the south african 28 january - 3 february 2014

28 January - 3 February 2014 Issue 550

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SINGING FOR PEACE: South African a capella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and French flamenco fusionists the Gipsy Kings, both longtime favourites at the Grammys, on Sunday shared the award for best world music album. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who were recognised for their live album ‘Singing For Peace Around The World’, have won four Grammys in their 53-year career.

PISTORIUS FAMILY OFFERS STEENKAMPS R2 MILLION RAND| Six months after negotiations, the wealthy Pistoriuses have allegedly offered Reeva Steenkamp’s family R2 million – less than half a year of Oscar’s annual earnings before the shooting. But is it enough for them to settle, mere weeks before the start of Oscar’s real trial?by brett petzerThe lawyers of Paralympian gunman Oscar Pistorius and those of his slain girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, are now in their sixth

straight month of negotiation over a settlement.

Speculation has it that the settlement ultimately paid out by the wealthy Pistorius family

– whose third-generation wealth extends across a mining and property empire – may be in the region of R2 million. This is small change for Pistorius, who

noted in his bail statement that he owned property worth R8.3 million at the time of his shooting of Steenkamp, and that he had earned R5.6 million that year

alone, mostly in endorsements.Those endorsements may be

gone now, but Pistorius’s wealth remains – and Reeva’s family, who depended on her almost entirely, have lost a lifetime of financial security from their daughter, murdered on the cusp of real stardom.

The Steenkamps, in the few (and well-remunerated) interviews they have given since Reeva’s death, have been open about their difficult financial history. Far from being free-loaders, they present themselves as a close-knit family who had sacrificed much in order to give Reeva every chance in life, and whom she supported gladly.

Two million may not be enough to impress Reeva’s fans that Oscar’s remorse runs quite as deep as his defence team would like the world to believe, but it is a substantial amount for the Steenkamp couple, who live modestly in the eastern Cape.

Steenkamp’s lawyer, Dup de Bruyn, told the press that negotiations had been ongoing since August last year. Presumably, Oscar’s legal team have every intention of wrapping them up as they enter the final month of preparation before Pistorius’s highly-anticipated trial on 3 March this year.

2 | 28 January 3 February 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Each week we profile one of the many writers who contribute to The South African.

Janet Hornsby

The daughter of British immigrants, Jozi girl and Rhodes graduate Janet Hornsby now calls her parents’ birthplace home. Relocating across the pond wasn’t part of the plan, till she married her UK-based Saffa and love conquered all. Passionate about beautiful South Africa and charming Britain, she is excited by honest storytelling; warm-hearted hospitality; and the fresh vision that travel brings.

Toll roads agency HQ gets bomb threat and ‘white powder’ packages

by brett petzerYeARS ago, it might have starred eddie Murphy or Martin Lawrence and been a comedy. Now, in the fifth year of the world’s most powerful man being a black man with a Kenyan father, that kind of film just doesn’t seem amusing any more. But the world’s first black African astronaut, Mandla Maseko, is preparing for lift-off to 100km above the earth as we speak.

World’s first black African astronaut to go into space

Southern African Actuarial ConneXion hosts Mark Goodale, CEO of Reliance Mutual

| Anthrax scares may give a little more satisfaction than slamming down the phone on the SANRAL hotline, but is this lurch towards dirty tricks a good thing for democracy?

| The first black African to power into space is gearing up to go from part-time DJ in a South African township to the second Afronaut – and all because of a body spray…

by brett petzerSANRAL – which, as embittered Gauteng road users know, stands for South African National Roads Agency – was forced to evacuate its headquarters three times in less than a week after a mysterious white powder was found inside the building.

The incident earlier this week was judged serious enough that SANRAL employees were decontaminated, although the powder ultimately proved harmless. even if no Anthrax was found, however, the atmosphere among the staff has certainly taken a knock – workplace motivation takes on an entirely

new dimension when it is an open secret that the broader public wishes your company would just disappear.

Disruptions to the agency’s call centre, which deals with many e-toll related enquiries, were briefly suspended, leading some South African Tweeters to wonder aloud how any caller could have known the difference.

The social media were broadly unsympathetic to the road agency’s troubles (@sumimaysue wrote “I will hazard a guess that people ain’t too happy with etolls”) but hoax anthrax is not our finest hour as a citizenry. Scenes from a go-slow as Gauteng drivers protest against e-tolls in 2013

Right now, Maseko is still living in a township, but the 25-year old, who is a part-time DJ, was one of 23 winners of the Lynx Apollo Space Academy Competition, sponsored by the deodorant brand’s parent company, Unilever, and the Space exploration Company. Maseko, who beat off nearly 1 million other entrants, will experience moments of weightlessness as the spaceplane – intended to be

the first of many – escapes the earth’s atmosphere for a few moments.

Maseko is the first black African to leave the stratosphere. The first Afronaut of any kind, as we know, was Mark Shuttleworth, but people of African descent have looked down on the blue planet before: the USA began sending African-American astronauts into space in the early 1980s, with Guion Bluford (born 1942), the very first, in 1983.

by staff reporterSOUTheRN African Actuarial ConneXion (SAAX Group) will hold an exciting career focused evening on Wednesday 26 February 2014 with the CeO of Reliance Mutual, Mark Goodale (FIA).

This is a great opportunity to be inspired by a successful Southern African actuary who has traversed his way to the top. The event will also serve as the SAAX Group AGM, where we will review the nominations we received as part of our recent call to replace our retiring committee members.

Mark will share his wisdom on:Navigating the career minefieldObservations for Southern

Africans adapting to the UK working world

Key challenges in his current position as CeO of a UK Mutual and long established life assurance and pensions provider

Pointers for securing a position on the Board

Strengths that Southern African actuaries can bring to the UK

marketMark will expand on the career

path that he followed and the challenges of being a CeO with actuarial training.

Tickets cost £10 for student members of the Institute and Faculty and £20 for all other attendees. The cost of the ticket includes food and drinks after the discussion.

Please confirm your interest by payment of the fee, including your name as the transaction reference (Bank: Lloyds TSB, Account name: SAAX Group, Account number: 15465168, Sort code: 30-94-92). Please also e-mail us at [email protected] including the names of any guests you invite for security purposes on the evening.

Venue: Towers Watson’s Tothill Street office in WestminsterDate: Wednesday 26 February 2014Time: Drinks served from 18:30, with the presentation from 19:00 to 20:00. Dinner will be served from 20:00.

