10 February 2014 Issue 03 Year 76

Perdeby Tuks se amptelike studentekoerant / Official Tuks student newspaper / Kuranta ya baithuti ya semmušo ya Tuks

10February2014

Accommodation still a crisis for students

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year76issue03

Knot good enough: should you ditch getting hitched?

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Varsity Cup match ends in draw

WeChat: IM future or flop?

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Rest in peace Prof. Visser TEBOGO TSHWANE A memorial service for Prof. Roelf Visser, Director of Residence Affairs and Accommodation, was held last Friday morning at Universiteitoord on Duxbury Road.

Prof. Roelf Visser died on 31 January at the age of 55. He had been diagnosed with lymphoma, a kind of blood cancer that causes white blood cells to divide faster and live longer than average. The blood cells eventually form a tumour. The tumour may develop in the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, blood and organs.

In his passing, Prof. Visser leaves behind his wife Retha, their two daughters and their families.

At the memorial service, Prof. Visser’s daughter Marguerite read a letter from his wife. Mrs Visser wrote of their long, happy marriage and mentioned how they had been friends since they were teenagers.

Prof. Visser’s daughters and their husbands spoke about what an exemplary father Prof. Visser was and how much he loved them.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof. Cheryl de la Rey delivered a message at the funeral. Prof. De La Rey emphasised Prof. Visser’s contribution to the development of UP. She described how he rose in rank at UP from an assistant lecturer to the Director of Residence Affairs. She mentioned his contributions to TuksRes, especially his involvement in the establishment of TuksVillage and his influential role in changes to residence policies.

Prof. De La Rey said that Prof. Visser had influenced the lives of many thousands of students. She said that UP worked out that Prof. Visser had had an impact on up to 75 000 students during his long career at UP. He was actively committed to his role as head of residences, Prof. De La Rey said.

Prof. Niek Grové, UP’s Registrar, delivered the eulogy. He echoed many of Prof. De La Rey’s sentiments and expressed how dedicated Prof. Visser was to his work. He mentioned that

Prof. Visser was passionate about all people.

Prof. Yolanda Jordaan, head of Marketing Management, thanked Prof. Visser’s wife for being his support and allowing him to live his dream. She also thanked Mrs Visser for her work as a house parent at both Taaibos and Magrietjie.

Prof. Visser was born in Volkrust in February 1957. He studied quantity surveying at UP. He completed his BSc, Masters and PhD degrees at UP before taking a job at the university as associate professor in 1999. Prof. Visser served as the head of residence for Taaibos (1994-1997) and for Magrietjie (19982003).

In 2003, Prof. Visser was appointed coordinator of residences

UP worked out that Prof. Visser had had an impact on up to 75 000 students during his long career at UP. and was significant in establishing the Department of Residence Affairs and Accommodation the following year.

Prof. Visser was also the president of the South African Chapter of the Association of College and University Housing Officers International. In 2011, ACUHO-I presented Prof.

Visser with the Presidential Service award for his outstanding contribution to the organisation.

Prof. Visser achieved remarkable academic and professional success in his career but also had a lasting impact on thousands of students at UP through his work at TuksRes. He was passionate about the wellbeing of students.

Prof. Visser will be sorely missed.

Photo provided

Tuks student found dead MOLEBOGENG MANGOALE Ronald Patrick Uys, a 27-year-old UP student, was found dead in a veld near the Chilli Lane shopping centre in Sunninghill last Wednesday. Uys’s body was found near a stream after a five-day search.

Uys’s car was found in the Sandton area on the same day.

Uys went missing on 29 January and, according to Fourways Review, he was travelling to Paulshof at the time of his disappearance. He may have passed through Diepsloot, Dainfern and Fourways.

Fourways Review reported that Uys’s housemates contacted his family on 31 January after he had not returned home two nights in a row.

Spokesperson of the Sandton police station Captain Kym Cloete said that the police do not suspect foul play but are waiting for a post-mortem to be conducted to establish the cause of death, Fourways Review reported.

Perdeby contacted Lynden Uys, Uys’s stepmother, but she declined to comment.

Ronald Uys went missing on 29 January.

Image: fourwaysreview.co.za

His body was found alongside this stream.

Image: fourwaysreview.co.za

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Editorial

10 February ’14

Perdeby

Love isn’t all around us It’s Valentine’s Day this week. I have a lovehate relationship with Valentine’s Day. It means flowers and chocolates but it also means lots of “So what’s your boyfriend’s name?” questions.

I’m a bit of a sceptic when it comes to love.

The grumpy cat of love, if you like. It’s not that I’m averse to the notion of love, I just don’t centre my life on looking for it. There are other, far more exciting, things to focus on at the moment. For example, I don’t have Pinterest boards dedicated to my dream wedding. I do, however, have Pinterest boards dedicated to my dream wine and shoe collections (I’m not sure if that should be telling me something).

