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Gay attack on campus sparks off fight-back |
20th September 2006, 12:43 | |
| University group to ensure attackers are prosecuted As he walked into the Rhodes University Student Union Building, third-year BA student Brynley Coetzee was already a little nervous. Coetzee is gay and he’d had trouble at the Union before. People had insulted him, telling him he didn’t belong there. But there had not been any physical violence – until that Friday night in May. Coetzee is pragmatic about what happened. “We are all entitled to our opinions,” he says. “Sure, some people may feel it’s unnatural. If you don’t like homosexuality, cool, say it. But it doesn’t need to come to physical violence.” Someone who Coetzee describes as “a typical jock” came up to him and said: “You’re gay aren’t you?” A heated discussion ensued and at some point Coetzee was pushed. His instinctive reaction was to push back, and suddenly he was on the floor being kicked by two men. “Faggot, you should die!” shouted one of the assailants. Paula Chowles, chairperson of OUTrhodes, a student organisation at Rhodes University that provides support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, in Grahamstown, says her group will follow the matter very closely making sure that the “guys” get prosecuted. “They have violated the University’s codes of conduct and the constitution,” she added. “They should be punished; taught a lesson… you do not go around bashing people who are different from you.” Issues surrounding the topic of homosexuality have sparked emotional debate all over the world. In South Africa, homosexuality is no longer a crime and the rights of homosexuals have been enshrined in the new constitution. Homosexuality has become a topic for radio and television talk shows and is addressed now more than ever in casual conversation. Homosexuality is characterised by a preference for sexual gratification with a person of the same sex. It has been condemned as being contrary to nature, and it has been forever condemned by society. Homosexuals are gay and lesbian persons. Gays are men attracted to other men and lesbians are females attracted to other females. Gays are called insulting and degrading names such as Stabane, Nkonkoni, Moffie, Faggot, and Goose, which amount to hate speech and have the effect of impairing ones dignity. In many conservative (formerly known) black and coloured communities, homosexuals are disowned by their families and the community; some raped and murdered. Earlier this year, a young black lesbian, Zoliswa Nkonyana, 19, was reportedly stabbed and stoned to death by a mob of young people in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. While police are still investigating the motive for the murder, it is said that evidence points to homophobia. Homosexual rights have been protected; no person shall be discriminated against by the state or another person on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender. The South African Constitution also protects the right to privacy. This has offered homosexuals freedom to live their lives the way they want to because it is their choice and they cannot be condemned or judged for that. South Africa has very few tertiary institutions that have clear rules and regulations regarding discrimination on sexual orientation. The University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, and Rhodes University in Grahamstown among the few examples that encourage gays and lesbians to express themselves through societies/organisations for gay and lesbian students which are aimed at promoting gay and lesbian students rights and equality regardless of sexual orientation. “I’m free to be gay and exercise my rights as provided by the Constitution. If anyone out there still condemns gays or is homophobic, I suggest you stop being narrow minded because whether you like it or not gays and lesbians are not going anywhere, we are here to stay, and for those who are still in the closet; I pity them because they have nothing to be ashamed of. As an individual you need to be proud of yourself and live your life the way YOU want to”, says a gay male from Durban. Many South African teenagers have experienced being ‘gay bashed’, mostly when walking out of nightclubs or assaulted in public toilets by so called “straight men”. Says Miss Queen of Queens Contest finalist: “I suggest that as soon as a few -bleep- bashers are shot and killed by citizens exercising their rights to self-defence, anti-gay violence will end.” Lumkha Xaba, 20, young black lesbian from Grahamstown, Eastern Cape says that most men are insecure at their abilities to attract females, “that’s why we are constantly harassed by them”. |
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Family budget is R740 a month |
20th September 2006, 12:42 | |
