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| Outgoing South African High Commissioner to the UK Dr Zola Skweyiya’s term ends on 31 August and he will be retiring from public office. The South African government is yet to announce the name of Skweyiya’s successor but it is widely believed that the role will be given to a former mayor of Durban by STAFF REPORTER
SOUTH African High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Dr Zola Sidney Themba Skweyiya, will be returning home next week as his four-year term in London has reached its end. Skweyiya was appointed to the position by President Jacob Zuma in September 2009 and will be retiring to South Africa after many years of public service. Dr Skweyiya’s action-filled term has included the State visit of President Jacob Zuma in 2010, the FIFA World Cup later that year, the 2012 London Olympics and several encounters with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. Skweyiya has also been instrumental in putting South African arts, culture, sport and heritage at the forefront of South Africa’s outreach in the United Kingdom. He has attended two South African seasons in Edinburgh and paved the way for the the SA-UK Season and the 20th anniversary of South Africa’s democracy in 2014. Born in Simons Town on 14 April 1942, Skweyiya lived his childhood amid the poverty of depressed communities. After his family moved to Port Elizabeth he attended primary school in New Brighton and then in Retreat, Cape Town. Here the Catholic Church organised activities such as tours of the Peninsula to keep poor children out of mischief. These tours provided their only
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p5 | What’s next for District 9 and Elysium star Sharlto Copley? p10 | 10 Ways SA architects are building the future
Dr Zola Skweyiya, SA High Commissioner to the UK
view of a world beyond poverty, but Skweyiya also expanded his worldview through reading. He was offered a scholarship at Lovedale High School where he participated in school boycotts against the introduction of Bantu Education in 1953. The experience convinced him of the need to foster unity among Africans and he joined the ANC in 1956. The multiracial makeup of the ANC leadership and their united stand after their arrest for treason deeply impressed him. He matriculated from Lovedale in
1960. Around this time he met and worked with Govan Mbeki and Mbeki’s commitment to action and sound knowledge of rural politics strengthened his feeling that the ANC was on the right track. When Nelson Mandela went abroad to seek military training facilities for the ANC, Skweyiya was one of those who mobilised support among the people for Umkhonto we Sizwe. By 1963 he was in danger of being arrested. Travelling to Tanzania, he worked for the ANC until a move to the Lusaka office in 1965.
The liberation of African countries from colonialism in the ’60s kindled and sustained his belief that one day South Africa would be free. His intellectual abilities were soon recognised and in 1968 the movement arranged for him to study law as a guest of the German Democratic Republic. In 1978 he received an LLD at the University of Leipzig. He then worked for the ANC in various offices and capacities, travelling extensively throughout the world and publishing articles in many journals. Skweyiya returned from exile in June 1990, and was shocked at the deprivation and homelessness of Africans. He helped to set up the Centre for Development Studies and the South African Legal Defence Fund, both at the University of the Western Cape and was also elected as president of Continued on page 2
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Dr Zola Skweyiya finishes successful term as High Commissioner to the UK
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Continued from front page UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations. Dr Skweyiya was first elected to Parliament in 1994, and he joined the Mandela Cabinet as Minister of Public Service and Administration in the same year. Moved to the position of Minister of Social Development under President Thabo Mbeki in 1999, the most challenging moment of his political career was convincing Cabinet to support the social grants scheme, so that the aged, the disabled and children could
receive some assistance from the State as was provided for them in the Constitution. After 15 years in the Cabinet and Parliament, he announced his retirement from both in May 2009, but was subsequently persuaded to take on the role of High Commissioner. Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesman Clayson Monyela said, “The man is old, he wants to be with his family. Even for him to be posted was a struggle and
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he had to be convinced. He was recalled from retirement.” Skweyiya was looking forward to his retirement. “I’m staying at home and looking after the grandchildren,” he said. The South African government is yet to announce the name of Skweyiya’s successor but it is widely believed that the role will be given to Obed Mlaba, who retired after ten years as eThekwini/ Durban mayor in 2011. Last year Mlaba was named in
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Originally South African, born and raised in Bahrain and currently living in England, Claire tends to describe herself as a global nomad. She considers herself extremely fortunate to have experienced the expat lifestyle whilst still maintaining close ties with her family in Cape Town. Claire recently graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in French, History and Politics and is currently enjoying writing for The South African whilst she plots her next move in life.
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the Manase report into fraud and corruption in eThekwini, for his alleged involvement in the award of a city tender to a company he was linked to, however, investigators said there was no proof of the allegations and Mlaba was not charged. Monyela said until Skweyiya’s term of office came to an end, “you can’t talk about his replacement”. He also said it was frowned upon for a country to announce a nominee for such a position until the candidate is given diplomatic credentials by the receiving country, because there have been cases in which the receiving country rejects a nomination. Deputy High Commissioner Bongiwe Qwabe will fill the most senior role in an acting capacity until the new candidate arrives in late September.
28 August 2013 Guy Buttery launches new album with gig at Green Note, Camden: 8pm-11pm. South African fingerstyle guitar giant Guy Buttery will be embarking on an extensive national and international tour in support of the release of his first live album. Greennote, 106 Parkway, Camden mail@greennote.co.uk 29 August 2013 August Music Festival Njabulo Madlala: Njabulo Madlala, the exuberant South African baritone, winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Prize, and the pianist, William Vann, director of the London English Song Festival, will present a programme of Britten songs, Schubert Lieder and music from Njabulo’s homeland – he may even dance! St Lawrence Jewry, Guildhall Yard, Gresham Street www.stlawrencejewry.org.uk 13 September 2013 The Nedbank SA Charity Golf Day: Spend the day with friends while charity. Packages available from £225 (individual) for 18 holes, shirt, braai, gala dinner, Saracens ticket sponsored by Saracens Rugby for 18th October 2013 Heineken Cup match. Foxhills, Surrey sagolfday.com Until 30 Sept 2013 Africa Entsha UK Tour: South African a capella quartet Africa Entsha are touring the UK over the next three months, including a return to the Edinburgh Fringe. At the heart of their shows are Zulu songs full of rhythm, style and spirit. Africa-entsha.weebly.com For more events and details: www.thesouthafrican.com/events
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Dina Pule nepotism only the tip of South Africa’s corruption iceberg
| Elaborate methods are used by South African civil servants, politicians and even headteachers to extract public money into their own pockets. Dina Pule’s R6 million public swindle is just one high-profile example of the trend by SARAH WARD
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma, who has never successfully been charged with any of the numerous allegations made against him, among them fraud, money laundering, corruption, racketeering and rape, recently reassured South Africans that “You will be pleased to hear that South Africa is not the most corrupt country in the world.” But from Zuma’s cabinet, to the state-owned Transnet Freight Rail and South African Airways, a huge network of public figures have been implicated in corruption allegations. Heads roll on a regular basis amid accusations of fraud and dishonesty. The latest to go, albeit for only 15 days, is Dina Pule, the former Minister for Communications who consistently lied about the nature of her relationship with her boyfriend Phosane Mngqibisa, who accompanied her on work trips
abroad costing the public thousands of rands. She also bestowed on his company a R6 million contract to manage fan parks during the 2010 World Cup. The dossier at the heart of the case implies that Pule was embarking on a nepotistic mission to fill her department with close political allies and that there was much discord within the current staff. It is four years since Mngqibisa first accompanied her on a trip, and as well as the loss of her MP privileges for 15 days, Pule was publicly reprimanded in parliament and was fined one month’s salary for actions she termed “a mistake.” Sparking outrage among commentators, Pule’s halfhearted apology has been seen as a small example of the double standards practised by politicians. Questions have arisen over why she will not face corruption charges from the National Prosecuting Authortity.
