Top coach for KC rugby fest

By Sarah Kingon

The nineth annual Independent schools festival got under way yesterday at Kingswood. The festival kicks off to the rugby season on a non-competitive note as the festival will have no eventual winner.

“It’s not competitive because it’s early in the season and coaches are still trying to pick teams and try out new combinations,” said Coordinator Matthew Ridgeway. “There is always good spirit amongst the kids and positive engagement,” he added.

The festival began in 2005 at Michaelhouse in the Midlands and has always been hosted during the Easter weekend as most schools are on holiday and it gives parents the opportunity to come and support their children in their first fixture of the season.

This is the first year Kingswood is hosting the festival and they will be hosting it again next year. They are proud to welcome Guildford Rugby Club from the United Kingdom and St George’s College from Zimbabwe this year as well as a number of other South African teams.

“We try to accommodate teams that don’t usually get the opportunity to play against each other,” said Ridgeway. Teams are matched strategically so that there will be no runaway scores and each game is a fair one.

“There were few tournaments for the U15’s and I think the original conception was that this would be a festival for the ‘seniors of the juniors’- the U15’s,” said Kingswood College U15 Coach Peter Serfontein.

The festival runs from 15-19 April, but teams will take a break on Easter Friday to observe the religious holiday. Each game is only 25 minutes, allowing teams to play two matches per day and six matches, with a diversity of teams, over the weekend period.

Kingswood is excited to be hosting Former All Blacks Coach John Mitchell. He will be addressing teams today over a breakfast as well as spending time with each team before they play.

Kingswood and St Andrews are the only Grahamstown schools which will be participating in the festival. Kingswood began play yesterday losing 7-0 to St Davids and then winning against Penryn College 26-0 in their second match.

Published in Grocott’s Mail on 17 April 2014.

A far-sighted move

By Sarah Kingon

While the wheels of South Africa’s decades-old copyright laws slowly turn, an intellectual property rights group has ensured that Visually Impaired People (VIPs) have thousands of titles to read.

The Accessible Book Consortium, an umbrella body of the World Intellectual Property Association, has established an international catalogue of accessible reading material which allows libraries for the blind to share up to 300 000 titles.

This follows the signing of a treaty in Marrakesh, Morocco, to bring an end to what has come to be known as “book apartheid.”

The treaty meant that it would become mandatory for countries to initiate a standard set of limitations and exceptions to copyright rules for formats designed for VIPs, and allow for exchange of those formats across borders.

An SA delegation accepted the treaty, but nothing has changed since then.

Francois Hendrikz, director at the South African Library for the Blind, said the treaty will take years to be ratified and introduced into South African legislation.

“There is a political and legal process that needs to be followed and this process is now delayed due to the upcoming elections,” said Hendrikz.

Currently, only 5% of all reading material in South Africa is available to visually impaired people due to limitations in copyright laws.

This means that this already marginalised group has fewer educational, employment and entertainment opportunities.

According to Hendriks, the existing copyright legislation in South Africa has not been revised in the last 30 years.

When the copyright law is eventually altered, it won’t only be the Visually Impaired who will be jumping on the bandwagon, resulting in the change taking even longer to be implemented.

“We can’t wait for the legal processes to come through before we see change. This catalogue allows titles from around the world to be made available for download within a few hours instead of waiting for months for print,” said Hendriks.
There is no quality control and production process as part of this exchange.

“Instead, the library fine-tunes the process themselves, meaning no extra time delays or costs incurred to the person requesting a book,” he said.

This year, the South African Library for the Blind celebrates its 95th year of servicing one of the country’s most under resourced groups.

“Sighted people aren’t aware of the library and the fact that it is also a publisher,” said Hendrikz.

To raise awareness this year artwork of VIPs from all over South Africa will be exhibited at the National Arts Festival.

The library is currently appealing to people within their networks of 5000 members to share their artwork for the display themed ‘The place where I live.’

Published in Grocott’s Mail on 20 March 2014. 

Classy, safe and comfy

By Sarah Kingon

Last week Toyota launched its 11th generation Corolla in South Africa. It’s still one of the best cars for a businessperson with a family, although not without strong competitors. An easy clutch and smooth ride is combined with a classy finish and safety features that ensure this model concurs with this trusted quality brand that South Africans have come to rely on.

It fared well when tasked with the job of driving through some of Grahamstown’s most potholed streets in wet weather- even with a blonde behind the wheel. It’s a quiet and comfortable drive is perhaps less suited to a single person desiring to hear the roar of the engine on the open road.

