South Africa: Proper use of mother tongue the way forward

Cross-posted from Sociolingo’s African Linguistics

Posted by sociolingo on April 29, 2008

Proper use of mother tongue the way forward

(This article was originally published on page 9 of The Cape Times on
April 21, 2008 )
http://www.eltworld.net/news/tag/use-of-english-in-south-africa/
In this article in our series, Neville Alexander, director of the
project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa at the
University of Cape Town, argues that to ignore the language issue is
to entrench the domination of powerful elites. South Africa has
arguably the most progressive language policy on paper. This fact is
acknowledged by most people who are familiar with the sociology and
the politics of language.
n spite of this, however, if one reads only the Afrikaans press, one
would have to conclude that this language policy is a total failure
and that we are moving rapidly to a situation where the de facto sole
official language is the “hated” Queen’s English.

The reader would be surprised, therefore, to hear that some of us hold
the unpalatable view that, because of what we call our “languish
policy”, this country is in fact simply carrying out in practice a
neo-apartheid language policy. For, in spite of the fact that
Afrikaans is being driven out of many domains of social life and being
replaced by English, it is still the most favoured official language
next to English. Why is language policy important? And why is it a bad
idea that we should all be forced to operate in English only when we
transact business or are involved in any public domain?

The simple way to answer this is by means of a five-dimensional
argument. Incidentally, although there is a very important polemic
taking place among linguists about the exact meaning and even the
validity of a word such as “a language”, this is not the place to
enter into that debate. Suffice to say it is an important debate that
may eventually lead to significant changes in the ways we speak or
write about the language question. The fact is that I am writing this
article in Standard South African English, and expect to be read and
understood by hundreds of South Africans and other users of a notional
international standard written English.

Many of these readers, I expect, will tell others, who either have not
read or cannot read the article, about its contents in whatever
linguistic means they have in common. And, somehow, for my current
communicative purposes, this seems to be in order. The
five-dimensional argument refers to the relationship between language
use and language policy with the social processes of diversity,
development, democracy, dignity and didactics.

It is generally accepted that cultural diversity, which includes
linguistic diversity, is as necessary an aspect of human survival as
is biological diversity. This point is the subject of much
controversy, but it is bound to prove useful for our understanding of
the continuum between “nature” and “culture”. This debate, which is as
yet confined to a small group of linguists concerned about the rapid
disappearance of “languages” on Earth may yet turn out to be one of
those revolutionary moments in humanity’s self-understanding such as
the, initially quite esoteric, discussions that led to the Copernican
Revolution, as a result of which we now know that the Earth revolves
around the sun and not the other way around. In this regard, because
of our constitutional commitment to the promotion and maintenance of
multilingualism, South Africa is, in principle, on the side of the
angels.

It is also accepted that language policy at the workplace and in
business transactions generally is a vital aspect of economic success.
Languages have market value - hence the desirability of English as the
most important of the global languages today - and it is one of the
tasks of any national or regional government to frame language policy
and use it in such a way that the populace at large is empowered by
the fact that the linguistic resources which they possess become
“cultural capital” that they can use to earn their livelihood and to
improve their life chances.

Much detailed research is essential in this regard since politicians
tend to “find” the will to act once they are convinced that there is
real economic benefit in a given policy approach. Our score in this
area is quite bad since, with some notable exceptions in both the
public and the private sector, there is a very strong tendency towards
an English-only policy, although it self-evidently restricts the
productivity, efficiency, creativity and job satisfaction of those
engaged in the economic processes of production, exchange and
distribution. It is probably useful to remind ourselves here that it
is a myth that only “unilingual” countries have become economically
successful in the modern world. If you study the question seriously,
you will find that it is the levels of literacy that determine
economic success in the modern world.

Democratic polities require the full participation of the citizens in
the important decision-making processes. It is axiomatic that such
participation is only possible when these processes are conducted in
languages that the citizens understand and are able to use. This is
the very foundation of freedom of speech. Again, our balance sheet is
patchy, even though I believe there is a genuine commitment on the
part of government to move in the right direction. Parliament and the
SABC are examples where, recently, major steps have been taken towards
treating the official languages as well as sign language equitably.

However, because of a simplistic, short-sighted knee-jerk reaction to
Afrikaans (as the “language of the oppressor”), many obvious steps
that ought to, and can, be taken are skipped. It is incomprehensible,
for example, that we still do not use African languages on our
airlines or on our beaches (except when we need to warn people about
dangerous circumstances or behaviour); why can we not also have road
signs and official instructions in numerous contexts in the relevant
African languages? That difficult decisions would have to be made is
clear, but we have to make these all the time, whether it is in the
domains of transport, health, crime fighting or education. Much more
urgency is required.

Human dignity, the right to use the language of one’s choice and not
to be discriminated against on the basis of language, is inscribed in
the Bill of Rights and there are institutions such as the Pan South
African Language Board, the Human Rights Commission, the Cultural,
Religious and Linguistic Commission and, in the final analysis, the
judiciary, that have been given the powers to enforce these
provisions. Despite this, however, and in spite of numerous
complaints about the violation of language rights, mainly from
organised Afrikaans-speaking and other smaller African
language-speaking communities, these provisions remain a dead letter.
The example of the European Union and the Council of Europe, in spite
of a yawning disparity of resources, is there to show the way and we
have in fact learnt much from post-war Europe in this regard. There
are close connections at all levels between Europeans, Asians,
Americans and South Africans who are committed to the implementation
of a consistently democratic language policy.

A mother tongue-based bi- or multilingual educational system, the
didactical dimension of the language question, is the sine qua non for
all development in South Africa. Space does not allow any further
explanation of this proposition, but it is essential that it be seen
as the challenge it is intended to be. Besides the obvious pedagogical
issue of teaching children in languages they understand rather than in
those they do not understand, this question involves the critical and
urgent question of early literacy learning which, if you think about
it carefully, is the basis of economic success or failure in the 21st
century. The Western Cape Education Department has begun to take this
challenge seriously and is involved in numerous initiatives to find
out what the problems and the most effective approaches to solutions
would be. The national Department of Education supports these moves in
principle.

However, language policy in education is a sensitive matter, and most
parents do not have the necessary information at their disposal in
order to make the most appropriate decisions in this regard. A major
advocacy campaign is imperative. In conclusion, beyond the issue of
political will and the prioritisation of the language question, we
should be looking more carefully at how language policy and use are
being managed currently. The Asmal Commission that considered the
efficacy of the Chapter 9 institutions has not been very kind to the
Pan South African Language Board, which was intended to be the
keystone in the linguistic architecture of the new South Africa.
Whether one agrees with all its recommendations or not, I believe that
a case can be made out for a radical redrafting of this entire
complex.

Without language communication, hardly any complex operations are
possible for human beings. To ignore the language question or to take
it for granted is merely to entrench the domination of the powerful
elites in our society. Above all, let us agree: it is not a question
of the highest levels of competence in either English or the mother
tongues. It is a question of all individuals having the power to
communicate, learn, work and be creative in both the mother tongue and
English. Many, of course, will want - and be able - to function in
more than two languages.

This article was originally published on page 9 of Cape Times on April 21, 2008

South Africa: Proper use of mother tongue the way forward

Proper use of mother tongue the way forward

(This article was originally published on page 9 of The Cape Times on
April 21, 2008.)
http://www.eltworld.net/news/tag/use-of-english-in-south-africa/
In this article in our series, Neville Alexander, director of the
project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa at the
University of Cape Town, argues that to ignore the language issue is
to entrench the domination of powerful elites. South Africa has
arguably the most progressive language policy on paper. This fact is
acknowledged by most people who are familiar with the sociology and
the politics of language.
n spite of this, however, if one reads only the Afrikaans press, one
would have to conclude that this language policy is a total failure
and that we are moving rapidly to a situation where the de facto sole
official language is the “hated” Queen’s English.

The reader would be surprised, therefore, to hear that some of us hold
the unpalatable view that, because of what we call our “languish
policy”, this country is in fact simply carrying out in practice a
neo-apartheid language policy. For, in spite of the fact that
Afrikaans is being driven out of many domains of social life and being
replaced by English, it is still the most favoured official language
next to English. Why is language policy important? And why is it a bad
idea that we should all be forced to operate in English only when we
transact business or are involved in any public domain?

The simple way to answer this is by means of a five-dimensional
argument. Incidentally, although there is a very important polemic
taking place among linguists about the exact meaning and even the
validity of a word such as “a language”, this is not the place to
enter into that debate. Suffice to say it is an important debate that
may eventually lead to significant changes in the ways we speak or
write about the language question. The fact is that I am writing this
article in Standard South African English, and expect to be read and
understood by hundreds of South Africans and other users of a notional
international standard written English.

Many of these readers, I expect, will tell others, who either have not
read or cannot read the article, about its contents in whatever
linguistic means they have in common. And, somehow, for my current
communicative purposes, this seems to be in order. The
five-dimensional argument refers to the relationship between language
use and language policy with the social processes of diversity,
development, democracy, dignity and didactics.

It is generally accepted that cultural diversity, which includes
linguistic diversity, is as necessary an aspect of human survival as
is biological diversity. This point is the subject of much
controversy, but it is bound to prove useful for our understanding of
the continuum between “nature” and “culture”. This debate, which is as
yet confined to a small group of linguists concerned about the rapid
disappearance of “languages” on Earth may yet turn out to be one of
those revolutionary moments in humanity’s self-understanding such as
the, initially quite esoteric, discussions that led to the Copernican
Revolution, as a result of which we now know that the Earth revolves
around the sun and not the other way around. In this regard, because
of our constitutional commitment to the promotion and maintenance of
multilingualism, South Africa is, in principle, on the side of the
angels.

It is also accepted that language policy at the workplace and in
business transactions generally is a vital aspect of economic success.
Languages have market value - hence the desirability of English as the
most important of the global languages today - and it is one of the
tasks of any national or regional government to frame language policy
and use it in such a way that the populace at large is empowered by
the fact that the linguistic resources which they possess become
“cultural capital” that they can use to earn their livelihood and to
improve their life chances.

Much detailed research is essential in this regard since politicians
tend to “find” the will to act once they are convinced that there is
real economic benefit in a given policy approach. Our score in this
area is quite bad since, with some notable exceptions in both the
public and the private sector, there is a very strong tendency towards
an English-only policy, although it self-evidently restricts the
productivity, efficiency, creativity and job satisfaction of those
engaged in the economic processes of production, exchange and
distribution. It is probably useful to remind ourselves here that it
is a myth that only “unilingual” countries have become economically
successful in the modern world. If you study the question seriously,
you will find that it is the levels of literacy that determine
economic success in the modern world.

Democratic polities require the full participation of the citizens in
the important decision-making processes. It is axiomatic that such
participation is only possible when these processes are conducted in
languages that the citizens understand and are able to use. This is
the very foundation of freedom of speech. Again, our balance sheet is
patchy, even though I believe there is a genuine commitment on the
part of government to move in the right direction. Parliament and the
SABC are examples where, recently, major steps have been taken towards
treating the official languages as well as sign language equitably.

However, because of a simplistic, short-sighted knee-jerk reaction to
Afrikaans (as the “language of the oppressor”), many obvious steps
that ought to, and can, be taken are skipped. It is incomprehensible,
for example, that we still do not use African languages on our
airlines or on our beaches (except when we need to warn people about
dangerous circumstances or behaviour); why can we not also have road
signs and official instructions in numerous contexts in the relevant
African languages? That difficult decisions would have to be made is
clear, but we have to make these all the time, whether it is in the
domains of transport, health, crime fighting or education. Much more
urgency is required.

Human dignity, the right to use the language of one’s choice and not
to be discriminated against on the basis of language, is inscribed in
the Bill of Rights and there are institutions such as the Pan South
African Language Board, the Human Rights Commission, the Cultural,
Religious and Linguistic Commission and, in the final analysis, the
judiciary, that have been given the powers to enforce these
provisions. Despite this, however, and in spite of numerous
complaints about the violation of language rights, mainly from
organised Afrikaans-speaking and other smaller African
language-speaking communities, these provisions remain a dead letter.
The example of the European Union and the Council of Europe, in spite
of a yawning disparity of resources, is there to show the way and we
have in fact learnt much from post-war Europe in this regard. There
are close connections at all levels between Europeans, Asians,
Americans and South Africans who are committed to the implementation
of a consistently democratic language policy.

