Miami 65, Eiland, Limpopo

We had a wonderful week staying in a bungalow in the Van den Bergh farm compound. The hospitality was outstanding. Ellanie lives there with her parents & 2 brothers - Marnes & Neil - & 9 dogs, which are kept for security reasons. They all live together for security reasons too. We learned that 1500 white farmers & their families were killed in S Africa last year - 1 of those families lived on the same road as the Van den Berghs. We felt, in many ways, that they were living under siege. There are real fears that S Africa will go the way of Zimbabwe. During our week's stay, the family heard that their farm is to be compulsorily purchased by the government so that it can be black-owned. (They don't expect it to happen for several years, bureaucracy being as it is in S Africa.) Ellanie's forebears have lived in the country since the 17th C & in common with most white S Africans that we talked to, they are uncertain about their future. They feel that they don't belong anywhere else but may not be able to stay in their homeland.

The family don't rely entirely on farming for their living since they also run a water drilling business. One of the problems that brings is the rife corruption that seems endemic out there. For example, the head of a school asked for a kickback to award the contract for a borehole at his school & when a bore hole was being drilled at his brother's home, he suggested that Marnes make out a bill for drilling 60 metres & then just drill 40 metres down, with the difference in cost going to the head master! Ellanie also had a kickback demanded of her, from an official in the education dept., if Ellanie wanted to be successful in her application for a grant!

We were not the only ones benefiting from the Van den Berghs hospitality & sense of moral & social responsibility. The orphans at the school were all being sponsored by Elllanie's parents & a single mother, Marika, with 5 children, who had nowhere to live are now staying rent-free in a rondavel on the farm. Marika's elder son is employed in the drilling business & 3 of her children attend the school. Marika & her eldest daughter help out at the school & Marika is now having the opportunity to train as a teacher.

We couldn't have enjoyed the company we found ourselves in more. We were particularly taken with how well informed Ellanie's father was about Jewish history & culture (he'd read more than we had!) & will always remember a trip to a local reservoir where we got to see rhinos & crocs extremely close up.

Finally, we have to mention the lovely Dolf (short for Rudolf), Ellanie's boyfriend, who was spending a week at the farm at the same time as us & shared our bungalow. If anyone's interested, he runs game & safari drives in the Eastern Cape. We'd highly recommend him as a companion!