The Afropolitan Edition 26

ALTERNATE MONTHLY Issue 26, 2012 www.afropolitan.co.za

C O N T E N T S

7

in this issue 10

54

4

editor's note READER'S EXPERIENCE

37

58

62

66

68

travel

FEATURE

32 Sex Scandals

54

7 Birds, Bees And Being African

Fashion 37

AFRO decor

A Fashion Force

FEATURE

beauty & Grooming

Inspired Insight from a Home Décor Expert

Corporate Responsibility

Foundation Station & Sumptuous Shave

10 The Other Side Of Sex

17

Working Towards Sexual Diversity

FEATURE 20

One Man’s Child, Another Man’s Slave

26

tsotsi in the boardroom

JJ Tabane

RAGS TO RICHES 30

2

20

“I Knew I Was Eventually Going To Find A Way Of Telling Stories”

42

44 UNDERCOVER

58

GEEK

(Hyper) Text & The City

FINANCE 47

Financial Toolkit For 2012

BUSINESS 49

52 53

Sex In The Workplace

CULINARY & AFRO FOOD Food Of Love

Rambling Vines Restaurant

Skeleton Coast

COLUMN 61

Culture - Even The Philistines Had One

reviews

62 CD Review 63 DVD Reviews 64 Book Review 65 Movie Reviews 66 Gadgets 68 Afro Wheels 70 SOCIALS

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EDITOR'S NOTE

e d i to r ' s

note

the team editor

W

Brendah Nyakudya

ith February being the month of love, consumers the world over are bombarded with images and products meant to evoke feelings of romance, every store window and magazine cover guilt-tripping lovers into the hype.

It’s impossible to discuss love without sex coming into play, but the sad reality is, since the beginning of time the subject of sex has been a taboo amongst Africans, explored only in hushed tones in school corridors or on a Friday morning on 702 with Dr Eve. In this issue of The Afropolitan we tackle the different elements of sex and what it entails head-on.

The good, the bad and the ugly!

On page 10 HIV specialist Dr Sindi van Zyl takes a look at some of the blind spots and myths that people have when dealing with HIV/AIDS and those living with the pandemic. We break down the facts regarding the crime of sex and human trafficking on page 20 and also look at the fight to combat this repulsive activity.

Top TV has been in the news of late when South Africans reacted to the channel’s plans to introduce pornography, and on page 44 our Undercover Geek sheds some light on the business of porn.

For a lighter look we explore sex scandals on Page 32.

Sharing our thoughts on these seemingly forbidden topics on a public platform is not only for entertainment value – by talking about sex, we are looking to open dialogue that will educate and in so doing empower.

contributors Angus McEwan Charles Ash Damian Murphy Sindi van Zyl Elka Schaimberg Alyn Adams Ntebo Rajuili Eli Nyakudya Stacey Vee Tendai Maidza Vincent Verrydt

publishing house Contact Media & Communications Block F, The Palms Office Park 391 Main Avenue, Randburg Tel: +27(0) 11 789 6339 Fax: +27(0) 11 789 7097 email: pressman@contactmedia.co.za web: www.contactmedia.co.za

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repro and printing Creda Communications

distribution Edward Macdonald & Distributed by:

For any distribution queries contact: 011 401 5870

Enjoy the read… and happy Valentine’s Day.

4

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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 X P E RI E N C E

On a continent where the greatest associations with females and sexuality are of genital mutilation, HIV, teen pregnancy, corrective rape and abuse, it’s no wonder that the subject of sex and sexuality is one not broached often in many households. In fact, the goal of most “sex talks” between mothers and daughters is to discourage any curiosity or general interest in the subject and ultimately the activity. Chastity and restraint is prized above all other virtues for women, and as such many myths and tales are concocted to ensure this is achieved.

N A C RI F A G BEIN

, BIRDS

ND A BEES

M

y first awareness of how “bad and dirty” sex was came when I realised that any time there was a “kissing scene” or any hint of intimacy on television, my father subtly hinted to my mother that we should be sent on a random errand, or, in extreme cases, to bed. I shudder to think how my parents would have handled all the “soft porn” being shown so early on television these days. My parents’ reluctance to expose their little angel to anything so vile taught me that

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7

image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

BY TENDAI MAIDZA

R E A D E R ' S

r E A d E r ' S something was essentially wrong with kissing. As I grew older and found that watching people kissing on TV had an effect on me, I learnt by association that the effect must be wrong, dirty or bad.

DISAPPROVAL AND MYTHOLOGY I remember being called into my mother’s room during my early teens, for the much-anticipated birds-andbees talk, and because I had already heard things from “that girl in my class”, I had a vague idea of what my mother would say. To my dismay, the talk turned out to be a rather stern four-word instruction: “Don’t play with boys!” This confusing little incident set the course for any and all interactions I have since had with my mother regarding the subject of dating, boys, sex and sexuality. I have learnt over the years that this approach is not uncommon. It’s almost like parents think that by not speaking about it too openly, they will protect their girl children from the big bad dirty world.

Over and above the subtle disapproval, our parents also concocted stories to discourage any curiosity that the brave might have dared to show. A friend once told me of how she lived in terror, because her mother had told her that if a boy touched her breasts, they would sag, thus revealing her shame. Other myths told were that if you have sex before you are married, your mother will suffer extreme backache and will know that you have been bad, and, my personal favourite, if you lose your virginity (before marriage), no matter how much salt you put in the dish you are preparing, the food will be bland and your whole family will know what you have been up to (so what – the condiments are also in on this?). These stories, as ridiculous as they sound now, achieved their desired end and churned out sexually repressed women whose chastity was applauded at home but became a disability in the real world.

FROM INNOCENCE TO ABuSE The reason why I say a disability, is because one’s sexuality is an integral part of your identity, and being informed and enabled to talk about these issues with a responsible adult allows a young woman to appreciate this aspect of her identity. Jennifer tells me how her mother, a qualified nurse, never spoke to her about sex or sexuality. She says an uncle who 8

E X P E r i E N C E lived with them would come to her room at night, undress her and molest her. She was too scared to say anything to her mother, who had shut this door of communication, and to this day she has not confronted her uncle whom she still sees regularly at family gatherings.

She says this affected her because she then started having sex at an early to replace the image of her uncle and subsequently fell pregnant at 15. Having the talk with her mother may not have stopped her from becoming sexually active at an early age, but she feels she would at least have been able to open up about the abuse by her uncle and thus have it stopped. Not talking about it and creating scary myths around the subject leaves young women vulnerable and open to abuse as they then also begin to regard the topic as being taboo.

As A 30-somethinG AFriCAn womAn, my seArCh For seXuAl Freedom hAs been A bumPy ride with embArrAssinG inCidents And bAd deCisions, but i hAVe leArnt to embrACe eACh eXPerienCe As A leArninG And A disCoVery oF myselF. THE WRONG SOuRCES Another result of the information embargo is that young women then seek the information from any sources willing to give the information. As a teenager, my personal authority on all things sex was Beverly Hills 90210. I attempted to re-enact and emulate the sordid little scenes I witnessed every Thursday evening and only stopped short of actually engaging in a sexual act with any of the pimply boys whose attention I caught at socials. My peers were also another source of information (usually the girls my mother discouraged me from interacting with), and while

their information was often in the category of disasters waiting to happen, they were open and (somewhat) honest.

Girls who had gone boldly into those unchartered waters were for some of my friends a source of great wisdom. Over wine one night, my friend Gayle told us of how, in preparation for her “first time”, college mates gathered to advise her. Their advice was comprised of titbits such as: “Don’t giggle when you see it for the first time. And don’t be scared when ‘it’ grows like a balloon.” Another college mate offered the following (very pertinent wisdom), “Make moaning noises while you are doing it, even if you can’t feel anything.” (A moaning noise has often helped a girl out in an awkward situation...) The only problem with advice from peers is that they see the world from pretty much the same perspective as you and lack the wisdom of hindsight.

THE SEARCH FOR SEXuAL FREEDOM Finding some measure of sexual freedom is a life-long process for many young black women. The restrictions imposed upon us by our societies, religion and tradition mean that we are constantly trying to find the balance between the world and circumstances we live in and our upbringing. The expectations of our youth make for a confusing backdrop, and I have often heard from my married male friends how the “self-control of youth” has been taken too far by their wives and is now affecting their marital relations. Advice from aunties, like that one should not initiate sex in the first few months of marriage as your husband will think you are loose, often send conflicting messages. It makes it impossible to celebrate one’s sexuality, explore it and find fulfilment from that God-given gift even in the right context.

As a 30-something African woman, my search for sexual freedom has been a bumpy ride with embarrassing incidents and bad decisions, but I have learnt to embrace each experience as a learning and a discovery of myself. Breaking old rules and making new ones for myself has enabled me to be in control of my reactions and know that I am indeed mistress of my destiny – in the bedroom and beyond. While I still have hang-ups (thanks Beverly Hills 90210 and every issue of Cosmo I have bought since I was 19), just being able to define the terms of engagement for myself and create my own accepted boundaries has given me confidence, and I look forward to sharing the knowledge I have gained with other girls. www.afropolitan.co.za

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Reproduced with permission from Foreign Policy www.foreignpolicy.com ©The Washington Post

BY DR SINDI VAN ZYL

M A I N

10

F E A T U R E

www.afropolitan.co.za

On the African continent HIV remains a taboo topic that has many sufferers opting to die a silent lonely death than share their status and seek help. HIV Specialist Dr Sindi van Zyl shares with us her concerns on the disease that has affected millions of families worldwide.

A

lot of progress has been made in South Africa regarding public awareness around the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic. The HIV counselling and testing campaign launched by the National Department of Health in April 2010 was a great success.

According to President Jacob Zuma’s 2011 World AIDS Day speech, more than 13 million people had been tested for HIV. Furthermore, he stated that from January 2010 to September 2011, the number of public health facilities initiating patients on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment had increased from 495 to 2 948. In addition, the number of nurses accredited to initiate and provide treatment went up from 290 to 10 542. This makes me especially proud because of my involvement with the training of these nurses.

But as an HIV doctor I see people die needless deaths simply because they did not test for HIV. This is a serious problem within certain pockets of our society and drives my passion to save people’s lives.

There are three blind spots to highlight when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of HIV: the elderly and HIV, racial stereotyping and HIV, and the closest to my heart – pregnancy and HIV.

THE ELDERLY October 2010 saw me working in Orange Farm on the outskirts of Johannesburg, in one of the smallest clinics I had ever seen. Though small, this clinic was progressive and had embarked on a roll-out of life-saving ARV therapy. One

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late afternoon an elderly woman walked into the consultation room. The reason for her visit was to collect her blood pressure medication. As any doctor would, I went through her file. She was 77 years old, and her blood pressure was well controlled. I started asking her general medical questions about her health. During our consultation, a young lady walked in. After hearing that she was the granddaughter and making sure that the elderly woman was comfortable, I continued with my routine questioning. I enquired whether or not she had ever been tested for HIV. This question sparked the rage of the granddaughter and quickly deteriorated into a full-on confrontation. I called the most senior nurse clinician into the consultation room, and she made it clear that I was performing my basic duties as a medical officer and that no patient examination is complete without offering an HIV test.

Her granddaughter’s indignant stance was borne by a belief that my suggesting her grandmother be tested for HIV was an insult. She declared, “Her husband died 10 years ago. So what are you trying to say about her?” In the absence of her granddaughter, I once again offered the elderly woman the test, to which she agreed. I dispensed her medication, referred her to the counselling room and then left the clinic. I asked the nurse to call me as soon as the results were available. An hour later my phone rang.

The results were positive.

The elderly woman took the news well. She also made it clear that she

11

image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

THE OTHER SIDE OF SEX

M A I N

F E A T U R E

was not going to tell anyone about her status. Lastly, she asked the nurse to thank me for offering her the test. Her CD4 blood had been taken for testing, (CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell that fights infection and their count indicates the stage of HIV or AIDS in a patient) and when the results came back, they showed that she qualified for ARV therapy. Sadly we never saw her again.

I am confident that we are going to screen more elderly patients in 2012.

“Provider initiated counselling and testing” is the latest buzz phrase. Every patient who is seen by a healthcare professional will be offered an HIV test in the consultation room. This is regardless of the presenting complaint. If the patient agrees, the test is performed immediately. Our organisation is currently working closely with the Department of Health and training healthcare workers in Soweto and the surrounding areas.

RACIAL STEREOTYPING

children. Yes, the demographics are that 79.4 percent of the country is black. So Part of my job involves training and the majority of HIV-infected people in mentoring nurse clinicians on how our country are going to be black – all to manage patients how are on ARV else being equal. But other groups are treatment. It is always exciting when not unaffected. However, those groups a new group has to be trained because access healthcare in the private sector, of all the different questions they ask. and as a result those statistics are not One of the hardest questions to answer readily available. is the inevitable question on race and One of the biggest lessons that I learnt HIV. “Why is it that HIV only affects was at one of the academic hospitals black people?” in Gauteng. An eight-year old Muslim Fortunately, I have worked at Steve boy had been admitted with fever and Biko Academic and Helen Joseph swollen glands. From the mother’s hospitals, Lenasia South Clinic and for dress code you could see that they the last few years in Soweto. I have seen were conservative Muslims. The senior patients from all walks of life who are registrar was at his wits’ ends after HIV-positive. I always reassure the nurse running a battery of tests and coming up clinicians that HIV knows no colour. And without a diagnosis. During the grand to walk around with such a blind spot is ward round, the consultant casually very dangerous. enquired if anyone had asked the mother The truth remains though that the face if we could test her son for HIV. The of HIV is black. We’ve all seen the typical silence was deafening. Post-ward-round images of a poverty-stricken rural black chores were performed, the mother woman surrounded by malnourished was referred for counselling, and her

Sexy but safe tips Being HIV-positive should not limit or curb your sex drive. Sex can be had as often as you want (and physically can). The important thing is for you to have protected sex. No compromise!

