Loud, Vol.10 Issue 2

May 2015

Volume 10 Issue 2

UCT’S STUDENT INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS MAGAZINE

Students Rise Up Student protests gone viral

Black Pain Transformation in South Africa

Ballad of the Baton

LOUD

Xenophobic Violence Plagues the country again

The Cape Town Globalist

CTGLOBALIST.COM

An absence of protest movement

Internet Censorship in South Africa Right2Know speaks to us

1

reject internet censorship South Africa’s Film & Publications Board has released draft regulations to police the entire internet.

Take a stand against internet censorship!

Go to r2k.org.za/HandsOffOurInternet to sign the petition and spread the word!

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#HandsOffOurInternet

@r2kcampaign

facebook.com/right2know

MAY 2015

Editor-in-Chief Ashleigh Furlong

Contents

Deputy Editor Alicia Chamaille Content Editors Aisha Abdool Karim Tshilidzi Neluvhalani Khensani Ngobeni Mandisa Nduli Tahiera Overmeyer Karla Hugo Layout Editor Daniel Rautenbach

Appetisers

22

6

News bites

24

Social movements around the globe

8

Q&A

Students rising up

What’s happening in the world

9

Deputy Layout Editor Zona Magadla

Head of Marketing Kachipa Masipa

with Micah Reddy

April 2015: The Month of Social Movements Student Protests

Armchair Globalist

Black pain in the Rainbow Nation

Deputy of Marketing Mandisa Nduli Finance Salma Khan Contributors Benjamin Hetherington Peter Beare Rorisang Moseli Alicia Chamaille Hilary Price Laura Heyns Komborero Mtambirwa Richard Mills Jared Paisley Jamie Ashton Desmond Bowles Tatjana Baleta

News

Philosophy, Gender and Curtain Call

10

The End of an Era

26

Rise in Xenophobic Violence in South Africa

28

12

Helen Zille steps down

Violence against foreign nationals

Cover Photo: Marching from Azania House to the removal of the Rhodes statue.

Image: Aisha Abdool Karim

The Cape Town Globalist is published three times a year by students at the University of Cape Town. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Cape Town Globalist, the publication sponsors, the University of Cape Town, or Global21.

To contact the CTG, email ctglobalist@gmail.com The Cape Town Globalist

How to Be Happy

The philosophy of happiness

Sexual orientation and gender in Cape Town

Trevor Noah makes it big in the US

Heteronormativity in the Gay Capital

30 Trevor Noah: America’s

New Outsider... On the Inside

Loud 14

Rhodes Must Fall

A photo essay documenting the Rhodes Must Fall campaign at UCT

The state of protest music

20

The Ballad of the Baton

3

The Cape Town Globalist is a member of

Global21

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MAY 2015

Editorial The theme for this edition may seem a little strange at first. “Loud”.

What could we possibly mean by “Loud”? It began with the desire to document anything and everything that is making an impact on the world, whether this be new innovations, research which is pushing the boundaries or people taking a stand. We wanted to document what it means to be “Loud” in a globalised and technologically driven world where seemingly everything is vying for our attention – with the use of flashing lights, screaming crowds or pumping music. The world in which we live is loud, often overwhelmingly so. What we want to do in this edition is sift through the noise and find the voices which are really making a difference.

In recent years it is the voices of the marginalised, the suppressed and the minorities that have been crying out, demanding to be heard.

We therefore take a look at April 2015 protests from around the globe, identifying these voices. We also investigate how students are coming together as a global entity and making known their own grievances.

Our Armchair piece debates the lack of a South African identity and asks some difficult questions about what it means to be black in South Africa.

We take a look at how the public’s voices can be silenced in our Q & A with Micah Reddy from Right2Know and discuss their latest campaign against Internet censorship in South Africa. We also investigate the reasons behind the recent lack of protest music in South Africa. On a different note we explore what it means to be happy in a world where the desire for wealth and success often side-lines happiness. Heteronormativity in the Mother City is also analysed, where we discover that Cape Town isn’t actually all the “Loud”.

In our photo essay we feature the UCT Rhodes Must Fall campaign which moved people nationally and internationally to open up dialogue on symbols of oppression as well as the state of transformation in South Africa. We have decided to extend our photo essay to more fully explore the pertinent issues which arose during the campaign. In our news articles we look at the recent xenophobic attacks in the country as well as what Helen Zille’s exit from the DA means for the party and the country.

We hope that the stories, commentary and analysis within this edition are loud and bold. We have tried to give you a snapshot of that which is making a noise, shaking things up a little and maybe, just maybe, changing the world in a small way. If you would like to get in contact with us, you can reach us via ctglobalist@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting The Cape Town Globalist, you, our readers, are the reason we continue to work so hard to produce this magazine.

Ashleigh Furlong

Editor-in-Chief

The Cape Town Globalist

5

News bites Nepal Earthquake

the earthquake in Nepal had a magnitude of 7.8 and killed at least 7 500 people and left over 14 500 people injured. Over 4 000 workers from aid agencies from all around the world are helping with relief and rescue operations. However, these efforts are being slowed down by the damage caused by the earthquake to roads and the international airport, as well as the limited supply of fuel and electricity. Aid agencies have warned that there is a risk of serious outbreaks of disease following the earthquake in Nepal. The lack of shelter, contaminated water and poor sanitation could lead to the spread of water-borne diseases.

Iran Nuclear Deal

iran has been in talks for a nuclear deal with Germany, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Thus far, French President Francois Hollande is believed to have the strongest stance while negotiating with Iran. Hollande was invited to Riyadh by Saudi Arabia in order to talk with Gulf leaders who feel that the negotiations will put the region in further turmoil. After meeting with King Salman of Saudia Arabia on Monday, May 4 both leaders released a statement saying that an agreement with Iran should not threaten the stability of the region. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has previously said that no agreement will be made on Iran’s nuclear activities until economic sanctions have been lifted.

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Noisy

Migrants killed in boat accident approximately 40 migrants have died while in the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday, May 3.

The migrants drowned as they fell off the rubber boat they were travelling in and were unable to swim. There were around 240 people on the two boats from Ghana, Gambia, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast but all left from Libya. The survivors were rescued by a Maltese merchant ship and arrived in Sicily, an island in southern Italy, on Tuesday, May 5. This incident is one of many recent maritime accidents involving migrants leaving northern Africa, during which at least 900 people have drowned.

Menstruation photo series a photograph posted by Rupi Kaur, a university student in Toronto, was removed from Instagram as it did not follow the Community Guidelines of the site. The image, taken by her sister Prabh, showed Rupi with blood on her pants and bed, and was one of a series created by the sisters to challenge the taboos surrounding menstruation. Whilst the intention behind the photographs was not to be provocative, they gained attention following their removal from Instagram and Rupi’s commentary thereafter. Instagram later apologised and said the removal of the photographs had been a mistake.

The series, entitled “period.” can be viewed on Rupi’s website.

