The South African 8 - 15 July 2014

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8 - 15 July 2014

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HOPE FOR EXPATS WHO LOST SA CITIZENSHIP | An initiative aimed at facilitating the retention and resumption of South African citizenship for dual citizens is gaining ground and hopes to present its case before the Constitutional Court as it gears up for a fundraising campaign

by sertan sanderson The automatic loss of South African citizenship when acquiring other nationalities has long been viewed as a constitutionally questionable act, and could soon be put to the test at the Constitutional Court if a newly launched campaign manages to attract a strong enough following.

SADualCitizenship/ REenfranchise aims to create a network across the South African diaspora worldwide, which could help to mobilise necessary changes in current citizenship law in order to facilitate the retention and resumption of SA citizenship when acquiring other nationalities.

The campaign reports that it needs to create a strong following not just morally but also to generate the necessary funds to take their petition through the High Court and on to the Constitutional Court.

Many South Africans have lost their citizenship in the past by failing to apply for a retention letter before obtaining a second nationality such as British citizenship.

Former citizens can only apply for “Resumption of Citizenship” if they are physically present in South Africa permanently, as the submission of an application to resume South African citizenship would need to be made at a local

| PROUD: M People’s Heather Small talks candidly about the lessons she has learned in 20 years in the music industry in an exclusive interview on page 6

Home Affairs branch. The process is reported to take at least two years, but has been known to take longer in some cases.

Naturalised South Africans

basically have to go through all the additional motions of having to apply for permanent residence before they can reacquire citizenship; this would

be assessed on the mere merits of the application along with all other applications for South African citizenship, and a past history as a South African national may not be taken into consideration.

In addition to these hurdles, another citizenship challenge brought on by the Department of Home Affairs is posed in cases where the assumption of South African citizenship for citizens by birth is not automatic for future children of those who lost their SA citizenship in the course of gaining another nationality.

Children born to South African parents abroad can be registered as “Citizens by Birth” as long as a parent is a current South African citizen. But if the parent has lost his or her SA citizenship on account of assuming another citizenship (without applying for a retention letter beforehand), any future children would also automatically lose their right to citizenship by birth.

In other words, children they may have cannot become South African citizens on grounds of their parentage.

Hoping to fight these challenges, SADualCitizenship/REenfranchise says it is trying to gather at least 1,000 supporters before launching a feasibility assessment with its legal counsel, Chris Watters,

Continued on page 2

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| 8 -15 July 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Home Affairs faces record number of immigrant complaints | As nearly a thousand immigrants to South Africa lodge grievances against the Department of Home Affairs, it’s perhaps time to rethink SA’s immigration policy by sertan sanderson An unprecedented number of immigrants to South Africa have filed an application at the Western Cape High Court to set the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) into motion to process long overdue residence and work permits, which have faced extreme delays due to the introduction and adoption of new immigration guidelines.

More than 900 applicants reported dissatisfaction with their processes, saying that the new immigration laws introduced overnight at the beginning of May have practically halted their applications.

Being married to South African nationals in many of these instances, the applicant have also underlined the fact that this prolonged hold-up is unconstitutionally limiting the rights of South African families to earn income and feed their families accordingly.

The Department of Home Affairs has long been known as the most underperforming

rulings into action.

But it is not just previous overstayers, who have to be afraid of the inefficiency at the Department of Home Affairs. Firsttime applicants have to bear the brunt of the blow. While waiting for permits to clear, immigrants to South Africa cannot work nor leave the country.

Nor can they apply for simple private services such as opening bank accounts or applying for medical aid. In some extreme instances, this state of limbo has prevailed for years.

However, in recent history reports had been confined to simple permit procedures taking typically six months or less on average.

Some applicants even live in fear of facing arrest or deportation simply because the DHA is not sticking to its own guidelines of how long it needs to take to process applications.

Temporary residence permits, which are meant to be renewed within 30 days, have been known to take several months, during

which some individuals have reported to have gone into hiding at a place other than their official address for fear of their de facto illegal status.

The are other procedures, in which the department is desperately failing to meet its performance targets. These include the payment of deposits which the DHA holds in cases of temporary workers, typically to the tune of over GBP 600.

These are meant to be refunded after seasonal immigrants return to their home countries. But problems and serious delays have been reported in these undertakings as well.

With the outsourcing of the majority of initial immigration inquiries to a private company, VFS, things may yet improve for the beleaguered department.

Looking at the issues from a distance, however, it is difficult to decipher what a developing country like South Africa is trying to ‘protect’ itself from with such draconian and inapplicable immigration laws.

Hope for expats who lost citizenship Continued from page 1

One time journalist, sometime columnist, full-time communicator. British by location, global in curiosity.

Website: jensmit.com Twitter: @jensmit

government department in SA, with projected timelines for applications often exceeding their deadlines by several fold.

But immigrants to the country are also getting increasingly frustrated for being treated subpar by the department from the onset of the process – almost on the same level as ‘undesirable’ persons; this is a legal term applied to those, who have previously outstayed their visas and permits.

Often criticised for its unfortunate choice of wording, the introduction of recent immigration laws has suddenly led the number of ‘undesirables’ to skyrocket as well, tearing families apart at the point of entry to South Africa, often on account of a clerical oversight.

The legal challenges to this ‘undesirable’ category of visa transgressions are gaining ground, with two recent cases brought to the Western Cape High Court being granted reprieve by a judge; however, the DHA is yet to find a way to incorporate the

before bringing the matter to the courts.

Waters describes the current state of South African dual citizenship law on his blog: “Many countries in the world allow dual nationality – roughly, about as many permit dual citizenship as prohibit it. The

standard challenge to allowing dual nationality tends to be the rather narrow insistence on demanding total allegiance to the flag, as it were, or asking how one can love two countries at the same time – which always seems to hint at an inferiority complex.

“The fact is that in South Africa multiple citizenship is permitted – albeit under licence.

The requirements to get that consent from Home Affairs are not stringent. And this country has not come to a crashing halt as a result of South Africans having dual nationality – and some of those South Africans include some people who were in exile.”

Various fundraising platforms including an Indiegogo campaign will be part of this initiative to

make dual citizenship for South Africans a straight-forward procedure. The campaign reports that it has already grown in numbers at a considerable pace thus far.

To find out more about the SADualCitizenship/REenfranchise campaign and to get involved, please visit their Facebook group at facebook.com/

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The top moments of the Oscar Pistorius trial | We shed tears with Oscar Pistorius as well as with Reeva Steenkamp’s family, as the notorious Pretoria courtroom was brought into our living rooms every day. Here’s a reminder of the moments that made us hold our breath laid out for the entire world to see with even less affection than can be found on a cold body laid out at the morgue. While the usual pleasantries, smiley faces and affirmations between the two were touched upon, the focus of the courtroom turned to regular bouts of disharmony between the couple.

