The South African, Issue 511, 23 April 2013 by The South African

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23-29 April 2013

Issue 511

COULD A LEGAL HORN TRADE SAVE OUR RHINOS? SA Environment Minister backs proposal to remove international ban on poaching

by STAFF REPORTER

IN a bid to stem rampant poaching in South Africa, some private rhino farmers and conservationists are lobbying for the removal of the international ban on rhino horn trading This controversial argument has even been backed by environment minister Edna Molewa. She and other advocates of the bill claim creating a legal market could be a solution to discourage rhino poaching, which saw a record 668 of the animals killed in South Africa last year. Molewa said she believes it “is the right direction” to take and could be the key to saving South Africa’s rhino population from extinction. She explained, “The model we have is based on supply and demand. The reality is that we have done all in our power and doing the same thing every day isn’t working. We think we need to address this issue of trade in a controlled manner so that we can at least begin to push down this pressure.” It’s a controversial tactic that shows South Africa’s desperation to stop the poaching crisis. Despite a slew of military-style efforts to halt the killing of rhinos for their horns, already this year more than 200 rhinos have been poached, the majority of them at the Kruger National Park. Poaching has roughly doubled each year over the past five years in South Africa, which is home to both the white rhino and the black rhino. White rhinos, which trophy

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p3 | Enormous blue diamond unearthed in South African mine

p3 | Join a braai or dinner to celebrate SA Freedom Day in England this weekend p11 | SA POWER 100: Steven Pienaar’s long road from SA township to Everton

FRESHLYGROUND, LIVE IN LONDON: South African band Freshlyground returns to London for two nights only at Jazz Café in Camden on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May – and we have a pair of tickets up for grabs to Sunday’s show! Enter before 25 April at www.southafrican.com/winprizes

hunters wiped out almost entirely by the late 19th century, are now near threatened, according to the Red List of threatened species. Black rhinos are critically endangered. If poaching continues at the current rate, the Kruger Park’s rhino population will start to

decline from 2016, according to researchers. Worse, scientists estimate that if poaching accelerates, Africa’s rhino could be extinct in the wild in just 20 years, The Guardian has reported. The stage seems set for South Africa to push ahead with trade

proposals at the conference of the 178 member countries to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to be held in Cape Town in 2016. That would require support from a two-thirds majority of the member states. Continued on page 2

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Peter Hain presents documentary on bloody legacy of Marikana In Wednesday’s BBC2 programme, the British MP returns to his childhood home and talks to President Jacob Zuma, Lonmin’s CEO Simon Scott, struggle leaders and the families of men killed at Marikana about the far-reaching implications of the 2012 tragedy by STAFF REPORTER

LAST August 34 miners were shot dead by police as they protested outside a mine in Marikana, South Africa. Nearly 50 years after he left South Africa as a teenager, Peter Hain MP returns to ask how the country of his childhood, once such a beacon of hope, is now the scene of such tragedy. In South Africa: The Massacre That Changed a Nation, an hour long documentary for the BBC’s award-winning This World strand, Hain speaks to the families of some of the men killed at Marikana and uncovers a day of shocking brutality with many

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Rob Flude Twitter: @mindtheruck

Originally from Cape Town, Rob made London his home for 7 years. He carved his time between a banking job, travelling, the UK Springbok Supporters Club and penning our regular rugby column entitled Mind The Ruck. He relocated to Melbourne in 2010, assuming the mantle of Content Manager for our Australian portal. He loves Oktoberfest, sport, biltong and ignoring anyone who interferes with that shortlist.

| 23 - 29 April 2013 | thesouthafrican.com

disturbing allegations. With unprecedented access to Lonmin, the company at the centre of the tragedy, he visits the mine and talks to the CEO Simon Scott. He also meets legends of the ANC struggle, talking to Ahmed Kathrada and Ronnie Kasrils about whether the moral legacy of Nelson Mandela has been betrayed. Finally Hain meets President Jacob Zuma to put to him the allegations of corruption, cronyism and brutality against their own people. South Africa: The Massacre That Changed a Nation airs on BBC Two, 24 April at 9pm.

‘Legal horn trade could save rhinos’ - Minister Continued from front page Proponents of the legalisation argue that restricting rhino horn sales has a similar effect to alcohol prohibition in the United States, which created a black market for alcohol. Four scientists wrote in the journal Science that the rhino horn ban, which has been in place since 1977, has been ineffective and that a regulated market would better protect the animals. According to co-author Duan Biggs, research fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions at the University of Queensland, the legal trade in crocodile skins, which led to a shift toward sustainable crocodile ranching instead of the slaughter of wild crocodiles, is an example of how legal trade can drive conservation. However proposals to lift the ban have outraged some who worry that it would simply stimulate the black market trade in in countries like Vietnam, where rhino horn sells for $65,000 a kilogram – more than gold or cocaine – and is believed to be a hangover cure and an aphrodisiac. Mary Rice of the Environmental Investigation Agency said that illegal ivory sales increased in China after it legally bought stockpiles of ivory from Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in 2008. “Legal ivory is now more expensive than illegal ivory, and what you have is the biggest upsurge in poaching since the (1989) ban (on international ivory trade),” Rice said. Allison Thomson, director of activist group Outraged SA

Citizens Against Poaching, said, “We don’t know what the demand is If you open that door and increase the demand, to close that door is going to be impossible.” Opponents of the legal trade also believe corruption would be a major barrier in adequately policing the rhino horn market. Four South African National Parks officials arrested last year in connection with rhino poaching are now out on bail.

