The South African 7-13 January 2014 by The South African

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7 - 13 January 2014

Issue 547

SA VOTER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN IN LONDON

| If you’re not yet registered to vote in the 2014 national election you may now do so at the South African High Commission in London - but hurry, you’ve only got one month! by STAFF REPORTER THE END of Apartheid saw South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. The Bill of Rights, a key part of our famously progressive constitution, ensures the democratic right to have your vote counted. In 2009 the Constitutional Court extended that privilege to South Africans living abroad, and a few weeks ago President Jacob Zuma signed into law the Electoral Amendment Bill, which not only formalises the right to vote abroad but gives South Africans abroad the right to register overseas to vote. The 2014 presidential elections mark 20 years of democracy and are also especially significant as those born after apartheid’s end – the born frees – will get their first opportunity to have their voices heard. “Not only is it our right to vote, it’s our responsibility. Our country has come a long way, and many people have made tremendous sacrifices to get us here – we owe it to them to vote” – Vote Home, a DA Abroad initiative. Registration for the 2014 elections has now opened for South Africans abroad. Provided you are able to make the often great distance to your nearest South African foreign mission (embassy, High Commission or consulate), voting should be a simple process. First-time voters living abroad must register themselves as voters before 7 February 2014; people who have voted before must look out for the President’s

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

INSIDE:

p3 | Eight murders that gripped South Africa in 2013

p8 | Visiting Cape Town this year? Be sure to catch these World Design Capital events p13 | Travel: Amazing Malta, the island built by Crusader knights

‘LONG WALK TO FREEDOM’ TRIUMPHS AT BOX OFFICE: The Nelson Mandela biopic, much praised by critics, has accomplished the rare feat for a demanding historical epic: commercial success. After opening across the UK on 3 January, the film is set to gross over £1.5m in its first three days, and is currently showing on 500 screens. Read more on page 6.

proclamation of the Election Date (TheSouthAfrican.com will announce this as soon as it happens). Once the Election Date is finalised, South African foreign missions will make available the VEC-10 form which all South Africans wanting to vote abroad must fill in and return (within 15 days of the announcement of the election date) to the foreign mission at which they intend to vote. To deal with any confusion, we have prepared a few Frequently Asked Questions (with contact

details for the Independent Electoral Commission at end of article). Question 1: I have never voted before and have never registered to vote before. I want to vote outside South Africa in 2014. A. If you have never registered to vote before, and you want to vote outside South Africa in 2014, you must go to the nearest South African embassy, consulate or High Commission and register. To register, you will need to apply in person with your

(1) passport as well as (2) identification (in the form of a green, bar-coded South African Identity Document, smartcard ID or a valid Temporary Identity Document. If you have both (1) and (2), you will be allowed to register. Once the Special Registration Officer has verified that you’re eligible to apply, you will complete a registration form and will then be given a Proof of Registration Application form. This is not proof of registration, but only that you applied. You can

confirm your registration status online at www.elections.org.za/ content/For-voters/My-voterregistration-details 7 working days after applying. Once you know that you are registered, you will have to complete a second form, called the VEC-10 form, in order to be able to vote at a South African foreign mission. This form is not yet available: it will only be available once the President actually announces the date of the election, and it must then be completed within 15 days of the announcement of the election date. He has to do this after 9 February 2014, which is two days after voter registration closes. So you cannot register to vote after 7 February, but, once you have registered, you must still complete the VEC-10 form and send it back (within 15 days of the announcement of voting day) to the SA foreign mission where you intend to vote. On Election Day, having registered and having sent in a VEC-10 form to an SA foreign mission, you must then go to the same foreign mission where you sent the VEC-10 form and vote there. Question 2: I have never voted before, but I have registered continued on page 2

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Paul Flude is a Practising Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and Head of Private Client at a Law Firm in the City of London. He runs his own consultancy business and also has an office in the Isle of Man. He specialises in Private Client work (mainly for global South Africans), and his expertise covers the drafting of Wills, Estate and Estate Duty (Inheritance Tax) planning, international Trusts, Personal and Business Succession planning, Deceased Estate Administration (Probate) and the formation and administration of international Corporate Entities.

South African voter registration now open in London

Continued from front page to vote before. I want to vote outside South Africa in 2014. A. You are already registered for this election (registration is for life). You must, once the President announces the date of the election (after 9 February 2014), fill in a VEC-10 form from the SA foreign mission where you intend to vote, and then send it back to the mission within 15 days of the announcement. The VEC-10 form will only become available once the election date has been announced and gazetted. On Election Day, you must then vote at the same foreign mission. Question 3: I have voted inside South Africa before, and am registered to vote. I want to vote outside South Africa in 2014. Must I re-register? A. You are already registered for this election (registration is for life). You must, once the President announces the date of the election (after 9 February 2014), fill in a VEC-10 form from the SA foreign mission where you intend to vote, and then send it back to the mission within 15 days of the announcement. The VEC-10 form will only become available once the election date has been announced and gazetted. On Election Day, you must then vote

at the same foreign mission. Question 4: I have never voted before, but I cannot remember whether I am registered or not. I want to vote outside South Africa. A. Check your registration status using the IEC’s handy online tool (requires ID number). If you are registered, see the answers to Questions 2 and 3. If you are not registered, see the answer to Question 1.

Question 5: I intend to vote inside South Africa in 2014. A. If you have voted before and you intend to vote at the same voting station, you do not need to re-register; you can just show up at the same voting station and vote. If you have voted before and you intend to vote at a different polling station (e.g., if you have moved since the last elections in 2009, or if your voting district boundaries have changed), read the Independent Electoral Commissions’s FAQs to find out what to do. Independent Electoral Commission contact details: Call centre: 0800 11 8000 (tollfree from a land line inside South Africa) between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday Website: www. elections.org.za/content Twitter: @IECSouthAfrica

Rhino poaching survivor Thandi is pregnant

| Thandi the rhino survived an attack at the reserve just outside Port Elizabeth in March last year - now, hornless, she is carrying young

By STAFF REPORTER THE rhino that survived an attack by poachers in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province last year is pregnant, according to Alan Weyer, the general manager of Kariega Game Reserve. “Although this may be a small step toward winning the fight against poaching, we remember Madiba’s words, ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done’,” Weyer said. In March last year, poachers tranquillised three rhino with darts, and hacked off their horns, leaving them to bleed to death. The two other rhinos – both bulls – died from their wounds. Wildlife vet Dr Will Fowlds, who has been treating Thandi since the attack, said blood tests had confirmed that the rhino was at the end of the first trimester of her pregnancy. “I don’t recall such a small value carrying such huge significance for anything in my professional life,” Fowlds said. Fowlds has devotedly attended to Thandi – which means “love” in isiXhosa – since her attack. She has been through countless surgeries and procedures to

keep the wound from infection and to find ways “to protect her vulnerable face from the rigours of normal rhino life”, the reserve said. This has included a pioneering skin graft earlier this year. Staff at the reserve say Thandi has shown “an incredible fighting spirit and will to survive”. Fowlds has taken Thandi’s story around the world – including to Vietnam and China – to raise awareness about the fight against poaching. “Her story has touched the lives of so many people across the globe and her courage is reflected in our love for her and the species that she represents” Fowlds said.

