Sometimes when I read the newspapers in Swaziland I laugh out loud at some absurdity or other they are reporting. Then there are times when I shout out loud in anger when someone is reported saying something evidently stupid.
Now, for the first time, I have laughed and shouted all in the same news report.
The Swazi Observer is to blame. It reported (13 June 2008) from Swaziland’s ‘Peoples’ Parliament’ a farmer saying that the reason why the kingdom is suffering from a drought is that a mystery plane is firing at the clouds.
This is how the Observer reported it.
‘Theresa Nkambule [said] that every time the clouds get “pregnant” with rain, the aircraft flies straight into the clouds and “shoots” them.
““Every Swazi who has eyes must have already noticed this. Government must do something about the aircraft otherwise the nation will be wiped away by hunger. The aircraft always makes sure that it flies into the sky every time rain promises to fall.”’
That made me roar with laughter. I’m sorry; I know it’s not a kind thing to do but the suggestion is so absurd that there is no other response to it.
At least I thought there was no response to it. And here’s the part of the story that made me shout out loud with anger.
The Observer asked Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Mtiti Fakudze to comment. The minister said this story was well known. ‘As a ministry we cannot confirm nor deny this because it cannot be verified.’
Do you see my point? The ministry actually believes that the reason Swaziland is suffering drought could be because of an aircraft shooting at the clouds.
About 600,000 people of Swaziland’s near one million population are surviving on food donated from international agencies because of the drought – and the ministry thinks it might all be caused by a plane firing at the clouds.
If you don’t think the suggestion is absurd try saying it out loud and see how it sounds.
Meanwhile, I’m going to make a nice soothing cup of tea. There’s only so much a man can take.
1 comment:
Richard,
I don't want to express an opinion about the article you refer to, but I do recall in 1986 or 1987 that there was someone from Pongola who was flying all along the southern border of Swaziland when clouds appeared and released, I think it was sulphur, into the clouds which was supposed to make the vapor droplets cling to each other and so become heavy enough for it to rain. As I travelled frequently between Nhlangano and Hluti, I saw this with my own eyes on more than one occasion. However, on all occasions, before I reached my destination, the clouds had disappeared into thin air and I never experienced it raining after that aeroplane had released the chemical into the clouds. Even at that time the story was told that this aeroplane was shooting the clouds and thereby causing the drought. I'll withhold myself on commenting about the science behind the theory, but I think this is probably the background to the article you mentioned.
Post a Comment