Inner City Gazette

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MUSIC SPECTRUM POWER STRUGGLE

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STORIES FROM THE AFRICAN CONTINENT PAGE 7

NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW

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Tenants evicted This woman was evicted from the Eden Rock building in Hillbrow together with her four-month old baby. See page 7

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INNER-CITY GAZETTE

NEWS

14 - 21 JUNE 2012

Municipal housing agreement

MEC Humphrey Mmemezi signs the document.

PIC : ENOCH LEHUNG

Romaana Naidoo

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oburg is one of three municipalities in Gauteng that have signed a memorandum of agreement with the provincial department of local

government and housing regarding municipal housing accreditation.

This means that housing and human settlements, as well as decision-making authority around this sector, have been delegated to these metros, as envisaged in the Constitution. In essence, it transfers the building of needed housing from the provincial to the local government level. The other metros are Ekurhuleni and Tshwane, Joburg’s eastern and north-

ern neighbours.

Portfolio head of transport Rehana Moosajee signed the document on behalf of Executive Mayor Parks Tau in Midrand on 13 June. Ekurhuleni was represented by MMC for

housing Queen Duba and Tshwane by the executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa.

The implications of signing the agreement are that the three metros will now perform functions that previously were under the ambit of the provincial government, such as beneficiary management, subsidy budget planning and allocation, priority programme management and administration, as well as additional management and administration of housing programmes.

Speaking at the signing, the MEC of local government and housing, Humphrey Mmemezi, said: “Today is a very historic day in Gauteng, in the housing and human settlement sector, for our metros and communities. It is historic because we are gathered here to give further meaning to the aspirations and dictates of our Constitution, which continues to be our guiding light.

“As inspired by our Constitution [section 156 (4), the Housing Act and other policies], it has always been the policy of this African National Congress government to locate important decision-making authority at the most local sphere of government, closest to our people.”

The government believed that this should be the case since municipalities were at the forefront of service delivery. They communicated with and understood the needs and pains of communities.

Ekurhuleni was represented by MMC for housing Queen DubaMmemezi set 2014 as the target for the three metros to take on all these functions. At that point, they would be in charge of and accountable for housing and human settlement in their borders.

“The promotion and protection of the right of access to adequate housing of our citizens, the creation of sustainable human settlements, and the fulfilment of other socioeconomic needs of our communities is a formidable task that cannot be achieved by one sphere of government alone. It requires the collective wisdom and effort of the state as a whole (such as national, provincial and local government), stakeholders and our communities themselves.”

Service delivery protests that were taking place were opportunities for learning, he explained. They should be “positively acted upon”. “What we are doing today is a step towards

ensuring that our communities get better service.”

Mmemezi pointed out that this would include metros being able to co-ordinate and integrate human settlement planning and development within the tested municipal integrated development planning process. Co-ordination of local level planning and the efficient use of resources would significantly improve service delivery.

Signing the memorandum of agreement signified local government’s commitment to achieving an easy delegation and management system with regards to housing. “In essence, we are proving our commitment and willingness to co-operate in order to substantially deal with [the] housing backlog across the province and heightening the rate of service delivery.”

There would be on-going reporting, monitoring and evaluation, capacity support and collaboration to allow for success. In closing, Mmemezi pleaded with people to be patient.

“We have made the commitment to serve them with humility and dignity and we will continue on this path.” joburg.org.za

Gauteng youth to be empowered Staff Reporter news@inner-city-gazette.co.za

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programme to empower 10,000 youths is underway in Gauteng, Social Development and Agriculture MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza (pictured right) says “Twenty-five Non-profit Organisations (NPOs) will be funded to deliver youth development services and 10,000 youths will participate in youth outreach programmes in total,” she said in Johannesburg.

The department was also identifying recipients of child care grants to introduce them to opportunities to break the cycle of poverty.

Mayathula-Khoza said these included learnership programmes and bursary schemes.

Drug and substance abuse was also a problem facing the youth and contributing to social decay, she said.

She added that curing substance abuse would help to combat child abuse, violence, and the spread of the deadly HIV/Aids.

While the Gauteng Substance Abuse Forum was functioning well, there were problems that the department was addressing, she said.

Those who underwent rehabilitation often failed to complete after-care programmes, often leading to relapse.

Also, some NPOs did not comply with the norms and standards stipulated by government. The department was tightening up on monitoring such NPOs. Domestic violence was also an on-going “serious threat to the moral fibre of society,” Mayathula-Khoza said.

Her department was providing funding to NPOs that provided victim empowerment and abuse prevention services.

“These social ills should not be happening.

It is not just a government problem, its a societal problem,” she said.

The department would engage with communities to address the root causes of abuse.

In keeping with the provincial “war on pov-

erty”, the department embarked on a number of community outreach programmes.

“Our social workers don’t belong in offices, they belong in communities,” MayathulaKhoza said.

The youth were not the only vulnerable sector of society; the disabled and elderly were also priority groups, she said.

