10
Years of Democracy in South Africa: Thabo Mbek'is election
poster.
Orange River wine lands,
April 2004.
CONTENTS
VISITING BLINKWATER
IN THE DUNES...
BUSHMAN MAGIC - THE PICTURE THAT WENT TO FETCH RAIN
TAKING THE KALAHARI TO THE UK
KALAHARI RAINSONG
BUSHMEN TO VISIT AMERICA THIS SEPTEMBER
KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK - LIONS LIONS LION
Frank
and Lisa were back in southern Africa for another
three months this year. After spending several weeks
in Cape Town, we headed up to the Cederberg, Kalahari,
Botswana and Livingstone, Zambia.
Oudrif strawbale cottages in the Cederberg... delicious
food, wonderful hikes, swimming in the river and
rafting in season... a lovely place!
VISITING BLINKWATER
I mentioned Vetkat and Belinda in my last newsletter
- Vetkat the artist and his wife who live at Blinkwater
a remote 'farm' in the Kalahari desert. Vetkat &
Belinda met us at Twee Rivieren, the camp at the
entrance to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (used
to be called the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park)
where Belinda once worked. From there we followed
their bakkie through farm gates and over dunes twelve
kilometres to their home on the farm, Blinkwater.
Kobie, Oom Hansie,
Belinda, Dial & Vetkat.
IN THE DUNES
The Landy and our
tent next to the shepherd's tree that Oupa Regop
('Grandfather Upstanding') used to like sitting
under.
The homestead, Landy,
Bakkie and Kombi.
"When the fifth veil
falls and with it the illusion of financial worth,
individuals might recognise themselves again. Might
find themselves standing as if naked, among ancient
values in a long-lost landscape."
- Tom Robbins, Skinny Legs and all.
At the gate to the
kitchen 'skerm' (grass enclosure and hut).
Vetkat enjoying some
early morning sun.
We were about to
enjoy a special Vetkat type philosophical moment
and Elop is sniffing out something in the background.
THE
PICTURE THAT WENT TO FETCH RAIN
Drought
has been an ongoing problem for life in the Kalahari.
It has been said that the rain patterns will only
return once the people of the Kalahari, the bushmen,
dance again like they used to, to bring the rain.
Oupa Regop, Vetkat and Dawid's wise father prophesied
this before he died. In March 2003 the final land
claim grant came through for the bushmen, but the
community itself is in such a bad state after years
and years of neglect, that it seems it will take
some time and a lot of care before the 'little people'
dance again in a way that will let the heavens open
up. In the mean time, many people are working towards
this vision and goal and little bits of magic turn
up all the time.
Here
is a special story that Belinda shared with us on
a recent trip she made to Cape Town.
It
begins in early 2002, at Blinkwater where Vetkat
did a sacred drawing. He said this drawing was to
go to the Mayor of Milton Keynes' office in the
UK, to collect rain for the Kalahari. Belinda wrote
on the back of the picture that it was to be sent
back to the Kalahari sometime in the future and
gave the art piece to a friend who was going to
England later that year. Sure enough it got there.
Blinkwater received a newspaper article with a picture
of the mayor receiving the picture. In 2003 Belinda
asked her friend to check up on the drawing and
some months later, on Jan 4th 2004, seemingly out
of the blue, another friend received a package from
the UK. On opening it he found a drawing of Vetkat's
and sent a text message to Belinda's cellular phone
asking whether she knew anything about a drawing
of Vetkat's arriving from somewhere in England.
When Belinda reached to answer her phone, Vetkat
chided her for jumping to the beck and call of modern
life, saying, "Los maar die selfoon! Kom kyk na
die wolke." (Just leave the cell phone! Come and
look at the clouds.")
And
it rained that night!
The
magic does not end there, however. When Belinda
and a friend, Charlene went to England earlier this
year, they missioned off to Milton Keynes to meet
the new mayor and round off the story. But look
what happened to their photo of the road outside
of the Mayor of Milton Keynes' office. Belinda's
Kombi ( mini-bus) with some of Vetkat's painted
trees and figures is 'parked' there too! (above
behind red cars, between the trees). And Kalahari
dunes loom out of the English clouds...
