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Est 2009 Issue 47 - 2019

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28 November - 5 December 2019

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Inner City Gazette

Taxi violence commission calls for evidence

Justice Jeremiah Shongwe

Johannesburg - The Commission of Inquiry into Taxi Violence in Gauteng is accepting information that may be relevant to matters it is tasked with. Commission chairperson Justice Jeremiah Shongwe said: “Any person or section of the public, including community structures, members of relevant communities and of the public, minibus taxi-type service associations, drivers, operators, conductors and rank marshals, in possession of information that may be relevant to the matters and wishes to

give evidence before the Commission is invited to contact the secretary to arrange the date and time when you may testify before the commission.” The commission was established to investigate the root causes of taxi violence in Gauteng. Shongwe said evidence can be submitted to the commission’s secretary. The terms of reference include the underlying reasons for the recurring conflict, violence, fatalities and instability within the minibus taxi-type service industry within the Gauteng

Province; the activities of operators, legal and illegal, as well as any other group or person that contributes to the recurring conflict. There are two commissioners who assist the chairperson in the execution of the commission’s duties, namely Lungile Mabece, who is a Senior Attorney and Hlula Msimang, an executive operating in the law enforcement, security and intelligence sector. The commission also consists of a Secretary, Mamiki Selesho, a legal risk management and forensic ac-

countancy specialist. There are four evidence leaders under Nano Matlala (Senior Attorney), namely Advocate Hendrik Potgieter; Advocate Tiny Seboko; Advocate Richard Mkhabela and Advocate Tebogo Mafafo. The commission is based at 15 Jubilee Road, Parktown, Johannesburg. People can contact the commission on 082 873 0395 or 066 390 0303, or email Info.Taxiviolence@gauteng. gov.za. For more visit www.taxiviolencecommission.gauteng.gov.za.

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your future with a professional

Students, whether at varsity or just finishing school, are unlikely to have completed a professional CV, as a lot of people leave this as a last minute project to be done when a job interview has been secured, or when they begin to look for work. Nontokozo Zulu of Boston City Campus advises NOT to leave this project to the last minute, and to rather take advantage of the time you have now to complete your CV! After years of experience dealing with job seeking graduates, Nontokozo advises on preparing a professional CV. 1. Be clear and structured Recruiters will not read all the information. Choose an attractive layout, use paragraphs and clear titles. Make your CV easy to read and interesting 2. Avoid décor - no fancy fonts, no colours. Use a clear black typeface. 3. Be concise -Recruiters are not looking for your life story! Keep your document to 1 or 2 pages, A4 size. 4. Make yourself contactable: Place your personal information and contact details at the top of the first page. 5. Remove unnecessary information -Leave out self-explanatory headings such as name, address, phone number. 6. Emphasise relevant experience if you have it. Example: worked as promoter in retail stores when applying for sales position. 7. Work in chronological order Write the most recent information first as it is the most relevant. Also, discuss everyday required skills such as language and computer skills, as well as level of knowledge.

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it now!

Nontokozo Zulu 8. Personalise your CV for the company and/or position you are applying for. – check that you have addressed the cover letter to the correct person and the correct company. 9. Be professional - choose a template off the internet, keep the CV tidy, brief and clear. Create a professional presentation, space items evenly and break up long paragraphs. Use bullet points instead of sentences. 10. Include a personal statement -A good personal statement is extremely effective. Keep it short, highlighting your level of experience, strongest skills and the personal and professional qualities that make you right for the job. Ask a friend what they see as your strengths and

list them. Show your enthusiasm and creativity, your passion and commitment. Try to avoid clichés and buzzwords. Check! Clarity, spelling and grammar. 11. References should be listed, either an employer, school teacher or mentor. 12. Remember that life experience can be just as relevant as job experience when it comes to many key skills -be creative and list volunteer work, school events, and projects you have been involved in such as charity collections. 13. Don’t forget to highlight professional qualifications and any relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – list training have you undergone recently that shows that your skills are up to date, including short courses such as social media training. This is particularly important if you have been unemployed for a while and the employer is concerned that you could be out of touch in a fast-moving industry. 14. Your CV should be a growing document. File certificates, reference letters and digital badges with your CV so that you have it all easily accessible. Give examples wherever possible, to help the potential employer quickly build a picture of you. Nontokozo concludes with a reminder, “Always be honest in your CV. Do not set yourself or your employer up for disappointment by claiming to have skills or traits that you do not have. New dispensation means lying on your CV can land you with heavy fines or worse! Create success for yourself by creating an honest account of who you are in your CV.”

