I love reading. I’ve always been impressed by the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe and his stories about people’s lives and different cultures. He is famous for his novel Things Fall Apart.
What I remember most from his writing is how people used to follow the rising and setting of the sun and the change of seasons and how that determined their lives and their movement. I really like Achebe.
What I know about painting is only what I’ve learned from my friend, the famous painter Beezy Bailey. He has tried for years to educate me about painting, but I’m not big on that.
When it comes to music, I like the very old kind, from the 1960s and 1970s. I love Jonas Gwanga, especially the Flower of the Nation album. He is my favourite artist. I go to the jazz festival religiously every year. I also love Freshlyground.
I don’t have a favourite movie and I don’t watch a lot of television — I can’t sit still for that long. The most I can manage to watch is the news; I prefer radio to television.
My favourite restaurant is Bukhara, in Cape Town. I like spicy food. When I go there I enjoy having their naan bread and a nice juicy lamb or chicken dish.
It’s always good for me to have a conversation with anyone who isn’t a politician. I love talking.
I’m very fond of animals. I have four Siberian Huskies, the ones with the blue eyes. The thing with animals is that they don’t talk back. When you walk into my office, you’ll find sculptures and images of animals all around.
Whenever I find time, I play golf. My work interferes with my golf. I’m always so busy but whenever I have four hours to spare I play. What attracts me to the sport is the walking and the fresh air, the green grass and just the ability to relax and switch off my cellphone for four hours. That’s already a relief.
Golf is a very individual sport. If you play well, it’s you. If you play badly, it’s you. It also provokes a lot of emotions: anger if you aren’t doing well and joy if you are achieving. It depends on the individual and how he or she performs.
We have very beautiful places in our country. Durban is my favourite location. But my favourite holiday destination internationally is Mauritius. You don’t feel like you are in a big city when you are there. There are no sounds of cars in the streets or other city noise. It’s tranquil.
Whenever I need to unwind I go to the seaside and just walk on the sand and watch the sea. It has an effect on me, it calms me down.
Patricia de Lille is one of the most active female politicians in the country and leader of the Independent Democrats. Her party is to merge with the Democratic Alliance, the main opposition in the country. She spoke to Vuvu Vena