Extra #10

#10 DECEMBER 2013

MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES

The essential supplement of the French Institute of South Africa

Special issue: South African Season in France and more...

Editorial POUR LONGTEMPS… Nos missions de diplomates sont si denses, ardues et techniques que l’on pourrait vite en oublier l’essentiel : l’émotion simple et authentique des rencontres humaines, de peuple à peuple.

Emotion de cet enfant de Durban qui nous assure, les yeux encore illuminés par « Place des Anges », l’événement de clôture de la Saison

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Bienvenue

de la France en Afrique du Sud 2012, avoir vu là le plus beau spectacle

Ukwemukela

Emotion de cet écolier du Gauteng à la Standard Bank Art Gallery devant

Ukwamkelo

de Michael Haneke, primé au festival international du film de Durban

Welcome

Emotion des centaines d’invités au Théâtre de Chaillot pour l’ouverture

Vho tanganedzwa

Mairie de Paris The information contained in extra! was correct at the time of printing and is subject to change.

un Matisse flamboyant, de ces spectateurs éblouis par le film « Amour » 2012.

de la Saison de l’Afrique du Sud en France 2013 qui, au sortir du spectacle de la grande chorégraphe Robyn Orlin, retiennent leur souffle lorsque la Tour Eiffel s’illumine soudain aux couleurs de l’Afrique du Sud, hommage si fort de notre Peuple de la Révolution au Peuple de la Démocratie.

Mi Amukeriwile Sondzela

Emotion encore lorsque les ministres de nos deux gouvernements et le petit-fils du Président Mandela à l’Hôtel de Ville de Paris ouvrent l’exposition consacrée au héros de la lutte anti-apartheid, exposition qui connaîtra en France des records de fréquentation.

Kamogelo Kamohelo

Cover photograph © Henri Garat/

de sa vie.

Emotion de ces groupes de danse traditionnelle du KwaZulu-Natal ou du Mpumalanga sur les plus grandes scènes des festivals français, de ce mélomane parisien qui découvre un extrait d’opéra en langue zouloue accompagné par l’orchestre philarmonique du KwaZulu-Natal

Kamogelo Siyaalemukela Welkom French, IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, English, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, SiSwati, Setswana, Sesotho, Northern Sotho, IsiNdebele, Afrikaans.

sur la place de la République, de cette jeune fille de Soweto, éblouissante porte-parole dans son adresse à notre Assemblée Nationale…

Je me fais ici le relai du Président de la République française, M. François Hollande : lors de sa visite d’Etat en République sud-africaine en octobre 2013, il a conclu le discours à la communauté française en remerciant tous ces acteurs, souvent dans l’ombre et les coulisses, toutes ces équipes sud-africaines et françaises qui ont fait de ces deux années 2012 et 2013 une fête permanente, le théâtre vivant de toutes nos diversités culturelles. Et ce, dans tous les domaines, artistique, scientifique, littéraire, éducatif, économique, gastronomique ou encore sportif : un terrain d’échange sans cesse renouvelé.

Merci au public des villes et des villages, des festivals et des musées, des écoles, des amphis et des stades, merci à nos deux peuples, si enthousiastes à se redécouvrir.

MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES

Le souvenir des Saisons restera. Comme un filin d’amitié tendu entre nos deux pays, vers l’avenir.

Pour longtemps…

SE Mme Elisabeth Barbier, Ambassadrice de France en Afrique du Sud

Culture

Line-up FOR A LONG TIME…

2 The Shangaan Phenomenon, Richard ‘Nozinja’ Mthetwa

As diplomats, our missions are so dense, challenging and technical that

4 Round the world freedom of expression, Zanele Muholi

we could end up forgetting the most important thing: the simple and authentic emotions of human encounters, from people to people.

6 Will the real heroes please stand up?, Verushka Louw

The emotions of that child in Durban who assured us, with his eyes still

South African animation and the ‘French touch’, 8

illuminated by “Angels’ Place”, the closing event of the French Season

Daniel Snaddon

in South Africa 2012, that this was the most beautiful show he had ever seen.

The emotion of that Gauteng pupil staring at a dazzling Matisse at the Standard Bank Art Gallery, or those movie-goers filled with wonder by Michael Haneke’s film “Amour”, laureate at the Durban International

10 The art of culinary perfection, Kelvin Joel 12 « Nelson Mandela : De prisonnier à Président »

Film Festival in 2012.

14 South Africa-France Seasons 2012 & 2013 in pictures

The emotions of the guests in their hundreds, at the Théâtre de Chaillot,

16 Francophonie, home away from home,

for the opening of the South African Season in France 2013 who, on coming out of Robyn Orlin’s show, were flabbergasted at the sight of the Eiffel Tower suddenly lighting up with the colours of the South African flag, a very strong homage from the People of the French Revolution to the People of the Rainbow Nation.

Emotions still when the ministers of our two governments, and the grandson of former President Nelson Mandela, opened an exhibition dedicated to the hero of the fight against apartheid at the Citly Hall of

Jean-Pierre A. Lukamba

18 Fête de la Musique: a unique music experience,

Mary Duker

20 Crossings, the home of creative process,

Paris, an exhibition which was marked by attendance records.

The emotions of those traditional dance groups from KwaZulu-Natal

22 Public installation as part of the official

or Mpumalanga on the stages of the greatest French festivals, of that Parisian music lover who discovers a piece of opera sung in isiZulu, accompanied by the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra on Place de la République, or of that dazzling young spokesperson from Soweto, when she addressed our Parliament…

I am hereby relaying what the President of the French Republic, Mr François Hollande, said during his State visit to South Africa in October 2013 when, in concluding his speech addressed to the French community, he thanked all of these actors, who often work in the background and behind the scenes, to all the South African and French teams who made of 2012 and 2013 a permanent celebration, the living theatre of all our cultural diversities, whether in the domain of the arts, science, literature, education, economics, gastronomy or sports: a place where

Vincent Mantsoe commemoration of the World War One Centenary in France, Paul Emmanuel

24 The Alliance Française in Southern Africa 26 Shorty and Billy Boy by Gerard Sekoto 27 “Studying in France taught me how the world works”, Sboniso Cibani

exchange is constantly being renewed.

28 Standing up for Women!, Dr Lesley Ann Foster

Thank you to the public of all the cities, villages, festivals, museums,

29 Events 2014

schools, amphitheatres and stadiums, thank you to our two people, who have been so enthusiastic about rediscovering each other.

The memory of the Seasons will remain, like a string of friendship stretched between our two countries, towards the future.

The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a late-19th century parlor game popularised (though not devised) by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist. We thought that it was a good way to get to know our guest contributors

For a long time…

HE Mrs Elisabeth Barbier, Ambassadress of France in South Africa

better through their brief and often humorous responses presented at the end of most of the articles in this edition of extra!.

1

SEASONS | PERFORMING ARTS

The global Shangaan phenomenon Shangaan Electro is the high-speed dance and music group from Limpopo that is rising from streets into clubs, homes and venues all around the globe. extra! caught up with Richard ‘Nozinja’ Mthetwa, following Shangaan Electro’s European tour.

Shangaan Electro toured in several

The Soweto-based music producer, who grew up in Limpopo,

waist on women, and is designed to make women’s hips look

French cities and towns, including

describes Shangaan culture in few words: “Our culture is simple,

bigger, and thereby emphasise the shaking motion. For Shangaan

it is very easy to identify us: we are the only South African nation

people, dance is a way of expressing pride in their cultural herit-

to wear bright colours and the traditional xibelani. Our music

age. Xibelini dance is now regarded as an open dance in which

The event was part of the South

has got a unique rhythmic tune, which is actually the fastest of

everyone can participate.

African Season in France 2013.

South African music, with dancers accompanying the music.”

www.france-southafrica.com

The xibelani is indeed a very important feature of Shangaan

Although Richard ‘Nozinja’ Mthetwa did not grow up in a

culture. It is a type of African skirt which is tied around the

musical family, he feels that music is in his blood. He plays

Paris at the Gaîté Lyrique as part of Sharp Sharp Johannesburg, from 26 September to 19 October 2013.

2

RICHARD ‘NOZINJA’ MTHETWA Music Producer and Businessman Hailing from rural Limpopo and now Soweto-based, the charismatic producer, record label mogul and businessman Nozinja, saw the chance to update Shangaan music for the 21st Century and make it a very contemporary product of Africa.

Your favourite hobby: Soccer Your idea of happiness: Work hard and enjoy the fruits of my labour.

The supernatural talent you’d like to be gifted with: To teach people to respect their spouse and to become businessmen.

Your favourite motto: “I lead, they follow!”

What are you listening to at the moment? Fatou by Fatoumata Diawara, Malian singer and guitarist What comes to your mind when I mention France?: Paris!

Who inspires you? Richard Branson Your favourite hero/heroine in real life? My father Your preferred olfactory memory: The smell of sizzling prawns.

for people who like sound and music. About being a producer,

With a dozen awards in their pockets, the band which became

for a European tour to show their fans the “Shangaan expe-

Nozinja says: “If you want to be a good music producer, you

immediately successful, toured the world to rave reviews. The

rience”, loves to meet people, to make them happy and share

should not play any instrument because you can’t break the

band achieved international success through a youtube video

his culture with the people of the world. He loves to come back

rules once you know how to play. If you come with a new

which got several million hits. Their music went viral, and sooner

for more!

approach of mixing rhythms, you break the rules.” Nozinja saw

than later the whole world was shacking to the beat of Shangaan

an opportunity to present Shangaan music to the world in a new

music. “Everyone can go to YouTube but I cannot go to France and

light by adapting it to the 21st century with a twist, he adds “A

Marseille and go to the streets and dance. It is an opportunity for

Images: While France hosted a series of celebrations and

producer needs to have a unique approach to music and keep

us to discover the world and for people to discover our music.”

prestigious events for the official opening week of the South

going with time. The whole world did not know about Shangaan

Africa Season in France, Johannesburg celebrated to the sounds of Shangaan Electro at the event Rendez-Vous#1 on 6 June 2013

music; they wanted something new. We had diamonds and

The Shangaan Electro experience is one of a kind: it is contagious

gold in our hands. People from Limpopo welcomed this with

and energetic. The band which performs in xibelanis, overalls,

happiness. At first they thought I was breaking the rules of

feathers and masks can literally make hundreds of thousands

traditional Shangaan music, but they gave a chance to my music

of people move to their rhythms. They improvise depending on

and listened to it.”

the music, mood and people. Nozinja, who travelled with the band

in Braamfontein. Photographs courtesy of © Kapula

3

SEASONS | VISUAL ARTS

Round the world freedom of expression Zanele Muholi’s works were exhibited in Transition, paysage social (Transition, Social Landscape) at Rencontres d’Arles, in Sharp Sharp Johannesburg at the Gaîté Lyrique, and in a solo exhibition Fragments d’une nouvelle histoire par Zanele Muholi in Bordeaux, as part of the South African Season in France 2013. www.france-southafrica.com

4

Award-winning South African photographer, video and documentary filmmaker Zanele Muholi is on the move: Amsterdam, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Alabama, London, Edinburgh, Paris, Bremen... Her powerful work is on show in numerous museums and fairs worldwide, and for which she has received a number of important accolades. Recently Muholi has won the Fine Prize for an emerging artist at the 2013 Carnegie International, Carnegie Museums of Art and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

She was also honoured with the prestigious Prince Claus Award for her ‘visual activism’.

about Zanele Muholi, it is about people who want their voices to be heard and who are risking their lives in many ways. They want their faces to mark history and I feel indebted to them.”

