Table of contents for Issue 330 2024 in The Big Issue

Gogos go digital Our gogos and grannies are filled with life knowledge but what about tech knowledge? Before 1 January 1983, various computer networks did not have a standard way to communicate with each other. These days, the elderly are learning to use smartphones, engage on social media, and do research using the internet. They even know the difference between Wi-Fi and fibre. The elderly generation, in reality, are the unsung heroes of South Africa, putting in the work to empower future generations and contributing to the economic upliftment of the country. Approximately four million children in South Africa are being raised by grandmothers, also known as gogos. This means that a considerable number of households are surviving on a single SASSA older persons or childcare grant, which at just…

New research shows that parents who express empathy toward their teenagers may give teens a head start in developing the skill themselves. In addition, adolescents who show empathy and support toward their friends are more likely to become supportive parents, which may foster empathy in their own offspring. HOW WE DID OUR WORK The KLIFF/VIDA study at the University of Virginia has tracked 184 adolescents for more than 25 years: from age 13 well into their 30s. Starting in 1998, teens came to the university every year with their parents and closest friend, and a team of researchers recorded videos of their conversations. Researchers observed how much empathy the mother showed to her 13-year-old when her teen needed help with a problem. We measured empathy by rating how present and…

Talented local wire artist Laston Sachikonye and his team create the most beautiful pieces out of this versatile material, including hearts of all sizes and colours. Thanks to donors of Uthando (Love) South Africa, literally thousands of these beautiful illuminating wire hearts have been distributed to a broad range of people all over the country, including community project teams, activists, artists, educators, school children, politicians and celebrities. The Heart of Cape Town chats to a few of these amazing South Africans who speak from their heart, after receiving their wire gift. “We need to put heart back into the heart of communities,” says Lucinda Evans, Founder of Philisa Abafazi Bethu, (isiXhosa for Heal Our Women). “When you look for lavender on the Cape Flats you would not find any, in…

SOLO STUDIOS 2024 This year's hub will serve up even more of a feast for the senses, with a sociable gourmet long-table, events, live music, theatre, and poetry, along with the valley's wealth and diversity of fine art. “The greatest attraction to Solo Studios, besides the magnificent valley itself, is the intimate nature of the event,” says Ashley Stone, co-owner and co-project manager of Solo Studios. “By opening up artists’ studios, visitors can have an intimate art encounter with the artworks and the artists themselves in their own creative workspaces, and simply enjoy these inspiring connections or even return home with art investments at great prices that feel truly personal. It's also a peek into the bottomless well of natural beauty, cultural heritage and creativity of this valley, along with…

Before the national election on 29 May, we gave our reasons, in this magazine, for supporting independent candidates and not parties. The voters spoke – no independent candidate won a seat at the National Assembly. But, if you look at the graphic of the National Assembly, it is at least beginning to resemble a real Rainbow Nation with the growth of the opposition and the entry of many small parties who have won one or two seats. Growth of independents of another type, you could say. Then an odd thing happened on the way to the voting station. Only 58% of voters who registered to vote, marked their ballots, 8% less than in 2019. In 2024, the ANC got almost 17% less votes than in 2019. The DA received fewer…

Ernest Cole's story is as inspiring as it is tragic. A new film by acclaimed filmmaker Raoul Peck, Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, seeks to reveal more about Cole's life, particularly the time between his exile from South Africa and his death from pancreatic cancer at age 49 in 1990. One of the first Black freelance photographers in South Africa, Cole exposed the abject brutality of life under apartheid — not as an outsider, but as a person actively resisting the same oppressive structures he was documenting. His exile to the United States in the late 1960s presented different challenges and opportunities, but revealed racism and segregation uncannily similar to the home he left behind. Despite publishing a monumental book that shocked the world, and garnering considerable fame himself, Cole…

