In the wake of what seems to be an absolutely massive few months sporting wise, one can’t help but get carried away on a little victory parade. The Super 14 and the current cricketing action are just reminders of how well our country is faring on the international scene. The relocation of the IPL to South Africa has been a swift and practically flawless move, and the current success of the Confederation Cup points towards a country that, despite ongoing criticism and minor stumbling, really is getting its act together. The vuvuzelas, full stadiums and enthusiastic crowds produce a contagious enthusiasm for South Africa.
South Africans and the international community are quick to point fingers, and to make it clear as to where we are not shaping up. We don’t hear enough good news frankly, and this month we are in a position where, really, there isn’t much except good news. So let’s all forget about the freezing winter for a bit, and think about just how fabulously South Africa is doing.
All the 2010 stadiums are on track, tickets are selling faster than boerie rolls at a rugby game, we are hosting tournaments left right and centre with (at the moment) no crises to report and with full stadiums. Despite all the finger pointing, we have shown that we really do have everything it takes to compete with the rest of the world, and do so spectacularly. Well done South Africa!!
Fifteen years into the Rainbow nation, I don’t know that a soothsayer, witchdoctor, economist or analyst would have been able to predict the changes that have happened in our nation. Some of the surprises have been wonderful, others have been unexpected uncomfortable issues that still need to be dealt with.
Recently, Matthews Phosa, Moeletsi Mbeki and Stephen Chan delivered a talk on the South African Dream – where we have come, and where are going. For anyone with an interest in South Africa this was a must see. Phosa is an active member in the ANC, Mbeki a working businessman and accomplished analyst and speaker, and Chan, a professor at the SOAS (Society for Oriental and African Studies). The panel provided an incredible wealth of working knowledge and expertise regarding South Africa. Seen away from the hearsay and the fabricated stats that worked up expats and passionate South Africans at home can sometimes fall victim to made it all the more beneficial.
Each speaker had their own perspective on what was relevant, and the diversity of the panel allowed for an exhaustive range of topics to be covered in a short span of time. Affirmative action, crime, economic stability, corruption, national debt, land appropriation and the ANC as a government rather than a rebellion party all had their time in the spotlight.
Away from the propaganda and over-hype of the press, the challenges for South Africa were clearly laid out. There is no question that South Africa has come a long distance, in leaps and bounds over the last 15 years, but there are also slowly rising issues that need to be dealt with if we are to succeed. Our problem of debt per head in the country, and a culture of spending needs to be addressed, and quickly. Our debt per head is on a similar scale with that of the US, while our job market aligns with those of the BRIC countries – not an ideal economic position for a country that needs to grow over the next few years. In addition, our business environment needs to foster a spirit of much fiercer competition if we are to succeed in remaining a democracy with an economy on a global scale. Without the culture of competition, we run the risk of becoming a country run by monopolies, which will mean we quickly lose our edge in the international market.
Issues that are already prominent in discussions on South Africa weren’t excluded – affirmative action needs to be addressed if the brain drain of expats is to return to SA and be productive in the economy.
Overall, the discussion was a positive outline of the problems South Africa faces over the next few years if we are to prove ourselves different from other African countries and maintain our international status. The problems we face are not insurmountable, and if we work towards overcoming them it is possible. The only factor in the discussion that really made me think twice and doubt that it is possible was the ANC speaker on the panel. He consistently made light of the problems we face, and denied many of the quite obvious issues that need to be addressed. If we are to succeed as a nation with many obstacles to overcome, denying the problems we face and pretending that everything is really OK, is not going to work.
Perhaps we need to listen more closely to what Moeletsi Mbeki says. If we are to succeed internationally, we need to foster a spirit of fierce competition. Not just in our businesses, but in our political parties as well. Perhaps in fact, the spirit of competition is beginning to thrive in us. In the next 15 years we might well see more competition for the ANC in other parties, and see South Africans demanding more from its leading party, or finding someone who will deliver. I believe a competitive attitude politically and economically is one of the biggest keys for our success. For the next 15 years, let’s make our dream to be more demanding of South Africa – if we demand more and demand only the best of what can be delivered, the only possible result is to produce our best results.
It was gratifying to see that the ANC have backed out of interdicting the Mail & Guardian newspaper over a photograph they printed spoofing South African president Jacob Zuma. After threats made earlier this month, it came to light last week that the ANC had run out of steam and stomping free speech was not to be high on their list of things to do.
