south africa

Most parts of the Eastern Cape have experienced 2 years of below average annual rainfall, but the South African Weather Service has confirmed that the Uitenhage region has been the worst off with 5 years of below average rainfall.

Rainfall over the Eastern Cape for 2017 was generally dry. This is in line with what international climate scientists have been projecting that global rainfall patterns will shift. And these seasonal shifts affect water resources across the planet.

“The seasonal forecast does not look promising with only near normal rain forecast for most of the Eastern Cape,� said Garth Sampson, Client Liaison Officer (Eastern Cape) at the South African Weather Service.

“Considering the above and that the dam levels are fast approaching the 25% mark, it is vital that we all conserve water.�

According to the weather service, the prolonged period of below average rainfall in areas of the Eastern Cape can be divided as follows:

•East London, Grahamstown, Port Alfred, Port Elizabeth, Patensie and Joubertina have had 2 years of below average annual rainfall (2016-2017).

•Graaf Reinett and Cradock have experienced below average rainfall for 3 years (2015-2017).

•Mthatha and Somerset East have had 4 years of below average rainfall (2014-2017).

•Uitenhage, is the worst off with 5 years’ below average rainfall (2013-2017).

Here are some comparisons of average annual rainfall totals (first figure) and the 2017 actual rainfall (second figure) of towns in the Eastern Cape:

Queenstown (442 mm – 550 mm), Mthatha (675 mm – 587 mm), Graaf Reinett (304 mm – 216 mm), Cradock (376 mm – 347 mm), Joubertina (394 mm – 207 mm), Patensie (459 mm – 340 mm), Uitenhage (423 mm – 315 mm), Port Elizabeth (616 mm – 494 mm), Port Alfred (585 mm – 485 mm), Grahamstown (523 mm – 504 mm), East London (834 mm – 807 mm).

By ZINGISA MVUMVU, LULAMILE FENI and NATHI OLIFANT

“The ANC is back with a bang and we will be dealing with those stealing public money.”

These were the strong words from ANC newly-elected president Cyril Ramaphosa as the governing party celebrated 106 years of existence at a cake-cutting ceremony in a packed-to-capacity East London City Hall last night.

Ramaphosa preached unity in the party saying it was “not an option” as his new national executive committee (NEC) takes charge.

The revival of the ANC was in motion and he urged all members to rally behind a “top-class leadership armed with the best policies the country has ever seen”.

In this revival the ANC would “ask for love back” from supporters who had abandoned it. The new broom would sweep clean and “return the ANC to its glory days”.

The top six officials of the ANC were all in attendance and proceeded to cut the cake, marking the end of last night’s formal activities.

The main celebration is set to take place on Saturday at the Buffalo City Stadium.

Ramaphosa is to pay a courtesy visit to at least three Eastern Cape royal houses today ahead of the January 13 rally.

In the morning he will visit AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcawu at his Nqadu Great Place in Willowvale, followed by a visit to AmaRharhabe Regent-Queen Noloyiso Sandile in Mngqesha Great Place near King William’s Town in the afternoon.

ANC provincial chairman Oscar Mabuyane said they were also working on having Ramaphosa and his top five visit Nelson Mandela’s home and gravesite in Qunu on Thursday.

“He will then pay a courtesy visit to the acting AbaThembu King Azenathi Dalindyebo at his Bumbane Great Place in Mthatha, where we expect to have a mini rally on Thursday,” said Mabuyane.

He said ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule would lead another delegation to visit the birthplace of another late ANC president, Dr AB Xuma, at Manzana in Ngcobo.

Mabuyane said the role played by monarchs and other traditional leaders in South Africa in the establishment of the ANC was immeasurable.

Ramaphosa is also due to visit Cradock to pay respects to the late Cradock Four struggle heroes.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa and his former rival Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma yesterday made their first high-profile public appearance together since her defeat.

Speaking at Ohlange in Inanda‚ north of Durban‚ where he and other ANC officials laid a wreath at the gravesite of the ANC’s founding president John Langalibalele Dube‚ Ramaphosa called for unity in KwaZulu-Natal.

He confirmed that he had met President Jacob Zuma on Sunday but did not divulge what they discussed.

lSee also page 4

By ZINGISA MVUMVU, LULAMILE FENI and NATHI OLIFANT

“The ANC is back with a bang and we will be dealing with those stealing public money.”

These were the strong words from ANC newly-elected president Cyril Ramaphosa as the governing party celebrated 106 years of existence at a cake-cutting ceremony in a packed-to-capacity East London City Hall last night.

Ramaphosa preached unity in the party saying it was “not an option” as his new national executive committee (NEC) takes charge.

The revival of the ANC was in motion and he urged all members to rally behind a “top-class leadership armed with the best policies the country has ever seen”.

In this revival the ANC would “ask for love back” from supporters who had abandoned it. The new broom would sweep clean and “return the ANC to its glory days”.

The top six officials of the ANC were all in attendance and proceeded to cut the cake, marking the end of last night’s formal activities.

The main celebration is set to take place on Saturday at the Buffalo City Stadium.

Ramaphosa is to pay a courtesy visit to at least three Eastern Cape royal houses today ahead of the January 13 rally.

In the morning he will visit AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcawu at his Nqadu Great Place in Willowvale, followed by a visit to AmaRharhabe Regent-Queen Noloyiso Sandile in Mngqesha Great Place near King William’s Town in the afternoon.

ANC provincial chairman Oscar Mabuyane said they were also working on having Ramaphosa and his top five visit Nelson Mandela’s home and gravesite in Qunu on Thursday.

“He will then pay a courtesy visit to the acting AbaThembu King Azenathi Dalindyebo at his Bumbane Great Place in Mthatha, where we expect to have a mini rally on Thursday,” said Mabuyane.

He said ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule would lead another delegation to visit the birthplace of another late ANC president, Dr AB Xuma, at Manzana in Ngcobo.

Mabuyane said the role played by monarchs and other traditional leaders in South Africa in the establishment of the ANC was immeasurable.

Ramaphosa is also due to visit Cradock to pay respects to the late Cradock Four struggle heroes.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa and his former rival Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma yesterday made their first high-profile public appearance together since her defeat.

Speaking at Ohlange in Inanda‚ north of Durban‚ where he and other ANC officials laid a wreath at the gravesite of the ANC’s founding president John Langalibalele Dube‚ Ramaphosa called for unity in KwaZulu-Natal.

He confirmed that he had met President Jacob Zuma on Sunday but did not divulge what they discussed.

lSee also page 4

Plans to turn struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s former home in Brandfort, Free State, into a museum is not the first or last time government has poured money into a heritage project, only for it to fall into disrepair.

Down at Cradock, in the Eastern Cape, government has so far poured an estimated R30 million to conceptualise, construct and manage the so-called Cradock Four Garden of Remembrance.

In 2007, the then deputy minister of environmental affairs and tourism Rejoice Mabudafhasi delivered a keynote address at the “official sod-turning” event on July 9.

According to a media release issued by Mava Scott, chief director of communications at the time, the department of environmental affairs and tourism had “set aside R15 million” for the project.

“In addition, the department has provided R13 million for the construction of a tourism centre, research on the history of Cradock, construction of accommodation facilities and refurbishments of
existing infrastructure at Vusubuntu Cultural Village,” the press release continued.

READ MORE: Struggle stalwart’s son to be ‘disciplined’ by SABC

“Mabudafhasi concluded by stating the best way to remember and honour the Cradock Four was to ensure the viability and sustainability of the Cradock Four Garden of Remembrance as a vehicle for creating a better life for all,” Scott boasted in the statement on a government website.

