The South African 17 - 24 June 2014

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17 - 24 June 2014

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New rules complicate family travel to SA | In a bid to curb child trafficking, the SA government has introduced controversial new requirements for children travelling in and out of SA. But will all the hassle prove worthwhile or will it deter tourists and cause headaches for South Africans?

by sertan sanderson The South African government has introduced new travel regulations as part of its new Immigration Act, which are designed to combat child trafficking but are also discouraging family travel into the country.

The new law requires parents and legal guardians of any nationality arriving in and departing from South Africa to produce unabridged birth certificates (in addition to passports) for children. Coming into immediate effect when issued in the Government Gazette on 26th May 2014, the new regulation holds more caveats than just having to present an extra document at port of entry.

For one thing, it is assumed that the birth certificates will need to be in English or will otherwise have to be accompanied by notarised translations. While almost all countries feature English translations on birth certificates, this may delay certain nationalities.

The new travel requirements are further complicated in cases where children are accompanied by only one parent or guardian, in which case an affidavit from the other parent or a copy of a court order stating sole custody is also required.

Any of these affidavits would have to be notarised, which will mean further costs. In the case of a deceased parent, a copy of the death certificate will need to be presented.

In general, it would appear that cases with just one parent present

| 50 YEARS ON: Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi poses on the red carpet with the Zulu choir at last week’s London gala screening to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Zulu. Buthelezi, who played his great-grandfather in the 1964 movie but was unable to attend the original premiere, was joined by Prince Harry to watch a digitally remastered version of the iconic film. The evening raised funds for two charities supported by Prince Harry, Walking With The Wounded and Sentebale as well as the David Rattray Memorial TrustPhoto by Anthony Upton / i-Images

will be most complex under the new law, making the lives of single parents even more difficult. It is entirely uncertain how families with uncommon lifestyles, such as members of the LGBT community or surrogates might be treated under the new regulation, but it is likely that further difficulty lies ahead.

You don’t need to have a “modern family” to end up in a bureaucratic quagmire under the new guidelines.

If a child is accompanied by anyone other than a parent or a legal guardian, affidavits from both parents or legal guardians will have to be presented at immigration.

This is in addition to copies of the guardians’ ID documents as well as detailed information about where the child will be staying upon arrival, including copies of ID documents of the individuals with whom the child will be staying.

The absurdity of the new regulation can easily be shown in the case of a single parent sending his or her child away with a close relative to spend the holidays with grandparents in South Africa. In addition to his or her passport, the child would have to present an unabridged birth certificate, a document either stating consent from the other parent or proving sole custody, an affidavit from

each parent allowing the child to travel in the company of said relative, full copies of the parents’ IDs and full copies of the relatives’ IDs. This could mean up to eight documents required to be presented at immigration – plus a passport.

While the birth certificate and copies of IDs are likely to feature English wording, some documents may not be issued in English in certain territories. In some scenarios, children might have to travel with more than ten documents in total per child just to get in and out of SA – regardless of nationality or purpose of the stay.

Considering the rather sensitive nature of the information contained in those documents, including full addresses, ID numbers and other personal data, it could be easy to get this information into the wrong hands if any documents are lost or stolen during transit, increasing the potential for identity theft.

In addition to making travel plans to SA both logistically and emotionally taxing, it is expected that the new regulations will also discourage growth in the tourism sector at a time, when South Africa’s economy might be on the brink of another recession.

However, in the light of child abductions and questionable custody cases challenging immigration officials, some level of merit must be afforded to the new regulations.

Continued on page 3

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| 17 - 24 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

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Cape Town overtakes Jo’burg as most congested city – in theory

Editor: Heather Walker Production & Design: Deva Lee Registered office: Unit C7, Commodore House, Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW. Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: editor@thesouthafrican.com Website: www.thesouthafrican.com Directors: P Atherton, A Laird, J Durrant, N Durrant and R Phillips Printed by: Mortons of Horncastle Ltd

| A recent report published by Satellite Navigation conglomerate TomTom says that Cape Town drivers are more prone to stand waiting in traffic now than Joburgers.

But do the numbers really tally up?

By sertan sanderson

Continued from page 1

New law to protect children

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According to LexisNexus, SA is among the world’s top 10 hotspots for human trafficking, with estimates of children ranging from 67 victims in the past two years to several hundred. It must be noted, however, that claims of over 30,000 children have been trafficked through South Africa in recent years have been disproved.

JP Breytenbach of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants says the overall benefit of the new regulation does outweigh its disadvantages: “While the new regulations will probably be an inconvenience for many persons, Breytenbachs feels that in the light of the reality of child trafficking and kidnapping it is a necessary, prudent approach. It might be an inconvenience to some parents but it serves to protect their children after all.”

For now, the government has granted a ‘grace period’ until 1st October 2014 for families, who have already made travel plans.

They will be reminded of the new requirements but won’t be expected to adhere to them.

Expats hoping to come home for the Christmas holidays should start making travel plans soon: from this year on there will be more required than just booking flights and getting passports ready, especially if getting unabridged birth certificates from the Department of Home Affairs is involved.

Breytenbachs advises all South African parents (especially those in the UK) to apply for an unabridged birth certificate for their children, even if they are not planning to travel soon. “This will at least provide them with the peace of mind that they will be able to travel to and from South Africa at any time, should there be a family

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emergency forcing them to travel unexpectedly.”

With a backlog of document requests at the Department of Home Affairs (making it one of most underperforming government departments), long waits are almost guaranteed. Breytenbachs recommends quick action and a lot of patience: “There might also be cases where parents are unable to obtain unabridged birth certificates in time for their travel plans. The Department of Home Affairs is at present battling to keep up with the number of applications for the issue of birth certificates, and although they state eight weeks, which is already a long period of time, from our experience, they at times cannot keep up with this timeline.”

For newly registered births since March 2014, the Dept of Home Affairs issues unabridged birth certificates as a matter of course, which will make future instances easier. For births predating March 2014, unabridged birth certificates have to be requested, and are not identical to the birth certificate previously given.

A petition to revise the new guidelines and grant a longer grace period has been launched on the Avaaz.org. It also addresses further discrepancies in new immigration guidelines introduced in late May and has attracted over 2,000 votes, aiming to reach 10,000 petitions.

In the meantime, it’s not just South African authorities, that are struggling with issuing official documentation in time for travel arrangements; HM Passport Office in the UK currently reports a backlog of tens of thousands of cases, with British citizens even having to cancel holidays due to insufficient travel documentation.

The 2014 TomTom global traffic index report asserts that Cape Town has overtaken Johannesburg as South Africa’s most congested city during the course of 2013.

The annually published report had previously put Johannesburg dead-first in the initial three years of its inception, but with changing demographics in the Mother City a new traffic dynamic appears to gradually emerge, changing commutes and travel patterns in Cape Town.

The report also revealed that South African drivers seem to get caught up in even further congestion in their attempts to avoid traffic by trying to escape to secondary routes, adding both time and mileage to their journeys. In many recorded instances, there was as much as 50 per cent additional travel time reported on account of drivers trying to be clever this way trying to head for back routes, most prolifically in Pretoria. This behavioural pattern featured in the report stands out as rather unique for South Africa when compared to the numbers detailed from other countries.

Perhaps a surprising finding in the report was the fact that Pretoria’s overall performance in traffic congestion fell only in fourth place – behind East London.

