ActivateRhodes University’s

Independent Student Newspaper

Est. 1947

Stand Up To CancerWith Activate and Movember

INSIDE

SAPS continues to dissapoint

Page 3

Manguang looms for ANC

Page 5

Photo StoryPage 8

Halloween on a BudgetPage 10

Tripping the DaisiesPage 12

Premier League Round Up

Page 15

New Look!

New

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rief

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Sekg

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Water problems affect MpumlangaThe water-supply problems in Mpumalanga have affected some areas terribly. The

residents of Bushbuckridge are forced to draw water from dirty dams and even snake-

infested locations. There are water tanks in the area but these have not been filled for three

weeks, which is how long the residents have been without clean water. Last week the

MEC for corporative governance and traditional affairs, Madala Masusku, announced that

Bushbuckridge local municipality owed R260 million to the water board.

Marikana ensures protection

The Marikana Commission of Inquiry has assured

protection programmes for the people due to testify

who fear for their safety. This comes after the National

Union of Mineworkers (NUM) branch leader Dailvuyo Bongo

was shot dead at his home in Marikana, North West, on 5

October. “There was no sign that he would be killed, we saw

that there was no unity among the involved organisation but

cannot say if Bongo’s death was linked with rivalry,” commission

spokesperson Kevin Malunga said. Bongo was among those

who took part in the commission’s, in loco inspection of the

hill where 34 striking Lonmin mine workers lost their lives as

police opened fire on them in August. (NUM spokesperson

Lesiba Seshoka called the attack an “assassination”.) Bongo’s

death comes after that of the NUM branch chairperson last

weekend. There was also an attack on another branch leader,

who survived, but his wife was killed, according to Seshoka.

Malunga revealed that the commission was still consulting legal

experts, following a government call to pay legal fees for the

families of the Lomin Marikana dead. Malunga said while the

commission is sympathetic to the families of the deceased,

they cannot legally commit themselves to providing financial

assistance. He said that such a move would put a strain on the

already financially-struggling organisation. The commission was

adjourned until 22 October.

2 NEWS 16 October 2012

F18 fighter jet breaking the sound barrier during a flight demonstration over the Axalp in Bernes Oberland by the Swiss Airforce, taken on the 11 October 2012 : REUTERS/Pascal Lauener.

Mark Massey (L) and partner Dale Frost, preparing to register their marriage in New York City Clerck: REUTERS/ Andrew Kelly

After crossing to Turkey by boat, Syrian men take a break and rest, October 11, 2012. REUTERS/Osman Orsal.

Running children, as public health workers fumigate a local neighbourhood in the Dominican Republic,October 9,2012:REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas

By Hancu Louw

The newly-developed Shamoon virus recently infected 30

000 computers on the Saudi Arabian state oil companies’

(ARAMCO) network.

According to timeslive, U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta

said that the Shamoon infection has been the biggest attack on

the business sector to date. A similar occurence a few days later

led to the infection of Qatar’s natural gas firm, Rasgas. The virus –

specifically aimed at cyber espionage in the energy sector – makes

use of shared networks on computers running Microsoft Windows

“NT” operating systems.

By activating a code called a “wiper”, system files are overwritten

and replaced by an image of a burning U.S flag. In the case of the

ARAMCO incident, all the computers had to be disposed of due

to the lasting damage of the virus on the network.

Shamoon strikes and infects 30 000

DA leader, Helen Zille is calling for the formation of a new

political party to challenge the African National Congress.

Zille said the historical roots of the current political parties were

making it difficult for them to challenge the dominant position of

the ANC alone.

Zille has called on “constitutionalists”, both within ANC and in

other political parties, to “take the plunge” and move out of their

comfort zones into a new political formation. She continued that

the current leadership battles in the ANC and its alliance partners

had pitted these “constitutionalists” against populists who abuse

institutions of state to pursue narrow political agendas; who see

the constitution as a barrier of their progress and who mobilise

on the basis of racial nationalism. She said this had created

contradictions that the ANC is failing to manage. The DA has been

wooing smaller opposition parties to join in its fight to reduce

ANC dominance.

Zille calls for new party

Editor-in-chief:

Xand Venturas

Deputy Editor:

Sarisha Dhaya

Chief Copy Editor:

Matthew Kynaston

Online Editor-in-chief :

Megan Ellis

Webmaster:

Brad de Klerk

Online Content Editor:

Nina Mc Fall

Chief Media Supervisor:

Hancu Louw

Chief Sub-Editor:

Alexa Sedgwick

Chief Designer:

Mignon van Zyl

Assistant Designer:

Nkemdilim Oranye

Chief Pics Editor:

Niamh Walsh- Vorster

Assistant Pics. Editor:

Sibulele Mabusela

Illustrator:

Katja Schreiber

News Editor:

Brenda Sekgota

Politics Editor:

Andrew Blane

Business Editor:

Njabulo Nkosi

Features Editor:

Samantha Luiz

A & E Print Editor:

David Mann

A & E Online Editor:

Leah Solomon

Lifestyle Editor:

Rhea MacDonald

Environmental Editor

Jane Berg

Sports Editor:

Bridgette Hall

Online Sports Editor:

Ashleigh Morris

Finance Manager:

Bulali Dyakopu

Advertising Assistants:

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Adrienne Weidner

Tarisai Murumbi

Distribution Manager:

Tarisai Murumbi

Fezekile Cokile

Editorial Consultant:

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Paste-Up Mascot

Rosie Fick

Contacts:

Editor:

activate.editor@gmail.com

Deputy Editor:

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Cover pic:Niamh Walsh-Vorster

Printed by Paarlcoldset, Port Elizabeth

From the Editor

A disservice By Hancu Louw

Waiting 35 minutes or more for the police to show

up at 12am: a situation all too familiar to many

Grahamstown residents.

According to recent reports based on the 2011/2012 South

African Police Service (SAPS) report tabled in Parliament on

28 September, 58% of all 10111 calls are incorrectly, or simply

never processed.

Terence Nombembe, Auditor General of the investigation,

said that, “So-called ‘positive incident reports’ to 10111 call

centres had to be entered on the SAPS case administration

system (CAS) to generate a docket with a case number.”

However, he added that 58% of positive incident reports were

not linked to dockets on the CAS.

SAPS currently costs taxpayers R62.4 billion per year, a

shocking amount considering the inefficiency experienced in

most towns and cities in South Africa.

In an independent study headed by the Mail and Guardian,

Grahamstown ranked 19th on the log for residential burglaries

with 1057 crimes reported in 2010/2011, showing a 6.24%

increase to 1123 reported crimes during the 2011/2012

period.

The discrepancy between what the public is told and the

reality becomes clear. By dialling 10111, all citizens expect

a swift response and efficiency in dealing with any criminal

case. However, when my fellow digsmates and I reported an

incident to the Grahamstown police on Monday, 8 October

2012, there was a 35 minute waiting period during which a

SAPS patrol vehicle drove straight past the incident without

reacting.

Ironically the Grahamstown police have been unwilling to

respond to these incidents and all attempts to engage with

the issues of inefficiency have been met with phrases like “the

police and the community are fighting crime together”, or

utter silence. It does seem worrying that earlier this year Kernel

Nell of the Grahamstown Police publicly stated that, “It is not

the best job being in the South African police – we ask for your

prayers to help us do our jobs more efficiently.”

Certain expectations are inherent when a state institution is

called the South African Police Service -- expectations which

are often not met. With an estimated 1032 firearms lost or

stolen over the 2011/2012 period and a budget leaving R617

million unspent, including R92 million allocated to detective

services, the numbers seem to speak for themselves.

Student protestors demonstrated outside the Grahamstown Police station earlier this year in dissatisfaction with police services. Pic: Niamh Walsh-Vorster

Edition 8 ActivateIndependent Student Newspaper

Welcome to the newly redesigned Activate. I hope you enjoy reading this paper as

much as I enjoyed putting it together with my new team.

First off, I’d like to explain the nude person on the cover. No we aren’t just putting

a naked girl on the cover to draw your attention (well, maybe a little), we decided on

this cover because we are attempting to promote cancer awareness. I don’t think I’m

being too presumptuous in saying that there isn’t a person around that hasn’t been

affected by cancer in some way or another. The point being, its something that needs

to be addressed and we at Activate have decided the best way to do that is to have a

competition.

We’ve partnered with the good people at Movember South Africa and we will be

running a competition throughout the month of November to see who the cancer

crusader with the best ‘tache is. Although all of the details of competition are yet to be

ironed out, we can promise awesome prizes.

Basically the men (and, erm, women) of our quaint varsity town will submit photos of

their furry upper lips and we’ll post them up on our website (activateonline.co.za) and

then you, the students of Rhodes University will vote on which one you like best.

With that said, we don’t want the focus to be taken away from the fact that we are trying

to raise awareness and support for cancer support groups. As a result of this, we will

incorporate the fundraising aspect into our competition. In the meantime, enjoy the feel

of you clean-shaven visage for a couple more weeks, because come Movember, there

shouldn’t be a shaven upper-lip around. We’ll release the full details of the competition in

the coming days on posters and on the web so keep your ear to the ground.

Aside from that, as I before, this edition has a fresh new look which we developed over

some time. Because we’re a new team, we felt it was time for a new look. Anyway, enough

of me, enjoy reading the new and improved Activate. If you have any issues you’d like

to raise, or you just feel like hurling digital profanities at someone, drop me an email at

activate.editor@gmail.com.

Xand Venturas

Editor-in-Chief

Comment & Analysis EditorScience & Technology Editor

Activate is hiring...

4 SRC: End of year report 16 October 2012

The SRC 2012 Vision was adopted as “The

Reformation of Student Governance at

Rhodes”. Bear that in mind as the presentation

unfolds. For the purposes of laying a concrete

foundation for this presentation, I’d like to reflect on

some of the challenges we have faced as a Council

at the start of this year. The resignations of our

Media, Societies, Treasurer and Activism Councillors

respectively impacted team morale and cohesion

greatly.

Societal matters for one have still to this day

been a challenge to administer and maintain, most

particularly with regards to our relationship with the

Finance division and the financial systems that the

University has subscribed to.

Another hurdle faced, without going into much

detail, was the consistency within the SRC office

regarding our staff. This year, we have had an

unprecedented 4 Financial Administrators in the past

10 months which impacted tremendously on the

continuity and institutional memory of the office. Its

been rough!

Regardless of these adverse conditions though,

we have effectively dealt with these challenges and

have STILL managed to introduce various innovations

that have overall, increased visibility and the general

impact that the SRC has had on campus and

nationally, yes nationally this year.

Regarding governance, we have managed to

service students faced with the reality of academic

and financial exclusion with a turnover of a 80%

success rate this year. This representation extends

to SRC involvement in both lower and higher

disciplinary hearings and countless interventions to

students in need.

Moving to developmental milestones, we have

managed to engage with sub-structures with the likes

of the Oppidan Union and the Post Graduate Liaison

sub-committee towards our vision of in sighting

reformation.