Hopes for an HIV/Aids antidote recede as first ‘cured’ patients relapse without retrovirals | A major discovery in HIV is good news for South Africa, where about 1 in 10 are HIV-positive. Patients previously believed ‘cured’ of HIV have experienced a viral rebound, marking an important new question: if HIV can remain in the body while undetectable in the blood, where might the ‘deep reservoir’ that harbours the virus be? By BRETT PETZER

THE reappearance of HIV in patients who had previously been believed ‘cured’, meaning that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus had been ostensibly eliminated from their bodies, has been hailed by scientists working in the field as ‘disappointing but scientfically significant’. THE result, while it is surely a blow to the patients who had been living as one of a handful of ex-HIV-positive people in the world, is also an important milestone in the understanding of HIV, the virus that causes Aids (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The news was announced by a team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, one of the USA’s leading hospitals. By early 2013, researchers were no longer able to detect HIV in the blood of two male patients who had undergone bone-marrow transplants for lymphoma, a cancer of the blood. By March, both patients stopped taking anti-retroviral (medicines that

inhibit the development of the Aids virus). However, by August and November of 2013, first one and then the other patient had relapsed. The key finding prompted by the relapse is that HIV is able to persist inside the human body when even the most sensitive blood tests fail to pick it up. Its recurrence in people previously believed cured meant that the virus rebounded to measurable quantities in the blood in patients who had tested clean for the virus for over 8 months after the transplant. Timothy Henrich, a researcher at the hospital, said that “through this research we have discovered [that] the HIV reservoir is deeper and more persistent than previously known and that our current standards of probing for HIV may not be sufficient to inform us if long-term HIV remission is possible if antiretroviral therapy is stopped. We have also learned that there may be an important long-lived HIV reservoir outside the blood

compartment. Both patients have resumed therapy and are currently doing well. I am thankful for their commitment to research and our shared dedication in understanding this virus to benefit all HIV patients.” Bone marrow transplants have previously appeared to eliminate the HIV virus from a small number of patients, but the procedure is so risky and costly, and donors so rare, that it is not considered a viable therapy for

combatting HIV in the general population. The only person known to have had his or her HIV status reversed to date is Timothy Brown, the ‘Berlin patient’, who received a stem-cell transplant from a donor with a rare mutation that inhibits HIV’s ability to infect the body. In light of the recent findings, doctors advocate speaking of ‘remission’ rather than a ‘functional cure’ for people whose HIV status appears to have been reversed.

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Eight murders that gripped South Africa in 2013

| Over the course of 2013, South Africa saw some of the most brutal and mind-boggling murders in the world, Including the well documented case of Oscar Pistorius which is set to be the biggest trial in South African history in March 2014 By AYUB NOUINOU SECRECY, conspiracies and unsolved motives featured significantly in the murder cases that dominated headlines across South Africa over the course of 2013.

Griquatown family murders In the Griquatown murders trial, a 17-year-old boy stands accused of killing Griquatown farmer Deon Steenkamp, 44, his wife Christel, 43, and of raping and killing their daughter Marthella, 14. They were slain on their farm, Naauwhoek, near Griquatown, on Good Friday last year. The State alleges that the boy planned the murders because the daughter had threatened to tell her parents that he raped her. The case continues in March.

Oscar Pistorius shoots Reeva Steenkamp Possibly the most sensational case of the year was that of Oscar Pistorius, dubbed the Blade Runner. Filled with drama, celebrities, romance and allegations of jealousy and flared tempers, Pistorius’s application for bail, and the ongoing investigation, have been of interest around the world and are likely to continue to make headlines for months to come. The pre-dawn Valentine’s Day killing of Pistorius’s girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, took place in his upmarket home in Pretoria. Shortly afterwards, Pistorius claimed he had thought she was an intruder when he shot her through the toilet door. Police

took six months to investigate the shooting before charging him with murder and the unlawful possession of ammunition. The trial has been set down for 3 March 2014 in the North Gauteng High Court.

Judge killed by his wife One of the most astonishing trials was that of Johannesburg nurseturned-businesswoman Thandi Maqubela, who is awaiting her sentence from the courts after being arrested in November for the killing of her husband, Acting High Court Judge Patrick Maqubela, in June 2009. Right the way through her trial, Maqubela argued that her husband had died of natural causes. Numerous State witnesses testified that Maqubela was stimulated by her indignation at her husband’s unfaithfulness and that she was twisted on revenge. Ultimately, Judge John Murphy found that the medical proof could not decisively establish a cause of death, leaving the way in which the acting judge had died unexplained.

Rape of Anene Booysen in Bredasdorp Also in November, 22-year-old Johannes Kana was sentenced to two life terms in prison for the rape and murder of Bredasdorp teenager Anene Booysen. Seventeen-yearold Booysen was raped, battered and disembowelled on February 2 in the calm Overberg town. The crime stunned South Africans and the rest of the world. While Kana openly admitted to raping and

assaulting Booysen, he repudiated that he had disembowelled her and claimed there were no open wounds when he left the scene of the crime. However, he did not give evidence and, although convicted, there were many unrequited questions about his motives, with some wondering if others were involved.

Rosemary Theron murdered by her daughter A case filled with eccentricity and controversy was that of the death of Fish Hoek mother Rosemary Theron back in February. Theron was reported as missing to authorities in March and after several months, in September, her 19-year-old daughter, Phoenix Racing Cloud, together with her 18-year-old boyfriend Kyle Maspero were convicted for her murder. The pair shared the dock with 20-year-old Godfrey Scheepers, who purportedly confessed to authorities that he assisted in moving Theron’s dead body from a Fish Hoek veld near her residence to a dune in Baden Powell Drive, months after she was reported missing. The twosome, jointly with Scheepers, are set to make another court appearance again on 23 January 2014.

Stellenbosch academic dies in mysterious circumstances An additional intimately watched case is that of the murdered Stellenbosch academic Dr Louis Heyns, whose corpse was found in May, buried in a superficial grave off Beach Road in Strand. His vehicle, a Peugeot 308, was found at a Malmesbury scrapyard, on course to be butchered. Afterwards,

brothers Marthinus and Sarel van der Walt were convicted for his murder and the scrapyard proprietor, Juan Liedeman, was arrested for being an accessory after the fact and defeating the ends of justice.

Chanelle Henning gunned down by hitmen The trial into the murder of Chanelle Henning took a dramatic turn recently when her husband, Nico Henning, was fingered as having ordered her killing. Chanelle Henning was gunned down by two hitmen on a motorcycle in front of the Morningstar Montessori crèche in Faerie Glen, Pretoria, in November 2011, shortly after she

had dropped off her 5-year-old son. After two years of speculation that her estranged husband had ordered the hit on her, one of the men found guilty of her murder, Andre Gouws, said that Nico Henning had offered to pay R1 million to have her killed so that he could get custody of their son. Johan Kotze, the Modimolle Monster In the North Gauteng High Court this year the case of Johan Kotze, dubbed The Modimolle Monster, played out.Kotze and his three co-accused, Andries Sithole, Pieta Mohlake and Sello Mphaka, received three life sentences in July. Kotze’s ex-wife, Ina Bonnette, was attacked and tortured in Kotze’s Modimolle home on January 3 2012. Her son, Conrad Bonnette, was shot and killed in the house on the same day. Kotze and Sithole were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Conrad Bonnette. Mohlake and Mphaka were acquitted on the murder charge.

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TuksAlumni reunion in Richmond BY RONEL VAN ZYL

UNIVERSITY of Pretoria graduates recently gathered at the London Scottish rugby club in Richmond for a TuksAlumni reunion. The guest speakers were Wynand Claassen (President of TuksRugby Club and former Springbok captain), Dr Hinner Köster (Board Member of TuksAlumni) and Henry Windell (Chairman of TuksRugby Supporters’ Club). Speeches and drinks from these major figures of alumni and South African public life made for a memorable evening.

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South African Airways partners with Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund to raise money for hospital

| South African Airways, the national airline for South Africa, and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (UK) have partnered to offer the chance to win a holiday to South Africa whilst raising money for a good cause close to Mandela’s heart BY STAFF REPORTER SOUTH African Airways, the national airline for South Africa, and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (UK) have partnered to offer the chance to win a holiday to South Africa whilst raising money for a good cause close to Mandela’s heart. To celebrate the incredible life of Mandela and the last 20 years of freedom as well as the release of the film on his exceptional life journey, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, on 3rd January, the airline and charity are encouraging entries to a unique competition to win a holiday to South Africa by completing a short quiz (www. walktofreedomquiz.com). The prize, a seven night holiday to South Africa, takes in three amazing locations that featured in Mandela’s incredible life story and helped make his dream of freedom for his country come true. Gary Kershaw, GM UK&I for South African Airways said, “Nelson Mandela helped South Africa achieve freedom and through this partnership we hope to build this legacy by supporting the great work of the Fund.” South African Airways is also inviting participants to help raise money for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund to help realise another of Mandela’s dreams; to make a world-class healthcare available to the children of Southern Africa with a state-of-theart facility – the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. Entrants can donate funds to help build the hospital via email, and social media or by visiting the website www. walktofreedomquiz.com. Jon Danks, UK&I Head of Marketing for South African Airways said, “We are delighted to partner with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (UK) to raise awareness and funds for such an incredible cause. By creating this educational quiz, we hope to increase knowledge on the charity whilst offering one lucky person the chance to go and experience Mandela’s South Africa

