The South African 3 -10 June 2014 by The South African

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3 - 10 June 2014

Issue 568

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Apartheid’s most notorious killers eligible for parole

| Despite wide-reaching differences in both their careers and crimes, Eugene de Kock and Clive Derby-Lewis are coming up for parole in a joint initiative, as a theatrical hit production on De Kock’s confessions returns to London by sertan sanderson Eugene de Kock and Clive Derby-Lewis, two of the most infamous convicted murderers from the days of apartheid, are both up to be released jointly on parole within a few weeks’ time – if ongoing judicial reviews grant them pardon accordingly. The two apartheid-era killers have both been refused applications to be released on parole before, but seem to have built considerably strong cases to be considered by the new Minister of Justice, Michael Masutha, as part of a new submission presented earlier this week. The North Gauteng High Court then issued the relevant order to the ministry of justice to finalise a conclusion on Eugene de Kock’s release within a month’s time. President Jacob Zuma, in a strategic move, is reported to have made the decision to link de Kock’s prospective parole to that of Clive Derby-Lewis. Derby-Lewis is serving a 25-year sentence for his role in ordering the murder of Chris Hani, the erstwhile leader of the South African Communist Party, in 1993. During his trial, he had chiefly justified the killing on religious grounds, explaining that, according to him, in his faith communism was considered “the vehicle of the Antichrist”. Derby-Lewis had initially being handed the death penalty, but the sentence was later commuted when

| Noma Dumezweni as Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela and Matthew Marsh as Eugene de Kock in A Human Being Died That Night, which runs at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs until 21 st June 2014. Read our exclusive interview with director Jonathan Munby on page 5

South Africa went on to abolish capital punishment in 1995. He has served 21 years of his sentence to date, and as he is reportedly suffering terminal stages of lung cancer is now appealing for release on humanitarian grounds. Derby-Lewis has also be subject to several attacks by other inmates at

the Pretoria Central Prison facility recently – a fact, which is expected to be used as an argument in his favour to secure his release. De Kock is serving the sum total of a 212-year sentence for his role as the leader of the police death squad at C10, the South African Police counterinsurgency unit

(later referred to as C1) under the National Party’s regime, which is more commonly known by the name of its historic location in Vlakplaas, outside Pretoria. Vlakplaas has been documented as a torture and execution chamber of the apartheid regime. In contrast to Derby-Lewis,

De Kock was charged with the murder of hundreds of antiapartheid activists, citing as his main defense during his trial that he was merely following orders, which he “had received from (…) superiors”. De Kock was later denied amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1996, despite volunteering many candid details about the secret operations of the minority regime’s underground security operations and its unlawful procedures. After serving almost two decades of his sentence, De Kock’s parole most recent application was accepted in the end last November by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Review Board, with a recommendation to proceed with with his release put forward to the Ministry of Justice. The chief decision on De Kock’s parole, which simultaneously would qualify Derby-Lewis for his own release, now lies with Minister of Justice Masutha, who has recently replaced S’bu Ndebele in the ministerial role following the announcement of the new cabinet. It is believed that Masutha’s predecessor Ndebele had made considerable progress on a decision, but with this change in the cabinet the final verdict may still face certain delays. A play based on De Kock’s hearings at the TRC is currently on stage in London at the Hampstead Theatre after transferring from the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town.

| 3 -10 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Zuma’s Cabinet to cost R1.3 billion

| 35 ministers, 37 deputies, two new ministries, and a partridge in a pear tree. And you thought that Nkandla was a bad investment. SA’s budget is bound to go through the roof in ministerial salaries alone

Editor: Heather Walker Production & Design: Deva Lee Registered office: Unit C7, Commodore House, Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW. Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: editor@thesouthafrican.com Website: www.thesouthafrican.com Directors: P Atherton, A Laird, J Durrant, N Durrant and R Phillips Printed by: Mortons of Horncastle Ltd

by sERTAN SANDERSON President Jacob Zuma announced the introduction of two new ministries in his new cabinet, which will bring the size of the government to 35 ministers and 37 deputies – considerably larger than the cabinets of several first-world countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. When you do the maths, it all ends up with a hefty, recordbreaking bill that will continue to make the five years extortionately expensive for the taxpayer to the

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tune of well over R1 billion. With each minister earning R2.1 million per year and their deputies receiving an annual income of R1.7 million, salaries alone are bound cost the Presidency at least R682 million over the next legislative period – a figure, which does not include President Jacob Zuma’s and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s salaries. President Zuma will earn an annual salary of over R2.6 million following his recent inauguration at Union Buildings in Pretoria while

| The announcement of Charlene’s pregnancy is bound to change the line of succession for the royal family in Monaco – a considerably feat for a small-town girl from Africa, who has already defied the odds as an Olympian swimmer. But as the face of Europe’s royal families changes at a rapid pace, does it remain ‘en vogue’ to become a monarch?

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cost at least R1.3 million. Whether the ever-growing cabinet will make any difference to South Africa’s struggling economy or if it will merely end up as another expense dragging down the budget it yet to be seen. With several G8 countries keeping less than half the size of South Africa’s cabinet and costing the taxpayer much less money, the reasons for the move seem unclear, as there appears to be no limit to the number of political careers that can be made under the ANC’s continuing two-decade rule.

Princess Charlene announces pregnancy

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Deputy President Ramaphosa is going to take home a R2.36 million paycheque per annum. Since Thabo Mbeki’s presidency, the budget for the cabinet has quadrupled from R257 million in 2007 to over R1 billion today. From the beginning of Zuma’s first tenure of the presidency in 2009, the cost of running the cabinet skyrocketed to R727 million in 2010, R959 million in 2011 and hitting R1.1 billion for the first time in 2012. For the next three years alone, it is estimated that the presidency will

By sertan sanderson Princess Charlene of Monaco announced last week that she is pregnant with her first child. The South African-born Princess said that she expects to give birth to the new heir to the throne before

the end of the year, with reports following that she must be in her first trimester of pregnancy. Charlene and her husband, Albert II, Prince of Monaco, expressed that the news filled them with “immense joy” but refrained from

from further commentary. Charlene, a former Olympic swimmer born in Zimbabwe by raised in South Africa, married into the long-standing royal family of the small Mediterranean principality in 2011 – the same year when Prince William wed Kate Middleton, now known the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their marriage has been steeped in elaborate rumours, as the couple have attempted to keep a low profile despite Prince Albert’s previous track record of publicity scandals. Charlene’s 56-year-old husband, Prince Albert, had dated several A-list celebrities in the 1990s before committing to Charlene, reportedly including supermodels Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer. Known as an erstwhile womaniser, he had also fathered two children out of wedlock during his premarital liaisons. However, as ‘illegitimate’ children they will remain ineligible as successors to the throne. The birth of Charlene’s child will effectively change the line of succession in Monaco, as Prince Albert’s older sister, Caroline, Princess of Hanover, is currently the first in line to the throne as

