Needing to write I sent this as an email today to the employees at the company I am employed at. Due to responses I received I decided to break my blogging silence. I want to apologize to especially those who commented on my last post for me simply vanishing off the radar and effectively ignoring the blogging community. Not doing the Afrikaans blogging challenges and the Lens-Artist photo challenge made my life emptier. But it does not mean I have started blogging again. I will however respond this time round should you wish to leave comments. However I will not go into detail on why I stopped blogging, for in doing so I would have to be disloyal.
Today is Mandela day.
Two days ago was Johnny Clegg’s last day

In 1999 in Germany, Nelson Mandela joined Johnny Clegg on stage while he was singing Asimbonanga (we have not seen him)
A song he wrote for Mandela (before it became popular to write songs for Mandela)
Mandela’s shuffle dance and hearty smile is inspiring
Please listen to the song (google: Johnny Clegg song for Mandela)
When asked by Clegg if he wants to say something, Mandela responded:
“It is music and dancing which make me at peace with the world and myself”
This must be the reason why Madiba is universally loved by teenagers!
Clegg remarks at the start of the video that in 1986 South Africa was in a State of emergency.
As a member of 5 South African Infantry Battalion I was a tool of that State of emergency.
Ironically during basic training we listened to Juluka’s:
I’m sitting on the top of Kilimanjaro
I can see a new tomorrow
(Without seeing the tomorrow he was referring to)
Two months thereafter Colonel Jock “Promises” came to visit us troepies (soldiers) during field training.
The purpose was to motivate (indoctrinate?) us.
I took him on regarding the factual correctness of his statement that Mandela was not a leader of the ANC as that status according to him was fabricated by the press.
No, I was not a Mandela supporter at the time but a bit more informed than the average troepie.
The purpose was actually selfish: to make his speech longer so the we need not do the scheduled physical training (it worked)!
But for me this very tentative 1986/Mandela/Clegg link is special
But all of us share in such a tentative link. Nelson Mandela would have been 101 years old today – the age of Sanlam.
Last year 50 musicians collaborated in an excellent tribute to Johnny
Recorded in Bellville Studios, nogal
(Google: The crossing collaboration)
From “The Crossing” by Johnny Glegg:
Inside of him a boy looks up to his father
For a sign or an approving eye
Oh, it’s funny how those once so close and now gone
Can still so affect our lives
I do not think it is destined for all of us to be revolutionaries like Madiba and Clegg
But all of our lives affect those of others, even after our deaths.
Hamba kahle (Go well) Madiba and Johnny
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika (God bless Africa)
We have missed you! I appreciate your privacy and wish you well. Thank you for this contribution.
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Thank you Anne
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Cannot tell you how much you are missed Abrie. Like Anne, I honor your privacy and hope you are ok. Come back when you can, I smile far less often without you.
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Thanks Tina I really appreciate your comments. Without reciprocal blogging comments I also smile kess
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Jou blikslaer. Behalwe dat ek saam ween oor ons Wit Zoeloe, is ek kinnerlik bly om hier te kan kommentaar. Ons bloghuis het ‘n leë kamer, die naam op die deur is Abrie dink hardop.
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Ek erken ek is een. Ek stap rond in ‘n doolhof, miskien vind ek nog daardie deur
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✏📚🏡👍
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Ons mis Abrie
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Abrie mis onse soos jy
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Aaa, dis goed om te weet jy leef en werk en haal asem, jou ou blikslaer, jy!
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Self goed om te weet ek doen al daardie dinge. ‘n Blikoor van geboorte soos ek is van nature ‘n blikslaer. Ek sluk net bietjie swaar aan ou want aangesien my gehoor nie so lekker is nie klink dit soos oud…
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Nee man, “ou” is mos ook ‘n woordjie van vertedering!
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Net bietjie selfterg tannie Frannie. Ek voel dienooreenkomstig verteder
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So lekker om weer van jou te hooe Abrie. Dankie vir die skrywe
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Baie dankie Aletta
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👍
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Ons mis jou Abrie.
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Dankie Toortsie, hou aan om jou flits te skyn
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Abrie!! You’re back! I’m also not on here very much but I poke my head in now and again. I missed you though. 🙂
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Hi Alba thanks for poking in
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Thanks for this post honouring both Johnny Clegg and Madiba. They will forever be in our hearts.
Glad to hear that you are okay Abrie – I was concerned when we didn’t hear from you at all. Wishing you all the best.
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Thank you I appreciate your remarks
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Ag weet jy, ek erken – ek het nog nie eers die inhoud gelees nie, ek kom eers dadelik kommentaar om te sê DIS SO LEKKER OM JOU WEER TE SIEN!
Ek hoop rerig dit gaan goed met jou en jou se mense Abrie.
Ek gaan nou eers jou inskrywing lees.
Vrede en lig vir jou.
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Baie dankie vir hierdie spesiale kommentaar. Hoop Abrie sal uit sy grot kom met grotstories al dan nie.
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Heartfelt post, Abrie! Happy to have read it. I’m kinda sporadic here these days.
Coincidentally, my WhatsApp status today is about how I’d like to be remembered when I’m dead. We do touch people’s lives even when we do not become famous legends.
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Hi Anne so true. Good to hear from you
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Abrie, you’re back!!! yay!!
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Thanks I saw you also have on on this subject but no I am not back. Just visiting
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Enjoy the visit! 🙂
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Ag dis nou te lekker … ons mis jou maar respekteer jou besluit.
Mag dit met jou goed gaan.
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Baie dankie. Ek is dankbaar dat jy weer kan sien en blog
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Thank you for this post. You have been missed. Hope everything is well.
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Thank you Carla Maria Baptista. You still have a classic name
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Om een of ander rede het ek nie hierdie blog dadelik raak gesien nie, maar ek is mos maar die agterossie! Dit was goed om weer jou skrywe te lees. En goed om van jou te hoor. Maak weer so…dis soos manna vir die siel.
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Dankie Woordnoot. Geniet julle Rebusfontein avvonture
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