Innehållsförteckning för Issue 295 2021 från The Big Issue

No one can dispute the powerful impact that can be made when people collectively pull through to effect change and make a difference in society. However, many movements begin with one willing individual who is courageous enough to look beyond his or her own fear, shut out the words of naysayers and push through the social, racial or economic boundaries that exist. This issue is dedicated to those individuals in various corners of our beautiful country who are quietly going about making a difference in their respective spheres of influence – often without financial backing or adequate resources. The lone rangers of our time. Sometimes all it takes is one mother’s sacrifice to secure the future of the generations to come (see page 4); one person to stand up for…

VENDOR SUCCESS Xoliswa Ntunta is a firm favourite with her Big Issue customers in Constantia. The 62-yearold grandmother lives in Site B, Khayelitsha with her four children and her late brother’s child. When Xoliswa joined the organisation in 2010, she started selling the magazine in Sea Point; then in 2018 she moved her pitch to Constantia Village Mall. Xoliswa is one of five vendors who are distributors of The Big Issue. Her fellow distributors are Bongani Pholo, who sells the magazine in Fish Hoek; Ntombekhaya Mhambi, whose pitch is in Claremont; Thabo Jamangile, who sells it at Tyger Valley Shopping Centre; and Siphokazi Magobiyane, whose pitch is in Cape Town’s CBD. Big Issue Office and Distributions Manager Penny Hawker-Mdingi, says the vendors are ideal distributors of the magazine because of…

“The arrival of COVID-19 at the end of this decade did not rescind the right to education, but it certainly complicated the ways in which it could be realised.” The last year has made the democratic values enshrined in South Africa’s Bill of Rights more relevant than ever before. Prior to COVID-19, many of us simply took the right to freedom of movement for granted, as well as the right to freedom of trade, healthcare and education. Although these rights are experienced to greater and lesser degrees by South Africa’s citizens, we never imagined that a pandemic would force their realisation to be temporarily suspended for all. The one-year anniversary of the pandemic last month, together with Human Rights Day, forced me to think of the ways in which education…

TBI #294: FREEDOM ISSUE I have just read, for the first time, some articles in this month’s Big Issue. I’m very impressed. – Zubeida Toefy TBI #294: HOMELESSNESS IS NOT A CRIME What about the rights of residents and ratepayers? These are the same by-laws applied in other metros but I don’t see a big fuss being made about that. So it’s now okay to defacate where one wants to, drink in public, harass people, etc.? Defacating on the street, pavement or park is not a right. Camping anywhere one wants to set a tent down is not right. Bathing in the nude for all to see in the open is not right. Strewing garbage and trash all over the public spaces is not right. Making fires in a built-up…

For as long as I can remember, I have been a creative. My love for language has largely driven my career choices and eventually I found my calling as a teacher. Teaching is something I am completely passionate about; although it isn’t an easy profession, it’s definitely work that gives me deep satisfaction. Part of the reason I became a teacher was due to my own experiences at school and, more importantly, after school. I often felt I didn’t understand my purpose – and based on the questions I get from my learners every day, I believe that remains a hot topic for discussion. “Why do we have to learn how to solve x? Why do we need to know this?” Although I believe that the curriculum I teach every…

• How many ants can a green woodpecker eat in a day? • What bird can run as fast as a racehorse? • Name the world’s smallest bird. What is a bird? Birds come in many shapes and sizes, but there are some things they all share. All birds are vertebrates, which means they have a backbone. They all have a bill, wings, and scaly legs, and they lay eggs. Birds are the only animals with feathers. Feathers help them fly and provide warmth. BILL A bird’s bill is a tool for many jobs. It is used to clean and tidy feathers, build nests, and pick up food. Each bird has a different shape of bill, suited to the type of food it eats. WINGS Wings enable a bird to…

The theory of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), in which companies tap into technology to empower their staff to be productive from anywhere, anytime, using any mobile device, has become a reality for many in the COVID-19 era. Yet, for many South Africans, the internet data and skills needed to progress at a pace that matches the rapid change can be achallenge. Data and technological challenges remain obstacles. This forced online migration can present an amazing opportunity for youth and businesses to tap into cross-country youth skill sets and their aptitude for technology to deliver on their remote work obligations. They can also uplift their communities. Opportunities such as IT support, data engineering, graphic design, social media, digital channel management and content development truly support remote work. In order to…

WORCESTER, 1997 In the distance, the Blue Train glides into view—a mere speck on the horizon. The gathered crowd cheers in anticipation. They are hedged in behind security gates that block their entry to the station platform, where a few guests and journalists await its arrival. Beautifully refurbished, the Blue Train is making its first trip from Pretoria to Cape Town in a newly democratic South Africa, and as it rolls slowly into Worcester station, the crowd strains against the gates, hoping to catch a glimpse of Nelson Mandela and the other dignitaries on board. The train doors open, and after a few minutes, he appears and steps onto the platform with his companion, Graça Machel, and is guided to the small group of children gathered to welcome him. Stooping…

My name is Thembisa Ndabeni, I am 28 years old. I am the youngest daughter of the late Nofezile Ndabeni, a lovely vendor who sold The Big Issue in Constantia for many years. I am a registered student at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and I am doing my advanced diploma in facility management. I live in Philippi with my sister’s six children; the eldest is in Grade 11 and the youngest is one year old. I am a mother, friend and aunt to them. We share everything together and support each other in everything that we do. We live alone because our dad lives in the Eastern Cape due to his health issues. Last December, The Big Issue family gave him a Zimmer frame to support his walking…

In July 2020, I founded Green New World. It is not just a business but my vision of the future. It is a means to fund my life’s purpose and a vehicle to build a sustainable future. At the beginning of last year, I started attending a course called Deep Dive Mastermind to discover my true authentic self and my life’s purpose. This journey kicked off with discovering my highest values and linking them with my life’s purpose. These values included knowledge, innovation, empowering others, justice and spirituality. I then had to look at my life events and unlock the meaning behind all my challenges. Each life event was linked like the big and small stars that form a constellation together. A large portion of the last 10 years of…

“I couldn’t be prouder of what he has achieved. I know given the slightest chance that he will be a major success.” Born into an underprivileged family, Robert Maposa (43) from Mamelodi East, Pretoria, learned to make the most out of the limited opportunities that came his way. Determined to build a better life for his wife Hitahlula and their two sons Wonderful and Timothy, Robert worked as a gardener and did odd jobs to put himself through matric at the age of 28. He then went on to study for a law degree. Despite the obstacles in his path, Robert exceeded all expectations, passing his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from UNISA with distinction. However, despite his qualifications, finding a job for the former gardener has proven difficult without…