According to Willie Hofmeyr, head of the Special Investigating Unit, the main body in charge of fighting corruption in South Africa, similar behaviour is commonplace in the higher reaches of the public sector. He suggested that 400,000 civil servants could be falsely claiming benefits, and exposed a trend amongst officials to take part in ‘collusion’, the fixed inflated rate charged by suppliers, arranged in cohorts with officials. Corruption in South Africa takes two common forms: tenderpreneurism, the buying of political influence; and BEE fronting, an abuse of the rules governing the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) act, originally created post-apartheid to improve opportunities for black people, but which has been used to qualify a company for government contracts in terms of BEE by giving eligible
persons a seat on the Board of Directors while having no decisionmaking power in the company. Although the embattled President Zuma claims that he is doing everything in his power to bring an end to institutional fraud, the real work is being done by civic society groups. Organisations such as the NGO CorruptionWatch are
seeking to empower South Africans to speak out when they see fit, most importantly if it is in their domestic sphere. Since its launch in January 2012, CorruptionWatch has received over 4,200 complaints on corruption and related matters since its launch. It invites members of the public to report suspected corruption via its website corruptionwatch.org.za
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South African hotel group Red Carnation unveils London’s largest living wall
| The living wall is more than 21 metres high and covers one side of The Rubens at the Palace Hotel, directly above South African restaurant bbar by STAFF REPORTER
STANDING at 350 square metres with over 10,000 ferns, herbaceous plants and 16 tons of soil, Victoria this week welcomed the unveiling of London’s largest living wall designed to reduce urban flooding. The living wall is more than 21 metres high and covers one side of The Rubens at the Palace Hotel, directly above South African restaurant bbar, both part of the
Red Carnation Hotel group. Red Carnation is a family-run luxury boutique hotel collection founded by South African expat Beatrice Tollman, with properties in London, Dorset, Guernsey, Geneva, South Africa, Florida and Ireland. The living wall, on the doorstep of Buckingham Palace, is packed with more than 20 seasonal plant species including buttercups, crocuses, strawberries, spring
bulbs and winter geraniums. The flowers have been chosen to ensure the wall is in bloom all year round, attracting wildlife such as birds, butterflies and bees. The wall is intended to brighten the popular tourist walk from Victoria station to the Royal residence. www.rubenshotel.com 39 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0PS
Family Ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £40. For more details go to our website at: www.fayretimesfestival.co.uk or contact us at sales@fayretimesfestival.co.uk
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Braai 365 rugby and spit braai at GJ’s
by HEATHER WALKER
MAT Hartley of Braai 365 held a hugely successful spit braai and rugby event at GJ’s in Wandsworth last Saturday. Three hundred South Africans turned out in green and gold to
watch the Springbok game on the big screen and enjoy their pork rolls, raising just over £ £1,500 for Save the Rhino. Braai 365 is Mat’s project to braai every day for an entire year and raise awareness about poaching.
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What’s next for Wikus van de Merwe? | South African actor Sharlto Copley sets the record straight on the likelihood of a ‘District 9 sequel and discusses playing the villain in his brand new film ‘Elysium’, currently on screen in UK.
by CLAIRE HORN SOUTH African actor Sharlto Copley, currently on British big screens in SA director Neill Blomkamp’s sci fi blockbuster Elysium, became an accidental star when he was cast as Wikus van der Merwe in Blomkamp’s cult film District 9, a role he still names as his favourite among the several characters he has played since. Copley revealed this in answer to fans’ questions about his career, Elysium and being a South African role model, in an online live interview on Reddit last week. He describes himself as ‘that guy from District 9‘ but his character Wikus van de Merwe, the Afrikaner bureaucrat turned alien, is a household name for many, after the sci-fi hit was nominated for several Oscars in 2009. Directed by fellow South African Neill Blomkamp, who is renowned for his documentary style filming which blends naturalism and CGI effects, the pair met as teenagers at Redhill High School in Johannesburg, and have continued to work together. The star revealed that he had actually intended to produce the film District 9, but after showing Peter Jackson his impression of a stereotypical Afrikaans bureaucrat, he landed the lead role. The actor who started off behind the camera, as South Africa’s youngest television producer age 25, described it as a very surreal moment when he was offered the part, as he knew his life would change forever. Copley then went on to play H.M. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock in The A-Team in 2010 alongside Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper. He said it was an absolute pleasure to star in the film as he was a big fan of the TV series growing up in the 1980s. Fans who are desperate to revisit Blomkamp’s imaginary world and discover the fate of Wikus demanded if there would be a District 10. When questioned on the sequel Copley responded, “I’d love to go back. Neill would too. There’s no scoop – there’s an amazing story outline from Terri and Neill and I think it’s just a matter of when it happens and not if.” Unfortunately however, he disappointed fans by confirming that there will be no sequel to The A-Team. While District 9 sent a message about racial segregation and xenophobia, Copley and Blomkamp’s most recent project Elysium deals with the growing divide between rich and poor, set
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in the year 2154. Having played the unlikely hero in District 9, Copley takes on the role of the villain Kruger, in the new sci-fi flick. Starring Hollywood veterans Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, the film tells the story of a world where two classes of people exist; the wealthy who live on the space station Elysium and the poor who are trapped on poverty-ridden Earth. Shot between glorious Vancouver and the world’s second largest rubbish dump, on the Bordo Poniente landfill site in Mexico City, this accentuates the metaphor of class warfare. Copley said he preferred the character of Wikus to Kruger, simply because it pushed him mentally and physically, as he draws inspiration from the likes of Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Robin Williams to name a few. When asked whether it was more fun playing the villain, the South African answered that it definitely wasn’t, as Kruger’s character was so far removed from his base personality. He added that, “Coming from a violent country, I don’t really care much for violence.” While he noted that it was interesting as an acting challenge, he doesn’t plan on playing any more villains any time soon. Following his transition from an improvised dialogue movie to a scripted film, one fan asked how he likes to prepare for a role. Copley said it depends on the character but for Elysium‘s bad guy Kruger he made a playlist of aggressive style music to get him in the mind frame of the antagonist. These included heavy metal tracks and rap song ‘Drop the World’ by Lil Wayne and Eminem, which he would listen to on the way to set and during
breaks at the trailer. When quizzed on his acting career highlights, Copley said they included being able to sing an Afrikaans nursery rhyme in Elysium and kissing Angelina Jolie in the upcoming Disney movie Maleficent, based on the story of the witch who cursed Sleeping Beauty. Another fan commented on the actor’s obscure first name and asked whether Sharlto was a common South African name. He replied, “No. [It] doesn’t appear to be a common name anywhere. If you track it down please let me know… my mom heard it on a British radio play when she was pregnant with me.” When asked whether he felt he was an ambassador for South Africa he replied, “I am really a satirical entertainer at heart and I am more interested in understanding human nature than I am in getting involved or supporting political issues.” However, the star recognised the responsibility he has towards the country and said he is prepared for that pressure because he feels there is a serious lack of current leaders in South Africa and the world. He also commented that Nelson Mandela’s current medical condition serves as a stark reminder of the quality of leadership he wishes more people would aspire to. Copley’s fans will be glad to know that he intends to make several African-centric films in his lifetime but for now they can indulge in the release of Elysium and there is always the District 9 sequel to look forward to in the near future. Elyisum was released in the UK on 16 August 2013.