Johannesburg’s small sister to the north and long-standing commuters’ stronghold Pretoria seems to manage its roads somewhat more efficiently.

However, the report, which relies on data collected from TomTom GPS users worldwide, managed to ignore one key component in its overall assessment: the distances typically travelled, especially during work commutes – a crucial difference, which creates a more balanced outlook when pitting Cape Town against Johannesburg.

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While Cape Town is alleged to have more congestion during peak hours, which results is slightly longer delays per hour of travel time in traffic, the TomTom report fails to mention that commutes and distances typically travelled are considerably shorter in Cape Town for most journeys than they are in Johannesburg.

In the megapolis Johannesburg, distances of 30 km and more are regarded as a norm, while in Cape Town locals consider a distance of more than 20 km an above average commute – despite the fact that the city is growing steadily.

By failing to compare the footprint of the two cities and not evaluating average distances travelled in traffic, the report ended up ranking Cape Town and Johannesburg in the same neighbourhood as London, which compares rather amicably with its 37 minutes of additional delay per hour during peak time traffic compared to Cape Town’s 38 minutes and Johannesburg’s 34 minutes respectively.

But other than falling victim to statistical fallicies the British capital actually managed to perform well in the report, avoiding the global Top Ten of congestion, which features four cities in the Americas and six European cities, with Moscow taking #1 and Istanbul #2 on the list.

In encouraging news, none of South Africa’s metropolitan areas managed to make it into the Top 30 of the most congested cities in the world, with the new numbers ranking Cape Town as #33 and Johannesburg as #48 among the world’s most congested cities.

With successful steps taken towards improved urban planning and both cities rolling out enhanced public transportation schemes on an ongoing basis, there’s hope that these numbers might just be kept at bay in the future.

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Is SA heading towards recession? | While some key indicators point decidedly towards negative economic trends, the government insists that SA’s finances are stable for the time being. The question behind all these discrepancies, however, is which came first: chicken or nest-egg?

h t w o r G

Rec essi

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Numerous indicators started painting a gloomy picture for SA’s economy this week, as variables hinting at a second consecutive quarter of contracting gross domestic product (GDP) might seem to be imminent. This would indicate that the country is indeed entering a recession.

Financial intelligence firm Fitch Ratings published a detailed report on South Africa’s markets, downgrading the country’s creditworthiness to BBB chiefly on account of mining strikes, which have been crippling the economy for almost half a year now. Ratings agency Standard & Poor followed suit and ranked South Africa even lower at BBB-, creating rather a bleak outlook, as the Rand remains in the basement. But the South African government insists that the economy is far from entering another recession, with the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Review report from last week saying that the situation was stable and contained.

Trying to add perspective to the fact that SA’s economy shrank 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2014, the government’s publication explained that ongoing challenges from violent mining strikes to electricity shortages to tense labour-market conditions all contributed to that downhill trend, adding that any long-term economic growth would need to be adjusted “to the downside” in the light of these findings, but not amounting to a recession.

However, analysts underscore that consumer spending had also gone down in the first quarter of the year

despite the series of extenuating circumstances presented in the Monetary Policy Review paper, implying that the government might simply be trying to make excuses. Despite the Reserve Bank’s outlook on the situation, the World Bank took the very reasons cited in the government publication as sufficient reason to make a further material downward revision to SA’s growth outlook for the year.

Furthermore, continuing the trend of hiked interest rates set by the Reserve Bank in January 2014, it is becoming evident that while the government may not want to admit to a looming recession, it is pulling all the stops to avoid it from happening – which does not go far in creating investor confidence and is almost certainly going to affect the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

“Overall, inflation in South Africa is projected to be above target for an extended period of time, with risks tilted towards higher inflation. Over the longer term, this necessitates higher interest rates, and therefore a tightening cycle,” the Reserve Bank commented.

With the new government also having extremist elements, especially in the form of the Economic Freedom Fighters taking 25 out of 400 seats in parliament, confidence in business is slumping even further. President Jacob Zuma is yet to prove to investors that South Africa can still be trusted as a destination for investment, while some controversial pieces of legislation pushed through parliament during the last few months of his first presidency did not help to secure any such trust.

His recently appointed Finance

| South African Parliament expects to save around R1 million by cancelling a lavish gala dinner usually held after the President delivers his State of the Nation Address By sTAFF REPORTER

GDP by sertan sanderson

State of the Nation Address banquet cancelled to save money

Minister Nhlanhla Nene rejected the notion that the economy was facing any major troubles while the governor of the Reserve Bank also tried to remain optimistic about the country’s outlook. Gill Marcus told reporters that she was confident that SA would manage to stay shy of hitting another recession – despite ongoing strike action in the platinum sector entering its fifth consecutive month now and crippling one of South Africa’s most important industries.

But with further strike action looming on the horizon, as the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) is now considering putting the gold mines on halt for industrial action, the forecast is clearly looking grim – with or without a recession on the cards.

The second quarter numbers from the mining sector, especially the struggling platinum mines, are tipped as the “make it or break it” indicators bound to predict how the economy is going to perform in the end, and whose prediction is just going to hold up. If the ongoing trend of almost 25 per cent contraction in the mining sector (compared to the most recent numbers from 2013) continues, South Africa might be in for a rude awakening.

The only light of hope at the end of the tunnel is directly linked to the recent performance of the US Dollar and the Euro, which could strengthen the Rand in market speculation as well as attract investment. However, these midterm concerns quickly fall on the back-burner when a recession might be just around the corner.

Read more about the economy on page 13

Parliament’s presiding officers have announced that they expect to save millions as they will no longer host a gala dinner after President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) this week.

President Zuma, who recently took time out to rest after a busy election period, is expected to deliver his speech at 7pm on Tuesday 17 June.

Baby Tyawa, the Deputy Secretary to Parliament, said the budget for SONA 2014 was set at R4 million – which is less than February’s SONA budget of R5.7 million.

Tyawa said Parliament’s administration was, despite the pressures that came with the President’s request for SONA to be moved from 19th to 17th June 2014, prepared for the change as they had always planned for it in the past.

She said Parliament had factored in that this year there were going to be two SONAs. “For this particular we have budgeted R4 million. However, that is the budget, not the cost.

“It is likely that we will have a saving but I will not put a figure to the savings primarily because we are not going to have the gala dinner at the ICC (Cape Town International Convention Centre). We are going to have [a cocktail dinner] on the precinct so we are anticipating a saving, but I cannot give a figure to the particular saving.

“At the ICC, we would normally spend about R3.5-million to book the venue as well as [to get] what we normally need,” she said.

This comes as the Democratic Alliance prepares to submit a series of questions to determine the exact amount President Zuma’s bloated new Cabinet will cost South Africans.

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Nicky Schrire set to make her mark in London

| Award winning South African musician Nicky Schrire has recently returned to live in London after five years living and performing in New York, where she graduated from the Manhattan School of Music

by staff reporter London-born, South African-raised vocalist and composer Nicky Schrire will be performing The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, on 28th June 2014 alongside award-winning Welsh pianist Huw Warren. Together they present an intimate set of folk influenced originals.

Nicky has recently returned to live in London after spending five years living and performing in New York, where she graduated with a Masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

Praised by ‘All About Jazz’ for her “warm and supple instrument that serves as a dispensary of emotional power,” Nicky’s adventurous spirit reflects her international upbringing.

