The South African 30 September - 7 October 2014 by The South African

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30 September - 7 October 2014

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Can South Africa put gay Muslims on the map? |With the opening of the Open Mosque, Cape Town gets another addition to its long list of liberal establishments. The founder of the controversial community centre says that it’s here to stay. But facing stark adversity amidst a growing global following of radical Islamists, did he bite off more than he can chew in trying to redefine Islam? And is it Halaal? by Sertan Sanderson Cape Town is known for its fair share of eccentricity, but when a so-called Open Mosque opened its doors earlier in September in the suburb of Wynberg, some of the locals did not take too kindly to its focus on contemporary values pertaining to equality (in the Western understanding of the term). Numerous Cape Town Muslims took to the streets outside the mosque to protest its opening, saying that they don’t want women to worship alongside men, and that they particularly take offence in the Open Mosque’s integration of gays and lesbians. There were reports of access being barred by agitated locals on the first Friday (Islam’s holy day) since the opening of the place of worship, to prevent prospective worshippers and curious minds from entering. Reports of vandalism are also beginning to amass, while the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) of South Africa even went as far as telling Muslims to refrain from attending the new Open Mosque, effectively deeming it un-Islamic. But the founder the Open Mosque, Taj Hargey, says that his Open Mosque is here to stay.

|DRESSED IN HERITAGE: Guests in traditional Tsonga and Zulu attire at the Heritage Day celebrations at the South African High Commission in London. Photo by Ronel van Zyl

Despite facing personal threats himself, Hargey remains confident in the future of his organisation, while confirming that any kind of bullying and aggression will be deferred to the authorities. “We have asked police to investigate and if we do find them and are able to identify them then certainly we will pursue them

through the courts of law and expect that South African criminal justice to act against these people that commit illegal action and illegal threats.” Hargey distinguishes his centre from other mosques, saying that it is a community centre that is also a house of God. Hargey rejects notions of sectarianism

and welcomes Muslims and even non-Muslims from all walks of life at the Open Mosque, saying that it is a place where all people are treated equally. He emphasises that the Open Mosque focuses on the teachings on the Quran only, while rejecting all other theological principles in Islam, which do not stem from the Quran itself. The

integration of gays and the praying of men and women alongside each other seem to be the two chief issues that Hargey’s adversaries seem to take offence in, but the leader is .willing to put a fight. In his view, his mosque helps to promote Islam instead of damaging it. Hargey says that he wants to dispel “man-made lies”, with a firm emphasis on “man”, referring to the role of patriarchy in the world’s second largest religion. Hargey says that Islam has been hijacked by a “theological monopoly” that he likens to the mafia. But his adversaries believe that Islam should not be doctored with, resting reassured that it is practised as it is intended to be, proven not only by various theological verses coming from diverse sources but also by the devotion of millions of Muslims throughout the world to live and worship in the same fashion as they have for over a millennium. Taj Hargey is not the first Capetonian Muslim to address the dilemma of warring interpretations of Islam. There are many Muslims throughout the world today, who suffer disproportionately in a

Continued on page 3

| 30 September - 7 October 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Seen our new website? The South African features a brand-new design on its website THESOUTHAFRICAN.COM. Keeping up with the latest news from Mzansi is now even easier with this userfriendly and stylish design. Catch up with the latest sports news, read up on current events, find a recipe for dinner, learn about the latest events for the expat community and be in touch with your South African heritage more than ever before.

Tit for Tat visa rules imposed on British diplomats |In a move to lift restrictions on South Africans traveling to the UK, Home Affairs Minister Gigaba has implemented a new policy that requires British diplomats to obtain a visa when visiting South Africa by Deva Lee For the past four years, all South Africans have required a visa to enter Britain. In 2010, the British government announced that all South Africans, including diplomats, required visas for visits to Britain. British officials had claimed that South African passports were a security risk, saying that it was fairly easy to produce fraudulent passports. Britain saw the SA Department

of Home Affairs leaky passport issuing system as a major threat to security, particularly from “violent extremists”, reported SA military website, DefenceWeb. British security and intelligence officials had warned of an increasing risk from terrorists using South Africa as a transit point, and a place to plan attacks. While some have argued that SA passports have become more secure, there is no sign of these restrictions lifting.

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has now retaliated saying that the new requirements are a “reciprocal action”. After failing to persuade UK officials to allow diplomatic travel without a visa, Gigaba took action. “We therefore decided that we would reciprocate as is an international principle. We still have exempted the ordinary passport holders of Britain,” he said. Only diplomatic officials will

need visas; tourists will not be affected. The diplomats will need to present themselves in person, and will then be granted a free visa if appropriate. Gigaba says the policy will be reviewed if the restrictions on SA diplomats are lifted. “Visiting South Africa is not a foreigner’s right,” said Gigaba. It is “a privilege granted to a foreigner by the South African government” depending on the circumstances.

Professor Jonathan Jansen to receive British Academy prize |The British Academy is holding a free public lecture with Professor Jonathan Jansen — Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State. He will receive the 2014 British Academy’s Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Transcultural Understanding by staff reporter The British Academy will be hosting a talk entitled: “From Intimacy to Nearness: Creating Common Identity in Post Apartheid South Africa” 20 years on from the end of legal apartheid in South Africa, entrenched values have continued to influence the knowledge and identities acquired by subsequent generations. How have apartheid values managed to coexist with integration? What have been the consequences of this and how can we change these attitudes? Can these lessons and policies work outside of the South African context? Join Jonathan Jansen as he shares insights from both his academic research and personal

experiences of South Africa’s education system during and since apartheid. Professor Jansen will discuss how education policy can be used to ensure that the physical intimacy of desegregation translates into an emotional and intellectual nearness: the recognition of common identity in the ‘born free’ generation. Date: Wednesday 1 October 2014, 6-7.30pm Venue: The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH About the speaker: Jonathan Jansen is currently the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State in South Africa and

was the first black dean of education at the University of Pretoria. He is the winner of the 2014 British Academy’s Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for

Transcultural Understanding, worth £25,000, forKnowledge in the Blood: Confronting Race and the Apartheid Past (Stanford University Press, 2009).

