Malawi's 2014 elections met with presidential distress

Malawi's 2014 election, like South Africa's, marked the country's 20 year of democracy. It also introduced a week of electoral ordeals.

 by Iske Conradie

The high court in Malawi, granted the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) the go-ahead with counting votes on Saturday, after Malawian president, Joyce Banda invalidated the elections, earlier the day.

 

Malawi opened polling station on Tuesday morning, 20 May 2014, only 13 days after South Africa's elections. This is Malawi's first tripartite elections meaning Malawians will elects the president, members of parliament and local government within the same election.

Following the elections earlier the week, defending president, Joyce Banda, made a public "proclamation" on Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), stating that the election was annulled, because of "fraudulent and rampant irregularities."

Judging the president

"I hereby further proclaim that Tripartite Elections for the election of President, Members of Parliament and Councilors shall be held within ninety days of the date of this Proclamation," she said in her proclamation.

Banda made a public statement that she would not be participating as presidential candidate in the elections postponed in three months time.

The MEC and the Malawi Law Society applied for a judicial review of Banda's order to continue with the election procedures. They were granted an injunction, which restricts the president and any of her aides from obstructing electoral proceedings, until the High Court resolves the case.

President edits decree

Banda had made an election-annulling announcement earlier on Saturday, but reiterated a corrected announcement on ZBS later the day. She stated that she had initially misattributed the section of the Constitution she would employ to cancel electoral outcomes.

On Saturday evening Google had added a notification to the search result of ZBS's online radio site, www.zodiakmalawi.com, warning users that the site "might be hacked".

Isolated electoral troubles

Voting continued until Thursday, although Malawi's official Elections Day was Tuesday, 13 days after South Africa's election, because there were electoral disturbances at certain polling stations.

In a statement regarding the observations of its Malawi election observation mission, The European Union's (EU) said there was "considerable organisational shortcomings and a few isolated incidents of unrest" on Election Day. The EU also confirmed a "lack of essential material" which had lead to "delays in the opening of polling stations" in the same statement.

The Malawi Electoral Support Network (MESN), a body that conducts random sampling during elections to determine the accuracy of MEC results, observed that 32% of polling stations had opened on time, at 6am, on Election Day.

MESN also indicated that at 96% of polling stations "no one attempted to disrupt the voting process."

On Wednesday, MEC chairperson, Justice Mbendera, asked voters, who used one of the 13 identified stations affected by disruptions, to recast their votes.

Voting stations were open on Thursday in Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, and Blantyre, its largest city - the areas afflicted by unrest and disruptions.

Peace for most Malawians

A South African, Erika Joubert, who had lived and worked in Malawi for three years, says the majority of Malawians live in rural areas in impoverished traditional homes, with no electricity, bore hole water and dilapidated under-resourced schools, unlike the urban Lilongwe and Blantyre.

"Most people I know could vote rather peacefully as the unrest were in Lilongwe and Blantyre," says Deppa Pullanikkatil, a programme manager for the non-profit organisation, Lead. Pullanikkatil is based in Zomba in the Southern part of Malawi.

The EU's preliminary election observation deliberated the effects of disruptions of election results, but specified "voting was generally conducted in an orderly, calm and peaceful manner".

"Voters patiently waited to cast their vote despite long queues. EU observers assessed the overall conduct of voting as being good or very good in 92 per cent of 404 polling stations."

Miscounting then recounting votes

On Saturday Bendera issued a statement on a meeting between MEC and political party leaders regarding the elections.

"During the meeting, the Commission reported that in the course of vote tallying, there are cases being discovered where the total number of votes cast is more than the total registered voters for the centre. It has been agreed with the political parties that this can be resolved by opening the ballot boxes and doing a physical audit," he said.

The MEC affirmed that vote counting would proceed. He also said the MEC would convene with political parties today, to establish the logistics of a recount of votes early next week.

Unofficial results wreak turmoil

The death of Deputy Minister of Local Government and People's Party member, Godfrey Kamanya, on Thursday morning, might be linked to unfavourable unofficial election results. He had allegedly committed suicide.

