Upstart Tuesday 12 October.pdf - Grocott's Mail

The paper for youth by youth Tuesday 12 October 2010 Vol. 3 No.6
Upstart members pose for a picture in front of Grocott’s Mail before walking to the Roxbury Cinema for a special movie screening.
Read their reviews on page 9… picture by Thembeni Plaatjie.
Inside this edition:
World Focus: The Netherlands
African Cup of Nations
Qualifiers
10 & 11
18
8
China Week at
Rhodes
King Lobengula
4 & 5
1

2
upstart@grocotts.co.za
P.O. Box 103
Grahamstown
6140
Vol. 3 No. 6
Published by the David Rabkin
Project for Experienti al Journalism
Training (Pty) Ltd, 40 High Street,
Grahamstown, 6139.
Printed by Paarlcoldset
Telephone: 046 6227222
Fax: 046 6227282
Upstart cell no: 073 040 7802
Facebook page: Upstart the paper for
youth by youth
Email: upstart@grocott s.co.za
Website: www.grocott s.co.za
Project Manager: Shireen Badat
Project Co-ordinator:
Nompumezo Makinana
Intern: Glenda Hetula
Design: Shalen Gajadhar
Layout: Ronél Bowles
Upstarters made the most of the recent
teacher’s strike. They worked on
their stories for the paper, caught up
on their reading and honed their computer
skills at our offi ces, att ended
lectures at Rhodes University and the
cherry on top – went to the cinema for
the very fi rst ti me. So a big thank you
to Johnny Kluivers at Roxbury Cinema
for the free screening of the movie
Themba, a boy called hope.
The Nathaniel Nyaluza Upstart club
spent the last six weeks playing detecti
ve and tried to fi nd out the story
behind the Lobengula graves in
Fingo Village. Thank you to all who
helped them including, Louise Vale,
Nomalanga Mhkize, Xolile Madinda
and Dr. Msindo. The results of their
My name is Phumeza Ndwalaza, I am in Grade 9 at
Benjamin Mahlasela High School and I live in extension
6. This year was my fi rst year as a member of Upstart.
It was indeed an eye-opener and a thrilling experience.
We were taught how to write stories and poems, conducti
ng interviews and working on computers amongst
other things. We also att ended various art and drama
shows over the year. The best part of my experience as
an Upstart member was to meet and engage with people
from diff erent school that are part of Upstart.
NEWS
WELCOME
investi gati on appear on pages 4 and
5. As we were going to print we made
contact with one of the Lobengula family
members. We will conti nue working
on this story and hope to have answers
to some of our remaining questi ons in
the November editi on of Upstart.
When we told our members that the
Solar Car Challenge was having a pitstop
in Grahamstown they did not
know what to expect. What they saw
did not look like a car and found it diffi
cult to understand that the solar panelled
object they saw could actually
travel at high speeds across the country.
Prof. Kimura of Tokai University
in Japan carefully explained and answered
numerous questi ons. For
Upstarters a new world opened.
We focus on the qualifying games
for the next Africa Cup of Nati ons on
pages 17 and 18 conti nuing to build
on the momentum started during the
World Cup. Our members did research
on the parti cipati ng countries and became
aware of the diff erent countries,
cultures and histories of our conti nent.
A tour of the new library at Rhodes
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
University was an eye-opener for
Upstarters. They could not believe
that students had access to so many
books and once again they realised
that in order to fulfi l their aspirati ons
of reaching terti ary educati on they
needed to become readers. They were
also amazed that so many students
were working so quietly in such a huge
building!
Being part of the celebrati ons of China
Week at Rhodes University was one of
the highlights of this year. Having had
some exposure to the country and culture
earlier this year, Upstarters were
overwhelmed at meeti ng dancers and
marti al arts experts from China in their
hometown. A mutual admirati on club
was formed as the Chinese students
and Upstarters celebrated each other’s
hair, skin, eyes and sounds.
Please send us your comments at upstart@grocott
s.co.za
Happy reading
Shireen Badat
Upstart Project Manager
visit upstart the paper for the youth by the youth on facebook
JUMBLE SALE
Benjamin
Mahlasela
High School
WERK WEEK BY UPSTART
Elke jaar kry die leerders by Hoërskool
P.J.Olivier die geleentheid om op ‘n werkweek
te gaan om ervaring op te doen in hul
verskeie beroepe. Ek het vir die week by
Grocott s gewerk as n joernalis vir n moontlike
beroepskeuse.
Vroeg oggend het ek die dag begin met
vlinders in my maag. Ek was beide senuweeagti g en ook baie opgewonde
om in die “grootmens” wêreld te werk. Ek was aan my
mede kollegas voorgestel en het het by tuis gevoel. Almal was baie
vriendelik en helpvol. My eerste taak was om inligti ng in te win oor
die geskiedenis van China en ek het dit verskriklik geniet. Na die tyd
het ek saam met Shireen Badat (my werkgewer) en Nompumezo
Makinana na die skool Archie Mbolekwa gegaan om foto’s te neem
vir die Upstart koerant. Ons het ook na Rhodes Universiteit gegaan
om n praatjie oor Steven Biko by te woon. Ek het die praatjie baie
geniet al was dit in isiXhosa voorgelees. Die dag het baie vinnig verby
gegaan en ek kon toe weer huiswaarts keer.
Elke dag was n plesier. Niks was te moeilik nie en ek het gehelp net
waar ek kon. Ek, Nompumezo en Glenda Hetula het ook na ander
skole wat deel maak van Upstart gegaan om stories vir die leerders
te gaan lees.
Ek sal die week vir niks veruil nie. Dit was ‘n eer en ‘n voorreg om
met sulke goeie mense te kon werk en sal baie graag in die toekoms
meer gebruik maak van al Groccots se koerante en dit wat hulle het
om te bied.
Ek wil baie dankie se vir die my skool en die Groccots span wat die
werkweek vir my moontlik gemaak het.
Deur Inge Heunis • Graad 11, Hoërskool PJ Olivier
Upstart held a successful jumble sale to raise funds for the end of year Upstart camp. A big thank you to
the Grahamstown community for their kind donati ons.
We will be having another sale at the end of October and all donati ons of surplus clothing and household
goods can be dropped off at the Upstart offi ces.

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010 LETTERS
Dear Upstart
I would like to remind the youth how
life is. I know that each and every
youngster sees life diff erently so how
about you listen to my point of view.
We all know that there are dangerous
things out there so that is why
we have to be careful all the ti me.
In life there are good ti mes, at ti mes
you fail and at ti mes you succeed,
that is how life is. In order to live a
happy life, I would like to advise you
guys to stay or be at school and go
to varsity aft er fi nishing Grade 12. I
am telling you that aft er school you
will live a wonderful life. There are
so many opportuniti es for us as the
youth out there so go out there and
grab an opportunity for yourself. Life
can be diffi cult, especially when you
are uneducated. I know school can
also be hard at ti mes but do your
best and show the world who you
are. Always have faith, believe in
yourself and have positi ve thoughts
about yourself. No one is a failure
or was meant to fail in life. If you do
fail, stand up and rise again. I believe
in you.
From Asive Mdingi • Grade 10,
Nombulelo High School
upstart@grocotts.co.za
P.O. Box 103
Grahamstown
6140
SHOUT OUTS
My shout out goes to my peeps, family,
my school and to my very loving teachers,
Miss Frans, Mr Planga and my principal.
You guys rock my world!
From Siphosihle Mnyamana • Grade 9, CM
Vellem Primary School
I just want to say hi to Andiswa,
Nombuso, Sibahle, Buhle and
Ntombozuko Bikitsha as well as Anathi
Jama, Nangamso Gobile, Aviwe Diko,
and everybody who knows me.
From Neliswa Mjeje • Grade 8, Nathaniel
Nyaluza High School
I would like to send my love to Yanga,
Bafana, Luvuyo, Anele, my teachers and
my parents.
From Khanyisa Nombombo • Grade 9,
Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
Hey hey guyz I want to send my shoutout
to friends Themba, Thobani, Bongani,
Luvuyo, Masixole and also my family.
From Simphiwe Mbonda • Grade 9, Archie
W2 word worth knowing
K
Dear Upstart
My name is Athenkosi Offi ce from
Nombulelo High School. I’m writi ng
this lett er to tell you how much the
teachers strike aff ected me. It was
bad because we didn’t go to school,
we spent our days not doing anything
and we wandered around. Some
learners spent ti me educati ng themselves
and reading their text books. I
was amongst those learners and I can
tell you it was not easy at all. I really
struggled and I am sure there are
other learners who struggled as well
because learners learn from teachers.
That is why it is important for teachers
to stay at school.
I understand that teachers are fi ghti ng
for their rights, but it should not be
forgott en that they have the responsibility
to provide the learners with their
right to educati on. Or doesn’t that
right matt er to the teachers?
We are running out of ti me as we
are close to the end of year exams.
If there should be another strike, we
will be in deep trouble when having to
write our fi nal exams at the end of the
year. I wish that the teachers can have
the same spirit when they are back
at work because we are so behind in
our school work. Teachers have their
degrees already, how are we going to
get where they are if there is no one to
point us in the right directi on?
From Athenkosi Offi ce • Grade 11,
Nombulelo High School
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
I wanna say halla to ma family, friends
and everyone who knows me.
From Ntombomzi Makubalo • Grade 9,
Mary Waters High School
Hey, I wanna hala at my friends Ntosh,
Khanyo, Iyaz, Noyz and ma mom, not
forgeti ng Udz.
From Iviwe Kila • Grade 9, Mary Waters
High School
Halla people, just wanna say hi to all
my friends Amanda, Asemahle, Chuma,
Linda, and Zikhona, I miss you guys hope
you guys are doing great at school love
you all chau!
From Nomaphelo Mapapu • Grade 9,
Mary Waters High School
To all the people I left behind in the
greatest land of all lands Gauteng
Province. I miss you guys to Valencia,
Tikina, Precious and Maria, not forgetti
ng Amanda and Palesa I love and miss
heritage
type of word: noun
Dear youth of Grahamstown
Hope you all enjoying the cool breeze
of Grahamstown. All I want is to pass
this message and hope that all of you
will hear it and hopefully do something
about it. Guys please stop littering,
that is disposing of unwanted
materials on the streets, unwanted
materials such as plasti cs, containers
and papers because litt er can
be a breeding ground for disease
- causing insects and rats. Further,
open containers such as paper cups
or beverage cans can hold rainwater,
providing breeding locati ons for mosquitoes
which have been known to
spread diseases such as Malaria and
West Nile River. In additi on, about
18% of litt er, usually travels through
storm water systems, ends up in local
streams, rivers, and waterways,
so cigarett e fi lters are a threat to and
have been found in the stomachs of
fi shes, birds and whales who have
mistaken them for food. So, I urge all
of you to act responsibly and put all
your litt er especially cigarett e fi lters
in the bin because everywhere you
go there is a bin that one can use.
People of Mzantsi if we can all work
together on this one, our country will
be nice and clean. Our water will not
be contaminated and we will never
hear stories of people who are sick
from drinking contaminated water.
We will also not hear of stories of animals
(especially dogs and donkeys )
poisoned from eati ng poisoned food
in their habitats. Lastly, working together
on this cause can enable the
government to save a lot of money.
because cleaning up litt er costs money.
So if we can all work hand in hand
and not throw unwanted materials
on the street, the cause will be a successful
one.
By Xolelwa Donyeli • Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
you so much mwah…. Till we met again.
From Phitlhello Sedibe, Mary Waters High
School
Hey, I’d like to send my shout out to
Sader, Wonke, Nti yaya, Kamva, and De
Klerk, my lovely teachers Mrs Toyisi and
Mrs Adesina and not forgetti ng my parents
of course!
From Milani Ngeju • Grade 8, Mary Waters
High School
Hey peeps I would like to say hala to
Vuvu Kiti , Nomaphelo, Linda, Phozi,
Pamella and Lwando Manyonta and to
all my fans and class mates 10D love you
all.
From Asemahle Kepe • Grade 10, Mary
Waters High School
I want to say hey to my mother
Nomathamsanqa Sapete and I want to
say hey to my girlfriend Nosipho, my
friend Zolani Fatyi, Xolela Fatyi and my
brother Yedwa.
3
SHOUT OUTS
Hi guys I would like to send a shout
out to: Sipho, Anez, Noluz, Onie,
Nonie, Kazi, Yanie, Linda and Abie,
my family, and everybody who knows
me. I love you all Upstart members.
From Thembani Buka • Grade 8, CM
Vellem Primary School
I’d like to say hala to my peeps:
Asanele, Sethu, Abongile, Nosbabalo,
Wandisa , Tee, Ntokozo, SJ, Jay,
Ayanda, Mexico and everybody who
knows me.
From Ntombizandile
Mkhaliphi • Grade 9, CM Vellem
Primary School
I would like to shout out to the following
peeps: my classmates Thera,
Babsie, Khanyi, and my friends:
Sisanda, Aphiwe, Amanda, Zanele,
Nopinkie and evrybody who knows
me. U rock guys.
From Onela Mqakamba • Grade 8, CM
Vellem Primary School
I would like to send my shout
out to my dad, my mom, my sister,
Thembisa, Oyintando, Liyema,
Someleze, my brothers and everyone
who knows me. You guys rock my
world.
From Sinazo Mbebetho • Grade 8, CM
Vellem Primary School
I’d like to say Ayoba to the following
people: Sima, Okuhle, Liyema, Anda,
Amangile, Vovi, Ta Simba, Sibusiso
and not forgetti ng my sister Xoliswa.
Love you all mncwaah.
From Zintle Nxakala • Grade 10,
Nombulelo High School
From Phumlani Fatyi • Grade 9, Mary
Waters High School
Halla, we’d like to send this shout out
to: Magic Man, Mr Sly, Lil’ Mshodwana,
Mvumi, Zanamhla and everybody who
know us.
From Mziyanda Yawa and Dumisani July •
Grade 11, Nathaniel Nyaluza High School
Hey, I’d like to say hi to my friends:
Siviwe, Sipho, Anelisa, my mother,
brother and all those who know me.
From Ntsikelelo Dlephu • Grade 8, Ntsika
High School
I just wana say hala to my family, mum,
dad, sisters, bhegas, my ayobalicious
friends, Chuma B, Sbudacious,Yonelisa,
Sima, Batha, and Khwalo. Not to forget
my teachers, my mentor and role models,
Mrs Simango and Kuhlane.
From Aviwe Diko • Grade 8 Ntaba Maria,
Primary School
practi ces that are handed down from the past by traditi on; “a heritage
of freedom”