Get intimate

Being intimate does not always mean penetrative sex. Giving each other a massages, kissing, cuddling and mutual masturbation are all ways that can keep the fire burning.

Go down!

Oral sex is safe and fun for both males and females! However, using condoms is vital, as risks do become higher in the presence of sexually transmitted infections, open sores or lesions in the mouth or genital area and bleeding gums.

image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

Using flavoured condoms can add spice to a relationship. For performing safe oral sex on a woman, you can make a dental dam, which covers the clitoris and the entrance to the vagina. Read more about how to make a dental dam with a condom here: http://std.about. com/od/oralsextips/ig/make-a-dental-dam/

Sex toys

Sex toys (vibrators and dildos) can bring a new element to your sex life. Just never share sex toys. Have a separate collection for each partner, and cover them with condoms each time.

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M A I N

F E A T U R E

BIO

This is not the case in the private sector.

HIV testing in pregnancy is not offered as routine basic antenatal care, which leaves women vulnerable.

This is a great tragedy because the PMTCT interventions work. Women take ARV treatment during pregnancy to decrease the chances of their babies being infected with the virus. Mothers now have the option of breastfeeding their infants, provided that they do so exclusively. These are the wonderful advances that have been made in science PREGNANCY to ensure that HIV-positive mothers are South Africa has one of the best able to give birth to HIV-free babies. prevention-of-mother-to-childBut if you do not know your status, you transmission (PMTCT) programmes on cannot be part of this programme.

Being HIV-positive and pregnant the continent.

My biggest passion is to make sure that comes with its own risk factors. A few years ago an acquaintance of mine as many pregnant HIV-positive women called. At eight months pregnant as possible access what the programme she had developed a skin rash that I has to offer. All women who seek basic immediately recognised as herpes zoster, antenatal care in the public sector are a heralding sign sign of HIV or shingles. offered an HIV test, and the uptake is good. The women who test positive have I didn’t broach the subject of an HIV test. She was in the care of a prominent a CD4 blood test done. They are started obstetrician, and I assumed that she had on either short-course or lifelong ARV been screened thoroughly. She delivered treatment, depending on whether the a month later by Caesarean section, CD4 count is above or below 350. The developed post-partum complications sole aim of the PMTCT programme is and died. If her status had been known, to ensure that we end up with a healthy she would have been treated differently mother and a healthy HIV-free baby.

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and would probably not have died.

Making people aware of blind spots saves lives.

I am optimistic because of the changes that I have witnessed in people’s lives.

The attitude around HIV is changing as more people become educated. More people are choosing life over death by confronting HIV head-on instead of ignoring it. This positive attitude is spilling over into society as a whole and gaining momentum.

On 1 December 2011, two South African celebrities – Lesego Motsepe and Koyo Bala – disclosed their HIV-positive statuses. There was a social-media frenzy, which I was very happy about.

This is because the stigma of secrecy is being broken. And once again it brings the message home.

HIV can happen to anybody.

No blind spots.

15

image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

son was tested. I was as sceptical as any naïve medical intern would have been.

The results came back positive. That consultant taught the team an invaluable lesson that day. No assumptions were to be made – ever.

One of the ways to address this blind spot would be to have the HIV statistics from the private sector made available to the Department of Health. It would give us a clearer picture of where we stand and how we can save more lives.

Dr Sindisiwe van Zyl graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2005. She decided to do her internship at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and she has been working in Soweto ever since. Sindi is currently working for an HIV NPO as a medical officer.

She is very passionate about Primary Healthcare and patients’ rights. She is also dedicated to ensuring that PMTCT – Prevention-of-Mother-to-Child-Transmission strategies are rolled out timeously in all Soweto clinics. Her hobbies include mall trawling, reading, cooking and surfing the Internet. She is a self-confessed Twitterholic

SFA017/11

r E S P O N S i b i l i T y

worKinG towArds

seXuAl diVersity The Cape Town based Triangle Project has been working towards developing a nondiscriminatory society by educating, lobbying and advocating against stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and intersex people for the past 30 years.

images courtesy of sHutterstocK

By NteBo raJuiLi

C O r P O r A T E

www.afropolitan.co.za

17

C o r po r ate

T

he Western Cape is home to the Pink Route, and the Mother City is still celebrated as the gay capital of the country. While many gay and lesbian tourists marvel at Cape Town’s tolerance of people of all sexualities, there is still much intolerance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people amongst South Africans themselves, especially in the townships and rural areas. Through education, advocacy and lobbying, the Cape Town based Triangle Project is working really hard at changing attitudes towards LGBT communities, in the Western Cape as well as the rest of the country.

The Project was founded just over three decades ago by GASA 6010, and it

was initially only a small support group for gay white men. It now tackles diverse social issues confronting LGBT people of all races. The definition of sexuality is almost irrelevant to the organisation, which focuses on advocating human rights. The Triangle Project’s mission is to challenge prejudices targeted at communities that live outside the conventionally accepted norm of sexuality. The organisation has evolved and dramatically increased its scope of activities.

Deputy director of the Project, Marlow Valentine struggled with his own sexuality and the journey he took to disclosing his sexual orientation. His passion for working with communities resulted in him pursuing a degree in social science, and like the average graduate, he signed up to join corporate South Africa. Throughout his career his personal battles resulted in him working with organisations championing equality for homosexual communities;

he was involved with the Metropolitan Community Church, for instance.

Marlow’s corporate career ran its course, and he started working permanently in the non-governmental organisation (NGO) field. As deputy director of the Triangle Project, he mostly focuses on public education and training.

The Triangle Project also focuses on health and support, community engagement and empowerment, research and advocacy. The Project’s programmes are rolled out nationally, but Marlow emphasises that the real success stories are often the individuals and families who are empowered because of their involvement. He describes how the Project took in an eight-year-old transgender child and rebuilt the child’s confidence to reintegrate into society. He also talks about a Muslim woman who was given shelter because her family disowned her after she told them she is a lesbian. Often the Project becomes involved with groups

imageS courtesy oF SHUTTERSTOCK

The Triangle Project’s mission is to challenge prejudices targeted at communities that live outside the conventionally accepted norm of sexuality

Respons i b i l i t y

1818

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Equal Rights Protests.

LGBT and intersex people. Without a single-minded focus, the drive for a non-discriminatory society is easily sidelined by the dominant discourse on social priorities. While the South African constitution recognises the rights of gays and lesbians, statements from Zulu King Zwelithini on the “un-Africanness”

Without a singleminded focus, the drive for a nondiscriminatory society is easily sidelined by the dominant discourse on social priorities of homosexuality continue to hamper transformation efforts.

A close working relationship between the Project and the Western Cape provincial government has been at the core of the success they’ve had, Marlow says. Funding for the Project’s healthcare programme is channelled from the department of health, for instance.

However, it is not all smooth sailing. One of the biggest hurdles has been to change the attitude of state workers.

Historically, the Triangle Project has sourced funding from the European Union, particularly the Netherlands.

However, Europe’s protracted financial crisis is having a severe impact on the Project’s budgets and future sustainability. As a result, the organisation is increasing its efforts in working with local organisations to source funding and extend its reach.

As one of the largest LGBT support organisations in South Africa, the Triangle Project has established itself as a leader in the field, yet funding remains a core challenge. The Triangle Project has taken significant strides in tackling prejudice, but with the organisation’s mission statement of “challenging homophobia, appreciating sexual diversity”, there are no doubt still strong winds ahead.

Triangle Project Challenging Homophobia, Appreciating Sexual Diversity Triangle Project working in the township communities.

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Physical Address: Unit 29 Waverley Business Park, Dane Street, Mowbray 7700 Postal Address: PO Box 13935, Mowbray, 7705 Tel 021 4483812 Fax 021 4484089 Website www.triangle.org.za

19

imageS courtesy of TRIANGLE PROJECT

Marlow Valentine (Director of The Triangle Project)

living in certain areas. For instance, a group of gay men living in a Cape West Coast boarding school reached out to the Project as they were being persecuted and found no support from the school’s governing body. When a team from the Project tried to intervene, both the principal and parents blocked their attempts, accusing them of promoting homosexuality.

The murder and rape of black lesbians in the townships has been well documented, and the Triangle Project has become a central player in tackling what they view as a human rights violation. As South Africa struggles with an increase in social ills, inequality and job losses, Marlow argues that the steady rise in violence against women has also spilt over into an increase in violence against black lesbians. Consequently, the Project’s agenda is aligned with national campaigns including the 16 Days of Activism and Triple 7 that interrogate the root cause of human rights violations.

There are 13 Triangle Project therapists and psychologists working in the field, and as budgets are tight, the Project also relies on the services of volunteers. It has been able to extend its reach into the Cape Flats, townships and rural areas. Workers and volunteers immerse themselves in the communities and create safe spaces and support groups in schools, libraries and community venues.

In a country fraught with social challenges, it becomes the imperative of organisations such as the Triangle Project to champion the agenda of

BY ELI NYAKUDYA

F E A T U R E

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ONE MAN’S

CHILD,

ANOTHER

MAN’S SLAVE

Every so often, but not nearly enough, the ugly side of sex is brought to the surface, yet human and sex trafficking is a crime that shames us all. While many of us see sex as an activity that should be enjoyed between two consenting adults, an amazing journey where two people express their love for each other and are brought closer together, there are, unfortunately, those who are neither concerned about consenting nor adult. For these rogue elements an industry has boomed where unsuspecting individuals are kidnapped or “recruited” to be sex slaves in Africa and beyond.

WHAT IS CHILD TRAFFICKING? Trafficking in children is generally held to mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation.

Although there is an assumption that child trafficking always involves force, kidnapping, manipulation or deception, none of this has to happen for a crime to be considered as child trafficking. But there is ongoing debate around how to measure exploitation and the level or degree at which it takes place.

Exploitation includes, at a minimum, prostitution of others, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the “removal

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of organs”. Traffickers are not hooded or masked persons as portrayed in films. They’re often sympathetic, well dressed individuals that attract vulnerable minors.

In many parts of the world, and particularly in Africa, most victims of child traffickers are actually offered to traffickers by family members in exchange for material goods. Victims have also been recruited in many sectors such as the army, factories and on farms.

However, the most severe form that should appeal to each humanitarian in us is children being used for sexual exploitation, such as the nine-yearold Filipino girl who was rented out, according to a United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) report, for sex by her aunt and eventually sold to a German paedophile! Confused young kids, meant to be playing with dolls and toy trucks, are drugged and forced into prostitution, their bodies bruised and battered while performing sexual favours for people – mostly men – old enough to be their grandparents. Because they have no authority, child prostitutes are very easily exploited, and their safety is of course

almost always ignored. Brazilian antitrafficking organisation Projeto Trama found that some child prostitutes would see up to 15 clients a night, and the decision to use contraception was left to the client.

CAUSES AND PROCEDURES Two centuries ago, trafficking, like slavery, was frowned upon and even seen as a crime – it still is today. Social and economic conditions in Africa make children, as well as parents, extremely vulnerable to this crime.

Traffickers go to hunger-stricken villages in war-torn countries with offers of money and a better life and hand pick little boys and girls. The victims are treated as commodities by the traffickers, they’re bought and sold, their fragile bodies used and ultimately destroyed by unforgiving “clients” before they’re shipped off to another job or left to die on the side of the road.

It has been estimated that R75 billion is generated in revenue each year from trafficking, and R31,6 billion of that is attributed to brothels worldwide. It comes as no shock then that human

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imageS courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

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he majority of the world’s almost seven billion people are minors who are not yet at a legal age to work. Reports have shown that these minors – both male and female – are being recruited by organisations to perform the kinds of tasks that adults would generally consider as immoral and definitely not fitting for the mental or physical state of children.

Dialogue in the Dark is a life changing, totally darkened exhibition. Supported by a blind guide, team members rely on one another to navigate a path through a series of darkened environments. Darkness provides an ideal surrounding for team members to sharpen their senses, focus on the essentials and learn to really listen to one another. In the dark, ordinary routines become extraordinary experiences.

Problem solving tasks in the ME Games exhibition and competition in the Science of Soccer playfully challenge participants to discover their individual roles within the team. Placing emphasis on effective communication, the programme facilitates the development of common understanding; fundamental to producing a high-performing team.

Provoke a change in perspective: Discover your team in the dark!

The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre and Dialogue in the Dark offer a unique team building workshop designed to: build cohesion; foster trust; enhance collaboration; improve communication and promote diversity in the work place.

The offering combines a tour of the internationally acclaimed Dialogue in the Dark with a series of team challenges using Sci-Bono’s world class interactive exhibits: ME Games and Science of Soccer.

Changing the way we see Catering for groups of up to 32 participants, each four hour package includes lunch and refreshments.

To find out about pricing and to make a booking for your team contact: Veni Naidoo at 011 639 8457 or venin@sci-bono.co.za Learn more about Dialogue Exhibitions at www.dialogueinthedarksa.blogspot.com Winners of the 2010 National Science and Technology Forum Awards for innovative science communication to a mass audience, and the 2011 JDA Halala Awards for the top recreation destination in the city, the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre is situated in the cultural heartland of Newtown, Johannesburg.

