15 October 2012 Issue 20 Year 74

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

15October2012 Kiaat student suspended

year74issue20 Zebra & Giraffe interview

The Top Ten

The Casual Vacancy

P10

Bloc Party Elections postponed in SA P8 MAXINE TWADDLE

Photo: JP Nathrass

The 2013 Student Parliament Elections, which would have taken place this Wednesday, have been postponed to next year. “Following a number of procedural irregularities in the run-up to the election, the Independent Monitoring Body on 11 October 2012 ruled that continuing with the election would be procedurally unfair,” the university told Perdeby last week Friday. The university explained that it would not be in the interests of candidates, the voting students or the university to continue with this election process. The university decided to delay elections because it would not be possible to restart the election process this year due to the upcoming examinations. This year’s elections were first threatened when the majority of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), including the chief electoral officer, resigned on 23 September. Senior Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice-Principal Michelle Viljoen cited allegations of threats, intimidation and academic stress as reasons for the resignations. She said that the alleged threats and intimidation will be dealt with at an institutional level. A new IEC was established during the October recess. The IEC is usually comprised of sitting judges of the Constitutional Tribunal, but Mthokozisi Nkosi, the SRC president, told Perdeby that all judges which had been approached “refused” to serve on the IEC. Dr Madiba then appointed Christina Mosalagae, a post-graduate student in the law faculty, as the new IEC chief electoral officer. Other members were similarly appointed. A second threat arose when two contentious issues were raised at an election candidates meeting on 8 October, which was chaired by Dr Matete Madiba, the director of Student Affairs. The first issue was the representation of day houses within parliament. Earlier in the year it was suggested that amendments to the constitution for student governance should allow day houses to receive a maximum of four seats in parliament. Attendants of the

meeting rejected this, arguing that day houses should fall into the society constituency and that the addition of a new constituency would alter the entire student parliament model. However, the current constitution has a clause that allows for the possibility of a day house constituency. At first it was suggested that elections be postponed until next year, and that a temporary student committee be created until elections could take place, so that the constitution could be reviewed. Dr Madiba, however, expressed her concern that reviewing the constitution could take months and originally said that elections could not be postponed indefinitely. It was therefore decided that day houses would not be allocated seats for the 2013 Student Parliament, and no day house representative may run for election. The second issue raised at the meeting concerned the difference between the number of candidates put forward by the faculty constituency and the number of seats the constituency holds in parliament. Nine less applicants were submitted than seats available. Of those applicants, nine were not approved, creating a deficit of eighteen. Dr Madiba proposed either allowing the number of parliamentarians to decrease or allowing more nominations for candidates. The majority of the meeting felt that it would not be democratic to allow a decreased number of parliamentarians. Again, postponing the elections was suggested. During this process, the Tuks African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) and South African Students Congress (SASCO) presented separate statements in which both organisations announced their withdrawl from the elections. “The ANCYL would like to express its great disappointment in how elections have been run,” Timothy Ramabulana, chair of the ANCYL at Tuks, read in a statement. The statement continued that “the ANCYL would therefore like to withdraw from elections on the basis that the general student populace and the organisations [have] been undermined.” After originally deciding to hold elections on 17 October as planned, the IMB decided to suspend elections until 2013.

15 Oktober ‘12

Perdeby

Don’t take candy from strangers

www.perdeby.co.za perdeby@up.ac.za m.perdeby.co.za @perdebynews Tel: (012) 420 6600 Editorial Editor-In-Chief: Carel Willemse carel.willemse@up.ac.za @Ed_in_Chief Editor: Beyers de Vos perdeby@up.ac.za @perdebyeditor News: Margeaux Erasmus news@perdeby.co.za @MargeauxErasmus Features: Meagan Dill features@perdeby.co.za @meagandill

The political system on this campus is a total failure. I’ve watched it closely over the last two years (a side-effect of being the editor of the campus newspaper) and nothing has been done to convince me that there is any merit in the system or the people who serve it. Before I get accused of sweeping generalisations, there are people working within the system who truly do care and who do want

to make a difference, but are so limited and marginalised by its bureaucracy and divisive nature, that they are lost voices amongst a chorus of ignorance. Largely driven by party politics and student politicians serving a national agenda and personal ambition, the student governance on this campus is ineffectual and discordant, and more time is spent fighting the system, UP management and each other than on actually finding out what students need, or want, from their SRC. The only way to remedy that is for students themselves to stand up and say, “Screw this, this isn’t helping us, we aren’t taking part in this crap,” and not vote in any more student elections. I don’t like voter apathy. “My vote won’t make a difference anyway” is a lazy, ignorant attitude. But despite this, I am going to urge each and every one of you not to vote in the next SRC election, whenever that may be. These elections, much like last year’s elections, have been dogged by controversy (see the front page); controversy that has gone from the absurd to the plain stupid.

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Editorial From the Editor If no one votes, the powers that be will have no choice but to change the process to one in which students feel empowered enough to participate; feel like they are actually getting something out of the services the SRC are meant to provide. As it stands, less than 30% of students vote, and I’m fairly sure most of them only vote because they get a free fizz pop. Students don’t know who their faculty candidates are, nor is there any clarity on what kind of policy platform a political party on campus is running from. All you know about any party or civil rights group is whatever lame slogan they’ve chosen for their campaign poster (AfriForum gets the award for lamest poster this year). Those students that vote therefore vote blind. Where is the sense in that? Add to that the fact that the election process is constantly marred by chaos, in-fighting and accusations and that student governance is completely divorced from real students and their real needs, and I can’t help but conclude that the system has obviously gone very wrong. Democracy at its best? Beyers

News

15 October ‘12

Kiaat student suspended

KEVIN VAN DER LIST

Do Tukkies have talent? AMY-MAE CAMPBELL

The SRC held the first annual Tuks Has Got Talent competition in the Aula on Wednesday 10 October. According to SRC President Mthokozisi Nkosi, the aim of this competition was to create a unique event in which both students and staff could participate and to celebrate diversity at Tuks. This initiative forms part of the SRC’s strategic plan to create a proud and inclusive institution. UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Cheryl de la Rey was present at the event and delivered a speech in which she reiterated the importance of inclusiveness at the university, which she believed the competition will encourage. “[Tuks Has Got Talent] is a contemporary way to ensure that we embrace a variety of talents at Tuks. I believe that tonight is the beginning of greater things to come,” she said. To win, the contestants had to impress a panel of judges who represented various categories of talent. Contestants could showcase any talent, except singing, to increase their chances of winning the competition. Among the judges were Tuks’s London Olympic Games 2012 rowing gold medalists John Smith, Sizwe Ndlovu and Matthew Brittain, as well as Top Billing TV presenter Simba Mhere.

Smith explained that as judges they were looking for a “crowd pleaser”, which he described as an act or performance that would get the crowd cheering. A variety of performances such as dancing, dramatic monologues, whistling, poetry, acrobatics and beatboxing were showcased. A unique style of street dancing known as krumping was introduced onto the stage by contestants of the dance group Elements of Revelation, who were favourites among both the judges and the crowd. However, second-year education student Phyl-Mari Hall won first prize for her dramatic monologue interlaced with some comedy called Spend That Money. Architecture student Christopher MacClements came second with his beatboxing act and Elements of Revelation came third. Each of the winners received a cash prize and the opportunity to be a part of a theatre production at the State Theatre. Director of Student Affairs Dr Matete Madiba explained that the final aim of this initiative was to provide students with a chance to break away from their studies which, she believes, will enhance better overall performance and well-being. “I believe the student calendar needs stress busters. This is one excellent way to break the stress before exams,” Madiba said.

