V2Catholic.Com

January 7 - Feb 3: Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg.

Because of an increase in drug mules arrested at HK airport in 2019, this trip, with the help of kind friends in HK, was made to the 4 places where the mules were coming from: Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Nairobi in Kenya, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Johannesburg in South Africa.

Trip summary, below, is based on notes from my daily blog, with added comments and photos.
A list of media reports is at the end of this summary.

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Thur Jan 9: Hello from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. After you click the map to enlarge it, can you find Addis? Today I had a media meeting with the aim of exposing the Nigerian Drug Gangs here who are recruiting drug mules from Tanzania and Kenya to take drugs from Addis to HK. Four - FOUR! - such mules have been arrested at HK airport in the past week!

Last night when I went to the dining room of the hotel where I am staying, I had an enjoyable chat in Mandarin with some friendly people from Beijing. But then when I changed back to English to order something to eat, my brain got confused and I ordered "tomato sauce" instead of "tomato soup"!

Frid Jan 10: Hello again from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia where I spent most of yesterday at the computer or on W/App, mainly for jobs concerning my current trip. Weather here is beautiful: cool at night and warm during the day. But my body clock is still following HK time (5 hours ahead of Addis) so I am finding it hard to stay awake after 8pm Addis time ... and hard to stay in bed after 4am Addis time

This is one way cocaine comes from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Addis Ababa: Two Nigerians die on flight from Brazil to Addis

My computer mouse has become super-charged .... can't control it ... if I copy something then paste, I get two copies of the paste. Many other side effects. So, now using finger mouse ...

Sat Jan 11: Hello again from Addis Ababa where yesterday I went "fishing" with a journalist ... a trip which involved much travelling by taxi .... in traffic that reminds me of Guangzhou in the late 1980's.

One spot we visited, the notorious AV Club where a number of people in prison in HK were primed for their mission ... and where some big HK Nigerian Drug Lords have been seen:

"Addis Ababa is the third-highest capital city in the world, at an altitude of 7,700ft (2,355m). Some travelers may experience shortness of breath within the first few days of arriving" - from Here. (But this article says Addis is No. 5)
8 kg of cocaine from Sao Paulo, Brazil seized at Addis airport last September

On my first night in the hotel here in Addis Ababa, I struggled to see the keyboard of my faithful Toshiba notebook ... since only a faint night light was available. On the second night I discovered that by turning off the light, then turning it on again ... produced normal bright light!

Grass/straw on steps of hotel ....as part of the celebration of Christmas (which was Jan 7 in Ethiopia, following the Julian Calendar):

Outside hotel, the same lovely Lantana plant which is found in HK and Australia and many other places:

My morning cup of milk, to which I add a TeaPigs satchel of green tea ... in hotel bar:

Hotel buffet breakfast includes beautiful papaya drink:

Papaya being delivered to hotel:

Sun Jan 12: Hello once again from Addis Ababa ("New Flower") which used to be called Abyssinia ... and which was founded in 1886 by an Empress while her husband the Emperor was away on a military campaign. (... be careful about going away on campaigns?)

Yesterday I visited a Nigerian cafe and had a most interesting conversation with a very friendly (good) Nigerian man. I also spent much time at the computer compiling a summary of much information about the 20 drug mules I know of who got their drugs here in Addis. Here as in Thailand and Malaysia, there has been a crackdown on Nigerian Drug Lords.

Pope's address to Ethiopians in Rome! (but the quote about "Rome being home" might not have been such a great choice since c. 40% of Ethiopians are Orthodox! Muslims are c. 30%, Protestants c. 20%, Catholics c.1%)

Traffic here in Addis Ababa reminds me of ... Dodgem Cars

Mon Jan 13: Hello again from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Yesterday after I finished a long and complicated computer job (a report for authorities and media here) I went with a kind taxi driver to look for two locations. We found the first but not the second. Many taxi drivers and other locals and even Google could not find the second one ... a job for someone else. Thanks to Google I learnt yesterday that there's a main road in Addis named after each of the 54 nations in Africa. A lovely gesture by Addis. Yesterday I felt like I'd been on a safari around a large part of Africa!

