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IS CRUNCH TIME!

Is funny how the creature called ‘student’ is. The things students do and what they go through are sometimes hilarious and unbelievable. For in-

stance most of us procrastinate a lot especially when we have an assignment due. We tend to distract our-selves from doing our work by doing irrelevant things like watching TV, playing computer games or even going out just so we can avoid the elephant in the room called our books. It is almost like it is against the law to finish an assignment early! Every student has been through the ‘night before’ saga where we type our essays literally the night before they are due. The next day we feel the same old feeling of regret and fatigue and vow never to repeat it again. Yet we never learn. A few weeks later is the same old story. Computer labs become full towards the end of the term as people would be typing the night away to meet the deadline. The art of time management is crucial to master especially at this time of the year due to exams. Learn to think ahead and plan your time carefully because the last thing you will need is to find that you have wasted precious time that you cannot recover because you were doing things that could have waited until after the exams. The next time you feel Mr Procrastination approaching when you have to study, read our exam tips article on page 3 on how other students prepare for exams. You should also draw inspiration from our cover band The Muffinz and read all about their journey to stardom on page 13 while listening to their latest album. If these two tips I gave you above do not work, then do them in reverse order or use the oldest trick in the book and just STUDY!Good luck and see you in the exam room!Mabogoshi Matlala,

Mi ed’s note

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MiOpportunities ExamSeasonkicksin Thedo’sandthedon’tsinthejobapplicationprocess.MiExpressionWall Studentrecipes SOUTHAFRICA’SAGENTSOFCHANGE CoverStory-TheMuffinz

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1).www.internationalscholarships.comisanonlinefinancialaiddatabaseforstudentsfromanyorigin.Theyhavescouredallcornersoftheglobetolocateawardsthataredesignedtoassiststudentswhowishtostudyinanothercountrysonomatterwhoyouare,theyallhaveanaward.Featuresforstudentsinclude:• Freestudentmembership• Browseandfilterawardswithease• New,extendedresourcesection• Viewawardsinsimpleorextendedmodel• ContactadministratorsthroughthesiteSignupasamemberandbeginthatsearchforfunding.

2).ClarendonScholarshipsatUniversityofOxfordLastupdated:18Sep2012Briefdescrip-tion:TheClarendonFundistheUniversityofOxford’sflagshipscholarshipscheme.TheawardsaresponsoredbyOxfordUniversityPressandareonlyavailableattheUniversityofOxfordforallfull-timeandpart-timegraduatedegrees.HostInstitution(s):UniversityofOxfordinUnitedKingdom FIELDSOFSTUDY:AnyfieldofstudyofferedatUniversityofOxford.NumberofAwards:Ap-proximately100scholarshipsareofferedeveryyear.In2012-13,therewereover300ClarendonscholarsatOxfordfrom50differentnations.Tar-getgroup:AllcandidatesincludinginternationalstudentsacceptedtostartagraduatecourseatOxfordin2012/2013.Scholarshipvalue/inclu-sions:AllClarendonScholarshipscovertuitionandcollegefeesinfullandagenerousgrantforlivingexpenses.Scholarsonafull-timecourse

receiveatax-freeannualgrantthatisnormallysufficienttocoverthelivingexpensesofasinglestudentlivinginOxford.Thegrantforlivingexpensesin2011-12isGBP£13,590.Scholarsonapart-timecoursereceiveapro-rataamountofthefull-timegrantforlivingexpenses.Part-timeMaster’sscholarsareof-fered1/3ofthefull-timegrantperyearfortwoyears. Part-timeDPhilscholarsareoffered1/6ofthefull-timegrantperyearforsixyears.SelectionCriteria:Selectioncriteriavaryslightlydepend-ingonthesubjectareaandwhetherapplicantsapplyforataughtorresearchdegree,butinclude:Anexcellentacademicrecordises-sential:Ahighfirstclasshonoursdegreeoritsequivalent(aGPAscoreofatleast3.7ifthemarkisoutof4,notingthatmostsuccessfulcandidatesachieveascorehigherthan3.7)oranoutstandingacademicrecordatMaster’slevelisnecessary(notingthatanoutstandingMaster’sdegreecancompensateforamoder-atefirstdegreeperformance).Otherindicatorsofhighacademicachievementmayincludeindividualmarksonstudenttranscripts;evi-denceofpreviousuniversityprizesorawards;informationonyouroverallpositionwithinyourcohort;andpublications(ifapplicable).Aptitudefortheproposedcourseofstudy:Thismaybeassessedbyreviewingacademicrefer-ences,theresearchproposal,demonstratedevidenceofaptitudeforresearch,andthelike-lihoodthescholarwillcontributesignificantlytotheirfieldofstudy.

