The South African, Issue 506, 19 March 2013

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HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY, THE SOUTH AFRICAN! We celebrate 10 years of your support as the leading free paper for South Africans in the UK

by HEATHER WALKER

ON 19 March 2003 (10 years ago to the exact day) the first edition of The South African hit the streets of London. To set the scene here: Some of us were still using hard disks to save data, instead of flash drives, which were a very new concept. Wi-fi was not a common feature of most offices. That same month, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its final report. Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry me a River’, The Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Lets get it started’ and Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’ were playing on the radio, while back home, Malaika’s crossover song ‘Destiny’ was taking SA by storm. Against that backdrop, The South African entered the free newspaper market and today celebrates its 10th birthday. Its survival is testament to the tenacity of our founders and staff as well as our loyal community of readers, contributors and advertisers. Here, some of these diverse voices share their memories of the newspaper’s first decade. Camilla James, original designer of The South African I was offered the role as the newspaper’s first designer having worked on a number of projects with the paper’s owners. I designed the logo and original template. I spent over 50 hours in three days preparing the content and layout for our first issue. It was exhausting,

UK Immigration • UK Visas • Permits • EEA visas • Residency • Citizenship • Appeals • Sponsorship Licences South African Immigration

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INSIDE:

p2 | The South African: 10 years and counting - a brief look back p9 | Microsoft’s amibitious new Africa strategy p11 | SA Power 100: Gillian Slovo, author and activist

STARS IN OUR EYES: Aussie cricketer Shane Warne, his fiancé Liz Hurley and a host of Springboks past and present came out to support Joost van der Westhuizen and his J9 foundation for sufferers of motor neuron disease, at a fundraising dinner in London last week. Read full story and see more pics on www.thesouthafrican.com/news Photo by Myak Homberger.

but we knew we were doing something exciting. It’s been great to see the paper grow into a serious news and opinion piece. The launch of the online and newsletter editions, as well as positioning the paper as a leadership platform for international South Africans prove that it’s

important to have such a resource in today’s market. Reg Bamford, Founder and CEO of Sable Group I read the first issue of The South African with great interest. I knew the owners personally, and offered to support the newspaper

through an advertising contract. The response was excellent, and we’ve continued as an advertiser ever since. The newspaper has become an essential source of news and topical issues relevant to the South Africans in the UK. It’s a fun and informative read, and creates a Continued on page 3

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News Editor: Heather Walker Production: Brett Petzer Registered office: Unit C7, Commodore House, Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW. Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: editor@thesouthafrican.com Website: www.thesouthafrican.com Directors: P Atherton, A Laird, J Durrant, N Durrant and R Phillips Printed by: Mortons of Horncastle Ltd

Blue Sky publishes the following titles:

The paper used to print this publication has been sourced from sustainable forests (farmed trees). Please reduce waste by recycling your copy or passing it on to others. The printed opinions of advertisers and writers are theirs and not necessarily shared by Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Unless otherwise stated, copyright of all original materials is held by Blue Sky Publishing Ltd.

| 19 - 25 March 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Ten years and counting

I hope the elastic band that ties you to SA is firmly attached, that you oil it regularly, and that it will eventually pull you all the way back home. Until then, here’s a newspaper to keep you busy by ROB BOFFARD

SOUTH Africa is one of the only countries in the world where people are born with an elastic band wrapped around their waists. Must be something they put in the water. You can’t see that elastic, but it’s got some remarkable properties. The other end is tethered to somewhere in South Africa. Go on, pick a spot. Chances are, the first one that sprang to mind is where you’ll end up if that elastic ever snaps back. It can stretch thousands of miles, but will never, ever break,

no matter how much you pull it and twang it and hack at it with the blunt knife of time. Every South African not actually in the country feels the tug of that band – even if it isn’t pulling you back, it’s part of who you are. You can’t take it off, any more than you could wish your bellybutton away. If you think you can, you’re lying, and I’ll prove it by twanging your elastic real quick. This has bearing on what I wanted to talk about here. On the 10th anniversary of this newspaper, it’s very tempting to

be indulgent and bore you with tales of derring-do involving ruling party branches in London and press releases from Spur and columns written three minutes before deadline which have been powered by three bottles of Jack Daniels. As someone who held a columnist position with this paper for six of its 10 years, I could certainly tell you stories about that. But being indulgent, while fun for us, is deathly dull for you. I do want to talk about the history of the paper, but I promise to keep the navel-gazing to a

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Left to right: James and Nick Durrant and Rod Phillips, co-founders of The South African

TIMELINE 2003-2013 The South African... as it happened November 2002: James Durrant, Nick Durrant and Rod Phillips meet to discuss the idea of launching a South African newspaper for expats in London to rival the SA Times. The meeting takes place at the White Horse pub in Parsons Green, a short walk from their office in Heathmans Road February 2003: JD, ND, RP agree to go ahead, each investing £500 to buy an Apple Mac and recruit volunteers for the launch March 2003: Jandre de Haan recruited as editor, publisher and sales manager to make it happen 19 March 2003: The first then ‘South African’ hits the streets distributed entirely by volunteers at tube stations across London. Breytenbachs have advertised on the front page of every issue since March 2003 August 2003: Patrick Atherton joins the team as a sales representative March 2004: Company changes name to Blue Sky Publications in preparation for the launch of Australian Times. South African Media Limited wasn’t going to work for a business producing an Australian newspaper March 2005: Blue Sky Publications launches New Zealand Times

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Karen writes the weekly The Optimist column and many other articles. Karen is a director of Londongreenafrica, specialising in travel, tourism and public relations. She loves to write, learn and challenge the world at large. Visit www.londongreenafrica. com

December 2006: Cape Town office launched to support the UK operation. This team remains in place doing the design, layout and sub-editing

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May 2011: Heather Walker recruited to drive The South African into a new phase of focus on professional, established South Africans in the UK July 2012: Blue Sky Publications launches Gateway to Africa magazine 19 March 2013: Happy 10th Birthday!

26/10/2012 15:49:32

INSIDE:

Happy 10tH bIrtHDay, tHE SoutH afrIcaN!

p2 | The South African: Ten years and counting - a brief look back

by heather walker

p11 | SA Power 100: Gillian Slovo, author and activist

We celebrate ten years of your support as the leading free paper for South Africans in the UK

c 2008: Adam Laird joins Blue Sky Publications as a shareholder and director

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On 19 March 2003 (10 years ago to the exact day) the first edition of The South African hit the streets of London. To set the scene here: Some of us were still using hard disks to save data, instead of flash drives, which were a very new concept. Wi-fi was not a common feature of most offices. That same month, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its final report. Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry me a River’, The Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Lets get it started’ and Outkast’s ‘Hey ya’ were playing on the radio, while back home, Malaika’s crossover song ‘Destiny’ was taking SA by storm. Against that backdrop, The South African entered the free newspaper market and is now celebrating its 10th birthday. Its survival is testament to the tenacity of our founders and staff as well as our loyal community of readers, contributors and advertisers. Here, some of these diverse voices share their memories of the newspaper’s first decade. Camilla James, original designer of The South African I was offered the role as the newspaper’s first designer having worked on a number of projects with the paper’s owners. I designed the logo and original template. I spent over 50 hours in three days preparing the content and layout for our first issue. It

