The Afropolitan Edition 22

ALTERNATE MONTHLY Issue 22, 2011 www.afropolitan.co.za

FELA KUTI

AFRICA’S QUEEN OF LETTERS

THE KING OF AFROBEAT

MOKY MAKURA

PARADISE

FOUND LIVE IN A MAURITIAN SANCTUARY

UNEARTHING AFRICA Gugu Glam - A Fashion Story • Afro Decor PLUS •• TAU Game Reserve - “Place Of The Lion”

“Until lions learn to write, hunters will tell their stories for them.”

TECH FOR AFRICA OUR CONTINENT AT THE FOREFRONT

k o o l e h t t o g s ’ rVe satile It iving r y l i D m a F F r a o ri e t n i s l hionable u f i ut a e B City Safety S Sdr porty soo hont,ow, Room to fit Bang iving in on trend

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The NEF has approved over R2 billion to fund hundreds of loans ranging from R250 000 to R75 million. These loans have helped create and support over 21,000 decent jobs. One such investment is the Jozini Tiger Lodge, a four-star

Empowering rural communities to become business owners

hotel in KwaZulu Natal where R28,3 million helped a 22,000-strong community trust to acquire 33,4% of the shares. This is yet another example of BB-BEE at work, and a superb case in point of the NEF fulfilling its mandate to grow black economic participation. Your community can also become a shareholder of South Africa’s economy.

If you have a business idea that needs funding, please call 0861 843 633 (THE NEF) or go to www.nefcorp.co.za

C O N T E N T S

in this issue

8

editor’s note

Obama’s Justice Laden With Atrocities

REGULARS 14

10 Mailbox 12 Poetry 14 Dr. Magaugau’s Corner

16

Main feature

Unearthing Africa

columns

24

Mamelang Memela African visual arts

music profile 24

26

Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2011

TRIBUTE

29

29

Fela Anikulapo Kuti

tsotsi in the boardroom 34

34

Africa’s Queen of Letters

TECHNOLOGY 38

Technology for Africa

FINANCE 46

Pros and Cons of Investing in Mineral Resources

reviews

52

52

54 55 56 57 58

Restaurant Review Pigalle Restaurant Book Reviews DVD Reviews Movie Reviews CD Reviews Culinary Culture Hello Africa, Tell Me What You're Cooking

Fashion

60

60

The Glam of Gugu

beauty & Grooming 66

66

Moisture Magic & Don’t wait. Hydrate!

Gadgets 68

The Latest in the Tech World

decor 73

A Life of Modern Luxury

motoring 78

The Nissan X-Trail Unearthing a Big Surprise

property 68

80 Anahita

A World Class Sanctuary

in Mauritius

travel 83

Tau Game Lodge 'Place of the Lion'

kaburu 88 “If” 4

www.afropolitan.co.za

C r e d i ts

the team editor Sam Mathe

lifestyle editor Elka Schaimberg

Chioma Didi Okoro Jaime-Lee van Sittert

Tel: +27(0) 11 789 6339 Fax: +27(0) 11 789 7097 email: pressman@contactmedia.co.za web: www.contactmedia.co.za

art director Quinten Tolken

managing director and publisher

contributors

subbing & proofing

Sean Press

Charles Ash Steven Bacher Jahn Beukes Sandile Memela Angus McEwan Denise Mhlanga Damian Murphy Jess Patlansky Stacey Vee Vincent Verrydt

Joey Kok

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

head of production & PICTURE EDITOR

Donna Verrydt

finance and operations DIRECTOR

Venesia Fourie

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

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publishing house Contact Media & Communications Block F, The Palms Office Park 391 Main Avenue, Randburg

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Copyright © 2010 Contact Media & Communications. The Afropolitan is published by Contact Media & Communications. All material is strictly copyright with all rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without the express written permission of the publisher. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited material. The publisher accepts no liability of whatsoever nature arising out of or in connection with the contents of this publication. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, the publisher does not give any warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of its contents. The views and opinions expressed in The Afropolitan are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Kaya FM or contributors.

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e d i to r ' s

note

FROM THE CHIEF OBAMA’S JUSTICE LADEN WITH ATROCITIES breeding more violence – a region where young men are initiated into the deadly brotherhood of suicide bombers and brainwashed into believing that the solution to getting even with their “infidel” enemies is to fly into the latter’s tall buildings in suicide missions.

The evil twin of such religious zealousness is racial hatred. The year of my birth – 1968 – witnessed the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, a righteous man and charismatic cleric whose stirring sermons and spellbinding speeches cautioned the world against the dangers of hatred and intolerance based on race, religion or creed.

“Hatred paralyses life – love releases it,” he wrote. “Hatred confuses life – love harmonises it. Hatred darkens life – love illuminates it.”

In South Africa the year 1968 saw the emergence of the black consciousness movement under the visionary leadership of a young and unassuming medical student. His name was Stephen Bantu Biko. He eschewed armed struggle in favour of dialogue and saw Africa as the beacon of humanity.

“In time we shall be in a position to watched the American nation’s bestow upon South Africa the greatest merry waving of the stars-andgift possible – a more human face,” stripes following the death of he wrote.

Osama Bin Laden with the same In the light of the current atrocities, despair and disgust I felt when I a human face is what the world needs. saw Palestinian women and children As an impressionable teenager growing celebrating on the streets after 9/11. up in the politically charged ’80s, my A celebration of deaths, in particular those of thousands of innocent civilians, limited understanding of world politics was informed by America’s foreign belongs to the dark ages. policy of constructive engagement It was perhaps as chilling as the during the Reagan administration – a reaction of Polish citizens who policy that opposed sanctions against the reportedly shouted obscenities at their apartheid regime and one that journalist fellow Jewish countrymen and women in approval as Nazi soldiers herded their Christopher Hitchens described as a “fearlessly soft attitude” displayed victims to Auschwitz’s gas chambers.

by Washington towards apartheid The politics of retaliation as graphically demonstrated by the hanging of Saddam South Africa.

The ’80s was also a decade that Hussein, the aerial attacks on the Twin Towers and the revenge killing of Osama put Muammar Gadaffi under the Bin Laden is proof that humanity learns international spotlight as he squared off with the cowboy president in running nothing from history, that indeed – as the Mahatma famously observed – an eye battles of retaliatory politics that culminated in Libya’s 1988 bombing for an eye makes the world blind. of the New York-bound Pan Am Flight The war of attrition between the 103 as it hurtled through the Scottish Jews and the Palestinians in the Middle skies. The Lockerbie bombing was in East is a classic example of violence

"Towers and the revenge killing of Osama Bin Laden is proof that humanity learns nothing from history"

I

8

retaliation for Washington’s bombing of Tripoli.

“The object of the attack,” Reagan wrote in his memoirs, “was not ... to kill Gaddafi; that would have violated our prohibition against assassination.

The object was to let him know that we were not going to accept his terrorism anymore, and that if he did it again he could expect to hear from us again.”

Sound familiar?

“When our citizens are attacked or abused anywhere in the world, on the direct orders of hostile regimes, we will respond so long as I am in this office,” he wrote. But while Reagan had justified his actions against Libya in the name of protecting American citizens, his successor, George Bush Sr, declared war against Iraq after the latter had invaded Kuwait, her oil-rich Arab neighbour.

His son, George W Bush, orchestrated the second Gulf War under the pretext that Saddam Hussein was harbouring weapons of mass destruction – a claim that later proved to be unfounded.

Hussein was hanged after a USsupervised court found him guilty of war crimes. While Hussein went on trial and was subjected to a judicial process, Osama Bin Laden was denied the same right.

But Obama, a law expert, boldly told the world that the cowboy-style killing of Bin Laden was justice. And while the Western press has churned out impressive acres of gloating obituaries, it has conveniently ignored the fact that – like Saddam Hussein, who was sponsored by Uncle Sam in the decadeold Iran-Iraq War – the self-confessed mastermind of 9/11 was a CIA-trained agent of American imperialism who helped Washington to chase the Soviets out of Afghanistan.

As bold headlines proclaim al-Qaeda’s vows of revenge strikes against the West, one cannot help but recall the young Baptist minister’s wise words: “We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, or perish together as fools.”

As for me, celebrating death – whether of a soft-spoken mass murderer from the East or of thousands of innocent Westerners – is sheer barbarism devoid of a human face. www.afropolitan.co.za

L E T T E r S what is happening in your world? this is the platform to share your views and experiences. what do you think of Afropolitan’s brand of journalism? we cherish your feedback and contributions – and look forward to your letter.

x o B MAiL the true iMAGe of AfricA DEAR EDITOR Dear Editor For months now, I have been an avid reader of your intelligent and wonderful publication. I’m a young South African and proud to refer to myself as a member of the Afropolitan family.

In particular, I enjoy your fresh take on stuff like current trends, fashion updates, photo essays, poetry, property, music, DVD’s and book reviews.

Overall, your content reveals the true image of Africa.

GCINA V.GUMEDE RICHARDS BAY, KWAZULU-NATAL

thAnk You AfropoLitAn DEAR EDITOR Dear Editor I am not a regular Afropolitan reader. I am Mozambican and coincidentally the only

please email your letters to sam@contactmedia.co.za afroletters@contactmedia.co.za.

You can also fax your contributions to (011) 789 7097

two Afropolitan issues I have bought (Issue 4: Volume 1 and the latest, Issue 21) carry very beautiful articles about my country. Thank you very, very much for giving the readers a clear picture of Mozambique! Congratulations!!!!!

CRISTINA LOFORTE

BY EMAIL

LocAL GovernMent – the sphere of corruption DEAR EDITOR

terms of human resources development in South Africa. I believe a strong economy is built upon a vibrant, educated, skilful and hard-working populace. Any economic plan that does not prioritise education and training of its citizens is not likely to sustain any economic growth and boon in the long run.

Politically, the sphere of local government has been severely overlooked for too long. Mismanagement and corruption has become the order of the day. Daily poor people are given a raw deal where service delivery is concerned. Fact is that some of the political representatives occupying critical posts in both local and national government are illequipped academically, managerially and technically.

In order to underpin our freedom, we need to overhaul the whole political system of candidate electing in favour of technocracy, that is to say technical, leadership, managerial skills must favourably outweigh political affiliation.

As Afropolitans we need to safeguard and bolster our freedom. Otherwise, instead of inhaling it, we will inhale the smoke of burning tyres.

I have been enjoying the Afropolitan magazine in a big way. It is informative and thought-provoking, as the article on some of our forgotten heroes such as PAC founding president Robert Mangaliso ‘Prof’ Sobukwe demonstrates.

Politically, I feel the gains of freedom we have enjoyed over the past seventeen years or so will be eroded if we fail to pay attention to socio-political ills like corruption and the conspicuous consumption of politicians such as those SITHEMBISO MALUSI MAHLABA who book into expensive hotels overseas MARIANHILL, KWAZULU-NATAL while visiting jailed girlfriends at the expense of the taxpayers.

COMPETITION There is also a need for a WHAT Do You THiNK of THE AfroPoLiTAN? SEND strong pragmatic approach in Your THouGHTS To SAM@CoNTACTMEDiA.Co.ZA AND STAND A CHANCE of WiNNiNG A KWV HAMPEr.

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www.afropolitan.co.za

R E G U L A R S

ISLAND

Written by Amílcar Cabral*** – Praia, Cabo Verde, 1945 -

Mother, in your perennial sleep, You live naked and forgotten and barren, thrashed by the winds, at the sound of songs without music sung by the waters that confine us...

POETRY AGOSTINHO NETO

Island: Your hills and valleys haven’t felt the passage of time.

They remain in your dreams - your children’s dreams – crying out your woes to the passing winds and to the carefree birds flying by.

Island: Red earth shaped like a hill that never ends - rocky earth – ragged cliffs blocking all horizons while tying all our troubles to the winds!

AFRICAN POEM Written by Agostinho Neto*

There on the horizon the fire and the dark silhouettes of the imbondeiro trees with their arms raised in the air the green smell of burnt palm trees On the road the line of Bailundo porters groaning under their loads of crueira In the room the sweet sweet-eyed mullattress retouching her face with rouge and rice-powder the woman under her many clothes moving her hips on the bed the sleepless man thinking of buying knives and forks to eat with at a table On the sky the reflections of the fire and the silhouettes of the blacks at the drums with their arms raised in the air the warm tune of marimbas On the road the porters in the room the mulatress in the bed the sleepless man The burning coals consuming with fire the warm country of the horizons

12

Written by Chinua Achebe**

Agostinho, were you no more Than the middle one favoured by fortune In children’s riddle; Kwame Striding ahead to accost Demons; behind you a laggard third As yet unnamed, of twisted fingers?

No! Your secure strides were hard-earned. Your feet Learned their fierce balance In violent slopes of humiliation; Your delicate hands, patiently Groomed for finest incisions, Were commandeered brusquely to kill, Your gentle voice to battle-cry.

Perhaps your family and friends Knew a merry flash cracking the gloom We see in pictures but I prefer And will keep that sorrowful legend.

For I have seen how Half a millennium of alien rape And murder can stamp a smile On the vacant face of the fool, The sinister grin of Africa’s idiot-kings Who oversee in obscene palaces of gold The butchery of their own people.

Neto, I sing your passing, I, Timid requisitioner of your vast Armory’s most congenial supply.

What shall I sing? A dirge answering The gloom? No, I will sing tearful songs Of joy; I will celebrate The man who rode a trinity Of awesome fates to the cause Of our trampled race!

Thou Healer, Soldier and Poet! *Agostinho Neto [1922-1979] was a poet and physician who led Angola to independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975. He died of cancer in 1979 but remains Angola’s most prominent poet; his volumes of poetry having been published in several languages while others have become the country’s freedom anthems. **Chinua Achebe [b.1930 in Nigeria], poet and professor of African Studies, is Africa’s foremost literary luminary whose famous masterpieces include Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, Anthills of the Savannah and A Man of the People. ***Guinea-born and Lisbon-educated, Amilcar Cabral [19241973] was a freedom fighter, poet, guerrilla leader, agronomist and intellectual who grew up in Praia, the capital of the Cape Verde islands. A close friend of Agostinho Neto, he was assassinated in Conakry, Guinea on 20 January 1973.

www.afropolitan.co.za

BY SAM MATHE

d r

m agaugau ’ s

C O r ne r

THOMAS SANKARA A selfless and incorruptible leader with a proud legacy

W

ith all these disturbing newspaper reports regarding the selfenrichment of government ministers relentlessly pursuing luxurious lifestyles at the expense of the taxpaying electorate, one is reminded of Captain Thomas Sankara, a young officer who took over the government of the then Upper Volta, West Africa, in 1983 and set in motion a new ethos of responsible and accountable spending of public funds by government officials.

Immediately after taking over the reins, Sankara auctioned off the German luxury vehicles that made up the fleet of the ruling elite. He embarrassed and angered these wabenzi – Swahili for ‘the people of the Mercedes Benz’ – by replacing their

THOMAS SANKARA

14

www.afropolitan.co.za

www.afropolitan.co.za

air travel allowances the ministerial handbook guarantees our office bearers.

In Chapter three it states that: “Members and their spouses are jointly entitled to 30 (thirty) single domestic business class flight tickets per annum at the expense of the relevant Department. The use of privilege tickets are at the discretion of the National Member and may in some cases be exchanged for use by a child minder or other domestic workers in the personal employ of the Member.”

It further states that “these tickets can be utilised by family members of the Member on an exchange basis, with the condition that when family members travel alone, the tickets should be booked in economy class” while

other things, “using their position or any information entrusted to them, to enrich themselves or improperly benefit any other person” and “exposing themselves to any situation involving the risk of a conflict between their official responsibilities and their financial and/ or personal interests” (Executive Ethics Code, Chapter one).

But it is difficult to take this seriously considering that politicians who have been exposed to lavish lifestyles often point at the handbook to justify their actions. What clouds the issue is that the handbook is supposed to be a “confidential” document – thus not open to public scrutiny despite the fact that public funds are at the centre of the lavish spending in a country with a government preaching transparency.

It seems to be a case of sheer double standards. In a country where the ruling elite created a wide chasm between itself by making empty promises but practising self-enrichment in classic Orwellian style, Sankara identified himself fully with his fellow countrymen and women – the majority of whom were poor, uneducated and exploited.

He refused to put his image in public places and official buildings, arguing that “there are millions of Thomas Sankaras in Burkina Faso” – a name he personally chose for his country because he envisioned it as the land of the incorruptible or honourable men, which is what Burkina Faso means.

He shunned luxuries such as air conditioning in his office because he said such a luxury was not available to the average Burkinabes. He lowered his presidential salary to a pittance and confined his ascetic lifestyle to the bare necessities. Although Sankara’s exemplary, inexpensive lifestyle, pro“notwithstanding the provisions above, poor reforms and courageous peopledependent children are each entitled centred leadership didn’t go down to six (6) single domestic economy class well with his colleagues, who finally tickets per annum to reunite with their assassinated him after four years in parents during the Member’s regular office, his legacy is a shining example travel between Cape Town and Pretoria.” to all leaders everywhere in the world – Of course, there is also a whole slew particularly in developing economies. of mind-boggling perks related to “Thomas knew how to show his people housing and hotel allowances. One is that they could become dignified and convinced that unscrupulous ministers proud through will power, courage, such as Sicelo Shiceka and Nathi honesty and work,” Sankara’s wife, Mthethwa, who have been exposed for Mariam, said after his death. “What their free-spending ways, would have remains above all of my husband no office in Thomas Sankara’s cabinet. is his integrity.”