Studentmotivation:Thisisassessedthroughevidenceoftheapplicant’scommitmenttotheirproposedcourse,evaluatedbytheper-

Mi Opportunities

Securing a job or scholarship is a difficult task for some students and those want-ing to study as opportunities and the availability of these are few and far between, whether looking for those offered locally or in other cities and provinces. Opportu-nities are only as limited as what your eye sees. These days many young people

are packing their bags and heading across the shores to other countries and continents in pursuit of various scholarships and learnerships and many of these come with great packages. As we enter the last quarter of the year the season

for applications to various overseas scholarships has begun and if you’re perhaps considering a few months or years in a foreign land here’s a few you could look at

and how you can go about applying.

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sonalstatementandreferees’reports. APPLICATIONINSTRUCTIONS:ByapplyingforgraduatestudyatOxfordUniversity,youwillauto-maticallybeconsideredforaClarendonScholarship.YoudonotneedtosubmitanyadditionaldocumentsspecificallyfortheClar-endonScholarshipsandthereisnoseparatescholarshipapplicationform.TheclosingdateforGraduateAdmissionsfor2013/2014is18January2013(or4JanuaryforMedicalSci-ences,Philosophy,PoliticsandInternationalRelations).TheinformationthatyouprovidewithyourapplicationformforgraduatestudyatOxfordwillbeusedtoassessyourfundingapplication.Oncetheapplicationdeadlinehaspassed,youarenotabletoprovideanyadditionalsupportingmaterials(unlessthedepartmentyouareapplyingtohasspecifi-callyrequestedthisinsupportofyourappli-cationforadmissiontoOxford).Itisimpor-tanttovisittheofficialwebsite(linkfoundbelow)fordetailedinformationonhowtoapplyforthisscholarship.Website:OfficialScholarshipWebsite:http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/studentfunding/scholarship_profiles/clarendon

3).EricBleuminkScholarshipsfordevelopingcountries(Netherlands):TheEricBleuminkFundScholarshipsareusu-allyawardedforamaximumoftwoyearsforaMaster’sDegreeprogrammeandamaxi-mumoffouryearsforaPhD.ForPhDpartoftheresearchshouldbeconductedinthehomecountryandpartinGroningen(Nether-lands)Hostinstitution:UniversityofGroningenNetherlandsFieldofstudy:AnymastersorPhDofferedattheuniversityscholarshipvalue/inclu-sions:Thegrantcoversthetuitionfeesplusthecostsofinternationaltravel,subsistence,books,andhealthinsurance.Itcoversexpens-esincurredintravellingtoandfromtheNeth-erlandsforPhDcandidatesforamaximumof4times.Eligibility:Inallcasescandidateswhoareemployedandsupportedbyaninstituteoruniversityinadevelopingcountrythathassignedaco-operationagreementwiththeUniversityofGroningenandwhoreceiveanincomefromthatinstitutionwillbegivenpreferentialtreatment.Candidatesshould:be

nationalsofandhavetheirpermanentresidenceinoneofthecountry’slisted,haveagoodcom-mandoftheEnglishlanguage,beingoodhealthsohealthinsuranceintheNetherlandscanbearranged,beavailableforthewholeperiodofthefellowshipandbeabletotakepartintheentirestudyprogramme,havenoothermeansoffinancingthestudyinquestion.Furthercriteriaforapprovalare:(a)academicexcellence,shownbyacademicper-formanceandmaybeconfirmedbylettersofrecommendationfromuniversityprofessors;(b)contributionofcandidate’seducationintermsofstrengtheningthescientificcapacityinthecandidate’shomecountry;(c)perspectivestoalong-termlinkagebetweenthehomeinstitutionandtheUniversityofGroningen.

