On Saturday afternoon I found myself watching some or other nonsense and intermittently checking Twitter for whatever random updates were available that seemed interesting. I follow Stephen Grootes from 702 and writer or the brilliant Daily Maverick who religiously updates any press conference or interview on twitter and thankfully he reminded me that the Mogoeng Mogoeng interview was being broadcast live to anyone interested in who the next ‘superpower’ in South African law was going to be.

Now firstly it should scare you that this man (MM) was put forward by none other than Jacob Z, who by definition, is perhaps close to the opposite of moral compass so the fact that he gets to nominate a judge for the highest court in the land is despicable to say the least. Secondly I have to be honest I didn’t know a great deal about MM until I had read the media hype that basically painted him as a man who believed rape is not so serious if no damage is done physically and one that perhaps believes gay people should be put on an island somewhere. You are now starting to understand why I wanted to see this interview for myself, I wanted to personally see that we hadn’t sunk to the depths that both our chief justice and our president were cut from the same greedy and dirty cloth.

Sadly I must confess that what I saw over the next few hours was an angry, flippant, juvenile and arrogant man who was sitting in the presence of some of the greatest and most well respected judicial minds the country and perhaps the world have seen. It was almost like a first year intern at Apple being given the chance to be interviewed for Steve Jobs’s position as CEO and sat throughout conceitedly taunting the grand master (at least that interview wouldn’t have taken place on live national television).

The most depressing part for me was not the fact that another person in this country who is sub-par is going to get a job (refer to my post on India and you may have an idea of what I mean) but rather that someone who maybe is morally questionable is getting the job of the pillar of morality that this country so desperately needs. It is sort of like giving Dorothea Puente a job as the head of a nursing home.

I posed a question at the beginning of this post,  and the answer has been throughout history when leadership is corrupt (which lets be fair even the greatest pro Zuma’s now agree this leadership most certainly is at all levels) and that leadership can appoint and control the judiciary, well that just may signal the beginning of the end. Not in all cases mind you but in the overwhelming majority this is true.

The first great test of where this new leadership is headed is perhaps the ‘new’ freedom of information bill that when rejected will be sent to the highest court in the land, and who, as Zapiro once again so brilliantly illustrates, will be there with pen at the ready?

Now before you go all postal, this is a joke, the site was hacked (the ANCYL haven’t confirmed this but we assume) but the truth is just imagine for a moment this actually is what goes through JuJu’s brain – it certainly isn’t that far-fetched is it?

It’s time to get a little serious I fear (yeah sure after the last post was the legalization of Marijuana). Julius has been a concern of mine for a while, he has been for most of us. We’ve seen his tainted star rising like we’ve seen too many African dictators over the last 50 years and until now it’s been relatively in check.

The next week however may shape the rest of Julius’s political career and initially while I was excited the ‘Parent finally was going to beat the child’ it seems once again I have underestimated just how powerful JuJu is. Its seems a little Shakespearian almost with the prodigal son marching on the capital, ‘his army’ (true they must all be unemployed cause I’m not sure who gives people a few days off work to go protest?) at his back coming to dethrone the King. All the while the Kings Trusted advisor (Kgalema Mothlante who seems to be on team JuJu) is actually a traitor to the court.

The frightening thing is this battle may not end well (I mean for those who sort of like the way democracy, truth, honesty and justice work). Julius may actually prove once and for all he is untouchable (the hawks have already thrown in the towel on his investigation) which will mean nothing can stand in the way of his political aspirations of running and ‘changing’ (I mean destroying) this country.

The next week, on the streets of Joburg city, may shape the next 50 years of South African politics and while the rest of the nation squabbles around playing real life and worrying about whether the Boks have a nice send off and enough pillows in first class, I suggest we ALL keep a very close eye on the outcome of this hearing as it may be the justice we have been looking for for this spoiled brat or he may burn the house down with his parents inside it leaving him to tear a path of terror we have been fearing.

The problem I fear is that he will make a similar speech to the President in Independence day (not quite with the same noble intentions!) and while he is frighteningly annoying he has a connection with the masses (he is the African dream – similar to the American dream but instead of working hard and making a success you cheat, lie and steal to get rich).

The question that I still have not scenario planned in my own head is if JuJu does get the harshest punishment – what will the ‘expected 10 000 supporters’ plus the one idiot in chains do to the streets of JHB?

