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Special from 29 March 5 April 2012
29 March - 5 April 2012 Tel : 011 023-7588 / 011 402 - 1977
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Stories from the African continent Page 7
Gateway to Abundant Life Page 13
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Health drive Region F community members participate in aerobic exercises during the city’s health campaign event.
Pic : Inner-city Press Agency
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Inner-city Gazette
News
29 March - 5 April 2012
Challenge for property owners ‘The clean-up programme is the department’s drive to eliminate rodent infestation which has become a cause for concern’ Kgopi Mabotja
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he City has told owners of vacant land turned into dumping sites that if they do not clean up their rubbish, City Parks will do so, and send them the bill. The deputy director in the environmental health directorate, Nic Van Deventer, announced that officials from the department will be conducting inspections on identified properties that have become eyesores. He said the owners should take responsibility to ensure that no illegal activity, including illegal
dumping, takes place on their properties. “You cannot have people dumping rubbish everywhere. Owners should fence their properties to prevent any illegal act,” said Van Deventer. The clean-up programme is expected to be completed by May. Van Deventer warned that the City will act decisively against those who do not comply. “Properties which are not cleaned by the end of the set deadline will then be cleared by Johannesburg City Parks at the owners’ cost. The owner will be charged through rates accounts.”
City slum ...the city council is set to clean up the environment in slums like this one. Pics : Inner-city Press Agency
Notices will be issued to noncompliant owners, and they will be required to clean their properties as required by the Council within a 21-day period from the issue of the notice. Officials will conduct physical supervision on the properties. “The owners of vacant properties have a duty to ensure that their properties are at all times maintained in a clean and tidy condition, free of public health nuisances, hazards and risks and accumulations of refuse, rubble and other matter, and to ensure that the long grass and weeds are cut,” said Van Deventer.
Owners of vacant properties are also advised to fence off their properties, in order to prevent illegal dumping, littering, and vagrants and criminals from gaining access. The clean-up programme is the department’s drive to eliminate rodent infestation which has become a cause for concern in many communities. In a bid to rid the city of rodents, Health and Human Development MMC Nonceba Molwele has launched a campaign to curb rodent infestation. The Owl Box Project has already been rolled out in areas
such as Alexandra township. Through the project, owls’ nests have been built at a number of schools, where learners will be educated in the value of owls to control the rodent population. In a month’s time, a number of owls will be released into the area to prey on rodents. Experts believe that the owls will eventually multiply. “The City of Johannesburg takes the protection, conservation and enhancement of its environment seriously and is calling on member of the community to refrain from illegal dumping of refuse and waste on vacant stands and open spaces,” said Molwele. Community members are urged to report offending property owners who fail to comply with the ultimatum to the environmental health offices on 011 407 6494/6545.
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29 March - 5 April 2012
Inner-city Gazette
News
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City healthy
living drive ‘It will be half a battle won if we can conceptualise the importance of living healthy lifestyles, like stopping drinking, smoking and exercising regularly’ Sizwe Mathe sizwem@inner-city-gazette.co.za
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he City of Johannesburg Region F health department recently conducted a Health Open Day aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles. That included a 5km Fun Walk in which both the young and old participated. The region’s health manager, Oupa Montsioa said it was great to see a lot of old people, taking part in the health campaign.
“The primary focus was testing blood pressure, diabetes and HIV. Through awareness campaigns we are beginning to see results in people looking after their health. It will be half a battle won if we can begin to conceptualise to all people the importance of living healthy lifestyles, like to stop drinking, smoking and exercise regularly.” Organisations which included Old Mutual, Anova Health Institute, and Simon Nkoli Centre for Men’s Health had erected stalls on which
Top left : Region F Director Nathi Mthethwa addresses the participants. Above : Community members get their blood pressure checked.
they promoted their services. On the day fitness instructors took the crowd through aerobic exercises, and cultural dance groups provided entertainment. The region also used the day to highlight various programmes offered by the health department to the community. “We encourage community members to regularly check their weight to ensure that diseases are diagnosed early. If any disease is diagnosed at an early stage it is possible
for it to be managed, if not cured,” added Montsioa. The day also coincided with International TB Day. The region’s TB coordinator Smondo Ramokgopa encouraged the community to regularly test for the diseases. “People must not stop treatment until their health care workers say they can. If you are already on TB treatment and taking your tablets every day but not feeling better after two weeks, you must report this to a nurse at your clinic,” he said.
