More people should take a verbal stance
I have been reading with interest your messages and web site. Although I am not South African (as you know) I have found it interesting and extremely sad. Lawlessness is not just the preserve of South Africa and if more people took a very visible and verbal stance on the subject, as you are doing, perhaps more would be done about it. Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for.
Paul Smith.
Brit living in Dubai
From a loving brother
To Tracey Thompson
Well Seven months have passed and it seems as yesterday I got the call from
mom saying that your card hade been found abandoned near the Tembisa turn
off on the R21, One of the first things that came to mind that I was not
going to see you again, but I knew that I must just keep on praying that you
where alright. The nine days that you where missing took it's toll on all of
us. Mom and I where up early everyday getting ready for what lay ahead of
us weather it was making poster to meeting with the police and yet with each
passing day the chance's of seeing you slip slowly away.
I have not only lost a sister I have lost my best friends, Trace and I went
clubbing together spending time with each other as often as we could. I miss
the long talks we had and how we would listen to each other with what is
going on around us and in our own life's, there where no secrets between us
when it came to friends..
I often find myself driving around in your car to the place we used to go
and the people we use to see, things have changed so much over the last few
months and there is so much I want to tell you Trace....
Where ever I go I know you are there with me keeping me strong and giving
me the hope to carry on, it can be the smallest of things that reminds me of
you then I know you are there looking over me as you have done all the time,
you where loved by some many people even you would have been surprised at
how many of your friends where there in our time of need weather it just
been for coffee or to talk, Mom, Dad and Gran so how much your friends loved
you and miss..
Well as for me I have lost my best friend and sister Tracey Thompson,
It's not easy I feel as if I was stuck in one moment and everything else
around me is changing..
The case has been handled badly up till now, what I have learnt is don't
take what people say at face value cos it only a show they are putting on to
try keep us happy...
Lots of Love your Brother
Glen (BabyBoy)
Ed. RIP Tracey.
Jack is corrected.
Dear Jack,
Born in 1975 in Sandton Clinic.
Father born in George mother born in Tzaneen.
Grandparents born in Benoni.
Relationship with Rhodesia: Great great grandfather Percy Clements fought alongside Cecil Rhodes and helped form Rhodesia. Was awarded honours for distinction in battle.
Ancestors fought in the Boer war. In fact I laugh with a buddy of mine Craig about the fact that our ancestors where both generals fighting against each other at the battle of Modderfontein.
I actually spent my last years of school in England. But as you rightly say, going to school in England doesn't make me English. I enjoyed being the only guy in a pub wearring a Springbok rugby jersey, surrounded by poms because I am a proud and patriotic South African. My comment was constructive and asked for you to question your strategy, not to question my authenticity as a South African.
You have been put right. Please upload.
Justin Twort.
Ed. Thank you or putting us all right and for your concern regarding my strategy. Thank you. I am running out of ideas, and as you are concern about my strategy and if you have a better way, then I will be totally indebted to you to show me another way. Your help will be most appreciated. I need all the help I can get.
Tired of this too!
Sh*t im so tired of all this . Please remove me as well
Andre Viljoen
Ed. If Andre is tired of this, then I wonder how tired he thinks that we the families of victims feel? Makes one wonder where some people's feelings and sense of loyalty to their country and fellow countrymen are?
RE: Crime has no colour
HI JACK,
THANK YOU FOR SKOP, I AM VERY SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS AND EVERY ONE ELSE WHO HAS SUFFERED SIMILAR TRAGEDIES, I HOPE THAT TIME WILL DULL SOME OF THE PAIN.
YES, TOO MANY OF US TRY TO BURY OUR HEADS IN THE SAND AND TRY TO WISH IT AWAY…
I'VE READ A LOT OF THE MESSAGES POSTED ON SKOP, ALL SEEM TO HAVE OCCURRED AFTER THE "NEW SOUTH AFRICA" WAS FORMED. WELL, IN THE OLD SA, "DARKIES", "BRUIN OUS" & "COOLIES/CHAROUS" HAD NO WAY OF MAKING THE GENERAL PUBLIC OR THE WORLD AWARE OF THE INJUSTICES AGAINST THEM AND THEIR LOVED ONES...
HOW FORTUNATE FOR US NOW, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WITH THE HELP OF TECHNOLOGY…. AND THE "WIT OU" IN THE SAME BOAT, WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD AWARE OF OUR SUFFERING.
AS FOR BRAAM (HOBO) NEL, AND HIS STATS ON THE OLD SA POLICE, IF THIS IS HOW YOUR CASES WERE CLOSED/SOLVED [SEE BELOW], GOOD ON YOU MATE….