Growing up in Cape Town, she performed with artists such as Arno Carstens, Judith Sephuma, Sibongile Khumalo and Abdullah Ibrahim.

Since moving to New York, she has performed in New York (55Bar, the Kitano), Boston (Scullers Jazz Club), Los Angeles (The Blue Whale), London (The Forge), Dublin (National Concert Hall), and South Africa (Standard Bank Youth Jazz Festival).

Often praised for her choice of repertoire, Hardbop Jazz Journal described her as “clever and

understated” while the Ottawa Citizen’s Peter Hum noted that “while [Schrire’s] aesthetic may be free and unbounded, her music is anything but casual.”

A semi-finalist in the “Jazz Voices” Competition (Lithuania), and a finalist in the “Voicingers International Vocal Jazz Competition” (Poland), Nicky’s “irrepressible style” (LondonJazz) makes her an in demand musician both as a bandleader and as a sideman.

Her debut album, Freedom Flight, was released in 2012 to critical acclaim and landed on “Best Releases of 2012” lists from All About Jazz, Jazz History Online, Step Tempest and Popdose. Jason Crane (The Jazz Session) described the project as “an album by a talented, confident singer with a fresh approach and the voice to bring her ideas to life.”

Hardbop Jazz Journal’s Steven Lewis noted that “[Freedom Flight”] sounds like the work of a seasoned veteran… Clever and understated… It is an exceptional debut.”

Her 2013 sophomore release Space And Time features duets with pianists Fabian Almazan, Gerald Clayton and Gil Goldstein.

The album has been described as “breathtaking, stop-you-in-yourtracks stuff…an intimate stunner”

(Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz), and “fifty minutes of emotionally eventful, richly crafted music” (Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen).

Nicky has toured in support of the album in Los Angeles, Boston, New York and South Africa.

She has been compared to artists such as Norma Winstone, Tori Amos and Joni Mitchell.

Her first originals-only EP To The Spring was released in March 2014. Jazz journalist Jon Garelick wrote, “Though Nicky Schrire’s approach has earned her comparisons to Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens, the similarities are superficial.

Like Parlato, she’s an assured technician with a whole bag of impressive tricks. Like Stevens and, for that matter, Esperanza Spalding, she has an affinity for folk. But…she’s got her own thing, and it’s very much worth listening to.”

Gig details: When: Saturday 28th June 2014 Time: 8pm, doors open at 6:30pm (followed by the Sandy Cressman Brazilian Project) Cost: £15 Where: The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, 152 Kings Road Chelsea, London SW3 4UT Book on www.pizzaexpresslive. com or or Call 0845 6027 017

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| Photos by David Glyn-Jones

An evening of Gordon and God | An earlier life raised in the sunshine and savannas of Zimbabwe manifests itself through Gordon’s use of palette and technique; it is like a puzzle of life above and below water, heaven and air. The coming together of forces to create is symbolised in many ways, from the male and female form, to the seeds and pods scattered throughout his work

by Karen de Villiers Gordon and God, in Hoxton.

Never been to Hoxton, what with all the scary stories you are told about Hoxton, but this is where Gordon Glyn-Jones, well known to some of the readers of this publication , decided to host his first ever, self-curated, art exhibition.

Gordon has been keeping a secret from us all, me anyway, and it was with some surprise that I learnt he has a Fine Art degree. Time and circumstance put the dream on hold while he forged his corporate way through the greyness of London, but with time and a makeshift studio hidden in the city, Gordon decided; I am leaping the leap of faith, putting my soul on canvas out there for the world to know. I am serious.

I dislike art exhibitions. I hate the idea that the artist is exposed, waiting nervously for others to flay him, in the most cultured way.

The pompousness of poise and critique as you walk from artwork to artwork is like waiting to be condemned. Or praised, we hope.

But, until we can find another way to show the world our imagery, our dances, our creative designs, public shows are the closest thing to making an introduction.

Under the arches, in the shoddiness of this concrete city, there were rainbows on the walls.

Colours so vivid, at first you just see the wash; the intense swirling of shapes and hues, blocks of blue bleeding into seas of green; orange slashing through red and yellow.

The larger pieces, mirror images

of each other, some a linear peach of voluptuousness, of sexuality, fleshy and sharp at the same time.

Did I see a claw? Yes, maybe not, perhaps, and one begins again, for each time, with each piece, there is something else that reveals itself.

Yet another shape, suggestion, darker path inwards. Human nature versus nature. Survival and loss.

Rebirth.

The coming together of forces to create is symbolised in many ways, from the male and female form, to the seeds and pods scattered throughout his work. Life is cruel and man is capable of both horror and love, of being animal and saint. I can see the imagery. Are we lost to these forces of nature when we live in a jungle of stone and mortar? Do we become desensitised, sanitised when nature is as sterile as our souls?

I kept thinking of the eternal theory of ‘Original Sin’. Souls sold for fate.

An earlier life raised in the sunshine and savannas of Zimbabwe manifests itself through Gordon’s use of palette and technique; it is like a puzzle of life above and below water, heaven and air. For me, it was the swirling, the Armageddon, the haunting view of a praying mantis that became a cross, became power, mythology of Greek, Roman and Egyptian gods entwined in secular religion that had me wanting to know more.

Always a debate. Had I known more about the artist and his reasons behind the art, would this influence my translation of them,

or should art stand on its own and be judged accordingly? When the votes are in, it really does not matter – ‘And God Said: Really? works because each piece manages to tell a number of stories, and knowing why the artist painted them makes them all the more interesting.

In stark contrast to the condition of man and beast so beautifully evoked in an uncomfortable but deliberate collusion, the other half of the exhibition was a vision of white and fragility. Gordon has interpreted his own fascination for the ancient art of Chinese kite making and produced a whimsical, light collage of cogs, circles and lines that brings a calm to the emotional alter ego of art in the same room. The delicacy of touch is calming.

Gordon has been asked to take his exhibition to South Africa, and I know the tour will be a success.

What I would like to know, is if those out there, who stand before a mass of sinking souls will react as acutely as we do, a little lost ourselves in this jungle of our own making?

It was the colours you see; the vividness of blood and blue of fear that reminded me of the pulse of life we so often ignore when we choose to forget passion. Gordon has the passion to put himself out there and share his views of life through art. I left Hoxton feeling I needed to find a cause. Some passion.

If you want to contact Gordon and view his art, he can be found at www.gordonglyn-jones.com

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Painting and the panties on display

| Along come the painting crew. This part is difficult for me, as I cannot move my belongings into a garage and hide my personals anywhere, so my life is now an open book for strangers

The Optimist

Karen de Villiers

Five years of living in this ‘apart-uh-ment’, it was time for a make-over. The doors and frames had yellowed to the shade of skeleton’s teeth and the walls, just plain embarrassing. Faded white, tinged with a frame of mould for desired effect. Excitement of a

freshly painted place knew no bounds.

The problem however, comes in the logistics of such an escapade.

Tragically coinciding with my son’s end of term return from a student digs, pride turned to Chinese laundry scenario. The boy does not do his washing, but collects months of dirty clothes as a present for his mother, which explains the hundred odd T-shirts.

Pretty soon there were wet clothes covering every surface; the dining room table, book shelves… you get the picture.

