page 5

Plenty of pleasure
Throw your old flashstick away One night with Tokyo
page 8 Exclusive Q&A!

The Oppidan Press Edition

11,4,
Edition
Edition 25
105, 9April
May 2007
October 2007

By Lisa Brigham and Cara-Ann Carstens
A truck drives past and the driver
makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it signal
to the woman on the corner before
driving up Hill Street. He parks in the
shadows, 50 metres away from them. The
woman runs up to the truck and climbs
in. Evidently, prostitution is happening
in Grahamstown.
However, when we interviewed
Captain JV Naidoo of the Grahamstown
Police Department, he was evasive on
the subject of prostitution: “I do not
agree or disagree that prostitution is
happening in Grahamstown.” Captain
Naidoo stated that if there were
complaints lodged, an investigation
would be initiated but until then, the
police will not take any action.
Sex work is a statutory offence, ac-
cording to the 1957 Sexual Offences
Act. A number of attempts to amend the
law and to decriminalise sex work have
occured since 1994. However, little real
progress has been made and in 2006 the
amendments that were made to the Act
left the provisions on sex work intact.
A police vehicle slows at the robot but
barely notices the sex workers standing
nearby. It’s 7:30 by this stage and another
woman, Beauty*, takes her place on the
corner. Out of the shadows the original
woman emerges, pants undone and hair
askew. As she walks back to Beauty, it is
obvious that she is under the influence
and has just accommodated her first cli-
ent. Beauty rummages through a nearby
dustbin for tissue paper.
The street is quiet, so we call Beauty
over by flapping a R10 note out the win-
dow. Within seconds she is in our car.
She carries with her the distinct smell of
tobacco and seems disorientated. Behind
father, no brother, no sister” – and lives
near Beaufort Street with her three
children. She has been prostituting for
the past two years, working most nights
and stopping only after she has made at
least R50.
Generally, she uses condoms but
admits that her clients do not always
comply with the rules of safe sex. Beauty
cries as she tells us: “Yes, I have HIV.”
When asked how she feels about possibly
giving the virus to her clients she is quiet
in thought. “I don’t feel good,” she says.
She informs her clients of her status but
some still insist on unprotected sex and
she believes that this is how she got HIV.
For some, R20 for sex is a bargain, but
with the risk of contracting HIV, it might
be an immediate death sentence.
Delia* is another sex worker who
works the same corner as Beauty. She
charges slightly more at R50 but takes
a bigger risk by pleasing her clients
and not using condoms. She says that
ironically most of her clients are from a
nearby church but they don’t only visit
her; they also visit male sex workers.
These sex workers work nearby and are
also from the township. One can easily
tell that Delia is a sex worker by what
she is wearing; this is not the case with After confronting Captain Naidoo
Beauty. with evidence of women like Beauty and
Beauty could be mistaken for a Delia, he would not change his stance
domestic worker from her apparel, so we on prostitution in Grahamstown. When
were curious about her clientèle. Men asked why sex workers are not ques-
of all ages and races – “black, white, 19, tioned by the police he replied: “Should
69…”, all approach her. We discover that we go up to random people and ask ‘are
Rhodes students regularly approach you a prostitute’?” He emphasised that
Beauty for her services. Even more sur- the police force should use their fuel
prisingly, Beauty tells us that she knows and vehicles for more serious crimes:
of student sex workers from Rhodes. The “Prostitution is not a level five crime. It’s
Oppidan Press has established that sex a social problem. There is no hardened
workers frequent local student hangouts crime in prostitution. These prostitutes,
such as SlipStream Sports Bar, Friar if they are around here, are not becom-
Tucks and Champs Action Bar. ing a big issue.”
Captain Naidoo says that prostitution As she crosses the street to go back
may be the only resort that poor students to her corner, Beauty looks sad. The
have to fund their education, but he will light falls onto her face. She is looking
do what he can to help and prevent pros- for someone to proposition. A man
titution. On the topic of beggar children walks up to her and shoves money into
selling themselves as sex workers, he her hand. Beauty comes running to the
stated that “all the children have a place car and tells us that he is a regular. He
to go at night”, and that he was not aware apparently gave her R30 not to give his
Pics: Simon Capstick-Dale

