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Durban ste for A1 Grand Prix |
16th February 2007, 16:12 | |
| E-Mail article Print Friendly Would you like to share your views on this article? If you're a registered reporter, submit it as a new article and just label it as COMMENT in the headline field. Please just make sure that you clearly identify the article that has prompted your comment. We will display it under Letters to the Editor. Please note, these will not be published for payment because they are straight comment rather than reporting. We would very much like to hear from you, though, and it would also be great for the reporters to hear what you think. Thank you The www.reporter.co.za team City hosts international event for the second time Durban plays host to the A1 Grand Prix for the second time in February. The race was named the "best presented event" of A1 GP 2006, and the organisers have promised South Africa’s motorsport fanatics an even better production this time round. Spectators, who are expected to number in excess of 105 000, will be able to watch the action around the Durban street circuit on 14 giant television screens, compared to last year’s six. There will be 25 grandstands capable of seating 40 000. The street circuit covers 3,2 kilometres. It’s tight, twisting and narrow and provides for exciting viewing for fans, who are packed around the circuit’s boundaries. In 2006, Durban was the only street course on the A1 GP circuit, but this season it has been joined by Beijing. "Last year’s race was a massive success, but it was our first attempt at staging an international street race in Durban and we learnt a great deal," said A1 Team South Africa CEO Dana Cooper. "For this race, we aim to improve wherever possible and ensure that everyone who buys a ticket gets what they paid for." Durban Mayor Obed Mlaba views the event as a great chance to market South Africa’s "Surf City". "It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our city, its culture, its history and its people to the rest of the world," Mlaba said. "The unparalleled success of last year’s race put Durban on the map in world motorsport and resulted in a massive boost to the local economy." The A1 GP sprint and feature races take place on Sunday, 25 February - with an exciting support programme in the days leading up to the main event, including A1 GP’s two official practice sessions on Friday, and a third official practice and qualifying on Saturday. There will also be practice, qualifying and two races each - one on Saturday and one on Sunday - for the Bridgestone SA Production Car Championship (classes A and T only), the Volkswagen Polo Cup one-make challenge, and the Shelby Can Am sports car series. On Friday, the action starts at 08:30 with free practice for Shelby Can Am, VW Polo and production cars before the first official practice session for the A1 rookie drivers at 11:00. This will be followed by the second and third free practices for the support categories and the second official A1 practice session at 14:00. Saturday morning features qualifying for the support categories before the third official A1 practice at 11:00 and the first Shelby Can Am and production car races from 12:10 to 13:45. Saturday afternoon sees the unique and very exciting four-part A1 qualifying from 14:15 to 15:45, followed by the first VW Polo race. Sunday morning’s programme starts with qualifying for race two of production cars, followed by the second Shelby Can Am race and the second VW Polo race. The A1 GP sprint race, which features a rolling start, gets under way at 11:00. The second production car race is at 12:10 and precedes the opening ceremony for the A1 GP. The A1 GP feature race starts at 15:00 and finishes at 16:10. Although South Africa didn’t finish high in the A1 GP standings in 2006, the team and country picked up three awards. Stephen Simpson snagged the award for "most improved driver", Tokyo Sexwale was named "most supportive national seatholder", and - thanks to the wild support of South African motorsport fans - Durban was judged the best race of the season. In last season’s Durban event, Simpson managed only 20th in the sprint race after experiencing electrical problems before he secured a fine fifth-place finish in the feature race. SA supporters will be hoping for an even better showing this time around. But whatever the result, judging from all the hard work that has been going into the event, they can expect an even greater spectacle than the one produced last season. |
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The dreaded Death Penality |
1st February 2007, 09:53 | |
| Friend or enemy? Good or bad? Right or wrong? Theses are all the questions that arise when discussing this sensitive subject. Writes: Oliver Meth I personally believe that if one commits a crime that one should be punished for it in the appropriate way. If a person takes another’s intentionally, that person has no respect for life or humanity and his/her life should be taken in return. This form of ownership has prevailed through many ages, since Biblical times, and is still practised in many countries including the United States if America. Since 1994 in South Africa the crime rate has drastically increased at alarming rates. It was the same year that the death penalty was abolished. Criminals know that they can commit serious crimes and still walk away with a minimal prison sentence. Armed robberies, hi-jacking, murder and rape are crimes which every South African lives in fear of daily, because the criminals in our country have no fear of our justice system or their prison sentences (prison is a place where free food and warm beds are provided at no cost!) I don’t oppose the fact that capital punishment should be brought back to South Africa even though many would disagree with me. In some cases we should consider some leniency where a murder is committed as an act of saving another or one’s own life. In past years we have also witnessed or heard of innocent persons being hanged for crimes they did not commit. If these persons were given life-long sentences instead of capital punishment they could have been set free when sufficient evidence proved their innocence. A precious life could have been spared. My personal view is that the Death Penalty is considered as barbaric and is a horrific sight to see, but the fact still remains unchanged. It works!! And like a bomb too! I mean really, if the Death Penalty could be reintroduced, who would commit a crime if they know that they will pay with their lived for it? Order and discipline is what we need. I personally feel that capital punishment should be brought back to South Africa as a punishment for capital offenders, but evidence must clearly state and indicate that the person did in fact commit the crime. |
