Sam Wilson tweeted a Harvard Business article yesterday that explained the lack of female leaders in business. Factors that include that women are uncomfortable with the idea of power and prefer to be liked, play a role. I couldn’t agree more: who am I to be telling people what to do? This caught my eye because I’ve been selected to be a leader, perhaps not a very prestigious one and although I didn’t put myself forward and no one was more surprised than me, I take the role very seriously.

With this in mind I’ve been scouring resources – now that I can do, research! And tomorrow will be the most important part of my research yet: I’m attending the Quality Life Women’s Day Forum tomorrow. The aim of the Women’s Day Forum is to show women how to be effective leaders right here, right now. Everyday is an opportunity to influence people to understand the values upon which our great country is founded and we need to step up to the challenge. Why you? Why not you?!

As women, the course of our lives have a definite potential to change society and I would argue, a far greater impact than men:

Governments across Africa are more likely to invest in training for men even though statistics show that men are less likely to invest in their families and spend larger amounts on entertainment. Women not only invest more in their families, the pattern of investment (education and necessities) is more likely to stimulate financial improvement and a mother’s habits are also more likely to be transferred as the main source of cultural capital. The latter implies that a mother that is educated to manage her financial affairs, will pass these value systems on to both sons and daughters.

Another matter is that of birth-control. In South Africa birth-control is freely available at clinics and so is abortion. Trends indicate that women from low income households are more likely to choose birth-control to ensure that children already born will prosper. In countries where this is not an option, like Poland, population explosion lead to poverty, absentee parents (who have to work all hours) result in unchaperoned boys who turn to violent crime and girls who repeat the mistakes of their mothers by falling pregnant in their teenage years thus repeating the cycle of poverty.

Unfortunately, although birth-control is available in South Africa, prejudices have not changed. Fertility is still highly valued and abortion is considered a sin – nurses meant to assist girls have been known to treat them with contempt, discouraging them from exercising their rights to physical integrity.

We need women to stand up for women and the Quality Life Women’s Day Forum is a good place to start. For more info click here.

Wa Africa’s arrest today has shocked many and justifiably so: where do the police get off arresting him at a conference for journalists where journalistic freedom was the topic of concern and making a show of arresting him? Did he do something fraudulent? That is irrelevant – if a husband is in default of maintenance payments it’s a criminal offence but that doesn’t mean that you arrest him at work in front of his colleagues and humiliate him unnecessarily. And then further obstruct journalists from legitimately documenting the fact. These are clear intimidation and humiliation tactics, not only aimed at wa Africa but the entire press core.

The idea of giving a branch of the police powers, currently the Hawks, which are not Constitutionally sanctioned is a serious problem. The erst-while  Scorpions acted in a disgusting manner when the searched Zuma’s lawyer’s office without a warrant: to search without a warrant has requirements that I won’t bore you with but there was hardly a hope in hell that a magistrate or a judge would have sanctioned the search of privileged information. So here we are, different day – same a-holes but with a different target, the media that hung Zuma out to dry.

The other-side of the coin is the unethical practices of our media. By focussing on sensationalist reporting, they very often act as judge and jury of a kangaroo court. In England, there exists laws that allow the presses to be stopped before damage is done, because we all know, once someone has been accused of being  a peadophile it’s hard to ever come back. Damage done. Game over. The problem is that they seem to have become our only outlet for the impotence we feel in relation to an omnipotent government – so we endorse kicking the bully irrespective if it’s above the belt or below it.

What do we do? I don’t know but I promise you that I’m reading the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act in conjuction with the Protection of Personal Information Bill tonight – our media may not always play fair but it is undeniable that as the unofficial fourth pillar of democracy, they should not be unreasonably fettered. The consequences are too dire – ask Zimbabwe.

If you’ve watched SA’s Biggest Looser, you’ll undoubtedly remember the cute blond trainer, Lisa Raleigh, cheering contestants on with every fibre in her tiny little body. Well she wasn’t faking. On Monday I attended a health workshop with her and by the end of it, every woman in the Vitamin Water house agreed: those few hours had changed the outlook of our entire week – BRING IT ON!