28 November - 5 December 2019

New Google apps speed up activities Danette Breitenbach

uilding inclusive products for all South Africans is the motivation for several new developments recently made by Google South Africa at the first Google South Africa conference held in Johannesburg recently. Diversity leads to better decisions and Google wants a culture that everyone can thrive in. This is core to the business, for example, research has shown that a business is 33% more likely to outperform on profitability if it is diverse. The work has been running for two years. It looks at dimensions such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, etc. and its intersection across the entire product range. In a country where data is expensive, the company also launched two products to help South Africans learn and do things faster. Launched last year, Google Go was designed for utilising local research. Head of Public Policy Google subSaharan Africa Fortune MgwiliSibanda says: “It allows slow connections to work faster, using up to 40% less data.” He adds that 617 million youth lack basic maths and literacy skills, and half of the children not enrolled in school in the world live in sub-Saharan Africa. “Google cares about this problem and came up with Bolo, an app that helps children to learn to read,” he says. Launched in India, and available in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, it is now available in South Africa for free.

Google’s sub-Saharan Africa Head of Public Policy Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda

Designed for primary grade children, Bolo helps to improve their English reading skills, by encouraging them to read aloud and giving them instant feedback, even when completely offline. Since launching in other African countries, over 800 000 children in over 28 000 towns and villages have read three million stories. “Over 60% of the children who used the app improved their reading skills,” he adds. Bolo helps to harness what the child is already doing. “It is listening to the child reading and helping them along. We have seen great outcomes in other countries where we have launched this,” says Nitin Gajria who leads the sub-Saharan Africa region at Google. Bolo comes with a fun and helpful reading tutor, “Diya”, which is powered by the same speech technology that is in the Google Assistant. He adds that they are conscious that different people have different accents and context, and they are working on this. Once the app is downloaded it works offline. It is secure as it is designed for children. BizCommunity

28 November - 5 December 2019

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28 November - 5 December 2019

Dept ready for 2020 admissions

Learners at a school in Johannesburg

Johannesburg - On Tuesday the Basic Education department announced that all provinces have improved their state of preparedness for 2020 school admissions. In a statement the department said the 2020 admission preparations in all provinces have shown positive improvement, with all provinces having learner admission regulations in place by May 2019; and final placement lists to be done by the end of November. “The packaging process of stationery and textbooks is well under way, with delivery above 95% across all schools. The department has also received approval from National Treasury to procure braille material for learners with special education needs,” the department said. The department added that it has made

plans for renovations and repairs to ailing school infrastructure. “The department would continue to strengthen campaigns on cleaning of schools to ensure infrastructure is adequately prepared prior to reopening of schools; and will continue to ensure greater access to both scholar transport and delivery in the national school nutrition programme (NSNP),” the statement said. It added that date it provides scholar transport daily for over 500 000 learners across the country, and an additional 21 307 learners with special needs also receive transport daily. “The NSNP continues to show its significance and contribute to learner attainment with in excess of 9.2 million learners receiving nutritious meals across schools daily,” the department said.

JMPD awards cop-of-the-year

Sergeant Phineas Manyama

Bertrams - Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer Sergeant Phineas Manyama’s exceptional dedication paid off when he won a new car and R5 000 after being named Officer of the Year at the JMPD Annual Recognition Awards. The ceremony was held at Ellis Park stadium on Tuesday, where the awards recognised Manyama for having forfeited his long service leave to be on duty, and working longer shifts than any other officer. “It’s an honour to receive this award. I would like to thank my team, without them I wouldn’t be standing here,” Manyama said. Outgoing mayor Herman Mashaba paid a special tribute to all officers who put their lives on the line to protect residents of Joburg. “When you go to work you leave your families with uncertainty, not knowing if you will return home alive or not. You do it with dedication and passion, for that I salute you,” the Mashaba said. Other officers honoured included Duduzile Mphembe for her bravery and Phumzile Mkwanazi for arresting a rape suspect who was later sentenced to life imprisonment. The ceremony was attended by Public Safety MMC Michael Sun, Corporate and Shared Services MMC Ntombi Khumalo, Economic Development MMC Leah Knott and Gauteng Police Commissioner, Lt-Gen Elias Mawela.