Pics : Inner-city Press Agency
In 2011, there were 21 399 new cases of TB diagnosed in Johannesburg, according to figures from the city. The City currently boasts a New Smear Positive Cure Rate and Treatment Success Rate of all TB patients of 81 percent. The regional director Nathi Mthethwa commended community members for being part of the day’s activities. “A healthy body translates to a healthy community,” he added. For more call Lesego on 011 681 8016 or cellphone 074 113 9416.
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Comment
The City’s campaign to clean up open spaces must be supported by all who understand safe living standards. There are many spaces in the inner-city that belong to property owners that are unused or completely abandoned. Many ordinary people do not know that most of such places belong to someone. In the recent past some people would occupy such places thinking they belonged to no one, only to find themselves getting evicted when the property owner instituted the action against them. Sadly, some of those spaces have been left unattended to an extent that they become informal dumping sites for all forms of refuse. That then transformed them into breeding centres for diseases and other threats to human life. This includes the millions of rodents that infest the inner-city neighbourhood, some of which were involved in the widely publicized death of a Hillbrow baby a short while ago. The announcement this week by the Environmental Health Directorate Deputy Director, Nic Van Deventer, that the department will conduct inspections on properties that have become eyesores, bodes well for the general environment. Inspections and notices may not yield the desired results, as the officials may have noted. Besides, this is not the first time people who care about the environment have flighted such pleas. However, now the authorities say if the owner does not clean up the place, they do it themselves and bill the property owner. It is a fact that challenging the pockets of business people wakes them up and goads them into action, to protect their money. In this regard we can hope to have a cleaner and safer environment sooner than we expect.
Distribution – 40 000 copies free door to door delivery weekly to all households and businesses in the Joburg inner-city. 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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29 March - 5 April 2012
Inner-city Gazette
Leader / Letters
Watch out for the bus ‘The drivers do not make it any safer as they drive at high speed and hooting, without using the brakes’ Pedestrians walk along the ReaVaya bus lane in Twist Street.
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fter I witnessed an accident in which a woman was knocked down by the Rea Vaya bus in town, may I please get a chance to warn your readers and members of the community in general, about traffic safety in the Rea Vaya bus lanes. There are some very dangerous parts of the Rea Vaya lanes in Joubert Park. These are areas where there are almost always many people in the streets, all of which are in Twist Street. The first one is the Wolmarans Street turn-off, where the bus often finds many people trying to cross the street. I once
noticed that the robots there are so confusing, in that they turn green for the bus, and some pedestrians think the green is meant for them and try to cross the street. They often meet the bus in the street and have to run for their lives. The other dangerous place is the Bok Street intersection. There, people often cross Twist Street at the robots safely, but forget to watch out for the bus coming along the lane. Last year I witnessed two accidents there, and have heard many more about the Rea Vaya running over pedestrians there. In that
area some people walking to town choose to walk in the Rea Vaya lane, than walk in the Twist Street pavement. I think this is because the pavement is often crowded, and some people fear that pickpockets may steal their belongings. The drivers do not make it any safer as they drive at high speeds, only using their hooters as the bus bears down on the pedestrians, without any attempt on the brakes. The Noord Street section of the lane is even more complicated and dangerous, and that is where the bus knocked down a woman last
Yeoville community members attend the climate seminar.
