The South African, Issue 513, 7 May 2013 by The South African

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7 - 13 May 2013

Issue 513

‘UK GOVT RIGHT TO STOP AID TO SA’

Many South Africans in UK applaud British government’s decision to cut foreign aid to South Africa by HEATHER WALKER and SERTAN SANDERSON

THE UK government’s announcement last week that it would cease foreign aid to South Africa worth £19 million as early as 2015 has been greeted by criticism from several UK charities – yet praise from many South Africans. Despite the ongoing battle against poverty and HIV/AIDS in South Africa, UK ministers have decided to focus on strengthening trade with South Africa to help with matters of economic development rather than continuing aid payments. International Development Secretary Justine Greening (also MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields; home to a large number of South Africans) announced last week that she had agreed on this course of action with her South African counterparts. However, criticism arose immediately from Pretoria that the timeline of ending foreign aid had not been properly communicated. Clayson Monyela, spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said that official diplomatic channels were not properly consulted to reach an agreement. However the UK maintains that the decision was preceded by months of negotiations. Contrary to one commentator’s belief that Greening’s role in this

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INSIDE:

p3 | Rodriguez fans bleak after UK music festival cancelled

p5 | One-man electro-folk band Jeremy Loops to play Brighton and London p16 | Saffas in Uniform: 1 Rifles section commander Roger Sainsbury on life in the British Army

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN: SA Chamber of Commerce chairperson Mary-Anne Anderson with North West Province Premier Thandi Modise and author, chef and businesswoman Prue Leith, who took the podium at the First Wednesday event in London last week. Leith’s insights into business and her life were followed by a short address by Modise, who spoke about being an Umkonto we Sizwe soldier in her youth, becoming a political prisoner and her role in uniting women against apartheid. Photo by Christine van der Merwe.

decision would alienate the South Africans in her constituency, it looks set to cement her good reputation among many UK-based South Africans, if their reaction to the news is anything to go by. Considering the frequent reports of corruption, perhaps it’s not surprising that many of our readers, instead of mourning the loss of foreign aid

to their homeland, reacted with characteristic cynicism as to how that aid money has been spent. Gavin Almeida responded via our Facebook page, “It’s not like [the money] even reaches the people it was meant for anyway,” while Linda Chiles agreed: “Only the corrupt get it!” George Hauptfleisch added, “Makes’em fat and shiny.”

“If Zuma can spend £20 million on his home, SA does not need aid,” said Paul Chambers. Avril Phillips asked, “Why is it that the government feels justified at taking foreign aid? According to SA’s government, we have a thriving economy!” Another reader wrote, “RSA is too busy getting into bed with continued on page 2

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Our Team Each week we profile one of the many writers who contribute to The South African.

Marianne Gray

Marianne Gray was born and brought up in Cape Town and spent her teens in Johannesburg. After living in France and Greece she settled in London where she is a freelance journalist, specialising in film and travel. She also teaches writing at the London School of Publishing in Notting Hill Gate and runs a film club at Peckhamplex in SE London.

How private Gupta plane landed at Waterkloof Air Base remains mystery

Chief of State Protocol suspended amid probe into how the Guptas’ chartered jet was allowed to land at Waterkloof Air Force Base near Pretoria by STAFF REPORTER

SOUTH Africa’s Chief of State Protocol Bruce Koloane has been suspended amid a probe into how a chartered jet was allowed to land at Waterkloof Air Force Base, The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has confirmed. The aircraft was carrying about 200 guests from India who attended a wedding of the powerful Gupta family, owners of The New Age newspaper. The media have speculated on the trappings and details of the Gupta wedding expected to be South Africa’s most expensive ever - for weeks. “Preliminary investigations have revealed the need to probe the circumstances under which the clearances for the aircraft to land were secured. The department takes this matter in a very serious light,”

DIRCO said in a statement. It said Minister Maite NkoanaMashabane had taken a decision to place Koloane on compulsory leave with immediate effect to allow the department to get to the bottom of this matter and he has been duly informed. The internal investigation is to start with immediate effect with other state organs. “We also want to categorically state that no executive authority was granted either by DIRCO or the Presidency for this civilian aircraft to land at Waterkloof airbase. However it became clear that flight clearances were secured with the involvement of some officials hence this decision.” The deputy Chief of State Protocol will assume the responsibility of the Chief of State Protocol in the interim whilst the investigation is ongoing, said Monyela. - SAnews.gov.za

The Jet Airways plane carrying the Gupta wedding party at Waterkloof Air Force Base near Pretoria

South Africans praise UK’s decision to cut foreign aid continued from front page China in trade agreements yet expect the UK to keep filling their pockets with aid money.” However, Warren Greig disagreed. “The aid wasn’t going to Zuma and co. Oxfam and other charities were doing some good work with that money.” “Should we really punish the poor to make a political point? Cameron and the Tories have just broken another election promise with cutting aid, and besides now they’re talking about giving the money to the British military, which is not exactly a charity working in the service of the poor.” But Jillian Alcott challenged Greig’s view. “A spokesperson for NGOs in SA the money hardly ever gets to where it matters. They get dribs and drabs of the funding at irregular intervals. Oxfam does not get funded through this money anyway. At least the military is there for your protection, which is your government’s first priority. If our officials did not steal more than R1 billion in 2010/11 it would not be necessary for the UK to ‘assist’ us. Why pay money to a government that is corrupt to the core? Charity begins at home.” Greig countered, “If it’s not reaching charities etc then more work should be done to tackle corruption and get the money to the right sources. Simply cutting the money off doesn’t really address this issue. I just find it cynical that there’s finger-pointing on both sides, while the money

UK Secretary for International Development, Justine Greening (Image: Flickr/DFID)

is siphoned into the military and God knows where else.” In the past, the UK had paid as much as £40 million annually in foreign aid money to South Africa. However, this amount has gradually been adjusted as South Africa’s economy has improved, especially in industries such as telecommunications and tourism. However, South Africa is far from being recession-proof. The decision to cut any remaining foreign aid is expected to be discussed later this year at the SA/UK bilateral forum. Join the debate on www.thesouthafrican.com/news

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‘Intrusive’ Madiba home visit video provokes condemnation An SABC ‘exclusive’ shows a gaunt Nelson Mandela receiving high-ranking ANC leaders in his home in what many feel is an ANC publicity stunt and an intrusion into the life of the ailing freedom fighter by BRETT PETZER

A VIDEO of Nelson Mandela released last week – the first since his latest hospitalisation in early April – shows an ashenfaced elderly statesman mostly withdrawn from the activity around him, surrounded by a sort of bustling, determined cheer on the part of the onlookers. Included in the visit were President Jacob Zuma, ANC deputy president Cyril Ramphosa, and current ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete. The public and some commentators have been quick to criticise the perceived glibness of President Zuma’s filmed comment, upon leaving the house, that Madiba “look[ed] very good… in good shape”. Zuma’s visit, less than a year before the 2014 national elections, failed to capitalise on the leader’s famous congeniality to create a photo opportunity, as Madiba appeared not to notice Zuma’s offer of a handshake or respond very much to conversation. Instead, viewers of the video can see a head of state, in full re-election mode, talking over and around a 94-year-old man who would probably rather be resting. At one point, he can be seen shutting his eyes against a bright camera flash. Discussion of Nelson Mandela’s state of health has not yet begun to shed the taboo that surrounds it. In the absence of a responsible debate about the country after Madiba, and while the nation waits for a national leader brave enough to start one, ordinary South Africans speculate privately and on social media. Twitter and Facebook have therefore seen the kind of honest debate about the future of South African society that should be articulated by its elected representatives. One Tweeter, Tendai Sean Joe (@ tendaijoe) wrote, “Leave Madiba alone. That video on news channels does not look okay. Let him recover at home, in peace.” while Tony Lankester (@tonylank) was more damning: “Tragic and ironic, this close to Freedom Day, that Madiba isn’t free to choose who comes to visit and how they treat him”. At the time of writing, #mandela was trending nationally on Twitter in South Africa. Patrick Conroy, head of news at eNCA, (@PatrickConroySA) tweeted on Tuesday 30 April that a media protocol for reporting on Madiba’s health had been drawn up by major newsmedia outlets but ignored by Government. According to Conroy, these protocols