28 November - 5 December 2019

16 Days of Activism – take a stand Johannesburg - The annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, known as the 16 Days campaign, was launched on November 25. The objectives of the 16 Days of Activism campaign include expanding the call on men and boys to take a stand against all forms of abuse and the killing of women and children; and promoting a multisectoral, collective action and responsibility to eradicate violence against women and children. It is also an opportunity to update the public on the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) and foster partnership for its implementation. All South Africans are mobilised to commit to ending gender-based violence and femicide by signing the National Pledge on GBVF. This year’s campaign is themed “Enough is Enough: 365 days to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)”. If you need help, the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre is the toll free number to call to speak to a social worker for assistance and counselling. Contact 0800 428 428 (0800 GBV GBV). Callers can also request a social worker from the Command Centre to call them by dialling *120*7867# (free) from any cell phone.

Inner-city Gazette

Govt hosts African media practitioners Pretoria - Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Acting Director-General Phumla Williams says is it is imperative for African governments to support the media. “The media have the ability to inform public discourse which is imperative in strengthening democracy in the continent and telling our stories the way we want,” Williams said. Interacting with journalists from various African countries visiting South Africa at the GCIS invitation, Williams said through media tours they can enhance their work of informing, engaging and enlightening citizens. “There is room for the media and our respective governments to engage around a common vision of building a stronger and better world and the continent. It is our firm belief that African media should tell our own stories. We cannot expect others to tell our stories. It is up to us to show an interest in African issues and share our innovations and successes with the world,” Williams said. Williams said it is also time that

governments choose African media as primary sources rather than preferring sources that are outside the continent. “For far too long we have allowed foreign media which do not fully understand the complexities and challenges of our continent to tell our stories,” she said. Touching on the recent xenophobic incidences, Williams said South Africans are peace-loving people, they are not xenophobic. “Foreign nationals are welcomed in South Africa,” she said. Williams expressed concern about the manner in which some media portrays the country by their reporting. During the interaction, the visiting journalists were afforded an opportunity to ask questions. GCIS has established international media relations with countries across Africa, and has invited senior journalists to visit South Africa to engage with its people, institutions and government departments on the issues of refugees, migration and integration of Africa. These senior journalists have been supportive and have published

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South Africa’s voice in their countries’ news platforms on issues of trade and people’s development as well as on the issues of recent violence and criminality in South Africa. One of the visiting journalists, Ali Adoyi, from Nigeria, who works for Daily Post of Nigeria, said there is a need for media collaboration. “This is the right time for the narrative to change,” he said. Adoyi said the South African government GCIS acting Director-General Phumla Williams handled the recent xeLloyd Chitsulo from Malawi, who nophobic incidences works for the National Publication amicably. Limited in Malawi said it is imporMirriam Chabala from Zambia, tant for SADC media to collaborate. who works for the News Diggers, The media tour was in collaborasaid visiting South Africa has tion with, Brand SA, DIRCO, Dechanged the way she used to think partment of Home Affairs, Departabout South Africa. ment of Justice, United Nations “South Africa is a great country. Government did its best in dealing Human Rights Council (UNHRC), with the xenophobic incidences,” MISTRA, Africa Fact Check and the SABC. SANews she said.