ExtracriteriaforPhDcandidatesare:applicantshouldbeemployedbyaresearchinstituteofuniversityinoneofthelistedcountriesandre-ceiveanincomefromthehomeinstitution,appli-cationshouldbesupportedbythisorganization,theUniversityofGroningenmustbeabletopro-videanacademicsupervisorwhowillberespon-sibleforthescientificsupervisionoftheresearch.Applicationinstructions:NewapplicationroundsfortheAcademicYear2013-2014willstartinOctober2012.Applicationdeadlinefortheschol-arshipsisaroundFebruary2013.ApplicantsneedtomeetthedeadlineoftherespectiveMaster’sorPhDprogrammeswhichfallbetween1Febru-ary-1Juneannually.ApplicationformsforMas-ter’sprogrammescanbefoundonthewebsitesorAdmissionOfficesoftherespectivefacultyorGraduateSchool.Itisimportanttoreadtherules&regulations[PDF]andvisittheofficialwebsite(linkfoundbelow)fordetailedinformationonhowtoapplyforthisscholarship.Website:OfficialScholarshipWebsite:http://www.rug.nl/prospectiveStudents/scholarships/ericBleumink

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FORTUNATE RAMOTSOENYANE:

Fortunate is a 22 year old 3rd year student studying video and television production at

Boston Media House and has her mind set on conquering it all. Her dream is to be a producer and producing the next top film in South Africa. In her spare time she likes DJing and watching cartoons LUNGELO: When are your exams coming up and have you started studying for them?Fortunate: I start writing in November and I always start studying a week in advance and then go over my study material a day before the actual exam.L: What study routine do you have? Do you study better at night or day and at home or the library?F: My study routine is complicated. It goes accord-

ing to how nervous I am whether I’m at home, library, day or night I am able to study. I mostly prefer a quiet time at home especially at night.L: What study method do you use?F: Writing out notes repeatedly and reading them back to myself again hoping that it sticks.L: How do you relax during your study time?F: I relax by doing breathing exercises to calm myself, drink water and I eat a healthy meal in order for my brain not to feel tired and overload-ed.

SINENTOKOZO KHANYILESinentokozo is an 18 year old student at Dame-lin College in Boksburg studying Travel and Tourism. She takes her studies very seriously and doesn’t let anything get in the way of it. She shares how she is preparing for the upcoming exams. Lungelo: Have you started preparing for your upcoming exams?Sinentokozo: My exams have already started

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Mi Academia

Having a hard time getting ready for those final ex-ams? Here are a few tips that may help you through the process right up to the time you write your exam.

1. GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME TO STUDY. Don’t leave it until the last minute.Despite what people say, cramming all the information into your brain the nightbefore isn’t the best way to approach an exam. Set out a timetable for your study.Write down how many exams you have and the days on which you have to sitthem. Then organise your studying accordingly. You may want to give some exams more study time than others, so find a balance that you feel comfortable with.

2. . ORGANISE YOUR STUDY SPACE. Make sure you have enough space to spread your textbooks and notes out. Have you got enough light? Is your chair comfortable? Are your computer games out of sight? Try and get rid of all distractions and thenarrange your books into piles. Put your English books in one pile, your physicsbooks in another so when it’s time to study for that exam, you’ve got everythingyou need in front of you. It also eliminates any possible excuses!

3. . DESIGN A FLOW CHART. This is a bit like brainstorming, but instead of coming up with new ideas, you’re writing down everything you already know about atopic. Put it in an easy to follow diagram with key points that you can easilyreplicate in an exam. That way, when the exam starts, you can spend five minutespreparing for your answer and thenexpand on your ideas.

4. PRACTICE ON OLD EXAM PAPERS. It’s al-ways good to find out what kind of questions are going to be in the exam and the best way is to look through old exam papers. That will give you an idea of the layout of an exam,the number of short answers and long answers there will be and the amount of time you should be giving each section.5. EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWERS TO OTHERS. Parents and little brothers and sisters don’t have to be annoying around exam time. Use them to your advan-tage. Explain ananswer to a question to them. That will help you to get it clear in your head. If youfind it difficult to explain, perhaps you need to do a bit more studying. But at leastyou won’t turn up to the exam and realise you don’t know the answer to a question!

6. ORGANISE STUDY GROUPS WITH YOUR FRIENDS. You may have questions that theyhave the answers to and vice versa.You’re social life doesn’t have to be non-existent during study times. Grab a pizza and your textbooks and get studying withyour mates. 7. TAKE A BREAK. Don’t force yourself to sit studying for 24 hours a day. If you’retraining for a marathon you don’t try and run 24 hours a day. Develop a studyroutine that works for you. If you study better in the morning, then start earlybefore taking a break at lunchtime. Do something mindless in the afternoon and then start studying again in the evening if you know you’re more productive at night.Don’t feel guilty that you’re out enjoying the sunshine instead of hunched over yourtextbooks. Vitamin D is important for the brain!

