Month: July 2014

Because, the interweb

Pheladi SethusaLeave a comment

I  took part in a blog-a-thon a few weeks ago. This is what I came up with in the hour and a half we were given. I chose the topic “digital nomad” and employed free writing principles to get the post done in that time frame. 

Hi I’m Pheladi and I’m an  interweb slore.

It started at the tender age of 16 when I was persuaded to open up a Facebook account in 2007. I didn’t really know what it was but the more I gave of myself the more I liked it. I moved there permanently a month later when I uploaded my first album. I did it on the sly in the computer room at the school’s library.

Soon enough I invited people over to live with me and when I got a new phone my new shelter went everywhere with me. The other places on the interwebs just didn’t have the same allure. Emails were cold, Hi5 left an abandoned building along with MySpace once FB took over.

When rent became cheaper circa 2009 my parents finally smelt the roses of the millennia and got us internet at “home”. This is when my relationship status changed, to “in a relationship” for the first time.

The first thing I did when I woke then was check for new FB activity. In the car on the way to school I ignored my dad’s random unfunny jokes to see how many new likes I had since I posted my hilarious yet tragic new status. At school we posed for photo’s behind what now seems like ginormous camera’s to be posted later that night. We picked on each other via comments – someone’s humiliation bringing out the snark that I suppose was always brimming on the surface.

Until then I had really only cheated on FB once, with Mxit – but I’m not sure that that counts, I used that for my private life, not my interwebs life (there’s a difference).

I became a real slore when I went to varsity. I was a media student, a gateway drug to the interwebs. I had clearly left Kansas and even learnt what an interweb slore is via the wireless tentacles that kept pulling me in.

Let me school you

  • Interweb(s) – Derived from the real word ‘internet’. I learnt this word on black twitter. Timeline unknown (unremembered really).
  • Slore – An adjective of sorts, combines the word “slut” and “whore” to mean ultra promiscuous. First heard on an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, streamed live via free varsity data.

FB was my main chick, but I had an insatiable appetite that needed to be filled. I saw YouTube on the way to lunch with a friend, I introduced myself and we hit it off. I had just gone through a bad break up on FB which made it difficult to stay loyal (don’t get me wrong I was on everyday – it just hurt) – so YouTube provided all the happiness I required, especially the musical kind.

Twitter was love at first site, I was shy at first because (s)he was already with so many of my other friends, that and the fact that I think everything is lame until I try it. We took it slow at first (aka I trolled other people’s timelines for “research”). I made the first move as @sista_rebz – 5 months later and 5 000 tweets later we were practically married. At which point my slightly advanced Nokia got stolen by two white “plumbers” and I got degraded to tweeting from twitter for mobile. I spent about R200 on airtime a week to keep up the all-consuming union.

I also suffered a tremendous blow to my twitter image, everyone was tweeting from “twitter for Blackberry” by then. But there I was tweeting “via mobile” but who said socks with sandals isn’t cool – not me because I still managed to keep up with the BB kids hitting the 10 000 tweet mark in under year of joining.

The exposure to things and stuff on other people’s timelines pushed me into a digital wormhole I may never escape from. It started with starting something new with some new .com every other month. I began IM’ing, skyping, tumblring, checking in on foursquare, feeding my brain with wiki leaks (or forced spills if you will), listening to sounds on the clouds, trying to be “profesh” by linking in and and and.

All these things I am now on (with) help me in my professional life as a journalist. I’ve since lost contact with what was my first love – I keep FB close, an app on my homepage even but that’s about it. The need for likes wore off when I got to know him/her better. Juggling these other loves is difficult and data consuming but I stay stumbling upon, flipping boards, sending grams and +1’ing because, the interweb.

 

Where I’m at

Pheladi SethusaLeave a comment

That headline is probably a grammatical sin of note but I’m 23 and kind of cool so let’s just be strong.

So I have been a working girl for a few months now and figured it’s time to say something about that.

The Job

I am currently working at The Citizen newspaper, as you can tell from the infrequent posts I manage to put up. I’m an intern at the daily paper and I rate so far so good.

I have managed to end up on the front page a few times – which is really very flattering. I’m fortunate to be working somewhere where I am allowed to do that – most interns don’t really get the opportunity to write as frequently as I do. Most people do the things senior journos are “above doing” – making phone calls, rewriting press releases that kind of thing.

