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RHODE S U N I V ER S I T Y INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

EDITION 7 4 AUGUST 2012 SINCE 1947

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A C T I V A T E

Marikana

Grahamstown mourns for

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2012/08/14 12:58 PM

Edition 7 . 4 September 2012

03 News

Parking marshals fear for the worst

By Brenda Makweta arking marshalls in Grahamstown have been left without any promises from the municipality, which terminated their contracts a year ago. The Makana municipality is yet to hire a new company or renew the contracts, leaving the employees with no basic salaries. They also arent earning their usual commission of 21 percent on parking tariffs. Makana municipality had a three year contract with Cape Town-based service provider Advanced Parking Solutions (APS), which ended in June last year. The company operations manager told Grocotts Mail that they no longer operate with support from the municipality and have resorted to working on a monthly basis. The employees are no longer granted

Editor-in-chief: Lauren Kate Rawlins Deputy Editor: Isabelle Anne Abraham Content Editor: Kayla Roux Managing Editor Palesa Mashigo Online Editor: Alexander Venturas Chief Media Supervisor: Megan Ellis Chief Sub-Editor: Matthew Kynaston Chief Designer Simone Loxton Assistant Designer: Mignon van Zyl Chief Pics Editor: Anton Scholtz Assistant Pics Editor: Niamh Walsh-Vorster Illustrator: Katja Schreiber News Editor: Sibulele Mabusela Politics Editor: Marc Davies Business Editor: Njabulo Nkosi C&A Editor: Alexa Sedgwick Features Editor: Karlien van der Wielen Features Assistant Editor: Nina McFall Lifestyle Editor: Sarisha Dhaya A & E Editor: Elna Schtz Sports Editor: Bridgette Hall Science & Tech Editor: Brad de Klerk Environment Editor Shirley Erasmus Advertising Manager Lethukuthula Tembe Advertising Assistants Justine Pearce Adrienne Weidner Advertisement Designer: Alex Bernatzky Distribution Manager: Bulali Dyakopu
Youths in Mobasa, Kenya have been rioting in what the Kenyan Prime Minister suspects as underground organisations that are trying to create friction between Christians and Muslims. A man is seen walking away from tyres that were set alight in these uprisings on August 29, 2012. Pic: Reuters

By Sibulele Mabusela

The Rhode to SRC

leave, access to disciplinary procedures or UIF benefits. Dlabantu told Grocotts Mail that marshals rent parking areas and meters, each with daily income targets, and they are paid daily. A parking marshal who did not want to be named said to Grocotts Mail, Now that we are renting space we pay anything between R50 and R110 depending on which area. Sometimes I go home with R38 or nothing at all if I have not reached the target. Dlabantu said that parking services play an important role in town by generating revenue for the municipality, regulating traffic flow in the CBD, and of course creating jobs. He said that while marshals are not law enforcers, they didnt capture valuable information about traffic flow and vehicle details to be used by the police.

Indonesians celebrated their 67th anniversary of independence by having a palm tree climbing competition in Jakarta on August 17, 2012. Pic: TimesOnline

ocial networking impacts students on a daily basis, and with the second round of the SRC elections soon to take place, what better way to follow student politics than on social networks? Due to not reaching quorum as a result of student apathy, SRC candidates have had to take to the stage again, making promises to all and appealing to their fellow students for votes. While they hand out numerous flyers, put up posters and invite friends to their plentiful Facebook events, the student body stands armed with their cell phones ready to criticise, and, on the rare occasion, compliment while campaigning on their behalf. One such criticism was tweeted by @ Relo_Sikhweni: I cant take Rhodes SRC elections seriously at the rate these people are going. Sorry. It seems that this year apathy is rife, and regardless of the last SRC presidential debate trending second in South Africa it

seemed this did little to encourage students to vote. @SiceloDumakude also tweeted his reason for apathy: The ANC promises free housing and all service delivery...What is the SRC candidates of Rhodes promising?? I will not vote. Tshianeo V. Mamphaga used Facebook to write about why quorum wasnt reached: Personally think this is just based on the dissatisfaction of the students in the calibre of leaders that want to serve them nothing more. Numerous debates ensued on the Rhodes SRC page and continue to do so with many of the students engaging in lively banter. The excitement that seems to be in the air should only subside once the elections are over. They are set to take place on the 5th of September, subsequent to the Grazzle which will be taking place on the 4th of September. For now the student body will just have to deal with corny slogans, excessive advertising and a bout of comments that fill the Rhodes SRC Facebook page.

A young Afghan refugee poses with a plastic rifle as he and other children celebrate the first day of the Eid al-Fitr festival in Islamabad on August 20, 2012. Pic: TimesOnline

Community Engagement: Victoria Hlubi Editorial Consultant: Craig Wynn Contacts: Editor: activate.editor@gmail. com Deputy Editor: activate.deputy@gmail. com

From the Editor

feel a strange mixture of reluctance and relief as I write this editorial. This edition of Activate will be my last as editor. I feel reluctant because there is always more to do and things that can always be improved upon. Although I also feel relieved that it has come to an end, I am excited to stand back and watch. This year has been an interesting experience; I have learnt so much and worked with some amazing people. Im excited to see where the new team takes the paper and I have every confidence that they will do well Around this time of year, other student organisations at the University also hand-over, in particular our student government, the SRC. We would have had a newly elected SRC to announce by now, but alas, the first round of voting did not reach quorum. The same happened last year. Another issue that always seems to come up is that of uncontested positions. I remember writing a similar editorial where I blamed this on student apathy, students not bothering about voting or running because they didnt care. I have however reconsidered that opinion. I wonder if the reason for not reaching quorum and uncontested positions is because students have lost their faith. Faith that whoever gets the position will actually do a good job, hear their needs and make a difference. The general sense I get from discussing student governance at Rhodes is that the SRC

is not working in peoples best interests, that a lot of money is spent on field parties and not enough in more important areas. Maybe no one wants to run for SRC as they do not want to end up working for what is viewed to be a useless organisation with incompetent people. Judging by some of the posters for this re-election (yes, I am talking about the pink one) I wonder if the people running realise the stigma attached to the SRC and if they are really trying to change it. My opinion now is not that students are being apathetic by not voting but are protesting against the SRC as an organisation and the lack of good candidates. What do you think? Am I totally of the mark? I welcome your comments on our Facebook page. Lauren Kate Rawlins Editor-in-Chief
Front Page Pic: Mnikelo Ntabankulu, a representative of Durban-based shack-dwellers movement Abahlali Base Mjondolo, speaks during the memorial and candle light vigil held in honour of all those who died during the violence at Lonmin Mine in North-West Province last month. See page 4 for full story. Pic: Anton Scholtz