Guinea-Bissau a transit point for drug traffickingGuinea-Bissau a transit point for drug trafficking

27 year old Ethiopian woman facing death penalty in China for drug trafficking (this article uses research/report of kind journalist who is my guide/bodyguard)

On yesterday's trip across a large part of Addis Ababa, I saw many signs for the Awash Bank...which is in no way connected with money laundering!

Tues Jan 14: An amazing day yesterday here in Addis Ababa. I left my hotel at 9.30am, got back at 7pm. The whole day was spent on meetings with authorities and media. Will please God produce much fruit. "Authorities" were the Federal Police National Narcotics Director and his assistants; "media" was the country's Number One investigative journalist

Federal Police building:

Same building ... can you see my old hat?

A couple of mornings ago I was awakened around 3am by a strange sound in the hotel car park below my window (even before the Muslim morning prayer call around 4.45am) ... a sound I recognized but which took me a while to identify ... a sound I had rarely heard in recent years ....but which used to be common last century .... the sound of a car engine starting up after maybe 30 seconds of the driver turning the key! I estimate that 10% or more of vehicles here in Addis Ababa were born last century!

Wed Jan 15: Hello one more time from Addis Ababa. I'm due to fly to Nairobi in Kenya today. The Good Lord has greatly blessed my time here. In the past 48 hours I met a lovely couple from China who are planning to promote my anti-drug campaign in China (many Mainland women have been recruited/deceived by Nigerian boyfriends to transport drugs, usually unknowingly). And just when I was thinking "this is icing on the cake", yesterday morning I attended a meeting that will enormously help my campaign here in Addis - a meeting with a very kind consul at the Nigerian Embassy. But yesterday afternoon when I was thinking "that's two lots of icing on the cake" as I had some afternoon green tea in the hotel bar, a most respectably dressed and friendly man came in to have a beer ... and a chat. He's a Federal politician - The Hon. Diribu Jamal Wachila - a member of the House of Peoples' Representatives, a childhood friend of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (who recently received the Nobel Peace Prize). Mr Wachila will not only support my anti-drug campaign, but he will also check up about the possibility of a Mercy Centre for homeless people, to provide accommodation for maybe two dozen of the many thousands of homeless people who sleep on the streets of Addis. This was a topic he initiated but which I had been thinking about each time I travelled across the city and saw so many destitute people. "My cake runneth over". Thank you Jesus! Please bless all the people I have met in Addis this past week!

When I checked my Gmail contact list a couple of days ago, I discovered that some recent Ethiopian phone contacts added to my phone in the past week .... were also listed in my Gmail contact list! Even though none of them had an email address! Maybe because I use a USB cable to connect my Toshiba laptop to my mobile phone for internet, using hotspot. Google very clever indeed!

As I walked up stairs of my plane at Addis airport for flight to Nairobi, I saw another plane whose flying days were over long ago .....seemed be saying to new plane...."you also will be like this some day"!:

Thurs Jan 16: Hello from Nairobi in Kenya where I arrived midday yesterday.

On yesterday's menu, above, I mentioned how unexpected good things kept happening during my last two days in Ethiopia. I called these extra good things "icing on the cake". Well, yesterday there was still more icing: sitting next to me on my fight from Addis Ababa there was a kind Indian lady who works in Nairobi .... and her job ...wait for it ...includes arranging media conferences! Her company has all the media contacts in Nairobi. What chance in many millions that someone like that would be next to me? There has to be Providence at work. Her company is now helping to arrange a media conference for tomorrow. And ... still more icing ...the kind lady and her driver insisted on giving me a ride from the airport to my hotel ...where there was yet more icing: waiting for me at the hotel was Sean Christie, one of the leading investigative journalists in South Africa who will help me the next few days here in Nairobi, then go with me to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, then with me to Johannesburg. Sean is the main organiser of the press conference in Nairobi. God is Good! All the Time! Day after Day!

