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Last Update: February 4, 2002 |
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'Parents turn blind eye to rape for tuition' A high number of unreported statutory rapes of pupils by teachers happen under the nose of parents who turn a blind eye for the sake of financial support from the educators. And it is likely that most of the teachers who commit sexual abuses, as suggested by the Medical Research Council and Human Rights Watch in recent reports, are still in the profession. The South African Council of Educators (Sace), a professional and disciplinary body which register the country's 360 000 teachers, has confirmed that it had received only 34 sexual abuse complaints since 1999. Sace said Unicef, the UN's children's fund, had donated more than R1-million to raise awareness, and that a national school-to-school probe was under way. "We are going to have a summit in six months' time which might culminate in a nationwide plan to go to each and every school to investigate this," said Reg Brijraj, Sace's chief executive officer. Thami Mseleku, Director-General in the department of education, said teachers would fall in love with underage girls or even pay lobola without parents reporting the matter. "We are having a situation where parents don't co-operate with us because they regard these teachers as some sort of breadwinners. Unless we break the silence, we will not make these things go away," Mseleku said. The nature of the sexual complaints, filed with Sace in Pretoria, include: * A 12-year-old girl was called by a 30-year-old teacher to an office at the school. He grabbed her, placed her on the table, produced a condom, put it on and started raping her. The incident was interrupted by a knock on the door. The teacher gave the girl some toilet paper to wipe out semen. * A KwaZulu-Natal principal, now apparently on the run, had sex with 19 pupils at his school. * A teacher being involved with a 10-year-old schoolboy. * A 15-year-old learner alleged that her teacher, aged 39, touched her private parts at school. * A teacher asked a learner to accompany him to a seminar, where he raped her. When the pupil developed a sexually transmitted infection, the teacher promised to pay for medical bills on condition that she became his lover. * A teacher, after fondling a learner during a school trip, was given only a moral lesson by the school governing body about the effects of his actions on his career and family. The maximum penalty that can be meted out to teachers for such offences includes being permanently banned from practising as an educator in South Africa. Another dilemma facing the Department of Education and parents is that authorities feel, following a conference on sexuality education last year, that teachers should teach about sexual matters. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Februarie 2002.. Aardbodem. Hoe se my pa altyd, “die tyd stap aan.” Die laaste jaar of wat hardloop tyd vinniger as ooit verby. Ek was nog die een oomblik 21 en nou word ek al 24 op die 10de Februarie. Nou is ek nie meer in “her early twenties” nie, maar “in her mid-twenties.” Ek wonder of ek actually verander het in die laaste drie jaar? Ek weet nie eintlik nie. Ek was vreeslik opgewonde om legal te word in 1999 in my vierde jaar op varsity. 21 is mos die ouderdom waarop jy die wereld kan aandurf, en as jy boonop ‘n reenboog-idealis is met oe vol drome, dan kan dinge net beter gaan. Ek het nou nie juis ‘n monsterpartytjie gegooi vir my 21ste verjaardag nie. Ek het gaan breakfast by ‘n hotel in die mooiste Gordonsbaai waar die see glad le soos die Chesapeake Bay hier aan die East-Coast. My company was ‘n klompie random close vriendinne wat mekaar nie geken het nie: Sommige sulke submissive Afrikaner meisies van Stellenbosch; ‘n paar Ingilse uit die Southern Suburbs en ‘n hippie wat my soulsister is. Die dynamics was interessant, want Afrikaanse kleindorpie girls is baie anders as hul Engilse counterparts uit die Cape Town city surburbs. Dis een ding wat my altyd verstom oor Suid-Afrika, hoe ons almal dit reggekry het om in een landjie te woon op ons eie planete sonder om juis iets van mekaar af te weet. (Dis een van die lekkertes van die VSA; as expat ontmoet ek nou Suid-Afrikaners van orals af en soos my Zulu Rastafarian van die Pretoria townships sê, hy’t nooit gedink hy sou buddies word met ‘n Afrikaanse meisie uit so ‘n obskure klein verre noordelike suburb Kuilsrivier nie…) Ek het 22 geword in 2000, en dit was die soort verjaarsdag wanneer jy weet die hele lewe le oop voor jou: Daai adult life waarvan jy altyd gedroom het en die groot vooruitsig om my eerste grootmens-joppie hier in die VSA te begin. Dit was so half sad want dit was die laaste verjaarsdag wat ek in my bed wakker gemaak is met die drietjies (ma, pa en boet) wat vir my ‘n liedjie sing ; ‘n dag wat begin met twee warm hondjies onder my komberse, een in elke arm, en persente en breakfast in die bed. Laasjaar was midlife krisis. Die Groot 23. Ek dink 19, 23, 28, 33, 43, 51, 66 voel vir my soos sulke random verjaarsdae wanneer jy not quite in a new phase is, in ‘n soort midlife-limbo. 