Rodriguez (Image: Christine van der Merwe)

Rodriguez fans bleak after UK music festival cancelled included respect for privacy and an agreement to report from ‘media zones’ rather than Madiba’s private home. Access to Mandela was to be approved by the Government in consultation with the Mandela family, and, where access was granted, cameras were to be pooled (with no sale of footage allowed) to minimise disruption. The SABC exclusive, as far as can be ascertained, broke a number of these principles. However, ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu affirmed that the footage, and the visit, were an opportunity for the public to see their former president. ”Our people have not seen Madiba in

many years. Now they have seen him open and close his eyes… We are happy with his health. He is no longer a young man” said Mthembu. Mthembu underlined that the visit was by no means a publicity stunt, but in the public interest. The longevity of the South Africa’s elder Struggle leaders has arguably lulled South Africans into the comforting belief that, somehow, Tata Madiba will always guide the nation. Meanwhile, there is every reason to fear that the ugly squabble between Mandela’s daughters and Treason Trial veteran George Bizos is but a foretaste of the conflict over the old man’s legacy that Madiba’s passing will unleash.

Hop Farm music festival set to feature headline act Rodriguez has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales

by STAFF REPORTER

THE Hop Farm Music Festival in Kent, which was set to be headlined by Irish rockers My Bloody Valentine and US singer Rodriguez on 5 and 6 July, has been axed because of slow ticket sales. Rodriguez was popular in South Africa but unknown elsewhere in the world until recently, when the film Searching for Sugar Man brought him international fame. Headliners at previous Hop Farm festivals have included Prince and Bob Dylan. Other acts set to perform this year included The Horrors, Jimmy Cliff, The Cribs,

The Presidents Of The United States Of America and Martha Wainwright. The festival suffered financial problems when the company behind the event, Kent Festivals Ltd, collapsed in November, owing millions of pounds to creditors including the venue and former performers. Festival organiser Vince Power said in a statement, “It’s with great regret that we have to announce the cancellation of the Hop Farm Music Festival.” Power said all those who had bought tickets would receive full refunds from their ticket agents.

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Freedom Day celebrations

by HEATHER WALKER

SOUTH Africans in the UK celebrated Freedom Day at several events last weekend, including a reception at South Africa House, Trafalgar Square and a braai in Wimbledon Park. Everyone donned their patriotic outfits to celebrate the anniversary of SAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first democratic elections. More pics on www. thesouthafrican.com/photos

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One-man SA folk band Jeremy Loops to play London and Brighton

South African electro-folk musician and green activist brings his signature mix of multi-instrumental world music, hip-hop and blues to the the UK this May by STAFF REPORTER

Review: Rian Malan’s The Lion Sleeps Tonight I have waited a long time for a followup to Rian Malan’s extraordinary first book, My Traitor’s Heart, and this is it - an instant classic of SA literary non-fiction.

by JEREMY KUPER

The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Other Stories of Africa by Rian Malan Rating 5/5 IN this collection of literary nonfiction, stories both published and unpublished, Rian Malan takes an irreverent view of life at the tip of the African continent. South Africa’s answer to PJ O’Rourke and Hunter S Thompson, Malan’s book made me laugh out loud on the tube, in spite of the stigma of doing so…a self-conscious feeling you also get when eating biltong in public in London. The book includes gems like ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, the story of Solomon Linda who created the magical song ‘Mbube’, copied a hundred times (most famously by Disney) and for which his family received almost nothing until Malan stepped in. He finds the last Afrikaans voortrekker living in Tanzania and charts the rise and fall of Winnie Mandela, whom he describes as: “beautiful and charming.” There’s the tale of Paul O’Sullivan, the man who took Jackie Selebi down, in a web of murder and intrigue that could not have been spun anywhere but

Joburg. Politically correct it isn’t, and you may not agree with his views. Like his attempt to challenge the orthodoxy on Aids/ HIV, which was not his finest hour. Most people would also question his assertion that the number of people killed by the state during apartheid was 72, regardless of the fact that he attributes this number to the TRC findings. But even when everyone else thinks he is wrong, he stands by his version of the truth with the dogged determination of a modern-day…well, Jesus. I have been waiting for a long time for a follow-up to his

CAPE Town-based Jeremy Loops is a modern day one man folk band intent on building a global audience. His multiinstrumentalisme born out of necessity whilst working on yachts around the world, Jeremy discovered that there’s no-one better to work with than yourself. Jeremy creates his finely woven tapestry of sounds using his guitar, ukelele, harmonica and beatbox skills. As his name may suggest, he then runs this through loop pedals, echo and distortion units layering tunes like a one man band. “I enjoy all genres of music, but my first love is folk. Frequently, brilliant collaborators join me on stage to take my sound to the next level,” explains Jeremy. Interactivity and crowd participation are key to the creation of his multi-layered structure of beats and rhythms. Having built his career from an early stage with rapper Motheo Moleko, the two exude a perfectly ordered mish-mash of folk, hip-hop, bluegrass funk and blues. Not simply content with growing his own musical career, Jeremy is also quite literally growing South Africa, heading up the agricultural revolution that is GreenPop – an initiative spearheading the conscious push to plant more trees and reduce extraordinary first book, My Traitor’s Heart, and this is it. This collection of his journalism from the last 20 years still feels fresh and relevant. It takes the reader from Yeoville to the Lost City via Fraschhoek with a guide who has become part of the landscape. You don’t have to be South African to understand Malan, but it helps. I don’t normally do non-fiction, but for Malan I will make an exception. And whether you agree with him or not, that hardly seems to be the point. One thing that is clear, this man can write… young journalists, watch and learn. The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Other Stories of Africa is available as paperback and e-book from Amazon, Foyles, Water stones etc. WIN! We have a copy of the book to give away to 2 lucky readers. Enter at thesouthafrican.com/ winprizes or scan the QR code below on your smart phone. Cmpetition closes on 10 May. thesouthafrican .com/winprizes

carbon emissions, among other projects. Back home in South Africa, Jeremy Loops recently opened for Xavier Rudd, a world renowned folk singer songwriter and multi instrumentalist from Australia. Jeremy Loops will be touring the US and UK in May. He is one of 30 acts picked from around the world to showcase his talent at MUSEXPO in Los Angeles. The team will fly into New York and London for once off shows, followed by Brighton for The Great

Escape festival. Jeremy has been in the studio over the last few months creating new material for this tour, some of which will be debuted on his travels. Tour dates: 15 May: Jazz Cafe, Camden 16 to 18 May: The Great Escape, Brighton (Three day tickets available – book on mamacolive. com/thegreatescape) 19 May: Halfmoon Putney 30th May: The Bushfire Festival Swaziland

| 7 - 13 May 2013 | thesouthafrican.com

Entertainment by BRETT PETZER

Nelson Mandela’s Living Legacy

1918-1928: The herdboy becomes a Thembu prince

ROLIHLAHLA (the name means ‘troublemaker’) Mandela was born into the Madiba clan in Mvezo in the then Transkei, on July 18, 1918. His father was Nkosi Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela, principal counsellor to the Acting King of the Thembu people, Jongintaba Dalindyebo. Rolihlahla attended primary school in Qunu, where his teacher Miss Mdingane gave him the name “Christian” name Nelson, as per custom. A devotee of the god Qamata, Gadla was a polygamist, having four wives, four sons and nine daughters, who lived in different

villages. Mandela later stated that his early life was dominated by “custom, ritual and taboo”, having tended herds as a cattle-boy, and he wrote in Long Walk To Freedom: “No one in my family had ever attended school”. Both his parents were illiterate, but being a devout Christian, his mother sent him to a local Methodist school when he was about seven. Nelson’s father’s death in 1927 from a respiratory complaint left the young man feeling “cut adrift”, but Mandela stated later that he had probably inherited his father’s “proud rebelliousness” and “stubborn sense of fairness”.

