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Your Life Magazine
VOLUME 3 Issue 3 2013
Science
IQ or EYE Q?
Michelle Obama :
A Remarkable Woman
WIN
BIC Hampers!
page 44

How do I become a filmmaker?
Before answering the question of how one becomes
a filmmaker it is important to outline the scope of the
film & TV industry.
The Film & TV industry also referred to as the digital
media or audiovisual industry, forms part of the very
complex and varied media, entertainment and cultural
industries.
There is broadcast television with its news, sports,
investigative journalism, inserts, magazine, sitcoms,
game and talk shows which involve an assortment of
production, research and studio skills.
of the advertising world, the commercial.
Choosing a career in the film and television industry
is exciting for any young person. But along with
the excitement, perceptions of glamour and trendy
associations, comes a lot of hard work, dedication,
jostling for jobs and long, long hours. In spite of these
demanding conditions, many people find the creativity
and excitement of bringing a film to life more than
makes up for the hard times. You too can realise
your dream of being part of this sector if you do the
homework, understand the industry and go about the
journey in the correct way.
Then there is what is commonly known as ‘long form’
- the mostly location-based television or drama series,
or features. There is also animation, corporate or
documentary productions. And lastly of course the gem
For more information on the film & TV industry as
well as information on educational institutions which
offer filmmaking courses you can visit the Gauteng Film
Commission website on www.gautengfilm.org.za
Gauteng Film Commission, 56 Main Street, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa
Tel +27 (0) 11 833 0409 • info @gautengfilm.org.za
An agency of the Gauteng Provincial Government

CONTENTS
CONTENTS
04
Editor’s Letter
26
Fashion in a Different Light
08
Meet some of our Contributors
09
Holla @ US
Connect with us
10
Really Silly Facts
Extracts from “Extraordinary Book of
Facts”, by Uncle John
12
In Our Next Issue
14
Indigenous Languages
Another Take
15
Scifest Africa
A remarkable event
20
IQ or Eye Q
Had a gr8 time tnk 4 ur present...
22
Famelab SA 2013 Winner
Michelle Knights and friends
24
SA Inventions
Some of the very best in the world
25
My First Credit Card
How to cope with a Credit Card
25
15
4
26
42
40
30
SKA
The super computer to interpret all data
generated
34
The Quotes Game
36
Sport
But different
37
Book Review
38
Michelle Obama
A person in her own right
40
How good are you at logical
thinking?
A few things for you to think about
42
North Korea
Facts, fiction, myths & lies
44
Competition
Win BIC Hampers
2
>>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool 3

From the Editor
Women of South Africa – My Story
Editor’s Letter
We are back! Finally! any publication depends on
advertising and this was hard to come by. i know we
have not published for months, but we are back. We
are here. and we intend to stay here.
let us dive into the positive stuff immediately:
Thapelo is on SKa again. Thapelo has selected one
piece of all the interesting aspect of SKa: The Super
computer to drive it all. Where is it going to sit? Who
will programme it? What exactly is it going to do?
These are very hard questions and thanks to the SKa
staff, i think Thapelo can present a fair view on this.
lerato has an interesting piece on reading. This is so
critical in today’s environment. You have to be able
to consume tremendous amounts of text and make
sense of it all. This article can get you going in terms
of reading.
This issue is being distributed at the Department of
Higher Education and Training’s conference. You will
find a 4-page pull-out on the conference, edited by
Fikile. Fikile is, by the way, our first employee! We are
very proud of this fact. We are moving.
We have three new writers with us: Fikile, Ray and
Sifiso. Fikile is looking into the never-ending story:
languages. This is a recurring topic and i think we all
look forward to the next “chapter” in this tale. There
are so many things impacting us and language is of
course one of the most important factors in our lives.
4 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
Ray is looking at a remarkable person. Michelle
obama. She is a person in her own right, not just a
shadow of Barak. Ray has done a wonderful job on
a difficult topic… and Michelle is a rather interesting
personality.
Sifiso has dived into the world of fashion. Male
fashion this time. He is in grade 10 and one of our
youngest writers and he has a lot of opinions about
this topic. This is an article i had great joy in reading.
i hope you have too. Sifiso is an upcoming star (well,
all our writers are, really), but here is a person to look
out for.
Rofhiwa takes us to North Korea this time. This is
a country of which there are more rumours and
lies than facts. North Korea might be able to start a
nuclear war in the world but is it all true?
an article to read: My first credit card by Rose. Yes,
you will soon be there, but how are you going to
manage that? … and then i could not resist it. There
is a nice little “challenge” in terms of logical thinking.
Enjoy and don’t despair. a math teacher gave up on
one of them.
of course the quotes are there! i love doing those.
Enjoy the read!
Sybil
My story is South African women yesterday,
My story is the past.
It is connected from the hearts of those who
suffered,
And those who survived,
It is connected to the mind.
My story is a good teacher, learn from it,
My story is South African women yesterday.
My story is South African women yesterday,
The flames of hunger,
Lions of yesterday,
Which roared with anger for freedom.
Women who bore fruits of
black diamonds, us,
Women who deserve a Nobel prize
for their existence.
Have you
considered the
number of career
options within the
Finance and
Accounting
sector?
My story is about rocks which
resisted being struck,
My story is South African women yesterday.
My story is South African women yesterday.
My story is the past.
My story is yesterday’s hope,
My story is today’s freedom.
My story is questions to generations today,
What is your hope, your vision?
What is your legacy to
generations tomorrow?
My story is the legacy left by
South African women yesterday,
My story is today’s freedom.
By Aliaah
From the exciting, edge-of-your-seat world of
stockbroking to the highly valued practice of
financial planning, the Finance, Accounting,
Management Consulting and other Financial
Services (Fasset) Sector has a career for every
aspiring number cruncher. Just some of the
many careers in the finance and accounting
sector include accountancy, bookkeeping,
debt collecting, tax practitioning and
accounting technicians. There are so many
opportunities available in the fields of finance
and accounting that the possibilities are truly
endless.
BLACKMOON 10835

NATIONAL ARTISAN DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT CENTRE
One-stop-shop support centre for Artisan Development in South Africa
WHO IS NADSC?
The project came about when the Memorandum of Agreement
was signed between the Ekurhuleni East College for Further
Education and Training, the Department of Higher Education
& Training represented by the Chief Directorate INDLELA. The
project commenced on the 16th June 2012.
The Artisan & Technician Development Technical Task Team
(ATD-TTT) the stakeholder representative body established
by the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC)
of South africa has, through its work-plan, identified the
three primary blockages to a national artisan development
programme. These three blockages were tabled before the
Human Resource Development Council on 15 June 2012 and
unanimously endorsed for removal by relevant implementing
partners. These three blockages are the lack of:
• Detailed, accurate, current date for artisan trade
prioritisation, workplaces and placement, scientific
target setting, monitoring;
• A single guaranteed funding model for all artisan trades
listed in the Government Gazette applicable to all sectors
including a single artisan learner administration and grant
disbursement system; and
• An Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) system
that is focused on supporting persons who are working
as support workers in the Engineering field to become
certified artisans.
THE NADSC WAS ESTABLISHED TO ADDRESS THE FIRST
ARTISAN DEVELOPMENT BLOCKAGE IDENTIFIED BY THE
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
Some of the services offered:
• Matching & supply to demand as per company criteria
• Student work placement.
• Interview preparation session.
• After placement care.
MISSION:
• Provide learners with workplace practical experience, and
also to equip learners with necessary skills for them to
pass their trade test and become qualified artisans
• Address the scarce skills shortage in the country by
developing artisans, creating better employment
opportunities.
VISION:
• To provide support to the National Artisan Development
programme by facilitating the placement of (artisan/
engineering learners) from all 50 FET colleges on learner
ship programmes with industry partners.
• To be leaders in the Artisan Development and to produce
high quality artisan tradesman in the country.
OBJECTIVES:
• Link SETAs with Engineering graduates from FET colleges.
• Link approved artisan workplaces with FET colleges.
• Matching of supply and demand or artisan learners.
• Operate and manage a National Artisan Database for both
supply and demand.
• Recording and reporting on all artisan related date to
remove the first LHRDC artisan development blockage.
• Track and trace artisan learners from registration,
certification and employment.
GOALS:
• Assist the National Development plan of producing
30 000 qualified artisans per year by 2030.
• To support SETAs with registration of all stakeholders
in their respective sectors.
• To support SETAs with registration of Artisan learners,
including RPL candidates.
• To conduct a pre-screening and recommendation of
learners to stakeholders for further selection placement
on the Artisan internship programme.
• Maintain and manage a National Artisan Database.
• To establish an effective date collection and reporting
system.
• To source and facilitate development programmes for
Artisan placements.

