Guru Geri in South Africa

During apartheid I didn't want to go to South Africa. When it was over in 1994, I was right there in 1995. With Ezzat Tawfik, my boss at that time. I had the contacts and organized everything, he always went through everything. We drove via Cape Town to Port Elizabeth to Fort Hare in Eastern Cape. On the way in some national parks and cities. In Fort Hare we visited Prof. Charles Kazere and discussed a common project (field visits etc.). But nothing came of it.
South Africa is really still very intact, good infrastructure and well educated people. However, during the two visits it was clearly noticeable that things were going downhill. The differences in the standard of living between black and white are simply too big for things to go well forever.

• I didn't like the Kruger so much, too much asphalt, too little freedom, even though there were all the animals that man and woman would like for wild life in Africa.
• The second time I flew with Tawfik to Johannesburg again in 1997 and from there to Lesotho, where Peter Gilles wanted to write his doctoral thesis. After our stay in Lesotho we went to the Kruger National Park. South Africa is a beautiful and very varied country. I would move there immediately.   
• In 2007 I went to South Africa with Michael. We were on a tour to Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique. I landed in Jo'burg and bought the necessary things for the bush in Craighall and Sandorn. We couldn't get into the center anymore - no go area. On the way from Botswana to Mozambique we drove through the Kruger NP with two overnight stays (Mopane and Berg en Dal). This huge NP is already very beautiful, but a strong contrast to the bush in Botswana. Also in 2007 I had the feeling that the tension in the country is great. So far everything is peaceful.
• In 2009 I landed in Johannesburg and flew on to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. 
• 2011 also with Heiner Rahlfs, but in J'burg I took a car and via Botswana to Namibia. 2 days in South Africa.
• 2012 twice again from Jo'burg to Botswana with an off-road vehicle, this time in February with Michi and in June alone (from Namibia, the others had already flown ahead) and back with Fritz Wodarz and Heiner/Birgit Rahlfs. With Fritz he visited the National Museum in Pretoria, which had been newly reached on a hill for the freedom fighters. A great building, but already construction errors (as with us).
• 2014 due to a power failure at the entire airport in Johannesburg once in and then out to make the transit to Namibia.
• 2017 from Jo'burg back to Botswana, Gaborone. On the way back from the Fish River in Namibia via Pofadder, Augarbies, Kimberley and Sosusburg back to Jo'burg (6 days).
• In 2019 I was in KwaZulu Natal for 18 days for Misereor and there I evaluated and advised the project Mdukatshani with goats in Msinga District. It is a beautiful part of the country, which is still in a state of upheaval 25 years after the end of apartheid (apartheid is still in people's minds and structures), the infrastructure works well and the people in both the former Homeland and Pietermaritzburg were very friendly. Rauri Alcock as Mdukatshani I liked very much. I would go there again. I spent half in Hilton (suburb of PMB) and Weenen as well as Pomogolo-Dam.