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COMMERCIAL

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LEADER

14 - 21 JUNE 2012

Tribute to the youth In this month of June, which is dedicated to the youth, I would like to urge young people to acknowledge the sacrifices that were undertaken by their predecessors in order to bring about a just society, in which all people are considered as equal.

This time the youth of today have to make their own sacrifices in improving the lives of their communities.

The youth may do that by starting up community improvement projects in their communities, geared at making their lives better.

This does not necessarily need to be a money spinning venture, but an activity that will sustain the survival of the youth and their families.

It is satisfying to realise that many young people these days take their studies seriously and want to succeed in life. Still many of them have started many kinds of projects through which to improve their lives, and those of their communities.

Victoria Langa Braamfontein

COMMENT

At this time of need for the hundreds of poor people in the inner-city who brave the chilling nights in the streets; we have to laud the efforts of individuals and organisations who have taken it upon themselves to help them survive the climatic onslaught.

Such humanitarian activities like collecting food and clothing for the city’s residents who do not have homes have been carried out by selfless people with little or no fanfare. All they aim at is to save the lives of fellow human beings, without expecting any returns.

Those are the real messengers of God, who have been sent to rescue the vulnerable members of society, again with no eye for remuneration. Without such people the mortuaries would be filled with the bodies of the homeless, as plenty would die from hypothermia, among other cold-related conditions.

These Good Samaritans have also come to the rescue of residents who lose their homes and property during the cold season’s many fire accidents.

Such fires have destroyed much property in the informal settlements, hijacked and abandoned buildings in and around the city. The common causes for the fires have been poor attention to candles, paraffin stoves and open fires; and also electric shortcircuits that are caused by illegal power connections. Often the residents were left with only the clothes they had on.

The Good Samaritans rescued them from total disaster by gathering food and clothing for them, helping them to survive and recover their lives.

The Good Samaritans have to be commended for their selfless efforts in helping to sustain the safety and lives of their fellow human beings.

They also need all the support from our communities, so that they may continue doing the good work.

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Inner-City Gazette welcomes editorial contributions from readers. They may raise new issues or respond to articles published in the paper. Contributions may be sent to the editor’s address below.

Published by Inner-City Gazette 149 Pritchard Street, Johannesburg 2000 Tel : 011 023 - 7588 011 024 - 8210 011 402 - 1977 Fax : 086 609 8601 Email : info@inner-city-gazette.co.za Website : www.inner-city-gazette.co.za Printed by Paarlcoldset(Pty)Ltd

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Release, reshuffle...reprieve, for now The president’s approach in firing Cele had a lot to do with pressure on him by the ANC in KZN Ranjeni Munusamy

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resident Jacob Zuma finally brought himself to fire his friend and comrade, Bheki Cele. He named a business executive as the first woman to head the SA Police Service and threw in a mini Cabinet reshuffle, for good measure.

But Cele’s sacking could go down in history as the nicest way ever to get fired. The subtext to the 540word build-up to the phrase “I have decided to release General Cele from his duties” was that Zuma really didn’t want to fire Cele, but that his hands were tied by the report of the board of inquiry.

After diplomatically explaining that the board of inquiry found Cele unfit to hold office, the president said: “General Cele still has a lot to contribute to the country given his experience and commitment to making South Africa a better place for all each day.”

The president’s approach to Cele’s firing obviously had a lot to do with the pressure brought to bear on him by the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. A series of meetings, including with a delegation from the provincial executive committee led by the premier Zweli Mkhize, made Zuma understand that KwaZulu-Natal was extremely unhappy with the way the Cele matter turned out and that efforts should be made to do some damage control.

This left Zuma with the quandary of who to choose as the new police commissioner, one who wouldn’t be chewed up and spat out like the previous incumbents. Both Jackie Selebi and Cele were political heavyweights in their own right, but were unable to handle the enormous power and responsibility that came with the position. Mangwashi

Victoria Phiyega, known as Riah, is a leading business executive with an impressive career in the private and public sector. Her most recent positions were chairwoman of the Presidential Review Committee on State Owned Enterprises and deputy chairwoman of the Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Office Bearers.

Zuma probably reasoned that there would have been a huge public uproar and continuing rebellion from police senior management had he appointed another ANC loyalist into the post. He is wholly insecure about the loyalties of the SAPS generals following the fracas over the former crime intelligence head, Richard Mdluli, and therefore would be wary about who he can trust with the position.

There are also a limited number of people who would be willing to work with his police minister, Nathi Mthethwa. The only place left to go, therefore, was to opt for someone with strong management credentials and with no baggage.

Zuma is obviously banking on Phiyega bringing more professionalism and better administration to the management of the police, and to reduce linfighting and corruption.

But in trying to satisfy all these areas of concern to him, Zuma seems to have overlooked the most important attribute of a national police commissioner: the ability to fight crime. Phiyega has no experience whatsoever in security and crime prevention and will have to rely on her warring subordinates to take the lead in this area.

