Die soektog na Rita Marley se huis
Die soektog na Rita Marley se huis

Die soektog na Rita Marley se huis

Francoise Steynberg
Ek gaan kuier weer by my verloofde in Accra en hy wil my weer see toe vat.

Ek wil nie weer see toe nie, want Ghana se strande is maar treurig. Die see is yskoud en die strande is besaai met rommel (ek haat rommelstrooiers) en jy word oorval deur mense wat foto's van jou wil neem met die branders wat breek in die agtergrond.

Dit is my derde keer in die hoofstad Accra en ek wil dié keer die ware Ghana sien. Ek is nie een vir stede nie en soek die wildernis. Hoe dieper in die bosse en gopse in, hoe beter vir my. Ek wil sien hoeveel van Ghana se groot bome in die woud is nog oor.

Ons besluit om die kar se neus noordoos van Accra na Aburi te draai. Hoe verder ons ry, hoe meer plattelands raak dit. Ek sien my groot bome en daar is tot bokke op die pad, maar nie 'n enkele donkie nie, al sê die bord in Achimota nogal Rehoboth Hills.

Dis net kerke van alle denominasies om elke hoek en draai. Besighede se name is van Up Jesus, Down Satan Photo Lab, Hands of God Engineering (spesialiseer glo in BMW's), God is Great Cold Store, My Redemer Lives Fast Food, God's Time Fast Food en The Lord is my Shepherd Salon. Alles het 'n slagspreuk van God's Grace tot God Willing en daar is tot 'n Aburi Prayer Mountain.

In Aburi bly ons by die Hillburi Lodge met sy lowerryke tuin en swembad met sy asemrowende uitsig op die groen berge. Ons lê langs die swembad, drink gevaarlike skemerkelkie-konkoksies en ek sonbrand vir my bloedrooi in die bewolkte weer terwyl ek hoor dis koud in Windhoek.

In die ontvangslokaal van Hillburi is 'n foto van die legendariese reggae-sanger Bob Marley. Sy vrou, Rita, bly in Aburi en ons wil haar huis gaan soek. Rita is in Kuba gebore, het in Kingston in Jamaika grootgeword en ereburgerskap van Ghana ontvang. Haar en Bob se oudste dogter, Sharon Marley, is met 'n Ghanese man in 2014 getroud.

Die vriendelike personeel van Hillburi verduidelik vir ons waar Rita se studio is. Ons val in die pad en al wat ons weet, die studio is net ná 'n petrolstasie op die linkerkant. Ons vind uiteindelik die Studio of Time and Experience by die Rita Harley-stigting in Konkonuru.

Toe wil ons haar huis gaan soek. Ons deurkruis die hele Aburi en die klipwerke aan die huise en hordes kerke is pure uitmuntende vakmanskap. Die halfgeboude vierverdiepinggeboue waarvan die eienaars se geld opgeraak het, is nie 'n mooi gesig nie. Dit kom nou van groot begeer. Die verkiesingsreklameborde van 2016 toring nog steeds reusagtig met die nuwe president Nana Akufo-Addo wat vriendelik glimlag en "werk saam vir positiewe verandering" belowe.

Ons draai terug en kry sowaar Rita se huis net langs haar studio wat ons nie raakgesien het nie. Muisneste! Die huis agter die muur met leeubeelde op en 'n hek wat groen, geel en swart geverf is, is afgebrand. Die huis het in 2010 afgebrand met die brandweerstasie daar naby wat glo nie vinnig genoeg gereageer het nie. Die huis is nog meer verlate as die studio en Rita is nie in sig nie.

Ek wil sommer huil, maar ek hoor vir Bob sing: “No woman, no cry”.

