Table of contents for Issue 319 2023 in The Big Issue

As much as we love good news, we cannot ignore the fact that our country is damaged. We know who is breaking it and we know how, but what we don't always question is why. Is it purely idiocy and corruption or something more strategic? Is it convenient to keep South Africa in economic chaos, making it profitable for international investors regardless of ‘junk status’? Some say they welcome an insurrection, believing that hordes of troublemakers will fall in a grand coup d’état powered by foreign military of some sort. Regardless, we cannot deny — the political climate needs to change. It can be challenging to keep up-to-date with the pollution of internet debris calling out corruption in every headline. News media isn't always linear: reporting is often not clear…

“Ndilibhinqa lamashishini. NdinguMadam. Translated meaning – I am a businesswoman. I am a Madam In May, we celebrate and appreciate mothers around the world for all the work they do. I know it might sound like a cliche, but mothers are indeed pillars of the family, and they need to be recognised for being the superheroes that they are. It's very important that we celebrate with them and show them that all their love, work and efforts are appreciated. We see it and we value it. This past Mother's Day, many mums were celebrated by their children and families, but some were not due to a variety of circumstances. Those who weren't spoilt on Mother's Day were our Big Issue vendors. Most of them were at their pitches selling the…

Dear Athalie A UIF official refused to help me claim my late husband's UIF because I did not have all my documents. When I got all the papers I needed and went back, he still wouldn't help me! What can I do? THE SHORT ANSWER You can contact the UIF Call Centre to ask that they help you. You can also lodge a complaint against the employee. THE LONG ANSWER These are the conditions and documents required when a surviving spouse or life partner applies for UIF, according to a pamphlet it published called Know your UIF rights and obligations: Conditions • The surviving spouse/life partner must apply for benefi ts within 18 months from the date of death of the contributor; • A dependent child can apply for benefi…

The heavily polluted Jukskei etches a path through Johannesburg's industrial areas and its crowded townships. It bears decades of human waste and industrial pollution. What many don't realise is the river plots its course to the Hartebeespoort Dam and much further onwards, gaining momentum to form a natural boundary between South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique. The river exits directly into the Indian Ocean via Mozambique's beautiful beach and holiday destination, Xai Xai, where unsuspecting tourists frolic. It's beginnings are sublime. Starting in a neglected corner of Johannesburg, the river has long been bricked up. “Here, the fresh water of underground springs is contaminated by untreated sewage from broken infrastructure, industrial waste, and rubbish. What should be an asset for the community is a hazard and a health risk,” says…

The Big Issue will support competent, honest and corruptionfree independent candidates for the 2024 National Election, who are accountable to us, the voters, and not to a party. It is the least we as a media NGO can do to reject incompetent party cadre deployment which has overseen the collapse of service delivery nationwide. I believe it is our moral duty as a public magazine trading in a broken country to do so. We support candidates who are party-free. We will not support a party — our readers hold a diverse range of political persuasions. Check out the Independent Candidates Association at www.icasouthafrica.org. Do you know we will have three votes per person in the 2024 National Election? Voter education is sparse. Group together, share what you can on social…

Q: Your roots lie in the area where the series is set. Did you draw on personal experiences to write the books? A: Although I was born in Zululand, I grew up in Durban, but the call of the bush was never quiet. We spent the majority of our holidays in Zululand, then I began living and working in rural communities in the area. My family was involved in a Zululand game farm for many years, where a number of rhino were poached. That was my introduction into the world of wildlife crime, and led me down the rabbit hole of researching rhino poaching, social inequality, faith and culture — from academic journals, newspaper articles, and conducting interviews. What I learnt while writing Down at jika jika Tavern was far…

The Daily Maverick said in February this year they had obtained intelligence reports which “link two senior members of President Cyril Ramaphosa's Cabinet to four criminal cartels operating inside Eskom”. Prevented from revealing names right now for legal reasons, the reports link cartels to the sabotage of Eskom's power stations with the aim of political des tabilisation. Documents reveal photographs and names given to the various players: “a “territorial ruler”, a “henchman” and “assassin” are the leaders and foot soldiers of four cartels: the Presidential Cartel, the Mesh-Kings Cartel, the Legendaries Cartel and the Chief Cartel. The document reveals a plan to bring South Africa to its knees entitled: “Illicit procurement process to defraud Eskom”.” Further information reveals: “Threat: destabilisation of Eskom power plants in Mpumalanga allegedly involving [‘territorial ruler’],…

In December 1998, 15 comrades and I stood on the steps of St George's Cathedral in Cape Town to launch the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). Our purpose was to ensure that government provide antiretroviral drugs to pregnant mothers to prevent HIV transmission. TAC also demanded that drug companies make ARVs affordable to every person living with HIV. At that time one month's ARVs cost between R4 500 and R10 000. Those who could afford it were becoming sick and bought medicines and lived, while poorer people died. Former president Thabo Mbeki said he did not know anyone with HIV. Millions were infected with HIV, became ill and died as a result of the president denying our rights to life and health. Could TAC win? We consulted experts and researched. We…