The workshop took us through the course of a normal working day and the goal was to show us how to make changes in a normal working day to fit in exercise, healthy eating and change our mind-set. Much of what she said wasn’t new but the value of walking you through a day like this is to bring it home that it is possible to implement healthy choices. Here are a few of her tips:

- Never exercise without eating something first, no matter how early in the morning it is. It’s a myth that you won’t burn calories if you do and the fuel that your body will use instead is your own muscles.

- Drink home-made vegetable juice to get all your veggies in one easy go.

- Sitting on a yoga ball at work will burn an extra 100 calories and improve your posture without trying.

- Substitute coconut oil for all other cooking oils in as far as possible because it’s the only oil that remains molecularly sound at high temperatures. Even olive oil becomes unstable although using healthy fat oils when they’re cold is still a good choice. Apparently you get used to coconutty chips.

- Use only nature identical vitamins because your body only absorbs ten percent of the more commonly sold chemically isolated vitamins. We were given a month supply of Sportron ultra guard forte combo and I’m already a convert. (Vincent has also been converted though I’m not sure he notices what he’s drinking when I hand him pills and glass, he just knows the futility in arguing over it)

- Take calcium at night – your body absorbs it better then.

- Use a natural hair brush to brush your body with before showers, stroking towards the heart and she promises you’ll see a difference in skin tone and cellulite.

I’m not too sure about some suggestions like doing squats while your on the phone (groaning never goes down well with clients), doing dips on your chair at work and doing lunges. Your boss might call you in for some special one-one time (not the good kind) and you’ll have to go in sweaty. But those who can get away with it, it really just takes a change in mindset to drastically improve your life. As Lisa says: If you don’t make time for health, you make time for your illness.

Oh – and she also brought some friends, one of which was her fairy god mother (no, really). But more on them next time. I left after two hours feeling a ton lighter, motivated and holding an awesome goodie bag. Beg, borrow or steal but if there’s a way you can get access to Ms Raleigh – DO IT!

South Africans consider complaining about inept government the third national sport after whatever sporting event is currently huge (even right wing Afrikaners are watching soccer!) and cheating on taxes. But we have it good compared to Nigeria where every industry from banking to conservation to mining to telecommunications is a complete mess thanks to inept governance. But that won’t get a Naija down – never!

Nigerians have had their wetlands crapped on by international oil drilling companies more than 6800 times and actually need their environment for basic survival in these rural areas. But where government promises to clean up and never deliver, the Naijas find light at the end of the tunnel: Teenagers take simple filtration devices and spend hours separating water from oil which they then re-sell. What have the Americans done again? Other than complain I mean. I can’t help but be amused when supply and demand get together so neatly.

The telecommunications industry is another example. Infrastructure problems make South Africa look utopian but given the merest chance Naijas find a way to profit – whether legally by running internet cafes or illegally, taking the piss out of stupid, greedy Americans. This with a mobile penetration rate of only 50% and an internet penetration rate of only 16%.

Life in Nigeria, as in Africa in general, is tough. There, you’re considered middle class if you spend less than 50% of your entire monthly budget on food. We determine middle class LSM by whether you have dstv, there a television of itself is a luxury. And this is the third largest economy in Africa.

It’s kinda like my love hate relationship with the Israelis: the human rights abuses that Israel gets away with boggles the mind, still you can’t but admit that they’re bloody good at what they do. Similarly, Naijas seem to be making the best of a bad situation and have enough common sense to understand that if they had to wait for government to wake-up they would not have anything of their lives. Despise them as you will but give the devil his due.

Africhic is tall, confident and vibrant – an African brand that speaks an international dialect: this on-line boutique was launched early last year featuring top African designers with a view to increase their exposure internationally and facilitate distribution. At the helm of this project is Sylvia Gruber – a woman on a mission to enable African designers to establish their own identity and  brand. Ms Gruber believes that African designers need to develop their own signature and for that to become a reality, we need to support and invest in our fashion industry. But fashion is only the surface of the Africhic ethos; sustainability and community investment is key to what the designers involved stand for. Sylvia spoke to Moral Fibre about Africhic and African fashion:

Sylvia Gruber wearing Nazir

Moral Fibre: Various Africhic designers, most notably Lalesso, feature strong African
prints and in this aspect specifically Africhic appears to be right on trend. The Nigerian fashion industry is huge and growing, the African Fashion Collective début took place in New York shortly after you first launched last year. Did you suspect that African Design is the next big thing or was it simply a case of the right time and the right place following your travels around Africa?

