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SPRINGBOK LOGO AT RUGBY WORLD CUP EVENTS explained

The placement of the Springbok logo is an inevitable consequence of the current Rugby World Cup regulations. Read more on page 2

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09 — 16 June 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

News

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Springbok logo at Rugby World Cup events

By SA Rugby Union The temporary relocation – as well as the Springbok logo’s scaling – are to conform to the contractual requirements of the tournament organisers.

This placement only applies to World Rugby events and was first communicated by SARU in October 2010. The Springbok logo has been placed on the left sleeve of the playing jersey at all subsequent Rugby World Cup men’s women’s, Sevens and Under-20 tournaments.

Other nations – such as Australia – also relocate their team emblem to the jersey sleeve for World Cup events.

The placement is not determined by the apparel sponsor; it is an inevitable consequence of the current regulations.

The Springboks during the Launch of the Springbok Rugby World Cup

The 2011 RWC Jersey: Bismarck du Plessis in action during the

Jersey. Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images/Getty Images

2011 IRB Rugby World Cup in Wellington, New Zealand. Photo

by Steve Haag/Gallo Images/Getty Images

London and Johannesburg remain most visited cities | The 2015 MasterCard Global Destination Cities index charts how many international visitors arrive at each of the world’s most important cities, and how much these visitors spend

Seen our new website?

THE South African features a brand-new design on its website THESOUTHAFRICAN.COM. Keeping up with the latest news from Mzansi is now even easier with this user-friendly and stylish design.

Catch up with the latest sports news, read up on current events, find a recipe for dinner, learn about the latest events for the expat community and be in touch with your South African heritage more than ever before.

By Katy Scott London has kept its status as the most visited city in the world and the city of gold is still the most visited city in South Africa as well as Africa.

According to the 2015 MasterCard Global Destination Cities index, Johannesburg expects to see 4.44 million visitors in 2015. That’s more than double the amount of Cape Town, the second most visited city on the continent.

Cape Town expects to see 1.96 million visitors in 2015. However, international visitors in Cape Town

spend more on average ($1,070) than visitors in Johannesburg ($585).

Visitors to Cape Town will spend $2.1 billion in 2015, while visitors to Johannesburg will spend $2.6 billion.

The top feeder cities for Johannesburg are London and Frankfurt, followed by Harare, Maputo, and Windhoek.

Driven by insights into travel patterns and global growth from 2009 to 2015, the Global Destinations Cities Index ranks the 132 most visited cities around the world.

London expects 18.82 million international visitors in 2015, just

slightly ahead of Bangkok, the second most visited city in the world, with 18.24 million.

The top ten most visited destinations in the world are: 1. London – 18.82 million visitors 2. Bangkok – 18.24 million visitors 3. Paris – 16.06 million visitors 4. Dubai – 14.26 million visitors 5. Istanbul – 12.56 million visitors 6. New York – 12.27 million visitors 7. Singapore – 11.88 million visitors 8. Kuala Lumpur – 11.12 million visitors 9. Seoul – 10.35 million visitors

10. Hong Kong – 8.66 million visitors The top ten most visited destinations in Africa and the Middle East are: 1. Dubai, 14. 29 million visitors 2. Johannesburg 4.44 million visitors 3. Riyadh 4.27 million visitors 4. Abu Dhabi 2.70 million visitors 5. Cape Town 1.96 million visitors 6. Cairo 1.70 million visitors 7. Amman 1.31 million visitors 8. Beirut 1.15 million visitors 9. Tel Aviv 1.05 million visitors 10. Casablanca 0.97 million visitors

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thesouthafrican.com | 09—16 June 2015 |

News

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FIFA, Qatar and the ugly game

| The terrible tragedy of the earthquake in Nepal has been swept off the front pages and news leads by the bribery scandal and arrests at FIFA. But they should be linked because it is the blood and suffering of many Nepalese workers that is a major cause of soccer now being seen as the ugly game

Ubuntu Education Fund Charity Gala raises over £650,000 to better the lives of 2,000 South Africans | Ubuntu Education Fund, hosted its 8th annual London charity gala – 1 Million to One: Changing the Odds at the iconic Roundhouse last week, raising more than £650,000 to transform the lives of 2,000 children and their families in Port Elizabeth, South Africa By staff reporter The prestigious charity event brought Ubuntu’s cradle to career model to center stage, celebrating the impact of the organization’s innovative health and educational initiatives. Funds raised go towards Ubuntu’s prevention from mother to child HIV programme, early childhood development, mentorship, and job training programmes. Additionally, there was a live auction of rare experiences/items which included: VIP tickets to the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, a 2015 Rugby World Cup package with semi-final tickets and one-onones with Bakkies Botha and other rugby greats, a signed Hugh Masekela trumpet and two works of art created by renowned London artist Matthew Small.