$1.4 billion 60%

projected revenue for 3D printers in 2018

decrease in the use of force by police officers wearing body cameras

1 in 29.4 million

odds of being killed on a single airline flight

Garissa Attacks

Garissa University was attacked by AlShabaab, an offshoot organisation of AlQaeda, on April 2. The terrorist group was targeting Christians and held 700 students hostage while questioning their religion. The attack resulted in the deaths of 148 people and injured at least 79 others. The majority of those killed during the 13 hour long attack were students, along with two police officers, one soldier and two watchmen. This is said to be the largest terrorist attack in Kenya since the bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi in 1998. Another reason for the attacks is the ongoing conflict in Somalia and Kenya’s involvement in the area fighting Al-Shabaab.

MAY 2015

appetisers

Cancer Predictor

Numbers

in a more controversial study by Harvard, scientists have discovered the neural network in the brain that controls hunger. This has the potential to change the world of dieting. One could stimulate the melanoncortin 4 receptorregulated (MC4R) circuit in your brain and it could help you diet without the pain of actually dieting as it has the ability to make you not feel hunger. Obviously this would only trick your brain but you would not have any hunger pangs. This could be a good finding for curbing obesity or it could be another dimension to our diet-crazed society.

389 billion number of SMSes sent worldwide each month

1 278 64%

the number of weeks The Beatles were on the Billboard Chart

of global Internet users who are worried about Government Internet censorship

Statistics courtesy of statisticbrain.com

#RhodesHasFallen what started out as faeces being throw against the statue of Cecil John Rhodes at the University of Cape Town might have revolutionised the discussion around transformation in South Africa. After a highly publicised campaign to remove the statue of the statesman; UCT removed the statue on April 9. This campaign has inspired other universities to discuss transformation. Rhodes University has questioned its name, the University of Stellenbosch is hosting Open Stellenbosch discussions and Wits University has also challenged their progress with transformation. The #RhodesMustFall movement will be remembered for how it has changed the debate on the transformation of post-colonial and post-apartheid symbols.

Hunger Controversy

a harvard and Northwestern University study has shown that they can detect cancer from as early as 13 years before your cells become cancerous. It was found that the caps that protect chromosomes, called telomeres, showed signs of more wear and tear in the bodies of people who were going to have cancer compared to those who weren’t. Telomeres could look about 15 years older than normal cells. This method can be used to detect a wide variety of cancers and is not specified to one.

This will, undoubtedly, increase the chances of beating cancer once and for all.

Warp Drive

Emu Chaos in a story that would make a great feature for a NatGeo comedy show, an emu was spotted running through the streets of Torrington, Connecticut. The large bird ran through the town and caused quite a stir especially because the townspeople had no idea what it was. No one knew how it escaped but luckily the owner, who keeps them as pets, captured it in due time.

nasa scientists are developing technology that would speed up the time it takes for spaceships to reach space. It has been termed the ‘warp drive’ and it could take a matter of hours for it to reach space. There is hope that this would mean faster travel to the moon for humans. The possibility of this technology, that travels faster than the speed of light, is still being hotly debated. Should this materialise, it would mean fast travel to outer space for earthlings The Cape Town Globalist

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appetisers

Q&A

with

Micah Reddy

Micah Reddy is Right2Know’s Media Freedom and Diversity Organiser. Right2Know is currently opposing the Film and Publications Board’s attempt to exert increasing control over the Internet. The Cape Town Globalist chats with Reddy about Righ2Know’s work.

1. Right2Know began as a form of opposition against the Protection of Information Bill (dubbed the Secrecy Bill) but has since then expanded dramatically. What are Right2Know’s key aims now?

We have numerous campaigns that all roughly fit together under one broad umbrella of information and expression. Our current campaigns are focused on secrecy, information access, the right to protest, the right to communicate and media freedom and diversity.

but this is something that must be used in an extremely circumscribed way. Thankfully, our courts have upheld this view in the past. What is also very worrying is that the Board is trying to give itself sweeping powers to enforce its draft policy as well. So, for example, anyone that the Board deems to have not complied with its regulations would have their licenses revoked and would have to submit all their content to the Board for classification.

The Board is trying to give itself sweeping powers to enforce its draft policy.

2. Right2Know is petitioning against the Film and Publications Board’s attempt to “censor the Internet”. What is so draconian about the new regulations?

Firstly, the language used in the policy is so broad and so vague that this could apply to pretty much everything published online in South Africa, including content that is published on blogs and social media platforms. Another thing that is very alarming is the regime of prepublication classification that the policy envisions. This would mean that distributors and publishers would need to firstly classify all their own content in line with the Board’s regulations before publishing, and this amounts to censorship. If our constitutionally enshrined freedom of expression and freedom to impart and receive information are to be respected, then publishers should be free to publish and be damned. There are instances where prior restraint of publication is legitimate – for example through a court interdict – in order to prevent a grave injustice,

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ment from the Board. The Board has already been shown to have a poor sense of judgement when, for instance, it censored the local film Of Good Report, and in its handling of the case of Brett Murray’s famous painting The Spear. The Board says it is acting in the interest of ‘social cohesion’ and to protect children from the dangers of the internet. Apartheid’s censors protected apartheid and shielded the powerful from criticism by similar means. They spoke of the need for ‘dignity’, protecting the public from ‘indent behaviour’ and so on. We do not want to risk going down that path again. We do not need the Board to police what we see, hear and say.

We do not need the Board to police what we see, hear and say.

3. How could these new measures affect ordinary Internet users?

The draft policy is vague and contradictory when it comes to who/what exactly falls within its ambit. There are no real guarantees that this won’t affect ordinary users. On one level it will affect our ability to receive information, but it could also make it harder for us ordinary users to impart information – in other words, to publish. The problem with vague policies is that they leave open a lot of room for abuse. It does not take a huge stretch of the imagination to see how someone who, for example, satirises powerful figures on a blog or personal website could be subject to harassment and arbitrary punish-

4. What is the process before these new regulations become official policy?

It is still early days as the policy is only in draft form. Public consultations have begun and any member of the public who wishes to voice concern may attend these (details are on the FPB website). We are confident that public pressure will spell doom for the draft policy. Failing that, we cannot see how they would ever pass constitutional muster.

5. How can we, as ordinary citizens, oppose these draft regulations?

Firstly, join R2K’s campaign. We recently had a successful protest outside the Board’s offices in Centurion. We will continue to pressure the Board into dropping the regulations and we have an online petition to sign. CTG You can visit Right2Know at www.r2k.org.za.

MAY 2015

armchair

There is Pain in Silence rorisang moseli debates why South Africa is not embracing the ‘Rainbow Nation’.

T

he enraged voices that have engulfed our newsfeeds, timelines and front pages have captured the rupture of the ‘Rainbow Nation’ unleashing the deafening voice of black pain. After centuries of being silenced and relegated to the periphery, black South Africans are now more than ever battling to understand their identity.