Amanda Dilima, brand ambassador, wearing Lalesso

Sylvia Gruber: Given the attention around the World Cup and the great work Arise, BHF and some other big players are doing to promote African design to the world, it was pretty clear that African fashion would rise on the international agenda. Also I am sure that Made in Africa is a hugely important aspect of this movement. Ethical fashion and the whole “MADE HOW” vs. “MADE IN…China” for example becomes luckily more and more important and there is a veritable shift seen in luxury brands mindset as well as consumer mindsets.

MF: Some call it the Obama Effect – referring both to the president and his wife who actively supports African fashion, others are adamant that Africa is not a trend. Do you think African Fashion is coming into it’s own or is this a case of main stream European and American fashion having run out of ideas and decades to rehash?

SG: Going back to my previous comment I believe that African fashion has been a trend seen on catwalks and this was great because it has initiated a sense of pride in the actual African designers. Now, to be authentic and foster and create jobs in Africa those African designers are and should be producing International fashion / appealing to an international market yet with a clear signature of the place – produced in Africa. If we can manage this, I think we are on to something great! Brazil for example is doing a great job, having found it’s very own fashion identity, reflecting this vibrant place (Brazil) all whilst being on international trend.

MF: In the late nineties African cosmetics and hair products were growing at an exponential rate, now African couture markets are following suit. To what extent is African money, specifically in the hands of African women, a driving force in the current success of these markets?

SG: I can feel a strong rise in the US of Afro-Americans to strongly support African goods but I unfortunately don’t have quantitative data to be able to fully answer this question.

MF: How would you describe the brand identity of Africhic?

SG: Proudly African with a global mindset.

MF: What would you say are the three common denominators of the designers in
your bouquet?

SG: Firstly, all fashion is made in Africa – supporting local people and creating jobs. Secondly, for the moment being – all designers are from South Africa – due to Africhic being located in South Africa. This will ultimately change. I would like to look into Kenya and Nigeria specifically. Lastly, exclusivity, definitely no mass-production.

MG: Describe the Africhic woman.

SG: Confident, chatty, 25-45, likes to try out different things, likes exclusivity but also loves to mix and match, loves Africa and is also well travelled, loves to experiment with fashion and to express herself in fashion. Our brand ambassador, Amanda Dilima, embodies all these elements – she is for me the Africhic woman!

MF: It’s turning out to be quite cold in Joburg, especially at night – why is
Africhic so light on winter items?

SG: Please check end of next week again when we upload August and Lunar winter range – we have been a bit late with it…though we see a bit of a conflict as we also talk to the international market that has obviously inverted time zones.

Why this works is because most local designers don’t really bring out a real winter range (in terms of International understanding) so we deal more in a summer/ spring/ autumn mindset. Lalesso will be stocked all year round and is a pure summer brand.

How beautiful is this dress by August?!

MF: The Africhic event at The Grace in Cape Town recently (in partnership
with Lunar – who I adore!) combined prominent South African Artists – who do
you own and who would like to own?

SG: I don’t yet own any SA art – if I could I would buy immediately a Cheetah from Dylan Lewis! Still some time to go though. I love arts though and go to as many exhibitions as I can – Stellenbosch is a great place to discover artists and go to Galleries.

MF: Who else is on your wish-list to join the Afri-Chic oeuvre?

SG: We are in talks already with many more designers – such as Stiaan Louw, Svoboda, Undacova just to name a few. Undacova will be joining us shortly.

MF: Lastly – what is you favourite dinner venue in Cape Town and why?

SG: The Round House in Camps Bay. Why? For me location means a lot and can change the romantic meal you are having, for example…the setting is just gorgeous overlooking the sea and the place is magic as it has a long history. It was an old hunting lodge of Lord Summerset I believe when there were still leopards around this area Also, customer service is excellent at the Round House and this for me plays a vital role for success. If for example we are late for 1 day in delivery due to whichever circumstance I offer the consumer a freebie as apology (without them having to ask for it) – this makes the consumer happy and coming back to us.