for themselves.” South African Airways currently offers direct double daily flights between London Heathrow and Johannesburg and serves over 30 destinations within Africa on a fleet of Airbus A330 and A340s. The prize for the winner of the Walk To Freedom Quiz includes a pair of return South African Airways tickets from London to South Africa with connecting flights between Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg. Delivering a unique world-class experience every time with South Africa’s renowned warmth and hospitality, South African Airways brings the World to Africa and take Africa to the World. The prize also includes one luxury double room for two people sharing on a complimentary bed and breakfast basis, at the following Sun International Hotels & Resorts: The Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town Four nights at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town, opened by Mandela himself in 1997. The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town maintains Leading Hotels of the World status due to its excellent, innovative and international service; world-class cuisine; luxurious accommodation and beautiful setting. Set on the historic Victoria & Albert Waterfront, close to Sea Point and the City Centre, this 5 star luxury hotel is perfectly situated to take full advantage of Cape Town’s most incredible sights and conveniently positioned against the stunning backdrop of the working harbour, Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean. The Table Bay Hotel is also in good proximity to the airport as well as Cape Town’s best tourist attractions. The Boardwalk Hotel Two nights at the Boardwalk Hotel, a new 5 star luxury hotel in Port Elizabeth. Opened in December last year this hotel overlooks the Indian Ocean at the heart of Mandela bay.

TOP: Architect’s impression of NMCH BOTTOM: Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town

With panoramic views of golden beaches, restaurants and bars for every desire, live entertainment, casino, children’s activities and more, the Boardwalk is a premier casino and entertainment destination for holiday travel. Capturing charmingly the grace and detail of Victorian architecture whilst incorporating every modern convenience, the Boardwalk is a refreshing blend of refinement and urban vogue set against the azure backdrop of the Indian Ocean. The Maslow Hotel One night at the urban sanctuary, the Maslow Hotel, a new 4 star deluxe hotel in the heart of the Sandton retail district of Johannesburg, opened in January 2013. Offering a sophisticated bistro, a glass enclosed private dining room, an Africology Spa and an outdoor pool, The Maslow provides a unique experience with state-of-theart facilities. Each of the bedrooms are comfortable, elegantly designed and air-conditioned with extras such as flat screen TV, luxurious linen and deluxe amenities.

| 7 - 13 January 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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KAREN DE VILLIERS

Those New Year’s resolutions | Ten things I hope

to remember before the Macbeth month of February drags me down again.

NOTHING more optimistic than the beginning of a New Year. Clean slate, endless possibilities and of course, the resolutions. We make ‘em, we break ‘em and start

all over again, but at least we are embracing the positive. If I had to keep a list of all the resolutions over the past years, and how little I adhered to any of them, I could fill the Trevi fountain with coins for each one. So this year, instead of dreaming about career changes, weight loss and romance, I am taking the mellow route. These are a few things I hope to remember before the Macbeth month of February drags me down again. One – no it’s not don’t make any resolutions – but the most humbling of all. I am not invincible. Asking for help, admitting to failure does not mean I am weak, but human. The gods are up on Mount Olympus whilst I am plodding the path of humanity. I am allowed to fall down, as long as I know I need to get up again. Two – I am not indispensible. The world does not play along my rules and will not miss me when I am gone. Not God’s gift to anyone, but a gift from God nonetheless. Will try to make my mark on society but remember

my name will not linger when I am gone. Three – I will not walk past another with arrogance and pride. They too have their story and if I can help another stand up, it is my privilege to do so. Happiness becomes tenfold if another can share it with me. Four – I owe it to myself to be healthy and not be a burden with excuses to others. Five – I owe it to myself to dream. Dreamers are artists writing in the sky. If I can make even one come true, there is space for another, and another… Six – Knowledge is a present to myself. It can be gained from the streets, books and the past. Rather than say ‘I don’t know’, I will educate myself to bring about a better understanding of society and the world of which I am an integral part. I matter only if I make the effort to find my place in the world. I can make a difference. Seven – Open up my heart to the elderly. Their lives are still important. Their stories will be part of my education. Their

dignity is my responsibility. Look into the heart of a child and try to remember how exciting life was when I was one. Learn to play again. Eight – Make time for silliness and to be spontaneous. Learn to giggle. Nine – Stop feeding the monsters of celebrity and stupidity. Credit due to those who earned it by becoming an example to others.

Ten – Ignore labels of age, race and religion. Embrace differences and find a common thread to foster an understanding of the value of another’s life. Then of course there is the; drink less, stop swearing, stop smoking, start dieting. Keep up the gym, balance the chequebook and stay away from the Botox. These resolutions I think I’ll attempt next year – optimistic to the last!

Successful UK opening weekend for ‘Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom’ | The strong box office performance of the Nelson Mandela film came on the back of positive reviews from British critics BY STAFF REPORTER MANDELA: Long Walk To Freedom opened in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Friday 3 January on over 500 screens and is expected to gross over £1.5 million (R26 million) in its first three days of release. The film has already become an audience favourite in South Africa, with applause becoming the norm in public cinema screenings. IT was also expected to be one of the top 10 performers at the UK box office over the weekend. The strong box office performance comes on the back of positive reviews from UK critics. The Daily Telegraph said that the film,’achieved

grandeur… comprehensive and convincing’, the Daily Mail stated, ‘Idris Elba and Naomie Harris dazzle as Nelson and Winnie’ while The Guardian said, ‘powerfully portrayed… respectful without shying from the uglier truths’ and The Express said that the film was ‘handsomely made, absorbing and thought-provoking… tackles a huge subject with verve, pace and passion’. Producer Anant Singh commented, “This is indeed a formidable opening. The UK audience is a diverse one and the strong box office performance shows the wide appeal of the film.” Last month Mandela:

Long Walk To Freedom was nominated for three Golden Globe awards: Idris Elba received the nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his role as Nelson Mandela, Alex Heffes received the nomination for Best Original Score and U2 was nominated for the Best Original Song – “Ordinary Love” which was written especially for the film. The Golden Globe Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 12 January 2014 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, and, if Long Walk is successful there, odds will grow that Elba and Harris may win Oscars for their work.

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On stupid white people and Ubuntu | DISCO PANTS | It was one of those weird South African moments which illustrate how little understanding we have of one

another’s cultures and ways

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BY SUSAN HAYDEN So, last night at the Spur (two burgers for the price of one, and all) my husband and I are in the middle of an enthralling married people conversation about what screens to put up on the sides of our new deck when a good-looking young black guy in an expensive shirt comes over and sits down at our table. We look up in surprise and say hello and he says hello back. ‘How are you doing?’ I ask him. He says, ‘I’ve seen better days.’ I think (being a stupid white South African with no conception of Ubuntu) ‘oh no – here it comes. He lost his job and his wallet was stolen and he just needs R20 to get home. Or worse – he ordered the full size portion of ribs and now he wants us to pay.’ I wait. He says, ‘my friends are late.’ I say (with no small measure of relief), ‘ja, that’s Capetonians for you.’ He laughs, takes out his new Samsung and checks his facebook updates, while we self-consciously resume our conversation until it’s time to go. And it was one of those weird South African moments which illustrate how little understanding we have of one another’s cultures and ways. For we whiteys, joining someone else’s table would be unthinkable unless it was preceded by an explanation: ‘My friends are late and there aren’t any empty tables. Would you mind if I joined you for a while?’ Clearly, for him, such an explanation was unnecessary. Of course he can join us. He is a human being and we are human beings. And I was mortified with shame at having assumed what I did. But that’s how little we ‘get’ each other. And it reminded me of an incident a few years back when our nanny and cleaner (yes, the now infamous Nosipho) invited us to attend her birthday party on a Sunday afternoon in Khayelitsha. While we white folk know very well where Khayelitsha is because we drive past it en route to the winelands (irony intended) I honestly couldn’t think of one single white person who had ever been there. So, I asked around: ‘Have you ever been to Khayelitsha, and is it okay for four blonde chicks to go visiting a friend on a Sunday?’ The resounding response from white people was no, and don’t be mad, while black people ummed and aahed and said it’s probably okay if you know where you’re going,