After a long meeting with Sean yesterday afternoon I walked, with the help of Brother Google, to Nairobi cathedral for a time of saying thanks and to ask a blessing on the next few days. Cathedral has sign "no corruption" ... a big problem in Africa. Security at cathedral also tight ... fear of attack by Al-Shabaab:

In Addis Ababa and now in Nairobi, as soon as people know I am from Australia, with genuine concern the first thing they ask about: the bushfires.

On the Kenyan immigration declaration form, to the question "where did your journey begin?" I answered "Hong Kong". To the question "what is your final destination?" I was seriously tempted to write "Heaven"!

Friday Jan 17: Hello again from Nairobi in Kenya. Yesterday, to prepare for a press conference to be held today, I attended a very long meeting at my hotel which included three (!) winners of the CNN African Journalist of the Year Competition - Kenneth Opala (1997) and 2014 Joint Winners Patrick Mayoyo and my guardian angel for Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg Sean Christie ....together with one of Kenya's current top journalists ..... powerful!

Late afternoon I again went to Holy Family Basilica for a time of thanks and please re my trip .... and to remember the wedding anniversary of my dear mother and father ... and my dear brother's birthday

Some roads in Nairobi are modern and free-flowing, but the roads near my hotel are a free-for-all competition between cars, buses and pedestrians competing for space to move. A 1km journey by car can take 30 minutes by the time you negotiate the mechanical and human traffic:

In Tanzania, hanging shoes mean "drugs for sale here". Which made me wonder, in a non-serious way, about this shop in Nairobi:

Last night I had some fish and chips at a Fish and Chips shop close to my hotel .... as a way of remembering the wedding anniversary of my dear mother and father who ..... really loved fish and chips!

Sat Jan 18: Hello again from Nairobi in Kenya ...where security is very tight because of threats from Al-Shabaab. Yesterday I got out of bed at 4.30am, had Mass at 5am, many computer jobs, breakfast and other jobs to prepare for press conference, then I walked about 30 mins to the office of the Attorney General for a brief meeting with his secretary re a prisoner transfer agreement (so that prisoners in HK can finish their sentences here near their families), then a brief meeting with secretary of Inspector General (in charge of police), then 20 min motorbike trip to Narcotics section of CIB where I had meeting with Deputy Director of Narcotics, then motorbike back to hotel for lunch and press conference (attended by team from SwitchTV and journalists from 3 other media outlets), then 20 min motorbike ride to BBC East Africa office for radio interview with a lady in London and a video interview with a local journalist, then motorbike to cathedral for a time of peace, then walk back to hotel via fish and chips shop. No trouble sleeping last night with my final prayer being "Dear Jesus, please bless all the people I met today"!

Press conference set-up:

Media taking special notice of letter by Kenyan woman, describing how she was tricked to go to Addis Ababa where she was raped and forced to put cocaine pellets in her body for trip to HK:

Woman's letter is online here (Aug 12)

Yesterday I had four (!) trips by motorbike ... the only way to go in Nairobi's terrible traffic jams..... with the rider ignoring red lights, going on the wrong side of the road, jumping onto footpaths, squeezing between two lanes of traffic etc. As we say in Cantonese "Ho waan" - "good fun"!

Sun Jan 19: Hello again from Nairobi in Kenya where after 4 days, out of the hundreds of thousands of people I have seen on the streets, I have not seen even one person smoking! Yesterday from midday till 5pm there was a gathering at my hotel for families of prisoners in HK. Including children, 46 people attended, including 5 former inmates in HK! The 5 were the stars of the show and they gave everyone great hope that others in HK will soon be back home. Over the past 5 years I have had many such family gatherings in many parts of the world, but yesterday would have to be No. One. Thank you Jesus! (for which, after the gathering, I made another trip to the nearby cathedral

One report from the media conference two days ago at my hotel is here

Obama to run for Kenya president in 2021?!

