Advertisement
Published: February 11th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Today we made another trip to Pretoria to check on the accreditations I need for my work permit. Before a person can accept a job in South Africa, that person’s credentials must be certified by SAQA (South African Qualifications Administration). This is another organization that has efficiency issues. After visiting SAQA, we had lunch at a small café called Café d’Oro. A very soft-spoken and attractive young woman named Midah waited on us and misunderstood me when I asked for a glass of tap water. Instead, she brought me a can of Tab and a glass. She apologized and we kidded her a little and asked how old she was. She indicated that she was 21, and I said, “Ah, I have a son that’s 21.” We told her that we had a lot of unmarried sons and asked if she was single. She responded by asking us “Do you play the bola?” When we indicated that we did not understand her question, we realized that it was our turn to misunderstand. What she had asked us was “Do you pay lobola?” Lobola is the traditional price paid by the man’s family to the woman’s family; it is the dowry or
bride price, usually discussed in terms of cows but often paid in cash these days. I guess the possibility of finding our sons a bride in Africa could be an expensive proposition.
Since that occasion, we have found other examples in the newspaper of how the lobola is used in African society. A newspaper article the other day told of a politician who had been found guilty of sexual harassment of one of his administrative assistants. The traditional tribal court had fined him three cows, which went to the family of the woman he had harassed. Another article was about a Zulu chief in Kwa Zulu Natal who had paid a Swazi family the lobola for a young woman who would be his sixth wife. He had not only paid the nine cows they requested, but he had also paid more in order to impress his would-be in-laws. We asked our friend Khanyisa, who is planning on getting married, how he would deal with lobola. He said that as he was a Bahá’í and as his fiancée’s family was Bahá’í, there would be no lobola. He indicated that the lobola was becoming less popular because after having paid the
lobola, the groom’s family had the right to request a white, or European-style wedding. This could be a very expensive proposition for the bride’s family and could mean an expense that was greater than the lobola.
We are renting a small but charming one-bedroom apartment with a balcony in a complex with traditional African thatched roofs. Our apartment is on the middle floor of a 3-story building. The complex has swimming pools, barbecue areas and meeting rooms. We focused on the necessities - table and chairs, dishes, kitchen things, bed - and haven't furnished the living room yet. We have placed an order for a land line and internet access, but that will take some time to get installed, possibly a couple of months. The apartment is very close to the place I will be working. We wanted to be close, as the main highways around Jo’burg are jammed rather badly during the rush hours. It is one of the nicer parts of town, with lots of security and obvious signs of wealth. In fact, it is a little embarassing to admit that down the road from my work are Jaguar, Lotus, and Lamborghini dealerships along with the usual
kitchen and lounge
This is the view of our kitchen from the lounge (living room) area. BMW and Mercedes dealerships. There is a great deal of wealth in Johannesburg, with the extremes of poverty in the townships not far away. The extremes of wealth and poverty are common to many large cities, and we are conscious of being moderate in our own lifestyle while trying to contribute to the elimination of both extremes.
Driving in ZA is another experience all together. In this city of 5 million; many depend on the mini cabs or mini-bus taxis. The government makes loan money available for individuals to purchase one of the14+ passenger mini vans. These Toyotas, VWs, Tatas and a number of other brands are in abundance. Once the driver has a van, they may work as many hours as they wish. They do not follow a schedule but have a basic route that the riders know. They usually wait at a pick-up point until they have a fully loaded van before departing. They are inexpensive and serve as the primary means for black domestic or construction labor to move from their homes to their place of work and back again. The driver/owner plays an important role, and they make a comparatively good living. The drawback is
balcony dining area
This is our beautiful balcony. that the mini-bus drivers may not follow the rules of the road, and the dents and dings in their vehicles attest to that fact. They are often the cause of accidents, which can be costly in terms of human capital when you’re carrying a full load of passengers, and they appear to be in regular conflict with the police. The police claim they are a danger on the road while the mini-bus drivers claim police harassment.
On Sunday November 12, we joined many of the Bahá’ís of Jo’burg at the Bahá’í National Center to celebrate the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, one of our most important holidays on the Bahá’í calendar. For two days in advance, women were working to prepare large bouquets of flowers and centerpieces for the tables. We remain impressed by the availability of beautiful foliage in this country. The event was quite Pan African. There were about 150 people present and prayers and chants were offered in Swahili, Tswana, Zulu, Afrikaans, Arabic, Persian and English. The music was quite rich, which we have come to admire of this continent, and it was only matched by the variety of food that was served after the event. The significance
of the event and the role South Africa plays in the Bahá’í experience was underlined by the presence of all six of the Continental Counselors for Southern Africa and of a Counselor from the Bahá’í International Teaching Center in Haifa. It was a beautiful celebration.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.076s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 5; qc: 45; dbt: 0.0514s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
alice
non-member comment
loved the pictures
I often watch for new news on your blog. It was great to see your flat (somehow I had imagined it older) and see the pictures. Lovely people,and I am so happy that you like where you are. Fondly, Alice