Along come the painting crew.

This part is difficult for me, as I cannot move my belongings into a garage and hide my personals

anywhere, so my life is an open book for strangers. Awkwardly we slide past each other and try to avoid eye contact – I am sure they are judging every little scratch and mark as my failure to run a clean household. But bless ‘em, they say nothing (the fact that they speak no English may contribute to this) and get down to removing curtain rails.

I cannot leave as I have to work, but I cannot work as there is no space to do so, so I decide instead to do another load and tackle the packed bags darling has lugged home.

Grabbing a rucksack, I dare to dig into the unknown and discover two blackened bananas,

nicely squashed at the bottom.

Retrieving a greasy, stained banana infused T-shirt, I mumble my disgust at the contents and hurl the clothes into the machine.

The bananas are tossed into the garbage. A visor jacket is next, possibly a left over from a party, and into the bin it goes. It was only when I started pulling out some tools and the odd paintbrush, that it dawned on me.

I was washing and cursing one of the painters’ stuff. The victim was easy to spot, he with the wide eyes and expression of ‘what the hell is this crazy women doing with my things?’.

The ‘save’ came in the form of a high pitched giggle, rolling eyes

and a quick retreat to Starbucks to wait out the rest of the day before slinking home.

Not enough to have the underwear drying on the radiator (where else can I hang them, on the television?)

I sigh to find them gone. It was only come bedtime that I found another pair of panties, neatly folded on my pillow, an oversight and possibly MIA under the bed.

Dignity zero. This did not start well and I have a week to avoid being at home.

PS. The size of the flat is such, that I am now on a perpetual ‘fume high’ and kept blaming it on the wine until someone remarked, ‘you stink of paint’.

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South African winemakers bring out the flavours of Surrey Hills | Sibylla and Bruce Tindale bring out the flavours of the English countryside at the launch of their 2009 vintage sparkling wines with a ‘Sculpture in the Vineyards’ exhibition displaying the works of noted Surrey Hills artists By sandi thompson Capetonians, Bruce and Sibylla Tindale, last week marked the launch of their 2009 vintage High Clandon Cuvées with a ‘Sculpture in the Vineyards’ exhibition displaying the works of noted Surrey Hills artists.

Situated high in the Surrey Hills, boasting stunning vistas, High Clandon Vineyard is most noted for consummate English sparkling wine.

High Clandon Wine launch After a day of heavy rain, hail and menacing storm clouds in the South East, the weather cleared just in time for the arrival of some 340 guests to the Tindales’ idyllic vineyard home. With the evening sun illuminating views of London’s West End far in the distance, the gardens of High Clandon were alive with visitors.

High Clandon’s sparkling wine in hand, guests explored the exhibition of sculpture and art positioned all over the sloping garden beside the vine – enjoying some of the distinctly homegrown flavours of the Surrey Hills.

In winemaking terms the concept of ‘terroir’ refers to the combination of factors, including soil, climate, and environment, which gives a wine its distinctive character or flavour.

The Tindale’s ‘Sculptures in the Vineyard’ event seemed to possess the distinctive ‘terroir’ of the Surrey Hills area. From the art which reflected the English countryside, to the guests from the local villages, the ‘bangers & mash’ and ‘steak & chips’ cuisine and most importantly to the sparkling wine, Bruce and Sibylla justly celebrated their adopted ‘terroir’ in South East England.

The hillside launch for their 2009 vintage ‘Ultra Cuvée’ and ‘Succession Cuvee’ was characterised by a real sense of the celebration of local excellence. Amid much ‘wine jargon’ one guest was heard to say, the “Ultra Cuvée flutters over the tongue like a butterfly!” For those with a less sophisticated palate, it was clear that in the same spirit that Bruce and Sibylla have tended their vineyards, they have nurtured this community spirit over their 35 years in England.

Like their 2008 vintage Cuvée, which received high accolades when it was released last year, this year’s sparkling wines received praise from English wine critic Richard Hemming at JancisRobinson.com. He describes the Ultra Cuvée as “Quite light on the nose, but really lovely on the palate so flavoursome, and the green apple fruit is beautifully defined.”

The Succession Cuvée was given a rating of 17.5 out 20 and described as “much riper than the Ultra Cuvée…tempered by extra sweetness. This is probably more conventionally appealing,” said Hemming.

The works of twelve Surrey artists, including Carol Orwin, who was recently commissioned to do two tiger sculptures for the ZSL London Zoo, and Nikki Taylor, who created full-size sculptures of Olympic Sprinter Jason Gardener MBE and pieces for the Chelsea Flower Show, are on display in the beautiful gardens of High Clandon.

“We do this to support Surrey Hills artists,” explained Bruce Tindale.

This is the first year that the launch of their Cuvées has been marked with an art and sculpture exhibition. “It has been so successful, we plan to do this every year,” said Sibylla Tindale, enjoying the appreciation of her multitude of guests.

English Quality Sparkling Wines win more international awards than French champagne and according to Borough Market, English sparkling wines, not to be confused with ‘British sparkling wines’, “are now ‘outChampagning’ the French.”

The South African couple, who have made Surrey their home, bring with them the warmth and hospitality of the South African winelands. Though they have embraced the ‘terroir’ of their corner of England, their charm and South African sense of humour was evident when, after an impassioned introduction, Bruce ceremoniously marked the occasion by popping the cork with a sabre.

Contact Sibylla email finewine@ highclandon.co.uk for wine orders.

| Photo by Stefan Hurter

8

| 17 - 24 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

Community

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| Photo by Stefan Hurter

Red Riding Hood is now also the Wolf!

| To deflect attention from the rumours that Tannie Evita is responsible for spending R246m on curtains for MaKhumalo Zuma’s tuck shop, she has been redeployed to Parliament, along with the leader of the EFF, who has introduced his presence to the National Assembly like a crimson gash of lipstick on an old nun’s crumbling facade

By Pieter-Dirk Uys The scandals around Nkandla will just not go away. ANC member Evita Bezuidenhout is also under suspicion.

To deflect attention from the rumours swirling through the corridors of Luthuli House that Tannie Evita singlehandedly is responsible for spending R246m on curtains for MaKhumalo

Mandela Remembered Gala Dinner 18th July 2014

The Roundhouse, Camden, London, NW1

Join us for a very special celebration of the life & legacy of a global icon The Blue Sky Village gala dinner will commemorate the life and legacy of a 20th-century Hero on his birthdate. The dinner will be hosted by TV Star June Sarpong with performances from special guests including Heather Small, The Kenney Jones house band, the Body Guard star Alexandra Burke and other major names to be announced soon!

It will be a stellar evening of entertainment with finest South African cuisine and wines

For more info and tickets: niccareem@blueskyvillage.org /neil.sen@blueskyvillage.org All profits and proceeds from the charity auction will to go towards building the first Blue Sky Village in Africa

www.blueskyvillage.org

Zuma’s tuck shop, she has been redeployed to Cape Town’s Fifth Parliament to keep a motherly eye on the antics of the new kindergarten.

Parliament was once all white.

Then it became an imbalance of white, black and brown. Now comes die rooi gevaar!

The most famous white woman in South Africa and former Ambassador to the Homeland of Bapetikosweti is here seen stranded in a red sea of expectation with some of the members of the Economic Freedom Fighters.

