Fondasiesuiker
Purpose
Things change. Things fall apart. It seems to do so in a cyclical manner that is not always apparent. So it was, and is, in South Africa and especially Durban. Lying in the heart of Zululand, Durban’s prosperity seemed to signal the former colony’s rise to the greatest heights of success, both for the Masses and the Union. But it did so on the backs of mistreatment, cruelty, selfishness, and delusion. The apartheid government was the tool of the Technocracy, a shameful yet useful device of governance. When it crumbled under the weight of just outrage, so did the fortunes of Symposium #ZA381. The most tragic part of it all was that it didn’t have to be that way. The Union in South Africa just bet on the wrong horse.
But that was 20 years ago. Since then, the Technocracy has regrouped, reconstituted under the plain yet still progressive serial of #ZA382. Sure, it lost a fair amount of ground (and Nodes) to the surge of Tradition superstitionists and other freaks. But that is changing. The fortunes of South Africa have not much improved since Reconciliation, and the Union hopes to capitalize on that failure by offering a globalist salve of wealth and innovation. Apartheid was the tool of old provincial fools clinging to a Victorian fantasy. Today’s Durban is bright and thriving, free and optimistic, and glittering on the shores of one of the most industrious ports on the planet.
And yet, Control hasn’t quite forgotten what got the Union in Durban to where it stands today. The wealth of the Union reflects the wealth of the colonists: sugar, plantations and refining industry alike. Hence the Afrikaans nickname for the Symposium: Fondasiesuiker. A “Foundation of Sugar”. The highly desired cash crop continues to underwrite the Union’s local ambitions. Entire neighborhoods enjoy a rejuvenation thanks to Union efforts. Old superstitions like “witch-smelling”, which result in medieval panics and massacres of entire villages in other parts of Africa, have all but been stamped out in KwaZulu-Natal. As for the Reality Deviants: let them think they’ve won. Their victory has proved short-lived. The Union is back in black.
Protocols
The Protocols of Damian are gamely observed in Durban. Why wouldn’t they be? This Symposium is intent on proving that the ways of the Technocracy are what’s best for the Masses.
Pogrom
The Pogrom against Reality Deviants is not heavy-handed at all in Durban. Despite the rhetoric of retaking control of the city, superstitionism and its monstrous scions has taken too strong a hold with too much of the populace. HIT Marks barely function outside of Union bases while alien entities (“spirits” that these community-beloved witch doctors call up) materialize with ease even in the dismal alleys of the shack town fringes. The Pogrom is carried out primarily in corporate and legal arenas, with the NWO and Syndicate leading the way by resuming guiding control of commerce, industry, media, and criminal law.
Special Events
Special events are annual (or more frequent) holidays or special ritual days that the main group or groups observe as a whole community. Attendance and participation are often expected of all members, and sometimes required.
Eskom Expo
At the end of every year, during the first two weeks of December, South African science departments from primary schools and universities put together a science exposition fair. They call it Eskom, and it involves an open invitation for young scientists (upper secondary students) to demonstrate original understanding and innovation. Winners of this fair tend to gain scholarships to highly prized universities in South Africa. Eskom used to be held in Boksburg but Durban attracted the event in 2002. For the last ten years, Eskom has not failed the local scientific-minded Technocrats (Progenitors, Iteration X, and Void Engineers) in providing at least one potential if not actually Empowered researcher. Bright minds at work, indeed!
“Mistakes were made. Don’t repeat them.”
-- Mr. Rose, Control of Symposium #ZA381