Her training in Advanced Photography at the Market Photo Workshop has profoundly influenced who she is today, as well as her work. Muholi recalls the school in these words: “It is not only a school; it is a space of healing; a space where I regained my sanity and I remembered how to be human again, it gave me the opportunity to be myself wholeheartedly.” It is in this environment of freedom of expression and understanding that Zanele Muholi managed to break the boundaries and learned about queer history.

Founded by David Goldblatt in 1989 for disadvantaged young artists, the main focus of the school was, and still is, on sociodocumentary photography as well as using photography to reflect one’s social landscape. The Market Photo Workshop is associated with big names such as Jodi Bieber, Sabelo Mlangeni, Musa Nxumalo, Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko, Themba Hadebe, Bonile Bam, and a whole new generation of photographers.

ZANELE MUHOLI

Muholi highlights the crucial role that the MPW played in her

Photographer and Activist

life as well as many other photographers in a South Africa where young and aspiring photographers did not get exposure and

Muholi was born in 1972 in Umlazi, Durban, and now

access to opportunities and education. “It was a lifetime oppor-

lives in Johannesburg. She studied photography at the

tunity and experience and I am grateful to David Goldblatt and

Market Photo Workshop in Newtown, Johannesburg. She

John Fleetwood for having offered me and others this space;

has a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts in Documentary Media

it is the most important institution to many SA black photographers.” Muholi acknowledges that there is still a long way to go before many can express themselves and she wants to give a voice to the voiceless especially queer persons in SA. Although her vocation and professional commitments take her worldwide, Johannesburg remains her home city where she can truly reconnect.

“Joburg is my life, this is where I live.

Left: Black Beulah. © Zanele Muholi Top: Martin Machapa. © Zanele Muholi Above: Kgompi and Charles Januarie, Kwa-Thewa, Springs, 2007. © Zanele Muholi Right: Zanele Muholi. © Zanele Muholi

Muholi feels strongly about self-expression and stands up as a determined advocate for human and gay rights. The question of identity and the study of sexuality in Africa are common threads in her work. Through her lens, she wants to prove

from Ryerson University, Toronto. In 2002, she co-founded the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), a black lesbian organisation based in Gauteng. In 2009, she founded and registered Inkanyiso Media (www.inkanyiso.org) which is mostly a collective of black lesbian journalists/ writers and photographers.

Her 2013 awards include Fine Prize – Emerging artist,

I understand it better than my home, where I was born, Durban.

Carnegie International (October), Prince Claus Award

Joburg is my work place, my city, my love.

(September), Mbokodo Award – Creative photography

Joburg is me, my family, it is the force that drives me, whole-

(August), Campaigner of the Year, Glamour magazine

heartedly.”

(July), Index on Censorship – Freedom of Expression Art Award (March).

It is in Johannesburg that she works, connects with people and where she has created most of her works. The beauty of the city

Your favourite hobby: Photography, it is my life.

lies in the rich and diverse melting pot of people and culture

Your idea of happiness: Love

which are a source of inspiration to her. She adds: “Joburg is

Where would you like to live? It is Johannesburg, where

one of those spaces that becomes more than what meets the

I currently live.

eye”. For instance, Constitution Hill has had a strong meaning

Your favourite motto: Be relevant at all times for people

to her before it became a tourist attraction; she associates

to take you seriously.

the symbolic place with “queers claiming a space.”

that in South Africa, each individual counts and can reclaim

In 2006, South Africa legalised same sex marriages, and that

the true meaning of citizenship and be proud of him-/herself

same year she photographed Martin Machapa in Constitution

regardless of gender and sexual orientation. For Muholi,

Hill, one of her most significant photographs. She also photo-

photographing people is about recognition, not only of her

graphed the wedding of Kgompi and Charles Januarie, the first

work but, most importantly, of the community that she portrays,

gay wedding in Kwa-Thema, Springs, in 2007.

an acknowledgment of one’s full identity. She explores and exposes the various identities of the many individuals who

She builds intimate relationships between the city and the

feature in her work. She describes persons as ‘participants’

people featuring in her work, to bring out the essence of their

who are also history makers. “The work that I produce is not

uniqueness and confront social conventions.

What comes to your mind when I mention France?

Intimate relationships What inspires you? My family and extended family – the people who understand and embrace me for who I am.

Your favourite fashion designer/s: Self-taught creative Zulu women who are beaders – who produce beadworks.

Your favourite hero/heroine in real life?: My mother, the woman who birthed me and further gave me the chance to be here today.

5

SEASONS | LITERATURE

Will the real heroes please stand up?

Verushka Louw, avid book lover and children’s literature specialist, gives extra! an overview on the role of heroes and their importance in the youth literature and particularly in South African literature.

The annual Salon du Livre et de la

“Youth, which is forgiven everything, forgives itself nothing”

fashion, rather creating three-dimensional characters who have

Presse Jeunesse Seine-Saint-Denis

– George Bernard Shaw; this quote by Shaw is often how I see

a conscience and doubts, and word them through great language.

(Youth Book and Publications Fair

the interaction between young readers and works of fiction.

To me, these are the heroes we need in young adult literature,

Seine-Saint-Denis) took place from

They are the most extreme readers, they are believers of black

heroes who look and feel like us, like the readers, facing chal-

and white, they have not yet discovered the softness of the grey

lenges occurring 24/7, not necessarily masked men with

of life, the forgiveness for mistakes, the element of being human

supernatural powers.

27 November to 2 December 2013 in Montreuil around the theme ‘Heroes and heroines in children’s literature’ and hosted a special South African focus in partnership with the South African Book Development Council

that we only gain through experience and age. Age is not equal to wisdom in this equation, experience here, is the path that

John Green’s latest book, Fault in Our Stars, looks at love in a

leads to wising up. And what better way to gain experience

philosophical conundrum. What if you met the person you wanted

without consequence that to read about it?

to spend your life with, but you both had terminal illnesses: would you cut and run, or could you have adventures while attached

as part of the South African Season

It is important to me that authors maintain an element of hope

to an oxygen lung? Our hero is not physically healthy or attractive,

in France 2013.

and forgiveness (of self and others) within YA (young adult) text,

he is not athletic or strong, he is witty and intelligent and flawed.

www.france-southafrica.com

as it is this first introduction to the concept that can help young readers make these choices for themselves in real time. Great

David Levithan often addresses gender issues in his work, and

characters are often flawed, and coming to terms with their

in his latest novel Every Day, he creates a world in which the

weakness is often how they overcome their dilemmas. I want

reader meets the soul of a person, rather than a physical being.

to be clear here, that good literature does not preach, it tells

And suddenly, in a world where we definitely judge a book by

a story and with the use of good language it has the chance

its cover, there is no cover, just the insides and yet, by the end

to express the philosophy surrounding a scenario or person.

of the novel, we wish this person was real, that is how badly we want to engage with him/her, we get swept up in the moral

On an international level, there are fantastic authors to read,

strength of our hero, thoughts are all we have of him/her.

such as John Green, Meg Rosoff or David Levithan. These authors

6

are dedicated to writing for young adults, and their life philoso-

My favourite, Meg Rosoff, remains Just in Case, the story of an

phies are challenging and often bring about interesting debates.

average boy who realises there is something like Fate in the

They write for the youth as if they were writing for adults, tackling

world and he tries various ways to escape it but, as the reader,

topics such as fate, destiny, death and gender, all in a non-sermon

we already know that the inevitable is bound to happen and yet,

we have such empathy for his journey and what he learns about

man, which no one has ever watched! “The choices we make,

himself along the way. The writing is fresh and the book never talks down to its audience; it merely shares a viewpoint with

dictate the lives that we lead”.

the reader. There is an assumption of maturity that I find

What are you reading at the moment? Just finished an

often lets the reader step up to the writing and challenges.

amazing new YA novel due next year called Charm and Strange by Stephanie Khuen.

In South Africa, I find that we are still new to this idea of story-

What are you listening to at the moment? Don’t laugh but

telling. We still have a history in the making and often the work

I am listening to Paul Simon’s Graceland album in the car

that surfaces brings with it a sense of forced redemption, that

at the moment, it is just an upbeat album, makes traffic

characters are cast in specific race/class/religion settings to tell a certain story. It does not come across as natural or

easier.

inspiring, rather as a history lesson that we have to learn from.

What comes to your mind when I mention France? I have

There is also a sense that South African authors are wary of

never been! I always said I wanted to see France with someone

writing YA literature, as it is often seen as ‘easy writing’, a

I love, that has just not happened yet. I also think of my

fall back to writing serious fiction for adults, which is such a

brother who celebrated his 30th birthday at the top of the

terrible misconception.

Eiffel Tower in the Champagne bar, just him and his wife because they knew the barman. And of how I learned to speak

I want to highlight an author whom I think is doing it right, who

French in my first year at university and all I can remember

is capturing a young voice in her work and who speaks the truth.

In her latest novel, Sally-Ann Partridge looks at the close bond

is how to ask for the time!

of friendship between a group of high school students. Sharp

What inspires you? Stories about ordinary people getting

Edges tells the story of the death of one of them, through the

out of their comfort zones and helping others

eyes of the other six. Each person gets to tell a part of the story,

Your favourite fashion designer: Issey Miyake

but in a true teen sense, it is a messy non-chronological style

Plane, train, boat, bicycle or car? Anything where I don’t

of details and blocked-out bits of memory. Partridge tackles

have to do anything and I can read and the person in charge

drugs, homosexuality, friendship taboos and death – all big topics – in such an easy going way that the reader is caught unaware when the truth is finally revealed. At no stage does she preach, she is simply stating the facts of the event and

knows what they are doing!