On her lap sits their leader who six months ago couldn’t rub two cabbages together and yet now has introduced his red presence to the National Assembly like a crimson gash of lipstick on an old nun’s crumbling facade. Parliament will never be the same again. Stand-up comedy has arrived!

The picture proves that the EFF now also sports members who are not only white and mature, but bring with them political experience from former dangerous liaisons. On the left Dr Piet Promises who once knew how to confiscate land without compensation, sitting next to Comrade Botha who after many years in the NP ended up in a red beret via the ANC ‘because of foreign affairs that need investigating.’

To the right of Evita sits Muslim firebrand Fatima Petersen who

will make sure that the handed-out sausage rolls are strictly halal with EFF tee-shirts not imported from China. Next to her is Oom PW, happily back in Parliament after a lifetime in the political wilderness.

Behind them various other excited new MPs who cannot wait to give the ANC a two-thirds majority in exchange for the nationalisation of banks, mines and McDonalds, as well as regimechange in the Cape and Orania.

It is a year since Mrs Bezuidenhout joined the ANC. ‘Give cash and you’re in’, she recently admitted. People still find it hard to believe that the Gogo of the Nation is now a member of the ruling party.

| Soho Theatre

‘Yes,’ said a leading political pundit who wanted to remain nameless,‘It’s like seeing Chancellor Angela Merkel as a Greek bank manager!’

This ongoing saga will be part of EVITA’S NKANDLAKOSWETI set to open at the Market Theatre in October and move to Cape Town’s Baxter in November for those planning a holiday back home.

From 13th – 27th July 2014 Mrs Bezuidenhout will be joining a unique South African satirical cluster at the Soho Theatre for ‘An Audience with Pieter-Dirk Uys’.

Book on www.sohotheatre.com/ whats-on/an-audience-with-pieterdirk-uys/; www.pdu.co.za

thesouthafrican.com | 17 - 24 June 2014 |

9

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Prolific Robin Auld unplugged at Half Moon Putney | Singer-songwriter Robin Auld returns to London to play a solo acoustic gig at the Half Moon Putney

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Cape Town-based singersongwriter Robin Auld returns to the Half Moon Putney on Thursday 19th June 2014 for a solo acoustic gig.

Slide guitar, harmonica, African blues guitar stylings and soul vocals all feature in his fresh and vibrant roots sound.

Robin has released over twenty albums, with several top 20 hits in South Africa including a number one.

Born in Lusaka, Zambia to Scottish parents, Robin’s childhood was spent alternating between Southern Africa and Scotland; a journey reflected in the African and Celtic influences in his music. He learned to play the guitar by listening to Jimi Hendrix, Ry Cooder and Neil Young, also absorbing influences from the various guitarists of Southern Africa to make the contemporary mix of his music today.

He has performed and recorded in New York, London, Glasgow and Nashville, opening for and performing with acts such as Lloyd Cole, Angelique Kidjo, Michelle Shocked, Jackson Brown and Seasick Steve.

After a long stint in the UK, he is now back in Cape Town again, where he surfs and spends time with his family when not on the road.

He tours home and abroad both acoustic and with an electric trio.

Having released albums through majors and independents, he has released his last six albums through his own label, Free Lunch.

He is also the author of a book, Tight Lines, and a poetry/short story collection entitled Kelp.

Tickets for the Half Moon gig are £6 advance at www.musicglue. com or £8 at the door http://www.halfmoon.co.uk/ event/1132 www.robinauld.co.za

Cape He

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10

Travel

| 17 - 24 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)

“I get paid to travel the world” — | I chatted to award-winning South African travel writer Caroline Hurry about what it’s like being a full-time traveller, why we shouldn’t wait to be ‘chosen’ and what it’s like travelling the world as a day job?

By Dominique Valente It’s hard not to be a little envious of someone like Caroline Hurry, whose job, as an award-winning travel writer, means that she gets to travel around the world from one exotic destination to the other, unlike the rest of us mortals stuck behind our desks. The only trouble is, she’s just so darn nice.

She’s also worked really hard to get where she is. Mostly though, she lives her life in a way that resonates deeply with me, her theory is: don’t wait to be chosen.

Choose yourself … find that thing you love and get on with it.

What’s your best part of being a travel writer?

Being upgraded to Business and occasionally (Yessss!) First Class on long-haul flights.

What’s your worst?

Flying long distance Economy Class. Gah! You’re married. Does your husband travel with you?

My husband works around the world, the main reason I visit so many remote places. He’s also great at taking pictures, negotiating airports, and – unlike me – driving on either side of the road in hired cars, so he’s good to have on trips.

You seem to live a dream life, travelling the world at a moment’s notice, not being stuck behind a desk. Is it as glam as we imagine?

Is anything as “glam” as we imagine? I’d be lying if I said it was

all champagne and gondolier rides.

It can be hard work too. Articles and angles don’t just leap at you shouting: Boo! On the other hand, it’s creative and I believe we all manifest whatever we focus on. It’s about perspective.

inimitable style. And label your images please. Editors are not mind readers.

What’s a typical week/month like in your life?

Every week is different, depending on where I am.

You run one of the most successful travel blogs in SA, tell us about it?

There’s never been a better time for writers to express themselves.

Social media and blogging have changed the face of journalism.

Twitter too, is an invaluable tool for writers. The beauty is that we can create whatever we like in terms of websites or blogs. We can speak from the heart and connect with similar minds. About two years ago I provided a platform for fellow scribes to showcase destinations without having to kowtow to advertisers or PRs. Since then Travelwrite keeps gathering momentum with readers from Russia to Canada.

How did you become a travel writer?

I had explored several journalistic beats from courts to crime and thought travel would bring more rewards. It really did! It was thanks to a Bang&Olufsen press trip in 1998 that I met my husband, Peter Berg-Munch, flying from Copenhagen to Johannesburg, for example. How did I get started?

Simply submitting stories to travel editors. Then I couldn’t afford to go anywhere so I submitted pieces on Johannesburg’s older suburbs like Yeoville (where Herman Charles Bosman shot his brother-in-law) and Orange Grove (once home to groves of oranges). The editor ran my suburb pieces as a weekly series – and I just kept going.

What’s your advice for wannabe travel writers?

If you want to be one of the chosen, choose yourself. Stop waiting for someone to hire you, fire you, publish you, or give you permission to express yourself. Just get on with it. Start wherever you are. When formulating a piece, talk

to locals, home in on sensory details – smell, touch, memories – take notes, ask questions, be specific and interpret the landscape by adding historical or political perspectives.

Stop with the “best kept secret” and “unspoilt gem” clichés. Why does every lodge “nestle” in a valley or “perch” vulture-like on a mountain peak with “breathtaking views” as “time stands still”? Go for something more original.

Avoid adverbs (words that end in “y” mostly) and choose the perfect verb instead. End with a punch or at least capture the point of the story.

Read, rinse, repeat. What makes your own favourite travel writers so readable?

Emulate them in your own

Are there still places you’re dying to visit – or have you been there already?

I’ve been to most places I was curious to see and many I wasn’t.

I’ve explored remote parts of China, flown over an active volcano, and scrutinised the ring of Saturn from the Atacama Desert, home to ALMA, the world’s most powerful observatory. I’ve worn a burka in Doha, slept in tree houses from the Kruger Park to Sweden, floated in the Dead Sea and learnt Italian cooking in Tuscany.