His mother then took Mandela to the “Great Place” palace at Mqhekezweni, where he was entrusted under the guardianship of Thembu regent, Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo. Raised by Jongintaba and his wife alongside their son Justice and daughter Nomafu, Mandela felt that they treated him as their son, but would not see his mother for many years. After his father’s death in 1927, the young Rolihlahla became a ward of Jongintaba at the Great Place in Mqhekezweni. Hearing the elder’s stories of his ancestor’s valour during the wars of resistance against the British,

he dreamed also of making his own contribution to the freedom struggle of his people. As Mandela attended church services every Sunday with his guardians, Christianity became a significant part of his life. He attended a Methodist mission school attached to the Thembu the palace, studying English, Xhosa, history and geography. He developed a love of African history, listening to the tales told by elderly visitors to the palace, and becoming influenced by the anti-imperialist rhetoric of Chief Joyi; he nevertheless considered the European colonialists as benefactors, not oppressors. Ingredients: 4 x 300g 35 day matured beef fillet “Pave” (1/2 Chateaubriand) 200g Salted butter 400g Sliced mushrooms (field/ button/ chestnut etc) 400ml Brown veal jus Salt and ground white pepper 100ml Cognac

Hollandse Biefstuk Hollandse Biefstuk, or ‘Dutch beef steak’, is a pan-fried beef fillet with a mushroom-brandybutter sauce

THIS recipe is a variation of one taught to me by the late Jan Warmerdam, who set up the first steakhouse in Cape Town, South Africa. Aptly named “The Cattleman”, it was the forerunner of what steakhouses were to become and the legendary Dutchman’s signature dish was a “Hollandse Biefstuk” (or Dutch beef steak): Basically a pan fried beef fillet with a mushroombrandy-butter sauce. Yields four.

Method: Heat the butter in a cast iron pan, until smoking. Season the fillet well with salt and pepper on one side. Carefully place fillet in the pan, seasoning the other side with salt and pepper. Wait approximately 1 minute, then lift the fillet out of the pan and return immediately (this is to prevent the fillet from burning/ sticking to the base of the hot pan). The fillet should be turned after approximately 2 minutes, allowing all sides to be evenly seared dark brown. A minute before ready, remove the fillet from the pan and reserve to one side. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté quickly. Flambé with the Cognac and add the beef jus. Reduce till the required consistency. Return the fillet to the sauce, and allow heating through very quickly. Arrange the fillet on a plate (can slice and fan the fillet), with the mushrooms “crowning” the fillet and the pool of jus lapping at the edges. Serve with croquette potatoes or thick cut chips.

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The OPTIMIST

KAREN DE VILLIERS

Abdication

Moenie die ‘Festival voor het Afrikaans’ hierdie Junie in Nederland misloop nie!

Na die sukses van die eerste fees in 2011, vind die tweede Afrikaanse Fees (oftewel Festival voor het Afrikaans) in Nederland plaas op 13 Junie in De Melkweg in Amsterdam en van 14 tot 16 Junie 2013 in die Theater aan het Spui in Den Haag NA die sukses van die eerste fees in 2011, vind die tweede Afrikaanse Fees (oftewel Festival voor het Afrikaans) in Nederland plaas op 13 Junie in De Melkweg in Amsterdam en van 14 tot 16 Junie 2013 in die Theater aan het Spui in Den Haag. Ook hierdie keer is daar ’n sterk program met volop musiek, toneel en poësie, alles in Afrikaans, en waar moontlik, voorsien van Nederlandse ondertitels. Die verrassende Radio Kalahari Orkes, bekendes soos David Kramer, Gert Vlok Nel en Helena Hettema, maar ook die beroemde Nederlandse sangers Stef Bos en Gerard van Maasakkers, sal ’n musikale ode bring aan Afrikaans. Met hoog aangeskrewe digters en skrywers soos Antjie Krog, Etiënne van Heerden, Ena Jansen en Ronelda Kamfer uit Suid-Afrika is die literêre wêreld weereens goed verteenwoordig. ’n Boekemark van Naspers/ NB-uitgewers is ook aanwesig om Nederlanders die kans te bied om self te ervaar dat Afrikaans glad nie moeilik is om te lees nie, en bovendien ’n besondere taal is. Bo en behalwe ’n aantal

uitsonderlike toneelstukke sal daar ook ’n kabaretvertoning wees van die komediant Emo Adams. ’n Nuutjie tydens die fees is dat daar deurlopend Suid-Afrikaanse films vertoon sal word, en daar is ook tyd ingeruim vir debat oor die films. Die doel van die fees is om meer Nederlanders en Vlaminge entoesiasties te maak vir, en te verlei tot ’n taal wat sowel ’n unieke historiese as taalkundige band met Nederlands het. Afrikaans is bovendien ‘n springlewendige taal in meertalige Suid-Afrika: ‘n taal wat deur miljoene Suid-Afrikaners en Namibiërs, met liefde gepraat word, en deur vele as tweede of derde taal. Die Fees wil voorts vir Afrikaanstalige kunstenaars en skrywers ‘n podium bied waar hulle buite hul eie land kan optree, in hul eie taal, Afrikaans. Vir die feesprogram kan u gaan na die webtuiste: www. festivalvoorhetafrikaans.nl. Kaartjieverkope word behartig deur die Theater aan het Spui en begin op 1 Februarie: www.theateraanhetspui.nl. Telefoniese verkope word ook behartig deur die Theater aan het

Spui op +31(0)70-346-5272. Die fees word voorafgegaan deur ’n egte (Afrikaanse) rock- en danskonsert by die Poppodium De Melkweg op 13 Junie in Amsterdam. ’n Vertoning wat jou sintuie sal prikkel. Verrassing is die sleutelwoord en Afrikaans vertoon homself in ’n heel ander soort gedaante. Kyk maar na die SuidAfrikaanse groepe wat gaan optree: Bittereinder en Van Coke Kartel, Jack Parow en uit Namibië, die rapper Wambuseun. Die kaartjieverkope vir die Melkwegkonsert begin vanaf 1 april bij die Melkweg: www.melkweg.nl. Die fees word moontlik gemaak deur verskeie borge uit Suid-Afrika en Nederland. Die hoofborge uit Suid-Afrika is: Die Dagbreek Trust, die Afrikaanse TV-kanaal Kyknet, die Naspers-Voorsitterfonds, die Jan Marais Nasionale Fonds en First Cape Wines. Ook Zuid-Afrika Huis in Nederland ondersteun die fees finansieël. Voor meer vrae oor die festival: info@festivalvoorhetafrikaans.nl Wie Afrikaans leer ken laat haar nooit weer los nie!

