2011: Edition 11

Varsity THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

27 September 2011

Volume 70: Number 11

021 650 3543

All-Africa Games 156 m medal haul

varsitynewspaper.co.za

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@varsitynews

Race for 2012 SRC ends IN THIS ISSUE

Olivia Wainwright & Pasqua Heard

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n Monday 12 September, UCT launched its SRC campaign week. A total of 41 candidates ran for election, running either independently, as part of a student movement or representing a political party. The week included interrogations of candidates, question-and-answer sessions and personal campaigning.

Question-and-answer sessions were held every evening from 8.30pm to 10pm at five different residences. Both the satellite campuses and Upper Campus were scheduled to have one questionand-answer session during meridian from Tuesday to Friday.

The platforms candidates put forward ranged from the political, to the controversial, to the unusual.

While one candidate was standing for an improvement to the health and hygiene of residences, another stood for the advancement of “the common ginger” on campus.

Some candidates campaigned in suits, while others dressed casually or wore T-shirts promoting their political party. Candidates made use of speeches and leafleting to advocate their cause; one even resorted to singing. Many candidates used social networking to spread their message effectively.

Despite this campaigning, some students still felt uninformed. A second-year Humanities student said: “Most people are unsure of what the process entails. While the res students hear about campaigning, the day students are often left out.”

Secrecy Bill

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Food for thought

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Culture(dness)

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Image: michael.currin.co.za X MARKS THE SPOT – UCT students voted for the next SRC after two weeks of intense campaigning.

At the meridian interrogations, candidates were only given 30 seconds to campaign. Problems arose when candidates arrived late for the meridian sessions.

Kathleen Taylor, SRC vicepresident internal and elections committee member, stated, “It’s difficult to work with an hour. While some candidates arrived at 12.45pm, others were not as punctual, and this is only unfair to those who arrive on time. However, I am impressed with

the candidates sticking to the 30 second time limit as this usually is a major problem.”

The evening interrogations left more time for candidates to speak and voice their opinions, as well as answer questions from the audience and other candidates. Candidates were often faced with taunts from the crowds. At Thursday’s evening interrogations at Graça Machel Residence, a current member of the SRC in charge of running the interrogations said, “I am worried about this crowd. It seems you are only here for entertainment … please refrain from personal attacks.”

Taylor, however, argued that the heated debates between candidates and the reactions from the crowds often shows that students do

care about the elections and the importance of the SRC. The SRC elections commenced on Monday 19 September; ballot boxes were placed around UCT and students were also encouraged to make use of online voting facilities. Campaigning continued as candidates tried to persuade voters at the last minute.

However, some candidates were prevented from campaigning for the full election week due to their breaching the elections candidate code of conduct. A total of 27 candidates failed to declare their expenses to the SRC Elections Committee. The committee then prohibited the candidates from campaigning until they made their expenses known.

Initial SRC election results 1. Siya Yanela Songca 2. Insaaf Isaacs 3. Mike Ramothwala 4. Kabelo Pule 5. Nkateko Mnisi 6. Jeremy Themba Rose 7. Fadzai Chitiyo 8. Samanthaclaire Ncube 9. Ali Kiyaei 10. James Olivier

2 143 2 093 2 001 1 956 1 811 1 682 1 676 1 646 1 626 1 585

11. Alexander Spoor 12. Lorne Hallendorff 13. James Laird-Smith 14. Kwadwo Owuso 15. Muhammad Motala 16. Michael Moss 17. Basani Mkhize 18. Michael Overall 19. Foster Tshiluvhu 20. Geoffrey Kilpin

1 567 1 525 1 470 1 459 1 368 1 333 1 310 1 300 1 228 1 225

Dalai drama

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Stand-up comedy

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VARSITY, the official student newspaper since 1942, is committed to the principles of equality and democracy.

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news NEWS BITES

Troy Davis executed GEORGIA, USA – Troy Davis was executed on Wednesday 21 September at 11:08pm amid much controversy. Davis had initially been scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at 7pm Eastern Time. Davis, whose case drew international attention, maintained his innocence until his death. The proceedings, however, were delayed more than three hours as the justices pondered a plea filed by his attorney. Organisations such as Amnesty International and personalities including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu called for the execution to be delayed.

– News24, CNN

Malema to appeal ‘Shoot the Boer’ ruling

Student Assembly: Fees, Fedics fury Stephanie Venter

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esidence food, student fees, the SRC’s involvement in the South African Union of Students (SAUS), and the recent SRC email confusion were hot topics at the latest sitting of Student Assembly on Monday 19 September.

The extraordinary sitting proved to be extraordinary indeed with the arrival Executive Director for Student Affairs Moonira Khan, who discussed Fedics’ contract with UCT. The SRC “withdrew from the process of contract negotiations because we felt the students’ voice had been undermined,” said Secretary-General Sean Darge in an introduction to the House.

Vice-President External Jessica Price expressed anger at the apparent futility of their attempt: “What would have been lost by asking Fedics to tender to prove they are the best?”

Khan responded that putting the contract out to tender would have been feasible had the contract discussions “started a year earlier.”

However, a “big lesson” has been learnt about contract renewals, said Khan, pledging that the process will in future begin a full year earlier.

Confusion around the recent meal vouchers price increase was clarified

by Darge, who explained that he had discussed the matter with Grant Willis of Student Housing, and had not been aware of Willis’ contact with other bodies. A student had expressed anger at the SRC taking

Manuel calls on students to get involved

JOHANNESBURG — Julius Malema has been granted leave to appeal the hate speech ruling at the Supreme High Court of Appeal. The judge who made the ruling stated that “There is a reasonable prospect that another court will come to a different conclusion than I did.”

Johannesburg High Court Judge Colin Lamont stated that the costs of the appeal would be decided by the Supreme Court.

In the interim, Malema was banned from singing the song.

– Times LIVE

Typhoon Roke hits central Japan TOKYO – At least 16 people are either dead or missing after the typhoon moved north across central Japan, passing about 200km west of Tokyo. Most were swept away by rivers swollen by rains in southern and central regions. One person was killed in a landslide in the north of the country. Officials were concerned for the safety of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was sent into meltdown in March, but the typhoon passed without damage.

– Guardian.co.uk

Tiffany Mugo & Rhynhardt Krynauw

“What would have been lost by asking Fedics to tender...?” all SRCs in the country. Attending an SAUS meeting this year in Nelspruit cost the SRC R22 000, said Ngwenya.

Though no final decision has been reached by management on next year’s fee increase, the SRC discussed their stance in negotiations this year.

This was one of a 0% fee increase “in principle,” failing which an increase to match inflation, said Price.

The SRC was hesitant to discuss the recent statements sent to students through its Vula tab because Mike Ramothwala was not present. Ramothwala had sent an email during SRC interrogation week labelled “official” on the SRC Vula page, but it was retracted by Darge on behalf of the SRC the following morning.

The original statement was a denial of allegations of homophobia put to Ramothwala at an SRC election Q&A session, though the statement did not mention him as the candidate in question. According to the SRC, the matter is being investigated by the SRC election committee.

Finally, Darge outlined a number of achievements this year in his presentation of an organisational report. This includes the publication of an SRC “achievement booklet,” to be published in December, and the raising of approximately R487 000 for the SRC financial bailout fund from Jameson Plaza rental.

Con man on campus Nyasha Kadandara

Things took a turn for the worst when Kally suggested that in order to save time they should split up. n Thursday 8 September, He suggested two of the girls go to three UCT students fell the hair salon while the other girls prey to a con man, posing as an would wait at the restaurant for agent from MTV Base. On that another friend who was also keen morning, Nokuthula Khumalo was on being part of the promotion. He drawn by a general call in Baxter left the two ladies at the salon, and Residences announcing that, if any he left in the taxi, with their laptops girls wanted to be part of an MTV and cell phones. After waiting for Base Promotion, they should meet more than 45mins, the girls at the a man who went by the name of restaurant realised something was Kally at reception. amiss. In an attempt to reconnect Conman Kally informed the with her friends, Khumalo girls that the promotion would take contacted her mother, who then place later on that arranged for day. He specified the Table View that they would Police to assist the need their ID girls. They later books and laptops returned to Baxter for data capturing Residence to find of VIP guests at their friends, and the event. He then CPS was on site invited them to to assist. breakfast at the The case is V&A Waterfront currently under Mugg & Bean. investigation at The purpose of the Rondebosch CONNED – Artist’s rendering the breakfast was Police. Conman of the suspected con man. to brief the girls Kally has on what they would be expected posed as a modelling and MTV to do.

Base agent, and he targets During breakfast, Con man small groups of women. He is Kally claimed that the original girls alleged to have executed scams had pulled out, which is why he in Johannesburg, Durban chose to approach UCT students. and Cape Town.

He claimed that he taken part of Tafadzwa Makombe, a subthe Cape Town Fashion Week, warden in Baxter Residence, said among other MTV Base events. that all residence receptionists He promised that their have been warned not to advertise compensation would be in the form job opportunities unless officially of R1 200 for the event, and R2 000 sanctioned. She also said that all worth of shopping at Truworths. wardens had been notified and that The girls were also expected to get CPS was currently still investigating their hair done on Strand Street. the matter.

O

Obama: ‘US will veto Palestinian statehood bid’ NEW YORK – Barack Obama arrived at the United Nations on the evening of 19 September amid intensified pressure on the Palestinian leadership.

Palestinian leaders planned to ask the UN Security Council to declare the occupied territories a Palestinian state. President Obama stated after meeting Mr Abbas in New York: “We would have to oppose any action at the UN Security Council including, if necessary, vetoing.” President Obama also told the UN general assembly that the US could not back the Palestinian proposal for statehood.

– Guardian.co.uk

credit for this increase.

A portion of the sitting was spent discussing the SRC’s role in SAUS, which SRC president Amanda Ngwenya described as a “dysfunctional organisation” for which future UCT SRCs should look to forming an alternative. SAUS is an organisation that represents

Image: www.michael.currin.co.za

Nyasha Kadandara

M

inister Trevor Manuel, chairperson of the National Planning Commission, spoke to UCT students on Thursday 15 September. Manuel introduced the NPC Diagnostic Report and called students to join “the cadres involved in problem solving.”

Manuel set the scene by explaining that UCT students are part of an elite group in society. He said that out of the class of 1999, which consisted 1.3 million students who went to grade one, just under 560 000 registered for matric examinations and that this year just under 4 000 students registered as first-years registered at UCT. Manuel said that in order for South Africa to comprehend his focus areas, he would first explain what is happening in the world.

