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Last Update: October 28, 2001 |
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Mother City 'hosts regular child sex tours' Cape Town was fast becoming the child sex tourism destination of the world, Andre Viviers, assistant director in the department of welfare, said on Wednesday. Speaking at a children's rights conference, Viviers said: "Sex tours in much the same fashion as the wine route tours are being organised regularly." He accused law enforcement officials of turning a blind eye for fear of hurting the country's tourism industry, and said many were accepting bribes to keep quiet. On the causes of child prostitution, Viviers said poverty, domestic violence, dysfunctional families, as well as cultural beliefs, were among the main reasons for children becoming involved in the sex industry. The fear of HIV/Aids was also a contributing factor, as some "customers" preferred having sex with children and virgins, believing it was safer than making use of the services of older sex workers. The conference also heard that child labour was prevalent in South Africa. According to Mandisa Pamla, a senior administration officer in the Department of Labour, 1996 statistics put the figure at about 400 000 children between the ages of 10 and 16. Pamla said the department was currently working on a policy to clear up confusion over the status of working children between the ages of 15 and 18. According to legislation children were compelled to attend school up to the age of 15, while the prohibition on child labour applied to all those under 18. This meant that those leaving school at 15 were not allowed to work for the next three years. She said poverty was one of the main reasons forcing children to work, while the HIV/Aids pandemic also contributed by rendering many parentless and with no alternative. One of the department's biggest concerns was replacing the income of children being removed from the employment sector, many of whom were supporting entire families. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Laasjaar was Fall vir my die mooiste maand, miskien omdat ons nie sulke record low vrieskas nagte gehad het hier in Washington D.C. nie. Dit was ook die eerste keer in my lewe dat ek sulke ongelooflike kleure blare gesien het, diep skakerings van rooi, ougoud, en heldergeel sodat die hele wereld lyk asof dit gloei. Vanjaar maak Fall my net depressief. Ek begin al hoe meer dink ek hoort in Afrika - of dalk in die Caribbean. As die son skyn, het Kytie hope energie. Nou mis ek my ou self, asof ek in winterslaap gegaan het. My dae bestaan mos uit winter in ons kantoor omdat die air conditioning so koud is. Selfs in die somer dra ek ‘n trui binnenshuis. En nou het hulle nog nie die air conidtioning warmer gemaak vir die winter nie, want dit is mos Fall…So ek sit letterlik heeldag en vries en mis al die mooi Fall dae. En dan wanneer ek in die aande huis toe stap, is dit donker en stil en koud. Almal het teruggekruip in hulle warm huisies in. Lente en somer was my absolute favourite maande in Washington. Dit raak so laat donker en jy kan op jou stoep sit vir sundowners en almal bars uit hulle nate uit en ry fiets en rollerblade en gaan beach toe en dis asof ‘n mens die energie in die bome en plante kan aanvoel. Maar Fall is ‘n ander storie. Veral as jy in ‘n stad bly en as daar nie te veel mooi bome in die strate en rondom die betongeboue is nie. Dan is jy bewus daarvan dat die bruin hope blare dood is. So obviously is Kytie nie hierdie Oktober in ‘n topmood nie. Ek sien nie eers uit na Halloween nie. Ek weet el presidente het vir ons aangemoedig om aan te gaan met ons gewone lewens, maar veral in Washington is almal subdued en die paartie gaan nie aan soos altyd nie. Ek was altyd so lief daarvoor om na die National Mall te gaan. Ek het gereeld afgespreek om my vriende daar te ontmoet. Die National Mall laat jou onthou waar presies jy bly, in die hoofstad van die eerste wereld. En ek kry so ‘n gevoel van ongeloof oor kytie van Kuilsrivier wat skielik in die Capitol city ‘n gewone lewe leef. Maar sedert 9/11 is Washington nie meer heeltemal dieselfde plek nie. n Adams Morgan en Mount Pleasant en Dupont Circle en Tenleytown is die strate so besig soos altyd en almal paartie soos altyd. Maar in die hart van Washington is dit ‘n effe eerie gevoel. Asof die stad skielik net bestaan uit werkers wat downtown moet kom omdat hulle werk dit van hulle vereis. Die mense wat regtig Washington waardeer, die toeriste, het gee pad uit Washington uit. Dit is soos ‘n gewete, die lee Mall met enkele drawwer of ‘n verdwaalde sokkerspan wat jou daaraan herinner dat Washington ‘n nuwe plek geword het. ‘n