I almost feel guilty that I have all this freedom to do pretty much any and everything while some of my friends are on the press release end of the spectrum (note: I have nothing against press releases I use them as well just not enough to want to die yet).

On the other hand I feel like I was NEVER ready for a daily newspaper – life here is really fast. Sometimes it feels like I’m on a rotating conveyer belt – type, file, type, file, type, file – on and on. What doesn’t kill you right?

The money

Being in the working world, paying my own way through life has taught me a few things about myself. Initially I was like “who would ever use this much money in a month? Losers.”

In the beginning I could not spend it all, I saved some, spent more and carried over the rest. Then I decided it was time to invest in things I really needed, a new camera and laptop. It didn’t seem like that much money at the time but soon that coupled with careless social spending, ever increasing petrol prices brought me back to reality.

Last week I ended up with R40 and only enough petrol to go to work before pay day – it was the worst feeling (I’m very liberal with hyperbolic speech). I suppose I have to learn how to budget now. Having money is nice but it makes everything look shiny and like something I “need”.

The social/not so social life

Coming into journalism everyone warned me about not having a life. Something which I experienced a bit last year when I was doing my honours at Wits – I became the friend who cancelled plans last minute and was always late to things. I suppose last year I didn’t feel it as much because my classmates became a huge part of making up for the nonexistent social life.

This year, without them things are different. I do go out when I can but I mostly just want to sleep. Everyone works now so making plans, finding times that fit is another struggle – because you know they have boyfriends and things.

Then I go to stories and other journos know eachother and I just play candy crush to pass time. I suppose I didn’t count on the loneliness when I decided I want to work in the media (to paraphrase Fitzgerald Grant).

Taegrin Morris laid to rest

Pheladi SethusaLeave a comment

NOTE: Article first appeared on The Citizen website on July 26, 2014. 

A funeral service fit for a hero was given to Taegrin Morris this morning at W. J Clement stadium in Reigar Park, Boksburg.

Teagrin Morris's (4) coffin at Reiger Park Stadium, Johannesburg, 26 July 2014, before it was laid to rest at Van Dyk Cemetries. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Teagrin Morris’s (4) coffin at Reiger Park Stadium, Johannesburg, 26 July 2014, before it was laid to rest at Van Dyk Cemetries. Picture: Nigel Sibanda

The community gathered in their numbers to mourn the boy. Many wearing t-shirts with little Taegrin’s smiling face on the front of them, with the words “genoeg is genoeg” in red print.

Taegrin died after being dragged from a car for several kilometres when his mother’s car was hijacked last Saturday evening.

His tiny brown coffin was guarded by classmates from Geppetto Pre Primary school, who held lit candles in honour of him.

Gauteng Premier, David Makhura uttered the phrase “enough is enough” several times during his address.

“We’re deeply hurt by the manner in which the heartless killers took his life,” he said.

Makhura drew much cheer and applause when he promised the community that the criminals responsible would be found and driven out of the community.

He added that “coloured communities have been marginalised for too long,” saying a change in that paradigm was needed in Reiger Park.

Lizzie Phike – whose son was kidnapped last week when her husband was hijacked in Bronkhorstspruit – was in attendance to support the Morris family.

“They weren’t as lucky as me and I am to say sorry for that. I am hurt by what happened because the same thing could have happened to my boy,” said Phike.

In a final show of strength Taegrin’s mother, Chantel Morris decided to make the vote of thanks on behalf of her family. “If it were not for your prayers this week, we would not have made it,” she said.

Taegrin was laid to rest at the new cemeteries in Van Dyk Park in Boksburg. The entire service was paid for by provincial government.

Household transport costs too high

Pheladi SethusaLeave a comment

NOTE: Article first appeared in The Citizen newspaper on July 19, 2014. 

Even though government spends more than R5 billion a year subsidising public transport, 30% of all households use the bulk of their salaries on transport, according to Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters.

Peters said there was an urgent need to make transport accessible and affordable to vulnerable and marginalised groups who most need these services.

FILE PICTURE: Taxis use the Rea Vaya Lanes for parking to pick up passengers on Empire Road, Johannesburg, 13 October 2013. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
FILE PICTURE: Taxis use the Rea Vaya Lanes for parking to pick up passengers on Empire Road, Johannesburg, 13 October 2013. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

“Today public transport costs and the distances involved prevent the poor from taking full advantage of opportunities offered by cities and such exclusion contributes to high unemployment rates,” she said.