The event, which celebrated Ubuntu’s history of changing the odds for the thousands of children and families impacted by their work in the townships of Port Elizabeth, featured a performance

by South African jazz legend, Hugh Masekela as well as internationally acclaimed beatboxer and World Loopstation Champion SHLOMO and internationally renowned brass band, Brassroots. Speakers included Lithakazi Sikwana (Ubuntu scholar), Nozibele Qamngana (Ubuntu scholar turned staff member) and Jacob Lief (Founder & CEO).

Photo by Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

By Terry Bell, ground up Men from Nepal are among the 1.4 million-strong army of migrant workers in the tiny, but oil rich, Gulf state of Qatar that, in controversial circumstances, was awarded the right to stage the 2022 World Cup. These are the workers who are building the World Cup stadiums — and all too often dying and being injured in the process.

Over several years, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and a number of national trade union groups have protested about the “virtual slavery” and shocking working conditions in Qatar. To me this is best summed up by a set of horrifying statistics relating to the building and renovation of stadiums for international sporting events: When Britain staged the Olympics in 2012, only one worker was killed, while two died building the 2010 World Cup stadiums in South Africa.

These were both better records than those recorded by the summer Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 where six workers perished. However, this was ten times fewer than the 60 who died in Russia preparing venues for the Sochi winter Olympics last year.

But in Qatar, so far, more than 1,200 migrants labourers have died. At this rate, some 4,000 will perish on the job by 2022.

This figure seems almost unbelievable until one becomes aware of the conditions under which these migrants work. Labouring for tenhours a day in summer temperatures that can reach 45 degrees Celsius and more, severe heat stroke and dehydration are major causes of death.

Poor living and working conditions combined with often scant regard for safety measures, adds to the death toll.

All these matters were raised, mainly by the labour movement, with FIFA. The international football federation did belated acknowledge that temperatures in Qatar, especially in summer, were a problem. This awareness caused FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter to first moot moving the 2022 tournament to the slightly cooler winter months in the Gulf. But this had nothing to do with concerns about workers or working conditions; Blatter was worried about the effect on paying spectators and players.

German FIFA executive member, Theo Zwanziger, who first raised concerns about heat stroke affecting spectators, also opposed moving the tournament to the winter months.

This because it would interfere with European soccer schedules.

And so the building, the dying and the maiming has gone on. After an extensive investigation, ITUC last year published a report, The Case Against Qatar. It makes heartrending reading. Here are classic examples of

what the race to the bottom in terms of wages and conditions can ultimately mean. Here too are examples of international labour broking that amounts to human trafficking, a situation to which not only Qatar, but several other governments seem to turn a blind eye.

Labour recruiting agencies working in countries such as Bangladesh, the Philippines and Nepal, promise good jobs and working conditions in Qatar in exchange for a recruitment fee. These fees, that are illegal in most countries, including Qatar, and are banned by International Labour Oragnisation convention 151, average $1,000 (R12,000) and are often more.

Poor families bankrupt themselves, borrow money and mortgage belongings to pay to send their brothers, sons and husbands to the Gulf. Once there, they are trapped in debt, their passports taken as security.

All they can do is work — and hope that their wages will be paid.

And when the earthquake struck Nepal, Qatari employers refused to allow workers from the Himalayan nation to return home to seek, bury or mourn their families. This is what happens during economic crises, when desperate workers meet unscrupulous employers. And it happens everywhere; it is just the scale that is different.

Founder and CEO Jacob Lief had

Photos by Facebook.com/UbuntuEducationFund

the following to say: “Today, the Ubuntu Centre is not just a centre of excellence; it’s an example of the potential that exists in the world. Our Centre offers educational and health programming and facilities on par with anything you would find here in Manhattan/London.

A statement to the world that access to great education and healthcare is not a privilege but a child’s right.”

Ubuntu scholar, Lithakazi Sikwana thanked Ubuntu.

“Because of the role Ubuntu has played, and continues to play, with my family – the only thing I worry about is what University I’m going to next year – Rhodes University or University of Cape Town? I see myself, in three years’ time, as the first one in my family to graduate,” she said.

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09 — 16 June 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

Food

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Cooking With Chef Petrus |The Perfect Mushroom dish

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It’s ideal for a quick lunch with crusty bread or to serve on the side with steak. Before you start, here are a few tips about preparing our fungal friends.

Mushrooms are made up of around 90 percent water and they act like sponges. Don’t wash them! They will soak up the water and lose flavour. Just wipe off any dirt with a damp kitchen towel. When you cook your mushrooms, use a medium high heat so that the water is released and they caramelise nicely. If the temperature is too low, the mushrooms will just stew in their juices. No one 9:38:45 AM likes a rubbery mushroom! If the pan looks dry when you are cooking, they may burn, so add a bit more oil or butter.

I’ve used chestnut mushrooms for this dish, but it will work perfectly with your favourite wild mushrooms too.

