SA Rocks

A characteristic that South Africans share with Americans the desire to tell everyone about what we’re best at (rugby, for one, but let’s not even get into that conversation!). The tallest this, the biggest that, the longest so-and-so, the deepest watchamacallit, the oldest thingamabob – you name it, we will find a category in which ours is the best. But somehow you often find yourself wondering if these are just patriotic urban legends, and that the thingamabob is only the oldest if you don’t look too hard in the rest of the world…

So it’s nice sometimes when the world confirms our general fabulousness and a South African product, person or event is honoured among the globally recognised best in the world. This was the case when the 2009 S.Pellegrino World’s Top 100 Restaurants were recently announced – and there were more South African restaurants in the top 100 than ever before!

The S.Pellegrino awards have been going for 8 years. To arrive
at this year’s results a total of 4,185 votes will have been cast by 837 restaurant experts – all well-travelled restaurant commentators, chefs or restaurateurs. Emanating from a unique polling of world’s best travelled and most polished palates the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards has proved itself time and again to be an insightful barometer of culinary trends.

So which South African restaurants feature?

* Le Quartier Francais at no. 37 (up 13 places, and at least its 6th appearance on the list)
* La Colombe at no. 38 (re-entry into the top 100 from 2006)
* Jardine at no. 79 (up 14 places!)
* Aubergine at no. 96 (new entry)
* Rust en Vrede at no. 98 (new entry)

Given the fact that there are only 18 restaurants in the Top 100 from countries outside Europe and the USA (and only 2 from Australia!), I think that’s pretty impressive, and proves that we really have upped our culinary game to compete on a world stage.

And the good news does not end there – apparently all the restaurants in the top 50 have been persuaded to donate a meal for two to be auctioned off on EBay in aid of Action Against Hunger – check out the details here.

Popularity: 14% [?]

After all the bitching about the expat vote, the bitching about the process, and the conspiracy theories, I thought I’d tell you a little about my experience today here in London. As soon as the Constitutional Court decision came through, I sent off my & hubby’s application to vote abroad. I got an e-mail confirming receipt, and when I checked our status on the IEC website it was all in order – we were registered in Port Elizabeth and approved to vote in London. This afternoon I got to South Africa House on Trafalgar Square clutching my VEC 1 form, passport and ID book. Unlike this morning’s 2-hour queues, we only had a 30 minute wait but the 5-deep queue still snaked all the way along the front of the building. HIV Positive & the DA were walking around handing out literature and talking to people and there were loads of free SA newspapers being given out – it was a relaxed and happy atmosphere, rather like the 1994 election I thought – just with more red busses and pigeons!

Once inside, everything was very efficient and everyone was very friendly – plus we got a peek at the very lovely interior of the Sir Herbert Baker building and its Pierneef paintings. Bonus. We got an envelope on which we had to write our names & voting district, then we got the ballot paper and a second blank envelope (read about this system here). We were checked against the voters’ roll and had hour thumbs marked, and then we voted. I was tempted to seal my ballot paper with a kiss – it was that kind of shivers-down-the-spine moment.

This is one South African who is not about to give up lightly the right that so many of my countrymen fought and died for, no matter where I happen to be.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Fact: South Africans love puddings.

And no, I don’t mean the weird English concept of puddings which can include savouries like Yorkshire pudding. I mean sponge-cakey puddings baked in the oven and usually served warm with some sort of sauce or syrup.

There’s nothing glamorous or sexy about them, and they don’t require any sort of expensive or exotic ingredients. Mostly, they originated in farm kitchens where the lady of the house had to whip up a pudding from what she had on hand – flour, eggs, butter, sugar and maybe a jam of some sort. Those redoubtable housewives had a pudding for every occasion, as I discovered in my copy of the Oranje Kook-, Koek- en Resepteboek of 1918, written by the mysterious “Mrs D.J.H.”.

Let’s see… we have ertappelpoeding (potato pudding), armmanspoeding (poor mans’ pudding – a steamed suet pudding with raisins), damespoeding (ladies pudding with currants, jam and brandy), goedkoop en lekker poeding (cheap and tasty pudding – perfect for the credit crunch, perhaps?), jongmanspoeding (young men’s pudding with candied peel and sultanas), oujongnooi poeding (old maids’ pudding), telefoonpoeding (telephone pudding with ginger and apricot jam), skrikkeljaarpoeding (leap year pudding) and vogelnespoeding (birds nest pudding – no birds nests involved though!).

There is also a cluster of puddings which are so similar that some sources describe them as being one and the same pudding. These are malvapoeding (literally mallow pudding), bruinpoeding (brown pudding) and Jan Ellis poeding. All consist of some combination of flour, sugar, eggs, milk, apricot jam and some sort of raising agent, and after the pudding is baked a syrup is poured over it. However, after combing various sources it appears to me that there are some small distinguishing features. Malva pudding contains vinegar whereas Jan Ellis pudding apparently does not. Brown pudding has a syrup that does not contain cream, whereas both malva and Jan Ellis pudding have a creamy syrup. Small differences, I know, but I’m a stickler for detail So I am taking the view that Jan Ellis pudding is a discrete entity, but is part of a close-knit pudding family.