Mon Jan 20: Hello one last time from Nairobi in Kenya. Today Sean Christie (investigative journalist from South Africa) and I are due, after taking part in a radio breakfast program, to fly to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Yesterday was another long but happy day. Two Oblate confreres Fr Gerry and Fr Greg picked me up from my hotel at 7am for drive to an O.M.I. parish about 1 hour outside of Nairobi for Mass with about 200 local people at a centre for elderly people ...the centre being used as a parish church until a proper church can be built. A beautiful experience, especially the superb singing by the congregation. After Mass there was a gathering for young adults at the nearby O.M.I. formation centre ...another special experience at which I was able to share my job experience with about 20 young people.

With Kenya O.M.I.s:

Then Fr Gerry took me to a local bus station where I got a bus back to the centre of Nairobi, then a motor bike back to my hotel, where there was another gathering for families of prisoners in HK, again joined by ex-prisoners .... and ... members of a wonderful NGO which helps former prisoners find jobs! Sean got some of the ex-prisoners to record their thoughts about HK ... for this morning's radio program. And 4 of the ex-prisoners recorded this message of hope for prisoners in HK (message was played on Sunday night radio program to which prisoners listen).
Thank you Jesus for another memorable day!

When I had a slight problem finding Nairobi cathedral a few days ago ... having walked from a different direction than from my hotel .... I noticed a street called "Cardinal Ortega Street" ... and guessed the cathedral was near ... which it was!

Tues Jan 21: Jambo ("Hello") from Nairobi airport on night of Monday Jan 20 where I am waiting, with my investigative journalist colleague Sean Christie, for a flight to Dar es Salaam that was due to leave at 2pm, was re-scheduled to 6.15pm, and re-re-schuduled to 8.30pm. I hope by the time most people read this, Sean and I are already safely in Dar

Yesterday morning in Nairobi we took part in an 8am to 9am breakfast radio program on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (like ABC in Australia). Followed by a TV interview in a nearby park with Kenya Television Networks. Please God these two programs will save many people from being recruited as drug mules.

My taxi to the airport happened (... Providence ...) to go past Holy Family basilica/cathedral, so I asked the driver to park in the cathedral grounds while I went inside the cathedral to say a goodbye thank you for the past 5 days and to ask a blessing on everyone I've met these days.

Report about my visit to Kenyan A-G's office (not quite accurate...I did not re-submit forms on the day, but afterwards)

At 12 noon in my taxi to Nairobi airport yesterday, as is my custom, I started praying The Angelus. But then I heard on the driver's radio the word "Maria" and I realised the driver was tuned in to a Catholic station which was broadcasting The Angelus in Swahili!

Wed Jan 22: Hello from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania where Sean Christie (investigative journalist from South Africa) and I arrived around 10.15 pm on Monday night after our flight from Nairobi was re-re-re-re-scheduled from 2pm to 6.15pm to 8.30pm to 9.05pm. Apparently this is a common game played by Kenya Airways.

On arrival in Dar I thought we had landed at the wrong place. No one had told me to expect to see one of the most beautiful airports in the world ....opened last year....built by a Chinese group. I was expecting to see the terrible mess that was Dar airport when I was here 5 years ago.

Despite a very late night, Sean and I hit the road running yesterday morning with a most encouraging 9.30am visit to the Commissioner General (and his Deputy) of the (National) Drug Control and Enforcement Agency (DCEA). CG once studied at Griffith University in my home state of Queensland .... very pleasing to see a Griffith graduate in one of the top jobs of his nation ....and he shared many fond memories of the Gold Coast! (Fast forward to when Sean and I were at Dar airport for trip to Johannesburg, a man at the final x-ray machine before Immigration said "Good bye Fr John". Sean then revealed what he had known for some days: after we left the CG's office, he put a 24 hour guard on us to protect us! ... such was the sensitivity of the information we shared with him).

As Sean and I walked the short journey to the DCEA, our trip providentially took us past St Joseph's Cathedral so I popped in for a quick prayer to ask a blessing on these few days in Dar. Late afternoon I went back to the cathedral for another visit ... to the chapel where they have 24 hour adoration. Following my dear mother's tradition, I like to stay/live in a place near a church.

