Autumn, local elections, and monuments

Autumn elections and haircuts in Belfast

Belfast's new name is Emakhazeni, which means 'place of cold'. It's one of South Africa's colder towns perched as it is on the beginning of the escarpment's edge. Unfortunately 'place of cold' is also a synonym for mortuary in the local indigenous language. I've picked up on much resistance to the name amongst locals.
Other than stopping to take some quick snapshots around town, I was in a hurry to pass through and to get to good coffee 30 kilometers away in Dullstroom. I have never found a decent cup of coffee in this place. Ever.

Ford

At the Belfast turnoff there was a pleasant surprise: an old
Ford, magnificently restored, outside the Wimpy.

Waterval-Boven: United in the Arts Festival (6 & 7 Dec)

A Village Makes a Stand Against Xenophobia:

In November 1949, 60 Mozambican miners died in a tragic accident on their way home to their families after a year's work on the mines. The steam train, derailed at Waterval Boven, on the treacherous edge of the escarpment where the Mpumalanga Highlands drops dramatically to the Lowveld.

To this day, families of the men return to Waterval Boven from Mozambique to honour their dead, and a memorial has been erected in the village graveyard. The character of Waterval Boven is forever influenced by the legacy of the railways and the importance this development bestowed on the town.

Waterval Boven has always been a railway town. The Nederlandsche Zuid Afrikaansche Spoorweg Maatschappij railway line reached Waterval Boven in 1894, opening up a direct line from Pretoria to the port of Lourenco Marques, known as the "Easternline" or "Oosterlijn".

The Festival:

The Waterval Boven United in the Arts Choir Festival Against Xenophobia kicks off in 2008 with the support of Eventáge, SAHRA, the Emakhazeni Tourism Association, local business as well as the Emakhazeni Local Municipality and thanks to their generous sponsorships; this event will soon become an annual national festival.

KORISA Norway (SA/Norway exchange programme for choral music appreciation) is interested in participating the 2009 event. The Mozambican Embassy has provided press coverage and there will be Consular attendance, also the presence of Mozambican choirs and a pledge to become further involved next year during the 60th anniversary of the accident.

This event that will take place on the 6 and 7 of December 2008 and will assist tourism development in this magnificent part of South Africa, as well as support the local community and businesses. It will also act as a reminder that xenophobia in our country is totally taboo and should be combated at all cost.

Highlands News...

Abdullah Vaid and Jacques Loots, both from Dullstroom, are fired up about the newspaper they're starting for the Emakhazeni region. It'll have a major focus on tourism in this area.

 

While they'll cover Dullstroom, Belfast, Machadodorp, Waterval-Boven and the Elands Valley Conservancy, they're particularly interested in the Maputo corridor, or N4. This is the highway between Gauteng and Nelspruit, Kruger Park and Maputo.

 

Jacques says the paper's going to come out every two weeks, on a Friday. "We're working hard on getting the first edition out by next Friday, 13 June," he said.

 

The Emakhazeni region lacks a quality publication that comprehensively covers the entire region and has a strong focus on tourism.  

 

If you have story ideas or want to advertise, here's their contact details: highlandsn@gmail.com

Abdullah: 074 101 5283

Jacques: 073 681 6553

 

These are exciting times....