16 May Issue 10

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Tuks se amptelike studentekoerant / Official Tuks student newspaper / Kuranta ya baithuti ya semmušo ya Tuks

16May2011

year73issue10

Perdebate

Dining hall food prices decrease

Local elections

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NINA VAN WYK On 18 May, millions of people will be lining up to cast their votes.

This municipal election will be the fourth held in a democratic South Africa. The rst democratic municipal elections took place in 1995/6 while the rst IEC run municipal elections took place in 2000.

The current ruling party of South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC), has faced a growing opposition from the Democratic Alliance (DA) over the past couple of years. The DA currently holds control over the Western Cape with Cape Town as its capital city. The DA has set their sights on Pretoria and is positive

about their chances of winning control of the city. Perdeby held an interview with the leader of the DA, Helen Zille (see page 6), who said that the DA can win “if every last DA supporter votes for them.” Brandon Topham, the mayoral candidate from the DA (who was also present), said, “We have a very, very, very good chance of winning.”

The ANC would like to increase its control in certain areas while also maintaining its dominance in others. This will be a challenge for them given the questions posed by opposition parties regarding service delivery, corruption, healthcare reform, poverty and unemployment rates. On 28 February the ANC released their

Interview with a suburban drug wife

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manifesto. In the manifesto the ANC promises to build local economies, create more employment, decent work opportunities and sustainable livelihoods, improve local public services and broaden access to them, build more united, non-racial, integrated and safer communities and promote more active community participation in local government. President Jacob Zuma promised in his introduction to the manifesto: “Our manifesto is affordable, realistic and achievable.”

The Congress of the People (COPE) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will probably also be determined to increase their municipal control.

Zille, who has campaigned extensively over the last couple of months, is attempting to improve her party’s Cape Town success and also curb the ANC’s majority support in other major cities. Initial reports suggest that Port Elizabeth may be the most vulnerable ANC stronghold, with Pretoria, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and almost all municipalities in the Northern Cape facing opposition from the DA and COPE. The 2006 municipal elections represented important milestones in the development of South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

Between the municipal elections in 2000 and the 2006 elections, the number of registered voters increased from approximately 18 million to approximately 21 million. In an effort to improve access to voting stations, the number of voting districts was increased from 14 988 to 18 873. This year over one million new potential voters have registered to vote in the 18 May local government elections and a total of 2 731 967 people registered or re-registered to vote.

This gure does not include those who visited the voting stations to verify their details on the voters’ roll. On 9 May the IEC announced that the voters’ roll currently contains the details of some 23.6 million voters.

In the previous municipal election in 2006, the ANC won the majority of seats nationwide with 66.3% of the vote. The ofcial opposition, the DA, took 14.8% of votes putting them in second place overall. The Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party took 8.1% of the vote while the Independent Democrats, under the leadership of Patricia de Lille, took 2%.

However, because rural electors have an additional vote, a fairer representation of popular party support is given by the percentage of proportional representation votes. According to these statistics, the ANC took 65.7% of the vote nationwide, the DA 16.3% of votes, the Inkatha Freedom Party 7.6% and the Independent Democrats 2.2% of the vote.

This week you can get all your voting information in Perdeby on pages six and seven and don’t forget to vote on 18 May.

Image: www.elections.org.za

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Editorial

16 May ’11

But seriously, folks... www.perdeby.co.za perdeby@up.ac.za

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF: Carel Willemse EDITOR: Beyers de Vos NEWS: Nina van Wyk news@perdeby.co.za FEATURES: Marie van Wyk features@perdeby.co.za RES UPDATE: Katlego Mkhwanazi resupdate@perdeby.co.za ENTERTAINMENT: Meagan Dill entertainment@perdeby.co.za SPORT: Charlotte Keuris sport@perdeby.co.za COPY: Hayley Tetley LAYOUT: Hickley Hamman VISUALS: Desré Barnard

TEAMS LAYOUT Camilla Coertse Celeste Theron Allan Le Roux JP Nathrass

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Helen Zille, who I have a bit of a political crush on. It wasn’t so much an interview as a rushed late night power-chat, but it was more than I expected, so no complaints here. It made me feel like a reallife, honest-to-god journalist (insert reference to Pinocchio here). We were lucky to land the interview right before the election and to ask such an important political gure a few questions right before such an important national event, but what she said to me about why it is important to vote really rung true.

Usually I use this space to make a few jokes or comments about campus or tell you a little about my life. However, this week, I’m going to get a little serious for a little while. On Wednesday is the local elections and this edition is specically tailored to help you make an informed decision when casting your vote. We have a special twopage election section, with interviews or proles on all the candidates for Pretoria from the big political players. Unfortunately, not everyone was available for a face-to-face interview, but we hope we managed to fairly represent all your options. I think it is very important to vote, no matter what your political afliation. I have to admit I have a distaste for political apathy and don’t understand people who can’t be bothered. Our democracy was fought for, not freely given, and I think taking it for granted is the worst kind of cynicism. This vote is how you exercise your democratic power, one of the most important powers you have as a free citizen. So go make your mark on Wednesday.

Apart from that, we have various other exciting things in this edition. We have a follow up on the nal decrease in res food prices, articles on graphic novels and the world’s weirdest religions as well as a look at the life and death of Eduardo Villa. Then do me a favour and go check out the outstanding visuals we have this week. I want to draw specic attention to the cartoonists, who really outdid themselves. Specically the cartoons on page 12 and 14, which blew my mind.

In other news, I don’t know if you’ve noticed shiny new headline boards going up around campus, but last week we ofcially unveiled them. This is a project I’ve been working on since I became editor, and after various bureaucratic and time-consuming hoops, success was ours. So this week is the rst week we have headlines up all over campus. After they went up other people thought it would be a great idea if they put their posters into my boards. So I might have gone on a bit of a rampage and stormed all over campus tearing up other people’s posters. I don’t really feel guilty at all. Get your own headline boards and leave mine alone. Freeloaders. Anyway, I hope you guys like them. I think they’re pretty awesome. At this point I would just like to thank the SRC for all their help with this project, specically Mark Voster, who facilitated the application process for me.

Happy reading, folks.

of Summer. Sit in a circle in the middle of the Piazza. Someone starts by saying “penis” really softy. Go around the circle.

Each person repeats “penis” at increasing volume levels. The person who shouts “penis” the loudest wins. Simple as that.

Campus paintball. Okay, this is more a hope of mine than an actual possibility, inspired by an episode of Community in which the whole campus plays a giant game of paintball. Now, this is probably severely illegal. But the person who manages to orchestrate it will forever be a legend and my personal hero.

Ginger punch. Basically, when you see a ginger, shout “ginger punch!” and punch whoever’s in you vicinity. This game has levels of allowable pain iniction. So, if you see two gingers greeting, you can kick someone in the shin or if you see three gingers laughing, you get to knee someone in the crotch. Until ultimately, if you ever have the good fortune of seeing four gingers in a punch buggy, you supposedly get to kill someone. Whether the rules of ginger punch hold up in court is another matter, of course. Happy playing.

Interrupting random lectures. Run into a lecture hall, shout things and run out. This works most effectively when the lecture hall has two doors, enabling a run-through.

You can customize this game. It could be an extension of the penis game. Or you could streak. Be inventive.

7. Duck, duck, drink. This list would not be complete without a drinking game. I just invented that name and I’m not exactly sure what the rules of a game would be.

But it would involve daring each other to do things on campus and drinking. (If I’m not back next week it’s because I’ve been deemed severely irresponsible and have been removed from ofce).

8. Jottir theft. Everyone knows about this game. It’s a classic. It comes with its own set of unique risks, but if you haven’t stolen a jottir you haven’t lived. Shame on you.

9. Guess the degree. Self-explanatory, really.

You have to guess what someone studies based purely on what they’re wearing.

Then ask them if you were right. It’s a nice politically correct game which helps break down stereotypes. Or something.

10. Golf-cart racing. Again, probably frowned upon by the establishment, but something I vow to do before I graduate.

COPY Ruhan Robinson Caitlin Roberts Jaco Kotze Itumeleng Ramano Jenna-Lee Fortuin Mandisa Mbele Somarié Gravett Saneze Tshayana Nadine Wubbeling Yuan-Chih Yen Marissa Gravett

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Contributions are welcome. All due care will be taken with materials submitted, but Perdeby and printers can not be held responsible for loss or damage. The editor reserves the right to edit, amend or alter material in any way deemed necessary. Perdeby can not be responsible for unsolicited material. The opinions expressed in Perdeby are not necessarily those of the editors and printers of Perdeby.

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4.

BEYERS DE VOS It is inevitable that people have creative little ways to pass time on campus. Sometimes, while waiting for your next class, you have to nd inventive ways of curbing boredom. So, you play games. For example, in the Perdeby ofce we have taken to hacking people’s Facebook proles and sabotaging their statuses. But there are various other options. Here is my list of the Top Ten most entertaining campus games: 1.

2.

3.

Nookie. Okay, not really a game. But it is fun. And it does pass the time. My personal favourite location: the rst oor of the library. There where they keep all those really old biblical and philosophical texts.

Hackensack. Not a personal favourite, but fairly entertaining if you’re into that kind of thing. You know, exercise or whatever.

The penis game. From the movie 500 Days

From the Editor

5.

6.

‘Til next week Beyers

Disclaimer: no gingers were harmed during the writing of this Top Ten.

Perdeby congratulates our new visuals editor, Desré Barnard.

Hello hi,

SIVAYA YOGA STUDIO WWW.YOGAFIT.CO.ZA

Classes at: 8.15am, 11.15am, 3.00pm, 5.15pm, 6.00pm, 7.05pm 309 Lynnwood Rd. Opposite Men’s Hostel Premises Basement Parking Aft-hours & Saturdays Phone: 012-362 8560 Siva: 082 680 1312 Students get 24% discount

I’m Desré “The Gospel” Barnard, new visuals editor.

It is my job to orchestrate the cartoons, photographs and images that will change your life. Changing lives is important to me. I have a team of photographers and cartoonists from another planet, and together we will be awesome. I mean really awesome. Be prepared.

Peace.

Discussion

Yes RUHAN ROBINSON Human beings, as creatures of a social and intellectual nature, have always felt the need to belong. They have an affinity to certain groups based on which one most accurately reflects their values, whether relating to religious beliefs, culture or more recently, politics. The aim of political groups is to take into account the voice of the “small guy”, a representative of the masses who share their philosophies and ideologies in relation to those who govern them.

Tertiary institutions, a breeding ground for intellectuals, are a melting pot of ideas and opinions, especially in a country as diverse as South Africa. The University of Pretoria is no exception to this, representing a microcosm of the country because it hosts individuals from almost every demographic in society. Without the means to channel opinions of the same nature into different social and political

16 May ‘11

3

Political parties on campus bodies, chaos would ensue. University officials would not be able to understand what students want or need and students wouldn’t be afforded the opportunity to convey these needs and wants.

Any university that prides itself in educating “wellrounded individuals” – the catchphrase of most tertiary institutions – cannot merely brush off politics as a concern outside its well-guarded gates. Politics exists as a social reality both on and off campus. Students who have grown accustomed to an environment where politics does not exist do not learn how to approach politics in an informed way and will, in all probability, never learn how to approach it critically. If students are to be well-rounded individuals, then a university should not feel the need to deprive its students of exploring realms outside the content of their work: realms such as politics, religion, culture, sport and art. No mother would prohibit her toddler from walking for fear of the child falling down. Similarly, no university should prohibit a

student from engaging in political activities.

There is a day in every South African’s life when he/she will stand in front of a ballot and cast a vote. The question that needs to be asked at that particular moment is whether the person casting that vote has based his/her vote on racial politics and sentiment or whether the vote is cast for a party that best caters for the needs of the general public.

By allowing politics on campus, the University of Pretoria creates an opportunity for its students to make informed decisions as opposed to decisions based on ignorance.

Politics on campus allows students to become the possible future leaders of South Africa – people who can change the country for the better, as opposed to followers who will vote for the party they are told to vote for.