The photograph, which was March's spoof shot from satirical t-shirt company Laugh it Off's Corpowit calender 2009, featured the back of Zuma's head with a shower head hanging over it. In the wake of a number of distressing moves to quiet the nation's voice, including the SABC's shady rescheduling of a Special Assignment programme on political satire and Zuma's move to sue famed satirical cartoonist Zapiro for defamation over his “Rape of Justice” cartoon, a success in the corner for freedom of speech was a little bit overdue.
South African defamation law gives a great degree of protection to satirical commentary on politicians. If the underlying facts alluded to in the spoof or satire are based on a reasonable amount of truth, then the commentary is protected as free speech. Basically, if the cartoon is not being gratuitously mean and is basing the central thesis on some axis of fact or current political debate then it cannot be deemed unlawful. This is something that the leading party appeared to forget for a brief moment, which speaks to a larger worry that extends to freedom of speech in journalists, artists, writers and actors. Our constitution is one of the strongest in the world and it is that constitution which allows us freedom of speech to question, challenge and even poke a bit of fun at our political figures. Any move to take away that right by the ANC or any other political party is just not on. It is great to see that Justin Nurse, his Laugh it Off team and the Mail & Guardian newspaper are reminding our leading figures of that.
The 2009 elections have come and gone. A free Jacob Zuma has and taken over as president of South Africa and Armageddon hasn’t hit. The cabinet has been reshuffled and Helen Zille marches on against the riptide of the ANCYL. Thabo who? Relatively speaking, there is a country wide calm. As Saffers, we have become so used to the chimes of electricity failure or the chorus of xenophobic violence, that when the headlines start to settle down, we crawl out from the back of the couch, look around to check if we’re about to be flanked by a “Financial Crisis, SA in recession” banner, or a “2010 to be exported to Oz” heading, and pinch ourselves to check we’re not dreaming. It has been a quiet few weeks in South Africa and the newspaper columns all seem to be filled with the remains of something you’re sure you’ve read about before. Everyone’s just waiting, poised for the next big “disaster” so that we can return to the chaos and meltdowns that we’re so comfortable with.
Within this small period of respite, I thought the time was right to have a look around and see what the rest of the world has been up to. At times like these, it is important to sit back, take a moment and realise that all countries have their own personal set of ridiculous situations to deal with. I specifically avoided Obama, Pakistan, Iran and pretty much any other zone that was likely to send me scurrying back behind the couch. Quite satisfyingly, I found sufficient material in the headlines of some of our world’s newspapers to have me sniggering like a school boy with a boner. Some local Rag in Idaho evidently didn’t find the headline “one armed man applauds the kindness of strangers” worth a giggle. I just wish they had managed an action pic of him clapping. A New Jersey local bellowed that apparently “Statistics show that teen pregnancies drop significantly after the age of 25”. Whoever said that editors don’t have a nose for the obvious?
Our good ol’ Aussie mates down under did us proud with this gem: “Army vehicle worth $74 000 goes missing after being painted with camouflage”. There is a reason this country hasn’t REALLY gone to war in the last … well … never … except their ‘participation in WW2’. In Alaska somewhere, law enforcement agencies are driving fear into the hearts of criminals with strong new operations publicized as follows: “Police begin campaign to run-down jaywalkers”. On an accidental foray into the realm of the fearful, I found this headline commenting on that violent and recurrent insurgencies throughout Iraq “Iraqi head seeks arms”. Poor chap.
There’s the occasional blooper that thoughtlessly wonders into the zone of the lascivious, like this pearler “Prostitutes appeal to Pope”. The big man would look great tied up with fishnets. One can also rely on the massive worldwide poverty grammar to provide us with howlers like “Squad helps dog bite victim” or “Dealers will hear car talk at noon”.
Finally, there are those that just plain get their meanings muddled. Nicaragua was a strong contender in this event with “Never withhold herpes from loved one” and “Autos killing 110 a day, let's resolve to do better” to its name. However, the out and out winner and personal favourite has to go to the Americans with the absolute classic: “Drunk drivers paid $1,000 in 1984” Tee hee.
When you look at it with this perspective, you realise that South Africa is not really that insane, it’s not really that screwed up and it’s not on a slippery slope to catastrophe. It is interesting and difficult and a whole lot more exciting than some other countries. But other countries have their flaws too. I expect the South African media moguls to bring back the doomsday headlines soon. At least then I can go back to feeling safe and settled.
