27 August 2012 Issue 16 Year 74

Akkomodasie / Accommodation in HATFIELD 2012 Alle verbly is binne loop afstand vanaf Kampus All accommodation is walking distance from Campus Vir meer inligting skakel ons kantoor by: For more information, contact our office at: 012 342 2001 3rd Floor, 347 Hilda st C/o Arcadia & Hilda street HATFIELD

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

27August2012 Hijacking outside Mamelodi campus

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year74issue16

The Top Ten

ISO interview

December Streets review

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Tuks athletes honoured at Olympics celebration

Matthew Brittain

ZENNA MULLER Tuks’s Olympic athletes were honoured at a formal Olympics celebration hosted by the University of Pretoria together with TuksSport on 23 August. The celebration was held to pay tribute to the Tuks athletes who took part in the 2012 London Olympics, where they won three of South Africa’s six medals, making a major contribution to what was the country’s highest ever medal tally at a post-isolation Olympics. Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UP Professor Cheryl de la Rey, Deputy Minister of Sport Gert Oosthuizen and members of the SRC were all in attendance to celebrate the achievements of the 32 Tuks Olympians who participated in the London Olympics.

Professor De la Rey commended the athletes for the “years of sacrifice and dedication they’ve put in to achieve this

milestone”.

“You embodied the spirit to strive for excellence,” she said.

“They play a very important role as role models for future Tukkies. This is what Tuks is about, striving for excellence, being disciplined and making sure you keep focus on your goals which is to win.”

De la Rey told Perdeby, “They’ve firmly placed us on the world map. We had coverage in international media about the High Performance Centre (HPC). I think what we really do is that we commit into the development of athletes.” The athletes were each recognised individually and presented with a small gift by TuksSport Director Kobus van der Walt and Professor De la Rey. Van der Walt told Perdeby, “They have been true ambassadors for the university. They are just a group of very special athletes in the Olympic team. We’ve

created a sport family here at the university and I think that’s probably the main reason why it is going well.”

James Thompson (a member of the gold medal winning rowing team) and Bridgitte Hartley (500m K1 bronze medallist) gave a word of thanks. Hartley said, “Success begins with proper timing and people in harmony. Tuks showed that they are world class and they have world class athletes and by using the right structures for athletes to participate in, they will start to develop into international performers.” She added. “I am a proud Tukkie.”

Tuks athletes Oscar Pistorius and Emily Gray will be representing South Africa at the Paralympic Games set to start on 29 August.

Photos: Eleanor Harding

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Editorial

27 Augustus ‘12

Perdeby

Earplugs only cost like R2, you know

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 Entertainment: Nadine Laggar entertainment@perdeby.co.za @Alula273 Sport: Carlo Cock sport@perdeby.co.za @CarloRP

I suspect what I’m about to say is the result of a growing apathy, and maybe it is selfish of me, and maybe I’m going to offend some people I don’t really mind offending, but I’m going to need the residences across from the Square to stop whining about noise.

I want to party.

I only have a few months left on campus and I find myself increasingly determined to savour every student experience I have before it’s all

over and I have to be all big and grown up and have a job and pay taxes and do other icky things like that.

So when I find that the number of times I will be able to party in Aandklas is decreasing rapidly and then find that I can’t even do that properly because they’re playing the music so softly that the vibe has essentially crawled into the corner and died, it upsets me.

All this because the residences are apparently complaining about noise. Living across from the Square has its perks, I’m sure. The proximity means you don’t have to drive and can walk home very safely. The residences take advantage of these perks, no doubt. But you can’t have the good without the bad (a life lesson we all have to learn, girls and boys). So just accept that the benefit of proximity comes with the disadvantage of living next to a noisy place. You can’t have you cake and eat it too.

Buy earplugs or move to a res that isn’t so close to the Square or go and study in the library, but stop pissing on other people’s parades. Please?

You’ll see we’ve published a retraction related to a photo we published last week of a security guard sleeping on campus. UP has subsequently claimed this isn’t a security guard,

From the Editor

but a courier. They base this on the fact that his orange-yellow bib doesn’t have the required logo on the back, but I’ve seen many security guards walking around without that logo on the back of their bibs. And why would a courier would be taking a nap on campus? Seems unlikely to little old me. But we can’t verify it either way and because we can’t prove that they are wrong we’ve printed the correction. I remain unconvinced though, just to make my feelings about it clear.

A sleeping security guard seems more funny than embarrassing to me, but the unyielding UP PR machine didn’t seem to like it at all. Eish.

Anyway, apart from that we’ve got a few cool things for you to check out. The Tuks Olympians are back and we’ve got the first in a series of interviews with them on the back page.

We’ve also finally reviewed 50 Shades of Grey.

I don’t agree with the review’s opinion myself, but I’m a literature snob, so don’t mind me.

Also check out the top ten: it gets creepy, yo.

Do you know the muffin man?

Beyers @PerdebyEditor

Correction

The photo published with “Student held at knife point on campus” in the 20 August issue of Perdeby was wrongly captioned “UP security guard taking a nap on campus”. According to Colin Fouché, Director of Security Services, the person depicted in the photo is a courier who maes deliveries on campus. Fouché added that the security on campus wears branded UP or Fidelity Security Services bibs.

Web: Marissa Gravett webeditor@perdeby.co.za @perdebynews Copy: Hayley Tetley @Hayley_Tet Layout: JP Nathrass @JPNathrass Visuals: Brad Donald @Brad3rs

Teams Layout Nolwazi Bengu Meghan van Rooyen

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The opinions expressed in Perdeby are not necessarily those of the editors and printers of Perdeby.

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News

27 August ‘12

Problems at Huis Boekenhout

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Hijacking outside Mamelodi campus raises safety concerns Mamelodi campus gate.

Fouche´ assured Perdeby that the Department of Security Services will A UP student was hijacked outside of be re-evaluating security at Mamelodi Mamelodi campus on 17 August. campus, but said that one’s safety outside According to the Director of Security of UP campuses is the Services Colin Fouche´ the student exited the main “Abigail Smith ... told collective responsibility of individuals and the entrance of the campus Perdeby that she and jurisdiction of the South and before entering the African Police Services. main road was confronted her friends are afraid Fouche´ added that by armed men who forced of driving to and from the main road outside her from her car and sped away. A Fidelity Security campus after the incident” Mamelodi campus, where the hijacking Services officer at the took place, is part of campus entrance witnessed the public domain the incident and immediately went to the where multiple hawkers and informal public student’s aid. The student was not harmed transport services are located. There are many during the hijacking. pedestrians constantly crossing the road at the A formal criminal case has been opened position where the hijacking took place which at the Mamelodi East police station but the creates a challenging environment. perpetrators are still at large. The vehicle has Fouche´ encouraged students who feel not been recovered. unsafe when driving to Mamelodi campus by Abigail Smith, a first-year nutrition and car to make use of the available Mamelodi/ food science student at Mamelodi campus, Hatfield bus services. told Perdeby that she and her friends are “UP is very concerned about the safety of afraid of driving to and from campus after the all students and staff and will do whatever is incident, especially after an ATM-bombing necessary to keep them safe,” Fouché added. took place on 29 July just outside of the AMY-MAE CAMPBELL

ZUBENATHI JIZANA A senior Boekenhout resident has been suspended from res after allegedly assaulting a first-year resident earlier this month.