This is with regards to mandate and their roles and

responsibilities in the greater picture of the student

governance organogram at Rhodes.

In terms of representation, we have been party

to consultation of the new and improved student

disciplinary code and numerous other policy changes

to better the lives of students. These include tackling

issues around students challenged with disabilities

by highlighting the accessibility issues and providing

ramps and rails on campus. We further facilitated a

successful examination timetable such that there are

no Saturday Examinations ever, thus ensuring a fixed

two day period for study every five-day cycle.

The hosting of successful O-Week and Inter-varsity

programmes by making students aware of the rules

and regulations and providing adequate security

is indicative of the overall success of the year.

Furthermore, we initiated a shuttle service available

to all students since the beginning of second term

which has proved a tremendous help for those

needing it.

Concerning policy change, this year has witnessed

the amendment of the student’s constitution, with

the introduction and implementation of a changed

tenure, such that the SRC runs from January to

December in order to facilitate more effective training

and hand-over, the Residence Councillor to run in the

general elections and the Secretary General Portfolio

to effectively replace the Vice President External in

achieving more accountability and administrative

strength to the institution as a whole.

Lastly, the financial checks and control mechanisms

introduced this year is to foresee mature and

accountable expenditure within the institution as

well. We have certainly come a long way in the short

period that you have afforded us to represent you

and your best interests.

At the first Student Body meeting, I stated our vision

and the trajectory and objectives that we would

like to accomplish - That being, the Awakening,

Rehabilitation and Reformation of Student

Governance at Rhodes University. Of course this

vision is far from full realisation, but concerted efforts

have been made to facilitate its manifestation in the

next few years.

This is speaking to a change, that we as a collective

want to be and can be for the future leaders that

are to succeed us. With elections for majority of

leadership positions coming up, I appeal to society

committees, senior students, sports code captains,

faculty representatives and any other leadership

position that I have respectfully omitted, vote

responsibly by questioning and querying agendas

behind an individual’s motive to campaign for

any leadership position – question not their mere

portrayal of cheap and meaningless leadership

jargon, but of their character and ethical thinking that

they subscribe to. Bear in mind the hard work left by

your predecessors that have in sighted progress in

your tenure you’ve left.

To my colleagues (in no particular order), Nicolain

Shabangu, Ruth Kruger, Silvanus Welcome, Cacharel

Wroots, Mfundo Makana, Venessa Siwawa-Ndai,

Rory Abrahams, Martin Forsyth, Simone Starkey,

Thabo Seshoka, Owethu Makhatini, Zoey Sibeko,

Bradley Bense (VP 2013), Sakhe Badi (President

2013)...Take a bow for an outstanding display of work

ethic, perseverance and commitment to the students

that have put us in office – Let’s give them a round of

applause.

To the SR Council of 2013 – The “SomeBadi”

Administration, our Best wishes for every success in

your tenure – make us proud!

It has been an honour serving you, students of

Rhodes University. You certainly have (MATT) ERED! I

THANK YOU.

- Mathieu Maralack

SRC President’s final address

By Bradley Peter Bense

This year saw a tumultuous beginning under the Maralack

Administration. Dealing with the unfortunate resignations of SRC

Liaison Officer Mr Mark Addison, four SRC Councillors, and the death of

Financial Administrator Ms Nicky Harris, morale was low and we had two

weeks until Orientation Week. All societies’ information, hard and soft

copies, was found to be missing.

The SRC had no choice but to take immediate action. With 11

councillors left and a new Liaison Officer, Mr Eric Ofei, the SRC

appointed assistance from alumni to fill the gaps in a much depleted

team. They had to track down society chairs using 2010 information,

because that was all that was left. Bi-elections were held for the non-

contested vacant portfolios, which saw very good participation from

both candidates and voters. Ironically, these positions were far better

contended than the official elections had been the previous year.

Halfway through first term, the SRC had filled all vacant positions so

that a training weekend could be held in Port Elizabeth. It was there

that the Maralack Administration formulated their vision and mission, to

rejuvenate student governance. In the implementation of this mission,

they were faced with several problems, such as deficits in all accounts

and the SRC communication with substructures such as Societies, Head

Students, Halls, Sports Administration, Student Sports Council and the

PGLSC had been broken.

Each councillor brought something new and exciting to the council.

Mfundo, with extremely limited time and no handover, walked into

office without full contact details of societies or even a Society Council.

Zoey ensured the return of the SRC Shuttle. Sakhe’ formulated a

Faculty Representative Policy and legitimized the body, and remains

highly respected with the University Administration and Faculty

Deans. Cacharel started with six SRC Hall Representatives out of 12

after the Kholosa administration had scrapped the idea in 2008. 11

of the 12 positions are now filled. Thabo fixed communications with

Community Engagement Representatives and raised R45 000 with the

Give 5 initiative working with Rhodes Alumni House and the Dean of

Students Offices. Rory threw smashing Great Field Parties, ensuring

that Inter-Varsity can continue being held at Rhodes. Martin improved

the SRC constitution which many previous administrations failed to do,

allowing more Student Body and Forum meetings to be held this year

than many previous years. Simone co-ordinated spending, keeping the

SRC afloat on a cut-back budget while paying off many of the existing

account deficits. Ruth was involved in environmental conferences across

the globe while also being active here at Rhodes, facilitating Rhino

Week and Environmental Week. Nicolain handled countless individual

Oppidan issues. Owethu became the active member on council, driving

events and taking part in the Anti-Fur Protest during Animal Rights Week.

Amirah and Vanessa worked together on International Week and the

Parade while defining the International Councillor portfolio. Silvanus

guided and organised Orientation Week 2012 while representing

Rhodes SRC nationally. Matthieu orchestrated all SRC activities and kept

the Council together. After a national SRC Colloquium during Inter-

Varsity, the SRC has become recognised on a national level. I made a lot

of posters.

I also learnt about a vision and what that means in the world of the

institution. What one attempt to do as an individual can never be

achieved in one term of office. A vision ensures groundwork and then

evolution of a body. In the context of the SRC, any and all visions are

about the students. Our vision was to empower the students by plans

reforming student governance. The students, however, took things into

their own hands. 2012 saw a responsive student body, something I first

realised when students initiated a march for “Black Thursday” against

the change of exam time tables in June. As an organiser of themed “lets

unite Rhodents” Purple Thursday events, this upset me. However, Black

Thursday did not. It represented just what the SRC has been trying to

bring about for years. Rhodes students were engaging. They were

fighting. I’d call that a job well done.

SRC of change? Media 2012

Outgoing SRC: President - Matthieu Maralack; Vice President Internal - Martin Forsyth; Vice President External - Silvanus Welcome; Academic Councillor - Sakh’usomeleze Badi; Activism and Transformation - Owethu Makhathini; Community Engagement - Thabo Seshoka; Environ-mental - Ruth Kruger; Media - Brad Bense; Oppidan - Nicolain Shabangu; Projects Manager - Rory Abrahams; Residence Councillor  - Cacharel Wroots; Societies - Mfundo Makana; Student Benefits and Sponsorship - Zoey Sibeko; Treasurer - Simone Starkey; International - Vanessa Siwawa-Ndai . Pic: Supplied

The contents of this page are not necessarily affiliated with Activate, its writers or editorial staff

By Fezekile Cokile

Current US President Barack

Obama competes to be

re-elected over Mitt Romney

in the political arena, ahead of the

6 November elections. A brief look

into what each candidate promises

to achieve might give you an idea of

the different positions found in their

manifestos.

In case you have never heard of

Romney before, he is the Republican

nominee running against incumbent

President Obama. Born in 1947 the

business-minded Romney founded the

investment firm Bain Capital, and has a

net worth of $250 million (roughly R2.2

billion). He is not new to politics as he is

the former governor of Massachusetts.

Romney attempted to run in the 2008

US elections as the Republican nominee

but lost to John McCain. In terms

of government spending, Romney

promised the National Association for

the Advancement of Coloured People

(NAACP) in July that he would reduce

government spending and eliminate

Obamacare. His reasoning behind this

was “a high level of debt slows GDP

growth and that means fewer jobs. If

[the] goal is jobs, we must stop spending

over a trillion dollars more than we earn.

To do this, I will eliminate expensive non-

essential programs like Obamacare, and

I will work to reform and save Medicare

and social security, in part by means-

testing their benefits.” Furthermore,

according his manifesto, Romney will

reverse the Obama-era defense cuts. He

believes that “a strong America must –

and will – lead the future. I will insist on

a military so powerful that no one would

ever think of challenging it.” These are

the only few points of what Romney has

promised America.

Similarly, President Obama has his

own list of promises which cover areas

of infrastructure, healthcare and the

military. In a campaign rally in Ohio in

July, he spoke about how “we will not

go back to the days when insurance

companies could discriminate against

people just because they were sick.

We're not going to tell 6 million young

people who are now on their parent's

health insurance plans that suddenly

they don't have health insurance.

We're not going to allow Medicare

to be turned into a voucher system.”

Healthcare is a domestic concern in

America, much like in South Africa.

According to Timothy Johnson, author of

The Truth about Getting Sick in America,

it is a moral issue: 45 000 people die

every year in the United States because

they lack healthcare.

Additionally, when speaking about

the heated issue of Afghanistan, Obama

promised that, “By 2014, the war in

Afghanistan will be over…I have set that

timeline. I intend to keep it, because

after a decade of war that's cost us

thousands of lives and over a trillion

dollars, the nation we need to build

is our own.” Interestingly, PolitiFact.

com reported that Obama has only

kept 38% of the promises he made in

the 2008 run-up elections; 15% were

compromised while 17% were broken.

Come November , the two opponents

will see just how influential their

promises have been to the American

people in this game of politics.

US election at a glance

By Fezekile Cokile

In just two months the ANC’s election conference

will be held in Mangaung, and President Jacob

Zuma could face two opponents for the title of

ANC President. The two politicians gunning for Zuma’s

position are likely to be Deputy President Kgalema

Motlanthe and Tokyo Sexwale, Minister of Human

Settlements. Who is the likeliest victor?

Tokyo Sexwale:

Sexwale is no stranger to politics, even though an

article published by Pretoria News in June revealed

that 57% of the respondents knew that Sexwale, who

is Minister of Human Settlements, was a politician or

a businessman, while 18% thought he was a football

player, 12% a comedian, and 6% said he was a judge.

Sexwale made his contribution to South African politics

as a member of the Black Consciousness Movement

and joined the ANC underground movement in the

1970s. After being released from Robben Island in 1990

he was elected to the Executive Committee of the ANC.

In 1994 he was elected as Premier of Gauteng and then

left the political arena in 1998 to go into business. In

recent years Sexwale has returned to his political roots

and is the current Minister of Human Settlements.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe:

Perhaps a stronger opponent can be seen in

Motlanthe, who has the ANC Youth League backing

him, according to the Mail and Guardian.