the shy face, we find a hopeless woman,
trapped in the only business she knows.
The R10 we gave to her is the same
amount that she charges for oral sex; a
mere R10 more and it would be sexual
intercourse. Beauty has no family – “no
of this happening. Captain Naidoo shares
an office with about 15 differently cat-
egorised boxes which he fills with clothes
and blanket donations that he gives to
rape victims or people who cannot afford
to buy clothes.
identity away. She waits a moment before
she follows him down the street. Beauty’s
night begins.
* Beauty and Delia’s names have been
changed in order to protect their identity.

PG Glass congratulates the winners of the

Fish River Canoe Marathon!
 THE OPPIDAN PRESS


Editorial
Ed’s view point

The Wits student protest is a

response to a 7% fee increase for 2008.
With the Rhodes 2008 Fees Booklet
out any time now, fees increases are
likely, but what isn’t likely here too, is
a response by Rhodents similar to that
which unfolded last week at Wits.
To hear that police fired rubber
bullets at students on the first day of
the protests is shocking. To think that
Wits admin probably asked the police to
come on campus makes the men in suits
indirectly responsible for these brutish
acts. On behalf of our fellow students
at Wits, we condemn the apartheid-era
tactics used to force the protestors to
disperse. Yet nothing is as simple as it
first appears. The Wits SRC demanded a
0% increase in student fees during their
negotiations with admin. This demand,
pursued with such rigidity, is unrealistic.

Letters to the Editor

Basic economics, like inflation, deter-
mine fee increases. Students who are up-
set with the protests that have disrupted

The Oppidan Press

their lectures and exam preparations
have blamed the SRC for not engaging
with university administration. They see
the protests as an unnecessary last resort
that could have been avoided had the
SRC applied themselves more.
The students’ anger has been chan-
nelled in the wrong direction. Students
and lecturers who have continued with
daily lectures have been threatened
by their colleagues. One student said:
“University management are not in my
lectures and my lecturers and fellow
students have nothing to do with the fee
increases.” In fact, it’s useless to shout
and scream at admin in this regard
because their hands are tied by how
much funding they receive from govern-
ment. The SRC President, Mbali Hlope,
was arrested during the protests and is
no doubt a hero to many. But, as this
Wits student blogger said: “The protest
should be directed at Naledi Pandor.
She controls how much Wits gets and
must therefore charge the students. But
of course Mbali and her ilk won’t protest
against the government because all they
are interested in is making a name for
themselves, and protesting against the
government is political suicide in the
ANC.” That’s the problem with a politi-
cised SRC.
Dear Editor,
Change in Zimbabwe is fast becoming a
forgotten dream. For the Zimbabweans
abroad, and for those lucky enough
to live privileged lives back home,
the issues confronting us are losing
any sense of real meaning that they
might once have possessed. I feel
that this is happening because we are
losing perspective. As the years under
Mugabe slip by, and things deteriorate
exponentially, we have lost touch with
the reality of the situation. Less so than
the rest of the world of course, but there
is nevertheless a sense of remove in
the way in which many Zimbabweans
that I have spoken to talk about home.
Using the language of the television,
the terminology and jargon of the
SABC reporters or the Mail & Guardian
columnists, has lent to our discussion
of our home an air of detachment. It is
imperative that we remember that the
crisis at home is a human one, and is not
about inflation rates or fuel supplies.
Of course there is no denying that
these are critical elements in what is
happening in Zimbabwe, but if we
decline of a mother’s newborn infant.
Having had her breast milk dry up from
malnutrition, and finding an alternative
Audience survey
unobtainable, she must feed her
in association with Roxbury
newborn on Mazoe orange concentrate.
If it hasn’t already, her baby will soon
die. This is a true story.
It is essential that we locate ourselves With our first birthday coming up, we would like to get some
in the present situation at home, and
conceive of the future of our nation,
which we will soon inherit. We must
feedback from our readers in our online audience survey.
identify ourselves as Zimbabweans
However, we know that nobody does anything for free, so we’ve
by telling of the suffering of other
Zimbabweans, and by telling our
own stories too. The change that will
arranged spot prizes of a pair of Roxbury tickets for every
50th
eventually take place must happen out
of a need to make life better for people, respondent.
and we must figure these people as
human beings, and locate ourselves in
their midst. Imagining a better future
for the people with whom we identify Go to www.TheOppidanPress.com/survey
most strongly is an important part of and let us know what you think about every aspect of our paper.
implementing change. The Secret would
have us thinking positively all the time
to bend the cosmos to our will, and
whilst I appreciate the necessity of
positive thinking, I am forced to point
to the tragedy as well. People will only
motion for change if we move their