As a businesswoman, she would hardly instil fear in the minds of violent criminals in the way Cele did with his “shoot to kill” approach. Her only hope in this regard would be to create a police service that functions optimally and competently and hope that the close to 200 000 police personnel respond positively.

But Phiyega is already being set up on a collision course with her new charges. The first task handed to her is to plug the leaks from the police – a bizarre place to start considering the mountain of problems besetting the service.

He and Mthethwa are obviously still smarting over Mdluli’s litany of misdemeanours being exposed and discussed in public and want Phiyega to seal off the flow of information to the media, which is the biggest enemy of them all.

Zuma’s reshuffling of his Cabinet was not entirely unexpected. However, the changes to the defence and transport portfolios seemed to come out of the blue and must leave both Lindiwe Sisulu and S’bu Ndebele with their noses out of joint.

Sisulu relished her position as head of the armed forces and it put her on the fast track to an even more senior position in the 2014 government.

In appointing Sisulu as public service and administration minister, it could be that Zuma now wants her to direct her aggression towards the public sector unions to get them to stop holding government hostage during wage negotiations. This could be directed particularly at SADTU, which Zuma’s administration views as an impediment to getting the basic education system operating optimally.

Nosviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s new mandate in defence and military veterans will probably be to reduce the hostility created by Sisulu and pacify the disgruntled military veterans. The rest of the portfolio is in the capable hands of the chief of the South African National Defence Force.

Ndebele’s attempts to distance himself from the controversy over the proposed Gauteng e-tolling system has irritated many people in the ANC because he failed to provide decisive leadership on the matter.

Ben Martins is a veteran leader of the SACP and highly respected in the alliance. However, he is not a very communicative personality, which his new transport portfolio requires of him.

He has to deal with the tempestuous taxi industry, lead an interactive road safety campaign, and of course, provide a way out of the e-tolling hot potato. Daily Maverick

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NEWS

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Youth input on Gauteng development Youths attend the seminar at the Metro Centre in Braamfontein.

Kgopi Mabotja

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he youth have urged government youth development agencies to aid start-up businesses with funding and mentorship programmes, to help them grow into mainstream enterprises.

They made this plea at the first public consultation on the Gauteng City Region’s development strategy, Vision 2055, held recently at the Metro Centre in Braamfontein.

In observation of Youth Month, young people were given first go in making submissions and recommendations on the discussion document, which was launched in May. The consultation, facilitated by the City of Joburg’s youth directorate, Gauteng Planning Commission and Gauteng Youth Desk, was attended by a greater number of unemployed youth from across the province.

They were divided into a number of smaller groups to engage with the vision. Speaking for the equitable growth cluster, Jeff Makwakwa, a small business owner, stressed

that youth development agencies should operate closer to where youth businesses were located. “We want to see agencies like the National Youth Development Agency and Seta in the townships, where a lot of us are based. A lot of small business owners do not have information on how best to market and grow their businesses and this is the reason why they fail. Mentorship and skills training programmes will help business owners to grow their businesses,” he said.

Bafana Dube, who works in youth development programmes in Ward 40, said the government should allow young people to register businesses at no cost. “The cost involved in registering a business is too expensive for poor black youth,” he said.

Organisations responsible for registering small businesses were located far away, he added, and the cost of transport became unaffordable.

Suggesting a solution, he said the government should build one-stop youth development centres closer to

ThisYouth Month young people were the first to be asked for their input on G2055, the Gauteng City Region’s development strategy

where they were needed the most.

“We need one-stop centres in townships, where everything needed to register a business is available.”

Agencies including SARS must have offices in these proposed centres. “Everything that speaks to youth development must be found in such centres.”

Dube also urged youths to form cooperatives. “The only way we are going to get government assistance is through organisation,” he said.

Mpho Moeno, an intern who works in youth development programmes in the provincial education department said government should find a way of placing youths who had completed internships into fulltime employment. “It does not help to train people and release them back onto the streets. The level of unemployment increases. Private companies must be compelled to do the same. Youth-owned businesses must be prioritised in doing business with government.”

He condemned awarding of government tenders to big companies.

Other discussion groups at the session included social cohesion and inclusivity, sustainable development and infrastructure, and good governance. For the social cohesion and inclusivity cluster, the main issue was that government must create more jobs for disabled people in the formal working sector, and invest more in their sporting actives.

In the sustainable development and infrastructure cluster, a call was made for an integrated transport system to accommodate the evergrowing population. Participants also urged government to build more higher education institutions.

Gauteng was overpopulated and there were not enough further education and training facilities.

They also called on government to build proper houses in townships to regulating the overpopulation. They reasoned that people migrating from rural areas and foreign countries built shacks on reserved land without applying to the council.

In the good governance cluster, issues discussed included ward coun-

cillors who were not doing their jobs. The group called government to employ qualified people.

Various officials attended the consultation, including Steve Mphekgo, the manager of youth development mainstreaming in the Office of the Premier; Khulu Mase, the deputy director -general of youth development in the Office of the Premier; and, Nalini Naicker, the project manager of Gauteng 2055.

