Heksie goes bilingual
Growing up in 1980s South Africa, with limited, government-controlled TV, you watched whatever was on. From Rabobi (Spider-Man) in isiXhosa to Liewe Heksie in Afrikaans, language was no obstacle. Now, 65 years after Verna Vels created the wonderfully daft little witch, the character is finally speaking English. The new book Liewe Heksie and the Robber Rats, translated by Elsa Silke, sees Heksie battling a wicked witch and hungry rats to save Flowerland’s precious Silver Rose. It seems learning English was the least of her problems.
Talk about a tough gig
Being US President Donald Trump’s press secretary clearly isn’t easy. Just ask Katie Zacharia, who was fired after only five days. Her White House debut lasted 14 minutes and involved plenty of reading from notes and just three questions. She even accidentally called her husband “my president”. Then came questions about her legal credentials. Trump called her an attorney, but Zacharia admitted failing the bar exam. At least the boss was happy. Until he wasn’t.
Promises, promises
With elections around the corner, South Africa’s lampposts are disappearing beneath a sea of political promises. Talk about poster pollution. Enter local comedian Khanyisa JamJam, whose hilarious fake campaign posters offer some light relief. There’s the VF Plus promising that “it’s time to listen to Boom Shaka”, an ANC poster pledging “We promise to steal less”, and our favourite, the Patriotic Alliance promising to bring back Emmanuelle, that late-night erotic TV staple on e.tv in the late 1990s. Those of a certain age may remember staying up late for it.