But the problem is that while one is By the time you read this, the “toilet not excusing the ministers’ excesses, elections” will be history. But following it is understandable why some of the debacle over open toilets – using the them pursue this crass materialism plight of the poor as a political football to and conspicuous consumption: the score cheap electoral points – one finds ministerial handbook. it hard to identify a leader within the It is a dubious document that begins ruling party with the type of integrity by cautioning members against, amongst attributed to Thomas Sankara.

Sankara would have been shocked by such unnecessary privileges of office bearers in a country where poor people are faced with exorbitant transport fares for the moving coffins we call taxis as well as unreliable rail transport.

15

image courtesy of GETTY images

flashy wheels with the modest Renault 5, at the time the cheapest model in the country. Back in present-day South Africa, government ministers continue to justify their extravagant spending on expensive cars – fitted with all the luxurious accessories – by quoting the ministerial handbook.

This despite the fact that last year there was a public outcry against such excesses. The ministerial handbook – “a guideline for benefits and privileges, to which Members and their families are entitled, in the execution of their duties” – lists a substantial number of extravagant travel benefits, those pertaining to motor transport and air travel being most prominent.

Sankara would have been shocked by such unnecessary privileges of office bearers in a country where poor people are faced with exorbitant transport fares for the moving coffins we call taxis as well as unreliable rail transport.

Chapter five of the ministerial handbook states that, “Members may utilise official vehicles allocated to them at the expense of the State for any reasonable purpose.” It also indicates that, “within reason, official vehicles, which do not form the basis of a taxable benefit, may also be used for private purposes such as transporting school going children to school” provided (i) “family members of Members may travel with them in official vehicles”, (ii) “spouses with a valid driver’s license may drive the official vehicles allocated to Members at any time, including times when the Members are not in the vehicle”.

In terms of costs, the good book says that, “the total purchase price of the vehicle chosen by the Member may not exceed 70% of the inclusive annual remuneration package of a Minister” in the case of a minister or premier. This in effect means that national ministers and premiers – who earn R1.8 million and R1.6 million respectively – are guaranteed some of the most expensive wheels on the market, just below the Lamborghinis and Aston Martins of this world.

And while it has become a norm in this country for the ministers, their deputies and directors-general to enjoy annual salary increases, Thomas Sankara angered his ministers by reducing their salaries, forbidding the use of government chauffeurs and firstclass airline tickets. Like millions of his citizens, Sankara himself was known to have pedalled to his presidential office every morning on a bicycle.

Contrast this austere approach towards governance with the lavish

sto r y

UNEARTHING AFRICA

A

frica is potentially an economic giant that is gradually awakening from a long slumber of neo-colonial exploitation, imperialism, civil wars, famine and maladministration – to list just a few of her ills since her contact with the West.

The dawn of independence for most sub-Saharan countries five decades ago in fact aggravated her myriad socioeconomic and political problems.

But while some of these problems seem to persist – the latest being postelection conflicts in regions such as Kenya and the Ivory Coast and a wave of anti-government unrests in the Arabic North – there is a glimmer of hope as some of the countries are poised to turn their economies around for the overall betterment of their citizenry. They are determined to achieve economic stability by exploring and exploiting hitherto untapped resources and expertise in a technology-driven world.

For instance, a formerly war-ravaged state like Rwanda, whose economy was teetering on the brink of collapse 17 years ago following a genocidal war, has put its tragic past behind it and is emerging as a formidable leader in East Africa’s financial services sector as well as the information and communications technologies (ICT) market.

Through sheer hard work and setting up ICT infrastructure necessary to facilitate the mobile-phone industry and internet access, the Rwandan authorities have turned this small country into an ICT giant that has attracted investment of international giants such as Microsoft and Nokia. It was also declared East Africa’s number one ICT nation by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Neighbouring Kenya, already internationally recognised for its wildlife tourism and bold environmental initiatives, is exploring the possibility of wind energy as a key energy solution as it forges ahead as East Africa’s economic leader.

Another African country that has emerged from the ashes of the civil war is Angola. One of the continent’s top oil producers and rated the fastest-growing economy in Africa, Angola is using its oil revenues to develop other sectors – notably renewable solar energy, which is already used for street lighting and various household needs.

The continent boasts other examples of visionary leadership. Bold initiatives

16

have been taken in the reconstruction of these countries by unearthing new resources not traditionally associated with African economies.

The Afropolitan looks at some of the key players on the continent and assesses their potential successes for future growth:

GHANA

West Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa’s first independent state is on the verge of an oil boom that is expected to significantly improve the lives of ordinary Ghanaians and transform the country into the region’s economic giant alongside Nigeria.

President John Atta Mills has already assured the nation that his government will ensure that oil “becomes a blessing and not a curse” as has happened in other leading oil-producing countries such as Nigeria, where only the wealthy and powerful few have benefited.

Ghana first started producing oil in December 2010, and experts are already forecasting that the country’s initial oil output will be 55 000 barrels per day.

This output is expected to increase to 65 000 within six months.

“The country is expected to earn $400 million in the first year and $1 billion a year at full production in the next few

years,” estimates the UK-based Tullow Oil consortium that is responsible for the mining of Ghanaian oil.

The government hopes that oil production and its associated activities will boost the country’s economic growth rate from five percent in 2011

to around 12 percent in 2012. The authorities have pledged a fair share of dividends from the new national resource. However, former Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlins has cautioned against over-optimism from a nation that expects an overnight windfall.

“I hope we put this resource to good use,” he said. “But at the same time, we should not over-rely on this resource and neglect other areas of economic activity like other countries have done.”

To stimulate economic activity in other spheres, the government is negotiating multi-billion-dollar loans for infrastructural development, using oil as collateral.

So, in the long term, what are Ghana’s chances of economic prosperity accruing from this newfound treasure? Unlike most of its West African neighbours, Ghana has enjoyed a stable democratic climate for a while – a situation that is likely to guarantee economic prosperity in the long term. The fact that the country has a hawk-eyed, vociferous civil society that questions authorities as well as a vigilant media sector will ensure that there is political accountability.

Ghana also has the advantage

www.afropolitan.co.za

image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

BY SAM MATHE

M A I N

COMPANY FEATURE INVEST NORTH WEST

PUBLIC: | GOVERNMENT/ PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT/ PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

A SMART FOCUS ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE Invest North West aims to promote and facilitate trade and investment opportunities that create value for investors and jobs for the people of the North West Province.

I

nvest North West (INW) is the provincial trade and investment agency of the North West Province. INW is at the cutting-edge of international trade and investment promotion with a mandate to develop the economy of the North West Province, focusing on fixed direct investment (FDI) promotion and facilitation, export promotion and development of sector-specific programmes in mining, manufacturing, renewable energy and agriculture. INW is a section 21 company established under the auspices of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism in the North West Province (DEDT). INW’s strategic intent is to provide vision; leadership and direction to key growth sectors in the provincial economy; to increase the level of FDI flow; and assist in the development of trade in the second economy to enhance its capacity to export to various markets.

The services offered by Invest North West to potential investors include: Destination marketing; Facilitating fixed direct investment (foreign/ domestic); Facilitating linkages to international markets; Expedite business expansions Populating the value chain of new and existing businesses & Policy advocacy. The strategic focus is to ensure effective and efficient facilitation of economically viable and sustainable projects with high impact (at least 50 jobs) and or high value (R10-million).

www.topperforming.co.za

“INW’s strategic intent is to provide vision, leadership and direction to key growth sectors in the provincial economy, to increase the level of FDI flow, and assist in the development of trade in the second economy...”

10 Reasons why to Invest in the North West Province of South Africa 1. Good infrastructure (road network, airports, hospitals, schools) 2. Low cost of electricity, water, land and factory rentals and adequate industrialisation

174 tp 11th EDITION

3. Easy access to markets in the SADC region and Africa 4. Fastest growing province in SA between 2002 and 2003 5. Affordable pool of labour (skilled and unskilled) 6. Home to more than 20 trans-national companies (TNC’s) and local companies reinvesting in the province 7. Scoped projects ready for investment, supported by a solid financial services sector 8. Good quality of life 9. Malaria-free region 10. A province that is serious about business

The services offered by Invest North West include: • Identifying and packaging viable investment opportunities • Facilitating linkages to business markets • Facilitating joint ventures • Providing information on financing options • Giving advice on feasibility studies and business plans • Giving advice on financial and investment incentives • Assisting with work permits • Providing assistance in obtaining suitable land or factory space • Providing assistance in populating the value chain of new investments and existing businesses Invest North West also assists investors in accessing project finance and acquiring export/ import permits and is knowledgeable about the provincial key competitive advantages. INW can confirm that most determinants for FDI consid-

eration can be addressed. Industry identification and screening processes are used to arrive at target markets for investment promotion. This ensures that Invest North West focuses on the promotion of sectors in the Province that can compete successfully on an international basis. Trade promotion and development with the South African economy becoming increasingly integrated into the global economy, there is a growing need for local businesses to diversify and become exporters of goods and services. We aim to ensure growth in the value of exports by providing access to foreign markets for North West products.

The North West Province has enormous potential as many locally made products can compete successfully in the global arena. Invest North West has assisted various businesses throughout the Province in accessing these global markets.

These companies have now built profitable and sustainable relationships with their foreign trade partners.

Trade services offered to existing and potential exporters include: • Compilation of a database of exporters and potential exporters in the Province • Providing advice on export issues • Facilitation of outward trade missions • Invitations to meet with inward trade missions • Exhibiting products at local and international trade fairs • Capacity building seminars and workshops • Linking of foreign buyers to local exporters • Circulating trade leads and enquiries • Networking opportunities • Facilitating export promotion incentives • Advice on export incentives (EMIA) • Researching and identifying suitable markets In its quest to support regional cooperation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Invest North West has compiled country briefs in order to promote intra-regional trade.

These will also assist exporters in taking advantage of their preferential access to a wider market. tp Tel: +27 (0)14 594 2570, Email: inw@inw.org.za or Website: www.inw.org.za

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of learning from the mistakes of neighbouring Nigeria, a country that has largely relied on its oil reserves but neglected to develop other sectors and the necessary infrastructure. We rate Ghana’s chances of economic success at 4/5.

KENYA

East Africa

East Africa’s biggest economy has pioneered the continent’s first carbon exchange, which is expected to unlock trade in carbon credits on the continent and benefit small-scale projects while at the same time helping to tackle climate change. Scientists have identified carbon dioxide as one of the main gases responsible for climate change, and carbon exchanges are one mechanism used to offset carbon emissions.

Carbon credits therefore refer to a permit that allows a country to produce a certain amount of carbon emissions, which in turn can be traded if the full allowance is not used. One carbon credit is equal to one tonne of carbon dioxide, or in certain instances, equivalents of carbon dioxide gases.

All African countries will be allowed to sell their carbon credits on Kenya’s exchange markets.

This arrangement will see big polluters from developed countries of the West and Asia paying for clean development projects in poor developing countries.

These carbon markets are intended to cut the cost of fighting climate change by

giving companies the flexibility either to reduce their own greenhouse gases or buy emissions permits. The Africa Carbon Exchange was officially launched in Nairobi March this year.

One of its primary functions will be to provide holders of carbon credits with innovative services and solutions to unlock the high potential that Africa offers to the global carbon markets. The exchange market is expected to attract international investor interest in the region accruing from forestry and the generation of renewable energy projects.

In monetary terms, Kenyan authorities have estimated that the country’s largest forest, the Mau, has the potential to earn the country approximately $2 billion a year for at least the next 15 years.

Kenya’s culture of growing flora to protect the environment has made it the third-largest exporter of cut

flowers in the world; the cut flower industry generates billions of dollars per annum worldwide. For instance, in the UK alone, it is worth $2.4 billion in sales every year. According to the Lake Naivasha Growers’ Group, an association of flower producers in Kenya, Valentine’s Day alone accounts for one-third of their annual production.

What are Kenya’s chances of consolidating economic gains in its new-found carbon exchange market?

The country is a pioneer in environmental awareness and other related projects and should be able to succeed in the long term. Politically, although there was violence that claimed many lives following the debacle over who won the elections in 2007, Kenya is a relatively stable country with a vocal civil society. We rate the country’s chances of economic success at 3/5.

MOZAMBIQUE The former Portuguese colony has been classified by experts as one of the “fragile states’ – countries that have emerged from civil war and have been struggling to find their footing in terms of political stability and economic reconstruction.

The civil war that has been raging since the country gained independence in the mid-1970s and lasted well into the 1990s has reduced the country to one of the most impoverished and underdeveloped

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Southern Africa

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countries in the world.

However, since the dawn of the new millennium, Mozambique has experienced a steady economic recovery in key sectors – notably agriculture, agro-processing, mining, manufacturing and tourism – achieving an average annual rate of economic growth of eight percent between 1996 and 2006.

In 2007 the World Bank commented on Mozambique’s “blistering pace of economic growth” while in the same year the International Monetary Fund referred to the country as a “success story in Sub-Saharan Africa”.

Thokoane Tsolo, head of the Industrial Development Corporation’s Africa Unit, also uses the “success story” phrase to describe the country’s leap towards economic prosperity. Part of the country’s success story is attributed to the former Marxist government’s progressive economic reforms, which saw the privatisation of key parastatals in the telecommunications, energy, ports and rail transport sectors.

With a wealth of wide-ranging natural resources, the country is regarded as endowed with huge economic potential.

The backbone of Mozambique’s economy is agriculture – which is mainly characterised by subsistence farming.

But the country is currently enjoying a fast-growing industry in the agroprocessing sector, which involves the production of food and beverages; the aluminium sector; and the petroleum production sector.

Mozal, the largest aluminium producer in Mozambique, is the secondlargest in the world and produces approximately 530 000 tonnes per annum. The company is jointly owned by multinational corporations and the Mozambican government.

About 1 200 state enterprises have reportedly been privatised.

Tourism is growing steadily, but the potential of this sector remains largely untapped. During pre-independence times, Mozambique was one of the continent’s biggest tourist attractions – thanks to the country’s natural beauty, diverse wildlife and unspoilt beaches.

Cities such as Beira and Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) were the country’s favourite destinations, offering visitors incredible nightlife and other forms of entertainment.

During independence the civil war destroyed most of the tourism industry and wildlife. But Mozambique’s economic revival has witnessed the rebirth of its tourism market. By the end 20

of the 1990s, it was the fastest-growing sector of Mozambique’s economy and accounted for about 1.2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

From 2005 the industry had grown by 37 percent, and experts believe that it has the potential to become the country’s leading economic sector in the next few years.

Mozambique’s tourism sector can only improve with time. In South Africa the country has a powerful neighbour that has provided logistical assistance on its way to economic recovery, considering political stability we rate Mozambique’s chances at 4/5.

the country still has to fulfil its economic potential in one of its biggest yet woefully untapped natural resources – the Congo River. It is the largest and most powerful river on the continent – channelling thousands of kilolitres of water into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a natural host of one of the continent’s biggest hydroelectric power schemes.

Scientific calculations indicate that the entire Congo Basin has the potential to contribute 13 percent of the word’s hydro-electric power. This means the river system has the capacity to provide sufficient and cheap electricity to the whole continent – a capacity that far exceeds that of Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa’s hydro-electric scheme.

Despite the existence of several hydropower plants and dams in the Congo Basin, electricity is not an accessible asset for the majority of Congolese due to the lack of the necessary infrastructure. Potential investors in the Congo’s hydro-electric scheme have identified several obstacles impeding the Congo River’s potential as the continent’s largest source of hydro-power.

These include lack of capacity on the Central Africa part of authorities to negotiate workable deals and too much bureaucracy – two The split of the Sudan into north and obstacles that discourage potential south makes the Democratic Republic investors. The country is also faced with of the Congo (DRC) the largest country a bleak future as there are still instances in sub-Saharan Africa and the secondof banditry – several rebel armies largest on the continent. Despite the continue to destabilise the country. country’s vast mineral resources, the We rate the DRC’s chances of success DRC has failed to realise its economic at 1/5 but conclude on a positive note, potential as one of the richest in the world, thanks to decades under a corrupt which is, Africa in general is beginning to tap into her unrealised potential with government and a long and costly civil war in the late 1990s following the fall of the main objective of rebuilding her economies so as to eventually play on the the Mobutu regime.

Classified as one of the “fragile states”, global stage as an equal partner.

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

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A D V E R T O RI A L

THE IDC’S AFRICA UNIT – AN INVESTMENT SUCCESS STORY

T

he Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) was founded in 1944 as a stateowned but self-financing national development-finance institution responsible for financing entrepreneurs and business units in South Africa. In 1998 the IDC’s mandate was expanded to include all countries in the SADC region, and the Africa Unit was established as the SADC Department.

In 2000, with the emerging thinking around African renaissance and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the mandate was expanded further to include the entire African continent.

“At the time, its main challenges included, amongst others, dispelling the myth and perception that Africa was one of the riskiest places on earth for doing business because it was fraught with corruption, political and economic mismanagement, famine and was prone to civil strife and wars,” says Thokoane Tsolo, head of the Africa Unit.

From its inception, the Africa Unit’s intention was to invest in the so-called fragile states – those emerging from civil war and/or protracted periods of economic decline or stagnation, and countries with perceived weak governance structures – and in thus doing attract private investors into the countries in question.

The IDC’s first investment in this regard was in the development and implementation of the massive Mozal aluminium smelter in Mozambique, which set the tone for further foreign direct investment into that country. The next challenge was dealing with the international investment community that approaches Africa as if it were one homogeneous economy/ market (with the inevitable implication that a disturbance in one country is wrongfully interpreted as a disturbance on the entire continent).

The fact of the matter is Africa is made up of 53 countries that can further be divided into several groupings or regions, and each of these has its own distinct risk and investment profile.