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Is SA’s Open Mosque redefining Islam? Continued from page 1

SA and Russia sign controversial nuclear deal |As President Jacob Zuma and Russian President Vladimir Putin sign an unexpected nuclear energy deal that could see the addition of up to eight new nuclear power stations to South Africa’s energy landscape, critics are voicing concern that something murky might be going on beneath the surface By Sertan Sanderson South Africa and Russia have signed a controversial inntergovernmental agreement on “Strategic Partnership and Cooperation in Nuclear Energy and Industry”. The inter-governmental agreement is one of over 60 different energy related cooperation agreements signed by the Department of Energy on behalf of government, which all say they address different aspects of energy and the usage of different energy sources. “This agreement opens up the door for South Africa to access Russian technologies, funding, infrastructure, and provides a proper and solid platform for future extensive collaboration,” Minister of Energy Tina JoematPettersson said upon signing the agreement. With this cooperation established, SA is paving the way for more nuclear power plants to be built, using the latest and safest technology, while trends in other countries such as Germany are towards moving away from nuclear power. However, the ambitious project is intended to not only serve SA but to extend into providing energy to other African nations as well in a bid to solve Africa’s energy crisis. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy also said in a statement that SA’s Russian partners would also benefit from the agreement: “The Intergovernmental Agreement on Strategic Partnership in Nuclear Energy is focusing on Russian-technology multi-purpose nuclear research, assistance in the development

of South-African nuclear infrastructure, education of South African nuclear specialists in Russian universities and other areas.” The department added that it has noted the on-going public discourse around the agreement it signed on behalf of government with Russian state-owned company, ROSATOM, addressing worries that military technology might also benefit from the research behind the nuclear project. However, the Department did not comment any further on these suspicions other than saying that the nuclear deal was simply part of a greater government project to diversify South Africa’s energy supply. “We wish to state that this agreement is not the first of such agreements that our department has signed. The South African government, in its normal course of work, signs different agreements with governments or their state entities to enhance cooperation in different areas of mutual interest,” the department explained “It is within this context that our agreement with the Russian Federation on nuclear cooperation is based […]. This cooperation agreement and the others we have, and further intend to sign with other countries, is informed by our Cabinet approved Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2010, which emphasises an energy mix which comprises of coal, nuclear, renewable energy, gas, hydro and other energy sources. “The process of engaging with the thrust of the agreement with the Russian Federation as represented by ROSATOM, and the South African government as

represented by the Department of Energy, will be subjected to the normal process of internal government and legislative scrutiny, and obviously, the public, the media, civil society and political parties will have an opportunity, through such processes, to fully comprehend the full details of the agreement,” the department said. Opposition politicians meanwhile voiced their concern about the secrecy behind the project. DA opposition leader Helen Zille said that “alarm bells should be ringing”. “When the same contentious statement is issued verbatim and simultaneously by the Russian nuclear vendor in question [...], [w]hen a government department issues a bombshell press statement about a nuclear deal the size of the entire South African budget, and no one in the department except the Minister seems to know about it, alarm bells should be ringing. “There are many unanswered questions around this deal, but let’s start with the biggest one of all: How on earth does South Africa spend a trillion Rand without wrecking our economy and propelling millions of people further into poverty? [...] There is no way our economy could survive this.” But the Department of Energy refuted all allegations of “undue influence” by President Jacob Zuma towards concluding the agreement, describing them as baseless and “at worst ludicrous, and they are purely concocted in order to tarnish the image and integrity of the President and the government of South Africa”.

bid to reconcile their clashing identities – especially in the gay and lesbian community. Hargey’s Open Mosque is coincidentally located on the same street as another controversial community centre serving Cape Town’s marginalised Muslims; the Inner Circle is one of the world’s few Muslim organisations dedicated to purposely serve homosexual Muslims – “a global Muslim community free from discrimination based on religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.” A lengthy feature on the group’s leader, Imam Muhsin Hendricks, on TheSouthAfrican earlier this year attracted a fair share of attention internationally, with orthodox views once again clashing with more moderate commentators and hate speech filling up the website. Hendricks told TheSouthAfrican then: “I’ve been through such struggles trying to reconcile my

religion with my sexuality. I saw other people who didn’t have such tools to reconcile. So I wanted to provide others with tools to make sure that they don’t get into drugs or commit suicide or lose themselves in any other way.” Hendricks and Hargey keep good relations and have worked together in the past, but are not affiliated with each other’s causes directly. But for those who want to reconcile Islam with contemporary values and abandon longestablished gender roles prescribed to the majority of Muslims, either of their messages spread hope amid great opposition. In this endeavour, Hendricks and Hargey seem to share a similar vision, and while their causes may be related in spirit it is still a long way to go until minority Muslims, whose identities go beyond the gender-normative views of many practitioners of the religion, will be welcome amid the fold of Muslims.

