March 20 to 27 2008

Are SA women fair game?

The recent attack on miniskirt wearers at a taxi rank in Limpopo, days after the assault on Nwabisa Ngcukana at the Noord Street rank in Johannesburg, is very scary. In Durban last year women were assaulted and humiliated for wearing pants, and again there was not enough of an outcry from women across the country. One has not heard that any perpetrators were ever apprehended.

Should women now be scared to wear pants, miniskirts and even be afraid to wrap themselves in kangas? Women are under siege in this country. Congregate women in a room and all of them will relate how they have been harassed or abused by men.

Our society seems to accept insults directed at women. In a country with such a high incidence of rape, the sex club Teazers can advertise its Sex Expo on a billboard showing a woman with her panties down her legs. This seems to me an extreme assault on women’s dignity.

The advertising industry is out of control. A poster advertising one of Martin Lawrence’s stupid movies, showing him lying on top of a woman, was plastered all over our bus stops.

In the United States, where I’ve lived, that kind of advertising is simply not allowed. Are South African women fair game?

On television, the language used to describe women is abominable. Referring to a woman as a ‘whore” on Isidingo, a prime-time show, is not art; it perpetuates the language used by certain rap artists to denigrate women.

Some TV stations show X-rated programmes during prime time, most of them American. Again, this sort of irresponsible behaviour is not permitted on US TV.

After reports about the racist video at the University of the Free State, I was shocked to see placards by black male students pictured in the newspapers, reading: ‘All white bitches will be raped.” This sent shivers down my spine — what kind of young black men are we raising? This was not a protest; it was an attack on women. The video was made by young white men. Why was the black students’ anger directed at white women?

Black women old enough to be their mothers were victimised in that video. Was this how the students restored the dignity of those women attacked by those racists?

When Epainette Mbeki wrote to the newspapers expressing her views about the ANC today, men wrote in and insulted her. Some told her she should stick to her spaza shop. Where was the respect for this 92-year-old mother of the country’s president?

She spoke as a mother: that’s what mothers do; they protect their children. The behaviour was un-African. And we, as South African women, did not speak out when she was attacked.

Women of all races, ages and religions need to speak up when these incidents happen. We need to fight together against this scourge. We need to fight for the dignity of all women. This culture of abuse of women and children must stop now! — Kitty Duma, concerned mother, Roodepoort

Makoni the reconciler

If Robert Mugabe wins the election, Zimbabweans should expect five more years of suffering because the status quo will be maintained. The only difference is that living conditions will become more unbearable.

Mugabe will continue telling us of his ‘successes” as a result of his ‘Look East” policy. We will continue to hear about ‘successful” winter maize projects, bearer cheques, diesel from rocks, donations of computers without printers to schools without electricity and teachers and so on.

If Tsvangirai wins, he is likely to use nice-sounding phrases like ‘new beginning” and ‘reconciliation” without practising what he preaches.

Already there are ominous signs that he may pursue a path of anger, bitterness and revenge. At the top of the list of scores to settle will be his MDC enemies, like Welshman Ncube, and Zanu-PF will come next.

Under Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe may become as polarised as it is now. Tsvangirai recently called Simba Makoni ‘old wine in a new bottle”. This penchant for hurling insults at opponents is a Zanu-PF trademark and a worrying sign that he may practise the politics of exclusion. Having presided over the fragmentation of the MDC, it is difficult to see how Tsvangirai can unite Zimbabwe. If you cannot run a tiny tuck shop, how can you can run a chain of supermarkets?

If Makoni wins, on the other hand, he is likely to unite Zimbabwe. Already he is preaching re-engagement, reconciliation and rehabilitation. He is saying Zimbabweans are one people, despite differing political ideas. This explains why he refuses to be aligned to political parties.

Makoni also wants to return Zimbabwe to the international community and is acceptable to the SADC, African Union and the entire diplomatic community.

It is most unfair to disqualify him on the grounds that he has been a member of Zanu-PF. Tsvangirai, Roy Bennet and millions of other people in the opposition are former Zanu-PF members.

All of us have sinned and fall short of political glory.

It is often said that people get the leader they deserve. It is my conviction that Zimbabweans deserve better than Mugabe and Tsvangirai, both of whom have failed dismally. — John Lunga, Bulawayo

Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo, has complained that a ‘virulent and vicious” smear campaign is being waged against Zimbabwe over the list of observers invited to witness the country’s elections.

Moyo has been reported as saying the campaign is being driven by the West and certain sections of the South African media.

What one finds ridiculous is that Moyo is kicking up dust about ‘vicious smears” when Mugabe and Zanu-PF are doing exactly the same to Makoni. One wonders if Moyo has read the Herald newspaper, which is owned by the same government that employs him. — Levi Mhaka

Cull will have huge fallout

Are those behind the proposed culling of elephants in the Kruger park aware of the possible action that anti-culling organisations will take if the cull goes ahead? The public does not seem to realise what effect it will have on tourism.

Elephants are viewed as a world heritage and South Africa is seen as having the fortunate responsibility of being their caretakers.

I am a member of the Humane Society of the United States, which has stated that if the cull takes place, it will advise its 8,5-million members to avoid South Africa.

Other groups may follow suit and the potential effects of this on tour operators, travel agents and eco-tourists should not be under-estimated.

There have been warnings that the media will be mobilised against the cull, and that this will bring far greater pressure to bear than at the time of the previous cull, 10 years ago, when the internet, cellular communications and reality news were in their infancy.

