Table of contents for Issue 324 2023 in The Big Issue

Count: • How many birds do you see? • How many birds are eating? • What are the dogs doing? • How many bicycle wheels are there? • How many red ants are there? • Are there enough doughnuts for everyone on the blanket? Look for: • 1 cup • 2 wooden giraffes • 2 Dandelion flowers • 1 satellite dish • 2 watermelons Add: • If 3 more joggers arrive, how many will there be? • How many bags of naartjies and oranges are there all together?…

ENGLISH Once upon a time there were three goats. There was a big goat, a middle-sized goat and a small goat. The three goats liked to eat grass, but on the hill where they lived, the grass was short and brown. One day, the smallest goat looked at the hill covered in long, green grass on the other side of the river. He said, “Look, the grass on the other side is long and green. If we go there we won't be hungry anymore.” To get to the hill on the other side, they had to go over a bridge to cross the river. But here was a skelm – a baddie – living under the bridge, called a troll. This big, bad troll wanted to eat the goats. The…

Hundreds of people are fed twice weekly at Mavuso Gqola's soup kitchen in Mfuleni, Cape Town. People of all ages come from Mfuleni and surrounding townships to queue, sometimes for hours. For some, it is their only meal of the day. The provincial Department of Social Development says this is one of 68 Community Nutrition and Development Centres supported by the department in the Western Cape. It's 11am on Wednesday and people of all ages are gathering at the soup kitchen in Naledi Crescent. Children sit on the ground with their food containers and elderly people sit on buckets, tyres or on the pavement. The soup kitchen is run by traditional healer and community leader Mavuso Gqola at his home, on the border with Covid and Burundi informal settlements. Food…

IT'S A KINDA MAGIC Back by popular demand! Calling lovers of rock music, fans of Queen and Freddie Mercury and anyone wanting to experience the greatest hits and rock anthems of the legendary band in an arena atmosphere. Following on from its sold-out concert in 2022, Queen: It's a Kinda Magic tribute show returns to GrandWest for one night only. Showtime Australia proudly introduces South African musicians Warren Vernon-Driscoll performing lead vocals, guitar and piano live on stage in Freddie's original key; Rusty Red takes on the famous guitar riffs of Brian May with Michael Dickens on drums and Andre van der Merwe on bass guitar. Date: Saturday, 9 December, 8pm. Doors open 7pm. Venue: Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town Tickets: from R335 www.queenitsakindamagic.com iTickets.co.za Western Cape WHAT NOW TREVOR?…

If you would like to support our vendors you can contact Melody at The Big Issue at placements@bigissue.org.za. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. The Big Issue empowers 120 economically marginalised adults from around greater Cape Town to earn a living through selling the magazine, as well as approximately 840 of their dependants. When we broke the news of the scam to our vendors at our last meeting, it was hard to watch their worry and confusion, feeling so uncertain about whether or not the organisation will continue thriving, and wondering how badly this will affect their household income. However, our resilient vendors were quick to ask us how to assist in keeping the organisation alive, and how to potentially spread the news of how prevalent the scams have become…

Siya Kolisi made history as the first black captain of the Springboks in a country where, because of apartheid and separate development, the professional sport was once an all-white affair. Rugby was firmly associated with white national pride, and now a black man from a humble background has become a national hero, reshaping the sport's image. Despite being a democracy since 1994, South Africa continues to struggle to forge a unified and equitable society while acknowledging its diverse cultural heritage. Siya's appointment as captain in 2018 signalled a new chapter of inclusivity, diversity and unity. As an industrial psychologist, I have a particular interest in psychobiographical studies. Psychobiographies provide insights into the lives and minds of historically significant individuals like Siay. His story defies the odds and highlights the power…

[ PHOTO ESSAY ] If you were to choose one final meal, what would it be? Would you pick a classic steak and baked potato or try something you've never tasted? In A Year of Killing, world renowned photographer, Henry Hargreaves, explores how food connects us all and what our choices of food say about us as people. By capturing images of death row inmates’ last meals, Henry seeks to humanise individuals in their last moments before execution and spark a conversation on capital punishment in America. Henry Hargreaves began his career as a model for luxury brands like Lacoste, Prada, and Hermes. After several years working in front of the camera, Henry decided he wanted to try his hand on the other side of the lens as a photographer.…

To keep up to date with the what, where and why of the art scene in and around Cape Town, listen to the Sanlam Arts Round Up on Fridays at 5:30pm on FMR 101.3 FM It's worth noting that the only corporate owned art assemblage in Cape Town openly accessible to the public, is the Sanlam Art Collection. Established in 1965, it is one of the most representative collections of South African art with more than 2 200 works dating from 1874 to the present. It is this collection that features prolifically on your FREE 2024 Art Craft + Museums Map included in your bumper edition. The cover of the map features the work of Artist, Leonard Matsoso, titled Warrior and Beast. SANLAM ART GALLERY Opening times: The gallery is…

Christmas sugar cookies 1. Use a spoon to mix the butter and sugar in a bowl until there are no lumps. 2. Add the two eggs and vanilla and mix everything well. 3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix to form a dough. 4. Put it in the fridge for 20 minutes. 5. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface. Use a rolling pin or bottle to roll the dough out until it is thin. 6. Cut out the shapes you like. 7. Bake for about 7-8 minutes at 200 degrees C. Get an adult to help. 8. Remove from the oven and cool. 9. Decorate with anything festive and delicious! Ingredients ¾ cup margarine or soft butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs ½ teaspoon vanilla 2 ½…

BIG ISSUE VENDOR AND ARTIST BATSI SAYS: “I paint to reflect the beauty I see and feelings I experience. Most of my art I paint from imagination and memories. I enjoy experimenting with the play of light in a painting and the use of warm, cool and hot colours of the paint helps me express my interpretation of the subject – be it figures, landscapes or floral studies. My aim is to convey to the viewer an impression, a mood conveyed in the subject, capturing the essence and the light that is within all things. My passion is to learn, explore and create. I would love to pursue art as a career. I love it with all my heart; it defines me. Art makes me feel like I'm free and…

CROSSWORD Across 1. An official language of Lesotho (7) 5. Garments for the feet (5) 8. Apparently never growing old (7) 9. Respiratory organs (5) 10. Make improvements to text (5) 11. Remove by force (7) 12. Thin slice (6) 14. Country that hosted the 2023 Rugby World Cup (6) 17. Declined (7) 19. 2024 Summer Olympics host (5) 22. Conscious of (5) 23. Country person (7) 24. Fragrance (5) 25. Add sugar to coffee (7) Down 1. Square or circle (5) 2. Place where a crime occurred (5) 3. A lever that is operated with the foot (7) 4. Shellfish that forms a pearl (6) 5. Separate into parts (5) 6. Be made up of (7) 7. Spiced meat grilled on a skewer (7) 12. Passing beyond others (7)…