The Oppidan Press. Edition 7. 2013.

8/22/2019 The Oppidan Press. Edition 7. 2013.

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The Oppidan PressEdition 7, 6 Agt 2013

Rhodes cracks downon intervisiting

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New FeatreTe Oppidan Press 6 August 2013

helsea Haith

As o 2014, intervisiting hoursand sign-in rules will be

applied equally to men’s

women’s residences at Rhodes

versity.

Te new rules, delivered by Deanudents Dr Vivian de Klerk, wereussed and decided upon duringnnual mid-year House Committee

ning that took place over thekend o 20-21 July.

Te intervisiting code was revised in when S enate and representativesch Hall as well as the Student

resentative Council (SRC) deemedir discrimination” to haverent rules or men’s and women’s

dences.When the issue was debated again

nate during November 2012ever, the matter was reerred back e Disciplinary committee.

Te committee announced thisthat it did not support the

s and the Proctors deemeddierentiation between sexesonstitutional and discriminatory.believe that it is reasonable andhe interests o all o our studentsart,” said de Klerk. “Tere areral very good reasons why we neednow who is in the residences aernight, ranging rom personal saety

and security, noise control, to privacy and the possibility o needing to

evacuate the building during a re – i

we don’t know who is in the building,there would be no eort to ensure thatthey get out.”

Newly appointed Hall Warden o Allan Webb Hall Markus Mostertdiers in his outlook: “I'm somewhatconcerned that we're turning thecampus into some kind o a mini-nanny state. I people grow up in anover-protected environment wherethey don't learn to take responsibility or their personal saety, they mightstruggle to cope in the real worldwhen there won't be a warden toprotect them.”

Aer much debate it was agreedupon that the airest course o action

would be to implement a rule to beapplied equally to all residences.

“I don’t think much will change,though it is more equitable,”commented Sub–Warden o Canterbury House Simphiwe Duze.

Te recommendation that no visitors to any residence will bepermitted between midnight and7.30am, without permission rom theHouse Warden, was accepted by Senateon 22 June this year.

Regarding the implementation andenorcement o the new rule, Sub–Warden o Piet Retie House Chris

Gibberd said, “In the beginning there’s

going to be resistance, I think or therst two months, but it’ll become thenorm. I don’t necessarily agree withthe policy but I can understand why the University is implementing it.”

Still to be agreed upon by theWardens and Hall committees is whatconstitutes grounds or permission toexceed the inter-visiting hours. Te

ollowing reasons were tentatively established as grounds or permission:

• Study groups• Visitors not rom Grahamstown(visiting siblings staying over)• Special social/psychologicalcircumstances• Extended hours or a Hall Ball oran equivalent event

Changes to the current systemthat the Board o Residences oreseeinclude:

• All residences must have visitorsign-in books• Sanctions or exceeding visitinghours may be lowered• Failure to sign a guest out will bepunished with six hours

ntervisiting rules to apply to male residences

From 2014 onward, mae reidence on camp wi ave an inter-viiting regiter. Poto: JOANN A MARX

hanging opinions on intellectual property policies

“A a government andedcationa intittion, it i notor bine to make moneyo idea, bt wat appen i

a tdent or ectrer come pwit a new innovation wit

condcting niverity bine

c a reearc or aignment?

- Professor Philip Machanik

Mudiwa Gavaza

ness

h Rhodes University currently in the

ess o reviewing its intellectual property

cy, the ownership o ideas nds itsel at the

re o debate once more.

ne o the main driving orces o business suc-is the ability to bring something unique to

market. With so many people coming up withand innovative inventions and ideas, there

ds to be a way or originators to protect their

ions and possibly prot rom theirwork.

tellectual property (IP) may be a topic that isom understood but it is one we all deal withdaily basis. It concerns a wide range o mate-what we read in books, which music we hearhe radio, or our avourite shows on television.at all these examples have in common is thethat at their inception there was an idea. Itese ideas that the record labels, soware com-es and movie studios are trying to protect.has to do with the ownership o ideas. When

ts, inventors or authors want to protect theirk, they usually employ tools such as copy-ts, trademarks, licensing and patents. Teseoriginators o an idea the right to compensa-or and protection o their work.

Te subject o IP encompasses many dier-spects and areas. Given that act, we willmainly with IP as it relates to media contentvideo and music as well as the ownership o emic work.l o these are associated with nancialiderations and where money enters the

ure, problems oen ollow. Copyrights areto protect creative works, with artists andors being given a percentage o sales income.emarks on the other hand are used to protectds, with trademark holders being paid when-their mark is used in an ocial

capacity. Patents are quite dierent in that they are used to cover the unique aspect(s) o designs.Once a patent is in eect, its holder has solerights to that design or a specied number o years, usually twenty. Licensing allows third par-ties to buy the right to use patents, trademarksand copyrights rom the holder.

Proessor Philip Machanik is a lecturer in theComputer Science Department and author o a

novel called No omorrow. As a computer scien-tist and novelist, he keeps himsel abreast withmatters pertaining to IP and is seen as an expert

within the Computer Sciences Department. Hepointed out a number o issues that are uellingthe current global debate on intellectual property.He also touched on the ongoing policy discussionthat the University is dealing with.

He explained, “Te University is currently inthe middle o a policy discussion about its stanceon intellectual property. As a government andeducational institution, it is not our businessto make money o ideas, but what happens i astudent or lecturer comes up with a new innova-tion whilst conducting university business suchas research or assignments? Tis is where theproblem lies. Who has ownership o those ideas?Can the student or lecturer sell their ideas to arm like Microso or does the University get todictate what happens to that work?”

Copyright and patent laws on the whole havealways been quite dierent in various parts o theworld and this has now become a issue o debate.With the advent o technology and the Internet,this issue has become even more heated. Mostrecently, controversies around this issue haveincuded the patent case between Apple and Sam-sung, where both companies accused each othero stealing technology and designs or phones andtablets; and the Android battle between Googleand Oracle, where Oracle claimed that the codeor the Google-powered Android came rom its

own platorm.

Tese conicts have been instrumental inbringing this issue to the ore. Within the pub-lishing world, international publishers recently took Google to court, accusing it o plagiarismwhen it started its cataloguing program orGoogle Books by just scanning and uploadingbooks without rst consulting publishersand authors.

“Plagiarism is all around,” said PGCE studentSongezo Mlangeni. “I you think about it, all theideas that people are coming up with these daysare just improvements on what already exists.Communism or example was already in practicebeore Karl Marx ever wrote about it. I think there should be ‘communism o ideas’ [in that]they should be ree and available to everyone.”

With young people being such avid consum-

ers o digital content such as music and video,copyrights and royalties are one aspect o IP thatcertainly aects the Rhodes community. akinginto consideration student budgets and the vari-ous available sources o ree content online, thedecision to pay or content seems to be an ethicalone more than anything else.

Politics student Jonis Ghedi Alasow said,“Tere is a dierence between academic and ar-tistic work. I have no problem paying or artisticwork like movies and music; those people arein the business o making money o their work.Academic work on the other hand should be

open to the public.”When it comes to digital content, Arica has

always been a hotbed o contention. Statistics

point to the act that the continent has oneo the highest rates o computer piracy in theworld. With that said, the unavailability o streaming services such as Hulu or Netix andthe late arrival o the iunes Store in Arica may explain why people have had to resort to alterna-tive means to access digital content. Proessor

Machanik suggests that “perhaps the dierence incopyright policy on the continent rom the USA

and Europe may explain why there has been aslow adaptation o platorms such as iunes”.

Regarding Arica and its role in the IP world,attempts are being made to try and addressthese issues. Te Arican Copyright & Accessto Knowledge Project (ACA2K) is one suchprogramme that seeks to do this. Te projectseeks to address the act that IP policies in thedeveloped world do not always work in develop-ing countries.

In addition to this, the project aims to nd away to make educational and academic materialcheaper and more accessible to people on thecontinent. Proessor Machanik said, “With thedeveloped world leading the charge in terms o innovation in technology and research output,Arica needs to nd policies that suit its

environment.”Going orward, some suggest that there should

be a re-thinking o policy around the world,within academic institutions, writing and themedia landscape. Rhodes University is currently redesigning its own policy on IP. Te rst dra isin the process o being reviewed and is still up ordiscussion through various university channels.It remains to be seen what the legal and businesslandscape will look like going orward and whatwill come out o this policy discussion. Studentsshould be encouraged to engage with this debatewhere they can.



