» South Africa

A new guide book on Gauteng

liz — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:40:13 +0000

Sean Fraser who has written several travel and guide books, has just published one which covers Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria and surrounds. I have not seen it yet so am looking forward to browsing through it. I still think that Nechama Brodie’s book on Johannesburg : The Joburg Book published in 2008, is excellent. For more on Fraser’s Gauteng A-Z , see : http://struiktravel.bookslive.co.za/blog/2011/11/10/sean-frasers-new-indispensable-travel-guide-gauteng-a-z/

A destination guesthouse: Satyagraha in Orchards

liz — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:04:23 +0000

Ghandi's statue in Ghandi Square Central Joburg

Ghandi’s philosphy of Satyagraha (non-violent non-cooperation) was born in South Africa and more specifically in what was then the Transvaal, in the first decade of the 20th Century. Ghandi arrived in Johannebsurg in 1893 and stayed at various places during the 12 years he was in Johannesburg. For more on this see Eric Itzkin’s excellent book Ghandi’s Johannesburg. One of the places where Ghandi lived in Johannesburg has been restored by a French Travel Company as a guest house and heritage resource – a really wonderful example of adaptive re-use and sustainable heritage. The Kraal at 15 Pine Road in Orchards was built by the famous architect Hermann Kallenbach who was a great freind of Ghandi’s. C ompleted in 1908 Gandhi and Kallenbach lived there until the end of 1909.

Free tours of the house are available, with or without lunch. It is open from 8am to 5pm, Mondays to Sundays. Book a 45-minute tour on 011 485 5928.

Forde’s biography of Malema and the closing of Boekehuis

liz — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:02:32 +0000

Yesterday Boekehuis hosted Mark Gevisser, Mbeki’s biographer, in conversation with Fiona Forde, Malema’s biographer. Mark engaged Fiona to expand on some of the issues raised in her biography of Malema: ‘An Inconvenient Youth’. An informed, informative, measured and fascinating interchange followed. Forde’s take is that it is not over till the fat man sings, (my label for Malema not hers), it’s all about internal Party politics and the succession battle in the ANC, and the party/Party continues in carnivalesque mode with no discipline in the ANC and an ethos (or non-ethos) of ‘anything goes’. Very sobering but completely rivetting. And shockingly in the midst of all this broader national turmoil, it seems that Media 24 is pulling the rug on Boekehuis and it will soon close down. This extraordinary venue has become an institution in Jozi’s vibrant cultural sceme. It has provided a much needed space for critical debate and an informed exchange of ideas outside the sometimes restrictive and elite framework of academe and tertiary institutions. It will be a very sad day if this extraordinary intellectual and cultural beacon closes, one which has been a showcase of critical engagement for its holding company Media 24.

South African photgrapher Pieter Hugo wins young director award at Cannes

liz — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:59:05 +0000

. Hugo and Cleary won the non-EU section of the music video category with their black-and-white video for Mathambo’s electronic cover version of Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’. Well worth watching see http://mg.co.za/article/2011-06-24-pieter-hugo-wins-young-director-award-at-cannes/

Lunar eclipse Wednesday evening 15th June

liz — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 05:33:36 +0000

Remember there’s a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday 15th June. It starts at 8:22pm, is total from 9:21 pm to 11:02pm, and ends at 00:02am. It will be visible from all of Africa, although north-west Africa misses the start. You don’t need any special equipment to watch this. The next total lunar eclipse will be at a slightly warmer time of the year but it’s a long wait – Sept 28th 2015 – and it’s at 3am . . .

Jansen’s ‘My South Africa’

liz — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:44:49 +0000

See http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/blog/my_south_africa_by_jonathan_jansen.html#

Mark Gevisser on representing South Africanness

liz — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 07:08:54 +0000

Mark Gevisser wrote about South African identity in both the build up to the World Cup Cup http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article439527.ece/I-want-to-imagine-the-SA-of-my-dreams as well as after the final whistle had been blown: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/10/south-africa-unites-over-football . See his latest take on what it means to be a South African in late 2010: http://www.arttimes.co.za/news_read.php?news_id=2683

It looks as though this will be another page turner: Peter Harris’ new book ‘Birth’

liz — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:46:39 +0000

I posted a blog on Peter Harris In a Different Time’ : http://lizatlancaster.co.za/blog/a-south-african-page-turner-and-its-all-true and now his new book about the conspiracy to destabilize the 1994 elections, is to be released shortly. The book will be launched at Exclusive Books Hyde Park at 6 for 6.30 on Tuesday 9th Nov. RSVP to hydepark@exclisvebooks.co.za or 011 325-4298

Saturday morning Voices at Boekehuis one of Jozi’s indi Bookshops Sat 23rd Oct 10.30 for 11

liz — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:27:13 +0000

Boekehuis holds its Saturday morning Voices: A discussion with M&G investigative journalist, Adriaan Basson & political journalist and writer, William Gumede on Basson’s book Finish & klaar Selebi’s fall from Interpol to the underworld. Boekehuis’ outline of the issues: ‘From top cop to corrupt crook in six years – Jackie Selebi’s fall from grace came fast. What damage was caused to the country’s rule of law in an effort to save one deeply compromised man’s career? And what is the wider meaning of the Selebi saga for South Africa’s democratic state?’
Where: BOEKEHUIS Bookshop, Cnr. Lothbury and Fawley streets, Auckland Park
(Parking available)
When: Saturday 23 October, 11:00
RSVP by Friday 22/10 at 011 482 3609 or Boekehuis@boekehuis.co.za

Pierre De Vos on Constitutionally speaking – always an interesting read

liz — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:41:21 +0000

Interesting article on the arguments around the ANC’s drive to make their view of history the official version http://constitutionallyspeaking.co.za/the-past-is-unpredictable/