Contributors
My name is Rofhiwa Madzena. I’m a young woman who is fun and approachable,
I’m a budding feminist and I strongly believe that the worth of a woman is second
to none, the trick is convincing the rest of the world a challenge I’m ready for! I’m
passionate about South Africa and the World and many call me naïve but I believe
that we and generations that will follow will achieve world peace!
My name is Sifiso Ngwenya, a grade 10 student at Tiisetsong Secondary School.
I love writing and reading stories,novels and just about every thing. I am a
blogger and a socialite and I plan to write awesome articles for Hola MaHigh-
School. I trust everyone will love my articles and keep reading.
I am Thapelo Moloabi and I reside in Lenasia. I am currently doing my Grade 12 at
Highlands North Boy’s High school. I’m a socialite by nature who wants to change the
world. Look out for me, because it will happen.
WE ARE NOW ALL OVER THE PLACE
Editor
Sybil Otterstrom
sybil@next-level.co.za
holamahighschool@gmail.com
Advertising Sales
Next Level Management
Services cc
011 614 5046/2094
076 360 1792
sybil@next-level.co.za
From our Facebook page
A big heads-up to your lifestyle
magazine: Koketso Thubakgale
i love ur mag !u guys u rock my world!!!”
– Kefentse Hope
My name is Monica Rose Morapama. I was born in Alexandra 22 years ago when
the NP government took the first step towards dismantling discrimination and
lifted the ban on the ANC and other political organisations. This is no surprise
why am I into politics. And I don’t care if a reader hates one of my stories, just
as long as he finishes the book, and review it.
My name is Lerato “Pree” Mofokeng. I’m currently doing matric at Midrand High.
I’m a very interactive, out-going being and oh my... I love fashion!! I started writing
poetry at the age of 11, along with starting art. I may be new, but I’ll surely get you
to be a “Hola-Mag-Worm” lol! Although it will come with great challenges, I will
not be defeated as I stand by Madiba’s quote: “I learned that courage was not the
absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel
afraid, but he who conquers that fear”.
My name is Innocent Ximba. I am a creative writer and motivational speaker.
I have opinions that amaze the world and advice that the youth can relate to.
Yours in creative writing, Innocent Ximbaair.
My name is Fikile Unifire Zulu. First and foremost I’m a career driven, bold, diligent,
go-getter and self-motivated young lady from Evaton West in the Vaal Triangle. I’m a
firm believer in reading because it nurtures ones mind and makes you see the world
from a new perspective. I co-founded a non-profit organistation and I also write. I
love relaxing with nothing but a book and I enjoy writing.
8 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
Publishing
Romele Publications cc
PO Box 53056
Troyeville 2139
011 614 5046/2094
Enquiries
Romele Publications cc
32 Eleanor Street
Troyville
011 614 5046/2094
sybil@next-level.co.za
Production & Art Direction
Sybil Schneider
gaggle@icon.co.za
Publisher
Sybil Otterstrom
Distribution
On the Dot
Printing
Paarl Media
Guys u duing a gr8 job nd m totally
inlove with yo mag.
– Refiloe Mawela
Follow us on Twitter
@holamahighsch
I’m Raymond Moruku, currently in Grade
12 at Nirvana Secondary School in Lenasia.
I’m the RCL president at school, uphold
leadership skills that will be essential in the
near future of this country. In 2013 I plan
to study political science as my passion for
politics speaks for itself through my current
activities. I’m part of the Ahmed Kathrada
Foundation leadership programme which
prepares us to become future leaders and
deepens non-racialisim.
As always,a bolt from the blue,here comes
me!!! My name is Sello Atlegang Aliaah, a
seed of today, a flower of tomorrow who
lives in Soshanguve,a 16 year old who’s
in Senthibele High. I’m here to knock you
out,so watch out!!!
>>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
9

Have a Laugh
Have a Laugh
satellites falling to earth.
Honey never goes off.
Popcorn eaters are three times more likely to cry
in the movies than non-popcorn eaters.
The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve
razor blades.
Female canaries can’t sing.
Eagles can’t hunt when it is raining.
All of this is from the book:
“Extraordinary Book of Facts”
by Uncle John.
Frogs use their eyeballs to push food down their
throat.
The bite of a king cobra can kill a full-grown
elephant in less than three hours.
Superglue does not stick to the inside of the bottle
because it needs moisture to set, and there is no
moisture in the bottle.
Hippo bites are almost always fatal. Reason: they
are very large bites.
Elephants cannot jump. Every other mammal can.
Hot water weighs more than cold water.
The first canned foods appeared in 1810, but the
can opener was not invented until 1858.
Men get hiccups more often than women. Nobody
knows why.
Most parrots are left-handed.
To relieve a headache, tape or hold the inner side
of a banana peel to the forehead and the nape of
the neck. The peel increase the electrical conductivity
between the two spots.
Babies are born without knee caps.
on any given day, half the people in the world will
eat rice.
The darker green a vegetable is, the more vitamin
c it contains.
add honey to peanut butter to resist it from sticking
to the roof of your mouth.
gesturing with your hands while speaking improves
your memory.
Brain waves have been used to run and electric
train.
if a cow eats onions, its milk will taste like onions.
look at a mealie: They all have even numbers of
rows of kernels.
Honey is easy to digest because it has already
been digested by a bee.
Honey never goes bad.
coconut shells can absorb more impact than most
crash helmets.
it is possible to sneeze so hard you break your ribs.
Bloodhounds are the only animals whose evidence
is admissible in US courts.
Tablecloths originally served as big napkins. People
wiped their hands and faces on them.
lonely parrots can go insane.
it’s impossible to lick your elbow.
in antarctica, sunsets can be green.
Telesphobia is the name given to the fear of being
last.
if you have keraunothnetophobia you are afraid of
if it happened before 476 aD, it is ancient. after
476 aD it is medieval.
The incas measured time by how long it took a
potato to cook.
Thomas Edison was not blind, but he preferred to
read in Braille.
Vinegar cannot go off.
Due to the rotation of the earth, an object can be
thrown farther if it is thrown west.
Wood frogs freeze solid during winter and thaw
back to life in spring.
Most common phobia: arachnophobia: fear of
spiders. <
10 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
>>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
11

Sport
We have loads of stuff going for us!
In Our Next Issue
america is shutting down. Now, is it
even possible to shut down a country?
and what are the consequences. The
US law governing is a bit hazy and
Rofhiwa will try to make this clearer
to us.
We will introduce new writers as well.
We have students submitting articles and
trust me, these are of a quality which we
is ranking right up there. How many and
who will be looked at in the next weeks.
career in science? Sounds hard. it is. We
have spoken to a “real” scientist. a young
one at that. of course immensely clever, and
surprise... she does not have a pointed head.
She will take you into the real world of science.
Fikile is preparing more articles and i will let
that be a surprise for you.
Ray, our new writer, will get in on leadership.
This will be a personal account based on his
activities in different organisations. look
forward to this.
Thapelo is getting in on Nanotech. This is
a strange area and will have a huge impact
on our lives, because it is here in Sa that
developments take place.
Sport is important. This time we will look at
what it takes to be world-class. look out for
this article!
Fashion: oh yes. our new fashion guru,
Sifiso, will have a look at the recent
fashion shows and give you
feed-back. Did you like his article in
this issue? i found it both thoughtful
and great.
of course the quotes and the really
silly something will be there. i have
tremendous fun doing those.
going to be a good read!
SMS Hola to 45813 or
Scan the QR Code to
get more info from UJ.
Standard SMS rates
apply
Want to study at UJ? Be CLEAR about it. Choose your subjects wisely in Grade 9. Learn well in Grade 10. Earn the good marks you need to go
to university in Grade 11. Apply early with those marks in Grade 12; and Register at UJ for your first year if you are accepted. So if you want to
continue studying once you finish school, then you need to put in the ground work while you’re still there. It all adds up to being CLEAR. Reach
your goal of studying at UJ. Be anything you want to be. Be CLEAR about your future.
Apply before the end of September of your Grade 12 year. Visit www.uj.ac.za or call 0861 00 00 UJ

Education
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES
– ANOTHER TAKE –
The ongoing debate when it comes to
indigenous languages and where they are really
headed in our country, is still a sore point. South
african literature in indigenous languages remains
imbalanced due to lack of enthusiasm. Being able to
read and write in any indigenous language is another
way of cultivating and preserving them and to stop
them from dying out.
it becomes really sad when a child, or adult, for that
matter, fluently speaks English but can’t utter a word
in their home language. What does that say about the
culture of preserving indigenous languages?
are our parents doing enough to encourage
development of our languages? Should we blame
our parents of any one else? We are all facing a hard
battle of becoming culturally extinct, since languages
have the ultimate power to bring nations together and
forms part of who we are.
New word inventions shouldn’t be seen as language
deformation, but, rather as language development in
keeping them alive. is it slang or is it development?
Why do some people think “language pollution”
and try to preserve a “pure” language? a language
develops all by itself.
People have different attitudes when it comes to
reading, writing or speaking in their languages. Some
don’t mind knowing and learning more, whilst others
do not see the need. However, the case may be that
attitudes do play a certain role in keeping the language
barriers unchanged.
When something becomes “polluted” it means that
particular thing becomes filthy and won’t be of any use
whatsoever. How can one possibly say an invention of
new words gets the language polluted? Who should be
responsible for such inventions? if it has to be decided
somewhere removed from the users of a language, it
might not be relevant at all.
according to the 2011 census conducted by Statistics
South africa, the most common spoken home language
is isiZulu with just over 20% of the population, followed
by isiXhosa at 16%, afrikaans at 13.5% and English and
Setswana each at 8.2%.
With such a high number of speakers of indigenous
languages, it is shocking when one tries to publish a
book in any of these languages. it is often turned down
(apparently) because there is no market for it. is it
because our nation is regarded as a less reading nation,
or is it because our languages have taken a backseat?
When african literature Book Shop launched The
indigenous Reading Development Programme, its aim
was to help a culture of reading as well as enhance
our indigenous languages and the development of
indigenous Reading (and by implication of african
literature Book Shop) depends on the availability of
suitable literature in indigenous languages.
We cannot let the culture of our languages die. We
have to continuously strive to let them live, because the
annual surveys released by the Publishers association
of South africa, indicates that the local publishing
industry is dominated by the sale of English-language
books standing at approximately 70%, followed by the
sale of published books in afrikaans at approximately
18% with books published in african languages
combined accounts of an average 9% of net turnover.
When the then Executive Mayor of Johannesburg
delivered his speech at the launch, he mentioned a
few key pointers in regards to indigenous languages
such as the book shop will support, inspire and expose
South african writers and to create interest in writing
in indigenous languages, to increase public knowledge
of african history and culture, so as to foster pride and
integration. also to develop the talent of the youth
who participate in the african literature Development
Programme and to guide them towards the world of
publishing through the centre of the Book.
if more and more elites and academics encourage
people to enhance their indigenous languages, our
nation will become a better read nation. Where to
from here? We shall see, but, for now let us speak, read
and write more in our languages. For the upcoming
generation too.
By Fikile Zulu
Scifest Africa:
A remarkable event!
First of all: what is the Scifest africa? i have
copied this off their official website, which
explains it very well. Find out more: www.scifest.
org.za
Scifest africa, South africa’s National Science Festival,
was established in 1996 to promote the public
awareness, understanding and appreciation of
science, technology, engineering, mathematics and
innovation.
The project consists of two
components, namely the
National Science Festival
held in grahamstown,
Eastern cape in March every
year, as well as regional
and national outreach
programmes implemented
throughout the rest of the
year.
Scifest africa identifies and designs unique interactive
events and educational resources with scientific
integrity to advance science, facilitate learning in
an informal and non-threatening way, and provide
learners with a great opportunity to discover science
outside the classroom.
Scifest africa also allows South africa and the world’s
leading scientists the opportunity to share their work,
make science accessible within the reach of ordinary
people, network with one another, provide career
guidance and act as role models for our youth, in
order to encourage the youth to embark on careers
and become leaders in these fields.
Scifest africa is a project of the grahamstown
Foundation, a not-for-profit public benefit organisation
established in 1969 and based in grahamstown,
Eastern cape. The mission of the grahamstown
Foundation is “that all might have life and have it
more abundantly”, and it realises this mission through
quality awareness and education and training projects
such as Scifest africa.”
it is over as you read this, but this article will give you
the feel for what Scifest africa is all about.
Science
So, it is more than just one event and allows you all
to be part of it no matter where you are! and what
was Scifest africa 2013 all about? The theme was
“SCIENCE ON THE MOVE!”
The theme celebrated transport, racing and the World
land Speed Record, exploration, the universe and
SKa, communications, the human body in motion,
and anything else that moves!
The National Science
Festival this year featured
50 exhibitions, 21 lectures,
14 Talkshops, 42 workshop
titles, and more than
400 other interactive
events including, but not
limited to; activity zones,
the afrobot amateur
Robotics Tournament, a
children’s Science Festival,
educational theatre, field trips, a fun run, city on the
move fun walk parade, a conversation with… which
enabled visitors to wine and dine with four of the high
profile lecturers, a hobbies fair, iRhini Science Festival,
the laser show, murder mysteries, quizzes, Science
café Series, science olympics, site visits, a sleepover,
Speed-Date-a-Scientist Series, and the incredible new
Water World venue hosted by South africa institute
for aquatic Biodiversity (SaiaB).
let us see what the minister for Science and
Technology, Mr. Derek Hanekom, had to say: (an
edited version).
“South africa’s successful transformation to a
knowledge-based economy will require an informed
leadership and citizens who have an awareness,
understanding and appreciation of science,
engineering and technology. We will also need highly
skilled researchers and innovators in these fields
whose research could result in South africa becoming
a market leader in new technology products.
Scifest africa 2013 celebrates the theme of
movement by focusing on modes of transport and
transport infrastructure, the physics of movement,
14 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
>>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
15