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‘heiress presumptive’ ever since the introduction of certain constitutional changes made in her favour in 2002. As soon as the child is born, the royal lineage will be realigned to seal the child’s fate in the dynasty accordingly. However, Charlene’s place in the Monegasque royal family will remain unchanged as “Princess Consort” – a title last held by the late Grace Kelly. The news of Charlene’s pregnancy comes at a time when other sovereigns pertaining to the old guard of Europe’s monarchies are beginning to bow out of their leadership roles; Spain’s King Juan Carlos announced this week that he will be abdicating on account of age-related health issues. Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands had abdicated last year for similar reasons. But each with decades of reign behind them as monarchs will still set a challenging example for the future of Charlene’s firstborn – a baby, who is yet to find out what big shoes he or she one day will have to fill.

thesouthafrican.com | 3 -10 June 2014 |

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“We will not forget you, we will not dishonor you, we will remember and be glad that you lived among us, that you taught us, and that you loved us all”

SA High Commissioner presents his credentials to Queen Elizabeth

Maya Angelou’s South African connections

| Maya Angelou first met Nelson Mandela on his trip in Africa in 1962 as he was garnering support for the armed struggle and undergoing military training by staff reporter American poet and writer Maya Angelou, who died on Wednesday aged 86, met Nelson Mandela twice and during the 1960s was romantically linked to an exiled South African activist. According the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Mandela first met Angelou while on his trip in Africa in 1962 to garner support for the armed struggle and to undergo military training. He met her in February 1962 in Cairo, Egypt while she was in a relationship with PAC activist Vusumzi Make. Mandela later recalled: “I spent a lot of time with her in Cairo”. Civil rights activist and lawyer Make and Angelou met in 1960 and lived together in Cairo for three years, where Angelou worked as an associate editor at the weekly English-language newspaper The Arab Observer. Their relationship ended in in 1963. The next time Mandela met Angelou was more than 27 years later after his released from prison, when he was in Washington DC for the inauguration of President Bill Clinton in January 1993. He told Richard Stengel, his collaborator on his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom that he telephoned her in her hotel after she had “delivered a very powerful poem”. The Nelson Mandela Foundation’s archives reveal that today in 1986 Mandela watched in prison, the film version of her work I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou wrote the poem ‘His Day is Done’ as a tribute to Madiba after his death last year:

His Day is Done – a tribute poem for Nelson Mandela 8th December 2013 His day is done. Is done. The news came on the wings of a wind, reluctant to carry its burden. Nelson Mandela’s day is done. The news, expected and still unwelcome, reached us in the United States, and suddenly our world became somber. Our skies were leadened. His day is done. We see you, South African people standing speechless at the slamming of that final door through which no traveler returns. Our spirits reach out to you Bantu, Zulu, Xhosa, Boer. We think of you and your son of Africa, your father, your one more wonder of the world. We send our souls to you as you reflect upon your David armed with a mere stone, facing down the mighty Goliath. Your man of strength, Gideon, emerging triumphant. Although born into the brutal embrace of Apartheid, scarred by the savage atmosphere of racism, unjustly imprisoned in the bloody maws of South African dungeons. Would the man survive? Could the man survive? His answer strengthened men and women around the world. In the Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, in Chicago’s Loop, in New Orleans Mardi Gras, in New York City’s Times Square, we watched as the hope of Africa sprang through the prison’s doors. His stupendous heart intact, his gargantuan will hale and hearty.

He had not been crippled by brutes, nor was his passion for the rights of human beings diminished by twenty-seven years of imprisonment. Even here in America, we felt the cool, refreshing breeze of freedom. When Nelson Mandela took the seat of Presidency in his country where formerly he was not even allowed to vote we were enlarged by tears of pride, as we saw Nelson Mandela’s former prison guards invited, courteously, by him to watch from the front rows his inauguration. We saw him accept the world’s award in Norway with the grace and gratitude of the Solon in Ancient Roman Courts, and the confidence of African Chiefs from ancient royal stools. No sun outlasts its sunset, but it will rise again and bring the dawn. Yes, Mandela’s day is done, yet we, his inheritors, will open the gates wider for reconciliation, and we will respond generously to the cries of Blacks and Whites, Asians, Hispanics, the poor who live piteously on the floor of our planet. He has offered us understanding. We will not withhold forgiveness even from those who do not ask. Nelson Mandela’s day is done, we confess it in tearful voices, yet we lift our own to say thank you. Thank you our Gideon, thank you our David, our great courageous man. We will not forget you, we will not dishonor you, we will remember and be glad that you lived among us, that you taught us, and that you loved us all.

| The new High Commissioner and his wife were escorted in a State landau down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace to present his Letters of Credence to the Queen By sTAFF REPORTER At a formal ceremony held on Thursday 29th May 2014, the South African High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Obed Mlaba, presented his Credentials to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. The High Commissioner and his wife were escorted by the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in a State landau from the Royal Mews which collected him from outside South Africa House in Trafalgar Square and was followed in another State landau down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace by the Deputy High Commissioner, Bongiwe Qwabe and other Mission staff.

Soon after arriving in London, a foreign ambassador has an audience with The Queen. During the 20-minute audience, the ambassador presents his or her Letters of Credence or Letters of Commission and his or her suite is presented to The Queen. At a reception at South Africa House following the formal ceremony at Buckingham Palace, Mlaba said, “This is a day to celebrate, a beautiful day that we all will all remember”. In his remarks he encouraged all South Africans in the diaspora to hold themselves in high esteem, become exemplary in whatever they do and hold themselves with dignity to keep South Africa’s good name high on the agenda.

