The South African 4 - 10 March 2014

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4 - 10 March 2014

Issue 555

New SA High Commissioner haunted by controversy

| The new High Commissioner Obed Mlaba takes office in London after a six-month wait, as his past continues to haunt him by sertan sanderson

Prince Harry shakes hands with Archbishop Desmond Tutu as he arrives at Westminster Abbey in London for a memorial service for the former South African president Nelson Mandela on Monday. Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire.

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FORMER Mayor of Durban Obed Thembinkosi Mlaba has been confirmed as the next South African High Commissioner to the UK. Mlaba will be the sixth person to fill the highest public office as South Africa’s diplomatic representative in London since 1994. He will be replacing Dr Zola Skweyiya, whose term ended last year, leaving the High Commission as well as expats in the dark about a successor for over six months.

As one of his first acts as new High Commissioner, Mr Mlaba attended the memorial service for former President Nelson Mandela, held at Westminster Abbey on 3 March 2014 – despite not having presented himself to the Queen yet, as is protocol. The SA High Commission had not officially confirmed who the next ambassador at the prestigious Trafalgar Square address would be up until last week, when Mlaba’s prospective attendance of the service had to be justified.

Mlaba brings 20 years of active participation in South Africa’s young democracy to the table, as well as credits in the struggle movement beforehand. However, the new High Commissioner may face a choice few struggles in his own right, as corruption charges dating back to his days as mayor of Durban continue to tarnish his reputation.

Mlaba’s CV reads otherwise like a triumph, with his involvement on the boards of several South African companies making him a true success story of the new South Africa.

Obed Mlaba

Born in Estcourt (then-Natal) in 1943, Obed Mlaba attended Catholic schools throughout his education, leading all the way up to his matric. He obtained a Master of Business Administration later in life from the International Management Centre, which is part of Revans University. The online degree, however, is not recognised in the UK or the US. An erstwhile member of the United Democratic Front (UDF), Mlaba joined the ANC’s Durban branch in the early 1990s as soon as the party was unbanned. Within a few years, his political career propelled him to becoming the first democraticallyelected Mayor of Durban in 1996.

Mlaba was to hold the position for 15 years, making him one of the country’s longest serving mayors and a celebrated leader.

Towards the end of his tenure, Mlaba faced some heavy allegations of corruption, following a number of incongruences in the books of eThekwini (Durban) Municipality. In addition to over R500 million of misspent funds during Mlaba’s time as Mayor of Durban, he is also suspected to have deliberately attempted to

direct a R3 million city tender to a “preferred” company, in which he held 20 per cent of the shares.

Two of his daughters were also alleged to have been implicated in the corruption scandal, although it has not been established whether they were knowingly involved.

Mlaba had previously given tenders to family members and friends, but had never been seen to benefit himself directly from redirecting taxpayers’ money into his own pockets – up until the end of his tenure.

Obed Mlaba has always rejected the allegations, saying that he was not personally involved in the act of awarding tenders. A report published after the findings, however, implicated the former Durban Mayor in “tender rigging, fraud and corruption” along with other senior city officials, amounting to a total of over R2 billion in suspicious irregularities.

But in true South African style, Mlaba didn’t have to face any prison time for his alleged actions – that is if you don’t call being stuck on the British Isles for the next five years a fate worse than imprisonment.

INSIDE:

p2 | Malema’s EFF suffers birthing problems at

manifesto launch

p3 | Oscar Pistorius trial: How the legal teams measure up p9 | Mystical Myanmar: Travel back in time to Burma

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“God-Zille’s” war on Twitter

| As the use social media is turning into a critical tool of political campaigning across South Africa, some members within the ranks of the Democratic Alliance don’t seem to take Helen Zille’s direct remarks on Twitter too lightly by sertan sanderson THE leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Helen Zille, came under fire over the weekend on account of her notorious messages published on Twitter.

Critics said that Zille’s tweets in reaction to a particular news report may possibly be interpreted as racially insensitive, causing unnecessary media attention for the opposition party. The party leader, however, defended her remarks merely as “criticising bad journalism,” adding that she would not recant her statements.

Running in the upcoming 7 May 2014 elections as the DA’s presidential candidate following an unsuccessful merger attempt with Mamphela Ramphele’s Agang SA, Zille was reported to frequently cause disagreement within the party with the controversial posts aimed at her 384,000-strong following.

Zille’s personal Twitter profile, however, is not part of the DA’s social media outreach and therefore does not fall under party policy.

| With unimpressive organisation skills ahead of a major party rally, EFF may have bitten off more than it can chew

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Charlotte Tobbit

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Visit her website at www. charlottetobitt.wordpress.com @charlotte1992

Unnamed sources from within the DA had stated that Zille’s communication habits on the social media platform may have transgressed against some of the party’s internal policies, with some questioning her compatibility to lead the DA into the future. Other members have also voiced concerns that her tweets might not so much be harmful to the DA itself but to the pursuit of gaining further votes in the upcoming elections, especially from underprivileged population segments.

However, the fact remains that the DA has witnessed its largest increase in popularity since Zille took over leadership in 2007, garnering over a million additional votes and significantly shifting the image of the party.

The latest criticism follows after Helen Zille slated a journalist on Twitter for the coverage of the launch of the DA manifesto a week ago. Zille attacked City Press writer Carien du Plessis for misreporting the launch event in Polokwane,

taking particular offense with Du Plessis’ own Twitter comment about the manifesto, saying “DA is a joke”.

In response, Zille attacked Du Plessis on Twitter, saying “she is so terrified that she will be damned by her own complexion that she has to bend over to prove her political correctness” – hinting at a notion of white guilt on part of Du Plessis.

Later she also called Du Plessis an “agent” on Twitter, implying that the reporter may hold sympathies with the ruling ANC. Zille had previously caused a stir by attacking musician Simphiwe Dana as a “professional black,” not shying from turning lingering racial tensions across South Africa into public issues on Twitter.

However, the DA is not immune to receiving such criticism itself, such as the ANC’s brandishing of the DA’s failed attempt to win over Mamphela Ramphele as presidential candidate last month as a “buy a black” campaign.

Reactions both from within the media and politics followed

after the recent spat on Twitter.

The ANC Youth League said that Zille’s messages on Twitter were offensive toward press freedom, which Zille was quick to retort to with a tweet comparing criticism of the press with criticism of government.

The party leader later also justified her actions by sending out a newsletter to her following.

In it, she explained her motivation as follows: “if a journalist criticises you, the unwritten code is that you should grovel and apologise, however misinformed their analysis. Twitter turns everyone into a reporter; the only difference is that journalists get paid.”

At the end of another campaigning day, however, Zille also showed her light-hearted side on Twitter.

After boarding a plane, Zille’s last tweet read “I must take the cabin attendant more seriously than I take journalists.”

Let’s hope that she remembered to switch her phone off during the flight.

Malema’s EFF suffers birthing Expats unhappy with online problems at manifesto launch registration process for elections

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Charlotte is an MA journalism student who loves writing and the arts and is keen to explore her South African heritage.

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema’s recently incorporated controversial party, compared the launch of the party to the birth of a giant following the party’s election manifesto rally in the East Rand over the weekend.

However, many party supporters failed to be bussed to the event despite having been promised transportation The EFF apologised to members on Monday, whose names had been featured on bus lists to attend the manifesto launch but whom the party had failed to offer sufficient transportation links, saying there would be further opportunities and events coming in the future.