8. SNACK ON BRAIN FOOD. Keep away from junk food and opt for a bowl of nutsinstead. They’re much better for the waistline and for the brain. You need tofuel your body while you study so make sure you eat nutritious food that has beenproven to help your brain focus such as fish, nuts, yo-ghurt and blueberries.

9. PACK YOUR PENCIL CASE. Make sure your pens work and your pencils aresharpened. Nothing is worse for your nerves then hav-ing your pen run out of inkat the start of an exam. If you’re sitting for a maths or science exam, make sure youhave all the necessary equipment you’ll need as well like rulers, compasses andcalculators,10. STOCK UP ON SWEETS AND WATER. Keeping your sugar levels up is just asimportant during an exam as it is during a football match. You need to stay alertand hydrate your body. If you start to feel yourself fade halfway through your exam,just pop a sweet into your mouth.

and I have definitely started preparing myself so that I get good marksL: What are your biggest concerns during this time?S: My biggest concern is not seeming to get every-thing you studied in your head and writing the next day. You think it’s the end of the world and you don’t get enough sleep, the most stressful thing is not knowing what questions will be asked in the exam.L: Do you have a certain way of studying and do you organise everything beforehand e.g. drawing up a timetable?S: I prepared a timetable so I know I study from half past seven in the evening to midnight or nine in the morning to three in the afternoon and I make sure I don’t sleep without going through my textbooks.L: What’s the best study tip you use when study-ing?S: I would say the tip that works for me is that I don’t study too much without taking breaks in between and I don’t go over my notes on the day that I write which helps keep my head clear.

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South Africa’s labour market has undergone a transformation since 1994, with an empha-sis being placed on strategies that eliminate

the labour inequalities of the past and improve general working conditions for all South Africans. Moreover, the current South African labour mar-ket is characterised by an oversupply of unskilled workers and a shortage of skilled ones primary because the high population growth constantly exceeds the growth in employment demands. This is further compounded by the consistent loss of jobs in the formal sector, as the country’s economy moves away from labour-intensive to capital-intensive operations. As a result, the questions most students want answered are: how does one secure a decent employment opportunity both in the private and public sector? What are the contemporary stan-dards and attributes of the perfect candidate? Accordingly, to attempt a diagnosis of the plau-sible answers to these overwhelming questions perhaps we should investigate the do ’s and the don’ts in a job application process. We will go through the scope and content of a cover letter, what to include or exclude in a curriculum vitae and how to prepare for that ever daunting inter-view. According to the Career Update handbook of the University of the Western Cape, the country’s unemployment rate stands at about 40%, a sig-nificant increase from 36, 4% in February 2009. The increase in unemployment is ascribed to a decrease in the number of workers in the subsis-

tence and small-scale agricultural sectors, as well as fewer people working in the informal sector. Employment in the formal sector (in-cluding commercial agriculture) has, however, remained stable. Further, economists believe that South Africa’s economy needs to grow by at least 5% – 6% a year to absorb job seek-ers. Economic growth will stimulate invest-ment and make it worthwhile for companies to employ people. Meaning, a mere degree, diploma and or even a plain matric certificate is no longer sufficient to guarantee and secure the applicant recruitment in that company or government agency from which they seek employment. Therefore, an impressive and succinct cover letter becomes imperative. According to Nazrana Parker, the co-ordinator of the Career Development Program at the University of the Western Cape, a cover let-ter is a vital part of the applicant’s personal marketing literature, which merits attention and consideration. It introduces the applicant together with his/her CV, and is the appli-cant’s first chance to make a good impression. Moreover; the applicant should aim to make it to entice the reader to take those few extra minutes to consider him/her against other ap-plicants. An interview winning cover letter can differentiate the applicant’s CV as such the ap-plicant must make sure that it stands out. The following are some of the pointers to aid the prospective employee in drafting a winning cover letter namely: research the organisation to learn about their business; study the job