UK Immigration • UK Visas • Permits • EEA visas • Residency • Citizenship • Appeals • Sponsorship Licences South African Immigration

p9 | Microsoft’s amibitious new Africa strategy

STARS IN OUR EYES: Aussie cricketer Shane Warne, his fiance Liz Hurley a host of Springboks past and present came out to support Joost van der Westhuizen and his J9 foundation for sufferers of motor neuron disease, at a fundraising dinner in London last week. Photo by Myak Homberger.

was exhausting, but we knew we were doing something exciting. It’s been great to see the paper grow into a serious news and opinion piece. The launch of the online and newsletter editions, as well as positioning the paper as a leadership platform for international South Africans prove

that it’s important to have such a resource in today’s market. Reg Bamford, Founder and CEO of Sable Group I read the first issue of The South African with great interest. I knew the owners personally, and offered to support the newspaper through an advertising contract.

The response was excellent, and we’ve continued as an advertiser ever since. The newspaper has become an essential source of news and topical issues relevant to the South Africans in the UK. It’s a fun and informative read, and creates a sense of community Continued on page 3

0845 074 0514 info@bic-immigration.com www.bic-immigration.com

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Third Floor, Cutlers Court, 115 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7BR

Ref No. F201000144

minimum. We cannot claim to be a crucial strand of your elastic band – we’re just a newspaper, after all. But maybe we play a small part in keeping it nice and supple and stretchy. When Rod Phillips and Nick and James Durrant invested a few hundred quid each in a couple of Apple Macs and some volunteers, back in 2003, I doubt that they saw this far into the future. Papers – especially papers serving as niche a community as Expat South Africans Living In London – don’t tend to last long. That it did is testament not only to them putting their balls on their line, time and time again, but to the veritable army of volunteers who helped get this paper out. The paper has gone through five editors since, and I think they’re worth mentioning here. Jandre De Haan helped launch it (and moonlighted as publisher and sales manager, too, which is quite impressive if you think about it), and from then on, Frances Paddick, Paige Dorkin, Kim Seeliger and current head honcho Heather Walker all had a hand in a steering it. As the years went on, the publishing company changed from South African Media Limited to Blue Sky Publications – just as well, given that they launched our sister papers, Australian Times and New Zealand Times, in 2004 and 2005. And of course, I came along in 2007, which is the most important thing, obviously. This isn’t the Oscars, and I’m no Charlize, but perhaps a couple of thank yous are in order. This will be very, very short, I promise, but it needs to be said, mostly because a company that advertises on every single front page since the paper’s launch deserves a round of drinks. To Breytenbachs: respect. And that goes for every other company who chucked some money at us in return for their name on our pages. Newspapers are here to report the news and very little else, but we simply wouldn’t survive without advertisers. It’s a rough world out there. But mostly, thank you. Yes, you. Reading this now. I hope your elastic band is firmly attached, that you oil it regularly, and that it will eventually pull you all the way back home. Until then, here’s a newspaper to keep you busy. We put a lot of time into making it, so we kind of hope you enjoy it.


thesouthafrican.com | 19 - 25 March 2013 |

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The South African turns 10

Reg Bamford - cont. from page 1 sense of community and belonging. As a long-term supporter and reader of the newspaper, I wish it and its staff all the very best in the future. I’m looking forward to the next 10 years.

John Battersby, UK Country Manager, Brand South Africa

I have been a regular reader of The South African since I arrived in the UK in 2004 to take up my post as Country Manger of Brand South Africa. The tone and content of the newspaper has come a long way since those days. The newspaper now plays an important role in connecting and informing the South African community in the UK and providing a platform for South African achievers, artists, entrepreneurs and the like. It is a newsy and people-centred read each week and assists in building the Global South African network in the UK. I take this opportunity to congratulate the editor and staff and wish you an even more connected, dynamic and inspired decade ahead

Hannes Breytenbach, senior consultant, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Xolani Xala, leader of the ANC London branch

I became aware of The South African in 2004 when a close friend brought it to my attention. Since then, I have become a regular reader of the paper because it helps me to feel connected to the South African community in London. In paying tribute to The South African, which in my opinion is a tried and tested paper, it makes me happy to know there is a paper such as this. Even if I and others here in London, as well as the South African diaspora, can freely return home, I am proud to know there is a paper like The South African that has taken responsibility for informing and engaging the South African community at large. Phambili!

Breytenbachs Solicitors was approached by a young entrepreneurial team, headed by James Durrant in 2002/2003. Their dream was to start a newspaper that would be the voice of the South Africans in the UK. We agreed to get on board and booked the front page advertisement and to provide a weekly contribution in the form of an Ask the Expert column. When Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd started in January 2011, it was only logical that they would continue this strong business relationship. The newspaper has managed to survive through the past ten years, including the global economic crisis, whilst at the same time not cutting back on good quality content and relevant contributions. Well done to the South African newspaper and the team behind it on a quality paper that has stood the test of time!

Pieter-Dirk Uys, performer and activist

As long as I can remember, The South African was a great help when I did my shows in London. It got the news out to ‘al die mense’. As I always say, you can take the South African out of SA, but you can never take SA out of the South African! Happy 10th birthday!

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Launch editor Jandre de Haan and designer Camilla James with Edition 1 of The South African in 2003

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| 19 - 25 March 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Ubuntu on the World Stage by RONEL van ZYL

TWO award winning South African singers, Njabulo Madlala and Pumeza Matshikiza, returned to London to perform at St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square to raise awareness for FoodBank South Africa. Both singers grew up in the townships in South Africa and have taken the international stage by storm with their performances of opera and contemporary and African songs. FoodBank South Africa (FoodBank) operates independently as the de facto national food banking network.

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Bonhams – an Aladdin’s cave of South African art

The biannual Bonhams South African Sale will take place on Wednesday 20 March in London and includes a special focus on arguably the country’s most important contemporary artist, William Kentridge by JEREMY KUPER