VERUSHKA LOUW

Tea or coffee? Rooibos tea.

Children’s Literature Specialist

TV, radio or cinema? I have given up on TV, but often will take out a series from the DVD-store and watch it all in one

you find yourself choosing sides, thinking, what would you Verushka Louw lives in a flat in Woodstock, if she stands on

week, like bing watching!

her toes, she can see the ocean. She collects alphabet books

City, sea, mountain or countryside? The sea, the sea…

and blue plates and wishes afternoon naps were still com-

Your preferred scene in a movie? Julie and Julia, the scene

pulsory. By day, she works as a Children’s Book Manager,

where Julia Childs and her husband have friends over for

and by night, she likes to make things with her hands: pies,

Valentine’s dinner and he tells her how much he loves her,

at school, it soon becomes clear that he is getting himself in

brooches and journals. Some of her favourite sleepless nights

it makes my romantic heart cry every time.

a situation from which he might not know how to escape. His

have been spent reading amazing books.

Marathon or 100m? I am lazy, but I think the endurance of

have done, who would you have been?

This is her fourth book already and she continues to create scenarios that can play themselves out in our mind. In one of her earlier works, Fuse, we meet a boy who equally hates high school and his home life. When he finally makes a friend

training for a marathon would be more rewarding.

older brother steps in, and the two of them literally go on the run for their lives. Set between the streets of Cape Town and

Your favourite hobby: I’m a crafter, I like to cut out things

Your favourite hero/heroin in fiction? I love Matilda (Roald

Pretoria, we see how the relationship between the two brothers

and make journal covers, or found-object brooches, I hoard

Dahl)

loads of little bits of things!

Your favourite hero/heroine in real life? I wish I had the

Your idea of happiness: A sunny day outside with people I

guts that Malala Yousafzai has at that age, she is amazing.

love around, but I can read on my own. Or watching someone

Sparkling water or champagne? Champy every time.

I love sleep (there is a Margaret Atwood poem that captures

The word you prefer? I have many tattoos on my body, they

our origins, our basic human nature; people are cycling to work

that so perfectly).

are all words, they have meant different things to me over

again, growing vegetables on their balconies, making an effort

If not yourself, who would you be? I wish I could draw the

the years, now that it is nearly summer again, I am loving

to see friends and family, not just communicate through tech-

pictures in my head. The illustrator, Shaun Tan draws some

the word ‘lucid’ which is on my right leg.

nology. We have become aware that we need to protect that

of those pictures.

Your preferred olfactory memory: I grew all over, we moved

which we have valued, or it will disappear. This is also how I see

Where would you like to live?: I love Cape Town, living

a lot, but we lived in small towns in the Karoo when I was

near the sea makes me happy, the vastness of the ocean

little, and often the roads were not tarred but dirt. When the

is calming to my soul.

rain clouds would be brewing in the sky, you could smell it

The supernatural talent you’d like to be gifted with: Easy,

coming and when the first fat drops would fall, there was a

needs to be someone we would want to hang out with, someone

to stop time.

mix of water and dirt that did not quite mix yet; that is a happy

we would want to be, not a strange character in a cape. As young

Your favourite motto: It is from a movie called Renaissance

smell. In the Karoo rain makes everyone happy.

grows and changes. It is a simple and honest account of bullying, parental abuse and struggle but, and here is the winning part, there is bright hope too, hope that reads true, that is believable.

In our modern society, we are seeing a need to reconnect with

the hero scenario. We are in desperate need of heroes in everyday life and in fiction, that are showing their human vulnerabilities, that aren’t the strongest, or the cleverest, or the most handsome. When the last page of a book is read, the protagonist

readers, we need to learn that we can save ourselves.

Veruska Louw

Left: Promotional posters for 2013 Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse Seine-Saint-Denis

7

SEASONS | CINEMA

South African animation and the ‘French touch’ With the recent national release of Khumba and the success of the 3rd edition of Kunjani’mation – South Africa Animation Festival, Daniel Snaddon, animator, story artist and director of Kunjani’mation, talks to extra! about the effervescence of the South African animation industry.

The 2013 Annecy International Film

The 4th South African 3D animated feature film, Khumba, was

feel that we too have to ‘earn our stripes’, before what we are

Festival hosted a South African stand

released in South Africa this year on 25 October. This is the

doing is considered a ‘real job’.

for the first time and welcomed the

second feature from Triggerfish Animation Studios, the same

largest South African delegation of

team behind last year’s $23 million hit, Adventures in Zambezia.

Fortunately, this is something that our French counterparts do

animation professionals, as part of

The release of this film in many ways represents the best hope

not have to worry about. As the 3rd largest producer of animation

the South African Season in France

for a case of South African feature animation industry, and many

after the US and Japan, France has an animation industry that is

2013. www.france-southafrica.com

breaths will be held as the film rolls out in theatres across

quite simply put, booming: Despicable me 2 has been the runa-

the world over the next few months.

way hit of the summer, boasting a worldwide gross of over $800 million, Universal Studio’s biggest hit in its 100 year history!

The story of Khumba is about a young zebra who is born with half

In addition to this, French animators are leading the way in terms

his stripes, and who must journey out into the Karoo to find out

of artistic innovation, pushing the medium through their games,

how he can make himself complete. As one of the animators on

their short films from top schools such as Gobelins in Paris and

the film, I feel that in many ways, this story represents how many

Superinfocom in Valenciennes, as well as numerous exciting

of my fellow South African animators feel about their chosen

series and feature films.

profession: in a country where the economy is built on primary industries, such as mining and agriculture, it is easy for us to

8

Left: Scenes from Khumba, the second digitally animated feature film to come from South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios ©

event was an enormous undertaking for the team of volunteers who made it happen, and cemented in the minds of our French guests the picture of an emerging industry that was eager, hungry and filled with talent and potential.

This year, Animation SA had the privilege to take the largest SA delegation in our history, 39 delegates, to the Annecy International Animation Festival in France with the support of the France-South Africa Seasons 2012 & 2013, the NFVF and the Department of Trade and Industry. Our goal was simply to validate South Africa’s animation industry in the eyes of the global animation industry, and to promote the quality of South African animation arts. Members were able to set up shop in the market, and promote their projects and businesses to other animation professionals from all over the world.

At a special event organised by Animation SA and MIFA, a presentation was made to the South African business leaders’ market, including The Animation School in Cape Town, and to branded content innovators. All in attendance were extremely happy to hear about the progress South African companies have made in the past few years, and since the It would be safe to say that many South African animation artists would love to see our industry grow in such a healthy and exciting

festival, we have heard many exciting reports of possible collaborations, including Gobelins’ interest in forming a longterm relationship with the Animation School.

way as the French animation industry has grown in the past 20 years. As a result, we have been making an effort to establish

One of the biggest thrills that we had at the festival was seeing

and grow connections with French studios and schools, in an

Khumba’s international premiere, as one of eight feature films,

effort to learn what we can about the ‘French Touch’. To our

chosen out of 88 entries, in competition at this year’s festival.

great joy, France has responded by taking an almost paternal

Getting up onto the stage with our director Anthony Silverston,

interest in our young industry, and has gone to great lengths

and the ten other members of the team who travelled all the

to build ties with South Africa.

way to France to experience the moment, and hearing the warm reception of the audience was completely surreal, and felt

Much of this has been accomplished over the past three years,

much like a fairy tale. Judging from the response of the French

with Kunjani’mation Animation Festival, established in 2011 by

audience, we have made something very special, and have

Animation SA. Together with French Institute of South Africa

reason to be optimistic for its release!

(IFAS) and the Alliance Française of Johannesburg, we managed to put together a small festival which revealed that there

The latest edition of Kunjani’mation, which took place in November,

was a huge appetite for the content that we showed and the

aimed to match up French and South African companies who

knowledge that was shared, and so for 2012, we decided to

would be able to complement each other on long form animation

go bigger.

projects (sort of like speed dating!). In all that we have done together, the real triumph for us would be to see a project that

In 2012, Animation SA received generous support from the South

saw a collaboration between a South African and French anima-

African and French governments, within the framework of the

tion studio, perhaps a co-production. Wouldn’t be great if we

France-South Africa Seasons 2012 & 2013, to put together a

use the ‘French Touch’, in combination with our African point

festival that not only had excellent artistic content, but also a

of view? This would really be something!

platform with which to create business ties between our countries.

Gaining further sponsorship from WESGRO and the NFVF, we embarked on a project that turned out to be the single largest

Daniel Snaddon

DANIEL SNADDON Animator and Story Artist Daniel Snaddon is the director of Kunjanimation Animation Festival for Animation SA in his spare time. He is currently writing his 2nd feature film with Tim Argall for the Sediba Masters’ programme of the National Film and Video Foundation. He would like you to take your favourite young person to see Khumba.

Your favourite hobby: Playing music with friends.

If not yourself, who would you be? Someone in the future because I’m jealous I probably won’t live long enough to drive a flying car!

Where would you like to live? Cape Town, Paris, San Francisco and perhaps Vancouver.

Your favourite motto: “Don’t let other people tell you who to trust.”

What are you listening to at the moment? My favourite album at the moment is a recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Ravel concerts in London and New York. His rendition of Daphnes et Chloe Suite is the business!

What inspires you? Anyone who really loves something.

Plane, train, boat, bicycle or car? Can I say flying car?

TV, radio or cinema? Cinema of course!

Your preferred scene in a movie? The scene where Helen Hunt goes to Jack Nicholson’s apartment in As Good As It Gets to tell him that she will not sleep with him, and to thank him for saving her son.

Your favourite hero/heroin in fiction? Egon Spengler from Ghostbusters.

The word you prefer? Grand Your preferred olfactory memory: There’s a factory near the house that I grew up in that used to process oranges, it made the whole farm smell like marmalade!

event dedicated to animation in the history of South Africa. The

9

SEASONS | GASTRONOMY

The art of culinary perfection extra! talks to Kelvin Joel, South African top pastry chef, passionate about cooking and good food, exchanging and giving back to the community. Chef Joel was the invited guest of the reality cooking TV show MasterChef South Africa which featured one of his pastry specialities, the lemon meringue gateau.