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The student responsible for drawing up Kiaat’s allegedly racist poster has been suspended from both Kiaat and UP. His suspension followed an investigation into his involvement with the poster which appeared in the residence early in September. The poster called on Kiaat residents to perform menial chores in order to join the clubhouse committee. The poster stated that “candidates have to be black”. According to SRC President Mthokozisi Nkosi, “[T]here has been no communication regarding the disciplinary hearing [of the student]. [The SRC] are obviously not pleased with the slow pace but we would like to make sure the student concerned gets a fair case.” According to a third-year student in Kiaat, who wishes to remain anonymous, Kiaat selected a new clubhouse committee last week Tuesday after the initial committee was banned. The new committee has two white and two black representatives. The clubhouse reopened last week Wednesday. The New Age Online reported on 5 October that the South African Students Congress (SASCO) was pleased with the student’s suspension. However, they have called for Prof. van Eck, Kiaat’s house father, to be removed from his position. “We are still in talks with management about his removal. He failed to condemn the poster when it was first released and has been instrumental in intimidating students at Kiaat by censoring comments on Facebook,” said SASCO Chairperson at UP Kwara Kekana. The Kiaat student who wished to remain anonymous said that tensions in Kiaat have “passed” and that Kiaat members want their house father to stay. “The house loves [van Eck]. It wasn’t our idea to have him removed – it was [SASCO] and [the] ANCYL when they invaded our last house meeting. Most of us walked out of the meeting when the suggestions were made. He even spoke to the whole house and no one seems to have a problem with him,” he said. According to the student, posters do not have to be approved by the house father before being put up. He said that the Publications HK is in charge of approving posters, but it was put up without his knowledge. Van Eck’s involvement in the poster is still being investigated by UP.

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15 Oktober ‘12

Another student faces murder charges DANIELLE PETTERSON

Botter at her home in Fourways on 5 September. Botter was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend, a fellow law student at Tuks, who was arrested three days after her murder. A statement released by UP said, “The University of Pretoria deeply mourns the unnatural death of two of its senior female students [and is] concerned about the extent to which the level of violence in the country is impacting its staff and students.” However, the university said that they do not see a specific trend in the number and nature of the incidents involving individuals associated with the institution. According to the statement, steps have been taken to provide trauma counselling to the classmates and friends of the victims. Mkhize’s bail application was rejected and the case has been postponed to 13 November for further investigations to be conducted.

A Tuks student has been accused of murdering his girlfriend. This is the second murder involving Tuks students in a month. Sithokozile Mkhize has been accused of killing aeronautical engineering student Sarah Molewa on 20 September. Molewa’s body was found at a construction site in Pretoria East four days later. Mkhize allegedly strangled Molewa and left her body in their flat in Hatfield for several days before dumping it. Mkhize was arrested a few days after the victim’s body was found. The Sowetan reported that the crime was prompted after Mkhize began suspecting that Molewa was being unfaithful to him. This incident follows the murder of Tuks law student Alvira

“This is the second murder involving Tuks students in a month.”

Opposition against e-tolling grows STEPHANIE VAN DER PLANK The situation surrounding the implementation of the e-tolling system in Gauteng continues to rouse opposition. Initially, the North Gauteng High Court announced an urgent interdict preventing the system from commencing, only to have the Constitutional Court lift the interdict in September to allow for immediate implementation. The announcement by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on this implementation has been postponed several times to allow the IMC and other organisations to discuss alternative proposals on how to better fund the freeway upgrades. However, despite these delays, it is becoming increasingly evident that government intends to roll out e-tolls. EWN reported that Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe’s spokesperson Thabo Masebe said that the government has always seen e-tolls as part of a variety of mechanisms which will be used to raise money. Recently Cosatu has been particularly vocal in opposing the e-tolling scheme. Times Live quoted the union saying that if the government were to implement e-tolling the opposition and its members would take to the streets. Cosatu said that they do not support the user-pays principle that has been suggested as a compromise. Cosatu Spokesperson Patrick Craven encouraged

the public not to buy e-tags saying that there are huge numbers of people beyond Cosatu who are opposed to e-tolling. Meanwhile Transport Minister Ben Martins has urged motorists to buy e-tags. Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) Chairperson Wayne Duvenage told ITWeb that their expert transport economist’s assessment of the system revealed that the plan suffers from oversights and is an inefficient way of funding the freeway upgrades. OUTA is expecting Friday’s announcement to see a reduction in e-toll tariffs. However, OUTA says this is still not satisfactory. “[A] lesser amount of the wrong method doesn’t make it any more right,” they said. DA’s Gauteng Transport Spokesperson Neil Campbell said government should scrap the existing e-toll contract as the penalty costs for cancelling the contract will be less than the hugely expensive e-toll collection costs. He also commented in ITWeb that the “dogged determination of cabinet to stick to this overpriced, unaffordable and hugely unpopular toll collection system reeks of arrogance of the grandest order.” If the system is put into place, motorists will be expected to pay at least 30c per kilometre to drive on some of the province’s freeways and a monthly cap of approximately R550 will be in place for non-registered vehicles.

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Intervarsity news FRANCOIS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN AND MARGEAUX ERASMUS University of the Western Cape UWC’s SRC elections have been suspended, according to the Cape Argus. This follows the disqualification of SASCO and PASMA from the elections because they did not follow election regulations. SASCO missed the nomination deadline and PASMA did not hand in their academic transcripts. The 2011 UWC SRC released a statement on 3 October stating that, “As elections currently stand at UWC we cannot say with certainty, without fear or favour, that these elections are credible. This is as a result of an inability of all the relevant stakeholders to manage the disputes that have [arisen] during the election process.” The SRC explained that the SRC regulation rules were not followed as stated in their constitution and this lead to the discrepancies that arose. The statement continued to say that the IEC CEO gave DASO eight seats on the SRC because they were the only society to adhere to SRC regulations and that a by-election will now take place for the remainder of the SRC seats. “This decision is rather puzzling because it positions itself as an overruling of the previous decision which was to restart the process to ensure that the process is a credible one,” it read. According to the statement, “We (the UWC SRC) welcome the university’s decision to refer the matter to high court for a final decision to be taken. We call upon all student leaders to act responsibly from here on up until the conclusion of the matter.” Legalbrief Today reported that, “Allegations of forgery by students emerged in the Western Cape High Court in the controversy surrounding the University of the Western Cape’s 2012 Student Representative Council (SRC) elections.” According to the article, the parties reached a compromise in court and that, “[A]ll the nomination forms will be accepted so that all three parties can participate in the 2012 elections.” University of Cape Town UCT’s DASO branch was disqualified from their SRC elections last week Wednesday. Varsity newspaper reported that, “The SRC Electoral Committee was approached by students with claims of misconduct from [DASO] candidates during campaign week. According to the SRC appeals report, allegations included DASO candidates compromising the voting system, drastically exceeding their campaign expenditure limit without a justified cause, and failing to disclose the visits of senior DA politicians as part of their campaign week plans.” Western Cape ANC leader Marius Fransman told Politicsweb that, “[T]he DA has bought votes by using almost double the amount of money permitted in their student election campaign by handing out hundreds of hot chocolates and candyfloss..., attempting to unduly influence the election results.” Initially the electoral committee found DASO guilty of all the accusations and sanctioned them with a fine, but other parties appealed this decision, saying that the penalties were too light. “Appeals were directed to the SRC, which set up a commission of inquiry to investigate and make recommendations regarding the appeals,” the Varsity reported. The commission found the electoral committee’s punishments inappropriate and advised that DASO be banned from the next elections or that their candidates fulfil a certain amount of hours in community service. The current SRC felt that this punishment was not suitable and stated that the SRC constitution does make provisions for the disqualification of students who overspend on their campaigns. Appeals against this decision needed to be made before Friday afternoon last week. UCT Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price will make the decision within the next 10 days.