Peters was speaking in Hatfield, Pretoria yesterday where the National Household Travel Survey of 2013 was announced.

The survey, which was compiled by Stats SA, looked at the patterns of transport and travel nationally using data collected from a sample of 51 341 participants over the past 10 years.

The survey found that the number of children who walk to school every day had increased from 4.8% to 5.7% and a further 6.6 million children walk as their first mode of transport.

Peters said this meant pupil transport was an urgent problem that needed to be addressed .

Children should not be walking or hitchhiking long distances when there was so much violence against children, the minister said.

Peters cited the Bus Rapid Transit system and the Gautrain as successful projects.

However, Peters added that the Gautrain buses were not being used as effectively as they could be.

FILE PICTURE: A Rea Vaya bus passes its terminal. Picture: Alaister Russell.
FILE PICTURE: A Rea Vaya bus passes its terminal. Picture: Alaister Russell.

“Gautrain buses are becoming wasteful expenditure.

“People use private transport to get to stations and cause congestion. We need to start using them.”

The most popular form of public transport to go to work was taxis, with private vehicles coming a close second.

Peters said the taxi industry provided 300 000 direct jobs and contributed R40 billion to the economy annually.

Statistician-general Pali Lehohla noted that while taxis were popular because of their speed and relatively low prices, “people are unhappy”.

He attributed some of the discontent to the issues of safety, comfort, unreliability and increased fares.

The good ol’ days of racing at Kyalami

Pheladi SethusaLeave a comment
A general view of the Kyalami race track on July 23, 2014 a day before it will go up for auction in Johannesburg, South Africa. The circuit hosted its last international competition in May 2010 with the sixth race of the World Superbike Championship. AFP PHOTO/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA
A general view of the Kyalami race track on July 23, 2014 a day before it will go up for auction in Johannesburg, South Africa. The circuit hosted its last international competition in May 2010 with the sixth race of the World Superbike Championship. AFP PHOTO/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA

NOTE: Article first appeared on The Citizen website on July 27, 2014. 

Back in the good old days, people overseas related to four things regarding South Africa: the Springboks, heart pioneer Chris Barnard, golfer Gary Player – and Kyalami.

An auction in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, yesterday saw the historic Kyalami race track sold to Porsche SA for a whopping R205 million.

Lead auctioneer Joff van Reenen took no longer than two minutes to wrap up the sale of the property to a telephonic bidder. Porsche SA CEO Toby Venter was in Cape Town when the sale was made.

Lance Chalwin-Milton, joint managing director at High Street Auctions, said because the buyers were in the motoring industry, the race track would remain as is, with “possible development around the track”.

This sale is the highest auctioned price paid for a single property in South Africa – the previous highest being R120 million, said Van Reenen.

Piece of history

The Kyalami circuit was built in 1961, on a piece of land chosen by the late rally driver Francis Tucker, “because nobody would ever think of building anything there”.

It was completed the same year and its first major race, the Rand Grand Prix, was won by Jim Clark in a Lotus Climax.

FILE PICTURE: The Kyalami Racetrack in Johannesburg. Photo by Gallo Images/Sowetan/Tshepo Kekana
FILE PICTURE: The Kyalami Racetrack in Johannesburg. Photo by Gallo Images/Sowetan/Tshepo Kekana

Over the years, the circuit was widened, becoming a regular host of the F1 Grand Prix world championship.

It was revered as one of the fastest circuits in the world, with F1 cars reaching higher speeds than on tracks like Monza, Spa and Silverstone.

In 1988 it was cut in half and redesigned to its current shape.

Its last F1 took place in 1993, won by Alain Prost in a Williams Renault, leading home Ayrton Senna (McLaren) and Michael Schumacher (Benetton).

In between, the venue also hosted international sports car and truck races, superbike events and manifold rounds of SA championships for single seaters and saloon cars.

Its last major international event was the final round of the 2010 World Superbike championship.

By Andre de Kock and Pheladi Sethusa 

EFF feels legislature wrath

Pheladi SethusaLeave a comment
EFF MPs are removed by police from the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for wearing red overalls, 1 July 2014. Picture: @EconFreedomZA via Twitter
EFF MPs are removed by police from the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for wearing red overalls, 1 July 2014. Picture: @EconFreedomZA via Twitter

NOTE: Article first appeared in The Citizen newspaper on July 2, 2014. 