Having politics on campus is thus more beneficial for student-university communication, for the creation of well-rounded individuals, for the individuals who become informed and, most importantly, for the country as a whole.

Yes, the SRC (as a part of the university) will always have to work within a major political context because it works within a national governmental framework. But for the SRC to be deliberately political as well only creates a breeding ground for conict, inghting and policy decisions based on regional or national external bodies, instead of decisions based on what is best for students or what students need. To reproduce the national system at this level of “governing” (a term used very loosely) is redundant because the SRC and these political structures exist within a system which is by nature not democratic or political. It’s a business. A place runned by an appointed management, which is answerable to various structures, the least of which is the government.

Now, of course, a body representing students needs to exist, but it doesn’t need to be political. Politics creates an extra dimension to the system, governed by personal and external agendas. The driving force behind political student structures then isn’t the students or an organisation solely concerned with the best interests of the students; they’re driven by other, more

complicated and polarising motives, dictated by people who do not have a direct, active role on campus.

Politics skews objectives. Imagine that a political party has a certain policy on language. Any SRC dominated by that party would push that party’s policy, instead of looking at the needs of the majority of the students objectively. And there is nothing wrong with having or implementing a language policy, but it needs to be decided based on what is right for the specic institution that the SRC is meant to be protecting, not by a larger objective because that is a potentially detrimental conict of interest. The mere chance of that conict is grounds for revising a system which, at least at Tuks, is only tentatively working.

Not having politics on campus – in other words political structures which are empowered – makes it easier to serve the students instead of other agendas.

Political parties can be as active as they like on campuses, where people can choose to buy or not to buy what they are selling, as long as they are not empowered to affect change based on the politics external bodies are peddling.

No BEYERS DE VOS Politics is, of course, an inescapable part of the South African landscape. We get confronted with it every day and the older we get the more tangible and relevant the reality of politics becomes. So, of course, at a tertiary institution the idea that politics is going to absent from our lives, the idea that political parties are not going to have representation on campuses, at institutions where they can recruit future politicians, is naïve and ridiculous.

However, politics on campus and politics within campus are two different things. Political representation on student structures is a dangerous and volatile situation and ultimately unnecessary. Why does it matter from which political party the SRC president comes? Why does it matter which political afliations the student parliamentarians have? National politics should have no bearing on the mandate that these student structures have: to look after the concerns of students. All students.

Dear Tukkie Welcome back to the last leg of the rst semester. Some of you only have a couple of weeks, while others only have a month to prepare for the mid-year exams. These are important exams as they inform important decisions such as residence placements and study nancing for the following year. I need not remind you of the importance of self-discipline and the need to nd help if you are struggling with any aspect of your work.

This notwithstanding, our country will be going to the polls on 18 May, a day after tomorrow. The voters this time around are expected to choose a candidate they deem the best to articulate their “bread and butter” issues and move municipalities to deliver the services they need. In other words, what matters in this election is whether a candidate has convincing and workable solutions to problems related to sanitation, electricity and water, housing, safety and security, etc. Some of these are national and provincial functions which have been delegated to local governments. However, people at local level expect answers from local authorities.

I trust that those of you who qualify have registered to vote in

Pretoria, particularly at the polling stations around the university.

The university is located in Ward 59 and it is your prerogative as the majority of citizens in this ward to choose a person with the highest potential to articulate your needs and concerns. Please do not stay away from the polls as 18 May is set aside for voting, not to catch up with business that was not completed during the number of public holidays that followed Easter.

In 2009, the university invited parties who were contesting the national elections to the main campus to present and explain their manifestos. A similar programme was envisaged for the forthcoming election as well. However, due to logistical problems related to construction projects and the number of public holidays in the last couple of weeks, a different strategy was preferred, namely, inviting the parties to advertise in the student media as well as allowing them to distribute their voting material on campus.

Please allow the students who have been given this task by their parties to do so without hindrance.

Best wishes Prof McGlory Speckman Dean of Students

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16 May ‘11

Res Update

Dining hall food prices decrease

Trash never looked this good.

Pssst... would like to congratulate Erika and Boekenhout on winning Serrie 2011. Pssst... knows what sore losers Boekenhout men are. Pssst... het gesien hoe huil julle verlede jaar. Nie eens daardie Pirates of the Caribbean grimering kon die lang trane wegsteek nie. Pssst... voel nogal jammer vir Klaradyn, die enigste JAKE eetsaal koshuis wat nie die nale kon haal nie. If eyes could throw sharp knives at people then Asterhof, Erika and Jasmyn ladies would’ve all been on the oor bleeding, courtesy of Klaradyn. Pity the dining hall doesn’t serve grapes, Pssst... thinks sour grapes would’ve looked good on your plates, Klaradyn. Die grootste Serrieskok was natuurlik Jasmyn wat ook die nale gehaal het.

Pssst... hoor die Jasters moes hulself knyp om te sien of hulle nie dalk gedroom het nie. Another res that should wake up and join us all in the real world is Inca. Pssst... would just like to remind Inca of the res hierarchy which they ignore time and time again. Pssst... thinks Inca should acknowledge and accept their standing on the social ladder so that they don’t get their dreams crushed again, because no one enjoys your pity parties.

Pssst... is concerned with how Asterhof is busy trashing its “trouvrouens” crown. The halo is slowly disappearing with every staggering step you take at the square, ladies. Pssst... dink Taaibos moet maar eerder ophou om vir die dames te serenade. As jy nie eens Katjiepiering kan beïndruk nie, is dit tyd om tou op te gooi. Magrietjie is really taking the whole “wanted” persona a little too far. Pssst... heard that you have nothing better to do, which is why you decided to steal Madelief’s oor decorations and posters. Yes, oor decorations. Pssst... is worried. Are you breeding kleptos, Magrietjie? Pssst... hears that Olienhout is no longer worshipping at the altar of Perdeby. Which is ne, because that makes it easier for Pssst... to mock them behind their backs.

Remember to name and shame them (or yourself) at pssst@ perdeby.co.za.

KATLEGO MKHWANAZI On 3 May food prices in residences were ofcially decreased by 5% for both booked meals and item sales. The University of Pretoria’s management proposed this 5% decrease after rejecting the SRC’s request of 16%.

Katlego Malatji, SRC Secretary General, says, “Students will now be saving over R10 with every meal.”

Students were informed about the proposal at a mass meeting held by the SRC on 20 April at the Amphitheatre.

However, the students present at the meeting were not impressed.

“5% is not nearly enough to make a difference in the lives of students,” said Jordan Grifths, Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) Chairman.

“Food is a necessity for students and it should be affordable.

Many students at this university are on nancial aid and the fact that they must pay such large amounts of money for food will only put them in a worse off position,” explained Grifths.

Along with the price decrease, students now get a free glass of juice with every booked meal.

“The fact that we get a free juice is not that bad, but it feels like [we still pay] the same price,” said Makhanani Balyoi, a resident in Asterhof.

“The important things have gone down, but it doesn’t make a big difference,” said Michelle Waitaker, a resident in Erika.

Tumelo Lebetle, the Secretary General of the COPE Student Movement (COPESM), pointed out that many students in residences are exclusively dependent on res food, but the high food prices mean oorhandig that their meal credit will be nished halfway through the year.

Sedupe Ramokgopa, the South African Students Congress (SASCO) Chairman, added that these concessions were only

made to diffuse the matter for the time being and suggested that the prices would be hiked again.

Malatji explained that students need to understand that the University of Pretoria is one of the only institutions that offers a credit of R12 700.

Malatji also stressed that the 5% decrease is only an interim solution.

According to Steyn, the SRC will appoint independent quality controllers to visit the dining halls in order to make sure that the food is of an acceptable standard. The SRC member for residences and two representatives from the residences will in future be consulted regarding any price alterations.

“Food prices will never be changed without the involvement of students,” said Malatji.

Steyn also explained that in future the university will look at the possibility of outsourcing to outside vendors.

“These vendors will be decided upon by the SRC and residence students,” said Steyn. The SRC will be circulating questionnaires at residences during house meetings to get input from students.

“We don’t want any complaints, but what they perceive as solutions to the current challenges,” explained Steyn.

Although the 5% was not welcomed with smiles, DASO, COPESM, SASCO and many other students have applauded the SRC for taking action against high food prices. “It is indeed plausible to see the student representative in parliament taking the mandate from the students seriously to enforce its implementation,” said Ramokgopa.

“We have already achieved something that hasn’t been achieved by anyone before and with the help of the students we can ensure that we reach an outcome benecial to all,” said Steyn.

Photo: Mpho Tsuari

Res Update

16 May ‘11

Unscripted Spiritual Week

KATLEGO MKHWANAZI Residences have decided to celebrate Spiritual Week together at the Universiteitsoord’s The Hub. This is the first time that both female and male residences have held a joint Spiritual Week. “We decided to come together because last year the ladies reses came together for it and it was a major success,” said Zamahlasela Gabela, Erika’s spiritual HK. “This time we wanted it to be bigger and better and have more people touched and influenced by it.”

The Spiritual Week’s programme was put together by 13th Floor, a performing arts company that uses the arts to minister to young people. The 13th Floor hosted evenings of worship, drama, poetry and dance, from 9-12 May. The theme for 2011 was “Unscripted – no man can walk away from his own story”. This theme encouraged students to share their own stories and inspire other people. “I think it’s a very relevant theme that everyone can relate to as we are all a living example of the many stories portrayed,” explained Gabela. This was the second year in which the spiritual HKs have invited 13th Floor to minister to students. “Last year was a great success.

We like the university’s target market,” said Warren Le Grange, the creative director of 13 th Floor. Le Grange also stated that 13 th Floor would come back next year if they were asked to. The biggest challenge with this Spiritual Week, according to Gabela, was the timing. “There were lots of other things going on in the different reses during the week, so fitting it in has been problematic, but at the end of the day we’ve come through and the week has been successful so far,” added Gabela. Madelein Strydom, Jasmyn’s spiritual HK, said they hope students will understand their journey with God better and that they will persevere during hard times. “Hopefully what you experienced here (Spiritual Week) will resonate with you for the rest of your life,” said Eugene Van Potch, who is part of 13th Floor’s worship team.

Photo: Gerhard Louw

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Katjiepiering vier 20ste verjaarsdag

BAREND TAUTE Op Woensdag 4 Mei het Katjiepiering en Olienhout saam die 20ste verjaarsdag van die Katte gevier. Katjiepiering, die enigste dameskoshuis tussen die LC de Villiers manskoshuise is 20 jaar gelede op dié dag gestig en bestaan uit dele van die oorspronklike Mopanie en Maroela.

Olienhout het in volle koshuisdrag by Katjiepiering opgedaag en aan hulle `n standbeeld met Katjiepiering se wap en daarop oorhandig.

Olienhout se HK’s sê: “ Ons kort ook darrem iets om te verf”. Die twee koshuise se eerstejaars het ook, volgens tradisie, vir mekaar liedjies gesing en die Katte het die woorde “Stoute Houte [in plaas van Pretty Woman] walking down the street,” kwyt geraak.

Marianda Spies, Katjiepiering se ondervoorsitter, het gesê hoe geweldig trots sy op haar koshuis: “Ons koshuis het baie ver gekom die afgelope paar jaar.”

Verder is die verjaarsdagvieringe ook deur Prof. Roelf Visser, Direkteur van TuksRes, en Katjiepiering se huisouers bygewoon. Anne van Rooy, Katjiepiering se huismoeder, is al agt jaar lank huismoeder en kon nie ophou praat oor hoe gelukkig sy is met die Katte nie. “By Katjiepiering is ons nie altyd so wengedrewe nie, dit gaan vir ons ook oor gelukkig wees,” het sy gesê. Ten spyte daarvan het Katjiepiering onlangs sportkoshuis van die jaar twee keer in `n ry gewen.

Olienhout en Katjiepiering Jool ook volgende jaar saam en volgens Spies was hierdie slegs `n voorsmakie.

Foto: JP Nathrass

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16 May ‘11

Elections

“The DA can win Pretoria” – Helen Zille

BEYERS DE VOS AND NINA VAN WYK Over the last few months in the run-up to the May 18 local elections, Helen Zille has been tirelessly campaigning all over South Africa.