The xenophobic attacks are a cry from the dormant souls of an oppressed people who have a desire to be recognised in their own land. After centuries of Colonialism and Apartheid, there is a chasm that we cannot seem to close – black South African’s basic need to exist. At a superficial level, South Africa is deeply embroiled in crimes of hate against foreign nationals who present a threat to South African employment and entrepreneurial opportunity. Upon closer inspection we discover the narrative of broken black identity: landless, hungry and marginalized people.

When Desmond Tutu presented the idea of ‘The Rainbow Nation’, he and Mandela had hoped that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission would serve as the foundation of a new country. But one must investigate this premise: how can a country built upon the dead bodies of its natives ignore the ‘crunch-crunch’ of their bones when white monopoly capital builds another skyscraper in Sandton? How do we preach that South Africa be united in its diversity when, not so far into the past, those differences were exploited by the National Party in a bid to cause distrust between cultures and a spree of violence throughout the early 1990s? How do we thrust such an incongruous identity on a broken people?

Our mistake comes when we believe we have the power to recreate the foundation that our society is built upon by remodeling the supported structure. Our reality is a result of the past coming together in a particular way and any deviation from this pattern would yield a different result.

When aiming to change the structures that house our oppression, we must understand what lies beneath the surface and reconcile ourselves with the fact that true change only comes once those foundations have been eradicated. It is only when we have forsaken our past items of knowledge that we will begin to understand our identity defined by us, for us.

South Africans have not even begun to understand what it means to be South African – let alone what it means to be part of a collective African identity. Botha waged a great geo-political war against the rest of the continent, labeling everything beyond the Limpopo as the Swartgevaar, which threatened South African livelihood with their ‘savage’ ways. We say ‘Africa’ like it’s some distant land while ‘America’ carries the tone of a beloved neighbour. At no point in our modern history have we truly felt part of the continent; rather, we have been taught to fear Africa and Africans while encouraged to revere and love the West. It The Cape Town Globalist

should come as no surprise that people on the ground still see foreign nationals as the enemy and will continue to do so until we make a concerted effort to understand what it truly means to be South African.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and other negotiated settlements are perhaps what prohibit the creation of our collective identity. When our collective truth is misconstrued, we can never claim to have a sound understanding of our past. What progress? Please use simpler terms?

South Africans have not even begun to understand what it means to be South African – let alone what it means to be part of a collective African identity.

In Antjie Krog’s “Country of My Skull”, she questions the role of truth and the purpose of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) when she writes: “That was his truth. And I, as a teacher, had to deal with this truth that was shaping his life, his viewpoints, his actions. Will a Commission be sensitive to the word ‘truth’?”

The TRC failed to form a collective truth when too few perpetrators came forward to seek forgiveness and too many victims were asked to forgive them. What makes the process even more damning is the eagerness with which white South Africans expressed to close a historical chapter whose recording and analysis was half-baked. One cannot claim justice was served when those guilty of crimes against humanity continue to walk free and systematically oppress those regarded as ‘free’. The idea of ‘truth’ is murky and painful. Black South Africans look at their lives and see how much they have lost; how negotiation and compromise made by those who were their custodians of justice returned to them an even more unjust society. How are we a Rainbow Nation when a rainbow does not have space for black? Or was this catchy slogan simply foreshadowing the reality that was to come? I think so.

Black rage in 2015 is the result of a people who have been gagged for 21 years who are ready to create their own truth and not the ‘truth’ thrust upon them. It is a voice full of rage, fuelled by hungry stomachs and aching minds. The time has come for us to start the real task of forging an identity that encompasses our collective pain and happiness.

It begins with the decolonization of our minds and spaces, the consolidation and analysis of truth from the different voices that inhabit this land and a societal commitment to create something to which we all have ownership. It is only then that we will stop pillaging fellow Africans as a result of our silenced struggle to belong. CTG

Rorisang Moseli is a second year BCom student majoring in Politics, Philosophy and Economics

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news

Image: Democratic Alliance

The End of an Era Helen Zille’s stepping down as leader of the Democratic Alliance signals the end of an era for the party. hilary price assesses what this means for the party and the country.

H

elen Zille, the leader of South Africa’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), announced on 12 April that she won’t be standing for re-election in the party’s national congress in May. Occasionally dubbed by media as ‘South Africa’s own Iron Lady’, Zille has led the party to increasing electoral success. After a noteworthy career as an anti-apartheid journalist, where is she is best known for exposing the murder of Steve Biko, she joined the DA in 1999. She became a Member of Parliament in 2004, mayor of Cape Town in 2006 and leader of the DA in 2007. In 2009, the DA won control of the Western Cape in the national elections, and Zille became premier of the province. Fans and critics alike agree that in the six years that she has been leader of the party, Zille’s resilient and sharp, if not abrasive, personality has made a strong impression on South African politics. Although she intends to complete her term as premier of the Western Cape, her 10

stepping down from the DA’s top job makes way for new leadership and a new era of the DA. According to Zille, the reason for her resignation is that the party will benefit from fresh leadership. In a statement published on the DA’s website, Zille reasoned nine years of prominence in the DA was long enough, saying: “In South Africa, there are term limits for presidents, premiers and mayors. But not for leaders of political parties. So, when I became Mayor of Cape Town in 2006, and later Premier of the Western Cape in 2009, I knew that I could serve a maximum of ten years in each position - divided into two five year terms, (as long as I was re-elected).” She claimed that the late timing of the announcement, with just weeks before the DA National Congress, will be advantageous to the DA because it will mean the campaigns for the prospective new leaders will be “short and sharp”, preventing the leadership race from fractionalising the party.

MAY 2015

news

The greatest challenge that the DA under Zille has had to grapple with is that of capturing the ‘black vote’.

Others have disagreed with Zille on the advantages of her timing. The new leader, who will be elected in May, will not have much time to consolidate their leadership and make changes over the party before the 2016 national elections.

Others have argued that the timing was intended to ensure that Mmusi Maimane, the DA parliamentary leader, would win the position without serious competition. At the time of writing, Maimane’s claim appears strong, though he does have a significant competitor in the form of Wilmot James, the outgoing DA chairperson.

Whatever her political motivations, there’s an argument to be made for personal pressures affecting her decision.

She’s had an interesting time as head of the main opposition, especially as a white politician in post-Apartheid South Africa, attracting numerous, and sometimes bizarre, personal attacks in the rhetoric of political opponents.

Some of the highlights include being called a racist multiple times for her criticism of the ruling party and its leadership. A memorable incident was when the former head of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema criticised her as premier of the Western Cape, calling her all male cabinet “boyfriends and concubines”.

Not all the attacks have been unprovoked; Zille has a habit of making controversial remarks, especially on social media. She was slammed after making a tweet calling pupils moving from the Eastern Cape to the Western Cape “education refugees”. More recently, her very public decision to instruct the Western Cape government to unsubscribe from the Cape Times newspaper, which she claims is guilty of shoddy journalism, has drawn heavy fire. Critics claimed she was attacking media freedom and undermining freedom of expression. On a more serious note, the greatest challenge that the DA under Zille has had to grapple with is that of capturing the ‘black vote’. Though espousing the principle of ‘non-racialism’, they have had to acknowledge that having white leadership in a post-apartheid South Africa is an obstacle to changing perceptions of the party for ‘white’ people. With all the constant criticism, perhaps Zille just wants to ‘quit while she’s ahead’ and retire in peace. Time will tell.

