SRC trees left for dead

see page 2

Rating student governance

see page 4 and 5

Rhodes places second at Intervar

see page 12

l The e v n a tr iti o ed

The Oppidan Press

Edition 8, 27 August 2013

Photo: JOSHUA OATES

News Features

The Oppidan Press 27 August 2013

Seeds sewn, good intentions soiled

By Jordan du Toit Environment lanting a few trees may seem like a good cause with worthy intention but problems set in if the long-term upkeep of the trees is neglected. In all the earthy, do-good excitement, the care the trees need is often forgotten. With no focus on the long term care of the plants, such projects are reduced to an empty gesture. This appears to be the case with most of the tree-planting endeavours of Rhodes University. In light of Arbour Week (1-7 September), the question about what will happen to this years bunch of saplings remains unanswered. At present, trees are planted as part of Arbour Week, as well as for the winners of the annual Green Fund Run. The SRC also planted several trees during Environmental Week this year. These trees were planted on campus, where the Grounds and Gardens division have been able to provide subsequent care. Safety, Health and Environment Officer Nikki Khly has played a large part in this movement, pushing for the follow-up on the tree-planting projects. I see a lot of healthy indigenous trees on campus but this is of course thanks mainly to a lot of hard work and aftercare by Grounds and Gardens, she said. However, past attempts to green up areas such as Joza have been far less successful. The community are largely disincentivised to maintain the trees and, failing that, the goats normally make a decent meal out of them. The few surviving trees are alive either out of sheer luck or because they have been adopted by a local resident, explained SRC Environmental Councillor, Luke Cadden. The trees failure to thrive is not based in the projects themselves. The intentions behind the project are solid and the motivations are pure. An example of the many projects running in and around Rhodes, is the Tree for Life project implemented in September 2012, which stated an aim to promote awareness of the need to plant and maintain indigenous trees in and around the Grahamstown area. Trees play a pivotal role in the health and wellbeing of local communities as they are sources of food, shade, medicines and scenic beauty among other benefits. Along with this is a project called R3G, which does restoration work with spekboom. Allan Webb Hall also prides itself on its commitment to environmentally minded projects, earning them the RU Environmental Award in 2012. The hall teamed up with one local school, Ntsika Secondary School, in a tree-planting project. This forms Some SRC intiatives, such as planting trees, have been abandoned. Photo: Joshua Oates part of their broader and ongoing environmental fertilisation after the fact. With Grahamstowns and landscaping project. in the ground where a tree went in, said Khly. chronic water shortages and the levels of poverty It is clear that the impetus is there. The followAt the time, I recall the organisers had not in the areas targeted it is unclear how many comthrough by communities and those running these thought about bringing along a watering can, let With over four decades as Africas premier Post-graduate Diploma munities could support these endeavours after endeavours, however, undergraduate is not. There are and normally alone liaising with the community about ongoing postgraduate media An intense one-year postgraduate diploma trees are planted. Rhodes student societies that take initiative, or care of the plants. school, we offer exceptional postgraduate Turn-key critical skills for media practice Hence the value of collaboratOne of the biggest failures was a project else we have to entrust the local communities to ing through RU Community Engagement, degrees and diplomas in tune with Africa and and analysis celebrating 101 years of the SRC in 2011, which look after their new trees. We cannot accompany she emphasised. the world. We offer specialised programmes A widely respected gateway qualification Nikki Khly was there to see in all its glory. I or assist them in everything unfortunately, said Until the issues regarding follow-through asranging from media and democracy, health to professional Cadden of the failure of many of the trees attended one of their tree planting events at journalism the sistance and the necessary community awareness journalism and economics journalism toLibrary grounds in 2011 - about 20 to grow. Fingo Public are addressed, however, these projects will simply media management coursestrees and were short PG Dip Economics By care, Cadden means watering and planted. Today, there is not even Journalism a dent keep failing. courses. A new part-time postgraduate diploma course in economic journalism PhD Designed to produce numerate, reflective Tailored, rigorous PhD supervision economic journalists who know how Close mentoring and community practice to report on everything from fiscal and monetary policy through to labour issues and poverty and inequality Masters Combining course-work and thesis in a www.ru.ac.za/jms unique 18-month full-time Post-graduate Diploma With over four MA decades as Africas premier journqueries@ru.ac.za Diverse andundergraduate talented student cohort An intense one-year postgraduate diploma and postgraduate media d.long@ru.ac.za Top-tier lectures and supervisors Turn-key critical skills for media practice school, we offer exceptional postgraduate

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Makanas empty taps surge new communications platform

By Sisipho Skweyiya

News Features

27 August 2013 The Oppidan Press

lmost weekly failures of Grahamstowns municipal services have led Makana Municipality, in conjunction with Rhodes University, to introduce MobiSAM, a website and mobile application. The creation of MobiSAM, due to begin on 2 September, is aimed at increasing citizen participation in local government by opening up the lines of communication between the municipality, town citizens and the Rhodes community. The introduction of the dual communication system requires that Grahamstown residents register either on their computers or on their cell phones. Once they are registered, residents can report any service delivery problems that they may encounter to the trained municipal staff that will be monitoring and responding to reports from the MobiSAM dual communication system. Professor Thinyane, a contributor to the implementation of MobiSAM as well as an associate Professor at the Universitys Computer Science Department, was adamant that MobiSAM will give the community of Grahamstown the ability to help solve problems such as water outages, by reporting them quickly and easily. Thinyane stated that the MobiSAM project is not a new endeavour: We have been going for two years doing all the behind-the-scenes stuff such as liaising with Makana Municipality, writing training material, developing the system, training Grocotts Mail and Makana. The university has been doing training with the municipality since the beginning of June to make sure they are ready to start monitoring reported outages when the service starts.

The service will be free to users, but it will obviously need internet connection. We have been fortunate enough to have arranged a deal with MTN for them to zero rate traffic our server, Thinyane said. According to the municipalitys Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Thembinkosi Myalato, most of Grahamstowns infrastructural problems are due to the fact that the municipality cannot cope with the growing population of Grahamstown. In addition to that, Myalato said the infrastructure in this town is very old and that maintaining it is quite problematic. As a result of a funding problem, we have then decided to propose a private/public partnership to both the provincial and national government, so that we can have a continuous funding partnership, Myalato added. However, the conditions in which Grahamstowns residents live due to the municipalitys inefficiency can at times appear to be beyond the help of an SMS system. According to Mavis Bheja, a housekeeper at The Greens, a block of flats behind Peppergrove Mall, the flat she works in had no water for an entire week. If they do have water, the water is always dirty and even sour at times, Bheja said. We do not even complain anymore, because the municipality ignores us, she added. Co-owner of Courtlands Bed & Breakfast on New Street, Mike Dacombe has heard about MobiSAM and does not believe it will be beneficial to the residents of Grahamstown because the municipality will still ignore the queries. Myalato emphasised that MobiSAM will not be the solution to the infrastructural discrepancies, but will definitely improve communication mechanisms. For instance, when there is a damaged

The water protest has led to Makana Municipality introducing MobiSAM to increase communication regarding Grahamstowns failing services. Photo: Joshua Oates water pipe in an area, we will be able to send bulk SMSes to those residents notifying them of the problem, he said. The accessibility of this service seems not to be a concern for the municipality, as they are certain that ordinary people in Grahamstown (township residents mainly) have access to a cell phone. Thinyane has been very mindful of accessibility from the start of the project. We have ensured that the website is designed for a broad spectrum of mobile phones, and registered users are able to select their language of preference - English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans - for questions to be delivered to them. As for maintaining MobiSAM, Myalato concluded that the municipality signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rhodes University and the University will be managing the programme with them.

Politics
By Mitchell Parker and Shannon Frost

The Oppidan Press 27 August 2013

SRC 2012/13: Looking back

President Badi Sakhusomeleze

r al ry - G e n e eta r ec S e e Thaban Mathaab

Criteria:
For our analysis of the SRC, we had three criteria by which we measured each member: Visibility This criterion relates to how well the student body sees the Councillor. Are they present in campus debate? Do they participate in SRC discussion online? Are we aware of them at all? Mandate fulfilment Each Councillor has a specific mandate that they must fulfil as a member of the SRC. Did they do this? Did they go above and beyond? Or were they just position holders and not active agents in the process? Student Body Awareness distinct from the Visibility criteria in that we assessed how aware each Councillor is of what the student body wants from them as they are our elected representatives. Do they know what the issues are? Have they been dealing with them? Candidates were scored out of 10.

Vice-President Bradley Bense

e eneral of th Secretary-G e new role t rs fi e th As ed th ane has fill disciSRC, Thab arge of the ch en k ta g lances in a av -b well. H cks-and e ch l a rn inte ard, she pline and working h rs o ll ach ci n u rts from e to keep co nthly repo the creao m d te u has instit en key in and has be cieties, councillor ting to So la re y c li o p w dent Distion of ne nd the Stu a n io at ic figure who Commun l. Another ci n u o y to C ings, read ciplinary nt at meet se point re n p o s s ay ay is alw d is alw n a n as io in p o done well voice her abane has Th , ts c fa with the eneral. Secretary-G 6.3/10

leader, but he is no He might be a quiet Having been crucial doubt a strong one. t pressing student in discussion abou al Policy, Societies, issues like Intellectu d as of recently financial support an ilities problems, he transport and fac rself into the Unive has cemented him let to ed us ref s d ha sity framework an d. interests be sideline eir th d an s nt de stu in th wi e ibl s been vis Furthermore, he ha the President of as re he sp c the publi ade sure that when the SRC and has m ere rtance happens, th po something of im it. g in ard tement reg is always an SRC sta

5.7/10

Bense has worked tireless ly to promote the SRC this year, being the person behind much of what the SRC Media Team gets up to. He has also been the chair of the Student Forum , which has provided an excellent pla tform for the SRC and student leaders to engage with each other. He has fulfille d all other mandated roles, such as advisor for the President, internal manag ement etc. He is also a visible presence in the Rhodes sphere and tries more tha n anything to be as representative as pos sible.