Science
Science
the human body, communications, exploration,
the universe, and anything else that moves. The
programme also celebrates the geographical
advantages, infrastructure and human capital that
made South africa the obvious choice to co-host the
Square Kilometre array (SKa) telescope, and to host
The Bloodhound Project in its attempt to break the
World land Speed Record on Hakskeenpan, Northern
cape in 2014.
The vision and mission of Scifest africa are well aligned
with the Department of Science and Technology’s
(DST) Youth into Science Strategy, which aims to
enhance science and technology awareness and
literacy amongst the general public, particularly the
youth, and to expose young people to STEMi-related
careers in order to renew the human capital required
for research and development in South africa.
The Department of Science and Technology supports
the efforts of Scifest africa in its ongoing efforts to
inspire our youth through the delivery of engaging
and thought-provoking experiences in science. The
leading example set by Scifest africa in the field
of science awareness is also recognised by a host
of general sponsors and sponsors-in-kind, and we
commend and thank each of these sponsors for their
investment in the festival and its outreach projects.
i encourage our learners to use this opportunity to
engage with our scientists who are amongst the best
in the world. This experience could be a watershed
moment in your young careers. This is your time to
listen, ask, discover, challenge, learn, debate and
enjoy!”
although it will be over when you read this, i want to
ensure you know the extent of the 2013 event. This
will give you the “feel” for 2014.
Scifest Africa basically consists of five main
components:
• lectures;
• Talkshops;
• Workshops;
• Exhibitions; and
• Site visits.
The lecture series this year were:
• Finding “old Four legs” – The history of the
coelacanth
• Movers and shakers: The social life of galaxies.
• Science: So what?
• Symmetry and the Quinunx Nexus – string theory
among other things
• Project bloodhound – breaking the 1 000 mph
barrier.
• Meet the Millenials.
• New Horizons: NaSa’s mission to Pluto and
beyond.
• Move toward your dream.
• To speak again – cancer treatment.
• The antikythera mechanism: The 2 000 year old
computer.
• Rhino poaching and other relevant crimes.
• cultures Keratinocytes in treating large burn
wounds: Pippie Kruger’s story.
• Supernovae, dark energy, and robotic telescopes.
• The significance of cycling cities.
These are leading cutting-edge issues that are on the
world front and very inspirational.
The exhibitions were impressive:
• BaSF Holdings South africa (Pty) ltd: BaSF Kids’
lab.
• The Bloodhound Project: Bloodhound SSc.
• Bayworld: Movement tales.
• British council: improving English language in
South africa.
• academy of Science of South africa: Quest:
Science for South africa.
• National Zoological gardens of South africa: The
amazing X-factor of Nature.
• South african Environmental observation
Network: Elwandle Node: Monitoring change in
South african environments.
• council for Scientific and industrial Research: The
wonder of lasers.
• South african agency for Science and Technology
advancement: SciQuest,
• South african institute for aquatic Biodiversity:
africa’s aquatic biodiversity
• South african National Space agency: our space.
• South african astronomical observatory: Reach
for the stars.
• council for the Built Environment: Building a
nation
• Square Kilometre array (SKa) South africa:
Something Big.
• chemBiz: Quality in chemistry education
• Esri South africa (Pty) ltd: geography through giS.
• FoSST Discovery centre: Enhancing teaching using
Technology
• Johannesburg city Parks: Parks in communities.
• Nedbank: The green Bank.
• Jive Media africa: Science Spaza.
• National English literary Museum: Reading our
environment.
• old Mutual: old Mutual bursaries. >>> cont.
Amateur Afrobot Robotics
tournament
FameLab winner MIchelle Knights.
Soap box derby.
Sunset show.
Waterworld exhibition.
Cardboard challenge.
Science show.
In conversation with Andy Green,
one of the lecturers
Educational theatre.
Green Fund run.
A learner at an interactive
exhibition during Scifest Africa.
16 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
Workshop
17

Science
• oxford University Press: Science made easy with
oxford
• Petroleum agency Sa: Rocks and minerals in our
lives!
• Rhodes University: Department of Pharmacy:
Pharmaceutics at Rhodes.
• PlasticsSa: Plastic recycling: Hype, green washing
or a necessity?
• Plastic Engineering Services: Mini PortalaBs on
display
• Rhodes University: Department of Botany: Plants
on the move.
• Roswika Media: Science Stars.
• South african air Force: achieving results through
our people.
• The South african National Roads agency ltd:
creating wealth through infrastructure.
• Somerset Educational (Pty) ltd: Educational
resources that make a difference.
• South african Weather Service: Voyage to below
40° South.
• Technology innovation agency: Supporting Sa’s
technology.
• UNiSa, college of Science, Engineering and
Technology.
• University of Pretoria: get moving at the University
of Pretoria.
• Village Scribe association: Social networking on
the move!
Site visits, the ultimate learning experience:
• air school 43: Flying training.
• aquaponics: producing fish and vegetables.
• Eastern Star gallery printing and Press museum: a
real printing experience.
• National English literary Museum.
• Stenden South africa campus: a small satellite
campus of Stenden University in the Netherlands
Das auto: Volkswagen in Sa.
• another special feature on this year’s programme
was Famelab which “kicked-off ‘’ in South africa
for the first time 2013. Famelab is an international
competition dubbed the “Pop idols for scientists”
and is running in 25 countries around the world.
it seeks out new voices in science, technology,
engineering and maths – developing science
communication skills and profiling role-models to
inspire the next generations of scientists.
Regional heats and semi-finals took place at
various venues around the country, and the
National Finals where held at Scifest africa.
The winner will represent South africa in the
international Famelab final in the UK in June 2013.
18 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
WHAT TO dO NOW:
Well, it might be all over by the time you read all of
this. However, do not despair. 2014 not far away, but
you need to get mobilized now. get your school to
look at this exciting diverse programme, get funding
for the trip, try to persuade your school to send a
delegation. Start planning now.
This amazing event that has inspired so many learners
is really too significant to miss.
What will happen in gauteng? There is not a lot
planned as of yet. The main focus is the Eskom
Expo for Young Scientists, which is a great national
competition for all budding scientists.
You can stand the chance to win fabulous prizes and
once-in-a-lifetime opportunities!
The Department of Science and Technology (DST)
also has a range of activities lined up for the rest of
the year, that are implemented through SaaSTa
(South african agency for Science and Technology
advancement). look out for events and activities near
you! www.saasta.ac.za.
get involved, explore, and see where the endless
possibilities of science can take you!
if you should need any contacts or ideas, i will
strongly recommend that you contact our science
writer: Thapelo Moloabi. Write to him through me at:
holamahighschools@gmail.com
Now back to Scifest africa:
CONCLUSION
This is a world class premium event, and is the largest
science festival in sub-Saharan africa. it is the “pulse”
for science, technology, engineering, mathematics
and innovation (STEMi), and offers that special little
something for everyone!
is it important? absoulutely yes! let us be absolutely
frank about it: Sa is at the forefront of technology in
so many respects. look at SKa, the Northern cape’s
Hakskeenpan and the attempt to break the World
land Speed Record, nanotechnology, health and
other initiatives.
it is YoUR chance to know about the fields you can
excel in. My recommendation: go for it! get on with
it! Just do it! <
All photographs by Jason Hudson.
Geographic Information Science
PLATO accredited course
GISc is the science of capturing, processing, analysing and mapping spatial
data (information about the earth). The associated technology is used to explore,
visualise and analyse data.
Do you enjoy Geography, Computer Science, Maths, Science, Physics and
Information Technology? Do you like variety, design and working indoors, as
well as outdoors? You could become a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
professional after completion of your GISc studies.
A growing variety of careers are available within a very wide range of industries,
including planning, engineering, land development and management, as well as
mining, architecture and mapping, both in the private and public sector.
Studying GISc at CPUT gives students the opportunity to specialise in either
spatial analysis, remote sensing or data quality management.
Both our Diploma (exclusive to CPUT) and BTech courses have been accredited
by the South African Council for Professional and Technical Surveyors (PLATO).
For more information, visit:
http://bit.ly/CPUT-GISc
Contact: J Raubenheimer
Tel: +27 21 959 6207
E-mail: RaubenheimerJ@cput.ac.za