On arrival at Dar es Salaam airport late on Monday night I joined a queue and waited a long time (45 mins?) at the Vodafone shop to buy a sim card ..... unsuccessfully ....since at midnight Vodafone's system was changing to a finger recognition system ... and the system was terribly overloaded with last minute applications. So yesterday morning I bought an Airtel sim card from a street seller ... no finger recognition required ... and only 10 mins needed for registration etc.

Thurs Jan 23: Hello again from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. This morning was spent with a kind journalist from The Citizen, the country's no. 1 English paper, a sister paper of the country's no. 1 Swahili paper, Mwanachi. Over the past 5 years the two papers have given enormous support to my anti-drug campaign.
This morning at 6.30 I am due to take part in Clouds Media breakfast program which hosted me also this time five years ago

One of my favourites at the hotel where I am staying: fruit salad with ice cream! It's like a meal ....and good for health!

I wish all dear readers, especially friends in troubled HK, a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fri Jan 24 (LNY Eve)

Hello again from Tanzania. Yesterday was another day I won't easily forget: I was up at 4.30 am, said Mass in my hotel room, left with Sean Christie (my investigative journalist guardian angel ... he is on 9/F... I am on 3/F) at 5.30am for Clouds Media studios where, just like 5 years ago, I took part in a 2 and half hour live Breakfast Show (with Barbara, Masood and Cesar ... and others) from 7am to 9.30am, then a 15 min TV interview (with Babee). Aim: to warn people about the danger of drug trafficking to HK and to try to stop the local recruiters of drug mules.

Reading out the Kenyan woman's letter (see above, Jan 18):

TV studio. TV interview is here

In the afternoon Sean and I spent time with a local journalist whose newspaper will publish a story, as they did in 2015. I had much to say thank you for when I visited the cathedral 10 mins walk from my hotel late yesterday afternoon.

This time, just like 5 years ago when I was here, my hotel registration form had a place for "Tribe". So, just like 5 years ago, for "Tribe" I put .... O.M.I.!

I wish all dear readers, especially friends in troubled HK, a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sat Jan 25 (LNY)

Hello one last time from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania where last night there were fireworks over the harbour for Lunar New Year! Yesterday afternoon in the restaurant of my hotel there was a gathering for families which went from 12 noon to 8.30pm and included two former HK prisoners ... and also included two kind journalists who are helping to spread the message: Don't Take Drugs to HK.
Today Sean Christie and I are due to go to Johannesburg for the fourth and final leg of my Africa trip. Jesus please bless all the people I've met these past 5 days in Tanzania!

Several million people heard my anti-drug campaign message on Jan 23 when I was a guest of Barbara and Masood at Clouds Media "Big Breakfast" program. Report here (click "translation" for English)

Today is the first day of the Year of the Rat ....so....yesterday I bought something that my faithful Toshiba laptop has needed for some time: a new MOUSE!

Sat Jan 26: Hello from Johannesburg in South Africa where my S.A. investigative journalist bodyguard Sean Christie and I arrived last night. Our 5 days in Dar es Salaam went so quickly. Same agenda here in JHB as in Dar and in Nairobi: meet families of prisoners in HK, do publicity to warn people about the danger of drug trafficking to HK, and meet with authorities to try to stop the people who are recruiting drug mules. Thank you for a prayer.

One reason why most people get involved in drug trafficking is to get money for their families who are often struggling to avoid poverty .... especially when employment can't be found. As one Tanzanian wife of a prisoner in HK said to me yesterday in Dar: "It's a terrible feeling to wake up in the morning and realise you don't have a job to go to" (... I've never heard it put that way ...her words really struck me). To help such situations, I've been, wherever I go, recommending this little book which has helped many people in HK: www.goodnewsforthepoor.earth

When I arrived at Dar es Salaam's beautiful new airport on the night of January 20, I was pleasantly surprised to hear "Silent Night" and other Christmas songs on the P.A. system. When I left the same beautiful airport yesterday afternoon, the same songs were being played. I learnt two weeks ago that Ethiopia follows the Julian Calendar and celebrates Christmas about two weeks after the Gregorian Calendar. I'm not sure what calendar Tanzania follows!