Let’s hope that our SRC is working
hard to constructively engage with our
admin over student fees for 2008. At
the end of the day, it all comes down to
leadership; the Wits protests serve to
warn us of the consequences of a failure
of leadership.
make too much use of the jargon of
political analysis, a rift between us and
the reality of the suffering will open up.
It is important to address the plight of
Zimbabwe and its people in our own
terms. It is essential to comprehend the
bigger picture, but this must not be done
at the expense of the telling and retelling
of the individual tales of human tragedy
that are happening to us, and the citizens
of our country every day.
Perhaps, for example, it is the tragic
FABLES BOOKSHOP
hearts, not tell them of GDP/capita.
Let’s not forget home, let’s not talk about
human tragedy and daily suffering in
general terms, let’s invest our hearts into LOTS OF GOOD READING:
making it better in one way or another,
THRILLERS
in any way we can. If we don’t intertwine
our futures closely with home, then the FANTASY
cynics would have been right, and we ROMANCE
would be failing ourselves. DETECTIVE FICTION
119 HIGH STREET, Tel/Fax (046) 636-1525
Harry Davies
GRAHAMSTOWN EMAIL rhodope@fables.co.za

The Oppidan Press Staff Contact details Letters

Editor: Lionel Faull
Deputy Editor: Ines Schumacher
Managing Editor: Mike Winn
Advertising Manager: Tasmin Vosloo
Marketing Manager: Julia Housdon
Acting Features Editor: Ines Schumacher
Assistant Chief Designer: Stefania Origgi
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News Editor: Kelly Adami
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SciTech Editor: Andrew Slaughter
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Letters to the Editor:
editor.oppipress@gmail.com
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Pics: Supplied
By Debbie Liebenberg
Beauty and I are both 21 year-
old women, but our lives are
incomparable: I answer to loving
parents who only want the best for me;
Beauty answers to her pimp takes part
of her earnings and ensures that she is
a slave in the dangerous prostitution
industry. I wake up every morning
knowing that my work will bring me
one step closer to my bright future;
Beauty wakes up every morning
knowing that her work will allow her
and her children to live for one more
day. When in danger, the police are
my saviours; when Beauty is abused or
assaulted, the police are dismissive.
Captain Naidoo’s ignorance as
to whether or not prostitution is
occuring in Grahamstown reveals
his apathy towards these vulnerable
women. Now that it has been
established that prostitution is
happening in our town; the question
that needs to be asked is ‘do the police
care’? If the police say they will only
Opinion
THE OPPIDAN PRESS
Allison Wonderland
By Simon Allison
The plot thickened when the SABC
broke the news that Pikoli, just before his
suspension, had issued an arrest warrant
for police boss Jackie Selebi. Selebi has
been dodging trouble ever since the
Mail & Guardian revealed his friendship
with Glen Agliotti, the alleged mob boss
who is now being tried for Brett Kebble’s
murder. The NPA were investigating just
how far this friendship went.
Then the NPA uncovered enough
evidence of the corruption of Selebi
– our top policeman – and also current
Interpol president, which makes him the
world’s top policeman – to issue an arrest
warrant. Instead of getting a medal,
Pikoli gets unemployment. Not much of
a reward for doing your job well, is it?
So what exactly is Mbeki playing at?
There has been a flurry of speculation,
and most of it agrees on one thing
– it is to do with the ANC presidential
nomination in December. Maybe Mbeki
needs Selebi’s support at the conference,
as Selebi has the power of the security
establishment behind him; maybe Mbeki
act once “complaints are lodged”
about prostitutes, who do they expect
will lodge these complaints? The
lonely clientele who cannot get it
elsewhere? Or the prostitutes who do
not actually enjoy what they are doing,
but sell their bodies because they
need the money to survive? And what
would the police do if Beauty was to
lodge a complaint with them about
