Activate
Edition 5, 6 May 2014
INSIDE Remembering Amanda Tweyi Page 2
Party manifestos examined Page 3
Monastery revival on the way Page 6
Festivals for the year Page 7
Rhodes ‘roids Page 11
Career lounge takes off Page 12
A closer look at the Heartbleed bug Page 14 What can be done about rhino poaching? Page 15
Rhodes University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Est. 1947
2 News
6 May 2014
Friends and family pay tribute to victim of murder By Sinazo Nakupi
S
enior Rhodes University officials, friends and family paid respect to deceased BSc student, Amanda Tweyi (21), at a memorial service held on 30 April 2014 at the St Chapel of St Mary and All the Angels. Acting Dean of Students, Dr Colleen Vassiliou, reassured students that it is natural to feel troubled and saddened by the tragedy. “In one way or another, Amanda’s death has affected us all,” she said. Students cried silently as Tweyi’s sister, Talina Tweyi, read the obituary. Tweyi was described by her friends as a quiet and loving person who loved her son very much. Kimberley Hall warden Dr James Gambiza gave a brief explanation of the day’s events and described the incident as shocking and painful. “As wardens, we welcome first years, watch them progress until their graduation day. It’s very difficult to accept the sudden death of a child. The nation has lost a potential leader,” he said. Tweyi was found dead in the early hours of Saturday 26 April at Cullen Bowles. A post mortem report revealed that she sustained a bullet wound under her arm which was the cause of her death, despite initial police reports that there were no visible wounds on her body. Next to her was the body of Nkosinathi Nqabisa (34), who died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A King Williams Town resident, Nqabisa is believed to be Tweyi’s boyfriend. Students from Cullen Bowles, the residence in which Tweyi was shot, as well as her own residence, Rosa Parks, were present. Rosa Parks warden, Sandra Motatu, said students will remember Tweyi’s warmth, kindness and willingness to help. “It’s hard to express sadness as a house, she is gone before her time. Amanda touched many hearts. Sorrow will turn to fond memories,” she said. The Students Representative Council (SRC) president Brad Bense said Tweyi’s death should act as a reminder to all to make a more concerted effort to combat gender and domestic violence. A murder docket has been opened and investigation of the specific details are underway. Grahamstown police confirmed that Nqabisa had visited Tweyi in her residence the previous night and after his departure to King Williams Town, had
driven back to Grahamstown to track Tweyi down at Cullen Bowles. Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula of the Grahamstown police said the student in whose room the incident took place was not harmed and is currently not considered a suspect. Siyanda Mati was given leave of absence and returned to his home in Peddie, but was able to attend the memorial service. Students from Cullen Bowles and Rosa Parks are receiving counselling assistance and the crisis line is in operation. The tragic incident has raised concerns of safety and security at the university and Grahamstown. The residence has multiple entrances and there have been allegations that the finger scanners at Cullen Bowles malfunction on a regular basis. Warden of Cullen Bowles residence, Johan Bothas, said the doors to the residence can be opened only by a resident scanning their finger over a sensor at one of the entrances. Amanda will be laid to rest on 10 May at Ethembeni village near King William’s Town.
Deputy Editor: Rhea MacDonald Print Content Editor: Heather Cameron Online Editor: Dimpho Moletsane Art Director: Niamh Walsh- Vorster Chief Photo Editor: Michaela Weiffenbach isiXhosa Editor: Ntombovuyo Ngaphu
Multimedia Editor: Tebo Ramosili Chief Sub-editor: Sarah Beningfield News Editor Sinazo Nakupi Politics Editor: Nicholas McGregor
Grahamstown police removing a body from Cullen Bowles residence early on Saturday 26 April. Photo: Rhea MacDonald
the ongoing transport issue. Following the announcement by the Student Representative The annual Oppidan Union student forum, held on Council (SRC) earlier this year that the shuttle service Thursday, 24 April at Arts Major, was poorly attended will cease to exist, Bradley Bense, President of the by Oppidan students at whom the forum was aimed. SRC, assured the students that the bus funded by the The forum was established to discuss matters SRC will be running until the end of the year and that pertaining to students living off campus. The the Blunden shuttle service will take over that service Oppidan Committee and Oppidan warden, Janine in 2015. Harris also confirmed that “the Oppidan Harris, expressed disappointment at the low bus is financed up until the end of 2014”. turnout of students. At the opening of the meeting, Harris announced that the statistics of Oppidan Oppidan committee Chairperson Sisesakhe crime cases reported to them has drastically Ntlabezo said that they were not happy with the increased compared to the total of 25 cases of 2013. absence of Oppidans in “a forum that was supposed “Last year we had too many sub-wardens but we to be of help to them”. decided to cut the number to five this year, but up to One of the main matters addressed was date we have a very high number of cases reported
to us, 24 in total,” she said. Following the increase in digs crime, Captain Mali Govender advised students to stay alert and report any suspicious signs and behaviour that suggests crime. She also confirmed that their 10111 crime number has technical problems but that they are addressing the issue. Govender said students who struggle to reach the police could call 046 603 9147/5/2 or 082 779 7119. In closing, Ntlabezo thanked everyone present and said that the treasurer will make time to present the budget. He also urged the students to access the budget on the Oppidan website and send in questions for clarity. “We want to be as transparent as possible,” said Ntlabezo.
From the Editor The national election is tomorrow. Activate has dedicated several pages to what you can expect on the day and what the surrounding issues are. The media has given the election extensive coverage and you are no doubt over-saturated with talk about whose manifesto is best and what our leaders have done to stir the pot. However, don’t think that this tells the whole story. It is easy to report on a political parties when many people have an idea of what that party stands for - a reporter can write a one-sided story and it will fit the ideas people have of that party. Activate has tried to give coverage to a variety of parties and to look at some issues which may have been passed over. Read our article on the role of women in party elections - you may be surprised to see that the EFF’s manifesto is one of the most inclusive of women and minority groups. We also looked at the Vote No campaign and what it will do to the final vote count. We interviewed any Rhodes students at the Kaif last week and got their thoughts on who to vote for and whether voting is important in the first place. Flip over to the back page to see what some of them think. The quite onesided nature of the responses speaks to how political parties are represented in academic circles, although there are many Rhodents who would not agree with
Editor-in-Chief: Matthew Kynaston
Chief Designer: Cait Dominy
Oppidans absent in Oppi Forum By Tolakele Silo
Activate
the poll. If you agree or disagree with the results, start the conversation with Activate by tweeting us at @ActivateOnline. We’d love to hear your views on the election and what you think of the whole process. We need to ask ourselves if we’re happy to vote once every five years and call ourselves a democratic nation. Is that enough? Will a new government make the changes we want to see? The dialogue around national democracy needs to be widened to allow new ideas into circulation. Last week Rhodes was shaken by the tragic death of one of our students. The story of Amanda Tweyi went around the country and into the hearts of everyone who knew her. The story of her life brought many people together last week as we commemorated a woman taken too soon. Activate offers its condolences to her friends and family and wishes them a time of healing. In this edition you can read about the revival of Monastery on page 6. We wrote a feature on the use of steroids to enhance sports performance and what it means for the idea of masculinity - read more on page 11. There are two pages of sci-tech news, so turn to pages 13 and 14 to read more. We hope you enjoy the paper! @MatthewKynaston
A & E Editor: Sebastian Burger Deputy A&E Editor: Christina Schild Lifestyle Editor: Sara Steiniger Features Editor: Fundiswa Ndlovu Scitech Editor Dimpho Moletsane Environmental Editor: Jane Berg Sports Editor: Julia Fish Deputy Sports Editor: Nandi Pape Designers: Tininka Nuen Kuvaniah Moodley Cindy Archillies Community Engagement : Kuvaniah Moodley
Distribution Manager: Fezikile Cokile Contacts: Editor: activate.editor@gmail.com Deputy Editor: activate.deputy@gmail.com Printed by Paarl Coldset, Port Elizabeth
Edition 5
Elections
3
Do you know who you’re voting for?
The ANC has a good story to tell By Tolakele Silo 20 years ago, the African National Congress (ANC) began a journey to eradicate the legacy of apartheid. In commemoration of the past 20 years of freedom and democracy, the ANC dedicates the 2014 manifesto to the late former president Nelson Mandela. Over the next five years the ANC promises to empower, educate and create jobs for youth through job placement and internship schemes. It promises to allocate 60% of employment in infrastructure and other projects to the youth, and aims to promote youth employment and training incentive schemes. It also aims to consolidate the public works programme, creating six million work opportunities by 2019. Many of these will be of long duration and beneficial, especially to the youth. In its manifesto, the ANC focuses more on youth based activities. It promises to enforce measures to eliminate abusive work practices in typical work and labour broking, as well as promote decent work and strengthen measures to speed up employment equity. In its aim to bridge inequality between South African citizens, it aims to provide one million housing opportunities for qualifying households in urban and rural settlements over the next five years. It also wants to accelerate provision of basic services and infrastructure in all existing informal settlements. This will be done by increasing the supply of affordable housing through the mobilisation of housing allowances for teachers, nurses, police officers, office workers and many others in the gap market. The ANC also wishes to implement rural development focusing on meeting basic needs, land reform and rural enterprise development, supported by localised markets, credit facilities and economic infrastructure. In doing so it will also increase investment in agricultural infrastructure in support of small-holder farmer development, prioritising former
homeland communal areas. One of the main objectives of the ANC in the next five years is to intensify the fight against corruption in both the public and private sectors. It aims to do this through implementation of measures to restrict the kind of business that public servants can partake in, and holding public officials individually liable for losses incurred as result of corrupt actions. The party emphasised that it requires any ANC member or ANC public representative found guilty by a court of law to step down from any leadership positions in the ANC, government and society.
One the DA’s most prominent priorities in their manifesto is fighting corruption. Their manifesto states that the DA wants to “Disallow any person who has been convicted of corruption, fraud, theft or violent crime from holding public office.” According to Madyo, the DA was instrumental in the ousting of Makana’s ex-municipal manager, Dr Pravine Naidoo, who was allegedly engaged in corrupt activities and has legal actions taken against him. Madyo advised students who are planning on voting to consider issues affecting them like the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) quotas. He states that although people should note the ANC’s role in the struggle, they should not be duped into thinking that the ANC was the only part that fought for democracy. “What the DA will do is put taxpayer’s money in safe hands,” Madyo adds.
DA Campaign: “We want to root out corruption” By Loyiso Gxothiwe The Demoratic Alliance (DA) have been at the forefront of vocal opposition to the ANC-led government. Although the DA’s campaign has been peppered with pointing out the failures of the ANC, Xolani Madyo, the DA Public Relations Councillor and chairperson is looking to combat corruption and the exploitation of South Africans by their government . Madyo notes the DA has a difficult task in front of them in terms of winning Makana over. According to Madyo, the ANC has in excess of approximately 80% of Grahamstown’s vote. However, Madyo says that attitudes might be changing because of the discontent and strikes that have plagued Makana in recent months. Madyo states that the DA’s main concerns in their campaign is the water crisis, toilets, the financial crisis, low quality and unsafe RDP housing and the contentious issue of the hiring of municipal workers. “Although we support South Africans getting jobs, you can’t hire a clerk from PE or from Mthatha when there are qualified people in Makana who are unemployed,” said Madyo. “The unemployment rate in Makana currently sits at about 60%, yet the municipality does not prioritise its residents,” he adds.