Besides beautiful threads Africhic also stocks jewellery and other accessories – the perspex cuffs by Phillipa Green are absolutely stunning. Visit their store at www.africhic.com and see for yourself.

The last few months have been a sterling example of human nature: we’ve managed to kill in one go the largest piece of coastline ever. World economies crashed and while fat cats are still getting their fat paychecks, thousands have had their lives irrevocably changed for the worse. The G8 s meeting again soon and you can bet all the money circulating in Zim (no really, I’m sure you’re salary will cover it – now there’s a tragedy!) that humanitarian issues will not be at the top of the agenda. In short, I could feel my youthful hope for a better future dissolve into disillusionment – the same arseholes who governed for centuries have been reincarnated and are back to screw us all over again. That’s why Hunter S Thompson killed himself, history repeating itself was more than he could stomach.

To be fair, I’ve been wondering whether they – the arseholes – should give a crap…and I’m not too sure that I have an answer. I just know that I would prefer them to. Still, I’m not waiting for hell to freez over, that would be entirely out of character. People are basically corrupt and the only thing keeping the few individuals who do tend to make ‘good’ decisions in the habit of doing good, is societal sanction. So how do we apply societal sanction to a corrupt arrogant government of traitors who refuses to fulfil the responsibilities they owe to their countries? Just the other day Ms Sisulu refused to give an account of her spending – she deems herself above accountability.

But let’s not pick on her – we really need a solution for all corrupt politicians irrespective of their affiliations. Alicia Keys has the answer to this thorny conundrum and it’s more than hot air, she’s making it all happen. Where Mbeki attempted genocide (who needs poverty stricken people keeping us back anyway) by denying the link between HIV and AIDS and delaying the roll out of life-extending treatment, Ms Keys is saving the lives of people she does not know simply because, as she says, “WE SHOULD CARE!”. Because of her I can see it again; there is hope for change. Yeah I know, cheese with extra Melrose – bite me. The truth is that Ms Keys is a very charming lady indeed…tell you all about it tomorrow.

Annie Leibovitz does The Dough Rollers

But will they get to stay? We have a friend named Alain who happens to be the original designer for MF and who belongs to an interesting sub-culture that has the following characteristics:

1) Members of this cult bear a striking similarity to the lead teenage characters of Juno, although members hate this comparison and I am sure to receive hate mail from Alain once again for bringing this up.

2) They wear an odd ensemble of clothes like cardigans and striped-anything, alternating between various shades of mud and blindingly bright day glo.

3) They’re often way too mature for their age, a tendency which makes older people uncomfortable

4) Despite possessing insight beyond their years and more cynicism than Bill Maher, they tend to be really nice and happy-go-lucky – this makes them quite dodgy in my books as these are not chemicals that aught to be mixed in one body leading one the undeniable conclusion that they are in fact aliens or will spontaneously explode once they reach 30. I am immensely divided in my favour of these two possibilities – shall we be optimistic and hope for both?

5) Last, and probably most importantly, they listen – preferably on vinyl – to obscure folksy music.

The Dough Rollers are the first band that I know of that has been tipped for commercial success in this category. Their play list favours songs from the American 1920′s and 30′s – tres folksy – and so does their wardrobe. Are they almost famous because they’re good? Or is it because it’s not a coincidence that two of the three members have last names in common with Hollywood royalty (Byrne and Ford). The appeal is sadly beyond me but it is a free country, well sort of, and I’ll encourage you to make up your own mind. I’ll give them this – they sure can play them strings!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWXFmPWUbxU&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdjeioTgxwU&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrGxgVpoO4U&feature=related[/youtube]

Karen Elson is Jack White’s wife and a model – and she did something huge: she debuted her single The Ghost Who Walks at South by South West. Many models have tried this before and many have failed spectacularly. You decide:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsNhwMDC1yM[/youtube]

For more on this remarkable girl, read her interview with Jonathan Van Meter of Vogue

The youth of South Africa are a brave bunch. Whether they are naturally balsey or accidental heroes is irrelevant because growing up is always hard but growing up in an essentially cultureless environment is that much harder. Still you either get on with it or you will be left behind…and many get left behind. Cultureless? Surely not, you might say but compared to other countries, whether mostly homogenous or heterogenous, most countries have a very tangible, definable cultural identity.  During Apartheid black kids knew who to rebel against, respected tribal culture. Afrikaans white kids had conservative Christian values, segregation, conscription – the whole volk and vaderland schpiel, all perfectly laid out. It wouldn’t have been my box of choice but it was there and it was easy.