Joburg has an area that’s sometimes referred to as the Golden Circle. I’m not sure if this is a commonly used term but it’s basically the heart of the city that’s surrounded by the M2, N1 and N3 (or is it the M1? In which case I’m out of the circle). As one ventures out of this area, the number trees declines in direct proportion to average IQ of the area’s inhabitants. Ok, that’s not true, and a bit harsh, but I have a serious dislike of the typical Tuscan/Balinese inspired SummerCON developments that tend to blanket the landscape.

It’s clear that there are many others who share this view about the Golden Circle. They may call it the Shooter Curtain, but the sentiment is the same. This from here:

There’s a divide in Joburg. Quite a big one, in fact. I’d become aware of it some months ago, but it was only the other day when a friend of mine, formerly resident in Sunninghill, now in Craighall Park, celebrated the fact that he’d managed to escape the deadening ennui that characterises much of the north in Joburg.

The Shooter Curtain, he called it. Just like the Boerewors Curtain, but with tequila. Beyond it is a land of sales managers in chinos and theme pubs and those thatched Summercon developments, the ones with lofts and parking spots and names like “Serengeti”. It’s where people with names like Craig and Wayne who work in IT – Ah tee – get trashed and boast about it the next day, hence the name. Where variations on Long Island Iced Tea are listed in the cocktail menus in Newscafe. Where chicks from the East Rand – there be dragons; people from Sandton never venture there unless it’s to catch a plane – hang out with the hopes of catching a consultant or an investment banker.

The Shooter Curtain is an allegorical divide but it can generally be traced alongside the highway that loops around Joburg, dividing the older city from newer developments. Its heart lies in suburbs like Fourways and Sunninghill, though it can be extended further north to Centurion and west to the vast, awful swathes of soulless development that stretch from Featherbrooke to Northgate.

In my experience the actual physical divide between those who dwell behind the Shooter Curtain and those who would never venture beyond it is the Hyde Park Shopping Centre, specifically the bar at the Southern Sun hotel. People from the older Joburg suburbs will go there to have a drink and view the BEE types on their phones, as will those who live in thatched lofts with 1.5 bathrooms and 2 parking spaces. So far and no further though. I know people who think that Rosebank is terrifyingly far south and wouldn’t dream of going there lest they, I don’t know, encounter an emperor penguin or something. On the other hand, there are the people who are just as adamant they will never set foot in what another friend of mine calls the Northern Wastelands.

Some people (like me) routinely step over the line, so I’ll pretend I fit in with the impossibly cool people at The Office in Greenside as easily as I’ll pretend to fit in with the aggressively mainstream Bryanston types at the Baron on Main.

Still, I can see that the difference is stark. It’s not just geographical, of course: it’s a mindset too. People who live before the Shooter Curtain furnish their homes with Nguni cowhides and Eames chairs (mind you, Sevens sold a perfectly good Chinese knockoff of the Eames lounger at a fraction of the cost of the replica a while back; I bought one for the ex and it’s one of the few pieces of furniture he sent to Australia). Beyond it is a land of 42 inch LED TVs and jetskis, bring and braais and uncritical thinking, if any thinking takes place at all.

Beyond the Shooter Curtain it’s Hooters and Billy the Bums and Montecasino. Before it’s 44 Stanley Avenue and Tokyo Star. It’s drinking coffee while squashed on a pavement inhaling petrol fumes. It’s gentrification and art galleries. Beyond the Shooter Curtain it’s Tuscan. Before the Shooter Curtain it’s African eclectic. Beyond the Shooter Curtain it’s shopping malls and value marts; before the Shooter Curtain the smell of pee in the streets of Melville. Beyond the Shooter Curtain, it’s GTis and double cabs; before it, Vespas and walking the dogs in the street in a community that isn’t gated. Beyond the Shooter Curtain there’s acres of parking; before it, no effing parking to be found anywhere on a Wednesday night, even if the suburb is called Parkhurst. Beyond, it’s Nickelback; before, Youssou N’dour. KFC, organic; Edgars, Big Blue, and so on.

Of course, there are people on either side of the Shooter Curtain who don’t conform to the stereotypes of either Pleasantville or Poser Town. One can live in one and be a resident, in spirit, of the other. But for the most part the divide holds firm, and the people on either side are perfectly happy where they are.

Round of Patrón for everyone.

Thanks Dyl

So if we forget about the Hawks going through JuJu’s filing cabinet for a moment (I get a mental image of these embarrassed children looking through their parents wallet and apologizing every two minutes for being in there) because I’m pretty sure with his connections, as well as his knowledge of other law breakers he will slip out of this one like a lubricated snake out of a pile of jelly.