but don’t get lost. Don’t get lost? I get lost in the city bowl. Anyhow. I knew that it meant the world to Nosipho that we showed up on her special day and that she had already told all her buddies we’d be coming, so on that given Sunday I piled myself, my mom and my two little girls into our Toyota Tazz and off we went. You can imagine what we looked like with our deer-inthe-headlight eyes crawling along narrow, dusty roads with not a street sign in sight behind groups of (what I imagined to be) tsotsis who turned around slowly and watched us as we passed. In my mind we were already newspaper headlines when we pulled up at a Spaza shop and phoned Nosipho to come rescue us. We were actually closer than we thought, and her grandson appeared and showed us the way to her house. It was already full to capacity with friends and neighbours, some of whom had come to see the crazy madams for themselves. It was an extraordinary afternoon, and one I will never forget. As Nosipho was a hardened feminist and had less than no time for the men of the world, the house was filled with women of all ages, dressed to the nines for the party of the year. Not being Xhosa speakers, we were handicapped and could only contribute so much to the conversations, but we were received with grace, respect and wholehearted acceptance as we joined the table and partook of a feast of fried chicken and stewed meat and salads and drinks followed by every dessert imaginable. And the women sang, song after song, their voices rising up in perfect harmony – proud women, poor women who had seen heartache and suffering beyond our wildest imaginings. They sang their pain, their tragedies and their hope while we sat there, stupefied, trying to fight back our tears. Being Women’s Day, the 9th of August, that place we found ourselves on a sunny Sunday afternoon somewhere in a South African township couldn’t have been more fitting. And another thing that amazed us was the gifts. Some of these women hadn’t worked for a long time and relied on the

handouts of neighbours for their survival, yet the generosity of what they gave to Nosipho – Woolworths vouchers worth R500, expensive towels and linen, imported beauty products – made us feel ashamed of the relative cheapness of what we, the rich ones, had bought for her. And then, as the afternoon started to wind down, we were taken on

a tour of the neighbourhood. Her friends wanted to show us the homes of which they were so proud. There must have been thirty people, at least, forming a procession up the road being followed by children, curious hangers-on and stray dogs. And then, once we had seen the houses of her guests, we started on the other houses. Nosipho didn’t even knock, just marched straight in, followed by her entourage. People were cooking, watching soccer, taking a nap, and they all got up, said their greetings and offered us something to drink or eat. Nobody seemed annoyed or put out in the slightest. And I thought to myself, imagine this in Clifton or Camps Bay – a troop of people letting themselves into other

people’s homes and being received warmly and offered tea. It was an amazing day and it taught me a thing or two and I wish we did stuff like that more – moved out of our comfort zones and tried to understand the different people who make up this country. Because until we do we’re going to be stuck and never move on from the past. As we drove home towards Table Mountain with the sun in our eyes I felt nothing but gratitude for that experience, and for the gift of being a South African and the opportunities for growth and learning that this astonishing country presents. If only we would be better at taking them. Read more of Susan’s thoughts on discopantsblog.com/

| 7 - 13 January 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Visiting Cape Town this year? Your World Design Capital highlights

| The Mother City will spend 2014 showcasing the formidable

creativity of our country and continent. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Cape Town during its mandate as World Design Capital, look out for the following art and design events of international standard by BRETT PETZER THE most salient aspect of Cape Town’s year as World Design Capital is how much the designation has changed meaning with its arrival in Africa. The previous capitals - Helsinki, Seoul and Torino - are all in the rich world, and all the seat of globally recognised design brands, with products familiar to billions of people - think Nokia, LG, Samsung or Italian textiles and fashion. Cape Town is not nearly in that league, but it hopes to be. It could be, as access of African creators to markets and manufacturing grows. Therefore, for the first time, the World Design Capital designation is made more to the city Cape Town would become; it’s a nudge towards a certain future, a prophecy thatthe design world hopes will prove self-fulfilling. The energy of Cape Town’s year of design is therefore going to be more urgent and more exuberant; the stakes are also higher. The city, already well-

accustomed to accusations of elitism or of not being sufficiently pro-poor, must show that design can really ‘transform life’, as the slogan has it. To do this, it will be necessary, by December 2014, to show that some lives really were changed by design. Coffee shops, high-end furniture, film shoots and objets d’ art are not enough, when the ways South Africans could benefit from better design are so easily visible from the N2 highway: the cities of Mzansi need better and more innovative housing and transport, both private and public; they need opportunities to generate power and grow food independently in urban and rural contexts, and they need jobs. This transformation will take time, and the best way to foster it is for South Africans both at home and abroad to engage critically and cleverly with the process - to attend, to buy what pleases you (especially if it’s locally and sustainably made), and to think about how our consumption

choices - in where we travel, what we eat and wear, and how we furnish our homes - can be a robust part of the design-led transformation of Cape Town and the country. If you’re lucky enough to be spending some time in the Mother City in 2014, here are some of the highlights from the city’s 450-event calendar along the four themes of ‘African Innovation. Global Conversation’, ‘Bridging the Divide’, ‘Today for Tomorrow’ and ‘Beautiful Spaces. Beautiful Things’: Guild Presented by Southern Guild, the Guild design fair will introduce highly respected design authorities and work from the USA, Scandinavia, South America, Britain and Europe to an African audience. 27 February - 9 March 100% Design South Africa The world-renowned design exhibition will be the largest showcase of contemporary design in Africa. Local and international designers will be invited to exhibit the best residential, hospitality, office and product design in SA. 25 - 28 April | Design Indaba A celebration of design diversity, the annual Design Indaba Conference features the best of global creativity under one roof. Conference: 26 - 28 February | Expo: 28 February - 2 March iKhaya le Langa iKhaya le Langa supports a number of co-dependent enterprises and projects. The ‘Langa Quarter’ is a business development precinct made up of 13 streets housing 7,000 people. Exhibition of Architectural Submissions: April Infecting the City A free, public arts festival that brings artistic excellence and thought-provoking performances out of theatres and galleries and into the streets of Cape Town. 11 - 15 March Mercedes Benz Cape Town Fashion Week MBFW Cape Town is African Fashion International’s Spring/ Summer fashion platform, which takes place annually in July/August. Download the full programme of over 450 official events at http://wdccapetown2014.com/ docs/507/WDC-ProgrammeCalendar-2014.pdf

1 and 2: Cape Town City Hall transformed by a light show during the New Year’s Eve countdown | 3: Cheik Diallo chair, on show at Guild | 4: The V&A Clocktower in WDC colours | 5: Sandals from the Township® fashion label | 6: Artist’s impression of the Zeitz MOCAA Museum, at the Waterfront - a museum-quality pavilion has already opened, with the rest of the museum to folow after renovation s in 2016

thesouthafrican.com | 7 - 13 January 2014 |

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South Africa tipped to become future African internet leader | South Africa and Morocco could become leaders in driving the growth of the internet in Africa, according to a new report by global consulting firm McKinsey which predicts that the internet’s contribution to economic growth on the continent will increase dramatically over the next decade BY STAFF REPORTER ACCORDING to the report, released on Wednesday, the continent, following a decade of rapid urbanisation and strong economic growth, is going digital. “While just 16 percent of the continent’s one-billion people are online, that picture is changing rapidly,” says McKinsey. Africa’s “iGDP” - the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) that is contributed by internetrelated activity - currently stands at 1.1 percent, just over half the levels seen in other emerging markets and well below the average of 3.7 percent in developed economies. Africa’s internet potential This is set to change over the next decade, the report argues, envisaging a “baseline scenario” in which the continent’s iGDP grows to at least 5 to 6 percent of GDP, matching that of leading economies such as Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. However, if internet take-up mirrors that of mobile telephony in Africa, growth could be much more dramatic. “To put the internet’s potential for Africa in perspective, it is helpful to consider the impact of the mobile phone, which has revolutionised the way individuals interact and the way SMEs, farmers, and informal traders operate,” the reports states.