Oppidan Councill or Sixolile Timothy

6.3/10

cillor Societies Coun Amanda Green

Media Councillor Lulama Qongqo

lor ouncil C c i em Acad afuku Victor M

ce has been plagued Greens term of offi n issues. The effecwith communicatio Societies at Rhodes tive running of the t part, to Societies was left, for the mos t efforts. Visibility in their independen , too. However, she has been a problem w the creation of a ne has been a part of be t us m e sh ich wh Societies policy, for d. de en m m co
siof the sen ly, because any students te a n u rt ,m Unfo of his work f the work o tive nature re a w a re. He rgely un is low sco remain la h e c n e h s, e with o d n u io cuss Mafuk lved in dis o v ure rate, il in fa n e ir e e has b rding th a g s re 3 g is n sion sue Accounti with exclu ats rm n e fo d e u st th assisted ental in m ru st in een the SRC. and has b policy for w e n f o tion 5.2/10

Timothy has worked to ensure there is a bond between the SRC and the Oppidan Union. Although not voc al about her views and thus not ent irely visible, she has done a good job in creating environments for discussion reg arding digs life and has helped addres s such issues. 7.2/10

How the scoring was done:

5.6/10

Unfortunately, due to the resignation of Sarah Price-Jones from the position early in the year, there was a late transfer of power into the position to Qongqo. The SRC page and Twitter account have been poorly managed and members of the SRC Media Team have complained that Qongqo has been unresponsive in meetings, has wasted SRC funds on an unnecessary camera costing a reported R1500 and thus the avenue for effective communication from the SRC has been overshadowed by inadequate leadership. Interestingly, students seemed to think she had done a good job. 7.1/10

The SRC was rated in a survey of fifty students to reach the scores given. Each student was told to rate their councillors on a scale of 1 to 5, which we then converted to out of ten. Students were also given the option to mark a No Idea box, if they did not know who the person was or what they did. Aside from the scoring, The Oppidan Press team compiled a written evaluation of each councillor to go alongside student feedback and to clarify any discrepancies. Having done much investigation into the SRC over this year, there are distinct disparities between the score given by students and the newspapers written evaluation of councillors.

27 August 2013

r Treasure Qoyo Ntsikelelo

Politics

The Oppidan Press

Community Engagement Councillor Thabo Seshoka

Activism and Transformation Councillor Mbongeni Ngwenya

of treasthe position reds of Coming into was in hund C SR e d th en urer wh t, Qoyo face ands in deb R f e o it s p d n es d sa thou owever, this year. H s a tough task d in previou ce n ie ies exper ostly m a ff o ll the difficult u p managed to to years, Qoyo fought hard as h d an t ge d e u th b in ve h ti effec ency wit e is transpar er th re su en ing finances. SRC regard 5.7/10

Projects M anager Carey Frazer

With the instatement of stricter rules regarding Community Engagem ent and ensuring an effective Commun ity Engagement Week, Seshoka has done well in his second term of office. A common presence on fora like the SRC page and in Council meetings, he mak es his voice heard and represents the need s of students beyond the area of his port folio. 6.1/10
Ngwenya went to a National Colloies quium on transformation in universit ing Hav e. and was very well received ther S worked on LGBTiQA and HIV/AID ted esen repr has he , year his issues during ely entir Not . well body ent the stud also invisible from the public eye, he has le Purp with ing been involved in help Thursday. 7/10

Environmental Councillor Luke Cadden

of As possibly the most vocal member is den Cad re, sphe ic publ the in SRC the n take has well-known to students. He charge of situations where his portfolio needed representation. For instance, when purple balloons were going to be released, much to the chagrin of the environmentally conscious, he did ed something about it. He has also work e awar ecoe mor ner, gree a re ensu to hard University. 6.7/10

Student Be nefits and Sponso rship Councillo r Lethabo Sek ele

Frazer has wor ked on multiple projects throughout the year with even ts like the Great Field part y and the Purp le Play-off Charity Cup be ing stand-out ex amples. Her mandate ha s been successf ully fulfilled and he r visibility was the highest among the SRC , in the public po ll. However not much was really hear d from Frazer during he r term and stud ents were often unsu re of her views. 6.6/10

International Affairs Councillor Ndana Tendayi

NCILLOR Residence COU ga Tendai Mapuran

Having fought for an emerge ncy fund for students in need and bein g key in helping studen ts who find th emselves in these financial positions anyw ay, Sekele has worked ha rd to make he r impact felt within the Rhodes comm unity. Although her position by its very nature is not inherent ly visible, she has still had an effect in SR C discussion. 6.8/10

nts in his official ca Representing stude siRe of ard Bo e e th pacity on bodies lik in has been involved ga an ur ap M es, denc e nc ide res gh quality of maintaining the hi to d lpe he tly d recen life over the year an at ty of Life survey th ali Qu e th ct constru is, He . ed eiv rec e nc all students in reside ctly invisible in the unfortunately, distin ive thus his representat public sphere and . ability is diminished 5.5/10

Tendayi organised an enormous project this year the Internationalisation Colloquium attended by SRCs from around the country. She has been vocal on student issues and makes sure her voice is heard within Council mee tings. 7.2/10

News Features
By Mila Kakaza fter a number of years plagued by scandals and rumours of unsustainability, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) surprisingly launched a 24-hour news channel. The news channels attempt to expand, however, was not welcomed with open arms by all. The corporation has made news for financial mismanagement and the new services lack of accessibility. The 24-hour news channel can only be viewed on DStvs channel 404, making it unavailable to a majority of working-class South Africans. However, Minister of Communications Yunus Carrim explained that the channel will soon be available on free-to-air TV once the move from analogue to digital terrestrial television takes place. The benefits of having the news channel exclusively on DStv are, however, promising. It will attract advertisers in South Africa who are currently targeting higher income-earning groups, said Paul Hills, Television lecturer at the School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS). Hills said that this placement will also give the SABC an opportunity to counter the perception that it is a mouthpiece for the government because it will now be competing side-by-side with other news channels on DStv. A great deal of scepticism will prove a challenge for the SABC as many anticipate that it will continue to be used as the states platform for government propaganda. Hills explained that in South Africa the fear of propaganda use is particularly worrying

The Oppidan Press 27 August 2013

A controversial move for the SABC

because the state owns the public broadcaster. The power that the SABC has cannot be disputed, Hills explained. Firstly, the public broadcaster has political power, which it could use to promote or limit political allegiance and policy. Secondly, it has economic power where it can advance particular sectors and populations in the country. The first guest on the channel, as expected, was President Jacob Zuma, who asserted that journalists in South Africa will now have a platform to share stories of success from the last 20 years as well as ways to build the country so that it may prosper. Opinions of the news channel are not all doom and gloom, however. Journalism students, as a part of their vacation work, have been among the reporters for the SABC. It is a positive step in the right direction and creating jobs for journalists, said third-year JMS student Kgalaletso Tshabalala. Director of the Centre for Economics Journalism in Africa, Reginald Rumney, who is also a regular columnist in Grocotts Mail, also sees the SABCs move in a more positive light. It is a logical step for the SABC to extend their reach, particularly as their main competitor eTV has a 24-hour channel on DStv, he said. It also helps prepare the SABC for the arrival of digital terrestrial TV, where the corporations news products have to compete with the offerings of many other channels. The success of the channel will be dependent on the viewership figures. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, said Rumney.

The SABC have recently launched a 24-hour news channel. Photo: SOURCED

Butternut soup

COME DINE WITH ME COME DINE WITH ME

Nutella Lava Mug Cake

INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp Margarine INgreDIeNTs 2 Medium Onions roughly chopped 4 tablespoons self 2 Cloves Garlic roughly rising flour, sifted chopped 1 teaspoon chocolate 5 ml Nutmeg chips 1.25 ml Peri Peri spice tablespoons 1 ltr3Water unsweetened cocoa 1 Chicken/Vegetable powder, Stock Cube sifted 4 tablespoons 250 ml Cream caster sugar 1 kg Butternut peeled & 1 medium egg chopped tablespoons Salt3& pepper Nutella 3 tablespoons milk to taste
3 tablespoons olive, or vegetable oil

METHOD 1. In a large pot melt the MeThoD margarine and fry the onions, garlic, Nutmeg and Peri-Peri until 1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. just soft. Beat well with a whisk until smooth and 2. Add the butternut, water and blended. chicken stockthe cube andbetween bring to3 small 2. Divide batter the boil. microwave safe mugs, or two medium 3. Allow toill simmer for about mugs. mugs up to just 30 full, if not the cake will overflow when it rises. minutes or until the butternut is Then tip in 1 teaspoon chocolate chips into soft. each cup and push it into the batter until 4. Remove from heat and blend completely covered. with a stick blender or food 3. Microwave on high power for processor until smooth. anywhere between 30 seconds to 3 5. Stir in the cream and season to minutes. The key for the perfect lava cake tasteis with and pepper. not salt to overcook the batter. The cake
should rise a bit, ideally with a moist, fluffy, gooey texture, and glossy, fudgy top. 4. Top with whipped cream, if you have extra change in your pocket.