3thesouthafrican.com | 28 January 3 February 2014 |

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by staff reporterBRITAIN and South Africa have agreed to forge further links in the field of English language education, it was announced this week.Formalising an agreement between the two countries to explore bilateral partnership and collaboration in the english

by brett petzerThe 2010s has been a strangely anachronistic decade, by the sorts of crime we have returned to: terrorist bombs in public places were a stapled of news reports in the 1910s, when the Anarchist cause sowed fear in european capitals. Pirates – and not as in ‘Arrgh‘ – are once again a real and deep fear for merchant navies crossing the wilder straits off Somalia. And slavery – not low-paid work, or drudgery, but the actual control of human beings who work without pay – is right back up there as an immediate threat to human dignity. And that is how slaves, who last walked South Africa’s towns on the right side of the law in the 1830s, have been

language sector, British Council Chief executive, Martin Davidson met Chief Director of the South African Department of Basic education, Carol Nuga-Deliwe in London to sign a Declaration of Intent on english language cooperation.The signing follows a historic meeting between UK Secretary

UK and South Africa to collaborate on English language education

The ugly truth about modern-day slavery…in Cape Town Harbour

| Representatives from the British Council and South African Department of Basic Education met in London to sign a Declaration of Intent on English language cooperation.

| Five years, three years: that is how long they lived on the seas unable to flee, without pay, in hellish conditions. With the capture of 75 ‘slave’ fisherman off the coast of South Africa, how long will it be before the world can agree to tighten inspection of oceangoing craft?

of State for education, Michael Gove and South African Minister of Basic education, Angie Motshekga at this week’s education World Forum.To be implemented by the British Council in the UK and the Department of Basic education in South Africa, both countries will be working side by side to ensure the Declaration’s successful enactment.each body will be responsible for facilitating closer links between english language institutions in their respective countries, as well as encouraging the establishment of partnerships and working groups with a view to promoting knowledge sharing and capacity building.having already partnered with the South African Department of Basic education to support their literacy and numeracy strategy to improve the quality of teaching of english as a First Additional Language in South African state schools, the British Council

foresees that the agreement will provide further opportunities to enhance english provision and teaching in the country.Caroline Grant, english Language Advisor at British Council South Africa, commented, “As the late Nelson Mandela once said, ‘education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’ so it is fantastic to see this Declaration of Intent formalising an important educative collaboration between the UK and South Africa.“In having already worked alongside the South African government in support of their literacy and numeracy strategy, we have come to realise the importance of investing in education and sharing each other’s experiences.“Mutual learning has in fact allowed us to make marked improvements in english delivery in South Africa to date through the likes of teacher

training whilst staging events like the recent International Language and Development conference in Cape Town has given vital opportunity to share knowledge and build valuable networks in respect of language learning. This Declaration of Intent will allow us to further progress important english language work in the region and ultimately, to grant future generations access to a better education.”The Department of Basic education and the British Council will be responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of the Declaration of Intent, in close consultation with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the United Kingdom. The Declaration of Intent will remain in place for five years from the date of signature.

found off the Western Cape coast by authorities this week.

South African maritime authorities apprehended ten fishing vessels after a routine inspection found inhumane and filthy conditions on board, and most of the crew in desperate condition.

But, according to Ceba Mtoba, chief director of control and surveillance at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, that was not all. Many of the crew were effectively kidnapped and being held as slave labour; some had gone between three and five years without pay.

The Cape Times‘ veteran environmental writer Melanie Gosling reported today that three

vessels were initially apprehended off the Camps Bay coast by the Victoria Mxenge patrol vessel; after an investigation, another seven vessels belonging to the same owner were apprehended in Cape Town harbour.

All had fake registration documents, and their 75 crew worked, ate and slept in indescribable squalor on the cramped vessels. Two vessels belonging to the owner are believed to have been lost at sea, as well as, allegedly, two crew members who died in unknown circumstances.

While authorities tried to contact their Indonesian and Taiwanese counterparts to take further steps, two of the fishing vessels – crews had been maintained on the vessels for reasons of safety – escaped from Cape Town harbour, where security is not what it used to be. The South African home Affairs has not yet given comment on the future of the ‘slaves’, but with human trafficking a lucrative and growing industry across the world’s seaways, it is surely time that such searches become routine and that specific protocols be developed to deal with this problem.


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If you have been spotted in the circle on this page please email your address to [email protected] and your voucher will be posted to you.

by HeatHer WalkerDR Mamphela Ramphele, the leader of Agang SA, a party championing clean government and a political home for all South Africans that is contesting the 2014 elections, addressed the South African Chamber of Commerce in London last week. She was highly critical of Jacob Zuma and felt citizens had lost trust in his leadership. She believes that Bee has been a failure and said that in order to ensure economic growth in South Africa, Agang would put policies in place to create entrepreneurial skill training hubs in every urban centre to develop SMes and grown new wealth.

Mamphela Ramphele speaks in London


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by penny MattHeWs

hAVING been in London now for six months, there are a number of random traits I have come to notice about this city. Those of you living here will know exactly what I am talking about and those of you who simply pass through, take note:

1. Modes of transport and weekend activities are governed by your Accuweather forecast.

2. That being said, warnings of a little rain and breath of wind can stop the National Rail.

3. everything can be downloaded in an ‘app’.

4. The high pitched barking in the middle of the night is a fox

5. Bus drivers never have change.

6. Down-and-out people make more money than you do.

7. If you have a garden and

| Having been in London now for six months, there are a number of random traits that I have come to realise. Those of you living here will know exactly what I am talking about and those of you who simply pass through, take note.

1 More Saffa | 22 Random realisations about London

decide to plant bulbs, you will develop a strong hatred for squirrels.

8. Terraced houses are constantly wooing any form of dust (therefore take your antihistamines or make sure to vacuum under your bed three times a week).

9. The escalator routine of stand on the right and walk down on the left, is not applied at the cinemas.

10. elusive bars are hidden behind launderette washing machines and toilet flushes (see http://thenudge.com/london-bars).

11. Clothing sales are phenomenal and worth the bun fight.

12. Off licence stores are true gems including international postage and real briquettes.

13. Applying for a Barclays credit card does not take two weeks; prepare yourself for six weeks and numerous customer

complaints.

14. Waitrose is a kitchen haven – everything you can imagine and wider aisles.

15. Pork is more popular than beef.

16. Limescale and ‘descaler’ cleaning agents are essential.

17. Mulled wine is not only served at Christmas.

18. Shopping bags now have wheels and handles, however you need to be above seventy years of age.

19. Your Thursday morning angelic serenade is the rubbish man (Note to self: Start leaving song requests on windows).

20. Shops and cafes are not firm believers in the early Sunday morning errand run.

21. elephant and Castle really is dodgy.

22. Made in Chelsea is in fact addictive.

| Outings to the cinema were becoming rather problematic



by JosepH ntHiniBiko: A Life examines the life of an iconic anti-apartheid activist and intellectual revolutionary. This biography is the first in-depth examination of Steve Bantu Biko’s life.

The book comes 36 years after his premature death in 1977; author Xolela Mangcu was 11 at the time. Mangcu grew up in the same neighbourhood as Biko and often accompanied him to community projects such as Zanempilo Health Clinic,which Biko ran with Dr Mamphele Ramphele, Barney Pityana and others.