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

17September2012 7 health myths debunked

UWA CRICOS 00126G

News

The Top Ten

year74issue19 Hugs on Drugs interview

Billy Talent review

P10

No more parking on Lynnwood Road

You can now enjoy Perdeby

MARGEAUX ERASMUS Students will no longer be able to park on Lynnwood Road in future. In a ward meeting held last week Tuesday, members of Tshwane municipality explained that a new bus system was going to be implemented in Hatfield that will include dedicated bus lanes. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system will run from the Central Business District (CBD) through to Lynnwood Road, Menlyn and Mamelodi. According to the City of Tshwane website “the BRT systems enhance bus efficiency through segregated bus lanes, designs that make boarding and exiting buses quick, bus priority at intersections and effective coordination at stations and terminals.” Charl Oberholzer, National AfriForum Youth Chairperson, told Perdeby, “In order to do this the road needs to be widened, which means that student parking will be affected.” The project is currently in the public consultation stage. Oberholzer said that, “I requested, as a member of the Ward 82 committee, that they supply a plan that will make up for the loss in parking,” but added that, “It seems that there [are few] alternatives and that students will probably lose the parking on both sides of the roads in Lynnwood.”

Deputy Director of Planning and Administration at UP Hennie Coetzee said that, “Parking on Lynnwood Road [has been] used by students over many years. [However] it was [always] the intention of the city council to do some work in the road reserve and that this parking on both sides of Lynnwood road will eventually not be available for parking.” Professor Antonie de Klerk, the Executive Director of UP, told Perdeby that, “[W]e (the university) have indeed been engaged in discussions on this (the BRT system) with the CoT (City of Tshwane) for some time.” He said that, “The planned route in Lynnwood Road will lead to the loss of on-street parking,” and added that, “This is certainly unfortunate and the university is aware of the implications this will have for students.” According to Prof. De Klerk, “[I]n recognition of the growing need for parking and the future loss of on-street parking, the university has already proactively undertaken two major initiatives.” These initiatives include the construction of the Engineering 3 Parkade which provides about 650 parking bays for students and the introduction of park-and-ride facilities on the Groenkloof and the sports campuses. Prof. De Klerk said that, “The BRT will introduce additional

public transport and students will be encouraged to use this new option.” “The university will also continue to pursue and develop parking solutions for students as funding and priorities permit,” he added. “A new long-term campus master plan is currently under development and parking has been recognised as one of the important requirements. The university receives no funding from government for the development of parking facilities and is dependant on its own resources for this purpose,” Prof. De Klerk said. The City of Tshwane wrote on their website that, “[T]he first phase [of the BRT system], stretching from Nana Sita Street (formerly Skinner Street) in the CBD to the suburb of Hatfield, will be operational in April 2014. Overall, the entire BRT system should be completed and operational by October 2015.” Oberholzer said that another meeting is taking place this Wednesday to further discuss the issue.

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Fun & Games

15 October ‘12

Sudoku

BEYERS DE VOS AND NADINE LAGGAR Right, this week it’s simple. Follow our advice and you will be happy. Don’t follow it and you will be sad. The top ten reasons you should use contraceptives: 1.

Children make fun things hard. Like going to the movies. Or shopping. Or life.

Population control. There are too many of us. Why go out of your way to actively make more people to steal our oxygen and food?

You know that vintage jacket you’ve been eyeing? Well you can’t have it. Because Johnny chased a kitten into the wall and now needs facial reconstructive surgery and you will never have money again.

Paedophiles. With anthrax candy. And serial killers. With axes.

Hitler.

Stupid people.

You will never look at your vagina (or your partner’s vagina) the same way again. Pushing a melon-sized human out of an orifice tends to change it. For everyone.

Children are dirty all the time. You will never be clean again. Neither will your house. Or your dog. Or your roof. Nothing will escape the clutches of the soggy, midget, chocolate terrorist.

Drinking. It’s a much-loved activity. Until you have children and then suddenly it becomes irresponsible. Imagine never being allowed to get drunk again? That sound you hear? That’s the sound of your personality dying.

Last week’s solution:

10. Say goodbye to your youth. Children are like vampires (except real). They suck the beauty, vitality and energy out of you until you’re nothing but a shell of the person you used to be. You know how your parents look so haggard? Ja, that’s your fault.

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15 Oktober ‘12

Features

PSY: “Dress classy, dance cheesy” ANNEKE RUBEN

Park Jae-Sang, better known as PSY, has become an overnight global sensation with his unusual but side-achingly funny “Gangnam Style” music video. In the music video, he dances his famous dance routine in horse stables, playgrounds, elevators, carousels, car parks and even a toilet. And people love it. In late September, PSY’s “Gangnam Style” was awarded a Guinness World Record for the most liked video on YouTube. At the time of going to press, the music video had garnered over 3,5 million likes and had topped the iTunes charts in 31 countries, including the United States and Britain. The success of PSY’s song is ironic, says Hollywood music producer Tim Hugh. “Most people do not understand the language, yet people are crazy about it.” So what does “Gangnam Style” actually mean? Gangnam, Korean for “south of the river”, is one of the richest neighbourhoods in Seoul, South Korea. Families that own and manage companies like Hyundai and Samsung live in the neighbourhood. Gangnam has been compared to Beverly Hills and Miami Beach, but PSY rejects these comparisons in an interview with Q magazine, explaining that “Gangnam is like a combination of all the Western rich neighbourhoods, with a distinct lifestyle incomparable with any other.” Gangnam is a place where people are rich, girls are pretty and everything is supposed to be cool. PSY – the exact opposite of cool in his music video – struggles to keep up with the lavish Gangnam lifestyle, and in his persistence to be confidently uncool (with

style) he becomes the dorky guy everybody can’t help but love. Beneath the humorous surface of PSY’s song, however, lies a sharp social critique of the lifestyles of the very rich in Gangnam. As the oldest son of a very rich family in South Korea, PSY grew up in Gangnam. He experienced it from within, and his comical portrayal of his old neighbourhood is an obvious satirical comment. “When people speak of Gangnam, it’s

usually not addressed in a respectful tone, but sarcastically,” says South Korean professor in analytical advertising Chang Dae Ham. PSY’s internet domination could be compared to one of South Africa’s own local bands, Die Antwoord. To compare their success is a bit like comparing a Boeing 747 to a tiny bicycle, but their satirical portrayals of South Africa’s zef style and South Korea’s Gangnam style are similar. Die Antwoord mocks the lives of zef South Africans who would usually be found

in places like Brakpan and in the suburbs of Vereeniging. PSY does the same but targets the extremely rich in Seoul – mocking the people in Gangnam who drive around at night in their expensive cars while they make use of public transport during the day when none of their rich friends are looking. Not everybody believes that “Gangnam Style” is a satirical song. Justin Botha, a first-year medical student, says, “I don’t even know where South Korea is on a map, so there is no way of knowing what the real message is. I just enjoy it.” This seems to be the opinion of many students. Roslynn Allan, a third-year food science student, contributes: “I don’t think it is satirical. I don’t know what the lyrics mean, but it sounds funny and we all need something humorous this time of the year.” Here at Tuks, students are also enjoying the “Gangnam Style” song. Salila Zulu, a secondyear BCom Accounting student, shares that “Gangnam Style” is the most played song on her iPod right now. “I play it loud and when I am alone in my room I dance the horse dance. My friends think I am crazy and my neighbours hate me.” Freek Oosthuizen, a BSc (Hons) Microbiology student, is less excited. “It was cool in the beginning, but it is starting to get irritating because everybody plays it really loud all the time.” Perhaps Zulu and Oosthuizen are neighbours. TuksFM and many university reses have gotten in on the action too, recording their own versions of the hit song. While the results vary from hilarious to simply embarrassing, what is clear is that Tuks, like the rest of the world, has caught Gangnam style fever.