F E A T U R E

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Labour and Social Affairs Commission identifying child trafficking as an operational priority. There is also a growing body of non-governmental THE IMPACTS organisations, such as Free The Slaves, Sex trafficked victims often suffer concerned specifically with the fight incurable and severe psychological as against trafficking. well as physical stress. With their options Yet a lot of work remains to be done. of safety and protection very limited, Countries should document and the victims often turn to alcohol and monitor child-trafficking practices drugs to temporarily ease the emotional within their national territory and trauma. Clinical depression, dissociative organise and facilitate the repatriation of disorders and phobias are common after children within their national territory exposure to sexual and other abuse. in association with child protection In some situations unwanted agencies such as Save the Children, pregnancies occur, and girls are forced Terre des Hommes, ECPAT and WAOto have abortions under threat of losing Afrique. Community-based organisations their jobs and facing destitution. The can contribute significantly to concrete forced, often so-called “back-street”, policy measures undertaken against abortions often result in death as they’re trafficking. Potential engagement of the performed by unqualified practitioners media should not be underestimated, or post-traumatic stress disorder for the though official anti-trafficking child as they are exposed to extreme campaigns in Africa tend to overlook traumatic conditions. their partnership possibilities. Rather, Both male and female victims can get media attention may have a greater and infected with HIV/AIDS and are often lasting impact on public opinion if it is left without care or support. According reflective and sustained. to child abuse specialist Nicholas Groth, Child trafficking also perpetuates the greatest damage occurs in children the spread of HIV/AIDS and promotes who have been sexually traumatised prostitution and drug abuse. Therefore, for long periods and who have faced in their efforts to combat these aggression and neglect. offences, the world needs to attach SOLUTIONS child trafficking to the cause. For example, policies on fighting AIDS or the Although not enough is being done, there have been concerted international movement of drugs should also include children and how to protect them from efforts to combat trafficking over the these activities. past few years, and African bodies have Some children are lucky enough also raised their voices against the to innocently enjoy their childhood, plague. Adopted in 1990, the African unaware of the evils around them, yet Charter on the Rights and Welfare of too many others experience ordeals the Child contains a commitment to that will leave both their bodies and combat trafficking. In 2002, the African their spirits permanently scarred. These Union (AU) reaffirmed its commitment defenceless children are our children. to combat trafficking with the AU its efforts in fighting this scourge than going to war, say, or spending millions on private jets for presidents.

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imageS courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

trafficking is the thirdmost profitable criminal activity after drug and arms dealing. When German police arrested 21 people suspected of running a trafficking ring, they found R4,4 million in their bank accounts and an extra R442 900 in cash. And in Britain, a man who exploited trafficked victims from Romania and Russia in London and Essex brothels, managed to amass R49,3 million before being arrested by police.

The child trafficking trade has also gained momentum as a result of the cooperation between corrupt police and government officials – including immigration officials – and the traffickers.

In South Africa, young girls are being abducted for sexual exploitation and prostitution and it has come to light that children are trafficked internally, sold and raped under an ignorant traditional belief that sleeping with an infant is a cure for HIV/AIDS. Young girls not even old enough to construct a meaningful sentence are subjected to rape by HIVpositive men and then denied education or access to proper health care. Yet laws in South Africa are unacceptably vague when it comes to trafficking.

In terms of prosecution, it seems perpetrators of child trafficking get off the hook much too often, if they are ever apprehended at all. Unicef estimates that of the thousands of children trafficked approximately 15 000 are for use as prostitutes or soldiers every year in East Africa alone. A 2005 study by Eurojust, a European Union agency dealing with judicial co-operation in criminal matters and the University of Amsterdam, showed that there were only 500 child trafficking convictions in the major countries over a four year period.

Moreover, as trafficking mostly happens between countries, the perpetrators can take advantage of the grey areas between the various countries’ legal, as well as their prison systems.

So trading in kids can make you big bucks – almost as much as trading in guns or drugs – and chances are slim that you’ll get caught, and if you do, chances are even slimmer that you'll get convicted. If you are a person of questionable moral fibre, you’ll no doubt be interested in this money-spinner.

Should this not be a priority crime to fight? Should the world not rather invest

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

BISQ/DIST004173/E

Time is what you make it.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

BY BRENDAH NYAKUDYA

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JJ TABANE Given his impressive resume that spans over 15 years and includes references to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Department of Environmental Affairs, the Chamber of Mines and South African Airways, it comes as no surprise that JJ Tabane has become a 'household name' in the communication industry.

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man that has been hailed as one of South Africa’s leading media and communications specialists, JJ Tabane is also a community activist and business executive. He owns Oresego Holdings, a company that specialises in international business support and communications advisory services.

Oresego recently partnered with Hope Africa, the social development programme of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa, and leadershipdevelopment organisation Sacord to launch the Youth and Graduate Entrepreneurship Development (Y-Age) initiative, which is aimed at large-scale job creation. Y-Age hopes to recruit 100 000 prospective entrepreneurs in Gauteng over the next three years, train them and offer them funding and support, the vision is to have created employment for more than one million people by the end of the three years. JJ

Time is what you make it.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Brits in the North-West of Gauteng. I matriculated at Tsogo High School in Mmakau, and got my tertiary education at Turfloop [the University of Limpopo], the University of the Western Cape and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where I acquired my master’s degree in political economy. I am itching to pursue a PhD in media economics before I get too old!

Who were your greatest influences growing up?

My parents. My father was a teacher and a priest and my mother a school principal and lecturer. They instilled in me my sense of values and gave me everything I need to survive in a tough world.

How did you become a communications specialist?

It happened purely by chance. I studied languages and then law and politics.

I was looking for a job, any job, after I completed my law degree, and a temporary position to fill in for [then] minister Mohammed Valli Moosa’s spokesperson opened up. I was the temp who never left! I learnt how to conduct press conferences and write media statements and was named government communicator of the year in 2002. I felt at home in communications and understood the true value of internship and in-service training. Also being a youth, church and student leader prepared me for all my communication roles and grounded me in what can be a precarious profession.

credibility. I know that if I pick up a phone to any editor in this country they’re likely to believe my story… and I don’t abuse that.

My work has been published by almost all the publications in this country, and I only managed that by building up a trust relationship with the editors over many years. I have a reputation as a nononsense communicator.

As a communicator you should never lie for your boss! Rather quit. I have been blessed with good principals who have never asked of me to do any such thing – so pick your bosses and clients with care.

To be successful you have to be open to continuous learning. Read all you can lay your hands on because it will come in handy. Be prepared to learn from others, and be humble. In the world of spin you

Be prepared to learn from others, and be humble.

In the world of spin, you are as good as your last assignment – so work hard and don’t be complacent. are as good as your last assignment, so work hard and do not be complacent.

and Oreabetse – is a culmination of my professional experience and will be the platform from which I will launch an international media empire.

What challenges and obstacles have you faced in your career and journey to the top?

Having to work within a culture where innovation and creativity is discouraged.

The pull-him-down syndrome is very prevalent in our society. We have to succeed despite people around us, which is a pity because we should be creating professional support structures around each other to make a difference. What has saddened me is the “I’m the only black man in the boardroom” tendency, where black people fail to pull together to transform South Africa’s boardrooms but compete about who can best impress the boss.

What lessons have you learnt that you could share with other young professionals?

Establish a network of trustworthy individuals both inside and outside your profession – and always bounce your ideas off them. Expose yourself to constructive criticism. Build your knowledge base, and build up good contacts. Don’t surround yourself with praise singers if you want to climb to the top. Choose your business partners with care… Many good people become confused by money and are prepared to abandon friendships built over years to make a quick buck at your expense.

How did Y-Age come about?

I believe that the challenge of poverty can only be defeated through a partnership between government and civil society. The development of young people is also key. I have lots of experience in building leaders, especially youth leaders, and Y-Age really feeds to my school mates. My dad bankrolled my passion for youth development. We me though – he paid for the film need to assist young people to take the processing! I then ventured into social leap and start up their own businesses so entrepreneurship, raising funds for good they can create jobs for themselves and causes. At 14 I led an organisation called for others.

Operation Feed the Hungry that was What are your views on affiliated with the Rotarians. My first business mentorship? business venture after university was We need a much more coordinated to become part of the establishment of Sacord, which has trained many student effort across sectors to get businesses leaders over the years. Oresego Holdings to take the issue of mentorship seriously. If multiple organisations are – named after my children, Resego

You are known for being driven and unafraid to explore new opportunities. Did you always What advice can you give young have an entrepreneurial spirit? black professionals wanting to I started my first business when I was get into the industry?

12. I took photographs and sold them

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Reading and studying communication is not sufficient to make you a good communicator.

Find a good mentor and ground yourself in public interest activities such as civil society organisations or causes – this way your communications practice is not hollow but adds value to society.

Even in business communications, if your values are skewed, journalists won’t trust you. One of the key ingredients in the communications business is

image COURTESY OF Victor Dlamini imageS courtesy of ORESEGO HOLDINGS

shared some of his insights and bits of the journey he has walked to become the media guru he is today.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

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in

approached with bits and pieces of programmes that are not pinned down as a national priority, we can’t really blame them for not being enthusiastic. But I do understand that business is driven by the bottom line and cannot always solve all the world’s problems.

How has the Y-Age initiative been received?

With utter enthusiasm and overwhelming support. Now for the implementation!

The South African education system is often criticised for not fostering the kind of skills our economy needs.

Has that also been your experience with the youth with whom you’ve worked through Y-Age? Yes, our education system doesn’t always produce the level of skills needed by the economy, and it’s often evident with Y-Age applicants.

We’ve also found that Y-Age attracts job seekers over and above the budding entrepreneurs we’re actually looking for – and I see this as a symptom of the unemployment crisis. We hope to accommodate many of the applicants in the Y-Age initiative, and those we unfortunately have to turn away, we’ll send in the direction of the placement programmes run by the national department of economic development.

How many applications did you receive for Y-Age? More than 90 000 people indicated their interest in joining Y-Age, yet only a fraction of them will be able to start successful businesses in our opinion. Our major challenge is to take these individuals and turn them into successful business owners that can employ others.

How many will you be taking on?

Our first intake will be 15 000. We’re hoping to have trained close on 100 000 budding entrepreneurs in three years’ time and to have generated one million jobs through these new businesses.

Do you have government support for this initiative?

Yes. We commend the Gauteng government for throwing their

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weight behind this initiative. We are lobbying other provinces to do the same.

So are you hoping that it will spread to include more provinces than Gauteng?

It needs to, yes. Y-Age was discussed at a gathering of municipalities from around the country arranged by the South African Local Government Association, and there was consensus that the initiative must eventually be launched in all municipalities across the country.

What is your opinion of our youth in general?

I think we are in trouble! Our youth aren’t concerned about our history and our roots. I recently addressed a group of university students in their mid-20s – and none of them knew who Steven Biko was! I was shocked, but it was also a wake-up call for me. We need to do more to educate our children. We need to take their energy and use it to the advantage of the country.

What are our challenges in terms of leadership?

The greatest challenge is that of building genuine leaders who care about the people. If we resolve this aspect, half of our problems will have been dealt with.

We need leaders who can think about addressing the country’s problem over the long term. We need to develop these kinds of leaders.

What has saddened me is the “I’m the only black man in the boardroom” tendency, where black people fail to pull together to transform South Africa’s boardrooms but compete about who can best impress the boss.

If there’s one life lesson you want your kids to learn from you, what would it be?

Do not sit on the sidelines and complain.

Find a corner where you can make a difference – and get your hands dirty.

www.afropolitan.co.za

R A G S

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RI C H E S

Growing up, Denise Mhlanga always knew she wanted to be a writer. Her journey to become an award-winning specialist property journalist had some unexpected twists and forced her to make some hard decisions – but it has all been worth it, she says.

You have a very inspirational story. Who motivated you in life?

My late sister was an extremely inspirational person who encouraged us all to get an education. My mother was also very supportive, and I feel her love instilled a sense of confidence, amazing strength and wisdom in me that has been worth its weight in gold in all the things I did in my life.

What is your fondest childhood memory?

How much I loved books! I would read anything I could get my hands on.

In a way books provided me with an opportunity to dream and enhance my imagination. I was filled with an avid desire to know more about the world – not just my immediate surroundings but also places far and wide. I tend to think I was born with ink in my veins. I just had to learn to use the ink so that it would leave impressive marks on any page.

How did you become a domestic worker?

I never got an opportunity to finish my matric. I yearned to complete that stage of my education, so I started working towards it. I obviously still had to work and was employed at a restaurant at the time. I realised I wouldn’t have enough time and freedom to study working in the restaurant, so I decided to become a full-time domestic worker. In that way, I

image courtesy of Denise Mhlanga

BY BRENDAH NYAKUDYA

“I KNEW I WAS EVENTUALLY GOING TO FIND A WAY OF TELLING STORIES”

managed to pay my school fees and also had enough time to study.

would you give to others in a similar position?

just to be a part of something while neglecting what we really want to do or become. People can only help you once What mental process went into If you always tend to see life’s obstacles, you take the first step. Be brave and face you’re never going to attempt anything. that decision? the unknown! Unfortunately, we often Keep your eye on the end goal. Growing It wasn’t an easy decision, but I knew become too comfortable in our zones up, I always wanted to be journalist. what I wanted to be in life, and I was and limit our abilities and the world I allowed myself to do other things in desperate to get there at any cost. For me, around us. between, but I knew I was eventually being a domestic worker was a means to We each have a calling – a special going to find a way of telling stories. The an end, and once I got into the position, tricky part was that no-one in my family talent or skill – and there aren’t many surprisingly, I found it was a breeze had followed that career path before, and people who manage to answer to their for me. I am an obsessive neat freak, calling. At times, it is not necessarily the so for the most part really, I was on my so I was good at my job, and it forced own, making my own rules. But I believe fear of failing that stops us in our tracks me to be disciplined and focused on but the power of what we’re capable that if you open yourself to life, you will my studies. of doing and the opportunities and be immensely surprised with what you challenges that come with it. We wonder see, learn and experience.

What happened after if we will be good enough to handle it all. you matriculated?

It was a wonderful day when I passed my matric. With that out of the way, I enrolled for a course in media studies and journalism. It was tough as I had to free up more time on my schedule, but since it was something I loved and enjoyed it ended up not being that hard.

I would work during the day and study in the afternoons and evenings. I took study leave as well.

Did your employers support you?

I had very supportive employers. In a way they were like a second pair of parents. There was always that level of respect for each other’s boundaries and room to share. To this day, we still have that solid relationship.

What has been the highlight of your career after you finished your matric?