Mangcu follows Biko’s trajectory as a child prodigy and prankster, his awakening as a political giant, years at university, formation of the blacks-only South African Students Organisation (SASO) and Black

by staff reporterIS getting fit one of your 2014 resolutions? Do you enjoy exercising with friends and want to help change the lives of vulnerable children?

Why not take part in the Starfish Spinning Marathon on 21 and 22 February?

It is not as tough as you might think. You don’t have to cycle non-stop for a day and night! Fundraisers to work together in teams to complete the challenge. Just be part of a team (maximum 10 people) that keeps going round the clock. Get your own team together or join an existing one.

Qualified instructors lead hour long classes back to back and driving rhythms will encourage

| A new biography restores Steve Biko in the public memory as a outstanding intellectual revolutionary who elevated the consciousness of South Africans through his politics of psychological empowerment.

| The Starfish 24 hour Spinning Marathon is back! Starfish Greathearts Foundation will host its annual Spinning Marathon event at Putney Pedal Studio from 6pm on Friday 21 February- to 6pm Saturday 22 February.

Book review | Biko: A Life by Xolela Mangcu

Boost those New Year get-fit resolutions and make a difference

People’s Convention (BPC), banishment and the events that led to his murder.

Biko: A Life dispels the myth of Biko as a terrorist planning to overthrow the government. Mangcu narrates the story of a young man in his early twenties who rose to fill a political vacuum left by the banning of the ANC and Pan African Congress and imprisonment of their leaders. The writer examines Biko’s elusive quest to unify the ANC, PAC and BPC to form one liberation movement that would challenge apartheid using group dynamics and non violence. That quest led to his premature death at the age of 30.

This narrative interweaves personal testimony with historical and academic texts, letters, newspaper reports, interviews and journals. Sources include

associates, community members, family, friends, historians, intellectuals and comrades in the organisations he formed.

Mangcu’s narrative is non-linear and digresses, framing Biko within a larger framework, linking him to the Khoi and San wars of resistance in the 17th and 18th century, plus contemporary liberation fighters like PAC founder Robert Sobukwe and Nelson Mandela. This illustrates the circumstances that shaped Biko and highlights the impact of his legacy in South Africa and across the world today.

he steers clear of hero worship and examines Biko’s cat-and-mouse games with the law, womanising, heavy drinking caused by the loneliness of his banishment to King William’s Town, imprisonment and murder of the comrades he brought into the movement.

however, that doesn’t diminish his stature but rather makes him human; it contrasts his flaws with his unique gift of leadership.

Father Aelred Stubbs recalled Biko had “an extraordinary magnetism. his hold on his all-black audiences was almost frightening, it was as if they were listening to a messiah. Yet the organisation was not only democratic but from the outset set its face against a leadership cult.”

This illustrates South Africa lost a charismatic individual who would have become a great post-apartheid leader.

Mangcu restores Biko in the public memory as a outstanding intellectual revolutionary who elevated the consciousness of South Africans through his politics of psychological empowerment. Some people who benefited from Biko’s Black Consciousness Movement

or the Ginsberg Bursary Fund have gone on to become public intellectuals, mayors and leaders who served in Nelson Mandela’s government and thereafter.

Mandela’s tribute to Biko, which opens the biography, reminds us, “Steve lives on in the galaxy

of brave and courageous leaders who helped shape democratic South Africa. May we never cease celebrating Steve Biko.”

Biko A Life by Xolela Mangcu is a brilliant biography that will transform your understanding of this young, charismatic leader.

you throughout. You follow your instructor, who will guide you on an exciting virtual route – up and down hills, through sand dunes and over mountains, by changing the resistance on your bike (which you are in charge of).

The venue has been completely refurbished and Pedal Studio is ready and waiting for Starfish superstars! With fierce competition, free flowing food and drink and a chill out zone, this will be a day and night to remember!

Take on this challenge and raise money for Starfish to help children affected by hIV/AIDS in southern Africa. Starfish is an international development charity that brings life, hope and opportunity to children orphaned or made vulnerable by

hIV/AIDS. Sponsorship raised from the event will have a huge and lasting impact on the communities they care for; aim to raise £500 as a team and you’ll provide the funds for a child care coordinator for three months at a day care centre in South Africa.

The 24hour Spinning Marathon will run from 6pm on Friday 21 February until 6pm on Saturday 22 February at Pedal Studio, 4 Fulham high Street, SW6 3LQ.

For more information and to register as a team or individual visit http://www.starfishcharity.org/get-involved-uk/run,-cycle,-jump/24hour-spinning%C2%AE-marathon-21-220214.aspxOr email Stephanie at: stephanie.kitson@starfishcharity.


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6

6

by staff reporter

BobotieServes 6-8A lovely blend of flavours

accounts for the popularity of this well-known Cape Malay dish.

Ingredients:2 thick slices of stale white bread250-300ml water15ml (1tbsp) vegetable oil50ml (4tbsp) butter2 large onions, chopped800g (13/4 lb) beef mince3 cloves garlic, crushed15ml (1 tbsp) Masala5ml (1tsp) turmeric10ml (2 tsp) ground cumin10ml (2 tsp) ground coriander3 cloves2ml (1/2tsp) peppercorns5 allspice125ml (1/2 cup) sultanas60ml (1/4 cup) flaked almonds5ml (1tsp) dried mixed herbs25ml (2tbsp) chutney

| South African best-selling cookbook author and chef Cass Abrahams shares her recipe for bobotie, a traditional Cape Malay dish. salt and freshly ground black

pepper to taste6-8 lemon leaves250ml (1 cup) milk2 eggs, beatenMethod:Soak bread in water. Fry onions in

oil and butter until just transparent. Place all other ingredients except bread, lemon leaves, milk and egg in a large bowl and mix. Add fried onions in oil to mixture. Squeeze water from bread, add bread to meat and mix well. Spread in a greased ovenproof dish. Roll lemon leaves into spikes and insert into the mixture. Bake at 1800C/3500F for 30 minutes. Lightly beat eggs and milk together and pour over meat. Bake until egg mixture has set. Serve with yellow rice ant blatjang.Recipe: Cass Abrahams Cooks Cape Malay: Food from AfricaFood styling: Pete Goffe-Wood, PGW Eat

Cass Abrahams’ recipe for bobotie

KArEn dE VIllIErS

the optiMist

Vote as if ALL our lives depended on it (They do)| The beauty of the vote is that when the dream turns sour, you can vote again.The first time I voted it was for the National Party. Back in the day, it was either the party my parents voted for, or that rebel party meeting in secret in Angola – I was in love with a boy fighting on the border and I was voting for him. What the hell did I know? Twitter was what we girls did on the street corner and phones had extension cords you dragged into your room for privacy.