Mon Jan 27: Hello again from Johannesburg in South Africa. Yesterday there was a lunchtime gathering here for the families of 7 prisoners in HK, joined by a former prisoner who was in detention in HK for 9 years. During the meal there was a live chat with Bruce Aitken on his HK "Hour of Love" radio program to which many prisoners in HK listen. And photos of each family group were sent immediately by W/App to a kind friend in HK who is helping my work. He will print and post the photos to the prisoners ....much faster than waiting for me to return to HK, then print and post. Prisoners can then write to him at his special post office box and he will W/App their letters to their families. Thank you "Mr Li"! Tomorrow there will be another family gathering.

Yesterday afternoon, well-know prisoners' advocate Patricia Gerber arrived in Johannesburg to join Sean Christie (South African investigative journalist) and myself in doing publicity to stop people being lured into drug trafficking ... and to lobby S.A. govt for prisoner transfer agreement legislation. Patricia's website Locked Up In A Foreign Country has a mine of information about South African prisoners in detention in foreign countries.

Johannesburg is Nelson Mandela country. One of his great sayings:
I NEVER LOSE. I EITHER WIN OR LEARN!

Amazing: Oscar the skateboard dog!(nothing to do with Africa, but a must-see video!)

Tues Jan 28: Hello again from Johannesburg in South Africa .... from whose very-poor security airport over the past two years 20 mules departed with drugs for Hong Kong where they were arrested on arrival at HK airport. Twenty in HK, more than 100 in Mauritius, and many dozens of others in other countries. Like Sao Paulo, Kuala Lumpur, Addis Ababa .... airport lack of security is a major reason for becoming a drug hub.

Yesterday there was another lunch gathering for families of prisoners in HK ... joined by tireless prisoner advocate Patricia Gerber and local NGO leader Glory (who next week is due to speak at a UN conference in Geneva). Today I am due to speak to older students at 2 high schools in Soweto.

Speaking of schools/students, the Australian academic year usually begins about this time. May the Holy Spirit bless all students and staff. Not forgetting HK and Macau where classes are on hold because of the Wuhan virus.

My motel here in Johannesburg has a lovely little swimming pool where I've had a quick swim the past two afternoons. I say quick because the water is cooooool!

Wed Jan 29: Hello again from Johannesburg in South Africa. Thanks to an introduction by a kind reader in Australia, I was invited yesterday morning to speak to 3 groups of students at 2 high schools in Soweto. The second school is run by the Sisters of Mercy from Ireland ... whose student I was in Wynnum, Brisbane 68 years ago! Each of yesterday's groups had more than 100 students and they were most attentive to the anti-drug campaign message. May yesterday's talks help them avoid the trap of drug trafficking.

After my 3 talks in two High Schools in Soweto yesterday I paid a visit to Regina Mundi O.M.I. church in Soweto, the largest Catholic church in South Africa .... and probably the largest O.M.I. church in the world. This Wikipedia article says how former US president Bill Clinton and former first lady Michelle Obama visited the church (...not forgetting the many visits by Nelson Mandela!)

Thurs Jan 30: Hello again from Johannesburg in South Africa ... the city with a "drugs welcome" airport ... which is a main them of a press conference to be held this afternoon....for which my colleague Sean Christie (2014 Africa journalist of the year) yesterday put out this powerful press release: Johannesburg's Drug Airport

A speaker at the press conference will be a local lady who was forced by Nigerians to take drugs from South America to Macau. Last night I made this video with her

This morning Fr Matthew Charlesworth S.J. and his technician Francis kindly had me as their guest for a podcast interview (no file yet)...after which I visited the lovely Jesuit chapel overlooking Johannesburg:

At Fr Matthew's suggestion, I then visited the Jesuit's Holy Trinity church (before going to press conference) ... where I had difficulty finding the tabernacle in the church, but no trouble seeing Jesus beside the church in a line of poor people waiting for a daily free meal:

Holy Trinity Church's concern for the poor is shown by this famous statue of The Homeless Jesus at the front gate:

Not far from where I am staying is a McDonald's which has the most beautiful chai latte .... and where ... finally .... I have learnt how to use the computer order menu!