I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN AT THE FOOT OF THE DRAKENBERG IN KZN. THE INDIAN COMMUNITY WAS SMALL AND CLOSE KNIT,
"A PLACE WHERE EVERY BODY KNEW YOUR NAME".
MY DECISION TO LEAVE SA CAME WAY BACK IN 1991, WHEN MY DAD WAS GAGGED AND TIED TO HIS CAR SEAT, AND TREATED TO A CARBON MONOXIDE SHISHA….HE WAS FOUND DEAD TWO DAYS LATER.
AFTER FAILING TO PIN THE MURDER ON THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY FOR PAY-OUTS FROM HIS INSURANCE POLICIES… THEY FINALLY CLOSED THE CASE.
POLICE REPORT CAUSE OF DEATH: CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING – SUICIDE
BRILLIANT WORK BY THE SAP!!!
I HAVE ALSO BEEN A VICTIM OF 3 FAILED CARJACKING WHILE VISITING SA, TWICE IN JOSIES AND THE LAST TIME IN NEWCASTLE, AFTER REALIZING THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THE CAR, DECIDED TO LEAVE ME WITH A FEW SOUVENIRS IN THE FORM OF AK SLUGS. I LEFT TWO WEEKS LATER AND HAVE NEVER GONE BACK, THAT WAS 3 YRS AGO....
PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG, I LOVE SA, I JUST HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT'S LEADERS....SAME S**T, DIFFERENT OPPRESSOR....
REGARDS,
ALEX
Ed: For those of you who may not be familiar with the phrases "Witou, Bruinou" etc, these are commonly used in the South African Indian community to describe the race of a person and should not be taken as an offense.
Things will not sort itself out
Hi there! Good on you Jack, its about time people know how some of us feel!
I live in the Uk because things will not sort itself out but that does not mean that I and many thousands other abroad can not try and make our own life's better? Iam wrong?
All the best
Johan Jansen van Vuuren
Some people are comfortable in their ignorance
It's very interesting to read some people's opinions that are published in SKOP. Sometimes their reactions are quite astonishing, they don't read newspapers any more because it's 'too depressing'. They think ignorance will make the bad things go away.
The sad truth is that the bad things don't go away just because you ignore them. People who choose to ignore what's going on around them are actually apathetic dullards. They cannot debate because they are ill-informed and apathetic. It's a vicious cycle - the more apathy there is, the less gets done, and the less that gets done the more people complain, but do they know what they're actually complaining about? No. Why? Because they are 'comfortable' in their ignorance.
Sitting at my desk here in the Middle East, I listen to 702 every day as I do my writing. In part, it soothes my homesickness, but it fulfils a far more important role for me. You see, there isn't a really informative radio station that compares in this region, yet thanks to the wonders of internet technology I am kept abreast of events back home.
Yesterday, for example, Jenny Crwys Williams had an extremely interesting debate with David Klatzow, the well-known and highly respected Cape Town pathologist and forensic expert, who was recently hired by Judge Willem Heath, on behalf of the Kebble family - and mysteriously dropped, but that's another show – to investigate Brett Kebble's murder. He was also an expert witness in the investigation into the Hederberg disaster. Yes, Justin, SA does, indeed, have it's very own Gil Grissom (CSI).
Well, the essence of the discussion was that the police have basically 'cocked up' this investigation so badly that there's virtually no hope of bringing the case to a proper conclusion. How? Through sheer ineptitude and stupidity, Justin. Why? Well, I guess you can draw your own conclusions on that one. However, as Dr Klatzow asked, how on earth can police officers return to the crime scene over a week after the event to try to find spent bullets? Anywhere else in the world, that car would have been 'bagged' to stop contamination, it would have been removed and it would probably have taken about a month to conduct proper forensic investigation. Why, less than two weeks after the event has Brett Kebble's car been STEAM CLEANED, PANEL BEATEN and RESTORED to pristine condition by the police themselves? Why has this been allowed to happen? It breaks all the basic rules of forensics, as any ten-year-old CSI fan would be able to tell you. All highly suspicious, don't you think?
Remember when human rights activist, David Webster, was shot in front of his home in Troyeville? Well, the same bungling went on in that case too, and only later was it revealed that he'd actually been 'taken out' by operatives from the notoriously violent and hated Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB). The public was fed nothing but lies and cover-ups. Yes, every administration on the planet has its dark and dirty covert organisations, but somehow the ones in South Africa seem to be just that bit darker, that bit dirtier than most. The worst thing is they get away, literally, with murder! And who foots the bill, Justin? You… and every other tax paying citizen like you.