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Top South African films at the London Film Festival |It’s that time of year when London is heaving with great films and red carpets are full of international celebrities. Lucky for us, there are some South Africa filmakers lighting up the screens at the 58th London Film Festival

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by Marianne Gray As in 2013, there are three South African feature films at the London Film Festival this year, plus three shorts. These will be premiering among 245 other films submitted from 70 countries. The three features are: I, Afrikaner, Hard To Get, and a multi-national Western titled The Salvation. In I, Afrikaner, director Annalet Steenkamp follows four generations of her Afrikaner family and their attempts to adapt to an ever-changing world. Filmed over ten years, it is an insightful and honest family portrait that addresses unfinished racial and rural conversations of their lives. Zee Ntuli’s Hard To Get is a kinetic action thriller set in downtown Johannesburg that draws us into the city’s nefarious criminal fraternity. Stars include Thishiwe Ziqubu and Pallance Dladla. The Salvation is a Western set on the pioneer trail in 1871 and director Kristian Lebring gives the muddy, bloody Old West a hyperreal makeover with a star cast that includes Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Eric Cantona and Jonathan Pryce. The are also three shorts on show. Brent Dawes’ animated film, Crush, tells the tale of an elephant that inadvertently treads on a daisy and is determined to make it right. The Asylum, directed by Saskia Vredeveld, is showing as part of a

collection of shorts called Life, But is it A Dream? One of six short films set in African cities, Vincent Moloi’s African Metropolis depicts the story of a Jewish pensioner living alone in a Johannesburg apartment. It seems South African films are shaping up nicely on the international market. As Keith Shiri, who selects the films from Africa for the festival, says: “For those who have been anticipating original and satisfying cinema from South Africa for a very long time, the wait seems to be over.” The London Film Festival runs from 8 — 19 October. Get the festival programme and tickets here. Screenings: *I, Afrikaner – Sun 12 at 21.00 at Ritzy and Tues 14 at 15.30 at NFT2 *Hard to Get – Wed 15 at 18.15 at NFT2 and Fri 17th at 18.30 at Ritzy *The Salvation – Tues 14 at 18.00 at OWE2, Wed 15 at 15.00 at OWE2 and Fri 17 at 18.30 at Islington *African Metropolis : Sat 18 at 13.00 at Rich Mix and Sun 19 at 18.15 at NFT2 *Crush : Sun 19 at 10.30 at NFT1 *The Asylum as part of Life, But is it A Dream? – Tues 14 at 18.15 at NFT2 and Thurs 16 at 20.45 at Ritzy

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Book review: Snapshots by Herbert Kretzmer Born in Kroonstad in 1925, Herbert Kretzmer came to London via Paris and New York and worked for many years as a critic and an interviewer on newspapers here. (Incidentally, he also wrote the English lyrics for Les Miserables, the world’s longest running musical.) Snapshots is a selection of his best interviews done with the famous, the admirable, the hateful, the glamorous, from Yul Brunner – The Bald Philosopher, to Cary Grant – Love and Marriage, and Leni Riefenstahl – In Hitler’s Shadow to Frank Sinatra – Ol’ Blue Eyes. They are all people who stood out in the crowd. This crowd was mainly during the Golden Age of Hollywood with a few on the side like boxer Cassius Clay, millionaire miser J. Paul Getty and guitar-plucker Tommy Steele. Kretzmer’s style is intimate and straightforward. You get the impression he somehow managed to create an equality between

himself and his quarry and there seems to be if not a chumminess, a frankness and honesty about these interviews. Example: Spike Milligan enters his Notting Hill office in a chunky green jersey and a foul temper. And: If Cliff Richard wants to do himself a favour he might resolve in future to open his mouth in public only to sing – and not, for Heaven’s sake, to talk. There are 90 encounters in all in the book and published alphabetically you can just dip in and out as you like. Some are longer like Marlene Dietrich (Flame in the Night) and Walt Disney, The Man Who Invented a Mouse and was afraid of mice. And some are shorter, brisker. Always a quick but telling glimpse into the life of somebody interesting, Kretzmer knows how to use words well and reading his is a real pleasure. SNAPSHOTS by HERBERT KRETZMER ISBN 978-1-84954-717-8 www.therobsonpress.com

SEPTEMBER SPECIALS

by marianne Gray

(From 1st till the 30th of September)

|There are so many showbiz interview books but, frankly, few can touch this gem of a collection of interviews by veteran journalist Herbert Kretzmer

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Heritage Day in Wimbledon Park |Saffas in London gathered on Saturday for a good old bring and braai in Wimbledon. Check out the gees!

|Photos by Francine Higham

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Global March for Elephants and Rhinos in London |On 4 October in 115 cities across the world will march to call for an end to the poaching crisis that is slaughtering elephants and rhinos in their thousands each year BY Denise Dresner Between 35,000 and 50,000 elephants are poached each year and around 3 rhinos a day. At the current rate of killing, these two majestic and iconic species face extinction within 10 years. We often hear people ask, “What good is marching? What will it achieve?” There are many reasons why we march, for the issues are complex, but the main motivation for us is rather simple: we march because these animals have no voice, and they need us like never before if they are to survive. We march so the world can know the reality of their lives as defenceless targets of a militarystyle onslaught, which we can see is fuelled by greed, corruption and ignorance. This is wiping them out with indiscriminate ferocity and brutality. Each death leaves a shattered social group, traumatised and grieving family members, and in many instances an orphaned baby who, even if rescued, is likely to die from shock and grief. The tusks and horns are hacked off, often while the animal is still alive. These are then smuggled out of Africa by criminal networks. This happens mainly through the