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Enormous 25.5 carat blue diamond unearthed in Cullinan

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A rare 25.5 carat blue diamond worth a possible £6 million has been discovered at the South African mine which also produced the Cullinan, the world’s largest gem diamond on record by STAFF REPORTER

A RARE 25.5 carat blue diamond has been discovered at the Cullinan mine north east of Pretoria. “It’s very unusual for a diamond of this quality and size to come to market,” said Cathy Malins of Petra Diamonds, the London-listed company that found the stone. Petra, which acquired the Cullinan mine in 2008, has a track record for making ex-De Beers mines profitable. Experts say the diamond could be worth more than $10m (£6m), and the find gave a boost to Petra’s share price. The mine has produced hundreds of large stones and is famed for its production of blue diamonds, which are among the rarest and most coveted in the world. Four years ago Petra Diamonds found a slightly larger 26.6 carat

blue diamond named the Star of Josephine that was auctioned at Sotheby’s for just under $10m. The mine also produced the Cullinan Diamond at 3,106 carats rough, which was presented to King Edward VII and became part of the British crown jewels. Petra is listed in London and has seven South African mines plus one in Tanzania. The company posted a net post-tax loss of $15.2m compared with a $27m loss in the same period a year earlier. According to South Africa’s Business Day, “The loss stemmed largely from a $17.8m impairment taken against three mines Petra put up for sale in July last year.” Four of Petra’s South African mines, including Cullinan, were impacted by unprotected strikes

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in the mining sector last years and this has forced the company to revise it production guidance for this year downwards by 7 percent, although in the longer term Petra is buoyant about its prospects.

SA fracking activist wins R1.5m international environmental prize by STAFF REPORTER

JONATHAN Deal, South African environmental campaigner and chairman of the Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG) has received the Goldman Environmental Prize for his work in the fight against shale gas mining in the Karoo. Each year, the Goldman Environmental Foundation selects grassroots activists from around the world to honour them for their work. With a cash prize of $150 000 (approximately R1.5m), it is the largest award for grassroots environmental activism in the world. Deal is one of six recipients of the award for 2013 and the second South African to be recognised with the Goldman Prize. Bobby Peek was awarded the prize in 1998 for his fight against industrial pollution in the South Durban region. According to Deal, who received the prize at an awards ceremony in San Francisco on Monday 15 April, the value of the prize has already manifested itself in TKAG. He has now been able to pay salaries to staff that have worked on a voluntary basis for two years, and he has committed to reaching out to rural communities, an effort in which he had been assisted by AfriForum. Shale gas mining (also known as fracking) is a technique used to extract natural gas from shale rock layers deep within the earth. Environmental groups and many scientists believe this technique degrades the land, pollutes ground water and fouls the air.

Deal and his wife own a property in the Karoo. His book Timeless Karoo was published in 2007 after three years of research, writing and photography. In 2011 he heard about Shell’s plans to apply for exploratory permits to drill for natural gas in the Karoo and went from being a nature lover to an environmental activist. Fracking would require large quantities of water not available in the area, and the boom-andbust cycle of gas development would hardly provide a sustainable solution to South Africa’s energy and job challenges. With no prior training in grassroots organising, Deal immediately got to work, starting a Facebook group to educate the public about the risks of fracking. The page quickly gained an active membership of more than 7,000, some of whom Deal convened at a meeting to form TKAG. Over the course of a few

months, they built a viral online presence and coupled it with onthe-ground efforts to inform rural communities about fracking. Deal led a dedicated team of scientists, legal experts and volunteers to debate the merits of fracking with Shell executives in public meetings and in the media, as well as prepare a comprehensive report, delivered by TKAG to President Jacob Zuma, that called for a moratorium on fracking, but this was lifted in September 2012. Deal said that TKAG and AfriForum remain ready to appeal the issuing of any fracking licences. “There are fatal flaws in the applicants’ environmental management plans as well as other considerations, and TKAG and AfriForum will be opposing any licences that may be granted,” said Julius Kleynhans, Head of Environmental Affairs at AfriForum.

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South African Achievers Awards ceremony

by STAFF REPORTER

THE glamorous South African Achievers Awards dinner was held on Saturday 13 April at the Cumberland Hotel in London. This annual event aims to recognise UK-based South African excellence in all areas of life - ranging from business to sport, entertainment to public service, the arts to charity work. Njabulo Madlala, Joyce Mohologae and X Factor UK winner LeAnne gave sensational performances at the event, and everyone left feeling proudly South African.

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Entertainment The OPTIMIST

KAREN DE VILLIERS

Baroness Maggie Thatcher meets the Pearly Gates Border Agency

‘NEXT.’ Maggie looks around her and down at her ticket number. It matches the number flashing on the screen next to the counter and stands up to meet the official at the desk. Difficult to see the others waiting in line, what with the mist, or is it clouds, clouding her vision. ‘So this is your first visit to Heaven,’ the official asks her, looking at her papers with an indifferent air. ‘Well, yes.’ She says clearly. ‘Mmm, caused quite a stir down there you did. Watched it on playback before you arrived. Must have been rather important. State your occupation.’ Maggie shifts uneasily, taken aback that this person

does not know who she is. ‘Prime Minister of Britain, once,’ she answers. ‘And what does that entail?’ He does not look up. Is this a trick question? Maggie stiffens her spine, pulls on her navy jacket to straighten it and with the other hand, pats her coiffed hair, hoping that no stray hairs have escaped the hairspray. ‘Well, young man, man, I was chosen by the people to lead the country. Not an easy job I can tell you, but I am very proud of what I achieved. Difficult times they were, with strikes and a war to manage, but I did the job.’ The agent sniffs loudly. ‘And is this what you are suggesting is enough to get you

into Heaven? Did you contribute to society and not use public funds at any time? Did you pay your taxes, get educated, use your skills to promote your country? More importantly, did you work hard at serving your country, by travelling and endorsing the positive whilst doing so? Not just thinking of yourself and what you could take from this…Britain?’ She wonders if there was a stiff gin to be had. So irksome to have to justify yourself amongst those who were just in it for the ride. ‘Sir, I did the job. By the time I resigned, the country was economically sound, capitalism was thriving and most of all, Britain was one of the most powerful countries in the world. So yes, I think I could say I did the job afforded me.’ He raises an eyebrow and tosses his white cape with flourish before he speaks again. ‘One final question. Why do you

think you should be granted leave to remain and not go the other way?’ Maggie smiles and says,‘This lady is not for turning.’ He stamps her papers and calls the next number. Garnish: Sliced gherkins; Sliced red onion; Chopped coriander; Fresh chilli, chopped; Shallowfried egg, crispy; Sliced spring onion; Segments of lime; Egg noodles, cooked.