Pic : Inner-city Press Agency
week. There the place has even more pedestrians than the other sections, and made more complicated by taxis crossing the lane, and another Rea Vaya coming from the opposite direction. To reduce the number of accidents in that area I would advise that pedestrians stick to the pavements and always watch out for the bus, and the taxis. The drivers must also drive slower in that area in order to prevent the constant accidents that we see there more often than not. Nelly Hlatshwayo Joubert Park
Pic : Inner-city Press Agency
Inner-city climate change seminar ‘We should use power saving lightbulbs to save electricity and switch off unnecessary lights’ Dintle Motlala dintle@inner-city-gazette.co.za
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his week Joburg City Parks, Environmental Education Unit hosted a workshop on climate change in Yeoville. The unit’s manager Sinah Magolo said global warming is a major influence of climate change. “The rural and semi-urban poor people are at more risk of experiencing water shortages, as they rely on untreated water derived from rivers, wells and wetlands. There will be less available clean water with consequences for hy-
giene and health,” she said. Magolo said South Africa has been identified as one of the countries that will experience considerable water scarcity by 2025. “The agricultural productivity will change, specially resulting in major shifts in croplands, most likely with the worst effects in developing countries. The current climate change models suggest changes in rainfall with more flooding in rainy seasons and longer, harsher dry seasons, probably resulting in drought,” said Magolo. She added that we should use
power saving lightbulbs to save electricity and switch off unnecessary lights. Clr Sihlwele Myeki of Ward 67 said climate change affects us in such a way that the patterns of seasons are changing. “The last rainy season in Johannesburg left many people homeless and damaged the infrastructure. Flooding affects communities, we now have more emergencies because of rain,” he said. Clr Myeki added that burning of fossils like coal, oil, natural gas and petrol can damage the ozone layer. “We have to be strict on
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implementing by-laws. People should learn to recycle waste material, they should throw away less garbage and recycle materials like cans, plastic, paper and glass,” he added. Myeki said he encourages people to harvest rain so that they can use the water for watering plants or for household usage. “People cannot plant crops because of the changing weather. One cannot even plan for a holiday or outdoor activities. We are all worried about climate change because we cannot predict the weather,” he said.
29 March - 5 April 2012
Inner-city Gazette
Commercial
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Inner-city Gazette
29 March - 5 April 2012
29 March - 5 April 2012
Inner-city Gazette
Focus on Africa
Boycott over ‘poll rigging’ Bissau - The runner-up in the recent presidential election, former president Kumba Yala says he will not participate in a run-off vote, claiming the first round of polling was unfair. Results from Sunday’s poll gave ex-prime minister Carlos Gomez 49 percent of the vote out of nine candidates. Kumba Yala was second with 23 percent. As Gomez did not win a majority there must be a runoff vote, but Yala demands that the new voter registration must be done before he takes part. “This election wasn’t fair, the numbers were fabricated. We have evidence that Gomes rigged the vote.” Foreign observer missions have said Sunday’s vote; which was to find a successor to President Malam Bacai Sanha who died in January after a long illness, was largely free and fair. Yala was overthrown as president in a 2003 coup, one in a long line of military coups in the west African state. The country has also been destabilised by the booming illegal drugs trade from Latin America, which uses it as a staging post for the European market.
News AU suspends member
Amadou Toure Kumba Yala
UN probe reveals abuses Kinshasa - A UN report says Congolese and security forces committed serious human rights violations, including killings, disappearances and arbitrary detentions during last year’s general elections. The report documents the killing of 33 people by security forces between 26 November and 25 December, and the wounding of 83. Sixteen people remain unaccounted for and 265 were arrested, many of them arbitrarily detained and tortured. The 28 November election was the second multiparty vote since independence from Belgium in 1960. The report, based on investigations conducted by the UN Joint Human Rights Office, found that most of the reported violations involved the Republican Guards, the police or the National Intelligence Agency. The UNHCR’s Navi Pillay noted that the Republican Guards fired live bullets into crowds and tortured detained individuals. “Such grave violations of human rights must be investigated, perpetrators brought to justice and those illegally detained be released.” The UN said many of those were targeted because of supporting the party of Etienne Tshisekedi, the main opponent of President Joseph Kabila.