So let’s look at the ANC for hope of ‘ending’ JuJu shall we?

My only problem is, what Zapiro has summed up so superbly, once again . . .

There is a very interesting article written on the Daily Maverick about JuJu, his hearing, the outcomes and every and anything you could want to know, which is really superb! The problem I have is that while the ANC look like they are taking a tough stance here on JuJu and his genius side kick Floyd ‘I’m just as untouchable’ Shivambu, the charges are vague (and if you have EVER been to CCMA you will know vague charges are a KILLER), not only that but the ANCYL has requested and urgent meeting with the ANC to ‘discuss’ some things which is more code for ill roll over and you scratch my belly, and finally the ANCYL have put out a very appeasing statement on their website to temper the wrath of the powers that be!

What do we see coming out of these two disciplinary sessions – well for me there are two scenarios here.

One is what we hope will happen? Here I feel myself slipping towards the dark side a little and images of ‘sharks with frikken laser beams attached to their heads’ appear, but realistically I guess we hope he and Floyd are put into a position where they cannot affect anything related to South African politics, economy, perception and so on for a long enough time that they become irrelevant and powerless!

The second is what probably will happen and that’s the JuJu will remain unscathed and get a nice slap on the wrist to appease the public while proving not only that he has more power than any of us feared, but also that he can get away with pretty much anything he likes because (again in the immortal genius of Zapiro) . . .

Like I said a good few days ago ITS TIME FOR THE PARENT TO SMACK THE CHILD!

I’m not into beating children. I was never smacked by my parents as a child when I misbehaved (probably because my two brothers beat me senseless when I stepped out of line) but in this case I feel it far far overdue.

Let’s just remind everyone here, the ANCYL is not a government body, they are not elected by democratic vote of the people and they have no political standing what-so-f*$#king-ever! They are and should be treated as the child body of the ANC and are merely politicians in training (or in this case deteriorating).

So, when they step out of line they should be smacked in the hope they stop behaving like political BRATS!

If you want to know my previous views on the youth league and their leader – here they are.

The truth is at first there was concern around Dear JuJu and what corrupt things he was doing behind closed doors (well hopefully we are seeing the tip of the iceberg on this) but my concern now is more for the ruling party. They have managed to get themselves into a position where they are seen not to be able to control their own child, more so they cannot even stand up to their child!!

The ANC has lost so much face over JuJu and his little gang of crony’s but this final issue on Botswana has just shown how scared the ANC are of its own child!

If you don’t know what happened, the ANCYL stated there needs to be regime change in Botswana and they were going to send a team of youth league trolls to investigate (we may as well send the under 8 netball team from Polokwane primary school as they have roughly the same political standing!).

Following this the ANC said Hai! they have crossed the line with this!

To which the ANCYL responded, you think we crossed the line, no no no no you can’t tell us what to do in public

Which brought about the ANC saying, the youth league were not allowed to rebuke their reprimand in public (you get how childish this squabble between our country’s leaders is?)

All in all it’s a mess, its embarrassing and if the ANC doesn’t get its screaming, crying little brat of a child under control we may soon make the Londoners problem look like a paper cut on an elephant!

Depending on how old you are you may remember Micro Machines, which were definitely some of my favourite child hood toys. I saw this video the other day and it was the first memory that came to mind. I’d imagine if you were to build the ultimate micro machine set up using one of the coolest cities as a blue print it would look something like this.

Beautiful tilt shift photography by Tim Henny:

So if, for some reason, you have been pigging out at THE TEST KITCHEN or RUST EN VREDE and then topped it off with a little Sunday avi at Delheim for fondue and jazz in the cellar for the last few days (sorry yes that’s been my weekend – oh I forgot the flammekuchens at bodega with a little Cocoa Hill Rose) . . . HERES THE STORY SO FAR!

Now we’re not so arrogant to think we had anything to do with it but heres what we put out last week!

The weekend broke with, JuJu having been at the centre of a corruption scandal that makes Watergate look like someone just got sexually abused in JZ’s office (Yes maybe a little low blow but really,  have you not met our Pres! The second comparative shouldn’t have raised an eyebrow if you were confused)

 JuJu tries to get the courts to stop City Press from publishing the article that proves he is raping the poor like Marie Antoinette and not even letting them eat cake!

AFRIFORUM like the small annoying Jack Russel they are, open a corruption case against JUJU

All the while JuJu is cruising around in one of these that was openly given to him as a bribe . . .