The latest unofficial Malawi Electoral Support Network (MESN) results issued on Saturday indicate that Peter Mutharika'a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is in the lead, followed by of Lazarus Chakwera's Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which puts former president and her party, the People's party in third place.  The fourth competitive contender is Atupele Muluzi with the United Democratic Front (UDF).

Legacies and territories

"Remember that Malawi has regional politics. Every leader is popular in their region. Peter, Joyce and Atupele - representing big parties - all come from the South and get many votes from the South," says Malawian, Mathews Tsirizeni, currently doing his PhD in environmental development in Botswana.

The MESN reports estimated that 55% of Southern Malawi voting stations were open by 9:30am, 69% in Northern Malawi, 73% in Central Malawi and 79% in Eastern Malawi.

The leading party leaders are rigged with connotations. Atupele Muluzi is the son of former president Bakili Muluzi. Mutharika is the brother of former president Bingu Mutharika who passed away in 2012, who passed the presidential position to his deputy, Joyce Banda.

"MCP is famous in the central region and also got many votes. The North supports Peter. The DPP is winning, because people have good experience of security assurance from the [former] Bingu [Mutharika] administration," says Tsirizeni.

Banda was implicated in a financial scandal, dubbed Cashgate, when Malawi's digital financial system was bypassed to allocate money to government officials and aides. Thereafter she was criticised for overspending on private flights.

"Joyce [Banda] is losing, because of Cashgage, corruption and presidential jet scandals, which make Malawians suffer. She did not act on these issues to win Malawians back. She also started being nepotistic, favouring people of her party," believes Tsirizeni.

According to the MEC this election was a tripartite election, because the last local elections were held 14 years ago. Former president, Bingu Mutharika, had cancelled the previous local government elections.   

2014 Verkiesinguitslae: Geld het gewen

deur Iske Conradie

Stemmers onbewus van partytjies

Die aand voor verkiesingsdag is daar 'n gewoel in die Kotze-huis.

Sewe lede van die SAPCO (South African Progressive Civic Organisation) vergader op die agterstoep van partyleier Daniel Kotze se huis in Noorder-Paarl.

Hierdie SAPCO-lede sit almal op verkiesingsdag uit vrywilligheid by bemarkingstalletjies by uitgekose Boland-stempunte

Kotze vertel dat sy party nie, soos groter partye, lede of burgers kan betaal om stalletjies op te rig by elke stempunt nie.

"Die kleiner partye wat aan die verkiesing deel neem vind hulleself in die ongelukkig posisie dat hulle nie baie finansiele steun het nie, anders as die bestaande partye wat grootskaals befondsing uit die nasionale skatkis kry," verduidelik wetskenner Werner Krüll.

Die nasionale skatkis se politiekepartye-fonds word verdeel volgens die hoeveelheid nasionale en provinsiale parlementslede wat partye het. Partye wat nie lede in die parlement het nie kry nie staatssteun nie.

Volgens die Fonds se finansiële verslag van die vooraanstaande jaareinde is R108 236 911 van belastingbetalers se geld verdeel onder veertien partye.

Die grootste begustigdes in hierdie finansiële jaar is die ANC, wat 62% van die fonds gekry het, die DA met 16%, en COPE wat 9% gekry het.

Elke party moet R200 500 vir registrasiefooie opdok om aan die nasionale verkiesing deel te neem en R45 500 vir die provinsiale verkiesing.

"Die registrasiefooie is vir ons heeltemal buitensporig hoog en onnodig. Dit skyn eerder asof die groot politieke partye 'n demper wil plaas op die demokratiese proses deur te sê 'kom ons hou sekere mense uit deur die kostes so hoog te maak'," sê Kotze.

"Bedrae wat betaal word aan huidige politieke partye betaal moet drasties ingekort word sodat daar 'n gelyke speelveld is," sê Krüll.

Hy glo dat die stem van kleiner partye "noodsaaklik is vir demokrasie." Krüll vertel dat kleiner partye die geleentheid moet kry om die publiek se toegeneendheid tot alternatiewe idees te toets, wanneer dominerende partye nie die mas opkom nie.