The Gauteng Province Executive Council has shown

its dissatisfaction with Zuma’s performance in a

statement made by provincial leader Mashatile, who

says, “As this Provincial Executive Council we have

been calling for the renewal of the ANC change in

leadership.” Motlanthe moved into the limelight when

he took over as temporary president of the country

between 25 September 2008 and 9 May 2009,

following the dismissal of former president Thabo

Mbeki. He served as Secretary General of the National

Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1992.

President Jacob Zuma:

Unarguably no stranger to politics, the current

president, Jacob Zuma, is gunning for a second term.

Despite the backing of his province, he appears to

be a little anxious about his chances of winning in

Mangaung.

IOL reported that “President Jacob Zuma’s lobbyists

want to offer Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe

the position of president of the country after the 2014

general election in exchange for no contestation in

Mangaung.”

Motlanthe’s spokesman, Thabo Masebe, declined to

comment.

It remains to be seen what will happen in December

in Mangaung. We can only sit and watch as the ANC

political heavyweights go into battle to become the

party’s next leader.

ANC heavyweights prepare to battle it out at Mangaung

SMACKDOWN!By Andrew Blane

As students we have yet to make our

mark on the world, as we are still

building the foundations of our CVs and

completing our education.

Unless we are directly affected by the

current affairs of South Africa as well as in the

world, many of us are not truly conscious of

what is happening around us.

By being conscious I do not mean

reading the news and complaining about it.

We need to take it a step further and read

between the lines by questioning it.

The Marikana strikes do not necessarily

involve a mob of protesters asking for a

ridiculous increase in their salary. They

rather represent a larger problem with the

economy; the result of poor service delivery

and the growing gap between the rich and

poor among other things.

Students have a responsibility to take

notice and question our surroundings,

because our actions from here on can

have the ability to change the situation in

our country, even if it is merely through a

single vote. We live in a democracy where

the government needs to represent the

will of the people. Although you may see

yourself as just one person, a number that is

insignificant in comparison to the country’s

massive population, you have the ability to

affect others or to become part of a group

that can.

The growing unemployment rates, the

recent fall of the Rand and crime rates all

affect us in one way or another. South Africa

has the highest popular protest rates in the

world; this clearly indicates the need for

change. Instead of criticising the municipal

workers for trashing the town in protest,

consider their grievances and what is being

done to rectify them. It is our responsibility

to hold the government accountable for its

actions.

As the cost of residence and digs is rising,

the ideal home has become increasingly

unaffordable and the ability to continue

studying will become even more financially

straining. Some may be forced to enter the

job market earlier than anticipated, provided

that there are still jobs available.

The environment is also at risk and

rapidly being depleted and plundered by

humankind.

It is therefore important that we become

active in the political sphere in order to

prevent this, or at least have some say in our

future. Asking questions leads to answers.

Although it may not be as simple as raising

your hand in a lecture, there are reasons and

solutions for the current issues surrounding

us. The bigger picture needs to be brought

into consideration, or viewed from a

different angle.

As Mahatma Ghandi once said, “When

the people will lead, the leaders will follow.”

Our future depends on it.

The importance of being active in the political

world

5POLITICS16 October 2012

By Andrew Blane

A seminar was held on 10 October by Jacklyn Cock,

a former Rhodes student who has published

widely on issues relating to the environment. He

brought to light some of the concerns pertaining to

South Africa’s ecological movement Towards a Green

Economy.

With the environmental concerns growing, there is

much need for discussion. There is no international

agreement on how to reduce emissions and the

ecological crisis has led to the increase in food prices,

water shortages and crop failure, for which sub-Saharan

Africa is expected to bear the brunt.

The South African Labour Movement (SALM) has

stated that it is committed to a just transition, however

Cock raised the point that there has yet to be an

agreement as to what changes shall occur was well as

the scale of the transition. The SALM merely talks of a

transition. This could involve either a shallow or deep

informative change.

The ecological crisis is both a threat and an

opportunity, by using capital as an incentive for change,

where powerful people in both governments and

corporations promote activity.

Cock quoted Sir Richard Branson in saying, “the

only option to stop climate change is for industry to

make money from it.” Thus the expansion of the market

reduces nature into natural capital. Cock also criticised

President Jacob Zuma’s path to national growth, saying

that some policy documents were incoherent and many

government actions were in contradiction with the

2010 promise of a Green Economy.

Cock also questioned the idea of ‘green jobs’; local

labour that benefits the ecology. There has been very

little of this in evidence and their benefit to communities

is minimal. Moreover, government is not doing enough

to replace energy-consumptive jobs with green jobs.

At the end of the day it is the poor who suffer most,

whether through the difficulty in accessing energy

or the massive problem of food security. 42% of

households in South Africa are malnourished, and one

in four children under the age of six shows signs of

stunted growth. In the questioning after the seminar

Cock raised the problem with food prices in South

Africa and how major companies have managed to

exploit the people through price fixing and corruption.

In recent years, the price of bread has risen by 66%

as a result of our need to import wheat – the result of

which is the price having been fixed according to the

Chicago Commodity Exchange, instead of something

closer to home.

In light of worsening climate change, another point

raised was the scarcity of water in South Africa and the

action taken so far.

Little was said about the wastage by elites through

swimming pools, golf courses, etc.

While the poor are suffering, the focus has been on

an extension of the already unaffordable prepaid water

meters in poor areas.

Jacklyn Cock: The Green Economy

President Barack Obama (L) and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney laugh at the end of the first presidential debate in Denver 2012. Pic: Jason Reed/ REUTERS

Julius Malema: A man of contradictionsJulius Malema is known for speaking his mind. Often what he says comes across as utterly shocking, incredibly funny and at times, inconsiderate. He tends to contradict himself and more often than not goes on about his privileged relationship with

President Jacob Zuma. However, his once-revered attitude to-wards the current president has been less than complimentary following his expulsion from the ANC. The following quotes are some of the few we have collected to demonstrate this:

“Zuma was taught by people on the ground. He is the most educated president. Economics is simple – put bread on the table.” (Eastcoast Radio)

“President Zuma has undermined the legacy of Mandela. We [expelled ANCYL leaders] never slept with children, we were not expelled for raping or stealing money but were expelled for politics.” (23 July 2012, Nelson Mandela Memo-rial lecture, Port Elizabeth, EC)

“I am not here to speak… President [Jacob] Zuma will speak on behalf of all of us. He was elected, whether we like him or not.” (6 January 2012, ahead of the ANC centenary gathering in Man-gaung)

“We must pray for Mandela to live long up until Zuma is no longer presi-dent because he (Zuma) does not qualify to bury him. He does not have the moral authority to stand near his coffin [as state president].” (19 July 2012, Qumbu, EC).

“They must leave now if they can’t accept Zuma... The ANC is not short of leadership. If

you leave we have others to replace you.” (21 June 2008, Claremont Sugar Ray Xulu

stadium in Durban, KZN)“Travelling overseas in the past you were asked about Mandela, but now when you land overseas they ask you how many wives you have.” (19 July 2012, Qumbu, EC)” “We are prepared to

take up arms and kill for Zuma.” (2008)

“My only regret was to campaign for Zuma, and I apologise dearly.” (2012)

“Now we say, come 2009, [Zuma] will become president [of the country] and only

death can stop us from ensuring that this happens.” (Mail and Guardian 2008)

“What is the legacy of President Zuma? His legacy is that of being interrelate [sic] to the youth, is that of expelling those who disa-gree with him.” (16 June 2012, Thohoyand-dou, Limpopo)

“An attack on our leader (Zuma) is an attack on our revolution, which is an attack on our

people. You are a guard in the revolu-tion. You must be like a security

guard and it’s your duty to defend the ANC.” (Mail

and Guardian)

“Who goes to Nkandla of all places? There’s no wisdom there, nothing to learn, unless it’s about cultural aspects.” (9 October 2012, Virginia, FS)

By Fezekile Cokile

Graphic: Xand Venturas

THEN NOW

Pic: Gary van der Merwe Pic: Supplied

6 POLITICS 16 October 2012

By Kate Pinchuck

Directed by Oliver Stone

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch,

Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek

Running time: 131 minutes

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Savages tells the story of two marijuana dealers, Ben

(Taylor-Johnson, of Kick-ass fame) and Chon (Kitsch), who

make a dubious deal with a ruthless Mexican drug cartel who

kidnap their shared girlfriend, O (Lively). Salma Hayek makes

a convincing cartel boss, although her character is not as fully

developed or explored as it could have been. Benicio Del Toro,

as usual, is the bad guy and again he is perfectly cast. He seems

to have an affinity for greasy, sleazy gangsters. Even John Travolta

features as a corrupt DEA agent.

At first it reads a bit like a Guy Ritchie film, just not as fast-paced

or witty. It is, in fact, quite slow. However, the sweeping shots

of Laguna beaches and Blake Lively’s hair blowing in the wind

provide an interesting contrast and respite to the gratuitous

violence throughout the film.

The violence used is excessive as its presence goes far beyond

its necessary effect. It is as though the film is desperately trying

to drive the point that these are “bad people” and cannot think

of another way in which it can be done.

Aside from the graphic violence and slight dragging of some

sections, Savages includes some powerful performances and

takes a slightly new look at the drug-deal-gone-bad scenario

by adding the aspect of a complex, three-way love story.

The beautiful, sunny California scenery provides a nice irony,

juxtaposed against the insidious actions of everyone who lives

there, and also allows the cast to be sweaty most of the time.

It is a competent crime film with some interesting dramatic

nuances thrown in. Some guy gets both his kneecaps shot in

the first ten minutes. All in all, Savages is a fairly decent way to

entertain yourself for two hours. It will be screening at the Movie

Zone Cinemas (formerly the Roxbury) from 2 November. See

www.grahamstown.moviezonecinemas.co.za for details.

Sweaty faces and gratuitous violence

GIG

GU

IDE

By David Mann

It is the final term again, which means exams are around the corner and students

are looking to get as much partying done as possible before they hit the books.

Johannesburg-based band Shortstraw are providing Rhodes students with one last pre-

exam blowout when they stop off here on their Hashtag Hashtag tour.

The tour, which is appropriately named after the band’s self-confessed Instagram

addiction, will see Shortstraw travelling from Cape Town to Bloemfontein and everywhere

else in between. This will be the second time that Shortstraw play in Grahamstown: their

first was at The Monastery on 7 October, a gig which bassist Russell Grant described as

“a titballs amazing show. It was loud, sweaty, and filled with quart-sized beer bottles. So

we’re looking forward to coming back!”

Comprising of Al (vocals), Russell (bass guitar), Gad (synth and piano), Tom (ukulele and

guitar) and Ollie (drums and vocals), the five piece indie- folk group have gained rising

fame in and outside of the Joburg music scene with their upbeat and often humorous

songs and formidable stage presence.

Russell says that the band loves going on tour together, as they “get to play frisbee on

the beach, roll through small towns, stay up all night, funnel beer from Vuvuzelas, and

occasionally play [their] musical instruments.” They are particularly excited to play here as

they have cited Grahamstown as one of their favourite places to put on a show due to the

town’s energy and enthusiasm.

