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.”

TUT Journalism Cape Town Trip

Cape Town Has A Long Night Life

Long Street
Photo: http://www.capetown-interestsandactivities.blogspot.com/

Tshepo Tshabalala

Cape Town is a city often promoted for its natural beauty and history. We have seen pictures of Robben Island, Table Mountain and the beautiful beaches on postcards, films and magazines but the nightlife here is just as fantastic as those images.

There is a long, ordinary looking and dirty street that everyone talks about in Cape Town. During the day it looks like every other part of the city centre, but owls would tell a different story. This is a story of happiness, excitement and the formation of new friendships with memories that last forever. Long Street has bars, clubs and pubs to suit everybody.

Not expected in the city centre is a bar with a Tswana name, Lapeng, where one would find cheap alcohol and dance tunes from Johannesburg and Durban townships like DJ Cleo, Tira and Big Nuz. Maybe just like the name of the place which means ‘home’, it’s purpose is to make people from those parts of the country feel at home as it is different from the upmarket feel the rest of the clubs in the areas adopt at night. There aren’t even enough seats in this place but one can bargain and get sloshed at a really low price if that is their idea of fun.

Also meant to make Joburgers feel at home is club Joburg and Pretorians are not left out either with club Pretoria just next door to that. The two places are very similar inside with the music they play being the most defining factor. Pretorians love their House music and it is not surprising to hear a lot of that and Kwaito inside Cape Town’s version of the capital city. When a lot of people think of Johannesburg they would often visualise hip hop heads and it is not surprising that the club named after Africa’s richest city plays this type of music as well.


 A cross between a bar and a club is Stone’s. This place is for pool players and people who want to dance alike.



Chrome
Photo: http://www.southafrica.net/



One of the trendiest places is Chrome, just off Long Street, and the entrance fee is a bit higher than in other places, but still at a reasonable R60 with Wednesday nights offering R1 shots until midnight. It’s best to get here early though as this midweek special attracts a lot of people and as the night progresses dancing with strangers becomes an intimate affair. The DJ plays popular old and current music from pop, house, RnB to hip hop.



Those who don’t want to party in the city centre and are perhaps looking for a more authentic experience in this city then Mzoli’s in Gugulethu is the best place to go.

Cape Town might be slow during the day but offers a great party experience at night.