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04 News & Environment

Edition 7

Grahamstown mourns Marikana slayings

By Hancu Louw he people of this country no longer trust the leaders of this democracy, said Prof. Barney Pityana during his sermon at the Marikana memorial service held at the Cathederal on Thursday afternoon. Throughout the service various speakers continuously kept comparing the current situation with similar incidents and the political climate during apartheid. Both Prof. Pityana as well as Bishop Ebenezer Ntali were quick to speak out against the police and asked that all sectors of civil society stand together to promote peace and a spirit of forgiveness. Various speakers had the opportunity to state and address the tragic events that took place at Marikana. Mnikelo Ndabankulu, a representative from the Abahlali baseMjondolo social movement, spoke out strongly against police brutality saying that, killing people when they are exercising their constitutional rights to protest and strike is a grave threat for the South African democracy. Ndabankulu attended the memorial service at Marikana and has ties to various miners who were present during the incident. I bring my information to you, you are getting it from the horses mouth, said Ndabankulu as he addressed the relatively small number of people gathered in the Cathedral. According to him, the police and army responded first which sparked the situation and caused it to escalate. An invite to address the issue publicly and openly was sent to Director Vakala Moyakhe from the Grahamstown police but no representatives from the South African Police were present at the service.

MP Giyose from Jubilee South Africa pledged his solidarity to the miners and the families of the deceased. Giyose accused mine owners and mining corporations of always looking to exploit the South African workforce. The mining owners and bosses are the enemies of this country, he said. Giyoses speech was largely based on the incitement of violence, comparing the situation to that of apartheid. He concluded his speech saying, we are a civilized nation and therefore its our duty to mourn our dead. The service was mostly attended by members of the Unemployed Peoples Movement Bishop Ebenezer Ntali (left) leads a procession of the congregation which gathered to mourn for the people who died during the violence at the Marikana mine in the North-West last month. The procession started at (UPM) as well as a handful of the Cathedral and moved to the police station on Beaufort Street where a police representative addressed students and Grahamstown the crowd. Pic: Anton Scholtz residents. Some students as unaware of the intent of the marchers and discussed the current well as lecturers took part in the march to the police station on decrease in crime rates in Grahamstown, rather than engaging Beaufort Street after the service, intending to sing a closing hymn with the issue of Marikana and the stance of the South African outside the police station so as to offer their condolences to the Police as well as the local police station. When asked to respond to two fallen policemen who died at Marikana and foster a peaceful the issue at hand Nell said, it is not the best job being in the South relationship with the local police force. African police we ask for your prayers to help us do our jobs more On arrival at the police station, staff seemed unaware of the efficiently. situation. Kernel Nell finally responded to the crowd but seemed

The winds of change

By Shirley Erasmus

n light of South Africas growing energy concerns and the global push for a sustainable way of generating electricity, commercialwind energyfarms are becoming more common as an alternative power source. Since the development of South Africas first wind energy farm in Darling, more wind energy projects have been initiated by Terrapower, a member of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA). Projects in Mpumalanga and various areas within the Eastern, Western and Northern Capes have been scheduled. While currently only two of these projects have been completed, many more are under construction and will be completed in 2013. In July 2012, Metrowind received approval from Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to erect and operate a R550 million wind farm, located in Van Stadens, an area between Port Elizabeth and Jeffreys Bay. This wind farm will begin supplying 80000 megawatt hours of electricity to the municipality and to Eskom in October 2013, providing power to around 5000 or 6000 homes. With nearly 56 proposals for investors in wind farms in South Africa, the country seems well on the way to achieving a renewable energy target. Wind energy has many positive factors. Wind energy is a free, renewable fuel, meaning the farm eventually pays for itself. The construction of wind farms is costly, but wind power prices do not have the fluctuations that buyers experience with fossil fuels. Wind turbines are able to fit the market as they come in different sizes. Wind energy farms also have negative factors. The most obvious of these is that the huge turbines can detract from the aesthetic appearance of a skyline or a neighbourhood.

Additionally, the turbine blades have been said to create a noise that disturbs residents living within several kilometres of them. The massive turbine blades are also hazardous for thousands of birds and bats which fly into the blades and are killed. That being said, millions of birds and bats are killed by flying into power lines, buildings and by ingesting pesticides. The construction of such wind farms may also damage the landscape; however, the environmental impact these farms have is significantly less than those produced by traditional energies. In general wind farm energy seems to have more pros than cons, and thus the proposed developments place South Africa a step closer to achieving its goal of generating green energy and lowering our carbon footprint.

South Africas first commercial wind farm near Darling on the West Coast. Pic: Flickr

4 September 2012

05 Business

Exchange rates:

R8.4438 / 1 USD R10,6152 / 1 EUR R13.3166 / 1 GBP

Militarism to resolve conflicts in countries facing political and social battles is causing global instability this undermines possibilities for lasting solutions that are in the interest of the populations facing conflicts.

- Jacob Zuma

Government officials economic knowledge

By Njabulo Nkosi

he International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a stern warning to South African authorities to address unemployment or risk facing political and social instability, reports Business Day Live. Unemployment is defined as a section of the labour force that is able and willing to work but unable to find gainful employment. The current level is at around 25%, which is roughly what it has been since 1994. Many policies have been put in place which intend to change this, such as the youth wage subsidy. This is provision of work experience to the youth, which Ebrahim Patel, SAs economic development minister, described as going nowhere slowly. In addition, other attempts

at the creation of jobs, based on the stagnant unemployment rate, have been ineffective. One of the main reasons for this is the education crisis in South Africa. According to the National Treasury, the key objective regarding education is to ensure that all learners in the South African schooling system access quality education through the effective implementation of all policies and the approved curriculum, and by reviewing and refining the areas that do not contribute to quality education. The dedication to this aim can be seen in the highest national budget allocation of more than R130 billion (20% of GDP). Despite these plans, and financial resources, the education system and authorities are failing to meet their mandates.