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ordan du Toit

ironment

ironmental issues have come

er intense scrutiny once more.vitably, those ghting or or

nst these issues ell into the spot-

t as well. With science and the

dia so oen alling in and out o

eement with each other, it seemed

pportune moment to talk to both

entist and a journalist to uncover

r views on the state o environ-

ntalism today.

racking was the inspiration or die-d reelance journalist Ivo Vegter toe his recent book Extreme Environ-t . It garnered much acclaim ande criticism or its hard look at thelobby groups may exaggerate acts

n trying to acquire support.

egter was concerned about how media may play a role in dramatis-ssues. “Te media seldom treaty groups that claim to act in thelic interest with the same criticalticism as they do corporate spin or

ernment propaganda,” he said.n pursuit o their ideology, activ-routinely exaggerate risks whileimising or entirely ignoring theets o a given technology orelopment… they oppose progressinvolves risk, which all progressitably does.”

Tis exaggeration can cause masseria i taken hold o by the generalulation, as seen aer Al Gore’s lm

nconvenient ruth was released.as based on very real acts andes but the apocalyptic tone set o aeral panic among viewers.

While Vegter eels that the mediat not be blind to the activities

nvironmentalists, Proessor o mputer Science at Rhodes Uni-ity Philip Machanick elt that allnalists ail to adequately representissues.ournalists are trained to strive or

ance’ and this applies where there

are positions that are equally valid,or at least o debatable validity,” saidMachanick. “As the evidence accumu-lates that an anti-environmental stanceis harmul or the long-term uture o

humanity, this striving or balance isincreasingly skewing the debate away rom addressing real problems and

supporting the status quo withoutgood cause.”

Machanick is certainly not a an o Vegter, going so ar as to deride hiswork as being ‘rubbish’. He elt journal-ists like Vegter were oen guilty o nding only what suited their storiesand that “[this] approach is typicalo anti-environmentalism” becauseit blinded many readers to the actualtruths o the matter.

However, Vegter was quick todeend his proession and his work.“Questioning group-think, dogma and

conservative orthodoxy is a hallowedtradition in the media and an impor-tant role or intellectuals. ProessorMachanick may think that what hedescribes as ‘anti-environmentalism’is harmul or the long-term utureo humanity, but my argument is thatexaggeration is at least as harmul andin a much more immediate sense,”Vegter said.

He went on to add that in his view the ocus should be on the presentrather than a distant uture. “Te very urgent needs o poverty alleviation andhuman development trump idealisticspeculation about an uncertain long-term uture,” he said.

Tis view is one being taken on by governments all over the world as they attempt to balance the needs o thepeople with that o the environmentwhich so oen, unortunately, don’tmatch up.

Te environmentalists ghting only or the environment have long beenstereotyped as ‘tree-huggers’ or peoplewho oppose all corporate enterprise.But the changing ace o environmen-tal issues has meant that more andmore everyday people are becoming

involved, as it becomes evident thatthese issues will seriously aect boththeir lives and the lives o uturegenerations.

Machanick saw the progression in

today’s various environment stancesrst-hand. “When I rst encounteredenvironmentalism in the 1980s, it wasmostly about emotion and those sup-porting industrial development hadlittle diculty discounting environ-mental concerns. Since then, environ-mentalism has become increasingly evidence-based and blindly pro-indus-try positions increasingly emotional.”

For Machanick the move has beena positive one, transporting the move-ment rom a platorm o emotionaldesperation to one o scientically-based reasoning.

Vegter, however, has not ound thatenvironmentalism has evolved to an

acceptable stage. “Environmentalismhas become a dogmatic and unda-mentally conservative ideology,” hesaid, going on to describe reactionary and very emotional environmentalists

as almost cult-like in their devotion tothe natural world.

While this point may be valid, thosewho hold these belies vehemently doso because they eel the Earth must becherished, lest the doom o humanity be ensured. Perhaps there is a placeor reactionary opinion, i only as amethod o providing balance againstmore conservative views.

Machanick and Vegter seem to agreethat people who are ruled by their

emotions make bad environmentalactivists and ill-inormed people makeeven worse ones. Both elt this was acritical issue when it came to the ac-tions o the student.

“Activism o any kind is mostly bet-ter than inactivism, but be inormedso what you campaign or makes senseand will make a dierence,” advisedMachanick. “Most anti-environmentalcampaigners are old enough to besecure in the knowledge that they will be long dead beore the worst

eects o climate change and excessiveconsumption degrade the planet in ameasurable way. Tey are stealing youruture and you should not let them getaway with it.”

Vegter was o a similar opinion:“University students are ideally placedto be skeptical o populist claims in themedia by activists, in advertising andby politicians. Ultimately, our policy uture is [up to students] to shape, sothe more rational and inormed those

policies are, the better.”Te environment will never stop

being a topical issue and a heated oneat that, especially in terms o climatechange and in both the political andsocial spheres.

While science and the media willcontinue to clash because o theirundamental dierences, it is moreevident than ever that all groups o people must work together or nothingwill be achieved.

New Featre6 August 2013 Te Oppidan Press 3

isipho Skweyiya

n an eort to combat crime in the Graham-

stown central business district, business

owners in and around High Street, New et and Arican Street have joined orces

stall a number o CCV cameras at key

nts in this area.

ccording to Eugene Repinz, Manager o theham Hotel and an executive member o thehamstown Business Forum (GBF), there are aber o actors that resulted in the decision to

all CCV cameras in the main and common-rgeted streets o Grahamstown.me o these problems include intimidation,liing and vandalism. “Te police seem to

nderstaed and almost inecient,” Repinz“What we also noticed is that when crime isrted, there is no evidence, thus the oendersr ace the consequences.”Fitzhenry, co-owner o Courtlands Bed &

kast on New Street, decided to install herCCV cameras or saety reasons. Fitzhenry d that businesses have to protect themselvesuse they don’t have an eective police orce.

We have so-called car guards in this town who

on inormation to criminals about the com-and goings o our businesses, hence there is a

lot o the,” she said.Co-owner o Campus Concepts Wendy Ling

also owns her own CCV cameras. She claimedthat they are very eective and exceptionally

helpul in tracing oenders.“We mostly experience student oenders.

We once caught two students who were tryingto vandalise our premises,” she said. “We haveoen dealt with students who urinate outside ourwindows, oen when they are drunk, and it is sodisrespectul. And they also shopli,” she added.

Having the cameras in place helps Ling andher business partner Hilmer Eichho reportincidences. “I the oenders are students wego straight to Rhodes, i not, we go to Hi-ech

because they are more ecient than the police,”Ling said.

Ling and Eichho are also members o the GBFand agree with the proposal or CCV camerasto be installed. However, they are concernedabout who is going to und these cameras. “Tebusinesses do not make a lot o money and we

have sta to pay,” Ling said.Repinz also acknowledged that unding or

the installation and maintenance o thesescameras might be a hassle, as the system alone

costs R50 000.However, he said that once the Forum has

been registered with the South Arican RevenueServices (SARS) they can begin accepting dona-

tions rom businesses that are members as well asrom the municipality and the University. Repinzclaimed that the installation o these cameras willbenet everyone who lives in Grahamstown.

Student Chwayita Jakuja also agrees that the in-stallation o these cameras is a necessity in ght-ing crime in the streets o Grahamstown. “Lastterm my car’s windscreen got smashed outsidethe Volkswagen dealership shop while I was atthe Rat,” Jakuja said.

“I was so shocked because I never expectedthat to happen, and there were car guards outsideas well.” Jakuja claimed that since there is no

proper security system in the streets, she did notnd who vandalised her car because she had noevidence.

Te decision regarding the installation o theCCV cameras was made by the Forum. Tepolice and the municipality are aware o theproposal and have welcomed the idea.

Grahamstown businesses to install CCTV cameras

he state o environmentalism: science vs the media

Proeor Piip Macanick ay tat te media ai to repreent environmen-ta ie adeqatey. Poto: RORY BOON

A ecrity camera otide Friar Tck’ wod enre contant rveiance o te treet otide.Poto: MADIEN VAN DER MERWE


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PoiticTe Oppidan Press 6 August 2013

Mitchell Shaun Parker

he Rhodes University Law Clinic(RULC) has recently come under re as

Wesley Hayes decided to represent the

ndela amily in their ght to restore the re-

ns o the three deceased children o Nelson

ndela to their original resting place.

