Out of Limbo – at Last!

Mention the word limbo and most will immediately think of a semi-naked lithe man or woman bent over backwards sliding under a bar that gets lower after each pass. But the real limbo is a region on the borders of hell where the church placed deceased people it could not accommodate elsewhere in the afterlife – rather like a suspense account in bookkeeping.

Limbo is an odd place. The inhabitants are pre-Christian righteous people such as Abraham, Moses and Plato and countless unbaptized infants. Now after an existence of 700 years the church is to consider closing the place down. Leading Roman Catholic theologians are to meet in the Vatican on Tuesday to discuss a document that will erase the concept from the church’s teaching.

But what to do with the inmates for eternity?

Zulu – The Movie

I watched a re-run on the box last night of the 1964 movie Zulu starring Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins and a young Michael Caine. Not only these but also our very own Shenge better known as President-for-Life of the IFP, Mangosuthu Buthelezi in the role of Cetshwayo. No glasses, no grey hair and no slimmer.

The story centres on the defence of Rorke’s Drift after the defeat at Isandhlwana on January 22 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War and was shot on location at the Royal Natal National Park here in KwaZulu-Natal.

The rank and file of the British troops were played by men from 5^th South African Infantry Battalion from the Ladysmith camp. These (then) young men were national servicemen doing their stint in the army and were borrowed for the filming. Included in their numbers were a couple of my mates – one of whom I recognised in the movie. Ah – a personal if somewhat tenuous link.

Phillip Tobias

Wednesday evening, this past week, found me in Adams Bookshop for the launch of Professor Phillip Tobias’ book Into the Past – A Memoir.

Professor Tobias grew up in Durban and attended Durban High School but has spent his adult in Johannesburg as a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand. But this is far too modest a title for a great scholar who admits to having ‘dabbled’ in anatomy, genetics, anthropology, history, philosophy, human evolution, politics, religion and theology. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Human Biology at the University and holds the positions of Honorary Professor of Palaeo-anthropology, Honorary Professorial Research Associate and Director of the Sterkfontein Research Unit. He is also the Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large of Cornell University.

I believe that he has been nominated for a Nobel Prize more than once but have yet to confirm this. I remember him as a partner to Professor Arthur Blexley on a radio programme 35 years ago as they answered listener’s questions on matters scientific. More recently he carried out protracted negotiations with the French Government to have the remains of Sarah Baartman* returned to South Africa for burial. These negotiations were eventually successful and she was buried near Hankey in the Eastern Cape on Women’s’ Day, 9 August, 2002.

Others will know Phillip Tobias from the recent television series Tobias’ Bodies in which he explored human development from the fossil record up until today.

A great scholar, scientist, researcher, lecturer and successor to Raymond Dart and Robert Broom; a man who has added to the sum of human knowledge about our present and past; a truly great South African.

Of course I bought his book and asked him to sign it.

*A Khoe-San woman who was taken to Europe to be exhibited as the ‘African Venus’. After her death her skeleton was preserved as were her brain and external genitalia. These were, at times, on display at the Museum National in Paris

Spam Comment

I was pleased to have a few nice comments posted but noticed they have a commonality of phrase. Yes Spam Comments have intruded.

Therefore word recognition has been turned on to put a stop to these artificial ego boosters - but it was nice for a while.

The End of a Love Affair

The end of a relationship is always difficult. One is left with a sense of betrayal; the feeling that your trust has been abused; your confidences compromised; that you have been used for the other party’s purposes; in fact you feel totally foolish especially when you remember how you extolled their virtues.

So it is with 20Twenty Bank.

When 20Twenty was launched it seemed to be the beginning of a new era in banking. Here was an organisation that spoke to you in plain English; used modern technology to operate as a cyber bank and gave unbelievable service; a 21st Century Bank that made the others seem steam driven.

Although operating in its own right 20Twenty was a branch of Saambou Bank – and herein lies the rub. For a number of reasons – unrelated to 20Twenty – Saambou crashed and was put under curatorship. 20Twenty clients found their funds and facilities frozen and began a bumpy and uncertain ride. But despite this an extraordinary thing happened – something unheard of in the world of banking – 20Twenty clients rallied to support ‘their’ bank. Less than 5% closed their accounts and a supporters club was launched complete with its own web site.

After the best part of a year things seemed to be on the mend. Standard Charted Bank acquired 20Twenty and promised the earth. But not for long. The most ominous sign was that the founder of 20Twenty – Christo Davel – soon left. Then Standard Charted launched a programme of ‘transforming’ 20Twenty to their image. Now the news is out that they want to dispose of the cyber bank and concentrate on what they term their ‘core’ business - home loans.

It seems that 20Twenty clients will know their fate by the middle of this month. Unfortunately whatever happens the grand passion is over. The waters are muddied and we mourn the demise of a magnificent concept in modern banking; far too modern for the pin striped brigade of Standard Chartered it would seem.

It’s back to the granite mentality of the established banks. The affair with 20Twenty has ended. Unfortunately, and as always with grand passions, all that is left is a bitter taste as the perfidious nature of all relationships once again emerges.

Dingy Fever

This Blog is still getting many, many hits from those looking for Dingy Fever. For those lost it's called Dengue Fever and you can find further information here

The Perfect Crime?

Don't be surprised to see a naked woman walking out of a shopping mall toilet. With what is happening with amazing regularity, victims of this new crime have been found walking out of shopping mall restrooms completely naked. It begins when a man slips into a womens’ restroom and sneaks into a stall. He waits until there is only one woman in the restroom in a neighbouring stall. He then quickly puts an ‘out of order’ sign on the outside of the restroom door. The sign guarantees no one will soon come to the woman's rescue. The criminal stands on the toilet and points a handgun into the next stall, demanding the woman's valuables.

After getting her cash, jewellery and credit cards, he orders her to remove all her clothing and kick them out of the stall. The thief tosses the clothing into a shopping bag, and slips back into the mall. It usually takes an hour or two for the woman to work up the nerve to leave the restroom in the nude, giving the criminal ample time to make his get away. The woman is eventually left naked and humiliated in a mall full of strangers.

The best defence is to never go into a shopping mall restroom alone, as only women who are by themselves are being robbed. Take a lady friend or a family member with. If you do find yourself in this situation, do not be passive. Make as much noise as possible. These criminals are looking for quiet victims so they can make an easy escape. Be careful out there this holiday season, and all year.

This has so far been a perfect crime, as none of the perpetrators have been caught.

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