OLIVIA DECELLES & AISHA HAUSER
Academic and financial pressures taking their toll on students.
A spike in suspected suicides at South Africa’s top university has campus managers seeking the help of depression and anxiety experts.
Six University of Cape Town students have died from unnatural causes on its campuses so far this year.
Last year it was three, with the university management establishing a mental health task team after the deaths.
AISHA HAUSER
“Beautiful weather, scenic views, white, sandy beaches and luxurious villas – more than enough bait for tourists to flood drought-stricken Cape Town.
As one of the most visited coastal cities on the continent, the Mother City’s lavish accommodation may be its greatest drawcard.
According to Ruth Munitz, manager of SeeffSHORTSTAY, Cape Town is seeing a rise in the popularity of flats and villas.”
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When can you make fun of a girl wearing dental braces? The advertising watchdog has ruled that it’s okay if enough people get the joke. Read more
The award is almost sweeter than the brownies they serve. Cape Town cafe Brownies & Downies is the winner of the SAB Foundation’s Disability Empowerment award for 2017.
“We are very excited. The day after we won the award it was hard to stay focused‚” said manager Wade Schultz. “All the trainees and everyone were dancing and cheering in the store.”
The restaurant was crowned this month and with it came R1-million for having come up with a way to improve the employment of disabled people. Read More
By Sealy McMurrey and Alexa Cole
American folk rock sensation The Lumineers have returned to South Africa for the third time and are thrilled to hit the stage here again.
The band consists of lead vocalist and guitar player Wesley Schultz‚ drummer Jeremiah Fraites‚ and Neyla Pekarek on cello.
At a media conference on Wednesday‚ Fraites said: “I think the idea of playing in Europe was a 10-year goal‚ but the idea of playing in Africa was never a goal because we hadn’t thought it would even be possible.”
He said that it was an honour to have the opportunity to play in South Africa and that being able to get more than 10‚000 people to attend their shows is a dream come true. “I never thought as an American I’d be able to come over here‚ and we jumped at the chance to come back‚” he said.
As a special message to South Africa‚ Schultz said: “We’re a long way from home and to have all these people come out is great. And we have a lot more music this time around… two times more.”
They started at open-mic nights around Denver‚ Colorado‚ playing folk rock with strong American vibes. Today the Lumineers is one of the United States’ most prized musical possessions. Even former President Barack Obama proclaimed himself a fan after the release of their widely popular first album. They were nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2013 and performed the awards show. After gaining fame from the track Ho Hey‚ the group took a four year hiatus to tour.
In April last year they released their second album – Cleopatra – which narrates every day struggles such as loss and hope. The Cleopatra World Tour will run until August‚ when the band will end up in their home-city of Denver for an extra night‚ due to high demand.
They had two sold out shows in Kirstenbosch Gardens two years ago and according to News24‚ the band raved about how much they loved it. One of the touring members‚ Stelth Ulvang‚ told News24 at a press conference two years ago: “We love South Africa so far‚ everyone is so friendly and Europe can take a backseat!”
The Lumineers will be playing in Green Point park on Wednesday and in Johannesburg on Friday at the Ticketpro Dome. — TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
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Capetonians are capturing moments of themselves hiking the Grand Canyon‚ featuring in The Last Supper‚ and riding a camel without breaking a sweat.
An interactive 3D painting exhibition by world-renowned American pavement artist Kurt Wenner‚ currently on display at the V&A Waterfront‚ is making all of this possible.
Incredible Illusions is different to most art shows.
Instead of the typical museum instruction to “look‚ but don’t touch” people are encouraged to interact with the paintings for a photograph that will make it look like they’re actually there.
Wenner said that the art was chosen specifically “to provide an interactive experience to the public”.
“I wanted to share to [with] them the possibilities art offers to change our environment with imagination‚” he added.
Cape Town is the first international city to host Wenner’s travelling showcase.
Wenner said he got the idea for the showcase after setting up a museum in the Playa Del Carmen in the Mexican Riviera‚ and decided to start the showcase in Cape Town because of how impressed he was with the city when he first visited some years ago.
“I grew up in Santa Barbara‚ California‚ which is similar in many ways‚ although I must concede that Cape Town is even more elegant and spectacular. Naturally‚ I was delighted with the opportunity to display my work in such an enviable venue.”
For those who crave a more scholastic angle‚ there is also an educational zone that provides a history on pavement art and shares the crucial role that geometry plays in the creation of 3D interactive artwork. More creative museum-goers can learn about the foundation of 3D art and make their own masterpiece at the Art Jamming zone.
While Wenner was aware of the political situation in South Africa‚ he said that he generally avoided politics in his art because he felt “that my message is one of inclusion and hope rather than protest”.
“The whole world seems to be unstable at the moment and there is certainly plenty to protest about across the globe.”
The exhibition started on April 4 and runs until July 23. — TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
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Police in the Western Cape have refuted claims that they are behind the R100-million upgrade of the Muizenberg Police Station.
The upgrade has sparked an outcry from people living in poorer areas.
When contacted the provincial police issued a statement claiming that the upgrade is a Department of Public Works project.
But the department claimed they were approached by police to do the job.
“[The SAPS] determine their budget‚ they determine the where and the when of building police stations‚ they approach the Department of Public Works with a request to do the work‚” said the department’s media and stakeholder relations officer‚ Thami Mchunu.
The Social Justice Coalition has called for the SAPS in the Western Cape to rethink the allocation of R100-million to Muizenberg.
