The South African 1 – 8 July 2014

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1 - 8 July 2014

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FARM WORKERS TO GET ‘HALF THE LAND’? | A new government proposal suggests that all farmland is to be split up equally between present owners and current labourers. But who is going to get the short end of the stick in this proposed deal - and who will gain?

by sertan sanderson Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti made some provocative remarks in parliament on Tuesday, telling the National Assembly that the current state of affairs relating to the issue of land reform was in his view “unsustainable”.

“We have been bending over backwards as black people.

It is time that all of us took responsibility for progress, for South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white,” Nkwinti told MPs, while reaping widespread support.

Nkwinti made his statements in relation to recent proposals that call for farmers to release half their land to be given away to their workers. The premise of the proposals, which is based on a policy paper published by the government in February 2014 entitled “Strengthening the Relative Rights of People Working the Land”, has been causing outrage among white farmers in South Africa, prompting harsh reactions especially among Afrikaner groups, who historically have been associated with farming.

The official document suggests that the way forward to settle the gridlocked affairs of land reform and land restitution would be to grant workers ownership of half of the land on which they

| PRINCESS OF POP: Since the release of her first album more than 15 years ago, South African singer Nádine has sold more than 500 000 albums. Come and experience Nádine at an intimate showcase for top music industry professionals in London on 8th and 10th July. See page 6 for details of how to secure a pair of limited tickets

are employed – as long as their employment has been associated with the same farm for at least ten years. This would leave the historical owners of land to keep the other half.

Under the controversial proposal, the government does not intend

to pay the historical owners any compensation for wilfully redistributing half of their land, but aims to invest into a complicated fund intended to develop these new plots of land instead, which in each instance will be financed to the exact equivalent of the market

value of the taken land.

Profits from this fund will reportedly benefit all stakeholders in the land in the form of dividends, which includes the historical owners of land as well

Continued on page 2

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Bradley Marshall

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Govt calls for farmers to release land Continued from page 1

as the government itself. However, it remains uncertain what level of income this abstract scheme may yield or how successful this proposal may be.

With further legislative changes also being rushed through parliament recently, including the so-called Investment Bill as well as recent amendments to the Petroleum Resources Development Act, which give government unprecedented regulatory powers when it comes to the administration of private property, many fear that farmers and land owners are still in for a rude awakening in the future, and that the accumulative powers of these various legal acts may have devastating long-term effects on current property owners.

Despite the unprecedented level of infringement on private property rights enshrined in the new policy paper, Nkwinti finds that these sacrificial imperatives sanctioned and protected by law are justified, and that the proposed measures were “proportional to [the labourers’] contribution to the development of the land, based on the number of years they had worked on the land”.

The proposed scheme is now

| Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti

emigrate, calling the new proposal “irresponsible”.

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille also shared her views: “[They] will exacerbate insecurity,

destroy jobs, escalate the already catastrophic exodus of farming expertise from the industry, and have dire implications for food security in the medium-term.”

SAA among the world’s Top 20 airlines

| South African Airways makes it as the only African company on a list of the world’s best airlines in an annually compiled competition by Business Insider

By sertan sanderson

Originally from South Africa, Bradley Marshall is currently studying his MA in Conflict, Security and Development at King’s College London.

open to public comment until April 2015. In addition to attracting criticism for its inherently inequitable practices the proposal has also faced some stark scrutiny against the backdrop of the failure of previous land reform efforts and other government-mandated transformation measures postapartheid such as BEE; official reports in 2010 conceded that 95 percent of land redistributed to date has not yielded any productive results in terms of agriculture or farming.

But Nkwinti says that the tide is turning on the underused masses of land that have been given away so far under land reform measures: “But today, 27 percent of that land is productive. In fact, over the past three years, we’ve produced at least three millionaires, people who’ve got cash in the bank.”

While reaping applause from wide circles of parliamentary MPs for trying to push land reform forward it was also noted that not all lawmakers joined in enthusiastically to support Nkwinti. Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald said that this kind of legislation failed South Africans by encouraging further numbers of farmers to

SAA has taken the 11th spot on a shortlist of the world’s Top 20 airlines as compiled by the international publication Business Insider. Despite struggling to manage its finances, the state-owned South African flagship carrier has managed to make it on the coveted list for the second year in a row.

Looking at two key factors, namely punctuality and pleasant flight experience, the publication examined the performance of economy class long-haul flights

of tens of global airlines, ranking them according to their respective quality quotients.

The data used for the shortlist was chiefly evaluated on the basis of reviews on Skytrax and compiled based on information on punctuality provided by Flightstats.com.

SAA’s performance is unique as the only airline on the Top 20 list that provides non-stop services from Johannesburg to London.

Having recently added a free bagwrapping service, SAA tries to

stay ahead of the competition with added value and dedicated service being at the heart of its operations.

However, cancelling its popular Cape Town – London route recently also means that some hitherto loyal SAA customers will have inadvertently changed their ticket purchasing habits.

The Business Insider’s Top 20 list was topped for the second year running by Singapore Airlines, followed by various other Asian and Middle Eastern carriers occupying the highest-ranking

spots, such as All Nippon Airways, Qatar Airways, Asiana Airlines and Malaysia Airlines (just don’t mention flight MH370).

Among the more surprising airlines in the Top 20 list we found Air Astana, the little-known Kazakh national carrier, which uses Almaty as its hub to connect passengers throughout the world.

Perhaps it’s worthwhile looking into Borat’s flagship airline for your future travel arrangements?

Just don’t forget to pack your mankini.

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Calling all writers and photographers | Whether you’re a sports fanatic, travel addict, keen columnist or news junkie, you’re invited to join us as a part-time writer or photographer to contribute articles and images to our website – and add your voice to the global South African community By heather walker

| Errol Damelin has left Wonga.com

Wonga founder steps down as loan firm is hit by scandal

| The former CEO of Britain’s biggest payday loan firm, Wonga.com, stepped down from being the chairman of the company two weeks ago – just in time to avoid a major publicity scandal, in which Wonga is currently finding itself enveloped across the UK by sertan sanderson South African-born Errol Damelin’s recent departure from Wonga.com is seen as a planned and preempted measure of damage control, as several counts of criminal charges, including blackmail, false representation, and fraud could possibly be brought against the loan company, which has found itself in the spotlight over the past few days.

Britain’s biggest payday lender was slammed for using potentially illegal methods to try to obtain outstanding debts, including bullying debtors with phony letters from fake debt collection agencies. Mr Damelin had been head of the loan firm since its beginning in 2007, when the policy of sending out these bogus letters had first been introduced and had remained common company practice for several years to follow.

45,000 Wonga customers are now to receive a total of £2.6 million in compensation after the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority had ruled that the company’s practices were against lending guidelines.

Each affected customer will receive a £55 cheque in return

for having been inundated with communications from bogus debt collectors in the past such as “Chainey, D’Amato & Shannon” and “Barker and Lowe Legal Recoveries”.

The financial burden of paying these fines may only be a small pinch for serial entrepreneur Damelin, whose personal wealth is estimated to be no less than £34 million. Along with his business partner Jonty Hurwitz, also a South African, the two founding fathers of Wonga.com are expected to share a personal wealth of over £60 million between them.

But further trouble might still be in the pipelines for Wonga and its company directors, as consumer groups have demanded a police inquiry into the company’s dubious practices, stating that there are indications for criminal intent in the payday loan firm’s underhanded approach to clawing back funds. Some have even called the company’s tactics akin to bullying.

