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Global Governments & Popular Political Systems With the build-up to the upcoming elections in South Africa, it’s important to reflect on the meaning of democracy and what a democratically-elected government is, so that we can understand the significance of our role as voters and why we take part in a political system that requires citizen participation. It is also interesting to note that South Africa’s government system is a constitutional democracy with a parliamentary republic (Republic of South Africa) that is comprised of three levels of government: national, provincial and local. In South Africa, the Constitution is deemed as the highest law in the country, no person, not even the president can go against it, nor can Parliament pass any laws that infringe [...]

On the hook, or off the hook? Hookah, Shisha, Sheesha, Goza, Argileh, Narghile or Hubbly Bubbly, as it’s more commonly known in South Africa is a popular method of smoking flavoured tobacco by using a water pipe. Smoking Hubbly Bubbly or Hookah as it predominantly know around the rest of the world, has become a supremely social form of smoking, particularly amongst the youth. The Hookah or water pipe is comprised of a head, a body, a water bowl and a hose/pipe or two. The sticky ‘wet’ flavoured tobacco is placed in a clay head at the top of the Hookah, and then covered with perforated aluminium foil or a ventilated metallised casing, a coal or an ember is then placed on top [...]

The History of Horoscopes With the start of the New Year, and New Year resolutions in full swing – many people seek additional guidance and an indication of what the New Year has in store from an astrological source. Followers of Western astrology and the Zodiac signs look to the relevant star-signs associated with their birthdate for predictions, and perhaps, answers for the year ahead. There are thousands of horoscope/astrology or zodiac-themed websites that aim to provide ‘insights’ into various areas of a person’s life including health, love-life, money and career prospects, to those who believe in them in them of course. According to Western astrology, there are twelve zodiac signs that go in the following order: Aries (The Ram), Taurus (the Bull), [...]

Sniffing out malaria one parasite at a timeDogs aka ‘man’s best friend’ are known and loved for many of their furry characteristics. They are employed in multiple service-based industries for their ability to be trained to perform specific tasks upon command, for protection and particularly for their keen sense of smell. Dogs are also used widely as aids for the blind as well as those who are physically and mentally handicapped. Due to their ‘sniffing’ capabilities, dogs are commonly used in the police force, military and in airports – industries that capitalise particularly on their sense of smell. Dogs are used to sniff out hidden illegal substances on a daily basis.Now however for the first time, a study has uncovered a potentially life-saving sniffing [...]

The Problem with Palm Oil Palm oil is derived from the palm tree, which is only grown in tropical areas. The oil, which is usually of a high-quality produced from these trees is predominantly utilised for cooking in developing countries. However, that being said – palm oil can be found in many other unexpected everyday products. These include food products, cosmetics, detergents and more. Palm oil’s popularity lies in its continuously high yielding crops – much more so than other frequently used vegetable oils, and at a lower cost – making it even more popular. Palm tree plantations are especially prevalent in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with its global demand increasing exponentially. According to the World Wildlife Fund : “Palm oil is [...]

Black Friday and its black mark on the environment Black Friday is an annual sale-filled shopping bonanza that occurs the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a day filled with extreme price cuts and even more extreme shopper behaviour. The sale kicks off just after midnight and runs for the duration of the day. You will be hard pressed to find a store, whether bricks-and-mortar, or online that doesn’t participate in Black Friday. However, although Black Friday’s origins lie in the U.S., the holiday has also infiltrated the United Kingdom as well as South Africa. Holiday shoppers capitalise on Black Friday’s deals which often run into the weekend until ‘Cyber Monday’ when most of the deals move online. However, while [...]