Agang SA on local governance By Nangamso Ngcebetsha Hope, dignity and freedom: the three values with which Agang SA hopes to build a better South Africa. The manifesto begins with a declaration formed on the basis of how certain individuals were inspired to create Agang SA. The manifesto outlines the collective dreams which the members of Agang hope to achieve, in their ideal South Africa. An ideal Agang SA South Africa is one where citizens “realize their potential and take responsibility for building the country of their dreams.” It is a South Africa where citizens enjoy the fruits of democracy and are better able to achieve their dreams and inspire others to. In Agang SA’s conception of South Africa, the citizens will come first. The main focus of this young political party is: empowerment, education, employment and effective government. In a statement by Agang SA’s National Spokesperson and Policy Convenor Elect, Jock McConnachie, he answers the question of
local governance. According to McConnachie, although local government elections are only due to occur in 2016, “the dysfunctional state of local governance in South Africa is a major concern - to the extent that those concerns are relevant to how people vote in the [upcoming] elections.” It is a concern which Agang SA’s level of government would be elected in their personal capacity and not by virtue of their party affiliation or as party representatives. In his statement, McConnachie explains the dynamics of being an independently elected councillor and a party representative. He says that “an independent councillor will always vote according to what is in the best interests of their constituency rather than being obliged to follow a party line.” However, it is difficult for an independent councillor to oust the parties because they cannot compete for the proportional representation (PR) seats which make up half of every municipality’s local council. After breaking away from the DA, following the last local government elections, McConnachie formed a grouping of independent individuals known as Makana Independent New Deal (MIND). This group was registered as a party in order to be able to compete with the established parties on the same footing by competing for both ward and PR seats. MIND is a concept which McConnachie hopes that Agang SA will use in local government in the Eastern Cape, and in particular the Makana region of Grahamstown. While it may be a radical approach and departure from previous local government functions,McConnachie believes it is exactly “what the current hapless state of local government requires.” Should it adopt such a policy, Agang SA’s idealised South Africa could be a reality for all.
EFF: new political powerhouse vouches economic emancipation By Athini Majali With elections just around the corner, political parties are toiling to get votes and acquire power from the ruling
party. Established less than year ago Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has launched itself as a force to be reckoned within the South African political sphere. The party has erupted with vocal militancy and firebrand MarxistLeninist ideas that aim to reshape the landscape of South Africa. Economic emancipation is a key tenet of policy for the EFF - one in which redistribution of land, mines and banks occurs, to the benefit of all South Africans. The EFF renounces corruption and hopes to abolish cronyism and tenderpreneurship. The EFF hopes to empower the economically disadvantaged with this stance. “Political power without economic emancipation is meaningless” is the slogan that the EFF lives by and it clearly illustrates its intentions and hopes for the future of all South Africans. “Our poor people are not free, until they are economically free. Our people are not free, until their resources belong to them,” states the party in its manifesto. Essentially the EFF is saying: nationalize our mines, our land and the banks. “People must vote for EFF because poverty must be considered instead of corruption; feed that hungry stomach instead of stealing from it. Educate and shelter that homeless child, he/ she is our hope for tomorrow” said EFF convenerTyhila Phahlane. As part of its manifesto the party looks to increase job creation in order to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor and utilises socialist principles to reach this goal. Practically, the EFF hopes to achieve its egalitarian goal through industrial development and wage increase. Under the leadership of the EFF, mine workers are expected to see an increase in their monthly minimum wage, farm workers can expect up to R 5000 per month while domestic workers, petrol attendants and retail workers stand to gain nothing less than R4 500 per month. Based on some of the principles of the Freedom Charter, the party believes that ‘South Africa belongs to all those that live in it’. With this thought in mind the EFF vow to expropriate land in order to level the plains and create a South Africa, which is no longer bound to colonial or apartheid boundaries - both mentally and materially. “Economic empowerment amongst the previously disadvantaged is the pillar upon which the party is founded on. Now is the time for economic freedom,” said Phahlane.
4 Elections
6 May 2014
Women’s rights a priority for EFF Black South By Naledi Mashishi With the elections around the corner, many South African women are looking to either AgangSA or the Democratic Alliance (DA) to provide South Africa with its first female president. However, when looking at the manifestos for AgangSA and the DA, despite the fact that the respective parties are headed by women, it is clear that neither of the parties prioritise women’s issues. In fact, it is surprising to note that the manifesto of the African National Congress (ANC) places more emphasis on women’s issues while the Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) manifesto is the most pro-women of the four . Given that South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world, along with the fact that black women make up the poorest section of South African society, one would expect all of the political parties to place some priority on addressing women’s issues. While it addresses pertinent issues such as unemployment, education, healthcare, and corruption, AgangSA’s manifesto fails to offer any reforms which address women’s issues at all.
The DA’s manifesto addresses domestic violence and rape. They plan on introducing a 24 hour hotline which victims of rape and domestic violence will be able to call to recieve immediate crisis support and police assistance. The EFF’s manifesto tackles women’s issues more widely. In a section devoted specifically to gender equality and women’s emancipation, the EFF introduces reforms on sexism, misogyny and patriarchy. It dictates that gender education should be mandatory in churches and schools in the hopes of addressing the root cause of gender based violence. It also details economic reforms for women, such as making sure that women are involved in at least 50% of the economic and political sphere and even includes the promise to provide free sanitary towels for women in poor areas. Due to its focus on women’s issues, it seems as though the EFF is the best option for women, followed by the ANC. Despite this, both EFF President Julius Malema and ANC President Jacob Zuma have made misogynistic comments in the past, which may affect South African women’s decisions to vote for either of the parties in the upcoming elections.
With the upcoming elections, political parties namely the EFF and ANC have placed a greater importance on the ever-present issue of gender-based violence. South Africans will cast their vote on Wednesday, 7 May. Photo: Flickr/Bohuslav Jonathan Toth
Ingaba i-EFF lelona qela lingcono elinokukhethwa ngabafazi nguNaledi Mashishi yaze yaguqulelwa nguNtombovuyo Ngaphu
nodlwengulo. Baceba ukuvula umnxeba oza kuhlala usebenza imini nobusuku nalapho amaxhoba odlwengulo nobundlobongela basekhayeni Nanjengoko unyulo sele lusondele, uninzi lwabafazi boMzantsi Afrika anokuthi atsalele umnxeba khona ukuze afumane inkxaso noncedo bajonge ukuba i-AgangSA okanye i-DA (Democratic Alliance) iphathele lwamapolisa ngoko nangoko. uMzantsi Afrika inkokheli yawo yokuqala engumfazi. Ukanti, xa kujongwa Ukanti, upapasho-nkqubo lwe-EFF luchaphazela imicimbi yabafazi upapasho-nkqubo lwe-AgangSA nolwe-DA, kuyacaca ukuba akukho ngokubanzi. Kwisahluko esilungiselelwe ukulingana ngokwesini namnye phakathi kwale mibutho oyinika indawo ephambili imicimbi nenkululo yabafazi ngokukodwa, i-EFF ithetha ngotshintsho olufana yabafazi nangona yona ikhokhelwe ngabafazi. Phofu kuyamangalisa nemfundo ngesini, ngokukodwa kukuthathelwa phantsi kwabantu ukuqaphela ukuba upapasho-nkqubo lwe-ANC (African National ababhinqileyo, ukucinezelwa kwabafazi, nokuphathwa ngamadoda, Congress) lubeka ugxininiso kwimicimbi yabafazi, ngelixa upapashoukuba ibesisigunyaziso kwiinkonzo nasezikolweni ngethemba lokuba nkqubo lwe-EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) lulolona lukwicala lwabafazi oku kuzakulungisa eyona nto idala ubundlobongela obubhekisele phakathi kwala maqela omane. kwisini. Iphinda ichaze utshintsho olulungiselelwe abafazi kwezoqoqosho Ngenxa yento yokuba uMzantsi Afrika unamanye awona manani aphezulu olufana nokuqinisekisa ukuba abafazi babandakanywa ngokulinganayo abantu abahlukunyezwa ngokwesini kwilizwe lonke, kwaye abafazi namadoda kwimimmandla yezoqoqosho nezopolitiko, idlule ithembise abamnyama bengabona bantu bahlelelekileyo kuluntu loMzantsi Afrika, nangokubonelela ngezikhuselo kumantombazana ahlala kwiindawo ubani angalindela ukuba onke amaqela opolitiko ayithathe njengelungelo ezihlelekileyo. eliphambili into yokuhlangabezana nale micimbi. Ngelixa onke amaqela Ngenxa yokuthathela ingqalelo imicimbi yabasetyhini, kubonakala opolitiko ejongene nemicimbi emikhulu efana nentswela-ngqesho, ngathi iqela le-EFF lelona qela lifanelekileyo elinokuthi likhethwe imfundo, ezempilo nobuqhophololo, upapasho-nkqubo lwe-AgangSA ngabafazi, lilandelwa yi-ANC. Nangona kunjalo, ngenxa yokuba aluvezi tshintsho olunokuthi lusetyenziswe ukuphucula imicimbi enjonene inkokheli ye-EFF uJulius Malema nenkokheli ye-ANC uJacob Zuma benze nabafazi kwaphela. iintetho ezicinezela abafazi ngaphambili, abafazi boMzantsi Afrika Upapasho-nkqubo lwe-DA lukhankanya ubundlobongela basekhayeni bangathandabuza ukuvotela namnye kule mibutho.
Africans and the ANC vote
Melissa Zisengwe
On Wednesday, 7 May South Africans will be lining up at voting stations across the country to cast their vote for their desired political party in the country’s fifth democratic election. According to a 2014 Ipsos poll, 96% of ANC voters identifiy as black South Africans. The black South African support base for the ANC is large, which problematises ANC’s claims to multi-racialism and begs the question - is a vote for the ANC one premised on loyalties and ethnicity, or actual policy implementation? The ANC fought for South Africa’s freedom alongside many other brave liberation parties and individuals during apartheid and has been the ruling majority in South Africa’s democratic government since 1994. The ANC government has been responsible for some notable achievments since coming into power and this could lead to those living in conditions of poverty and inequality to look to the ANC for liberation for current economic and classist oppression. Achievements include how the ANC has built approximately three million RDP houses for the poor between 1994 and 2011. From 1994 the country’s wealth has grown and the GDP is now estimated at R3.5 trillion. As of 2012, 85.3% of the population has access to electricity and according to the ANC, 94.7% of the population has access to safe drinking water. There is partial access to free education through the no-fee school system that was implemented in 2007 and turned 40% of South Africa’s schools into no-fee schools. However, those who have the desire to vote for a party other than the ANC still vote for the them despite controversies surrounding the party with the most recent being ‘Nkandlagate’, following on from ‘Guptagate’. This may happen because some feel that they are betraying the ANC if they choose to vote for another party. A first-time voter and Rhodes University student, who asked to remain anonymous, shared her feelings on the matter:“I will be voting for the ANC because I feel like a traitor if I don’t”. Black people were subjected to complete discrimination during apartheid that now they would rather vote for the black majority party that ostentatiously played a vital role in liberating the country despite internal factionalism and external empty promises. These voters believe that this is better than the option of voting for an unknown political party. Second-year Rhodes student Lerato Mosola said that while she could vote for their old ideals, the current ANC is not the same as back in 1994. Due to this fact, she does not feel like a traitor if she were to vote for a political party other than the ANC. These feelings mirror the sentiment of the ‘ANC Ayisafani’ campaign currently being undertaken by the DA. However, the ANC’s lack of delivery has left some voters disheartened, despite their support and love for the party. Phinda Jelu, a member of the Rhodes University cleaning staff, lives in Joza and believes that the ANC is trying to help the poor but the corruption within the party is too high. She has an RDP house, but it has no bathroom. She will not be voting this year since, for her, the ANC has not delivered on all of its promises.