Shadow consumer affairs minister Stella Creasy MP joined those calling for a full police investigation, adding that the act of pretending to be a solicitor is a criminal offense.

“Aside from potential fraud, harassment of a debtor is a criminal offense. News that Wonga was sending fake solicitor letters to cash-strapped customers who couldn’t afford their fees to frighten them and charging them for these is further proof of the need for Britain to rid itself of these legal loan sharks.”

Wonga.com admitted to some of its wrongdoing, by saying that 200,000 customers were overcharged due to a “technical error”.

The company suffers to gain back public confidence for its British operations, but continues to succesfully offer payday loans in other territories where it operates, including South Africa.

Famed for its TV commercials featuring hand puppets depicting elderly office workers, Wonga is perceived to put a human face to short-term lending practices though its recent actions may imply otherwise.

Tim Weller, Wonga’s interim chief executive, meanwhile publicly apologised for the practice of sending fake letters to collect debts. He added: “The practice was unacceptable and we voluntarily ceased it nearly four years ago.”

Based on the success of our long-running UK-based print publication The South African, our portal TheSouthAfrican.com is a resource for global perspectives on uniquely South African issues.

We connect South Africans to the world and the world to South Africans.

Our content is produced by a team of volunteer contributors based all over the world, including UK, USA, Australia and South Africa.

We welcome contributions from our loyal readers and have developed a strong blogger base, which is growing and linking our network of quality content globally.

Whether you’re a news junkie, sports fanatic, travel addict or keen columnist, you’re invited to join us as a part-time writer or photographer to contribute articles and images to our website and weekly newspaper.

You will have the opportunity to do high profile interviews, film, theatre and restaurant reviews and cover London-based events.

Most of these can be done on

evenings and weekends so don’t worry if you work full-time – this is something you can comfortably fit into your work schedule. We are also looking for photographers to take photos at South African related events in the UK. You don’t need to be an experienced journalist, you just need a passion (and hopefully a talent) for writing.

It’s also a great way to build your profile in any field of expertise, using your writing skills to get exposure. You will have a profile on the site giving details of your blog and social media where relevant.

This is your chance to give a voice to the SA community, reflecting our unique interests, opinions and attitudes, and gain valuable exposure and experience in the process.

It’s an ideal opportunity for students or recent journalism graduates to build up a portfolio of published work and gain valuable contacts in the media industry.

To apply, please send your CV and two examples of your work to editor@thesouthafrican.com

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An Audience with Pieter-Dirk Uys at Soho Theatre | After a 10-year break, the legendary South African satirist, author and activist Pieter-Dirk Uys returns to Soho from 13th to 27th July By staff reporter In a world filled with satellite TV, NetFlix and YouTube, choice has become the cherry on the cake of entertainment.

But the choice offered by Pieter-Dirk Uys is more unusual: it begins with fifteen boxes on a stage in deepest Soho…

Each box is filled with different characters and stories, from the comedic to the theatrical, all ready to launch into a bitingly funny and fast-paced satire on South Africa’s turbulent political history.

Some hark back to the country’s dark past, most try to make sense of South Africa’s crazy future, and all showcase the knowledge (and humour) gathered during Pieter’s 38 years in the political and comedy arenas.

Each night the audience chooses which boxes Pieter opens, so no two shows are ever the same.

Whatever emerges, his uncanny ability to recreate South African politicians and to breathe life into their absurdities is guaranteed to evoke entertaining and provocative hilarity.

Dates: Sun 13 – Sun 27 July, Sun & Mon 7pm, Tue – Sat 9pm Previews 13-14 July, £10. TueThu £15 (£12.50), Fri- Sun £20 (£17.50) Book on www.sohotheatre.com/ whats-on/an-audience-withpieter-dirk-uys

Tweet to win with Spur!

Tell us what you love about Spur and you could win a £50 meal voucher. Every week the top Spur tweet using the hashtag #LoveSpur will win the prize.

Here are our favourite tweets from this week:

This week’s winner!*

Rules: 1) You must follow & mention The South African (@theSAnews) & UK Spur (@SpurUK) 2) You must include the hashtag #LoveSpur Competition runs Tuesday to Monday Voucher is valid at any Spur restaurant in the UK *If your tweet has been chosen on this page please email your address to editor@thesouthafrican.com and your voucher will be posted to you

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AN AU D

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“The Way I See It” – Barry Hilton on tour in UK in July

| Everyone’s favourite Cousin, Barry Hilton, heads back to the UK for a six-date comedy tour this summer By staff reporter Catch South African comedian Barry Hilton’s new show ‘The Way I See It’ LIVE in the UK this July.

With a track record of 30 years in comedy, Barry Hilton has raised the world’s laughter level considerably.

His delightful knack of finding the ludicrous and the humorous turns daily situations on their head to make us laugh at life.

His face is as funny as his repartee, with lugubrious looks tailor-made for mirth. Barry’s gregarious personality makes him a people’s person, happy to engage with the audience before and after his shows.

Barry is an old-school comedian who’s as streetwise as any youngster. He’s remained at the top by continually coming up with fresh material – and by having six children to keep him hip and happening. His act is intelligent, observational and impeccably timed.

In 2013 the industry paid tribute to Barry with A Lifetime Achiever Award, presented at the Annual Comics’ Choice Awards.

Barry lives in Cape Town but

his popularity extends far further.

Last year he became the first South African to perform at the prestigious Harrah’s Improv at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, headlining four shows.

Later this year Barry will open the Hong Kong 2014 Comedy Festival, followed by gigs in Singapore, Macau and Shanghai.

He’s delighted the notoriously tough crowds in London’s Clapham Grand and his hilarious performances in Dubai saw him shortlisted alongside John Cleese for the Best Comedy Act in Dubai’s Timeout Nightlife Awards 2013.

In between filling 4,000-seat theatres with his solo shows, he is a corporate entertainer, motivational speaker and actor.

He has starred in two movies, produced five stand-up comedy DVDs, hosted TV talk shows and featured in numerous TV commercials, most memorably as the face of Savanna Cider for more than a dozen hugely popular adverts.

His universal appeal has created a global fan base through tours taking in America, Hong Kong, UK, Ireland, Amsterdam,

Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, Africa and even at sea on international cruise liners, highlighting his ability to cut through all boundaries and appeal to any nationality, race or age.

He was the first South African to perform at London’s Comedy Store in 2001, and 10 years later the first to perform at Sydney Comedy Store.

Three decades on stage, coupled with six kids, a new wife, two ex-wives, a few dogs, a penchant for fishing and a lifetime of living in a crazy, beautiful country have given Barry a lifetime of laughterinducing experiences.

UK Tour dates: London, 11th July El-Shaddai London, Golders Green Hippodrome London, 12th July – Orange Bull, London (SOLD OUT) Bournemouth, 14th July – Walkabout, Bournemouth Ferring, 16th July – Tudor Close Pub and Kitchen, Sussex Spondon, 18th July – Moon Hotel, Derby London, 19th July – GJ’s, Wandsworth (SOLD OUT) For more details and to book tickets see barryhilton.co.za/events

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Limited tickets for music industry showcase: SA pop princess Nádine | On 8th and 10th July the beautiful and talented South African singer will showcase Fragments, her brand new international pop album, to record companies and the music industry in London By staff reporter

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Since the release of her first album more than 15 years ago when she was only 13, South African singer Nádine has sold more than 500 000 albums in her homeland.