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Republikein 2024-05-17

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Premier League: Manchester United 3 vs 2 Newcastle | Brighton 1 vs 2 Chelsea | Tottenham Hotspur 0 vs 2 Manchester City LaLiga: Real Sociedad 1 vs 0 Valencia | Almería 0 vs 2 Barcelona | Las Palmas 2 vs 2 Real Betis | Celta Vigo 2 vs 1 Athletic Club | Getafe 0 vs 3 Atletico Madrid | Sevilla 0 vs 1 Cadiz | Rayo Vallecano 2 vs 1 Granada | Girona 0 vs 1 Villarreal | Real Madrid 5 vs 0 Deportivo Alaves | Osasuna 1 vs 1 Mallorca European Championships Qualifying: Leeds United 4 vs 0 Norwich City English Championship: Leeds United 4 vs 0 Norwich City Katima Mulilo: 11° | 31° Rundu: 11° | 30° Eenhana: 11° | 31° Oshakati: 12° | 30° Ruacana: 12° | 31° Tsumeb: 13° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 11° | 27° Omaruru: 11° | 30° Windhoek: 11° | 26° Gobabis: 12° | 27° Henties Bay: 19° | 35° Wind speed: 35km/h, Wind direction: E, Low tide: 05:49, High tide: 12:03, Low Tide: 17:43, High tide: 00:16 Swakopmund: 20° | 26° Wind speed: 27km/h, Wind direction: E, Low tide: 05:47, High tide: 12:01, Low Tide: 17:41, High tide: 00:14 Walvis Bay: 23° | 33° Wind speed: 28km/h, Wind direction: E, Low tide: 05:47, High tide: 12:00, Low Tide: 17:41, High tide: 00:13 Rehoboth: 12° | 27° Mariental: 15° | 29° Keetmanshoop: 17° | 29° Aranos: 15° | 28° Lüderitz: 20° | 32° Ariamsvlei: 16° | 30° Oranjemund: 15° | 25° Luanda: 24° | 27° Gaborone: 16° | 30° Lubumbashi: 11° | 27° Mbabane: 13° | 22° Maseru: 9° | 23° Antananarivo: 12° | 27° Lilongwe: 15° | 28° Maputo: 19° | 28° Windhoek: 11° | 26° Cape Town: 15° | 22° Durban: 17° | 23° Johannesburg: 15° | 24° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 32° Lusaka: 14° | 27° Harare: 13° | 26° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.03 | EUR to NAD 19.74 | CNY to NAD 2.52 | USD to NAD 18.15 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.3 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.71 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.54 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 133.73 | USD to AOA 847.42 | USD to BWP 13.49 | USD to EGP 46.86 | USD to KES 130.48 | USD to NGN 1467 | USD to ZAR 18.15 | USD to ZMW 25.45 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 79509 Up +0.19% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1740.48 Up +0.45% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13411.39 Down -0.07% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 26142.84 Up +3.27% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9151.06 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 408.92/OZ UP +1.30% | Copper US$ 4.99/lb UP +3.03% | Zinc US$ 3 043.80/T UP 2.21% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 83.84/BBP UP +0.08% | Platinum US$ 1 077.32/OZ UP +1.48% Sport results: Premier League: Manchester United 3 vs 2 Newcastle | Brighton 1 vs 2 Chelsea | Tottenham Hotspur 0 vs 2 Manchester City LaLiga: Real Sociedad 1 vs 0 Valencia | Almería 0 vs 2 Barcelona | Las Palmas 2 vs 2 Real Betis | Celta Vigo 2 vs 1 Athletic Club | Getafe 0 vs 3 Atletico Madrid | Sevilla 0 vs 1 Cadiz | Rayo Vallecano 2 vs 1 Granada | Girona 0 vs 1 Villarreal | Real Madrid 5 vs 0 Deportivo Alaves | Osasuna 1 vs 1 Mallorca European Championships Qualifying: Leeds United 4 vs 0 Norwich City English Championship: Leeds United 4 vs 0 Norwich City Weather: Katima Mulilo: 11° | 31° Rundu: 11° | 30° Eenhana: 11° | 31° Oshakati: 12° | 30° Ruacana: 12° | 31° Tsumeb: 13° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 11° | 27° Omaruru: 11° | 30° Windhoek: 11° | 26° Gobabis: 12° | 27° Henties Bay: 19° | 35° Wind speed: 35km/h, Wind direction: E, Low tide: 05:49, High tide: 12:03, Low Tide: 17:43, High tide: 00:16 Swakopmund: 20° | 26° Wind speed: 27km/h, Wind direction: E, Low tide: 05:47, High tide: 12:01, Low Tide: 17:41, High tide: 00:14 Walvis Bay: 23° | 33° Wind speed: 28km/h, Wind direction: E, Low tide: 05:47, High tide: 12:00, Low Tide: 17:41, High tide: 00:13 Rehoboth: 12° | 27° Mariental: 15° | 29° Keetmanshoop: 17° | 29° Aranos: 15° | 28° Lüderitz: 20° | 32° Ariamsvlei: 16° | 30° Oranjemund: 15° | 25° Luanda: 24° | 27° Gaborone: 16° | 30° Lubumbashi: 11° | 27° Mbabane: 13° | 22° Maseru: 9° | 23° Antananarivo: 12° | 27° Lilongwe: 15° | 28° Maputo: 19° | 28° Windhoek: 11° | 26° Cape Town: 15° | 22° Durban: 17° | 23° Johannesburg: 15° | 24° Dar es Salaam: 23° | 32° Lusaka: 14° | 27° Harare: 13° | 26° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.03 | EUR to NAD 19.74 | CNY to NAD 2.52 | USD to NAD 18.15 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.3 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.71 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.54 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 133.73 | USD to AOA 847.42 | USD to BWP 13.49 | USD to EGP 46.86 | USD to KES 130.48 | USD to NGN 1467 | USD to ZAR 18.15 | USD to ZMW 25.45 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 79509 Up +0.19% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1740.48 Up +0.45% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13411.39 Down -0.07% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 26142.84 Up +3.27% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9151.06 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 408.92/OZ UP +1.30% | Copper US$ 4.99/lb UP +3.03% | Zinc US$ 3 043.80/T UP 2.21% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 83.84/BBP UP +0.08% | Platinum US$ 1 077.32/OZ UP +1.48%