Mushrooms with blue cheese Serves 2 as a light lunch Ingredients 40 g butter 250 g chestnut mushrooms, quartered 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 125 g blue cheese Juice of half a lemon Half bunch of sage leaves, washed Seasoning to taste Method In a large frying pan, heat your butter over medium high heat.

When hot, add your mushrooms.

Cook for 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

The mushrooms shouldn’t be overcrowded in the pan, as they will just steam, so cook in two batches if necessary.

Add the garlic and sage leaves, and cook for another minute.

Season to taste.

Turn off the heat and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon.

Crumble the blue cheese over your mushrooms. Serve immediately.

A burger hunter’s top five burger joints in London

By Alex Ward Burgers are a big part of my life.

I vividly remember the day Burger King announced that it was opening a branch in my home town. This was exciting stuff, and for a while all was good, but eventually my palette matured and I realised that fast food chains just wouldn’t cut it any longer.

Luckily I moved to London and I am now spoilt for choice and regularly gain weight and get heart burn from eating some kick ass burgers. I thought it would be good to list my top five burger joints in London so you too can partake in my gluttonous ways.

1. Meat Liquor This is probably the granddaddy and most well-known of the burger joints in London. It was one of the first of the new breed of street food vendors to open up a restaurant, and its success has been unbelievable.

The Burgers are juicy and they have a great selection of traditional and not so traditional burgers, and the sides are out of this world.

The buffalo wings and deep fried pickles are so good I would have no hesitation in killing a man for them.

The chili cheese burger and dead hippie are both highly recommended and the cocktails are suitably

strong and tasty. Great design and atmosphere make this the go to place for a night of burgers and cocktails.

Also they do a triple chili challenge which consists of the chili burger, chili cheese fries and chili dog. Go ruin yourself trying to do this in under 3 minutes.

2. Lucky Chip Lucky Chip was another street food vendor that started out in a van and now has a residency at the Queens Head. His burgers are themed on films or movie stars such as the Kevin bacon (bacon cheeseburger) or the John candy (double cheeseburger with special sauce and extras) and he’s been known to do a Breaking Bad themed menu with blue crystal meth as an extra. Because Lucky Chip does residencies you get to check out some great London bars as well.

3. Honest Burgers Everyone kept telling me they were the best so I thought I should finally check them out. They teamed up with Brew Dog recently to create a beer infused burger called the brewburger and trust me, it was delicious, so it’s worth going for this burger alone. Did I mention it’s topped with Candied bacon and a beer BBQ sauce as well?

There are a few branches open across London so it shouldn’t be hard to find one.

4. Stokey Bears Stokey Bears is a new player on the block with a recently opened restaurant in stoke Newington. It has a huge burger sculpture on the wall and bottomless independent, organic soda from Square Root soda. The burgers are juicy, delicious and worth a trek into yummy mummy territory to get one. The Angry Bear topped with The Ribman’s HolyFuck sauce is one worth trying if you are into spicy burgers (Warning: this hot sauce will cause you pain and suffering).

5. Mother Flipper These guys won’t be as easy to find as the others on the list, but you can normally see them at Brockley market on the weekends. One of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten was made by these guys and as a bonus they do delicious breakfast muffins as well.

(Think McDonalds’ breakfast but way, way better.) If something is good it’s worth searching for, so why not pop down to a local market or check their website for their current location?

So that’s my top 5 burger joints in London. As mentioned above we are spoilt for choice in London and many more places could have been mentioned so if you have a favourite burger place let us know.

Enjoy the burgers and don’t blame us for your expanding waistlines.

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thesouthafrican.com | 09—16 June 2015 |

Community

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Cobus qualified as a chartered

accountant in South Africa with PricewaterhouseCoopers of which the last five years were in the Global Risk Management Services division.

Cobus also had a successful international and professional rugby career spanning both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, representing Western Province, Stormers, Springboks (29 caps), Saracens, Barbarians, World 15.

Cobus holds a B.Comm(Hons) degree from the University of Stellenbosch and is also a qualified European Private Pilot.

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thesouthafrican.com | 09—16 June 2015 |

Arts & Entertainment

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South African wine tasting charity event in London with thatu

By Staff Reporter Thanks to the generosity of the Lambeth Mayor, the event will be in the Mayor’s Parlour in Lambeth Town Hall, London SW2 1RW between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on Friday 26 June 2015. Places are strictly limited, so book now!

Your evening’s host will be the acclaimed and highly entertaining Jimmy Smith, founder of the West London Wine School. He is guaranteed to give you a fun and informative evening guiding you through tastings of up to eight wines from probably the world’s fastest-rising wine-making country.

Even if you think you know about South African wines, you are certain to discover something new.

Spitting is allowed and you can nibble on biscuits, biltong and cheese.