SINCE 2007, the Bonhams South African sale has become the main event on the South African art calendar in London, and perhaps globally as well. Records are routinely broken and museum quality works, rarely seen in public, regularly showcased to an international audience. Each sale reveals a new dimension to the South African canon, and most important works now tend to travel through London. Next week’s sale, on 20 March at 2pm, is no different, offering yet another treasure trove of 20th century art featuring all the greats: JH Pierneef, Irma Stern, Gerard Sekoto, and a host of others. The sale includes a special focus (20 lots) on arguably the country’s most important contemporary artist, William Kentridge. One interesting aspect of the sale is the inclusion of part of Hollywood star Anthony Quinn’s collection. Quinn was an artist when he was not on set. Quinn, who died in 2001, clearly had quite an eye for contemporary South African art and his collection included a number of impressive works by Cecil Skotnes, Lucky Sibiya and Dumile Feni. But probably the main event of the March sale is Vladimir Tretchikoff’s extraordinary and world famous ‘Chinese Girl’, unfairly written off as kitsch by some but now estimated to sell at £300,000 – £500,000. The painting has rightly attracted global attention and I have no doubt the hammer price will comfortably exceed this

modest valuation. Each Bonhams sale brings relatively unknown, yet important artists to the fore, like sculptor Herman Wald, a Hungarian Jewish émigré to South Africa (who is best known for his public art commissions), or the painter Stanley Pinker, who died last year and studied under Belgian artist Maurice Van Essche (also in the sale). Pinker surely deserves another viewing. According to Amy Halliday of Bonhams, “Pinker is known for artworks that combine a masterful grasp of modernist space and colour with an allusive wit applied to a South African physical and cultural landscape.” Pinker also taught at the Michaelis School of Fine Art for many years, influencing generations of artists. “Despite his accomplishments, little is written of his personal life”, muses Halliday. “Intriguingly, this sale features a remarkable work which offers a rare glimpse of the artist’s family life. The autobiographical work ‘Merete and Stephen in a garden’ (£200,000£300,000) portrays the artist’s three children playing in the backyard of their house in Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, with Table Mountain – complete with upper cable car station – in the background.” “The artist’s youngest son was delighted and moved at the appearance of the work,” says Halliday. “He fondly recalled childhood games and remarked: ‘We had an apple tree that caught fire and burnt down one Guy Fawkes night: my father was quite

the firework pyromaniac! It could quite easily be the black pole in the background [of the painting], as it stayed up for ages after it had burnt!’” “I always find these kinds of discoveries really exciting, as so many of the works on auction hold inestimable immaterial value,” adds Halliday. “They are repositories of individual or communal memory, documents of a particular historical moment, or perhaps their provenance charts a fascinating chain of ownership.” Focus on William Kentridge Possibly the most interesting of all of Kentridge’s works to be included in the sale is a work dating from the late 1980s entitled: ‘Casspirs full of love.’ (£140 – £180,000). A Casspir is an armoured police van, and this work in pastel and encaustic shows a collection of severed heads arranged on shelves. It is an appropriately haunting image to encapsulate the brutality of PW Botha’s police state – a memorial to the dead, the disappeared and tortured during this period of vicious political repression. Giles Peppiatt, director of the Bonhams South African Art department, refers to it as “an extremely rare work. It relates to some of his most important prints he was doing at the time.” Kentridge was listening to the radio and he heard a mother sending out a message to her son (presumably manning a Casspir), ending with the haunting dedication of “Casspirs full of love”. ‘Responsible Hedonism’ is another important Kentridge

included in the sale. The work is a charcoal drawing of a couple kissing while wearing a miner’s breathing apparatus, as more severed heads are arranged on the shelves next to them. It is an obvious metaphor for the charmed lives of many white South Africans oblivious to the unseen obscenities of apartheid. According to Peppiatt, Kentridge “regards this as one of his most important works.” Kentridge’s work is part of numerous significant museum collections (including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Tate Modern, London) and has been

widely exhibited internationally in galleries, art fairs and biennials – his extraordinary range and versatility encompasses opera, painting, sculpture, drawing and film-making. The top lots by key artists in the South African sales have kept their prices and outperformed many other investments during the last five years of this recession, but in a declining market less important or middle of the range works have not fared quite as well. This may mean that it is a good time to snap up a relative bargain, if you have a few thousand pounds to spare.

ASSEMBLY AND RIVERSIDE STUDIOS PRESENT THE BAXTER THEATRE CENTRE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN STATE THEATRE

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| 19 - 25 March 2013 | thesouthafrican.com

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The OPTIMIST Thandi die renoster by Kariega natuurreservaat in die Ooskaap wat ‘n jagter aanval oorleef het. Foto deur Marcél Baumhauer da Silva:(www.hausofsilva.com).

Brandpunt CONRAD BRAND

Gryp die bul by die horings! INTERNASIONALE fokus was verlede week op Bangkok, Thailand waar Cites (Convention on the international trade in endangered species) tussen 3de en 14de Maart vergader. ‘n Beter vergarderplek kon nie gekies word nie, want Thailand word deur baie beskou as die vuur vir die vraag na die onwettige handel in ivoor. Afgevaardigdes van 178 lande sal vergader om die 40 jaar-oue verdrag op datum te bring, 70 voorstelle is ingedien wat na ‘n verandering in die reëls vir spesifieke spesies vra, maar met ‘n wêreldwye ‘uitwissings-krisis’ wat baie spesies in die gesig staan, word hierdie jaar se byeenkoms as die mees kritieke ooit beskou. Die Konvensie deel diere en plante in drie verskillende kategorieë in, afhangende van hul vlak van bedreiging: Kategorie 1: Sluit diere en plante in waarvan die internasionale kommersieële handel, behalwe in buitengewone omstandighede, totaal verbied word. In hierdie

kategorie is 530 spesies, insluitende tiere, witrenosters en gorillas. Kategorie 2: Is veel groter as Kategorie 1 en sluit diere en plante in waarvan die handel toegelaat word, maar onder streng beheer. Dit sluit meer as 4 460 diere en 28 000 plantspesies in, byvoorbeeld ysbere en sekere haai spesies. Kategorie 3: Sluit spesies in wat binne die grense van ‘n lidland beskerm word. Daar is 290 spesies in hierdie groep en sluit as voorbeeld die twee-toon luidier in. Daar word tans 35 000 diere en plante deur die verdrag beskerm. Hoe gepas is dit nie dat Thailand dan in die kollig val? Die land waar die handel in die ivoor van inheemse olifante toegelaat word en so ‘n ope mark bied vir kriminele wat dié leemte gebruik om ook in die ivoor van Afrika-olifante te handel. Die vraag daarna is so groot dat dit die stropery van Afrika Olifante na ongekende vlakke laat styg het en dus een van die hoof besperekings punte by die konverensie sal wees. Thailand word na China beskou as die grootste mark vir dié onwettige tande wat dikwels wreed verwyder word van olifante regoor die Afika vasteland. Daar word geskat dat tussen 50 en 100 Afrika-olifante per dag vermoor word om aan die vraag te voldoen. Carlos Drews van die WWF het die volgende te sê, “After years of failing to end this unfettered trade, Thailand should grab the spotlight and shut down

these markets that are fuelling the poaching of elephants in Africa,” dit, terwyl ander groepe veg vir sanksies teen Thailand. Wel dit wil nou blyk dat, deur die Thailandse bul by die horings te gryp, gewerk het. Die Eerste minister van Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra het tydens haar openingstoespraak by die CITES bewaringskonvensie die afgevaardiges geskok deur aan te kondig dat sy die wette van haar land sal aanpas om die wettige handel van Ivoor, te verban. Sy het erken dat die huidige stelsel misbruik word en bygelas dat niemand meer kan omgee vir olifante, as haar mense nie. Sy het egter geen besonderhede gegee oor die tydsvlakke of omvang van die veranderinge nie, maar kenners is opgewonde dat die aanpassings wel ‘n drastiese verksil sal maak in die beskerming van alle Thailand se olifante, asook dié in Afrika. Ek dink ons sal almal saamstem met die woorde van dié WWF woordvoerder: “This is a very important first step and a very big occasion”.