Shortstraw will be playing with King Dinasour at Champs Action Bar on Wednesday, 31

0ctober, so make sure you go and show your support and enjoy one last crazy night out

before exams.

Shortstraw return to Grahamstown

7ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTEdition 8

El Toro facing uphill battle

Johannesburg-based band, Shortstraw, are set to gig at Champs Sports bar later this October for all those who like to listen to ‘tharsh folk’ music. Pic: Sourced

RUTV Documentary

Film FestivalWednesday 17

OctoberRhodes Theatre

R257pm

Drinks and snacks available

Karaoke NightEvery Wednesday

Champs Action BarFree entrance

LAN Champions

Friday 19 OctoberGeography 10Members: free;

Non-members: R1010pm

NatCaf Stand Up ShowThursday 25

OctoberThe Union

Free entrance9-10pm, straight

after the NatCaf show

Tunnel Vision Festival

Saturday 27 OctoberThe Tunnels

R60 presold; R80 at the gate

Tickets can be purchased from Under

the Arch or contact 083 670 5695

The Woody Cape Festival

ExperienceNovember 30 to

December 2Addo Nature Reserve outside Alexandria

The Horror of Grahamstown:

Shortstraw and King Dinosaur

Wednesday 31 October

Champs Action BarR209pm

By Campbell Easton

For even the most skilled band, getting

started in Grahamstown is no easy feat.

It takes a lot of time and talent to separate

yourself from the other performers,

and nobody has a harder time than the

alternative artists who do not appeal to the

mainstream.

El Toro, a fiery flamenco duo consisting

of George Karamitsos (22) and Matthew

de Klerk (21), have had trouble finding a

foothold in Grahamstown, but after a series

of very successful gigs have begun to carve

a niche for themselves.

However, despite warm responses from

Rhodes’ crowds, getting an acoustic group

started can be an uphill battle. Pirates

has stopped hosting their Wednesday

acoustic nights, and non-electric groups

like El Toro are not allowed to participate

in the Live Music Society’s Battle of the

Bands – something which the duo found

disappointing. “I thought it was unfair that

we couldn't perform,” said De Klerk. “I felt

that El Toro could have held its own against

any hard-core 'electric' band.”

As with any student group, the future of

El Toro is uncertain. They intend to keep

going but Karamitsos leaves Rhodes at

the end of the year, casting doubt on their

plans. “There is talk of a return of El Toro

for Fest 2013,” Karamitsos said, “I would

absolutely love to continue because I

feel it has so much potential. We are just

in unfortunate circumstances.” With or

without his partner, De Klerk intends to

continue. “I have plans for El Toro, and

I'm gonna have to find a replacement if I

want to keep the Flamenco flame burning.

Not an easy task, when you consider how

flippin' badass and dextrous George is. I

have one or two options, but we'll see. It's

by no means the end.”

El Toro will be opening for Danni Bowler

at Olde 69 on Wednesday, 17 October.

Pic: IMDb

Grahamstowns act, El Toro, are a two-man acoustic piece with George Karamit-sos (left) and Matthew de Klerk (right) making Pic: Sourced

8 PHOTO FEATURE 16 October 2012

By Julien Fiévez

With the increasing threat of poaching

becoming ubiquitous, South Africa needs

more game rangers to man posts across the

country. Ulovane Environment Training solves that problem

by providing ranger training to applicants of all ages.

Situated on the border of the Amakhala game reserve,

40 kilometres outside of Grahamstown on the Port

Elizabeth road, the Ulovane camp is almost entirely self-

sustaining, using solar power for electricity and heating

their water as well as using the borehole for their water

supply.

Ulovane was started in 2005 and offers a variety of

programmes, accredited by the Field Guides Association

of South Africa (FGASA), which aim to equip students with

the skills needed to become a game ranger in Southern

Africa. Botany, geology and meteorology are just a few

of the subjects that are taught by facilitators Mike Rosati,

Schalk Pretorius and Cobus Spies.

The group adventures across the Amakhala reserve in

search of practical examples of the work that they have

come across in the class room. It is not uncommon to see a

student munching on some kind of plant which they were

able to identify and pick.

Their Land Rover, affectionately named Eleanor, has done

more than 200,000 kilometres on dirt roads, paying the

price with a number of less-than-functional accessories.

Each student is required to lead a game drive, taking

the facilitators out onto the reserve and giving them a full

tour, including a drinks break at one of the reserve’s many

viewing points.

Student Tayla McCurdy, originally from Port Elizabeth,

enjoyed being part of the programme. “It just worked out

like this. I did a bunch of other things before coming here,

and now I think I have found something that I actually like

and enjoy. I’ve already been offered a job at Kariega (game

reserve), so this is just a necessary course to get me to that

point.”

Ulovane provides South Africa with highly trained, well-

rounded and enthusiastic rangers and guides, who are

ready to work to protect South Africa’s environment.

Meanwhile, back on the range…

1. A large bull elephant (Loxodonta Africana) wan-

ders down Striata road on the Amakhala reserve.

This bull, affectionately named Afstert, is one of 22

elephants on the reserve.

2. Tayla McCurdy takes a moment to check the spe-

cies of the small, purple Erica (Erica carnea). This

plant flowers for only a few short weeks, covering

the zuurveld vegetation in Amakhala reserve.

3. A crash of white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum)

drink from a puddle in the track after a period of

heavy rains. By the end of July this year, more than

245 Rhinos had been poached in South Africa alone.

4. A caracal (Caracal caracal) slides through the

undergrowth as it moves silently through the bush.

Caracals are fiercely territorial and are known to

fight to the death in territorial disputes.

5. Facilitator Cobus Spies applies flesh from the Afri-

can potato (Hypoxis Hemerocallidea) to a small gash

on Tayla McCurdy’s hand. The African potato has

many uses, ranging from burn ointment, to food, to

a moisturiser.

6. Mikhail Thomas and Simpiwe Ndlovu shovel the

quarried limestone from the trailer onto the dirt

road. Tayla McCurdy stands waiting for an opportu-

nity to begin raking it out and flattening it into the

potholes.

1

2

9PHOTO FEATUREEdition 8

3

4 6

5

By Rhea MacDonald

It’s almost that time of year again; the time for goblins and ghosts, witches and

warlocks, vampires and werewolves. Candy, costumes, and jack-o-lanterns.

This is what Halloween is all about, right?

Wait a minute, let’s get real. It’s more like this: absurd amounts of alcohol, girls

clad in the skimpiest clothes imaginable, and people partaking in unbelievably

outrageous antics.

It’s one of the last chances to let loose and blow off some steam before the

final exams of the year. Whether your plan for Halloween goes along with the

first suggestion or the second, you will most likely want to line up some sort of

costume.

Rhodes students don’t go small in anything they do, and Halloween is no

exception. However, we are students after all and we don’t have a lot of extra

cash to spend. Here are some ideas on where to buy for less:

Halloween on a budget

By Rhea MacDonald

You may have noticed around November

each year, men of all ages begin to

get a bit scruffier – particularly in the upper

lip department. This phenomenon is

due to a worldwide movement known as

Movember.

Movember started off in Australia in 2003

as a challenge between two friends. Luke

Slattery and Travis Garone decided it was

time for the moustache to be brought back

into style, so they convinced a group of

their friends to take part in a dare. They all

agreed to shave their faces on the night

of 31 October that year, and grow their

moustaches until the end of November.

During the four weeks, the men noticed

that many conversations were started

because of the unusual hair on their faces.

The two founders decided they should put

the interest of this large number of people

to use, and started raising money for charity

by asking for donations.Since men are often

apprehensive about discussing problems

with doctors and are more likely to just

ignore health matters, Garone and Slattery

thought it was important to help raise

awareness about men’s health problems.

After much discussion, they decided on

the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia,

since the issue of prostate cancer is not

widely known and the disease many men

worldwide.

They started the Movember Foundation

and launched a campaign for the following

year (2004). The first year raised over $50

000, and led to expanding the cause to

include depression in men.

Currently, Movember takes place all

around the world with over nine countries

officially participating in the month-long

event, and almost 2 million people

participating in general. Each year more

and more people become interested in the

event and men everywhere gain greater

awareness about health issues that affect

them.

To become an official participant, simply

visit za.movember.com and register. There

are dozens of prizes to be won and more

information for those interested in the

cause. Men: This Movember grow your

facial hair. Shape it, trim it, curl it, gel it, and

most of all, wear it proudly.

Rhodes and the world shall turn their eyes

to the thousands of moustaches adorning

male faces, and men everywhere will be

better off because of these furry facial

additions.

I moustache you a question

By Ruan Scheepers

Suppose you’re off with a bunch of mates and it’s

going to be a pretty sick weekend. Everyone

piles into your car and you head off to the

coast with some good tunes and in high spirits. Just

outside Kenton you strike a pothole that you didn’t

see because you were fiddling with the stereo. A solid

thump and you may even stop to check for damage.

The tyre does not deflate but forms a bubble on the

sidewall.

You also notice an indentation on your rim. In this

case, a damaged tyre must be removed as soon as

possible to avoid a blow-out which could result in a

severe accident. Your car should then also be taken

to an accredited service centre (Market Square VW,

Settlers Toyota or General Motors etc. depending on

the make of your car) to check for possible suspension

damage.

To avoid a situation like this, you have to wake up

behind the wheel. No matter how much driving

experience you have, learn to read the road surface

at all times. You should also adjust your speed to

match your ability to deal with the road surface. The

same applies on gravel roads. Here careful attention

needs to be given to what lies ahead regarding

ditches, corrugations, rocks and holes possibly

filled with water. Sharp stones can shred a tyre and

ditches can smash your oil sump, resulting in major

engine damage. Corrugations can be dealt with by

simply moving more to the centre or extreme sides

of the road where the surface has not worn so much.

Increasing your speed over corrugations will also help

stop excessive vibrations.

Another issue is water: road cars and excessive water

do not gel. The same applies to mud. A Polo Vivo is

not a Jeep. It is low to the ground and has minimal

protection from water around key electronic parts in

comparison to purpose-built off-roaders.

Chances are that if you go near water deeper than

your shins, you could cause damage to your car. If you

have a 4x4 and are feeling brave, always remember

to test the depth and submerged surface if you are

crossing a deep forge to avoid getting stuck.

If you do not have four wheel drive then stay away

from loose muddy areas, especially if you are alone

or without a recovery strap. If you do find yourself in

a muddy patch or saturated grass, either wait for the

area to dry out or proceed extremely gently, keeping

your forward momentum without spinning your

wheels too much. Aggressive driving will leave you

stuck or up against a tree.

Something else to pay careful attention to is your

vehicles’ ground clearance. The rule of thumb is to

have your wheels on the highest part of the terrain at

all times to avoid scraping the underside of the car

on higher ridges. If you really need to go down such

a route, ask a friend to walk in front of the vehicle to

guide you as you slowly proceed forward. Keep in

mind that the forces exerted on vehicles on a day-to-

day driving basis are astronomical. Key components

of the car such as the suspension, engine and gearbox

work under very stressful conditions, and when the

stresses on these components become too high,

costly repairs are often a result.