The Importance of Reading
IQ OR EYE Q?
IQ person’s intelligence compares to that of an
is an abbreviation for intelligence Quotient.
This is the number showing how a
average person. Technology has changed the way we
live. We just love being fast at texting, video games and
surfing the internet. But we’ve never thought about
reading fast and that’s where the “brain enhancement
programme” comes in, known as Eye Q.
libraries, like universities, serve a critical role in improving
literacy levels and act as information hubs, often
providing a community’s only access to electronic communication.
african libraries are
generally given a low priority by
governments and international
funders as most have severely
deteriorated infrastructure.
Public libraries are being transformed
into multipurpose community
centres that seek to foster
a lifelong culture of reading and
library attendance. These new “centres of Excellence”
include early childhood development sections, teenage
computer games as well as performance and meeting
space. They are also serving us as integral components
of violence prevention projects in previously crimeridden
cities and sections of black townships.
These information hubs do help in preventing us from
being involved in unscrupulous activities, but yet again,
are they helping when it comes to serving their purpose?
in essence, they actually don’t help in reading
fast. But when it comes to reading “SMS taal”, nobody
seems to encounter a problem and that’s why we’ve
become so fast at texting because we write out the
words in our own interpretation. We don’t have time
to write out: “How are you doing?”, it’s simply “Hud?”.
Funny enough, this is the language we all seem to understand:
“aint nobody got tym 4 bombastic wrds”. The
SMS language tends to create a novice language which
has become an integral part of the multilingual world.
it pursues simple sentence structure for communication,
especially between family members. it is assumed
that SMS syntactic and lexical choices by texters are not
so different from a child’s language.
a child expresses his feelings through simple progressive
tense, e.g. Eating for ‘i am eating’.
one study showed that an average american teenager
sends up to 60 texts a day. However, SMS has also been
blamed for the decline in language ability and an increase
in traffic accidents. This new sub-language has
spread worldwide as texters find shortcuts to write
their messages as quickly as possible, using the fewest
characters. Texting shorthand such as lol (laugh out
loud) and oMg (oh my god) has entered the oxford
English Dictionary.
Speed reading allegedly improves one’s ability to reading
quickly. Methods involved include, chunking (in psy-
chology, a phenomenon whereby
individuals group responses when
performing a memory task) and
eliminating sub vocalization (inter-
nal speech made when reading a
word, thus allowing the reader to
imagine the sound of the word as
it is read).
according to Wikipedia, tests to
measure the effect of speed reading on comprehension
have generally achieved poor results. a speed
reading test sponsored by Staples as part of an e-book
promotion, revealed that average college students
read about 450 words compared to a third grader who
reads 150 words per minute and a world speed reading
champion who reads 4 700 words. Sounds crazy right?
at tertiary level one really needs to be able to read fast
as lectures are at a very high pace because they assume
you are able to meet them halfway as they read about
675 words per minute. Notes are given and reviewed
on a daily basis and tests are written regularly and in
most cases, you’ve got to make sure that you go over
the work done that night, because, that’s when the
learning takes place. in class its actually just teaching…
you’ll never know if you’ll be getting that surprise test
or not the following day, so, it’s better to be safe than
sorry (this is why we have always been advised in high
school to go over our work on a daily basis).
To answer the question: it’s your iQ that matters as it’s
synopsized by the general knowledge as well as the
learning information you take in and in most circumstances,
general knowledge just compels you to aspire
to find out more about things.
By Lerato Mofokeng
20 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool

Science
I
am Michelle Knights, a cosmologist.
It means I study the
whole Universe and try to understand
it.
When I was little, I watched the
stars wondering what they were. I
always loved astronomy, but I never
believed someone would pay
me to do it as a job. That is, until
the Square Kilometre Array (www.
ska.ac.za) project began supporting
my studies.
I studied mathematics and
physics at Rhodes University,
followed by an Honours
course with the National Astrophysics
and Space Science
Programme (www.
star.ac.za).
From there, I decided to
specialise in cosmology for
my Masters and am currently
doing my PhD at the
University of Cape Town and the
African Institute for Mathematical
Sciences.
I feel that there’s no point in doing
science if no one knows about your
discoveries. That’s why I’m passionate
about science communication
and why I took part in the SAASTA
Young Science Communicators
Competition. The competition
challenges scientists to communicate
their science in new and creative
ways.
Science may seem complicated
and abstract but in fact, we are
surrounded by science and anyone
can understand it if they are curious
about how the world works.
Look at it this way: anyone under
the age of 21 can operate a cell
phone, iPad, Facebook, Mxit, You-
tube. Anyone understands words
like Pixels, Megabytes, JPEG, upload,
download, chat. So, if this
does not represent “science”, well.
(Top to bottom)
Michelle
Knights, Winner
(Jive Media);
Michelle doing
outreach
for the SKA project
in Thailand (Nadeem Oozeer);
Michelle at the Hartebeesthoek
Radio Astronomy Observatory;
Famelab’s nine finalists; Michelle in
front of the 130 year old telescope
she helped repair in Grahamstown
in 2009 (Emile Lochner).
I wrote a radio
script called
“The Great Debate”
which is
a dramatisation
of one of the turning points
in the history of astronomy, when
scientists realised that the Universe
was far, far bigger than they
thought and that our galaxy, the
Milky Way, is just one of billions. I
won this category and will soon be
producing my radio script for one
of the local radio stations! This is
a major achievement and is so inspiring.
Famelab
I took part in the first ever Famelab
South Africa competition. Famelab
(www.famelab.org) is a fantastic
way to get young scientists
to communicate their
work to the public. Called
the “pop idols” of science,
Famelab is a contest like no
other.
Participants have just three
minutes to give a talk on any
scientific topic using only
props they can take on stage
with them, no PowerPoint allowed!
After three gruelling, but
fun rounds competing against scientists
from all around the country,
I walked away with the first prize
at Scifest in Grahamstown.
The best moment for me,
was standing in front of an
audience of 960 people,
and hearing an “ooh” ripple
through the crowd as they understood,
for the first time, how
we discover planets outside our
solar system.
In June 2013, I will represent
South Africa at the international
Famelab final in the UK.
If, when you imagine a scientist,
you picture a crazy old guy locked
in an office scribbling equations
no-one will see, or a man with grey
hair in a labcoat mixing chemicals,
you are mistaken.
We are the new generation of scientists.
We have lots of options.
We are young, vibrant and social.
We care about sharing our passion
for science with the world. We are
making amazing new discoveries.
And we are proving, every day, that
science is for everyone. <
ELI KASAI, 32
Hobbies: Reading,
Bodybuilding, Basketball.
Interests: Observational
Cosmology, Radio
Astronomy, Community
Service, Science
Communication.
Future goals: PhD in 2
years, Post-doctoral in
the UK or USA in 3-4
years, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of
Namibia in 6 years.
I am a first year PhD student in Astrophysics and
Observational Cosmology at the University of Cape
Town, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences
and the South African Astronomical Observatory.
I am originally from a small town called Rundu in
north-eastern Namibia. In my research, I make use
of data taken with telescopes to look at dying stars
known as “supernovae” and use the information to
study the dynamics of the universe: how did it start,
how much stuff there is in it and what is its fate. How
did I get into Science?
The speed of the motion of our planet Earth around
the Sun was something that amazed me so much
while in my last years of high school. The speed is
so enormous and unimaginable that the thought
captivated my mind and curiosity greatly. In a
desperate attempt to want to know why this was so,
I began reading about the works of Sir Isaac Newton
and became more and more interested in the
findings that I decided I was going to follow a career
in Astronomy and Space Science in the future. In
my spare time, I work out, play basketball and make
time to read novels. I also enjoy watching movies
and series once every now and then and occasionally
get involved in other outdoor activities such as
sightseeing and hiking.
HANNES BREYTENBACH, 25
I’m a astrophysics student
living in the beautiful mother
city, Cape Town, SA. Growing
up, I was always driven by an
incurable curiosity to find out
more about all the marvellous
things in nature. I have always
been especially fascinated by
the stars, what the are, what
makes them shine, how do
they evolve and what eventually becomes of them?
As a first step, I started out studying physics in my
hometown at the University of Pretoria (TUKS). After
Science
graduating I moved to Cape Town and enrolled in the
National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme
(NASSP) at UCT. During my time here, I have learnt
many fascinating things about the universe we live
in and met many interesting people who share my
curiosity. Astronomy is a very rewarding field of
study and there are many amazing opportunities in
South Africa for young students.
During my free time, when I’m not stargazing, I enjoy
playing guitar and spending time outdoors, either
hiking, rock climbing or mountain biking.
ANDRECIA RAMNATH,
23
Current study: Masters in
Physics
Hobbies, interests: making
music, dancing classes,
photography and travel
Goal for the future: My
ultimate goal in life is to
be a physicist. My main
research interest is high
energy physics (I hope to be the one to discover “the
next Higgs boson”)! Modern experiments in this area
of physics work towards understanding our universe
by studying it’s fundamental building blocks. By
smashing atoms into each other at extremely high
speeds, physicists try to decipher what flies out of
such collisions and why. After getting a doctorate in
physics, I intend to work at an international research
institute such as CERN (The European Centre for
Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland.
My name is Andrecia Ramnath and I am a 23 year
old masters student at the University of Cape Town.
My ultimate goal in life is to be a physicist. My main
research interest is high energy physics (I hope to
be the one to discover “the next Higgs boson”)!
Modern experiments in this area of physics work
towards understanding our universe by studying it’s
fundamental building blocks.
By smashing atoms into each other at extremely high
speeds, physicists try to decipher what flies out of
such collisions and why. After getting a doctorate in
physics, I intend to work at an international research
institute such as CERN (The European Centre for
Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland. Besides
a burning passion for science, I have many hobbies
I like to spend time on: making music, dancing
classes, photography and travel to name a few. Life
as a scientist has taught me that the world is full of
exciting things to learn and experience; all you need
is an inquisitive mind! <
26 22 >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL 27 23