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| 3 -10 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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UCT Schools Improvement Initiative comes to Chelsea Flower Show

| Right in the heart of last week’s Chelsea Flower Show, the UCT Trust welcomed alumni and friends to their fundraising event for the Schools Improvement Initiative, which aims to foster a pool of talented pupils and nurture them toward a place at university by Karen de Villiers The Chelsea Flower show is the jewel in the crown of garden shows in the world. It is an event of prettiness, spectacular displays and sunny dispositions. Garden enthusiasts twittering over designer exhibits, and paying homage to the image of Nelson Mandela at the Kirstenbosch display. All in all, the perfect day to indulge in another world, where beauty and peace reign for a while. Late afternoon, and a unique event took place in the midst of all this perfection. The UCT Trust welcomed alumni and friends to their fundraising event for The Schools Improvement Initiative (SII). Interesting choice of venue one would have thought, here in flower central, in the heart of London. Yet, one must not read too much into the choice of congregation, or the canapés on offer, for we were not invited only to savour the flora on offer, but to listen. And anywhere one can capture an audience is the right place to begin. Despite inroads in achieving a better education for all, there are many, highly intellectual students who fail as a result of their environment and lack of resources. Who will never have the chance to gain a tertiary education. They may deserve to flourish, but remain in the unseen void, tucked away in townships, in vain hope of being recognised for their talents. The SII, initiated

by Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price, is trying to change this, fostering a pool of talented pupils and nurturing them toward a place at university. For now, Khayelitsha is the focus of attention and the aim is, with the support of local school principals, teachers and other interested parties, to improve the overall education system in South Africa. Nothing noble about it, a necessity if we are to improve the lives of all who live there. A two pronged project was launched. Firstly, the 100UP high school programme; to facilitate and prepare gifted students to compete for places at the University of Cape Town. More importantly, if these students succeed academically to win a place, not to simply leave them to struggle with life as a student, but stand alongside them, giving support when needed. Second is the drive to improve primary school education, a project called Ikwezi, defining and developing skills in primary language and mathematics. Teaching them young is half the battle won. One could not help but be captivated by the passion of both Sir Frank Berman and Dr Russell Ally as they spoke of the benefits of the SII. Passion is an overused word, so perhaps fervour or dedication to the cause would be more apt. Difficult trying to entice funds from pockets of those who have and put it in

the hands of those who do not. There is no glory in begging, in whatever form it may take, but there is a great fire in the belly of those who are willing to stand up for those who do not have a voice. Men such as these, with remarkable roads walked, can still be humble enough to bend down and help up those who cannot stand alone. The Schools Improvement Initiate will succeed, for there are still people out there who value themselves only by giving value to another. It will succeed because those who have tasted the fruits of hard work can recognise the drive in others who work even harder to take their rightful place in society. Leaders are not born, but given the opportunity to do so. And right there, in the heart of the Chelsea Flower show, these words of kindness became the beautiful. It was fitting for its purpose – for those worth fighting for a better life may never get to see perfection in nature on display, but human kindness may yet bring them close to their perfect selves. ‘Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?’ With little hearts and little souls and generous donors, all in a row. I nurture them and watch them grow, to blossom, to thrive, the best in show.’ For more information, visit the UCT Trust website at www. ucttrust.org.uk

| Photos by Ronel van Zyl

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“I don’t like an audience to get too comfortable”: Director Jonathan Munby | Director Jonathan Munby speaks about how A Human Being Died That Night, playing at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, transcends the South African political context with its extraordinary message

by Sandi Thompson British theatre director Jonathan Munby studied classical texts at Bristol University and went on to work as an assistant director at The Royal Shakespeare Company. Munby has been dubbed a maverick by some because of his attraction to theatre that provokes debate and forces audiences, in his own words, “out of their comfort zones.” I tracked him down to talk about A Human Being Died That Night, a South African story of huge import, currently playing at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs. How did you get involved in this project? The producer Eric Abraham gave me a copy of Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela’s book while I was doing my play The Number at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town. He sensed it would make a terrific piece of theatre. I read the book and was blown away by it. Eric put me in touch with Nick Wright, who at that point had already written a draft script. I’m not South African, I’m English – that gave me a sort of objectivity, while Eric, Nick and indeed Pumla were close to the subject matter. Did you have in mind from the start the actors who would play Eugene and Pumla? Noma Dumezweni was on board very early on – she and

I worked together in the Royal Shakespeare Company and I sensed she would understand both the heart and mind of Pumla. Noma was born in Swaziland and had some insight into the South African story. Finding someone to play Eugene de Kock was a much longer process. We needed an actor with very specific skills. When I met Matthew Marsh I didn’t realise he had played FW de Klerk in End Game. So what was interesting to discover was that he already had an investment in the South African story in some way and he had done a lot of research for his previous roles. In a sense he came to the process already entrenched in the role. He’s a fantastic stage actor, able to handle great amounts of text and brings a wonderful sense of humanity and intelligence to the role, which is what we really wanted for the role of Eugene de Kock. How did you get the accents correct? Dialect is an important part of identity, especially when identity becomes such a charged idea. It was important that we got authentic South African voices right from the start so I engaged a dialect coach who worked with both Noma and Matthew before rehearsals began. How do you bring across a sense of authenticity in a play like this with a small stage and minimalist set?

This is a question I get a lot. Theatre is not documentary; it’s a different medium and it has a different relationship with an audience. Theatre is a world of metaphor; of imagination, a forum for debate. We knew instinctively that we wanted to find a small theatre so that we could have the audience as close to the action as possible, almost trapping them inside that interview room with Pumla and De Kock. It’s about the atmosphere rather than a realistic representation. I don’t like an audience to get too comfortable. Starting in the foyer of the theatre was partly to disrupt them a little bit, but also to give them a sense of the journey that Pumla makes arriving at the prison. The description of Pumla’s journey to Pretoria Prison is very vivid in the book. I talked to Pumla and I know what it was like for her to go and meet Eugene de Kock for the first time. Why did you premier the play in London last year? I’m based in the UK, as is Nick Wright. There are thousands of South Africans based in London. It made sense to open in London. The play went to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. But I believe this play transcends the South African story. It has universal ideas that need to be told throughout the world; anywhere where reconciliation

needs to happen. The nature of evil and the possibility of forgiveness is an extraordinary message. What would you like the audience to take away with them? I’d love them to leave the theatre wanting to have a

conversation; I would want them to come with a willingness to be challenged and to leave hopefully wanting to ask some more questions. A Human Being Died that Night runs until 21st June 2014. Book on www.hampsteadtheatre.com

| 3 -10 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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So what’s it going to take to be successful in your life? | Forget the life and lemons scenario, to be successful we need to remember that being alive makes us a success already. If I have made a difference to me, I have made a difference to everyone, and that could just be the ultimate secret to success

