Team and did my first provincial ompetition and made the top five in ouldering and Lead climbing From here, I was selected to go to the outh Worlds Selection Competition n Johanesburg I made the top five gain for Boulder and Lead climbing ut the top three went to the Youth World Championships,” he said Donald also received a nineteenear-old bronze medal at his second Nationals in KwaZulu-Natal for u-19
ouldering
“In 2024, I again qualified to attend Nationals with a Gold in Lead climbng u-20 and a silver in Bouldering -20 at provincials and then at Nationals I managed to get 6th place n the Open category and have now ualified to represent South Africa at wo European Cup competitions in une and July in Italy and Switzerand,” he said
He stresses that he needs help with undraising to cover the costs of the uropean trip
“Unfortunately, the federations give ou the opportunity but don’t offer ny financial support The whole rip will cost R150 000 including ights, SA kit, accommodation, food, ompetition entry fees and training efore each competition at the local yms I’m hoping to gain a lot more xperience in the European climbing nvironment so that I can come back nd take my climbing to the next evel
“My mom will accompany me as my coach and a competition official
to make sure that I have everything that I need to perform well at the European Cup competitions The first one is in Campitello Di Fassa in Italy in June and the second is in Bern, Switzerland two weeks later ”
Despite his ardent love for rock climbing, he says it can be a gruelling and physically demanding sport
“Rock climbing is a physical and mental sport Sometime later, you ’ re strong enough to climb something but the fact that you may have failed in a previous attempt gets in your head and makes you doubt that you can actually do it Other times you know that you can do it but your feeling weak or haven’t had enough rest so your body lets you down It is constant fight to get strong, prepare, rest and then try to climb the hardest thing you ’ ve ever done
“The rewards are those moments when it all comes together Lately, those moments have been coming together more often and I’m seeing the fruit of the hard work and the last three years of training ” Donald follows a strict training programme that takes place seven days a week which is put together by his High Performance coach, Chris Allan “The programme is completely tailored to me and my needs I do strength and conditioning workouts four days a week with mobility and flexibility training on the other days together with climbing five days a week Two days will focus on lead training at CityRock or outdoors and another two to three days a week bouldering indoors at Bloc11 or Krag Sentrale or outdoors in the mountains I also still do High Performance sessions four times a month through Western Cape Climbing ” • For information or to contribute: Zoe Donald at zoe donald@me com
W Freechecks for motorists
We are facing a sexual violence crisis, and we cannot be silent
A JOURNO’S VOICE
We are constantly reminded how much of a dark sick and crazy world we live in, particularly in South Africa
It has taken the global social media community a matter of days to do something that should have been done months ago by calling for #Justice-
ForCweCwe
For those unfamiliar with the case CweCwe is a seven-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and sodomised at her school in the Eastern Cape in October last year, with her parents battling to get some form of justice for her since
With calls using the hashtag on social media from countries like Jamaica, United States of America (USA), Canada, Germany and the likes, it has taken global attention to make this horrific incident trend
With yet another tragic reminder of South Africa’s deep-rooted crisis of sexual violence her case has also reminded us again about how unsafe women and children are in this country at the hands of men
Men took great offence to the "Men are trash" movement years ago, but the small sense of doubt about their safety is something most women have when in the presence of men We cannot trust men and we need to walk with some caution around them So, the perception that men are approaching us (women and children) with ill-intention is engrained The saddest part is that the most recent cases, including the father who had allegedly raped his infant because "he wanted to give her something to cry about" is another reminder that even those meant to protect us can be the very ones we need to
watch out
Despite immediate reporting by her mother, who is a police officer, there has been little to no progress in the investigation So, many people have failed this little girl The school, the driver, the police, the justice system even to an extent the parent who did not trust her instincts
I am utterly disgusted to be South African right now Public outrage has been immense, with protests and a petition gathering more than 600 000 signatures demanding accountability Why must it always take public pressure for authorities to act? The system is clearly broken What we need to see in this movement is about more than just #JusticeForCwecwe Children and women across the country are suffering in silence The same silence CweCwe and her family had endured for six months as so many have tried to silence them
We are facing a devastating crisis of sexual violence, with some of the highest rates of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) in the world
Statistics paint a grim picture: thousands of rape cases are reported annually yet conviction rate remains alarmingly low In many instances, survivors are met with victim-blaming attitudes from law enforcement, medical professionals, and even their communities Delays in investigations, mishandling of evidence, and the intimidation of survivors further discourage victims from seeking justice
There is a deep-rooted cultural problem that normalises violence against women and children
While we can refer to the cases reported, there are still many that go unreported due to fear, stigma, or a lack of faith in the system, reinforcing a cycle of abuse
At some point we feel we have heard it all I am sick to my stomach We cannot be silent
ST JAMES LOCALS COMPLETE MILLER’S POINT TO FISH HOEK “MARATHON” SWIM
St James locals Ross Walkin (left) and Byron Loker completed a 10,5km “marathon” open water swim from Miller’s Point south of Simon’s Town to Fish Hoek Beach in a time of five hours and 11 minutes on Saturday 29 March, in an event facilitated by Big Bay Events and officially recognised for medal awards by the Cape Long Distance Swimming Association (CLDSA). Ross and Byron can regularly be seen taking to the water between Surfers’ Corner and the Brass Bell when the conditions are ideal, and the beer is cold!