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28 November - 5 December 2019

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One killed as JMPD to deploy full force during festive season gunmen raid jewellery store Bedfordview - One suspect was shot dead after an attempted robbery at the Bedford Centre shopping mall, in Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon. Gauteng police have launched a manhunt after armed men stormed a jewellery store at the shopping centre. In an ensuing shootout with mall security, one suspect was killed. Community Policing Forum chairperson Gavin Henry said five men entered the shopping centre armed with AK47 rifles, and a security guard raised the alarm. “One of the entrance guards noticed them entering with their weapons and called in on the radio about an armed robbery. One of the tactical guys responded and they started shooting at him first. He returned fire and the armed men fled,” Henry said.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said the suspect who was shot was declared dead on the scene. “One security officer was rushed to hospital after he was allegedly hit by one of the suspects as the latter fled the scene,” she said. Peters added that the suspects took some watches and made off in two vehicles. “Police recovered an AK47 on the scene with two loaded magazines. The firearm will be subjected to ballistic testing for further investigation,” Peters said. In the video, which was posted on the Facebook group Intelligence Bureau SA, shots suddenly go off as people can be heard screaming in the background. No other fatalities have been reported but some shoppers were treated for shock.

‘JMPD is also in talks with the Durban metro police department on a plan to introduce blue light vehicles in every 20 kilometres on the N3 highway between Durban and Johannesburg’

Johannesburg - The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) has said its officers will be out in full force on the roads this coming festive season. During the city’s monthly crime statistics briefing on Wednesday JMPD chief David Tembe said metro police will introduce special measures to deal with traffic offenders during the festive season. “Those who will be speeding, I’ve got 330i BMWs and they’ve got number plates recognition, and on the freeway, there will be 80 of them,” he said. He said they would also introduce police officers patrolling the streets on bikes. “I am looking at people who drink at our parks; because sometimes they end up committing crimes. That unit is about 30 officers,” Tembe said. He added that he is also in talks with the Durban metro police department on a plan to introduce blue light vehicles in every 20 kilometres on the N3 highway between Durban and Johannesburg.

JMPD chief David Tembe during the crime stats briefing

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28 November - 5 December 2019

Sex offenders register to be more accessible ‘If you suddenly discover that there is a sex offender or rapist living next door to you, and if there is rape in that community which may not involve that sex offender, they may well get targeted’ Jenni Evans

Justice Deputy Minister John Jeffery

overnment is considering making the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) more accessible, but is wary of making it fully available. Justice Deputy Minister John Jeffery said the country had to carefully consider making the register public, because opening it up could lead to vigilante attacks on those who are on the list. “If you suddenly discover that

there is a sex offender or rapist living next door to you, and if there is rape in that community which may not involve that sex offender, they may well get targeted,” he said. Jeffery said they are also considering expanding the register to include everyone convicted of a sexual offence. The Sexual Offences Act provides that names of people who are convicted of sexual offences against children or people with

mental disabilities must be included in the register. Only employers, in the public or private sectors; of people who look after children or people with mental disabilities can see the register, to check that the person they hire is fit to work with children or mentally disabled people. Jeffery said this was not enough and needed to be widened, possibly to include all sexual offenders. He noted that managers of women’s college residences, for

example, do not have to be vetted. A presentation to the committee showed that there were 32 570 entries in the register and 24 912 of those had been validated. The register was administered by the Department of Justice and was indirectly accessed by the departments of health and social development, and the South African Police Service. Names on the register cannot be publicly disclosed and doing so is a criminal offence. DM

Amnesty secretary Kumi Naidoo

Rights group accuses Facebook, Google of ‘pervasive surveillance’ Own Correspondent

mnesty International South Africa has accused social media giants Facebook and Google of pervasive surveillance, which poses a threat to human rights. The NGO says the companies need to change their business model and stop their reliance on people’s data. The organisation said Google controls 90% of search engine usage around the world, while onethird of the population uses Facebook and its owned services daily. The organisation said Google controls 90% of search engine usage around the world, while onethird of the population uses Facebook and its owned services daily. Last Friday Amnesty International spokesperson in South Africa Mienke Steytler said things need to change. “We are saying it’s not like we are against technology, we are saying there has to be better regulation to look at the way in which people’s privacy and their right to freedom of expression is protected.” In the report, secretary general of Amnesty International Kumi Naidoo said: “Google and Facebook’s insidious control of our digital lives undermines the very essence of privacy, and is one of the defining human rights challenges of our era.”

