The South African 12 – 19 August 2014

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12 - 19 August 2014

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Gaza crisis bolsters SA extremist support

| Tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets of Cape Town and other South African cities over the weekend to protest against the ongoing clashes in the Middle East, but with local vigilante groups getting involved in the divisive issue, the conflict may be too close to home for many that are uninvolved by sertan sanderson Global protests addressing the ongoing military operation in Gaza have reached South Africa over the weekend, where one of the biggest rallies since the ending of apartheid took place in Cape Town on Saturday, with up to 50,000 participants estimated to have taken part in the event.

Across the nation, it is supposed that up to 200,000 people may have participated in coordinated protests in various cities, which pro-Palestinian groups have dubbed to be the largest protest in SA history.

The Saturday protest finished peacefully after hours of speeches held by anti-apartheid activists and other headliners on the Grand Parade, but splinter groups continued rallying on Sunday illegally, taking to the predominantly Jewish neighbourhood of Sea Point, where several hundred demonstrators where seen convening outside the public Sea Point Swimming Pool.

Fractions of the local vigilante group PAGAD, which has proven to have ties to extremist Muslim organisations, were also seen at the improvised rally, prompting a strong riot police presence on the scene.

PAGAD’s resurgence seems to have raised the stakes in South Africa’s ongoing dialogue

| GUITAR WIZARD: South African fingerstyle guitar master Guy Buttery returns to perform two gigs London this week.

He will be on stage at Half Moon Putney on Tuesday 19 August and the Green Note in Camden on Wednesday 20 August 2014. ​Read more on page 6 and watch our website for an interview with Guy.

regarding the Gaza siege. The vigilante collective became known for setting houses of suspected gang-leaders and drug-dealers in the Cape Flats on fire during the late 1990s,

leading to several deaths – including the brutal 1996 murder of Rashaad Staggie, the leader of the infamous “Hard Livings” gang. PAGAD’s involvement in the Middle East crisis is

likely an unwelcome addition for many Capetonians, as it confirms a revival of the militant organisation, which many have come to fear as much as the gangs themselves.

But Kwara Kekana, co-director of the Cape Town protests, said that the protest was not intended to polarise communities, but rather geared towards expressing anger at Israel’s military actions and more: “It was more than anger at Israeli injustice. It was a celebration of human solidarity by a focused, determined and justice-loving people.”

Pro-Israeli groups in the meantime held their own rally on Sunday at the Jewish Museum on Hatfield Street just outside the Central Business District in Cape Town. Police were forced to cordon off the street outside the museum, making several arrests citing conspiracy to commit a crime as their charges, as the proPalestinian protest from Sea Point made its way into town.

Cape Town, which has both rich Muslim and Jewish communities, has time and again proven to be South Africa’s protest hub at times of political upheaval. But as absolute attendance numbers from the various rallies across the world are proving difficult to obtain it remains unclear whether the protest in Cape Town may or may not have eclipsed the one held in London over the weekend in comparison. Estimates state that between 20,000 and 100,000 activists had taken to the streets

Continued on page 3

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| 12 - 19 August 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Cape Town among friendliest, Joburg rudest of world cities in global report | South Africa is indeed a colourful country of contrasts, but who knew that readers of international travel magazine “Condé Nast Traveler” would place both the friendliest and unfriendliest cities of the world in Mzansi?

By sertan sanderson It’s an age-old clash of attitudes: Johannesburg versus Cape Town.

Once you’ve made your allegiance with either one of the two cities (be it for reasons pertaining to lifestyle, rugby teams, or family ties) you’re typically stuck with your choice for the rest of your life.

Many factors tend to typically inform this important choice in the life of any South African, including considerations such as traffic, nature and people living in the respective cities.

Some claim that Capetonians are cliquey, others say that Joburgers work too hard, but overall, this “rite of passage” tends to rest on whimsical decisions rather than rational choices.

But the latest battlefield in this confrontation seems to come from visitors to South Africa, who have voted Cape Town to be the fifth friendliest city on earth while Jozi takes the final spot on their list, according to the esteemed travel publication “Condé Nast Traveler” (CN Traveler).

It may be understandable that Cape Town managed to accrue yet further accolades after being widely marketed as one of the most desirable places to travel to in the world this year. But is Johannesburg really the pits, as the magazine would have us believe?

“CN Traveler” first spoke of Cape Town in highly encouraging terms: “Cape Town is ‘the most amazing place on earth,’ according to one of our readers. It’s ‘an ideal mix of nature, coast, mountains, and beaches,’ and is ‘safe for walking around alone, even as a single woman.’ Don’t be afraid to wander beyond the city center, either,” raves the publication about Cape Town.

But with most murders in South Africa actually happening in Cape Town (and not exclusively in notorious Johannesburg), the advice to go exploring alone might be beyond ill-informed. The fact remains that criminal minds do not distinguish between tourists and locals, and often target those, who might be weak – such as a visitor lost in the Bo Kaap – most readily.

When looking more closely at the parameters used to determine the world’s unfriendliest cities by “Condé Nast Traveler”, the publication reports that everything from location to political perception can play a part in informing the views of travellers.

Even “size and basic language barriers can make a destination unattractive to tourists and be a factor in their evaluation of a place’s ‘friendliness’,” says “CN Traveler”.

Granted, the metropolitan area that stretches from East Rand to West Rand and from Vereeniging to Pretoria could swallow up the combined land mass of several smaller countries, and isn’t exactly known for outstanding quality in service and performance in the hospitality sector, but would you rate it as the world’s rudest place?

Beyond London? Beyond Paris?

“CN Traveler” says that safety still remains the most serious concern in all travellers, which goes to justify the bulk of the rating mechanics behind the low score given to Joburg.

“Condé Nast Traveler” says: “‘It is not safe to travel in Johannesburg independently,’ one reader warned, while others called it ‘dangerous’ and ‘a city of crime and contrasts.”

Johannesburg doesn’t seem to have brushed of any of its negative reputation consisting of traumatic hijackings and brutal murders, as crime continues to set the agenda.

However, “CN Traveler” fails to

mention that most crime victims in South Africa come from an economically disadvantaged background, that safety measures from hiring private security firms to building electrified fences around estates deter the bulk of the potential for crime in many cases, and that common sense goes a long, long way to ensure the safety of locals and visitors alike.

In an attempt to redeem a shred of dignity for Joburg, “CN Traveler” writes that despite its “iffy reputation” Johannesburg

does have a few perks.

“South Africa’s largest city remains a burgeoning cultural capital with a stunning urban landscape, excellent breweries, and great shopping.”

Thanks, Condé Nast Travel.

We’ll go shopping for some of that signature rudeness at Sandton City then and go on to enjoy a lovely brew of typical unfriendliness in Maponeng afterwards while our Capetonian counterparts can keep getting tourism fatigue from all angles.