Years later, Zanele came into our home, a traumatised five-year-old caught up in the violence between the IFP and ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. She witnessed her friends burnt alive and pensioners being forced to drink Jik at the bus stop. Abhorrent acts of violence. The Trust Feed Massacre in 1988 exposed the involvement of the South African Police and Brian Mitchell was the first white policeman sentenced to death for the murders of innocent

women and children. I voted for the ANC in 1994. Zanele was one of the first black children to attend a previously all white school. her parents are illiterate and insist on voting for the ANC because they will get electricity and jobs. They still think it is going to happen. Zanele, now a mother of three, thinks otherwise.

We vote differently now. I vote differently because the years of growing up and being part of a changing country have taught me that nothing is fixed. Voting for the ANC was the right thing to do. They were the party to bring democracy to South Africa. Popularity has grown cold for disillusioned voters; but never decry the progress made; that more are benefiting from education, health care and basic service delivery. The beauty of the vote however, is that when the dream turns sour, you can vote again.

Getting the vote at eighteen is scary. Voting is scary. It is a powerful weapon. I had no idea, no way of learning about the policies and mission statements from independent sources. No

such excuse anymore. Social media gives us the opportunity to compare, ask questions and do the research before making the cross. And then the youth – here’s hoping that the promise of a T-shirt and some revolutionary songs about nationalisation will not sway them to vote for hollow greed. I think the youth today are much smarter than I was when I was in love with a boy fighting on the border. So is it a case of vote with the heart or the head? Wouldn’t it be great if both were in sync.

I would never presume to tell someone who to vote for. however, I do hope that you will vote, and that you will vote like this:

Vote if you believe that your grandchildren will be proud of your choices.

Vote if you believe that you are an important part of this country and you have a right to be heard, not to be rewarded.

Vote as if ALL our lives depended on it. They do.

ek dink Tannie evita sal saamstem. Né Tannie?


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by racHael pellsA South African game reserve is offering adventurous tourists the chance to experience life in a shack township for the cool price of R850 a night per group of up to four.

The emoya Luxury hotel and Spa in Bloemfontein has created a fake slum which claims to be: “the only shanty town in the world equipped with under-floor heating and wireless internet access!” The “town” can host up to 52 people per night, offering not only authentic, corrugated iron roofs and artistically skewed wooden window frames but “long drop-effect toilets”.

“Now you can experience staying in a shanty within the safe environment of a private game reserve!” emoya’s website claims.

The unusual accommodation has received mixed reviews on the Trip Advisor website, with one visitor referring to the shanty town as “a real experience”, whilst others complain that they “paid to sleep in a ‘shack’, but sleeping was impossible!”

The review page also included some sarcastic comments, such as those from contributor ‘Flibbertiegibbet’: “My husband is still trying to shake off the TB infection he caught due to the insanitary and damp conditions and our kids are still blacking out over the psychological trauma and are refusing to leave the house, but at least we have a good story to tell at dinner parties!”

The idea of a shanty town as a novelty holiday destination has sparked debate across several websites and forums, with some web-users branding the idea an insult to real, poverty-stricken townships.

One reader of news website, This is Africa, heather Laninga commented: “Shame, shame on emoya. I hope that 100% of the profits are going to NGOs to help the poor!”

On the same website, Kathy Smedly called the concept “tasteless”, adding: “Do they not know this is making fun of people

| A South African luxury game reserve has sparked controversy by offering tourists the chance to stay in a fake shanty town. The accommodation boasts wifi and underfloor heating, disguised by the stylish decor of corrugated iron and features such as a long-drop toilet. We explore the growing trend of “poverty tourism” for visitors to Africa and developing countries across the world.

Poverty Tourism: sustainable holidaying or shameless peep-show?

who by no choice of their own live like this? If someone wants to pay to stay in a shanty, let them stay in a real one, and then maybe they just might take their money and put it to good use, such as donating to a charity or homeless shelter that could use the dollars to help those less fortunate.”

however one reader using the handle Burning Chrome said: “If someone wants a different vacation experience than staying at a four-star hotel or a “caravan park”, so what?”

The desire to tweet from one’s iron hut and Instagram a photo of the long-drop toilet may seem crude or insensitive, but it is really only one small part of the expanding industry that is “poverty tourism” across South Africa and the rest of the world.

Day tours of Soweto have been available since not long after South Africa’s 1994 elections, and are now one of the country’s top tourist attractions according to local authorities.

Guided walking tours of the Langa township in Cape Town are another popular option for holiday makers, not to mention a whole range of tribal home-stays which are becoming available across the continent.

And it’s not just Africa: tour companies across the world happily take in thousands of dollars a year in exchange for a glimpse into a mud hut or a braai cooked over a landfill.

Discussions such as those found on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum suggest that interest in such activties is growing out of a boredom of whitewashed, travel brochure tourism. Travellers, particularly the younger backpacking generation, are increasingly keen to step away from the comfort of the hotel and experience some raw, local culture – the smellier and more dangerous, the better.

One Thorn Tree forum user, gwapo, called the slum tour business “bizarre as tourists who flock to orphanages in Cambodia to take photos of the displaced kids leave a $5 donation then continue

their vacation, happy in the belief that they have done their part to relieve third world poverty”.

It has been suggested that there is an element of guilt contributing to the increasing popularity of poverty tourism. But perhaps, as with all holiday trends, the knowledge that such experiences are available have only recently been brought to popular attention. The boom in tours of Indian slums after the release of award winning film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) confirmed that the modern globetrotter is nothing if not curious about his own species.

While many people remain uncertain of their ethical take on the matter, many agree that the industry might be more readily accepted if used to help combat the poverty experienced through such tours. Several tour companies worldwide give a percentage of their income back to the local community, but for every well-intentioned group there are countless organisations that feed off ‘slum tourism’ without specifying if or how much of their profits go to worthy causes.

Dharavi-based Reality Tours and Travel have a good online reputation and donate 80% of their profits from Indian slum tours to local health funds and charitable organizations.

The company’s website states: “One of the main objectives of our Dharavi tours is to break down the negative attitudes that many people have towards people from less developed communities”. even so, the company has received its share of negative comments, including one reviewer from the Wall Street Journal comparing the tour to “a visit to a zoo”.

The Shanty Town shacks at the emboya hotel and game reserve have become a talking point because their idea is controversial in a sensitive post-apartheid era. No doubt a similarly rustic hotel will follow its example elsewhere, but if it is at all possible to create the right balance between charity and novelty experience, then both tourist and community might benefit.


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‘Exceptional’ blue diamond found in South Africa’s Cullinan mine| Sales of South African wine to wine-producing countries such as France, Italy and Spain increased so dramatically due to the poor European harvest, while sales to the UK, still the country’s biggest export destination accounting for just over one-fifth of total volumes exported last year, rose 21%.by staff reporterAN ‘exceptional’ 29.6-carat blue diamond has been discovered at the Cullinan mine in South Africa, the mine’s owner, Petra Diamonds, announced on Tuesday.

“The stone is an outstanding vivid blue with extraordinary saturation, tone and clarity, and has the potential to yield a polished stone of great value and importance,” the company said in a statement.