My writing career began as a cadet journalist at the Citizen, and then I went on to work for a local community newspaper, the Bedfordview/Edenvale News. But it was in 2009 when I started training on a property magazine at realestateweb.co.za that I found my passion. My efforts were rewarded when I was not only offered a full-time position but also went on to win the South African Property Owners’ Association Property News Journalist of the Year Award for 2009! It was a validation of all the hard decisions I’ve ever made, and the late nights spent pouring over textbooks were all worth it.

You obviously had to overcome many obstacles. What advice

Besides a support structure, what would you say are the other key elements for a successful career?

Good networking skills. Once I started studying, I networked quite a lot and met many people in the media industry.

Some gave me valuable advice and information on how to stay on top of the game. I’d like to think it cuts both

I tend to think I was born with ink in my veins. I just had to learn to use the ink so that it would leave impressive marks on any page.

What can we do to empower people to “be more”?

As a society we can perhaps start with our own families and encourage our children to value education. We need to instil values that resonate with what we do. Think about mentoring someone – I have for instance been a mentor to a Grade 11 learner for the past four years. There are people out there who will benefit from your time, knowledge and expertise. If you have some money to give away, there are always other people who really could use it. Or if you don’t have money but you’d like to give, donate some of the books that you no longer need. These are just some of the things we can do to give back and help our communities.

What issue concerns you the most about the current state of education in the country?

I think as with other African countries South Africa has a high level of illiteracy. It breaks my heart to witness ways. I always say if I meet you once, I would like to leave footprints in your life. a dying culture of reading, and many schoolchildren are battling with this. As Imagine the footprints I would leave if a country, we are not yet at a level where I spent many moments sharing what I know and learning from you as well. the basic education needs of school children are matched with their level Why do you think some people of understanding.

never get to a place where they realise their own potential?

Most people never realise that they have the power to improve their lives. And if people realise they have that power, they don’t act on it, for fear I guess of failing and what others will say. We live in a society in which we want so badly to belong and will take easy paths

What’s next for you?

At the end of the day I am still a child at heart who looks at the stars and wonders whether they look the same in another place and what that place would be like. My life is about a journey of self discovery, the adventure of life, love and everything in between.

BY BRENDAH NYAKUDYA

F E A T U R E

SEX SCANDALS If we are honest with each other and ourselves, the majority of humankind is guilty in one way or the other of sexual indiscretions and misdemeanours. For most who are not in the public eye these acts of foolishness often only draw the wrath of the wronged party and few others. However, this is not to be for those we have been placed in positions of authority. Here are a few scandals that caught our attention in the past few years.

DOMINIC STRAUSS KHAN

“DID HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH THAT WOMAN” The thrice-married father-of-four got caught up in a shambolic sex scandal case after a maid at the Sofitel New York Hotel, Nafissatou Diallo, accused him of sexual assault. After a lot of wasted time and money the charges were dropped as the witness was found to lack credibility. It later emerged that DSK, as he’s known, did “have sexual relations with that woman”, but while it was a moral fault, it did not involve any violence or aggression.

ANTHONY WEINER

IT’S ALL IN THE NAME!

PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA

ROCK STAR

The president of South Africa’s personal life has been in the spotlight for many years and as many reasons. From rape trials and polygamy practices to fathering a child out of wedlock, it reads like a soapie. The latest involves American-Sudanese model-cum-hostess/novelist and actress Kola Boof, who is best known for her affair with Osama bin Laden or “Somi”, as she apparently affectionately called him. In what turned into a Twitter circus, Boof (who is on the suspected terrorist list in the USA) alleged Jacob Zuma complimented her “huge natural breasts” and asked her to “name her price” for a weekend sex tryst in South Africa under the guise of wanting to talk about Osama bin Laden. The South African Twitter audience took serious offence at these allegations, to which she replied, “I don’t know why South Africans are angry with me for telling the truth. What I don’t get is that they know their president.” The president hasn’t commented, but last we heard presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj was on clean-up duty.

NDUMISO MAMBA

COURT JESTER In 2010 Ndumiso Mamba, the justice minister and childhood friend of King Mswati of Swaziland, was caught with his hand in the proverbial royal cookie jar. Mamba and the king’s 12th wife (yes, 12th!) – Nothando Dube, who was 22 at the time – would meet regularly at the Royal Villas in Ezulwini and find comfort from royal and government duties in each other’s arms.

The agents for the king cottoned on to the shenanigans, followed the couple to the posh venue and accosted them. In a desperate and rather pathetic attempt to hide, Mamba slit the base of the bed and hid inside, but the police dragged him out and arrested him. The naughty queen was grounded and kept under house arrest at the queen mother’s residence.

FORMER ISRAELI PRESIDENT MOSHE KATSAV

TAKING PRESIDENTIAL PERKS TOO FAR

Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav began serving his seven-year sentence in December last year after the Israel Supreme Court found him guilty of raping a former employee while he was a Cabinet minister and of sexually harassing two other women during his term as president from 2000 to 2007.

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Former US congressman Anthony Wiener became an example of how the internet is not your friend when he sent a sexually suggestive picture of his underwear-clad erection to a woman who had been following him on Twitter. At first he denied all, claiming that his account had been hacked but later admitted to his indiscretions, adding that he had been sending sexually explicit messages and pictures to nine other women and subsequently resigned.

MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

FATHERING A NATION (LITERALLY) Recently widowed 59-year-old Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai is known for his fight for democracy for the people of the tormented country.

2011 brought about a different kind of struggle for Tsvangirai as it surfaced that his newfound freedom had unleashed his inner playboy and left in its wake a string of broken hearts. Included in this devastation was 23-year-old Loretta Nyathi, by whom he allegedly fathered a child and who then sued him for child maintenance earlier last year. Immediately after, it emerged commodity broker Lorcadia Karimatsenga, who is currently pregnant with twins, had an affair with Tsvangirai that spanned several years. Many attempts by Karimatsenga to tie down the elusive prime minister failed until he was nudged into “doing the right thing” by his peers (read PR team). In a move that outdid Kim Kardashian, Tsvangirai ended the marriage a mere 12 days after tying the knot. This behaviour drew sharp criticism from Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, who urged the prime minister to get his house in order and exercise some responsibility. Lack of discretion could spell an unfortunate end for a man who has dedicated his life to a dream of democracy but struggles to keep his pants on.

FIKILE MBALULA

PLAYING AWAY FROM HOME Known for his “razzmatazz” and lavish celebrations with C-list American celebrities, South African sports minister Fikile Mbalula made headlines in 2011 when it emerged that though he preached a message of safe sex he himself had had an extra-marital affair with a Johannesburg model, Joyce Molamu, which had allegedly resulted in pregnancy. The story didn’t end there – Molamu tried to extort money from Mbalula by asking for money to have an abortion. The initial R10 000 was paid, but she later demanded R40 000, threatening to go public should the amount not be paid.

www.afropolitan.co.za

Fashions come and go.

But style is timeless.

Taste should come naturally

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In every bottle of Boschendal there’s over 300 years of experience in stylish innovation. Which is why Boschendal always brings something special to the table.

A FASHION FORCE

F A S H I O N

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F A S H I O N

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Liz Ogumbo

erforming artist, lyricist and allround creative soul Liz Ogumbo has been growing her fashion house ever since she started working in the fashion industry – as a model, stylist and fashion designer – more than a decade ago. For her, fashion started out as a hobby and finally culminated in the official launch of her eponymous clothing line in 2007. You can also find her designs under the labels Liz O. and Ken Soul. Her collections include a line of dresses and gowns for special occasions.

Her design ethos is guided by her belief that less is more when you have confidence. “I have minimised fuss and accented the beauty of our individuality as beautiful women,” she says. “My philosophy is that every day should be celebrated as an opportunity to make our mark, and we should celebrate through what we wear.

“I’m passionate about ‘the woman’ and how society perceives her as she constantly evolves. I hope my clothing and jewellery range is seen as a musthave for the fashion-savvy modern woman.”

She describes her trademark pieces as bold, elegant and timeless. “They invite women to embrace self-definition through sleek cuts, simple yet provocative designs and attitude that comes from the inside,” she says.

Besides her fashion design business, Liz also offers services such as image consulting, wardrobe styling and dress hire.

For more information, see www.lizogumbo.com

www.afropolitan.co.za

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Open to the man on the street. And woman.

TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE MARKET

BY STACEY VEE

B E A U T Y

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Foundation station With a huge variety of darker shades now available, getting that flawless finish for your skin is a snap!

Maybelline Fit Me Liquid Foundation R140

Hannon 2-in-1 Foundation R180

Developed by stylist and TV personality Hannon Bothma, the Hannon brand of cosmetics is proudly South African.

The creamy 2-in-1 Foundation glides on easily and leaves a subtle powdery finish.

The star of Maybelline’s much-anticipated new Fit Me range is a non-oily foundation that leaves your skin with a natural finish. The secret: a translucent base and lightweight pigments that include darker shades including Caramel and Coconut.

Specially formulated for South African skins, Estée Lauder’s Double Wear is available in liquid and powder, with colours that range from chestnut to cocoa.

Contains an SPF 10 sunscreen, anti-oxidants and a skin conditioner.

Estée Lauder Double Wear

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Foundation tips for darker skins

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• Splurge and buy two shades of foundation. The skin tone of the centre of your face may be darker than your cheeks.

The Black Opal line of cosmetics has been developed specially for the unique skincare needs of darker skins. The mineral powder foundations are packed with anti-oxidants and promise a natural, shine-free finish without looking ashen.

• Foundations in darker shades tend to darken ever so slightly more as they dry.

Start with one shade lighter when testing foundations, and view the final result in natural lighting before deciding on your shade.

MAC Studio Moisture Tint R285

If you’re not one for heavy foundations and powders or spending too much time on your make-up, MAC’s tinted moisturiser will give you light coverage that will even out your skin tone while nourishing your skin.

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• Warm up your skin by applying a foundation with an olive undertone, as many South African women have a splash of yellow in their complexions.

• A neat trick to brighten your eyes is to use a concealer underneath them that is a shade lighter than your skin.

• Use a translucent powder to finish off your foundation, as a dark powder might leave your skin looking dull.

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Sumptuous shave Transform your morning shave into a five-star experience with these luxury buys for your bathroom cabinet Decléor Aromessence Triple Action Shave Protector R635

Use this cocktail of essential oils before shaving to help your razor glide. Contains essential oils of clove, eucalyptus, jojoba, sweet almond and sweet briar.

Billy Jealousy Whipped Cream R285

If you prefer using a shave brush and a richer shaving cream, then lather up with this lavender and bergamot scented formula.

Dermalogica Invigorating Shave Gel R265

Phillips AquaTouch AT890 electric shaver with Aquatec wet & dry

Baxtor of California Razor Bump Repair Relief R270

Apply this gel to your ingrown hairs, and say goodbye to those nasty inflamed bumps.

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Apply this lightweight shaving gel to damp, clean skin to soften the bristles and cool. Also helps calm redness and irritation and has no artificial fragrance or colours added.

G E E K

BY CHARLES ASH

U N D E R C O V E R

(HYPER)

TEXT

So many things that we take for granted today might still have been stuck on the periphery of future-minded tech-writers’ most lurid technological wet dreams (certainly nowhere near as mainstream as they are now) had it not been for that entrenched facet of online entertainment... porn.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Afropolitan

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image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

& THE CITY

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the most jaded gamers), which in turn boosts demand for faster and more powerful CPUs (Central Processing Units) and graphics cards, the porn industry fuelled an upgrade cycle of another kind. Had porn not been the disarmingly decadent, deviantly indulgent Siamese twin of the corporate internet, we’d probably be content with email and plain-vanilla online chat.

Instead, because of the unrelenting advances in video compression and streaming technologies pioneered by the porn sites of the mid 90s, the web has become a veritable multimedia maelstrom of unadulterated pure awesomeness. Once the technologies to facilitate video streaming were in place, it was much easier for the likes of broadband, 3G and other technologies to find a natural home as highly virulent techno-lust took hold of consumers and caused the tech-savvy public to obsess over whose hard-drive and (bandwidth) pipe was the biggest.

But don’t get me wrong... The porn industry is by no means the saintly paragon of technological virtue I’ve made it out to be. In fact, in as much as the porn industry has been instrumental in the development of numerous beneficial technologies, the industry is also well known for its more sinister

in which hackers, virus-writers and scammers have created a thriving internet security industry with the likes of Kaspersky, Mcafee and Norton leading the charge – the porn industry spawned the “net nanny” industry. Net nanny software is a class of software that allows strict controls over what sites a user can access from their PC or mobile device. Clearly aimed at preventing kids from accessing adultonly sites (of which porn sites probably constitute the largest number) the net nanny industry generates enormous revenue and creates massive employment, and this is only set to increase with the ever-increasing number of kids with high-end phones.

Without a shadow of a doubt the porn industry needs to be thoroughly regulated to ensure it adheres to the strictest adults-only criteria that technology can permit. Also, pornography is not very different from any other socially permissible modern-day vices – including gambling, drinking and smoking – and is definitely the kind of thing for responsible adults to enjoy in moderation.

I cannot help but shake the feeling though that with mobile phones getting more storage capacity and

It’s not so hard to imagine that an industry that exploits our most base and animalistic sexual desires and generates billions of dollars in revenue annually could be responsible for driving some of our most important digital advancements. technological undertakings. Much of the malware, browser-hijacking and spam techniques that saturate the Internet today can be directly attributed to the porn industry’s hordes of blackhat hackers and malcontents who continuously endeavour to maximise their profits from highly lucrative porn affiliate programs. It’s not all doom and gloom though as – similar to the way

some phones even sporting 3D and HD screens, the golden age of digital porn is yet to come. Much to the horror of self-righteous pious zealots, HD and 3D mobile pornography is undoubtedly on the cusp of ushering in masturbation’s golden era...

