Farewell to Mike and Cathy

Mike and Cathy are two volunteers (also Americans) who have been working in Mbizana with me and the other UNVs. They arrived in September- a month before I started- and just completed their 6-month assignment with ADP. The farewell event was the largest I’ve seen in the Bizana municipal offices. There were many speeches, singing, dancing, food and champagne. In the photo to the right the municipal manager, Mr. Basil Mase, is thanking Mike and Cathy for their hard work. Seated in the center in white is Madam Speaker of the council.

As a gift from the local municipality, Mike and Cathy were given traditional Pondo outfits. The Pondo are a South African ethnic group who live in the Eastern Cape and speak the Xhosa language. From what I understand, most of the people working in the Mbizana Local Municipality are Pondo. Sometimes the ladies will dress up in their traditional outfits, but Mike is the first person I have seen in Pondo pants.

As usual there was lots of singing. Most the songs were in Xhosa although they did sing Happy Birthday to Mike in English since it was his birthday. Cathy told the municipal workers that she thought it would be a long long time before she goes to another meeting where people break into song. Mike and Cathy are both returning to work at Accenture where Mike is a financial consultant and Cathy is an ICT consultant. I am sure that they will miss Bizana.

Getting down in the council chamber