Khao Soi Northern Thai chicken curry

THIS is a recipe I use at home for a dish I first experienced in Chiang Mai. Of all the travelling around Thailand, the flavours of this – both the peasant and posh versions – screamed simplicity and encapsulated Thailand for me (Y=8) Ingredients (raw, whole weight unless stated): 25g Galangal; 80g Ginger, 30g Lemongrass; 45g Garlic, 10g Chilli – strong; 700g Onion – white, Spanish; 500g Chestnut mushroom; 350g Carrot; 30g Coriander; 2.3kg Chicken thighs, skin on bone in; 20g Madras curry powder, mild; 55g Demerara sugar; 70g Thai red curry; 3g Kaffir lime leaves; 500ml chicken jus – brown; 300ml double cream; 400ml coconut milk; Salt to taste

Method: Over a medium heat, seal the chicken thighs till caramelised and browned. Remove chicken thighs and reserve. Using the rendered fat from the chicken, sauté off the sliced onions. Add curry powder and Demerara sugar. Caramelise. Add Thai red curry sauce. Fry for 5minutes. Add chilli, galangal, lemongrass, ginger, garlic. Fry for a further 2minutes. Add the mushrooms; chicken jus, coconut milk and double cream. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the kaffir lime leaves. In a deep pan, use the carrot rondels as a bed. Place the chicken thighs, skin side up. Pour sauce over and add half the coriander. Place in the pre-heated oven (130DegC) and braise for 120minutes. Service: On a bed of egg noodles, place a couple of pieces of chicken. Pour some of the sauce over. Sprinkle with a mixture of the garnish items. Serve warm. Follow Grant on Twitter at @granthawthorne

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In ’n Londense pub met Jack Parow en Fokofpolisiekar Aletia Upstairs gesels met Fokofpolisiekar en Jack Parow oor zef, ‘n tien-jaar mylpaal en hoe om Afrikaners te skok mense wat claim dat hulle fokken Afrikaans is soos ou fokken al die Steve Hofmeyer en daai tipe mense. So ek worry nie eintlik of ek ‘n role model is nie. Ek wil net, actually, net Afrikaners skok uit daai fokken sense van fokken ingat kak.

deur ALETIA UPSTAIRS

IN die pub oorkant die Clapham Grand, het ek met Jack Parow (Zander Tyler) en die Fokofs (Francois van Coke, Wynand Myburg, Jaco “Snakehead” Venter, Johnny de Ridder) gesels. Hunter Kennedy was afwesig. Vir wie kom sing julle in Londen? Die Suid-Afrikaners hier is dan al so oud. Francois: Vir Jack Parow. Zander: Vir Fokofpolisiekar. Wynand: Londen is kak, man. Francois: Vir wieookal bereid is om te kom kyk. Hoekom het julle besluit om saam op toer te kom? Zander: Hulle wou altyd saammet my kom toer het! Almal van julle het op ‘n tyd in Engels perform. Hoekom is Afrikaans vir julle beter? Francois: Ons het altyd gejoke oor om ‘n band in Afrikaans te begin. Ons het nie gedink daar was iets cool in Afrikaans op daai stadium nie, toe skryf ons die eerste paar songs en kom op met die naam en dit was toe ‘n goeie rede om ‘n band te begin. Dit was ‘n eerlike manier om uiting te gee aan ons gevoelens in ons moedertaal. Zander, hoekom dink jy werk die zef styl so goed vir jou? Zander: Ag fok, ek weetie. Ekke sien nie myself as zef nie. Ek dink dit is kak. Zef is soos ‘n fad. Ek hou nie daarvan om deel te wees van trends nie en goed, maar ons, obviously, kom van fokken Bellville en stuff af. Dis waar dit originate het, dis waar die woord vandaan kom, so ek dink die mense dig dit maar net

want, fokkit, almal in Suid Afrika is maar fokken zef, so ek dink mense relate maklik daaraan. Behalwe soos mense wat Engels is, maar meeste – 95% van Afrikaners is kommin. Zef is maar net ‘n ander word vir kommin, pyl en nou is dit net going worldwide en shit. Nou raak almal zef. Hoe werk julle style – die rock en die zef rap saam vir julle? Zander: Zef rock! Frannie raak zef. Hy was in FHM – zef rocker. Francois: Hulle het iets gesê van zef, toe was ons ook daarby – Van Coke Kartel. Wynand: Net jy! Francois: O, net ek? Wynand: En Francois se boep ook! Francois: Ek was in die FHM ook vir ouens wat suksesvol is al het hulle ‘n boepe! Julle is mos baanbrekers vir die Afrikaanse taal… Francois: Ek dink die rede hoekom daar enigiets gesê word oor ons band se lirieke is omdat Hunter se lirieke obviously goed is en omdat Antjie Krog iets daaroor gesê het en almal bewus geword het daarvan.

Heel bo: François van Coke; bo: Jack Parow (Foto’s: Christine van der Merwe)

Was daar enige rolmodelle vir julle in Afrikaanse musiek? Zander: Ja! Koos Kombuis, Valiant Swart… Brasse van die Kaap was die main rap ene obviously, want dis maar die enigste Afrikaanse rap. David Kramer was my main influence. Ek het hom gelove. Hy het ‘n song op my nuwe album saam met my gedoen, dit was vir my fokken amazing. Hy was nie my Afrikaanse role model nie, hy was vir my ‘n international role model. Ek dink hy het rêrig baie vir Afrikaans gedoen en hy doen nogsteeds fokken baie vir Afrikaans. Francois: Ons was nie rêrig into Afrikaanse musiek nie. Die goed wat ons beïnvloed het is seker die Voëlvry stuff. Kerkorrel, maar ek dink ons het hom eers discover nadat ons die band begin het en dan Battery 9.