Plek waar anthrax jou inwag; waar ‘n bom kan ontplof, waar jy nie weet wat volgende gaan gebeur nie. So hierdie Washingtonian is effe hartseer. Ek het die afgelope jaar hierdie stad se energie getap. Ek het op die sypaadjies in downtown DC rondgeslenter in die digte warm somerreen en ek kon die mag van die stad onder my voete voel. Ek het in die groot Barnes en Noble downtown op ‘n reendag gesit en ek het nie nodig gehad om deur die Washington DC toergidse te blaai nie, want ek was in die stad. Elke keer as ek wou homesick raak, het ek iets gedoen om myself daaraan te herinner dat ek in een van daai plekke was wat ‘n mens op die TV gesien het. Ek het saam met Amerikaanse boytjies op lentenagte op die Mall gaan rondloop en Secret Service men probeer interview en die een chap van West-Virginia het eendag aan my gese, “You made me see Washington through new eyes.” So ek is hartseer oor hierdie plek. Ek wonder of ek ooit weer met dieselfde ore na ‘n vliegtuig bo Washington sal kan luister. As jy vliegtuie hoor, kyk jy automaties op. Meeste van die tyd is dit ‘n fighter jet of die een of ander military helicopter of airpatrol wat bo die stad sirkel. Ek is nou halfpad deur twee en ‘n half jaar in Washington D.C. Ek het nog so ‘n jaar en ‘n paar maande oor in die stad. Ek nou al daaraan hoe ek die plek gaan mis, ek het mos in Washington kom Washingtonian raak, maar die stad het ook aan my die kans gegee om meer African en meer Suid-Afrikaans te raak. Ek het die sister geword van my African family, my brothers van Uganda en die hermana van Latinos en die chica van Kubane en die Americans se grootste kritikus maar ook hulle grootste fan. En hier he ek vir myself ‘n soort political identity kom soek, en ek is besig om te besluit wie Kytie wil word, eendag. En djy’s mos eenmaal ‘n Souf African, altyd ‘n Souf African. Hier in Washington het ek besef dat ek in eksotiese land in ‘n eksotiese tyd van politieke verandering grootgeword het, in my liewe Suid-Afrika. ‘n Land aan die voet van ‘n veraf, onverstaanbare, magiese kontinent. Soos ek altyd aan Jamaica of Cuba of Frankryk gedink het as ‘n eksotiese plek, so dink die meeste mense aan Suid-Afrika. En so dink ek nou aan ons klein dorpies en die “Werk met Lus” kafee en UCT en Rhodes Monument wat uittroon bo miljoene klein squatterhuisies wat uitmekaar val. ‘n Sad eksotiese plek., soos die lewe ook maar is, sad en eksoties. 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 ] Tests show SA anthrax scares false - so far The SA Police Service's Forensic Science Laboratory in Pretoria had tested 98 cases of suspected anthrax infection by Friday - and all were negative. This comes in the light of yet another anthrax scare, at the Northmead Mall in Rynfield, Benoni on Friday. Five Post Office employees who had handled a parcel containing a white powdery substance were rushed to hospital. Gauteng Assistant Commissioner Joseph Ngobeni said 224 suspected anthrax cases had been reported to the police throughout the country, and of those, 51 required no further testing as the packages contained substances such as washing powder. He said that although all cases would continue to be treated in a serious light, the police firmly believed there was no anthrax threat in South Africa. The area around Northmead Mall post office was cordoned off for about three hours as emergency services personnel decontaminated the site and removed evidence for testing. Benoni fire station assistant operations manager Johan von Weidts said details of seven other people who were in the post office section of the mall had been taken, and they would be contacted within the next few days to check whether they had displayed any symptoms of anthrax poisoning. Von Weidts said it was difficult to say whether the incident was a hoax, adding that in the interim, every situation was being treated seriously. The test results would be available on Wednesday. He urged members of the public to refrain from making hoax calls, saying these not only endangered the lives of emergency personnel unnecessarily, but also led to a shortage of staff to attend to serious cases and caused embarrassment for those exposed to the substances as they had to strip naked and be washed down. The latest bout of anthrax scares included: * The arrest of a 30-year-old Medscheme employee for allegedly placing powder in an envelope in the women's washroom at her Florida, Roodepoort, workplace. * Envelopes containing powder were also found on the 24th floor of the SABC's Radio Park building in Johannesburg. Two staff members were taken to hospital for testing. * Two University of South Africa buildings in Pretoria were evacuated and 20 people were taken to hospital