4
KwaNdancama Hall is around the corner from
our school in Fingo Village. Whenever we
walked past it, we wondered why there were
tombstones there and who the people were who are
King Lobengula Khumalo was born in 1845 in Matabeleland and was related to
the Zulu clan. He was the son of Mzilikazi Khumalo who was the first king of the
Ndebele people. He then became the second and the last king of the Ndebele people
after Mzilikazi died in September 1868. His mother was a princess of the Swazi
House of Sobhuza I.
Lobengula was uneducated so he became a king because of his father. It is said that
after the death of Mzilikazi the chiefs offered the crown to Lobengula. A section
of the Ndebele nation, did not want Lobengula to be the next king. They wanted
Nkulumane to be the next king. They said that Lobengula was born of a Swazi woman,
and therefore could not ascend to the throne. The only way to come to a decision
was for the two opposing parties to fight and for the winner to take the throne.
Lobengula and his warriors won the battle. The rebels were crushed, so much
so, that they consented to Lobengula a becoming king without further protests.
According to Ndebele custom, a new king had to create his own royal palace and
town. As a result, Lobengula left King Mzilikazi’s last capital of Mhlahlandlela to
establish his own, which eventually became known as Bulawayo.
He used to come to South Africa particularly Grahamstown and Gosforth. He went
to Kimberley to dig for gold and there he met Cecil John Rhodes. At the time he was
sick, and he was transferred to Cape Town to see a special doctor. He then became
too sick and died in 1893. Cecil John Rhodes took Lobengulas’ sons Njube, Mpenzeni
FEATURE
e
buried there.
When Nomalanga Mkhize, a historian, took us to
the graves we discovered that the tombstones
were the descendants of three members of the
great Lobengula family. We were amazed that such
important people had lived right here in the same
township that we have lived in all our lives and
started doing research on the lives and times of the
Lobengula family.
Although we found out a lot of information, we are
still not exactly sure how and why the Lobengula’s
came to be in Grahamstown. We will continue our
investigations, and would like anyone with further
information on the Lobengula’s to please send it to
us.
By the Nathaniel Nyaluza Upstart Club
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
Nathaniel Nyaluza Upstarters at the
Logengula graves
and Nguboyenja into his care. When asked
why he took them he said that he wanted
to educate them. However, his true intention
was to prevent any of them from becoming
a king and possibly claiming the
rich diamond and goldfields as theirs.
Lobengula had over 20 wives, while his
father Mzilikazi had around 200 wives.
He weighed about 205kg. His diet of traditional
millet beer and beef had been accused
of making him obese according to
the European visitors.
He was less strict than it had been under
Mzilikazi and he was very much aware of
the greater fire power of the European
guns so he mistrusted visitors and discourage
them to a point where he maintained
border patrols to monitor all travellers movements South of Matabeleland.
By Mincili Persent, Vuyiseka Kahla, Xolela Makhasi • Grade 10 Nathaniel Nyaluza High
School
1800-1820’s 1836 1845 5 July 1853 C1868 1870’s 1870 1870 1873 1876 1881 1885 1888 1888 12 March 1888 1889
King Mzilikazi
(Logengula’s
father) rebels
against Shaka
and leaves
Kwazulu Natal
King Mzilikazi
settles in
atabeleland
King Lobengula
is born
Cecil John
Rhodes is
born, in Bishop
Stortford,
Hertfordshire
King
Mzilikazi
dies
Gold and
diamonds are
discovered in
South Africa
KiNg LoBeNgULa aNd tHe
The life and times of King Lobengula
We were surprised to learn that Rhodes University was
named after Cecil John Rhodes. When we were doing our
research about the life and times of King Lobengula we also
started learning about Cecil John Rhodes. We found out that
he was not a very nice man and he pretended to care about
the Lobengula children, but all he really wanted was that their
father would obey him and give him the land and the gold
which belonged to Lobengula’s people. So we asked Lebogang
Hashatse the Director of Marketing and Communications at
Rhodes University these questions.
Q: Why was Rhodes University named after Cecil John Rhodes?
A: Because the initial grant of money which made the founding of the university possible
came from the Rhodes trust.
Q: Who decided on the name?
A: It must have been the first council of the university.
Cecil John
Rhodes first
visit to South
Africa. He goes
to Matabeleland
to make a
treaty with King
Lobengula
King
Lobengula
becomes
king of the
Ndebele
Cecil John Rhodes leaves
his businesses in the care
of his business partner,
Rudd, and sails for
England to complete his
studies. He is admitted
to Oriel College at Oxford
University but stays for
only one term and returns
to South Africa
Q: Why was it felt that he was so important that the university should be named after him?
A: The name was related to the grant from the trust, not after the man himself. Rhodes
had died before the university was founded.
Q: When was the University started?
A: It began as the Rhodes University College on 21 July 1904 and became Rhodes University
in 1951.
Q: Who built the University?
A: Lot of people over the years but the main building was designed by Sir Herbert Baker,
the same person who designed the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Q: Where did the money come from?
A: The initial grant was from the Rhodes Trustees.
Q: Who was the first vice chancellor of Rhodes University?
A: Thomas Alty was the first Vice-Chancellor (1951) but before that there were Masters of
the College, the first being Sir John Adamson.
Sisipho Pongolo and Sindi Dingana • Grade 8, Nathaniel Nyaluza High School
Cecil John
Rhodes
returns for his
second term
at Oxford
Cecil John
Rhodes
becomes a
member of the
Cape House of
Assembly, also
known as the
Cape Colony
Parliament
The diamond
fields are in the
grip of depression,
but Cecil
John Rhodes
and Rudd, his
business partner
prosper
Cecil John
Rhodes form
De Beers
Consolidated
Mines
Rudd helped by John
Moffat ( the son the
missionary Robert
Moffat) deceives King
Lobengula and signs
a mining concession
called the Rudd
Concession, which
grants Cecil John
Rhodes all the mining
rights
King Lobengula
signs the Rudd
Concession,
Rhodes jointly
with Rudd
take over
all diamond
production in
Kimberley
Armed with the Rudd
Concession, Rhodes
obtains a charter
from the British
government to rule,
police and make
new treaties and
concessions from all
mineral-rich indigenous
countries

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010 FEATURES
Grahamstown ConneCtion
njube Khumalo
Njube was the son of King Lobengula. He was the first-born and Ngubenja,
Mpezeni and Sidojiwe were his brothers. He was born in Zimbabwe and grew up
in South Africa. Njube was supposed to take over from his father but that did not
happen because Cecil John Rhodes Rhodes (who was his father’s friend) made an
agreement with King Lobengula and cheated him of his land.
In 1900, Njube returned to Matabeleland (Western Zimbabwe) but was chased
away from his own country and sent to Gosforth in South Africa. Njube was married
to a Xhosa woman, Nombini, and they gave birth to Albert and Rhodes.
In 1908- 1909, Mjube was sick and the people of Matabeleland were not allowed
to see him. In 1910 Mjube died and was buried here in Grahamstown in Fingo
Location, next to his father Lobengula, his wife, Nombini and his son Rhodes.
In 1920, Albert and Rhodes decided
to go to Matabeleland where
they started talking and making
complications. Firstly, they took
people’s cattle and women claiming
that it all belonged to their father.
Secondly, they helped to start
a trade union called the Union
Industrial Commercial Union (ICU)
They also created the football team,
the Highlanders which still exists in
Zimbabwe.
King Lobengula’s sons
In 1930-32 they were tried in court
for cattle snatching and were found guilty. Although they were found guilty it was
hard for the judge to punish them as he knew that the people of Matabeleland
would become angry and it could result in a war. So, Rhodes was sent back to
Grahamstown where he eventually died and he was buried here in Grahamstown
next to his parents.
By Vuyiseka Kahla • Grade 10, Nathaniel Nyaluza Senior School
Difficulty of research
During this process of doing research on the Lobengula family, we found that it was
not easy to do research.
We met Xolile Madinda of the Fingo Revolutionary Movement who went with us to
the house that the Lobengulas used to live in, in “B” Street. In that yard now there
are three flats and you can see that there was a main house before. There, we met a
woman who is renting out one of the flats but she told us she didn’t know anything
about the people who lived there before.
We were sent to another old woman who said that she used to rent out the Lobengula
house but she burnt all the papers that had information on the Lobengulas. She then
sent us to someone else who had the Lobengula grandson’s numbers. That woman
told us she couldn’t give us the numbers because of family problems. She then told
us that at Shamwari Game Reserve there is all the information that we need on the
Lobengula family.
We enjoyed being detectives and going
around trying to find the information. But
it is sad that we didn’t find the grandson
and the information we wanted on the
Lobengulas. We hope we can continue doing
stories such as this one.
interviewing enocent msindo
Dr enocent msindo, lecturer of Zimbabwean history at rhodes University was
one of the sources for our story. he ran a workshop with Upstart members on
the timeline of the Lobengulas and Cecil John Rhodes. We interviewed him to
get some background on him:
5
When did you start working here at Rhodes
University?
i came here in 2005, and i’ve been working
here ever since.
Where are you from?
i come from Zimbabwe
Why are you here?
i am here to work for the University in the
history Department.
Do you like working here?
Yes, because it is a good department.
Are you married?
Yes, for quite sometime and it seems like my ring is getting older now as I’ve been married
for many years.
How many children do you have?
i’ve got two children a boy and a girl, balanced.
Do you like your family?
i like my family very much, i don’t understand a man who doesn’t care about his wife and
children. Unity, understanding of each other and being a Christian family is what keeps
my family together.
What do you like about your family?
the love, respect and understanding which is always there.
Who is your role model?
I have three role models, one is Jesus because he taught me how to love people. My second
role model is my mother because she taught me how to work in life. my third role
model is myself because i taught my inner self.
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
i wanted to be so many things, i wanted to be a successful person, i wanted to achieve
something and make a difference.
Why did you study history?
Because history matters, the past informs who we are and being ignorant of history is
actually being ignorant of yourself.
Please tell us about your parents
My parents are gone and it is politically incorrect to speak about the dead.
What were your subjects at school?
at a secondary level i did agriculture, history, Geography, science, shona, maths, and
Religious Education. at an advanced level i did history, Geography, and Divinity.
What is your favourite sport?
I have three favourite sports. The one which I’ve practised is soccer,the second one cricket
and the other one that I practised is athletics - I was quite good at it.
Thank you so much Dr Msindo for your time, hope you will do the same with everyone
else.
By Sisipho Phongolo • Grade 8, Sindi Dingana • Grade 9, Nathaniel Nyaluza High School
1890 1890 1893 1893-94 1895 1896 1896 1896 1896-97 1899 1900 26 March
1902
Cecil John
Rhodes uses
Pioneer Column
(force) to annex
the territory of
Mashonaland,later
part of Southern
Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe).l
Cecil John Rhodes
becomes popular in
politics and is nominated
as the Prime
Minister of the Cape
Colony and a managing
director of the
British South African
Company
King Lobengula
dies. Cecil John
Rhodes takes all
King Lobengula’
sons (Njube,
Ngubenja,
Mpezeni and
Sidojiwa) under
his care to
“educate them
By Xolela Makhasi • Grade 10 and Sisipho
Phongolo • Grade 8, Nathaniel Nyaluza High
school
Anglo –
Ndebele
wars
• Cecil John
Rhodes hatches
a plot to overthrow
the South
African Republic
• Cecil John
Rhodes’ plot fails
and he is forced
to resign as Prime
Minister
• Cecil John
Rhodes begins
to pay more
attention to fruit
farming and buys
farms in Groot
Drakenstein,
Wellington and
Stellenbosch
Cecil John
Rhodes
takes King
Ndebele and
Shona fight
the British
South African
Company.
Ndebele and
Shona defeated
Mpezeni Njube
(Lobengula’son)
asks to return to
Matabeleland.
He returns for a
few months and
is driven out of
Zimbabwe
Just before
going to
print we met
Sizwe Mda
(above) who
is the son of
Gladys Zila
“Lobengula”
mda. we
will be continuing
our investigation of the
Lobengula’s and plan to have a
complete family tree in the next
edition of Upstart.
Cecil John
Rhodes dies
1902 1908-09 1910
Njube
(Lobengula’son)
gets a diploma in
law and becomes
a lawyer
Njube is sick
and people of
Matabeleland
are not allowed
to see
him
Njube dies