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Gaza protests Pretoria students raise blackface debate hit Cape Town | Leon Schuster might soon be out of career options if all of South Africa were to follow the example of the University of Pretoria, where two students may face suspension after dressing up as maids

by sertan sanderson The University of Pretoria (UP) has announced a clamp-down on any behaviour that is perceived to be racist following a picture of two UP students emerged dressed up as domestic workers with their faces covered in dark paint. The unfortunate case of masquerade is understood to have been intended for a private birthday party.

Meanwhile, the university also said that disciplinary measures were to be taken directly against the two female students in the photograph, and added that they had tarnished the name of the institution with their actions. The first step taken by the university after the incidence was to expel the two students from their residences, while they remain enrolled as UP students.

This isn’t the first time that the University of Pretoria has been accused of having racist elements in an educational institution. Two years ago, another varsity student at UP had caused a stir after publishing an advert for a cleaner

to work in one of the university’s residences, saying that applicants would have to be black.

The latest events continue to cast a long shadow over the university’s conservative heritage.

“We launched an investigation yesterday morning, when we became aware of the photographs,” UP representative Nicolize Mulder declared after news of the controversial image had started spreading.

The issue had quickly trended on various social media platforms under the handle #blackface, prompting calls for a public reaction by the University of Pretoria. The SA Human Rights Commission followed suit and launched its own official investigation into the matter.

The issue, though highly contentious, did not affect all social media users equally, with many voices publicly criticising the inherent infringement on selfexpression contained within UP’s decision to take these disciplinary steps.

A poll conducted by City Press says that 33 percent of those asked in the survey found the students’ actions offensive and that they should punishable while almost the same ratio of respondents (31 percent) thought it was merely in poor taste.

Meanwhile, many took to Twitter to make light of the allegations and add some comic relief to the situation: “You really think a racist will dress up as someone he/she hates, even my black boss find it funny.”

- @bruwer “Nothing confirms that #blackface is racist quiet like Steve Hofmeyr insisting it isn’t.”

- @Fizicss “This #blackface thing…

Michael Jackson portrayed the same thing for his entire life but was never convicted!”

- @KingGuyu “But there’s no uproar when Xhosa people try to look white.”

- @AbortedNews

“Most wanted” British criminal hunted down in South Africa

Continued from page 1 of London as part of a proPalestinian protest organised by the “Stop The War” Coalition.

Despite allowing various platforms for protest South Africa appears to have an uneasy relationship with the the Middle East peace process. Reproached for allegedly having secretive nuclear deals with Israel during the Cold War under the National Party minority government, the ruling ANC’s current support of the Palestinian liberation movement nevertheless seems to fall on the deaf ears of scores of protesters, who are calling for a severing of trade relations between the two countries as part of their boycott actions. At the same time, allegations of Israeli apartheid hit a particularly sore nerve across all factions of the SA population, whether these can be regarded as truthful or dismissed as exaggerations.

South Africa’s sizable Jewish population, meanwhile, fears antiSemitic attacks to follow as part of the ongoing rhetoric against Israel, which have been observed in other parts of the world recently. A week earlier, a man had been arrested for the possession of firearms and knives at a 10,000-strong pro-

Israeli gathering organised by the South African Zionist Federation in Johannesburg.

Chief Rabbi of South Africa Warren Goldstein said during the rally: “Hamas militants in Palestine are ideological allies of other groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al Shabaab in Syria.”

But not all Jewish members of society seem to agree with that view. A generational gap seems to run through the Jewish community, with younger generations appearing more open toward a dialogue between opposing views.

Further controversy arose over the weekend after a signature campaign had made rounds on social media, highlighting a drive to remove the head boy at a local school in Johannesburg from his leadership role following comments he had made about the Middle East conflict.

Joshua Broomberg, the head boy at the King David Victory Park school, had publicly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, quickly attracting criticism from over 1,500 signatories wishing to remove him from his position as head boy at the school in response. The school, however, decided not to be bullied into submission by the campaign.

WE WILL TAKE YOU HOME/ONS DOEN DIE GROOT TREK HUIS TOE...

| One of Britain’s most notorious fugitives is arrested in Gauteng during a shared effort between various law enforcement agencies

by sertan sanderson A British criminal, who spent three years running from the law, has been arrested in South Africa.

52-year-old Martin Evans, originally from Swansea in Wales, was taken into custody in Johannesburg over the weekend after spending several years on the run as one of the UK’s most wanted fugitives from justice.

Evans had been convicted to 21 years in prison in 2006 for various crimes he had committed, which included charges of conspiracy to supply cocaine and fraudulent trading – a verdict given to money launderers and con-men. After serving five years of his sentence, Evans reportedly disappeared during a weekend prison release.

The police commented that he had widely been assumed to be hiding from justice in Cyprus, where various criminals have

found temporary refuge in the past.

Among his greatest scams, Evans had managed to rob 115 investors out of nearly GBP 1 million when an ostrich farm had failed to make a profit.

However, the police were not too surprised to find him in South Africa. A spokesman for the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said that Evans’ rearrest was part of a greater operation under the codename “Zygos”, targeting individuals on Britain’s most wanted list. “We knew he had moved to South Africa. We were tracking him down.”

The arrest was coordinated between various international law enforcement teams in minute detail. Evans was caught during an operation involving Interpol, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the NCA on Saturday.

Police officials surrounded the runaway criminal in his car at his Midrand residence outside Johannesburg.

The NCA’s head of international operations, Hank Cole, commented on the effort to capture Evans: “The exceptional level of collaboration and intelligencesharing with the South African Police Service led to the capture of Evans. This arrest shows the NCA and its partners will pursue fugitives wherever they are in the world.”

General Riah Phiyega of the South Africa National Police Commissioner said: “Both the Crime Intelligence and Interpol teams worked tirelessly to honour the request of our British counterparts and we applaud them.”

Evans is in custody and will appear in court in Pretoria for his extradition hearing next week.

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What compels letting go and starting again? | Poor souls, you will get bashed on the subway, boob swiped on the bus, have people spit on your neck, share sweat at the end of the day and make friends with the foxes who prefer nappies to food. Come to Momma to learn

The Optimist Karen de Villiers

I am waiting for dear friends to visit tomorrow. They have been in England for one very important and life changing month and are coming to London to attend some interviews. Looking for jobs.

Like me, these are not young, adventurous adults wanting to spend a year or two milking the pound, hitting Ibiza or skiing in

Turkey. These are people who should be retiring; not quite holed up in what my friend calls her ‘death nest’ (love that term) but easing up on a life worked, children raised and mortgages paid – instead they are going for job interviews in England. They have come to live here instead.

I have not asked the reasons for their decision. Over the years I hear so many different stories about why people in the ‘almost super adult’ years, up and leave.

Sometimes I get frustrated at the convictions of others, who have all the answers about living here and living there. They have a lot to learn. I have a lot to learn, which makes it all the more fascinating that people in

their fifties upward, embark on such a challenging course to become rootless, sell most of their possessions accumulated over the many years and leave their homeland? What compels this letting go?