Avoiding the avoidable

10 LIFESTYLE 16 October 2012

Shop: Adult World

Where: Beaufort Street, just

after KFC

Type of Supplies: Sexy

costumes such as school

girl, nurse, and French maid,

various unique stockings,

wands, make-up, hand cuffs,

crowns, and more.

Approx. Price Range: Full

Costumes – R200, Stockings

– R150, and accessories –

R20-R80

Shop: That Store

Where: Anglo African Street,

turn left off High Street

Type of Supplies: Accessories

such as ribbons, tiaras, pipe

cleaners, paint, feathers, beads,

sparkles etc.

Approx.

Price Range:

R10-R50

Shop: Nearly New Shop

Where: 41 Hill Street, turn right

off High Street

Type of Supplies: Great quality

second-hand clothing and

accessories of all shapes and

sizes. Lots of unique items

perfect for putting together

costumes.

Approx. Price Range: Small

items such as vests and skirts –

R50, dresses, jerseys etc. – up

to R150

Shop: Under the Arch

Where: Bottom of campus

entering onto High Street,

under Drostdy Arch

Type of Supplies: Unique

clothing, scarves, jewellery,

and accessories.

Approx. Price Range:

Accessories/jewellery –

R40-R60, unique

clothing – R100-

R200

How will you grow your Mo? Pic: Flickr

Always stay clear of wet grass and loose mud. Pic: Ruan Scheepers

By Hancu Louw

D isclaimer: the author in no way intends to cause slander to the

name of the institution of Rhodes University or any person, body

or organisation affiliated to the University. This article is a mere

portrayal through the perspective of an individual who wishes to spend

his time in the company of individuals known and unknown to him, during

organised times of social excess.

Try as we may, we cannot deny that we all crave a little insanity from time

to time – the wish to wilfully destroy ourselves. A depraved notion if there

ever was one, but it seems, in light of our historically illustrious past, that

we are destined for utter excess.

It’s late afternoon, a tepid Black Label quart in hand. The lawns are

ablaze with white and purple. Fluid creatures stumbling about, music

blaring from some speaker, the steady beat pulsating though our bodies.

Disjointed cries echo off the walls as things slowly but steadily spiral out of

control…

The sun fades and the beer is replaced by cheap generic box wine, the

fuel of the wasted youth; prospective leaders in a time in which all points

in the direction of total annihilation. Standing in little groups we chatter

away happily, light-headed and optimistic for what the night may hold.

The excitement of another night of lubricated mob fury.

We reach the fields and I can feel the blood rising in my chest. Through

bloodshot eyes, I see a similar tension in all of them, shouting on the

stands, cheering: a projection of their hopes and dreams. This is how

Inter-Varsity plays itself out, with all of us ending somewhere in New

Street. We, the honest thrill seekers, being milked of our means. But in the

moment we are all too happy to ‘get another one.’

And so it continues, Boat Races comes along and it’s a mere switch

of scenery; a jumble of humans and cars, the best and the rest out to

represent their team. Overalls slowly absorb the activities of the day,

spilling into ever increasing debauchery. By 9pm things have reached

their peak, the winners long lost in the mob, swallowed by the temptation

of ‘having really been there.’

It inevitably ends in drunken brawls and people being stood on, fences

being scaled for fear of paying another R20. Pipes offered and turned

away, frantically being looked for in the wee hours of the morning. Men

shouting from delirious perches on camping chairs for, “weed, any damn

weed?!”Almost-muggings, and stumbling to the beach at 9am to have a

last one…

We have all had a similar time, maybe not all at once. It may be that

the author resides in total delusion, but I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s

happened to all of us purple people on some level.

Cradock and the ridiculous heat, dust mixed with the icy brown waters

rushing past the bank. Hansa flows like the river on which the race is held

at this event, the last in the Rhodes ‘Big Three’. I mean, there are even

shirts with tick boxes promoting this trend in organised excess.

The Friday night is always the sneaky one; it pounces on you as you

leave your tented braai area, on some haphazard mission to get to the

field. Beers in hand I head out with the team, ready to get this thing going,

anxious to lay eyes on the local Afrikaans ballies and their antics.

It flies by in a blur of live music and dry grass. Saturday and it’s up and

away to see some spectacular bails, canoes crashing, while you break the

seal on another bottle of Cape Hope; someone forgot the cups, so it’s

a plastic bottle doing the rounds. The day wears on and I end up with a

delightful boere tan. The night goes as expected, the prices are low and

combination of Energade and beer has everyone bouncing feverishly.

It never ends well though, attempting the walk, or opting out for some

spot in town at “an oke’s house man, come…” never really nurses the two

day binge. The drive back is mashed into a blur of heat, lame tunes on the

radio and cheap cigarettes.

We are a people of unconsidered decisions hurtling down three or

four years on a diet of late nights, sober or not, seeking that one time it

all made so much more sense. This is the dark side of Rhodes sport, the

opportunity is all too tempting and all the reasons are to go at it as hard

and fast as we can.

The dark side of Rhodes sport

By Caitlin Stobie

Madame, monsieur, good

evening

and welcome to Forever.

I am the maitre d’.

May I show you to your seat?

I can’t give you the best table;

Father Time’s been sitting there

for the last few millennia,

drowning himself in whiskey.

I heard Mother Nature stood

him up.

And before you get comfortable,

I must ask you to pay

no attention to Shakespeare.

He’s been slumped in that corner

for as long as anyone can

remember,

saying something about summer

to the fake flowers

between glasses of gin.

But here in Forever,

we welcome the ones who wear

black

to traffic light parties.

We reserve tables for those who

spend their lives

waiting for someone

who won’t make them wait.

Our cutlery is made from melted-

down promise rings,

donated to us by pregnant

schoolgirls.

The chairs are upholstered with

wished-upon eyelashes.

Our napkins are Dear John letters

that were never delivered.

And the menu!

The house wine is a vintage

Chardonnay

with a bouquet of promises and

a palate of lies;

best served chilled.

Our dish of the day is regret.

It comes with a side of bitterness.

Here, it’s so clean

you can remember the first time

you smelled blood.

You can taste the day

you learnt what love wasn’t,

or the last time you stood in your

childhood house

and felt at home.

But our after-dinner mints are as

sweet

as the birth pangs of a wife

who only knows miscarriages.

Our bills are written with

invisible wedding invitation ink.

We peel paint off the walls

of every high school art room

and graffiti our doors with the

words you wish you’d said.

We make masterpieces of the

memory

of the last time

your father looked you in the

eyes.

And at the back table,

between lost handbags and

coats that used to fit,

we record the titles of all the

great romances

that should have been.

So let today be the day you

come inside.

Let it be the day you remember

the names you used to rehearse

when you fell asleep.

Today, forget that pain

is more than a sheet of glass.

Let it be the day you put

memories

into lungs

into breaths

into voices

into songs

so you may throw them all to the

wind.

This is where you’ll find them.

Stay as long as you need -

the restaurant is always open.

Come inside.

The Restaurant of Forever

11FEATuRESEdition 8

By Tristan de Robillard

On the last Friday of each month, a

group of poetry enthusiasts get

together at Café D’vine in the name of

appreciating poetry. One by one, each

person will stand and recite the poems

closest to their hearts. It can be of any

genre, whether written by a world-

famous poet or their own work.

The idea of it is to share poetry which

comes either from the heart or touches

it in a profound way within a supportive

atmosphere.

Lydia Kasese is a second-year BA

student who was invited to perform

this week after some excellent

performances elsewhere, and says it

is an amazing experience. “No pun

intended,” Kasese quips, “but words

cannot describe it. And yet that's

exactly what is done there. Words are

used to express what people feel and

have felt. Words are used to unite the

elderly and the young of Grahamstown.

And at the end of the night, race, age

and nationality are nothing but words

in an enemy's dictionary. It’s a very

unifying experience.”

The range of people who attend is

impressive considering the relatively

small size of the congregation. As

Kasese points out, looking around the

room during the readings reveals the

faces of first-year university students,

businesspeople, high school students

and the elderly, and their experiences

are just as varied. Nowhere is this

variation more pronounced than in

the poetry written by the attendees

themselves: One young man stood

up and proceeded to deliver two

consecutive, emotionally wrought

performance poems that brought

him – and several people in the

audience – to the brink of tears, but was

then followed by an older man who

wrote in Dr Seuss-like rhymes about

a bothersome fly in his lounge. “It is a

creative cauldron of inspiration,” says

Liam Marsland, a first-year who has

also been to the evenings, “A definite

must-see for the silver-tongue and the

poetically inclined.”

So mark it off on your calendars, and

meet the colourful people who make it

possible at Café D’vine at 7pm. It is sure

to be a place where you feel at home.

Celebrating verse

A Rhodes student passed out during the inter-varsity rugby final. The debauchery ended in a random nap under the stands where spectators ignored the not-so-surprising scene. Pic: Niamh Walsh-VorsterThe Inter-varsity after party held on the Great Field earlier this year saw roughly 5000 students partying up a real student mare. Pic: Mia van der Merwe

By Staff Writer

Pretty – generally an average adjective used to describe things that

are so. But when it comes to Cape Town, the use of the word

‘pretty’ is perfect. From the people to the venue and even the

festival facilities, popular music festival Rocking the Daisies provided

enough eye candy for anyone. Coming from our humble university, I had

to adjust to the ways of the Cape upon arriving, and taking two drops of

liquid mushrooms was no help either. After setting up our little home for

the weekend, we mixed our poison and set off on our first adventure.

As we walked along, the flurry of anonymous passers-by did nothing

to help us ease into our new environment. We settled down to watch

the Black Handed Kites, a typical indie duo from Cape Town. However,

our attention was soon lost to a huge panda-head tent on our right. We

wandered towards it and, going with the flow of the crowd, ended up

at a mini Clifton beach with jocks and their girls clad in minimal clothing,

bouncing to house beats that were playing at the Mainstay-sponsored bar.

The touch of white sand lead onto a large lake where no one was going

to swim the whole weekend due to a lack of sunny weather. Moving past

these toned figures, our adventures took us to the food court. Hudson’s

(burger joint) and Knead (bakery) were the main attractions, and I found

the prettiness of Cape Town and its people to be evident in every corner –

the event even provided a Daisy Den for the girls, where they queued for

want of cleanliness and GHDs.

Looking down towards the Red Bull stage, it was a perfect scenario for

skipping: there was green grass with purple flowers littering its space, and

if only the sun had come out to play, we’d all be smiling. Instead, I hazily

walked into the Nu Beats World Barn for a bit of trippy fun.