I grew up on a diet of Disney. Like most children who watched “Sleeping Beauty” about three times a week, I developed an idealised concept of what love was. I expected a prince who would slay dragons, a dizzyingly fast romance and, of course, a happily ever after. I also expected tiaras, castles and animals that would sing to me while they cleaned those castles, but that probably was even more of a pipe dream.

As I grew older and expanded my horizons to include more than what I had seen in Disney films, I discovered something more important than infatuation: independence.

It’s always sad when someone has to sacrifice

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their independence for a relationship. It’s even sadder when they willingly give up their independence to make someone else feel a bit more secure.

This may sound selfish, but I believe that you need to make yourself happy before you consider allowing someone else to add to that happiness. No one else can build your ideal life for you. Your partner isn’t going to achieve your career goals for you or send you to live in Paris for a year. Do things for yourself first. Someone who truly loves you will give you room to do that.

Society has led us to believe that we should feel sorry for people who are single, but I think that they deserve respect rather than pity. These people are content enough with themselves that they aren’t scared of being alone. They are secure enough in their self-worth that they don’t need someone else to validate it.

This isn’t to say that people in relationships aren’t secure in themselves. So if you are in a relationship, don’t break up with your partner (especially not on Valentine’s Day). I know many couples with happy, healthy relationships.

Just make sure you’re happy with yourself first.

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News

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10 February ’14

Accommodation still a crisis for students HUMPHREY MOKOENA In recent years UP has been challenged with trying to accommodate as many students as possible. However, the demand for accommodation that the university can provide exceeds the supply thereof and many students find it difficult to find accommodation.

This year, UP has over 8 000 beds in residences and 365 beds in private accommodation, Acting Director of Residence Affairs and Accommodation Kgomotso Legari confirmed. These beds are all taken and more than 8 000 students are currently without accommodation.

Students come from all over South Africa and outside of South Africa to study at UP. There is not enough space in the university’s official residences to house all of these students.

In past years, limited space in residences and expensive private accommodation has forced some students to sleep in the bathrooms and the library on Hatfield campus.

First-year BSc Actuarial Science student Joseph Moyana told Perdeby that he has not been accepted into a residence and cannot afford private accommodation. “Now [I] am staying with my brother’s friend in Arcadia and he is threatening to kick me out,” Moyana said.

A BCom third-year student, who prefers to stay anonymous, said, “If my attempts to get res placement fail, I will have to sleep in the library because to travel back and forth from home to school is R70 per day. I am going to have to spend approximately R2 000 a month which I cannot afford.”

A number of students that applied for residence placement Perdeby that they had thought that they had been placed into a residence after checking ClickUP, but learnt that they would only be placed in June.

Mmapitso Shiang, a fourth-year BEng student, told Perdeby that she was surprised to learn that she had moved down a position on the waiting list. She added that she thinks the university should adopt a system similar to other universities which considers distance from home when placing students in a residence.

Belinda Kelly, the ex-officio member on the SRC for residences, said that, “Students who are in need of help should come to the SRC.” Kelly said that the university places students in residence based on academic performance but that the SRC is in the process of asking the university to consider the distance students live from the university when placing them.

Rare disease roadshow visits Tuks DAN MAFORA The Rare Diseases Society of South Africa (RDSSA) was on campus last week Thursday promoting their “Jeans for Genes” campaign. The campaign aims to create awareness about rare medical conditions and to raise funds to treat people with these conditions.

The face of the campaign is hip-hop dancer and motivational speaker Oscar von Memerty, who has a rare genetic condition known as Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome. A defining feature of this condition is dwarfism. Von Memerty said that he struggled to fit in with other children when he was growing up because he was so much shorter than them.

“As I grew up I became more comfortable with myself and the more I became comfortable with myself, the more people started accepting me,” he said.

Von Memerty’s visit to campus was part of a country-wide road trip which will see him visiting schools, universities and shopping malls to raise awareness about rare medical conditions. Von Memerty said that he joined the RDSSA’s campaign in order to help other people with rare medical conditions to receive treatment. He said that treatment is expensive and is not covered by most medical aid schemes and patients often feel isolated and neglected.

“Fundraising gave me a second chance at life and enabled me to have two bone marrow transplants, for which I am most grateful. Let’s care for others and give them a second chance,” Von Memerty said.

Kelly du Plessis, chairperson of the RDSSA, said that people with rare diseases “form a minority of our society and receive minimal assistance and attention”. She added that, “With timely and accurate diagnosis and intervention, people with rare diseases can contribute significantly and positively towards our society.”

“We had a great response from students and I would like to say a huge thank you to Tuks students for contributing towards the campaign. It shows that people really do care,” said Von Memerty.