The high cost of doing business on the continent – due mainly to inefficient and inadequate infrastructure, particularly transport and telecommunications – is a challenge. In addition, there are some African countries that experience generally low levels of capacity when it comes to major projects funded by international investors. Producing 22

bankable documents is one of the main challenges, whilst others crop up during procurement. More often than not, the various challenges have resulted in undue delays and even in projects being abandoned.

Despite these challenges, the Africa Unit has achieved remarkably on its basic mandate – which is the promotion of investment in projects that should have development impact in both South Africa and another so-called “host” African country or region at the same time. These projects are generally undertaken in essential sectors including industrial infrastructure (transport, electricity generation and transmission), telecommunications, mining, agroprocessing, hospitality and manufacturing.

Thanks to the Africa Unit, South African companies have opportunities to provide technological, technical and operational expertise, furniture and fittings, raw materials, construction and engineering services.

Simultaneously, the host country or region creates jobs and develops local raw materials and other inputs, including skills.

The Africa Unit has approved funding related to: • The resurgence of the diamond mining in Lesotho and other mining projects in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

• Sugar production and the development of sugar-cane fields in Kenya.

• Portable water reticulation in Sudan.

• Construction of new hotels and resorts in Uganda, Ghana, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

• Agro-processing in Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia and Swaziland.

• Industrial infrastructure in Kenya, Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan and Mauritius.

The unit’s overall success in these spheres is directly linked to the IDC’s success in generating business on the continent. In the final analysis, the IDC enjoys a positive reputation on the continent as a successful investment pioneer in high-risk regions.

THOKOANE TSOLO - IDC'S AFRICA UNIT LEADER

“From its inception, the Africa Unit’s intention was to invest in so-called fragile states – those emerging from civil wars or protracted periods of economic decline” www.afropolitan.co.za

image BY DIDI OKORO

BY SAM MATHE

ID C

BY SANDILE MEMELA

M A M E L A N G

M E M E L A

African visual arts: “It is time for African visual arts to represent and reflect the human face of the African experience”

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perpetuating negative stereotypes or reflecting the continent’s grim reality?

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artists should consider or reflect on the possibility that the African experience may have some positive elements. It may not be perfect, but the white European experience is just as imperfect.

It is misleading for African artists, particularly, to portray and project the African experience as unique in its imperfection. Unfortunately, white hegemony and economic control makes it almost impossible for African artists to portray a different or positive picture of the African experience.

Some African artists may want to broaden the depiction of the African

“White hegemony and economic control make it almost impossible for African artists to portray a different or positive picture of the African experience” human experience. But they find that they are prescribed to and limited by those who not only control the purse strings but the power to open up opportunities for them and thus determine the content of their work.

Of course, due to their economic might, Europeans and Americans control and manage the elite cultural industries and thus dictate what happens and what does not. In fact, what they demand and dictate is that the market wants a negative view of Africa.

Thus artistic freedom in the visual arts is limited, which has incalculable consequences, including forcing African artists to compromise their integrity and commitment to African selfdetermination and freedom for short term gains such as opportunities abroad, fame and fortune.

African artists should seriously consider banning themselves from

creating work that portrays Africa in a negative light. They should not deny the tragic reality of the African experience, but artistic expression should capture and reflect the multi-dimensional African human experience and mirror the changing face of the continent and her people.

Despite the poverty, corruption, crime, war and political betrayals, Africans live full human experiences that cover the gamut of human existence.

Unfortunately, many African artists seem to lack the ability to conjure up the human face of the African experience.

It is time for African visual arts to represent and reflect the human face of the African experience.

Thus African visual art must be willing to explore so that it can shift and change focus. In most instances, it is limited and confines itself to a one-dimensional view of African experience: poverty, poverty and more poverty. It is time to object to this predictable and monotonous view of the continent and its people. Africa is not just about poverty, war, crime and corruption.

“Despite the poverty, corruption, crime, war and political betrayals, Africans live full human experiences that cover the gamut of human existence” Africans must insist that there is much more to African human experience than just poverty and degradation. In fact, what we can infer from how poverty is reflected is that it always has an African face. Poverty is always located in African circumstances as if similar dreadful conditions do not exist in white Europe and America.

What do our readers think?

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he common objection to the work of many African visual artists is simple: they oversimplify reality and dehumanise the African experience to please a so-called global audience. As a result, their content is predictable and monotonous. In fact, it is not just an insult but, to a large extent, also a lie.

What I mean is that the African human condition is not just about suffering, war, famine, oppression, poverty and dispossession or just greed, corruption and crime. It is not just an unending series of unchanging negatives. The African experience is complex, dynamic and takes on different shapes.

Human life on the continent is as dynamic, progressive, ever-changing and complicated as in any other part of the world. But one rarely perceives or experiences this through African art, especially the visual arts. Africans are multifaceted human beings too with full human life experiences despite the poverty, unemployment, corruption, crime and violent material condition in which they find themselves.

They have love, joy and happiness or anger, jealousy and rage. But they are, mostly, dehumanised and reduced to victims of colonialism, apartheid, racism and the betrayal of African politicians and government.

What I find disappointing and frustrating about African arts is two patterns. Firstly, Africans are, mostly, portrayed as less than human because of degrading material circumstances.

Secondly, they are always portrayed as poor, unequal, corrupt and engaged in war and political crime.

In fact, this image of the African does not change. It has become frozen in the human consciousness – including the mind of the African visual artist.

We must challenge and problematise this portrayal of the African and the circumstances that perpetuate a negative view of the continent and its people.

Nobody is denying the fact that Africa, her people and government have serious problems including poverty, war and corruption. However, African

BY JESS PATLANSKY

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Cape Town International Jazz Festival

T

he 12th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival went down with an explosion on 25 and 26 March 2011.

One of the country’s greatest gatherings took place in the Cape Town International Convention Centre and hosted 40 of the world’s most talented jazz bands on five different stages.

This event has grown in numbers like no other – with attendance of approximately 14 000 in its first year (2000) to a massive 34 000 today. To accomplish this in only 11 years says a lot about the cultural success of our country and the sheer greatness of our future potential. President Jacob Zuma was quoted as saying, “We have also seen the value of events such as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which contributed more than R475 million to the economy of Cape Town and created 2 000 jobs in 2010’.

When I arrive at the venue, the queue to get in is halfway around the block. You can hear the all-round hum

of excitement that everyone is feeling.

No-one is agitated about waiting in a line so long you can’t see where it ends – everybody is just thrilled to be here. The overall setup of the festival is first class, with every area distinctly marked with appropriate signage and programme information. Stages are set up with screens, lighting and nothing but the best sound equipment.

Bars are arranged in every hall with everything you could want – Black Bottle and Bains Way whiskey included.

Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist, arranger and composer Chieli Minucci, special effects guitarist Chuck Loeb and vocalist Bebe Winans are some of the headlining acts of the festival. One that definitely stands out is the Wayne

Shorter Quartet featuring Brian Blade, Danilo Perez and John Patitucci. Wayne Shorter is one of the most respected jazz composers of the 20th century, with music students from around the world studying his compositions. And not only the newbies who hold respect for this saxophonist – Miles Davis described him as a “conceptualiser of musical ideas”. To have the opportunity to see such a musical genius live on stage is an electrifying experience, to say the least. The quartet is very much a collaborative enterprise with each member contributing an incredible flavour of sound to the overall effect. It is an evening of pure indulgence for any jazz fan to be standing in an arena whilst Wayne

“The event has grown in numbers like no other – with an attendance of approximately 14 000 in 2000 to a massive 34 000 this year”

Earth, Wind & Fire

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2011

“To have the opportunity to see a musical genius like Wayne Shorter live on stage is an electrifying experience to say the least”

Shorter does what only Wayne Shorter can do.

An interesting artist to perform is a young man from Botswana. Citie is a jazz virtuoso who plays a six-string bass, but he started out as a marimba player. Representing the Botswanan people for the first time at Africa’s largest assembly, Citie opens his set with a solo performance of beautiful sounds strummed and plucked on the neck of his bass guitar. The notes are intricate and layered and quickly get the attention of the people hanging around. Just like that, a large crowd gathers around to watch the bassist as he advances into a full tonal pattern with his band. His sound clearly holds an element of African inspiration and leans towards the more progressive side of jazz. Citie has been compared to the late Sipho Gumede. His debut album, Initiation, was released in 2005. A lot of the material heard on stage is what is up and coming on his second album, which

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is to be released soon.

The glistening sensation of this year’s jazz fest is none other than home-grown Afro-soul queen, Simphiwe Dana. Masses of people crowd into the arena hours before her performance. The excitement is palpable. Dana’s debut album, Zandisile, was released in 2004 and won her the Best Newcomer and Best Jazz Vocal Album at the South African Music Awards (Samas). In 2006 she walked away with another four Samas for her album The One Love Movement On Bantu Biko Street. The same album won Dana a BBC Radio 3 Award for best Artist in the World Music category.

In 2005 her show at the Cape Town International Jazz Fest had to be moved to a bigger venue to accommodate her scores of fans.

The crowd goes delirious when this small woman with the mighty voice walks across the stage to the microphone. Accompanying her is guitarist Themba Mokoena. The two

of them (later joined by the rest of the band) open with her song Malaika – and it is breathtaking. Her vocals are crisp yet smooth, powerful yet controlled. Her audience instantly begins to sing along, and an almost electric exhilaration overcomes the stadium. Never have I seen such raw passion and abstruse soul filter through. Dana really feels her music, and it clearly resonates with the listeners.

South Africa yet again pulled off this event with what looked like graceful ease. Everything flowed – from the people to the music and, of course, the whiskey. Those who attended will have fond memories of the occasion for months to come, harnessing an itch of anticipation for the next one.

What a feeling to have been one of the thousands of people who got to encounter such greatness, such passion, such utter soul in music. Here’s to the next jazz fest, and all the emotion and spirit that surround it.

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Simphiwe Dana

T RI B U T E

BY SAM MATHE

FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI - THE ICONOCLASTIC KING OF AFROBEAT

“Fela Anikulapo Kuti was James Brown, Huey Newton, Rick James, Bob Marley, Duke Ellington ... all rolled into one black African fist – the protest artist as a real, live, awake and hungry human being.

Africa’s original rock superstar.

The importance, vitality and power of his work cannot be overestimated. He was a pure blend of ancestry and modern marvel.”

– Hip-hop star Mos Def

FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI [1938-1997] A CHRONOLOGY OF FELA KUTI’S LIFE

image courtesy of GETTY IMAGES

1938

Born Olufela Olusegun Ransome-Kuti in Abeokuta, Nigeria, to the Reverend Israel Olodotun RansomeKuti and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (née Thomas).

1947

At the age of nine, Fela begins playing piano and organ and becomes his school’s pianist.

1954

Fela joins the Lagos-based Cool Cats, a highlife band, as a singer.

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1957

Fela’s mother, a staunch panAfricanist and personal friend of Kwame Nkrumah, introduces him to the Ghanaian president.

1958

Fela’s parents send him to England to study medicine, but he registers at London’s Trinity School of Music instead. He studies classical music but plays jazz with his band Koola Lobitos in London clubs.

1959

He meets his future wife Remi at a party in London.

1961

Fela and Remi marry in London. Their eldest daughter, Yeni, is born.

1962

1963

Fela returns to Nigeria with his young family after completing his music studies at the Trinity School of Music.

1966-68

Fela is inspired by the soul and funk of James Brown through Sierra Leonean musician Geraldo Pino and decides to evolve his own style, Afro-beat.

The couple’s eldest son, Femi, is born.

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T RI B U T E FELA KUTI IN HIS OWN WORDS: On music:

Almost 14 years since his passing, Afro-beat superstar Fela Kuti’s life and music continue to fascinate and inspire a new generation of musicians from both sides of the Atlantic. Fela Kuti was to African music what Bob Marley was to reggae – an enigmatic character with a larger-than-life persona.

SAM MATHE remembers the Black President.

understood the brutality of Nigeria’s military regimes would have been forgiven if they thought he was a suicidal maniac. His defiant and confrontational stance in the face of the raw power of the Nigerian police and the military confounded mere mortals.

Many artists with “struggle” credentials are happy to write “political” lyrics with hidden meanings and innuendo.

But Fela Kuti was not an ordinary musician. He called

“In a career spanning four decades, he released more than 50 albums characterised by unusually long but engaging songs with incendiary messages of freedom and justice”

I

t is very rare for musicians or artists in general to express a desire for political office – let alone do so openly. That is probably because artists tend to view their role in society as that of voicing the concerns of the everyday person against injustices normally perpetrated by the powers that be. To use a popular phrase coined by Palestinian intellectual Edward Said, like writers, musicians regard their purpose in society as that of “speaking truth to power”.

The late iconoclastic originator of Afro-beat music, Fela Kuti was the kind of artist who certainly spoke truth to power. In fact, he demonstrated it with such dramatic courage and exceptional dare-devilry that those who knew and

A CHRONOLOGY OF FELA KUTI’S LIFE

1969

Fela takes Koola Lobitos to the United States.

In LA African American woman Sandra Isidore introduces him to The Autobiography Of Malcolm X and other black activists and thinkers such as Eldridge Cleaver, Rap Brown, Huey Newton and Stokely Carmichael.

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1970

Back in Lagos he renames his band Africa 70 in line with his decision to play an African style of music he had called Afro-beat.

1974

1977

On education:

“Education today doesn’t allow people to know their purpose.

It is meant to stifle that purpose. That is why I am against the education the white man has brought to Africa – where they force some careers on children instead of allowing them to choose their own way.”

On happiness:

“That is the essence of true life. The mind is the source of happiness. I don’t believe those people who say because they have money they are happy. To be happy is not easy, but it is man who makes himself lonely.”

On greatness:

“To be great you have to have a great nation first. That is why I say Africa – not Nigeria, Togo or Senegal – must become a great nation for all of the peoples that live there. But in this corrupt world of ours greatness is seen as the ability to destroy. Creativity, not destruction, should be the yardstick of greatness.”

On African and Western culture:

“Africans always had what Europeans call the extended family. You stay in the compound together. Loneliness is absent in that culture. But in a culture where you live with your wife and children alone, loneliness will crop up, inevitably. Loneliness is inevitable in European culture.

So human beings brought loneliness to themselves by making the wrong cultures. That is why I think Africa is the pacesetter for culture.”

On regrets:

“Is there something I regret in life? Something I would have done another way if I had the chance to do it again? No. Everything I did wrongly was for experience. Once a man is looking for better knowledge and he tries to be honest and truthful in all his endeavours, then his life is just an experience. It cannot be a regret.”

On death:

“Death is a beautiful thing. Don’t fear it. It doesn’t worry me.

When my mother died it was because she had finished her time on earth. I know that when I die I will see her again.”

On his legacy:

“Do I want to leave an imprint on the world? No. Not at all. All I want is for the world to change. I don’t want to be remembered. I just want to do my part and leave.”

Fela boycotts the government-initiated Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC). He organises a counterFESTAC at the Shrine where he entertains international In pursuit of his dream audiences and of an alternative society, celebrity musicians He renames his Lagos club Afro-Spot he fences his communal such as Stevie Wonder compound and names it and Gilberto Gil. In the Shrine. the Kalakuta Republic, retaliation, soldiers after a prison cell raid his compound, Fela and Africa 70 where he was once rape female relatives. release Shakara, his incarcerated. Kalakuta They beat Fela to a most popular album means “rascal” in pulp, leaving him unconscious. ever. prison slang.

1971

1972

Fela has his first brush with the law when he is arrested for illegal possession of marijuana. He spends eight days in jail.

“With my music I create change. So I am using my music as a weapon. People call my music Afro-beat. I call it African music. The music is not coming from me as a subconscious thing. It is conscious. I am consciously doing what I am doing.”

1974

1978

1980

Fela marries 27 female dancers and singers from his band in a collective ceremony.

Africa 70 becomes Egypt 80

1979

Fela – This Bitch Of A Life, an authorised biography by Carlos Moore, is launched to critical acclaim. Music Is The Weapon, a documentary on the life and ideas of Fela, is shot in Lagos.

He forms a political party, Movement of the People (MOP) and puts his name forward as a presidential candidate in Nigeria’s elections, but his candidature is turned down.

1982

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R19’999*

R8’999*

T RI B U T E

“Young people see in him an extraordinary cult figure – the ultimate social rebel whose rich musical legacy will remain an inspiration for young musiclovers across the globe” a spade and spade in his defiant songs.

He openly and fearlessly denounced the excesses of feared military tyrants such as the late unlamented General Sani Abacha. When the soldiers killed his mother, Kuti laid her coffin on the doorstep of President Obasanjo’s residence in broad daylight.

This daring action inspired his popular hits Coffin For Head Of State.

And he suffered horrific beatings at the hands of Nigeria’s sadistic police and soldiers – not to mention endless visits to Lagos’s notorious jails. So much has been written about Kuti’s unconventional world-view – such as declaring his communal compound an independent state named the Kalakuta

Republic or embracing a polygamous lifestyle in an unusual ceremony that saw him marrying 27 women in one day, only to controversially divorce all of them after eight years. He attracted even more controversy as an artist when he attempted to become president of Nigeria.

A paradoxical character, his children remember him as a gentle and generous soul who gave freely to the needy. Yet he was strict with his musicians – they would be fined if his sharp ears caught a discordant note during rehearsals or performances.

Kuti was a complex and compelling figure whose life and art is still being analysed by music experts, peers and a new generation of hip-hop artists who find in him an intriguing yet exceptionally gifted personality. They see in him an extraordinary cult figure and the ultimate social rebel whose rich musical legacy will remain an inspiration for young music-lovers across the globe.