Zander is nie so zef soos Jack Parow nie. Speel jy ‘n karakter? Zander: Ekke dink nie ek is ’n honderd persent ‘n karakter nie. Ek is so half gesplit in twee, soos meeste mense: ek het ‘n dronk self en ek het ‘n nugter self en Jack Parow is pretty much my dronk self en Zander is my nugter self.

Fokof, wat is julle planne nou? Wynand: Daar was ‘n bietjie van ‘n revival gewees onder ons en ons het dit baie geniet om om die [tien jaar] mylpaal te behaal het. Ons het ou stories gaan revisit van onthou jy dit, onthou jy dat. Onder onsself het ons half hierdie nostalgie opgebring en so en dit was ‘n lekker tyd gewees. So the fire is burning. Francois: Die ding is met Fokofpolisiekar anders as ander bands, is dit het so ‘n kulturêle inpak gehad dat die gees wat jy vang by ‘n show in Pretoria is soos of enige plek in die land eintlik, wat jy kry van die crowd, is so intens en anders as in enige ander projek waarmee jy besig is.

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Is daar bands of musicians wat soos julle probeer wees? Zander: Daar is ‘n kid op daai KykNet show Liefste Kayla. Die laaitie in dit – hy rap ook so. Hy dra ook sulke keppe en stuff en hy’t in die Huisgenoot gesê hy wil Jack Parow wees eendag. Ek gaan hom train en hom fokken goed maak en dan gaan ek poes baie geld uit hom maak, hopelik. Wynand: Van Coke Kartel is enigste en die beste ene. Dis die waarheid! Van Coke Kartel is die grootste Afrikaanse rockband na Fokofpolisiekar. Daar is nie regtig ‘n ander ene wat regtig groot sukses behaal het nie. Francois: Winterstasie, dink ek is die is die grootste ene, maar hulle vocalist klink half ook soos ek. Is Jack Parow ‘n rolmodel vir Afrikaans? Zander: Ek voel ‘n fok of ek ‘n role model is of nie. Ek gee net om oor Afrikaans fokken proper te maak en ek dink dis fokkof dieselfde ding. Dis net soos ons is obviously siek van fokken al die

WRIT TEN AND DIRECTED BY YAEL FARBER BASED ON August Strindberg’s MISS JULIE

7 MARCH -19 MAY 2013

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THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL SMASH HIT ARRIVES IN LONDON

| 23 - 29 April 2013 | thesouthafrican.com

Entertainment

Dankfees returns this summer featuring Lianie May, Arno Jordaan and Jak de Priester! The annual Dankfees promises a weekend of South African entertainment, sport and food, from 31 May to 2 June 2013!

by STAFF REPORTER

SA CONGREGATION will again host the annual Dankfees from 31 May to 2 June at The Hop Farm in Kent. This year they are going bigger and better! Dankfees 2012 saw more than 2,500 South(ern) Africans attending the festival – and many people vowed to never miss it again! It hosted a hugely successful Saturday night show

with Kurt Darren and Pieter Smith entertaining the crowd. The confirmed artists for 2013 are Lianie May, Arno Jordaan and Jak de Priester – all three of these artists took part in the popular “Afrikaans is Groot” show recently held in South Africa. The main festival is on Saturday 1 June, with camping from Friday night. It promises a weekend of entertainment lined up for

everyone – a kids village will keep the young ones entertained (with bouncy castles, an obstacle course, face painting and loads more), while the older ones can enjoy touchies, tug-of-war, and loads of South African treats such as vetkoek, pannekoek and many more! The weekend ends with a SA Congregation church service on Sunday morning. Book on www.sagemeente.com

Celebrating South African Freedom Day in England! A number of culinary events are being organised across London and the UK to celebrate South Africa’s Freedom Day on 27 April

by STAFF REPORTER

A NUMBER of events are being organised across London and the UK to celebrate South Africa’s Freedom Day on 27 April. Braai in Wimbledom Park: Three South Africans – Roza Kapay, Jessica Shelver and Thokozile Zambane – have organised a fun day for all to braai and possibly enjoy some sun! More than 100 Saffas have signalled their interest in what should be a festive Saturday (27 April, 10am – 6pm). The event is a bring-&-braai picnic – braai packs, picnic baskets, snacks and drinks are suggested. Disposable braai backs are available from the Savanna Southfieldsshop at 281 Wimbledon Park Road (not too far from the park) or from the Sainsbury’s across the road. All are invited, especially if you can bring along a braai stand (last year, containers and buckets were used!). For those far from Wimbledon, Facebook poster Braai South has a list of other SA braais you can

join on Freedom Day. Join the Facebook event: South African Freedom Day Spring Braai Starfish and Shebeen Queen braai dinner At 7pm on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April fans of South African food will be heading to east London pop up restaurant Shebeen Queen to honour our unique heritage and Freedom Day, feasting on an authentic, homemade South African braai. The three-course menu includes favourites such as boerewors, pap en sous and Peppermint Crisp tart, to transport tastebuds on a culinary voyage back to the homeland. Profits will go to Starfish Greathearts Foundation. To find out more and buy tickets for either night visit: shebeen-queen.eventbrite.co.uk Evening of fine dining and live music in Lewisham You are invited to an evening of South African fine wining and dining with Denver Bennett on

Saturday 27 April. The three course meal takes place around one table and provides a great opportunity to socialise with other guests in a warm and friendly environment. Whether you come with your friends, family or on your own you’re sure to have a stimulating evening. Venue: Ackroyd Centre, SE23 1DL Buy tickets on www.dbfoods.org/FineDining/