international shipping system, but also by air – in fact, Johannesburg is one of the top three airports in the supply chain. Then they arrive in China, Vietnam, Thailand and other destination countries to feed the soaring demand for ivory trinkets and rhino horn (mistakenly believed to have some curative properties – however, it has been established that it has none). In China alone, dozens of ivory-carving factories enjoy a flourishing trade in massproducing objects from elephant tusks for the affluent middle class – while the true cost is paid back in Africa, where poached carcasses litter the land, surviving elephants grieve for their dead, and both rhino and elephant orphans refuse to leave their mothers’ disfigured corpses. We say that such atrocities simply must stop. Furthermore, ivory and rhino horn smuggling also pose security threats to many countries, as these body parts form part of a $20 billion annual trade in illegal wildlife, involving transnational criminal gangs and heavily armed militias as well as providing funding for terrorist groups. Insecurity, fear, coercion, and shattered communities are part

of the often-unseen human side of this tragedy. The march in London is shaping up to be a momentous and well-attended event, but just as important are the dozens of smaller marches elsewhere, organised by dedicated animal advocates determined their cities will be an integrated part of the protests. Maria Mossman, co-organiser of the London march with Denise Dresner, said: “The scale and ferocity of this poaching crisis has never been seen before, and elephants and rhinos are being killed faster than they can reproduce; if this continues, it can end only one way. That’s why this march is so important – it’s literally about saving these two species from extinction.” Participants in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos (GMFER) will also deliver Memoranda of Demand to the countries involved in the ivory and rhino horn trade, calling for concrete measures to tackle the crisis. In South Africa, where 14 cities will be marching, “the memorandum will be delivered to the president and key government departments, with stringent demands for urgent changes to

the country’s legislation to allow for stiffer penalties for poachers and tougher laws surrounding the illegal wildlife trade,” said conservation educator Dex Kotze, South Africa’s main GMFER organizer. Urgent changes are needed in South Africa, where rhino poaching has risen sharply, killing a record 1,004 rhinos for their horns in 2013, in contrast to 13 poached in all of 2007. South Africa is home to 83percent of Africa’s rhinos and is a key country for rhino conservation efforts. But the surge in rhino poaching has reached a catastrophic level, with the possibility of rhino deaths overtaking births in 2016 - 2018 – meaning extinction for rhinos

could be just around the corner. On 4 October 2014 we will march because we must. For if we can’t fight to protect and save our fellow species on this earth, it’s not our love of animals we must question – it’s our humanity. If we turn away and let this catastrophe run its course, we’ll be left with an impoverished earth devoid of some of its most majestic, intelligent, sentient and magnificent creatures. People all over the world will march on 4 October to save them – to call for an end to the ivory trade, for China to close its ivory factories and market, for stronger anti-poaching laws and penalties. Please join us on 4 October – the elephants and rhinos need you. For more information see the site and the London event page.

When the South African in-laws come to visit |Papers strewn everywhere. Crumbs too. Dishes with left-over food bits inhabit the dining room table, spilt milk in an untouched patch on the counter, coffee dribbles from yesterday dried down the side of the kitchen cupboards under the kettle. Kids? Nope. Just the in-laws visiting from Jo’burg BY a us expact “$39 for a tin of tomatoes!” My mother-in-law will screams hysterically at the can, shaking her head in complete disbelief that one could consider paying R500 (because they will always round up even if you give them a calculator to carry in their way too bulky ‘travel’ bag) for a can of tomatoes that costs R14 at home. R14! And even when you explain that a) we are in Costco b) the large can of tomatoes is over 270oz c) the tin in Pick ‘n Pay or Checkers is about 400 grams and d) that 270oz is over 7.5kg, she is still bobbing her head and moving to the next victim of price comparison, swearing that is the reason they could never move to America because “it’s just unaffordable, jislaaik”. Let me say this, right up front. My in-laws are all the right things. They love our kids, they are wonderful, generous and kindhearted human beings. We love them dearly, and they would be there for us if trouble struck, for

sure. They buy out Woolies kids sale racks when they come to visit us and pack their suitcases with the right Kit Kats (I’m sorry, but the little red-wrapped imitations in America are simply inedible?) and Marmite and that special baby bum cream you can only get from that special chemist in Gallo Manor. So, its not that we don’t love and look forward to having them visit – its more about what happens when they do. I am reminded of how long I have been living away from home, and what that has done to my understanding of taking care of myself and my family. So, if your in-laws, like mine and many other South African families, have always employed live-in help, this is what you may expect on a family visit: — Nothing gets put back. No, once it is removed from a cupboard, it stays there until ‘someone else’ packs it back again. I was counting the number of times a day that I returned the box of tea and bag of sugar to the tea

and sugar cupboard, until I stopped counting and simple laid out a cloth on the counter for them to temporarily live on. — Garbage (rubbish) will continue to be placed in the overflowing trashcan (bin) in the kitchen, because ‘someone else’ will take it out. — Meals are finished, and then plates are left for ‘someone else’. — Your fridge will fill up. With the most unusual things, i.e. anything that they see in a store that looks like “something we don’t get in South Africa”, and hence must be tasted. — Unfortunately, many things will not taste the “same as home” and will therefore remain in your fridge until it develops fluffy green mold and must be thrown out (by ‘someone else’ in the trash compound developing in your kitchen). — Other basic household tasks are assumed to be done by ‘someone else’. I placed bathroom and toilet cleaner in strategic spots