In a career spanning four decades he released more than 50 albums characterised by unusually long but engaging songs with incendiary messages of freedom and justice. He sang most of them in Pidgin English – a lingua franca that was familiar to all Nigerians and most West Africans.

As a prolific artist, he left behind an impressive oeuvre that continues to inspire and influence young musicians.

From Timbaland to Missy Elliot and Mos Def, hip-hop’s leading lights

FELA KUTI’S SONS ON LIFE WITH THEIR FAMOUS DAD “My parents were very different. My father was very liberal, whereas my mother was both more attentive and stricter, because she was very concerned about us. In the beginning, my father was never at home, but once we reached adolescence, he was earning more money and he gave us anything we wanted. He let us drive all of his cars, even though we were too young.

It used to bother my mother a lot. She didn’t understand why he did that. But I think it was his way of showing affection to his children.”

– Femi Anikulapo Kuti, eldest son and Afrobeat musician “There was no such thing as an average day [on Kalakuta]. My father kept an open-door policy. Anyone could come in or go out. We had ex-convicts, killers, doctors, lawyers, professors, electricians, plumbers as well as many musicians. For many their lives had gone off the rails. My dad would give these people a job and some money. Occasionally someone famous, like Shabba Ranks, would drop by with his posse. It was always up-tempo, always exciting.”

– Seun Kuti, Afro-beat artist and youngest son

have taken liberties with the King of Afro-beat’s music. His sons, Seun and Femi, continue the tradition alongside the likes of Lagbaja – all respected and talented Afro-beat exponents in their own right. In theatre, the sold-out Broadway production Fela! is testament to his musical virtuosity and far-ranging artistic influence.

This, dear reader, is Anikulapo. He who cheated death and keeps it in his pocket. Egba Ami – “the strange one”.

The self-anointed chief priest of the shrine. The Black President.

A CHRONOLOGY OF FELA KUTI’S LIFE

1984

Fela is arrested and serves 20 months of a five-year prison sentence on currencysmuggling violations.

1986

Fela denounces the institution of marriage and divorces all his 27 wives. “The marriage institution for the progress of the mind is evil,” he says at the time. “People marry because they are jealous, possessive and selfish”. Femi leaves his father’s band and forms Positive Force.

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1987

Fela is devastated by the murder of Captain Thomas Sankara – personal friend, fellow musician, revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso and the only head of state who publicly embraced Fela and his music.

1989

Fela and Egypt 80 release Beasts Of No Nation, an anti-apartheid album that decries America and Britain’s support for South Africa. The sleeve cover portrays PW Botha, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Mobutu Sese Seko.

1993

Fela is arrested and charged with murder after the police discover a body next to his compound. This brings his court appearances to 356 over 25 years. He spends two-and-ahalf months in prison.

1995

The new regime of General Sani Abacha hangs human-rights activist and author Ken Saro Wiwa for treason. Fela denounces Abacha’s tyrannical rule in a song titled Clear Road For Jagba Jagga

1996

Fela and 30 of his band members are arrested on charges of possession of marijuana. He is released on bail after spending 10 days in jail.

1996

Fela’s brother Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti is arrested along with other humanrights activists for plotting against the Abacha regime. He is sentenced to life imprisonment (later commuted to 15 years).

1997

Fela slips into a coma and dies in hospital the following day. The cause of death: complications associated with AIDS.

1997

On the day of Fela’s funeral, Lagos traffic – and business activity in general – literally comes to a halt. An A frail-looking and estimated 150 000 visibly ill Fela and mourners gather some supporters are in Tafawa Balewa arrested for possession Square to pay their last of marijuana. He is respects as they file past his glass coffin sentenced to 10 years before it is carried to imprisonment but his final resting place, later released on bail the Kalakuta Shrine. after a public outcry.

1997

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BY Denise Mhlanga

tsots i

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t h e

boa r d r oo m

Africa’s Queen

of Letters

Nigeria-born Moky Makura is a multitalented go-getter with a vision for Africa. She aims to tell her own stories and highlight achievements of her heroes and heroines in their various fields of endeavour.

M

oky Makura’s Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs (Penguin, 2008), which tells the success stories of the continent’s top entrepreneurs – talent and jewels of African business we do not often hear about. Makura writes in her introduction, “As Africans we often hesitate to tell our own positive stories and if we don’t highlight our achievements and take responsibility for the future image of Africa, nobody else will.”

This book was so popular that it featured on the Exclusive Books Top 10 best-selling business books in South Africa. It was also selected for the Exclusive Books Homebru promotion, which showcases the best of South African writing each year. Last year the sequel, titled South Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs, was launched. It is a profile of dynamic business visionaries who have built super brands for the South African economy.

After a production process of three years, Makura’s company, MME Media, launched Nollybooks, a series of romantic novels aimed at young readers, at about the same time as South Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs.

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When I meet with Makura at her Johannesburg home, I am amazed by her passion and drive to tell African stories.

Listening to her speak of Africa, I am reminded of the importance of our roots, our diverse cultures and all the things in between that make Africa a complex yet intriguing continent.

Makura reminds me that her success came about thanks to a lucky break. True enough, she has been lucky in that she does not fear failure. She gets on with whatever it is she set out to achieve. “I am blessed in that I believe in my best ability to achieve what I set out to do,” she says. She strongly believes that what hinders many people from reaching their dreams is a fear of failure.

But hard work is everything, she says.

“Whatever it is you believe you can do, you have to be focused and work hard at it until you get it right. If people could live with no fear of failure perhaps they could realise their dreams and be what they want to be.”

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Makura was educated in the United Kingdom, but she remains an African at heart. Her love for the continent is certainly evident in the Nollybooks series. The collection of authors, all of them African, tell compelling African stories in an easyto-read way. Initially aimed at South African audiences, Nollybooks will be taken into other African markets.

She has always wanted to tell African stories, Makura says, especially stories showcasing the side of Africa we do not often hear about. For her Africa has much to offer, and she draws inspiration from the continent’s entrepreneurs as well as its ordinary citizens. She is not naive though, as she says she cannot ignore the fact that there is poverty, war and other negative things about Africa.

However, it is important that Africans focus on the positive that comes out of the continent in order to in some way eradicate the negative that the world has come to associate with Africa. “We as Africans have to tell our own stories

and not wait for someone to do it for us,” she says.

Asked if the Nollybooks series is aimed at improving literacy levels on the African continent, Makura says she is not arrogant to say it will. However, getting people to read should help in some way.

“Reading is about escapism,” she says.

“People love to read books that entertain them, something that they will enjoy at an affordable price.”

She explains that the series is a truly African product. Readers will identify with the settings and characters in these novels. People enjoy reading books when they enjoy the content, she says – and that is what this series is all about.

Makura describes the content of the novels as good old heart-warming romance featuring strong independent characters. The girls in the books have been brought up well, and they get the men at the end. Nollybooks have been well received in the local market, and Makura hopes to sell over 1 million copies of these books to the African market. She expects commuters using public transport to make up a significant part of the readership.

“I think, in reality, for people to be happy, they need to know what they have to do in life.”

She believes Africans and people in general want to read stories that reflect their lifestyles and aspirations with content that is relevant to them.

The novels in the series all follow the same formula and writing style, and Makura believes that this has contributed to the series’ success. The series includes eight titles including Finding Arizona by Michelle Atagana www.afropolitan.co.za

image COURTESY OF Moky Makura

“I have learnt to be patient and clear in my vision and to believe in my ability to achieve what I set out to do.�

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and Looking For Mr Right by Cherly Ntumy. There are plans afoot to release a second eight-title Nollywood series soon.

Before starting MME Media in 1999, Makura worked in media sales in the UK. Her belief is that in life we all have to sell something – be it a product, idea or concept – and this ability to sell, coupled with hard work, has enabled her to reach her goals.

Her ambition to take Nollybooks to new heights is what drives her. She believes we all have ideas, but not many people are able to successfully execute those ideas. She is an entrepreneur who is focused on what she wants from life and will not hesitate to go for it.

She sees no limits when it comes to exploring Africa, hence her vision to unearth African talent on a big scale.

She has certainly found her mission in life. “I think for people to be happy, they need to know what they have to do in life,” she says.

Married to a Zimbabwean with whom she has two children, Makura has lived in South Africa since 1998. She holds an honours degree in politics, economics and law from Buckingham University in the UK. She has been an anchor, presenter and field reporter for M-Net’s Carte Blanche and played a lead role in 2006 in the panAfrican TV drama series Jacob’s Cross.

Makura also contributes to various magazines on Africa-related subjects.

MME Media co-produced a TV series called Living It about Africa’s wealthy elite that was broadcast across the continent via the DStv platform; Makura was the presenter. MME also runs the website www.africaourafrica.com, which enables Africans to tell African stories that highlight positive achievements on the continent.

boa r d r oo m

Makura’s own positive achievements should serve as inspiration for others to come forth and tell their good news stories. But she makes it clear that it has taken a lot of hard work to get here. “I have learnt to be patient and clear in my vision,” she says. “And to believe in my ability to achieve what I set out to do.”

“Until lions learn to write, hunters will tell their stories for them.”

Moky Makura in Brief • Makura is 43 and speaks English and Yoruba • As a child she loved reading books by author Enid Blyton image COURTESY OF Moky Makura

• Loves playing netball • Favourite getaway place in the world is Mozambique • Cannot live without her mobile phone and laptop • Favourite quote: “Until lions learn to write, hunters will tell their stories for them” • Loves travelling abroad on holidays • Admires the writing talent that springs from Africa • Self belief is her secret to success

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BY CHARLES ASH

T E C H N O L O G Y

Technology T

FOR AfricA US dub poet Gil Scott Heron spoke about the revolution that will not be televised. But recent developments on the continent indicate that the revolution is not only televised but also tweeted.

Grassroots technology activist CHARLES ASH wonders whether the lack of low-cost, high-quality, ubiquitous broadband is the missing link necessary to catalyse the start of the African renaissance.

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he power of technology and its potential to radically transform people’s lives on the African continent has been brought sharply into focus as a result of the recent uprisings in Africa (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and, more recently, Swaziland).

Having recently watched The Social Network, a movie that chronicles the story behind the launch of the world’s largest and most influential social network, Facebook, I am absolutely certain that “facilitating African revolutions” was furthest on the minds of the Facebook founders as they avariciously went about building this technological monstrosity from their Harvard University base, comfortably ensconced in the trappings of their unimaginable privileges.

The use of technology in the political sphere is nothing new. Barack Obama is renowned for his exceptionally adroit usage of technology in garnering support for his presidential campaign, and the fact that he won the presidential election is testimony to the efficacy

www.afropolitan.co.za

“With our sordid, complex history of domination, subjugation and internal strife, the African environment has historically not been the most conducive to the development of innovative and effective technological societies.” www.afropolitan.co.za

and technology sectors but instead implemented draconian controls over all state communication apparatus, from television and print to radio and everything in between, stifling public discourse, limiting creative expression and effectively creating the conditions for an acute form of technophobia to take root (which it undeniably has).

If one has to take a snapshot of Internet penetration levels in Africa versus the rest of the world, it becomes clear that the continent is lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of bandwidth cost, speed and quality.

Even South Africa, for all its notable accomplishments in successfully hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup and operating the largest economy on the continent, is actually one of the countries that paradoxically have the most expensive broadband pricing regimen in the world. It’s almost as if African governments have a pathological fear of the web and of the resultant prospects of having informed, expressive, highly connected constituents.

Perhaps this is what causes them to drag their feet and delay the implementation of some sorely needed ground-breaking policies necessary to fast-track the creation of digital economies that would in turn foster the creation of knowledge workers and usher in a new era of progress and development?

In some ways I can understand why a medium as inherently free, uncensored and virtually uncontrollable as the Internet is, causes most African governments to shake in their oppressive boots. Despotic regimes thrive on ignorance, malleability, misinformation, obfuscation and doubt… The Internet is the antithesis to these undesirable human conditions and therefore a natural enemy of these regimes.

The recent uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and more recently Swaziland certainly do give credence to the notion that despotic African governments have a pathological fear of the web, as even with the limited technological capacity and access that many African citizens “enjoy”, it was still sufficient access to profoundly spawn and propagate the “idea virus” of freedom.

This “idea virus” then subsequently went on to spread virulently through the online social networks and infected the

hearts and minds of the populace. The end result as we all know was regime change in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya and perhaps even Swaziland. Mobile technology, the world wide web and social media have made it infinitely easier for Africa’s many gallant activists to rise up and mobilise the masses to take their future in their hands.

I get goose bumps when I close my eyes and imagine the infinite possibilities that can arise if every person in Africa has access to unfettered, affordable, high-quality broadband and Internet access. Surely low-cost, high-

“Despotic regimes thrive on ignorance, malleability, misinformation, obfuscation and doubt… The Internet is the antithesis to these undesirable human conditions and therefore a natural enemy of these regimes.” quality, ubiquitous broadband is the missing link necessary to catalyse the start of the African renaissance?

My crystal ball tells me that in spite of our torrid past and our somewhat tempestuous present, the future for Africa is indeed looking very bright with regards to our technological and economic development. The backbone of the Internet, high-speed, high-capacity fibre-optic cables have been landing on African shores in droves in recent years, from the SAT-3 cable to Seacom, Eassy and Wacs to name a few.

These cables bring with them the opportunity for greater bandwidth capacity in Africa at greatly reduced cost. The only constraints preventing the many benefits of these cables landing on our shores from percolating down to the people are the many recalcitrant regimes and corrupt bureaucracies that continue to hobble along on borrowed time (thankfully, at their increasing peril).

While it may be easy to blame colonialism, despotic governments, corruption and all these other obvious targets for the technological quagmire and slow rate of growth of Africa’s digital

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imageS courtesy OF SHUTTERSTOCK

of this technological approach to political campaigning.

The use of technology and social media in the recent African uprisings is of unique significance for a number of reasons that I will outline below. Firstly, Africa is hardly a continent that one would associate with high levels of technological activity. Let’s face it, the Western impression of Africa is decidedly negative and informed by a seemingly perpetual deluge of imagery depicting extreme poverty, war, deprivation and human suffering – hardly the cradle of innovative technological usage that the continent seems to be on the verge of reinventing itself as.

In addition, with our sordid, complex history of domination, subjugation and internal strife, the African environment has historically not been the most conducive to the development of innovative and effective technological societies. African governments for time immemorial have sadly pursued policies that eschewed the development of the information, communication

T E C H N O L O G Y economy, as optimistic as I am about Africa’s future, I would not be doing my duty as a grassroots technology activist if I did not place some of the blame for Africa’s lethargic technological growth squarely at the feet of you and I, the citizens of this continent.

Surely, as Afropolitans, we should be the ones most pro-active in finding ways to rise to the challenge to help to meet some of Africa’s many needs. Or am I being naïve? The wonderfully liberating thing about the Internet is the culture of sharing and collaboration that it has fostered globally. Where governments and society were once beholden to corporate monoliths that charged princely sums for their software licences and proprietary technology, the opensource movement has made software freely available and empowered people the world over in almost every area of technological endeavour, from wireless networking to e-commerce, website development to operating systems and office productivity tools.

For every technological problem you can think of, there is a free and open-source solution that can comprehensively solve it.

Wireless mesh networks

“My crystal ball tells me that in spite of our torrid past and our somewhat tempestuous present, the future for Africa is indeed looking very bright with regards to our technological and economic development.”

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imageS courtesy OF SHUTTERSTOCK

Take the digital divide, for example, and the way in which we’ve made a national sport out of admiring and lamenting this national malaise. In spite of what you may think, setting up large, powerful, super-fast wireless networks using off-the-shelf parts and open-source software is a very affordable, achievable possibility using Wi-Fi technology and intelligent mesh networks.

In fact, somebody with very little technical knowledge could easily build a Wi-Fi mesh network that could cover vast areas just by going to www.open-mesh. com, buying auto-configured wireless routers (at R500 each) and deploying them in the area that they would like to cover. Already Johannesburg and Pretoria’s suburbs are enjoying access to these community-funded wireless networks in the form of wireless user group (Wug) networks (www.wug.za.net).

Discover, explore, learn and play with science and technology at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre.

The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre is a world class interactive science centre that supports maths, science and technology education and offers innovative, dynamic learning experiences for learners and teachers of all ages.

A strategic partner of the Gauteng Department of Education, Sci-Bono aims to: • Improve teaching and learning of mathematics, science and technology in Gauteng schools • Provide career education to all learners in Gauteng • Promote and improve public awareness of and engagement with science and technology • Be a premier family destination for local and international visitors.

Our collection of over 300 interactive exhibits caters for curious minds of all ages providing hours of fun for kids and adults of all ages to explore and play with science and technology.

An annual programme of workshops, presentations, exhibitions, competitions and career focus weeks are offered at our centre and through our extensive outreach programme.

Winners of the 2009/2010 National Science and Technology Award for innovative science communication to a mass audience.

Contact Sci-Bono at 011 693 8400 to support our commitment to preparing tomorrow’s technology leaders today.

Or visit us with friends and family, open 7 days a week.

Miriam Makeba, between Jeppe and President Streets, Newtown, Johannesburg www.sci-bono.co.za. Follow us on twitter @scibono or facebook/scibono01

T E C H N O L O G Y

Wugs are effectively massive Wi-Fi networks that allow users to share files, make free on-network calls, play multiplayer games and interact like never before all on a free, communitybuilt, usage unlimited Wi-Fi network.

Can you imagine this technology if applied to the townships of South Africa, schools and rural areas? We’d be able to provide meaningful connectivity in a matter of hours instead of waiting for government intervention on this most crucial of digital enablers – connectivity.