The Optimist

Karen de Villiers

Following yet another successful meltdown yesterday, I sulked my way to the computer to pour my heart out to a machine. If no one loves me and I am a total failure at least I can moan about it to something that doesn’t talk back. Eldest then sent me an email link to listen to. Earl Nightingale,

circa, 1950, talking about success. The more I listened, the more I realised that nothing has changed on that score. In The Secret, the motivational speakers and every piece of literature since time immemorial, the message is always the same. You are the master of your fate, the captain of your journey and as the extra from those movies says, ‘You can do it!’ So much has changed, so little has changed. For some, hearing the story of other’s success is a motivating factor to charge their own lives into action. We cling onto the objective, the purpose, until that dragon of no-confidence drags us down into the uncertainty of whether we will ever count and

be successful. As a child, confidence was not encouraged. Conformity was. Stay between the lines and all will be well, but now we challenge our children to step outside the box, challenge the norms and breed such overconfident individuals that they crash their way through life, seemingly invincible, often insensitive, in the drive to reach the pinnacle of recognition. Is this the definition of success or do we always find ourselves looking at the other table and wishing we had ordered that instead? Are we ever satisfied? The beauty of youth is the selfassuredness of proclaiming we are going to be the President of

the world, the greatest actress, the best mom in the Universe. We do that because we are confident in a waiting world. Then that world hones in with all its insecurities and doubts, making us question our own abilities and no matter how hard we try, listen to gurus on wisdom and paths to achievement, we feel we fall so short of the goals. Forget the life and lemons scenario, to be successful we need to remember. Being alive makes us a success. Abstaining from jealousy adds to it. Hard work will take us to levels of security and knowledge. Compassion gives us reason to enjoy what we have. Comparisons are futile and demeaning; they bring self doubt. Mistakes are

part of the process as long as we learn from them. Failure is vital to growth. We have the ability to change and if we must, we must. Being able to love what we do, love who we love, and love ourselves is critical. Growing old is not a hazard but a culmination of a story. For all the books about success, the most important one will be our own. Each chapter must be a progression, the end, satisfying. When I lift my head again, take those steps again, I want to know that I counted. For me. If I have made a difference to me, I have made a difference to everyone, and that could just be the secret to success. So what is it going to take to be successful? Your story.

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Anthony Biggs & Clive Chenery for Jermyn Street Theatre present

SOUTH

AFRICAN

SEASON

10th June-12th July 2014 Jermyn Street Theatre presents a season of theatre, featuring some of South Africa’s most acclaimed playwrights and best-loved performers. The season includes major work by Athol Fugard and Reza de Wet, and performances from Janet Suzman, Jack Klaff, Doreen Mantle and Basil Appollis.

Box Office:

020 7287 2875 www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Artistic director Anthony Biggs

SA cabaret artist becomes Mata Hari in her latest solo show

| In ‘Mata Hari’, South African cabaret artist Aletia Upstairs tells the story of World War One’s most famous courtesan and exotic dancer, who was tried on charges of espionage and sentenced to death by firing squad. Her last hour is spent reflecting on her life by staff reporter “I’ll know how to die.” ‘Mata Hari’ means, in Malay, Eye of the Day: the sun. Mata Hari, courtesan and exotic dancer, was a notorious and intriguing figure and the most famous femme fatale of her day. In her cabaret show at St James Theatre on 17th June 2014, London-based South African cabaret artist Aletia Upstairs investigates and illuminates how Dutch-born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle re-invented herself as Mata Hari: woman of mystery, the first exotic dancer of Europe, and a temptress who entertained men. In 1917, she was imprisoned, accused of espionage during WWI. Awaiting death by French firing squad, she reflects on her life. “You are probably critical of a woman like me.” We see Mata Hari’s art of seduction, inspired by Indonesian temple dance, complete with veils, exotic headpieces and famous breastplates. “I learned two things in Indonesia: the power of my beauty over men, and the power of a dance…with every veil I threw off, my success rose.” Mata Hari was deeply desirable to officers, for whom she had

a particular passion. During World War I, she was accused of accepting German money to spy on the French. “But I beg you to believe me, I never did a single act of espionage against France.” Recruited as a counter-spy in a trap to execute her, she was sentenced to death. She faced it bravely – standing upright, even wearing her corset. Proved posthumously (1985) to have been framed by the French, German and British intelligence, Mata Hari was possibly punished for her sensuous, licentious lifestyle. “I will defend myself, and if I must fail, it will be with a smile of profound contempt.” Written by Aletia Upstairs and Dean Stalham, who also directs, the cabaret is based on verbatim words taken from letters and interviews with the real Mata Hari, and is interspersed with songs and dance by Aletia Upstairs. Aletia sings in English, French, Dutch and German, including songs from Dutch singer Caro Emerald and Aletia’s own compositions ‘She Cries’ and ‘Catch Me When I Fall’, accompanied by Ada Khan. Mata Hari’s adaptation of Indonesian temple dance for the

Belle Epoque era is choreographed by Ash Mukherjee. The eloquent and exotic Aletia Upstairs brings insight and seduction to her solo show about the ultimate femme fatale who paid the ultimate price. Aletia is a South African born singer-songwriter and recording artist, with an MA in Performance Design and Practice from Central St Martin’s, focusing on intercultural cabaret. MATA HARI St James Theatre Tuesday 17th June 2014 at 8pm £15/ £17.50 Book tickets on www.stjamestheatre. co.uk/events/mata-hari WIN! Aletia has a prize of two Mata Hari tickets to give away to one lucky reader. E-mail her on music@ aletiaupstairs.com to enter. “This is one of those little Edinburgh Fringe gems… Upstairs is joyful, sulky, sexy and seductive as MataHari. Do go and see this if you can.” - ScotsGay “A strong performance that includes attractive and evocative singing.” - Theatre Guide London “Strong, melodic and dramatic delivery…Evocatively punctuates the narrative with songs.” – The Stage

‘...the tiny but pioneering Jermyn Street Theatre.’ Mark Lawson - BBC

| 3 -10 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Mandela Remembered Gala Dinner 18th July 2014

The Roundhouse, Camden, London, NW1

Join us for a very special celebration of the life & legacy of a global icon The Blue Sky Village gala dinner will commemorate the life and legacy of a 20th-century Hero on his birthdate. The dinner will be hosted by TV Star June Sarpong with performances from special guests including Heather Small, The Kenney Jones house band, the Body Guard star Alexandra Burke and other major names to be announced soon!