6
culminate
Type of word: verb
FEATURE
TEACHERS’ STRIKE
Inteviewing Mrs Gxabe
Tteachers have recently gone back to
work after spending weeks striking for
a wage increase. Upstart club members
interviewed Mrs Gxabe one of the teachers
who were on strike.
Mrs Gxabe how do you feel about the strike?
I feel bad because I am far behind with my school
work
What problems have you encountered during the
strike?
Some teachers got victimized because of not
striking while other teachers were on strike
We heard that some schools are going to work
during weekends, do you think this is a good
thing?
Yes it is, as I’ve mentioned before that we are
behind our schedule so having classes during the
weekends will give us some time to catch up.
Do you think the government cares about the
learners? Some people are saying if the government
cared about the learners they should have
W2 word worth knowing
K
given you the wage that you wanted.
The government doesn’t care about the future
of the learners because if they cared they would
have given us the money we wanted so that we
can get on with our work as planned.
How is the relationship between the teachers
who took part in the strike and those who didn’t
strike?
The relationship was not good at all because
those who didn’t go on strike were intimidated
by those who went on strike.
It is said that the strike is suspended for 21 days,
what do you think is going to happen after these
21 days if the government doesn’t meet the
teachers demands?
If the government fails to meet our demands
then we will continue with our strike, which will
affect us and the learners, more especially the
Grade 12 learners as they are going to be writing
same exams as those learners whose schools
didn’t go on strike.
What are your views on the ‘’’No Work Pay’’
Ntsikelelo Dlephu interviewed Thembile Matiwane,
the local SADTU secretary about the teachers’ strike
Why did the teachers strike?
As teachers we went on strike because the government did not agree with our
wage demands in 2008 and this year we wanted a R1000 housing allowance
and 8.6% wage increase which government did not agree with.
How do you feel about the strike?
As workers we are very angry and we feel ignored by the government and feel
that a strike is the only way to be heard.
Why didn’t the teachers accept what government was offering?
We wanted the increase to be backdated as from April because we also want
to afford the things we want.
Will the teachers go on strike again?
The strike was suspended for 21 days. At the moment we are unsure if we’ll go
on strike again or not.
When you are going around town striking, do you keep a register?
No we do not keep a register of who came to the strike.
Is there anyone who is forced to go on strike?
As far as I know, no one is forced to go on strike. The union invites its members
to join the strike but no one is forced.
Any last words on the strike?
The government and the unions are still in negotiations, still negotiating the
conditions of work until the workers are satisfied.
By Ntsikelelo Dlephu • Grade 8, Ntsika High School
to end or the reach a final climatic stage
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
policy?
The government doesn’t care about us because they deduct
more than they are supposed to.
By Luvuyo Ndayi, Yanga Nohaji • Grade 9 , Archie Mbolekwa Higher
Primary School
Mrs Gxabe with Luvuyo Ndayi and Yanga Nohaji
The strike meant that we did not come to
school because our teachers were not there.
Sometimes we did not even have the chance
to study on our own because the gates were
locked or we were sent home. I saw on television
that in some places, teachers were burning
tyres trying to get the government’s attention.
The police came because the strike had turned
violent and that made things worse.
The plans made by the government succeeded,
because the learners are back in school.
The strike has ended for now. It was suspended
for 21 days and we returned to our normal
school days. But, we are left with a lot of work to do.
By Lefa Lesoro • Grade 8, CM Vellem Primary School
The strike affected me and other learners in
many ways. It was on my mind all the time, we
stayed at home and it was boring. The school
was open but the learners didn’t go to school
because there were no teachers at school.
Others did go to school and relied on one another
for teaching.
The grade 12 learners found it very difficult
because they are in need of good marks. Now
we are left with a lot of work to catch up on at
school. We don’t have time to rest at home. I
think the government must give all learners a
9.6 percent increase in their marks.
By Aphiwe Gift Ndzuzo • Grade 8, CM Vellem
Primary School

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
On the 25th of September, 24 learners around Grahamstown’s previously disadvantaged
schools participated in a science camp organised by SAEON and sponsored by Roberts and
Murray. The learners were selected because they are top achievers in their schools especially
in Maths, Physical Science and Life Sciences. They were also learners who were actively involved
in monitoring the weather at their schools. They were involved in constructing graphs,
interpreting and analysing the weather.
The camp was at Willows Resort in Port Elizabeth. There was a group of five learners from
Phalaborwa that also took part in the camp. There were a range of interesting activities that
we took part in monitored by PhD students studying Marine Biology. One of the things we
did was to give feedback on our weather monitoring presented by Sanele Ntshingana and
Qhayiya Mathuthu.
We were exposed to science as a career and scientific methods that will help in doing a good
science project. On the second day we were given a task to do which was to conduct an experiment.
There were a lot of procedures involved and we had to take samples and early in
the morning and since we were not acquainted with rocky shores and even though we were
W2 word worth knowing
K
moulting
type of word: noun
FEATURE
SCIENCE FOCUS
SAEON Science Camp
Camp participants pictured on the seafront
Solar cars
Solar cars are powered by the sun’s energy. The main component
of a solar car is its solar panel, which collects the
energy from the sun and converts it into usable electrical
energy. The solar cells collect a portion of the sun’s energy
and store it into the batteries of the solar car. Before that
happens, power trackers converts the energy collected
from the solar panel to the proper system voltage, so that
the batteries and the motor can use it. After the energy is
stored in the batteries, it is available for use by the motor
& motor controller to drive the car. The motor controller
adjusts the amount of energy that flows to the motor to
correspond to the throttle.
The Solar vehicles stopped at Grahamstown Monument on
Tuesday at about 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon. I couldn’t
believe my eyes as I’ve never thought there could be a vehicle
that uses nothing but sunlight! No petrol but sunlight!
Professor Kimura and Anjet Du Plassts explain everything to
us. They have told that the solar car was invented in Japan
and it started racing in the 2008 Solar Car Challenge which
was held here in South Africa and they won the race. They
also said that the speed of the car is 145 km per hour and
it can only move when the sun is shining. It is driven by five
men but one at a time, also it has three wheels and battery.
The car looks too light in weight unlike the other cars we
use to.
When asked why the race didn’t take place in Japan we were
told that in Japan there are no long roads and there are lots
of traffic so they decided to do it here in South Africa because
of our long roads that also have hills.
By Xolelwa Donyeli • Grade 9, Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary
School
Students and lectures from the University of Tokai in Japan
arrived here in Grahamstown with their solar vehicles and
we had an opportunity to go and see it. It was a bizarre kind
of looking car. One would swear it was a home-made car.
When we arrived there the Tokaian students were holding
out the solar panel directing it towards the sun and I was
thinking to myself why are they are holding it? Professor
Kimura told us that they are directing it towards the sun to
recharge the battery.
We were also told that solar power is different from the one
used in our homes, its power is so strong and its energy
works amazingly. These cars are amazingly fast and super
powerful.
By Asive Mdingi • Grade 10, Nombulelo High School
It was our first time seeing a solar car, never mind a thought
that there could ever be such a car! Thanks to the wonders
of science and technology that we had the opportunity to
see this kind of car. We were told that the vehicle battery
can last for about three hours for 100km and when the
energy in the battery is running low the speed decreases
or when empty the cars stops. We were also told that the
7
afraid we were still excited to learn.
The rest of the camp we spent visiting science institutes and universities. One of the sites we
visited was South African Marine and Education Centre (SAMREC). They save penguins that
are involved in disasters such as oil spills, and they have a hospital where they treat these
penguins. We learnt a lot about penguins and now I can distinguish the difference between
penguins that come from different places in the world. We were intrigued by the penguins
that we there and for many of us, it was our first time to see actual penguins. We even had
the opportunity to wash the bird’s feathers and it was fun.
We visited NMMU where we did some experiments with the microscope before going to
Bay World where we watched a performance by the seals.It was great to see them following
every instruction that they received, they clapped, showed us teeth, and even played with a
ball. We walked through the oceanarium. I saw a shark for the first time in my life. We had an
opportunity to touch snakes and we were taught about how the snakes undergo the process
of moulting when they shed their skin. At the end of our visit we took a boat ride and we all
enjoyed it as it was the first time some of us were in a boat. It was really an experience to
remember.
At the end of the trip, we were tasked with presenting everything that we had learnt in a professional
and scientific way. We spent a lot of hours working on our projects.
We all worked so hard because we wanted to win the first prize. The first prize was R250
and it was won by the Hydroriders- Sanele (Nathaniel Nyaluza); Mihlalikazi Swaartboi
(Mary Waters); Sibusiso Spelman (Mary Waters) and Mahlatse (Phalabhorwa). The second
prize was R150 won by the Marine consultants- Bojo Thandolwethu (Nathaniel Nyaluza);
Qhayiya Mathuthu (Mary Waters); Amukelani Hlungwane (Pharabholwa); Ntombethemba
Songongo(Mary Waters); Lihle Gotyana ( Mary Waters). Third prize was R100 won by
Simbongile Booi (Nombulelo); Anesipho Klaas (Mary Waters); Kathu Wandile (Ntsika) and
Kgaugelo (Phalabhorwa).
Overall, the camp was excellent and every student that took part would like to say thank you
to Nozi Hambaze, Education Officer at SAEON, who made this camp possible. Everyone learnt
something new and we have acquired some scientific skills. From what I’ve gained from this
camp, I would like to pursue Marine Biology as a career.
By Sanele Ntshingana • Grade 11, Nathaniel Nyaluza High School
a periodic shedding of the outer skin in reptiles
battery that the solar car uses is the same as the one that is
used on laptops. The main purpose for recharging the battery
is to use the restored energy when the sun is hidden by
clouds. If there is nothing in reserve, the car will stop completely
in cloudy weather. If too much energy is diverted to
the battery, the engine runs too slowly to keep up in the
race.
The Tokai University team further told us that the tyres of
the solar car are made up of carbon fibre. Lastly, we were
told that and it was their second time to visit South Africa,
their first was in 2008 and they love South Africa.
By Sbusiso Klass • Grade 10, Nombulelo High School, Vuyiseka
Kahla • Grade 10, Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School
Japanese students hold the solar car up to
the sun to recharge it

