Archive for the ‘Non-fiction’ Category
by Amanda on Jun 14th, 2013
Emma Onyango from All Africa has reported that Andrew Rugasira, author of A Good African Story and owner of Good African Coffee Company, has hinted that he is considering listing his company on the stock exchange.
Rugasira commented that “It would be interesting for us (Good African Coffee Company) to talk about the possibility of listing on the stock exchange because it would then give others the chance to see how it is done.”
The proprietor of Good African Coffee, Mr. Andrew Rugasira has hinted at listing his company on the stock exchange so as to help finance his expansion plans.
Rugasira who was speaking to the media at the African Center for Media Excellence (ACME) in Kampala last week said that it was becoming difficult to meet the expectations of the bigger chain stores like Tesco in the United Kingdom and hence there was need to look at alternative means of financing.
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by Amanda on Jun 13th, 2013
Bertus Preller has written about how to choose a divorce attorney, advising people against cutthroat lawyers who are quick to litigate. He says to rather “search for an attorney who will represent your interests, whether that means fighting it out in court or making sure you get a fair settlement”.
Preller also shares advice on ways to limit the amount of legal fees you pay and lists The Law Society rules that attorneys are held to, as well as the responsibilities you have to your attorney:
Finding the right attorney can be a challenging exercise. There are many good and ethical divorce attorneys who would be happy to represent you, but there are also many who don’t keep up to date with the law, don’t care much about your personal needs and/or charge too much. No matter how straightforward your case, it will likely move faster and be easier if you have a competent attorney to oversee it from beginning to end.
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by Amanda on Jun 12th, 2013
Tim Noakes was invited to speak at Physical IQ about his book, Challenging Beliefs, and about his views on high protein and high fat diets, as well as the issue of over-hydration during exercise.
Brendan Blackburn shared a video from the event and the Well I Am blog wrote about the talk, in which Noakes commented that “the only thing that counts is what works” with regards to alternative methods of treating ailments.
The highlight of my career thus far was having the priviledge of hosting Prof. Tim Noakes at a seminar held at Physical IQ. The talk was centred around his book Challenging Beliefs. His passion for science and pushing the boundaries of peoples’ perceptions is evident in the way he addresses the audience. One never gets the feeling his motives are agenda-driven, but more for his willingness to share his philosophies, and ultimately challenge beliefs.
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by Amanda on Jun 11th, 2013
Darrel Bristow-Bovey’s latest column for Random House Struik, “Reflections on love”:
Recently I’ve been thinking about love stories. Perhaps it’s because I am myself in love. I am no longer young and have been in love before, so maybe that’s why it feels as if all the love stories we most love are either incomplete or overly complete – they either stop when love is attained and before life begins, or they stop when someone dies or flies away from a misty airfield with the letters of transit.
The best-loved love stories aren’t about ways to live with love, they’re about tragic loss and noble sacrifice. These stories no longer inspire me. I don’t want to lose things or sacrifice things for love; I want a love that lets me live and work and be happy and make someone else happy. The problem with love stories is that they’re about love, rather than life.
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by Amanda on Jun 10th, 2013
Julian Rademeyer, author of Killing for Profit, explained in an interview with Eric Larson that part of the poaching problem is that there is not much known about the market trading in rhino horns. In an article for Mashable, Larson wrote about Kenyan conservancy Ol Pejeta, which has purchased a drone to monitor its 90 000 acres of land.
Rademeyer said that he thinks that drones will be useful as a tool for gathering intelligence, commenting that, “Drones can help you know where to look, but when it comes down to it, manpower on the ground is still the key to stopping this.” Robert Breare from Ol Pejeta agrees, saying that this is just one part of their strategy to tackle poaching.
They break in after sunset — teenagers, usually — armed with AK-47s, chainsaws and night-vision goggles. Moving quickly is essential. Rhinos are frightening creatures, after all — especially when they’re charging towards you, horns lowered, legs pumping, in the darkness of the jungle.
Poaching has always been a dangerous operation, and yet despite the odds, it’s increased twofold in the past 18 months. In Africa, it has singlehandedly pushed several species to the brink of extinction. National Geographic reports that rhinos in particular have been slain at a rate of one every 11 hours, since 2013. That’s on top of the more than 1,700 killed off worldwide since 2011.