It will be a stellar evening of entertainment with finest South African cuisine and wines

For more info and tickets: niccareem@blueskyvillage.org /neil.sen@blueskyvillage.org All profits and proceeds from the charity auction will to go towards building the first Blue Sky Village in Africa

www.blueskyvillage.org

Belly-churning, undeniable niggle to move back home. Would you? | I cannot deny this churning in my belly that makes me want to go home. That yearns for Africa. That yearns to see a mamma carrying her baby, wrapped in a blanket, on her back, smiling, singing, swaying. Is it just emotion? Probably. Am I the only one? Probably not By katie potatie If, like me, you find yourself in a bit of a conundrum, then you’re a South African who has moved away from the “motherland”. You didn’t choose to leave SA, you didn’t leave because you were a victim of a terrible terrible crime, or unfairly treated, or were disgusted with the unfair advantage of work situations. You’re not someone who left to move to another country and quickly embrace the new country’s culture, environment, language, because you didn’t feel that you belonged to, and in, South Africa anymore. You’re not someone who has anything bad to say about the country, ever. You are someone who recognises the challenges, sees the corruption and evil that is reported daily – all the things that are wrong – but you see the potential. You see the positives. You see the opportunity. If, like me, you find yourself living in the UK where you thought you’d come over just for a year or two, you now find yourself talking about mortgages and looking at schools for the kids you’re going to have one day. If, like me, you find yourself waking up after four years and thinking, “Is this where you want to spend the rest of your life?”, then you’re probably facing the same question that I am. Everything is so beautiful – you don’t need to live behind tall fences with ferocious dogs, you don’t worry about getting into situations that would have you fear for your life. You don’t drive at night and not slow down, worrying that off-ramps and robots are potential hijacking areas. It’s a beautiful place to live, but you still have this yearning to move back to your motherland. Your country. Ja, South Africa has such a lot to offer – it might be the weather, it might be the beautiful sunshine – and the fact that you have the opportunity to actually plan things – you realise that things as little as

that are enough to just get you by. But it’s more than that, for me. In my case, it’s the realisation that your parents, the only ones you’ll ever have, are getting older. Your brothers and sisters are getting older, your friends are moving on. You’re forgetting parts of your language, and accents. You hear a familiar accent, but you can’t absolutely be sure whether it’s a New Zealand twang, or a Capetonian. You’re forgetting certain ways of doing things – innate to you. You’re forgetting little things and it upsets you because as much as you try to cling on to what you are, and what you were, you realise that you’re four years behind the times and you no longer actually know. You think you know, because you read the papers – you read what everyone else reads. You read the negative press. You follow the best South African journalists on Twitter and you think you’re up to speed. But you’re not there, you don’t know the price of milk. You can’t remember the name of the guy who put petrol in your car every morning on your way to work. You forget silly little things, and you find yourself now in a quandary where you have to make the decision: Do you move back, or do you plant your roots and stay? It was this question that recently decided to present itself. We live in a beautiful part of the UK. The English countryside – picture-postcard beauty. Almost Blyton-like, except in the South. It’s the stone cottages, it’s the green hills and valleys, it’s the bunnies that run around on the grass along the side of the road, it’s the badgers. It’s the roses that creep up the side of these old old buildings. It’s being able to walk into town with your basket and buying fresh produce. Anyone would think I’m mad to consider leaving this beauty that I now find myself in. Friends visit and marvel at the new way of life that I have adopted. They’re in awe of the

beauty – the ease of everything. You do not have to face beggars and street children, or worry about car guards that help you park but are more a hindrance than anything else. It’s not having to fight your position at work because you’re one of several minority groups. You don’t have to live in fear for your future and the future of your children. So many of my friends who now live abroad have lived there for so long that they are so sunken into the new culture that they now don’t think of themselves as anything else BUT Australian, BUT New Zealander, BUT British. BUT French. And that’s OK – we adapt and take on new lives where we can give something back. If we settle in the UK – will that be enough? I guess you just have to look at the voter stats for the recent elections in the UK to see that there appears to be a concerning level of apathy developing with only 33% of the population casting their vote. When you get into the detail of it all – things may not appear so rosy on this side of the fence either. Why did over 18 thousand of us, living abroad, queue up to cast our vote in the recent SA general elections, for a country that we no longer live in? But I cannot deny this churning in my belly that makes me want to go home. That yearns for Africa. That yearns to see a mamma carrying her baby, wrapped in a blanket, on her back, smiling, singing, swaying. Is it just emotion? Probably. Am I the only one? Probably not. And here I sit. With a giant “Yes/ No” selection box in my mind. What is the truth? Has it just become too complicated? Are we just trying to find something that may never be – just for the sake of feeling normal? Despite all of the potential hardships you could face, despite all of the thousands of reasons stacked against you – are you still considering the What Ifs? Would you move back?

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Starfish wine tasting a huge success

| The Starfish wine tasting evening was a great success, raising £5,000 to support community projects in South Africa by staff reporter The Starfish spring wine tasting was a resounding success. Hosted last week by Investec Asset Management and Great Western Wine, the evening raised funds for vulnerable children in South Africa. Guests were greeted with a cool glass of bubbly on a gorgeous sunny evening with a view of London’s skyline before beginning the senses based tasting.

Jean-Louis Holtzhausen from The Cape Wine Academy entertained and educated guests by talking them through the five taste sensations accompanied by an array of foods, and of course, a chilled glass of white. Lemon slices and olives brought out interesting flavours but the most tantalising of all ingredients was soy sauce, allowing the tasters to explore umami.

Guests tested their knowledge during the second part of the evening with a wine based quiz, many of whom were surprised to learn that a packet of wine gums represents six alcoholic drinks. And would you have known how long the productive life of a cork

tree is? Growing excitement surrounded the silent auction and tombola, which included two beautiful donated prints, a rare bottle of red and a gourmet riverside meal for two at High Timber. The generosity of those in

attendance brought the grand total to £5,000, which will make a huge difference to the children supported by Starfish in South Africa. More info on www.starfishcharity. org/get-involved-uk

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Olá Brasil!

| With the world’s eyes on Brazil during the next month, we take a tour of some of the World Cup host cities and their attractions By John Burke The giant of South America will be firmly on the map from 12th June until 13th July 2014, and once again during the Olympics of 2016. The pressure on seats, rooms and flights is now critical. Brazilian hotels are charging at least double those in Johannesburg during the 2010 World Cup. Fares are rocketing to about R17,774 from Africa or Europe, and one-way internal flights may start at R11,533 – treble the normal fare. For sea, sand and sun, you might just as well go to Portugal. On the other hand, if you are still keen to explore the world’s fifth largest country by both area and population, wait until the southern spring starts or even go in 2015. Visiting Brazil is an adventure not without problems, and flying from London takes the same 11½ hours as to Johannesburg (which itself is nearly 14 hours from Rio de Janeiro). Getting around Brazil is also time-consuming – for example, the north-south flying time between Manaus and Belo Horizonte or Fortaleza and Porto Alegre is about four hours. Although extra flights are being laid on for an anticipated three million Brazilian fans and 600,000 foreign ones, aviation will see many cancellations or diversions to protect the airspace over stadiums during the 64 games in 12 cities. Moreover, the biggest Airbus is barred from Brazil’s longest runway at São Paulo, as this is not wide enough. There is a good network of intercity buses instead of trains, but