Nonetheless. thousands of EFF supporters still managed to gather

at Mehlareng Stadium in Tembisa, dressed in the movement’s red outfits and berets; a mere kilometre away, the ANC Youth League, Malema’s erstwhile bastion of power, was holding its own election event at Makhulong stadium, making the EFF choice of locale even more poignant.

The new party emphasised that it was not just another feeble movement in South Africa’s dynamic political landscape, while urging its members to read the manifesto and become familiarised with it as part of its collectivist actions to attract votes in the upcoming weeks.

“All members of EFF are asked to speak to a minimum of 20 people per week about the manifesto and make them understand its content and why this is the only solution for South Africa,” the party said.

“The EFF has grown by leaps and bounds and its ideological and political clarity was unveiled in the victorious manifesto, which is a summation of the demands and interests of the working class and the poor in South Africa. The birth of the EFF was a birth of a giant, which was born and already could partake in meaningful activities,” the party said in a statement issued after the event.

It is expected that Malema’s EFF might steal a few seats away from the ANC in the upcoming elections to the National Assembly in May; however, critics have called the party’s aim of reaching 50 per cent of the popular vote delusional – despite a promise to hand out free cute little red berets.

| The date for voting abroad is only six weeks away, but not all boxes seem to be ticked correctly in preparation

by sertan sanderson THE mandatory online registration process for the upcoming elections to the National Assembly has received some mixed reviews, as not every South African expat has found it easy to navigate through the cumbersome process. Confusion over the actual date for the expat vote has also added to the problem, sending the first vote abroad under the Electoral Amendment Bill 2013 off to a difficult start.

Under the legislation introduced last year, it is explained that the foreign vote would take place one week ahead of the national elections in South Africa. In the case of the upcoming elections, the foreign vote will be held on Wednesday, 30 April 2014. This will be the only opportunity to cast a vote at your respective embassy, which means the High Commission on Trafalgar Square if you reside anywhere in the UK. However, it is vital that ahead of this date you make sure you register online for your vote until Wednesday, 12 March 2014, notifying the IEC of your intention

to partake in voting this year.

Being already registered to vote is not sufficient alone, as this does not inform the respective embassy or High Commission of your intention to vote. You can register your intention to vote only on the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) website. Some South Africans have criticised this process to be too complicated to follow while others have remarked that it was rather straight-forward.

In order to register for voting abroad, please visit the IEC website (www.elections.org.za) and look for the applicable link “For voters” on the top menu. In the drop-down menu, click on “Voting outside South Africa (VEC10)” and look for the item “Notify us of your intention to vote abroad (VEC10).” It is essential that you then complete the VEC10 form or else you will not be allowed to cast your vote.

On the 30 April 2014 voting abroad election day, please make sure that you also take both your ID book as well as your SA passport with you, or else you will be turned away.

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Oscar Pistorius trial: How the legal teams measure up | At the onset of Pistorius’s trial, we look at the judge, prosecution and defence who will all be starring in the Pretoria courtroom

By Charlotte Tobitt With one of the most highprofile South African trials in history starting on Monday, we take a look at the main players who will decide Oscar Pistorius’s fate in front of the TV cameras.

JUDGE: Thokozile Matilda Masipa Who? A former crime reporter for The Sowetan newspaper, Masipa was only the second black woman to be appointed to the High Court in 1988. She also featured in the 2008 documentary Courting Justice about the struggles of working as a female judge in South Africa.

Best known for? Her nononsense approach to crimes against women and her view that no one is above the law – not even the most famous celebrities.

In 2001, she sentenced two rapists to life imprisonment, and said: “Defenceless women feel unsafe, even in the sanctity of their own home, and look to these

courts to protect their interests.

The courts can protect these interests by meting out harsh sentences.”

She made headlines again in 2009 after sentencing a policeman to life imprisonment for shooting his ex-wife. To him, she said: “No one is above the law. You deserve to go to jail for life because you are not a protector. You are a killer.”

Then, in 2013, she sentenced Shepherd Moyo, a notorious robber and rapist, to 252 years in prison.

Masipa has appointed two assessors to assist her but has not revealed their names.

PROSECUTION: Gerrie Nel Who? A state prosecutor with more than 30 years’ experience, Nel is already a big name in South African law.

Best known for? In 2008, he battled an abrupt fraud arrest at his house in front of his family to come out on top two years

later by securing a corruption conviction against Jackie Selebi, former police chief and Interpol president.

His other wins include the 1995 prosecution of two youths for shooting a doctor outside Johannesburg’s Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, and sentencing Hazel Kidson to 25 years in prison for stabbing her husband outside their Roodeport home in 1996.

However, his record is not flawless. He was most notably on a team of prosecutors who failed to convict Glenn Agliotti for the murder of Brett Kebble, a well-known mining businessman, in 2006.

Nel convinced the court to prosecute Pistorius for premeditated murder instead of solely culpable homicide.

DEFENCE: Barry Roux and Kenny Oldwage Who? Roux is a Senior Counsel who has been practising for 32

years and is widely speculated to earn around R50,000 per day.

He is working with the attorney Kenny Oldwage.

Best known for? Roux has already asserted his dominance in the Pistorius case after ruthlessly questioning the detective Hilton Botha in the bail hearing, forcing him to admit that police had missed crucial forensic evidence at the scene. Botha was later removed from the case and soon afterwards resigned from the police force.

Previously, Roux famously acted for Dave King, a Glasgowborn businessman and Rangers football club director, who was accused of defrauding the South African Revenue Service of R2.5

billion. After an extensive 13 year court battle, King eventually escaped jail and was ordered to repay a much smaller sum than what was owed.

Roux also represented an ex-apartheid general, Lothar Neethling, over defamatory newspaper claims in the 1990s.

Oldwage’s most significant success was helping to acquit the man who was driving the car in the accident that killed Nelson Mandela’s great-granddaughter in 2010.

The pair are backed by an experienced team, including Stuart Higgins, former editor of The Sun newspaper, in charge of PR, and top forensic pathologist Reggie Perumal.

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Oscar Pistorius murder trial to be televised in part

| A South African judge has approved media’s application to broadcast the trial of Oscar Pistorius – but with strict conditions, including no close ups or recording of private conversations

by staff reporter Judge Dunstan Mlambo ruled on Tuesday that Paralympian Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial will be televised in part with conditions at the North Gauteng High Court.

Pistorius’s trial starts on Monday 3 March 2014.

The application to film the

proceedings was brought by news channel eNCA, joined by media houses MultiChoice and Eyewitness News.

Multichoice will be launching a 24/7 pop-up television channel dedicated to covering the trial.

Judge Mlambo approved media’s application to broadcast

but with strict conditions. Media will be allowed to broadcast the opening argument for the State and defence, expert evidence, testimony of police and all consenting State witnesses.

Mlambo said he considered the dangers of the trial video footage being manipulated while editing.

Two mounted stills cameras will be permitted, but no flashes, nor any lighting will be allowed.

Mlambo permitted the use of small, unmanned spy cameras to be fitted in the courtroom.

The cameras will be installed where they will not interfere with proceedings.

He said there will be no close ups or recording of personal legal discussions and when court is not session.

Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on 14 February 2013 at his home in the east of Pretoria. – SAnews.gov.za

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Helen Suzman biography launched in London by heather walker Lord Robin Renwick, former British ambassador to South Africa, launched his new biography of Helen Suzman at Brook’s Club in London last week. ‘Bright Star In A Dark Chamber’ is a fascinating insight into the life of the legendary anti-apartheid campaigner. Lord Renwick related some amusing anecdotes illustrating Suzman’s courage and biting wit, such as: When John Vorster said that he could see nothing wrong with apartheid, she suggested he should try visiting the townships “’disguised as a human being’.

The book is available in hardcover from Amazon or on www. bitebackpublishing.com

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Finding that “It’s Not So Bad” switch | I suppose it’s human nature to look for the “It’s Not So Bad” in things which aren’t positively ideal. Cow poo is just grass anyway. I earn a salary that can sustain a not-so-great fuel consumption and the furniture can always be repainted by katypotatie Early morning is when I do my best thinking. Not that I don’t actually think for the rest of the day, but certainly when I am slightly removed from my immediate surroundings, and I have the chance to look at my life, my story, from a slightly enlightened perspective.

Especially when I take the dog for a run at 07:00 on a Saturday morning in Beaminster and I haven’t had my first cup of Rooibos yet.

The mist swirls around the church steeple and the frosty grass starts to glisten as the sunshine melts it into a dewy splendour.

I hear a Woodpecker hammering away at the trunk of a Pine tree that has fallen victim to recent storms, while an idiotic pheasant flaps relentlessly as he tries to pursue a female companion. It is in moments like these that I fall into the It’s Not So Bad tune, as I survey the beauty around me.

It’s not so bad that my dog has

just managed to cover herself in a combination of mud and cow poo.

It’s not so bad that mud is seeping through my tekkies, soaking my socks.

It’s not so bad that the new car I just bought is giving me a poorer fuel consumption than the one I got rid of – because the fuel consumption was so bad.

It’s not so bad that the paint is already peeling off the outside furniture that we painted only last year, and which could have sustained a child’s education in Malawi.

I suppose it’s human nature to look for the It’s Not So Bad in things which aren’t positively ideal. I can wash the dog. Cow poo is just grass anyway… I can wash my socks. I earn a salary that can sustain a not-sogreat fuel consumption and the furniture can always be repainted.

I remember a little anecdote by my brother which was given to me at a time when I was toying with the option of either returning home from a 2 year Teaching adventure, or staying where I was

to continue the journey I’d begun – the ultimate decision between “I need to get home and start my life” vs “I’m really enjoying this carefree journey that I’m on right now”, (you know… The voice of your parents’ vs your own), where he reminded me that the point of life was in that exact moment, and where it had started the minute I arrived in this world, screaming, covered in muck, having been smacked on my bum by a friendly doctor in an allgreen setup.

I look at my world, and I smell the fresh air. I listen to the birdsong, and I am thankful for my good health, a great job, the power of internet web chats with family back home, and I have no option to think to myself that it’s not so bad.

Perhaps we spend too much time looking forward, (or back, in the case of some people), and perhaps we are too concerned with finding that ultimate raison d’etre, that we completely overlook the beauty of this exact moment.

Book review : Dispatcher by Mark Gevisser

| “Maps

never bleed” may not be true in this instance as through the eyes and words of Mark Gevisser, every road becomes an artery, pulsing with life blood, pumping to that unmistakeable beat of the heart of South Africa

by Linda Scott Smith Roads…courier… routes…maps. What may be imagined as an impossibly bland appraisal of life in South Africa’s City of Gold turns out quite the contrary.

Dispatcher: Lost and Found in Johannesburg was written with the intent of expressing how “we South Africans define ourselves within, and across, and against” the boundaries that divide our country. As navigator, narrator and guide, Mark Gevisser leads us on a voyeuristic journey far exceeding the mere nostalgic mapping of a boy’s life.

With a trajectory straddling

continents, we are transported to a bygone era as Gevisser reminisces of relatives voyaging from Lithuania… his grandfather a Talmudic scholar, another relative a Nobel Prize winner and another, a significant Yiddish journalist, the latter’s wife and daughter tragically killed during the Holocaust. It is at this instant that one is drawn in, when first seeing the typed family tree noting the death of mother and child only to turn the page and happen upon a photograph taken at a previous time of the trio blissfully languishing against the foliage of a tree.

There are several snippets of substance such as the family’s

entrepreneurial initiative in opening Durban’s first recycling plant in the 1930’s and further expanding into forestry, leading to the author’s father’s experiences as the only Jew amongst Nationalist Afrikaners at the University of Stellenbosch.

‘Randlords, Republicans and ramshackles’ prevailed at the time of Gevisser’s birth when Nelson Mandela was serving his life sentence at Robben Island. Amid trials, activist arrests, banning and book burning – Gevisser’s parents spent a night cremating their unlawful collection of Orwell, Snow and Webb – the young lad would discover the ‘world between the covers’ of a map book. With a wanderlust that inspired his own parallel creations of idyll, he admits to a desire of being lost and found, the possible root of his route-finding fixation.

Mark GevisserTrue captivation is found in Gevisser’s exploration of that without boundary, such as the underbelly of Egoli – its mines, and the theatres, football fields and boxing rings of Fringe Country; a Drum magazine photo spread by Nat Nakasa. In exposing the Special Projects folder (an anthology of once illicit homosexual life in South Africa) Gevisser revisits his own grappling with the geography of his gayness. We are also introduced to Emile, Junior and Nkunzi (the lesbian sangoma). A few pages on and one cannot help but be touched

by the beautifully gripping, yet simplistic image of a beringed hand and even more so, by the intricate milieu behind it.

The seeming change of direction in the latter part in fact becomes a crossing over, with Gevisser facing both his feral fear and fragility, leading to a culmination back towards soul and home.

“Maps never bleed” may not be true in this instance as through the eyes and words of Gevisser, every

road becomes an artery, pulsing with life blood, pumping to that unmistakeable beat of the heart of South Africa.

Gevisser asks: ‘Do you remember the times you looked up from a page and the world was different?’ I do.

Dispatcher was launched in the UK on Monday 24 February at Jewish Book Week. It is published

by Grant Books and is available in Kindle edition and hardcover on Amazon.

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Deep-fried kataifi prawns with peanut sauce | Adelaide Shibane, a chef at 96 Winery Road, Somerset West, shares her recipe for this Asian-inspired dish by staff reporter Serves 4 Ingredients 12 tiger prawns 300g Kataifi pastry (available at most specialist Asian food stores) 3 eggs Shell and de-vein prawns leaving the tail attached. Spread out strips of pastry (the length of the prawn) and drizzle with egg yolk. Roll prawn up until body is covered but the tail is still showing. Set aside.

Soya reduction 1 litre Kikkoman soya sauce Sugar to taste Simmer the soya sauce until reduced and thickened, taste and season with sugar.

Peanut sauce 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter 200ml cream 1 red chilli 1 lemon Heat together peanut butter, cream, chopped chilli and the juice of one

The Optimist Karen de Villiers

My mother tells me that I go on about ‘somewhere in life, someone else is having a worse time than you’ before I quote the hardships of the Second World War. She tells me she knows that but just sometimes she would like to feel as if her lousy day is more important. Mentioning the war does not make the food in her assisted living facility any tastier.

