My relaxation time mostly revolves around going to the beach. I go to Clifton’s small Second Beach, where I usually climb the big rock to put down a blanket and read. I like it because it is secluded and quiet. It also has a nice mix of people, Âincluding children from all over the peninsula.
Sometimes I climb Lion’s Head. The first time I went with a friend who is very active: he climbs mountains and does yoga. He said he was tired of how white people were doing this climbing thing, whereas none of us do it. So he dragged me up Lion’s Head. It was awesome, and then I did it again with some friends. It’s amazing — people carry their children on their backs, or they go up with their dogs. When you get to the top you feel a sense of real achievement.
I love BBC television series because they are short enough for me to see the whole thing but long enough to be interesting. I watch a lot of period drama and comedies such as Yes, ÂMinister and Yes, Prime Minister. The reason I like British comedy is because my parents were big fans. It was always on Swazi TV when we lived there. To this day, my mother hates American comedy because she thinks it’s not funny. We watched things like Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and The Thin Blue Line.
I also used to enjoy Isidingo, but the problem with television in South ÂAfrica is that you cannot buy it on DVD. You have to be there to watch it every week. I like Intersections on SABC1. It is a really good drama, very well conceived. My chief Âtheatrical interest is ballet and I have some Âballet DVDs too.
I am reading Alain de Botton’s ÂThe Consolations of Philosophy. I read three books at a time because I don’t really concentrate well. I tend to leave books lying around and often start something new.
I listen to dance music. My favourite artists are Robyn, the Knife — a Swedish brother-sister outfit who write the most amazing electronic music — and Mr Scruff. He’s famous for playing long sets and chooses amazing dance music. In Cape Town I go to the Waiting Room, the Assembly or to Crew, a gay club. The gay community has a big affinity for dance music. I don’t have any particular dance moves — I just go with the flow.
Expensive favourites
I also bake in my spare time. My favourite easy recipe is red velvet Âcupcakes. It’s American and I was introduced to it by a diplomat from the United States. I like sushi a lot, but it’s an expensive favourite to have.
I love fashion and I go to the Jo’burg and Cape Town fashion weeks. I cannot afford overseas designers who have crazy prices. The cool thing about being an MP is that once a year you can sort of be glamorous, and I have worn some amazing stuff.
Lindiwe Mazibuko is the Democratic Alliance’s spokesperson and the party’s shadow minister of rural development and land reform.