Edition 5
Politics
5
South Africa’s ticking time bomb Laura Richardson
three parties are companies wishing also conscious of to hire additional Employment, or rather the nation’s lack the important role employees. The thereof, has been a topic of singular education plays in party also means to importance during this election enabling young reintroduce two-tier period. people to acquire collective bargaining, Official statistics cite an alreadymarketable skills and where bargaining takes shocking unemployment rate of 25%. access sustainable place at an industry Deloitte estimates that the real number employment. and plant level. This is is closer to 40% as current statistics However, on closer one way buy whoch do not include those who have given inspection, some key the power of trade up looking for work. According to the differences emerge. unions is weakened. auditing firm, in the last five years more The DA and Agang The ANC, by contrast, jobs have been destroyed than have SA make special has been reluctant to been generated. reference to what the acknowledge the role With the exception of the left-leaning DA euphemistically that restrictive labour Economic Freedom Fighters, the job terms the country’s Many issues have been brought to the forefront of South African’s minds legislation has played with the upcoming elections on Wednesday. Photo: Flickr/Kelly Hunter creation policies of South Africa’s ‘inflexible labour in the unemployment major parties tend to be alike on many regime’. Both crisis. It has chosen points. There is a common focus in the parties recognize that stringent areas in which it aims to relax labour to focus primarily on developmental Agang SA, DA and ANC policies on labour legislation discourages big legislation. It proposes, for example, goals in order to address the problem, new social infrastructure programmes, business from expanding in a way that introducing a six month ‘qualifying notably the recently proposed youth internship and on providing creates job opportunities. Agang SA period’ for dismissal protection National Development Plan. In fact, support for small businesses. All in particular has identified specific which will reduce the risk factor for the ANC has consistently moved
towards tighter labour laws and is currently in the process of amending the Labour Relations Act by outlawing labour brokers. While the job security obtained through such an amendment is likely to appeal to the working class, it will act as a deterrent to large-scale foreign enterprises who might be considering investment in the South African economy. It is true that the ANC has a difficult task, balancing the demands of its tripartite alliance partners (COSATU and SACP) and those of the private sector. Certainly, it has made admirable progress in combatting exploitation premised on apartheid’s legacy in South Africa. However, placing all of its hopes in the National Development Plan may put the ANC and South Africa as a whole in a precarious position due to the growing potential for unrest amongst the economically excluded.
What to expect from this year’s elections Jean-Andre’ Deenik & Jack Flitton The upcoming elections happening on the Wednesday, 7 May will be South Africa’s fifth democratic elections. This year also marks 20 years of democratic freedom in our country. In the build up to voting day, a number of predictions have been made. Locally, predictions following The Oppidan Press TV election debate showed a Democratic Alliance (DA) majority. A recent mock election conducted by Activate conveyed similar results. The DA received over 40% of the vote with the ANC trailing behind
in second with only 18%. Agang SA came in third with 6.8% followed by EFF and UDM both receiving 4.8%. 9.6% of people refused to vote due to lack of belief in the parties or mixed views about the vote no campaign. Rhodes student trends reflected the idea of a general loss of faith, and subsequently a loss of support for the ANC. A point of interest for many people across the country is whether or not the ANC will receive the two third majority needed for it to stay in power. Since being voted into power in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) has without
fail has received more than 60% of the national vote in every election period. In 2009 they received a high of 65.9% of the vote which was just off the two thirds majority. In recent years, the ANC has been shrouded in controversy. Allegations of corruption and criticisms of poor service delivery have hounded the party. Marikana, e-tolls, ‘Gupta-gate’, the Limpopo textbook debacle and the Nkandla scandal are a few examples of problematic activity conducted by the ANC. In lieu of these controversies, there were rumours that the ANC’s support could be badly affected.
According to predictions made in August of last year by financial services group Nomura, votes for the ANC’s could drop by almost 10%, to 56.2% in the upcoming elections. In a report commissioned by the National Executive Committee on the perception survey per province on support for the ANC, it was revealed that the party could face losing between 2030% of the support that it received in the 2009 general elections. This past year has been continuously tough for the ANC so it would come as no surprise if the party experienced even a marginal decline.
Spoiling of ballots- Reducing the ANC’s majority rule Sinazo Nakupi In a bid to diminish the ruling party’s majority rule, former Minister of Intelligence, Ronnie Kasrils, launched a campaign aimed at convincing citizens not to vote for the African National Congress (ANC) or the Democratic Alliance (DA). Instead, he encourages South Africans to vote for smaller political parties or to spoil their votes. Dubbed ‘Sidikiwe! Vukani! Vote No!’ the campaign is critical of the economic policies of both the ANC and the main opposition, the DA. Along with former Minister of Health, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, Kasrils, wants to send a ‘wake-up’ call to the ANC to stay true to their founding principles. The campaign has resonated with many South Africans due to their anger at police brutality and corruption at governmental level. Speaking at a debate organised by Masifunde Education and Development Project Trust in Grahamstown, Kasrils emphasised that he loves the ANC and that the campaign is not a political agent for any other party. The Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) of Grahamstown has announced its support for the campaign. Activate spoke to Ayanda Kota of the UPM, one of the signatories of the campaign, about the organisation’s stance.
Can you give us a brief explanation of the movement? What is the Unemployed People’s Movement mandate? Ayanda Kota: The Unemployed People’s Movement is a social movement established in 2009 as a result of the unemployment rate which has skyrocketed in this country. We also realised that only politicians speak about unemployment and the unemployed. That is when we decided that there will be nothing said about us without us. We decided to be protagonists of our lives and overcome apathy. This was the realisation that no one will liberate us but ourselves. Since your inception in 2009, have the unemployment rates in Grahamstown changed? What has changed? AK: We have been able to put pressure on the local municipality. We have seen the introduction of the expanded public works program and other community initiatives that seek to care for the unemployed. We have seen the budget of the municipality increasing and creating employment for more people. What is the UPM’s view of the ‘Sidikiwe! Vukani! Vote No!’ campaign? AK: Our organisation supports this campaign. Our members attended a press conference and we held on the issue in numbers. We engaged the comrades and we were quite happy with the aim of the campaign. The campaign takes into consideration the level of corruption in
our society, it’s a campaign that takes into cognisance the manner in which our people were inhumanely killed in Marikana by the police which are working for the ANC government. It’s a campaign that takes into cognisance the Gupta’s landing at a national key point, the high levels of unemployment, poverty rates and inequalities. This is a campaign that says do not vote for the ANC, they’ve become arrogant, they’ve stopped caring for our people. It’s a campaign that takes into cognisance the DA is a party which protects the white wealth, it privileges white opulency. So it’s a campaign that says do not vote for the DA. Rather vote for smaller parties. If you are not happy with the smaller parties, then do not stay away. You go and make your point heard by spoiling your ballot paper. What outcomes do you expect after the election, once people have spoiled their ballots or voted for smaller parties? We are not campaigning for any specific political party. We are not agents of any political party, all that we can say is vote for smaller parties. We can’t dictate terms to say these are the smaller parties you should be looking for. But then again it can’t be a Christian party. You can’t have a party that says to people it’s my religion, there’s no other religion. It’s dangerous. It can’t be a party that promotes ethnicity, like Inkatha Freedom Party. It’s dangerous. So it has to be a party which is much better in relative terms.
How is this campaign going to affect or help the unemployed? There is no quick fix and there is no easy road. We have to build a very strong formidable movement that’s going to continue to put pressure, that’s going to continue to make calls for change of policies. Policies that would create work. A call against the youth wage subsidy. It means if the Unemployed People’s Movement is really committed to this, of which I don’t doubt we are committed, we should be working with progressive unions like NUMSA which is not campaigning for the ANC as well, which is about to delink from COSATU. If it does delink, we should be holding hands with progressive unions like AMCU.
President Jacob Zuma may see the ANC losing some of its majority in this election. Photo: Flickr/ Abayomi Azikiwe
6 Arts & Entertainment
6 May2014
Extreme makeover: Monastery By: Christina Schild
Monastery to be there for the entire community and not solely as a night-time venue. Long-term Upon returning for the second term, Rhodents plans include a café, with free Wi-Fi. The aim is to were greeted with rumors that The Monastery establish The Monastery as a place that people had finally closed its doors. The ominous red and can come to at any point and feel comfortable. white tape drawn across the front doors removed The establishment of a backpackers lodge is a all hope for late night Mon adventures, and after long-term idea for the venue. much speculation, it was confirmed that it had When asked about possible name changes, indeed shut down. Mark stated that he has a desire to integrate what Recently, however, the tape has been removed, The Monastery was before, but feels that a name and slow but steady renovations on the building change is a good idea for when renovations are have begun. finished. “It’s been a long era of Monastery, so The new owners of The Monastery are it’s a difficult one to change, but there might enthusiastic about their plans for the venue and be an initial change of name. Students are their love of Monastery is evident as they speak welcome to bring forward any names, inspired about it. They had to act quickly to secure the by experiences here at Monastery.” says Mark. building, as a source close to The Monastery said He mentioned that the thought behind a name that the closure came as a complete shock to all change would be to remove the stigma attached its employees. There had been plans for one to it. Due to his previous personal connection last huge Monastery-style “throw down”, but to both the club and its previous owners, Mark the auction date moved too quickly for this to be is sensitive about making changes that are too arranged. drastic. New owner Mark* first started coming to These renovations and possibility of a name Monastery while attending the University of Fort change don’t mean starting totally afresh. For The doors of Monastery are closed for now, but it will reopen improved. Photo: Michaela Weiffenbach Hare. He has been keeping tabs on the club now, the plans are to clean up The Monastery There will be a resident DJ with new and up and In terms of the bar, it will be extended but it for the last two years amid rumours of financial and create an environment that appeals to a coming artists countrywide invited to play at the remains to be seen whether this will be indoor trouble. Assisting Mark in his new venture is larger range of people. Part of this includes venue. Mark ensures that Trance will still have or outdoor. Without giving away too many Pelt Events. Pelt Events is an event planning having a wider genre of music playing, with every a place at the heart of The Monastery and that surprises, the lighting will also undergo a and services company that have experience in night being a different experience. He wants stompers will be greeted with a few surprises complete change. There are plans for outdoor lighting setup and décor. Having organized the to keep the club scene going, but uplift the when it re-opens. lighting effects as well as indoor. Each event at Wacky Woods party held outside of Jeffrey’s Bay venue. His eyes light up when he speaks of the There have been issues with the transfer of the Monastery will have unique lighting, adding to with its eye-catching visuals and lighting effects, “futuristic clubbing scene” he is eager to bring to liquor license but the current plans are to open the total experience. An experience that won’t they plan on bringing it to Grahamstown. In Grahamstown through The Monastery. He adds without this for the time being. With regards to be too far from the ‘old’ infamous Monastery terms of visuals and artwork, as much of the that the alleyway should serve as a futuristic look this opening, Mark is optimistic that renovations nights. Hold tight Mon-sters, a version of The existing graffiti and murals will be maintained, but of what to expect inside the gates. will be finished in time for the National Arts Monastery will be back before you know it. “It Mark is eager to bring in more artists. He also has There will be a move away from a purely Festival. won’t just be the Monastery anymore,” says plans to create an “artist performance center” underground music scene, although Mark has an A change that may shock a few are the new Mark,” it’s going to be better.” where students, and Grahamstown locals, will be especially soft spot for this. He hopes to cater for separate toilets. In addition, there will be *Name has been changed on request of invited to create art pieces. The idea is for The everyone by playing great quality, varied music. heightened security, with CCTV being installed. sources
Local bands you should know about By Chelsea Westman
Gig Guide
rebellious, as they couldn’t care less about what people think. The Dollfins There is no shortage of local talent embody a mid-70’s punk rock style in South Africa, with bands such as that can be compared to that of The Seether and The Parlotones making it Runaways. These three misfits are big and finding international success. freaking out South Africans, rocking However, getting into the local music a sadistic rawness that’ll burst your scene can be challenging for the eardrums and break your ankles. They uniformed, so here’s the lowdown on a are truly something amazing and with few SA bands you should start listening their new album, ‘I’ll Do What You to: Want Me To’ recently released, parents The Dollfins should be warned to prepare for a No, not the majestic marine mammal window shattering revolution of punk spelled incorrectly, but South Africa’s rock disturbing their suburban South new grunge, punk band, with female African homes. To get a taste of their lead singer Danielle Hitchcock unrefined wild sound, be sure to check shredding up local stages. Hailing out their latest single, ‘I’ll Do What You from Cape Town’s turquoise oceans Want Me To’ on Soundcloud. - they mean business. Their ‘gunk’ Al Bairre genre is said to be influenced by hate, Reigning from the Mother City, Indie sex, chaos, and oozing green toxic finger pop band Al Bairre, first hit the slime. Theirmusical style is refreshingly indie music scene two years ago. This
Tunnels
Date: 9 May Time: 15:00 – 07:00 Damage: R30 presold, R40 at the door Tickets: Under the Arch BYOB
weird ensemble of five has that - ‘take off your shoes and dance like no one is watching’ feel to it. Their fun, up-beat style definitely sets them apart from others as they implement the cello, violins, ukulele and good hair into their unique genre. They have taken the stage with well-known international bands Alt-J and The Hives. Their ‘funtastic folkness’ is not for the dull or dismal, and will leave you flaliling in the middle of the dance floor looking as weird as you truly are. Al Bairre recently received the MK award for ‘Best Newcomer’, making this independent Indie group undeniably successful in the short number of years that they’ve been performing. If you have any decent taste in music, then this needs to be a band on your playlist. Start with the track ‘Youth de Freitas’.