London has been home for me for the past two years. In the time I have been here, I have experienced cheese, wine, fruit, sweets, cakes and any other form of sustenance imaginable. Fruits I had never heard of and vegetables I had never even seen. The Heathrow injection is not sneaky, it lives, quite obviously, at Borough Market and at food festivals throughout the year.
London and its surrounding boroughs has festivals and markets that are just mind blowing for anyone even remotely interested in food. I have been privileged enough to travel while I have lived here, and cities like Barcelona, Brussels and Paris feel like a repeat of the same process all over again. When you go there you see foods you’d never heard of and learn ways of preparing food you would never have imagined.
It would be easy to give the impression that South Africa is lagging in this department, or that one needs to leave to discover the vast wonders of foods available. That impression would be wrong. While I have learnt about foods here that I wasn’t aware existed, I have spent a lot of time talking to English people, and telling them about the foods that we eat at home. Many times, they have been as incredulous as I have been – both when I tell them of our food, and of the foods I have discovered here.
South Africans live a lifestyle where our food is predominantly grown on farms, purchased genuinely fresh and has seen some daylight in its time. Our food is not frozen or artificially ripened, we have no need of that, and having real sun ripened food doesn’t cost us any extra. Moreover, our diverse cultures and eating habits mean that although we might use the local supermarket reasonably often, stopping to buy avocados on the side of the road or getting your fruit from a fruit store on your way home is not unheard of. We tend to eat fruits and vegetables when they are in season, and from farms local to us.
This kind of buying and exposure to foods that are in season means that our experience of foods is wider than the average Brit who shops for the same foods at the same shop, day in and day out. South Africans buy different foods at different times of the year, rather than perfect tomatoes available 365 days a year, grown in Venezuela and ripened with a light. We eat what grows on our farms, and not just what the man who owns Spar can order to have in his shop.
Over and above this, if you look at food festivals and markets annually in the UK and in South Africa, the number of festivals available comes in quite close.
Having attended a selection in both the UK and SA, it needs to be said that South Africa’s food festivals and markets beat those in the UK hands down. They are better planned logistically – parking and people management tends to be better. They are generally cheaper to attend for the local. To go to a Food Festival in London is a very pricey affair, and tends to be rather class dominated – it’s not generally available to anyone interested in learning about food. Entrance tickets come in at roughly double the price of a movie ticket, and the food to be purchased once you are inside does not come cheap. There are more Veuve Cliquot sipping yuppies than ordinary people on a day out to taste good food.
I have observed at food festivals in South Africa families from a range of economic incomes, ages and classes – the focus really is on good food and on learning about it, rather than on spending vast amounts of money because you can. You do get the Veuve Cliquot sippers in SA, but you also get the dads in torn jeans and decade old flip flops there to taste some jams, and groups of students having a fun day out.
Moreover, because we have more space, our festivals are bigger and more diverse. Olive oils, cheeses and wines dominate UK festivals. South Africa boasts amazing breads, jams, pickles, varieties of home made beers and other kinds of booze, fresh oysters and mussels to name a few.
For a country still growing into the food and wine festival market, we compete on an absolutely outstanding level, and I can honestly say that in terms of value for money, I have yet to go to a food festival in the UK that competes with any in South Africa.
The mysteries of taxi transport have always plagued me. Between not knowing how the Duckworth/Lewis system works and how to flambé a pudding correctly is the niggling reality that the one trip in a taxi in '97 between Gates and the Randburg Waterfront at 11pm doesn't make me an expert. I dislike not knowing how things work. There is no discernible logic to taxi routs routes or stopping points and the sheer number of people that fit into one taxi mini bus continues to highlight my own personal phobia of people touching me. To my middle to upper class tendencies it just doesn't make sense.
Like the rest of the car driving nation, I have faced off with a taxi driver or two, one of those obscene young lasses in her pretty new car gesticulating wildly at the blatant contempt shown by these people for the rules of the road. But, personal rage aside, the taxi system as it is is something that has been set up by entrepreneurs who spotted a gap in the market, and now, the heavies who promised to protect them look like they are going to take it away with the fell swoop that only African politics are capable of achieving. I would be bleak too.
Obviously the official tag line is that everything is being followed as protocol and the taxi drivers are being happily coddled into the fold of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Campaigns of anger displayed earlier in the year lean towards a different truth but, last week in talks in Midrand, the flames of ire were cooled somewhat and plans for the BRT will go ahead.