He gave interesting facts regarding the recent US census, for example that one in six people live below the poverty line and unemployment is just under 20%. He also revealed that the BRICS countries had recently offered to bail out the European Union.

Furthermore, he said that more global research and development was being poured into India and China, and that US citizens spend more money on potato chips than the US government spends on reconstruction and development.

With regards to the choices South Africa must make, he said: “We need

to focus our attention on the country’s constitutional imperatives.”

In the diagnostic report presented on Thursday 9 June, the NPC set their strategic objectives to eliminate poverty, and to reduce inequality by 2030.

The NPC has identified nine challenges that the country needs to overcome in order to achieve the aforementioned strategic objectives.

Questions raised from the floor were based on the voice of Equal Education being heard, and what place foreign nationals have in the discourse around development in South Africa.

A student asked, “Education is not equal; we still see this government maintain white wealth and black poverty […] How can we trust you now to help eliminate poverty and inequality, when we have seen you do the opposite?”

Manuel responded and concluded the discussion by saying, “It’s not a money problem; it’s a series of other issues that we need to get our head around. A lot of them are going to be driven by communities and change the participation of communities.”

news

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The Secrecy Bill Marché Arends

A

NC chief whip Mathole Motshekga announced on Monday 19 September that a parliamentary vote on the proposed Protection of Information Bill would not take place on the following day, as scheduled.

At a media briefing, Motshekga said that the ANC acknowledged the

public’s dissatisfaction with the bill – commonly known as the Secrecy Bill – saying, “There are still interested parties who need further hearing as well as other parties who have made late submissions.”

The bill had been scheduled to be voted on by Parliament on Tuesday 20 September, and Monday’s delay of the bill came as a surprise to many.

While it still unclear as to whether mounting pressure from civil society will have any impact on the enactment of the bill, opposition

groups have hailed this delay as a success.

However, Motshekga did reiterate that the bill would not be completely removed from the Parliamentary agenda and explained that it should be finalised by the end of 2011.

A point of much contention is the fact that a public interest clause will not be included in the Bill. A public interest clause would protect investigative journalists and whistleblowers who possess state documents containing classified information.

This would allow them to publish sensitive content in the interests of exposing corruption and threats to public safety.

The ANC, however, has argued that the public interest defence would render the act redundant.

Secrecy Week at UCT Chris van der Westhuyzen & Alex Nagel

U

CT Students Against Secrecy (SAS), an umbrella organisation of student societies at UCT organised a variety of seminars and debates surrounding the Protection of Information (PoI) Bill last week on campus to raise awareness of the bill’s dangers.

On Tuesday 13 September, Right2Know (R2K) national co-ordinator Murray Hunter addressed a roomful of students on the implications of the PoI bill.

Hunter explained that, despite its recent improvements, “the Bill continues to be in direct contravention of our democratic constitution.” Should it become law, certain government departments will have extended power to classify documents in protection of “national security.”

“Classification of documents is not unreasonable,” said Hunter, “for it is only natural that every state would want to withhold certain information to protect its national security. However, the Bill’s definition of ‘national security’ is far too broad, allowing for too wide a variety of information to be kept secret,” he stated.

R2K led a march to Parliament on Saturday 17 September to protest the bill, which many hailed as a success after the Parliamentary vote on the bill was delayed.

Some feel the bill’s biggest flaw is that it contains no “public interest” defence. This means that if someone brings to light certain classified government information with the hope of exposing corruption or general abuse of power, they will not be able to evade prosecution by claiming that they did so in the interest of the public.

Another seminar hosted by the group, entitled “Uncovering and Reporting on Arms Deal: A Case Study,” aimed to use a real example to demonstrate to the audience the potential impact of the bill on journalism and access to information.

Panellists included Paul Hoffman, former director of the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Christi van der Westhuizen, an award-winning journalist and author of White Power and the Rise and Fall of the National Party, and Hennie van Vuuren, director of the Institute for Security Studies.

Discussing the uncovering of information surrounding the Arms Deal in South Africa, the panellists said that the country spent R47 billion on the arms acquired in the deal. The loan has increased to R70 billion, which the panellists declared should be repaid to citizens.

Hoffman argued that South Africa bought weapons unnecessarily. The government has to now “scrape back R70 billion of tax payers’ money to buy weapons we don’t need to fight enemies we don’t have”.

Providing a journalist’s perspective, Van der Westhuizen explained that the police were used to investigate the Arms Deal plot, which in turn weakened South Africa’s institutions.

Panellists concluded by reminding the audience that a court date had been set for Thursday 17 November. Days after this panel discussion on the relationship between the proposed Protection of Information Bill and the Arms Deal, President Zuma announced (without the force of a court order) that he would appoint a commission of inquiry into the Arms Deal. Appointees on this commission have yet to be announced.

Study in London Presentation Distinguish yourself

Johannesburg: Tuesday 11th October at the Da Vinci Hotel and Suites, 2 Maude Street c/o 5th Street, Sandton 7pm Undergraduate Study 8pm Postgraduate Study Cape Town: Wednesday 19th October at the Grand Daddy Hotel, 38 Long Street, Cape Town 7pm Undergraduate Study 8pm Postgraduate Study

This presentation will provide information on programmes of study, the application process, our scholarship opportunities and life in London.

King’s College London is a research-led institution in the heart of London and ranked as one of the top 30* universities in the world.

To register for the event and for more information please email: catherine.eames@kcl.ac.uk *QS World University Rankings, 2011

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a King’s Fellow since 1978

www.kcl.ac.uk/southafrica

4

opinions

Editorial

Nyasha Kadandara

Trust and Believe

Editor-in-Chief

The choice is yours! your life, and especially the office.

Angry students, happy students, people looking to win prizes (FYI: the first 6 000 people to pick up the next copy of VARSITY get it for free!), people looking for free advertising, baboons (yes, they opened the door and walked in), parents, and many, many more.

All of that has proved that life around here is never boring. Though sometimes debatable (more often than I would hope), at least some of the nation’s best and brightest are being developed right here. But potential without action is useless to everyone. I say it often and with

Thank you and goodbye! we are by far the best student-run newspaper in the country.

I would like to thank all the students for reading, for all your compliments and complaints and for stalking various VARSITY members in shuttles, clubs and gyms about tip-offs.

To Trevor, Nobonke, Manny, Silvia, Ray, Jerome, Bonnie and Edwina, working with you was such a pleasure. Your warm smiles, support and dedication are the back bone of VARSITY. The 2011 Collective was my family from a lot of other mothers, I love you all. I will miss our heated debates about politics, sex, race, and religion, and then being scolded by Jean from next door as she bangs on the wall. We had good times, dancing like it was the 80s and making 30 Seconds a competitive physical sport.

To Stephanie Venter and the 2012 Collective, good luck, it’s going to be one hell of a ride. Thank you to my family and friends (you know who you are), thank you for listening to me rant, and for the Toblerone, red wine, G&T’s, and for all the various meals on wheels.

This paper gave me the best memories of my UCT career. I gave it my all. Now it’s time to get a real job.

ne

op ws in io fe ns at ur es sp or t im s ag es

nlike News of the World, there is no actual proof that I hacked into anyone’s voicemail accounts. But still I have been told that my time is up and I must make room for a new editor-in-chief, who will be more fantastic than me! I’m more than miffed, I’m shattered…

How can the best year of my life come to an end so quickly?

My fellow soldiers in student leadership are also having schizophrenic moments of “Thank the Lord it’s over,” followed by “I shall not be removed!” (imagine Mugabe shaking his fist furiously).

It’s not easy being the one people always blame. And the thing about being a leader is that we can’t always get it right, nor can we do all that we set out to do. Obama had big plans, but the crisis happened. So now he’s stuck solving the debt crisis. I guess the most important thing I learnt was to keep at it, one day at a time.

So was it worth it?

Damn straight!

I have enjoyed antagonising the SRC and watching people squabble at Student Assembly about nothing for hours on end. Tiffany and I have laughed at how some of you have obsessed over our columns and proceeded to blog, tweet and facebook about us. It was an honour to be a source of entertainment while you were in the shower.

After hosting the VARSITY Conference, I can proudly say that

Thank you and goodbye!

a co ds nf er ed enc ito e ria l hr

U

@varsitynewspaper.co.za 2011 collective editor Nyasha Kadandara deputy editor Nkosiyati Khumalo news Stephanie Venter & Lyndall Thwaits opinions Tiffany Mugo & Berndt Hannweg features Marché Arends & Thandokazi Hlwatika sport Sajjad Karamsi & Nicole Beale Design Nic Botha images Michael Currin web Azhar Desai & Chris Linegar human resources Caterina Aldera & Chido Mpemba advertising Sizwe Moagi marketing Rémy Ngamije OPERATIONS Candy Peck CONFERENCE team Florentina Swigelaar & Odwa Sihlobo sub editors Kent Elsner, Robyn Thomas, Rhynhardt Krynauw & Stuart MacDonald staff writers Rob Attwell, Danielle Barnes, Kgorula Bitterhout, Annique Bolliger, Nick Corbett, Carla de Klerk, Chris Fourie, Zaid Gamieldien, Sakhi Gcina, Pasqua Heard, Liam Kruger, Kevin Minofu, Alex Nagel, Alex Searle, Calvin Scholtz, Anade Situma, Ingrid van der Walt, Matthew van der Westhuizen, Chris van der Westhuyzen, Olivia Wainwright & Michael Williams photographers Gareth Smit & Uwais Razack cartoonist Julian Nkuna Design Takura Wekwete

OFFICE: Room 5.20, Level 5, Steve Biko Students’ Union

Nkosiyati Khumalo, Deputy Editor

R

ead Nyasha’s and Tiffany’s columns and you’ll see that it’s nearing the end. After three years in student leadership I can tell you that I’ve seen some things. You never know what will walk into

good reason: getting involved pays off, quite literally.

In the real world, things get real; just as many people come through your door with complaints, requests, praise, criticism, and yes, even baboon-like behaviour. What have you done to prepare yourself? If you’ve spent more time at Tin Roof (the armpit of civilisation) than preparing for your future, I don’t even know if prayer can help you at this point.

When the time comes, you’re the one who will decide if you’re going to take over the world like you’re truly able to... or just be another baboon.