“Blue diamonds are among the rarest and most highly coveted of all diamonds, and the Cullinan mine is the most important source of blues in the world. This stone

is one of the most exceptional stones recovered at Cullinan during Petra’s operation of the mine.”

Located at the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range, 37 kilometres north-east of Pretoria, the Cullinan mine earned its place in history in 1905 with the discovery of the Cullinan diamond, the largest rough gem diamond ever found at 3 106 carats.

This iconic stone was cut into the two most important diamonds that form part of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London – the First Star of Africa, which is mounted at the top of the

Sovereign’s Sceptre and which at 530 carats is the largest flawless cut diamond in the world, and the Second Star of Africa, a 317-carat polished diamond which forms the centrepiece of the Imperial State Crown.

According to Petra Diamonds, the Cullinan mine frequently yields diamonds larger than 10 carats, and has produced over 750 stones weighing more than 100 carats, 130 stones weighing more than 200 carats, and around a quarter of all diamonds weighing more than 400 carats.

“Cullinan is also renowned as the world’s most important source of blue diamonds, providing the collection of 11 rare blues displayed in 2000 at London’s Millennium Dome alongside the Millennium Star and which included the fancy vivid blue ‘heart of eternity’ (27 carats polished),” the company said.

Petra Diamonds has interests in five producing mines in South Africa and one in Tanzania, and also maintains an exploration programme in Botswana.

Since Petra acquired the Cullinan mine in 2008, it has

by DaMian sutHerlanDThe South African rand has

broken barriers unseen in recent years as it reached R18.50 to the British Pound last week.

While the currency has taken a significant beating since May last year, when the US Federal Reserve first announced plans to taper its quantitative easing programme, last week’s woes can be attributed to renewed negative sentiment towards emerging markets.

The rand has seen a constant decline over the last few weeks

but was urged on by strikes in the platinum mines; South Africa accounts for about 70% of all platinum output and it is the country’s single biggest overseas shipment.

Bad news continues as Chinese manufacturing may contract for the first time in six months. China is one of South Africa’s biggest buyers of raw materials and this could see exports slow in a time where exporting is a priority for SA.

While the rand continues to fall, many will look to boost

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South African Rand keeps fallingexports and take advantage of high exchange rates and look the increase sales number. Another area looking to capitalise is the tourist industry; summer months and a week rand are the perfect ingredient for a record number of visitors.

GBP / ZAR: 18.3824eUR / ZAR: 15.2339USD / ZAR: 11.1326NZD / ZAR: 9.17562exchange rates as of 08:26

(GMT), 27/01/2014

Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from South Africa, please register/login on our website, or call us on 1800 835 148 for a live dealing rate. You can make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alerts when the South African exchange rate reaches the levels that you are looking for.

| Petra Diamonds CEO Johan Dippenaar holds the exceptional 29.6 carat blue diamond recovered in January 2014.

produced the following important blue diamonds:

• A 39.9 carat diamond which sold for US$8.8 million in 2008.

• A 26.6 carat diamond which yielded a fancy vivid blue and internally flawless 7.0 carat polished stone. Sold for US$9.49 million (or US$1.35 million per carat) at a Sotheby’s auction in

2009, at the time this was the highest price per carat for any gemstone sold at auction and the highest price for a fancy vivid blue diamond sold at auction. It was subsequently named the ‘Star of Josephine’ by its new owner.




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by brett petzer

SOUTh Africa’s 200-year run as Africa’s largest economy may be drawing to a close, as the continent’s demographic powerhouse, Nigeria, surges into the position.

Nigeria’s rise is in some ways roughly analogous with China’s 30-year journey from a place where a sixth of the human race’s energy and talent languished inside a rigidly Communist state to an increasingly wealthy regional – and then global – power.

The small country (only 75% as large as South Africa – and that’s including South Africa’s vast semi-deserts) has two-thirds more hard-working citizens. hard-working, that is, if only they had a job to do. Finally, in the very recent past, this has changed, as the talent and energy of Nigerians – which is to say, 1 in 7 Africans – has broken out of the economicstraitjacket that has held them since Independence.

For the moment, to be sure, Nigeria’s economic growth continues to be top-down, driven by its main export, oil. The government will in four weeks complete a rebasing of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) which is liable to expand the size of the economy (through more accurate measurement) by up to two thirds.

Currently, South Africa’s economy is 1.4 times the size of Nigeria’s. The central African

Citizenship for children

by staff reporterSOUTh African clients, who went through the process of obtaining British citizenship, often ask whether their children born in the UK will automatically obtain British citizenship, and what the case will be regarding South African citizenship for the child.

The answer regarding British citizenship is that it will depend on where the child will be born. If the child is born in Britain (i.e. British by birth),

he/she will automatically be British and the parents can simply apply for a British passport straightaway.

If the child is born outside of the UK (i.e. British by descent), the application will have to be made through the British high Commission. This must be done in Pretoria if the child is born in South Africa.

If the parents hold dual nationality, South African

Ke nako: Nigeria to overtake SA as Africa’s biggest in 4 weeks| New, more accurate measurement of Nigeria’s GDP may knock the South off its pedestal as Africa’s biggest deal, in economic terms. This is good news for South Africa, where Africa’s better-off enjoy shopping for trade deals as well as luxury goods. But the hard question remains: why aren’t we growing that fast as well?

region power’s total domestic product in a year amounts to about R3 trillion.

While the discovery of some of the planet’s richest diamond and gold reserves in South Africa in the 1860s and 1890s catapulted the country from a dusty agrarian colony into a suddenly worthwhile one, Nigeria’s epic stroke of luck has been mostly a curse. The country that is Africa’s largest oil exporter actually saw its GDP per capita dip after the large-scale extraction of oil began, and this situation held for decades. Nigeria is still taught in first-year economics classrooms as a classic example of ‘Dutch disease‘ – when the success of a single export, very often oil, so boosts a national currency that all the other sectors of the economy become uncompetitive and wither away.

Nigeria’s 7 per cent annual growth over the last few years may, then, have put it within striking distance of Mzansi’s economy, in absolute terms, but the average South African is still the richest in any major continental sub-Saharan African economy, while the average Nigerian – although no one goes hungry anymore – still struggles to make ends meet.

Nigeria’s growth is good news in immediate terms for South Africa, as our corporates have excelled at bringing goods and services to wealthy and middle-class Nigerians. The growth of a market on our doorstep with a population

estimated to reach 0.5 billion – yes, half a billion Nigerians – by the 2050s is a great thing for South Africa’s economy, which knows how to make and market services and goods that Africa’s elite wants to buy. But the growth rate of a country still challenged by a deep culture of corruption and crumbling infrastructure (we’re still talking about Nigeria here, by the way) shows up plenty about how grindingly slow South Africa’s growth is, in comparison.