The allocated R28-million expenditure, however, seemed to have resulted in nothing more than a derelict, obscure structure without any evidence of the facilities meant to be added to it.

Writing for media24 on April 7, 2015, Derrick Spies spoke of “four concrete pillars, towering up into the sky” and told readers “questions about their purpose spring to mind as the structure encroaches upon the skyline”.

“This is the first impression of the Cradock Four memorial, erected to honour Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli, four anti-apartheid activists assassinated by the South African Secret Police during the height of apartheid in 1985,” Spies elaborated.

Among a litany of problems, the writer found the absence of directional signage to the monument, residents not knowing where the “garden of remembrance” is located, and “if you make your way on to the gravel road leading to the memorial, a broken gate greets you upon arrival”.

‘The project is to be completed in November.’

“There is no activity at the memorial at all. A vacant reception area greets you as you climb out your vehicle. It is clear that the memorial is not in use,” he warned.

He further revealed “progress beyond the reception area up to the main memorial by vehicle is impossible”, with a tarred road almost indistinguishable from the surrounding veld.

He also found “unfinished buildings with missing doors, smashed windows and missing roofs”, with weeds pushing “through the paving” and overtaking the once-landscaped gardens.

He mentioned electrical cables that had been ripped from walls and pipes sticking out of the wall “the only indication of where toilets used to be”. Light fittings were gone and “smashed beyond repair”.

The “beautiful wooden deck has slowly been removed. The only indication that the deck was ever there is a few support beams and fittings rising up out of the concrete slab”.

Despite all his misgivings, the same department (now separated from environmental affairs) confirmed it had allocated R13.8 million for phase two of the construction.

Qaqamba Magadla, writing for Dispatch Live on April 5, 2016, quoted departmental spokesperson Trevor Bloem, saying phase two would include repairs to the damaged buildings, completion of the amphitheatre and the addition of the shading furnishing in the exhibition centre.

Dispatch Live reported the department had set aside R15 million for the construction of the garden of remembrance. “The project is to be completed in November,” Magadla quoted Bloem.

The Citizen understands the deadline was missed. Calling into one of the Primedia radio stations, a local resident called this week disputed there had been any progress since the last time Media24 broke the story of the garden’s neglect.

Similar allegations of mismanagement of heritage establishments were levelled against Nelson Mandela Museum in Umtata, together with its satellite museums in Qunu and Mvezo.

Queries have been sent to department and the provincial arts and culture department to determine the current state of the project.

Voortrekker Monument and Freedom Park join forces again

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SPONSORED: Siphosethu Sota, a teenager from Cradock in the Eastern Cape, is the latest graduate of the Shell Scholarship Programme, aimed at uplifting academically gifted high school learners from disadvantaged communities across the country. The Shell Scholarship Programme gives recipients the opportunity to access good quality education, and in this way empower themselves for later in life.

Siphosethu, who matriculated in 2016, is one of 40 children to benefit from the Shell Scholarship Programme annually. She first heard of the programme in Grade 9 in 2014 from her former headmaster, who encouraged her to apply.

Transformation is a business imperative for Shell, which is seen as key to addressing the social inequality that exists in South Africa. For this reason, the true spirit of transformation sits at the heart of its business.

“I come from a small town, with a high unemployment rate and also a high rate of early, unplanned pregnancies. But I wanted to dream big, and I believe that education is the only way to improve one’s life,” Siphosethu said. 

“My application to the Shell Scholarship Programme was successful, and it gave me the opportunity to study in one of the country’s best learning institutions, the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) in Grahamstown.”

Ntobeko Mogadime, Social Investment Manager at Shell South Africa, says, “The Shell Scholarship Programme is one of Shell’s transformation initiatives aimed at powering South Africa’s progress. For Shell, transformation is all about empowering the individual so that communities can thrive and build a prosperous nation for us all. Through recognising Siphosethu’s talent and giving her the tools she needs to achieve her full potential, we help fuel a nation of equal opportunity. This is why individuals like Siphosethu are central to Shell’s transformation vision, not only for our company but for our communities and our country.”

The Shell Scholarship Programme sponsored Siphosethu’s studies for three years, based on merit, until she completed Grade 12 in December 2016. The move from a school in a very small town to DSG was a huge adjustment for her.

“I came from a disadvantaged family compared to most of my schoolmates and there were times when I felt very insecure, especially at the beginning of my studies there,” Siphosethu said. 

“But, because of my hunger to learn, and my academic resilience, I managed to defy the odds and I was accepted into the University of Cape Town to study commerce. I have been fortunate in that Shell is continuing to support my education at a tertiary level.”

“After completing my studies, the first thing I would like to do is to make positive changes at home. This would be beneficial to everyone in my community. It would enable them to see my progress, and that I have used academic opportunities to improve myself. It would show in a practical way that, through education, nothing is impossible.”

Ntobeko Mogadime concludes, “Shell South Africa is committed to transformation through educational support, partnerships and development. We wish Siphosethu all the best with her tertiary studies and we are thrilled that in the future she will be truly empowered to pass on the torch of learning, ultimately making a practical difference to her family, community and country.”

Shell’s progressive transformation initiatives have been instrumental in the group achieving its level 1 BEE score but more importantly demonstrates true commitment to powering the progress of South Africans through investment in education, skills development and by creating opportunities for previously disadvantaged individuals throughout the group’s value chain.

For more information, visit: www.shell.co.za/stationtonation

 

The is in honour of Reverend Sikolakhe Marawu.

Affectionately called Rev, Mrev or Comrade Rev�, was a committed liberation fighter and allowed his lot to be used as a cover for those who were oppressed and were involved in the liberation struggle.

Because of his activism, the apartheid regime focused their searchlight on him, and he became a marked man, with all manner of intended isolation visited upon him.

However, they could not separate him from his people, as he became a popular “chaplain to the masses of the Western Cape�, albeit an unofficial one in the eyes of the oppressor.

In the black townships The Rev presided in many political funerals.

His “official duties� included visiting and comforting bereaved families. He was the to-go-to priest for ANC funerals.

While other men of the cloth danced to the tune of the Apartheid regime, The Rev danced to the tune of the masses.

He was a thorn on the side of the oppressors.

What made him participate in both religion and politics was his belief that religion and politics “is saliva to the tongue�.

Author and ANC veteran Archie Sibeko, who knew him from their days in Kraaifontein before all moved to Nyanga West(Gugulethu) and then to Langa said of The Rev:: “He had decided early on that religion and ANC politics coincide in many respects and we recognized his commitment to both the church and the struggle�.

He was also a good trade unionist, organizing workers to join the trade union. Sibeko: “Most of the pastors I know are delicate specimens, not rabble- rousers�. Unionists were perceived by the racist regime as communists and they had no protection in terms of the law. It was not in Cape Town only where he organized workers but in Durban as well.

That is why at the formation of the United Democratic Front(UDF), he fitted like a glove to a hand, playing a prominent role as well. Some comrades from the Eastern Cape were highly impressed by him at the funeral of the “Cradock Four�, Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli. Before the freedom song “Hamba Kahle Mkhonto� became widely known, he sang it at that funeral carrying an uMkhonto (a spear).

Even his birth year, 1922, coincides with the year of the strike action by mine workers.

The Rev was hailed as a hero by his peers.