Performing more than 120 shows a year, she is one of the most successful artists in South Africa and is now set to launch in the UK, where she’s being supported by a top team with serious industry clout.

A few years ago Nádine signed with a Belgian management company. During the summer of 2009 she launched the first part of her European adventure with some accomplished showcases. In the autumn of the same year she travelled to New Zealand for a successful concert tour.

With regular shows in Europe and Asia, Nádine’s fans are growing every day. In early 2012 she was nominated for a South African Theatre award as the leading lady Mary Magdalene in “Jesus Christ Superstar”. The team of Toco Asia

saw only one performance, but that was enough to convince them to take this pop star to Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Wenzhou, Tianjin and Changsha later that year.

On 8th and 10th July the beautiful and talented singer will showcase Fragments, her brand new international pop album, to record companies and the industry in London.

With some massive tracks written by herself, the album’s unique sound shows off her powerful voice and soulful lyrics.

Come and experience Nádine at an intimate showcase for top music industry professionals at the Half Moon in Putney, 93 Lower Richmond Road,London,SW151EU. Secure a pair of limited tickets for these exclusive showcases by joining the event on facebook. com/thesouthafrican/events Your name will then be added to the guest list – choose which night to attend.

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Cape Town Opera’s Show Boat – Full steam ahead to the UK

| Cape Town Opera’s highly acclaimed production of ‘Show Boat’ will visit Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Dublin in July and August By staff reporter Wales Millennium Centre will be presenting the first UK and Ireland tour of Cape Town Opera’s highly acclaimed production of Show Boat this July. The show will visit Birmingham Hippodrome (2nd – 5th July); The Lowry, Manchester (8th – 12th July); Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (22nd – 26th July) and Dublin’s Bord Gais Energy Theatre (29th July – 2nd Aug).

Cape Town Opera is Africa’s premier opera company. Its soloists and chorus have won the acclaim of critics and audience members around the globe including the award for Best International Opera Chorus at the 2013 International Opera Awards.

Show Boat is the perfect showcase for the talented voices of Cape Town Opera – many of whom have visited the UK on previous tours of Porgy & Bess and Mandela Trilogy. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber, Show Boat is one of the first American musicals ever written. Created in 1927 with music

by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics

by Oscar Hammerstein II, it tells the story from the old American South, rich with nostalgia, humour, love stories and well loved melodies such as ‘Ol’ Man River’ and ‘Can’t Help Lovin Dat Man’.

The story follows the lives of the performers, stage hands, and dock workers on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River Show Boat, over a forty year period from 1887 to 1927. As a production Show Boat, which premiered on Broadway in 1927, has all the glamour and flourish of a big family musical but with a story that highlights the real life of people at that time, including

the racial tensions that they faced.

The rarely performed production reflects the situation of South Africa’s past whilst highlighting through Cape Town Opera’s talents, the bright future ahead.

Cape Town Opera is a key training ground for gifted young singers, many of whom come from South Africa’s poorest communities.

Maintaining an impressively varied repertoire of opera, operetta and musicals at home (from Monteverdi to Janacek and Gershwin to new South African commissions), the company also engages widely with rural communities and young people around South Africa. Since 2005, Cape Town Opera has showcased its finest vocal talents in a roster of touring productions which have brought the art of this unique company to the world.

The UK première and tour of Cape Town Opera’s production will feature more than two hundred period costumes which span the forty years featured in the musical from bustles and wigs to flapper dresses. The set design will feature the talents of internationally renowned Johan Engels, who has worked with major theatre and opera companies across the world, including the RSC, Royal Opera House, Houston Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, as well as Welsh National Opera (WNO).

The production is under the direction of the award-winning Janice Honeyman. The company will be joined by the 30–strong, Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.

Cape Town Opera managing director Michael Williams said, “We are thrilled to bring Cape Town Opera’s production of Show

Boat to the UK for the very first time, with an exceptional cast, our award winning chorus and joined by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. This first UK visit of this production will showcase the talents of the company whilst offering a wonderful spectacle and experience for all the family.”

As strategic partners working together to strengthen cultural links between Wales and South Africa, Cape Town Opera’s collaborative projects with Wales Millennium Centre are part of a growing legacy of South African businessman and philanthropist Sir Donald Gordon, after whom the main auditorium at Wales Millennium Centre is named.

Venues and Performances The Hippodrome, Birmingham Wednesday 2nd – Saturday 5th July Matinees 2pm Thursday & 2.30pm Saturday, Evenings 7.30pm www.birminghamhippodrome.com The Lowry, The Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester Tuesday 8th – Saturday 12th July Matinees 2pm Thursday & 2pm Saturday, Evenings 7.30pm thelowry.com Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Tuesday 22nd – Saturday 26th July Matinees 2.30pm Thursday & 2.30pm Saturday, Evenings 7.30pm www.wmc.org.uk Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin Tuesday 29th July – Saturday 2nd August Matinees 2.30pm Thursday & 2.30pm Saturday, Evenings 7.30pm www.ticketmaster.ie

F R A G M E N T S

JULY 8 & 10 INTIMATE SHOW IN PUTNEY

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Come and experience Nádine at an intimate showcase for top music industry professionals at the Halfmoon in Putney.

Secure one of the limited tickets by joining the event: FACEBOOK.COM/THESOUTHAFRICAN/EVENTS

The beautiful and talented NÁDINE has sold over 500 000 albums in SA and is now set to launch in the UK. She’s being supported by a top UK team with serious industry clout.

Her album FRAGMENTS will be the surprise of the year!

Come and enjoy the exclusive showcase....

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Five trophies for South Africa at Decanter World Wine Awards

| South Africa won five International Trophies out of 33 in this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards in London, managing to outperform other New World wine countries such as Argentina, Australia, Chile and the US by a long shot

By Bradley Marshall

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Tuesday night saw South African winemakers take the spotlight at the 11th annual Decanter World Wine Awards hosted in London. South Africa won five International Trophies out of 33 this year, outperforming other New World wine countries such as Argentina, Australia, Chile and the US. According to Sarah Kemp, the publishing director and organiser of the DWWA, “South Africa has had the best year ever” in one of the world’s most prestigious wine events.

This year’s Decanter Awards saw 224 specialist tasters from around the world, including 66 Masters of Wine and 18 Master Sommeliers, judge a total of 15,007 entries from which only 0.22% received an international trophy. Steven Spurrier, the infamous instigator of the 1976 ‘Judgement of Paris’ and undisputed unsung hero of international wines, highlights the Decanters as “the most important awards in the world”.

A landmark in the developments of international wine, 1976 was a “big turning point”, as Gerard Basset, one of this year’s judges, informed me, for it signified the ability of unknowns in the wine industry to compete and win against the knowns from France.

South Africa has been producing wine since the 17th Century, but as Lynne Sherriff (South Africa’s first Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine) noted, the John Platter guides are getting bigger and bigger and many of these wines are winning international awards.

Wine entries were organised for tasting by country, region, colour, grape, style, vintage, and price, before gold medal winners were re-tasted to select a Regional Trophy. Regional winners were then split into grape varieties and style, and then into their respective

price classification of under or over £15. In a separate tasting conducted by Steven Spurrier, Guest-Vice Chair Gerard Basset OBE MS MW and three Regional Chairs, the International Trophies were selected and the results were revealed this week at a red carpet event in London, where the winners collected their certificates on the podium.

