2014: Edition 4

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1942 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

15 April 2014

VOLUME 73: EDITION 4

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International transformation campaign hits UCT Laurie Scarborough n online campaign targeting discrimination at UCT was launched onto social media sites Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook on April 2nd by Jessica Breakey and Paballo Chauke. The campaign, called #itooamuct, was inspired by an initiative run at Harvard University called #itooamharvard and was also picked up by students attending the University of Oxford with #itooamoxford.

The Tumblr page has been shared by hundreds of students and the hashtag trended provincially and nationally on Twitter.

Chauke, an Honours student at UCT, was inspired by these initiatives and wanting to start something similar for UCT, he approached the SRC, who was also considering starting the campaign. He launched the campaign alongside Breakey, who is the SRC Transformation Coordinator.

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“a platform to speak about the intense institutional racism”

IN THIS ISSUE

As with the original campaigns, #itooamuct aims to tackle institutional racism experienced by students and involves students being photographed holding a blackboard with a message about their experience of discrimination based on race or ethnicity.

On why #itooamuct is important, Breakey said that students are being “othered” at UCT. “I felt that this campaign would give students a platform to speak about the intense institutional racism that forms a part of the culture of UCT.” She also feels that more should be done to address transformation issues at UCT saying, “I think that UCT is making moves in the right direction, but too slowly.”

Chauke added that the campaign aims to start a dialogue that gives a voice to students

who have in the past not been given the chance to speak out, saying, “Minority voices also need to be heard.”

Gape Masole, a Humanities undergraduate student, participated in the campaign and was photographed with the phrase “Do not mistake my skin colour for my personality.” Masole praised the campaign for raising the issue of discrimination on UCT campus. “[It] will make people think twice before assuming a person of colour behaves or is supposed to be a certain way.”

Although currently #itooamuct

discrimination experienced by white people is not the same focuses just on race and ethnicity issues, it will be extended in the coming months to address issues such as disability, homophobia, xenophobia, sexism and classism.

Breakey also hopes to draft a Transformation Charter as part of her work as the SRC Transformation Co-ordinator.

Many students have reacted positively to the campaign but the initiative has not come without criticism. Concerns were raised over the exclusion of white students from the campaign.

Breakey and Chauke both defended their decision to focus only on “people of colour”, stating that “white privilege” is something that should be addressed and that the discrimination experienced

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Image: Jessica Breakey

Image: Paballo Chauke

“Online activism and campaigns have a huge impact on people” by white people is not the same as for non-white people. “The truth is we cannot compare the two experiences,” says Breakey.

“20 years is not nearly long enough to undo the years of racism and oppression.”

Other sceptics have questioned the worth of online activism,

Image: flickr.com/Warrenski

Rwandan diplomats

saying that besides spurring, as Chauke puts it, “microaggression” on the subject of discrimination and motivating some kind of online mob justice, the campaign does not achieve anything. Chauke responds to these critics by pointing to many other online campaigns from around the world that have made a far-reaching impact.

He cites the Arab Spring protests that occurred across many countries, including Egypt, Tunisia and Palestinian territories, as an example of Facebook commentary leading to revolutionary demonstrations.

“Online activism and campaigns have a huge impact on people,” he says.

“This campaign has the power […] to bring tangible change.”

Despite the criticism of the campaign, Breakey feels that the project is an important step in transformation at UCT. “We did it for a reason, we believe it needed to be done and I am glad we did it. The rainbow nation that many people think we live in is not perfect. South Africa is not […] healed or ‘fixed’. We need to be constantly working towards it.”

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Image: Jessica Breakey

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news

v73 e4 – 15 april 2014

News Bites Platinum strikes enter 12th week SOUTH AFRICA – The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) enters the 12th week of strikes at platinum producers Anglo American Platinum, Lonmin and Impala Platinum. Workers are demanding a minimum wage of R12 500 but platinum producers say they cannot agree to this amount and are offering increases of between seven and nine percent.

– DAILY MAVERICK

New South Wales ordered to recognise third gender NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – The Australian High Court has ruled that the state of New South Wales must make allowance for people to identify as a third, non-specific gender. The case against New South Wales was brought forward by Norrie May-Welby who identifies as neither male nor female after having gender reassignment surgery.

– THE GUARDIAN

Khayelitsha Commission KHAYELITSHA – Phase one of the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry has concluded. The Commission was initiated in order to investigate claims of police inefficiency and the breakdown of the relationship between police and Khayelitsha residents. These claims were made by local NGOs and residents who are distressed over violent vigilante groups attempting to fulfil the role of the police.

– GROUNDUP

Rush to contain Ebola virus outbreak GUINEA – West African countries are struggling to contain an outbreak of the Ebola virus which originated in Guinea. There have been more than 80 deaths in Guinea, with more cases being reported in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Doctors Without Borders has said that this strain of the Ebola virus is deadly, with 90 percent of patients dying.

– ALJAZEERA

FDA approves Evzio UNITED STATES – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new medical device called Evzio which can be used to counter the effects of opioid overdose.

Opioids include pain relief drugs and illegal drugs, such as heroin.

Evzio delivers the drug naloxone which reverses the effects of opioid overdose. The hand-held device allows family members or a caregiver to administer naloxone before an ambulance arrives, increasing the overdose victim’s chances of survival.

– FDA

Kevin Elliott

South Africa explanation of Rwandan Diplomats’ Expulsion Aisha Abdool Karim & Hannah Gauss

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n March 19th South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane explained that procedures were followed correctly after the expulsion of Rwandan diplomats. Nkoana-Mashabane told Mail&Guaridan “We are guided by internal and also by international laws that govern such relations. We follow the same rules in the relation between South Africa and Rwanda”.

The three Rwandan diplomats (and one Burundi diplomat) had been expelled from Pretoria on March 12th due to alleged involvement of a safe house break-in of former Rwandan General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa. Since 2010 Nyamwasa has been in political exile in South Africa and protected by the National Security Service.

Minister of Justice Jeff Radebe said that there was a possibility that the diplomats may also have been involved in the attempted assassination and assassination of other Rwandan citizens opposed to the Rwandan government.

Whilst he did not specify the role these diplomats had in these incidents Radebe said there would be an investigation to determine who is behind these attacks. Radebe commented that, “Our country will not be used as a springboard to do illegal activities.”

The Rwandan government

Image: flickr.com/GovernmentZA

KEEPING THE PEACE: South African President Jacob Zuma and Rwandan President Paul Kagame maintain diplomatic relations between the two countries responded by expelling six South African diplomats from Kigali in their alleged involvement in terrorist activities. Despite the expulsion of diplomats from both countries Radebe has said that the diplomatic ties between the countries remain intact. Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said: “Whatever action we are going to take, we will not be emotional.”

Diplomatic relations between Rwanda and South Africa have been strained since Patrick Karegeya, former head of Rwandan

intelligence and political exile, was found murdered in his hotel room in Sandton, Johannesburg on New Year’s Day this year. Six men, three of them Rwandans are currently on murder trial in Johannesburg The Rwandan government denied any involvement in the death of Karegeya. The Rwandan ambassador Victor Karega has denied the allegations against the diplomats. He attributed the murder of Karegaya to a possible business deal that went wrong rather than due to actions

taken by Rwandan diplomats.

Both Karegeya and Nyamwasa are vocal critics of Kagame’s government.

After being granted asylum in South Africa, the two started the Rwanda National Congress, an opposition party to the current Rwandan government. Already in January, after the death of Karegeya, Rwandan President Paul Kagame sent a warning to all oppositions and “traitors” that one “cannot betray Rwanda and get away with it. There are consequences for betraying your country”.

“Human Rights for everyone!”

Krysia Gaweda

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n Friday March 28th, a group of protesters stood outside Parliament building to join hands in a peaceful picket protest demanding that the South African government speaks up against the anti-gay Bill in Uganda.

The group included an array of citizens as well as various NGOs such as Sonke Gender Justice Network, Loudenuf UWC, Cape Town Gay Pride and RainbowUCT. RainbowUCT is a UCT student society that seeks to offer a safe space for students to discuss lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues as well as take part in outreach programs.

RainbowUCT arranged for the UCT contingent to walk from the University’s Hiddingh Campus to Parliament while holding various placards that read: “Arrest me, I’m

The South African government, however, has remained silent on the matter gay!”, “If Obama can condemn the Bill, why can’t you?” and “Stop hate crime”.

UCT members were few in numbers as they walked the streets of Cape Town towards Parliament.

Since the Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, signed the

controversial anti-gay Bill allowing for harsher penalties against homosexuals, human rights groups across Africa have been in protest.

The South African government, however, has remained silent on the matter.

Arriving at parliament, “Viva” and “Amandla, awethu” were the repeated chants in between the singing and dancing. The protest lasted a total of two hours as the protesters stood, sang and danced

“What we have on paper and what we have in practice are two different things” in front of parliament fighting for LGBT rights across the continent.

Pam Dhlamini, chairlady of RainbowUCT, explained RainbowUCT’s role within the protest.

“RainbowUCT wants to push more activism and create more awareness around LGBT issues.

Being in a protest like this shows that we want to create awareness and actually fight for human rights violations, like standing against what Uganda has done.”

On discussing UCT’s support, Dhlamini explained that she was “disappointed” and was expecting a lot more students to come and support the event.

“It is interesting to hear the debate in lectures when the topic comes up and to see students all warmed up

and wanting to do something but when there is something to be done they don’t pitch,” she said.

“On the other hand, we are really grateful that UCT is supporting this.

UCT’s Pat Lucus broadcasted the event to all UCT staff and students.

It is really good to know that UCT is behind RainbowUCT protesting here today.”

Many other participants expressed their outrage on an African and a South African issue.

A member of the LGBT community, Albert Kafuka, explained that it was time South Africa stood up and said something about the legislation in Uganda.

“We are here because we are raising our voices to stand against the anti-gay Bill and situation that is happening in African countries.”

Tshepiso Serame, a member of RainbowUCT, too felt that it was “unacceptable” that the South African government had not said anything against the legislation: “I think the government not saying anything about the violations of

“but when there is something to be done they don’t pitch” human rights in Uganda doesn’t portray a consistent message in what we stand for as a country and the values that are within our constitution.”

As the protesters continued to sing and dance, Director of Cape Town Pride, Matthew van As, explained that it is not just a Ugandan issue anymore but that it is also an African and a South African issue.

“We are protesting because the government is not listening to its people. Its job is to listen to us and help the minority group. What we have on paper and what we have in practice are two different things,” he said.

“They say we stand for human rights but they are not willing to do anything about it.”

Media Liaison of RainbowUCT, Scott Fuller, explained that RainbowUCT’s main aim was to give homosexuals not only in Uganda but also in other African countries “hope”: “We want our South African government to say with no uncertain terms that they strongly condemn this bill and any other similar form of homophobic and hate filled legislation in Africa as well as anywhere else in the world.”

It was evident that the protest meant a great deal to those protesting and to the LGBT community as a whole.

Fuller concluded: “We [the LGBT community] just want equality, and to be treated with dignity and respect.”

“Our crime is not murder or hate or corruption. It is love. And that should not be a crime at all. So, to all straight people, you do not have to be gay to fight for gay rights and equality. You just have to be human.”

news

v73 e4 - 15 april 2014

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Pro-Russian protestors follow Crimean example Aisha Abdool Karim

Image: web.archive.org/ Presidential Press and Information Office

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fter Crimea’s referendum on March 16th where the majority of the population voted to join Russia there has been rise in the tension between the West and Russia. The number of uprisings within Ukraine has increased since the invasion of Crimea by Russian troops as demonstrators continue to call for similar action to be taken within their regions.