“As a result, mobile revenue is equivalent to 3.7 percent of GDP in Africa, more than triple its share in developed economies, where it was an incremental innovation.” Under this “leapfrog scenario”, McKinsey predicts, Africa’s iGDP could account for as much as 10 percent of total GDP - or about US$300-billion - by 2025, with increased internet penetration and use driving private consumption 13 times higher than current levels.” Internet growth drivers “Demographic trends - including urbanization, rising incomes, and a huge generation of young, techsavvy Africans - will drive this growth,” the report continues. “More than half of urban African consumers already have internet-capable devices. Basic smartphones have already fallen below the ‘tipping point’ of $100 per unit, and companies are introducing new affordable models specifically geared to the African market. “Africa’s smartphone penetration, currently at 2 to 5 percent, could reach 50 percent in leading countries and 30 percent overall. This translates into 300-million new smartphones being sold in Africa in the decade ahead. PC, laptop, and tablet penetration could double, to 40 percent.” Most African countries have strategies for information

communications technology in place, including plans to move key processes such as benefit payments and tax filing online, and introduce digital health and education initiatives. If governments fully implement these plans, McKinsey argues, Africa’s public-sector spending on internetrelated initiatives could rise sharply by 2025. “Private investment, too, is likely to increase significantly as telecommunications operators continue to build out networks and as more companies begin digitizing their operations.” Morocco, South Africa ‘poised to lead’ Among McKinsey’s sample of 14 African countries, Senegal and Kenya currently lead the way with iGDP figures of 3.3 percent and 2.9 percent respectively, followed by Morocco (2.3), Mozambique (1.6) and South Africa (1.4). Senegal and Kenya’s success is attributed in large part to government policy and its successful implementation. “Both governments have made it a priority to stimulate internet demand and have therefore driven private consumption, which accounts for more than 85 percent of iGDP in each country.” Morocco and South Africa, by comparison, have lower contributions from private consumption, but are the

leaders in trade surplus, thanks to strong business process outsourcing industries, and have a higher contribution from public expenditure and private investment. However, the report finds, Morocco and South Africa could become future leaders on the continent, as they have the highest “i5F scores” - that is, the highest scores on five pillars that indicate internet growth potential or readiness: national ICT strategy, infrastructure, a healthy business environment, financial capital, and human capital with the requisite

technology skills. “Already Morocco has the highest internet penetration in Africa (and recently announced a 10-year plan to create universal broadband access), while preliminary 2013 data indicate that South Africa’s internet adoption is rapidly accelerating,” McKinsey states. “To fully leverage these advantages, both countries may need to strengthen infrastructure, cultivate ICT skills in their workforce, and sharpen their national ICT strategies.” - Southafrica.info

The state of the SA mining industry and SA moves back into impact of the 2014 elections - UK Event surplus as SADC exports are included for first time | Whither mining after what could be a watershed election? BY STAFF REPORTER

THE University of Cape Town Trust UK invites alumni and all other South Africans to a lecture in London on “The state of the mining industry in South Africa and the impact of the 2014 elections” by Professor Francis Petersen, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at UCT. A graduate of the University of Stellenbosch, where he obtained Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees, Prof Petersen has been a recipient of the Researcher of the Year and the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Awards for research excellence. Formerly Executive Head of Strategy at Anglo American Platinum, Prof Petersen has extensive experience of management at various levels within the university and industry sectors, and has played a key role in various initiatives within higher education, industry and science councils.

BY BRETT PETZER

He is the founder of the first cohort of industry research organisations in the minerals and energy sectors, and has been actively involved in strategic planning with regards to R & D in the science and technology sector, joint venture formation and scenario development. Professor Petersen serves on various national and international technical, editorial and advisory committees, and has consulted widely to the South African chemical and metallurgical process industries. Prof Petersen also held the post of Executive Vice-President: Research and Development at Mintek, and was appointed Dean at UCT in 2008. Prof Petersen is a member of the South African Minister of Science & Technology’s National Advisory Council on Innovation, chairman of the Board of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and a former chairman of the Investment

Committee of the Innovation Fund. He is a non-executive director on the Boards of the Royal Bafokeng Platinum and Pragma Holdings. He is a member of an international panel on sustainability for Anglogold Ashanti, a former advisor to the Anglo American Platinum Beneficiation Fund. He is a member of the University of Cape Town’s Council, and was recently appointed to the Board of the World Design Capital 2014.

Date: Wednesday 15 January 2014 Time: 6.30pm Venue: Goldman Sachs, Peterborough Court, 133 Fleet Street, London Tickets: £15 each [Tea/coffee will be served] RSVP: uct.alumni.uk@tecres. net to purchase tickets and request payment instructions.

FOLLOWING a change in the way in which South Africa’s international trade is calculated, the country achieved a trade surplus in November 2013 (the last month for which figures are available). This means that South Africa exported R770 million (USD 72 million) more in value than it imported in the second-last month of 2013. This is welcome news to the country’s embattled manufacturers, who have contended with depressed consumer demand and lacklustre export growth for the past five years – while per-capita annual GDP growth, according to Fitch Ratings, hovered under 1 per cent. The trade surplus follows on from October’s R12.4 billion deficit, but the swing is not as significant as it first appears. Before November, neighbouring states like Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland – whose economies largely depend on South African exports of everyday products and key

commodities – were not included in South Africa’s official export calculations. Despite the recent surplus, however, South Africa’s trade deficit has nearly doubled yearon-year to almost R75 billion (or 360 Nkandlas) as mining and manufacturing continue to post slow growth figures. South Africa’s exports of services to the rest of the world, a potential growth area identified by the National Growth Plan, have also failed to grow, hampered by complex labour laws, red tape and woeful access to world-class internet.

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| 7 - 13 January 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

South Africa’s BBB rating places it in the neighbourhood of giants like Brazil, Russia and India in credit terms on this May 2013 map of Standard & Poor’s Credit Ratings (Wikipedia)

South Africa’s credit rating stable – but watch this space

| Fitch Ratings, one of the world’s largest credit ratings agencies, kept South Africa’s rating steady this week despite ongoing concern about the economy’s failure to grow – and, in particular, to grow in a way that creates jobs

BY BRETT PETZER FITCH Ratings, one of the world’s largest credit ratings agencies, kept South Africa’s rating steady this week despite ongoing concern about the economy’s failure to grow – and, in particular, to grow in a way that creates jobs. Credit ratings are one of the important ways in which a country’s ability to borrow money is priced; low debt ratings (AAA+) mean that a country like Switzerland is able to borrow money cheaply, because of the near-certainty that it will be paid back on time. The BBB rating places South Africa in the neighbourhood of crisis-affected

countries like Spain and Ireland. Fitch maintained South Africa’s credit rating at BBB for foreign bonds and long-term foreign currency issuer default ratings. Local-currency issuer default ratings and bonds remain at BBB+. The South African Treasury greeted the news with calm (that may well hide a measure of relief). The Treasury called the judgment ‘fair’, especially in an economic cycle in which many countries are still struggling to emerge with any real success from the 2008 crash. Fitch noted the inherent strength and flexibility of South Africa’s financial system and the broader

economy. That South Africa’s debt was denominated in Rands and matured over an average of nearly 10 years complemented the overall low debt ratio. However, as ordinary South Africans well know, all these sound basics are increasingly strained by social and economic tensions, which has burgeoned in the last decade. The Fitch report noted that per-capita GDP growth in the five years to 2013 had averaged an anaemic 0.8 per cent – in the long or even medium-term, this is clearly an unsustainable rate of growth for a country with social divisions as sharp as ours.