The private sector like to complain about a lot of things, but when it comes to labour laws, they’re bang on the money: South Africa’s labour law system is staggeringly ambitious in its bid to place human dignity and security at the centre of the economy, but our middle-income competitors – from Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur to the capitals of South America – simply don’t; for them, the old rule that first-world labour law must wait for an integrated, competitive first-world economy holds. hiring and firing in South Africa remains difficult, as does starting a business, as does cleanly bidding for government tenders. We, as Africans, should rejoice that the vast slumbering giant of central Africa is awakening, and look forward to the highways and freight trains that will one day carry Cape wines, Karoo mutton and eastern Cape cars north. But we should worry deeply about why we are not on the same steep upward journey ourselves.

and British citizenship, the child will also be able to apply for SA citizenship. The parents will need to register your child’s birth at the South African high Commission, if born in the UK. This must be done shortly after the birth. If the child is born in South Africa, the parents must simply register the birth at the Department of home Affairs.

Please contact our offices at [email protected] for more information.JP BreytenbachDirector of BIC, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Limited.www.bic-immigration.com or [email protected]

| Feel it, Nigeria’s time is here…these water communities in Lagos may not be ready for their close-up, but Nigeria is coming


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Cambridge & VillagesToft Shop – Village Shop & Post OfficeWith a South African section selling all your favourite tastes from home! Pop in and pick up your treats – Biltong; Boerewors; Koeksisters; Rusks; Sweets; Chips; Groceries etc. Web: www.ToftShop.co.ukTel: 01223 262 204. CB23 2RL

susman’s best beef biltong Co ltdIf you’re missing home give us a call, supplying you with all your favourite South African products and more. Phone: 01273 516160 Fax: 01273 51665 Web:www.biltong.co.uk Email:[email protected]

no1 south afriCan shopLots of lekker stuff for a taste of home. Including fantastic biltong, droewors and boerewors. 5 Marlow Drive, St Catherines Hill, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 2RR. The shop is about 2 miles north-west of Christchurch town centre and 6 miles north-east of Bournemouth town centre. There’s loads of free parking and the shop is easy to get to from the A338. Tel: 01202 49604110’ish to 6pm 7 days a week.www.no1southafricanshop.co.uk

the ChiChester biltong Companywww.biltongcompany.co.ukThe best of British from a friendly bunch of South Africans who made Sussex our home. But there was one thing we couldnt live without from our native land..Biltong! So we made our own using traditional recipes handed down through generations. We only use the finest prime British beef!Get our “readers 10% EXTRA FREE” offer by using the VOUCHER CODE ‘SA10’

Kalahari moonThe Southern African Shop in Bristol.Wide range of stock including excellent boerewors and biltong. Centrally situated, friendly service. Connecting South Africans. Tel: 0117 929 9879 Address: 88 - 91 The Covered Market. st Nicholas Market, Corn Street, Bristol, BS1 1JQ Email: [email protected] Website: www.kalaharimoon.co.uk

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saVannaGood friendly customer service is Savanna’s core principle. Our standards are high, and our rapidly-expanding network of shops are clean and bright and well-laid out, with friendly first-rate staff. Find us at: 20-22 Worple Road, Wimbledon London SW19 4DH Call us at: 0208 971 9177 Online: [email protected]

st marCusOne of the most amazing emporia the capital offers to the carnivorous gourmet. People have been flocking to St. Marcus for their amazing range of Biltong & BoereworsVisit us at: 1-3 Rockingham Close, Priory Lane, off Upper Richmond Road West, Roehampton, London SW15 5RWCall us at: 0208 878 1898Online: [email protected]

the afriCan Corner Three miles off Junction 26 of the M5 in the centre of Wellington, Somerset, TA21 8LS.Pull in if you’re in the West Country or find us online at www.theafricancorner.co.uk and we’ll come to you.Email: [email protected]: 01823 619184

ChiChester biltong CompanyBILTONG doesn’t get any better than this ! Arguably the best and most authentic South African biltong in the UK. WE ONLY USE ORGANIC SPICES. Our FINEST range has no e’S , gluten, sugar or preservatives. Use promo code SAFFA10 for 10% EXTRA FREE. www.biltongcompany.co.uk / 01243 699 722

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shebeen barEdinburgh’s only South African bar has opened in Leith. A unique, stylish bar with something for everyone,delivered by experience and friendly staff. As expected we stock a large range of South African beers, wines, ciders and snacks, including a classic selection of cocktails and Dom Pedros. Opening hours are from 12pm to 1am. Come down and enjoy a true taste of Africa. 3-5 Dock Place, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6LU. 0131 554 9612.

the springboK CaféThe Springbok Café offers traditional South African food, wine and beers served with a smile in a friendly atmosphere. All this plus the option to grab your favourite S.A. groceries before you leave after relaxing and kuierring with us for a while.The Springbok Café` Ltd, 1 East Reach, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3EN, 01823 254966,thespringbokcafe.co.uk

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| MuseumMAfricA in Johannesburg

The top ten South African museums| South Africa’s museums have a difficult but intensely exciting future ahead of them: in a country where history is especially contentious, and where our understanding of apartheid history is still clouded by the motives and power differentials of living people, museums must give all South Africans the tools – the evidence, the living testimony and the context – with which to make sense of their lives and their histories

by brett petzerSOUTh Africa’s museums have a difficult but intensely exciting future ahead of them: in a country where history is especially contentious, and where our understanding of apartheid history is still clouded by the motives and power differentials of living people, museums must give all South Africans the tools – the evidence, the living testimony and the context – with which to make sense of their lives and their histories.

soutH african MuseuMestablished: 1825, by Lord Charles Somerset

25 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town

In the still-vibrant Company’s Garden, the South African Museum includes the full range of South African history, from San rock paintings made in trance states by shamans to Gold Rush-era Victoriana.reD location MuseuMestablished: 2005, by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

New Brighton, Port elizabethThe moving and visionary

Red Location Museum is a leap forward for the curator’s and the memory-maker’s art. The museum, which is part of a broader complex in Port elizabeth’s historic New Brighton township, is distinguished by its ‘Memory Boxes’ – a non-linear set of displays that are arranged in a grid inside the industrial form of the museum, such that visitors can exercise their agency in creating

their own narratives.apartHeiD MuseuMestablished 2001 by private gambling concessionaire as heritage project

www.apartheidmuseum.orgNorthern Park Way and Gold

Reef Road, JohannesburgAt this point still South Africa’s

flagship Apartheid museum, ‘the’ Apartheid Museum lingers in the memory of its bold and simple route progression and storytelling. What the museum lacks in nuance it makes up in compelling and stark imagery, like the compulsory and random race-sorting upon entering and the roomful of Apartheid-era nooses. The museum, which cost R80 million to build and sits adjacent to a theme park, is best appreciated as a valuable first step in the creation of a narrative around Apartheid that includes all the voices of those affected.Hector pieters0n MuseuM8287 Khumalo St, Orlando West, Soweto

The hector Pieterson Museum, just metres from where Hector Pieterson was shot, tells the story of the youth struggle against Apartheid. In particular, it tells the story of the youth of Soweto who rose up on 16 June – today celebrated at Youth Day – in defiance against the government’s design for black youth as future hewers of wood and drawers of water’ – people to whom meaningful education as anything other than subordinates was to be denied.