Unfortunately he did not live to see the freedom he tirelessly fought for. But the then ANC led government in Western Cape honoured with The Order of the DISA. Unfortunately Comrade Saleem Badat, in his book, “The Forgotten People: Political Banishment Under Apartheid�, doesn’t mention “The Rev�. Jeremy Seekings, in his book “The UDF: A History of the United Democratic Front in South Africa, 1983-1991�, also doesn’t mention Rev Marawu. Both are unfortunate omissions.

It’s unfortunate that he didn’t only miss the freedom he fought for but also meeting his comrades and friends he last saw before they were forced to skip the country into exile.

The authorities didn’t realize that they were shooting themselves in the foot by taking his license. He got enough time to organize workers to join trade unions and challenge both capitalism and Apartheid, two sides of the same coin, exploitative-oppressive machinery to Africans/Blacks.

His stance against Apartheid earned him much credibility to the masses of the oppressed, as compared to compliant men of the cloth.

Many thanks to Archie Sibeko for also writing about him as well in his book, titled “Roll of Honour�.

The 13rd of November 2017 marked the 30th anniversary of his death but this passed on without as much as a murmur.

It has been three decades of silence on this great son of the soil who made his mark sacrificing a great deal to lead his people to a freedom he did not come to celebrate.

Renowned wheel-spinner, DJ Stavo-real name Steven Sanders, is happy following the beginning of his regional tour started last week in South Africa. The tour when he shared stage with entertainers like DJ Tira, Naaq Musiq, rapper Emtee and Lady Zamar among others.

After the show in South Africa he travelled to Lesotho where he performed at Maseru Summer Festival and he left fans asking for more. He also performed at the Inxuba Yethemba Music Festival in Cradock, Eastern Cape and then rounded off his marvel of a weekend at Mabaleng in Randburg. Stavo said it was refreshing to have such shows and the response was overwhelming.

“This past weekend had the best highlights of my career. Playing alongside such big artistes is a dream comes true for me, music is powerful,” he said.

Stavo said he was hopeful that he will pull through for other shows that are left in Botswana and South Africa again. The popular wheel spanner who has done several duets with musicians across the region said he wanted to raise the country flag high.

“As much as I do it for my brand I also want to put my flag on the map and be an ambassador for my beloved country,” he said.

On Christmas eve he is expected to play at the Fly Fish Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa before travelling to Botswana for the Kanyi weee Music Festival. Dj Stavo has had a roller coaster of a year releasing two refreshing singles-The Journey featuring Roki and his latest release Ngcela Uvume featuring top South African artiste, Professor.

Both singles have videos that are currently on rotation on MTV Base Africa and Channel O. He has also featured on top radio stations for interviews with one of the biggest shows being the Fresh Breakfast with DJ Fresh on Metro FM.

DJ Stavo

Arts Correspondent
Renowned wheel-spinner, DJ Stavo-real name Steven Sanders, is happy following the beginning of his regional tour started last week in South Africa. The tour when he shared stage with entertainers like DJ Tira, Naaq Musiq, rapper Emtee and Lady Zamar among others.

After the show in South Africa he travelled to Lesotho where he performed at Maseru Summer Festival and he left fans asking for more. He also performed at the Inxuba Yethemba Music Festival in Cradock, Eastern Cape and then rounded off his marvel of a weekend at Mabaleng in Randburg. Stavo said it was refreshing to have such shows and the response was overwhelming.

“This past weekend had the best highlights of my career. Playing alongside such big artistes is a dream comes true for me, music is powerful,” he said.

Stavo said he was hopeful that he will pull through for other shows that are left in Botswana and South Africa again. The popular wheel spanner who has done several duets with musicians across the region said he wanted to raise the country flag high.

“As much as I do it for my brand I also want to put my flag on the map and be an ambassador for my beloved country,” he said.

On Christmas eve he is expected to play at the Fly Fish Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa before travelling to Botswana for the Kanyi weee Music Festival. Dj Stavo has had a roller coaster of a year releasing two refreshing singles-The Journey featuring Roki and his latest release Ngcela Uvume featuring top South African artiste, Professor.

Both singles have videos that are currently on rotation on MTV Base Africa and Channel O. He has also featured on top radio stations for interviews with one of the biggest shows being the Fresh Breakfast with DJ Fresh on Metro FM.

In the latest South African study, Dhansay and his colleagues note that local rocks associated with high heat flow signatures often contain high concentrations of radiogenic elements such as uranium and potassium. In fact, it is these rocks, which are rich in heat-producing elements, that release heat during the decay of radiogenic elements. Nevertheless, the study has identified five regions that could be considered promising areas for geothermal energy projects.

They include parts of the Cape mountains north-east of Cape Town; the Southern Karoo region from Oudtshoorn to Cradock; a large belt of land north of Durban; the Thabazimbi-Murchison belt north of Johannesburg and the northern Limpopo region near Musina.

“SA may therefore have a realistic chance of developing geothermal energy, but will still need additional research and development including new temperature measurements and structural, hydrogeological and economic investigations.”

The actual paper can be found here.

In the latest South African study, Dhansay and his colleagues note that local rocks associated with high heat flow signatures often contain high concentrations of radiogenic elements such as uranium and potassium. In fact, it is these rocks, which are rich in heat-producing elements, that release heat during the decay of radiogenic elements. Nevertheless, the study has identified five regions that could be considered promising areas for geothermal energy projects.

They include parts of the Cape mountains north-east of Cape Town; the Southern Karoo region from Oudtshoorn to Cradock; a large belt of land north of Durban; the Thabazimbi-Murchison belt north of Johannesburg and the northern Limpopo region near Musina.

“SA may therefore have a realistic chance of developing geothermal energy, but will still need additional research and development including new temperature measurements and structural, hydrogeological and economic investigations.”

The actual paper can be found here.