Newsgathering Tuesday 27 September, 1pm, LS2A

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Wednesday 5 October

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Climate change is real For me, as problems and fears go, climate change has changed in its categorisation over the years. It was in the “bogeyman/ monster-under-the-bed” category – something that certain witnesses swore was real (and the responses were generally “aw, that’s cute”), but no one really believed them. Later it became like UFOs with more and more “evidence” emerging.

As this green revolution evolved, I started to think of climate change like sweatshops in China – I’d accepted that they probably existed, but what was I supposed to do about it? And now? Well, it’s probably the fat, pink elephant in my room.

You may have noticed the flurry of activities promoting climate change awareness on campus – from the more well-established

projects like RideLink, initiatives like “Green Fridays” to the more informal flash mobs that have been popping up. Things are getting real – people I know are starting to care. If you’re keen for this sort of thing, there’s the Tread Lightly Sustainable Carnival Procession on 24 September promoting the reduction of carbon emissions.

Heck, it’s a chance to be part of a carnival procession – go go go!

Artic ice is supposed to be gone by 2030 (and drown all the polar bears). Fresh water will be gone by 2050. It’s pretty much doom and gloom out there. South Africa is hosting the COP17 UN conference on climate change.

This is an attempt to get countries to agree on some strategy forward with regards to carbon emission and the like.

I don’t believe that change can happen only from the governmental level – we need support from the populace (yes, that’s me included) as well.

Organisations such as Project90 by 2030 provide entire toolkits (with practical suggestions) to help companies and individuals cut their carbon footprint. A quick Google (or Bing if you’re such inclined) will find you oodles of other suggestions.

For me? Don’t judge, I’m a bit behind on the times. I’m going to start with light bulbs. I’m getting energy efficient bulbs and swapping them out as the out ones break. I hear they’ll save me money on electricity as well.

The next step is a blumfy for my geyser…

Richard Cheng

Support Palestinian September In September 2011, the UN Security Council will vote to decide on recognition of a Palestinian State in all of the land occupied in the 1967 war. The immediate result would be that Israel is occupying land belonging to a fellow UN member, opening up legal and moral-political avenues to Palestinians to advance their fight for freedom.

The Israeli state is feeling the pressure. Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defense Minister, stated earlier this year that as a result of the upcoming UN resolution, Israel is facing a “diplomatic-

political tsunami.” Consequently they have launched multiple political and ‘charm’ offensives, including a recent visit of Israeli students to campuses throughout South Africa.

A two-state solution is supported by over 60% of Palestinians and Israelis, US President Obama, the Arab League and numerous UN Security Council resolutions. Over 120 countries from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America have already endorsed the bid for Palestinian statehood, but Israel’s right-wing government and the

US vehemently oppose it. Europe is undecided. If Israel can ensure that a number of key European democracies fail to endorse the resolution, they may end up with a “moral majority.”

Just as people who care about human rights should denounce the carnage being meted out by the Syrian government, so too should all South Africans support the legitimate right of the Palestinians to self-determination.

Daniel Mackintosh

In response to centrespread “A rainbow nation of education” (13 Sept) I again register my strong objection to the publishing of a picture of two “models” pretending to be ballet dancers in the centrespread of your publication of 13 September. The spread gives the impression that it is portraying the performing arts as taught at UCT, and includes a

quote from one of the dancers in our department. The implication is that the “models” are from the UCT School of Dance, and that this is the standard of classical dancer trained in the dept.

This is misrepresentation and irresponsible journalism.

Perhaps your photographer

could have taken the trouble to visit the Dept and record dancers of which UCT could be proud.

Elizabeth Triegaardt Assoc-Prof: UCT School of Dance

opinions Speak Easy

Tiffany Mugo

5

Food for thought .JDIBFM 8JMMJBNT

" 4XBO 4POH I GPS UIF &OE (This is it) W

POLL

hat a year it has been. As you can tell from my nostalgic tone this is in fact my final column and, truth be told, it has been the most exciting, heart-wrenching, hair-pulling, tear-jerking and exhilarating experience. There is no controversial issue within this article: I shall not be debating the pros and cons of democracy, I shall not look at the religious implications of sexual knowledge and I shall not regale you with tales of homeless men dancing. Instead I shall sit on my figurative stoep and reminisce.

Being Opinions Editor has not always been easy. It has been extremely fun but not at all effortless. My first article inspired someone to write in saying that it was irresponsible and thoughtless.

Granted, in hindsight it was not my most well thought-out article but I grew with time. At one point I had ANCYL representatives asking me if I was trying to “destroy the ANC� by printing a certain image next to an article. I have been abused by writers who are upset that as the Opinions Editor I edited their articles. I have had blog pieces written about me. It has not been smooth sailing. But, my goodness, it has been fun.

The highs have far outweighed the lows and for this I must acknowledge some people. I must thank my writers who came through and the family and friends around the world who read my articles; the people who brightened my day when they said they enjoyed reading my latest piece. Thank you so much for the people who took all 6 000 copies of the newspaper every edition and ensured that by the following morning all editions had disappeared.

The VARSITY team of 2011 were the best collective one could ever have and Katt Williams said it, “You need to have you a team.� They supported me when the bullets started flying (again

and again); they allowed my crazy to roam free and reined me in when it was time. As Frank Sinatra said: “I couldn’t have made it without them, here’s to the band!�

As I look at the word count deplete I realise my metaphorical time is running out but there is still so much to say, so here goes. Men and women are from different worlds; we need to just agree to disagree. Men will never understand why we have our “crazy� moments and we won’t understand why they don’t understand. They can’t read our minds and we shall never understand why.

Furthermore, race is still very much a factor in this country, so stop tip-toeing around it and calling it “socio-economic� disparity.

Reconciliation is a myth — a good one but a myth nonetheless. Both human stupidity and human kindness are infinite.

Learning something new is hard but never hurt anyone.

Human sexuality is fluid; it’s when you make it rigid that there is a true perversion of nature. The notion that “evil triumphs when good people do nothing� really is true, so don’t turn a blind eye to injustice. Bathing sets that come with a loofah, sweet smelling soap and scented hand lotion do not count as a decent gift. And finally, Twitter is the truth. I joined recently and shall admit I was wrong about that one.

So, in essence, it has been good. There have been lows, but considerably more highs. So how best to end of than with a series of famous last words? In the words of Nostradamus, “Tomorrow I shall no longer be here.�

Humphrey Bogart said, “I should never have switched from scotch to martinis.� And, lastly, my own, “Live like no-one is watching.�

Bonne chance to you all!

The ban against singing “Shoot the boer�: t JT B WJDUPSZ BHBJOTU IBUF TQFFDI

t WJPMBUFT UIF SJHIU UP GSFFEPN PG TQFFDI PS

t JHOPSFT B QBSU PG 4PVUI "GSJDBO IJTUPSZ Visit varsitynewspaper.co.za and vote

n the “Farewell message of 2011 SRC President,� Amanda Ngwenya states that in 2011 the SRC saw to it that residence students received “improved catering services� in addition to “a fairer deal for meal vouchers�. These changes have certainly occurred, but there is little to no evidence to suggest that the SRC played any role in securing them.

These changes were primarily brought about through the hard work of residence catering representatives who were involved in talks with Fedics throughout the year. The SRC has no right or place to claim such successes as their own, particularly when one considers that they were hardly even aware of negotiations.

Gokul Nair, the head of the Committee of Residence Catering Representatives, and Sandisiwe Yengeni, the deputy head of the Committee of Residence Catering Representatives, can attest to and provide evidence of, in the form of minutes of meetings, the fact that there were no SRC members present at meetings of the Residence Catering Forum meetings (which involve Fedics, UCT catering staff and residence catering representatives), despite the fact that the SRC Residences Representative Khanya Gwaza is a member of the forum and is obliged to be present.

Image: michael.currin.co.za It was at these meetings that representatives put forward demands to Fedics for the increased value of vouchers and overall improvement of catering services, particularly food quality. There were four of these meetings in the course of the year, in addition to multiple informal meetings between UCT staff, Fedics and representatives, that the SRC failed to attend.

In addition to the meetings regarding these issues, there were many emails sent between UCT staff, Fedics and residences, all of which were copied to Gwaza, the holder of the SRC portfolio tasked with dealing with such issues, which received no input from the SRC. In addition to not joining the email dialogue between the parties regarding these issues, Gwaza also failed to respond

to at least four emails regarding the issues and requesting input from the SRC sent to him personally.

At least four other members of the SRC were notified of the problems of communication and the issues regarding residence catering, with all of them opting not to take up the matter personally.

It is with this in mind that I was shocked and angered by the SRC’s attempt to claim the changes that have come about within the catering system as one of their own triumphs.

The changes to catering came about as a result of the hard work of several individuals and groups with little or no input from the 2011 SRC. The fact that the SRC is scrambling to claim such achievements as their own is a clear indicator of their inefficiency.

6

opinions

Gareth Cliff in trouble for sexist comment

To party or not to party: SRC 2011/12

Danielle Barnes

Anade Situma

5

FM DJ Gareth Cliff is notorious for his controversial on-air comments and always makes for interesting conversations and debates, but Cliff ’s latest comment, that “22-year-old girls do nothing but lie on their backs with their legs open,” is pushing the boundaries of freedom of speech a little too far.

This comment was made in an interview on his show with AIDS activist Angela Larkan. Cliff says that the comment was not meant to be offensive and in turn is insulted that he was termed as sexist.

But how far is too far? When are we supposed to say no to outlandish comments made by people who have some sort of power over the general public, and so feel that they can say anything and not be held accountable? How could a comment like the most recent one that Cliff made be acceptable in modern times and how can people just shrug it off and not see the seriousness of such insulting generalisations?

Although the focus of the interview was supposed to be on Angela Larkan and her cause, Gareth Cliff shifted the focus onto him when he opened his big mouth and lost the effect that the interview was supposed to have. Whether he really meant the comment about 22-year old girls or not, any person who thought about the situation would see that such a comment would bring about huge controversy

and would be best left unsaid.

People in the public light, like Gareth Cliff, have a duty to their fans to bring attention to important topics and to say thought-provoking things in order to get people more aware of situations around them.

However, the power that these public figures have can sometimes be abused.

A tiny comment can be made into a huge scandal if the public feels strongly enough about it.

Public figures should pay attention to both the negative and the positive feedback they get.

Something like the situation with Gareth Cliff should not be ignored, not least by Cliff, and it should not be seen as something insignificant.

Instead, it should serve as a reminder that Cliff is not as invincible as he thinks he is. What may be considered “cool” today may be on its way out tomorrow, and then it may be too late to get back those people who have been alienated.