And best of all the ANCYL website was hacked and this was posted! (If you cant read it, it says HAHAHA! I have a R16 million house and you all dont!!)

Finally, everyone who is anyone has jumped on the bandwagon one way or another and the ANCYL are set to respond today! Personally this is my favorite part because I cant wait for Floyd Shivambu to swear, deflect, make ludicrous accusations and even more far fetched excuses and then call us all white imperialists!

Money on them all blaming this on the misperception of black culture by white westerners?

At the end of the day I think the enemy is certainly at the gate for JuJu the only problem is trying to kill him politically is sadly like trying to stab an octopuss to death – you think you have done it a thousand times but somehow they keep slithering on!

Lastly my parting word for the day, JUST BECAUSE NO ONE EVER SAYS IT, is . . .

As an average South African citizen SARS has impressed me over the last few years, I mean they make it very easy and helpful for you to submit returns, they pay you quickly after submitting and they exceed their budget of collection every year.

So when I got a note from SARS saying they were going to audit me I got the same feeling as I get when i get pulled over by the cops on a Sunday morning after brunch – happy that the powers that be are doing their jobs (slightly different to the feeling I get when I get pulled over on a Sunday morning at sunrise)

So I provided our diligent tax man with all the documentation he needed and still am not pissed off even though it’s a year later, my audit has been concluded for six months and I still haven’t received last year’s refund that’s due to me . . . until I saw this!

Our dear JuJu is back, and on a personal note I thank him for stepping back into his urine colored spotlight because I was seriously getting bored! Now I don’t make Elon Musk money (yet!), I don’t own a strip club, restaurant or even a Laundromat which could be considered front for money laundering!

I’m a regular dude with a couple of properties, bank accounts and some stuff in some foreign places that the government very nicely lets me have – SO WHY THE F#@K do I get audited and JuJu doesn’t?

If you weren’t aware JuJu ‘earns’ a reported R25k a month (he has to declare what he earns) yet if you take his car payments and his watch payments his monthly cash doesn’t even cover it – but still he is building a R15m house from the ground up in Sandhurst (I spose he wants to be close to Patrice ne!)

It seems that JuJu’s statement ‘What ees business ees business and what ees privat ees privat” is enough for SARS to take his word and let him off on his merry corrupt way!

Now I don’t just blame SARS here – where the hell is the opposition, where is Helen, Patricia and the rest of the DA crew who normally are all over shit like this like the ANCYL on Johnny Blue at an after party!

Come on people – if you are going to audit me when all I’ve done is contribute to an economy being raped by its own poor then at least have the balls to audit a dude who is quite literally walking up to the SARS head office, pulling down his pants and ‘parking a curler’ on Pravim Gordons desk laughing all the way to the bank of evil!

His name is Kimbini Hlongwane and he is a genius!

He currently resides at Inyati Game Lodge in the magnificent Sabi Sands and he gets to spend his days showing the world what magic Africa has to offer in its wildlife!

Now I write this not to explain to you all of his obvious talent, commitment and passion for what he does – rather to show you a hidden talent of his . . . the ability to capture sheer beauty through the lens of a camera!

There is a competition currently running hosted by probably the most influential big business in Wildlife Conservation . . .

Entering is free and you may just see some images thatll change the way you see the world, inpire you for a day or minute or second but I promise you, you will get something rewarding out of seeing these photos!

Heres how you do it . . .

SO SIMPLY!

1. Click on the above pic or the top pic – that will take you to the competitions Facebook page to go check it out!
2. Click on the below pic of Kimbini’s
3. LIKE IT / COMMENT ON IT!!

With Mandela Day coming up, what will you be doing as your 67 minute contribution? It may have been difficult in the past to get involved, but this is no longer the case. Thanks to Cheesekids, you can do your part for a great cause.

Nelson Mandela Day is coming up on July 18. This internationally celebrated day is all about you and me giving 67 minutes of our time towards a humane act, kind deed or service to humanity.

Cheesekids (a youth-mobilisation organisation with nearly 4,000 volunteers) is marking Mandela Day by enabling 6,700 South African’s to DO 67 minutes of community service across 3 cities (Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban) on Sunday 17th July 2011 between 8:30am – 4:30pm.

In Johannesburg, the day will close with an After-Party concert at the Johannesburg rally-point featuring artists the likes of HHP, AKA, JR, Khuli Chana, Nothende, Ihashi Elimhlope, Jozi and many more from 4.30pm onwards.