Websites and web development It boggles the mind that so few businesses have properly designed websites (or any website at all for that matter). If you’re looking to get a highquality website up in very little time, I highly recommend you use Joomla (www.joomla.org) to build it. This 100% free content management system and web development framework has taken the web by storm and now powers more than three percent of all websites in the world (a phenomenal achievement for an open-source project).

Without a website, your business will be unable to properly harness the power of online marketing, and I can assure you, while you stall the inevitable and delay the process of further legitimising your business by getting a website and your own email addresses on your own domain, your competitors are vigorously capitalising on your disingenuous technological obstinacy.

With Joomla you get far more than just a website as this powerful piece of software gives you access to more than 5 000 extensions with which you can improve your organisational efficiencies by using things such as e-commerce, project management tools and a whole lot more.

of South Africa, mobile technology was well and thriving.

A large percentage of the people whom I encountered had access to bleeding edge mobile phones, thanks in part to Chinese equipment manufacturers who are able to offer clones of high-end phones at a fraction of the cost. The combination of cheap Chinese mobile hardware and Google’s Android mobile operating system represent the most powerful and effective way available to us to leapfrog entire generations onto the web and to provide them with a qualitative online experience using their mobile phones.

Already, most people are comfortable with their handsets, and so the obvious psychological barrier wrought by years of entrenched technophobia has already been overcome. There’s no denying that while the first billion users of the web came to know and experience the Internet through their desktop PCs, the next billion users of the web will come to know it almost exclusively through their mobile handsets.

To ignore these figures and the relentless growth of user activity in this area is ill advised. Already, Joomla websites can be easily transformed into mobile small-screen-friendly technological marvels through the

used to deliver real value to people.

The availability of mobile banking has effectively turned people’s cellphones into full-blown ATM machines and branches, saving people the hassle of having to travel to bank branches to transact – a veritable godsend, particularly if you live in rural South Africa and bank branches are few and far between.

With the likes of M-PESA and FNB SendMoney, it is now possible to send money to anybody in South Africa just by knowing their cell number. Combine these technologies with recent advances in m-commerce (mobile commerce) software capabilities and you realise that we are on the cusp of a glorious explosion in digital trade and commerce in South Africa.

Education

One of my favourite open-source applications is Moodle, a course management system designed to help educators create, deliver and administer quality online courses. The software is used all over the world by universities, schools, companies and independent teachers. Thanks to its proven efficacy in facilitating a quality learning experience, where student progress is measured through quizzes and teacher engagement is an integral part of the system architecture, it is an ideal platform for enhancing education in Africa.

Considering the dire state of our education system, perhaps these technological interventions installation of a free add-on available at could provide our students with a www.mobilejoomla.com. I also recently chance at redemption, better results and heard through the grapevine that an better futures? advanced easy-to-use free e-commerce Yes, folks, as has been shown, all the platform for Joomla called SciFiCart will tools that we need to radically transform for the first time make mobile commerce and improve our futures are all freely a reality for any and all Joomla available and within easy grasp. We need website owners. to shed the notion that government is meant to solve our every challenge as Online payments this mentality is slowly turning us into With all this talk of websites, mobisites victims of our own making. It’s quite and e-commerce, it’s interesting to note clear that the language of technology needs to become yet another language that Africa has been at the forefront that we assimilate, master and remix of some of the most notable advances for the benefit of our communities, in mobile and e-commerce. M-PESA, a our economy and ultimately, our unique payment system pioneered by continent… To put it simply, we need a Vodafone in Kenya and now available real technology revolution… and we need in South Africa through Nedbank, is it now! an example of how technology can be

“With all this talk of websites, mobisites and e-commerce, it’s interesting to note that Africa has been at the forefront of some of the most notable advances in mobile and e-commerce.”

The mobile Internet Recently I was fortunate enough to travel the length and breadth of South Africa on a marketing campaign with a leading clothing brand. As we crisscrossed the country going from town to town getting people to enter the competition via SMS and then to submit videos of themselves for public voting via the mobisite and website, I came to realise that even in the furthest corners

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87674t

A D V E R T O RI A L

Halala Joburg Awards

P

rior to 2008 little acknowledgement was given to those who had the courage of their convictions to ensure that the Inner City provided its residents with a dynamic place to live, play, relax and work. There was no recognition of individuals, developments, projects or programmes that had invested in the City, offering a good quality of life and transforming it into a booming investment destination.

Finally, and for the last 4 years, the JDA have implemented the prestigious Halala Joburg Awards which recognise, acknowledge, and give credit to the creativity, talent and commitment of those who have invested in their City of Gold.

The JDA celebrates inner city regeneration by awarding the best projects in the inner city landscape each year. The Halala Joburg Awards recognise pioneering and innovative projects initiated by brave thinkers that

advance sustainable economic growth, community well-being and enhance the quality of life of Joburg residents. Â They also recognise exceptional action that breaks new ground and opens new horizons in the inner city and, in so doing, JDA hope to encourage extraordinary efforts into the future.

The awards foster originality and draw public attention to the incredible investments that are taking place.

Halala has grown to include seven award winning categories covering aspects of property development (residential, retail and commercial); lifestyle (living, working and playing); development practice (sustainability and conservation); and individual effort (believing in the potential of the inner city of Johannesburg). These are the essential components that, together, create a world class African city.

Quality is assured through a rigorous adjudication process by a panel of well-respected individuals from a

range of sectors with complementary knowledge of the inner city. Winners in each category receive a commemorative Halala trophy made by acclaimed South African artists that encapsulates the spirit of Joburg.

Just a decade ago, the Johannesburg Development Agency was born and in that time it has taken the inner city from a story of decay to a suitable environment for big investment dreams to be realised. This year the JDA celebrates 10 years of building a better inner city!

The JDA, in partnership with the City of Joburg, looks forward to finding and celebrating a new batch of Halala Joburg Award winners - those who are making the Joburg Inner City a place to be proud of.

For more information on Halala Award Nominees and Winners go to: www.jda.org.za

The inner city as defined for Halala Joburg nominations

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Celebrating 10 years of inner city regeneration!

City of Johannesburg Johannesburg Development Agency City of Johannesburg Johannesburg Development Agency No 3 President Street The Bus Factory Newtown Johannesburg, 2000

Tel +27(0) 11 688 7851 (O) Fax +27(0) 11 688 7899/63 E-mail: info@jda.org.za www.jda.org.za www.joburg.org.za

FI N A N C E

A

BY STEVEN BACHER

frica is known worldwide for its rich endowment of natural resources.

The continent is a major producer of commodities and precious metals such as gold, platinum, palladium and copper.

South Africa alone has seen resources accounting for close on 40 percent of exports by 2009, compared to 16 percent in 1990. The massive growth in the economies of China and other emerging markets over the past two decades had resulted in the demand for natural resources increasing substantially.

The question of the investment case for commodities and precious metals is one that has been revisited many times in the past few years. With the resources sector of capital markets delivering returns way ahead of the rest of the market, investors often find themselves questioning the merits of investing in resources.

Recent activities such as the buyout offer from Vale for Metorex, and the meteoric rise in the Sacoil share price

s e c CONS r u o s e ND r

g n i PROS t s e v n fi o

mies o n eco rkets e h in t ging ma h t row r emer es had tural g e ssiv d othe decad for na tially.� ma n o n “The hina a ast t w emandsubsta of C r the p n the d asing ove ulted i incre from 20c to over 200c in less than a res ources year certainly attract the interest of res investors. However, policy debates

such as the nationalisation of mines and a negative report on the sector by Goldman Sachs add to the confusion among investors.

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FI N A N C E

“The JSE resources sector has been a great place for investors over the past decade, with annualised returns of more than 22 percent per annum versus 17 percent from the overall market.”

What are resources?

“Resources” is a collective name for different types of metals and minerals that are found in the ground. They include base metals such as copper, manganese and iron ore; precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum; and natural resources such as oil and gas. It usually requires some kind of mining process to extract these resources from the ground.

How has the resources sector of the JSE performed?

The JSE resources sector has been a great place for investors over the past decade with annualised returns of more than 22 percent per annum versus 17 percent from the overall market. It certainly has been an attractive destination for investments. According to Craig Gradidge, co-founder of GradidgeMahura Investments, “While the difference of five percent does not seem like much, once you compound over 10 years the figures certainly look attractive.

R100 000 invested in the market would have grown to around R480 000 and to R730 000 in the resources sector.”

What are the pros and cons of investing in the JSE? Gradidge lists the following pros and cons when it comes to the resources sector.

Pros: • The potential to earn higher rates of return are always present.

• The sector is best positioned to benefit from growing global economies such as India and China.

• The potential for corporate activity increases the expected return from shares in the sector.

• Precious metals such as gold and platinum are attractive options in the current environment where government debt and inflation are massive risks to capital markets globally.

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Cons: • The sector has two volatile price drivers: the currency and commodity prices.

• Gold shares in particular are generally very low dividend payers, meaning that the investor has to rely primarily on capital returns over time.

• Investors get running commentary on the top line of the income statement – because commodity prices and currency information are readily available. This can lead to sharp movements in the share price over the short term.

• In South Africa, costs are increasing at a very high rate as the industry is a heavy user of electricity and a large employer of unionised labour.

• The risk of nationalisation and further regulation remains a threat to long term returns.

The price of Newgold is simply the dollar price of gold multiplied by the rand/dollar exchange rate.

• Investing in an ETF that replicates the JSE Resi Index, such as the Satrix Resi.

• Investing in Exchange Traded Notes (ETN), which give the investor exposure to the performance of commodities such as silver and platinum. Standard Bank is the main market maker for ETNs in South Africa.

• Direct investments in resource shares on the JSE. This entails opening a trading account with a stock broker, depositing cash into the account and trading the shares.

The choice of which route to go would be determined by the level of sophistication of the investor, the amount of time that they have to devote to monitoring their investments on an ongoing basis,

“The choice of which route to go [when investing] would be determined by the level of sophistication of the investor, the amount of time that they have to devote to monitoring their investments on an ongoing basis and the amount of money that they are looking to invest.”

How does one invest in resources?

According to Gradidge there are a number of options available to investors wanting to get exposure to the sector.

These include: • Investing in a resource unit trust fund where the fund manager is mandated to invest only in commodity and resource stocks. The advantage of this route is that the fund manager makes share selection decisions.

• Investing in a commodity exchange traded fund (ETF) such as Newgold that provides the investor with exposure to gold as a commodity.

and the amount of money that they are looking to invest. According to Gradidge, “The majority of investors would be well served by a diversified unit trust fund that invests in locally and foreign listed resource shares. Investors can get exposure with as little as R500 per month or R10 000 once off. However, an investment in any specific sector should not constitute the largest portion of any investment portfolio, especially volatile sectors such as resources.”

Craig Gradidge is co-founder of Gradidge-Mahura Investments, a Sandton based financial planning and investment consulting business registered with the Financial Services Board. They offer financial planning services and investment consulting services to the public and can be contacted on info@gminvestments.co.za.

www.afropolitan.co.za

BY Medupi Lamola

FI N A N C E

DATE WITH YOUR FINANCES

H

ow often do you make a date with your finances? Do you know exactly where you stand financially? If you do not know, it is about time you start engaging your finances to assess how best you can make your hardearned cash work for you. With personal financial planning, you can manage your income and expenses and become aware of your current financial status. Personal finance is your roadmap to financial health and sustainable wealth creation, so do not ignore this critical part in your life.

In this column, we take a critical look at how women approach their personal money matters. For obvious reasons, women have financial needs that differ

choice. As such, creating a plan by setting objectives and monitoring progression towards attaining financial aspirations, remains a non-negotiable”.

Hazel says that a well structured financial plan is a tool that makes sure that the right amount of money is available at the right time in the future to achieve your financial goals.

While it is important that women carefully manage their income and expenses, it is of great importance that you use the services of an accredited financial

“Statistical information shows that on average, women live longer than men. It is vital that women plan financially for their present day needs and develop a plan that will accommodate their future years without being dependent.” from those of their male counterparts.

Women of today do not perceive themselves as their equivalents of the older generation. “Women are no longer brought up with an idea of their future, reliant on their male counterparts, while they simply focus on being mothers and wives. They are increasingly becoming breadwinners in many households,” says Hazel Glajchen, a Momentum Executive Financial Planner.

“Statistical information shows that on average, women live longer than men. It is vital that women plan financially for their present day needs and develop a plan that will accommodate their future years without being dependent,” says Hazel. “Despite the fact that most women earn less than their male counterparts, they generally need a larger pool of savings to sustain a lifestyle of their

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planner. If you do not have one, it is essential to find an accredited financial planner to help you to map your way to financial independence.

Momentum's Hazel Glajchen “It is important that you have a financial coach in order to understand, amongst other things, your Financial tips from Hazel risk profile and the potential return on your investments and future income 1. Take stock of your financial position to plan your future needs based on the decisions you 2. Identify your life goals and prioritise them make now. It is essential that you are 3. Calculate the amount of money you need to given tools to make informed decisions attain these goals, taking inflation, your time in order to protect you from life’s horizon and appetite for risk into account uncertainties”, she adds.

4. Have an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months Dating your money matters remains income available crucial to building a better life for you.

5. Settle debt as quickly as possible So, do not wait until it is too late to start.

6. Get expert advice on how you can achieve ‘real’ Take that step to educate yourself about returns that keep pace with or beat inflation your finances. It will probably be the 7. Keep revisiting your financial plan to review most rewarding decisions of your life. your progress

www.afropolitan.co.za

BY VINCENT VERRYDT

cul i na r y

cultu r e

Hello Africa,

Tell Me What You’re Cooking

Finally! The Western world has woken up to Africa’s greatest secret – the secret of spice, of flavour and of soul.

Africa’s “new cuisine” is a melting pot of diversity and cultural influences and now the newest trend on the global food scene. Vincent Verrydt unearths some home truths about African food and its newfound fame.

I

challenge you to describe “African food”. Think about all its ingredients, its methods and its flavours – and don’t leave one delicious variable out.

If you’re battling to complete this seemingly simple task, then you’ve probably realised that due to diversity and richness of internal and external cultural influences, African cuisine simply can’t be boxed or categorised.

Not only is the African continent home to hundreds of different tribes, but there is also an abundance of external cultures such as India, Asia and Europe (Portuguese, Dutch, German) that have influenced modern African cuisine. From all these influences “new African cuisine” was born and has grown to become a popular culinary trend in major cities around the world.

More and more Western people are becoming intrigued with ‘African’ food in all its spicy and flavourful glory.

New York’s cultural hotspots such as Chinatown and Little Italy may soon have to step out of the cultural-culinary spotlight as emerging African

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www.afropolitan.co.za

BITTER STOUT SALMON AND PRAWN PARCELS FEEDS: Four people YOU WILL NEED: Tin foil (cut into 20cm x 30cm squares) Oven tray

INGREDIENTS:

www.theculinary.co.za www.afropolitan.co.za

• x pieces of salmon (+/- 180g each) • 4 • 8 x queen prawns (de-shelled and deveined) • • 1 x punnet of snow peas (cut into 1cm pieces) • 1 x red onion (thinly sliced) • 80ml olive oil • 20g fish spice or Maldon salt • 60ml honey • A handful of fresh coriander leaves to garnish

FOR THE MARINADE • ½ can of Castle Milk Stout • 50ml soya sauce • 10ml fish sauce • 5ml sesame oil • 2 cloves of garlic (chopped) • 10g fresh crushed ginger • 20g brown sugar • Juice of 1 lime

METHOD: Combine all the marinade ingredients (make sure the sugar dissolves). Place salmon and prawns in a container and pour the marinade over the fish, and place in the fridge. Allow the flavours to be absorbed for at least 30 minutes.

METHOD FOR THE PARCELS: • Preheat the oven to 180º.

• Place the foil with shiny side facing up.

• Arrange Arrange the cut snow peas, baby corn and red onion in the centre of the foil in a small mound.

• Place the marinated fish on top of the vegetables.

• Intertwine two prawns and place on top of the fish.

• Drizzle with olive oil and honey and season with fish spice or Maldon salt.

• Pour two tablespoons of marinade over the fish.

• Bring the top and the bottom of the foil together and make airtight downward folds. Fold both sides of the parcel to make it airtight.

• Repeat the process for the other three salmon pieces.

• Place parcels on a baking tray and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

• The foil parcel will puff up and steam the ingredients, infusing them with the rich caramel flavours of the milk stout.

• Remove from the oven, tear the foil on one side (burn alert) and slide the contents gently onto a bed of basmati rice.

• Garnish with fresh coriander and serve immediately.

• Note: This dish can also be served with Asian noodles or wasabi-flavoured mash.

• A whole side of salmon can also be done over live coals.

• Voilà! Enjoy!

SIP, PAUSE, ENJOY

In today’s fast-paced world with its many demands, it is easy to forget to slow down on occasion and take the time to appreciate the things in life that have real value.

Castle Milk Stout is all about the “good life” and has been crafted to be savoured by people who enjoy the kind of quality time worth savouring.

Launched shortly after Castle Lager in 1895, Castle Milk Stout is the only stout that can be found in many parts of East and West Africa. The “milk” refers to the lactose sugar (there’s no milk in the beer). The dark roasted malt provides the beer’s distinctive colouring, and the creamy, smooth head comes from the special yeast.

Castle Milk Stout has a thick texture and wonderful strong flavour.

Pour, pause, sip and enjoy!

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iMAGES CourTESY of SHuTTErSToCK, ViNCENT VErrYDT & CASTLE MiLK STouT

establishments such as Xai Xai South African Wine Bar in Hell’s Kitchen and Africa Restaurant and Braai NYC in central Manhattan have opened their doors and soared in popularity.