Following Crimea’s example, three cities in Ukraine have staged similar demonstrations and are demanding referendums to fall under Russian jurisdiction. On Sunday April 6th pro-Russian demonstrators seized control of state buildings in the Eastern region of Ukraine. The demonstrations took place in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv; cities which lie on the Russian border. These protests were the first time in nearly a month that protestors had escalated to the seizure of government buildings.

the conflict will be resolved without violence On April 6th hundreds of proRussian protestors gathered in Donetsk’s main square before

RUSSIA: Government in Kiev blames Russian President Vladimir Putin of encouraging new protests in Ukraine. marching to the government building. They were met with little resistance as they forcefully entered the building where they then proceeded to raise the Russian flag. They demanded that the regional council meet and call for a referendum to join Russia or they would declare that the council had been disbanded and form their own.

The government in Kiev has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for these protests and claim that he is encouraging this “separatist disorder.” Furthermore, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has accused

the previous Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovich, of aiding Putin in creating this tension with Ukraine.

Avakov also said that “the situation will come back under control without bloodshed” and the conflict will be resolved without violence. Acting Ukrainian President Oleksander Turchinov called for an emergency meeting of security chiefs in Kiev and has taken control of the handling of this situation.

The police have taken a passive approach to dealing with protestors and are avoiding any outbreaks

of violence. They are allowing protestors to occasionally enter government buildings and then leave soon afterwards. Whilst Avakov is not encouraging conflict he still maintained that this passive approach “doesn’t mean anyone’s going to stand for the lawlessness of the provocateurs like a pacifist.”

Russia, throughout March, repeatedly warned Ukraine that it was prepared to take action in order to protect pro-Russian protestors from Ukrainian nationalist attacks.

Since Russian troops annexed Crimea in March and stationed

tens of thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border there has been no further intervention within Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Crimea was in response to the appeal

by Crimean citizens for Russian intervention. Whilst the majority of people in Crimea originate from Russia there have been surveys showing that less than half the population want to be governed by Russia. There have been accusations that both Putin and Yanukovich have been paying protestors in order to maintain upheaval within Ukraine and usurp the acting government.

On Monday March 24th, the United States, along with its allies, moved to oust Russia from the Group of 8 in response to the seizure of Crimea by Russian troops. In addition to their exclusion from the Group of 8 Russia is being threatened by the imposition of stricter sanctions if Putin attempts to take more aggressive action within Ukraine. President Obama along with the leaders of four European countries, Canada and Japan met on March 24th for the first time since the Russian invasion of Crimea in February.

The two hour meeting focused on supporting Ukraine against further Russian involvement and they agreed to escalate their involvement if Putin takes a more aggressive approach to Ukraine.

InkuluFreeHeid hosts “The Big Youth Debate” Stefanie Busch On Wednesday, April 2nd, InkuluFreeHeid (IFH) hosted “The Big Youth Debate” at UCT. Various issues pertinent to the youth of South Africa were posed to the panellists and the audience.

Representatives of various UCT societies constituted the panel.

These included The Anarchist Collective, Students For The Left, DASO, InvestSoc, Black Management Forum (BMF), SASCO, Ubunye, Agang and IFH. The chairperson of the event, Kgotsi Chikane, emphasised the importance of bringing student leaders of societies from various sectors across the University together, “because not one sector alone has the answer on how to get the youth involved and create an active citizenry”.

“we are in UCT... Think about those that cannot get in” One of the most prevalent topics of discussion was how to open up the job market for graduates.

Emma Jones-Phillipson (DASO) explained the DA’s incentive of providing opportunities for the youth to enter into the job market and to improve their skills in order to uplift those students.

However, Athenkozi Mzuzu

(Agang) disagreed: “We need a policy that will incorporate every single South African, not just a selected few. We should rather focus on educating the masses.”

“We need a South African solution for South African problems” Dalisu Jwara (InvestSoc) explained that by stimulating young people to take internships during their university career, one could bridge the gap in order to get the youth into the economy after leaving university.

“Even if you have a BCom degree, the problem is a lack of experience,” Jwara stated.

Many members of the audience and the panel objected to the discussion’s focus on UCT graduates, as these supposedly already have a competitive advantage over other youths.

“We already have the foot in the door - we are in UCT. Don’t bring the conversation back to the ivory tower. Think about those that cannot get in,” pleaded Kealeboga Ramaru (SASCO).

The discussion thereafter shifted towards what one as a student can do to help alleviate poverty.

“You can do so much in your own personal capacity, even here on campus,” said Natasha Skoryk (Ubunye).

Mohammed Jameel Abdulla

(The Anarchist Collective) explained that, by getting involved in various organisations, one has the power to affect ones local community: “Recognise your inherent privilege of knowledge – by the way you act you can have a lot of influence.”

Jwara additionally emphasised the importance of thinking of fresh new ideas to tackle current problems regarding poverty and unemployment: ‘We need a South African solution for South African problems.”

“Political parties should not be the only ones creating change.

Necessary spaces such as the IFH also provide the youth with a strong voice to affect change,” Jones-Phillipson concluded.

IFH is a non-partisan and youthled society, which is currently promoting their “Our Vote Our Voice” campaign ahead of the May elections. “The Big Youth Debate” will be broadcast on SABC 1 within the coming weeks.

Online this week Limpopo textbook crisis continues The Department of Basic Education has been taken to court over complaints that students of 39 schools in Limpopo have not yet received their required textbooks for this year. Grade 7, 8, 9 and 12 students have been affected by

this textbook shortage. In response to these complaints the Department of Basic Education spokesman, Elijah Mhlanga, has said that the textbooks have been delivered.

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editorial

V73 E4 - 15 APRIL 2014

2014 Collective editor-in-chief Laurie Scarborough editorial@varsitynewspaper.co.za

deputy Editor Katy Scott

Editorial

managing Editor Imaad Isaacs editorial@varsitynewspaper.co.za

online editor Daniël Geldenhuys online@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Copy Editor Jena Ascough copyed@varsitynewspaper.co.za

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opinions Parusha Naidoo & Vikash Gajjar opinions@varsitynewspaper.co.za

features Lynne Marie Fraser & Busang Senne

“

Ballet is a sport.” That’s a refrain that just never gets old. I have uttered those four little words countless times and yet there are still people who think that ballet is some kind of holiday retreat for

sportS Mark Nandi sports@varsitynewspaper.co.za

centrespread Krysia Gaweda centrespread@varsitynewspaper. co.za

images Sofia Gilli & Khanyisa Pinini Design Zona Magadla

fairies. Well it’s not. So for those of you who are still a little confused, lemme break it down for you.

Ballet, just like any other sport, involves serious physical exertion.

While a hockey player, for example, may argue that running around a field after a ball in the rain, trying not to hit team members with a wooden stick (and perfecting the art of making it look like you hit your opponents by accident) involves far more physical labour, I beg to differ.

Ballet is about co-ordinating every muscle in your body (fingers, wrists, arms, elbows, shoulders, head, neck, chest, back, ribs, stomach, butt, hips, legs, knees, ankles, feet, toes) while smiling as we jump on our bleeding toes. And I mean that literally. Like jumping. On your toes. Which are bleeding.

In your best interest

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Editor-in-Chief

A blood sport in white tule

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Online content editor Katelyn Mostert

Laurie Scarborough

Katy Scott Deputy Editor

Much shock and sorrow accompanied the announcement that Gareth Cliff had left the (SABC) building this April Fools’ Day. Fedup with the commercialisation of radio, Cliff claims to be finding a new avenue to “reinvent the way South Africans think about broadcasting” with his new project: unradio.

Describing it as “something that’s politically incorrect, something that’s unhinged, something that’s unruly, something that breaks all the boundaries down” Cliff explains that he wants to give the audience what they really want – the juicy stuff.

But the “juice” is more often what

Ballet dancers get injuries that are just as bad as any other athlete; pulled muscles, dislocated shoulders, broken toes, and snapped tendons are common maladies for a dancer of any kind.

I’ve known dancers to wrap broken toes in gauze, strap on their pointe shoes (which, by the way, are made of glue and tiny pieces of wood) and perform their Sugar Plum Fairy solo for a sold-out audience. The show must go on, I guess.

Now I’m not saying that everyone should do that. In fact I really feel like no one should do that. But some people take their sport very seriously. Which brings me to my next point: competition.

If your argument against ballet not being a sport is that we don’t have “matches”, think again. Okay well yes, we don’t have matches, per se, but we do compete. In fact, even amongst members of the same ballet company (this is what you

might think of as a team, but in the loosest possible way). Dancers compete against each other in some of the most horrifically devious ways.

Case in pointe (see what I did there): suppose the director gave me the Sugar Plum Fairy solo but another dancer in the company wanted that role, I may realise half way through said solo that my pointe shoes are a lot more painful than they normally are and when I stagger off stage and take them off, I could hypothetically find shards of glass inside my blood-stained shoes. Now that, friends, is what I would call competition. Not so much healthy competition, but competition nonetheless.

So if you think ballet is for fairies, even Sugar Plum Fairies, don’t let the angelic white tutu fool you. Ballet isn’t just a sport. It’s a blood sport.

interests the public than what is in the public interest. In a democratic society the media is responsible for the public to be informed and involved. There is a genuine public interest in public understanding, transparency and accountability.

There is a public interest in the assurance of justice and equal treatment. Is a naked woman’s body censored everywhere except her juicy bits, really in our best interest? No, but it sure is a helluva lot more interesting.

The Sunday Times has clearly cottoned on with their slip into sensational, tabloid-style news. Our obsession with Pistorius’ murder trial indicates that our own interests are that way inclined too. Should media platforms be embracing what

the public really wants then? Should VARSITY Newspaper have a hottie of the week?

With social media allowing us to personalise the news that falls into the perimeters of our daily existence, we as consumers are determining what is “newsworthy”. If Cliff reflects our interests and gives us what we want, we will buy into it. He will poke fires, he will frustrate and he will insult, but he will certainly get people talking about untouchable South African issues.

But it is questionable whether this talk will be conducive to generating a public discourse. Will we be getting more informed about things that should be in our interest or are we simply channeling our interests to what is most interesting?

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opinions

The inevitable uprising Image: Getty Images /Michael Martina

Perivi John Katjavivi

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age and uprising have always been closely intertwined with the mines in South Africa. The mining industry prioritises protection of resources over the protection of labourers. Black workers unionising in the 1970s led to violent repression from the government, which led to corporations putting pressure on SA to adapt its policies towards the black majority.

This was motivated primarily out

We cannot pretend that democracy favours the underdog of the interest of protecting property or resources and not people. With an unruly labour, force the country could not survive economically without radical change and so 20 years later we find ourselves in the current situation.

One can see the parallels between the formation of the trade unions and subsequent violent backlash they faced in the 1970s with the recent Marikana incident. Dare we say that the ANC has crossed a similar precipice?

This increase in wealth in a small portion of the black community contributes to an increase in not race-based but class-based prejudice. Having disproportionately accumulated wealth, the middle class of South Africa now also fears the increasing response of those less fortunate.

James Madison, the fourth president of the USA, weighed the significance of the rights of persons and the rights of property. Madison found it was the latter that should be given priority. He contended that an “opulent minority” insisted that primary focus be placed on “the protection of property”, therefore casting the majority in the role of “a problem to be contained”.

This is the foundation of modern democracy and the above mentioned perversion is one that has been preserved despite countless social changes the world over. It is a heritage that helps elucidate the shortcomings of our own democratic experiences, considering that from the system’s inception the privileges of a few were interwoven within the fabric of democracy.

Thus, while human rights are essential to the democratic system, the right to regulate the extent of protected privilege is not as essential.

It’s not your fault, South Africa, the system was designed this way. It

would do us a world of good if we took a step back and acknowledged that this system passed down to us protects property before people and was not of our own design.

The rage of the underbelly has erupted and is symptomatic of a flawed system the world over – within this context South Africa is not unique. We cannot pretend that democracy favours the underdog, it doesn’t. Racist policies that have divided us over time were based on myths created to justify the ideas of Madison and others. If we must blame, let us blame him and others

the mining industry prioritises protection of resources alike, let us not hate one another.

We have tried to place the spirit of reconciliation and revolution within the limitations of modern democracy. And then we are surprised to find our government with no new ideas and is vacant of ethical adequacy. South Africa is not out of sync with global trends in the distribution of wealth. This is a global problem and we are the children of this Madisonian framework.