I do that a lot. Not that I am partial to spouting Hallmark lingo at any time, and can feel the fangs in my mouth the moment I see a patronising, fuzzy message pop up on my screen, but I do try to suck at least one ounce of joy out of every day. I do this, because I have had days, months and even years of feeling nothing but a dark, swirling mass of depression when I opened my eyes in the morning.

It ‘s rough, and it’s reality. Life is going to kick you sideways and then leave you in the wasteland.

This past week friends have had their visa rejected, lost their home, missed their children and found it hard to keep the cash going till Friday. Others just cannot see the point of doing anything, while some still cling to work to avoid going home, or just feel so ‘blah’ that watching 600lb people on reality TV seems interesting.

Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits. Tell you what, I hated feeling so low. It drained my dreams. But it happens and being optimistic does not

lemon until warm, no need to boil.

To serve Deep-fry prawns until golden.

Pile prawns onto a plate, drizzle with the two sauces and top with fresh coriander.

Recipe by chef Adelaide Shibane, of 96 Winery Road, Somerset West.

Photo by Dirk Peters.

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Today, modern growers are raising the standard of Chenin to new levels with an exceptional versatility of styles, from rich and ripe to a zesty and fruity interpretation.

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100 Happy Days

| I was game, but the technology of those hashtags got me nervous and I had forgotten my Instagram password, but the concept, the idea of finding a happy moment is what started the sparkle for me mean turning into a crazy person, shouting ‘Hallelujah’ and giving out sunflowers on the sidewalk.

The purple hat thing comes to mind. Being optimistic is just that, searching for optimism. Choosing hope. #100HappyDays: I know, it’s cliched but my daughter told me about it. Find one thing that makes you happy every day and take a picture to share. I was game, but the technology of those hashtags got me nervous and I had forgotten my Instagram password, but the concept, the idea of finding a happy moment is what started the sparkle for me. Nothing major, just the icing on a cupcake, or finishing the sudoku (not the best example) or someone giving you a seat on the tube sort of thing. It made me think of how many moments of potential happiness I don’t even

see in the rush hour of life.

So yesterday, in reflection: Sunshine, rusk in coffee, work done. Ironing done, smell of linen water. Compliment received.

The fresh, cool aroma of spring.

Mocha and the Metro puzzle.

Trains on time. Catch-up with friend in amazing restaurant. Food and wine a treat. Languages and cultures around me in London.

Walking at 10.30 at night with music in my ears. Planes with human stories coming in to land.

Law student with Mac and Ravioli on tube. Feeling alive. Potential.

What else did I miss?

No photo to post, post, post.

Found some moments of happiness and sent them straight to my heart.

Just for me. Black dog waiting to pounce I know, but think about it, there is always someone… and I’m feeding him chocolate!

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Top 10 South African names – courtesy of Home Affairs | South Africa is a colourful and diverse country known for its culture, its flora and fauna, and its many religions, and to top it all, the

country also boosts a rich variety of questionable names, some of them created erroneously by Home Affairs officials themselves

by Bongani Mtlhavani A name forms an integral part of one’s identity; it is the one thing that you are bound to be known by from birth to death. However, some Home Affairs officials seem to find it acceptable to give a few people incredible identities – as listed below. Are you one of them?

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Dance – you’re Afrikaans! | Disco Pants Blog: For me, Afrikaans has nothing to do with those cross men and their brylcreem who didn’t smile one time in their lives and conjured a political system madder than your wildest imaginings

By Susan Hayden

| My grandpa, Jan Jacobus Botha, as a young man of 26.

I think the two most surprising things I experienced travelling and living ‘overseas’ was that everything was not, in fact, cooler/better/more fabulous than it was in SA (we Saffers suffer from a terrible inferiority complex in that regard), but also how deeply, madly and uncompromisingly South African I became. Before I left the country I had a tenuous, undefined and vaguely apologetic sense of my own heritage. But – and I guess this is identity politics 101 – put me amongst a clan of white-blonde, herringmarinating, super-stylish Scandinavians, and I was one step away from wearing a lion skin to the Vårdcentral and throwing bones for people as my party trick. Since I didn’t own a lion skin, what I did instead was join a South African book group and learn to bake rusks and source a boerewors maker in Copenhagen and phone my mom just to weep when I heard Alicia say, ‘molo, Sisi! Kunjani?’

And the other thing I did, after not doing this thing for many years, was start to speak Afrikaans. Afrikaans – the language of my country, of my childhood, of my history with its uncompromising ‘r’s and it’s guttural ‘g’s that sound like they come from inside the earth, itself.

Its verkleiningsvorm that adds ‘tjie’ to small things so that they shrink before your very ears, and its words which are so unique and descriptive that they refuse to be moulded into the clipped, uptight and inflexible rigours of English. Nothing is as crawly as a ‘gogga’; nothing says you’ve hurt yourself like ‘eina!’, and that’s not even touching on the assortment of swear words and abuses which are so colourful they verge on psychedelic.

And, of course, the more ‘Kaaps’ you get, the more evocative and descriptive Afrikaans becomes.

And it’s a shame it got associated with all that bad stuff. That a language so vibrant and defiant and home-grown became branded and white-washed and sterilized so that it served the purposes of a few power-hungry old men who loved this country but not its people, and, in the way language constructs reality, was used as a very effective tool of oppression.

Which, given its origins – a ‘secret’ language developed by slaves so that they wouldn’t be understood by their tyrannical masters, and also a rebellion against speaking the language of their oppressors – is deeply ironic.

Another thing I only discovered recently is that ‘kombuis’ in Dutch signifies a ship’s galley.

Which implies that it might not be ‘kitchen Dutch’ as we have always understood, but ‘ship galley Dutch’, which carries its own insidious connotations. And its hybrid of Dutch, Portuguese,

Khoi and Malay (with some Xhosa and Zulu influence along the way) makes it magnificently unique and special as languages go.

And while I wasn’t nearly conscious enough at school to understand that Afrikaans was a tool of apartheid, the overt preference the Afrikaans kids got in my dual-medium Somerset West school was enough to distance me from it and all it represented. We English-speaking kids were largely regarded as wayward and traitorous and, despite being as South African as they come, in this country of divisions and apartness, our affiliations were somehow believed to be British. Because Afrikaans was not our home language, we were not ‘true’ South Africans, and I have vivid memories of teachers comparing us negatively to the Afrikaans kids, a censure which hurt me at the time, being a diligent, conscientious student who loved my school and was very proud of my good grades.

Because I suppose, even though we were children and clueless, the Anglo-Boer war with its concentration camps and brutal treatment of the Boers was still fresh in a lot of minds. So that when my maternal grandfather, Jan Jacobus Botha, who grew up poor on a farm in the Eastern Cape, went to school barefoot on horseback and spoke Afrikaans and Xhosa but not one word of English, met and fell in love with Emily Norah Elizabeth Dilley who spoke no Afrikaans, their families were none too pleased. And when, in a real Romeo and Juliet-style saga they married anyway, his family, who lived literally down the road from their home in East London, would sit on their stoep and refuse to greet my granny when she walked past.

Because the Afrikaners were, really, South Africa’s white tribe.

I wish I’d been older when my grandpa was alive so that I could have asked him questions about his life back then. And I wish I’d been awake enough to tell him not to speak his accented English to me, but to talk to me in his mother tongue, using the words of his own childhood to paint pictures of the world.