10

South African chef Kelvin Joel led

South African cuisine has been at the forefront in France this

different things and explore ‘new’ South African food and fla-

workshops on South African cuisine

year through the South African Season in France. How would

vours. Such shows have had a strong impact on people’s daily

at the Saveurs du Monde and at the

you describe local cuisine and its evolution in the last few years?

lives, and we have seen a boost for edutainment cooking classes:

South African Week in Paris in October

South African cuisine is spoilt with flavours because of our diverse

people are interested in learning and experimenting. There is

2013, as part of the South African

cultures and ethnics groups. For instance, you find lots of aromas

a huge interest in new food, taste and ideas, markets are pop-

Season in France 2013.

and spices in both Indian and Cape Malay cuisines. There is truly

ping out and becoming more and more popular, namely Market

www.france-southafrica.com

a rainbow cuisine with a multitude of dishes and ways of cook-

on Main in Johannesburg, people want to discover and get fresh

ing. Up until recently, each ethnic group seemed to focus on cook-

products. There is a new trend in people who want to learn

ing its own specialities. But since the last five years, South

more about food and our diversity which is a good thing. In South

Africa has seen a shift in people’s mind and cooking: South

Africa, there is a problem of obesity and diabetes and educating

Africans’ curiosity to explore new culinary horizons has increased,

people about what they eat is a priority so they get an under-

this is partly due to TV exposure on gastronomy shows and

standing on the impact of their diet on their body. In fact, it

channels namely Masterchef and the Food Network. Television

is not only about educating people about health but it is also

has brought straight into people’s home the art and delights of

about enjoying food. We are seeing a new generation of young

cooking and gave them the opportunity to find out more about

South Africans who want to become chef.

KELVIN JOEL Pastry Chef and Founder of the Johannesburg Culinary and Pastry School Kelvin Joel obtained a diploma in Hospitality Management.

He has had experience as a pastry chef in some of South Africa’s top 5 star hotels for the past 14 years. He has succeeded in managing the pastry kitchen in hotels such as the Parktonian, the Sandton Sun, The Michelangelo and Hyatt. Some of his accolades include an internship at the Hyatt Atlanta and opening a restaurant in Sydney. He was recently featured on the current season of MasterChef SA. My favourite hobby: Spending time with my wife and kids.

Your idea of happiness: Economic freedom If not yourself, who would you like to be? Barack Obama Where would you like to live? There is no place like home, sunny and friendly South Africa. © Photos courtesy of Johannesburg Culinary and Pastry School

The supernatural talent you’d liked to be gifted with?

Knowing what the future holds Your favourite motto: You only have one life to live so give it your best shot.

With over ten years in the cooking industry, how do you

how to make this food!” What is the vision behind the school?

perceive South African ‘haute cuisine’ industry?

The main objective is to educate its students about the Art of

Although we have a huge variety of national dishes, our cuisine

Culinary Perfection and ignite people’s passion for good food.

is very much influenced by the Western and international chefs

We are also interested in uplifting and developing the surround-

saki’s audio CD, Rich Dad, Poor Dad

who come to South Africa. However South African chefs are

ing communities of the city; allowing the growth and potential

What comes to your mind when I mention France?

keen to develop their own dishes, an effort is made on presentation

of these individuals to reach both local and international

Good pastries and croissants

and bringing a ‘flavour profile’ and to take it to the world really

standards in the culinary industry. We focus on training (both

to take ownership of their own cuisine. In this sense, young South

theoretical and practical) and developing young students

African chefs are experimenting and creating new dishes which

from previously disadvantaged communities; exposing them

Plane, train, bicycle or car? Plane

results in making South African cuisine more appealing and

to the hospitality industry. The school has an onsite bakery on

Tea or coffee? Coffee

sexier, we are gearing towards smaller portions and more power-

the premises to assist with the practical requirements and to

ful flavours. Local chefs are often working on their own but there

assist with the sustainability of the school.

are some organisations which get us together such as the

What are you reading at the moment? The leader who had no title by Robin Sharma What are you listening at the moment? Robert Kyo-

What inspires you? Successful people Your favorite fashion designer? Chef Works (LOL, I’m always in uniform)

TV, radio or cinema? TV City, sea, mountain or countryside? Countryside Your preferred scene in a movie? Al Pacino’s ‘Inch by Inch’ speech from Any Given Sunday

South African Chefs Association. Through these gatherings, we

Your speciality is pastry, a last word on this?

Marathon or 100m? Marathon

get the conversation going but we need more forums and plat-

Well there are not many pastry chefs in South Africa and we

Your favourite hero or heroine in fiction? Superman

forms to keep the dialogue open.

are very much influenced by European pastry. We need to develop our own uniqueness and that is another reason why

Your favorite hero in real life? Barack Obama Sparkling water or champagne? Champagne The word you prefer? Sexy food

You have opened a school in Joburg CBD, the Johannesburg

I started the school, to fill this opportunity and open new

Your preferred olfactory memory? The smell of cin-

Culinary and Pastry School, as one of your patrons says:

platforms to bring food to the next level.

namon in traditional Cape Malay koeksisters.

“…the only thing better than sampling fine food, is learning

11

SEASONS | HERITAGE

« Nelson Mandela : De prisonnier à Président » a record-breaking exhibition in Paris In a scoop for the city of Paris, the legendary and beloved South African freedom fighter and elder statesman, Nelson Mandela was the subject of a ground-breaking, multimedia exhibition that paid tribute to his remarkable life. Originally on show at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris (Paris’ City Hall) from 30 May to 6 July 2013, the exhibition saw a record-breaking number of visitors and was extended until 27 July 2013.

The exhibition Nelson Mandela: De

Produced by the highly regarded Apartheid Museum in Johan-

Mandela was central to every stage of South Africa’s heroic

prisonnier à Président (Nelson Mandela:

nesburg, in association with the Nelson Mandela Foundation,

struggle against apartheid – from formulating a new radical

From prisoner to President) was

the exhibition celebrated Mandela’s relationship with the people

approach in the 1940s, to leading the mass struggle of the 1950s,

exhibited at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris

of France, while offering a comprehensive historical overview

from the formation of the liberation army, Umkhonto we Sizwe

from 30 May to 27 July 2013 as part

of the epic life and times of Nelson Mandela.

– or Spear of the Nation – in the early 1960s, to his imprison-

of the South African Season in France

ment for 27 long years.

2013. The City of Paris awarded

“The exhibition attempts to breathe fresh life into a story that

Nelson Mandela an Honorary

has been well told in many books, documentaries and other

Beginning in the mid-1980s while still in prison, Mandela

Citizenship at the opening of the

tributes around the world,” says Christopher Till, Director of

initiated and then led the negotiation process that culminated

exhibition on 29 May 2013.

the Apartheid Museum. “The strength of the exhibition is the

in South Africa’s first democratic election on 27 April 1994. He

www.france-southafrica.com

way it attempts to provide a layered glimpse of Mandela in all

served as the first president of a democratic South Africa,

his various guises and reincarnations. It examines his undoubted

according him the iconic status of ‘Father of the Nation’.

strengths and greatness, but does not shy away from his selfacknowledged weaknesses too.”

12

life, but avoids a simple chronological description. Instead Mandela’s history is told through six themes which represent aspects and periods of his life. These are: Mandela, the character – his formative years; Mandela, the comrade – his entry into resistance politics; Mandela, the leader – his emergence as a key personality in anti-apartheid struggle; Mandela, the prisoner – the long and cruel years on Robben Island and other prisons; Mandela – the negotiator – the man who painstakingly led a long and complex negotiation toward democracy and Mandela, the statesman – South Africa’s first democratic president and a world leader of great stature.

The story is told through large scale exhibition panels featuring historic photographs which tell the story along with the narrative text. These include many family photographs – some that have not been published previously. The design of the exhibition is distinctive, using modern digital techniques in conjunction with historic images.

The exhibition also takes a number of innovative forms and features a range of original artworks: • A maquette of a large scale outdoor artwork by Marco Cianfanelli, consisting of 50 separate steel poles which form an image of Mandela’s face when viewed from a certain angle • Beaded portraits of Mandela, created by Impumelelo, a collective of rural women artists • A series of cartoons, first published in various newspapers during the course of Mandela’s post-prison life, by the cartoonist and satirist, Zapiro • A photographic portrait of Mandela by the well-known South African photographer, David Goldblatt • Nine short films showing aspects of Mandela’s life including dramatic historic footage • Large scale overhead banners depicting the broader political context in which the struggle against apartheid took place.

The exhibition also creates an opportunity to understand the way in which Mandela is represented in various South African The exhibition « Nelson Mandela : De prisonnier à Président » (Nelson Mandela: From prisoner to President) was exhibited at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris. © Juliette Robert

museums, including the Apartheid Museum, Robben Island, Mandela House and the Capture Site. One of the issues the exhibition explores is the way in which Mandela has used his powerful presence and considerable good looks to great political effect, both before and after his prison years.

The exhibition traces how Mandela built a new nation from the

Representations of Mandela are sometimes, however, simplistic.

fragments of conflict, making full use of the ‘weapons’ at his

His life can be read as a fairy tale, in which he emerges as the

Through these media, the viewer is able to absorb many aspects

disposal: militancy, love, persuasion, forgiveness and acute

handsome prince, bravely riding in to rescue his people. In fact

of Mandela’s life, and to reflect on the extraordinary impact

political acumen – with a fair amount of self-deprecating humour

Mandela’s story is complex, and his role is best understood when

that he made on modern South Africa. His contribution spanned

sprinkled in for good measure.

we recognise him as a key player in a much bigger picture. His

a period beyond 70 years, and has touched almost every aspect

life story is intertwined with the historic forces at play in South

of South African life. The viewer is also invited to reflect on the

Nelson Mandela is known throughout the world as the person

Africa in the 20 century. He has shaped these forces and has

immense sacrifices made by Mandela, his family and com-

who did so much to liberate South Africans from the long horror

been shaped by them. And like all human beings, Mandela is

rades, and many ordinary South Africans, in the long and

of apartheid. He is also known as South Africa’s first demo-

fallible, and his mistakes are part of his history. He also has a

painful battle against apartheid. Many viewers took some aspect

cratic president, as a leader deeply committed to reconciliation,

personal story, one that has played out in the public eye. He

of his story into their own lives as they experienced the epic and

and as a great international statesman. Indeed, his contribu-

is a heroic human being, but a human being nonetheless.

moving drama that is the life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

th

tion has gone well beyond South Africa’s own story, and he comes to represent the highest human aspirations – integrity,

This exhibition tries to represent Mandela’s life story in all its

commitment to others, sacrifice and forgiveness.

