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241 South Africans in foreign jails for drugs More than 460 South Africans are being held in overseas jails - 241 of them for drug trafficking. The figure, released by the department of foreign affairs, may be only the tip of the iceberg. "No assurances can be given that the figures (for those held), especially South American countries, which officially have 110 South Africans (are a) true reflection," said Foreign Affairs spokesperson Basetsana Thokoane. "It should be borne in mind that a South African national in detention in a foreign prison has the right to refuse contact (with the South African consulate in that country), for whatever reason." Also, if detainees asked that their identities be withheld from the authorities in their own countries and if the foreign country's constitution allowed this, the foreign country would refuse to pass this information on, said Thokoane. According to official figures, 461 South Africans are awaiting trial or serving sentences in foreign jails. Of these, 241 are being held in connection with drug trafficking and 220 for "theft, illegal entry and other crimes". In Brazil and Peru, 56 South Africans are in prison. According to authorities in these South American countries, 53 of the 56 are suspected of being drug "mules". Most of them were arrested as they prepared to board the so-called "junkie jet" from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Cape Town. Powerful Nigerian drug cartels muscling in on the illicit trade in cocaine are said to be behind the recruitment of the mules. Because of fierce competition to control the supply of cocaine from South America, syndicates tip off the police about the identities of couriers working for their rivals. Also, a crime boss who sends couriers may also anonymously tip off the police about one of them, so attention is focused on this mule and drawn away from others, who may be carrying much larger quantities. Shona Allie, a Mitchell's Plain grandmother who runs a ministry in prisons in South Africa and overseas, said that arrests abroad, especially for drug trafficking, were hidden behind a wall of secrecy. Many families were too ashamed to make the arrests of loved ones public. "The prisoner suffers in silence," Allie said. "Many South Africans, especially those in South American jails, have not been convicted yet and have spent a year or two in prison awaiting their trial." Allie is to leave soon for Peru, where she is to visit alleged South African mules in jail. According to Human Rights Watch's world report, torture by police remains routine throughout Brazil. The methods used by police include "electric shocks, near-drownings, burning with cigarette butts and the rape of criminal suspects". According to Brazilian newspapers, in Sao Paulo, up to 30 people are held in prison cells designed for 10. Thokoane said representatives of the department of foreign affairs visited prisoners, especially those in Third World countries, to check the conditions in which they were being held and for possible human rights violations. "The primary role of the mission, with regard to all South African citizens in a foreign country, is to ensure, among other things, the prisoner is treated in a humane and dignified manner, in accordance with the local laws and customs, throughout the term of their imprisonment," said Thokoane. "All missions pay regular contact visits to South Africans in detention to monitor the prisoner's wellbeing. "Apart from these prescribed visits to the prisons, prisoners are able to make contact with the mission, by telephone or in writing, whenever they wish. "All complaints about the prisoner's wellbeing within reason are (taken up). "(If) consular officials (are) not able to resolve the problem directly with the prisoner, (it is) taken up with the local authorities." Foreign affairs did not, however, involve itself in the legal proceedings of a case as this would constitute interference in the judiciary system of the other country. South Africa cannot be seen in any way to be interfering in the judicial process of the host country as this is contrary to established international legal principles," said Thokoane. "It has been the policy of the government of South Africa since mid-1999 not to enter into prisoner transfer agreements (irrespective of the crime)." Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Gisteraand het ek 'n netjiese file aanmekaar geslaan met al die kwitansies en vlugkaartjies wat ek bymekaar kon skraap. Ek is mos een van die 0.5% (of die 1% tax payers) wat ge-audit is deur 'n organisasie met 'n aaklige naam, die Comptroller of Maryland. Die Comptroller klink soos 'n nasty persoon met baie power. Ek betaal mos al my min geldjies in hulle blackhole in. Ek is die "working poor" wat state taxes en fed taxes en medicare en social security betaal en hoop aan die einde van die maand gaan ek genoeg oorhe vir my mediese skema wat in elk geval nie my verkoue en griep gaan dek nie. Die US bureakrasie het my nou net lam. In die jaar of wat wat ek hier is, het die volgende plaasgevind: 1)Toe ek by die social security offices opdaag om aansoek te doen vir my Uiters Belangrike Nommer Waarsonder Jy Nie Kan NIe, toe hoor ek ek moes binne twee weke na my aankoms in die VSA aansoek gedoen het - daarom word ek toe die subjek van 'n Immigration and Naturalization Service Investigation. 2)Die Missing Social Security File: Toe ek navraag doen oor die paar digits wat so lewensbelangrik is waaroor ek steeeeeeds nie beskik nie, toe moet ek hoor my file is verle. Natuurlik het ek soos alle clueless immigrante geen benul van hoe die US bureakrasie inmekaarsteek nie. Ek het ook geen idee gehad dat ek moes aandring op 'n receipt na ek aansoek gedoen het om daai nommertjie nie. 3)Daarom reik die Baas se accountant toe 'n W2 uit sonder Social Security Nommer want ek besit nog nie die lewensbelangrike kode nie. (Ek weet teen die tyd wat 'n W2 is (IRP5); dit is net so belangrik soos 'n I-94.( nie 'n arrival form nie, maar 'n departure record hulle wil weet jy is on your way out at some point). Bere jou W2's en I-94 in 'n file en maak back-up copies en versteek dit tussen jou sokkies en in jou kantoor en in al jou tasse) En, by the way, jou social security kaart nommer is soos jou secret bank code. Dis soos 'n missing link as jy dit nie het, niks gebeur daarsonder nie en jy voel altyd soos 'n undocumented alien al is jou status ook tegnies gesproke "Legal Alien." Jou Social Security Number SSN is actually 'n social insecurity number en daar is ook niks social daaromtrent nie, maar dit is belangriker as jou Suid-Afrikaanse Identiteitsboekie. Waar is die goeie ongekompliseerde dae van Een Photographic ID hier in die States het jy 'n nommer en 'n drivers license wat dien as jou photo ID - Al bestuur jy ook nie, het jy 'n bleddie non-driving drivers licence nodig. Gee my maar die ID Boek met my fingerprint in. 4)Toe ek wel 'n nommer kry toe staan daarop in groot Swart Letters: VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH INS AUTHORIZATION. 5)Toe moet daar weer 'n corrected W2 uitgereik word en nog copies moet gemaak word om in my tax file en in my boss se tax file en tussen my kouse te versteek. 6)Laasweek kry ek 'n brief van Social Security Administration met al sulke intimidating vrae soos "Have you ever used somebody else's SSN?" "Our records for you does not correspond with your employers-whatever" 7)Op advise van my baas betaal ek 'n Accountant 'n volle $135 dollar om vir my tax returns te doen. EK het dan nog nooit eers 'n checkboek gehad nie en het tot vandag toe nog nie 'n kredietkaart nie, so vir wat sal ek nou self so iets probeer doen? (in any case het ek geen Credit History nie ten spyte van al die special offers met $10,000 credit limit wat op Hotmail my inbox clog) Die Big Cheese se, ek beveel aan dat jy 'n accountant kry net vir in case jy ge-audit word, maar dit sal nie gebeur nie want hulle gaan nie aandag gee aan klein vissies soos jy nie. Famous last words. In retrospect se die Big Cheese, catch the small fish now before they become big sharks.Ek gaan soveel interest en geld moet terugbetaal aan die simpele Comptroller dat ek in elk geval nooit 'n groot shark sal kan word nie. Ons vergeet petty government matters benodig petty klein vissies om die skaal te laat balanseer. Jy betaal jou accountant en jou taxes en voel soos 'n goeie citizen ALHOEWEL JY NIE EERS "N CITIZEN IS NIE. Maar moenie geflous word nie daarna is dit soos 'n vicious sirkel as jy ge-audit word, accountant of nie: Skielik betaal jy jou accountant in elk geval omdat jy nie weet waarom op die aarde jy ge-audit is nie en die bureakrasie raak hard-ass en voor jy weet is die hele situasie in die TAX COURT. Ek oordryf nie. Ek is wragtig oppad tax court toe. Ek, wat nie eers weet of ek my checks agterop moet endorse nie. Vanoggend was dus nie D-Dag nie maar A-dag. Die Audit. Wat is 'n audit in afrikaans? (BiG Cheese rapporteer terug met die antwoord: dit is 'n oudit. Ongehoord van in kleindorp Kuilsrivier). Ek was baie, baie nervous, so nervous dat ek al omtrent vier weke terug geskryf het oor die bangmaak-ervaring. 