So what has all this got to do with Jack and Jay Hirschberg? The rotten system that allows Brett Kebble's murderers to get away, and actually cleans up after them, is the same rotten system that, thus far, has allowed Jay Hirschberg's murderers to get away, through its fundamental lack of professionalism and ineptitude. You are paying for that system.
Maybe you don't like to be reminded of this every day, Justin, through Jack's blog, but ignoring it isn't going to make it all go away. Ignorance isn't going to force the SAPS to clean up its act and enforce proper training at all levels. Whether we live in SA, or outside of the country, we still need to keep ourselves informed and we need to set up forums, just as Jack has done. We need to sign petitions and we need to get corrupt and stupid government officials out of office.
Thank you,
Ruth Edwards. Dubai UAE
Ed: I may be wrong, but I think that Justin is a Zimbabwean (ex- Rhodie) and not a South African, so that is why I think he has so little empathy.Going to school in SA does not make one a Safrican. Can Justin put us right?
People do not want to be reminded
From: Justin Twort
To: 'skop'
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 3:06 PM
Subject: RE: Johan Botha gets replies
Dear Jack,
You are right to want to take action instead of 'burying your head in the sand'. However, you must also be aware that people do not want to be constantly reminded 4/5 mails a day of what we are painfully aware of in South Africa. There are positives, it is not all negative. I have been on holiday in South Africa twice in the last two years and did not witness/ hear about any crime whatsoever. I took an American who had an awesome time and constantly acts as a South African evangelist and ambassador promoting our country to those who are ignorant enough to believe that death lurks behind every corner.
The point I am trying to make is that constant mails do not encourage people to visit our wonderful country, but exactly the opposite. If it is action you need then come up with a strategy. How can we have a voice, have an impact? What can we do? We are painfully aware that most South Africans know someone or have personally experienced loss and violent crime. How can we change this Jack? If you have no idea around positive and productive forms of action, then your mails will only serve as a depressing reminder of the woe that has caused so many good people to leave.
I suggest you change your approach and become more inspirational and inspirational instead of the prophet of doom. Act or be acted upon. Johan Botha should not be targeted for expressing an honest view because ultimately he is right in that it has got to the point where people do not want to even open the skop/ tokoloshe mails anymore. I do not question the validity of what you are trying to achieve, I respect it, but I also think your tactics need to change or you will be emailing yourelf.
Jack responds:
Hi Justin,
Thanks for your openess and honesty in your email.
SKOP is about trying to do something for my country. As you may have seen I have a petition (http://www.sanguae.com/skop-petition.html) that has been signed by many people and will eventually be sent to Thabo Mbeki.
SKOP also features a page of what people can do to bring about change.
It hurts me to write on SKOP. SKOP is a reminder of what happened to my son. But I am committed to try to do something for my country. And the only way that I can do my little bit is using SKOP. Yes, I could also bury my head in the sand like many others, but then what will it achieve? Unfortunately for me, I have lost one of my son’s. I don’t know why he died. I am looking, searching and pleading for help to find out.
I feel that the SAPS do not seem to care one iota.
If something happened to any member of your family (as happened to Jay), would you want answers? If you do not get answers from the SAPS, what would YOU do?
I have just received a quotation from a Private Investigator in JHB to investigate the case. I will not mention his name, but he says, “There is an up-front retainer of R1, 950.00 excluding VAT which would cover the reading and perusal of the full inquest docket, e-mails and telephone calls for example to yourself. This is a once off payment and will be non-refundable.
Thereafter having a better idea of what needs to be done and the hours this might take I would probably recommend a ceiling fee of R6, 000.00 excluding VAT and a travel payment of R3.85 per kilometer from the Centre of Johannesburg”
Now let’s face it Justin, would you like to be in my shoes?
Is this really the way a South African has to go to get answers to a beloved ones death? But I do not have much choice, and this is the route I am going to have to follow.
As an aside, SKOP is not about my son’s unsolved murder. Jay’s death has ignited the kindling within me to give me the ability to make SKOP something for South Africans. It is about the crime in my country. I am really trying to create an awareness campaign and to get people moving.
We are far away from the problem, but the problem is not far away from us. Tomorrow it might be your son, daughter, mother, father or brother. Then what?
Again, thanks for your thoughts.