You will even get the chance to taste one of the world’s top ten wines – it was mentioned in Jane

| You are invited to a wine tasting with a difference. Thatu is giving you the chance to taste some brilliant South African wines in aid of its work to help deprived communities in South Africa improve their nutrition by growing their own food

Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, in Charles Dickens’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood and even requested

by Napoleon on his deathbed!

Places are strictly limited, so early booking for this fun and educational evening is essential.

The cost is only £35 and all proceeds will go to the charity Thatu.

Reserve your place by emailing info@thatu.com or telephoning 07910 332939.

And if you are in any doubt that this will be an evening to remember, don’t take our word for it, read what wine industry’s doyenne Jancis Robinson had to say: “Jimmy Smith seems to have that rare and wonderful combination of masses of wine knowledge … and the ability to pass that all on with humour, good pace, discipline and sensitivity. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun at a tasting, and I’d go back in a heartbeat.”

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Cape Town’s The Test Kitchen makes world’s best restaurant list

By Staff Reporter The Test Kitchen has ranked as one of the world’s top restaurants.

The Test Kitchen, based in Woodstock, is the only South African restaurant to earn a place on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2015.

Test Kitchen came in at 28 on the annual list.

The awards were created by the British trade publication, Restaurant.

A group of almost 1,000 experts in the restaurant community from across the world, vote for the winning establishments.

This year’s final list was announced

on 1 June 2015 in London.

Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, said the accolade would garner international exposure for The Test Kitchen and the destination as a whole.

“I would like to commend the Test Kitchen for delivering an excellent offering all round. This award is a great boost for our tourism sector.

“The Western Cape’s food services industry also plays a huge role in agriprocessing and in our case, the high quality of our agri-processed goods is demonstrated by this award,” said Minister Winde.

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09 — 16 June 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

Opinion

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A message for those South African expats “I am sorry” – an open letter who seem hell-bent on trashing South Africa from a South African expat | “I love the way my country can exasperate me one minute and leave me with tears of joy and pride five minutes later”

by Mandy Collins Some of my best friends are expats.

No, really. I’ve been through two waves of people leaving South Africa for various reasons, to the extent that I remember lying awake at night wondering who my future children would have as playmates.

(I’m pleased to report that their social life has survived.)

So now I have friends all over the world – Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan – it’s a long list, and it’s wonderful to hear about their new lives in far-flung places.

But there’s a breed of former South Africans who drive me absolutely round the bend – the type who seem hell-bent on trashing South Africa at every turn, and most notably on platforms like Facebook where they can post their “RIP South Africa” and “My country is going to the dogs” comments, ironically from the new countries they’ve chosen to live in.

I remember my journalism professor, the late Gavin Stewart, explaining how a crime wave works.

You know: one granny is murdered by a talking wolf, and suddenly there’s a slew of axe-wielding animals preying on the elderly, and little old ladies are wearing their chamber pots as helmets while they sleep. The crime pops up in every newspaper and it’s suddenly everywhere you look, while other crimes seem to disappear into obscurity.

It happens as a result of something called ‘confirmation bias’ – the same thing that occurs when you buy a brand new car, and suddenly, everyone on the road seems to be driving the same car as you do. It is simply human nature have a tendency to search for, interpret, or recall information in a way that confirms your own beliefs or hypotheses.

(Thank you Wikipedia for that neat definition.)

So we tend to be drawn towards bits of information that confirm what we believe. (Just ask those who worship in the cult of Noakes…). It takes hard work and a fair amount of willpower to push yourself out of that comfort zone – to read views that challenge yours, to really think about them, and to entertain the thought that you might be wrong, or that there might be another way of looking at things.

So back to those expats, the ones who send out the same negative message about South Africa whenever they can – over, and over and over again. And who refuse to believe anything other than the bad news they hear from friends and relatives at home. (And as a small aside, just as bad news sells newspapers, people also have a tendency to spread bad news stories over good.) I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of those expats left because they believed the

Photo by Flickr.com/Clarissa de Wet

country was going to the dogs.

I’m also willing to bet a lot of them left because ‘they’ (black people) would now be running the country.

I’m willing to bet that many of them start sentences with “I’m not racist, but…” Because the subtext that comes through over and over again is simply this: “I told you so. I told you those black people couldn’t run the country.” But they won’t actually say that, you see. Because they’re not racist, but…

But here’s the thing. There are many of us who do live here. And we freakin’ love it despite its foibles.

Sure, we have our problems – no-one is denying that – but I don’t believe they’re insurmountable. Nor do I think they are the whole story.

I do not drive or walk the streets of <insert sarcastic font here> terrible, crime-ridden Johannesburg in fear and trembling. Do I have security?

Do I have to lock my doors when I go to bed? Yes – I’m not stupid or naive. But I don’t live in fear of my life either.

Do I fear for my children’s future?