By: Inga Nani

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Mi Future

profile; draw on your CV for key points; expand on your expertise that match the vacancy; include examples that demonstrate initiative, enthusiasm and quantified results; make clear what you have to offer that would benefit the company; include just sufficient information to encourage recruiters to want to learn more; stay away from platitudes (like hardworking, etc); and your cover letter should not exceed one page.After having compiled the cover letter and ad-hered to the aforementioned abets, then you can begin with your CV. A curriculum vitae (CV), provides an overview of a person’s experience and other qualifications. In some countries, a CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking em-ployment. According to the Legal Education and Development (L.E.A.D) a job application handbook from the Law Society of South Africa, contrary to public perception a curriculum vitae is “not some kind of magic spell”. Moreover, the handbook emphasis that “there is one semi-tragic irony about the CV and it revolves around the fact that it throws most serious job-seekers into panic attacks”. Most students here at the University of the Western Cape agree that they fret and vex about the perfect way to present it. However, research reveals that “the average employer spends around 20 seconds looking at a CV, significantly on an unsolicited effort and sometimes as little as no time at all”. Meaning, there is a misunderstanding of what to include or omit in a CV. As such, to resolve this misconception once and for all a standard CV should include: Personal details, these must be as straightforward and relevant as possible; Education, the education part list is a list in reverse chronological order (i.e. starting with the qualification first) of all academic institu-tions you have attended and any qualifications acquired there. Further, if your actual grades were not all you hoped for, then you might consider listing just the subjects that you stud-ied and the certificates you got, as opposed to

detailing any substandard grades. Employment history, if you are in your early twenties and applying for your first job, do not be overly concerned. Nazrana Parker agrees that “employment history is perhaps one of the tricki-est parts and can be the source of much anguish for job applicants and perhaps even more for those with no employment history.” However, prospective employers “do not expect you to have an all-singing-and-dancing career history”. But it is worth including casual and part-time jobs in the CV. It demonstrates that “even as a student you were reliable and organised, or trusted with money etc”. As such, the applicant may also in-clude his/her volunteering and part-time work.The concluding aspect of the document concerns referees- the inspiring and influential comments that a former landlord or pastor forwards about the applicant that have the potential to ensure the applicant the job of their dreams. However, if the applicant is just starting out in the workplace, it is perfectly acceptable to use a friendly lecturer, but should not omit to include anyone who em-ployed him/her on a part-time basis likewise for both voluntary work and other extra-curricular activities. In parting, I conclude that after the applicant has adhered to the aforementioned abets of the do’s and don’ts in a job application process, an inter-view becomes an inevitable and tangible prospect to the applicant. As such, after submitting the above documents the applicant should focus his/her mental energy to the next phase of this pro-cess- the interview. In this stage, the applicant should focus on arriving at the venue on time, get settled in, have some refreshments if they are on offer. These help the applicant to get relaxed and familiarise him/herself with the staff and also an opportunity inquire what they company expects from the job interviewing process.

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Our Mipoetry poet featured this month is Noluthando Nelisiwe Buthelezi a.k.a Thando ‘That Poet’. Thando as she is affectionately known is a 21

year old student at Boston Media House who hails from Protea Glen, Soweto and has been writing since 2004.

I am on my pathNo not a human being on a spiritual journey

But a spiritual being on a human journeyMy youthful flesh is a mere container to an ancient

soul that has lived since the dawn of creationI have travelled, karma to karma seeking what I

hadDiscovering what I’ve known

And becoming what I’ve been.Living does not even begin to define the essence of

my beingAnd in this life time, once again I dive into the sea

of humanityOnly too sink in deeper into my longing to belong

Where am I?I ask this image reflected before me in a broken

mirror of uncertaintySomething about this place seems familiarCertainly I’m headed to where I came from

I’ve been here before, I’ve been hereI’m on my path, my quest

Should you find me roaming the streets reciting a lyrical piece, fingers snapping feet tapping

As I tap in, to a trance of songStroking your eardrums with my heart’s percussionTongue dripping the ink I use to paint words when

telling colourful stories of oldIn a song I sing for glory, whilst dancing the dance of freedom, chanting, clapping

Then suddenly I erect to a stationary motion, fall on conscious sleep, attempt to transcend to re-mote realms of thought