And even traditional menus at well-regarded local US establishments are offering more African-inspired options on the menu – specifically those options from Ethiopia and Morocco.

Essentially, at the heart of this new African culinary craze is spice.

Northern African countries have strong roots in the Mediterranean spice trade, and these spices are what bring most of the food styles found in Africa together.

Top chefs across the globe are not only using African recipes and ingredients but they are also integrating African spice such as cumin, paprika, saffron, coriander, caraway and turmeric into their own traditional recipes, thus creating new dishes that have managed to seduce even the most traditional of Western palates. And besides all the flavour, international foodies are also seeing the health benefits of African cuisine.

Unlike French and Italian dishes, African food does not traditionally use cream and butter in the cooking process. The flavours are natural, from the spices and ingredients themselves, and therefore African food contains less fat. Another win!

While North Africa may currently be riding the popularity wave to international shores, it’s only a matter of time before the West discovers the rest of our African culinary secrets including LM Prawns in peri-peri, Mopani worms, milk tart, bobotie and good old shisa nyama. Not to mention our game meat…

It’s a good thing foreigners have no idea how delicious zebra meat (simply marinated in olive oil and seasoned with coarse salt) really is, otherwise, before you know it, along with our A-grade fruit and vegetables, we’d be exporting all our stripeys!

BY SAM MATHE

B O O k

r E V i E W S

WOrd ON WOrdS THE OBAMAS

– The Untold Story of an African Family AUTHOR: PETER FIRSTBROOK PUBLISHER: PREFACE PUBLISHING Several biographies have been published following the rise of Barack Obama’s political star as head of state of the most powerful nation on earth.

Obama’s best-selling autobiography, Dreams From My Father, is a brilliant and engrossing account about the future American president searching for his African origins. But in narrating the story of Obama’s Kenyan ancestry, Peter Firstbrook has penned a peerless account of epic proportions.

In the process of his retelling the story of an illustrious Kenyan family, he has achieved a literary feat. The 300-word book is intriguing and compelling. He traces the family’s Sudanese origins back to as early as the 13th century through all their heroic odysseys across the treacherous plains and savannahs of East Africa as they

follow the flow of streams and rivers for their and their livestock’s survival.

He tells of their sojourn in Uganda and ultimately their settlement in Kenya as members of the Luo people. It is a fascinating story of warriors and wanderers, of fishermen and farmers who didn’t only have to respond to the vagaries of nature, but who were also architects of their own destiny as they contributed to a rich oral tradition.

With their passion for academic learning they became forebears of prominent politicians, intellectuals – and, ultimately, a global leader.

AFRICAN FILM

– New Forms of Aesthetics and Politics AUTHOR: MANTHIA DIAWARA PUBLISHER: PRESTEL “African films, when they are not tainted by Western paternalism, have the potential to reveal authentic African visions of Africa and the world.” This is the viewpoint of the author and a response to a director of French films who recently observed that African cinema has not attained the same level of maturity and sophistication as Iranian, Chinese or other world cinemas.

The impact of foreign funding on the authenticity of African films is at the heart of this multifaceted work that includes reviews, debates, interviews, profiles, academic narratives and personal testimonies that normally arise during press conferences at film festivals. The author, a native of Mali and US-based professor of comparative literature and film, opens his narrative by examining the filmic legacies of the pioneers of African cinema – notably 54

Ousmane Sembene, Diop Mambety and our own Lionel Ngakane.

He then brings the reader to what is the core of this book – current trends, forms, language and aesthetics in contemporary cinema as well as new modes of production and the kind of politics that shapes the bigscreen industry. There are profiles of 31 young directors including South Africans Zola Maseko (Drum) and Gavin Hood (Tsotsi). Their cinematic creations and thoughtful observations provide valuable insights into current trends and developments – an important reference work for students of films and movie enthusiasts.

YOU MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN – Memoirs

AUTHOR: WOLE SOYINKA PUBLISHER: BOOKCRAFT Like his mercurial and temperamental cousin Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Wole Soyinka, Africa’s foremost playwright and poet frequently crossed swords with authorities. A persecuted but defiant voice nevertheless, like Kuti, the celebrated wordsmith became his troubled country’s conscience. But unlike the iconoclastic artist who refused to opt for exile and risked his life in Lagos’s infamous prisons, Soyinka writes movingly of the pain of exile.

Partly autobiography, partly political history, this 600-word tome poignantly and candidly tells of his involvement in the politics of a nation largely defined by successive military dictatorships that often punished dissent through detentions, torture or worse. In this regard, he revisits the events relating to his incarceration during the 1967 Nigerian Civil War when he spent 27 months in prison after he was accused of helping Biafran secessionists to buy jet fighters.

He writes in trenchant prose of cherished friendships and the excitement of being a young writer and academic witnessing Nigeria’s march towards independence in 1960 and how the honeymoon of self-rule was eventually shattered by undemocratic regimes who forced him out of his beloved country.

As critic Merle Rubin of the Los Angeles Times eloquently puts it, “For students of post-colonial history, this book by a man who has not only witnessed but taken part in it is an indispensable document, with its detailed account and searching analysis.

This is both a public book and an intensely personal one.”

www.afropolitan.co.za

r E V i E W S

COUCh pOTATO the fiGhter

DIRECTOR: DAVID O. RUSSEL STARRING: : MARK WAHLBERG, CHRISTIAN BALE, AMY ADAMS & MELISSA LEO

On the list of great boxing movies of our time, this one certainly ranks high. The Fighter is an emotionally charged true tale of the relationship between boxing half-brothers “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). The younger and more talented of the two, Micky realises if he wants to make a solid career as a boxer he needs to make some hard decisions.

The support of his family becomes his struggle, and as the gripping drama unravels he decides to let go of Dicky,

who has helped train him for as long as he can remember, as well as his manager and mother (played by Melissa Leo). The film is driven by its strong cast, with an especially brilliant performance by Christian Bale, who dropped about 20 kilograms to play crack-addicted big brother, Dicky.

The thrills of each fight are perfectly crafted by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, while director David O. Russel does a good job in ensuring that this movie packs a great punch.

Life, ABove ALL

DIRECTOR: OLIVER SCHMITZ STARRING: KHOMOTSO MANYAKA, LERATO MVELASE & HARRIET LENABE

Life, Above All is a beautifully filmed coming-of-age drama about one of nearly one million children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa. This deeply emotional tale is told from a child’s perspective and stars by first-time actress Khomotso Manyaka, who plays the heroic Chanda – and gives a truly sensational performance as the small girl with a big heart.

When Chanda’s baby brother dies suddenly, the rural community of Elandsdoorn begins to suspect her mother has HIV. Chanda is determined to overcome the gossip and lies and embarks on a courageous journey to

hereAfter

DIRECTOR: CLINT EASTWOOD STARRING: MATT DAMON, CECILE DE FRANCE, FRANKIE & GEORGE MCLAREN

Acclaimed director Clint Eastwood addresses life’s greatest mystery in a drama about death, mortality and the hereafter. It’s an interesting genre for Eastwood to tackle as he carefully manages three story threads, each led by a central character. George Lonegan (Matt Damon) is a regular American blue-collar worker with a special connection to the afterlife who believes his ability is a curse.

Meanwhile, French journalist Marie Lelay (Cécile de France) struggles to deal with a near-death experience that www.afropolitan.co.za

restore her mother’s dignity. The film is a brilliant and most relevant piece of social commentary and received a 10-minute standing ovation at its Cannes premiere.

In his portrayal of both the beauty and ugliness of humanity, South African-born director Oliver Schmitz manages to explore issues such as cultural taboos, adolescence and religion through a poorly understood and greatly feared disease with wonderful insight and emotion.

iMAGES CourTESY of STEr-KiNEKor & NuMETro

BY ELKA SCHAiMBErG

d V d

shakes her reality.

And then there’s young Marcus (Frankie and George McLaren), a London schoolboy who is struggling to deal with the loss of his twin brother, who was killed in a car accident.

Common to them all is their search for answers, and in seeking the truth their lives intersect and are forever changed.

Despite Eastwood’s brilliance, some great performances and an emotionally driven plot, the film tends to fall short.

It is, however, worth a watch.

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BY ELKA SCHAiMBErG

m O V i E

r E V i E W S

BiOSCOpE freAkonoMics DIRECTORS: HEIDI EWING, ALEX GIBNEY, SETH GORDON, RACHEL GRADY, EUGENE JARECKI, MORGAN SPURLOCK The book of the same title by economist Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen Dubner sold more than four million copies, was translated into 35 languages and spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Then six of the world’s most innovative documentary filmmakers collaborated to bring it to the silver screen.

Freakonomics examines human behaviour by turning conventional wisdom on its head, challenging

stereotypes and exploring the hidden side of everything. Interesting and controversial case studies reveal what answers may come if one just asks the right questions. Each filmmaker took on a different section of the book and analysed it their unique style.

Topics such as parenting, cheating, crime, bribery, race, real estate and the ingredients to a successful life are not only entirely engaging but often laughout-loud funny too.

i AM sLAve DIRECTOR: GABRIEL RANGE STARRING: WUNMI MOSAKU, ISAAC DE BANKOLÉ AND LUBNA AZABAL

iMAGES CourTESY of STEr-KiNEKor & NuMETro

Inspired by the real-life experiences of Mende Nazer, this film centres on one woman’s fight for freedom. The story unfolds as 12-year-old Malia (Wunmi Mosaku) is abducted from her Sudanese village to be sold as a slave in Khartoum. Six years later, her life of servitude continues in London.

The silent trauma experienced at the hands of her cruel abusers is portrayed in a truly gutsy performance by the 24-year-old actress. The real strength of the human spirit is seen in the moments when Malia clings to her identity as the proud daughter of a champion wrestler. Malia’s father, Bah (Isaac De Bankolé), is broken by his

for coLored GirLs For Colored Girls is director Tyler Perry’s ambitious film adaptation of the award-winning play documenting the emotional and moral empowerment of African American women. Rather than opting for a traditional narrative, Perry artfully tackles big issues such as rape, infidelity, murder, abuse, abortion and loneliness through a cast of top-notch actresses.

From powerful female executive 56

daughter’s disappearance but never gives up hope that she is still alive.

This film showcases the reality of modern-day slavery, and the closing credits reveal that there are around 5 000 slaves currently working in Britain.

More than just a docudrama, I Am Slave is also an engaging piece of fiction, brilliantly told.

DIRECTOR: TYLER PERRY STARRING: JANET JACKSON, LORETTA DEVINE, KIMBERLY ELISE, THANDIE NEWTON, WHOOPI GOLDBERG

(Janet Jackson) and religious mother (Whoopi Goldberg) to man-hungry bartender (Thandie Newton) and innocent teen (Tessa Thompson), the women all celebrate life’s pleasures and mourn their own disappointments and tragedies.

It’s a complex portrayal of black women navigating their way through modern America. Although the film doesn’t do justice to the play, it does manage to elicit a few strong emotions. www.afropolitan.co.za

r E V i E W S

BEAT BOx ThOmAS mApfUmO & ThE BLACkS UNLimiTEd Back in the 70s Thomas Mapfumo’s chimurenga songs were the soundtrack of the Zimbabwean war of liberation – battle cries that lifted the spirits of young guerrilla fighters in a bitter bush war against a white settler regime. And as the euphoria of a new era swept across the country with the dawn of independence in 1980, there was no doubt that the Lion of Zimbabwe’s chimurenga (“struggle music” in Shona) was indeed a potent weapon in the fight

EXILE

[ SHEER SOUND ]

against colonial rule.

“The sun has risen forever. There will never be darkness again in Zimbabwe,” Mapfumo observed exultantly at the time. But in a cruel ironic twist, the man who contributed so much to his country’s liberation has become persona non grata in the eyes of officialdom and a pariah in the land of his birth – forced into exile because of his outspokenness.

The album’s sombre mood is to be expected for an artist who is grappling

LES AmBASSAdEUrS fEATUriNG SALif kEiTA

If mbira defines Zimbabwe’s ancestral music, then the kora is the mainstay of Mali’s traditional sound as is expressed by the griots, the musical custodians and lower-caste storytellers of the vast

AUrELiO

[ SHEER SOUND ]

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with the loneliness of exile. But his is not a subdued voice. There are uplifting moments – as in the soulful ballad Universal Love. There is also a purposefulness and urgency in his mbira-inspired music for African people to rally together in the fight for a better political and social establishment.

AFRICAN CLASSICS [ SHEER SOUND ]

and ancient West African country. But the most famous Malian musician is not a commoner. In fact, he was born into royalty and is traditionally forbidden from playing music.

However, tradition and royal protocol failed to deter Salif Keita from becoming one of Africa’s celebrated musicians.

Dubbed the Golden Voice of Mali, Salif Keita found national fame in the early 70s as front man of the Rail Band, which was not really a band but rather an orchestra that adapted songs from Malian folklore to modern idioms.

But he really came into his own as a lead vocalist and composer for the

LARU BEYA (BY THE BEACH)

Like the griots of West Africa, Aurelio Martinez is a born storyteller and tradition bearer of folk music. In Yurumei (Island of Saint Vincent), the young singer and guitarist recounts the epic tale of his captured African forbears who were left stranded on the Caribbean island of St Vincent while sailing through the notorious Middle Passage during the era of slavery.

The reluctant new immigrants settled on the island, mingled with the native Arawak and Carib tribes and gave birth to Aurelio’s people – the Garifuna.

They fought the British and were eventually subjugated and deported to the Caribbean coast of Central America.

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5/5

more heralded Les Ambassadeurs – an orchestra that played an impressive repertoire that includes jazz, classical and Latin. It was with Les Ambassadeurs that Keita was honoured with the title of officer of the national order of Guinea by Guinean head of state Sekou Toure.

This collection captures the spirit and mood of the golden years of big band music, showcasing the haunting, piercing voice of Salif Keita in magical orchestral classics such as Djandjon, Wassolon and Mandjou – a paean to African unity and a homage to his benefactor and number one fan, president Sekou Toure.

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But they endured and retained some elements of their African culture in Latin countries such as Belize, Nicaragua and Honduras – where Aurelio was born in a coastal hamlet whose inhabitants still relate to the ocean currents that brought their Afro-Caribbean forebears to the New World centuries ago.

This diasporan griot’s incorporation of Latin sounds and Caribbean vibes reflects his creolised heritage while pointing strongly to his African roots.

There is a hint of Congolese rumba in tracks such as Ereba (Cassava). The opening track, Lubara Wanwa (Waiting for the Arrival of a Son), is remarkable for its sweet guitar tones and the

striking vocal expression of his mentor, Senegal-born Youssou N’Dour. This is music of substance that tells of the resilience and cultural creativity of the Garifuna people.

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iMAGES CourTESY of SHEEr SouND

BY SAM MATHE

C d

BY ANGUS McEWAN

A FR O

F O O D

MELROSE ARCH'S

PIGALLE RESTAURANT GIVEAWAY

Win one of ten R500 vouchers to eat at any Pigalle Restaurant.

Visit www.afropolitan.co.za to enter.

A

fropolitan lifestyle in Johannesburg is an expression of the old and the new, the known and the yetto-be-experienced, with these qualities sometimes standing separate from each other, sometimes side by side, and more than occasionally fused together, with the outcome an exciting mix of the familiar and the fresh – just like a first kiss!

Jozi’s purveyors of fine dining understand the Afro-centric diner wants to experience the delight of discovering something new that makes them feel at home. With this in mind, it was my good fortune to dine at Pigalle in Melrose Arch, one of a family of four restaurants carrying the same name.

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“Pigalle Restaurant’s signature is their sushi bar, providing diners with this thoroughly popular dining option, set in this most comfortable, modern, yet traditional restaurant”

Francophones, and especially those with knowledge of Paris, may know that the restaurant has taken its name from a famous old Parisian quarter, attractive to tourists for its raunchy reputation as home to sex shops, prostitutes and the worldfamous cabaret theatre Moulin Rouge.

But nothing of the sort at the fine-dining institution that is Pigalle – it is a classy venue, more sassy than formal, and this is apparent from the moment one steps inside.

In the welcome area there is a colourful, spectacular glass piece that brings to mind an exotic tropical

anemone with tendrils flowing in all directions. The welcome area leads into the bar, elevated from the restaurant and separated by glass. My dining partner and I enjoyed an aperitif here, and I found it a very comfortable way to ease into the evening.

From the moment we arrived, the staff’s attention was professional but not overbearing, providing a smooth experience over the course of the evening. Whilst we were led down into www.afropolitan.co.za

“This is a classy venue, more sassy than formal, and this is apparent from the moment one steps inside”

the dining area and approached our table, the aroma of prawns had our heads snapping in the direction of a table close by being served their main course and so, even before seeing the menu, we already knew two things for certain: we were going to try the prawns,

www.afropolitan.co.za

As we were deciding on our starters we experienced a really nice touch, nay delicious, as two espresso cups containing butternut soup were presented to us. The amuse-bouche was smooth, and its aftertaste brought a tingle to the tongue, providing warmth on a chilly winter’s evening.

For starters we chose grilled calamari in a light garlic and lemon butter sauce and croquette de Camembert served on a bed of Melba toast with rocket, redcurrant jelly and a balsamic reduction.

Pigalle’s presentation is excellent, and the arrival of each dish was a thrill for this reason alone.

As for the taste, the calamari was tender, its sauce smooth, and I ended up taking my time with each mouthful.

Upon breaking the croquettes, Camembert sensually flowed onto the plate, naturally mixing with the redcurrant jelly. I will never tire of the fusion of these flavours!

By this stage the restaurant was quite busy, the dining area now full of a variety of mouth-watering aromas.