PAN Pan African black economic empowerment (?BEE?) ownership restructuring Pan African Resources PLC (Incorporated and registered in England and Wales under Companies Act 1985 with registered number 3937466 on 25 February 2000) AIM Code: PAF JSE Code: PAN ISIN: GB0004300496 (?Pan African? or ?Company?) PAN AFRICAN BLACK ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (?BEE?) OWNERSHIP RESTRUCTURING Introduction Pan African is pleased to announce that it has successfully concluded restructuring agreements, replacing the current BEE equity shareholdings in the Company (held via interests in PAR Gold Proprietary Limited (?PAR Gold?)) with BEE shareholdings in Emerald Panther Investments 91 Proprietary Limited (?SA Holdco?), a subsidiary of the Company (the ?Transaction?). SA Holdco will house all Pan African?s South African mining operations, following implementation of the Transaction. Where the previous BEE ownership structure terminates during December 2018, the new BEE structure will only terminate on 31 December 2021, which is a three-year extension of the original BEE transaction. The rationale and benefits of the Transaction are as follows: – Extension of the BEE ownership structure for a three-year period with limited IFRS charges to the Company; – The Transaction provides flexibility to further restructure the BEE ownership of the South African operations, depending on the outcome of the proposed third South African Mining Charter and other relevant regulations; – The Transaction will avoid BEE ownership dilution, in the event that Pan African raises equity capital in the future; – The Transaction will not result in a dilution of Group earnings. Following implementation of the Transaction, Pan African?s BEE ownership is calculated at 26%, comprising 21% in SA Holdco and 5% from its on-mine employee ownership schemes. Refer to Pan African?s pre and post Transaction Group structures on our website that summarise the BEE holdings. (website link: http://www.panafricanresources.com/about- overview/company-structure/) BEE shareholdings prior to the Transaction PAR Gold, which owns 19.53% of Pan African?s issued share capital, is currently Pan African?s primary BEE investor and its shareholders are summarised as follows: – The Mabindu Development Trust (?Mabindu?) – 49.5% – K2015200726 Proprietary Limited (?K2015?) – 0.6% – Pan African Resources Funding Company Proprietary Limited (?Fund Co?) – 49.9% PAR Gold is currently majority owned by BEE shareholders (50.1%) with the balance held by PAR?s wholly owned subsidiary Fund Co. Steps to implement the Transaction 1) Establishment of a new BEE entity: The Group has established a new BEE entity, Concrete Rose Proprietary Limited (?Concrete Rose?). Concrete Rose has not conducted any business since incorporation and has been established for the purpose of housing the interests to be acquired in SA Holdco, as further detailed below. The provisions of the memorandum of incorporation of Concrete Rose do not frustrate or relieve the Company in any way from compliance with its obligations in terms of the JSE Limited Listings Requirements. The following parties will subscribe for shares in Concrete Rose for a nominal value, as follows: 1) Mabindu – 24.75% 2) Pan African Resources Management Trust – 10.5% (note 1) 3) Pan African Resources Education Trust – 4.95% (note 2) 4) Alpha Investment Group Proprietary Limited – 9.9% (note 3) The remaining shares in Concrete Rose are held by Fund Co (49.9%). Note 1: The Pan African Resources Management Trust is a new trust established to hold shares on behalf of black management employees of the group and is controlled by employees of the Group and other historically disadvantaged South Africans (?HDSA?s?). Note 2: Pan African Resources Education Trust is a new trust established to hold shares that will provide funding for the education of black students and is controlled by employees of the Group and other HDSA?s. Note 3: Alpha Investment Group Proprietary Limited is the investment vehicle for a BEE entrepreneur. 2) Subscription by Concrete Rose for shares in SA Holdco Concrete Rose will subscribe for 22.11% of SA Holdco?s shares for notional value through a notional vendor financed (?NVF?) transaction. The BEE shareholders 50.1% share of the NVF at 15 December 2017 is approximately R756 million. The NVF shares will be issued by SA Holdco to Concrete Rose on similar commercial terms to the original PAR Gold NVF terms with Mabindu, as summarised below. Comparison of the revised BEE scheme versus the original BEE scheme Description Revised BEE scheme Original BEE Scheme Strategic BEE Concrete Rose PAR Gold shareholder: Term expiry: 31 December 2021 31 December 2018 Repayment mechanism: 90% of dividends utilised to 95% of dividends utilised to fund NVF repayments fund NVF repayments Trickle dividends: 10% of attributable dividends 5% of attributable dividends. Mabindu received R5.6 million in trickle dividends over the term of the BEE scheme relating to two dividend distributions. NVF finance rate: SA prime rate plus a margin SA prime rate plus a margin of five percent of five percent BEE ownership on mining Total of 26% Total of approximately 26% operations (direct and indirect) Conversion right: On expiry of the scheme, On expiry of the scheme, BEE shareholders of BEE shareholders of PAR Concrete Rose will be Gold were entitled to sell entitled to exchange their their shares to Fund Co for shares in Concrete Rose for cash. Pan African shares based on the market value of their holding, less the outstanding NVF balance. The conversion rights remains subject to regulatory, PAR shareholder and other approvals if required. SA Holdco?s investments and shareholdings As previously stated, SA Holdco will house all the Pan African South African mining operations. The Transaction will result in: – Barberton Mines Proprietary Limited (?Barberton Mines?), which is 95% held by Pan African, being transferred to SA Holdco through an intra-group asset-for-share transaction; and – Elikhulu Tailings Retreatment Proprietary Limited (?Elikhulu?), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pan African, being transferred to SA Holdco through an intra-group asset- for-share transaction. Following the restructure, SA Holdco will house the following investments: – Evander Gold Mining Proprietary Limited ? 95% – Barberton Mines ? 95% – Elikhulu ? 100% – Evander Gold Mines Proprietary Limited ? 100% Currently SA Holdco is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pan African. Following the implementation of the Transaction, the shareholders of SA Holdco will be: – Pan African – 77.89% – Concrete Rose – 22.11% The details pertaining to and the net assets and profits attributable to SA Holdco, Evander, Barberton Mines and Elikhulu are contained in the 2017 integrated annual report and the audited consolidated annual financial statements of Pan African for the financial year ended 30 June 2017 available at www.panafricanresources.com. In the year ended 30 June 2017, the entities that are the subject of the transaction produced profit after tax of approximately #18.6 million and as at 30 June 2017 these entities had gross assets of approximately #263.8 million. 3) PAR Gold shareholding post the Transaction PAR Gold will repurchase Mabindu’s 49.5% shareholding for a nominal consideration, due to the NVF currently exceeding the market value of the equity interest. Thereafter PAR Gold will issue new shares to K2015 to the extent of 50.1% for a nominal consideration. In future these new shares will enjoy full voting rights but no economic rights. Following the issue to K2015, Fund Co and K2015 will hold 49.9% and 50.1% of the issued share capital of PAR Gold, respectively. The 50.1% interest held in PAR Gold by K2015 does not qualify for BEE ownership within the group. The 19.53% of Pan African?s issued equity held by PAR Gold is treated as treasury shares and will still be eliminated on consolidation for purposes of calculating earnings per share as was previously the case. Conditions precedent The conditions precedent to the Transaction are customary to transactions of this nature, including any regulatory approvals. The Transaction is likely to be implemented during January 2018. Categorisation The value pursuant to the Transaction represents a 21% interest in the mining operations of the Group. Accordingly, the Transaction is considered to be a category 2 transaction, as contemplated in the JSE Listings Requirements. By order of the Board Johannesburg 15 December 2017 Contact information Corporate Office Registered Office The Firs Office Building Suite 31 1st Floor, Office 101 Second Floor Cnr. 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Charles Nqakula begins his memoir, The People’s War: Reflections of an ANC Cadre (2017), not with the usual chronological details, from his birth and how he came to join the struggle for liberation; instead, the reader is introduced to a Charles and Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula at the ANC’s June 1985 consultative conference in Kabwe, Zambia.

In these opening chapters about the debates and the generations of ANC’s activists at the conference, the discussions that set the tone for the themes that were discussed in Kabwe and afterwards reflect an image of an organisation that was reacting to the fast-changing terrain of the struggle “where people all over the country were rising up against the apartheid state”.

As Nqakula argues, it was clear in the 1980s that “apartheid structures were rendered ineffective, crumbled, or tottered on the brink of collapse”.
In many ways then, the discussion about the “people’s war” that Nqakula highlights in the Kabwe meeting was about how the ANC should keep up with the masses in South Africa.

Nqakula was born in Cradock and observed the leadership of the likes of Reverend James Calata, and his own political journey shows us that the battle against apartheid was not won by a few men and women trained in military combat in various countries but rather by the spirit of the people in churches, labour movements and schools, who refused to be silenced and won the day and the war.

The Nqakulas’ sustained work in the ANC underground, especially in the formation of the United Democratic Front in the Eastern Cape, sheds light on the important contribution of the ANC underground that is often undervalued but was a crucial aspect of the political and military struggle — it passed on information about the conditions at home to those outside, and facilitated the escape to exile of those inside.

This book builds on Raymond Suttner’s work on the ANC underground and demonstrates Suttner’s argument that it is important that the various strategies of the liberation movements should not to be looked at in isolation but should be understood as overlapping and even blurring.

The book also makes an important contribution in challenging accepted ideas about the particular “inzile” and “exile” culture that are often used to makes sense of the different styles present in the ANC in power.