* Please note that cooking time will depend on microwave wattage. *Feel like a change? Spruce up the mealby adding exotic thai seasoning to the mix.
All ingredients available at Pick n Pay.

Store Times Monday-Sunday 6:30 to 23:00 More recipes available at www.picknpay.co.za

News Features

23 April 2013

The Oppidan Press

RU Matric Programme to be dropped

By Mila Kakaza he Rhodes University matric programme, aimed at helping non-academic staff members receive their senior certificate, is to be shut down, following the introduction of the new national school curriculum in South Africa. The programme will be discontinued mid-way through next year due to the changes brought about by this new curriculum. Matric classes will be continued until June 2014 albeit with a different service provision model, said Sarah Fischer, Director of Human Resources at Rhodes University. In previous years, the University hired 8 to 12 teachers to assist in the classes. Learners completing their matric between 2013 and mid-2014 will be supported through classes run by Educentre. Thereafter, staff members without a matric will have to return to grade 10 in order to obtain their matric certificate. This is a requirement of the national Department of Educations new curriculum. The University will assist in funding the education of these staff members. There are staff development funds that staff can access. For example, there is a Continuing Education Fund (CEF), explained Fischer. However, these alternatives are limited. Staff members need to go through an application process before they can access funding. Member of the RU cleaning staff and student of the matric programme, Zoleka Ndayi, explained that many of the workers want to complete their matric and have pleaded with the University to allow these classes to continue. We dont know why we cannot carry on with our studies. We are left in the middle of nowhere with our education, said Ndayi. Although the University has organised different centres for registration, Ndayi explained that the majority of the workers want to continue with the classes here at the University. Ndayi admitted that the matric classes did prove to be strenuous and that as people with full time jobs they requested for the number of assignments to be reduced. We have children and husbands and we have to take care of our homes as well as work for the University, explained Ndayi. The University will be providing occupational training as an alternative, where a staff member may choose to receive more training in their specific job. If a cook wants to be a caterer they

Rhodes University will cancel their matric programme, previously offered to staff members who have not completed their matric. Photo: JOSHUA OATES may do training towards a catering qualification. The goal was to provide those staff members who, due to apartheid circumstances, were unable to acquire their matric with an opportunity to do so, said Fischer. The optional programme has been running for approximately 15 years and aiding in the Universitys goal in investing in the training and development of the staff. The matric programme has formed part of this broader training and development programme, said Fischer. Fischer mentioned that, increasingly, the staff employed had already obtained their matric. Unfortunately, records of the number of staff members who have completed their matric successfully due to these matric classes were not available. A representative of the Department of Education, who did not want to disclose her name, referred to a partnership with the University over a community programme with the matric classes run by the institution. The Department failed to elaborate more on the matter and did not disclose whether or not they had taken on any responsibility in the classes no longer occurring.

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News Features
The future of gaming in the palm of your hand
By Chad Keates SciTech The gaming market is booming with new games and evolving platforms that are constantly shifting to include new technologies beyond the normal controller or mouse-and-keyboard combo. Months from release, the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One are set to revolutionise the market and change the way we see and play games. But do Rhodes University students even need nextgen consoles when they have smartphones and tablets at their disposal for new-age gaming? Computer Science lecturer Yusuf Motara said that handheld is the future of gaming. Tablet and smartphone capabilities are on the rise and their gaming potential is still untapped when compared to the heavily utilised and linear design of consoles. In a university environment, the console has few pros and many cons. The only attribute, according to Rhodes University Computer User Society (RUCUS) member Usher Parshotam, is the ability of the user to play games with friends in a more social environment. Consoles are big, heavy and require speakers and display outputs such as televisions and monitors, and games for consoles also tend to be expensive and hard to come by in Grahamstown. Motara said desktop sales have dropped, with a majority of their target audience opting for a notebook or ultra-book. Consoles are declining with a huge increase in sales of mobile and tablet devices. Games are easy to utilise on mobile devices with Android and iOS softwares, and are much cheaper with far more free games on offer. Consoles and computers require discs instead. Mobile games are affordable and in most cases, free. These games can be accessed from anywhere on campus due to the large quota of WIFI each student is afforded each week. The Nintendo DS is a good example of a mobile gaming device, according to Motara. It has a solid graphics processor and is unrestrained by limitations such as a constant power source and a separate visual input. The gap between consoles and mobile phones is closing fast with new advancements in processing power. The new Galaxy S4 sports a 1.9 GHz quad-core processor that is capable of amazing graphics. Motara said form factor can be overcome by game developers because phones can now be linked up to larger display outputs and utilise controllers for games. With an improvement in battery quality over the past several years, phones can now be used for longer without the need for re-charging. This could prove paramount to the emergence of mobile devices as front runners in the game market. Parshotam, on the other hand, still believes mobile games have a long way to go. He sees mobile games as mindless, repetitive and far too linear to take on the console and PC game market. Developer support is the only problem facing the future of mobile gaming. With an increase in publishers and developers, mobile gaming would have the platform to compete with consoles in the gaming community. There is much promise, however, with mainstream upcoming titles like the highly anticipated Watch Dogs and the war epic Battlefield 4, both offering integrated mobile platform modes that enrich the gameplays core strategies. The Head of Wargaming at Gamesoc, William Walters, believes that mobile gaming is not going to replace console gaming but will rather become part of a massive and accessible new way of gaming. The only thing that is certain is that mobile devices are a strong bet for most companies. Mobile and tablet devices are selling worldwide and new apps are coming out every day, with Xbox releasing Smartglass and Sony releasing tablet support for console. Nobody knows what the future holds but mobile devices could possibly become the consoles of the future.

The Oppidan Press 27 August 2013

Choosing a car to purchase as a student can leave you feeling dizzy, especially with the high maintenance costs. Photo: JOSHUA OATES

Purchasing a new car The student perspective

By Dumile Sibindana Business

hile many students may be saving towards their first set of wheels, or pleading with their parents for the gift of that dream car, the critical question is often not whether you can afford to buy a car while at university, but rather, if you can afford to maintain it in the long term. There is no doubt that having a car as a student is a privilege, offering one mobility and freedom which cannot otherwise be attained, but due to the hefty investment that comes with owning a vehicle many students just cannot afford to own one. The preferences that students may have in terms of cars they would want to buy are thus not the only thing to take into account. There are a number of considerations that a student has to make when they want to purchase a car. These include the size and type of car, where to buy it, maintenance and running costs and, most immediately, the cost of the vehicle. Due to the large investment required when buying a car, students

ought to ensure that they can cover their tuition and accommodation expenses and other expenses such as textbooks and living expenses before they consider buying a car, asserted Management lecturer Lindsay Bailey. Bailey maintains that buying a car is as much a matter of being able to afford one as it is a matter of you wanting one. Student Chris White noted: There are a number of other little things that go into maintaining a car properly such as tyres, oil and general servicing. The main cost to consider though is petrol and trying to get as much distance out of each tank you buy. In fact, the price of petrol went up just the other day. Thashveen Lutchmun, Teaching Assistant in Honours Management Finance, wstated that before purchasing a vehicle it is important to determine what you will be using the car for, so that you make the appropriate selection. Will you be using it to drive around Grahamstown? Or will you be embarking on regular long journeys (and therefore requiring a more spacious car than, for example, a Chevrolet Spark)? One must also consider the cost of an insurance premium to cover

the vehicle. It is not mandatory to have insurance, but it comes recommended in a country such as ours where car hijackings and thefts are a frequent occurrence. In addition to this, the high rate of accidents on the nations roads also results in the need for insurance. Dean Kent, the owner of Kenrichs Motors, which operates in both Grahamstown and Port Alfred, explained that the market for car sales to students in Grahamstown is currently quite small. He speculated that this could be due to students purchasing vehicles in their home towns and cities. Student car purchases therefore make up a very small percentage of sales at his general motors dealership. Kent did assert, however, that without Rhodes University most, if not all, Grahamstown car dealerships would be out of business. Most of the car sales we make are to Rhodes University staff and we are grateful for their continued support, he said. When buying a car there are clearly many factors to consider. The most important thing is to find a balance that works for you and your pocket, whilst ensuring you get the best possible deal at the same time.