If you favour shellfish then Pigalle’s main-course options will not disappoint, with a choice of prawns (queen, king and tiger), langoustines, lobster (served thermidor style, if you wish), three different platters and a prawn curry. Seafood options include a line fish, kingklip, sole, a caldeirada, and calamari.

Steak cuts include fillet and prime rib, and an almond mustard sauce caught my eye. Lamb, poultry and duck dishes provide diners with some difficult choices.

We decided to stick with the seafood theme, and my dining partner settled on six queen prawns, whilst I picked the salmon teriyaki from a decidedly long short list!

Served with the prawns were French fries and three sauces on the side: a plain butter (which was a tad bland), garlic (smooth and not overbearing) and periperi (perfectly balanced in flavour and attitude!). The prawns were a pleasure, the texture delivering wonderful flavour, enhanced especially by the peri peri sauce (my favourite).

However, I cannot speak highly enough of the salmon teriyaki. It was served on a bed of crispy vegetables, covered in a teriyaki sauce, with wasabi mash on the side. I chose this dish because I enjoy all the separate elements, hitherto eaten individually.

The opportunity to experience them as a combination was too good to ignore.

The salmon was cooked medium/ rare providing a genuine melt-in-themouth sensation, the vegetables were crisp, and the teriyaki sauce set both off wonderfully, whilst the wasabi mash was a revelation and pitched perfectly to deliver the wasabi experience without blasting one’s sinuses into tomorrow.

The dessert menu offers some mouth-watering options. I tried the French lemon cheese cake and found it refreshingly light and not too sweet. It really rounded off a superb meal.

As any parent will attest, no two children are the same, and so it is that each of the four restaurants in this family has their own “signature”.

For Melrose Arch it is their sushi bar, providing diners with this thoroughly popular dining option, set in this most comfortable, modern, yet traditional restaurant.

In the final analysis, whether you’re dining with family, friends or business associates, Pigalle is to be highly recommended.

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images by venesia fourie AND PIGALLE RESTAURANT

and the kitchen’s presentation was first class.

At first glance the primary style of the menu appears Mediterranean, with an appetising range of shellfish and seafood, steaks, lamb and poultry.

Further scrutiny reveals Pigalle’s flair for adapting the traditional into something fresh and different. Oysters appear at the top of the menu, and lovers of shellfish won’t be disappointed at the opportunity to slip a couple down.

Choices of salad range from Greek, halloumi and duck to caramelised pear and almond, and a chicken tandoori.

Their soups are interesting, notably a pear and blue cheese and a bouillabaisse – a seafood stew that includes prawns, mussels, line fish and crab.

F A S HI O N “Gugulam means my treasure; we believe that everything that comes out of Gugulam is a little piece of our treasure to you.”

THE GLAM OF GUGU

imageS courtesy of GUGUGLAM

Gugu Mlambo Msomi

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FASHION PROFILE

G

lamourous Gugu Mlambo Msomi was born and raised in Johannesburg, where she studied fashion design at Wits Tech.

After graduation she immediately began designing for and dressing local music groups, and even some parliamentarians. She has worked with various big-name artists like Sibongile Khumalo, Judith Sephuma, Umanji, Les Nubians, Lucky Dube and Gugu’s personal favorite, Lady Smith Black Mabhazo.

Her attention to detail and her love of African trends soon saw Gugu styling for magazines and working on several movies and soap operas. She eventually became the Head of Wardrobe for Generations, the biggest television show on South African television.

Through her experience Gugu learnt a lot about women and clothing and the type of message she wanted to send out. She made the decision to no longer create ‘unrealistic’ clothing but to rather cater for real women... and so Gugulam was born.

In September 2009 Gugulam launched at the Sanlam South African Fashion Week, to much acclaim. Later this year (2011) Gugu will show her new fashion lines in London and New York. A true African glamour tale.

Contact Gugulam Office 312A, Rosebank Mews Tel: +27 11 447 7527 Mobile: +27 82 966 1816 www.afropolitan.co.za

imageS courtesy of GUGUGLAM

F A S HI O N

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IMAGES COURTESY OF GALLO IMAGES imageS courtesy of GUGUGLAM

F A S HI O N

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BY STACEY VEE

B E A U T y

mOiSTUrE mAGiC

That dry South African winter air leaves your skin and hair feeling parched.

Now’s the time to top up your beauty regime with moisturising products!

DERMALOGICA SKIN HYDRATING BOOSTER R710

Use this in conjunction with your normal moisturiser for an extra moisture boost. Simply add two or three drops once a week and thirsty skin will be super-saturated. Contains no artificial fragrance or colour!

WELLA SP HYDRATE MASK R256.50

This hair mask is an intensively nourishing treatment that contains an active moisture complex that hydrates dry and damaged hair. Leaves hair soft and gorgeous.

SOFTLIPS TINTS R26

Now you can condition your lips while leaving them soft and supple with just a subtle glimmer of colour. Contains an SPF 15 sun protector.

SENSUAL SOLUTIONS ALL NIGHT LONG STEM CELL STIMULATOR R593 This enriched night cream delivers bio-identical signals to the skin, helping to activate ageing stem cells and increase the production of elastin, collagen and cellular regeneration.

ESTÉE LAUDER HYDRATIONIST R515 Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Créme dramatically boosts the moisture in your skin, helping it resist the signs of aging. Used over time with Estée Lauder’s Sustainable Moisture Complex with Revival Plant Extract, it increases your skin’s moisture barrier by 50%.

WINTER HAIR Hair-care brand ambassador Nthato Mashishi spells out the hottest winter looks: SUpEr ShOrT

mESSy BOB

Janet Jackson’s short cheeky style with a twist! Natural texture and straightout-of-bed style is a courageous and trendy look to carry in the winter months. “Do it like a brother! Short is so chic. Just spritz with some shine spray, and mess it up,” says Nthato.

“Get your stylist to add choppy layers. I prefer this look on straight hair, and you can relax your hair at home with a kit. For a quick and easy method, try Motions Silkening Shine Relaxer System,” suggests Nthato. His hot tip for at-home relaxing is to leave a slight wave in the hair. This will add body to your bob when you blow-dry it. “Just rough it up with your fingers – and you’re ready!”

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TO ThE LEfT “Lucky ladies with longer lengths should do the side parting this winter,” advises Nthato.

He recommends leaving longer locks natural during the day and styling with curlers for a soft curly evening look. “Apply protective nourishing oil such as Motions 3-in-1, and make an extreme left parting. Flat iron the hair to sweep over to the right, and then flick the ends up by twisting the iron.”

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G R O O MI N G

Don’t wait. Hydrate!

Applying a little extra moisturiser in the dry months isn’t just for the ladies. Soak up a little extra hydration this winter...

SoftSheen Magic Razorless Cream Shave Smooth R44.95

For bald head maintenance! Apply to your scalp, leave on for six to nine minutes, wipe with a damp cloth and there you go – a perfectly smooth, nourished, stubble-free scalp. Contains soothing shea butter for extra moisture.

Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser R30

This rich and creamy formula with vitamin E and almond oil is perfect for winter. Contains Nivea’s new Hydra IQ formula, which activates the skin’s own moisture network with glucoseglycerol. So what if it doesn’t say “for men” on the bottle?

R16

Labello Mint & Minerals leaves your lips feeling instantly refreshed and supple, with a cool, tingling sensation. The mint invigorates the senses while revitalising minerals strengthen and improve the skin structure of the lips.

Clarins Men AntiFatigue Eye Serum R370

Dry skin leaves you looking noticeably older. Zap the dark circles and puffiness around the eye area with this lightweight serum that contains ginseng, bison grass and Chinese ginger. Use in the morning and evenings.

PHILIPS KING OF STYLE Unless you’re swinging from tree tops, there is no need for that body hair to consume you…even if it is Winter time. So stay smooth and sexy all the way to Summer by getting a Philips SensoTouch RQ1280. As a world leader in pioneering shaving technology, Philips introduces a shaving solution that ensures that men can easily maintain their facial style without irritation.

When tested, 80 percent of men agreed that SensoTouch was the gentlest shave on their skin.

With three heads that move independently, the SensoTouch range of 3D shavers ensure that you can conquer any contour, with even less effort.

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From king of the jungle to king of the bedroom, Philips offers a range of grooming solutions to keep you stylish, without compromising your masculinity. To find out more about how Philips can style you, visit www.grooming.philips.com and find the right toolkit to handle the job.

For more information on where to find Philips grooming products, call their customer care line on 087 808 4456. The SensoTouch range is available from selected retailers nationwide (Clicks, Dion Wired, Stax, Dis-Chem, Hirsch’s Game and Makro) and retails between R999 and R1999.

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Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of shutterstock, manufacturers and distributors.

Labello Pure & Natural Mint & Minerals

GADGETS

Jawbone Jambox R3 000

www.jawbone.com It’s big sound in a small, stylin’ package, delivering an incredible 85 decibels... that’s louder than a motorbike! The Jawbone Jambox is a wireless speaker that hooks up to your audio devices like laptops, your phone or MP3 player – so no more need for cables or docking stations. Simply charge it, and it’ll play for up to 10 hours! The Jambox is powered by a pair of sophisticated acoustic drivers that produce an unmatched range of frequencies from a single dome speaker. Jawbone products are available locally from www.wantitall. co.za, and the Jambox comes in red, black, blue and grey.

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HTC Sensation R5 310

www.leaf.co.za HTC is calling it a multimedia super-phone, and the Androidbased Sensation looks to deliver on that promise, with a huge 4.3-inch touchscreen that begs to display rich media content.

It has a built-in 8MP camera with a dual LED flash and autofocus, as well as instant image capture, so no more shaky pauses while your camera phone takes a few moments to take a photo. Your photos can then be sent wireless to a printer. The HTC Sensation also doubles up as a full HD camcorder and connects you instantly to your social media platform of choice. www.afropolitan.co.za

Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.

BY STACEY VEE

G A D G E T S

ASUS recommends WindowsÂŽ 7.

GET IN TOUCH WITH US!

www.asus.co.za facebook.com/asusza

+27 11 783 5450 twitter.com/asus_za

asus_za@asus.com

G A D G E T S

Nespresso CitiZ C110 R3 400

www.nespresso.com A professional coffee maker is a must-have when entertaining, and they don’t come classier than the Nespresso range. The C110 model in the CitiZ collection takes one litre of water (which equals four cups of coffee) and features an energy-saving mode, a container for used capsules and automatic volume control so that you can make anything from a small concentrated espresso to a bigger cup of caffeine. Nespresso has a range of exotic coffees in capsule form, and they source from India, Columbia, Brazil and other countries. Nespresso coffee machines and accessories are available from @home stores countrywide and capsules can also be ordered from www.topcoffee.co.za.

Parrot AR Drone R2 999

www.parrot.com

Apple iPad 2 R4 399 (WiFi 16GB) to R7 599 (WiFi and 3G, 32GB)

Parrot is better known for its Bluetooth car kits, so it was a surprise to see the company launch a toy. The Parrot AR Drone is a quadricopter (a four-propeller helicopter) that is controlled via your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. The forward-facing camera streams video to your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch with an augmented reality skin overlay to create a realistic video game.

There are four apps available for download via the app store that will let you fly solo, dogfight a friend with augmented-reality heat-seeking missiles and machine guns or race around a virtual track. AR Drone is packaged with both indoor and outdoor hulls, 50m range. Get yours from Incredible Connection.

It’s the gadget of the year, and there is already a new version on the shelves. The iPad 2 features a number of improvements on its predecessor. It’s thinner, faster (now with a dual-core A5 chip) and lighter and offers the Face Time function that is so popular in the iPhone range. Battery life has remained the same, however, at around 10 hours between charges. The colourful iPad Smart Covers attach magnetically to give your device more protection. The iPad 2 is available at a number of retailers, as well as from www. zastore.co.za. Also look out for the new white iPhone 4.

Griffin Slap Case R300

www.griffintechnology.com Got an iPod Nano? Tired of scratching around in bags and pockets to find it when you want to listen to your tunes? The Griffin Slap Case is your answer. The silicone casing wraps around your wrist and holds the iPod like a watch. There is a hole in the side to attach your headphones, and it comes in various ’80s inspired colours such as blue, black, pink, red, purple, orange, green and yellow. Pick one that suits your lifestyle (or your board shorts). From www.myistore.co.za.

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Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.

www.apple.com

Beats by Dre Studio headphones R3 999

www.beatsbydre.com Dr Dre collaborated with Monster to bring you five-star headphones worthy of one of the greatest producers and performers in the music business today. The top-of-the-range Studios are high-definition-powered isolation headphones that come with a 1.3m length of Monster’s Advanced Quadripole cable that reduces cable loss for perfect sound clarity.

The Studios have extremely plush, comfortable ear cushions, have a scratch-resistant glossy finish and come with a protective touring case and an ultra-soft cleaning cloth. The Monster Beats range is available from www.myistore.co.za.

Nokia E7 R6 000

www.nokia.co.za

Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.

Nokia’s E7 is powered by the Symbian 3 operating system, with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Mail for Exchange gives you real-time push emails, and you can easily integrate all of your email accounts, like your work email and Gmail. The E7 also gives you live updates from Facebook and Twitter on your home screen and has threaded SMS to allow you to follow conversations more easily. You also get free lifetime GPS navigation courtesy of Ovi Maps. What else? Try an 8MP camera and extended battery life. A great all-rounder!

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air R6 700

www.bowers-wilkins.com The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air is the second generation of Bowers & Wilkins’ high-end iPod/iPad/iPhone docking system.

Back in 2007, Bowers & Wilkins redefined what you can do with digital downloads when it launched the original Zeppelin.

Now, with the inclusion of Apple’s AirPlay wireless music streaming technology, the company has once again raised the bar. Place multiple Zeppelin Air units across the house for a truly high-end high-powered multi-room audio system with your entire music library available at the touch of a button.

Every Zeppelin Air can be controlled via your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or iTunes. From www.myistore.co.za.

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AFRO DECOR A Life of Modern Luxury Style and sense go completely hand-in-hand when creating a well balanced home that works for you. Enrich your space with gorgeous interiors, and let the latest advancements in high tech home controls give you the sophisticated edge that every contemporary home deserves.

Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.

BY ELKA SCHAIMBERG

D E C O R

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OKHA Design & Interiors Hot Interior Trends to make you Feel at Home

OKHA Design & Interiors has become one of South Africa’s finest luxury design brands. Combining quality and experience, OKHA aspires to a look that is current and timeless, sexy and elegant. OKHA interiors have a clean but rich energy that calms and invigorates the senses. OKHA radiates a distinctive personal style that truly epitomises African luxury.

OKHA sources high-quality wares from South African artists, manufacturers and crafts people, items that can certainly compete in the international arena. In addition to a wide range of sleek, modern furniture, OKHA carries a range of locally produced interior accessories, artworks and carpets. Let the fabrics, colours and textures seduce your eyes and the innovative creations of OKHA make you feel right at home.

Oscar dining chair, R 5 879.40 ex vat

He & She standing lamp, R 8 574.29 ex vat

Tripod standing lamp, R 4 062.36 ex vat For more information go to www.okha.comÂ

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Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.

BY ELKA SCHAIMBERG

D E C O R

Wiser Home Control Once there were smart homes. Now there are Wiser Homes

Wiser Home Control, brought to you by global energy-management specialist Schneider Electric South Africa, is a truly integrated home-control solution that interlinks the electrical, multimedia and telecommunications worlds, creating one user-friendly interoperable solution. The control enables users to set programmes to adapt to their preferred living patterns for a better quality of life and manage home equipment from anywhere and at any time via 3G mobile phones or web-enabled devices.

While appliances such as the television, audio-visual system, computer, lights, curtains and mobile phones may all be user friendly on their own, each device works independently of the others and his its own control device. This means a myriad of controls and switches that add complexity to the life of users. In conventional homes, lighting, security, home theatres, appliances, computers and climate control may be integrated, but the system is always biased towards the main device.

With Wiser Home Control, the same sophisticated, consistent and intuitive user interface is installed across different control devices such as 3G mobile phones and computers.

This means that a mobile phone or computer can be used to check if all is well when the home owner is away, or to reset security systems if there are false alarms.

Changes or adjustments can easily be made to the programme over the internet, thereby reducing the need and cost for technician intervention and time spent waiting for a technician to arrive.

With Wiser Home Control, users can also plan wisely to achieve an eco-friendly and energy efficient way of life, without compromising on style, as a reliable and intuitive user interface across different control devices encourages an effort to maintain energysaving behaviour. Plus the scalable solution matches different design needs and eco-friendly practices.

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For more information contact Juanita Els at juanita.els@schneider-electric.com or (011) 254 6400 www.afropolitan.co.za

Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.

SUPPLIED BY Schneider Electric South Africa

D E C O R

BY DAMIAN MURPHY

A FR O

W H E E L S

The Nissan X-Trail Unearthing a big surprise

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n an edition where we look to unearthing Africa and its hidden gems, I couldn’t have picked a better vehicle in which to unearth Africa than the new Nissan X-Trail.

Before receiving the X-Trail from Nissan, the only experience I had ever had behind the wheel of a Nissan was the old but reliable Hardbody in which I travelled to Mozambique recently.

The Hardbody struggled with offroading, couldn’t handle beach sand and was extremely uncomfortable. So when I received the X-Trail, I had little hope.

Four-wheel drives are designed to be taken off road and are often not the most aesthetically pleasing inside or out, with very few creature comforts for the driver or passengers.

So as a driver in the market for a large family vehicle with 4x4 capabilities, one is left with two choices – to purchase a “Sandton” 4x4 or a real off-road machine.