With Steenkamp sending Pistorius a message on WhatsApp on one occasion, saying, “I’m scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me,” the prosecution had found the bait it had been looking for all along, claiming that Steenkamp had fled to the bathroom that fateful night after another fight with Pistorius, and had locked the door because she was frightened of him all along.

by sertan sanderson EXHIBIT A – Screams in the dark Michelle Burger’s description of the “bloodcurdling” screams that came from Pistorius’s residence on the night of the murder are likely to become pivotal in any future Hollywood movie based on the athlete’s life. Oscar Pistorius’s traumatised neighbour insisted she wouldn’t be able to get those cries out of her mind for the rest of her life. The accused insists, however, that it was his high-pitch screams crying for help, which she had heard. When defence lawyer Barry Roux challenged Burger on her version of events, pins held back from dropping in the courtroom floor; the tension in the courtroom was more than tangible. We have ascertained in the meantime that the prison choir is looking for a counter-tenor in case Pistorius ends up having to do time.

EXHIBIT B – Watermelon zombies We also learned that this wasn’t the first time that Pistorius had fired at close range at an organic object. Courtroom replays of privately filmed footage, originally obtained by Sky News, showed Pistorius shooting a watermelon into smithereens at a firing range game, using expanding bullets and displaying his mild obsession not only with ammunition and guns but with a whole host of other strange oddities as well. While shooting at imaginary zombies – everyone’s favourite target practice – Pistorius was also recorded saying, “it’s not as soft as brains, but f*ck it’s a zombie stopper.” The unfortunate watermelon was then compared to the lifeless body of Steenkamp, with gruesome images broadcast live showing her head having suffered a similar fate.

EXHIBIT C – Forgive them for they know not what they do While Oscar Pistorius kept insisting that he didn’t have time to think before he discharged his gun, he was most certainly prepared to cause maximum damage at the time. His initial claim and defence focusing on protecting himself against a perceived intruder changed more and more towards insisting that he was operating on autopilot on the fateful Valentine’s morning, when Reeva Steenkamp was killed. But with his recent psychiatric evaluation ruling out general anxiety and stress disorder, it is unclear why he would have felt compelled to operate almost in the manner of a somnambulist.

EXHIBIT D – Liquid discouragement The gory images of Steenkamp’s bloodied body aside, the trial went through a series of various bodily fluids taking focus away from the actual courtroom arguments presented. Oscar’s tears, whether fake or genuine, were the least of all concerns when he was also repeatedly recorded vomiting to the point of exhaustion, causing the trial to be adjourned on nearly a daily basis. For an athletic man, who claims that he still wakes up from nightmares and smells blood regularly, this might appear reminiscent of the lady who doth protest too much. However, whatever the story may be with his projectile vomiting, none of Pistorius’s bodily functions could match the sheer bile of hate you see in June Steenkamp’s eyes, as more arguments are brought against the Olympian every day.

EXHIBIT E – Cape Fear How did courtrooms ever operate before the advent of modern technology? With full access to intimate messages between Pistorius and Steenkamp, the relationship between the two was

EXHIBIT F – The wrath of Gerrie Nel The entire nation came to love and hate Prosecutor Gerrie Nel. His courtroom tactics speak to the lingering teenager within all of us, still afraid to come clean to our mothers about some minor transgression for fear of being reprimanded. Never losing form or stepping out of character, Nel nailed Pistorius on nearly every one of his statements and presented the court with an alternative explanation backed up by evidence every time.

At the height of his strategy, Gerrie Nel told Pistorius that his defence was not only untruthful “but it’s so improbable that it cannot be reasonably, possibly true.” When he proceeded to ask why Steenkamp had never identified herself from behind the toilet door, Pistorius’s claim that she may have been terrified of the situation was struck down by Nel’s explanation that she knew fully well what was going on, that she was talking back to him from behind the door, and that Pistorius then shot her out of spite.

EXHIBIT G – Oscar’s greatest fans Never in the history of ventilation, air-conditioning and man-made cooling systems has a fan gained so much attention as in the case of the Oscar Pistorius trial. Did he or didn’t he get up to move those two fan from his balcony into the room, as he recounted the courtroom?

Why would anyone do such a thing in the middle of the night and how could the noise of the supposed burglar, whom later it would turn out he allegedly had mistaken Reeva Steenkamp for, be so well timed that he perceived it right at the same moment as when his business with these two ventilators had been finished? The mind boggles, but the fans remain silent.

EXHIBIT H – Crazy old bat, part I Pistorius’s trial was also one of the few occasions in recent history that cricket bats featured legitimately anywhere outside a cricket pitch.

Discussing the corrects angles,

forces and momentum involved in tearing down a wooden toilet door with a bat became a science in its own right for a few weeks.

Meanwhile, comparing the noises of the cricket bat banging down on that infamous door against gun shots, would make even the greatest of cricket enthusiasts question his or her sanity. Pistorius even had to get up and demonstrate to the courtroom how he had done it, demonstrating full swing and everything else involved in the perfect door-unhinging bat.

He is still waiting for a future endorsement from Cricket SA in the meantime.

EXHIBIT I – Crazy old bat, part II The Pistorius trial was interrupted from the beginning by a woman only identified as “Annamarie”.

Her previous attempts to disrupt Pistorious’s bail hearings and her constant need to make contact with him and with the court, claiming that she has some key evidence which is being ignored, are at the very least annoying to listen to, but nothing short of contempt. But what is ignored here is that she could possibly hold interesting information for the trial, if anyone took her seriously for a second. She has insisted from the beginning that Pistorius needed psychiatric evaluation on account of his relationship with his deceased

mother, whom “Annamarie” claims to have been acquainted with. It looks like the deranged woman got what she had wanted – but the results from Weskoppies may not be to her full satisfaction after all.

EXHIBIT J – To be or not to be anxious The question that kept us awake at night for the past month was: is he or isn’t he mental? That was the whole point of the psychological evaluation, which Pistorius had been ordered to undergo at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.

The final result was by all accounts overwhelmingly negative – much to the disappointment of those who still believe that a man and his gun have a rightful place in South African society. Dr Merryll Vorster’s recommendation to send Pistorius to the facility was even cut short by a few days, after the team of experts had fully determined that Pistorius should get a clean bill of mental health. The report is likely to work against Oscar Pistorius both for the rest of his trial as well as for his sentencing period, attributing him with full mental capacity at the time of committing the crime.

However, the defense continues to argue whether Pistorius’s disabilities wouldn’t limit his psychological outlook to “fight or flight” responses in most instances of (perceived) danger.

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Catch Fever at the South African Season at Jermyn Street Theatre | Meticulous and spooky period piece by acclaimed South African playwright Reza de Wet, in its last week at Jermyn Street Theatre in London

By Marianne Gray Fever is written by Reza de Wet and performed by Sian Clifford and Peta Cornish This strange and haunting tale of two devoted English sisters, one who worked as an English governess on a remote Boer sheep farm in the 1890s, the other who seems to live in a seaside hotel back home in England, is a meticulous period piece.

After the death of the governess Emma (Sian Clifford), her sister Katy (Peta Cornish), a married woman with children, finds her hidden diary and reads, not even between the lines, of Emma’s yearning for home, her hatred of Boer habits, backwardness and brutality, and her disturbing feelings of frenzied sexual awakening.

A small two-hander with plenty of power and a spooky compellingness, it is not hard to

recognise the isolation, her isolation, in the big white homestead beyond the family graveyard, in a flat, dry, rural desert of monochrome tone and bible reading culture.

Clifford and Cornish keep their identities cleverly apart despite working on a stage the size of a handkerchief, as they build the tension and impending denouement.

