Red Bull Cart Race: Jiva Inkunzi team

Tomorrow, 24th Sept 2010, marks one of the most exciting events in Soweto, The Red Bull Cart Race. This is a race where selected teams build home made carts and race them down a street in Soweto. Yup a good day of family fun. Don't ask how we got involved....it just started off with a small idea "hey why don't we......" and a month later the team is ready to race in a custom made (homemade) cart.

Now the rules of the race are simple: your cart can’t have an engine, it must have more than 2 wheels, a hooter and breaks. The rest is up to the teams imagination...and from what I have seen some teams go while...One team is called Booty Call and the cart is shaped like a boot (according to the sketch) To begin, all potential teams had to send in a sketch of what their cart will look like. Then Red Bull selects which carts will race on Sept 24th, 2010. This is the sketch we sent in:

Then the details are added…like team name, dance routine, décor ect. Our team name is Jiva Inkunzi which means dancing bull :). The core team consists of Avon (my husband), Reagan (brother inLaw), Elton (Avons Cousin) and Bradly (Avons other cousin). This team of great coloureds have been working intensively in developing a name for themselves. This type of branding came almost naturally to them, the choice of colours was pink and blue, the logo is a dancing bull, the cart is full of character and charisma. However; truth be told….none of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for the Engineer uncle Eric himself. He knew exactly how to weld the cart together.



Last night I got to witness the final product. The cart was super cool and was exactly like the sketch we had envisioned at the beginning of the competition. We also went through our dance routine (which has to be withing 30seconds). From the looks of it the Jiva Inkunzi team was ready to show Soweto what they were all about. Form head to toe there personalities and dance moves just oozed with coolness…… Meet the team:
From top left: Avon Elton Bradly Reagan (bottom)

Encounters with the South African President: Jacob Zuma

So as I mentioned in my previous blog…..Avon and I had the honour of welcoming the President to Godfirst Church. Avon responsibility was to escort the president to and from the VIP room and I had to host the room in which the special guests would meet with the President.
We were all so nervous to meet him. Figuring out what to wear, how to greet him, could we take pictures with him, what to call him Mr J-Z, baba, President Jacob Zuma???? To calm my nerves I pretended that the person that I was going to meet was my Dad….just with a whole lot of guards and stuff around him. The whole building had to be bomb swept with sniffer dogs, the security was in check with metal detectors computers…the works. It for sure was not a normal church service even for us God Firsters. I was more nervous for Avon…I kept asking him are you sure your radio is working…do you know exactly where you are going, what channel should you be talking on.
The VIP room wasn’t too big and could only fit a limited number of people. I had the list of people given to me on a clip bored …which made me look very official. Everyone was rushing around making sure the room was ready with the snacks drinks. The temperature had to be right the flowers. Every now and again I would be like WOW the President is coming. J

Then the presidents personal assistant was gave us the signal that the President had arrived. I was told to make sure no one comes in the room with anything. In my mind “right on…I got this.” As the guards open the door for the president….a cook boy walks in with dessert plates in the opposite door. You should have seen the look I gave the guy. I think I freaked the guy out. It was that look of you better back right out of here coz the president is right at the door!!!! I will show you the look one day.

Once the fuss was over and we got to meet the president himself... he reminded me so much of my father. I observed how he interacted with his daughters how he sipped at his tea and how he laughed and made jokes. He was a daddy kind of a guy. When I looked at him I thought “Here in front of me was the man that was holding South Africa on his shoulders ….the crime the past hurts everything,” I could only imagine what stress he must go through.

When it was time for the interview with the pastor, Avon escorted the president from the VIP room down the back doors and to the front of the stage. I was so proud of my husband J. The interview was with his daughter GUGU and it was so interesting to have the president talk about Gugu the way he did. … so proudly. What stuck out for me was when Sibs asked the president what should the Church be doing…and is it doing enough. Jacob Zuma said the Church should be the conscience of the government…..meaning we should be raising our voices if something is not right. He felt we were not doing that enough….which was true.

The preach by PJ, our pastor, was also very moving. According to Paul, all authorities in the world were put in place by God. We should obey the laws and keep praying that our Leaders will lead our nation wisely and in a Godly manner. We have to focus on the positive aspects of our authorities and pray for the things that are not right. This will make a difference. The government can’t do everything on its own. It can put rules on racism but only God can change the heart of a racist and heal the hearts of those hurt by it. Government can band pornography but only God can deal with a person’s lustful nature, only God can deal with jealousy and greed.

When he came back up to the VIP room I really felt like I knew the president. I also was dying to get my picture taken with him....just to prove that I was actually there. You know a Kanya moment :). Trust me to strike a crazy pose posing with the president. I also got a picture with Avon and I which I said I would give my dad as a fathers day present :).
Anyways, this blog is to encourage you all to pray for our President Jacob Zuma and all our leaders. I was moved by the joining of Christians of all races and backgrounds who all just cheered for joy at the sermon and at Jacob. When we prayed for J-Z people cried. When we sang I could just feel the Holy Spirit moving through the crowd. People were changed and I would only imagine what it would feel like to have the nation changed and believing in God and our authorities too.

If any of you are interested in the preach and the interview with the president please download it from http://www.godfirst.co.za/node/500 Please also forward it to anyone who struggles with believing in our leaders of today.