The Gauteng Vision 2055, was released on 24 May. Residents have been urged to make submissions on the discussion document (G2055) through various public participation forums headed by the Gauteng Planning Commission. Consultations will run until November.

The full discussion document and an abridged version is available at the Gauteng government offices at corner Simmonds and Fox streets, Joburg. It can also be downloaded from the G2055 website. Comments can be made online and via Facebook and Twitter: @G2055vision, or by calling 0816 G2055.

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INNER-CITY GAZETTE

Villagers flee frontier unrest Abidjan - Thousands have fled the area near the border with Liberia, where seven UN peacekeepers and eight civilians were killed last week.

A spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Remi Dourlot said they were expecting about 4 000 people in Tai, after several hundred arrived at the edge of Tai National Park.

Alassane Ouattara Another 35 families crossed the southwest border into Liberia, and hundreds of others had been pushed south by the violence. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the government to hold the perpetrators accountable. “Even after the attack, over 40 peacekeepers remain with the villagers in this remote region to protect them,” he said.

A spokesperson for the UN mission Sylvie van den Wildenberg said: “Here you have many types of armed people, this is a complex environment.”

The peacekeepers remained after the 2010 presidential polls, when incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to acknowledge defeat to current president Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo is at the Hague on charges of crimes against humanity in violence that killed thousands.

NEWS

FOCUS ON AFRICA

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US bounty for Islamists

Mohamed Khalaf

Mogadishu - The US government is offering millions of dollars in rewards for information leading to the capture of al-Shabab leaders.

It is the first time the US has offered money for members of the group, which announced its allegiance to al-Qaeda earlier this year. It has put a price of $7 million on al-Shabab’s founder and commander, Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamud Godane.

Al-Shabab still controls much of the country but is under pressure from Ethiopian troops, progovernment militias and the AU force, which has US and European funding. AU and Somali government forces have captured the town of Afmadow, a strategic militant base in the south of the country.

The US believes al-Qaeda operatives who attacked its embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998 fled to Somalia. Under its Rewards for Justice programme, it offers money for six other key al-Shabab members, in a total of over $30 million.

Among those is al-Shabab co-founder Ibrahim Haji Jama, and the Swedish-Somali Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, also known as Shongole, who is the militant group’s financier.

Spate of church bombings

Interpol seeks terror men

Abuja - Three people died in clashes with police in Jos after a car bomb killed five people during a church service. The clashes broke out after witnesses said a suicide car bomber drove toward several churches in the area before plowing into the Christ Chosen Church of God. The attack injured at least 48 people.

About 230 miles away, gunmen burst into a church and opened fire, said Mark Lipdo, a Christian activist and coordinator for the Stefanos Foundation.

Lipdo said gunmen sprayed bullets throughout the Church of the Brethren chapel in Biu, and several people were wounded. It was not clear whether there were any fatalities, or that the shootings were related.

This comes a week after two church bombings killed at least 15 people and wounded 38. In March, a car bomb killed six people at a Catholic church in Jos. President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in several northern states following a series of Christmas Day attacks on churches.

It was not clear who was behind Sunday’s bombing.

Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out previous attacks at churches throughout the northern parts.

Kampala - Interpol is hunting for four terror suspects suspected to be in the country.

Police have heightened security in the capital and other urban areas. The suspects, some wanted in Kenya include Martin Muller, alias Ahmed Khaled Andreas; Emrah Erdogan alias Imraan AL-Kurdy alias Salahaddin Al-Kurdy and another who is believed to have sneaked into the country on board a Kalita bus from Kenya. Muller is German, and Erdogan is German of Turkish origin.

Last week security agencies arrested a suspect only identified as Hussein, who was described as a high value target. Interpol director Asan Kasingye said Interpol has sought vital information including the fingerprints of top Al-Shabaab members.

Another suspect sought is Abubarker Nur Hussein, a top al-Shabab commander who travelled through Entebbe Airport undetected. Kasingye said Hussein’s from Al-Shabaab hideouts in Al-fitri.

It indicates that Hussein, a Somali national aged 61 entered Uganda in July last year, but there is no evidence that he exited the country.

Maj-Gen Parazi PIC : INNER-CITY-PRESS AGENCY

New police station for Yeoville Akhona Zibonti akhona@inner-city-gazette.co.za Yeoville is in line to get a new police station after waiting for many years.

Plans for the new station were submitted to the City of Johannesburg and construction will begin before the end of June.

The new and bigger premises will be in Becker Street, between Kenmere and Fortesque Street at the top the Yeoville Park. Local Councillor Sihlwele Myeki said there will be better service and reduction of crime in the area.

“Since the older station was small that meant that people’s needs could not be fully met. The new premises will be bigger and there will be better service,” said Hillbrow police cluster commander Major-Gen Parazi.

Yeoville residensts feel this development will give hope and restore their trust with the police.

Armando Guebuza

IMF lauds economic policies Maputo - The IMF has praised the government of President Armando Guebuza for its economic policies after reviewing the country’s economic programme under the Policy Support Instrument (PSI).