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I have seen Taken right? So when my daughter tells me she and Sam (female friend ) are going to spend a month in Paris learning French, I say ; ‘Have you seen Taken?’ Mothers are like that and that film showed me a side of Paris I care not to know about. And I am no Liam Neeson, super spy and deft killer of human traffickers. So when she wants to Skype I know something is up. When she begins by saying ‘now don’t freak out’, I am already past that stage. There is something very rotten in France and it ain’t the cheese. Stage right for setting of scene. One large security gate leading to a courtyard. A second security door allows entry to the building. Each apartment has its own security. But, Sam is robbed of her wallet by a dodgy, homeless person who somehow made it through the first two security gates. Her South African-trained instinct for ‘hier kom kak’ kicks in as she sees him flick the wrist and screams blue murder, or rather ‘help’ as he takes off down the staircase. There are those who will watch helplessly, shocked by what
He had it coming… South African style | News is spreading fast. Two young South African women have tackled and subdued a thief in Paris. Some of the policemen ask to have pictures taken with them. has just happened and start crying that all is lost. Then there is Callan and Sam. The South African duo in Paris who have just been seriously pissed off. Off they charge behind him, whilst yelling for others to assist (you see women do this multi-tasking so beautifully). In his wildest dreams this pilferer could not have imagined being persued by two young girls. There is no mercy. One swift rugby tackle and the thief is on the ground. They struggle, he slips away and barely standing, is swiftly brought down again as Callan hangs onto his legs like a snake to a tree in a flood. Sam flies through the air and lands on his back. It is useless to struggle. The courtyard is a market place of shocked students, finally able to summon courage to help apprehend the fiend. The police are equally fascinated. ‘Non?’ C’est vrai? Zeez cannot be?’ ‘ It’s true’. News is spreading fast. Two young women have tackled and
subdued the man now behind bars. More policemen gather in the office to validate the rumour that girls rugby tackled a thief. Some of the policemen ask to have pictures taken with them. They speak little English but it is clear they are party to an unusual situation. Here in Paris, pilfering is rife, part of society and they have never heard of young ladies in hot pursuit before. Then one of them asks; ‘Pardon Mesdemoiselles?’ Callan and Sam listen intently. Very difficult to understand these French gendarmes, remember they came to study French and it is now day two. ‘Oui?’ says Callan ‘I wanted to know…Where do you come from?’ ‘South Africa.’ ‘Alors!’ He shouts and the men rally closer, forming a circle around them ‘It’s Invictus! Invictus!’ says another. ‘Iz the rugby!’ What can one say to that?
The Great British holiday. In a tent. By the sea. | MY OWN PRIVATE VANITY FAIR | You know how sometimes you go down to the shops over lunchtime to check out TV sets and come back instead with a tent? No? Well, this is how I came to be the unexpected owner of a tent about three years ago.
by JEN SMIT
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DESPITE a childhood joyfully punctuated by memories of camping holidays across Southern Africa, I have always been somewhat reluctant to put the infamous British weather to the test with naught but a thin layer of parachute silk to protect me. But have tent, will travel, so after three successful festival forays in said tent coupled with a reassuringly hot July, an invitation to venture out to the Dorset coast for a seaside camping adventure seemed worth a go. And it was good. So the beach is pebbly, not sand; so the days start cloudy, not clear; so what? But it was on day three, last Saturday, that the resolve of both seasoned and amateur campers alike was tested as howling gales and soaking rain reminded us that we were in fact in Dorset, not Durban. As good self-respecting Saffas we abandoned our temporary idyll in favour of cider-tasting and pizza in nearby Weymouth. Against a backdrop of pastel cottages, we watched as fishermen offloaded crates of crabs in the driving rain and toasted our fine choice of indoor sanctuary. With the appearance of a gap in the rain, I embarked on a solo post-
lunch walk down a lane that would be quaint if there were fewer tat shops and if the local beach shop – one of many oozing multi-coloured buckets, nets and inflatables – didn’t also have a poster carrying the day’s headline news: Pre-teens in binge drinking scandal. Quite. But hey ho, at least I was beside the seaside. I spent a pleasant quarter of an hour observing human behaviour from the relative comfort of an ornate bus shelter on the seafront. As the rain took a breather, the holiday-makers emerged from out of coffee shops and under brollies to claim what little bit of beach time they could get. They were on holiday, dammit! I couldn’t help but smile smugly to myself as a toddler in fullbody rain suit attempted to climb through the railing so that he could unleash his waddle on the sodden beach. His family soon followed, seven directions of travel finally culminating in a neat line of bodies – pack-a-macs on, toes in the sea – posing for a holiday snap. Oh if only you knew what my beach holidays were like when I was that age! Next to me an Indian family of eight sat waiting for their bus. It’s was due at 6pm. It was 4.30pm at the time. The kids seemed to be
having a great time, even if only at the bus stop. Dad, on the other hand, appeared eternally grateful for the diversion of his smartphone. He handed it over to daughter number one and proceeded to swagger over to the railing separating promenade from beach. Putting on sunglasses and draping one leg casually over the metal rod he leaned back in a caddish pose and called for the moment to be captured. No doubt the resulting photo traversed great distances via text and email, proof of what a marvellous time they were all having at the seaside. He returned to his seat – only an hour and a half left to wait. I suppose I should be a bit more charitable and not judge the British holiday so harshly, but when you’ve been gifted a childhood of sticky, salty, sunny beach holidays and weeks of camping under African sky blue, anything less seems quite peculiar. That said, I am now in the market for a bigger, better tent so maybe after eight years living in London, the assimilation process is really setting in!
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Book Review: JM Coetzee’s ‘The Childhood of Jesus’
Community
| Nobel-winning South African writer has produced a puzzling novel in ‘The Childhood ofJesus’ by SANDI THOMPSON TWICE winner of the Booker Prize and awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003, JM Coetzee’s latest novel, The Childhood of Jesus, a story about a man and a boy, is in a word, puzzling, and raises more questions than it answers. JM Coetzee is without question a talented writer with a string of well-respected novels to date. The Childhood of Jesus is no different in his beautiful way with ideas, turn of phrase and ability to intrigue the reader. That is where the similarity ends. In this, his most recent tome, one gets the distinct sagacity that Coetzee has set out to confound the reader. He casts out a definite hook that reels the reader in at first because of pure fascination and mystery. To begin with, there is not one mention of Jesus except in a vaguely allegorical sense somehow linked to the characters’ diet of bread and water throughout the novel. The narrative is quickly established from the onset. Simon and David are refugees with no memory of their pasts, aside from Simon’s unshakable sense that ‘surely there was once more to life than this’. The unlikely pair alight together, Simon having taken the motherless boy, David, under his wing during their time on a refugee ship. From the start the sparsely populated, unconvincingly structured, distinctly socialist town
Nelson Mandela’s Living Legacy
Lonely years on the Island
| Mandela dealt with the
isolation of Robben Island by teaching and learning from the other prisoners in the ‘University of Robben Island’ THE political prisoners on Robben Island in those first years took part in work and hunger strikes – the latter considered largely ineffective by Mandela – to improve prison conditions, viewing this as a microcosm of the anti-apartheid struggle. ANC prisoners elected Mandela to their four-man “High Organ” along with Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and Raymond Mhlaba, while
of Novilla is hard to imagine. Coetzee presents the reader with a bare stage, providing only the necessary elements as the plot unfolds. The setting is difficult to relate to, wanting atmosphere, flesh, colour and detail. The reader is left with the sense that only the characters mentioned in the book actually exist. In this inadequate world where only second language Spanish is spoken and bread and water consumed, Simon gets a job as a stevedore lugging bales of grain at the wharf. Simon tries in vain to teach David about life, numbers and reading, while he sets about his most important and strange mission to find the boy’s ‘real’ mother (this is where the novel really gets peculiar). Not only is this refugee world deficient but the people lack detail and personality. They are cooperative and obliging, but not really warm or enthusiastic, seeming content with their purposeless existence and never questioning. At every turn Simon philosophises about work, purpose and life’s lack of depth and passion, which leads to numerous, and at times, heated discussions with anyone who will listen. Everyone else seems to be satisfied with this mundane existence apart from Simon (and perhaps the reader). He laments the popular Novilla opinion that, “From goodwill come friendship and happiness, come companionable picnics in the parklands or he also involved himself in a group representing all political prisoners on the island, called ‘Ulundi’, through which he forged links with PAC and Yu Chi Chan Club members. Initiating the “University of Robben Island,” whereby prisoners lectured on their own areas of expertise, he debated topics such as homosexuality and politics with his comrades, getting into fierce arguments on the latter with Marxists like Mbeki and Harry Gwala. Though attending Christian Sunday services, Mandela studied Islam. He also studied Afrikaans, hoping to build a mutual respect with the warders and convert them to his cause. Various official visitors met with Mandela; most significant was the liberal parliamentary representative Helen Suzman of the Progressive Party, who championed Mandela’s cause outside prison. In September 1970 he met British Labour Party MP Dennis Healey. South African Minister of Justice Jimmy Kruger visited in December 1974, but he and Mandela did not get on. His mother visited in 1968, dying shortly after, and his firstborn son Thembi died in a car accident the following year; Mandela was forbidden from attending either funeral. His wife was rarely able to visit, being regularly imprisoned for political activity, while his daughters first visited in December 1975; Winnie got out of prison in 1977 but was forcibly settled in Brandfort, still unable to visit him.