Bo van links na regs: Wambuseun, Van Coke Kartel, David Kramer; onder van links na regs: Etienne van Heerden, Antjie Krog

FOR the record, I am not one of those going gently into the good night. Hell no, grace is reserved for the nuns at my old convent. They can glide towards wisdom and acceptance. I plan the Battlefield kind of giving in. Death by passion. Life is hard enough when the body decides it wants to look like the ‘tannie’ with the jam puffs at the church bazaar. Which had me thinking of this abdication thing. The releasing of power or responsibility. The Queen of the Netherlands abdicated, the Queen of England pretends not to know what the word means. Who is doing the right thing? I choose not to abdicate. Not as a Queen of a country, although I do have delusions of grandeur, possibly Queen of Drama? My dearest ’uns seem to think it’s time. They no longer listen to my rantings, but have taken charge, silently but with those ‘smiles’ that would melt an iceberg. Others in the industry think that anyone over a certain age no longer has a contribution to make – people around you make you feel small; I am not alone. We tend to work too hard, love too much and reach for those elusive stars in the hope of making a difference. When I see people put people down, being dismissive

without understanding - it’s abdication in reverse. We are being abdicated, if that is possible. Rather than thrust our talents into the arena, we allow the lions to eat us up. Not until we are quite dead, but just chopped enough to skulk into a corner and stuff our last shreds of confidence into a back pocket. My reunion last week was more than poignant. Friends were trying to justify being at-home moms, or defensive about broken marriages or businesses. Some were in financial situations too terrifying to contemplate – and old age is so unsexy when you live in fear of not being able to afford it. All brilliant people, but battered by life, asking for nothing but a bit of understanding. What they neglected to mention was some had managed to raise normal and healthy children. Had been the backbone of their partner’s business, always in the shadows but always there. Successful. Surviving change is the biggest Noddy badge in my opinion. But there was the sadness of giving up, of making one’s bed without the Egyptian cotton sheets. Life and some pretty tough people had abdicated them before they had the chance to make the call. I recommended music. Pick a theme song, one that makes you feel brave and immortal. Remember life is not measured by your eventual bank balance (although it helps) and the balls you broke. As Eleanor Roosevelt said :‘Noone can make you feel inferior without your consent.’ Life is measured by the love you gave. Maybe my body no longer likes me, my peers may go, love may put me on a desert island - I am still performing, and Phil Collins keeps telling me that I will be in his heart. They will have to drag me to the guillotine – not ready for abdication.

| 7 - 13 May 2013 | thesouthafrican.com

Entertainment

FANIE os oppie jas

FANIE VAN DER MERWE

Oor die tamaletjies van LondenAfrikaners

DAAR is baie wat mens van Londen kan sê, maar een ding wat nie altemit is nie, is dat dit ‘n stad van verskeidenheid is. Maar ten spyte van al die burgerlike vryhede wat sy so mildelik oor haar kosmopolitaanse inwoners uitstrooi, vereis Londen een ononderhandelbare offer van elke mens in haar pens: jy móét die Rooi Taal gooi. Of jy nou wil maar nie kan nie, of kan maar nie wil nie, jy móét eenvoudig maar net. Maar al besig die verbasterde Londen-populasie in teorie dieselfde taal, bly dit steeds moontlik om iemand se nasionaliteit te bepaal deur maar net te let op die antwoord op die stapelvraag ‘how are you?‘ ‘n Australiër sal antwoord met ‘no worries’, ‘n Amerikaner met ‘I’m cool, dude’ en ‘n Indiër met ‘berry, berry good’. En hoewel dit nie strook met die stereotipe van hul nasie nie, sal ‘n Ier nietemin volhou dat hy ‘grand’ is. Aan die ander kant sal ‘n volbloedBrit aanvoer dat hy ‘nothing to complain about’ het, maar dáárdie stelling is ‘n flagrante leuen, want hulle het áltyd iets om oor te kla. Selfs al moet hulle daarvoor gaan soek. Maar dan is daar die frase wat onmiddellik verraai dat daar ‘n Afrikaner aan die teenoorgestelde

kant van jou welstandsnavraag staan, want daar’s net een nasie op aarde wat dié vraag beantwoord met ‘n gerusstellend-bekende “faain in joe?” Nou kyk, daar is in wese geen fout mee te vind as jou Afrikaansgeit verklap word deur dít wat by jou mond uitkom nie. Maar niemand wil ‘n vreemde spreektaal op verwarrende wyse aanwend nie, en daarom is dit belangrik om jouself te vergewis van die aansienlike verskille tussen Londen-Engels en Lephalale-Engels, verál as jy ‘n Vars van die Boot Af (VBA-) Afrikaner is. Let dus dan maar op die onderstaande voorbeelde en gebruik dit dan na goeddunke. Use it/don’t use it, soos hulle in hierdie geweste sou sê…Wees egter versigtig om met Londenare jou kennis te deel met iets soos ‘go straight until you find the robot and then go left‘. Behalwe natuurlik as jy régtig bedoel dat Twiki, Buck Rogers se metaalvriendjie, êrens langs die pad wegkruip en net wag om gevind te word (biedie-biedie, ô-ô). Om enige verwarring te voorkom, gebruik eerder die ondubbelsinnige ‘traffic lights’. En indien jy jou iewers in die platteland bevind waar ‘n groepie ruimtewesens sopas ‘n paar ronde patrone in ‘n grasveld getrek het,

staan dit jou vry om na dié baken as ‘n ‘circle’ te verwys. Maar sou jy in die hart van die betonoerwoud wees, sal dit jou beter betaam om die meer verstaanbare ’roundabout’ te gebruik. Gaan tog ook maar versigtig om met die woordjie ‘shame’. In Lephalale is dit heel gepas om op komplimentêre wyse op te merk: “ag sjym, kyk daai babatjie!” Hier rond verwys ‘shame’ egter na iets wat gruwelig skandalig is. “Shame, look at that baby”, sal dus niks behalwe skok en verontwaardiging by die ouers van die (volgens jou) skandbevlekte baba ontlok nie. Hoewel dit hoogs onwaarskynlik is dat jy dit ooit wél sal doen, moet jy net vir die wis en die onwis nou dádelik ‘n nota aan jouself rig om te verseker dat jy nooit, en ek bedoel nóóit, die Afrikaanse vertaling van die woorde ‘subject and side’, in daardie presiese volgorde, in ‘n openbare plek uiter nie. Ja-nee, dit gaan partykeer maar broekskeur om onsself te laat geld in hierdie hutspot van veeltaligheid, maar ten minste kan ons ons daaraan troos dat van ons Lephalalejuweeltjies toenemend ‘n plekkie van hul eie in die Londen-leksikon oopskrop. Soos ‘biltong’. En ‘braai’. En ‘faain in joe?’