KAREN DE VILLIERS

The Foundlings WE were all tricked. One balmy day and like little lambs we began to gambol, shedding the big coats and all our dark accessories to embrace spring. Mother Nature had other ideas and one degree of sleet and arctic wind does little to warm the cockles of any heart. I had no intention of going out to face the dark Lord of Winter once again last weekend, but a promise is a promise and armed with my iPhone map made my way to a church near Waterloo for a concert. Church is a very loose word here, for a church it was, but serving wine indoors had me thinking of my Calvinistic fathers turning in their graves. Best to say it was an eclectic sort of Church, huge masterpieces of modern art depicting Christ alongside more traditional takings, but there is something to be said for the atmosphere of a church. Reverent, quiet, old, mulled, musty ghosts of faith in the quiet zone. I love European and English churches, especially at night. A far cry from the ominous fortresses of the Dutch Reformed Church I was raised in. There I would cower every Sunday as my many transgressions rained as arrows on my young heart. I

was doomed from day one, never to be saved as long as I continued to fraternise with the Catholic and Jewish friends I cherished. Here I was sipping wine, waiting for the performance to begin. Marlene Verwey is a young South African flutist. A rising star, now a star risen. With her equally talented musicians, the freshness and clarity of her music gathered her audience from a clustered group of cold individuals onto a higher plane. Enthralled we listened, but then, oh dear …Marlene, a ‘plaas meisie’ herself, began playing the haunting song by Coenie de Villiers called ‘Karoonag’. In an instant, from the heart of London, I was back on the platteland. Space and those brilliant stars in the skyline pierced my heart. I was homesick. For land, people, belonging and language. Each note pierced the pocket of memories I hide so well. But I realized that this is what was one of the reasons why I love London so much. It is filled with South Africans, all foundlings in a new world, each one still delighted to find each other, make a connection. You won’t find this if you move to other shores as much as you will here. This global village harbours the most talented of our people. How to explain this to people back home? As Camus said ‘ In the midst of winter I found there was, within me an, invincible summer.’ My summer is being with those I know, my fellow ‘think alike’ brothers and sisters and that cold winter outside vapourised with the warmth of belonging, for a moment, to a place no-one need explain. Do we need to leave to fully appreciate what we have left behind? Do we go to realise our full potential? Do we need to always explain? Dankie Marlene. You made me proud to belong.

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Greig Coetzee’s celebrated White Men with Weapons returns to London stage

A London theatrical déjà-vu experience brings back back funny and harrowing memories from the days of the South African Defence Force by SERTAN SANDERSON

WHAT happens to the minds of men who are forced to fight a senseless war in a foreign land? Sometimes the real terror to be fought is the one inside us. For many young men in the old South Africa, conscription into the SADF remained an unavoidable fact of life. Only a few conscripts continued to pursue military careers afterwards but many came close enough to witnessing some of the realities of 20th century warfare in Africa during their national service, to be changed and often marred for life. A challenging play directed and staged by “veteran” South African performer Greig Coetzee is reviving memories from the dark days of the SADF. White Men With Weapons, which won a Scotsman Fringe First award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2000, features 13 extraordinary military characters – all portrayed by Coetzee.

“White Men With Weapons is my response to a year as a military conscript during 1990. I entered the South African Defence Force as a self-righteous left-wing political activist and immediately refused to carry a rifle. “I went through military training without a weapon, at times carrying a table instead. “It was rather like being in a Beckett piece that lasted 12 months. “Except that Godot did arrive in the form of Nelson Mandela, and I realised that I had to record my very special vantage point of this historical moment from within the machine.” White Men with Weapons is by turns funny, poignant and harrowing. Over the years the play has turned into a South African theatre classic, attracting Saffas and non-Saffas alike to witness Coetzee’s larger-than-life portrayal of the SADF faithfuls. Among the cornucopia of characters in the show, Coetzee channels a vicious corporal

from hell, a drug-crazed Durban Rambo and an Anglican chaplain with a particular phobia directed towards Archbishop Desmond Tutu. All the while it addresses the wars in Mozambique, Namibia, Angola and beyond. The show’s ultimate climax arrives in the inevitable deliverance from both inner and outer conflicts, as a new age dawns over South Africa with the first democratic elections, held in 1994, bringing in the subsequent collapse of the SADF. White Men With Weapons runs for four nights at the Tara Arts Theatre in Earlsfield from 3 to 6 April. The show features strong language and themes which may not be suitable for children. Book on www.tara-arts.com Win! We have a pair of tickets up for grabs to each of the shows on 3 or 4 April. Scan the QR code to enter. Competition closes on 26 March. TheSouthAfrican. com/winprizes

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| 19 - 25 March 2013 | thesouthafrican.com

Entertainment

Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Book review: Dancing to the Beat of the Drum by Pamela Nomvete

In her new autobiography, Coronation Street actress Pamela Nomvete shines a light on the destructive capability of money and fame, the things that the average Joe in society so madly craves by MEGHAN WHITTAKER

SOMETIMES, reading a story about someone else’s life can seem somewhat dull. The hard facts can often be sugar coated or made to sound more interesting than the full truth. It is not often that I find an autobiographical piece to be astounding or out of the ordinary. One could argue that I haven’t read enough, but I disagree. Certain life stories stand out drastically to me, not because of the manner in which they are written, but because of the willingness of the author to become vulnerable to the reader without attempting to make their story sound more glamorous than it really is. It is with this cold, bare, unbending truth that Pamela Nomvete’s new book Dancing To The Beat of The Drum makes you realise that no matter what difficulty you may face

in life, there is always the bigger picture. Pamela shines a light on the destructive capability of money, wealth and fame, the things that the average Joe in society so madly craves. Most of all, she tells the story of something bigger, something greater, that is part of the interactive patchwork of events that make up all our lives, whether we are famous or not. What I loved most of all about this book is how the author manages to converse directly with the reader in a seemingly casual, unceremonious style. She brings you directly into her world, no holds barred. It is as if she is walking beside you, giving a personal guided tour of her deepest, darkest depths. She takes you through her journey of self discovery, her struggle for personal freedom

amidst the backdrop of a post-apartheid South Africa and the loneliness that fame and fortune brings. It is a story about a girl who has lost her roots and finds them again, although not as she’d hoped or expected. A well written story such as this one always leaves you wondering and hoping until the very end, the very last page in fact. What is even better, is that this story is true, down to the very last sentence and it is this essential truth that infuses a sense of hope in the reader and ultimately, in the Pamela Nomvete (second left) at the launch of her book in London world.