Then all the fame and fortune can be gone in an instant and people will only remember that DJ from a while ago with the colossal ego and insensitive comments.

Nevertheless, Gareth Cliff is still one of the most influential DJ’s in South Africa and maybe it is true that all press is good press.

How many more people will now listen to Gareth Cliff on 5FM just because they heard about this sexist scandal? Even so, comments like the “22-year old girls” one should be kept to a minimum.

T

he time has come to ask an essential question: Who is the best person to represent me? The SRC elections of 2011 supplied us with a wide array of prospective candidates. Now that it’s over and the winners have been chosen, let us look back on the campaign process.

One hotshot decided to base his entire campaign on a minority hair color, suggesting that the solution to the eternal struggle for better res food is to ask Fedics to use more ginger, while the two-man CIA felt the best way to get a good point across was to dress it up in a suit and bow tie.

Then there’s the girl whose tag line

you can ride on the party’s coattails and your campaign requires less innovation was “I (heart) Cait.” I certainly cannot be the only one who finds that slogan somewhat abstract. Who loves Cait?

Does Cait love Cait? Does the person who printed those posters love Cait?

Do I have an unknown love for Cait?

I don’t even know who Cait is.

Alternatively, you could have voted for the SASCO members whose faces are on the back of every seat on every Jammie. Do you people not have the education you are supposed to be getting?

Images: michael.currin.co.za This year we’ve seen a massive push on the part of the independent candidates. This made the elections interesting because, unlike most years, it is possible, or even likely, that they will outnumber the traditionally dominant party representatives.

When a nominee makes the decision to run with a party, they sacrifice a great deal for a certain level of security. As a party representative, life is good; you can ride on the party’s coattails and your campaign requires less innovation. To be fair, some of the party representatives seem pretty legit, but others just seem powerhungry, aligning themselves with the party because they’re looking for the easiest route to the top.

How much of your own particular manner of leadership can you really bring to the table before you hit the rock-hard wall of party politics?

Parties also benefit from experience with the system.

During interrogations I couldn’t help but notice how naïve the independents seemed. While their enthusiasm and perspective is refreshing, when you look at their manifestos and see goals like “nighttime transport to clubs,” you start to worry about exactly where their priorities lie.

Upon interrogation the nominee

went on about how it’s a system that would reduce drunk driving and harassment by dodgy taxi drivers and that a similar system had been successfully implemented in Grahamstown. However, when you think about it, how hard would it be for that system to be successful in Grahamstown? Why would you need ANY transport in Grahamstown?

Then there was the independent who would implement a “female women run blue light system” for Clarinus. As opposed to what other kind of women? Have we started ignoring the rights of male women?

What next?

One of SASCO’s representatives said that the appeal of SASCO is that you have the freedom to form your own opinions and weren’t obligated to agree with everything the SASCO executive said. Though that seems to solve the issue, you have to wonder: is it counter-productive for a party to have representatives that do not endorse the party’s view?

In the end I voted for the individual. Not the person who made the most noise but the person that made the best-sounding noise.

You hope for the best, and welcome to the SRC of 2011/12.

Images: michael.currin.co.za

Disclaimer The VARSITY Opinions section is a vehicle for expression on any topic by members of the university community or other interested parties. The opinions within this section are not necessarily those of the VARSITY Collective or its advertisers.

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opinions

7

The pursuit of culture(dness) Kevin Minofu

O

n a cold and uneventful night in Johannesburg, during my cold and uneventful holiday, I sat down to watch an episode of the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? During the episode in which a celebrity had to have “that awkward moment” when someone tells you that your great-grandmother died of syphilis, I decided to do my own share of family tree construction, ideally devoid of any venereal diseases.

Mainly, this particular episode of Who Do you Think... consisted of me simply questioning my parents about

what is this ‘culture’ that my monolingual, Western-influenced self should embrace?

Image: Ethnosense

a little bit of my family history.

Why do people care about their lineage? Is it simply a means for people to claim that their irritating characteristics, including rudeness, ugly toes and stubbornness, are a simple product of heritage? (No, that’s

all you.) Or is it a vain exercise to find a royal line to some virile monarch or the proclamation, “I totally have white (or black, for that matter) cousins!” Well, in my case, growing up as an immigrant from Malawi in this country had led to long, lonely walks on isolated beaches as I asked of the world: “Where are my roots?”

Okay, that may perhaps be a bit

over the top, but I have pondered what makes up the face that stares back at me in the mirror. Growing up in a society that places so much on the persistence of culture and an identification with an obese archetypal chieftain in a mystical village made me wonder exactly how much I owe to this peculiarly African idiosyncrasy — and what

is this supposed “culture” that my monolingual, Western-influenced self should embrace?

After about an hour of interrogating my parents, I discovered that the Malawian-ness that I have felt perhaps closest to is not as much a product of that beautiful lacustrine country as I thought. It was surprising to find

R E E R A C R YOU SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER VARSITY speaks to ANTON EICHER – Software Development Engineer, Amazon.com – BSc(Hons), MSc Computer Science How did you find your niche in your current area of work?

Throughout my undergraduate and postgraduate studies at UCT, I took part in various internships with large international organisations. During these internships, I was exposed to many different aspects of software development. I also worked part time as a software developer whilst studying. As a result of this work experience, and particularly my experience as an intern at Amazon, I decided that this was the right niche for me. After completing my MSc, I applied for a full time position here.

What other student or communitybased activities did you participate in during your studies?

Scuba diving and trail running, mostly. I was a member of the Dive Club and Mountain and Ski Club too.

Describe some of your day-to-day responsibilities/experiences.

My job title is Software Development Engineer.

I am part of a team of SOE’s that develop Amazon’s Elastic Computer Cloud service. My team is responsible for the software that runs

on hundreds of thousands of servers around the world. We face the challenges of scale on a daily basis. It is a very challenging and interesting place to be, as I work on cutting edge technology with some of the smartest people in the business.

What jobs did you have before your current job(s)?

Internships at Nvidia and Amazon. Working as a software developer at various local firms. The usual student jobs, like pizza delivery, waitering and bar tending.

What are the key skills that have contributed to your success thus far?

Software development skills learnt as part of my Computer Science degree, and practical experience gained from internships.

In retrospect, what advice can you give to students?

Get the most of what you can out of UCT. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and a time in your life where your choices and your level of diligence directly influence your success later on. If you put in the work, you will be rewarded afterwards. If you don’t, you probably won’t.

What do you consider to be your biggest achievement(s) thus far?

Completing my MSc with distinction, and submitting my first research paper.

What challenges have you encountered?

Beginning work at Amazon, I was presented with a steep learning curve. The complexity of the distributed systems is quite daunting at first, and it takes a while before new recruits feel comfortable with them. Once mastered, however, they present a uniquely interesting environment within which to work.

in fo rm

CAREERS CALENDAR AUGUST Career Talks The next round of talks will take place after the final exams, from 14 – 16 November.

Opportunities Consult our Career Portal for a list of bursary/ scholarship, vacation or graduate opportunities. Visit

www.careers.uct.ac.za/careerportal Not-for-Profit & Civil Society Career Fair 1 October 10h00 – 13h00 in African Studies Gallery Come and meet prospective employers offering volunteering, internships and graduate opportunities.

Presentations Consult the Calendar on www.careers.uct.ac.za for a list of employer presentations.

e eers Ser vic

Cara ti o n

out that my lineage was attributable to successive immigrants form modern-day Mozambique, Tanzania and, perhaps most interestingly, a great-great-great grandfather who left Zululand to get away from the benevolence and gentle-natured character of the ever-cheerful King Shaka.

The irony then hit me. My forefathers were also wanderers searching for better lives; immigrants who established their culture not as a clinging hope to a past life, but as a fluid exercise in self-identity.

So where does that leave me?

Where does that leave all of us who ponder our culture and heritage?

And perhaps more importantly, where does that leave the people who believe that their culture and their specific customs are the only things that provide any sense of identity to their lives, as a metaphorical leash that they can’t break through?

Well, what I have learnt and what all the sordid details about my family that I have yet to learn has left me with, is a new, fresher sense of identity.

Also, the identity I still search for is made up of my life experiences — and that, after all, didn’t involve the beating of any drums or any quasispiritual excursions up mountains.

o p p o rt u n it ie s • a d vi ce •

ED UC AT IO N R HI GH ER CE NT RE FO

DE VE LO PM EN

T

www.careers.uct.ac.za • 021 650 2497 • Ground floor, Hoerikwaggo, North Lane

*Register on our mailing list to receive updates about events and opportunities.

Visit www.careers.uct.ac.za/reg *Find us on Facebook @ University of Cape Town Careers Service and on Twitter @UCT careers

2011 SRC report card Amanda Ngwenya President

Affiliation: DASO Degree: LLB

A

C+

s SRC President, Amanda Ngwenya’s overriding goal was to create a public profile for the SRC while responding to student challenges within. She has been published in various publications. Ngwenya took a step further and engaged with other SRCs, including the UKZN SRC, about strikes. She has worked with the Wits SRC on the reformation of South African Union of Students, and has liaised with Stellenbosch University to establish a virtual dayhouse system at UCT. While Ngwenya managed to successfully uplift the SRC public profile off-campus, her policies were not student-centric.

She assisted with many campus campaigns, but did not have any projects or campaigns of her own within UCT. The SRC Ngwenya led was often divided and this came across in Student Assembly sittings. She acknowledged this, and stated that while she is SRC President, the image of the SRC amongst students rests on the shoulders of each member, and urged students to hold the SRC accountable. Ngwenya was criticised of having an autocratic leadership style, and was described as “leading a factional SRC.” Ngwenya’s term was characterised by her many speeches and writing, and not by her engagement with students.

Jessica Price

Vice President External Affiliation: Independent Degree: MBChB

A+

S

RC constitutional amendments, international student merit scholarships, and the fee proposal are but a few of the defining points of Jessica Price’s term of office. Price has been described by others as doing “a great deal to try and understand the finance issues at UCT.” The SRC constitutional amendments, which Price spearheaded, led to the creation of two new positions on the body and the approval from the Minister of Higher of Education. Price is the liaison between the SRC and international students and has achieved a significant change by campaigning for the extension of meritbased scholarships to international students. This was born from a concern raised in the “To Whom Does UCT Belong?” discussions, which Price initiated. Price took up the issue and was successful in having the policy changed. However, Price was not able to organise the local government election debate she had hoped to host this year. This was due to conflicting schedules of stakeholders in the election process, she claimed. Price has received positive reviews from those with whom she has worked, and when asked about her portfolio objectives, she said she had completed these by approximately April. This allowed her to take on extra projects she had not initially envisioned, to great success as in the case of the international students merit scholarships.