28 November - 5 December 2019

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Waste pickers’ initiative survives eviction attempt

“Without WastePreneurs, they’ll start sorting in the park again, it doesn’t make sense. WastePreneurs have invested quite a lot of money to keep waste pickers off the street.” Daniel Friedman

project which helps 110 people earn a living from recycling, the WastePreneurs NPO, has won an interdict preventing them from being evicted from waste sorting premises on property leased to the Pirates Club in Greenside. Pirates Club was forced to send the initiative an eviction notice after the Joburg Property Company (JPC); which leases the property to the sports club; threatened to terminate its lease if they did not remove WastePreneurs. Pirates Club manager Non Welsford said while she couldn’t speak on behalf of the club, she is happy that WastePreneurs are allowed to stay. She said while the City told them to evict the initiative under a clause in the contract that prevents subletting, the club hadn’t received any money from WastePreneurs, and they therefore saw their granting permission for the initiative to use the waste-sorting

premises as involvement in a community project rather than subletting. The club shares a wall with the waste sorting facility, which falls under the property they lease, but it has a separate entrance. Pikitup also uses part of the waste-sorting premises. Welsford said the City of Joburg is likely acting on complaints from residents, who oppose the waste-picking initiative, but she expressed the view that the waste pickers are just trying to get by, and would not go away if WastePreneurs was evicted. “Without WastePreneurs, they’ll start sorting in the park again, it doesn’t make sense. WastePreneurs have invested quite a lot of money to keep waste pickers off the street. They hope to make it a pilot project which can be rolled out in other places,” she said. She added that she feels the wastesorting premises is way enough from private properties. “That’s the reality, it doesn’t affect anyone next door.” Pirates club chairperson Lloyd Han-

Some member os the Wastepreneurs NPO at work

son sent a statement from the club’s stakeholders which suggests they agree with Welsford. “This urgent interdict was brought to the court by a group of wastepreneurs whose livelihoods are threatened by moves to have the recycling drop-off at Pirates Club shut down. Although pressured by our landlords, JPC, and the City of Joburg into serving a 60 day eviction notice to Wastepreneurs, the Club remains of the view that the Wastepreneurs project is of great benefit to individual wastepreneurs, waste management and the community,” the statement says. WastePreneurs has released a statement hailing their victory “in the first step against eviction attempts”. “It’s a small victory, but an important one in securing the future for an initiative that improves the lives of so many people. The JPC forced the Pi-

rates’ Club to evict the WastePreneurs in order to maintain their lease agreement with the City. This latest ruling, thanks to the stellar pro bono work by Attorneys Sim and Botsi, allows WastePreneurs to keep operating at their current premises in Greenside, an incredibly important outcome for the 110 WastePreneurs who earn their livelihood at the site. The legality of WastePreneurs has never been in question. The court case, in this instance, refers to whether Pirates may, or may not, under the terms of their lease accommodate the WastePreneurs. Waste pickers and their trolleys are a familiar sight on the streets of Johannesburg. Though they do face some critique from residents, most people don’t realise the public service the waste pickers render by ensuring a vast amount of Johannesburg’s recyclable waste is kept out of landfills

and transported to recycling depots, daily. The aim of the WastePreneurs initiative is to help formalize the waste picking system and aid some of the people in our society to earn a livelihood for themselves and their families,” part of the WastePreneurs statement read. The WastePreneurs pilot operates from a depot on the premises of Pirates Sports Club in Greenside. They collect waste from various suburbs in northern Johannesburg and transport it to the Pirates WastePreneurs depot, where it is sorted, weighed and sold to recycling businesses. Pirates, meanwhile, hopes the matter will be solved amicably and that the City’s attempted cancellation of their lease is overturned. JPC spokesperson Zanele Mamba had not responded to questions on the issue by the time of press. Citizen

Inner-city Gazette

The Arts

28 November - 5 December 2019

Veteran writer Gcina Mhlophe during the event.