Director of Residence Affairs and Accomodation Professor Roelf Visser confirmed that his office received proof of unacceptable “initiation practices” on a firstyear Boekenhout resident by one of the senior students.

According to another senior resident at Boekenhout, who wishes to remain anonymous, the first year provided photographic evidence of the assault and presented it to the house father who then informed Residence Affairs.

On 8 August a meeting was held with the HK of Boekenhout, and as a result of this

incident their entire HK was disbanded.

According to Prof. Visser, the office of the Registrar relieved the HK of their responsibilities and gave them the opportunity to come forward with any other information regarding the incident to aid the disciplinary process.

Boekenhout’s chairperson had already been asked to step down due to reasons unrelated to this incident and according to Prof. Visser, has already left the residence. He will, however, be part of the disciplinary process as a result of his participation in the assault.

According to the senior resident, the 2012/2013 chairperson has been elected on behalf of the residents of Boekenhout by Residence Affairs and residents were not given the opportunity to vote, as is tradition.

Photo: Hendro van der Merwe

SRC election date moved

STEPHANIE VAN DER PLANK

This year’s SRC elections will be held in the last half of October rather than in September, as has been tradition.

This is due to a review being done on the Constitution for Student Governance. During the process of changing the Constitution for Student Governance, students from different constituencies are allowed to submit amendments and comments regarding the current constitution. A proposal of

amendments is then passed on to the University Council for approval by the end of August. Council then identifies which suggestions have the most support and make changes accordingly.

This year’s elections will commence with the revised constitution. The university said that students will not be left without student governance during this process as the current term of office only expires at the end of December.

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27 Augustus ‘12

News

TUT campuses shut down FRANCOIS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN All of TUT’s campuses were closed following violent student protests.

Students barricaded the gates of TUT’s Pretoria West campus with burning tyres on 15 August. The violence escalated the following day when students threw stones and petrol bombs at the university’s buildings.

This protest action took place despite the fact that an agreement had already been reached to resolve the concerns raised by students regarding campus facilities, the state of residences and the availability of financial assistance to students in need.

TUT management decided to close the Pretoria West, Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa campuses on 16 August to prevent damages to university property and to protect students and staff from harm. An urgent court interdict was obtained by TUT management to prohibit students from participating in illegal protest action or damaging university property.

TUT Vice Chancellor Professor Nthabiseng Ogude said that academics should be first priority and that unruly and undisciplined behaviour by students cannot be tolerated.

The university said in an announcement on

17 August that, “Students’ violent behaviour and continued refusal to engage management constructively on their issues has left the university with no other option than to close the respective campuses until further notice.

Yesterday, students and external people, some of whom were intoxicated, stoned buildings and threw petrol bombs causing extensive damage to property.”

Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mduduzi Manana met with the TUT SRC on Saturday 18 August. He said, “We have the responsibility to hear both sides of the story.

We are hoping we can help them settle this dispute.”

The South African Students Congress said in a statement, “We are dismayed that management has sought to deal with these issues through the courts instead of calling meetings with students’ representatives,” and added that, “we believe the crisis of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa is part of the deep-seated structural problems compounded by a corroded administration in TUT.” TUT announced last week Thursday that classes are set to resume today.

Flash mob pillow fight in the Piazza last week Tuesday.

Photos: Eleanor Harding

SRC update – where are we now?

DANIELLE PETTERSON This year’s SRC declared 2012 to be “The Year of the Student.” Their mid-term report, written by SRC President Mthokozisi Nkosi, highlights their accomplishments and the steps they are still taking towards achieving their goals.

Prior to the June exams, the SRC proposed the immediate extension of library hours during and leading up to the exam period.

Their argument was that the allocated study areas become overcrowded during exams and a lack of access to academic facilities hampers students’ performance. As a result, the Merensky Library’s operational hours were extended and additional study venues were made available in the Humanities Building and two additional study areas were made available on the Groenkloof campus.

Negotiations are currently underway to change Merensky’s library hours during the November exams.

The South African Student Congress Organisation’s (SASCO) Chairperson

Tokologo Ngakane said that, “The SRC has done reasonably fair [sic]. Some notable achievements were the extension of the library hours during the exam period. I think a lot of students took advantage of that. I think we would appreciate [it] if it were to become a permanent feature.”

Another issue that has been prominent in SRC plans this year relates to the transporting of students to areas outside of Hatfield. The report states that the SRC is at an advanced stage of negotiation with UP management regarding the provision of buses to Sunnyside, Arcadia, Walkerville and the surrounding areas.

Negotiations between the SRC and Gautrain

management are also currently underway in an attempt to obtain special rates for students who make use of the Gautrain.

According to COPE@Tuks Chairperson Thabo Mdlalose, it was only after COPE@ Tuks made university management and the SRC aware of the transport problem that it was taken seriously.

“As a result, COPE@ Tuks feels extremely discontent about what the SRC has done till date.”

Ngakane said that the transport issue is long overdue and needs to be resolved. “I know that even before some of us arrived at the University of Pretoria, it was always something that was being

“COPE@Tuks feels extreamly discontent about what the SRC has done till date.”

pushed by organisations such as ourselves (SASCO) and the ANCYL. It is good and rather encouraging that the SRC seems to be doing something about it but all SRCs have attempted [to do this] but commitment was never there to finish the project off,” she said.

UP DA Youth Branch Leader Thorne Godinho said, “Transport is a major issue at Tuks. Students should never have to sleep in university bathrooms because they cannot access safe transport home. We are happy that the SRC is taking student concerns regarding transport seriously for the first time.”

According to AfriForum Youth UP Chairperson Barend Taute, the SRC has been successful in reaching most of its goals this year. “However, there are many areas [of] UP that still require assistance and development,” he said.

Similarly, Mdlalose said, “We have to give credit to the SRC for addressing some critical issues regarding students, however, it would be unrealistic and naive to assume that this current crop of the SRC has addressed every single concern regarding student grievances.”