Te case against Mandla Mandela, who wasused o stealing the remains rom Madiba’sme, the village o Qunu, was successul. Te

l ruling orced him to hand over the remainsis ather and his ather’s siblings. Te decisionsignicant ramications or where Madibabe buried due to the ailing ormer stateman’s

uest to be buried with his children.n a statement released by Vice-Chancellorem Badat, motivation or the decision toport the Mandela amily was laid out: “At the

e o the instruction it was established that amber o the applicants were indigent.”Tis was determined through a common-ctice means test applied by Legal Aid Southica. Because this is applied individually, thelthy members o the Mandela amily whold pay or their own legal ees were not reason

enough to help the less ortunate among them.Explaining why all amily members were

represented, he wrote, “Once the Law Clinic had

made the decision to represent the applicants ithad a duty to do all that was needed to advancethose individuals’ interests and secure theirrights… it was decided that it would be benecialor all the applicants to be joined in one applica-tion against the respondent, an approach whichis not uncommon.”

Because o the role played in this case by women like Graça Machel and Madiba’s eldest

daughter Makaziwe Mandela-Amuah, the RULChas also argued that it took the case because o the diculty that aces women in traditionalmatters in relation to their Constitutional rights.

However, the indigence argument poses a new dilemma or the Rhodes University Law Clinic.In a recent court ruling, it was decided that theMarikana miners did not need the support o

the state with legal proceedings regarding theirarrests and injuries rom the Marikana massacre.Tereore, why is it that the RULC can help theMandelas, but not the Marikana survivors?

Te idea o women’s rights being an issue thatneeds to be tackled in this case also raises sub-sidiary concerns considering the relative wealth

o Mandela-Amuah and Machel. Te question o women’s rights needs to be worked on in SouthArica, but why they could not get legal support

on their own has yet to be explained.Te case will not, however, cost Rhodes

University anything except or the time spentby Hayes, the Director o the Queenstown RuralLegal Centre, a branch o the RULC. Badat reas-sures in his statement that although clients o theRULC are not charged or the case, those costsare recovered when the case is successul – as itwas in this example – by the implementation o acosts order. Had the RULC lost their case againstMandla Mandela, the clients would have beenresponsible or the costs incurred as the RULCis not party to the proceedings. Either way, theRULC would not be making a loss.

In response to the involvement o the RULCin the case, Mandla Mandela has indicated thathe wished to meet with the leadership o Rhodes

University. In a statement to Te Star, Mandla’sspokesperson Freddy Pilusa said, “Mr Mandela

nds it absurd that Mandela amily memberscould be considered indigent… He has already instructed his attorneys to set up a meetingbetween him and the Vice-Chancellor to try andunderstand the logic behind this.”

Te University has said that it “will give dueconsideration to any request or a meeting thatis made by Mr Mandla Mandela should we be

ormally approached”.

Rhodes University Law Clinic takes on Mandela case

Emily Corke

lowing a slap on the wrist rom Jacob Zuma and

missal rom his role as president and unocialuthpiece o the ANC Youth League, it was hoped

ome that the colourul Julius Malema would ade

o obscurity. However, Malema is back in the media

tlight, not as a result o his personal indiscretions

due to the ormation o his new political par ty,

nomic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

It is very cold outside the ANC, but we are makingarm,” said Malema, dressed in his red beret readingmmander in Chie ”, at the launch o the new “revolu-ary” party on 11 July at Constitutional Hillohannesburg.

Malema outlined the EFF’s somewhat radical mani-o, which mostly included responses to the questionhat is to be done?” as an anti-capitalist slogan repre-ting the goal o achieving economic reedom orth Aricans.

Te EFF’s policies included “the expropriation o land;nationalisation o mines, banks, and other strategicors o the economy; ree quality education, health-

e, houses, and sanitation; massive protected industrialelopment to create millions o sustainable jobs”. Fur-more, the “protest movement” claimed that “massiveelopment o the Arican economy” can only occurh a move rom ormer president Nelson Mandela’sus on reconciliation to a ocus on justice.

Te maniesto promotes policies that are socialist inure and which observers have noted are contradictory

Malema’s own liestyle.Director o the Centre or Economics Journalism in A-

Reginald Rumney said, “Malema’s economic policiespopulist nonsense.”

According to Rumney, land redistribution has nevern a central issue in S outh Arica, though land exclu-

n was a means o exploitation in apartheid. Further-re, Rumney said that nationalism is not a viable op-

n, which accounts or why the ANC have not ollowedough on their promises o nationalisation promises.mney said that both policies would “stir emotions” andthereore clever policies or an emotive speakerromote.Should Malema’s party do the impossible and unseatANC, they would soon back o rom nationalisationthe same reason that the ANC backed o rom nation-ation,” added Rumney.eyond the radical policies o the EFF is its radical

mbership, with a commander in chie who has a knack

or attracting media attention.“Julius Malema is adept at using the media as a tool

in his political ambition,” said Rumney. “He lives in themedia spotlight.”

Politics lecturer Richard Pithouse said, “Malema is anauthoritarian populist and a demagogue [manipulator]whose history o looting rom the state, as well as hisauthoritarianism and misogyny are well known.”

Pithouse went on to say that the idea that the EFF couldbe a progressive party is misguided because the “leader-ship is corrupt, authoritarian and misogynistic and they have no history o real support or popular struggles”.

Chair o the Women’s Academic Solidarity AssociationSiphokazi Magadla elt that Malema was a product o acertain political time and political administration.

“In the end we get the leaders we deserve, and it is alsoabout asking ourselves what kind o political community we have allowed or these people to be the leaders we get,”she said.

Another controversial member o the EFF’s admin-istration is businessman Kenny Kunene, who claims to

have given up his lavish lie aspirations or the politics o economic reedom. “Kenny Kunene has the same right asanyone else to join any political party but the idea that hecould be some sort o progressive gure in our politics isentirely contemptible,” said Pithouse.

Malema was quick to distance himsel and his politicalhistory as a “lapdog or the ANC” rom the new party,however he used the same style o ranting rhetoric as hehas done in the past. Aer delivering a rather tame speechat the launch, he went on to lambaste Zuma and theANC, saying that “there is no ANC, only ZANC (Zuma’sANC)”. Tis comment could hold some truth in light o Zuma’s recent cabinet reshufe that did not include thecalled-or removal o Minister o Basic Education, AngieMotshekga, who was the centre o a textbook asco lastyear that saw many school children le without resourcesor most o the year.

Magadla elt that the launching o the EFF was relevantto the 20 year mark that South Arica is approaching in itsyoung democracy. “I think i anything it says a lot about

where we are politically and how we are maturing, andalso the weakening o governance,” she said.

What remains to be seen is how this revolutionary party will are in a political landscape dominated by theANC and how Malema, an oen blunt and aggressivespeaker, will gain support or his radical ideas.

“He remains a dangerous politician, because o his skillat using a willing news media to attract attentionto himsel and his dangerously unthought-out ideas,”said Rumney.

uju’s EFF’d up party politics play out

Ji Maema a tarted a new poitica party, EFF. Poto: GAllO IMAGEs

Once te lawCinic ad made

te deciion torepreent te

appicant, it ada dty to do a

tat wa neededto advance toe

individa’interet and

ecre teir rigt.– Dr Saleem Badat,

Vice-Chancellor

”


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Poitic6 August 2013 Te Oppidan Press 5

By Chelsea Haith

Political manoeuvring made news in July 2013 with President Jacob Zuma bring-

ing in ve new ministers and sending out

some o those characters that, or all the wrong

reasons, have dominated the media during the

past year.

While Rhodes students dispersed to every cor-ner o South Arica, those in power stayed homeand worked on improving public opinion.

Zuma’s housekeeping, the ourth in his term o oce and conveniently close to the 2014 elections,was announced in a press conerence on 9 July.Te major reshufes included the ring o ormerCommunications Minister Dina Pule and ormerMinister o Human Settlements okyo Sexwale.

Pule has been a near-constant presence in themedia spotlight since Te Sunday imes revealed

that Phosane Mngqibisa, a man rumoured to beromantically involved with Pule, was manipulat-ing her portolio. She has been under investigationby both the Public Protector and Parliament’sEthics committee.

SAPA reported on 21 July that the Hawks arenow investigating Pule or corruption chargesaer the DA submitted an adavit to the Capeown central police station requesting an investi-gation o Pule in May.

Yunus Carrim, ormer Deputy Minister or Co-operative Governance and raditional Aairs, hasreplaced her. He is taking on a troubled portolioplagued most signicantly by the SABC’s on-going

nancial crisis.Sexwale, a name that used to command consid-

erable respect in political circles, took the cut or

his inecacy in solving the country’s housing andsanitation problems.