Lay silent in cushions of seclusionTill I become one with creation

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Mi Wall

LUNGELO: WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN POETRY?Thando: The first time I entered into a poetry session, I was amazed at how attentive poets can be and how listening and being listened to can bring such to a writer. So I guess that’s what attracted me to poetry.L: WHEN DID YOU START WRITING POETRY?A: I have been writing since 2004 but only started taking my work seriously in 2009L: IS POETRY AN EMOTIONAL RELEASE, A CREATIVE PLATFORM OR BOTH FOR YOU?T: It’s a bit of both but mainly an emotional release, an expression of my innermost feel-

ings. L: DO YOU EVER GO THROUGH WRITER’S BLOCK?T: I had a year of writer’s block last year actually, 2011 just wasn’t my year (laughs)L: WHO OR WHAT IS YOUR INSPIRA-TION?T: I’m inspired by other poets and mu-sicians, the artists I meet and share the stage with but also I know that I owe my voice to India Arie the musician who has literally raised me.L: Who have you worked with lately and where do you usually perform?T: Recently I have shared the stage with poetry greats such as Mpho Kosi , Lee, Lakai Saadiq, SoProfound to name but a few. I perform at poetry and hip hop sessions. I get gigs every now and then and do local events, awareness campaigns and so on.L: WHAT’S THE BIGGEST MISCON-CEPTION ABOUT POETS?T: the biggest misconception I know is

that poets smoke weed to get inspired (laughs) which is only half true. L: WOULD YOU CONSIDER COLLABORATING WITH AN ARTIST TO TURN YOUR PO-ETRY INTO SONGS?T: I have done so actually on several projects. Most of my poems have the influence of theatre and I experiment with music most of the time anyway.

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Mi Food

There is no life more hectic, than that of a student. With all its demands, one must eat quick yet healthy food. This month we zoom into recipes that will go easy on your pocket, while keeping you fresh and healthy, enough for you to keep up with both the demands of being a student, and those of being a fun loving young person. Contrary to popular, there actually is good taste in healthy meals. Try these, you might contest

DIY KOTTA BURGER Prepare: 30 minutesCook: 20 minutesServes: 8IngredientsFor the burger1kg lamb mince2 onions, coarsely grated1 garlic bulb, broken into 2 cloves and finely chopped/grated6tbsp gatam masalaBunch of coriander, chopped (optional)1tbsp chilli sauce, plus extra to serveTo serve8 pitta breads4 tomatoes, halved and slicedHalf a red cabbage, shredded1 red onion, sliced (optional)Small pot plain yoghurt

Method1. Tip the mince into a large bowl (use a clean washing up bowl, if you don’t have anything enough) with all other burger ingredients and a good pinch of salt. Roll up your sleeves, get your hands into the mix, and squelch everything together through your fingers until completely mixed into 16 small burgers. These may now be frozen for up to 1 month or chilled up to a day ahead. 2. To cook, heat grill to the highest setting and lay the burgers in a single layer on a baking tray (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your tray is). Grill on the highest shelf for 5-6 minutes on each side until browned and cooked thor-ough. Pile burgers onto a platter and serve with all accompaniments, so everyone can construct their sandwich.

SIYKottaBurger

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CHEESY BROCCOLL PASTA BAKE Prepare; 10 minutesCook: 20 minutesServes: 4Ingredients280g penne280g broccoli, cut into florets25g butter25g plain flour300ml milk1tbsp wholegrain mustard140g mature cheddar, grated

CheeseBroccoliPasta

Method1. Cook the pasta, adding broccoli for the final 4-5 minutes and cooking until tender. Drain well, then heat grill.2. Heat the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 min, then gradually add the milk, stirring well between each addition. Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer for 2 mins before stirring in the mustard, half the cheese and seasoning.3. Mix the pasta and broccoll into the sauce and spoon an ovenproof dish. Scat-ter over the remaining cheese and place under a hot grill for 3-4 mins until golden and bubbling

TRY: Swiss-style macaroni cauliflower cheeseSimply swap the penne for macaroni, the broccoli for cauliflower and the cheddar for Gruyere and cook as before.

Natalie De Toit, Oscar Pistorius, Fikile Mlomo and Zahara are some of the people that one can call South Af-

rica’s agents of change. Agents of change being people who refuse to be defined by anomalies, who instead choose to be trend-setters, bridge crossers and an inspiration to those that follow and surround them. Not so long ago we were celebrating the vic-tory of Natalie Du Toit and Oscar Pistorius at the 2012 World Paralympics held in London. It was in these championship games that Oscar broke the world record and earned himself a gold medal for completing the 400 metres race on the recorded time of 46.68 seconds. in addition to this medal, he col-lected another gold medal and three silver medals. Natalie also raised the South African flag higher as she came home with three gold medals, and one silver. It is amazingly in-spiring to know that these champions are actually physically challenged. Their cham-pionship status is defined beyond their sporting talents, but emphatically by their aggressive spirits. They are our heroes for redefining themselves as the “able” regard-less of their physical state. Natalie, as many may know lost her leg in