Do they have any idea what awaits them? Of course not!

Who has any idea that going to the loo means everyone in the same block of flats knows exactly what you are doing? Who has any idea that dragging groceries up flights of stairs is the new best form of exercise? That you are never going to understand the chavs loitering around the Seven Eleven, and you will be shitting yourself in case a brain dead sixteen-year-old catches your eye.

That putting air in your own tyres is awful, that some of the people in Asda come straight from those ‘Mad Max’ movies and the last time you will wear sling backs and a little black dress, was the last time. Doing public transport and doing lunch are two entirely different things. Of course they have no idea that Dettol Kitchen wipes are your new best friend and most likely the last time you will be down on your knees (too tired honey).

Poor souls, you are going to get bashed on the subway, boob swiped on the bus, have people spit on your neck, share sweat at the end of the day and make friends with the foxes who prefer nappies to food. And that

is just the good stuff. The mall car guards, bag packers and household staff become little ol’ you. You are the help. Goodbye gorgeous bathroom, kitchen, veranda and hello bathroom/ kitchen/veranda made for ants (thanks Zoolander). There is a chapter on ironing.

Poor souls, I cried for five years.

I am still fighting off the trackie/ hoodie virus – still resisting the dog races and a pint at the pub fix, but I have adapted. Sometimes I still shrill when I think of my privileged life back then, but I am turned.

None of us knew how it would be, but all of us knew why we did it.

Poor little new ones, come to Momma to learn…

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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Belting out the Blues: Capetonian Sannie Fox comes to London

| Capetonian musician Sannie Fox, described as”belting out the blues like she was born in a Louisiana swamp”, brings her unique sound to London during the month of August Fre

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Sannie Fox, a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist based in Cape Town, has embarked on her first international sonic adventure in England.

After playing the Cape Town World Music Festival with Vieux Farka Toure and Thandiswa Mazwai in July she kicked off her UK tour in Wiltshire last week with further shows in London ahead.

Sannie Fox, described as ‘belting out the blues like she was born in a Louisiana swamp’, has recorded as well as performed and collaborated with a number of talented local artists from a young age such as Tim Parr (African Dope), Theo Crous (Springbok Nude Girls), The Brother Moves On, Albert Frost and many more.

She describes her influences as an eclectic mix of artists and genres ranging from Screaming Jay Hawkins to Led Zeppelin, Ella Fitzgerald, Patti Smith, John Lee Hooker, ‘60s rock, gospel and Malian blues.

Sannie’s previous project “machineri” described as having a ‘lyrical and primal sound’ (One Small Seed) was a successful psychedelic and Celtic-rock trio formed in 2010. machineri went on to headline most South African

festivals (Rocking the Daisies, Up The Creek, Big Blues Festival, Kleinmond Blues Festival, White Mountain Folk Festival [KZN], Table Mountain Blues Summit, Brickfields Festival [JHB]) and released their self-titled debut album through her record label Just Music (Locknville, Goodluck).

Following her UK tour, Sannie Fox plans to return to South Africa to release her debut solo album through Just Music with singles “Freedom” and “Hang High”.

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Guitar master Guy Buttery returns to London

Ifa Lethu Foundation of South Africa presents its UK Invest in South Africa dinner

with

Hugh Masekela and Larry Willis

| South African fingerstyle guitar giant Guy Buttery returns to perform two gigs London this August

Exclusive Private Performance Gala Dinner Charity Auction

By staff reporter

Join key investment stakeholders from the UK and South Africa Location:

The Lord Mayor’s Residence, Mansion House, London

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Lord Robin Renwick, Baroness Lynda Chalker, Baroness Patricia Scotland, The Honorable Fiona Woolf, Alderman Sir Michael Bear, Dame Nicola Brewer and Lord Anthony St John

With sell-out performances in the US, UK, Australia, France, Italy and all over Southern Africa, Guy Buttery is one of Africa’s biggest acoustic music exports.

His debut album in 2002, When I Grow Up… was nominated for Best Instrumental Album of the Year and Best Newcomer at the South African Music Awards.

This also made him the youngest nominee in the history of the event.

He went onto to win a South African Music Award (SAMA) in 2010 in the Best Instrumental category as well as winning two other major national awards that year including the Standard Bank Golden Ovation Award chosen out of over 4600 performers at the National Arts Festival (the world’s second biggest arts festival after Edinburgh) and again in 2012 for

his performances with long-time collaborator Nibs van der Spuy.

This accolade led to sold-out shows at numerous festivals and concert halls in South Africa and Europe receiving rave reviews for both the live show and their debut album.

Guy’s worldwide recognition rose exponentially following the release of his award winning album Fox Hill Lane with invitations to perform all over the globe.

Apart from the obvious accolades surrounding winning awards, Guy was met with nothing but glowing reports from the international press. The most noticeable of these being a three-page spread in the prestigious Guitar Player Magazine alongside Steve Morse (Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs) and Brian May (Queen).

In 2013 Guy decided to make

a live album. Recorded over two nights at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the album showcases Guy Buttery’s further explorations in instrumentation and innovative soundscapes.

He also performed two shows in London to support the launch of the album in August last year.

He will be back to perform at The Half Moon Putney on Tuesday 19 August and the Green Note in Camden on Wednesday 20 August.

Gig details: Half Moon Putney 19th August 2014 8pm £10adv/ £12 door 18+ after 7pm Book on halfmoon.co.uk Green Note Camden 20th August 2014, DOORS OPEN: 7pm, MUSIC STARTS AT 8.30pm. £10.00 Book on www.greennote.co.uk

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Multi-award-winning Marikana documentary screens on Al Jazeera

| A powerful and disturbing documentary, beautifully shot, sensitively told and featuring a haunting soundtrack, Miners Shot Down paints a disturbing picture of the mechanisms of power in South Africa, where corporations are portrayed to make profits by exploiting the poorest By staff reporter Miners Shot Down premieres on Wednesday, 13th August 2014 at 8pm GMT on Witness, Al Jazeera’s flagship documentary strand.

The multi-award-winning documentary will screen daily until 16th August 2014, the twoyear anniversary of the Marikana massacre it investigates.

In August 2012, mineworkers at Lonmin, one of South Africa’s biggest platinum mines, began a wildcat strike for better wages.

Six days into the strike, the police used live ammunition to brutally suppress the strike, killing 34 and injuring many more. The police insisted that they shot in selfdefence, but Miners Shot Down tells a different story.

The documentary tells a different story that unfolds over seven days, like a ticking time bomb. Through testimonies and previously unseen police, security and TV footage, director Rehad Desai reconstructs what happened in Marikana and the aftermath.

The film weaves together

the central point of view of three strike leaders, Mambush, Tholakele and Mzoxolo, with compelling video footage, TV archive material and interviews with lawyers representing the miners in the ensuing commission of inquiry into the massacre.