Addis Ababa - At a meeting this week the AU suspended Mali’s membership, after renegade soldiers seized power. Nigeria’s ambassador, Paul Zolo said the AU would hold accountable all those involved in the breakdown of security. Chairman Jean Ping said the council would consider sanctions similar to those imposed in Ivory Coast during its recent political turmoil. In Bamako, shops and offices remained shut a day after the military ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure. The new military junta suspended the constitution and closed the borders. Toure’s whereabouts remain unknown. Ping said Toure was still in Mali and apparently protected by his royal guard. Amnesty International reported at least three deaths in the coup. A US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said about $140 million annual aid to Mali could be affected. “Over half of that is humanitarian that would not be affected. But if the situation is not resolved democratically, the remaining portion could very seriously be affected,” she said.
Row in genocide trial Navi Pillay
AU troops to chase LRA Kampala - A 5 000 strong AU military force to hunt down warlord Joseph Kony has been launched. His Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is accused of rape, mutilation, murder and use of child soldiers. UN envoy Abou Moussa said Kony was believed to be in the Central African Republic, and that the LRA had dwindled but still creating havoc. Kony and his
aides have been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2005. “The most important thing is that no matter how little the LRA may be, it constitutes a danger,” Moussa said. The AU mission comes in the wake of a huge Internet campaign targeting the LRA leader. The video, Kony 2012 has been viewed more than 100 million times on YouTube.
The AU military force force will have a Ugandan commander and comprise troops from Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Congo - all countries in which the Kony’s LRA has operated. Leon Mugesera
Kigali - Genocide suspect Leon Mugesera refuses to be tried in his Kinyarwanda language, which he allegedly used in his ‘radical’ speech in 1992. The prosecution bases on Mugesera’s incendiary speech in Kabaya to implicate him in the 1994 genocide. In the speech, Mugesera, who was then deputy chairman of the former ruling party; is alleged to have incited the killing of Tutsi and tossing their bodies into Nyabarongo river, as a short cut to Ethiopia, where they ‘came from’. Prosecutor-General, Martin Ngoga said his office would not violate the laws to honour Mugesera’s request of being interrogated in French. “The suspect should be interrogated in the language he understands, not the one he imposes.” said Ngoga. He is charged with three counts of planning the massacres, inciting the public to commit genocide and distributing weapons. His first appearance was conducted in Kinyarwanda. Experts believe that changing to French is a trick aimed at making his Kabaya speech lose context.
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News
Varsity hosts
29 March - 5 April 2012
Inner-city Gazette
library week
‘We encourage people to read everyday; even if you read only two words it makes a difference in your life’ Dintle Motlala dintle@inner-city-gazette.co.za
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he University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein Campus, recently hosted 10 intelligent children and their teachers to commemorate the culture of reading, as part of the annual South African library week. Campus librarian Julia Paris said reading is a basic human right. “We encourage people to read every day; even if you read one or two words it will make a difference in your life. Everyone has a right to learn, read, and to information,” she added. Paris added that reading influences people to make informed decisions in their careers, families, and lifestyles. “Children with special needs do not go to school just like other
kids, they are home schooled by their mothers. They understand them better. Schoolteachers may not manage them because they are every active, and may think they are naughty. At home they are managed well because they are in smaller groups,” she added. Paris said those children are extremely intelligent. “They have muscle tone disability but their brains are extremely sharp. Their syllabus is different from the one Campus librarian Julia Paris (right) with the library staff, children, parents and teachers who attended the workshop. that other schools use. At an early Pics : Inner-city Press Agency age they can learn maths, science, engineering and other lessons that also have general knowledge, not pus for hosting the event. “This of wealth,” she added. means that our children can get vast Jessica Beyl, a learner who was are taught at university level.” only basic education,” she added. She added that the children do Paris encouraged students to culti- knowledge, as knowledge is pow- part of the session said children er. It also means empowerment to with special needs are not forgotten. not libraries at their homes. “We vate the culture of reading. showed them how to generate one Diane Kilian, a mother of one of the individual. A library is a place “This is an exciting place where we in their homes, we want them to the children commended the cam- where we can learn and it is a world can learn and write.” she added.
