Swaziland

Having just come back from Swaziland (yes, us squatters go on holiday too), I was again struck by the contrasts with this country. Swaziland is a genuine African country; friendly people dotted around on the hillsides, dangerous mud tracks, very few 25yr old landrovers, mud huts and self-sufficient people with a few goats, chickens and mielies. A king ruling over the dominion. Peace, tranquility, and Africanness. I cross the border to this modern nightmare of endless tarred roads, road rage, poverty, extreme wealth, people working night and day, and global multi-national companies. Nowhere to escape to. No wonder we're losing our grip. We need to return to our roots, one way or another. There's nothing wrong with modern things and technology, but we can't let it change who we are, and how we think and deal with each other. Or with our culture and way of life. If we can integrate it with modern society, fine, but we must retain our Africanness, our identity, our culture; in this modern world its all that is lasting, and all that counts.