Two  EFF MPLs were injured yesterday after being thrown out of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for wearing overalls.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) spokesperson Omphile Maotwe who siad Benjamin Disolwane and Mgcini Faku were “manhandled” by security when they were being removed from the legislature.

“Our chief whip (Faku) had his arm broken during the forced removal,” said Maotwe.

The members and six others were asked to leave the legislature when they came dressed in their red overalls.

The Speaker of the provincial legislature, Ntombi Megkwe said EFF MPLs were asked to “excuse themselves” after she explained to them that they were dressed inappropriately.

When they refused to do so, she invoked Legislatures Act 4 of 2004 which gives her the power to evict members of the legislature from the proceedings.

Parliamentary spokesperson Luzuko Jacobs said the National Assembly operated separately from any other Legislature.

The National Assembly therefore allowed the EFF to attend the proceedings wearing their overalls.

Party insignia and symbols are allowed in Parliament, he said.

“Every legislature is empowered by law to impose its own rules,” said Jacobs.

Deputy provincial speaker Uhuru Moiloa said they could “not allow anarchy to happen” by allowing any members to behave inappropriately by not sticking to the Guateng legislature’s rules and regulations.

“The gimmicks of the EFF are an attempt to divert the legislature…Today was a waste of the nation’s time,” he said.

Mekgwe shared her thoughts on the EFF’s red overalls, saying “this is not a garden”.

Speaker in the Gauteng Legislature Ntombi Mekgwe addresses a press briefing on the removal of EFF members from the legislature during a sitting in Johannesburg.
Speaker in the Gauteng Legislature Ntombi Mekgwe addresses a press briefing on the removal of EFF members from the legislature during a sitting in Johannesburg.

She added that the legislature was a noble house and as such required appropriate dress code.

She said “minimal force” had to be used to remove the two members.

Mekgwe claimed she did not see any excessive force being used, she only saw one of the EFF members hitting a female security personnel with a “hot klap” during their eviction. She said this violence would be dealt with.

Mekgwe said during the two week orientation that all MPLs were taken through earlier this year, the standing rules outlined matters of conduct and participation in the legislature and the EFF members had failed to abide by those rules.

The EFF MPLs have not been expelled from legislature, however Mekgwe said the members would just need to dress appropriately to be allowed back into legislature in the coming days.

Maotwe said the provincial branch of the EFF would be consulting “head office and will take the matter from there”.

Late yesterday Mekgwe said the integrity commissioner would investigate the incident.

“We are referring the matter to the integrity commission. They will advise us on how to move forward,” Mekgwe said.

Gauteng police spokesperson Leutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said he would respond to the allegations only once a case had been opened.

 

The man behind the youth

Pheladi SethusaLeave a comment

NOTE: This article first appeared in The Citizen newspaper on June 21, 2014.

It has been a little over a year since Yershen Pillay became the executive chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) – and while he has been in charge, the agency has reached over two million young people through its programmes.

“Matching our reach with the 7.5 million youth who needs support in the country makes what we’ve done seem small,” said Pillay. “The R400 million we get in funding cannot reach them all, but we set realistic targets to reach as many as we can.”

The 30-year-old comes from a political background, having majored in politics and economics at the University of Cape Town in 2002.

In his first year he joined the ANC Youth League and “from there things just took off”. Pillay’s involvement in politics at the university made him realise the need for transformation at the institution – and the need for social justice in the country.

He started out as the deputy chairperson of the Young Communist League’s UCT branch and is now the national chairperson of the league. “I believe in the principles and values of communism. More than anything, socialism is about building a more humane society, bridging gaps and providing access to basic services for all.”

He described his work with the youth as a natural and “subconscious” continuation of the youth movement that started during apartheid. “We don’t always take note of it, but our youth is very vocal.” He cited a 2013 Youth Development Index Survey which found South African youths are the fourth-most politically active in the world.

The NYDA is a “political institution; a part of the presidency and constituted by Parliament,” explained Pillay. Because of this, it does not surprise him that he is at the helm.

National Youth Development Agency Chairperson Yershen Pillay speaks to The Citizen in Midrand, Johannesburg, 19 June 2014. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
National Youth Development Agency Chairperson Yershen Pillay speaks to The Citizen in Midrand, Johannesburg, 19 June 2014. Picture: Nigel Sibanda

He became chair of the NYDA in March last year – and said firmly the agency has been on an upward trajectory over the past year. “The agency repositioned itself to become more capable, credible and visible.