Formerly the rst Gauteng premier in 1994 anda contender or the Presidency in 1999, Sexwaleused to be a political heavyweight, but has lostground in recent years,despite posing a threat to Zuma at Mangaung.Tis might explain his replacement in the Cabinet.

Sexwale is replaced by Connie September, or-merly the rst emale Deputy President o COSAU in the 1990s. Zuma is showing his

hand by picking COSAU-aliated cabinetministers, a move that is raising eyebrows aboutthe involvement o particularly socialist-leaningindividuals.

Richard Baloyi was relieved o his position asthe Minister o Co-operative Governance andraditional Aairs. His time in oce had beenplagued by inecient local governance atmunicipal level, although Stephen Grootesspeculated in the Daily Maverick that Baloyi wascut or reusing to take responsibility or both theZamdela riots in January, uelled by the proposedmerging o Sasolburg with Parys, and or his lateresponse to the Mvula rust Scandal. Lechesa se-noli, the ormer Deputy Minister o Land Reormand Rural Development, replaces him.

Te surprises in the reshufe, likely to be the

last ahead o the elections next year, were Ministero Basic Education Angie Motshekga and inaJoemat-Petterson’s clinging obstinately to their jobs, despite being arguably the most derided andattacked government ministers this year.

Motshekga’s inability to take accountability or, or eectively redress, the Limpopo textbook

scandal set her up as the minister most expectedto be red. Joemat-Petterson, Minister o Fisher-ies and Forestry, was ound guilty by the PublicProtector or what Tuli Madonsela described as a“blank-cheque attitude to public unds”, spendingextravagantly on travel and hotels.

“I think he’s just trying to retain her to keep thewomen’s vote,” commented Rhodes University Politics lecturer Siphokazi Magadla.

Neither emale ministers were relieved o their

duties nor did Zuma give any explanation as to hischoices in the reshufe, sparking intense specula-tion over his motives.

“I don’t know what it says about someone’s abil-ity to lead i they keep changing their cabinet. Heseems to be pandering to a particular voter thatthe president thinks doesn’t deserve an explana-tion,” said Magadla.

Zuma shues his cards yet again

Mitchell Shaun Parker

key has been in a state o unreste the start o the aksim Square

n which began on 22 May this

r. What started as an environ-

ntal issue quickly spiralled into a

tical movement against cur-

Prime Minister Recep ayyip

oğan.

Te aksim Square sit-in originally lved around the modernisation o rk in central Istanbul. In what isparable to an Occupy movement,esters set up camp in this hub o modern city and attempted to haver voices heard.

When the government reactedngly, aksim Square became the

lyst or a more widely spread po-al movement all across urkey.t was only 200 people. Tey couldy have just moved them,” said stu-t John Kumcu, who is on exchange

m urkey and who was present ore o the protests.uring Erdoğan’s term in oce,

key has become a less r iendly

ronment or the middle-class, withgion beginning to dominate law-king as well as a prioritisation o poor. aksim Square was thereore

a predominantly middle-class protest.Te poor, in act, were against the

protest because it interered with theirworking lives. Te middle-class natureo the protest opened the door toinsightul discussion amongst protest-ers. “It was an interesting exchange o

ideas,” said Kumcu.It was only aer the violent response

received by protesters that thingsbegan to become more destructive.Protesters destroyed kiosks, burnt carsand buses and took cobblestones outo the street to make barricades againstthe police.

During the protests, urkey rankedrst or journalists in prison. In act,Erdoğan blamed the oreign media orsparking the protests in an attempt to

destabilise the urkish economy.Unortunately or urkey, due to

the mass prolieration o governmentpropaganda through the media, ew o the rural majority – the source o mosto Erdoğan’s votes – were aware o thepolitics behind the protests. Erdoğanmade a conscious eort not to ac-knowledge the protests as anythingmore than an environmental issue.

“As long as the Prime Ministerplayed stupid and didn’t apologise anddidn’t see it as a credible threat, this

protest couldn’t add up to as much aspeople were hoping,” said Kumcu.

However, it wasn’t all doom andgloom. “It really amazed me how,because urkish people are not very riendly, very rough sounding… they created an atmosphere o a commongoal. Everyone was just so riendly toeach other,” said Kumcu.

“Tey gave each other ree medi-cal aid, ree yoga classes, ree ood. Imean, it was really an environment o riendship. I’ve never seen anythinglike it. People just gave up their indi- vidualism or the cause.”

Turkish unrest: an insider’s perspectiveI’ve never

een anytingike it.

Peope jt gave

p teirindividaimor te cae.

- John Kumcu”

ob Zma a appointed ve new miniter. Poto: MIChAEl WuERTENBERG / Wordnomic Form

A proteter convere wit a poiceman in I tanb, Trkey. Poto: EsERKARADAĞ


6/12


ethabo Ntshudisane

ech

oogle is striving to aidthe education sector by

implementing the Google

dent Ambassador (GSA)

gramme, which allows students

are interested in innovation to

rove their universities through

nological advancements.

the 17 GSAs selected rom nineersities across South Arica,gle chose two student ambassadors

m Rhodes University. Aerpleting an extensive applicationess, both Christina Sukop and Iselected as representatives.

s part o the application process,ld-be ambassadors were required

ake a video either showcasing whoare, or ocusing on technology Google.GSA is a student who acts asson between Google and their

ersity, but there is more to it thanthat.SAs are the university’s go-toviduals when it comes to Googleducts. It is thereore essentiala GSA has sucient, up-to-knowledge o the products andrammes oered by Google.

s the primary liaison, it is the’s responsibility to aid Google in

erstanding a university’s culture,ell as identiying ways or the

pus to implement various Googlelications and, importantly, planhost events.nce the Sub-Saharan Arica GSAsall selected, we were own out

tend the Sub-Saharan Googlemit in Kenya, which took placeairobi, rom 3 to 5 July. People

m the three prominent Googlemunities - the Google Student

bassadors, Google Developersups and Google Business Groups -unting to 130 in total; all gatherede summit.

Te opportunity to travel wasssing, as were the substantial

ortunities or learning and

onal growth that it presented.very day was packed ull o

sessions, where ambassadors weretaught about being a GSA and aboutGoogle itsel. We started early eachmorning and attended inormativepresentations and training workshops

until evening.Tese aimed to arm us with all

the necessary inormation and toolsrequired o a GSA. Speakers coveredthe dierent Google products, as well

as issues o ethics, compliance and theleadership skills required o a GSA

ambassador.We were also exposed to the other

prominent Google communities:learning about what they are and thepurpose they serve.

Each day presented ormalchallenges, conducted online, onplatorms such as Google’s socialnetwork, Google+.

Te GSAs o each country teamed

up to participate in these. Tree daysand three challenges later, the South

Arican team won the overall GoogleSummit challenge.

Te experience was invaluable.Tose enthusiastic about technologicalinnovation, be they rom any discipline, should jump at thisopportunity.

Applications can be expected toopen at the end o March every year.Specic details are unconrmed as o

yet. Tose interested should keep theireyes on the website or updates.

Rhodes students attend Google Summit in Kenya

Googe stdent Ambaador at te mmit oted in Kenya in Jne ti year. Poto: ChRIsTINA suKOP

PAppication now open. o p p i d a n p r e . c o m

C h e c k i t o t a t :

Oppikoppi BewiderBeat2013 i pon ! We bringyo an excive previewo te bet act on teine-p.

Te kitcen in Fonderand st Mary’ ha arender repair. We’ve pttogeter a ma gaery o te progre o ar.

Ti week Oppi Onineance a new addition toor ite. Now yo can eewat we’re reading andwy yo od read it too.

Oppikoppi preview Dining hall renovations What we’re reading

send a copy o yor CV and a ort etter o motivation to [email protected] coe 16 Agt 2013

Te Oppidan Pre want yo!

To apply to becomea Googe stdentAmbaador, viit teoowing page: ttp://www.googe.com/int/en/job/tdent/proco/program/emea/ambaador/


7/12

New Featre6 August 2013 Te Oppidan Press 7

By Emma Atkinson

Owing to complaints made

to Student Representative

Council (SRC) President

Sakh’usomeleze Badi, the issue o

transport at Rhodes University is toreach the upper levels o University

management.

A meeting with Rhode rip usersliving o o campus was held by theSRC on 30 July. O the 132, those whoresponded to the SRC’s emails wereasked to air their grievances concern-ing the cancellation o all Rhode ripnight buses. Tey were assured thatthe results o this meeting would beormally presented to Rhodes seniormanagement.