Christ the Redeemer n Rio de Janeiro

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Boulevard des Invalides

Paris Opera House

Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina

they too will face pressure and it is hard to avoid travelling at night. It takes 18 hours from São Paulo to the southernmost city, Porto Alegre, overlooking a lagoon and skirted by vineyards, but wintry in mid-year. Buses take 11 hours northward to Curitiba which is equally ‘European’, almost as affluent and nearly as cool, since it is the highest state capital. It also makes a convenient stopover halfway between Rio and the spectacular Iguassu Falls – 22 hours in all – especially as it is the greenest city in Latin America, and there is a scenic railway to the coast. Six hours away and more subtropical is São Paulo, the southern hemisphere’s largest city and biggest financial centre. Dominated by skyscrapers, it has an excellent metro and 13 museums – plus Butantan snake farm. Buses take more than eight hours from São Paulo to Belo Horizonte, which is famous for its zoological and mineral collections as well as the Tropa Serrana stables. There are easy excursions to hilly towns (not World Cup centres) like Ouro Preto whose colonial buildings went up during the stampede for precious metals and gem-stones. Belo is ten hours by road from the federal capital, Brasilia, which is twinned with Pretoria. Artificially created in 1960, complete with lake, it is a block by block extravaganza of Oscar Niemeyer’s architecture. Westward of Brasilia, 881 kilometres away in the dead centre of South America, lies sweltering Cuiaba that was founded during a riverside goldrush. Famous for Amerindian food, Cuiaba is the most remote World Cup site apart from equatorial Manaus that even got an operahouse during the rubber-boom. Yet its location in the Amazonian rainforest, amid a network of rivers, makes it hard to reach by road. The other football centres are on the Atlantic coast, and four of them

are strung out along the tropical corner closest to Africa whose culture influences the entire northeast. Once occupied by the Dutch, the ports were developed by the Portuguese to trade in slaves and sugar. Fine beaches attract many tourists to Natal and also Fortaleza, while Recife is even more famous for its many bridges spanning three rivers. Brazil’s third largest city, with the world’s third best beach, is Salvador of Bahia where four inhabitants out of ten have African blood. Salvador also boasts the most colonial architecture, as it got Brazil’s first bishopric besides being its capital from 1549, until replaced by Rio in 1763. Buses may take 27 hours to navigate Brazil’s north-east coast, and just as long to continue southward from Salvador to Rio where seven matches will include the final. Above the white beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema are Sugarloaf Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer, reached by cable-car and rack-railway, while some tours include a policed township (favela). Rio is still the world’s riskiest city for tourists, and predators of all kinds will watch for unwary males and females even on main streets and bus routes in broad daylight. Other cities are no longer as safe as they were, especially those in the poverty-stricken north. Always take precaution in Brazil – beyond concealing watch, wallet, passport, mobile and camera. Dress like the locals, learn some Portuguese phrases and look as if you know your way about. Take the South American Handbook or Lonely Planet’s Brazil (wrapped in a Rio newspaper), but study beforehand the town-plans and sections on health and safety. Ensure you have the right medical kit and vaccinations, and beware of dengue fever in Rio and malaria in places like Amazonia or Iguassu. South Africa has consulates in Brasilia and São Paulo.

Après le bain by Edgar Degas at Musée d’Orsay

Monument to the Azores in Porto Alegre

Índio da Catedral Metropolitana in Porto Alegre

Business

| 3 -10 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

New CGT rule for non-resident landlords

| In his 2013 Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne announced an important change to the UK tax system – namely, the extension of capital gains tax (CGT) to non-residents selling their UK residential properties

by 1st contact At present, it is unclear how the rules surrounding Private Residence relief (PPR) will exempt individuals from these new CGT rules. According to David Gauke, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, “Britain is an open country that welcomes investment from all over the world…However, the government does not believe that it is right that UK residents pay capital gains tax when they

sell a home that is not their primary residence, while non-residents do not.” Non-residents, says Gauke, should not be exempt from paying tax on the gains that they make from selling residential property from abroad. Consultation document HM Treasury have published a consultation document following Osborne’s Autumn Statement announcement, outlining a proposal to extend capital gains

tax to non-resident landlords. Although these changes will only be implemented from April 2015, what this means for non-residents is that they will now be charged capital gains tax based on the location of the property, and not the location of the seller. The rules will mostly affect Sable clients owning London property who have since returned home; in other words, clients who were hoping to sell their UK properties without incurring UK capital gains

tax. If you own residential property in the UK but are based in another country, the following information is crucial: • Residential property owned by offshore companies and trusts will be in scope of the CGT extension. • Private Residence Relief (PPR) will most likely be granted if the residence has been lived in while in the UK and the seller has emigrated from the UK. • The Private Residence election process is scheduled to be reformed and potentially dropped. Clients with large properties that are owned by trusts will need to do some planning, as these rules are likely to trigger sales and the unwinding of London properties into personal names. The government does, however, acknowledge that this process takes time. The rules that surround ATED (‘Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings’; i.e. a specific set of rules pertaining to UK residential property owned by offshore structures) will be rolled out first from April 2015, affecting company or trust-owned properties valued between £1m and £2m. Properties valued between £500k and £1m will fall in scope from April 2016. A key point in the new CGT extension is that the charge will

apply from April 2015, and only to gains arising from that date. Private Residence Relief At present, it looks likely that Private Residence Relief (PPR) relief will apply, although we will only be able to confirm this when the final set of rules are made public. As April 2015 is relatively near, it is possible that a decision to sell might need to be made in the absence of the final rules being released. We will, however, keep you updated as soon as we can confirm that PPR will be applicable to the new CGT legislation. The Treasury is adamant that the extended CGT charge will be “fair and sustainable, without imposing unnecessary or intrusive burdens on non-residents.” For this reason, they are inviting feedback in the consultation process from all interested parties and stakeholders. To attend a workshop or respond to the consultation questions, contact capitalgains.taxteam@hmrc.gsi. gov.uk by 20th June 2014. To view the consultation document in full, visit HM Treasury on www.gov.uk. For wealth, property and mortgagerelated queries, speak to one of our consultants on +44 (0) 20 7759 7519 or email Sable Wealth on wealth@sable-group.com. Please note that advice on issues pertaining to the CGT extension could be chargeable.