The turning circle ensures that the length of the car doesn’t stand in the way of squeezing into a small parking space – an asset for those of us who still fear parallel parking. This model is manufactured locally, meaning that finding spares shouldn’t be a hassle.
It comes in a large variety of models ranging from the 1.3 Esteem priced at R214 900 to the 1.8 Exclusive Multidrive S (Automatic) at R289 000, as well as a 1.4 diesel option from R237 900.

The entry level 1.3 Esteem boasts a fuel economy of 6 litres per 100km – add a litre to this and you should get the real economy. But the real winner on fuel is the diesel, boasting 4.5 litres per 100 kms- impressive when thinking of the price hikes at the pumps.

The Corolla has been refined and enhanced over the last 47 years to create a more prestigious, stylish sedan. But what makes this one better than the previous generation? The new aggressive but sophisticated look combines neat finishes and a more spacious interior, giving the car a slight edge on its predecessors. While the older models were only slightly smaller, this one offers more room in the back seat for your long-legged son and a better designed boot to make room for that long holiday you’ve been saving up for.

There is no doubt this car is built for family. The on-board touchscreen computer, available on the prestige and excusive models, includes AM/FM radio, CD/DVD player, MP3 player, USB port and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity. The Bluetooth device allows you to safely talk and play music from your mobile phone as you drive.

It’s fitted with numerous airbags, which have the option of being switched off individually if some of the seats aren’t occupied.
For those concerned with their children’s safety, the Corolla features a child restraint system, which allows you to attach your child’s car seat to the structure of the vehicle instead of resting on the seat itself and relying so heavily on the safety belt for security.

All models include an immobiliser and alarm system with a nifty retractable key that ensures that it’s impossible stab yourself while reaching for the keys in your handbag.

The Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) guarantees minimised stopping distances by shifting the braking pressure to wheels with the most grip, keeping the car more balanced and stable when braking as well as the standard Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) which comes with most other cars in its range.

While it comes in a variety of colours, I would recommend the trendy Avant-Garde Bronze Metallic for the style-conscious. Other options include specialised varieties of blue, silver, white and black.

While the starting price of this vehicle might be a shocker for those who bought the earlier Corolla models, the Quest model, which is yet to be released in South Africa, is made on the old Corolla base with a similar look to the 2007 model with a few touch ups. This may be the better option for those looking for the trusted Toyota quality with a cheaper price tag.

Competitors include the Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Cerato and VW Jetta. These vehicles all have higher entry level pricing but similar features and purposes. The choice is tough.

But Corolla’s trusted reputation, resale value and 5-year service plan gives it the edge.

Published in Grocott’s Mail on 20 March 2014.

 

A vibrant democracy

By Sarah Kingon and Kristen Birch

With the upcoming elections just weeks away, many Grahamstonians are being faced with the decision of voting out of loyalty or with a hope for change.

After a visit to wards 5, 6, and 10, it became clear that most residents of these areas are struggling with basic service delivery issues like dirty water, crime, electricity, housing, sewerage, and unemployment. 

As young journalists going into poor communities where such basic needs are neglected, we brought with us our own assumptions and expectations of the situation. What we were faced with was quite the opposite of what we anticipated.
We assumed that privileged people with access to news via the internet and social networking sites would be best-informed about politics.

Yet, those with fewer resources seem to be better informed politically.

By contrast, many who are privileged are apathetic.

This may be because more of these people are dependent on the government, and political decisions have very direct impacts on their lives.

Thozi Ngeju, a resident of ward 6, shared his view with us regarding the upcoming elections. “People in my area are very concerned about politics. They always talk politics in the taxis. Most people want the ANC, but there is always that one guy who is for the DA,” he said.

It became apparent that many felt the need to vote for the ANC out of a sense of loyalty to Nelson Mandela, although they did not agree with many of the decisions being made by politicians in the party today.

Public opinion regarding the president was very negative. Yet many made their dedication to his party apparent.

A sense of apathy was present amongst those who had been voting since 1994 and had still not seen any change. Slulami Cacume, who is currently unemployed said, “I don’t vote because it doesn’t matter. I have no job and they keep promising me a job, but I get nothing. I voted for the ANC for many years and nothing changed. Then I voted for DA last time and it still didn’t work.”

