Sandbaai Mall Meeting Feedback

Click on the link to listen to the report.

Compiled by Dayne Elizabeth Nel for Whale Coast Media, in Hermanus.

http://www.spreaker.com/user/wcfm96/sandbaai-mall-meeting

Dayne's spicy lentil business

Baked perfection. Photo: Dayne Elizabeth Nel

Lately I have been loving lentils. These little brown gems are packed with guilt-free nutrition. But, a lentil salad everyday doesn't sound very appeasing to my gluten-loving appetite. My 'spicy lentil business' is something that I can easily snack on everyday. It is quick and easy to make and packs a real flavour punch. 
It can be made in smaller ramekins or in a larger dish to wow guests at a dinner party.

Start by boiling about two cups of lentils in about four cups of water. Remember to add a pinch of salt to the water. Boil the lentils until they are cooked. You don't want them to be mushy, so keep an eye on them. 

You will need:
2 tablespoons of oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 diced onion
1 tablespoon of your favourite curry powder
2 finely chopped baby marrows
3 cups cooked lentils
1 tin chopped and peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons of Lappies braai sauce
1 tablespoon prego sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
A few drops of Tabasco or chili sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

For the egg mixture on top:
3 eggs
80 ml milk
A pinch of dried mixed herbs
A pinch of smoked paprika

Method:
Turn the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Begin by heating some oil in a pan. Add the curry powder and mix it with the oil. Next, add the garlic and onions and cook until brown. Add the baby marrows, lentils and tinned tomatoes. Mix this through. To this, add some Lappies braai sauce, prego sauce, sugar and chili sauce to taste. Turn the heat up a bit and cook until the sauce has reduced. Add salt an pepper to taste. 

Spoon this mixture into ramekins. 

For the egg custard on top, simply mix all the ingredients together. 

Pour a thin layer of the egg custard on-top of the lentil mixture and garnish with cherry tomatoes or bay leaves. 

Place ramekins in a baking dish and add some water to create steam. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the egg custard is golden brown. 

Take out of the oven and serve hot or cold. 

Variations:
Fry some bacon with the onion and garlic for a smokey flavour. 

The great Zakes

By Gerhardus du Preez and Dayne Elizabeth Nel

The meeting room in Nerina woman residence was filled with excitement as the first of the “In conversation” series launched. The great Zakes Mda, author and artist, would be the first to facilitate conversation between students, using books as the catalyst.

A celebratory feasting waited on the tables in the room in the form of light snacks, juice and Leopard’s Leap wines; to be enjoyed as an aftermath.

As we familiarised ourselves in the space, the man of the hour came into the room with his infectious laughter and warm personality. Zakes Mda is truly a people’s person. He walked directly up to us and struck up a conversation. He is a noble human who is not affected by the praise and celebration of the oeuvre of his writing.

And so, after an introduction by Nicole Goldbeck the writer sat awaiting the conversation to begin. Wayde Groep discussed the newly published novel, The Sculptures of Mapungubwe, with Mda.  

In the conversation, Mda states that his novels set in Africa are his way of mapping out South Africa. He referred to his previous works explaining this statement. Heart of Redness set in the Eastern Cape among the Xhosa people where The Madonna of Excelsior deals with the Basotho and the Afrikaners in the Free State. A work set in Hermanus in the Western Cape is The Whale Caller, which critics identify the gives voice to the coloured community – although the novel itself does not state mention any race specifications. 

The Sculptures of Mapungubwe is another journey to another part of South Africa. It is set in Limpopo and tells tale of the kingdom of Mapungubwe a thousand years ago. The narrative is about to brothers who are the heirs of the royal sculptor and whose rivalry grows alongside their talents.

Mda researched his subject matter closely from ethno-archaeological findings from the site of the once prosperous city. He also researched oral stories and traditions passed on from one generation to the next. 

One of the prominent themes in the novel is art and its power. This is where books become the mirror of contemporary society and where conversations with authors reveal commentary on our current state.

Mda discussed how specifically the labelling of art in the novel is emblematic of the labelling of art in the present.

He draws attention to the scenario where Minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana refused to open the exhibition of internationally acclaimed South African photographer Zanele Muholi. She labelled Muholi’s work pornographic. This label was accepted by many people without seeing the work and thus the work as such was condemned pornographic.  Labelling, according to Mda, is dangerous because “it stops people to think”. Exploring this notion in the novel, is one way in which Mda uses the present to recreate the past and thus focussing a critical lens on modern day South Africa.

By asking questions stripped from literary jargon the chair, Wayde Groep, managed to create a conversation accessible to students from all disciplines. Mda commended him on a particular question where he read parallels between the journey of any individual and the journey of the characters which Mda did not intentionally construct.  Such a reading and the response of the author suggested that literature is not an art for dissecting only by scholars and trained readers, but it is stories for all to read and enjoy. Mda also commented of the value of stories and that “storytelling is life itself – we are all stories”. 

Furthermore, the event succeeds in facilitating conversations between students in a non-threatening and non-academic environment.

With a very interesting and enriching conversation with Zakes Mda, the SRC of Stellenbosch University succeeded in bringing one of our cultural jewels to the young minds of South Africa.

