Crossing the Bridge!

South Africans love drama. Bad news. An ever obliging news media provides it. And the domino effect ensures Facebookers perpetuate the drama.

Case in point: The storm off the coast of Durban this weekend and the expulsion of Julius Malema from the ANC.

Media capitalised on storm news as did certain political parties on FB doling out emergency numbers and talking about the impending gloom. It appeared FBers awaited with glee some sort of drama to update their statuses with. (We’re still waiting).

Same with Malema.

Every time this man speaks the media jumps.

“They attacked my granny”, “Big Daddy ANC don’t love me no more”, “my heart will go on, cut me and you’ll see the colour of my blood is green, no I am not a chameleon” to paraphrase and caricature.

Stormy times ahead but no worry, the media will further fuel debate.

As will the public on FB.

For wherever we are in the world, we love the circus.

No matter how much they try to ban it.

As they say in the kiddies flick Open Season 3 playing for R20 for all at Nu Metro cinemas (they showed this on DStv a few months ago incidentally): “What is the circus without the bear”.

So chin up grin and bear it, as long as we have a robust media and the social network platform of sputum to dribble on, Malema is here to stay.

Just as the storm is destined to die.

Cape Argus dies to survive

As I walked passed the Argie as she is affectionately known these 155 years, a staffer told me the once four-floored occupied news centre has now been reduced to a single floor with the printing press having shut down. Saturday Star reveals now the broadsheet will take a tabloid format from Friday, the next.

Is this the beginning of the end of the Argie?

For sure it is. The Argie as Capetonians knew it will die in the format it was in favour of a more global move to the tabloid format.

Also the afternoon paper will also come out mornings, with an updated afternoon edition.

It will be sister rival then to Cape Times morning paper which like Durban  sister Mercury, is also fast losing readers.

The latter is down to 30 000 copies a day.

And so the changes at the Argie must be seen in context of dwindling newspaper sales nationally.

The last quarter reveals declining sales all round with particularly poor sales at Mercury, sister Pretoria News and The Witness  (part of Caxton).

Only Sunday Times, Mail and Guradian and Zulu language based Isolezwe and Illanga showed growth spurts.

So the writings on the wall.

The business segmentation of the market is increasingly consuming news online.

And potential still exists among the lower end of the market where internet access is lower.

Question is: will Argus afternoon reads siblings Star in Gauteng and Daily News in KZN soon follow suit and become half the men they used to be.

TopTV Pines for Porn

Eddie Mabolo did good damage control on Maggs on Media where he could.

Defending the company’s endeavours to have a porn bouquet he said Icasa was wrong in denying them that.

South Africans had choice and could so excercise it.

He said eTV and DStv showed some sort of porn or the other why should TopTV be deprived.

The problem when you have a board under previous head honcho Vino Govender (still a shareholder) that proudly professes Christian values and family programming from the onset, its difficult for the public or even Icasa to take the porn call seriously.

TopTV should seriously consider marketing itself well with strong PR and communication imperatives. It’s package offerings for nonsport lovers are more than decent.

The pop channels are par excellence even offering rock channels. DStv apart from its Afrikaans rock channel can’t even boast that. And it has a dedicated arthouse movie channel and most of the current affairs and news content versions of that you’d find on DStv at less than half the price.

Bridging the News Gap

Ex POST editor (one of the more stable of the Independent Newspapers brands) Brijlall Ramguthee has released his book - for free.

The autobiograohy, Across the Bridge, is a great way to keep the story of the Durban newspaper and cultural icon alive and kicking. As it should.

Ramguthee is a phenomenal success. His is a testament to hard work, great luck, perserverance in building a dynamic brand and personal following.

When he called me months ago to tell me about his freebie, I must say I was pretty impressed at the novel idea.

Hopefully there’ll be launches outside the seaside village of Durban and Ramguthee will keep on keeping at writing stories, blogging or booking, and keeping us entertained. But next time round, I want to pay.