Our purpose • Founded in 2009, we are a South African charitable non-profit organisation (NPO) with a vision to nurture future generations of servant leaders. • Providing vulnerable children with quality Christian education and social care that includes academic excellence, spiritual strength, and moral integrity. • Creating a resilient organisation together with our partners to benefit the communities we serve. What we do • Our core focus areas in education are to: • Deliver quality Christian education to primary and pre-primary school children at our Nokuphila School in Tembisa, Midrand. • Train black South African adult women as accredited early childhood development teachers qualifi ed to teach Grades 000, 00 and R. • We support the South African government's development commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Where we're…

E i mpatheatre, a renowned South African theatre collective, I screens its film Indlela Yokuphila: The Soul's Journey at the United Nations World Ocean Week in New York this month. The five-minute animated movie, which explores an aspect of intangible ocean heritage, has been in the making for nearly four years, and involves the participation of indigenous knowledge holders from South Africa. Indlela Yokuphila: The Soul's journey was instrumental in three court proceedings in South Africa, brought successfully by indigenous fisher leaders and ocean defenders against oil and gas giant Shell and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. These judicial decisions mark the first time that an animated film has been used as evidence in a South African court, serving as a proxy for the intangible cultural heritage related…

All artworks featured on this page are for sale. Email info@bigissue.co.za to buy a specific piece or to donate items for art classes. Visit Elaine's website at www.bridgingpolarities.co.za.…

Claremont & Constants, Cape Town Name: Xoliswa Ntunta Vendor number: 1177 Pitch: Constantia Village About: Xoliswa lives in Khayelitsha with her husband, children (three boys and three girls) and grandchildren. She is 63 years old (her birthday is 12 July) and she's sold the magazine since 2002. Her first pitch was in Sea Point, but she changed to Constantia Village in 2018. This mother of six is grateful to customers who she has met over the years, and has become friendly with many of them. Some readers who bought The Big Issue from her in her Sea Point days have been so loyal, they still buy the magazine from her even though she has relocated to Constantia. Xoliswa has been able to send her children to school and provide for…

Grant was a young business owner without any experience and confidence as a leader in a sales environment. He became an award-winning industry leader, global speaker, and coach for salespeople and entrepreneurs. His lessons are presented simply and authentically so you can apply them in your own job or business, your family, parenting, and personally. He draws on inspirational and often emotional story-telling with his own experiences starting out as a young business owner with zero confidence in his abilities. “If I could live my life over again, I would want to do it more confidently. I have the same relatable life story as you, and like you, I have doubted myself every step of the way,” he says.…

EXTRACT FROM TRUTH TO POWER: 10: THE LAND OF PORSCHES AND LOUIS VUITTONS “Watching the main exit gate of Megawatt Park from my third-fl oor window, I was astounded to see a number of Range Rovers, BMWs, Mercs and even a stray Porsche heading for the exit at 15:30 in the afternoons. Did we really have that many rich employees? And, if so, why were we paying top dollar for workers who were already packing up an hour or two after lunch? The fl aunting of wealth wasn't limited to fancy cars. As someone who has spent more hours waiting at international airports than I care to remember, I have acquired a fair idea of the cost of luxury goods. Watching some of my relatively junior colleagues swan around clutching…

Africa's wildlife economuy is ripe with possibility. By nurturing a love of the natural environment in young people living on the borders of our pristine wild spaces like the Greater Kruger National Park, we can contribute to sustainable development and tap into the sector's rich potential for employment. Realising this, education nonprofit Good Work Foundation (GWF) created its Travel & Tourism Academy, which offers career training in conservation and hospitality to young rural Mpumalanga residents. The academy has seen at least 95% of its graduates employed at lodges, private game reserves, hotels and other establishments, mainly in and around the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve and the Greater Kruger National Park. “Game lodges would like to ‘employ local’,” explains Kathleen Hay, GWF's Travel & Tourism Academy programme manager. She says…

WONDERLAND FOR KIDS Alice in Wonderland will be playing at Canal Walk Children's Theatre with a slick show geared towards the whole family. Enjoy this unique musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic tale in a vibrant venue, featuring captivating costumes and performances for all ages. Snacks and drinks will be on sale and a pram and trolley park is available outside the venue. Date: 24 June to 16 July. Showtimes at 11am, 12.30pm, and 2pm Venue: Canal Walk Tickets: From R90 to R110 per person. R5 of each ticket sold will be donated to the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa. Under twos on laps are free of charge. Email amandam@canalwalk.co.za www.webtickets.co.za canalwalk.co.za Western Cape ↓ A TREAT AT THE BAXTER THEATRE CENTRE Based on Nobel Prize-winning author, JM Coetzee's book…