Many of us had our book copies signed – a holy relic which, on the bookshelf, will remind us of Zakes Mda’s laughter, humility and genius.

AWS Stellenbosch - Nuwe hoop vir diere

In die skadu van die Stellenbosch ashoop, lê die Stellenbosch dierewelsyn. Maar, hierdie is nie ʼn plek van hartseer en leed nie, eerder hoop en ’n nuwe begin vir elke inwoner op die werf. 
Die kantore is besig en op enige oomblik kan daar baie dinge gebeur. Nuwe honde en katte kom in, buitepasiënte kry hulp en die diere op die werf kry kos en aandag. Die mense wat hier werk moet fiks wees, want elke hond moet ook vir ’n stappie gaan. 

Hoewel dit ’n plek van baie liefde is, kos dit baie om dit aan die gang te hou. 
“Dit kos ons jaarliks R2.97 miljoen,” sê Cliff Tager, algemene bestuurder by Stellenbosch Animal Welfare Society (AWS). 
“Ons het geld by Helen Zille en by die Stellenbosch Munisipaliteit gekry, maar dit is nie genoeg nie. Ons doen ook 4000 sterilisasies elke jaar. 
“Mense bring diere hierheen wanneer hulle nie meer die diere wil hê nie, of mense bel ons as hulle ’n dier in nood sien. Die dier bly dan eenkant vir 14 dae, dan skuif ons dit oor na ons hokke toe. Daarna  adverteer ons die hond of kat op ons websites en Facebook sodat die eienaars hom kan kom haal. 
“Maar hier is diere wat nooit ’n huis sal kry nie en ons kyk na hulle tot hulle oud is. Ons sit nie graag diere uit nie.”
Colonel is nou al vier jaar by AWS en het selfs sy eie blog, Colonel’s News.  
“Colonel sê vir my wat om te skryf,” skerts Tager. 
“Ons is hier vir die gemeenskap wat nie geld het nie. Ons het ’n glyskaal waarop ons werk. Mense betaal ’n minimale bedrag. Ons probeer om by almal iets te vat om hulle verantwoordelikheid te leer. ‘n Hond kos geld.”

“’n Hond sal hier aankom en hy sal tattered and torn wees, maar as hy eers deur die hondeherberg (kennel) was, genees hy,” sê Carmen Ackerman, hondeherbergbestuurder. 
“Ek staan elke oggend met ʼn jeugdige hart op. Ons moet soms moeilike besluite maak, maar ek het die beste job in die wêreld. 
“Die grootste deel van ons werk is skoonmaak, skoonmaak en skoonmaak. Daar is ook baie administrasie aan hierdie plek verbonde. 
“Ons is vreeslik aktief op social media. Ons wil ons naam uitkry en vir die honde huise kry. Danksy sosiale media het die aannemings so gegroei. Sosiale media het  ’n groot impak gemaak in die laaste jaar-en-’n-half wat ons dit gebruik het. 
“Ek is meer nederig en my werk maak my meer dankbaar vir katte en hondjies.”
Ackerman is self ’n groot pitbull aanhanger en sê dat sy ook ’n honde-mens is. 

Ackerman wys ’n plakkaat op haar kantoormuur van Taubie. ’n Paar maande terug was Taubie erg mishandel en feitlik dood. Maar deesdae is  moeilik om te glo dat dit dieselfde aktiewe en geesdriftige hond is wat ‘n mens buite groet. Sy is nooit ver van Ackerman af nie. 
“Dit vat tyd, maar met geduld en liefde, genees alles. Op die ou einde van die dag maak hulle ons heel.”

Die katte word heelagter by AWS aangehou. Daar is ’n groot hok met krappale en katbeddens om die katte besig te hou. Dit lyk soos ’n katparadys. 
Binne lê so ses katte met hul werpsels. 
“Katte kan oor 8 weke aangeneem word,”sê Elmarie Immelman, katterybestuurder. “Die katjies is baie gewild, maar die groot katte sukkel. Ek hou van katte se selfstandigheid.”
Die finansiële druk van welsynwerk kan hier ook gevoel word. 
“Jou katjies eet spesifieke kos. Jy gaan deur stadiums van diarree en behandeling. Dan is daar mediese uitgawes. Maar ons katte is baie gesond. 
“Ons koop R3000 se katsand elke maand.”
Immelman ken elke kat se persoonlikheid en geaardheid. Sy loop by elke hok verby en verduidelik waar elke kat vandaan kom. 

AWS moedig almal  wie kan aan om vir ’n kort tydjie na diere te kyk, of om een aan te neem. 
“Die proses was baie maklik,”sê Jaconette Bothma, ’n pleegma van 2 AWS-honde. “Hulle het na ons huis en agtertuin kom kyk en ’n uur later kon ons ons hond gaan haal. 
“Ons het gesien dat die AWS mense huise soek om na diere vir ’n kort tydjie te kyk, toe kry ons vir Nonna. Nonna was saam met ’n ander hond buite ’n skool vasgemaak. Al wat hulle geëet het was die kos wat kinders hul kant toe gegooi het. 
“Ons het haar huis toe gevat om net vir ’n kort tydjie na haar te kyk, maar besluit toe om haar aan te neem. Ons het nou ook Nonna se maatjie aangeneem. Hulle is onafskeidbaar en hulle eet alles! Veral my groente in my tuin, maar ons is so lief vir hulle.”