Perdeby caught up with her in the last stretch of

her campaign at an event in Pretoria and asked her a few quick questions.

She began by emphasising why it is important for the youth to vote. “Your vote is your power.

If you don’t you may regret it later. You have to be smart and informed when [casting] your

vote.” She stressed the fact that people have to understand that many people sacriced a lot to get the right to vote.

She adds that the youth is an important vote for any political party and that while the ANC will run a negative campaign the DA tries to keep their campaign positive. “The smart youth will realise that and that is why so many young people are joining the DA.” She has been vigorously touring municipalities, spreading the DA’s message of service delivery, hitting home the message that the DA is a party that will fairly represent all South Africans. To emphasise this point, she switches between Xhosa, English, Afrikaans and broken Zulu, and often accompanies her message with a toi-toi.

She spoke about the campaign the DA has been running in Pretoria. “People are starting to realise that the DA delivers better and big cities are our starting point. All eyes are on Pretoria,” she said, adding that the DA has a good chance of winning but only if “every last DA member votes. People have to vote for the bigger parties (like the DA) so that there is a bigger opposition.”

“Unless we make people realise that they have power, democracy won’t work. That is why the DA is not just a party of opposition but a party of governance and it makes sense to start on a local level,” she explained. “People are beginning to get fed up with bad service delivery and service delivery is what the local government is about.”

“The truth is that many people within the ANC agree with us,” she added soberly.

Speaking to the crowd gathered at the event, she said: “Constitutional democracy should provide for everyone. Constitutional law won’t work if everyone does not look after it. Everyone should support each other’s rights. The alternative is impossible.”

Perdeby asked the opposition leader whether she thinks there is a place for politics and political parties on campuses. She said that indeed there is: “Student politics give us our future leaders and politics is a part of the real world. There is no use protecting people from that world.”

Perdeby also asked whether she thinks there are major problems within the tertiary education system. She said, “Yes, we have to make sure that we have good universities that are world class.

The major problem with tertiary education is nancing for underprivileged students.”

Zille added that if the local election plays out the way that the DA thinks it will, it won’t be long before there’s a regime change.

On May 7, at a recent DA rally in Mamelodi, the crowd started chanting, “Hellen Zille, my president.” This seems to be the DA’s long-term plan, and these elections are a major step in that plan. “It is our goal to have national government by 2019,” she concluded.

manier van doen?

Die DA in die Wes-Kaap se grondbelasting en die feit dat die ANC niks doen nie. P: Is VF+ vir almal of net Afrikaanssprekendes?

Spesiek vir Afrikaners, omdat daar nie ƌ ander party is wat vir arm Afrikaners wat die minderheid is baklei nie. Niemand baklei vir die minderheid se regte nie.

Hoeveel lede/ondersteuning het julle sover?

Tuks en Nasionaal. Denitief steun van die Pretoria-Wes wyke.

Die VF+ wil ook werk daarvan maak om korrupte amptenare uit die Metro Raad te kry sodat Pretoria as Suid Afrika se administratiewe hoofstad weer die eerste wêreld stad word wat hy was.

Wat student betref gaan die VF+ baie fokus op die veiligheid van studente asook alternatiewe onderwys en opleidingskursusse vir jongmense wat nie universiteitskostes kan bekostig nie.

Van Staden vertel dat hy deeglik bewus is van di parkering- en ander diensleweringsprobleme rondom die universiteit van Pretoria en dat dit iets is wat die VF+ na die verkiesing wil aanspreek.

Verder doen die VF+ ‘n beroep op kiesers om hulle regte te ken en ui te oefen. “Die nuwe Wet op Verbruikersbeskerming bepaal dat as jy geld vir ‘n diens vre, moet jy die diens lewer.

As jy dit nie doen nie, kan die geld wat jy moes ontvang terug getrek word,” verduidelik hy.

Image: www.ickr.com

Interviews with the candidates VF+ SULET LINDE EN ANKE OLIVIER

Perdeby het `n onderhoud met Francois Cloete, Voorsitter van VF+ op kampus en `n wykslid kandidaat vir Pretoria-Noord, gehad en hom bietjie uitgevra oor hulle gevoelens en strategieë met die munisipale verkiesing.

Waarvoor staan VF+?

Afrikanerregte, die Afrikaanse taal en kultuur.

Dienslewering vir almal.

Wat belowe julle om te verander of te verbeter?

Ordentlike dienslewering sonder korrupsie, meer toeganklikheid. Geen dienste – geen belasting.

Watter kritiek het julle op hul strategieë/

DA ANKE OLIVIER

Brandon Topham is the mayoral candidate for the Democratic Alliance in Tshwane.

What are the main goals the DA wants to achieve for the 2011 municipal elections?

Well, rst of all, we are going to win. We don’t want to win. We are going to win. After we win we have a ten point plan that we are planning to achieve. The complete ten point plan is on my Facebook page if you want to go into detail but it focuses on a few things.

The rst of these is crime. We have to ght against crime in Tshwane and maybe everybody is saying “crime” but you have to understand that everything is connected. You can’t focus on one thing that is not connected to another thing.

We can’t develop the economy – because that is

our biggest problem actually in Tshwane – the economy is not growing, it is declining and that is growing unemployment. If you have growing unemployment your crime starts to swell and you can’t collect the money in rates and taxes so that people can help pay for the improvement of the city which is required so you can also not provide the infrastructure and other services that are connected to infrastructure: roads, sewerage, electricity, water, streetlights. These are the major infrastructure issues. But there are two sides of infrastructure: one side is to build it, the other side is that you have to maintain and upgrade it.

We have to deal with crime so that we can attract businesses to the city and gain more funds to provide services. Also because it is your constitutional right as a resident of a city to live in a safe environment. So everything goes hand in hand.

And an example of crime is ruling our government.

We have a huge crime policy and it is focusing on invisible policing and partnerships with the community.

COPE NINA VAN WYK

Perdeby spoke to COPE candidate Kedibone Mathebe and asked her a few questions about the local elections and what COPE stands for.

Why do you think it is important for the youth to vote?

The youth is the future and their opinion matters If they vote it shows that they are displaying the concept of democracy. It is also their responsibility to vote.

Do you think that COPE has a chance to win

Perdeby het ook met Philip van Staden , die burgermeesterskanidaat vir die Vryheidsfront Plus (VF+) in Tshwane, gesels: Volgens van Staden gaan die VF+ in die verkiesing baie fokus op dienslewering soos vullisverwydering, rekeninge, veiligheid, belastinggelde en behuising vir die armes.

What are your plans among the youth and students?

The DA is the fastest growing party in South Africa, especially under the youth – white and black. It is not colour-based. They realise that you have to vote for a party that can deliver on its promises. Our rst and main aim is to create an employment creating environment. Also, students want to live in a safe environment and through more visible policing we want to establish that safe environment.

What would you say to students?

Go vote. Simple as that.

It is not a day that you can “braai” or sleep because you have a hangover. There are many days for that. You are students, have fun, but Election Day is extremely important because if you want to get jobs in the future, if you want to live in a safe environment, you need to make sure that the political party you vote for will create an environment where it will become a reality. If you don’t vote, it will cost you for the next ve years. control of Pretoria or any other city?

Yes, we really do, because if you look at our performance in the 2009 elections, the highest percentage of our votes came from Gauteng. We had a high percentage from Gauteng even though we were operative for a very short period. Now after two years we have proved how involved we are with the community and people will see that and vote.

What is your opinion about tertiary education?

Do you think there are problems? Do you have plans to solve these problems?

There are problems with tertiary education, but the problem starts at primary and high school level. If we solve problems on these levels the problems further up might solve themselves. The main problem with primary education is that the standard

has dropped. The problem lies with the structure of the curriculum. There is also the issue of language.

In order to x these problems we propose to get the foundation right. We need to do a thorough analysis of the course we are on now.

What are the main things that COPE stands for?

We stand for and want an open government that is reliable and corruption free. We are also the only political party to have signed a social contract in which we promise to deliver. In the contract we promise that if we do not keep our promises, people do not have to wait until the end of term to vote against us. If we have not done what we promised after a year, the people will be able to vote us out.

We have this social contract to back us up. We want to show that we are accountable and reliable.

Photos provided

Elections

16 May ‘11

Making your mark: NOLWAZI MNGADI

7

Students on voting

Living in a democratic country means that every citizen, once they have reached the correct age, has the right to vote into power whomever he or she feels is best suited to run the country. This year the fourth municipal elections will be held on 18 May. The IEC created a theme for this year’s election in an attempt to encourage more South Africans to register to vote. The theme is “Love Your South Africa,” and is believed to be an appropriate follow-up to the excitement of the World Cup. The IEC felt that citizens would take pride in their municipalities (just as they took pride in the country) by registering, and would therefore want to have an active say in how their municipalities are run. Municipal elections, while not as heavily advertised as the national elections, are just as important, if not more so. Local governments are responsible for service delivery to a larger extent than the national government is. By voting in the municipal elections, you are essentially choosing which party you prefer to make sure that your neighbourhood is safe, clean and that the proper facilities are available for you and those around you.

Perdeby asked Mohubedu Ralph Mokwala, a second-year BCom Law student if he believes that the municipal elections are as important as the national elections. He said, “Yes, because it is really at municipal level where plans or objectives set by the national government are implemented.” He added “The municipal elections are how the public can determine who they want to implement those objectives and make sure that person is held accountable if their best interests are not kept.”

Sanisa van Niekerk, also a second year BCom Law student believes that both the national and the municipal elections are “equally important, as they have a direct inuence on the lives of South Africans.” South Africa has been a democratic country for 17 years now, which is not long when one considers countries like England, which became a modern democracy in 1918. Closer to home, Botswana has been a democratic country since 1966. The South African Constitution is considered to be one of the most progressive in the world because it draws on the experience of more advanced democracies.

Section 19(2) of our constitution guarantees every citizen the right to free, fair and regular elections. Like many other rights, the right to vote is often taken for granted by young South Africans and the responsibilities which come with these rights are also forgotten.

When you vote you have the responsibility to respect the secrecy of others and not respond with violence to the choices that

other citizens make when casting their votes. The ability to vote can be seen not only as a right, but a privilege. When looking at some political situations around the world, especially in other parts of Africa like Libya and Egypt, one can see that democracy is not afforded to all people. When you consider the lengths to which so many people have had to go to, and are going to today, in order to be able to vote, those of us who are lucky enough to have the right to vote should do our best to exercise it.

It is important to understand the purpose of voting in both national and municipal elections. In the 2009 national elections 23 174 279 people were registered to vote, while only 22 654 579 people are registered to vote in the 2011 municipal elections. The number of people aged 18-29 who are registered to vote has also decreased by 314 918 from the 2009.

As students, we have to get into the habit of voting, because fostering a positive attitude toward voting is the only way we’ll be able to get future generations to vote and ensure that we remain a democratic country. Third year BCom Law student, Kailin Sampson, thinks it’s important for students to vote in the municipal elections “because students need to get involved in order for the country to prosper in the future and the student population is a majority in South Africa.”

We may not enjoy standing in queues for hours at a time to register, but in the long run, that two hour wait is worth it, because you can have a say in how and by who our country is run. Bathabile Mabena, a fourth-year B Town Planning student agrees with this and says, “The municipalities are more involved with communities and local level governance. Thus people must be able to voice out and choose who must govern them in their communities.”

We often hear people saying that those who do not vote do not have the right to complain about anything that goes wrong in the country. This may sound like a harsh comment, but it is the truth.

Acording to Witness Radebe, a fourth year B Town & Regional Planning student, “It’s the only time where the public’s vote can be heard and can have a visible impact.”

The point of living in a democracy is to do your part in ensuring that your country is run the way you want it to be run. Even if the party you voted for does not get elected you would have participated and it may give your party more power than you think.

For those who have not registered for the 18 May elections, there’s always next time. For those of you who have registered, go on and make your mark.