“We have to be honest with ourselves: we were not the most efficient or effective organisation. But that era is gone. We’re now spending money on young people and not on ourselves,” said an earnest Pillay of the agency’s checkered past.

“Young people are hungry for jobs and hungry for opportunities, irrespective of who brings that to them. The nature and character of the youth movement is changing to become more in line with socio-economic needs. This reflects the maturity of our democracy.”

The NYDA runs a number of programmes which focus on skills development and entrepreneurial support.

Speaking on youth unemployment, he said: “There are jobs – but we don’t have the skills to match” – and he uses the example of Korean welders contracted to work at Eskom’s Medupi power plant because there is a shortage of those skills in this country. This is one of the reasons the agency places an emphasis on career guidance programmes.

But Pillay said 20 years of democracy is too short a time to expect everything to have changed in South Africa. “It is not enough time to eradicate over 300 years of colonialism and subjugation.”

However, the youth needs to channel the anger and frustration they have and focus on solutions to their problems instead, he said.

His job has changed him – and the success stories of some of the NYDA beneficiaries keep him going.

“We are changing lives, one life at a time. There is reward in service,” he said as a smile spread across his face.

Abandoned power station comes crashing down

Pheladi SethusaLeave a comment
Rescue workers stand in front of the collapsed power park building, Soweto, 26 June 2014. The building collapsed yesterday morning. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
Rescue workers stand in front of the collapsed power park building, Soweto, 26 June 2014. The building collapsed yesterday morning. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

NOTE: This article first appeared in The Citizen newspaper on June 26, 2014.

A body was recovered and five injured men suspected of stripping metal and cables from a decommissioned power station, in Orlando, Soweto, were last night rescued several hours after they had been trapped when the building collapsed on them.

“The men sustained head and body injuries, but they were stable,” said Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson Nana Radebe. She said the body of the unidentified man was recovered late last night.

Police suspect that the men were trying to strip the dilapidated building of metal fittings and cables when the building caved in and trapped them under rubble.

“These guys came in the middle of the night, it’s obvious that they were stealing,” said Kay Makhubela from the South African Police Service.

However, last night after the rescue no arrests were made, instead the five men were taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital for treatment.

Rescue workers take sniffer dogs into the collapsed power park building, Soweto, 25 June 2014. The building collapsed early this morning after suspected metal thieves were in the building possibly causing the collapse and trapping 4 of them. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
Rescue workers take sniffer dogs into the collapsed power park building, Soweto, 25 June 2014. The building collapsed early this morning after suspected metal thieves were in the building possibly causing the collapse and trapping 4 of them. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

Orlando resident Maria Matsinhe recalled how her husband telephoned her in the early hours yesterday to alert her of his ordeal.

Matsinhe said her husband Simon Pacul told her that there had been an accident involving himself, her brother and her nephew.

“I don’t know what they were doing there or how they got there, my husband was meant to be going back to work in Rustenburg,” said a visibly distraught Matsinhe.

Her husband is a miner and was supposed to return to work on the platinum belt, where the devastating five month strike finally ended this week.

The decommissioned power station at Power Park in Orlando, which was commissioned at the end of the Second World War and served Johannesburg for more than 50 years, collapsed at around 4am yesterday morning.

Monwabisi Tyani, who lives just behind the building, said: “I heard a sound like a bomb at about half past four.”

EMS spokesperson Radebe said Pacul, who was injured, called them for help.

Rescue workers in front of the collapsed power park building, Soweto, 26 June 2014. The building collapsed yesterday morning. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
Rescue workers in front of the collapsed power park building, Soweto, 26 June 2014. The building collapsed yesterday morning. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark

“We received a call at about 7am and when we got here we found him,” said Radebe.

Radebe said Pacul was taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital for treatment. He suffered injuries to his legs, arms and hands.

“He is in a serious but stable condition,” Radebe said.

She suggested that the alleged theft of metal and cable could have caused the old building to collapse.

“Maybe they removed small quantities over time, which weakened the building,” said Radebe.

Soweto police spokesperson warrant officer Kay Makhubela said investigations to find out what the rescued men were doing at the building were in progress.

“We must find the owner of the building to see if he gave these people permission to be here,” said Makhubela.