next to the bath and toilet with a lovely little ‘lappie’, but alas no cleaning ever took place. Don’t get me started on the toothpaste in the basin. — Your laundry will look like it has been overtaken by some kind of retail clothing chain on sale. Never having used a washing machine or dryer before, ‘someone else’ is required to process the mound of sensitive, dry clean only, NOT crease-resistant, NOT wrinkle-free, iron always clothes (i.e. all clothes that one doesn’t buy when you live as an expat) that are invading every basket and washbin you own. If that ‘someone else’ above is you, like it is me, and you have no help except for a well-meaning husband who classifies re-packing your already stacked dishwasher as his contribution to the housework, things can get pretty tiring quite rapidly (read: you do consider suggesting they take an earlier flight home, but would never admit to it because “it’s so

lovely to have family around”). The truth is, I get extra shirts that can’t go in the dryer, extra chores , extra food bills – and no doubt a few extra ‘deep-breath-and-countto-ten’ moments. But my kids get extra hugs and extra kisses and showers of unconditional attention. They get everything mum and dad don’t offer – fart cushions and Barbie dolls with inappropriately sexy clothing, too many Smarties, and seemingly unlimited iPad time with Granny. And even though we have to teach them that every suitcase doesn’t necessarily contain a gift (or many) for them, with each visit, they learn more about the love of grandparents. South African grandparents, with their unique way of grandparenting, are burdened by long-haul flights and Skype for birthday calls, but because of this are more special and dedicated than ever. So, I guess I’ll take the laundry for the love. Just please don’t ask me to iron your undies.

Arts & Entertainment

Top-selling |Multi award-winning South by staff reporter Born in Phumlani village, near East London in the Ea

London exhi | The LSE is hosting a public exh

by Liz Frost Paul Weinberg has witnessed one of the most famous

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|Left to Right: Mike Pearce (guitar), Simon Buckett(bass guitar), Wes Niemandt(drums), Ryan Niemandt (Guitar and vocals)

Hard rock, Chimurenga and a dash of Zimbabwean politics: in touch with the Kamikaze Test Pilots |Meet the Kamikaze Test Pilots, a Zimbabwean band in the UK. “On the one side we do hard rock,” they explain “and on the other side we sing in Shona” by David Wilkins The Kamikaze Test Pilots, based in Reading, are a four man affair: Ryan Niemandt on guitar and vocals, brother Wes on drums, Mike Pearce on guitar and Simon Buckett on base. “We’re a melting pot of all styles,” Ryan says proudly. “We’re predominately hard rock, and we do it pretty well, in what you could call ‘the toilet circuit’. But what we also do, is play Afro beat styles.” Indeed the fact that they are Zimbabwean means that it effects a lot of their music. “We do afro-beat music as a side project, but it’s proving to be quite popular at the moment,” they explained. “And we keep getting requested to play that, which is fun. “We keep having people come up to us at the end, and saying that our music reminded them of back home. So on the one side we do hard rock, and on the other side we sing in Shona, and we sing folk songs.”

The band is working to combine hard rock and afro-beat, but so far they admit that little has changed. “We’re beginning to get mixed audiences,” Ryan explains. “But so far the audiences tend to be rather segregated.” Why is this? Well it’s a cultural thing,” say Ryan and Wes. “In Zimbabwe there’s a different idea of what hard rock is; it’s still seen as being linked to burning bibles and Satanism. But on the other hand, there’s the idea that it’s just hardedged. But in one or two tracks, we have got it right, and people have said as much.” Indeed, this month Kamikaze Test Pilots have released video of their new track, “Chikken”. “It’s a reflective song,” says Ryan. “When my first moved over here, one of our friends got a into a bit of trouble with the wrong half, and it’s asking him: Don’t you know that’s bad for you and what are you doing?” But in true African style, the song is linked to the fable of Chicken Lickin, who

thought the sky was falling down. “It’s the story of someone who’s very innocent to what’s happening around him, and at the same time he’s leading all of his equally naive friends down to the fox’s hole.” I asked if this had a bearing on Zimbabwean politics, and the band’s answer was: “yes and no”. “[Zimbabwe’s politics are] part of who we are, as Zimbabwe’s had its fair share of turmoil,” Ryan and Wes explain. “But we try hard not to take sides, because that’s not what we’re about.” Despite these protestations, however, like most Zimbabwean expats they had a lot to say on the situation back home. “What we are about is a better life,” they explain. “When people get into power, they tend to abuse it and stick their hands in the till. But that’s not just in Zimbabwe; it’s prevalent everywhere, even in the UK. Just in Africa, it tends to be a bit more blatant.” So are they about justice, after all? “It’s put fire in our bellies,” Ryan

admits. “Because nobody likes to see that happen on this scale, to any group of people.” At the time of the interview, the Kamikaze Test Pilots had suffered a setback, as they were unable to take part in a UK tour. But even with this tour “in the can,” they were still excited by the African EP they had been working on. “It’s three tracks of chimurenga music,” they explain excitedly. “There are two of our own songs, and a very popular Zimbabwean song, called “Pidigori”, by the Zimbabwean artist Thomas Mapfumo.” “We blended a few tracks in our last album, so it’s not a huge leap forward for us,” Ryan says. “But it’s not what our usual audience may have heard, so it might be a bit of a surprise for them. We’ve done these tracks a lot over the last two years, and we’ve slowly introduced them into gigs. Sometimes you get a good response, sometimes you don’t –it really depends on the crowds.” After their next gig, the band are looking forward to a return to

Zimbabwe. “We’ve some musician friends there,” Ryan says. “And it’ll be nice to see what the music situation is down there.” But do the Zimbabwean Government worry them? “We’ll mostly we get ignored,” Ryan and Wes explain. “Two of your our YouTube videos ruffled a few feathers over here, but we’re not that political, so I didn’t think we’d ever be targeted by anybody.” And what would they like the audience to take away from their gigs? “Just appreciate our music and have a good time,” Ryan says, to round it off. “We might want to mix a couple of serious messages into our tracks, but at the end of the day, we’re all about music, and music is about having a good time.” The band’s next few gigs are lined up for the Global Cafe in Reading, and the Hobbit in Southampton on the 23rd and 24th of October.