Miners Shot Down follows the strike from day one, showing the courageous but isolated fight waged by a group of low-paid workers against the combined forces of the mining company, the ANC government and their allies in the National Union of Mineworkers. What emerges is collusion at the top, spiralling violence and the country’s first post-apartheid massacre.

What emerges is a tragedy that arises out of the deep fault lines in South Africa’s nascent democracy, of enduring poverty and a 20-yearold, unfulfilled promise of a better life for all.

Miners Shot Down points to how far the African National Congress has strayed from its progressive liberationist roots and leaves audiences with an uncomfortable

view of those that profit from minerals in the global South.

A powerful and disturbing film, beautifully shot, sensitively told and featuring a haunting soundtrack, Miners Shot Down paints a disturbing picture of the mechanisms of power in South Africa, where corporations are portrayed to make profits by exploiting the poorest.

The documentary has been a festival favourite, opening leading international documentary festivals like One World and Sheffield, and winning Best Film at One World in Prague; Movies That Matter in The Hague; and The Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival in Myanmar.

In South Africa, it’s won awards from the two leading festivals for documentaries, scooping the Special Choice Award at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival in June and both the Best South African Documentary and Amnesty International Human Rights Awards

at Durban International Film Festival in July 2014.

The Durban jury said, “Miners Shot Down emerged as the overall winner of the award for its profoundly moving portrayal of the Marikana miners’ massacre.

The human rights abuses so vividly portrayed include the right to life, the right to justice, the right to protection by the police, the right to know, the right to peaceful protest and the right to human dignity. This film is particularly important in South Africa at the present time, given the Farlam Judicial Commission currently investigating the tragedy.”

The ongoing Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the massacre began in October 2012 and recently had its deadline extended again until 30th September 2014.

What people are saying: “Rehad Desai’s beautifully filmed and uncompromising documentary, Miners Shot Down, is about so much more than the massacre by police of 34 striking

workers at the Lonmin platinum mine at Marikana in August 2012. The film offers a unique prism through which to view contemporary power relations in ‘democratic’ South Africa (and perhaps globally), where the unholy trinity of capital, politics and security were (and are) pitted against labour…” Marianne Thamm, Daily Maverick “Literally left me speechless…

The world looked different when I emerged from the cinema. It doesn’t often happen to me.”

Charl Blignaut, CityPress “Important, comprehensive and damning… Essential viewing.”

Encounters South African Documentary Festival UK screening times: 13th Aug 20.00 GMT | 14th Aug 12.00 GMT | 15th Aug 01.00 GMT | 16th Aug 06.00 GMT For more information, visit http:// www.aljazeera.com/programmes/ witness Watch the trailer on UhuruProductions JHB’s YouTube channel

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Your Voice, even when you’re out

| It’s ‘out-of-office’ season across much of the northern hemisphere.

But what does your auto responder say about you?

By jen smit Ah, the Great British Summer.

That blessed time of year when London commuters are able to traverse the capital without a sweaty armpit for a hat. When merry bands of campers perform the rain dance that is the pitching of tents, when low-cost airlines test low-fuse tempers, and when office workers smugly turn on their out-of-office messages.

I am treating my summer holiday a bit like a pick and mix and have been peppering my time with an assortment of long weekend getaways. This has given me the great nerdilicious joy of being able to compose multiple email out-ofoffice messages.

While I never leave out key information – like alternative contacts and details of when I will be back online – it is important to me that each composition reflects a bit of who I am. And guess what, people love it! Seriously, now when I come back from each trip I have emails waiting for me that aren’t just about stuff I need to catch up on, but about how my OOO (terrible acronym) made such-and-such smile, and how so-and-so looks forward to my holidays just to see what I’ll write

in my OOO. Is it any wonder I now aim to elicit wild applause with every outing?

You may not be as blatant in your desire to stand out as I am, but this game does prove something: people really do respond to a bit of personality. It’s fun, it’s unexpected and it makes a nice change from corporate beige.

Most importantly, in a competitive market it’s the smallest things can elevate you above the crowd.

Remember that quite often, especially in a professional context, the first time a person comes into contact with you is via email. The wording of your email address, your email footer, the way you manage the in- and out-flow of messages; these all work together with the actual content of what you write to help recipients form a picture of who you are. The OOO is just one more e-advert.

Do you remember the chap who said he’s going going to be away from his desk from X date to Y date or the guy who says he’s gone to Greece to study the varying shades of British Sunburn Pink? Obviously you need to be ensure that your personal tone does not completely clash with the corporate brand you may be representing, and there is

a fine line between amusing and annoying, but people, I work in the HQ of a major bank; if I can inject a bit of chutzpah into my OOO, so can you.

Don’t just stop there either, you still have a voicemail greeting to record. It still baffles me when people don’t have a personally recorded greeting on their phones.

It needn’t be long – in fact please don’t waffle on – but at least give me the confidence that I have in fact called the right number and will be leaving a message for the right person.

There are plenty of articles out there offering guidance on how to construct and record the perfect voicemail greeting – some even written by me – but really, the key trick is to smile. Actually physically make the corners of your mouth go up. Why? Because believe it or not, smiles are audible. Smile, speak slowly and clearly, be sure to include the basics like your name and – if relevant – the name of the company you are representing, and as my dad would say “Bob’s your carbuncle”, you’re done.

Now then, who wants to email me? I’m off to France soon and you know I’m scripting already!

Book review: Battle on the Lomba 1987

| Battle on the Lomba is the tale of a largely unknown Cold War battle deep in Angola in 1987. The book poignantly reflects the bravery of the young men of Charlie Squadron who were just doing their bit for their country By robyn hastie Growing up in South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s many of my male friends were conscripted for two years’ National Service but the only stories I ever got to hear were things like soldiers going AWOL or pranks they played on each other. There was certainly never any mention of real fighting in a war.

David’s account touches on some very humorous experiences during training including a marriage proposal from a tribal matriarch on behalf of her 15-year-old daughter but the crux of the story centres on three harrowing months spent deep in Angola, living on the frontline and participating in some of the fiercest tank battles in Africa since WW2.

From a historical perspective this story shines light on a largely unknown Cold War battle which took place on 3rd October 1987 when David and his fellow conscripts faced down a significantly larger enemy force and, while his squadron suffered some awful injuries, his unit eventually managed to overpower a full battalion of over 2000 men including squadrons of Russian tanks, armoured vehicles and high tech weaponry and in so doing changed the course of a two

decade long communist-backed conflict.

Battle on the Lomba 1987 made me laugh and cry in equal measure. It’s beautifully written and poignantly reflects the bravery of the young men of Charlie Squadron that were doing their bit for their country.

There’s no doubt this book will appeal to military enthusiasts, but this is not just an army story, it’s a captivating and emotive read that had me (normally a fan of romantic novels) gripped to the very last page.

For more information or to order the book, go to davidmannall.com

Stand a chance to win 20 eBooks!

NB Publishers is the largest general publisher in the South African book market, and the leader in adult fiction, nonfiction and youth fiction.