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SAA and India’s Jet Airways enter codeshare agreement South African Airways (SAA) and India’s Jet Airways have just announced a code-share agreement that will improve air travel connectivity between India and South Africa

by STAFF REPORTER

Economic growth in Africa set to outpace global average Africa expected to live up to its economic potential and reduce poverty

by MEDHA PRAKASAM

ACCORDING to the World Bank, expected economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa should be significantly greater than the global average over the next three years. Nedbank Golf Challenge print The continent’s growth is expected to boost up almost 5 per cent due to increasing investment opportunities, higher commodities and a general uplift for the better in the world economy. By comparison, the global GDP is projected to grow by an average of 2.4 per cent for this year. The report also mentioned that strong economic growth in Africa has been crucial to the reduction of poverty in the continent over the past decade. However, the World Bank has added that the

governments in Africa need to do more with regard to ensuring that this growth reduces poverty even further. According to Punam ChuhanPole, a World Bank economist: “If properly harnessed to unleash their ad(Page 1 9/7/12these 12:38:51 full potential, trends hold the promise of more growth, much less poverty, and accelerating shared prosperity for African countries in the foreseeable future” The report adds that income inequality and an over-reliance on mineral and mining exports is what is actually holding back the poverty reduction in the continent. Counter-intuitively, countries rich in resources like Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon were making much less progress in combating poverty than those

countries with fewer resources – often referred to as the resource curse. The World Bank emphasises that development of infrastructure is critical to ensure the stable pace of economic growth in the continent. Investment in this field would further enhance the oil and gas sectors in East Africa and would help with the full exploitation of coal deposits in Mozambique and the mineral sectors in areas like Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Overall, foreign direct investment is said to skyrocket over the next few years, poverty rates are estimated to reduce substantially and Africa, if it keeps up with its current trends, is expected to finally live up to all its economic potential.

CMY

This is the day to change lives Make things happen; register to play today. www.sagolfday.com Nedbank Limited is incorporated with limited liability in South Africa (no.1951/000009/06) and its London branch is registered in England and Wales (no.BR001334), and whose registered address is 1st floor Old Mutual Place, London, EC4V 4GG. Nedbank London is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Services Authority (FSA Register number 204684).

THE agreement will allow SAA passengers to join internal flights on Jet Airways to Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram. In return Jet Airways passengers can transfer from OR Tambo in Johannesburg to Cape Town and Durban. Customers on SAA’s loyalty programme and Jet’s Privelege programme will be able to redeem air miles and gain Tier points on each other’s airlines. SAA’s acting General Manager Commercial, Manoj Papa said: “SAA is pleased with this latest offering on the India route. This partnership strengthens the historic commercial, political and cultural cooperation between South Africa and India. In essence, the agreement further supports the objectives of the

Brics member states,” Research by the South African Department of Tourism shows that the number of tourists from India to SA has increased 122 per cent between 2005 and 2010, and this went up a further 29 per cent between January and September 2011. “The code share agreement will effectively enhance flight choices for customers, whether originating in India or Africa. In essence we are truly bringing the world to Africa and taking Africa to the world,” Papa said. Jet Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Sudheer Raghavan added that: “Besides its global popularity as a tourist destination, South Africa, in its capacity as Africa’s largest economy, is also a strategic trade and investment destination,” said Raghavan.

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| 23 - 29 April 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Civil Partnerships and non-EU partners Civil partnerships confer most of the benefits of marriage and will affect your immigration status in similar ways

BY STAFF REPORTER

ONE of the most frequently asked questions posed to BIC by clients is how a non-EU partner can join them or stay with them in the UK. One of the ways for same-sex partners to stay together is by means of the civil partnership.

What exactly is a Civil Partnership? It is a legal union that gives the relationship legal recognition and gives both parties to the partnership added legal rights and responsibilities. This enables them to receive the same legal treatment across a range of important matters, similar to that of a married couple, ranging from tax issues, employment and pension benefits, a duty to provide reasonable maintenance for the civil partner and any children of the family to

recognition for immigration and nationality purposes. How does a civil partnership affect one’s Immigration Status? If you are the civil partner of a person who is either a British citizen or who holds indefinite leave to remain in the UK (permanent residence), the civil partnership provisions are exactly the same as those in place for spouses of British citizens or spouses of persons settled in the UK. Under the Civil Partnership Act you will have similar immigration rights to married couples. There are no work restrictions on the civil partner of a British citizen or person settled in the UK. In such cases the civil partner will be able to apply for 30 months leave to remain in the UK. After the 30 months, an application can be lodged for

another 30 months, which should take the applicant to the five-year qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Note that there are different qualifying periods for applications submitted before 9 July 2012. If you are the civil partner of a person who is subject to immigration control in one of the permanent immigration categories such as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 category, you can apply to join him or her in the UK as a dependant for the same time as their leave to remain is granted. After you have obtained this dependant visa, you will be able to work in the UK without any restrictions, subject to your partner maintaining their status. It is also possible to apply for leave to enter the UK as the civil partner of a person with a student visa, if the student visa is granted for longer than six

months. The leave to remain will be granted for the same period as the student’s. As this is a temporary immigration category it will not allow you to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain and both partners should leave the UK upon the expiry of the visa or look to switch to another immigration status. JP Breytenbach, Director of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com

Rand remains volatile throughout the week BY STAFF REPORTER

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AFTER slumping to 1-1/2 week lows against the Dollar on Monday, the Rand managed to regain some ground in Tuesday trade. The fall on Monday was due to the disappointing GDP data released by China. Viv Govender‚ a market analyst at Vunani Private Clients, said panic selling prompted by the fall in the gold price drove commodity prices to new lows (Fin 24). The Rand and government bonds steadied in early Wednesday trade, as investors kept to the sidelines ahead of the release of inflation data. Data on Wednesday showed CPI was unchanged at 5.9% year-onyear in March, undershooting market expectations for price growth to hit the upper end of the central bank’s 3% to 6% target. The Rand was slightly stronger in midday trade on Thursday but remained within a broader range, as markets sought to consolidate following the commodities selloff earlier in the week. Friday saw the currency trading firmer against the Dollar as high-yielding emerging markets came back into favour after a sell-off at the start of the week triggered by weak Chinese growth numbers. The Rand was once again softer in afternoon trade at the end of the week as dealers cleared their positions going into the weekend. GBP/ZAR: 14.06 | EUR/ZAR: 12.06