UCOSA (Universal Civics of South Africa), 'n party wat fokus op verarmde Suid-Afrikaners het ontrek uit die verkiesing aangesien die party nie die sombedrag registrasiefooie kon bybring nie.

Stemmers Onbewus van Partytjies

Die aand voor verkiesingsdag is daar 'n gewoel in die Kotze-huis.

Sewe lede van die SAPCO (South African Progressive Civic Organisation) vergader op die agterstoep van partyleier Daniel Kotze se huis in Noorder-Paarl.

Hierdie SAPCO-lede sit almal op verkiesingsdag uit vrywilligheid by bemarkingstalletjies by uitgekose Boland-stempunte

Kotze vertel dat sy party nie, soos groter partye, lede of burgers kan betaal om stalletjies op te rig by elke stempunt nie.

"Die kleiner partye wat aan die verkiesing deel neem vind hulleself in die ongelukkig posisie dat hulle nie baie finansiele steun het nie, anders as die bestaande partye wat grootskaals befondsing uit die nasionale skatkis kry," verduidelik wetskenner Werner Krüll.

"Nuwe partye sukkel om toe te tree tot die politieke veld omdat hulle eenvoudig nie kan meeding in terme van publisisteit nie."

Die nasionale skatkis se politiekepartye-fonds word verdeel volgens die hoeveelheid nasionale en provinsiale parlementslede wat partye het. Partye wat nie lede in die parlement het nie kry nie staatssteun nie.

Volgens die Fonds se finansiële verslag van die vooraanstaande jaareinde is R108 236 911 van belastingbetalers se geld verdeel onder veertien partye.

Die grootste begustigdes in hierdie finansiële jaar is die ANC, wat 62% van die fonds gekry het, die DA met 16%, en COPE wat 9% gekry het.

Elke party moet R200 500 vir registrasiefooie opdok om aan die nasionale verkiesing deel te neem en R45 500 vir die provinsiale verkiesing.

"Die registrasiefooie is vir ons heeltemal buitensporig hoog en onnodig. Dit skyn eerder asof die groot politieke partye 'n demper wil plaas op die demokratiese proses deur te sê 'kom ons hou sekere mense uit deur die kostes so hoog te maak'," sê Kotze.

"Bedrae wat betaal word aan huidige politieke partye betaal moet drasties ingekort word sodat daar 'n gelyke speelveld is," sê Krüll.

Hy glo dat die stem van kleiner partye "noodsaaklik is vir demokrasie." Krüll vertel dat kleiner partye die geleentheid moet kry om die publiek se toegeneendheid tot alternatiewe idees te toets, wanneer dominerende partye nie die mas opkom nie.

UCOSA (Universal Civics of South Africa), 'n party wat fokus op verarmde Suid-Afrikaners het ontrek uit die verkiesing aangesien die party nie die sombedrag registrasiefooie kon bybring nie.

"Aan die einde van die dag sit jy met tien of twintig duisend mense, maar dis nie te sê hulle sit met 'n klomp geld nie. Dan as gevolg van die finansies moet jy ongelukkig terugsit omdat jy nie deel kan wees van die verkiesing nie.

"Ek dink dit is 'n hartseer storie, want waar is ons demokratiese land dan?," vra UCOSA-leier, Gilbert Adonis.

Life and Damage in a Breath

Antioxidants: managing free radicals is as natural as inhaling air.

Life and Damage in a Breath

by Iske Conradie

Hold your breath for the truth about free radicals and antioxidants.

Since the 80's many studies have linked free radical damage to the death of cells and diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, heart fibrillation and cancer.  Scientists also pinpointed the means to counter free radical damage: antioxidants.

Free radicals are unstable and highly reactive molecules that love to bind with particles like DNA, proteins and lipids. When they do, they meddle with the structure and functionality of these particles, which can ultimately cause cellular death.

Antioxidants inhibit these free radical reactions.