5MuseuMMafricaestablished 1933 as part of

Johannesburg Public Library, renamed and refurbished in 1994

housed in a 1913 building opposite Johannesburg’s iconic Mary Fitzgerald Square, MuseuMAfricA forms part of a vibrant and well-supported complex that includes the Market Theatre and the broader Newtown precinct. The museum includes a vast collection of historical photographs (the Bensusan Museum) and valuable collections of African material culture and musical instruments.Maropeng, tHe craDle of HuMankinDThe Maropeng Visitor Centre, Market Place and Tumulus restaurants, as well as the Maropeng hotel, can be found just off the R563 Hekpoort Road, Sterkfontein, 1911, South Africa.

maropeng.co.zaMaropeng is the official visitor

centre of the large, and still-expanding, Cradle of humankind site. The Centre, which includes an elaborate interpretative centre, a restaurant and hotel, aims to tell the story of the origin of modern humans in Africa in a way that is engaging for even the very youngest. Maropeng has been well worth the investments made in its cutting-edge features, and has entrenched itself on the holiday calendars of families as well as schools.Ditsong national MuseuM of national Historyestablished 1892

Paul Kruger Street, TshwaneFounded in 1892 as the

Staatsmuseum of the Transvaal Republic, the sumptuous complex in central Pretoria now houses a small but compelling sample of South Africa’s prodigious biodiversity. The current sandstone building dates from 1925, but has been substantially upgraded since. The collection is particularly strong on the themes of the origin of life, ornithology and geosciences.Melrose House MuseuMestablished: house built 1886, museum established later.

275 Jacob Maré Street, TshwaneMelrose house retains its place

in new South African history as the site of the signing of the accords that ended the South African war. The peace that followed set the stage for combined British-Afrikaner domination of South Africa’s other peoples in a form that continued in some form or another for nine decades. The beautiful Victorian building is situated in the heart of Tshwane and combines well with visits to

other landmarks.soutH african JeWisH Mu-seuMestablished 2000

sajewishmuseum.co.za88 Hatfield Street, Gardens, Cape

TownThe South African Jewish

Museum, its new wing clad in Jerusalem stone, offers a valuable and sobering lesson on systematic oppression and segregation in a country trying to cope with the legacy of both. The museum’s life-size model of a Jewish village is particularly memorable for children, while the grounds also contain South Africa’s first synagogue, research facilities, the South African holocaust Centre,

and amenities.

killie caMpbell africana MuseuMestablished: 1965, on Dr Campbell’s death

www.campbell.ukzn.ac.za220 Gladys Mazibuko Road,

DurbanThe Killie Campbell makes the

cut not for its size or its sharp, cutting-edge technology. The Killie Campbell deserves a visit rather for the singular dedication and sensitivity of Dr Campbell himself, who had hoped to foster a greater understanding of the beauty and complexity of Zulu culture among his fellow settlers. had more like him succeeded, the history of South Africa might have been very different.


Follow us on Twitter:@TheSAnewsZimbabwe Community

Zimbabwe to compete in Winter Olympics for first time – as SA pulls out| Jamaica made a bob sled team – and now Zimbabwe will be competing in the Winter Olympics for the first time ever. South Africa, however, will not be sending any athletes to Sochi.

by staff reporterWITh snow last seen in Zimbabwe in 1960, it’s little wonder the country is not known for its love of winter sports.

But now for the first time ever, Zimbabwe will be competing in the Winter Olympics, to be held next month in Sochi, Russia.

The country will be represented

in the giant slalom event by 20-year-old alpine skier Luke Steyn, who was born in harare but moved to Switzerland with his family when he was two. His father’s job in the mining industry then took them to France and eventually London. Steyn continued with european skiing academies.

In 2012 he joined the USCSA race team at the University Of Boulder in Colorado, United States where he is studying business management.

luke steyn 2Speaking to the New York Times, he was quick to dispel the notion that he was simply an expat with no real connection to a country in which he never really lived. The athlete said that he frequently visits Africa and does what he can to keep up to date with news from his homeland.

“To be part of Zimbabwe’s history will be something rather special. Though I have moved from Zimbabwe, I still feel very much connected to it. As they say, it’s in your blood, and I hope to live and work in Africa again one day,” he said.

Based on the most recent FIS points list, Steyn is currently ranked 1,659th in the world in GS and 2,860th in slalom – so it’s not likely Zimbabwe will be collecting a medal on its debut.

South Africa will not be competing in the Winter Olympics this year after the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) made the controversial decision not to send promising development skier Sive Speelman to Russia.

| Luke Steyn in action

| Luke Steyn in action

| Sochi, Russia


SportLike us on Facebook:facebook.com/thesouthafrican

The South African 2014 Winter Olympic skier that wasn’t

2014 Touch season just got bigger and better| With a strong view of ‘go hard or go home’, 2014 is set to be a bigger and better year for In2Touch both on and off the field.

| It was always going to be a long shot, but young Sive Speelman – South Africa’s speed skiing hopeful from the Eastern Cape – put in his all to get to Sochi 2014. Yet a legalistic Sascoc ruling has put paid to all that, in a move that is both tragic and typical of the SA Olympic ruling bodyby brett petzerGIVeN South Africa’s long decades in isolation from the Olympic movement, it is understandable that we have grabbed the chance to represent Mzansi at every gathering since then – even if our warm, not-vastly-rich country is hardly a promising base for excellence on the snow.

But this year, at the controversial 2014 Sochi Olympics, where Putin’s imperial Russia will present a controlled smile to the world, the South African flag will be nowhere in evidence. While even Zimbabwe’s flag will flutter over the army of security henchmen, nervous gay, lesbian and transgender Olympians and their supporters, and the few local Russians who can afford Olympic ticket prices, South Africa will skip these games.

This reverse, as with so many promising arenas for South African sport, is down to Sascoc, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, who had the option of sending promising development skier Sive Speelman to Russia. SASCOC ultimately decided to keep him home after

by Jess poWellWITh 2014 well under way, it looks like the winter chill won’t cool down the action packed year In2Touch have planned. Along with our Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn leagues played at various venues across London, 2014 will also see the return of our coveted Shoot-out League and the continuance of the ever popular and growing Active Touch.

Registration is now open for the In2Touch 2014 Winter League; a chance for teams across London to dust off their boots and get back into the swing of things. Come Sunday the 16th February, Clapham Common will once again be adorned with eager Touchies ready to step, pass, dive and score. With Men’s, Ladies and Mixed leagues available – we have divisions to suit teams of all abilities. Want to play, but don’t have a team? No problem. The In2Touch team also cater to the need of individuals, placing them into teams and divisions they would be comfortable with.