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thesouthafrican.com | 23 - 29 April 2013 |

Business: SA Power 100

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Steven Pienaar

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

Mark Shuttleworth

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IT entrepreneur, Science & Maths evangelist, Cosmonaut

Everton FC midfielder, recently retired Bafana Bafana captain

BY BRETT PETZER

STEVEN Jerome Pienaar is one of the many South Africans who make great careers in sport in Europe, and particularly in the UK, in the spiked footsteps of Lucas Radebe and Phil Masinga. Pienaar, now with Everton (currently 6th in Barclays Premier League) retired from international soccer in 2012 but not before leaving a rich legacy of Bafana Bafana caps and victories that left the national side in a better shape than he found it. Pienaar was born in Johannesburg, but started his professional career 1400km away with Ajax Cape Town. Pienaar was selected for Ajax from the Transnet/SAFA School of Excellence, where he had the chance to train under the Dutch coach Leo van Veen, something Pienaar credits as the difference Van Veen taught him to play for the team, not the crowds, and to prepare rigorously for each game.

Pienaar’s last match with Ajax Cape Town announced him as someone to watch: that December of 2000, his team won the Rothman’s Cup in a decisive 4-1 victory over Orlando Pirates. With the millennium ending, Pienaar was just getting started; a month later and just 18, he landed in the Netherlands. However, it would take a year of preparation and patience before Pienaar’s triumphant début with Ajax against NAC Breda (result: 1-0) in the Eredivisie. Pienaar soon established himself as a key player in the Ajax lineup that went on to win the Dutch League in 2002 and 2004. That same Ajax side has since distinguished itself through the many players in it who went on to become household names - such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wesley Sneijder. Pienaar graduated from Ajax to Borussia Dortmund - a difficult fit where he never felt entirely at ease. After a year of that, Steven moved to Everton - initially on loan. However, the fit was good and Pienaar thrived, scoring his first goal in a 2-0 home victory over Middlesbrough within the first month; the loan soon became a £2million contract. The boy from Jozi was named Everton’s Player of the Season for 200910 and the Pienaar magic was born. By 2011, top clubs such as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were bidding for him; he would go with Spurs for a fee of £3 million over four years. However, Pienaar now entered a

difficult period of persistent injury and subsequent sidelining in the team. The time was ripe for a change and, at the eleventh hour of deadline day in January 2012, Pienaar returned to Everton on a short loan. The player covered himself in glory during this time, stating at the end of a highly successful season his wish to return to Everton more permanently. In only 14 games, Pienaar managed the highest number of assists of anyone in the team. The South African had amply proven his worth by the time Everton paid £4.5million for him. Within the year, Pienaar had headed Everton’s 1000th goal in the Premier League as the team came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Goodison. Internationally, Pienaar made his debut for South Africa in a 2-0 win against Turkey in 2002, in the beginning of the very lean years for Bafana Bafana that would only end in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup. During a period when national team coaches changed often, and

Bafana dropped precipitously in world rankings, Pienaar managed to accumulate 61 caps, three goals and two world cups - Korea/ Japan and South Africa. Pienaar left international soccer in 2012 after perhaps the most difficult ten years in Bafana history since South Africa’s readmission to international sport. Pienaar’s trajectory is all the more compelling because his story is authentically South African: the young Steven had his start in the early 1980s in Westbury, a township on the outskirts of Jo’burg where he lost a childhood friend to gun

violence, at a time when endemic political violence spilled over into private life, as when Pienaar was beaten up in all-white Triomf because of the colour of his skin. Yet Pienaar, in that much-abused phrase, had a dream - perhaps sealed by his friends’ baptism of him as ‘Schillo’, after Totò Schillaci’s performance in the 1990 World Cup - a nickname he has kept ever since. This 2009 SAFA Player of the Year has, since his start at 16, established himself as an internationally important wide and central midfielder, as well as a South African proud of his origin.

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BULLET BIOGRAPHY Born: 17 March 1982, Westbury, Gauteng Education: Transnet/SAFA School of Excellence, 2000 Career Highlights: Pivotal member of Dutch League-winning Ajax team in 2002, 2004. Was named Everton Player of the Season in 2009-10 Has more than 60 caps for Bafana Bafana Triva: Music tastes: HipHop, especially Jay-Z; R&B, House and of course Kwaito. “Before my games I always listen to gospel songs, it’s good for the mentality before my games” says Steven. Worst Moment: Losing to Arsenal 6-1 while at Everton in August 2009. “It was a sad day. Injuries are always a bad time as well, but my brother supports Arsenal and he was on the phone to me all the time after that one”. Favourite pre-match meal: A plate of pasta with olive oil.

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| 23 - 29 April 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

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thesouthafrican.com | 23 - 29 April 2013 |

Zimbabwe Community

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Book review: Shimmer Chinodya’s little gem, Chioniso and Other Stories Chinodya tackles themes such as feminism, chauvinism and racism. Spanning three decades, the narrative touches on Zimbabwean preoccupations such as the Liberation War; Murambatsvina, indigenisation, emigration, and family.