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thesouthafrican.com | 12 - 19 August 2014 |

9

Community

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| Claire Johnston on stage at London Goes SA

| Theuns Jordaan

| Juanita Du Plessis

London Goes SA gets South Africans sokkie dancing in the aisles | Some of the biggest names in South African music entertained London over two nights at Hammersmith Apollo – and even had fans sokkie dancing in the aisles

by staff reporter London Goes SA, the biggest South African show to ever hit the London stage was a lekker jol at Hammersmith Apollo on the weekend.

Bok van Blerk, Theuns Jordaan, Juanita Du Plessis, Riana Nel and Mango Groove’s Claire Johnston were joined on stage by guest artists Peter Mitchell and PJ Cruz and a world class backing band for the three-hour spectacular.

The artists entertained the crowd over two nights with some of their biggest hits – and even had people doing spontaneous sokkie dancing in the aisles.

Some of the comments afterwards: ‘London goes SA was awesome!

Baie dankie aan Juanita, Riana, Bok en Theuns vir ‘n stunning show en ook dat julle die moeite gedoen het om vir ons hier in Engeland te kom bederf het met julle great songs! Hoop julle is volgende jaar terug! Jy het nog nie geleef as jy nog nie hierdie show gesien het nie’ – Riaan Niemandt ‘Are we doing a Same Time – Same Place – Same Artists (Juanita is ‘n MOET!) – Thing next year?’

- Marli Schlechter ‘Thank you so much for an amazing show last night! We had so much fun! Everything was spot on! Sound, lightning, band, crowd

and most importantly the singers’ – Liesl Hewitt Das Neves ‘Excellent show on Saturday night, skoon hoendervleis! Amper n traan geknip!’ – Ian Teall ‘Thanks for the awesome shows guys! Please come again next year!’ – Jessica Joubert ‘Almal was fantasties maar Bok bly my hart se punt. Ons het ‘n Engelsman saamgesleep wat CDs gekoop het en nou oorgehaal is om die taal te leer na dit’ – Megan Holmes Du Plessis ‘Was great om die groot name in Afrikaanse musiek in London te hoor. Atmosfeer was ongelooflik!’

– Nadia Slabbert Morley ‘Uit die boonste rakke! Het elke kunstenaar geniet. Riana was puik’ – Marie Du Toit ‘Dit was ‘n FEES gewees. Almal was fantasties. Heerlik om van die ou treffers te hoor. Ek bly op hoogte met die nuwe goeters ook deur familie wat CDs stuur so ek het heerlik saam gesig met almal.

Ek hoop julle kom volgende jaar weer’. – Michelle Van Eeden ‘Die sterre was almal uit die boonste rakke, te moeilik om te kies, maar die atmosfeer in die skare was beslis ook ‘n hoogtepunt. Ons het ons gate uit geniet!’ – Marlene Pretorius ‘Om Afrikaans te hoor was so lekker. En die spontane langarm sokkie ook. Dankie Riana vir die foto. Al wat gekort het was pap en boerewors!’ – Cathrine Richardson

| Riana Nel on stage. All photos by Ronel van Zyl

10

Travel

| 12 - 19 August 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

A hungry week in | Dominique Valente’s fantasy for a Peter Mayle inspired edible Shangri-La turns into a comedy of errors that begins, rather ominously, without lunch

Simiane-La-Rotonde

By Dominique Valente The week did not begin with lunch. In fact, the week began quite absent of lunch altogether. It began, with a pilgrimage inspired by travel writer Peter Mayle, whose memoir A Year in Provençe had been my much-thumbed fantasy for a sunny, blue-shuttered, edible Shangri-La, since I was 15.

Unlike other teenagers who dreamt of becoming lawyers, or bakers, or candlestick makers. I dreamt of retirement. Of stocking up my cellar and finding that perfect hammock in the sun. And goose liver pate. And sticking it to ‘The Man’ … whoever that was.

This probably explains some things.

Like why, after my first full-time day’s work some nine years ago I came home shell-shocked and asked “What idiot signed us all up for this? And why did we all agree?” But I digress.

We arrived in Provençe at the wrong train station, to discover that our rental car was some 15 minutes away at the other TGV station. The helpful staff at Avis were horrified, and couldn’t stop apologising.

This was surprising.

Where was the famous French grouchiness we’d heard so

much about? These people were downright delightful.

We’d spent the week before in Paris – as one does, when one escapes turning 30 by fleeing to another country. Nothing stops the look of pity at your great new age when people hear you’re in Paris – (just FYI, use it, don’t use it) and we hadn’t found the grouches there either.

No really. Paris had been pretty much a grouch-free-zone. We did, however, encounter our first grouch shortly after we arrived in Provençe, when we were advised to take a quick bus ride to the correct station that housed our rental car.

We got on the bus. And the bus driver got off. She was a woman in her early 50s, nattily dressed mais bien sûr (but of course), who before her exit, suggested we follow suit. When we didn’t, she picked up her bag, shrugged at us, and left. Only to stand nearby and make a phone call on her cell phone and pace up and down speaking in rapid fire French for the next 45 minutes. We followed, puzzled – had we taken the wrong bus?

Nope it was the right one that the Avis lady had helpfully supplied, we’d written down the number. The other passengers were equally confused. In broken

French and English we asked what was happening. We daren’t ask the driver, who anytime she was approached by one of the other passengers, dashed across the street and back again.

Much speculation ensued.

“Lovers tiff?” said I. “Drugs?” asked an American man at the back.

“Petrol shortage?” enquired a practical teen, removing one iPod cable from behind his ears.

“Shift change,” supplied the lone British guy, authoritatively, to our right. He’d been in France for three weeks he told us. Obviously, now the expert. He alone didn’t raise an eyebrow when after 45 minutes the driver nonchalantly got back on the bus, opened its doors, and impatiently beckoned for us to get back on board.

I made the mistake of getting my bag caught on the door, and she rolled her eyes above her bescarfed neck, gesturing with one hand to hurry while she tried to steer with the other. She had places to be .

After we fetched our car, and made our way (on the wrong side of the road) amidst my screaming (picture Chapman’s Peak, now narrow the road to the size of a black ribbon, now imagine that it is, not in fact a one way), and my husband’s moaning that he was

Saint Luc’s church in Ménerbes

11

thesouthafrican.com | 12 - 19 August 2014 |

Travel

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Provençe hungry (a lack of lunch is far more terrifying for him) to the converted barn/farmhouse set in the midst of a lavender field in Simianela-Rotonde, the gorgeous hilltop village high in the Alpes-de-HauteProvençe - a very remote part of the country.

We had weighed up going to Menerbes, where Mayle had called home with its beautiful vineyards and picture postcard farmhouses.

Or Gordes, the really famous hilltop village of Provençe. But the description of a 14th century converted barn called Les Granges de Saint-Pierre ‘set amidst the old lavender route’ had led me astray.