Only a quarter of pupils that begin Grade 1 complete Grade 12 and make it to university. SAs adult literacy level remains lower than those of various other emerging markets, and 50% of schools are built in their projected time frame. This, along with the recent failure to deliver textbooks in Limpopo, highlights the failures of government to deal with the education crisis. Other closely related issues are inflation and government debt. Inflation is a sustained tendency for the prices of goods and services to rise and currently sits at 4.9%. Government debt is money owed by the government to outside financiers. This is currently at 42% of GDP and stands at manageable levels but inappropriate policy decisions by government could lead to unmanageable debt and inflation levels. Taking into consideration the economic challenges of

unemployment, education, inflation and the government debt, the success in curbing these rests on the economic knowledge and priorities of policy makers. Allister Sparks, a veteran journalist and political analyst, says that The problem is that Zumas government is doing nothing while serious problems compound themselves. The knowledge of the government and President Zumas current stance has been questioned. We dont know whether he is a socialist, a free marketer or a communist; or whether he is all of these or none of them, said Sparks. Current economic debates (nationalisation and the youth wage subsidy) and social crises, like the Marikana massacre, all affect the country, and the economic knowledge and priorities of the government are pivotal to the countrys success.

Business Round Up
Petrol price to rise by 93 cents: I-net Bridge reports that the energy department says the retail price of petrol will increase by 93 cents per litre next week with diesel rising by 69 cents per litre. Despite China slowdown, Australia miners bet on Africa: Reuters reports that Australian miners are betting that Africa will be the next frontier for iron ore, as they look beyond a fall this week in the price of the steel-making ingredient to its lowest level in nearly three years Greek defence workers protest: Washington Post reports that dozens of uniformed police officers have protested peacefully outside Greece's Parliament against pay cuts that are planned under the government's new austerity drive. Banks are cutting charges in a managed way: Mail & Guardian report that FirstRand and Investec CEOs tell leadership summit in Sandton that bankers are not ripping off clients for the use of their services. Jobless rate higher for women, even with schooling: Business Day reports that there is a gender-specific pattern in the unemployment rate by level of education, and the gender gap is widest among those with a full secondary education, says Statistics SA.

Transactional crime
$870 billion is the yearly turnover of transactional organised criminal networks. 1.5% of global GDP is attributed to transactional crime. 70% of illicit profits are likely to be laundered through the financial system. Yet less than 1% of the profits are intercepted and confiscated. $320 billion is the yearly amount generated by drug trafficking. In 2009, the global cocaine and opiate markets were estimated to be $85 billion and $68 billion respectively. 2.4 million people are trafficking victims in the world at any one time. In Europe, this brings in $3 billion yearly and involves 140 000 victims at any one time. $6.6 billion was made in 2009 through the illegal smuggling of 3 million migrants from Latin America to North America. In 2008, 55, 000 migrants were smuggled from Africa into Europe for $150 million. $3.5 billion is generated annually by trafficking in timber. $75 million yearly is made by illegal trade in ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts from Africa and Asia. The number of rhinos killed by poachers in SA rose from 13 in 2007 to 448 in 2011 and is projected to be 600 in 2012. $250 billion is generated from counterfeiting each year.

06 Photo Feature

Edition 7

Warwick Junction Market

By Lauren Rawlins f you have ever spent time in Durban, you have definitely driven through Warwick Junction, where two freeways cross overhead and the main public transport depot is. Taxis, busses and the metro train all stop off there. Surrounding this flurry of transportation are nine intertwined markets. These markets offer everything from fresh vegetables to colourful beads. 1. The Victoria Street Bead Market is open every Friday and reveals a vibrant display of handcrafted work by vendors form all over Kwa-Zulu Natal at very cheap prices. During the rest of the week, this space doubles as an open air pool hall available to members of the public. 2. The Impepho and Lime Market runs under one of the freeways. Vendors sell lime that is used to distinguish trainee and qualified traditional healers from all parts of the province. They work on a two week rotation. For one week they will mine the lime in northern parts of KZN and for the other week will come to sell their wares. During the week of selling, they will sleep with under the freeway. 3. This graveyard that runs alongside the Brook Street Market is home to the Badsha Peer Shrine. It was the first cemeteries in Durban to have Muslim, Jewish and Christian sections alongside one another. 4. The Herb Market that runs over the freeway is a place where traditional healers have over 700 stalls where can be purchased medicine for any ailment. Pics: Lauren Rawlins

4 September 2012

07 Photo Feature

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5. The Early Morning Market is over 100 years old and is a huge warehouse filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also a poultry section where one can buy live chickens. This market is open before 5am everyday with the freshest produce delivered directly from the surrounding farms. 6. The Music Bridge Market is a bridge that runs over the junction and is directly accessible from the taxi rank. 7. The Bovine Head Market provides customers with an authentic isiZulu delicacy. The head of a cow is chopped up and served with steamed bread. This is one of the busiest markets and serves many customers daily. Pics: Lauren Rawlins