Photo: Gerard Louw

SASCO supports the ANC THEUNS VAN RHYN The time to put a mark in the right place has come again. The local government elections will have students pondering about who to vote into power to take charge of their city.

The South African Students Congress (SASCO) spokesperson, Lungelo Ntshangase, who is also a second-year B Admin student at the University of Pretoria, says that SASCO will support the ANC in the upcoming elections. “It is important for any South African to vote, regardless if [you are] voting for the ANC or any [other] particular organisation. I would urge students to vote for the ANC, because they are co-current with the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) structure, which stands for nonracialism, non-sexism, redress, transformation, democracy and equality.”

However, Lungelo made it clear that SASCO is not a “student ring” of the ANC. “SASCO is an independent body which stands on its own and has its own views but sympathises with the ANC in terms of the NDR and other structures.”

Lungelo says that SASCO tries to help with the struggles of the

working class. “When I say ‘working class’ I mean the [poorest] of the poor, people who have been previously disadvantaged.”

However, he says that this situation is far from being transformed.

Referring to student residences, he explains that students from places like Polokwane and Kwazulu-Natal, the majority of which are black, are deprived of opportunities to stay in residences, because they do not have the funds to pay for it. “We also have white students who come to us. We do not discriminate. We stand for the people who are disadvantaged, regardless of colour.”

Mmuso Bookholane, scribe for the ANC Youth League and second-year Bsc Medical Sciences student, says it is important for the youth to vote because they form the majority of the population and are the future of the country. “If you take note of the protests that have stormed our townships, you will notice they are led by the youth. They are part of our participatory democracy.”

The ANC has not yet released the name of its mayoral candidate. No member of the Pretoria ANC was avaliable for comment or an interview.

Image: sabc.co.za

8

16 May ‘11

News

Maties scale down on Rag UP mourns Eduardo Villa

NINA VAN WYK Officials at the University of Stellenbosch have decided to significantly scale down the activities of student-run charity organisation,Rag. On May 6 the university’s Prim Committee (the committee of all the residences chairpersons) issued a statement saying that the committee moved to acknowledge the extreme focus on competitiveness and finances “coupled with a lack of contribution towards student success and well-being.”

Apparently this followed concerns raised about overspending. A Prim Committee meeting was held and a majority vote resulted in a motion being passed and saw residences withdraw from participation in Rag. Werner de Wit, treasurer of the university’s student council, said, “A new tradition will be inaugurated” after most of the Primaria of Stellenbosch University’s residences decided to end their involvement in Rag activities. There will no longer be a proceassion or any other related activities.

Maties’ Rag tradition of having Vensters (a series of theatrical productions) is the only thing that will remain, but this too will change. When asked why the expensive and time-consuming Vensters is being maintained, De Wit answered: “Vensters costs us a lot of money, but if all the Rag costs are cut, except that of Vensters, less will be spent than the total amount for all the projects together.” He also said, “Vensters also takes time, but with all the other activities out of the way, the duration will be much shorter. Vensters is also the activity that first years enjoy the most.” De Wit further stated that there will now be the opportunity for new ideas and initiatives that better prepare first years and help them to socially and academically integrate into the university community.

The current Rag chairperson, Marelise van der Merwe, said that they were not consulted about the decision which has effectively shut them down. Van der Merwe also said that Rag played an important role in the Stellenbosch community.

KOKETSO DLONGOLO Renowned sculptor Eduardo Villa passed away on 1 May at the age of 95. His funeral took place on 5 May at the Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church in Kensington, Johannesburg.

Eduardo Villa has been associated with the University of Pretoria (UP) ever since the 1980s when he became an honorary professor in sculpture at the Visual Arts Department. Villa is considered to be one of the most important and inuential sculptors of the South African abstract movement. His artwork was mostly in terrazzo, bronze and steel. Villa’s work reveals his European background as well as a strong African inuence.

He was born in Bergamo, Italy in 1915 where he studied the basic techniques of sculpture.

He worked in Milan and Rome until he was conscripted into the Italian Army. Villa was wounded and captured in North Africa where he was stationed. He was then an inmate in Zonderwater as a prisoner-of-war near Pretoria. Upon his release in 1947, he

Image: Johann Swart from Die Matie newspaper

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remained and worked in South Africa.

In an interview he said, “After being a prisoner of war in South Africa I decided to stay and start my career because of the opportunities available for the youth.

Everything in Europe I felt had been done, questioned and exhausted. Here in Africa I felt I had the opportunity to explore ...

If anything could sum up my fundamental concern in art; it is that of the human and the individual – the human condition.” In 1979 Villa received a gold medal for sculpture from the South African Academy of Science and Art and in 1990 he was awarded the Chancellor’s medal from UP. He donated 16 large steel sculptures to UP which are on exhibition on the Hateld and Groenkloof campuses. Some of these pieces, which are among 180 that he donated to the university, are on display in the Eduardo Villa Museum in the Old Merensky Library building.

Villa will surely be missed by students and staff members at Tuks, not only for his amazing work but also for his considerable artistic contributions to the university.

Photo: Meagan Dill

Features

16 May ‘11

Bootleg botany

9

An interview with a suburban drug wife horticultural prowess by whipping out a substantial amount of product from her latest harvest. She explained the heads (dried clumps of marijuana leaves) saying, “I grow rooibaard normally, it is quite sweet – a little fruity even.” As for her plans with what looked like a quarter kilo of weed laid out on the table, she explains that “this is my rooibaard. Smells nice hey? I’m going to use these heads to bake some space cakes or maybe some cheese muffins.”

According to thenakedtruth.org.za, the national drugrelated crime rate has increased by 30% since 2004. This astounding statistic may be attributed to the disbandment of the SA Narcotics Bureau, a specialised SAPS drug-fighting unit, which was suspended in 2004.

As the government’s new anti-drug campaigns continue, green-thumbed dare-devils choose to grow their own marijuana for various reasons. According to Bob*, a seasoned marijuana grower, growing marijuana privately is cheaper than buying it from dealers and the grower knows exactly what they are smoking and where it comes from. The key motivation behind this flourishing trend is that private crops allegedly reduce the risk of arrest and involvement in the illegal drug trade.

According to studies by the Geopolitical Drug Dispatch, “cannabis production enjoys some de facto decriminalization in parts of Lesotho and South Africa.” Yet the consumption, cultivation and distribution of banned substances are officially illegal in South Africa and offenders may face serious legal action.

Unconventional as bootleg botany may seem, its practitioners challenge various perceptions of marijuana – its cultivation, trade and consumption. Who knows how many suburban mothers happen to grow substantial amounts of illegal marijuana in their back yards? *Names changed

CHANÈ MACKAY Whether we want to admit it or not, whether it is right or wrong, substance abuse is often a part of student life. But what happens when you are not a student anymore?

Francis* is a garden variety, middle-aged, suburban mom. For over a decade she has been planting, cultivating, harvesting and smoking her own home-grown weed.

Contrary to the stereotypical view which paints drug dealers as creepy delinquents and dangerous criminals, this housewife sheds some light on the budding subculture of DIY marijuana enthusiasts.

Francis does not sell any of her produce and may be described as a “joint fairy” of sorts because she keeps what she wants to smoke and then passes the rest of the goods on to friends and family for free. She has a day job, works out of and lives in the suburbs with her family, but she also happens to smoke weed. She reckons that buying weed from dealers is too dangerous and that growing it herself is a good strategy to avoid jail-time To keep the crop hush-hush, Francis trims the plants just a little lower than the back fence. Regular pruning seems to be working for Francis these days, though she has had problems with the law in the past.

Recalling a story from her youth, Francis explained that she and some friends were once arrested on suspicion of using “other things, but not weed.” She says, “the po-po took us down to the cells, but we ate everything we had on us before we got there. They searched us but they had to let us go in the end because they couldn’t find any drugs.”

In an attempt to get to the root of her ganja gardening, Perdeby asked Francis about the first joint she ever smoked.

She says, “I started smoking when I was 14.” A boy at school gave her some “stuff”, as she calls it, and told her it was Chronic.

To Perdeby’s surprise, she decided to demonstrate her

Photo: Chané Mackay

Sorry, is that English, bra?

BEYERS DE VOS Conversation is not generally a difcult pastime. Talking is easy. But then you nd yourself unexpectedly involved in a conversation with an old friend and you’re not exactly sure what they’re talking about.

For example, imagine the following conversation: Student one, “Dude, where were you last night?”

Student two, “I had naps over at this chick’s place. It was such a mare.”

Or: “Bra, what are you doing in that gully? You are such a chop.”

Slang, that elusive linguistic devil, the bane of English professors everywhere, is typically described as words used outside a traditional language by specic social groups to communicate informally with each other. Sometimes, these slang words normalise into formal language. Words like “nice”, “cool” and “gay” are all naturalised slang. Broadly, the only criteria slang really needs to be considered slang is that it has to be spoken by a group of people who all understand the informal meaning attached to it. Which is why, slang can (and does) spring up everywhere. The size of the group doesn’t specically matter. Which is why you get slang springing up in very small groups. For example, imagine walking into the Perdeby ofce and hearing this: “The tallest is in Japan hard.” This phrase would be completely incomprehensible if you didn’t work for Perdeby.

The other extreme is also true: some slang words spread globally to become icons used to identify entire generations. “Groovy” is immediately attached to the 60s, for example. More recently, “random” has come to symbolise the attitude of the post-millennium teenager.

Like this, each campus in South Africa seems to have developed a slightly different slang-vocabulary. There are, of course, words any student knows. Like “hanging” and “babbelas” or “emo” and “zef”.

Some are not unfamiliar, but are awkward on the ear. Like “arb”, “nought” or “digs” (a commune if you’re in the Cape provinces) and the corresponding “digsmate”.

However, there are also words which seem to be localised to specic campuses. Investigations suggest that the linguistic divide lies between traditionally English and traditionally Afrikaans universities.

But it’s dangerous to make that assumption, considering that someone from Potch wouldn’t necessarily understand what it meant if you told them you are going to go “sleep” (pronounced in Afrikaans) and

someone from Stellenbosch wouldn’t necessarily understand what you meant if you told them that you’re going to “burn”. The division can just as easily be made between inland and coastal universities.

Students in KZN, for example, have a penchant for ending every sentence with “naught, bru” while students in Cape Town are oddly attached to the word “arb”. Some campuses just have a slightly different way of saying the same thing: so “hanging”, “babaleer” and “lassies” (from babalas) are all slang terms for a hangover, which is itself a naturalised American slang word.

But no matter where you draw the line, sooner or later you are going to have step into the territory where a lingo is spoken you might not quite understand. So, in an attempt to make this kind of transition easier for all involved and to illuminate the linguistic intricacies (and idiosyncrasies) of our cousin campuses, Perdeby present this guide to slang. It is difcult to determine exactly where the geographical boundaries of some of these terms begin or end or to where it might have travelled, so here is a diverse selection for your lexicon: words you can pull out wherever you might nd yourself. Some of it’s good, some of it’s bad and some of it should walk the same road “kief” did, which, as everybody knows, is only still cool when used in an ironic way. These have been carefully collected from campuses nationwide.

Naps: it means to sleep over at someone’s place. It’s a nice word for “slightly slutty”.

Dawnie: a 7:30 class. In Pretoria, we call these “those mythical things no one goes to, especially on Fridays”. Doesn’t have the same ring to it though, does it?

Mare: as in nightmare. A really rough night. You also get a daymare.

Seal clubbing: making out with a rst year. Which is, apparently, some sort of game the older students play at Rhodes. Ahem.

Lunge: hitting on someone. Can be used as a noun or a verb. Has a predatory ring to it, no?

Gatsby: a chip roll. But only if you’re in Cape Town.

Press: Sex, according to the ne folks at UKZN. Slaan: to wear something. As in clothes. Also only in Natal though.

Don’t “slaan” something at Pukke. It will probably “slaan” back.

Chup: a tattoo. Although it is difcult to gure out why.

Lafes: drunk. From the Afrikaans word “laf”, meaning “silly”.