Jan Ellis was a well-known Springbok rugby player in the 1960s and 70s, and held the record for most-capped Springbok player of all time when he retired (38 caps). Legend has it that this was his favourite pudding and to this day it bears his name. I have to say that the man had good taste. The pudding itself is a fairly dry, cake-like affair that baked to a nice almost crispy crust. Still, I was a little dubious about the texture… until I poured generous amounts of the creamy, caramelly syrup over it. Oh my. It’s rib-sticking, warming comfort food at its very best and the pudding just soaks up the syrup like a sponge – even my desert-avoiding husband liked it!

I have to confess, though, that I could not leave well alone. I figured that the traditional recipe (I used one from Pieter-Jasie) as it stood needed a little something to take the edge off all that unadulterated sweetness, and for some reason nutmeg sprang to mind. I also happened to have a tablespoon or so of grated orange zest left over from another recipe, so into the syrup that went. The end result was wonderful enough to make me wonder why I had spent so many years faffing about with creme brulees, mousses and crepes – this is pudding as pudding is meant to be. And I’m immensely proud to claim this piece of pudding heritage as my own

JAN ELLIS PUDDING (serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of self-raising flour
1 egg
1 Tbsp apricot jam
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp softened butter
a pinch of salt
a pinch of ground nutmeg
1 tsp grated orange zest

FOR THE SYRUP:
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp grated orange zest

Method:

Dissolve the baking soda in the milk. Mix all the other ingredients together well, then add the milk and mix well until smooth. Pour into a baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes at 180C or until a skewer comes out clean.

Plase all the ingredients for the syrup in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Serve each portion of pudding with a generous helping of syrup and some custard.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Have you heard of SASSI? That’s the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative – a public awareness and educational project that aims to inform seafood consumers and dealers about legal and conservation issues surrounding seafood and aims to promote legal and sustainable seafood choices. And they have developed an extremely cool tool to help consumers choose fish from healthy populations and thus relieve the pressure on overexploited species

Say you’re sitting in a fancy schmancy seafood restaurant and the waiter informs you that the linefish of the day is geelbek. If you want to know whether geelbek is an ethical choice, all you need is the FishMS service. You text the name of a fish to the number 079 499 8795, at standard text message rates, the fish name is checked against the WWF database, and you’ll immediately get a message telling you whether to go ahead and order, think twice before ordering, or avoid the fish completely completely.

The information has up to now only been available as a booklet or a condensed wallet card, which reduces information about the impact of fishing on stocks of local seafood species to a simple traffic light system:

* Species marked with a green fish can generally be eaten with a clear conscience because their population numbers are healthy (e.g. gurnard, hake).

* Species marked with an orange fish are legal to sell, but if you have a choice you should opt for one of the “green” species (e.g. geelbek, kingklip).

* Species marked in red are illegal to buy or sell in South Africa (e.g. abalone, musselcracker).

Full details of how the classification system works are available on the SASSI website.

With the new FishMS system, this information will be available at the touch of a cell phone button, even if you’ve left your reference card at home. SASSI hopes that the ingenious system will not only help consumers make informed choices, but will also demonstrate to retailers and restaurant owners that customers are willing to give up popular menu choices if these are not eco-friendly – which should in turn alter restaurants’ and retailers’ buying habits. SASSI has also launched an initiative whereby restaurants and small retailers can sign up and pledge not to sell fish classified as red, and always to have green options available to customers. It is hoped that by giving over-exploited species a break, their populations can recover and they can once again become more widely available.

The FishMS feature resulted from cooperation between SASSI, local IT company iVeri Payment Technology and developer Tony Seebregts - a rocking South African initiative.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Street food – it’s such a great concept. Something cheap and readily available, sold on the streets in a portable format, and eaten by the average local. Think Leberkaese rolls in Austria; grilled corn on the cob in Morocco; falafel or shawarma throughout the Middle East; frites with mayonnaise in Belgium; poutine in Canada; tacos in Mexico; chilli dogs and corn dogs in the USA; and arepas in Venezuela.

In South Africa, we have the usual collection of generic international street food like hamburgers, fried chicken, or fish and chips, but here and there you will find some truly South African food being sold on the streets, like Durban’s home-grown favourite: bunny chows.

There is some discussion as to the origin of this steet food which broadly consists of curry ladled into a scooped-out loaf of bread. One theory is that it originated at a restaurant in Durban’s Grey Street when, in the early 1900s, caddies from the Royal Durban Golf Club were unable to get enough time off over lunch to dash to predominantly Indian Grey Street to pick up a curry for lunch. The caddies would ask their friends to bring back curries for them and because there were no polystyrene containers back then, the shopkeepers sent the curry in holowed out loaves of bread. There was also no disposable cutlery, so the bread was useful as a tool to dip into the curry and use instead of a fork. This theory might also explain the rather unusual name: the shopkeepers on Grey Street were called banias (an Indian caste of merchants), and “bunny” could be a corruption of this. Another similar theory is that bunny chows originated as a means for the (mostly Indian) labourers to take lunch onto the sugar cane plantations of Kwa-Zulu Natal in the days before disposable containers.