Welcome to the age of the new, erm, armed struggle.

image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

T

hat’s right, baby, those (some would say) “sordid”, imagination-negating images of stylised carnal “depravity” have been clogging up the interwebs since the very beginning. In fact, I’d wager that it was quite possibly because of porn that we have the internet today. My suspicion is that a bunch of super-geeks who were separated by vast distances and who’d grown tired of their worn-out pile of pornographic magazines collectively said, “Stuff this! Let’s build a globespanning, redundant, reliable, digital delivery mechanism for our porn!” and, hey presto, the internet was born and porn of increasing depravity/quality/ quantity/sophistication was unleashed on an unwitting humankind.

It’s not so hard to imagine that an industry that exploits our most base and animalistic sexual desires and generates billions of dollars in revenue annually (even our local TopTV wants in on the action) could be responsible for driving some of our most important digital advancements. Allow me to elaborate...

From affiliate marketing to e-commerce, seemingly innocuous everyday technologies that allow us to do things such as transact online owe their being and perfection to the nascent online porn industry of the mid90s. While Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com fame might seek to co-opt the affiliate marketing methodology and claim it as his own, we all know that affiliate marketing was already in operation and in use by myriad porn sites by 1998, when he cottoned on to the idea of sharing a percentage of a sale with people who referred traffic to his site.

So effective was affiliate marketing at generating revenue for porn websites that the online gambling industry soon latched onto this new form of marketing, and it wasn’t long before this became the mainstay of the online economy and a way in which hundreds of thousands of merchants and millions of people began making a living.

In much the same way that advances in gaming technology are known to induce severe techno-lust (in all but

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BY

BY AVI KAY

F I N A N C E

M O M E N T U M with the price of petrol steadily on the up and the planned introduction of tolls looming large. We also pay huge amounts for security, medical insurance, short-term insurance, life insurance and on fuel levies. Moreover, South Africa has one of the highest tax rates in the world for individuals in the top-income bracket.

In order to weather the storm in 2012 and survive these financially tough times, you need a mind shift – rethink your lifestyle in an attempt to make ends meet.

PENNY-PINCHING TIPS As consumers, we need to be more prudent about how we buy and where we shop. For example, the petrol price difference of driving to a hyper store for bulk buying as opposed to buying groceries from the local retailer (which lately also offers competitive prices) often negates the exercise. At the same time, we will also have to be more economical, for instance, by buying milk bi-weekly and freezing it instead of going to the store every other day.

Call your short-term insurance company twice a year to review

end of the month when you visit the ATM again, there’s no money, precisely because of the hefty interest charged on your overdraft facility.

Have a critical look at the fees you’re paying and the service providers you’re connected to to ensure that you are getting value for your money. Don’t be shy to ask for a better price or lower fees: these days everybody wants the business and is usually prepared to cut margins in order to keep it.

With transport becoming increasingly expensive, you should plan car trips as economically as possible. For example, if you’re a sales person and have an appointment with a client first thing in the morning, driving directly to the client instead of first going to the office will save you time and money.

As people understand that there’s not much money to go around, the days of lavish business lunches and entertainment are over. Rather just meet quickly for a cup of coffee, get to the business – and off you go. Everybody realises time is precious and that money should not be wasted on frivolous things.

Cut take-away meals to the bone.

Instead, make your own hamburger patties and spend time with the family preparing an affordable yet sumptuous

FINANCIAL TOOLKIT

F

inancially speaking, average consumers find themselves in an unprecedented milieu. First and foremost food inflation is creeping up unabatedly – this will be confirmed by anyone who buys a similar basket of groceries and household goods on a regular basis.

The cost of education is rising yearon-year with ever-increasing school fees. Add to that the cost of textbooks, uniforms and extra-mural activities – it is quite staggering.

Rates and taxes, particularly in larger urban areas, have also become totally exorbitant. Some consumers are paying more to the city council than on their mortgages. Settling rates bills have obliterated any disposable income, and some people have been spending time and money to try and rectify incorrect accounts, often with no result.

It doesn’t stop there. Transport is also becoming increasingly unaffordable, www.afropolitan.co.za

your premiums. You’d be surprised at how much you can save, for instance on the excess on your car. In terms of life insurance, often by just adjusting things slightly, you can save yourself a significant amount of money, which, at the end of the day, may pay the fuel cost of a year-end holiday.

Take the time to scrutinise bank statements, highlight amounts that you can’t account for and determine what they’re for. During the exercise you may well find that you all too often buy things that are nice to have but not really necessary.

Manage your bank charges prudently.

Look at them upfront, and make sure that you’ve got a package where you’re paying a flat rate and that you know exactly what you’re getting for your rate.

More often than not, the interest rate on an overdraft is not taken into account.

It may be easy to increase it online by, say, R10 000 to R30 000, but come the

designer burger braai.

Don’t just spend a fortune at the nursery. Make your own compost, and use cuttings from established plants to fill up empty garden space – you’d be amazed at how easily and quickly cuttings can grow and develop into sturdy new plants.

While South Africa has, to a large extent, been sheltered from the global financial meltdown, we’re now playing catch-up, with cash flow steadily drying up, necessitating prudent spending.

South African consumers should also bear in mind that interest rates will not maintain their current low levels, so they should not over-extend themselves. In fact, should inflation start running away, interest rates most likely will also move upwards, which may well leave many people between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

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image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

FOR 2012

Avi Kay lays out some practical tips to aid financial survival during the year ahead.

One size

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B U S I N E S S

BY Tendai Maidza

For years the issue of sexual harassment has been a thorny one, which many would rather skirt due to the subjective nature of the crime. Yet the reality is there are more cases than not which should be getting the attention they deserve to protect innocent victims from such abhorrent treatment at the hands of those you work with.

Sex

in the workplace

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image courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

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hembi*, a manager in a prestigious audit firm, used to regularly liaise with a senior male partner regarding clients and audits that she managed and which he oversaw. In these meetings, the partner would make remarks about her body, how attractive she was to him and how if she were to date him, she would not need to work.

Initially Thembi thought nothing of these remarks and would simply do her best to avoid the partner in question.

When she absolutely had to face him and he made inappropriate comments, she would pretend not to hear him.

While aware that his behaviour was inappropriate, Thembi chose not to take action, because she thought perhaps she was being “overly sensitive”.

This kind of behaviour is what is defined by the United Nations Development Fund for Women as sexual harassment. Their definition of sexual harassment as “unwelcome or unwanted verbal, non-verbal, physical or visual conduct based on sex or of a sexual nature; the acceptance or rejection of which affects an individual’s employment” differs little from the

B U S I N E S S South African Labour Relations Act’s definition, which states, “Sexual harassment is any unwanted attention of a sexual nature that takes place in the workplace. This is any kind of behaviour that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

The Act goes on to list the behaviours that fall into the category, and these include: touching, unwelcome sexual jokes, unwanted questions about your sex life, whistling, rude gestures, requests for sex and staring at your body in an offensive way.

The definition is broad enough to cover the basics of sexual harassment, but sexual harassment has taken a shift from the “objectively injurious” to the “merely subjectively offensive” over the years, writes Prof. Ellen Frankel Paul in her essay “Bared Buttocks and Federal Cases”. The subjective nature of sexual harassment makes it particularly difficult to prove, hence individuals who feel harassed often opt not to report the harassment.

Objectively injurious or subjectively offensive In South Africa’s first reported sexual harassment case, the female complainant accused the male applicant, a senior executive in the company, of sexually harassing her. She stated that

In truth, sexual harassment of both genders has more to do with issues of control and abuses of power for the purpose of humiliation than with sexual attraction.

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Sexual harassment in Africa The reality in Africa, where the rights of women exist on paper but are yet to be fully realised in the workplace, is that women are sometimes regarded as objects, and men can behave towards them in any manner they choose.

Abuses of women and their rights in the workplace are rampant, yet they fail to get the attention and condemnation they deserve.

A story is told about a 22-year-old female receptionist for a newspaper who was forced to have an abortion by a senior colleague, with whom she had been having an affair. When she eventually reported that she had been coerced into the affair, the senior colleague claimed the reason why he had demanded she terminate her pregnancy www.afropolitan.co.za

was because he was “sharing her” with another senior staff member and they were therefore uncertain of the child’s paternity. The young woman admitted to having been involved with both men but only out of fear of losing her job.

This view of women as commodities pervades many African societies and is often carried into the workplace. In the absence of policies or structures that allow individuals to address these issues in the workplace, the situation will persist. According to South African labour law, the protection of employees from sexual harassment is the responsibility of the employer, and most companies now have sexual harassment policies and means to address such cases when they arise.

When the tables are turned One would think that in the new millennium, in which women have as many rights as men and in theory are on a level playing field with their male counterparts, the problem would either be diminished or there would be more men complaining of being harassed by their powerful female superiors, like Jennifer Aniston’s character in Horrible Bosses. It is possible that female harassment of male subordinates or colleagues exists, but the incidents are not being reported, because just as it

sexual attraction,” wrote Newsweek’s Krista Gesaman in a 2010 article entitled “Abuse of Power”.

The flipside While the topic of sex in the workplace often conjures up images and tales of harassment and unfair treatment, there are those who feel that sex and sexuality are such a natural part of who we are, there is no reason why we should not incorporate them into our work lives. There are men who will honestly and openly admit to giving jobs or promotions to women in whom they are interested or with whom they are sleeping. Women are often less willing to admit to using their sexuality to gain advantages in the workplace, probably because it lowers their credibility in a world that is so merit driven. However, in a more permissive society, sleeping your way to the top could be seen as a sign of an empowered woman who will utilise every weapon in her arsenal to get to where she wants to be professionally.

This “empowered woman” image can backfire as the line between driven and willing to do anything and easy or cheap is very fine one.

The reality of workplace sex or sexual relationships is not as glamorous or even as harmless as the image of an empowered woman sleeping her way to

However, in a more permissive society, sleeping your way to the top could be seen as a sign of an empowered woman who will utilise every weapon in her arsenal to get to where she wants to be professionally. was in the movie, a man being sexually harassed by his female boss is usually comedic, and no-one takes it seriously.

However, more men have been reporting cases of harassment, and surprisingly, this increase is largely due to male-on-male sexual harassment and is not necessarily perpetrated by gay men on other homosexual men.

The fact that the men perpetrating the harassment are seeking to embarrass their male victims – not sexually stimulate or flirt with them – makes male-on-male harassment a particularly vicious abuse of power. In the United States, the courts have been recognising same-sex harassment for about 20 years, yet men harassed by other men still seem to be reluctant to report the matter for fear of ridicule and mockery by coworkers. “In truth, sexual harassment of both genders has more to do with issues of control and abuses of power for the purpose of humiliation than with

the top would suggest. The reality is that even when these kinds of arrangements start out consensually, they involve a great deal of deceit, manipulation and sometimes even unethical behaviour – and most end in bitterness and disgrace, as the American Republican presidential candidate hopeful Herman Cain learnt when he had to abandon his ambitions when he couldn’t stave off sexualharassment rumours towards the end of last year.

Should you need more information on handling sexual harassment in the workplace, visit www. labour.gov.za/legislation/codes-of-good-practise/ labour-relations/code-of-good-practice-on-handlingsexual-harassment-cases. Such matters can also be referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (www.ccma.org.za) or civil or criminal charges can be pressed.

* Name has been changed.

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imageS courtesy OF SHUTTERSTOCK

he had “caressed and/or slapped her buttocks and fondled her breasts”. This is quite obviously objectively injurious.

She resorted to asking him to remain on the other side of the desk whenever he entered her office. In this case, it seems fairly obvious that the complainant was being harassed, but this did not stop the applicant from claiming that his behaviour was “no more than mildly flirtatious … Mediterranean type behaviour”.

In the more complex cases where sexual harassment is merely “subjectively offensive”, it is even more difficult to prove that the perpetrator was not merely being flirtatious. As Thembi points out, had she been attracted to the partner, his remarks would have been accepted as compliments and might even have been appreciated. According to a ruling in the Labour Court, “Sexual harassment does not refer to behaviour or compliments that are acceptable to the recipient, nor to the mutual attraction between people that must be treated as a private concern.”

Many disempowered women still silently put up with the worst kind of humiliation at the hands of their male counterparts who seem to regard it as a “corporate perk” to be able to behave in any manner they choose. One often hears stories of young or disadvantaged female employees who are harassed by senior managers. Their advances are tolerated and sometimes even seem to be encouraged because the disempowered woman who is desperate for a job is helpless due to her level within the organisation and limited options regarding employment possibilities.

The position of women (often, but not always, the victims in sexual harassment cases) in society sometimes leaves them vulnerable to these unwanted advances.

C U LI N A RY

BY VINCENT VERRYDT

Food of Love Oysters, shmoysters! We all know that oysters have long been hailed as the ultimate natural libido booster so if you’re an instant gratification kind of a person, you may want to devour a dozen (or four) in the privacy of your own home. But then again, have you ever shucked your own oysters? There’s nothing sexy about that “shellish” battle and bleeding all over the sink. But never fear, the great news is that salmon is also rated highly on the ‘libid-o-metre’.

The medical fraternity explains that in order to enjoy sex, men and women need to have healthy blood flow. Certain nutrients enhance your heart and circulation and will therefore also enhance your libido — especially foods like fish, and in particular salmon.

So in the spirit of good sexual health, we present to you our saucy salmon on a sultry bed of three libido boosting ingredients including: avocado, celery and almonds (amongst others).

Saucy Salmon Marinade: 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 4 salmon fillets (about 3cm thick) Cooking spray

SEXY FOODS Celery What! Celery is sexy?

Interestingly celery contains androsterone, which is the same hormone that men release through perspiration and which apparently turns women on. You may be crinkling your nose up to this fact because smelly man is certainly no turn-on but rest assured that androsterone is odourless.

Almonds It is said that the smell of almonds has been known to arouse passion in ladies, but we think its probably their fatty acid content, which promotes healthy male hormones, that is the true value here.