SAonSunday@gmail.com

Star Trek: back to a new frontier

The high toll road fees imposed on Gautengers are to become a reality according to Jimmy Manyi and Pravin Gordhan. So they think.
If Joburgers, normally supportive of govenment on many issues grow a backbone and actively resist the toll fees, we could see an end to this nightmare. Government needs to get back to the drawing board and make life simple for those that voted them in, and those that hadn't.

Flat Screen - All Audiences

So Star Trek will take us back, way back in time when Fox Retro on TopTV 181 show the episodes from the start. Showdate is 7 March, Wednesday, 17.40. It'll be good to check out Captain Kirk in his prime before he became the bloated, botoxed William Shatner of Boston Legal fame and more recently a Comedy Central, DStv 122, roastee. Though the roast was an ageng re-issue, it was good to see. There is no PVR for TopTV so Trekkies and would be well advised to make a date with 1966. And start all over again...

Bolly Bust Up

In a country starved of real celebs, it's probably easier to create stories public swallow wholesale. Case in point is that of Tarina Patel whom our media has been telling us for years is a Bollywood star.
Top Billing, covering her wedding, labelled her a Bollywood star. So did M-Net towards the tail-end of a recent season of Idols.
Her dance number, sadly, thereafter on the show was almost as embarrassing as Raeesa Mohamed's sprained neck interpretation at the end of her sweet movie For Better For Worse. Patel was out of shape, boobies falling all ever the place and, in fact quite dreadful in a performance coma-inducing.
Whereas Raeesa made no claims of being a star and her dance was contextual to the closing credits, Patel's, ah well...
That's why I was more shocked when Patel's hubby was allegedly punched by Saif Ali Khan aka real Bolly star and son of Bolly star Sharmila Tagore and forebear of India's national anthem writer and Nobel prize winner Rabindranath Tagore.
Surely Bolly star to Bolly star, Patel could have prevented the alleged attack at the Japanese restaurant at the Taj. I tried to catch the news on NDtv but it was not revelatory.
Her comment in the Sunday Times where she claimed to know Saif personally and mentioned he was "cultivated" was baffling.
Surely you meant "cultured" Miss Bollwood! As plants can do no harm last time I checked.

Celluloid Jam

Moving along to the big screen, Material was given a five star rating from my pack who enjoyed Joey Rasdien and Riaad Moosa. Great to note homegrown stories told with charm, wit, heart and integrity, minus stock Indian stereotyping like the Mr Naidoo on the FNB ads are on the up.

I opted for the racy thriller Safe House with Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington shot in Cape Town.
From Malmesbury to informal settlements in Langa to shots at the world class Green Point soccer stadium, the charms of the city and even Stellenbosch form the backdrop of the engrossing thriller about a CIA cop turned rogue agent.
Edge of your seat action makes sure this riveting piece keeps one guessing.
Grossing $22 million in its opening US weekend at the box office, like Material, this too was distributed by Anant Singh's Videovision. Safe House used Singh's Cape Town sound studio's facilities for the picture.

Flat Screen - Indian Zone
Zee's Cinema Awards filmed in Macau, part of the Hong Kong Islands was packed with fun and
Shah Rukh Khan Saturnight. I need to remind myself to watch Vidya Balan in Dirty Picture. Sounds promising.
On American Idol it's down to the last 24.

Netting

Durban's Kishyr Ramdial scooped a Vodacom award for creating his RadioPOD app for android.
The talent works at Immedia in Umhanga and his goals are to create apps for Africa and beyond.
**By the way, Vodacom's 3G is faster than its 8ta counterpart though using both to watch movies and cach sod radio on iPad2 has been a blast. Cell C's 3G modem remains the fastest as far as download speeds are concerned.

Remembering Steve
Steve Jobs would've been 57 on Feb 24. RIP big man. No one's going to fill your boots.
(Cartoon by SAonSunday's Khulekani Magubane).