The problem then comes down to what

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you are prepared to compromise. With a “Sandton” 4x4 you are guaranteed comfort, style and all the amenities that come with a five-star driving experience, but you will have to forgo the off-road side of things as the SUVs are almost too pretty to take off road. Who wants to risk that pretty paint job?

The other end of the spectrum is the grimy, almost manlier-looking 4x4 whose sole purpose is bush bashing. The Nissan X-Trail is a good balance of both. It has great looks, stellar comfort and overly capable off-road abilities. Without being too butch, the X-Trail has rugged square lines, a high ride height and bold mags that add an element of class.

The interior is comfortable, clean and easy on the eye. It is equipped with all the comforts, and everything is a push button away. Changing from two-wheel drive to a full 4x4 takes a mere twist of a dial, and it behaves like a normal sedan on the road.

“The Nissan X-Trail has impressive acceleration and sturdy handling through corners and took to the open road like a bird to the skies – whizzing in and out of traffic with terrific ease”

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“The Grand Vitara is comfortable inside, with all necessary creature amenities, but the lack of delivery from under the bonnet means most of that goes unnoticed” The Suzuki Grand Vitara My experience with Suzuki, unlike the Nissan, was none. Before they left me with the test vehicle, the little I knew about the brand was what I had seen in the minimal amounts of advertising. So when I received the 4x4, 2.4 litre fully automatic Grand Vitara, I had no expectations. I knew I had the car for 10 days, which included the Easter weekend and a trip to Margate and that in that time I would get to put this SUV through all the paces.

I was excited to test the 2.4 litre engine in a small car and see how much bang it delivered for each buck given it had an automatic gearbox. The four-speed automatic gearbox was sluggish, poor in its ratios and did no justice to the respectable Suzuki engine. It changed at all the wrong times, over-performed in traffic and under-performed on the open road.

The fuel consumption was low, costing me nearly R1 per kilometre travelled on the road to and from Margate.

The Grand Vitara is comfortable inside, with all necessary creature amenities, but the lack of delivery from under the bonnet means most of that goes unnoticed. The 4x4 is very capable.

The car performs according to instructions and really can go just about anywhere.

How can a vehicle of this size cope so well on and off the road without giving something away in one or both of the areas? That was the question I fought to answer during the week I had to test the Nissan. I was overly observant and meticulous in my search for faults, but upon giving the X-Trail back, I was yet to find a major fault. The version I had was a 2.5 litre six-speed manual transmission SUV that delivered an impressive 125kW on the open road. It has impressive acceleration and sturdy handling through corners and took to the open road like a bird to the skies – whizzing in and out of traffic with terrific ease. With a simple twist, on-road drive turned into off-road mode. The X-Trail is really a go-anywhere do-anything kind of car, a good-looking vehicle that more than over-delivered on my great expectations.

I have no trepidation in saying that this is my find of the year, so far.

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But on an all-round value-for-money, I wouldn’t rate the Grand Vitara as the grand prize winner. It is slightly too expensive for what one gets. But if the budget can’t stretch any further, it can be considered.

The Mini Cooper S convertible My boyhood dream comes true I have to admit from the outset that I’ve always dreamt of owning a Mini Cooper S Convertible.

Since I was a boy I have been in love with this classic car, and I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel when BMW South Africa promised me the Mini. As it rolled into the parking lot I saw it through my window and bolted outside to greet the delivery guy. It was jet black in colour and had a brown drop-down roof – it was perfect. I rushed the BMW guys out the car and slid into the driver’s seat. I took note of my surroundings and checked them off on my approval list.

My first car was a 1975 blue Mini Cooper with white racing stripes and a white leather interior. She was the most beautiful car in the world, until I climbed into this one.

The huge speedometer set front and centre would seem out of place in a car that was any less retro than the Cooper, but here it is a perfect fit. The satellite navigation system and onboard entertainment console are cleverly placed inside the audacious speedometer, and the whole look and feel of the car screams classy but fun.

The interior has wooden trim, cream leather and changeable mood lighting that makes sitting in the Mini worth sleeping in the Mini.

The turbocharged Cooper S engine delivers mindboggling acceleration and a comfortable top end, and despite the large turning circle with no leg room in the back, the Mini Cooper S Convertible will keep its place in my dreams and on my coffee table, where I display my cast iron replica.

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Prices may vary. Images are courtesy of manufacturers and distributors.

A grand let down

BY ELKA SCHAiMBErG

p r O p E r T y

ANAHITA A World Class Sanctuary

Living in the paradise of a residential resort

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nahita World Class Sanctuary is one of the most privileged residential hideaways on earth. Located along a beautiful coastline on the paradise island of Mauritius, this superb selection of private residences has been developed especially for discerning homeowners who are ready to live the life they’ve always wanted in the home of their dreams.

The cascading gem of residential real estate is spread over six kilometres hugging the majestic shoreline between a vast turquoise lagoon, immaculate golf fairways and the bustling village of La Place Belgath. Once complete, Anahita will comprise 320 luxury residences including both villas and apartments, all conceptualised by an elite team of London-based architects and designers who have earned much international praise and awards for the development.

The estate’s "New Mauritian" style, which blends effortlessly with the environment, merges both indoor and outdoor living. Each freehold property has an exceptional view, whether on the fairways of the golf course, the clear waters of the lagoon or ocean, the roaming mountain range or the natural verdant forest.

In 2002 the government of Mauritius introduced the Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS) for provision of upmarket

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residential properties, with a view to catering for the multifaceted demands of the economy. The opportunity in the property development sector as provided by the IRS legislation attracted the attention of CIEL Properties Ltd, who began the process of developing Anahita World Class Sanctuary.

The success of the Anahita project can be attributed to the support from the government of Mauritius, as well as the role played by the Board of Investment,

the diversified and growing services sector that attracts many foreigners, the creation of an enabling and attractive environment for doing business, and the safe and stable economy.

Interested buyers can select from two, three, four or five-bedroom villas, each with its own living and dining areas, fully equipped kitchen, large veranda,

“once You hAve MAde AnAhitA Your hoMe, You wiLL experience ALL kinds of refined LuxurY And eLeGAnce – it’s A LifestYLe choice coMpLete with ALL the extrAs”

private pool and garden. Or buy an individual plot of land and construct the home of your dreams, according to a set of architectural and landscape guidelines. Here you may use an architect of your choice or select from a team of Anahita-endorsed architects and designers. Once you have made Anahita your home, you will experience

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www.anahitaproperty.com Email: info@anahitaproperty.com Phone: +230 404 2266

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that we’ve created here in this beautiful ocean-side setting in Mauritius. It is an exciting project, and right from the start we knew this was an amazing opportunity to build something really special,” says Els, looking out over the course, as it winds its way through native trees and across rocky outcrops, offering unforgettable views of the Indian Ocean.

“We wanted to make sure this course had all the right ingredients for a memorable day of golf. We wanted to maximise the impact of this wonderful scenery. We wanted it to be a challenging and varied design that would appeal to players of all abilities. We wanted it to feature classic and innovative design touches to ensure that every hole is distinctive.”

With a number of attractive purchasing options at Anahita as well as the benefit of certain tax incentives and capital appreciation, new homeowners now have the great opportunity of making their dream home a reality. Come live in paradise – Anahita welcomes you!

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imageS courtesy of Anahita World Class Sanctuary

all kinds of refined luxury and elegance – it’s a lifestyle choice complete with all the extras.

With all kinds of activities on and off site, Anahita offers the most extraordinary full resort-living experience. A selection of customised services awaits you and your family.

Meals can be prepared in-villa in the privacy of your kitchen by a professional chef, for instance, or a reservation can be made at a gourmet restaurant in the resort.

Other benefits include the Anahita Wellness Centre, which offers massages in the coconut grove or in the privacy of your residence. There is also a fine selection of boutiques, an incredible infinity pool and all the beautiful beaches close by. Or get down to the fitness centre that boasts tennis courts and a kids’ club.

Lovers of water sports can indulge in a number of different activities such as kite surfing, water skiing, sailing, boating and fishing. There’s also horse riding, quad biking, nature walks or archery, located on a private and secluded nature reserve, l’Etoile 15 minutes by car inland.

A major draw card and highlight of the estate is Anahita’s 18-hole, 72-par golf course designed to USGA standards by South African champion Ernie Els. “We’re very proud of the golf course

“A major draw card and highlight of the estate is Anahita’s 18-hole, 72-par golf course designed to USGA standards by South African champion Ernie Els”

TWO FREE NIGHTS IN CAPE TOWN Holiday in a luxury apartment in the heart of the city, stay for seven nights and only pay for five.

Inclusive of two free signature Camelot Spa treatments to ensure you rest and revitalise during your getaway!

Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel and Spa is a unique lifestyle destination located in Cape Town’s cultural quarter, perfectly situated to enjoy contemporary city living.

CAPE TOWN

SOUTH AFRICA

Tel: +27 (0) 21 481 4000 Fax: +27 (0) 21 481 4001 Central reservations: +27 (0) 861 000 333 Reservations: resmanager@mandelarhodesplace.co.za www.mandelarhodesplace.co.za

Wamkelekile Wamkelekile : (Xhosa) you are welcome, you are welcomedd

BY ELKA SCHAIMBERG

t r avel

Well known for its beautiful natural surroundings and modern luxurious settings, Tau Game Lodge in the Madikwe reserve, boasts a variety of exceptional services for the discerning traveller – a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be enjoyed with family.

TAU GAME LODGE

T

au Game Lodge, situated just short of the Botswana border in the Madikwe Private Game Reserve, is well worth the four-hour drive from Johannesburg. How great it was to exchange the smog of the big city for nature’s fresh air and leave the bright lights behind us for a big blanket of African stars. There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as experiencing wild Africa, and Tau Game Lodge, as the name suggests, is a place made especially for kings!

Deep in the heart of South Africa’s fourth-largest game reserve, you are simply surrounded by beauty. Groot Marico not only boasts the rolling hills

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of the Tshwene-Tshwene but also offer the dramatic ridge of the Dwarsberg Mountains. The whole area is alive with the sweet scent of Mother Nature and teeming with an abundance of wildlife.

Before even reaching the Tau gates we were met by a majestic pair of giraffe who almost seemed to usher us in.

The lodge manager, his wife and our very own lodge liaison were all awaiting our arrival with warm smiles. Our luggage was instantly whisked away and a valet made our car disappear for the duration of our stay.

The space and elegance of the lobby – no expenses were spared on the décor front – certainly made a wonderful first impression.

Shortly after checking in, we were drawn to the deck overlooking a natural watering hole and took a few moments to absorb the breathtaking views. On the other side of the lobby, a sparkling pool with sun loungers naturally shaded by established trees beckoned. And just like that, we were ready to make Tau Game Lodge our home for the next few days.

Our private chalet was one of only 30.

All of them are located within pristine, indigenous gardens and each embraces the spirit of Africa with modern luxury.

Our very own private deck alongside the watering hole ensured endless hours of relaxation and pleasure as approaching animals came to our doorstep to cool off. A special treat was seeing a large

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images COURTESY OF TAU GAME LODGE

‘Place of the Lion’

DARKSTAR 4193/5/11

Good Music Good Friends

t r avel herd of elephant enjoying a mud bath while their calves played in the water beside them.

There was also a friendly family of monkeys that kept us highly entertained.

The chalet itself is fit for royalty with a big bed, en suite bathroom, mosquito nets, air con, a bar fridge and all the added extras a noble heart may desire.

The pièce de résistance was indeed the outdoor shower, where experiencing the million wonders of the Milky Way is just that easy. It’s really no surprise that Tau Game Lodge has hosted many international tourist and celebrities. So sorry we missed you, Kate Hudson!

Then just as we started to feel the stress slipping away, we went off to the Tau Spa Oasis, just to make sure that the good feeling stayed. We’d recommend taking yourself for an afternoon of pampering in the beautifully equipped treatment rooms that also offer great views. A varied menu of treatment options is available – from totally tranquil to entirely rejuvenating. The choice is yours.

“Deep in the heart of South Africa’s fourth-largest game reserve, you are simply surrounded by beauty”

images COURTESY OF TAU GAME LODGE

Tau Game Lodge is recognised for its contribution to eco-conscious tourism, while also being actively involved in community development, including the education and wellbeing of its people. The Tau Tree Fund has proved popular with guests as each tree planted contributes to retaining and strengthening the ecology of the area.

The ranger team also remains active in research and conservation projects within the reserve.

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The game drives taken at dawn and dusk are led by experienced and knowledgeable rangers. We were lucky to witness a pride of lions lazing in the sun, a baby rhino being coached by his mother and a herd of buck enjoying the shade as they grazed in the shadows of thorn bushes. A great benefit is that you are able to share your once-in-a-lifetime experience at Tau with the whole family.

Yes, children are welcome. In fact, the Tau Cubz Club is a delight for children – not to mention parents wishing for some private time during their stay.

After enjoying the wonders of the wild at the luxurious Tau Game Lodge, it must be said that this is a place that is certainly worth roaring about.

“The whole area is alive with the sweet scent of Mother Nature and teeming with an abundance of wildlife”

images COURTESY OF TAU GAME LODGE

Special Offer for Afropolitans Only: R2 175 per person per night sharing. This rate includes three meals and two safaris as well as a Tau Safari guide book. Special offer valid from 1 May to 31 July 2011.

Quote “Afropolitan” when making the booking.

This rate only applies when booking directly with the Tau Reservations office (011 314 4350) and cannot be booked through a third party (travel agent or booking office). Terms and conditions apply www.taugamelodge.co.za.

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“If”

I

n the north: they were the best of times, they were the worst of times. (Many, however, did not have chronometers available, so they did not know of the times at all.) In The Times we read of winds of uncertain providence howling through the Sahara, of horrors in the land of the Rising Sun and of a prince (with dubious shares in the hair department) ruining his life in an abbey filled with the countless monuments of those who, had they had access to media accreditation, would most likely have shook their heads in disbelief. And so, in retrospect, all was as it should be and as it always will be. Carpe diem.

In the south: amidst accusations of toilets with a view, taxpayer-funded nights in the One&Only and guardians of the law rubber bulleting their way into ignominy, one could be forgiven for thinking that it couldn’t get worse, that there weren’t better things to do than discuss the artistic merits of a song concerning the massacre of agriculturists. But one would be wrong.

There was a real crisis brewing in the republic – in the Republic of Orania.

A republic of truly monumental monuments, it contains precisely two edifices. The first is a rendition of HF Verwoerd, in every sense a Dutchman. Perched on the only hilltop in the republic, the great architect’s intimidating four foot five tall sculpture gazes across the end result of his great vision: a dorp. This dorp’s grand dustroad avenues (Kerk and Voortrekker) lead to a central plaza at the centre of which is located a monument unique in the world.

It rears a towering 2.5m over Schalkwyk’s Panel Beater and Sports Bar. It dwarfs the Orania Vetkoek en Tert Paleis, and its convoluted spires cast a reverential shadow over the NG Kerk, Gemeente Orania, located in Tannie Botha’s house.

The 98-year-old Tannie Botha is renowned for many things, and her 15 children by three husbands (Gert, Gerhard and Gert, all departed and duly buried in the great churchyard behind

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"But one would be wrong. There was a real crisis brewing in the republic – in the Republic of Orania.

A republic of truly monumental monuments," Pretorius en Labuschagne: Videos and eight Tracks) will often remind you of these.

Tannie Botha, in a fit of cultural inspiration, founded the Orania Drivein. Here one can purchase a boerie roll and Klippies and Coke for R2.50 and then indulge in great Afrikaans films

projected by her father’s 16mm projector.

Underneath the stars, next to the sheep dip, the click-click-click of the apparatus seems to keep time with the diesel generator guttering in the background. Many a romance has been kindled to the strains of Gé Korsten, as the images flickered on the two sewntogether bed sheets.

A great Afrikaner visionary, Tannie Botha did not stop with a drive-in. With staggering foresight of the need for inclusion, she inveigled the coloured township (safely located behind Verwoerd’s hill) to become extras for the Orania Dramatic Society. This esteemed company would present epic productions of, amongst other great works that flowed from her pen, Bloedrivier, Afrikaner Bo! Her daughter Ansie, the republic’s foremost arts critic, hailed the manner in which the assembled coloureds fell so convincingly whilst playing the Zulu hordes. The reader will hopefully have become aware, by now, of the massive role that Tannie Botha played in the voortbestaan of the republic.

But academia would howl should I not mention the contribution of the great HF Verwoerd’s wife, Tannie Verwoerd.

Visited by the reformed terrorist made famous by Clint Eastwood, Mevrou Verwoerd contributed to the republic by using a Mauser rifle to split in two with one single shot the ribbon opening Tannie Botha’s crowning achievement: the great monument in Orania’s central plaza. On this momentous occasion, Tannie Botha spoke forth: “If,” she intoned, “the Afrikaner’s identity is under threat from the communist… If the Afrikaner’s identity is attacked by the godless Engelse! “If… [dramatic pause, then she reached towards the heavens] For as long as the All Blacks attack the Springbok! [An almighty roar from the crowd] “Then we shall place on this hallowed ground a monument testament to the fact that we shall not go meekly into the dark hinterland of history! We will survive!

We will survive! As long as we know Afrikanerdom, we’ll always stay alive!”

And she pulled aside the old Transvaal flag covering her greatest contribution to the Republic of Orania. Still it reigns over the dorp of Orania, a sentinel facing the onslaught of darkness and savagery.

A beacon protecting the last laager, it reminds the world of Tannie Botha’s greatest dilemma, namely “what is the Afrikaner’s identity?”

In the middle of Orania stands a 2.5m tall concrete koeksister.

www.afropolitan.co.za

image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

BY KABURU

K A B U R U

BLUEFLAME ADV/ 80349/5

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