Battle of the acoustics Olde 65 Dates: 7, 14 and 24 May Time: 20:00 Damage: R10, free for LMS members
Dreamshade live in SA Pool City Walmer, PE Date: 9 May Time: 20:00 Tickets: Computicket or at the door Damage: R60
The Plastics The quirky likes of The Plastics will find you inadvertently humming and bobbing your head in the dull corridors of residences. Their retro rock flare personifies the genre, resulting in the most raucous grandpa dance moves you will ever see. These Capetonian’s set the standard, after releasing their first album SHARK in July 2010. Soon after they were nominated as one of the top 20 albums for local and international releases by both GQ and Cosmopolitan. As well as opening for world-renown Irish band Two Door Cinema Club in 2012. The Plastics are a local must see; don’t hesitate when given the opportunity to see them perform, as they are one of the best live acts to hit the local scene. One of their best songs to date is ‘Caves’. Check out the music video on
Nostalgia 90’s party Date: 9 May Prime Time: 21:00 Feat: K-Dawg, F-Eazy (PMB)
YouTube as well, to get a feel for their crazy retro style. Shortstraw This is a band that has taken South Africa by storm, capturing a harmonious electrical sound that can uplift any dreary day. Lead singer Alastair Thomas says it straight, with bold humorous lyrics, which will have you head-over-heels in love with their charismatic ‘indie-kwela’ sound. Their hit track; ‘Bikini Weather’, has locals raving about the lyrics amd longing for summer days. After opening for bands like The Kooks, and touring in Australia and Japan this year, they have undoubtedly started to make their mark as musicians. These five men are making it big- and fast. Check out their latest track - ‘Bikini Weather’, it’ll be the wisest form of procrastination you will partake in all week.
Everybody Swing (Electro-Swing party) Champs Date: 16 May Time: 20:30 Damage: R20 Dress for the 1920’s - Best dressed gets a case of Redbull.
Arts & Entertainment
Edition 5
7
Festival season is upon us By Sebastian Burger When reading this, AfrikaBurn will have just passed, marking the beginning of festival season. While Ramfest and Splashy have already come and gone, the rest of the year is still a great time for music lovers in South Africa, with some of the biggest and best music festivals in Africa taking place here. Below is a rundown of some of the remaining festivals this year, some big and some a bit more local. The Boat Race Festival Drawing inspiration from the annual Oxford vs Cambridge rowing regatta in England, Boat Race Festival sees the rowing teams of universities across South Africa converging in Port Alfred for a weekend of competition. This is not the main attraction however, as the banks of the river are flooded with students supporting their teams (most being Rhodents), meaning things quickly become the best kind of messy. Expect a beach bar, circles of drinking students, live performances in the evening and at the very least, one of your friends “accidentally” flashing a passing tour boat as they relieve themselves. Rocking the Daisies Alongside Oppikoppi, Daisies is one of the highlights of the year for many music lovers, with some of the best local and international bands gracing the many stages over the weekend as Kloof Wine Estate is transformed into a live music mecca. Last year we got Skunk Anasie, Alt-J and The Hives performing alongside our local acts. This year, vicious rumours that The Black Keys will be performing have started swirling.Rocking the Daisies takes being green very seriously and the organisers strive to make sure that the festival causes as little damage to the environment as possible. Fair warning though, over the last two years Daisies has been completely sold out way ahead of time, so get thrifty and start saving. Oxbraai Taking place at the end of each year, “Ox” as it’s lovingly termed, sees over 10 000 student-types filling up the show grounds in
Bathurst for one night of unbelievable partying. The festival is known for it’s braaing culture with near 30 spitbraais set up for the night and a ticket gaining you access to the savage feast. This is backed up by live acts such as PHfat and Jack Parrow gracing the stage alongside a plethora of drunken shenanigans. On that note, due to the port-a-loos repeatedly being set on fire in previous years, the fire department has banned camp fires at the venue. Synergy Live Taking place on the banks of Theewaterskloof Dam, Synergy offers guests a weekend of insane bands with the added bonus of being on a dam. No matter your niche, you should be covered at Synergy, There’s the main stage where the biggest of the big perform, an electronic stage with SA’s top DJs and there’s the freestyle stage, which offers a much more intimate and relaxed vibe, giving you the opportunity to “sofalize” with friends while enjoying some acoustic acts and comedy. Let’s not forget that you’re at a dam though; bring some camping chairs and sit with your feet in the water, or grab something inflatable and have a lazy float while you soak up the tunes. Fishriver Canoe Marathon Fish, as its commonly known, is a lot like Boat Race Festival. It’s a canoe marathon in Cradock that sees a lot of supporters travel to the small town to show support for the rowers. Given its proximity to Grahamstown however; it quickly becomes infested with the rowdiest of Rhodents keen to support their mates and have a good time. Oppikoppi. The grand mac daddy of music fests in South Africa, Oppikoppi is known by many as being the most debaucherous weekend of the year. The weekend long event which started in 1994 with 27 acts and a few fans, now has more than 100 acts and over 20 000 festival goers, with international headliners such as The Deftones, Billy Talent and Bullet for My Valentine gracing the stages each year, supported by a myriad of local artists such as Shortstraw, The Plastics and Mango Groove. While the music is great, it would be nothing without the vibe and shenanigans that Oppi is famous for,
with naked miles and flaming couches now being a regular affair. Bring sunscreen and bail money.
Katie Durant, Harri Martin, Rhea MacDonald and Emma Laubscher pause for a photo at local event - Tunnel Vision Festival. Photo: Michaela Weiffenbach
Reddits Poetry Evenings a success
Cafe D’Vine is home to a poetry evening on the last Friday of each month. Photo: Michaela Weiffenbach
By Cara Ribeiro There’s never a shortage of cheap booze, blasting electronica and crowds of students on New Street each Friday, but if you’re ever in need of a night out that doesn’t include bouncing dance floors and instead provides highs of the written kind, Reddits is for you. On the last Friday night of each month, a usually unexplored nook at the back of Café D’Vine comes alive with a poetry open-mic night, minus the microphones. These evenings of rhyme are hosted, and were created, by poet, writer and activist Harry Owen. After moving from the UK to Grahamstown six years ago; he realised that the City of Saints was home to as many poets as holies. In the hopes of finding a niche for literary fans such as himself, he started these “open floor” readings at Reddits Books & Coffee in 2008, hence the name. It has since moved to Café D’Vine following the sale of Reddits. Despite its lack of advertising, these monthly gettogethers are usually attended by people of various ages and nationalities, but with the same old-school, inviting atmosphere. The mix of first year Rhodes students and retirees, locals and foreigners, as well as newbies and regulars becomes indistinguishable when the coffee shop’s
low-lit room fills with recitals. After a brief welcoming message, the floor is open to any volunteers willing to share either discovered or personally penned poetry. Regardless of whether the content is depressing or amusing, you can rest assured that the appropriate sounds will consistently radiate from the intimate audience. “What makes Reddits special is its genuine inclusivity: absolutely everyone is welcome to come along and read or perform some poetry - their own or a favourite by someone else - or simply sit with a coffee or glass of wine and enjoy the vibe.” shared Owen. It may not be a swanky, ‘70s lounge, but when the spoken word merges with the hum of downtown music and the clink of cups on saucers in the background, the ambiance comes pretty close. These poetry evenings start at 18:00 and end at 20:30 with an interval for freshly-baked treats and refreshments. Reddits guarantees to provide the escape any Rhodent needs from the stresses of campus, despite being only ten minutes away from it. It’s free too, provided you refrain from visiting the tempting dessert display. If you haven’t Reddited yet, I suggest you head on over to the café next month with some friends, even if it’s just for a slice of their heavenly chocolate cake.
pe@ovc.co.za / 087 8027696 / 041 5813522
8 Photo Story
6 May 2014
Keeping strong in the face of stigma
1 2
3
Nandi Mandla is your everyday person. She lives with her daughter and mother and lives as best as she can. However, Nandi is also a sufferer of an extremely drug-resistant (XDR) strain of tuberculosis (TB). In early 2012, Nandi started experiencing a loss of appetite and weight, and had a persistent cough. The two doctors she went to unable to diagnose her and the day clinic giving her medication for the ‘flu. With the symptoms not going away, she went to the Themba hospital to be tested and found that she had TB. After starting on her medication she was told that her TB had mutated to multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB and was moved to the Marjorie Parrish TB hospital in Port Alfred to receive her treatment. Things started to get worse. The ambulance driver forgot to pick her up, which resulted in her having to wait two more weeks without medication, and she was put into a ward with too many patients. “The doctor was never there. If you got sick today and you needed some kind of pill, you’d go to the nurses’ room and ask for it. But you would then get told that the doctor needed to sign for it, and she’d only pitch up two weeks later.” To Nandi, the experience at the hospital made her feel like she was nobody. “You were just a sick person there. All you had to say was yes, yes, yes. You don’t want to send your family member to such an institution.” She lost her hearing as a result of this lack of care.” She admits that it is difficult living with TB. “Sometimes I feel frustrated and angry. It feels like I’m trapped in something, that my life is being put on hold.” Despite this, Nandi still manages to keep a positive attitude. She believes that TB is a problem that can be solved. “There is a stigma present. There is pity present. But if you have the right support system, you can get through it. If people could just be more aware, it will be solved.” Words and photographs by Megan Fischer
4
5
6
Edition 5
Photo Story
7
8
9
Captions 1. Nandi Mandla’s house on Thursday 3 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Nandi lives with her mother and daughter. 2.Nandi Mandla’s daughter playing with their dog on Thursday 3 october 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Nandi’s daughter lives with her and her mother. 3.Nandi Mandla’s tuberculosis medication on Thursday 3 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. After being diagnosed with multi drug resistant tuberculosis, Nandi has been on treatment for eight months now out of an eighteenth month course. 4.Nandi Mandla’s glasses on Thursday 3 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Although Nandi’s eye sight has not been affected by her tuberculosis or treatment, it is not uncommon amongst TB patients to have affected eyesight. 5.Nandi Mandla reading what Rhodes University student Andrew Tombs has written on Thursday 3 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. As her hearing is impaired, Nandi sometimes asks for things to be written down so she can fully understand. 6. The Themba Tuberculosis hospital on Tuesday, 14 May 2013, Joza Township, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Mandla visits the hospital once every month to give a sputum sample. 7. Nandi Mandla and her mother washing dishes on Wednesday 16 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Nandi’s mother lives with her and helps her around the house and with her daughter. 8. Nandi Mandla holding a picture of her husband on Wednesday 16 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Mandla’s husband recently died from TB after refusing to take the prescribed medication. 9. Nandi Mandla’s tuberculosis medication on Wednesday 16 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. These are but a few of the 28 tablets Mandla has to take per day. 10. Nandi Mandla behind her front gate of her home on Wednesday 16 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. 11. Nandi Mandla staring out of her front door on Wednesday 16 October 2013, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. With the stigma attached to TB and HIV and AIDS, Mandla feels ostracized spending most of her time at home.