08 Features

Edition 7

My first time skydiving

Nina McFall and Joos Vos in freefall. Pic: James Williams Nina McFall and David Peek thought I had no preconceptions of what a skydiver should look like, but I was surprised when they looked more like men who could be selling you a car than people who flung themselves out of planes as a day job. They wore wedding rings instead of stubble and tattoos. I was lucky enough to win a 35-second tandem freefall from 10 000ft (3km) with EP Skydivers in a Grahamstown Now competition earlier this year. So, I resigned myself to an inevitable death and went to cash in my prize. Falling was the easy part. Waiting was the worst. Preparation: After putting on my flying suit (for warmth, it was 3 degrees at 10 000 ft) and attachment harness, James my enthusiastic cameraman held the GoPro in front of my obviously-nervous face and asked me how I was feeling. Silly question. I could tell the skydivers were experienced professionals from the way they tried to psych me out by joking about faulty equipment and defective parachutes. The instructor to be wary of is not the one dramatically checking your space suit and telling you how he has only worked there for two weeks, but rather the loud one who brags about his 10 years of experience and eight thousand jumps. Be warned, these people are not going to reassure you that its going to be ok; they are skydivers, not PETA members. Their day job is extreme, and they will taunt

you for kicks and money. Its all part of the package. I was loaded into the tiny seatless aeroplane along with my boyfriend Dave, our tandem masters and the cameramen. Only two of us could jump at a time as the plane seats a maximum of six, and we had an entourage: Daves brave mom waited her turn on the ground and jumped after us. The plane trip was surprisingly lengthy: it took 20 minutes to reach our drop zone. All the while the altitude instrument strapped to my tandem masters arm was rising. 2 000 ft: I realise it is too late to change my mind. 4 000 ft: I force myself to laugh at Joos my tandem masters broken-harness antics. I sound hysterical and smile showing too many teeth. The land below has begun to lose definition and looks like a piece of geometrically divided green paper. I have no perception of height. 5 000 ft: We are halfway there, and in ten minutes we have travelled the same distance I will fall in 35 seconds. 8 000 ft: I am attached to the front of Joos harness via four connection points. 9 000 ft: The plane door is opened. 10 000 ft - The Fall: The cameraman climbed out before me and hung outside the plane in

If you dont banana, you meat bomb

order to capture every second of my reluctant departure. I had to scoot towards the open door and dangle my feet outside the plane. Joos scooted forward further, so that I was suspended in thin air above a Google Earth tapestry. The wind was loud. Are you ready? Joos shouted from behind, to which the squeaky reply, No!, came. I was given a few seconds to collect myself. Remember the banana position, Joos reminded me. I had been told earlier that the banana position was the most important thing about skydiving. If you dont banana, you meat bomb. Hips must be forward and legs bent back between the tandem masters to create a backwards banana-like curve while in freefall. Are you ready? Joos asked again. Ye- was all I could reply before we plummeted from the plane. I saw a flash of blue then green, and only realised after watching the video that we had somersaulted out. It didnt feel like falling. No sick, lurching sensation like during turbulence. The galeforce wind rushing past my face was the only clue that we were actually moving. I felt like I was static in a wind tunnel. The earth didnt rush towards me, it merely seemed to expand. I spread my arms out wide and I was flying. The view was astounding.

I could see snow-topped mountains and the ocean at Algoa Bay. I didnt notice if my ears popped with the changing altitude, or the nearfreezing temperature. I felt no fear. A swarm of wasps could have joined me in freefall and I would have felt no pain. The chute: A strong jolt swung me vertical. I looked up and saw the arching red and yellow parachute above me. Joos gave me control of the handles and demonstrated which way you turn with a left or right tug. He then pulled my left handle down all the way and we went into a spin. I felt like my head was pinned in one place while my feet swung around it. The pressure of all the blood rushing to my feet made them tingle, and I was dizzy with G-force. Once righted, the parachute allowed for a much slower descent of at least five minutes which gave me a chance to take in the view. Only when I saw people on the ground could I could put the height into perspective. It felt as if we were slowly drifting downward, and when we were about 500ft up everything was suddenly moving quickly and the ground rushed towards my feet. We plopped down and I was untangled from both harness and chute strings. Solid ground now feels dull, and Im set on becoming an adrenaline junkie. Full videos of David Peek and Nina McFalls skydives are up on ACtivate Online - http:// activateonline.co.za

4 September 2012

09 Features and Arts & Entertainment

Tibetan monk in St. Peters. Pic: Karlien van der Wielen

Vatican City from the dome of St. Peters. Pic: Karlien van der Wielen

Moans, bones and cobblestones: a summer in Italy

By Karlien van der Wielen

y the middle of my trip to Italy, I was sick, tired, and my ankle looked like an angry blue puffer fish. I had seen the wonders of Rome, stared in awe at the wastes of Pompeii and arrived in our third destination only to fall prey to the gnat swarms of Naples. Naples the bane of my holiday was defeating me. And this crushing realisation made me wonder whether saving up a years sub-warden salary for my Italy trip-of-a-lifetime was at all worth it. The answer: totally. I started my trip in the Netherlands so that I could meet up with my sister. From there we flew to Italy for 17 days of self-indulgent, ruin-packed tours of our own planning. We began in Rome, swept down to the ruins of Pompeii, festered in the bowels of Naples and then traipsed up to Tuscany, where we visited Sienna, Lucca and the all-important Florence. No trip to Italy is worth anything without going to Florence. Heres what most travellers forget to anticipate when they start off on their trip: things will go wrong at times horribly, at others only slightly. Before my trip started, I had thought about this canonical piece of wisdom. I knew that I would get sick. I anticipated food

poisoning. I was even 100 percent sure I would twist my ankle before the trip was done. What I did not anticipate was snoring, an Argentine and weird European toilets. Being young and technically broke (European trips tend to empty the bank account), we stayed in hostels for most of our trip. Here we met an Argentine. And Im not really stereotyping nations here. I call him the Argentine because that was the only fact we could exchange between his broken English and my single-word Spanish. Hola! can only get you so far. This Argentine was an element in the foul cauldron that was my experience of Italys most controversial city Naples. In the eight-bed mixed dorm room we shared with him, he was hated by seven others. Every single night, he would get up once we were all asleep and turn off the air-conditioning in the room. Naples in the middle of July reaches the high 30s and doesnt cool off at night. Imagine eight people in a tiny, almostdilapidated room in 38 degree heat and no air conditioning, fan or airflow. And then there is the snoring. I was not aware how many people suffer from this affliction. If ever you plan on staying in a hostel, take earplugs. I met the nicest Canadian girl on

our first night in Rome. We chatted about the weather, our travel plans, our countries. She turned in and my sister and I agreed on how pleasant she is. And then she fell asleep. Whereas men snore with a loud and pronounced hack, hers was the continual scrape of a saw over glass. At least it wasnt like the Argentines snores. The Argentine brayed like a donkey, and the night his friend shared our room, they snored in chorus. The toilets... lets not go there. I simply wont go into them. But for all my complaining, it did actually turn out to be the expected trip of a lifetime. Rome is beautiful, crowded and crumbling the city of eternal repairs. Magnificence does not begin to describe some of the things I saw there. But for all the glory of St Peters Basilica and the Colosseum, my favourite site was a small monastery on Via Veneto what used to be Romes swankiest street in the La Dolce Vita days. This Monastery Il Convento dei Cappuccini contains six crypts that are decorated by the remains of over 4000 Capuchin monks. The Capuchins take death very seriously. No one is completely sure what drove one of their brothers to liven up the crypts with installations such as The crypt of Shin-bones and Thighbones. The first crypt of the Three