Written in (the late) De Wet’s sharp and precise style, it sometimes feels like her real-life birthplace, Senekal in the Free State, is just off stage, watching judgementally.

Recommended.

Remaining shows of Fever are on 8th,10th, 12th July 2014 at 9pm, 9th and 11th July 2014 at 7pm.

The South African Season runs until Saturday 12th July 2014.

Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6ST Box office 020 7287 2875 www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

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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Choir Invisible and Luyanda Jezile ‘Make a Joyful Noise’ | Choir Invisible, The Desmond and Leah Tutu Peace Choir, with South African singer Luyanda Jezile will present two massive regional concerts at Lincoln’s fabulous ‘Engine Shed’ on Friday 18th July 2014 and at Nottingham’s top venue, the Albert Hall, on Saturday 19th July 2014 By staff reporter Well-known to British concert-goers for their unique mix of gospel and soul harmonies – singing African-American acapella alongside the heart songs of South Africa – the mighty Choir Invisible’s 75 singers will be making ‘a joyful noise’ this July, at the culmination of a three-month project called Intsholo Yovuyo (‘Joyful Noise’ in Xhosa) with South African performer Luyanda Jezile.

Choir Invisible is the only choir in the world to bear Desmond Tutu’s name. When he heard Choir Invisible sing for him in 2008, subsequently inviting them to be his own choir in the UK, he said, “If I closed my eyes, I would think it was African voices!”

The choir sang again in Tutu’s honour at a prize-giving in 2012 at UNESCO HQ in Paris. This Tutu connection has brought the choir together with Luyanda Jezile, who performed for Desmond Tutu with his London African Gospel Choir, alongside Annie Lennox, at the prestigious Templeton Prize award ceremony at London’s Guildhall last year.

Choir Invisible’s founding director Sally Brown said, “The choir met Luyanda through our connection to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a singing collaboration was inevitable!

Luyanda and I share the same deeply-held view of singing – that if it isn’t about ‘making a joyful

noise’ then you’re not doing it right! There’s absolutely nothing stiff and starchy in what we do, but there is a great deal of beauty and artistry.”

Add sheer joy to that and you find yourself hearing the sort of life-enhancing music that grabs hold of your heart and makes you want to dance and weep and laugh –all at the same time! It has rightly been said that, “This is not a choir – this is some kind of passionate, multi-limbed singing organism!”

Choir Invisible brings together people from very different backgrounds. This is a choir which does not use any written music, choosing instead to learn their songs in the same way that those who created them did, singing everything ‘by ear’ and ‘from the heart’ in the traditional way.

A leading South African singer based in the UK, Luyanda Jezile has sung regularly with international artists like Hugh Masekela, and on film soundtracks such as The Lion King and the recent Nelson Mandela biopic. In 2008 he completed a nine-year run in The Lion King in London’s West End. Last December he and the London African Gospel Choir sang in tribute to Mandela at the Houses of Parliament and on BBC1’s The One Show.

Luyanda’s talented daughter, Asanda (Britain’s Got Talent’s extraordinary 12-year-old finalist in 2013), will be making a special appearance as guest soloist – as

will his wife, Prudence, also a professional singer, who will sing Desmond Tutu’s favourite song accompanied by the choir.

They will also be joined by phenomenal jazz-soul singer Mellow Baku. Mellow has toured both solo and with London-based World/Dub/Jazz ‘Soothsayers’, in venues such as The Barbican, Southbank, The Jazz Café, North Sea Jazz Festival and The Knitting Factory in New York. “A new voice in British music, with an original blend of reggae soul and jazz. Superb voice, brilliant music, a must for all” – Courtney Pine OBE Concert details: Engine Shed, Lincoln: Friday 18th July 2014 Doors open 7-7.15pm for 8pm.

Tickets £12 in advance, £14 on the door For The Engine Shed, walk in or tel: 0844 888 8766. Online at: Online at: www.engineshed.co.uk/ gigs-and-live-music/ Albert Hall, Nottingham: Saturday 19th July 2014 Doors open 7-7.15pm for 8pm.

Tickets £12 in advance, £14 on the door For The Albert Hall, from Nottingham Tourism Centre, walk in or tel: 0844 477 5678 Online at: www.gigantic.com/ intsholo-yovuyo-tickets info@choirinvisible.co.uk www.facebook.com/ChoirInvisible

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“Mandela is one of my biggest influences”

| On Friday 18 July, his birthday, Mandela’s life will be celebrated with a host of celebrities, musicians and political and business leaders at a gala fundraising dinner at in aid of the Blue Sky Village. Heather Small is part of the star studded line up and I spoke with her to find out more

By Anaïs Mutumba M People and Heather Small are synonymous with a great soundtrack of Britain in the 90s and still today. I chatted to her about her upcoming performance at the gala.

Tell us about this upcoming event you are part of. How did you get involved?

There’s going to be a show and they said to me would I sing. And I said of course I would. I believe so much in this project and we are

doing it in Nelson Mandela’s name.

I’m flying back from Barbados for the day because there’s no way I would miss this celebration, this fundraiser! His legacy is for us to pick up the mantle of what he started and did so very well.

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And he was caring, and he was dignified and he was a very proud African son. It wasn’t about being nationalistic. It was about embracing all that you are. And when someone is like he was they allow, they give permission for others to be the same.

Can you explain a little bit about what Blue Sky Village is?

Blue Sky Village is essentially a partnership between us as a project and any given nation to alleviate poverty in a sustainable manner.

In a way that is respectful and dignified for all, us as a project and any nation that participates. This is why the Blue Sky Village is so rewarding. It’s not about a hand out, it’s about a hand up as Nic Careem the founder likes to say.

It’s a partnership. It’s not about any one going in and imposing their will. The way I was received made me proud, happy and exuberant.

And Kigali, oh my goodness, what a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful city. Clean. You could eat off the streets.

It’s not just in African nations, we have Sri Lanka very interested.

The village will have a state of the art medical centre, a school and then there would be space in the market already there for what they produce. Because we are in partnership with different outlets that are nationwide, so it’s been really well thought out. I’m inspired by everybody that I’ve met working at Blue Sky Village. It’s a loving environment. They get stuff done. I believe in this project.

Why Rwanda? What drew you to that nation?

I’ve already gone out to Rwanda where we are going to do the first Blue Sky Village. It was an eye opener and it was a joy, because all you hear about is the conflict. I learnt one word out there, Kwibuka - “remember”. It’s good to remember, but you don’t remember with hatred, you don’t remember with anger. You remember with regret obviously but it’s how do you build a foundation with and move forward. Africa is many countries, many people, different cultures and have given to the world just as much as any other nation, any other culture. I wanted to be involved with something that showed Africa in a very positive light. To move forward without hatred is a lesson we can all learn from them.

Rwanda was chosen because the High Commissioner here Williams Nkurunziza heard of the project because he had spoken to Nic Careem, the gentleman whose baby it has been for a long, whose vision it was. When he heard about

it, he [the High Commissioner] said, “Rwanda is the country for you.” Having gone there myself, he was right. We met one minister in Rwanda, the agricultural minister, a fabulous lady, Agnes Matilda Kalibata, indomitable, I left with much respect. She looked at us and she said to Nic, “If you never return, I will put this in place. This will go on with or without you.” [laughs]. We thought that was the biggest endorsement ever.

