COCA COLA POP STAR GOES SOLO



Letang Tlome performing at Soshanguve Block H, outside Pretoria

 

Alfred Makhubela  

Sometimes in life you have to do something that will represent you as an individual that’s according to former Coca-cola pop star contender Letang Tlome.

Letang Tlome was part of the pop group Adillah which consisted of members such as Karabo Motlhabi, Thembisile Ntaka, Itumeleng Kgosana and Refiloe Motha. The group lasted until 2008 and reached the top five in the 2003’s edition of Coca-cola pop stars which aired on SABC 1.



Letang Tlome performing at Soshanguve Block H, outside Pretoria



Tlome said that Adillah as a group did not give her the platform to do the kind of music she always wanted. “Adillah was a pop group and we had to do songs and subjects which were chosen for us” she said.

The 32 year old studied music and drama at the National School of the Arts. Her genre is Afro-Soul she focuses on subject matters such love and life experiences because she feels they relate with her.

Born in Soshanguve Letang is adamant that going solo will be a journey to higher places. “My dream has always been a super star like my favourite artists, the likes of Swazi Dlamini and Judith Sephuma”, she exclaimed.

She is currently working on her debut album titled Journey of my soul which is scheduled to be released this winter. The album is produced by Zakhele Mabena. “Fans can expect fun and love of any kind on my upcoming album”, she added.

Letang Tlome is a SAMA award winner with her group Adillah in 2004 for Best Newcomer with their debut album Ses’fikile which sold 40 000 copies.

Students advocate for better ways of running examinations

THANKFUL: Anelle Schoeman, Associate Director of PricewaterhouseCoopers

A year ago the University of Limpopo was approved as a SAICA accredited university, enabling students completing the BAccSc degree direct access to an accredited postgraduate programme and in turn to write the qualifying examinations towards becoming Chartered Accountants [CAs (SA)]. Since accreditation is a continuous process, the SAICA academic review team conducts a follow-up-visit to the University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus, to evaluate the progress of the academic offerings of BAccSc program.

The follow up visit update on all relevant aspects of the programme; course material, assessments and self-assessment (identifies strengths and weaknesses), the role of the University of Limpopo and other relevant resource information. The visit saw School of Accountancy Auditing students showered with awards. Students were tasked to make presentations on ways to better the way in which examination is conducted and security related matters are being suggested. Students’ presentations were looked at and judged by the SAICA team.

Mrs. Anelle Schoeman, the associate director of PricewaterhouseCoopers, on her opening remarks applauded the commitment that students have shown. “I am happy that students channeled all their time and efforts to this project and have learnt how to link theory with practice, not just wandering around with big text books. We noted that team work is essential to every group, nevertheless, conflict and droppings emerged among members and I am happy that they were minimal, above all, it was a success”, Schoeman declares.

Students received best presentation awards ranging from university coffee mugs, schools bags and caps. The purpose of the award giving ceremony; which was done in a form of a lucky draw, is to thank students’ determination to develop skills on library use and internet search, which is to be used by SAICA. “Through the project, you have extended enormous skills for high level engagement. You also gained skills for time and stress management”, says Professor Ambe, the Head of Department in the School of Accountancy.

"This old man can feed us, you will marry him"

Sphelele Ngubane

Many South Sudanese girls have become source of wealth for their families suffering poverty– through forced marriage, the 2012 Human Rights Watch research revealed.

South Sudan has been reported the leading country in Africa where young girls are rushed off to marriage as their families want to better off their living.  Families reach marriage agreements between themselves and choose marriage partners without the consent of girls.  They marry off their girls - as soon as they reach puberty - to a man who has offered a highest dowry, in a form of cattle or money.

The Human Rights Watch conducted a study in South Sudan on the child forced marriage.  They compiled a 95-page report titled: This old man can feed us, you will marry him.  This title is an answer one of the many South Sudanese girls got from her family when she rebelled against the forced marriage.

According to the 2006 Sudan Household Health Survey, about 48 percent of all South Sudanese girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are married, with some marrying as young as age 12.  Human Rights Watch interviewed 47 girls who said they were forced to marry because their families wanted to get dowry.  This is said to be a tradition many South Sudanese families believe in to overcome poverty.

“My father did not want to pay my school fees.... sometimes we had no food at home,” said Pontinanta J., who got married at the age of 13 in 2006.  Neither of her parents was employed.  She was told that her dowry could support her nine siblings.

The researchers established that many parents simultaneously fear that their daughters would get pregnant out of the wedlock as this would reduce the amount of dowry and the family’s economic advancement.  Marrying their daughters early is their solution to prevent this.

“If you decide to delay your daughter’s marriage, she may get pregnant, the man may not pay many cows,” said a woman interviewed by Human Rights Watch.

Some mothers have been reported to protect their children from these marriages, however in most cases they fail due to the pressure from family.  They force the marriages to have bread on their tables.  Aguet who got married at the age of 15 said his uncles beat her mother when she disapproved them marrying her (Aguet) to a 75-year-old man. 

“They said, ‘You will marry this old man whether you like it or not because he has given us something to eat.’ They beat me badly.  They also beat my mother because she was against the marriage,” Aguet shared.

The Human Rights Watch submitted their recommendations of their finding to the government officials of South Sudan.  They have asked for them to publicly support efforts to address the issue of dowry and its negative impact on the rights of girls and women in South Sudan.  They further urged the government to call for a regulation of dowry through consultation with all stakeholders, including women and girls.