Now I rely on my mother’s memory to keep my ancestors alive, while in my own mind I’ve reclaimed the culture for myself.

For me, it has nothing to do with those cross men and their brylcreem who didn’t smile one time in their lives and conjured a political system madder than your wildest imaginings. It’s a connection to this corner of Africa; my soul’s dompas, if you will. The blood of those people who fought and suffered to live freely in this country runs through my veins, too. And to the ones who say I don’t belong here, I answer in my best, accented Afrikaans, ‘fok jou! Gaan vlieg in jou ouma se klein kwassie!’ And I defy anyone to translate that.

9

thesouthafrican.com | 4 - 10 March 2014 |

Travel

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| The Bagan Archaeological Zone is a main draw for Myanmar’s nascent tourism industry

Mystical Myanmar: Travel back in time to Burma

| The South East Asian country of Burma (or Myanmar) allows you to dive into a world without Coca Cola and McDonald’s and enjoy a nation and a culture at its most pure Paya is simply unforgettable

by Andre lombard It is a country that’s been shrouded in mystery for hundreds of years. George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling are among those who have tried to understand Burma, a land that conjures up images of Asia at its most exotic.

Isolated and off the itinerary of tourists for decades, now it is gradually opening up to the outside world. Freedom champion Aung Sang Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest, and has called for tourists to help rebuild the shattered economy.

Arriving on a budget flight from Bangkok into Yangon Airport, I was filled with a sense of intrigue and adventure. Yangon, known as Rangoon until 1989, is a higgledy-piggledy city of almost six million inhabitants, formed of decaying grand colonial-era buildings and claustrophobic alleys. Decades of international isolation are immediately apparent as you arrive: taxis consist of beaten-up

’80s Japanese cars, which can still fetch up to US$30,000 on the market due to their scarcity.

Visitors, especially those coming from countries such as China or Thailand, might also be taken back by the pricing of negotiable services: although still slightly higher than the rates locals pay, they are far from rip-off territory.

The city delights all your senses with its colour and chaos.

Downtown revolves around the Sule Paya, a 2,000-year-old golden temple that bizarrely also serves as the city’s primary traffic circle. This part of the city buzzes during the day, and is the main location of accommodation in Yangon. Accommodation is not as plentiful as you might expect though, and this has forced prices up: very basic single rooms start from around US$16 a night.

Although many travellers use Yangon as a pit-stop to reach other parts of the country, it is a very enjoyable place to while away a few days. The Shwedagon

| U’Bein’s Bridge on the outskirts on Mandalay.

at sunrise and sunset. It is also relatively crowd free, and an enjoyable day can easily be spent wandering slack-jawed around the stupas. Those with an interest in Buddhism will be spoilt for choice, with literally thousands of temples and Buddhas hidden away.

Not all activities revolve around Buddhism though: the towering Strand hotel, a favourite of Somerset Maugham, provides an afternoon tea straight out of the early 20th century. Sitting back in the wicker chairs and enjoying the selection of cakes and sandwiches, chosen by Lonely Planet as one of the best seven high teas in the world, is an unmissable experience.

The country’s other famous city, Mandalay, lacks the charm of its Southern cousin. Whilst its name may conjure romantic images, Mandalay today is a dirty and booming city, rapidly expanding with Chinese money.

While there is not much to see in the city proper, the outskirts are

| A local Myanite selling fresh seafood on Chaung Tha Beach, Myanmar

home to some historic sites. U Bein’s Bridge is the South East Asia of your imagination: it is the world’s longest teak bridge and provides a vital crossing point for everyone from monks to traders.

The old capital of Inwa is best traversed by horse cart, although be prepared to battle pesky hawkers. Mandalay is quiet at night time: catching a performance by the legendary dissident comedy act the Moustache Brothers, or seeing the international renowned Mandalay Marionettes puppet show, is the best way to spend the evening.

But don’t just stick to the cities: there are also a plethora of sights dotted around the country. Bagan, a plain dotted with countless 12th century temples, is simply a must do. Walkers will enjoy the trek from

Kalaw to Inle Lake, which takes in breath-taking scenery and friendly ethnic minority villages. The Golden Rock at Kyaiktiyo should also be on your itinerary, and is easily accessible from Yangon.

While it can provide its challenges, Burma is a wonderful place to visit. Sure, it can be difficult to get off the beaten track and avoid the tour groups, as the government restricts travel access and plane safety is not the best. The tourist infrastructure can also be lacking in places, but this is refreshing compared to over-produced tourist activities in neighbouring countries. The years of isolation have also made the people curious about the outside world, and it is this hospitality and openness that makes travel in Burma such a pleasure.

10

Business

| 4 - 10 March 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Protect yourself and your business with a shareholders’ agreement | The Start Up Business “To Do” List is long and never-ending I know, but whether you have just begun or are merging or expanding your business, one key thing for you and your business partners to do is a Shareholders’ Agreement by paul flude You have a great concept or product for a new business and are excited that the finances are all in place. The company has a name and has been registered at Companies House. You have a trusted friend, colleague or relative who wants to join you in your entrepreneurial adventure.

But have you considered the legal paperwork – what about the risks – is your back properly covered if things go wrong and you experience a falling out?

This article focuses on the value

and importance of a Shareholders’ Agreement in business and why any new shareholder should seek professional legal advice before signing on the dotted line. Paul Flude is a practising Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, based in London as a Life Planning Consultant at A City Law Firm LLP. He is a specialist Estate Planner and Entrepreneur in his own right.

The Start Up Business “To Do” List is long and never ending I know, but whether you have just begun or are merging or

expanding your business, one key thing for you and your business partners to do is a Shareholders’ Agreement. This formal legal agreement between members of a company, sets out the terms of ownership of the business, clarifies everyone’s expectations, determines the powers and duties of each shareholder (and director), provides a method for resolving disputes and determines how to dissolve the relationship.

A well-drafted Shareholders’ Agreement removes any uncertainty between the members, and provides a clear “fall back” position if circumstances arise which were not contemplated at the outset (these occurrences frequently happen in our fastpast, complex and ever-changing world).

Who needs a Shareholders’ Agreement? Any company with more than one shareholder should have this in place to govern issues between the members. It is often more important to have one in place where there are only two members with an equal number of shares – this is when deadlock can often arise.

What terms should be included in a Shareholders’ Agreement?

Financial issues - what each party is contributing initially to finance the company and whether this is share capital or a loan (and on what terms). It may make provisions on how any future finance will be raised (options include each party contributing in proportion to their shareholding, third party funding, bank loans etc) and also what dividends can distributed, to whom and when.

It can specify the company’s bankers, accountant/auditor and other third party service providers.

Share transfers – a common source of disputes, usually in regard to the share price and timing of payments. Rather than giving shareholders the freedom to sell their shares whenever and to whomever they want, there will be a clear mechanism for share transfers, which usually gives the other members the first option to buy them within a set time frame.

There will be a formula to value the shares if the price cannot be agreed.

Managing the company – to determine how the directors and other key officers will be appointed, what their duties are and how their services can be terminated. This can supplement what is contained in the Articles of Association e.g. shareholders to be able to appoint themselves or a

nominee as a director. It can deal with voting rights, the function and control of the company, its directors and the shareholders themselves. What specific circumstances will require an Ordinary Resolution or a Special Resolution? Also, it may set out where the unanimous agreement of all shareholders is required.