8
Khaya went to the Netherlands to take part in a
six-week radio training programme offered by the
Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC). People
from different parts of the world attended the course
but he was one of only two South Africans to attend.
In the Netherlands, he stayed in Amsterdam, which is
the capital city of the country. When he first arrived,
the volcano that erupted in Europe still made the sky
dark with ashes and smoke. Planes were not allowed
to fly and so he was unable to fly to Amsterdam.
He had to land in Germany and then take a taxi to
Amsterdam.
During his first week there, language was a problem
because most people there speak Dutch and they are
not very good with English. He said that you might
speak English with someone and they would respond
in Dutch. At times when he saw a black person, he
spoke Xhosa to them and forgot that they might not
speak it. What helped him with the language is that
he knows Afrikaans and Afrikaans is similar to Dutch.
There are many types of transport to help you get
around in Amsterdam including bicycles, trams, buses
WORLD FOCUS
Khaya gives his dutch hosts a vuvuzela as a gift
and taxis. But the most popular is the tram because
it is available until very late and you can reach almost
any place using the tram. Also the bicycle is popular
because people there ride their bikes into town.
People in the Netherlands are spoilt for choice; he
said that there are 25 television channels without
DSTV. Also their internet is fast because they can
download up to 300 songs a day but if you are at
Rhodes you can only download three songs and you
TRANSPORT IN NETHERLANDS Trams are one of the most popular forms of
transport in the Netherlands, especially in cities
such as Amsterdam.
W2 word worth knowing
K
legacy
type of word: noun
A tram is similar to the train, the difference is that
the tram is lighter, shorter and runs in tracks in
the street. Most trams run on electrical power but
petrol, diesel and battery power can be used to run
the tram. Most people who visit the city will use
the trams at some point of their visit because most
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
World Focus: The Netherlands
This is the second feature in our series focusing on interesting countries that people we know have visited. Khaya Thonjeni, interim station manager at
Radio Grahamstown spent some time in the Netherlands earlier this year taking part in a six-week radio training course. He spoke to Upstart members
about his time in Netherlands.
Trams - a popular form of transport
Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853 in
Zundert in the Netherlands. He did not start painting until he
was about 28 years old. It was believed that he suffered from
some kind of mental illness which made him kill himself on
29 July 1890 when he was in France. He had moved to France
because he wanted to become a priest and that is where he
created some of his amazing artworks.
During his short time as an artist, he painted almost 900
paintings and over 1000 drawings and sketches. He drew lots
of images to improve his skills and to spend his free time.
When he was still alive, he was not
that well-known but since his death he
has become one of the most famous
painters in the world. Some of his most
famous paintings include “The potato
eaters”and “The starry night.”
By Xolelwa Donyeli • Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
The starry night by Vincent Van
Gogh
Vincent Van
Gogh
will not be allowed to use the internet for up to two
weeks.
While he was in Amsterdam, he visited the Van
Gogh Museum, which has the most paintings by
the Dutch artist. He also visited Zwolle University in
Zwolle, which he said is the best journalism school in
Netherlands.
What we found interesting about Netherlands is that
eating on the streets is a crime and one can be given
a fine to pay because people are only allowed to
eat inside a house or a shop. The difference between
South Africans and the Dutch is that South Africans
are like a community. Khaya said that if people in Joza
see Rastafarians eating chicken they will tell him, but
in Netherlands people mind their own business. But
they did ask him about Nelson Mandela, xenophobia
and why he left South Africa during the World Cup.
By Sibusiso Klaas • Grade 10, Nombulelo High School and
Nolubabalo Ralo • Grade 9, Ntsika High School
FACT BOX
Holland is the name commonly used for the region
in the western part of the Netherlands. The term
Holland is often used to refer to the whole of the
Netherlands. This usage is generally accepted but
nevertheless unofficial.
hotels and other tourist places can be reached using
the tram.
Also there are a few buses that operate regularly
until after midnight.
By Neliswa Mjeje • Grade 8, Nathaniel Nyaluza High
School
Van Gogh self portrait: http://sleevage.com/iron-wine-our-endless-numbered-days/
Starry night painting: http://www.arttoheartweb.com/starry_night.htm
Netherlands map: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/images/europe/the-netherlands.
jpg
something handed down or received from an ancestror or
predecessor, inheritance

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
Themba - a story of a poor boy
from the Eastern Cape who succeeds
through hardships and
proves that with talent, determination
and hard work dreams
can come true.
Themba is a very painful film which
brought tears to many of our eyes.
Themba tells a story of a young Xhosa
boy who dreams of being a soccer star
and longs for his absent father to return
home. His childhood in the rural Eastern
Cape comes to an unexpected end
when his mother was forced to look for
work in Cape Town after losing her job on
the tea plantation. Both him and his sister,
Nomtha were left in the care of their
mother’s lover, who after their mother
left started drinking almost every day to
a point where he lost his sense of self.
One night Luthando tried to rape
Nomtha, as he was under the impression
that if he slept with a virgin his AIDS
would be cured. Fortunately, Themba
woke up and caught him in the act and
fought him. Themba and Luthando
fought while Nomtha escaped to her
grandfather’s house. Luthando furiously
punched Themba up to a point where he
collapsed, while he was unconscious, he
raped him. Themba did not tell anyone
about what happened to him.
He and Nomtha used their last money
to go and look for their mother in Cape
Town. To their shock they found her dying
of AIDS in a shack all by herself. Themba
was then faced with the fact that he,
too, might be infected as Luthando had
raped him. Against all odds, he realised
W2 word worth knowing
K
his soccer dream of wanting to play for
Bafana Bafana. His dream was the only
thing that gave him the courage and the
drive to push forward irrespective of his
HIV status.
He took a public stand at the press conference
and told the world that he was
HIV positive. This was very important
because most famous people that are
affected by HIV/AIDS are ashamed to disclose
their HIV status.
Themba is a totally believable film
which successfully showed us the truthful
nature of HIV/AIDS, the stigma and
the challenges attached. It is our desire
that every young person in South Africa
should watch this stunning film, so that
youth who are faced with a similar situation
can learn something from it.
By Xolelwa Donyeli, Xola Joni, Sibabalwe
Stephen • Grade 9, Archie Mbolekwa Higher
Primary School; Sibusiso Klass • Grade10,
Nombulelo High School; Mincili Persent •
Grade 9 and Sisipho Phongolo • Grade 8,
Nathaniel Nyaluza High School.
movie extra
type of word: noun
REVIEW
Upstart members watched a movie at Roxbury Cinema, a first for many of them. Thank you to Roxbury Cinema owner, Johnny Kluivers and
his staff, for making dreams come true.
The Story of an African Farm is a
film based on the book by Olive
Schreiner. The main characters in
the film are Lyndall, a young brave
girl with long black hair who was an
orphan. Waldo, a young boy who
grew up on a farm and liked herding
sheep. Uncle Otto, with his
long beard and Em, a sweet young
girl. The film is about a family who
lived on a farm in Cradock. One
afternoon on the farm a man arrived
who called himself Bonaparte
Blenkins. This man was a liar and he
lied about everything, from where
his name comes from, his life and
why he had come to the farm. His
lies caused conflict between the
family and through his lies he stole
Uncle Otto’s clothes. Because of all
a performer hired to play a minor part, as in a crowd scene in a film
9
“Wow, Upstart rocks. I’ve never been at the cinema before
and I really enjoyed my first time there. The movie
we watched was enjoyable and I learnt a lot from it. I
learnt that even if you’re poor, you can still succeed in
life. I really enjoyed myself, it was one of my dreams
come true. I wouldn’t mind if we go there again. The
cinema is the best place to be especially when you’ve
been at home bored. I enjoyed myself and I will never
forget that day.” Asive Mdingi • Grade 10, Nombulelo
High School
‘’The message that is being told here is that we must
love and take care of people who are HIV positive or
who have AIDS. It also teaches us that one can achieve
his or her dreams no matter what if one set his/her
mind to it. Themba here worked hard and overcame
the odds, his family got rich because of him, irrespective
of his HIV status.’’Sibusiso Klass • Grade10, Nombulelo High School.
“Ibibuhlungu kakhulu imeko yalafilim ukubona umntu esifa ligciwane asiyontwana,
nangona kunjalo ke ndifunde okokuba akufuneki ukwabelana nomntu ngokwesondo
ungazikhuselanga, ungamazi nokuba isimo sakhe sinjani.” Ntsikelelo Dlephu • Grade
8, Ntsika High School
“What an inspiring and educational film it was! The film was also very painful.
Nonetheless, from this film I have learnt that being poor or being HIV positive must
never be an obstacle to one’s success. Further, I have learnt that being HIV positive
is not the end of the world if one takes the medication and eat healthily he can live
a normal life and pursue his dreams. Lastly, I’ve leant that one can be ambitious and
successful even if the person is HIV positive.” Aviwe Diko • Grade 8, Ntaba Maria
Primary School
“The movie was awesome and painful at the same time. It touched me and I couldn’t
hold back my tears. For some of us it was our first time at the cinema. A big thank
you goes to you guys for taking us to the cinema. We appreciated and enjoyed
the experience. You made our Spring Day.” Vuyiseka Kahla • Grade 10, Nathaniel
Nyaluza High School
“What I have learnt in the movie is that you don’t have to expect only the good
things in life and you have to face life’s challenges. Follow your dream and it is never
too late to make a decision about your life.” Nosizwe Qhude • Grade 10, Nathaniel
Nyaluza High School
“We watched the movie at Roxbury Cinema which was really awesome because it
was my first experience. This was a great movie but if you are going to watch it you
will need to take tissues. It is sad at times but do go out and watch it.” Xola Joni •
Grade 9, Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
Over the past two months Upstart members have been learning about the life and times of Olive Schreiner. During the teachers’ strike
they spent a few days watching The Story of an African Farm series at the Eastern Star Museum. Upstart would like to thank NELM staff for
making the time to be with our members.
Upstart members with NELM staff Jeremy Fogg and Johannes Bubbles du Preez
outside the Eastern Star Museum
The Story of an African Farm
the fighting in the family, Uncle Otto died of a heartattack.
In the end, Lyndall realised that Bonaparte was
lying all along and she exposed him.
The film is set in Cradock on a farm and most of the
time it is during the day. I think the film was shot during
the apartheid time because all the characters are
white and there are only two black extras. I think the
message we get in the film is that we must not lie because
under the sun all, there is nothing that can be
kept secret forever. I have seen people outside of a
family causing members of a family to fight because of
lies. Other families end up killing each other because
of outside influence.
I enjoyed watching this film even though at times it
was sad, especially the ending when Lyndall dies after
the birth of her baby. Then Waldo also dies because
he was sad about Lyndall’s death.
By Sibusiso Klaas • Grade 10, Nombulelo High School