Illustration: Simon-Kai Garvie

Getting into your grandfather’s pants

SHANE ALBOROUGH Each year, new wardrobes open and old ones close, leaving the dregs of the fashion industry behind. Inevitably, though, this will be recollected and reformed by some experimental designer a few decades into the future. Sometimes this constant slamming of doors can be a bit daunting for the aspiring fashionista. Casual flipping through magazines can easily turn into a frantic scramble through pages in an attempt to understand the workings of the fashion industry. At times, those on the outside of the industry may find themselves wondering if there is a process at all – or if the entire scene is simply a mesh of the whims and

ideas of influential people. The recurrent nature of fashion is vividly apparent in the intergenerational recurrence of what’s “in” and what’s “out”. “One day I greeted my grandmother in the kitchen, only to find that we were wearing the exact same skirt. Except hers was from, like, 1960 and mine was from Mr Price,” says third-year chemical engineering student Holly Thomas. It seems that in every generation, some form of vintage fashion is in vogue for at least a short while – so much so that it has given this unique style a secure subdivision within the fashion industry. To clarify: vintage does not refer to that manky old coffee table you saw at your

grandfather’s best friend’s garage sale. Rather, vintage refers to items from within living memory, unlike antique, which applies to items over a century old. Perdeby spoke to Nicole Warr, the editor of Vintage Lifestyle Magazine. “The concept of vintage is definitely becoming more known these days,” she says. “I think society is realising what it means to have your own style and how important it is to wear clothes that best describe your personality.” Vintage, however, is not just a set of timeworn clothes – anyone can easily fall into the trap of looking like a nightmare from the 1980s rather than coming across as a 21st-century fashion genius. For this, it is important to remember that your style needs

to be a blend of both old and new. As Warr says, “Mixing modern with vintage is seen as trendy. For example, wearing a vintage dress that costs R50 with a Chanel bag and Christian Louboutin shoes will receive a fashion nod.” But is the wheel of revisiting previous fashion trends starting to rotate faster and faster through each era? In the 1930s, it was very popular to wear skirts that were shorter in the front than in the back, just like those in style today. Then, a little later, in the 1950s, soft pastel colours and flower prints made an appearance on the fashion front. Both form the basis of the summer 2012 collection for Woolworths. Similarly, brilliant, day-glo colours and leg warmers were an iconic trend in the 1980s, but recently they have made a more subtle comeback in exercise wear before slipping quietly into everyday women’s wear, with the bright colours overflowing into men’s T-shirts and jeans. The Miami Vice style of the mid-80s has also made a reappearance of late in menswear, with casual T-shirts peeking out from beneath formal jackets. Instead of new developments taking decades to be adapted from the old, fashion seems to be cycling through trends at what can sometimes seem an alarming rate. Some might say that fashion is only cyclical, and that what was trendy a hundred years ago will always be stylish – just at different points in society’s timeline. You may even catch yourself saying, “Hey gramps, nice pants,” at least once in your young life. It can be argued, however, that fashion in fact simply draws on inspiration from past generations, but that the innovation of each paradigm shift is reliant on the creativity and resourcefulness of the new generation. As Warr aptly puts it, “I see trends that are recycled on the catwalks today, but to me, this does not mean that fashion is a closed circle. It’s a salute to the past.” Photo: Matthew Schnetler (Vintage Lifestyle Magazine)

Features

15 October ‘12

Watch what you post: how free are we online? LUSANDA FUTSHANE Take a brief look through your Facebook newsfeed or Twitter timeline. Song lyrics. A stolen joke. Baby pictures. The subtext: “My life is better than your life.” But interspersed between the usual inanity that we so richly enjoy are a few furious posts about bad service at a restaurant, taxi drivers, or even bigoted slurs and death threats. In the past, we could say whatever we pleased online, with followers and friends the only thing we stood to lose. Lately, however, people have been fired from jobs and expelled from institutions because of ill-conceived (and ill-received) posts. Perdeby examines the web as we know it today and asks: how far can we push the boundaries of our freedom of speech online? Last month, the world was outraged when excerpts of the anti-Islam movie Innocence of Muslims were broadcast on YouTube. After protests against YouTube and the makers of the film, YouTube blocked the videos in certain countries but left them online in other countries. In the wake of this, Eva Galperin, International Freedom of Expression Coordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, chides YouTube and Google for blocking the videos in certain countries in her article for TechCrunch.com. She writes, “Because Google has chosen not to mediate content, there is room for all kinds of speech on YouTube – for unpopular speech, for voices of dissent, for speaking truth to power, for ugly and disturbing speech, and for cute cat videos. When Google turns its back on those policies, however temporarily, it is up to civil society to take notice and hold them accountable.” Freedom of speech is a tricky concept. Mingling it with privacy policies on the internet complicates it even further. You’re allowed to

say what you want and express yourself freely on any of your “private” profiles (often readily available to hundreds of people or sometimes even the whole world) – as long as it doesn’t offend anyone. In the UK, you can actually get arrested for insulting someone online. In South Africa, as well as other countries, an off-colour

post might not get you arrested, but it can cost you your job. Famously, model Jessica Leandra dos Santos’s tweet containing a racial slur elicited public outrage both within the Twitter community and beyond. Subsequently, the tweet was reported to the Human Rights Commission, and she was stripped of her title as winner of

FHM’s Modelbook competition earlier this year. Users are promised privacy every time they sign up on social networking sites. You share what you want with whomever you want. You moderate your own content and you filter yourself as you wish. At least, that’s what we’re promised – the reality is quite different. Facebook’s privacy policy has been thought by many to be dubious since its inception. In the past, it was possible for third-party companies to have access to and the ability to censor Facebook users’ personal information. Recently, Facebook faced more controversy when a glitch allowed private messages to slip through and be published on users’ timelines. More and more people are becoming less and less trusting of the internet and are feeling unsafe saying whatever they wish. Tshego Mosigo, a second-year IT student, says that she hardly ever uses her Facebook account because she has no idea who’s reading her posts. “There are fake accounts and hackers and strangers you’re not even friends with reading about your life. There’s no freedom of speech on the web and it’s not because folks get offended easily, it’s because too many people are listening.” There is no doubt that the internet is an amazing advent. It has revolutionised our lives and busied us with things we never thought we even needed. However, like most things in life, there are rules to follow. Freedom of expression is a constitutional right that cannot be taken away, but hate speech is a crime. So sometimes you might have to put up with a few taxi drivers or Instagram baby pictures without calling anyone anything that’ll later cost you a job. Or maybe just post your anger in binary code or Klingon – how’s that for expression? Photo: Eleanor Harding