It has been pointed out that if shocking images of dying elephants are projected into the living rooms across Britain, Europe, the US and elsewhere, it will have a huge effect. South Africa will soon be hosting the Soccer World Cup. Do we really want this incredible moment coupled to the most controversial elephant cull in our history?

Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s words should be remembered in this context. He reminds us that our Constitution suggests that environmental and human rights are of equal importance.

He says: ‘What this means is that all of life is sacred. Our ancestors knew this. They lived fully aware of the delicate network of interdependence that exists between the human communality and the natural environment. They understood the sanctity of all living things and recognised that all life is truly religious.” — Carey Swanepoel

Lies, lies, all gossip and lies

David Masondo’s response to my attempt at an honest critique of the SACP (February 15) is a repetition of the gossip, lies and insults that have become characteristic of a particular class of politicians in our movement.

For the record, I have never benefited from the arms deal, from any protection by President Thabo Mbeki in terms of any transaction whatsoever, or from any dubious business transactions.

I have always declared my income to the SACP, paid my levies and defended the party and its constitution. While I was treasurer the party’s income increased each year and historical debt was reduced significantly.

All monies were accounted for and our books audited without any negative finding, except that during the last financial year when I was effectively stopped from delivering a report and the report I submitted was altered by one or more party leaders.

The auditors were replaced with an accountant and, to the best of my knowledge, no audit was conducted for that year. Every central committee or politburo meeting I ever reported to commended the work done to improve the SACP’s finances.

While I have been accused of a number of things by my political adversaries and those I have brought to account for illegal acts, each allegation made against me has been investigated by independent auditors and found to be without substance.

I certainly did not abuse my position to acquire any shares. The shares Masondo refers to, as he knows full well, were offered to me in my personal capacity, and I decided to pledge a portion of them to the SACP — something rarely done by the many propertied members of the party.

The politburo investigated the allegation that I acquired the shares dishonestly and found it to be untrue.

My contribution to debates about the future of the SACP, as controversial as they may have been, are proving to have been prescient, given the unfolding events of our time, not least of all Buti Manamela’s and Masondo’s articles.

Their attacks are part of the systematic and orchestrated campaign against me by those who cannot stand critical thinking and debate. They began when I differed with other senior leaders in the party on a number of issues, including the leadership contest in the ANC.

It was only then that I was alleged to be found wanting in my performance as treasurer. — Phillip Dexter

Vavi is promoting himself

Zwelinzima Vavi has misused the name of Cosatu and the workers to further his personal interests and political agenda. He is a demigod in Cosatu and anyone who challenges him gets stamped on.
Vavi also makes personal statements in public using Cosatu’s name, some of which have brought the federation into disrepute.

For example, it was never Cosatu’s position that Jacob Zuma was an unstoppable tsunami. The same with his statements about ministers dying on duty and Mbeki’s claims about economic growth being propaganda worthy of Goebbels.

Vavi was very instrumental in establishing the bogus commission of inquiry, with well-orchestrated terms of reference, to make sure Willie Madisha was kicked out of Cosatu.

In all the interviews that the commission refers to, Madisha never introduced himself as Cosatu president (Vavi speaks in Cosatu’s name in all his interviews) and went on to maintain that this was an SACP matter.

Now we are told that Madisha and Numsa’s Silumko Nondwangu are to be disciplined for supporting President Mbeki in Polokwane.

Vavi’s vindictive behaviour will destroy our movement in the long term. Smuts Ngonyama was right to say he is just a careless boy in the alliance. It’s time Cosatu decided whether it is a political party or a movement for the workers. — Themba Khumalo, Pretoria

A brave man

Professor John van den Berg is a brave man (Higher Learning, March). Like others who have challenged the authoritarian order at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, he has been defamed as a racist, insubordinate and threatened with disciplinary action. The politburo that runs the university rejects the idea that academic freedom covers not only teaching and research but also governance. UKZN is now the antithesis of a true university.

It has become a place where awkward questions and logical argument are met by racial abuse and character assassination.

The vice-chancellor called Van den Berg a coward. The real cowards are academics who have done nothing to support defenders of good governance and academic freedom. — Christopher Merrett, Pietermaritzburg

In brief

The move to persuade Thabo Mbeki to appoint Kgalema Motlanthe as deputy president sends out the message that some ANC leaders are more trustworthy than others. It would smack of a ‘banana republic” scenario if we were to have three deputy presidents in five years. — Walter Mothapo, Polokwane

The racist events of recent weeks highlight the chasm that still separates South Africans. It was foolish to think scrapping apartheid laws could change attitudes overnight. Instant reconciliation, which pretends apartheid never happened, is a fake bandage covering a festering wound. — Lucas Ntyintyane, Cresta, Jo’burg

God bless Simon Ratcliffe and Jeremy Wakeford for ‘The new limits to growth” (March 7). In view of the energy-related calamity rushing relentlessly our way, the most urgent task facing public media is to abandon all petty ‘news”. There is no higher priority for humanity than to find out, and fast, how to institute a steady-state economy and limit the global population to what our planet can reasonably bear. — Brezovic Mlinaric, Halfway House

Last week’s editorial referred to ‘a vindictive gospel that is closer to ‘an eye for an eye”. This is one of the most misunderstood phrases from the Torah. The Hebrew phrase ”eyin tachat eyin” means ‘an eye under an eye”. The Talmud brings seven proofs that this means monetary compensation limited to the damage done. The point is to prevent revenge and retribution. — Paul Klein, Toronto, Canada