Skeletons contains an epigraph that reads: What you are now we used to be, what we are now you will be in three different languages. Pompeii cannot be described by a former Classics student to anyone who does not understand. The paradoxical wonder of history captured in a moment of abject horror is something that should be experienced to appreciate. You have to stand over the screaming, smiling and choking casts of people long decayed to get a sense of their terror, and their significance. Once we moved on from Naples (reviews are mixed I didnt like it, but the dilapidation has some elementary charm, and the Bay is quite breathtaking), we experienced the charming meander that is Tuscany. It is a different world: Rome, Pompeii, Naples they all have strong ties to the ancient. North, think art, countryside and the pastoral personified. Walled cities, rolling hills, 18th Century villas with antique furniture, creaking floorboards and scary hallways such is Tuscany. All in all, it was worth a years toil. Expectations were met, disappointed and in places, dashed. I marvelled at Tuscany and Rome, hated Naples and it only took me 15 minutes on the cobblestones to twist my ankle.

Gig Guide
By David Mann

Lecturers who rock

By Zuleka Pukwana & Olona Tywabi

Live Music Nights at Olde 65

Live music is rocking Olde 65 every Wednesday night. Theres something for everyone with a mixture of Indie, Rock n Roll, Soul and Blues, with local bands and artists such as Danni Bowler, Small Town Moon, El Toro and The Footnotes. The nights kick off at 8pm with dirt cheap entrance charge and fantastic drink specials. Pull through if youre looking for a relaxing end to the day or a lively start to the night.

Picture Pot
Masincedane Soup Kitchen will host Picture Pot again! The fundraiser will showcase A5 pictures, etchings, drawings, cakes, pottery and anything else you can create. For R20 you can go and view the artwork on display and at the end of the event you get to take a piece of artwork home with you. If you would like to create a piece of A5 artwork to submit for the event, make sure that you drop it off at 32 Somerset Street or in the boxes in the English and Journalism departments by the first Friday of next term. Keep an eye out for more details of the event to be released soon.

Live Music Society Battle of the Bands

Rhodes Live Music Society will be hosting their annual Battle of the Bands in the fourth term. Local bands will play and compete against each other for fame and a variety of prizes. The battle will kick off on the 22 September and will run every Saturday, with three to four bands competing against each other per round until a winner emerges. If you are interested in participating contact rhodes.live@gmail.com. Deadline for entries is Friday 14 September.

ibrant and energetic, the rock/ blues band Sunship is a gem of the Grahamstown music scene, as anyone whos seen them can confirm. Sunships average age may be higher than most local bands, but this has never stopped them from wowing the crowds. Theres more than one lecturer in the team: Strato Copteros (drums) and Larry Strelitz (lead guitar, vocals and harmonica) are both from the Journalism Department. The other members are Anton Brink, on bass and Rick van Heerden is the bands newest member on saxophone. In its early stages, the band mainly performed covers of other bands, but they have since added original songs to their line-up. Our genre

caters for all age groups and all walks of life Strato said, when describing a performance at Champs Sports Bar. The crowd was made up of Grahamstownians, including a few okes from the township, he jokes. Their music is an adaptation of old blues, with Strato naming The Tananas and Hugh Masekela as his main musical influences. The band has also been influenced by The Who, Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. They meet up on Sundays for a rehearsal and to work on their original music. For Strato, these Sunday sessions are more of a jam than a rehearsal. The love of music keeps you young, he said. When asked if the band would ever release an album, Strato said Yeah sure, if the opportunity ever arises, but we perform for the love of music.

10 Lifestyle

Edition 7

Its good - and thats the problem

By Ruan Scheepers udi has been at the forefront of design and build quality in recent years, and its business as usual with the new baby. No time or effort has been spared making the A1 an attractive, quality product. The LED-infused headlamps and sporty styling, coupled with the brushed aluminium roof line gives the car head-turning appeal. However before you get too excited, consider how much you are willing to spend on a small city car. With prices starting at R220 000 its not a lullaby to a bank balance. Especially not considering the fact that you receive a measly little 1.2 litre engine producing only 63kw. Audis suggested fuel consumption figures that are between 3.9 to 4.9l per 100 km are without doubt on the optimistic side in real-life driving situations. Nonetheless, the consumption of this car is minimal which does allow for the steady recovery to your wallets skint state. The A1 has four engine options: the 1.2TFSi, and two 1.4TFSi

motors producing 90kw and 136kw respectively, as well as a 1.6TDi producing 77kw. The diesel is said to feel unrefined in comparison to the petrol models, but is very economical. The A1 is aimed at the upper middle-class student or young city navigator. The overall package is a good one and being an Audi, it is reassuring to know that you are driving a truly quality product, which will no doubt retain some re-sale value. The A1s cabin is garnished with fresh design elements and upto-date technology as well as supreme build quality, synonymous with Audis. The Germans seem adamant that the new A1 is a small car packaged like its much bigger brothers. One can hardly argue with six airbags, AUX port for your tunes, SATnav, Bluetooth, ABS and leather upholstery and a 7-speed TipTronic gearbox. What you dont get told is that most of these features are optional extras and add to the small fortune you need to cough up to own a small Audi. In summary then, this is a very nearly sorted little car. The 138kw 1.4 turbo starts to evoke an atmosphere of excitement right up to the point where you are acquainted with its R312 000 price tag. Admittedly, it is a bit of a good girls car.

