The fall of Africa - The first chapter

Its one AM, 26 April 2018, Thursday. I should be in bed getting rest and recovering from this persistent cold. I should be in bed getting rest before my interview for the opportunity of a lifetime. I should be in bed resting before my sisters wedding, waking up fresh and excited and ready for all my duties lying ahead; but I can't, not tonight. Tonight I sit in front of my laptop and type. I type because when words are spoken they fall on deaf ears, I type because when actions are taken they are omitted from audio, visual and online media and other written publications of the following day, I type because I find myself in a crisis. This is a crisis I may not survive unto the end, it is a crisis that may very well be the end of my own life and as I type these words and contemplate the possibility of my words inciting action that is to be my demise, I am afraid and I am calm. Though what I type here may result in a shallow and unmarked grave, many hours of pain and suffering, both before and after my last breath, I type knowing that my words will live on and the message they carry will at some time be heard and shared and possibly even used to learn something from the happenings of the past.

I type these words tonight as the reaction of an action reportedly made by a stranger to me. A human being I do not know, who is however in a position of some power and is thus known to me, who supposedly made a statement so disheartening, so disturbing and so idiotically genius that it ripped me to the core and I could remain silent no more. A post on social media platform Facebook has been passed along "quoting" Police General K. Sitole as having said that  "If farm attacks really existed , we would know about them. I watch the news every day, but I don’t hear of stories of farm attacks" .

This statement shook me. It aroused an anger and a disappointment in me. I immediately shared the image and my thoughts. My accompanying text to the image read as follows: "This. This is the problem in South Africa right now. Our own government commissioning farm attacks, using their red hooded puppets to distract and to stoke the fires. Blocking the media and distorting the truth. If they really want "THEIR" land back they need to look a lot further north than South Africa. I now understand why our government has been dropping the pass rates at schools for the last past generations. They've been dumbing us down in preparation for their propaganda assault. Creating mindless indoctrinated "free willing" soldiers to fight their senseless, destructive, racial war without a single finger being pointed back to them, our government. When it's all done and every last white in this country has been raped, tortured and murdered, they (The government) will turn against their own black warriors and condemn their actions whilst revelling in the spoils. What they fail to realise is this uncontrolled army of theirs will turn against them, the government, once they (the "black lives first, black land first" and comrades) have realised their power as a united black dumbed down nation, they will continue to rape, torture and murder their own black comrades. They will attack Luthuli house, they will strip every last piece of civilisation from the foundations of this country. When the comrades and their red ants and every last accompanying government agent lies in their graves and this country burns and every black life first red beret has every tablet, cellphone, television set, house, homestead, plot and farm they have pillaged, tortured, raped and murdered for and foreign nations have pulled their assisting finances and support and media coverage from this land, only then will the dumbed down nation our government has created and bread over these last years realise that nothing in this world is given, and taking what you want doesn't mean you will always have it and most importantly that to have food you must plant, you must farm, to farm you must have a farmer and that simply owning land does not grow corn and that the dust, that will be all that remains of our beautiful country, does not taste very good, the blood spilt on it in no way whatsoever making that dust taste better." 

I wrote this in anger. I wrote this knowing the history of my country. I wrote this knowing this is propaganda. I wrote this with a fear in me, a fear I share with many in this nation, yet only with those whose skin is "white". I wrote this with the disappointment of knowing the truth in these words, even if the story of their origin was untrue. On further investigation it was clear that this was another post either by a white South African with a political agenda, in a poorly thought through attempt at scaring the remaining white folk to join their political parties and fight against the ruling "black" majority and the South African White genocide, or on the opposite pole it was a poorly constructed attempt from a black politically inclined individual to blame shift the war mongering and propaganda in South Africa to the "whites" who "stole" their land. A media statement by the police commissioner released 30 November 2017 stated that the reports are false. This is a blatant propaganda motion being reused time over time in order to rile up the masses and cause chaos.

