Would someone please invite the UN to the party

In a few short days Robert Mugabe will run unopposed in a farcical run-off election. His main opposition, Morgan Tsvangirai, has spent the last few days in the Zimbabwean Dutch embassy. Although it is said that he is not claiming sanctuary, he arrived there shortly after announcing that he would not be participating in the election. Tsvangirai felt that it was not only pointless but also impossible for there to be a free and fair election against a government that has embarked on a campaign of intimidation and violence against its detractors.

The only campaign rally the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were officially allowed to hold was interrupted by Zanu-PF supporters who were allegedly bussed in on Zimbabwean military vehicles. Tsvangirai claims the MDC has been barred from entering rural areas and from using their own election observers. Despite having no opposition the run-off will take place as planned.

Many international governments as well as the UN security council have condemned the climate of violence that has taken over Zimbabwe. It’s a pity that no one saw this coming or we could be seeing a very different Zimbabwe today. Nobody would have been able to predict back in 2000 Robert Mugabe would be a power hungry tyrant you would do anything to cling to power. Except that little incident of a rigged 2001 national election might have given a clue.

If the international community had reacted back then with condemnation and economic sanctions Mugabe might have been forced, at least, to adopt a government of national unity. If that had happened then perhaps the slow-motion plane crash that is the Zimbabwean economy would have been avoided. But there is no point in “what ifs now,” what is important is that the global community acts in unity against Mugabe.

It should now be unarguably clear that Mugabe is a tyrant who will do anything to cling to power. He is no more the rightful ruler of Zimbabwe then I live in a giant chocolate factory with an army of Oompa Loompa’s at my command. He should be condemned and the topic should move to how can he be deposed so that the people of Zimbabwe can once again have a say in their future.

The South African government, more specifically Thabo Mbeki, were given the task of aiding Zimbabwe’s transformation into a democratic state. The results have been less then what was hoped. Mbeki continued to punt his quiet diplomacy tactic, much like trying to build a sand castle with a sieve, despite evidence that the man he supports is a brutal dictator. But he is just a man idling through the last few months of his term and watching a legacy come down in flames. And finally the SA government has been forced by circumstances to admit that their is a massive problem in Zimbabwe.

There is a refugee crisis going on in South Africa, we have refugees streaming in from many Southern African states. By far the largest refugee population comes from Zimbabwe. The policy followed has been on of capture and deportation. I believe this is a limited, negative and useless policy. All that happens is people try again and again to get into a relatively prosperous African country.

Its time to realise that the refugee problem is not going to go away and the current methods of dealing with it probably contributed to the rampant xenophobic violence that recently swept South Africa. I’m not saying that it is the only cause, but it definitely played a factor in the way foreign nationals are regarded in this country.

There is a difference between migrant labourers and refugees but my money is on an ever-increasing flow of refugees, particularly in light of further violence in Zimbabwe.

I think its time to stop trying to kick out the refugees. Rather open the gates, open proper refugee camps operated by the UN. Let’s be able to properly document and process the people who can no longer live a free life in their own country. This is the only solution that makes sense. If South Africa is not going to help the people of Zimbabwe by trying to get rid of their power-mad ruler; can’t we at least offer them some measure of sanctuary.

The return

About three weeks ago I woke up feeling slightly off. By slightly off I mean that I had a headache from hell, congestion and nausea. I dragged myself to work and was kindly sent home by my boss.

I rested at home, overloaded on vitamin’s and waited to get better – I didn’t. Eventually I was forced to admit my stubborn – anti-doctor – approach had failed. I visited medi-clinic and was put on a course of Anti-biotics. I still didn’t get better. I went back and was put on another course of anti-biotics. Around this point I started to lose some hearing in my right ear. Fantastic! Ok, so it wasn’t so much loss as a constant feeling of being stuffed. Exactly like when you are traveling by air. It did make my overall hearing blunted.

So at this point I got a little worried.