‘note from the Braai Master‘

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Braai Master UK: a braai, some Saffas, and great times |For those that know me, you know how much I miss home, and as the saving continues for Braai365 South Africa, I like to make sure I feel like I’m home. What better way than to have 200 Saffas in a beer garden and having a braai? by MAT HARTLEY As the sun peaked through the clouds on Saturday, I was imagining the excitement the teams had, Braai Master UK had finally arrived. By 10 o’clock the teams came in, and Petrus Madutlela arrived like a hero, meat in hand all sponsored by Rare Butchers. I had invited Petrus to judge with me, as he was the ultimate braai master judge for the series in South Africa, and also head chef at Hengist who sponsored a fantastic meal in the restaurant. Geoff Johnson was also down for the day, Geoff is a proud South

African who is the founder of the Nedbank charity day and sponsored a four ball in the event next year which made the competition a bit fiercer. We then gathered and the teams were briefed on what they had to do. Four meats on the braai: chicken, rib eye, ribs and lamb. For the ingredients the teams were given £20, and had to race to the local store and stay in budget. The only stipulation was that they needed to make lemon and herb and peri peri chicken; the rest was up to them. In total they were given two and a half hours and, even though that sounds

like a lot of time, it goes by pretty quickly. In the end, the teams got their food in just in time. I was a bit jealous to not be wielding the tongs though, as the flames roared, and GJ’s helped us to keep a few beers flowing. The food judging was pretty tough but in the end ‘Steak hom stukkend’ took it from ‘Obhejane’ and team ‘Springbok Geezers’. It’s pretty amazing how the braai has evolved over the years, but by doing something like this it really brings it back to basics. Thousands are spent every year on braai’s but sometimes a few bricks, wood and a grid can

|Photos by Ronel van Zyl

See more of Matt’s articles on TheSouthAfrican.com

produce some awesome results which was shown on Saturday. Time moved pretty quickly, and as the braai masters fires simmered out, the smell of the spit and boerie filled the air. There was a great air of nervous excitement waiting for the boks to take on the Aussies and I was hoping the guys would help us keep the good times rolling. The boks held pretty firm, with a few sketchy moments in the first 70, but the final 10 minutes were possibly the best I’ve seen in quite a while. I just hope we can play a full 80 minutes like that on the highveld for the Kiwi game. There’s nothing

quite like sport to bring us all together, and after talking to a lot of people that were down at GJ’s they all had a great day. So I write this on Sunday night, disappointed another weekend has passed, but grateful I spent it around fellow South Africans enjoying one of our favourite past times. I just want to say a massive thanks to those that bought tickets, the teams for competing, the judges for judging, the sponsors for sponsoring and GJ’s for hosting. We raised some vital funds for our beautiful grey unicorn whilst having a lot of fun!

thesouthafrican.com | 30 September – 7 October 2014 |

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Recipe: Vetkoek and Curried Mince |As we are celebrating South African Heritage Day this week, I thought I’d give you a recipe for a little taste of home… what is better than Vetkoek and Curried Mince? by Petrus Madutlela As we celebrate South African Heritage Day this week, I thought I’d give you a recipe for a little taste of home. Maybe vetkoek oozing with curried mince is not the healthiest of meals, but when you start tucking into these delicious dough balls, you can’t help wanting more. Vetkoek was a real treat for me as a kid, a comforting reminder of happy times at home. They are not difficult to make, so go on, have a go! Ingredients Vetkoek 400g plain white flour 230 ml luke warm water 1 tsp salt 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast Vegetable oil for frying Curried Mince 2 tbps olive oil 500g lean beef mince 1 tsp ginger powder 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tbsp curry powder 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 stick cinnamon 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 medium carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 cup beef stock 2 tsp corn flour (optional) A handful chopped coriander Salt and pepper, to taste Method Vetkoek Add the flour, salt and yeast into a large bowl, mix well then pour in the water. Use your hands to combine the ingredients into a sticky dough. Flour your work surface generously, then turn out the dough and knead lightly. Knead in some of the flour from the work surface, and add a little more if the dough is sticky. Keep kneading until it no longer sticks to the board. Put the dough into a floured bowl and set aside, covered with oiled cling film, for about an hour until it has risen to double its size. (An ideal time to prepare your curried mince). Knock back the dough by kneading for a couple more minutes, then divide it into golf ball size round pieces. Heat 4 cm deep of oil in a sauce pan, to about 200° Fry the balls of dough five at

a time until golden brown, and remove with a slotted spoon Curried Mince In a large pot, add the oil and fry the mince in batches until browned. Drain off the fat and set aside. In the same pot, add a little more oil and the powdered spices, heat gently for a couple of minutes. Add in the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and fry until the onions are translucent. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the mince back to the pot and stir to combine the ingredients. Pour in the beef stock and add the cinnamon stick. Add seasoning. Simmer for 30 minutes, covered, then 15 mins with the lid off. If the sauce seems a little too thin, allow to bubble for a few minutes longer with the lid off until it’s reduced, or mix 2 tsp cornflour with some cold water and add that to the sauce to thicken. Just before serving, stir through the chopped coriander. Check the seasoning and add a little more if required. Cut the vetkoeks in half and serve filled with the curried mince.