after yet another anthrax scare. [ Top ] Aids monster blows up in Mbeki's face - again President Thabo Mbeki has been accused of misrepresenting new guidelines issued by the United States government's Centre for Disease Control (CDC) on the use of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). Mbeki told parliament on Wednesday that the US government had revised its guidelines partly "because experience had shown them that these drugs had toxicities which had not been foreseen. "They radically revised these and issued other guidelines about what needs to happen before you dispense any such drugs - a very, very detailed brief on what doctors should do." Mbeki advised MPs using anti-Aids drugs to make sure they were fully informed about the toxicity risks. This was after Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille claimed that MPs were using the drugs while poor people had no access to them. Mbeki referred De Lille to the CDC website and said he hoped that if any MPs were taking ARVs, they too would look at guidelines "to advise their own medical practitioners how to proceed. "Otherwise they are going to suffer negative consequences. That's real, that's actual, that's not a matter of propaganda." Political opposition, activists and medical researchers have slammed Mbeki for misrepresenting the new guidelines issued by the CDC on the use of anti-retrovirals. Kobus Gous, DA spokesperson on HIV/Aids, said: "Nowhere in the CDC report does it suggest it is unwise to use ARVs." All medicines were toxic - "even Disprin can kill you. It is very, very low, immoral and hypocritical to use science to make ARV drugs suspect." De Lille said one of the reasons advanced by government for not providing ARV drugs was that they were too toxic. She asked: "Why is it toxic only for the poor people of this country who cannot afford it, but not toxic for many MPs who are using the same anti-retroviral drugs? "Why are we not taking it off the shelves of the pharmacies, and the doctors, if it is so toxic, so that nobody can have access to anti-retroviral drugs?" Professor Salim Abdool-Karim, deputy vice chancellor for research at the University of Natal, said while Mbeki's concerns about toxicity and resistance were real and genuine, they could be dealt with and were not concerns unique to anti-retrovirals. "We have seen patients who are almost dying being able to lead a normal life because of their use of ARV drugs." "The Medicine Control Council (MCC) has licensed drugs because they say they are safe. Is government policy going to be based on scientific evaluation by MCC or on evidence from the internet," he asked. "The reality - particularly when you look at scientific data available overseas - shows a marked decline in mortality in countries where the use of ARV drugs is widespread." The Treatment Action Campaign has accused Mbeki of continuing to misunderstand science for political motives. According to Nick Koornhof, MEC for Health in the Western Cape, treatment to prolong the lives of HIV-positive mothers - and others with full-blown Aids - was on the cards in that province, with the help of US-based funders. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - It's pumpkin time in the United States! Yes, pumpkins. I'm referring to 31 October, yet another Hallmark day (but what's one more in the name of sheer, unabashed capitalism?) on the American calendar: Halloween. For those of you not yet schooled in this utterly useless holiday - for how could it possibly be called a holiday if we all have to go to work and school? - allow me to fill you in on the jargon. Halloween 101. Pumpkin: Strange-looking, orange, plump vegetable (Hey, that's me!!), despised by children worldwide when cooked and appearing undisguised on their dinner plates. Also a pet name regularly employed by the newly in love when cooing at one another, or by doting grandparents when addressing their little genius grandchildren. It falls under the same category as "honey bunny", etc. Jack-o'-lantern: The first kind of pumpkin mentioned above (no, not me! The other one.), only this time it's hollow inside and carved into a supposedly scary face. It's placed on the front porches of American homes on Halloween night with lit candles inside, causing the "face" on the pumpkin to be illuminated. Hence the 'lantern' bit in the name. While it's supposed to have a frightening effect, I believe that one can see scarier things in broad daylight on any given day in the U.S., but particularly in Baltimore. (Come visit me early in the morning for living proof. Although, if it's very early, it may be more like barely-living proof!) Jack-o is another name for Michael Jackson, that