Get ‘Caught in the Light’ of Sam Horwill’s solo debut

Samantha Horwill’s debut album is a steam-powered, folk rhythm tour de force that leaves the listener stunned by its melodic simplicity and lyrical prowess. by MATT VAN NIFTRIK

SOUTH African-born Samantha Horwill, formerly the frontwoman of late 90’s rock outfit Jane Doe, established herself as a solo singersongwriter with the release of her UK debut album Caught in the Light in October 2012. Having not heard Samantha’s work before, I picked up the album’s press release: “A fearless debut”, “a new song writing voice”, “gutsy, catchy modern folk music”. These were bold claims from a relatively unknown South African artist trying to break into the UK music industry. An industry saturated with mediamachine-built, pre-teen boy bands and 15 minute sparkler-bright X Factor winners. But the question remained: where would she fit into all of this? A minute into listening to the album’s title track and it all fell into place. Samantha’s gentle, honey drenched vocals play and dance with powerfully candid and purposefully emotive lyrics that seem to effortlessly blend with empowering melodies meticulously crafted with her songwriting partner Richard Cruden. The partnership is crucial. Samantha says, “We’re both control freaks. Recording take after take until the sound was perfect to us.” When realising that the entire album was recorded as a live session, it’s easy to feel the perfection-driven craft of it all. It’s that attention to detail that makes Caught in the Light an intense journey for listener and artist alike. “This is an album about taking personal

responsibility for the things that happen in your life. It’s about taking control and… well, it’s intense.” Samantha drives the listener into an exploration of oneself. Each track, each line, each lyric, each note is poetically relatable to the listener and perhaps that’s where the genius lies. ‘Do you Remember’ took me back to my childhood. I was eight years old, having a braai by the pool and watching my mom and dad talk to our neighbours about putting up an electric fence. “I don’t like labels, ja maybe it’s folk music, but subconsciously it’s music that I hope will make sense to everyone… even if it’s in the smallest of ways,” she explains. Forget the churning tv-pop and fame starving no-talents for a few minutes. Let Samantha’s words, her lines and her melodies take you somewhere. This is a fearless debut and a truly beautiful one at that. Caught in the Light is available in physical and digital formats and can be downloaded on Samantha’s website www.samanthahorwill.com

thesouthafrican.com | 7 - 13 May 2013 |

Business: Gateway to Africa

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South Africa wins Offshoring Destination of the Year Award Award comes amid widespread expectation that business process outsourcing is set to boom in SA as undersea data connections grow by STAFF REPORTER

SOUTH Africa has won the prestigious European Outsourcing Association (EOA) Offshoring Destination of the Year Award, confirming its status as a leading Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) destination. In 2012, South Africa won the prize for UK Offshoring Destination of the Year. “Being recognised with a second award within a space of six months is testimony to the exceptional quality being offered from South Africa to a number of European countries,” said Gareth Pritchard, interim CEO of BPeSA. BPeSA is an Investment Agency for the BPO sector in South Africa

facilitating growth in the BPO and contact centre industry. As an investment agency for South Africa, the organisation’s core focus is on attracting foreign investment, in order to drive job creation in the country. The BPO & Offshoring market in South Africa continues to grow and is estimated to account for around 18,500 jobs. Having a similar culture and the same language as the UK has put South Africa in a good position when it comes to servicing the UK market. But now South Africa is servicing a number of other European countries as well, including: Germany, France, Netherlands and Switzerland. BPO companies / service

providers currently operating in South Africa include: IBM, Capita, Serco, Merchants, WNS, Teleperformance, Aegis and Genpact. As a service location South Africa also hosts a number of global brands such as: Amazon, ASDA, Bloomberg, British Gas, EE (T-Mobile and Orange) Lufthansa, Shell, Swissair and Shop Direct. “In the past, South Africa has often flown under the radar as a BPO destination, but on the back of the EOA and NOA awards and through the continued investment from global operators, I believe we will see an influx of new investment in 2013 and beyond,” said Yunus Hoosen, Chief Director: Investment Promotion & Facilitation, the dti.

South Africa’s Paramount group to supply security vehicles to Brazil Ahead of the 2014 Fifa World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, Brazil invests in South African security vehicles

by STAFF REPORTER

PARAMOUNT Group, Africa’s largest privately owned defence and aerospace firm has won a major international contract to supply security vehicles to Brazil. Paramount will supply their Maverick vehicles to be used by the Brazilian police and military. “Sharing defence and security equipment represents a new level of international trade cooperation and this announcement not only demonstrates strengthened alliances between Africa and Brazil but the unity of the BRICS alliance,” Paramount chairperson, Ivor Ichikowitz, said in a statement. According to the firm’s website, the Maverick is built to protect against close-range armour-piercing

rounds and hand grenades under the vehicle. The deal is part of Brazil’s preparations for hosting both the 2014 Fifa World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. “The equipment to be supplied by Paramount Group will play a critical role in the security infrastructure for both these events,” Ichikowitz said. Paramount won the contract after a series of intensive technical evaluations in a procurement process that was open to both local and international companies. “South Africa has a proud heritage in the defence and security sector and Paramount Group is continually investing in research and development thus ensuring its products are at the leading edge of technology,” said Ichikowitz.

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Business: News

No Recession at the Savanna by BRETT SIMPSON

LONDON-BASED South African food chain, The Savanna, is enjoying a booming 2013, after being awarded the highest scoring small retailer of the year by Network Rail in its stations across the UK. The Savanna beat out brands such as Starbucks, TM Lewin and Funky Pigeon, to reach a full year average of 90.3% for service excellence. Company owner, Lisa Gardshol, has also been recognised by The South African Achievers Awards, being one of five entrepreneurs short-listed for their Outstanding Achievement in Business. Gardshol said, “It’s really all about the team at The Savanna. We all understand it takes years to build a reputation for customer service and we have worked extremely hard to get into this position. When you consider the brands we are outperforming, it really makes you sit up and smile.” Despite a generally sluggish economy, the company has enjoyed consistent year-onyear growth for same store sales,

| 7 - 13 May 2013 | thesouthafrican.com

bucking the trend of many small retailers in recent years. As The Savanna approaches its tenth anniversary in 2013, Gardshol continues to focus much of her time on business development and sees significant opportunities in building awareness via social media campaigns particularly to drive up on-line retail. “We still have a lot of work to do raising awareness throughout the UK for products like biltong. The reaction we get from people trying biltong for the first time continues to amaze us. Word of mouth spreads

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and this is why we’re investing in social media,” said Gardshol. The Savanna is now at seven stores, with more to come. Aside from its web store, the company has three stores in South West London (Southfields, Wimbledon and Raynes Park) where many South Africans live, and a further three located at London Bridge, Victoria and Liverpool Street stations (with Paddington on the way). With around 15,000 customers a week, this is one small business success story that looks likely to continue outperforming.

Mamba Mentors courts Italian investors for South African startups

BY STAFF REPORTER

FOR Mamba Mentors, it’s all become an Italian Job. Mamba Founder James Durrant has joined forces with Italian business incubator U-Start to help give entrepreneurs a welcome boost. U-Start head Stefano Guidotti has asked Durrant to participate in his company’s Bloom conference. The event, which takes place in Milan in mid-May, is devoted to showcasing international startups. Durrant will be moderating a special panel on South African startups and their international links, taking the floor alongside business leaders like Simbarashe Samuel Mabashe of Wabona and Sean Grant Riley of Ad:Dynamo. Durrant says he wants to specifically show off the South African startup ecosystem at the event, and welcomed the chance to court Italian businesses. “I want to highlight the opportunities for

international investors,” he says. “I also want to use the conference to demonstrate what makes South African startups so incredible, and why Mamba Mentors is a key part of developing those links.” The three day event will include a mix of networking on seminars, and focus on Italian, Brazilian, Russian and South African businesses. “We came across James and Mamba Mentors in the context of the activities U-Start runs in South Africa,” says Guidotti. “We have a specific focus on South Africa as the entry point to the whole continent and an upsurging ecosystem of quality startups.”