There were mixed views regarding Julius Malema. Some said that they had taken a liking to his methods, but were wary about voting for him. “I think Julius could follow the same line as Zuma,” said Mzimasi Xibiya from ward 5.

Although some of the views regarding who to vote for, or whether to vote at all, were a bit vague, the fact that these issues were still being discussed indicated that democracy is still very much alive in Grahamstown.

Published in Grocott’s Mail on 25 April 2014.

Fate of the Nation

By Sarah Kingon

Twenty years of democracy under ANC rule have chewed up and spat out many struggle veterans including Vusi Pikoli, Max du Preez and Rev. Frank Chikane. Despite the fact that they all have been ousted from positions of power, they gathered on Human Rights Day at the Knysna Literary Festival to speak of their hopes and dreams of a spring of promise in South Africa.

It’s the silly season before elections and all speakers had something to say about how recent political events have influenced the fate of our nation.

Chikane, former director general in the president’s office under Mbeki, has released a new book entitled The things that could not be said which examines the period when Thabo Mbeki stepped down as president under an array of questionable circumstances. Chikane explained how Human Rights Day has a different meaning for each generation of people. He spoke of his journey from faith and participation in the church, to the idea of ‘revolutionary morality’ that led him to become involved with the ANC.

For Chikane, being in the ‘belly of the beast,’ as he calls it, is much tougher than one might think – especially when money comes into play. While everyone went in with the best intentions and a policy to work for the people, Chikane soon discovered that not all comrades were angels. “I did not believe that the ANC could get lost, but when people see this new life and money for the first time they are easily corrupted,” said Chikane.
Chikane believes that there is a sect of people who corrupt our leaders who have syndicates that will work through whatever government.

“South Africans are like people going through a nightmare. They can’t run or scream or wave and they are unhappy, but they don’t know what to do about it,” said Chikane. His dream project, which he hopes to begin after elections, seeks to address issues of corruption by closing the ‘angle of deviation’ which has caused the ANC to diverge from their goals. See the story entitled [title here] for more on this.

Well-known journalist and political commentator, Max du Preez, said that the country can’t possibly get any worse. “Truly we are at rock bottom at the moment with the EFF and break in COSATU,” said du Preez. His book, A Rumour of Spring: South Africa after 20 years of democracy, speaks of a spring destined for our country- whether this is an Arab spring or spring of growth is the real question.

Du Preez’s hope lies not in government, but in institutions that keep those in power in check. These include civil society, the media, our economy, the business community and a growing black middle class.

“The government is rotten, that doesn’t make us rotten. The people of South Africa should take power and hold those in power to account based on the constitution,” said du Preez. He believes that the reawakening of civic activism is the answer to bringing about a change.

The Nkandla scandal is an example of the public prosecutor fulfilling its role of informing citizens about questionable activities of our president. However, Thuli Madonsela’s report revealed that Zuma had not knowingly misled parliament, which means it is unlikely he will be impeached.

This does not mean the government is off the hook, though. Speakers concurred that exposing Zuma has led to much public dissatisfaction, which will bring about negative fortunes for the ANC during elections.

Vusi Pikoli, who was fired as Head of the National Prosecuting Authority in 2009, reacted unexpectedly when asked by an audience member about whether Julius Malema is a threat in parliament. Pikoli believes that Malema represents a group of people that are better kept inside parliament (with its restrictions) where they have a voice than causing disruptions from the outside. “Every person should have a voice in parliament and there are many people like him,” said Pikoli.

There was consensus between Du Preez and Pikoli that those in power have too much authority. All speakers mentioned that there are still people within the ANC who have the dream they started with – and still desire to achieve it. We can have hope in them and the institutions that hold those in power to account. “It’s not about who is president. It’s about reclaiming the moral authority of the ANC,” said Pikoli.

Published in Grocott’s Mail on 28 March 2014

Grahamstown’s environmental angel

By Sarah Kingon

She crouches down to remove a weed from the walkway – something one would expect a 75 year old to do at her own home. But there’s something different about Angela Barberton. Dressed in a floral dress and sandals she not only bends down to remove the alien plants in her own home, but transports those green fingers to all the neglected spots in Grahamstown making our city an attractive tourist destination.

With virtually no external funding, Barberton employs Barney Kepe two mornings a week to help her clean up rubbish and build gardens in poorly maintained areas around Grahamstown.