Illustration: Michael Stopforth

10

16 May ‘11

Features

Glo dit of nie: vreemde godsdiens-oortuigings of ander rede wil hulle ook Japan se populasie vermeerder tot 300 miljoen en het hulle ook `n promosie-video vrygestel wat insinueer dat NoordKorea planne het om Japan oor te neem.

MARIÉ VAN WYK Ten spyte van die subtitel wil Perdeby net sê dat ons glad nie vooroordeel oor hierdie geloofskeuses nie.

Ons bedoel vreemd as onbekend en nie as belaglik nie.

Jediisme: Die Jedi Geloof Toe George Lucas die baie bekende Star Wars ieks geskryf en geredigeer het, het hy nie besef dat hy besig is om `n geloofsbeweging te skep nie. `n Generasie wat nagemaakte light-sabers rond swaai en lang mantels oor hul skouers dra en hulself Jediridders noem.

In kort glo Jediiste dat die force regtig bestaan.

Volgens die Star Wars mitologie is die sogenaamde force die energie wat die heelal en alles in dit aan mekaar verbind en wat deur alle materialistiese goed vloei. `n Jedi is `n soort monnik/ridder wat die force kan beheer en dit gebruik en hulle is gebind deur `n kode van moraliteit en geregtigheid.

Jediisme word as iets tussen Taomisme en Boeddhisme gesien, met elemente van middeleeuse ridderlike hoikheid daaraan gekoppel. Al is daar geen geskrewe doktrinêr nie, word dit as die sogenaamde “Jedi Kode” gesien en gerespekteer.

Alhoewel dit nie bevestig kan word nie, word daar gesuggereer dat die ouderling van die Jedi-geloof nuwe mense wat by hul geloof aansluit, dwing om die oorspronklike Star Wars trilogie 16 keer in `n donker kamer te kyk.

Jediisme word in Kanada en Brittanje as ofsiële gelowe aanvaar.

Die kerk van Ed Wood: Ed Wood word algemeen aanvaar as een van Hollywood se swakste redigeerders van alle tye.

Na sy dood het hy amper ‘n kultus status behaal en sy lewe is deur Johnny Depp in 1994 na die groot skerm gebring in die lm Ed Wood wat deur Tim Burton geredigeer is. Een van Ed Wood se bekendste lms is Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Die kerk van Ed Wood of Woodisme roem hulself op die feit dat hulle `n pop-kultuur geloof is wat hoop om spiritualiteit aan mense te bring wat dit nie in die meer populêre gelowe vind nie. Hulle kyk op na Wood as `n soort redder, maar maak dit duidelik dat hy nie dié redder is nie. Die volgelinge van Woodisme glo daarin om die morele waardes en die ideale van Edward D. Wood vol te hou en om Ed se boodskap van totale aanvaarding, ten

Claude Vorilhons (of inderdaad “Rael”)

spyte van wat die moderne gemeenskap daarvan dink of sê, oor te dra. Die kerk sê dat hulle meer as 3000 wettige volgelinge wêreldwyd het.

boodskap van vrede en sensuele meditasie aan die mensdom moet oordra. Daar is volgens die Raeliste ongeveer 30 000 volgelinge van hul geloof.

Raelisme: `n Franse renmotorjaer met die naam Claude Vorilhons, het beweer dat hy deur ruimtewesens ontvoer is en deur hul as `n tussenganger tussen hulle en die mense op aarde aangestel is. Die ruimtewesens het hom glo Rael genoem en dis waarvandaan die naam Raelisme kom.

Rael (of Claude) sê dat die ruimtewesens hom na `n planeet met die naam Elohim geneem het, waar hy met die ruimtewesens omgegaan het en ook die geleentheid gehad het om Jesus, Boeddha, Joseph Smith en Confucius te ontmoet.

Die ruimtewesens het glo vir Rael gesê om drie belangrike goed te onthou, naamlik: Eerstens dat mense 25 000 jaar terug deur hul DNS in een van hul laboratoriums gemaak is.

Tweedens, dat hulle in die jaar 2025 op Jerusalem sal neerdaal en derdens dat Rael `n

Die Gelukkige wetenskap geloof: Ryuko Okawa is die stigter van die gelukkige wetenskap geloof, wat baie volgelinge in Japan het. Okawa glo dat sy missie op aarde is om geluk en vreugde aan die mensdom te bring. Hy glo ook dat hy die reinkarnasie van die spirituele wese El Cantare is.

Hy het `n klomp suksesvolle lms en boeke uitgegee, wat glo deur die geeste van Mohammad, Boeddha, Jesus en Confucius aan hom gedikteer is.

Van sy ander stellings sluit in sy voorspellings dat die Engel Gabriël sy verskyning in Bangkok gaan maak oor 50 jaar en dat ruimtewesens by ons gaan kom besoek aê in so om-en-by 300 tot 400 jaar.

Okawa het ook deel geword van die politiek in Japan, deur die stigting van sy eie party, wat hy die “Gelukkige Realisering Party” noem, alhoewel die party nog nie veel aanhangers het nie. Vir een

Mother se grootste player, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), haal die lys, maar is ver agter die moordenaar en vampier Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), van Vampire Diaries. Somerhalder het ook eerste plek behaal op BuddyTV se TV’s Sexiest Men in 2010. Daar word gespekuleer dat akteur Charlie Sheen se slegte reputasie hom meer aanloklik gemaak het, omrede verkope in Charlie Sheen-produkte toegeneem het nadat die akteur gearresteer is. Hartebreker Orlando Bloom moes vinnig op die rooi tapyt plek maak toe Johnny

Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow (`n seerower wat lieg, bedrieg en `n ander ou se meisie wil afvry), heelwat meer gille van die skare gekry het by die premier van Pirates of The Carribean.

Angelina Jolie het die tough-cookie deur oopgeskop met Tomb Raider en is gevolg deur Uma Thurman wat nét nie doodgemaak kon word in Kill Bill Vol 1 en 2 nie. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was menigte skoolseun se droommeisie en dit wil blyk dat hoe meer mense Megan Fox beledig, hoe meer word sy gevra om in musiekvideos op te tree.

Baie ouens is onder die indruk dat meisies meer van slegte ouens as goeies hou. “As jy wil hê `n meisie moet regtig oor jou wonder dan moet jy nie te gaaf wees met haar nie,” beweer Evan Van Rhyn, `n derdejaar Ingenieurswese student. Sepies en hygromans vertel dat die stil, sterk cowboy eintlik so afsydig is omdat hy in sy verlede seergekry het en dat daar onder sy harde dop `n prins skuil. Word meisies werklik net ingetrek deur die misterie van wat agter die minder gawe ou se frons lê?

Freud het dalk `n ander antwoord. Die beroemde sielkundige het onder andere beweer dat meisies vir `n man sal soek wat baie soos hulle eie pa is.

Met ander woorde, as `n meisie se pa `n rebelse hippie in die 60’s was, moet hy nie verbaas wees as sy oogappel met `n emo in neon skinny jeans by die huis opdaag nie. Alesia Pelser, `n eerstejaar Voedselwetenskappe student, sê dit kan juis die teenoorgestelde wees. “Party meisies het alles.

Perfekte vriende, ouers, voorkoms, en dan soek hulle `n thrill en daar’s geen groter thrill as `n bad boy nie.” Die thrill wat mens kry is natuurlik wanneer jy daai iemand wat net-net buite jou bereik is, kry om jou raak te sien.

“Dit gaan alles oor selfvertroue,” vertel CJ Graham, `n tweedejaar Rekeningkunde student.

Die tipe meisies waarteen jou ma jou waarsku het gewoonlik meer selfvertroue as ander, vertel hy.

Hierdie tipe meisie weet wie sy is en wat sy wil hê en veral skamer ouens hou van `n meisie wat

Die Prins Philip Beweging Na aoop van die grootste troue van die dekade, tussen Prins William en Kate Middleton, het Perdeby gevoel dat om die volgende geloof met julle te deel baie van pas is.

Prins Philip is die man van die huidige Koningin van Engeland, Elizabeth II. Behalwe vir die feit dat hy met die Britse Koningin getrou het, wil dit voorkom asof Philip nie `n baie prominente guur is nie, omdat hy altyd in die skaduwee van sy vrou staan. In die werklikheid is dit glad nie die geval nie. In die Stille Oseaan is Prins Philip `n god.

Die Yaohnanen stam van Vanuatu glo dat Prins Philip die bleekvel seun is van `n berggees, wat vêr oor die see gereis het om met `n belangrike en invloedryke vrou te trou en dat hy eendag na hulle sal terugkeer. Die Prins Philip Beweging is `n tipe “cargo” kultus wat voorkom in die Stille Oseaan, waar stamme daarop gefokus is om toerusting van industriële nasies te kry. Hulle sien hierdie toerusting as goed wat vir hulle gemaak is deur voorvadergeeste, maar wat onregverdiglik deur ander nasies gevat is.

Meeste van hierdie “cargo” kultusse is gestig gedurende of net na die Tweede Wêreldoorlog toe groot hoeveelhede goedere deur die weermag deur die area vervoer is. Nadat die oorlog verby is, het al die basisse toegemaak en die aewering van goedere het gestop. Die inwoners van die land het lughawens en nagemaakte radio’s uit kokosneute gemaak om dit wat hulle gesien en beleef het na te boots, sodat die aewerings moet aanhou. Dié plan het ongelukkig gefaal.

So toe die Koningin en Prins Philip na Vanuatu gegaan het in 1974, met baie geskenke vir die inwoners van Vanuatu, het die legende van Prins Philip gegroei. Prins Philip is wel bewus van hierdie feit en hy het besluit om voor te gee om hulle bleekvel god te wees. Net om die vrede te bewaar.

Hierdie is net `n paar van die wêreld se vreemdste godsdiens-oortuigings. Daar is nog vele meer, byvoorbeeld “Aetherius Gemeenskap” en die “Pana Wave” om `n paar te noem. Wie weet, dalk is daar tóg iets vir jou daar buite, al is dit so bietjie eienaardig.

Beeld: thebereanapproach.com

Ridder op `n Ysterperd

MAGDALEEN SNYMAN Dis die eeu oue verhaal waar die ou van die verkeerde kant van die treinspoor se pad op `n dag met `n stroopsoet, beeldskone heldin s’n kruis. Of dit nou Romeo en Juliet, 10 Things I Hate About You, of House en Dexter is, die “verkeerde” held is dikwels die aanloklikste.

In `n onlangse opname deur The Internet Movie Database is dit duidelik dat kykers die bad guys as die aantreklikste beskou. How I Met Your

leiding kan neem. Almal stem egter nie saam nie. `n Eerstejaar BSc student wat verkies om anoniem te bly, sê dis juis die feit dat meisies nie sommer `n skurk oor hulle skouer kan gooi en sy knieë breek (omdat hulle sag en fyn is) nie wat hulle so aantreklik maak.

As die ou wat volgens ander mense slegte nuus is jou uit `n brandende gebou red, kan jy nie help om te wonder of hy regtig so aaklig is soos wat hy voorkom nie. En dis waar die intrige inkom.

Enige goeie storie sal op as sy karakters net goed of net sleg is, maar dis die slegte karakters met die versteekte goeie kant wat die meeste opwinding verskaf. Onvoorspelbaarheid is die geheime bestanddeel van enige suksesvolle skurk. Maar vir die skurk om in die gehoor se harte in te kruip moet hy soos Dexter Morgan verkeerde dinge vir die regte redes doen.

Die “slegte ou” fantasie is egter dalk net dit - `n fantasie. As jy die gelukkige ou is wat die meisie met die leer baadjie en die stoute kyk in haar oë se aandag getrek het, maak net seker jy weet waarvoor jy jouself inlaat. Daar’s niks fout daarmee om met `n rebel uit te hang wat die wêreld vir jou oopmbreek nie, maar as jy nie reg behandel word nie is sy eenvoudig slegte nuus. Dit mag dalk `n meisie se droom wees om met `n grafti kunstenaar uit te gaan, maar wanneer hy vloekwoorde op jou garage-deur verf na julle eerste argument, sal jy dalk terug verlang na die kofe-dates saam met daai goeie ou wat jou met Wiskunde gehelp het.