UP lecturer co-authors Afrikaans writing guide AMY-MAE CAMPBELL A new Afrikaans writing guide was published

by Penguin recently. Die Afrikaanse skryfgids contains practical tips for various styles of writing.

The book was compiled by Leti Kleyn, a lecturer in Academic Literacy at UP and a professional publisher, and Riana Scheepers, an established fiction writer.

Kleyn explained that she identified a gap in the range of Afrikaans books available to writers as there were books that offered writing guidelines for specific genres but there were none that combined the different genres into one single guide. This book does not solely cater for prospective literary writers but for various other genres such as media, film, copy and advertisements.

“The book shows [you] how to become a better writer by offering practical skills on how to develop writing talent,” Kleyn explained. She added that they wanted to move away from focusing soley on literature because it is important to know how to use your writing talents to not only establish yourself as a writer but also to earn a living.

Professor Henning Pieterse, Director of Creative Writing at UP, poet, translator and short story writer, also contributed to the book by writing a piece about translating poetry. In this section Prof. Pieterse draws the reader’s attention to the difference between the literal and figurative meaning in poetry and he then explains how to accurately translate a poem without distorting the essence of it.

Prof. Pieterse explained that this book is valuable because the reader not only gets a general overview of the different genres of writing but also because each section was written by very successful and established writers in that specific genre. In addition, the book offers the reader practical examples and advice. According to Prof. Pieterse, the book also contains a list of recommended sources that can be consulted after each section which makes it an especially effective beginners’ guide for students. He added that, “[This book is] the first of its kind and also the most wide-ranging. [It] is an encyclopaedia for the aspiring and established writer.”

Photo provided

Fun & Games

HAYLEY TETLEY Every time the season changes social networks are inundated with people whining about how their runny noses have them bedridden and incapable of performing everyday things like going to class or washing dishes. In an attempt to decrease the amount self-pity floating around, Perdeby gives you the top ten diseases you would have every right to complain about (and should be happy you don’t have).

1.

2.

3.

4.

Stendhal syndrome. While not everyone is expected to appreciate the works of Van Gogh and Monet, some people seem to have an unreasonable reaction to them. The symptoms of this disease are dizziness, rapid heartbeat, confusion and hallucinations. But only when exposed to a lot of supposedly beautiful artwork.

People who have this syndrome best avoid the Louvre.

Pica. Most people enjoy food, right? But some people don’t stop at hamburgers and sushi. Instead they have Pica, which means they also like to eat things like paper, clay, dirt, lint, glue and even faeces. No one seems to have a definite cause or cure for this disease. Shame.

Necrotising fasciitis or flesh-eating bacteria. This bacteria kills all flesh or skin it comes in contact with. Basically, it can rot entire limbs or large patches of skin. You should know that this bacteria is a strain of the same bacteria that causes Strep throat. Also, it can enter your body through small cuts or even bruises. How comforting.

Exploding head syndrome. So you go to sleep and a few hours later you’re woken up by an explosion. Inside your head. Okay, it’s only a loud noise like an explosion. But you could also experience fear, anxiety and an increased heart rate.

MIH/Perdeby/20/08-E.indd 1

27 August ‘12 Although that seems quite pleasant after the whole head exploding thing.

5. Aquagenic Urticaria. Also known as water allergy. This rare disease leaves patients in extreme pain if they come into contact with non-distilled water. Their tears also cause this extreme pain. Sufferers of this disease are probably not partial to sad movies then. Wonder if they can watch Titanic?

6.

Porphyria or vampire syndrome. This genetic disorder has some symptoms commonly associated with vampire folklore: sensitivity to light and purple urine (apparently people thought you’d been drinking blood if your urine was purple). Purple urine seems more legit than sparkly skin. Stephenie Meyer should have gone with that.

7. Xeroderma pigmentosa. Commonly known as sun allergy because in extreme cases sufferers cannot be exposed to sunlight. Ever. This is because their cells aren’t able to repair damage caused by ultraviolet light. Again, this seems a little vampiric to us. And it’s still cooler than Twilight.

8. Situs inversus. Most people’s internal organs are in the correct place, right?

Most? Yes, most. Because some people have internal organs that are arranged in a mirror-image reversal of the normal positioning. Mildly creepy.

9. Black, hairy tongue. If the papillae, or small bumps, on your tongue grow longer than they should they can get stained by food or tobacco causing your tongue to look black and hairy. If you have this disease you should probably resign yourself to remaining a virgin. Forever.

10. Argyria or blue skin disorder. The Fugate family of Kentucky were known as the “blue people”. Not because they were sad and depressed but because some of them had skin that was literally blue. Argyria occurs when someone ingests large amounts of silver in one of its chemical forms. It’s not medically dangerous, but could be socially damaging. We here at Perdeby quite like the idea of a real-life Smurf.

5

Sudoku

Last week’s solution

2012/08/14 12:44 PM

Application 27 Augustus ‘12

6

Application form Please complete and hand in at the Perdeby offices (next to the Prospect Street entrance) or email to perdeby@up.ac.za before or on Friday 14 September 2012 at 12:00

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PERSONAL INFORMATION Name and Surname: _____________________________

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Please note that successful applicants will be contacted for an interview. Interviews will be held between 17 and 21 September 2012. Interview times are non-negotiable.

If you are applying for a position as a designer, please attach a sample design.

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If you are applying for a position as a journalist, please submit an article of approximately 400 words in the language of your preference on any relevant topic (with reference to the particular portfolio you wish to apply for) with your application.

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Student number: Study Course: ________________________________________ Year of study: ________ Cell phone number: ______________________ Email address: Language(s): _______________

POSITION Positions available: News (4) Features (5) Entertainment (7) Sport (3) Copy editor (English) (3) Layout designers (2) Photographers (4) Cartoonists (2) Please note that the number in brackets indicates the number of positions available in each section.

Please note that there are currently no positions available for Afrikaans copy editors.

27 August ‘12 Features 7 Happy hour no more: legal limit may be lowered

BERND FISCHER As students – and therefore natural-born party animals – you have all been in that terrifying situation before or know someone who has been stopped by traffic cops on the way home after a night out.

Most of the time, you get away unscathed because you “only had one drink”.

However, if the Department of Transport and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) get their way, drinking and driving may become impossible. Changes to the Road Traffic Amendment Bill have been proposed and one amendment includes reducing the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) from 0,05g/100ml to 0,02g/100ml. BAC is generally better understood as a percentage of alcohol in the blood. Therefore, a BAC of 0,02g/100ml means that 0,02% of a person’s blood is alcohol.

