[Di’s] Suid-Afrika: An Interview with Fokofpolisiekar

My love for Fokofpolisiekar is a bit like the conundrum of the chicken and the egg. I don’t know which came first: my love for their rock ‘n’ roll or my love for their lyrics. In the beginning, though, there was no love. In fact, I did not like Fokofpolisiekar at all. There were two reasons why. Firstly, they were an Afrikaans band. Having been exposed to one too many sokkie treffers in my childhood, I refused to listen to Afrikaans music. Secondly, I got caught in a mosh pit at one of their gigs and spent the next morning washing beer out my hair and staring woefully at my bruised feet. I can’t remember the exact moment the turning point occurred, but it had something to do with my growing love for rock and the resonance of their powerful lyrics, once I took the time to listen to them properly. It spun off into a love that holds many memories: buying my first Afrikaans CD; playing Monoloog in Stereo on repeat; sitting in my garden, singing along to their songs, and the nervous excitement of a wild party that captured the musicians in Pretoria whenever Fokofpolisiekar was in town.

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This is (South) Africa: An Interview with Tony Kgoroge, Terry Pheto and Atandwa Kani

We pray for all South Africans, of every colour, that God may give us strength to tolerate one another; and that one day, in His name, we shall be one nation of God’s children who have all made this lovely country what it is. – Winne Madikizela-Mandela *

I grew up with a great passion for reading and my parents’ home was filled with books. From coffee table tomes with glossy covers to German children’s books, American paperbacks and the classics by Dickens and Austen, words and stories were available in abundant variety in every nook and cranny of my home. In 1994, my parents added to the vast collection a work entitled Long Walk to Freedom.

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Running Free: Releasing the Cheetahs

For the longest time there has been talk of releasing the wild cheetahs at Inverdoorn. It is something which the whole team has longed and hoped for, but it is a delicate process. Having been brought from different countries and often rescued from dire circumstances, it is integral that the cheetahs be properly rehabilitated before being released. That day has finally come and two of the wild cheetahs from the Western Cape Cheetah Conservation (WCCC) have been released into the main part of the reserve.

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An Intimate Evening with Seether

It started more than fifty years ago, and although its future is uncertain, one thing is undeniable: in one form or another, rock ‘n’ roll is still around. Last Friday stood as testament, as Kirstenbosch played host to Seether on the Cape Town leg of their South African tour. The band is currently touring around the world to promote their latest album, Greatest Hits, and since they hail from South Africa, the country’s inclusion was a must.

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