Post-1994, tribal isn’t quite bling enough. The quality of Bantu education still persists in government schools. A dead end. Many Afrikaans kids feel betrayed by a church and an elder society that preached a harsh regime which has left them without jobs or a defined place in a  country they still loved. Instead they inherited guilt and hate from actions that were never theirs.

In 2003, Fokofpolisiekar got on stage and told the world how they as Afrikaans kids feel in elegant-kick-you-in-the-heart Afrikaans. In a re-inactment of the 1960′s/1970′s birth of metal – these boys got on stage and made their anger a living breathing thing. They spoke to a leaderless, isolated youth and told them they were not alone. They gave them a place to vent so that they can get on with their lives a little lighter.

Wynand Myburgh - Anarchist

The documentary of the birth of Fokofpolisiekar by Bryan Little is much like any other band story; the hedonistic ups, the filthy downs and the politics. It’s an interesting story well told about one segment of the youth in South Africa but facing the same problems as most other kids are facing – how to find your way when there is no one you trust to tell you what it is. And of course, there are consequences when you don’t fit into a box: your heart laid bare is free game and you will be laid on an alter to be drawn and quartered for your insolence – some things never change. Afrikaans society and the press is still run by many people who invented the Afrikaner box to begin with or don’t have the capacity to think for themselves. So when Wynand Myburgh, drunk on booze and rock and roll bravado, wrote ‘fok God’ (fuck God) on a kid’s wallet after a gig – Fokofpolisiekar learnt all about mortality and consequences.

I spoke to a  DA counsellor a while ago and couldn’t help but complain that there’s no one speaking up for the liberal Afrikaner. Little did I know that Fokofpolisiekar were there all the time: music spoke up for the disenfranchised without a voice like so many times before. They’re not perfect and they make mistakes – they’re bloody damn well allowed! I’d hardly listened to them at all because I generally ignore Afrikaans music (that’s how alienated I felt before Vince brought the dvd home) but now I’m getting every CD I can lay my hands on. Tip-o-the-hat to you guys – julle rock!

Rent the DVD at a dvd store near you or buy it but you have to see it.

Hunter Kennedy - Lyricist and Guitarist for Fokofpolisiekar

And here’s the official trailer if I haven’t convinced you yet:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EJeUlBs7Ws[/youtube]

I like people. People who are sharp, insatiably inquisitive, funny in an off beat British humour kind of way. People who Think…but without it getting in the way of Doing. It’s probably all in my head but I think such a complex individual is Maggie Gyllenhaal – could also have something to do with the fact that she was born on my feisty grandmother’s birthday. The only movie of hers that I haven’t enjoyed that much is one of the latest, Crazy Heart, for which she ironically received an Academy Awards Nomination. There’s nothing that I can really put my finger on that’s really bad but her character was a bit one dimensional and that says much when Gyllenhaal is a master at revealing a layered character – as with Sherrybaby.

Sherry Swanson is a recovering drug addict and has just been released from jail. The most precious thing in her life is her daughter who is currently living with her brother and his wife. Sex is the only commodity she has and she seems to enjoy it as much as she uses it to get the job she wants, the attention she craves. It’s a remnant of her life before jail and as she uses her body you can see that she is not an idiot, the consequences to her self-esteem are apparent and the level of self-destruction is torturous to watch.

With precision, Gyllenhaal reveals all the shades of grey that make up what you realise to be a diamond in the end: manipulative, self-indulgent, narcissistic, scared, vulnerable, shrewd, loving, gentle and…eventually very strong. She refuses to fall into the trap of holding Sherry up as a martyr, a victim of tragic circumstances to be pitied – there’s is after al always choice and there’s always hope.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHvT9lUet7I[/youtube]

Sherrybaby is a beautifully carved piece of life, definitely worth the Golden Globe Nomination that Gyllenhaal received.