This means that by law, one alcoholic drink would leave you incapable of driving. According to Gary Ronald, spokesperson for the Automobile Association (AA), drivers would be limited to twothirds of a 340ml can of beer; 25ml of whiskey, vodka or brandy; or

75ml of red wine, drunk an hour before driving.

Supporters of the new law insist that South Africa requires such legislation due to the high number of road accidents which are attributed to drinking and driving. “Over weekends, research has proven conclusively, in more than 65% of all major fatal crashes, that alcohol consumption was a major factor, either by a driver or a pedestrian,” says RTMC spokesperson Ashref Ismail. The RTMC and AA have both fully backed the proposed bill.

Research gathered by the department and South Africans Against Drunk Driving (SADD) shows that at least 14 000 people die on our roads annually, translating to an average of 40 road deaths a day, many of them resulting from alcohol-related incidences.

In spite of this, not everyone is in agreement over the possible new law. The current BAC limit is up to standard internationally, according to the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol use (ARA). South Africa is currently one of many countries including Egypt, Thailand and Belgium that draw the line at the 0,05% mark.

Adrian Botha, spokesperson for ARA, suggests that the focus

should be on enforcing the current law instead. “It’s the same thing as saying we are going to stop 13 year olds from drinking by increasing the drinking age from 18 to 21,” argues Botha. “Making the government feel good by changing the levels is not going to fix the problem. It’s very easy to change the level but if you’re not enforcing it, it is a joke.”

Robin Carlisle, Western Cape Transport MEC, has criticised the new amendment, arguing that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that lowering the legal alcohol limit would result in fewer road accidents. In fact, he believes it could result in fewer prosecutions. The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has supported Carlisle’s argument, saying: “The [DPP] is of the opinion that it may influence the outcome of the use of breathalysers due to the impact that psychological factors may have, [...] thereby jeopardising successful prosecution.”

Carlisle also confirms that in 2012, the Western Cape has recorded the lowest number of road deaths seen in the past four years. He insists that drivers have become more cautious without a change in law and that current efforts are reaping the rewards. SAGoodNews. co.za reports that from October 2010 to September 2011 roughly 20 000 drunk drivers were arrested across all nine provinces.

SADD Director Caro Smit told Perdeby that the organisation fully supports the proposed amendment and that many students’ lives will be saved. According to Smit, the first year after obtaining a driver’s license is when most accidents and deaths occur. Smit insists there are additional benefits to the law. “It may also help to bring down binge drinking which affects attending lectures and studying,” she says. SADD strongly believes that more attention should be given to alcohol education on a school and university level.

Chané Jacobs, a second-year student studying psychology and criminology, agrees: “It’s not fair for innocent people to be killed just because others on the road are intoxicated. The government is just trying to enforce safety for the sake of everyone.”

As expected, most students oppose the possible new regulation.

Paola Bressan, a second-year BCom Marketing Management student, has voiced the majority’s opinion: “It’s ridiculous because you can’t even go out and have a drink with friends without being worried you’ll be stopped by the cops and get arrested,” she says.

Bressan does however argue that those who purposefully go out and get drunk when they are responsible to drive should be punished.

This call for change has resulted in a nationwide debate. One thing is certain: as a country with one of the highest incidences of drinking and driving in the world, South Africa should change its attitude towards this matter. It remains unknown whether limiting oneself to simply having “one for the road” will do just that.

Photo: Hendro Van Der Merwe

Down syndrome and abortion: the controversial connection

BERND FISCHER What would you do if you found out that your unborn baby was afflicted with Down syndrome? According to Down Syndrome South Africa (DSSA), this condition affects one in every 500 live births in the country. This syndrome is a lifelong genetic condition which affects a child’s physical and mental development. The average IQ of a young Down syndrome adult is half that of an unaffected child. These individuals often die younger than those without the condition.

A new pre-natal test for Down syndrome has been developed and is available to expectant mothers from mid-August in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein.

The new screening procedure – called PrenaTest– is produced by

German life sciences company LifeCodexx and is being marketed as an alternative to invasive procedures such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling and percutaneous umbilical-cord blood sampling, which are currently available to high-risk women only (for example, those aged 35 and above). This has often received criticism since statistics suggest that, although the likelihood of having a child with Down syndrome increases with maternal age, approximately 80% of babies born with the condition are born to women aged 35 and younger. The new procedure addresses this concern as it allows women to be tested regardless of age.

PrenaTest uses blood samples from the expectant mother to screen for foetal abnormalities – as opposed to the dangerous surgical procedures practiced at present. Therefore, any risk of foetal damage or loss is eliminated. The rate of successful detection of the presence of the syndrome is also higher.

Despite the high demand for the test from Swiss doctors and mothers, it has already caused controversy over whether or not it will lead to a climb in abortion rates.

According to the Daily Mail, statistics held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority suggest that Down syndrome is the most common reason for parents to decide on abortion, with around nine in ten parents opting for termination upon discovering their child will suffer from Down syndrome. For this reason, critics are up in arms over the new procedure as they fear that this number could increase.

The international federation of Down syndrome organisations, consisting of 30 associations in 16 countries, has attacked this new prenatal test and has lodged a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights. The federation insists that the court should “recognise the human condition and protect the right to life of people with Down syndrome and those handicapped.”

Critics also believe that the medical industry plays a role in encouraging abortions among pregnant women. Disaboom.com claims that a study conducted in 2000 found that approximately 25% of doctors who inform parents that their child has Down syndrome do so in a way which encourages them to terminate the pregnancy. A 2005 survey of mothers with Down syndrome children confirm the findings. Mothers recall their doctors telling them something along the lines of having “awful” news when relaying the results to them.

Fear of an increase in abortions when Down syndrome has been detected is also an issue facing South Africa. The Human Sciences Research Council claims that 44% of South Africans believe abortion is justifiable if the child will have a serious birth defect.

Pretoria News reports that in April this year, Joanita and Frederick Lange took two gynaecologists and a pathology company to court for allowing their Down syndrome baby to be delivered six years ago. Joanita Lange admitted that had she known her daughter Imke would be suffering from the condition she would have chosen to terminate instead. The couple said that raising a Down syndrome child is expensive and demanding.

Claire Rayner, once part of a Down syndrome association, has defended testing and abortion for the same reasons as the Lange’s.

“People who are not yet parents should ask themselves if they have the right to inflict such burdens on others, however willing they are themselves to take their share of the burden in the beginning,” Rayner says.

On the other hand, some have a more neutral approach to the new testing procedure and believe it will impact women positively in the long run. Receiving results sooner allows women more time to process the news and therefore make a rational decision with no pressure to seek an abortion within the allowed time period. This is currently not the case with procedures such as amniocentesis where women only receive results within days to weeks of the legal limit to terminate a pregnancy. Early term abortions are also easier to have and allow women the freedom of choice in the safest way possible.