The curry used in a bunny chow varies according to taste – chicken, lamb, beef or vegetable are all popular, and the level of heat varies (beware – Durbanites like theirs HOT!). The bread component of a bunny chow may be a whole, half or quarter white loaf, and the scooped out centre (known as the virgin) is replaced on top of the curry before serving. The virgin is then dipped into the gravy before and eaten as an appetiser, and it is considered very bad form indeed to take somebody’s virgin without asking . As the level of the curry drops, you can rip off bits of the bread bowl to use instead of cutlery – so all in all it’s a fun but potentially messy meal and not suitable for first dates or important business lunches!

Bunny chow terminology is a minefield for the uninitiated. When suggesting to friends that you should go and get bunny chows for a meal, using the word “chow” marks you out as a clueless foreigner – the correct term would be “let’s go get some bunnies for lunch”. And when ordering, you shouldn’t even use the word bunny – you merely order a whole, half or a quarter, depending on the portion of bread you want, and specify the type of filling you want (e.g. a half beef, or a whole chicken). And be very careful if you have a funny bunny – this is a bunny made from the centre of the loaf rather than the end and, as such, has no crust at the base. Make sure you support the base, otherwise your friends will quickly let you know where the “funny” part of the name came from

The recipe below is a great basic lamb curry and could also be served on rice. If you are making bunny chows though, be sure there is enough liquid for plenty of gravy: you want the gravy to soak properly into the bread “bowl”. I was lucky enough that my lovely friend Simla brought back a packet of Osmans Taj Mahal roasted Durban madras curry powder for me last time she went home, which I use in my curry – but you could use any ready-mixed curry powder that you like and which is available where you live. You can also add chopped chillies at the end to spice up individual portions if some diners like it hotter than others. And as always, if you have time try to make the curry a day in advance because the flavours always improve on the second day.

So what are you waiting for? Try these for yourself and experience the authentic taste of South African street food!

BUNNY CHOW (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 kg lamb, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced thinly into rings
2 large tomatoes or 1x400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 curry leaves
1 stick cinnamon
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1.5 tsp crushed ginger
1.5 tsp crushed garlic
4 tsp Durban masala (or substitute shop-bought curry powder,as hot or mild as you like)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
3-4 potatoes, cubed
Salt
1 or 2 (depending on the size) crusty, square loaves of bread
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Cube the meat and slice the onion; peel and dice the tomato.

Heat the oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, onion and curry leaves. Fry until the onion is light golden brown in colour.

Add the masala mix (or curry powder), turmeric, ginger, garlic and tomato. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mix resembles a puree.

Add the meat and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the poatoes and about 1/4 cup of water. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender and the potatoes cooked. Keep an eye on it to make sure the bottom of the pot does not burn.

When the meat is cooked through and the potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes), add the garam masala mixture. Test for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Simmer for a further 10 minutes on a low heat.

In the meantime, take a fresh loaf of white bread – it needs to be crusty on the outside with a nice, soft crumb. Little farmouse loaves half the size of standard loaves are ideal. Halve the loaf and scoop out the soft white crumb, leaving the crust to form a “bowl”.

Spoon the curry into the half loaf and serve, garnished with coriander leaves. The soft crumb can be dipped into the curry and eaten as well.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Remember a while back I posted about the finalists in the Prudential Eat Out Restaurant awards? The 2008 awards were announced at a ceremony in Cape Town late November last year, and it seems that I’m not the only one smitten with La Colombe at Constantia Uitsig.

La Colombe was not only awarded the 2008 Restaurant of the Year title, but chef Luke Dale-Roberts also won 2008 Chef of the Year. The awards are regarded as the “Oscars” of the restaurant industry and are judged by a highly-regarded panel that includes Eat Out’s award-winning editor Abigail Donnelly as well as restaurateur Dario De Angeli, director of the SA Chefs Association, Arnold Tanzer, and food alchemist Peter Goffe-Wood. Two other high-profile awards, the Prudential Eat Out Lifetime Achievement Award and the Woolworths Taste Bursary Award, went to Frank Swainston (whose divine honey-roasted chicken is one of my standby recipes) and Nerita Bharuth respectively.

Another area (one often sadly neglected in even top South African restaurants) that received recognition was service, and the 2008 Prudential Eat Out Service Award went to Terroir on Kleine Zalze estate in Stellenbosch. Service staff were praised for their great attitude, from the reservation process and menu knowledge, to matching wine with food. As the judges rightly pointed out, it’s not only about hiring the right people but also about training them properly, developing their skills and (hopefully!) retaining them. I could not agree more – roll on the era of the professional waiter in South Africa, and make sure you pay them a competitive wage!