In an interview with Gerard Basset, he said that this year, with the highest number of entries in Decanter’s awards thus far, was “an exciting year to be a judge”, with South Africa producing “some really excellent wine, definitely”.

Overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral from the 10th floor of the modern Blue Fin Building, esteemed guests were able to sample a magnificent array of the world’s finest wines and Bollinger’s impressive Champagne and Oyster bar. A band entertained a plethora of celebrities of the wine world and stewards circulated with canapés, fine wines and Special Cuvee NV. There were a few surprise results, with Canada and Switzerland winning their first ever International trophies for the Sweet over £15 and White Single Varietal over £15, but it was South Africa’s accolade across reds, whites and a sweet that caused the biggest stir.

It was fitting that Steven Spurrier, promulgator of wines from the New World, stood on the podium to hand over the awards to the South African winners.

For the reds, Hartenberg’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch won Best Bordeaux Varietal under £15, and Spier’s 2011 Creative Block 3 received Best Rhone Varietal Under £15 for Frans Smit’s blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre and Viognier.

Neil McAndrew, this year’s representative for Hartenberg, puts the coveted award down to the skill, finesse and determination of

winemaker Carl Schultz, who, this year, celebrates his 20th anniversary with the historic wine farm.

Paul Cluver, the Elgin Valley’s first vineyard, received best Sauvignon Blanc Under £15 for their 2013 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, accompanying Jordan’s 2013 Chardonnay on South Africa’s white wine successes, who received Best Chardonnay over £15.

As for the sweet, it was KWV with their first International Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards having previously harvested an impressive cabinet of Regional Trophies. Their 2012 The Mentor’s Noble Late Harvest from Walker Bay, made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes, took Best Sweet Wine Under £15.

Lynne Sherriff, acknowledged as one of the world’s 50 most influential people in the world of wine, maintains that South Africa’s success over the past seven years has arisen through the ability of South Africa’s winemakers to combine the vibrance and fruity accessibility of the New World with the elegance and earthiness of the Old World. She also put it down to a “whole new generation of seriously motivated people”, becoming directly involved in the production of each bottle, from the soil to the shelf.

The knowledge, skill and style possessed by acclaimed winemakers such as Frans K Smit from Spier, Andries Burger from Paul Cluver and Carl Schultz from Hertenberg enables them to take from South Africa’s old soils and Cape climates the fruits needed to produce international award-winning, elegant, yet extravagant wines.

With the maturation of South Africa’s vineyards and the growing experience of our winemakers, it seems the confidence of Lynne Sherriff, as well as our awardwinners, for more awards next year, certainly does not go unfounded.

thesouthafrican.com | 1 - 8 July 2014 |

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‘Afrikaans het cool geraak!’ – Riana Nel

| Conrad Brand gesels met Riana Nel, een van die Suid-Afrikaanse kunstenaars in die London Goes SA konsert op 1ste en 2de Augustus

By Conrad Brand

jou eie sê te sê, is wat my so prikkel!

Met net minder as ‘n maand voor die grootste Suid-Afrikaanse musiekfees wat London nog gesien het, was ek bevoorreg om met een van die kunstenaars, Riana Nel, te gesels.

Wat is die verskil tussen jou musiek en ander SuidAfrikaanse kunstenaars?

Ek probeer regtig net myself wees.

Eg wees. Ek dink wat my anders hopelik maak is dat ek net myself probeer wees en ons almal bring n unieke kleur tot die Afrikaanse musiek bedryf!

Wat se groot veranderinge was daar in ons Afrikaansemusiekbedryf sedert jy begin het? Was daar ‘n skuif in genre?

Ek dink Afrikaans het cool geraak!

Nie eenvormig nie maar in alle style deesdae! Dit beteken ook meer diverse luisteraars. Jippie!

Hoeveel volgers het jy op Twitter en wat was jou laaste tweet?

Nogal baie! My laaste tweet was oor n opkomende optrede by Innibos!

Vertel my van jou ongelooflike Youtube video, ‘Try’.

Ek sing min covers tensy dit my regtig raak en pas. ‘Try’ deur Pink is gemaklik vir my en ek love die liedjie!

Wat is die eerste item wat jy sal inpak vir die toer?

My man! Hehe.

Waarna sien jy die meeste uit tydens jou besoek aan die VK? Om ou vriende te sien saam met wie ek gebly het toe ek daar gebly het en natuurlik om op die verhoog te staan en Häagen-Dazs te eet!

Van jou eie liedjies, wat is jou persoonlike gunsteling?

Ek hou van al my liedjies maar ek geniet veral die liedjies wat moeiliker is om te sing en wat lekker draaie in jou stem toelaat soos ‘Timbuktu’ se solo aan die einde en ‘Tyd om te lewe’.

Wie is jou gunsteling SuidAfrikaanse sanger/es?

Ek is mal oor Lira! Sy is net awesome!

Skryf jy jou eie liedjies?

Ek is maar ‘n skrywer en nie net my eie liedjies nie maar ook vir anders soos Bobby van Jaarsveld, Jay du Plessis en Liani May en selfs al n lied vir Theuns Jordaan en Juanita du Plessis geskryf. Die voorreg om

Wie is jou Suid-Afrikaanse held/in? En internasionaal?

Ek is mal oor Sheryl Crow en in SA kyk ek baie op na Hanna Grobler, want wat sy vir ander dien is ongelooflik!

Na watse musiek luister jy graag?

Coldplay, John Meyer en Foo Fighters!

BOK

Waarom dink jy is dit so gewild onder jou ondersteuners?

Almal soek die regte liedjie vir die grootste oomblik in jou lewe!

‘Dans’ was en is n lied wat soveel mense op hul troues gespeel het. Dit is die wonderlikste ding om te dink dat mense jou sal deel maak van hul groot dag!

dankbare meisie wees. Wil tog ‘n mamma wees en liedjies skryf vir bekendes as dit Die Here se wil is!

Riana Nel deel die verhoof op 1ste en 2de Augustus met Theuns Jordaan, Juanita Du Plessis en Bok van Blerk.. Kaartjies vir London goes SA is besikbaar op eventimapollo.com/events/detail/

RIANA

Wat is jou mees suksesvolste treffer?

‘Dans’

Waar sien jy jouself en musiek oor 10-20 jaar?

Mens kan sê dat as jy enigsins so lank kan sing sal ek ‘n baie

JUANITA

Kan jy jou eerste optrede onthou? Wat onthou jy darvan?

Ek dink dit was in ons kerk gewees en ek was vier. My pa het kitaar gespeel en ek het ‘Loof Hom Met die Tromme’ gesing voor die hele gemeente. Lyk my dis waar alles begin het!

Het jy enige stokperdjies?

Verf en musiek videos uitdink!

Wat is jou gunsteling tydverdryf?

Net rustig wees saam met my man en gesels!

THEUNS

Van die kaalvoet Namibiese meisie tot die Riana Nel wat ons nou ken. Wanneer het jy begin sing?

Ek het altyd weggeglip as my ma en pa Egoli gekyk het en heel voor in die huis klavier gespeel met al die deure toe en my ou klein hartjie uitgesing. Daardie tyd van die dag het die son lekker op die klavier gebak en dit was my gunstelling plek ooit!

Wat se sanger het jou musiek die meeste beinvloed?

Sheryl Crow seker! Enigste ander sanger wie se woorde ek actually ken!