Some of the boys read a book in the new library. Pic : Inner-city Press Agency
Twilight shelter book centre Sizwe Mathe sizwem@inner-city-gazette.co.za Eviction scene...The Red Ants dump the evicted residents’ possessions in the street. Pic : Inner-city Press Agency
Hundreds evicted from Berea building Sizwe Mathe sizwem@inner-city-gazette.co.za
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pregnant woman had to be rushed to hospital when she experienced labour pains soon after being evicted from the Asbern Mansions apartment building in Berea’s Olivia Street this week. The building’s occupants said they had difficulty getting her documents because all her possessions had been mixed up with those of others. One of the hundreds of evicted residents, Phindi Mbola said: “It was a painful scene. And after she gives birth where will that baby live?”
She explained that she has lived in that building since 2004, and has never received any correspondence from the owner. “We stopped paying rent in 2007 after the police told us that the building’s owner died.” Mbola also accused the Red Ants of assaulting some of them during the eviction. “They beat our husbands in front us and our children, we voted for this nonsense and I will never vote again,” she added. Another resident Phiwa Makhoba said they never received any notice of eviction: “I have been staying here for over six years and never received any document from
anyone. Whoever says they gave us notice of eviction is lying.” However, Johannesburg Central Court Sheriff Lutendo Mukwevho said he gave the residents notice in August last year, and they did not contest the court order. “The people have been staying in the building illegally, the owner even gave them an option to move to other floors to allow him to renovate the first floor.” During the eviction Hillbrow police arrested seven wanted suspects and more for various crimes. Police spokesperson Sgt Jenny Pillay said the suspects were nabbed for alleged robbery, theft and fraud.
The Twilight Children’s Home in Hillbrow has opened a library which will soon be used by the local community. Volunteer Patti Scales says the library offers a range of books in fields such as science, arts, literature, technology, history, sports and fiction. “The books were donated by the School Aid NGO last year, with the assistance of HSBC Bank from Hong Kong. The library will provide quality educational materials to the boys at the centre, to meet their diverse future needs.” She adds that this library is very important to the boys. “They used to spend their time in the streets, and have now been given hope. This shows that there is another world for hopeless children. Here, we are nurturing the future leaders of this city and ultimately the country,” she adds. The Twilight shelter provides accommodation for boys between
the ages of eight and 20. It was established in 1983 to cater for children living in the streets of Hillbrow. The overall cost in setting up the library is R45 000, says Scales. “We received the money last year and the project got underway in August. Most of the books come from England, but we have recently received a donation of books from the Johannesburg Mobile Libraries Services.” The library is not yet open to the whole community, but will soon be serving children from around the neighborhood, adds Scales. “That’s the ultimate aim, allow Hillbrow to read. The library is always full; the boys find joy in reading. And this will also have an impact in their performance at school.” One of the boys at the centre, Tumelo Mokonyane, 16, says the library will help him prepare for school next year. “I use the library to learn about things I do not understand. It’s a great source of information for us,” he adds.