Disputes between the Members - often disputes will arise over the sale of shares or the sale of the company as a going concern. Or the shareholders may disagree over the strategic future of the company, or the directors may be in breach of their fiduciary duty or acting in a way that is detrimental to the company and the shareholders. Or there is often disagreement over some financial or funding aspect or an item of expenditure. This may lead to a deadlock if there are only two shareholders or an equal number in disagreement (e.g. 50% vs 50%). Unless your Shareholders’ Agreement specifies how these issues can be resolved, you could be placing your business at risk as the company may not be able to function fully until the dispute is resolved. The worst case scenario is that an ongoing, unresolved dispute may force you to wind up the company.

Deadlock – there are various non-litigious options to resolve disputes: Veto Right – basically nothing can be done without an agreement

(this could however, allow a minority to prevent the majority taking action or prevent the company making a decision it has to make in order to “survive”).

Dispute Resolution – either in the form of arbitration, mediation, independent expert, or nominated third party – one of these mechanisms must be must be used in the event of a deadlock.

The appointed Chairman of the Board to have a casting vote.

Winding Up/Dissolution – the last option if shareholders cannot agree (which necessity may in fact focus everyone’s efforts to try to find an amicable solution).

And finally…Exiting the business – what happens when a shareholder dies or wants to leave?

This topic will be dealt with in Part 2 of this article.

Owning and managing a business is stressful and risky, particularly in these difficult times. There is a lot more potential for disagreement between the shareholders if your key processes and terms are not clearly laid out in a formal legally-binding Agreement. If things start to go wrong – or very well! – or circumstances arise which were not envisaged at the outset, and a dispute arises, without having clarity on what to do next and a “bedrock” written basis for resolving the situation, you could face losing the business and a falling out with your partners.

11

thesouthafrican.com | 4 - 10 March 2014 |

Business

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Conflicted business forecast for next five years in SA | A recent report on business prospects in South Africa delivers a lukewarm verdict, as South Africa prepares to enter one of the most important phases in its history as a democracy

by sertan sanderson IT is not exactly a ‘damning report’, but it is not what South Africa will want to hear in an election year either: the global risk consultancy firm Control Risks predicted last week that the business climate in South Africa is unlikely to improve over the next five years on account of the political landscape.

According to the report, the main culprit for this stagnation is the ongoing struggle against corruption, combined with weak leadership and poor service delivery from the government.

The report did not, however, comment on the rand devaluation, implying confidence in the currency on the long term.

The most likely scenario for business in South Africa over the

next five years would therefore be a continuation of the current status quo, according to the report - a message that neither politicians nor prospective investors are happy to hear.

As the Control Risks 2014 report was launched, the detailed analysis also read that there may be a chance for a downward spiral ahead, which would see SA losing its battle against corruption as part of a more nationalistic approach to running the economy.

The report explained that over the past five years such trends were notable, particularly with regards to nationalising natural resources and thus stifling economic development in the country.

Overall, South Africa was given a rating as a ‘medium-risk’ country along a scale ranging

from ‘low’ to ‘extreme’ – with urban areas attracting a ‘high’ rating for security concerns.

However, it may be interpreted as a positive sign and a glimpse of hope that the report rejected South Africa’s status as an ‘emerging market’, saying that the country’s economy was globally integrated and highly competitive, with a growing middle class establishing itself rapidly.

However, to counterbalance the good news, the report also mentioned ongoing failures in South Africa, such as an evergrowing number of protests and strikes, the fragmentation of trade unions and an unwelcoming climate for business and investors.

Simiso Velempini, an analyst at Control Risks, said that the country’s current position will probably worsen before it gets better. The political outlook over the next five years may be crucial for future business ventures in South Africa, as the country prepares to enter what is labelled as the most important legislative period since Nelson Mandela’s government from 1994 to 1999.

In context, however, it should also be noted that the number of African countries with negative ratings has double over the past five years, giving South Africa a leading edge over its neighbours.

Still, to improve ratings and attract business, changes to the political landscape may be required to build confidence in South Africa as a brand.

Rand remains resilient with optimistic outlook Bank Rate Decision data.

Finally, US Unemployment Rate data is being published on Friday afternoon, which may affect the USD/ZAR relationship.

GBP / ZAR: 18.0663 EUR / ZAR: 14.8726 USD / ZAR: 10.7884 NZD / ZAR: 9.0286 Exchange rates as of 7:30 (GMT), 03 March 2014.

by Courtneigh Humphriss The Rand stood firm against the world’s major currencies last week before slipping this morning (7am) to 18.07 GBP/ZAR. On the US Dollar front, the Rand struggled to lower itself below the 10.70 mark last week, and still hovers around 10.80 USD/ZAR. However, the outlook on government spending and budget improvements has been much more optimistic since Pravin

Gordhan’s confident budget speech. As onshore and offshore conditions show signs of improvement, the Rand may strengthen even more against the Pound and US Dollar.

In the States, the Fed is under less pressure to unwind its monetary policies after US growth began to reduce emerging market turmoil.

Thursday sees the release of Bank of England Rate Decision data and the European Central

:: 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.

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Middle class African consumer market to be worth $1 trillion by the year 2020 | By 2020, the African consumer market will be worth $1 trillion, driven by demands for technology-based goods like smart phones and

household appliances, and cars. It is expected that the South African electronics market alone will be worth around $13-billion by 2016

By Sulaiman Philip The United States of Africa is the 10th largest economy in the world. It is ahead of China and India, countries with populations to match Africa’s just over a billion people. Its booming consumer market is worth almost a trillion dollars a year but international companies struggle to tap into it.

Africa still suffers from the illusion that it’s a difficult place to do business, a dark continent of war, famine and corruption. This short-sighted and misinformed belief has put companies that are just awakening to the economic miracle of Africa, at a disadvantage.

Instead, it is an awakening consumer giant with a growing middle class eager to show off their new-found economic and social status through the purchase of branded goods. On average, 40% of the population of any given African country belongs to what Vijay Mahajan, author of Africa Rising: How 900 Million Consumers Offer More Than You Think, describes as Africa 1 and Africa 2. These are the elite of the population and the growing aspirant middle class.

These are the people who are driving the market for consumer

goods, the Africans who told researchers for the Boston Consulting Group they were planning on spending money to upgrade their mobile phones, buy laptops and spend more on entertainment, homes, cars and education in the next year.

Economies across Africa withstood the economic meltdown of 2008 and have grown at an impressive 6%, on average, while old world economies have contracted. The growth is tied to the demand for the riches under the African soil, but only in part. The African middle class has also risen on the growth of Africa’s consumer driven society. Consumer spending accounted for more than 60% of sub-Sahara’s growth last year, according to the World Bank.

Spending spree And Africa is looking to spend.

Or, in the words of Zimbabwean journalist Farai Sevenzo: “… like a recklessly wealthy bride, we look over our shoulders at the orderly queue of suitors seeking a partnership of one kind or another.”

By 2020, the African consumer market will be worth $1 trillion, driven by demands for technology-based goods like

smart phones and household appliances, and cars. It is expected that the South African electronics market alone will be worth around $13-billion by 2016. The rising demand is good for tech companies; however, even more appealing is the fact that relative to income, Africans are willing to spend more than Europeans, Americans and Japanese consumers on technology.