10
CELEBRATING CHINA WEEK
W2 word worth knowing
K
showcase
type of word: noun
FEATURE
CHINA WEEK
to display prominently, especially to advantage
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
Upstarters were invited to take part in the China Week celebration held at Rhodes University. The week culminated on Friday 1 October which was the
anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. We went to look at the Chinese exhibition which the Chinese Studies students put together
at the new Rhodes University Library. Upstart clubs also contributed five posters to the exhibition. These posters showcased the work we did earlier
in the year around China.
Sanele Ntshingana speaks to Rhodes
University 2nd year Chinese Studies student,
Daniel Caspar Charvat
What made you choose Chinese Studies?
I chose to study Chinese because I have always had
an interest in China and Asian culture. Last year
was the first year of Chinese Studies at Rhodes, so I
didn’t know what to expect, but it has taken hold of
me, and now I am majoring in Chinese Studies next
year.
How will Chinese Studies help your future career?
Like everyone says, China is the upcoming economic
power in the world, and now is the best time if any
to get involved with China. I feel that there is a lot
of opportunity for English speakers in a country developing
as fast as China is.
You were one of the students who were selected to
go to China and spend couple of weeks there. How
has that experience changed your life and attitude
towards Chinese Studies?
Learning about China and actually being in China
are two completely different things. You cannot
imagine the culture difference in China, and the
sheer size of everything. Buildings, subways, shops
– everything is bigger and better. Being in a country
It was so wonderful to be part of this experience because I enjoyed every moment
of it.
It was my first time in the new Rhodes University library. Seeing it made me realise
how much I want to finish high school and go study there.
Thanks to Upstart for giving us the privilege of attending the show, it was excellent!
There are 200 languages spoken in China and the main
language is Mandarin. The Chinese greeting is ‘ni hao’
meaning hello; ‘ni hao ma’ means how are you and
‘xie-xie’ means thank you.
There is a stadium known as the Bird’s Nest where
the Olympic Games were held in China. There is also
where everything works so efficiently and well, is
refreshing. It is no replacement for South Africa, yet
it is definitely something I would like to experience
for a few years.
When you were in China, what difference did you see
between South African culture and Chinese culture?
Chinese culture is very different to what I am used
to here. Within the families, there is still a lot of tradition;
respect based cultural practices, much like
in many African cultures I suppose. But there are
downsides too. The low income families are very
visible, and middle class housing in China is not of
the same standard as that in South Africa – this being
said we did not see any settlements to compare
with our townships here. The most intriguing thing
about China for me was the incredibly low level of
crime, with only petty crime posing a real threat to
us.
Would you like to work in China, and if yes why?
I would like to work there for a while mainly to become
fluent in the language. I also think it could
be very beneficial to build up a few Chinese business
contacts for the future. But I do love the country,
and want to stay there for a while whatever
happens.
a place where couples seal their love with symbolic
locks.
The pearl of Shanghai is a huge station for radio and
television. There’s also a large cultural temple where
not everyone is allowed to enter, only Chinese people
are allowed in.
Daniel Charvat pictured on his recent trip to China
Upstarters meet the Chinese dancers after the performance
After the show we took pictures with the Chinese people and they were so warm
and kind. It was really nice meeting them. We then had dinner, the food was so
nice and not much of a difference to the food we eat every day. Thanks to the
Chinese people and Upstart for the opportunity, I’ve really enjoyed every moment
of it.
By Claudia Sheriff • Grade 10, Nathaniel Nyaluza High School
We saw photos of all of these places in the exhibition
held at the Rhodes University Library. The photos were
taken by the Chinese Studies students when they went
to visit China in the June holidays.
By Andile Mengu • Grade 10, Nathaniel Nyaluza High
School and Luvuyo Ndayi • Grade 9, Archie Mbolekwa
Higher Primary School

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
We attended a great performance by students from the
University of Jinan in China. They showed us the different
dances of China, and also the weapons that they use to fight
in martial arts how to use them. They told us the importance
of these weapons like:
-the knife is an important weapon in war
-guyn, also called the king of weapons
-the sword is a weapon used to kill evil
-the stick is also good because it can whip a large area
The Chinese are very good at dancing; I thought they were
only good in fighting only. They performed a number of dances
but I liked the Romeo and Juliet dance the most. Their costumes
were so beautiful that you could even wear them to
your matric dance.
The food was great but I did not like it because I am not used
to that kind of food. Everybody was looking forward to tasting
Chinese food and I was happy to taste it. They cook very
well more especially the egg, I liked it but I do not think South
Africa has it.
By Sibusiso Klaas • Grade 10, Nombulelo High School
Picture credits: Chen Jiarong
What a great time we had on Friday evening. We saw the new Rhodes
University library, the Chinese exhibition together with the Upstart posters.
We then went to the Monument to watch the Chinese people showcasing
different Chinese dance. The performance was absolute stunning, the
performers were wearing beautiful Chinese costumes and they were drop
dead gorgeous.
What was so interesting to me was the group of martial arts students
showcasing karate. I thought Chinese can’t do karate as they do on TV but it
is real , they can do it and they are very passionate about it. After the show
we went to dinner which we were all so enthusiastic about as we were
not sure of what we were going to eat. The food was delicious, thanks to
Upstart for the opportunity they gave us.
By Nosizwe Qhude • Grade 10, Nathaniel Nyaluza High School
W2 word worth knowing
K
distinguish
type of word: verb
FEATURE
CHINA WEEK
to mark as different, recognize a difference or differences
11
What an amazing performance, colourful costumes and a great dance
performance. I have always wanted to see Chinese dance performance,
thanks to Upstart for the opportunity. The performance that
I enjoyed so much was when they were showcasing their martial arts
weapons. I quite like the idea that they used women as well when they
were showcasing their weapons, unlike here in South Africa, because
here only men are associated with weapons as they are believed to be
the ones that are suppose to protect us.
After the show, we got to have supper. I thought we were going to
have Chinese food but the food looked like the normal food that we
eat every day. But when I got to taste it, it tasted different, maybe it
was because of the soya. I’ve enjoyed the food nonetheless. The only
thing that was unusual were the boiled eggs, they were boiled in tea
as opposed to water.
I’ve nearly forgot to mention that we were also shown the new
Rhodes University Library by Daniel Casper, a Rhodes University 2nd year Chinese Studies student. He also showed us the Chinese exhibition
and told us few things about China such as the Great Wall
of China, things he liked about China, shopping and places to see in
China. Daniel actually amused me when he told us that its very rare
that one finds a plump policemen in China unlike here in South Africa
and that Chinese policemen are more or less the same height.
By Nolubabalo Ralo • Grade 9, Ntsika Senior Secondary School
At the Chinese exhibition at Rhodes
University we learnt about the great
things in China such as the Great Wall
of China, the Temple of Heaven and
the Pearl Tower in Shanghai. Hong
Kong was described as the City of
Lights because life never stops there
and there are bright lights there all the
time at night. In Beijing there is also
the Forbidden City and at the gates of
this city are big lions guarding the city.
One of the most popular games played
by elderly Chinese people is called
mah-jong. Groups of people can be
seen all over the parks playing this
game.
By Ntsikelelo Dlephu • Grade 8, Ntsika
High School

12
SITTING WITH ANDILE
Here are the sixth and seventh chapters of Mfundo Jacob’s story
Sitting with Andile. Mfundo wrote this story last year when he was
in Grade 10 at Benjamin Mahlasela High School. He is now in Grade
11 at Graeme College
Chapter Eight
THE PEP STORE
““How was life with Eric?”
“It was different from Vuyo and me. The only difference was that we constantly
smoked a lot of drugs. A day never went by with us not smoking drugs. It’s not
that we were addicted, but we could afford them. We did not do our jobs in our
area, we did them in towns. All the guys in our area treated us like celebrities and
wanted to be our friends. We were more than room-mates, we were partners
in crime. Always we were on the run from police. Parents hated us because we
were a bad influence to their children.”
“I do not blame them. You guys were like Marcos and Al Capone.”
“Who are those?”
“The greatest hustlers that ever lived in this planet” he says.
“There was nothing great about us, besides having money. Even what we did for
a living came with a sacrifice. The more robbery we did the more Satan poisoned
our minds. Every day he would show me visions of me sitting with a lot of money.
I hate myself for saying this, but I loved every single moment of it. Every day I
would be counting money I made the previous day. Crime for me was like a career
which I had dedicated my life to. The only painful thing was that no one was
proud me. Even all the girls I said I love to, were only interested in my money. Not
that I blame them, they also were finding it hard to cope with their families and
were only looking for someone to have fun with.”
“How many girls have you slept with already?”
“About fifteen if I am correct.”
“Have you ever gone for a blood test?”
“I thought of going for a blood test, but realised they would only find drugs on
me. Even though I slept with them, a condom was the first thing on my mind before
any action could happen.”
“What memorable robbery did you and Eric
do back then?”
“I would say the PEP store. It was just me and
him. Each one of us carried two guns on us.”
“How did you get them?”
“Simple actually. All we had to do was to go to
someone who had a gun and point him with
our gun, then tell him to give it to us or die.
One day we also took a policeman’s gun.”
“How?”
“We knew what time he was coming from
work and so we waited for him opposite the
road from his house. When he got out of the
van that dropped him off, we rushed to him
and pointed our gun in his face. We then took
every single weapon on him even his bullet
proof.”
“You guys had the courage to do anything
wrong to people.”
“We had the courage to live without any fear.
We walked roads that normal people would
not even think about going and we loved every
moment of it.”
“What happened at PEP store?” he ask.
“It was close to midnight and was raining
heavily. We wore rain suits and were on our
way to town. When we got there we broke
STORY
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
the bathroom window and
went inside. We searched
and searched then found
a safe. I shot the safe open
and ‘WOW!’ all that money
that was inside it. We
put it in our back bags and
rushed our way out of that
window. A security guard
saw us and was shooting
at us. We fired back then
he fell on the ground, after
that we ran non stop
to Eric’s shack. We first
smoked some TIK-TEK and
poured all the money on
the bed and counted. It
The author MFUNDO JACOBS
was close to fifty thousand and
our hearts were smiling. We decided to split it fifty fifty. On the same night, I
took my bag and went to go hide it in the bushes. I dug a hole in the bushes and
buried the money there. As I made my way back I heard the scream of a female
and some guys talking. I decided to take cover and pulled my gun out just in case.
There was about ten of them, they looked liked hyenas drooling over a springbok
and were surrounding it, ready to jump at it. She was crying and could hardly
shout any more. They stripped her naked and made her lie on her back. One by
one they went to her eating her self confidence and were even fighting for their
turns. Her head was facing towards my side and it looked like she was life less.
The tears that came out of her eyes told a very sad story. Finally I recognized her,
it was my cousin. A lot of questions came to my mind: should I try to help her or
not. After all the things she and her sister did to me how can I forgive her. She deserved
it I thought to myself, but watching her go through that and doing nothing
about it made me no different to those guys” I said to Andile.
Drawing by: Nkosinathi Mahote • Grade 9, C M Vellem Primary School

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010 STORY
Chapter Nine
ERIC’S DEATH
“What did you decide to do then?” Andile asked me.
“Well I did not know what to do, but I did know I had a gun in my hand, a fully
loaded nine millimetre. I asked God to give me the strength then I waited until
they were finish. I was too angry to go and disturb those guys. So I waited until
they got bored of her. Finally they got bored and one guy said kill her and the other
one took out a knife. I jumped up and walked straight to them and demanded
they leave her alone as I was pointing them with my gun. She stood up and fixed
her clothes right. I promised them she would not say anything to the police. The
reason why these guys knew who I was and I knew who they were. Asanda a.k.a
Starring asked me ‘ What are you doing Sive, interfering in our business?’
‘This is my cousin Starring and I cannot let you kill her’ I said.
‘Is she not the one who wrote a fake letter to you while you were in juvenile claiming
to be your father?’ he said.
‘Yes she is’ I said.
‘After all that she did to you, you still pity her. Man, do not act stupid here trying
to be a hero, kill this girl. She deserves to die after what she did to you’ he said.
‘Look Starring you heard what I said to you. If you do anything to her again and
that goes for all of you I will kill you myself ‘ I said. Then we left and ran to her
house. I did not enter so I dropped her by the gate. Then told her not to say anything
to the police. I decided to call Eric on his phone, someone else picked it up
and that person was Starring ...
‘Starring where is Eric?’ I asked.
‘Do not worry about Eric, I have taken him to the after life. It is a pity that he died
without spending a cent of this money and now I know what you were doing at
those bushes. If you come show me where the money is I will forget all about tonight
‘ he said.
‘If I do not? ‘ I asked.
‘I know where she lives ‘ he said. Then he hanged up the phone. Even if I did show him
the money they were still going to kill me. So I went to my aunt and updated my aunt
Drawing by: Nkosinathi Mahote • Grade 9, C M Vellem Primary School
13
about what happened and what is going to happen. I left the house and tried to
go get some help at the drug dealer’s house. I got there and made a deal with the
drug dealer that I would give him my bag of money. My phone rang and it was
Eric’s number...
‘Can you hear them Sive? Do not even bother answering that because you cannot
hear them ‘ he said.
‘If you touch them you will regret the day you saw me ‘ I said.
‘Unfortunately we did more than just touch them, we had pleasure on them and
were honoured to slaughter their necks ‘ he said.
‘Starring tell those guys I am going to hurt them physically and emotionally when
I find them ‘ I said.
‘Is that a threat Sive? ‘ he asked.
‘No Starring it is a fact that is bound to come true ‘ I said. I dropped the phone
and told the drug dealer what happened. Then I asked him to give me two guns
and some bullets. I went to Eric’s shack and found him laying in a pool of his own
blood. Everything was vandalised, it was a mess. I could hardly look at him, it was
a terrible scene. I searched for the bullet proof vest and luckily I found it. Then I
stormed out of the shack with tears running down my face. I arrived at my aunt’s
house and saw nothing but naked bodies and blood. My heart broke, I was in a
shock and could not believe what I was seeing. There was just too much blood, I
could not believe they all died because of me. If only I had left her to die in those
bushes, everyone else would have been still alive. Starring went too far with his
bad deeds and all I knew he had to pay for his deeds. All of a sudden my heart
turned black. I went to Starring’s house and knocked on the door. His mother
came out, then I shot her in the chest and she fell. I went to all their houses and
shot the first person I saw on the door. Sometime when I go to sleep, I can see
them standing on top of me” I said to Andile. His eyes popped out as if he could
not wait for what I was going to say next.
Look out for the next chapter of Sitting with Andile in the
September edition of Upstart