Film festival honours artistes Johannesburg - Several artistes received recognition at the Joburg Film Festival awards gala on Saturday night. Among them was writer Gcina Mhlophe and filmmaker Jahmil Qubheka. The awards were hosted by The Queen actress Dineo Moeketsi at Inanda Club in Joburg. Mhlophe received the Legend Award, while internationally acclaimed author Deon Meyer got the Global Storyteller Award. Mhlophe said: “It’s my power and the thing that gets me connected to my ancestry and everywhere I go in any part of the world, I feel like a cultural ambassador.” Qubheka and Layla Swart received the inaugural Emerging Storyteller Award for their film productions including Knuckle City and Sew the Winter to my Skin. Ten films were selected to compete at this year’s festival. The judges included author Zakes Mda, NCIS: New Orleans actress CCH Pounder, local leading lady Florence Masebe, Nigerian film-

maker Femi Odugbemi and Canadian writer Nataleah Hunter-Young. English film Rocks was named Best Film, while local film Flatland earned the award for Best African Film. French movie Our Lady of the Nile was honoured with a Special Recognition Award from the festival’s jurors. Festival director Bongiwe Selane said the quality was incredibly high. “Each was recognised for its powerful message and ability to provoke important debate on an array of issues.” The winner of Joburg Film Festival’s Youth & Audience Development Programme was also announced. The programme gives recognition to young emerging filmmakers across Gauteng. Over 100 aspiring film-makers aged between 18 and 25 from Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Mogale City and Sedibeng submitted videos under the theme Your Kasi, Your Story. Malefetsane Masitha from Sedibeng was the overall winner.

Kabelo Mabalane (right) with TkZee colleagues Tokollo Tshabalala and Zwai Bala.

Kwaito star becomes church pastor Randburg - Founding member of legendary kwaito group TKZee, and also solo artist Kabelo Mabalane has become a pastor at the Rhema Bible Church in Randburg Mabalane was ordained as a pastor last Sunday at the church, in a ceremony that was attended by his wife, actress Gail Mabalane. Mabalane has been with the church since 2005, having started as an usher. He said there are certain processes to go through. “It’s not like you go through a process like you write exams. People need to see you walking in and out; and wanting to serve

God and his people. What happened on Sunday at the ordination is something that had happened in my heart a long time ago. It was just a matter of making it official and bestowing the title upon me,” Mabalane said. The artiste has come a long way since he admitted drug addiction and seeking help. In his 2015 memoir, I ran for my life, Mabalane went in detail about his drug addiction. He started experimenting with drugs as a youngster who had nothing else to do. After dropping out of Wits University, he spent a lot of time in Diepkloof abusing drugs with

other young township men. “Having disappointed my parents in the academics department, it put a lot of pressure on me. I wanted to forget about my failures and escape,” he said. When his music career took off, he could afford drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy. “It wasn’t so much the drugs that helped me create, it was the insecurity with facing other talented musicians in the industry and the producers,” he said. Mabalane founded TKZee in 1996 with Tokollo Shabalala and Zwai Bala. They are known for hits such as Shibobo, Fiasco and Palafala.

Top jazz trumpeter to feature at Sophiatown event Rinkie Nqolwana

Jazz trumpeter and composer Lwanda Gogwana

Jazz trumpeter and composer Lwanda Gogwana presents The Art of 145 at Sophiatown Jazz Encounters on 6 December. Gogwana is a three-time 2012 SAMA award nominee for best jazz, best newcomer and male artist of the year. His compositions have been used in radio adverts and numerous Mzansi Bioskop Movies on the satellite dish, DSTV. Gogwana was trumpeter and orchestrator for the legendary South African Jazz opera King Kong, whose original musical score was composed by the great jazz pianist and composer Todd Matshikiza. He was also collaborated as

an orchestrator for the 2018 FORD Everest advert composition composed by award-winning pop sensation, Tresor. Among others, Gogwana has worked with Ray Phiri, Jimmy Dludlu, Jonas Gwangwa, jazz pianist Tete Mbambisa, Simphiwe Dana, McCoy Mrubata, and the Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipients Siya Makuzeni, Afrika Mkhize, and most recently Kyle Shepherd’s Quintet and Bokani Dyer’s big band tour to Gaborone, Botswana in November 2017. MACUFE, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Azgo and Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg are some of the arts festivals Gogwana frequents as a jazz performer.