Mozambique Chicken PeriPeri

South African chef Grant Hawthorne shares his recipe for chicken cooked with his award-winning African Volcano sauce ONE of the traditional things with Mozambique chicken is the removal of one of the wings when it is cooked. Traditionally this was for the cook to sample the chicken and ensure that nothing was off, etc. The best part of the chicken is the rice! Use the sauce to reinforce the flavours of the marinade. Serves 8

Ingredients: 8 whole baby chickens (petit poussin) 150ml African Volcano Peri Peri marinade (medium strength) 100ml olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Garnish - 50ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice 50ml Clarified butter 150ml African Volcano Peri Peri sauce (for dipping) Method:

Clean and trim the chicken as required,

either spatchcock or butterflied. Mix the peri peri marinade with the olive oil and pour liberally over the chicken. Marinate for 6 -36hours, in a sealed container. Reserve and keep chilled in the fridge at 3DegC. Drain and reserve the chicken portions. Place on a baking tray, presentation side down. Cook in a moderately hot oven (GM 6 or 200c) for approx 15-20 minutes. Brush the chicken with the marinade, ensuring that all pieces are liberally coated. When cooked, serve on savoury rice, with a little lemon butter and fresh lemon wedges. Use the peri peri sauce to reinforce the base flavours of the herbs, chilli and garlic that is present. Grant’s passion for food was developed at an early age, while growing up in the seaside village of Hout Bay. Grant has been head chef of 3 critically acclaimed seafood restaurants and is a member of the Master Chefs of Great Britain and a Master Craftsman with the Craft Guild of Chefs. Follow him on Twitter: @granthawthorne


9

thesouthafrican.com | 19 - 25 March 2013 |

Business: Gateway to Africa

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Microsoft’s ambitious Africa Strategy Microsoft MD Mteto Nyathi speaks to Mamello Masote in Johannesburg about their strategy for Africa’s mobile

by MAMELLO MASOTE

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MICROSOFT is making aggressive inroads into capturing Africa’s growing mobile market. The global technology company recently announced a massive Africa-wide initiative (4Afrika) in an effort to accelerate the adoption of its smart phone devices and drive economic development in the region. A report released by Matthew Reed of London-based research company, Informa Telecoms and Media in November last year, had the number of mobile subscriptions in Africa pegged at one billion by 2015. Microsoft has partnered with Chinese manufacturer Huawei to develop a low-cost fully functional Windows 8 smart phone which will come pre-loaded with select applications designed for Africa. The phone is expected to be rolled out in Angola, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa later this month. According to the managing director of Microsoft South Africa, Mteto Nyathi, who has been an instrumental part of the initiative, they plan to partner with other manufacturers to produce more low cost handsets. While it has been widely reported that the handsets would cost about $150, Nyathi said pricing would depend on negotiations with the various local mobile network operators, but he said they would try to make it as cheap as possible. Yet Nyathi admits that access is not just dependent on affordable devices, but also on making connectivity cheaper and more accessible.Nedbank Golf Challenge print Microsoft will be looking at enabling this connectivity through white space technology, or super wi-fi, particularly bringing high speed broadband to rural areas. “We already have this kind of technology. Right now it’s being piloted by Microsoft in Kenya. Our intention really is to significantly reduce the cost of connectivity to something like $1 a month, that is a significant reduction from where it is now,” said Nyathi. Nyathi added that the super

wi-fi technology was light in infrastructure and uses solar panels and that is why the cost to use it will be low. Also as part of the three-year investment plan into Africa, Microsoft will bring about one million African small and medium enterprises online, taking a page out of rival Google’s book, which has been doing this for quite some time. Microsoft will also be looking at developing the skills of 100 000 recent graduates and help place 75 per cent of them in jobs. To make the smart phones more locally relevant as well as to reach their skills development objectives, Microsoft has smartly introduced an App factory. The factory has already been running for three months with 15 interns, but Nyathi said they were definitely going to increase this number as they have set themselves the target of producing 700 high quality applications a year. “We want to scale this project through universities of technology, getting people in various universities participating in this program, skill them up so that when they come out of university they are able to be employed or they are able to go to go and start up their own businesses. In the beginning when they are starting up they will be contributing to the app factory, but also being skilled in relevant technology,” said Nyathi. But while app development in Africa has steadily been growing, monetisation of the apps is a ad(Page 1 9/7/12 problem for many12:38:51 developers looking to build their own businesses. Nyathi said different models of monetisation needed to be explored. “Initially, we are starting to see apps that largely link government to business but there are many other ways of monetising the apps. For example, if you have a very good app that links citizens to government for example, you may not get the monetisation through the download but through

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advertising within the application, that’s where the money lies for the person who has developed the app,” Nyathi said. Clifford de Wit, lead developer at Microsoft SA, said monetising apps in Africa was about solving problems and providing a service that affects people’s lives “I don’t think it’s that different to any other kind of business. If you provide apps that add real value and provide real solutions I don’t think people will mind paying for them,” he said. To support the growth of small businesses, Microsoft will also have a new online hub where African small businesses will have access to relevant products and services from Microsoft and other partners.

As part of a threeyear investment plan into Africa, Microsoft will bring about one million African small and medium enterprises online, as Google has been doing for some time - Mteto Nyathi

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Business: News

| 19 - 25 March 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Route to settlement available for victims of domestic violence in the UK by JP BREYTENBACH

DID you know that if you are a victim of domestic violence, you need not stay in the abusive relationship in order to remain in the UK? In order to qualify under the domestic violence rule you have to inter alia fulfill the following requirements: ● You must be the spouse/civil partner/unmarried partner of a British citizen or someone settled (someone with indefinite leave to remain) in the UK; ● Your relationship must have subsisted at the time the visa was granted; and ● You must prove that you are a victim of domestic violence

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or have been in a relationship, or between family members. It can affect anybody, regardless of their gender or sexuality. The violence can be psychological, physical, sexual or emotional.” For more information or to apply under this rule, please contact Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd at info@bicimmigration.com or visit the website at www.bic-immigration.com

Work experience journalist required at TheSouthAfrican.com

We are looking for a part-time work experience journalist at our office in Wandsworth, starting as soon as possible by HEATHER WALKER

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and that it was the cause of the breakdown of your relationship before you qualified for settlement. ● You do not need to wait until your current leave in the UK expires before you apply under this rule, and the UK Home Office recommends that you apply as early as possible so that they can deal with recent or up to date evidence. ● It is also important to keep in mind that you have to apply from within the UK. The UK Home Office defines domestic violence as follows: “Domestic violence is any threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between adults who are

AN opportunity exists for a work experience journalist at TheSouthAfrican.com in our office in Wandsworth, starting from the beginning of April 2013. We require someone to work one or two days a week for three months (or longer if you wish). On the days you work you will be required to produce a set number of news articles to be published on our website. Depending on requirements, some of these may also be published in the printed weekly newspaper. You will have the chance to learn about Search Engine Optimisation. You will also conduct interviews and get to grips with the daily workings of our website and newspaper.