Apart from reflections of her time as leader, her resignation has regional significance in that it is a rarity in African party politics for leaders to step down of their own accord.

Elite turnover on this continent has tended to be a zero sum game for parties and individuals. In South Africa, the bitter power struggle between former President Mbeki and President Zuma, which resulted in the former’s resignation, is an example of this trend. The existence of a strong opposition party is important for democracy as it needs to hold the ruling party accountable. Furthermore, the public manner in which Maimane and James are conducting their campaigns is a far cry from the closed list elections common in the ANC, and a good sign for democracy in this country. Zille’s resignation will certainly change things in South African politics as well as in the DA. While many may be glad to see her back, her successor will inherit a party that’s much stronger for her leadership. CTG The Cape Town Globalist

Image: Loe ZA

Hilary Price

is an Honours student in Justice and Transformation 11

news

Xenophobia

Rears its Ugly Head Once Again Image: Wasi Daniju

aisha abdool karim reports on the recent spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa which have caused

S

ince March there has been an increasing number of xenophobic attacks in South Africa. These attacks started in KwaZulu Natal before spreading to Gauteng and the Western Cape. Thus far at least seven people have died as a result of the attacks, which have involved looting, torching, public beatings, stoning, and stabbing.

These attacks are similar to those that occurred in 2008, which left over 60 people dead, the majority of whom were foreign nationals.

This resurgence of violence against foreigners followed a speech by King Goodwill Zwelithini in Pongola on March 15. In the speech Zwelithini allegedly said that foreigners “should pack their bags and go home”. However he later denied making the comment and said it had been misinterpreted.

Thus far the attacks have resulted in the displacement of over 5 000 African foreign nationals in South Africa.

aisha abdool karim

is a third year Print Journalism Production student

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The nature of these attacks has been termed as ‘Afrophobic’ as they have largely been black South Africans targeting black foreigners from other African countries, such as Zimbabwe, Somalia, Mozambique and Malawi. Thus far the attacks have resulted in the displacement of over 5 000 African foreign nationals in South Africa, with KwaZulu Natal being the most affected area.

Given the high level of xenophobia in KwaZulu Natal, four security protected refugee camps have been set up to accommodate displaced foreigners. In addition to this, governments of foreign nationals who are mainly being targeted have made plans to ensure the safe repatriation for anyone who wishes to leave South Africa.

On Friday, April 24, President Jacob Zuma told Parliament that 338 soldiers, belonging to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed in KwaZulu Natal,

Gauteng and other areas where the police need assistance in curbing the attacks. This follows an announcement by Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Tuesday 21 April, that soldiers of the SANDF would be sent to Alexandra, a township in Johannesburg.

Attention was brought to the xenophobic attacks in Alexandra when a Sunday Times photographer captured Emmanuel Sithole, a Mozambican national, being stabbed to death in the area on Saturday, April 18. Four men, Sifundi Mzimela, Ayanda Sibiya, Sizwe Mngomezulu and Mthinti Bhengu, were arrested and charged with murder and robbery. They appeared in court on Tuesday, April 21 for the first time and again on Monday, May 4. Although Sithole’s murder was initially thought to be a xenophobic attack, this has not been confirmed and some witnesses claim that it was a robbery. In addition to Sithole, a Zimbabwean husband and wife were shot, both of whom survived, on Monday, April 20.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura said that the xenophobic attacks had stopped during an address at the Union Buildings on Monday, April 27. Makhura then went on to add that the violence was not justified and should not be repeated.

There were also incidents of xenophobia in Groot Drakenstein, a farm near Paarl where nine men allegedly attacked a Somalian shopkeeper. The men were all from Mbekweni and appeared in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, April 30. There have been an increasing number of foreigners in the area over the past five years. This was the first xenophobic attack in the area and the police are working to stop the violence.

President Zuma, government officials, religious and community leaders, local celebrities, students groups and members of the public have condemned xenophobic violence and King Goodwill Zwelithini also held an anti-xenophobia Imbizo in Durban on Monday, April 20, to denounce the attacks and ask Zulus to protect foreign nationals in South Africa. The government has also sent police into affected areas to stop the violence and arrest culprits. CTG

MAY 2015

LOUD

Rhodes Must Fall

Photos from various contributors

The Ballad of the Baton April 2015: The Month of Social Movements

by Hilary Price

Student Protests

Image: Tatjana Baleta

by Benjamin Hetherington

by Komborero Mtambirwa The Cape Town Globalist

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Image: Jared Paisley

The Rhodes Must Fall campaign at the University of Cape Town was centred on the removal of the Cecil John Rhodes statue which used to sit at the bottom of the Jameson stairs. The statue was, for many, a symbol of larger issues of transformation at the University and South Africa as a whole.

This photo essay is a compilation of students’ images of the campaign. We feel that no explanations are needed to accompany these images as they are loud and speak for themselves.

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MAY 2015

Image: Tatjana Baleta Below: Desmond Bowles

The Cape Town Globalist

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Image: Jared Paisley Below: Desmond Bowles

16

MAY 2015

Image: Richard Mills Below: Desmond Bowles

The Cape Town Globalist

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Image: Jamie Ashton

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MAY 2015

Image: Desmond Bowles Above: Jamie Ashton

The Cape Town Globalist

CTG 19

loud

The Ballad of the Baton The strange absence of protest music in South Africa has benjamin hetherington questioning the state of protest action in the country.

“We sing to mourn, to heal, to rejoice. Our pain, our miseries, we sing … You can get to those emotions right away with music.”

- Lucas Ledwaba, co-writer of Marikana: the Musical

T

he screen’s flicker becomes less pronounced as you succumb to the numbness after hearing the news. August, 16, 2012. 34 dead. How could one be expected to deal with the conflicted conscious and betrayed trust when the belief of democracy is juxtaposed against targeted repression? Every time a miner is shot down, or a victim can’t breath, one faces uncertainty in response. Headlines scar our newspapers; traumatic images and videos are brandished across our Twitter feeds, but by this stage do we accept it as the status quo? If not, our musicians should be fulfilling the role of conscious carriers of outcry in times of crisis. After the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida, USA, J. Cole succinctly announced the reason for his poignant tribute release, Be Free, with, “I’m tired of being desensitized to the murder of black men.” Lack of local musical response begs the question of whether we in 20

South Africa have arrived at a general state of such impassivity.