companionable afternoons strolling in the forest. Whereas from love, or at least from longing in its more urgent manifestations, come frustration and doubt and heartsore. It is as simple as that.” But it’s not as simple to accept for both Simon or for the reader. Throughout the novel one has the hope that just over the next page the story will yield an explanation, an answer. Yet to the very last, the reader is left wondering. Although Simon feels that the answer lies somewhere in his memories or
his future, his palpable sense of disappointment in this new world, which should be richer, more passionate, yielding more fruit and rich gravy, cannot help but be passed on to the reader. Though undoubtedly an intriguing sojourn in Novilla, I am no closer to making sense of The Childhood of Jesus than I was when I started reading. The Childhood of Jesus is published by Random House and is available on Amazon.co.uk
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Coming soon to a supermarket near you! Brandpunt CONRAD BRAND
STOP net daar! As jy hierdie artikel op ‘n nugter maag sien, stel ek voor dat jy eers ietsie eet. Kry ‘n vastigheid in jou lyf voor jy verder gaan. Vir die res – wees gewaarsku en gereed om geskok te word. Verstom is ek! Stomgeslaan en geskok tot in my diepste wese vir wat ek pas gesien het, en iets noggal in ‘n Supermark. En nee, ek praat nie van die onkunde van die oor-vriendelike outjie agter die kontantregister (of till) nie. Hy wat alewig die ys by die brood wil sit, of die koue melk by die warm hoeder wat jy spesiaal vir aandete gekoop het, en die vader alleen weet hoe die sak moet hou as hy al vier bottels koeldrank saam met die res van jou aankope inprop. Pak maar self sê ek, en bly uit die moeilikheid uit by die huis. Nee, ek staar verstom na ‘n foto van 3 netjies vakuumverpakte items tussen ander produkte op ‘n winkelrak. Alles netjies gemerk en op sy plek, so dwaal my oë daaroor, maar dit is toe asof my brein registreer wat dit pas gesien het, en soos ’n ou tikmasjien wat aan die einde van die lint kom, word my oë terugstuur, net om seker te maak. En wragtag ja! Daar tussen die vleisprodukte lê drie hondekoppe, netjies verpak, te koop, met die volgende opskrif: COMING TO A SUPERMARKET NEAR YOU SOON!!! Chinese have applied to start importing frozen Dog heads for their consumption, is this right and are you “OK” with it being in The Oasis Group is a dynamic wealth management business operation formed in 1997. The Group is comprised of multiple companies; each specialising in contributing towards Oasis extensive product range that is designed to meet the needs of the Shari’ah and socially responsible client markets. Product offerings include collective investment schemes, retirement funds, endowments and pension annuities for the retail client and segregated portfolios and pooled policies for institutional and high net worth clients.
The Oasis Group is looking for Financial Advisors to be based in London Knightsbridge. The core function of the position is to provide sound financial advice and meet agreed targets and deadlines.
TRAINEE FINANCIAL ADVISOR /FINANCIAL ADVISOR Reporting Structure : Head of Global Operations Qualification Requirements : Degree / Diploma in Financial Planning (Should be a certified financial • • •
advisor, recognised by the FCA to give regulated advice) 1-5 Years of regulated financial advice experience. Should be familiar with the broad range of investment and retirement savings options including the UK Financial Services Regulations, Personal Taxation Ethical Investment Risk Financial Protection and Retirement Planning.
Job Requirements: Key Performance Areas of the candidate would include to: • Promote the Oasis brand of collective investment schemes within the UK • • • •
as a savings vehicle of choice either directly or via a retirement savings option such as an ISA. Travel to various parts of the UK to meet with retail and institutional clients. Application of the full advisory role to retail clients including a full needs analysis and financial planning as and when required by the clients. Employee will be required to generate his own leads effectively with potential clients to ensure he / she meets the agreed targets and deadlines. To ensure all associated administration is completed in an effective manner to meet the group's compliance and regulatory requirements.
Remuneration: Negotiable How to apply : Please email CV, Identity Document, Academic Transcripts and a Motivational Letter to recruitment@oasiscrescent.com. If you do not receive a reply within 6 weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful. For more information please contact us on +44 (0) 207 530 0550 or visit www.oasiscrescent.com
supermarkets? Die woorde wat deur my kop gevlieg het sal ek nie herhaal nie. Ek kon dit nie glo nie. Ek het bietjie navorsing gedoen (en voel vry om bietjie vir Oom Google te vra) en gevind dat dit dalk ‘n gekskeerdery mag wees, dit is onderworpe aan ‘n ondersoek waarvan die uitslag nog uitstaande is. Die fotos is of geneem in ‘n winkelsentrum in Seoul, Suid-Korea of in ‘n Shoprite winkel in Nigerië. Dit is egter ‘n feit dat hondevleis wel geëet word in sommige Asiatiese lande, asook Nigerië. Ek het wel met skok uitgevind dat dié ‘lekkerny’ in Korea, per gewig die vyfde mees gewilde vleis is, dit is nou na hoender, vark, bees en eend en dat meer as 55% van die bevolking al hondevleis geëet het en 75% ten gunste daarvan is. Ek het maar gestop voor ek by die smaak,
Please don’t squish the spaghetti in between your fingers…
| THE UNKNOWN LEAP INTO FATHERHOOD | Every time your little one discovers something new, new neural pathways are formed in the brain. In other words, the brain is creating a new “understanding” based on what your little one touches, tastes, sees, hears, etc. by DR DADDY KAY SOUND familiar? If not, come and pay our household a little visit sometime. You’ll be sure to hear these and similar ritualised pleas which my wife and I tend to hurl at our daughter from time to time. Sometimes I think to myself why is she being defiant…why won’t she
just use her fork and save me the hassle of cleaning up afterwards – notice how I make this about me. On second thoughts, is she really being defiant? In an earlier blog, But the blueberries are too sour, I briefly explore the notion that your child is an agent of his/her own environment; they will discover the world around them through exploration. Whilst this very much focuses on environmental nurturing, it is also interesting to recognise the biological changes which are occurring. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s idea of playdough. The brain literally develops and changes in response
voedingswaarde en ander voordele daarvan gekom het. Wat gaan aan daar in die Ooste vra ek jou? Dit is dieselfde mense wat ons skilpaaie uit die natuur stroop en bedien in hul restourante. Dieselfde mense wat steeds vir die slagting van ons renosters sorg! Dieselfde mense wat, nou dat tierbeen nie meer so ‘redelik beskikbaar’ is nie, dit vervang met dié van die Leeu? Ek weet nie waar dit gaan stop nie, maar iewers, sal iets drasties gedoen moet word. Dit is duidelik dat al die pogings om die diere veilig te hou en te red, die prys en vraag daarna net opstoot en as die hartseer dag wel aanbreek dat daar nie meer renosters, olifante, tiere, leeus en ja honde oor is nie, waarheen word daar dan gedraai vir daai ‘mediese wonder’? Sal dit die mens wees? to your child’s interaction with his or her environment. Every time your little one discovers something new, new neural pathways are formed in the brain. In other words, the brain is creating a new “understanding” based on what your little one touches, tastes, sees, hears, etc. Touching the pages of a storybook for the first time is something new to the brain. Feeling sand between their toes or the squelch of mud under their little wellies when jumping in muddy puddles are all new sensations that the brain is now making sense of. Just as that poor muddy puddle has changed in that half of it now resides on your newly-washed denims, so too has the structure of your child’s brain. Interestingly, research shows that the brains of young children who are cognitively (thoughts and thinking) challenged are heavier than those who are not. This is because there is physically more brain matter in a brain which is experiencing new things. So, turn off the television for a while, build a fort, stack some books inside it and let your child go wild in their new lair.