Biscuits

Mobile devices may be the future platforms for the gaming market. Photo: JOSHUA OATES

Send an email to travel@oppidanpress.com if youd like to tell us about your travel experiences

News Features

27 August 2013

The Oppidan Press

An unholy affair?
celebrated primarily in India and Nepal, but also louds of colour filled the air at the Cape widely observed in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Town Grand Parade on Saturday 2 March 2013 for the first ever HOLI ONE Though the outdoor event which saw the Mother Colour Festival to be held in South Africa. Now City covered in multicolored Gulal powder is really an offshoot of a German electronica colour a global outdoor extravaganza, HOLI ONE is party, organisers do not deny the influence of the driven by an ethos of togetherness and celebrareligious holiday on their event. tion and takes its inspiration from the Hindu The Indian Holi Festival is a day steeped in festival by the same name. Though many the old tradition of bringing people together Rhodes students made the trip down-country in love and peace, a tradition that transcends to join in the festivities, some have concerns backgrounds and cultures. It is this ethos that about the commercialisation of a traditionally the HOLI ONE Colour Festival was inspired by, religious holiday and worry particularly about said Manuela de Deus, Sponsorship Director for the availability of alcohol at the event. events planning company, One-Eyed Jack, who The idea of alcohol sales during this festival worked together with Seed Experiences to make defeats the purpose of everyone uniting and the the HOLI ONE Cape Town a reality. promotion of togetherness, said Secretary of the Weve continuously promoted a spirit of Rhodes Hindu Students Society (HSS) Maxime camaraderie and togetherness in the We Are Pillay. I believe that this practice does not fit in All One philosophy, something that we feel is at all with the HOLI ONE Festival. If the festival very relevant and necessary to the South African is to be celebrated on a large scale then preventapsyche, de Deus said. tive measures on a large scale should be taken While Manilal agrees with the idea of HOLI together with the celebration, she said. ONE spreading the celebration to people of all That being said, Pillay does not think there is cultures oates and religions, she remains concerned necessarily a problem with the of internationalisaNieu-Bethesda is a small picturesque town in the heart the Karoo. Photo: joshua about the connection between Holi and the tion of what she describes as the most exciting of consumption of alcohol and the potential use Hindu festivals. President of HSS Gitika Manilal, of drugs, widely associated with large outdoor agrees with her about this. I think it is approprifestivals. ate because people of different cultures would be I think this is unacceptable. It is an insult able to celebrate this festival and learn about it as to the festival and in this way the festival loses well, Manilal said. its value. People would forget about coming Holi is traditionally a spring festival of colour, Photo: Charne Penfold

Words by Kyla Hazell together as one and many ugly situations can take place when people are drunk, such as fights, Manilal said. De Deus explained the festival organisers decision to have alcohol at the event by stating that the crucial point is that HOLI ONE is not a religious festival. If it was a religious festival it might be a very different story, she said. De Deus also said that Hinduism as a religion is not conclusively against the consumption of alcohol, noting also that this festival is being held in a country where a drinking culture does exist. Student Jacqui Pinto, who attended the festival in Cape Town, felt that the event, though inspired by Holi, was very divorced from the religious aspects of the holiday. They never really spoke about or made any reference to the religious festival except to say that this was the inspiration. I feel that it did not attempt to be rude or offensive, but merely provided people with a good time in a manner inspired by a religious event, Pinto said. We all need a bit of colour in our lives from time to time and a day that you are encouraged to dress in white and chase your friends, pelting them with coloured powder is good, clean, exhilarating fun. Good for the heart and soul, de Deus concluded.

HOLI ONE Johannesburg will take place on the 6 April 2013.

Nieu-Bethesda: A diamond in the rough

Words By Madeleine Chaput

quaint, picturesque town nestled in the middle of the Karoo, Nieu-Bethesda is an intriguing little corner of the world. Famously known for its donkey-cart rides and the mysterious Owl House of Miss Helen Martins, this little diamond in the rough lies at the foot of the Sneeuberg Mountains along the banks of the Sundays River. The town is approximately 50 kilometres from Graaff-Reinet l and also forms part of the semi-arid Great Karoo. This means that it experiences long, hot, dry summers and moderate winters. Temperatures in summer range from about 17C to 30C; July is the coldest month with temperatures dropping to an average of 2.5C at night. Nieu-Bethesda offers a range of comfortable and quirky accommodation options. Outsiders B&B, Owlhouse Backpackers, The Water Tower and The Nieu-Zebra self-catering are some of the choices available. The two main coffee shops, the Karoo Lamb and The Village Inn, provide tranquil rest stops in the middle of this quiet town. Most places are self-catering, but meals are also available from the various places around town. Prices range between R220 and R470 per night, depending on the location and for how many people you are looking to book. Although Nieu-Bethesda is a small town, devoid of any petrol, bank or credit card facilities, it is a town filled with mystery and wonder. The town prides itself on the historical sites in and around the area. Why not take one of the twenty-minute guided donkey-cart rides to give you a colourful perspective of the town? Or visit Miss Helen Martins Owl House, often cited as one of South Africas finest examples of outsider art. The Owl House is an extraordinary play of colour and light and it conjures up an array of feelings, from awe to weariness, curiosity and sadness. There are, however, other fascinating features unique to the town of Nieu-Bethesda, such as the old water mill and the working network of water furrows. The 1905 Dutch Reformed Church of Nieu-Bethesda is the towns grandest piece of architecture. The Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre takes you on a journey through the past, to a world filled with unfamiliar plants and animals. Many artists and craftsmen have found their muse in Nieu-Bethesda and have established themselves there. Its no wonder because NieuBethesda is unique in all its enigma. The town offers everything a curious soul craves. The Holi Festival on 2 March 2013 painted Cape Town colourful and will make its way to Johannesburg on 6 April 2013. Photo: NICOLA POULOS NG Kerk in Nieu-Bethesda. Photo: Michelle cunliffe

Features travel Travel

2 The 10 6 The Oppidan Oppidan Press Press 28 127 February August August 2012 2013 2013

New society opens doors to students

AIESEC offers international leadership training and internship placement
Words by Kyla Hazell

For the love of the karoo

Dont be fooled: this was not just a festival ver the long weekend people from where people listened to speech after speech. near and far made their way to the With a walking tour of Cradock and all of its Karoo to join a festival that has been inspirations for writers, participants were able running for four years. to interact and get a true feel for the Karoo and The Writers Festival has grown in popularhow it has inspired literature over the years. ity and has attracted some of South Africas After a fantastic dinner, Chris and Julie most successful writers. This was a wonderful Marais showed off their photo-journalistic opportunity for anyone who loves reading and work entitled The Beautiful Karoo. This splenwriting, good food and great company. did day of learning and listening was concluded The festival took place on 9 August. The with delightful music performed by Robert theme this year was The love of Karoo. With Pearce. the meeting point at Shreiner House and a Day two of the festival gave participants small entrance fee of R25, people were invited even more of an opportunity to participate to learn the basics of writing using the multiby starting with an open mic session. People media programme known as Upstart from were invited to take to the floor and read out none other than our own Shireen Badat. The their poetry. With poetry being the main focus Upstart programme was made available to of the day, Etienne van Heerden and Doreen a few schools in Grahamstown before the Atkinson each gave compelling speeches Writers Festival. Following Badat, Sigi Howes talked about the about their writing processes. The final dinner combined poetry readings and discussions by South African War. Howes demonstrated the Alfred Scheiffer and Clinton Du Plessis. way in which the diarist Iris Vaughan was able Festival-goers were able to stay in Die Tuis to write in such a compelling way. Huis, a lovely B&B in Cradock. With fireside Participants were then treated to Olive Bainskloof is a beautiful destination for all students. Photos: BIANCA LEVIN talks, town walks and various book launches, Schreiner unpacking her own writings. The anyone with a taste for reading and writing day wandered on with speakers such as Margie Orford adressing crime literature and writing it would have been treated to a fantastic weekend in the Karoo. For those who did attend this in a South African context and Barbara Mutch years festival, they deemed it a resounding speaking on the writing process of her book success. The Housemaids Daughter.