Every journey changes you.

Even when you return to the same place, there will always be subtle differences. That’s the magic of travel. These days, unless I’m on a cruise – the best way to explore foreign ports, I’ve discovered – the more I travel, the more I love coming home …

What is your favourite place in the world?

Anywhere I can indulge myself to the nth degree – and South Africa, of course – oos, wes, tuis bes …

When you go on vacation where do you go?

Every year we visit our respective families in Copenhagen and Cape Town.

Would you describe yourself as a tourist or a traveller?

Hmmm. I’m a traveller journeying through life, rather than a tourist, which smacks of guidebooks and

11

thesouthafrican.com | 17 - 24 June 2014 |

Travel

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Doha

The Dead Sea

Caroline Hurry has the best job ever boxes to tick. Then again, the traveller’s insistence on “local flavour” and “authenticity” is soo over-rated. Give me plumbing excellence – a hot shower and flushing lavatory at the very least – a strong morning espresso, a firm mattress, crisp bed linen and attentive room service, any day.

That would make me more of a tourist, then. Oh, I don’t know!

Are you an expert packer?

Every time I go somewhere I aim to take fewer clothes than the time before. It’s very satisfying. The key is to mix and match pieces that all

Amagertorv in Copenhagen

Oos, Wes, Tuis Bes: Caroline Hurry loves Cape Town

work together. If I can wear the same garment three different ways, it gets the nod. Artfully creased, reversible garments are also good.

Less is always more.

Any travelling advice?

• Aim to travel on someone else’s dime… (well, it’s worked for me) • Don’t assume the local water is safe to drink.

• Never exchange money on the black market in China. You will be ripped off.

• Join a twitter chat group so you can “meet” other like-minded travellers who can provide good advice.

• Dream luxuriously and start surprising yourself.

• Armchair travel is an excellent start • Always have a notebook and camera, or your smart phone!

• If you’re a fussy eater like me, use Google translate to make your “gluten-free and No GMO” requests better understood in a foreign country. (Um, good luck with that!)

For amazing travel reviews from top travel writers in the country that really tell it like visittravelwrite. co.za/ You can also follow her on twitter @Travelwrite1

12

Business: Classifieds SERVICES

| 17 - 24 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

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thesouthafrican.com | 17 - 24 June 2014 |

Business

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Poor growth prospects and rising public debt for the Rand | Last week FITCH revised their outlook on South Africa’s economy from Stable to Negative, with Standard & Poor’s announcement following suit by 1st contact

Small South African business causes big stir in coffee market

| With an idea to take on the multi-nationals with a coffee-capsule concept, Peter Grainger and Brent Hadfield are the Jack and the Beanstalks of the business world. Their little coffee capsules, which are manufactured to be compatible with Nespresso machines, have proved a skyrocketing success story and CaféPod capsules are now in major supermarkets. We caught up with one half the tenacious team to find out their secret

By Belinda Liversedge Above a Putney pizza restaurant two South Africans are steadily taking on the consumer giants. Not only has their business, CaféPod, announced a deal with Tesco to stock their coffee capsules in 650 stores, but last week they launched in Selfridges too. With stiff competition in the multi-million pound coffee capsule market from big players, Peter Grainger and Brent Hadfield’s achievement is undoubtedly impressive.

The South African caught up with Peter to find out more about their business journey and why coffee caught their imagination.

How did the idea for CaféPod start?

After the hedge fund business [Brent and Peter quit jobs at a hedge fund company to start the business] I went travelling. On the last leg I was in South Africa and I saw someone selling capsules there.

It’s a very small market in South Africa, but I thought it was worth investigating for London. Brent was the exact target market and he saw it working. People who have coffee machines always talk about how they struggle to get hold of the capsules. They make the consumer reach [Nespresso sells capsules online or through designated shops only] which works to a degree but then they get frustrated.

They’re thinking “I’m doing all my shopping in Waitrose, I just want to get my coffee there as well.”

You’ve achieved phenomenal success over the past three years, expanding from a two-man to a nine-man team today. How tough has it been?

A business is nothing more than a collection of people pushing for the same thing. We’ve done this because we have a passion for it. We still pinch ourselves we’re employing nine people, and growing. We’re working long hours, but you know it’s all there for you

and there’s a satisfaction when it all comes together. If you love what do doesn’t feel like work, because you are building something for yourself.

People think starting a business is glamorous – entrepreneurs have become the new rock star, but it’s 1% glamour and 99 % blood, sweat, tears and list ticking…! In the beginning because we didn’t know much, we had a lot of false starts – we took months hunting for a coffee supplier and were really excited with our final choice. The senior board turned around one day and said it was not for us. That sent us back to square one. But from bad things sometimes good things happen and through that process we found our current supplier and they’ve been fantastic. But at the time we thought this was the biggest disaster in the world.

The coffee-pod machine market has almost doubled in the past year (Britons spent £56.1m on them between 2012 and 2013, an increase of 45.1% year on year). What’s behind the boom?

People are drinking better coffee from the high street, so when they get home and they’re drinking instant, they’re not prepared to tolerate that anymore. Capsules deliver consistency and gives a good coffee equivalent to what you get on the high street, at a fraction of the cost.

In Britain we’ve gone from the days when an instant mug of Nescafe was the height of luxury to the explosion of Starbucks and their like on the high street. How does CaféPod fit into that story?

It’s part of a growing education and curiosity for coffee – people want to drink better coffee at home, based on their experiences on the high street. Also, for the last 150 years, convenience has driven innovation. Even a tin of baked beans was considered convenience at some point. It’s the same thing with microwaves and toasters

instead of using the oven. The capsule market has really come about because of the ever evolving move towards convenience as well as the demand for good coffee at home without necessarily needing the barista skills to make it.

Thanks for the coffee samples [The South African was generously given a big bag of tasty looking samples]. The descriptions are really interesting (‘dark, intense chocolate and a soft hint of passion fruit’ on one packet). What’s the strategy here?

Coffee is a bit like wine, people might not necessarily have as much knowledge as they’d like, to differentiate say between a Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. They know there’s a difference, but they look to the brand and packaging to assist them in making an informed decision. Some people say, “I like strong coffee and I need that to start my day.” Others like certain characteristics – chocolatey or nutty notes, so we’ve tried to incorporate that in how we communicate with our customers through our packaging.

Kraft and Sara Lee are big brands that have brought out capsules to compete with Nespresso. Is it surprising that a small, independent company is competing with these big corporations?

Coffee is unique in that there’s a risk to trying something different.

You don’t want to mess with people’s coffee! It’s part of their ritual.

Conversion is our biggest challenge – most people don’t know there are other capsules you can use. Most people have been buying them for so long in the same way, it’s habitual – why would you do anything else. It’s our challenge to say there’s this other company that sells great coffee and you can just buy it when you walk into the shop. We’re doing it with the PR, advertising and so on, but you still need people to walk down that aisle.

Fitch’s rating now stands at BBB, citing concerns about poor growth prospects and rising public debt.

Even bigger news out last week was AMCU accepting the latest offering by the platinum producers - “in principle”.

Last Thursday, the Rand strengthened against the Dollar after two consecutive days of weakness, closing at USDZAR10.67. The Dollar weakened against the Euro, Pound and Yen, with the biggest move seen against the Pound (0.8%). The Rand strengthened against the Dollar, Euro and Yen, weakening against the Pound.

