Rainbow nation

The term the "Rainbow Nation" is a term coined by Desmond Tutu to describe South Africa after the apartheid rule officially ended in 1994. The phrase was further elaborated upon by former president Nelson Mandela, often just called Madiba which is an honorary term used by elders in Mandela's clan, during his first month of office when he proclaimed: "Each of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld - a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world."

The term was intended to encapsulate the unity of multi-culturalism and the cooperation between people of different races, previously being shaped by a strict divide between black and white.

Gay-rights activists in South Africa have interpreted the rainbow link as to mean tolerance of homosexuals in the country. This alternative interpretation connects well with the international rainbow-coloured flag used by gays and lesbians worldwide.

So when we on Saturday had to spend the day in the "Rainbow nation", why not include some children of the rainbow??

We were a bit late to go in to Cape Town, and as we approached Green Point there was no sign of the Gay Pride Parade that was going on. We told the taxi to keep moving, so went back to the CBD, all the way down to the bus station and continued up towards Long Street. Suddenly there was a stop in the traffic, loud music playing and a colourful display of people, balloons and trucks a few hundred meter in front of us. We'd found our parade! Afra, beautiful, innocent, little Afra, a devout Muslim from Sudan, she must have had a little shock, because she had overlooked the fact that it was a gay parade, and probably wasn't aware of the fact that gay parades tend to be slightly exhibitionist, and nudity, bodies and dressing like another gender but your own is frequently on display in such parades. But we followed the mayhem back to Green Point, met Eli from Australia for a beer, and had a very good day in the sun.

Today it was Tawfig's 30th birthday and we had opted for Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and a picknic and concert. It was Malaika who had the pleasure of entering the stage, and the couple of hundred spectactors had the absolute pleasure watching.

Malaika is one of South Africa's most popular groups, and the demographic among the visitors was quite different from two weeks ago when a 16 piece orchestra had centre stage. It was African rythms from start to finish, and by the second song the band had the whole lawn up and dancing. It was spectacular, it was liberating, and some of their songs about unity and friendship between the races gave me goosebumps despite the 36 degrees scorching heat. All in all a fantastic day, that gave could give me no reasons not to smile.