The SJC maintains that police resources have historically‚ and continue to be‚ allocated to mainly white middle class areas at the behest of black communities that are ridden with crime. High risk areas in the Western Cape such as Nyanga have limited police resources in spite of being labeled as the murder capital of the country‚ the organisation noted.
“We cannot accept this deployment of resources. Muizenberg has safety unmatched by any of the poorer communities. It’s an easy solution‚ why not take this money and put it in those areas that need it most. Why should we have to suffer because we are poor. Everyone should have access to safety it’s one of the founding principles of democracy‚” Right to Know organiser Pupa Fumba said.
Organisers made a point of recognising the members of the community who had been harmed by the alleged misallocation of resources.
Sibusiso Mdlankomo‚ a lifelong resident of Khayelitsha‚ noted the heavy reliance his community has on SAPS.
“It’s not right for this area to get another station‚ when we can’t even afford private security. We rely completely on the police in our community. It’s time they provide us with the resources we deserve‚” Mdlankomo said.
According to the police statement they ”strive towards the equitable distribution of SAPS resources guided by crime trends and patterns as well as spatial growth and development”.
They pointed to the current construction of new stations in Tafelsig‚ Makhaza and Nyanga.
TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
By Alexa Cole and Sealy McMurrey
Cupcakes decorated with political slogans proved to be a popular snack among many in the crowd waving posters‚ banners and flags.
Charly’s Bakery makes hundreds of cupcakes every day‚ and since Thursday night‚ the bakers have been creating specialty cupcakes in response to the protests against President Jacob Zuma.
Cupcakes were decorated with slogans such as “Recall Parliament”‚ “SA Must Rise”‚ “Divided We Fall”‚ “United We Stand”‚ “Cry Our Beloved Country”‚ as well as images of the South African flag.
Bakery owner‚ Jacqui Biess‚ said‚ “Cupcakes are a wonderful way to mobilize people”.
The bakery has a strong presence on social media‚ with over 100 000 followers on Facebook. Biess said she began advertising the cupcakes on Thursday night on social media and quickly started seeing retweets. “We had no idea if it would be dead today‚ but we’ve had a really good turnout‚” said Biess.
Cupcakes with slogans aren’t new to Charly’s. Biess said that whenever a big event happened‚ she and her daughters brainstormed when to write on their cupcakes that would elicit a giggle and have them flying off the racks.
Previous notable cupcakes have included “Honorable Speaker” in response to the Economic Freedom Fighter’s Julius Malema and his antics in Parliament. “Don’t touch me on my studio” was another in response to former AWB leader André Visagie’s infamous interview on the SABC and “Vote” cupcakes were a hit during the elections.
“The Anti-drug Alliance believes the High Court ruling‚ in favour of recreational dagga use‚ is “a win” for drug addicts. The alliance’s coastal director Andrew Stoller said that dagga could now be used as an “exit drug” in rehabilitation programmes.”
The alliance’s coastal director Andrew Stoller said that dagga could now be used as an “exit drug” in rehabilitation programmes.
“The argument has been used that it is a gateway drug but we have found that it can be used as an exit drug‚” said Stoller.
He said that in their experience in working with alcoholics dagga was used to effectively remedy addiction.
He said the judgement also meant that medical companies could start testing the plant’s medicinal effectiveness.
Judge Dennis Davis ruled in favour of Dagga Party leader Jeremy Acton who brought an application to decriminalise the private use of dagga and growing the plant.
Western Cape High Court rules in favour of private dagga use
Davis declared the limitations on the private use of dagga “unjustifiable” in terms people’s constitutional right to privacy.
“I smoked about ten joints‚ went into my heart and made my plea statement. I listened to the cannabis and used it to express my truth‚” said Acton outside the court in Cape Town where a crowd of about fifty pro-dagga activists sang – some even lit dagga pipes.
“Cannabis won this case today‚ I was just the vehicle‚” said Acton.
Emily Rizzo is on an SIT Study Abroad program and produced this story in association with Round Earth Media
– TMG Digital/The Times
If you count sheep to fall asleep, you can now do it organically.
Willie and Sonja Esterhuizen, of Britstown, in the Karoo, are South Africa’s first internationally certified organic sheep farmers.
The couple took a year converting their thousands of merinos into a certified organic flock, meaning no growth hormones or routine antibiotics are used and the sheep eat material not treated with herbicides or pesticides.
“Their health and wellbeing are top priority,” said Willie, whose family has farmed Elandsfontein for three generations.
The abattoir they use is certified organic, and the meat is sold at a certified butchery in Durbanville, Cape Town.
Elandsfontein’s certification means that its meat is produced to the organic standards of the EU and countries including Australia and Turkey, according to Marianna Smith of Ecocert Southern Africa.
Esterhuizen said organic food was a “growing niche market” and provided export opportunities. Going organic did not increase productivity, but meant the farm could charge more for its meat.
Stellenbosch University agricultural students helped make the farm organic.
“We still need to convert a small portion of our farming operations to 100% organic standards, but because of the valuable relationships with researchers in sustainable agriculture who are studying our endeavours we were able to get international certification,” said Esterhuizen.
The next step is to investigate the production of organic wool and lanolin, a wool by-product used in cosmetics.
“There is not yet a market for organic wool in South Africa, because it is so expensive to wash and process it,” said Esterhuizen.
Stellenbosch student Sarah Erasmus got a PhD in food science this month for research showing Karoo lamb’s unique taste comes from a diet of fragrant indigenous bushes.
Emily Rizzo is on an SIT Study Abroad programme. She wrote this story in association with Round Earth Media