Some of the women’s residences. Photo: Eddie Mafa Over the past years the Progressive Youth Alliance has assisted students in securing private accommodation by working in collaboration with the university and private accommodation such as Campus House, Hantra and Walkerville. Sasco’s Junior Ackotia said, “This year alone we have helped more than 200 students regarding the issue of accommodation and academic exclusion.” Ackotia said that if distance and need were criteria for placing students in residences, many students would not face the problem of finding accommodation.

Pasma chairperson Andries Petsoane said that many students who need accommodation have come to the organisation for assistance. Some of these students sleep in the Pasma offices.

Petsoane added that it is difficult for them to assist students because they have not been able to have regular meetings with

the Department of Residence Affairs.

Legari said that UP’s 2025 plan aims to increase its own capacity for student accommodation and also to create partnerships with private service providers who are able to provide good quality accommodation at reasonable prices. He said, “Although such type of accommodation is not necessarily abundant within the proximity of our campuses, we strive by all means not to compromise the students’ whole experience of the environment in which they live.”

He added that students who have had their residence placement cancelled because of outstanding fees are considered for placement again once their fees have been paid or they can submit proof that they will receive a bursary that will cover the fees.

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10 February ’14

Features

Healthy hookups: why you should kiss more LEANNE CUMMING A kiss, whether it is a token of love, passion and affection, or of respect, dedication and deference, is an act performed worldwide.

The awkward locking of lips is a fun pastime for most people, but why do we deliberately swap saliva and germs to engage in a passionate lip lock?

Behavioural scientists have researched many theories about why we kiss. One theory says that a kiss triggers the same brain areas associated with reward and addiction.

Researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey studied brain scans of men and women who looked at photographs of partners they claimed to be deeply in love with. Their results, published in a 2005 study in the Journal of Comparative Neurology, revealed that while subjects were looking at photographs of their beloved, activity in areas of the brain associated with dopamine, a reward-seeking neurotransmitter, was heightened.

Dr Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist at Rutgers University and lead investigator of the study, said that, “Kissing may have evolved as a way to stimulate brain systems associated with sex drive, romantic love and attachment so that humans are triggered to seek a variety of potential mates, then focus attention on one for mating, and finally be able to tolerate that mate long enough to raise children as a team.”

Our lips are crammed with neurons and occupy more sensory neurons than anywhere else in the body. According to the Field of Touch Research Institute in America, sebum (an oily fluid secreted by the sebaceous glands under the skin that keeps hair and skin moisturised) “seems to play a powerful role in bonding.” They further explain that the somatosensory receptor, found on nerves in the lips, becomes aroused by the touch of another person’s lips and this triggers the release of sebum. Dr Fisher adds to this by

Photo: Hendro van der Merwe saying that, “Continued stimulus to the lips during kissing also increases vagal nervous activity in the body, helping to alleviate depression, and brainwaves also shift to a pattern that signal relaxation.”

A 2009 study at Arizona State University (ASU) confirmed Dr Fisher’s theory of kissing signifying relaxation. The research done by ASU proves that kissing may not be able to make you supple enough to bend over backwards, but it may fabricate the same reported relaxation effects as yoga and meditation.

According to a video called “Why do we kiss?” published on Vsauce, a YouTube channel created by Michael Stevens, the average

person spends 20 160 minutes kissing in their lifetime. The video also claims that kissing releases epinephrine and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters that raise your heart rate) into your bloodstream and this causes a decrease in bad cholesterol and perceived stress.

Claus Wedekind, a Swiss biological researcher, was the first researcher to show that chemical signals determine if one person is attracted to another. He conducted research that consisted of asking women to smell men’s t-shirts and indicating which shirt smelt the best to them. By comparing the men’s and women’s DNA samples, researchers found that the women did not just pick out their favourite scent by chance. Results indicated

that women favoured the scent of a man whose major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a gene found in our immune system, was unlike their own. Having a dissimilar MHC means less immune overlap and a chance of healthier offspring.

Dr Marticia Heaner of HealthyLiving.msn. com mentions a 2003 study in physiology and behaviour which established that kissing can advance resistance to allergic reactions.

Researchers studied a group of 60 subjects that had skin or hazel allergies and another 30 subjects who were the control group and had no allergies. The subjects spent half an hour in a private room kissing their partner or spouse while romantic music was playing. In another experiment, the subjects spent time in a private room with their partner or spouse, but they were not allowed to kiss, only hug each other.

Before and after each session in the private room, subjects were given skin-prick tests to determine certain reactions to allergic triggers.

The non-allergic subjects showed no changes whereas the allergic subjects showed changes in allergic reactions, such as reduced nasal and skin reactions after kissing but not after hugging.

“The direct action of love may be beneficial, which may in turn reduce allergic responses,” concluded researchers.

Most people are right-headed kissers. Irish researchers found that 80% of kissing couples turned their head to the right in order to avoid bumping noses. A 2011 study published in the psychological journal Laterality had 57 men and women plant 35 kisses on a life-sized doll with its head placed at different angles. Around 70% of the subjects tilted their heads to the right and were stubborn in changing positions to the left, no matter the angle of the doll’s head.