Children & Citizenship

BY STAFF REPORTER

SOUTH African clients, who went through the process of obtaining British citizenship, often ask whether their children born in the UK will automatically obtain British citizenship, and what the case will be regarding South African citizenship for the child. The answer regarding British citizenship is that it will depend on where the child will be born. If the child is born in Britain (i.e. British by birth), he/she will automatically be British and the parents can simply apply for a British passport straightaway. If the child is born outside of the UK (i.e. British by descent), the application will have to be made through the British High Commission. This must be done in Pretoria if the child is born in South Africa. If the parents hold dual nationality, South African and British citizenship, the child will also be able to apply for SA citizenship. The parents will need to register your child’s birth at the South African High Commission, if born in the UK. This must be done shortly after the birth. If the child is born in South Africa, the parents must simply register the birth at the Department of Home Affairs. Please contact our offices at info@bic-immigration.com for more information. JP Breytenbach Director of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd

thesouthafrican.com | 7 - 13 May 2013 |

Business: SA Power 100

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Dame Janet Suzman

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

Veteran South African actress of stage and screen BULLET BIOGRAPHY Born: Johannesburg, 1939 Education: Kingsmead College, Johannesburg. Studied at the University of the Witwatersrand before moving to London to train at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Came to the UK: 1959 Career trajectory: She joined the RSC in 1963 and quickly became one of the London stage’s most important classical actresses. She has also appeared in many films and TV series. We last saw her in the West End in ‘Dream of the Dog’ at Trafalgar Studios and in SKY series ‘Sinbad’ as Sinbad’s grandmother, Safia.

by MARIANNE GRAY

ACTRESS and director Dame Janet Suzman was born in Johannesburg, the daughter of a tobacco wholesaler who was also the athlete who sat on the South African Olympic Commission. Her aunt was the fearless Helen Suzman the anti-apartheid activist and politician. She was married to the director Trevor Nunn (they divorced 1986) and has one son. In 2011 she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and has half a dozen honorary degrees from British universities and UCT. She is a patron of Dignity in Dying and campaigns for a change in the law on assisted dying.

of your career? Going to the Oscars in 1971 when I was nominated for Nicholas and Alexandra. Jane Fonda won it that year for Klute. What would be your toughest memory? The murder of young actor Brett Goldin in a production of Hamlet at the Baxter Theatre in 2006 that I was directing. His body was found, with a friend, Richard Bloom, shot through the head, on a traffic island on Easter Monday. He was my boy Guildenstern. What advice would you give to young South African actors coming here? Don’t do it. It’s not a profession. It relies too much on luck. And the values have changed – everybody wants to be a celebrity now. Who has

influenced you most and who would you like to influence now? Without a doubt Barney Simon. Thousands of people would say that. Theatrically he is the most influential person I know. The founding of the Market Theatre in 1976 was a great moment in my life. It was thrilling to have a place you could go and cock a snook at the status quo. What do you miss most about South Africa? The big smiles, the sunshine, the sea and the social easiness which is very seductive.

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above the others. Even in Shakespeare there are no sustained soliloquies for women showing their interior thinking. Now I am a director first, actor second. I find directing very rewarding. Do you return to work much in South Africa? When a good play or film shows up, I’m happy to. I directed Othello there in the late 80s and a decade later I adapted Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard (aka The Free State) to pay homage to liberation. Similarly Brecht’s The Good Woman of Setzuan became The

How are you coping with the lack of roles for the older woman? There are no great parts for women who are older, no Lear, Hamlet, Othello roles. Older women are left with granny roles when a few of us are ready to play King Lear, say. Only Cleopatra stands head and shoulders

Good Woman of Sharpeville. I am returning to the Baxter Theatre to perform in Solomon and Marion in June. You’ve recently written a book called Not Hamlet. It’s my second book (the first is Acting with Shakespeare: Three Comedies) and is six very ‘readable’ meditations on the frail condition of women in drama. Michael Boyd of the RSC said, “A thoughtful kick up the arse to conspiracy theorists and the patriarchy.” It’s going like hot-cakes on Amazon.

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Did you find the approach to drama was very different here than in South Africa? I joined the University Players and did stuff at Wits which was pretty hit and miss. Nobody taught me about acting there and I came to the UK to learn. And I wanted to be in touch with the best writing in the world which Britain was then.

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How did you get your first foothold in British acting? It is a slippery slope and I was very lucky. I got an agent as a student and worked straight away, as an apprentice in repertory before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1964. What is your best memory

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| 7 - 13 May 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

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What is your rank and service? I’m a section commander and physical training instructor in the 1 Rifles, in charge of about 16 infantry. The next step up is Serjeant, where you have command of between 65 and 75; I’m currently doing a course for that. Do the skills you learn in the Army translate well to life in the private sector? I would say no, for the infantry. Our training is based on being able to fight, weapon handling skills and tactics. That’s why it is hardest to attract people to the infantry, and why we are the last to be affected by impending budget cuts. Every fighting soldier has nine support troops - their job is to support us, and their skills are usually closer to the outside world. We, the infantry, would need to reskill before leaving the Army but there is support for that when we want it. How long have you been in your current position? I have been at this rank for a year and a half. In the infantry, promotional courses are hideous. You get put through your paces - essentially, you learn two rungs above the position you’re aiming at.

If you could alter one thing - a law, a policy, a constraint - in order to make your job better, what would it be? When I have had to train troops, health and safety regulations and political correctness have become very onerous.

What is the biggest public misconception about your job? I think the media reflect our job quite fairly, actually. We work with the media intensively, and in Britain, they cover that quite well. What is your uniform? Do you ever work without it? There obviously are roles within our field of work where we don’t use uniforms, especially at home. Our base is in the West Country; we don’t have the problems of the big cities. Whenever we do our parades, we get overwhelming support. But attitudes towards the military are more mixed in urban areas - infantry personnel doing public services duties at St James Palace, Windsor Castle, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace will be told to keep out of uniform when they’re off duty. What would you change about your uniform? They’ve just made a change - the combat uniform that’s just come out is surprisingly excellent. It really works - in snow, in woodline, and in the field. It’s made from cotton rather than synthetics, so it works well in heat and cold. Our equipment, however, is still not as advanced as that of the Americans. To be interviewed in an upcoming Saffas in Uniform feature, e-mail editor@thesouthafrican.com

How would you compare the British public’s attitude towards your job to that of the SA public? I go home about once or twice a year when we get block leave. I find I am just as well received there everyone has questions. Also, I find that the old SADF is being studied currently in our military. Because the asymmetric warfare they conducted was similar to the kind of war in Afghanistan today? Yes, the officers and senior NCOs and 32 battalion had a very high standard. They had the advantage of conscripting all the manpower they needed.