In the States, protest against police brutality has been expressed by musicians from Bruce Springsteen to Lauryn Hill; and hip hop, deemed by Chuck D as “the CNN of the ghetto”, has become the feeder of anti-discriminatory sentiment into America’s airwaves. With the Institute for Security Studies showing cases of South African police brutality more than tripling from 2003 to 2013 and less than 1% of cases against the police resulting in conviction, it is troubling how subdued our songwriters have remained on the issue.

Perhaps it is the pervasiveness of the pain felt by society which is generating this apparent lack of protest music.

The pain, and the anger, is exacerbated by the fact that it is near impossible to attribute a direct cause to it, and this potentially makes our challenge even greater. Is the officer to blame? The government? The judicial system? While Ferguson split the U.S. into a mentality of black versus white, Marikana shocked; and we were plunged into an area of uncertainty what was as grey as the smoke rising from the cops’ rifles. While the clock was set back to Sharp-

MAY 2015

loud

Perhaps it is the pervasiveness of the pain felt by society which is generating this apparent lack of protest music. The pain, and the anger, is exacerbated by the fact that it is near impossible to attribute a direct cause to it, and this potentially makes our challenge even greater.

eville, our fears were resurfacing from a more recent time of confusion and anguish – the culture of violence and unaccountability characteristic of the Third Force, suddenly did not seem so far gone.

Incensed, several musicians including Zakes Bantwini, Zuluboy and Gareth Smit released songs titled after the massacre. Writers and actors alike came together to produce Marikana: the Musical, tribute shows were arranged, artists from the anti-Apartheid movement spoke out, and many commended this post-tragedy surge of lamentation, especially haunting considering that before their deaths, the strikers on that koppie and throughout were conveying their anguish through the contextual and personal outlet of song.

However, it seems that this is an isolated case. It’s not right for one to be pushed across the brink when an event of Apartheid dimensions and character happens, only to resign afterwards under the façade of return to normality.

Where are the songs when, as has been demonstrated in townships and urban areas nationwide, the police turn a blind eye and actively encourage xenophobia? When a taxi driver dies in custody after being dragged behind a van, and when a 50-year old lady’s head is pressed to the tar by a cop’s boot? We lack the critical songs screaming out that our fears are as real and undeniable as it gets. The stats are there, as are the videos (The Citizen’s collection of police brutality on footage will leave the most apathetic viewer sick), but what we’re not hearing is the outcry and dismay when these same cases don’t end with justice.

Bongani Madondo, author of I’m Not Your Weekend Special, a biography on Brenda Fassie, is concerned with the “loss of collective creative rage” within black music since The Cape Town Globalist

1994. “The racial and economic persecution against black folks, including coloureds and Indians, which the musicians during Apartheid fought against is still very much around,” he says, “but the lack of defying spirit has taken the sting out of black pop culture. We miss the poor people’s discourse coming from the music scene dealing with socio-political issues.” Musicians in the country during the Struggle, such as Vusi Mahlasela and the group Stimela, sang in metaphor to express their protest, in large part because anything further would result in persecution and/ or banning. That time is no longer and the country needs artists who are consistently willing to be explicit in their messages. For every American rapper firing poetic shots at Zimmerman, we need a song gunning down Phiyega; for every time Eric Garner’s name is used in remembrance and awareness, a concert should be held for Mido Macia.

Gareth Smit, currently examining Garner’s New York community through photojournalism, offered insight on this matter, while referring back to his track Marikana.

He related to the paralysis following the shooting, and the source of his most searing frustration, in turn, was that it didn’t seem to galvanise the nation, in stark contrast to the mobilisation he has covered in the US. “When the grand jury decided not to indict the NYPD police officer who killed Eric Garner, thousands took to the streets and essentially shut down New York City.” While he says music can help us articulate key questions, “I don’t feel it always needs to show and tell in being literal. I wrote the song as a way of working through the emotions I felt after Marikana.” While there may not be Cole or Lamar equivalent in SA – someone who is willing to tackle social issues headon to a mass audience – he feels certain that “there have been countless songs written about the massacre, purely because musicians naturally express what is happening around them.”

If this is the case, then our collective creative channels must conquer the fear of risking diminishing incomes over acceptable or commercially-friendly lyrics. In a country historically devastated by the fear of artists to express a political voice, the line of Fassie’s Boipatong rings with the haunting unambiguity of a sjambok to the skull: “We can’t allow this to happen again.” CTG

Image: Janah Hattingh Benjamin Hetherington

is a first year student in Economics & Law

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loud

APRIL 2015:

The month of Social Movements April was a month of mass movements around the globe, with people actively voicing their dissatisfaction with their governments and the status quo. Hilary Price investigates.

Image: Mstyslav Chernov

P

eople around the world have been busy this April, mobilising around common grievances. South Korea, Baltimore and Burundi have all witnessed the eruption of social movements and protests marked with varying degrees of social and state violence. As always, the circumstances surrounding these events are complex and multifaceted.

In South Korea, protests broke out in central Seoul following the one year anniversary of the Sewol ferry tragedy on April 12 in which over 300 people died, including school children. The series of events is complex and underreported in Western news, however, it appears that the protests started on Thursday April 12. This was after the relatives cancelled a memorial event in protest to what they perceive to be government’s reluctance to honour the dead and raise the ferry, which remains unsalavaged.

At some point in the proceeding days the protests turned violent. On Saturday, protests continued, growing larger as it was buffered by marchers from a trade union protest.

Reuters reports that 13, 000 police were deployed to manage the protest, and used water cannons and pepper spray.

A week after the protests began President Park announced that the ferry would be raised, despite the massive cost to the state, though relatives remain unhappy with how long

22

it is expected to take. Criticism has focussed on President Park and generally reveals a deep discontent with the government.

Across the Pacific, the USA is also witnessing renewed civil protests. On Sunday 19 April, Freddie Gray, a young black male, sustained fatal injuries while in police custody in Baltimore. His death is the latest in a series of high profile cases where unarmed black men have been killed

by US police officers. Gray’s death led to daily protests in Baltimore, demanding a full investigation of the incident.

Protesters displayed slogans such as ‘#BlackLivesMatter’, ‘Stop killing us’ and ‘No justice, no peace’. The Baltimore protests follow after the well-known Ferguson protests last year. After Gray’s funeral on Monday, the initially peaceful protests turned violent. Several shops were looted and buildings and cars were set alight. In response, the city declared a state of emergency, instituting a curfew to quell the rioting. Over 200 were arrested the first night and 15 officers were injured in minor clashes where rioters threw objects at the police. Protests have since become largely peaceful with condemnation of the rioting emanating from within the community as much as outside.