Te meeting will be ocused on Rho-des transport and all other transport-related issues at Rhodes.

Rhode rip terminated its night

shuttle service at the beginning o thirdterm, owing to declining member-ship. Te service, which made between100 and 200 trips per night aroundGrahamstown, has struggled or sometime, according to Rhode rip ounderMatthew Slater. In 2013 it aced itslowest membership since its inceptionin 2005. Tis termination has aected

Rhode rip’s previous users drastically,who make up ve to ten percent o Rhodes students.

Student Nontobeko Dube, who lives

past the Kingswood area, was dis-tressed at the evening service’s closure.

“I oen stay and work in the library until 7pm, or even later i I have a test,because I don’t have a computer athome,” she said. “I have to walk back

to my digs aer lectures, eat, walk back to the library and work, and then walk back home beore it gets dark. I have towalk down Arican or High Street, andit doesn’t eel sae.”

Similar problems have been acedby other Oppidan students. StudentKelsey Volmin now relies on others’

transport to get around.“I can’t aord a car right now, so I

beg rides o my mates. It’s really dis-tracting and annoying – I have to planmy day around someone else’s scheduleand it oen changes at the last minute,”she said. “I’ve been ditched a couple o times and missed sports practices asa result. I wish I’d been warned about

something I relied on heavily.”Students living in residence are also

aected by Rhode rip’s terminationo the night buses. Students, predomi-nantly emale, returning to residencerom a night out or rom a late grocery shopping trip now resort to using GetHome Sae, but using this emergency service is complicated by its limitedhours o operation.

“You basically can’t go out at nightbeore 10pm or aer 3am,” said uppercampus resident Tembeka Ndlovu.

“It’s like an enorced curew. My riends and I have gone walking toPick n Pay or Shoprite to get ood atlike 8pm, knowing it’s dangerous. Butit was worth the risk. Te same or go-ing or drinks at the Rat.”

Slater noted that three student co-ordinators, who managed the incom-ing SMSs and calls to Rhode rip atnight, were retrenched as a result o the evening service closure.

According to the SRC, the OppidanBus Service has struggled to cope with

the sudden increase in students relyingon the service since the closure.

Questions as to the ability o this busservice to aid all Oppidans have arisen,as the bus only operates rom 5pmto 11pm on weekdays and not at allduring weekends.

In an attempt to reassure the studentbody on 31 July, Badi stated that: “Itis our job to saeguard and represent

the interests o all students at Rhodesand some have been compromised,

especially those living in remoterareas.”

Te inclusion o a question con-cerning the issue o transport in theQuality o Lie survey is an encour-aging indication that the University management is paying attention to thegrievances aired.

Tat is little consolation however, tostudents struggling to go about theirdaily activities.

It’s the end o the Rhodeor Oppidan studentsstdent trn to sRC a Rode Trip evening ervice end

y Lethabo Ntshudisane

ci Tech

me management is an essential

ill needed or students to per-

rm academically. A balance must

be struck b etween one’s personal

nd academic lie - and that is ex-

tly what the Any.Do application

pp) helps students to achieve.

Any.Do is a powerul to-do listp or Android and iOS mobileatorms, which oers studentsore than just a conventional task anager.When you open the app you willme across a simple user interace,at is easy to understand and navi-

te. At the top o the app there is axtbox where you can type in thesk you want to do or beminded about.Te ‘add task’ textbox is conveni-

nt and makes suggestions while youpe. Alongside the textbox therea microphone symbol, to add ask or reminder by voice i youo not eel like typing. Te rest o e screen space is taken up by thetual to-do or task list. When you

ave completed a task you can crossut that task.asks can be arranged by olderdate view. Folder view permitseater customisation, allowing

udents to separate what they havedo in olders such as Academic

nd Personal.Any.Do also allows you to add

otes to a task you have added.Tis can prove useul when going

grocery shopping or your digs, asyou can add a list o the items you

need.You can also perorm various

unctions within the app such assend texts, emails and make calls.Whenever you get a missed call theapp asks you whether you wouldlike to call the number back now,set a reminder to call back later ordismiss the missed call entirely.

Emulating the job o a personalassistant is the Any.Do Moment,a daily planner. Te user can set atime when the Any.Do Moment

pops up. Tis eature allows you toplan when you are going to carry outthe tasks that you have set or thatparticular day. You can choose to do

the task the same day, the ollowingday or in three days time. Aer youare done planning your day it givesyou a motivational message or theday.

Te Oppidan Press asked two stu-dents to use the application or a ew days and this is what they had to say.

“It helps me remember the thingsI have to do. However, it gets slightly annoying when it reminds you todo something and you are busy, youcan’t choose a new time but are lim-ited to an hour, three hours, dismissor done,” said Cacharel Wroots.

“I like the act that during the planmy day it asks me when I want to do

activities,” said Alexander Derry.I time management is not your

strongest area, then the Any.Do appmay work or you.

Te Oppidan Press rates Any.Do4.5 out o 5 stars.

Any.Do to the rescue

Rode tdent wi need to make teir own trave arrangement at te tar t and end o term, now tat Rode Trip ino onger in ervice. Poto: AlEXA sEDGWICK


8/12

Te Oppidan Press 6 August 2013

oni Lindes

orld War Z , Dawn of the

Dead and other popular

lms orm part o the

bie hype when has endured or

des. Rhodes University has not

ped this epidemic and will be

run once more during its annual

e o Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ).vZ is a cat-and-mouse game

ween two sides. Whetherkeeping your brains romg eaten by the zombie teamvoiding starvation by eating

any brains as possible,ents must ght each otherder to survive the game’sious onslaught.

Te game was rst played005 at Goucher College inmore, USA and has sinceme a worldwide occurrence. In, Rhodes University GameSocght it to campus or the rst time.

We wanted to do something

rent,” said head o GameSociam Walters. “We wantedething big and un, and this gamebig in the States and the rest o

world.”What is really cool is we can get ale lot o people together, regardlesse res they are in and the subjectstake. It is a great way to meet new

people and many r iendships developrom the game,” Walters explained.

Humans vs. Zombies ormed part o the TinkSmart week at the beginningo 2012. It aimed to reinorce the ideao being able to have a good timewithout engaging in risky behaviourlike drugs and alcohol - althoughHvZ is not without its own risks. “Teunniest thing I saw was when some

girl was running away rom a zombie.She jumped over a wall and ell on her

ace,” said Kyle Wallace, a member o the game’s administrative crew.

From Monday 5 August to Friday 10 August, HvZ will take over the

campus. “Every lecture you’re in,you’re constantly looking over yourshoulder. Casual walks to lecturesbecome something else entirely,”explained administrative crew memberJustin Stone. “A lot o people dress upin crazy costumes, especially on thelast mission or at the aer-party.”

Te game will be divided into three

stages: rst isthe incubationstage where anundercoverzombie tagsas many

humans as possible; then

ollows an all-out war inthe apocalypse stage wherethe zombies try to take overand the humans use socks

to stun them in deence;aer a week o tag the gameends in a nal night missionwhere there can only beone winner: humans orzombies.

Let the invasion begin.

we recommend

N E W F

O l D E R

J A C K K A M I N s K I

l O u D l u N G s

Let the Zombie

Apocalypse begin

I t r a t i o n : F i c k r / s c a b e a t e

r

Comprised o Dan Nel, Joseph Coetzee, Neo

Baepi and Jonathan Stein, New Folder isGrahamstown’s newest music outt.

Te crew has amassed a signicant ollowingover a very short period o time and currently have a residency at Olde 65 on a Friday night.Tey have also perormed at My Own Musicparties to packed dance oors who have cometo love their unique sound and perormancestyle. Te music itsel is as dierent and dy-namic as the characters who play it.

New Folder seems to take courageous music-making very seriously and the crew membersare all intent on discovering and perormingnew, unique music with their personal stampattached to it. Even though the core o the act’sallure comes rom the individual avour pre-sent in the acts, the strength o it comes rom

their identity as a musical unit. Each memberseems to play o the sets o the others, produc-ing a smooth transition rom act to act which isoen dicult to achieve.

As the act grows, it is not clear whether they will take on new members. Either way, it isclear that as long as New Folder continues topolish their already sophisticated act, they are

likely to remain a crowd avourite.

Well known or his behind the scenes sound

technician work, as well as or organising eventssuch as Acoustic Night at Olde 65, Jack Kamin-

ski is making a name or himsel as a DJ too.

Kaminski organised and perormed at Champs’most recent “Swing Party”, which provided theGrahamstown crowds with a well-polished, enjoy-able introduction to the electro-swing genre.