29 March - 5 April 2012
Musically superb fairy queen at UJ
I nner-city Gazette
The Arts
Zukai sings from the heart
The English Henry Purcell and William Shakespeare meet on African soil for a delightful semi-operatic romp Moira de Swardt
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he Fairy Queen at UJAC is a semiopera using a simplified version of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream as adapted by Purcell for the tastes of 17th century audiences. It was staged at the UJ Theatre last week. It leaves out the play within a play which Shakespeare features and runs for only 70 minutes in comparison to the very long and confusing version by Purcell. The dramaturge for the current work is Laura Ellersdorfer. The music is beautiful baroque styled arias, chorales and instrumental interludes and was played by the National Youth Orchestra under the baton of Dutch conductor Gerben Grooten, supplemented with professional musicians from all over the world. On harpsichord is baroque specialist, John Coulter, while Stefano Pagliani, the concertmaster of the orchestra of La Scala, Milan and Oyvind Gimse, founder of the acclaimed Trondheim Soloists as well as members of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra all serve as mentors to the National Youth Orchestra members. The 30 young vocalists of the Bloekomboos Secondary School Choir are led by international star countertenor Derek Lee Ragin (Oberon) and by South African singers Zandile Gwebityala (Titania), Melissa Gerber (Helena), Sandile Mabaso (Puck), Brenda Thulo (Hermia), Ronald Melato (Lysander), Mlamli Lalapantsi (Demetrius) and Charles Ainslie (Drunken Poet). Two of the performances featured Jonathan Watkins as Oberon. Both the
instrumental and the vocal music were sublime. I particularly enjoyed the performances by Melissa Gerber, Sandile Mabaso and Zandile Gwebityala. Charles Ainslee is a superb actor and had me in stitches at his donkey antics. Directed by Robert Lehmeier, the concept focuses on identity and I found it interesting that as Puck sprinkles the love ‘juice’ around it falls on many couples, both straight and gay giving the chorus some reason to be scattered around the stage. Hermia’s abuse at the hands of Demetrius caused a collective intake of breath in the audience and her willingness to let this continue was palpably out of sync with contemporary thinking. This was not necessarily a bad thing. It did make the audience sit up and take notice of the action, which Puck eventually does manage to get to run along pleasant lines. The costuming was simple but effective, and I loved the military campness of Puck, physically the largest character on stage. I found the placement of the chorus in the centre of all the action quite disturbing at times, and would have been comfortable with a more low-key approach to their stage activities. The over-the-top wedding dress was a hit. The production was musically superb, the storyline the classic Shakespeare, the staging fun and upbeat generally. All in all this is an excellent production of something one is not likely to see repeated in the near future by any other operatic group. Seize the opportunity to see it now. artslink.co.za
Nozuko is giving away 10 Ndiyahamba CDs to 10 readers. Call 011 023 - 7588 or SMS 076 870 3009.
Mothibi Mthethwa “LISTEN to the passion of your soul; set your spirit free and let not a single note go unsung”, says Nozuko Zukai Xhaka, the latest music gem from Queenstown, who was born into a musical family and polished by Afro-pop musician Pat Shange. Nozuko began singing in church and by 2002, she had left home and sang at weddings to pay the rent and feed herself until misfortune struck. “I remember going without anything to eat for three days, but it was a blessing that strengthened
Madiba archives online Moses Moyo moses@inner-city-gazette.co.za
Freedom icon...Nelson Mandela
The Nelson Mandela Digital Archive went live on the internet on Tuesday, transforming the iconic former statesman’s life into a freeto-access online narrative. Powered by Google and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the archive contains documents, videos and various other multimedia detailing the former president’s life from the early years in his native Eastern Cape until his present day retirement. The Department of Arts and Culture also threw its weight behind the Nelson Mandela Digital Archive. Minister Paul Mashatile says his department supports the initiative. “At all times we must reaffirm our liberation heritage as an integral part of our country’s memory and cultural heritage.” The support is based on the understanding that as they advance the programme for nation building and