I am generally a very healthy person, despite being a smoker, and don’t usually get sick for longer then two or three days at the most. It wasn’t so much the headaches – which were very painful – as the complete and utter lack of strength in my body. Maybe I was just being a hypochondriac, or as my girlfriend terms it, a “whiny little bitch,” either way I wasn’t happy. I dragged myself to work a few times but found it almost impossible to concentrate.

My work was very understanding through the whole affair. More understanding then I probably deserved considering the short time I have spent with them. I felt extremely guilty about missing work and being generally useless but they never made me feel bad about it.

So how did I get sorted out and what the hell was wrong with me? Basically a very nasty virus. A bad, evil little thing that crept inside of me and mined my bodies resources. The loss of hearing came from a “stunned nerve” in my middle ear; it’s not serious but could still take anything from a few weeks to a few months for it to be completely normal.

Despite visiting a doctor twice and taking a bucket-load of medication I was ‘cured’ by a another doctor. He quickly examined me, stuck me on a course of anti-viral’s and cortisone and explained very simply what was wrong with me. Within in three or four days I feel a hundred times stronger, the headaches are gone and my hearing is returning.

The point I want to make from all this is that South African doctors are far too liberal with the prescribing of antibiotics (and other medications). There is a feeling of “oh well, I’m not exactly sure what’s wrong. Let’s see if a course of antibiotics sorts it out.” This can turn out to be a waste of money and time. Not to mention usual side-effects that come with such a course.

I am not advocating any kind of mistrust in doctors – it is important to trust and respect medical professionals – but it is also important to have an understanding of whether you are just being given medication to see if it sorts you out. The immune system is an incredible thing and will often fight back if given enough time and rest. However, don’t be like me and wait too long to go to a doctor from belief in an invincible immune system and then waste time and money on useless medication.

Don’t blame the government for Alexandra violence

I went to a media briefing at the Alexandra police station yesterday. Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula spoke to journalists in a small conference. It was so packed that it was necessary to literally force your way inside. A bit of better planning on a bigger conference room would have made the whole exercise a lot easier.

The Minister’s points boiled down saying the situation in Alexandra was no stable, “…tense, but stable,” thanks to increased police presence in the area.

The new line by the government is that criminal elements are behind the attacks. From the Minister’s mouth:

…no amount of economic hardship and discontent can ever justify criminal activity and bigotry that these attacks represent… Any suggestion that poor service delivery and rising cost of living is to blame for these attacks must be rejected with the contempt it deserves.

While there is no doubt that the violence that exploded in Alexandra was exacerbated by opportunistic marauders to indulge in some looting and pillaging. It is still a fact the poor of South Africa are worse off (purely from an ecomomic perspective) then under Apartheid. And so they turn on a convenient scape goat – the foreign nationals who have sought refuge in South Africa and built lives for themselves.

Many of these foreign nationals are educated or trained in a profession. Whereas, getting a higher education is still very difficult for many South Africans. Not to mention the state of our secondary education where learners face apathy from teachers and second-rate facilities.

It seems a bit late for the xenophobia workshops that the government thinks will solve the problem. Perhaps there should have been a greater emphasis on delivering the service and resources that so many South Africans still desperately need.

There us an excellent article on Politicsweb which argues the blame for the current situation should still be placed at the feet of our ruling political parties and not “criminal elements” in the townships.

The minister said the xenophobic attacks had not spread to Diepsloot and violence in the area was unconnected. The times has uploaded a video that refutes this.

Rape victims lose out in SA

SABC 3’s flagship investigation program, Special Assignment, ran a story about rape victims in South Africa. Quoting from their website:

In South Africa a woman is raped every 23 seconds… and most of these cases go unreported. Of those that do, only 4% end in conviction. There is massive fallout of cases from the point of reporting through to prosecution. Many blame poor treatment at the hands of the police and courts for discouraging women from seeking justice.

The program showed hidden camera footage of rape victims attempting to get help and follow-up their cases at various police stations around the country. In almost every case they were met with apathy, disbelief and, in some cases, open hostility. According to the show only two percent of rape cases are fake.

While I am not sure of their statistics – another source has put it at 62 rapes a day (rather then 3756 as Special Assignment has it) – this does not diminish horror of rape.