The rioting brought the protests to the attention of mainstream media, who have focused on the violence, showing videos of looting and arson. Two memorable videos

MAY 2015

loud

“I want the white media out of here until they’re here to report the real story.”

emerged of a rioter cutting a firefighter’s hose and as well as a clip of an angry mother beating up her rioting son. Social media on the other hand has sought to show the other side of the story: images and clips of black community members standing guard over shops, protecting police, cleaning up and discouraging violence have gone viral. A YouTube video portrays Fox News reporter, getting a thorough yet eloquent tongue lashing from a black protester because “You’re not here for the death of Freddie Gray, you’re here for the story. You’re here for the riots…. I want the white media out of here until they’re here to report the real story.” His comments highlight the frustration with the mainstream media, which have ignored that this protest is simply the latest expression of resentment of structural racism and marginalisation of black people in the US. On the other side of the world, Burundi is in turmoil following protests which began in the capital city of Bujumbura over the announcement of President Pierre Nkurunziza’s intention to run for a third term, which is unconstitutional. Beginning on the April 26, protesters clashed with police, fearing Nkurunziza’s determination to hang onto power is a challenge to the young, fragile democracy.

Reportedly, by the end of April, at least 7 people have been killed, 66 wounded and almost 700 arrested. According to Human Rights Watch, state repression of the protests has The Cape Town Globalist

been severe, as police responded with tear gas and bullets.

In the government clampdown on protest actions, several private radio stations have been shut down, social media sites such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter have been blocked and the leader of a prominent civil society organisation arrested.

Thousands of Burundi refugees have been pouring into Rwanda on a daily basis since the start of the protests.

Many are fleeing for fear this is the beginning of another civil war. Burundi emerged from a 12 year conflict in 2005, and since then has remained in a state of underdevelopment and fragile peace. Some refugees claim to have been threatened by roving bands of pro-government militia in rural areas. UN and US envoys, sent to monitor the situation and urge groups to reject violence, warn that "the current situation is very, very dangerous.”

April this year has been an active time for civil society around the world. In terms of the history of social movements, it is thought-provoking that very often the first we will hear about these events with be on social media sites such as Twitter and Imgur (an image sharing community).

It will be hours or days before they will appear on mainstream news. This underscores the way that social media is changing the nature of social movements and news reporting around the world. CTG

HILARY PRICE

is an honours student in Justice and Transformation

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loud

Student Protests A New Global Phenomenon or Just History Repeating itself?

Komborero Mtambirwa takes a look at student protests and discovers their larger significance.

Image: Frog and Onion

K

nowledge is power”, a famous quote derived from a speech by Kofi Annan the former Secretary General of the United Nations. It is a quote that has always puzzled me as I was growing up, and caused me to question its credibility. How does the consumption of various sequences of the English or any other language and its vocabulary give me leverage over the other person? I even came to use these quotes myself such as “Knowledge is power” and “Education is the key to success” however I did not really grasp on the real importance or the real meaning of what I was saying. It is here that I bumped into one of the writings of a very prominent Brazilian educational philosopher Paulo Feire when he states that: “Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”

Is a more global conception of the ability of students to mobilise themselves gaining ground?

Key words that should be noted from this quote are, “instrument”, “integration” or (mobilisation), “present system” (even one that is not popular with the masses), 24

“freedom” (from oppression) and above all the word “transformation”. These key words seem to assume that there is some sort of struggle, or a clash with some sort of enemy, therefore could this “power” (Knowledge) being given reference to, be the key or “instrument” to fight the so called “battle”? On an individual level this battle could be one that involves the attempt to attain self-actualisation or one trying to free oneself from the shackles of ignorance that leave one vulnerable to the “present system” as we would presently want to call it.

This individual battle is less important than the one which is fought collectively. The same way an individual would use education to fight the battle of not knowing and advancing themselves and by giving themselves power is the same way a collective group mobilised under the banner of education like a University would use education to free themselves from a certain unfavourable system that oppresses them. Throughout history it has been apparent that education has enlightened and made university students more aware and conscious of the political environment. Thus it is not surprising that most revolutions in the world are started by the educated elites of various nations and it is these same elites that challenge the oppressive system of the individuals who educated them.

Today if one is to tune into the news it will be the usual headlines: the Xenophobia/Afro-phobia attacks, the fall of statues that are affiliated with the colonial and oppressive history and the University of Zimbabwe students protesting and advocating for increase in the salary of staff. This year, especially in Africa, saw a phenomenal wave of proMAY 2015

loud tests from university students. On 9 March students from the University of Cape Town witnessed the removal of the Cecil John Rhodes statue which was the first step in the addressing of institutional racism. Rhodes University joined in the call to address problematic symbols of oppression and students from Wits University along with other universities across Africa marched against the Kenya Garissa attacks and as well as xenophobia.

Student protests have always existed and can date back to 1229 when the University of Paris staged a protest that lasted for almost two years which addressed the power struggle between the new student elites and clergy. From then on there have been student protests in every kind of society all over the globe, from the student protests in the United States in 1970 to the 2012 Quebec student protests.

Over these years the world has advanced in a multitude of ways as it is becoming more globalised and technocentric.

Therefore the question is whether these protests are still fought in isolation from the rest of the world or if a more global conception of the ability of students to mobilise themselves is gaining ground.

I remember reading a certain article on Facebook whereby Oxford university students had supported the Rhodes Must Fall movement. While others were celebrating the possible globalisation of the movement I couldn’t help but be amused by the sort of impetus the movement gained.

Throughout history it has been apparent that education has enlightened and made university students more aware and conscious of the political environment The way in which such contemporary movements have evolved: to include the participation of people all over can be attributed to technological advances. Perhaps student movements/protests/uprisings could be a new global phenomenon and perhaps the definition of the term ought to change. The ability of a movement to gain much more widespread global support within a short space of time as it is publicised on Facebook and other networking sites means that the ‘power’ of students will never be the same again. The power of education will not be limited to only freeing an individual or a collective group but can also spread to the rest of the world. This means that it is no longer the students of the University of Cape Town, Rhodes University, or University of Cambridge, fighting for a certain cause individually but students as a whole; globally united under one banner of education fighting together for a common cause. CTG

Image: Tony Carr

KOMBORERO MTAMBIRWA

is a second year Bachelor of Social Sciences student majoring in International Relations, Politics and Public Policy and Administration.

The Cape Town Globalist

25

philosophy

How to Be Happy Everyone desires to be happy but there seem to be a select few who really achieve this. laura heyns takes us on a philosophical tour of ‘How to be

Happy’ and comes up with surprisingly simple answers.

Image: Riccardo Cuppini

D

o not be mistaken: you are not born into this world, you are born from it. You are a moulded clump of atoms destined to form; destined to devolve.

It is only through the error of human subjectivity that we create the idea that we are single forms of denatured flesh, separated and alone. But if only we could identify ourselves as an amalgamation of cells, the same cells which fashion the Universe, we could see our unlimited capacity to be happy.

Dust to dust we search for this state of ecstasy, only to find ourselves lost; missing in action. We endlessly daydream of the moments of untarnished joy. It is only when we abandon the search, and resume to living, that we experience not a state but rather a by-product of happiness.

Instead, we imagine a world full of polarity where you’re either one thing, or you aren’t. Constantly binding ourselves to narratives, and according to our status of mental

26

health, we either romanticize or vilify our existence. This introduces a protagonist into a world we cannot change.

Self-destructive; we create to destroy.