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by Amanda on Jun 7th, 2013
“The goal for divorced or separated parents should always be to maintain the best co-parenting relationships possible by moving past previous relationship issues and focusing on children’s well-beings,” says Betrus Preller, author of Everyone’s Guide to Divorce and Separation.
On his blog Preller writes that “a great percentage of parents that divorce or separate see conflict as an inevitable part of the process and are determined to fight battles in court” despite this not necessarily being in the best interest of their children.
The welfare of children in a divorce or separation is the most important aspect of any divorce. Although most couples believe children’s welfare is one of the most important factors to consider in a divorce, a great percentage of parents that divorce or separate see conflict as an inevitable part of the process and are determined to fight battles in court.
From time to time one comes across an intransigent parent who is incapable of objectivity when considering what is best for the child. It may well be that you do not like your partner, but the child’s view of the parent is different. He or she will have love and trust for that person, capable of transcending even the most dreadful scenes that may have been witnessed.
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by Amanda on Jun 6th, 2013
On Wednesday 12 June, the Troyeville Hotel Book Club will host a dinner and discussion with Julian Rademeyer about his book, Killing for Profit: Exposing the Illegal Rhino Horn Trade, which has recently been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award.
Tickets cost R179 and include dinner. The event starts at 7 PM for 7:30 PM. Booking is essential.
See you there!
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by Amanda on Jun 5th, 2013
In an article on her website Maya on Money, Maya Fisher-French explains to a questioning reader when and how you can request a refund.
She writes that although the new Consumer Protection Act provides ample protection for consumers it does not “remove the obligations of consumers when undertaking an agreement”. Fisher-French goes on to explain that the customer has the right to demand “quality service”.
For more information on the new Consumer Protection Act, get your hands on Everyone’s Guide to the Consumer Protection Act by Clive Gibson and Geoff Hull.
“A small business hired a hall for an event scheduled for 7pm on a Saturday night. The event was a choral concert and so sound engineers, lighting engineers and stage props were all lined up. At 6pm the owners of the hall cancelled because there was no electricity. The electricity remained off until about 10pm. Substantial costs have been incurred by the concert organisers. Given the circumstances, can the hall rental be claimed back from the owners by the organisers?” writes Lauren.
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by Amanda on Jun 3rd, 2013
Bertus Preller, author of Everyone’s Guide to Divorce and Separation, has shared his insights into the divorce statistics in South Africa, from the data on 2011 released by Statistics South Africa at the end of last year.
Preller notes that there was a 8.5% decrease in divorces from the previous year, with 20 980 divorces from civil marriages in 2011. The duration of the marriages before divorce was most commonly between five and nine years, with the second most common length being less than five years.
The 2011 data was published in December 2012 by Statistics South Africa. 20 980 divorces from civil marriages were processed. This indicates a decrease of 1 956 (8,5%) divorces from the 22 936 cases processed in 2010, which may largely be explained by some 2011 divorce forms that did not reach Statistics South Africa before the publication. The total number of divorces generally fluctuated over the period 2002–2011, with the highest number observed in 2005 (32 484) and the lowest in 2011 (20 980).
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by Amanda on May 31st, 2013
Northern Cape farmer Deon Steenkamp, 44, his wife Christel, 43, and daughter Marthella, 14, were killed on their farm Naauwhoek, on 6 April 2012. The killings were initially thought to be just another farm murder, but months later a sixteen-year-old youth was arrested, setting in motion a chain of events that would grip South Africa, and divide the people of Griekwastad.
This is the riveting account of what really happened on Naauwhoek farm on that fateful day, as told by Jacques Steenkamp, the reporter who first broke the story.
Jacques is one of the best hard-news journalists in South Africa and has reported on nearly a hundred murders. His contacts and sources uniquely qualify him to investigate and expose the truth behind the Griekwastad Murders, and he spent more than a year investigating and reporting on the case.
The book is a gripping, factual account of what is sure to become one of South Africa’s most notorious and sensational murder cases, based on interviews with all the role-players, including the investigating officers on the case, the forensic and ballistic experts, and family and friends of the deceased.
The Griekwastad Murders – The Crime that Shook South Africa will be released on conclusion of the trial, and will also be available in Afrikaans as Die Griekwastad-Moorde – Die misdaad wat Suid-Afrika geruk het.
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