This is not a new development, but a social crisis that has been fermenting for years and seems to be becoming worse every year. We have one the highest violent crime rates in the entire world and a large part of that is made up of rape cases.

It is a complicated task to determine what underlying factors have led to the culture of violence and rape
that is present in South Africa; and I will not attempt to find them.

Whatever these factors are, things will not change unless we have an effective, committed and skilled police force. Although there are some dedicated individuals and departments; most police officers in South Africa feel little to no passion for justice. They join the service because there are few other opportunities for them

The requirements for joining the SAPS are:

1. You must be a SA citizen
2. Have a driver’s license
3. Be 18 -29
4. physically fit
5. Have a matric certificate

To have a matric certificate you must have attained a grade of at least 50% in your subjects. This evidences little more then a basic level of education. A friend quoted a conversation with a high school headmaster who stated that he considered employment in the police service the only option for many of his poorer students.

This does raise questions about the image of the police that is passed on by educators. However, so as long as a job in the police is only considered as a last resort, nothing will change.

Police need to be better payed, better trained and be considered important members of our community. Ask yourself this: Would you want/encourage your child to join the police?

The Wits student protests

Several weeks ago, almost 500 students at Witwatersrand University attempted to get management to reduce annual fee increases. Many students were not pleased with the recently announced increases. Rumours of the privatisation of residences were also circulating around campus, adding to the tension.

A protest was organised by several student groups. It was though this was the best way tp present their grievances to management.

They planned to disrupt regular classes as part of the protest, bringing the university to a standstill.

University fees are going up by an average of 10% a year. While this is high, causing trouble for many students, it is no higher than the general inflation rate of the country. 

Regardless of how much of a government subsidy it receives, or how much cash it takes in, a University is always spending money.

This rationalizes the fee increase but that does not make it any easier on students who are already struggling.

There were some students who acted irresponsibly during the protest. But, for the most part, it seemed to be well organised and non-aggressive. For the first few hours there was almost a jocular atmosphere. What changed, I don’t know. By the time I caught up, two students had been arrested. New SRC treasurer Andile Makholwa and outgoing SRC president Mbali Hlope were taken into custody. 

They were ostensibly arrested on charges of assault. Their real crime was to lose control of the mob they were supposed to be directing.

The presence of the police only exacerbated the situation. It was a serious error of judgement for the authorities to have been called onto campus.

Head of Wits Security, Rob Kemp, later admitted to having placed the phone call.

Although they flexed their collective muscles, the students really accomplished very little at the end. Several weeks later, it is like it never happened at all.

For more information on the wits protests take a look at these articles:

Chaos’ at Wits during student protests (M&G)

Protests, talks at Wits to continue (M&G)

Wits Counsel Statement

Wits students arrested (News24)

When you wish upon a star

Stardust movie review

Stardust is a fantasy movie which remembers that special effects do not tell a story.

Young Trisran Thorne lives in a little English village in the countryside. Bumbling and good natured, Tristran is desperately trying to win the hand of vain local beauty Victoria. When he sees a falling star he vows to retrieve it as an engagement gift.

Unfortunately for Tristran the star has fallen across the wall separating good olde England from a realm of magic and danger called Stormhold. Tritran himself is the product of his fathers visit to Stormhold years before and, thanks to a magical candle which was left in the basket with him, he is able to instantly travel to where the star landed.

Instead of a lump of cosmic metal Tristran finds a young woman at the bottom of the crater. Yvaine is the star and she just wants to get home, not accompany bumbling village boy home but he manages to compel her.

Tristran is not the only one seeking the star. The surviving sons of the King of Stormhold must find the star to claim the throne. An ancient witch also hunts for Yvaine. Lamia needs to carve out the stars heart o she can restore youth and beauty to her and her sisters.

As Yvaine and Tristran navigate these dangers and make their way across the land they find themselves becoming closer. The boy begins to become a man, one who may find his hearts desire is closer then he thinks.

Stardust is based on a novel by Neil Gaiman. Written as a ‘fairy-tale for all ages’, the book had romance, adventure, wry humour and a touch of darkness which gave this potentially trite tale poignancy. Director, and screenwriter, Matthew Vaughn has kept the adventure but lost the darkness and the story suffers as a result.