Through the PSI the IMF provides analysis and endorsement of a country’s policies, but does not grant loans. It is a mechanism that is ‘designed for low-

income countries that may not need IMF financial assistance, but seek advice, monitoring, and endorsement of their policies’.

IMF deputy managing director Min Zhu said Mozambique’s economic growth remained buoyant in 2011 and inflation successfully contained.

The IMF highlighted the poverty reduction strategy and pointed out that the

government has ‘initiated key measures including reforms in agriculture and business, continued social and human development, and the expansion of a well-targeted and affordable social protection floor’.

Asan Kasingye

Residents evicted from Hillbrow building Residents take their belongings out of the building.

Persistance Nkomo persie.nkomo@inner-city-gazette.co.za

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bout 1 000 people were evicted from the Eden Rock building in Bruce Street, Hillbrow.

The Sheriff of the Court Lutendo Mukwevho said the residents were evicted because they did not pay rent and tried to hijack the building. “They were informed by the new owner that ownership of the

building had changed, and they had to stop paying rent to the previous owner and find places to stay as the building is to be renovated.”

Mukwevho added that the tenants were notified about the eviction so they could find alternative places to stay, but they continued living there hoping to hijack the building.

Dean Rigney, General Manager of Trafalgar says their client bought the building some time last year,

Vandalism case postponed Own Correspondent This week the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court postponed the case of a man who allegedly tried to spraypaint the word ‘respect’ on the wall of the Goodman Gallery in Parkwood.

The man accused of the crime, George Moyo was ordered to appear in court again on June 21. He had been granted R1 000 bail on May 23 and it was extended on Thursday.

Moyo faces a charge of malicious damage to property.

When he was apprehended the letters

“res” had been sprayed onto a white wall of the gallery. He was the third person to be arrested, after two men painted over Brett Murray’s painting “The Spear” the previous day.

The canvas depicted President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed.

Outside court on Thursday, Moyo expressed his satisfaction that the Goodman Gallery had since removed the controversial painting.

“I am very happy it’s gone. I don’t know how much longer they will drag this out. It’s over anyway, the picture is gone,” he said.

A member of the Red Ants gets arrested for alleged theft during the eviction.

PICS : INNER-CITY-PRESS AGENCY

and the tenants were told to find places to stay, and even offered some flats at a special offer in Trafalgar buildings.

“Only a few took that offer and the rest decided to continue living in the building planning to hijack it. We gave them a three months notice and an offer not to pay rent for the last month before they move out to help them find another place to stay,” he adds.

Rigney says the residents had not paid rent for the past six months, and due to their resistance to va-

cate the building his company applied for an eviction order which was granted by the South Gauteng High Court in April this year.

The evicted residents said their landlord did not tell them about the eviction, and some of them were shocked when the Red Ants came to the building.

“We never stopped paying rent and we were not notified that there would be an eviction,” said one of the tenants.

A member of the Red Ants was arrested on an allegation of theft.

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INNER-CITY GAZETTE

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I NNER-CITY GAZETTE

COMMUNITY

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JOIN JHC Bank introduces FOR OPEN reward bundles DAY ON JUNE 16 Bundles target the middle market and retail affluent segments whose banking needs are more sophisticated Persistance Nkomo

persie.nkomo@inner-city-gazette.co.za

JHC invites the public to an open day which will be held on Saturday, June 16. The purpose of the open day is to showcase the show room to the public so that anyone wishing to take up a unit has an idea of what the actual unit will look like after refurbishment.

In the refurbishment project currently underway the entrance to

249 Smits Street will be linked to Smitshof, so that the buildings share one entrance. However anyone wishing to join us on Saturday to view a show unit can still come through at either 249 Smit Street or in Hospital Street from 09h00 until 12h00. Potential tenants can apply for a unit on the spot but they will need to bring their 3 months bank statement,

payslip and identification.

249 Smits Street is next door to JHC’s Smitshof, on the corner of Smits and Hospital Streets, and the building is now also known as Smitshof Extension. It is close to Damelin College, Park Station and main taxi routes.

249 Smits Street is a medium-rise six-storey

building which will offer 54 bachelor units and just one one-bedroom unit. The first 48 tenants who secure flats at 249 Smits Street will receive a brand new double bed and a TV for their units.

Due to limited stock, these will be given on a first come first serve basis. For tenants who stay six months or longer, the bed and the TV will become theirs to keep.

Absa spokesperson Patrick Wadula has announced the introduction of what is called ‘value brands’ as part of rewards to the relationships they have built with clients.

Wadula said these bundles target the middle market and retail affluent segments whose banking needs are more sophisticated.

“Our new philosophy introduces an array of offerings which highlight the value customers can receive by banking with us,” he added.

Arrie Rautenbach, head of Absa Group’s Retail Markets said they want their services to be afford-

able to customers. “To ensure this, we offer unlimited free electronic transfers between your linked accounts and other benefits that go with the value bundles,” added Rautenbach.