PHOTO: NIKKI PETERSEN / B G BAY EVENTS
CRIME CONTINUES TO BE A WORRY IN OUR DEVELOPING COUNTRY
The crime everywhere in South Africa is completely unacceptable! Ninety percent of Saps officers do clerical work and not visible policing Response times are ridiculous (if one can get through)
SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS
Thousands unite for young rape victim
KAYLYNNEBANTOM
KAYLYNNE BANTOM@NOVUSMEDIA CO ZA
Thousands of young people marched through the Cape Town CBD on Tuesday 1 April to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) calling for safety at schools across the country, following the alleged rape of a sevenyear-old girl at her school in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape last October.
The incident came to light after the girl’s mother had taken to social media in a desperate attempt to seek justice for her daughter, as the alleged rapist had yet to be arrested
The #JusticeforCwecwe protest saw young
people dressed in black carrying placards calling for justice for the girl and other victims Protests in solidarity took place across the country
People’s Post spoke to a few of the protesters
Bhongolethu Ndolela said he had joined the protest to show support for all victims of sexual abuse “I am here to support This young girl was violated, we want answers ”
Another protester, Mpho Mathe, said: “There is strength in numbers, and we want to prevent one of our sisters going through this in future None of this is right ”
Rosa Sayidini said schools should be places of safety “We have been shouting and saying we need justice for kids at schools That’s a no-brainer Justice shouldn’t take this long
TIME TO CHALLENGE MEN WHO THINK LIKE RAPISTS
Kids should be at school, not scared at home
Women and children are still unsafe “It is time to address the elephant in the room; men who think like rapists and who are rapists Stop blaming women and children for what men are up to ”
When Western Cape Minister of Education
David Maynier and Premier Alan Winde were unable to accept a memorandum they marched to Parliament, where they handed their grievances to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube
Commenting in a press statement afterwards, Maynier said he was “deeply disturbed” by the incident “I accepted a memorandum on Tuesday afternoon and will refer it to the relevant national departments for action We are aware that the Eastern Cape Department of Education as well as police are investigating the incident “We urge them to ensure the perpetrator is found and faces the full might of the law Our children must be able to learn in a safe environment when at school ” He appealed to victims to speak out “This incident has occurred in another province, but I urge anyone who is aware of an incident of abuse or assault in a Western Cape school to report this immediately to the police and our Safe Schools hotline on 0800 45 46 47 ”
About 4 000 young people joined the protest PHOTOS KAYLYNNE BANTOM
Protesters carried placards calling for justice for a sexual assault victim
Street store returns for the needy
The Street Store, the world's first rent-free, premises-free, free pop-up store for those living on the street, returns to the Haven Night Shelter in Green Point on Saturday 12 April from 09:00 until 11:00.