So then until the next update, hopefully midweek, let's wish Julius Malema happy groveling to El Presidente.
SaonSunday@gmail.com

ZILLE MALEMA MARRY

So the Democratic Alliance and ANC Youth League are to be marry.

Both the parties of botoxified Helen Zille and perivai (loudmouth) Malema are united in antipathy to the proposed Gauteng toll fees.

At 20 centes a kilometre the premise that motorists cough up for a government f-up is absurd. Especially considering the motorist with a motor plan is already heavily taxed.

Whatever gave the ANC govt who got our vote last elections the notion they could befriend us with this extra toll fee is beyond me.

If anything they could have saved their situation by building the costs into our tax payments if the coffers were unable to support the billions of rands SANRAL says it needs in road refurbishments.

The toll fees to the man on the street appear sinister. Shame on you Sbu Ndebele and team. It's about time we the citizens placed our lot behind the militant Julius Malema's ANC Youth League and - Lord forgive me for saying so - the party of the whingeing white liberals, the Democratic Alliance.

SUNDAY SIZZLE

Vovo Telo has heathy but enjoyable meals at 44 on Stanley, Millpark, Auckland Park close to the SABC where Isidingo's being shot. Amazingly ensconced in the middle of a drab-looking area are boutique stores and luxury dining areas. The ciabatta is divine so are the teas brewed in your pot from tea leaves. I opted for breakast at noon: eggs and salmon on bread. 

SAFFRON TV

Rocky and Mayur are two oily-looking men in search of fast cuisine in any part of India in Highway on my Plate. I am watching them shortly before noon, SA, GMT on Saffron TV an Avusa owned channel on DStv Indian, 456. There's no programme guide or start and finish times. As the info says: "in consequence of the fact that the channel has not provided a schedule, MultiChoice is unable to provide EPG information on this channel".

Ouch, the sign has been here for more than a week now so don't be surprised if the chasm between the channel and platform provider gets wider and you suddenly see Saffron migrating to TopTV which co-incidentally has three North and one South Indian Channel for R60 and Zee cinema as part of the general bouquet. (Like only 75% off the DStv price).

And so the internet reveals Highway on My Plate guys are starring in the first season of Jai Hind with a focus on the armed forces. This indicates we could see much action from these foodies. Not just mouth action.

Thrown in on this episode of the NDTV-made show on Saffron is the cuisine: raw salad, rotis, dhall, raj maal. Under tents with the men and the women of the Airforce Academy. Getting down and dirty as they generally do the food looks appetising but the locale as per usual diarrhea-inducing. Pass the lomotil.

SONY ASIA

Slipping into high revv on set Sony Entertainment Television (Asia) at 12 noon on channel 450 is Dostana, which sees Bollywood come of age with a gay-themed flick. Kiron Kher's mother character (Mrs Archarya) accepts the dishy Kunal Chauhan (John Abrahams, seen above left with Priyanka Chopra sandwiching Abishek) as a bride for her boy Sameer (Abishek) Bachchan giving him her gold bangles et al while she plays Khabi Khushie Kabhie Gham in the background. Hilarious piece of cinema in a story about friendship and citizenship a la I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.

CNN

CLOSE by on channel 401 on Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN Pastor Joel Osteen (seen above with wife Victoria) tells Morgan his Christian beliefs won't allow him to condone homosexuality but he'd attend the wedding of gay friends because of his respect for the individual. The pastor with a perpetual smile on his face made an appearance to promote his new book Make Every Day A Friday. Morgan, former editor on News of the World, the newspaper exposed for tapping illegally into cellphones of the stars, can be incisive as an interviewer. Even if he comes across as inexperienced when compared to predecessor talk show dino Larry King. Give him 50 years.