Required: ● You must be passionate about news and the internet ● You must be passionate about social media and we expect you to have a Twitter account. ● You must have a confident telephone manner and not be afraid to pick up the phone to get a story. ● You must be proactive, selfmotivated and a good researcher. The more you put into this, the more you will get out of it. ● You must live in London, be able to work to strict deadlines and to write in English to first language standard. Advantageous: ● Willingness to do occasional assignments outside office hours ● Your own laptop ● Photography skills ● Journalism students or graduates

are preferred, however if you can provide proof of an interest in pursuing a journalistic career, such as previous articles or a blog, you will be considered ● Knowledge of South Africa and the South African community in London. This is an unpaid position but your lunch and travel expenses within London will be covered for the days you work. This is not a traditional internship as we cannot offer you a permanent position on completion. However, many of our previous interns have secured excellent writing jobs as a result of the experience they gained at The South African.com. To apply, please send your CV, a short covering letter and two examples of your writing to Heather Walker: editor@thesouthafrican.com

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DURING the period between the 11th to the 18th of March 2013 one Great British Pound fetched between R13.56 and R13.90 South African Rand’s. One Euro fetched between R11.82 and R12.01 South African Rand’s during the same period. After the Rand took an absolute beating last week, bottoming out at 4 year lows to its major currency counterparts, it started to stabilize somewhat heading towards week end. This stabilization may be short lived though, with local economic data showing a widening current account deficit and continual unrest in the mining sector. Stop losses were triggered at R9,20 /US$1, which pushed the Rand all the way to R9,29. Then Rand had managed to claw back some lost ground by Friday, mainly due to some positive

manufacturing data, but once again, this was a short lived reprieve for the Rand. With ever continuing woes in the Euro zone; and the Euro zone being one of South Africa’s biggest trading partners; the Rand tracked the weakening Euro into the start of the new week. This latest weakening of the Euro can be attributed to the concerns arising over Cyprus’ bailout package. This has caused investors to turn away from riskier markets/ currencies. Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to South Africa then please register/login or call us for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alerts when the Rand exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for. Brought to you by

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thesouthafrican.com | 19 - 25 March 2013 |

Business: SA Power 100

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/thesouthafrican

Gillian Slovo

Read interviews with other SA POWER 100 achievers on our website: TheSouthAfrican.com/Business/SAPower100 Naresh Singh

Pamela Nomvete

General Manager: Eskom International

Coronation St and former Generations actress

Author and political activist Born: Johannesburg, 1952 Selected Bibliography: Published 12 novels including Morbid Symptoms (1984), Death by Analysis (1986, Ties of Blood (1990), Ice Road (2005), An Honourable Man (2012) Moved to UK: 1964, with her political activist parents Joe Slovo and Ruth First

by JEREMY KUPER and CYRUS ENGINEER

WHAT was your relationship with South Africa during your time in exile? I think there was a period of time when I did not think about South Africa and did not worry about it. And also if you write about a place you have to know it. So I did a lot of work on South Africa’s history. And ironically when I went back to South Africa in 1990, I realised that I knew more about South Africa’s history than most South Africans who stayed there because of course

I wasn’t subject to censorship in England. They didn’t know about their own history because they hadn’t been taught it. So I was very attuned to what was happening. When I went back I had a real feeling of familiarity; the landscape the sky, the smell of the place, things you don’t know you are absorbing as a kid, this felt like home. At the same time this country had deprived me of my adolescence and as an adolescent I was dealing with adjusting to a new country rather than finding myself. In fact when I went back in 1990 without my daughter I had a feeling of freedom that you would associate with adolescence. Not having to worry about looking after her for a bit. The world I had returned to was similar to the country when I had left. Apartheid stagnated the country and the people were sort of stuck. Similarly the world I returned to was similar to the world that I had left; the cities had got bigger but there hadn’t been a lot of change. Since then, of course, there

has been absolutely radical change. Can you describe your time in exile and your move to England? I was 12 years old and on the crux of adolescence and I was suddenly in a place that looked, smelt and acted completely differently. The first time I went out on my own I found I could not cross the road because I was a white South African child. Ok, I didn’t have a protected life but I had never taken public transport. I tried to adjust and it took a while. And basically I tried to forget South Africa. At that time I arrived in 1964, people didn’t really know what was going on. People didn’t really know very much about what was happening in South Africa and it was very hard to describe. Then I started writing about it after Ruth was killed (by a parcel bomb). I also joined the ANC and I became more active and more interested in South African politics.

integrate into South African society. My husband mainly because it wasn’t his country. My daughter loved it, because it is a great place for a kid if you have some money. But for me there was also a question of I am a writer and a novelist, an isolated job. If I stayed, my subject would have to be South Africa. I wasn’t that intimate with [the country] and equally I might feel very isolated from what was going on in the country if I just stayed in my study.

Before you were an author what did you do? I was a journalist, working for a couple of organisations in state research, looking at the NHS. I also worked for the Open University and as a film producer.

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What impact did your mother’s death have on you? What that did to me was make me realise that before her death, my crime novels were set in north London where I lived and South Africa had just become another country that was nothing to do with me. I think what my mother’s murder made me realise that no matter how much I pretended South Africa had nothing to do with me, because of what my parents did and the place they held in trying to help the country, I couldn’t escape it.

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Are you angry with those people who forced you to go into exile so young? I’ve always felt anger towards the people who put me in exile because they killed my mother but those are not the South Africans I engage with anyway. Do you ever consider moving back to South Africa? Although I loved it when we lived in Cape Town, I worried how we would all

How would you describe your life as a novelist? What I think you do as a novelist is create worlds and create characters and you inhabit them and for me it is easier to write men who are different to me rather than women who are like me.

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| 19 - 25 March 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

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thesouthafrican.com | 19 - 25 March 2013 |

Zimbabwe Community

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Zimbabwe Achievers Awards Expat Zimbabweans nominees announced for 2013 demand vote ahead of 2013 elections

The final shortlist of nominees for the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards has been released, recognising Zimbabweans in the UK who have made a mark in business, the arts and their communities by STAFF REPORTER

THE shortlisted nominees for this year’s Zimbabwe Achievers Awards were announced last week in London, recognising Zimbabweans in the UK who have made a mark in business, the arts and their communities. In the Business category, nominees are in the serveral ‘Outstanding Achievement’ categories. Company of the Year will go to a company that can demonstrate a “longstanding commitment to responsible business & leadership in the marketplace, workplace, environment and the community”. Other awards include Best Entrepreneur, Best Business Innovation, Best Professional. In the Special Category, Zimbabweans will be recognised for their contributions across a broad range of pursuits. Nominees for the Academic Award exemplify an advocate for professionalism and presenting the best public image. The Tourism Award will go to the Zimbabwean or nonZimbabwean who have best promoted Zimbabwe as a tourism destination. Nominees who protect, campaign and promote endangered wildlife and the environment, who tackle climate change and promote sustainable

With elections due to be held in Zimbabwe later this year the pressure is on to address the needs of Zimbabwean expats living in the UK by STAFF REPORTER