Deputy Transport Minister Jeremy Cronin said on Thursday that "The city-led processes around the first phases of BRT... must continue. What we are trying to do today is not to again prolong the process, but provide a green light to proceed energetically," A meeting between Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele, senior transport officials and taxi bosses led to this pleasant conclusion, reopening channels of communication and greater chances for a sustainable public transport system. During the discussion Ndebele assured taxi bosses that only 5%of the national taxi fleet will be affected by the BRT system roll out up until 20212. "In particular the City of Johannesburg is sitting on a very tight deadline in terms of financial commitments and obligations, and therefore it is absolutely important that we get the first phase up and running by the end of August," Cronin said.
After JZ halted the negotiations just before the April 22 election, things were looking dodgy and my continued refusal to grace the local public transport imminent. This progress is far better. By 2025 the BRT system is expected to cover 1400km across the country should the trial run work out. I wonder whether the Gates/Randburg waterfront route is included in there?
Leading by example: A story of servant leadership in Action
By Tracy Hammond
The stereotype of what a politician is and does, particularly an African one, has been thoroughly blown out of the water by Ghana’s former president John Kufuor. His commitment to his people, Ghanaians particularly and Africans more generally, is and was clear in his many actions. The benefits of these long-term and strategic plans are becoming more and more evident as each day passes. He instituted a socio-economic vision that was encapsulated in the ‘Five Priority Areas Programme’: the pursuit of good governance, modernisation of agriculture for rural development, private sector participation, enhanced social services and vigorous infrastructural development. This transformation has resulted in the highest growth rate Ghana has experienced since independence.
Kufuor left the country with a national reserve of US$2bn when he left office, an incredible growth of the $230m left by the previous government. “Under his watch, respect for the rule of law and human rights was paramount. For all 8 years that he ruled, nobody was imprisoned for political reasons...Civil liberties were enhanced and the criminal libel law was repealed to give greater voice to journalists and all who live in the country” saysformer Deputy Minister of Information Frank Agyekum. Ghana was the first to accede to the African Peer Review mechanism and the standard set by Ghana is now the measurement for all other countries on the continent.
As Chairman of the African Union, Kufuor was a key player in helping to establish the Kenyan power sharing process which is now being emulated in Zimbabwe.Yet this is not where his commitment ends and the recent revelation of the remuneration package he received as President has left none in doubt that he saw his role as servant to the people. For the first 5 years of his term he earned a salary of only US$1000. Only after an international review did he receive an increase up to US$4600 per month. He never took up residence in the Presidential Palace nor claimed the ‘rent’ for use of his own home which he was entitled to. This is in particular contrast to the current political situation in the UK and is a model of behaviour all in the world, developed or developing, should take note of.
Not a very prepossessing title but all the same an activity that is most often honoured in the breach rather than in the observance. With this article I am going to focus on ‘Preparation and Cooking White Fish Fillets 101’. Why? Well, because most of my friends have very little idea what to do when presented with some fresh fish fillets. While we still have relatively abundant stocks of certain fish and good distribution networks allowing us (even in Johannesburg) to get good quality fresh fish, I feel that the least we can do is make sure that we cook it right. So we’ll start small and I’ll deal with the more complex oily jobs in a later missive.
For us in South Africa the fish most often thought of as an almost national fish (somebody please tell me what our national fish actually is) is the Kingklip. A wonderful firm fleshed white fish that although in itself not overly flavoursome, the Kingklip takes on other flavours in a regal manner. Other types of fish similar to Kingklip include: Kabeljou, very fresh Hake, reef fish such as 74 and Rockcod, Steenbras, Sea Bass, Musselcracker, etc. All listed exampled will provide beautiful fillets that can be prepared for you to order from your friendly fishmonger or bought from a much smaller selection at Woolies in a handy vacuum packed container.
The golden rule with fish is when you get home do NOT wash it. By all means, wipe it down with a damp cloth, but immersing the whole fillet in water will only serve to swell its flesh and dilute its flavour. Right, so you are now almost ready to rock and roll, but before you do remember that the absolute key requirement for cooking fish well, as with humour, is in the timing. Get the timing wrong and your seduction feast or impress a friend meal will disappoint every time.