The initiative offers the needy a chance to be clothed with dignity –and at no cost
The latest Street Store, building on more than 1 100 stores globally since the initiative was founded 11 years ago, is the culmination of a partnership between The Up&Up Group and Old Khaki
The "Last season is so this season " campaign has encouraged people to think differently about clothing and how they can partake in the circular economy through the transformative power of fashion and giving
The initiative involved Old Khaki setting up special Street Store clothing rails in their stores, inviting their customers to donate their pre-loved clothes at selected outlets
These collection points ran until the end of March
The clothing store also announced that it had donated a portion of its own merchandise towards the Street Stores, while a partnership with Unilever will see packages, including toiletries being made available for Street Store customers That fundamental principle underpins the experience: the dignity that comes with offering choice
The initiative comes at a time when the fashion industry's own carbon footprint is increasingly under the spotlight g people to be mindful about their own
Those living on the street have the opportunity to shop for clothes free-of-charge PHOTO: SUPPL ED
The pop-up street store returns on Saturday 12 April PHOTO SUPPLIED
The Fire Eater on the Flipside
Empatheatre's electrifying and highly acclaimed Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater, a one-woman show brought to life by Mpume Mthombeni and theatre-maker Neil Coppen, comes to the Baxter Flipside
Winner of four Naledi Theatre Awards for Best Production, Best Actor in a solo performance, Best Director and Best Lighting Design, the production was nominated for four more awards At the 2024 Woordtrofees Awards it won Best New South African text, Best Solo Performance for Mpume Mthombeni and Best Technical Achievement for Tina le Roux It was selected as the Noorderzon Critics Choice at the 2023 Noorderzon Festival of Performing Arts in the Netherlands The play text has been published by Wits University Press Coppen, in collaboration with Mthombeni, wrote the script, which is based on a range of testimonials Set in a womens ' hostel in downtown Durban, Zenzile Maseko (performed by Mthombeni), is a grandmother partially disabled and declared dead by the Home Affairs' decrepit system It is within the confines of this cramped room that Zenzile reckons with Nkulunkulu (God), recalling the unbelievable series of events that have unfolded across her lifetime It is soon revealed that she operated as one of the Inkatha Freedom Party's (IFP) most feared assassins nicknamed Impundulu (The Lightning Bird) in the build-up to the 1994 general elections It's a past Zenzile has spent most of her adult life trying to erase, praying nightly to Nkulunkulu and begging Him to cleanse her of her past sins However, when Home Affairs mistakenly declares her dead and is unable to reverse the error on their system, she finds herself cast into the middle of a Kafkaesque nightmare, forced to reawaken the vengeful spirit of Impundulu to secure her survival Mthombeni sets the stage ablaze in a breathtaking tour-de-force performance that sees her
THE CHARACTER ZENZILE STRUGGLES TO COME TO TERMS WITH A BRUTAL, CONTROVERSIAL PAST.
shifting between the feared IFP assassin Impundulu and the reborn Gogo, longing to return to the house she's building in her childhood village, iPharadise Zenzile's devastating and often hilarious recollections propel the audience back and forth through time, traversing the shifting landscapes of KwaZulu-Natal and while charting critical events in the province's post-1994 trajectory through to its present-day floods and insurrections While the story offers an insightful look at the eddying cycles of violence and revenge that play out across generations, it is most of all a story about redemption, regeneration and reinvention
The production has toured throughout South Africa and Europe to sold-out houses and rave reviews with performances at the National Arts Festival, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre (Durban), The Market Theatre (Joburg), Hilton Arts Festival (KZN), Noorderzon Festival of Performing Arts (Groningen Netherlands), The Kampnagel International Summer Festival (Hamburg, Germany) and La Bâtie - Festival de Genève (Switzerland) It has just returned from a season at the Schlachthaus Theatre in Berne, Switzerland
Mthombeni, Coppen alongside Dylan McGarry, are the co-founders of Empatheatre whose focus is on forging creative responses to complex social concerns and historical events The company was awarded the prestigious 2022 Bertha Artivism Award for their theatre and social justice work as well as the 2023 Fleur Du Cap award for innovation in South African Theatre In 2024, Empatheatre was granted the
Ibsen scope award for their up-and-coming isiZulu adaptation of Ibsen's Enemy of the People
.With a 14-years age restriction,it will run from Wednesday 9 to Saturday 19 April,at 19:30 Booking is through
at Pick n Pay For schools or block bookings of 10 or more: Carmen Kearns on 021 680 3993 or email carmen.kearns@ uct ac za or Mark Dobson on 021 680 18 or email mark dobson@uct ac za
Candiceonstageagainfora verylimitedtime
Earthside returns to Theatre Arts following its acclaimed run last month The production will be performed again for a limited season from Monday 14 to Wednesday 17 April at 19:30
Earthside is an auto-biographical one-woman dark comedy written and performed by Candice Bernstein (Gruesome Playground Injuries, Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues)
The play is directed by multiple-award winning Jennifer Steyn (Faustus in Africa!, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Lara Foot's The Inconvenience of Wings) Lighting Design is by Kieran McGregor (The Father, Expelled, The Sin Drinkers)
Earthside explores Bernstein's journey as a
first-time mother while she navigates love, loss and ridiculously built underground parking structures Earthside looks at the raw, chaotic and unpredictable space between life and death, diving head-first into the bittersweet reality of grieving while also becoming a first-time mother: where joy and sorrow collide in the most absurd ways With humour as its guide, earthside takes an unflinching look at the complexity of existing in the in-between It's a personal journey filled with moments of levity, deep reflection and plenty of irreverence .Tickets cost R180 / R100 concession Bookings can be made at Theatre Arts online