complexity. It covers every chapter of his long and productive

13

SOUTH AFRICA-FRANCE SEASONS 2012 & 2013 IN PICTURES

Top row left: Opening of the French Season in South Africa 2012 – SA Minister Hon. Paul Mashatile (left), French Minister Hélène Conway-Mouret (centre), Curator Sylvie Ramond (right) at the opening of the 20th Century Masters, the Human Figure exhibition at the Standard Bank Gallery. Photo by French Embassy. Top row right: Closing of the French Season in South Africa 2012 – Studios de Cirque’s Place des Anges (Angels’ Place), Durban. Photo by Val Adamson. Middle row left: The Miser by Sylvaine Strike. Photo by Rufin Coudyzer. Middle row centre: Fred Sathal’s show Constellations at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa. Middle row right: Rendez-Vous exhibition at the SA National Gallery, Cape Town. Bottom row: DeLaVallet Bidiefono’s Où Vers, biennial Danse l’Afrique danse !, Soweto Theatre

14

Top row left: Opening of the South African Season in France: Robyn Orlin’s Beauty remained for just a moment then gently returned to her starting position. Top row right: Opening of the South African Season in France – SA Minister of Arts and Culture Hon. Paul Mashatile and French Minister of Culture and Communication Aurélie Filippetti. Middle row left: Exhibition Afrique du Sud, l’autre pays de la Préhistoire © Institut français. Middle row centre: Clermont Community Choir, Paris © Institut français. Middle row right: George Hallett at the exhibition Un portrait d’Afrique du Sud at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris © Vinciane Verguethen/IF. Bottom row left: Rasty at the Paris Hip Hop Festival © Bénédicte Alliot/IF. Bottom row right: Le parlement des enfants (Children’s parliament), Paris © Catherine Vinay/IF

15

FRENCH CULTURAL NETWORK IN SA | FRANCOPHONIE

Francophonie: home away from home extra! met with Jean-Pierre A. Lukamba, African Diaspora Forum (ADF) Vice Chair, at the headquarters of ADF in Bellevue East, Johannesburg, to discuss the significance of the French language amongst Francophone communities based in South Africa.

Tell us more about the African Diaspora Forum…

The majority of immigrants is based in and around the big

Moreover, when immigrants arrive in a host country, they

The aim of the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) is to create aware-

cities in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, the most

are faced with a new language that they don’t necessarily know

ness about the wealth and diversity of the African continent,

economically dynamic provinces. The largest African franco-

and have to learn. The African francophone network is vast and

encourage relationships, exchanges and mutual understanding

phone community in South Africa is the DRC with an estimated

spreads amongst 32 countries. The French language is perceived

between South Africans and non-South African residents, and

500 000 nationals. It is also the third largest foreign country

as an identity value and an element of socio-cohesion between

to promote integration between all African communities. It also

represented in South Africa, after Nigeria and Zimbabwe. The

French speakers, creating solidarity, common identity and values

aims at consolidating a Pan African forum for African residents

reason for this is that the DRC is the nearest francophone country.

between the various communities, linking people intellectually

to work together to build one common voice on common issues,

To go back in history, Congolese immigrants first started to

and culturally.

and a shared feeling of belonging to Africa. Open to all, so far

come to South Africa around 1905 and specifically in Johannes-

22 African countries are represented within the organisation.

burg when the city was being built, and then again around 1991

With African French-speakers coming from diverse linguistic

during the great wave of immigration due to the democratisa-

backgrounds and settling in a multi-lingual South Africa, have

Can you give us an overview of the francophone community

tion crisis in certain African countries. Generally, many franco-

you seen an evolution of the French language?

in South Africa?

phone African immigrants leave their countries for political,

Yes indeed. To start with, the French language differs between

South Africa has a long history of immigration and, over the

climatic, or socio-economic reasons.

the various francophone countries whereby each has its own ‘twang’ and vocabulary influenced by the respective native lan-

centuries, has welcomed a diversity of cultures from the African continent and beyond. Today, the African francophone popu-

What is the significance of the French language within

guage and sayings of each country. Languages are ever changing

lation is estimated at 700 000 to 800 000 people from Algeria,

francophone communities?

and adapting to new generations and situations. In South Africa,

Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo

Generally, language has a strong implication for immigrants as

we see a cohabitation of languages in the homes, with the

(DRC), Mali, Morocco, the Republic of the Congo and Senegal.

the mother language brings nostalgia about the home country.

influence of schools and our environment on a daily basis.

16

Moreover immigrants choose to speak English for socio-economic The supernatural talent you’d like to be gifted with: To be

reasons. Those who live in predominantly black provinces choose to learn Zulu and Xhosa over English. It seems easy to ‘lose’ our

a problem solver for many people

native African language and French. However there is a strong

Your favourite motto: “If we don’t stand for something, we

emphasis on the transmission of the maternal language to our

may fall for anything.” Malcolm X

children: it is an asset for their future as international citizens.

What are you reading at the moment? Abraham Lincoln’s biography by David Herbert Donald.

A final word on French language

What are you listening to at the moment? Storm is over

Overall, English is mainly used by francophones for education

by R. Kelly

and business purposes, while French remains attached to emo-

What comes to your mind when I mention France? Louis

tions and values such as democracy, fraternity, freedom of

XIV and beauty

expression, humanity and love, for in the end French is the most

What inspired you? Starfish Story by Loren Eiseley and

romantic language in the world!

from Amnesty International I learned that even an ordinary empowered person, can make a huge difference Your favourite fashion designer: Pierre Cardin Plane, train, boat, bicycle or car? Car, because I’m the one

Francophonie in South Africa

JEAN-PIERRE A. LUKAMBA

who will be driving

African Diaspora Forum Vice Chair

Tea or coffee? Coffee TV, radio or cinema? TV, because I prefer seeing than

Every year in March, the French cultural network in South Africa celebrates the French language and Francophone cultural

Jean-Pierre A. Lukamba is the Founder and Chairperson

hearing

diversity. In 2014, festivities are taking place across the country:

of the Refugee Help Desk, the Vice Chair of African Diaspora

City, sea, mountain or countryside? Countryside, I don’t

concerts, screenings, food markets, exhibitions, workshops

Forum, a WG Member of Amnesty International and the Co-

like too much noise.

and performances are part of an exciting programme organ-

Founder and Member of the South Africa Forum for Inter-

Your preferred scene in a movie? When an actor can sacri-

ised for you by the network of Alliance Française, from Johannes-

national Solidarity. He has been representing African Migrants

fice his/her life for his/her family

burg to Cape Town, via Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and Durban.

in several International platforms. He is a Franco-Anglophone

Marathon or 100 m? Marathon

speaker, writer, blogger, human rights activist, unlocker, Pan-

Your favourite hero/heroin in fiction? Harrison Ford and

Africanist and lover.

Jennifer Lopez Your favourite hero/heroine in real life? Kwame Nkrumah

Your favourite hobby: Picnic and reading

and Martin Luther King Jr.

Your idea of happiness: Less troubled life with my family

Sparkling water or champagne? Sparkling Water, Cham-

If not yourself, who would you be? Mahatma Gandhi

pagne is reserved for special occasions.

Where would you like to live? In a peaceful and stabi-

The word you prefer? Voilà!

lised DRC

Your preferred olfactory memory: The smell of lavender

Message from Ambassador Thami XN Ngwevele Chief Director: Diplomatic Academy DIRCO – Department of International Relations and Cooperation “The Diplomatic Academy of the Department of Foreign Affairs

the Embassy of France and the Alliance française has grown in strength to ensure that this objective is fulfilled. In this regard we can proudly report that over 2 000 South African public servants have taken courses in French from 2008 to the end of 2012. In addition, a number of our senior diplomats and deserving students have been sent for immersion courses to language institutions in France to expand on the knowledge gained at home.”

(now DIRCO), the Embassy of France in South Africa and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 20 December 2008 to use their best common endeavours to develop the teaching of French and Left: Dobet Gnahoré was the headline performer of the Francophonie celebrations in March 2013. Photo courtesy of www.contrejour.com/artists/Dobet/index2_uk.php?page=medias

Francophonie culture to the South African diplomatic corps and its partner departments. Since then, co-operation between DIRCO,

17

FRENCH CULTURAL NETWORK IN SA | MUSIC

Fête de la Musique: a unique music experience extra! talks to Mary Duker, Director of the School of Music, Art and Design at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, about the Richmond Hill Festival, the worldwide concept Fête de la Musique launched in Port Elizabeth in 2010 during the Soccer World Cup celebrations.

In three years, the music day became a highly expected musical

theatre, serves to reactivate the public space at a time when

the area into contact with one another on the streets, as they

gathering bringing thousands of music-lovers and musicians

there is a global tendency for people of all walks of life to

participate in a positive creative arts experience.

out on the streets. How do you see public art, as a catalyst

disappear behind closed doors and high walls, and distance

in bringing diverse communities together?

themselves from the communities in which they live. The

With the promotion of professional and amateur musicians

Public art in all of its multiplicity of forms, music, street art or

Richmond Hill Festival has a unique neighbourhood feel,

and all kinds of music at its core, the Fête de la Musique is

various kinds, performances, installations, exhibitions, street

and it brings a range of people living both inside and outside

also a showcase of new musical trends, encouraging a

18

this has resulted in really positive viral marketing and publicity, directed at a young ‘hip’ audience for the creative arts.

By bringing the Fête de la Musique in the streets and promoting free access to artistic and cultural happenings. How can this kind of event help in giving a new breath and dynamism to urban areas? Richmond Hill is an increasingly vibrant inner city area, with a wide diversity of people living and working in it.

The Fête de la Musique is a first for the area. Street centred activities such as this one should be welcomed with open arms – they play a really important role in helping to recreate a sense of neighbourhood and a sense of community. The inner city area of Port Elizabeth, which includes Richmond Hill and Central Hill, is benefitting from an on-going urban upgrade project driven by the Mandela Bay Agency, focused on cultural as well as infrastructural regeneration. The Richmond Hill Festival takes place in the heart of this inner city area, and it serves to draws people back into the area to enjoy the creative arts and cultural activities, and to reacquaint themselves with the heritage and the rich architectural environment of the area.

The Fête de la Musique The Fête de la Musique is above all a free popular fête, open to any participant, amateur and professional musicians, who wants to perform in it. This day dedicated to music allows the expression of all styles of music in a cheerful atmosphere. It aims at

MARY DUKER Director of the School of Music, Art and Design at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth Mary Duker teaches in Art History and Art Theory. She holds a masters degree in Fine Art. Her particular research

a large audience, working to popularise musical practice for

interest at present is the promotion of the growth of

young and not so young people from all social backgrounds.

visual arts entrepreneurial activity in Nelson Mandela

Furthermore, the Fête de la Musique is a way to encourage

Bay. She believes that the creative arts,and the visual

encounters and exchanges between young musicians and well-

arts in particular, can and should serve as a catalyst for

known talents.

urban regeneration and for societal change, and she believes that a society that does not recognise the power

Launched in 1982 by the French Ministry for Culture, the Fête de la Musique is held in more than 100 countries in Europe and over the world. It takes place every 21st June, the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.

