MAILBOX: From the Border War to Tembisa – A Kiwi subscriber remembers the “what ifs”

Key topics:A long-time expat recounts work, travel, and near-frontline experiences across Botswana and SA, plus moments around the democratic transition.He contrasts past growth and functioning infrastructure with today’s corruption concerns and service-delivery failures.Personal thread: his support for a former employee who built a home in Tembisa, including practical upgrades that later proved valuable amid Eskom instability.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Richard Perry.Hello, Alec and the team from New Zealand.It is a pleasure to receive your daily news once again. It is highly informative, and given the ongoing global chaos under the Trump regime, it is good to receive a balanced assessment from South Africa.I spent over 40 years of my life in both Botswana and RSA. My company was closely involved with developing the radio system for the Skatterjag TV programme in the 1980s. This involved flying into Oshakati and Ondangwa, staying in the Kunene, and filming that beautiful area. Meanwhile, a serious war was raging. On a separate trip, we had to fly at a very low level to avoid being hit by a SAM-7 missile. Tragically, later that week, our helicopter pilot was killed when he flew too low over a pan in the Etosha National Park.In Botswana, we provided extensive telecommunications networks for the Botswana Police, creating over 1,500km of continuous mobile radio coverage between Gaborone and Kasane at the Zambezi River.I operated adjacent to the Gukurahundi genocide in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, and witnessed the Bophuthatswana/AWB face-off. I remember seeing the "Bop" border being removed as I drove up to Gaborone; the reality of a new democratic dispensation was starting to dawn on everyone. I was in Francistown, Botswana, when Madiba was released. I was gathered around a TV with black people from South Africa and Botswana—it was a deeply emotional time for us all.Watching from afar now, seeing the South Africa I knew being allowed to collapse is appalling. The infrastructure, which was always well-maintained, simply needed to be built upon and expanded to serve all people in South Africa.I recall Botswana during the 1980s and 90s, when GDP growth hit 15% at one stage. This economic boom coincided with drama unfolding across the border in SA. Many Brits stayed on in Botswana after their contracts expired, making a huge difference in a country that became a major diamond exporter under President Sir Ketumile Masire. The country was moving out of poverty. I used to play snooker most nights with Phil Steenkamp (former P.S.P. to Sir Seretse Khama) at the Gabs Golf Club. It was a pleasure to socialise with anyone, regardless of race or age.Sadly, along with South Africa, Botswana has become increasingly corrupt. The tender system—particularly hospital tenders—has been the target. The new President has demanded a full audit regarding large medical tenders, and we await the outcome. In my day, my company received large tenders, and we never once saw corruption or were asked to pay a bribe.On a more personal note, I employed a helper named Katie Vilikazi in 1980. She remained with me until I returned to NZ in 2014. Unbeknownst to me, she had saved up and bought a plot in Tembisa. When I found out, I was impressed and immediately helped her build and finish the home.I installed two specific things for her: laminated glass for all windows and rooftop solar water heating. The glass proved effective—they caught a would-be thief who made so much noise trying to break it that he woke the neighbours. As for the solar, I had no idea then that Eskom would become so unreliable, but it has been a blessing for her.We still speak on our birthdays. When the heavy rainstorms recently hit Tembisa, I called to ensure she was safe. She was my house manager as I travelled regionally and internationally; she was 100% honest and reliable. While she is better off than many, she is very angry about the lack of accountability regarding the Tembisa Hospital and the general lack of service delivery.I miss SA, but not the way it is being run now.

MAILBOX: From the Border War to Tembisa – A Kiwi subscriber remembers the “what ifs”

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