These scientific breakthroughs along with pharmaceutical opportunism sparked the popularity of antioxidant supplements.

Shelves and shelves with various antioxidant supplements market antioxidants as the hero’s in the fight against free radicals.

You can thank your life-source, oxygen, for your inevitable dose of oxygen related free radicals.

As free radicals come without saying and with a gulp of air, your body has a natural management plan to keep the radicals in check. High dosages of antioxidants in supplements may disregard the natural balance of antioxidants and free radicals in your body.

The management system

Every waking or sleeping moment, at least 2 to 5 % of the oxygen you breathe potentially converts to reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are potent free radicals that derive from oxygen.

This happens naturally within cells when some of the oxygen molecules accept one or more unpaired electrons from other particles.

With their newly acquired unpaired electrons these oxygen molecules (O₂) change into ROS radicals like superoxide water peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide (O₂^-) or the radical (O₂^.).

ROS free radicals are very eager to connect with other particles; electrons hate being single.

Your body uses antioxidants to take up single electrons to inhibit free radicals hooking up with unsuitable partners.

It produces uric acid, protein thiols and melatonin which act as antioxidants to neutralise free radicals.

Your body is also an expert in putting your food to work. It will harvest all the edible antioxidants or elements, which aid antioxidants from your lunch.

Getting enough antioxidants

Your mango juice and whole grain beef, mayonnaise and tomato sandwich serves up vitamin B, C and E; beta-carotene; selenium; zinc and plant flavonoids.

Dietitian, Andrea Fick, believes well-fed people will get sufficient antioxidants from their day-to-day diet.

"Most things you eat: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, most breakfast cereals and breads contain antioxidants. The amounts of various antioxidants you need per day are really small. For example a woman can get her daily intake of vitamin C for the day, eating one orange. After about four oranges your body is satisfied with vitamin C and excretes the rest.

"However if you don't eat your whole grains, two fruits and three vegetables per day and mostly refined starches and takeaways you won't consume sufficient antioxidants".

The term Oxidative stress is used to describe the harmful  state when the amount of ROS produced exceeds your bodies' ability to remove them.

There is a beneficial function of ROS free radicals in your body as well. It is used to reduce inflammation and to attack bacteria.

An too much antioxidants

Medical practitioner, Dr. Herman Kotzé, believes people should take antioxidant supplements. He uses high dosages of antioxidants himself.

"I believe in preventative medicine. It is proven that free radicals can cause various diseases and cancer. The amounts of free radical exposure that we are exposed to in the last decade or two manifest later in our lives.

"If you can use antioxidants to inhibit diseases and antioxidants causes no harm, why not? Free radicals may cause people to suffer and die from certain diseases, sooner than expected".

Fick points out that water-soluble antioxidants are excreted when the body is saturated while fat-soluble antioxidants, like beta-carotene and vitamin E, may be toxic in an overdose, because they aren't excreted. 

Recent studies suggest that an overdose in vitamin E and zinc may be linked to certain types of cancer and some indicated that vitamin E is only useful and beneficial when there is a deficiency.

South Africa has no have a formal regulatory system for dietary supplements, which might put people at risk who take label indications for granted. Furthermore the maximum and recommend daily allowance of many nutrients are still in debate.

Both Fick and Kotzé agree that health begins primarily with a healthy organic diet.

Breathing easily

"I don't think people should be a big fuss about not getting in enough antioxidants, people who eat lot of fruits and vegetables definitely get enough. Fruits and vegetables usually have a bit of most antioxidant in," says Fick.

Sufficient antioxidants are your natural means to control free radicals.

"You should use supplements to give you what your diet lacks," explains Kotzé.

Supplements cannot outsmart ROS.

"ROS is natural byproduct in your body. It's always there, but where scientist identified it as a bad is where it binds to molecules it shouldn't." says scientist, Dr. Izabeth Conradie

The only way to eradicate free radicals completely is by not breathing ever again, which is also known as dying.

"If you end free radicals, you end the life of cells. You will produce free radicals from your first day to your last," explains Conradie. 