23 was net geheel en al arbitrer. Jy’s nie meer bloedjonk nie, jy sien die lyntjies om die oe raak en die eerste disillusionment oor die grootmenslewe kick in. Skielik besef jy jou drome was dalk effe onrealisties en daai eendag waarna jy altyd uitgesien het - die eendag na skool en varsity - is NOU. En dan weet jy nie so mooi wat om met daai NOU te maak nie. 23 het begin as ‘n alleen verjaarsdag en boonop die eerste een in die winter. Gelukkig het die weer saamgespeel en die Big Cheese kon vir my “barbecue” die nag voor die verjaarsdag dit was so warm daardie een enkele nag voor my verjaarsdag dat my buitelug ysskaatsrink gesmelt het. Na die barbecue wat heeltemal aan my hoe Suid-Afrikaanse braai-standaarde voldoen het, het ek die rent-‘n-aupair-crowd gevra my 12 uur die verjaarsdag in te sing. Toe dit 12am is en 7am in Suid-Afrika toe bel ek huis toe en se “Wens my geluk, dis my verjaarsdag.” Oe, was dit lekker hartseer om hulle te hoor sing oor die foon en altwee my brakkies word langs die foon vasgehou sodat ek kan roep “Rokkietjie, Kriekstetjie.” Die twee hondtjie-babatjies se verjaarsdag is op die 6de Februarie, so van altyd af dring ek daarop aan dat hulle saam met my partytjie hou en allerhande treats kry op my verjaarsdag. Op Saterdag 10 Februarie 2001 toe ek 23 word was my ice rink gesmelt maar die bestuurder het vir my ‘n rooi baadjie laat aantrek waarop staan RINK GUARD en ek was die enigste een wat toegelaat is om te ysskaats, ‘n spesiale verjaarsdag geskenk. Daardie Saterdag-nag toe sit ek tjoepstil en alleen in my huisie nie met chip en dip in Suid-Afrikaanse styl nie maar met ‘n nachos en salza soos ek geleer is in die VSA en ek voel misrabel. Die rede vir my melankolie: Ek beplan toe ‘n partytjie en my huis bly leeg tot laatnag. Ek dag niemand gaan opdaag nie. En ek sit toe met my simpele blou pruik en my party-outfit en huil en mis die Berg en my brakkies en vriende skielik, teen 10:30, is die partytjie in volle swing. Toe word 23 dit die 21st wat ek nooit gehad het nie. En al die random mense en connections wat ek in die VSA opgetel het wat mekaar nie ken nie, kom hou verjaarsdag saam met my, die grootste crazyste partytjie wat ons in ‘n lang tyd in Friendship Heights gehou het. “I didn’t realise you know so many people” het die meeste van my vriende gese. En toe besef ek: My lewe is hier, in Washington DC, en ek het ‘n fantastiese geskiedenis en fantastiese daar, in Suid-Afrika maar ook in hierdie stad wat my huis geword het, het ek tonne goeie lieflike vriende. Daardie nag toe kom die twee werelde bymekaar in my kop. So dit is waar ek vanjaar is. 24. Ek hou van die fyn lyntjies om my oe want ek LEEF mos. Ek het besef ek kan nie altyd terugkyk en mis wat verby is nie. Ek het ook besef die lewe is nie uit drome geweef nie maar uit die NOU. En ek leef vir daai nou. Ek het hierdie magic mense ontmoet die laaste jaar en ‘n half in die States: Franse, Zulus, Xhosas, Ingilse, Iere, California girls; Las Vegas boys, Vietnamese; Jamaicans en obviously regte egte Washingtonians en Southerners. Ek word 24 en ek is gelukkig om 24 te word: Ek is happy happy oor my mense HIER en DAAR en selfs my verskriklike hartseer oor my Rokkie-babatjie wat nie hierdie jaar op my verjaarsdag oor die foon vir my gaan blaf nie. Lewe en dood is ‘n deel van die 24 jaar se Live and Learn, net soos die gemis van daai wereld in my kop, Suid-Afrika, vir altyd deel gaan wees van Kytie Koekblik. Kuilsrivier en Grahamstad en die Berg is my konteks wat my vir 22 jaar gemaak het sodat ek die mens is wat ek vandag is, die Washingtonian met die sterk aksent. So ek is happy, en ek focus op die nou, en ek droom nie in oormaat nie en worry nie in oormaat nie, want die Nou is vol van exciting goeters soos my Misterieuse Rollerblader en daai roman wat ek probeer skryf en die feit dat ek nou actually betaal word om ‘n RINK GUARD by die buitelug-ice rink te wees en of course die Neverending Big Cheese Eskapades en ons talle Covert Operations. Ek voel ‘n veer vir die California girls se hoehakke en fashion en is heel gelukkig om steeds my eens neon pienk sokkies van 1991 te dra wat al lankal uit die mode is want dit is ek. Kytie Koekblik, daai Afrikaanse girl wat 24 word en steeds nie kan kook nie want dit was nog nooit deel van droom of realiteit nie. 