14
A perfect love
Can there be a perfect love?
A love as clean and pure as the
twilight
A love as thick as the very air you
breathe
A love as wide as the galaxy in
Which we are placed
A love as strong as phosphor
A love as valuable as diamonds
A love as deep as the ocean
A love as beautiful as heaven itself
A love as sweet as the sweetest
honey
A love as unpredictable as the
weather
A love as magical as moonlight
A love that will live forever
By Elaine Lieberum • Grade 8, Hoërskool
PJ Olivier
Eksamen
Eksamen is hier
Leer vir ‘n uur
Drink eers tee
En leer dan maar weer
Moenie bekommer
En moenie jou vraestel bewonder
Want voor jy weer sien
Gaan jy jou punte verdien
Deur Gustine Hendrikz • Graad 8,
Hoërskool PJ Olivier
Grocotts
Ugxalaba libanzi ngemveliso
Inkunzi enesini ngezokuhlala
Hayi – hayi ngu Grocotts eRhini
Ndakubona ukubanenkathalo mhla
uvelisa iUpstart ngonyaka ka 2008
Mna ndithi ndalama
Mathole zilo zaseRhini
Ndithi ntinga ntaka ndini yephepha
lokuhlala
Hayi - hayi ndityibela uGrocotts,
Nkunzindini yephephandaba
laseRhini
Kazi bothini na mhla ulishiya iRhini
Indaba bakuziva ngabani
Grocotts Mail uyindoda eRhini
Izikolo zinemveliso kwaye ziphuhlile
ngenxa yakho
Uzee neentatheli ezisakhulayo
Iintatheli ezize ngobuso elizweni
laseRhini
Utyibelwa yimbongi kaLandisizwe
kwikomkhulu lamaHlubi, kwicala lamathole
embishimbishi
Hayi – hayi ndinikeni ihaashe lam
nomnqwazi wam ndihambe kukde
kwaLandisizwe
Halala Grocotts halala uyindoda
Iyhoo iyhoo!!!
By Amos Seti – Sonjica, Imbongi ka
Landisizwe, iNkosi yamaHlubi
W2 word worth knowing
K
A star
I am a star of tomorrow I light your
night
I show you the way and make you
happy during the day
In the middle of the day I disappear
and return at night
I hate light because I’m light myself
and I adore dark
In the night look up and you’ll see me
And I’ll wave back at you
I’m a star that shines brighter than
others
I stand in the blue sky but see you
down on the earth
I love people I adore darkness
I hate the sun that lights the day
By Luyanda Cakuma • Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
Grandpa
They say that they are healthier than
me
Though they can’t walk to the end of
a mile
At their age I walked forty at night
To wage a battle at dawn
They think they are healthier than me
If their socks get wet they catch a cold
When my sockless feet get wet I never
sneeze
But they still think they are healthier
than me
On a soft mattress over a spring bed
They still have to take a sleepingpill
But I , with reeds cutting into my ribs,
My head resting on a piece of wood.
I sleep like a babe and snore
They blow their noses and pocket the
stuff
That’s hygienic so they tell me
I blow my nose into the fire
But they say that is barbaric
By Asive Mdingi , Grade 10, Nombulelo
High School
Life
Life is ruff
Life is tuff
That’s why life sucks
The life I have is so so sad
I get up every day and pray
For the life I have
And the life I had
Life is hard
But we pray to God
To thank him for the life
I had and I have
That’s so sad
But too bad
I earned the life I had
Because it brings another day
So let’s pray
By Reggie Goba • Grade 9, Hoërskool PJ
Olivier
werewolf
type of word: noun
POETRY
Before I met you !!!
Before I met you
I was loveless
I never knew I would find a great person
like you
I was living a mythical life, thinking
that I would never be happy again
But hey you came into my life and
you changed everything
You embraced me
You are my dwelling, my domicile
Without you I have nothing
My life was degraded
I was surrounded by embarrassment
I was disheartened , but hey you
changed all of that
You became my sanctuary
What would I do without you
Where would I be if you haven’t
saved me?
Who am I without you?
I am your sheep and you are my
shepherd
By Xolelwa Donyeli, Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Senior Primary School
How life is
You may call me a loser
But one day is one day I will succeed
You may call me some funny names
But you can’t break my heart
You may try to ruin my career or my
life, but you can’t break health
You may try to ruin my career or life,
but you can’t stop my dream and it
will come true
You may hate me as the person that
I am, but I can’t change the way you
feel about me
You may gossip about my name or
they way I live
But you can’t make me the to be the
one you want me to be
You may say I don’t have a good
attitude
But you didn’t make me to have a
good attitude
I love to be who I am and I am proud
of myself and I am moving forward
By Aphiwe Ndzuzo, Grade 8, C.M.Vellem
Primary School
What if tomorrow was too late
Will you say goodbye
Will you say that you sorry
Will you give me a chance
A chance to say all the things
What if this hour was your last
Will you hug me?
Will you let me be the last person to kiss
your lips?
Will you call me and say goodbye?
What if this minute was the last
Will you leave any good memories?
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
It’s never too late
Yes I have sinned; I have done many
bad things in life
But I’m sorry for all those happenings
And I know it’s never too late
Some may think after a tragedy it’s
the
End of the world, but actually it’s not
‘Cause one thing I know is that
It’s never too late
So instead of sulking and feeling sorry
For yourself, just get up and tell
yourself
You’re gonna make things right
because
It’s never too late
By Zenande Kukisi • Grade 8, Ntaba
Maria Primary School
What happened?
You wake up in the morning
You wash and go to school
You are so happy and it is the end of
the year
You want to see that you passed the
exams
But what happened
You receive your report, and the
teacher gives the
Unexpected news to you
“I am sorry you failed”
Tears just come out of the blue
You have tried so hard to pass but
what happened
And it feels like it’s the end of the
adventurethe
opening of the horror
You go home slowly with a voice saying
but what happened
You arrive at home and go straight to
your room
You take a rope or battery acid and
write a suicide note to your family
You drink that acid or you tie the rope
around your neck and hang yourself
You die
BUT WHAT HAPPENED?
By Nosithembele Ngoqo • Grade 10,
Mary Waters High School
Will you allow me to be the last person to
say I love you?
Will I be the last person to see you?
Will you tell me that you love me?
What if this second was the last
Will you wink for me?
Will you leave a smile on my face?
Will you leave a joy in my heart?
A joy that my heart never hate
What will you do?
By Thembalethu Nanto • Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
a monster able to change appearance from human to wolf and back
again

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010 POETRY
There is no good in goodbye
You never said I’m leaving
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it
Only God knows why
Million times I’ve cried for you
Million times I’ve needed you
If love alone could’ve saved you
You never would have died
In life I love you still
In my heart you hold a place
No one else will ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you
But you didn’t go alone
Part of me went with you
But you didn’t go alone
Part of me went with you
The day God took you away from me
Even if it is painful to say so I now say
goodbye
By Olwethu Kulati • Grade 9, C.M.Vellem
Higher Primary School
Jesus
He protects me
He guides me
He’s always there for me
I love him
I stay with him
He stays with me
He is my shepherd
I shall not fear anything
I love him
I love him
He loves me
He is my JESUS
I thank him for
everything he has
done for me. Amen
By Yanga Nohaji • Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
I’m sorry
Look a child in the eye and tell them
how great they are
Don’t kill the spider in your house, he
is just lost
So show him the way out, look beyond
the face of a person into their heart
Make a promise and keep it
Call someone for no reason, just to say
‘’hi’’’
Show kindness to an animal
Stand up for what you believe in
Smell the rain, feel the breeze and listen
to the wind
Use all your senses to the fullest
Cherish all your todays
Today, thought about you
Did you think about me?
By Elaine Lieberum, Bianca Green, Lene
Delport • Grade 8, Hoërskool PJ Olivier
W2 word worth knowing
K
Life is about trying
Many people think life is about enjoying
or to be happy
Other people think life is about
drinking alcohol or drugs
Others think life is to love someone
Others think life is to have all things
Others think life is about not
suffering
Others think life is easy by taking
easy decisions
Life is difficult especially when you
are young
Don’t rush for a life cause, you will
end up dying or get sick
Don’t rush for life
Don’t destroy tour life
Other people think life is about high
jacking people or raping them
Life is not about having enough
things
Life is about supporting or helping
Life is about taking decisions
Life is about trying, don’t be a
coward
By Simphiwe Mbonda • Grade 9,
Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary
School
What is a friend?
A friend is a person who helps you
When you are in trouble
A friend is a person who cares about
you
Friends help each other with
homework
Friends don’t run when days are dark
They stay by you through day and
night
Friends will never laugh at you and
make fun of you
They don’t fight with you or run after
you
That’s what friends are
By Ntsikelelo Dlephu, Grade 8, Ntsika
High School
Her!
Her beautiful smile shines so bright
It has fooled millions
But her life experiences have broken
her and left her destituted
She cries herself to sleep
nobody ever bothers to ask how she
feels
She wakes up with no meaning or
purpose
but heartache is well alive
because it has followed her in her
dreams
But her beautiful smile is always
there
By Phitlhello Sedibe • Grade 8 , Mary
Waters High School
vampire
type of word: noun
Just for me
I love you
Pass my mind
Beyond my heart
I love you for
My soul and
That’s the space
Where only you
And God dwell
By Siphosethu Manyathi • Grade 9,
Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
Just let it go
Let your mind ponder to other things
Let your soul open for us
Let your heart love again
Just let it go
Let us show you how sorry we are
Let your mouth smile for us
Let your eyes show love for us
Just let it go
Let’s be friends more than ever
Let’s let life bring joy upon us
Let’s be happy ever after
Let the future lead us
Just let it go
Let’s be friends once again
Now forever not just today
Lets laugh together once more
Let love bring us more joy
Let’s hug again
Let it go
We are truly so sorry
This poem is dedicated to Hlonipha
Sandi
By Xola Joni and Sibabalwe Stephen
• Grade 9, Archie Mbolekwa Senior
Primary School
Colour Problem
I don’t have a colour problem
I see everything in black
I don’t have a colour problem
I don’t want to be light
I see everything in black
black dangerous
holding black bodies to be sold for a
price
I don’t have a colour problem
I come from a black womb
enter the black world
filled with black devils doing everything
black that was bad
in the blackest corner of my mind
I created nothing of color
my soul filled with devils
sowing seeds of ugliness
black magic casting shadows of past
pain
ugliness prevails black as sin
yet...I entered a black flesh
when I was taught on the black state
by way of the blackboard
A feeling
I have a feeling
That won’t stop haunting me
I have a feeling
That leaves hope in my heart
a corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living
15
Oh, I have a feeling
It’s a feeling
That lifts me up when I’m down
It’s a feeling
That pulls my direction right when
I’m going
Oh, what a feeling
It’s a feeling
That wherever I am it is also there
It’s a feeling
That hurts my eyes now it’s hard to
see
Oh, I have a feeling
It’s a feeling
That is running wild in my imagination
It’s a feeling
That searches for love but comes
across hate
Oh, what a feeling
It’s not a good or bad feeling
It’s not a right or wrong feeling
It’s not a positive or negative feeling
It’s just a feeling
By Asemahle Kepe, Grade 10, Mary
Waters High School
I learnt about the blackmarket
bodies sold on auction
black money sold for more than its
value
colour is not black
black does not make sense
black sense
black make sense
I just have a blackout!
I don’t have a colour problem
bad luck keeps pushing my way
by way of black cat
so I write a letter and blackmail it
blacklisted for speaking about the dark
continent
my mind like a sponge absorbing
yet like a mirror reflecting
the raincloud has covered the rainbow
I am a black sheep in my family
I see everything in black
I remember them telling me that
black is not a colour
By Chwayita Mfihlo • Grade 10, Simzamile
Senior Secondary School in King
Williamstown