Prof. Lieberman and Prof. Marks, authors of Mark'd Basic Medical Biochemistry: A clinical approach, dub oxygen as "both essential to human life and toxic".

Take a breath; there is no way around needing oxygen. It's a vital irony. Keep eating your five fruits and veggies a day to control those radical few.

Here's a guideline how to consume sufficient antioxidant through your diet:

How to consume Antioxidants
	Food you get it in	The Daily Dosage you need	Watch out
Beta-carotene (molecules of vitamin A)	Dark yellow, orange, dark green colored fruit and vegetables (like pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, spinach, apricots, broccoli, papaya, mango and tangerine).	Men: 600-900 mcg Women: 600-700 mcg	Smokers should avoid getting high dosages of beta-carotene. It increases their risk of developing lung cancer..
Thiamin (B1)	For breakfast you’ll find it in fortified cereals, oats, dried milk powder and eggs. Legumes, brown rice, whole-grains, nuts, cornmeal, enriched flower or bread, wheat germ, green peas and seeds are rich in Thiamin. Meat lovers can dish up pork or lean meat for vitamin B1.	0.9-1.1 mg/d	If you eat a lot of carbohydrates you also need consume more B1. Raw fish, tea, coffee, blueberries and red cabbage damage Thiamin molecules – eat more Thiamin rich food in combination with these food types.
Vitamin C	Fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lemons, tangerines, clementine, peaches, papayas, apricots, nectarines, pears, pineapple, yellow raisins, grapes, all berries and watermelon are rich in vitamin C. You’ll get this antioxidant from vegetables like yellow pepper, broccoli. red cabbage, red pepper, radishes and tomatoes.	Women: 75 mg Men: 90 mg Smokers: 100mg
Vitamin E	Wheat germ, whole grains, mayonnaise, creamy salad dressings, pistachios, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, fortified cereals, meat and egg yolks all contain Vitamin E.	15 mg	High doses can cause internal bleeding, because it thins blood. Avoid using Vitamin E supplements if you use blood-thinning medication.
Selenium	Seafood, fish, chicken, egg yolks, whole grain breads and cereals, wheat germ, dairy products and onions.	40-55 mcg
Zinc	Beans, seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, peanuts, oatmeal, whole grains and yeast.	Women: 8 mg Men: 11 mg	In combination with high doses of vitamin C, it may increase the risk of lung cancer in postmenopausal women. It may also be linked to prostate cancer in men.
Flavonoids	Brightly colored fruit and vegetables

Sherlin Barends: ʼn egte weerspreking

Dis 'n Maandag-laatmiddag in Ida's Valley. Sherlin spring uit die taxi uit. Ek agterna. Sherlin lyk of sy wil lag vir my. Sy kyk my so reguit in die oë asof ek moet weet waarvoor.

Wil sy lag omdat ek so belaglik stereotipies lyk? 'n Lomp wit meisie wat nie weet waar om af te klim en hoeveel taxi-geld om af te tel nie. 

Tog staar Sherlin ʼn mens altyd so stip in die oë. Dis asof mens 'n boek is wat sy wil lees en verstaan en waarvoor sy wil giggel wanneer dit kostelike gedeeltes in het.

Die straat waarin ons uitklim lyk soos 'n mense-straat. Kort kruisiesdraadheinings met skreeu-hekkies en mense wat met oop deure binne-buitetoe, buite-binnetoe beweeg deur die dag.

'n Paar huise af in die pad - ons gaan eers pit-stop by ouma. "Wat noem ek jou ouma?" vra ek. "Ouma. Almal hier is mekaar se oumas en uncles and aunties, maar jy hoef nou nie my pa Dêdda te noem nie, dis nou bietjies te erg".

Auntie Roseline antwoord die deur. Sy versorg vir ouma omdat ouma na haar gekyk het. Sy groet ons en ons almal skuif in die donker huis af in die gang na ouma se kamer toe. Meeste van die ligte is afgeskakel, maar die gangmure wat horisontaal verdeel is in een helfte pienk en een helfte turkooise verhelder die hele huis.