Van `n arm bendelid in West Side Story tot die slinkse rykmanskind Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl, sal die “verkeerde” helde aanhou om gehore vasgenael voor die skerm te hou. Of die regte wêreld ekwivalent so aantreklik is, is debatteerbaar, maar na `n lang dag van klasdraf, wie wil nie wegraak in `n fantasiewêreld waar sleg tog so sexy is nie?

Illustrasie: Michael Stopforth

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Classics for dummies

KIRSTI BUICK Classic literature: a phrase that strikes fear into the hearts of many. But, contrary to what your high school English teacher would have you believe, the world of classics is not as daunting as it may seem. In fact, there are a number of classic novels that won’t have you tearing your hair out by the second page. Perdeby has braved the perilous waters of the classic novel to bring you ten such marvels, in order of awesomeness.

10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Fitzgerald’s greatest work deals with “the roaring 20s”.

Young Nick Carraway, fresh from service in World War I, moves to New York. Once there, he nds himself immersed in the outrageous society of the “old aristocracy” with disastrous results. Before you run away screaming, take heart: it’s not

that difcult. No, really. Plus, it’s quite short. Once you’ve read it, you’ll have read the book ranked second in the Modern Library’s Top 100 Books of the 20th Century. This should make you feel quite smart.

9. Animal Farm by George Orwell For the dumb kids Animal Farm is about, well, a bunch of farm animals that ght for control of their farm. But for the smart kids it’s about the Russian Revolution. Read it and see which category you fall under.

8. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett This is the tale of an orphaned girl who goes to live with her uncle. On his estate she discovers a neglected garden which she attempts to restore. Obviously, this is the literary equivalent of a chick ick. If you are too manly for such stories, continue to number seven.

7. Lord of the Flies by William Golding Think Lost meets Spud with a touch of Survivor. A group of schoolboys is stranded on a deserted island after their plane, whisking them away from the perils of World War II, crashes.

The boys then attempt to establish an organised society.

Simply put, all hell breaks loose.

6. Little Women by Louisa-May Alcott Little Women is the story of four sisters (Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy) who live in New England during the Civil War. If Friends’ Joey Tribbiani can read it (season three, episode 13 – true story) so can you.

5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë It seems that Charlotte Brontë did not know as many big words as her sister Emily (author of Wuthering Heights). This helps. Brontë’s (Charlotte’s, not Emily’s) masterpiece is the Cinderella-esque story of Jane Eyre, an orphan thrust from one miserable situation to the next until she is hired as a governess by the dark and brooding Mr Rochester. Predictable?

Surprisingly, no. Brontë weaves in enough twists and turns to satisfy even the most cynical among us.

4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Okay, so it’s not a traditional classic, but it was published about 70 years ago, and it’s, well, incredible. Remember Frodo’s Uncle Bilbo? The Hobbit is his story. If The Lord of the Rings novel made you want to cry, fear not. The Hobbit is far simpler because technically, it’s a children’s book, which means you could probably nd a copy with pictures if need be.

3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Long before Robert Downey Jr put on his trenchcoat and picked up his pipe, Sherlock Holmes existed in book form.

Doyle wrote a number of short stories about the madcap detective, the rst twelve of which appear in this collection.

Short stories: you can handle them.

2. Dracula by Bram Stoker Turns out it wasn’t Stephenie Meyer who started the whole vampire thing. Perdeby is willing to bet that the original Dracula could knock the sparkle right out of Edward. This thriller/horror/romance/mystery is told through newspaper clippings and diary entries of the various main characters.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee This is a novel which every South African can relate to. It deals with the issue of racism in the American Deep South as seen through the eyes of a young girl, Jean-Louise Finch, or Scout, as she is affectionately known. This is the kind of story that will linger in your mind long after you’ve put it down. If you only read one book on this list, let it be this one.

Photo: Chané Mackay

A graphic revolution NADINE LAGGAR Ever since childhood, we have been well-versed in the struggles between good and evil. The hero: a portrait of sacrice, giving up the one he loves for the needs of the many, pectoral muscles that could crack a man’s skull and a licence to wear his underwear on the outside of his leotard. The villain: pure evil, with an obsession for world domination and occasionally sporting a moustache that would make Salvador Dali cry for his mother.

This idealised version of the world that comic books have created and sustained has thus been synonymous with bed-wetting and infantile affairs. But then there was: the graphic novel.

Graphic novels and comics share the same medium, combining text and visuals, but there are distinctions that have created a niche in popular culture reserved solely for the graphic novel.

The graphic novel narrative, unlike the story arc created by comics such as Spiderman or Superman, follows a storyline that has a beginning, a middle and an end. They can be serialised, but the subject matter often relies on an original script and the content dabbles in ction, non-ction and adaptations of literary stories or characters. That being said, the comic genre is no less worthy of artistic merit, but the recent surge of lms adapted from graphic novels has catapulted the genre into the realm of high art. No more will adults have to hide behind garage doors, guiltily stealing glances at their prized comic book collections in fear of ridicule.

Sin City, 300, Watchmen, V for Vendetta and the more recent Scott Pilgrim vs The World have all followed the trend in their lm adaptations, often copying the comic book format frame by frame. The translation from a static to a moving visual image has brought about a revolution in lm narrative by hybridising formally exclusive genres. More specically, in Scott Pilgrim vs The World, there is a combination of lm, graphic novel and video-gaming stylistic elements. Characters burst into coins, Scott gets an extra life and onomatopoeic text (reserved for the arena of comic and graphic novel genres) is incorporated into one mind-boggling visual buffet. And everyone’s invited.

This exposure is well-deserved for the adapted graphic novels

and there’s nothing quite like going back to the source. But it is a source that opens up the door to a plethora of graphic novels equally deserving of artistic merit. Here are a few of Perdeby’s favourites to start your journey into the world of the graphic novel.

The Sandman The ten-book series by Neil Gaiman revolves around the seven brothers and sisters (Dream, Desire, Death, Destiny, Destruction, Delirium and Despair) who have been around since the beginning of time. Things go awry when a coven tries to capture Death but captures Dream instead. They have no idea who Dream is and keep him imprisoned for 70 years before he nally escapes and sets out to repair the damage done to the dream world in his absence (and to exact his revenge). With the lines of reality often blurred, The Sandman makes for a harrowing exploration of the subconscious and of how fragile the ties to reality really are.

Kill Shakespeare Revolving around the most popular characters of Shakespeare’s plays, Conor McCreery and Anthony De Col have created a universe in which Shakespeare himself is a wanted man. Juliet Capulet is backed by Othello and Falstaff in their journey to nd Shakespeare so that he can lead an uprising against the rulers of their world. Not far behind is Richard III who forms an alliance with the Macbeths in order to steal Shakespeare’s quill to gain control of their world. In the middle is Hamlet, who is believed to hold the key to nding the elusive playwright. Even though the story is a complete distortion of the classic plays, each character retains their original psychology while functioning in a completely new context. A pioneering and contemporary take on Shakespeare, if ever there was one.

Seeds This is a relatively short graphic novel but is nonetheless just as captivating. Seeds is based on how author Rob Mackintosh dealt with his father’s death after being diagnosed with cancer.

It’s not as ashy as the other adventure- and mystery-riddled graphic novels, but it goes to show how exible the medium is in dealing with non-ctional as well as ctional circumstances.

It offers an introspective account of loss and grief, which has implications as to how other familial bonds are viewed in the wake of a parent’s death. The selling point is the emotional value of the graphic novel, as it transcends barriers with an honest insight into the shared human experience of death and family.

Illustration: Ezelle van der Heever

Entertainment

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Tailing the cocktail TriBeCa The TriBeCa brand is renowned for only the nest choice coffee.

Even their factory was deliberately fashioned to resemble a coffee bean. However, when their Design Square Café opened its doors in 1998, their cocktails became legendary too.

TriBeCa’s interior appeals to a diverse clientele. The candyapple chairs, 60s-inspired oral wallpaper and scores of old-school snapshots crammed around the barista create a laid-back retro vibe.

Once you page through the menu, old school goes out the window and you’re in a cosmopolitan cocktail lounge.

If you’re the type who prefers your comfort zone, TriBeCa is the place to enjoy classics such as Frozen Margaritas, Strawberry Daiquiris, Piña Coladas, Mojitos and Cosmopolitans, which are made with as much painstaking perfection as a signature cocktail.

Looking for something different and laced with decadence? TriBeCa has blended our chocolate and alcoholic fantasies into the Chocolate Martini. Made with real chocolate, Frangelico and a splash of vodka, this is an absolute favourite among TriBeCa patrons. For surplus magic, substitute the house vodka with Absolut Vanilla.

Not to be mistaken for the CBD branch that doesn’t serve alcohol, TriBeCa is situated in Design Square in the Brooklyn area. Cocktails are priced between R30 and R40.

LISA DE KLERK Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water and bitters.

Luckily, the 1800s have come and gone and two centuries of further experimentation have perfected these much-loved concoctions.

However, many of today’s watering holes still seem to get it wrong.

Perdeby took up the arduous task of scouting Pretoria’s best cocktail hotspots.

Pangaea Salon Privé “Pangaea” was the name given to the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago. The concept that all of us ultimately came from one landmass, before the continents split apart, is reected in Pangaea’s remarkable worldly décor. It’s as if a piece from every part of the globe has been drawn into this little utopia of ne stone walls, sheer red drapes, intricately woven lanterns, chandeliers and ethnic prints.

The atmosphere is one of informal luxury. Every Thursday night the Salon Privé entertains customers with a live jazz act. Pangaea hosts many other events throughout the year, including comedy nights, hubbly nights and a Halloween night.

Though the cocktail menu is slight, Pangaea serves only the nest.

This means that you will nd only Skyy vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Bacardi Superior rum and José Cuervo tequila in your cocktails – no cheap generics.

For the brave, there is the Pangaea Iced Tea – a heavy-weight that includes all the above-mentioned spirits. This big gun is served long with Monin Cassis and red Grapetizer. For the less brave (or more indulgent) the Coco Berry Caipirinha will add colour to your night.

It’s Brazil’s national cocktail with an even fruitier twist – Germana Cachaça cane, muddled with fresh lime wedges, mixed berries and natural coconut extracts. It even comes served with a berry fan, in case the description hasn’t made you feel festive enough.

Pangaea Salon Privé is situated in Brooklyn Bridge in the Brooklyn

area. Cocktails are priced between R40 and R50.

Baobab Café & Grill It’s hard to miss this pan-African super-restaurant hanging on the side of Menlyn Park. Inside (and outside, as the many levels of the restaurant include expansive balconies) is an African paradise complete with real trees and waterfalls. Yes, waterfalls. Despite being, well, enormous, the attention to detail guarantees you will forget that you are inside a garish mall and embrace the earthy ambience. Baobab boasts a wealth of signature cocktails to be enjoyed in the most scenic environment: on the terrace with its spectacular view of the eastern suburbs.

The French Mojito puts a novel spin on the classic Mojito: berries, cherry liquer, mint, lime juice, vodka, gomme, white rum and soda.

Other delicious spin-offs include the Watermelon Mojito and the Sour Apple Margarita.

If you enjoy adding some oomph to your dessert but tire of the usual Dom Pedro or Irish coffee, try Baobab’s Strawberry Shortcake – Amaretto, crème de cacao and vodka blended with fresh strawberries and ice-cream. If this doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, try the Banana Shortcake or the Peppermint Crisp Martini.

Baobab is situated in Menlyn Park Shopping Centre. Cocktails are priced between R30 and R50.

Rhapsody’s Rhapsody’s is a cocktail lover’s heaven which requires no introduction, and there’s likely one near you. The menu has something for everyone, from cocktail novice to cocktail connoisseur.

Ladies: may we present “a rare but revered reward” – the Multiple Screaming Orgasm. According to Rhapsody’s, vodka, Cape Velvet, Kahlua, Amaretto, cream and cherries is all a girl really needs. For men also wishing to indulge, but fear misplacing their testosterone, we offer the Obama Barrage. It seems the American president was alluding to a can of Guinness draft, sweetened with shots of Frangelico and Cape Velvet, with his catch-phrase “Yes we can!”