Roger with Olympic Torch at the London Olympics 2012

thesouthafrican.com | 7 - 13 May 2013 |

Zimbabwe Community

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Book review: Jonathan Lawley’s Beyond the Malachite Hills by EVAN BARTLETT

Zim women’s activist launches raw, powerful autobiography

Globally acclaimed women’s rights activist and writer Betty Makoni launches her official autobiography in the UK by FLAMINIA GIAMBALVO

“THE first words I said to my mother were ‘Report him, there is a police officer,’ and in return my mother said ‘Shhh!’ narrated author and women’s rights activist Betty Makoni. On Saturday 13 April the Zimbabwean founder of Girl-Child Network (GCN), launched her official autobiography Never Again at the Purfleet Hotel in Essex, UK. The room dressed in ‘royal purple’ was packed with women and men inspired by Makoni and her story. Princess Deun Adedoyin-Solarin, chair of the charity said, “Through her defiance and courage Betty personifies inspiration.” A victim of rape as a child vendor at age six, Makoni’s anger was evoked to fight one of the most widespread and unreported crimes in the world: child rape. Witnessing her mother being beaten to death by her father and burying her 12-year-old brother – whom she had raised – further fuelled her desire to rebel against the enslaving structures of patriarchy and expose its injustices. “What I saw at young age brought about my resolution to create change,” she said. Betty was recently selected to be a member of the UK Team of Experts for Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, is a CNN Hero 2009, been honoured by UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman and named one of the 150 women who shake the world. She has 32 awards for excellence and innovation in girls’ empowerment. To kick off the event award winning producer/actress Demetria Karongah showcased a ten-minute adaptation based on Makoni’s book

and said, “We hope to develop a feature script in the future and make a biopic for this extraordinary lady.” The screening was followed by a three course meal during which GCN ambassadors read extracts from Betty’s book and shared their own experiences relating to rape and domestic violence. What adds to the powerful rawness that runs deep through Makoni’s book is that it simultaneously tells the stories of the millions of invisible women dying every day amid the rubble of poverty and the cycle of violence. “Many of our homes were war zones and silent genocide took place behind closed doors”, said Makoni. Zimbabwe-born Shilla Zwizwai, a 19-year-old GCN ambassador, was also raped at the age of six but in her case, sadly, not only was the perpetrator a close family relative – her maternal uncle – but the abuse went on for four years. Her uncle in Zimbabwe was never prosecuted. She said, “When I read Betty’s story it encouraged me to fight for justice not only for me, but for everyone else around me”. Not only is Shilla in the process of setting up her own charity to support victims of domestic violence, but she is also in her first year of university studying criminal law “to ensure justice is done”. An obvious catalyst fostering the culture of impunity that exists around abuse and domestic violence is the level of shame and guilt placed on the victims of these heinous crimes. “ I wanted to write a book to share my experience and break the taboo that exists around rape”, said Makoni. Shilla added, “Back at home when you say you

have been raped the first thing people think is that you are not a virgin. If you are not virgin people treat you as if you are a bad person”. Over the past 30 years there have been substantial changes to policy in Zimbabwe relating to gender violence. However the impasse of the country’s political and economic crisis has eroded the recent gains of the women’s movement in the country. It is now estimated that a woman is raped in South Africa every 26 seconds and more than 20 women are assaulted daily by their spouses in Zimbabwe, though the issue is clearly one of global dimensions. Makoni said, “Also in the UK there is a culture where rape victims are made to feel ashamed, the crimes are always individualised rather than being dealt with at a community level.” The event, which promised to be the first of a series of annual “Never Again” evenings ended with a royal ceremony during which Makoni was crowned. All of the proceeds from the night will go to supporting the Girl Child Network. “Wearing our royal purple we will support Girl Child Network Worldwide to keep programmes on the ground in Zimbabwe so that we rescue the lives of girls at risk,” explained Makoni. WIN! We have a copy of Betty Makoni’s book to give away. Enter your details below to stand a chance of winning. Winner will be drawn after competition closes on 21 May. Enter online or scan QR code below TheSouthAfrican. com/zimbabwe

BEYOND the Malachite Hills is the autobiography of a lifetime spent in southern Africa. Part memoir and part blueprint for the future of development in the continent. Jonathan Lawley paints a very positive picture of the Africa he knows and grew to love, from a childhood spent in Zimbabwe through to five decades of life and work in Zambia, D.R. Congo, Mauritius and a host of other African countries. His impressive mastery of several African languages speaks volumes for the man’s talents and the deep integration into the cultures he encountered, going on to detail the lifelong friendships and relationships with the people of Africa he has acquired. Despite at times showing a rose-tinted attitude to colonial era Africa, Lawley does detail his disappointment in the British government of the 1960s at their perceived abandonment of Africa. Often mentioning the importance of Britain’s role in Africa, historically and moving forward and a regret that the transition to independence wasn’t as smooth as it could have been. Of particular interest are Lawley’s experiences of the move to independence in Zimbabwe and the rise of Robert Mugabe and the Zanu-PF party, as well as his role as a young and impressionable District Officer working for the Colonial Civil Service in Northern Rhodesia (modern day Zambia). His experiences, before and after independence, give Lawley a

unique insight into the countries he details and this book pays homage to a very tense and important time in southern African history. With this vast experience behind him, Lawley places emphasis on developing the potential of African people as the best way to help improve the lot of its poorer nations in the future. Lambasting the often misplaced aid from the West and the idea given to Africans that their future lies in ‘our’ hands, he outlines pragmatic approaches to development and the role that private investment and enterprise can play - an attitude he is now promoting through his role in the Business Council for Africa. Overall Beyond the Malachite Hills is an insightful, entertaining and thoroughly honest account of a life spent and enjoyed in southern Africa and should be praised for that.

Travel

| 7 - 13 May 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Tantalising Tunisia Top Left: ruins at Dougga (Image: Flickr/Mr Fogey); Top Right: the marina at Sousse (Image: Flickr/Ezhikoff); Bottom: Tawzar in Tunisia (Image: Flickr/ archer10 (Dennis).

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With its lovely Mediterranean beaches, ancient history and exotic atmosphere, Tunisia has always been a special place by MARIANNE GRAY

THERE is enough history in Tunisia to fill a much larger country. With its lovely Mediterranean beaches, ancient history and exotic atmosphere, Tunisia has always been a special place. Yet Tunisia is also the place where the Arab Spring was sparked when street trader Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in search of justice on 1 December 2010. After that, it went a bit quiet - which is exactly why it’s a marvellous place to go to now...few tourists, uncrowded sights, and French-speaking locals pleased to see you. Tunisia is a small country, wedged between vast Libya and even bigger Algeria. Its history includes great civilisations : the Phoenicians established their capital, Carthage, there in 1100BC and legendry general Hannibal and queen Dido who died for love of Aeneas were Carthaginians. Romans were there, Vandals rampaged there, belligerent Berbers and Byzantines invaded and then Arabs from the east arrived, bringing Islam with them. The country became an outpost of the Ottomans until France bagged it in the 19th century. In 1957 Tunisia

became a republic with a population of (now) 10.5mil. Tunis, the capital, is a fascinating city. It always was considered be very chic to go to Tunis. It was once considered one of the most opulent cities on earth. The walled medina, with its knotted network of alleys and traditional souks, is a Unesco heritage site and the 19th century French colonial Ville Nouvelle has wide tree-lined avenues of faded art deco architecture. There are plenty of little cafes in Tunis for a glass of mint tea, a hookah or a brik, a local appetiser composed of a phyllo triangle filled with an egg, deepfried with the yolk left runny, eaten with a squeeze of lemon. Tourists have tended to go to the sandy beach resorts and islands, Djerba and Kerkennah, but it is inland that the empty road beckons. It leads to wondrous monuments, desert villages, oases and dunes. Elaborate domed mosques are everywhere as are Roman remains. Go round a corner and suddenly there’s a giant amphitheatre, still being used to entertain, like in El Jem, where camels mill around, and traders sell spices and herbs, jasmine, oranges, lemons, figs, almonds, pomegranates.