The Prudential Eat Out Top 10 Restaurants were also announced on the night. Given the variety, both in terms of geographical distribution and cuisine, local and international fine diners will have ample scope to map an exciting new gastronomic route through South Africa’s best eateries.

The 2008 Prudential Eat Out Top 10 Restaurants in order from one to 10 are:

1. La Colombe (Cape Town) – Chef: Luke Dale-Roberts

2. Jardine (Cape Town) – Chef: George Jardine

3. Terroir (Stellenbosch) – Chef: Michael Broughton

4. Overture (Stellenbosch) – Chef: Bertus Basson

5. Restaurant Mosaic at the Orient (Pretoria) – Chef: Chantel Dartnall

6. Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch) – Chef: David Higgs

7. The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français (Franschhoek) – Chef: Margot Janse

8. Roots at the Forum Homini Boutique Hotel (Johannesburg) – Chef: Philippe Wagenfuhrer

9. Bizerca (Cape Town) – Chef: Laurent Deslandes

10. Hartford House (Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands) – Chef: Jackie Cameron

Also launched on the evening was the 2009 gold issue of Eat Out magazine. The new directory reveals the Prudential Eat Out Awards winners and showcases the 1 000 best places to eat in South Africa. Once you have your copy, you’ll never have to wonder where to go for a rocking South African dinner again!

Popularity: 5% [?]

A while ago, there was a post on SA Rocks about dual citizenship, which generated some discussion and a whole lot of questions. I went back to that post last week and was amazed at the comments that it had accumulated, as well as the number of questions that people had about the issue. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what forms are needed, where to find them, and what exactly the law says.

So I’ve put together in one place links to the resources that might be of assistance to those of you grappling with this issues, as well as answering the specific questions that were asked in the comments. Feel free to ask more questions – having been through the process myself I will be happy to point you in the right direction if I can. Please note that the info below deals with dual UK and SA citizenship only.

DUAL CITIZENSHIP – WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Here is an excerpt from the South African High Commission (UK) website:

South African Citizenship Act, 1995 (Act 88 of 1995)

Section 9 which regulated the deprivation of South African citizenship in instances where a major South African had made use of the citizenship or nationality of another country was repealed on 15 September 2004 by the South African Citizenship Amendment Act, 2004 (Act No. 17 of 2004) and replaced with the following sanction:

“A major citizen who-

(a) enters the Republic or departs from the Republic making use of the passport of another country; or

(b) while in the Republic, makes use of his or her citizenship or nationality of another country in order to gain an advantage or avoid a responsibility or duty
is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months.”.

A South African citizen who by a formal and voluntary act acquires the citizenship of another country, automatically loses his or her South African citizenship.

Resumption (Section 13): A person who has lost or has been deprived of his or her South African citizenship may apply for resumption at any Home Affairs domestic office. Application must be on a BI 175 and a prescribed fee of R128-00 is payable.

To qualify, former South African citizens by birth and descent must have returned to South Africa permanently. Former South Africans by naturalisation or registration must have a valid permanent residence permit or exemption from such permit and must have taken up permanent residence in South Africa.

In a nutshell, this is what the above means:

* In the past, people who wished to hold two passports were obliged to get a letter from the Department of Home Affairs authorising them to hold two passports, and always had to carry this letter with them when they travelled. Recent amendments mean that you no longer need to have or travel with such a letter.
* you DO have to get permission from the SA government before you apply for your foreign passport. If you acquire foreign citizenship without first asking permission from the SA government, you automatically lose your SA citizenship
* you DO have to enter and leave SA on your SA passport, not your foreign passport (although you can use that freely outside SA)
* you CAN’T while in SA rely on your foreign citizenship to gain an advantage (e.g. VAT rebate) that SA citizens do not have.
* Travelling into SA on your foreign passport or trying to use your foreign passport to gain an advantage in SA is a criminal offence and can get you a fine or even land you in prison if you are caught.
* If you have already gone ahead and got a foreign passport without getting permission from SA, you can apply to get your SA citizenship back, but to do so you must apply in South Africa and demonstrate that you are living in South African permanently.

HOW TO APPLY FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SA CITIZENSHIP

Step 1 Write to the British Home Office asking for a letter confirming that you have not yet acquired British Citizenship. The letter should not be more than 3 months old when you apply to retain your SA citizenship, so only get it when you are ready to start the process.

The office to write to for this is:

The British Nationality Division
3rd Floor India Buildings
Water Street
Liverpool
L2 0QN

Step 2 Fill in Form BI-1664 (ignoring paragraph available from the High Commission website: http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Documents/bi-1664.pdf
This is your application to retain your citizenship despite taking on foreign citizenship.

Step 3 Fill in Form BI-529 fully – available from the High Commission website:
http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Documents/bi-529e.pdf All South African Citizens who are abroad at the time of lodging a passport application form must fully complete this form. The purpose of the form is to establish that as a South African Citizen you have not lost your Citizenship. If certain questions are not applicable the mark as N/A. If certain questions are not known, for example, your mothers Identity number, then mark it as “do not know”.