Registering to attend is simple and thanks to their partners, specifically Old Mutual, it’s free. Would-be attendees go to www.cheesekids.org.za and follow these simple 5-step instructions to register.

In each city, bus shuttles will take registered attendees to community service projects of their choice when they arrive at the rally point. The projects include beautifying schools, cleaning homes, building and painting schools, gardening, cooking, playing with kids, vocational guidance, a sports clinic and blood donation drives – spread across 12 townships in Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban.

All projects and rally points will be unveiled after registrations close on Saturday 16th July @ 12pm. To ensure optimal crowd control, a maximum of 5,500 volunteers will be hosted in Johannesburg, 800 in Cape Town and 400 in Durban.

As it is a Sunday, children are welcome in all cities, as all events are child-friendly. Food and beverages, ablution facilities and celebrity hosts will be on hand at all rally points throughout the day.

As the 2010 Cheesekids Mandela Day event with 2,000 volunteers proved, it’s a great way to spend a day, making friends and making a difference in a co-ordinated and yet ultimately relaxed and entertaining day.

So news has been rather slow lately, that plus the fact that STM had a massive weekend has contributed to the fact that we haven’t posted. I mean the ANCYL is quiet, JuJu is quiet, Zapiro is being fairly tame in his cartoons – there really is a lull in the potential abuse.

So I decided to dig a bit . . .

Now I could have been digging with a spoon really because it seems everywhere you scratch you find the government exploiting us like Egyptian slaves on the pyramids! I was reading news24 as I do daily and two things managed to catch my eye and piss me off excessively!\

The first is our dear Pres JZ. He is off to see Dmitry Medvedev (didn’t know they were pals but JZ probably wants to find out how to silence insolent party members – maybe he should be meeting Putin rather!). Now I get that JZ needs to take AirForce eh-one to cruise there (with two or three or four wives) I mean that’s cool, the dude is Pres-O-dent! I get he needs to stay in a killer hotel etc BUT what I don’t get is why he needs to meet Dimi in the most excessive decadent Spa for a few days. I mean unless Dimi wants to know if what they say about African men is true I see no reason why the Pres needs to take our cash and get a full body scrub – seriously dude can you use my tax money to build toilet doors in the Western Cape rather?

The second thing that REALLY got to me was an article about how ministers are abusing their car rentals – CAR RENTALS!!!! I mean &*%$ people is there anything that you are not above stealing or corrupting. I understand that you need to get from A to B generally and that most of our ministers are of the larger variety but I’m pretty sure a BMW 3 series or a C Class Merc is good enough!

The frightening thing is I’m really starting to get the feeling that our government is very much like a swarm of locusts. (much lazier but never the less) They descend upon anything that they can devour, gorge themselves uncontrollably until whatever it is has been raped and pillaged and then move on to the next patch!

Seriously now – PLEASE . . .

I waited a few days to let the death of this man settle with me to try and work out how it has affected me, us maybe, before writing this.

It may sound selfish to you but perhaps read it first before passing judgment as you may agree.

Kader Asmal was an incredible man, of that there is no question. He fought for human rights his entire life and when he finally achieved the goal of disbanding the apartheid system (of course not alone but certainly involved) he joined both the ANC exec and the government.

From this point he continued to fight for justice in every sphere he could influence whether it is educational, environmental or other. Finally, he left parliament under protest when The Scorpions were disbanded (which by the way wreaked of corruption like four week old sardines under a car seat!)

Now if you want a tribute to the man there are far greater people in far more impressive positions to do that than I and they have, rightly so, so I won’t.

What I have been thinking however, is that with the death of each one of these inspirational beacons of light I fear that we slip further and further into the darkness (if you want to know what the darkness is see below – only Zaprio’s genius can express this well enough!)

I fear that the old guard who fought for right and wrong is now either dying off at a rapid rate or is unable to assert dominance over the circus performers that we find in charge today.

Kadar Asmal was a great man (read his wiki page if you don’t fully understand this) but more than that he was one part of a generation fighting for honesty, justice and truth and as this generation disappears I am petrified we will be left with only greed, corruption and decay as we have seen happen to so many African countries.

How many TRULY GREAT men are left to fight?

I hope and I wish this is not the case but from what I can see we are destined for Animal Farm!

Rest in Peace Sir, you and the values you stood for mean far more than you will know and the world is truly worse off without your strength!

I was breezing through BBC as I normally do to check who’s being bought and sold in the soccer world this time of year and which country’s dictator is being bombed when this hit me!