If you love the classics, but nd yourself on the fence between a Strawberry Daiquiri and a Piña Colada, look no further than the Miami Vice – the most delectable fusion of the two favourites.

Finally (and not for those with weak stomachs or delicate tongues), Rhapsody’s offers the Barman’s Speedrail. Also known as the Barman’s Revenge, this devil includes Bacardi Rum, Captain Morgan Black, Smirnoff Triple Distilled vodka, Tanqueray gin, Southern Comfort brandy, Triple Sec and Blue Curaçao with red Grapetizer.

Good luck!

Rhapsody’s currently has six branches in Pretoria, including Brooklyn, Hateld Square, Sunnyside, Menlyn, Centurion and Woodhill. Cocktails are priced between R30 and R60.

Photo: Jerome van Zyl

Top smartphone apps you have to have LUSANDA FUTSHANE In the very distant past, smartphones were thought to be exclusive to businessmen and smart people in general. They were marketed as expensive electronic briefcases and datebooks, completely irrelevant to the youth, fully preoccupied with basic text messaging as they were.

Gradually, more cellphones became smartphones and anyone from a high school student to a corporate executive could own and make full use of one. What made smartphones so handy was their adaptability to an individual’s needs through downloadable applications – something their simpler predecessors lacked.

Today millions of applications – or apps, as they are commonly known – are available for download and they offer countless services varying from grocery shopping lists to wedding gift registries. Thanks to the genius of these applications, smartphones have become essential to people from different parts of life for recreational and professional purposes. Perdeby brings you some of the coolest apps currently available for download.

Google Goggles For: iPhone and Android Google is undoubtedly the most popular search engine on the web.

Its image search has become a favourite for inquisitive minds who might not know what a red panda looks like, or who simply need to see Lady Gaga’s latest controversial outt. Google has released an app that does the opposite of an image search. Instead of searching for an image of something you might already know about, Google Goggles lets you take a picture of a logo, car or something else you may not be able to identify. Within seconds it gives you a list of results about what the object in the picture could be. So far, the application is able to identify landmarks, brand names and trademarks, ags as well as novelties such as collectable items. Future versions of the application promise to be able to identify plants and animals – which could be handy if you are not sure if the snake in your shed is venomous or not.

In the next couple of years the app will also be able to identify and provide information about celebrities and other well-known people, which could be a big leap in the eld of facial recognition. Google Goggles is a remarkable tool to have – it can even solve Sudoku puzzles.

Word Lens For: iPhone Most of the time, travelling is fun. You get to discover different cultures, make new friends and scratch a couple of things off your bucket list. Sometimes, however, the pleasures of travelling to an

exciting and foreign land are ruined by the indigenous language with which you might not be comfortably familiar. It always takes too long to page through those dense dictionaries they sell at airports and asking a local for help is risky and requires a level of skill with hand signals. For iPhone users, nding your way in a foreign country is as easy as pulling out your cellphone and pointing the camera at one of the signs you are trying to decipher. It is almost instantly translated into a language you understand. It requires no connection to the internet and is so quick that you can have someone else point it at road signs and have it translate them while you drive past. It is a revolutionary innovation that should make many travellers’ journeys a lot less stressful. Even better is that it will soon be available for download on other platforms including Android, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.

Powertime For: All smartphones This is arguably the most convenient mobile application, especially for students – and it is South African. It is never a pleasant experience to be caught in the dark during a study session, dinner date or Sing Star party. Powertime lets you buy prepaid electricity from your cellphone without leaving your apartment at dodgy hours of the night.

All you need is a debit or credit card carrying the Visa or Master Card logo, then register your meter number for free and buy as much electricity as you can afford. The app also keeps track of your electricity purchases and usage and noties you whenever it thinks you need to buy more electricity. You can also purchase prepaid airtime in case you need to call and invite more people to your Sing Star party. Nifty.

Shazam For: All smartphones This app is another example of reverse-searching. Instead of typing the name of a song and searching for it, Shazam lets you record a snatch of a song you do not recognise and returns a result telling you the name of the song as well as other useful information about it. It is completely free and a premium version with an unlimited number of uses per month is also available. Shazam is completely user-friendly and is handier than one would expect. After successfully identifying the song, Shazam plays back a snippet of the song and gives you the option of buying the full track on iTunes or Amazon. You can also see the lyrics, read reviews and learn more about the artist. Shazam has gone from being just a brand name to being a verb, with people commanding their friends to “shazam” a song they like but cannot identify.

Illustration: JP Nathrass

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Altyd `n kind met Disney ANDRI NEL Kershouers wat sing, meerminne, marionette wat regte seuntjies word, Simba en prinsesse. `n Paar van die prentjies wat in elke student se gedagtes opkom as hy of sy vandag aan Disney dink. Niemand kan stry dat Disney die stories opgelewer het wat ons kinderdae vol verbeelding, opwinding en wense geprop het nie – daardie stories wat ons leer droom het. Vandag is animasielms op `n heel ander valk. Skerp sê-goed het sjarme vervang en die prins op sy wit perd is nou `n groot groen man. Alhoewel hierdie nuwe verwikkelinge in animasie enige dag net so opwindend is soos in die ou dae, kan niemand stry dat die oorspronklike Disney animasielms sekere idees in ons harte geplant het, reeds as kinders, wat ten minste Perdeby tot vandag toe net so bietjie sentimenteel laat voel.

Perdeby het gaan ondersoek instel en die vyf Disney animasie lms gekies wat ons as student tot vandag toe laat sug soos klein kindertjies.

The Lion King Simba, Mufasa, Raki en moet nie Timon en Pumba vergeet nie. Baie studente se eerste lm op die silwerdoek en ook een van die wat `n baie spesiale plek in ons harte het. Met Mufasa se dood het die trane geloop en die gemene, onderduimse Scar is tot vandag toe een van die mees gehate “baddies”. Daar is selfs Facebook groepe soos “I still want to cry every time Mufasa dies in The Lion King”, wat die impak van hierdie gebeure in die jeug van vandag se lewens beklemtoon.

Pinocchio Die marionet seuntjie wat gewens het om `n regte seuntjie te wees. “When you wish upon

Rad!

a star,” het elke klein seuntjie en dogtertjie met verlangende oë na die sterre laat staar en laat glo dat wense regtig waar word. Die feit dat Pinocchio se neus gegroei het elke keer as hy jok was ook `n interessante verskynsel.

Kinders het gejok, net om te sien of hulle neuse sal groei soos die houtseuntjie sin.

Natuurlik het dit nie gebeur nie, maar tot vandag toe word die uitdrukking “as jy jok gaan jou neus groei” gebruik.

101 Dalmatians Honderde – korreksie, honderd-en-een – klein Dalmatian hondjies wat weghardloop vir `n vrou in `n groot wit jas en tweekleur hare. Net die ding om enige kind te laat wens hy of sy kan `n hondjie vir sy verjaarsdag kry.

Die aaklige Cruella De Vil het hoendervleis teen die nek laat op kruip en dit was `n feit dat honde werlik kan praat. Die gespikkelde hondjies het vinnig van die mees populêre honde geword en almal wou `n Pongo hê.

The Little Mermaid Die klassieke storie van `n rooikop meermin wat gefasineer was met die wêreld bo die water. Sy was anders en het keer-op-keer in die moeilikheid gekom. Vir baie meisies het Ariel bewys jy hoef nie soos almal anders te lyk, doen en dink om met `n prins te trou nie, en soos sy haar wens gekry het om bene te hê, het baie meisies gewens om meerminne te wees. Somersdae is in die swembad deurgebring met voete styf teen mekaar om `n vin voor te stel en die “pool noodle” as getroue seeperd.

Cinderella Van die kaiings by die vuurherd, tot `n pragtige prinses. Cinderella het toe, en nou, elke meisie laat glo in haar Prince Charming.

Alhoewel Disney bekend is vir sy prinses animasielms, was Cinderella die een wat in meeste harte ingekruip het. Goeie dinge gebeur met goeie mense was die tema, en alhoewel ons grootgeword het en besef het die lewe is nie so maklik nie, hoop elke meisie steeds vir haar prins met die glas skoentjie en liefde op die eerste oogopslag. Dit mag dalk `n bietjie verwronge beeld van liefde wees, maar ons kan altyd droom, kan ons nie?

Illustrasie: Ezelle van der Heever

Sad!

Klop-klop, Chuck Norris se ma is `n rasis CHRIS VAN DER MERWE Grappe – dit kan of een van die snaakse ervaring van jou lewe wees of dit kan twee minute van jou lewe mors. Vandeesweek kyk Perdeby na goeie en slegte grappe in `n klassieke Rad vs Sad. RAD! Grappe as mens dronk is. Kom ons lieg nie vir mekaar nie: as jy uit is saam `n klomp vriende en jy’t meer as `n paar biere agter die blad, is als wat gesê word eintlik snaaks. Die volgende oggend as mens terug dink, is dit egter nie meer so snaaks nie.

Grappe as mens verveeld is. `n Groep mense, met niks om te doen nie, sit en wag vir iets opwindend om te gebeur. Ewe skielik sê Pieter Lombaard iets en, in `n oogwink, het alles in die wêreld klaarblyklik gelei tot daardie grap. In die paar minute wat volg word daar gelag, gehuil en party mense se dag word gemaak.

Van der Merwe-grappe. Enigiets wat van 1652 af kom en nogsteeds snaaks is, behoort in die rekordboeke geplaas te word. Van der Merwegrappe is gewoonlik spontaan, negentig persent van die tyd oorspronklik en meeste van die tyd snaaks.

Grappe by Oppikoppi. Oftewel, meer snaakse gebeurtenisse as grappe, maar grappe ook somtyds. Wanneer ookal iemand na jou toe kom met `n eenvoudige vraag soos, “Weet jy dalk waar my tent is?” of iets in die lyn van “Hoe kry mens `n non swanger?”, is loop net te veel vir `n stering om te hanteer.

SAD! Chuck Norris grappe. Okay, so Chuck Norris is `n akteur wat op `n Sondag, laat aand op E-TV verskyn het. Wanneer was dit aanvaarbaar vir ewekansige akteurs om in alledaagse grappe te verskyn? Op die einde van die dag, gee bitter min mense om of die Walker Texas Ranger-ster kan MXit op `n publieke foon, ensovoorts.

Vernon Koekemoer grappe. Vernon Koekmoer is gelyk aan die Suid-Afrikaanse Chuck Norris. Met ander woorde, neem al die bogenoemde in ag en dan is dit omtrent alles van toepassing op Vernon Koekemoer grappe.

Dit is `n man, in `n onvanpaslike kortbroek en `n moulose hemp, vraagteken.

Rasistiese grappe. 1994 het gekom en gegaan.

Sewentien jaar later is Suid-Afrika in sommige aspekte heeltemal oor dit en sommige aspekte nie eers amper nie. Rasistiese grappe val in die heeltemaal-oor-dit klas. Kom nou mense, ons is tog 17 jaar terug al verby dit.

“Yo Mamma” grappe. Nog ... nooit ... snaaks ... nie. Dit het aanvanklik begin as `n manier vir jong Amerikaners om tyd te verdryf in `n lang, vervelige en puntlose lewe maar dit het geëindig as `n manier vir sommige jongelinge om `n sosiale sirkel te betree. Nee. Net nee.

“Knock knock” grappe. Hierdie vorm van humor is ook lankal nie eintlik meer snaaks nie. So dit volg `n ktiewe storielyn en aan die einde van die grap het jy nie eintlik veel opgelewer nie. Hoekom?

Illustrasie: Michael Stopforth

Sport

16 May ‘11

15

Tukkies presteer by Studente-kampioenskappe

COBUS COETZEE Geelbladsye se Suid-Afrikaanse Studente Atletiekbyeenkoms is vanjaar op 29 en 30 April in Stellenbosch by die Coetzenburg-stadion gehou. Tersiêre instansies van regoor SuidAfrika is by die geleentheid verteenwoordig, en toeskouers is met uitstekende prestasies beloon.

