Author: 6000

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Politicians, eh? Poorly regarded, often duplicitous, generally loathsome individuals.

But even in the cesspit of politics, some are definitely much more punchable than others.

Top of that list, standing tall above all the others (metaphorically at least, he’s apparently only 5’3″, even in his big shoes) is one Mehmet Vefa Dag, the Turkish-born leader of the Truth and Solidarity Movement Party. If you look him up, you’ll find that he’s known for his “controversial” and “outspoken” views. Basically “controversial” and “outspoken” here means the never-ending stream of anti-Semitic and homophobic nonsense and make-believe bullshit that constantly spews from his foul mouth.

Last year, the Western Cape High Court found him in contempt of court for failing to stop publishing defamatory content regarding Curro Holdings, leading to a 90-day prison sentence. In response, Dag described himself on social media as a “political prisoner”, “the new Mandela,” and “the real president of South Africa.”

“South Africa has now started to play with stones,” he ranted on X. “You will not be able to prevent this by throwing me in prison. Now, thieves should truly fear the Truth and Solidarity Movement.”

Lol. Ok, sweetheart.

He’s been particularly vocal over the last couple of weeks, probably because he was standing in the Dunoon by-election in the Cape Town municipality on Wednesday. There he was on site last weekend, handing out free food and drink – something that a lot of people do in townships out of the goodness of their hearts, rather than to buy votes – under the banner “Stop Hunger. Stop Starvation in Dunoon.”

The election was on Wednesday, with 7 parties contesting for the seat. So, did he win?

Well, no. To be fair, the ANC held the ward, albeit that the EFF and DA in second and third will be happy enough with their improved performances in this ANC stronghold.

But there, right behind the Big Three was… er… not Mehmet Dag, but the SA Communist Party.

However, in fifth place – no mean feat for… I’m sorry? Ah. No. That wasn’t him either. Fifth was the African Transformation Movement (ATM), formed with the backing of the South African Council of Messianic Churches in Christ (SACMCC). Cheating a bit with God on their side, but not even He could pull ahead of the Commies.

Sixth, then?

Nope. In a radical, angry, poverty-stricken, 90% black African township, the Organic Humanity Movement, running on their “Guiding Principles” of:

Liberty
Protection of Life
Respect for the Earth
Self-Reliance
Continuous Progress, and
National Sovereignty

managed a whole 7 votes.

And that was still 7 more than Mehmet.

Seriously:

Not a single vote. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Dololo.

Absolutely hilarious.
Absolutely delicious.

It quite literally couldn’t have happened to a more disgusting person.

Mehmet took a couple of days off social media to lick his wounds, but he’s back today, shouting about his party’s NATIONAL SHUTDOWN DAY on Wednesday 15th April*:

The movement, led by President Mehmet Vefa Dag, is organizing this action as a protest against the current administration and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

What? The ANC administration that got [checks numbers] 2,363 more votes than you did last week?

Ok.

Obviously, I can imagine that the entire country will be brought to its collective knees by this action. Make sure you stock up on food and essentials, because there surely won’t be a shop open anywhere in South Africa.

Unless, of course, everyone ignores Mehmet again, like they did last Wednesday.

Isn’t it weird when some people just won’t take a hint?

I guess that South Africa just has to keep on hinting.

.

* Incidentally, more important things which will also be happening on Wednesday 15th April include:

National Banana Day A – get creative in the kitchen and enjoy what monkeys have known all along: the banana is a fabulous food!
National Glazed Spiral Ham Day – offering an ideal opportunity for individuals, families and groups to show their appreciation for and celebrate this delicious food.
Titanic Remembrance Day – commemorating the 112th anniversary of the passenger liner sinking like the hopes of a shitty political party.

One Job

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I’m still away taking photographs, and hopefully, I’m doing a better job at my one job than the India power company contractors who did… well… they did this:

This image was taking in August 2025, and – by the look of the grass around its base – had been there for a while then.

BIG NEWS: IT’S STILL THERE!

“Couldn’t be shifted immediately”? “Immediately”? It’s been there for almost a year!
Does “immediately” mean something different in India? Is this like “Now” in South Africa?

Amazingly, this being India with its many vehicular perils and… mmm… “somewhat iffy” road safety record, it’s incredible that the pole hasn’t been hit, flattened, and taken home for firewood several times over already.