The new Audi A1 is appealing in looks and funcionality but a hefty price tag could be its downfall. Pic: AutoMotor und Sport

No man points for being seen in one of these. However, I want to like this car. There is something pleasantly cheeky and fresh about the styling and it performs well on paper, but wheres the excitement? Im afraid then, as long as the world has the Alfa Mito, Citroen DS3 and the Mini Cooper S, the Audi is a benchwarmer.

My happy hunting
By Jean-Jaques Moolman

claimed my first antelope at the age of 11. This was a pinnacle point of my life as it is something of a rite of passage in the hunting community. As a result, hunting plays an exceptionally large part in the life of a person who grows up in that environment. I was introduced to hunting at a very young age. I believe that through hunting, I was introduced to many family members that I otherwise would not have got to know. It was never something that I was forced into, nor have I met anyone who was forced into it. Hunting played an immensely important role in my life and taught me more about nature than any textbook has. Every animal which is shot is used and NOTHING is ever shot and not

used. Hunting often takes place out of necessity, and if it is done in a commercial capacity, then no animal is wasted. As far as the experience goes, it is an adrenaline rush, very much like a sporting event or playing in a sporting match. You hunt on the animals terms and, if you are able to beat the animal at its own game, you get it. Right from the beginning of the stalk (stalking the animal to get close enough) you are on edge, everything is at a high you hear, see, smell and feel so much more. The experience is something that you cannot really explain. It is not primal but makes you feel more alive and part of the world. You are filled with excitement throughout the hunt, right until you claim your trophy. Even if you dont end up being able to get the animal, the experience is well worth the effort and indeed memorable. Getting

the animal is the cherry on top, but the entire build-up to the point at which you either catch the animal, or it evades you, is an experience like no other. Depending on the traditions and history of the farm you hunt on, it will dictate if you have to smear the blood of the first kill on your face. Some do, some dont, but it is like every other tradition and is part of your first hunt. Afterwards, the kill is taken back and skinned. It is then either sold to a butcher, or the meat is worked by the owners themselves and turned into various cuts of meat or used as biltong. The skin is then usually salted and used for whatever application the individual sees it fit for. Trophy animals are sometimes mounted in order to honour the experience that was the hunt and to a degree, honour the animal that provided the experience.

Catching up with Khanya

By Inga Sibiya he was born in East London, schooled in Grahamstown and matriculated with the intention to study medicine. Now Khanya Ngumbela is aiming for the top. TV kinda just fell on my lap, the ICE model says. Recalling the audition experience for My Top Billing Dream competition, Khanya adds, My boyfriend pushed me into it. I was very unprepared. It seems that her natural charisma and camera chemistry caught the attention of the judges as she was called back the next day and progressed to becoming one of the Top 10 contestants in the race. Its all been a sign, the former Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) student insists. Her passion had been cardiovascular medicine, but while on a journey of self-discovery on her gap year, Khanyas plans decided to go in one direction whilst she strutted down the catwalk of another. Somewhere between an aesthetically-appetising sabbatical in Paris and Khanyas disciplined devotion to motivational books, she was cyber scouted. Discovered on Facebook, her already impressive CV includes presenting for ZOOPY TV on zoopy.com, ad campaigns that boast designers from the likes of Hilton Weiner to 7UP, and being the MC for major events on the social calendar. Your skin has to be as thick as the make-up they paste on your face in the industry, your backbone as stable and strong as the tripods that hold the cameras that watch you so avidly. Having to decipher constructive criticism from conniving competitiveness, sincere

Homerun with home-made soup

By Sarisha Dhaya new soup-ordering business, Tastes Like Home, was launched in Grahamstown by Vanessa Knight on the 6 August 2012. Between being a fulltime student and holding down two jobs, Knight has spiced up her life a little more by making and selling her own soup. She spends some of her afternoons and nights making fresh soup in her apartment kitchen. Knight says that her freezer is filled with them, because she cooks daily. It takes her half an hour to make five portions. On average she has two to four orders per day and is busiest over the weekends. Knight says she has developed a small but steady customer base: she can count on regular orders, as well as one or two extras. Most people that try my soup come back again for more, Knight said. The most popular flavour for firsttimers is mushroom, but people are getting more adventurous and trying new ones, said Knight. One of her customers, JD Mwaura, has tasted a variety of flavours including butternut, bacon and leak and potato,

Former DSG pupil, Khanya Ngumbela, placed in the top 10 of the My Top Billing Dream competition. Pic: Supplied.

sentiment from superficiality, takes a lot of training. Theres no spoon feeding in the industry, in the Top Billing competition, nowhere, Khanya says. It is having to master looking the part, appealing to the appropriate audience and being yourself all at the same time that proves show business is not for the faint of heart. The VIP treatment the My Top Billing Dream hopefuls are received seemed to cushion the blow. Although they were living the dream, the stakes humble them, it is a competition after all, Khanya says. In less than two years this model-come-TV personalitys career has earned her airtime with the likes of Top Billings Jeanni D and Generations Zama Ngcobo. Although she didnt win the My Top Billing Dream competition, this happy star still shines.

and says they are definitely value for money, and of very high quality. Knight does not have any transport but usually meets customers with their orders on campus or meets them somewhere accessible in town. Everything is arranged beforehand via word of mouth and Facebook and by handing out flyers with every order and posting them around campus. Knights boyfriend, Cory Smit, has helped with design and marketing the business, and is also in charge of being the chief taster a job which he relishes. When asked why she is providing this service, Knight answers that she wanted to share her gift of cooking skills and make some money too. Depending on the profitability of the business, Knight sees this as a long-term business venture. Soup choices include the ones listed above as well as chicken and vegetarian. They can be ordered with a health option too, where cream and oil can be removed. They come in single and double servings and are priced at R16 and R23 respectively. Orders can be placed on the Facebook page (www.facebook/tastes. like.home.soups) or by calling Vanessa directly on 0797740457.

4 September 2012

11 Comment & Analysis

Equal Sexes: To be or not to be?