TUT TUT - IT'S TUTU

SO SA has been the laughing stock of the world. Especially our national darling, the telly-tubby looking Archbishop Desmond Tutu (seen above with the Dalai Lama in happier times) with the impish grin and raucous chuckle. He turned 80 and at the St George's Cathedral in Cape Town we had Graca Machel, Kgalema Motlanthe and U2's Bono in attendance. No Dalai Lama in sight. Making the headlines on Sky News and BBC World though was the Arch unprofessionally lambasting the ANC government and praying for their downfall for refusing to let His Holiness visit him - and us.

Many believe the Dalai Lama to be a divisive political force in a peace hat. He speaks for his cause for a China-free Tibet. I don't think the Arch came across very well with his lambasting of the ANC in the manner that he did. But he still has the support of the nation especially those who remember what it is to feel like a nation under siege (from the Nats for decades). Economic imperialism rules the day though and the Chinese own quite a slice of Africa. Considering America with its trillions of dollars in Chinese debt is the bitch of that communist country; we're hardly looking different. Best wishes Arch, my China.

I ON APPLE

So sad about Steve Jobs who died midweek. This creative genius who gave us the device which spews out this blog work this blog never got to meet his real daddy, Abdul Fattah Jandali (above left); a Syrian Muslim immigrant. A political scientist turned Nevada casino boss, Jandali said his Syrian pride prevented him from meeting the son his US wife Joanne Schieble gave up for adoption. (They weren't married at the time). 

Said Jandali to a newspaper two months ago: "I honestly do not know, to this day, if Steve is aware of the fact that had it been my choice, I would have loved to keep him. I live in hope that before it is too late, he will reach out to me. Even to have just one coffee with him just once would make me a very happy man." Such was not to be. Too much, too little too late perhaps. Jobs had a great relationship with his sister Mona Simpson though. They shared the same parents. And when Jobs found the author in 1997; their relationship grew and grew. Mona made a movie about their mum Joanne, Anywhere But Here starring Susan Sarandon and Scarlett Johansson. Jobs left a legacy to the world; like fellow Syrian descendent Bob Marley. He created an empire that turned the music industry on its head with the iPod; the computer industry on its with the iMac and more lately the iPad. And the iPhone, uber sexy, needs no introduction either.

A music pirate in his youth, Jobs was a pioneering spirit the likes of which comes maybe once every generation or two. The great thing about his work - for us here in SA - is watching people slowly throw their PCs into the bin replacing them with iPads.

WE LOVE YOU AAKASH

WHILE we South Africans settle into couch potatoe-dom, waiting for the next BEE handout; India is forging ahead finding its replacement for the iPad 2. It's called the Aakash. And rumours that it was named after POST's enterprising young editor Aakash Bramdeo are just not true. At around $35 or R280 a pop the Aakash is a steal. Designed for the student market, Aakash joins the ranks of tablets made by Samsung, BlackBerry and other imitators and is 16 times cheaper than the entry level iPad2. Still I don't see pushing at the Diwali and Christmas queues.

SAonSunday@gmail.com

NEW TV CHANNEL HAS MOVIES FOR AFRICA
The Studio Universal launch at Killarney Mall's Del Forno Cucina with screening of Fast & Furious 5 at the Moosa's Cinecentre in Gauteng was a blast, as is evident by Debbie Yazbek's page picture with Aldrin Naidu as MC flanked by Fast 5 women. The big guns were all there as were the media Malema would love to muzzle. FHM, YOU, TV  With Thinus, Amanda de Lange of Beeld, mmmm, all the usual suspects. And the Studio Universal launch weekend starting Septmeber 30 was pretty awesome too. Friday night saw Fast and Furious, the very first nstallment, opening the  channel on DStv 119. Lekker. The follow up was Miami Vice with the decent looking Colin Farrel and Jamie Fox in the Michael Mann directed flick. 
Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason was a man-yawn but the lady of the house loved the chick flick. (Friday nights will have a comedy theme in future on the channel with the theme of Hollywood at Home.