On Friday morning, support for

the Rand sat at 10.5800, 10.5200 and 10.4800; resistance levels sat at 10.7550, 10.8200, 10.9100 and 10.9600.

Turning to commodity prices, Brent and gold rose by 2.8% and 1.0%, respectively. Platinum and copper meanwhile fell by 2.6% and 1.1%, respectively.

Non-residents were mild net buyers of local equities (ZAR124 million) and net buyers of local bonds (ZAR313 million).

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Use a registered immigration consultant

| In recent cases, South Africans who applied for British citizenship were threatened with deportation,because they did not provide evidence of their English language ability

by JP breytenbach Unfortunately, the immigration consultants at BIC hear many similar heartbreaking stories on a daily basis.

From applicants omitting basic information on application forms, late submission of applications leading to permanent bans, and seemingly innocent mistakes on application forms – the resulting effects of these can end up in heartbreaking situations, with families torn apart and even persons trying to commit suicide.

The difficulties people encounter and the ones cited are all specific examples of the same general theme. Applicants do not appreciate that the UK Home Office require you not only to have something but to prove it in a very specific way, and this is where they come unstuck because they have provided evidence which does prove the fact, but not the way specified by the Home Office.

Examples are proving the English language, meeting the financial requirements etc. When using third party funds for Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) the bank must state the funds are disposable in the UK, even if they are in a UK bank account and therefore already here!

The problem is compounded by the inability to rely on further evidence under the points based immigration applications. It is also important to note that under the new administrative review, the Home Office will NOT consider evidence that was not part of the initial application. And the case

of Rodriguez says the UK Home Office are under no duty to request these documents outside of the evidential flexibility within the rules.

Furthermore, the new Immigration Act has the effect that the vast majority of visa applications will no longer attract the right of appeal to an independent Immigration Judge.

Instead, those applicants receiving a refusal will be entitled to have UK Visas and Immigration conduct an internal administrative review of the decision only.

One would really have to ask oneself whether it is really worth facing all the possible risks, without the help of a professional in the field. It is essential that every visa application is planned and checked thoroughly by a person with the necessary expertise and experience in the field of immigration, as even a seemingly irrelevant or incorrect detail or omission on a visa application can lead to a visa being turned down, or worse. BIC strongly advise that prospective applicants take the utmost care to ensure they are making use of reputable immigration firms or consultants, in order to save themselves a lot of heartache.

Contact us on www.bicimmigration.com or info@bicimmigration.com

14

| 17 - 24 June 2014 | thesouthafrican.com

Sport

Follow us on Twitter: @TheSAnews

Team SA for Commonwealth Games announced

| South Africa’s Commonwealth Games team boasts a rich spread of both Olympic and Commonwealth Games experience as well as stars of the future. The swimming squad includes Roland Schoeman, a veteran of four Olympic Games, as well as 2012 Olympic gold medallists Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos By staff reporter South Africa’s team to take on the world at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland was announced at Olympic House on Wednesday morning.

An initial squad of 155 of the country’s finest athletes has been named, spread over 15 codes, from aquatics to wrestling.

With the men’s and women’s hockey teams currently still doing battle at the World Cup in the Netherlands, the names for this code will be named on completion of that event.

Sporting codes that Team South Africa will contest at the Games (from 23rd July to 3rd August 2014) are the following: aquatics (including para-swimming), athletics (including para-athletics), badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, para-powerlifting, rugby sevens, shooting, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling.

Announcing the squad SASCOC President Gideon Sam said, “Today is yet another exciting day in the ongoing story of South African sport. Our athletes from around the country have responded magnificently to our strict criteria if we look at the size of this team.

“The majority of the team are within the top five rankings of the Commonwealth and that is very reassuring for us, because it gives us the confidence to look forward to a really good team at the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, come 2016. We are also accommodating some promising juniors in the team as we believe that they will be ready to fight for a place in the Olympic team.

“Hopefully, this will put an end to the often nasty debates around

Chad le Clos at the London Olympics

criteria for teams representing our country. Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula always talks about rewarding excellence and not mediocrity and we have been guided by him in this regard. We simply can’t afford to take any socalled ‘joyriders’ to multi-coded sport competitions.

“Glasgow is going to be tough but also great fun. Our athletes will gain tremendously from these Games and judging by the teams already announced by Australia and Canada, it won’t be a walk in the park for any one country. Our team is well balanced and if the coaches have put in the necessary hard work, we should once again be in the top group of medal winners, just as we have done at previous Games.”

At the last Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India four years ago, Team South Africa won

33 medals to end joint fifth on the medals table with 12 gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals.

SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy also wished the team well. “This team is extremely well balanced. This is a team of established stars with proven medal-winning potential, but at the same time bearing in mind that we have to blood some of our future stars on the international scene. I have no doubt that this team is capable of matching if not improving on our medal return four years ago in India.”

The team boasts a rich spread of both Olympic and Commonwealth Games experience as well as stars of the future. The swimming squad includes Roland Schoeman, a veteran of four Olympic Games.

The line-up also includes 2012 Olympic gold medallists Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos.

Some swimmers like, Myles

Brown and Marne Erasmus are products of the SA team at Zone VI Games as far back as 2010.

Track and field includes 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games 400-metres hurdles medallist LJ van Zyl and sprinter Simon Magakwe, who earlier this year set a South African 100m record of 9.98 seconds. Paralympian medallist Fanie van der Merwe is also in the team.

Badminton includes 2012 Olympians as well as some upcoming players currently on tour in Nigeria and Mauritius in a bid to boost their world ranking.

London Olympians Ayabonga Sonjica and Siphiwe Lusizi are in the boxing squad that also includes 2011 All Africa Games contestant and recent Zone IV champion Paul Schafer.

Cycling has London Olympian Ashleigh Moolman Pasio,

currently racing in Europe, and Lise Olivier (2011 All Africa Games time trial winner) as well as London Olympian track ace Bernard Esterhuizen and 2012 World Championships silver medallist Nolan Hoffman.

Gymnastics includes former Commonwealth Youth Games competitor Kirsten Beckett, who was one of the baton-bearers at the Queen’s Baton Relay in South Africa earlier this year.

Jacques van Zyl, part of Team SA at the London Olympics is included in the judo squad, as is rising star Siyabulela Mabulu.

The coach in this sport is Vintcent Redpath who was at the recent African Youth Games in Botswana, serving in atechnical capacity.

Lawn bowls includes a number of medal winners from the previous Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India and it is expected that this code will once again win medals for Team South Africa.

The netball team is also a mix of experience and youth with at least one player, Melissa Myburgh, having represented South Africa at the 2010 Zone VI Games and having now made the step up to the highest level.

Rugby sevens has brought back medals from the last two Commonwealth Games and with this code now part of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, the Glasgow Games are an important part of preparation.

In the weightlifting code, Mona Pretorius was part of Team SA at the last Commonwealth Games but injured herself in the warm-up.

Team SA will enter a holding camp in Johannesburg on 14 July and leave for the Games on 16 July.

Saracens to play Blue Bulls and Western Province in London | Saracens will play DHL Western Province on Sunday 9th November 2014 and the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Saturday 31st January 2015 By staff reporter After beating the Sharks earlier this year, Saracens have announced two further fixtures against South African sides at Allianz Park stadium next season.