Was love ever colour-blind?

Vikash Gajjar It's been just over a year since VARSITY published the controversial Is love colour-blind?

– an article that sparked rampant debate and spawned a myriad of onslaught from social activists, academics and the media (both national and international).

With race as its basis, the article investigated the average UCT student: if race was a defining factor when dating someone.

Perhaps the most catalytic aspect was the pie chart that accompanied the article. Titled “UCT votes on most attractive race”, it presented the percentages that each demographic group had obtained by means of a survey of 60 students.

I never imagined that the Is love colour-blind? would cause such an outcry. I thought it would promote student discussion around a sensitive topic – something that is both expected and crucial at a cosmopolitan university like ours.

Yes I expected many unhappy, angry, opinionated students to speak out against the article. I hoped that there would be a handful of students who would appreciate the importance of such a discussion that promotes

transformation.

And although students debated the article and pie chart with fervour, it was for the wrong reasons.

As uncomfortable as the issues raised in the article may be, it still deals with a controversial issue that needs to be spoken about. It is an issue that affects each South African today, and how we deal with it now will have an effect on our country in the many years to come.

Twenty years ago we hoped to demolish racial classifications. We wanted to be one – a group of people defined as South African. Does race still define us in 2014? In 2013 it did, the outcry against Is love colour-blind? is evidence enough.

Is race what tears us apart today 20 years post liberation? I think so.

The need for a campaign such as the #itooamuct is obvious that the effects of a racist society are still prominent at UCT. If we were indeed a collective group of South Africans undeterred by the colour of our skins, there would be no need for such initiatives.

How misled we are to believe that the injustices of the past can be buried and forgotten, for the racial nomenclature of apartheid still clings stubbornly to each of us.

Racism and racial classification is something that needs to be engaged

with urgently. South Africa needs to engage with its demographics in a more robust manner. It cannot be buried or whispered about. We need to begin having serious conversations about sensitive and difficult truths.

We need to be willing to listen.

Failure to engage with one another, and identify the power that race and racism have, will only further destroy the society that we are attempting to transform.

Race and racism are still potent in 2014. It is only by acknowledging their potency that we can dilute their effects. Author of Is love colour-blind?, Qamran Tabo, wrote: “It is interesting to observe how race, which is really just a collection of arbitrary physical features, acts as a barrier when it comes to who we choose to love.” A year after publication, this statement still rings true. Look around you.

Love was never colour-blind because race has always been a part of our identity. Being outraged or filing a case at the Human Right Commission isn’t going to make it go away. Pretending that people don’t have racial preferences and individualistic attitudes towards race won’t make it go away either. We were never colour-blind. We aren’t colourblind. But it’s admitting to it that makes the difference.

v73 e4 – 15 april 2014

The lady doth protest

5

Parusha Naidoo

Opinions Editor

Pageants and their purpose conflicts in CAR and Syria would take part in the circus of high heels and boobs.

The academic fields of participants ranged from business management to journalism and this year’s winner, Rolene Strauss, studying medicine. Each of the finalists were students or graduates with goals and ideals. A quick look at this year’s finalists challenged my resolution on the nature of the women who had taken part. But does the title hold any relevance for the average female thought pageants like in South Africa?

Miss South Africa had faded The official website of the Miss away along with the idea that South Africa pageant states that women couldn’t drive trucks. they look for “the full package”.

I was proven wrong a few The true question on the purpose weeks ago when I came across of pageants goes beyond the a picture of a beaming woman perfect combination of brains wearing a bejewelled crown. My and beauty. Rather, it’s a question first reaction of who decides what this was “Miss illusive package South Africa who decides what is supposed to still exists?” this illusive package is contain – and followed by if any women “Who on supposed to contain can ever be “the Earth would full package”. be possessed to Each participant seemed to be take part in this?” The answer, for those of you that care, is that focused on representing South Miss South Africa is still alive African women, but looking at and strutting with hundreds of the flawless participants who hopeful applicants eager to take were roughly around the same age as me, I couldn’t quite see the part in the process.

I’m a true believer in point of their determination to appreciating the human form hold the title.

While many of those that have with all its beauty and events like Miss South Africa and the taken part in pageants believe less popularised Mister South it is a path for them to give back Africa give us all permission to those less fortunate and create to blatantly gawk at beautiful awareness on social issues, I people (not that I generally need struggle to understand why women need a crown and a title permission to do this).

The general stereotype to fulfil their desire to bring about surrounding women who take positive changes in our country.

My message to advocates of part in pageants is an image of bubble heads with air-brushed pageants like Miss South Africa is beauty. And not forgetting simple: crowning a woman with that their response to every smoky eyes and flawless curls question is accompanied with does not represent me. While a flash of their perfect pearly it may seem like a platform for whites followed by the answer: female empowerment, it merely “I want world peace”. With a bit perpetuates the notion that your of self-righteousness I resolved beauty will determine your road that no self-respecting woman to success or how effective you can who was actually driven to end be in bringing about social change.

I

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.

Letters to the Editor need to be kept to a maximum of 300 words and can be sent to:

opinions@varsitynewspaper.co.za

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opinions

v73 e4 – 15 april 2014

Can the IEC really be trusted?

Dean Horwitz

throughout the process, a sign that she is attempting to show that her focus is on elections, arlier this year Public but with each passing day the Protector, Thuli Madonsela, chorus of people calling for her released a report into a resignation continues to grow. procurement deal concluded The issue goes much deeper by the Independent Electoral than an irregular process, Commission.

The Pubic which in many cases would call Protector was tasked to look into for a reversing of the process a lease deal entered into by the and some form of punishment IEC. In her findings, Madonsela for the responsible party. The found that the deal contained issue strikes right at the heart numerous irregularities which of our election system and would not stand up to litigation democracy itself. in court.

Over the past 20 years, Following the report, the the IEC has been looked at National Treasury commissioned as a moral compass, a body PricewaterhouseCoopers to of people working to ensure investigate further. The company that our constitutional right to concluded that vote is not only the process upheld but also was not fair, enshrined.

We transparent or the IEC has been looked look to the IEC c o s t - e f f e c t i v e at as a moral compass c om m i ss i on e rs and implicated and its office IEC head, Pansy bearers to Tlakula, as the guide us main culprit. through elections in a free With a national election and fair manner. just a month away, things are However, if this body is in not looking good for the body any way morally compromised, who is meant to be in charge of doubt can begin to spread running a free and fair election – around the processes which it and with each passing day their administers. Furthermore, if the reputation takes a further knock. actions of someone within the The IEC has been inundated body, especially someone with as with calls from eight of the much power as Tlkalua, is seen opposition parties that are as morally unsound this brings calling for Tlakula’s resignation. into question the credibility of They have asserted that she the elections. has failed the body and the Having had four very country and cannot be tasked successful elections which have with the integrity of managing been lauded for their freeness, an election. The ANC has fairness and professional responded by saying the incident manner in which they have won’t affect the credibility been run, it is clear that these of the elections. processes are vital to how we as The hot potato issue is a country perceive the strength only set to intensify with an of our democracy. announcement by NEHAWU At the core of the matter calling for Tlakula’s resignation. is whether or not we as an Representing 90% of IEC staff, electorate can trust the IEC they have vowed to go on strike if to run a free and fair election. this demand is not met. This will Unfortunately, the answer is not only throw the organisation that while Pansy Tlakula is the into disrepute but could also head of the IEC the electorate threaten the smooth running of will not be able to go to the polls the elections. feeling that their vote is free Tlakula has remained quiet and fair.

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Egypt: The 360 degree revolution Quentin Coetzee In Egypt, 529 members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been sentenced to death by the courts on charges of murder. Before this, the Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi won a democratic election and faced an expelling by the military. This was followed by him being put on trial and his group was banned and declared a terrorist organisation.

For a country that has supposedly reformed to a democratic society since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, there seem to be extremely excessive measures taking place to maintain a hold on military power. I’d even go so far as to say that the new Egypt is becoming a mirror of its predecessor, as many of the same atrocities from before are taking place again.

To go from a stage where there was severe repression to mass death sentences doesn’t appear to be that much of a policy shift from the old days. Mubarak’s control included the Muslim Brotherhood being kept illegal as a group, a large number of Egyptians (including political figures and activists) being held without trial, at least 700 cases of torture, maintenance of Emergency Law which includes suspending

the Constitution and finally, harassment and imprisonment of journalists.

The current military-led government originally came into power after the downfall of Mubarak and this lasted until the time Morsi won the election in 2011. Shortly after, due to protests, Morsi was quietly taken out of this post to put the military back in charge and placed under house arrest to be put on trial four months later.

the new Egypt is becoming a mirror of its predecessor This military-led government has its own reprehensible actions.

These include banning the Muslim Brotherhood and declaring it a terrorist organisation, as well as imprisoning at least three AlJazeera journalists on flimsy charges such as doctoring evidence and aiding a terrorist group (flimsy because the accusers were reportedly unable to substantiate their claims).

In addition, according to Human Rights Watch, they are also arresting Brotherhood supporters, killing many protesters and subjecting people, including children,

to torture.

All that seems to have changed is that the people in charge are different, as many of the same things occurring before are happening again. There has also been use of lethal force to disperse gatherings which has led to the deaths of hundreds of people, some of whom were unarmed and not actively participating in any form of violence, and many of those being consciously executed by police.

Human Rights Watch has also labelled the trial in which these 529 Brotherhood members were sentenced to death as a sham, as it lacked protection of due process.

Many people were tried in absentia, there was no evidence implicating any single individual, and lawyers were unable to present their cases.

The hardest thing to understand is that the court did not explain why it took the ruling given the evidence, only listing the accused and the accusations they faced.

This mass death sentence is nothing more than an attempt by the military-led government to hold onto their power by getting rid of the opposition. This new Egypt, based upon these events, may have entered a revolution, but has come full circle back to the days and atrocities of Mubarak’s regime.

Image: flickr/Moud Barthez

The voiceless trophy wives of Kenya Tyra Overmeyer

Privacy is a cryptic concept.

Many would argue that a person’s personal life should not necessarily define the way others see them because of their entitlement to privacy. The nature of a person’s marriage, whether traditional or unconventional, should not affect their friendships with others or their professional relationships with colleagues because of their entitlement to privacy. If the nature of their marriage becomes a template for a law in which their female friends and colleagues would be disrespected, then privacy is no longer a justification.

Many Kenyan females were outraged on March 20th when the Polygamy Bill was passed. It states that men are allowed to participate in polygamous marriages, which is

nothing new in Kenya – a country where approximately 1.8 million women and 700 000 men are part of polygamous marriages.

Wanjiku Muhia, a female MP, says, “The Bill is a threat to our family

Polygamy is not worthy of intense lawful attention values, considering that the majority of our people are Christians.”

Together with the Christian community, the Muslim population, which makes up 20 percent of Kenya, is furious by the Bill’s lack of sacred framework towards marriage.

However, Margaret Mutua, a 27-year-old university graduate, says, “I don’t really care much because, either way, our

men are likely to marry more than one wife, whether legally or not.”

Religion and other lifestyle choices are personal and are shielded by privacy, which no friend should be frowning at. Many men in Kenya have the right to choose polygamy as a lifestyle choice.

What they should not legally have the right to do is to silence

the law has objectified women as voiceless trophies the voices of their wives. A clause that was initially part of the Bill, which stated that women have veto power over their husband’s choice on polygamy, was dropped.

The wives in Kenya have no say in their husbands’ many marriages – what some people may call “infidelity”.

The way the law sees women shapes the minds of how men see women. In Kenya, the law has objectified women as voiceless trophies that can be collected by men. Sections of Kenyan society have a history of treating women this way, including the 2008 postelection sexual violence.

According to The Guardian, one victim never received justice six years after being gang-raped in front of her family. The cries of women have not been heard by Kenya’s justice system in the past, and now their opinions won’t be identified in their own marriage.