Saturday saw a really inventive drama A Family Thing with stellar performances from James Earl Jones as the brother to Robert Duvall who wakes up one day to find out his recently deceased birth mother was actually black. A made for TV feel with the scripting but a powerpacked movie with strong acting.

I'm sure there'll be more gems from the channel that promises high octane Hollywood drama from the last decade. 

MALEMA'S MOUTHPIECES

Come Thursday, struggle icon Winnie Mandela and businessman Tokyo Sexwale speak on behalf of Youth League head Julius Malema at his ANC internal disciplinary inquiry. It's great to see democracy in action as differing points of view in the same party are brought to the fore. Malema may have his support among the voiceless of the squatter camps.

He certainly has the ear of the business magnets hanging on BEE coat-tails using the supermouth supremo to line their pockets too. This is a chance for Malema to walk free and then begin the process of clearing his much-muddied name in political and media circles, if indeed he can do so. It's tough when the media loves a demon and  can create one on demand.  

GRANNY CLIFF

The good thing about the end of Idols SA is that fans of the show won't be saddled with that emotional wreck Granny Cliff who cries at a whim or be confrontational just for the sake of it.

TV had been richer since his M-Net talk show demise. Then they brought him back to Idols on the same channel.

SORRY SAFFRON

It started out quite strongly playing to its A-grade audience of Indian origin but Saffron has dumbed down of late.

Programmes are recorded on shoe-string budgets and lack substance.

Perhaps if worked on by serious producers of content, Saffron could get away with it - but I don't think professionals work for peanuts anymore. Case in point: an insert on the 21st commemoration of the Inanda Riots at Stanmore Hall, Grove-End, Phoenix, screened September 30. The show quite shockingly referred to the probably apartheid-inspired incident renting blacks and Africans apart as a "celebration". Pertinent questions like why no black residents/neighbours were invited to the commemorations could have been asked. The presenter was low calibre and spoke at the end of how inspired she was to be part of the event. Quite a lack of impartiality. And quite dull. Sad too Shalendra Bunseelal wears the same clothing week in and week out on his focus on Bolly show. Filmed at Nu Metro cinemas with much shadows cast about; he looks quite dreadful in his red T-shirt and black waistcoat.

SAonSunday challenge for the next episode: try lime green.

BOO-ty & THE ZOO

 

Joburg Zoo enthusiasts Nissia, Asiphe and Andrea with Boo

COP17 dawns on us in Durban this December. One hopes politicians get their act together and make a change for climate change. Not one to wait for the talkers to get their "jaw jaw" on; Malaysia's friendly orangutan Boo of Boo and Me 2 fame on KidsCo channel (DStv 308; TopTV 255) is already spreading the words of "re-use, reduce and recycle" at the Joburg Zoo and Fourways Mall. He makes another appearance at the Joburg Zoo Tuesday, World Animal Day, October 4 .

@theFLICKS

Movie Review: Abduction

Director: John Singleton

Actors: Taylor Lautner, Lilly Collins, Alfred Molina

Running time: 106 minutes

Star Rating: ***

Boyz n Da Hood's John Singleton just about cuts it with Abduction.

The thriller is about the boy next door, Nathan (Taylor Lautner) who becomes a man when he finds out he could have been abducted as a child after seeing a baby photo on the internet.

Singleton has all the right ingredients for a thrilling cinematic experience - CIA operatives looming large; boy kicking government ass; girl Karen (Lilly Collins) who stands by boy; trouble lurking at every corner, etc.

He knots the plot as seamlessly as he can. The rest is formulaic; bubblegum for the soul. Muso Phil Collins' daughter Lilly Collins  plays the love interest while Brit actor Alfred Molina plays Burton the CIA bad guy who could double up as the good guy. Sigourney Weaver plays Nathan's psychiatrist friend Dr Bennet. His guardian angel.

Oh and of course there's beef-cake in the fighting machine of Taylor Lautner. 

There could be something in this Twighlight and Eclipse boy so girls better keep a close eye on him.