Whether kissing helps assess long-term relationships and genetic potential or helps with arousal and the continued survival of the human race, kissing will always be enjoyed by most people. Now that we know that kissing has so many health benefits, maybe it will be welcomed as a wellbeing exercise and not just a pleasurable diversion.

Knot good enough: should you ditch getting hitched?

ORENEILE TSHETLO In the past, marriage was pretty much compulsory for young people. Over the last few decades though, marriage has become increasingly optional.

The wedding itself proves to be an unnecessary hassle with awkward family photos, expensive dresses that will never be worn again and best men armed with embarrassing stories to share with guests.

All the suffering might not even be worth it.

According to BBC News, 42% of marriages end in divorce. With divorce being a statistical and cultural norm, is this a valid cause to put the vow “till death do us part” to rest?

Mahlatse Mokgotlha, a first-year BCom Law student, is an exception to the cultural expectation that all women rush to walk down the aisle. She says that getting married would restrict her from living her life to the fullest.

Mokgotlha says that if she changes her mind, she will get married when she is 35.

BSc second-year student Pumeza Ndobeni agrees with Mokgotlha that the mid-thirties is the ideal age to get married. Her reasons for postponing marriage are centred around her desire to establish herself first. She added that she thinks that couples who marry young are more likely to get divorced. First-year BSc Quantity Surveying student Maya Kriel disagrees and says that waiting until your late twenties or early thirties to get married means that it is more likely that you won’t marry at all. She hopes to marry her current boyfriend by the time she is 22.

According to Dr James Cunningham,

associate professor of clinical finance and business economics at the USC Marshall School of Business, women are generally more careerorientated now, making them less keen to tie the knot. He says, “Financial independence, especially together with contraceptive freedom, has greatly increased choice [in getting married].” He also blames the high divorce rate, the reformation of divorce law and the simplicity of the divorce process.

Canadian relationship expert and consultant Debra Macleod says that women who live with their partners while they are dating expect to marry the partner, although this is not always what the partner wants. “Living together means that a man doesn’t have to pursue his girlfriend any longer,” she says. Macleod explains, “Men and women have very different ideas about what living together means. Women typically see it as an almost inevitable step towards marriage, while men see it as a no-obligation ‘test drive’,” and she mentions the expression, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”

She notes that men who live with their girlfriends or who did so before marriage demonstrate a lack of passion towards the women and a lack of enthusiasm towards the relationship. She says, “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a man say, ‘Well, we’re not married so it doesn’t really matter,’ or ‘I just married her because she wouldn’t shut up about it,’ or ‘I only proposed because everyone expected me to.’”

She says that a woman who lives with her partner becomes increasingly anxious about him popping the question while it becomes easier

Photo: Oan de Waal for him to avoid it. “Christmas comes and she hopes for a ring, only to be disappointed. Her birthday comes and she hopes for a ring, only to be disappointed. Her sister gets married and she hopes for a ring, only to be disappointed. You get the idea.”

Award-winning blogger and writer Tauriq Moosa questions the relevance of marriage in his The Guardian article, A man’s perspective on why engagement rings are a joke. He addresses four suppositions that people have about marriage and refers to them as “myths”.

The first of these is that marriage is a tradition. Moosa says, “Love shouldn’t be completely unconditional, but it also shouldn’t be a gun to the throat.” No one should do something just because it customary to do so.

The second supposition is that marriage is a public declaration of love and ensures that people know that his or her partner is off the market. He notes that, “There is more to be

worried about if we need to ‘secure’ someone, like a raging animal, with a ring or certificate or other public stamp.”

The third is that married couples are better at parenting. Moosa points out that, “It’s not marriage alone that gives couples magical parent powers.”

The last supposition is that marriage offers legal and financial benefits. “It’s not that much different from the infamous ‘green card’ scenarios, where citizenship is obtained or a visa extended due to marrying a local.”

There are some people who still hold their very conservative views on marriage, while others are rapidly changing their perspective to adapt to the growing trend of getting married when you are young or not getting married at all. In the end, if you are the person who will be saying “I do”, it should completely depend on you.

Entertainment

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10 February ’14

Liewe Heksie kom kuier op kampus

LIZL LOMBAARD Soos mens by die Masker teater instap word jy dadelik vereenselwig met die atmosfeer wat teenwoordig is. Dadelik besef jy hier is iets groots aan die broei.

Só is dit weer die geval in 2014 met die drama department van die universiteit se jaarlikse kinderteater produksie.

Vanaf 12-22 Februarie voer die finalejaar studente, Verna Vels se legendariese Liewe Heksie en die Rotbende op. “Baie van ons het ‘n groot passie vir hierdie produksie omdat ons met Liewe Heksie grootgeword het,” sê Lizanne Schultz, wat Kwaatjie Kabouter speel.