10
11
9
9
10 Lifestyle
6 May 2014
Clothing breaking gender constructs
can try out different styles and trends. “No doubt over the years, men’s fashion has been in a dormant repetitive state,” says Tobias. However, more progress in men’s fashion is needed before it can reach the same level as women’s clothing. “Clothes for men are limited whereas females have endless options,” says Tobias. Equality has altered our society with women seen as the inferior, but in the world of fashion; men are not equal to women. The second hand clothing market has even less available for men. Some thrift shops don’t stock men’s clothes at all. “In essence majority of thrift shops only cater to women, with that being the reason females tend to discard old clothing, whereas males hold on to their clothing items,” says Tobias. The trend of buying vintage or second-hand clothes has altered the fashion world. These days, clothes are not as gender specific as they were in the past. Males and females are wearing grandfathers and grandmothers’ clothes alike. This has developed into a style whereby it doesn’t matter what gender you are, male and female clothing is becoming interchangeable in some aspects. For women, there are trends of boyfriend jeans, slouchy men’s pants and big baggy grandfather jerseys. For men, some are sporting leggings. Long skirts are creeping onto the runway for men’s fashion. “It doesn’t matter which gender your clothes belong to, as long as you wear (them) appropriately,” says Tobias. A second-year Human Kinetics and Ergonomics student, Emilie Rey says, “I don’t believe fashion or clothing should be gender specific. We live in a world where we need to be free to express ourselves in whatever way we want, our clothing should not Clothing has traditionally been designed specifically for either men or women but recently there has been a lot of overlap. Photo: Michaela Weiffenbach restrict us”. Sara Steiniger catered towards women only? When women first started wearing pants, it was seen as Men’s fashion has always been seated on the side-lines of the outrageous and strange but soon became the norm. The notion f you walk into any clothing shop, the biggest section you will fashion industry, forming a small sub-genre to the fashion world. of certain types of clothes being gender specific is controlled by find is the female section. It is no secret that girls have more It is true that in recent years, fashion for men has developed into society and is a notion that should be altered. options when it comes to clothing. This continues through to thrift a bigger industry than ever before, but still doesn’t come close in Fashion is constantly changing and breaking boundaries when it shops and online shopping. Are the fashion industry and second- competition to women’s clothing. comes to what is normal, as fashion tries not to be normal. Fashion hand clothing shops sexist in that males have less options than A second year Journalism student, Tevin Tobias says that fashion embraces difference and therefore needs to break the gender females? Is this new trend of thrift shopping a gendered construct has helped him open up a new form of self-expression whereby he constructs that hinder it’s expression.
I
It’s not love if they’re hurting you Storm Olivier “I don’t know at what point in my life words stopped having meaning; It must have been somewhere between when he screamed, “You’re worthless,” and when he whispered, “I love you, I love you so much” On any given day an average of one in four women are involved in an abusive relationship. That abuse could be exceedingly violent or entirely emotional. However, abusive relationships in any form cause scars that are sure to last a lifetime. Abuse is blind to race, gender and sexuality. It can happen to anyone at any age. According to official crime statistics for
2012/2013, which were recorded by the South African Police Service, sexual offense cases increased by 2.9% from 64 514 to 66 378 over the year. In South Africa, one quarter of all males have raped at least once. Two women are raped every minute, 24/7. These statistics do not offer any information on emotional abuse or whether or not these offenses occurred within relationships, but they do cast light upon how violent a society South Africa is. Abuse occurs on a wide scale. Sometimes it is difficult to recognise an abusive relationship whether you are a third party observer or personally invested in the relationship. There are some cases whereby people in these types of relationships tend to be
wearing ‘rose-coloured glasses’ so they might excuse, overlook and deny any sort of emotional, physical or mental abuse. Here are some points that indicate abuse from a partner: •harms you physically in any way, including slapping, pushing, grabbing, shaking, smacking, kicking, and punching. •tries to control different aspects of your life, such as how you dress, who you hang out with, and what you say. •frequently humiliates you or makes you feel unworthy (for example, if a partner puts you down but tells you that he or she loves you). •threatens to harm you, or self-harm, if you leave the relationship.
•twists the truth to make you feel you are to blame for your partner’s actions. •demands to know where you are at all times. •constantly becomes jealous or angry when you want to spend time with other people. If you love someone but often feel scared, it is time to end the relationship, fast. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, love and loyalty. There is always help readily available if you feel you are at risk. The Rhodes University the Counselling Centre is situated on the top floor of the Bantu Steven Biko Building, where you can seek professional help. The centre can be contacted at (046) 603 7070 or counsellingcentre@ru.ac.za
How to spoil your ballot in style Sara Steiniger Ronnie Kasrils’ ‘Vote No’ campaign has become a popular choice among South Africans who are undecided on who to vote for. His aim was to state how unhappy he is with the way in which the ANC has run our country since our first democratic election in 1994. Therefore, he is encouraging people to spoil their ballots instead of voting ANC, as he believes that this is the best thing for the party. “What is more important than ANC is the ideas of the party. If the party forgets those ideas, we will stand against the party,” Kasrils said in Johannesburg this past week. However, we at Activate believe you can’t just cross out the ballot sheet, because that would be boring. That is why we have come up with a few
awesome ways to spoil your ballot in style. So how does one actually go about spoiling their vote? It is simple; make sure you do not mark an ‘x’ in any box. Other than that, whip out your artistic license and get creative with it. •A classic approach would be covering the page in genitalia. (For Rhodes students) this option is reminiscent of the walk back to res after a night out, where many cars along the road have
been covered in decorative phallus-shaped doodles. •Quote someone famous or make use of some powerful words on your ballot. A personal favourite for a ballot sheet would be, ‘“No”- Rosa Parks.’ •Pull a hipster move and write about how you do not believe in ‘the system’. Explain how voting is too mainstream and that you don’t conform to societal norms.
•Use poetry. This makes the ladies swoon, so why not put it on your ballot? •When in doubt write #YOLO or #SWAG. You can never go wrong with these two hashtags and if someone questions you on this, just use another Drake quote. On a serious note, voting is anonymous so nobody will know if you spoil your vote unless you tell them. Voting no is a way of illustrating your lack of faith in the countries governmental options. The votes are tallied and then each party is measured how many votes they won out of all votes counted. In spoiling your vote you have written or drawn a non-vote, illustrating that you do not believe in any of the parties listed enough to place an ‘x’ on your ballot sheet.
Lifestyle 11
Edition 5
Rhodes, rugby and ‘roids Some body-builders use all natural methods such as consistant exercise and high protein diets to sculpt their muscles, but others resort to anabolic steroids to bulk up. Photo: Tshiamo Maremel
By Kyle Leaver
The possession, abuse and dealing of anabolic substances, deemed illegal by every sports organisation and sporting event in the world, is not isolated to South African schools. Steroid use is also popular across universities. The rise of gym culture in recent years has influenced the spread of anabolic steroid use not only to sports people, but to young adults who may be interested in gaining excessive amounts of muscle to appear more masculine and ‘dak’. According to TimesLive.com, 21 out of 130 Johannesburg high school rugby players were tested positive for anabolic steroid use in 2011. Schools in other parts of Gauteng and KwaZuluNatal showed similar results. The consequences for these boys included community service, and the struggle of nabbing rugby scholarships with the weight of steroid abuse sentences resting upon their Hercules- like broad backs. A survey performed by the South African Sports Medicine Association found that 66% of steroid users did so for the aesthetic image rather than increased sporting performance. So that aggressive, disproportionate, tribaltattooed Schwarzenegger lifting half a Corsa Lite at the Health Suite is most likely shooting juice after his hourly protein shake for the purpose of looking big and ‘jocky’, rather than being able to tackle an opponent on the rugby field like a freight train carrying 300 tons of steel.
The consumption of supplementary testosterone has been practiced since the first competitive sports events in ancient Greece. Athletes would ingest genitalia of sheep and cockerels to raise the level of testosterone, a hormone associated with muscle mass increase, in their bodies. In the 20th century, synthesized hormone production resulted in the emergence of anabolic steroids which were widely used in professional sports by the 1940s. By the early 1970s, anabolic steroid use was banned for Olympic Games athletes and rigorous testing programmes were initiated to implement antidoping laws. Despite this ban, athletes continue to illegally use anabolic steroids throughout the world. In South Africa, anabolic steroid abuse is as common as it is in any other country. Although it is apparently most popular amongst rugby players and bodybuilders, it should not be ruled out that athletes involved in other sports do not also make use of black market performanceenhancing substances. At Rhodes, like any location with a young population immersed in popular culture, speculating the chances of a few people using anabolic steroids is not exactly wrong. “There’s one guy at the gym who I’m certain takes steroids. His body looks out of proportion and bulgy”, claimed regular gym-goer Sihle
Maphumulo. University sports are as much a place for performance-enhancing drug use as any professional event. The desire to get an edge over opponents on the field, court and track, or in the boat or pool, can encourage anyone to seek out a boost. “I use creatine because I’m too impatient to wait for the results I’m hoping for, but I’d never even consider using anabolic steroids,” said a male student who wished to remain anonymous. Store bought supplements such as creatine, testosterone boosters and protein supplements acquired from whey powder, concentrated egg whites or the endless variety of tablets and capsules available provide small increases in muscle and energy output when compared to anabolic steroid and synthetic somatotropin (known to lifters, benchers and iron-pushers as HGH, or human growth hormone). Due to the fact that it has not been, and most likely will not be, proven that there are steroid users at Rhodes, one can only assume that, like other drugs, steroids are common at our university. The negative side-effects of anabolic steroid use far outweigh the positive, as testosterone levels in the body are rocketed to dangerous heights. According to Dr Kenneth Mautner, behavioural side-effects include aggression and dependence on the substances, as is commonly associated with drugs such as heroin, cocaine
and methamphetamines. Physical symptoms can include heart conditions, liver and kidney failure and stunted growth in teenage users. Steroid overdoses can result in death. Laws differ in countries throughout the world regarding possession of anabolic steroids without a medical practitioner’s prescription, but use of anabolic steroids in competitive body-building and all sports events is illegal in all countries. Sentences for testing positive for doping in major sports events also vary, and can range from a one season to a lifetime ban from competition depending on which sport a player competes in and how many offences of doping a player has committed. Possession and distribution of anabolic steroids in many countries, including South Africa, can result in fines from R10 000 upwards, and can also lead to imprisonment. So, for all those okes, jocks, gym junkies, juicers and animal stackers, be careful what you put into your veins. Many famous athletes and body-builders have made the mistake of using anabolic and androgenic (steroids associated with the maintenance and improvement of physical male characteristics) steroids, and have found themselves in the claws of the law and hospital beds thanks to that little vial of sunshine called ‘roids.
may imagine. Here in South Africa we house several. The most widely known and possibly feared cryptid in South Africa is the Tokoloshe. It is also referred to as Hili. Multiple explanations for the Tokoloshe exist but the most believed is that it is the product of a witchdoctor’s summoning. The Tokoloshe can be something as harmless as a creature that scares off kids, or it has the power to make victims fall ill and even cause death. Reportedly the Tokoloshe chokes victims with long grey boney fingers. The Tokoloshe is almost always described as small and primate-like and apparently either has a hole in its head or gauged out eyes. Some say it resembles a poltergeist, zombie or gremlin. Part of its poltergeist explanation is the fact that it can allegedly turn invisible by drinking water. According to the shaman Credo Mutwa, the Tokoloshe can take many shapes either as the creature described above or a bear-like humanoid. The creature is also known to rape women in their sleep and bite off toes. The only way to keep the tokoloshe at bay is to put a brick underneath each foot of the bed. In 2009 there were widespread reports of female-sized Tokoloshes going by the name of “Livashni”. This
has not yet been dismissed as a hoax. Cryptids aren’t all animals, ghosts and sea monsters. The Umdhlebi or umdhlebe is actually a plant first reported in 1870 in Henry Callaway’s book ‘The religious system of the Amazulu’. The plant is never described in full detail and reports rather describe its extreme toxicity. Despite this, the plant exists in two distinctly different types. There is the shrub-like variety and then a larger tree-like version that has two layers of bark. When the Umdhlebi is discovered in rocky areas the area around the tree which seems extremely fertile is where one will feel the effects of the poison. Supposedly the area around the tree is so fertile because of decay of bodies and full skeletons around the tree were often seen by the unfortunate discoverers. The effects of the poison include extreme headaches, diarrhea, fever, chills, bloodshot eyes, delirium, abdominal swelling and death. The fruits of the tree are said to have medicinal value and work as an antidote to the trees very poison. The Mamlambo is a deity in Zulu culture known as the river goddess. The Mamlambo only became of interest in 1997 when respectable newspapers reported sightings of this creature
in the Mzintlava River. Locals believed it was responsible for nine deaths in the river and nine bodies were indeed found by police that had been partly eaten by crabs. Despite crabs being the most likely culprit for this damage locals claimed it was the Mamlambo and its hunger for faces and brains. Through this it developed the name “Brain Sucker”. The creature was not dismissed by the government and Ezra Sigwela, the Minister of Agriculture for the Eastern Cape region begged the South African Eastern Cape Legislature to track down this creature. Hunters searched but supposedly never discovered anything. Locals described the beast as having a horse torso with short legs, a snake neck and a fish-like lower body. Locals still believe the creature lives in their river and takes residence under bridges. South Africa is home to plenty of folklore and interesting cultures and their beliefs. Remember that something isn’t necessarily non-existent before it is discovered, it is simply then undiscovered. Keep your eyes open when swimming and make sure to always have some bricks for your bed to keep the Tokoloshe at bay.
