Julius Malema chases out BBC Reporter

Tender Mavundla wasn’t always as well known as she is now, thanks to South Africa’s Pop Idols. But right now she is capitalising on that momentum with the release of her debut album, “Tender Moments.”

Born in Port Shepstone, Tender grew up in little village called KwaNositha where she was actively involved in stage plays and a gospel choir. In 1997, things started turning around for Tender, after she won SABC 1’s Jam Alley Megastar Competition and decided to pursue singing as a career. She moved to Johannesburg where she sang backing vocals for various artists and made it into the Top 5 of a Gospel Star Search.

In 2001 she was diagnosed with HIV and moved back to Port Shepstone. In what seemed like a miraculous second chance when Idols arrived in Margate in June 2007, she of course entered and ended up as one of the four finalists of the competition.

After impressing the public and judges alike with her vocal talent’s Tender has now released her debut Afro-Pop/Afro Soul album, titled, ‘Tender Moments’. This electric debut showcases this incredible woman’s voice, spectrum of styles and never give up attitude. With 13 tracks on the album, Tender demonstrates both her vocal and lyrical range and delivers a strong and diverse offering.

Tender’s is a story of determination and talent winning through many obstacles and her voice and music reflect this in every way. With her debut album now out, Tender is taking her first steps to realising a dream nurtured since childhood.

Released through Augmented Music Productions the album will be in stores and on your local radio station soon.

For more info:
Augmented Music Productions
Management - Bheka Malishe
Tel: +27 (0)72 206 2846
skinnyb@vodamail.co.za

Marketing Services
Media & Publicity - Michael James
+27 (0)74 192 8454
info@marketingservices.co.za

We are a year away from the start of the FIFA 2010 World Cup but Is the Bafana Bafana team ready to take on the big boys? Well those who watched Sunday’s opening match against the Asian champions Iraq will come away disappointed. South Africa missed three relatively easy chances to create a goal to beat the no 86 in the world especially when Bernard Parker acted in defence rather than in attack. Would a higher bonus offer have changed the result?
Zapiro’s cartoon of the 11th March 2009 in The Times, shows Danny Jordaan dismayed at Bafana Bafana’s ludicrous and greedy demand for SAR 34 million as a cash incentive to perform in the tournament.
For more Zapiro cartoons visit www.zapiro.com

Is the recent criticism of Zapiro’s cartoon on the South African elections by Annar Cassam (a Tanzanian, who was formerly director of the UNESCO Bureau at the UN Office in Geneva and consultant at UNESCO/PEER Nairobi.) valid?

The cartoon that Cassim has an issue with is the cartoon published in the Mail & Guardian on the 23rd April 2009, showing what lies ahead for the majority of voters who queued up to vote for the ANC because of what the leadership – here symbolized by the snake’s head – has promised them. She argues that Zapiro’s cartoon makes a mockery of the aspirations of impoverished voters,. She feels for Zapiro to trash and mock this memory of that first voting day of his country’s first democratic elections is an extraordinarily cheap act of contempt. And the contempt is aimed not just at the 2009 elections, the ANC and its leadership, it is above all aimed at the millions of voters who queued, as they have done every five years since 1994, to vote for a better life in their country. She continues to say that the venom in the cartoon makes a mockery of them and their aspirations and shows how much ‘prejudice and hate’ is expressed under cover of the freedom of expression by such cartoonists as Zapiro.

During the election campaign, the ANC like nearly all political parties have made promises in order to attract voters and especially those poor impoverished voters. The election process was peaceful and democratic despite the voters having to be patient by waiting in long queues. Now the ANC have been voted in by an overwhelming majority, they will need to deliver. Looking at the track record of the prior 15 years of ANC rule, this certainly has not always been the case. In 1994, the ANC was the champion of human rights, there was hope that South Africa would become a fairer, more equal and more caring society. In its own review, the ANC government acknowledged that half the population – 22 million out of 44 million – lived in abject poverty. Political power struggles, reports of corruption and the enrichment of the narrow politically-connected elite have become the order of the day

Zapiro sees himself as a graphical political commentator interpreting events as they happen. His cartoons over the years have been critical of all political parties especially when there are contradictions in their actions and their policies. This cartoon illustrates that South Africa remains a democracy through its election process with the snaking queues of patient voters and warns that it is always easier to make promises than implementing them.