Kenyan MP, Junet Mohammed, justifies the Bill by saying simply, “This is Africa.” In 2014, there are

no longer any traditional customs that can justify the courts of law strapping muzzles onto the mouths of women.

Polygamy is not worthy of intense lawful attention, but violating women’s rights in a court of law is. If a court of law sees women as

Gender equality starts with the judicial system

mindless mannequins, it explains why women are treated as such by fellow male citizens, from the same country, as a sexist court through sexual and domestic violence.

Gender equality begins with the judicial system because only the law can threaten those who violate it.

opinions

v73 e4 - 15 april 2014

7

How I met your Aunt Robin Could you lend me some $ugar, sugar?

Image: flickr .com/Francis Orante Katy Scott

F Phetha Motumi

because we actually cared about what would happen to everyone. If they’d all get what they wanted and if the I’ve always believed that How girl with the yellow umbrella, the I Met Your Mother is one of the ever-illusive mother, would be good most cleverly crafted shows, not just enough for Ted. because it stayed witty and hilarious The final season tied up loose ends over the years but because Carter neater than the final episode did.

Bays and Craig Thomas became the What I expected of the finale checked masters at distracting our attention all the boxes: a wedding, another baby, for seasons on end. Sitcoms won’t be moving out of the central apartment the same without the cast that has and a dramatic death. While all of been legen- wait for it, I’m gutted that these components were there, the it will never be said again -dary. way they were thrown together was For nine years, we followed the life an onslaught of emotions and time of Ted Mosby as he jumps. Too much narrated to his kids happened and it left (who sat on that the girl with the yellow me thinking, did all couch in the same the seasons lead up umbrella, the ever clothes hearing to this? Is that it? illusive mother their father’s equally The conclusion entertaining and made me so angry long story for years) the story of how and so frustrated in its idiotic he met their mother. Enter Marshall perfection because really, how could Eriksen, Ted’s best friend since college it not be Robin Sparkles, I mean and Lily Aldrin the other half of the Scherbatsky, who got Ted’s heart cutest couple ever (Marshmallow and the iconic blue French horn? As and Lilypad). the credits rolled, I realised that as Then there was Barney Stinson, the ridiculous as the finale was, I couldn’t “awesome” pick up artist that helped help but reminisce on the characters I Ted get laid and Robin Scherbatsky, would miss.

Ted’s first prospect, a Canadian who Barney’s shockingly impressive dreamed of being a news anchor. methods of picking up women, Like a new-age version of Friends, Marshall’s incredibly dry How I Met your Mother lasted sense of humour, Lily and her so long because it never stopped oversensitive moments; going entertaining. It wasn’t even that we to the mall with Robin and Ted could relate to walking 500 miles on Mosby, the most long winded, crazy road trips and hunting to find “encyclopaydia”-loving romantic. the best burger ever -- it was that they It might not have been the perfect shared their lives with us, so much so ending, but that can never take away that we felt like we had our own chair nine years of laughter from a show at their booth at MacLaren’s. that taught me that it’s okay to ramble, The crazy antics and stupid it’s okay to fall in love more than once fights, “the naked man” and “eating and still believe in the idea of “the a sandwich” were either things we’ve one” as long as you keep an incredible seen and done or things we wanted to group of friends to high-five you try. We watched for so many seasons along the way.

emale university students struggling with debt and unsatisfactory lifestyles have long been seeking “alternative arrangements” to make money.

Signing up to be a sugar baby on a sugar daddy website has become another possible solution.

Describing itself as an “Elite Sugar Daddy Dating Site” SeekingArrangement.com provides a platform for affluent men and young women to set up profiles outlying their needs and what they are willing to bring to the relationship.

For female students it is essentially dating for an income of $3000 a month (on average). For bored billionaires it is a companion to spoil and adore. People on these sites are simply in search of their ideal arrangement.

Although stigmatised as a form of prostitution, Sugar daddies and sugar babies are arguably involving themselves in mutually beneficial, proactive relationships.

In a world where everyone is looking for a boost up his or her own ladder, is there really anything wrong with a little tit for tat?

The concept is still taking off in South Africa, but a simple Google search found me multiple suitors in need of a “naughty personal assistant”, a “passionate princess to pamper and spoil”, “mile high exploration”, and an “appreciative young female companion”. I also stumbled across a whole host of male Cape Tonian sugar babies seeking gay sugar daddies, proving that there really is something for everyone.

Perhaps this is prostitution camouflaged as profitable companionship, but “prostitution”

Image: Wikimedia Commons/GDFL connotes a person offering their body as a commodity for an unworthy purpose. Brandon Wade, the website’s founder and CEO, argues that sugar dating is much more empowering for women, allowing them to only date men who will help “achieve their goals”.

Whilst this is a fairly contentious statement, it can be argued that sugar babies are not prostituting themselves for a living but rather hustling their way through life finding a way to make money out of the things that other women provide for free. A trailblazing entrepreneur if you will.

Being a sugar baby however, is by no means effortless or desirable, nor should it be glamourised as such. It is likely that the sugar daddies online are not the greying, dashing, fantasy-inducing type but rather a handful of wealthy weirdos and wrinkly winkies.

This is to be expected though,

as these are not your traditional dating sites. Nobody is looking for love, at least not on purpose.

Author Helen Croydon writes about her time as a sugar baby saying, “I’d made myself the designer mistress, worthy of their money but not their love. I realised it would stay that way as long as I kept putting a price tag on my company.”

There is no denying the toll of being a sugar baby and the impact it may have on future relationships, however, these arrangements are made by the sugar babies, not for them. Most should be well aware of what they are doing and the potential repercussions.

In your average unhealthy relationship, love is often synonymous with possession.

It is an emotion so utterly misconceived that partners find ways to warrant abuse, adultery and an array of other ugliness.

What then is wrong with a relationship that is not based on love (or misperceptions of love) but rather on a loving of what the other can provide you with?

It does not get more mutually beneficial than that.

After several observers raised multiple points of order, Chairman Sarvesh Balkaran called for order in the house and issued warnings to interruptive observers. CPS was called to removed one individual.

The agenda includes a discussion of the UCT alcohol policy and the contentious issue of the UCT admissions policy Information sessions about the admission policy will be held by

the Vice-Chancellor on April 15th at 1pm in the Nico Malan Recreation Hall on Medical Campus, on April 16th at 1pm in NSLT on Upper Campus, and on April 17th at 8pm in the Baxter Hall Residence.

All students are encouraged to attend both the Student Assembly sitting as well as one of the information sessions about the admissions policy revisions.

this is prostitution camoflauged as profitable companionship

On campus this week

Rather safe than sorry Fanie van Zijl The University of Cape Town’s Campus Protection Services (CPS) claims to be committed to ensuring the safety of UCT students, both on campus and in the surrounding areas. They operate from six centres situated around the various UCT campuses, including Hiddingh, which is situated in the heart of Cape Town.

They function 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as opposed to University hours only.

Yet one cannot help wondering if it really is the University’s obligation to protect a drunken student walking down Main Road at night. First-year students are given a detailed briefing of the safety services offered by CPS during Orientation Week. If they were uneasy about living in Cape Town (a city with a relatively high crime rate) and studying at UCT, they are likely to be put at greater ease once CPS’s rigorous approach to ensuring student

safety is put forward.

The emergency alarms, which are particularly conspicuous on the walk from Upper to Lower Campus, catch one’s attention and can be somewhat reassuring. But the extensive security procedures put in place by the University certainly raises some questions about who should hold the responsibility of student safety.

The primary purpose of the University is to educate. The primary purpose of a police force is to protect.

The police are certainly not helping with education, so why should UCT really feel obliged to look after students after hours? Students need to realise that although living in Cape Town has many perks, it comes with certain risks.

Crime is a relatively serious issue which should prompt responsible behavior.

Aside from CPS’ work, each student remains responsible for his or her own safety. So, if you find yourself being mugged while staggering down Main Road at 2am, perhaps it was bad luck.

But it definitely isn’t CPS’ fault.

Image: Daniël Geldenhuys The UCT Student Assembly will reconvene today, Tuesday April 15th. The first sitting of the year, which took place on March 13th, was adjourned on account of disorder in the house. The agenda is the same as the last sitting, as only two of the agenda items were covered before an observer raised a motion that disrupted the sitting’s schedule.

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In 2011, VARSITY became viral. Now, people from all over the world are able to view VARSITY newspaper online as well as on the online publication database, Issuu.

VARSITY newspaper was founded in 1942 as a result of the burgeoning cultural tensions on campus between Afrikaans and English students. In an attempt to control these tensions, the SRC decided to unite the English student newspaper, the UCTattle and the Afrikaans publication, Die Spantou.

The SRC aimed to lessen the widening gap in political opinion advocated by each of these mouthpieces by launching a bilingual student newspaper: VARSITY.

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Varsity information box

Varsity

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Volume 70: Number 12

021 650 3543

varsitynewspaper.co.za

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A Rush of Blood to the Head YELLOW FEVER – British soft rock band Coldplay kicked off their two-show South African tour on Wednesday 5 October at Green Point Stadium.

The band, consisting of lead singer Chris Martin (pictured right), lead guitarist Johnny Buckland, bass guitarist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion, apologised to South Africans for taking 12 years to come to the South Africa, joking that it had taken them “that long to get a visa.” The band also performed at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday 8 October.

GCI promotes sustainable living Aimee Carelse

year is the Seventeenth Conference of Parties (COP17) – the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is to be held at the end of this year in Durban.

In its fourth year running, Green Week aimed to create an awareness of environmental issues surrounding climate change, sustainability and biodiversity.

Over the course of the week a series of events were held to bring these issues to light. They included interactive debates and panel discussions, sustainability displays, daily film screenings at The Labia Theatre on Orange and a musical performance on Jameson Plaza by

Jeremy Loops.

Running the duration of the week was TrashBack, an incentivised recycling drive for any old or unused stationery, clothing and textbooks.

aims to alert students to their responsibility of being good consumers TrashBack is a project that was recently established in the Imizamo Yethu Township in Hout Bay. It encourages members of the developing community to

participate in the act of recycling by rewarding the donation of rubbish and unwanted goods.

The collaboration of the GCI with the organisers of TrashBack highlighted the importance and benefits of recycling while prompting the UCT student body to become more actively involved in recycling.

The GCI aimed to appeal to student interests in order to increase their involvement during Green Week. They did this by collaborating with other organisations and student bodies such as the Ikey Tigers, who sported shirts emblazoned with the GCI logo during their warm-ups.

GCI also gave away vouchers and

two tickets to the popular music festival, Rocking the Daisies, as an incentive to participate in the TrashBack drive. Additionally, the Monday Paper, as well as UCTaffiliated websites such as Vula, pledged their support by going green for the week.

This year’s Green Week also served to promote the GCI’s new and existing projects such as RideLink and its new sister project, BikeLink, as well as the Consumer Activism project which aims to alert students to their responsibility of being good consumers in favour of a sustainable environment.

IN THIS ISSUE Dalai Lama protest

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varsitynewspaper varsitynewspaper.co.za co za

70 CELEBRATING

YEARS

@varsitynews

V VARSITY

Matrics unprepared for UCT SAX SELLS

Aimee Carelse

Read the concert review on page 10.

rom 3 to 7 October, UCT’s Green Campus Initiative (GCI) hosted a series of events known as “Green Week.” The campaign is held annually to expose students to the critical issue of climate change and to promote environmental sustainability.

The GCI’s primary intention is to emphasise the importance of society’s responsibility in ensuring a sustainable future. “People know about these issues but they don’t realise the extent to which this may affect them,” says Kate Pallet, GCI’s Head of Marketing.

The theme of Green Week this

VOLUME 71: EDITION 1

The Pill – for men?

PAGE 7

Africa bids farewell

PAGE 11

Occupy Wall Street

PAGE 11

The New Biscuit Mill?

