Filed under: Travel
Where I'm headed for the weekend.
I’ll write more on this later, but I’m heading out of Johannesburg today–to a small city called Pietermaritzburg, near the southeastern coast. There’s going to be a big case coming to the High Court there involving the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, Jacob Zuma. For the past three years, he’s been fighting legal battles related to a $5 billion arms deal he was involved in while vice president earlier this decade. He has a lot of popular support, however, and his supporters believe that he’s the victim of a political conspiracy.
So you can bet that PMB, usually a sleepy, colonial-looking farm town, is going to be hopping tomorrow. I’m excited to leave the city, too — and to be taking a bus, rather than driving, for once.
Update: Zuma’s case has been dropped for the time being because of irregularities and possible political meddling in the prosecution. From the BBC.
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Linn's Year Ablog 
Reading this blog makes me so jealous of you! I’m writing papers–please note that it is 4:41 a.m. here. Hope you enjoy Pietermaritzburg (we need more cities with names like that).
Comment by Lina 11 September 2008 @ 10:41 AM GMT+0530+2Linn — you should contact Grinnell alum Anik Gevers. she’s on PLans. Her family owns a farm near Pietermaritzburg, and they’re wonderful.
Comment by Ligoliowomi 11 September 2008 @ 9:22 PM GMT+0530+2