'n Kytie-leser het my ge-e-mail en gerusgestel . Sy was ook in haar eerste jaar in die U.S. Ge-audit. Sy het geskryf "The gentleman auditing me was extremely pleasant and I regretted having paid my accountant to be present . That was the only, and totally unnecessary, expense I incured. Ongelukkig was die gentlemen wat my vanoggend in sy boring cubicle gevange gehou het vir omtrent twee ure, net soos 'n mislike immigrasie officer by JFK wat jou op en af kyk en besluit, vandag moet hy sy autoriteit laat geld op 'n arme jong legal alien. Die Big Cheese se die man was die "epitomy of a bean counter." My accountant se ek moenie die hele horrible unpleasant experience persoonlik opneem nie. Toe ek in daai stuffy wagkamer sit, toe voel ek klaar soos 'n verhoorafwagtende krimineel. My hele lyf het so saggies begin bewe van bangheid, want om die eerlike waarheid te vertel, ek het geen clue wat 'n "tax return" nou eintlik is nie. Ek het 'n lys gemaak van work-related expenses en dit ingehandig en toe ek weer hoor, toe is ek 'n Maryland-taxpayer en Maryland stuur aan my 'n vet check "tax returns". Ek bly nie eers in Maryland nie. Laasjaar het ek vir 'n maand 'n mansion met 'n pool in Maryland gehouse-sit. Ek het nie eers 'n kar wat ek oor Maryland se paaie kan ry nie, en as ek roker was sou ek my stompies op hulle paaie laat val het en gedink het, ja, my tax gaan to Keep our cities clean. Klaarblyklik is ek toe 'n Maryland tax payer omdat die Big Cheese se accountant my geldjies in MD inbetaal het sonder om te besef ek bly in die District of Columbia waar ons in elk geval getax word sonder representation. Ek word ge-audit deur die magtige comptroller of maryland en ek bly nie eers in maryland nie. Dit voel vir my so effe ironies. In elk geval, ek en my accountant stap toe in die mannetjie se cubicle in en ek lag so half senuagtig. Check daar teen die muur, beduie ek vir die Accountant. "Death or taxes" verkondig 'n groot notice. Toe begin die government dwerg met sy vrae. Wanneer het jy die land ingekom; waar is die stamps in jou passport; wanneer is jy in en uit; waar is jou letter of employment; en dit raak net al hoe erger en meer petty. En my bewerasies verdwyn en ek glimlag, want vir elke tricky vraag het ek perfekte legal visa en antwoorde. Ek is so confident soos tien. En toe raak ek bang , want die ou begin aandring op receipts vir goeters waarvoor ek nie receipts het nie en nooit sal kry nie. Soos my business trip na Kuba waarvoor ekself as joernalis opgedok het. In Kuba gee niemand receipts nie, se ek mooi kalm vir die dwerg. En toe raak dit later en kwater en my accountant begin dreig met state laws en toe beef my onderlip. "You're unreasonable. There's no flexibility here, although she has proofed beyond doubt." My accountant het kalm gebly. Ek kry toe puppy dog- kyk in die oe. Toe my accountant se "We will have to appeal in tax court" toe bars ek in trane uit. Trane het net niks gehelp in elk geval nie. "I can't believe I have to go to tax court within my first year in the US" huil ek. En die horrible petty minded government official draai na sy simpele notice teen die muur, point daarna en grinnik. "Death or taxes" lag die notice vir my trane. Ek dink ek weet wat rerige freedom is. Gee vir my maar my african bureaucracies waar ek kan kroek en daarmee wegkom. Of gee my maar Jan Taks in SA en nie taxation without representation in die US nie. Hier in die States kroek jy nie eers nie en jy word uitgevang vir iets. Gee my maar true real freedom en nie hierdie petty boundaries van die US bureakrasie nie.. Volgens my accountant, betaal 'n mens nie State Taxes in Florida nie. Ek wil dus nou met alle geweld Florida toe immigreer, hoe minder bureakrasie hoe beter. Die weer is great, en ek kan selfs illegal raak, illegals lyk my het minder probleme as those legal aliens with good citizenship at heart. soos moins. Dan kan ek in die Kalahari Bar uithang saam met ander expats en in en uit die land kom soos ek lus is per boot . En sommer nog Kuba toe ook gaan met 'n yacht wanneer ek wil, dis