Saks Ntombela, head of RBB Products and Segments, explained about the prepaid cards and how they are used for the safety of the customer.

“We are concerned about our customers’ needs and these cards are fast and safer than carrying hard cash around. Already in Cape Town our customers are using these cards in taxis and we are still negotiating with taxi associations in Joburg to start using the cards,” he added.

Register now to rewrite matric in November 2012 Classes start end of June 2012

Sake Afrikaans and Business English

Matric in November 2012

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I NNER-CITY GAZETTE

THE ARTS

Scribe wins top UJ prize Lusanda Zokufa

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here are two prizes given by the University of Joburg annually; the main prize of R65 000, this year won

by Craig Higginson for the novel The Landscape Painter, and the debut prize of R25 000 awarded to Terry WestbyNunn for The Sea of Wise Insects.

These prizes are not linked to any specific genre and the prize is open to as many forms of creative writing, including fiction, poetry, biography and other forms of non-fiction. About 70 published works were submitted this year.

The prizes will be awarded at a prizegiving ceremony in August.

The Market Theatre will open Craig’s new play, Little Foot, at the Market Theatre on 13 July, following its world premiere at the Grahamstown Festival at the Rhodes Theatre, running from 6-8 July. Higginson was one of 10 writers from around the world to be commissioned by the National Theatre, London, to write a play for their Connections Festival.

The National Theatre gave the Market Theatre generous permission to produce an extended version of Craig’s play.

Directed by theatre stalwart Malcolm Purkey and designed by Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year award-winner

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Music spectrum

power struggle This presentation is a challenging take on the happennings within the contemporary hip hop and rap music scene

Neil Coppen, this multi-media play, set at The Cradle of Humankind, promises to be a stunning and memorable experience.

“The landscape of this novel is captured in a synthesis that is surely life itself, our personal landscape of entangled relationships, work, the power of sexuality and the external power of circumstance,” says acclaimed writer Nadine Gordimer.

“It is in The Landscape Painter that Higginson unfolds the mastery of his craft on all fronts. Moving smoothly between two countries and periods, post-war Britain and South Africa at the time leading up to and during the Anglo-Boer War, it is a highly accomplished novel about obsession and damage. Haunting long after the last page is turned, The Landscape Painter is one of those rare gems which allows readers to rediscover themselves.

Higginson is already one of the finest South African writers around, but his star is surely and steadily on the rise. It is just a matter of time before he reaches his zenith,” says Karina Magdalena Szczurek of Independent on Sunday.

Arts Correspondent

T

he Kiri Pink Nob group presents Boom Bap vs Swag Rap, a play written and performed by Jefferson Tshabalala, with musical accompaniment by Simphiwe Bonongo, and directed by Rethabile Mothobi at the Joburg Theatre between 19 and 24 June.

Boom Bap vs Swag Rap is a new uniquely South Africa play that is an exciting yet challenging take on the happenings within the contemporary urban hip hop or rap music scene. The power struggle that it sets up exists between two arch rivals, J Bobs and J Bhoboza, both rappers who in their respective views, represent totally different ends of the musical spectrum.

J Bobs subscribes to a doctrine which recognizes the art of MC’ing (rapping), as a skill or technique oriented discipline, with a rich history and tradition based on rules

(the basics) which should be studied and respected, and advanced only by those who possess the sufficient capacity to adhere to them stringently.

J Bhoboza on the other hand, is of the belief that having enough flamboyant charisma, placing yourself in a strategic socio-logical positioning and doing an in-depth analysis of the current hip hop trends is all that it takes for one to remain in the ‘Rap Game’ as a relevant and influential social figure.

Here then we are faced with the age old rap feud, the grand battle between the commercial/mainstream and the independent/underground.

The production is presented in a satirical format as a ‘Live Rap Concert’. This colossal war is narrowed down to an epic duel between these two giants of the polar ends of the genre, and all this, with uniquely and locally influenced nuances.

Ritual, tough and tender drama A contemporary tale that explores the tenuousness of freedom and the need to belong somewhere, to something, to someone Arts Correspondent

T

he Market Theatre in association with the Baxter Theatre and Mannie Manim Productions presents the Syracuse Stage production of The Brothers Size between 14 June and 1 July at the Barney Simon Theatre.

Tarell Alvin McCraney is an exciting new voice in American Theatre and his award-winning The Brothers Size proves why.

In the Louisiana bayou, big brother Ogun Size is hardworking and steady. Younger brother Oshoosi is just out of prison and aimless. Elegba, Oshoosi’s old prison mate, is a mysterious complication.

A simple circle defines a world that begins in ritual and evolves into tough and tender drama of what it means to brother and be brothered.

Flights of poetry, music, dance and West African mythology combine in a contemporary tale that explores the tenuousness of freedom and the need to belong somewhere, to something, to someone.

To emphasize the universal aspect of his contemporary story, playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney infuses elements that reflect the Yoruba culture of West Africa. A drumbeat initiates action and helps propel the story forward, physical movement accents and explores emotional connections, and the

three characters are named after orishas, or Yoruba divinities.