Our proprietor, was a short bubbly French woman named Josiane, who showed us around our double-story farmhouse, that looked like something that belonged in House Beautiful magazine. It was enormous, and tasteful, and so very French. The husband and I looked at each other in unmasked delight, how had we gotten this right?

It was her casual comment, as she made to leave that should have let us know, that all was not well in Denmark. Or the village of Simiane, either for that matter.

At least not for the week of our arrival.

“The baker is unfortunately, on holiday from tomorrow.” She delivered these lines ominously, and departed. We shrugged, we were evolved, we were South African for goodness sake, that’s street cred in every language… we could survive without bread.

We laughed, we actually laughed … But see, we didn’t know then, what we do now.

Such fools, such young fools.

The baker in a small village, rules. And if she decides now is a good time to go on holiday.

Everyone pretty much decides to follow suit. Which is precisely what happened.

It began with the Lavender itself.

Due to start blooming the week of our arrival, it promptly changed its mind, shrugged it’s not yet purple shoulders, and hunkered down, not to be heard from again until the baker arrived back from holiday in Corsica the following Saturday.

“So strange,” said the Epicerie – the grocer, the only grocer … as he hung up the sign outside his little shop, ‘Fermé’. Closed.

“Weird,” agreed the owner of the only restaurant in town, before she too shut the door.

“Will you be closing too?” we asked in dismay, fearful of ever getting something to eat.

We were pretty far away from anything, and hadn’t stopped at the ginormous Walmart type effort we’d seen outside the train station in Avignon, well … because I’d

wanted the authentic ‘Provençal’ experience, really. I’d assured the husband that we’d be lying on hammocks, eating till we popped, shopping at the local markets … it would be bliss.

“Non, non, non, certainly not,” she assured us waving her hands, as if to say perish the thought … we sighed in relief.

And she kept her word. They were open. Just not whenever we happened by for something to eat.

Which was anytime that week from 8 in the morning to 10 at night. Yet they were open.

Sometimes at night, while we lay in bed, we could hear voices carrying through in the wind.

We’d hear the clink of glasses and laughter. Or smell something delicious and tempting.

We’d rush by at all hours trying to catch them out. I even went so far as to stand on my tip toes and peer through the windows, but there was nobody there. It was all so very mysterious. Perhaps, it was an enchanted restaurant, only opening at some magical hour, like when the clock chimed 13?

The husband was not convinced.

We complained to Josiane, who we telephoned for advice, who I believe imparted wise words that my rusty high school French didn’t quite grasp, something along the

lines of “… dans les yeux”… I’d nodded, and put the phone down, “something about between the eyes …” I explained to the husband, who was in a perpetual state of hunger, and was not in the mood for platitudes.

I knew this because, he said, “I am not in the mood for platitudes.”

We braved Banon, the closest town, all smiles as we sat down at a restaurant, only to be told by the waiter that regretfully the kitchen was fermé. On a cloud of my husband’s steam we flowed off to Banon’s own epicerie, mercifully open. He had mounds of cheese, ice-cream, Jaffa Cakes (seriously, the bliss), and an onion. We bought it all.

It was only later in the week, after much hammock lounging, book reading, Menerbes visiting and wine tasting, when we’d come back home to explore Simiane’s hilltop village more thoroughly that we stumbled across the second restaurant of Simiane … wouldn’t you know, it was called “Dans les yeux”, not a platitude after all, but a real place.

Quite apt, we thought now that we’d finally restored our sense of humour, helped along by an impressive amount of apricot tarte tatin, there it was, just as she’d said, right between our eyes.

South African products now at Sainsbury’s

Available at Sainsbury’s at the following stores:

The beautiful hilltop village of Gordes

Wimbledon Kings Mall Fulham Wandsworth Clapham Common

Chiswick Enfield Streatham Common Merton Sydenham

12

Zimbabwe Community

| 12 - 19 August 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Zim loses almost $10 billion in gold per year to smugglers | A report authored by an anonymous citizen says that the highest circles of government in Zimbabwe are involved in gold smuggling; if the report is true and acknowledged by the government, the consequences could be far-reaching

By sertan sanderson GET YoUR SPoRT 24/7

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THE OH’s ARE RECRUITING! Are you looking for good quality rugby?

The Old Haileyburians RFC are a London rugby club based in Wandsworth Town competing in the Surrey Leagues made up of players from all great rugby nationalities, ages ranging from 20 to 40+years old We are 100% committed to our time on the pitch as well as in the bar afterwards and have a fantastic social side to the club with regular events and tours arranged

If you’d like to know more or get involved with a great club, contact Matt Craig m.craig@arkadin.co.uk 07876136299

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Zimbabwe is reported to lose more than $800 million in gold monthly to illegal activities by international cartels as well as local smugglers.

An unofficial document authored by a concerned citizen first disclosed the number and is now making its rounds in government circles, reaching Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa and being forwarded to Vice President Joice Mujuru. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are also said to be among the recipients of the report.

If even part of the findings are true, the controversial document could go on to live in infamy.

Not only is Zimbabwe struggling to balance its economy, with an unemployment rate of over 80PM percent slumping recovery 1:11 down to a near-halt, but the document also reveals that various cabinet ministers as well as other government officials might also be in on the illegal gold deals; the document alleges that these officials pocket various amounts of the precious metal for themselves without going through government channels to register gold that has been mined – as is required by law for all minerals. Therefore, the lost

gold doesn’t flag up as missing.

The gold is then supposedly smuggled out of the country, where it fetches even higher rates than it could on the Zimbabwean market.

It is alleged that most of the illegal smuggling takes place via South Africa.

The anonymous author of the document described the transactions as cash-only deals, which are impossible to track. Some of those consignments are said to add up to over 50kg per transaction on a daily basis.

“Everything is sent out of the country illegally, with the blessing of senior government officials. Due to the size of each consignment it’s easy to hide and move across international borders. Profits are externalised.”

Zimbabwe is home to an estimated number of over 1,000 gold mining establishment, many of which are under suspicion of selling bullions to the black market. But with half a million Zimbabweans under employment at these gold mines and with government officials accused to be involved in the corrupt deals, it would appear to be difficult to clamp down on such illegal activities.

The author of the report warned that the illegal gold trade and

international smuggle could be used to finance terrorist groups.

“Apart from the negative impact that this has on the Zimbabwean economy, we are more concerned about the money laundering aspect associated with this illegal trade.

Money laundering of this magnitude puts the South American drug cartels to shame, with Zimbabwe being the key contributor to what could become a threat to regional stability, assuming nothing is done to stop it,” he said in an interview with THE ZIMBABWEAN. Official numbers reveal that the report could well be truthful: the Zimbabwe Artisanal Miners and Small Scale Council (ZAMSC) reports that gold production has decreased significantly from about 17 tonnes in 2004 to just over 900kg in 2013. ZAMSC has also acknowledged the prevalence of smuggling, attributing the dwindling values reported in gold mining and production to such illegal activities.