al wat ek nodig het, dollars en my Paradise island. Die Big Cheese was natuurlik heel excited oor die audit. Aanvanklik wou hy nie glo dat ek ge-audit is nie, want hy het NOG NOOIT iemand ontmoet wat ge-audit is nie. Ek het al 'n paar mense ontmoet wat ge-audit is 1) my housemate se ma en pa wat gese het dit is die mees horrible ervaring en 2) my housemate se girlfriend wat gese het dit is die mees horrible ervaring. Die Big Cheese - na hy die nuus verteer het dat accountants nie vir jou 'n audit-vrye gelukkige lang lewe kan waarborg nie - se toe, Al least I'l get a story out of it. Kytie K. Kytie Koekblik would like you to respond to her tongue-in-cheek running commentary on suburban life in America in this editorial. Fresh off the boat, she is ready to explore and experiment with American bath plugs and to drive on the other side of the road. You can contact her here. © RSA-Overseas & Matheson Communications [ Top ] SA lives have improved since 1994 - Manuel There had been a measurable change in the lives of ordinary South Africans since the first all-race elections in 1994, although it was not happening fast enough, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said on Wednesday. "We need sharper policy measures to get to the poorest of the poor," he said, speaking at the Pretoria launch of a Statistics SA report entitled South Africa In Transition, which contains the results of the 1999 October Household Survey (OHS) and draws comparisons with the survey of the preceding four years. It was estimated that the population stood at 43,3-million by October 1999. The report's key findings include that the number of unemployed economically-active people increased from 1,8-million in 1995 to 3,2-million in 1999. Over the same time, the number of people employed grew from 9,6-million to 10,4-million. More than 94 percent of children aged between seven and 15-years-old attended school by October 1999, but only about 735 000 South Africans were registered at tertiary education institutions. About 16 percent of South Africans aged 20 or more said they could not read. About 18 percent of African women and 13 percent of African men aged 20 or over had no education by 1999, said Dr Ros Hirschowitz, author of the report. Some 7,5 percent of 25-year-olds still attended school, which indicated a high failure rate and low progress in schools, she said. Between 1995 and 1999 the proportion of households living in formal dwellings grew from 65,8 percent to 69,9 percent and those in informal dwellings from 7,5 percent to 12,3 percent. More than 83 percent of households had access to clean piped water in 1999, compared to 78,5 percent in 1995. However, the proportion of households that obtained water from rivers, streams and dams remained more or less constant at between 11 and 12 percent. There was a gradual increase in the use of electricity for lighting (from 63,5 percent to 69,8 per cent) but a decrease in the use of electricity for cooking (from 53,8 percent to 48 percent), probably partly due to costs, the report indicated. Like in 1995, about 55 percent of households had access to formal refuse-removal services in 1999. "Between October 1995 and October 1999, there has been a possible slight decrease in the proportion of households with access to flush or chemical toilets, from 56,9 percent... to 55,8 percent. "At the same time there has been a possible slight increase in the proportion of households with informal facilities such as a river, stream or bush, from 8,3 percent in 1995 to 10,6 percent in 1999," the researchers wrote. The proportion of households with a telephone or cellphone in the house grew from 29,1 percent to 34,9 percent. Manuel said the report provided empirical evidence for President Thabo Mbeki's reference to "two South Africas". Access to health care and housing, for instance, was still shaped by race and class. But he also described the report as a study of good news - "perhaps not a story of cataclysmic change". It measured the change in the lives of ordinary South Africans, and how people themselves felt that democracy touched their lives, he said. The period under review in the report was one during which policy changes were rolled out, Manuel said. "It was a period during which the democracy in South Africa cut its teeth." Since 1999, the government had built 1,2-million houses, and provided access to clean water for 6,8-million people since 1994, he said. "We remain concerned about the moderately large number of people dependent on rivers and streams. "The question is how we can speed up the programme and achieve better value for money," said Manuel. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] Boks finally victorious! South Africa (14) 20 Australia (0) 15 It wasn't the prettiest win Springboks fans are likely to see. But then again this team needed something to lift the spirits after the slating they've been getting recently. Not one among the 50 000 at Loftus on Saturday night nor the rest of the legion of green and gold fans throughout this land will care how ugly it was - it is something from which they can work. Once again the tight five were immense. Cobus Visagie, Lukas van Biljon, Robbie Kempson, Mark Andrews and Johan Ackermann continued from where they left off last week against the All Blacks. As a result the backs were again given a lot of ball though like last week they couldn't make use of it. But those problems can be fixed and hopefully in the next few weeks they will. The Australians are known for being slightly slow starters and Boks were keen to take advantage of any early lapses of concentration. That Matthew Burke would miss two kicks he would normally expect to put over was a bonus. That the Aussies would look a little off colour when on the attack was like manna from heaven. It was the visitors who attacked first with Burke punishing the hosts for not finding touch, something that has littered their play a lot of late, something which was to cause them headaches again last night. Van Biljon, praised to the high heavens for a magnificent all round display last week, was again showing off his fine driving skills. This week, however, his throw-ins at the line-outs were somewhat off-kilter. That didn't bother the Boks though. They pressured their opponents and when they put Van Straaten into kicking range anything within 55m the burly inside centre whacked them between the uprights. The tight five were awesome, especially for those first 40 minutes. Visagie scrummed Nick Stiles virtually to a standstill, while flanker Andre Venter produced the best 40 minutes of rugby he has played in a long while. That meant the Boks were able to show occasional flashes of ball-in-hand skill, something Viljoen has been preaching, but which rugby fans have seen little of in match conditions. Despite their somewhat limited endeavours the Boks looked more assured and had the points, thanks to Van Straaten, to show for it, while the Aussies, despite their usual composure in performing their patented phase-after-phase style of play, failed to breach the Bok defence. In fact they let the hosts off the hook several times in the first half. The closest they came to grabbing five points was when Grey charged down an ill-advised clearance from Jantjes and between Vos and Hall, the hosts somehow managed to avert the danger. And then finally in the dying minutes of the half, there followed the moment all had been waiting for. The forwards, having set up good ruck ball saw Skinstad tear on to Van der Westhuizen's pop-up pass and sprint to the line for a vital try. The Aussies, as has become their wont in the past month, were quick off the mark at the start of the second half, enabling Burke to slot three penalties including one from the half-way line. South Africa Try - Bob Skinstad. Penalties - Braam van Straaten (5) Australia Penalties - Burke (4), Edmonds Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - This week's column, I can tell you right now, is going to be shorter than usual (Was that a sigh of relief I heard?). I took the liberty to shave a bit off my word count, not simply because I can, but also because I've put in a special effort to compose some limericks to share with all you dear, unsuspecting folk. I've always been an avid fan of the limerick. I love it for the wit, wordplay and the surprise that usually waits at the end. A good limerick is supposed to have a clever punch line, not unlike a joke. Most people love a good joke, which is why the form has been so widely popular through the ages. The history of the limerick is rather obscure. The a-a-b-b-a rhyme scheme (essential to the form) can be traced as far back as the 1820's, when it was used in children's books. Apparently it was known only as 'nonsense verse' back then, but by 