Die hoofdoel van hierdie byeenkoms was om `n Nasionale Studente Atletiekspan te kies wat Suid-Afrika by die 2011 Wêreldstudentebyeenkoms sal verteenwoordig. Dit vind vanjaar in Shenzen, China vanaf 12 tot 23 Augustus plaas.

Elf Tukkie-atlete het gekwaliseer om SuidAfrika by die 2011 Wêreld-studentebyeenkoms te verteenwoordig: Hannes Dreyer, Ruan de Vries, Willie de Beer, Jacques de Swart, Caster Semenya, Claudia Viljoen, Erika Kleynhans, Rikenette Steenkamp, Cherese Jones, Alet van

Wyk en Wenda Theron.

Dit was ook die laaste geleentheid vir atlete om in Suid-Afrika vir die 2011 Internasionale Atletiek Federasie (IAAF) Wêreldkampioenskappe te kwaliseer. Hierdie geleentheid word algemeen beskou as die voorskou van die 2012 Olimpiese Spele.

Die Noordwes-Pukke is vir die tweede agtereenvolgende jaar as die studente-kampioene in die spanafdeling gekroon, met Tuks en UJ onderskeidelik tweede en derde.

Tuks het goed presteer en `n totaal van 14 goud, 12 silwer en vier brons medaljes verower.

Die damespan het ook hul span kompetisie gewen.

Tukkie-atleet en 800m wêreldkampioen Caster Semenya was die uitblinker, sy was een van drie atlete wat drie goue medaljes kon inpalm. Sy het die 1500m wedren vir dames met gemak gewen, en dié wedren van die begin af gedomineer met

`n tyd van 4:22.64s.

Later die dag het sy ook die 400m titel verower, en het in die proses die 400m hekkie-atleet en spanmaat Wenda Theron verslaan. Theron het die pas in die eerste 200m gestel, maar in die laaste 120m het Semenya kenmerkend versnel en haar tweede goue medalje in 53.18s gewen.

Haar derde goue medalje het op die tweede dag van die SA Studente-kampioenskappe met `n oortuigende oorwinning in haar spesialisveld.

Sy het die 800m vir dames met meer as twee sekondes gewen met `n tyd van 2:02.52s.

Semenya is in haar eerste plaaslike volseisoen onoorwonne in beide die 400m en 800m, en het gesê dat sy nou `n maand lange ruskans van atletiek gaan vat. Sy sal na die baan terugkeer op 28 Mei vir `n IAAF Wêreld-uitdagingstoernooi waar haar voorbereidings vir die verdediging van haar 800m titel as wêreldkampioen sal begin.

Die Wêreldkampioenskappe, waarvoor sy reeds gekwaliseer het, vind in Augustus in Daegu, Suid-Korea plaas.

Maryke Oberholzer van Tuks het ook drie goue medaljes verower: vir diskus, 4x100m dames aos en 4x400m dames aos.

So ook het Wayne Snyman drie goue medaljes ingepalm: vir die 20km stap, 4x100m mans aos en 4x400m mans aos.

Thuso Mpuang (Kovsies) is die enigste atleet wat by die Studente-byeenkoms vir die Wêreldkampioenskappe kon kwaliseer. Hy het met `n tyd van 20.55s in die 200m vir mans geseëvier.

SA kampioen Claudia Viljoen en Erika Kleynhans (albei van Tukkies) het onderskeidelik 1ste en 2de in die 100m hekkies vir vroue gekom. Viljoen met `n tyd van 13.76s en Kleynhans met `n tyd van 13.95s.

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Hot games this cold season

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MATT MILTON With fan favourites rugby and cricket almost nished, Perdeby decided to take a look at the upcoming winter season in the world of TuksSport. Some res leagues are drawing to a close while others are just beginning and TuksSport teams still battle it out in their respective elds.

AmaTuks played their last regular season

game two weeks ago, leaving it to the res league teams to entertain the Tuks football fans. Students can attend the matches which are played on Wednesday evenings on the LC de Villiers football elds.

The evenings at LC de Villiers sports elds and courts are also being kept busy with other res league games and matches. As spectators brave the cold, players are battling it out in the hockey res league which is well into its third week.

The basketball res league, which has been plagued by bad weather, still continues with the nals a week away following this week’s games.

The TuksBasketball teams roll into the sixth week of their regular season games after having started their training in February.

For the folks who happen to be allergic to the weather at this time of the year, there are plenty of indoor events taking place. Gauteng North Wrestling (GNW) has a busy winter calendar lled with national, African and world championships. Matches and competitions are held every week and xture times are available on the GNW website.

It’s martial arts grading season as students prepare themselves for their belt exams.

TuksAikido will have their grading at the end of June with taekwondo Masters ying in from Korea to test the students. Second dan black belt and above hopefuls will be travelling to Japan at the end of June to take their exams.

For the ght fans out there EFC 09 will take place on Thursday 30 June where all the belts will be in contention and the next contender ghts will take place.

There are a variety of activities and events to take part in this chilly season so get out there and take part or support some of the many winter sports.

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AmaTuks make PSL play-offs CARLO COCK AmaTuks took a big step towards gaining promotion to the ABSA Premiership on Sunday 9 May, as they beat FC AK 2-0 at ABSA Tuks Stadium on the nal day of the season.

The win gave AmaTuks the 3 points they needed to secure their place as runners-up in the National First Division (NFD) Inland Stream and qualify for the PSL Promotion Play-Off Tournament.

FC AK dominated the opening exchanges with some slick passing and created several chances to score in the rst 15 minutes but failed to take any. AmaTuks themselves missed a few good early chances as Nqobile Mpala and Thokozani Sekotlong were denied by FC AK keeper Brighton Mhlolngo and shot wide respectively.

AmaTuks gradually took control and dominated the remainder of the rst half but failed to capitalise on their chances. In the second half, AmaTuks continued to play more direct football and took the lead in the 56th minute as captain, Joseph Mtombeni, nished off a great cross from Ngoma. FC AK strikers Kyle Koert and Joshua Sauls put together some good passing and things could have been very different but for a fantastic performance by AmaTuks centre-back Phiri.

The win was all but secured in the 61st minute when Sekotlong got his 6th goal of the season to make it 2-0.

AmaTuks kept control and saw out the remainder of the game to clinch that elusive play-off spot.

The champagne will, however, have to remain on ice for the moment as AmaTuks’ place in the play-off is under threat.

Black Leopards were found guilty of elding an unregistered player, Edgar Manaka, in their NFD game against Batau FC in March. They won that game 2-1 but the 3 points they gained were expunged by the PSL. Black Leopards has since appealed the points deduction however it is unlikely that the decision will be revoked. AmaTuks nished 2 points above Black Leopards.

Should Black Leopards’ appeal be unsuccessful, AmaTuks will face the 15th placed team in the ABSA Premiership in the PSL Promotion Play-Off Tournament semi-nal over two legs on 25 and 29 May while Bay United or Jomo Cosmos will face Thanda Royal Zulu on the same dates in the other seminal. The nal is also over two legs and is scheduled for 11 and 18 June.

Bay United and Jomo Cosmos face off in the PSL Promotion Play-Off on 14 and 21 May, with the winner being promoted to the ABSA Premiership and the loser going into the PSL Promotion Play-Off Tournament against Thanda Royal Zulu.

Photo: Keith Pyper

Five minutes with Exclusive with Banyana Banyana’s Shorty Vanes Mari du Toit SIBONGILE MTHABELA

CARLO COCK

Tuks 1 netball captain, Vanes Mari du Toit, was selected for the Protea team during trials held at Tuks netball courts at the end of March this year. She is currently the youngest player in the Protea team and she plays goal keeper and goal shooter for both Tuks and the Proteas. Perdeby sat down with du Toit to nd out more about her and her achievements.

When did you start playing netball?

I started playing netball at the age of seven but only stared to love and to appreciate it in high school at Afrikaans Hoër Mesiesskool Pretoria.

Who is your inspiration?

I am inspired by my Lord and creator. Without him, I wouldn’t have been where I am today. I am also inspired and motivated by coaches, teammates, friends and family.

What are your plans for the future?

I plan to get my degree in BCom Human Resource Management and then do my honours in Business Psychology. I want to keep on playing netball professionally and to coach part-time. I have a lot of ideas of what I would like to do in the future and I know that God has a lot in store for me.

How has Tuks contributed to your development and success?

I started playing for Tuks in 2010 after being at the University of the Free State for 2 years and got selected as captain of the Tuks rst team. The Tuks coaches Elize Kotze (current Protea coach) and Jenny Van Dyk (rst team coach and Tuks netball manager) have helped me a lot.

What are your most prestigious netball achievements?

I have played for SA netball consecutively in different age groups leading up to being a Protea. They include SA u/17(captain), SA u/19 schools (captain), SA u/19 university, SA u/21 world cup team for two years and this year I made it into the Proteas.

Perdeby wishes du Toit good luck for the future and is sure that she will continue to make her university proud.

Simphiwe Dludlu is a third year sports science student at the University of Pretoria, specialising in football. Most of her fellow students don’t realise that Dludlu is in fact a professional footballer for the national team, Banyana Banyana. At the tender age of 23, Dludlu has already made an impressive 49 appearances for Banyana Banyana, the majority of these as captain. Dludlu or “Shorty” as she is known to her friends and teammates plays her club football for the Tuks Ladies USSA team and has been part of a very successful era for the club. Arguably the top women’s footballer in the country, she spoke exclusively to Perdeby about her journey to the top, her future plans and more.

How did you get into football as a girl? Obviously in the townships football is a tradition and everyone plays it at some stage. I grew up in Alexandria and as a girl, although I played with dolls and did other girly stuff, I often played with my brothers and cousins and I guess their passion for the game rubbed off on me. I played football in primary school with the boys and then in high school I started playing girls football. I was invited to come to the High Performance Centre at Tuks as a school girl to join the academy. Things went well and eventually I went on to play for the junior national teams.

Can you describe what it feels like to play for your country and to be captain? It is a great feeling and a privilege of course.

Being captain is a big responsibility but one I enjoyed. The captaincy is something that you don’t choose and you don’t give up, it is given to you for tactical reasons. I don’t have any problems with not being captain anymore, as long as I’m in the team and playing well.

Who are your role models? Well as a child growing up my favourite player was “Scarra” Ngobese. I knew him personally as well so that was great. Otherwise, players I greatly admire are Roberto Carlos and Fabio Cannavaro. In fact when I played for the national under 20 team, I played left back, which is Roberto Carlos’ position, but now I play right back.

What are your ambitions in the game and plans for your career? In South Africa I’m already playing at the highest level possible for a woman, the national team and the USSA League so I would like to go play overseas in England or America where the leagues are the most professional. I have a great passion for the women’s game and I believe female players have a better tactical understanding of football and that I can make a big contribution on coaching and developing young footballers.

Football is one of the most unequal sports when it comes to gender equality. What are your thoughts on the levels of equality in football and how the imbalance can be redressed? Well yes that’s true, there isn’t equality in football. I hope there will be one day but I think it will take a really long time and a lot of hard work.

Corporate sponsors have been reluctant to come on board not just in football but in all women’s sports and that needs to change for us to get to the level of some European countries and America. I think it is unfair that as female players we don’t get the same level of media coverage and sponsorships because we play just as well, represent the country in the same way and train just as hard as men do.

What did you make of Sepp Blatter’s recent comments that to improve women’s football maybe players should wear tighter shirts? I know these comments were highly controversial and heavily criticised but I have to agree with him. At the end of the day, sex sells and when we’re wearing these oversized, baggy kits, it is uncomfortable and restrictive. If you look at other woman’s sports, like tennis, they wear revealing outts and I think that would make woman’s football more appealing.

What are your thoughts on the progress of Banyana Banyana and their chances of qualifying for the Olympics and All Africa Games? We had a bad result last time in the All Africa Games qualier but I hope to be t for the next qualier for the London 2012 Olympics against Ethiopia. I feel condent that we will qualify for that. As for the All Africa Games, we have a must win game against Botswana up next and I think we have a good chance there too.

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