The team will play DHL Western Province on Sunday 9 November 2014 and the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Saturday 31st January 2015.

The Premiership league winners defeated the Cell C Sharks 23-15 in January, and will be aiming to maintain their 100% record against top South African opposition.

Mark McCall, Saracens Director of Rugby, said, “Our players

greatly enjoyed the game against the Sharks in January; these matches against top southern hemisphere opposition are becoming part of our annual calendar. It will be a great thrill for our players and supporters to welcome two of South Africa’s leading teams to Allianz Park.”

Gert Smal, Western Province Director of Rugby, said: “To play Saracens in London will be a great experience for our players and coaches and, while some of our players will be involved in the Springbok tour to Europe, we will field our strongest possible team at

Allianz Park.”

The Blue Bulls will field a full strength side against Saracens.

Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said: “Saracens are closely followed and well supported throughout South Africa. They have been performing really well in the Premiership and the European Cup, and might easily have won both competitions last month. We look forward to a great game on the artificial turf at Allianz Park.”

Tickets are available online at www.saracens.com

15

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Spring Finals time with In2Touch

| As the saying goes – time flies when you’re having fun. And don’t we know it, because it’s Spring Finals time already. by in2touch After 7 gruelling weeks of sweating it out – it’s all come down to this one last game.

That’s right – FINALS WEEK! Across our fine capital this week, 4 of our 7 venues will see their teams battle it out to be crowned Spring league champions.

Clapham Common, Clapham/ Wandsworth Common, Putney/ Wandsworth and Regents Park will be adorned by O2Touch players with touch skillsets on show.

Richmond, Hyde Park and Surrey Quays will all have finals next week.

Will the victors from last year’s league maintain the title, or will they lose the crown to a new team in town? No matter what the outcome, this week is set to see some fantastic touch games on show. With all teams making massive progress throughout the season, they have all come so far in such a short time.

For those teams not in the final,

no worries. It doesn’t mean the fun is over. Each season, we have a dress up theme for all teams not in the grand finals… and this season is no exception.

From tonight, the parks and pitches throughout London will be teamed with players dressed as “FOOTBALL WORLD CUP SUPPORTERS” (a fitting theme after this is also sweeping the nation).

But through all this action – don’t forget that Summer Season is just around the corner!

It’s not too late to enter, but make sure to do so ASAP, as spaces are filling up quickly.

Mixed), Tuesday (Mens & Mixed), Wednesday (Mens & Mixed), Thursday (Mens & Mixed) Starting June 23rd 2014 Richmond – Wednesday (Mixed) Starting the week of July 7th 2014 Surrey Quays – Wednesday (Mens & Mixed) Starting the week

(Mens & Mixed) Starting the week of June 30th 2014 Putney/Wandsworth – Tuesday (Mens & MixedThursday Social Mixed and Thursday Super League (Mens, Mixed & Ladies) Starting the week of June 30th 2014 Regents Park – Monday (Mens &

of July 7th 2014 Hyde Park – Wednesday (Mixed) Starting the week of July 7th 2014 Entry is open to both individuals and teams – simply call 020 8542 0827, email London@in2touch. com or go to www.in2touch.com/uk for more info.

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17 - 24 JUNE 2014

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Willie and co sink Wales | Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer applauded the impact of Willie le Roux after the Boks defeated Wales 38-16 in the first of two tests in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.

“Willie is probably the best fullback in the world at the moment,” Meyer said

By Gavin Rich Those who were part of a disappointingly small Growthpoint Kings Park crowd for the Springboks’ first test match of 2014 will remember this 38-16 win over Wales as the Willie le Roux show.

No-one would blame Le Roux if he spent many hours in his down time watching a recording of this Durban match again and again.

It was a day where everything he touched turned to gold as he again confirmed that as a fullback he has grown immeasurably in the past year. This time 12 months ago Le Roux, then regarded as a utility back playing mostly on the wing for the Cheetahs, was considered an experimental selection when he played his first test against Italy.

But there is nothing experimental about the 2014 vintage Le Roux, and it would be fair to say that his performance was so sublime and dominating that he had already clinched the man of the match award by half time.

The Cheetahs star caught every high ball that came his way and hardly let the ball touch the ground when it came anywhere near him, but more than that was the role he played in the great tries that quickly buried any pretence from the Welsh that this was a game where they might break their long losing sequence on South African soil.

It started with Le Roux’s kick over the Welsh defence in the sixth minute that Bryan Habana ran onto for the first of the wing’s two tries.

The Boks, who were able to get the ball back from the recycles much quicker in this game than last week against the World XV, created the overlap by moving the ball quickly to the left, and with Habana

Jonathan Davies of Wales with a tackle on Willie le Roux of South Africa during the Incoming Tour match between South Africa and Wales at Growthpoint Kings Park on June 14, 2014 in Durban, South Africa.

(Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

on his outside, Le Roux kicked into the vacant space and Habana dotted down just before the dead ball line.

That was after the Welsh had started impressively, with some good driving play from the forwards and sharp running winning them the field position from which flyhalf Dan Biggar was able to kick the drop-goal that gave Wales a 3-0 lead after as many minutes.

But if that early attack from Wales had been seen as an ominous warning, it was to prove a false alarm.

Once the Boks had crossed

for that Habana try they became consummately controlled and dominant, effectively shutting the Welsh out of the game.

It was the quintessential Heyneke Meyer and proved there is nothing wrong with the coach’s strategy when his game is perfected.

So that first of two drop-goals from Biggar was the last time the Wales led in the match. Although two of the first three tries came while Welsh kingpin centre Jamie Roberts was off the field after being sin-binned for challenging Le Roux in the air in the 12th minute, you got the sense that the Boks were already

well on their way by then.

Le Roux featured in four of the five tries the Boks scored, one of them scored by himself just before halftime, by which point the Boks were so in control that they led 28-9 after a quite brilliant 40 minutes that had featured four converted tries against the two drops and a penalty from Biggar.

The only try Le Roux didn’t feature in before the break was scored by No 8 Duane Vermeulen, who drove over as the first receiver in the 15th minute as the Boks built up off an attacking lineout set up by a penalty.

That made it 14-3 and there was just the interjection of the one Biggar drop-goal before Le Roux was in the act again, this time setting up a Habana try. Then came Le Roux’s own try and after the break it was the other wing Cornal Hendricks’s turn to profit from Le Roux’s playmaking abilities.

While the backs, and particularly Le Roux, shone under the Kings Park lights, it was the forwards who paved the way for this big win.

Gurthro Steenkamp, playing in his 50th game, never let Meyer down for his decision to give the loosehead a start this week, and his powerful scrumming in the early stages had a devastating effect on a Welsh front-row who must have wondered how the Boks were so good in this phase when they were so poor there seven days earlier.

All the forwards were impressive, with Vermeulen probably the stand-out, and together the big men ensured that the Welsh were never in the game.

It was a great start to the test season for the Boks, who provided the lift in intensity that was called for after last week.

Some may be disappointed that they didn’t push on from their commanding 28-9 lead at the halfway point and they were sloppy at times in the second half, but apart from a breakaway try from George North, the Welsh never really threatened.

It’s they who have the work to do now as this portion of the South African international season heads to Nelspruit.

The Springboks and Wales will play the second of their Tests in the Castle Lager Incoming Series at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.

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