And just as we think we are one thing, one form, we also think we are capable of only one emotion. But rather, we are an eternal manifestation of our frame of mind, the underlining masters of our present state.

Happiness is fundamental to our human existence and according to the World Health Organization, happiness is paramount to one’s health. Studies have shown that the higher ones serotonin levels are; the stronger the expression of antibodies. A feeling propagating good, right down to our instructional code.

It is important to remember that no man is an island.

In actual fact, we already know one another, profoundly as human beings. We are the Universe itself, interconnected, only separated by the atoms between us. We search for MAY 2015

philosophy

ourselves in one another, creating ties. Ties accompanied with the responsibility of a shared happiness. We cry together, we celebrate together and, in being happy, we radiate it.

At the University of California, Professor James Fowler undertook a twenty year study evaluating whether happiness can spread from person to person – with the answer being yes. Fowler identified clusters of happy and unhappy people, drawing the conclusion that people’s happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected. This proved that happiness is a collective phenomenon.

However, one must respect the permeability of happiness. It is not an existence in itself, for in its elusive state; it falls through the hands of any man who wishes to hold it.

With this, one must never grasp or resist as happiness is as evasive as the moment itself.

This will only bring the bad days.

In life’s collisions suffering is invariably constant however; our most authentic characteristic is our capacity to be greater than our suffering. It is about falling in-love with one’s fate, the beauty along with everything else.

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, called this “amor fati”, translated as the “love of one’s fate”. He believed that this can be found in an attitude in which one sees everything that happens as necessary. Beginning with acceptance.

This acceptance does not necessarily preclude an attempt at change or improvement, but rather a sense of contentment. It’s about living with the acceptance of every moment, with all its minute details.

Life can be analogized into the form of a rubix cube: undeliberate and ever changing. Allowing for fleeting moments of symmetry; fleeting moments of happiness. The movement of tiny plastic blocks takes us through a variety of sequences, with the ultimate goal of one colour. The final product holds no value, but rather beauty is found in the trial and error based experiment.

Regardless of the series of events you encounter each day, you are growing, you are being and that’s enough.

The Cape Town Globalist

Amongst the turmoil, look up and notice the beauty.

Whether you find it in the clouds, the faces of strangers or the way the light hits the walls around you, just make sure you absorb the moment. In our limited time here, our only hope is found in the quest of discovering the undiscoverable, one moment at a time.

At the University of California, Professor James Fowler undertook a twenty year study evaluating whether happiness can spread from person to person – with the answer being yes.

It is about finding what makes you happy, and allowing everything else to add to rather than retract from your state of being. Author Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt writes “c’est un beau jour de pluie”, meaning that “it is a good day for rain”. With this notion, we can re-evaluate our perceivably bad circumstances and discover unexpected pleasures. As it is only through acceptance that you will be content.

Happiness holds absolute subjectivity, as we all recognize it in different places. However it is critical to note that experiences, not possessions, lead to greater happiness.

As assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, Ryan Howell said, “We don’t tend to get bored of happy memories like we do with a material object.” It is the sheer feeling of being alive that is enough to make one happy.

With this said, when concerning oneself with the notion of happiness, it is important to note the difference between the pursuit of happiness and the happiness of pursuit. It is only when we lose ourselves in what we love, that a wave of contentment floods the doors. It’s simple really; live and you will become happy. CTG

Image: Agnellina

laura Heyns

is a first year BSocSc student studying majoring in History, Politics and Media & Writing

27

gender

Heteronormativity in the Gay Capital

Cape Town is often called the ‘gay capital of the world’ and is renowned for being accepting of all sexualities and gender identities. Alicia Chamaille discovers that this is not always the case.

I

ntrinsic in everything we do, in every relation that we have and in our very being, is sexuality, sex and gender. Yet one often forgets that these terms are vague and loaded with misconceptions. Thus there is no better place for me to commence my grappling with these terms and how they interplay in the lives of many than by examining them and their space within my home city, Cape Town.

Cape Town has often been described as the gay capital of the world, a playground for queers and gender queers.

After all Cape Town is known as the mother city of the rainbow nation and although most may only see this ideological rainbow in terms of race, it is hard to escape the similarity between the rainbow colours of the Gay Pride flag.

Heterosexuality is arguably the most common of sexualities that exists in Cape Town. Simply put, it is the sexual interaction between a ‘male man’ and a ‘female woman’.

When one is defined as heterosexual, it is understood that they are attracted to members of the opposite gender where only a two gendered scope is offered, or rather accepted. It differs to heteronormativity as it allows for varying degrees of masculinities and femininities, and concerns itself mainly with the one gender being attracted solely to the opposite gender.

Cape Town has shown many different types of masculinities and femininities. There are those who are seen as feminine effeminate men and those who are seen as masculine and (or) butch women, none of whom are necessarily associated with homosexuality. Cape Town for example

28

has a strong arts and cultural influence, many of the men involved in this art scene can be described as soft and sensitive. This does not mean that all men in Cape Town who are involved in the Arts are seen as soft and sensitive, just that there are those who are seen in this light. The same can be said for women who play sports and are very active in male dominated sports. They are often portrayed as having masculine qualities but are still seen and accepted as women.

Cape Town has seen a surge in the popularising of an attitude of disinterest, non-commitment and uniqueness that has been embodied in the term Hipster. Male hipsters are known for their unique, albeit feminine fashion sense and their passive approach to the world, whereas the female hipsters share the same passive approach, they appear to come in many more accepted fashion that often emulate retro-chic. While hipsters have arguably paved the way for feminine masculinities and possibly, but not nearly as much, masculine femininities being accepted, there is still much prejudice associated with such terms.

In many communities such deviation from heteronormativity is shunned. Violence against such deviation has even been documented. Research conducted into sexual, physical and verbal violence by men towards sexual long-term partners has even shown that much of the violence stems from the men’s inability to accept any deviation from heteronormativity such as female dominance and (or) superiority, substance abuse and unusual sexual preferences regardless of their heterosexual baseline.

Heteronormativity in this case is the adherence to the MAY 2015

gender

male/female gender norms which are created, given and accepted by society. Heteronormativity can be defined as the site of cultural, legal and institutional practices which only see two genders, believe that gender reflects biological sex, and that only sexual attraction between these opposite genders is natural and or acceptable. Any deviation from this perceived norm is loaded with negative connotations.

Thus even in the ‘gay capital of the world’, homosexuality is still found to be very problematic. South Africa has perhaps one of the most advanced legislations when it comes to protecting the sexual rights of its people and being inclusive in not only homosexuality but transsexuality. Both of which are seen as deviations from heteronormativity.

Homosexuality – those who experience and express their sexuality to those who fall under the same gender as themselves – in Cape Town is largely accepted. However, it can be argued that although the streets of Cape Town are filled with same-sex loving people many of them have struggled to be open and externally expressive of their sexuality, there are still many negative connotations and stigmas attached to being homosexual.