Who or what do you draw your inspiration from? Who would you say are your influences?

Well definitely, I would have to say, Nelson Mandela. He’s one of my biggest influences. The whole thing about forgiveness, to truly forgive, and to march on, to be a light after all the darkness. And all the personal darkness, unhappiness to be able to bring joy and to pull people together and to celebrate self and others. This is the key. He was a great teacher. And for somebody to be unwavering in his belief through any kind of adversity, that’s a lesson for us all.

Another one is Maya Angelou. I like people that are great teachers who have experience of real life.

The life they have experienced has not always been charmed but to find dignity in that, to be able to walk with a self-awareness that is not intimidating to others but embracing to others. There’s a warmth to her. They were both very very wise.

I’d say musically, Nina Simone.

That same uncompromising stance.

She was able to bring songs of protest and a real firm point of view in such a musically brilliant fashion. She didn’t compromise on the style, on the quality but there was a message there. Not for just for one type of people but for all people. They are people I really admire.

Any last words?

Nelson Mandela is a man that brought all types of people together.

When you see his funeral, there will never ever be a gathering like that again. That’s the level of respect, that’s the level of love, that’s the level of wisdom. So to do anything in his name, it’s obviously a name that will be kept alive, and any part I can play in that is a pleasure, honour and a privilege to do that.

Don’t miss out on a great event, all for a fantastic cause. Friday the 18th July 2014. Tickets at only £15 for the concert and £250 Dinner tickets, which includes fine South African Fare plus champagne reception and after show party tickets available from niccareem@ blueskyvillage.org

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The legend of Zelda la Grange

| In her new book ‘Good Morning, Mr Mandela’, launched on 19th June 2014, Zelda la Grange, the Afrikaner meisie who served as the statesman’s right-hand woman for 19 years, shares her story of personal transformation. She spoke to Jen Smit in London about the importance of common sense, about Madiba the strategist, and about love

By jen smit Zelda la Grange is, she tells me, nineteen years tired – which has perhaps less to do with the current frenetic schedule of promotional activity around her new book Good Morning, Mr Mandela and rather more to do with the fact that she has spent the past 19 years at the beck and call of the most iconic statesman of our time.

“Madiba trusted me. He knew that if he called me at two ‘o clock in the morning I would answer and do whatever it was he needed me to do.”

She describes her relationship with South Africa’s first black president as a kind of complementary codependance: he demanded absolute loyalty and she had an intense need to please.

But how does a woman who admits to being racist by the age of thirteen, voting Conservative Party in 1989 and saying ‘no’ to reform in the referendum of 1992, find herself as the right hand woman of the man who her father referred to simply as ‘the terrorist’?

There was, she freely admits, a great dollop of fate. Twenty three year old Zelda happened to be in the right place at the right time; being interviewed for a typist position in the government’s HR department when Mandela’s private secretary, Mary Mxadana, interrupted the interview exclaiming “I need a typist and I need her now.” But how she moved up from typist through a range of roles including private secretary, spokesperson, aide-de-camp and, finally, personal assistant – a role she held until the day Nelson Mandela passed away on 5th December 2013 – had to do with strategy.

“Having watched Madiba over the years there was nothing in his life that was not about strategy.

But when someone chooses you to represent unity, and that person is Nelson Mandela, what do you do with it? Do you walk away?”

Not walking away was the start of a transformation that impacted not only the young Zelda, but all those close to her too.

“One of the things that shows us the greatness of the man is this ripple effect that he had on people.

Through me and through my dealings with him, not even tens or hundreds but thousands of people have been affected. He touched people.”

But does she not feel, in some small way, a sense of personal ownership above that of the millions of people around the world whose lives he touched?

“No, not at all. And that is why I wrote the book because I wanted to share him. Share how incredible this man has been to me. The one thing I mention in my book is about him covering my feet with a blanket in an aeroplane – how do I deserve that? But people need to know that that is the type of person that he was. That he cared so much for this white Afrikaner that had nothing else than just dedication. You know people say he was a saint and that he had his faults but I wanted people to see how funny he was and how caring he was. So I am sharing him, in a way, with people and that, I thought, is my obligation.”

The book is not, she is quick to point out, a ‘tell all’ book. Nor is it a story about Mandela. It is her story, her experiences and her perceptions.

Some of those experiences and perceptions, particularly relating to the last year of Madiba’s life and the treatment of his wife, Graca Machel, caused something of a stir when the book was first released.

“You know I will even defend people’s right to complain about it – that is the beauty of our constitution.

And if it stimulates public debate, good, that’s great. In a way I am flattered that people found a way through my book to do that.”

Much of the fuss has now died down - presumably because people have had a chance to actually read the book, not act on reflex – and

members of the Mandela family were very vocal in their support of the book at its Johannesburg launch.

For me, one of the perceptions I am most interested in relates to Zelda’s references in the book to common sense. First when talking about how her family’s respect for authority and the rule of the NG Kerk superseded common sense in the time of apartheid, and later when the lack of common sense shown by the people who should have been caring for the ailing Mandela caused her such frustration. Who of our world and African leaders, I quiz her, has she found to have the most common sense?

“Well definitely Bill Clinton.

Immediately. Closer to home, President Masire [former president of Botswana] struck me as a person with a lot of common sense, even president Museveni [president of Uganda] – although people may not like me mentioning, but we got to know him quite well through the Burundi peace process. And then president Mkapa [former president of Tanzania]” And of South Africa’s current cohort of politicians?

“I would say Cyril [Ramaphosa], definitely.”

As a South African in London who came under a surprising amount of fire for turning up to vote in the 2014 elections, I am also keen to hear her view on South Africans abroad being allowed to vote.

“You know it’s difficult to ask if they should or shouldn’t vote, it’s like asking me about euthanasia because I’ve never been there, but it’s something that Madiba fought for, that if you have a South African passport you’ve got a right to vote. It’s one of the freedoms that he fought for and if people feel passionately about it then they should fight for it.”

And what of the many quotable quotes attributed to Nelson Mandela; which ‘Mandelaisms’ does Zelda hold closest?

“Well definitely the one about don’t allow the enemy to determine the grounds for battle and the way you approach a person will determine how that person will treat you. Those are my two golden rules.”

I sense this book is for Zelda an act of closure, a door that she would now like to shut on an incredible but all-consuming period of her life.

Easier said than done, of course, when one has spent so many years as the go-to person behind one of the most famous men on the planet.

And now, with the addition of a book to her name, a level of fame in her own right.

“The fame is strange in a way that I am not going to accept it. I’m not going to start wearing designer

clothes or change my habits or be a different person. The purpose of the book was to share, and now I’ve shared it and I want to go on with my life. and I want people to go on with their lives and let me disappear into obscurity. I just want to return to my life of 23 where I didn’t have this kind of stress of politics and public life.”

So what does the next chapter of Zelda’s life look like?

“I just want to be surrounded by peace and beauty, that’s really all.”

Peace and beauty may well come in the form of a flower shop. She has it all picked out in her head.

“I want one of those wire gates – half gates – in a light green colour with ivy around it that my brother can stencil on. And there must be three tables – just three – where

people can come and have coffee – just coffee – and lots of flowers everywhere. And all I must worry about is please, don’t let these flowers die today.”