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

www.ticketmaster.co.uk AND www.eventimapollo.com

www.londongoessa.com

10

| 1 - 8 July 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Invest in South African entrepreneurs through Caban Capital Plc Caban invests in high-growth opportunities and provides a comprehensive range of services to maximise investment returns.

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Recipe for South African Peppermint Fridge Cake | Mat Hartley’s recipe for this classic and decadent South African dessert – the perfect way to end a braai, or any other meal…

Find us on

info@cabancapital.co.uk | www.cabancapital.co.uk www.caban.co.za

By matt hartley This peppermint fridge cake tastes pretty awesome, and takes on a different twist as it doesn’t use the tennis biscuits as a base, but rather mixes them all together.

Obviously this is not the full version, but this is Braai 365, so it’s quick (and simple) and should take around 10 minutes.

Ingredients (serves 1 full portion) - 1 Pack of Tennis Biscuits

- 4 Peppermint Crisp Bars - 1 Can Caramel (397g) - 300ml Double Cream Preparation 1. Whip the cream in a bowl.

2. Crush the tennis biscuits in a closed packet (or however you want to do it, but not too much) 3. Add the caramel to the cream, and just mix together.

4. Grate 3 of the Peppermint Crisp bars and then add the tennis biscuits and peppermint crisp to

the mix, stirring with a SPOON (you don’t want to crush the biscuits any more) 5. Lastly, grate the last Peppermint Crisp bar and then place the ingredients into a serving bowl and throw the peppermint crisp over the top.

Throw it in the fridge for at least half an hour (but we all know the braai will take a lot longer than that) then serve up and enjoy!

More recipes on braai365.com

Body up for sale

| For love or money, or even my body - ragged as it is - nothing will procure the sterile air I need

The Optimist Karen de Villiers

If I have ever entertained illusions of grandeur and fancied myself rather special; the joke’s on me.

I AM special it turns out – I am one of the 0.01% of the human population that suffers from cluster headaches. To avoid boring you with facts, let’s just say, they are also known as ‘suicide headaches’ because people want to jump off buildings when they strike. Took years to diagnose. If these were medieval times, I would have been burnt at the stake for sure.

You do not want to witness an episode, but suffice to say that for two weeks every year, the entire cast of The Village People are let loose in my head; drills, spanners, hammers, the lot are having a party in my face.

Night hours are spent rocking, screaming, moaning and hitting my head against the wall and then, as soon as they arrive, two weeks of murder and poof, all gone again.

So why am I telling you this?

Obviously I am having a massive pity party, but also, apart from serious hallucinatory drugs, oxygen is the only remedy.

One would think access to oxygen is simple. Just breathe, but I need the kind that comes in those tempting tanks (complete with delectable mask).

Years back, my sympathetic pharmacist would take one look at the heathen from the bog drag herself into his shop in a haze of melancholy and send me home with this coffin-like apparatus. Magic mushrooms stuff.

There I was in the dead of night, sucking pure nectar for dear life and darling musing about his choice of bride and scary visions of me in my old age, but it worked.. Now, oxygen is taboo.

‘For the love of Zeus, give me oxygen!’ I whimper, foetal folded on the surgery floor. ‘But you have

a headache? Let me write you a referral for a neurosurgeon, a midwife, a witchdoctor, but you do not need oxygen for a headache.’ I cannot strangle her. I cannot reach her. ‘There is a frigging time bomb going off in my head! Haven’t you seen those movies, where they plant a chip or a bomb in your brain?

That’s me! Gimme the bloody oxygen!’ Stealthily she removes sharp objects from my view.

I can get drugs. Loads and loads of them. I cannot get a non-invasive, non-debilitating alternative.

Sometimes I wish they would rename this affliction to sound critical.

Something like cranial explosion syndrome and then they may take me seriously. For those who know me, not having a glass of wine (a trigger) is punishment enough so you must know how ‘eina’ this is.

And then I think of all those sufferers out there, those who experience pain every single day of their lives and I guess I just need to get over myself.

But seriously, if anyone out there has a tank of the super air in supply, I am all yours.

11

thesouthafrican.com | 1 - 8 July 2014 |

Zimbabwe Community

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Shortlisted Caine Prize writers to give public readings in London | South Africa’s Diane Awerbuck and Zimbabwe’s Tendai Huchu are two of the writers shortlisted for this year’s Caine Prize for African Writing. Londoners will have several opportunities to hear them read from their short stories in London By staff reporter The five writers shortlisted for the 2014 Caine Prize for African Writing will give a series of public readings and seminars in the week leading up to the announcement of the winner in Oxford on Monday 14th July 2014.

Each year the Caine Prize for African Writing maps new directions in contemporary African literature. Writers from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana and Zambia have been named on the shortlist for the prestigious £10,000 prize, awarded for a short story by an African writer published in English (indicative length 3,000 to 10,000 words).

An “African writer” is normally taken to mean someone who was born in Africa, or who is a national of an African country or has an African parent.

The 2014 shortlist comprises: • Diane Awerbuck (South Africa) “Phosphorescence” in Cabin Fever (Umuzi, Cape Town. 2011) • Tendai Huchu (Zimbabwe) “The Intervention” in Open Road Review, issue 7, New Delhi. 2013 • Efemia Chela (Ghana/Zambia) “Chicken” in Feast, Famine and Potluck (Short Story Day Africa, South Africa. 2013) • Billy Kahora (Kenya) “The Gorilla’s Apprentice” in Granta (London. 2010) • Okwiri Oduor (Kenya) “My Father’s Head” in Feast, Famine and Potluck (Short Story Day Africa, South Africa. 2013)

CAINE PRIZE EVENTS IN LONDON JULY 2014 Wednesday 9th July, Brixton Library, 7pm A discussion with the nominees of the 2014 Caine Prize chaired by Ellah Wakatama Allfrey.

This event is FREE. Brixton Library, Brixton Oval, London. SW2 1LQ Phone: 020 7926 1056 Thursday 10th July, Royal Over-Seas League, 7pm A relaxed evening with the nominees of the 2014 Caine Prize chaired by Lizzy Attree. Each author will read a short extract from their work, after which there will be an opportunity to meet them over a glass of complimentary wine and canapés.

Tickets: £7, Concessions: £6, Friends of ROSL ARTS: £5.00 To book, phone 020 7408 0214 ext 219 Park Place, St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LR http://www.rosl.org.uk/event. php/1601/Book-Event—CainePrize-for-African-Writing.html Friday 11th July, Africa Writes Festival – British Library Conference Centre 3 – 5pm: The Caine Prize 2014 Seminar led by Delia JarrettMacauley.

Organised in partnership with Africa Writes, a celebration of contemporary African literature from across the continent and the

diaspora in association with the Royal African Society.

Join the five authors shortlisted authors for an in-depth discussion of their stories within the context of contemporary African literature.

This seminar explores the shortlisted writers’ literary influences, their take on the development of present-day African narratives and their hopes and aspirations for the future.

This event is free, booking recommended. http://www.bl.uk/whatson/events/ africawrites/index.html Or to book, phone: 01937 546 546 Saturday 12th July, Africa Writes Festival – British Library Conference Centre This event is free, booking recommended.

4.45 – 6pm: Caine Prize book group event – Meet the writers in conversation with Tricia Wombell and Geoff Ryman. bl.uk/whatson/events/event161521. html; boxoffice.bl.uk or to book, phone: 01937 546 546 Sunday 13th July, Southbank Centre, 5pm The shortlisted writers will be reading from and discussing their work in the Southbank Centre’s Level 5 Function Room with Michael Salu.