Now I’m seriously no tennis junkie but I did watch the Fed Vs Nadal final at Roland Garros on Sunday in HD on a rather massive TV which was truly epic and it got me thinking as much as I enjoyed that red clay in perfect colour can you imagine what the green grass of Wimbledon would look like in the epic 3D?

Now I consider myself an early adopter. I like toys of every nature and I want them first that’s just how I am so I have to physically force myself not to buy a 3D TV, and why, because MNET and DSTV can’t get their acts together to bring us 3D yet. Yeah sure theres movies (which no video store has yet)

I mean come on dudes you laid more cable than Ron Jeremy before the world cup surely, surely you can bring us 3D TV. The problem I fear is not that you cant, its that you actually don’t have to.

Think about it, what really is the difference between DSTV and TELKOM? They both were pioneers in South Africa, both have almost no competition (Yes yes TOP TV we hear you but get the bloody sport channels then we’ll talk) and they both are really crap at innovation.

Do you really think that if DSTV had a serious competitor that was pushing the future like they should be that DSTV would be as slow to bring us what we want as they really are – I seriously doubt it!

Someone (and by someone I mean a multinational) really needs to arrive on our shores and kick some serious ass because I want to be able to watch a massive 3D TV on a Sunday and see Fed kick the living hell out of that Spanish child!

I’m pretty sure Gareth Cliff didn’t mean to step into this self-publicizing media fiasco – he merely said that Polokwane is a long way to drive for auditions and the talent is poor (come on does anyone disagree – really? Then go watch the show, piss yourself laughing and re-answer!)

Now to be completely open I have had a history of abusing and agreeing with dear Gareth because to be honest I think he uses his microphone as a pulpit more times than not (if you don’t believe the abuse we have hurled his way – GO SEE FOR YOURSELF HERE & HERE) but as much as I battle to side with Gareth, when the opposition is the genius ANC Youth league, I may be selling GC T-shirts before this thing is done.

If you want our view on the Youth League as well as some enjoyable mistreatment on the current ANCYL Presidency race – GO HERE AND ENJOY!

In true Youth League (and by that we mean Julius “the evil” Malema style) they opened their mouths as loud and wide as possible and proceeded with the usual screaming and shouting.

“The organisers of the event must distance themselves from Mr Cliff’s madness and release him from the panel of judges. The youth must not be defocused and demoralised by Mr Cliff and others like him,” said ANCYL provincial secretary Jacob Lebogo.

“The future of young aspiring artists lies in the lazy hands of a madman.”

Now, ego-maniac SURE! Narcissist DEFINITELY but lazy madman I battle to believe – hence this article.

The youth league really don’t do themselves many favours in arguments by saying “Polokwane is full of talent just look at the current Miss South Africa, as well as our country’s most skillful soccer players from this region along with award winning DJs”

Firstly, I think, you brilliant individuals, this is a singing competition – so great work on the examples provided. Secondly if the auditioners are crap, then they are crap. It doesn’t mean everyone in Polokwane should commit mass suicide in order to maintain the human race’s cultural standards, it means the ones who tried out sucked and if there are any talented kids in Polokwane then come hit the stage and sing please!

As much as I hate giving Gareth license to give his opinion on anything I must say in this instance the youth league are not only trying to pick a fight with someone who wasn’t looking for one but also have done a poor job of trying to win it (mostly what they get done always!)

We’ve just been sent some info about two festivals that are rather cool ways of spending a winter weekend. Because we like you we’ll share the love.

The first is the Solstice Craft Beer Festival which promises to be an amazing event, if for no other reason than our friends over at Mitchell’s will be there with their delicious fare. It’s on the 4th of June at the Ale House in Broederstroom and offers to have some great beer, good food and live music.

The other is the Dullstroom Winter Festival. If you’ve never been to Dullstroom, do yourself a favour and try to go – there’s something very special about the place. Stone houses, log fires, trout dams in the beautiful hills of Mpumalanga, quaint shops and restaurants… You get the picture.

From their site:

The 2011 Dullstroom Winter Festival is jam packed with music, outdoor activities, winter goodies and the creative arts. The Festival is running for a total of 9 days with a public holiday in-between on the 16th June and will cater to all visitors.

Artists performing over the Festival include Laurie Levine, Andre Swiegers, Albert Meintjies, Albert Frost and the Blues Broers. They will perform at various venues and times throughout the town including Harries Pancakes (who are celebrating their 25 year anniversary), Mrs Simpsons Restaurant, The Mayfly Restaurant and the Cherry Grove Shopping Centre.