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Long residence in the UK and settlement
A number of clients approach BIC in order to find out whether they qualify for indefinite leave to remain, based on a very long stay in the UK, although often not on visas that can lead to permanent residence. Under the UK immigration rules, there is indeed provision under the Immigration Rules that allows one to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after 10 years
continuous lawful residence in the UK. Where an applicant has overstayed their visa, there is provision in the Home Office guidance to disregard one small break. However, it is vital that professional advice is taken if this is the case. It is also possible to apply where an applicant has left with a valid visa and returned to
the UK with a valid visa, providing the absence was for less than six months. An applicant must also not have had absences totalling 18 months over the 10 year period. Previously the option was available that allowed for settlement in the UK after 14 years, irrespective of whether or not an applicant had been in breach of the Immigration Rules. This option was, however, abolished on
9 July 2012. There are now immigration rules in place based on long residence for those applicants that have been in breach of the rules, consisting of 20-year long residence rule, and a 7-year rule for children – those with half their lives devoted in the UK and those with no ties in the country they would be returned to. Please contact our offices for more advice in every individual case.
JP Breytenbach Director of BIC, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited. www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com
Flypets, the UK’s leading pet travel service
| FLYPETS is a specialist pet travel service focused on the comfort and safety of your beloved pets. by STAFF REPORTER WHETHER you are emigrating or moving your family away on business, taking your pets abroad can be a stressful experience. There are many questions you will be asking about flying your pet abroad. Flypets is a specialist pet travel service focused on the comfort and safety of your beloved pets. Our experienced team take care of everything that you and your pet need will need for the journey including paperwork, veterinary checks and any injections, transport and kennelling and arrangements at the destination. We pride ourselves on providing a caring and personal service for your pet travel arrangements. The team that picks up your pet will remain with them right through to departure, giving you updates on your pets wellbeing. We’re dog and cat owners ourselves, so we know that you want the absolute best for your furry four legged family members. FlyPets is accredited by
By trusting in the experts, your pooch can become a seasoned flyer
International Pet Shipping Agency IPATA, the International Cargo Agents IATA and we have contacts with all the main international airlines and are able to book your pets on a flight almost anywhere in the world at a highly competitive rate. Our luxury boarding kennels and cattery are located only 15 minutes from Heathrow Airport and 45 minutes to Gatwick ensuring that there is the minimum amount of travel for your Pet. Check out our specialist pet travel website (www.flypets.co.uk) and visit us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ flypets) to see the many happy pets and owners who have flown with us.
First Wednesdays with Peter Hain by STAFF REPORTER
Date: 4 Sep 2013, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Location: Deloitte, 2 New Street Square, London. THE SA Chamber of Commerce welcomes Peter Hain who is a British Labour Party politician, he has been a Member of Parliament for Neath since 1991, and served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Peter spent most of his childhood in Pretoria, South Africa, at a time when the repressive Apartheid regime was tightening its grip on South African society. His parents, who campaigned against the injustices and discrimination they saw around them, were jailed and banned, and the family was forced into exile in Britain in 1966. His parents’ struggle made a lasting impression on Peter and he too took up the fight against injustice. Following his arrival in Britain he became involved in anti-Apartheid protests. Peter joined the Labour Party in 1977
and entered the House of Commons in a by-election in 1991 as Labour MP for Neath, a former mining community. He has served as Europe Minister, Leader of the Commons and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for Wales and for Northern Ireland. As always, the speaker address will be followed by delicious canapes and the finest South African wines.
SARACENS BRAAI DAY SUN
22ND SEPT, FROM 12 NOON
SARACENS vs BATH
Enjoy braai vleis and Premiership rugby when Saracens take on Bath at Allianz Park. Access to the braai area is free with a match ticket. Braai packs will be available for purchase on the day.
Contact Supporter Services for tickets on 0203 675 7200 or email
tickets@saracens.net
www.saracens.com
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| 27 August - 2 September 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews
Ten ways South African architects are
| In this series, Gateway to Africa looks at the green shoots of innovation in South Africa’s built environment. We see proof everywhere that South Africa’s thought leaders are powering into the future by brand new ideas with global applications. by BRETT PETZER ARCHITECTURE says powerful things about a nation’s priorities. 1. Securing the future by learning from the past: Red Location Museum and the Apartheid Museum Red Location Museum complex: Noero Wolff Architects
Port Elizabeth’s Red Location Museum is a monument to the system of Apartheid as it marked the New Brighton township, one of the country’s oldest, and the birthplace of Umkhonto weSizwe. The museum is distinguished by
an internal system of ‘memory boxes’ in which exhibits are arranged non-sequentially and without hierarchy. The museum ‘builds the future’ by making South Africans agents in constructing and honouring their own memories of apartheid, the better to map out new life paths. There is no escape from history, but through it, old emnities can be overcome. The museum’s materiality – of rusting corrugated iron – mirrors the iron sheeting on shacks that gave the Red Location its name, and its factory forms recall the industrial unions which sustained protest against the Nationalist regime. Apartheid Museum: Gapp Architects, Mashabane Rose Architects The Apartheid Museum is rather incongruously sited next to Johannesburg’s Gold Reef City casino and theme park complex, whose owners paid for its
construction. Yet the distant sound of rollercoasters fades quickly out of mind as the visitor approaches a whites-only and non-whites-only entrance, on the first step of a very high quality two-hour circuit through South Africa’s darkest days. The Museum puts South Africa at the forefront of the use of architecture to open up difficult dialogue in post-conflict societies. 2 and 3. New cultural landmarks in townshipsturned-cities: Soweto Theatre, Walter Sisulu Square The Soweto Theatre by Studio
MAS Architects Soweto, a city of well over 1 million people, did not appear on political maps for a long time. The Soweto Theatre is the latest major project designed to put this city, a key site of the struggle against Apartheid and a major urban complex in its own right, on the cultural and urban map. South Africa faces the decadeslong task of making its townships, once dormitory suburbs to which ‘reserve labour‘ was banished, into autonomous, mixed-use parts of its cities with their own infrastructure. This ‘builds the future’ by bypassing sprawl, cutting journey times, liberating underused land and enhancing the opportunities for entrepreneurship, employment and learning of the poorest South Africans. The Soweto Theatre draws on the rich outdoor theatrical and protest theatre tradition of the township. The new space is an opportunity to formalise and professionalise the deep well of talent that Soweto has nurtured for decades. Walter Sisulu Square by Studio MAS Architects Over 3000 people gathered in the dusty square in Kliptown in 1955 to adopt the Freedom Charter which is now the basis of South Africa’s constitution. Decades later, a vast monumental square has risen on the same space. The aim is to give an appropriate scale and a missing heart to Soweto, with an eye to the importance of public space to active citizenship and to critical democracy. Walter Sisulu Square houses retail,
markets, a hotel, a conference centre, a transport interchange and performance spaces. It is an entire urban core that builds the future by creating a dialogue with poor South Africans in which the State, public space, and democracy itself is presented not as a distant abstract but as something tangible and close by that they, too, have a stake in. 4. Building a new paradigm for inclusive, immersive learning: Vele Secondary School and Lebone II College Vele Secondary School by Activate Architects in association with Afritects Lebone II College was conceived as a new paradigm in education: a school comprising productive farmland, accommodation and alternative teaching methods for the Royal Bafokeng nation. The school is yet another success for South Africa’s most ambitious and successful small royal tribe, who have converted the platinum riches of their ancestral lands into sustainably and transparently managed assets. The school design ‘builds the future’ by decentralising and de-institutionalising learning into a set of ‘village clusters’ that promote learner-centred education and discovery in small, informal groups. The school serves 800 learners in Phokeng, North West.