Words by Bianca Levin

year, Morake said. So were really new opportunity for travel aiming on giving Rhodes students is now available to Rhodes high-quality training topped off University students this with a high-quality international year thanks to the addition of internship. new campus society, AIESEC. At the moment, the committee Taking its acronym from the is looking for endorsement from French Association Internationale the university and the Student des Etudiants en Sciences Representative Council (SRC), Economiques et Commerciales as well as from potential external (a full name no longer used), the sponsors, while at the same time society claims to be the biggest recruiting students to participate in student-driven organisation there the internships programme. is. We are not looking to become AIESEC is an international yet another society that you sign non-profit organisation that offers up for at the beginning of the year students opportunities to undertake and then dont hear from again. leadership training and internship We are open to everyone to make placements around the world. use of, especially third, fourth, or Chairperson Lowell Scarr said fifth year students who are looking that the main focus of the society is to start work and would like to get on the development of leadership overseas, said Scarr. skills and mutual understanding AIESEC will also be facilitating among students through cultural events which will focus on personal exchange. Today, the organisation and leadership development is responsible for thousands of and attempting to link similarly international short- and long-term orientated societies together to Photo: GEOFF BROWN placements annually, itself Ashleigh Brown speaks fancying of her experience shark cage diving in Gansbaai. increase the overall effectiveness of a catalyst for student exploration their aims. and growth. This is where Rhodes Our mission is to empower students will now have the chance students through leadership to become involved. development in actual experience, As an Exchange Facilitator, we Morake explained. We offer a will assist students in finding a Words by Ashleigh Brown platform for students to unleash and suitable international internship grow their leadership potential. in any partnering country (over reallyyou good 110 of them), said society Vice-as the sun These are alking down the road nimble are in small spaces. opportunities for long students tofit gain Chairperson Selokwane Morake steadily rises over the flat ocean, my The cages five people at a time. The divworldview ing perspectives while theytell everyone not to hang of the committees work. We nerves kick in. I dig my cold hands experts specifically still studying order them will assist in passport and VISA on thein bars, or for to stick our hands out of the cage. into my pockets as I walk past boats withare long, become effective leaders that are fitted with handle bars applications as well culture-shock The cages are therefore steel cages attached toas the back of them. Ito hold progress their training forJaws the particular country, inable to about hang on to andin a bar at the bottom to hook my breath as music begins to play the to bring countries, your Morake he of continued. feetcontinued. under. How long you stay under deback my mind. that while it is notyou easy Rhodesis isone the of ninth South pends on how long can hold your breath. Between Wellington and Ceres, Gansbaai the best places in South Scarr said to start society, the InowAfrican university to set up an long see a shape swim under the Mountains cage. the Boland hold a Africa to shark dive, according to the websites of a newBefore committee strong Local Chapter, joining there. established Dive, dive, is dive! the bait-thrower shouts and I called Bainskloof. magnificent place theAIESEC eight different diving companies Cehopes to send at least five the chilling water, already established offices at the push myself under scanning Here one can find beautiful lebrities such as Brad Pitt, Blake Lively andand both Rhodes on international Cape Town (UCT), around me for any sign of the shark. Graciously, waterfalls, natural springs and a theUniversity Princes ofof Wales have dived there. It was only students this year. muscle-machine makes Stellenbosch University and the in theinternships the mighty a turn past the great camping site where students slightly comforting that I was diving same AIESECcage, opens up opportunities University of Only Pretoria, among seemingly eyeing us as it swam away. can kick back and relax under the cage as Royalty. slightly. for countries others. Scarr explained that Rhodes The shark that stayed with us sun was and onlystars. a baby To get to our diving spot it took us about 15travel to other (including those in as well had an AIESEC society the past, shark, orAfrica) so we were told. It measured two The about campsite is called the Tweede minutes by boat. When wein dropped anchor the as work experience inmetres these places, but was thatonly it fell away duedeep. to poor and a half and was quite friendly and It is just off the R301 Tol Campsite. water 10 metres It was said that which is invaluable going forward The current outgoing according to the diving instructor. ac-pass. There are 26 onto Bainskloof themanagement. sharks had changed their team feeding patterns a professional. We areus. open to all iswere trying to re-establish the Local waters.as companying different sites and places to braai and now hunting in shallower Then and want to help students improve being Besides conquering one of my fears and diving available. The fee per site is R175.00, theChapter waiting after began. Theapproached chum was made and the themselveswith withGreat a long-term view of the experience by AIESEC South Africas White sharks, taught but it is worth every cent. bait was cast. We all sat on the boat, scanning a positive impact on South African head or office. me so much more. There are a lot of misconcepBlainskloof is an entertaining place theJohannesburg-based water for any movement sharp fins cutting society, said Scarr. Since only starting up, tions about these mighty creatures. for the adventurous type. One of the through thewere waves. AIESEC NMMU, and was going Each shark, as we were told time and time trails leads you past natural pools and Some playful sealsStellenbosch came to see what UCT have offered to partner up again on the boat, has their ownfinally personality. onto aThey magnificent waterfall. on, frolicking in the water and splashing around, with AIESEC Rhodes,The in terms of come. are not the man-eating monsters we are told to Many people bring lilos and tubes and but soon they scattered. time had Anyone interested in learning more films. sending members through look out for in Hollywood Dont get me float down the river, creating a mini I can tell their you from first-hand experience that atplanning Rhodes. on sticking to carry out specialist for wrong,AIESEC I was not hand as they go. raftingmy experience trying to get a wetsuit ontraining while on a boat is not can contact aiesec@gmail.com or search for them student will be going outrolls with out the cage and petting it, but I learnt to respect There are many more hiking trails, theevery easiest thing.who The boat moves and on Facebook at the AIESEC Rhodes.creatures forswell an internship by the the how them for magnificent are. but they it can also be a lot of fun just to each of the ocean andend youof learn

Diving with Jaws

The wonders of Bainskloof

BA Hons in Journalism

Located at the heart of the media industry, we are T of natures hidden treasures and is make your own trail and then come well placed hands-on training in multimedia great to experience with your friends. back to later offer for a swim. The water is Just make sure that you have someone a crystal clear and freezing cold, and on journalism. Learn journalism by it: in our withdoing you who knows how to set up a a hot summers day there is nothing tent. better to do than lie around in the T one-year shallow programme, will produce newspapers, If you are not the camping type, pools or play in you the waterfalls. a then you can go to Bainskloof for a The best part of Bainskloof is hiking television, radio, photos, websites and social media a days visit. It is still a wonderful place b up the river. You pass by at least three waterfalls, two of which are deep to spend the day jumping off waterfalls t under the guidance of experienced professionals. I enough to jump off from heights of and braaing with friends. two to four metres. In order to get to Blainskloof you d You will engage with the issues of journalism in rich s What makes Bainskloof so take the Wellington turn-off on the intriguing is that it has remained N1. Drive about 20km until you reach t debate and discussion. virtually unaltered since its original Wellington. By the third robot you
Words by Biana Levin

Studentsdamage withtoany undergraduate degree can apply the area and it is extremely right at the next robot into Church clean. A nice bonus is that there are Street will bring you to Bainskloof for this degree. Places Applications bathrooms and showers. limited. Pass towards Worcester.close On the left Bainskloof is only one and a half will be Tweede Tol, about 16km from Augusthours 31.outside Bursaries and internships available. of Cape Town, so if you Bainskloof pass. Be prepared, this
are going to be near that area during your holidays, you should definitely take the time to go and see it. It is one

creation in 1853. There is very little

turn left into Piet Retief Street. A

a l M b V

See www.journalism.co.za

part of the drive has a steep drop and t if not driven with care it can be quite dangerous. Be vigilant. t

128 February August 2013 2012 The The Oppidan Press 11 7 3 27 August 2013 Oppidan Press

Send an email to travel@oppidanpress.com if youd like to tell us about your travel experiences

Features Travel travel

Budget busting travel tips

Words by Ashley Brown

ravelling around the world is not the cheapest endeavour, especially when travelling to Europe. But fear not, there is a way to travel on a relatively inexpensive budget. Earlier this year in January, I went to Ireland for 10 days to celebrate my 21st birthday the Irish way with lots of Guinness and potatoes. I had saved my meagre-student-amount of pocket money for almost two years before I started planning and paying for the trip. My trip did not work out to be as expensive as I thought it would have been. I had saved R15 000 over two years from odd jobs and pocket money collection. I thought that all of that would be gone before I had even landed in Dublin. But with some clever planning and help from people who had travelled before, I managed to cut costs and save money. So this is where the budgetbusting tips come in. I have three handy tips to share when you are trying to plan your overseas travels. Do not travel during peak season: during any holiday period or, if going to the Northern Hemisphere, during their summer time. Prices are marked up because tourist destinations know that people will pay. It is the only time that most working class citizens can travel. Take advantage of our long holidays. January and February are great times to go and if you are lucky, you will catch the snow. I went from 9-19 January, just after the schools both here and there had gone back. That thatplaces a ith all themeant beautiful lot of the prices in Ireland were a that the Wild Coast has lot cheaper, asoffer, mostCoffee of the seasonal to Bay is pertourists left. haps onehad of the most charming and Try not to go to the typical places. rustic destinations to visit. I know that Paris sounds alluring Legend has it that a ship carryand goingbeans to thewent Big Apple ing coffee undersounds off the coast of this picturesque village in the former Transkei and that the beans washed ashore to sprout coffee trees along the beach. There is no evidence of these trees ever having existed, but the name Coffee Bay has stuck, nonetheless. The Hole in the Wall is a principal Take history out of classroom tourist attraction in the Coffee Bay and some as you learn area.get It gets itsfresh nameair from a rivers about how this small town came to wearing through the middle of a masbe. walking tours siveThere rock. are Thevarious river now runs through to be taken around Grahamstown. the hole, allowing adrenaline junkies If you haveto some time in your the chance takespare a wave-assisted day and want tothe learn moreof about the jump right into channel water small town to you live in, give one of that rushes the shore. Conditions these a go. have to be right in order to do this, however, as ones always Each walk lasts safety about must an hour come first.and is conducted at a and a half leisurely According to the sort Those pace. interested in a different Makana Tourism Office, will also of kick will be pleased toyou note a steady be accompanied by a guide in full stream of board-bearing student Victorian dress. cars carrying surfers to the widelyrenowned waves little Coffee Bay. There are threeof different walking Mdumbi beach is a last stop for serious tours on offer: surfers due to the largeand waves it has to The Saints, Sinners Students offer.looks This quiet sheltered beach tour at theand early history of

A wild ride in Coffee Bay

Take a trip to the former Transkei and treat yourself to a weekend of relaxation, surf and nature.