The salsa bed: 1/2 cup peeled and diced avocado 1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup peeled and diced canned peaches / fresh mango 1/2 cup peeled and cubed kiwifruit 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup fresh orange juice Handful of crushed almonds

imageS courtesy of SHUTTERSTOCK

Preparation • To prepare the salmon, first mix the marinade ingredients into a large ziplock bag. Then add the salmon to bag and seal. Marinate it for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

• While salmon marinates, prepare the salsa bed.

• Then heat your grill pan over mediumhigh heat.

• Remove salmon from bag and discard marinade.

• Spray pan with cooking spray and then add fish. Cook for five minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

• Lay salmon on the delicious salsa bed and sprinkle almonds over the top.

Enjoy!

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Avocado Did you know? The Aztecs called the avocado tree “ahuacatl,” or “testicle tree.” This was obviously based on the appearance of this popular fruit but avos also have high levels of folic acid and vitamin B6, which increases male hormone production.

It also has potassium, which regulates a woman’s thyroid gland, increasing libido.

www.afropolitan.co.za

F O O D

RAMBLING VINES

IMAGES COURTESY OF MOUNT GRACE COUNTRY LODGE

BY ANGUS McEWAN

A F R O

MOUNT GRACE COUNTRY HOUSE & SPA, MAGALIESBURG

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he Magaliesburg is a region rich in natural beauty and history, and it delivers plentiful reward to all who ramble within its intriguing contours. First amongst equals, for some, and certainly a precious jewel in the Magaliesburg crown is the long established and highly celebrated Mount Grace Country House & Spa, home of the equally lauded Rambling Vines restaurant. Mount Grace is situated approximately one hour from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, which makes it very accessible.

Rambling Vines is an apt name, as from the parking lot you need to take a stroll across a courtyard and a turn here and there, to come to the entrance.

Two wrought-iron candelabra standing at near head height flank the welcome table. By its own description, the restaurant is a fusion of contemporary luxury and classic charm, and with its mixture of old world hanging brass lanterns, mirrors and vases, the décor is both elegant and casually country.

We waited for our table in comfortable large wing-back chairs from which we could see a cosy fire burning in the courtyard, casting shadows in the last slivers of daylight and creating the restaurant’s famous country ambiance.

A complimentary starter arrived – puff pastry topped with an herbed cream cheese, cocktail tomatoes and onion seed sprouts. It was a delightful way to begin!

For starters we chose salmon pastrami, described as “citrus and soft herb cured Scottish salmon served with a tempura California roll topped with salmon roe and Japanese mayo”. As with all the dishes we had, the pastrami’s flavour and texture combinations induced a slow natural savouring with each mouthful providing a delicious lingering on the

palate. We also had a blue cheese soufflé, and the moderate portion was absolutely perfect. The soufflé’s texture and the combination of the blue cheese mousse and the Hanepoot and saffron poached pear were mouth-watering.

A fresh carrot sorbet did wonders to freshen our palates. Lest I forget, we were served two virgin strawberry daiquiris. I’m not a cocktail drinker, with or without the shot, but they were delicious works of art.

My partner selected quail for her main course whilst I was drawn to a slightly more traditional dish, fillet of Karan beef. The quail was served with pommes Dauphine, the silkiest potato I’ve ever tasted.

My partner's enthusiasm in anticipation of this dish was equally matched in its consumption!

The fillet was delivered perfectly to my specifications, the vegetables were crisp, and the sauce Bordelaise provided a wonderful complement to the fillet – I was very satisfied.

The presentation of the menu, the daiquiris, starters, mains, and finally desserts – all worked together to create a winning formula.

KAWS CONNECTION At first glance, New York-based artist/designer and former graffiti phenomenon, KAWS and Hennessy may seem an unlikely pairing, but as it turns out, the two have a similar creative approach starting with a distinctive signature and have paired up meeting of tradition and progressive, iconic aesthetics to create a limited edition V.S bottle. The artist’s unique blend of art sensibility and commercial imagery – notably his bold use of colour and savvy tweaking of popular media icons – made him the obvious choice for a bold artistic collaboration with the luxury brand. In designing the bottle creative, KAWS (who designed Kanye West’s “808’s and Heartbreak” album cover) applied a number of his signature treatments, including the chomper teeth graphic on the cap seal, the double “X X” eyes on the Hennessy seal and the distinctive colourful abstract graphics on the bottle label.

Each limited edition KAWS Hennessy V.S bottle is adorned with the artists own philosophy written on the back of the bottle in his own hand: FRIENDS WORK MUSIC ART / IT’S IMPORTANT TO FIND / THE RIGHT BLEND.

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For dessert I ordered a dame blanche, home-made vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce with fairy garden and meringue mushrooms. On aesthetic value alone, it is a dish worthy of a place in Alice’s Wonderland and tasted very fine indeed!

All that I would have wished differently is to have had the luxury of more time to spend in this wonderful place, both before and after dinner.

GIVEAWAY The KAWS limited edition bottle goes on sale in South Africa mid-February 2012 at selected stores but we at the Afropolitan have one bottle to give away to a lucky reader.

Visit www.afropolitan.co.za to enter.

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BY BRENDAH NYAKUDYA

t r ave l

SKELETON COAST NAMIBIA

Many explorers of old succumbed to the deadly waters of the northern part of the Namibian coast. For those who survived, this stretch of Africa came to be known as the “land God made in anger” or the “gates of hell”.

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egend has it that sailors would be able to make it there through the dense fog and heavy surf, but like in the classic tune Hotel California, they could never leave as the very same surf that had thrust them to shore made it virtually impossible to launch their boats back into the ocean, leaving them stranded. Once they had beached with no hope of getting back to sea, daylight would reveal to them the frightening realisation that they are in fact surrounded by nothing but thousands of kilometres of the world’s most notorious and unforgiving desert, which they would need to navigate in order to escape back to civilisation.

Today this piece of wilderness has been transformed into a hauntingly beautiful and inviting holiday destination. Namibia’s Skeleton Coast has been turned into a national park and remnants of all the ships that ran ashore here over the years. Whalebones litter the desert landscape, giving the reserve a mystical and intriguing air.

This has ultimately become a holiday destination of choice for those of us who are looking for a vacation spot that is not only rich in history and heritage but is also an exquisite showcase of Mother Nature at her best.

Skeleton Coast Camp is an exclusive resort that is situated in surrounds of untouched African splendour. While it is not your typical holiday resort due to it being located in one of the most remote parts of the country, if not the continent, Skeleton Coast Camp has gained fame for its culture and geological wealth.

Due to its inaccessibility and delicate geological make-up, one can’t get there by road, which means visitors have to be flown in. There are only flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and only 12 guests can be accommodated per trip.

On arrival at Skeleton Coast Camp, one might be startled by the seeming 54

desolation of the landscape. When one is confronted with untouched desert and surrounded by mountains, large rock formations, endless sand dunes and not much else, it is easy to assume the camp would be barren and uninviting, but nothing could be further from the truth. Skeleton Coast Camp and its surroundings surprise you at every turn. The accommodation comprises six Kenyan Meru-style tented rooms,

While it is not your typical holiday resort due to it being located in one of the most remote parts of the country, if not the continent, Skeleton Coast Camp has gained fame for its culture and geological wealth. www.afropolitan.co.za

image COURTESY OF WILDERNESS SAFARIS

each with spacious luxurious bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms. Each solid-roof tent has its own private deck, and the bedroom has a private patio that opens up to a gorgeous view. After a hot day in the desert sun, you can experience the contemplative bliss of sitting on your private veranda and staring out into the vast Namibian desert while sipping on a cocktail as the gentle sea breeze cools you and soothes your soul.

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After a hot day in the desert sun, you can experience the contemplative bliss of sitting on your private veranda and staring out into the vast Namibian desert while sipping on a cocktail as the gentle sea breeze cools you and soothes your soul.

Central to the camp areas is an openplan lounge, bar and dining area that allow breathtaking views of the desert.

If the weather is pleasant enough, guests are encouraged to have their

meals in the open-air “dining room” under a gnarled old Leadwood tree.

For those in the mood for something more adventurous, there is the option of sundowners next to sandy cliffs.

In and around the resort natural freshwater springs attract thirsty wildlife, so if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, springbok, giraffe, ostrich, brown hyena, Hartmann’s mountain zebra and, occasionally, lion and cheetah.

DISCOVERING THE DESERT Appreciating the view is not all that one can do. The staff at Skeleton Coast Camp have incorporated several activities for guests that revolve around discovering this unique, wild and austere environment. They have a fleet of 4x4s that are comfortable no matter what the weather thanks to their pop-top roofs and sliding windows. So you won’t get assaulted by the wind or cold, but you also won’t miss a chance to enjoy the fine midday weather or a glance at the salt-capped mountains.

A major highlight is a visit to the Cape Fria fur seal colony, where countless Cape fur seal (Arctocaphalus pusillus) puppies lie around in the sun and sleep the day away when not foraging for fish and crustaceans.

If you enjoy walking, you’re in luck as many parts of this unspoilt setting are only accessible on foot as vehicle tracks can damage the fragile environment.

The people at Wilderness Safaris, who operate Skeleton Coast Camp, will tell you that the many specially adapted plant species, including lithops and Welwitschia, are best and most often spotted while you’re out walking.

Extended day walks with a picnic lunch are incredibly popular.

For nature-lovers, Skeleton Coast Camp is a very special place. You will find the scenic splendour captivating and diverse, from roaring sand dunes and windswept plains to towering canyons, saltpans and freshwater springs. Initially thought to be hell by those who didn’t have the ability to look beyond its harsh conditions, actually the Skeleton Coast is a slice of heaven.

Afropolitan January 2012.pdf 1 2012/01/19 01:37:52 PM

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2 011

BY ELKA SCHAIMBERG

D E C O R

AFRO DECOR Inspired Insight from a

Home Décor Expert Paul Duncan, head of design for Woolworths Homeware, shares his personal insight into the 2012 design forecast and highlights some significant home décor tricks and trends.

will be questioned with recycling, What hot new décor trends do you believe will take off in 2012? reupholstering and revamping taking

factors when it comes to South Africans’ home décor choices?

There will be a return to tailoring in interiors – the use of trim and so on. Also, people are beginning to be more aware of the world’s finite resources, so the “throwaway” culture

People are very responsive to their landscape; in a way our landscape defines us. How can the inside live with the outside? How can you bring the one in and the other out? We love the

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precedent. People will be looking for ways to get more for less or give new life to what they already have.

Currently, what do you believe to be the most influential

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most significant of all right now is the notion of “mix and match” – mixing colours, styles, textures and looks.

Things that may not seem to go together do go together simply because they don’t match.

Ditch the tumble dryer, and set your washing machine to cold. The future well-being of the environment is of massive concern.

It’s often good to have a neutral ground because it’s timeless. You can update your accessories year after year if your walls are well into the background. But small spaces with intense dark colours can be good if you want to be enveloped by your room. Just avoid white – how dull is that? It says absolutely nothing about you at all. When planning your budget for your interior finishes, remember to use finishes that will last.

Cheap and cheerful never lasts, so splash out on the very best the budget allows.

intuition. Your third eye is the best guidance when it comes to what’s right and wrong in an interior. My interiors are always relevant to their location, practical in their use, and inspiring enough to hold your attention. And I do them for me, not for people to clap over.

What/who are your biggest creative influences or How should one approach one’s inspirations? personal space when it comes A Belgium called Axel Vervoordt is a to home finishes? huge influence. But I rely on my own

How has the mindset of the local market changed with regard to home décor?

There’s a big sense of pride in who we are as a people; we don’t necessarily want what they have in the United Kingdom. There’s a shift towards celebrating our own sense of self.

What does your job as head of design for Woolworths Home Ware entail?

My job is about understanding global trends in lifestyle and décor as well as in retail, and applying them and adapting them to the local landscape.

It entails understanding the customer – how they live, their aspirations and taste experiences – and ensuring that our product offering is relevant in the marketplace and also wanted by the people.

Have typically African interiors had an influence internationally?

Yes, I think people in other parts of the world are very interested in what this country has to offer. South African décor of the Afro genre has soul, and when times are tough everybody wants that.

What significant home décor trends have we successfully adopted from abroad?

There are plenty. But perhaps the

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What is your advice to people looking for value-for-money interiors?

The best way to update a look is with accessories – cushions and so on. But for lasting looks, spend your money on good finishes such as work surfaces, floors, carpets and curtains. Crappy textiles will wear quickly. There’s so much on the market right now for all budgets that you can achieve almost any look within a tight spending plan.

Describe your personal style.

I look for good “bones” – furniture, pictures and rugs – and I always think about proportion, balance, symmetry and functionality before layering on and around them. I never buy rubbish. I like to acquire things that have meaning and provenance, things in which, perhaps, you can see the hand of the maker.

Always be practical when it comes to setting up your room. If there’s nowhere to put your drink by the sofa or your morning coffee while in bed, then you’ve failed. Are your chairs the right height? Can you reach the light switch?

All of these are questions you have to ask yourself before finalising whatever interior decoration you’re up to.

Bio Box: Paul Duncan is head of design for Woolworths Homeware. His years of experience in the design arena began in London, where he was the speechwriter to Margaret Thatcher’s first arts minister and an arts correspondent for Condé Nast in Italy. After returning to South Africa, he became the editorial director of House & Garden magazine. Paul’s books on design, interiors and travel, including Style Icon, have been published both in the United Kingdom and in South Africa.

Tell us of your greatest home comfort?

Underfloor heating everywhere, even on the stoep!

In your opinion, every home should have...

Images courtesy of PAUL DUNCAN

colour of the outside world. Have we got enough light and texture in our rooms?

The natural environment drives us, perhaps subliminally.

Any useful tricks of the trade to share with our Afropolitan readers?

His-and-hers, or his-and-his, or hers-andhers bathrooms and dressing rooms – it keeps relationships healthy. Every home should also have dimmer switches for mood-altering lighting – essential to convivial living.

Every home could do without...