Danes and Cox are a little bland as the leads. But they do an adequate job of letting the story overtake them. They suffer in comparison to their co-stars who give outstanding character-driven performances. Pfeiffer plays it very straight as the hideous Lamia. She manages to convey the feeling subtle menace required by the character.

Robert De Niro enters the movie in its second half as sky-pirate Captain Shakespeare and almost makes off with the entire show. He camps it up as a swashbuckler-in-petticoats, cruel in front of his men and refined in private.

The deceased sons of the King of Stormhold add a deft touch of humor and the macabre to the film. They are like the chorus from an ancient Greek plays. Unseen by the people around them, they make observations and wry comments on the action.

Stardust could have been done a lot better, but it is not done badly. It manages to capture all the essential charm and beauty of a fairy tale without being juvenile. A skillful plot with great characters supported by an adequate cast makes this movie a must-see.

Vuvuzela Column

This column was going to be about student apathy. Unfortunately, with students running through the halls, carrying placards and chanting, that topic just doesn’t seem appropriate.

It is really great to see students taking action about something that concerns them. Voter turnout for the SRC elections this year was practically an all-time low. This might be a comment on how the average student views the SRC, but it is also an indicator that students are unconcerned about the administrative side of varsity life.

However today’s events have shown students, who are not just members of SAUJS or the PSC, are still prepared to stand up for what they believe in. And what they believe is that huge increases in registration, faculty and international student fees and the privatisation of res are unacceptable.

Despite reports by radio 702, the protest was peaceful. As peaceful as hundreds of students marching into lecture halls can be. Nobody has been hurt, nobody has been flogged with a sjambok (a far cry from the riot of two years ago), there has been no property damage. So far it has been a model protest.

At frequent stops during the march, the organisers would explain the reasons for the protest. They asserted again and again that it was a “peaceful, informed and educated” protest. This is to be applauded.

However, these intellectual leaders seem to have had little input into the wording of the poster that advertised the march.

I quote: “Yo registration & fees r increasing…..this tym we r all affected…”

Although I consider myself fairly up to date with popular culture, I have several questions about this sentence. Who is ‘Yo’ and what the hell is a ‘tym’?’

Maybe this poster was written in a colloquial manner to appeal to a broad range of people. But wait a second. Isn’t this protest on a university campus? Aren’t the protestors students?

When you are accepted into university, you join a very small, very lucky percentage that will receive a higher education. Regardless of what you do with this education, you are expected to work to a certain standard. One of the very small, very lucky measures of this standard is spelling and language.

I fail to see how this poster is enhanced by the clipped, unexpressive use of mobile language. When I first saw it, attached to the door of the building I work in, I thought it was a joke, executed by students who have a grudge against the SRC.

It is doubtful that any academic or administrative staff member would be able to read this poster with a straight face. It only detracts from the clear and well thought-out aims the protest organisers are working for.

My heart is with the marchers, but my head is still puzzled by this abuse of written language. For the record, my gut is still heaving with laughter.

“For your rights do something” is another fine example of the poster’s text. Well language also has rights, or rules, and my request to the poster-maker is to respect them.

O Captain! My Captain!

In Whitman’s classic poem a Captain manages to bring his ship to berth at the cost of his life. Thinking about the South African cricket team the opposite is true. The team has foundered again and again while its Captain has escaped unscathed.

The team’s performance last night against India was truly disappointing. We came in strong and committed error after error. Not taking anything away from the superb Indian team, who are playing like champions at the moment, the game was ours to lose not theirs to win.

I know the blame cannot be laid completely on Smith’s shoulders, but Smith has proven time and time again he is not up to the responsiblities of leadership.

He is barely a capable player at the moment. During the original world cup and the T20 tournament Smith has seemed incapable of posting any kind of respectable score. This is just not good enough for an opening batsman. When he bowls he might take a wicket or two but he is so expensive it becomes a real question of ‘is it worth it?’