Liewe Heksie is die storie van ‘n gawe heks wat in Blommeland woon. Al is sy skaam en soms bietjie verstrooid veg sy saam met Koning Rosekrans, die Feëkoningin en die kabouters om die Silwerroos te beskerm teen die Gifappeltjies, rotte en die Geel Heks.

Hierdie verhoogproduksie word baseer op die oorspronklike stories en karakters van die 1961 Liewe Heksie stories uit die pen van verbeeldingryke kinderouteur Verna Vels.

Dié produksie is na aan die hart van regisseur Estelle Zeeman wat self die stem van die

Foto’s: vintagemedia.com

feëkoningin vertolk het in die oorspronklike opnames. Sy vertel met nostalgie in haar stem hoe sy en Verna Vels jare gelede in ‘n kafee in Melville gesit en gesels het oor hoe hulle lewe aan die storie se karkaters wou gee.

Soveel jare later sê Zeeman is dit baie spesiaal om weer ‘n geleentheid te hê om met die stuk te werk. “Nou kyk ‘n mens met ander oë na die produksie,” vertel Zeeman wat self ‘n trotse Tukkie dramastudent was.

“Ek werk besonders lekker met hierdie span kinders,” sê Zazz, soos wat Zeeman bekend staan onder die drama studente. Dis duidelik dat die studente net so gaande oor haar is. Dit beteken wel nie dat hulle nié sal gek skeer onder mekaar sonder die wete van die regisseur nie.

“Ek dink wat kinderteater ook lekker maak is die fun behind the scenes,” verduidelik Vernicha Coetzee, wat die rol van Kwaai Babatjie, ‘n kabouter, vertolk.

Só bou hulle die toneelstuk as ‘n geheel op tot ‘n produksie vol energie wat die kinders se aandag verseker by die aksie op die verhoog sal hou.

Kaartjies beloop R30 vir kinders en R35 vir volwassenes en is beskikbaar by yvonne.rabie@up.ac.za

Foto: beeld.com

SPAR ROW C O N S U LT I N G

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If you are interested, email your CV to alma.j@2sparrows.co.za

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10 February ’14

Entertainment Talent@Tuks MICHAL-MARÉ LINDEN

Image: ishamelascorner.com

WeChat: IM future or flop?

JOHAN SAAYMAN A study by the Pew Research Centre revealed that, on average, a teenager sends 60 IMs or text messages from their phone a day. This accounts for an estimated 63% of their communication.

With a total of more than 200 texts or IMs sent and received by each subject of their study, companies are exploiting these numbers.

As each company has its own ideas on how to make the instant-messaging experience better for their users than their competitors, a numerical war is being waged and we, the users, are the soldiers. One of the parties involved in this war is WeChat.

Although some instant messaging apps take a while to take off, WeChat has grossed more than 300 million registered users since its launch in China in 2011. Currently WhatsApp only has around 430 million users since its 2009 launch.

Could WeChat be the better alternative for WhatsApp and, if so, why?

WeChat is a free IM app developed

by Tencent Holdings Limited, a Chinese investment holding company whose subsidiaries provide mass media, entertainment, internet and mobile phone value-added services, and operate online advertising services in China. The app is supported by any Android, BlackBerry or Nokia smartphone. It was launched in South Africa in early 2013 and in a year has reached surprising heights. Soon after its launch in South Africa, WeChat reached the top of BlackBerry World and the iOS store as the most downloaded app in South Africa.

What makes this app better than WhatsApp? The most obvious answer is that it’s free to install and there’s no service fee. This is because WeChat sells ads and other services while WhatsApp sticks to their “no ads and frills” policy.

In addition to this, WeChat supports many plug-ins to connect your WeChat account to other services like the user’s QQ account (also a Tencent service). WeChat also allows users

to add “moments” (pictures uploaded from the user’s phone), which can be viewed, liked and commented on by the user’s contacts. WeChat also allows users to connect to new people, nearby and international, by features like Shake, Look Around and Drift Bottle.

There are also official accounts held by celebrities and services like Lionel Messi, McDonald’s, 5 FM and SuperSport that can be followed by the public. Containing most of the WhatsApp emoticons and additional animated emoticons, WeChat further offers custom emoticons which can be purchased and installed to a user’s device.

The difficulty with WeChat is that, like BBM, contacts need to be added manually by WeChat ID, QR code or by searching the user’s phone’s contact list. This does however prevent unwanted users trolling another user’s account and the user receiving unwanted people’s updates.

In recent times, WeChat has been branding a great deal to further increase their amount of users. Following an advert in July 2013 featuring Lionel Messi, WeChat has released another commercial advertising the WeChat Guy account. WeChat also sponsored the 2014 Campus Invasion held in Hatfield on 8 February 2014 and are currently running many marketing competitions with major companies and brands.