TAKING THE KALAHARI
TO THE UK
More
double exposure magic:
Belinda with springbok
in the Thames.
Glastonbury on the
edge of Blinkwater (Kombi is back home!)
Olafur Eliasson's
sun at Tate Modern shines out of the Kalahari dunes.
BELINDAS BOOK - KALAHARI
RAINSONG
Belinda's
book has just been launched and is out in Exclusive
books (South Africa). Belinda brought the news to
Llandudno along with her friend and co-author Elana
and Charlene who I call the 'record Keeper of the
Kalahari'. And naturally we met the artist, Sarah
Mackie, who originally introduced me to Belinda
and Vetkat on her way back from the beach!
"I, Belinda Kruiper,
have a story to tell. It's a story of my love for
a man called Vetkat Regopstaan Longlife Kruiper:
for his people, the #Khomani Bushmen, who opened
their hearts to me and made me one of them. And
for the land that they belong to - the great, red,
beautiful Kalahari, that can be both heaven and
hell."
This moving and unusual
story brings together the voices of two South African
women, different in background, connected in spirit.
Weaving together a range of styles and strands -
mythic, political and anecdotal - Kalahari RainSong
reflects the complex reality of the #Khomani bushman
community that Belinda is a part of. It includes
powerful photographic portraits of Bushman life
as well as unique pieces of art by acclaimed Bushman
artist Vetkat Kruiper. Through the telling of her
own personal journey, Belinda powerfully evokes
the Bushmen's continuing struggles for survival,
land and identity in South Africa today.
Sarah
Mackie and her partner Chad are currently at the
Grahamstown Festival putting on their puppet show
- 'Mantis and the bee' - the Bushman creation
story.
So
Frank and Lisa (out from Santa Fe, New Mexico) &
I shared the dunes, fire, a freezing Kalahari wind
and wild, exciting, happy, sad, tragic stories with
the Blinkwater family. It has rained in the Kalahari.
Vetkat has flu. There have been some deaths and
among them, Vet Piet, the legendary tracker died
in a car crash. I was planning to look him up this
time... one of South Africa's best. The holder of
incredible knowledge. Gone because of someone drinking
and driving.
More
strange news: Vetkat, Isak and Belinda are probably
going to America with Rupert Isaacson! And, will
be in Santa Fe at the same time as some African
Essence travellers (two from New Mexico) are meant
to be visiting them in the Kalahari... The leave
on September 25th.
Needless
to say, my September Cape to Kalahari Safari is
now the October Cape to Kalahari Safari -
from October 8th - 28th 2004. I will probably join Vetkat,
Belinda and others on the US safari.
More
info on the US safari can be found at www.thehealingland.com
and www.journeytotheheart.com
We
have had 10 years of democracy now and things have
changed, but not always for the best. It is my belief
that it takes more than democracy to change people's
lives. I think that what it takes is a personal
'long walk to freedom'. Everybody has to do their
own and liberate themselves from perceived and real
restrictions. Many of them self-inflicted. There
are a few people who know this already.
Vetkat
& Belinda would like Blinkwater to be a haven
for the bushmen, especially the young ones, to get
away from the destructive vices and influences that
destroy their lives. It is a place far from the
main road where they can learn some good things
about the old ways and find a sense of self-worth.
Kobie and Dial helped me cook dinner on the fire
and pack the Land Rover, then built a chicken coop.
Apparently their mothers have noticed a positive
change in the two young men. They get up early,
make fires and help with cooking.
They
would like to build a gallery/studio so that there
is a good place for everyone and anyone to produce
art at Blinkwater. They also want to exhibit Vetkat's
sacred collection of art. This is art that is to
remain in the Kalahari and will not be sold.
Sharing
knowledge, experiences, culture and love with visitors
from all over is good for everyone. That is what
Blinkwater and the US journey is all about.
It
is also the 10th anniversary of my trip up to Equatorial
Kenya in my VW beetle, in 1994 - also the year I
began guiding safaris.