Ngxokolo's MaXhosa Range Impresses Joburg Fashion Week

By Tshepo Tshabalala

@TshepoToTheT

Heavy knitted, patterned, warm, pure mohair and Merino rich, wooly garments from skirts, cardigans and dresses in traditional Xhosa designs and colours defined what could be the most outstanding collection at this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre.

South Africa is a country with 11 official languages and a few more others. It's cultures differ from region to region and city to city. That's probably why it is often difficult to really describe what is truly an authentically South African design or collection. Maybe it's also as equally difficult to say what is authentically African. Many are likely to say it is something they can relate to, garments which perhaps remind them of their childhood, or what their elders wore in the 1970s, 80s and maybe the 90s. Another group of South Africans would take some of their styles from Europeans.

Joburg Doesn't Accomodate Pedestrians as it Should

Siphumelele Zondi
@SZondi

I never thought I worried about livable spaces until I returned to Johannesburg from my studies in the United Kingdom. On return to Johannesburg, I decided to leave my car at home on several occasions, I would walk in the suburbs to catch minibus taxis and from time to time walk around the city centre as well.

I realised that in 2013, Johannesburg still doesn’t have pavements in many areas. This is clear mostly when I jog as I would have to figure out how to avoid cars in certain places in the suburbs. What I am happy about is that there are more and more people who decide to leave their homes and walk around the burbs. I hadn’t quite realised this about this city as I, like many Joburgers, would hop into my car to drive to malls and friends’ houses.

Hillbrow, My New Home: Drugs, Prostitutes & Excitement

Kgothatso Madisa
@kgmadisa

Hillbrow is a notorious Johannesburg suburb that many in South Africa have heard about. Sometimes we dismiss the stories we hear as untrue because people tend to exaggerate the smallest happenings. Some would say Hillbrow is not different from any other place as crime is found on every corner of South Africa. I have been living in Hillbrow for a few months now and have definitely seen things, things that are shocking for my young, innocent Mpumalanga eyes.

On arrival in this part of Johannesburg a cousin took me on a tour of the once plush suburb. It was still day time and the place was packed with hawkers, beggars and joy seekers. It looked as a thriving part of Johannesburg where Africa meets as there were immigrants from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa – I just couldn’t tell where the rest were from. They all contribute a segment of their part of the continent to Hillbrow. The many accents one hears here are also an exciting part of this cosmopolitan society.

Pics: COSATU Disrupts DA March in Johannesburg

A Bit of Celebration in South Africa's Gay & Lesbian Community

Sibusiso Banda

@sbudalicious

Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe but Taurai Zhanje takes part in Mr Gay World.

The gay and lesbian community in South Africa has gone through a lot lately, but they can finally take a breather and celebrate a bit despite the many challenges facing the community in the country. Mr Gay World is coming to Johannesburg in April and there are four African countries participating, the largest number from the continent in the competition’s history. This is despite homosexuality being illegal in over 30 African countries. Another reason for celebration, although bitter-sweet, would be the recent sentencing of the murderers of Cape Town lesbian, Zoliswa Nkonyane.

Mr Gay Ethiopia, Robel Gizaw Hailu.

In the Mr Gay World competition, organisers say there will be participants from Ethiopia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Homosexuality is illegal in all those African countries even though the law is hardly enforced. Zimbabwean contestant, Taurai Zhanje, will struggle to convince authorities to accept his decision back home as the country is going through constitutional reforms with gay rights left out. The newzimbabwe.com quotes President Robert Mugabe saying about gay people: “All of us at some point in our lives have raised dogs, and we know that in raising them you need a female and male to mate in order to have puppies. Now, if even dogs know that to procreate you need a male and a female, what of us humans? They want men to wed men! That’s what we reject.”