The Nqakulas went into exile in 1984, already well known for their underground work, and received military training that was specifically to prepare them to continue that work once they were infiltrated back into the country.

Nqakula’s own fascination with the discussion about the people’s war strategy in Kabwe is because his recent experience inside South Africa informed his belief that “elements of the people’s war were already in place inside South Africa”.

The Nqakulas’ experience defies the simplistic categorisation that those who participated inside the country were democratic and the exiles possessed an authoritarian leadership style.

In his book External Mission: The ANC in Exile, 1960-1990 (2012), Stephen Ellis builds on his 1992 book with Tsepo Sechaba (Oyama Mabandla), Comrades against Apartheid, to argue that the ANC leadership in exile was authoritarian, criminal and punitive, traits that today shape the ANC’s governing style in the party and in government.

In Inside Quatro: Uncovering the Exile History of the ANC and Swapo (2009), Paul Trewhela argues that the ANC leadership is shaped by “two different styles of leadership within the ANC, the one — of the ‘external’ leaders — deriving from three decades of closed, autarchic, command society in the camps … the other, of ‘internal’ leaders, from the more open and pluralistic culture developed in the trade union and civic associations within the country during the 1970s and 1980s”.

This story of the Nqakulas, who became deeply embedded in the struggles inside and outside the country, shows us, as Hugh Macmillan argues in The Lusaka Years: The ANC in Exile and in Zambia (2013), the dangers of a homogeneous view of “exile culture”, and points out that the inziles “were [also] not homo-genous, and that the two groups overlapped”.

How Nqakula writes about women in the armed struggle, specifically Mapisa-Nqakula’s role in the underground, in Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and in the women’s movement is also an important contribution. The reader gets a picture of two people who were fully committed to the struggle but who had their own unique roles.

That said, it would have been interesting for the author to interview Mapisa-Nqakula about her reflections on her contributions instead of simply telling the reader of the facts of the operations that she participated in.

Another woman leader who features prominently in this book is Thenjiwe Mtintso, a former journalist at the Daily Dispatch with Nqakula and a fellow MK combatant. Nqakula’s portrayal of Mtintso’s leadership role in the formation of the Union of Black Journalists in the Border region and her central role in the ANC/MK underground in Lesotho and Botswana, provides a solid description of women’s foundational role in the armed struggle and the struggle for liberation more broadly.

It provides an important counter-narrative to the dominant public representation of women combatants as having been perpetual minors to their male counterparts. As Mtintso and Judy Seidman wrote recently in the Mail Guardian, it is important to write about women’s roles in the liberation in ways that address women’s “agency, our commitment, belief and actions, as liberation fighters”.

Nqakula ends the book by reflecting on the meaning of the December 2017 ANC elective conference and its implication for the party’s commitment to the attainment of genuine people’s power. He recognises that this meeting, which falls on the 56th anniversary of the MK, “has become the biggest threat to the movement’s unity”.

As the ANC settles into a new century, it will be interesting to see whether this conference will be remembered as the time when the party lost sight of itself and lost the people in the process.

Dr Siphokazi Magadla is a senior lecturer in the political and international studies department at Rhodes University

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MIDDLETOWN — The late historian, author and Wesleyan University professor Jeffrey Butler spent two decades painstakingly researching a scholarly account of apartheid’s progression in the small South African town he grew up in.

However, Butler’s first draft was very long, contained numerous references to events and concepts that an American audience might not understand, and lacked a clear focus, said Wesleyan history professor Richard Elphick, Butler’s colleague and dear friend.

Tragically, Butler suffered an incapacitating stroke in late 2001, according to his daughter, medical journalist, author and Wesleyan graduate Katy Butler. For six years, he was infirm until his death in 2008 at 85.

Elphick soon after pledged to edit “Cradock: How Segregation and Apartheid Came to a South African Town” by Jeffrey Butler (whose focus he called “sprawling”) and usher it to publication. Cradock is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Katy Butler, 69, said she knew she couldn’t tackle the project herself.

“I really did feel like if he’s wandering this world and not at peace, it’s because the book was never published,” she said. “If he had a ghost wandering this world after he died, the thing that would leave him not at peace would be the fact that this book was never finished.”

“He just ran out of time and then he had this horrendous stroke and that was that. He never went down to the basement to his study again. It was all over,” Butler said.

“I guess I felt it would have disturbed him too much while he was still alive if anyone of us had touched it,” she said.

There will be a book launch for “Craddock,” also edited by Jeannette Hopkins, Saturday at Wesleyan. Hopkins was director and editor-in-chief for Wesleyan University Press and an adjunct professor of English there.

The book traces Craddock’s growth from the early 1920s to the 1960s, showing how local and national officials shaped life in the township and implemented this “drastic exercise in racially defined town planning,” according to Jeffrey Butler’s preface.

Elphick said Jeffrey Butler arrived at the idea of writing a history of the town in the 1970s “but he didn’t write it as a pious account of his hometown,” he said. Rather, it shows how “racial segregation slowly crept into the town and how in 1948, when nationalists were elected and apartheid principles became the principal government of the town, how it was imposed from above,” Elphick said.

“He was a very fine man. Everyone who knew him loved him,” Elphick said.

Jeffrey Butler’s path to a career in history sprung from an unfortunate accident he had in Italy during WWII, during which he lost his left arm.

The South African part of of the army was moving up the Italian peninsula in 1943, Elphick said. “He was machine gun operator using a Bren gun on reconnaissance ahead of his unit when he lost his arm,” said Elphick. His colleague had originally hoped to be a chemist.

Without an arm, Jeffrey Butler knew it would be hard to work in a lab. “He switched to history, which I think was his passion in life anyway,” Elphick said.

Still Elphick said, one arm made his research difficult.

The Butlers were very social-minded Quakers, and Jeffrey Butler’s great-grandfather and grandfather ran the local newspaper in Cradock, even through the Depression, when it nearly foundered, Katy Butler said.

“They were spokespeople for more humane ways of dealing with everybody, including African people and colored people, so they really were in some ways part of the conscious of the town,” Katy Butler said.

In South Africa, the words “colored people” have a different meaning than the now-outdated phrase some Americans once used to describe race. There, colored means those with one white and one black parent.

Housing in the township, known as “the location,” was divided up into four groups, where Africans, whites, those labeled colored, and Asian people, were relegated to certain living areas.

Underneath the surface of the town her father loved was a “horrendous treatment of servants and laborers,” said Butler, who helped with some of the book’s editing and contributed facts to the preface. These people, she said were “treated like some mobile labor force that was supposed to go away when the work wasn’t needed.”

Her father’s preoccupation with the book was something the family would tease each other about, Katy Butler said.

“He just kept working on it and working on it. It drove my mother crazy. My brother once said, ‘There’s only one solution to this book. A can of gasoline and a match,’” she said with a laugh.

Her father relied heavily on articles from his family’s paper, Katy Butler said. “In a way, a journalist is a half-baked historian. They talk about journalism as history’s first draft,” she said.

Elphick used some of Jeffrey’s Butler’s unearthed government records to create maps that illustrate the segregation.

For instance, Elphick said, the water supply favored the town area where whites lived. In the township, just a few taps were provided and women would stand in line for hours to get water, he said. They’d have to walk very long distances to the river as well.

“If the white community had used up all the water, well, it was too bad,” Katy Butler said. “It would just be a trickle coming out of these things.”

Katy Butler recounts a story of a man who, for 50 years, had been making bricks out of clay down by the river, baking them in the sun. “After 1948 and the complete segregation of the races, the government decided that area, where the river was, was now a white area,” she said.