5. Using history and prehistory to tell a human story: Tumulus Building, Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng The Tumulus Building, GAPP Architects and Mphethi Morojele Architects The architecture of Maropeng, Gauteng’s Cradle of Humankind archaeological site, is a metaphor for discovery form within the
earth. The Tumulus building therefore takes the form of the mounds constructed by ancient civilisations as burial grounds. These are among the earliest human structures, and they occur the world over; because of their covering of earth, new ones are being discovered all the time. The Tumulus Building ‘builds the future’ by staking a claim in Africa’s right to write its own history, as the increasing certainty that humanity originated on the ‘Dark Continent’ continues to challenge Eurocentric and Global North biases in the ways that knowledge is made and identities are constructed.
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building the future
6. Giving built form to a democracy under construction: Constitutional Court, Johannesburg, Gauteng Architects: Janina Masojada, Andrew Makin, Paul Wygers Johannesburg’s Constitutional Court has attracted worldwide critical notice for its powerful conversion of a monument to state power into a temple to citizencentred discourse. African architectural metaphors, such as ‘justice under the tree’ and a marketplace (of ideas) abound. The Constitution Hill site has seen a large prison complex – that once incarcerated Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Luthuli, Robert Sobukwe and Nelson Mandela – converted into the country’s highest court.
The court building, designed by three young South African architects, is based on the traditional concept of the ‘indaba tree’. African elders would traditionally call a tribal council to meet and talk under a meeting tree. The roof beams have ‘human dignity, equality and freedom” written into them in the handwriting of all the judges sitting at the time of its construction. The mosaic roof represents the dappled shade. The 27 key clauses of the Constitution are carved into the giant timber foyer doors. Within the courtroom a ribbon of glass represents the transparency of the proceedings. It was built on the site of the old Awaiting Trial block and four of the original stairwells were kept and bricks from the original block were used in construction. 7. Adopting ancient technology at a modern scale: Mapungubwe Interpretative Centre Architects: Peter Rich Architects The Mapungubwe National Park marks the site of an important ancient trading civilisation in a splendid natural context. The Interpretation Centre points the way to a future in which South African society and industry can reinvent our landscape and ancient technologies for modern purposes. The architecture of the site, so reminiscent of Great Zimbabwe, challenges the belief that continentwide trading networks and the first real cities in Africa were first achieved of European colonists. The centre is also a model for international cooperation, as advanced engineering techniques were used to catapult a traditional material and technology to an unprecedented span and volume.
The use of local materials and labour also point the way to a more responsible model for South African tourism, in which local people can benefit more inclusively from the country’s resilient tourism sector. 8. Self-build technologies as the nodes of the new informal township: Indluvo Centre Architects: Architects without Frontiers, Zvi Belling, Lani Fender Rebuilding of the Indluvo Centre began in 2009 with an assessment of the community’s needs. The building depends on the Ecobeam truss system combined with lowtech, low-cost sandbags for the wall infill. This in turn permits the use of unskilled labour and the repair and maintenance of the building without specialists. The development of civic buildings that are owned, and understood at a structural level, by their end users and neighbours is a distinct shift from the South African state’s ‘world class’ philosophy. It builds the future by embracing ‘barefoot architecture’ as a norm appropriate to the Global South rather than a copy of the alien climatic and social conditions of Europe. 9. Dignified township infrastructure that turns formal townships into cities: Alexandria Interpretative Centre and Soweto Nike Centre Alexandria Interpretative Centre by Peter Rich Architects
The Centre sits opposite Mandela’s Yard, the site of a shack occupied by Mandela while a student in Alexandria in the 1940s. The project builds a sense of community and trains local people in the tourism and heritage industry, as well as the arts. Nurturing entrepreneurship gives people a stake in the system. It builds understanding that improvements in an area must be paid for by tax, and that corruption is anti-business, not a way of doing business. As the design team have it, “the
architecture is choreographed by the architectural team, yet written and performed by the inhabitants of Alexandra. These people naturally relate to it, they are part of it as participants, and through it, their own modest architecture is given dignity.” Nike Soweto Football Centre by RUF project, Design Space Africa & MMA Architects Built in just six months at a cost of around R65 million, the football centre caters to 20 000 soccer players in 1 200 local teams on four pitches. There are also classrooms, a gym, first aid and physio facilities and other amenities. South Africa took a large fiscal gamble in hosting the World Cup, but tourism figures since 2010 have largely borne out the view that capturing the world’s attention for an entire month was of inestimable value in raising Mzansi a notch in global perceptions. This centre ‘builds the future’ by taking seriously the challenge of providing the nation’s youth with meaningful enrichment through sport – a powerful way of building human capital and making for a more resilient, more creative, healthier workforce. 10. Building a response to our unique landscape through tourism: Karoo Wilderness Centre South Africa is among a handful of countries – and most of the rest are largely rainforest – that has as much biodiversity as entire continents. The Karoo, for one, is more biodiverse than any arid region in the world. Interventions like the Karoo Wilderness Centre ‘build the future’ by asserting the value of this natural asset as something to be marketed and protected creatively and sustainably. As the rooibos/buisson rouge debacle shows, the Rainbow Nation has not been proactive enough in wringing commercial uses from its great patrimony of flora and fauna – we have allowed others to rush to market with South Africa’s natural heritage. Building the future means moving vigorously to monetise these assets as a way of saving them – the most powerful method for this, of course, is giving local people a stake in the wellbeing of these resources. Good conservation science is, in this case, also good business.
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FOOD & DRINK NO1 SOUTH AFRICAN SHOP Lots of lekker stuff for a taste of home. Including fantastic biltong, droewors and boerewors. 5 Marlow Drive, St Catherines Hill, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 2RR. The shop is about 2 miles north-west of Christchurch town centre and 6 miles north-east of Bournemouth town centre. There’s loads of free parking and the shop is easy to get to from the A338. Tel: 01202 496041 10’ish to 6pm 7 days a week. www.no1southafricanshop.co.uk
| 27 August - 2 September 2013 | thesouthafrican.com
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THE CHICHESTER BILTONG COMPANY www.biltongcompany.co.uk The best of British from a friendly bunch of South Africans who made Sussex our home. But there was one thing we couldnt live without from our native land..Biltong! So we made our own using traditional recipes handed down through generations. We only use the finest prime British beef! Get our “readers 10% EXTRA FREE” offer by using the VOUCHER CODE ‘SA10’ CRUGA Home of CRUGA biltong. Cruga’s factory shop offers a full range of South African and Zimbabwean groceries plus boerewors, droewors and of course biltong. Tel: 01908 565 432 Email: biltong@cruga.com Web: www.cruga.com Address: Tilers Rd Kiln Farm, Milton Keynes, MK11 3LH CAMBRIDGE & VILLAGES Toft Shop – Village Shop & Post Office With a South African section selling all your favourite tastes from home! Pop in and pick up your treats – Biltong; Boerewors; Koeksisters; Rusks; Sweets; Chips; Groceries etc. Web: www.ToftShop.co.uk Tel: 01223 262 204. CB23 2RL
THE AFRICAN CORNER Three miles off Junction 26 of the M5 in the centre of Wellington, Somerset, TA21 8LS. A family run business for your Padkos. Biltong, Boerewors, Droewors, Rusks and other Nik Naks. Pull in if you’re in the West Country or find us online at www.theafricancorner.co.uk and we’ll come to you. Email: theafricancorner@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 01823 619184
LIMPOPO BUTCHERS We believe in small, well run family businesses, where quality is the number one priority. Come and try our delicious traditional recipe biltong, drywors, and boerewors, as well as aged beef steaks, chicken flatties, and succulent lamb. 9 Horn Lane, Acton, W3 9NJ Tel: 020 8993 8823 www.thesaffashop.com
SAVANNA Good friendly customer service is Savanna’s core principle. Our standards are high, and our rapidly-expanding network of shops are clean and bright and well-laid out, with friendly first-rate staff. Find us at: 20-22 Worple Road, Wimbledon London SW19 4DH Call us at: 0208 971 9177 Online: www.thesavanna.co.uk wimshop@thesavanna.co.uk
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BILTONG DIRECT Biltong Direct, in the business of making superior South African meat products since 2004. Online or from our shop (directions on website – www.biltongdirect.co.uk). Retail and wholesale sales. We manufacture Biltong, Droewors, Snap Sticks, Boerewors & Gluten and MSG free products, offer quick dispatch and a 100% Satisfaction guarantee. Call 01268-685728
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thesouthafrican.com | 27 August - 2 September 2013 |
Travel
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Roskilde Festival: Dirty, Disciplined and Danish | Are you into rock and festivals and not afraid of garbage and naked drunk people running wild? Then you might consider the contemporary viking-version of the “Summer of Love” every year on a field in the ancient kings’ town of Roskilde, Denmark. BY GRY BRØNDUM, FESTIVAL goers from South Africa agree when describing The Roskilde Festival in Denmark: it’s huge, dirty but very disciplined. The typical blend of friendly and well-behaved Danes getting drunk on a crowded sunny field makes it a pleasant experience even in 2013 with a weak line-up, topped by Rihanna, Metallica, The National, Sigur Ros and Kris Kristofferson. Roskilde is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe, alongside the UK’s Glastonbury and Rock Werchter in Belgium, attracting more than 100,000 people, mostly from Scandinavia. The festival was founded by students in 1972 and evolved from a loosely organised hippie party to a huge non-profit foundation with more than 25,000 people volunteering and a growing staff of paid employees. The festival takes place during the first weekend of July and lasts from Thursday to Sunday, but many of the Danish teenagers begin a warm up party of binge drinking, head banging and activities like the traditional Naked Run when the camping area opens a week before the event.