Ogun Size, played by Joshua Elijah Reese, is the older brother Size named after the spirit of iron and labor. Oshoosi Size, played by Rodrick Covington, is the younger brother Size named after the spirit of the forest and a wanderer. Elegba, played by Sam Encarnación, is a friend of the brothers named after the spirit of chaos and the god of the crossroads, a go-between between this world and the world beyond.

The play contains strong language and adult content and is not for children under 14.

Read The Brothers Size blog at http://syracusetosouthafrica.org/

A scene in The Brother’s Size

Arts Correspondent

Excavation of complex relationships This is endorphin-inducing theatre not for the fainthearted or easily offended

W

ritten by and starring awardwinning playwright/performer Pieter Jacobs, the play excavates the complex formative relationships that shape us and our relationships to food, fitness, lovers, loved ones and the world as adults.

Fasten your seat belts as the central character, Terence, takes his psychologist, Joan, on a rollercoaster ride through his psyche.

Says Jacobs: “This is my first oneman show. Now I have to go and

perform it myself too. I haven’t been on stage for at least six years.

That’s a long time so my comeback as a writer and actor is as exciting as it is daunting.”

Commenting on the genesis of FAT he says: “I’m not the kind of writer who decides to write a play around a specific subject matter or issue. I also don’t logically plan scene after scene. Once Terence took shape the rest came naturally. If one allows the character to be true to themselves, the subject matter surfaces naturally as an integrated part on

the character’s being.”

Terence is awesome. And Terence is terrible. He is an awesome, aweinspiring athlete and terrible human being. Raised by a health-nut of a father, Terence grew up to be discerning about life as an adult but, truth be told, Terence is blunt about everything and about everyone because there is clearly a problem with his social filter, so he just speaks the truth and nothing but the truth.

According to Jacobs, there is no better food for the soul than the gratification of creating something

or being part of something that moves people. “That is ultimately theatre’s function,” he says.

FAT is directed by Jacques Bessenger and features a special appearance by Brenda Radloff as the offstage character, Joan.

The preview will be at the University of Johannesburg Con Cowan Theatre on 15 June and the full production runs at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown in the NG Kerk Hall from 01 to 08 July 2012.

For more information visit www.fat.wozaonline.co.za

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THE ARTS

14 - 21 JUNE 2012

Movie festival highlights local work Producer and director Izette Mostert.

Andra le Roux-Kemp

T

he annual Encounters Film Festival provides a platform for local and international filmmakers to showcase their work in Joburg and Cape Town.

The festival focuses on documentary films, and is the only South African distributor dedicated to showcasing documentaries to the South African public.

This year cinema-goers in Johannesburg and Cape Town can enjoy 29 international and 22 South African films that were selected from the 487 entries received. In an exciting partnership with Al Jazeera, a selection of investigative films by this award-winning international news channel will also be screened.

Some of the most eye-catching films include the harrowing Saving Rhino Phila which tackles the scourge of rhino poaching,

and the world premiere of On the Edge, a film that delves into the furtive war being waged on South Africa’s most vulnerable in inner city Johannesburg.

Progress is the story of the ragtag local rugby team who beat the mighty Maties; while Pina, a documentary of the extraordinary work of dance legend Pina Bausch, is bound to sell out in 2D as well as 3D. There’s also a load of entrancing short films, such as Strong Bones which documents a grannies-only football club in Limpopo.

I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of Saying Goodbye; an unassuming documentary about an ordinary family and how saying goodbye had dire repercussions for them all.

Producer and director Izette Mostert embarked on this film project after meeting Sean Davison, a UWC professor who had

SA’s film industry may not compare with Hollywood but there is an abundance of talent helped his mother end the misery induced by terminal cancer.

Many South Africans followed the unfolding events in the media as Davison was arrested in New Zealand and sent to trial.

Mostert’s film is an unpretentious and honest portrayal which, without getting involved in the debate over euthanasia, simply tells the story of an 85 year-old woman saying goodbye to her children, her grandchildren and her friends. It also shows how her youngest son, Sean Davison, not only said goodbye to his mother when he assisted her at the end of her life, but he also said goodbye to family and friends who did not agree with his actions.

In 2011, when Davison returned to New Zealand for the trial and subsequent sentence of five months house arrest, he again had to say goodbye; this time to his wife and two boys who remained

behind in South Africa. The film is frank and intimate as it delves into a family’s torment. The human element is highlighted by the juxtaposition of the emotional interviews with family and friends in the familiar confines of their homes against the footage of the trial in New Zealand, which shows the cold interior of a court house and the objectively detached nature of justice.

A documentary by South African-born Jon Blair, Academy Award winning Anne Frank Remembered is a definite must see.

The international documentaries are equally thought-provoking and if you enjoy investigative journalism programmes, the documentaries by Al Jazeera promise great food for thought.

The 14th Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival opened on 7 June and will end on 24 June.