The festival became a daze of meeting people, making missions across

the campsite to find fellow Rhodents and some heavy judging when

it came to the music being played. Jeremy Loops, meh. His music is

inspiring, but his act as a whole is disappointing – his explanation of the

loop pedal in the middle of his performance was off-putting. Benguela

on the other hand (a three piece improvisation act) played mind-blowing

music. Their psychedelic ambient sound allowed you to lose yourself

inside, where flowing thoughts gathered to show their approval.

Wondrous- it was a definite highlight. Another experience was Card on

Spokes. As a double bass jazz musician, he mixes his live bass with synths

and samples to create slow hip-hop infused beats.

I missed a lot at this festival, as with most. With so much on offer, and so

much confusion when your brain is mush from the night before, it’s difficult

to find a direction. People, events and titillating sounds constitute a million

distractions, all having seemingly equal importance in your deluded mind.

I struggled through Saturday and then, after a short nap, it was time for

what we came to do – watch Bloc Party.

For three days after their performance, goosebumps tingled their

way through my body. The thought of the rain during their set, with

those warm stage lights filling the audience and creating silhouettes

from behind could not have been done better. The rain, a natural effect,

could not have been timed more perfectly. As the set got heavier during

their two tracks We Are Not Good People and Team A, it was the most

beautiful atmosphere in which to be. Bloc Party was a dream. The natural

high produced by their music and performance kept us on our feet a little

longer, but the following acts could not top it so back to tent life it was.

Sunday, the last day, saw the depressing side of the festival. A wasteland,

it showed the dirty side of these once-pretty people. Tents were

abandoned, food was discarded and piles of litter were strewn across the

deserted campsite. It was a sorry sight, so we went off for some surf pop in

the form of Beach Party. The prettiness was again evident as those left were

scattered in front of the main stage to soak in the last notes of the festival,

clinging on to the memories.

I wouldn’t swop this weekend for anything. I’d have it playing on repeat

if I could: prettiness included.

The power of the pretty

12 FEATURES 16 October 2012

By Ruan Scheepers

The recipe was simple. Plan a route into the desert region of the

Northern Cape, find an experienced overlander to guide you,

work yourself to death to reach the target budget, blow half of that

on booze and then convince your old man to hand over the keys to

his brand new Land Rover Discovery. For two friends aged 19 and

21 it seemed possible. So we did it.

Six people, two Landys, twelve bottles of Captain Morgan

and fourteen days of touring a mystical region of South Africa.

Namaqualand is a semi-desert region in the Northern Cape

province of South Africa. It is perhaps best known for the annual

flower season which is a spectacular phenomenon occurring

between August and October. December, the hottest time of the

year with temperatures reaching 45˚C, seemed the more sensible

option. In two weeks we toured from Pretoria, over Upington

and through to Pofadder, where we left all tar roads for the next

2000km as we followed the Orange River to its mouth at the

Atlantic Ocean.

Once beyond Pofadder, our convoy took the gravel road leading

to Pella on the banks of the Orange River. This tiny town with its

date-palm trees is the classic oasis. The central point of this town

is the church built by a Catholic missionary in 1885. After a tour

of the church building, the route west from Pella enters the semi-

desert region along the banks of the Orange River. Totally alone

in this desolate environment, speeds were kept to a minimum

to avoid damage to the vehicles and trailer on the treacherous

tracks. Any event of mechanical failure or damage to the Landys as

a result of careless driving could mean an end to the expedition.

The lower-profile tyres on the Discovery were concerning but in

retrospect they performed exceptionally well.

Our accommodation was tents for the duration of the trip.

Minimalism is the way to go, so only basic food items were

brought along. A portable fridge is essential for meats but mostly

to hold ice and Coke. We lived in shorts, bathed in the river and

slept under the stars. Five days into the trip, however, we were

spoilt with flushing toilets and hot water when our route brought

us to a guest house in the middle of the desert. It once played host

to Nicolas Cage and 30 Seconds to Mars singer, Jared Leto, during

the shooting of a film in the region. This was a time to unwind by

the pool, get cleaned up and check the vehicles.

From there we entered the untouched heart of Namaqualand.

No other people were seen for days and the terrain became

exceptionally challenging. At times we relied purely on our GPS

navigation to guide us through the rocky desert. The brutal

landscape with its jagged mountains and thick sandy tracks is a

prime example of unspoilt nature, an environment too hostile for

human life to be sustained. Thus far, however, we had survived a

smashed iPhone, a ruined tyre and rim from hitting a large rock,

and bruised egos after some showing off got the Discovery so

stuck it needed winching to free it from the soft sand. This proved

once again the need for a support vehicle and relevant recovery

gear on a trip like this.

We trekked inland and on the eighth night reached our

overnight stop where we would be striking camp inside a cave,

a landmark of the area. We were now still two days drive from

Vioolsdrif, the nearest town on the border with Namibia. With

fuel and rum starting to run low, signs of insanity steadily crept in

as the battered team pressed further west. With no spare tyre on

the Discovery and the trailer taking a beating, the going was nerve-

racking as we crossed very hostile terrain. If we lost another tyre on

the sharp rocks we would be stranded. By some miracle we made

it to Vioolsdrif where we refuelled and resupplied. From here we

would continue through to Alexander Bay on the West Coast and

then head south to Port Nolloth before starting the return trip to

Pretoria. Just a few kilometres from Alexander Bay, it was the turn of

the Defender to dramatically lose a tyre. With the spare fitted, we

rolled on.

The town of Alexander Bay is where the Orange River mouths

into the Atlantic. This was once a major diamond mining area,

but all that remains of the mining today is an eerie desert

landscape filled with abandoned machinery and buildings. Here a

miscalculation in soft sand on a narrow track caused the Defender

to fall over onto a mine fence in the dunes outside the town.

Careful assessment of the situation ensured a safe recovery of the

Landy with only minor damage. With a mix of Eric Clapton and

Coldplay, we headed south to Port Nolloth using the tar road.

Once in the town, we enjoyed fresh seafood at a local beach pub

before making our way back towards Upington and on to Pretoria

over the next two days.

This trip is an example of something every lover of adventure

should try. We are very privileged to have had the opportunity

to explore this country’s hidden treasures in the way we did. We

learnt a lot about the basics of overlanding, the cultures of the

Northern Cape and how to handle crises, all while experiencing

the best Africa has to offer. Keep it simple and do not take anything

you could do without. With the current cost of fuel, it is no cheap

exercise but worth every cent. Plan a trip and make it happen.

Desert, Dust and Diesel - Expedition Namaqualand

Our noble steads: The Defender Tdi and Discovery 4 V8. Pic: Ruan Scheepers

The cave where we set up camp. Pic: Ruan Scheepers

“Today I have called on President Zuma to do what is right, and what his high office demands

of him. He does not have to wait for the public protector inquiry, which I will be calling for, to

correct this wrongdoing ... He can cancel his upgrade, and instead spend the money on the

neighbouring communities which so desperately need jobs, infrastructure, and services.”

- Democratic Alliance Parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko urging President Jacob Zuma to

cancel the upgrade to his Nkandla homestead, which is said to have cost R2 million.

R8.8591 / 1 USDR14.2437 / 1 EURR11.4832 / 1 GBPEx

chan

ge

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By Njabulo Nkosi

This year marks the centenary of the ANC, as well

as the five year conference (Mangaung) where

Jacob Zuma aims to maintain the presidency.

Other factions within the Tripartite Alliance will strive to

topple him off the throne. In the current political and

economic situation it would seem that whoever wins

the presidency will gain many spoils, while the country

suffers.

The Tripartite Alliance is the association between

the ruling party, ANC, COSATU and the South African

Communist Party (SACP). It is centred around short-to

long-terms goals of the National Democratic Revolution

– the establishment of a democratic and non-racial

South Africa, economic transformation and continued

process of political and economic democratisation. This

alliance is the driving force behind and the explanation

of, current post-apartheid South Africa.

“There needs to be unity in the Tripartite Alliance,”

said Jacob Zuma, “There are those against us working

hard so that we do not achieve success… the Alliance

needs to lead South Africa.” The Tripartite Alliance is

the true holder of economic and political power in

the country. Many inefficiencies and movements of

progress can be traced back, directly or indirectly, to

this union.

Unemployment is at 25%, poverty levels are high and

many see the country as having a very unequal society.

There is a crisis in the mining sector which drives away

foreign investment because of low investor confidence.

Scandals are rife surrounding the R238 million Zuma-

Nkandla residence improvements and the tender scams

which point towards Julius Malema. Trust in government

leadership is questioned and the Tripartite Alliance is

seen as both the answer and the problem.

COSATU is the largest of the trade unions in South

Africa and they aim to organise 1.8 million workers

against exploitation. They have the power and

capacity to influence government policy, decrease

unemployment and help protect employer rights.

However, the recent youth wage subsidy (aimed at

improving youth employment opportunities) proposed

by National Treasury and the Democratic Alliance , has

been rejected by COSATU. The subsidy, which can help

to create 133 000 jobs, is thought to be detrimental to

the country and the ANC has been lukewarm on the

issue. This, coupled with the mining crises (Marikana

and Lonmin), is an area where COSATU has the ability to

influence the future of the country.

The ANC and SACP both have aims to create 5 million

jobs within the coming decade. The ANC has a majority

of seats in parliament and it can therefore influence

policies that curb the crises in South Africa, such as

the mine closures and strikes affecting transportation

and food supplies around the country. The disunity of

the Tripartite Alliance and its failure to act has led to

the threat of disinvestment in the country, increased

inflation, high unemployment and other economic

woes: when it has been solved, the country can move

forward.

ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe says, “We

need to appreciate the fact that this is the alliance of the

liberation movement. Once you accept that, you don’t

expect sleepless nights because [the alliance partners]

will always engage on various issues. But COSATU [and

SACP] always agrees with the ANC on many economic

policies.” Whoever wins in Mangaung will head the

ANC and lead the Tripartite Alliance.

Tripartite Alliance: Power holders in SA

By Matthew Lester

Graduates leaving university have

generally predicted their future as

‘get a job, start working, buy a car

and house, find a spouse and get on with it!’

However times are changing, and fast.

Traditionally a generation lasts for 20 years.

We are currently in ‘Generation Z’ or ‘The

Silent Generation’ that is supposed to run from

2000 to 2020. A few disturbing trends have

already emerged in Generation Z:

The global credit crunch has left the ‘baby

boomer generation’, born 1945 to 1963,

hopelessly underfunded for retirement. This,

coupled with a substantial increase in life

expectancy and investment losses, has left

millions of baby boomers world-wide facing

a very uncertain retirement, and their children

with the prospect of inheriting their parents

rather than their money.

The emergence of the Chinese and other

major economies in the Eastern Hemisphere

has resulted in massive increases in energy

prices.Most certainly the recovery from the

global credit crunch will not be quick. In

short, the world has to come to grips with the

fact that we have lived too large and it is very

difficult to cut back. This has changed the way

most of us will live out the rest of our lives. Life

in a 4X4 is now a thing of the past. Perhaps

we cannot wait until 2020 to announce a new

generation and we should be looking at the

new Generation Bieber from 2010 onwards,

and defining a new way of living on a far more

sustainable basis.