SHIMMER Chinodya mines his experience for nuggets in his new short collection Chioniso and Other Stories. The Chiadzwa Diamonds are no exception. Chinodya published his first novel Dew in the Morning in 1982 at the age of 18. Eight others followed over the ensuing decades; some became set texts. His work has stamped an indelible fingerprint on Zimbabwean literature. Chioniso and Other Stories adds another testament to his repository of literary work. Chioniso is a Shona word meaning light or mirror. The collection is a reflection by Chinodya’s doppelganger; double, ghost or evil twin. This doppelanger is Godfrey. He reflects about their writing, “Together we had crafted, exaggerated and embellished our existences till our two lives and those of our victims blended into one seamless fiction”. The blending of fact and fiction left me wondering how much is autobiography; how much is fiction. Three of the ten stories appeared in previous anthologies. However, they are interconnected to the vignettes recorded by Godfrey. While his family life falls apart, he writes. He travels abroad partaking in reading and discussion seminars and retreats. In the short story ‘Infidel’, a teenage Godfrey learns “to be an author you need to

live in order to write about it”. It also charts his disillusionment with the church and his wife. In the title story ‘Chioniso’, Godfrey believes his wife is stealing his daughter; he doesn’t realise Chioniso is his feminine double. His deteriorating relationship with her mirrors his difficult relationship with his estranged wife. In ‘Queues’, there’s an interchange between a historical narrative and an illicit love story; the depreciating socio-economic landscape reflects the deteriorating relationship. Chioniso and Other Stories is like stumbling through a hall of mirrors and watching familiar recollections, reflections and situations staring back at you. Chinodya tackles themes such as

feminism, chauvinism and racism. His narrative spans over three decades. It touches on Zimbabwean preoccupations such as the Liberation War; Murambatsvina, indigenisation, displacement, emigration, family breakups and conflict. The cultural, political and social references create familiarity and a deeper subtext. His narrative is experimental. It veers between magic realism and allegory. Stylistics are utilised sublimely. His style is fluid and appears effortless. It has the feel of a master storyteller expanding his creative repertoire as Godfrey writes, “I had slowly evolved. I was another person, another creature, constantly searching for new outlines”. The writing is undeniably Zimbabwean English. The narrative dialect marks the text with a distinguishable idiolect. Chinodya’s analysis is clinical. He captures the greed, corruption and uneasy relationship between the church and political leaders. He writes in a short story, “to be rich is to blessed… The churches are run like businesses, but no tax is paid to the state. Most of these entities lavish praise on the country’s oppressors in order to court favour and avoid official scrutiny”. He writes best about what he knows and loves – Zimbabwe. Chioniso and Other Stories is a timely offering from a distinguished writer. It is a collector’s gem.

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Travel

| 23 -29 April 2013 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Top Left: the Wolfberg’s Maltese Cross formation (Image: Flickr/Raramuridesign); Top Right: Sandstone huts at dawn high on the Sneeuberg (Image: Flickr/Jonwade); Middle Right: the Cederberg is an out-of-the-way hotspot for wine lovers (Image: Flickr/Blyzz); Bottom Right: from the Wolfberg Cracks looking down into the valley (Image: Flickr/Blyzz).

Thirst and wine in the Cederberg

The moonscapes of the Cederberg offer an experience by turns exhilarating, humbling and eerie. Luckily the region also offers good food and wine, whistling vistas and a hospitality that comes very naturally in the thirstland

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by BRETT PETZER

WE set off from Cape Town in one Kombi without maps, food, sleeping bags or wine, direction: North. I had imagined my closest friends with me in the Wolfberg Cracks, looking through a rock cleft at a distant vein of green orchards that cling to a thin stream, and then I had worked backwards from that photo to a night at the Cederberg Oasis (cederbergoasis. co.za) and emergency stops at every wine-tasting venue on the route. We met the first need at Cederberg Wine (cederbergwine. com) but there is a surprising amount of viticulture afoot among the luminous, parched rocks and mountains. This started to make sense after our first visit to a deep, dank black waterhole, where the rather well-camouflaged local minifauna congregate - I came home with more photos of discotoned lizards than people. After a night at the Oasis, where proprietors Gerrit and Chantel saw to food and hand-drawn maps, we set off on very lonely roads to the Wolfberg Cracks, powered only by moerkoffie and farmstall anysbeskuit. One of our number, having tasted her way across several of the region’s vineyards around the fire the night before, was told that the Wolfberg Cracks were a sort of spring just metres from the car park, but after the first 1,000m of ascent she got wise. She even forgave us when the view from the top turned out to be the kind that makes a National Geographic photographer out of anyone. I won’t ruin the Cracks for you by spoiling the surprise, but they are basically a long sequence of special effects orchestrated by solid rock, the wind and several million rainy

seasons. Standing up there and gazing back, it looks like you can see right back into geological time. Then, move just a little, and the only sign of human habitation - a sliver of deep green where the car was parked - disappears from view and you are in a very unadulterated wildnerness where you are far more likely to find San rock art under a rock overhang than other human beings. The remoteness of this district may be the Cederberg’s greatest blessing: it isn’t close enough to Cape Town that you could possibly take it for granted. Those five hours of looking out the window, at a landscape that desiccates a little for every kilometre travelled, is the essential step. You get out of the car with your retinas scrubbed of straight lines and the proliferation of the colour green into a windsculpted set of valleys like huge rooms in which towns like Wupperthal and Ceres sit small and vulnerable as a Lego castle. It is the thirst of the hills, the succulent plants in clefts and the fynbos, however, that confers such an air of luxury on the simple hot springs at Citrusdal (thebaths.co.za). We rode out the weekend there, continuing our exhaustive investigation of the region’s oenological output over games of Twenty Questions. That is a game we haven’t played in years - one that couldn’t possibly compete with the speed of urban life and the extend of the urban attention span. Yet we were content to sit for an entire day in a sort of gorge, unstinting of time, playing word games. If the Cederberg can do that, then - for all that the San art is faded and the roads out there are very quiet - it is still a place of considerable magic powers.

thesouthafrican.com | 23 - 29 April 2013 |

Sport

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Ahmed Amla retires from all cricket Brother of Proteas legend Hashim retires to focus on life outside cricket, studies and business interests by KEITH MOORE