Inventions
South African Inventions
Here is a decidedly
positive article on South
africa. it again proves we
can be proud of our tradition of
inventions and being on the
forefront of technology. it is not all
about technology, although this
issue is dedicated to science and
technology. it is about us. as in you
and i.
We deliberately use the word
tradition. it is a real hard and tough
word. Tradition. it means we
must go and do it, because, that
is how we have always done it.
Successfully.
Here is another take on tradition :
as the British evacuated crete in
1941 and the losses were heavy
due to the german bombing raids,
the admiral was asked to consider
stopping the evacuation. He said:
“of course we will carry on. it takes
three years to build a ship, but 300
years to build a tradition”. So let us
be a little bit proud today. We have
a tradition!
Now, that feels good, doesn’t it?
ok, here goes, picked from www.
southafrica.info
CAT Scan : The computed axial
tomography scan, or caT scan, was
developed at Tufts University in
the UK by South african physicist
allan cormack and godfrey
Hounsfield of EMi laboratories.
Their achievement secured them
the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine. Read more: http://
www.southafrica.info/business/
trends/innovations/inventions.
htm#ixzz2oZdB4Uqr
Heart Transplant : The
world’s first heart transplant was
performed by Dr chris Barnard in
cape Town on 3 December 1967.
Read more: http://www.
southafrica.info/business/
trends/innovations/inventions.
htm#ixzz2oZePccsH
Speed Gun : The South
africanmade speed gun,
developed by Somerset West
inventor Henri Johnson, was
formally launched at The oval in
England during the 1999 cricket
World cup.
Read more: http://www.
southafrica.info/business/
trends/innovations/inventions.
htm#ixzz2oZebonEJ
Kreepy Krauly : The swimming
pool vacuum cleaner was invented
by Ferdinand chauvier, a hydraulics
engineer who came to South africa
from the Belgian congo in 1951.
Read more: http://www.
southafrica.info/business/
trends/innovations/inventions.
htm#ixzz2oZeoxlp1
Pratley’s Putty : Pratley’s
famous glue is the only South
african invention that has been to
the moon. in 1969 the putty was
used to hold bits of the apollo Xi
mission’s Eagle landing craft
together. Krugersdorp engineer
george Pratley invented his
famous sticky stuff in the 1960s.
Read more: http://www.
southafrica.info/business/
trends/innovations/inventions.
htm#ixzz2oZf4a1rS
Nobel Prize – 8 October
2002 : South african born and
educated molecular biologist
Sydney Brenner and two of his
colleagues was awarded the
Nobel Prize for Medicine for
their research into the genetic
development of organs and the
“programmed death” or “suicide”
of cells.
Read more: http://www.
southafrica.info/about/science/
South african inventions
brenner.htm#ixzz2oZfheti9
Playpump (Picture courtesy
ShowMe) : a brilliant South african
invention, the PlayPump, turns
the boring chore of pumping
water by hand into a fun activity
for children. Ronnie Stuiver of
Delmas in Mpumalanga, adapted
a children’s merry-go-round to
pump water in rural areas. The
mechanism converts the rotary
movement of the merry-go-round
into the reciprocating movement
of a water pump, using only two
moving parts. This makes it highly
effective, easy to operate and
maintain, and very economical.
PlayPumps are now used in many
african countries.
Mxit : Mxit, the most popular
instant Message (iM) platform
in South africa, was started by
Herman Heunis from Stellenbosch.
Mxit was developed because of
the high cost of SMSs in South
africa, and the need to make it
cheap for users to send mobile
text messages to each other across
mobile data networks. Mxit was
officially launched in 2006, and is
now used by millions of users in
120 countries.
i will finish off with my absolute
favourite – Fire : The first use of
fire was recorded at Swartkrans
cave some 1.5 million years ago.
Beat that one, anybody! <
MY FIRST
CREDIT CARD
A
credit card is issued by a bank for the purchase
of goods or services on credit. The main
question is what it does to you. it can lead you
into serious debts because of store temptation or
social events. it has a credit limit and you can use it
just like your ordinary bank card (before you turned
18) but remember: it is a loan to you from the bank.
i spoke to a former high school matriculant, Emma,
about her experience with her first credit card after
passing her Matric in 2011.
Emma’s story
Emma got caught in the credit card trap during her
first year in college. “i started getting offers right after
high school via my email address and i felt pretty
special that they wanted me as a customer. The
first card worked really great. i bought everything
i needed. So i got three others during my first year
on campus. My mother asked me to cancel them,
but thinking of how useful they were, i didn’t. Then
i started taking out cash advances. But the bills kept
coming, and i didn’t know how i was going to pay
them. Suddenly my 24/7 friends vanished into thin
air. My mother was pretty upset and my older sister
discovered my bank statements. Well, my mother and
i had talked a little bit about credit cards before i left
home, but it really didn’t sink in.
My family helped me. Before six months i was out of
debts and all credit cards were cancelled. i remember
how my sister would criticise these folks who issued
credit cards at campus. “aggressive tactics to get
students hooked on credit before these young adults
know how to use it wisely. a recent study indicated
that some students are forced to cut back on their
courses or spend more time working to pay off their
credit card debt,” said Emma
How can young adults with limited income and no
bill-paying history get credit cards? The industry
admits that their standards are relaxed for tertiary
students because card issuers want to be the first card
into their wallet.
Research shows that consumers are more loyal to
that first credit card and hold onto it for an average
of 15 years. Further, card issuers contend that tertiary
students are no greater risk than the general public in
defaulting on their payments. However, the industry
does not track who actually pays the bill. Too often,
parents are bailing out students.
Some credit card issuers do not quote an annual
interest rate until they know the applicant’s credit
history. People with excellent bill-paying history get
the best rates and those with poorer (or no) payment
histories pay significantly higher interest.
THE IMPACT OF POOR CREdIT HISTORY
Why should parents and students care about credit
card mania on campuses? The ramifications of a
poor credit history on a student’s financial future
are significant. if a student doesn’t pay bills on time,
that poor payment history will be included in a credit
history for up to seven years. as a result, the student
may not be approved for an apartment, may not get
a job offer, may not qualify for a car loan or mortgage,
and may be denied certain insurance coverage.
CONCLUSION
The fact is, credit cards in and of themselves are not
a bad. They offer a service which makes it easier to
purchase things. They are not a necessity. You no
longer need a credit card to do things like rent a car
or shop online. credit cards are not the greatest thing
either. it is too easy to abuse your credit cards and
run up a huge balance on them. Just be wise enough
to have limits on your expenses when it comes to
credit cards. Surely you’ll love to borrow money in the
future to cover your needs. So don’t think for current
events, do think of where is it leading you to: poor or
good credit history? it is too easy to overspend, and
to suddenly find yourself deeply in debt. it can be
discouraging to be several thousand of Rands in debt.
if you do not have a credit card, you will not use it. But
you can use it wisely if you are smart.
By Rose Morapama
Money Matters
24 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool 25

Fashion
Fashion In A Different Light
To this day, many people regard fashion as a
women’s world only. Males are too reserved
when it comes to fashion. The way
people perceive the word “Fashion” is different.
Many males are not comfortable
going with the trend and actually just look
good or just better. They fear comments
from society and from their own families
but, to be honest, fashion is here to stay.
Males are becoming more and more intrigued
by Fashion with a capital “F”.
University of South Africa
Research Department
unisa press
inspired ink.
Factors that influence male fashion to be unpopular
are designers. designers mostly focus
on female fashion, like the latest Louis Vuitton
dress and that diamond stiletto, which
leaves guys feeling sidelined and not
competent in the fashion industry.
OK, women do buy more clothes
than men,hence a reason for focusing
on a bigger market. But that
does not mean there is no market
for male fashion.
There are many successful male
fashion designers all over the world like, Alex
Perry, Adam Lippe, our own david Tlale and Gert
Johan Coetzee, just to name a few. These are very
dominant in the fashion industry and immensely
successful. but these designers are focused on female
fashion. This can be changed if people start to
focus more on male fashion. And why not? Maybe
the male fashion world will move towards a bigger
market and capture a good slice of an expanding industry.
Nowadays a male who utters the word “fashionista”
is considered to be gay which of course is not true. To
be a male and love fashion does not mean anything.
Males are good at fashion from what I have seen,
they just need to be more into it.
Let’s be honest, going to a concert or a party wearing
the business suit is just overrated. It shows lack of
fashion sense and to be extremely dull. Being more
fashionable gives you that comfortable effect. Wearing
simple is just too plain and dull. There is a world
beyond business attire and ‘khaki klere’. Males
should start to feel good in new things, colours and
different
designs.
Look at it this
way: males are using
beauty products like
face wash, eye creams and
so on. The world is changing and
I predict that we will see a radical
shift in the attitude towards male fashion.
And it will not take a million years.
Is it important? Of course it is. Smart and fashionable
creates a good vibe and makes people smile.
Happy people are people with a life and that requires
a free spirit, not one locked away in some dull
clothes without soul.
Is it me or have you noticed that women have more
freedom when it comes to fashion? To be honest,
think of the latest trends, that Gucci heel, that Victorian
bag and all. No one will say, that Mczeinger
pants. The society has a lot of negativity when it
comes to male fashion. We tend to judge male fashion
lovers and forget about the importance of fashion.
It is not fair on us guys being sidelined by people
who “diss” us for being way too much into fashion.
There are a lot of guys who love fashion but are just
afraid to show their love for fashion. To be clear with
you, show your love and be happy. If we lived by
what people say to us then what is being unique? <
By Sifiso Ngwenya
Orders
Tel: (012) 429 3515/3448
email: thearl@unisa.ac.za
Marketing
Veronica Mkhabela
Tel: (012) 429 8965
mkhabv@unisa.ac.za
university
of south africa
PRESS
www.unisa.ac.za/press
Learn without limits.
26 26 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool

NEED A STUDY LOAN
OR A BURSARY?
IF YOU ARE:
• Still at school and figuring out how to fund further studies;
• Currently studying and needing funds to continue or further your studies;
• A young adult wanting to study further but needing financial assistance; or
• An employer who would like to find a way for his or her employees’ children
to have brighter futures, then this Q & A will
guide you and give you a sense of the role that
NSFAS plays.
Note: Application for a study loan should be made
at the institution where you would like to study,
not at NSFAS.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme
(NSFAS) is a loan and bursary administration
scheme, operating in terms of Act 56 of 99.
ACT
A NSFAS study loan or bursary is for those who
do not have the financial means to fund their
studies and / or cannot access bank funding, study
loans or bursaries.
WHAT IS A STUDENT LOAN?
The money that you borrow to cover the costs
associated with your tertiary studies.
The study loan does need to be repaid
WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT A NSFAS STUDY
LOAN?
The student loans attract a very low interest rate.
We will grant study loans without need for guarantees
or sureties.
Depending on the student’s academic results, portions
of the loan can be converted to a bursary.
A very reasonable repayment plan, based on your
earnings.
All repaid student loans are recycled to fund more
needy students.
WHO DO WE ASSIST WITH A STUDY LOAN?
Academically deserving students who meet the
following criteria:
• A South African citizen;
• Registered at a South African university or
university of technology;
• An undergraduate, studying for a first higher
educational qualification; or
• Studying for a second higher qualification (if
necessary to practise in your chosen profession.
Eg: LLB or HDE);
• Able to demonstrate potential for academic
success; and
• In need of financial assistance.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT GETTING A STUDY
LOAN?
NSFAS does not allocate funds directly to students but
here’s the plan:
• First, apply at the educational institution where
you are planning to study. Some institutions will
issue you with an application for study together
with an application for financial aid. You need to
enquire from the institution about their processes
and deadlines for both.
• Submit both applications to the institution and
if you have any questions contact the Financial Aid
Office (FAO) on campus who will evaluate your
ability to succeed in your chosen study direction.

Science
Science
Let us mention a few facts: SKa will generate
an immense amount of data when it is fully operational.
This will be approximately one exabyte
per day and that is 10 to the power of 18. look it up.
i spoke to two of the “front runners” on the computer
side: Jasper Horrell and Simon Ratcliffe. The best part
of this article is based on their input. This whole super
computer environment is rather mind-blowing and
far beyond anything i have ever come across.
let us look at the term “super computer” first. There
have been many developments into producing a
computer environment that is extremely fast. The
trend now is to base it on a huge amount of processors
(similar to your Pc) and a commercial operating
system. That is not Windows 8, by the way.
We are talking thousands of processors, so it is beyond
your desktop. The operating system is typically
linux. These are familiar terms, but when we look
SKA
(SQUARE KILOMETRE ARRAY)
The Super Computer to interpret all the data generated
into the future, it does become very “hot”.
cray and iBM computers are the fastest in the world
right now, with cray Titan as the leader as of November
2012. The cost of this gadget is US$97 million
and it is used for scientific research. The cray Titan
is situated at oak Ridge National laboratory, where
it is managed for the United States Department of
Energy.
The iBM Sequoia is sitting at lawrence livermore lab
in the US.
The SKa project will be creating the world’s most
powerful telescope ever. However, without the tools
to interpret the data, it is rather difficult to be worldclass.
The computer environment is not in use anywhere
else in the world as of yet. The computing environment
will only be fully operational in 2025. it could be
iBM or cray or maybe something we haven’t heard
of yet. We are talking world-class and leading-edge
technology.
Since the SKa project is going to be located in South
africa and australia, the hosting of the supercomputer
is also said to be distributed between the two
countries.
it is not only the size of the computing environment
which will present challenges. Supercomputers consume
vast amounts of power. current consumption
of top-end computers is some 8MW. That is a lot, but
when Phase 2 is implemented, the power consumption
– in total for SKa – will be some 100 – 200 MW.
That is like a whole city. SKa is currently compiling research
with the help of research institutions and various
universities like University of cape Town to see
what is required.
currently a separate power-line is used for Kat 7. it
may accommodate a part of SKa Phase 1. However,
there will be a need for additional power lines for
Phase 2.
WHAT WILL IT dO FOR US?
There will be some 50 people involved in programming
and running the computer environment. The
total amount of people, inclusive of scientist and so
on, might be some 150 people. The jobs will span
everything from network engineers to programmers
to, well, everything really.
Having this massive world-class environment must
generate interest among us as students to get a career
in computing or radio-astronomy. as pointed
out, this is not just for the elite scientist. High-tech
skills are need in many fields and programming skills
will be sought.
There are a very few that know about the community
of super computing. in South africa we have a skill
shortage as too few students go for subjects like physics
and mathematics. again, full circle. But this can
create an interest far beyond anything.
DID YOU KNOW?
The budget for the computing environment will be in
hundreds of millions. it is that big.
Universities across the globe are involved in many
ways as this is leading-edge technology.
The computer companies involved in this, will have
to invest in Sa to get the skills required locally to run
this. So, there will be much more coming than just a
computer.
Now, let us look at this fascinating computer environment.
linux from Red Hat seems to be the operating system
of choice. However, it is designed for massive parallel
computing and is running the iBM “beast” among
nearly all super computers. The iBM computer, Sequoia,
has 98 000 processor,s each addressing 16 gB
of memory. Now, that gives you some 1,6 PB. That is
Petabyte and is one million gigabytes. it is massive.
The file system is different as well. Typically lUSTRE
is used as it is designed for high-end systems. The file
system must be able to be fast and capable of addressing
all the data storage. as multiple processors
are addressing the file systems, the speed of getting
the data to the processors is crucial.
There are different languages used for programming.
The more commonly known are:
• c
• c++
• Fortran
• cUDa
• Python
These are just a few of them. challenge yourself by
researching more of them and understanding them.
i promise you that it is far more interesting than anything
i have seen.
30 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
31

Science
The SKa super computer might be programmed using
Python. The challenge is that although Python is reasonably
mature, it does develop and who knows what
will be more opportune to use in 2025? We will possibly
get a chance to witness it at work when Phase 2
of the SKa is installed by the year 2025.
WHAT IS THE DATA LIKE?
Now we move into the field of radio-astronomy,
which is what it is all about, of course.
This is a simplistic view, but try to imagine a 3D picture
where one of the axis is radio frequencies. That will
give you the “feel” for what we are talking about.
and aSTRoN, the Netherlands institute for Radio astronomy,
on a multi-year public/private partnership,
funded primarily by the Dutch government, which
aims to develop an information technology system
for extracting insights from the SKa’s data.
dO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS?
The fields of interest are computing, math, physics,
optical astronomy, radio astronomy, astro physics.
These are the obvious one’s, but also engineering, architecture
and so on, as all of this must have a home.
IMPACT
Make no mistake: With this Sa will be a centre of
expertise and excellence in
high-end computing. We
are world-class and we have
the opportunity to attract a
lot more such research projects.
it is up to us to make it a success.
… and remember: in 2025,
when Phase 2 of the super
computer environment
is “live”, you should have
finished your university degrees
if you want to be a
part of this. This is your opportunity.
By Thapelo Moloabi
What does the output look like? Paper? Screen? i am
not sure, but let me show you a picture of what
the cray Titan’s output is. it is a 3D wall, 3m x
10 m. (See pictures on previous pages).
i don’t know if this is what
we will see in 10 years
time and i doubt
Jasper or Simon
will guess on that
either.
SKa South africa
recently announced
that it
will work with
major computing
companies iBM
32 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool

Quotes
The Quotes Game
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Yes – him!
“A man is but the product
of his thoughts. What he
thinks, he becomes.”
aww
“Victory attained by violence
is tantamount to a defeat,
for it is momentary.” Did
anyone say iraq?
“To call woman the weaker
sex is a libel; it is man’s
injustice to woman.” We
should listen more to these things
“Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept
away before the tide of time.”
What more can be said?
deng Xiaoping
… and him!
“It doesn’t matter whether
the cat is black or white, as
long as it catches mice”.
immensely pragmatic. and
that was his downfall and
greatest statement.
“When our thousands of
Chinese students abroad
return home, you will see
how China will transform
itself.” input please. No man is an island
Benjamin Franklin
“I think the best way of
doing good to the poor,
is not making them easy
in poverty, but leading or
driving them out of it.”
“They who can give up
essential liberty to obtain
a little temporary safety,
deserve neither liberty
nor safety.” Never ever give away a slice of your
freedom. Never.
Love your Enemies, for they tell you your faults.”
So the hangers-on are just there you boost you ego.
“If you desire many things, many things will seem
but a few.” greed again!
Napoleon Bonaparte
“The word impossible is
not French.”… and neither
English, Zulu, …
“The bullet that will kill
me is not yet cast.” oh.
“He who fears being
conquered is certain of
defeat.” Bravery, please
“Success is the most
convincing talker in the
world.” This one goes up
on the wall in the office
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a
mistake.”
Boris Yeltsin
Just for the sake of it.
“You can build a throne with
bayonets, but it’s difficult to
sit on it.”
“We don’t appreciate what
we have until it’s gone.
Freedom is like that. It’s like
air. When you have it, you
don’t notice it.”
“Russia must enter the new millennium with new
politicians, with new faces, with new, smart, strong,
energetic people. And we who have been in power
for many years already, we must go.” His farewell
speech
i left out churchill today. i promise it won’t happen
again. <
34 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool

Sport
Sports – But Different
Have you ever wondered where and how the different sports originated?
Here are some theories.
Book Review
Badminton: it is played by loads of people all over
the world, also in Sa. Not a big sport here, but china
dominates and that means a lot:
legend has it that it originated from the very old
battledore and shuttlecock game. That is the one
where the players are batting the shuttlecock to and
fro as many times as they can without it going dead
on the ground.
Some British officers in india enhanced it with a net
some five feet off the ground and now it basically was
tennis with lighter equipment. That was in the 1860s.
Read this explanation which i picked up: one day the
Duke of Beaufort had a weekend party at his estate,
Badminton House. it started to rain so they had to
cancel the tennis game. as all got bored sitting around
with their racquet, someone got an idea: “let’s clear
the dining hall, put up a net in the middle, take this
cork and put some feathers in it and let’s play!”
upright and hoisted by the competitor who
balances it vertically, holding the smaller end in
his hands. Then the competitor runs forward,
attempting to toss it in such a way that it turns
end over end. if successful, the athlete is said to
have turned the caber.
• Scottish hammer throw: in the Scottish
event, a round metal ball is attached to the end of
a shaft about four feet in length. With the feet in a
fixed position, the hammer is whirled about one’s
head and thrown for distance over the shoulder.
• Weight throw, also known as the weight for
distance event. There are actually two separate
events with different weights. The weights are
made of metal and have a handle attached either
directly, or by means of a chain. The implement is
thrown using one hand only, but otherwise using
any technique. Usually a spinning technique is
employed.
This is not going to be a book review per se.
The last book review was not written by Khensani
Maseko!
i made a big mistake. i did not read the first part of
the review thoroughly and it simply slipped.
For that, i unreservedly apologise to Khensani. These
things should not happen, but, alas, they do.
We do not have a traditional book review this
month. But, i would like to use this space to just talk
a bit about how i see the future of the book and the
newspaper.
Where do we read news? Not in a newspaper
anymore. The minute it is printed, it is “old hat”.
News snippets are off a website, and i get notified
when there are news items i am interested in.
So why do we buy a newspaper then? To get the
fuller story. That is really the reason why.
The danger is if we never buy a newspaper, we will
only survive on snippets of information. The classical
sound bite.
That, unfortunately, is not the full story and can
be compressed into headings. Try to do your next
essay as headings only. i am sure you will get either
a distinction or an extinction. There is a difference
there!
it also means that we have to read very fast,
otherwise we will lose out. Now, that is something
i would like you to keep in mind and then read
lerato’s article again (see page 6).
it was an instant success and hence Badminton is
now an olympic discipline.
Table tennis: Played by millions and billions. Soon
there will be a galactic tournament, i believe.
• Weight over the bar, also known as weight for
height. The athletes attempt to toss a 56 pound
(4 stone) weight with an attached handle over a
horizontal bar using only one hand. Each athlete
is allowed three attempts at each height.
This is what Wiki says: “The game originated as a
sport in England during the 1880s, where it was
played among the upper-class as an after-dinner
parlour game. it has been suggested that the game
was first developed by British military officers in india
or South africa who brought it back with them. a
row of books were stood up along the centre of the
table as a net, two more books served as racquets
and were used to continuously hit a golf-ball from
one end of the table to the other. alternatively table
tennis was played with paddles made of cigar box lids
and balls made of champagne corks”. Sounds like a
bit of improvisation. But did you know it?
Highland games: This is Scotland and a bit “left
field”. although quite a range of events can be a part
of the Highland athletics competition, a few have
become standard.
• Sheaf toss: a bundle of straw (the sheaf)
weighing 20 pounds and wrapped in a burlap bag
is tossed vertically with a pitchfork over a raised
bar, much like that used in pole vaulting. There is
significant debate among athletes as to whether
the sheaf toss is in fact an authentic Highland
event. Some argue it is actually a country fair
event, but all agree that it is a great crowd pleaser.
• Maide Leisg (Scots gaelic meaning ‘lazy
Stick’): Trial of strength performed by two men
sitting on the ground with the soles of their feet
pressing against each other. Thus seated, they
hold a stick between their toes which they pull
against each other until one of them raises from
the ground. The oldest ‘Maide leisg’ competition
in the world takes place at the carloway show and
Highland games on the isle of lewis.
• Caber toss: a long tapered pine pole or log is stood
How do you like that?
36 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool

Success
Michelle Obama
A Person In Her Own Right
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson is the first
african-american first lady of the United
States. She was born in 1964, raised in
chicago and grew up in a two-story house. She
attended Princeton University and Harvard law
School where she obtained her Juris Doctor (J.D.).
She has her majors in sociology, minored in african
american studies and graduated with a Bachelor
of arts in 1985. That is a very
educated woman indeed. She
worked at the law firm Sidley
austin and this is where she
met Barack obama, the coming
President of the United States.
Michelle is not just Barack’s
wife, but an efficient
campaigner, and that without
a doubt played a huge role
towards Barack obama’s
success. This is evident in the
years 2007 and 2008 where
she was instrumental in
raising funds for her husband’s
presidential bid. During the
campaign she discussed
race and education by using
motherhood as a framework.
What really make her stand out
is the ability of taking criticism
from the media, listening to it and turning it into her
strengths. and that is what most current leader’s
lack: critical analysis.
Michelle stated ‘’When you are out campaigning,
there will always be criticism. i just take it in my
stride. at the end of the day, i know that it comes
with the territory’’.
This statement put out by Michelle clearly indicates
the confidence she has in herself and a reflection of
how the media will not control her.
By the time of the 2008 Democratic National
convention in august, media outlets observed that
her presence on the campaign trail had grown softer
than at the start of the race, focusing on soliciting
concerns and empathizing with the audience rather
than throwing down challenges to them… well, it is
debatable but it does not take away her ability to
approach people and convince them to believe in the
change she promise to bring.
in a way, she was more active in the campaign than
Barack, as if she wanted this more than her husband.
concluding on this, we
cannot take away the fact she
became relevant and played a
major role in the campaigns,
appearing as a better
campaigner than Barack.
She is currently working on
another campaign against
obesity.
She clearly breaks the
stereotypes behind the
“president’s wife”. When
you think of a president’s
wife it is rather detrimental
because you think of designer
clothes, luxury life, making
an appearance at red carpet
events with no relevant
reason apart from being the
‘’president’s wife”. But looking
at Michelle would change
your perspective because she
re-defines what a real first lady looks like: a support
structure, a mother, a wife, a public figure who
started from the bottom and now she is there.
in May 2006, Essence listed her among “25 of the
World’s Most inspiring Women”. i am not surprised
because she really stands up for what she believes in.
i guess that is what most lawyers have in common.
Her qualities are outstanding. other initiatives of first
lady Michelle obama includes advocating on behalf
of military families, helping working women balance
career and family, encouraging national service, and
promoting the arts and arts education. She supports
military families and also some Republicans. Now you
tell me which other president’s wives do you know
that are as politically active as Michelle and trying to
make a change in their countries?
The next question one would ask is: how is she unique
compared to other ‘’strong’’ first ladies before her?
Well, i will compare her to these former First ladies.
This is what Wikipedia says about them:
Rosalynn Carter: Was a leading advocate for
numerous causes, perhaps most prominently for
mental health research. She was politically active
in her White House years as her husband’s closest
adviser and sat in on cabinet and policy meetings.
She also served as an envoy abroad, most notably to
latin america.
Hillary Rodham Clinton: american politician who
was the United States Secretary of State from 2009
to 2013, serving under President Barack obama.
She was previously a United States Senator for New
York from 2001 to 2009. as the wife of President Bill
clinton, she was also the First lady of the United
States from 1993 to 2001. in the 2008 election,
clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic
presidential nomination, campaigning against Barack
obama for the presidency.
Michelle obama is highly educated and smart. She
is one of only three first ladies to hold a graduate
degree. This is inspirational: as much as she is the
president’s wife, she does not depend on it because
she is a force to be reckoned with in her own right.
She was Barack’s mentor. The two met in 1988, when
he was a summer associate at law firm Sidley austin.
Michelle was assigned to be his summer adviser.
it is very rare to find a wife being a mentor of her
own husband, so this really puts a spark in my mind
and for a moment i think to myself: maybe she was
supposed to be the president.
What really amazes me, is the fact she is more
popular than her husband. according to a May 2012
gallup poll, 66% of americans have a favourable
view of Michelle. The poll showed that only 55% of
americans would say the same for Barack, so this
by far clearly indicates she is the most popular first
lady the United States has ever had. Her hunger for
success and the changes she wants to implement,
makes her more influential than other former first
lady’s the US has ever produced.
a lot can be learned from Michelle obama as a
person and not only as the wife of the president. She
knows what it is like to be working and is happy to talk
Success
about her experiences. in 2008, she told ladies Home
Journal: “Finding balance has been the struggle of
my life and my marriage, in being a woman, being a
professional, being a mother. and Barack has to find
that balance, too, as part of the family. What women
have the power to do, through their own experiences,
is to push that balance out into the culture. if people
are happier, more engaged and they have jobs they
can value, that will allow them to respect and value
their home, and that makes the family stronger.” Do
i need to say more?
So far in this article, i have been talking of Michelle as
this perfect soul. Surely you will think i am obsessed
with her perfection, but she is not perfect, and she
is happy with that. For example, she admits to being
impatient and unsure of herself at times, which
makes the rest of us feel a little less lame. When
asked about adapting to her new life, Michelle told
good Housekeeping “(i’m) continuing to tell myself
to be patient. it’s like standing up straight. Just be
patient. Things take time.” So from her not being
perfect, we learn the importance of patience.
She recognizes and encourages female leaders.
Women around the world, who have shown
leadership, courage, resourcefulness and willingness
to sacrifice for others, deserve the recognition.
We have few women who have leadership skills
which are relevant in terms of being in control.
We lack a lot of visionaries. This leads to gender
inequality. in most cases this cannot be blamed on
men, because, as much as there are opportunities
waiting to be grabbed with both hands, females must
not fear the responsibilities that come with the task
ahead. What do you do when you see women like
Michelle obama pushing beyond the expectations of
a “President‘s wife”? Does it not trigger a thought of
‘’if she can do it, what stops me’’.
all i can say is, there is still a lot people can learn from
her and indeed she is the best and most popular first
lady the USa has ever had. Do not be surprised when
she over-takes her husband. Her true potential is yet
to be unleashed.
i am wishing her all the best in the future, and may
her hard work and determination inspire many more
people out there who are trying to make a difference.
as much as she is an african-american woman, i
would like to end this in South african style ‘’Wathinta
abafazi, wathinta imbokodo’’. You strike a women,
you strike a rock. <
38 >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
>>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
39