a bike accident, in 2001, right when she was at the verge of a promising swimming career. This however did not stop or curb her from her swimming pursuits. She did not let this discourage nor intimidate her, particularly in achieving her goals. Oscar, with both legs amputated at 11 months has also managed to create himself an impres-sive sprint running career. Much credit is due to his family for raising and training their son to have a positive approach to life, regardless of the situation he had found himself in. He has proven to be a dreamer, who looked be-yond his disability and removed every limita-tion that stood between him and his goals. These two champions have shown us that, the barriers are not in various disabilities, but in refusing to embrace mental freedom. Embrac-ing the freedom to course change, by rear-ranging your attitude and approach towards life.Often times we hear of young people who are forced by unfavourable conditions, in their homes to assume the role of being adults, at a very tender age. I am talking about teenag-ers who have to come home, from school to plough their neighbours’ gardens, so as to make money to feed themselves and their siblings. People who on top of this have to do house chores and make sure that everyone’ homework is ready for the next day. These are young South Africans, who from a young age, are forced to live without both their parents, often because of death. We may not be able to locate them, one by one, but they are there, they are strong and they are inspiring agents of change. They take up a heavy load of what life throws at them, and heap it up to

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success. In unpleasant situations, they thrive to make something of their lives, not just for themselves, but for their loved ones too. They are selfless. Fikile Mlomo, KZN’s gospel child and Zahara, Eastern Cape’s new song bird, are amongst the people who grew up under unfortunate conditions, but pulled though. These ladies are now SA’s blooming flowers. They are not just known for the music they produce, but they have shown millions of other South Africans living in unfavourable conditions, that their background does not have to be an ultimate definition of their future. They have shown that with a strong, positive fight-ing spirit, one can achieve whatever they set their minds to. Both these ladies were raised in unfortunate families. Fikile lost her mother at a very young age, and was raised by her grandmother. Zahara was raised in a loving, yet not so wealthy family. None of what they went through stopped them from believing in themselves, abilities and talents. They are now their families’ and SA’s pride and joy. We need more agents of change like these. Peo-ple who will go beyond changing their own lives, but live to be an inspiration to others, that follow and surround them.

Agents of change are scattered all over South Africa, some are famous, some not. Either way they are equally important. Generally, a lot of South Africa’s adults who experience apartheid first hand deserve to be named agents of change as they maturely rose above the apartheid brutality. Their response to the introduction of democracy is what has laid up such privileges, opportunities and peace for generations that continue to follow. Had they responded differently or perhaps negatively we wouldn’t be where we are today. Agents of change are selfless, driven, mature, strong and are an inspiration. Agents of change are dreamers without limitations. Anyone can be

an agent of change, if and when they make up their mind to be one.Agents of change are forgivers. They may have been abandoned or even abused by their parents, but live a life free of bitter-ness. They go through the painful process of facing hurtful situations, with the desire to forgive all that needs forgiving, in attempt to move on. These are people who have been left by their fathers or mothers. They have been abused, in all forms possible. Mothers who with love raise children they conceived through rape. Fathers who would do anything for their families. Children who remain re-spectful toward their parents, even after con-fusing divorce processes. Such people make history, such people are all over our country and we need more of them.Agents of change live above anomalies. They don’t wait to be defined, they define them-selves.

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HOWDIDTHEBANDCOMETOGETHER?

Simz:Simz,AtomzaandMthaemetattheUJchoir.SkabzandSimzkneweachotherfromchurch.Then

KekeandAtomzametatanotherband,wealllinkedupandperformedforthe

firsttimeinFebruary2011.

WHATWASYOURFIRSTBIGBREAK?Simz:NelsonMandelaDay2011whenweperformedwithIHash’elihlophe.Itwasoneofthegreatestperformances

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Mi Justice

ofourlives.

HOWDIDYOUDEVELOPTHEUNIQUELYAFRICANBUTMODERNSOUNDYOUHAVE?Simz:Therewasnotaprescriptivepro-cesstowhatoursoundshouldbe.Wejustrecognizedeachother’stalentsandmadesurethatthoseelementscameacrossinthemusic.Itwasn’teasy,ittookusawholeyeartodevelopoursoundandknowit,butwearehappywithit.