By Wynona Latham

his was the cry sung by female protestors as they marched against pass laws during apartheid: You strike a woman, you strike a rock! We celebrate Womens Day in honour of those who protested in Pretoria for the equal rights of all and yet today there is still disparity in rights between genders. Throughout the history of the human race, the role of women in society has been many things: mother, cook, nurse and teacher. With the rise of womens suffrage in the early 20th century and the second wave of suffrage, feminism began to expand the possibilities of a womans role in society. Today there are many international and local groups combatting the issue of gender violence and inequality for women. The movement had its influence in South African history with female activists like Lilian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu, Sophia Williams-De Bruyn and Helen Joseph, who collectively led the Womens March in 1956. Groups like the African National Congress Womens League (ANCWL) and the Womens Defence of the Constitution League (better known as the Black Sash) were anti-Apartheid womens organisations which had strong feminist undertones. But what of feminism now? Problems have been raised about the movement, with some critics saying that feminism is anti-male, that it is still westernised and that it has become a movement of pseudo-feminists that preach sexualisation as empowerment. After more than a hundred years of existence, has the feminist movement made any gains in creating a society of equal sexes? Dr Catriona Macleod, Psychology lecturer We need to talk about feminisms in the plural rather than feminism in the singular, as there are multiple forms of feminisms. Although there is commonality around highlighting gender discrimination, different forms of feminism have different understandings of the nature of the person and the nature of the social world, and highlight different aspects in terms of gendered power relations. So, in considering the successes or failures of feminisms, we need to ask, Which feminisms?, and Concerning what kind of gender discrimination? In general, I think there have been some successes and some failures, and that some processes that looked like successes have been subverted through new forms of power relations into failures. As a feminist psychologist, I am aware that we still need to address multiple forms of overt and subtle sexism and heterosexism (which are interweaved with racialised, class- and location-based power relations) that oppress not only women, but also men. Prof. Michael Drewett, Sociology lecturer If one considers the dire position of women a century ago and how many gains feminists have made in strengthening womens position in various contexts, criticism of feminism is clearly misplaced. Sure, there is a need for critical reflection, but only within feminism, not against it. Womens rights still need to be addressed and for this reason feminism remains a crucial movement across the globe.

After a long and at times controversial history, has the feminist movement made any great practical gains? Pic: Sourced

Nadine Stein, Grahamstown Resident As far as I can see it is no longer about men versus women, its become more about racism. I think now that women give chase, the tables have turned. Men have become softies and they have not stood up for their rights like women have. Real men are endangered. Shadha Omar, BA LLB 5 I think that it has become too westernised. In African and Indian cultures there is no equality but most women are okay with that. These women are still powerful. That being said, I do think that men and women should be equal but some of these issues are part of culture as well. Matthew de Klerk, BJourn 3 I have to say that feminism is an often times contradictory territory. Its irrefutable that our society is grossly unequal in terms of pay, societal power and treatment of women, but then you see things like 50 Shades of Grey a book that romanticises sexual objectification, submission and abuse becoming bestsellers. Richard Gowar, BA 1 I think men and women are equal but the feminist movement can quite often push their agenda too far. Due to this and also other radical feminists, the feminist movement has been given an unfair connotation. Siphokazi Magadla, Politics and International studies Lecturer As defined by feminist theorist Bell Hooks

in Feminism from Margin to Centre (1984), feminist politics is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression. Feminist epistemologies argue that although what it means to be a man and woman differs across cultures and history, it is still possible to point out that in most cultures gender differences signify relationships of inequality and the domination of women by men. Decades after the early feminist movement of the 50s and 60s occupied mainstream discourse, we can say that much has been achieved, although clearly much still needs to be done in achieving equality for women. Today, women in most countries have the right to vote and run for office. New Zealand was the first country to allow women to vote in 1893, while so-called democratic countries like the US only granted women this right in 1920. In Saudi Arabia women still cant vote or run for election, while the King of Saudi Arabia granted women the right to vote and run in local municipal elections in 2011. Equality for women is not only about political representation, but the fact that today the most powerful country in Europe, Germany, is run by a woman, and currently two African states (Liberia and Malawi) are presided over by women. This speaks to some overtures about the right of women to be leaders in their own societies. It is a fact that among the worlds poor, women compose 70% of the poorest. Globally women continued to be paid less than men in positions where they do the same amount of work.

This is not just poor countries but even in developed regions such as Europe and the US. The average American woman makes roughly 77.8 cents to every dollar earned by a man. In developing countries this gender pay gap manifests itself in the terrible low payment of women working in factory shops in China, India and elsewhere. At least one in three of the worlds female population has been physically or sexually abused. Nearly 50% of sexual assaults worldwide are against girls fifteen years or younger and more than 2 million girls a year are genitally mutilated. All these horrifying statistics speaks to the pervasive inequality that women globally continue to experience. In South Africa the much-punted fact is that a girl has a greater chance of being raped than learning how to write and read. The 2010 Medical Research Council and Gender Links study on rape in Gauteng showed that 78% of the sampled men had testified to having raped a woman once or more times in their lives. Quite clearly feminism is NOT about victimising men! The victim in this case is very clear. It is easier to the sexist than racist because the same individual who can fight for racial equality can turn around and not understand sexual equality. This is the evidence that some of the women in the liberation struggle profess to, that despite their willingness to lay down their lives for South African liberation, many of their male comrades still did not understand why women wanted to be treated as equals. Even though the ANC was formed in 1912, women only gained full membership in 1943. In the same vein that the reason white women are included constitutionally as affirmative action candidates is the realisation that the apartheid project was largely a boys club. I think it is easier to be sexist than racist because our public culture penalises racists but does nothing with chauvinists. Take the case of the white and black models who had racist tweets earlier this year: the public quickly reacted with outrage, while in our music and politics it is still acceptable to label women as bitches and all sorts of unmentionables without a penalty. Our president in South Africa professes that he sees women as equals yet he continually cheats on his wives with women outside his marriages without the decency to wear a condom to protect them from whatever diseases he might expose them to by his philandering ways! I would say that perhaps the agenda of the feminist struggle today is not a preoccupation with political rights because women in most countries have gained those over the past 50 years. The challenge today is economic rights and most importantly translating those legal and political rights into womens lives in terms of protection from violence, access to institutions such as education and elsewhere. It is important to underscore that feminism cannot rescue women from patriarchy. Societies must come to a realisation that all kinds of inequalities racial, gender and economic are not acceptable. If we look at the marginalisation of women in South Africa, we need to be asking why it is difficult for our society to accept women as equals.

