Category Archives: Past Media Coverage

Quoting their website, “the Pink Tongue is Cape Town’s first and only monthly community newspaper for the colourful and diverse gay community”. And their September print edition has a feature on Braai4Heritage. This is obviously fantastic, and yet again proves that everybody in the country likes to braai. Thank you Pink Tongue for your help in getting the Braai4Heritage message to the nation.

Braai4Heritage features in gay newspaper Pink Tongue.

If you cannot read the article, it is essentially a reprint of the Braai4Heritage vision, which you can read here. You will notice that there is not only the text, but also some photos, and another supporting article about Spitbraai. There is even an advertisement about beef.

Thanks Martin

Cape Town – Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu on Friday called on South Africans to throw some meat – or vegetables – on the coals to celebrate the country’s heritage and “braai”. ”We experienced an incredible spirit in the month of the World Cup when all that mattered was that we were members of this extraordinary Rainbow Nation,” Tutu told journalists. ”So I call on all of us to braai for Heritage Day, September 24. Let’s get together and enjoy ourselves, friends, families and even those who are not friends.”

Desmond Tutu and Jan Braai sharing their vision of uniting a nation around braai fires with the international media

Tutu is the patron of the “Braai for Heritage” campaign which is celebrated on September 24, an official public holiday to mark the nation’s multi-cultural heritage after the fall of apartheid in 1994. The archbishop emeritus said the fireplace was a traditional gathering place in Africa and that anything from meat to vegetables could be put on a braai, a pastime enjoyed by South Africans of all races. ”We want to continue that tradition of all of us gathering on September 24, braaing for our heritage,” he said. ”The important thing is all of us on that one day again getting together and just enjoying the fact of being South Africans.”

Mainstream media reporting on the Braai4Heritage campaign.

The 78-year-old, affectionately known as “the Arch” will retire from public life on his birthday next month after years of speaking out against apartheid’s white minority rule and injustices around the world. He will remain the patron of the braai campaign, which he joined in 2007. ”You can resign from an office job but you can never resign from being a braaier,” the campaign’s Jan Scannell told him in front of a banner featuring a large t-bone steak in the shape of Africa.

Source – News24

I recently had a chat to the guys behind the “I’m South African Neutral” campaign. Their mission is pretty self explaining, but for those of you to lazy to read it, I will summarise their mission in braai language. It is this: We just want all South Africans to get along, and be happy. Pretty simple. If you also want that, support them by joining their Facebook page. Their campaign has nothing to do with politics or sport, so whatever team you support, you can continue to do so. Here is their logo, and below that, their mission statement. I agree with 90% of it. But I will continue to discriminate against people that braai with gas.

We have created a platform for South Africans who have had enough of the fighting, the anger and the polarisation to come together in the name of unity. And we’re growing. We’ve moving beyond just a discussion group of like?minded individuals into a more visible sphere. We choose the side of mutual understanding. Of respect for every race, religion and culture. And we welcome you to join us to make South Africa a place that is once again a shining example to the world.

We stand for a united South Africa. A South Africa where all our people work together for a common goal of respect and understanding. We will not be divided. We will not be forced to take sides. This is our country and we will determine the future. We are not aligned to any race, religion, organisation or corporation. We are South African Neutral.

The mission of the Braai4Heritage initiative can be found here. The implications of success of this initiative, and the rapid growth that the message of Braai4Heritage is currently seeing, is not escaping the attention of world media. Find below an atricle that recently appeared in the biggest French newspaper in Switzerland, 24 Heures:

I cannot really speak French, so what I did was to put the above article into Google Translator. According to Google, this is what is says:

“It is important to build our nation by celebrating our common traditions. And what which is more common than the South African braai?” These words are by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and what famous, the braai is none other than barbecue, a national sport has the same right, since 2005, a holiday, the National Braai Day. The idea of uniting South Africans around their barbecue may seem farfetched, but those who have already experienced a braai can then understand how the makes grilling meat and vegetables on the coals is important here. It’s all an act where people gather, where discussed around the fire while drinking a few beers. Some braais may take several days! If Desmond Tutu, second most important man in the Reconciliation of South Africa has agreed to sponsor the adventure is good for this concept of sharing. He said in 2008: “It’s a fantastic thing and a very simple idea. Never mind your political views, your culture, your race or anything, it’s just a thing we do together recognizing that we are a great nation.” Today, the National Braai Day is always worn by Jan Scannell, its founder, who has renamed itself in Jan Braai. And South Africans are still likely to celebrate even more.

Following on the heels of Mark Johnston of Men’s Health magazine who did an interview with me about one year ago, Women’s Health magazine interviewed me recently on how to build a fire. When reading the article, please keep in mind that they asked me to explain the building of a fire to someone who has never done it before… You can read the article online here. If these 12 steps are new to you, you can also buy the magazine and stick the article on your fridge door.

Apparently there is another Mark Johnston interview with me in the current British Airways inflight magazine where we are discussing braai tongs. So if you are finished harassing the air hostess, watch out for that one.

This beauty from the guys at Hayibo

CAPE TOWN. Residents of Kommetjie, behind Cape Town’s famous lentil curtain, have hit out at the organisers of National Braai Day, saying it has left them feeling both marginalized and horribly in denial about their appetite for steak.

Fruitarian, Rainbow Tilapia, said she thought Heritage Day should be about unity and embracing a shared humanity. “I understand that we have a proud culture of killing in South Africa,” she said, “but I don’t really think it’s something we should be promoting.

“I think we’d be much better off if we all agreed to meditate and make a nice mung dhal on the 24th instead,” she suggested.

When it was pointed out to her that South Africa’s past was littered with killing and burning and that the braai was a perfect metaphor, Tilapia said South Africa had much more to celebrate.

“We could have friends over for a simulcast showing of Under the Mountain,” she said. “Or we could dust off Brenda’s Weekend Specialand throw a party. A vegetarian Bunny Chow would be good or even a polony Gatsby from the Wembley Dinner.

“Nothing should have to die for us to celebrate our heritage,” she said.

Tilapia said she and her friends had tried to embrace the spirit of the day last year by cooking pineapple on an open fire. “But it didn’t work very well at all.

“I don’t know what was worse, the smell of burnt fruit or the hideous screaming of the pineapples as we led them to the flames.”

When asked why pineapples cried on their way to a fire while lentils heading for the stew went quietly into the night, Tilapia said she didn’t know.

“Perhaps they are just more stoic,” she proffered.

But she said it would be great if more South Africans gave up meat and murder for more peaceful ways of life.

When told about the suggestion, Senekal farmer, Poenang Vrieskas said he would give it a try. “I’ll eat chicken at lunch time,” he said. “That’s more vegetables than I would normally eat in a month.”

Hayibo.com – view the original article here

All South Africans love a good braai, but apparently you don’t need boerewors and chops to celebrate National Braai Day this year! Toni Brockhoven, from Beauty Without Cruelty, invited me for a braai to explain why. Zoopy was there to record it and make a video.

http://www.zoopy.com/video/1oac/braai-day-who-needs-meat