Step 4 Call the SA High Commission and make an appointment (the London telephone number is 09065 540 799). Yes, calls cost £1 per minute from a BT landline. No, there is no other way…

Step 5 Attend the appointment, taking with you:
· Your filled in forms BI-1664 and BI-529 as described above
· Certified copies of your current passport (only bio-data page and UK residence visa page need to be certified).
· Your letter (under 3 months old) from the British Nationality Division confirming that you have not yet acquired British Citizenship.
· A self-addressed special delivery envelope (obtainable from any UK Post Office) for the return of your documents.
· the prescribed fee of £10.00. Only cash or Postal Orders are accepted. Postal Orders must be made payable to South African High Commission.

A few days later you get a letter saying you are still an SA citizen and you can go ahead and get dual nationality if you want.

And THEN you can start the process of applying for British citizenship providing you have been over here for long enough legally etc etc – have to write a completely ridiculous “Britishness” test, then attend a ceremony and swear allegiance to the queen (!) and THEN you can apply for a UK passport. (Feel free to ask me questions about this process too and I will do my best to help.)

Obviously, all of the above is only applicable to people wanting to acquire UK citizenship in addition to their SA citizenship. Other countries have their own rules and some (like the USA) do not allow you to hold two passports at all.

Q&A

Here are answers to the best of my ability to reader questions:

On 22 Jan 2008, Kate asked:
Jeanne (or anyone else who knows!) – what reason did you give on the forms for exemption? It seems to be one of those “tell them what they want to hear” situations… only I have no idea what they want to hear!
Also, where do I find the 2 forms you speak of?
And should I do this sooner than later? Or wait until just before I apply for UK citizenship? (only eligible in a year from now)

Answer: As a reason, I just said that I still have strong ties to South Africa – family, property and investments – and I will be returning there on a regular basis.
See my explanation above for links to the forms, but all can be found on the http://www.southafricahouse.com website. I don’t think it really matters how long before you apply for UK citizenship you do it – the only time-critical thing is that the letter from the UK stating that you don’t already have citizenship must be less than 3 months old.

On 26 Jan 2008, Terence asked:
I also would like to know about those 2 forms that where mentioned. I am also applying in 12 months time for my citizenship. so im trying to get all the facts in order so I know what to do when i got to do it.

Answer: See my explanation above for links to the forms, but all can be found on the http://www.southafricahouse.com website.

On 4 March 2008 Liv asked:
Hey guys, just wondering if anyone knew what happens if you already got dual citizenship (SA/UK) but didnt apply for permission from the SA Government first??
What a numpty, yeah i know!
But seriously, before applying for british citizenship, i googled dual nationality, checked the sa embassy in london, home affairs website, etc etc. because i was worried about this exact same thing happening! But never came across this before! Ive only heard about it today from a friend who is also applying for dual nationality!!! I cant believe i may have lost my SA citizenship, well upsetting!
Is there anything i can do to retain my SA citizenship without giving up my English citizenship?

Answer: According to Section 13 of the South African Citizenship Act 1998, a person who has lost or has been deprived of his or her South African citizenship may apply for resumption at any Home Affairs domestic office. See forms required below and a prescribed fee of R128-00 is payable. To qualify, former South African citizens by birth and descent must have returned to South Africa permanently. There is no need to give up your UK citizenship, but you do have to demonstrate that you are back in SA for good.

Steps to follow
· Complete application form BI-175 http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/forms/bi-175e.pdf and BI-529 http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Documents/bi-529e.pdf.
· Complete application form BI-9 (ID book application) – only available at consulates and Home Affairs offices.
· Submit two ID-size photos.
· Submit a written confirmation by the applicant that he or she now lives in South Africa.
· Submit a copy of your identity document (ID).
· Submit a copy of your marriage certificate if you are married or have been married before.

On 11 March 2008 Sandra asked:
Hi
re_dual citizenship & passports:
I was born in UK and have been living in SA since 1970. I travelled once to UK (on a SA passport) but now that I have kids of my own and am married am looking at applying for UK passport. Do I still qualify for UK citizenship (I have my original UK birth certificate which is in my maiden name) I also took on my stepdad’s surname (which was my maiden name)
Can anyone direct me to the correct channels or organizations to help on my case?

Answer: If you were born in the UK before 1983, you are automatically considered British by birth and as such entitled to apply for a passport, but obviously you have to prove that you were born there. If your current passport is in a different name to your UK birth certificate, you need to prove each link of the chain of your name changes – your birth name, how you acquired your stepfather’s name, your marriage certificate if you changed names again etc etc.
There is a comprehensive explanation of British citizenship eligibility on Wikipedia and if you call the British consulate in your city in SA, they are usually helpful and knowledgeable and cal tell you what paperwork you need.