Music artist Shingai Shoniwa of the UK indie rock band The Noisettes attends the 2012 Zimbabwe Achievers Awards

use of resources, will be eligible for the Environment/Conservative area. The Young Achievers Award will go to a young person making a positive impact and pushing boundaries to achieve success. Further nominations for Outstanding Achievements in Fashion, Event of the Year, Personality of the Year, Community Organisation of the Year and Community Champion. The panel of judges is composed of leaders of the Zimbabwean community in the UK. The team comprises leading marketing consultants Conrad Mwanza and Tendai Horton, brand guru Sindi Muhlwa, entrepreneurs

Peter C Soko and Lesly Dube, Mandla Stone from the world of entertainment, economist Ash Tindle handling social responsibility, journalist Shelley Cox on coordination with Zimbabwe, and the glam Colline Muchechetere and Lolo handling fashion and social media and event coordination respectively. For the full list of all the nominees, point your browser to www.zimachievers.com or scan the QR code below on your smartphone

TheSouthAfrican. com/zimbabwe

AS Zimbabwe gears up to hold presidential elections later in 2013, Zimbabweans living in the United Kingdom are beginning to campaign to have their votes cast and counted as well. Historically, Zimbabweans living in the diaspora have not been given votes, chiefly on account of political fears that they might vote against President Robert Mugabe. However, the latest polls suggest that Zimbabwean expats might actually cast the majority of their votes in favour of Mugabe’s ZANU PF, which might potentially allow the authorities to reconsider the current arrangement. Prior to this year’s election,

Zimbabwe will also hold a referendum on the country’s constitution, which the Zimbabwean diaspora won’t be allowed to weigh in on either. Expat Zimbabweans have been expressing their dismay at their lack of vote and challenged the Zimbabwean ambassador to London, Gabriel Machinga, on the contentious issue at a recent event hosted by the Business Council for Africa (BCA). However, with the economic situation in Zimbabwe barely under control it will be unlikely that the cash-strapped African country will implement any kind of voting reforms soon enough for this year’s polls.


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| 19 - 25March 2013 | thesouthafrican.com

Travel

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Beyond the hidden city Petra is only the highlight of a country crowded with experiences

by BRETT PETZER

Clockwise from centre-left: the Treasury at Petra by night (Flickr/Txefo); the silent wastes of Wadi Rum (Flickr/Kyle Taylor, Dream it. Do It.); central Amman (Flickr/Amerune); Jordanian street sweets (Flickr/Matthew Kenwrick).

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JORDAN is, for the average tourist, a long driveway to the millennial beauty of Petra. However, just as restaurants in France have to try that much harder to attract attention if they’re outside of Paris, so Jordan amply rewards the visitor for straying from the Middle East’s high-volume destinations. Its dense capital, Amman, is not yet a foodie outpost, and if you seek for ruins, whether Roman, Biblical, Crusader or Ottoman, the region’s archaeological stars - Syria, Turkey, Israel, Iraq - offer denser, grander fare. However, Jordan surprises more by simple abundance than by excellence: for one, there are enough Crusader forts in the vast, still Wadi Rum that you could spend a morning in one by yourself, trying to measure the distance that separates you and your LandRover from when these oases were worth fighting and dying for. And while the cuisine of freewheeling Lebanon reigns supreme across the Middle East, Amman offers some distinct pleasures of its own. Our first night there set the tone for the entire trip as we bundled ourselves

out of a 90km/h-or-die taxi into a quiet suburban street outside of the unprepossessing Beit Sitti (‘Grandma’s House’). Inside, however, Maria Haddad - warm, engaging, utterly hip cajoled us through the preparation of a four-course Jordanian meal, discoursing at speed on her country’s deserved reputation for hospitality and the insider secrets of desert sightseeing. It was when Maria added home-made sumac and pomegranate molasses to a simple table salad that I realised I was going to enjoy myself in Jordan - a profoundly unsnobbish country that nonetheless has much to brag about. The next day, sated and heavy with The Best Shawarma In Jordan (as certified by Maria) we four South Africans set off into the wide desert in a right-hand-side-drive mechanised toaster from Avis. We had to open the windows to fit in, which made us minor celebrities on the King’s Highway, a scenic (for once, not a euphemism for ‘pot-holed’) route that runs down the length of the country parallel to the Dead Sea. Ramshackle towns lurch up to the road, pomegranates sweat on tiny juice stands, people

throw fresh, good food at you for very little money, and you get so lost that signs with exclamation marks start appearing in Hebrew. But eventually, long after dark, we wound into the valley in which the ancient Nabateans set up shop in 312 BCE - the almost recklessly, achingly lost city of Petra. ‘Petra’, as a name, is a lesson in the beauty of the Greek language, because translated, it just means ‘Rock’. And there is quite a bit of rock, as you walk in the cool pre-dawn down the winding, mile-long cleft in the sandstone that leads to the city. This is where you step into a thousand trophy photos, at the moment when a kink in the route reveals, almost coyly. one of the most famous façades in the world - the ‘Treasury’, al Khazneh. We explored Petra all day, and came back at night to see it by the light of hundreds of candles, put there several times a week with considerable effort and gathered up before morning. Petra astounds by several measures - its giant scale, because this was long a flourishing trading city of several thousand - and the emptiness that surrounds it; but also the subtlety by which a rough rockface becomes stamped with fine Hellenic carving - architraves, Corinthian columns, Bacchus looking rat-faced - and then reverts immediately to raw stone a few metres later. A curious person needs about 2 days for Petra; we had just the one before it was time to hit the non-scenic, straight highway back to the airport. Jordan is small and easy to see, but the desert has spaces to think in and look at, the people are the sort that you will miss slightly, and the food is habit-forming. Buy sumac, buy pomegranate molasses. Because running out of either is a perfectly reasonable pretext to go back to Jordan.


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thesouthafrican.com | 19 - 25 March 2013 |

Sport

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Homeward Bound: The SA Rugby Bucket List Trip While on holiday back in SA, Rob managed to watch two Super Rugby games: this is his verdict on the respective stadiums

by ROB FLUDE

WHILE the majority of South African provincial or regional rugby supporters will back their home ground as the best in the land, if they took an honest step back and filled out a scorecard against various metrics assessing the various stadiums, they would uncover something that they are probably too proud to admit; that there are really only two stadiums in South Africa that pip the others in terms of match-day experience. As a Stormers fan, I could forgive you for thinking I’m punting Newlands as one of the duo. Alas – and sorry to disappoint my fellow Capetonians – I don’t count Newlands in the top two. Three at best. Now I’ve spent more days at Newlands rugby stadium than met Aussies in London, and I love its history, location and atmosphere. The very hostile, partisan and diverse crowd surely trumps any other city in the motherland. The smell of the brewery, the long, green grass and Devil’s Peak just peering over the top of the grand stand also stick long in the memory bank. But I can’t help but think that Western Province is missing a few tricks that relegates them to third in my ledger. Coinciding perfectly with my