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

Edition 12, October 2011

atriculants are becoming increasingly unprepared for university once they leave school, lacking the basic skills necessary for university learning. Consequently, graduates are inadequately prepared for the workplace; this according to an article published in the Mail & Guardian on January 26th.

In an interview with VARSITY, Professor Ian Scott, Deputy Dean of Higher Education Development at UCT, said that the root of this problem lies in the school system. Because of this, said Scott, universities have to compensate for students’ inadequate preparation by adjusting admissions policies and by implementing certain programmes and initiatives to ensure that students reach the level required for university learning.

UCT has a number of measures in place to compensate for some students’ lack of vital academic skills. The Academic Development Programme (ADP) at UCT has implemented various interventionist programmes to further the access and success rate of students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Writing Centre, which forms part of the Language Development Group (LDP) under the ADP, is another such initiative. Its mission is to “promote and facilitate access to higher education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels within an ethos of social justice and redress,” says Ermien Van Pletzen, co-ordinator of the LDP. Through one-on-one consultations with students, they are able to identify curriculum needs so that they can be dealt with accordingly.

One of the ADP’s biggest and most successful initiatives is the implementation of extended curricula. These are lengthened degree programmes that “integrate the development of foundational knowledge with academic skills in the courses themselves,” says Scott.

These programmes are specifically tailored for students from disadvantaged educational

The Right to Run

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VARSITY is UCT’s official student-run newspaper and is recognised as an important development agency on campus. As a developmental agency, VARSITY strives to teach its members about student journalism and the wider world of media, providing students with the basics required to participate in the faster, more competitive journalism profession.

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Image: michael.currin.co.za

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14 February 2012

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Varsity newspaper is celebrating its 72nd birthday this month.

So, we thought we would tell you a little bit about the Varsity story.

OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

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IN THIS ISSUE

11 October 2011

Moving up the ranks

Varsity

Varsity

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

It was reported in 1941 that the SRC believed that all “racial friction and political bitterness must be eliminated”. (UCTattle, October 8th, 1941) And so, in order to attempt this VARSITY was founded and the SRC took the paper firmly in their own hands, despite the outcry from the student body. The founding of the new newspaper and the abolishment of the original papers caused a storm of controversy.

The very first VARSITY constitution even had a clause forbidding any form of comments on politics at UCT.

2013 2014 In 2014, the Web team redesigned the entire website

Owners: Developmental Agency and Media House Current Editor: Laurie Scarborough Current Deputy Editor: Katy Scott Members: UCT Student Volunteers Founded: 1942 Birthday month: April Newspapers printed per an edition: 6 000 When is it printed? Biweekly; every second Tuesday How many editions per a year? 12 Editions Headquaters: University of Cape Town, Level 5, Steve Biko Students’ Union Website: www.varsitynewspaper.co.za Style: www.varsitynewspaper.co.za/style Twitter: @varsitynews Facebook: varsitynewspaper

VARSITY through the years in pictures

Image: michael.currin.co.za SAXXY AND THEY KNOW IT – With 35 000 copies printed, students came out in numbers to sell SAX Appeal and the chance to win a romantic dinner with Jeannie D. Story continues on page 3. backgrounds to enhance their chances of success at university. “I prefer the smaller class sizes because I’m guaranteed the support and individual attention that I need,” says Amy Abrahams, a second-year commerce student in the extended degree programme.

universities have to compensate for students inadequate preparation

the school system’s ability to prepare matriculants for university learning fully depends on two factors: the first is a school system deeply affected by the legacy of apartheid as well as the challenges of existing in a developing country, and the second is the socio-economic circumstances that determine the type of school that one attends.

According to Scott, these factors together ensure that “the school system will not be able to deliver

the number of prepared students that universities need it to for a long time.”

Whether universities should play a role in teaching students these basic skills at a higher education level is highly contested amongst university educators. Most believe that their focus should be on theoretical learning rather than employability.

“Universities must create a space for students to learn what they did not at school. This is a fundamental element

of transformation,” said Scott.

Given the number of challenges that South African schools face, if universities are to rely solely on schools to address this issue, the redress goal cannot be met, said Scott.

“The school system is not going to improve its output to the extent that we need it to. If it is within the university’s power to help these students, then they have the responsibility to do so.”

Ideally, basic skills such as reading and writing should be taught at school level.

Scott explained, however, that

The big 7-0

As the years went on, VARSITY grew in popularity and soon became independant from the SRC, no longer merely acting as a puppet press. During the apartheid years, the paper maintained a spirit of liberalism, with successive editors jailed and many editions incensing the National Party government.

In actual fact, VARSITY was an important function during the years of censorship owing to the fact that it operated under different constraints to the mainstream press who were often shackled and prevented from reporting on the country’s growing liberation struggle.

PAGES 10–11

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

Edition 1, February 2012

The 2012 collective, headed by Stephanie Venter, revamped the VARSITY logo and look. Up until 2012, VARSITY was printed rotating colour pages with black and white pages. 2012 VARSITY Edition 1 saw its first full colour copy.

Design and text by: Krysia Gaweda

The very first Editor-in-Chief, N.C Gracie, chose the name “VARSITY” claiming that UCT had the right to the name as UCT was “the oldest [university] with the most inspiring record and greatest tradition of tolerance and unity” (VARSITY, April 18th, 1942).

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In 2013, VARSITY introduced its very first digital style suppliment, VARSITY Style published in May and October.

VARSITY Style is headed by Daniël Geldenhuys and Barbara Fourie.

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features

v73 e4 – 15 april 2014

Getting high with GoPro Gustav Lilienfeld

I

had reached the summit. Having climbed to the topmost point of Lion’s Head, I couldn’t go any higher. There were others around me, and our timing was just right.

The sun was setting, and I watched as everyone else set up their cameras to capture the moment. They had all types of equipment, from smartphones and regular pointand-shoots to advanced tripods and lenses as long as telescopes. Mine was a GoPro, but what really set me apart was that my camera was mounted to a quadcopter.

drones have been used for media access to ... inaccessible areas The DJI Phantom quadcopter has truly revolutionised the way I film and take photographs. By sending the drone hundreds of metres up in the air with my GoPro

firmly mounted on the bottom, it allows me to capture the shots that I previously thought impossible.

If you are a GoPro fan, you will be well aware of the camera’s reputation and the incredible wide-angle, high definition footage it is able to capture. The result that comes from combining the GoPro with a quadcopter is thus truly indescribable.

The DJI Phantom can fly up to a maximum range of 400m from the operator’s position. The main downside of all recreational drones or quadcopters is the limited battery life. My model can fly around 12-15 minutes on a single battery, depending on the extent of maneuvering; though with newer models the battery lasts up to 25 minutes. What gave me comfort in sending my quadcopter over the edge of Lions Head is its GPS and return home function. To me this is the most impressive feature of the device, as it enables my quadcopter to automatically return to its point of origin by simply flicking a switch.

From the day of purchase the DJI Phantom became my favorite toy

and for a few weeks of endless fun and aerial exploration my cinematic possibilities seemed limitless, until the recent release of news concerning drone flyers in South Africa. The Director of the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) stated that there are currently no set rules or regulations in place when it comes to flying unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in South African civil aviation airspace. However, anyone caught operating a UAS could face fines of up to R50 000, a prison sentence of up to ten years or both.

It is said that this move was prompted due to various cases in the recent past where drones have been used for media access to crowded or inaccessible areas. Drones have been sent up to capture footage of the Oscar Pistorius trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria and one man was apprehended for flying a remote-controlled helicopter over the Pretoria hospital where former president Nelson Mandela was being treated. People are referring to this period as the rise of the drones.

Image: Gustav Lilienfeld It is a good idea to create rules and regulations for UAS in civil aviation airspace in terms of safety and privacy, however, the current consequences facing a teenager flying a toy helicopter are a bit extreme. Especially when it can be

used to capture never-before-seen shots, like the one I got when I sent my drone up hundreds of meters from the summit of Lion’s Head with my GoPro pointing straight down.

The result is truly breathtaking. Let’s hope more isn’t taken from us.

Literally life-changing cinematic experiences Innovations that uplift, educate and inspire – powered by the African sun Ryno Nortjé Sunshine Cinema takes sustainable innovation to the doorstep of rural South African communities. A mobile, solar powered cinema unit is used to screen short DIY clips aimed at empowering communities to overcome health, environmental and social issues. Participant engagement is encouraged as discussions and practical skill transfer workshops get underway after the screenings.

The first Sunshine Cinema screening and workshop took place in Delft at the community library on February 19th. Clips on how to build a solar cooker, water filter and how to grow potatoes in tyres were screened. "With the ever increasing cost of power and the blackouts experienced across the country, even in this community with access to electricity and water in their homes, the solutions shown are relevant," says Janine Johnston of Sunshine Cinema. "Majority of the audience had not been to a cinema, ever," Johnston says.

In order to determine which video to screen at events, the communities need to be engaged with to better understand their challenges and needs. "Based on the findings of this initial community engagement, the Sunshine Cinema team selects videos and the simple

Image: flickr.com/UmbertoRotundo

engineering solutions that will be most helpful to the community," explains Johnston.

The three-minute videos demonstrate the construction and application of simple “engineering” solutions, known as “appropriate technologies” already in use in direct response to the environmental and

cinema screenings and workshops in rural communities social challenges faced by rural South African communities.

The project was initiated through a partnership with Greenpop, Makhulu-Moving Images and SHIFT. The project is running a crowd-funding campaign on Thundafund in the hopes of getting Sunshine Cinema to operate at its optimal potential.

Johnston comments on having reached their first crowd-funding milestone, saying, "We plan to do a pilot, which includes three Sunshine cinema screenings and workshops in rural communities in the Westen Cape in May," Sunshine Cinema is also participating in the SHIFT: Sustainability Caravan, a Cape Town World Design Capital 2014 recognised project. This project

sees a convoy of modified vehicles equipped to host Sunshine Cinema screenings as well as other exhibitions to raise awareness and respond to Millenium Development Goals. The Caravan will travel the perimeter of South Africa – 20 thousand kilometres in 100 days – between November 2014 and

February 2015. They will invite designers, innovators and global change-makers to “hop on and hop off ” for two weeks participation in the community collaborations planned for the tour.

The Sustainability Caravans public campaign gets underway between May 7th and May 10th. “At

that stage we will make mechanisms available that will enable changemakers from across the country and around the world to participate,” says Johnston. Hereby, Sunshine Cinema gives you the best opportunity to tour the country and impact peoples’ lives along the way, wouldn’t you say?

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v73 e4 - 15 april 2014

11

Not so happily ever after Jena Ascough

T

here was an old woman who lived in a shoe, She had so many children she didn’t know what to do.

She gave them some broth without any bread Then whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed.

Fairy-tale and nursery rhymes are notoriously morbid, filled with abusive mothers (and stepmothers), cannibal witches who live in candy cottages, grandmother-eating wolves and, my personal nightmare, a creep named Wee Willy Winky who runs around knocking on children’s bedroom windows in the dead of night to tell them to go to sleep.

These stories were originally designed to teach morals to the greater populace, but nowadays, many a tale has been modified for today’s incredibly sensitive children.

Fortunately, I am here to give you the pure, uncensored version of your favourite fairy-tale. And ruin your childhood forever.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame In the end of the Disney version, Quasimodo (the hunchback) saves Esmeralda (the gypsy with a goat) from being hanged. Frollo (the

villain with the big hat) falls off the cathedral balcony to his death. Then Esmeralda and Phoebus (the blonde boy-toy) hook up and Quasimodo is hailed as a hero.

The original version is quite different. Esmeralda is hanged at the order of Frollo. In anger, Quasimodo throws Frollo off the cathedral balcony and the fall kills him. Then it gets interesting. Quasimodo then goes to the place where Esmeralda is buried, buries himself alive and lies with her corpse until he dies of starvation. I would like to point out at this time that Esmeralda and Quasimodo were never actually together; in fact, Esmeralda was married to a man named Pierre Gringoire. Can you say friend-zoned?