Further precedent supporting the allegations was set with the 2010 WikiLeaks release of US diplomatic communications, mentioning probes into diamond smuggling among high-ranking government officials in Zimbabwe, including members of President Robert Mugabe’s family.

Grace Mugabe set to enter Zim politics

| Bob Mugabe, step over. Your wife looks like she might soon be the new kid on the block…

By sertan sanderson Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe‘s wife Grace is preparing her entrance into politics through the ruling party’s Women’s League.

Mrs Mugabe was elected into the leadership of the ZANU-PF Mashonaland West Women’s League central committee in the party’s Zvimba district, where she stood unchallenged in the face of her credits as the country’s first lady.

With her new position established, Grace Mugabe is now expected to attend the nationwide ZANU-PF Women’s League conference later in August, where she will officially be nominated to become head of the entire organisation. The winner will be confirmed and sworn in by the end of the year.

Though somewhat tightly contested, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Grace Mugabe did manage to come out triumphantly from that election as well, as her popularity seems to be at an all-time high, as she is beginning to build her leadership-style on her husband’s legacy, though some analysts have

brandished her as an arrogant antithesis of the Zimbabwean president.

The regional elections among the ladies of the ruling ZANU-PF party did not come without their own set of controversies. In the run-up to her election, the first lady had attacked various of her political opponents in a direct, accusative style, which otherwise is only ever attributed to her husband’s style in rhetoric. As the ailing and aging statesman is seen less frequently during public engagements these days, questions now start to arise whether Grace Mugabe might be in the process of being groomed for a higher public office in the future, with the next general election in Zimbabwe scheduled for 2018. In any case, it is expected that the first lady’s entrance in politics is intended to protect the Mugabe dynasty’s financial and business interests beyond Bob Mugabe’s years.

However, the future is unlikely to be and easy path to walk for Grace Mugabe, as criticism for her lack of experience has already been voiced. Some of those critics

have even called her nomination unconstitutional, as all other precedents set in senior leadership positions of the country under ZANU-PF’s rule would require at least five years of service at provincial level. But bending these rules seems to be least of Zimbabwe’s problems, where allegations of election rigging and related crimes appear to be commonplace with each run to the polls.

Across various districts in the country entire scores of female members of the party were reported as abducted or missing ahead of their local polls taking place last week, with political heavyweights in the government alleged to be behind these scare tactics and electoral interventions.

The 49-year-old first lady meanwhile remains admired throughout Zimbabwe as the country’s spiritual mother as much as she is for her opulent and extravagant lifestyle – as long as you don’t account for the voices of dissent, that is.

13

thesouthafrican.com | 12 - 19 August 2014 |

Business

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Domestic worker visa requirements | BIC are often asked by clients, whether their nanny or domestic worker can accompany them to the UK. Fortunately, there is a route available for such persons in the form of the domestic worker visa

by JP breytenbach This type of visa includes; cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks, nannies and anyone providing personal care for the employer and the family.

SA to build world’s largest fly farm | Innovative waste-to-protein concept could revolutionise the global animal feed market By staff reporter The world’s largest commercial fly farm, which will harvest the larvae of 8.5-billion flies to produce food for chickens, pigs and farmed fish, is under construction in South Africa, news agency Bloomberg reported last week.

Cape Town- and Gibraltar-based company Agriprotein has raised US$11-million from investors to build its first two commercial farms – the first in a planned roll-out of 40 such farms – based on an innovative waste-to-protein concept that could revolutionise the global animal feed market.

In a process that has been under development since 2009, Agriprotein uses flies reared on an industrial scale to lay eggs that are hatched into larvae fed on readily available organic waste material – including out-of-date and uneaten food, animal manure and abattoir waste.

The larvae are then harvested and dried into a natural and sustainable feed – dubbed and trademarked MagMeal (from “maggot meal”) – for chicken, pigs and farmed fish.

Also generated during the process are an extruded oil (MagOil) and a nutrient-rich fertilizer (MagSoil)

“Instead of polluting the environment with abattoir and other organic waste, it is turned into high-quality protein that can naturally replace fishmeal in industrial farming and help save our seas,” the company said in a recent statement.

Agriprotein broke ground on its first industrial scale factory, located in Cape Town, in May, and expects the plant to come on line in 2015 and produce seven tonnes of MagMeal, three tonnes of MagOil and 20 tonnes of MagSoil per day.

Its second factory will also be built in South Africa, at a location still to be decided.

The company has received product approval in South Africa and is confident that its insect protein meal will achieve European acceptance as an animal feed within 24 months.

The company says, insect larvae are the natural food of chickens in the wild and fish in streams after all, with a nutritional composition as good as that of fishmeal and better than soya – the two most commonly used sources of protein animal feed used by industrial farmers.

And while land-based soya plantations require vast amounts

of land and water, and and overfishing has put a strain on the supply of fish meal – helping to drive the prices of both protein sources up in recent years – waste nutrient sources for fly larvae are abundantly available.

Five years of academic and manufacturing research conducted with the help of the University of Stellenbosch’s Animal Nutritional Department has, according to Agriprotein, proven the efficiency of larvae protein in a range of farmed animals.

In chickens, larvae protein has been shown to produce better weight gain and less gizzard erosion than fishmeal.

Gizzard erosion is a dietary deficiency disease affecting younger birds.

AgriProtein’s backers include Australia’s Twynam Agricultural Group, German fashion company s.Oliver, as well as UK, US and South African investors.

The company says it will start licensing its nutrient recycling technology worldwide in 2015, adding: “Within 15 years we will consider it as normal to recycle our waste nutrients as we do our paper, tin and glass today.”

Current Status Currently a domestic worker can only join their employer to visit the UK for up to six months. The idea is for the domestic worker to go as a domestic worker visitor so he / she cannot get paid in the UK and although employed in the UK, they are still being paid abroad.

The domestic worker can be taken care of and live with the employer during the employ.

Requirements and Restrictions The requirements for this visa are inter alia as follows; • You must be between 18 and 65 years old; • You should have worked for your employer for at least one year, who is effectively sponsoring you.

• You can go to the UK with your employer or your employer’s partner or their children and you should intend to work full time in the same household where the employer will live in the UK. • You have to have the intention to return as you would with any visitor visa and you have

to show that you will support yourself without recourse to public funds. The employer can be a British citizen or an EEA national or someone who is settled or a foreign national who has a visitors’ visa.

• The minimum salary you receive will have to be at the UK national minimum wage.

• You are allowed to stay in the UK if your employer takes a short trip to another country during the visit.

Settlement This category is no longer as it used to be a category for settlement. At the end of the 6-month visa, the holder of the visa needs to return to his/her home country.

If you are interested in applying for this visa, or would like more information, please contact BIC at info@bic-immigration.comor visit our website at www.bicimmigration.com

Rand closes off week on a poor note | The Rand weakened against the Dollar on Thursday, closing at USD-ZAR 10.77 by 1st contact The Rand weakened against the Dollar on Thursday, closing at USD-ZAR 10.77, compared with Wednesday’s close of USD-ZAR 10.70.