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BY Alyn Adams

C O L U M N

CULTURE

EVEN THE PHILISTINES HAD ONE

Beware when someone tries to excuse bigotry with “It’s traditional!” or tries to ban something with no better reason than “It’s not part of our culture.” It means they have no real arguments based on facts and evidence; they’re just repeating what their parents told them, and their parents before that.

Cultures, traditions, religions – all evolve. They must or become moribund and die. Some of my ancestors used to sacrifice animals – and quite probably humans at some point – at midwinter, to please the gods and make them bring back the sun. We don’t do that anymore, not just because it would cripple property values in Blairgowrie but because there’s absolutely no evidence to suggest that a lack of bloodletting will somehow stop the planet in its yearly journey around our star. Spring comes back, whether you kill something or not.

In the last few centuries, my immediate Irish, English and Afrikaner ancestors did agree on one thing – that the white “race” was more intelligent, moral and deserving than all the others.

This created a traditional culture, at best condescendingly paternalistic, at worst savagely intolerant, of white supremacy.

I managed to outgrow that culture.

Probably because I read, rather than getting my worldview from scared old drunk fellow whities. (They’re the only ones who still bang on about the innate superiority of white people. Usually before vomiting and passing out.)

Which brings me to sex, something else that evolves and changes. Originally, it was a neat way to shuffle genes around and improve species through trial and error; then along came the primates with their big brains, and suddenly the mind-blowing “wow-this-is-almost-asgood-as-drugs-or-religion!” feelings it set off made sex a handy means of positive social interaction, without any necessary intention to breed. It’s hard to be hostile towards someone tickling your nipples.

To pick just one example of many, Bonobo chimps – genetically, our close relatives – seem to use sex much like we’d use a firm handshake or a pat on the back. Age, gender and fertility don’t matter; sex is used as a casual bonding tool, including oral sex and mutual masturbation. Obviously, Mother Nature doesn’t intend our deliciously naughty bits to be used “purely for procreation”.

While I’m on that subject, the Catholic church, one of the big pushers

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of the “purely for procreation” myth, won’t allow Catholics any form of contraception except the “rhythm” method. That’s where you pretend that all your sexual relations with your spouse are in the hope of producing kids, but you use science and mathematics to make pretty sure that the female isn’t ovulating at the time you bonk. I’m not sure their God is fooled, so they might as well just slip on a condom and go hog wild at any time of the month.

Once you admit that sex for fun between consenting adults isn’t “harmful”, “sinful” or “unnatural”,

"That’s why suburbanites always ask their home invaders to move in with them after they’ve been tortured for a couple of hours." campaigns against human rights for gay and lesbian humans just become pointless. Those that insist on persisting all espouse the same lies: “It’s not natural” – er, actually, yes it is.

A lot more species occurring “naturally” on the planet indulge in same-sex loving than, for example, wear clothes or cook their food.

“It’s not rape – all she needs is a real man to cure her!” Of course she does.

There’s nothing like a brutal assault with a penis to make you long for a few more in your life. That’s why suburbanites always ask their home invaders to move in with them after they’ve been tortured for a couple of hours.

“It’s against my religion” – well, then don’t do it! Who are you to force your religion on anyone else? We might as

well still be burning heretics.

“But we can pray away the gay!”

Seriously? Tell you what, you pray for my foreskin to grow back. If you can get that right, I might trust you with transforming someone’s core sexual identity through superstitious voodoo.

Or better yet – find a straight volunteer and pray him gay. Then we might believe such a conversion is possible.

“But they’ll raise their kids to be gay!”

Sure – after all, we know that when heterosexuals raise kids, they unfailingly grow up to be heterosexual, don’t they?

Sheesh – this counts as logic? Only when compared to, “But if everyone turns gay, the human race would die out!”

Yeah, right – seven billion and counting, but you reckon the only reason people persist with heterosexuality is that the alternative isn’t socially respectable.

(And we haven’t even mentioned turkey basters and surrogate moms yet...)

Am I going too fast? Okay, in plain English: the last objection is stupid because a) everyone is not going to “turn gay”. In a world where everyone has the same human rights, fewer gay people feel the need to hide their identity, that’s all. And b) even if everyone did “turn gay” (and if you really think that’s possible, I’m happy to tell you that you have some deeply repressed feelings that you need to share with a qualified therapist), gay men and lesbians have been making babies without needing to sleep together for ages, so continuing the species is not going to be a problem. If anything, the most urgent problem on Earth right now is getting heterosexuals to stop breeding like flies.

But the more arguments you shoot down, the more certain you can be that they’ll circle back to that old standby: “It’s against the traditions of my culture”, which translates as “I want to behave exactly as my parents and their parents did, forever.” If that made any sense, we’d all still be living on a beach eating our shellfish raw. Or rather, we wouldn’t, because never letting your culture evolve is a sure-fire recipe for extinction.

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R E V I E W S

BEAT BOX

Simphiwe Dana An Evening with Simphiwe Dana – Live in Concert

A

[ Gallo ]

nyone (we’re looking at you, Helen Zille) who’s had the benefit of interacting with the sensational Simphiwe Dana will know that she has a powerful voice and is not afraid to use it in order to be heard. This vocal strength does not just reveal itself on the musical stage but also on any matters that affect the state of the country that she so passionately loves.

Born in 1980 in Gcuwa (formerly known as Butterworth) in the Eastern Cape, Simphiwe has three solid albums under her belt. For her efforts she has amassed an impressive list of South African Music Awards including Best Newcomer, Best Female Artist and Album of the Year.

In her latest double-CD offering, An Evening with Simphiwe Dana – Live in Concert, she gets up close and personal with her audience. Backed by the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the Miagi Youth Orchestra she takes you on a soul-stimulating melodic ride by performing, amongst others, firm favourites such as Ndiredi and Bantu Biko Street. She also throws in treasured classics such as Miriam Makeba’s Meadowlands and Angelique Kidjo’s Malaika.

If you are desperate for respite from the inane bubblegum pop flooding the airwaves, this album will soothe your soul with deep socially aware music often described as “Xhosa pop” that is as refreshing as it is entertaining.

Other side of Simphiwe Actress

Simphiwe is not only a force on the musical stage. She can now add actress to her list of accomplishments, having clinched her first film role in Themba, which tells the heartwrenching tale of a young boy in the rural Eastern Cape who longs to play for Bafana Bafana. In this film she plays a mother of two and wife of an absent miner.

Activist

GIVEAWAY Stand a chance to win one of three copies of the DVD of An Evening with Simphiwe Dana – Live in Concert.

Visit www.afropolitan.co.za to enter.

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A quick stroll through the timelines of Twitter will confirm that Simphiwe is not only passionate about music but also about South Africa. In 2011 she launched the Black Culture Education Tour which involved orchestral visits to six cities in a drive to increase awareness of the state of government education and inspire active involvement in improving conditions.

Mother

Simphiwe is proud mother to two kids, Zazi and Phalo.

www.afropolitan.co.za

Images are courtesy of REDFLAG

BY BRENDAH NYAKUDYA

C D

r E V i E w S

COUCH POTATO liFe in A dAy

DIRECTOR: KEVIN MACDONALD STARRING: CINDY BAER, HIROAKI AIKAWA AND MOICA

This very poignant documentary shows glimpses of a number of real people’s lives on a single day. Presented by National Geographic and YouTube, the project began as an open call on the video-sharing website for people’s experiences around the world on 24 July 2010. The result: 80 000 submissions and 4 500 hours of footage from 192 countries. Carefully selected scenes were then woven together to create the first ever crowd-sourced documentary.

The film is ultimately about human connection and affirms the simple joys and sorrows that we experience as human beings. A true mosaic of just one day reveals life at its rawest – thrilling, funny, sad, breathtaking and mundane all at the same

time! The mishmash of highly personal, inane, and fascinating clips include, among many, a skydiver freefalling, a young man coming out to his family, a globetrotting Korean man travelling the world by bicycle, an elderly couple having their vows renewed by an Elvis impersonator and more. It’s really the small details that make this film so compelling.

The film echoes our innate desire to connect, to be understood, and to be a part of something meaningful. It manages to transcend religion, culture, age and gender to get to the heart of what it means to be a human being. If nothing else, it’s an amazing time capsule for future generations.

sAnCtum

DIRECTOR: ALISTER GRIERSON STARRING: RHYS WAKEFIELD, RICHARD ROXBuRGH, ALLISON CRATCHLEY AND CHRISTOPHER BAKER

This intense thriller follows a team of underwater cave divers on a treacherous expedition to the largest unexplored and most beautiful cave system on Earth. Master diver Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh) has explored the South Pacific Caverns for several months. His team includes his 17-year-old son, Josh (Rhys Wakefield), whose strained relationship with his father is put to the ultimate test during the expedition.

A violent flash flood blocks the team’s only exit and gives them no choice but to bury themselves deeper into the cave in the hope of escaping through uncharted routes.

Can they survive an underwater labyrinth of raging water, dangerous terrain and mounting panic?

Exotic locations off the Gold Coast of

the neXt three dAys The Next Three Days follows John Brennan (Russell Crowe), a professor at a community college, whose wife, Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks), is convicted of murdering her boss. Despite every effort to prove her innocence, the judge sentences her to life in prison.

Feeling the justice system has failed her, Lara tries to commit suicide, and John becomes determined to save his wife. He becomes obsessed with the idea of breaking her out of jail and seeks the advice of ex-convict Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson), who staged his own www.afropolitan.co.za

Queensland, Australia inspired some great cinematography, which includes 3D digital techniques.

Although it is not always comfortable to watch, the breathless quest and gutwrenching will to survive ensure you stay glued to your screen. Sanctum certainly does not offer any award winning performances, but the terrifying claustrophobic environment sucks you in and makes the movie a cheap thrill worth your while.

DIRECTOR: PAuL HAGGIS STARRING: RuSSELL CROWE, ELIZABETH BANKS AND LIAM NEESON

daring prison break. John tirelessly researches and stakes out the routines of the prison as he prepares to put his life on the line for the woman he loves.

Lara’s innocence is questioned throughout the movie. You go from “she definitely did it” to “she couldn’t have done it” to “I’m not sure whether she did it or not”! But when John decides to break his wife out of prison, you want him to succeed regardless.

The dramatic and emotionally charged performances of both Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks are fantastic. If you

images courtesy of ster-KiNeKor & Numetro

By eLKa scHaimBerg

d V d

enjoy a good prison break movie, this one comes recommended.

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R E V I E W

Morgan Tsvangirai

word on words

At the Deep End Somewhat heavy on the details, Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s new biography does manage to paint the opposition leader as a sincere man determined to restore dignity to the people of his country.

F

rom mineworker, trade unionist and one-time ZanuPF member to prime minister of what some have described as a failed state, Zimbabwean Morgan Tsvangirai ’s book, which rivals former South African president Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom in length, tells the story of an ordinary man

who dared. Dared to defy an autocratic leader of a “democratic” state. Dared to defy his own poor rural background and lack of credentials. Dared to defy logic by winning an election and agreeing to share power with the loser... for the sake of the people.

Tsvangirai’s book, At the Deep End (ghost written by William Bango and published by Penguin Books) begins with a rather detailed and extensive history of the man himself – starting from his birth in rural Gutu and ending in the power-sharing period of Zimbabwe’s transformation, postindependence. It also offers an equally detailed history of Zimbabwe, the transition from Southern Rhodesia to present-day co-governed Zimbabwe.

While the history lesson is the unofficial and seemingly truthful political history of the nation, it becomes rather tedious as every little detail is included. It takes almost half of the hardcover book, which spans 552 pages, to get to “the deep end”.

The book portrays a man who has the interests of Zimbabweans at heart.

At a time when we as Africans are desperate for leaders who will put our interests as a people and not their own greed or petty power squabbles first, Tsvangirai emerges with the potential to lead authentically. Of late, Tsvangirai’s personal life has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, but the book gives a sense of a man who is sincere and determined to restore the dignity of the people of Zimbabwe. His insistence in the book, and in a subsequent radio interview, that his intention is to bring about change through democratic means sets him apart in a time of violent change in many states that are unhappy with a lack of democracy. While many might criticise this approach, Tsvangirai, who lived through a time of war in Southern Rhodesia, is well aware of the harsh effects of war and is cognisant of the need to transform the nation through peaceful and democratic means, as far as is possible, when faced with an opponent like Zanu-PF. Tsvangirai’s book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the history of the nation and the motivations of the man who has bravely stood in the face of Zanu-PF on behalf of Zimbabweans who desire change.

RATING

3/5

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www.afropolitan.co.za

imageS courtesy of PENGUIN BOOKS

BY TENDAI MAIDZA

B O O K

BY ELKA SCHAIMBERG

M O V I E

R E V I E W S

BIOSCOPE MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Director: SIMON CURTIS Starring: MICHELLE WILLIAMS, EDDIE REDMAYNE AND KENNETH BRANAGH

Based on the personal memoir of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), My Week with Marilyn depicts the story of an inexperienced young man who manages to land himself the job of third assistant director on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl – the 1957 film that famously united superstars Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh)and Marilyn Monroe(Michelle Williams).

While they were shooting the movie, Marilyn’s marriage to Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott) was on the rocks, and Olivier was becoming increasingly frustrated with her tardiness and sub-

standard acting abilities. Cue Clark, who stepped into an emotionally volatile situation to become Marilyn’s closest confidant on set. They spent an intimate week together in the English countryside, and an unlikely friendship unfolded between the movie-mad assistant and one of the most famous women on earth.

Williams is brilliant as Marilyn Monroe! She channels the sex symbol’s onscreen presence to perfection but also offers an intimate look into the lonely damaged woman behind her public persona.

As it’s based on a memoir, the film doesn’t have any pretensions to objectivity, but this doesn’t really get in the way. In fact, you almost feel compelled to watch as the star-struck Clark gets sucked into the dysfunction of one of the world’s biggest stars.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Director: LYNNE RAMSAY Starring: TILDA SWINTON, JOHN C REILLY AND EZRA MILLER

imageS courtesy of STER-KINEKOR & NUMETRO

A psychological thriller that follows Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton), a successful travel writer and once free spirit who falls into misery after the birth of her son. From the very moment Kevin is born, the colicky boy proves too much for Eva to handle.