Tickets: £8, Concessions: £4 To book, phone: 0844 875 0073 southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/thecaine-prize-for-african-wr-82877 www.caineprize.com

The Gonjon Pin is the Caine Prize anthology. Writers on the shortlist will be discussing their work at a series of events in London in July

Shades of exploitation in Tshuma’s Shadows

| BOOK REVIEW | Zimbabwean writer Novuyo Rose Tshuma has set her first collection of short stories in Bulawayo and Johannesburg

By Joshua Masherow Twenty-five year old Novuyo Rose Tshuma’s book has what George Orwell thought crucial to good writing: it has the power of seeing and the ‘power of facing unpleasant facts’.

In the six stories of varying lengths, Tshuma shows how vulnerable women, children and men suffer domestic violence, rape, xenophobia, police brutality, and how authoritarian political societies encourage rather than dissuade all kinds of abuses of innocent people.

The main characters suffer in societies which allow for these immoral and unlawful acts to be committed, often protecting

the perpetrators by hiding the abuse in the shadowy spaces of communal life. The stories draw the reader into the difficulties of being Zimbabwean and poor both within and outside Robert Mugabe’s borders.

The first and longest story ‘Shadows’, which shares a title with the book, follows the life of Mpho, a struggling artist living in his mother’s house, supported by the money she makes as an aging sexworker. His joys in life are art and dagga, which combine powerfully, helping him cope with life under an oppressive government.

He feels great sadness at never having a father in his life, and is gripped by a complicated kind of

love for his dying mother and his long-term girlfriend, Nomsa.

After his mother’s death when the local clinic runs out of ARVs (AIDS medicines), and his girlfriend’s secret departure for Johannesburg, Mpho has to face the hardship of his situation head on. His life spirals into chaos and what little freedom he has is taken away.

The book builds on a set of themes, seen from different perspectives. For example, sexual abuse and police brutality, first seen in Shadows through Mpho’s sex-worker mother and the response of the state to Mpho’s public art show, are brought together in ‘You in Paradise’, for which Tshuma won the Yvonne Vera Award.

‘You in Paradise’ is the story of a young Zimbabwean woman writing to herself, thinking about how hard it is to be a young female foreigner living in downtown Johannesburg.

Her Aunt Ntombi is forced to exchange sex for freedom when she is unable to prove to Johannesburg policemen that she is legally living in South Africa.

In ‘You in Paradise’, Tshuma shows her readers how state institutions like the police, which are supposed to protect ordinary people, often exploit them. In Waiting, these themes are tackled again but in a different way. The story shows how family structures can prop up abuses like rape.

Readers are introduced to an

unnamed girl who is rejected by her family and her boyfriend when she falls pregnant. The rejection is especially bitter and unjust because the child she is carrying is her father’s, conceived when he forces himself on her in the shadows of their home.

Each of Tshuma’s stories bear witness to the pain of broken relationships, political disorder and poverty, through the voice of an accomplished writer. It is a an engrossing account of how harsh life can be under a dictatorship, and how sex-based violence grows strong in broken societies.

Shadows is available on Amazon.

Originally published on: http:// groundup.org.za

12

Travel

| 1 - 8 July 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

The Grand-Place - a central city square of haunted guildhalls

The gates to the Parc Cinquantenaire beckon you to enter a time gone by

Brussels in Jacques Brel’s footsteps

| Sertan Sanderson ventures out into the thick underbelly of Belgium’s capital city in search of his idol, Jacques Brel.

Equipped with a playlist to take him through the ages, he discovers the spirit of Brel alive and well and living… in Brussels

by sertan sanderson By day, I like to fill the newsroom with controversy and contention. But whenever I take my correspondent’s shoes off, my inner ‘evil twin’ takes over, and so I travel the breadth of the planet in search for meaningful, musical encounters.

From the stomping the Flamenco in Andalusia to putting on my blue suede shoes for the Blues in Memphis I’ve been known to go to great lengths to follow my passion – and sometimes to have my passions follow me. Thus I have travelled the globe looking for ‘my song’ while serenading many false prophets along the way.

One of the things I have learned of late is that you don’t exclusively require a round-the-world ticket to seek out the next boulevard of broken dreams filled with wayward crooners out all night to greet the rising sun with poetic sounds of unending yearning. An off-season round-trip ticket on the Eurostar costs just £69 and will get you out of London and straight into the heart of Brussels, where a different sound tries to manipulate the rhythm of your heart’s beating. And voilà, you’re a world apart in the home of Belgian songteller Jacques Brel.

Born in 1929 at the height of the years between the two world wars, Brel grew up knowing the realities

of conflict very well. Shooting to worldwide fame as a chanteur, he would always come back to his Flemish roots and to his beloved Brussels in order to regather his strength and connect with a simpler time. This is what I seek out as I cross the English Channel to the flat shores of Flanders.

Today, our glorified, de facto European capital is still in a dreamlike state in so many respects like it was a century ago. You notice it the moment you get off the train; struggling to make sense of the subterranean train hub known as Midi station you feel like you are wandering down the corridor tunnels of a nightmare conceived in mindless commercialism and poor urban planning. If you take the wrong exit out of this mundane maze, you might find yourself in Little Algeria, which makes for a different tune to whistle altogether.

But we’re trying to walk in the footsteps of the chanson tradition.

So you can either follow the farandole coming from the nearest accordion or you can opt for taking a 20 minute walk on the Rue du Midi into town, and – true as a Belgian waffle – there you are amidst the glory of old Bruxelles, as it is celebrated by the city’s most famous son, Brel in song, word and deed. Along the Grand-Place you can almost feel how the very progression of time itself seems to have halted, with the picturesque, ornate buildings standing there, quietly. Quaint like those famed Belgian dentelles doilies, which tourists love to max out their credit cards on, these ancient guildhalls seem to be passively observing the modern stillness in the heart of town – like two old folks sitting on a bench in a deserted park, waiting for a visitor who won’t announce his arrival.

But you will equally find yourself noticing that something is absent

in the midst of all these forlorn impressions. As much as you will inadvertently get caught up in ticking off all the tourist sights within walking reach (such as the Manekin Pis or the dramatic Bourse de Bruxelles - a stock exchange with an edifice worthy of housing a world-class ballet company), there is yet a sense of longing in this city, which words can’t do justice. The songs the buskers bring may only start to give you an idea of what may be missing. Brussels is a town, which is not quite managing to be a city, and a city, which is not quite a town. Like the bastard love-child of Paris with a Flemish concubine, Brussels seems to have resigned itself to a notion of unrequited love.

This is a flavour, which you can almost hear on the cobblestoned streets and in the echoes of so many of Brel’s compositions.

However, in no way does this strange quality make our rejected Belgian metropolis a failure. On the contrary, Brussels is a beaten and kicked phoenix rising from its ashes, housing and nursing the surviving ruins of a continent torn apart by conflict, determined to build a sense of harmony among the nations. Just go to the Schuman roundabout, barely outside the inner city circle, and admire one sterile European Union institution after the next; around here you will much rather feel like you are in a dusty diplomatic dungeon like Washington DC than the bleeding heart of Europe. But this is the façade of the new Brussels – where sleepy yesterdays had to yield to contemporary considerations. It’s not Brel’s Brussels, serenaded subversively in song somewhere between pleasure and pain.