Sleeping Beauty Remember the story? A beautiful princess is cursed to sleep for 100 years, until her true love comes along, kisses her and breaks the spell and they live happily ever after, right?

Wrong. In the original story, while she is asleep a king comes along and takes advantage of her (yes, you read that right). The princess then falls pregnant and gives birth to twins nine months later (which she sleeps through). She only wakes up when one of the kids sucks on her finger, removing the flax that was keeping her asleep. And she lives

Image: flickr.com/Juska Wendland ever after as a single mother with two kids. Charming.

Cinderella The original story is actually not all that different to the Disney version. Cinderella is forced to work as a slave for her evil stepmother and stepsisters until one day her fairy godmother dolls her up and sends her in a pumpkin to a royal party. She and the prince fall in love, but she has to dash out at midnight before her riches turn back into rags,

which causes her to leave with only one shoe. The prince picks it up after her and goes all around town to find the owner/ the love of his life.

Here it gets a tad gruesome.

When the two stepsisters are trying to fit into Cinderella’s tiny shoe, the original explains that they actually chopped off parts of their feet hoping the prince wouldn’t notice.

They almost got away with it, too – it took two doves who pecked out their eyes to inform the prince that neither of them were Cinderella

(clearly the prince was not a full box of chocolates). In the end, the stepsisters live out their days as blind paralysed beggars, while Cinderella lives the life of luxury. At least the bit about talking animals was kind of true.

So there you have it. I hope you feel enlightened, if not just slightly nauseated. If I have not sufficiently ruined your childhood and you have a story you’d like me to spoil, contact VARSITY and I’ll see what I can do.

New book might reveal secrets about campus life

Image: Stavroula Kotsiovos

Nkhensane Manabe This month, Thando Mgqolozana, author of A Man Who Is Not A Man (2009) and Hear Me Alone (2011), will debut his third novel Unimportance. I wanted to find out a little more about the author, what goes on in his mind, and what motivates him.

To begin with, I asked two simple questions: Who are you? Why do you write? After admitting that an author

of fiction can never be trusted to give a truthful answer, Thando says he is a “jobbing writer”. Well, what is that?

When he is not working at the UCT Research Office, Thando writes – and that is when he is most content.

Thando admits to becoming quite an unpleasant person if he spends too much time away from his work, like all creative types. “It always feels like something important is missing,” he says.

Writers’ dayjobs are interesting

because it always seems like what they do when they’re not making worlds come alive between pages just doesn’t do their genius any justice. I had no idea what a research development officer was. And frankly it sounded boring. Thando says his job at the UCT Research Office is to assist academics with their research output – that is, their journal articles, books and conference papers – by organising seminars and workshops that give them guidelines for doing research right, and getting it noticed.

The process of getting a book published is nothing like what it is in the movies, where brilliant story ideas just offer themselves up to a writer while they sleep, to be tweaked and fussed over during a montage in a cottage accompanied by dramatic music.

In Thando’s experience (and this is

I had no idea what a research development officer was. And frankly it sounded boring. something which he believes is true for most writers) writing a book requires patience. For Thando, developing a book involves deciding whether that one interesting idea that randomly occurred to him is something which

he cares about enough for it to be his main preoccupation for the next two years. Once an affirmative decision is made, the writing begins.

In the month between the first draft and the first serious edit, Thando will do various things to take his mind off the manuscript. Read a book, do some spring cleaning, start working on another idea, go to the movies, renew his gym membership, anything to distract him. This month is necessary to give Thando perspective on the manuscript, so that he can rewrite with a fresh enthusiasm.

With Google and Facebook chat as his tools, he does a lot of fact-checking and runs new ideas or phrases past

when he writes he does not merely create characters, he becomes them. some friends; this is how he gets to his second draft. This second draft is sent to two friends, who, he says, “Punch holes in it and send back a haemorrhaging manuscript”. Thando then patches it up and sends it to the publisher. Then, the waiting begins – time to draw on some of that patience.

Once the manuscript has been accepted, it goes through some more editing. More editing?

Unimportance went through seven edits.

So what is this seven-timesedited, two year-long project all about? The novel tells the story of Zizi, a candidate in the SRC elections who is experiencing a slight crisis of conscience. Zizi realises that standing as a representative of the student body could demand more of himself than he is willing (or able) to give. When asked if the book will be about student politics, Thando says, “It is a portrait of the life of a student politician”.

Thando says when he writes he does not merely create characters, he becomes them. This gives the story authenticity, and allows the reader to become an active witness, rather than a passive spectator, according to the author. This was evident when I read A Man Who Is Not A Man, as the main character Lumkile presented himself as a multi-faceted, engaging person that a reader cannot help but relate to.

With Unimportance, Thando is presenting readers with another one of these characters, and giving them what he calls, “The stuff that campus memoirs are made of ”. That is a bold claim promises that Unimportance will be a novel that students all over will want to pick up and read especially considering that the book will apparently take a few jibes at UCT.

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features

v73 e4 – 15 april 2014

Down the rabbit hole

Busang Senne

“

Take a deep breath for me. Now exhale…” I am no stranger to that sentence. It had been exactly 1 year, 4 months and 3 weeks since the last time gloved fingers hovered a fourteen-gauge needle towards my face. Some get pierced for religion, others get pierced to conform or to rebel. My reasons? My recent trip to Wildfire Piercing helped me figure it out.

My first piercing was my ear lobes at the tender age of three years old. Ten years later during a trip to Durban I begged my mother outside Claire’s in Gateway to let me get my second piercing on my ear lobes because all the other thirteen yearold girls were doing it.

A lethal combination of Tumblr and the street style I was exposed to during a trip to London led to my more exotic choices. At sixteen I got a helix piercing which I unfortunately had to take out because of a rather annoying keloid (a build up of scar tissue). At eighteen, as a newly unshackled matriculant who was more than eager to express my newly found independence, I decided to get a septum piercing. And to answer a question I’m almost always asked: Yes, it hurt. A lot.

This time around it was Wildfire Piercings on Buiten Street and a

very nice man named Breda who pierced my lip with minimal pain and maximum reward. Unfortunately Anita (my partner in crime) was not allowed into the small piercing room with me, so as not to contaminate the area. Usually I need the moral support, but as I sat on the black recliner, I tried to steady my nerves and instead channelled nervous energy into feature-writing energy – you know, as one does.

It led me to question why I would do something that is painful,

I like the idea of being able to change even if everything else stays the same expensive and opens the floodgates of assumptions and unsavoury glances. A lot of people are curious, some ruder than others, but the foundation of their inquisitive stares is: Why? Why put a horseshoe through my nose and a stud under my lip?

Upon further research I discovered why other people around the world get their piercings. For example, Bengali women wear the nathori (traditional name for a septum piercing) as a sign of being a married woman. In Nepal it’s a sign of status.

Indeginous tribes in South America

used lip rings called tembetá as a rite of passage. Mursi women in Ethopia get lip rings and insert large lip plates to indicate the number of cattle paid as a form of dowry.

For me, my reasons aren’t quite so complex nor are they culturally embedded. The simple answer would be transformation. I like the idea of being able to make a decision without being afraid of what other people are going to think about it. I like the idea of being able to change, even if everything else stays the same.

If you’re thinking about transforming yourself in the ways that I have, remember to do your research.

(YouTube gives you a visual depiction of what it’s really like. Watch a few to get a wide range of the pain involved.

Also watch vlogs on aftercare). Think about it carefully before you take the plunge. If you don’t like being stared at often or if you’re thinking of going into a professional environment, it’s probably not a good idea to get something indiscreet. Make sure your piercer shows you the needle that they’re about to pierce you with – it looks scarier than it is, but you need to check it’s unused – and go to a reputable, clean store.

Piercings are fun, it’s basically like changing your wardrobe only with a lot more jewellery involved. One piercing can mean a whole new chapter in your life.

Sorry, mom!

STUDENTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY How the WSEN aims to connect students globally in the pursuit of sustainable living

Image: Giorgina King

Yogi Shoba We’ve heard it all before – the constant preaching about climate change and the volatile state of our planet. At this point most of us are either painfully bored with the subject or are all revved up to

be the next Al Gore. For some of us, however, it’s not a question of sympathy or apathy; it’s a question of how an individual can make a meaningful impact in the effort to preserve the environment.

Perhaps it is not necessarily about what individuals can achieve, but rather about a collective force which has the ability to implement changes. According to Ashleigh

Arton, “One of the most powerful things in the world is collective action.” Ashleigh, a third year student studying a PPE degree, is the chairperson of the Green Campus Initiative (GCI).

On a local scale, the GCI is an example of the power of collective action. Formed in 2007, and barely able to accumulate five students to make a committee, it has grown to

Dandelion coffee – yay or nay?

Image: Shannon Krausey Dandelion roots are claimed to produce a coffee substitute

Shannon Krausey Dandelion root coffee has been hailed as a miracle cure for anything from liver disease to cancer. While there is almost no medical proof, hundreds of herbalists swear by it and are sharing their recipes on the internet. I put the recipes to the test to see if this plant could indeed curb my coffee cravings.

Dandelion coffee has only recently gained popularity, but people have been making it since the 1850s, both for health reasons and as a cheap coffee substitute.

The first challenge was finding the dandelions. I thought it would be easy because they’re weeds, and seem to grow all over. Wrong— before I found some growing on the hill opposite the UCT Sports Centre, I had to spend a week digging around in the shrubbery and walking through fields all around Cape Town.

Next, I had to try and dig up the roots. You can’t just yank them out of the ground, because you’ll end up with a handful of flowers and nothing else. I had to dig them out with a stick, and try ignore all the people walking to their cars and looking at me like I was crazy.

The process of making the coffee is another mission altogether. First, cut the miniscule roots away from the plant and scrub them vigorously

to try to remove the soil. Then, shave off the remaining sandy bits with a sharp knife.

Next, slice the roots in to paperthin pieces and leave them to dry.

You could leave on newspaper for a few days, or put them in the oven on 50°C for a couple of hours.

Once the roots have dried out, roast them in the oven for 30 minutes on 200°C until they are a deep, dark brown. Grind them into a fine powder.

Simmer the ground root on the stove for 15 minutes. Strain the solids out of the coffee. The coffee is ready to drink with milk, honey or sugar, according to your preference.

My coffee was black, and went a dreary grey when I added the milk.

It tasted like absolutely nothing except a watered-down version of the milk and honey I added. The roasted flavour didn’t even come through. You would have to use about a cup of ground roots to get one cup of coffee to taste like anything, and this would take about 20 dandelion plants and three hours of prep-work!

Considering that the coffee doesn’t have any caffeine in it, and that all the liver-cleansing vitamin A in it is probably killed in the drying/ roasting/grinding/boiling process – I conclude that dandelion coffee is not worth the time or effort. Rather spend the extra few rands and buy yourself a cup of real cup of coffee.

over 2000 members. The GCI has seven projects running with the aims to promote sustainability and environmental awareness at UCT. One of the biggest is Green Week which is taking place from April 14th to April 17th. The theme for this year is “Less is More”: use fewer resources to be more environmentally friendly.

The GCI’s local efforts have resulted in UCT being recognised as one of the greenest universities in Africa, hence was privileged to be invited to the World Student Environmental Network Summit both last year and this year as the “South African and African contingent” according to Ashleigh, who attended last year’s summit in Germany and was on the selection committee for this year’s delegates.

“The selection committee consisted of [myself], Carey, the head of Health and Environment on the SRC, and professor Mark New, who works at the UCT African

Climate Development Initiative for environmental research. After we got the invitation, I set up the committee. We had 12 applicants who went through an interview process. We picked 4 and gave those names to the WSEN which will choose two delegates.”

The summit will be held at Stellenbosch University from June 30th to July. 5th This year’s theme is “Coming Back to Life”, an acknowledgement of humans as not separate from but fundamentally part of the environment.

The WSEN aims to connect students globally in an effort to promote sustainability through student participation.