| Family budget is R740 a month Rose is one of many grandmothers who have become parents all over again. They have raised their own children and should be enjoying their twilight years. Instead, because their own children have died or disappeared, they have become responsible for looking after their grandchildren. At 75, Rose*, from Grahamstown, is the “mother” of all her grandchildren and two of her great-grandchildren and the sole breadwinner in her family of 13. Rose manages to stretch her R740 pension so that every child has enough food and goes to school. Without the pension, though, the household would be destitute. Her family of 13 consists of her two sons, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren – aged from six months to 15 years old. She says the death of her eldest daughter and getting old has made life bad enough, but now things have become even tougher. At the beginning of each month, she joins a long queue of other pensioners to draw her monthly stipend from the government. But the pension is soon exhausted. To be able to use the stove and have fresh water, she must pay bills every month. She manages only R50 a month for electricity using the card system, and when that is over, there is no more power. Then there are school expenses. Out of the nine grandchildren, six are at primary and high schools, and still require school fees, uniform and textbooks. “At times we don’t even have a thing to eat,” she sighed. Her two sons are unemployed, but her face lit up for a second when she mentioned her youngest son, who is able to find some handyman work in the neighbourhood, painting and building. Rose says all she needs is the government services to be more accessible so that she can support her grandchildren. “Unfortunately, the six children who still go to school do not have birth certificates as yet, which makes it hard to apply for a child support grant. We will always survive, because we have to...but we struggle to make ends meet.” * not her real name |
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Drugs remain ray of hope for Aids patients |
20th September 2006, 12:38 | |
| Fears that shortage of medication is looming In 2001, Irene had shared passionate nights with her partner, when all she had at the back of her mind was that they had used no condoms. Like most people, Irene* postponed the HIV test several times, not thinking that the results could be positive. Most people have a sense of security, thinking that HIV poses no real danger to them. Irene is seated in her lounge decorated with indented lines. It’s September – the heat has placed its solid weight on the air, thinning it, curling leaves, leaving shimmers over the roads and slight trickles of sweat on her neck. She offered me something to drink in her very thick Afrikaans accent. “How are you?” I asked. She blinks. Her hand clutches a scrunched up tissue in the palm resting against her chin. “I’m fine”, she responds. She doesn’t look fine. It has been five years since Irene has been diagnosed HIV-positive. “After a long time I decided to go for the tests. I kept telling myself I was too young and healthy and that there was no way I could be HIV-positive”, said Irene. Irene still remembers the words of the AIDS counsellor that had tested her that fateful day. “This is not a death sentence...,” she said to Irene. Irene battled with her emotions, she was not sure if she should tell her family. Most young people are still in denial about their HIV status. Testing is a vitally important in South Africa, the more people to be tested the better. Lindiwe Adam, 28, of the St Raphael Aids Centre, Grahamstown, complimented the government on the progress of the anti-retroviral drug (ARV) rollout program. “Taking ARVs helped me a lot; the system has been good to me – so far." She is, however, disappointed with the Government grant system – her social grant has been cut for the past three months. The Eastern Cape is currently the second ranked province in South Africa, after Kwa-Zulu Natal, to have the highest infections with people living with HIV/AIDS. This brings with it a heavy burden regarding the provision of anti-retroviral drugs to those in need. The case for providing ARVs is clear and compelling. The sheer magnitude of the problem and its consequences form the most serious public health problem to have faced South Africa. Over the next 10-15 years more than 5 million HIV-positive South Africans will die from the consequences of the infection unless treated. This is our very own disaster on our doorstep. As the government’s national rollout of ARVs intensifies, there is growing concern that the available sources of supply – including the only South African company manufacturing generic ARVs, Aspen Pharmacare, could be pressurised by the demand. More than 500 000 South Africans require ARVs, according to the Centre for Aids Development, Research and Evaluation (CADRE) at Rhodes University. Deep concerns have been expressed over the lack of paediatric anti-Aids formulas, despite an estimated 2.2 million children living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. The currently available HIV drugs can improve the quality of life of an infected person, and help them stay well much longer than they otherwise would. The drugs slow down the reproduction and progression of HIV in the body but it needs o be remembered that they are a treatment and not a cure. * Irene not her real name. |
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