I ask her whether she is aware of the computer game The Legend of Zelda – “Ja I heard so – isn’t she a witch? I’m sure she’s a witch, you must Google her” – and ask her what she would like the legend of Zelda la Grange to be.

“One of love and hope. Because that’s the message in the book.

If I can turn to love that much, anyone can. Love is the answer to everything.”

‘Good Morning, Mr Mandela’ by Zelda la Grange is published by Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Books. Available now in hardcover and e-book.

Tel: +44 (0) 113 241 0235 MPS | Victoria House | 2 Victoria Place | Leeds LS11 5AE | UK

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The Country Manager will develop a business plan to deliver the agreed business goals, and will be responsible for delivering this plan. They are also responsible for managing operational and commercial activity in the UK-based South Africa team.

The successful candidate will have extensive management experience, and must have a comprehensive knowledge of South Africa.

Benefits include a defined contribution pension scheme, 25-30 days paid holiday in addition to public holidays, private medical insurance and a health care cash plan.

Send a cover letter with your full CV to Nadine Woods at HR@mps.org.uk Closing date: Friday 18th July 2014

www.medicalprotection.org/uk/careers

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| 8 -15 July 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Robben Island’s fence gets gold-coated packaging | South African designer Charmaine Taylor has created jewellery from pieces of the Robben Island maximum security fence that are being marketed to celebrities and worldwide Mandela fans. Immortalised rusty steel encased in gold and silver, Taylor’s work has received mixed reviews, with some appreciating her tribute and others criticising her commoditisation of Mandela’s story. We get her take on her work in an exclusive interview

By deva lee Charmaine Taylor is only one of the artists who gained sections of the Robben Island fence from Robben Island Art Co and Trust (RIACT), which sells small sections of the wire that surrounded the prison. Christopher Swift was the first to repurpose the fence in an artwork in 2009 when he used part of the fence to create an artwork on Signal Hill. Later, RIACT enabled a handful of artists to produce limited-edition items for private sale. Since earlier work with RIACT, Taylor was granted exclusive rights to distribute the fence as jewellery, with the likes of Paula Abdul, Frances Fisher and Clint Eastwood’s daughter wearing pieces such as the “Liberty Bangle”, “Victor Cufflinks” or “Rights Pendant”. She says she’d love to see her work on Michelle Obama or Charlize Theron.

Why did you decide to create jewellery from the fence in particular?

I am friends with Chris Swift, the artist who rescued the Robben Island fence and always thought it was an amazing story of salvaging a piece of history that otherwise would have been forgotten and buried. I have been involved in the project in its early years as I helped RIACT with their graphic design, so was always aware of

the fence and what it has been used for. I always wanted to create a product that is fundamentally South African and made by South Africans, and when I found the Robben Island fence and saw all that is represents – and what we as artists and jewellers can create with the fence – I was excited to take this on board.

Do you see your jewellery as artwork or products? And what is the difference in your opinion?

Pieces of artworks, as each piece is titled after something that South Africa went through as a society such as Release, Rights, Salvation, Democracy, Liberty, Justice, Mercy and Grace. The investor / purchaser will buy pieces that they relate to. Each piece also has its own character and style – they are all similar in design but the texture and the bending of the fence always differs slightly, so it is very bespoke.

What is the value of creating artworks from the fence as opposed to housing it in a museum?

The value of creating artwork is that the every day person can daily carry these pieces with them or have them in their homes. A museum is limited to a building and the artefact and only people who attend the museum might see

it in the flesh. Legacy Collection purchaser can also pass these wearable artifacts to their family members from generation to generation, always being able to tell the story of South Africa and what we went through a society.

Your project is entitled “Legacy Collection”. What role does your work play in the legacy of those who served time at Robben Island?

Legacy Collection embodies every South African, from the men who served on Robben Island to the men and woman who fought for freedom. I also give back 10% of profits to sustainable employment (creating skills) which is still the major problem in South Africa today. So in giving back I am enabling another South African to create a Legacy of their own to pass down from generation to generation.

Some have likened RIACT’s work to selling pieces of the Berlin Wall. What is the effect of selling relics from historical places that witnessed oppression?

I can see the similarity in the comparison. The Robben Island fence is an interesting temperamental rusted material to work with, which a lot more pliable and bendable than a wall.

This was the major interest Chris and I had in this material as so many pieces of art or jewellery can be created from it. As artists we are creating artworks that celebrate overcoming oppression and seeing how far we have come today. Legacy Collection is creating a range that specifically celebrates our 20 years of Freedom as a country. XX is 20 in roman numerals and X is to mark your right to vote. I am bringing out a “one man one vote” cufflink as well as drop earrings with XX and charm bracelets and many more. This is in celebration that freedom is a gift to be cherished and to remember how far we have truly come through our wonderful leaders and as a society.

Critics have said your work capitalises on a tragic (although popular) aspect of South African history. How would you respond to this?

There are always critics and, much like in art and beauty in general, we all have different perceptions and points of view, which is the beauty of free speech and a democracy we live in today.

Legacy Collection focuses on how grace and forgiveness was chosen in South Africa and freedom of oppression, and this as an artist and jewellery designer is the symbolism of my range (the rough texture symbolising the scars of

the past) and what I experience as a child growing up in the old South Africa and now within the new Democracy.

You donate 10% of your profits to the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Abalimi Bezekhaya (an organisation that teaches organic farming in Cape townships. Can you tell us more about Abalimi Bezekhaya (We are Farmers)?

The Nelson Mandela Foundation contributes to the making of a just society by keeping alive the legacy of Nelson Mandela, providing an integrated public information resource on his life and times, and by convening dialogue around critical social issues. At Abalimi they assist individuals, groups and community based organisations to initiate and maintain permanent organic food growing and nature conservation projects as the basis for sustainable lifestyles, self-help job creation, poverty alleviation and environmental renewal.

RIACT artworks raise an important question: are artworks made from the Robben Island fence simply a commoditisation of tragedy and a cash cow that once again exploits those who experienced a history of oppression under apartheid, or are these works artefacts that pay tribute to our heritage and support the legacy of the struggle heroes?

thesouthafrican.com | 8 -15 July 2014 |

9

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Fear of the summer holiday wobbly bits

| Perhaps I could start drinking at dawn to the point where I just don’t care? Or I could just embrace my inner Bridget Jones Spray tan? Sunbed?

Basically, all I can do is pray I do not know one single person on the beach, that the nudists put on weight and Flavio has bad vision.

Maybe this is why darling opted

to go golfing in France instead, he is embarrassed to accompany the Beluga Whale to the beach.

I think I want someone to love me, just the way I am.

Where are you Bridget?

BOK

RIANA

Sitting here with a glass of red wine. I don’t even like red wine, but I have run out of the usual stuff and not up to joining the minions filing past the flat after Wimbledon to slink into Sainsbury’s to get my fix.

Been one of those random days. Moreover, I am thinking of something succinct to say and the brain is as vacuous as Oscar Pistorius’s alibi.

For some inspiration I scoured the papers and my favourite blogs.

They seemed equally useless.

