Then all systems go. Airline tickets were e-mailed for R16 000 worth of Premium Class flights to Johannesburg, then on to Cape Town and back.It was, candidly, an exhausting programme; some journalists under half my age —from Zambia, Kenya, West Africa, India, Brazil and Russia—were as knackered as I was, even after one or two visits were slashed from a packed itinerary drawn up by Brands South Africa.
A guard woke me at 4:45am to wash, shave and finish packing in the dark as— sod’s law—Zesa went off on the askari’s third rap! No chance of breakfast at home, I enjoyed the agreeable repast served in an almost empty SAA Business Class cabin between Ha-ha-ha-rare (Africa’s fun capital) and OR Tambo.
A Zambian gal hack got in 10 minutes after my flight arrived; six Indians landed the day before and had gone to the Lion Park. Other journalists from print and electronic media would touch down within five hours.
All 17 of us stayed at swish four-star Protea Hotel Wanderers, next to the world-famous cricket ground and sports club, but rooms wouldn’t be free until “about 2:30pm”. Tsk, tsk. At noon—bored with reading by the pool (first diary assignment 6:30pm), I demanded — and got—a room, which was stunningly appointed.
After freshening up in a bathroom straight from Home & Garden I lunched at Wombles, Parktown North, owned by Zimbabweans Duncan and Yvette Barker (see review last Friday’s Zimbabwe Independent) and largely staffed by Zimbos.
I couldn’t learn what our Jo’burg rooms cost; it seemed churlish to ask, but fairly recently I stayed at the not-quite-so-swish Protea Hotel, OR Tambo Airport, at R1 249 a night, plus breakfast (US$149,91 on Tuesday).
It has an aviation theme throughout, varying between ultra-interesting and rather OTT. Literature tells would-be guests most rooms have “feature showers”; meaning the architect omitted a bath! That’s common now overseas. I was recently in Morocco for a fortnight in a room with shower only.I preferred Protea Wanderers with its deep relaxing, old fashioned, conventional bath and even more so, the virtual plunge pool installed in my breathtakingly classy room at the almost brand new five-star Taj Hotel, Cape Town, where we were to spend our last three days.Built in the CBD Wale Street former HQ of South Africa’s Reserve Bank—at least a century old—this will form the centrepiece of a different story “now, now” or “just now”.
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In Jo’burg, we had a grand buffet breakfast with the Banking Association of South Africa at Radisson Blu Hotel, Sandton. With stunning views over an impressive Johannesburg cityscape, this seems to have changed its name to the Gautrain Hotel. The spotless station is close by; it’s a comfortable 25-minute trip from there to either the airport or Pretoria/Hatfield.
Our first night dinner was at Lekgotla, an African-themed restaurant: quite like The Boma, Vic Falls or Carnivore in Nairobbery, but in Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton. It is the sort of touristy place I normally avoid like Zanu PF rallies, but turned out very enjoyable.
Next day, we breakfasted at Wanderers (smoked salmon was superb). I spurned lunch at the Ministry of Health canteen in Pretoria (where we heard of a compulsory RSA National Health/Insurance scheme that’s on the cards, but could take 14 years to launch!) I just drank tea.
We’d already had a lengthy briefing on the upcoming COP 17 anti-earth-warming conference in Durban in November-December, where 30 000 delegates and hangers-on are expected at the talkfest and in the afternoon visited the radio telescope (MeerKAT) at Hartebeesthoek, where bossman is Mutare-born Dr Michael Gaylard. Readers may recall his father, Jack, a much-respected head at Prince Edward, later secretary to Ian Smith’s Cabinet!Supper was a cocktail do at Arts on Main, in Braamfontein. I’m not over-fond of things on sticks for dinner, but the highlight was an almost endless supply of the most wonderful fresh oysters, washed down with potent German beer. Paintings, photographs, company and conversation were stimulating and jazz in a courtyard garden under some spindly olive trees foot-tappingly good.
We still had the Brands South Africa forum to attend at Sandton Convention Centre (where keynote speaker our Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutumbara stole the show); then on to the Mother City. Watch this [email protected]