One may agree or disagree with Zapiro, but at no stage is there any hate or cheap mockery on the down-trodden in this cartoon as suggested by Annar Cassam. Examine it and decide for yourself.

For more Zapiro cartoons on the South African elections link to http://www.zapiro.com.
If you wish to order an ebook version of the A-Z of the 2009 elections click HERE

Thanks to the Mail & Guardian, Zoopy.com and others an unedited version of the “Special Assignment” documentary on political satire was made available to the public worldwide via the internet. The programme was posted on the Mail & Guardian’s website at 2.30pm on Wednesday. Within a few hours it almost brought the site down due to the number of hits they were getting. Within the next day, Zoopy.com also put up a version and this too has become extremely popular. Instead of accepting its error in judgement for withdrawing the show, the SABC laid a charge of “stolen property”. SABC’s executives showed exactly what material they are made of and Zapiro’s cartoon published in the Times on the 28th May 2009 illustrates where they have put their heads. For more Zapiro cartoons visit www.zapiro.com

What has the SABC got to be scared of? For the second time the South African Broadcasting Corporation has pulled the documentary on political satire. Initially planned to be aired before the elections on April 22, it was withdrawn with the so-called excuse that it lacked balance. Slowly the powers that be at the SABC built up the courage and it was announced yesterday that the SABC would air the show on SABC 3 at 20:30 (Special assigment). Excitement built up during the day. Alas this was not to be. Somebody got cold feet again. Shortly before the show was to go on air, SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said that the documentary would not be aired “owing to the fact that due process with regards to consultation has not been concluded” and “Because of the problems encountered previously with this particular episode, the acting GCEO Mr Gab Mampone in his capacity as editor-in-chief will need to make the final sign-off.” More Zapiro cartoons on the SABC

There had been questions asked over the last couple of months with regards to the state of the South Africa economy, with some saying that South Africa is not in a recession like other countries in the world. But today, the truth we revealed: South Africa is officially in a recession.

South Africa sank into its first official recession in 17 years in the first quarter of 2009, with a huge 6.4% collapse in gross domestic product (GDP). The drop in GDP in the first quarter follows a fall of 1.8% in the fourth quarter of 2008. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of declining GDP.

What this simply means is that times are going to be tougher for us now in South Africa. With the economy not growing, you can expect further job cuts, therefore if you do have a job, it would be a good idea to try keep it! One has to also look at their spending now. Gone are the days on splashing out on luxury goods. In the famous words of Reserve Bank governor, Tito Mboweni, “It is time to tighten your belts!”

Economists predict that this slump will not last long with some going as far as saying the South Africa economy will start to grow again as early as the third quarter of this year. But for now we have to bare the brunt of a recession!

What does it take to get a position as a Goodwill Ambassador? - Ask Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who has been appointed African Union Goodwill Ambassador and Champion for the Improvement of Maternal and Child Health in Africa beyond 2015. It certainly can’t be due to her track record as Health Minister. South Africa was one of the few countries where the rate for mother and child mortality got worse and this happened during Manto’s time as Minister. So can we come to the conclusion that it must be the publicity created by Zapiro’s cartoons of her. Take a look at more Zapiro cartoons of Manto by clicking here

According to some scientists dynasaurs could have eaten each other to death. According to Zapiro’s cartoon of the 17th May 2009 in the Sunday Times, suggests Godzille aka Helen Zille leader of the Democratic Alliance is self-destructing by eating herself while Zuma and company are chuckling away in the background. Since winning the Western Cape, Helen Zille has ‘risen to the bait’ thrown out to her by the ANC youth league (ANCYL) and and the MK veterans. For more Zapiro God-Zille and other cartoons click here

Verbal sparring, political mud slinging and threats between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the ANC particularly the ANCYL and MK veterans leads to “toilet level” of politics as shown in this Zapiro’s cartoon. For more Zapiro cartoons click here