So another famous performer is a pervert, his scary facial hair gave him away a long time ago, and one blogger decided to dedicate her entry to ‘lady bits’.

Hardly worth the Pulitzer methinks.

Really, I mean who wants to read about ‘outies’ and the size of the average ‘forest’ in the veld.

We are failing our readers and their intelligence when we… on second thoughts, maybe some people really are fascinated by the nether regions to the extent of Googling it.

Could make interesting dinner conversation.

So I will spare you details of my

the Nigella look (problem is I am restricted to a carry one bag with Easyjet and that would mean my total allotment of clothes). Perhaps I could start drinking at dawn to the point where I just don’t care?

JUANITA

Karen de Villiers

grooming routine down south, and tell you of a real fear facing me.

I am hitting the beach in a few days time.

I have not seen the sun for close to a millennium and the grapes have not been kind to the middle regions either.

Still thought I had time – you know, do the gym stuff and cut down on the carbs a la Banting, but today I found myself wafting through the clothing section until … holy mother, bathing costumes.

Facing the gallows would have kinder.

In my mind I am a Victoria’s Secret model, but the truth is I know Candice’s mum and am about thirty years late on that score.

That big, awful hold-all is not going to cut it on the Greek Islands, but what is a girl to do?

It’s not as if I am trying to pull a Shirley Valentine over there. I just want to be able to get a tan and do the walk of shame to the water without ridicule.

I want to fit into the camera frame. I do not want to look like Gerard Depardieu.

More importantly, I do NOT want to look like those women in the maxi, boob tube dresses and end up with the lobster look in a one piece.

I need a plan.

Maybe if I spend the next two days on my flat balcony in the buff, the vile whiteness may turn to a coffee hue and I could go for one of those full panty bikinis, or even

THEUNS

The Optimist

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

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

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10

| 8 -15 July 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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The yarn that binds us, with a little bit of nattering

| We were a group of about five or six ladies, most of whom were knitting the latest concoction tutored by Nessie

By Katy Potatie A few years ago, we decided to bring my parents over to visit us.

Not sure if you’re the same, and call me sentimentally stuck, but, for me it’s very important that my parents see where I live, what I do, the places I visit, so that when they’re not here – and I speak about it, they can relate. And I can feel that I’ve walked on the roads that they’ve walked, and I’ve climbed the same stairs that I’ve climbed and they’ve made a cup of tea from the same kettle that I use.

So we brought my mom and dad over to visit the beautiful town of Beaminster. Picking them up from the airport, I remember, it was rather funny. They were like two excited kids sitting in the car, reading all the road signs and recognising how many similarities there were of place names in the UK and in South Africa. They’d read each one: Somerset, East London, Malmesbury, Worcester and more.

And as we arrived home and we got them settled in, and showed them around the town, it was so interesting seeing my parents explore a new world that was completely foreign to them. It was the first time that I had introduced them to a world where they were the foreigners and where I was a ‘local’. And it was me telling them about the area. It was me introducing them to people. It was me telling them about cultures and words, and expressions and explaining how things work.

The child – parent paradigm had shifted.

But within a week, they’d found their feet. They were settled.

Now Beaminster, with the utmost of respect, is a place where the overall balance between those younger than the age of 40 is very much outweighed by those who close to, or above retirement age.

So for my parents, it was heaven on earth. They arrived in this little village with so much to see and so much to do, where the thing to do every day, is to trundle down to the square and sit on the bench, and watch the world go by, and chat with the person sitting on the bench next to them. Where you have the time to stop and talk to the person with their dog. Where a conversation at the check-out counter of the local supermarket turns into an invitation to tea.

Naturally, I simplify this far too much, I but I think you understand the sentiment.

And within this very first week, my mom had met the local yarn supplier, the owner of Nessie’s Yarns and Crafts, Nessie Dear – and had been invited, not only to tea, but to attend their regular weekly Knit and Natter gettogether at her home.

Needless to say, my mom, who’s an avid crocheter, was over the moon to be able to attend something like this, and I indulged her by going along.

I don’t knit, and I dont crochet, but I do enjoy drawing, and I do like to make jewelry. So I trundled along with my bag of beads, my mom with her bag of yarn, over to Nessie’s home in Mosterton to knit and… natter.

Nessie had prepared a spread of cakes and cookies and cups of tea – none of which she took part in herself, but all of which was devoured by the rest of us.

We were a group of about 5 or 6 ladies. Most of who were knitting the latest concoction tutored by Nessie.And so we would attend, for the following few weeks while my mom and dad were in the UK where they would knit, and they would natter.

And once my mom and dad had left the UK to return back to South Africa - the nattering never stopped as communication continued over emails and letters.

I would see Nessie every now and then, and she would ask about my mom and when they were coming back to visit. I’d pass messages back and forth between mom and Nessie – and so it went on. I didn’t see her often, but I’d make the effort to pop into her shop, every now and then.

So, the day that we heard that Nessie had succumbed to flu, and had passed away, was a day that was filled with far more sadness for me, than I care to admit. Not only because a stalwart of the town had passed on – a woman who was completely selfless and lived her life to serve others and seldom put herself first, but because I felt that a little something that connected my mom, to me, through Beaminster, was no longer there. I felt like the yarn I’d be hanging on to, was slowly coming to an end.

And it made me sad.

So now, every now and then, I still pop in to Nessie’s Yarns and Crafts. There’s no more Nessie, but there’s still a heck of a lot of wool. And in that wool – I know my mom’s still around. Except now, I buy the wool, ship it back home, and promptly put my mom to knitting.

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thesouthafrican.com | 8 -15 July 2014 |

Zimbabwe Community

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Inaugural MoneyGram Zimbabwe Achievers Awards South Africa launched | After the success of the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards in the United Kingdom, which has been celebrating the movers and shakers of the disaspora for the last four years, South Africa will get its own version later this year By staff reporter The Inaugural MoneyGram Zimbabwe Achievers Awards South Africa will be held in November 2014, International money transfer brand MoneyGram announced last week.

The prestigious awards ceremony will emulate the structure and hopefully the success of the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards in the United Kingdom, now in its fourth year. The awards will recognise distinction in various categories within the Zimbabwean community living in South Africa.

ZAA Chairman Conrad Mwanza said, “The inaugural MoneyGram Zimbabwe Achievers Awards SA will be a unique opportunity for the estimated two million plus Zimbabweans in South Africa to celebrate their successes.

The objective is to celebrate the various individuals, companies and organisations that have kept the Zimbabwean flag flying high and have significantly contributed to the growth in their respective fields”.

Mwanza said South Africa

should look forward to a glamorous event that will see some of Zimbabwe’s best and brightest showcased on the red carpet.

Anton Luttig ,Regional Director for South and East Africa at MoneyGram, said MoneyGram was proud to be the headline sponsor of the inaugural MoneyGram Zimbabwe Achievers Awards SA. “Zimbabwe is one of our key corridors and being able to identify and recognise the success of Zimbabwean nationals gives us great joy as a company. Our strategic partnership with ZAA is one that we value and look to grow into the future as we continue to provide affordable and reliable money transfer services to the Zimbabwean community in South Africa and across the world. We anticipate a successful awards ceremony in November and look forward to celebrating the inaugural top achievers.”