Fri Jan 31: Hello again from Johannesburg in South Africa where many things are happening. Yesterday morning Sean Christie (investigative journalist), Patricia Gerber (Locked Up In A Foreign Country), Marcel van der Watt (Police Department) and I each had one or more radio interviews relating to the press conference we attended in the afternoon at the Bannister Hotel.... where we were joined by local NGO leaders and by two former prisoners who had served long prison sentences in other countries (after being deceived and forced by Nigerians to be drug mules). A large number of journalists attended the PC ... for which thanks go to Sean for his tireless organising work. Hopefully the enormous publicity from the PC will lead to changes at Johannesburg airport where security has been very, very poor.

Press conference photos:

Reports generated by the press conference:

Capetalk: Prison chaplain says Johannesburg airport needs tighter security

Report in Despatch Live

Sowetan How a South African woman escaped death penalty in Iran (she was at press conference!)

Article in Swahili published by Xinhua News Agency (!) whose reporter kindly attended press meeting in Dar es Salaam last week

Yesterday a special highlight: a meeting with Archbishop Buti O.M.I. and South Africa Provincial Fr Neil Frank O.M.I.

Fr Daniel kindly put this post on his Facebook page

Two mornings ago I did a phone interview with Radio Veritas. I was thinking that maybe it does not have a very big audience since it is a church station. But just after the interview as I left my motel to walk to a nearby shopping centre to meet the family of a prisoner in HK, the guard at the motel gate said "I was just listening to you on the radio!

Sat Feb 1: Hello again from Johannesburg in South Africa. The press conference of two days ago has produced reports like these (as well as many radio interviews):

IOL: Airport authority slams chaplain (!)

News 24: Airport a drug hub

Citizen: Airport a drug route

Sowetan: Airport lax security

OFM: Airport a drug hub

Spotlight: Narco airport

Herald Live: HK & JHB airports link

Please God this publicity will encourage to tighten airport security, as was done so successfully by Tanzanian and Kenyan govts some years ago.

At a lunchtime meeting yesterday, held in the restaurant section of a local hotel, I saw a lady much older than I am ... and I was tempted to say to her "I am so happy to see someone older than I am" .... but common sense for once prevailed.

Sun Feb 2: Hello one last time from Johannesburg in South Africa. Yesterday I attended a lovely Mass at the Hong Ning Chinese Aged Home, joined by Fr Ron O.M.I. and a local parish priest.

From Hong Ning I went to a meeting with some local Catholic educators who enlightened me about the wonderful history of Catholic schools in the "opening up" of education in South Africa ... and who will help inform students about the danger of drug trafficking.

Dear Jesus please bless all the people I have met in JHB over the past week ... and please give SA better leaders to deal with the enormous social problems facing this beautiful nation

Today I am due to fly to Addis Ababa for an overnight stay and some meetings tomorrow before please God returning to HK on Tuesday night.

O.M.I. priest murdered in South Africa on Jan 12

Another report from press conference on Jan 31: How a South African woman escaped death penalty in Iran (she was at press conference!)

And see this report about the situation of South Africans in prison in HK and other places (scroll down to No. 3)

Two mornings ago as I was about to get an Uber taxi to a meeting in Johannesburg, a policeman who had been staying at my motel asked the taxi driver to help him ... his car's battery needed help. So ... the taxi driver ... charged the policeman!

Mon Feb 3: Hello from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia where I arrived last night from Johannesburg. Thank you Jesus for another safe flight. Am due to take flight tonight for HK. Due to attend a couple of meetings today to round off these few weeks in Africa. A source at Addis airport last night told me that a number of Nigerian drug mules had been arrested in the past couple of weeks ....with drugs from Sao Paulo in Brazil, aiming for India and other places. They are the little fish. Please God some Big Fish will soon also be in detention.