Not at all. They do well at school and they have a great work ethic, and there is place for people like that in this South Africa.

Do we have problems? Of course we do – please show me a country in the world that isn’t battling significant problems, and I will show you a country that is keeping the truth from its citizens.

Because what all the doom and gloom and negativity does is to home in on the bad news and forget that there’s just as much good news. There are all kinds of fantastic, nationbuilding initiatives going on, where South Africa’s citizens are mobilising to change things for the better – I’m about to join just one of them.

There are signs of improving infrastructure everywhere I go. There are potholes too, of course, but that doesn’t detract from the progress. Is there widespread unemployment?

Yes, But there’s a marvellous spirit

of entrepreneurship and many education and job-creating initiatives.

Are there energy problems? Yes. But if sanctions during the apartheid era proved anything, it’s that South Africans are capable of great innovation. Is there corruption? Yes. But it’s not a South African or African phenomenon. I’ll just say “FIFA” and leave it at that. So please, for the love of all that is holy, leave your thinly disguised racism off my Facebook feed – because it’s offensive and vile and you should be ashamed of yourself.

And as for the word ‘normal’ – please don’t tell me that our lifestyle isn’t ‘normal’. Normal is a very relative term. I think people who put signs up telling me to keep off the grass are abnormal. People who require me to have a licence to use a ladder in my own home aren’t normal.

You can keep your normal, and I’ll keep mine.

Because this is my home, these are my people, and I love living here. I love the crazy, eccentric, boer-maak‘n-plan, rule-breaking, creative, noisy, busy, chaotic way we live. I love the sky and the savannah and the mountains and the sea and the wild, wild wind that sweeps down our coastline. I love the many-hued people and their many-sounds languages, and the many many ways we meet and greet each other in the street. I love the way my country can exasperate me one minute and leave me with tears of joy and pride five minutes later. Because when it counts, South Africans know how to pull together – I’ve seen it over and over again.

This is my home. I love living here, and I believe we’ll get there in the end. We might have to walk on the grass to do so (gasp), but we’ll get there.

So, if you really must pronounce on the state of South Africa, expats (and really, I question if you even have the right), how about focusing on the positive for a change?

| Every time I see yet another article from another South African moaning about the negativity of expats, and clearly writing with their rose tinted glasses on, I get angry. Really angry. Hulk angry

by Reeva Cutting The overwhelming theme of South African bloggers and writers lately seems to be the attack of the expat.

How dare we leave South Africa and still think we have a right talk about our homeland? It’s like once we step on that plane, we are suddenly obligated to forget our lives there ever existed, or at least we seem to be expected to forget all the bad bits, lest we offend anyone we leave behind.

South African expats around the world seem to be being bashed in every direction I look. Of course we all know the expat (and this also applies to some South Africans who are still living in South Africa) who is constantly moaning and putting the country down and telling everyone how wonderful his new home country is. But not every expat can be or should be tarred with this derogatory brush.

South African expats aren’t allowed to share any ‘negative’ stories about the country, or comment on any South African news if we are judged to be being ‘negative’. I say ‘negative’, because one person’s negative is another’s reality. It seems that you are only allowed to have an opinion on the state of the country if you are residing on South African soil. Or if you are being ‘positive’ about South Africa then that’s ok too.

Which really pisses me off. Yes, we know there are so many wonderful stories and amazing initiatives happening in South Africa – most, if not all of us personally know someone who is fighting hard and making a difference to our beautiful home nation. Many people who live abroad still donate their time, money and where possible material possessions to charities in South Africa. We all fondly remember driving and hooting at each other and waving our flags from our cars after Joel Stranksy kicked that winning drop goal in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. We continued to be inspired by Madiba’s legacy of forgiveness and healing no matter where in the world we live and what colour our skin.

But what most of us cannot forget is the horrors of what we have personally experienced. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, robbed, held up at gunpoint in their own homes, mugged in the street, hijacked, raped and murdered.

Ask any expat and I would say that they or someone close to them has been physically harmed in some

way and that was a major part of the reason they left. Not all, of course, but many.

Every country has ‘problems’ but not every country has a murder rate and rape rate like South Africa.

A murder rate that is only getting higher, not lower, which implies that these problems are not being addressed at all.

South Africans will say they don’t live in fear, but you should try leaving the country sometime, just for a holiday, and see how the rest of the world live. The first time I went overseas was to England I was 15 – we took a taxi from the airport to our hotel and it was about 8am.

My mum remembers my amazement when I asked her why people were walking around the streets. That’s what normal people do. They walk to work, they take buses and trains to work. Yet I had never seen that!

So yes, we expats are sorry. Sorry we ever had to think about leaving our beautiful homeland. A place not just close to our hearts, but in our blood, where we grew up surrounded by family and friends who loved and cared for us. Sorry that not only did we think about it, but we packed up our entire lives and actually got on a plane and left.