However, if you march through the majestic gates of the adjacent Parc Cinquantenaire, the neighbourhood of Etterbeek will

undeniably conjure up a nostalgic hint of those old-world coffeehouses and run-down gin joints, such as at the Jardin de Nicholas near the Montgomery roundabout. Odds are, Brel himself may have frequented these deliciously dilapidated locales on the a late night in search for the next bit of aching inspiration in the arms of a ‘salope‘. Only the watchful eyes of time itself may know.

What is known about Brel’s habits, however, is that his favourite pub in the city of Brussels was À la mort subite (“Here’s to a sudden death!”), right by the back entrance to the famous Galeries Royales SaintHubert, where you can procure original artisan chocolate and grimy antique books today. With a cornucopia of uniquely Belgian beers on the menu (including their

own brand) and a commemorative plaque in Brel’s honour at his favourite spot, this tavern caters for those who seek an authentic experience in Brussels, and long a connection with the master himself.

Though Brel has left us over 35 years ago, his erudite lyrics and lilting melodies continue to haunt Brussels to this day, as the busty tavern waitress herself will be happy to tell you. This is as close as you can get to Brel, bridging the gap between cultures and time for a moment over a pint of Belgian beer.

If you want to even get closer to Brel, you can practically walk in his steps at Editions Jacques Brel, the city’s own exhibition entitled J’aime Les Belges (I love the Belgians) dedicated to the king of chanson.

But this is a joyous journey you’ll have to experience for yourself.

Brel’s favourite pub, A la Mort Subite, where sudden death masks as beer

13

thesouthafrican.com | 1 - 8 July 2014 |

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Choosing an educational institution to obtain your Tier 4 (General) Student Visa

| According to the latest quarterly report of the UK Office for National Statistics, there were 219,053 student visas issued in the year ending March 2014

by JP breytenbach This is a rise of 6% for the year.

It is however almost a third lower, compared to the peak in the year ending June 2010, when 320,183 student visas were issued.

The good news is thus that although the UK government is trying to minimise immigration to the UK, it is still possible for non-EU citizens to access top UK educational institutions to further

their studies.

BIC deals with a large number of student visas, and have compiled a list of issues, that interested persons must take note of, in order to avoid pitfalls, and to clear some issues on the topic. This week we discuss the role of the educational institution in obtaining the student visa.

Choosing an educational institution Tier 4 puts the onus on the

Platinum workers return to work

| The Rand weakened against the Dollar last Thursday, closing at USDZAR10.63 (compared to Wednesday’s close of USDZAR10.59) by 1st contact The Rand was the worstperforming currency in the commodity currencies category and was the second-worstperforming EM currency (beating only the HUF).

In local labour news, Amplats, Implats and Lonmin reported an attendance of approximately 90% as workers returned to work, finally ending the strike action that hit the platinum sector on 23 January. Charmane Russell, spokesperson for the three platinum producers, indicated that Amplats had the highest attendance. Some workers have refused to return to work; this number is estimated at about 6% at each of the companies.

Meanwhile, Numsa’s deputy general secretary, Karl Cloete, stated yesterday that members of the union could down tools in a wildcat strike at state-power utility

Eskom if no resolution was found to the dispute over wages and other issues. Workers at Eskom are, by law, not allowed to strike as they are considered to provide “essential services”.

The downing of tools at Eskom will not be part of a wider strike in the metals and engineering industries sector, where Numsa members plan to embark on industrial action over wages from next Tuesday. In the metals and engineering industries sector, the union is demanding a 12% wage increase, a one-year agreement, and the scrapping of labour broking, among other things.

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educational institution to govern and manage their own students and to report any students who fail to reach certain bench-mark standards including class attendance. In order for a prospective student to be able to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa, the educational institute must be registered as a licensed sponsor with the UK Home Office.

Prospective students should be very careful to choose a reputable Tier 4 sponsor. The UK Home Office is cracking down on educational institutions that do not comply with their sponsorship requirements, and it is becoming a more frequent occurrence that educational institutions lose their sponsorship licences. The result is that students lose their course fees mid-course and then have to find a new sponsor and pay new course fees in order to obtain a student visa, which put many students in an almost impossible position.

It is also very important, especially for prospective students

overseas, to never pay over any monies to the educational institution unless they are 100% sure that the institution is legit and indeed a licenced Tier 4 sponsor.

Speak to your BIC consultant in this regard, to ensure that this is indeed the case.

When the prospective student enrols at the educational institution the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is provided.

This is a virtual document that contains a unique reference number, information about the course of study, as well as the student’s personal details, and will be needed in in order to apply for the Tier 4 Student visa. The CAS number is unique to the applicant and the educational institution.

If the CAS does not have this reference number, the institution is not registered with the UK Home Office as Tier 4 sponsor.

The CAS must be valid at the time of the application for the Tier 4 Student visa, and cannot be used more than once. The CAS will

expire if not used for a student visa application within six months of being issued. If unsure about the validity, it might be best to check with the educational institution. If a Tier 4 application is refused one would need to get another CAS from the educational institution.

If you are a prospective student, and would like to apply for your student visa, or unsure about the sponsorship status of the educational institution where you would like to enrol, please contact your BIC consultant. Rather safe, than sorry!

JP Breytenbach Director of BIC, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited. www.bic-immigration.com or info@ bic-immigration.com

SA a world top fraud destination | A global study places South Africa among the top countries, which are most susceptible to banking card fraud, as plastic is gradually becoming the preferred method of payment in the country By sertan sanderson A new study reveals that almost a third of all South Africans have been victim to credit or debit card fraud in the past five years, with 14 percent reporting multiple occurrences of unauthorised transactions during that period.

Three in ten consumers in South Africa were reported to have become subject to fraud on their banking cards, according to the study conducted by ACI Worldwide and Aite Group – a company, which specialises in processing financial transactions.

The survey, which was conducted in 20 countries, puts South Africa at a higher-than-average risk, with the mean risk across all the countries participating in the study being 25 percent, while SA is affected at a higher rate of 30 percent.

However, with South Africa coming in at seventh place, it is still more likely for a consumer to become subject to card fraud in the United States of America (with a risk factor of 41 percent) or the United Arab Emirates, which

topped the chart with a risk factor of 44 percent, making the odds close to one out of two people experiencing banking fraud within five years.

Even Australia performed slightly less favourably than South Africa in the study, taking up sixth position with a risk factor of 31 percent.

The study also revealed that one out of four consumers went on to change financial institutions on account of experiencing customer dissatisfaction in the aftermath of being victim to banking fraud .

Senior vice president of Payments Risk Management Solutions at ACI Worldwide and Aite Group, Mike Braatz, commented on the trend of lacking customer loyalty with banks following such instances of fraud: “Consumers are increasingly concerned about fraud, and are losing confidence on a variety of levels. They are unsure that their financial institutions can protect them against fraud; they use replacement cards less often due to a loss of confidence in the card or card issuer, after

experiencing fraud; and post-fraud, they often change providers or their cards go to back of wallet.

This has immediate and long-term implications on customer loyalty, revenue and fee income.”

One of the other key findings of study suggested that at least 22 percent of the participants always left their smartphones unlocked, giving potential fraudsters access personal data including One Time Pins (OTPs) and other such measures taken by banking institutions in a bid to curb fraud.

The sample size of the study conducted in SA was comprised of 314 individuals, with 6,100 participating in the study worldwide.