Final-year hysteria: what comes next? DEON BOTHA

So, you’re almost done with your degree. But after dedicating several years of your life to the pursuit of knowledge, you realise that you can find absolutely no job that can make use of your expertise. It feels like you’ve wasted years of your life in pursuit of nothing. In your frustration, you start looking at other options that have nothing to do with your field. In light of this, Perdeby investigates a few alternative career routes that could change your life forever. The idea of taking a gap year dates back to the 1960s. It is used to describe students who make the decision to travel, to volunteer or to go on working holidays, sometimes abroad. This usually takes place after they finish school, varsity or other academic institutions. This is usually done in the pursuit of expanding your horizons and gaining life experience. Some hope to find a sense of purpose in this increasingly competitive world. BSc (Hons) student Gehart Kalmeier wishes to break away from a habitual lifestyle. “I just want to get away from all this for a while.” International employers have recognised these needs and often employ foreign students. An internet search for jobs abroad shows results which include various employment agencies which specifically cater for “young, vibrant people” who wish to work abroad. You may have heard about opportunities such as working as a summer camp leader in the United States, an au pair in the UK or doing voluntary work on a farm in Israel. Second-year psychology student Nelis Uys worked in the US on a one-year contract as a travelling carnival playground operator. “The pay was very good in comparison to South Africa. The social scene was very nice ... groceries were cheap.” However, when asked about working hours, he says, “It was very confusing because one week you would work 12-hour [shifts] and more, or less, the next week.” But simple jobs geared towards students aren’t the only options out there. There are

various countries that need English translators and teachers. People with technical skills are also a highly appreciated human resource. Gareth Joubert, a former BSc Zoology student, worked as a salesperson for third-party safety inspections in Saudi Arabia. “The pay was much better than in South Africa. About double what I would’ve been earning here for the same position,” says Joubert. Additionally, the living costs were very cheap. “I used to buy petrol with my change,” he remarks. In Saudi Arabia there are also no taxes to be paid. “That’s the one thing I think they got right.” There were, of course, also negatives. He says that Saudi Arabia is “a country with very strict rules” and adds that there were no opportunities for career growth. When asked if he would return to Saudi Arabia to work there again, he simply replies, “No, the lack of a

social life and the rules you have to obey aren’t worth the extra money for me personally. I don’t see the point of making lots of money and being miserable while I do it.” According to Services.gov.za, the cost of applying for a tourist passport is roughly R450, provided you already have a valid South African ID. The cost includes ID photos and a collection of other required documents. It takes about ten weeks to process the application. A South African tourist passport is valid for ten years. The next step is to apply for a visa. This can be done through a travel agency or in person at the nearest embassy of the country you wish to visit. Various requirements need to be met before a visa is issued. These requirements differ between countries and some include stating why you are visiting, divulging personal information such as medical records and getting

vaccinations against foreign diseases. “I love South Africa. It’s my home and I’d rather live here than anywhere else in the world, despite the problems we may have here,” Joubert says. Uys, on the other hand, feels entirely different. “Unfortunately, there’s not really work in South Africa because of the country going backwards.” Whether your short- to mid-term plans include going out there to see the world and learn new things is up to you. On the other hand, whether you are willing to sacrifice a great deal of time with your friends and family, a nice braai on a sunny day or the unmistakeable beauty of South African nature in exchange for new discoveries – well, that part might be a good reason to think about it once more. Image: www.visafirst.com

15 Oktober ‘12

Entertainment

Bloc Party In The City of gold NADINE LAGGAR

Johannesburg is a formidable city, a city of gold, of danger and now recently – however unlikely it may have seemed – a city of rock gods. On 5 October Vodacom Unlimited In The City launched what is to become an annual event. An event that sees international artists brought to South Africa to cure the nation’s post-Oppikoppi depression. Mary Fitzgerald Square was transformed from its everyday monotonous existence into a contemporary Cinderella and the crowd partied way into the early hours of a derelict Jo’burg morning – praise be to Newtown and Red Bull. The stage loomed over the crowds, high enough for everyone to get a good view, supplemented by a large screen on the right. The smoking area was more of a suggestion filled with attractive couches, serving more as a kiosk for cigarettes than a designated area for the addicted. Despite there being only a single bar, the bar fridges were full and the bartenders eager. Let the entertainment commence. Shadowclub popped the evening’s cherry, a little worrying as the three-piece band tends to either blow minds or fly over them. Despite the nail-biting anticipation, Shadowclub proved to be the pied pipers, seducing the crowd towards the apex of what was slowly morphing into a crowd bent on getting its live music fix. The boys played a set of hard-hitting, up-tempo tracks, only slowing it down for the afterglow of sex and rock and roll. There was one last spurt of energy, leaving the crowd to manage their heart rates. Then calm before some Peaches (Yesterday’s Pupil) and Tumi. It was like having dessert before dinner – a little naughty but absolutely delicious. So scrumptious, in fact, that a bra found its way to the stage and pretty much became a prop, hanging over Peach’s mic. Although, it was just a white T-shirt bra, not exactly the vessel through which groupie passion is usually presented. But the duo impressed and the crowd bounced to the hip hopelectro beat. It was a little saddening, however, when Tumi retreated for a lengthy period in the middle of the set, but order was restored once he re-joined Peach, their individual styles melding effortlessly. Definitely one of the best collaborations witnessed this year. Die Antwoord was next and the prospect of seeing Bloc Party almost tangible. The crowd became tenacious, tension filling every edge of Mary Fitzgerald Square and a lot more excitable than the one and only bar had anticipated. Spending an hour waiting for a drink was irksome and tiring but nothing could dampen the waves of electricity flowing from and to the stage. Say what you want about Die Antwoord, but they sure as hell know how to put on a damn good performance. The bass was

deafening in the front, the masses bathing in the eccentric and the profane. The pair are right at home on a large stage and Yolandi bounced around on every inch of it like a little girl on a sugar rush, her shirt reading “F*ck You F*ckin F*ck”. And wouldn’t you know it? The Evil Boy icon inflated during the “Evil Boy” track, emasculating every male within a five-kilometre radius. Although Ninja seemed unperturbed, gyrating with his manhood noticeably … unrestrained. The lights go out. A haze of herb-infused delight hangs over the audience. They’re getting restless and anxious as they surge to get as close to the front as possible. All the symptoms of pre-international act jitters. After what feels like a lifetime, the London boys of Bloc Party step onto the stage. The crowd is excited, but who could have anticipated that the next hour would be pure musical ecstasy? However dramatic it may seem, the experience of watching Bloc Party live was damn near spiritual. “Are you having a good time?” shouts Kele Okereke into the mic, “Of course you are, I can smell the marijuana from here.” And back they dove into the set, unrelentingly, no mercy for the meek until they suddenly walked off the stage. The disappointment raged through the crowd who screamed, “Encore!” A few minutes later and the boys are back, Matt Tong looking like a nerdy version of Tom Sawyer, shirtless and in cut-off jeans. Okereke announces that it’s now the second half of their performance and the audience loses it. “Do you like it hard here?” asks Okereke to a surge of affirmation. “I warned you,” he cautions and he wasn’t lying as the mic stand is smashed to the ground, the Bloc Party crew scrambling on and off stage trying to keep up with Okereke’s whims. By the time the second half is over people are emotional wrecks. It was only fitting that “Helicopter” was the last track played, although some might have been disappointed that “The Prayer” didn’t make the set. After an act like that, who really cares? In the aftermath, worn out, dazed individuals wandered Mary Fitzgerald Square trying to find themselves once more and not even the 500m walk to the Oriental Plaza was daunting, though the security must have been in camouflage with barely two perceptible along the path. But beer seemed to cure that hesitation most effectively as birds of, if not rather ruffled, feathers flocked in groups and reveled in the excitement and sights of the evening. In The City has set the standard quite high for themselves with expectations of a line-up that needs to match this year’s mindboggling performances. It looks like In The City has an annual event that will become a staple in every gig addict’s diary.