HOWHAVEYOUMANAGEDTOKEEPTHESOUNDOFYOURMUSICLIVEJUSTASBRILLIANTASWHENISRECORDED?Karabo:Ithinkwedidittheotherwayaround,westartedliveandthenwentontorecording.

INTHEPASTMONTHALONEYOUHAVEBEENONVARIOUSTVANDRADIOSTATIONS,WITHALLTHEATTENTIONYOUAREGETTINGWHATKEEPSYOUGROUNDED?

Karabo:gravity,lol.Iguessit’saboutrememberingwhatittooktogetyoutowhereyouare,ittookalevelhead.Itwillprobablytakealevelheadtokeepusrisinghigherandhigherandhigher.

MANYSTUDENTSFINDITHARDTOBELIEVEINTHEIRTALENTSINTHEARTSANDINSTEADSACRIFICEPASSIONFORPAPERANDSTAYINSCHOOLTOSTUDYWHATTHEYDON’TLOVE-WHATEN-COURAGEMENTDOYOUHAVEFORSUCHSTUDENTS?Sfiso:lifeisadynamiccontinuumofdiscoveryandvarsityistheperfectbreedinggroundforthatdiscovery,wearestillintheprocessofdiscover-ingourselves.Theonlydifferenceisthatwedecidedtotakeachanceandtrychangethedirectionthatourlivesweretaking.Ouradvicewouldbeforstudentstotryandfigureoutwhattheywantinsteadofbelievingwhattheywereconvincedtheyshouldbe.It’sapersonalthing,wejusthap-

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Mi Future

penedtohavefourfriendswhoweregoingthroughthesamefeelings.

WOULDYOUENCOURAGEA“PAS-SIONOVERPAPER”ETHOSFORSTUDENTSWITHTALENTSOUTSIDEACADEMICS?All:yes,weencouragepeopletodowhattheylove.

TOKEKE-TELLUSTHESTORYOFTHEKEKELINGO?Keke:thekekelingoiskeke’sAf-ricanwayofscarting,itcomesfromaspecialplace,filledwithtonsofemotions,feelingsandhasnoliteralmeaning.Ionlystartedsinginginthismannerafterthepassingofmymother.Itwasawayofgrievingandconnectingtothepast.

WHATMESSAGEWHEREYOUHOP-INGTOSENDWITHTHESONGUMSE-BENZIWENDODA?Sfiso:theconceptofthenuclearfamilyisslowlydwindlingawayandalotofwomenhavetoprovidefortheirfamilies,anactionthatwaspreviouslyreservedforfathers.Thissongisbasicallypayinghomageandrespecttothesinglemothersaroundtheworld.IthadtobesunginisiZulutofullytranslatewhatIgrewupseeing-Mymotherdoingmyfather’sduty.

TELLUSABOUTTHEMEAN-INGBEHINDTHESONGKHUMBUL’EKHAYA?Mthae:Khumbhul’Ekhayameansmissingorlongingforhome.I,Mthae!amfromZimbabwe.Thissongspeaksforallthepeoplewho,

throughwhatevercircumstance,havebeendisplacedfromtheirhomes,butmorespecifically,theirfamily.Imisshome,becausethatiswhereallthefondestmemoriesoffamilyare.

ThestorytoldinGhettoisatrulySouthAfricanonewhichmanyyoungSouthAfricansrelateto,whatwasthemessageyouwantedtorelaytopeople?Sfiso:Itwasamessagetoyoungpeopleespeciallythatthereisaworldthatexistsoutsidethesocialnet-works,therearerealissuesthatneedtobeaddressedbyustheyoungonesbecausewe’retheoneswhowillbeleftwiththemessifwedon’ttryandfixit.

WHATISTHENEXTSTEPFORTHEMUFFINZNOW?Sfiso:Changetheworldoneearatatime...Wehaveamessagethattheworldneedstohear.

Whilesomebandmembersstartedoffasstudents,oneisstillstudyingandothershavetheintentiontoreturntoacademiainthenearfuture.Rebelstoacademicsorfreedomfightersforthearts-thebandencouragestheyouthto“dowhattheyloveanddowhatmakesthemhappy”.Withthispas-sionoverpaperethosTheMuffinzaresuretobecomelegends,butfornow,theyarejustfivehumblegents-withanhonestmessagetheworldde-servestohear.

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