 'Thank You'letter was sent to Mr.Tods phone a few days ago. He did what he could as an elderly gentleman but there were many who didn't sleep 4 nights in a row and stood in the freezing cold of many a morning with no rest. We have been through hell but on a lovely sunny day like today, it all seems like a bad dream.
Message from Conrad and Cecile Thatcher, Owners of Pick 'n Pay Athlone and Victoria Road:
Dear Townhill Residents I don’t think words are enough to say how much Cecile and myself appreciate the support of our local community at both PnP’s… Athlone Circle and Victoria road. You are all one big unbelievable team who came together when the chips were down, when everyone of us had our very livelihoods threatened. So many of the residents put their lives on hold to stand guard, make fires, put up road blocks and cook and supply food to all the security companies and SAP who were in our area. On Monday I thought it was the end for us all, but by Tuesday morning once everyone was mobilised I knew we had hope. Once again thank you and all your families so so much We value each and every one of you and your commitment to our community.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 31, 2021 13:41:30 GMT
Wonderful message but I hope that many more thought the same thing, even if they didn't write.
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Post by tod2 on Jul 31, 2021 13:46:40 GMT
Indeed Kerouac. Many letters appeared in our local newspaper. Also communities like Old Age Homes, which ran out of food, were on TV thanking the people who rescued them.
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Post by lugg on Jul 31, 2021 19:29:19 GMT
Just catching up Tod; it seems that things are calming at last , but I cannot begin to imagine how terribly worrying, more likely , traumatic this has been for many. How are things now ?
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