Saracens in the City

by STAFF REPORTER

SARACENS return to the Honourable Artillery Company fields, located in the heart of the City of London, to take on an invitational South African Barbarians team on Thursday 16 May. Kickoff is scheduled for 18h15. Previously at the Honourable Artillery Company, Saracens have played such international opponents as the USA national team, Connacht and Stade Français. Saracens have brought elite professional rugby to the financial capital of the world by installing a grandstand on the south side of the ground and 20 individual marquees along the touchline. These improvements make for a more comfortable and much more exciting view experience that has, so far, been generating a great buzz among the suited hordes. Both match tickets and marquees sell out quickly. The grounds have a rich history: the Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII and is the second oldest military organisation in the world (behind the Vatican’s Pontifical Swiss Guard quickly. The current fields, which is also where the Royal Marines were formed in 1664, have belonged to the HAC since 1638.

Order of Events:

16h00 – Gates & Bars Open 17h00 - Teams Warm Up 18h15 – Saracens v SA Barbarians

19h50 – Match Finishes 21h30 – Gates Close

Ticket Prices

Watch the game from the touchline grandstand. • Gold Seats located between the 22 yard lines are priced at £50 • Silver Seats located between the

Try Line and the 22 yard line £35 • Entertain your company or guests in style with a hospitality package. Contact Ross McCann on 0203 675 7233 or via email at rossmccann@saracens.net for further information. Book at www.saracens.com

AHMED Amla, older brother of Proteas stalwart Hashim, confirmed his retirement from all forms of cricket at the end of last week. The Durban man has decided to end his career in favour of concentrating on his studies and business interests. The 33-year-old made his last appearance for KwaZulu-Natal in a T20 match against Gauteng on 24 March, calling time on an impressive career with the Dolphins that began when he was just a teenager in 1997. Amla played in 128 First-Class matches for his province, with a high score of 164* and a career average of 34.30. Over the course of his career he made various representative sides, including South Africa Academy, South Africa Emerging Players and South African Board President’s XI, but unlike his younger brother he was unable to break into the international setup. Jesse Chellan, CEO of KZNCU was full of praise for the talented batsman. “Ahmed has been a loyal player, captain and ambassador of KZN and Dolphins cricket over the past 15 years, having played almost 300 games. He was one of the first group of non white players to cement a place in domestic cricket post unity, and has played a pivotal role in paving the way for the next group of players.

“A calm and thinking leader, he captained the Sunfoil Dolphins team during a difficult period and more recently has helped grow our younger players in our provincial team. His career record shows 15 centuries in all forms of cricket. “We thank Ahmed for his contribution to Dolphins and KZN Cricket and wish him well in the next phase of his career. I look forward to welcoming him back into cricket administration when he is ready.” Dolphins captain Daryn Smit said,“I would like to congratulate Ahmed on the culmination of a career spanning across 3 decades. “He was a pillar of strength for me as a youngster trying to find my feet some 10 years ago and he has continued to be so for many more of our younger players up to the present day. “The manner in which Ahmed played the game and carried himself as a professional will always stand out for me. I wish him everything of the best for his future endeavours but I know he will not be lost to the game altogether.” KZNCU President Fa-eez Jaffar also took the time to pay tribute to the veteran. “Ahmed Amla has given Sunfoil Dolphins sterling service over the last 15 years. On behalf of KZN Cricket (Pty) and KZNCU Council we wish him well in his future endeavours.”

SPORT

23 - 29 April 2013

AHMED AMLA TO RETIRE FROM ALL CRICKET

P15

SARACENS TAKE ON SA BARBARIANS IN THE CITY

NEWS FOR GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICANS

P15

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STORMERS MAKE A PLAY FOR TOP SPOT The South African Super Rugby conference predictably shows itself the most closely fought of the three conferences

by KEITH MOORE

WITH the competition around the halfway mark, a mere 4 log points separates the top team with the fourth-placed team in South Africa’s domestic conference. The Bulls had a solid start to the season with wins against the Stormers and Force at home, and managed a hugely impressive win over the Blues in Eden Park on the first match of their overseas tour. Thereafter, however, the Pretoria men lost three on the bounce to Crusaders, Reds and Brumbies. Since returning to South Africa they have turned the heat on their domestic counterparts with a close win over the Cheetahs and most recently a rampant 34-0 victory over the new boys the Southern Kings this last weekend. Frans Ludeke’s team find themselves in the top spot thanks to those key victories, proving that the internal rivalries affect all South Africa’s teams in the competition. The Cheetahs lost their first two encounters but since then have been the form team of the whole tournament; their loss to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld was their only loss from the last 7 matches. They’ve played the most enterprising rugby of all the franchises and are looking like a safe bet for qualification at the end of the season. Two of their remaining 7 fixtures are against the Southern Kings, with wins there giving them every chance to stake a claim on the top spot. The Sharks, original front runners, have given up their top-place ranking in the conference and seem

APRIL 13: Stormers scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and The Sharks at DHL Newlands in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

to have woes that extend further than the current loss of form. Injuries are an enormous concern for the Durban men, who are having to source a loosehead prop for their game against the Chiefs this weekend. The opposite is true for the Stormers, who welcome back a

few of their stars from injury. Elton Jantjies and Bryan Habana have both been cleared to tour as they embark on the overseas leg of their fixtures but even more crucially they are joined by talismanic lock forward Eben Estzebeth. If April was key for the Cheetahs, so will

May prove the making of Stormers. They have difficult fixtures on the road against the Blues, Waratahs and the up-and-down Rebels, before returning to South Africa to take on the Reds at Newlands. Thereafter it is South African derbies for their final four encounters of the

regular season, with two of those coming against the Southern Kings, and only one of the 4 being played outside Cape Town. Alistair Coetzee’s men look the most likely of the four franchises to end on top of the conference when the regular season ends in July.

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