Graduates leaving university are going to

have to learn to ‘live smaller’ from houses

to cars, with fewer dirty habits, maximising

continuing professional development using

Internet technology, and living with the elderly.

All of these changes are fast becoming a reality.

Failure to adapt to the new challenges will

simply drive families of the future to become

broke, poisoned by way of a lethal cocktail of

increased energy costs and associated taxes.

Graduates will be far better equipped to deal

with future challenges than the millions of less

privileged South Africans who are unemployed

or economically inactive. However, even a job

coupled with an unsustainable lifestyle is a very

frightening prospect.

Matthew Lester is an associate professor at

Rhodes Business School.

Is it too late to rewrite the

book?

13BUSINESSEdition 8B

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Logos of each member of the Tripartite Alliance. Pics: Sourced

Gill Marcus comments on

South African Economy

Business Week reports that

South Africa’s economic

outlook is worsening and job

losses will mount as strikes

spread in Africa’s biggest

economy. “The outlook at

the moment is deteriorating

rapidly,” Reserve Bank

Governor Gill Marcus told

students at Rhodes University.

Recent capital outflows are

an “indicator of a loss of

confidence” among foreign

investors, she said.

Vodacom now live with 4G

Mail and Guardian report

that Vodacom has begun

to sell 4G services based

on long-term evolution

technology, but coverage is

extremely limited - for now.

Toyota recall to affect South

African customers

Toyota Motors said in the

Business Report that South

African Toyota owners would

be affected as part of a wider

global recall of 7.4-million

cars, but was unable to

immediately confirm its full

extent.

Rand at a record Low

The rand has hit a three-and-

a-half year low against the US

dollar. This is attributed to the

illegal strikes in the mining

sector. South African Minister

of Finance Pravin Gordhan

said he believes the situation

will improve.

South African mines stuck in

19th century

As reported by Mine web,

Mamphela Ramphele said

South Africa's mining industry

has a 19th century business

model which depends on

cheap labour, and will have

to engage in mass firings to

remain competitive.

Employment grew in

September

According to an

employment index,

employment in SA grew

1.61% year-on-year this

September, this year

following declines in August,

reports News 24.

For the latest business news go to activateonline.co.za

By Gorata Chengeta

On Friday, 5 October, Rhodes University

held its annual Environmental Awards

Ceremony in the Senior Common Room.

The ceremony was headed by Vice Chancellor Dr

Saleem Badat and attended by some of the university’s

best-known environmentalists.

The previous SRC Environment Councillor Ruth

Krueger and Rhodes’ Environment Officer Nikki Kohly,

presented the awards.

The Residence/Society award was scooped by

Allan Webb Hall. The hall was commended for their

commitment to working collaboratively on a number

of activities such as their Earth Hour event and tree-

planting project.

The individual award was given to Brett Sutherland,

who is currently pursuing his Honours degree in

Environmental Science. He founded the Vermiculture

project last year alongside Nikki Kohly, and is the

current project manager. The Vermiculture project

heads the installation of worm farm bins on campus.

The guest speaker for the occasion was Professor

Mervyn King. As a former Supreme Court judge, last

year he was presented with the Green Globe Award

for Sustainability in recognition of his environmental

advocacy in the corporate sector. King said that

when he was a student he studied “as if the earth

had limitless capabilities”, but recognised a shift in

mentality in today’s youth.

He predicted that the challenge for

environmentalists in the future would be to change

the minds of corporate heads, as multinational

corporations are more influential than governments,

so people cannot rely on politicians to appeal to

them about environmental issues. He encouraged the

audience to challenge such multinational corporations

to improve their sustainability: “If you think you can

continue with business as usual, then welcome to the

age of stupid.”

Rhodes University celebrates environmentalists

By Jane Berg

The Vermiculture project in Rhodes’ Grounds and Gardens

is a year old and still going strong. The initiative is run by

Brett Sutherland, who is currently pursuing his Honours degree

in Environmental Science. His aim is to create a completely

sustainable system for disposing of the university’s waste.

Vermiculture, or worm farming, is the use of earthworms in

a controlled environment to disintegrate organic material into

useful nutrients. The project involves collecting food scraps from

the Nelson Mandela dining hall and using the non-invasive worm

species Red Wigglers to convert it into rich organic fertiliser. This

comes in two forms: vermin-compost and vermin-tea.

Taking dilution into account, the venture currently produces

about 95 litres of worm tea in summer and 45 litres in winter. The

project is still hoping to expand in order to become economically

sustainable and help communities in Grahamstown create their

own worm farms.

However, Sutherland says continuity is a challenge as. “The

sustainability of the project requires a constant reserve of funds

and dedicated individuals to run it.”

The fertiliser produced through worm farming is not only

superior to its commercial counterparts in terms of its ecological

footprint, but also in its quality. Steve Faulconbridge of Liquid Gold

Earthworm Solutions says that worm compost, unlike the fertiliser,

improves the fertility of the soil and its water holding capacity and

structure, with no excess of harmful nutrients.Faulconbridge likens

the worms to “farmers” as they aerate the soil, boost the microbial

community and develop natural hormones and regulators which

stimulate plant growth.

The worms feed on the bacteria, which are passed out to form

compost that he says is “loaded with stable and usable macro-and

micro nutrients.”A worm farm requires very little effort to maintain;

it needs to be filled up once or twice a week, a sunny location, and

occasional watering.

“It just makes sense-waste in, food out,” says Faulconbridge. “I

save a lot of money and I am able to support myself off the worm

growth and the products that they produce.”

Vermiculture begins in Grahamstown

By Gorata Chengeta

On Tuesday, 16 October, World Food Day will be

commemorated around the globe. This is an

initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),

an agency of the United Nations (UN).

According to the FAO, despite the fact that we have the

capacity to eliminate hunger, almost one in seven people

suffers from undernourishment. With the population

of the world expected to reach nine billion by the year

2050, the role of small-holders in providing food is

becoming increasingly important. Hence it is highlighted

as a theme for this year’s World Food Day: Agricultural

Cooperatives – key to feeding the world.

The FAO have chosen this theme because small-hold

farmers, particularly those in developing nations, do

not benefit from increases in world food prices. Some

of the factors which hinder small holders from enjoying

the benefits of increased food prices include high

variable costs of production, limited access to proper

infrastructure and lack of transport; which makes them

more susceptible to poverty.

The UN declared 2012 to be the International Year

of Cooperatives. The UN views these cooperatives as

an opportunity for collective, sustainable development

which can benefit communities at large as opposed to

profit-making companies that only benefit shareholders.

The FAO, through studying existing models, found that

small-holders could benefit in several ways from engaging

in cooperatives. As they operate with a collective

voice, they can exploit market opportunities and enjoy

more bargaining power in policy-making processes.

Additionally, they allow farmers the chance to develop

technical and managerial skills. It is hoped that by

commemorating World Food Day, governments will act

to facilitate cooperatives within their agriculture sector.

Focus on farmers for World Food Day

14 ENVIRONMENT 16 October 2012

Saleem Badatt presents Allan Webb’s Busisiwe Kubeka and Keegan Watkins with their award at this year’s environmental Awards for being the most environmental Hall on campus. Pic: Sibulele Mabusela

Fracking: The basicsBy Jane Berg

• The natural gas for Hydraulic Fracturing is

found in two types of rock: coal beds and shale

formations. Conventionally, natural fissures in the

rock are used to collect such gas, but the most

concentrated deposits are found deep in the

earth.

• The gas is reached by vertical drilling for

approximately one and a half miles; once the

right depth is reached the drill is positioned

horizontally.

• At this point a mixture of water, chemicals and

sand is injected at high pressure into the shale

which has been fractured by the pressure inside

the well. The sand keeps the cracks open so that

the gas can flow from the fissure into the well.

• American production of shale gas began

in earnest around 1998, and is now accounting

for a quarter of its natural gas extraction. Other

countries which employ this method are China,

Poland and the UK. It has,however, been banned

in France and Bulgaria.

• The rights for a vast shale field in the

Karroo have been leased by a group of energy

companies including SASOL, Anglo American,

and Falcon Gas and Oil, but mainly by Royal

Dutch Shell.

• The Karoo covers 15% of South Africa’s

landmass; searches for natural gas began in the

1960s but were deemed unfeasible until fracking

developed.

• South Africa lifted its moratorium on the

exploration of shale gas in the Karoo in this

September, after a study lessened concerns about

its safety; the moratorium had been in place since

April 2011.

• Concerns about fracking mostly centre

on potential water pollution and the leaking of

methane into the atmosphere. Environmentalists

argue this belies the advantage gas has over coal.

A new farming initiative in Rhodes University is using earthworms as a means of creating fertiliser. Pic: Supplied

By Bridgette Hall

Seven-time Tour de France winner and inspiring

charity man, Lance Armstrong, lost his reputation

as a respected athlete this week as details from

the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation

emerged. USADA Chief Executive Travis Tygart said,

“The evidence shows beyond any doubt that the

US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team ran the most

sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping

program me that the sport has ever seen.”

It was first revealed in August that the sporting body

would investigate Armstrong, after he was stripped of

his seven Tour de France titles and given a lifetime ban

by the USADA. Armstrong indicated that he would not

contest the charges that he had used performance-

enhancing drugs throughout his career, although he

continued to deny that they were true.

Earlier this week the USADA released the report

which left Armstrong’s fans and the cycling fraternity

shocked and disappointed. It contained the sworn

testimony of 26 people, including eleven of his

teammates, to the International Cycling Union (CUI),

the World Anti-Doping-Agency (WADA), and the World

Triathlon Corporation (WTC).

Furthermore, the thousand-page dossier included

financial payments, emails and laboratory test results

which the agency says prove the use of performance-

enhancing drugs by Armstrong and the US Postal

Service Pro Cycling Team. The sheer magnitude of the

operation has stunned officials and fans.

The report continues to describe how couriers would

follow the tour to deliver drugs to Armstrong and

members of the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team,

and how they would undergo blood transfusions in the

team doctor’s hotel room at night during the Tour de

France.

This would boost oxygen levels in their blood,

hereby improving stamina and recovery speed. It also

describes how thousands of dollars were flushed down

the toilet in a team camper-van over a possible police

raid in 1999, and how they were warned before drug

tests.

“Lance Armstrong did not merely use performance-

enhancing drugs. He supplied them to his teammates,”

the report said, “He was not just a part of the doping

culture on his team. He enforced and re-enforced it.”

One of the most surprising testimonies to come out

of the debacle was that of George Hincapie, who

rode alongside Armstrong and admitted to using

performance-enhancing drugs.

Other cyclists named in the report include Frankie

Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton,

Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian

Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie.

Armstrong’s lawyer, Sean Breen, maintains his client’s

innocence and called the report a “one-sided hatchet

job.” Breen said the agency was “ignoring the 500-600

tests Lance Armstrong passed, ignoring all exculpatory

evidence, and trying to justify the millions of dollars

USADA has spent pursuing one single athlete for years.”