SAonSunday@gmail.com

Zuma quits fence; Morgan IS radio's motormouth; Jenny Morris is hot property on Food Network; BBC Entertainment offers lekker local fare; SABC3 gets Outsourced; African "witches" on FX (TopTV); Boo's back in SA; newspapers slump...READ BELOW AND REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

POLITICS - ZUMA QUITS FENCE

SOUTH African President, Jacob Zuma has had himself sandwiched between a rock and a hard place over the Julius Malema disciplinary issue. Or to dial a cliche "damned if you do and damned if you don't" was what his advisors would have told him. Until now...

The scenario has changed and Zuma's off the fence on this one.

He's grabbed the opportunity to neutralise a threat to his second term in the presidency by his rabble-rousing ANC Youth League leader.

Julius Malema and YL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu face an ANC disciplinary inquiry over Botswana regime change comments and for bringing the ANC into disrepute among several other charges come August 30 and 31.

To initiate such an action  signifies a shrewd move by Zuma.

One is certain he remembers too well early 2010's  Malema-hauling over the coals where taps on the wrist were given to the allegedly errant youth group leader thus giving him more ammunition to mobilise his support base.

Malema had gone on record April 2010 soon after the presidential censure, saying Zuma was akin to predecessor Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki was ousted from the hot spot with YL support for the populist Zuma.

To save his seat at the party at the Manguang conference next year, and that of his co-leaders, Zuma appears intent on taking action.

This to thwart an angry youth league hellbent on leadership change 2012.

There's little to indicate public opinion inspired Zuma to rein Malema in.

If it had, then he surely would have fired police chief General Bheki Cele over the multi-billion rand land lease deal which the Pubic Protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela deemed corrupt by now.

That fact that Malema's deputy Floyd Shivambu has been charged alongside Malema means that Zuma's NEC is looking forward to an ANCYL that is weakened and replaced by sympathisers of the old fogeys rather than hot-headed young lions like Malema and Shivambu.

There's a fight for pride and survival at stake.

**MEANWHILE the Hawks confirmed a fraud and corruption investigation against Juius Malema is underway, according to the City Press.

AfriForum initiated the case of corruption alleging a Malema trust fund was used to elicit deposits from business associates.

Said the Hawks' spokesperson McIntosh Polela, Saturday: "We are able to confirm that indeed we are doing a full investigation, but we are unable to give any details other than that.” 

RADIO - MOTORMOUTH: MORGAN

RIDE and Drive with Morgan Naidu gives you all the motoring vroom vroom weekly on Kaya FM (95.9FM) in Gauteng (also on DStv audio 62) Fridays from 5pm to 5.30pm and twice a week on Gagasi 99.5 in KZN as well as on Heart 104.9 in Cape Town presented by a partner of Morgan, Andrew Leopold.

The groundbreaking shows are synched to the ride and drive website, Morgan's Sunday World "Ask Morgan" column, and his motoring slots on Ignition TV on DStv channel 265 on weekends.

There's user-friendly banter, reviews, and the lowdown on all the latest rides from this jet-setting journalist and entrepreneur.
See: http://rideanddrive.co.za

TV - FOOD

SO Jenny Morris, the Giggling Gourmet, has been chosen as Food Network's ambassador in SA. She's got her own show on the colourful, popular channel (185) on DStv.

Former Durban girl Morris will sure make her mark with her creative dishes and wicked sense of humour while bringing local relevance to Food Network which, thanks to its niched programming, has zilch competition on the DStv platform. Cape Town-based Morris is also a published author.

** Also a show to look out for is the hugely successful Come Dine With Me competition on BBC Entertainment, DStv, channel 120. Dinner hosts in South Africa will be judged by three other dinner hosts, in their homes, each week, and scored by each other for the main prize. Sounds delectable. Pick n Pay sponsors with Knorr.