Thanks to the impulse and the dynamism of the French cultural

renewal of traditional music, an explosion of world music, the development of choirs, the appearance of rap, techno, the revival of musical carnivals… In a rich and diverse South

of the arts to positively change and enrich lives, is a society doomed to failure.

Your favourite hobby: My work at SoMAD at the NMMU – isn’t that sad!? Oh, and art making…

network abroad (the departments of Cultural Affairs at the

Your idea of happiness: Sitting on my stoep in the sun,

French Embassies, French Cultural Centres, Institutes and the

reading a book.

Alliances Françaises), the Fête has had an important inter-

If not yourself, who would you be? A writer – maybe

national growth. In 2010, South Africa welcomed the inaugural

Virginia Woolf?

Fête de la Musique, in Richmond Hill, Port Elizabeth, with the

Where would you like to live? Right where I live now.

intention of promoting French art and culture in South Africa.

What are you reading at the moment? Julia Kristeva’s

Johannesburg’s last edition was held in Melville in 2011. The Fête de la Musique in South Africa is a growing event gathering more and more people: more than 35,000 people attended to

African musical scene, how do you feel this concept works

a diversified musical programme in many cities namely Johan-

and can become a social phenomenon and an artistic plat-

nesburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Durban in 2013.

form?

There are strong musical traditions in Nelson Mandela Bay,

Join the Fête de la Musique in June 2014 in your city and enjoy

across a range of musical genres, and the NMMU in Port

free music! More info on www.alliance.org.za

Black Sun. What comes to your mind when I mention France?

Walking on promenade in Nice in the middle of winter, when I was really young.

Tea or coffee? Definitely coffee – good espresso.

City, sea, mountain or countryside? Defintiely countryside – Kaboega in the Eastern Cape hinterland.

Marathon or 100m? The length of a dog walk!

Elizabeth has a very engaged department of music. The Richmond Hill Festival provides an opportunity for a really interest-

Left: Singer Sisanda Myataza from Vudu Jazz. Photo by

ing and rich cultural exchange. The organisers appear to have

Simone Goddard, www.simonegoddard.com. Right: Photo

used the social media very astutely, to publicise the festival, and

by Rob Ducker

Your preferred olfactory memory: At this moment – the coffee!

19

FRENCH CULTURAL NETWORK IN SA | PERFORMING ARTS

Crossings: the home of creative process Vincent Mantsoe, French-based, South African choreographer and facilitator for Crossings, gives extra! an insight on the essence and experiments of the international artistic workshop which just took place from 8 to 17 November 2013 in Cape Town.

Left, Centre, Top right, Centre right, Bottom right: International

Designed for artists who seek to cross boundaries, challenge

across the board and find a ‘better’ balance in the cultural inter-

and local dancers, choreographers, composers and lighting

the creative intellect, bridge cultural borders and create new

pretation of the 21st century’s arts.

designers took part in Crossings #3 in Cape Town this year.

Photos by Rob Keith

relations, Crossings promotes the development of individuals.

The workshop is an open art forum which brings together

Crossings is the voice for creativity, investigation, laughter, open

artists from different art disciplines: choreography, dance,

minded people, discovering endless motivation, engaging, engag-

musical composition and lighting design.

ing and engaging with the rest of us who seek to be re-educated in many point of view on ‘choreography, lighting graphic/design,

20

Since its inception in 2010 in Johannesburg’s dance hub, New-

musical composition for dance’. It is also the opportunity for dancers

town Dance Corner, Crossings has welcomed 100 young inspired

to work with different voices. Its essence is to preserve the ideas

artists who truly seeked to embrace their skills without any

of artists, push individuals’ limits, balance today’s ideological ideas

judgments, any reservation, and grow through a platform where

and artistic vision. Therefore, each voice and curiosity can be em-

they can fall and rise, be free to express themselves, explore

braced with pride and grace. Crossings is the home of creative

where they come from, create better relations with fellow artists

process ‘not to create’ but to process ideas for future artistic vision.

As facilitators, we sometimes have to be tough, where we see more than difficulties, we then have to take the ‘bull by its horn’ and point it to a different path; not to change its course but simply to give it a different departure. The collaboration between different genre generates different ideological point of views as to how each artist perceive ‘art’ and in the eyes of Crossings, we challenge each of them to come with a fresh point of view and to interrogate who we are and why ‘art’ in general can provoke different ideas ‘social politic, cultural & sexual identity’ and so forth, to uplift ones spirit, educate and re-educate.

Over the years, a variety of artists have collaborated or not collaborated, and have created avant-garde, revolutionary provoking works in their era (Stravinsky on Rites of Springs,

VINCENT MANTSOE

Alvin Ailey on Cry and many more). In the 21st century, the new

Choreographer

generation collaborates more and more, especially in Africa, where dance and music are a perfect marriage in creating art

Vincent Sekwati Koko Mantsoe was born and raised in

as a movement to portray a diversity of culture, but not neces-

Soweto. Born during the apartheid era, his desire was not

sary ‘avant-garde work’.

be to a politician, but rather focus on cultural growth.

His understanding of the transformational potential of

As more and more young artists find a way to collaborate on a broader sense, we see this as a chance to exchange cultural borders, to create and forge artistic realms for avant-garde

different perception and projections of what Crossings is based on. But in the contrary, the wheel can change its course and point to a different direction and the perception and projection can then put them on a different scale as they process the ideas based on the natural engagement with the rest of the artists. The artists join with eagerness and uncertainness, yet the challenges that they face is ‘change’; to be able to go out of their own comfort zone is a big challenge for many.

They have to think out of the box during the intense creative workshop, with daily’s ‘task’ that they have to implement and present

the Ancestors. A descendant of a long line of Sangomas,

note or leap three feet high or be Stravinsky or even create

use of song, dance and drumming. His work draws on wide

avant-garde work, but it is safe to say that each artist can be

range of dance forms, going beyond ‘African Contemporary’ or ‘Afro-Fusion’. In 2005, the award-winning choreographer, established the Association Noa Cie-Vincent Mantsoe, based in France, training dancers from differ-

This year’s Crossings #3 embarked on a different route. Rather

ent cultural backgrounds. www.vincent-mantsoe.com

than the usual two full weeks of creative process, we challenged the artists and ourselves as facilitators to work over ten days

Your favourite hobby: Home fixing

only. Crossings relocated to Cape Town and partnered with the

Your idea of happiness: Enjoying family time

University of Cape Town’s GIPCA, Baxter Theatre and Dance School. The initial team of facilitators composed of choreog-

Where would you like to live? Between Johannesburg and Saint Pont, France The supernatural talent you’d like to be gifted with:

rapher Michel Kelemenis (France), composers James Webb (SA)

Telepathy

and Eva Königer (Austria), lighting designer Floriaan Ganzevoort

Your favourite motto: “Force of Nature”

(Netherlands) and myself changed, this year Michel Keleminis

What are you listening to at the moment? Between

and Eva Königer did not join the team but we welcomed Mama Germaine Acogny, a French-Senegalese choreographer known as the mother of African dance and my first African dance teacher

opera/classic, soul, jazz and traditional music What comes to your mind when I mention France? Flair What inspires you? Many factors, but mostly my family both in France and RSA

from outside of South Africa, who showered the young artists

Plane, train, boat, bicycle or car? Car

with her blessing and teaching.

Tea or coffee? Tea

at the end of the day, pushing each other’s artistic boundaries to the edge of creativity. Crossings is about that, it is also about

when his grandmother, mother and aunt were greeting Mantsoe participated in traditional rituals involving the

Each edition has its own ‘flair’; hence the first edition is and will

artist bringing a different dynamic. The participants come with

and his siblings woke every day to the sound of drums,

works on their own right. Not every artists can struck a high

better in their own art.

always be the motherboard. The intensity is different with each

movement was founded in his early years. As a child he

TV, radio or cinema? All Of course, as always, the team of facilitators was embraced by

City, sea, mountain or countryside? Countryside, sea and mountain

risk, bouncing ideas to the wall and finding ways not to run to

eager international and local artists from different cultures and

them the next day and get out of them. They have to work hard,

horizons who took on the challenge to explore one common

including the facilitators, their imagination has to generate dif-

factor, the ‘Crossings Borders’, to balance each other’s’ diversity

Marathon or 100m? 100m

ferent ideas, as they are faced with working with either experi-

both artistically and culturally.

Your favourite hero/heroin in fiction? Morgan Freeman

Clarice meeting Lecter in his cell for the first time.

or Anthony Hopkins

enced or not much experienced dancers, musical composers and lighting designer. A better balance and understanding for

Today, I can proudly say that Crossings served its purpose; it paves

each has to be guided without any judgement or ‘criticisms’

better creative artistic development for future young artists.

but rather encouragement where they fail to arrive at their creative process.

Your preferred scene in a movie? Silences of the Lambs,

Your favourite hero/heroine in real life? My mother The word you prefer? Breath!!!!!

Your preferred olfactory memory: My grandmother’s kitchen

Vincent Mantsoe

21

FRENCH CULTURAL NETWORK IN SA | FINE ART

Public installation as part of the official commemoration of the World War One Centenary in France Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme The Lost Men France is the third installation artwork in visual artist Paul Emmanuel’s ongoing Lost Men Project – a series of unique, site-specific, temporary, land-art interventions engaging with concepts of loss, memorials, memory and public grief. The installation is an ‘anti-monument’, does not glorify war and raises questions around issues of masculinity and vulnerability, who is valorised and how.

Images: Concept photomontage (2013) showing installation

The Lost Men Project comprises three phases to date. Two

specific site in the country selected and is intended to re-consider

views of The Lost Men France by South African artist Paul

installations have already been implemented: The Lost Men

significant events that defined South African history. Each new

Emmanuel. Images courtesy of the artist

Grahamstown in South Africa in 2004, marking a decade of

installation artwork is temporarily installed on its selected site

South Africa’s democracy and The Lost Men Mozambique in

for a defined period only and then never again.