Sean Darge

Secretary-General Affiliation: DASO Degree: BA, English and Politics

S

C+

ean Darge’s role as Secretary-General can be hard to qualify because it is a highly administrative role that deals with issues as they appear. Darge’s job includes ensuring the communication of SRC policies and actions to the student body, creating free-flowing internal communication, keeping track of university committees, and relaying issues to SRC members. Darge has assisted in several projects during his term in office, such as the SRC constitutional review, the expansion of Jammie Shuttle routes, investigating shuttle problems, and the “Change Campaign”. Darge has gone beyond his role as Secretary-General on occasions during his term, having at times replaced the President at Council when she was unable to attend. Some of those who have interacted with Sean from outside of the SRC have found his manner helpful and informative. However, Darge has come into criticism for often only pursuing those avenues that are in his direct interest and for not fulfilling one of his primary roles as Secretary-General: communicating with the student body on behalf of the SRC. Organisational reports were hard to come by for students, and many SRC members mentioned a lack of communication with the student body as a failure of the SRC this year. Given that this appears to be Darge’s responsibility, it is a blight on his record as Secretary-General.

Mark Schoeman

Deputy Secretary-General Affiliation: DASO Degree: BCom, PPE

M

B+

ark Schoeman served as Deputy Secretary-General on the SRC for 2011. He admirably fulfilled his minute-keeping responsibilities on the Student Assembly Management Committee and organised the Student Leaders’ Dinner. He also participated in administrating the SRC Student Bailout Fund. Schoeman stated one of his goals was the creation of UCTube, which mimics YouTube. This would allow for UCT-related videos to be posted on the site.

This project failed due to a lack of funding, says Schoeman. He is to be commended for his self-initiated SRC Internship Programme which allowed for students to better understand and get involved in the work of the SRC. It also serves as a means for students to gain relevant SRC experience; five members of Schoeman’s internship programme ran for the current SRC elections.

Kathleen Taylor

Vice-President Internal

Affiliation: Independent Degree: BusSci, Law and Economics

A–

K

athleen Taylor has worked hard this year, juggling internal issues such as conflict and discipline within the SRC as well as sitting on many sub-councils and university committees as VPI. She has worked closely with many of the development agencies and has stretched beyond her portfolio to take on additional projects, such as improving the supplementary exam system in the Sciences, EBE and Commerce faculties. Taylor has fulfilled the majority her goals and gone beyond the call of duty at times to ensure that things run smoothly and professionally in her capacity. Her introduction of the Change Campaign this year that was very successful in achieving its goals, but “there is room to grow,” said Taylor. A low point from her perspective was the lack of communication between the SRC and the student body about the achievements of the student council, as well as the rejection of the discipline policy for the SRC. Overall, Taylor has excelled within her position – laying the groundwork for future SRC members to carry on with and expand on once she has stepped down from her position.

Aboobaker Kalla Treasurer

B+

Affiliation: SASCO Degree: BCom Management Studies boobaker Kalla appears to have held a successful term in office. His skill and ability in his role as treasurer were noticeable from the beginning of the year. From January to late February he worked with the student bailout assistance process, enabling many students to return to UCT to continue their studies. A quieter member of the SRC, his achievements may have, at times, gone unnoticed by the student community. Kalla attended most of his committee meetings and contributed well to the meetings. The response from committees he worked on was positive, especially in regard to the fact that Treasurer is a hard portfolio to manage. However, in his year in office, the SRC treasurer did not manage to complete all of his portfolio objectives.

Some he had to hand on to others to manage, such as the expansion of Jammie Plaza events to satellite campuses. Kalla also didn’t manage to set up a platform for the facilitation of student entrepreneurship; this will be left for next year’s SRC treasurer to complete. Although some of his portfolio objectives were not completed, the projects he has worked towards have, largely, been a success.

A

Insaaf Isaacs

Chair of Academics Affiliation: SASCO Degree: BCom, Info Systems

B

I

saacs took on one of the biggest portfolios in her first year of study at the university. She admitted that at times she was “overwhelmed” by the position and had to deal with ad hoc issues that were not necessarily too influential in overall academic performance at the university. Her C3 (Comment, Compliment, Criticise) project broadened the accessibility of academic representatives at UCT to students through the hosting of workshops and discussion times with herself, faculty councils, and class representatives. Additionally, she has been involved in the restructuring of the First Year Experience, which UCT has adopted as an initiative. Academic Development Programme and readmitted students are of particular concern to Isaacs, who says she has secured support from most faculties to encourage leadership amongst ADP students. Additionally, she has laid the foundation for a Readmission Support System at UCT to assist readmitted students through workshops, etc. throughout the year. Isaacs admits communication breaks with faculty councils at times, and says she was not able to host as many joint faculty ventures as she would have hoped.

The SRC Report Card is an annual VARSITY project that is conducted to assess the performance of each year’s outgoing SRC. The Report Card is conducted in an open and inclusive manner. All information presented in these reports has been sourced from the SRC members themselves, council members, staff and students they have worked with in their capacity as members of the SRC. VARSITY reserves the right to summarise and comment on the information provided by the SRC members and external sources, which resulted in the above grades. The SRC refused to provide peer reviews for this process, as have been provided in years past. Every effort was made to remain objective and fair in conducting this process.

Images: GarethSmit.com

(Images of Amanda Ngwenya, Mike Ramothwala, Aboobaker Kalla & Vimbai Paraffin were supplied by subjects)

Reports compiled by: Nyasha Kadandara, Stephanie Venter, Lyndall Thwaits,

Rhynhardt Krynauw, Sajjad Karamsi, Olivia Wainwright, Pasqua Heard & Alex Nagel.

Alex Spoor

Societies Co-ordinator Affiliation: Independent Degree: Postgraduate Law

I

C

n a year spent as Societies Co-ordinator, Alex Spoor says that his proudest achievement was fighting for revision of the residence catering tender process. Going against the Dept. of Student Affairs, he says, put him under immense pressure. He was also involved in revitalising the formerly defunct Student Societies Organisational Council and amending the SRC constitution.

Despite his successes he is, however, quick to point out – frequently – that he has failed in certain respects. He admits that he was not always well enough prepared and organised to effectively perform his tasks, and not using the student body to facilitate change within the university. Spoor also regrets not being more vocal.

He is, in the words of one of his colleagues, a “firebrand speaker,” and not shy to court controversy when he needs to get his point across. Spoor stands by the instances that gained him this reputation. While Spoor worked hard on the tender process, he is seen by some as neglecting his own portfolio, and did not really achieve anything that went above and beyond his ordinary duties.

Vimbai Paraffin

Health, Safety and Security Co-ordinator

E

Affiliation: DASO Degree: BSocSci, Sociology & Politics

P

araffin’s portfolio consisted of three intended goals for her term of office; focusing on HIV/Aids awareness, awareness of sexual violence and campus safety and security.

Although she endorsed projects such as the HIV/Aids testing drives on campus, this was mostly on behalf of the SRC and did not require direct organisation or involvement from her portfolio. Examples include the Chase 911 (E9 mobile response service) initiative which was constructed and proposed to UCT management from an outside company, and the HIV/Aids testing campaign, which was organised by HAICU and Student Wellness. She was criticised by other SRC members as well as members of the sub-councils on which she sat for failing to attend meetings, or not adequately contributing to meetings when she did attend. Her performance as an SRC member in terms of commitment to meetings and student assembly has been lacking, and her communication with the student body was less than adequate. There was potential for her to grow her portfolio as her three goals are important to UCT students, but this was not utilised. Paraffin has been working on two upcoming projects: a Vula tab for students, informing them of the services at Student Wellness and a sexual violence and prevention project, which is due to run from 4–14 October this year, but this project was still to come at the time of going to press.

Lethu Shange

Transformation Co-ordinator Affiliation: SASCO Degree: BCom, Economics

L

C–

ethu Shange admits that he had to miss a few of his goals because certain challenges stood in his way. He encountered conflict with teammates but described this as constructive.

Shange describes the SRC members as being supportive of contributions made and successful seminars held; “Black Rights, White Fears.” Although the Transformation council is quite broad, Shange is confident that he fulfilled the role to the best of his ability. However, some objectives failed to be fulfilled. He explains that Transformation Month had less of an impact this year because it was aimed at changing the mind-set of the staff instead of the students. The idea of attending to the university’s structure was admirable, but the execution appeared poor. Shange’s goal to issue study packs to UCT applicants and other prospective students was unsuccessful because of challenges preventing the access of the study material needed. The communication with external groups who were claiming copyright proved to be the main reason for the project’s failure.

C+ T

for communication, or lack thereof!

his year’s SRC failed to communicate with students and several members admitted they could have and should have done more. Information about their activities were absent and their Vula tab was mostly inactive; only seven announcements were posted for the year.

On the few occasions that students were emailed, certain members chose to abuse this tool to do damage control for electoral campaigns. There were individual acts of brilliance, such as “To Whom Does UCT Belong?”, the “Change Campaign”, the “Earn Your Stripes” campaign, and in the raising of significant funds. However, the 2011 SRC was divided and party politics were rife; one member stated that the SRC was “working at less than half of [its] potential.” While there were some star performers, their progress was stifled by sub-standard performance from others.

It should be recognised that many positions may be ambiguous or limiting, but it does not hurt to think outside the box.

Rating Scale: A: 8.5–10; B: 7–8.5; C: 6–6.9; D: 5–5.9 E: < 5

Ross Hare

Entertainment & Fundraising Co-ordinator Affiliation: DASO Degree: BCom, PPE

R

A–

oss Hare’s performance this year was characterised by a quiet efficiency and determination. Hare managed to raise almost R500 000 from Plaza events and from corporate sponsorship, totalling more than what was raised in previous years’ fundraising; most of this went towards the SRC Bailout Fund. Hare also recovered R110 000 of outstanding debts and managed to effectively balance having a large corporate presence with having a student presence, although he did receive some criticism from some quarters for “making Jammie too corporate.” Hare brought popular bands like AKA, Goodluck and Plush to campus and helped plan the Ikeys’ Varsity Cup victory celebrations. In addition to this, Hare took steps to start Jammie Wednesdays and Jammie Fridays on the Medical and Hiddingh Campuses respectively. The implementation of these programmes suffered a few teething problems, put down to lack of support from students, but Hare leaves behind a solid base for the next Entertainment Coordinator to build upon.