Kaminski’s ollowing comes rom his ability to nd gaps in the market. He has succeeded increating a new home or acoustic artists as well aspresenting the swing genre to a generally unad- venturous listening public.

In addition to these achievements, Kaminski(to our knowledge) has not adopted a DJ alias orchanged his look to match his public prole – atrend which oen seems to mark the success o Grahamstown music acts. Tis is particularly

endearing or audiences, who seem to respondpositively to his laid-back approach. Kaminskirepresents the type o music proessional whogenuinely seems committed to his cra and hisaudience.

With Acoustic Nights at Olde 65 going romstrength to strength and another swing party planned or spring, Kaminski looks set to becomea rm avourite on the Grahamstown music scene.

Justin Le Roux, or Loud Lungs, has two distinct

qualities which have contributed to his notoreity as a DJ, both locally and, increasingly, nationally.

Firstly, Le Roux is a crowd avourite. Aer win-ning Monastery’s “New Bloods” DJ competition ornovice DJs, it was clear his music is what peoplewant to hear.

Secondly, Le Roux is a game changer. Unlikeother DJs who all into a static genre routine, LeRoux’s act encompasses dubstep and drum and basselements, but extends itsel to include trap and trip-hop too. Instead o playing to please a crowd withtheir avourites, the Loud Lungs act is something o a musical learning experience, with audiences andother DJs ollowing his trends.

In addition to these qualities, Loud Lungs is alsoincredibly dedicated to producing original musicand mixes. He uses high quality equipment and

draws on inspiration rom the success o interna-tional acts.

Loud Lungs perorms requently at Monastery,but has also perormed in Port Elizabeth and Dur-ban, along with artists such Miki San rom Guns‘n Lazers. With this amount o hard work and starpower, it is no surprise that Loud Lungs has gar-nered a rm an base in Grahamstown and beyond.

Compied by Binwe Adebayo

Art & Entertainment

dne i et to decend pon te Rode univerity camp once more amesoc gear p to rn hman v. Zombie or te tird time.


9/12

Art & Entertainment6 August 2013 Te Oppidan Press 9

rendon Peel

Adimly lit stage draped in

red, white and black seta macabre scene or Jess

rison’s production Moor : a

ted and modernised version

hakespeare’s Othello. In it,

emporary art orm and unusual

tre techniques collided with the

k o the amous playwright to

g this Grahamstown National

Festival production to lie.

oor chose to ocus on more thanthe storyline o Othello and alsolighted the racial themes thatthroughout the production.ver-contentious issue in this

ntry, this racial ocus brought theduction closer to the South Arican

ence. Reecting on the topic,rison stated, “I have tried to createething thought-provoking andtiul.”arrison’s show also made changes

hakespeare’s original by usingcan languages and modern termsughout the production. Someacters spoke little to no English.owever, language proved noier as audience members couldon body language and tone o e to remain ully aware o whathappening.oor was created with a ocus on

the physical. Many scenes involvedlis, jumps and other movementtechniques, all o which were executed

eortlessly by the cast. A mixture o voice techniques and beat-boxing werealso incorporated into the show.

“I thought Moor was really greatall round, I was really entertainedthroughout the perormance,” saidaudience member and drama studentBridget Penny.

Te villainous Iago was onecharacter that was drastically changedrom Shakespeare’s original, playedin Harrison’s piece by a black, lesbianemale, speaking isiXhosa. Suchinteresting twists rom the originalOthello lent a more contemporary South Arican theme to the play,concentrating on the themes o culture

and diversity.All o this added to a nal product

rendered expressively and thought-provokingly through artul actingand directing. ackling aShakespearean classic was alwaysgoing to be a dicult task, butHarrison pulled it o almost awlessly,keeping the audience surprised andengaged in every scene.

Harrison shied the masterpiece,delivering an interesting piece o theatre. Te play was presented at theNational Arts Festival and will be re-worked or the orthcoming year.

By Charles Mackenzie

Tis August, eleven years since its

inception, Ubom! Eastern Cape

Drama Company will close its cur-

tains or the nal time.

Ubom! was established in 2003under the direction o drama lecturer

and theatre maker Janet Buckland andserved to showcase both local com-munity proessionals as well as Rhodes

University graduates. As a non-protorganisation ocusing on developmentand creating growth in the arts envi-ronment in the Eastern Cape, Ubom!is unique in its industry.

Founded with the help and und-ing o the National Arts Council andNational Lottery Board, Ubom! wassupported by Rhodes University’sDrama department, which providedthem with a stage and acilities reeo charge.

According to Buckland, Ubom!maintained a good relationship withthe unders, continuing to deliverall the while. Te company was im-mensely popular within the Grahams-

town community and received awardssuch as the Silver Standard Bank Ovation Award.

Ubom! proved to be unlike mosttheatre companies. It aimed to makeits productions accessible to peoplerom all socio-economic backgrounds,staging shows in state-o-the-arttheatres, sports elds and animalenclosures - charging little to nothingor its perormances.

Ubom! also acilitated side projects,

one o which was the Vuka drama

workshops. Tese were conductedin various township schools and theGrahamstown prison. Te workshopsdone in the prison ocused on encour-aging creativity in an eort to push oreective rehabilitation.

Buckland was careul to ensure there

was enough money to keep Vuka go-ing, despite Ubom!’s closure. She statedthat the Makana Development Festivalwhich ocuses on developing com-munity theatre through assistance and

skills workshops would run orthe next ve years although she hersel will no longer oversee the produc-tion. “It’s time or new blood,” sheexplained.

Tus ar, no real explanation hasbeen given as to why Ubom!’s und-ing was withdrawn. Buckland statedhowever, that she had been aware ora while that unding was drying upand that the actor’s contracts have only been extended until the end o August.Buckland was initially optimistic thatunding would come through and thatsomeone new would step in to take thereins, but that was not the case.

Speaking o her plans or the uture,

Buckland said, “Tere are lots o thingsI want to do and can do, such as teach-ing and directing. But it is not aboutme. I am ne. It’s more about losingthe company and the various peoplewho are aected as a result.”

According to Buckland, Vice-Chancellor Saleem Badat is extremely concerned about this news, as Ubom!has a great legacy and reputation.Badat is said to be in talks regardingsuggestions and possibilities or a plano action.

Ubom! set to take its nal curtain call

Moor , a Rode univerity prodction, wa perormed at te Nationa Art Fetiva. Poto: KIRsTEN MAKIN/CuEPIX

Moor: a modern twist on a classic piece

m! perorm ‘Betti and te Yeti’ at te Nationa Art Fetiva. Te drama company wi be c oing down.to: AlEXA sEDGWICK/CuEPIX

Art & Entertainment6 August 2013 Te Oppidan Press 9


10/12

The Oppidan Press staf and contact details

OpinionTe Oppidan Press 6 August 2013

By Andrew Tudhope

Response to “Why are young people

buying into Malema’s party?”

Aer attending a Rhodes

roundtable on involvement

in youth politics hosted

by Dr Nomalanga Mkhize, it was

encouraging at rst to come across a

Toughtleader article on political in-

volvement written by ormer Rhodes

graduate.

Te article’s writer Malaika wa Aza-

nia is one o the ounding members o the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF),a new political party led by such highprole personalities as Julius Malemaand Floyd Shivambu and now nancedby Kenny Kunene.

Te media has run enough storiesabout the various aws and ailings o the characters leading the EFF and it isnot the purpose o this column to givethem any more access to the already-biased media spotlight. Let us ratherlook at the involvement o young,highly educated and politically awarepeople within the ranks o a party thathas been told, in no uncertain terms,to EFF o.

I we are to believe Malaika (and atthis stage we have no reason not to)

in two weeks the party gathered morethan 5000 volunteers rom “across allracial backgrounds, classes and stratao society”.

Tis is an impressive eat in anincreasingly disparate South Aricanpolitical landscape. Both Malaika andthis column were le asking the samequestion o such sterling statistics: why are so many diverse people keen to join “the economic reedom vehicle”?

Just what the dierence is betweensuch a ‘vehicle’ and the gravy train willbe le unanswered or now.

Malaika argues that, “Tere is no

one reason why the EFF has ound thesupport o so many people, the youthin particular. Tere are a number o actors that contribute to this reality.Te one obvious actor is that our peo-ple eel let down and taken advantageo by the ANC.”

Now beyond the party’s problem-atic leaders and their hodgepodge o socialistic, nationalising rhetoric andcapitalistic actions, this seems to be amajor problem.