The test is also beneficial to individuals who decide to keep their Down syndrome babies, as early results could indicate whether the birth should be vaginal or performed via C-section, as well as whether any other surgical intervention is required. Most importantly, the results can aid parents emotionally by giving them time to come to terms with the child’s syndrome and start preparing financially for his/her needs.

Perdeby spoke to Vanessa dos Santos, DSSA’s national executive director. “Down Syndrome South Africa does not consider Down syndrome a reason for termination,” states Dos Santos. “People with Down syndrome can lead and do lead full and rewarding lives and make a valuable contribution to our society.”

Those opposing the test believe that society should focus on the positive medical advances being made to improve the lives of Down syndrome individuals. An article in The Washington Post mentions that finding a pill to improve sufferers’ mental abilities is on the way, and that the life expectancy for Down syndrome individuals has increased from age nine in 1910 to age 60 today. This is enough reason for society to not give up hope just yet.

Image: www.orwelltoday.com

Features 27 Augustus ‘12 8 Never grow up: three awesome not-for-kids cartoons MEAGAN DILL Here at Perdeby, we think growing up should be optional. Jumping castles, ice-cream for breakfast and surprise parties are too good to be limited to just a few years of our lives.

The same goes for cartoons – which is why we’ve put together this list. Best viewed on a Saturday morning with a bowl of Coco Pops.

Adventure Time Jake the dog and Finn the human spend their days adventuring in a land populated with candy people, princesses and, of course, evil which needs to be vanquished (and inevitably is). Sounds pretty innocent, right?

It would be, except for the fact that Finn and Jake are among the survivors of a nuclear apocalypse that was a result of “The Great Mushroom War”. According to the creator of Adventure Time, Pendleton Ward, the show is set in a time “after the bombs have fallen and magic has come back into the world”.

There are plenty of sinister things still lurking, though – like the Ice King (voiced

by Tom Kenny, who you may know as the voice of the Mayor and the narrator in The Powerpuff Girls, and of course the iconic SpongeBob SquarePants). The Ice King has magical powers and the ability to fly using his long, white beard. Unfortunately, he also has what can only be described as psychopathic tendencies: he spends his time attempting to kidnap and forcibly marry various princesses.

Finn and Jake, in turn, spend a lot of time rescuing them.

Apart from its eerie post-apocalyptic background, Adventure Time is littered with adult references – despite the fact that it is currently screening on kid’s channel Cartoon Network. For example, one episode sees Jake becoming half human. Not only is the image of a (rather chubby) human body with a dog’s

head quite jarring, but Jake also casually plays with his man boobs. Cue awkward silence. Still, the show continues to enchant both children and adults alike with its quirky and offbeat humour. It has been nominated for various awards, including two Emmys.

Invader Zim Although this show ran for only two seasons in 2001 and 2002, it has become a cult classic. It follows the story of an alien, Zim, and his robot, Gir, who come to Earth posing as humans in the hope of furthering Zim’s ambition of taking over and/or destroying the planet. Earning three awards

(two of them Emmys) and seven nominations during its relatively short run, the show was a critical success but saw a dive in ratings after the first season. Fans have stayed strong, though, and in 2011 (nearly a decade after the show’s cancellation) even began holding a fan convention called InvaderCON. The show is famous for its dark humour as well as the lovable eccentricity of Gir. However, it has also come under criticism for its macabre themes. In 2006, 17-yearold Scott Dyleski was accused (and later found guilty) of bludgeoning his nextdoor neighbour to death. During the trial,

prosecutors stated that Dyleski’s reaction to an episode of Invader Zim entitled “Dark Harvest” had indicated a morbid fascination with images of body parts. In the episode, Zim gathers human organs in an attempt to appear more convincingly human. However, this accusation was later dismissed when witnesses for the defense said that the remarks in question were not meant to be taken seriously.

Drawn Together Combine South Park with Big Brother and just about any spoofable aspect of popular culture you can think of, and you get Drawn Together. This cartoon is a fake reality show following the lives of eight characters sharing a house. Each character is an obvious parody of another well-known character in popular culture: there’s Wooldoor (SpongeBob), Toot (Betty Boop), Ling-Ling (Pikachu), Foxxy (Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats), Xandir (a gay anime character), Clara (a Disney princess), Captain Hero (Superman) and Spanky (a pig who is apparently an internet download). We’re not quite sure what the pig is doing there either.

Despite innocuous appearances, this show is anything but tame. In fact, if you’re easily offended, or even not-so-easily offended, take caution. One particular episode of the show sees Foxxy and Spanky competing to see who can trick the pizza delivery guy into taking back a pizza with an, um, rather questionable topping (of the bodily products kind). The details are too stomach-churningly gross to mention here – and this alone is probably a good indication of the level of vulgarity in the show. But hey, if you’ve got nerves of steel and a taste for rough humour (think Family Guy, only much, much worse), this show is definitely for you.

Illustration: Simon-Kai Garvie

Lie, cheat and steal: scams and cons exposed LUSANDA FUTSHANE Imagine this: you get an SMS saying that your number has been randomly chosen in a BlackBerry lottery and you are the lucky winner of R70 000. All you have to do is call the number back with your reference code and banking details. Would you call back, genuinely believing that it was your lucky day, or would you incredulously roll your eyes, certain that it is just another swindle?

Most people are quick to say that they are not that gullible, despite the fact that these scams reap millions of US dollars every year.

Perdeby investigates exactly how these fraudsters operate, how people keep falling victim to them and what’s being done to bring the offenders to task.

“I have 15,000,000.00 U.S. Dollars and I want you to assist me in distributing the money to charity organizations. I agree to reward you with part of the money for your assistance, kindness and participation in this Godly project.”

So begins one example of the infamous 419 advance fee scam emails (also known as “Nigerian 419 scams”, “Advance fee fraud scams” or “Nigerian scams”). A typical 419 email pitches some sort of story that puts the sender in the impossible situation of trying to get rid of (or gain access to) a large sum of money. If the receiver agrees to help, the sender forwards multiple officiallooking documents. Eventually, the fraudster presents a situation where the victim has to pay an advance fee in order to complete the deal. Although 419 scams have successfully swindled millions of US dollars from people all over the world, their occurence has waned over the years.