Leadership was thrust upon too early and he has failed to live up to his promise. perhaps if he had been given time to consolidate his skills as a player without the burden of leading the team he would have developed into a world-class player. At the moment there is no reason why he should even be in the team.

It is difficult when there does not seem to be another option for Captain in the team. But that should be sorted out by the selectors. Let Smith concentrate on his cricket.

Its about time the South African team put their reputation for choking behind them. We have world class players, they just need the leadership to prove it.

Can I have a twist of Manto in that media shake?

Well Manto certainly has manged to stir things up in the South African media landscape. She has received very little support from the South African media. This post is not to comment on what I think of Dr Beetroot, as she’s been affectionately termed, but rather to showcase how she has been dealt with in the media.

The battle between Manto and the Sunday Times was ended with a resounding draw in which the Times were forced to hand back her medical records but were still allowed to report on her escapades in a certain Cape Town hospital.

The Times, Sunday Times new media offspring, has constructed a time-line which details their coverage of the Manto saga. This is the first stop for any new comer to the story. The time-line ends with the court order handed to the Sunday Times.

Robert Brand, media ethics lecturer, discusses issues in press freedom using the manto case as an example in his blog hosted by the Mail and Guardian website. His conclusion notes “Measured criticism of the media, based on an understanding of the fundamental importance of media freedom, is an essential part of the democratic debate. A bit more introspection in the media would not be bad thing either.”

For M&G’s own coverage of Manto visit their website and do a search for Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

Another media blog, from Andrew Trench - deputy editor of the Daily Dispatch, the paper that drew attention to problems at Frere hospital in East London – raises questions of muzzling in parliament regarding the treatment of DA MP Mike Waters. Waters was ejected from parliament after he tabled a question asking whether Health Minister Manto-Tshabalala-Msimang had been convicted of theft in Botswana and whether this had been disclosed prior to her appointment.

The Harbinger , Anton Harber’s blog, challenges the minister of health to provide evidence against theft charges in Botswana. Although this is little out of date since Mbeki aknowledged the ANC knew about the theft charges.

To wrap up, and provide a few smiles, take a look at Trashmedia’s caustic post about Manto’s ‘alleged’ drinking habits.

Does home-grown cinema get any worse

Footskating 101 review

I went to watch Footskating at midday on public holiday. The multiplex was packed, kids running around, long queues to get drinks and popcorn. When I sat down in the cinema it dawned on me that whatever movie everybody else had gone to see it wasn’t this one.

Vince Muldoon (Rob van Vuuren) is the son of a poor miner living in a dorp in the middle of nowhere. He harbours an ambition which burns brighter than his father’s (Andrew Buckland) hate of sport, to be a pro-skateboarder. Vince faces serious obstacles in that he is poor, and dumb, as dirt.

Vince’s father wants him to go work in the mine as the family is facing bankruptcy. Added to this are his granny’s failing lungs and an unstable mineral threatening to blow the dorp to hemel. Now Vince needs to come up with a way to get the R100 00 needed to save his family, save his granny and save his town.

Luckily there happens to be a skating competition with just enough prize money to save everybody. With no skateboard and oversized feet, Vince is forced to invent a new extreme sport of footskating, which is skateboarding with out a skateboard.

The good news about Footskating is that it easily surpasses writer-director-actor Brendan Jack’s previous movie, Straight Outta Benoni, however that is not a difficult accomplishment. Benoni felt like a slapdash movie with flat gags and little commercial success and Footskating is a definite improvement in terms of production.

Unfortunately the movie’s plot is a carbon copy of many American movie made in the same genre. Clichés from teen and sports movies are taken used relentlessly. From the dysfunctional team to the weird guru who takes the team under their wing. The jokes and setups in the movie might be South African but there is not a hint of originality in the entire plot. This is an ineffective satire at best.

This is a pity as the cast is a very talented bunch. Rob van Vuuren has made a name for himself playing one half of clown duo Corne and Twakkie. He is also an accomplished thespian and a regular at the Grahamstown Festival. Physical theatre stalwart Andrew Buckland makes the best of his role as Vince’s father but there is little he can do with the weak script.