On 21 April 2008 Anita asked:
I have the same problem as Liv. I hold a Dutch passport though and did not apply to the SA Home Office to retain my nationality. I did my research but did not find anything. Have you heard anything further about this and if you can retain your SA nationality?
The SA website does not say anything about the 2 forms or that you need to apply in writing to retain your SA passport. They do say that you do not need the dual nationality letter to travel on another passport.
If anyone can let me know where i get these 2 forms from as my fiance is applying for his British passport – it would be most helpful.
Also if you have any info regarding apply to retain your SA passport – would also be helpful.

Answer: For the two forms you need for retention of SA citizenship in your fiancé’s case, please see the links in the “What the law says” section at the top of this page. And for how to reinstate your SA citizenship, please see my response to Liv directly above.

On 27 Aprl 2008 Jeanette asked:
Does anyone know the options of getting a British passport if your grandparents were born there? I would like to be able to come and go to UK as I please and not have to leave after 6 months, which is the case now as a visitor. I do not want to loose my SA citizenship either.
Any ideas for me?
Thanks Jeanette

Answer: You are not automatically entitled to a British passport if your grandparents were British. However, as a Commonwealth citizen with a grandparent born in the UK you DO qualify for an ancestral visa. This visa means you and your spouse can live and work in the UK for 5 years and then apply for residence, and a year later, citizenship. However, you would have to LIVE here in the UK in order to obtain a passport this way. You will not be able to live in SA for the 5 years mentioned.

On 25 May 2008 William Smith asked:
I was born in Englad and have lived in South Africa since 1956. I became a South bAfrican citizen in 1965 having broken my stay in S A. In the 1970’s I worked for a foreign government who objected to my travelling on a SouthAfrican passport. I got a new British passport and a letter, in Afrikaans nogaal, allowing me to travel on my British passport and instructing immigration officeres to stamp both passports when I left or entered South Africa. This worked weel as S A did not need me to have my passport stamped in the countries that I visited. I understand that I can still travel outside S A on my British Passport but cannot use it to leave of re-enter South Africa. If I go anywhere will the country that I am visiting want to know why there is no exit stamp on my British passport. Can anyone advise me?

Answer: The British authorities no longer stamp your passport when you leave – at least, they certainly haven’t bothered to stamp mine since I got it! The only country that stamped me (and even that was only in, not out) was the USA. I think that unless you are singled out for special attention, immigration authorities in most Western countries don’t really care where your SA exit stamp is.

On 17 June 2008, Justine asked:
Hello,
I was born in 1982, my mom was born in England and I am trying so hard to apply for a British passport. Is there anyone that has gone through this process that can help me? I am so desparate but don’t know where to go from here. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Answer: Quick question – was your mom still a British citizen when you were born in 1982? If so, you are in luck! There is a specific form to fill in for people born to British mothers between 1961 and 1983 in order to register as British citizens.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/nationality/form_ukm.pdf
There are various documents that have to be sent along with the application, including your and your mom’s birth certificate – these are listed in the guide to filling in the abovementioned form:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/nationality/guide_ukm.pdf
Your first step is therefore to obtain your mom’s full UK birth certificate. You can do this via online services like http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/order_certificates/obtain_certificates/how–to–apply–and–pay.asp

If you receive British nationality this way, your kids will only be British if they are born in the UK, not if they are born in SA.

On 29 June 2008 Jeunell asked:
I would like to know what reasons to give for retaining my South African Citizenship?

Answer: Well, what are your reasons? You have family there? A bank account? Property? You were born there? Those all indicate strong ties to the country and are all valid reasons to retain citizenship.

On 5 August 2008 Nikki asked:
I get my Portuguese citizenship when I was 14 I now realize that I may have lost my SA citizenship years ago.
But hey I got my ID and my Passport in South Africa and its never been an issue.
My advise is follow the rules, always go out on your SA passport and come back in on it as well.
I have a sinister suspicion that they only want the info for SARS trust me. Another thing the day the say you must choose which citizenship to keep is a big warning sign that we will be going down the same route as Zimbabwe.
I think it is unpatriotic to have dual citizenship for but I am only a patroit where my bread gets buttered.

Answer: It is possible that you did not lose your citizenship years ago because of this exemption:

People who have lost their South African citizenship under Section 15(1)(a) of Act 44 of 1949 (by acquiring foreign citizenship) before 6 October 1995 may apply for retrospective exemption, which essentially means that upon approval of such an application, the client will be deemed to have remained a South African Citizen when he/she acquired foreign citizenship.

Steps to follow
· Form BI-1666 to be fully completed http://www.citizenship.co.za/downloads/bi1666 Exemption from loss SAC.pdf You can ignore paragraph eight of form BI-1666.
· All clients must fully complete form BI-529 http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Documents/bi-529e.pdf (All South African Citizens who are abroad at the time of lodging a passport application form must fully complete this form. The purpose of the form is to establish that as a South African Citizen you have not lost your Citizenship.)
· A certified copy of your current South African Passport.
· Proof of how and when you acquired your foreign citizenship (e.g. naturalization certificate) .
· A certified copy of your South African Birth Certificate.
· A certified copy of your marriage certificate.
· A self-addressed special delivery envelope (obtainable from any UK Post Office) for the return of your documents.