Other popular domains for scammers in South Africa are online classifieds websites like Gumtree and Junkmail, where scammers reportedly advertise products and collect payment for them, but never provide the products. Scammers have also been known

to buy goods through the websites, collect them and never pay for them. Even with a police order, it is difficult to track down the perpetrators and press charges since no formal contract has been signed. The websites assume no liability for any user’s failure to deliver. James van der Plank, a second-year IT student, says that he tried to sell his old iPad on Gumtree a year ago and was never paid for it. “The guy gave me some story about how he needed to go overseas soon and wouldn’t be able to wait for the money to clear so that I could send [the iPad]. Like an idiot I bought his story

and mailed him the iPad, but the money never came through.” Van der Plank says that he was never able to get a hold of him after that.

It’s easy to say that only the naïve and gullible fall for frauds, but scammers get smarter and harder to spot every day. ATM and bank fraud is still on the rise in South Africa and often it isn’t because of negligence on the victim’s part. Recently, phishing scammers have been able to go undetected by anti-spyware software. According to security software giant Symantec’s July 2011 Intelligence Report, South Africa is the country with the second highest incidence of

attempted phishing attacks.

Khosi Sokhulu, a third-year BEd student, says that she was cheated out of her money after buying into employment fraud. “I fell for a ‘work from home’ scam. You pay R200 for ‘training material’ then they don’t get back to you. I just felt naïve and used.”

Scams similar to this one are all over the internet, even on social networking sites like Twitter. Spam accounts are set up to tweet about “work from home” or “get paid for your tweets” job opportunities.

Earlier this month it was reported that fraudsters in South Africa were circulating email letters with government logos, including the logos of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan’s name. Jabulani Sikhakhane, spokesperson for the Department of Finance, made a statement warning the public not to trust these emails and not to provide anyone claiming to work for the government with their personal information.

“South Africans who are forever looking for opportunities for making easy money become easy prey for scams. There is no easy walk to wealth,” he says.

It’s hard to not get even slightly excited when you find out that you might have won an iPhone or a trip to Belize. It’s hard to resist the allure of a get-rich-quick scheme even when you know better. Sometimes even the strictest of sceptics can fall for an innocentseeming hoax, otherwise the con artists behind them would have given up long ago. A good place to start if you want to avoid being scammed is spelling and grammar: reputable companies pay good money to ensure that their copy is impeccable, so such errors should always raise flags. Also, keep in mind that if you haven’t entered a competition, you’re not likely to win one. No one is that lucky. Finally and most importantly: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Image: Charne Fourie

Entertainment

9

27 August ‘12

ISO: a Piece by Piece transformation MELINA MELETAKOS

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They’ve gone from Isochronous to ISO, added a splash of electronic influences to their musical palette and are on the verge of releasing their fourth studio album, Piece By Piece, this September.

Perdeby caught up with the Pretoria-based band to talk about the change in their music, lessons learned while touring Germany and their more hands-on approach concerning the production of their latest album.

With your new album, Piece by Piece, you guys have really experimented with new sounds and styles. What made you decide to add electronic elements to your music?

It was merely a case of us taking our production to a new level.

The electronic elements add more colour to the record and also, in terms of performance, electronic-based sounds are a lot more versatile when it comes to gigging.

Do you think you are taking a bit of a risk by changing a sound that people are already familiar with?

We don’t think it’s changed so much as it has advanced and become enhanced and enriched by the electronic elements.

Besides the addition of electronic elements, in what other ways does Piece by Piece differ from your previous albums?

The overall sound is a lot more dance- and groove-orientated.

The song forms are also more mature and refined. The songs have solid structures and catchy melodies, whilst still incorporating our musicianship.

The recording, editing, mixing and post-production on Piece by Piece was done by Marko and Richard. How do you think this adds to the sound of the album?

Doing everything in-house meant we could get exactly what we wanted when it came to the overall sound. It meant a lot less PERDEBY – 10x4 (100x130) back and forth between the studio and the band during the mixing

stage so we could proceed fairly quickly and execute ideas with relative ease. We learnt a lot from this process and will only get better at it with time. Safe to say, we have never been this proud of a record before.

You recorded 23 brand new songs and then cut them down to ten, while developing a concept based on the selected tracks. Can you tell us a bit more about this concept?

The concept is fairly simple and revolves around taking things step-by-step and focusing on those steps in order to achieve a larger goal. Initially, we began with 23 pieces of a puzzle, but some of the colours didn’t fit in the bigger picture, so we had to discard them. They will be useful colours in another painting though.

What do you plan on doing with the songs that didn’t make it onto the album?

Perhaps we will release the material as B-sides or wait and refine some of the pieces for our next album. That’s the beauty of doing it this way: you have so much material to consider.

You are known for your powerhouse live performances.

Do you find it difficult to translate that energy into your recorded material?

In the past we have but with this record, we feel confident that our live energy is translated extremely well.

You released your third album in October 2011. Why did you decide to push yourselves to release Piece by Piece so soon afterwards?

We had been playing the songs on Inscape for a couple of years prior to the release of that album, so once it was out and about we felt like we needed to start focusing on some new material. So although Inscape was a new album, it was old material to our fans. And so we felt a big desire to get something fresh on the table asap!

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country. What has the response been like?

The response to the DVD launches has been fantastic. We put on four theatre performances with clips from the DVD and old and new material. The shows were incredible and we will definitely be aiming to do some again soon.

Having toured Germany, what lessons have you learned from that experience that you have applied to your music since returning?

There were many professional lessons we learned along the way that apply to many aspects of our brand. From our dress code to the way we move on stage. We also learnt a lot about performance and what we think a crowd enjoys and doesn’t enjoy. Overall, it was the greatest learning experience any band could hope for.

You guys opened for Two Door Cinema Club when they performed in Jo’burg a couple of months ago. What was that like?

Fantastic show! Great crowd and an electric atmosphere.

Are there any music videos in the pipeline for ISO? We are looking to do a video for “No Fire”, the first single from the new record, and follow that up with at least two more from this album.

You guys have said that you are closing the first chapter of your career and opening a brand new one. What can we expect from Isochronous for the rest of 2012?

Firstly, you can expect to call us ISO as we are abbreviating our name to save every one a bit of time and effort. Also, the rest of the year will see us touring the country and promoting our new record with an incredible live show. We will be playing at a number of festivals later in the year and also plan to tour Europe earlier next year.

Photo: Sean Brand

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Win one of two sets of double tickets to Zebra & Giraffe’s album launch at Arcade Empire on 14 September as well as a signed copy of The Wisest Ones, Zebra & Giraffe’s latest album release. Tell us why you and a partner should be the ones to see Zebra & Giraffe live. Creativity will be rewarded. Tweet @perdebynews or write on Perdeby’s Facebook page.