white black guy. (Also: Wacko Jack-o.) Seriously though, still trying to figure out who Jack really is. Will let you know during Halloween 202. Pumpkin Pie: Again, above-mentioned veggie. This time, however, it's been transformed into such a yummy dessert that it can even be fed to unsuspecting children. Halloween Costume: One's choice of fashion for the night of 31 October. Traditional choices are witches' garb (some gals don't need the dress to act the part, though!) and goblin gear. Newsworthy characters, like Osama bin Laden facemasks, are apparently selling like hotcakes this year. Scary, hey? But then again, it IS Halloween. Trick: No, not contorting yourself into mind-boggling shapes, juggling with your feet, or showing off how your dog can roll over and bark through its nose. It's not that kind of trick. During Halloween, tricks are threats by costume clad beings who knock on your door on Halloween night expecting to get treats. (See Treats.) Tricks are traditionally annoying pranks like throwing toilet paper onto front lawns and trees. It's called rolling and works on the same principle as throwing streamers. Only, the mess is greater. There are also awful egg throwing stints which result in bigger disasters. Luckily for neighbourhood misers, tricks have been phased out for the most part since the 1980s. Now it's more of a traditional saying than a real threat. Besides, how seriously would you take a threat from a pint-size goblin? Treats: SWEETS! LOTS of sweets. The best part of Halloween for young and old alike. Also known as candy in the United States. Trick or treat: What costume-clad beings say when they knock at your door. See above definitions. Also can be used in the following magnificent piece of poetry chanted by children: "Trick or treat, Smell my feet, Give me something good to eat." Bring on the Pulitzer. Okay, that was Halloween 101. Now you know almost all there is to know about it. Stay tuned for Halloween 202. Seriously though, according to most encyclopaedias, the origins of Halloween date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated approximately 2 000 years ago in what are now the United Kingdom and northern France. It was celebrated on 31 October, to mark the beginning of their New Year (on 1 November), the end of the harvest and the start of the long winter, a season also associated with the end of human life. They believed that the spirits of those who died during the past year returned to the earth and roamed the streets on Samhain, and that the lines between the living and dead therefore became blurred. In order to honour the spirits, believed to cause trouble, they built huge bonfires, made offerings to the spirits, wore costumes (mostly consisting of animal skins and heads - very hip during that time.) and told each other's fortunes (as whispered to them by the spirits.). Later, after the Romans took over most of the land, they continued commemorating the passing of the dead on a day in late October. Eventually, with Christianity spreading into the area, it's widely believed and reported that the Roman Catholic Church established All Saint's Day on 1 November in order to replace the Celtic and Roman festivals of the dead with a church-sanctioned holiday. It was called All-hallows day (derived from an 'Olde'English word meaning All Saint's Day.). 31 October became known as All-hallows Eve. Say that very fast a few times in a row and it becomes - aye, aye, fine lords and ladies! - Halloween! (All right, with a bit of imagination. You get my drift though.) A few centuries later, the church turned 2 November into All Souls' Day, a day to still honour the dead. It ended up being celebrated in the same way as the original Samhain. Because they so enjoyed naming things and were constantly inventing new words, those three celebrations together became known as Hallowmas. The American tradition of trick or treating apparently also date back to those days, when the poor begged for food during the All Souls' Day Parade. The wealthy, or rather, wealthier, would give them a type of cake or bread known as Soul Cakes, so named because the poor promised to pray for the souls of the deceased relatives of the wealthy. The tradition of dressing up in ghoulish outfits also date back from that time, when it was believed that you would most certainly encounter ghosts on the streets when leaving your house. So, the living, always being one step ahead of the dead (hopefully), decided to dress like ghosts themselves, so as not to be recognized or picked on by the real ones. Food was placed outside the homes as a further deterrent to the ghosts. They hoped that the food would please the ghosts, thus preventing them