“He could no longer make bricks because his little piece of the river was in the white area.”

Elphick had to overcome major challenges in completing the book.

“(Jeffrey Butler’s) stroke was so serious that he could not even tell us where he had done his research,” he said. Also, the author had copies of dozens of photos he intended for the book — but Elphick couldn’t find them.

He suspects they were discarded when Jeffrey Butler’s house on Pine Street was sold.

Using a friend who is a retired archivist librarian in South Africa, Elphick managed to secure 28 photos for the book, communicating with her through telephone and email.

“It would have been a great tragedy if the book had not been published given the amount of work that went into it,” he said.

“Cradock,” published by the University of Virginia press, will be released in a reception at the Wesleyan University Wasch Center on Lawn Avenue from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Books will be available for sale and the public is invited.

For information, see wesleyan.edu/waschcenter.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day@hearstmediact.com.

c/o amazon.com

The University of Virginia press will posthumously publish a book by the late Professor of History Emeritus Jeffrey Butler in December 2017. The book, entitled “Cradock,” tells a history of racial segregation in the titular town where Butler was born. After Butler’s death in April 2008, the book was finished and edited by Richard H. Elphick, Professor Emeritus of History and Faculty Fellow in Social Studies, and Jeanette Hopkins, former Editor-in-Chief of Wesleyan University Press, who passed away in 2011.

According to the book’s description, “Cradock” deals with the South African town’s personal history from segregation to Apartheid, and how these political upheavals affected its citizens.

“Although Butler was born and raised in Cradock, he avoids sentimentality and offers an ambitious treatment of the racial themes that dominate recent South African history through the details of one emblematic community,” the book’s description reads. “Augmenting the obvious political narrative, ‘Cradock’ examines poor infrastructural conditions that typify a grossly unequal system of racial segregation but otherwise neglected in the region’s historiography. Butler shows, with the richness that only a local study could provide, how the lives of blacks, whites, and mixed-race coloreds were affected by the bitter transition from segregation before 1948 to apartheid thereafter.”

Chris Saunders, a historian of South Africa, praised the book.

“A fine microstudy of South Africa’s transition from segregation to apartheid, this detailed case study of what happened in one small town throws important light on the trajectory of the country as a whole,” he wrote.

According to an obituary in the South African Historical Journal, Butler began his academic career at Rhodes University. In 1947, he briefly stopped his studies to do voluntary military service in Italy, where he lost an arm in combat. He returned from his military service to complete a doctoral degree in history at St. Anthony’s College at Oxford University, where he wrote a thesis titled, “The Liberal Party and South Africa, 1895-1902.” From 1965-1991, he served Wesleyan’s faculty, where he was history department chair twice and a member of the College of Social Studies. While he became an American citizen during his time at Wesleyan, he frequently returned to South Africa on various grants and research projects.

Elphick remembers Butler as a beloved scholar.

“South African studies was a highly charged field in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly for a white South African,” he says. “Yet Jeff’s wisdom, generosity, and ready wit endeared him to all who knew him, regardless of race, ethnicity, or political persuasion. In my thirty-six years at Wesleyan I have known few figures more deeply respected and loved by students, colleagues, and professional acquaintances than Jeff Butler.”

On December 2nd from 4 to 6 pm, The Wasch Center for retired faculty will hold a book signing event, honoring Butler’s new work and his life of scholarship. After the ceremony, a bench will be dedicated to him and his wife, Valerie.

 

Henry Spiro can be reached at hspiro@wesleyan.edu and on Twitter at @JudgeyMcJudge1.

press release

King William’s Town — On 2017-12-13 at about 02:27 a vehicle that was travelling (25) twenty-five kilometres from Middelburg on the N10 road towards Cradock hit a kudu. The driver lost control over the vehicle, swerved and hit an oncoming truck which drove over the vehicle. From the (5) passengers inside the vehicle, (3) three men passed away on the scene and (2) two passengers were seriously injured. The injured passengers were transported to hospital and the SAPS is currently busy with further investigation to determine the identities of the passengers.

Whilst police officials were busy regulating traffic on the accident scene a police official was hit by a taxi which overtook another taxi. The (46) year old police official sustained serious head injuries and is being transferred to a Bloemfontein hospital. A case of Culpable Homicide and Reckless or Negligent Driving were opened.

Cape Town –  In the second semi-final of My Kitchen Rules SA, husband and wife Jamandi and Machiel cooked off against mother-daughter duo Louzel and Lani. 

The fan favourites from Cradock were eliminated after their dishes failed to impress the judges.

Lani and Louzel wanted to celebrate being South African in their three-course offering, and put together a menu packed with uniquely South African ingredients and flavours.

For starters, they created Bobotie spring rolls with a mango and coriander chutney and fresh coconut, followed by a “Celebration of Lamb” consisting of pulled lamb and a lamb rack for mains, served with pumpkin two ways and a cucumber and mint pickle. For their dessert they opted for a brandy snap, ginger biscuit, vanilla ice cream and figs two ways, and for many of the judges, their sweet creation was the dish of the day.

It was a nail-biting and totally unpredictable ending, as both teams excelled and also faltered at times. In the end, Jamandi and Machiel narrowly beat Lani and Louzel by a mere two-point margin, as the judges awarded them an overall score of 46 out of 60 points.

We chatted to Louzel about their experience, their plans and whether she was too hard on her mom. 

Louzel, after watching the show do you agree that you were a bit stern with your mom? 

(Laughs) No man! I think everyone in my family is so loud and passionate and ‘out there’ that when you first meet us, we can seem that way. Mom and I have a very good relationship not only in a mother-daughter way, but also in terms of sincere friendship. If anything, I felt so honoured and privileged watching the show and seeing how lucky I am to have such an incredible mom and cooking partner.  

How did your relationship strengthen during this experience? 

We had a very strong relationship going into this – and I think that is the thing that got us as far as we went. Any time we get to spend together, however, is an opportunity to strengthen our relationship. Through MKRSA again, yes, I got to learn so much from mom. That’s in terms of food, but also so much more. We got to be flatmates for the time we spent in Joburg and it was awesome – she’s a great flatmate! 

Who did you watch the episode with last night?

I watched it at home in Cape Town on the couch with my hubby, Louis, the cat Felix (although he couldn’t care less), and our brand-new Scottie puppy, Benji. I missed mom, but I know she was also in her happy place on the farm with dad. They watched it together in the living room too, lekker on their own on the farm. 

Was there anything you feel you could’ve done differently in the semi-final?

Yes! I could have kept that lamb in the oven for five minutes more. I think that would have made all the difference. And mom says she would have given those Bobotie Springrolls a bit more punch. But having said that, we had such a blast during the cook and we have no regrets looking back. 

Your family recipes have been in your family for years – how did you change them to keep them fresh and relevant?

We’ve learnt so much about our family’s food heritage throughout this journey and one thing that kept surprising us was how much the food trends were regenerating. The recipes Mom and I would sit and construct always paid homage to the recipes of old, the handwritten ones by my Oumas en Oupas. But then we’d come across recipes in the archives that were so new, so fresh – yet so, so old! The only major thing that has changed is the plating. But the flavours and the combinations are always familiar. We like to use the saying, “If it’s true, it’s not new” for the type of food we like to make. And we like to make ‘true’ food more than anything else. 

What was the one thing that surprised you most about the competition?

Our eyes really opened to the major operation behind the scenes. Wow, it’s a whole different world. And the crew members are incredible people. We loved the vibe and energy and it’s something we’d like to embrace going forward! Watch this space. 