2007. The Lost Men France is the third phase and will be exhibited between 1 July and 1 October 2014, 2016 & 2018.

The Lost Men France relates to the Thiepval Memorial in the Somme department, Northern France. The area around Thiepval

22

Each installation’s artwork is unique in imagery, structure and

village and the Thiepval Memorial bears witness to the battle-

format; however the project’s conceptual basis remains con-

fields of the Somme. The existing Thiepval Memorial is the largest

sistent throughout. The concept for each phase is related to the

British World War One memorial in the world.

PAUL EMMANUEL Artist Born in 1969 in Kabwe, Zambia, Paul Emmanuel graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1993.

Emmanuel employs various media, including photography and film to reveal layered visions concerned with his identity as a white male living in post-apartheid South Africa.

The Lost Men France is supported by La Mission du Centennaire de la Première Guerre Mondiale, Institut Français Paris and South Africa and the National Arts Council of South Africa. Art Source South Africa are partSouth Africa was a British dominion at the outbreak of World

world-view. As Thiepval Memorial bears witness to the memory

ners and managers of Emmanuel’s Lost Men Project.

War One and therefore joined with the Allied Forces. The names

of thousands of lost servicemen, so The Lost Men France will

www.the-lost-men.net

of white only South African servicemen who died in the 1916

also bear witness. It is a non-partisan artwork that aims to

Battle of Delville Wood are inscribed on the walls of Thiepval

stimulate contemplation about all of this”.

Memorial, which excludes the names of thousands of black servicemen. In contrast to the existing memorial, The Lost Men

About the World War One Centenary

France will be a non-partisan artwork and makes no political statements. It will depict the names of black and white South

One hundred years on, we are all connected to the First

African servicemen and will include the names of soldiers from

World War, either through our own family history, the

the other Allied Forces as well as those of German soldiers

heritage of our local communities or because of its long-

who died in battlefields all over the Western Front.

term impact on society and the world we live in today.

Visitors will encounter the installation while walking down a

From 2014 to 2018, across the world, nations, communi-

farm road, within viewing distance and accessible from the

ties and individuals of all ages will come together to mark,

Thiepval Memorial grounds. They will be invited to engage with the artist’s personal response and creative expression within a public arena on this specific site as well as the historic event which took place there.

“In this work I also question the exclusion of certain people from traditional monuments, in particular black South African servicemen not honoured on the walls at Thiepval.” says Emmanuel.

“I am as many are, affected by these terrible historic battles.

A war has lasting psychological effects that are passed from generation to generation; we lose humanity, gentleness and vulnerability, feeling, empathy and sensitivity. We lose dignity, treasured relationships, potentiality, hope and the future. We

commemorate and remember the lives of those who lived, fought and died in the First World War. IWM (Imperial War Museums) is leading the First World War Centenary Partnership, a network of local, regional, national and international cultural and educational organisations.

The First World War Centenary Programme proposes a vibrant global programme of cultural events and activities, and online resources, to connect current and future generations with the lives, stories and impact of the First World War. www.1914.org

become defined by ideologies that can confine and define our

23

FRENCH CULTURAL NETWORK IN SA | LITERATURE

Shorty and Billy Boy by Gerard Sekoto A tale of two naughty dogs Published at the initiative of the trustees of the Gerard Sekoto Foundation in preparation for the celebration of Sekoto’s centenary year in 2013, this short story is a beautiful account of the artist’s versatile talents and stimulating imaginative creativity with the young public and beyond.

Best known as the father figure of South African contemporary art, Gerard Sekoto is now also recognised for his musical talents, poetry and philosophical publications. Shorty and Billy Boy – a tale of two naughty dogs was written by Sekoto on four A4 pages in 1974, while in exile in France. This enchanting children’s story was initially a creative exercise but not specifically planned for publication. The book is beautifully illustrated

by Sekoto’s own drawings that he made specifically for the story and other appropriate sketches have been introduced to create a rich image intense book.

The story was specifically designed to attract first time readers whilst emphasising art appreciation and encouraging an enjoyment of the playful intent of the artist. The South African context of the tale was accentuated and minor inconsistencies removed. The story features two troublesome dogs whose thieving ways take them to the far-away town of Porcupine Hills. Here they meet all sorts of interesting characters, but continue their mischief until Billy Boy is caught red-handed and sent to jail. Here he dreams about the kindness of others, and comes to realize that good deeds are the true measure of freedom.

The watercolours are reproduced as Sekoto created them in the original document and other related sketches and paintings

The enchanting children’s story Shorty and Billy Boy – a tale of two naughty dogs by Gerard Sekoto is available in French and six South African languages

Gerard Sekoto Foundation

were introduced to add richness and vitality to the story. Details

The Gerard Sekoto Foundation was established after Sekoto’s

Formal art education was not offered to black South Africans

of some of the artwork have been highlighted to draw attention

death in order to secure his estate collection of paintings,

during the apartheid era and he hoped to see this rectified

to the fluidity and dexterity of Sekoto’s pen and paint. It is hoped

drawings and a variety of documents from the French Gov-

in the future. www.gerardsekotofoundation.com

that in the process of learning to read, the reader is also drawn

ernment and to return it all to South Africa. The aim of the

into looking at the images, to encourage observation and

Foundation is to develop awareness and understanding of

appreciation of Sekoto’s artistic originality, and the magical

Sekoto’s legacy by teaching the South African public about

process of creativity.

the artist’s life, art, music, philosophy and his writings. The will of Gerard Sekoto expressed his wish that his Estate should be

The book, published by Jacana, is available in six South African languages – Afrikaans, English, Sotho, Sepedi, Xhosa, Zulu – and in French.

24

used to uplift art education for young South African children.

FRENCH EMBASSY | CAMPUS FRANCE

Campus France is an agency operating under the oversight and authority of the French Departments of Foreign Affairs and Higher Education and Research, and aims to promote student mobility.

Campus France provides students with practical advice and assistance with enrolment at French tertiary institutions, visa applications and living in France.

Campus France South Africa also manages two of the Embassy of France in South Africa’s scholarship programmes for post-graduate studies. There is an annual Master’s scholarship programme for students intending to study full-time in France, and research grants are offered to PhD students at South African universities who wish to conduct research at a French institution.

These scholarships are offered to students in any academic field, and French proficiency is not a prerequisite to apply for these opportunities.

“Studying in France taught me how the world works.”

Contact details: e: pretoria@campusfrance.org T: (+27) 12 415 1721 www.southafrica.campusfrance.org Facebook: CampusFrance.ZA Twitter: @CampusFranceZA

Sboniso Cibane, who started out as an assistant taxi conductor at the age of eight to support his family, knows the value of hard work and perseverance. This is the spirit that carried him through his studies and earned him a distinction from the University of KwaZulu-Natal where he completed his LLB in 2011.

After completing his LLB, Sboniso planned to apply to Oxford

The transportation system in France surprised Sboniso with

to continue his studies. Yet something about France attracted

its effectiveness: “I would pay only 28 euros for an entire month’s

him. “It looked interesting – it was a different environment with

transportation within Lyon, and when there was a party or

different people than what I was used to, with a different way of

concert in the city, the municipality would send out buses at

thinking, and I was also hoping to learn the language, having

2am to pick up people.”

only done three classes before I left.”

Sboniso not only managed to travel around France (and to get With a full scholarship from the Embassy of France in South

memorably lost on a freezing cold night in Paris), but also

Africa, he set off in 2012 to do a Master’s in International

travelled to Switzerland, Germany and Spain. He also went

Business Law at the Université Catholique de Lyon. He found

skiing in the Alps, but found it easier to sit on his skis and paddle

the campus vibrant, and attended class with 25 students of 15

down the mountain than to attempt traditional methods.

nationalities. The course was very open and forward-thinking, with students being able to make suggestions for modules to

Would he choose France again? “Yes, without a doubt. French

professors who would then fly specialists from around the

people are very open-minded and easygoing. I never felt like

world to Lyon to teach students.

an outcast.”

Lyon is, according to Sboniso, a stunning city, with a very rich

Sboniso is now working as a research clerk to Chief Justice

history. And French food? “Very different from SA, people eat

Mogoeng Mogoeng, and hopes to find a niche to specialise

a lot of funny things. They would start eating their baguettes just

in the area where commercial law and development inter-

like that on the bus before they get home!”

connects.

Sboniso Cibani in front of the imposing doors of the South African Constitutional Court

25

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

AllianceFrançaise Southern Africa LEARN FRENCH AND DISCOVER THE FRENCH CULTURE WITH THE ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE /////// The Alliance Française is the world’s largest French teaching network with over 1 000 centres in 134 countries, serving over 350 000 students per year, recognised by the French government. The Alliance Française was established in 1883 in Paris by eminent figures of the Arts, Sciences and Politics, to ensure the influence of French language and culture around the world.

IN SOUTHERN AFRICA /////// The network of the Alliance

SERVICE OFFERINGS /////// Throughout the year, a wide-

RESOURCES /////// In order to feed everyone’s curiosity,

Française in Southern Africa is present in South Africa,

ranging cultural programme is presented, offering a unique

we offer access to state-of-the-art libraries, with thousands

Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe,

mix of events in theatre, music, visual arts, dance and cinema,

of volumes, including multimedia (DVDs and CDs), computer

and provides French language courses from beginners’

with the support of the French Embassy and the French

stations, as well as access to Culturethèque, the French

level to business French level to over 5 000 students a year,

Institute of South Africa, and in partnership with local com-

Institute’s online library.

by more than 100 teachers. Alliance Française branches also

panies or cultural bodies.

– Online supplement for courses

offer a variety of workshops to make the learning experience

– General French course

– Use of new technologies

more fun (French through music, French cuisine, theatre,

– Corporate course

travel etc.) as well as special programmes for youngsters,

– French for kids

from toddlers to teenagers.

– Group and private tuition

GENERAL FRENCH COURSE /////// “An open door to a new world” Christiaan Du Plessis – Extensive courses student What were your motivations to learn French?

a really good exercise for the brain. The teachers are very nice

J’ai eu envie d’apprendre une langue étrangère pendant long-

and I have met many people who have become my friends.

temps. Mon ancêtre était huguenot français, qui est arrivé en Afrique du Sud en 1688. Donc j’ai choisi le français. En plus, j’étais

What has speaking French done for you?

en France en 2009 en vacances et j’avais des difficultés à com-

Je n’ai pas beaucoup d’occasion de parler français dans ma vie

muniquer. J’y suis retourné en 2012 et parler français a amélioré

quotidienne, parce que je l’apprends pour m’amuser et pas pour

mon expérience de ce pays merveilleux.

mon travail. J’aime bien regarder TV 5 Monde et lire les livres français. Ça ouvre un nouveau monde. Je parle français aux gar-

I have wanted to learn a foreign language for a long time. My

diens de parking, parce qu’il y en a beaucoup qui parle français.

ancestor was a French Huguenot who arrived in South Africa

Mais le meilleur est d’utiliser le français en vacances en France.

in 1688. So I chose to learn French. Furthermore, I was on holi-

En 2012 je n’ai parlé qu’en français, et cela a énormément amé-

days in France in 2009 and I had trouble communicating. I returned

lioré l’expérience de vacances en France.

in 2012 and being able to speak French improved my experience of this wonderful country.