Despite WeChat’s efforts, there are mixed reactions among Tuks students. One reason people won’t want to use the app is the fact that it offers services other platforms already offer. Christo Pienaar, a second-year BCom Law student, explained his reason for not using WeChat: “I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never gotten an interest to it. I already have accounts with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp, so all my needs of social networking and IMing are sorted.”

Some students, like Wentzel Coetzer, a second-year BSc(Agric) Applied Plant and Soil Sciences student, are attracted by the extra things. “I think WeChat is more fun. The

stickers and extra emoticons make it unique, while the basic features keep it practical to IM from my phone, for free. Ultimately I get what WhatsApp has to offer and more,” said Coetzer.

Despite WeChat’s growing numbers, it still faces a great amount of competition. MXit has launched in India and is moving to northern Africa which will no doubt put strain on all the available services to boost their numbers.

Zhiyuan Qiao, a native Chinese student doing his honours degree in architecture, expresses his confidence in WeChat despite the vast range of services available: “If you travel to Asia, WeChat is much more advanced than the South African version. You can book movie seats, even buy airplane tickets. When WeChat introduces those features to their international versions, it’ll surely over take all the other apps available, because then it’s more than just an IM app, where BBM and WhatsApp is simple and, although it offers ‘options’ to make it more interesting, won’t be as intriguing.”

The Chinese WeChat version has recently seen the addition of games that can be played via the service, group chats of 100 members, faster message sending and reduced data consumption. It is uncertain when these updates will reach South Africa but WeChat has announced that they will be putting more focus on their international users. WeChat is already introducing some improvements to their South African version like more stickers and fixing bugs from previous versions.

Despite reluctance by some, WeChat is definitely heading to even higher heights than it has already achieved in its 12 months of activity in South Africa. The secret is being more attractive than their competitors with handy add-ons. There is no doubt that competition to dominate the instant messaging world will continue to rage among companies and we, the users, can only sit back and see who has the better app.

Not many may know it but at the end of last year Valerie Robinson, a third-year BA Drama student, joined the cast of Afrikaans soap opera Binneland as Linda Malherbe.

Perdeby recently talked to Robinson about her career and being on national television.

Robinson can’t pinpoint the moment that she decided she wanted to pursue acting as a career but as she spent more time performing her passion for the craft grew. “For me, the best thing about acting is becoming someone else, living different lives. You become a different person and you make different friends. The friends I’ve made here are people I’m going to keep in contact with for a very long time,” said Robinson.

Balancing work and studies hasn’t been too much of a problem yet. “I shot most of it [my scenes] in the holiday. If it becomes a permanent thing, and it might become a permanent thing, I’d have to choose this because it’s an opportunity you don’t come across every day,” admitted Robinson.

“You have to hear ‘No’ about 500 times before you hear ‘Yes’,” said Robinson who has had an agent for the last three years.

Landing a good role takes patience and plenty of time spent at castings.

Confidence and friendliness are also key elements to making it in the industry.

“I decided I was going to be the most approachable person. I was going to be friendly and it worked out,” said Robinson about being cast in Binneland.

While there are many similarities between Robinson and Linda Malherbe, the spirited sister of Rian Malherbe, Robinson finds it harder to act like someone who is just like her. “Obviously I do relate to my character in some ways, how she tries to build up relationships and struggles to find a connection with people because of her background. So I relate to my character in an emotional way.”

With an insider now on set, it is only natural to ask for a few plot hints for Binneland fans. Unfortunately Robinson wouldn’t give away much about the upcoming events in the show, only promising us that “big things are coming”.

Image: tvsa.co.za

LIZL LOMBAARD

Faan se trein Director: Koos Roets

Volgens die amptelike plakkaat, voorprent, die nege kykNET Silwerskermfees toekennings, uiters mooi kinematografie en oorspronklike klankbaan, is Faan se trein ‘n epiese Afrikaanse drama wat kan byhou met dié soort in Hollywood.

Hierdie vergelykings eindig wel nie net daar nie. Die storielyn, regie en toneelspel kan ook met die beste van die beste meeding.

Faan se trein vertel die klassieke verhaal van ‘n dorpie wie se kleingeestige inwoners maklik iets wat hulle nie verstaan nie verwerp en afmaak as ‘n gevaar, terwyl hulle eie donker geheime veilig in die agtergrond skuil. Die film speel in die laat vyftiger jare af.

Faan, gespeel deur Willie Esterhuizen, is ‘n verstandelik gestremde volwasse man met die brein van ‘n kind. Hy bly by sy verouderde pa

(Cobus Rossouw) op hulle plaas. Hulle wag op die dorpsraad se besluit oor die toekenning van ‘n tender vir die bou van ‘n nuwe dam op die dorp. Die keuse van bouer is tussen Faan se pa en sy donkies of ‘n nuwe kontrakteur en sy stootskrapers. Mense is altyd skepties oor nuwe tegnologie en dus sorg dié boukontrak vir ‘n by-tema in die film wat handel oor mense se vrees vir verandering, asook hulle behoefte aan vooruitgaan.