But as you say, if you apply for an ID and passport when you are home in SA on holiday, nobody asks any questions at Home Affairs. But if you are worried, then you can always pursue the route above.

On 30 September 2008 Randall asked:
I will be applying for dual citizenship. I already qualify. I want to know one bit of info please – anyone. What do I say in the letter to the home offices? Do I ask them to state whether I have citizenship? Do I tell them why I need the letter from home office? What do I write? All of the above? What?

Answer: You tell them exactly what you want – there’s no trick to it. They don’t really care why you want it and they are used to getting these letters every day. A template could be:

“Dear Sirs

I am shortly going to be applying for UK citizenship. However I wish to retain my current South African citizenship and in order to do so, I need a letter of confirmation from yourselves that I have not yet obtained UK citizenship.

My details are as follows:
SURNAME:
FORENAMES:
NAME AT BIRTH:
DATE OF BIRTH:
TOWN & COUNTRY OF BIRTH:
SIGNATURE:
FULL POSTAL ADDRESS:”

The letter you requested will then be posted back to you.

On 30 October Ilse-Marie asked:
Hi everyone
I just applied for British citizenship about a month ago and didn’t know I needed to apply for dual citizenship to keep my SA citizenship! I still haven’t heard anything yet about my application for British citizenship, but was wondering – what difference practically would it make if I didn’t have my SA citizenship anymore? If I decide to move back to SA one day – does that mean I’ll have to give up my British citizenship (if I hopefully get it)?
Just a bit confused about it now!

Answer: It’s probably too late now to ask for the letter from the Home Office saying you are not yet a UK citizen as they will pick up that your details are already in the system being processed for citizenship. So yes, when you get your UK citizenship, as far as SA is concerned you will automatically lose your citizenship. Practically, it does not make much of a difference though – if you are living in the UK, why do you really need an SA passport? If you need to prove in SA who you are, you still have your SA ID book, right?

The only time you will want to be an SA citizen again is if you move back to SA. In this case, if you are no longer a citizen, you would get embroiled in all sorts of visa requirements, like other foreign nationals. But the good news is that as long as you move permanently back to SA and intend to stay there, you can apply to resume your SA citizenship (see “What the law says” above). Neither SA or the UK requires you to give up your UK citizenship to do so.

Popularity: 9% [?]

OK, so we may suck at Olympic sports, but at least we can cook.

Team South Africa has returned home to a heroes’ welcome after winning five medals at the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) in Erfurt, Germany. These include a gold medal in the Hot Kitchen (warm dishes) category, three silver medals and one bronze in the Cold Kitchen(cold dishes) category. The IKA, commonly known as the “Culinary Olympics”, is the oldest and most prestigious international culinary competition in the world and the first competition took place in 1900. Today, the event has grown to more than 750 chefs from 34 nations, and has events for individual competitors as well as national, regional, student, and military teams.

Team South Africa comprises 11 chefs and two logistics officials, and is managed by Garth Shnier (Executive Chef at Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg). Executive Chef of Vergelegen Wine Estate situated in Helderberg, Henrico Grobbelaar, also individually won a silver medal for his contribution.

Although they are partly sponsored, none of the team members get paid for their involvement in the competition, and have to cover their costs with ticket sales and personal funds. If you would like more details of who the team members were, click here.

Team SA came first in the Restaurant of Nations component of the competition (also known as the Hot Kitchen), earning the Team their first gold medal in this competition in 16 years. For this event the team was required to prepare a three course meal for 110 people that reflected South Africa’s unique cuisine. Here’s what they made:

* a crayfish tomato terrine starter with curried crayfish flan, butter poached crayfish, mustard dill cured salmon trout, corn salad and a cucumber raita;
* a main course of beetroot and thyme-marinated springbok loin, creamed barley with juniper braised springbok shoulder and smoked porcini mushrooms, truffled celeriac purée, with a beetroot and pomegranate jus; and
* a uniquely South African dessert of naartjie and chocolate malva pudding, naartjie sorbet and a mascarpone and Van Der Hum macerated fruit slice.

Let’s hope that Team SA’s win boosts South Africa’s profile as a rocking fine dining destination ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Well done, Team SA!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Hands up – who likes eating out?

I think that’s pretty much a yes from everyone – and (budget permitting!), it’s one of our favourite leisure activities. So I’m guessing we’ll all be interested in who the winners will be in the annual Prudential Eat Out Restaurants Awards. 20 nominees have been selected from over 1000 countrywide restaurants to compete in the 2008 awards for one of South Africa’s most coveted culinary accolades.

The list, which represents the best of the local restaurant scene, features eight first-time entries – Bizerca, Food Barn, Hartford House, Mosaic, Myoga, Overture, Rust en Vrede and The Saxon – as well as renowned favourites.