Laugh out ride in topsy turvy tour Arts Correspondent Jonathan Roxmouth (picured) will present his new one-man show Topsy Turvy at the Studio Theatre, Montecasino from 4 July to 5 August.

Gilbert and Sullivan never saw it coming! Jonathan Roxmouth (The Phantom of the Opera, JC Superstar, Hats Off! and A Handful of Keys) will invade the theatre with a wealth of ridiculous characters in his new oneman show, Topsy Turvy.

Roxmouth revisits the comic songs and verse of British duo Gilbert & Sullivan who were responsible for such evergreens as HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado.

This is no ‘traditional’ recital, though.

In Topsy Turvy, Roxmouth takes the audience on a laugh-out-loud ride through the hysterical world of G&S. These classic songs are dusted off and given a modern twist for a new audience. Swash your buckle with the Pirate King, giggle with the Three Little Maids or even do a high kick with the motor-mouthed Major-General in an evening of classic English nostalgia.

As a bonus, there is also a lesson in how to write your own Gilbertian Operetta in the mix. If you have never heard of them, this is the perfect introduction to their work that the rest of the die-hard Gilbertians out there will love to see and hear again.

Whether you know Gilbert & Sullivan or not, this is a must-see for all fans of musical schizophrenia. One man, over 15 characters, eight operettas.

14 - 21 JUNE 2012

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SPORT

PSL playoffs resume Soccer Correspondent

T

Thanda Royal’s Sthembiso Dlamini (left) and Santos captain Tyren Arendse tussle for the ball during the recent play-off match.

he Premier Soccer League has announced the fixture for the remaining five matches in the PSL playoff tournament.

The mini-League, which features Absa Premiership side Santos, who finished 15th in the top-flight in the last campaign, as well as National First Division teams Thanda Royal Zulu and Chippa United, will be used to determine which of the three sides plays in the Premier League next season.

The competition got under way last month with a 1-0 win for Santos over Thanda, but was then halted because of a case brought before

the PSL’s DC by Blackburn Rovers against Chippa United, with the former alleging that the Cape Town club had used an ineligible player in the course of the campaign.

The PSL and an independent arbitrator have subsequently dismissed this charge though, and the fixtures can continue.

Chippa United will host Thanda at the Athlone Stadium on Saturday, with a kick-off time of 20h15.

Santos then host Chippa at the same venue on July 20, before they have their return game against Thanda, also in Athlone, on June 23.

Thanda will host Chippa at the Richards Bay Stadium on June 27, before the latter enetertain Santos

in the final league game on June 30.

Teams collect three points for a win and one for a draw.

The side with the most points in the mini-league event after all six matches will be declared the winner and promoted to the PSL. Full fixtures: 16/06 Chippa United vs Thanda Royal Zulu (Athlone Stadium, 20/06 Santos vs. Chippa United (Athlone Stadium, 19h30) 23/06 Santos vs. Thanda Royal Zulu (Athlone Stadium, 20h15) 27/06 Thanda Royal Zulu vs. Chippa United (Richards Bay Stadium, 14h00) 30/06 Chippa United vs. Santos (Athlone Stadium, 15h00)

Boks string three changes Brenden Nel

S

pringbok coach Heyneke Meyer made three changes to the side to face England in Saturday’s second test at Coca-Cola Park, keeping his promise to keep continuity with the side that did well in the first test.

All three changes were forced on him by injury, as Pat Lambie (pictured) moved into the starting lineup to cover for Zane Kirchner’s knee injury, with Bjorn Basson benched.

While there were no real surprises in the side, Kruger above Greyling came down to scrummaging ability, as Greyling isn’t known to play both sides of the scrum, and a niggle to starter Jannie du Plessis made it an easy call to ensure there was the right cover for him.

England will face a motivated team that Meyer believes needs to up their performance if they are to satisfy their own high standards as a team.

“We wanted some continuity in the team and I thought the guys played reasonably well. We have high standards and expect a better performance on Saturday. For their first start, a lot of the youngsters did very

well, and we wanted to keep some continuity, that’s why we made this choice,” Meyer explained at the team announcement.

Meyer explained that he had considered putting a full front row on the bench, but with Du Plessis struggling in training, opted to go safe rather than bold when it comes to his selection in the front row.

“We had to look at the players on the bench and while Dean Greyling is a great impact player and loosehead, I’ve opted for Werner Kruger

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because Jannie has been struggling with a slight injury this week and I’d like some cover for him there. Werner brings something different and is a quality player as well. England is a quality side and I have a lot of respect for their coaching team and players. Every game is a test match and we know we need to be well prepared and focused. Altitude makes a big difference and is in our advantage.

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Lastly, there might have been some eyebrows raised at the omission of Gio Aplon from the match 22, but Meyer said his decision was based on the fact that Aplon had not trained with the team for very long.

“We thought of putting him (Gio) in but he hasn’t trained that much with the side. I decided Frans Steyn has played fullback for most of this year at Racing Metro and done well there, Bjorn Basson has covered fullback at the Bulls and Ruan has played test rugby at fullback, so we felt there was enough cover at fullback.

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