1888, one Edward Lear wrote "A Book of Limericks" (Little, Brown) and "Ta-daa!", from then on, nonsense verse was called limericks. All right, granted. Perhaps it wasn't quite as simple as that. There are different theories as to why the name was changed to limerick, and stuck. According to James A.H. Murray, founding editor of "The Oxford English Dictionary", it originated from a drinking song called "Will you come up to Limerick?" Huddled in Irish pubs, contestants would take turns making up and singing verses. At the chorus, everyone chimed in, and then it was the next guy's turn. If he couldn't manage to come up with something suitable, he surely had to down his pint. Imagine what a great party it must've been! The above is apparently the most popular theory, and not many have tried disputing it. But in October 1993 another author published a different theory in "The Pentatette", a newsletter of the Limerick Special Interest Group. Arthur Deex wrote that most people were familiar with Lear's verses by the end of the nineteenth century. Apparently others had started to copy his form with far more raunchy subject matters. Deex writes: "Following Lear's example, the bawdy verses were geographically oriented: The old man from _____; The lady from _______." His theory then partially overlaps with that of Murray in the sense that pub goers would take turns composing and singing a verse. But in this case, the verse would have to be about a specific town. "Unrhymable Limerick," writes Deex, "could always be counted on for a spectacular failure --- only salvageable by a really gross verse. And so the bawdy nonsense verse came to be called Limericks." But that is enough history for now. Back to 2001. A recent news brief enticed me to write the following: Andre Agassi is a tennis pro He saw Steffi and he said: "Hello!" She said her name was Graf And they hit it right off Will their baby have tennis elbow? Even I couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon of the latest Washington D.C. scandal involving the Congressman and the missing intern. (Make no mistake, Chandra's disappearance is no joke and I feel desperately sorry for the Levy family. What I did find funny - and that would be funny strange and not funny ha ha - was the way that Congressman Condit and his lawyer so suavely organized their own lie-detector test.) A new Washington whodunnit Centers around Congressman Condit His lawyer gave a nervous laugh And hooked him up to a polygraph "He's not a suspect," the cops responded. Lastly, and more typical to the classic form, a naughtier one: An old priest called Father Babbit Wasn't well-liked by his Abbot He saw a young nun And gave chase with a run To take a peek under her habit. © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Quick action by cops stops land grab in Cape Swift action by Western Cape law enforcement officers averted an attempted illegal occupation of government land in Khayelitsha. Police had to clear and patrol the area on Sunday after between 10 and 20 people, apparently having been displaced by recent floods, gathered on the land belonging to the department of public works. They had already erected a single shack when police arrived. Khayelitsha police station commissioner, Director Risimati Shivuri, said that while patrols were continuing, the area had been cleared and the situation was back to normal by midnight on Sunday night. Shivuri said there had not been any confrontation and the would-be landgrabbers did not resist when ordered to leave. He said those involved were the same people who had demonstrated on the land on Saturday. "The unicity is attending to the issue together with a newly formed committee including councillors, and they have already embarked on negotiations with the homeless people. The unicity is apparently supposed to give the homeless people feedback during August, but it seems the squatters are rushing the matter." He said leaders of the committee had spoken to the land invaders on Sunday, and persuaded them to leave. "Police are monitoring the situation, but things are quiet. Just one shack was erected. I cannot confirm at this stage whether anyone is living in the shack. "We explained the procedures to them once again. They heeded our requests and everyone dispersed peacefully." Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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