His debut album released in 2011, Lwanda Gogwana Songbook, has over 30 musicians playing on different songs on the album, among them multi-SAMA award winning musicians Jimmy Dludlu and Moreira Chonguica. Other featured guests on the album include Buddy Wells, John Hassan, Goldfish lead singer-Sakhile Moleshe and 2011 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner Bokani Dyer. Uhadi Synth is Gogwana’s sophomore album released in 2016 and features Kyle Shepherd, Sakhile Moleshe and Sisonke Xonti, Amaeshi Ikechi and Lungile Kunene. He will perform at Sophiatown the Mix at 71-73 Toby Street.

28 November - 5 December 2019

Inner-city Gazette

The revamped model of the festival has a much clearer mission and vision to develop, nurture and promote new writing talent, a platform for connecting communities and to support new writers/directors to connect with larger audiences. Lusanda Zokufa Playwright and director Aubrey Sekhabi

New production reflects on GBV and xenophobia A

new production commissioned by the Department of Arts and Culture, in reaction to the recent xenophobic attacks and genderbased violence in the country, will be presented at the South African State Theatre from 1 to 15 December 2019. The production, called Kwanele, is written and directed by multiple award-winning playwright and director Aubrey Sekhabi, and choreographed by Mdu Nhlapo. It is performed by an ensemble led by National Orders Award recipient Sibongile Khumalo, who is accompanied by new compositions from Mckenzie Matome and the youthful Bonafide Billi, with narratives from Otto Nobela and Mimi Mamabolo of the celebrated South African movie Matwetwe. Kwanele, (Nguni for ‘it’s enough’) is a thought-provoking presentation capturing real-life events and personal accounts of victims to lift the theatre mirror high for a reflection of what is currently going on in South Africa, which has developed into a microcosm of violence against women and children, and xenophobia. It calls for accountability, decisive leadership and an end to corruption that has made SA and the continent so poor, and as a result created a fertile ground for conflict and violence. In the mix are cultural explosions in song and dance, illuminating the

Foundation appoints new director for Zwakala Festival

“Kwanele is a hopeful call for Africa to rise, to silence the guns, to protect women and children and take care of the youth, who are future leaders. While the presentation is exciting and entertaining, it asks the people of the continent to reflect on how to move forward as we build a new Africa, devoid of conflict and violence.”

Thakgatso Setseta

The Arts

beauty of our cultures, reminding us that we can unite in our difference. In September this year, the State Theatre was tasked by the Department of Arts and Culture to devise a production - on a brief to enhance the promotion of culture and peace amid women killings and xenophobic attacks - that could be presented under the Festival of Cultures during the first Biennale of Luanda Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, which took place in Luanda, Angola. That was the birth of Kwanele. The product debuted to an overwhelming reception during the forum, which took place from 18 to 22 September. Sekhabi, who is also State Theatre’s Artistic Director, says: “Kwanele is a hopeful call for Africa to rise, to silence the guns, to protect women and children and take care of the youth, who are future leaders. While the presentation is exciting and entertaining, it asks the people of the continent to reflect on how to move forward as we build a new Africa, devoid of conflict and violence.” Kwanele will form part of festivities of the theatre’s annual festive season festival called Mzansi Fela Festival. Now on its 12th instalment, this year the festival will be headlined by musicians Zonke, Thandiswa Mazwai, Caiphus Semenya, and Ringo Madlingozi and Samthing Soweto from 1 to 22 December.

he Market Theatre Foundation has appointed Zimkitha Kumbaca as the new Resident Festival Director of the 27th Zwakala Festival, to will take place from 8–9 February 2020. The Zwakala Festival is the most established and well-respected theatre festival in Gauteng. The revamped model of the festival has a much clearer mission and vision to develop, nurture and promote new writing talent, a platform for connecting communities and to support new writers/directors to connect with larger audiences. Kumbaca said her vision is to make every group’s journey rich with new discoveries and filled with new experiences that will enhance their work, as they venture into the next stage of the competition. “Theatre is my passion and being given this opportunity to watch productions every day from different communities and change people’s lives is really an opportunity that I will not take lightly,” she said. Market Theatre’s artistic director, James Ngcobo said there has been a lot of young people who have come through the different programmes at the theatre. “We have had the opportunity to mentor them, and the Zwakala Festival is another avenue we use to extend our mentorship reach to wider groups or commu-