“I do so little. I am always thrilled at how God takes my little contribution and multiplies it a thousand fold,” said Barberton. Her motivation is rooted in the care that she has for God’s creation. “I grew up gardening as a little girl in England during the war, when everyone grew food,” recalls Barberton. She then moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) with her parents where they took on a market garden. During her teenage years she learnt about conservation and developed a passion for the environment.

From the time she arrived in Grahamstown 35 years ago, she has worked to beautify the Grey Dam Stream, removing Wattle and Lantana and clearing rubbish left behind by residents and tourists who fail to clean up after themselves. She has painted the Toposcope and cut back vegetation to enhance the view, maintained the area around the bible monument, repaired graves and re-built gardens at the Settler Cemetery and taken continual care of the 1820 Settler Monument and its surrounding gardens amongst other projects.

She bends down to pick up a used condom obstructing the doggy walkway at Grey Dam. “You see this? Barney and I pick these up all the time. We don’t want the children to see them,” explains Barberton.

While she does not directly work with any governmental organisation she is also involved in A Rocha, an international organisation for Christians working in the environment, and the Kowie Catchment Campaign (KCC), which works to care for the health of the community by maintaining the local Kowie/iQoyi catchment and streams.

Barberton says she has appealed to Rhodes University and various schools to undertake projects but the institutions as a whole, rather than small interest groups, lack ongoing commitment to such ventures. “If you are going to change the world the whole school or university has to change its attitude, not just shelve that work for the interact club,” says Barberton.

Barberton’s home appears to be an environmental asset in itself. Once the gate is opened, it’s easy to notice that her green fingers have been hard at work over the last 35 years. When she isn’t busy spraying weed killer at the Grey Dam or grovelling in the soil at Settler Monument, she makes jams to sell at the Saturday morning market, attends the Grahamstown Baptist Church and enjoys relaxing with a good Christian book in hand. In addition she hosts four Rhodes University students in her home, which used to be a bed and breakfast.
Her burden is not only for a cleaner Grahamstown, but a more attractive tourist destination. “The municipality neglects the city’s ‘hidden assets’ including Mountain Drive and the Botanical Gardens,” remarks Barberton. “When visitors come they bring their cameras and the photographs they take of our city are used to draw in more tourists.”

Endless clearing and planting is quite taxing on a lady of her age who has undergone numerous onerous projects with little assistance, but her reward is found in nature itself. “Once we have cleared an area the animals begin to come back and the birds come back. Watching the nature is our reward,” says Barberton reflecting on her work.

With her age against her, Barberton hopes to hand over the environmental reigns to different community groups at the end of this year. “It’s much easier if groups adopt a small area and make it their own,” said Barberton. She has suggested that Bed and Breakfasts and businesses take on a space and put up signboards there in order to promote their businesses and encourage more people to take responsibility for their community. This does, however, require an overall coordinator and ongoing commitment from the people involved.

Published in Grocott’s Mail on 14 February 2014

It starts with a story

By Sarah Kingon and Nandi Majola

Children from various Grahamstown schools and reading clubs were delighted to be read to for an hour by Nal’ibali staff members on Wednesday.

This was part of an international project where parents and caregivers are encouraged to read a story aloud to promote literacy and reading for enjoyment. South Africans were encouraged to sign a pledge to become involved in this day and read the story provided in Nal’ibali supplements. The story chosen was a traditional isiZulu story, retold by South African children’s author Wendy Hartmann, entitled How Stories Began.

Nzayo and Story Sparker, Mandi Klaas visited primary schools including C.M Vellem, N.V Cewu, Samuel Ntsiko and Archie Mbolekwa.  They also visited the reading clubs of Duna Library and the Extension 9 Library.

“To attract the attention of the kids, we take their activities from the playground and combine it with literacy to make it more enjoyable,” said Tsepiso Nzayo, the Grahamstown Nal’ibali Cluster Mentor.

“Once children develop a passion for reading from a young age, they won’t have a negative attitude toward their school books. Reading regularly can help them to develop a worldview so that they can have their own opinions that are not influenced by others,” said Nzayo.

Nzayo and other reading club leaders hope that this initiative will spark interest amongst the children and have encouraged them to attend reading clubs near their homes. “I see a lot of new faces here and hopefully when I come back next week, there will be more people who attend the reading clubs,” said Nzayo.

This was the first time that Nal’ibali in Grahamstown extended their celebration of World Read Aloud Day to the growing reading clubs in Grahamstown.

Published in Grocott’s Mail on 7 March 2014

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