Automatic ban under the UK immigration rules | It is very important for South Africans in the UK to keep in mind that they need to apply for an extension of their visa, or indefinite leave to remain before the expiry of their current visa

by JP breytenbach If a person overstay on their current visa, for more than 28 days, they would need to leave the UK and make a new application from their home country. The implication of this would be that a person would also lose the qualifying period spent on the visa that would have counted towards example indefinite leave to remain. BIC has had unfortunate cases where persons contacted us, after overstaying on their Ancestral Visa, and where they should have been able to apply for indefinite leave to remain, they now have to re-apply for the Ancestral visa and re-start the qualifying period towards indefinite leave to remain. The implications of overstaying are thus far-reaching. It is also important to remember that if you leave the UK more than 90 days after your visa expired, you will face an ‘automatic ban’ under the UK immigration rules.

The implication of this is that any subsequent application for a visa will automatically be refused for a set period, depending on the length of overstaying. It is therefore imperative to make sure that you do not overstay on your current visa. BIC specialise in entry clearance applications as well as applications submitted in the UK, so please contact us without further delay at info@bic-immigration.com or visit our website for the contact details of our offices. JP Breytenbach Director of BIC, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited. www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com

1st Contact Forex Rand Report

| The Rand weakened against the Dollar on Friday, closing at USDZAR10.57; this came hot on the heels of the worse-than-expected SA trade data published on Friday by 1st contact The Rand’s depreciation worked in tandem with a weaker performance from the commodity and EM currencies we track. Meanwhile, the Dollar weakened against the Euro, the Pound and Yen, with the biggest moves seen against the Euro and the Pound (both 0.2%). The Rand weakened against all of the major crosses, with the biggest move seen against the Euro and the Pound (both 1.7%). The Rand traded between a low

of USDZAR10.4058 and a high of USDZAR10.5942. Support from where the Rand opened sits at 10.3850, 10.5250 and 10.5800, while resistance levels sit at 10.7000 and 10.9800. Turning to commodity prices; platinum, Brent and gold all fell by 0.5%, and copper fell by 0.6%. In local labour news, today sees the Labour Court’s decision on whether or not to support AMCU’s request to prevent the producers from communicating directly with workers about wage offers. This

Thursday 5th June 2014, AMCU will appeal an interim interdict granted to SA’s gold companies, which prevented AMCU from striking in that sector. For more info contact the 1st Contact Forex team Tel: +27(0)21 657 2153 Brought to you by

Call 0808 168 2055

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Sport

Who will be South Africa’s next Test captain?

| This Tuesday sees the announcement of South Africa’s new Test captain and by no means is there a clear favourite for who will be selected By Jeremy Bortz The circumstances surrounding This Tuesday sees the highly anticipated announcement of the Proteas’ new Test captain after long-standing skipper Graeme Smith retired after 11 years at the helm during the third Test against Australia back in March. Up until just a few weeks ago, everyone agreed it was a twohorse race between the one-day international and T20 captains; AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis respectively, with AB de Villiers the slim favourite. Both players have their strengths: De Villiers is in a class of his own as a batsman and the expectation he sets for himself would elevate those around him. Du Plessis, on the other hand, may not be as naturally talented but his determination and courage is without question and that attitude would rub off on his players. On the negative side, De Villiers has shown a tendency to take on too much and were he to be chosen as captain, he would surely have to relinquish the gloves. While De Villiers is one of the first names in the team XI, Du Plessis still has to

cement his new No. 4 position and the pressures of captaining a side may impact his ability to make that crucial position his own. The debate became a lot more intense with Hashim Amla’s announcement that he too would like to be considered and it’s now a very even three-horse race in my opinion. Previously not interested in captaincy, at one point Amla even asked to be relieved of his vicecaptaincy duties, it seems Amla has had a change of heart. On the field, I have no doubt Amla would make a fine captain. First and foremost, he commands the respect of every single person he plays both with and against and his unflappable nature would have a wonderfully calming effect on the dressing room. He also has an astute cricketing brain, reads the game well and while quiet on the field, I have read he has become more and more vocal in the dressing room. Off the field, I believe, is more of a challenge. Traditionally, Amla has not looked comfortable in front of the media and the job in South Africa is one that brings with it intense public scrutiny and attention. My concern is also whether he truly wants to be captain or whether

The three candidates for the position. From left to right: Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla

he’s been pressured in some way by Cricket South Africa to make himself available. People do change their minds and perhaps my concern is a cynical one but in South African sport especially, being the captain brings with it the added element of politics and you have to 100% want the position to be able to deal with all those added pressures.

Were Amla handed the reins, it would in my opinion end the debate about whether De Villiers should keep the gloves (for now at least until perhaps De Kock is ready to take them over) and allow him to concentrate solely on becoming even better than the great Adam Gilchrist. It would also allow du Plessis time to make the No. 4 position his own,;

no easy feat when one is stepping into ‘unfillable’ shoes. I suspect Amla will be named as South Africa’s new Test captain this week and assuming he truly wants the responsibility, I have no doubt he will make a fine Test captain. And at the same time continue to be one of the world’s best batsmen.

Things suddenly look grim for the Sharks

| Things looked rosy for the table-topping Sharks until Jaco Taute’s last-gasp drop goal on Saturday. Despite securing the South African conference, they are suddenly vulnerable to the chasing pack, and the road to the title has become a whole lot tougher

| Jake White’s Sharks suffered a 21-19 defeat to the Stormers on Saturday

By Michael Todt Saturday evening’s clash between the Sharks and the Stormers was an uninspiring one from a rugby point of view, as one team dogged by lethargy tepidly locked horns with another dogged by injury. Only the closeness of the score kept things interesting prior to the climax. But what a climax it was! The home side had led for all 76 minutes after Frans Steyn opened the scoring, but it was hard to shake the feeling that the two penalties he missed after

the hour mark would prove costly. Jaco Taute’s dramatic late drop goal ensured that that was the case, and it sparked wild celebrations for the visitors. The ramifications for Jake White’s team, however, were huge. In a flash, a potential five-point lead at the top of the standings during the June international window was cut to two over the second-placed Waratahs. Sitting just two further points adrift are the ever-present Crusaders, and with both Australasian sides cashing in on their game in hand in the week before the Sharks return to action, the Durban outfit may well find themselves in an undesirable third place when they take the field again. Adding to the Sharks’ woes is the fact that they are the only one of the three teams whose final pair of fixtures are away from home, with trips to Bloemfontein and Cape Town awaiting them. Third place now seems to be the likeliest outcome of all, and it would be disastrous to their title aspirations having been bankers at the top for much of the campaign. An extra playoff game is something they could do without, and the road to the final thereafter would likely be on away turf. All thoughts that weren’t