“We look forward to giving you a night of prestige and celebration of outstanding achievement and paying homage to those who go above and beyond, whilst taking

their fellow citizens with them,” said Richard Moyo, ZAA SA CEO. The nominations announcement is scheduled to take place later this month in Johannesburg.

The MoneyGram Zimbabwe Achievers Awards South Africa categories are as follows: Business: • Business of the year • Female Entrepreneur of the year • Male Entrepreneur of the year • Business Leader of the year • Professional of the year • Community: • Community Organization of the year • Community Champion of the year Arts, Culture and Sports: • Music Artist/Group of the year • Sports Personality of the year • Media Personality of the year • Entertainment Personality of the year Special Category: • Lifetime Outstanding Contribution Award • Academic Excellence of the year Award • People’s Choice Award • Friends of Zimbabwe Award

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Travel

| 8 -15 July 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

A hike up Arthur’s Seat will reinvigorate your air-sacks and jumpstart your liver from all the whisky

The alleyways around Old Town hold sordid secrets and solid surprises not just for tourists

There’s no place like Edinburgh in August | With less than a month to go until the Edinburgh Fringe, we take a look at the Scottish capital and all its highlights

by sertan sanderson August in Edinburgh is a bit like Disneyland for adults. There’s something there for everyone: film festivals, book fairs, jazz events, military tattoos (which has nothing to do with ink) and – of course – the notorious Edinburgh Fringe festival.

Anything that could remotely resemble any form of stagecraft descends onto Scotland’s already dramatic-looking capital and changes the entire atmosphere of the city by the River Forth’s estuary for four weeks running, turning everything into a magical playground of experimental theatre.

It is safe to say that you may never have seen anything quite like it.

Whatever shows and spectacles you may wish to schedule in during your visit (with one of the biggest venues in town, the Assembly Rooms, dedicating part of their space to their South African season during the festival each year), here are some of the greatest sights of the Celtic gateway city to plan during your trip.

Edinburgh Castle You can see this landmark of the Scottish capital from nearly any vantage point in town. Steeped in history, this is Scotland’s most visited tourist attraction as well as Edinburgh unofficial symbol.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, no visit to Edinburgh would be complete without a thorough tour of the castle, where you may run into ghosts of the pasts or simply enjoy the breathtaking vistas across the city. Still a functional military installation, the castle hosts the annual Edinburgh Tattoo in August, for which military bands from across the globe descend onto the bastion to parade their craft in style.

The Royal Mile The mile leading uphill to the Edinburgh Castle is known as the Royal Mile. Filled with old-world

charm, it is Edinburgh’s decisive answer to London’s Tottenham Court Road, where tourist shops attract excitable visitors to purchase all sorts of nicknacks and memorabilia. With a constant whiff of malt in the air from the nearby whisky breweries and bagpipes providing the perfect soundtrack for a leisurely stroll, it is actually a wonderful treat to walk up and down this part of Old Town and spoil yourself with souvenirs from your trip to Scotland. If you want to treat yourself to an exquisite dining experience here, book a table at Angels with Bagpipes on the Royal Mile.

Scotch Whisky Experience The Scotch Whisky Experience sitatued right outside Edinburgh Castle will welcome you to enter a tasting sensation in one of Scotland’s most popular vices: whisky. Whether you already are a connoisseur or a mere beginner to this art, this replica distillery will introduce you to all the steps involved in making the magic brew, and will teach you how to tell your single-malts from your blends. With an expert-guided tasting to round off the experience, this is truly a journey for all senses and also provides a solid workout for your liver.

Grassmarket An often overlooked part of Old Town, Grassmarket is an oblong square, which hosts several hotels as well as numerous restaurants and bars. It is just the perfect spot to pick for an overabundance of gastronomic choices, which in a tightly built city like Edinburgh might come in handy, especially on a bad-weather day. Grassmarket is simply a decent spot to crawl from one pub to the next, or to look at a few original shops before winding down for a delicious supper at one of the many lavish eateries along nearby W Bow crescent.

Palace of Holyroodhouse/ Scottish Parliament These two juxtaposed buildings located opposite each other will give you some unique insights into the Scottish psyche. To the one side you have Holyrood Palace, the British monarchy’s official residence in Scotland, which you can tour and view in all its opulence and splendour. But situated just across the road, you have the Scottish Parliament – the manifestation of devolved power from Westminster in London and symbol of growing national pride in Scotland. Between the old and the new, tradition and modernity, monarchy and democracy – which do you choose?

Arthur’s Seat Forget climbing up Table Mountain in Cape Town; it’s too much effort and bears too many dangers. Rather put your ergonomically adjusted shoes to good use for climbing this beauty – Arthur’s Seat right in the heart of Edinburgh. The breathtaking journey should take you an hour if you operate at a leisurely pace, but runners manage to mount the massive hill in less than half an hour. It hardly counts for “climbing” in the traditional sense, but the experience will still get your blood pumping with some clean and crisp air, providing you with some much-needed workout during your city-break to Edinburgh. Are you up for the challenge?

Royal Yacht Britannia Known as Queen Elizabeth II’s playground, the Britannia is where the monarch virtually spent most the days of her youth growing up as princess, and later travelling the world in style representing the crown. Moored permanently in Leith, which is a charming village in its own right located slightly outside central Edinburgh, this is as close as you might ever get to the real living chambers of

royalty. So get ready for the “royal treatment” on board the Britannia.

water can easily compete with the likes of the Golden Gate any day.

Forth bridge Regarded as a masterpiece of engineering, the Forth Bridge provides an awe-inspiring panorama, combining the beauty of nature and the ingenuity of man-made design. Still used as an imnportant railway route, the Forth Bridge connects Edinburgh across the estuary of the River Forth to the Lowlands and Highlands of Scotland. Celebrating its 125th birthday next year, the one-and-ahalf mile-long span across the open

Fried Mars Bar Much like Marmite, you can love them or hate them, but deep-fried Mars bars are here to stay and have long become a guilty pleasure in Scotland’s nightlife scene.

Instead of stuffing your face with a kebab or pizza, this calorie-laden whopper will help balance out your sins and coat your stomach for more frolicking. Just make sure you don’t burn your tongue on the gooey-hot caramel!

A man’s home is his castle; a man’s castle is his home

Forget haggis, fried Mars bars are the epitome of Scottish cuisine

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thesouthafrican.com | 8 -15 July 2014 |

Business

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Don’t get caught by a forex scam

| Forex scams are a dime a dozen on the Internet. Here’s how to sort the reputable money transfer companies from the disreputable

By Keith van der Linde When it comes to money transfer websites, the old maxim should always apply: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If in doubt, you can try the contact number, google the company, or dig deeper to see who owns the website on www.whois.net.

There are also many instances of clients scamming legitimate money transfer companies.

Herman Howell, 1st Contact Forex Manager, experienced this firsthand.

“I had a money transfer client whose information all checked out and who raised no suspicion until the day the bank called,” Says Howell. “We were told to immediately halt the most recent transfer, without raising suspicion or giving the client any information. It turned out he had a boiler room-type operation and that some of his ‘clients’ had lodged a complaint against him. Eventually the money was returned to his UK account and the complainants were refunded their money, but not after he promised to show up at our

offices with a baseball bat to ‘meet and greet’ me.”