Hierdie lyk nou na 'n wonderlike huis. Dis 'n huis stampvol wit olifantjies, sentimentele muurversiersels en familieherinneringe.

Ouma se kamer laat mens dink aan Noordkaap huisies: dis kleurvol, daar is oral patroontjies, baie roospienk met 'n lae bedjie en 'n eenvoudige spieëlkassie in.

Die kleinste ouma lê in reg die middel van die bed. Shirlen groet ouma, stel my voor en sê vir ouma dat Edgar (Shirlen se kêrel), wat aan die anderkant van die bed staan, ook kom kuier het.

Ouma vra seker vyf keer of ons op pad skooltoe is. "Ons kom nou terug van skool ouma" gil Shirlen ordentlik in ouma se oor.

Daar's 'n goue ring aan Sherlin se vinger wat sy nooit afhaal nie. Dis 'n ring wat ouma haar gegee het. Auntie Shirene, Sherlin se ma, sê ouma het dit op die kerkgronde vir Shirlen gegee nadat ouma laasjaar gediagnoseer is met kanker.  "Dit was 'n tipe van 'n afskeid", sê Auntie Shirene, "deur haar toe te vertrou met die ring en self afskeid te neem van aardse dinge".

Sherlin druk 'n tjoklit in ouma se spieëlkaslaai. Ons groet en stap dan 'n paar huise af na Sherlin se nuwer huis. Sherlin-hulle het grootgeword in 'n plekkie agter ouma en oupa se huis. Sherlin se pa, Uncle Lionel, het later sy ouerhuis oorgekoop, maar bly die laaste vier jaar in 'n huis af in die pad.

Van die een huis na die ander is dit 'n warboel kleure en kleinighede na 'n skoonpienk moderne gebou. Binne die huis is die kontras tussen die twee blyplekke selfs groter. Hierdie moderne woning het 'n vasgestelde kleurskema: dieprooi en bruine. Dit het 'n ruim gestroopte gevoel. Ordelik. Niks wat rondlê nie. Ek kan 'n foto vir Visie-dekor neem as ek sou wou.

Sodra ons in die kombuis kom skel Uncle Lionel ons vrolik omdat ons laat is en groet my met 'n druk en Kaapse Afrikaans. Hy is die eerste en enigste persoon wat Kaapse Afrikaans met my praat vir die aand.

'n Monstergroot Maltese-hondjie, Lucky, hardloop by die houttrappe af om Sherlin te groet. Lucky is 'n halwe meter lank en twee hande breed. Sherlin se baba.

Sy skep vir Lucky soggend kos op – die oorskiet van die vorige aand se menskos. Lucky is die lewende bewyse dat honde-ontwikkeling net onderdruk word met 'n hondepilledieet.

Op met die trappe is Sherlin se kamer. Dis 'n mini weergawe van die sitkamer: dieprooi, simplisties, oop spasie. Daar hang 'n groot portret van Marilyn Monroe en langsaan 'n spierwit Monroe-snit rok wat kunssinnig langs die portret vasgepen is.

Sherlin bel vir gou vir Nadia, haar beste vriendin, en hoor of sy wil oorkom vir aandete. Nadia gaan gou oorkom.

Met die oploop na vanaand het Sherlin dit duidelik gemaak sy wil hê ek moet weet hoe haar elke dag lewe lyk. Haar gesin het gewoonlik net op Sondae aansit-etes. Maandae aande is almal gewoonlik op hulle eie missie. “Toast of iets vir aandete”.

Sy ry elke dag taxi. Sy praat oorronde Afrikaans met witmense en Kaapse Afrikaans met bruinmense en sy is gefrustreerd daarmee. "Ek wou dit nou nie vir jou spoil nie, maar jy gaan sien ek is 'n regte chameleon. Ek wou kyk of jy dit self optel".

Almal skep kos op. Laughton - Sherlin se jonger boetie - bietjie later omdat hy in sy kamer was. Hy het nie geweet ons skep al nie.