What are David and J’Something really like?

We love Dave and J, and we really think they like us too. On that first night at Liz an Leanne’s place in Bloem – they seemed to be just as nervous as us! And that immediately gave us some common ground. They’re solid people with real food stories and a love for the power food has to bring people together – they both celebrate that in their businesses too. J always loved the relationship between me and my mother, saying it reminded him of his own mom. That’s really beautiful to us. And Dave – or Dawie as he introduced himself to my dad – is just a bloke from Namibia who loves food of origin and food with meaning. He gets angry if you mess with the beauty of food, we like that. We also get angry at that. And then he owns the best fine dining restaurant in Africa. We have so much respect for the both of them. 

What are your plans now that the show’s over?

We have so many plans! Mom and I are already doing Farm 2 Table food workshops on the farm in Cradock. It’s so special. We’re basically inviting people into our lives and home and sharing the incredible food heritage (and farming culture) we were so privileged to grow up with. The first one we hosted a few weeks ago was an incredible success, and we’ve already set dates for the next experience coming up in March 2018. Then, Mom has her incredible shop in Cradock, True Living, where she celebrates everything that’s true to the Karoo community – food, mohair etc. She has major plans to expand the business into becoming a Karoo destination and marketplace in 2018. It will be like an Oasis in the most arid part of SA, and people will come from all over to get a taste of that Karoo realness. Watch this space. Mom and I are also already working on a book about our family and food heritage. It won’t be a recipe book per se, but rather food and family stories (you can see some family stories on our Facebook page). Further, I’m completely hooked on television and I’d love to do more of it going forward. Our dream is to celebrate the farming culture in South Africa, and to show the world the incredible food culture we get to experience every day. 

Tune in for the finale on Sunday, 10 December at 18:00 on M-Net (DStv 101).

(Photos supplied: M-Net)

Book by Jeffrey Butler

The late Jeffrey Butler, professor of history, emeritus, is the author of Cradock: How Segregation and Apartheid came to a South African Town, published by the University of Virginia Press, December 2017. Richard “Rick” Elphick, professor of history, emeritus, co-edited the book with the late Jeannette Hopkins, a former director of Wesleyan University Press.

According to the book’s abstract, Cradock, the product of more than 20 years of research by Butler, is a vivid history of a middle-sized South African town in the years when segregation gradually emerged, preceding the rapid and rigorous implementation of apartheid. Although Butler was born and raised in Cradock, he avoids sentimentality and offers an ambitious treatment of the racial themes that dominate recent South African history through the details of one emblematic community. Augmenting the obvious political narrative, Cradock examines poor infrastructural conditions that typify a grossly unequal system of racial segregation but otherwise neglected in the region’s historiography. Butler shows, with the richness that only a local study could provide, how the lives of blacks, whites, and mixed-race individuals were affected by the bitter transition from segregation before 1948 to apartheid thereafter.

After serving in World War II, Professor Butler completed doctoral studies at Oxford University and came to the United States in the late 1950s. He joined the Wesleyan faculty in 1965 and served with distinction until his retirement in 1991. He was twice chair of the History Department and was a key member of the College of Social Studies. In 1977, Butler was a founder and subsequently a director of the Yale-Wesleyan Southern African Research Program.

Butler had a major stroke in 2001 and died in 2008. He was an esteemed historian of southern Africa. He’s also the author of The Liberal Party and the Jameson Raid. After his death, Butler’s good friend and colleague Rick Elphick volunteered to take on the extraordinary work of getting the book in shape for publication. The process took nearly a decade.

The Wasch Center for Retired Faculty will host a book signing party and honor Elphick for his efforts from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 2. The event will be preceded by the dedication of a bench on campus in memory of Val and Jeffrey Butler. Butler’s children, Katy, Peter and Jonathan also will be present for the party and bench dedication.  

Valerie de la Harpe Butler and Jeffrey Butler, pictured together in San Francisco, Calif., 1986.

CRADOCK – As the world celebrates International Cheetah Day on Monday, the Mountain Zebra National Park (MZNP) outside Cradock in the Eastern Cape also celebrates 10 years since the reintroduction of the species in 2007 after being absent from the plains of the Karoo for 130 years, the South African National Parks (SANParks) said.

The park had enjoyed a number of successes with cheetahs since the arrival of two male and two female cheetahs a decade ago – most notably being able to boast that it was the only national park to offer a cheetah tracking activity and also that it had been instrumental in contributing towards national initiatives to conserve the species through working with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT).

“It is South African National Parks policy to reintroduce wildlife species which would have occurred in an area before hunting or habitat loss forced them to local extinction in earlier centuries,” SANParks corporate communications head Janine Raftopoulos said.

Since their introduction, the park’s cheetah population had thrived, with the birth of 29 cubs within the first five years. To curb them from interbreeding, the animals were regularly relocated to a number of different reserves throughout South Africa – contributing significantly to the EWT’s Cheetah Metapopulation Project.

WATCH: ‘Oh the places you’ll go’: Experience SA in virtual reality

“This project ensures adequate genetic viability and contributes towards national initiatives to conserve the species, and entails the management of over 300 cheetahs on more than 50 small fenced reserves throughout South Africa,” Raftopoulos said.

Only a few cheetahs could be sustained at any given time – dependent on the prey populations in the park. Depending on these numbers, animals may have to be moved to or from other reserves. SANParks managed all predators in terms of social units and by mimicking natural processes.

“There are currently six cheetahs in the park, of which two are collared and are the cheetahs guests can encounter, should they participate in the cheetah tracking activity, which is what the MZNP is renowned for.

“The tracking involves guests going out in a game drive vehicle with a trained guide who then tries to pick up the signal on his telemetry device which is emitted from the collars of the animals. Cheetah tracking also includes a game drive where guides showcase the natural flora and fauna in the park,” she said.

 

African News Agency

THE prestigious Aquabear Gala is back, and will be held at the Newton Park Swimming complex from October 3 to 6.

Aquabear announced that they will be supporting the Childhood Cancer Foundation (CHOC), with various fund-raising activities at the gala.

It’s expected that up to 600 swimmers from twenty different clubs, are going to participate in what has traditionally been the biggest club swimming gala in the Eastern Cape.

In keeping with the CHOC slogan of “keeping more than hope alive”, each swimmer will be asked to enter a fictitious swimming race where the entry fees will all go to CHOC.

“We are thrilled that after two years with no suitable venue to host the gala, we are back and currently planning to make this year one to remember,” said Enrico Cudin, president of the club.

Aquabear Swimming Club is the oldest swim club in Port Elizabeth, and is also the largest swim club in the Eastern Cape with two branches in Port Elizabeth, as well as club branches in Grahamstown, Graaff Reinet, Cradock and Somerset East.

Aquabear Swimming Club has produced some of the top swimmers from the Eastern Cape over recent years, with the likes of Calvin and Tamlyn Price.

“We are also happy to be supporting fund-raising for CHOC at the Aquabear gala this year.

“It is a worthy cause and we hope that this not only assists financially, but also helps raise awareness of how many children are currently facing the battle with cancer in our own town,” said Cudin.

September 24 2015 at 09:00am

Johannesburg – Although we live in the most technologically advanced country in Africa, there are still wild open spaces in the interior of this place we call home… and getting out there to explore these spaces and wild places is a balm that soothes the soul.