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 ] Truancy squad hits schools in the Cape A taskforce to tackle truancy has been set up as more and more schoolboys join gangs and inflict chaos on Cape Flats schools. Truancy and drug abuse are two of the toughest problems teachers have to contend with, and they contribute greatly to the general disruption of discipline at many high schools. The Western Cape department of community safety has come up with a plan called the Truancy Reduction Project to address these problems. The project operates in the six areas affected most by crime - Mitchell's Plain, Khayelitsha, Elsies River, Bonteheuwel, Hanover Park and Manenberg. The police identified these as the prime crime hot spots, and in consultation with the provincial department of education four schools in each area have been targeted. Each school has a designated pupils' support officer who is at the school every day. Project manager Ursula Higgins said: "The officers deal with pupils who stay away from school regularly and work with the teachers to identify these pupils." While truancy is the main focus, the officers deal with various social and community issues. The officers, usually drawn from the community, have generally been unemployed for a long time but also have some experience in social work. Debbie Bailey, the Mitchell's Plain area co-ordinator, said: "The project provides ongoing training to the officers in order to improve their capacity to work with the community. This is important as they have to work with dysfunctional families, poverty and gangs." At one primary school, 16 pupils were involved with three gangs, she said. "The aim is to reduce juvenile offences and increase school attendance." Higgins said that they had encountered some resistance from teachers who saw outsiders taking over their work, "but we talk to the teachers all the time and make them see that we are there to help them". Jimmy Kruger, principal of Tafelsig High School, said he was delighted to have an officer at his school. "In fact, I proposed such an idea to MEC Helen Zille, when she was still responsible for education, and told her it would help." He said the officers had the time to visit homes and see parents, sometimes even calling on them at work. He believed that this was helping to prevent youngsters from joining gangs. "The officers also have the ability and time to follow up on cases, and that helps the school greatly," Kruger said. The project began in June 1999 as a pilot project in Manenberg and was funded at that stage at national level, by the department of safety and security. Since last June the project has been extended to the other areas and funded by the provincial department of community safety. This funding is only available until June, but the women who run the project are optimistic that more money will be forthcoming. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] Parliament to debate sex-offenders list Government is poised to rush through tough legislation which will allow South Africa to set up a record of sexual offenders before the end of the year. The proposed legislation, dubbed "Baby Tshepang's Law" in memory of the Upington baby girl who was gang-raped late last year, will be drafted after public hearings to be held in Parliament next month. The move comes in the wake of national outrage at the escalating rate of sexual child abuse, with the Medical Research Council's latest finding that about 20 000 children are reported raped every year. The prime mover behind the proposed law, National Council of Provinces chairperson Naledi Pandor, said: "My primary motivation is to ensure that everything is being done to protect the public from sex offenders. Such a register will compliment the positive steps already being taken by the police and other government agencies." The drafters have a difficult task ahead in maintaining a balance between protecting the public and ensuring constitutional rights. Pandor's spokesperson Rob Turrell said the drafters would look at issues such as who would be put on the register and the protection of alleged offenders' rights. "The human rights issues are that those convicted of sexual crimes should not be punished twice. Some view the list as an additional punishment for offenders who have paid their debt to society. But I think we have a right to know where sex offenders live so as to protect our children," Pandor said. She added: "The UK has one, but citizens do not have access. The police release information to the community on a case-by-case basis. In the US information about convicted sex offenders is more freely available, and in some states names and addresses are posted on the Internet." She added that after the rape and murder of seven-year-old Sarah Payne in the UK, a tabloid newspaper had run a campaign in favour of allowing the public access to the list of sex offenders, and proposed "Sarah's Law" which was rejected by the British parliament on the grounds that it would have no impact on the rate of reoffending, and that parents might become less vigilant. "We need to steer a path between the UK and the US models, and see whether our culture allows and our citizens desire a national list. But I believe a list is practical, affordable and effective," Pandor said. The proposed sexual offenders list has received support across the political spectrum. Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille said her party would support the move as sex offenders were not rehabilitated in jail and committed the same offences because of this failure in correctional services. "The register will empower communities to protect themselves, especially when they know who the sex offenders are," De Lille said. A sceptical Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said the register was something to be considered: "The truth is that we need rigorous enforcement. You've got to make that register available to the public, school principals and other people who are at risk. "They say 20 000 children were abused last year, and of those 1 percent of the offenders ended up in jail. The register may become nothing more than a gesture," said Leon. African Christian Democratic Party leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe said the register would reduce the number of sexual offenders. "If you know there is a dangerous person around you, you will be alert, careful and defensive. It's a good idea for the public to know who the rapists and and sexual offenders are." ANC spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota said the idea was good in the context of the prevalent crimes against children. Justice Ministry spokesperson Paul Setsetse said his department supported the idea of a register in principle. Meanwhile Westville Prison parole board chairman, Bongani Magubane, is in hot water for saying the sexual assault of children was "not a serious crime". Correctional Services spokesperson Russell Mamabolo said attempts were being made to remove Magubane as his remarks were "unacceptable" for a person in his position. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - I’m recovering again (still?). Turns out one person has no less than four wisdom teeth (why?!), and so after having one removed as part of a dental study a few weeks ago, the dentist decided I had better get the others out as well. So here I am, sans wisdom, and recovering again. I’m telling you this so that you can anticipate a much shorter column this week. (Really. This isn’t just an empty threat as usual.) Every once in a while even the best (or less good) columnists run out of ideas or into dental problems (or both), and then they resort to that old faithful: The List. I’ve been in the US for nearly five and a half years, and even after all this time, this country, its people and their ways never cease to amuse and amaze me. So today, I’ve decided to list some of those things about the US that I find strange and/or hilarious. So here goes, in NO order of importance: * It seems fitting to write about football during the same week as Super Bowl Sunday. For those football novices out there, the Super Bowl is the equivalent of the Rugby World Cup, in which the two best football teams compete with each other at the end of the season. The competition only involves American teams, but with true American arrogance, they call the winners of the Super Bowl the "World Champions". Really, and all that without playing against at least ONE Canadian team! Are you going to tell them, or should I? * In the United States, it is rude to say that you want to go to the toilet. You have to say bathroom. At the same time, the word "p*ss" (And I’m bleeping myself, because it’s one of my LEAST favourite words, forgiven only when used by Dalene Matthee in Fiela’s Child.) is freely used on television (during prime time, no less) and even in polite company, without anyone batting an eye. But say toilet and you’ll have most Yanks choking on their bagels and coffee. * This first world country, for all its fabulous inventions and gadgets (Like the garbage disposal. It’s a device placed inside kitchen sinks, and it doubles both as a drain and a place in which to throw away scraps of (mostly soft) food), has still not figured out some of the pleasures that we’ve enjoyed in South African kitchens for years. A few examples are electric kettles and teapots. I’m sure you can find a few teapots here and there, but good luck with the search. And, as I’ve found out the scorching way: mind your lashes when lighting the gas oven. * When kids are 16, they can get their driver’s licenses in most states. But they’re only allowed to smoke cigarettes once they’re 18, or consume alcohol when they’re 21 years old. Certainly, smoking and drinking do cause a fair amount of bodily harm to the practitioner, but in my opinion, cars are far more lethal weapons. * Every autumn, people in the US (except for people in Arizona, Hawaii and a portion of Indiana) move their clocks an hour back, thus SHORTENING the already shorter days and thus ending Daylight Saving Time. In the spring they move it back again. No one I’ve asked can tell me for certain why it’s