16
The three winners of the Steve Biko competition
Insects
Everything with six legs is an insect which comes to the fact that a spider is not an
insect because it has eight legs; this is a very common mistake people often make.
Many insects have two methods of protecting themselves against predators: some
camouflage themselves to look exactly like their surrounding like the Stick insect;
some protect themselves by faking the appearance of a poisonous predator to
avoid being attacked.
Insects are part of our daily lives whether we realise it or not. Some insects are
very important to other cultures around the world like the Egyptians. They believe
that when the dung beetle pushes its ball of dung, it is the son of god pushing the
sun towards the East. At the end of the day when the dung beetle buries its ball in
the earth, the dung beetle is then believed to represent rebirth.
In countries like ours, our meat is chicken, beef, pork, etc and in other countries
their meat consists of insects. All they have to do is go to the mall and buy their
favourite insects for a meal. Some of the insects that are eaten include the grasshopper
and mealworm. Some insects are very helpful to us, the most popular is
the bee, which helps to pollinate flowers and produce honey. Another helpful insect
is the mealworm because it is full of protein to keep our bodies on the go!
Proteins also help to boost our immune system.
One can have a career by studying insects, which is called entomology. We were
visited by Entomology students from Rhodes University and they taught us about
the different insects. They also told us that there are a number of careers people
can choose that work with insects.
By Linda Mafele, Iviwe Kila • Grade 9 and Chuma Nxakala, Nomaphelo Mapapu • Grade
10, Mary Waters High School
Exploring the new Rhodes
University Library
Upstarters and Chinese Studies students outside
the new Rhodes Library
W2 word worth knowing
K
Rhodes University has a beautiful new library although
it is not completely finished yet. The building is divided
into four levels and each level is there for a different
reason. First floor is the inter-library where students
get books on short loan; second floor is the
Information Commons, third is the Commerce library
and the fourth is the Humanities library.
The system of taking out books was explained to
us. We were told that when students want books
from the library, they first go onto the computers
type the name of the book they want to check if it
is available. On this system they also check where
the book is in the library. All the books have numbers
on them and the computer gives you the
number of the book.
aptitude
type of word: noun
BRIEFS
When you have the number of the book you
want, you have to go to the level where the book
you want is and look for it on the shelves. After
you find that book you have to go back to level
1 where you scan the book you are borrowing in a
capacity or ability to learn
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
Xhosa Speech Competition
Upstart members attended the Steve Biko Commemorative isiXhosa Speech
Competition hosted by the Rhodes University School of Languages and Fingo
Revolutionary Movement. Learners from High Schools around Grahamstown attended
the competition including learners from Victoria Girls’, Nombulelo, TEM
Mrwetyana, DSG and Nathaniel Nyaluza.
Some of the learners who took part in the competition were Liyabona Luthuli,
Anesipho Kwatsha and Sanele Ntshingana. Participants had to read or recite poems
or speeches in isiXhosa and the winner of the competition was Nombulelo
Gongqa from DSG.
The competition was so interesting it was about Xhosa language and culture.
During the competition we were taught about how important education is for all
of us. It is the key to life, without education you will not get very far in the world.
The competition was started to remember Steve Biko, the Xhosa political activist
who was born in King Williamstown. He grew up under apartheid; he got involved
in a union that was called the South African Students Organisation which fought
for better education for all students. Steve Biko was a man who believed in people
using their home languages and that is why this isiXhosa competition was started.
By Asive Mdingi • Grade 10, Nombulelo high school
Mary Waters Upstarters inspect some friendly insects
machine and swipe your student card, there is no need
for a librarian to do that for you. When you want to
photocopy there is a photocopy machine on level 1,
you just scan your student card and photocopy.
There are also computers in the library in case you want
to look for something on the internet and you cannot
do it at the other labs because of the noise.
What I liked the most about the library is that there is a
room where you and your group can study in and have
your discussions if you want. I have never seen such a
good library before. It has simple things so you won’t
struggle if you need something. It will be difficult for
students without their student cards to go into the library
because you enter by scanning your student card.
We were advised to read a lot of books if we want to
improve our language.
By Sibusiso Klaas • Grade 10, Nombulelo High School

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010 SPORT
World Cup Legacy
Rich Mkondo, spokesperson for the Local Organising Committee of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup was at Rhodes University to address students about the legacy left by
the World Cup.
Mkondo is a graduate of Rhodes University and he said that it is always great to
come back to Grahamstown and see all the changes.
His talk was about the things that South Africa gained because of the World Cup.
These things include the stadiums, roads, hotels and airports. He said that the money
that was used to build this infrastructure will not go to waste. The stadiums will
be used again and our roads are now in better conditions and the transport system
works better than before.
The World Cup created more job opportunities for many South Africans. 450 000
jobs were created, even though some of these jobs were only temporary. He said
that the skills people gained from working building will last them forever.
Mkondo said during the event Africans united, the continent became one nation.
However, he did say that the World Cup was not intended to cure the problems of
this country, but out served as a start. All in all, many tourists enjoyed their stay in
South Africa and they thought that South Africa hosted a great sports event.
Archie Mbolekwa’s under 14 soccer
team won a schools soccer tournament.
Upstart member Yanga
Nohaji interviewed the captain of
the team Mzwanele Skap about
this achievement.
Your team recently won the schools
soccer tournament, how do you feel
about that?
I feel good and I’m proud of the team.
We are going to play on the Rhodes
University field and we’ll also go to
East-London which is an honour for me.
How did you prepare for the
tournament?
We were well-prepared because we
went to practice every day after school.
Which team did you overcome in the
finals?
We won against C.M.Vellem Primary
School
Which was the most difficult team to
overcome in the tournament?
It has to be C.M.Vellem because the
match was in the final and both teams
wanted to win. But at last we went to
win on penalties.
Did you score any goals?
I had to lead by example and show the
coach that I deserve my armband. So
yes I scored.
Speaking about the coach, how did he
treat you the players?
He treated us very well. He used to always
say that we must not give up even
if things are not right for us.
Well congratulations on your tournament
and thank you for your time.
Thank you too.
By Yanga Nohaji • Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
By Asive MdingiGrade 10,
Nombulelo High School
Xolelwa Donyeli, Grade 9,
Archie Mbolekwa Higher
Primary School
Aviwe Diko, Grade 8, Ntaba
Maria Primary School and
Ntsikelelo Dlephu, Grade 8,
Ntsika High School
17
http://worldcup.mtnfootball.com/live/content.php?Item_ID=17359
Bafana Bafana in the Afcon
Bafana Bafana is going to go far in the Africa Cup of Nations because they are still
angry about being kicked out early in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They were the
first team in Africa to beat France. The fans will be proud of the team because
of young stars like Andile Jali, Anele Nconca, Dane Klate and our goal keeper
Itumeleng Khune. The performance of Steven Pienaar is making the fans proud
as well those of Bernard Parker and Katlego Mphela.
New Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane is taking the team to a higher place
because he knows the players and knows what is good for the team. His squad is
good because he is giving players a good chance to play for their national team.
We as the fans are proud of Bafana’s performance against Niger and we look forward
to the Afcon Cup in 2012.
My favourite player and role model is Katlego “Killer” Mphela because he is a
key player for Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns. He won two awards for top goal
scorer and player of the season in the ABSA Premiership earlier this year. He is
also part of the One-goal Campaign.
By Aphiwe Gift Ndzuzo • Grade 8, CM Vellem Primary School

18
SPORT
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nati ons Qualifying games are being played this year and the qualifying teams will take part in the
tournament which will be held in January 2012 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. South Africa is in Group G with Egypt, Sierra
Leone and Niger. In this editi on we look at the countries in group G as well as some players in the South African squad.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa and it gained its independence from
Britain on 27 April 1961. The country is predominantly Muslim with Christi ans
only a minority of the populati on.
Sierra Leone is a country that is rich in natural resources such as gold, iron ore,
plati num and most importantly diamonds. The country has relied on mining
for its money, it is one of the top ten countries that produce diamonds. Even
though the country has all these natural resources it is sti ll poor and relies on
donati ons from other countries.
Soccer in Sierra Leone is the most popular sport by far. The nati onal team
known as the Leone Stars has never qualifi ed for the FIFA World Cup but they
have qualifi ed for the Africa Cup of Nati ons in 1994 and 1996.
By Luvuyo Ndayi, Anele Gobizembe, Thembalethu Nanto, Yanga Nohaji, Khanyisa
Nombombo • Grade 9, Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
Niger
Niger is a country in West Africa, it was named aft er the Niger River. It borders
Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Algeria, Libya and Chad. A majority of the
people in Niger are uneducated, they live in rural areas and live in poverty. It
is one of the poorest countries in the world with litt le government assistance.
The country is largely desert and litt le land can be used for farming. The litt le
farming that is done in the country is oft en disturbed by droughts and locusts.
When these disasters happen the country experiences severe food shortages.
The Niger nati onal football team is nicknamed ‘The Mena’ and they have never
qualifi ed for the Africa Cup of Nati ons. For the 2012 Africa Cup of Nati ons, they
have been placed in Group G with South Africa, Sierra Leone and Egypt. They
are currently ranked on positi on 147 on the FIFA world rankings.
By Ayanda Tana, Aviwe Menze, Xolelwa Donyeli, Simphiwe Mbonda, Zikhona
Mamana, Thembekile Magobhiyane and Malibongwe Sam • Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
Egypt
The Nile river is 6 695 kilometres long and is believed to be the longest river in
the world. The river touches Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda,
Burundi and Sudan.
The Nile River plays a very important role in the Egypti an people’s lives. The
river makes the soil around it very ferti le, making it easier for people to live
close to the river.
Egypt is also famous for the pyramids. It is believed that these stone temples
took years to build. The pyramids were used for burial tombs of the royal family
consisti ng of the Pharaoh, his queens and his children. Inside the pyramids, the
royal family would be buried with things that they would need in the aft er-life.
The Egypti an soccer team is nicknamed ‘The Pharaohs’ are currently the African
Champions because they won the Africa Cup of Nati ons earlier this year. The
team has won the Africa Cup of Nati ons seven ti mes already.
By Xola Joni, Sibabalwe Stephen, Hlonipha Sandi, Nathi Qwibi, Sinoxolo Charlie and
Lelethu Vaaltein • Grade 9, Archie Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
Niger fl ag: htt p://www.acp-programming.eu/
wcm/fr/situati on-par-pays/afrique/100.html
Egypt fl ag: htt p://www.isisc.org/
PagesSubHome.asp?SubHome=18&Menu=2
Sierra Leone fl ag: htt p://www.newspapercountry.com/SierraLeone.html
map of Africa: htt p://www.munoz-group.net/
pics/map_africa.jpg
Aaron Teboho Mokoena
Itumeleng Khune
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
Aaron Mokoena was born on 25 November
1980 in Johannesburg. His fans call him
‘Mbazo’ or ‘the Axe’. He was discovered
playing in the streets of Johannesburg by
a youth coach and joined the rank of Jomo
Cosmos in 1997. He was ti pped to be the
replacement for Leeds United and South
Africa’s legend Lucas Radebe. He showed
his skills at the club but then he joined
top Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam where he
played for two seasons making over 40
appearances. He is the youngest player
to have represented South Africa; he made his debut at the age of 18 against
Botswana in 1999. He is the most capped player of all ti me.
By Nolubabalo Ralo • Grade 9, Ntsika High School
South African goal-keeper Itumeleng Khune was born on 20 June 1987. He
started life in Tshing near Ventersdorp in the North West Province. Khune did
not start out as a soccer player but was fi rst seduced by cricket and idolised
Nicky Boje, a famous cricketer. Khune played football when he was a teenager
but could not decide where to focus his att enti on on the pitch. Then he joined
the youth ranks of popular South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) side
Kaizer Chiefs Football Club. He was a fast learner but he developed chest pains
in the game and was demoted to ball boy. However, he never gave up on his
passion for the game unti l he was
noti ced by a youth coach Terror
Sephoa and he was tried as a goal
keeper and he nailed it. In 2004 he
was promoted to the fi rst to the
fi rst team.
He was part of South Africa’s squad
at the 2009 FIFA Confederati ons
Cup and he featured in internati onal
friendlies and was part of the nati
onal squad when the FIFA World
Cup began in June 2010.
By Nolubabalo Ralo • Grade 9, Ntsika
High School
Siboniso Gaxa
Siboniso Gaxa was born on 6 April
1984 in Durban. His early years in the
game were driven by determinati on.
He joined the South African based
Football Club Copenhagen School of
Excellence aft er that he joined the PSL
side, Supersport United and was part of
the team when it won the PSL for the
fi rst ti me.
In 2008 he joined Mamelodi Sundowns
as a defender. He then made his debut
on 4 June 2005 in the internati onal
game against Cape Verde Island and
has a been a coach’s favourite since
then. He was part of the 2009 FIFA
Confederati ons Cup where he performed
beyond many expectati ons. He was part of South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World
Cup squad.
By Nolubabalo Ralo • Grade 9, Ntsika High School