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The dreaded Death Penality |
1st February 2007, 09:52 | |
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The awful reality of prison rape |
26th January 2007, 13:15 | |
| Writes: Oliver Meth Sex and prostitution behind bars Rape has become part of prison mythology and the subject of off colour jokes, in South Africa. The stuff of don’t-pick-up-the-soap jokes by those who fancy themselves streetwise, prison rape is a raw reality. It figures prominently in the twisted social standing of a cellblock, leaves victims brutalised and triggers other forms of violence. It also accelerates the spread of HIV and hepatitis among millions locked up in jails — whose health care falls largely to taxpayers. “I was forced into oral sex and anal sex on a daily basis." These are the words of an 18-year-old juvenile prisoner, who is currently awaiting trial at the Westville Prison outside Durban. Discussing any form of prison rape is difficult. It makes many people uncomfortable. Some find it amusing. He says that prison wardens are aware of the situations that go on in prisons. “Some of them (wardens) even sell you to the other guys – even they have a turn if you are really cute”. Prison rape is also a major factor in the spread of AIDS. A straight man that is raped and seroconverts in prison will then leave and take the infection home to his wife, girlfriends, and possibly to his children. This fact is thought to be obvious to anybody who thinks about it. Probably more sex goes on prison than in the gay community, and probably way more HIV is spread in prison than in the gay community. But of course few people want to be honest about this...most want to go on blaming the gay community and bare backing for the rate in HIV infection. Prison authorities are belatedly beginning to try to isolate HIV positive prisoners. Beyond the trauma of unwanted sex, rape is understood to demolish the victim’s manhood and turn him into a "woman". A handful of academic studies estimate 15-20 percent of those locked up eventually fall victim to forced rape. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Oliver Meth is a freelance journalist, photographer, anti-rape activist and a survivor of male rape. You can network with Oliver via e-mail: olivermeth@hotmail.com |
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My grandfather raped me |
26th January 2007, 13:13 | |
| Young girl tells how her world crumbled Busisiwe* is a softly spoken schoolgirl, who lives in Mdantsane informal settlement. She has suffered from nightmares, tearfulness and sometimes feels she hates men. These started after her own grandfather locked her in a shack, tied her up, undressed and then raped her. The tight-knit community of Mdantsane is still seething after two of its young residents – Busisiwe and a seven year old friend – were raped by Busisiwe’s 53-year old grandfather. Last week, after her rapist was convicted in the Grahamstown High Court and jailed for 12 years for his crimes, Busisiwe said she wanted to talk about what had happened to her. She wants to break the isolation, but battles to answer certain questions. Her voice blanks out, she becomes unresponsive at times, only coming to life when I ask her, yet again, if she is okay. The answer is always “yes”. Clearly, she is not. Busisiwe was an achiever at school, a leader who was quick to take on extra tasks. But this all changed on January 22 last year when she and her friend were raped by her grandfather. Her grandfather raped her again later that evening. She told the court that “it was sore”, and explained that he had then raped her friend. To this day, she battles to describe what happened to her. “I can’t sleep, I can’t do anything”, she said, bursting into tears. The young survivor finds it difficult to talk about rape, rather referring to the trauma as “it” or “what happened”. The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the survivors’ identities, was arrested after being caught in the act by a family member. Some organisations in the child abuse field have described the 12 year jail term he received as an outrage, saying it sent the wrong message to potential rapists. Handing down sentence, Judge Pieter van der Byl said that the rape of a child was an appalling and perverse crime and the sentence should adequately reflect the seriousness of the crime. “Word must go out to the cities, towns, townships and countryside that the court will not tolerate the rape of children.” However the judge did not hand down the prescribed sentence of life imprisionment because he said he had found “compelling circumstances”. Van der Byl noted the rapist did not penetrate the girls fully, alcohol had played a role in the crime and the rapist had already spent 13 months behind bars. Joan van Niekerk, Childline’s National Co-ordinator, said, “Although he didn’t penetrate the girls fully, this doesn’t call for leniency. Just because we can not see emotional trauma, it doesn’t mean that we should underestimate it.” In our sexually explicit society, it is much harder for children to be themselves. The latest statistics and media reports – which society finds hard to believe – show that an alarming number of children are treated as sex objects and mainly for adult sexual pleasures. Our society has become so obsessed with flesh. There are those who believe that they can not live without sexual stimulation so they rape innocent children, women and even men. No crime deserves greater penalties than the rape of a child, and no child or family needs more intense help than when a child has been sexually violated. South Africa has organised units of highly skilled officers and judges to track down corruption and white collar crime, but nothing similar to eliminate crimes against children. Are children less important than money? ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Oliver Meth is a freelance journalist, anti-rape activist and a survivor of male rape. You can network with Oliver via e-mail: olivermeth@hotmail.com *Not her real name |
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Boy (13), suspected of raping girl (6) |
26th January 2007, 13:10 | |
| Writes: Oliver Meth Brother accused after stepfather mistakenly arrested for the crime A six-year-old child was allegedly raped by her 13-year-old brother. The girl had initially claimed that her stepfather had raped her. She admitted this after her teacher noticed something wrong. “I noticed that the child had a funny odour, so I asked her what happened, and she told me that her stepfather raped her,” said the teacher. The stepfather was then arrested on Friday, but was then released six days later after the child confessed that it was her brother who had raped her. The child said that her brother had threatened to beat her up if she had told anyone. “He told me to say that it was my stepfather who had raped me, if anyone ever found out,” she said. According to the child, it was not the first time that her brother had raped her. The child shares the same bed as the brother. “I even told my mother that I do not want to share the same bed as him, because he does dirty things to me,” she said. The mother, however, claims that she did not know that her son had been raping his sister. “I am very disappointed that he has been doing this, and I blame myself for not reaching out to my little girl, because she would have told me,” she said. According to the class teacher the child has not been progressing very well, and she had called the mother last term to discuss this. “I noticed that she is slower than other children at school, and I think it is because her mother is neglecting her,” she said. The stepfather said that he would never do something like that to the little girl because he treated her like his own child. “I want justice to be done, because what this boy did is unspeakable, because he raped her, and then he threatened her if she told anyone, and instead told her to tell people that it had been me who did this to her,” he said. The stepfather said that he was shocked, because the news of his arrest had spread and that his name had been dirtied. The uncle of the girl also shared the same sentiments. “I want this boy to be locked up, because he has to be taught how to behave. What he did is just unacceptable and unruly,” he said. When I visited the home, the boy had not been back from school even though it was well after school hours. According to the mother, the boy had been stabbed and she had been attending a court case about the matter. “He smokes weed and is unruly, rude and irresponsible. From now I don’t care what happens to him, because he doesn’t listen to what I have to say,” she said. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Oliver Meth is a freelance journalist, writer, photographer, activist on sexual violence and a survivor of male rape. You can network with Oliver via e-mail: olivermeth@hotmail.com |
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Communities fears of being relocated |
20th December 2006, 10:52 | |
| Communities fears of being relocated Growing public dissatisfaction with governments economic plans “Profits before People” Writes: Oliver Meth Concerned residents of Wentworth, living in council housing are being given mixed signals. In two reports (Daily News, 09 January 2006) titled Durban’s council flats on sale, eThekweni Municipality Mayor Obed Mlaba had unveiled an ambitious programme which “will see thousands of people who have been renting council flats for decades being helped to buy them”, as quoted and another by The Mercury (29th November 2006) on Durban’s economic plans. Fenceline residents in the south Durban industrial basin who live cheek by jowl with industries are now being forced to relocate after a report in the Mercury (29th November 2006), by Deputy Mayor Cllr Logie Naidoo on Durban’s major plan that could transform the shape and nature of the community in decades to come. Engen’s plans for expansion, which would involve removal of residential homes next to the refineries have been subject of complex tensions, not least because the area targeted by Engen includes sub-standard council housing from which many people want to be relocated but not if this involves removal to inadequate housing and to different areas. The story of failed council housing project for residents also has an environmental dimension to it. In that one of the reasons why the offer by government and Engen to relocate the community was met with suspicious arises from the fact that Engen wanted to buy those properties which was interpreted as an attempt on the part of Engen to acquire more land for expansion beyond the current buffer zone of Tara Road and in particular how this expansion would effectively seal Engen off and make it inaccessible to picketing from Tara Road. “The ANC’s promise: Peoples’ contract, who is it for? asks Neil Axford, a concerned resident of Ogle Road flats. “Our flats were last maintained prior