My opinion on :Youth Voices in SA Echoes in the Age of Hope

By Wendy Ngcobo

One of the criteria that sparkled in the discussion that was run by PHD student Gerald Boyce was how happy the black youth were with democracy and the way things are run in South Africa. In my view that was not a correct account of the youth at large.

Young people are not happy with a lot of things that are happening and concluding that they are over a research that was done with 10 people is a bit shocking. Having just come from the Municipal elections it was discovered that young people did not bother to vote in these elections. Now I am not a researcher but they did not need to do a research or evaluation .It was the young people themselves speaking out ,simply saying they are not ‘happy’ with the way things are run in South African.

And this is not to say this is a recent account, but they have not been happy for along time only they have been trying to find measures and ways to make their voices heard.

The democracy issue in my view goes beyond race because to perceive that the black youth are happy with what they have now is not an accurate reflection of every one that considers themselves to be a young person in South Africa. 

I am young person in this beautiful country of ours and feel Mr Boyce should consider engaging with us   on an advanced approach  because then he will have a realistic analysis on what I as a young person really think about the political structures and about the democratic structures in our country .

For the love of art

By Wendy Ngcobo

Sunali Pillay is a 22 year old Fine Arts student at Rhodes University, who does henna application during her spare time.

Mendi is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration done to Indian brides. Sunali was only 12 when a bad job that was done on her hand for her uncle’s wedding.

This inspired her to practice her designs on friends for months.”You see people do it, but you develop your own style", said Sinali. This she does with delicacy and flair as she’s had many years of practice.

After a stint which she did for a year in Journalism the following year she tried English and Philosophy.

 Sunali  then wanted to ‘stray’ as did her parents who studied but ended up doing something different.

 Her mom studied English and Drama but she is a businesswoman who owns her own company, her dad a trained draughtsman owns a Landry company. This inspired her to ‘wander off ‘on her own which she did while in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Ireland.

 

 Until she founded comfort in the field of art.

‘I’m happier now”,she said because I’m doing something I love “.

Art in the context of Christian faith

by Wendy Ngcobo and Cindy Mthembu

“Nobody who comes to Grahamstown has to ask for directions to the Cathedral”.

This was the highlighting at this year’s spirit Fest .The Cathedral is one of the ancient buildings in Grahamstown. Spirit Fest is an item presented at the Grahamstown National Festival of the Arts. This is art in the context of Christian faith and items such as gospel music, lectures, worship and dance are offered.

 One of the highlights this year was a book Grahamstown Cathedral: A Guide and Short History by Charles Gould that was launched. Jeanette Eve introduced the new guide which is a continuation of the older guide. “I dedicated myself to the rewriting of this guide” said Eve explaining the hard work she did putting together the second guide. She thanked everyone including Dean Andrew Hunter who played a fundamental role in bringing the book to life.

She has been sceptical at first as she already had many projects that she was doing but was happy and excited about the finished product. Local is Lekker “, she said .She emphasised  that she was happy to say that this book was written ,updated and now released in Grahamstown . Eve gave a vote of thanks to the Cory library for preserving a lot of the archives about the Cathedral.

She described this as a part of Spirit Fest and a beautiful work of art. This book is being updated the first having been updated in 1927 ,”It will help regular worshippers as well as visitors” said Eve. It was done as the Cathedral has seen so much, even those who think they know the Cathedral will find some things that are new in this guide.

               

With many people coming to Fest, Christians who want to worship and ask God for guidance and people from other religion that are interested in finding out or just want to listen to gospel music can come to this historical and sacred place.

the story of a vibrant young man,Xolani Nxuzula