Dit reën en die kaggelvuur knal. Sherlin, Auntie Sherine, Edgar, Laughton en Nadia wieg tussen oorronde Afrikaans en Kaapse Afrikaans soos hulle tussen my en hul geliefdes stories vertel.

Edgar en Sherlin gaan byna sewe-jaar aan en af uit. Ek vra Edgar wat vir hom die mooiste eienskap van Sherlin is. Hy kan my nie regtig antwoord nie. Hy gee my vae woorde wat steier oor die onuitdruklike groot liefde wat hy vir haar het.

Nadia, uncle Lionel en auntie Shirene praat in dieselfde manier oor haar.

Niemand is skaam om haar sterk en swakpunte op die naam te noem nie. Shirlen is “hardkoppig”, “sterk”, “aanpasbaar”, “ʼn chameleon”, “verstrooid” en “perfeksionisties”. Sy is “onvoorspelbaar”, “noukerig”, “deeglik”, “manipulerend”, “sjarmant”, “lojaal”, “sy weet wie sy is”, “sy soek wie sy is”, “sy is plat op die aarde”, “sy hou van glamour”, “sy is ʼn work in progress”. Ongeag wat hulle sê, hoe hulle dit sê, verklik hoe diep verlief en vervoer hulle is deur haar.

Teen die einde van die aand is Shirlen se make-up amper af. Sy nie meer gepolish nie. Sy lyk bekommerd oor more se opdrag, of sy dit so volmaak gaan kan doen soos sy dit wil doen. Nes almal sê sy is oor elke ding wat sy aanpak.

Ons klim in die kar. Uncle Lionel gaan vir my en Edgar gaan aflaai. “Hierdie is my gunsteling musiek”, sê uncle Lionel en begin weer saam sing in sy operette-stem met Laurika Rauch. “Daar’s eintlik ʼn boerseun wat wil uitkom binne my pa. Hy wou my broer ‘Dewald’ noem” giggel Sherlin.

Shirlen lag vir haar pa asof hy ʼn kostelike storiekarakter is wat deur en deur lief het ten spyte van sy weersprekings. 

Sy kyk so na al haar ander geliefdes ook. Sy kyk so na my ook.

Sherlin is ʼn samestelling teenstrydige. Sy wys graag vir my haar weersprekend uit. Soos ʼn paar aande vroeër toe sy my opgewerk vertel het van haar taal, Kaapse Afrikaans, in haar oorronde Afrikaanse aksent - haar “tool” soos sy dit doop. 

Sy sê haar taal verdien ʼn volwaardige plek in Suid-Afrika, nie ʼn middelplek of ʼn domain nie. Sy vertel hoe haar mense soos middelmense voel in Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis en hoe sy weet sy sal aanhou oorronde Afrikaanspraat. Mense luister twee keer as sy so praat. Sy voel skaam en gefrustreerd met haarself.

Sherlin is ʼn teenstrydige karakter. Wat sy nie verstaan nie is dat almal weersprekende karakters is en dat die feit dat sy dit weet en saggies beplan hoe sy dit gaan oorkom, haar besonders maak. ʼn Opregte weerspreking van ʼn mens. Dis hoekom haar geliefdes haar bewonder.  

Ondanks R6.5miljard gaan Kleiner Sakeondernemings Sukkel

Al is R6.5miljard oor die loop van drie-jaar begroot vir hulpverlening aan klein en medium besighede, gaan ou probleme klein sakeonderneming-groei belemmer, meen ekonomie-lektor na aanleiding van die 2014/2015 begrotingtoespraak.

Minister van Finansies, Pravin Gordhan, het op 27 Februarie in sy nasionale begrotingstoespraak in die parlement, klem gelê op staats-inisiatiewe wat die privaatsektor sal bystaan om werksgeleenthede vir Suid Afrikaners te skep.

Hierdie inistiatiewe sluit die versagting van intellektuele eiendomswette en buitelandse kapitaalwette, verligte omsetbelasting, die kwyktskelding van belasting op beide private en staatsdonasies vir klein tot medium sakeondernemings.

