I have always said the ANC is a great organisation. It is so amazing, in fact, that our newest MP, Brian Molefe of Saxonwold Shebeen fame, felt compelled to join it not once, but twice. It’s like that character in the children’s movie Madagascar: “My name is Moto Moto, so nice you say it twice!”
You see, when it was reported that an ANC MP had been unceremoniously booted out of parliament to make way for the great Molefe, some among us started kvetching and suggesting that the lachrymose former Eskom CEO was not even a member of the ANC. A leader of the Hartbeespoort branch where Molefe is allegedly a member piped up that he didn’t know Molefe.
Sniffing an opportunity for 15 seconds of fame, other leaders of the same branch called a press conference, where they hauled out and presented Molefe’s membership forms. We now know Molefe’s birth date and cellphone number. We can call and ask him when President Atul Gupta, whom Molefe visited at least 17 times and called 58 times in just six months while setting him up with a mine to supply coal to Eskom, is going to reshuffle his cabinet.
Then Business Day was told by the ANC’s Tshwane regional secretary, Paul Mojapelo, that actually Molefe belonged to the Irene branch of the party. Shurely shome mishtake?
Molefe’s future is bright. By the time you read this he may be public enterprises minister or deputy finance minister — maybe even finance minister.
On the day that old Brian was sworn in as an “honourable member of parliament ” I was in Cape Town. My nephew Bruce and I felt quite parched after Molefe’s disgraceful swearing in. Bruce said: “You like gin, old uncle. So let’s go to the Gin Bar on Wale Street.”
I have written here before about the gin revolution that has swept the globe. Everywhere I go now someone is producing a feisty little gin. Here at home, Inverroche has convinced thousands of people that they love gin. Others have hopped on: Hope on Hopkins, Woodstock, Musgrave. I absolutely love The Wilderer, which I have been sampling for about a year now. What a delight.
The Gin Bar is in a Mediterranean-style courtyard, tucked away behind the Honest Chocolate and coffee bar on Wale Street. How this city has changed. Wale Street, 20 years ago, was boring as hell. Now Bree Street, just around the corner from the Gin Bar, is the height of cool with restaurants, bars and galleries.
The Gin Bar opens at 5pm. The menu is gin-based cocktails. A little board announces the specials. The crowd is young hipsters. It’s a pretty place: a small bar, tables and chairs in a small courtyard with a cute balcony.
Over and above the variations on gin and tonic you can have, the menu offers three gin “cures”: for the head, heart and for hope. Bruce ordered the head remedy: Jorgensen’s gin, Swaan tonic, thyme, Star anise and lime.
After being called old I headed for one of the specials, the Fountain of Youth: a concoction of cucumber-infused gin, mint, cucumber slices and tonic. It was incredibly refreshing.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the Rose on the Grave: Musgrave pink gin, pink peppercorn, lime and tonic — light and delicious. Musgrave, also local, make fantastic gin and it was beautifully complemented in this drink. Lovely.
I very much liked my little sojourn in the Gin Bar. In fact it was so good I need to go back. It can best be enjoyed like the ANC: join it twice.
***½ The Gin Bar
64a Wale Street, Cape Town
Web: www.theginbar.co.za
***** Mcebisi Jonas
**** Excellent
*** Good
** Poor
* Brian Molefe
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