The long walk through history and a little extra

like an adventure waiting to be had, but there is a whole other world to see out there. I did go to Dublin, which is a major city, but I also went to many small towns around the Southern Irish coast which are hardly ever mentioned. Do not always look at the major travel guides, which tell you that London is the best place to go. Why not browse the Internet and find somewhere off of the beaten track with just as much to offer? It is relatively easy to travel around if you are going to Europe, so getting to destinations is not difficult. Shop around. My return tickets leaving from Port Elizabeth to Dublin via Frankfurt only came to R9250 with Lufthansa. I shopped around for weeks trying to get the best deal possible. Normally if you find a certain deal with one tourism office, another will try to match it. Play bargain hunter. This also applies to hotels. Do not be afraid to stay in a youth hostel if you are going to Europe. I paid about 8 (that worked out at about R96) a night including breakfast in Dublin. That meant that I had more Photo: Stephen cunliffe money to spend on shopping which, in Dublin, was amazing. There are plenty of specials on offer when planning your overseas trip. Give yourself ample time to find out where the best deals can ww be made, where you want to go and what there is to do there. That way you will know how much money ww you will need to take with you. Do ww not forget that the Rand is relatively Words by Bianca Levin weak compared to most overseas currencies, so things naturally get in for free. There is a bar offering is also a lovely placewill to take a stroll or ww be a bit for us. food and alcohol, however, there are have amore swimexpensive for the less courageously Travelling does not have by to Milkwood drain no ATMs nearby so come prepared. inclined. It is surrounded your bank account. You can the The Bomvu Cultural Festival entrees however, so those notsee enamworld and still have enough left over courages people to lift their spirits and oured of their distinctive smell should toperhaps spare. head for one of the larger be in harmony. Donations are many made to the Coffee beaches. Ireland is one of the overseas destinations that one can travel to on a budget. Photos: ASHLEIGH BROWN Bay recycling centre, education If you are not a surfer there are still centre and drum centre as a result plenty of lovely swimming beaches as of this festival. Coffee Bay also hosts well as a lagoon near the Hole in the an annual New Years party, which Wall. Hiking, visiting nature reserves broadly repeats the cultural festival, and fishing are further outdoor attracthough with the addition of various tions with regular trips being led by staff of the various backpackers Words by Ashley hostels Brown DJs and tattoo artists. For maps and information on Cheap accommodation is available in the village. For those who would Forbrochures, brochures, maps and information on Grahamstown Frontier Country at a range of backpackers hostels. The rather enjoy a tasty, home-cooked meal Grahamstown. This tour visits St Grahamstown Frontier Country Coffee Shack is one well-known backor refreshing drink, tiny, Annes chapel, two jails asenchantingly well as Experience traditional isiXhosa packing/camping site which also offers ramshackled bars and cafes are dotted Rhodes University itself. surfing lessons and hikes at affordable around, making Coffee Bay an enjoyThe Stately Homes and Old School hospitality in Grahamstown. rates. In season it is R70 per person able place for all visitors. Ties tour goes to two of the oldest Gill Wylie City, farm and township tours. a township tour with GillBook Wylie City, farm township tours. to camp and R120 per person for one Keep in the mind that roads are schools area: Stthe Andrews Cell 082 832and 5839. Cell 082 832 5839. bed in a shared dormitory. mostly not tarred cars may struggle College, and DSG so (Diocesan School Email gwylie@vodamail.co.za Makana Tourism Email gwylie@vodamail.co.za If you love to spend your days to get to the destination. for Girls). This tour visits a number of and nights at the beach or bar, this Unfortunately, due were to its designed outdoorsy Victorian homes that by Mbuleli Mpokela Local and regional guide. Mbuleli Mpokela Local and regional guide. laid-back little town is a wonderful appeal, Coffee Bay is in a primarily suman amateur architect various strange Cell 082 979 5906. 63 High Street, Grahamstown 6139 Cell 082 979 5906. Email m.mpokela@ru.ac.za place to unwind and get in touch merinteresting travel destination winter trips but styles. Itand also includes Email m.mpokela@ru.ac.za Tel: 046 622 3241 with nature. Coffee Bay offers a wide are oldest generally for those die-hards who the working postbox in South Fax:046 622 for 3266 Otto Ntshebe Ottours city range of outdoor activities and gives dont mind the cold. Street. All hope for the Africa on Worcester Otto Ntshebe Ottours and township tours. for city Web: www.grahamstown.co.za people the chance to to get away from months tillnot spring is the not Historic lost, however, (Grahamstown used be the second Last but least, and township tours. Cell 082 214 4242. city life. Though away from as oncetour a year on the 13 June the Bomvu largest city in the413km Cape Colony after Heart visits centre of Face Book: http://www.facebook.com/ Cell 082 214 4242. Email ottours@webmail.co.za. Grahamstown Cultural Festival takes place. This Cape Town). along some less than Grahamstown and leaves from the MakanaTourismGrahamstown Email ottours@webmail.co.za. roads, this Wildor Coast gem 2-day festivalMuseum. is a hippie paradise. So take a moment, a tour, tois learn Observatory This tour With ideal truly worth a visit. fire dancing, face painting and drum and appreciate this wonderful historic looks at the growth of Grahamstown circles, anyone is able performcity and town you now call home. from a military site to to a thriving

Each walk lasts about an hour and a half and is conducted at a leisurely pace

Accredited Accreditedtour tourguides guides

travel

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The Oppidan Press 27 August 2013

Arts & Entertainment

27 August 2013

The Oppidan Press

Move your electro thing

By Dirk Steynberg The Flapper era is making a comeback. Classic swing tunes infused with modern electronic and synthesised sounds are all the rage as Electro Swing, a new genre comprising the best of old and new, soars around the globe and lands in sleepy Grahamstown. Contemporary artists of the genre take the renowned sounds of Jazz and Big-Band musicians such as Benny Goodman or Cab Calloway and deftly mix in loops, melodies and styles from the swing era, to create what is now a club-friendly sound. The popularity of Electro Swing began its upward curve five years ago, explained Jack Kaminski, a Rhodes University student and up-and-coming DJ in the new genre. The Electro Swing hype is popular in Europe, but Kaminski stumbled across the bold new sound in a bar in Cape Town and added the style to his list of great music. You can hear influences of it in local artists such as The Kiffness and Goldfish, but I guess my first encounter was through Goldfishs track Wet Welly said Kaminski. Over the years, Kaminski became more and more enamoured with the genre, addicted to its up-beat quality and the contemporary-classic originality that it exudes. In the beginning of the year, Electro Swing hit it big in Grahamstown with gigs hosted by Kaminski, such as the one recently held at Champs. Its popularity surged incredibly quickly, leaving Kaminski pleasantly surprised. I think theres just a big crowd for it in Grahamstown and people wanted something new and fresh, he said. So I began organising these Swing events like Swing Town and Swing into Spring where people get dressed up Great Gatsby style with fedoras and suspenders and dance to some good electro swing. Although Kaminski is new to the scene, along with his audience in Grahamstown, he has started doing his own mixes, injecting influences from artists like Caravan Palace - a chart-topping gypsy jazz band and Parov Stelar - the supposed founder of electro jazz. Kaminskis events and gigs have been a success so far. With another Electro Swing event coming at the end of the month, it seems the era of extravagance is making a comeback - and this time there are no prohibitions.

Young directors take to the stage

By Jenna Lillie ugust is upon us once more, and brings with it the 2013 Young Directors Season. This showcase of talented directorship will host the work of four Honours directors: Daniel Whitehorn, Jade Manicom, Maude Sandham and Simona Mazza. Their work was presented from 21 to 24 August in conjunction with Theatre Week. This year, there were striking themes focusing on loss, tragedy, abandonment and relationship dynamics while simultaneously commenting on the beauty in life. Debris, a British play written by Dennis Kelly, has been adapted by Daniel Whitehorn. Debris is a poetic piece, it is edgy and jarring as well as dark and beautifully written, Whitehorn explained. The story is about two siblings who are neglected by their physically present father and absentee mother. To survive their reality, they allow their imaginations to grow wild and turn their lives into a dreamscape, complete with its own rules and physics. They have got quite dark, twisted imaginations, explained Whitehorn. It is sharp, aggressive and urgent. Debris was inspired by the In-yerface theatre movement, which sought to provoke audiences and comment on controversial topics in Britain during the 1990s. The story is scathing, brave and vicious, Whitehorn added. The piece comments on the loss of innocence, the need for self-preservation and the darker realities of a broken family. Often what moves you isnt logic but rather what you feel and in this piece it is a world projected from characters imaginations, continued Whitehorn. You need to watch and experience it, let it wash over you and once you have seen everything then you can figure it out. Actors included Ryan Napier and Kelsey Stewart, as the brother and sister duo. Red is a Tony Award winning play written by John Logan and adapted by Jade Manicom. Predominantly, Red is a story about an established artist Mark Rothko and his young apprentice, Ken. It explores the battle between old and new as well as the changing face of the arts in 1958. The relationship between the Rothko and Ken is mirrored in the tension between abstract expressionism and pop art, which begins to encroach on Rothkos work. The two conflicting ideas display the ability of one art-form to dissolve another and through Rothkos eyes you see a mans fear of becoming irrelevant and his lifes work overshadowed. I based it on the text as it works within the realm of realism and therefore it was important that I work within the genre of realism, said Manicom. The tragic beauty of the story is that every artist desires immortality through their work and Rothko tries at all costs to achieve this

Maude Sandman, Daniel Whitehorn, Jade Manicom and Simona Mazza are all taking part in the 2013 Young Directors Season. Photo: jason cooper

Debris

dream so he will never be forgotten. I related to this and I feel that we all experience this kind of fear; a fear that we may never actualise our dreams. However this story ends with a glimmer of hope in the form of Ken - a hope that will lead to Rothkos dreams of immortality, explained Manicom. Actors included Keegan van Zyl and Philip Sulter.