itinerary on my recent trip back home (my girlfriend will beg to disagree), the Stormers played their first two games away from Newlands. While the results didn’t go our way, I was there for the experience. At least that’s what I’ve told everyone. We arrived in Joburg from the UK and headed straight up the N1 to Pretoria. The road leading up to Loftus Versfeld was lined with bakkies, skottels and even some pink jerseys and one can already feel out of one’s comfort zone. Then there’s the blue hue which dominates the stands which makes it the most daunting place to be the away team or fan. They are fiercely supportive, and anyone wearing a Stormers jersey (ie. me and the surprisingly vast amount of Capies living in Jo’burg) came in for some special treatment, with most of the verbal barrages coming in drunken Afrikaans. It’s all part of the fun really! I then decided around the 35 minute mark to get a boerie roll and a beer, and one female fan got up and stood in my way and sprouted some mumbo-jumbo in my grill, as if to say I wasn’t welcome to walk that way. I laughed at her, trying to take the joke on the chin, but she

clearly didn’t think my reaction warranted a smile…awkward. The post-match party happens on the two adjacent fields and there is one helluva sokkie that goes on there! It certainly helps ease the traffic pileup, but probably puts a few drunken drivers on the roads later in the evening…or early morning. The following week we headed up to Durbs. Without a shadow of a doubt, the Sharks have got it right. The experience starts about three to four hours before kick-off. There are about 8 fields surrounding the Shark Tank, with two rival rugby clubs occupying these grounds (Rovers and Collegians). Braais and beers are out in full force for the duration of the pregame experience, and there are even clubhouses to watch the other games before the Sharks’ one. With the sun setting, and recognising that it is probably time to head into the stadium for fear of missing kick-off, the most important thing was to find a bar to purchase the first half refreshments. Disappointed we were not, as there seemed to be a bar within 5 metres of the next one. It’s the little things. We then had one hell of a jol at One Stop and the New Rovers Clubhouse after the game. One

Stop is unique in that it is attached to Kings’ Park stadium and leads onto a corner of the lower tier. We were allowed onto the field after the game, and a couple of handstands and tackling friends seemed appropriate! There are also other bars and clubs around the precinct,

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Rugby stadiums ranked: Loftus Versfeld, left, is tops for local spirit; Kings Park, aka the Shark Tank, centre, offers the best facilities and amenities, while Newlands, top right, offers memorable views of Table Mountain.

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South Africa to host top wheelchair tennis events NEXT month Wheelchair Tennis South Africa are hosting two of the biggest tournaments on the sport’s calendar; the Airports Company South Africa Gauteng Open and the Airports Company South Africa SA Open. The ACSA Gauteng Open is one of the 13 Grade 1 events played internationally during the year and will be staged in Benoni from the third of April up until the 7th. Solomon Makgale, Spokesperson for Airports Company South Africa said “We are proud to present two world class Wheelchair Tennis events that will not only showcase and assist to develop our exceptional talent, but will bring the world best players to our country.” Makgale added, “We look forward to hosting one of the premier events on the tour, and providing players with a memorable experience, and hunger to return.

The Britain Open is the only other Super Series event where a Grade 1 tournament is hosted either before or after the event. The others do not even have a Grade 2 or Grade 3 tournament as a warm-up event, so the fact that South Africa will be hosting two significant tournaments in quick succession should make it most attractive for top-ranked international players to participate. Those who have already confirmed their participation include Dutch star Maikel Scheffers, the third-placed player in the men’s singles, as well as David Wagner from America, who is ranked number 1 in the world in the quad singles. Marjolein Buis, also from The Netherlands, will compete in the women’s draw. The 25-year-old is ranked World No 5 in singles and reached the semis of the Australian Open and the final of the doubles with Lucy Shuker of Great Britain.

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Makgale’s sentiments were echoed by General Manager of Wheelchair Tennis South Africa, Karen Losch. “Wheelchair Tennis SA are delighted that our ACSA SA Open has been upgraded to a Super Series event. This gives our players a golden opportunity to take on the world best in their own backyard, and believe our players are now reaching the maturity and rankings where they could even compete for the titles in at least 2 of the divisions.” she said. The Airports Company South African SA Open, now a Super Series event, is one of only six Super Series events that takes place globally during the year. The event will be hosted by Ellis Park from 9 to 13 April, and it will be the first time a Super Series tournament will be staged in Africa. The other five take place in Australia, Japan, France, Britain and the USA.

so one doesn’t have to travel far to have a good time. I am now at ease when asked if I have been to Loftus and the Shark Tank. These two experiences have helped me to right two very embarrassing wrongs in my rugby bucket list.

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SPORT

19 - 25 March 2013

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS STARS HEAD TO SA P15

WHICH IS SA’S BEST RUGBY STADIUM? P15

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SOUTH AFRICAN GOLFER WINS AVANTHA MASTERS

Win from Thomas Aiken a consecutive victory for South Africans at the competition after Jbe Kruger scooped last year’s title by KEITH MOORE

Thomas Aiken of South Africa in action during day four of the Avantha Masters at Jaypee Greens Golf Club on March 17, 2013 in Delhi, India. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

JOHANNESBURG golfer Thomas Aiken put together a faultless five-under 67 in the final round of the Avantha Masters held in New Delhi over the weekend to win the title and pocket 300,000 euros in prize money. Aiken had dropped two shots in the second round of the tournament, but after that put together a run of 46 holes with no shots dropped, to end with an overall score of 23-under par. The South African was pushed to the end by local talent Gaganjeet Bhuller, who started the final day six shots behind Aiken, but had halved that deficit after 18 holes. Bhuller came in two strokes ahead of China’s Liang Wenchong. “They just kept coming at me today,” Aiken said. “I tried my best to get a little bit of a lead but couldn’t get it going, everyone was holing everything; Liang on the front nine and Bhullar made some amazing birdies coming in. By no means was it a walk in the park. Finally I can have a bit of a breather.” The win from Aiken is a consecutive win for South Africans at the Avantha Masters after countryman Jbe Kruger won the competition last year at the traditional competition home, the DLF Golf and Country Club, before it was moved to the Jaypee Greens – a course designed by Greg Norman – this year. The 29-year old, whose last big win came at the Open de Espana in 2011, says he is happy with the way his golf has gone in recent times. “I have been playing very nicely

the last four months, making very few mistakes but not sinking enough putts. This week a few went in and I hit some better iron shots and I played phenomenal golf; two bogeys the whole week and overall I am very pleased with the way I played.” Second-placed Bhullar was full of praise for Aiken’s composure on the greens. “The trick today was putting. At one point, I thought Aiken would drop a shot here or there

“I have been playing very nicely the last four months, making very few mistakes but not sinking enough putts. This week a few went in...and I played phenomenal golf; two bogeys the whole week” - Thomas Aiken but nothing of that sort happened. This week, it was like a putting competition out there. Everyone was driving the ball to 300 yards and reaching 16-17 greens in regulation. So it came down to putting that separated the champion from the rest,” he said. Aiken’s 23-under par was the lowest total ever recorded in the competition, and the Gauteng man took the opportunity to thank the person to whom he dedicated his win: his wife. “Being the wife of a sportsman is not easy and she supports me so much, so this one’s for you, Kate.”

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