The South African vote: “It’s really dirty – but the girls are spectacular” Francois Wessels (30) a programmer at an insurance company and Cas Hulsbosch (32), a consultant for online travel companies, both from South Africa, said, “It’s definitely worth going here. The festival is dirty, Danish and pretty cool, and the girls are very good looking. Spectacular.”“It’s definitely worth going here. The festival is dirty, Danish and pretty cool, and the girls are very good looking. Spectacular.” We met Francois and Cas during the Rihanna concert on Saturday night, so it was a great surprise to find the pair enjoying the shade under a tree before the concert started on Sunday. Especially because the festival is so huge it’s not likely to bump into people more than once. “It’s really really big. I didn’t expect that”, Hulsbosch said. “But at the same time, it’s very well organised, making
things go very smoothly”. They mentioned how you could pay with a credit card everywhere and how happy and peaceful people were. “But sometimes there are just too many people and too much rubbish”, as Cas puts it. He likes the smaller festivals in South Africa that are more manageable, like his favorite Up the Creek in Cape Town although European festivals like Rock Werchter in Belgium and Balaton Sound in Hungary also are among his favourites. Francois agreed: “The tent area here is chaos. It is crucial to get here in time to find a good camping spot. But it is so dirty and that is a bit overwhelming. It is also very surprising to see how young people are. Back home in South Africa parents would never allow their teenagers to do this, and they would not have the money for it: it is a very expensive festival – 2000 Danish kroner for the entrance.” The African delegate: “Everyone is drunk – but disciplined” Hannington Segirinya from Uganda said, ”Everybody is drinking Tuborg beer and wine. I think 90 percent of everyone here is tipsy.” Hannington was at Roskilde Festival as a part of a delegation from African Youth Panel, who benefited from this year’s festival by a donation of 200,000 Euro so that the African Youth Panel can continue engaging African youth in shaping the future of their continent. Since 1972, the charity arm of Roskilde Festival has generated about DKK 189,000,000 (€ 25.4 million) for projects that benefit young people as well as humanitarian and cultural work. “It’s crazy”, he said when asked about how he liked Roskilde 2013. ”I saw ‘The naked race’ on the camping area, and I have never seen anything like it. People took it very seriously. It would never happen in Uganda,” he said about the race where men and women race completely naked apart from
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their shoes to get a ticket to next year’s festival. The laid back attitude of festivalgoers in Denmark made Hannington reflect: “Back home we don’t have concerts for many days, because people are concerned about earning money and they wouldn’t waste it. People here seem genuinely happy, and although they are very drunk, they seem very disciplined, staying here having a good time and forgetting about their work life. I haven’t seen anything like fighting or violence.” Next year’s Roskilde Festival will be held from 28 June to 6 July. The Roskilde Festival: www.roskilde-festival.dk African Youth Panel: www.africanyouthpanel.org
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Zimbabwe Community
| 27 August - 2 September 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews
Mokoomba: Afro-fusion band from Zimbabwe catches world’s attention
| At the end of a three-month European tour, Abundance Mutori, bass player of the Zimbabwean Afro-fusion band that has caught the imagination of UK and international audiences, talks about the band’s origins and their upcoming gigs. by SARAH WARD MOKOOMBA, the Zimbabwean band whose kinetic Afro-fusion sound has garnered rave reviews in the UK and abroad, have come to the end of their second European tour. Speaking from Brussels, ABUNDANCE MUTORI, the band’s 23-year-old bass player, discusses the band’s music, their future plans, and next year’s semi-acoustic UK tour. You’ve been touring for three months. Where did you get the best response? All of the places we went we got a great response, because every festival and concert was new, a different ambience, a different audience. We got great feedback from the audiences: we’re experiencing how they are getting inside the music. This year we managed to play some places which opened up a new audience who might not normally appreciate Afro-fusion, like Cambridge Folk Festival, as well as bigger festivals like Womad. Victoria Falls, where you’re from in Zimbabwe, is also close to other nations like Zambia, Botswana and Namibia. Do you think that the proximity of those cultures and their music made your experiences growing up exposed to different sounds or ideas? Victoria Falls is like a border town, we had a lot of exposure to international music as well as music from our own Zimbabwean region, and our music is fusing all that. That’s why we thought of making our music Afro-fusion, fusing all the elements that we grew up with.
What kind of music were you exposed to growing up? Gospel, jazz, funk, reggae traditional music… there were a lot of different styles being played so being exposed to so much taught us to be more versatile. How influential do you think traditional music and dancing has been on the sound you’ve created? We sing in Tonga, a language spoken mainly in our region of Zimbabwe, and in Zambia, and we are singing mainly about our culture: about such things as good harvest. In our culture, the boys go away for six months into the bush when they are ten to twelve years old, and that is a training process where boys become men. We are trained to play drums and sing our traditional songs. We started out playing small clubs in Victoria Falls: there was a place downtown, which is more like a tourist resort, and we used to go to a restaurant that tourists go to, where we could play our own kind of traditional music. You’ve addressed AIDS in a song on your Rising Tide album, is that something that’s particularly important to you? We are singing about what other young people are facing, and to give hope to other young people. AIDS was a big thing that destroyed the music industry in the 80s and there were a lot of musicians who died of the disease. That is why we sing about it, to make other young people aware. We want to encourage young people and artists to take heed and to abstain from having unprotected
relationships with people, to go and get tested so that they know their status and live positive. As musicians we also have to take part in that – a lot of people love to listen to music so we can send out the message through the music. This is a reality many people face, and it’s a great responsibility. When did you begin learning bass guitar? I learnt it from my father because he used to play, and he was the one who gave me a little bit of a pointer on the bass guitar. From there I started
practising on my own with his guitar, and had a little bit of training in music class in high school. I would practice on my own and listen on the radio to hear how people did it. What inspired you to form a band? Everyone in Mokoomba lived in the same neighbourhood in Victoria Falls. We went to the same schools, we used to play with this old guy Alfred. He liked to play with young upcoming artists. We thought of making our own band as this guy was a bit old and we were in the same age group. When we heard about the Music Crossroads competition workshops we thought about entering. That’s how we learnt how to be professional about making music. We won the competition and recorded our first album, and our first European tour was in 2009. In your next UK tour you will perform in a different style from the Afro-fusion that has made you so popular here. How did that come about? In our culture we have many diverse ways of playing, more suited to indoor venues, for theatres, so we need a set with no keyboards and only voices and percussion.