According to Ashleigh, the network is still in its infancy, but delegates are able to share ideas and success stories about their projects via the WSEN website to build and strengthen a collective student voice for the promotion of sustainable living.

features

Low carb garb!

Annie Insam

I

sat down with Marjanne Senekal, the Head of Human Nutrition at UCT, to get to the bottom of whether a high carbohydrate or low carbohydrate diet was best for weight loss and health.

With her background in Dietetics and having written a weight management manual titled Love my body, Love myself that included research on UCT students and recognized that “fresher’s spread” is real, Senekal was most certainly the go-to woman to set the record straight.

The international diet recommendations for carbohydrate intake range from 45% to 75% as each country has different health concerns and goals. In her own research, Senekal has deemed a low carb diet as one with 45% or less of total energy from carbohydrates.

“Carbohydrates” is often considered an expletive in kitchens, yet the individuals who banish carbs neglect to recognise that it is all about good quality carbohydrate choices.

“Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes not only provide different types of fibre, but also essential vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants,” says Senekal.

Low intake of such good quality carbohydrates could therefore result in deficiencies that are vital for your body to function. In the same breath, Senekal says, “If carbohydrate choices

are mainly refined (white bread, pasta etc.), sweetened drinks and sugar, these same deficiencies may develop.”

Research clearly indicates that the most important requirement for weight loss is to reduce total energy intake. It does not matter where you reduce this energy to see results – at first.

Senekal explains why a low carbohydrate diet may be effective in initial weight loss, yet it is often not sustainable. As glucose is the preferred energy source of the brain, the body keeps blood glucose above a certain level at all times. With extreme carbohydrate reductions, the body is forced to use glucose in the liver to prevent low blood glucose levels. We also start breaking down muscles to free up protein that can be used to make more glucose.

“Sustainability, moderation and balance - that’s your core concept to weight loss” Glycogen and protein in muscles are stored with water – 1 gram glycogen/protein is associated with 3-4g water. This water is released and excreted when glycogen and muscle protein are used for glucose. The result? Fast initial weight loss which is not fat, but muscle and water loss. So that’s what water weight is!

While the above seems like the solution to all weight problems,

V73 E4 - 15 APRIL 2014

Why prioritising one food group over another isn’t the answer

Image: flickr/Premshree Pillai

Senekal explains, “The glycogen stores and muscle tissue will be replenished once you increase your energy/ carbohydrates, which can then lead to fast weight gain and setting yourself up for failure.”

Senekal also says, “Shows and products advertise the success stories of extreme diets, but never the failures – Think of The Biggest Loser for example.” From my own research, her words ring true as I shockingly discovered that the majority of winners went on to gain weight after their triumph. Turns out, the diets they were on during the show were simply too restrictive to remain dedicated to, and this situation is exactly what Senekal wants you to avoid.

She recognises the initial effectiveness of a high protein diet, as protein increases satiety and could thus result in less food intake. On her research into high protein and

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low carbohydrate diets, Senekal says, “HP-LC diets may result in more weight loss and better improvements in blood lipid and glucose levels when compared at six months, than conventional diets. However, when compared to 12 and 24 months, these differences disappear.” High protein diets are thus not considered as longterm solutions, which is why Senekal does not recommend them.

Senekal’s eyes glisten as she shares a little-known fact with me. “Many people are unaware of where the high protein/low carbohydrate diet originated,” she says. Most recently responsible for making it prominent again, after it first surfaced in the 1800’s, is Robert Atkins. He was severely overweight at 33 years old and 100kg and had to use this drastic dieting approach in order to address his urgent personal health risks.

The diet was therefore popularised and appeared in Vogue and

The Tonight Show.

After suffering from cardiomyopathy for two years, Atkins had a heart attack, proving that his diet has left him with an unhealthy cardiovascular system. You be the judge – did this extreme approach result in a healthy individual?

So, what does it all boil down to?

What are we supposed to follow?

“A consistent reduction of total energy intake, rather than changing carbohydrate, protein and fat contributions to total energy intake, is key to successful weight loss and associated benefits,” says Senekal.

“Sustainability, moderation and balance – that’s your core concept to weight loss,” she says. “People will see me eating a piece of cake, and be shocked that I, a dietician, am eating cake,” she says, “but it’s about being able to sustain your diet long term, which is why many extreme diets fail.”

Surrounded by piles upon piles of research, I spoke with Senekal for well over an hour, while she shared her wisdom on the low carb garb we’re all exposed to. “Many people don’t want to accept that successful weight loss means a permanent lifestyle change,” she says. But if you follow Senekal’s advice you’re set for success. What you have to look forward to is a long-term love affair with your mind and body and a healthy relationship with food..

The good news? “McDonalds in moderation won’t ruin your health.”

Excuse me – I am off to munch on some carbs!

The truth about Truth Coffee Dean Horwitz

Image: Busang Senne

Cape Town is a coffee crazy town with large coffee corporations like Vida e Caffé and Seattle operating alongside your smaller coffee establishments like Deluxe Coffee Works and Origin Coffee.

However there is one coffee shop that stands out above the rest and quite tellingly, its name is Truth Coffee.

Truth Coffee was started by coffee aficionado David Donde in 2009. Donde, a trained barista and believer in the purity of coffee was one of the first true coffee connoisseurs in Cape Town.

With his belief in the benefits and

taste of artisanal coffee he started Truth as a small establishment in the Waterkant.

The very first store served five blends of the finest tasting coffee in Cape Town ranging from weak to strong and slowly educating consumers along the way. Each blend comprised hand selected beans, an old fashioned roasting and blending process and the ultimate in flavour.

Truth has become synonymous with all things vintage and artisanal This recipe made Donde’s Truth Coffee shop the place to go in Cape Town if you were looking for a true cup of coffee with no frills and fuss with the guarantee of a delicious taste every time. David and Truth’s mantra is the belief in full flavoured no frills coffee and this comes through in every cup.

The Truth Coffee Brand took it to the next level with the opening of their Buitenkant head office and main branch in 2012. David and his team expertly placed their brand in Cape Town’s Fringe District, known for its charm and charisma and the hottest place to be.

The new store would not only host the headquarters of a brand that had become synonymous with great tasting coffee but Donde

acquired, fixed and assembled an old Steampunk coffee machine right in the middle of the store.

This machine would become a symbol of innovation while at the same time becoming an innovation of a brand that practises what it preaches in that it takes the fuss out of coffee and returns it to its roots.

With its new store up and running Truth Coffee has sent a powerful message to Cape Town’s coffee consumers: come to us for a cup of coffee that will not only taste great but educate you on how coffee should be made from bean to cup.

With the growth of the Brand and store Truth has become synonymous with all things vintage and artisanal in Cape Town. The venue plays host to vintage markets, Indy bands and singers and even shares its space with 2050, a coworking space for Cape Town’s most artistic citizens.

According to UCT lecturer and brand specialist Ron Irwin: “Truth Coffee is benefitting from what seems to be an evergreen trend in branding: the quest for a truly authentic experience and product.”

There is only one way to experience the truth of Truth Coffee and that is to go down to their Buitenkant Branch, take a seat, order a coffee with no frills and take in the full flavour of the coffee while imagining yourself in a time when life was much simpler.

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sport

v73 e4 – 15 april 2014

SPORTS BITES

T20 and the development of the game Dean Horwitz

Perez almost calls it quits

Sergio Perez has admitted that he nearly quit Formula One after being ditched by McLaren at the end of last season. After finishing on the podium for Force India during the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Mexican admitted to Autosport during an exclusive interview that he, at one stage, doubted whether or not he would ever have that opportunity. He certainly has no doubts now.

- www.planetF1.com

Clash of Titans for Champions League semis

Bayern Munich will continue their Champions League title defence against nine-time winners Real Madrid, while Chelsea will square off against Atletico Madrid following the draw for the semi-finals on Friday 11th April. Bayern are looking to make history by defending their crown as Madrid seeks to make it a 10th European triumph. Heck of a clash in store!

- Football411.com

Football returns to war torn CAR

Central African Republic's professional football league has relaunched its 2013/14 season, interrupted last year by an eruption of violence between Christians and Muslims. The 28-club Bangui-based league suspended competition in December, four games into the season, amid an upsurge in the killing that would eventually force most of the capital's Muslim inhabitants to flee.

- Reuters

Ikeys player accused of assault after Varsity Cup triumph in Potch

The Ikeys Varsity Cup triumph has been tainted by allegations of the post-match assault of a female fan by an Ikeys player.

Irini Agathagelou, a student at NWU has accused the player of woman abuse via social media with video footage of the incident going viral on You Tube. Ikeys Rugby Club has responded to the allegation and will investigate the incident.

- Rugby365.com

T

he International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup is currently underway in Bangladesh. The Group Stages are officially over and for many people the real cricket starts now with the semi-finals. However, for me, the real T20 cricket has just finished and while I am not surprised that none of the smaller nations caused an upset, I am disappointed.

a brave new path resulting in massive development in the cricketing world With the Netherlands’ victory over England in their final Pool game the world stood up and finally took notice of the Dutch. After enduring a heavy defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka they rallied to almost beat South Africa and completed their comeback with a famous victory over England.

The issue for me is that after the celebrations have finished and the headlines have been written, Holland will go back to being a peripheral nation in world cricket.

While they will get plenty of game time against other smaller nations, the ICC does not have room in their schedule for them to play any bigger nations.

Image: [www.wikipedia - org] Image: flickr.com/Mark E

This failure of development strikes right at the heart of where the ICC is going wrong. If it is serious about their core mandate they will need to shrink the ever-widening gap between the top ten cricket nations and the rest of the world.

With the development of T20 cricket the ICC has a perfect opportunity and is at a crossroads in the development of world cricket.

On the one hand it has the choice to keep its existing model which benefits its core nations. On the other is a brave new path resulting in massive development in the cricketing world.

Let’s switch disciplines for a

moment. Take Rugby and the International Rugby Board (IRB) that governs the sport. With the invention of Sevens Rugby, it took a bold move to create a series which runs parallel to the existing Fifteens rugby calendar. This series requires all teams, both established and developing, to field different teams with new and exciting players suited to that particular format.

The result has been incredible.

Not only has the IRB created a parallel series of exciting rugby characterised by non-stop action and incredible talent, it has also created a prime area of development for the game.

Many of the new teams that you will see at the Fifteens World Cup in the next few years would have started out as a Sevens Team and grown from there. Thanks to Sevens Rugby, nations like Russia and the United States are excited about rugby and developing the game.

Switching back to cricket: can you imagine if the ICC created a parallel World T20 Cricket League with established and developing countries fielding new and exciting players who are developed and trained in the art of the game? Can you imagine the possibilities? I can, and I am already quite excited by the prospect.

UCT Rowing dominates the USSA-R sprints Lydia Wepenar In an extraordinary show of talent, commitment, hard work and indomitable spirit, the UCT Rowing Club came home with the spoils of their dominating performance at USSA-R Sprints once again. This year the prestigious regatta took place on home turf on March 21st to 22nd 2014, returning to Misverstand Dam after many decades. The venue came alive like never before through the flawless organisation of the UCT Rowing organising committee and the staff at Club Elani, as well as the addition of a spectacular course, quoted to be the best that has ever been produced in South Africa. Special mention must be made in this regard to Lydia Hall and Brendan Gliddon respectively, without whom the regatta would arguably not have been the great success that it was; an impeccable platform for achievement by all the university rowing clubs present.

Indeed, the hard work and

dedication that the sport requires surely paid off in a show of great improvement and success, with UCT ultimately topping the men’s and women’s divisions and being awarded the overall trophy as convincing winners of Sprints 2014. From novice to A-crews, the club saw exciting successes; the highlight being gold medallists in all four of the eights races, a feat that has not been accomplished by any club in recent history. In addition to the truly striking number of gold medals the club boasts, UCT had the most representatives in the Blues and Grudge crews (1st and 2nd selected top crews, made up of rowers from all the universities) out of all the universities present, which saw Kim Joscelyne, Catherine Stark, Jaime Davidson, Jonty Smith, Sebastian Kellerman and Temujin Johnson being awarded the SA University half colours, and Kirsty Wells, Alex Scheepbouwer, Nicole van Wyk, Kyle Schoonbee, Matthew Shaw, Cameron Hoey, Will Cahill, Leo Davis and Gordon Dodge being awarded their SA University full colours on this impressive selection.