Digital TV a boon for the animation industry

| South Africa’s migration from analogue to digital television is likely to promote a new flowering of inspired and imaginative animation By ROMAANA NAIDOO LOCAL animators will soon reap the benefits of South African television broadcasting going fully digital from 2015, as free-to-air television, such as the SABC and independent e.tv channels, is in the final stages of phasing out analogue signals. Stuart Forrest, chief executive officer at Triggerfish Animation Studios says, “Digital TV in South Africa means there are more channels for us to place our shows on, effectively increasing our audiences. “This will give the average viewer a lot more choice and thus will give them a greater chance of seeing the work that we do…. In the end though, it will be good for the viewers and producers.” According to the Financial Mail, free-to-air television is currently in the final stages of phasing out analogue signals and replacing it with digital ones. This is scheduled to take place from 2015 with the

help of government through its proposed digital terrestrial TV service. This will ensure clearer pictures and space for more channels, since one analogue channel takes up the space of eight digital channels. The change will allow local animations services room to grow says Paul Meyer, managing director at animation studio Luma. He says some R1billion is currently spent annually on animation in the country. “If we can get multiple film projects running at the same time, as well as big visual-effect productions being finished in SA, it will drive growth. “Animation is always going to grow. The more screens we have, the more animation is needed; whether it is used on an airport screen or as high-end entertainment content.” Hummingbird Group managing director, Bridget Scarr, told the Financial Mail that she hopes local

Adventures in Zambezia was just one recent global hit animation film made in South Africa

broadcasters look at animation as a commercial business. “Studios will create new models to suit the market requirements and the amount spent on animation will grow as the demand for betterquality local content increases.” - southafrica.info

thesouthafrican.com | 7 - 13 January 2014 |

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Where There’s a Will There’s a Way

| You could place all your hard-earned wealth at risk by simply not making a valid Will

by PAUL FLUDE DEATH is certain and brings enough grief without the extra problems your family will face if you die without a Will or if your Will is invalid or inadequate. If it’s the last thing you do, ensure that you have drawn the one legal document that will have the biggest affect on the lives of your family once you’re gone. This article focuses on the value and importance of a Will. Paul Flude is a practising Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, based in London as Head of Private Client at A City Law Firm. He is a specialist in SA-UK Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning and the winding up of Deceased Estates (Probate) in global jurisdictions. Insight 1 Write a Will – it is the most important document you will ever make Some wag once remarked: “Where there’s a Will, there’s a relative”. In my experience of drawing many Wills and winding up many Deceased Estates over the years, I have come to the conclusion that your Will is without a doubt the most important document of your life. Ponder this: all other documents can be revised, cancelled, amended and interpreted by the author, but on death the Will is final. Most people associate the drawing of their Will with death and regard it as a morbid chore. I have been faced with situations where people delay making their Will to literally the last few hours

of their life or when they are about to embark on a journey or are preparing for an operation. This is not recommended. If you die without a valid Will or if the Will was poorly drafted in haste or signed incorrectly, you will die intestate. A well-drawn Will, together with expert legal and estate planning advice, facilitates the smooth and efficient liquidation of your Estate and gives you and your family peace of mind, ensuring that your wishes are respected. A well-drawn Will ensures that your Estate will be distributed quickly to your heirs on your death and means that a host of practical problems are dealt with in advance. Dying without a Will always leaves complications for your family. Failing to make a Will is selfish; it leaves your family with a financial and personal mess to clear up, it could severely prejudice your business or property interests and even worse, it could have a detrimental effect on your minor children.

Protect yourself from immigration scams BY STAFF REPORTER

BIC frequently receives queries from persons who are offered jobs in the UK on Tier 2 work permits, with benefits that almost sound too good to be true. How can one be sure it is not a scam? It is important to keep in mind that there are a number of Tier 2 employment scams going around. The scammers are not UK employers and the employment being offered does not exist, neither does the supposed UK employer. The applicants are asked to pay the UK Home Office fees to the supposed UK employer, together with courier and other administrative fees. As soon as the monies are paid over, they are never heard of again. Please follow the following caveats: Be wary if a job is being offered to you and no formal job interview took place. Be wary if you are asked to pay over any monies for UK Home

Office fees. Application fees for entry clearance will not be paid by the employer, but by the applicant directly to the UK Home Office. In fact, be wary if you are asked to pay over any monies! Make sure the company offering the job is legit, by doing a background check on them. This can be done by asking around amongst UK friends or family, or at the very least doing an internet search. Please feel free to speak to one of our consultants for more information. JP Breytenbach Director of BIC, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited. www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com For more information, please contact our offices at info@bicimmigration.com or phone us in London on 0845 074 0514.

Insight 2 Get a professional to draw your Will – it’s not too expensive You may write your own Will or get one from the stationers, but it makes sense to get it drawn up by a professional who is able to reflect your wishes in a clear and unambiguous manner in a legal format. Completing a stationers’ pre-printed form incorrectly may have disastrous consequences and the Will may be invalid and unenforceable. A professional will give you advice on how to deal with your business and property interests and on succession planning. A professional will advise you how to order your affairs to minimize Inheritance Tax (Estate Duty in South Africa) and other taxes, such as Capital Gains Tax and also give you advice about creating a Trust in your Will or utilizing an existing Trust as part of your Estate Plan. If you are still “resident” in South Africa (that is, not formally emigrated) you will be liable for Estate Duty on all assets, including

foreign held assets. A professionally planned Will (or having more than one Will to cover multiple jurisdictions) can avoid potential problems, add significant value to your Estate and provide more cash and assets for your heirs. Since a Will is a legal document, the best professional to assist you is an attorney or solicitor, preferably one who is a specialist in Wills, Probate and Estate Planning. It need not be too expensive; most solicitors charge a reasonable (nominal) fee for drafting a straightforward Will. A higher fee may be charged where complex Tax and Estate Planning is required, but the savings may be vast and far outweigh the timebased professional fee. Insight 3 Make provision for an Executor and Legal Guardian and if you appoint a professional Executor, discuss the fee (and if possible agree a fixed fee)

A Will must provide for the appointment of an Executor (the responsible person who carries out your wishes in your Will) and a Guardian (for your minor children). If you do not make a Will, there will not only be a delay in the appointment of these people, but these positions may even be filled by a person nominated by the Court, incurring potentially expensive legal costs in the process. The UK authorities may not recognize the Guardians nominated in a South African Will; therefore a separate UK Will is recommended. It takes time to administer an Estate and it is often fraught with difficulties. You can often be placed in a conflict situation with heirs (who may be your family). Acting as an Executor should not be taken lightly. An Executor is personally liable for their actions and often control assets of significant value. You must ensure that the person named as Executor can be trusted implicitly (remember, you will be dead and they will have access to all your assets, so this point cannot be overstressed). It makes sense to appoint a professional person to administer the Estate and act as Executor. The best partnership is a spouse/civil partner with a professional as co-Executor. This also saves costs. There are some solicitors who are willing to work on a fixed fee basis for Probate work. “Make a will, take control of your life and don’t take chances with the future of those you love the most”. For more information about Wills, Trusts, Deceased Estates, Estate Planning & Relocations for global South Africans, contact Paul Flude at paul@paulflude.com or telephone 075 5790 1355.

Rand slowly slipping to five year low

| Expats travelling home to Mzansi for the African summer have struck it lucky as the buying power of the Britsh pound and the Aussie, Kiwi, Canadian and American dollars have soared against the Rand. However, the impact on South Africa’s economy overall may be brutal if confidence in emerging currencies remains low BY CHRIS DAVIS THE Rand has been slowly slipping to one its lowest performances in over 5 years. The fall in the Rand can still be attributed to the 2013 strike action, which hit major sectors of mining and manufacturing alike. The serious of strikes had a big impact on output, denting investor confidence and showing a 23% decline in the Rand against the US Dollar. The political turmoil in Turkey recently has also had a bearing on the Rand. Investors, who often favour riskier emerging markets, have been purchasing US Dollars. Ion de Vleeschauwer, chief dealer at Bidvest Bank, indicated that South Africa is now also taking a knock as we are potentially

viewed in the same emerging market group. Investors will be keeping a keen eye on the US Non-Farm payroll data which will be released this week. This will give an indication of the strength of the US economy and the speed of the much discussed reduction in the Fed bond–buying stimulus programme. If further strike action in South Africa is to occur, one can only speculate the Rand to slip further. GBP / ZAR: 17.517 EUR / ZAR: 14.577 USD / ZAR: 10.713 AUD / ZAR: 9.587 Exchange rates as of 11:57 (GMT), 06 January 2014 :: Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer

money to or from South Africa then please register/login on our website, or call us for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the South African exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for. Brought to you by

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CHICHESTER BILTONG COMPANY BILTONG doesn’t get any better than this ! Arguably the best and most authentic South African biltong in the UK. WE ONLY USE ORGANIC SPICES. Our FINEST range has no e’S , gluten, sugar or preservatives. Use promo code SAFFA10 for 10% EXTRA FREE. www.biltongcompany.co.uk / 01243 699 722 ST MARCUS One of the most amazing emporia the capital offers to the carnivorous gourmet. People have been flocking to St. Marcus for their amazing range of Biltong & Boerewors Visit us at: 1-3 Rockingham Close, Priory Lane, off Upper Richmond Road West, Roehampton, London SW15 5RW Call us at: 0208 878 1898 Online: www.biltongstmarcus.co.uk sales@biltongstmarcus.co.uk

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SA SHOP DIRECTORY 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 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 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 KALAHARI MOON The Southern African Shop in Bristol. Wide range of stock including excellent boerewors and biltong. Centrally situated, friendly service. Connecting South Africans. Tel: 0117 929 9879 Address: 88 - 91 The Covered Market. st Nicholas Market, Corn Street, Bristol, BS1 1JQ Email: Info@kalaharimoon.co.uk Website: www.kalaharimoon.co.uk 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

SHEBEEN BAR Edinburgh’s only South African bar has opened in Leith. A unique, stylish bar with something for everyone,delivered by experience and friendly staff. As expected we stock a large range of South African beers, wines, ciders and snacks, including a classic selection of cocktails and Dom Pedros. Opening hours are from 12pm to 1am. Come down and enjoy a true taste of Africa. 3-5 Dock Place, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6LU. 0131 554 9612.