Local creatures of folklore By Shaun Dylan Simpson The word ‘cryptid’ may sound unheard of but it’s a fairly recent word used to describe something the entire human race has experienced for many generations. They are fearful creatures in culture and folklore that may bear truth or need an explanation. The existence of some such creatures are impossible to prove or explain, despite widespread local documentation. A good example of this is the North American Bigfoot who is said to have existed amongst Native American cultures and to have been sighted throughout forest areas. Not all Cryptids are unexplained beasts. Some have had their existence proven. Animals like these include the Giant Squid, which had been described by sailors for generations. There is also the Bili Ape which was known to locals as the ‘Ghost Ape’. This is a larger set of chimpanzee, which reportedly acted like gorillas and were in fact a real species. Men and women giving these creatures both breath and skepticism are known as cryptozoologists. Cryptids aren’t a foreign phenomenon as you
12 Features
6 May 2014
Dr Whittington-Jones kicks off first Career Lounge By Michelle Laver The Career Centre has turned up the volume in order to help students find a career as well as provide some guidance on finding a future dream job through the establishment of the Career Lounge. The Career Centre launched the new ‘Career Lounge’ programme for students at Eden Grove Red Lecture theatre on 24 April. The first career lounge catered for students interested in biodiversity. Attending students sat down in an ‘informal’ space while professionals, in various careers in the Biodiversity sector, served their valuable insights and highlights of their jobs on a platter of success. “The idea of the Career Lounge came about after some research that the WWF had spearheaded, so the research was to see what universities know about careers in Biodiversity,” said manager of the Career Lounge, Sarah Green. “The most asked questions when students come to the career centre are questions such as, “Where are the careers? What are the jobs?,” Green said. The Career Lounge is a space to ask questions and interact with the professional presenters. Various Speakers are planning to present at Rhodes at least six times this year. Funded by The Lewis Foundation, South African National Biodiversity Institute, World Wildlife Fund-SA, Green Matter and all universities in South Africa, this program has spread throughout universities, with each institution providing guidance to the students in whichever way they choose to. “We are making history here at Rhodes University; we are the first university (to have) this idea of a career lounge” said Green. This student driven process hopes to provide professional career guidance for ‘newbies’.
As I took a seat in the career-lounge, slowly more and more post-grads and young, aspiring students filtered through the doors to witness Dr Kevin Whittington-Jones, the first speaker at the Career Lounge. The lights dimmed as a slide-show presentation was projected onto the screen and a tall, lean man took the spotlight. Whittington-Jones, the Director of Coastal Environmental Services (CES) began to unravel his journey of how he got to where he is today. Whittington-Jones, a PhD graduate in Environmental biology and technology, graduated from Rhodes University in 1989. Initially after matriculating, he had hoped to get into Veterinary Science and follow in his father’s footsteps. “The grand plan was to head off to Onderstepoort to study Veterinary Science and become a vet, and of course things never happen as they are planned” said WhittingtonJones He decided on Rhodes and during his years of study, his career choices always seemed to change, which is nothing new for a student. Whittington-Jones began by looking at the science subjects such as Microbiology, Zoology and Botany throughout his undergraduate courses, as he explained that “maths and I were fierce enemies.” After majoring in Microbiology and Zoology, he took a gap year before receiving his honours and then MSc in Marine Biology. “This is where the whole accident rather than design thing happened” explains Whittington-Jones. After his gap year he decided to complete his Honours for three reasons: firstly, that he was offered a Bursary, secondly that it was the first time that this course was being offered as an honours course and thirdly that there would be a trip to the southern oceans included. After this journey of a lifetime, it was a deciding factor to further his
knowledge in marine biology. After receiving his PHD in Biology Technology, Whittington-Jones was able to negotiate the position of Operations Director after he left Rhodes. He describes himself as a “specialist generalist” also known as “Jack of all trades.” He currently works internationally as a specialist in waste management. The few that managed to try out the Career Lounge seemed very interested in his words of advice, ideas and motivation. He carried on with revealing his school life, job experience and even some of his travel projects. Ranging from sugar-cane in Switzerland, grown-energy in Mozambique to the United Nations Environment Programme coastal-zone protection project in Madagascar; this man had seen and done it all. Whittington-Jones then went on to explain how you cannot plan out your future since sometimes things in his life simply just happen. “The idea of sticking to one career path, never really motivated me,” said Whittington-Jones. During his work experience and becoming involved in different projects, he had learnt over time what his strengths and weaknesses were. He found that there were other paths that could combine all three of his interests; plants, animals and photography. Before I knew it, 45 minutes were up and everyone reclined back in their chair from sheer amazement at Whittington-Jones’ awe-inspiring journey. The floor was opened for questions before we were invited for light snacks and tea outside the theatre. Hands shot up like lightning bolts. The audience seemed curious as how to get into a sector like this, seeing as most were currently following a similar path. All it took was a click of a button and the slide-show presented a spider-diagram of jobs that could lead into
various career paths. “It’s something that you can approach from all angles in terms of careers,” said Whittington-Jones. Overall, the event focused on the reflection of Whittington-Jones’ career and subject choice’s throughout his life. His map to success provided students with guidelines on how to get into various types of employment. He raised the awareness among students that they should get involved in as much job experience as possible that relates to their personal interests. Evaluation forms were spread amongst the audience for feedback. We were asked for comments on whether or not we found the overall presentation to be helpful, and how they could improve their presentation for the next upcoming event, which is soon to be announced. Snacks, tea and coffee awaited as we exited the lecture room, giving us the opportunity, once more, to exchange ideas with fellow students. Whittington-Jones and the career-centre staff were also available for anyone who wished to ask for more advice. Older students in attendance were generally satisfied with the evening. A number of them commented on how they wished that something like this had been available during their first year. With my head filled with new knowledge and information about a fascinating career, I wished that younger students, other than masters or PHD students, could join in on a session. It will be so useful if you are worried about the future. and where your career path lies. So give it a try! Who knows? Maybe one day you will be the one lecturing others about how you found your career path, just by sitting in on an informative ‘Career Lounge’.
Rhodes students to represent Africa in Switzerland Mantiphe Moila Imagine a space where students get to engage with their future careers with depth and insight that is astounding at a varsity level. Imagine a group of passionate young students, led by an incredibly passionate coach, thrown together into a field they knew little about. Imagine the European Law Student Associations International Moot Court. Four Rhodes law students entered the competition and won the African region. On the 12th of May they will be representing Africa in Geneva, Switzerland. It will be a space that draws in hopefuls and releases confident men and women with invaluable knowledge in their store. The team is made up of Oscar McGown-Withers, BK Taoana, Deanne McKersie and Jamie Foreman and is led by coach and lecturer Vicky Heideman. The four students had to hand in written submissions after Heideman sent out an assignment brief in November of last year. A lot of the preparation for the written portion of the competition was done during November. The team then geared up in February for the oral aspect by honing their mooting skills. They practiced first weekly then daily. “We had a lot of mock presentations where we presented our arguments […] we got to play devil’s advocate and got to critique our arguments to the point of being prepared,” says Taoana. The team went into the competition not sure what to expect. They had not yet begun this aspect of law, therefore had to put in a lot of research in order to thrive in the competition. “We went into the [competition] knowing we had a strong team but no idea we could win it,” says McGown-Withers. The team was working with a complex and nuanced case about trading services. In the case, there are two hypothetical countries; one which is developed and the other which is developing. The developing country had committed to opening up the market to the developed country for water and sewerage services. The developing country then, having decided that the service was
unsatisfactory, passed a law which put the government in charge when it comes to networking.” Thus the competition has had of the services. The team had to prepare argument in favour of a positive influence on their future careers. Taoana discovered both sides of the team and ended up representing the developing things about himself that he didn’t know. Heideman believes country. “The question itself was like six pages with over 20 pages participation in extra mural activities is invaluable as they contribute of clarifying questions to trawl through,” says McGown-Withers. to well roundedness as a student, “studying is not a matter of just During the oral rounds the team presented their case to a panel getting your degree, it’s a matter of growing as a person so that by of trade law experts. Some of the experts were panel members the time you get your degree [it] is really valuable.” for The World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the team found daunting but exciting. “In the beginning I was really nervous but once I started talking all the nerves left and I just focused on delivering our argument to the panellists,” says McKersie. Their hard work and trawling paid off in the end. They ploughed through the competition, cultivating knowledge, gaining skills and winning the regional round and prizes for themselves too. “All of them… won summer school courses at the World Trade Institute in Switzerland” explains Heideman. Oscar McGown-Withers won best orator in the final round and a scholarship to do his masters at the University of Barcelona. According to Foreman they gained confidence and litigation skills which are vital for student going into the law. The four students and coach are currently preparing their visas for the Geneva trip. This competition illustrates the amazing things that can happen when students decide to get involved in activities that allow them to engage with their subjects outside of the lecture halls. “This competition has changed my life. I don't mean that in the regular platitudinous way[…] so to future students I'd say grab every opportunity you can because you never know which will change your life” states McGown-Withers. Winners of the trip to Switzerland - Back: Lecturer Vicky Heideman and Bokang BK Taoana. Front: Oscar McGown-Withers, Jamie Foreman and Deanne McKerAccording to McKersie, “the people we have had sie Photo: Sourced. the chance to meet are definitely going to be an asset
Scitech 13
Edition 5
Windows 8.1 is Microsoft’s comeback By Greg Roxburgh Not so long ago Windows came out with new and important updates for Windows 8. These include updates for both PC and Windows Phone. Starting off with Windows 8.1 (the PC version), it is not as big of a jump as Windows 7 to Windows 8 was – so don’t expect a full remake of the Windows operating system-but it is still bigger than a mere service pack Microsoft focused on versatility when they made Windows 8. This led to more focus being put on touch screen devices than on the conventional mouse and keyboard. Windows 8.1 now shifts the focus back towards the mouse and keyboard users, bringing features familiar to users of previous versions of Windows. These include the return of the much missed Windows Button (aka the Start button) at the bottom left hand corner of the desktop. Windows 8.1 embraces many other small changes. Instead of thrusting you into a full screen app, for example when you want to play a song, it by default uses the desktop counterpart of said
application. In Windows 8, the search and power button were both hidden. Windows 8.1 now has these buttons in the start menu for easy access. Rhodes University Windows 8 users can also expect improved support for Student Network printing and other applications. Although these changes are very small and may seem insignificant at first glance, in use they really make a difference to the overall experience. Together these small changes bring the focus back to a desktop based Operating System (OS). In view of that, conventional ‘mouse and keyboard’ users should definitely upgrade – if they haven’t already. Unlike the jump between Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 on PC; Windows Phone 8.1 (nicknamed “Blue”) is a massive jump in comparison. It delivers a wide range of new software alterations, tweaks and features. Despite the changes, Microsoft has kept to the previous user interface (UI) design. It is more of a refinement than the complete change of the UI. It now offers more customisation, notably the addition of
backgrounds, which many people will welcome. The new background feature integrates an image of your choice with the tiles: essentially the tiles become transparent with the image showing through them, whilst keeping the black background between the tiles. Again Microsoft takes a different path to its competitors. These differences may be considered refreshing by some users but annoyances by others. Customisation, Cortana (similar to an iPhone’s Siri) and an action and notification centre are but a few of a myriad of new changes and features which “Blue” brings to the table. All of these additions undoubtedly bring the Windows Phone OS back into competition with its opponents such as the iOS and Android. The two updates have introduced much need changes which are in line with the criticism Windows has received in the past. This is just testament to the fact that, both on PC and phones, the Windows operating system gives their users what they want. These updates prove that Microsoft is not going to let Windows fall behind in the war of operating systems.