This statistic is skewed by the higher cost that Africans pay for goods, which is one of the major challenges that face some companies trying to tap into the market place.

The demand for competitively priced technology has led to the growth of companies willing to offer them. Middle Eastern computer companies have been able to carve out market share for themselves as suppliers of lowcost computer equipment. The performance of companies like Huawei, Nokia and Blackberry has outstripped Apple because their handsets are far more affordable.

Another factor in the choices made by the emerging middle class of one brand over another is a product’s suitability to African conditions. The recent discovery of oil in Ghana is often offered as a reason for the growth of its aspirational market; but the reality is that the country still rations electricity and faces constant clean water shortages.

Taking such restrictions into account, South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung has developed fridges with built in surge protectors and laptops powered by solar energy that have given the company the lead in African markets like Ghana and Kenya. The company has set up manufacturing plants in Africa as well, which has helped to bring down the costs of these goods.

Aspirational values And the African market will continue to heat up. Grant Hatch of Accenture explains: “The costs of a lot of technology products have been declining for some time, so products will become even more affordable to the consumer.”

Mahajan’s research came up with an interesting finding: the majority of Africans, those in the group he refers to as Africa 3, worked for the top two groups and over time assimilated their aspirational values.

The African middle class is

estimated to number about 350 million and growing. The contest for the hearts, minds and wallets of African consumers is growing in intensity, and local manufacturers are also benefitting from this new-found wealth.

The 2013 African Development Bank’s Development Effectiveness Report showed that the growth of the middle class was in part thanks to better economic governance and a better business climate. While foreign investment in Africa has increased fivefold since 2000, it is the entrepreneurial spirit of Africans that has helped to sustain growth. In the past seven years the number of people delaying the opening of a business has halved and the costs of doing so have fallen by two thirds.

Mabati Rolling Mills started out as a manufacturer of metal roofing sheets in Kenya. As the middle class grew and the housing market exploded, the company grew into the dominant manufacturer in the $180-million Kenyan market. Today it is a conglomerate that exports to 50 countries across Africa and the world.

Mo shows the way If there is a figurehead for the rising African middle class then it’s Mosunmola Abudu, Africa’s answer to Oprah. Abudu is a Nigerian media entrepreneur and self-taught TV host. Her talk show Moments with Mo, first aired in 2006, is syndicated across 48 African countries and has had guest as diverse as International Monetary Fund boss Christine Lagarde and former South African president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate FW de Klerk, as well as English football player Rio Ferdinand.

Last year, Abudu launched EbonyLife TV, a continent-wide broadcaster aimed at the growing aspirational African middle class.

“Not every African woman has a pile of wood on her head and

a baby strapped to her back.

EbonyLife celebrates style and success while motivating its audience to dream, and dream big,” the glamorous Abudu told press agency AP. The English-born mother of two wants to change the antiquated view of Africa as “the dark continent”. Programming on her new channel highlights the continent’s wealth of talented entrepreneurs and artists. Her return to Africa and the birth of her media empire began at London’s Marble Arch. “On a whim I asked people what came to mind when they heard the word ‘Africa’. The nicest thing I heard was ‘sunshine’.”

Programming on EbonyLife is targeted at the 18- to 34-year-old demographic, a group Abudu refers to as Africa’s “custodians of the present and future”. But is also the dream demographic of marketers. The original shows cover everything from domestic abuse to skin bleaching and sex tips, with a healthy sprinkling of celebrity gossip, with an African flavour. Her reality series, The Fattening Room, follows young women going through traditional pre-marriage rites, learning from the matriarchs what it means to be a traditional wife.

Tradition mixed with modernity is Africa today, Abudu argues. In the reality series the older women try in vain to fatten up the young women, who all want to retain their Hollywood-inspired shape.

“People need to know that this kind of Africa exists; we have moved into the modern age. People don’t think that people live in Africa like this. They don’t think that we have high-profile events where people look glamorous and they’re all dressed up.”

Admittedly there are still pockets of despotic rule, of famine and strife, but as the slogan for EbonyLife goes, “Everything you think you know about Africa is about to change” www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com.

13

thesouthafrican.com | 4 - 10 March 2014 |

Zimbabwe Community

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UK gives into Zimbabwe’s demands for school funding

| The UK has caved in to an application from Zimbabwe to fund the schooling of pupils in an estimated 5,415 primary and special schools across the country – to the tune of $10 million

by sertan sanderson Robert Mugabe, who has been in power in Zimbabwe for 34 years continuously, celebrated entering his nonagenarian age last week by having 90 balloons released in Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare.

Mugabe wasn’t present to witness his actual birthday last Friday, as he was recovering from a cataract eye surgery in Singapore at the time, but he made sure that he was back in the country to attend the spectacles organised over the weekend. During a speech, the ailing statesman said that he didn’t feel like he was 90 but rather like 9-year-old boy.

In total, an estimated $41 million were spent on the birthday celebrations, attracting criticism that the cash-strapped country should rather spend its resources differently. Displays of a giant, 90-kilo birthday cake and the slaughtering of 90 cows in commemoration of the event further fuelled disapproval, as the country might be on the brink of another bout of widespread starvation following recent floods across its plains. The think-tank “Human Rights Watch” publicly criticised the lavish birthday bash in a report, saying it would be inappropriate at a time “when the country is faced with the disaster of flooding and a crumbling economy”.

However, the divisive leader was nevertheless hailed across his country, with children and adults alike joining in on festivities, all dressed in the imperative ‘revolutionary’ red. According to Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, more than 45,000 people had gathered at the stadium in Harare alone, in anticipation of the big event. Leaders from neighbouring

countries, including an ANC delegation from South Africa, were also present at the occasion.

An hour-long speech was broadcast throughout Zimbabwe as part of the leader’s birthday commemorations; in it, Mugabe did not miss the opportunity to stir up controversy by repeatedly referring to Zimbabwe’s colonial past while also heavily condemning “unnatural acts” in reference to ongoing changes in legislation in the country with regard to homosexuality.

“God made men and women so they can bear children,” said Mugabe, adding, “we don’t accept homosexuality here.”

Despite such staunch antipathy to all things gay, Mugabe’s colourful party nevertheless managed to unfold in all the colours of the rainbow.

The controversial birthday festivities happened to coincide with several other milestone events in Zimbabwe last week, making the celebrations a bittersweet affair, perhaps even for the Mugabe household. Among other things, the EU had lifted a number of sanctions on the struggling nation earlier in the week, which had remained imposed on the country for years, making the regime now more eligible for international trade and aid.

However, not all diplomatic ties were fortified during the past week, as Zimbabwe deported a former US politician and entrepreneur for outstaying his welcome amid widespread controversy.

Former U.S. congressman Mel Reynolds was evicted from Zimbabwe following allegations of overstaying his visa and running up unpaid hotel bills to the tune of almost $25,000 - although the

real motivation behind the move is rumoured to be possession of pornographic material, which is strictly illegal in the country.

Ongoing media reports about allegations of massive corruption in many of Zimbabwe’s state enterprises must have further soured the contentious leader’s 90th birthday celebrations, as the question on everybody’s mind whether they may support Mugabe or not - remains: How much longer can he go on?