Ask any expat and I am sure that 100% of them will tell you they cried when they left. They cried for their family, their friends and for the fact that they could not see a future for themselves of their children in their African homeland.

And we don’t simply hop on a plane and start living it up in our glorious new country. Often we arrive with little money because we had to sell everything just to afford the visa and relocation costs.

Many of us don’t have jobs for months while we look for work to support our families, both with us and back home. We usually have to start from the bottom and work our way up from scratch, we don’t often walk into cushy jobs with fat cat salaries. It usually takes an expat years to attain a similar lifestyle which we left in South Africa. And you know what? We are happy about it. Because we sleep safe in the knowledge that we have made a decision that is right for us. A decision that is right for our children.

And a decision that will be right for their children.

So next time you want to bash an expat, perhaps you could think about what they might have gone through before making a life-changing decision that they believe is in their own, and no one else’s, best interest.

SOUTH AFRICA 26x35cm_UK ING.indd 1

5/28/15 11:11 AM

10

09 — 16 June 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

Travel

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Italy’s spectacular Cinque Terre

| The charming Cinque Terre has shades of Devon and Cornwall with terraced vineyards and olive trees thrown in for good measure

All photos by Phensri Rutledge

by Len Rutledge If we ignore the television antennas on every house, we could be in another time. The rural villages, amid olive and chestnut groves on steep rocky terrain overlooking the blue Mediterranean Sea, seem unchanged for centuries.

My wife and I have just traversed the Walk of Love from Riomaggiore, and tiny Manarola lies before us. The walk is spectacular as the path skirts the cliffs and offers wonderful views along the Cinque Terre coastline of the Italian Riviera.

Four small villages and one larger town make up the Cinque Terre (The Five Lands). The westernmost town, Monterosso, is the tourist hub of the region but lacks the picture perfect aspect of the smaller villages.

We take a train to Riomaggiore with the intention of walking through the national park to the other villages. This has been stymied, however, by a landslide which has closed the track.

Riomaggiore dates from the early thirteenth century and, is known for its historic character and its wine.

Perched precariously on a steep hillside leading down to the rocky shoreline, this little town has a magic all its own. It is what southern hemisphere visitors call a perfect village.

It has a small beach and a tiny wharf framed by a jumble of tower houses painted in traditional colours.

In the high part of the town, we admire the parish church of San Giovanni Battista, built in the 1340s.

But who are all these people?

Everywhere we go there are crowds.

We finally find a little pizzeria and take stock of our situation.

There is almost a complete lack of English even in the information centre so we mill around with Brits, Americans, Canadians and groups from Asia trying to determine what options we have. Finally we line up to buy a park entry card and head off towards Manarola.

The Via dell’ Amore is flat and paved, and nearly anyone could manage this 20 minute hike. There are great views of the sea, cliffs and vineyards. There are also many people, explained perhaps by the fact that this is the only section of the coastal trail that is open today.

Manarola spills down a ravine to the wild and rugged coastline.

The tiny harbor has a boat ramp, picturesque buildings and the town’s swimming hole. There is no beach.

We wander around, take photographs and try to pack the beauty into our memory. It is very difficult to leave.

All the towns in the Cinque Terre have railway stations so we decide to move on by train. It’s only a four minute ride to Corniglia but the train service is patchy. Finally a train arrives and we travel almost all the way in a tunnel.

Corniglia is different from the other towns because it is perched high above the sea. It is surrounded on three sides by many picturesque vineyards and terraces, while the fourth side hurtles steeply down to the waters below.

We follow a road from the train station which takes us to the village.

It is a long, steep climb but the alternative of over 400 steps in 33 flights of stairs doesn’t appeal. Part of the charm of Corniglia is that it isn’t as frequented by tourists as much as the small fishing villages. " We wander the narrow lanes and visit the eighteenth century square with its Oratory Santa Caterina. We buy a coffee and relax under the large trees then walk through the village to the marvellous viewpoint."

While it is less spectacular than the other villages we have seen, we like Corniglia but now it is time to move on. It’s down the stairs and off by train to Vernazza.

Vernazza is similar to the other towns in having no vehicle traffic within the heart of the village and this helps it remain one the truest “fishing villages” on the coast. There is a small beach within the protected harbour and some nice restaurants overlooking the scene.

We walk down the steep road to the shore then climb to Doria Castle which was built in the 15th century to protect the village from pirates.

Our camera works overtime as there are spectacular views in all directions.

Monterosso is the largest and busiest centre. The town is divided into two parts with one half having a crowded sandy beach and restaurants, bars and hotels and the other having narrow streets and historic buildings.

The medieval Torre Aurora or Dawn Tower separates the two and they are connected by a tunnel.

The old part of town is where you will find the San Francesco Church with its art works and it is great just wandering the streets seeing the varying sights.