Photo: Sourced/Flickr
The dead, Deep Web is larger than you think By Shaun Simpson The Internet is huge. In fact, its size is so immense that the online world that most people know accounts for less than 1% of the Internet. The rest of the Internet is known as the ominous-sounding Deep Web. A secret online world that once could only be accessed through specific programs and encryptions until the launch of the Tor browser. Simply downloading and using the Tor browser, which keeps you completely anonymous, will be all you need to get into the other 99% of the web. The most commonly used method to access and navigate the Deep Web is through portals. These are sites that offer links to other sites. A popular example is the Hidden Wiki which is a website that provides a directory of links to sites on the Deep Web. What makes the Deep Web popular is its reputation as the mass breeding ground for online criminal activity. It contains sites like the infamous Silk Road – the online black market, where there is a huge amount of online drug trade. Sites which offer ‘assassins for hire’ also exist, though many doubt their legitimacy. Gun trade and child pornography are also not strangers to this new world. Using Tor browser on its own is not a crime, normal people who are
unwilling to reveal their IP addresses online use Tor. The internet isn’t something easily legislated. If you consider the Internet as not a terribly strange place, you haven’t experienced even a fraction of what’s really out there. Fortunately, much of the spectacle of online nefarious activities has been dampened. When the Deep Web received the public exposure that it is getting now, it was brought to the attention of various online activity enforcers. Well-known hacktivist group ‘Anonymous’ posted videos on YouTube and articles on associated sites. On these sites, they claimed that they were going to attack the pedophiles of the web and reveal their identities. The majority of links to illegal content on the Deep Web are now broken or missing because the websites have been shut down due to raids by Anonymous. There are still websites available but expect nothing else but extremely strange porn sites and places to download pirated games- pretty much what is legally accessible on the normal web anyway. Even the powerful Silk Road was closed down, and though it resurfaced, it possessed much less user support. With the fall of so many illegal sites the Deep Web is still an amazing place to visit. It is now the husk of what was once the criminally-minded individual’s heaven. However, the whole Deep
Web isn’t just this. Much of it is made up of private networks such as University sites that otherwise cannot be accessed. The Deep Web is also well known to aid in citizen-journalism, with famous sites such as WikiLeaks offering people a method to
anonymously leak information. No matter who attempts to control what happens on the dark side of the World Wide Web, it is still a place free of conviction and control. It is the dark, unknown and unclaimed online world.
According to Internet Live Stats, about 40% of the world connects to the internet. Photo: Flickr/photosteve101
14
6 May 2013
Scitech
Heartbleed bug bites many By Tayla Sellschop Imagine if anybody, anywhere knew what you were doing, saying or searching for on the Internet. Every enemy you ever had and every interested eye could find out the conversations you’d had in the last few months. Imagine if every pin you used to access your accounts became known in the public sphere. It’s a scary to think that something as safe and secure as OpenSSL, could be hacked and our information is as risk of being read or stolen and invariably used against us. OpenSSL is a system that runs and operates TLS and SSL protocols and perating systems like Solaris, Linux, Mac and Windows use OpenSSL to run their systems effectively and use it to aid users in storing information privately. Unfortunately this came under serious attack recently, when a bug was created by unknown hackers. The bug has been coined ‘Heartbleed’ due to the danger of a user’s personal information bleeding out into cyber and public interfaces. This bug has the potential, without the user’s knowledge, to hack into their memory of systems and databases like the internet, social media and private encryption keys. As students we unwittingly expose ourselves to sources of torrent and other websites that are prone to infiltration from Heartbleed. Thus, students could potentially be putting their information at risk. Heartbleed was discovered Google engineer Neel Mehta as well as by the Finnish Security firm Codenomicon while the company was conducting upgrades on a safeguard feature in a company’s security tools. The important thing to realise is that the problem is being monitored and security efforts on the part of security companies have been amplified. The responsibility on the user is to upgrade his or her security and ensure their version of OpenSSL is up to date and won’t be susceptible to the Heart Bleed bug in the future. Below is a list of hampered and unhampered Openssl systems which users can check to see whether they may or may not be susceptible to attack. • • • • • • • •
debian wheezy (stable), Openssl 1.0.1e-2+deb7u4 Ubuntu 12.04.4 lts, Openssl 1.0.1-4ubuntu5.11 centos 6.5, Openssl 1.0.1e-15 fedora 18, Openssl 1.0.1e-4 openbsd 5.3 (Openssl 1.0.1c 10 may 2012) and 5.4 (Openssl 1.0.1c 10 may 2012) freebsd 10.0 - Openssl 1.0.1e 11 feb 2013 netbsd 5.0.2 (Openssl 1.0.1e) opensuse 12.2 (Openssl 1.0.1c)
Operating system distribution with versions that is not vulnerable: • debian squeeze (oldstable), Openssl 0.9.8o-4squeeze14 • suse Linux enterprise server • FreeBSD 8.4 - Openssl 0.9.8y 5 feb 2013 • FreeBSD 9.2 - Openssl 0.9.8y 5 feb 2013 • FreeBSD 10.0p1 - Openssl 1.0.1g (at 8 apr 18:27:46 2014 utc) • freebsd ports - openssl 1.0.1g (at 7 apr 21:46:40 2014 utc)
Many internet users’ personal information is threatenedin this large scale cyber invasion. Photo: Flickr/Don Hankins
Indlela yokufumana izixhobo zakho Ngu Dimpho Moletsane yaze yaguqulelwa nguNtombovuyo Ngaphu Mhlawumbi uyishiye endlwini yomhlobo wakho ngelixa benisonwabela iziselo? Okanye ndaweni ithile kula ngxowa yakho yempahla engcolileyo endlwini yabafundi… Noba kwenzeke ntoni , esona sixhobo sakho usithandayo silahlekile, sikushiya nombuzo wokuba mawenze ntoni na emva koko. Ngethamsanqa, i-Apps ezahlukeneyo zivelisiwe ngenjongo enye yokufumana iminxeba elahlekileyo nezixhobo. Akusadingeki nokuba ube unethemba lokuba mntu uthile uzakufumanela eyakho. Ngoku ungazikhangelela eyakho ngokwakho. Xa uneSmartphone ke phofu… Abasebenzisi beAndroid Kutshanje uGoogle uhlaziye isixokelelwano sakhe esisebenzayo ukuze sibandakanye isixhobo esitsha esibizwa ngokuba yiAndroid Device Manager, ukunceda abantu abaneSmartphone sakwa Android ukuba bafumane iiTablet neminxeba yabo elahlekileyo okanye eyebiweyo. iAndroid Device Manager yenziwa ngeesetingi zakwaGoogle. Esi sixhobo sikuncedisayo ukuba ubone lo nto uyikhangelayo sifumaneka kuDefault, kwaye kukho nezinye izixhobo ezikuvumela ukuba utshixe isixhobo sakho okanye ucime iinkcukacha. Xa ufuna ukusebenzisa isixhobo esikubonisayo, ndwendwela uAndroid Device Manager kwiWebhu ungene nge’akhawunti yakho yakwaGoogle. Uza kufumana isikhokelo esicela imvume yakho yokuba iAndroid Device Manager isebenzise iinkcukacha zokukhangela. Cofa kwiqhosha elithi “Accept” ukuze uqhubeleke. NgeAndroid Device Manager, unako ukukhangela umnxeba wakho emaphini
kwanendawo apho ubugqityelwe ukusetyenziswa khona. Uyakwazi ukukhalisa isixhobo sakho, ugunyazise ifactory rest ezakuthi icime iinkcukacha zakho, kuquka i-Apps, Iifoto, umculo neesetingi. Ukuba sike sebiwa isixhobo sakho, awusazukwazi ukufikelela kuso ngeAndroid Device Manager ngoko ke eli licebo lokugqibela lokukhusela iinkcukacha zakho eziyimfihlo. Ngokwesikhwa esiqhelekileyo sakwaAndroid kukho iqela leeApps ezinakho ukwenza umsebenzi onje ngalo simahla okanye umane ubhatala imali encinci qho ngenyanga. Icebo lesibini lingabangumzekelo. Olona ncedo lukhulu lweAndroid Device Manager (kuquka i-iOS Find My Phone) kukuba uyakwazi ukuyisebenzisa emveni kokuba umnxeba ulahlekile. Oku kwenziwa sisixhobo sokufakela sakwaGoogle Play Store esibizwa ngokuba yi-over-the-air. Suka ufake le-App uyithatha kwipheyiji kaGoogle Play Store, emva koko iza kungena kwisixhobo sakho ngoko nangoko. Le App iza kuqala ke isebenze, ithumele iinkcukacha zendawo ekuyo kwidilesi yakho yeGmail. Ungaboleka umnxeba womhlobo wakho uthumele igama elithi “locate” kwinombolo yomnxeba wakho ukuze uwufumane. ILookout Mobile Security yenye enezixhobo ezitsha ezinje ngeSignal Flare ethi ixele apho umnxeba wakho ukhoyo xa ibhetri isezantsi kakhulu, kwaye ingakwazi ukufota ngekhamera engaphambili xa umntu esahluleka ukufaka ilockscreen yakho ngaphezulu kwamatyeli amabini, ikunikeza ifoto onokuthi uyinikezele kwabezomthetho. Abasebenzisi be-iOS I-Find My iPhone yiCustom locator app yeiPhone, yakwaApple mobile operating system. Ukusebenzisa le-app kulula nje ngokusuke uye kwiiSeting>iCloud>Enable Find My iPhone. Ukususela apho, ungangena ku-iCloud kuso
nasiphi na isixhobo esine-intanethi ukuze ufumane i-iPhone yakho. IFind My iPhone ingakubonisa ukuba i-iPhone yakho edukileyo igqityelwe ukubonwa phi na kwimaphu okanye idlale isandi esizakunceda ukuba ukwazi ukuyifumana ukuba ikufuphi. IFind My iPhone iquka iLost Mode ekwaziyo ukutshixa umnxeba wakho ngephanyazo ize iveze inombolo yomnxeba kwisikrini. Oku kwenzela ukuba nabani na othe wafumana umnxeba wakho akutsalele engakhange wabe kanti ufumana ezinye iinkcukacha ezikuwo umnxeba. Ngeli lixa isixhobo sikuLost Mode siyakwazi ukugcina iinkcukacha zale ndawo besikuyo kwaye sikuxelele nanini xa ungena kwi-app kaFind My iPhone. Xa ufuna ukucima i-app kaFind My iPhone kufuneka iApple ID yakho nePassword futhi i-iPhone ingaqhubeka iveza into ethi “Please call me to return my iPhone” naxa umntu ezama ukuyicima. I-Find My iPhone neLost Mode zisebenza kuphela xa i-iPhone leyo ivuliwe yaze yaqhagamshelaniswa neWi-Fi. Abasebenzisi beWindows Phone UWindows Phone 8 kaMicrosoft unikeza uncedo oluyeleleneyo nolo lweAndroid Device Manager ebizwa ngokuba yiFind My Phone. Suka ungene kuWindows Phone usebenzisa iMicrosoft ID nepassword yakho emva koko uza kunikwa ilungelo lokunyula ukubonisa umnxeba wakho, ukuwukhalisa okanye ucime zonke iinkcukacha. Iileptophu Okulungiselelwe iileptophu, kukho i-app Prey isixhobo sasimahla esithi senze ingxelo ecacileyo ngemo yeleptophu yakho nangokuba iphi na. Esi sixhobo naso sifumaneka kwiwebhu. IPrey ikunikeza imaphu kaGoogle ebonisa ukuba ileptophu yakho indawoni kunye noluhlu lwemifanekiso. Enye sisikrini esibonakalisa nantoni na eyenzekayo ngelixa ikunika ithuba
elililo lokufumana lo mntu uneleptophu yakho naxa engena kwi-social networking site okanye enikisa ngedilesi yakhe ye-imeyili. Eyesibini yifoto ethathwe yiwebcam yeleptophu yakho. Kanye njengeLookup Security App yakwaAndroid, oku kukunikeza ithuba lokufumana ifoto ecacileyo yobuso besela ongayithatha uyise emapoliseni. Konke oku kulawulwa yicontrol panel ekwiwebhu nalapho unokuthi uphawule isixhobo sakho njengesidukileyo, ukhalise ivuso okanye usitshixe ngoku sikude nawe. Ungaphinde ubonakalise umyalezo olumkisa lowo mntu unomatshini wakho okhangelwayo, okanye mhlawumbi -ukuba ukwimo yokuxolela –uthembise ngomvuzo. IPrey ayikunikezi ndlela yokususa onke amaxwebhu akho, nangona ikunika indlela ekhuselekileyo ekwaziyo ukwenza ukuba omnye umntu angakwazi ukufikelela kwi-imeyili yakho kwaye isusa zonke iiPassword neebrowser cookies zakho ebezigcinwe kulo matshini webiweyo ukuthintela ithuba lokuba umntu afumane iinkcukacha zakho eziyimfihlelo. I-Akhawunti yasimahla yePrey ikunceda ukuba ulandele umkhondo woomatshini abathathu ngexesha elinye. Xa uthe wagqiba kwelokuba umatshini webiwe, izakugcina iingxelo ngokwexehsa zalapho ukhoyo umatshini lowo kwakunye nemifanekiso ethathiweyo. Ukuba kuthe kwenziwa iingxelo ezilishumi , eyona indala iyacinywa ukwenzela ukuba kubekho isithuba seengeniso ezintsha. Ukulahlekelwa sisixhobo kungabayinto eyothusayo neneendleko ezininzi, kwaye eziApps azithi yeka ukuqonda nokuhlala uqaphele kwiimeko ezithile. Ngethemba ngoku, uxhobe ngokwaneleyo xa kunokwenzeka isixhobo sakho siduke. Read the English version of this story on activateonline.co.za
Environment 15
Edition 5
Rhino deaths highlight society’s struggle
The Cliptivists: striving to understand the poaching problem
By Jane Berg & Nash Skosana Local anti-rhino poaching activist group The Cliptivists pose this question to us; what can we do? It is a plea which conveys their determination to no longer pass off the problem onto others but to become personally involved in the solution. This team of five are taking on the challenge of researching and articulating the issue in all its bewildering complexity and aiming to accelerate a global conversation, which they hope, might even reach the consumers of rhino horn. The Cliptivist Members Xola Mali: A social activist and Rastafarian Strato Copteros: Media practitioner and blues-band drummer Charlotte Jefferay: Buddhist and all-round determinedly concerned individual Pumelela aka ‘Push’ Nqelenga: Vibrant combination of actor and journalist Carla Wilby: A teenager, coming to grips with her place in the world Mark Wilby: Director, producer.