Jack
Lekker to be a South African
Hi Jack,
Trust you are well and healthy. I am now back in SA and make a point in reading the content of your mails as often as I can. It's great to read peoples views towards the country and its living conditions (from my perspective some completely out of context others with absolute valid comments). I see myself as a loyal South Africa with a very mature and considerate thoughts about our surroundings.
Although I have spend many years working outside South Africa (also left the country to seek greener grass), I have to admit, it's FANTASTIC to be back and God's willing, I hope to never leave again (especially living in Cape Town). Looking at our bright South African star sky, smelling the Braaivleis and feeling the "electric" atmosphere of RUGBY in the air just makes it worth it to be a South African.
I (and my family) have also been a victim of crime in the past but by practicing and living positively we have developed (not becoming immune) an optimistic outlook towards the future of our once (and can be again) great land. From the outset, you will be "surprised" how many of my Black business Partners, colleagues and even some friends feel the same.
We often ask ourselves what can we do that "possible" can make a difference for our country and its people? but Jack, the same thing happens over and over again."WE" (or most of us) simply never put our words in action and follow thru our dreams and thoughts. We all know that time can never be turned back and thus, for what we fail to do today we must take responsibility for it tomorrow.
I think that is one reason why I still read your news letters, who knows, maybe you have become an example for the rest of us visiting your site. It certainly has inspired me to STOP talking and be more proactive in turning (or at least try) the current events into positive reality.
However, I can recall many hundreds of conversations where people "frustratingly" mentioning the same old words "If we all could just stand together" then we would have had a FIRM seat in government with an recognize empowered voice. But as you know and we all (me included) ran in all different political directions and ideas simply "diluting" the possibility of being united. I'm a great believer in the truth and It's because of "me" and thousands out there that do not want to vote or participating in reaching important goals that we remain a step behind. But that will change and it will change today.
Up to an hour ago, I was not really interested in ANY political party due to many reasons (out of country and also my negative view at the time, etc) but my views has changed (especially after reading your last issue of SKOP). Because "the existence of life" consists out of choices, I have decided to see if there is one party still in favor for the good of SA. If not for myself, at least it's my responsibility to do it for my lovely KIDS (whom is also living in Dubai).
Reading Tony Leon's letter of the week (http://www.da.org.za/da/Site/Eng/satoday/satoday.asp) , I thought let me share it with you. Perhaps its still NOT TO LATE to reconcile and come together for a good cause. I have simply come to the conclusion that "unless" we have an impartial government in the respect of Political Parties then we have a very long and hard road ahead in reaching our goals.
What you do is great Jack and from the e-mails I have noted that your (international) support has tripled if not more, over the past 36 Months (since I have first met you) and I trust I speak for many when I say your participation is well noted and your words not left on deaf ears.
As of now I do not belong to any political party yet, but I will soon join the DA and commit myself to filter your mails thru their channels and see if we all "together" can turn the wheel in favor of our all our "rainbow nation peach seeking" Safricans. I would LOVE to see someone with a Seat in Parliament taking your views to higher levels. I personally think that is the way to go.
For the record, I have previously belong to other different political parties, but seeing how they have simply walked over to the ANC or just vaporized (maybe for the good, because we need a party with SUBSTANCE and body Numbers), I have no other alternative but to commit my voice to the DA (based on their existence this far and GUTS to stand up to the ANC).
God Bless you and your family and I pray for the day where we all can again live in Harmony in the most beautiful country in the world.
Sorry I had no time to edit properly so forgive any mistakes,
Regards,
Nico
Jack replies:
Turn your eyes to the left on this page and read..........
Enough is enough he says. How sad can some people be?
Please remove my email address from this squabble as I think it has gone a bit far and I no longer want to be a part of it. I understand your point of view and feel sorry for you having lost your son but enough is enough now.
Thank you
George Merricks
South Africa
Don't worry Jack
It's quite evident that people aren't at all impressed by what this jerk has been saying to you... It's very easy to say, "Don't worry about it," but, if you're like me, you will be hurt, upset and disappointed by it. However, it's great that people are supporting you and telling him where to get off. He sounds like a very angry person, but one day it'll all come back to him.
Stay strong - like I said yesterday, and others have reiterated, we need people like you (and Michael Moore), society needs people like you and the world needs people like you - the mouthy, brave ones who aren't afraid to speak out.
Ciao for now,
Ruthie
Grootbek?
Hi Jack,
Goed gesê! So 'n bek moet jêm kry! (In other words: Well said!)
Retha Fitchat
Editor
MooiVaal Media
Vaal Triangle
S.A.