Which ever it may be, it is sickening and absolutely horrifying that this is what our country has come to. The so called "Rainbow Nation", a country filled with humans from all over the world, with an array of cultures, backgrounds and skin colours, once a beacon of democracy has turned into a fiction fact society, creating news stories which have never been published about things that have never been said in order to create a reaction within the people of this country to achieve the unknown and predetermined results a corrupt government placed in action decades ago only to line their pockets and watch the rest of us burn. I do not use that word lightly. Burn. That is exactly what is happening to the people of South Africa, Black and White.

The late Winnie Mandela, the highly esteemed and admired "Mother of the Nation" was particularly fond of promoting the burning of other Human beings at Public political rallies having said "...we could have killed them any time we wanted to, with our necklaces we will liberate this country". Her legacy lives on through the hundreds of un/under educated citizens of this country who have been duped by their government by graduating from High School, only because pass rates have been dropped below 50% for many subjects, and a precedent has been set by our very own Former President Mr. Zuma, that you only need a grade 4 level education to be able to run a country. These citizens to this day practise and participate in necklacing. Wikipedia describes it as follows: Necklacing is the practises of summary execution and torture carried out by forcing a rubber tyre, filled with petrol, around a victim's chest and arms, and setting it on fire. The victim may take up to 20 minutes to die, suffering severe burns in the process. Black South Africans today still necklace other black South Africans. The only difference being that it is now done for whichever reason the one holding the match sees fit. During protests and times of unrest there are necklacings that happen as a result of a simple dispute or just to send a message. Political Officials inciting the masses to violence, turning the average citizen into a crazed political soldier, turning one parties followers against the others, today in South Africa you could be necklaced for simply wearing the wrong parties T-shirt, or for simply being white.

This is what has borne this fear in me, this fear for myself and my loved ones, this fear for my culture and creed, this fear for my race and this fear for my country. That I could die by slowly being burnt to death with a tire around my torso, or by being raped with a broomstick or broken bottle until my intestines run out through my pelvis, or I could be nailed to a chair and my bones shattered as an electric drill slashes through my flesh and out the other side or that I would be forced to watch as my infant child is raped repeatedly in front of me, the screams echoing in my ears until I hear her final breath and know that its my turn now. This is the reality for white citizens of South Africa, even more so for those who are of an Afrikaans lineage, or bare an Afrikaans last name, or live on a plot or farm or dare to call themselves a Boer.

We witness our families and friends being ripped from the earth on a daily basis. We see the wounds on the bodies of those who unfortunately survived the attack, as I am sure they would have rather died. We hear of farm after farm being marked, and watched and targeted, we are warned by loyal workers on our farms of planned attacks and then bury them the next week once the attackers have tortured and dismembered and discarded them in open view as a warning to any other worker who may feel the need to warn the white man of his fate. We see the remnants of bone and blood in the crevices between the walls of a place we once called home and we think what have we done to deserve this.

I was born white, today in South Africa that means I will have no future. May it be that I do not get a full scholarship to University, despite my 7 distinction grades, may it be that I am not selected to represent my country for sport because I do not meet the race quota, may it be that I do not get the job because of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) regulations the government has set, or may it be that I am simply a beating bag for batting practise, or a pin cushion for roofing nails or a recycling deposit bin for broken bottles as my body is bent and beaten and broken all only because of the colour of my skin.

What is happening in South Africa today is not a new thing, it has not just begun. It has been a meticulously planned and carefully carried out system of events designed to put us in the position we are in today. I remember in high school already being threatened and told "You better watch out white bitch, when Mandela dies you whites do too". This is something that has been building up for decades and no one does a thing. I chose my words very carefully, I know I have readers from the USA, the UK, Australia only to name a few, and I know you are aware of the situation to some extent, thanks to the recent marches in an attempt to gain international media coverage. It that where it ends? The idea behind getting international Media coverage on the issue is not so the countries around us have a new topic to discuss on the morning news, or for them to debate pulling resources from South Africa because its becoming bad for business; It is a desperate plea for help, a cry to the world to do something, not just sit behind their TV or computer screens muttering "Oh how terrible that must be!" and scrolling happily along. 

We are dying. We are screaming to the world to help us. Are you listening? 