TV - COMEDY OUTSOURCED

NBC's Outsourced enjoyed 22 episodes as part of its firs season before being canned for it's alleged racist content. I watched all 22 episodes and can can warn you about this SABC3, 8.30pm, Monday night show: it's fun.

Set in an India call centre where an American dude Ben Rappaport as Todd is banished to work with an Indian   subordinate Rajiv (Rizwan Manji) openly eager to see him fired and replaced by himself, this series curries favour with its audience. (Yes yes pun intended).

It's got stock characters like chubby, funny man Gupta (Parvesh Cheena) who dreams of Bollywood, the delectable damsel (Rebecca Hazlewood as Asha) waiting for her arranged marriage while pursued by the boss, the pipsqueak Madhuri (Anisha Nagarajan) who has to sell sex dolls and fart machines but who can hardly muster a word let alone three, the Americanised hunk (Sacha Dhawan) teased on his name Manmeet, the redneck (Diedrich Bader's Charlie), the Aussie beauty Tonya (Pippa Black) and possible love interest to the boss...

There are issues and cultural senstivities explored in each episode and it's great to see them out in the open - even if at times they border on the risque.

See: www.sabc3.co.za

WITCH WATCH ON FX

NORTHERN Ghana is home to The Witches of Gambaga - women shunned by society in a modern day. The award-winning documentary can be seen on FX (part of FOX FIC) on TopTV, channel 110 tonight at 10pm and tomorrow at 7.45pm.  Said director Yaba Badoe who took five years to make the film: "Nobody knows the number of alleged witches who never find sanctuary, but I wanted Ghanaians and other Africans, to hear what has happened to women who have lived to tell their tales.”  

The stories are told through the gaze of these women; ostracised by a society that doesn't understand them.

Best Documentary winner at the Black International Film Festival  and runner up  at the 22nd Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso in 2011;  The Witches of Gambaga was made by 2010.

British Film Institute critic, Geoff Andrew had this to say about the documentary: “An admirably unsensational but powerfully affecting reminder of the terrible influence still wrought by superstition on the lives of so many women.”

The documentary is part of the  FX Only In Africa Season 2 on which has first screenings on Saturdays at 8.30pm on TopTV.
See: www.fxafrica.tv

KIDS - BOO'S BACK

SO Boo of kidsco (TopTV 255 and DStv 308) fame will be back in South Africa this September.

The character version of the animated  orangutan who advocates "re-use, reduce, recyle" etc. was born in Malaysia and with his human friends Yasmine and Aiman wants to clean up the world. One hopes the global leaders and environmental ministers attending COP17, the world's climate change conference, in Durban this December are switched on to Boo & Me 2 on kidsco. Boyband Blue in their Boo PSA (public service announcement) down below certainly are.

See: www.kidscotv.tv; www.toptv.co.za and www.dstv.com 

PRINT - A POOR PERFORMER

NEWSPAPERS surveyed by the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) revealed a slump in readership for weekday reads between April and June 2011. In essence dailies recorded a dip in sales totaling 126 000 copies on average as compared to the same period 2010. In percentage terms this is an 8.4% decline. Overall eight papers remained static, 10 declined and one, isiZulu-language read Isolezwe, showed increased circulation.
One wonders if such records take into account unsold newspapers dumped. Thousands of Saturday newspapers were left stranded for days at a Gauteng exhibition this writer attended recently for instance.

So if the decline in sales in English and Afrikaans reads are accurately recorded - and if we add dumped newspapers to this decline - it seems there's more people NOT reading "purchased" newspapers than what we are actually being sold/told.

                                                                                   

 

LAST WORDS
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email: SAonSunday@gmail.com

AMY WINEHOUSE JOINS CELEBS DEAD@27 CLUB

ONLY the good rockers die young. Geniuses at 27.