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promoting social cohesion is important to continue preserving cultural heritage, and in particular the liberation heritage. Mashatile adds that such preservation of history is encouraging and a step in the right direction to ensure that future generations have access to information on the country’s history. Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor also hailed the archive as a chance for South Africans to learn from Mandela. “Our country and globe is in desperate need of role models that espouse the values and morals Mandela exhibited, we have to take advantage of the digital world to enhance our education in South Africa,” she said. It was stressed at the launch that Google has no ownership of any of the documents on the newly announced digital archive site. The archive can be accessed through visiting the website http:// www.archive.nelsonmandela.org
me. Phumzile Mngadi, a close friend, later introduced me to Brickz Mudau, and worked with Lucky Mokoka and the late Ringo Mkhari at Shandel Music.” Herbert Xulu and Stain Phiri invited the versatile Zukai to Pat Shange’s Ezomdabu Records. “On hearing me sing, `Bra’ Pat urged her to work with him on a 16-track album Ndiyahamba, which he produced. A mix of Afro pop, soul, gospel and traditional music Ndayahamba includes tracks like Ukholo Lwami, Nqandani Bo, Mayibuye i-Afrka and This Song is for You, and features Nomfundo Mhlaba,
Phumaphi Hlebela and Mzwandile Lion on backing vocals, Mbuzeni on acoustic guitars and Ernest `DJ Xchange’ Kau on drums and percussion. Zukai blames arrogance as the downfall of many artists and has learnt from their mistakes. “Follow your dreams and respect people. Never forget where you come from,” is her deep-seated message for young would-be musicians. About his new gem, Pat Shange has this to say: “Zukai is blessed with raw non-cosmetic talent and sings with soul, while retaining her orientation of gospel music. As a performer, she is outstanding and more than just part of the band. The band is there to back her, while her style and rendition is enough to move you closer to God, amadlozi or both at once. On the other hand, the new music gem looks at the world through a different world and stresses the fact that, “The greatest human quality is being unstoppable; and to be unstoppable simply means refusing to quit, no mater what happens.”
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Inner-city Gazette
Landrost Mansions, CBD. Bachelors R1,702 & 2 Beds R3,320. Next to Noord Taxi Rank, High Court Precinct & JHB Art Gallery
29 March - 5 April 2012
29 March - 5 April 2012
Inner-city Gazette
The Arts
Funds for Room 13
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It seeks to unlock children’s imaginations by developing their artistic expression across various art forms, in particular visual arts and literature Arts Correspondent
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usiness and Arts South Africa member, TBWA South Africa, has raised over R500 000 for its CSI Room 13. The fundraising came in the form of an art auction, hosted by the award-winning communications and brand Solutions Company and held at the prestigious CIRCA Gallery in Johannesburg. Up for bidding were artworks by Sam Nhlengethwa, (pictured) the world-renowned artist who collaborated with John Hunt on The Art of the Idea a book celebrating the power of ideas. Nhlengethwa’s beautiful illustrations for the book were donated by the artist to the auction, with eight on live auction and 11 on silent auction. To up the stakes, TBWA South
Africa also hosted an online auction within the TBWA global network, adding a good dose of glitz and glamour to the event and increasing the numbers. The auction raised R510 000 for Room 13, which will be used to both raise the profile of the project and improve its studios. TBWA South Africa Group brand manager Sonja Kruger described Room 13 as being at “the heart of everyone in the company” – including other companies in the TBWA family like Integer, GRID and Magna Carta which all played a key role in the auction. “We believe in Room 13 and this event would not have been possible if everyone didn’t feel that way,” comments Kruger. “We see the effect Room 13 has on the lives of our children and feel strongly
that our role in the greater society is about empowering the leaders of tomorrow, our youth, to be the best they can be.” For the greater TBWA South Africa family though, Room 13 is about far more than upliftment and entrepreneurship. “It’s about giving these children a safe and secure space to express themselves and create an identity for themselves in a community of like-minded thinkers,” Kruger adds. Room 13 started at Caol Primary School in Scotland, 1994; with South Africa pioneering the first studio in 2004. With consistent success Room 13 has grown to include studios from all over the world; in Nepal, India, USA, Canada, Mexico, Turkey, Austria, China, and Holland and is becoming a worldwide network of studios.