done. It makes everyone manic depressive, yet no one’s ever bothered changing it. I think Arizona’s residents are very clever not to be a part of it. They must be so bright because of the warm and dry climate over there. * All the states in the US have stupid laws that were made many years ago but are still in effect because no one has ever bothered to update or repeal them. There are too many to mention (that is a whole column for another day) but I’ve decided to pick the best ones for my state, Maryland, and share them with you: In Baltimore, Maryland, it’s illegal to throw bales of hay from a second-storey window within the city limits. (Shucks, there goes my house warming party idea. Hey, but they never mentioned any storeys ABOVE the second, so…). In Baltimore, my South African friends, it’s also illegal to take a lion to the movies. (I know, it’s terrible to leave your pets home alone, especially in a foreign country, isn’t it? Think I’ll leave Simba with the neighbours’ cat when I go to see the sequel to Harry Potter. Ought to occupy him for a while.) Still in Baltimore, it’s a park rule violation to be in a public park while wearing a sleeveless shirt. You’ll be slapped with an outrageous $10 fine! (In that case, beat it Britney Spears! There’s no telling how they’ll break YOUR bank balance with such a fine. Besides, if you hang around in Federal Hill Park for too long, you may just give those Maryland lawmakers in Annapolis half a chance to prohibit bare midriffs too! And good heavens, we can’t possibly expect you to start wearing clothes, now can we?) Oh, and it’s also illegal in Baltimore to sell chicks or ducklings to a minor within one week of the Easter holiday. (Isn’t that just too mean for words?). And as if that law isn’t terrible enough, no one is allowed to curse within the city limits. (I wonder if saying "p*ss" counts as cursing? If so, I’m going to start making a lot of citizen’s arrests!). On that note, the legal system in this country is quite odd (to put it mildly.). Most people are familiar with the McDonald’s lawsuit of 1997, in which Stella Liebeck sued the fast-food restaurant chain for $640,000 after she spilled a cup of hot coffee on herself. She won the case. Did I mention that she was balancing the cup between her knees in her grandson’s (moving) car? That same year a mother fell asleep with the door of her apartment wide open. Her two young daughters wandered off onto a nearby train track, where they were both killed instantly by an oncoming train. No sooner had the daughters been buried, or the woman was suing the local transportation authority, saying that they were responsible for the deaths because they had neglected to fence off the area. Never mind that she had tested positive for Methamphetamine (Speed). Just last week another woman received $3.5 million in her lawsuit against Starbucks after she was scalded with hot coffee during a demonstration on how to use an espresso machine. In a country where frivolous lawsuits like these abound (and are won!), it’s a bit surprising to learn that you can’t do anything about noisy neighbours! (Not if they shout and scream at each other, that is. But you CAN file a complaint if they turn their radios or televisions up too loudly.) Strange country, this USA, isn’t it? But at least they have some excellent coffee, well-behaved dogs and good dentists… © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] Surfing your way to a degree Wanting to get into a career where you would spend most of your "working time" on the beach soaking up the sun? For the first time, people will be able to enrol for a two-year surf science and management diploma at Allenby Campus and still be very much part of the industry. But it won't be all fun and sun - students will have to work hard too. The head of the surf sciences faculty at Allenby Campus, Craig Sims, said surfing had evolved into a technical sport and the industry had grown into a multimillion-rand business. "With surf-wear, foot-wear and hard goods sales on the increase year after year, the business of surfing has become sophisticated and complex," he said. He added that to succeed in the business of surfing, one needed a combination of education, experience, and a deep and thorough understanding of surf and youth culture. The curriculum, which will include subjects like human performance and the sport of surfing, will begin next month. Students will also study subjects like youth market studies, retailing and merchandising, sports psychology, practices and methods of coaching, as well as media, event and sponsorship management, alongside the more traditional modules such as business and computer studies, marketing and basic financial procedures. Similar courses overseas indicate the industry and its infrastructure are growing. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
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