Kim Senogles

Sports Co-ordinator

Affiliation: Independent Degree: BA, Politics and Film

K

C

im Senogles only took over the Sport portfolio midway through the first semester. Her performance was admirable, and she was responsible for transforming a rather sidelined portfolio. She initiated the “Earn Your Stripes” campaign, which aimed to promote all UCT sports and encourage student support for sports. This campaign even saw the UCT rugby team going to watch soccer games, and vice versa. Senogles also initiated a blog and ran a Twitter account on behalf of UCT sports, and tried to feature regular updates of fixtures and results. While rugby receives backing from the Varsity Cup and sponsors, other sports at UCT get little funding. Senogles tried to implement marketing campaigns for other clubs to assist them in obtaining sponsorships as well. However, Senogles’ performance as Dayhouses Co-ordinator (her initial portfolio) in the first five months of the SRC’s term was characterised by insipidity and lack of focus, with no functioning Dayhouses Council formed. While Senogles’ work in the Sports performance should be lauded, her work as Dayhouses Co-ordinator appears to have left much to be desired.

Khanya-Khanyiso Gwaza Residences Co-ordinator

Affiliation: SASCO Degree: BCom, Economics and Finance

O

C–

f primary concern to Khanya Gwaza as Residences Co-ordinator was to fix residence place allocation problems for both old and new students; he was successful in campaigning for post-graduate students to be considered for third-tier residences. With regard to crisis accommodation, 60 students were allocated places and then received permanent residence thereafter. Gwaza fell short in some areas by not attending many Residence Council meetings, and appearing absent from duties at times; attendance at these meetings was considered a requirement of his position. He also failed to follow through with the ideas and vision that he had before he was voted onto the SRC. Another issue was the renewal of the Fedics contract, which was not put out to tender as the SRC and students had hoped. However, Gwaza explained that the SRC was outweighed by management in this matter.

Sipe Mgqibi

Dayhouses Co-ordinator

Affiliation: SASCO Degree: Honours in Criminal Justice

S

B–

ipe Mgqibi took on the position of Dayhouses Co-ordinator on 1 April after the SRC co-opted a new member to fill a vacancy. Mgqibi did not specify his weaknesses in his position, but explained that it was a challenge coming on to the SRC late. One of Mgqibi’s successes includes his ensuring a higher-than-anticipated grant for Ikhaya Dayhouse for 2012. Mgqibi, along with the help of Nafisa Mayatand and his sub-council, successfully ran Disabilities Awareness Week from 22–26 August.

Some of Mgqibi’s projects are upcoming, including the Day Students’ Formal – to be held at the end of October – and working with the Disability Unit to formulate a proposal for items that would ensure the upkeep of the dayhouse through the Hill Bequest Fund. Given that he came on to the SRC late and minimal the position required a lot of work, Mgqibi has taken steps to make his mark on the position.

Mike Ramothwala

Media & Communications Co-ordinator Affiliation: SASCO Degree: MBChB

R

D

amothwala’s biggest failing was not that he did not do a good job or that he made horrible mistakes or offended anyone terribly. Rather, he was unfortunate enough to be assigned a portfolio which, considering the revised roles of the top SRC members, has become somewhat redundant.

His achievements were mostly related to the increased visibility of the SRC, implemented via banners on campus and the sniper boards in residences. However, many residence students remain either unaware of these boards, or have not seen consistent updates on them. Ramothwala worked closely with ICTS on the implementation of the new student email system and assisted with preventing DC++ from being permanently shut down. He does, however, stress that he cannot take full credit for that. This is part of the reason for his relatively low score: he never did anything particularly wrong, but he also never did anything particularly praiseworthy. As mentioned before, his portfolio seems to have very little scope or clout, but this is an opportunity to strive for goals beyond simply what needs to be done.

Ramothwala simply did not do anything to distinguish himself.

10

features

REVIEWS

Movie review: Something Borrowed Stephanie Venter 

S

omething Borrowed is a strange film. Just from the initial trailer it was clear that this would not be a run-of-the-mill rom-com and, quite frankly, this was the reason I watched it. How disappointing.

The film focuses on Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin), who is best friends with Darcy (Kate Hudson), but in love with Darcy’s fiancé, Dex (Colin Egglesfield). Rachel and Dex have been friends since law school, and after years of secretly lusting after him, Rachel finally sleeps with Dex – after his and Darcy’s engagement party.

The premise of the film was a little different; watching it, you could not tell if Dex and Darcy would end up

Album Review: World Reggae Annique Bolliger 

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’m not quite sure what made me walk into the African Music Store on Long Street the other day, but I figured I might as well. I couldn’t actually remember the last time I had purchased a CD: nowadays there are much cheaper ways to get hold of music.

Nevertheless, I tried out a few of their reggae selections, because I’d been in search of a good reggae playlist for a while.

What a success it was: World Reggae presented by Putumayo is a true beauty.

First released in 2004, it features various reggae musicians from all over the world, many of them from

Africa. The musical influences, however, also include traditional elements from the Caribbean, Brazil, Cape Verde, to India and New Caledonia. Not all of the songs are in English, which is an aspect I quite liked. French and Portuguese do the genre just as much justice!

The album might not be the latest, but let’s face it: good music is evergreen. Whether you choose to listen to it at home in your room as relaxing background music, in your car or while walking around on campus with your headphones on, it’s a fantastic album. I can only stress the promise Putumayo makes: this playlist is “guaranteed to make you feel good.”

Let your ears feast on the Rastafarian way of life!

together, as you can in most romcoms. The cardinal rule of friendship – that you cannot date your friend’s ex (let alone their current!) – became muddled, and this seemed a little heavy for what I had thought was a light-ish watch.

That the film breaks away from the traditional rom-com mould is not the reason I have given it such a low score. Rather it’s that I think there are many elements of the plot that simply do not make sense, from a realistic and narrative point of view.

For a start, Kate Hudson’s character was, in all honesty, a bitch.

I fail to understand why someone as sweet as Rachel would have Darcy as a best friend. Yes, she might bring out the fun in Rachel, but what woman would hang around the friend who’s engaged to the man she’s in love

with? Any sane woman would’ve at least tried to move on...

I’m not sure if it was a lack of chemistry between the actors, but Darcy and Dex’s relationship simply did not feel believable. Why would he have dated and proposed to Darcy if he was always in love with Rachel?

Had it been an arranged marriage, it may have made a little more sense.

When Rachel’s best friend confessed his feelings to her, it seemed the film would have a happily-everafter that did not involve the sweet Rachel stealing her best friend’s fiancé. This, however, was five wasted minutes that did nothing more than confuse the viewer. It did absolutely nothing to further the plot.

There was a very “My Best Friend’s Wedding” feel to this film.

Unfortunately, I would take its predecessor any day.

Movie Review: Tamara Drewe

Calvin Scholtz 

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he latest film by director Stephen Frears (The Queen) is a quirky British romantic comedy drama, starring Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia) in the title role.

She plays a young woman who returns to her childhood home

in the English countryside after a long absence, and by so doing sets off an unexpected chain of events. Her return has an effect on the lives of several interesting characters, including a famous crime novelist (Roger Allam) who is also a serial adulterer, a local rock star (Dominic Cooper), as well as a teenage groupie who will do anything for the chance to meet him.

Bookmark

by Berndt Hannweg

‘At Home: A Short History of Private Life’ by Bill Bryson

B “2011 grade 3/6 marking” In October the Schools Development Unit (SDU) in the School of Education at UCT will be administering mathematics and language tests to all Grade 3 and 6 learners in the province.

The SDU is seeking to employ suitable postgraduate students on a short-term basis between 12 and 28 October 2011 to assist in the marking of these tests.

Remuneration will be based on the number of scripts marked.

Requirements: Minimum second year pass in Mathematics or Language (either English, Afrikaans, or isiXhosa)

Please provide contact details (including name of tertiary institution at which you are enrolled) to: Hayley.eyssen@uct.ac.za, who can be contacted at 0216505874/3850 for further information.

ill Bryson does for history, science and travel what Gerald Durrell did for the veterinary sciences. His critically acclaimed book A Short History of Nearly Everything took us on a humorous ride through history from the Big Bang to the Victorian Age of Reason.

Now he returns to give us a look into the history of the home, as he wanders as only Bill Bryson can.

Bryson takes us through the rooms of his Norfolk rectory, along the way regaling us with tales of pepper’s long and arduous journey to the dinner table, the problem with George Washington’s windows, the world’s strangest employer/ employee relationship and, above all, the curious and ubiquitous year of 1851, the year of London’s Great Exhibition.

This is no dry history book; you will learn more than one interesting piece of trivia. As in A Short History, Bryson frequently

delves into the life stories of history’s more eccentric characters as their paths intertwine with the history of our rooms and homes where, as Bryson says, “history ends up.”

First-time readers of Bryson will find it a wonderful introduction to his world view, while fans will enjoy yet another grand foray into history.

features

CURRENT AFFAIRS

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The Dalai Lama’s visa drama Rob Attwell

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Image: celticshaman.wordpress.com

This is what happened last time the Dalai Lama was denied entry into South Africa. He was hoping to attend a peace conference planned to coincide with the 2010 World Cup. Thabo Masebe, a government spokesman, claimed that this past refusal to allow the Dalai Lama into South Africa had nothing to do with Chinese pressure.

“The presence of the Dalai Lama would only serve to divert attention from the important work we are doing with the preparation for the World Cup,” he said. “The South

African government does not have a problem with the Dalai Lama.”

Denying him a visa would be, quite frankly, just a little bit douchey Inconveniently, this statement was contradicted almost immediately by the Chinese embassy. Dai Bing, a representative from the embassy in Pretoria smugly informed reporters

A troubled tongue: racist language in the rainbow nation Nyasha Kadandara

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hat awkward moment when you say something you shouldn’t have said. You may not have meant it, but now everyone is looking at you, disgusted.

Jacaranda 94.2’s breakfast show host Darren Scott recently came into the line of fire after he blurted out the k-word in the heat of the moment at a work function. In an interview afterwards, the media were informed that Scott’s colleague owed him money and had recently purchased a house and car instead of paying back the loan. In frustration and after a couple of drinks, Scott called his colleague a k-word.

The press, predictably, had a field day, and the public was outraged by the incident. It seems understandable in a nation fighting desperately to achieve “rainbow” status that such instances go against everything toward which we are working.