Or drive through the limestone hills south-west of Tunis and there’s the astonishingly well-preserved Dougga, a temple-decked Roman city with a theatre overlooking a green fertile valley that was once part of Africa’s fertile “bread basket” in the days when lions and tigers roamed. (The last lion in Tunisia was shot in 1907.) Pretty Douz is the gateway to the Sahara. From there you can see troglodyte villagers at Matmata, hot springs that steam up in the mountains, and cross the salt lake Chott el Jerid to get to Tozeur, an oasis town near the Algerian border, where the weekly market doesn’t seem to have altered in centuries, trading hand-made tools, livestock, camel saddles, Tuareg blue handdyed fabrics, olives and spices, guinea pigs for roasting. Things become more like Lawrence of Arabia down there. Camels for hire are a joy not to be missed. I joined a caravan going south across the dunes and never looked back. My camel, Max, was white and the champion dune racer of the area. His father, Schneider, also white, had apparently been in both the Afrika Korps and French Foreign Legion. Who needs fiction with home-truths like that? The mysteries of why so many people have been lured into the desert did not pass me by as I jolted comfortably over silent, golden, undulating sand deeper into the Maghreb, and debated about not coming home to North London. Would some wandering Berber perhaps buy me and how many camels would I be worth, I wondered idly. Hmmm. When to go: In Spring and in Autumn to avoid the heat. There are daily direct flights between London and Tunis More information: Tunisian National Tourist Office, www.cometotunisia.co.uk, tel. 020 7224 5561

thesouthafrican.com | 7 - 13 May 2013 |

Sport

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Proteas squad for Champions Trophy announced Kallis absent but Duminy returns to squad for upcoming ICC Champions Trophy Tournament in England and Wales

by STAFF REPORTER

JP DUMINY returns to the Proteas Castle Lager ODI squad for the ICC Champions Trophy Tournament to be held in England and Wales at the start of June. Jacques Kallis has, however, made himself unavailable for personal reasons. It will be Duminy’s first selection since he suffered a severe ankle injury during the first Test match against Australia six months ago. “JP is well on the way to a full recovery,” commented Cricket South Africa (CSA) selection convener Andrew Hudson. “The latest information is that he will be fully fit to play his part in all three disciplines by the end of the month. He is a very experienced limited overs cricketer and we don’t anticipate his lack of match practice being any kind of problem.” “His return adds a lot of balance

to the side and that, together with the presence of two batting all-rounders in Faf du Plessis and Farhaan Behardien, means that we now have the option to go into the tournament with seven specialist batsmen.” “Jacques’ experience will obviously be missed but it does create an opportunity for David Miller whose recent form has been most impressive. It also gives a young player the chance to make his mark ahead of the ICC World Cup in 2015.” “We have stayed consistent with the squad that played in the Momentum ODI series against Pakistan, also bearing in mind that we wanted to choose players who are well equipped for England conditions.” “As always there are unlucky players. Unfortunately we can only take 15 players to England. However, the World Cup is 2 years away in Australasia and is a

Enter the Homes in Zimbabwe Annual Charity Golf Day Play a round of golf on a course ranked amongst the finest in the UK followed by a lunch that’s arguably the best in Surrey!

by STAFF REPORTER

YOU’RE invited to play in the Homes in Zimbabwe Annual Charity Golf Day on Bank Holiday Monday 27 May at The Berkshire Golf Club, ranked amongst the finest in the UK. The day will begin with a shotgun start at 9am. A refreshment buggy will provide you with the necessary sustenance on the course. After your round, drinks will be available in the bar followed by a delicious and renowned Berkshire three course lunch. After the lunch, auction and prize-giving, you are welcome to play more golf if you wish. All this for an entry fee of £500 for a team of four (£125 per person), every penny of which will go towards the charity’s work, thanks

to the generous sponsorship by the Club. Book your spot on www.hiz.org.uk For further information contact Mike Hammond on 07789 556 820 or mikeLhammond@yahoo.com Or email: info@hiz.org.uk Homes In Zimbabwe (HIZ) is a UK registered charity which provides food and fuel to impoverished elderly people in Zimbabwe. Established in 2004, HIZ has fed over 3,000 frail and elderly people since its launch. HIZ purchases non perishable tinned and dried food in South Africa and transports it to Zimbabwe, where it is distributed by teams of unpaid volunteers. The Berkshire Golf Club is on Swinley Road, Ascot, SL5 5AY www.theberkshire.co.uk

wonderful incentive for those who have missed out to concentrate their focus.” Proteas Castle Lager squad: AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans, capt), Hashim Amla (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Farhaan Behardien (Nashua Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (Nashua Titans), Colin Ingram (Chevrolet Warriors), Rory Kleinveldt

(Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Ryan McLaren (Chevrolet Knights), David Miller (Sunfoil Dolphins), Morne Morkel (Nashua Titans), Robbie Peterson (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Aaron Phangiso (bizhub Highveld Lions), Graeme Smith (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Dale Steyn (Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Sunfoil Dolphins)

SPORT

7 - 13 May 2013

GOLF DAY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR ZIMBABWE OAPS P15

JP DUMINY IN PROTEAS CHAMPIONS TROPHY TEAM P15

NEWS FOR GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICANS

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BLITZBOKKE TRIUMPH AT GLASGOW SEVENS South Africa set to finish second in series with one tournament left, the Marriott London Sevens, at Twickenham this weekend

by STAFF REPORTER

THE Springbok Sevens team won their second consecutive tournament of the HSBC World Sevens Series on Sunday when they defeated the All Blacks Sevens team 28-21 in the final of the Emirates Airlines Glasgow Sevens tournament. This victory follows a win in Tokyo last month and makes South Africa the only team in the series to have won three tournaments, following an earlier win in Las Vegas as well. South Africa’s win will not stop New Zealand from winning the overall 2012/13 HSBC series, with SA set to finish second with one tournament to go. Fiji can still overhaul South Africa for second spot, providing they win the last tournament in London and the BlitzBokke fail to make the Cup quarter-finals. Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu was quick to congratulate New Zealand for the series win. “They were the most consistent team this year and that is why they are the overall champions, so it is well deserved to them,” said Treu. With regards to his side’s tournament victory, Treu paid tribute to his players. “We arrived here without two of our playmakers (Branco du Preez and Cecil Afrika), but this just made the remaining players in the squad more determined. We had to nurse a couple of players through this tournament, so it is rewarding to see their hard work paying off.” The final was a tense affair. The South Africans started well with a great try by Seabelo Senatla, but

Up and coming star Justin Geduld shows fine form in South Africa’s semi final win against England. Photo: IRB/Martin Seras Lima.

the Kiwis scored from the restart to even things out again. They then took the lead with a well-worked try (14-7) and at the half-time break, Treu’s team talk inspired the squad. “The coach reminded us to what our strong points are and urged us to execute that. He asked us to play minute to minute doing what we do best. We did that and it worked for us,” captain Frankie Horne said

afterwards. This resulted in tries to Steven Hunt and Philip Snyman and when Cornal Henricks scored, it seemed as if the title was won. A late try by New Zealand set up a classic finish with second to go, but the South African defence held and the title was theirs. Earlier, they outclassed USA in the Cup quarters, beating them 22-5. Chris Dry, Senatla (2) and Paul

Delport all scored tries. In the semifinal they faced England and again two breakaway tries by Senatla set-up the win. A Cornal Hendricks try secured a 24-17 win. Ace playmaker Cecil Afrika and debutant Werner Kok will join the team for the Marriott Sevens, to be played at Twickenham in London on 11 and 12 May. The duo will replace Seabelo Senatla and Justin Geduld, who will

join the Junior Springboks squad in Stellenbosch to prepare for the Junior World Championship that kicks off in France later this month. Afrika has been declared fit following a knee strain and comes in for Senatla, whilst winger Kok, who was part of the DHL Western Province team that won the Absa Under-19 Provincial Championship in 2012, will replace his outside centre in that team, Geduld.

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