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27 Augustus ‘12

Entertainment

December Streets: bouncy beats and whoa-ohs MELINA MELETAKOS “I know we are free, where we want to be. I know we are free, living enough to be,” chant indie rockers December Streets collectively in the climax of “Coming Home”, the first song off their debut album. With unabating energy, “Coming Home”, as well as the rest of the songs on This Is, speaks of carefree splendour and uninhibited fun. The album is composed of catchy, feel-good pop tunes that include scatterings of ska, courtesy of the jovial trumpet and saxophone which weave a gold thread through all 15 tracks.

December Streets are masters of creating tunes that radio listeners have no problem gobbling up enthusiastically. Uncomplicated melodies and easly remembered lyrics have ensured that tracks such as “Fire Through The Window” and “My Name” have enjoyed extensive airplay on 5FM as well as TuksFM. These tracks have been re-recorded on This Is along with new material.

The African-inspired “Wazungu” is probably the most experimental song, with December Streets sticking to their tried and tested formula for creating party anthems.

“Sing, sing, sing with me,” commands lead singer Tristan Coetzee and despite some

resistance, you can’t help but do just that.

The chorus of “Got That Feeling” is reminiscent of retro indie rockers The Plastics. Nico Van Loggerenberg’s lead guitar stands out in this track and is an asset that could have elevated the album’s soundscape substantially if it were used more.

“Who Needs Shoes” starts off with a laidback reggae vibe before the pace quickens with the addition of the trumpet. The song is punctuated by Coetzee’s “whoa-oh’s”, which seem to make a frequent and slightly irksome appearance on the album.

December Streets have just enough ska in them to make you want to groove to their music, and just enough pop in them to make them accessible to commercial audiences. But that’s the thing about the songs on This Is: they are just enough. You will find yourself tapping your fingers on the steering wheel in traffic when they play, but once you get to your destination, they ultimately become forgettable.

See the music video of “My Name” at perdeby.co.za or pPerdeby7415a.

RATING: 6/10 Image: lwmag.co.za

From fan fiction to erotica: Fifty Shades of Grey MELISSA PARSONS In her first novel, Fifty Shades of Grey, EL James offers up a deliciously tempting and erotic literary experience. The first of the Fifty Shades trilogy embodies a whole new approach to the romantic novel genre. The novel started out as fan fiction based on the Twilight series

by Stephenie Meyer and has gone on to sell an estimated 40 million copies.

The first instalment introduces Anastasia Steele as the epitome of innocence, until her encounter with Christian Grey – an attractive man with a mysterious demeanour. Anastasia becomes enthralled with Grey as he plunges her into a world she never knew existed. She soon finds that his secrets are much darker than she expected.

Fifty Shades of Grey gives a convincing portrayal of a young woman determinedly trying to gain insight into a world she does not understand. Anastasia is a relatable character who will have readers rooting for her throughout her sexual awakening.

James does however become repetitive in her pursuit to portray the intricacies of the physical relationship between the protagonists of the novel. Luckily, each scene is just exciting enough to keep you reading. James creates a

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visual feast with her simple yet descriptive writing style. This is the best feature of the novel; it will captivate even the least motivated of readers to power through until the very last page.

This novel is romantic, however unorthodox the form of romance, but it is still far from the “happily-ever-after” cliché that most romance novels end with. As Fifty Shades of Grey is the first in a trilogy, it comes as no surprise that it ends with a bang that will leave readers frantic to get their hands on the second book, Fifty Shades Darker.

Fifty Shades of Grey is simply written but enticing. The novel will introduce readers to a different kind of erotic content that is seldom tackled in mainstream literature. Let’s just say that if you were looking for the novel in a library, it’d be in a dimly lit room, possibly behind a locked door.

Look out for the movie, whose release date is yet to be announced.

Watch an interview with author EL James as well as Ellen Degeneres’ audio book recording at perdeby.co.za or pPerdeby7415b.

RATING: 7/10 Image: static.thehollywoodgossip.com

Sport

11

27 August ‘12

Klaradyn win netball res league CHARLES SIWELE

The final round of fixtures in theTuksNetball Intramural League was played on Tuesday 21 August. The finalists faced off in a dramatic game that went to sudden-death after the match ended with the scores tied at 11-11 at full time. Curlitzia created the first opportunity to snatch victory in the suddendeath stage but failed to capitalise after a well-worked series of passes put them in front of goal, as goal shooter Monique de Villiers failed to convert the opportunity.

Klaradyn gained possession and executed a swift counter-attack to get to the opposite end of the court and secure the goal that gave their team the win, courtesy of Karien van Niekerk’s shot. Klaradyn captain Adé van Heerden admitted the game was the most difficult of their season and praised Curlitzia’s performance. “Of all the teams we played this season, they [Curlitzia] were definitely the best,” Van Heerden said, adding that composure was one of the keys to their victory. “We stayed calm under pressure, so that was important, especially when the crowd is so close and loud, so it was nice.”

Curlitzia captain Joanita Viljoen was visibly disappointed, but said: “It was nice. It was a very challenging, intense and awesome game.” She also praised her team’s spirit and identified their excellent team chemistry as the key to their success this season. “We played as a team. We’re very, very close. We

didn’t even need to tell each other what to do: we all just knew, so we played well.”

The evening ended with a prize-giving event that saw first, second and third

placed teams, in both the senior and junior leagues, receive awards recognising their achievements. The Vividus junior team, who impressed throughout the season, secured

the junior league trophy after beating a disappointing Madelief team 12-3 in the juniors’ final.

AB BASSON

as a 25-year-old was a huge privilege. They are a huge club. Of course, winning the NFD and gaining promotion to the PSL while captaining the [AmaTuks] side is also a big highlight. Of all the players that started with me at Tuks I am the only one [who remains] here.

Who is your hero?

Lucas Radebe. He was a great player and captain. He went on to do great things in England with Leeds United and was a great player for Bafana Bafana. My playing style is similar to his Ronaldo or Messi?

Ronaldo. His speed and power are phenomenal. His defending is also good and his aerial ability is great. He is also very good at taking set pieces.

Who has influenced you the most?

My dad. He introduced me to playing football. He always used to buy me those plastic soccer balls and he bought me my first pair of soccer boots, Pumas.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Involved in my business and working as a football administrator. Not as a coach.

Photo: Melissa Kemp

AmaTuks captain: “We can finish in PSL top eight” AmaTuks captain Tebogo Monyai has been a model of consistency since re-joining AmaTuks from Moroka Swallows in 2010.

The 32-year-old centre back, who was instrumental in AmaTuks gaining promotion to the PSL last season, sat down with Perdeby to share his views on football, his career and the season ahead.

Where did your professional football career start?

I started my career at Tuks in 2001. I was bought by Moroka Swallows in 2006 and went on to captain them. I came back to Tuks for the 2010/2011 season and we went on to win the NFD title, with me as captain, last season.