Scott was very apologetic and resigned from Jacaranda, but would not give a reason. The fact remains, however, that many feel this is a classic example of how people in South Africa may still be “inherently” racist.

Is he racist? Perhaps. But what makes a person racist? It is the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

So in this case, the k-word is

that Beijing had, in fact, pressured South Africa into denying travel documents to the Dalai Lama.

China is South Africa’s largest trading partner. Admitting the leader of the Tibetan governmentin-exile would, at least in the eyes of politicians, harm bilateral relations between the two BRICS nations (South Africa being the “S” recently attached to the end of the Brazil, Russia, India and China acronym.

In terms of scale, South Africa’s economy is incomparable with any of the others. This reflects a very

What does your heritage mean to you?

Image: wikipedia commons

derogatory for black people and was used by the Dutch, the English and later the Afrikaans. It is derived from Arabic and is translated as “nonbeliever,” or “heathen.”

People use racial slurs all the time. African-Americans frequently refer to themselves as “niggas”. Some would say that they have reclaimed the word; by constantly using it they have taken away the negative aspect and thus destigmatised it. As a friend said, “black people have chosen to take a positive spin on it.”

We use derogatory language every day. UCT students are called “Ikeys,” despite the term’s anti-Semitic roots.

Nevertheless, we proudly rant, “Once an Ikey, always a Tiger.” If we can destigmatise such words then what is the big deal with the k-word?

In a conversation with friends, one said, “It’s just too soon,” another

said, “It represents our history, it’s offensive and reminds us of the atrocities of Apartheid,” and another said, “You just don’t say it. Period!”

The biggest problem, it seems, is the fact that when derogatory or discriminatory language is used indirectly, people rarely feel the need to say anything. If it’s not directed to you, it doesn’t seem to affect you.

I also asked my friends, whether they would comment if someone said something discriminatory about a different demographic. Most said they would call them out, but I don’t often see this happen. Similarly, Scott was called out for his behaviour, and while he said he was sorry, the fact remains: the k-word is on the tips on many tongues.

Should black South Africans take back the word? Maybe it’s just a matter of time.

Send your views to features@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Images: Simon Page

nce again, the Nobel Prizewinning Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is having trouble with his South African visa application.

Desmond Tutu, Nobel laureate and one of South Africa’s favourite public figures, invited his good friend Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama, to attend his eightieth birthday party. Unfortunately, the globally-renowned representative of Tibetan Buddhism might miss his chance for tea and cupcakes with the archbishop.

Home Affairs claimed that no visa application was received. “The diplomatic mission has advised us on both occasions that no such application for a visa by the Dalai Lama has at this stage been received,” the department said in a press statement.

This starkly contrasts the statement given by Clayton Monyela, a spokesman for the department of International Relations and Cooperation. Monyela said, “We have received the application and it is still being considered.”

Either way, it seems that the Dalai Lama is experiencing the frustrations of South African bureaucratic obfuscation.

The speculation from notable South Africans, like two of our resident Nobel laureates, Archbishop Tutu and former president De Klerk, is that Home Affairs is stalling in order to please the Chinese.

unfair balance of power).

South Africa has, it seems, imported another cheap Chinese product – in addition to underpants, the South African government has imported a negative view of the Dalai Lama. The last time the visa question came up, Trevor Manuel compared the Dalai Lama to – and I kid you not – Bambi. “To say anything against the Dalai Lama is, in some quarters, equivalent to trying to shoot Bambi,” commented a sarcastic Manuel.

Sure, at a superficial level the Dalai Lama and Bambi might seem quite similar. They are both kind, gentle, lovable creatures who endear themselves to the general public. The key difference is that the Dalai Lama is an internationally respected humanitarian concerned about human rights abuses in his homeland. He is known for saying things like, “Without freedom, one’s creativity cannot bloom. Right to freedom is pivotal for the progress of any society.”

Bambi was sadly unavailable for comment.

South Africa’s entry into the BRICS family, albeit as the weedy adopted cousin of the bigger economies, only heightens the probability that China will bully South Africa into denying the Dalai Lama’s entry.

However, the Dalai Lama has retired as leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile and therefore is not a political figure. Now, he is just a kindly old man planning on visiting his friend for a birthday party.

Denying him a visa would be, quite frankly, just a little bit douchey.

12

features

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features

ARTS & CULTURE

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Spring and summer: The fashionista’s dream Sakhi Gcina

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he Spring/Summer season in the fashion industry is a highly anticipated period for designers, fashion journalists, fashion bloggers, stylists and any fashion enthusiast of society. This is because fashion in this season is versatile and the lifestyle that the weather permits makes it exciting.

It’s a critical environment for any designer who wants to have a reputable career to showcase his ready-to-wear line at this month-long extravaganza. It’s immense pressure to not only impress the critics but also gain recognition from the general public is imperative in the industry.

Editors of fashion magazines have to ensure that only the best trends, which the public can choose to follow if they are satisfactory, are displayed This year it began with New York Fashion Week (NYFW) on 8 September followed by London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, culminating on 30 October with Tokyo Fashion Week.

NYFW was disappointing overall and it is interesting to note that the designers that have made a lasting impression are the relatively new ones, surpassing those already established and revered.

For instance, Marc Jacobs, designer for Louis Vuitton, rumoured to be soon moving to Dior, was seemingly a great choice to headline the event as he is an innovative

Image: Christopher Macsurak

creative force, but he failed to deliver a range that was wearable outside the context of a fancy dress party.

His jazzy, 1930s-inspired outfits were out of place in a down-played, ready-to-wear environment.

Victoria Beckham, who was nominated for designer brand of the year at the Britain Fashion Awards and is known for cutting edge designs, opted for a style less reminiscent of her by having solid A-line dresses with knee-high leather boots. Although the cuts complemented the female form well they seemed too maternity-wear.

DKNY, Carolina Herrera and Tommy Hilfiger presented bland collections that were preppy and

elitist, and the less said about Betsy Johnson’s trashy, made-for-strippers style, the better.

This season is versatile and the lifestyle that the weather permits is exciting Ralph Lauren was the one designer who showcased his looks for the upcoming film The Great Gatsby brilliantly and with opulence, but it was made for a mature demographic; it could not work for everyone.

Jason Wu, Zac Posen, Phillip

Lim, Parabul and Alexander Wang are the designers who were refreshing and got tongues wagging.

Their collections displayed exotic prints that were paired with chiffon blouses, high-waisted pants and shorts, embellished collars and structured skirts.

There was a combination of minimalism, which was done with a perfectionist’s execution, and pale pastel colour-blocking. These are designers, consistent in their efforts, developing a style unique to their brands.

London once again revived the fashion industry and continues to be a source of innovation and creativity, something New York

fashion failed to do. The English capital did, after all, give us the great Alexander McQueen.

The collections from Mary Katrantzou, London Temperly, Jonathan Saunders, Richard Nicoll, Erdem, Mathew Williamson and Burberry Prosum are fun and uninhibited: colours range from orange, fuchsia, aqua blue, canary yellow and lime.

The designers have made an outstanding impression with some shows leaving journalists crying over the beauty of it all.

Floral, coral and digitised prints and a pastel colour palette have been the ubiquitous choice across the board. The biggest distinguishing factor that New York Fashion Week lacked was quality and execution.

Chiffon, silk and satin were the preferred fabrics and jacquard and damask prints were a favourite but the trend that had journalists feeling euphoric was the tribal print. The African influence was conspicuous through feathered headdresses, turbans, sarongs, woven raffia, wooden, multi-coloured neckpieces, beaded jewellery and snakeskin accessories.

Our own South African designers Stiaan Louw, Heni, and Laduma Ngxokolo, who presented the acclaimed MaXhosa knitwear, were on par the international standard.

LFW has not disappointed and the fashion industry can be satisfied with what was on offer. Looks like Milan and Paris have a high standard to meet.

UCT Comedians shine at the Wildcard Showcase Ingrid van der Walt

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he Wildcard comedy show is a tequila-driven improvised comedy treat held annually at the Purple Turtle in Long Street. First introduced by UCT Drama student Dean Kriel in 2010, the show introduced Cape Town to a group of pretty diverse guys, ensuring a very colourful and dynamic event.

On the evening of Tuesday 20 September the Purple Turtle was already buzzing with excitement and the five comedians were hanging around in anticipation. Initially the show existed only of standup comedy but the comedians decided to include some improv to incorporate the audience in the show and be more interactive. In this way, they also hoped that the show would grow and set off some more interest.

The comedians who appeared in Tuesday’s show are all students at UCT, including Oliver Booth (third year Theatre and Drama), Shaun Fickling (Masters in Bio-chemical engineering), Schalk Bezuidenhout (first year BA.Drama), Dalin Oliver (Honours in Historical Studies), Nick Jude Klein (second year BA).

Their influences include comedians like Casper de Vries, Micheal McIntyre and Hannes Brummer (Proesstraat). They mostly feed off everyday activities for their

jokes and stories. Bezuidenhout noted that he is very Afrikaans so he loves mocking the Afrikaans people and celebs in his show.

They have been doing comedy together for just over a year now and have featured in stand-up comedy shows all over the country. They recently performed at Glendower Residence, College House and the Baxter Theatre, and will be performing at Rochester House’s formal soon.

“Titanic” and the “world’s worst stripper” had the audience howling with laughter The comedians have several accolades under their belts.

Bezuidenhout also made it into the finals of the Graça Comedy Showdown in Johannesburg, and Booth made it into the finals of the Grặca Cape Town Comedy Showdown hosted in July this year.

Oliver (aka The Chameleon) was a shared winner in the “next comic” competition hosted by Good Hope FM(94.9FM).

Kicking off at 9pm sharp, the show was MC’d by Shaun Fickling.

He introduced the comedians as they each got their chance to take

Image: Ella Gabriel MAKE ‘EM LAUGH - Dalin Oliver wows the crowd during the Wildcard Comedy show. the stage for the stand-up section of the show. Each one of them has their own unique accents, jokes and enough confidence to man up and try a new joke even when no-one

ended up laughing.

The comedians even mocked each other off-stage and it was easy to tell they know and influence each other’s work. They succeeded

in some universal laughs especially when touching in South African politicians, race issues and culture gags. During interval the comedians sparked up some conversations with the audience and had a drink at the bar. Soon they were back on stage for the improv show and some more laughs.

The improv show included all the comedians and two UCT students.

It had a Who’s Line Is Anyway? feel to it and the audience participated by shouting movie-names and other themes the comedians then get to joke about. Themes like “Titanic” and the “world’s worst stripper” had the audience howling with laughter.