On the judging day, convener and Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly joined a panel of highly respected judges that included restaurateur Dario De’Angeli, Arnold Tanzer, director of the SA Chefs Association, and food alchemist Pete Goffe-Wood.

“When judging a restaurant the entire experience is triggered by flavour, which to me is the emotional component of a dish,” comments Donnelly. “Great hospitality is firstly about caring and then service. This year it became clear that menus have been simplified, with modern takes on old classics proving popular.”

The Eat Out Restaurant of the Year, Chef of The Year and Top 10 Restaurants will be revealed and celebrated at the Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards ceremony on 30 November 2008 at the Westin Grand in Cape Town . While enjoying a four-course meal prepared by the country’s top chefs, guests will also find out the winners of the following categories:

* Eat Out Service Award
* Eat Out Lifetime Achievement Award
* Woolworths TASTE Bursary Award

The 2009 edition of Eat Out Magazine will also be launched at the event and will feature the winning restaurants and chefs, as well as provide a guide to South Africa’s 1 000 best restaurants.

Restaurant lovers are invited to read about the event and nominated restaurants, and to predict the Top 10 on the Eat Out website.

The 20 nominated restaurants in the 2008 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards are:

9th Avenue Bistro (Durban)

Aubergine (Cape Town) – see my review here

Bizerca(Cape Town)

Bread and Wine (Franschhoek)

Food Barn (Cape Town)

Hartford House (Mooi River, KZN)

Jardine (Cape Town)

La Colombe at Constantia Uitsig (Cape Town)

Linger Longer (Johannesburg)

Mosaic Restaurant (Elandsfontein, Pretoria)

Myoga (Cape Town)

Overture (Stellenbosch)

Reubens (Franschhoek)

Roots at the Forum Homini Boutique Hotel (Johannesburg)

Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch)

Saxon (Johannesburg)

Showroom (Cape Town)

Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais (Franschhoek)

Terroir (Stellenbosch)

Zachary’s at the Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa (Knysna)

Each restaurant had to meet a basic list of criteria to be considered as a nominee:

1. The restaurant should have been operational since November 2007.

2. The restaurant owners and chef should display an unwavering passion for their business.

3. Chefs should be concerned about the origin of their produce and be aware of seasonal and sustainable ingredients.

4. Consistency and excellence should be displayed in every aspect of the business.

Menu composition, seasonality of ingredients, presentation of dishes and, of course, taste will all be scored. Ambience is also important, as is the service and selection of wines offered. Judges work according to a score sheet which outlines each aspect of the restaurant experience.

I think there are some world-class restaurants on this list – South Africa can certainly hold its own among the best in the world. So be sure the check the Eat Out site at the end of November to see the results!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Remember a while back when I asked you to nominate products for the RMB Eat In South African produce awards? Well, the nominations were considered, the judges made their decisions, and the winners have been announced!

The awards were created in 2006 by Eat In magazine to recognise independent producers and retailers whose integrity, care for the environment, passion and innovation are putting South Africa on the international food map. The winners in 16 categories were announced on 3 September at a ceremony in Cape Town and there are loads that I can’t wait to try! The prestigious Best New Product aware went to Buffalo Ridge Mozzarella di Bufala. Buffalo Ridge is one of only three producers worldwide outside Italy to produce authentic buffalo mozzarella, and the judges thought the quality was even better than some imported equivalents! Makes my heart swell with patriotic pride!

Here is the full list of 2008 winners:

Best New Product: Buffalo Ridge Mozzarella di Bufala

Best New Product runner-up: Bags of Bites sugar-free choc chip and macadamia biscuits

Innovation Award: Kitchen Garden Sprouts

Innovation Merit Award: Soil for Life home gardens

South African Heritage Award: Fruits of the Karoo Aloe Juices

Best Organic Producer: Wegraakbosch Farm and Dairy

THE SMALL PRODUCER AWARDS

Bakery (bread): Trevor Daly’s artisanal wood-fired-oven ciabatta (at the Neighbourhoods Market in Cape Town)

Bakery (cakes, pastries and biscuits): Jardine Bakery’s braised pork belly and apple pie

Cheese: Dalewood Fromage’s six-month matured Huguenot

Earth: Earth Apples’ range of gourmet potatoes

Grocery and Condiments: Quality Pickles’s range of chutneys, sauces and pickles

Paddock (fresh and prepared): Dargle Valley’s bacon, pork cocktail sausages, pork pies and fresh rib-eye steak

OUTSTANDING OUTLETS

North: Braeside Meat Market, Johannesburg

South: Main Ingredient Gourmet Food, Cape Town

East: Everfresh, La Lucia, Durban

BEST MARKETS

North: Pretoria Boeremark

South: Neighbourgoods Market, Cape Town

East: Shongweni Farmers’ Market, KZN

So there you have it – the best of the best of our local small producers and retailers. If, unlike me, you are currently in South Africa, please make every effort to support them. And remember to start thinking about who you want to nominate in next year’s awards

Popularity: 4% [?]