Photos: JP Nathrass

Double Ticket Giveaway

Win one of two sets of double tickets to The Plastics’ album launch on Saturday 20 October (20:00) at Arcade Empire. The Plastics are launching their new album, Pyramid, alongside performances by the December Streets and The Olympic. All you have to do is name one of the tracks off of The Plastics’ new album and tweet it to @perdebynews or post it on Perdeby’s Facebook page to stand a chance to win. Winners will be contacted on Friday 19 October.

Photo: Lauren Waller / It’s Mine Now

Entertainment

15 October ‘12

Interview

Review

Zebra & Giraffe’s dark metamorphosis

MELINA MELETAKOS With the release of their third album, The Wisest Ones, SAMA-winning electro indie rockers Zebra & Giraffe have undergone a complete metamorphosis. It started at the end of last year when drummer Darren Leader and bassist Andrew Maskell decided to leave the band. Mike Wright, who previously played the keyboards, happily picked up his abandoned drumsticks (he’s actually a drummer) and Stef Henrico later joined the line-up on the bass. But what about the keys that give Zebra & Giraffe their distinctive dance-pop sensibility? “It’s been quite hard with the keyboards. That’s been our biggest challenge,” admits front man Greg Carlin. “Obviously we can’t play everything because we’re down to a four-piece now, so it’s about trying to figure out the key parts that we need to play and what looks cool visually,” he says. Carlin and Henrico now juggle playing their own instruments as well as the keyboard for live performances. This isn’t the first time Zebra & Giraffe have been left without a keyboardist, though. When Carlin recorded and released the band’s debut album, Collected Memories, they had to find someone to join them on tour. The band then went into studio to record their second album, The Inside, and the keyboardist left during the process. Wright hopped on board, which meant that they had to teach someone to play keys yet again. “I think we are all up to the limit,” says guitarist Alan Shenton, clearly frustrated. “I’ll do the album again, that’s no problem, but to do that again, to re-structure live shows and think about the sounds again? It’s a serious process. Very time-consuming as well,” he says. With the absence of someone permanently behind the keyboards, Zebra & Giraffe reveal a more guitar-driven sound on The Wisest Ones, even though this shift was unintentional. “We had it (the keyboards) in the studio the whole time. We said when we got to the end we would do some keys but then we filled it up so much with the guitars that we thought it just didn’t need it. And we aren’t going to be able to play it live, so what’s the point of overlaying all this stuff if we aren’t going to be able to pull it off?” explains Shenton. But that’s not the only noticeable change on Zebra & Giraffe’s third offering. Their new bouquet of songs seems more mature and has a darker, more menacing sound, courtesy of Carlin’s lyrics. He attributes this change to getting older and questioning whether or not he should still be in the music industry. He had a big party to get over his doubt and says that the song-writing process is quite cathartic for him. “I think that’s why I do it. It’s how I deal with things, like a little

therapy session. I get stuff out that you wouldn’t normally say in general conversation and put it in a song,” he says. “I think we definitely have learned to relax a bit more. We used to stress a lot about unnecessary stuff. Now it’s a lot more relaxed and the writing process, recording [and] playing live is a lot better,” says Carlin. Shenton says that they have also learned how things work in the music industry. “It took a while to get that right, to figure out how the South African music industry works professionally, when you are doing it full time. We’ve made mistakes and we’ve learned from those mistakes. We’ve just learned to deal with those sorts of things and that has definitely matured us,” he says. One thing that certainly has remained constant is Zebra & Giraffe’s ongoing relationship with producer Darryl Torr, they’ve chosen to work with him for the third time now. The band recorded their first two albums at the SABC, which made it a very rushed process as they had a limited time to get everything done. With The Wisest Ones, they opted for recording at Torr’s studio, Openroom Productions, in Greenside. “I think he just works really well with us and we work really well with him. We understand him. We don’t have to worry about stepping on each other’s toes. He’s deadly honest with us and we’re completely honest with him and it just makes the process very smooth,” says Wright. “We also had a lot of fun in studio. We do a lot of work but a lot of it is picking on each other and banter and stuff like that, which we’ve always enjoyed with Darryl,” adds Shenton. He explains that there is also a downside to continually working with the same producer. “We’re probably very comfortable with him, so maybe now or one day, it’s time to move on from that, not for any other reason than that the point of a producer is to make you feel uncomfortable sometimes and push you in directions you don’t want to go,” he says. With band members continually changing since their inception and with their music being steered in a different direction, is Zebra & Giraffe older and wiser this time round? With “I’ll Blame You”, the first single off The Wisest Ones, already enjoying extensive airplay by radio stations across the country, and with an impressive music video for the song to boot, where to next for Zebra & Giraffe? “Our next plan is to go to Europe in February/March. We have someone working on that at the moment. Ultimately, that’s the most important thing, to find someone to be the pull-factor there. That’s very difficult. It’s a slow process but it’s also an inevitable process for us. We have to do it,” says Shenton.

“We’ve made mistakes and we’ve learned from those mistakes.”

Photos: Brad Donald

MELINA MELETAKOS “Why don’t I know the answers? / Why don’t I know the truth? / Why do I feel like this is all I do?” asks an incensed Greg Carlin on “I’ll Blame You”, the first single off Zebra & Giraffe’s third album. He’s perplexed, resentful and slightly menacing and he’s letting everyone know it with the beautifully crafted, if slightly disturbing, lyrics he penned on The Wisest Ones. On “All I Gave”, an eerie lament, Carlin slyly declares, “I wrote the book on how to give a f**k and f**k you too,” while “Little Black Book” sees him calmly stating, “I’ve been waiting for your teeth / To sink into my gut / And make me bleed.” This is Carlin as you’ve never seen him before. On The Wisest Ones, he explores the dark side of love: when you love the wrong person or, even worse, when you love the right person imperfectly. And then there’s songs such as “Sons”, which is like a letter to Carlin’s brother after their parents got divorced many years ago. “Look at our father / He’s lying in the corner / At home / Please give him water / And watch him as he drowns / Alone,” he sings candidly. You get the sense that, with The Wisest Ones, Carlin is letting it all out. It’s the equivalent of him sitting on a bulky leather couch in a shrink’s office, relaying his woes, and you can’t help but be grateful that he is brave enough to share it with you. But this is not the only noticeable change on the SAMAwinners’ electronic indie rockers’ latest record. Without someone solely devoted to the keyboards this time round, Zebra & Giraffe have used The Wisest Ones to experiment with a dirtier, more raw guitar-driven sound. “Yesterday” starts off with a bristly riff and culminates in a mass of pent-up guitar anger that the band has been hiding, while a wailing guitar stands out on “Denied” and “You’re Nothing To Me”. The jagged synth/guitar-created opening of “Sick” sounds like an aggressive disease spreading rapidly, with Carlin warning, “I’ll make you sick / Try not be fooled / I’m damaged goods / I’ll eat the good inside you”. They’re good at this new sound. Really good. A far cry from The Inside and an even further one from their debut album, Collected Memories, Zebra & Giraffe have finally come into their own. While many fans won’t take to the band’s dark metamorphosis and might feel uncomfortable because of the stark lyrics, The Wisest Ones speaks of a willingness to try something new and refreshing and Zebra & Giraffe should be applauded for doing just that. RATING: 8/10 Image: whats-up.co.za