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| 30 September - 7 October 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

USD-ZAR spikes to 11.2250 Marriages and civil partnerships in the UK | Changes to the Immigration Act came into effect in July 2014 that affects marriages and civil partnerships by JP breytenbach The standard notice period for marriages and civil partnership in the UK has been increased from 15 to 28 days, and applies to everyone, irrespective of nationality. Where one of the parties to the marriage or civil partnership is a non-EEA national who is not exempt from immigration control, the matter will be automatically referred by the registrar to the UK Home Office, should the marriage/civil partnership lead to an immigration advantage for the non-EEA national. Persons who are exempted from the referral to the UK Home Office are: British citizens, EEA nationals, foreign nationals not subject to immigration control, persons with settled status or permanent residence and persons with entry clearance to the UK as a fiancé or proposed civil partner. The Secretary of State (UK Home Office) must then decide whether to investigate the proposed marriage/civil partnership, and this decision must be taken within the 28 day notice

period. If the decision is taken to investigate, the notice period will be extended to 70 days, during which time the Secretary of State will investigate the proposed civil partnership/marriage. If the Secretary of State decides during the 70 days that the parties to the proposed marriage/civil partnership have complied with the investigation, the couple can marry irrespective of the outcome of the investigation. If the couple however do comply but are deemed to be entering into a ‘sham’ marriage or civil partnership, they will not be able to derive an immigration advantage from the relationship, and where appropriate the parties may be prosecuted. For more information in your unique circumstances, please contact Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd. JP Breytenbach Director of BIC, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited. www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com

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|The Rand depreciated against the US Dollar, closing at USD-ZAR 11.21, compared with Wednesday’s close of USD-ZAR 11.13 by 1st Contact the exchange rate broke through the USD-ZAR 11.18 resistance level, spiking to 11.2250, a level last seen at the beginning of February 2014. The Rand’s depreciation against the greenback occurred into a mixed performance from the Dollar against the major crosses, and into weakness across all of the commodity and EM currencies we monitor. The Dollar strengthened against the Euro and the Pound, while weakening against the Yen. The Rand depreciated against all of the major crosses, with the

biggest move seen against the Yen (-0.9 percent). As mentioned before, all of the commodity and EM currencies we monitor for the purposes of this report depreciated. The Rand has taken up the middle position in the commodity currencies category and is occupying the fourth-best position in the EM currencies category (beaten only by the INR, IDR and THB — all of which depreciated against the Dollar by a lesser amount than the Rand). With regard to commodity prices, gold and Brent rose by 0.4 percent and 0.1 percent

respectively. Copper and platinum fell by 0.7 percent and 0.4 percent respectively. Non-residents were significant net sellers of local equities (-ZAR 708 million) and were moderate net sellers of local bonds (-ZAR 407 million).

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Ask the experts – expecting a baby from my British boyfriend | Your questions on immigration, answered by Breytenbachs by JP breytenbach I am a South African on a Tier 4 Student visa. I am six months pregnant. The father is my ex-boyfriend who is a British citizen. We have no intention of continuing the relationship. Will I be able to have the baby in the UK? Will the baby get a British passport, based on the fact that the father is British or do we have to be married? A person holding a Tier 4

Student visa will be able to have the baby in the UK. If the father of the baby is a British citizen the baby would be eligible for British citizenship. You may be able to apply for a right of residency under European Law and citing the case of Zambrano, as the primary carer for your child. This will allow you to remain in the UK and live and work for the duration of the permit, usually

5 years. Thereafter, you may be able to apply for an extension. www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com

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KALAHARI MOON The Southern African Shop in Bristol. Wide range of stock including excellent boerewors and biltong. Centrally situated, friendly service. Connecting South Africans. Tel: 0117 929 9879 Address: 88 - 91 The Covered Market. st Nicholas Market, Corn Street, Bristol, BS1 1JQ Email: Info@kalaharimoon.co.uk Website: www.kalaharimoon.co.uk

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The Springbok Café The Springbok Café offers traditional South African food, wine and beers served with a smile in a friendly atmosphere. All this plus the option to grab your favourite S.A. groceries before you leave after relaxing and kuierring with us for a while. The Springbok Café` Ltd, 1 East Reach, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3EN, 01823 254966,thespringbokcafe.co.uk

NO1 South African Shop Lots of lekker stuff for a taste of home. Including fantastic biltong, droewors and boerewors. 5 Marlow Drive, St Catherines Hill, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 2RR. The shop is about 2 miles north-west of Christchurch town centre and 6 miles north-east of Bournemouth town centre. There’s loads of free parking and the shop is easy to get to from the A338. Tel: 01202 496041 10’ish to 6pm 7 days a week. www.no1southafricanshop.co.uk

St Marcus One of the most amazing emporia the capital offers to the carnivorous gourmet. People have been flocking to St. Marcus for their amazing range of Biltong and Boerewors Visit us at: 1-3 Rockingham Close, Priory Lane, off Upper Richmond Road West, Roehampton, London SW15 5RW Call us at: 0208 878 1898 Online: www.biltongstmarcus.co.uk sales@biltongstmarcus.co.uk

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Zimba |Craig Wylie, Zim

By Gordon Glyn-Jones What is the most difficult part of being a working artist? For me, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keeping things simple. With the weig

|Craig Wylieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s KB(blue barrel) 2013-2014