My Johannesburg motel twice did laundry for me (... I have five sets of clothes). The first time was rather expensive, so the second time - last Saturday - I put on the laundry order form "no need to iron". Back came my washing that night ... and to my horror I discovered that most of the items, especially my trousers, were quite damp! So on Sat night I used my room cupboard as a drier ... and yesterday morning from around 6am the Good Lord provided lovely sunshine ....allowing me to hang things at the window ....which had everything dry by the time I left for the airport.

Tues Feb 4: Hello from Addis Ababa airport where this is being written while waiting for a flight which was due to leave Monday night Feb 3 at 11.55pm but is now not leaving till Tues Feb 4 at 2.10am. I had deliberately arrived very, very early in order to do many computer jobs ....but "very early" became "extremely early". In fact I just looked at the clock in the restaurant where I am using a power plug for typing this. Clock shows 6.10pm ... which means I have 8 hours to go! Well ...not quite....now an update a couple of hours later: direct flight to HK due to leave at 11.55pm became a direct flight to HK due to leave at 2.55am .... and has now become a 2.55am flight to HK ...via ...Manila in the Philippines! Due HK 10.55pm Tuesday night!

This morning I had a meeting with a Federal Member of Parliament who kindly came to my hotel for a cup of tea. He was due to attend a parliamentary meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed later in the day ... and said he would ask the PM for more security resources for Addis airport (at present understaffed, very little screening machinery, no dogs! (... A dog is now being trained in Germany!). We also discussed the Wuhan virus issue which is shaping up as a nightmare for Africa's busiest airport.

A friendly man from China joined me for lunch at my hotel. He has not been to China for a long time but he is very sad at what is happening in China and around the world. He kindly gave me some face masks to be ready for HK .... aware of what I had experienced in Johannesburg: shops in Africa have sold out of face masks. And ...see my Wuhan virus article below. Hope it does much good.

Before going to the airport, I went to the Cathedral of the Nativity to spend a few minutes of "thank you" time .... in the same spot where I spent a few minutes of "blessing please" time first thing on my arrival on Jan 7:

My article in today's Ming Pao newspaper has the topic: Virus: wear a mask ... and a Cross. It's on Ming Pao website - click "Australian in HK". Text without recording. This was written early Monday morning in Addis Ababa. Idea came to me while sleeping/thinking/praying during the night. It replaces this article: The Wuhan virus ... and Africa

While waiting for a visa-on-arrival two nights ago at Addis airport, I met someone who has a friend in Johannesburg currently working on a a documentary about drug trafficking....whom I hope to contact. Another providential meeting ....

Wed Feb 5:

Hello from HK where I arrived at 11.45pm last night from Addis Ababa via Manila. Thank you Jesus for so much safe travelling over the past few weeks. Please bless everyone I met in Africa, and bless the kind friends in HK who made the trip possible. Hopefully the trip to cause a slow down in the number of drug mules coming to HK from Africa ... and give hope and encouragement to the prisoners' families I met in Africa. I will try to prepare a summary of the trip over the next week.

I hope Johannesburg and Addis Ababa will follow the example of Malasia! Malaysia tightens airport security (+ report in Chinese) ... Malaysian media and I pushed hard for this!

As I boarded my plane to HK via Manila on Monday night, not a few of my fellow passengers did not know they were going to Manila until they saw a sign as we had our tickets inspected before boarding. The Wuhan virus + HK protests = HK passengers must expect last minute changes to their flights!

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Media reports during/about/after the trip
(This list will be updated with further reports):

Jan 17 report about my visit to Kenyan A-G's office in Nairobi (not quite accurate...I did not re-submit forms on the day, but afterwards)

Jan 17: 40 Kenyan drug mules in prison in HK

Jan 23: Several million people heard my anti-drug campaign message when I was a guest at Clouds Media "Big Breakfast" radio program in Dar es Salaam. Report here (click "translation" for English). Video from radio program here. From the radio studio I went to the TV studio for this interview

Jan 29: A speaker at the Johannesburg press conference on Jan 30 was a local lady who was forced by Nigerians to take drugs from South America to Macau. On the night of Jan 29 I made this video with her. See also this press conference video report about her. And this one also

Jan 29: early morning interview with Radio Veritas (no file)

Jan 31 and subsequently: