FEATURE - Grocott's Mail

UPSTART 9 September 20081The paper for youth by youth Tuesday 9 September 2008 Vol. 1 No. 2PoetryPhotographsArtFEATUREWho was Benjamin Mahlasela ? Pg5Are school uniforms important? Pg 8 & 9Your break-up tool kit Pg 5Book & CD reviews Pg 5

2 UPSTART 9 September 2008Part of the silent revolutionA message from Makana MunicipalityUpstart is growing“HiLikhaya! How are you? If you have a moment justcome across – the kids are busy working on thenext edition of Upstart”. Unfortunately I could notbecause I was in the middle of organizing for the Executive Mayor’sAcknowledgement of Community Service Awards reception.During his speech at the reception the Executive Mayoreuphemistically said that there is a silent revolution that is unfoldingin the good old city. He was referring to the four projects fromGrahamstown that had just received national recognition. To putthe cherry on top Grahamstown went away with he coveted andprestigious Shoprite Checkers Woman of The Year Award.After I went through the first edition of the Upstart, a new kid on the block local newspaper for youth by theyouth, I am convinced that this newspaper is definitely going to be part of the silent revolution that is grippingour city. The immense enthusiasm, commitment and eagerness that has been demonstrated by the learners isjust unbelievable.Of paramount importance for me is the in-built process of imparting the learners with skills that they will usefor their entire lives. The learners are equipped with skills on how to identify topical issues, writing techniquesand how to take photographs. Surely this is a typical example of sustainable development that is gearedtowards youth empowerment.This second edition is released at time when we have the Highway Africa conference 2008 taking place in ourcity. The Makana Municipal is hosting a Youth Summit during the month of September. What an opportunetime for these learners to ply and test their newly-attained skills. As they say ‘watch the space’ – Upstart willsave you from hearing it through the grapevine.It is because of all of the above that the Office of the Executive Mayor of the Makana Municipality appropriatelydeemed it fit to support the second edition of Upstart. It was seen as a worthy exercise that seeks to investin the youth. May all the others who share the same belief us the Makana Municipality support Upstartwholeheartedly.Good luck to Upstart. Can’t wait to go through hundred or maybe thousand editions of Upstart in my lifetime.Likhaya NgandiSpecial Programmes OfficerMakana MunicipalityBy Shireen BadatWelcome to the second edition of Upstart. Over the pasttwo months we have been working with our newspaperclubs to put together the stories, poetry, artwork andphotographs featured in this edition. We hope that you have asmuch fun reading it as we had in putting it together.We also welcome the newspaper clubs at Victoria Girls’ HighSchool and PJ Olivier who came on board for this edition.On page 5 we feature Part 1 of the story on Benjamin Mahlaselawhich was written by the newspaper club members of that school.Over a number of weeks with the help of their history teacher anda Grocott’s Mail staff member, the group discovered newspaperarticles from the Daily Dispatch and Herald of 1958, traced MrMahlasela’s grandaughter and conducted telephone interviewswith his former colleagues. Look out for the second part of thefeature in the next edition of Upstart. We would like to encourageother schools to do similar research on the people after whomtheir schools are named and submit it to Upstart for publishing.We held our first art workshop which was attended by learnersfrom Nathaniel Nyaluza, Khutliso Daniels, Mary Waters, Ntsikaand TEM Mrwetyana High Schools. We plan to hold more of theseworkshops next term and would like to thank Johan Carinus ArtCentre for their advice and generous donations of art supplies.We say a sad farewell to the Postgraduate Diploma Studentsfrom the Rhodes Department of Journalism and Media Studieswho helped us set up the newspaper clubs at the schools and gaveso much of their time and energy to realise the first two editions ofUpstart. We shall miss them.And finally an enormous thank you to the Mayor of Makanaand the Makana Municipality for funding this edition of Upstart.The message from the Municipality on this page explains why theyfeel Upstart is worthy of their support.Let us know what you think about Upstart. If you have any commentsplease email them to upstart@grocotts.co.za or send them toGrocott’s Mail office, 40 High Street, Grahamstown.Rolling the ballA message from the student teachersFrom the learning studentteachers...As post-graduate Rhodesjournalism students workingat Grocott’s Mail, we havebeen involved with theUpstart newspaper clubsin the schools since lastterm. We are thrilled to seethe clubs grow – both innumbers and enthusiasm.We believe in Upstart’spotential to be an example ofa dynamic public journalisminitiative that can actuallychange the status quo.Upstart developsthe learners’ teamwork andcommunication skills, whilstalso sharpening their abilityto see the needs in theircommunities. It also, veryimportantly, builds their selfconfidenceand worth.As young journalists,the learners are not justreporting on events. They areinvolving themselves in theircommunities, and trying toaddress the often seriousissues in diverse and uniqueways. And in the process,they are challenging us to dothe same.During the contentgeneration and editingprocess, we realised howurgently literacy issuesneed to be addressed in thiscity. Many of the Upstartnewspaper clubs don’t haveaccess to the infrastructurethat we often take forgranted, like well-resourcedlibraries and computers.Upstart is diversifyingin exciting ways, with one ofthe newest developmentsbeing additional artworkshops that will includedrawing, collages, claymodeling and other creativeexpression .It’s great to see thisball on the roll, and gainingmomentum as it goes!Some comments from theRhodes student facilitators:“Upstart made me realise thatjournalists must not wait forstories to come to them, butthey must go out and findstories in the communitiesthat they serve.” ZimkhitaSulelo (Benjamin Mahlaselaand Ntsika High Schoolfacilitator)“Art is the foundation uponwhich later reading, writingand drawing are built. Theway children experiencethe process of producingart influences the waythey deal with learningand imaginative processlater in life.” Tara Lang (artsworkshops facilitator)“Upstart gives the learnersa way of expressingthemselves. It gives them amedium to voice concernsthat have affected theirlives, and let other peoplesee the issues that they areexposed to.” Rhoda Davids(Mary Waters and NathanielNyaluza High Schoolfacilitator)“Education should be aninternational right affordedto all youths as it plays a keyrole in the economic andsocial future of individuals.Upstart is a project whichtries to address the elementsof imbalance in a range ofareas including literacy,interest in reading andcommunication skills.” NicolaSaner (Mary Waters HighSchool facilitator)From:Tara Lang, Nicky Saner,Cilnette Pienaar, RhodaDavids, Nwabisa Luti,Zimkitha Sulelo,Khaya Thonjeni

UPSTART 9 September 20085Who wasBenjamin Mahlasela ?Benjamin Ezra Nuttall Mahlaselawas the first black high schoolprincipal in the Cape Province.The Cape Province at the time wasmade up of the Eastern, Westernand Northern Cape. He startedNathaniel Nyaluza secondary schoolin Grahamstown and was principalthere from 1938 to 1958. Duringhis time he taught every subjectincluding domestic science.Mr Mahlasela was born inMpukane in Nqamakwe district inthe Transkie. He was educated atHealdtown Missionary Institutionand then received a BA degreeat Fort Hare University Collegein 1927. He was the third blackperson to get a degree in SouthAfrica. He retired as a principal atthe age of 60. Mr Mahlasela workedat Rhodes University in the AfricanLanguages Department. Accordingto Mr Zotwana who worked withhim, he taught Xhosa Literatureand conversation. We spoke to oneof his ex-students who said MrMahlasela was very strict and hadhigh standards. He sometimes madeher cry but was then very sorry. Healso used to tell her that he did notwant to retire.He didn’t retire as he passedaway at his farewell party. The lastwords he said was that he wantedto apologize to anyone he mayhave hurt through word or deed. MrMahlasela was married and had twodaughters and one son. Everybodyused to say that he loved his wifevery much because he used to sitnext to her in church.His wife was president of theNational Council of African Woman.Sadly his wife died in a fire when thefamily’s home burnt down.His son was active in ANCpolitics and went into exile inSweden. His daughter studied atthe London School of Economics.Because of his goodness, BenjaminMahlasela Secondary School inExtension 6, Joza was named afterhim when it was opened in 1996.Interviews conducted by and storywritten by Benjamin MahlaselaSecondary School learners picturedbelow:Pa m e l l a Ad a m s, S i b u s i s o M b o n d e,K h a ya ka z i K a s p e r, S i n e t h e m b aMakeba, Bulelwa Mbekisa,N t o m b oxo l o M a s e l a n a ( a b s e n t )CD REVIEWJust like You by Keiysha ColeThis 16 track album is a healingalbum. If your heart has been brokenone time too many, this is definitelyfor you. When you listen to it, you’dwanna listen to it the whole day.What I love about this album is thatyou can tell Keiysha put a lot of workinto it and she is expressing her truefeelings through her music. You cantell she didn’t just go into the studioand play around and just put out thealbum just for the sake of it. It is clearshe went into the studio to do somework.Her songs, every one of them,has a message. There are some slowsongs like “I Remember” and my personalfavourite, “Heaven Sent”. Andthere are some songs that make youwanna dance all night long like “LastNight”. All in all I think that KeiyshaCole outdid herself this time. Thisalbum is just FANTABULOUS!!Zelda MatikaGrade 8Mary Waters High SchoolWhether they dumped you, you broke it off, or even if it was amutual split. It doesn’t matter – all that matters is that you getyour old self back again.Your Break-Up Tool Kit1. Friends and family2. Pen and paper3. A sense of humour4. Break-up songs: “Take a Bow” - Rihanna;“Better in Time” - Leona Lewis; Irreplacable”- Beyonce; “Tears Dry On Their Own” - AmyWinehouse; “How Can I” - DJ Sbu5. Break-up books: The Breakup Diary by LisaGoich-Andreadis; It’s Called A Breakup BecauseIt’s Broken by Greg Behrendt & Amiira Ruotola-BehrendtHow to get over it!!!Step 1: Feel itFeel your pain. There is no point in calling it a break-up if you don’t feel the pain.It’s okay to act cool around people but when you are alone or with someone youtrust, cry and let it all out. Trust me you will feel a little bit relieved after crying. Butmake sure it doesn’t become a habit. After a week the crying must stop!Step 2: Don’t take it personallyStop blaming yourself! You guys were probably not meant to be. Remember youare too young to be stuck on one person. Your teens are all about exploring differentthings so that when you are an adult you know what kind of a relationshipyou want.Step 3: Post-analysisExamine what happened in your relationship. No relationship is a waste of time.Take all the good lessons you learnt – leave all the bad times behind. Let the paststay as the past. Don’t let it get in the way of you having a great future.Step 4: Back to youLoving yourself is the best thing you could ever do – it doesn’t even take a cent.Make sure that you don’t love them more than you love yourself.Things NOT to do after the break-up!• Don’t become a party animal. Don’t think that it’s the end of the world and thatyou should end your life. They are not worth it!• Don’t block away people that care aboutyou.• Don’t avoid them. It’s Grahamstown! It’sa small place and they are going to pop outeverywhere you go.• And lastly, don’t stalk. It’s just not cool.Mabafokeng Audrey HoeaneGrade 9 Victoria Girls’ High SchoolAfter The Break-upBOOK REVIEWAnne Frank: The Diary of a Young GirlEdited by Otto H Frank and Mirjam PresslerThis is a diar y of a young girlnamed Anne Frank . She wasgiven a diar y by her parentson her bir thday. She usedthe diar y to write aboutthings that were happeningaround her and to expressher feelings.I n 1942 Germany was atwar and many Jews werek illed and some takento concentration camps.Anne was Jewish. Luck ilyher family went to live inhiding in a Secret Annex inAmsterdam. Life was hardfor them. They could not goshopping or outside and hadto be ver y quiet all the time.O ther people also lived inhiding in the Secret Annex.There was Anne’s familyand the van Pels familyand a dentist, Fritz Pfeffer.She hated M rs van Pelsthe most because she wasPic: www.annefrank.comalways fussing, doing funnythings and always shoutingat Anne. The van Pels’ son,16 year- old Peter also livedwith them and as time wentby Anne fell in love withhim.Two years later they werediscovered by the policeaf ter somebody betrayedthem. They were taken to aconcentration camp wherethey were punished andgiven no food. I t was ver ycold. I n 1945 Anne diedbecause she was too weakafter catching the flu.Young people and adultsshould read this bookbecause it interesting andsad.Babalwa NquruGrade 8Mary Waters High School

6 UPSTART 9 September 2008Photographs: CelebratingLibby Meiring, Liela vand der Vuver and Tina Meiring eat lunch at theSpur on High Street as a treat well deserved after they beat PJ Olivierin netball at the derby held at PJ Olivier School on 9 August.Rutendo Mudarikwa and Nyoradzo Chigumbura work onHigh Street on Women’ s Day.Ariaan Watkins at her father’s dairyproducts stall at the Farmers’ Market onSomerset Street on 9 August.Thuliswa Khontyo, Khayakazi Bouwer, Bongiwe Fortuin, Amanda Mfihloand Belinda Pieters from Riebeeck East visit Grahamstown to play againstthe Cameroon Netball Club on Women’ s Day at the Sports Centre in Joza.PJ Olivier play netball against Kirkwood in their derby at PJ Olivier School on9 August.PJ Olivier boys at the beginning of the second half of their game versus Kirkwood at the derbyat PJ Olivier on 9 August.

UPSTART 9 September 20087Women’s Daya research project at Nando’ s inCarleen Cloete, Mayla Peters and Mikall February watch therugby matches between Kirkwood and PJ Olivier at PJ OlivierSchool on 9 August.Paige Nosib eats lunch with her family at the Spur onHigh Street on 9 August.A Makana Pillars player defends the ball against the approaching United Fighter’splayer during a soccer match in Joza, 9 August.Siphokazi Notyawe and Wandisa Tafeni of Ntsika High Schooltook to the streets of Grahamstown on Women’s Day to findout what the local youth were up to. The photos they took arefeatured on these pages.

8 UPSTART 9 September 2008Why are schooluniformsimportant?Ntombovuyo MacetyanaNtsika High SchoolZenande JeluNtsika High SchoolIt is important to wearschool uniform becausesome students do not havemany clothes and if youkeep on wearing the sameclothes some studentswould notice and laugh atyou.School uniform keepsstudents neat and clean.Amos SetiNtsika High SchoolNgoba ndiyazingcangesikolo sam. Andiyinxibiesitratweni. Andingeningayo ethaveni.Ntomboxolo MaselanaBenjamin MahlaselaSecondary SchoolSchool uniforms areimportant because itshows people how prettyyou are as a student.Sibusiso MbondeBenjamin MahlaselaSecondary SchoolI think its important towear school uniformbecause if you don’t wearit, no one can see that youare a learner of BenjaminMahlasela or any otherschool.Njovane ZukiswaNtsika High SchoolSome people do not haveto buy clothes other thanschool uniform. Even ifyou are different fromother students, once youwear a school uniformyou are the same as otherstudents.Siyanda DyantyiNtsika High SchoolIts important to wearschool uniform so thatpeople can know whatyou represent and giveyour school dignity.Pamella AdamsBenjamin MahlaselaSecondary SchoolSchool uniforms areimportant because theyshow who we are in thetownships. Even whenyou get in an accidentthey can know whichschool you come from.

UPSTART 9 September 20089Phumeza QomfoBenjamin MahlaselaSecondary SchoolIbalulekile ngobaiyinifomu ndiyayithandaiyandifanelandiyabathandaabantwana abanxibeiyinifom yesikolo.Abantwana bababahlenemisi ziyasincoma.Khayakazi KasperBenjamin MahlaselaSecondary SchoolSchool uniform isimportant because if youare walking on the streetpeople have to know thatyou are a school child.Mbongeni KlaasNtsika High SchoolNdicinga ukuba kulungileukunxiba iuniform ukuzeabantu bakwazi ukubaungumntwana wesikolo.Xa ufumana ingoziungakwazi ukufumanauncedo.Sipokazi NotyaweNtsika High SchoolWearing your schooluniform is importantbecause people will knowwhich school you camefrom. And even when youall are wearing schooluniform you all are wearingthe same thing so no onecan gossip about what youare wearing.Bulelwa MbekisaBenjamin MahlaselaSecondary SchoolWandisa TafeniNtsika High SchoolI wear school uniform sothat people can knowthat I do go to school, andto be the same as otherstudents.Newspaper club members attendedan art workshop where theydesigned their own school tiesusing watercolours.School uniforms areimportant. When you getin an accident on yourway to school people willknow in which school youare.Advantages and Disadvantages ofWearing School UniformsDo you like wearing your schooluniform, or do you think theyare a waste of time and money?Have you ever thought why wewear uniforms? Well, to help youwith that question here are somethoughts on the subject.School uniforms help to evenevery one out so that you don’thave people wearing reallyexpensive clothes and peoplewearing fifth-hand hand-medowns.They make certain thatthere are no fashion statementsand are smart. They distinguishwhich school you go to andyou don’t have to spend a largeamount of time deciding what towear to school in the morning.However, they cause an extracost for your parents to pay inaddition to your home wear.They are often uncomfortable orunsuitable for the weather andare easily stolen or misplacedwith someone else’s uniform asthey are exactly the same! If youruniform gets dirty you have tomake sure you have a spare one,otherwise your will get in troublefor not wearing the uniform. Alsoif a badly behaved child wearingthe uniform is seen in publicthey could bring the name of theschool down and stereotype thechildren who go there.If you had a choice would youwear a uniform or not? Childrenwho are brought up withoutuniforms find the concept ofuniforms very restrictive. Childrenwho are used to them wear themwith out questioning. Is it time tostart questioning?Katherine JamesVictoria Girls’ High School

10 UPSTART 9 September 2008Po e tryUmzukulwana ka Kateimeya ngokwayo madodaaseMakanaNdalilizela imilebeNdaxakwa kukuthethaMandithi bhotani mzi ka-PhaloNdithi bhotani zizwe ngezizweAa! nkunzindini abayikhuzukuhlabaingekahlabiAa! thambo dala kadebemqongqothaDiza dala kade bemkhahlazaOwu! Owu! Owu!Ngumzukulwana wembitshitshiNkunzi emathanga mbojombojo ngenxayokubaIsidlumxhaxha nentyabontyi,ntinga ntakandiniUsodolophu omhle madodaUmhambi uvuyiswa bubunzimabendlelaKuba kaloku isabelo sakhesimlindile ngaphambiliIngathi ibonwe inconywenangabasemziniIfanelwe ngumsindlekonesithsaba…By Amos SetiGrade 9Ntsika High SchoolFriday the 13thFriday the 13th is a scarynighteverybody is scared and cryingthe demons are coming out ofthe groundit is then when all the eviltakes placethey are green, black and red,they are monsters, ugly monstersdemons looking scarygreen eyes with black facesslime running from theirmouthsteeth like a wolf that will cutyou in piecesthe people are hiding in theirhousesdoors are locked and windowsshutFriday the 13th is not a funnyor silly gamepeople are dyingwhere you see, is just bloodthe moon that makes everythingclearso many scared facesso many dead facesWhy is Friday the 13th such along night?When sun risesmonsters return to their placeYes, Friday the 13th is a scarynight.Sheree ElsHoërskool P.J. OlivierWhere have wegone wrong?Have I lost touch with reality?Children no longer respect adultsfather’s rape their owngrandmothersreally, where have we gonewrong?Have we done away with ournorms, values and beliefs?Our funerals are like fashionshowsour initiates wear shoesreally, where have we gonewrong?Have we done away with ourubuntu?In our streets one is pick pocketedwhile others just watchOne is mugged and killedwhile other sing songs joyouslyreally, where have we gonewrong?Anele Matthews TyiniTEM Mrwetyana High SchoolWhy not?Give me a reason not to hate youGive me a reason to let you walkfreeAs I am trapped in your mindTrapped in your bodyYou took everything I believe inYou took my dreams away frommeAnd I can still feel your hand asyou touch me,Your breath as you breatheagainst my faceAnd also your voice as as yousay, “shh… it will be over soon.”How can it be over?!As you made me prisoner in myown bodyGive it back – maybe I’ll stophating you,Give it back – maybe I’ll let youwalk freeGive it back – my childhood, myvirginityMaybe I’ll be free from youreyes, even your bodyThembakazi DamaneGrade 9Ntsika High SchoolWhat happened to me?My body is changing and I donot know who I am anymoreIt is no longer a child’s bodyThis time of change is calledpubertySome of us may have begunto change and some of ushave not noticed the changesThat is ok, people grow atdifferent timesYou grow tallerYour skin produces more oilYou get pimples –ahh!For a while your voice maybe squeaky and then it getsdeeper..Your shoulders and chest getsbroader and hair begins togrow in your armpitsThen you are no longer achild.Amos SetiGrade 9Ntsika High SchoolWhen IWhen I’m happy, I smile all thetimeI feel like the whole world’sminewhen I’m sad I feel bad andbleakand sometimes I just wannafreakwhen I’m excited, I wannamultiply then divide myexcitementso everyone can have the samefeeling of joy in their heartsWhen I grow up, I wanna staythe same person I am insidebut just a bit more wiser andmore matureI wanna travel the world anddiscover what’s on the outsideand make every experienceeducational and better than thelastI wanna learn more about mypastso I can make the right decisionfor my tomorrowWhen I dream, I dream bigand when I reach my goals, Idream even biggeras I grow, I wanna be able tospeak my mind anytime,wanna help stop crime and notjust turn a blind eyeI wanna stay this beautiful anddivineI wanna shine like the star I amand blossom like the flower Iam.Gcobisa MjeleGrade 8Mary Waters High SchoolThere AlwaysI wish I could fly ... but not today.I wish I could cry ... but to whom?I wish I could run away ... but towhere?I wish I could disappear from theface of the planet EarthBut which planet would I go to?I wish I could start a new life ...but where?I wish I could be perfect and totallyloved ... but by whom?I have learnt to be toughI have faced disaster in my life ...butI am still prepared for someoneI live in a lovely country that Ionly must reachMy country becomes so dark attimesSometimes I can see the beauty ofstars and the moonIt’s a country of thoughts, dreamsand fantasySometimes things don’t go the wayI want them toI hope peace will come my wayAnd I can walk tall and sayMe, myself and I have conqueredall oddsThulile BakiGrade 8Mary Waters High SchoolWhere have wegone wrong?Have I lost touch with reality?Children no longer respect adultsfather’s rape their owngrandmothersreally, where have we gone wrong?Have we done away with ournorms, values and beliefs?Our funerals are like fashion showsour initiates wear shoesreally, where have we gone wrong?Have we done away with ourubuntu?In our streets one is pick pocketedwhile others just watchOne is mugged and killedwhile other sing songs joyouslyreally, where have we gone wrong?Anele Matthews TyiniTEM Mrwetyana High SchoolUglyPeople are all the same and we’reonly judged by what we do,personality reflects name –so if I am ugly,then so are you.Who came up with the conceptugly?Who came up with the conceptpretty?Who are you to judge?Who are you to tell me that I amugly?Why go through life judging otherpeople?Finding insignificant faultsin ever y single soul that happens topass your way?What’s the point in findingimperfections in otherswhilst you are the one who coulddo with a bit of correction?Don’t judge, don’t mess with me,because I will forever be the oneand only Zahra Daffala.Zahra DaffalaGrade 9Victoria Girls’ High School

UPSTART 9 September 200811ArtLearners from Nathaniel Nyaluza, Khutliso Daniels, Ntsika, TEM Mrwetyana and MaryWaters high schools attended an art workshop where they were introduced to working inwatercolours, mono prints and were encouraged to design their own bank notes and clothingrange. Some of their work are featured on this page.Thambakazi DamaniNtsika High SchoolLwando ManyontaNathaniel Nyaluza High SchoolGcobisa MjeleMary Waters High SchoolThembakazi DamaniNtsika High SchoolZukiswa MjovaneNtsika High SchoolWandisa TafeniNtsika High SchoolMalibongwe BooiTEM Mrwetyana High SchoolBabalwa NquruMary Waters High SchoolZelda MatikaMary Waters High SchoolNomnikelo MelaniKutliso Daniels High SchoolXolela FatyiNathaniel Nyaluza High School

12 UPSTART 9 September 2008SPORT feastOn 2 and 3 August, the Cacadu Municipality held a sport festival in Miki Yili Stadium in Joza, Extension 5. Thespor ts that were played were rugby, netball, volleyball and indigenous games. All municipalities had bothmale and female teams except for netball. The main aim of the festival was to encourage youth to play sport.Amos Seti and Siphokazi Notyawe of Ntsika High School were there to take photos.Coega and Humansdorp’s netball match. Coega won 10-6.Pam Martins after scoring the first try forSunday’s River Girls rugby team.Coega Municipality netball team.Ndlambe Municipality’s girls volleyball team after winning.Ndlambe Municipality and Sunday’s River volleyball match.Sunday’s River Girls rugby team with their coach.Makana Municipality vs Somerset East. Makana won 5-0.This edition has been made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Makana MunicipalityMAKANA MUNICIPALITY