Buiten die sterk temas is die film ook karakter-gedrewe, wat verseker dat die kyker op ‘n blik in die lewens van ‘n redelike verskeidenheid karakters gewaarborg is.

Noemenswaardige karakters wat by Faan en sy pa aansluit is die verslaafde dokter en sy manipulerende vrou (Deon Lotz en Nicola Hanekom), goedhartige Truia (Anel Alexander), beterweterige Tante Magriet (Sandra Kotzé), asook die passiewe dominee gespeel deur die

briljante Marius Weyers.

Al die akteurs kwyt hul goed van hulle taak, al wens mens hier en daar dat van die akteurs hulle lyne op ‘n ander manier sou lewer en somtyds met ‘n bietjie meer energie.

Omdat mens so gewoond is aan Esterhuizen in sy tradisionele komiese rolle, vat dit ‘n rukkie om hom te glo in die rol van Faan, maar kort voor lank vergeet mens van “Worsie” en “Wors” van Vetkoekpaleis en Mollie en wors en sy ernstiger toneelspeel-vermoë skyn helder op die grootskerm. Ten einde is mens verseker daarvan dat die regisseur, Koos Roets, die regte besluit geneem het om Esterhuizen in die rol van Faan te plaas.

Faan se trein bewys dat die Afrikaanse filmbedryf werklikwaar goeie gehalte films kan lewer.

Sport

7

10 February ’14

South Africa through to second round of Davis Cup

Sporting stars who can light up 2014

Image: ewn.co.za LAUREN NEUHOFF

Image: sasportandtravel.com GABRIELLA FERREIRA South Africa has advanced to the second round of the Davis Cup after defeating Monaco 3-2 in Centurion on 2 February. South Africa’s number one, Rik de Voest, ensured the country’s progression to the next round after overcoming Monaco’s Benjamin Balleret 7-0, 6-2, 6-3 in his second match.

The day began with South Africa in a 2-1 lead after a singles victory from Nik Scholtz, who defeated Balleret in his first match, and a doubles victory from Raven Klaasen and Ruan Roelofse over Thomas Oger and Guillaume Couillard.

De Voest came into the match from a loss, which meant that the winner of the match would determine which country would progress to the next stage of the tournament. De Voest dominated the game, taking the first three sets with very little trouble.

Sunday also saw Scholtz play Romain Arneodo, but the match was cut short after Scholtz was forced to forfeit due to a hip flexor strain. The victory for Monaco had no effect due to South Africa already having won the round.

South Africa last won the Davis Cup in 1974.

Their next match will take place from 4 April to 6 April in South Africa against Lithuania.

TuksSport partners with Cricket South Africa

With 2013 behind us we leave many great sporting moments and sport stars behind in order to make room for a fresh start and a brand new scene with new and old faces on sports grounds across the country.

One of the many faces to watch out for is wheelchair tennis star Lucas Sithole who has already stamped his mark on 2014 by winning his first title at the Apia International Sydney Open that took place 10-14 January. After winning the tournament, Sithole said, “I never give up, so I decided to give it my best as I had nothing to lose. I had to dig deep, change my game plan and work harder if I want to realise my goal of becoming world number one.”

Chad le Clos had a very good year in 2013 and the 21-year-old Olympic gold medallist is set to achieve similar success in 2014. Le Clos, who beat Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly event at the 2012 London Olympics, plans to try to break Phelps’s world long course record.

At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this year Le Clos will aim to win seven individual medals in the 100m and 200m freestyle and the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly events.

Former Springbok lock Victor Matfield will

be returning to the playing field for the Bulls this year. Matfield retired from rugby at the end of 2011 and had a short stint with SuperSport before joining the Bulls as forward and attack coach. Matfield says returning to the game was a very tough decision for him.

Cyclist Louis Meintjes is another sport star to watch. Meintjes won a silver medal at last year’s u/23 Road World Championships in Italy.

Meintjes finished 34 seconds ahead of South African elite road race champion Darren Lill (Bonitas) in the six-stage race. His team said in a statement that Meintjes would focus next on the inaugural Tour de Free State later this month and the u/23 Road World Championships in Norway in September.

BMX rider Godfrey Buziba has promised to bring all or nothing to his events this year.

Buziba races in Elite Men or Pro Class, a class of riders that take the sport seriously with many doing it as a full time career. Buziba will be participating in the BMX Provincials which take place in KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg.

He will then hopefully take part in the BMX Nationals which take place all over Europe.

With all these great names appearing in the sports world, 2014 is no doubt going to be a good year for sportspeople across the globe.

Photo: Hendro van der Merwe KHUMO MEKGWE Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced earlier this year their plans to build a Centre of Excellence at the LC de Villiers Sport campus.

The idea to build a Centre of Excellence came in July 2003 when CSA nominated the High Performance Centre (HPC) as the venue of choice for a high performance programme. The plan for a Centre of Excellence was approved by board members in April last year.