from haunting their houses. The tradition swept over the Atlantic with the first immigrants to the United States, where it spread and evolved over the years into what it is today. There you have it. Go forth into the world with your newfound knowledge. For those of you in the United States, Happy Halloween, for what it's worth! © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Sharks beached as WP retain Currie Cup Western Province (9) 29 Natal Sharks (17) 24 Now Rudolf Straeuli is three times a bridesmaid. Two Currie Cup finals and one Super 12 final and not one winners' medal yet. Straeuli and his team put their very souls on the line on on Saturday, and still it was not good enough. The first points were scored when captain John Smit dotted down against the run of play. With Western Province threatening to run amok, they lost the ball forward. Referee Andre Watson allowed the advantage and a ferret-like scrumhalf, made a break before throwing out wide and, like last weekend, AJ Venter fed Smit who scored near the corner. Gaffie du Toit's kick needed to be pinpoint accurate. It was. Du Toit was much-maligned for his touch kicking against the Lions last weekend, but he started off finding touch with the accuracy of a missile. Braam van Straaten, the Western Province inside centre and goalkicker-in-chief, got the home side on the scoreboard after Venter strayed offside at a ruck. The Sharks again went offside and again Van Straaten was dead-on with the kick. But only minutes later the Sharks went into double figures when Province infringed at a lineout. Province had the opportunity to come within a point of the Sharks after Albert van den Berg was adjudged to have interfered with Neil de Kock at a ruck but inexplicably, Van Straaten pulled it as it soared past the uprights. There was much confusion this week as to who actually captains Western Province. Such was the confusion that when a number of Sharks went ahead of the kicker, referee Watson turned round to Bobby Skinstad and asked whether he wanted a scrum or a kick. Skinstad replied that he wasn't the captain and an embarrassed Watson turned to Corne Krige to ask what he wanted. Krige opted for the kick, with which Van Straaten succeeded. Yet, if the referee was confused, the Western Province team were even more baffled by the Sharks' tactics. After a period of Natal pressure, Du Toit scythed through the defence to score near the posts. He converted to put the Sharks into a handsome lead. A third Van Straaten penalty reduced the gap to eight points. Amazingly, Western Province enjoyed more of the possession in the first half. The crucial point was that the Sharks made the most of it. Province are well known for their ingenuity and, with their backs against the wall, it required a superb chip from WP flyhalf Chris Rossouw who followed up well and beat the Sharks defence to score under the posts. Van Straaten did the necessary and suddenly Province were within a point of the Sharks and looking the probable winners. Western Province coach Gert Smal must have given his side a bollocking at halftime because they started the second half on fire. With Natal in deep trouble inside their own 22, they showed a little ingenuity of their own when scrumhalf Craig Davidson flung out a pass. It should have been intended for Du Toit, it ended up in the hands of Venter. It was a monstrous kick for a flanker as it landed on the right side of the line. WP capitalised on their hard work and it came as little surprise as Van Straaten scored Western Province's second try - although Andre Snyman will have nightmares after watching a video replay of his attempted tackle on Van Straaten. Snyman did not go in low enough and this was sufficient to enable Van Straaten to score. With the conversion following, Western Province took the lead for the first time in the match. They followed that up with another Van Straaten penalty and the Sharks were deep in trouble. Du Toit missed a penalty and one fancied that that was the ball game. Van Straaten then landed another a penalty to give Western Province a 29-17 lead but big Charl van Rensburg brought the Sharks back into the reckoning and with a super conversion from Herkie Kruger, the Sharks were in with a sniff. Sadly, that was all they had. This Sharks team might prove unstoppable in the future but they have to win something, anything, to get there. Scorers: WP: Tries - C Rossouw, Van Straaten. Conversions - Van Straaten (2). Penalties - Van Straaten (5). Sharks: Tries - Smit, Du Toit, Van Rensburg. Conversions - Du Toit (2), Kruger. Penalty - Du Toit. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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