UPSTART OCTOBER 2010 eREVIEW
What the reader thought...
1X
2X
3X
4X
5X
poor
good
excellent
better than a movie
you MuST read this book!
REVIEWS
Title of the book: Super Zero
Author: Darrel Bristow-Bovey
This book is about a boy called Zed
who was surprised when he first realised
that he was a superhero. There
are series of stories about how Zed
becomes a superhero. Zed becomes
a superhero during his first and only
soccer game. Before this day, Zed had
never done anything heroic in his life.
Zed was part of the under 12 soccer
team at Wentville but he was always
excluded from the games. He was a reserve,
running up and down the sidelines
and warming up.
During the season’s last game,
Wentville against Brighton Primary,
the goalie was injured and the coach
needed a replacement. There was no
one else to replace him with except
Zed. So Zed finally had a chance to play
and it was very hard and he had to defend
against huge guys. Daniel Dundee
,the boy who was about to kick a penalty,
took a step towards the ball with
a nasty expression on his face. Zed
took a deep breath because it was a
big moment for him. He gritted his
teeth, shut his eyes and threw himself
to the left. When he finally opened his
eyes he realised that he had saved the
ball with his face.
His friend Katey would always remind
him that saving the goal wasn’t because
of his skills as a goalie; it was just
luck that his face got in the way of the
ball. However, Zed became a hero and
the kids in his school loved him and
invited him to attend a party after the
game. That was Zed’s last soccer game.
Next season he just didn’t have time anymore
because by then he became a superhero
and as a superhero he became very
busy indeed. That’s what Zed said because
the others regarded him as a superhero
because he had done something good, he
had pride in himself, faith and confidence.
The book is published by Tafelberg
Publishers and the ISBN number is 987 0
624 04330 0.
Review by Athenkosi Office • Grade 11,
Nombulelo High School
Title of the book:
Where shadows fall
Author: Jenny Robson
This story starts off with Lesedi who wants
more than anything to dance and to be in
the arms of the handsome Samson. She
wants to be with him even if it would last
only for one evening, she would accept it.
The only problem is that Samson is in love
with her cousin Boineelo, who was the
prettiest girl in the village.
Lesedi then asked Mmalefifi, whi is also
known as the cave woman, to help her get
Samson. Mmalefifi was known in the village
as the bad witch but everyone that
needed help in the village would go to
her. Lesedi asked her for medicine to get
her cousin’s boyfriend, Samson. She suggested
that she switches into her cousin’s
body to get a feel of what its like to be in
his arms then decide whether she wants
to switch permanently. She went out three
times with the guy in her cousin’s body.
The fourth time the cave woman told her
that she can’t switch into her cousin’s
body anymore, she has to decide whether
she wants to switch into her body permanently
or accept that they will never be
together.
She begged the woman for the last time
as she wanted to go to a jazz concert with
him and dance. She went out with him,
little did she know this time that the cave
woman was going to die that night before
she returned to the cave. When she
returned to the cave at midnight she was
shocked to find Samson there as well. She
ran as fast as she could to hide from him
but it was too late. He ran after her and
suddenly the clock struck 12 o’clock and
she changed to her body. She couldn’t
run any more, she became a statue of
rock, barely able to breathe. He then saw
the bracelet on her wrist and the bottle
in her hand. Samson started to laugh and
Lesedi was puzzled as to why Samson was
not mad at her. When she looked closely
Samson was holding a bottle of medicine
too and it turned out that Samson was her
friend. They were both using the woman’s
magic medicine on each other.
In the end they both decided to put an end
to the confusion and they smashed both
bottles.
Love can drive one into doing crazy things,
and it is important for one be one’s self
and be confident.
Review by Neliswa Mjeje • Grade 8,
Nathaniel Nyaluza High School
Title of the book:
Who’s afraid of spiders?
It is by: Helen Brain
19
The main characters in the book are
Derek, Brandon and the Birdman. The
story starts when Derek and Brandon
go fishing at a private property. While
they were there, a man appeared from
the water, it was the Birdman and by accident
they pushed him into the water.
He got really angry with them because
he was there taking pictures of birds
and they had disturbed him. He chased
them and they ran into an old warehouse.
There they found a bag of crayfish
and they suspected that it belonged
to the Birdman.
The two boys got into trouble with their
parents because they has disturbed the
Birdman, Dr Botha from doing his important
research that would save their village
from Solly Daniels who wanted to
build a huge casino there. They had to go
and apologise to Dr Botha even though
they believed that he was working with
someone in stealing the crayfish.
They wanted to catch the thieves at work
so one night they sneaked out to go to
the factory. But they were caught by Mr
Daniels and his men who were the ones
stealing the crayfish. Derek, Brandon and
Dr Botha were locked up in the fridge
by Mr Daniels and they had to work together
to find a way out. You will have to
read the story to find out what happens
to the boys, Dr Botha and Mr Daniels.
What I can say is that Geelbekbaai will
never be the same again.
The book is published by Human and
Rousseau and the ISBN number is 0 7981
3772 X.
Review by Nosibabalo Nondze • Grade 9,
CM Vellem Primary School

20
What the reader thought...
1X
2X
3X
4X
5X
poor
good
excellent
bett er than a movie
you MUST read this book!
REVIEWS
Title of the book:
Inside Africa
Authors: Hugh Houghton-
Hawksley and G.E. de Villiers
This book is a collecti on of stories. The
story I enjoyed reading was Zuziwe’s funeral,
writt en by R.L. Peteni. The main
characters in this story are Zuziwe,
Bhuqa, Mlenzana, Dakada and Duma.
The story starts when Zuziwe passed
away and Bhuqa visits Zuziwe’s family to
ask if he can att end her funeral. Zuziwe
and Bhuqa were in love before but
Bhuqa’s father forced Bhuqa to marry
another girl called Nozikade. So Bhuqa
wasn’t sure if the family would allow
him to be at the funeral and he wasn’t
sure if they sti ll blamed him for Zuziwe’s
death.
Someti me later, Bhuqa met Mlenzana on
the way to the funeral and they walked
together. Mlenzana was one of the only
few people who understood why Zuziwe
had died and that it was not Bhuqa’s
fault. At the funeral, a fi ght broke out
between Bhuqa and Duma, Zuziwe’s
brother. Duma shouted with hatred and
anger at Bhuqa, wanti ng to hit him with
a sti ck of wood. Luckily Mlenzana and
other men protected Bhuqa from Duma.
In the end, Zuziwe’s death caused Bhuqa
to think twice about marrying Nozikade
even though lobola had been paid. Aft er
so many years of Bhuqa not returning
from Port Elizabeth to marry Nozikade,
the lobola catt le were seen as a loss to
his family. He later married a girl in Port
Elizabeth and his father had no say in the
matt er.
This book is available at the library and
at school. It is published by Hodder and
Stoughton and the ISBN number is 0
947054 84 7.
Review by Sisipho Phongolo • Grade 8,
Nathaniel Nyaluza High School
eREVIEW
Title of the book:
Romeo and Jabulile
Author: Lutz van Dijk
This story starts with Jabulile, a thirteen
year old girl who lives in Masiphumelele
informal sett lement in Cape Town. She
meets her ‘Romeo’ when he congratulates
her on a goal she scored for her soccer
team, the Vuka Intombis. She likes
Romeo; she agrees to go with him to his
shack in a building yard on the outskirts of
Masiphumelele. This is the beginning of
their love aff air and Jabulile meets Romeo
secretly aft er soccer practi ce each week.
Their love grows, they grow close physically
but they don’t have sex because Jabulile
knows that she is not ready yet.
When Jabulile’s brother, Lonwabo, discovers
that she is seeing Romeo, he threatens
to kill Romeo because he is a Zimbabwean.
He hits Jabulile and tells her she must lead
him and his friends to Romeo’s house so
that they can beat him up. Lonwabo sets a
boy to watch Jabulile to see if she goes to
Romeo. Jabulile asks her friend, Unathi, to
take a lett er to Romeo’s mother. In it she
warns Romeo of Lonwabo’s threats and
tells him to be careful unti l things calm
down.
Later Jabulile goes to look for Unathi and
fi nds her at the pastor’s house. The pastor
is also their soccer coach. Romeo’s mother
and aunt are with Unathi. A gang of youth
broke into their home the night before and
threatened them, telling them to leave
Masiphumelele. Unathi took them to the
pastor’s house for safety and so Romeo
has not received the lett er. Jabulile decides
that she must fi nd Romeo herself and runs
to his shack. Together they climb up a
crane and look down on Masiphumelele.
They hear bangs and see fi res starti ng. It
is the beginning of a night of terrible violence
against refugees.
This story is about xenophobia. You can
learn a lot from this story. This book is better
than a movie. You can fi nd it at school
and the library. It is new because it was
writt en and published recently.
It is published by Maskew Miller Longman
- ISBN number 978 0 636 09815 2.
By Xolelwa Donyeli • Grade 9, Archie
Mbolekwa Higher Primary School
UPSTART OCTOBER 2010
Title of book:
Twilight- New Moon
Author: Stephenie Meyer
This is the second ti tle in the series.
The story starts with Bella’s 18th birthday
but Bella is upset this day because
it means she will be a year older than
Edward who remains only 17 years old.
For her, there is one thing more important
than life itself: Edward Cullen. But
being in love with a vampire is even
more dangerous than Bella could ever
have imagined.
During the story, Bella and Edward’s
relati onship comes into trouble and
for a while they are separated. But
Edward returns to Forks and asks Bella
to forgive him and he promises never
to leave her again. She forgives him,
and they conti nue their relati onship as
if Edward never left . Bella wants to be
turned into a vampire and aft er a long
ti me Edward agrees to turn her into a
vampire only if she marries him.
Jacob Black competes with Edward for
Bella’s love, but Bella loves Edward.
Jacob reminds Bella and Edward about
the agreement between Edward’s
vampire family and Jacob’s werewolf
family that Edward’s family would not
bite any humans. This leaves Bella in a
diffi cult positi on.
New Moon is full of surprising twists
and turns as well as romance.
By Jani van Rooyen • Grade 8, Hoërskool
PJ Olivier
Ellen van der Berg • Grade 8, Hoërskool
P J Olivier
Upstart is supported by the MDDA