14

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thesouthafrican.com | 4 - 10 March 2014 |

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In2Touch players never get FOMO

| With both teams and individuals flowing in for our various venues and upcoming leagues in 2014, we at In2Touch are very excited to announce all the social gatherings and tournaments we have coming up this year by staff reporter With both teams and individuals flowing in for our various venues and upcoming leagues in 2014, we at In2Touch are very excited to announce all the social gatherings and tournaments we have coming up this year!

April shoot-out party Bringing back the roaring twenties in style, Friday the 18th of April at Gigalum is set to be adorned by girls in pearls and guys in ties.

Following the huge success of our “Cowboys & Indians” themed shoot-out party last April, our first social event for 2014 will be the April Shoot-out “Flappers & Gangsters” party. There will be prizes for best dressed male and female – so gals, make sure to grab that bobbed hair wig, short lowwaist dress with pleats and gathers (all the better to Charleston in).

Guys, think Gatsby – slick, sleek and sophisticated (because, that’s what we all are like on a touch night out, right?)

The 20’s epitomised the spirit of a

reckless rebel who danced the nights away – what decade could describe a touch night better?

Thames boat cruise Another event that gained huge popularity with our team organisers, referees and players in 2013 that will be making a grand 2014 comeback was the hugely anticipated and successful Thames Boat Cruise Party. That’s right folks! Get set to sail along the Thames in style, dancing the night away whilst taking in some incredible views of London by night. Date is still to be confirmed, so keep an eye out on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

London 10’s This year will also see the return of In2Touch’s involvement in the London 10’s festival. With both social and competitive men’s, ladies and mixed divisions, teams will play in a one day competition, and be an integral part of the festival. It will be a great day of Rugby and Touch action on the 22nd of July 2014.

Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers get first wins of the 2014 season

| The Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers returned to winning ways on a weekend of Vodacom Super Rugby where six from seven home teams were victorious

by staff reporter Both the teams from Pretoria and Cape Town were outscored by two tries to one in their respective matches against the Lions and the Hurricanes, but won mainly because of pin-point goal-kicking accuracy.

On Friday evening the DHL Stormers snuck through by 19-18 against the Hurricanes at DHL Newlands, while the Vodacom Bulls beat the Lions by 25-17 in the first Gauteng-derby at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon.

It wasn’t a happy weekend for the Toyota Cheetahs though, as they lost their first tour match of the season by 35-14 to the Rebels in Melbourne.

The Cell C Sharks had a bye.

Melbourne Rebels 35 (17) Toyota Cheetahs 14 (0) The Melbourne Rebels recorded only their second ever victory in

13 matches over a South African Vodacom Super Rugby team when they capitalised on a lacklustre performance by the Toyota Cheetahs to win by 35-14 at AAMI Park on Friday morning.

The team from Bloemfontein will be the first to admit it wasn’t even close to their best as they conceded five tries in 80 minutes in Melbourne – this after keeping the Lions and Vodacom Bulls tryless in their two opening matches of the season.

The Toyota Cheetahs’ inability to hold onto the ball – especially at the breakdown – and their struggles in the line-outs were probably the two main reasons why they were behind by 17-0 at the break.

Unfortunately their defence was also not as sharp as in their previous matches, while their kicking – tactically and at goal – was not nearly as good as a week ago against the Vodacom Bulls in Bloemfontein.

They never gave up though, with replacement forwards Jean Cook and Rayno Barnes crossing for tries in the second half. But it was the Rebels’ night as they also recorded their second biggest win ever – they played with pace, had the bounce of the ball and produced probably one of their best performances since joining the Vodacom Super Rugby ranks in 2011.

In2Touch social world cup The pinnacle one day tournament is the annual In2Touch Social World Cup, where teams from all over the UK take part to see which team will be crowned social world cup winners. The format follows that each team entering into the tournament is allocated a country to play as and come dressed up in as that country. 2013 saw team Sweden take out the fancy dress – with the team coming in some highly creative IKEA uniforms. The winners of the days competition were local touch club, Gurus, who were dressed in lederhosen’s to represent their given country of Austria. This is undoubtedly the best

and most social touch tournament in the UK, with most teams returning year after year to enjoy the fun social atmosphere.

0081_SS1_3295 Free coaching sessions You’ve walked past the park, been totally gripped by the thrilling game of touch – but you’ve never even touched a touch rugby ball.

No worries! If you’re new to touch or even just wanting to brush up on the basics, In2Touch run various coaching sessions throughout the year so you can learn some basic touch skills, drills and rules. We welcome individuals and teams to join these sessions run by some of

England’s (if not Europe’s) best touch players.

Even with all these amazing socials (plus more to be announced) throughout the year, each In2Touch venue also boasts its own amazing after game watering hole. With our venues connected to a local pub, post-match team gatherings are always a given! Within walking distance from the pitches and all London teams getting a free food voucher to use .

For more information or to get involved either as an individual or with a group of friends as a team, go to www,in2touch.com/uk or e-mail Jessica on jess@in2touch.com

Sport

4 - 10 March 2014

Vodacom bulls and dhl stormers get first wins p15

NEWS FOR GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICANS

In2Touch players never get fomo p15

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Junior Proteas score first-ever World Cup win

| Aiden Markram led his team from the front virtually from the first match to the last as the South Africa

under-19 cricket squad beat Pakistan by a convincing six wickets with 47 balls to spare in the ICC Junior World Cup Final in Dubai on Saturday

by Alasdair Fraser The South African U-19 cricket team clinched their first-ever world title and maintained their unbeaten streak as they crushed Pakistan by six wickets in the final of the ICC Junior World Cup in Dubai on Saturday.

Captain Aiden Markham helped the Junior Proteas achieve Pakistan’s paltry target with a determined 66 not out after his bowlers had earlier routed their opponents for just 131 after 42.1 overs.

The South African skipper ended the tournament as the overall leading run-scorer with 370 runs at an average 123. He scored two centuries in six innings and was named Player of the Tournament.

Corbin Bosch, son of former SA Test fast bowler, the late Tertius Bosch, was named Man of the Match for his outstanding seam bowling which knocked the stuffing out of Pakistani challenge.

The 19-year-old seamer took 4/15 and was instrumental in knocking over the Pakistan middle order.

He was ably backed-up by Justin Dill, whose medium-pace bowling troubled the Pakistani top order just as they were beginning to look comfortable.

Kagiso Rabada, hero of the semi-

final win over Australia, made the initial breakthrough in the ninth over by forcing opening batsman Imam ul Haq to edge a catch to wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin.

This led to Dill striking in his very first over before Bosch tucked into the Pakistan batting line-up and they were left reeling at 60/6.

Both Dill and Bosch bowled a tight line – forcing the batsmen to play which resulted in Fortuin gloving six catches behind the stumps.

With the South Africans chasing 132, Markham and Fortuin started tentatively before the latter was dismissed for just one run.

Markham was then joined by Jason Smith and the pair slowly prodded to 28/1 after 11 overs before Smith was trapped LBW by legspinner Karamat Ali. Greg Oldfield eased the pressure off Markham and was instrumental in their 71-run partnership, and by the time he departed for 40, South Africa only required 34 runs to win.

Markham saw his team all the way to the finish line. His batting partner Bradley Dial clobbered the ball straight past the bowler, and his skipper, for four to bring up the winning runs which sparked jubilant celebrations from the South African camp.

| DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Corbin Boch of South Africa bowls during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2014 Super League Final match between South Africa and Pakistan at the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium on March 1, 2014 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel - IDI/IDI via Getty Images)

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