FOODS4YOU Whether you like to create an incentive program for your employees or corporate gifts at special times or throughout the year. Foods4U – Corporate Services Division is there to assist and help you maintain your critical internal and external business. sales@foods4u.co.uk Unit 22 / 24 Manford Ind. Estate, +44 (0) 87 00 33 2130, Manor Road, Erith, Kent, DA8 2AJ.

THE SPRINGBOK CAFÉ The Springbok Café offers traditional South African food, wine and beers served with a smile in a friendly atmosphere. All this plus the option to grab your favourite S.A. groceries before you leave after relaxing and kuierring with us for a while. The Springbok Café` Ltd, 1 East Reach, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3EN, 01823 254966,thespringbokcafe.co.uk

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 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

Tel: 0208 878 1898 www.biltongstmarcus.co.uk Email sales@stmarcus.co.uk

Gold Medal Winners for Beef Biltong and Boerewors 1998. Triple Crown Winners 2010 Ostrich * Kudu * Springbok * The South African 1-3 Rockingham Close Priory Lane, Roehampton London SW15 5RW

21c Holmethorpe Avenue Holmethorpe Industrial Estate, Redhill, Surrey RH1 2NB

thesouthafrican.com | 7 - 13 January 2014 |

Travel

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Malta: ancient and modern, British and Phoenician | This sunny island steeped in history is a lot more than picturesque. The Maltese have held their own for centuries, and offer the modern visitor a cohesive culture alive with echoes of every part of the Mediterranean. And, as one might expect for a country named for the Greek word for honey, food-lovers are in for an especially good time by BRETT PETZER MALTA stands apart among the islands of the Mediterranean. The kind of skills that kept this small island and its 400,000 people - as many as live in Cardiff - intact through centuries of invasion and occupation are still evident in the bustle of the capital city, Valletta, and in the quality of life and food that await the (delighted) visitor. Far from dolce far niente despite its bucolic landscape and tiny, picturesque harbours, Malta’s gallantry in the Second World War, when the island was besieged for two years, was such that the entire island was awarded the George Cross by King George VI - which the island promptly added to its flag. Indeed, the British influence on the island is still relatively strong: English is widely and fluently spoken, not as a foreign language but as a tongue that has existed on the island for long enough (Malta was British between 1814 and 1964) to become thoroughly Maltese. The language issue means that Anglophone visitors can dig in deep to the way of life and the perspective of these islands, which joined the EU in 2004. Malta, far more than a sun, sand and citadels destination, is also somewhere many South Africans and Britons have chosen as a place to live and work. The strange familiarity of the place came home to me as a traveller from my first day, walking the compact streets of Valletta, the only city of any size in this country the size of the Isle of Wight. Valletta offers an immense range of architecture for its size, as everyone from the Phoenicians - who are believed to have given Malta its entirely unique language - to modern hotel chains have had a hand in building it. And yet the city teems with history, in sandstone and marble as well as concrete. What the buildings may lack in flair (the beautiful Baroque church at Mellieħa excepted) they make up in sturdiness: the Rotunda of St Marija Assunta is the third largest dome in Europe, yet it held its own one afternoon when a 200kg Luftwaffe bomb pierced the dome and fell among a congregation of 300 Maltese at worship. It didn’t go off, somehow, and the bomb is preserved at the church to this day. Continuing through Valletta, my admiration for the island and its tough but deeply hospitable people grew. And yet, how little I knew: I hadn’t even got to the gorgonzola gnocchi yet. Malta’s cuisine, as

we sampled at literally tens of cafés (it seems a sin not to eat at least hourly) is like a Greatest Hits tour of the Mediterranean - and, well, the UK. Sicilian, Maghrebin and Provençal influences predominate, with pastries, pasta and the ubiquitous stewed or fried rabbit (fenkata) as the national dish. It took a few tries to find fenkata I could really get into: rabbit is somewhat of an acquired taste, for me, but once I found it done with a fiery sauce, I was hooked. In the mornings, we would set off to explore the nearly three thousand years of continuous history that Malta and its smaller neighbour, Gozo, showcase: prehistoric forts, still-crisp Roman masonry, imppressive Crusader and Byzantine fortifications. From midday to early afternoon, we would take scooters from

| TOP: A fertile landscape bursting with food in central Malta; BELOW: A pier on turquoise waters; BOTTOM: café life in Valletta

café to café until the little Vespas began to sag under the weight of linguine. In the afternoons, when it was slightly cooler, we would hit the beaches, if ‘beaches’ is the word for something on the scale of the Blue Lagoon at Comino,

where the almost Technicolor waters have served as the setting for many big-budget films about longing and exile, such as 2002’s The Count of Monte Cristo. Malta offers a safe, clean and deeply layered holiday experience

that, while far from cheap, offers a good memories made/Euros spent ratio. It has been around for thousands of years, so there’s no rush, but honestly, your only regret once you’ve been there will be not going sooner. 5 stars.

Zimbabwe Community

| 7 - 13 January 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

‘The 51:49 rule will henceforth apply to all businesses’ – Zim Indigenisation Minister | Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister Francis Nhema has made clear that Zimbabwean black ownership of the Zim economy would expand, no matter what and that no sector will be exempt from redistribution by fiat by BRETT PETZER IN a move that is as sure to please his party’s populist wing as it is to strike fear into the hearts of investors, a senior Zimbabwean government minister responsible for the eventual indigenisation of the nation’s economy - such that the majority of all businesses are ultimately owned by black Zimbabweans - has announced that no sector of the economy will be exempt from the ‘51:49’ rule. The rule takes it name from the ratio of Zimbabwean businesses which must be reserved for black ownership - 51%, to be transferred without compensation in most cases. A maximum of 49% of Zimbabwean businesses may be owned by foreigners and Zimbabwean whites in terms of the Mugabe government’s indigenisation legislation, which took effect in 2011. Minister Nhema underlined his administration’s commitment to seeing these targets become a lived reality for Zimbabweans, who face an unemployment rate north of 90% following the former African breadbasket’s economic and fiscal collapse in the early 2000s. Nhema also stated that new applications for business would be skewed in favour of black Zimbabweans while foreigners

would only be considered for business licenses in critical sectors, with the proviso that they show a commitment to indigenisation in the immediate future. “They (foreign businesses) identify partners of their own and they give us the schedule on how they are going to shed the 51 percent,” said the Minister. “They will have to indicate to us how those partners would buy the shares. But they must make sure that 10 percent is given to the employees. We want the 51 percent to be availed to a number of indigenous Zimbabweans in the spirit of broad-based empowerment. We cannot have an individual taking over all the shares. But if an indigenous Zimbabwean starts a business

in those sectors but sell about 30 percent of their shares to a foreigner, we have no problem with that” explained Nhema. The announcement, while not unexpected, has nonetheless caused controversy, as leading Zimbabwean businesspeople in key sectors had come to depend on a certain leniency in the implementation of Indigenisation policies in exchange for a commitment to transformation at a gentler pace. Nhema’s stance, however, denies that foreigners and whites are being victimised, but leading expatriate and minority businesspeople and investors concur that the measures appear to be unevently applied, with the Harare regime’s political allies escaping most requirements.