A Social Issue In striving to further their understanding of the poaching crisis, Cliptivist members note that they have been astonished by its complicated causes. Push Nqelenga states that poaching, “highlights the wider ills of our society.” Here are some of the key factors they have identified during their ongoing research.
Rhino Poaching statistics South Africa
333 448
1004
“The difficulty lies not in solving problems but expressing them” -Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
Economic A global commodification of nature has taken place since time immemorial. Wilby notes that the popular use of the term “our rhino” is an indicator of a proprietorial psychology of which the poaching is only a symptom. The WWF reports we are dealing with a global spike in illegal wildlife trade worth about $160 billion. The second largest direct threat to species after habitat destruction. The socio-economic inequality in South Africa means that people are enticed by the easy money that poaching can bring. The price of rhino horn is $65 000 per kg, higher than the price of gold. This is the case particularly in communities adjacent to prosperous game farms which sprawl over lands traditionally belonging to their forebearers. Nqelenga comments, “People might feel, this rhino is given a better life than I have”. The group sees potential solutions which empower the communities surrounding the reserves.
“Our generation needs to be more active and move away from the internet. We need to do something visible.”
2011 18.26 668
2012 27.23% 2013 41%
Benson Okita, researcher with the Kenyan Wildlife Service has calculated that rhinos will be extinct by 2020 if poaching continues at its current rate. Six rhinos have been killed at the Pumba Game Reserve outside Grahamstown in the last month and a half.
Cultural In a country where our constitution affirms the expression of traditional beliefs, is it ethical to disparage those held by other cultures? Along with the popular belief that rhino horn is used in Asian countries as an aphrodisiac, which some have contested, it is associated with a huge variety of cures, from headaches to dysentery. Richard Ellis, author of Tiger Bone and Rhino Horn states “Make no mistake: those people who use rhino horn to cure medical ailments really believe it works. Rhino horn has been an integral component of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) for thousands of years.” Cliptivist members hope to tactfully address the particularly challenging nature of the cultural element to avoid an ‘us vs them’ rhetoric. One of their primary aims is to engage in some kind of communication with the consumers of rhino horn. Wilby states, if there is an industry actively selling horn as a commodity, the Cliptivists hope to act as a voice which counters this. The changing patterns of the consumer market shows that the horn is being associated less with medicine and more with a symbol of social status. This might offer a glimmer of hope as it shows that the concept is not totally static.
Cara Van der Merwe, second year, BA student
2010 13.38%
Legalisation The South African cabinet has indicated that it is considering lifting the ban on rhino trade, and calls for legalisation have been heard frequently from various sectors of society. Those who advocate for this argue that flooding the market with reserves of rhino horn currently held by African governments would drop the price of horn and thus the poaching incentive. It is also argued that horn can be farmed from rhinos without harming the animal. Therefore, the demand could be supplied without further danger to the species. Others contest that given states’ current capabilities they would not be able to impose successful restrictions on a legal trade. There are also concerns that legal trade would increase the demand. The Cliptivists are amongst the latter group. In their research they conducted an interview with Quyen Vu of Education for Nature in Vietnam, who claims that South Africa’s indecisiveness on the issue is sending mixed signals and hampering their attempts to educate citizens. Wilby expresses the concern that even if the poaching of rhinos is abated in the short term, the long term effects on rhinos and other wildlife might be more detrimental. He finds that the solution is on the whole too simplistic and negates the broader social remedies which the crisis requires.
Johann Harmse, second year, BA student
Carla Navarra, second year BA student
“Make it a committal thing and let there be more engagement in the awareness of rhino’s. We can do more.”
“It’s great to have a group where asking people to give something of themselves no matter how small because every little thing counts.”
What does the IPCC report mean for us? Alizwa Mnyatheli The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released a series of reports in recent months integral to the recognition of climate change as an unquestionable global crisis. Yet many are still unsatisfied. The IPCC’s latest release, which is the third of three working reports which will make up the Fifth Assessment Report, warns that unless governments fundamentally change their technology use and policies, the earth’s temperature will rise to critical levels. In as much as the report was set to tackle the most urgent global climate problems, it has left climate experts and policy analysts feeling under
the weather, by its prime focus on mitigation efforts. In the most part they felt it failed to give details on - and direction to - countries that are fasttracking climate change. Who emits what is the big question. There is no community, or individual that will not be impacted somehow by climate change. Even the social issues in South Africa can be viewed as part of the growing effects of climate change. As the Head of the Environmental Science Department Professor Sheona Shackelton points out, the most vulnerable are those that have no access to services that would ensure their safety and health in a scenario where climate change is to blame.
Climate change specialist Dr Jane Olwoch, has said that climate change will lead to an intensification and spread in diseases. The increase in temperatures will also leave the water-scarce landscapes even drier except for the east and along the Drakensberg, which will have an increase in rainfall. What we will see in essence is our ecosystem turned onto its head, worsening agricultural issues such as livestock and crop reduction and floods. For some communities, more frequent floods will have people forcibly moving around with no stable infrastructure. Policy director at the London School of Economics’ Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and
the Environment Bob Ward said the analysis is there and sorted, “Now leaders must get to grips with that message.” Policy is where we start and as suggested by Shackelton, at a policy level South Africa is fairly well advanced and adequately encompasses Long Term Adaptation scenarios (LTAS), which are linked to the National Policy of Climate Change. “The problem however is how we put [our policy] into practice. We are seeing an acknowledgment and an implementation of other forms of energy”, Shackleton added. Still, what remains a solemn mission is reducing carbon emissions as much as possible. The report further revealed
that if we do what we can, we can still have a 50% chance of preventing the global surface-temperature increase from exceeding the UN target of 2˚C. This way hopefully an additional 1,550 gigatonnes (Gt) of greenhouse gas emissions before 2100 will have be avoided. It may seem quite bleak at this point but as Shackleton suggests, it is perhaps simply a matter of eliminating the additional stressors. “A lot of adaptation is about addressing current problems. It is [also] about maintaining a healthy ecosystem,” she said. Indeed these go hand-in-hand as, “You cannot address climate change without looking at the community,” she added.
Edition 5, 6 May 2014
Photostory: page 8 & 9
Your Say:
With elections happening tomorrow, Activate went out to get an idea of who people are voting for and why. Here’s a look at what some of them had to say.
NAME:Mlondiwethu Dubazane AGE:18 FIRST TIME VOTING: Yes YEAR:1st year Drama BEST CANDIDATE: DA ISSUE: Skill shortage in labour market.
NAME: Mark Woodland AGE: 24 FIRST TIME VOTING: No YEAR: 1st year Journ BEST CANDIDATE: Doesn’t think there is one ISSUE: Multiplurality in our election.
NAME: Ashwin May AGE: 19 FIRST TIME VOTING: Yes YEAR:1st year Drama BEST CANDIDATE: DA ISSUE:ANC’s lack of service delivery and keeping of policy promises.
NAME: Élia Nyantabana AGE: 20 FIRST TIME VOTING: Yes YEAR: 1st year French BEST CANDIDATE: DA ISSUE: DA’s success in Western Province vs ANC’s inadequacy
NAME: Kylen PlasketGovender AGE: 19 FIRST TIME VOTING: Yes YEAR: 2nd year Journ BEST CANDIDATE: Communist Party ISSUE: The current leadership’s inability to lead.
NAME: Tyron Appadi AGE: 18 FIRST TIME VOTING: Yes YEAR: 1st year Bcom BEST CANDIDATE: DA ISSUE: Corruption.
NAME:Tim Westwood AGE:19 FIRST TIME VOTING: Yes YEAR: 1st year HKE BEST CANDIDATE: DA ISSUE: New quota system especially with regards to sport.
NAME: Matthew Hanly AGE: 18 FIRST TIME VOTING: Yes YEAR: 1st year HKE BEST CANDIDATE: DA ISSUE: Corruption and ANC not fulfilling promises.
NAME:James Stewart AGE:23 FIRST TIME VOTING:No Year: 2nd year BA BEST CANDIDATE: DA ISSUE:Regime change.
NAME:Carla Navarra AGE:20 First TIME VOTING:Yes Year:1st year BEST CANDIDATE:DA ISSUE: Education.
NAME: Josh Bell AGE: 18 FIRST TIME VOTING: Yes YEAR: 1st year law BEST: DA ISSUE: Corruption.
NAME:Emma Kate Laubscher AGE:21 FIRST TIME VOTING:Yes YEAR:3rd year BEST CANDIDATE: DA ISSUE:Education.