Beating around the Bosch

with

Dear Reader,

Spring Day has never, in my lifetime, lived up to its name more than it did this year. August ended with a week of chilly, damp and dreary days, some seeing maximum temperatures of 6 degrees. Several mountains across the Western Cape received generous sprinklings of snow. Snowflake-emojis popped up on every Whatsapp status. And then, like someone flipping a switch, we awoke on 1 September to dazzling sunshine. 

Don’t worry, I have not depleted my creative stores to the extent that all I can think to write about is the weather. Rather, I think this drastic shift fits the tone of this year, which has seen sudden changes across the globe.

Here are some examples of events that have left people shaken, shocked, shooketh, leaving the world changed from one moment to the next. This year is definitely one for the books.

Trump’s Van Gogh moment

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a rally in the state of Pennsylvania demonstrated how quickly things can turn ugly in a highly-polarised country. 

Tucking into Putin

Former Fox News anchor, Tucker Carlson, managed to land an interview with Vladimir Putin – the first interview with Putin to be granted to a Western journalist. (‘Interview’, in this case, a euphemism for a two-hour lecture on Russian history).

Convicted child rapist competed in Olympics

Steven van de Velde, who served 13 months in prison in 2016 for the rape of a 12-year-old child, competed in the 2024 Olympics. Many called for him to be banned from competing. 

Malema and Shivambu: bros no more

Floyd Shivambu, the EFF’s former deputy president, announced, rather unceremoniously (but politely nonetheless), that he would be leaving the EFF to join the MK party. 

Alexei Navalny’s ‘sudden death syndrome’

Russia’s opposition leader Alexei Navalny died from what officials called ‘sudden death syndrome’ while serving his 3-decade long sentence at the Arctic prison.

Nicola Amon, newsletter editor

Visual of the Week

📸Some BTS from SMF News’ Mia Oliver:

This was the first basketball game I attended, and the atmosphere was electric. The courts were surprisingly visually appealing, with vibrant blues. Although I was initially hesitant to get up-close photographs, my peers encouraged me, and soon I was darting across the court, capturing various angles. For this shot, I crouched just below the hoop, risking a possible basketball-related injury, but I’m thrilled I took the chance and stayed injury-free.

Read the story here

📚Good reads from SMF News this week📚

Franschhoek cable car project to seek environmental approval

A project to build a cable car to the Mont Rochelle Peak is getting closer to receiving environmental approval from the department of forestry, fisheries, and the environment. Mathinus Botes reports that there may well be negative effects from implementing this plan and found out from locals why they were opposed to the project. 

SRC candidates tackle ongoing accommodation crisis

The “ongoing” accommodation and NSFAS crisis was the centre of discussions at a recent caucus meeting held by candidates standing for next year’s SRC at Stellenbosch University. Nicola Amon spoke to Sibabalwe Manyifolo, director of oversight and compliance for the electoral commission, after students felt abandoned by the SRC earlier this year.

Student talk sheds light on ‘toxic’ underwear

Erinma Nedum spoke to an SU visual arts student who recently hosted an educational talk on microplastics in underwear and the dangers of these components being absorbed into one’s body. Juliette de Beer’s final-year research project focuses mainly on the health hazards of synthetic polymers in clothing, which she shared at the Toxic Underwear Talk.

🎶What we’re listening to:

Word of the Week

Tempestuous

Characterised by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion

“This year has come to resemble a tempestuous child.”