The accomplishments of the novice

Image:Abby Davidson

crews, with the women coming third in their eight in the B division and the men winning their edge-of-your-seat coxed four race, are very encouraging and should be a great indicator of things to come when they attend the South African Rowing Championships, held in Pretoria on April 12th to 13th.

The outstanding administration and organisation system of coaches, captains and the UCT Rowing Club committee smoothed every potential trial seamlessly and efficiently and deserve to be commended on this often overlooked aspect of the sport.

Beyond the medals, trophies and titles, however, the UCT Rowing Club

produced performances full of heart and spirit; the unconquerable will for success that endured despite tough challenges, unforeseen difficulties and less than successful races manifests in a club that is more like a family than a sports team. A reflection by the president of the club after the weekend seems the most suited mind-set for the club to conclude, to celebrate and to look to the future: as Muhummed Ali said, “Champions aren’t made in gyms.

Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a dream, a desire, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

Student Travel Fund The Department of Student Affairs invites registered students to apply for the Student Travel Fund.

The purpose of the fund is to support subsistence and travel overseas to events that will stimulate intellectual, cultural and sporting development of the student and the University.

The Student Societies and Organisations Committee is requesting applications for events and conferences taking place between June 2014 and November 2014. Students may also apply for retrospective funding for events that have taken place in 2014.

Closing Date for Applications is 19 May 2014 For more information or to get an application form contact: Shannon.Bernhardt@uct.ac.za

Mark Nandi

021 650 5047

sport

V73 E4 - 15 APRIL 2014

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UCT Surf Club – “Choose to Change” Nicole Eddy

W

ithin the surfing world, as in any aspect of life, the concept of giving back what you take from the ocean is an important principle - whether it be in the form of a beach cleanup or simply sharing the stoke with others. The UCT Surf Club has strived to achieve this by collaborating with Surfshack in Muizenberg where members of our club, as well as outreach initiative, Teach-Out, help the children with basic learning, filling in the gaps that are so often found in their schooling.

Surfshack started out as a surf school ... helping disadvantaged children Started by Fiona and Dave Chudleigh in 2003, Surfshack started out as a surf school regularly helping disadvantaged children. As a result, they were approached by an international volunteer programme who asked

them to take on volunteers to help the children who came from surrounding areas such as Capricorn and Lavender Hills. This was short-lived due to volunteers leaving, which forced the programme to seize.

However, the children who were already involved had developed a deep passion for surfing and were by no means ready to give it up. Dave and Fiona “adopted” 12 children overnight as they had nowhere else to go due to drugs and gangs plaguing their home-life, a self-perpetuating cycle that we witness everyday in the Cape. With help from some of Surfshack’s customers, the SurfShack Outreach Centre was built. Every day the children are collected from school and taken to Surfshack where they receive a cooked meal, surfboard and wetsuit of their own.

Surfshack now has 22 kids ranging from grades 3 to 8. Many of these children’s education level is well below the expected ability of their grade. This is where we step in and try to identify the gaps, filling them in as best we can in order to provide a solid education.

Our itinerary involves teaching

Image: Houston Mayne Bradley

UCT SURF CLUB INTRO: Outreach head, Anna Notten, gives the children a lesson about stars and planets interactive functional English or Maths and incorporating Science and Geography as well as providing one on one tutoring to those who require it. A lot of emphasis is placed on positive reinforcement to boost their self-confidence, allowing them to go out into the world and become successful and confident entrepreneurs.

After some hard work in the classroom, we all head out for a

well-deserved surf. This give-andtake relationship works both ways as those members who cannot surf are given lessons from the kids and similarly the more advanced surf club members provide coaching for those kids who would like to improve their surfing. Moose, one of Surfshack’s star pupils, is now in demand for teaching paid lessons at Muizenberg and is currently earning up to R2 000 a month. It’s

news like this that keeps the UCT Surf Club so keen to get involved and inspire others to do the same.

Living by the motto “Choose to Change”, Surfshack bases itself upon the philosophy that each and every child in the programme is responsible for making the choice to uplift their lives by coming to Surfshack every day and by doing so, creating a better future for themselves through learning.

UCT squash tournament raises cancer awareness Kerr Rogers The University of Cape Town will host the 9th Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open Squash Championships from April 25th to May 1st, 2014, at the Sports Centre on UCT’s Upper Campus.

The tournament will bring together 41 participants from over 11 countries, as well as 11 men and women ranked among the top 20 in South Africa. The top UCT student players have also entered the tournament and their will be great interest in seeing how they fair. Alexandra Fuller, UCT number 1 (ranked 93 in the World and 2013 UCT Sportsperson of the Year) is seeded in the main draw. Mighael Lombard, UCT men no 1 will have to fight his way through the PSA qualifying draw to progress into the main draw.

The UCT tournament is named after Keith Grainger, a former UCT student who died from cancer. His contribution to squash at UCT between 1999 and 2001 was immense, despite his reliance on a prosthetic leg. He died in September 2001 during his third year.

tournament is named after Keith Grainger, a former UCT student who died from cancer This year’s Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open Championships, the ninth event of its kind, will again aim to raise funds for and awareness around cancer prevention.

Kerr Rogers, Sports

Image: flickr.com/Justin Liew

Coordinator at UCT, said: “The UCT Squash Club has encouraged the local community to get involved and support the event on and off the court. Spectators will be guaranteed plenty of drama on the court, with SA’s best players matching their skills against players ranked among the top 100 in the world. All donations received will be handed over to the Cancer Association of South Africa at the prize-giving on May. 1st” Results from the event will also be used by Western Province Squash to help select its provincial teams for the South African inter-

provincial tournament, the Jarvis/ Kaplan Cup which is being hosted in Cape Town in July.

Background Keith Grainger was diagnosed with bone cancer in his knee during his matric year at St Andrew’s College, Grahamstown.

He was an outstanding young squash player and won the U-13 SA Schools Championships.

At UCT he devoted much of his time and energy towards developing the game. He helped beginners to improve their technique and was central to organising the first UCT

Squash Tour to the USA in December 2000.

The UCT Squash Committee honoured Keith in 2002 by naming the UCT tournament after him. Grainger’s family also lend their support to this tournament. Keith’s sister, Natalie, a former World Number 1 squash player, previously attended the tournament and helped to raise funds for prize money. The Grainger family donated trophies and continue to help raise funds for the event.

Keith’s parents, Chris and Jean, a former British Open squash champion, also play an active role

in squash in Johannesburg.

Registration takes place on Friday April 25th, with matches taking place in the morning and following through each day until the finals on Thursday May 1st.

Players of all levels are encouraged to enter as there are various sections to play in or simply pop down and watch and support.

For more information: http:// www.facebook.com/pages/ Keith-Grainger-Memorial-UCTOpen/179821002138777 Or e-mail kerr.rogers@uct.ac.za

Sport VARSITY

FIXTURES Two Oceans Marathon April 19th CAPE TOWN

UCT Athletics Time Trials April 22nd

CRICKET OVAL

Ikeys snatch second Varsity Cup title Image: facebook.com/Varsity Cup

Megan Kinnaird

O

n Monday the Ikey Tigers’ last-gasp 39-33 win over the NWU-Pukke saw them crowned Varsity Cup champions for only the second time since the start of the tournament. The match was a nail-biter with UCT scoring three tries in the final five minutes of the game, which saw the team pull off the biggest comeback in the

no matter what we would keep going until the end and keep fighting tournament’s history.

Ikeys coach Kevin Musikanth was full of pride following his team’s brilliant performance and unrelenting attitude on the field.

When asked about what he thought it was about the side that enabled them to fight back in the final minutes, he said “we made a commitment that no matter what we would keep going until the end and keep fighting.

Whether we were winning or losing we wanted to be Tigers.”

All in all, he went on, “this Ikey Tigers team refused to give up throughout the campaign; scoring tries at the death against NMMU, Tuks, Maties in the round robin game, and lastly in the final. So what the final revealed was the willingness

POTCHEFSTROOM: UCT Ikeys scored a winning try in the final moment, securing their title as 2014 champions of the boys to always keep fighting and playing.”

Musikanth explained that Professor Tim Noakes has been an instrumental part of the team, and advised them to keep playing until the final whistle, which is often after the 80 minutes are up. “Finals are often decided by the last play of the game, so no matter what, never give up.

Good teams don't lose they just run out of time and that's what appeared to happen with us until that drop

goal was charged down, and then 13 of our players handled the ball before Nathan Nel scored that beautiful Varsity Cup winning try,” the coach said.

While he notes that the charged down kick from Michael Botha, and then Chad Solomon’s inside pass to Nel were massive turning points in the match, ultimately, “the turning point was the intensity with which the bench approached their role within the script of this Cup. They

came on with heat, passion and desire to make an impact and they

ultimately they have to play for themselves only had a few minutes to do that.

And it seems a few minutes was all they needed,” he said.

Ikeys captain Liam Slatem also gave praise to the players who came off the bench for the huge impact they had on the final result.

“Our substitutes were brilliant and they injected pace and life into the team when they came on. It was an amazing team performance, and it is known that while individuals win games, squads win trophies. The whole squad and our management team must be commended for showing the true character of the Ikeys,” he said.

Lastly, both Musikanth and Slatem spoke about how the team and coaching staff are feeling now that they are officially Varsity Cup champions. “The guys are elated to have won, after everything we invested into the campaign we are really ecstatic with the win. We will celebrate this well into the week as all the guys have been so focused on this goal since October of last year.

It’s been a pleasure to be a part of such a great team and I am so happy for the guys because each person deserves this,” said Slatem.

On the other hand the coach explained “You know as coaches you are so emotionally attached to the players that you desperately want what is best for them, but ultimately they have to play themselves. These boys are a special bunch; for a team to score 24 points in seven minutes in a final is magical, so the boys had it in them. We can all be very proud Varsity Cup champions as we look forward to the next challenge.”

It’s a sevens footy fest Julia Cassar On Saturday, March 29th, the UCT Football Club hosted the inaugural Sevens Footy Festival on the Kopano AstroTurf. A whopping 22 teams entered the tournament for a chance to win the R5 000 cash prize.

Internal league (residences), Futsal league, UCT, and social teams joined in on the fun – some with rather interesting names, such as Ogg Stabil United, Hakuna Matata, Flying Dodos and The World Wide Shell Collecting Society. Although the tournament was male-dominated, the UCT Ladies 1st team (the only female team) gave the men a run for their money.

The vibe was awesome, the weather played along and the teams performed well on the field.

Although most of the day was filled by group stage games due to the number of teams that entered, it all started to heat up towards the knockouts. When R5 000 is at stake, no team wants to be knocked out so close to the final. The two

Image: Sarah Hotz

semifinals were both decided on penalties. A strong Clarinus team defeated Izikhokho and Ogg Stabil Utd (UCTFC Men’s 1st team) came out on top against FC Milla. With 15 minutes between the finalists and the R5 000 prize, Clarinus and Ogg Stabil Utd left everything on the field, with Ogg Stabil Utd considering fielding an injured player in order to defeat a very strong Clarinus team.

Despite Ogg Stabil Utd’s incredible performance, Clarinus was crowned the winners of UCT Football Club’s first Sevens Footy Festival.

The Sevens Footy Festival is an initiative implemented by the UCT Football Club in order to broaden the club’s reach. Not only is it a fun day on the field but it also acts as a scouting platform for UCT’s coaches who are on the hunt for talent for the upcoming National Varsity Football tournament in July.

To find out more about UCT Football Club and the next Sevens Footy Festival, like “UCT Week Night Football” on Facebook and follow @UCTFootballClub on Twitter.