The dossier from the USADA has been sent to the

International Cycling Union (UCI) which now has 21

days to challenge its findings and appeal to the World

Anti-Doping Agency, or comply with the decision to

strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles.

A hero’s fall from grace

15SPORTEdition 8

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By Xand Venturas

It’s the most popular football league in the world, and

this Barclays Premier League season is shaping up to

be one of the most interesting in recent history. After

last year’s heart-stopping finale, when Sergio Aguero

snatched the title from right under Manchester United’s

nose, this year promises to be just as exciting.

The early pace setters have been Chelsea. They sit at

the summit of the table with 19 points, four more than

United and their neighbours City. With the acquisition

of Eden Hazard, Marko Marin, Victor Moses, Oscar and

Cesar Azpillicueta, the Londoner’s made their intentions

clear – Abramovic wants the Premier League again.

Manchester United’s new signings Shinji Kagawa

and Robin van Persie have gelled instantly, with RvP

having already scored five goals in seven games so far

this season. A few sloppy results have let United down

though and as a result they are already trailing Chelsea.

Fernando Torres seems to have finally escaped the

gloomy shade of Didier Drogba’s shadow and has been

ably leading the Chelsea line, scoring four goals in the

process.

The surprise packages of the season so far have to be

Everton and West Bromwich Albion. Everton have made

a stunning start to the season and are currently sitting in

fourth place. This is a radical change from the norm, as

football fans have become accustomed to a slow start

from Everton and eventually getting their act together in

the final third of the season.

Perennial strugglers West Brom have also made an

astonishing start to the season finding themselves in

sixth place, ahead of Arsenal who are in seventh. It

would seem West Brom manager Steve Clark, who

has worked under Jose Mourinho has instilled a similar

ethos in his squad to that which ‘The Special One’

had at Chelsea. They’ve been grinding out results and

snatching goals when they’ve desperately needed

them, much like Mourinho’s teams have a knack of

doing.

Of the newly promoted teams – Southampton,

Reading and West Ham – only the Hammers have made

an encouraging start to their life back in the Premier

League. They are currently in eighth position while the

other two lie in, or just above, the relegation zone.

The disappointments of the season so far most

certainly have to be Queens Park Rangers. After

investing heavily on players during the summer transfer

window, Mark Hughes’ players have failed to live up

to their billing and have a measly two points out of a

possible 21. Liverpool are also in with a shout for being

the most disappointing team so far, only racking up six

points from their first seven games.

It would seem that their new manager, Brendan

Rodgers has not yet been able to fully imprint his style of

play onto his squad and they lack the fluidity and poise

that characterized his Swansea side of the 2011/2012

season.

Despite their strong start to the Premier League

campaign, Chelsea fans shouldn’t get too excited as

they have been known to have a bad spell around the

Christmas period-a time when the Manchester teams

tend to excel. All things considered, football fans can

look forward to an enthralling year from the Premier

League’s finest.

Chelsea setting the standard

Fernando Torres scores during the 2012/2013 Premier League. Pic: Sourced

By Xand Venturas

Sitting in the stands screaming your

lungs out, taking swigs of the cheapest

alcohol you can find out of a Fanta

bottle and then eventually stumbling off to the

Rat. Sound familiar? Probably. Sport at Rhodes

has become an excuse for many students to

get completely smashed-drunk, and this is a

problem.

Sport is a beautiful thing. Whether its

rugby, football, cricket, tennis, water polo,

badminton or archery, organised sport has

an effect on people that is largely unrivalled.

It makes us patriotic. It makes us proud of our

country/province/city/varsity/school. And

for a brief moment, everyone supporting the

same team as you is your mate. However, this

effect has been lost in some sense at Rhodes.

Our sporting events are being made

into excuses for the student body to get

debaucherous without any real enthusiasm for

the actual sporting event or its outcome. This

is the sad reality of sport at Rhodes.

What is particularly saddening is the fact that

I have witnessed first-hand the effort that gets

poured into organising and executing these

events. The time and money that is spent on

putting on a outstanding event is essentially

wasted on a group of people that wouldn’t

notice if there were branded hoardings on

the side of the pitch, even if they drunkenly

tripped over one.

The experience of these events is largely

spent in an alcohol-fueled daze that, yes,

makes you have a great time and gives you

a wicked hangover the next day, but does

not allow for any appreciation of the sporting

event at hand. This experience is explained in

vivid detail by senior reporter, Hancu, in his

article on page 11, “The Dark Side of Rhodes

Sports”.

These issues have always been simmering at

the back of my mind since I arrived at Rhodes,

but they were really driven home in the weeks

preceding this year’s Inter-Varsity. The most

common words coming out of most Rhodes

students mouths were, “I can’t wait for Tri-

Var!” The reason this is troubling is because

people weren’t actually looking forward to

the sporting events, or supporting their mates

who were participating. They saw it as a

reason to let loose.

Admittedly, everyone needs to get battered

once in a while, but why are our sports

events being used as the scapegoat for our

unbecoming behavior?

I suppose that the problem that is inherently

part of Rhodes culture is that Rhodents will

largely find use any excuse to get drunk and

sporting events happen to be one of the best

opportunities for this to happen. I propose

that the next time an organized sporting

event comes along, we watch it, enjoy it, try

to appreciate the spectacle. However, your

attempts will most likely be foiled by a fight

breaking out in the stands behind you or

someone spilling their vodka, lime and water

on you.

What’s the score again?

Evidence stacking up against Armstrong

Page 15

Results &Fixtures

2014 FIFA World Cup QualifiersSelected Results

England 5 - 0 San MarinoLuxembourg 0 - 6 Israel

Republic of Ireland 1 - 6 GermanyGreece 0 - 0 Bosnia-Herzegovina

Slovenia 2 -1 CyprusSerbia 0 - 3 Belgium

Macedonia 1 - 3 CroatiaNetherlands 3 - 0 AndorraSwitzerland 1 - 1 Norway

Belarus 0 - 4 SpainRussia 1 - 0 PortugalArmenia 1 - 3 Italy

Currie CupResults

DHL Western Province 36 - 15 FS Cheetahs

The Sharks 42 - 3 GWK Griquas

MTN Golden Lions 29 - 50 Vodacom Blue Bulls

Fixtures20 October

The Sharks vs Vodacom Blue Bulls

MTN Golden Lions vs DHL Western Province

Barclays Premier LeagueResults

Newcastle 0 - 3 Man United

Liverpool 0 - 0 Stoke

Tottenham 2 - 0 Aston Villa

West Ham 1 - 3 Arsenal

Swansea 2 - 2 Reading

Southampton 2 - 2 Fulham

Wigan 2 - 2 Everton

West Brom 3 - 2 QPR

Chelsea 4 - 1 Norwich

Man City 3 - 0 Sunderland

Fixtures 20 October

Tottenham vs Chelsea

West Brom vs Man City

West Ham vs Southampton

Fulham vs Aston Villa

Swansea vs Wigan

Liverpool vs Reading

Man United vs Stoke

Norwich vs Arsenal

21 OctoberSunderland vs Newcastle

QPR vs Everton

Who let Die Honds out?A player from Die Honds takes on a player from Cullen Bowles in last Tuesday’s futsal Final. Pic: Brigdette Hall

By Ashleigh Morris

On Tuesday night Die Honds took on Cullen

Bowles in the much-awaited futsal cup

finals. Despite the wet weather, the match

was definitely worth watching, ending in a close

game with the final score of 3-2 to Die Honds.

The game started slowly as players clearly struggled

to come to grips with the slippery surface. There was

a definite lack of challenges in the early part of the

game as players frequently slipped. The game soon

got going and picked up pace despite the constant

stop and start as Cullen Bowles had a stretch of

consecutive corners.

At half time the score was one all. Cullen Bowles’

goal had to be the highlight of the first half. Some

great footwork around the defence of Die Honds and

a shot which was made to look effortless rocketed

into the back of the net.

The second half saw both teams fiercely battling

it out as Die Honds scored an early goal. Not to be

outdone, Cullen Bowels shocked the crowd with

a goal that many thought the keeper had covered.

However, the ball seemed to just slip through his

fingers and the ball snuck in, tightly against the pole.

This goal clearly lifted Cullen Bowels and put them

back in the game.

Although Die Honds struggled to break through

the solid Cullen Bowels defence, their perseverance

paid off and they managed to score the winning goal

in the last two minutes of the game.

Captain of Die Honds and third year Bcomm

student, Kevin Cho, said “The game was too close

for my liking”. He went on to say that “The team has

been playing great and always bringing the gees”.

This much is true as, despite the miserable condi-

tions, a few die-hard supporters still showed up to

support the team.

Die Honds finish their outstanding season with what

Cho terms as “a thirty something” goal difference.

The team and the supporters are undoubtedly look-

ing forward to next years competition.

By Matthew Kynaston

As a country with some of the world’s most enthu-

siastic sports supporters, South Africa entered

2012 with high expectations for their various teams.

The biggest sports event of any year is the Olympics.

Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula had

encouraged the athletes to aim for 12 medals at the

Games. Cameron van der Burgh won the men’s 100

metre breaststroke, breaking the world record in the

process, which was swiftly followed by Chad le Clos’

gold medal in the men’s 200 metre butterfly. In this

race he beat Michael Phelps, widely regarded as the

greatest swimmer and one of the greatest Olympians

of all time, by just five milliseconds. South Africa’s

final medal count read three golds, two silvers and a

bronze.

South African golf has been on the upswing of late.

Louis Oosthuizen came within a whisker of winning the

Masters in April, lo sing out to Bubba Watson after a

thrilling play-off. Then in July, Ernie Els won the British

Open after coming from six strokes behind to win

on the last hole. It was Els’ second British Open and

fourth major title in a career spanning 23 years.

There was a lot of expectation as the Proteas headed

off to England to try to wrest the no.1 test ranking away

from their long-standing rivals. Hashim Amla was in

glorious form, batting for two full days to score 311

runs in the first test – the highest by any South African

player. Captain Graeme Smith scored a century in his

100th test and Vernon Philander bowled superbly to

earn a test series win and the top ranking spot. They

drew the ODI and T20 series to round of a successful

tour.

Bafana Bafana have played eight matches this year,

winning two, drawing four and losing two. They

recently played Brazil and acquitted themselves

splendidly, going down 1-0 to a goal by Hulk. On 16

October they play Kenya, and all eyes will be on new

coach Gordon Igesund as he tries to end the year well.

The recent Castle Rugby Championship saw South

Africa finish second behind the unconquerable All

Blacks – but this may flatter the Springboks, who

were criticised for some of their performances. It was

Heyneke Meyer’s first such tournament, and he will

be looking for improved performances in the future.

All-in-all it was a good year for South African sport and

2013 promises to be even better.

SA’s year in sport - a retrospective

Internal League Futsal comes to its conclusion with Die Honds coming out on top