"Ek sal nie sê dis 'n dramatiese nuwe skuif in regering nie. Ek dink nie ons kan verwag dat daar ewe skielik 'n groot tal besighede nou opslaan nie. Daar is 'n klomp ander probleme wat dit verhinder," meen Stellenbosch Universiteit ekonomie-lektor, Dieter von Fintel.

Von Fintel glo dat moeilike besigheidregistrasie, die uitsluiting van kleiner besighede se sê in minimumloon-onderhandelings en groot manusipalitieit se teensin in informele sektorondernemings soos smousery, familie besighede en klein vervaardigingsbesighede kleiner besighede verhinder om op te been te kom.

Gordhan het in sy toespraak gesê dat dit die privaatsektor se verantwoordelikheid is om werksgeleenthede aan Suid Afrikaners verskaf, maar dat die regering steun aan kleiner besighede gaan verleen om die werkloosheidsyfer van 24% aan te spreek.

"Dis 'n kernbelangrike kwessie omdat Suid Afrika veral 'n tekort aan klein besighede en werksskepping daarin het. Dis werklik die een ding wat kort in ons ekonomie" sê Von Fintel.

Gordhan glo dat 'n jaarlikse ekonomiese groei van ten minste 5%, teenoor die verwagte 2.7% vir 2014, nodig is om armoede en werkloosheid vinnig kamp te slaan.

Von Fintel waarsku dat die nuutingestelde "CAP" op Suid Afrika se skuld korttermyn effekte kan hê op klein besighede. Die teltalle betogings oor dienste-lewering kan verergerde onstabiliteit in die land veroorsaak, indien daar nie meer gedoen word met die beskikbare geld nie, en dit kan noodsaaklike dienstellewering belemmer.

Hy meen dat Suid Afrika se skuld goed-beheer danksê Gordhan se "konserwatiewe" skuldbegroting, maar dat dit die nasionale besteding inkrimp. "Dis hoekom Gordhan nie dramatiese uitbreidings of groot nuwe projekte genoem het nie," sê Von Fintel.

"Die volgende fase van groei gaan oor die dinamika en energie van die privaatsektor en die samewerkinginisiatiewe met die regering... Sentraal aan die Nasionale Ontwikkelings Plan is ons toewyding aan vennootskap - aan sosiale verbond om armoede en ongelykhede te verlaag en werk en beleggings te verhoog," sê Gordhan.

Famed Scientist expects Significant Astrological Discoveries in Karoo

The Karoo will be the hub of future astronomical findings says Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the astrophysicist who discovered pulsar stars, in a international science conference being held in Stellenbosch.

Burnell presented a talk, yesterday evening, as part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) symposium on revolutionary developments in radio astronomy.

SKA is a global project which hopes to build the largest collection of radio telescopes in the world in the Karoo and Murchison in Australia by 2020. The symposium is being held 17 to 21 February at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advances Studies (STAIS).  

Lindsay Magnus, a South African scientist who is part of the team who will be testing innovations for the SKA project, says Burnell’s discovery inspired SKA plans to venture further into research on pulsars.  

The SKA project may enable the discovery of different types of pulsars and explain some mysterious phenomenon’s surrounding these stars, says Burnell.

“One of the big questions it wants to answer is some of the questions she started asking, the things we don’t understand about pulsars,” maintains Magnus.

Pulsars are pulsating remains of degenerated stars. According to Burnell NASA is testing a GPS system for space based on the mapping of these pulsar pulses.

“South Africa is going to play a very special place in the near future of radio astronomy and I’m sure you will find it as exciting as we do,” says Burnell.

The Karoo and Murchison, both dessert regions, were selected as venues to host the SKA project as their low population means minimal cellphone interference with radio telescopes.

The Karoo is already the home of two radio telescopes: Kat7 and the MeerKAT, which is currently in progress.

Magnus believes the SKA project will substantially advance South African science and broaden the mind of the everyday South African.  

“The greatest benefit will be the possibility for South Africans to have access to the greatest and best technology that will exist on the planet,” says Magnus.