to the ANC’s office, so where is the peoples contract? There is infrastructure, but no maintenance done to our houses. Is this a people’s contract or are people left to die? he added. Nevertheless, residents of council housing in Wentworth are divided when it comes to the quarrel of council flat development and selling of the flats. Some agree to the idea that “government should just sell us the flats”, while others are greatly concerned about the expense it might cause the poor after ownership. According to Councilor Aubrey Snyman, Engen Refinery has put up +- 8 million rand for the housing project. “The Department of Housing was suppose to start in June 2006, but the matter has now been put on hold, until such time, due to space constraints”. In a very firm and passionate voice, Cllr Snyman says “we will look for more land…”. Cllr Snyman shares the same concerns as many other residents. “Once those flats have been renovated and transferred to residents, what will end up happening … we will have a body corporate then to pay levies…”. At the moment many residents are in rental arrears which the total rental arrears accrued to date, excluding penalty charges, will be put on hold and the debts are to be endorsed on the title deed of the property. The accrued penalties will be waived and the balance of the debt will be deferred. |
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Why do conservative politicians and society find gay marriages threatening? |
13th November 2006, 11:10 | |
| There is the frightening ignorance and prejudice of those making submissions and of committee members about sexual orientation and the lifestyles and practices of the gay and lesbian communities. Writes: Oliver Meth Ask just about anyone. They'll all tell you they're in favour of equal rights for homosexuals. Just name the situation, and ask. They'll all say, yes, gays should have the same rights in housing, jobs, public accommodations, and should have equal access to government benefits, equal protection of the law, etcetera, and etcetera. Then you get to gay marriages. And that's when all this talk of equality stops dead cold. How should conservatism, as a political movement and a way of life, come to grips with the reality of gay marriage? In precisely the same way that it has come to grips with its errors with regards to racial segregation: own up to its mistake, and simply expand its moral boundaries to include gays and gay marriage. Just as most older conservatives now acknowledge that they once erred in "keeping blacks in their place," they should make the same acknowledgement for gays and their right to marry, and live happy, open and contented lives in each other's arms, without fear or discrimination - that gays are just as entitled to the equal protection of the law as anyone else. More than half of all people in the South Africa oppose gay marriage, even though three fourths are otherwise supportive of gay rights. This means that many of the same people who are even passionately in favour of gay rights oppose gays on this one issue. Why all the passion? It's because there is a lot of misunderstanding about what homosexuality really is, as well as the flawed assumption that gay people enjoy the same civil rights protections as everyone else. There are also a lot of stereotypes about gay relationships, and even a great deal of misunderstanding of what marriage itself is all about and what its purpose is. The purpose of this article, then, is to clear up a few of these misunderstandings and discuss some of facts surrounding gay relationships and marriage, gay and straight. First, let's discuss what gay relationships are really all about. The stereotype has it that gays are promiscuous, unable to form lasting relationships, and the relationships that do form are shallow and uncommitted. And gays do have such relationships! But the important fact to note is that just like in straight society, where such relationships also exist, they are a small minority, and exist primarily among the very young. Indeed, one of the most frequent complaints of older gay men is that it is almost impossible to find quality single men to get into a relationship with, because they're already all 'taken!' If you attend any gay event, such as a The Gay Pride festival held in Cape Town, you’ll find this to be true. As gays age and mature, just like their straight cohorts, they begin to appreciate and find their way into long-term committed relationships. The values that such gay couples exhibit in their daily lives are often impossible to differentiate from those of their straight neighbours. They're loyal to their mates, are monogamous, and devoted partners. They value and participate in family life, are committed to making their neighbourhoods and communities safer and better places to live, and honour and abide by the law. Many make valuable contributions to their communities, serving on school boards, volunteering in community charities, and trying to be good citizens. In doing so, they take full advantage of their relationship to make not only their own lives better, but those of their neighbours as well. A benefit to heterosexual society of gay marriage is the fact that the commitment of a marriage means the participants are discouraged from promiscuous sex. This has the advantage of slowing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, which know no sexual orientation and are equal opportunity destroyers. So, having established the value of gay marriage, why are people so opposed to it? Many of the reasons offered for opposing gay marriage are based on the assumption that gays have a choice in who they can feel attracted to, and the reality is quite different. Many people actually believe that gays could simply choose to be heterosexual if they wished. But the reality is that very few do have a choice -- any more than very few heterosexuals could choose which sex to find themselves attracted