I do not have many opportunities to speak French in my daily life, because I learn for fun and not for my work. I like watching

Tell us about your experience with the French Alliance.

TV5 Monde and reading French books. It has opened the door

Pendant les 4 ans où j’ai appris le français à l’Alliance Française, je

to a new world. I speak French with car guards in the street,

me suis bien amusé. C’est un vrai bon exercice pour le cerveau. J’ai

because many of them speak French too. But the best is to

rencontré beaucoup de gens qui sont devenus mes amis. Les pro-

use French on holiday in France. In 2012, I spoke exclusively

fesseurs sont vraiment sympas.

in French, and this greatly increased the holiday experience in France.

During the four years that I have been learning French at the Alliance Française, I have been enjoying myself. It has been

26

Fourteen branches in South Africa Bloemfontein

Port Elizabeth

Cape Town

Potchefstroom

Durban Pretoria East London

Soweto

Johannesburg Stellenbosch Mitchell’s Plain

Somerset West

Pietermaritzburg

Vaal Triangle

Find your nearest Alliance Française or for more information visit www.alliance.org.za Contact us on info@alliance.org.za

CORPORATE COURSE /////// “One can build relationships in life and business if you can communicate” Dolly Mokgatle – Corporate private course What were your motivations to learn French?

What has speaking French done for you?

I have always admired the French way of life, the style and

Within a short time after I started my lessons, I had to speak

approach to communication. I therefore started learning

at a function in honour of our French board of directors. I also

French to be able to communicate appropriately when I travel

did a presentation when President Hollande visited South

there and to other Francophone countries both in Africa

Africa. With the support of my teacher, I was able to welcome

and Europe.

our visitors, introduce myself and greet the audience in French.

A few years ago, my company has invested in a French company based in South Africa. Last year I was appointed Chair-

It was a good feeling knowing how one can build relation-

man of Total, which made me seek to learn more French and

ships in life and business if you can communicate.

in a structured way to be able to converse for business.

Tell us about your experience with the French Alliance.

My husband did his French lessons at the Alliance Française a few years ago and encouraged me to go too. At that time I did not follow through, but now I am going there for my personal lessons and love the environment. My teacher is very professional and I believe that she brings much needed

Alliance Southe

confidence in her student(s).

27

FRENCH EMBASSY | DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATION

Standing up for women!

South Africa has undergone major transformations over the past 20 years, of which the development of democracy and the shift to a culture of human rights are the most significant. Legislative changes, the development of national mechanisms, the introduction of government programmes to support victims of violence and the allocation of necessary resources from the fiscal budget have all been major achievements for the women’s sector. In spite of these advances, women in South Africa continue to suffer untold oppression and discrimination in all communities. extra! talks to Dr Lesley Ann Foster, founder of Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre.

About Masimanyane Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre (MWSC), created by current executive director Dr Lesley Ann Foster, is based in the Eastern Cape and has 16 years of experience working on the advancement of women’s rights, violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the gendered nature of HIV and AIDS in South Africa as well as in 35 other countries in Africa and in the Middle East. MWSC received funds from the Civil Society Develop-

Could you describe Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre

decision making. We were rated 6th best country for gender equality

ment Fund managed by the Embassy of France to support

and why you founded it?

in respect of women in politics. The country has affirmative action

their Women’s Rights Education and Community Mobili-

Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre is an equality and social

policies aimed at getting women into key positions in government

sation Programme. www. masimanyane.org.za

justice organisation working to secure the rights of women and

and corporates. All this is well and good but we have seen a lack of

girls. Our specific focus is violence against women and girls. We include HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health.

I started the organisation in 1995 just after South Africa’s first democratic elections. I had been working on a Street Children’s project and discovered that many of the children left their homes because of domestic violence. I did research by asking doctors, school principals and other community leaders about the extent of

commitment to implementation of the policies and programmes and the result is that women generally have not attained equality and still have low status. Women are the poorest citizens, they lack

About the Civil Society Development Fund

access to basic services and they have the highest rates of HIV in-

The Civil Society Development Fund, run by the Embassy

fection in the country. The most critical indicator of inequality is the

of France in South Africa, supports the participation of

high levels of violence against women and girls. The good news is

civil society organisations in the promotion of human rights

that many women are fighting this scourge. They are working to

and local governance. Our partners are: Planact, BESG,

domestic violence and rape and all told me that the problem was

secure the rights of women and girls and they are training com-

wide spread. I checked on whether there were organisations that

munities in human rights and freedoms. The movement is growing.

provided support to women and girls. At that time, only LifeLine

Mvula Trust, AFESIS-CORPLAN, Social Justice Coalition, RULAC, ACESS, Masimanyane, ARESTA, GALA, Luleki Siswe, HEI. www.ambafrance-rsa.org

and FAMSA existed in East London and they provided service to

Is there still work to be done? Which one and how?

mainly white communities. There was a very big need to provide

There is a great deal of work which is still to be done. We need to

How did you get in contact with the French Embassy/network?

services to women and girls in black communities. It was this gap

increase our work on prevention and this can be done by training

We responded to a call for proposals. We submitted a request for

that I wanted to fill to ensure that all women and girls, particularly

communities on human rights and freedoms. We need all citizens

funding and this is how we accessed support from the Embassy.

from marginalised communities were given counseling and support. The existing service providers did not provide a gender specific service so Masimanyane was the first to do that. We also began to work within a human rights framework which was a new approach at the time in the country.

Have you seen progress regarding women rights since 1994?

We have seen great progress. Firstly we have a good gender policy

to understand their democratic rights and to be empowered to demand those rights. Masimanyane, with the assistance of a

Have you been to France? If yes, what is your memory?

grant from the French Embassy, trained rural women on their

I was in France in June 2011 for a conference hosted by the uni-

full range of rights and we found that women were able to under-

versity in Versailles. I have not had an opportunity to visit other

stand that they were entitled to certain rights such as housing,

parts of the country or meet with women’s groups there. I would

health care, safety, education etc. These women then engaged

like very much to do that.

their local municipalities and the provincial government demand-

framework in the country. We have various institutions set up to

ing those rights. Some significant gains were made which in-

advance gender equality. We have had extensive law reform to

cluded a road being built, a bridge constructed and water being

Left: Scenary Park women’s group. © MWSC

ensure that all laws are gender sensitive. We have seen great

purified in one area. A great deal of attention must be paid to the

Right: Dr Lesley Ann Foster, executive director, Masimanyane

attention being given to ensuring women’s full participation in

education and training if we want to shift the current situation.

Women’s Support Centre. © MWSC

28

EVENTS 2014

The French cultural and cooperation network in South Africa proudly partners with the following events in 2014 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

20 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY

RESEARCH

13 February – 29 June / Rise and fall of apartheid

February / Seminars and workshops Global History In

exhibition / Museum Africa

Africa: Thomas Vernet and Philippe Beaujard (Paris I) / University of Cape Town

//////////////////////////////////////////////////// CULTURE 25 January – 9 February / Johannesburg International Mozart Festival / Johannesburg 6 - 16 March / Dance Umbrella 2014 March / Francophonie Month celebrations May / The Weeks of Taste June / Fête de la Musique 3 July – 13 July / 40Th National Arts Festival 1 July – 1 October / The Lost Men France by Paul Emmanuel / France 3 – 10 August / Architecture Durban 2014 / Durban 2014 / Cape Town World Design Capital 2014 / Cape Town

//////////////////////////////////////////////////// LITERATURE

March / Continental Philosophy Chair, Alain Badiou and Jacques Rancière / University of Johannesburg April / Closing conference Urban natural parks in April / 20 Years of Democracy in South Africa conference

March / Promotional tour for French institutions of higher education in South Africa (to facilitate dialogue with counterparts in South African universities and meetings with South African students)

All events’ dates and information to be confirmed. For updates, please visit the relevant websites.

/ IFAS and Museum Africa / IFAS-Research

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

May / Conference Sino-African Relations, a Cultural

LINKS

Perspective / IFAS June / Conference Gauteng Urban Morphology / IFAS and AFD June / Conference on energy and climate South Africa: an international actor in the fight against climate change / IFAS

Alliance Française in Southern Africa www.alliance.org.za

June / Conference M. Foucault, 30Th death anniversary

Campus France

/ University of the Witwatersrand

www.southafrica.campusfrance.org

July / Panafrican Congress of Archeology / University of the Witwatersrand

French Embassy in South Africa

September / Training workshop in Archeology

www.ambafrance-rsa.org

/ University of the Witwatersrand September / International Congress of Global History

17-22 March / Time of the Writer Festival

and Jacques Rancière / University of Johannesburg

9-10 May / Dancing in other words, The Spier Poetry

December / Conference and workshop African

Festival

Philology / University of Cape Town

16-18 May / Franschhoek Literary Festival

CINEMA

Bursary Programme

emerging countries / Kirstenbosch / IFAS-Research

September / Continental Philosophy Chair, Alain Badiou

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

24 March / Deadline for Embassy of France Master’s

//////////////////////////////////////////////////// IRD 14 January / ESASTAP Plus Seminar: Opportunities

February / Release of French Film Palme D’or Cannes

for South African – European Cooperation Under the

2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d’Adèle) / Ster

Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research

Kinekor Cinema Nouveau

and Innovation / Brussels

FSATI (French South African Institute of Technology) www.cput.ac.za/blogs/fsati/

IFAS (French Institute of South Africa) IFAS-CULTURE, IFAS-RESEARCH & DIBUKA www.ifas.org.za

IRD (Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement) www.afrique-australe.aird.fr

March / Festival of African Francophone Films in the

Lycée Français Jules Verne

framework of the Francophonie Month

www.lyceejulesverne.co.za

May / European Film Festival in partnership with Ster

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kinekor and Eunic / Johannesburg

CAMPUS FRANCE

NEPAD (The New Partnership for Africa’s Development)

3 - 7 March / Campus France presentation

www.nepad.org

September – October / Kunjani’mation Festival and visit of a French animation delegation

/ Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town

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