Bronwen Roberts
Angry women’s groups are threatening to run a boycott campaign against Grahamstown stores which stock soft- porn magazines and posters.
Several women attending a Rape Action Project panel discussion in the town on Tuesday night called for boycott action against sex magazines.
A member of the audience said increasing numbers of children were being exposed to the magazines and posters and that shopkeepers were indifferent to the problem. She said they had the attitude that ”sex sells — so what”.
There was shocked silence at the meeting when a local police representative announced that police had received 44 reports of rape in January and February.
However, not everyone was in favour of a magazine boycott. Local psychologist Chris Stone told the gathering that a boycott would be ”ludicrous” as rape was not a sexual act but was an act of violence.
Women at the meeting suggested a campaign which ranged from public debates to boycotting cafes and video shops in town which displayed pornographic material.
Naude said a boycott of cafes in the Gauteng area had resulted in 1 200 shops withdrawing the magazines.
Women Aglow’s Martie Truscott said the group’s anti- pornography campaign was ultimately a ”war against Satan”.
Naude claimed statistics had shown that pornography was being bought mostly by boys between 12 and 17 years
Shoprite/Checkers representative Adele Gouws said the chain withdrew ”adult” magazines on March 6 following widespread customer complaints.
The store said displaying the magazines in a family store was inappropriate.