The cracks in her marriage to husband Franklin (John C. Reilly) begin to show as Eva must now abandon her career and apartment she loves for a child she hates.

As Kevin (the boy is played by Jasper Newell and the teenager by a creepy Ezra Miller) grows up, he becomes more difficult to handle and expresses a mysterious hatred for his mother. Things become even worse when his younger

SHAME

sister (Ashley Gerasimovich) arrives.

The teenager then commits an unspeakable crime that leaves Eva depleted, guilt-ridden and a total public outcast. Was her son born evil, or did his mother make him that way?

Swinton delivers a brilliant portrayal of a completely broken mother, desperate to go back in time.

We need to Talk about Kevin is an intense, thought-provoking film that will leave you “talking about Kevin” long after the credits roll.

Director: STEVE McQUEEN Starring: CAREY MULLIGAN, JAMES BADGE DALE AND MICHAEL FASSBENDER

British artist-turned-filmmaker Steve McQueen takes a disturbing look into sexual addiction with his latest box office offering. Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a successful New York bachelor who smothers his fear of intimacy with porn, prostitutes and meaningless hook-ups.

When his wayward younger sister (Carey Mulligan) moves into his apartment, their complicated relationship stirs memories of a shared painful past.

When Brandon’s routine becomes horribly disrupted by Sissy’s imposition www.afropolitan.co.za

on his Manhattan lifestyle, his insular life spirals out of control, and her dependency provokes Brandon to violent displays of temper.

This intense character study boasts powerful performances by Fassbender and Mulligan. The actors manage to take viewers on a powerful plunge into the mania and self-destructive nature of sexual addiction. Shame is a raw portrait of damaged siblings and sex addiction.

Sad, devastating and totally compelling!

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Sexy tech!

The perfect mix of form and functionality – these are technology’s runway models

Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8 R11 500 This chic docking station can be mounted on your wall, where it will fill your room with that high quality audio that Bang & Olufsen is so well-known for. Hook it up with your Apple music devices or computer, and use the special room adaptation switch to stream the best sound for the unique shape of the listening space.

It comes boxed with a remote control, wall brackets and aluminium feet if you’d rather it stands on a flat surface. Get your hands on a BeoSound 8 locally, available in black or white, over at www.luxlife.co.za.

For more info: www.bang-olufsen.com

Harmon Kardon GLA-55 R6000

Dstv Walka

R650

Now you can take your Dstv with you! Well, some of the channels at least. And there is only coverage in nine major cities in South Africa. The Walka is a handheld device with a 3.5-inch screen that you can watch programming from 15 channels on; it’s particularly great if you’re a sports lover and need your SuperSport fix. There’s no additional charge if you are a Premium subscriber, otherwise it’s R9 a week or R36 monthly. The Walka is available from Kalahari.com.

For more info: www.dstvmobile.com

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They’re calling it ‘audio jewellery’ and the GLA-55s are the prettiest speakers ever to grace your desktop, and despite their size (about 14cm x 27cm), they pump out some serious quality sound performance. The GLA-55 speakers also have a 3.5mm output, which means they’ll hook up to most audio devices, like your computer, tablet or MP3 player. We found the best price over at Megagraphix.co.za.

For more info: www.harmankardon.com

Canon IXUS 125HS Encased in the 24mm-thick metal body of the IXUS 125 HS is 16.1MP and 5x zoom – that’s a lot of photographic power.

Canon’s intelligent software is able to detect 58 different scenes and adjust so that you get that perfect shot. Then view your images and videos (which are filmed in 720p) on the large 7.5cm PureColor II G LCD screen.

For more info: www.canon.co.za

www.afropolitan.co.za

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

BY STACEY VEE

G A D G E T S

G A D G E T S

Sony Bravia EX520 R10 000

R700 Pilot this durable remote-controlled helicopter by downloading the Helo app to your iPhone or iPad. It’s a twin-rotor model and you can tilt your iOS device to make the ’copter hover, swoop and soar.

(Griffin promise the app will soon be made available for Android devices.)

For more info: www.griffintechnology.com

BookBook for iPad R900 The Bookbook covers from Twelve South are a delightful twist on your usual tablet protector. Spare your iPad from bumps and drops, while looking like an old-school academic, with this plush leather case that’s lined with a velvety brown padding. The outside is just like a real book, with a two hardback covers, reinforced corners and a spine. Get it at www.myistore.co.za For more info: www.twelvesouth.com

Samsung Galaxy Note R8500 What we really love about the half-tablet half-smartphone Galaxy Note is the huge, gorgeous screen – 5.3 inches of HD quality Super AMOLED. You can scroll through your content using touch technology, or the S Pen stylus that comes with the handset. The S Pen also lets you crop photos, make notes on the screen, draw diagrams and tick off your To Do list.

For more info: www.samsung.co.za

Nokia Lumia 800 It’s the Nokia phone everyone’s been waiting for – the first with Windows – and marks a comeback for the smartphone giant.

Running the ‘Mango’ version of the operating system, and is styled very much like the sleek Nokia N9, although with a slightly smaller display at 3.7 inches. Other features: a 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor for zippy performance, an 8MP Carl Zeiss optics camera and 16GB storage. Nokia are keeping mum about the exact launch date and pricing in SA, but we’re looking at a February release.

For more info: www.nokia.com www.afropolitan.co.za

PS Vita R3000 – R3300 Heading for SA’s shores in late Feb, the PS Vita is the evolution of PlayStation’s PSP. The big news: connectivity. Like tablets and e-readers, the Vita comes in a Wi-Fi and a Wi-Fi/3G model, and it’s not just a portable gaming device. The Vita comes loaded with social networking apps, front and rear cameras and GPS, and supports the most popular media file formats. Design-wise, it’s the sleekest handheld on the market by far.

For more info: za.playstation.com

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

Griffin Helo TC

What you’re looking at here is one of Sony’s more mid-priced Internet TVs. The 46-inch EX520 in the Bravia series is an LED backlit set, that not only gives you incredible high definition picture quality with Sony’s X-Reality Engine, you can also use it to project all your favourite online content into your living room, like YouTube, movies and more. You can even Skype with it!

For more info: www.sony.co.za

BY DAMIAN MURPHY

A F R O

W H E E L S

THE BMW 1 SERIES

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

A SERIOUSLY HOT HATCH

SUBARU LEGACY FORGET THE GERMANS People seem to underestimate how good Subaru is. Not us! Since we were first introduced to the brand some four years ago, we have been singing the praises of the Japanese manufacturer. If you are looking for a complete driving package, chances are that Subaru has a vehicle to suit your every need.

Whether you like driving off road or on, there is something for the lonesome cowboy and the family man, and we were lucky enough to be given a chance to test the latest version of the Legacy.

When you think Subaru, you think 4x4 or rally, and that is not completely off course. The Forester is one of the most lauded 4x4s on the market, and the Impreza WRX STi has garnered praise and a loyal following because of its exploits in the World Rally Championship. The Legacy is a combination of on-road sportiness and business class comfort.

The 2.5 litre engine on the model we had packed a 195kW punch, which means that getting from zero to 100km/h takes a short 6.2 seconds, and with 350Nm of torque, it is lucky the seats are so

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comfortable. Having such a big frame and being such a heavy car, the Legacy’s fuel consumption is estimated (by Subaru) to be in the region of about 10.4 litres per 100km, but on our test we found it to be slightly higher. Unless you have a light foot – and don’t like too much fun – bank on 11 litres and more per 100km, depending on traffic.

There is lots of space on the inside to play around with, and Subaru have delivered a car that exceeds all expectations. When you think luxury sedan you tend to think German, but the Japanese Legacy either matched or bettered about every aspect of its famous German competitors. It would take a brave writer to compare a German business sedan to a Japanese one, but we can say with certitude that the Legacy is in that class.

With beautiful leather seats and either carbon fibre or aluminium trim, the interior is glamorous. The driver and passenger have electronically adjustable seats, and the memory function means that no matter who else drives your car, you’ll be able to return to your ideal seat set-up by just a press of the

button. The Legacy’s instrumentation is functional and easy to read. You can operate most of the things using steering-wheel-mounted controls, and the paddle shift gear changes give this business sedan a racing car feel. Other creature comforts include the extremely effective dual zone climate control, the premium quality six-disc CD changer, Bluetooth, the multifunction centre console and the convenient electronic park brake.

The Legacy is a sporty business sedan that ranks amongst the best we have driven. It is a bit expensive and does eat petrol for breakfast, lunch and supper, but why not spend the money to have the fun? They range from R309 000 to R449 000 depending on the model you choose.

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MW pioneered the production of the luxury hatch when they first introduced the 1 Series all those years ago, and with well over a million units of the hatch sold, it was high time for a relaunch – enter the sexier and sportier new 1 Series.

The 1 Series’s great BMW pedigree is obvious at first glance. The first version was a standalone experiment, and BMW were playing a field in which they had no prior experience. But they’ve learnt through the years. The new 1 Series has all the features that made the old 1 Series so popular, but they’ve now taken the best of the other BMW series and added it to the baby in the family. At a recent launch we were given a full day to experience and test the 1 Series in both an urban and out-of-town environment – and we were well impressed.

From the Da Vinci Hotel in Sandton where the launch took place, we put the 116i and the 118i models through their paces on road trip. The two versions share the same engine, a 1.6 litre petrol TwinPower turbo, but they are tuned differently, so the 118i is slightly more powerful and zippy off the line.

The cabin of the 1 Series is very comfortable, and you seem to forget that you are in a car when you slide into the driver’s seat. The symmetry, flow and balance of the cockpit have been designed with driver comfort

and urban practicality in mind. The instrumentation styling is classic BMW, so we felt at ease from the moment we turned the ignition on to the moment we parked the car at the end of the day.

With the world evolving digitally every day, it is so important that you remain connected wherever you are.

BMW Connective Drive is an innovative part of the new 1 Series, it gives you access to emails and the internet all through a phone connection to the BMW driver system.

When it comes to driving experience, there are few cars that can beat the Beemer, and the 1 Series holds its own in the stable. You can set the mode to normal, eco or sports depending on what kind of mood you’re in.

The coolest feature of the 1 Series has to be the choice it offers – each car is customisable in thousands of different ways, so choosing a model to suit you may prove tougher than you think. The 116i delivers 100kW of power, 220Nm of torque and reaches 210km/h at the top end. The 118i may appeal to the petrolhead a little more – it delivers 125kW of power, 250Nm of torque and can reach a slightly sweeter 225km/h at the top end.

Both have a carbon emissions weight of less than 140g/km, so your green impact is low enough to eliminate guilt. The new 1 Series costs anything from R268 500 to R323 000 depending on your choice of model.

RENAULT CLIO SPORT GORDINI THE POCKET ROCKET Every time we are given a Renault Sport of any kind we struggle to write the review. Not because the car is terrible – on the contrary, it is difficult to write because there is so much good to be said and so little bad. This little dynamo is a very complete package. While the regular Clio Sport is a nippy sports hatch that is quick and nimble in and around city streets and a massive beast on the open road, the Gordini version is no different in size, but it packs a slightly bigger punch. It may be a bit of a cliché, but after our week driving the Gordini, we can see why people say dynamite comes in small packages.

Each Gordini is numbered, so you know you are part of something special, and the interior is tailored like a fine suit. The blue, white and black stitched leather interior balances sporty good looks with elegant French flair. It is the contrasts that make the Gordini such a stand-out model for us. The seats, although padded and stitched with fine leather, are still somewhat uncomfortable if you find yourself stuck in traffic for more than a couple of hours. The Gordini comes in a beautiful blue, with two bold white racing stripes that cut through the car, making an audacious statement.

The white trim outside is cleverly carried into the

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car, adding to the sports feels and flow from inside to out. Our model had cruise control, an onboard computer, front fog lamps, cornering headlamps, climate control, electric windows, a single CD player with MP3 reader, a multimedia connection box and power steering.

The Formula One styled colourcoded front bumper and black diamond-effect 17 inch aluminium alloy wheels with red Brembo brake callipers add the finishing touches to this exclusive design. The Gordini has a very powerful, naturally aspirated 2 litre engine that delivers a potent 148kW of power to the relatively small body with a whopping 215Nm of torque. All that power and pull means that the Gordini not only gets you off the line with the propulsion of a jet fighter, but also reaches speeds close to a jet fighter, topping out at 225km/h.

The suspension in the Gordini is stiff and sporty, which means it holds the road in the wet and through corners at both high and low speeds.

No matter the situation, you’ll have complete confidence in your car and more importantly

in yourself driving the car. Renault ascribe the Gordini’s fun and entertaining driveability to the fact that the entire Clio Sport range has an efficient chassis that perfectly matches the highly potent engine. The Gordini isn’t all power, it also has driver and passenger airbags, front and side airbags, curtain airbags and anti-submarining airbags. It has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and traction control.

With a sporty design and a sports engine that stems from Renault’s impressive Formula One history, the Gordini blew us back in our seat – in fact, it completely blew us away. With a price tag of R279 900, the Gordini comes with a service plan, 150 000km warranty – and a whole lot of fun free of charge.

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S O C I A L S

SOCIALS On the 30 November 2011, Afropolitan Magazine, held a Bisquit cognac tasting, at the impressive Chateau d’Ax showrooms on William Nicol Drive in Bryanston, Johannesburg. Our readers and clients were treated to an evening of notable tipple, amazing food and a chance to view the very best that Italian design has to offer with a superb collection of contemporary living furniture and kitchens on show.

Bisquit Cognac V.S.O.P

Tshidi Mlaba (COJ) and Bokang Seritsane (Afropolitan)

Didi Okoro (Afropolitan) and Moss Gondwe

Guests getting a Chateau d'Ax presentation

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Mark Graham and Orleans Tawanda from VitalityO3

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Enjoy life! Choose Chateau d’Ax.

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