What are your ambitions for the season?

To do well and finish in the top eight. Our main focus is not only to stay up, but to do well. There is no doubt in my mind that we can finish in the top eight. I believe that what you say is what you achieve.

What has been the highlight of your career?

Captaining Moroka Swallows in the PSL

Photo: www.up.ac.za

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Tuks fails to secure treble win

KATLEGO PHEEHA

It was a bitter end to what has been a successful season for TuksRugby as Tuks 1 lost the Carlton Cup final on 18 August in the dying minutes of the match.

Tuks secured their spot in the Carlton Cup final after beating rivals Centurion 32-17 in the semifinals. Police had beaten Naka Bulle 38-20 in the other semi-final which meant the two teams were set to face each other in the Carlton Cup final for the fourth year in a row. Tuks had won the 2010 and 2011 finals 49-23 and 48-16 respectively.

Police have not tasted Carlton Cup success since 2009 when they beat Tuks 31-28.

Having won the FNB Varsity Cup and the University Sport South Africa (USSA) championships earlier this year, Tuks was just 80 minutes away from capping off the team’s most successful season in history with a treble victory.

Tuks had already secured all the other junior Carlton Cup league titles.

It was a bruising encounter with both teams determined to get the win and at half-time the two

teams were tied at 10-10.

In the second half, Tuks managed to go over the try line for the second time in the match and added two penalties to the score to give the team a 23-10 lead with only six minutes remaining in the match. With only four minutes left to play, Police

then pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Carlton Cup finals history, scoring 10 points with a final onslaught that saw them get a converted try and a penalty with a 23-27 win. “The other Tuks teams in the finals all won their respective matches, leaving it to the first team to finish the

day on a high, but they failed to do so,” said a disappointed Morris Gilbert, club manager of Tuks 1.

KATLEGO PHEEHA & ZENNA MULLER

Your success, along with that of Cameron van der Burgh and Chad Le Clos, caused a big stir back home. Were you aware of how much your achievement meant to the country?

Thompson: I don’t think I actually got the size of it until we got home. In one of the functions while we were there we were told, “Your life will never be the same again.” I remember thinking at the time it was a bit of a funny comment. In hindsight, I know exactly what he was talking about. [Laughs] Do you believe that what you’ve achieved will help improve rowing in South Africa?

Ndlovu: I think it has, and it will. Because obviously now a lot more people will want to do rowing. I was at my old school during the weekend and had a lot of kids coming to me say that they now want to do rowing.

Where do you guys plan on going from here?

Are you aiming to go to Rio 2016?

Brittain: I think at the back of everyone’s mind is Rio. But at the end of the day, we don’t choose who the four people are that get to sit in the boat. As an individual you have to decide if you want to be there. Just train harder and impress the coach. Just like in a soccer team, they could easily take out this guy or that guy and replace them with someone else.

What advice would you give to young athletes aiming to emulate you by winning an Olympic medal for South Africa?

Brittain: A lot of people want the medal before they put in the work. They want the guarantee that if I work this hard, I will get the medal. My advice is that you just have to take the risk that you’ll fail and commit everything you have.

Check out our interviews with Bridgitte Hartley and the rowing team in full online at perdeby.co.za

Photo: Jaco Joubert

Bridgitte Hartley interview Rowers: “It’s the best feeling ever”

ZENNA MULLER & KATLEGO PHEEHA South Africa had its most successful postisolation Olympics in the country’s history earlier this month, winning a total of six medals in London. One of the athletes who achieved a podium place was TuksSports’s Bridgitte Hartley, who won a bronze medal in the women’s kayak K1 500m final. Perdeby had the opportunity to speak to her about what has been dubbed in many quarters the best Olympic Games ever.

What was it like to compete at the Olympics?

To be honest, I tried to tone it down a bit because I know that there is lots of hype [about it] and it happens every four years. My coach told me, “Bridgitte, it’s just a competition,” as much as it is the biggest competition for anyone to compete in.

You were the first person from Africa to win the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.

How does that compare to an Olympic bronze medal?

Making history for the first time was quite exciting because it was my first World Championship medal. It was really exciting for me but the Olympic medal is way more emotional. It is really something to cherish and it is really something special to have.

After doing so well in the semi-finals, did you feel any added pressure going into the final?

I had one of my best races in the semi-finals and that’s the race that actually counts the most.

In the final you’re racing against seven girls, but if you don’t make it through the semi-finals you don’t even get to race against the other seven girls. When I realised that I could have another good race, I really realised that I had a good chance to get a medal in the final.

How has being a household name changed your life?

It hasn’t really sunk in. I’m starting to realise that the response I’m getting from the South African public is really incredible. I’m starting to realise what an impression I’ve made on South Africans.

How did you feel competing against worldclass athletes like Hungarian world champ Danuta Kozak and Olympic defending champion Inna Osyepenko Radomska from Ukraine?

Up until the Olympics, as soon as I saw I had one of those names in my heats, I would actually get really nervous. But what I managed to do well was taking each race as it goes. I got excited that I got Danuta Kozak in my heat.

What is your next step or goal in your career?

I figured I’d have a holiday now and weigh out what I want to do with my life. I’ve got a degree now but I wouldn’t start working. I might get something part time to do.

Photo: www.supersport.com

Tuks’s High Performance Centre (HPC) has been praised for the part it played in the three gold medals South Africa won at the 2012 London Olympic Games. One of those came from the Mens’ Lightweight Four rowing team. Perdeby spoke to gold medalists Sizwe Lawrence Ndlovu, James Thompson, Matthew Brittain and John Smith about their role in South Africa’s most successful Olympic campaign to date.

What does it mean to you to have contributed a gold medal to the most successful postisolation South African Olympic team?

Thompson: I think we just played our little part in the big structure. I think SASCOC did a really good job and we just did our little thing within it.

South Africa was not one of the favourites to take gold. Did you feel like underdogs?

Ndlovu: I would say yes. The “big” dogs we knew were the Danish and the British, but we were more worried about the Chinese team which we met in the semi-final. We had come second to them earlier during the World Cup. So when we beat them in the semis, we knew the British, Australians and the Danish would be the ones [to beat]. And I guess they weren’t expecting that.

How did you feel when you won Olympic gold?

Smith: Just, pure exhilaration. I remember I was just screaming my voice hoarse. We were just bashing stuff in.

Ndlovu: It’s the best feeling ever – there are no words to describe it. Seeing the flag, and having these guys lead our national anthem.

Everyone was there: the families and the girlfriends were all there to celebrate. It was a great feeling.

Photo: www.risksa.com

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