Postscript;

I am a young, White South African woman; too young to have participated in or understood Apartheid in any manner or form. My family in no way benefited from any of the apartheid regimes laws and procedures. I in no way condone or accept what happened in those days, I only rely on facts and truths, making my decisions and forming my opinions based solely there upon.

I am a conservationist and work in rural areas on farms, surrounded by black South Africans, Zimbabweans and many other black nations people every day. I care for them and we look out for each other. We are all sick and tired of what is happening in this country and the ridiculous reasons given therefor or the excuses we hear after the fact. I fear for my life on a daily basis and may do so even more once this article has been published. However, I am proud to be white, I am proud of my culture and my families past, I am proud of my ancestors who raised and educated their staffs children alongside their own, as equals! I am proud of the person I am and of the hopes I hold for this country. 

Propaganda has an ugly face and it is one I see all too often of late and I have grown tired of its frown. It is used by both black and white, it is used in all languages and at times without a single word. The one thing about propaganda is it is always a lie, be that lie a distortion of fact or some truth or some complete fiction, a design of desperately disturbed mind. It will always incite anger, hate, disgust which will inevitably lead to some disaster. 

This country is in a state of disaster, who will come to our aid, or will we simply become a new reference in the worlds history books, the first chapter of the fall of Africa.

Side note: All torture methods and manners to inflict harm and kill mentioned above are reference to true acts which have been committed against white South Africans over the past years. There are many videos and film now being made about these attacks, below is only one of these with only a few of the survivors telling their stories.

Save our farmers preview

Please follow me on twitter and Instagram via the links below to see the world from my perspective, with a foot in the door.

https://twitter.com/BiancaBothab211

https://www.instagram.com/aconservationistsjourney/

Read my scholarship articles for The WOMA at the links below:

The WOMA Scholarship : Conservationista by Bianca Botha



To visit or donate to my crowdfunding page please follow the link below! Thank you for your support!

US, UK and South Africa: 


Back-a-Buddy Conservation study fund

Conservationista - Article 1 for The WOMA scholarship

Bianca Botha with the girls from a small village during an outreach 

Conservationîsta

She wakes up an hour before sunrise, straps on her boots and a warm jacket to shield her from the icy winter wind of these early mornings. She loads the cruiser and trailer with bails of blue buffalo grass and sleeves of lusern. She’s off to feed the buffalo, sable, kudu, giraffe and all the other species on the ranch. After feeding as the sun begins to rise she drives patrol around the farm to check the water points and for signs of poachers. Not a week ago two more rhino were slaughtered on her ranch and in the fight she had wounded one of the culprits with a perfect shot to the right leg. He was captured but his accomplices managed to escape and will no doubt return for the last few rhino remaining. She will not let them get her rhinos, which are akin to her own children on this ranch where she faces the elements and dangers of rural living daily, alone.

When a ranch, game farm, conservationist or ranger is mentioned in conversation, the first image in the mind is a strong burly man in Khaki wrestling a lion or driving his land cruiser or walking around with his big gun on a hike or hunting safari. This view has made it very difficult for women to break through in the industry, even though they have always been there. There has recently been a rise in the amount of women taking on careers on ranches and game reserves. Not as the general admin or hospitality positions as is often thought, but as Ranch and Reserve managers. They work down in the dirt with the rest of their crew. Darting and catching game, wrestling them to the ground to ensure safe capture and that they do not injure themselves. They ensure game populations do not exceed the carrying capacity of available land by taking hunters out on hunting safaris. They are mechanics, builders, game wardens, anti poaching team members, skilled in archery and shooting with rifles, they are professional hunters and outfitters, they are the women in conservation, they are Conservationistas.

Elmarie and Ansomie Minnaar of Hunters-Rock Safaris and outfitters, 

a mother and daughter dream team

Conservation is a career path that fills every niche. There are admin workers, farmers, hunters, vets, ecologists, biologists and the list goes on. Women fit into this career like a cold hand into a glove. They have compassion, caring, stamina, strong wills and work just as hard as any man. Most importantly women can multitask, making caring for clients and all other hospitality duties a breeze to fit into the odd hours of taking clients out for a hunt and entertaining them between shifts.

Many of these women may not even consider themselves to be conservationists but their jobs play a vital role in the conservation of African wildlife and the environment as a whole.