Grannies from Alexandra township in Johannesburg are trading their knitting needles for boxing gloves. This is the latest project by the goGOGOgo project with the Slow Poison Boxing Gym to challenge the sedentary lifestyles often associated with ageing. Once a week, about a dozen elderly people attend boxing classes as part of the GOGOBox project run by Mbulelo Transvaal, the owner of the boxing gym, and his colleague Lubabalo Mooi. “I really enjoy the class because we get to use boxing gloves and punching bags. I try to exercise at home but I don't have equipment,” says 75-yearold Cine Mosekwa. Mosekwa, who lives with her two grandchildren aged two and three, says keeping fit is important to help her keep up with the toddlers. “If I just sit at home…

[ENTREPRENEUR] [THE BIG ISSUE] Inspired by her childhood, 26year old KwaZulu-Natal-born entrepreneur, Zanda Isaacs, has turned her love for tea into a booming international business with a range of antioxidant-rich teas. “When I was young, my mom never believed in using modern medicine to cure our colds and coughs. Instead, she would always make us a pot of tea,” says Zanda. “Every illness you can think of had its own blend, however, these were not my cup of tea, so I started creating my own.” Zanda launched Ting Tang Teas, a range of hand-crafted blends (made from a selection of herbs and spices specially combined to cleanse the body and promote weight loss), under the guidance of her mother. The different blends are made from the finest, premium natural ingredients and…

In June 1994 the late composer Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou – better known as Vangelis – released his soundtrack for the 1982 film Blade Runner. It would go on to become emblematic of his skills, with only a handful of soundtracks reaching a similar level of cult status. Prior to this, sci-fifilm scores tended to be characterised by orchestral sound palettes. For instance, John Williams’ 1991 Star Wars soundtrack leaned on the London Symphony Orchestra to communicate the vastness of a galaxy far, far away. Vangelis, on the other hand, used an electronic approach to bring a subtlety and complexity that shifted the focus inwards. His ability to communicate deep emotion, alongside expansive philosophical concepts, was perhaps his greatest achievement with Blade Runner. MISSING PIECES Director Ridley Scott's Blade Runner was…

A FRUITY TALE Apple Grumble, by Huw Lewis Jones, illustrated by Ben Sanders Apple Grumble is a truly terrible piece of fruit. He causes havoc beyond his fruit bowl. Now he's back and grumpier than ever before, after a run-in with Snake. In the story Granny Smith and her golden apples step in to teach him a lesson. But Bad Apple decides to play terrible tricks and seals them all up in a delicious apple crumble pie. ALL ABOUT EID Moon's Ramadan, by Natasha Khan Kazi Discover how Muslims celebrate the Islamic holiday of Eid. Learn what the moon means to this religious belief and understand the differences in Muslim beliefs. The call to prayer is explained, and you can see how home-cooked food and henna art are made. PLAYFUL…

WHERE DO WE GO? Words and images: Ashraf Hendricks Families fear eviction from the old train yard. Some have lived in “Oya Town” near Maitland Station for eight years. Rozelda Engelbrecht's children, Arrinze (5) and Onkeya (4), grew up in Oya Town. She ended up here after her landlord sold the place she rented, and she lost her job as a packer. “We didn't have anywhere to go”, she says. “Our lives are here”. She says she is prepared to relocate, but PRASA officials have never once spoken to them before threatening eviction. Nokuthula Mcula, homeless for over 15 years, has been here for the last seven years. “This is the only place that I have,” she says. She also said she is willing to move to alternative accommodation but…

CROSSWORD Across 1. More than what is needed (7) 5. Lustre, shimmer or gleam (5) 8. Gain or benefit (9) 9. Female bovine (3) 10. 100 centimetres (5) 12. Contaminate water or air with harmful substances (7) 14. Take a criminal into custody (6) 16. Separate something into parts (6) 18. Paper handkerchiefs (7) 21. Partly frozen rain (5) 23. The self (3) 24. Person serving alcohol (9) 26. Accord or Camry (5) 27. Female deity (7) Down 1. A large group of bees (5) 2. To increase in speed (3) 3. Hangs around (7) 4. Low land that is seasonally flooded (5) 5. Magical enchantment (5) 6. Restricted to a group (9) 7. Not in any place (7) 11. Sill placed at a doorway (9) 13. Strange or weird…