If ever there was a time and place for BRO to step in, this is clearly it.

Smalltown Boy

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No. Not the 1984 song with the iconic keyboard riff.
But don’t let that put you off reading some more of this post.

I mentioned the other day that I’m a bit all over the place over the next few weeks. But it’s suddenly come to my attention that I’m doing a bit of a tour of a few (or more) Western Cape small towns over the next month.

Tulbagh – named after Governor Ryk Tulbagh, and famed for its 1969 6.3MW earthquake – is the first. Actually, I’m going to be just outside the town, which might mean that I’m less at risk from any potential seismological activity. I don’t know. I’m not exactly sure how these things work.

But after that shaky start (lol!), we’re off to Swellendam and then Caledon.

Swellendam – named after Governor Hendrik Swellengrebel (crazy name, crazy guy) – is the third oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town and Stellenbosch. If you look at a map, you can tell how the first European settlers were heading north and east (mainly because there really wasn’t anything south and west), and – following a somewhat chequered history – Swellendam became quite an important town for trade in the booming Overberg region during the British colonial ear of the early 1800s. Nowadays it’s really just another town on the N2, and honestly, there’s nicer coffee in Riviersonderend.

Caledon – named after Governor Du Pré Alexander, 2nd Earl of Caledon – is just an overnight stop for us in a couple of weeks time. An early morning appointment in the town means that it makes sense to wake up there, and so a nice Lekkeslaap place (no, not this one), on a nearby farm seems just the job. Caledon is also on the N2, and is also bettered for coffee by the place in Riviersonderend (which we’ll definitely call into on the way there).

And then a long weekend in near Villiersdorp. Villiersdorp isn’t on the N2, and isn’t named after a Governor. It is named after a bloke though: Field Cornet Pieter de Villiers, a local farmer who founded the settlement in 1843. A central area for agricultural packhouses, it’s also next door to Theewaterskloof Dam – the largest of the dams supplying water to Cape Town – see here and here.

Thankfully for the 12,438 residents, we’re staying a few kilometres outside the town centre.

Safety first. For all concerned.

Anyway, the first trip kicks off today.
And who knows what other towns we might visit during the upcoming month?

Watch this space for updates and photos.

New music Mon… er… Thursday

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Another 6 Music find, via Chris Hawkins. Girl In The Year Above.

This is their first official single, but they’re on the soundtrack of the new Peaky Blinders film with a cover of Massive Attack’s Teardrop. I was told to expect a lot from that track, and it didn’t really do it for me, beautiful though it is. But this is very nice indeed. Celtic vibes (as you might expect from an Irish/Cornish band), and a wonderfully expressive, emotive, powerful voice up front in Jennifer Ball.

Inevitable comparisons with Florence Welch.

Oh. And they are going to be at Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival in July.

Incidentally, although I’m not a fan of the series (I’m not not a fan either: I’ve just never watched it), the soundtrack to the Peaky Blinders film is pretty impressive: Grian Chatten, Lankum, Nic Cave, Fontaines D.C. and Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers.

This only works for half the world

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Much like “World Tours” which don’t really take in much of the world, you only really begin to understand just how Northern Hemisphere-centric the world’s media is when you come to live down on the bottom half of the planet.

And yes, I get it. With somewhere between 87 and 90% of the world’s population up there, and “much less” of it down here, it does make sense. But we do still exist.

Here’s a message, ostensibly from popular composer Ludovico Einaudi, which I received via email this morning:

OK. There are a few points here. But let’s start with the elephant in the message:
I’m in South Africa. The days are not getting brighter. That’s not how things work in March down here.
Quite the opposite, in fact. The nights are closing in and I woke up (almost) in darkness this morning.
(Although that said, it’s going to be 27oC tomorrow and over the weekend, and my brother is currently covered in snow in Derbyshire. There are levels here.)

However, given that autumn officially started 4 days ago, they’ve managed to somehow be correct on their “Summer gets ever closer” line. I think that was more by luck than by judgement, but that’s just my supposition, and technically, they’re right.

They do finish that sentence off with a question though, and I feel that it deserves a question mark, rather than a full stop. They’re not ok on that one?

Either way though, it’s not a bad way to spend an hour or so this afternoon – whatever the weather, the hours of daylight, and the relative proximity of the warmer seasons – and I’ve been tempted into it.

Give it a go on that link just there [finger points upwards].