thesouthafrican.com | 7 - 13 January 2014 |

Sport

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Upcoming Touch and Active Touch Leagues for 2014 in London | With many more Touch leagues happening across London in 2014 there will be lots of great competitions, one day tournaments and fun social events throughout the year on the pitch at all times and up website. One of the best and most BY TRACY ANDREW THE first Active Touch League will start the week commencing the 20th January 2014. We will be running one league on Monday evenings at Canary Wharf and another two leagues on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Wandsworth. Active Touch is a new indoor game and is a cross between Netball, Rugby, Touch and Football. It is played at an indoor arena or on a basketball court with four mixed players on each team. The players find it a great way to keep fit when it’s cold outside and maintain their skill levels through the winter period. For more information on the rules of Active Touch, or just to have a look at how it is played visit www. in2touch.com The Winter touch league will commence on Sunday 16th February at Clapham Common. There will be three different divisions; Men’s, Mixed and Ladies. Registrations for this league are now open and the league runs for eight weeks. You can register a team of up to 14 players, or if you don’t have a team you can register as an individual and we can place you in a team for the season. To register visit the In2Touch website (www.in2touch.com) or send an email to tracy@in2touch. com Touch is played with six players

to eight rolling substitutes. For a mixed team you must have a minimum of two girls on the pitch at all times. Touch is a minimal contact sport with just the slightest touch on the player or the ball counting as a touch. Each team has six touches to try and score a touchdown. Touch is played at many different levels; from the very social to representing your country at the Touch World Cup. The next Touch World Cup will take place in Australia, the birth place of Touch, in 2015. This competition is gearing up to be the best World Cup yet as countries from around the world take on the two toughest teams, Australia and New Zealand. The Spring and Summer months are the busiest times for touch as the warmer weather allows team mates to socialise more freely over a drink after the games. The Spring season will start around late April and Summer will begin in early July (exact dates to be confirmed) with both leagues lasting eight weeks. There are various leagues around London with many different divisions such as Regents Park, Richmond, Surrey Quays, Putney/Wandsworth, Clapham/ Wandsworth and Clapham Common. Registration for these leagues will open shortly. In2Touch run various day tournaments throughout the year. Teams can enter through our

How did the Proteas fare in 2013? BY JEREMY BORTZ

OVERALL, the Proteas will look back favourably on 2013. In the longer format of the game, they ended the year where they began: as the top-ranked side in the world. Series wins at home against New Zealand and Pakistan at the beginning of the year were comprehensive with the scoreboard reading played five, won five. After an extended seven-month period of inactivity, the Proteas were rusty in their first Test against Pakistan in the UAE and were outplayed for virtually the entire Test. They came back, however, to win the second Test and extend their unbeaten away record to an incredible eight years. They last suffered a series defeat away from home in Sri Lanka in July-August 2006. The year ended with a gutsy and hard-fought series win against India on the back of an epic drawn first Test at the Wanderers and a crushing 10 wicket win at Kingsmead in the second. That win was especially pleasing after four previous losses at the ground. Underpinning these results were consistency of selection. Outside of the spin department where Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson swapped starting positions, the only changes

were those enforced through injury. That consistency has been rocked with the retirement of Jacques Kallis; undisputedly one of South Africa’s greatest ever players and filling this irreplaceable void will be a key issue for the team going forward. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Proteas recorded confidence-boosting wins away from home against Pakistan and at home against the number one ranked ODI side to leave fans frustrated and confused. Personnel wise, the side looks more settled at the end of the year than it did at the beginning. Quinton de Kock cemented his place at the top of the order with three consecutive hundreds against India, only the fourth player in the history of the game to do so, while the return of Dale Steyn is hugely significant. Much like 2013, 2014 will see the Proteas play far too little cricket. There is no cricket until February when Australia visit for three Tests and three T20’s. The World Twenty20 follows in late March before another lengthy break until July when Zimbabwe are scheduled to tour. The year then concludes with a visit by the West Indies. Here’s to February!

popular day tournaments is the In2Touch Social World which is held in August/September. Each team must dress up as a country they are allocated. For example if your team is representing Australia players could dress up as Kangaroos or Crocodile Dundee. Teams play throughout the day in their outfits, and socialise with all the other teams, making for a fun day out. But make sure you register early as it fills up quickly. There are many more tournaments, competitions and leagues throughout the year. To find out what’s on you can have a look at our website (www. in2touch.com) or you can send an email to tracy@in2touch.com.

SPORT

7 - 13 JANUARY 2014

LONDON TOUCH AND ACTIVE TOUCH LEAGUES FOR 2014 P15

PROTEAS: A GREAT YEAR IN REVIEW P15

NEWS FOR GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICANS

www.thesouthafrican.com

YOUR 2014 SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS CALENDAR

| With the incredible SA sporting year that was 2013 behind us, it’s time to mark the calendar with a feast of sporting clashes throughout 2014. Whether your clash of choice is on two wheels or four, this year offers topquality competition in every code from rowing to rugby by HEATHER WALKER WE’VE compiled the major sporting events featuring South African competitors in 2014, including some of the SAflavoured events expats can look forward to seeing in UK. JANUARY 11 Jan – 1 Feb: Football – Orange African Nations Championship, Cape Town 24-26: Rugby – HSBC Sevens USA FEBRUARY 7-8: Rugby – HSBC Sevens New Zealand 12-16: Cricket – South Africa VS Australia, Centurion# 15: Rugby – Rugby – Round 1 of the Super Rugby competition kicks off with Cheetahs v Lions at Free State Stadium. 20-24: Cricket – South Africa VS Australia, Port Elizabeth MARCH 1-5: Cricket – South Africa VS Australia, Cape Town 9: Cricket – South Africa VS Australia, Port Elizabeth 12: Cricket – South Africa VS Australia, Durban 14: Cricket – South Africa VS Australia, Centurion 7-9: Athletics – World Indoor Championships, Poland 16-31: Cricket – ICC World T20s, Bangladesh 22-23: Rugby – HSBC Sevens Japan 28-30: Rugby – HSBC Sevens Hong Kong 23-6 Apr: Cricket – Women’s World T20, Bangladesh APRIL 10-13: Golf – The Masters,

Augusta 13: Athletics – London Marathon 25-27: Rugby – Heineken Cup semi-finals; Saracens are hoping to book their spot MAY 2 May: Tennis – French Open 3-4: Rugby – HSBC Sevens Scotland 9 - 1 June: Cycling - Giro d’Italia 10-11: Rugby – HSBC Sevens England 24: Rugby- Heineken Cup final, Cardiff 24: Football - UEFA Champions League final 30-1 June: Rowing – European Championships, Belgrade 31: Rugby – Premiership final, Twickenham 31-15 June: Hockey World Cup (men’s and women’s), Hague

JUNE 7: Rugby – South Africa v Wales 12-15: Golf – US Open, Pinehurst 14: Rugby – South Africa v Wales 20-22: Rowing World Cup, France 23-6 July: Tennis – Wimbledon SAT 14 Rugby – South Africa v Wales, Durban SAT 28 Rugby – South Africa v Scotland JULY 5-27: Cycling – Tour de France (Stage 1 Leeds to Harrogate) 11-12: Athletics – Diamond League, UK 17-20: Golf – The Open, Royal Liverpool 20: Athletics – London Olympics Anniversary Games 23 July – 3 Aug: Commonwealth Games, Glasgow

AUGUST 2: Super Rugby Final 16-28: World Youth Games, China 16: Premier League football season starts 24-31: Rowing – World Championships, Amsterdam 16: Rugby – South Africa v Argentina, Pretoria 23: Rugby – Argentina v South Africa 25-8 Sept: Tennis – US Open, New York 26-1 Sept: Triathlon – World Series Grand Final, Canada SEPTEMBER 2014 6: Rugby – Australia v South Africa, Perth 11-14: Golf - Evian Championship 27: Rugby – South Africa v Australia, Cape Town

26-28: Golf- Ryder Cup, Gleneagles OCTOBER 2014 4: Rugby – South Africa v New Zealand, Johannesburg 3-12: Gymnastics – World Artistic Championships, China 11: Rugby – Super League Grand Final, Old Trafford NOVEMBER 8: Rugby – Ireland v South Africa, Lansdowne Road 10-17: Tennis – ATP World Finals, London 15: Rugby – England v SA, T’ham 29: Rugby – Wales v South Africa DECEMBER 3-7: Swimming: World Short Course Championships, Doha

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