nities. We have mentored young thespians across different disciplines such as directing, designing, musical direction etc. They New Zwakala Festival director Zimkitha Kumbaca have been given exciting opportunities at the foundation. Introducing pected to work with the winning dithe role of Resident Director for the rector to prepare the production for Zwakala Festival was a brave move, a run at the Market Theatre. The selection is done by the Arin my working with the groups I realised that we needed a young voice tistic Director and is based on how who can help us curate the festival each individual will contribute to and work with fieldworkers. Seeing the growth of the festival. This this unfold has been a valuable les- year he has chosen Kumbaca. Her son for us on how to grow the festi- appointment was informed by her deep desire for storytelling. val each year,” Ngcobo said. The Zwakala Festival will take Every year a director is attached to the festival to help with fieldwork, place from 8–9 February 2020 at identifying the eight productions the Ramolao Makhene Theatre. that will be mentored as part the first phase of the festival. After that process the director works with the judges to help find the winner for the year and then the Resident Director is ex-

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Banyana named for CAF awards Sports Reporter

Banyana coach Desiree Ellis

anyana Banyana and coach Desiree Ellis have been nominated for the CAF Women’s Team of the Year and the Women’s Coach of the Year award. Ellis guided South Africa to the 2018 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final in December last year but lost the final to rivals Nigeria. However, they qualified for the 2019 Women’s FIFA World Cup in France but failed to advance beyond the group stages. Meanwhile, Pitso Mosimane was shortlisted for the Men’s Coach of the Year award. He faces stiff competition for the award with 2019 African Cup of Nations winning coach Djamel Belmadi also on the ballot, along with Senegal head coach Alious Cisse and Nigerian mentor Gernot Rohr. The 55-year-old won the award in 2016 after leading the Brazilians to the CAF Champions League trophy. Meanwhile, Denis Onyango and Themba Zwane have also been nominated for a CAF award. Onyango’s impressive run as the Brazilians’ number one shot-stopper has seen him earn a nomination on the African Player of the Year. His former Sundowns team-mate Percy Tau was also named for the award. The awards will take place in January 2020, the official date to be confirmed.

Safa officials and members of the SA under-23 team soon after arrival from Egypt

Safa welcomes Olympic bound U-23 team Despite the bronze medal, South Africa received four Man of the Match awards in five matches Johannesburg - South African Football Association (SAFA) president Dr Danny Jordaan, accompanied by Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki recently welcomed the U-23 men’s national team back home after qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which will be held in Japan from 22 July to 8 August. Only two players, Luther Singh (FC Porto) and Lyle Foster (Belgium), did not travel with the team as they returned to their clubs. South Africa earned bronze medals following their third place finish play-off in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when they defeated Ghana 6-5 on penalties, after both teams ended up with a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes of regulation time.

South Africa joins Egypt and Cote d’Ivoire as the three representatives of the African continent at the Olympic Games. This is their third qualification for the competition. In 2000 Shakes Mashaba led the squad in Sydney, Australia and at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 Owen da Gama was in charge. Nine teams have already qualified for Tokyo 2020; hosts Japan, South Africa, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire (all from CAF); France, Germany, Romania and Spain (all from UEFA) as well as New Zealand (OFC). Still to be determined are the representatives of CONMEBOL (2), CONCACAF (2) and AFC (3) to complete the 16 teams for the 2020 Olympic Games tournament.

Despite the bronze medal, South Africa had a good tournament as they received four Man of the Match awards in five matches; Kamohelo Mahlatsi, Teboho Mokoena and Luther Singh (2). The same players are the ones that scored South Africa’s three goals. Captain Tercious Malepe was named in the Best 11 of the competition. Goalkeeper Darren Johnson kept three clean sheets in the first three games, before being bridged three times by the hosts in a 3-0 loss in the semi-final. In the third/fourth play-off match, Mondli Mpoto was introduced in goals and made two crucial penalty saves to book South Africa’s ticket to the 2020 Olympic Games.