Rand weakness occurred during a period of Dollar strength against most of the major crosses, which was likely caused, in part, by dovish comments from ECB President Mario Draghi. The Rand depreciated alongside a mostly weak performance from the commodity and EM currencies we monitor for the purposes of this report.

The Rand weakened against all the major crosses, with the biggest move seen against the Dollar (-0.6%). All but one of the EM currencies we monitor – namely the INR – depreciated yesterday.

The Rand was the second-worstperforming currency in both the EM and commodity currency categories, beaten by the BRL and AUD respectively.

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14

Business: Classifieds SERVICES

| 12 - 19 August 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

SERVICES

SA SHOP DIRECTORY

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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 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

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15

Sport

Commonwealth Games: Is South African corruption at play?

| A blogpost by South African sports journalist Graeme Joffe caused furore and upset, claiming that SA could have performed much better at the Commonwealth Games if the political system behind the country’s sports bodies wasn’t rigged against promising newcomers. Does he have a point?

By sertan sanderson Looking closely at South Africa’s performance at the Commonwealth Games over the past decade, an uneasy trend seems to surface: the average SA medal count has followed a continuous downward trend since 2002, when SA last peaked with 46 medals at the games, declining to merely 33 medals by 2010 – marking a loss of almost a third.

This spiral only managed to solidify during the 2014 Games with a count of 40 medals for Mzansi, but questions are being raised about why South Africa may be failing to take its place among the top five countries, when the competing athletes sent to the Games are giving their utmost during the competitions only to disappoint themselves as well as one of the most sports-hungry audiences in the world.

South African sports journalist Graeme Joffe raised several eyebrows last week when he publicly criticised various SA bodies directly for this underachievement, pinning the mistakes not on the outstanding athletes but on the decision-makers behind the process that boosts SA athletes into their international sporting careers via South Africa’s various sporting bodies.

Joffe says that considering SA finished behind Scotland and New Zealand, whose combined population barely reaches a fifth of that of South Africa, doubts should naturally arise about favouritism playing a major role among the senior ranks of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and Athletics SA (ASA) – two of the bodies that get to choose which athletes and sporting codes represent South Africa in international events.

“For what we have in talent, finance and facilities, we should be getting at least 80 medals at the Commonwealth Games and not 40. But 80 is just a pipe dream until we have transparency and real sports people running sport in this country,” Joffe writes while attacking South Africa’s sporting bodies. Does he have a point?

Joffe claims it is impossible to get an inside view on the issue as current athletes are not free

to comment on the dealings of SASCOC and other sporting bodies under their various rules of conduct. These are put in place to ensure a clean public image for South Africa’s athletic organisations, in turn attracting heavy funding from various government bodies – such as the National Lottery.

SASCOC itself, however, was not able to comment on the issue at this point on legal grounds.

Graeme Joffe is currently being taken to court on charges of defamation by SASCOC for previous controversial remarks, but remains confident he will win in the R21 million lawsuit.

But former athletes can and have weighed in on the matter.

Joffe quoted former SA athlete Arnaud Malherbe’s views on the vetting process as proof that SA athletes are only approached for competitive sports once they have obtained a proven track record of success: “SASCOC always gets involved after an athlete is successful, not before, when they need it most.”

Joffe also went on to remark on the absence of various other firstrate athletes from this year’s lineup at the Commonwealth Games, including the 2013 bronze-medal winner in the New York marathon, Lusapho April. Joffe explains that Lusapho wasn’t even approached to take part in the competition, hinting at institutionalised mismanagement of promising future talent.

Whether or not his indictments may be true, SA’s ongoing fight against government corruption certainly provides a credible background for Joffe’s controversial views.

l Graeme Joffe on Twitter

Sport

12 - 19 AUGUST 2014

south african sport: is corruption at play? p15

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Time for Proteas to make a change at top of order

| By and large, the Proteas are a very settled and experienced side who’ve enjoyed tremendous success over the past two years. Concerns, however, remain over two areas and the time to make a change has now come By jeremy bortz Notwithstanding the retirement of stalwarts Jacques Kallis and former skipper Graeme Smith over the past few months, the Proteas are a very settled and experienced side at the top of their game. Their recent series win in Sri Lanka saw them reclaim the number one Test ranking and extend their unbeaten away record to over eight years. Over the past six years, they have won consecutive away series in both England and Australia and they spent almost two years atop the ICC Test rankings before slipping to second after their home series loss to Australia in March of this year.

While the majority of the team picks itself, two areas remain problematic. The first concerns our starting spinner with Imran Tahir yet to consistently deliver on the Test stage. In conditions that should have suited him, Tahir had a poor series with the ball in Sri Lanka and was unable to either take wickets or hold up an end.

As a result, he lost his place in the starting XI for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe that is currently underway at the Harare Sports Club. His replacement, Dane Piedt, had a superb debut picking up a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket and ending with figures of 4 for 90 in 24 overs. (As an aside, Piedt became the 19th player, and second South African, to take a wicket with his first ball in Test

l South Africa bowler Dane Piedt in action during the first day of a test match between South Africa and hosts Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club, on August 9th, 2014. Photo byJekesai Njikizana/AFP/Getty Images)

cricket. The first for South Africa came over 100 years ago with Bert Vogler in the 1905 – 1906 season!).

The other concern is at the top of the order but here, no change was made for the Zimbabwean Test with Alviro Petersen retaining

his place. Once more, however, Petersen failed as he fell for 32 and in my opinion, change is now required.

In the past 12 months, South Africa have only had two century stands at the top of the order and none since Smith’s retirement.

Petersen averages 27.40 since January 2013 with an underwhelming career average of 35.6 from 32 Tests. He has gone 22 innings without scoring a century and in that time has hit only three half-centuries, all at home. He looks uncomfortable against spin

and seems to lack patience against the quicks.

This impatience and lack of application is inconsistent with someone who has over the years been a very patient cricketer.

Petersen waited many seasons before finally getting his chance, only to be dropped for Jacques Rudolph without really doing much wrong. His response? Head back to domestic cricket and continue making runs until being recalled.

For some time now, however, he’s failed to deliver and were it not for Smith’s sudden retirement, I suspect Petersen may have not made the trip to Sri Lanka. His poor form continued on that tour with scores of 34, 32, 2 and 0 simply not good enough and I believe change is required for the visit by the West Indies in December. One option would be to promote No. 3 Stiaan van Zyl, the leading runs scorer in last season’s first-class competition.

Van Zyl was on tour in Sri Lanka but he failed to get a look-in.

At 33 years old, it seems Petersen’s appetite for international cricket may also be waning when he wrote on his blog recently (alviropetersen.com), “Family is the most important thing to me and if I am honest cricket is second, so in the future we will have to look at what is best for all of us.”

I think what’s best for the Proteas is to replace Petersen at the top of the order and look for fresh blood to accompany Dean Elgar as our new opening pair.

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