Te ormer Rhodes student admits

that there is a vacuum le by theANC’s slide away rom moral author-ity and that the EFF is just one in along line o breakaway parties in thesame sort o mould as Congress o thePeople.

Moreover, Julius Malema is a ‘leader’born and bred within the powerstructures o the ANC. Personality aside, this means that he suers romprecisely the same problem as errorLekota. Having been raised within theANC, it is dicult to see how Malema’sleadership, and not just his rhetoric,

would change the status quo in a truly benecial and equitable way.

For instance, Malaika writes that“levels o poverty and unemploymenthave increased under the leadershipo the ruling party, while those whosit in upper echelons o power live in vulgar opulence”. It should be unneces-sary to point out the irony in such aclaim when written by a supporter o

Malema, Shivambu and Kunene et al.However, to give Malaika her due,

she does, to an extent, point out theaws o both Malema and Shivambu.Tis leaves us with an interestingquandary: either the supporters o EFFare aware o the leadership’s ailings

and choose to ignore them, or they have nowhere else to turn.

Te rst option is almost inconceiv-able – EFF has been ormed, in part,because o the damage being doneby corrupt and inecient leadership;to ignore it within one’s own ranks issurely suicidal.

Tis must mean, given the writer’seducation and obvious knowledgeo and involvement in South Aricanpolitics, that she has nowhere else toturn to.

Te Democratic Alliance (DA),while slowly changing its ace, is stillseen by many as protecting elite, richcapital. Although young, black leader-

ship coming through its ranks may well change this perception beorelong, it remains in the back o many minds, especially the disenranchisedyouth.

Te truth seems to be that the dayso mass political movements anduprisings are over. Tey were a useul

instrument with which to ght theapartheid orces, but seem to declineinto actionalism and personality poli-tics when aced with more abstractedissues like education, economic policy

and good governance. Te “ArabSpring”, to my mind, only shows how necessary it is or the youth to movebeyond politics to secure their uture.

Where does this leave us? Please do

not misunderstand my intentions here:I do not want to appear overly criticalo Malaika’s stance or actions – I think the act that she is willing to be parto ounding a new party and to thenexpress an opinion puts her ar abovemany other Rhodes students, who only discuss politics at the Rat on Fridays.In its own way, such politics is ar more

simplistic, ‘populist’ and one-sidedthan anything Malema has to say.

Tat said, I eel this action is mis-placed and that the justication Malai-ka provides seems lacking. Te answerto our country’s woes does not lie insupporting another obviously corruptand inecient leader who comes romthe ranks o a disease-ridden ANC, nomatter what the EFF’s maniesto mightclaim about their aim.

Te truth is that we do not require

a revolution – we require a change o mindset and one which will not beachieved politically. Civil society seemsa good place to start rom, and it isperhaps in such a sector that the youth

should look to become involved, ratherthan yet another splinter party.

Civil society does not suer romthe same intolerance and competi-tion as political bodies and orums do.It serves as a non-partisan platormrom which all may do their piece toimprove the country we all eel we area part o. Indeed, it served as the oun-dation or some o the most importantand non-aligned anti-apartheid move-ments, such as one United DemocraticMovement.

It is ultimately the non-alignmentthat should interest us most, or moreand more we are coming to realise thatwhile we support some o the ANC’s

policies, we are not ANC supporters.While we enjoy some o the DA’s oppo-sition and governance in the WesternCape, we are not DA supporters.

While we like the idea o the EFF,we are also painully aware that, “i theEFF can take the economic reedomstruggle programme to its logicalconclusion and do things right” it willmost certainly not result in economicequality and bread or all.

Te implication in the title - “buyinginto Malema’s party” - says it all.

Buying economic reedom?

IllusTRATION: AMY slATEM

ditor: Binwe Adebayo. Deputy Editor: Kya haze. Managing Editor:mie Bezidenot. Advertising Manager: Mattew Barboa. Market-g Manager: Tariro Miti. Executive Consultant: Kirten Makin. Online

ditor: start lewi. Assistant Online Editor: Ceea hait. Multimediaanager: Care Mackenzie. Webmaster: Tandie Pambka. News

eatures Editor: Tegan scae. Assistant News Features Editor: Amanda. Environment Editor: Jordan d Toit. Politics Editor: Tarryn de Kock .ssistant Politics Editor: Emiy Corke. Opinion Editor: Andrew Tdope.ts & Entertainment Editor: Jeica van Tonder. Assistant Arts & Enter-inment Editor: Dirk steynberg. SciTech Editor: letabo Ntdiane.

usiness Editor: Mdiwa Gavaza Sports Editor: Andrew Tomb. Chie hoto Editors: Jo Oate, Robynne Peated. Assistant Chie Photoditor: Micee Cnie. Chie Sub-Editors: Kate-lyn Moore, Mattew deerk, lcy hoord-Waker. Sub-Editors: Kaitin Cnningam, Fabio Deominici, Aexa sedgwick, Amanda Mrimba. Chie Designer: Cevawnm. Senior Designers: Aimee de a harpe, Jean Ara Konat. Junior De-gners: lcy hoord-Waker, Madien van der Merwe, hanna McDonad,my Davidon. Illustrator: Amy satem. Community Engagement Ofcer:

tce Parker.

tters to the Editor: [email protected] details: [email protected]

ww.acebook.com/theoppidanpress

ww.twitter.com/oppidanpress

he Oppidan Press pbie etter tat are bona de expreion o pinion a ong a tey are not ceary ibeo, deamatory, racit

exit. We pbi anonymo etter, bt a an act o goodit in yor part, we reqire yor name. We reerve te rigtorten etter de to pace contraint and to edit tem orammatica inaccracie. letter tat do not make it into or print

dition wi be pbied on or webite.

Stepping into the oce during this edition’s paste-up weekend

was an unusual experience. Spread out on the foor atop old copieso the paper sat various members o Te Oppidan Press team, lipspursed and rowns xed, deliberately olding squares o newspaper

into origami fowers and paper machéing balloons into piñatas.

Te team was busy with the preparation o a somewhat uncommon

distribution week.

2013 has proved to be a productive year or Te Oppidan Press thusar. Six editions printed, an online presence that is stronger than ever,developments in multimedia and the all-new OppiV channel, arebut some o the achievements we are grateul to list. In light o all this,diculties that rendered us unable to print this edition in hardcopy were received by our team as an opportunity to take time out and pay itorward.

Te past semester has seen our Community Engagement projectrevived, with ten learners rom local youth development project Upstartcoming on board as Oppidan Press interns. A series o workshopshave been organised to teach these young writers a bit about running

a student publication and to develop extensive portolios, which may assist them should they choose to pursue journalism in the uture.

Tough the managerial and editorial teams, as well as our writers,have been hugely supportive o the Intern programme, we elt therewas more we could do to get a dialogue going between the interncommunity and our own. For the next week we will be ocusing onhaving our team engage with the interns and the schools that they comerom.

We will be taking old editions o the Oppidan Press to the Joza YouthHub and surrounding schools that are looking or reading material aswell as opening up this Saturday’s intern workshop to any Upstarterseager to join.

Te team plans to acilitate a journalistic scavenger hunt. Teinterns will be given clues and sent all over campus to complete tasks

in interviewing, editing, photography, lm, and review. Te team thatcompletes the race astest will take home a prize, but everyone will takehome a booklet o advice on writing or dierent beats in a student

publication, compiled by our section editors.So how does all this relate to the hipster cra store that was our oce

this past weekend? Publishing online obviously poses a ew problemsor visibility, but we needed to make sure the paper was seen.

I you are reading this now, you were perhaps the lucky recipient o anorigami ower ashioned rom our old editions or one o those to nab a‘read me’ treat rom the Oppi piñata.

Know that in getting that little reminder to you, our team wentbeyond what is ordinarily asked o them and that they will be using thetime made available by publishing online to take our Intern Programmeeven urther.

The Oppidan Press


11/12

sport6 August 2013 Te Oppidan Press 11

By Travis Bamord

Without a doubt, being

a ull-time student is a

tough task - rom classesand research, to tests and assign-

ments, or most people no week is

ever really smooth sailing.

Add the pressure o an internationalsports career and you’ll have an inklingo what 21-year-old Nobubele Phuzahas navigated week in and week out orthe past two and a hal years.

Te third-year Geology major andSouth Arican u21 netball player romHarding, KwaZulu-Natal is in the laststretch o what has been nothing shorto a spectacular eort both in theclassroom and on the court.