to. Additionally, many people continue to believe the propaganda from right-wing religious organizations that homosexuality is about nothing but sex, considering it to be merely a sexual misrepresentation. The reality is that homosexuality is multidimensional, and is much more about love and affection than it is about sex. And this is what gay relationships are based on -- mutual attraction, love and affection. Sex, in a committed gay relationship, is merely a means of expressing that love, just the same as it is for heterosexuals. Being gay is much more profound than simply a sexual relationship; being gay is part of that person's core identity, and goes right the very centre of his being. It's like being black in a society of whites, or a blonde European in a nation of black-haired Asians. Yes, being gay is just that profound to the person who is. This is something that few heterosexuals can understand unless they are part of a minority themselves. I have heard many say that “Marriage is a sacred institution”, “making love to another man betrays everything that is masculine”, “the thought of gay sex is repulsive”, and “they might recruit”. “Marriage is a sacred institution”. It's based on the assumption that the state has the responsibility to "sanctify" marriages - a fundamentally religious idea. Here we're dealing with people trying to enforce their religious doctrines on someone else, but by doing it through weakening the separation of church and state, by undermining the Bill of Rights. Not that there's anything new about this, of course. But the attempt itself runs against the grain of everything - one does not truly have freedom of religion if one does not have the right to freedom from religion as well. It would seem to me that anyone who feels that the sanctity of their marriage is threatened by a gay couple down the street having the right to marry is mighty insecure about their religion and their marriage anyway. “Making love to another man betrays everything that is masculine”. Well, I've known plenty of very masculine gay men, including champion rugby players and biker types, who, if you suggested that they were fairies, would likely rip your head off and hand it to you. There was a long-honoured tradition of gay relationships among the tough and macho cowboys of the Old West, and many diaries still exist detailing their loving and tender relationships out on the range, and the many sacrifices they made for each other. Plenty of masculine, respected movies stars are gay. A society that devalues love devalues that upon which civilized society itself is based - love and commitment. . Homosexual intercourse in prisons is not an act of sex as much as it is an expression of dominance and a means of control. Nearly all of the men who aggressively rape other men in a prison setting actually revert to (often promiscuous) heterosexual sex once they're on the outside. So is this something straight men should fear from gay men? The vast majority of gay men prefer sex in the same emotional setting most of you do - as a part of the expression of mutual love, affection and commitment. The majority of gay men don't want sex with you because they’re looking for the same thing in a sexual relationship that you look for - the love and affection of a devoted partner. Since they’re not likely to get that from you, you're not desirable to them and you have nothing to fear. The small minority of gays (and it's a very small minority - less than 3%) who do enjoy sex with straight men understand your fears and are not going to have sex with you unless it's clearly and completely understood on both sides to be on a peer-to-peer basis and your requirement for full and complete consent and need for discretion is honoured. “The thought of gay sex is repulsive”. Well, it will come as some surprise to a lot of heterosexuals to find out that, to a lot of gays, the thought of heterosexual sex is repulsive! But does that mean the discomfort of some gays to heterosexual couples should be a reason to deny heterosexuals the right to marry? I don't think so, even though the thought of a man kissing a woman is rather repulsive to many homosexuals! Well then, why should it work just one way? Besides, the same sexual practices that gays engage in are often engaged in by heterosexual couples. “They might recruit”. The fear of recruitment is baseless because it is based on a false premise - that gay people recruit straight people to become gay. Sexual orientation is inborn, and can't be changed. Indeed, the attempts by psychologists, counsellors and religious therapy and support groups to change sexual orientation have all uniformly met with failure - the studies that have been done of these attempts at "therapeutic" intervention have never been shown to have any statistically significant results in the manner intended, and most have been shown to have emotionally damaging consequences. So the notion that someone can be changed from straight to gay is just as unlikely. Yet there remains that deep, dark fear that somehow, someone might get "recruited." And that baseless fear is often used to scare people into opposing gay rights in general, as well as gay marriage. The opposition to gay marriage stems ultimately from a deep-seated homophobia in South African culture, borne out of religious prejudice. While many do not realize that that homophobia exists to the extent that it does, it is a very real part of every gay person's life, just like racism is a very real part of every black person's life. It is there, it is pervasive, and it has far more serious consequences for society than most actually realize, not just for gay people, but for society in general. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Oliver Meth is a freelance journalist, photographer, activist and a survivor of male rape. You can network with Oliver via e-mail: olivermeth@hotmail.com |
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