Once you have got all your trimmings sorted out and nothing left to distract you, only then should you turn to the fish. Question one: Are you going to sauce it? If so, then please make sure that the sauce is appropriate - matching aioli with hake is just a very bad idea. Easy and efficient sauces can be made with lemon and butter, while certain other fruits, like seasonal mangos can be used to create wonderful flavours and contrasting colours. I find that the fish sauces I most often use come from the tome of modern cooking master Rick Steyn. That guy knows his fish sauces! They are easy to follow, don’t have too many ingredients and can often be made a bit in advance of the inevitable pyrotechnics that comes with getting to grips with the actual cooking process.
To prep the fish is simple. I like a mixture of flour and breadcrumbs with a little salt. Make sure that you only dip the fish fillets into this mixture just before you cook it. Shake off any residue before cooking, the object is not to create a thick crust but rather something that when pan fried will crisp up adding texture and flavour and not take away from that wonderful fish texture.
Right … let’s get onto the cooking.
The first - and probably only – unshakable rule is don’t overcook anything! The flesh of white fish is light and cooks quickly. It should be grilled or pan fried at a highish heat so that you can add the major flavour imparted by cooking, that of the caramelized fish flesh, to the dish. I like to pan fry fish fillets in a shallow pan with a small quantity of vegetable oil, a small knob of butter should be added once the first sizzle has been heard (an exact science). You can put the fish in skin up or down, but generally the side that you want presented on the plate should go in first. Don’t move the fish around in the pan (OK, so that is rule number 2 – I lied), let the cooking process work its magic for at least 60 seconds before you move anything then add the butter for another few seconds of sizzle and flip the fish over.
Now onto the million dollar question: when is it done? Personally, I would prefer fish that is slightly juicy rather than overdone but I accept that I am in a minority in this regard. A good test is to use a carving knife with a point and gently slide it into the thickest part of the fillet. If the blade slides in easily then the fish is done. My own test is just when I think that it is underdone, then it is done. It’s a bit Irish but it keeps me on my toes, because once your fish is overcooked there is no recovery, you are dead in the water no matter how hard you try to disguise the fruits of a fruitless labour. Once done, serve immediately. If you leave it in the warming drawer for more than a few minutes it will spoil and so will all that preparation.
So plate up quickly and elegantly, less is usually more with fish. Do not cover the fish in parsley or any other leaves. A piece of lemon is good with the sauce placed under the fish with maybe a few splashes of sauce and good olive oil over the top.
If you follow the process correctly the results will astound you. Friends, family political friends and foes, workmates, gym partners everywhere will look at you in awe, locals will mark your presence with respect and shower you with compliments as you go about your various peregrinations, it is also for the youngster a great mate puller. I love serving fish to my family and friends. By and large it is good for you, one tends not to overeat and it is just so much sexier than a great slab of meat – don’t you think?
Indie clad Johannesburg wunderkind Greg Culin released the début LP of his musical brainchild Zebra and Giraffe to favourable critiques and slavering audiences last year. 'Collected Memories', an album created with the production talents of Harris Tweed’s Darryl Torr, is an offering that has been described as:"the kind of slick but dark electro rock you'd expect a fan of New Order and Joy Division to make".
The fourth general election in South Africa’s relatively youthful democracy was completed on Wednesday 22 April. For the first time since 1994, South African ex-pats where given the chance to vote on the 15th and all over the world, stations were opened and democracy was served. On the home front, a record number of voters took to the polls and, for the first time, actively created an opposition party to the all powerful ANC.
For me, the tenacity of South African voters was displayed at the Home Affairs office in Randburg on Tuesday 21 April, when hundreds of people stood beside me in the queue for interminable hours to ensure they would have the chance to vote the following day. Some had lost their ID books through carelessness, others had lost theirs through non-violent and sometimes violent crimes. There were stories of ID books that did not last the machine wash cycle, or, unfortunately, stayed on the wrong side of the ocean when their owners flew back to vote.
Whatever the reasons, they were there, they were prepared to wait and they would do it with the charismatic flair intrinsic to South Africans. Some
entrepreneurs took the opportunity to serve hot chocolate up and down the lines and there was the unified feeling of people coming together and taking an active interest in the country. I stood in that queue for 5 hours and not one person near me gave up and left. They stood and they fought for their chance to vote. The same way they are prepared to stand and fight for their country.
I don’t know what the next five years holds for South Africa, but as long as we have comrades willing to wait in endless queues with blessed patience for their chance to have their democratic say, I reckon we will be ok.
Playwright and stage director working freelance. Passion for many things, trying to find an interest in any of them. 80s brat with big dreams and limited attention span.
Dear Reader,