At 4.45pm South African time, Saturday, the Southgate, London-born white chick with that black voice – old soul – Amy Winehouse joined Curt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Brian Jones. They were all 27 at death. And their deaths were assumed to be drug-related. Why there's a spike in rock deaths at 27 (wikipedia it - there's a long list) we'll never know. Winehouse impacted on the music world with her monster 2006 Back To Black CD. Her Rehab song has close to 8 million hits on youtube. True to the song the Valerie, Tears Dry on Their Own and Love Is A Losing Game crooner's been in rehab around four times. She would've turned 28 on 14 September. A waste of talent. Yet a talent arguably drug-fuelled too.

 Said mum Janis Winehouse in 2008: “I realise my daughter could be dead within the year. We're watching her kill herself, slowly. I've already come to terms with her dead. I've steeled myself to ask her what ground she wants to be buried in, which cemetery.
"Because the drugs will get her if she stays on this road...It's like watching a car crash - this person throwing all these gifts away."

And no thanks to her early demise - and a no-brainer this was bound to have happened - Amy Winehouse's iconic  status in rock and roll has been guaranteed.
SAonSunday@gmail.com

                                                              DA fingers Malema

 

A house allegedly owned by Malema

African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema could be probed by the South African Revenue Services - SARS - if the Weekend Argus newspaper and SAfm are anything to go by.
The allegation is Malema simply cannot afford a R16 million mansion on a R25 000 a month salary.
Speaking on radio, 11am, Sunday, Democratic Alliance spokesperson on Police Dianne Kohler-Barnard says she's only lodging the complaint with SARS tomorrow.
Surely this is a case of media jumping the gun - in cahoots with the DA? One wonders whether the weekend broadsheet was running out of stories they could subtantiate. Or was it a case of former SAfm wonder Kohler-Barnard to the rescue on bland broadcast time with the news on SAfm (though Ashraf Garda's 9am to 11am show was damn fine). Good journalism would mean run with the story after a complaint has been laid. Not before. Come Monday what if the DA has a change of mind? Following up on  Barnard's non announcement was a church service. Did my dog kick the radio or is SAfm going holy on us?
 SAonSunday@gmail.com


 Art of the Matter 
Wendy Nolwazi Ngcobo's G-Town Wrap Up

My experience with the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown began on a Greyhound. I sat next to Sunali Pillay a 22-year-old Fine Arts student at Rhodes University. I later found out that she does Mendhi. It's an application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration done to Indian brides. She was only too happy to tell me what to expect on my arrival at the festival. Actions though speak louder. The stage was set for my education. The excitement I felt when I saw Dinner with Bantu was immense. A play by three actors, the story was about icon Nelson Mandela waiting for Bantu to return. I was impressed with the storyline. I saw these young South Africans telling a story of how they view the political structures in our country today. It made me wonder: "What would Bantu say if he really returned?"
The festival’s emphasis, outside the makeshift theatres, was art and artistry. I found myself making pals with foot artists such as Judda. OK he makes shoes for a living. He has been coming to the fest since 2005 to sell his shoes.One of the most historical and epic buildings in Grahamstown, the Cathedral also became a close friend. Attending the Spirit Fest at the Cathedral where I got to attend lectures and worshiped and danced was amazing. Experiencing the hospitality and kindness from the locals too made me feel at one with this community which comes together from all corners of South Africa, once a year
I was warmed by the spirit of ubuntu that was evident in this small community. The locals were helpful with directions to sharing their streets with strangers from here and abroad.
Sights and sounds to behold. All around. And then seeing the beautifully-made trouncing drum that according to Sallou only takes him a day to make was refreshing. This national experience in a peculiar local environment made me realise how astonishing art can be and how I too love my art...the art of capturing it all with my writing.
 SAonSunday@gmail.com 


AS END OF SUNDAY AKA TALEPIECE
courtesy: Jeremy Deokynarain on  FB

Watching CNN this morning and the headlines were, ' Murdoch to testify and save Face!'
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Couldn't help wonder what about Hannibal and BA !!!
 SAonSunday@gmail.com