A mother tongue-based bi- or multilingual educational system, the
didactical dimension of the language question, is the sine qua non for
all development in South Africa. Space does not allow any further
explanation of this proposition, but it is essential that it be seen
as the challenge it is intended to be. Besides the obvious pedagogical
issue of teaching children in languages they understand rather than in
those they do not understand, this question involves the critical and
urgent question of early literacy learning which, if you think about
it carefully, is the basis of economic success or failure in the 21st
century. The Western Cape Education Department has begun to take this
challenge seriously and is involved in numerous initiatives to find
out what the problems and the most effective approaches to solutions
would be. The national Department of Education supports these moves in
principle.

However, language policy in education is a sensitive matter, and most
parents do not have the necessary information at their disposal in
order to make the most appropriate decisions in this regard. A major
advocacy campaign is imperative. In conclusion, beyond the issue of
political will and the prioritisation of the language question, we
should be looking more carefully at how language policy and use are
being managed currently. The Asmal Commission that considered the
efficacy of the Chapter 9 institutions has not been very kind to the
Pan South African Language Board, which was intended to be the
keystone in the linguistic architecture of the new South Africa.
Whether one agrees with all its recommendations or not, I believe that
a case can be made out for a radical redrafting of this entire
complex.

Without language communication, hardly any complex operations are
possible for human beings. To ignore the language question or to take
it for granted is merely to entrench the domination of the powerful
elites in our society. Above all, let us agree: it is not a question
of the highest levels of competence in either English or the mother
tongues. It is a question of all individuals having the power to
communicate, learn, work and be creative in both the mother tongue and
English. Many, of course, will want - and be able - to function in
more than two languages.

–

Academic paper South Africa: The child support grant in Kwazulu-Natal: perceptions and experience inside the household

Source: ELDIS education reporter

The child support grant in Kwazulu-Natal: perceptions and experience inside the household

Authors: Hunter,N.; Adato,M.
Produced by: School of Development Studies, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa (2007)

Over recent years the Child Support Grant (CSG) has become the ‘biggest’ of the South African social assistance grants in terms of the numbers of beneficiaries. It is a monthly payment by the South African government of R200, currently available to primary caregivers (PCGs). Much quantitative work on the beneficiaries of the CSG and on some of the impacts of the grant. However, little qualitative work has been undertaken to date. <!–
D(["mb","\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis paper aims to contribute towards these research gaps, from qualitative research conducted in six study areas in KwaZulu-Natal. The authors highlight findings from various sources, but chiefly the perspectives of 24 CSG recipients in six research sites across KwaZulu-Natal. It gives detailed accounts from recipients about how the grant affects their lives and their relationships. Areas covered in this paper include: \u003c/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eprofile of qualitative study households \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eperspectives and attitudes relating to the CSG \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eimpacts on relationships within households and with partners \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eending receipt of the CSG.\u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe report details various findings and conclusions including that most of the CSG recipients express a desire for an increase in the value of the CSG - most would like it raised from R170 to R250 per month. One third say that they would spend an increased amount on the educational needs of their child or children. Half indicate that an increased amount would be spent on food or groceries for the household. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n \u003cbr\u003e\n Available online at: \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/?doc\u003d36235\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\u003ehttp://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/\u003cWBR\u003e?doc\u003d36235\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cfont size\u003d\"1\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"#1197bbbbbfa62d20_list\"\u003eBack to list\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003chr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ca name\u003d\"1197bbbbbfa62d20_8\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCan all cash transfers reduce inequality?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cbr\u003e\n Authors: Soares,S.; Zepeda,E.\u003cbr\u003e\n Produced by: UNDP International Poverty Centre (2007)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \nThis one-page document examines the impact of three Latin American Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes providing cash transfers to poor families, conditioned on children\u0026#39;s school attendance and regular medical checks-ups.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile being different in scope and in their targeting mechanisms, Brazil\u0026#39;s Bolsa Fam¡lia, Chile\u0026#39;s Chile Solidario, and Mexico\u0026#39;s Oportunidades all show outstanding targeting results. However, given their larger scope, Bolsa Familia and Oportunidades reduce inequality more significantly than Solidario. ",1]
);

//–>

This paper aims to contribute towards these research gaps, from qualitative research conducted in six study areas in KwaZulu-Natal. The authors highlight findings from various sources, but chiefly the perspectives of 24 CSG recipients in six research sites across KwaZulu-Natal. It gives detailed accounts from recipients about how the grant affects their lives and their relationships. Areas covered in this paper include:

• profile of qualitative study households
• perspectives and attitudes relating to the CSG
• impacts on relationships within households and with partners
• ending receipt of the CSG.

The report details various findings and conclusions including that most of the CSG recipients express a desire for an increase in the value of the CSG - most would like it raised from R170 to R250 per month. One third say that they would spend an increased amount on the educational needs of their child or children. Half indicate that an increased amount would be spent on food or groceries for the household.

Available online at: http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/?doc=36235

South Africa video: South Africa, Land of Beauty and Contrast - music by Enya

Thanks to Hansie0Slim on YouTube for this one. Introduction to the item: A tribute to the natural beauty of South Africa, with music by Enya. The first part of the music is the song “Book of Days” which forms part of the sound track for the movie “Far and Away”, about the European pioneers (voortrekkers) in America. On the same theme, I included some material about the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. There are many similarities between the experiences of the pioneers in America and South Africa, but with very different end results.

Enjoy!

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sN_wilMbRk

Video: Poor Whites - South Africa

Source: You tube

This thought provoking video shows a different view from South Africa.

South Africa sustainable herb cultivation project now underway

Source: http://www.herbs.org/current/safcult.html

Based on the remarkable first-year success of Herb Research Foundation’s Malian hibiscus-growing project, a similar venture has been initiated in South Africa. The project combines the resources and expertise of HRF, the Agricultural Research Council of the South African Ministry of Agriculture (ARC), and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), who have teamed up to develop agribusiness opportunities in South Africa for crops for which an established market already exists.

The explosive growth in the worldwide botanicals market, coupled with the changing political atmosphere and favorable growing conditions in South Africa, lay the groundwork for a cultivation project that promises to mutually benefit the people and economies of both South Africa and the United States. As with the Malian hibiscus project and other work HRF has carried out in collaboration with USAID, the ultimate goal is to help develop sustainable businesses throught the environmentally and socially conscious production of herbs.

On a recent trip to South Africa, HRF President Rob McCaleb and representatives from ARC and USAID visited the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape Provinces and the KwaZuluNatal Province to identify appropriate regions for growing specific crops. “This is a vast country with an astonishing range of climates, from hot and arid to humid and rainy,” said McCaleb. Test crops will be planted in September, at the start of the growing season in South Africa.

At present, there is little or no cultivation of medicinal herbs in South Africa. Sustainable herb cultivation offers small farmers in South Africa the opportunity to create a profitable niche for themselves in a highly competitive market. Small farmers are currently at a disadvantage, as they lack the resources to compete in the well-established fruit, flower, and vegetable markets now dominated by large producers. Sustainable herb cultivation can bolster local rural economies and improve quality of life for thousands of disadvantaged families. Because of its location in the southern hemisphere, South Africa also has a rare opportunity to become one of the only producers of off-season herbal raw materials, which would be available at a time when world market prices are at their peak.

An additional project goal is to protect and preserve native South African plants and the traditional healing system of South Africa by identifying and cultivating regional medical plants now endangered by overcollection. Currently, at least 60% of the South African population relies exclusively on traditional plant-based medicine for primary health care. Most, if not all, of these plant medicines are gathered from the wild. Now, displaced rural people who are emigrating to urban areas such as Cape Town and Johannesburg no longer have access to the traditional folk medicines which have formed much of the basis of their self-care.

At the same time, the increasing demand for wild South African medicinal plants for export and domestic use has created great environmental pressure on local plant populations. This situation has forced the closing of some areas to collection, further increasing the pressure on other areas. Exhaustion of botanical resources presents a threat not only to the environmental well-being and biodiversity of South Africa, but would result in the elimination of the traditional medicinal system on which such a large proportion of the population depends. Identification and cultivation of threatened plants will reduce demand on wild populations and help preserve the South African traditional healing system by ensuring a continued supply of native medicinal botanicals.– Evelyn Leigh, HRF

