Maybe, next time just phone?
Another ANC delegation arrives back from Zimbabwe with nothing to show for it
Ardent fans of Tintin will know that his final proper adventure takes him to the fictional South American country of San Theodoros, to rescue strident opera singer Bianca Castafiore, who has been imprisoned by General Tapioca’s venal regime.Early on, you see Tintin’s plane on its approach to Tapiocapolis over a shackland slum patrolled by soldiers in Nazi-style helmets, under a billboard declaring "Viva Tapioca".At the end, after Tintin has helped General Alcazar topple the regime, his plane climbs over a shackland slum patrolled by Alcazar’s troops, in Fidel Castro-style caps, under a billboard shouting "Viva Alcazar".Hergé the cynical satirist was marinated in the expression plus ça change.Replace "San Theodoros" with Zimbabwe, and Tintin’s plane with the SA Air Force’s Dassault Falcon 900 VIP jet, and you have the outline for SA’s thus far pointless interventions to assist our neighbour get back on track.Not that there’s anything wrong with using the jet to fly delegations to ano...
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