Rabbit Hole

Rabbit Hole is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play written by David Lindsay-Abaire and adapted by Maude Sandham. The story centres around a middle-aged couple, Becca and Howie, whose son Danny was hit by a car 8 months prior. It was originally set in contemporary America, but Sandham chose to localise it by transporting it into a South African context. It is a universal story and can therefore transcend these barriers, explained Sandham. The piece explores the chaos of trauma, grief and rebuilding ones life after such a tragedy. Rabbit Hole explores the different ways each character copes with the loss of Danny. There is a lot of purging in this play: purging of guilt, of memories and trying to find a way to move on, explained Sandham. What is special about this piece is that the characters arent melodramatic and shouting at each other but rather there is a hyper-realistic style in the way people talk to each other: they are highly functional and humorous, which is the saving grace of this piece. Rabbit Hole comments on the nature and inevitability of death despite ones circumstances. However, you are left with a sense of hope that even in the darkest of times things will get better. It was a challenge to explore realism. The script is beautiful; its a contemporary piece that shows contemporary issues. I felt a deep connection with the sense of vulnerability and that feeling of being lost like the characters experience, said Sandham. The cast includes Tristan Jacobs, Geoffrey Smuts, Megan Knowles, Ester Van Der Walt and Jessica Harrison.

Red

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a mystery novel written by Mark Haddon and adapted by Simona Mazza. The story follows Christopher, a fifteen-year-old boy with Aspergers Syndrome. The catalyst of the story is the neighbours dog which Christopher finds dead on their front lawn. The boy takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of the dogs death and, in doing so, begins a journey that will uncover secrets about his parents that lead him to make decisions he wouldnt normally make. Through his investigation he gains his independence but also begins to lie, which is something he never did. Slowly he begins to lose his innocence, stated Mazza. Because the story is written in the first person, it all takes place in Christophers mind, which is an interesting place to be. Christopher begins to untangle a web of lies created by his parents and neighbours and through these revelations he learns more about himself. The audience should expect to use their imaginations and not to make literal interpretations. I want them to get into the mind of someone who has Aspergers and try to understand Christopher, said Mazza. I want to show the story of a family who has gone through a tremendous loss and who are dealing with loss in all its different forms. I feel that this is something people can relate to. Actors included Rachael Clark, Kate Pinchuck, Daniel Whitehorn, Ananda Paver, Sisesakhe Ntlabezo, Darren Moore and George Berry.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

For more information about Theatre Week visit the Young Directors Season page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ events/1392234127664719/ or follow them of Twitter @2013YDS.

Opinion

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The Oppidan Press 27 August 2013

The Oppidan Press

The first article in the Tales of a Divided City series asks the question To what extent is our ability to imagine a better world thwarted by too much hardship or too much privilege? This serves as an introduction to a series of ten which will appear monthly in the Grocotts Mail and which we have chosen to duplicate on The Oppidan Press website. The series seeks to have Grahamstown reflect on itself by making visible certain divisions that manifest in the city. Creating discomfort in readers and generating conversation is the aim. Working in conjunction with students and members of the Grahamstown community, Professor Pedro Tabensky of the Philosophy Department plans to use the series space to discuss issues which affect those who live here. He highlights in particular that the experience of being resident in Grahamstown is one still largely divided along spatial lines that reflect the racial boundaries of our segregated past. Tabensky is head of the recently established Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics. Since its inception earlier this year, the Centre has hosted weekly conversations which act as a reflective space for students. They are themed around a broad range of articles and ideas. Many of the students involved in these conversations will be working together with Tabensky on articles within their areas of interest which will appear in the series. The series itself is also part of the broader picture of these conversations as a way to translate their critical reflection beyond the armchairs of the Centre. Tabensky chose to publish with Grocotts Mail because he hoped to share these ideas with as broad a base of Grahamstown citizens as possible. We have chosen to duplicate the series online because we realise that many students do not read Grocotts Mail and we definitely think that, if a dialogue is happening reflecting on the town, students should be aware and involved. Institutions of higher education in particular are perhaps where inequalities are most evident in South Africa and ours is a bastion of privilege. As students living on campus or in digs in the wealthier parts of Grahamstown West, it is often possible, and always easier to ignore the fact that our encounter with this space is limited by our position as privileged and protected visitors. Or is it? To think this holds true for all Rhodes students smacks of over-simplicity. That is part of the point of the commentary: to have us questions assumptions such as the above. Perhaps in doing so that we will realise that lines we thought had been erased in fact remain and that divisions we assume are not as clear as imagined. We strongly encourage you to engage with these stories online. We cannot guarantee that you will agree with what is said or that you will respect the opinions expressed, but we are confident that at least a few of the issues and ideas will have personal relevance for you as someone living in this town. Give us your feedback. We are interested in what you have to say.

Bantustan Republic keeps South Africans suppressed

Dr Ashley Westaway

The Oppidan Press staff and contact details

Editor: Binwe Adebayo. Deputy Editor: Kyla Hazell. Managing Editor: Jamie Bezuidenhout. Advertising Manager: Matthew Barbosa. Marketing Manager: Tariro Mhiti. Executive Consultant: Kirsten Makin. Online Editor: Stuart Lewis. Assistant Online Editor: Chelsea Haith. Multimedia Manager: Charles Mackenzie. Webmaster: Thandile Pambuka. News Features Editor: Tegan Scales. Assistant News Features Editor: Amanda Xulu. Environment Editor: Jordan du Toit. Politics Editor: Tarryn de Kock. Assistant Politics Editor: Emily Corke. Opinion Editor: Andrew Tudhope. Arts & Entertainment Editor: Jessica van Tonder. Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor: Dirk Steynberg. SciTech Editor: Lethabo Ntshudisane. Business Editor: Mudiwa Gavaza Sports Editor: Andrew Tombs. Chief Photo Editors: Josh Oates, Robynne Peatfield. Assistant Chief Photo Editor: Michelle Cunliffe. Chief Sub-Editors: Kate-Lyn Moore, Matthew de Klerk, Lucy Holford-Walker. Sub-Editors: Kaitlin Cunningham, Fabio De Dominicis, Alexa Sedgwick, Amanda Murimba. Chief Designer: Chevawn Blum. Senior Designer: Jehan Ara Khonat. Junior Designers: Lucy Holford-Walker, Madien van der Merwe, Hannah McDonald, Amy Davidson. Illustrator: Amy Slatem. Community Engagement Officer: Mitchell Parker. Letters to the Editor: editor@oppidanpress.com Advertising details: advertising@oppidanpress.com www.oppidanpress.com www.facebook.com/theoppidanpress www.twitter.com/oppidanpress

The Oppidan Press publishes letter that are bona fide expressions of opinion as long as they are not clearly libellous, defamatory, racist or sexist. We publish anonymous letters, but as an act of good faith in your part, we require your full name. We reserve the right to shorten letters due to space constraints and to edit them for grammatical inaccuracies. Letters that do not make it into our print edition will be published on our website.

rguably one of the greatest successes of the apartheid state in the late 80s and early 90s was to co-opt the elite leadership of the ANC to agree to a process of transition that left the economic and social structure of South Africa largely intact. The 1994 transition held massive advantages for a minority of black people, but unsurprisingly left the vast majority as poor, exploited and excluded as before. I agree with Mahmood Mamdanis assertion that what happened in South Africa in 1994 should rather be described as deracialisation than democratisation. My central argument is that the ANC opted for a modern-day form of segregationism, which can alternatively be called paternal welfarism. In the words of Agamben, all who live in South Africa can be regarded as members but few are generally included. Although a unitary South Africa was installed constitutionally on 27 April 1994, the new government has maintained dualism through its own laws and policies. Specifically, the ANC has worked deliberately and consistently to ensure the continuing existence of the Bantustan. On the face of it, this may seem like a preposterous claim, yet there is significant evidence that underpins it and very little that contradicts it. Three sets of evidence are: 1. Different governance arrangements: The decade after 1994 was characterized by a contestation between a progressive and a conservative bloc within the ANC. The former preached civil society and democratization; the latter clung onto so-called tradition and custom. Only in 2004 was it clear that the conservative forces had defeated the more progressive interests. The 2004 Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act (TLGFA) stipulates that traditional councils must be established in former Bantustan areas to operate alongside elected municipalities. Significantly, the TLGFA endorsed Tribal Authorities and drew on the 1951 Bantu Authorities Act as a foundation for establishing Traditional Councils. Beall et al are correct in their assertion that legislation introduced in the 21st century will give perpetual life to a system of indirect rule dating back to the colonial era and ossified under apartheid. Increasingly powerful traditional leadership leads to weaker and ineffective municipalities. Successive Municipal IQ surveys point to the widening disparities between municipalities in former white South Africa and those in the former Bantustans. For example, the weakest District Municipality in the country is the largest, in the former Transkei, namely OR Tambo. Twelve of the local municipalities falling within this area appear on the list of the worst 15% of municipalities in the country. 2. Models of economic growth:

Ashley Westaway suggests that the ANC opted for segregationism and deracialisation rather than democratisation. Photo: alexa sedgwick Economic planning in the post-1994 period has been dominated by the zones and nodes on a map and, as Helliker points out, this type of discriminatory spatial perspective is reflective of contemporary capitalism, which thrives on uneven development and social marginalisation. Consequently, it is hardly surprising that the elected government has not formulated or implemented a rural development strategy since 1994. While government may claim that the new Community Works and Expended Public Works Programmes (CWP and EPWP) are about work, they are not. When I worked in Keiskammahoek some years ago, I was personally in a meeting with government officials who said that the CWP and EPWP were about job opportunities and that if someone worked in either programme for one day, that person would be deemed to be a beneficiary and counted amongst the employed. The CWP and EPWP are merely another form of welfare presented as work but having nothing to do with the real economy and very little to do with actual work. 3. The welfare state: The core of the welfare state in South Africa is not pensioners and disabled people, but rather the increasingly de-professionalised civil service. In the age of cadre deployment, allegiance trumps skill and factional loyalty outweighs competence. We live in an era when the role of the state teacher is not to educate but to pretend to teach and then draw a sizable welfare cheque at the end of each month, when the role of the nurse is not to treat or to heal, but rather to pretend to care and then draw a sizable welfare cheque at the end of each month and so on. Little wonder then that Jonathan Jansen recently referred to public schools as those buildings called schools. In fact, the very same Fort Beaufort that in bygone times was the cradle of black education throughout Southern Africa and home to Lovedale, Healdtown and Fort Hare, is now the worst performing education district in South Africa. The second and third worst districts in South Africa are Qumbu and Mount Frere in the former Transkei. The Bantustans are therefore entirely economically dependent on welfare transfers. This applies as much to the people who are barely surviving on pensions, child-support grants and the like, as it does to the burgeoning grouping of bureaucrats who draw their significant welfare cheques at the end of every month. If the transfers ceased tomorrow there would be mass starvation within weeks. Furthermore, because the function of the South African welfare state is not to develop its citizens but rather to sustain them, there is no delivery of meaningful services in these areas. In other words the welfare state simultaneously enables people to survive and keeps them suppressed. The welfare state is therefore a technique of power: in the elections of 2014 the ANC will remain the majority party for one primary reason, namely the loyalty of its Bantustan subjects. The labour aristocracy of today depends on the ANC government for its income and an increasing proportion of the card-carrying members of the ANC today are bureaucrats. Whereas the Alliance previously contained checks and balances, it is now essentially one thing the organisation of those who derive income from the state, in one way or another. We live in shadow of the Land Act because its essence, segregationism, has been retained as a mechanism and technique of power by the ANC government. Whilst the Constitution asserts rights, democracy and development, the reality is that the government is implementing a heady mix of custom, tradition and welfare in the former Bantustans. We have given up on democratic values such as accountability, responsibility and empathy and instead descend into a world of arrogance, plunder and individualism. Perhaps it is time that we stopped asking whether South Africa is becoming a banana republic and instead ponder whether it is in fact a Bantustan Republic?

27 August 2013

Opinion

The Oppidan Press

11

Reflections on a year at Oppi-Press

By Andrew Tudhope t is with a mixture of sadness and relief that I sit down to write my last article for The Oppidan Press. It is the last article I will write for a newspaper for a long time. Reporting the news in South Africa, even in this small town hidden in the Eastern Cape, is not an easy, particularly happy or encouraging job. Grahamstowns unique mix of students and educational institutions has led the Opinion Section to focus on education this year. This is because the question of impact is always on the mind of any writer: what is the relevance of this story and will our readership find it interesting and informative? The Oppidan Press has reported on any number of stories about school closures, teacher strikes and student unhappiness, especially in the townships. Opinion has twice engaged one of the leading experts on education in Grahamstown, Dr Ashley Westaway the head of the Grahamstown Area Disaster Relief Association to write pieces for us on the state of education at both a local and country-wide level. What has been the impact of all these stories? Students are unhappier than ever and teachers continue to strike. Benjamin Mahlasela has become the latest in a growing list of recent school closures and Rhodes itself has discontinued its initiative to educate all its employees to a matric level. It is not clear whether this has to do with funding, attendance or lack of support or staff and it is not the intention of this article to speculate which it may be. The point is that we seem to have had very little impact. It is obvious that one cannot expect to have too much impact when working for a fortnightly student publication, but consider the plight of South African journalists in general: every day there are reports of rising crime, unemployment and catastrophic corruption and yet it all

The Oppidan Press Opinion section has focused on education and politics this year. Photo: archive goes on unabated. You could barely even hope to script a more tragicomic performance for the stage. In keeping with the theatre analogy, the other focus of Opinion has been youth involvement in politics. Anyone who has read a few of the previous articles will know the stance taken on the nature and extent of youth involvement in South African politics it is, once again, a topic on which much ink has been expended. What has been the impact of all this? Political corruption, greed and power-grabbing go on unchecked, no matter what we and many more eloquent, educated and in-the-know people have to say about it. The ruling party and many of its opponents continue to sing sweet nothings while doing what they please, serving only to widen the cracks that are already so visible in our political landscape. So what is the value of journalism? Must writers just report the news, no matter how much they wish to change it, no matter how much they wish that their reporting it might influence events differently the next time one of the spectres of corruption, racism, greed or privilege rears its ugly head? There is surely some solid journalistic theory to which one could turn, but that is also not the intention here. The fact is that words have very little practical effect when measured against the many evils of this world. South African journalists know that almost no matter what one says, another school is likely close tomorrow because of mismanagement or corruption. Malema will garner votes; Zuma will carry on building palaces and blissfully breaking military protocol; next week, at least one miner will almost certainly die in more unrest. And yet, they still write just look, there are 607 words before this one. It may well be that writing does not have any impact. It may well be that a writer signs their name on a piece and then discards it into the black void of public opinion, never to see it again. However, I believe in the value of both reading and information. Consequently, I believe in journalism done properly. I believe that, even if just one person stops and thinks about these words then they will have made a big enough impact to justify the hours

spent researching the absurd theatre that is South African news and politics. Belief is the key. Belief that this country can be a better place. Belief that we can be better people. Belief that we can work together, beyond class and race and culture and all the other excuses we find so convenient. Belief that we can make a difference by getting involved, for then everything else follows, from activism to ubuntu. There is no apartheid to unite against and we are reminded, again and again, that our generation has no Great War and no Great Depression. Our depression is our lives. Our war is spiritual. The only way to go forward is to believe that we can. And I mean really, truly believe.

How to win followers and influence people

By Matthew de Klerk So youve done it. Youve decided to run for the prestigious Student Representative Council (SRC) of Rhodes University. All those hours in your high school Representative Council of Learners and volunteering at soup kitchens are finally going to pay off. Alas, there is one final hurdle standing between you and kind-of total power: those pesky elections. And maybe also re-elections. But dont worry. With The Oppidan Press Guide to Student Campaigns, youre sure to be posting celebratory messages all over facebook before you can say resignation. Firstly, you need a mandate. Exaggerated promises and out-of-proportion goals are usually the order of the day. If you have leadership credentials that are shakier than the Slipstream dancefloor, dont fret. Promising the Holy Trinity of campaign promises (Better Res Food, A Full-Day Bus Service, And The Banning Of Intervisiting Restrictions) will vastly overshadow your lack of real leadership qualities. Dont worry about delivering on these promises since when did governance involve keeping your word? Now that you have a campaign, you need to get the word out there. Many of you considering running for office wont be Design students, but that isnt necessarily a problem. Just follow our simple guidelines for having an unforgettable poster. Slogans. How can you expect anyone to vote for you if you dont have an incredibly witty play on words centred loosely around your name? You need a catchy slogan. Bonus points if it has any empty Key Words (Accountability, Transparency, Transformation, Change, For You, A New Age, etc) in it. A memorable campaign photo. A picture is worth a thousand words, but add enough pink into your pic and that picture becomes worth a 264-comment streak on the SRC facebook page. You cant buy that kind of advertising. Bad spelling. And dont worry about Akountibility for your actions. Matters of Transparincy and Effectivity come later. You can worry about that once youre a Counsalor. Design. No campaign poster is complete without its fair share of headache-inducing design flaws. Ask any Journalism 4 Design student what peeves them the most and then put that in the poster. Uneven kerning, horrific typography, low-res stretched images, MS Word clipart, bad text placement these are all tried-andtested key design elements. Try a combination of these for maximum effect. Presence. Now that your immaculate campaign poster is ready, you need to put it where everyone can easily see it. If youre worried people will absentmindedly walk past your brilliance, try posting multiple posters one after another in row on the same noticeboard. Or you can bend election rules and print a collage of your poster and stick it up in the most obnoxious place you can think of. Printing credit. All elections are a battle of money and the more endangered forestry that dies for the noble cause of plastering your face all over Rhodes, the better. Go onto ROSS, buy printing credit, and bury your opponents before they can say Print > Jac Labs Major. Once campus has been Christmaswrapped in your design genius, put an electoral nail in your opponents coffins by learning one key lesson: a poster is not enough. Be sure to go around to each Dining Hall to beg for votes. And finally, Spam. Go onto Facebook and Twitter, and spam. Some might say posting five vote for me guyz messages on Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress, YouTube and the internal Rhodes student news might be too much, but then again, none of those people ever won an election, did they?

Car ownership: a guide

see page 8

Mobile gaming take over

see page 8

Young Directors showcase talent

see page 9

Sports

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Rhodes Universitys first rugby team defeated University of Fort Hare (UFH) 28-14 at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) on Saturday 17 August 2013. Rhodes fullback Tafadzwa Chitokwindo scored two of the tries. The game followed on from Rhodes U21 team who lost 13-8 to UFH in the last minute. Photo: ashlee wilson

Team
U21

Match
RU vs UFH

Result
RU lost 13-8

U21

nmmu vs WSU

WSU lost 34-5

1sts

RU vs UFH

RU won 28-14

1sts

NMMU vs WSU

NMMU won 47-12