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Sport

Clapham Common September Shootout Leagues keep things hot |As the days get shorter and the cool weather kicks in for winter we managed to get some glorious sunny weather for our September Shootout Leagues at Clapham Common. These were a four week league where teams played 2 x 20 minute games against different opponents and in the final week the teams get to play a drop off format where they play lots of mini drop offs in the 20 minute final By in2touch The Tuesday Shootout teams were very eager to get straight into playing after the Summer Seasons ended, and loved the social aspect of the Shootout format. There were plenty of ups and downs, as well as lots of fantastic touchdowns scored to get teams into the finals. In the end, the Division 1 Final was played between CSSC Ewoks and The Stones, which was a very exciting close final. With one touchdown more CSSC Ewoks went on to win 5 – 4. In Division 2 Exiles took on The Renegades in another close encounter with both teams playing with three players in this drop off for most of the game. The Exiles pushed through the lack of subs to take the edge on The Renegades winning 2 – 1. The Wednesday Shootout teams were also keen to get some more touch in before the winter months began. The teams in the Wednesday league brought some fierce touch skills to game with perfect finesse and team spirit, which made for a super fun competition. The finals evening ended on a high, with exciting games and some unexpected score lines Razzle Dazzle had a great

night, but Hot Custard (one of the favourites for top place) failed to make the final, but did make their mark on the Individuals with a decent 7 – 1 beating. Baa Baas and The Invisible Man & Mythical Moose’s both got good wins and walked away with medals, both coming runners up to the unstoppable Afghanistan National Team. People say two trophies is just greedy, but what do they know? The September Shootout was a fantastic short 4 week season and we hope all the teams enjoyed themselves and the league. There is the Autumn Sunday League that still has place for individuals to sign up and there are also the upcoming Active Touch indoor Leagues starting in November, as well as another Clapham Common Sunday league to keep you touchies involved until the end of the year. So if you are interested in joining any of these leagues, then please do send an email to tracy@ in2touch.com or you can have a look on our website for more information, www.in2touch.com/uk

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Clapham Common September Shootout Leagues Keep things HOT p15

NEWS FOR GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICANS

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Ten minutes of glory for the Boks win at Newlands |It’s been eight years since I last watched rugby at Newlands and it was fantastic — not just to be back, but to witness the Springbok win of a lifetime by Jeremy Bortz Having studied and then lived in Cape Town for a number of years, Newlands is very likely my second-most visited rugby ground (after the now derelict Boet Erasmus in Port Elizabeth). Outside of the numerous provincial and Super rugby games we watched over the years, I went every year to watch Newlands’s annual Test. That Test alternated between being a then Tri-Nations match against Australia or New Zealand and the June international against one of England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland. Back at university, all we could afford were the R80 (£4) standing tickets behind the poles and one only hoped there was some action at your end! There is a very rich history to the stadium given how old it is while the crowded nature of the stands being right on the touchlines creates an incredible atmosphere when at capacity of 48,000. We began our day with a delicious breakfast at the Waterfront before visiting the fairly new Springbok Experience Museum, which is also situated at the Waterfront (look out for the rugby posts if you’re unsure where to find it). The Museum is interactive, highly informative and generally extremely well done. It describes how rugby first started in the country and then takes you through some 100+ years of Springbok history. The information is conveyed through

|THREE TRIES IN TEN MINUTES: Jean de Villiers hoists the trophy with the team after The Rugby Championship match between South Africa and Australia at Newlands on September 27. Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images

a mix of information boards, TV screens with match footage and player interviews and also interactive displays while naturally there is a huge amount of fantastic memorabilia on display. It’s a must-visit if you’re a fan! After a traditional pre-match pint at Forrester’s Arms, or Forries as it’s affectionately known as, we headed to Newlands and the walk having last watched a game here some eight years ago. The sky was

clear, the sun was out and there was a fantastic buzz around the stadium as we made our way in. The Wallabies last won at Newlands way back in 1992 when they beat the Springboks 26 – 3 in only their second international appearance after years of isolation. Over the past 22 years they’ve lost six consecutive games but for large parts of Saturday’s game it looked like they would break that drought. The Boks were on the front foot

for the first 20 minutes, though, and they took a deserved lead in the 13th minute courtesy of flanker Marcell Coetzee’s try from a rolling maul. The Wallabies came back strongly in the second quarter and a penalty and then a try just before half-time ensure they had all the momentum going into the tunnel (unusually in fact the Wallabies actually stayed on the field for their half-time talk). The Boks continues to play

poorly in the second half and made far too many unforced errors while the Wallabies also looked dangerous with ball in hand. Replacement fly half Pat Lambie missed a sitter of a penalty mid-way through the second half and with 10 minutes left to play, Australia were ahead 10 – 8. Lambie made amends soon after, however, slotting a drop-goal after a sustained passage of Springbok pressure to give the Boks the lead as Newlands let out a collective sigh of relief. No-one could have predicted how things would unfold from there and in a whirl-wind final 10 minutes, the Boks went over for three tries to not only secure the win but also the bonus point. An initially relieved Newlands became louder and louder as each try was scored and when local boy and captain Jean de Villiers went over for his second try of the match in the last movement of the game, Newlands erupted. The Boks will be extremely pleased with their overall effort and it was refreshing to see them play for the full 80 minutes. While next week’s match against the All Blacks at Ellis Park is technically a dead-rubber (the All Blacks retained the Rugby Championship trophy after securing a bonus-point win away in Argentina) there is no bigger rivalry in rugby than a Springbok – All Black Test and the Boks will want to build on this weekend’s momentum and end the tournament on a high.

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