Despite the worrying findings of the study, there are also some hints at improvement with regard to card fraud; the SA Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) reported last year that debit card fraud had decreased by 42 percent in 2013 compared to number from 2012 due to better measures being taken by financial institutions to curb unauthorised activities.

14

Business: Classifieds SERVICES

| 1 - 8 July 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

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thesouthafrican.com | 1 - 8 July 2014 |

Sport

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SARU releases free Springbok smartphone app

| The free Springbok App is available for free on all Android and Apple smartphone as well as on various tablet devices. If you’re a hardcore

Springbok fan or a rugby trivia nut then this easy-to-navigate app is definitely for you By staff reporter The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has unveiled the official free Springbok smartphone app for Android and IOS. The simply-titled Springbok App is the first mobile product devoted solely to our rugby heroes, and is available for free on all smartphone and tablet devices immediately.

The application aims to put key information and entertaining content directly into the hands of supporters at the push of a button.

“The mobile phone landscape has changed significantly in the

past couple of years and we at SARU realise the importance of keeping up with technology,” said SARU CEO Jurie Roux.

“We already have a very wellestablished website, mobisite, Twitter, Facebook and other social media channels as well as a digital magazine, and the development of the smartphone app is the logical next step in putting our supporters in direct touch with the Springboks and South African rugby.

“Apart from regular features such as news, fixtures, results, logs and player profiles, the app

The visually striking, but easyto-navigate app allows users to instantly access all the latest match updates as well as navigate a timeline that provides every major event in every Springbok test dating all the way back to 1891.

will also have exclusive content generated from within the Bok camp and other national teams, with the aim of bringing the fan closer to the team.”

The app has been released to coincide with the start of the Castle Lager Incoming Series.

The App has been developed in partnership with SARU

by Durban-based technology company, immedia.

To download the app visit www. rugby • tennis • football • cricket • Commonwealth immedia.co.za/apps/springbok. html

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too strong for Nomads

rugby • tennis • football • cricket • Commonwealth games

| The Springbok Women’s XV on Saturday defended like demons and capitalised on a few vital point-scoring chances to power their way to a 20-5 victory against the Nomads at the Lensbury Club in Teddington By staff reporter The match marked the first of three games on their Rugby World Cup warm-up tour to London and France. The tour was made possible by a R2,3m grant by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

The Springbok Women started the match strongly with wing Phumeza Gadu gathering a kick by the Nomads and dancing her way through several defenders to score the first try four minutes into the match.

The Nomads, however, bounced back strongly soon after and used their big forwards to put together a series of pick-and-goes, which allowed them to camp in the visitors half for several minutes.

They supported this with a strong showing in the scrums, which proved to be one of their main strengths in the match.

However, the Springbok Women’s defence held and they denied the hosts from crossing the tryline. The South Africans managed to get back onto the front foot after retrieving possession and worked their way back into the Nomads’ half.

The pressure created an opportunity for scrumhalf Tayla Kinsey to slot over a penalty, which she capitalised on to increase their lead to 8-0.

Centre Lorinda Brown added her name to the point scorers list soon after as she gathered a fantastic pass from No 8 Shona-Leah Weston, who made a strong break up the midfield and sucked in the defenders to create space out wide.

With momentum on their side the South Africans created another tryscoring opportunity on the stroke

of half time, but the Nomads shut them out, forcing flyhalf Zenay Jordaan to kick a grubber, but without success.

The Nomads again applied pressure on the Springbok Women in the second half, but the visitors did well to contain them and managed to push them back into their own half.

Unlike the first half, in which the Nomads kicked the ball behind the Springbok Women, they opted for a more structured attacking game in the second half to prevent the visitors’ in-form backs from counter-attacking. After defending for a long stretch the South Africans finally forced their way back into the Nomads’ half and applied intense pressure on attack, which allowed fullback Cindy Cant to score the team’s third try minutes before the final whistle. She converted her own try to stretch the lead to 20-0.

The Nomads, however, managed to salvage some pride in the dying minutes with a consolation try by replacement hooker Elisha Dee following several phases on attack.

The Springbok Women will face the Nomads again on Tuesday at Wasps Football Club before travelling to France for a Test against the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup hosts in Marcoussis, outside Paris, on July 4.

While the victory will bolster their confidence for the remaining matches, the team will have to pay special attention to their scrums, in particular, before Tuesday’s clash after finding themselves under pressure in the set piece at times.

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Sport

1 - 8 JULY 2014

saru releases free springbok smartphone app p15

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Boks wallop Scots | While the Scots tried hard, they were hopelessly outmatched, and you have to wonder how a mismatch of these proportions is good for Scottish rugby, never mind whether it is good for the game as a whole?

By staff reporter Scotland the Brave turned to Scotland the Battered as the Springboks put on an eight try blitz to record a comprehensive 55-6 victory and end their Castle Lager Incoming Series in style at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

It may have been the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn – one of Scotland’s most famous victories over the English, but there was little bravery as the Springboks used their size, power and prowess to tick all the boxes they needed.

In the 1314 battle, the smaller Scottish army defeated a larger British contingent, earning them the tag of Scotland the Brave, but on a warm winter’s night in The Bay, the home side went out to prove once again that winning the collision battle is a prerequisite for success at this level.

While the Scots tried hard, they were hopelessly outmatched, and you have to wonder how a mismatch of these proportions is good for Scottish rugby, never mind whether it is good for the game as a whole?

For the Boks it served a purpose. With 25 players out of action through injury and a ruling that some players needed to return to their clubs, this was an opportunity to test the young reserves in the Green and Gold and take stock of the next tier of players.

And where there were opportunities to impress, a number of players certainly didn’t disappoint.

l South African flyhalf Handre Pollard evades a tackle during the International Rugby test match between South Africa and Scotland at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium on 28 June in Port Elizabeth.

Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images

Supremely talented IRB Junior Player of the year, Handre Pollard, certainly left his mark, attacking the line with his first touch of the ball and showing an array of skills that underline why he is so highly rated by the Bok coaching staff.

To think that Pollard showed more attacking flair in his first game than any flyhalf in the last six years, says a lot about how the kicking game has dominated the Boks’ play during that period.

For a player making his debut he looked confident, sharp and

dangerous, providing a perfect link between his backline and controlling play with relative ease.

Marcel Coetzee, Lood de Jager and Lwazi Mvovo all scored two tries each, but it was in the general play that they reminded

Meyer that they will certainly be looking for more game time in the future.

Few will forget De Jager’s loping 40 metre run for his first try, while Coetzee terrorised the Scottish attackers when they went to ground. Add to this memorable performances by JP Pietersen, Cornal Hendricks, Victor Matfield and Duane Vermeulen and it show just how happy a change room it is at the moment.

That said, the Bok coaching staff won’t be entirely happy with the team’s performance and the game also highlighted things to work on.

The Boks struggled in the scrums, were beaten at the breakdown at times and especially in the second quarter got too loose for their own liking and squandered attacking opportunities.

Against stronger teams this may become an issue, but with a scoreline like this the positives outweigh the negatives.

And while they will enjoy the moment, the Boks know their next assignment – the Castle Rugby Championship – will by far be more difficult and more intense.

But for the moment the health of Springbok rugby looks good.

SCORERS: South Africa – Tries: Marcell Coetzee (2), Wille le Roux, Lwazi Mvovo (2), JP Pietersen, Lood de Jager (2). Conversions: Handre Pollard (5), Marnitz Boshoff.

Penalty: Handre Pollard.

Scotland – Penalties: Duncan Weir (2).

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