A sport
By Ashleigh Morris port may be all fun and games), but as children grow older, it seems some of the fun is being be replaced by pressure to take part in sport and do well in it. Students and teachers agree that these days there seems to be increased pressures placed on children when it comes to sports. But where do these pressures come from? A survey conducted at local schools Kingswood College, The Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) and St Andrews shows that 63 percent of pupils who feel pressured to do sport feel that this pressure comes from their teachers at school. Kingswood College encourages both their junior and senior pupils to do two sports per term, while at St Andrews College and DSG, it is compulsory to do a minimum of two hours of sport per week. 12 percent of learners say they feel pressure from their parents to do sport, while others say that pupils put pressure on themselves. Head of Sport at St Andrews College, Pete Andrew, says he agrees that there is definitely pressure placed on children to do sport.

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The pressures of school sport

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However, he does not feel the pressure comes from the school, but rather that it is selfimposed. He said that children have built up the annual St Andrews versus Kingswood College match into something much bigger than what it actually is. You encourage kids to play to win, because thats the objective. But youve got to educate them that you cant win all the time and you have to be able to deal with defeat. DSG matric student, Chelsea Evans, says she does not think that two hours of sport per week is too much to ask of students. As a lover of sport herself, she says, We enjoy sport so much that we make the time for it. However, she went on to add that there was greater pressure placed on those unwilling to do school sport. It seems pressure placed on boys to do sport is also much higher than that placed on girls. If youre not a sporty guy, everyone else in the house is contributing [pressure] and youre always pressured to give your all to make your house look better, says a student from St Andrews, Greg Slack, who is also doing matric this year. You do so much sport it gets to a point where you almost resent the sport because youre not there by choice. These days it is considered cool to be part of first team sport in school and many children push themselves to get into these teams. As much as children may deny it, they do place pressure on themselves to look good in front of their friends. Pieter Serfontein, Head of Sport at Kingswood College says, You have to always put pressure on your child to always do their best, but its not pressure to try and obtain a certain level of performance. He went on to say that its a good life to be active, but admitted to having seen numerous children crack under too much pressure. Many of the grade ten students from St Andrews and DSG feel that the pressure placed on them to do sport is not necessarily a bad thing. If we were not forced to do sport, many people would be lazy, said one student. Alice Hadden, another matric pupil from DSG, said she thinks the pressures and focus of sport should not be on doing sport itself, but rather on the health benefits associated with it.

Does the pressure to do well outweigh the fun of the game in school sport? Pic: Sourced

SRC presidential candidates manifestos

Brad Bense
After a year serving the students as SRC Media Councillor, I have realized and learnt many things about the SRC, the University and the students. In terms of institutional bureaucratics and networking relationship from scratch across campus, Grahamstown, University Divisions and Academic Departments respectively. The experience across this multilateral spectrum has opened my eyes to many issues that exist pre-conditionally for the University, yet many more issues I have noticed are easy to solve, if the correct management of time and resources are utilized. I am a rich personality, not in the sense of economics, but cultural capital. I have grown personally at an exponential rate during my experience at Rhodes University after attending first year at the age of 22. Coming from a less developed area in Mpumalanga and working in the so called real world for 4 years, Rhodes University and Grahamstown was a big adjustment. Now, I can comfortably say that I am fully settled and confident in my position of leadership. The SRC this year has attempted to be visible on campus; however I see potential for greater visibility, communication and representation that can ignite students into participatory roles of accountability and leadership development. I plan to make time every day as your President to be seen on campus, to engage, to facilitate discussion and to actively take part in student issues that are proposed to the SRC. I will review a list of student issues that students MUST bring forth to me during these times that I am on campus, which I will compile myself for council. I am prepared to make the sacrifice for the student body by democratically compiling reports of issues to be solved. Solving the issue is easy compared to being made aware of them. After running the SRC Media portfolio, SRC Media Team, Purple Thursdays and as well as Intervarsity this year (not to even mention 3rd year academics) I have the experience and the practical mindset to make things happen. All I need is you, the student body, to make effort on your own behalf. I beseech you to assist me in transforming a student vision together, to have communication and fix a relationship that is over a hundred years old between the student body and the SRC.

Sakhe Badi
The SRC is founded by the students, for the students, with a developmental consideration of the functional needs of the University student population. We, as the active voice of the Student Body, acknowledge our duty to maintain a key responsibility in the workings of the Institution. Student governance should be a mandate of all students; so that a culture of student participation is established regarding the matters that students are facing. There are some silenced voices within the institution that need to be unleashed, certain constituencies within the student body feel their voices are not heard; and we need to be cognisant that they too have brilliant ideas. The kind of ideas that can create a body that will not only be effective within Rhodes University, but in the province as a whole. A proposed solution is the formulation of a structure that will consist of 7 individuals from different social, economic and political backgrounds. Who would be elected into the committee by student forum; and this is a necessity for the betterment of the institution (SRC). The elected will undertake to discuss issues that have both a direct and indirect impact on the student body. These issues would then be filtered to the SRC council as agenda items for further discussion and for each portfolio in the SRC to see how they can contribute in the execution of the proposed agenda items. The name of the body is Student Institutional Planning Commission (SIPC). This body together with the SRC would be reinforcing the regional agenda of student governance. However, this will need excellent communication from the bottom up and the top down and greater involvement of students in student governance by using channels such as SIPC, Student forum, Student body meetings, Societies and so forth. This is but one innovative idea. However, they are particular areas that need immediate attention: Students on NSFAS to be funded up until honours level (post-grad) - for honours is the new degree. The bailout fund; looking into the progress that has been made in establishing a bailout fund, and ensuring that it is enacted within my term of office. The bailout fund will curb the high level of ?financial exclusion?. Communication (creating an awareness of how students are affected by issues and inform them of what help they can receive from the SRC- recreating the website layout). Student representation on the ?academic exclusion board? Continuing with the reformation of student governance agenda of 2012 (the restructuring of student governance representative structures. Aligning ourselves with the provincial and national agenda. I also bring to the fore my experience and an understanding of the roles of the various institutional structures.