The R30 million project will be built near the TuksCricket Club Oval to allow the use of the oval itself. TuksSport have given this space free of charge on the condition that the members of the TuksCricket club can use its services. These services include a video analysis laboratory that will analyse illegal bowling actions, monitor

remedial work and set up an International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited facility for illegal bowling actions.

This centre is set to resemble the ICC headquarters in Dubai. CSA believes that this centre will put the Proteas in a good position as the other top cricketing nations all have similar centres.

The centre promises to support national cricket teams of all kinds, bridge the gap between domestic and international competitions and hopefully close the historical gap within communities. The partnership between TuksSport and CSA will last for 18 years but a longer partnership is being discussed.

The centre is set to open on 13 March.

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First Varsity Cup match ends in draw

Photos: Reinhard Nell KHUMO MEKGWE Tuks took on the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in the first round of the Varsity Cup last Monday. The match ended in an 18-18 draw.

The match was new Tuks captain Reniel Hugo’s debut and was also coach Pote Human’s first match in charge.

UJ started the scoring, with their first try coming in the first five minutes. UJ fly-half Jaco van der Walt confused the Tuks defence by throwing a quick switch pass to teammate Jacques Nel a few metres before the try line.

Nel drove the ball forward while an advantage awarded to UJ after a high tackle gave UJ more space to score. Two rucks later lock David Antonites managed to place the ball over the try line.

After ten minutes of play, UJ full-back Marais Schmidt was given a yellow card for a deliberate knock down. UJ, down to 14 men, struggled to maintain the pace they had been playing with.

Handling errors cost Tuks a few scoring opportunities in the first half. Rudolph Smith scored Tuks’s first try but full-back Warren

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Gelant missed the conversion.

Carlo Engelbrecht did well to set up Tuks’s second try 24 minutes into the half. His wide pass to Gelant took advantage of UJ’s blindside, with Gelant’s fast pace allowing him to narrowly escape a last-minute UJ tackle and put him over the try line. Gelant missed this conversion too.

Just before half time, Engelbrecht set up another try from a ruck just ten metres away from the try line. Two passes in seven seconds allowed inside-centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg to disorganise the UJ defence and

run the remaining five metres before putting the ball between the poles to score a try. Gelant converted the try.

UJ came close to scoring early in the second half but Tuks’s defence was resolute. UJ were frustrated by simple errors including knock-ons, skew line-outs and handling errors.

UJ enjoyed the majority of possession and territory in the second half but could not break through Tuks’s defence to score a winning try.

In other results, Shimlas beat Wits 31-15, NWU-Pukke beat UCT 47-24 and NMMU beat Maties 45-29.

International sport news MICHAEL REINDERS Football: Vidic to leave Manchester United Nemanja Vidic has announced that at the end of the 2013/2014 season he will be leaving Manchester United. The 32 year old Serbian national and current captain of Manchester United has been at the club for eight years. He has won 15 trophies while at United including five Premier League titles and a Champions League. Vidic was quoted as saying, “I have decided that I will move on at the end of this season. I want to challenge myself again and try to make the best of myself in the coming years. I’m not considering staying in England as the only club I ever wanted to play for here is Manchester United and I was lucky enough to be part of this club for so many years”. Clubs which have expressed interest in signing the defender include Italian clubs Juventus and Internazionale.

Cricket: Kevin Pietersen left out of ODI squad to tour the West Indies England batsmen Kevin Pietersen has been left out of the England squad which will be touring the West Indies this month. The English Cricket Board (ECB) have ended Pietersen’s contract short of its completion and in effect his international cricket career has ended. The ECB have refused to explain why they prematurely ended Pietersen’s contract.

When asked why Pietersen’s contract was ended and whether they can explain; James Whittaker, the new national selector for the ECB stated that, “We are in a precarious situation in terms of what we can say”.

Pietersen who is one of England’s best cricketers stated, “Although I am obviously very sad the incredible journey has come to an end, I’m also hugely proud of what we, as a team, have achieved over the past nine years.

I believe I have a great deal still to give as a cricketer. I will continue to play but deeply regret that it won’t be for England”.

Tennis: Nadal pulls out of ATP tournament in Buenos Aires World number one, Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the ATP tournament which is to take place in Buenos Aires this month. Nadal who struggled in the final of the Australian Open last month with a back injury, apologized for his withdrawal. He stated that he has not been able to train for the tournament because of the injury. Nadal was quoted as saying “We are four days away from the tournament and without training and given what happened in Australia, it is impossible for me to prepare adequately for a competition as important as the one in Buenos Aires. I’m sorry to all my supporters and organizers, and am sad personally to be unable to return to Argentina, but I hope to come back stronger soon”.

Nadal is currently one short of equalling Pete Sampras’ 14 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer holds the record with 17 titles.

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