The turnout was pretty good, with a majority of the crowd comprising UCT students. The Purple Turtle is a vibey spot for some comedy and the show was definitely worth R40.

The party after the show was quite happening and it looked like everyone was having a pretty lekker jol for a school night.

It was a great night of hilarious comedy and hopefully the crowd was indicative of growing appreciation of the comedians. UCT students were the life of the party, and this event promises to attract greater audiences in the future. Just another example of the diverse talent UCT brings to the table.

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sports

sports

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UCT Cycling: Serious and social Caterina Aldera

Chris Fourie

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ith over 100 members, UCT Cycling Club is growing every year. However, the club is not attracting all of the many budding cyclists on campus. According to Brendon van Niekerk, the chairman of UCT Cycling and a third-year Civil Engineering student, students are intimidated by the achievements of the club’s top riders, unaware of the social rides that take place almost every weekend.

UCT Cycling’s reputation as a serious, professionals-only club arises from the outstanding results of its best cyclists. This year, Ed Greene won the first Yellow Jersey that UCT Cycling has seen in the Varsity Champs in the last 15 years. UCT also took the Men’s first and second in Mountain Biking, as well as fourth place in Women’s Mountain Biking.

It’s cyclists like these who nurture beginner cyclists by showing them how to eat and train to improve their stamina and skill.

There are many highlights in the year for cyclists of different levels to get to know each other, including a pasta evening before the Argus Cycle Tour, regular braais, an AGM, and a dinner. Weekend rides are structured according to the needs and skill level of the cyclists. Each

Image: garethsmit.com PEDDLING THE PEDALERS – UCT Cycling faces challenges in promoting the sport at a beginner level. The club however, insists that they cater for everyone. group is led by an experienced rider who ensures the safety of all the riders.

“The club caters for all different cyclists, from the one who gets a sub-3 Argus to the person who comes last,” says Van Niekerk. They attract most members through their Argus training programme, which focuses on preparing cyclists for the big day.

A weekly time trial allows cyclists to measure their fitness against themselves and other riders.

This makes it possible to gauge

improvement and, in conjunction with the longer rides, forms the basis of team selection for the key races throughout the year. At this time of year, the time trial leaves at 4:45pm on Thursdays from Tugwell, taking place in Bishopscourt along a hilly course of about six to seven kilometres.

It costs only R280 to join the club, which covers the social activities, while Private Client Holdings subsidises members’ kit and pays for league entry fees. Unfortunately, due to the cost of bicycles, each

member needs to have their own.

It’s a good investment though, since cycling to campus is economical and convenient.

To reward its members, UCT has a gazebo at the races it enters so cyclists can grab a boerewors roll and drink or get a well-deserved post-race massage. They’re looking at entering a team in the Wines to Whales race as well as the Double Century, a 202km premier professional race, and hoping for podium finishes.

So now that you know that anyone can join, what’s your excuse?

156 medals for SA! All you need is sport Zaid Gamieldien

Image: Gallo/Lee Warren

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SOUTH AFRICAN DOMINANCE – Justine Robbeson landed gold with a throw of 55.57m adding to South Africa’s record haul.

Kgorula Bitterhout With the entire country buzzing about the Rugby World Cup, most people didn’t even realise that the tenth All-Africa Games were taking place in the capital city of Mozambique.

This event took place from 3 to 18 September, with more than 200 of our athletes being a part of this demanding event, competing against 48 other nations and taking home the most medals.

Maputo managed to host the multi-sport event with some disappointments here and there.

Some events were rescheduled at the last minute and there were not enough participants for swimming and athletics events, which resulted in the cancellation of these events, making it difficult for officials to get accurate results.

Despite these minor glitches,

Cleaning up the coast

our South African athletes went prepared and performed at their utmost.

A pleased South African Olympic Committee president said: “The aim of being crowned the best on the continent was also to set the standard for future games.”

We congratulate our South African athletes on bringing home 62 gold, 55 silver and 40 bronze medals, which put the performances of other countries to shame. Nigeria managed to take second place and Egypt occupied third place.

Head of the delegation Barry Hendricks reported that, “South Africa coped well despite the challenges they faced.” However, South Africa faced an unfortunate beating from Ghana’s under-23 side in a game of football where Ghana managed to snatch the gold medal by winning 5-3 on penalties in a rather dreary game.

y now we are all acquainted with the bothers of university life. Stress inflicted by a combination of irregular sleeping patterns, latenight studying, early classes, bad eating habits and pre-exam hysteria can all overshadow our carefree experience of campus. All this can be traced back to an underlying problem among students: physical inactivity.

With all this stress eating away at our morale, the body needs to break free of the shackles of academia, and the only way out is the hard way.

Physical activity can work wonders for the student. Regular exercise has been shown to boost energy levels and provide clarity of mind. Simple activities, such as jogging, can improve cardiovascular fitness. This stress-relieving practice relaxes our mental processing and gives students the self-confidence needed to actively participate in academic and social spheres.

As UCT students, we are blessed with a sloping, multi-levelled campus, where getting from one lecture to another might, for the fainthearted, constitute exercise. However, we are also blessed to be able to be members of various sports clubs which can accommodate different sporting interests.

In an attempt to stay active, students can get involved in internal leagues of rugby, soccer, cricket, hockey, netball and others. A great way to ensure regular exercise and enlarge your circle of friends is to join a sports club; mandatory practice sessions and coaching are sure to

eliminate any excuse for laziness.

However, if the physicality of these sports is too much of a burden on your academic life, you can use this opportunity to explore lesserknown sporting activities on offer.

Capoeira and judo, for example, can add an invigorating experience to your usual schedule.

Saturday 17 September saw 40 students brave the cold water in the False Bay Yacht Club as part of the UCT Underwater Club’s cleanDIVER event. cleanDIVER, a part of the Underwater Club’s DIVER outreach brand, was a student-organised event that had divers in the water retrieving all manner of rubbish from the harbour floor. The event was run as part of the International Coastal Cleanup campaign, with the club also promoting its principal beneficiary, the Save Our Seas Shark Centre in Kalk Bay. With divers entering the water at first light, the event lasted over six hours, with students retrieving over 20 bags of rubbish from the harbour floor, including an entire fire hose, a starter motor, an ID book, several boots, and 21 tyres. Official partners in the event included the SANPARKS authority as well as the Plastics SA group, who collected and audited the rubbish found.

The event was an unqualified success, attracting 42 registered student participants as well as a number of spectators and wellwishers. Event organiser Ray Siebrits summed up the operation: “We were out there, fighting the scourge of rubbish one dive and one plastic fork at a time. Not only was a great day had by all divers, but a real contribution was made towards marine pollution. The Underwater Club at UCT is committed to marine conservation. Thanks to all those who made it possible and take part in the event next year!”

Image: garethsmit.com This is, however, easier said than done.

Many students find it difficult to commit to a sports club.

“I honestly would love to participate in internal sports more often, but it’s almost impossible to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle, with a good academic one. There’s just no time,” claims Business Science student Munier Albertus.

He goes on to recommend joining UCT’s indoor soccer league, which is much easier on the clock.

“All I do is head down to the Sports Centre during meridian and play a game for about fifteen minutes, and then it’s back to class. It’s really refreshing.”

Other students find alternative ways of keeping fit, which includes cycling or taking a long walk or run to campus in the mornings. These are great ways of waking up the body and mind before a busy day, provided you are in the vicinity of a shower. Fighting stress in the gym and plunging into a swimming pool for an hour or so are also popular fitness choices.

The important thing is to enjoy exercising, as it serves as a means of escaping the harsh realities of essays, presentations and exams. So instead of feeding your brain every free period, visit the gym, take up a sport, or go for a quick run.

Sport VARSITY

FIXTURES Internal Cricket League

Mountain Madness

FOREST HILL HOCKEY ASTRO

MSC ZUURBERG PROPERTY

30 September, 4pm

1 & 2 October

Third round of group games

Race up to Hoare Hutt Contact Jonathan Glover glvjon001@uct.ac.za

Cricket League hits its stride

SPORTS BITES

RUGBY – Ikeys defeat Vics to win WP Rugby title after 27 years.

F1 – Vettel wins again in Singapore - still has to wait for title

Image: Uwais Razack SPEEDY RESOLUTION – Shafin Anwarsha bowls during QED’s victory against the Ikey Ravens while Alex Demetriou (Ravens) looks to sneak a run.

Sajjad Karamsi

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he UCT Cricket Internal League played its second round of games on Friday 23 September with Awesome Possums dominating proceedings on the day. The 10-over per innings structure leads to a fastpaced game.

With only Group B in action on the night, the Ikey Ravens had a busy night, playing against both QED (in

the earlier game) and group leaders Awesome Possums.

In the first game the Ravens, playing with a weakened squad, decided to open the batting. A combination of a slow start and too many dot balls piled pressure on them. This was capitalised on by QED. With good ground fielding and accurate bowling QED managed to bowl their opponents out for the sub-par score of 47 in 9 overs, with only Stefan “Stifler” du Plessis

making a respectable 20.

QED started off comfortably in their run chase with opening batsmen Ashwin Venkat and Brian Kamanzi rotating the strike well. After Kamanzi was bowled by a slower delivery, and the next batsman run out in a mix-up, it was left to Venkat to guide the team to victory.

His classy straight drives ensured that the final result was never in question and QED strolled to a

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comfortable 8-wicket victory In the night’s second game, Ikey Ravens were back in action against the Possums.

CYCLING – Mark Cavendish wins World Road Race Championships

Awesome Possums have emerged as early contenders for the inaugural Internal Cricket League title.

Bowling first this time, they were battered around the Forest Hill Astro by the Possums batsmen. They conceded a record (for the league) 24 runs in extras, as the Possums scored 93/3 in the 10 overs.

Although Johan Papenfus played respectably for a 34 not out, the Ravens only managed to make 64/2 in their 10 overs, suffering one of the tournament’s heaviest losses.

With Group A games being played predominantly next week, the Possums have emerged as early contenders for the inaugural Internal Cricket League title.

Organised by Karl Buckton of UCT Sport, the League is played over four weeks, with games every Friday.

Due to the unique pitch conditions at the Forest Hill Astro, only straight boundaries are allowed. This, coupled with the fact that bowlers are only allowed five metre run-ups, results in an exciting, fast-paced game.

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Images: Gallo, michael.currin.co.za, I Ragazzidi, tws3d.com, Paolo Camera