In educational institutions when a man shows what is deemed too much affection to another man, he is often called derogatory names linked to homosexuality.

The same can be said for many gendered males who are portrayed and depicted as doing anything that is seen as overtly feminine. It would, however, seem as if females have it easier. They experience the same discriminatory behaviour but arguably to a lesser degree as many are simply labelled as tomboyish, meaning that they prefer boyish personas to that of ‘girly’ ones. But if a female does stray too much from the gender normative path of being female and does not grow out of her tomboyish ways, she The Cape Town Globalist

is then labelled a dyke or lesbian regardless of her sexual orientation.

Those who are transgendered are those who associate themselves and express themselves with the gender opposite to that which they were assigned at birth. As part of the transgendered community, they face challenges such as what to do with the fact of being transgendered. Some choose to undergo the medical procedures that allow for a sex-change, others simply choose to dress, behave and adopt the mannerisms of the gender that they associate with and still some will choose – out of fear or otherwise – to remain trapped in the incorrectly gendered body.

Even in the ‘gay capital of the world’, homosexuality is still found to be very problematic

Cape Town is the mother city of the rainbow nation and we need to move away from race based perceptions, and begin to look with a wider lens at our own people. Gender comes in all shapes and colours and each gendered skin informs, feeds and shapes the other. Yet still gendered violence continues to perpetuate.

As a city we must challenge heteronormativity as it cannot be the norm to oppress so many people and to box them into categories in this way. As human beings we created the very terminology that oppresses us and therefore we are the only ones who can liberate ourselves from such restrictions. This will be achieved once we break down the very boundaries and terms that bind and restrict us. Heteronormativity is not the norm -so why are we shackled to its standards of living? CTG

Image: Natasha Zimin

ALICIA CHAMAILLE is an Honours student majoring in History

29

curtain call

Trevor Noah:

America’s New Outsider… on the Inside.

Trevor Noah’s replacement of Jon Stewart on The Daily Show is making headlines. Peter Beare finds out what all the fuss is about.

W Image: Mike Mike

atching an episode of Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show is a confusing endeavour for most nonAmericans. The man behind the desk spends the first half of every show working himself into a frenzy, satirizing both politicians and mainstream media. He returns “after the break” with a famous face (such as President Obama’s) only to continue delivering his astute political analyses on the fourth most-trusted “news” show in America. What’s confusing here? It’s not a news show. It’s without any intentional political agenda. And apparently it’s all for “shnicks and giggles”.

Or so he claims.

Regardless of Stewart’s definition, the show that South African comedian Trevor Noah is to inherit is of critical importance in America. This is not only because it delivers Zapiro-like commentary, but because it does so across multiple barriers – most notably that between Democrat and Republican. No-one is safe from Stewart’s acerbic wit, not even those he supports on a personal level. Driving this is his genuine desire to provide the American public with an accurate picture of the country’s political scene, without spin or distracting hype.

Speculation abounded when Stewart announced his departure from the show in February of this year, as fans discussed his replacement. At present, many stalwarts of the American late-night talk show are either already gone or on their way out. Following on from the likes of David Letterman, Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno (and, of course, Jon Stewart), the new names at Comedy Central make for interesting reading.

He managed to combine his outsider status with this crowd-reading ability to produce wildly popular shows

Stephen Colbert. John Oliver. Trevor Noah.

Colbert and Oliver were both Daily Show regulars before moving on to hosting their own shows, The Colbert Report and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Both of these men are part of the new generation, a younger, more socialmedia-savvy brand of talk show host. Each has taken the genre in his own direction. Colbert mocks political-opinion talk shows, following Stewart’s tradition of ridiculing any biased political reporting. Oliver focuses on events intersecting with the public realm, tackling issues such as the NSA’s invasions of privacy.

With two new men behind the pseudo-news desks, many viewers believed that the new face of The Daily Show 30

would be female - Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were both popular candidates, having done satirical work on Saturday Night Live. However, the new host of Jon Stewart’s comedic political powerhouse is none other than our very own Trevor Noah. While this selection has prompted debate, criticism and praise, it has brought more bemusement than anything else. Who, the Americans say, is Trevor Noah?

The primary argument against his appointment is obvious. How can he, as an outsider, hope to be credible as a political commentator? Can he understand American politics better than every other American? By way of example, take Bill Clinton’s tweeted response to hearing of Jon Stewart’s intent to leave The Daily Show: “Where will I get my news each night?” Such is the level of Stewart’s insight; even past Presidents rely on his political reporting. Can a young South African comedian really continue that legacy?

Following Colbert and Oliver and tailoring the show to his needs is not really an option here; too much depends on The Daily Show in its current incarnation, socially and financially.

The arguments for Comedy Central’s decision are not as clear, but they are no less important. Yes, Jon Stewart is the face of The Daily Show – but he most certainly is not its only draw-card. Behind Stewart, and soon to be behind Noah, is a research and writing team without parallel, complete with a set of experienced correspondents in the field.

It is also worth noting that the show has managed without Stewart before; John Oliver guest-hosted in his place for eight weeks in 2013. He received positive reviews, despite not being American – if anything, this gave him more freedom to mock (and, in doing so, critique) all of the major players in American politics. This “impartial outsider” label is set to be one of Noah’s greatest strengths, should he use it.

But with the hype over his selection (and some less-thanfunny tweets from years ago), we have lost sight of what’s critical here – his credentials as a performer. Fellow South African comedians say that Trevor is “gentle” onstage, engaging with the humour in this country’s history rather than the anger that it stirs up for so many. So too is he described as an exceptional crowd-reader, tailoring shows to the moods of the audience. At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, for example, he managed to combine his outsider status with this crowd-reading ability to produce wildly popular shows. With this in mind, we may have reason for some cautious optimism; Noah may become the first South African performer to make waves in the US since Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela’s jazz tours during the Sixties.

CTG

MAY 2015

The Centre for Film and Media Studies

Up on the hill, the Centre for Film and Media Studies offers full and part-time postgraduate courses, at the Hons and/or MA levels, in African Cinema, Documentary Arts, Film and Television Studies, Media Theory and Practice, Political Communication, Rhetoric Studies, Screenwriting and Television Drama.

Across the country and the world, the Centre for Film and Media Studies partners with leading online education company, GetSmarter to offer continuing education online short courses to working professionals and amateurs.

Having started with a course in Digital Photography in 2011, the partnership now offers courses across 7 disciplines: FEATURE WRITING COPY-EDITING

SCREENWRITING

GRAPHIC DESIGN

PHOTOSHOP

WEB DESIGN

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

For inquiries about our postgraduate programmes, www.cfms.uct.ac.za or contact Petros.Ndlela@uct.ac.za If you are interested in the short online courses, get hold of GetSmarter on: The Tel:Cape +27Town 21 Globalist 447 7565

Peter Beare is a 4th year Chemical Engineering (B.Sc. (Eng), Chemical)

31 | Fax: +27 21 447 8344 | Website: www.getsmarter.co.za | Email: info@getsmarter.co.za

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