There is a good range of hotels from 4-star hotels to simple B&B properties, some with lovely views. The town also has some lively restaurants which give an opportunity to taste local seafood, edible mushrooms, olives, pine nuts and Sciachetra, a sweet wine variety.

While we have stuck to the land, an alternative way to travel between the villages is by excursion boat.

If you go There are daily flights from London to Genoa or you can drive or get there by train in about 13 hours. You can reach the Cinque Terre by train from Genoa in a little over an hour. I suggest starting in Riomaggiore and working westwards.

We found reliable information somewhat difficult to obtain (even on site) but try www.cinqueterreonline. com. Despite what most information tells you, all the villages are accessible by car but this is not the recommended form of transport.

All the villages have restaurants, bars and some accommodation.

Prices tend to be high but the experience can be magical.

11

thesouthafrican.com | 09—16 June 2015 |

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Sport

Get behind the Bokke: Fan selfies to appear on Springbok RWC jersey

| Springbok fans will take to the field on the backs of their heroes at the Rugby World Cup in September and October – as an integral part of the team’s playing kit BE THE FACE OF HOME GROUND ADVANTAGE

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SARU secured the concept through BeMyTeam, the global licence holders of the idea and the facilitation of this into the SA market was done through their African partners, ENSO in conjunction with SARU.

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The South African Rugby Union launched its #HomeGroundAdvantage campaign at midnight last night; the centrepiece of which is an innovative scheme to allow South Africans to be part of history.

The #HomeGroundAdvantage campaign is a clarion call to all South Africans to get behind the Springboks as they turn their gaze to England with the aim of becoming the first nation to raise the Web Ellis Cup for a third time.

“When the Springboks take to the field, not only will they be carrying the hopes and dreams of a nation, but they will physically be carrying the images of everyday South African fans with them,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of the South African Rugby Union (SARU).

“The passion of our fans, their determination and their overwhelming desire to see the Springboks win is an almost tangible energy behind the team. We wanted to capture that power in a visible way and this concept will mean that every time a Springbok takes to the field during the Rugby World Cup ordinary South Africans ‘will have his back’.”

The initiative captures the essence of the #HomeGroundAdvantage campaign. It evokes the sense that the South African passion for a winning Springbok team transcends the normal boundaries of sports participation to give the team the sense that, wherever they play in the world, they have a nation at their backs.

The #HomeGroundAdvantage campaign was a culmination of more than one year’s planning. It was forged in consultation with senior Springbok players, coaches and team management as well as SARU’s sponsors and broadcaster partner, SuperSport.

T&C’s apply. Closing date 15/08/15. Customer Care line: 086 11111 06.

The mechanism for Springbok supporters is simple: • Visit www.

HomeGroundAdvantage.co.za • Upload a selfie to be on the back of a Springbok jersey • Spaces are limited Supporters can also buy an exact replica of the player’s jersey – featuring their own image – through the website. The jersey comes personalised with the date and details of the match where their image appeared on the player’s back.

SARU sponsors Castle, Tsogo Sun and ASICS will also be fuelling #HomeGroundAdvantage through a series of interactions and touch points as the countdown to the tournament begins in earnest.

“We believe that South African rugby fans with their passion for the team and their unshakeable belief in their prospects will leap at the chance to be a visible part of the Rugby World Cup campaign,” said Roux.

Meanwhile for those wanting to physically give the Springboks Home Ground Advantage in the UK, there are still packages available from SA Rugby Travel, the official travel agent to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Go to www.sarugbytravel.com to secure a place at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. As part of the World Cup campaign launch, the Springboks have also launched a new Twitter handle @ Springboks for team updates, breaking news and behind the scenes action.

You can also follow them on www. facebook.com/Springboks.

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09 — 16 June 2015 | thesouthafrican.com

Business

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Rand hits year low

GBP/ZAR daily exchange rates

by 1st contact The Rand hit a 13.5 year low against the Dollar on Friday due to strong US jobs data for May. This boost to the US economy has led to an increase in the strength of the Dollar and traders’ confidence.

The Rand was under a lot of pressure last week as the market awaited the Fitch Ratings Review (long term credit) for South Africa.

Outlook for these ratings was poor due to the downgrade in South Africa’s sovereign rating and weak economic growth, but Fitch ended up maintaining its rating. This may help the Rand come back slightly.

The rate has started off poorly this

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The Eurozone’s Gross Domestic Product data will be released this week, which may affect the Rand.

Otherwise, things will probably be quiet with little data coming from the US and UK.