“We have also had instances of clients pretending to be someone else,” continues Howell. “We receive passport copies and utility bill copies – complete with ‘copy of the original’ stamps. On one such occasion we noticed that many of the copies were signed and checked by the same bank.

When we contacted them, they confirmed our worst suspicion: someone had stolen the bank’s stamp and was using it to ‘certify’ passport copies and the like.”

To ensure you’re not a victim of a scam – or even unscrupulous over-charging – always use a money transfer company that is established, has favourable online reviews and is 100% transparent in their fees, their compliance policies, and the exchange rate they offer.

Visit 1st Contact Forex on www.1stcontactforex.com for fast, reliable, transparent forex services that beat the banks every time. For a limited time, 1st Contact Forex will give you £10 for every friend you refer who completes a transfer.

Scammers can resort to more ‘persuasive’ methods to get their point across. Herman Howell of 1st Contact Forex has first-hand experience of a baseball bat-wielding con-artist. Photo by Ahmad Hashim (Photopin)

Am I allowed to work on a Tier 4 Student Visa?

| BIC deals with a large number of student visas, and have compiled a list of issues, that interested persons must take note of, in order to avoid pitfalls, and to clear some issues on the topic of Tier 4 student visas

by JP breytenbach Last week we dealt with the issue of choosing the educational institution and avoiding bogus institutions. This week we discuss the issue of working whilst on a Tier 4 (General) student visa.

The minister of Immigration and Security made a statement to the UK Parliament on 24 June 2014, where he spoke about the abuse of student visas. It is clear from this latest statement that the UK Home Office is very serious

about cracking down on Tier 4 sponsors, as well as students, who do not adhere to the strict Tier 4 visa rules.

In the statement he said that work done by Her Majesty Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has identified a number of overseas students earning more £20,000 per year, despite the rule stating that they are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week, during term time. United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) have also identified

persons studying in London, whilst their home addresses were registered as restaurants in geographically far places such as Ipswich and Chichester. It is thus very clear, that the UK Home Office is doing cross checks to ensure that both Tier 4 sponsors and students adhere to the rules, and students should not take chances in this regard.

What are the current rules about working whilst on the Tier 4 (General) student visa?

This depends on where you study, what you study and how long your course that you are studying on is expected to take.

You can contact BIC for more information in this regard.

We sadly often times come across cases where clients are told that they can work for 20 hours a week and when they receive their visas they might not be allowed to work at all. A lot of colleges would tell clients that they can work in order for them to enroll with the college. Be wary of colleges such as this.

It is also important to note that if you are allowed to work, it may not be as self-employment, as

entertainer, or as a professional sportsperson or coach. There are various exceptions to this rule, so please speak to your BIC consultant for more advice.

If you are a prospective student, and would like to apply for your student visa, or need help with your existing status as Tier 4 student, please contact your BIC consultant.

JP Breytenbach

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

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FRN7s and London 10s Touch Tournament 2014

| With the Summer season into full swing – mother nature has been smiling down on us this week across London By in2touch Sunshine, blue skies and O2Touch playing tops graced the parks and pitches across our fine capital. With all the action taking place during the evenings – don’t forget about all our one day competitions coming up.

Following the successful 2012 London 10’s event with 20 Rugby teams and 20 Touch teams participating, we are very pleased to announce the 2014 event will be held on Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th July at Ilford RFC in East London (The Mixed social touch event will be held on Sunday the 27th July).

The mixed social touch teams will play in a one-day competition on the Sunday, but are welcome to take part in the Saturday evening festivities and camping opportunities. This competition will bring together mixed social teams from across the UK to fight it out to be crowned champions.

The London 10’s showcases all elements of Rugby Union and Touch Rugby – bringing all the best aspects both on and off field. Not only will the two day event display the skill and talent that is evident in this fine

capital, but live music, bars and entertainment will also be on offer 2014 sees the London 10’s and Touch Festival join forces with the fantastic FRN 7’s Tournament which will see Men’s and Women’s 7’s, Men’s Opens and Social 10’s all on Saturday 26th July and then the highlight of the event will be the 16 team mixed Touch Competition on Sunday 27th July.

Entry is open to any teams that wish to enter – but remember, first come, first served. So make sure to sign up and register for the fun filled weekend. Team entry will cost £180 – which not only covers entry, but tickets to the day’s activities and festivities, but the entertainment as well.

(Please note: All players in the squad must be over the age of 17 to participate in the competition.

Not only is playing in a one day competition a fun and exciting challenge for you and your teammates, it is also a way to meet new friends and discover the many ways in which the game of Touch can be played.

As we all know – touch competitions are as much about the games that day as they are

a Cactus Hoopla game, a giant Connect 4 and other rides, as well as a junior rugby demonstration match. This should get kids of all ages involved in the activities.

There will be plenty of entertainment for the adults as well with a rodeo bull ride and

about the social aspect – so to avoid massive FOMO, sign up now.

There will be plenty to keep the kids and adults entertained with activities all throughout the day. Activities for kids include a bouncy castle, rodeo bull ride,

performances from the crystal palace cheerleaders.

Did we mention that all of this is included in the price of your entry?

To sign up head to www. london10s.com, or for more info simply email info@london10s.com

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Nedbank SA Charity Golf Day tees off

| Over the past 16 years, the SA Charity Golf Day has raised more than £800,000 for deserving charities in South Africa. This year’s event will take place on 12th September 2014 at Burhill Golf Club in Surrey By staff reporter The Nedbank Charity Golf Day, the largest golf tournament of its kind in Europe, hosted its Sponsors Day on Monday 16 June at the Burhill Golf Club in Surrey where the Old Course proved quite a challenge for some.

Geoff Johnson, founder of the SA Charity Golf Day, said, “Golf is merely the activity to bring people together.

Far more importantly, it’s the participation, support and giving to our seven well-deserving charities as well as the additional opportunities we look out for”.

FW de Klerk, former State President of South Africa is the golf day’s patron.

Over the past 16 years, the day has raised more than £800,000 for deserving charities in South Africa. This year, its second with Nedbank as title sponsor, the organisers intend to raise more than ever before.

The names of the benefiting charities were announced at a dinner in the evening. These include: • FoodBank Foundation • Afrika Tikkun • Starfish Great Hearts Foundation • Warwick in Africa • Thuthuka • FW de Klerk Foundation • Lalela Project The Nedbank South African Charity Golf Day dates back to when Geoff Johnson organised

l Participants in last year’s Nedbank SA Charity Golf Day. Photo by Ronel van Zyl

relatively small golf days for South Africans in 1996 and 1997, which prompted the idea of having a larger golf day, aimed at charity.

And so he and a few enthusiasts organised the first South African Charity Golf Day at Mentmore in

1998 where it was held annually until 2002.

The event then oscillated annually between Moor Park, Foxhills, Stoke Park and back to Foxhills where it was held from 2006 through to 2013.

This year’s SA Charity Golf Day will take place on 12 September 2014 at Burhill Golf Club.

Join the largest golf tournament of its kind in Europe by spending the day with friends and supporting the outstanding work

being done by all the benefiting charities in South Africa.

Visit www.sagolfday.com to register your four balls and invite non-players such as spouses, partners or friends to join you at the Gala Dinner in the evening.

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