Academic paper: A Bayesian-Estimated Model of InflationTargeting in South Africa

Source: IMF

A Bayesian-Estimated Model of InflationTargeting in South Africa

Author/Editor:		Harjes, Thomas | Ricci, Luca Antonio
Authorized for Distribution:	February 1, 2008
Electronic Access:		Free Full Text (PDF file size is 590KB) Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file.
Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF. The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate.
Summary: This paper estimates a small dynamic macroeconomic model for the South African economy with Bayesian methods. The model is tailored to assessing the impact of domestic as well as external shocks on inflation within an inflation targeting framework, by incorporating forward-looking behavior of private agents and of the monetary authority. The model is able to display important empirical features of the monetary transmission mechanism that have been found in other studies. It helps to integrate the short-term inflation outlook into a consistent medium-term framework and to design the policy response for various shocks that affect inflation.
Series:		Working Paper No. 08/48
Subject(s):		South Africa

South Africa: Gugulective opens Downstairs/Upstairs, a group exhibition of contemporary art

Source: Press release

26 March 2008
— for immediate release —
The Gugulective opens Downstairs/Upstairs at KwaMlamli
brings Cape Town art world home to Gugs
TUESDAY, 1 APRIL 2008, 6PM Gugulective opens
Downstairs/Upstairs, a group exhibition of contemporary art curated by
Bettina Malcomess, at Cape Town’s newest arts and culture hotspot,
KwaMlamli in Gugulethu.
Rapidly gaining notoriety for their smart, incisive work, the artists of
Gugulective will present another multi-media spread of art, installation,
photography, performance, music and spoken word.
Downstairs/Upstairs, the fourth self-produced exhibition since the prolific
group came together in early 2007, promises to once again deliver cutting
edge culture, with Gugulective’s trademark positive vibe and Cape Town’s
contemporary art luminaries in tow, home to the heart of Gugulethu.
Downstairs/Upstairs forms one half of a two-site group exhibition opening
this week in Gugulethu and Cape Town CBD. The Gugulethu show’s
downtown counterpart, Upstairs/Downstairs, curated by Bettina Malcomess,
opens Monday, 31 March 2008, at AVA in Cape Town. Artists featuring in
Upstairs/Downstairs include: Gugulective, Jake Aikman, Justin Brett,
Renee Holleman, Dorothee Kruetzfeldt, Charles Maggs, Nandipha
Mntambo, Moataz Nasr, Christian Nerf, Douglas Gimberg, Dave
Southwood, Margaret Stone, Athi Patra-Ruga, and Ed Young.
Patron and partner KwaMlamli, a Gugulethu shebeen that has provided a
relaxed and welcoming venue for Gugulective’s past exhibitions and
events, is leading the way for local entrepreneurs by supporting the group of
young artists. As the crowd of local, national and international artists,
curators, and dealers grows larger with each Gugulective event,
KwaMlamli provides an example of how entrepreneurs can expand their
business and help to transform the local economy by supporting artists and
cultural producers in their communities.
Gugulective is a collective of young contemporary artists from Gugulethu and neighboring Cape Flats
communities. Barely one year old, the group has been reviewed in South Africa’s major arts and
culture media, including Art South Africa, The Art Times, and the Mail & Guardian. Gugulective’s
members work in a broad range of media, including painting, photography, film, animation, ceramics,
and sculpture, and the artists include designers, musicians, vocalists, writers, and poets. Gugulective
is committed to bringing contemporary culture to life in Cape Town’s underserved communities and to
using culture to create links between the city’s diverse neighborhoods. The groups’ events are
designed to draw new audiences and interests from the local creative sector out to Gugulethu to
experience a new facet of Cape Town culture and always incorporate an educational component
oriented toward neighborhood youth.

The Gugulective artists are: Themba Tsotsi, Unathi Sigenu, Dathini Mzayiya, Khanyisile Mbongwa,
Lonwabo Kilani, Athi Mongezeleli Joja, and Zipho Dayile

Exhibition History:
31 March 2007 Akuchanywa group exhibition, featured site for X-Cape 2007
23 June 2007 Akuchanywa Apha group exhibition/performance at KwaMlamli
8-30 Nov 2007 Titled group exhibition at KwaMlamli
8-30 Nov 2007 Untitiled group exhibition at Blank Projects, Cape Town

Downstairs/Upstairs
Exhibition opening: 1 April 2008 at 6:30pm
Exhibition venue: KwaMlamli shebeen, NY146 Gugulethu
A free shuttle will provide transportation from Cape Town CBD to the opening event. Shuttle departs
for KwaMlamli at 18:30 from the VANSA office at 8 Spring Street, opposite Church Square. Arrive at
6pm for 6:30pm departure.
Press photos available
Contacts:
Unathi