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

| Did you know that if you are a victim of domestic violence, you need not stay in the abusive relationship in order to remain in the UK ?

by Breytenbachs Domestic violence is a sad reality in some households in the United Kingdom. Fortunately, the UK immigration law is sympathetic towards those who are victims of these very unfortunate circumstances. A person thus does not have to stay in an abusive relationship in order to remain in the UK. You do not need to wait until your current leave in the UK expires before you apply under this rule, and it is actually recommended that the victim of the domestic violence, apply under the Domestic Violence rule as early as possible in order for the UK Home Office to deal with recent or up to date evidence. It is also important to keep in mind that you have to apply from within the UK. In order to qualify, you have to be the partner of a British citizen or someone with the right of permanent residence, your relationship must have broken down, due to domestic violence, during your probationary period of leave to be granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR). It is also available for partners of members of HM Forces under certain conditions.

Please contact our offices for more information in this regard.

As the partner route is only available to applicants 18 years or older, this route is also only available to applicants under this rule of 18 years and older.

The victim of the domestic violence must already be in the UK, and the rules do not grant a person entry to the UK as a victim of domestic violence.

The applicant is not required to fulfil the usual requirements for knowledge of language and life (applicable with ILR applications), and in cases where the victim of the domestic violence is destitute, the applicant will be

exempted from paying the application fee for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).

There is no differentiation between psychological and physical abuse when it comes to assessing if a person has been the victim of domestic violence. The UK Home Office provides the following definition of domestic violence: “Any incident or pattern of incidents controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality - this can include, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse: Psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional.

Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by: Isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape, regulating their everyday behaviour Coercive behaviour is: An act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation, other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.”

For more information or to apply under this rule, please contact Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd to discuss your unique circumstances. www.bic-immigration.com or info@ bic-immigration.com

13

thesouthafrican.com | 09—16 June 2015 |

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Sport

In2Touch hits the River Thames for its Annual Boat Party

By In2touch Each year In2touch puts together and hosts this Free Thames River Boat Party to thank the organisers, players and supporters of touch in London and England. With the spring season in its finals week, teams heave earned a break and the boat party gives them that opportunity. It allows everyone to relax, mingle with O2Touch

players from all London venues and enjoy the sights London has to offer in style on the River Thames.

This year’s In2Touch Boat Party is taking place on Friday 3 July, leaving from Tower Pier at 19:00.” There are a maximum number of people allowed on board and with more than half the free tickets taken already, its vital that you get in touch with us to

book your spot today.

Once again, the cruise is open

were taken of some of the touch players and the amazing sights from the River Thames, such as Big Ben, The London Eye and Tower Bridge to name a few.

On the In2Touch Facebook page, why not take a look through the photo albums of some action shots that have been taken by our very own venue managers. Each London O2Touch venue, which includes Regents Park, Clapham Common, Clapham/Wandsworth Common, Putney/Wandsworth, Richmond and Surrey Quays, has its very own

to all O2Touch teams, players and supporters of touch in London and England.

Full Details are as follows: • Date: Friday, 3 July 2015 • Meeting time: 18:00 • Meeting Point: Tower Pier (Tower Hill is the closest tub station) • How to get on board: email us at London@in2touch.com or call on +44(0) 20 8542 0827 If you’re interested to see what happened on the boat party in 2014, here are some of the pictures that

album with photos posted weekly.

If you play at one of these venues you may find a great action photo of yourself scoring a touch down.

Feel you may have missed out of playing touch this year. The O2Touch summer leagues starts from Monday the 22 July 2015 and if you and your friends would like to get involved and play in at one of the 6 venues across London. Please visit www.in2touch.com/england to see how you to sign up.

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In2Touch hits the River Thames for its Annual Boat Party

09-16 June 2015

issue: 620

Stormers book playoff spot

by saru

The DHL Stormers will be crowned South African Conference champions for the third time in five years, but will also be the only representative from the Republic in the Vodacom Super Rugby playoffs this season.

In fact, the top six teams for 2015 have also been determined with one round left in the league phase of the competition, meaning the Vodacom Bulls and Emirates Lions will miss out, along with the seven-time champion Crusaders.

The Hurricanes have wrapped up the New Zealand Conference and top spot on the log, but the second position and the identity of the Australian champions – it’s between the Waratahs and the Brumbies – will only be known after next weekend’s matches.

The DHL Stormers’ 19-19 draw against the Emirates Lions in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon means they clinched the SA Conference, but are dependent on other results going their way in order to claim that allimportant second spot in the overall standings.

The draw also ended the Emirates Lions’ slim chances of finishing in the top six for the first time ever, but they can be proud of their best-ever season in Vodacom Super Rugby, with nine wins, six defeats and one draw.

The Vodacom Bulls’ chances also evaporated on Saturday morning when they controversially went down to the Rebels in Melbourne by a solitary point, 21-20. The best they can now hope for is eighth on the log.

The Toyota Cheetahs, in their first match under new coach Franco Smith, started very well but ultimately the defending champion Waratahs had too much fire-power and won easily, by 58-33.

Faf de Klerk of Lions during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions at DHL Newlands Stadium on June 06, 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images/Getty Images

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