in anyone’s mind until Taute slotted home that heartbreaker. They’ll draw inspiration from two years ago, when they progressed to the final having had to play twice in the playoffs. But a home final – should they get there – suddenly seems unlikely, and all of the previous six finals have been won by the hosts. In fact, the last team to break this trend was the Sharks themselves, when Bryan Habana’s late try stunned them back in 2007. White naturally apportioned some of the blame of Saturday’s reverse to the Bok training camp last week, and lent credence to the theory with the similarly unexpected 32-21 defeat the Bulls suffered at Ellis Park (The Lions had just one player at the camp as opposed to the eight of the Bulls). But however much that playoffending result for the Bulls may appear to support White’s complaint, it came across as sour grapes, and a title-worthy team really should have been clinical enough to see off a depleted, albeit resurgent, Stormers side in front of their home fans. It wasn’t to be though, and it will be this result that leaves the Sharks kicking themselves should they finish third.

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Continued from back page

World Cup Bok squad announced

said, “Up front, we’ve been very impressed with Lood and Oupa recently. Lood is a no-nonsense lock who will learn a lot from Victor [Matfield] and Bakkies [Botha], while Oupa is a superb line-out option, very fast and good with the ball in hand. “Marcel and Callie have been part of a resurgent Bulls pack recently and their play in the set-pieces is very good. “Marcel can play on both sides of the scrum, which makes him a valuable option in the squad, while he also carries the ball well and has shown he can steal ball

at the breakdown. Callie brings superb line-out throwing and great scrumming power, while he is never shy to do the dirty work on the field.”

The return of veterans Meyer is looking forward to welcoming Matfield and Burger back into the Bok fold. “Last year we saw what it meant to Bakkies, Fourie [du Preez] and Jaque [Fourie] when they returned and they showed that age should not be any measure when it comes to test rugby. If you have the goods and can perform at world-class level, you deserve to

be selected,” Meyer said. “Victor and Schalk have both been out of the game for some time and for different reasons. A year ago, Schalk’s playing future was in doubt, so it’s great to have him back in the Bok fold and I’m looking forward to working with him for the first time. “Their excitement at the Durban camp was contagious. The younger players fed off that and I know they will add a lot of value to the squad.”

“Schalk was part of our plans from the beginning. He is one of the best hookers in the world, is one of the nominees for Heineken Cup Player of the Year and brings heaps of experience with him.” Strauss, who has been suspended for three weeks for an illegal tackle last weekend, will rejoin the squad for the final week of the Castle Lager Incoming Series, when his suspension ends.

‘One of the best’ On the inclusion of Brits, who plays for Saracens, he said,

Willem Alberts, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Brits, Schalk Burger, Marcell Coetzee, Damian De

SPRINGBOK SQUAD:

Allende, Lood de Jager, Juan de Jongh, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Fourie du Preez, JJ Engelbrecht, Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Hougaard, Zane Kirchner, Siya Kolisi, Willie le Roux, Francois Louw, Victor Matfield, Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje, Tendai Mtawarira, Lwazi Mvovo, Coenie Oosthuizen, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Jan Serfontein, S’bura Sithole, Gurthro Steenkamp, Frans Steyn, Morne Steyn, Flip van der Merwe, Marcel van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen, Callie Visagie

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who will be south africa’s next test captain? p15

summer 2014 is bigger and better than before p15

NEWS FOR GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICANS

www.thesouthafrican.com

Seven uncapped players join veterans in Bok squad | Seven uncapped players have been called up to Springbok duty as part of a 36-man squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series

he came very close to inclusion in this squad. “It was also wonderful to see the excitement in the more experienced players, who have tasted what test rugby is about. Everyone knows we’re at the start of a challenging season but everyone is raring to get going.”

By staff reporter Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer called seven uncapped players up for national duty as he named the squad following the conclusion of the first stage of the Super Rugby competition. South Africa plays the Samsung World XV at Newlands on Saturday. Newcomers Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager, Cornal Hendricks, Teboho Mohoje, S’bura Sithole, Marcel van der Merwe and Callie Visagie were joined in the squad by experienced World Cup winners Schalk Burger and Victor Matfield, while Schalk Brits, Juan de Jongh, Francois Hougaard, Lwazi Mvovo and Frans Steyn, all of whom last played test rugby in 2012, also cracked the nod. The national selectors also opted for continuity, with 12 players who started the final test of 2013, in which the Springboks beat France in Paris for the first time in 16 years, being retained in the squad. Meyer will name his interim captain later this week. Notable omissions Notable omissions include Springbok captain and Saru’s Player of the Year in 2013, Jean de Villiers, who is out with a knee injury, and the Young Player of the Year for the last two seasons and IRB Player of the Year nominee last year, Eben Etzebeth, who has been given more time to fully recover from a foot injury, which has kept him out of action this season.

Schalk Burger has returned to the World Cup squad after having been out of the game for some time, along with veterans Victor Matfield and Bismarck du Plessis

The Springboks will also be without one of their vice-captains, Adriaan Strauss, who has been suspended for three matches, while Jaque Fourie, who started all three tests last November, has been ruled out with an ankle injury, as has Pat Lambie, a regular member of the squad for the last two years. ‘There are no excuses’ “It’s never easy starting the

international season without a number of key players, but it’s the same for our opponents as well and there are no excuses. We simply have to hit the ground running this week and make sure we start the season as well as possible,” Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said in a statement. “Injuries also provide opportunities for new players and

from what I’ve seen at the training camp in Durban earlier this week, they are also raring to go,” he added. “Oupa Mohoje got an opportunity at the Cheetahs following injuries to Lappies Labuschagne, Philip van der Walt and Jean Cook, and he took his chance. At the Sharks, Stephan Lewies came in for the injured Pieter-Steph du Toit and

Deserving Meyer said all the uncapped players deserved their opportunity. “Damian, Cornal, Oupa, S’bura, Marcel and Callie have all been in great form recently for their various Vodacom Super Rugby franchises, while Lood was very impressive before his injury and he underlined that with a great attitude and work ethic at the Durban camp. “Some of them have been on the national selectors’ radar for a bit longer, while others have been very impressive at our training camp in Durban. They all deserve their selection and now it’s up to them to make the most of it,” he continued. “Damian and S’bura both bring utility value to the team, as they can play in more than one position in the backline. “Cornal, who was the SA Sevens Player of the Year in 2013, is very fast and has a couple of special attributes, so we’re very excited to work with him and hopefully improve him as a player. Forwards Assessing the forwards, Meyer

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