Come with us on a short tour of some of the jewels of the South African interior – and then get out and take a look yourself…

 

You can have your game watching – and gaming too

Lying in the remains of an ancient collapsed volcano, the 55 000-hectare Pilanesberg National Park in the North West province is probably the most accessible of all parks in the country, being around two hours’ drive from Pretoria and Joburg.

It is home to the Big Five – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino – as well as the resort and entertainment magnet, Sun City. So you can have your game watching alongside your game playing.

Following Operation Genesis in 1979, which involved the game-fencing of the reserve and the re-introduction of many long-vanished species, the park now has more than 7 000 animals including 24 of the larger species. The geology of the area also goes back millions of years and the park is situated in a transition zone between the dry Kalahari areas and the wetter Bushveld zones, so there is a wide variety of life – plant, animal and bird.

There is a variety of accommodation in and around the park, from the Golden Leopard Resorts (camps and facilities run by the North West Parks Board inside the park) as well as self-catering, timeshare and hotel rooms at Sun City, along with private game lodges in the park itself. Self-drive tours and guided safaris (on foot or by vehicle) are on offer, catering for all ages.

 

There is life outside Kruger

In the northern regions of the country are three fascinating reserves, which offer a different experience to the likes of the Kruger National Park.

Mapungubwe, on the border with Botswana and Zimbabwe, is not only a bushveld experience to rival any other but it is also an important historical site, established around the headquarters of the ancient Mapungubwe Empire.

This had its citadel – complete with well-defended access routes – atop the sandstone massif which dominates the area around the Limpopo and Shashe rivers.

Further south is the Waterberg and Welgevonden biosphere area, with a number of private reserves and game farms. The mountainous countryside is home to a number of species of mammals and a plethora of birds.

Marakele, a national park situated in breathtaking mountains, offers a striking contrast to the bushveld. It boasts higher-altitude plant and animal life.

The mountains are home to one of the biggest breeding colonies of vultures in the country.

It is best to get there about mid-morning because, as the air heats up and thermals begin to rise, you will be rewarded with the sight of vultures soaring over your head as they ride the air currents.

All three reserves are in a malaria-free area.

 

A living encyclopedia of nature

The world-renowned Kruger National Park, a strip 360km by 65km in size and 2 million hectares in area, is the flagship of South African National Parks. The Limpopo River and its scenic beauty are to the west, the lush Mpumalanga region to the south and Zimbabwe to the north.

Here live the famous Big Five, little five and the birding big six. Each subregion in the park has its own unique fauna and flora ensuring that there is something for every nature lover in the Kruger.

The Kruger National Park is unrivalled for the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. The park is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals.

Evidence of man’s presence in the region over many centuries – from San rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela – can be seen in the Kruger National Park.

These treasures represent the cultures, people and events that were part of the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park’s natural assets.

Numerous rest camps provide ample accommodation, offering a range of lodges, tented camps and self-catering chalets.

The more popular destinations in the park are Lower Sabie, Punda Maria and the Crocodile Bridge rest camp. Most of these spots provide a wide variety of tour options, walking trails and safaris.

The Lower Sabie Rest Camp, on the banks of the Sabie River, is surrounded by leafy riverine vegetation, such as the sycamore fig, and is set against the backdrop of the Lebombo Mountains. Terraces of tidy white bungalows surround the luxurious safari tents of Punda Maria, where fascinating colonial history makes campfire stories a staple activity. The wealth of indigenous vegetation makes for excellent bird-watching opportunities.

Game-spotting is the order of the day at the Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp. This is one of the best camps in the reserve and noted for the population of lion that hunts in the area around the banks of the Crocodile River.

 

Land of endless horizons

SA National Parks is justifiably proud of the five national parks which make up its arid region: Kgalagadi, Augrabies Falls, /Ai /Ais-Richtersveld, Namaqua and Mokala in the Northern Cape.

The Kgalagadi and the /Ai /Ais-Richtersveld are also Transfrontier Conservation Areas, which means they cross borders into Botswana and Namibia respectively.

The parks have a rugged beauty and you won’t find space like this – where the horizons are endless and the skies cloudless and blue – in many other places. Sunrises and sunsets are some of the most glorious in the world.

The arid region parks are home to unique species of plants, like the quiver tree, which have adapted over millennia to their harsh environment.

In the Kgalagadi, you can marvel at the majestic lions and beautiful gemsbok.

While 4×4 vehicles are needed for some of the roads in some of the parks (notably Kgalagadi and Ai /Ais-Richtersveld), most are accessible to two-wheel-drive cars.

Distances, though, are formidable, so plan your journeys carefully beforehand and use the experience of the SANParks booking office staff to help you.

 

Vastly magical Karoo

The Karoo, spanning nearly 400 000km2 in the geographic midriff of South Africa, must be one of the quietest places on Earth. It is a place of immense spaces, wide-angle horizons, craggy mountain ranges, conical hills, an ancient inland seabed and a sky so big that at night it feels like you can touch the stars.

The Great Karoo stands proudly with other desert tourism regions like the Australian Outback and Arizona and New Mexico in the US and makes for a memorable road trip.

Watch a sunset thunderhead gathering over the village of Aberdeen, after a blazing hot midsummer’s day, and toast life on the open road. Stand still in the Matjiesfontein military graveyard and try to hear the strains of the lone Highland piper who is said to be playing Scotland the Brave for all time.

Head for the settlement of Nieu Bethesda in winter and hunker down with a Karoo Ale at the Sneeuberg Brewery. Share a traditional Karoo supper in the Victoria Manor Hotel in Cradock.

Stride the streets of Colesberg on a tour of this Victorian-era town and venture out on the Gariep Route, staying over at the eccentrically stylish Karroo Theatrical Hotel outside the mohair town of Steytlerville.

Stargaze with astronomers on a hill outside Sutherland, home of the Southern African Large Telescope. Visit the seven radio dishes out at the Square Kilometre Array, near Carnarvon, and imagine the day when more than 2 500 of these wonderful techno-beasts will be swaying in unison, listening to the universe.

Hear about the endangered riverine rabbit in Loxton and drive to Calvinia in spring to catch the display of daisies.

Have a sundowner at a spot overlooking Graaff-Reinet and the Valley of Desolation, giving you an eagle’s-eye view of the vastness of the Karoo.

Go fossil-fossicking in the Karoo National Park outside Beaufort West and antique-chasing in Willowmore before entering the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, famous for its mountainous terrain and adventure activities.

Drop into Prince Albert at Olive Festival time and listen to the gurgle of the water furrows as you sit on your stoep on a warm evening.

 

Water of life

In the wide-open, arid spaces of the South African hinterland, water is a precious resource. Rain is scarce and river courses flow infrequently.

Two methods have been adopted to get water to the region’s animals and humans – dams and wind pumps.

Multi-bladed windpumps (windmills to some) are common all over the drier parts of southern Africa and are capable of hauling significant amounts of water to the surface from well below ground level. Although the pumps are technologically inefficient, they are simple and require little maintenance, so they suit rural areas.

In the interior they have become a symbol of life.

 

Lovely lamb

Karoo lamb is now protected “meat of origin”, because of its unique flavours – flavours which result from the diet of free-range sheep in the region.

The various bushes, shrubs and plants in the Karoo impart noticeable tastes, likened to herbs and which blind tastings have proved are uniquely different to lamb raised in pastures (like those elsewhere in South Africa) or on grass plains (like those in Namibia, for example).

And there are many ways to enjoy it: as lamb shank, in a pie, as a roast rack or as chops. Also, nothing goes better with a Karoo lamb meal in the Karoo than a good glass of South African red wine…it’s one of the world’s unique culinary experiences.

Saturday Star