Entertainment

15 Oktober ‘12

The Casual Vacancy: JK Rowling gets real BEYERS DE VOS The initial problem with the Casual Vacancy is that JK Rowling’s style is too distinct. This wouldn’t be a concern for any other author (in fact, it would be an asset), but Rowling is not simply any other author. She would, no doubt, like us to forget about Harry Potter when reading her first book for adults, but her previous work has so over-familiarised audiences with her style that for the first few chapters, the memory of Harry Potter is at the fore-front of your mind, and it creates a jarring incongruency. But it isn’t fair to allow the ghost of Harry Potter to infect your judgement of The Casual Vacancy, and luckily the power of Rowling’s prose (and profanity) eventually conquers the nagging feeling that Hagrid is just around the corner. Rowling’s new world could not be any less like Hogwarts: it is bracingly real. Set in the fictional British parish of Pagford, the action revolves around the death of a man named Barry Fairbrother and the election surrounding the vacant seat his untimely exit leaves on the parish council, where he served as a councillor. Soon the seemingly idyllic town is revealed to be a place of prejudice, corruption and deep-seated social conflict as the election for Barry’s replacement nears. The story is told through a multitude of voices, and the large cast of characters each have their own personal dramas against which the race for heart and soul of Pagford plays out. Rowling is at her best when she is writing her teenage characters, whose inner and outer lives are deftly described with an acute and sometimes poignant realism: a realism Rowling revels in. She takes full advantage of the freedom to engage themes a children’s book didn’t allow her to approach.

These teenagers watch porn, smoke weed, self-harm and have sex; they are abused, misused and they swear – a lot. The older characters, however, have a tendency to become caricatures, especially those who too obviously represent a segment of society Rowling clearly derides: the privileged middle class. These characters are snobbish, spiteful, selfish, pretentious, petty and irredeemable. They become a clear representation of Rowling’s social agenda (and she does have an agenda in this book): her championing of the poor and the under-privileged. Whether or not her assessment of British society is fair or accurate is not the issue – but you can’t help and wonder if the novel wouldn’t have been better if she had given these characters the same complexity and subtlety she gives the characters whose causes she so clearly sympathises with. This, plus Rowling’s tendency to overwrite (her sentences can become cluttered by unnecessary explanations and descriptions) are the novel’s main weaknesses. However, her treatment of big themes (death, grief, fidelity, poverty, abuse, drug use) is intelligent and moving. Rowling is truly an excellent writer, who has mastered the art of a wellcrafted plot. She tells an engrossing story, by turns darkly comic and strikingly tragic, and she tells it well. Is it flawless? No. Does it deserve the hype Rowling’s name has attracted? No. Is it a good book that is worth reading? Absolutely. The Casual Vacancy is available at Bookmark for R280. RATING: 7/10 Illustration: Matt Blease

Gerald Clark’s Black Water runs deep, south and blue NADINE LAGGAR The Blues. It’s the genesis of contemporary music. It’s the original devil music (move aside rock and roll). It’s the kind of music you’d expect to hear on Cajun folks’ porches, punctuated by the snaps of alligators and glazed over with melancholy and moonshine. But it’s also the core of Black Water, Gerald Clark’s new album. The album starts off in the Deep South with “It Ain’t you”, Clark’s vocals husky and earnest as he sings, “Getting drunk / Getting stoned / I think about my baby, my baby / Our love’s gone cold.” This is the kind of voice that pacts with the devil are made for. All the more impressive because the blues veteran underwent surgery earlier this year leaving him with only two thirds of his vocal ability. Clark has made a speedy recovery: his national tour in August was postponed to November and December this year. Now, slow down the tempo and cue “Black Water”. This is Bo Diddley meets Muddy Waters, Clark’s vocals riding on the sensual and dirty edge of the blues with a consistent bass line and guitar solos galore. But it’s “Giving Up On Love” that really encapsulates the blues trope on the album – the consistent guitar riff easily recognisable with the welcomed first appearance of a harmonica. It hits home; home, of course, being the Cotton Club in New Orleans.

This is where the album starts to deviate with rockabilly making an appearance on “Ain’t Going To Heaven” and “Feel So Good ... Can’t Keep From Crying”. It’s here that the mixing of genres starts to peek through, and it’s just as well because too much of the blues can get a tad heavy for those who prefer only to dabble in the genre. From rockabilly to contemporary soft rock in “Breaking Down”, which sounds a little like Jack Johnson with chest hair. Then white tailcoats, black ties and martinis for the

demure “Poor Man Blues”, the piano doing much to gloss over the undertone of the distinctly blues guitar riff, which takes centre stage on “Let Me Tell You” – it’s Elvis Presley’s “I’m All Shook Up” during the verse but it all deconstructs in the chorus with Clark’s own mark firmly and successfully made on Memphis. The holy grail of Black Water, however, is Clark’s own rendition of “House of the Rising Sun”. It’s like Lead Belly and the Blue Dot’s versions rolled into one, on crack. The Animals did the cover of this song so well that it’s refreshing to see the tempo upped in Clark’s cover. “As The Crow Flies” sees some good old rock and roll, the electric guitar incredibly distinct. But you can’t help but feel that because Clark does the blues so well that this track comes across a little too generic. The only track that seems out of place is “Marry Me”. It’s a little too soppy and cliché when compared to the rawness of the rest of the album: like a white dove with an olive branch in a bar of nostalgic drunkards. Despite this, the album is refreshingly different, the tracks branching out in experimental directions with its base rooted firmly in the blues. RATING: 7/10

Image provided

Van de Ruit gives Spud an adequate but uncertain exit HEIN PAPENFUS In the beautiful Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands young boys are being chased and beaten by prefects and teachers alike. This is the familiar scene hilariously depicted by author John van de Ruit in the newest edition of the widely successful Spud series. Spud – Exit, Pursued by a Bear is the fourth and final instalment of the series that has become a household name throughout South Africa. The success of Spud and the two subsequent books, Spud – The Madness Continues and Spud – Learning to Fly, has put pressure on John van de Ruit to maintain the standard the first three novels have set. This final effort, however, is the cherry on the cake, inducing loud and embarrassing chuckling when read in public places as well as a genuinely empathetic response to the now familiar characters. The utter madness with which teachers and students conduct themselves at this “posh” private school defies belief. A prefect now, Spud is more involved in the chaos than ever before, his roommates Rambo, Boggo, Rain Man and Fatty plan ever more ridiculous escapades from the sanctity of the “cop shop” (the prefects’ room). Rules are broken, money is extorted from terrified juniors and the boundaries of sanity are pushed to new and exciting levels.