Room 13 seeks to unlock the children’s imaginations by developing their artistic expression across various art forms, in particular visual arts and literature whilst teaching essential business skills. They run the studio as their own business, taking full responsibility for the sustainability of the project. In this way Room 13 becomes a studio run by learners for learners, supported by an Artist-inResidence, within a school environment and the learners manage the studio themselves, electing their own management team every year. The learners are responsible for creating a business atmosphere within their studio concentrated on achieving self-sustainability and
are ultimately responsible for its success or failure. This is how we, at TBWA, help build the leaders of tomorrow and grow our youth to be the best they can be. Room 13 piloted with two studios in SA; one in Sapebuso Primary School in Soweto, and one in Mmulakgoro Intermediary School in Botshabelo in 2004. At present there are 14 Room 13s all over the country.
Some funny business ‘I’m not quite sure how much of this was actually in the script, but when you come out aching with laughter, it hardly matters.’ Jennifer de Klerk
F
rom the start the set of Funny Business is promising; there are eight doors. That means plenty of scope for sudden entrances, strategic exits and people falling in and out. Then there are two beds - that’s also essential, not that anyone gets the time or opportunity to actually do anything in them, but there is always that tantalising possibility. Hotels are fertile places for farces. You can have any number of strange guests with peculiar quirks and surreptitious agendas. As acting hotel manager Ferris says frequently … “discretion is my middle name (along with Cuthbert, Lionel, Beverly …).” This oddball character is Alan Committie (pictured above) in tasteless trousers (which he loses a couple of times) and a truly awful wig. Add Robert Fridjhon as the nerd of all nerds, aspiring to a night of hanky panky in the Honeymoon Suite, a mix-up of potential partners, an old gent with aphrodisiac aspirations, a mysterious journalist who could make or break the hotel and a jealous husband who shouldn’t be there … well, you get the picture. The original Funny Business is possibly terribly English and a bit dated, but this version, thanks to Committie and Fridjhon, is far from that. Judging by the constant corpsing on stage, there is a lot of ad-libbing going on and it gets more and more frenetic.
At one stage I wondered if it was getting out of hand, but these ingenious and inventive performers kept enough control to keep us in stitches. So, the right lady, the wrong lady, the jealous husband, the eager lover, the harassed hotel manager, the doors banging, the phone ringing, misunderstandings, innuendoes, fall about moments, all culminating in the obligatory chase scene in and out and over the obligatory suitcase. Blink and you miss it, especially with Committie and Fridjhon on form. They are backed up by a superbly controlled (which took some doing) performance from veteran Neville Thomas and a nicely consistent one from Jaci de Villiers. She has some of the original lines to deliver and actually manages to get them out effectively. Carly Graeme pulls off the femme fatale with a penchant for gin with aplomb and Clyde Berning races in and out in running shoes screaming he wants to kill someone. As it turns out he has two wives and a third on the way, we’re not sure why. Never mind. The cast has a ball, the loo has a ballcock, ball jokes abound … in fact, everybody has a ball, including the audience. As I said, just how much of this show was meant to happen, I haven’t a clue. It doesn’t matter. They’re having fun, you’re having fun and that’s the bottom line. Funny Business, directed by Alan Swerdlow, is being presented at Montecasino Theatre until April 29. artslink.co.za
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hildren from the Doug Whitehead School for the Disabled in Kensington this week attended a three-day introductory squash workshop organised by Central Gauteng Squash Development at the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein Campus. The organisation’s coordinator Sharon Sibanda said the workshop
focused on children living with disabilities as they are largely marginalised in most sporting activities. The school provides assistance to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have intellectual disabilities. “The message we are putting across is that this sport is open to everyone. It is not only about learning a sport but to give them an opportunity to have fun,” Sibanda said. At the end of the workshop chil-
dren would be given an opportunity to actively participate in the sport, she noted. “That will however be determined by their level of interest. If they are interested we will provide space for them in our centres.” The school’s occupational therapist Winnifred Koerte added that the sport would also improve the leaners’ counting skills and their general health. The organisation is currently
working with about 2 000 children in the inner-city and Soweto. The project to introduce sport to disadvantaged children began two years ago, said Sibanda. “The sport has over the years been associated with only white people, we want to give everyone a chance to learn it.” The organisation has established five centres in the inner-city. “These centres are at the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein Campus which has over 250
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