She maintains however, thatalthough it has been a tough journey,

she has loved every minute o it. “I’mliving my dream,” Phuza said with asmile. “Tis really is everything I’vewanted or sometime now.”

Phuza is no stranger to the higherstandards o sporting excellence,having represented South Arica inbasketball in 2009 and 2010. Her sightsshied to netball aer she matriculatedrom Pietermaritzburg Girls HighSchool in 2010 and she has gone romstrength to strength since arriving atRhodes University.

“I rst wanted to experience playing

in a South Arican netball tourna-ment and even captain a team in one.Tat was my goal initially,” Phuzaexplained. She quickly reached thatgoal. Fantastic perormances in games

and tournaments throughout 2012 saw Phuza selected or the u21 SA teamearlier this year. She is now preparingor a tournament in Glasgow that willrun rom 22 to 31 August.

“Tat’s what I’m ocused on rightnow, apart rom studying,” she insists.Phuza will also be part o the 2014University Sports S outh Arica (USSA)Squad that will compete in Russianext year.

She emphasises how much o aninspiration her teammates and her

competition are to her, stating thatthey help to keep her motivated even just by thinking about them.

“Tey make me want to work a lot

harder, you know?” she said. “I think o the sacrices that some o themhave made to keep their place on thisteam – a number o them have evenput their studies on hold to pursuethis, so I also eel obligated not to letthem down.”

She also mentioned how upliing itwas or her to meet her national teamheroine, Precious Mthembu. “She’sanother KZN girl, a local hero and aantastic player. Having sat down withher to have coee and just chat wassuch an awesome experience.”

Phuza is also very grateul or the

help with her netball career that shehas received rom certain individualsat Rhodes. She praised the work o Rhodes University Health SuiteSta member Antonio Blom, whoseinuence and expertise have helpedher to maintain her high level o perormance.

“It’s really tough sometimes hereat Rhodes, sporting-wise. Tere arenot as many experts and trainers that

one can make use o in the same way that you can in bigger places in SouthArica. I’ve been ortunate to work with Antonio as well as people in thePsychology Department in order tokeep my mental strength and ocus

up too.”Phuza has denitely managed the

balance between work and play nearly perectly and serves as an ideal exam-ple o what the age-old recipe o sheergrit, determination and disciplineare still capable o conjuring up. Tisyoung lady is one to look out or inthe uture.

Perect balance on and of the court

bee Pza a been appointed to te sot Arican 21 netba team.to: suPPlIED

Heathens emerge victoriousBy Douglas Smith

Te second round o Internal Rug-

by League xtures took place on 2

August at the Great Field. In the

rst match o the evening deend-

ing Internal League Champions

Heathens ran out 34-21 victors over

Founders Hall in an exciting game

o rugby.

Heathens came out ring andscored an early try through ank

ai Higgo. Minutes aer, Heathensscrumhal Lloyd Gluckman made asharp snipping run-o rom a lineoutmove and managed to throw the ippass inside to yhal Matt King whonished o the try.

Heathens number 11 Ryan Dewey was successul with the second o the conversion attempts and pushedHeathens’ lead to 13-0 in the rst ew minutes o the game.

Founders managed to shake theshock o conceding two early triesand began to put together some at-tacking play o their own. Tey wereawarded a penalty try or their eortswhen King slapped the ball down

deliberately in ront o the poles.Winger aadzwa Chitokwindo

knocked the conversion over andFounders were back in the game at13-8.

Heathens wasted no time inreplying to Founders’ retaliation andscored their third try shortly aerconceding the penalty try. Full-back Daniel van der Vyver made amarvellous run down the right hand

touchline, through a questionableFounders deence and ofoaded theball to Higgo who ended o threeFounders players beore scoring hissecond try. Dewey missed the conversion attempt, so the score stayedat 18-8.

Te momentum o the game con-tinued to swing in pendulum ashionaer the restart, with Founders rightback on the attack. Prop orward UvaNgatjizeko kicked through a looseball on the halway line and chased

it ercely.Te aster Heathens backline play-

ers reached the ball beore him, butumbled it around over their try-line,giving Ngatjizeko just enough o agap to pounce on the ball and steala second try or Founders. Chitok-windo was unable to add the extrapoints.

An exciting rst hal was broughtto a close with the score at 18-13.

Te second hal was messier thanthe rst, but brought with it more

tries. Heathens scored their ourthtry when they caught Founders o-guard with a quick throw in, whichallowed Heathens number 2 Devon

McMahon to run 50m untouchedand score next to the poles.

Dewey added the extra threepoints and the Heathens lead rolledover to 26-13.

Founders were again able to reply shortly aer. A clean looking back-line move gave the ullback enoughspace to get around the outside andscore Founders’ third try o thematch. Chitokwindo slotted the

tricky shot at the goal to make thescore 26-21 with ten mintues to go.

Founders ought valiantly, butthe deending champs held o longenough to clinch victory and evenmanaged to score a h try to throw salt in the wounds o their opposi-tion seconds beore the nal whistle.Winger Rogan Cowan scored the ve

pointer and added the extra threepoints himsel to round o a strongrst perormance by Heathens. Teend score was 34-21.

Heathens’ coach Andrew Beercredited his side’s hard work inpreparation or the season as beingthe reason behind their winningperormance.

“Founders were really strong; they put up a good ght. o go ve tries tothree against them was a great eort,”said Beer.

In the second game o the eveningTe Hill took an unconvincing 29-0win over Eastern Swallows.

An uneventul rst hal ended withthe score at 4-0 in avour o Te Hill,thanks to two penalties rom number15 Josh Devis.

Hill managed to get their act to-

gether in the second hal and endedup scoring our tries. Teir tries werescored by Kieran Chant O’Flaherty (no.1), Michael Teron (no.14),Moses Lusinga (no.5) and Devis, whoalso kicked over a conversion and apenalty in the second hal o play.

Lusinga said aer the game that itwas a particularly physical clash, buthe and his teammates “stuck it out,put in the hits and came out on top”.

an Browni, te Fonder fya,ring te Interna Rgby leage on 2gt. Poto: IVAN BlAZIC

“It’ reay tog

ometime ere atRode, porting-

wie. Tere are nota many expert andtrainer tat one can

make e o

- Nobubele Phuza


12/12

Sports

Graamtown Bodybiding Campionip took pace at te Recreationa ha in Abany Road on snday 28 Jy. It wa oted by Mak ana Natra Bodybiding Cb.to: MADIEN VAN DER MERWE

By Mthabisi Sithole

No matter the level o compe-

tition, participant saety at

any sporting event should be

high up on the agenda. Unortunately

or student competitors, saety is not

always assured at Rhodes inter-resi-

dence sporting events.

While sports such as hockey andrugby always have rst-aid practition-ers present, other clubs such as the

Rhodes University Mountain Club(RUMC) have only recently ollowedsuit, despite major injuries ocurring inthe past.

Members o the St John Ambulance

Centre are only deployed to overseethe saety o sports participants atRhodes University when they havebeen specically contacted by thesporting club or sports administrators.

o student Stephanie Stretch. Stretchell during a wall-climbing practice lastyear and severed three ligaments in herleg because the landing mats had beenremoved.

Stretch was adamant that saety must be a major priority in sport-ing events, stating, “saety is oenrelegated to a position o secondary importance, rather than being thecentral concern.

“For risky sports like climbing I

think that those involved - participantsand organisers - may have made themistake o ailing to err on the side o caution,” she continued. “I don't know i the committee members o societiesinvolving sports like climbing are givenspecic instructions regarding saety,but i this does not occur it is possibly an area which requires addressing.”

Co-director o RUMC David Hard-

to make sure everything is ne saety-wise but I’m glad that admin nally

made the call to get the St John guysdown here,” he said.

Centre Manager or St John MarioViljoen oversaw the rst-aid teamduring this year’s inter-residence rock-climbing competition.

“At St John we train rst-aid clubsrom everywhere, to the extent thatthey sometimes come and join theorganisation aer they complete their

training. We are responsible or train-ing the university’s rst aid-club aswell,” Viljoen said.

Should coordinating with St Johnor all university sport prove dicult,the Rhodes University rst-aid club isa possible avenue o support.

Te presence o individuals whohave the expertise required to look aer sporting participants within

Sport saety should be a priority

miani Payi o Gy Bter hoe participated in te inter-reidence rock

Become a GoogleStudent Ambassador

Page 6

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Rhodes refects onTurkish unrest

Page 5

The Oppidan Press. Edition 7. 2013.

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Transcript of The Oppidan Press. Edition 7. 2013.