Facing the unthinkable prospect of leaving school a virgin, Spud is forced to strike a balance between academic work, cricket and “spading” the ladies. On top of all this he is forced to consider the path of his future career, aided by a rather attractive student counsellor, Eve, with whom Rambo, the first team rugby captain, has had a very public affair. Perhaps the only criticism that can be made is about the book’s ending. After the previous three novels, readers have become emotionally invested in Spud’s journey and the ending feels a bit open-ended, almost as if Van de Ruit was leaving room for a fifth book despite expressing that Spud – Exit, Pursued by a Bear is the last in the series. In this very rare case, an overly sentimental happy ending could have worked in the story’s favour. With a mixture of proudly South African colloquialisms and poignant descriptions of political events from 1993, which are expertly woven into the story, this is a book that will provide hours of entertainment. The colourful characters really do come to life in one’s imagination and more than a little nostalgia creeps in as Spud finishes his matric year and is forced to face the world. A definite must read for the South African pop culture junkie. RATING: 7/10 Image: Carla van Aswegen

Sport

15 October ‘12

In conversation with Mathew Pillans NATALIE THOMPSON Tuks 1 won their second match of the Northerns Cricket Union Premier League when they beat Irene Villagers by four wickets at AssupolTuks Oval on Saturday 6 October. After the game, Perdeby got the chance to speak to Tuks 1’s star bowler and

Most Improved Elite Squad Player for 2012, Mathew Pillans. Pillans matriculated from Pretoria Boys High School in 2009 and spent two years at the TuksCricket Academy. He decided in high school to set cricket as “a career goal”. According to Pillans, TuksCricket has helped him improve both as a player and as

an individual. He was inspired by former TuksCricket and current Tuks 1 Pierre de Bruyn (who played for the Nashua Titans and the Nashua Dolphins) as well as Anton Roux (who played for the Nashua Titans). Pillans acknowledges that his strengths as a player can be attributed to his team. “I’m dedicated towards being the best that I can be

on the field. Being around the guys creates that closeness, something that I can work off for myself to be better. It’s not about myself. It’s about everyone else,” he said. The fast bowler’s role models in the cricketing world are Brett Lee, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist. According to Pillans, the key to TuksCricket’s success in recent years can largely be attributed to coach Pierre de Bruyn. Pillans said that most of what he has learnt since the start of his time at Tuks has come from De Bruyn. “I don’t think I can thank Pierre enough for what he’s done. He’s really helped me out to progress as a player, mentally and physically, also just the way he handles me as a person and a player.” De Bruyn told Perdeby, “Mathew has a lot of potential as an all-rounder and he has improved faster than normal over the last two seasons. He is training as an absolute pro and he has a bright future.” One of the most memorable moments of his career thus far would be the 50-over knockout final Tuks participated in at SuperSport Park earlier this year. “We needed over a run a ball. Paul Harris came in with me and we needed one run off two balls.” Pillans added that the best experience for him was scoring the winning run. Pillans’s short-term goals at TuksCricket include being the best bowler in the Tuks attack and batting higher up the order. He said that he aims to turn professional in three years. He hopes to play for the Nashua Titans, as well as be selected for the South Africa A squad. Image provided

Sport

South African swimmers shine at World Cup Series

CHARLES SIWELE South African swimmers excelled at the recent FINA World Cup Series meets in Dubai and Doha, with defending world champion Chad le Clos and countrymen Cameron van der Burgh, Darian Townsend, Roland Schoeman and Guilio Zorzi all managing podium finishes. At the Doha event, held on 6 and 7 October, South Africa secured two gold, two silver and three bronze medals on the first day. In the 200m men’s butterfly event, Japan’s Daiya Seto beat Le Clos by a hundredth of a second to take first place. Van der Burgh then won the 50m breaststroke, ahead of Roland Schoeman and New Zealand’s Glenn Snyders. On day two, there was an all-African

podium in the 50m butterfly, with Schoeman first, Kenyan Jason Dunford second and Le Clos third. Van Der Burgh took gold in the 50m breaststroke in a time of 25.95, close to his world record of 25.25. Schoeman came in second at 26.38, with Snyders again finishing third in a time of 26.68. At the Dubai event, which took place a week earlier, Le Clos and Van der Burgh both won their respective 200m butterfly and 50m breaststroke events. Le Clos also claimed second place in the 50m butterfly event, losing to Dunford with Schoeman finishing in third. Van der Burgh, who went into the evening as the favourite to take gold in the 50m breaststroke, won the race comfortably, managing a time of 26.64 seconds. In his win,

he outstripped second-placed Guilio Zorzi, who came in at 26.91 seconds. Gold medalist and fellow Olympian Schoeman managed a thirdplace finish in the 100m freestyle event. He was beaten by Australians Kenneth To and Anthony Ervin. To also secured a first-place finish in the 100m medley, beating Trinidad and Tobago hopeful George Bovell and South African Darian Townsend. On the second day of the Dubai event, Van der Burgh won the men’s 100m breaststroke, beating Snyders by nine-tenths of a second and managing a time of 58.33. Townsend then made his mark, taking first place comfortably in both the 200m freestyle and the 200m medley. Le Clos then added the 100m butterfly gold to his tally with an outstanding performance to finish

ahead of Russian Evgeny Korotyshkin and American Tom Shields. South African Kathryn Meaklim managed a third-place podium finish in the women’s 400m medley, behind Hungrians Katinka Hosszu and Zsuzsanna Jakabos. Following the two events, South African medalist Townsend was quoted as saying, “I’m happy that I have one medal of each colour here at Doha.” He praised his countrymen’s dedication and commitment. “The South Africans have put on a great show this year. We have our two Olympic gold medallists here and that’s a great motivation,” he told Fina.org

AmaTuks got off to a flying start, after a goal from midfielder Bongani Zungu in the 12th minute. Zungu was on the end of a long ball, and slotted it past Pirates’s goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs. Pirates did not have to wait long for the equaliser as striker Collins Mbesuma pounced on a defensive mistake to level the scores in the 25th minute, making the half-time score 1-1. Pirates started the second half the stronger of the two teams, keeping possession and constantly pushing forward in attack as

AmaTuks looked to counter. Mame Niang nearly added to his impressive scoring tally for AmaTuks in the 56th minute. AmaTuks gave away a penalty minutes later. Andile Jali took the kick for Pirates and sent Washington Arubi the wrong way to give Pirates the lead for the first time in the match. Pirates sealed their victory with a third goal in the 67th minute as Mbesuma scored his second goal of the game. Steve Barker praised both his team and the opposition after the game. “Credit to my

players. We played against the best squad in the league. In the first half we held our own, but we got complacent in the second. I’m full of confidence that we can bounce back.” With the victory Pirates moved up to second place on the log with 13 points, one point above AmaTuks who lie fourth by virtue of goal difference. Kaizer Chiefs, who go into the international break unbeaten, top the log with 17 points. AmaTuks next face Bloemfontein Celtic on 28 October at the Botshabelo Stadium at 15:30.

Photo: www.msnbcmedia.msn.com

Pirates end AmaTuks’s unbeaten run

AB BASSON AmaTuks’s six-game winning streak in their debut season in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) came to an end when they were defeated 3-1 by defending champions Orlando Pirates at Loftus Stadium on Sunday 7 October. AmaTuks were looking to build on their 5-1 victory over Ajax Cape Town the week before, while Pirates were keen to get back to their winning ways after losing to Bloemfontein Celtic.

Photos: Kobus Barnard

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