An African rock python removed from one of the Lodge venues

A struggle to get the python out of the pipe
in which in sought to escape capture

Working in the bush of Africa is no joke and you are always faced with challenges. When clients arrive there may be a snake in the room and you will need to remove it, using the opportunity to educate your guests about venomous snakes etc, or you may have poachers; which are always heavily armed, usually with AK47s used to kill rhino and elephant, at which your workplace becomes a warzone and you and your team the meagre defending force facing life or death. The women on the ranches in Africa fill these positions gladly and love every minute of what they do.

An important part of conservation is working with the community around you. Many ranches employ the rural people on their farms in a way to discourage poaching and educate them on the importance of protecting the wildlife in the area. 

A hunted wildebeest is recovered after tracking in the dark

Other ranches will do outreach, providing the rural homesteads and villages with meat from hunts or basics such as milliemeal and toiletries bought with profits from hunts. This encourages the villagers to report persons they suspect of poaching or any news of planned farm attacks.

 The female ranch managers have great success in these projects because they are viewed as caretakers by the villagers. This does however pose some problems as well. When wanting to distribute meat or supplies to the villagers one must often first talk to the chief, who due to their cultural beliefs, do not talk to women. You also need to be careful when entering their villages, as looking a man in the eye, wearing pants, or not having your head covered may be a great disrespect depending on their culture.

Being a woman in this industry is not easy. You are often looked down upon, denied a promotion or raise or even laughed off at a job interview as you are not taken seriously, regardless of your qualifications or experience. There are a few of us however, who are just as stubborn as any man and stick it through, fight the fight and earn the respect we deserve. We excel and show the world that a game ranch is just as much a woman’s place as a mans. 

Bianca supports the head of an impala ewe
which has been darted for translocation,
Butch (Jack Russel) keeping an eye on her vitals. 

South Africa now has its first all female Anti-poaching squad, the Black Mambas, whose exclusive duty is to patrol and protect the rhinos and elephants on specific reserves in the Limpopo province. From the establishment of this team the presence of snares and attempted poaching has decreased significantly more than any of the previous projects. These women are unarmed spending their time in the reserves alongside all the wild animals and taking their skills and experience to the schools and communities around them, fighting the war on poaching through monitoring, community building and education.

Women play a vital role in the preservation of the African environment. You need only look at the growth in awareness campaigns for STEM with the hash tag #womeninscience and the history of great female scientists, conservation biologists and film makers to see how important women are in conservation and how great the need is or their work to be recognised.

A young Vervet monkey rescued from being a pet
is cared for to regain strength before being taken
to the Vervet rehabilitation centre.

There are the greats; Joyce Poole, Terri Irwin, Rachel Carson and of course Jane Goodall who we all know so well and praise their work and books and films, however, we must not forget the work of the ladies on the ground in Africa. Their names are not known and their faces are not on newspapers or in scientific journals, but they put food in the mouths of hundreds of people in the villages around their farms, they employ and train thousands more to uplift the community and protect the environment, and they put themselves in the frontlines to save the animals they care for 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

Bianca and Jan, the rescued vervet monkey.

Women in conservation, the hunters and outfitters, the lodge managers, the farm labourers and so on may not be the first thing one thinks about when conservation is a topic of discussion, but they are the women from all cultures, ages and backgrounds, the mortar that holds the entire industry together and key element to successful conservation.

[ This is the full article of the article Published on 19 April 2018 by The WOMA. I would like to thank The WOMA and the wonderful women working there for the amazing opportunity they have given me as the scholarship recipient for 2017. Please visit and support this wonderful community of women here: The WOMA . See also the link to my article as published in the links below. ]

Please follow me on twitter and Instagram via the links below to see the world from my perspective, with a foot in the door.

https://twitter.com/BiancaBothab211

https://www.instagram.com/aconservationistsjourney/

Read my scholarship articles for The WOMA at the links below:

The WOMA Scholarship : Conservationista by Bianca Botha



To visit or donate to my crowdfunding page please follow the link below! Thank you for your support!

US, UK and South Africa: 

Back-a-Buddy Conservation study fund