This will be a mix of a capella and semi-acoustic sets, and we are touring like this for two weeks in April 2014, playing some songs from our country, and some from the album. This way we are able to appeal to young people and also to elderly people because every person can find their own feeling inside this music. Where are you most excited about touring to? Do you take inspiration from the countries you visit on tour? We’ll be going to Korea in September, then Kenya, and hopefully Australia, New Zealand and North America next year, but we are particularly looking forward to Korea. It’s exciting to go and experience a new place, and it’s our first time to go there so expectations are high. Touring is like a cultural exchange: when we go to other places we meet other musicians. We work together and learn how they do things. On 18 December we will be coming back to the UK for the Songlines award ceremony at the Barbican. It’s great for Mokoomba because it raises our profile, and a lot great musicians we respect will be there.
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thesouthafrican.com | 27 August - 2 September 2013 |
Sport
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O2 Touch Action Continues with our Late Summer Leagues all over London!
by JESSICA POWELL
JUST as our finals week rolls to an end, it doesn’t mean that the action for 2013 is over yet. As autumn approaches, and the weather cools, the touch action is set to just get hotter and hotter! With record numbers entering our O2Touch Late Summer Leagues, seeing out 2013 looks like it will be done in style. Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Regents Park for the next 8 weeks will see both mixed and men’s teams fight it out in one final chance to redeem themselves and take home the 2013 winner’s crown. Starting on either Tuesday 27th or Wednesday the 28th of August , with many Spring and summer teams re-entering the competition, it will give teams a chance to cement the skills and touch knowledge they have gained throughout the course of their
touch playing year. Will summer team ‘AL_A Almighty’ show that this is their time? Will the newly formed individual team ‘Dangerous Strangers’ be a force to be reckoned with? Or will ‘Infinity Awesome’ live up to their name, and bring the heat? Regents Park isn’t the only venue that is set to go off though, as South West London players prepare to raise the temperature in the upcoming cooling months. Clapham Common will be pulling the big guns out every Monday and Wednesday from the 2nd and 4th of September to treat anyone who passes by with a touch feast spectacle with the much anticipated September Shoot-out. Playing 2×20 minute games a night for a 4-week league – will it be time enough for summer winners ‘The Misfits’ to once again reinforce who owns Clapham touch?
Braai your boerewors before Bath
| If you haven’t had the chance to watch Saracens players Schalk Brits, Neil de Kock or Ernst Joubert strut their stuff at Allianz Park, this is the perfect occasion, all while the smell of braaivleis drifts across the pitch.
by STAFF REPORTER
SOUTH Africans in London can celebrate international braai day at Saracens on Sunday 22 September, and enjoy a day of good food, good music and of course good rugby when Saracens take on Bath at the magnificent Allianz Park. In South Africa, Braai Day falls on Heritage Day, 24 September, but that’s a work day for us Saffas in the UK. Saracens spokesman Hilton Freund said, “Saracens are delighted to be able to celebrate the heritage of their South African fan base by providing an environment conducive to friends and family on a match day at Allianz Park.” Anybody with a match day ticket for the game against Bath is welcome to enjoy the braai day facilities on the lawns near the pitch. The braais will be hot and ready to use from noon and will be available after the match too. Fans will be able to buy meat from Saracens’ partner Laverstoke Park Farm who will be selling braai packs on the day. Laverstoke Park
Farm is a Hampshire organic farm owned by former South African racing driver Jody Scheckter. Freund added, “ We want to make the day not only memorable but easy too, so no need to bring meat, a braai or a skottel; just bring your friends and your family – the rest will all be available at Allianz Park. The usual free Saracens shuttles will be available from Mill Hill Broadway, Mill Hill East and Edgware stations on the day.” Saracens’ contingent of South African players will no doubt have added incentive, on the day, so if you haven’t had the chance to watch Schalk Brits, Neil de Kock or Ernst Joubert strut their stuff at Allianz Park, this is the perfect occasion, all while the smell of braaivleis drifts across the pitch. Tickets to the game are available from Saracens supporter services, and Season Tickets and Big 5 deal tickets are valid too. For more information and to purchase a ticket to the game: Supporter services: 0203 6757200 tickets@saracens.net
With this being the final games before heading to the USA for the Club World Cup Touch, will longstanding In2Touch league team – Galaxy – grab a win before flying off? Though a winner isn’t guaranteed at this stage, one thing we can say for sure is that some amazing touch gameplay is to be had in these next few months! What better way can you think of to stay fit, active and social in the next few months? None (we couldn’t either!) Nominations are still open for both teams and individual players at Regents Park on Wednesdays and Clapham Common on Mondays, so to avoid feeling left out – make sure to enter NOW! With 16 venues around England
from Clapham Common and Regents Park to St Albans and Manchester, with over 600 teams playing in the London leagues alone and over 1,000 teams playing country wide, touch rugby is taking the nation by storm.
For more information or if you would like to register for an O2 Touch league or competition, go to www. in2touch.com/uk or e-mail info@ in2touch.com or call the London office on 020 85420827
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27 August - 2 September 2013
IN2TOUCH LATE SUMMER LEAGUES ALL OVER LONDON - P15
BRAAI YOUR BOEREWORS BEFORE BATH-P15
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PUMA VICTORY SHOULD BE WAKE-UP CALL FOR BOKS
| The Boks would be wrong to rest on their laurels. The 22-17 victory over an Argentinean side weakened by injury marks a sub-par performance that will not the the boys in green and gold far in Australasia by STAFF REPORTER
IN the aftermath of the Boks’ 22-17 victory over Argentina on Saturday, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer and Captain Jean de Villiers made it clear that a deep and fundamental change of gear and strategy was needed for the immediate future. The team depart for Australia and New Zealand on Saturday, having won their first Castle Lager Rugby Championship away game since 2009. This weekend’s Mendoza, Argentina victory keeps the Boks in first place on the log, but Argentina lost a key player to injury. Had they not, the score would have been far closer. “I will never complain about a victory, but the truth is we were not good today,” said Meyer after the match. “It took a lot of guts and character to win here and for that I’m proud of the players. However, we all realise we will have to improve a lot if we’re going to be competitive in Brisbane and Auckland. “We always knew this was going
to be a very tough match and that the Pumas were going to be a different opponent here than they were back in Soccer City. We learnt some very valuable lessons from this match.” Weighing heavily on the coach’s mind was doubtled the fact that, barring two penalties late in the game, the match could easily have become one of the greatest comebacks in history. The Pumas crossed the line twice to the Boks’ one successful try by wing Bjorn Basson, and the hosts led 17-13 at halftime after 40 minutes of calculated risk and convincing play. Springbok captain de Villiers was more upbeat, pointing out that, just one year ago, the team had drawn the same match that they had won at the weekend. “It was very tough out there... Although the performance was not up to the standards we set ourselves, we’re happy with the four points we got here.” The star of the game in Mendoza was Morné Steyn, whose assured kicking style won the Boks 17 points (5 penalty goals, 1 conversion). After the Puma’s
Mendoza, Argentina: Bok play failed to silence a raucous crowd after Pumas achieved a 7-0 score in the first 120 seconds
loss by 60 points in Johannesburg just the week before, few could have predicted such a rapid improvement. But something in the energy of the crowds in Mendoza fuelled Los Pumas - long known as a side difficult to beat at home; it looked at times as if the South Americans might actually beat the Boks, which would have been a first.
The Argentine captain, Juan Martin Lobbe, said his team had made good progress, and that more hard work lay ahead in the expanded Southern Hemisphere competition. One asset Lobbe can build on is certainly the Puma back row, whose exemplary attack pushed Bok defences to the limit for much of the game. The Puma’s strategy
in keeping the number of Bok lineouts low also inhibited South Africa’s ability to gain possession. The Mendoza match is the first away win by the Boks in this competition since 2009, and with rugby powerhouses New Zealand and Australia to be faced, the team must think hard about how it happened that a junior team scored and converted in just two minutes.
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