Think it Over
Think it Over
Here are a few logical things for
you to think about!
The window which
doubled in size
an artist, making great pictures, had finally found a
great place. it was just facing South so the light was
not as it should be. His friend, a famous architect,
had a look at it and said: “The window you have
Did you like these? More to follow one day.
let’s imagine he needs to go left. oK. if it
is the gang who always tells the truth, they
would point right, knowing that the other
tribe is always lying; hence they would have
said, go right. if it is the gang who always
lies, they would have said go right; because they
would know that the other gang, always telling the
truth would have said go left. So, he will know that he
should go left!
If you can’t guess it, you may have
another guess.
The Missing R2
Three bright young high-school students
decide to go for coffee at the local coffee
shop.
They have a wonderful time and now it is
time to get a move on. The waiter comes
along with the bill: R55-00.
Each of our three friends hurl a R20 in the
kitty. The waiter shoots to the back, puts
the R55-00 in the till and looks at the R5-
00. How is he to divide R5-00 between
three students. He is fast and puts the R2-
00 in his pocket and parts with R1-00 to
each of the students. No problem.
This is easy math:
Bill: R55.00
R20 from each student: R60.00
change: R 5.00
Waiter takes the R2-00 R 2.00
leftover R 3.00
Each student received a R1-00 R 3.00
R 0.00
Simple. But hey. That means that:
Each student paid R20.00 less R1.00 = R19-00.
That means 3 x R19.00 R57.00
add the R2.00 the waiter took R 2.00
Total R59.00
Where did the last R1-00 go?
The old vinyl record
Have you seen those? oK, here goes:
a record is 30 cm across. The very edge is 1 cm. We
don’t count that one. The center piece is where the
label is and is 14 cm across. We have 90 grooves
per 1 cm. How far has the needle travelled when
the record is finished?
The man who got lost
a man was driving through the Karoo desert and
got lost. He also knew there were two motorcycle
gangs in the area. one gang would always tell the
truth, and the other always tell a lie.
Finally he gets to a T-junction. No signs. and
he knows one of the routes will take him to
outspankraal where he wants to go. lo and
behold, a motorcycle gang is sitting and having
coffee at the T-junction. But which gang? Which
question must he ask for getting on the right track
to outspankraal?
The fathers and sons
Two fathers and two sons went hunting. Each one
shot a bird and only one bird. But only three birds
were shot.
What?
is exactly one meter high and one meter wide.
i can make it twice as big for you”. The artist was
delighted and bought into it.
However, when he came round next time, sure
enough, the window was double the size, but still
only one meter wide and one meter high. HoW So?
Do believe that a window can be another shape but
a rectangle? What now if it is a triangle?
1 m
let’s double
the size
So, by just knocking out the additional space, the
window got doubled, but still only 1 m high and
1 m wide.
Have you got it? See on right what the solutions
are.
The man who got lost
He should ask: “i need to get to outspankraal.
Which route would the other tribe say
i should take?”
So, by just knocking out the additional space,
the window got doubled, but still only 1 m
high and
1 m wide.
The window which doubled in size. Do believe
that a window can be another shape
but a rectangle? What now if it is a triangle?
in total: 15 – 7 – 1 = 7 cm. and that is the
distance the needle travels. From the edge to
the label.
The old vinyl record
You are getting confused. The grooves has got nothing
to do with it. That sentence is just there to trick you.
listen. it is not the need which is running around. it is
the record!. That means that needle is only travelling
from the edge to the label. That means: ½ of record
= 30/2 = 15 cm. then we subtract the label business:
½ of 14 cm = 14/2 = 7. The we deduct the
edge. 1 cm.
The fathers and sons
Easy. First we have the grandfather, then we have his
son which is also a father, and his son. Three generation
= three birds. The grandfather has a son. That son
is both a son and a father at the same time.
Each student paid R20-00 less R1-00 = R19.00
That means 3 * R19.00 R57-00
SUBTRacT the R2-00 the waiter took R 2.00
Total R55.00
Which was the bill to be paid!
it should read:
The Missing R2
Well, see. The first calculation is spot-on. The next is
wrong. You are both subtracting and adding in the
same equation. That will bring you nowhere.
40
>>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
>>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool
41

Current Affairs
North Korea:
FACTS, FICTION, MYTHS & LIES
Why did North Korea test their nuclear
weapon despite numerous calls for them
to refrain from doing so? could it have
been a serious case of arrogance, defiance of the
world order, or could it actually be plausible that
North Korea actually had legitimate reasons for
testing their nuclear weapon for the third time in the
last decade.
Yes, they have done it before, two times, in 2006 and
again in 2009 and as if that was not reason enough
to tell the world that they had working nuclear
weapons, they just had to try it out again earlier this
year. Now that is being thorough!
This picture, taken by North
Korea’s official Korean Central
News Agency on April 15,
2012, shows North Korea
leader Kim Jong-un waving as
he reviews a military parade
commemorating the 100th
birth anniversary of former
North Korean President
Kim Il-sung in Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un delivered his first
public speech and vowed to
push for a stronger military.
(KNS/AFP/Getty Images).
Before we unpack the reasons for this event and the
situation that has since come of it, i must just clarify
a bit of background. Receiving a talk of the North
Korean ambassador himself just over a week ago, i
must indeed refer to the country as the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea-DPRK (the irony), as
he insisted. after all, one would assume that in a
sensitive and volatile case such as this one, being
politically correct means everything…
i underlined the word democratic in the name of
the country above. if a country like the DPRK can
refer to itself as a people’s democracy then what is
a democracy?
a democracy is essentially a government for the
people, by the people. it is a government where
supreme power is entrusted with the people and this
power is then exercised by them or by representatives
that are chosen by the people under a ‘free electoral
system’ like South africa.
Taking this definition into consideration, assess for
yourself if it can be applied to the DPRK. The DPRK is
a country that lives virtually in isolation, they strongly
believe in self-reliance, it virtually has no diplomatic
relations with the international community. it has
been described, by many experts, as a dictatorship
which is run by one family, the Jong family.
leadership has been handed down from Kim il-Jong
(the founder of DPRK) to his son Kim Jong-ii and then
to his 29 year old son, Kim Jong-un, who is apparently
a huge fan of basketball.
The people have never been afforded the
opportunity to elect their own leader, but then again,
they have not risen up in arms against the current
leadership. Perhaps they don’t know any better. and
that could be, as nobody has access to the internet or
international TV.
The army is a force well looked after. Just over 80% of
the DPRK’s money goes to sustaining the military. it is
the driving/controlling force of the country.
Democratic? Not so much, in my opinion.
There are various reasons which the ambassador
highlighted led to the testing of the nuclear weapons.
First and foremost for protection – from who? Why,
the United States of america of course.
This is not completely outrageous. after all, we had
the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 which resulted
in the creation of a North Korea (DPRK) and South
Korea.
The US was heavily involved under the auspices
of the United Nations (UN), but even so. and even
more: in 1999, the then president, george Bush,
made a speech and in it spoke about the axis of evil,
naming countries like the DPRK that needed to be
handled with force.
Secondly, DPRK wanted to consolidate their power
and also to send a message to the world and
essentially to their arch enemy the US, that they
cannot be intimidated, nor would they back down
from any challenge. it seems they are ready for this.
The ambassador highlighted that the DPRK is a firm
believer in peace and one of the means in which they
can achieve and maintain it, is to ensure that they can
protect themselves. But, how does that work then?
Was the respectable ambassador implying that world
peace can be achieved through all countries having
nuclear weapons? i hope that was not what he was
implying.
But, looking at the situation that has come of this
nuclear testing and the hostility that has since been
created between the DPRK and other regions aroun
around the world, one cannot help but wonder if
there are internal power politics at play.
There could be a budding power struggle between
Kim Jong-un and the military, which may feel that
Jong-un is not a strong enough leader and therefore
needs to be replaced. it is not far fetched, as the
military generals are by and large also family.
The ambassador highlighted on more than one point
that the DPRK is a united country and that one of its
greatest goals is to reunite with South Korea.
Either way, there are some serious underlying issues
within the context of the DPRK and they continue to
escalate. in recent times the DPRK was disillusioned
Current Affairs
by one of its long-time allies, china, who virtually
provides everything from food to all clothing and
technology to the DPRK.
china voted for the recent set of sanctions placed on
the DPRK. This has never happened before as china
has always shielded DPRK. china has not cut ties with
the DPRK just yet, but, if they do, the implications for
the DPRK could be dire.
The country would experience great levels of famine
and this could result in a revolt by the people against
the current leadership and the world would witness
another arab-Spring-like revolution.
The fact that china is in support of these sanctions is
interesting mainly because while it is important for
china to strengthen its ties with the world rather than
the DPRK who, if we are honest, does not have much
to offer, they do not want to facilitate (by cutting ties)
the opportunity where North and South Korea may
ever consider joining forces.
Such a united Korea would benefit the USa most
in terms of the further spread of its own policy
objectives through the South. But one cannot help
but wonder that if china did indeed have to choose
between having ties with regions within the world
and the DPRK, who would it choose? Pretty obvious,
i would assume.
Essentially this nuclear testing opened a can of worms
and created a view into what the real situation in the
DPRK may actually be.
Family rifts and the battle for power between the
young leader and the military could, in essence,
lead to a nuclear war, yes. We have seen that this is
a nation that is not afraid of utilising such extreme
measures and that no amount of sanctions and
warning by the UN will deter them from what it is
they want to achieve.
one of the striking points that were mentioned by the
ambassador, was that the country saw it fit to spend
a bulk of the country’s money on the development of
nuclear weapons as opposed to addressing the direct
needs of the people. He said that this was because
such weapons are for the greater good of the people
and for their own protection.
Now, i do not know much about a lot of things, but i
do realise that in any country and in any situation, the
people and their needs should come first, otherwise
who are we fighting for? <
42
>>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool >>>Hola MaHigH-ScHool 43

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