Kontak AWS op 021 886 4901 of gaan kuier vir jou nuwe hondekind of kattemater op die Devon Valley pad in Stellenbosch. 

Kwesbaar vir kwartlewenskrisis

Click here to read my article on Litnet, Kwesbaar vir kwartlewenskrisis

Unacceptable Number Seventeen

My radio is tuned to Cape Talk 567, and yesterday I heard the presenter Kienno Kammies raving about the number seventeen. What could it be?

Seventeen magazine? Seventeen millimetres of rain? Seventeen puppies? Goodness knows!

But, his voice was agitated and he was speaking way too fast to be ranting about a girly magazine or wet puppies.

The revelation came quickly and angrily. Only 17 municipalities in South Africa have a clean audit for the financial year 2011-2012. This means that only 17 out of a whopping 278 municipalities have clean audits.

When you start crunching the numbers this means that only 6% of municipalities can do their math.

Business Day online reports that there was a total of R9.82 billion of irregular expenditure.  According to News24 it costs about R54 000 to build a house. This means that more than 180 000 houses could have been built with this money. Would that not make some dent in the housing deficit in this country?

Each time someone in a municipality flies first class instead of economy, they deny someone half-a-house.  Every rand spent, is a door, a window or a wall in someone’s house. Every rand unnecessarily spent is like spitting in the face of poverty.

But do we play this game with ourselves to make sense of this senseless spending of taxpayers’ money?

My dad always says, “If you don’t want to spend money, stay out of the shops.”

Those are wise words from my father, and they are true. When I have more money some Jolly Jammers and cappuccino sachets seem to sneak into my basket. When I have less money, stepping foot in a shop depresses me and therefore spend less.

Perhaps this is what should be happening. Give them less pocket money to buy those luxuries with. Every rand spent unnecessarily will be a rand deducted in the next financial year, from their salaries.

And, considering that salaries for auditors are advertised between R499 000 and R680 000, perhaps even higher, I’m sure they can afford to lose a few hundred thousand.

Should we applaud the 17 who managed to make the cut? 

No! They were just doing their job. 

A Little U.S.A is not far away

Photo: Dayne Nel

I have a strange affinity of the USA. I read in Stephen Fry in America, by the actor, journalist and prolific tweeter, Stephen Fry that he said that his other self, called Steve, is an American. He believes that if he was born in any other country than Britain, it would be the U.S.A.

In all honesty, I agree with him. I believe that the other half of me is running around somewhere in the U.S.A, drinking a Big Gulp and watching the Nate Berkus Show.

But, do we really have to create the U.S.A here on home soil?

My father has always proclaimed the amazingness of North America and after my first visit to the U.S, he felt like he had converted me to a new religion.

So, when I visited the U.S of A, I got daily updates from my father about what do. Drink a cheap mojito in Las Vegas, try the clam chowder in San Francisco and visit Universal Studios in L.A.

The messages came like those little strips of bible verses, one a day.

And now, having been to the land of McDonald’s and maple syrup, I see how the culture affecting our own.  

Earlier this year I went to Makro at Cape Gate to see what the fuss is about.

Photo: Dayne Nel

Before I go any further, I have something to confess.

I love buying stationary and packaging. Yes, packaging. Anything to pack another thing in: plastic bags, small holders and zipper bags for sandwiches.

Makro is my dream. Like a true American I took one of those large trollies, knowing that with my budget, I would never be able to fill it.

I glided between the isles and isles of glasses and Tupperware and dreamed about the day when the number of highlighters and glitter pens I buy is not limited to the amount of money I have in my account.

But, on my way past the gardening section I saw something that was strangely so, American.

I large man walking barefoot past the dustbins.

Photo: Dayne Nel

I remember my dad’s sermons about big Americans. I recall that before I left he told me: “Thou shalt not eat as much as an American.”

But, I’m not in America now, I’m in South Africa.

The man’s stomach was folding so far over his pants; it seems that it was probably holding up those same pants.

And then it dawned on me that the specials, the fake grass outside, the compulsory membership card and the fat man were all quintessentially American.

It seems that we are so happy to comply with another culture for the sake of a shopping experience.

Photo: Dayne Nel

But, South Africans more than ever need two-for-one specials and coupons. We have so many people living below the breadline that some excess would be great.

We don’t need the overweight man to buy chips in bulk, instead, we need the bulk to be shared.

Let’s leave the American way of buying sugary drinks and fatty foods to the Americans.

Let us head to the fruit isle instead, where nature’s bounty can perhaps be picked by all the citizens in our country.

Let us hope that everyone could know what it feels like to marvel at the humble pencil.  

And next time my dad and I reminisce about the good old U.S of A, I should perhaps direct him to Makro. Heaven is only 20 kilometres away.

Click on the link to be taken to the News24 website:
http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/A-little-USA-not-far-away-20130802