Not only will playing in the In2Touch Sunday league help combat those winter blues; it is also a great opportunity for any new comers to London to meet a new social circle. With all of our venues working in conjunction with a local pub – our Clapham Common

poor performance in the qualifying rounds, although Speelman contends that he finished just a hair over the qualifying limit.

But the story behind Speelman’s apparently lacklustre performance is the kind that would melt the hardest official heart. The youth took up skiing in the eastern Cape and applied himself to it so thoroughly that he ended up postponing his secondary studies by a year in order to train. Speelman’s route to the top was further jeopardised by the death of his closest friend immediately prior to departure for the Sochi trials. Speelman’s best friend died from an infection gained during traditional initiation.

While some may argue that South Africa has no business pouring funds into niche sports – much less winter sports – that argument has long been outmoded in sports development circles: all codes count, if a nation is to get serious about fulfilling the broader mandate of sports development. Given the amounts Sascoc officials are accused of spending on themselves, it is an especially bitter pill to swallow that young Speelman was not invested in.

Sunday league sees the touch crowd head on over to local pub, Gigalum for a great catch-up.

In2Touch Boat Cruise PartyThe post-game gathering isn’t

In2Touch’s only social gathering of the year however. In 2013 alone, we hosted some of the biggest social sports nights London has ever seen. Our ‘Wild West” themed Shoot-out party, was a big hit with all who attended! The In2Touch Social World Cup was another very memorable day, with teams dressing to their assigned country. And who can forget the Christmas Party? Along with all these fab events, the biggest night of the year was our FRee (yes, FRee) In2Touch Thames Boat Cruise Party. We celebrated a very successful Spring and Summer league by treating over 250 In2Touch members with a night of partying and cruising along the Thames. 2013 also saw the offer of many discounted sports tickets, exclusively for In2Touch players.

With a strong view of ‘Go hard or go home’, 2014 is set to be a bigger and better year both on and off the field. With many events already in preparation, make sure to keep in touch with In2Touch.

2014 will also see a massive first for touch in London, with the introduction of Youth Coaching sessions. Aimed specifically at

teenagers aged 13-18, these sessions will consist of getting to know the game of touch, the skills involved, the rules and to teach the kids why we love this sport so much. The In2Touch crew is very lucky to have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we believe it’s time to share this. Keep an eye out closer to our Spring season for dates and venues of these weekly coaching sessions. For more information, please contact [email protected].

There are many more tournaments, competitions and leagues throughout the year so to find out about any of the Touch you can have a look on our website, www.in2touch.com or you can send an email to [email protected]

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Sport 28 JANUARY -3 FEBRUARY 2014 NEWS FOR GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICANS www.thesouthafrican.com

2014 TOucH SEASOn JuST gOT BIggEr And BETTEr p15 SA’S OlYMpIc SKIEr rEJEcTEd p15

SARACENS BITE SHARKS| Close-fought tussle between Saracens and The Sharks a triumph for international club rugbyby staff reporter IN wet and cold conditions at Allianz Park in north London, Saracens defeated the Cell C Sharks 23-15 in a pre-season friendly match on Saturday afternoon.

The near-capacity crowd of 9,298 spent a record amount of more than £60,000at the bars around the stadium as they watched the Sanlam Private Investments Shield clash between the current Premiership leaders and the Super XV team from Durban, packed with Springboks.

First half tries from David Strettle and Charlie hodgson put Saracens in the driving seat in a first half that saw both of the Sharks’ lock forwards sin-binned.

In the second half, the Sharks scored two tries of their own to set up a grandstand finish, but hodgson’s kicking secured the win for the home side.

The game began with The Sharks exhibiting their physical approach, with Jean Dysel, Willem Alberts, Bismarck du Plessis and inside centre Andre esterhuizen all carrying well for the visitors; and within two minutes Jake White’s side took the lead, with outside half Tim Swiel dispatching a routine penalty to give his side a three nil lead.

Saracens responded well, and in truth dominated the rest of the first forty as their scrum began to assert dominance over the Sharks.

Any accusations that this game, listed as friendly, would be treated as much was quickly extinguished when Namibian captain Jacques Burger and Springbok prop forward Jannie Du Plessis squared up, with the two Africans almost ready to go toe-to-toe with each other. Du Plessis’ reaction was duly punished with a penalty for his over-zealous reaction, but luckily for the tighthead prop, hodgson’s kick at goal was off target.

It wasn’t too long until Saracens secured parity on the scoreboard after another dominant scrum

forced a Sharks front row that of a combined 161 Springbok caps to concede another penalty. emerging from the melee to take the plaudits was loosehead prop Richard Barrington. hodgson this time made no mistake with the kick, to draw the sides level.

Saracens were now camped out in the Sharks twenty-two area and after repeated infringements referee Tim Wigglesworth lost his patience with the visitors and yellow carded lock forward etienne Oosthuizen. With the rangy lock forward trudging off the field, some quick thinking by hodgson saw winger David Strettle score the game’s first try.

The 33-year-old outside-half quick-tapped from the penalty and

| The Sharks put up a strong defence against Saracens. Photo by Meyer Pieterse.

fed Strettle, who crossed again in front of the Allianz Park faithful – hodgson converted brilliantly from the sidelines.

From kick-off, The Sharks’ problems were increased when lock forward Pieter-Steph du Toit was sin-binned for taking the man out in the air as both sides contested Tim Swiel’s swirling restart.

With the two-man advantage the Sharks performed manfully, with typical committed efforts from captain Bismarck du Plessis as well as centre pairing esterhizen and Jordaan who posed a constant threat despite playing behind a retreating pack of forwards for much of the first half.

It would come as great frustration

to Sharks Director of Rugby Jake White, that with seconds ticking down to the break, they would concede an intercept try – the evergreen hodgson plucking out his opposite number’s cut-out ball to scuttle away to score an opportunist try. hodgson converted to make the score at half-time 20-3 to the hosts.

In the second half, the Sharks began to enjoy a fairer share of possession and territory. In the second half Saracens lock Mouritz Botha and a stitched-up Jacques Burger produced a series of tackles that shook the very foundations of Allianz Park. england international Botha was especially in the mood, seeming to want to destroy any ball carrier that would happen to cross

his path.The Sharks would get their

try though, and after Saracens’ prop forward was yellow carded, centre Andre esterhuizen scored a deserved try after all-action Sharks back-rower Tera Mtembu made the telling line-break. Swiel converted and minutes later the game came to life when replacement three-quarter heimar Williams squeezed into the left hand corner to reduce the Saracens lead to five points.

As the heavens opened and wind picked up, conditions for free-flowing rugby were now null and void, so when Saracens fly-half hodgson nudged over another penalty in the closing stages the game was all but won.

the south african 28 january - 3 february 2014

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