being abused by a pimp?
The police are to Beauty what a
condom is to protected sex. Both are Aquafresh family
structured to protect her but often do
toothbrush
R5
not have that end result. For Beauty’s
daily survival, money takes preference
over a condom. What leaves me
99
each
speechless is that even though
Beauty is HIV positive and insists on
condom use, some of her clients, in
full knowledge of the consequences,
prefer not to use condoms. In effect,
the clients have ultimate control over
Pantene shampoo
Beauty’s health and life span. and conditioner
Little girls do not wish to be
prostitutes when they grow up. 400ml
Women do not plan to become
prostitutes; they do so because of WAS R3789 each
R2999
circumstances beyond their control.
Prostitution is a last resort that these NOW
women go endure with immense each
courage.
A wise man once said that strength
is in itself victory. When you wage
a struggle, you may win or you may
lose. But regardless of the outcome,
your continuing to struggle is proof
of your victory and therefore your
strength as a human being.
The Oppidan Comm ent
needs to show detractors that he is not
afraid to rein in the NPA, who have
been accused of conducting witchhunts
against Mbeki’s enemies; or, most
controversially, maybe Mbeki needs the
NPA to speed up its prosecution of Jacob
Zuma, preferably so that it all happens
before the conference begins.
Be this as it may, Mbeki has made
himself look very silly again. His are the
flailing machinations of a man who is
suddenly very worried that he is going
to lose power completely. A few years
Pic: Jennifer Campbell
ago, this would have been an unlikely
scenario, but given the sharply divided
nature of the current ANC (a divide in
part created by Mbeki), a Zuma win
would be an absolute loss of power; there
would be no elder statesman role for him
in a Zuma government, no advisorial
By Samuel Simango
capacity. Mbeki therefore thinks he has
to do whatever he can to safeguard his
power.
He doesn’t realise that he’s not a very
subtle player of the power game. His
ploys are transparent, and as a result he
is losing public and political credibility
fast, by putting his own interests ahead
of the country’s. Why else would he get
rid of the man who had achieved an 85%
conviction rate in prosecutions (Pikoli)?
Why else would he get rid of the woman
who actually took Aids seriously
(Madlala-Routledge)? Why else would
he not sack Manto, or investigate Selebi? In the words of the current
If this country had a healthy, SRC president, “there’s a lot that’s
functioning democracy, this would not been done but more to do”. Indeed
be such a problem. We’d just vote him this is true. However, if you track
and his party out. Unfortunately, we’re the developments of the Oppidan
stuck with whatever the ANC decides to Union over the past five years, you
give us in December. At this point, the will notice that this year marvellous
options don’t look good. accomplishments were made. To see
this point, one only has to look at the
situation of the Oppidan community
at the beginning of this year, and the
situation at present.
We certainly did not aim to
satisfy every single Oppi’s needs,
as this is impossible. However,
the measure of success cannot be
determined from the number of
individual complaints. The measure
of our success is determined by
the greatest satisfaction of the
greatest number of people within
the Oppidan community. There will
always be complaints stemming from
individuals, but since we were dealing
with the community as a whole,
certain sacrifices had to be made
Everysun Body for the good of the entire Oppidan
community.
Lotion 400ml We did not necessarily accomplish
everything that we set out to do,
WAS R3499 each
but in this respect we have made
R2699
provisions to ensure that next year’s
Oppidan Committee is able to turn
NOW
this year’s dreams into next year’s
each
reality.
Thus, it is with pleasure that I
Perfect Touch gel state that our so-called “impossible
mission” has indeed been
150ml accomplished. What I would wish
R26
99 for any person to take from this
experience of ours is that you do not
each
have to be an extraordinary person
in order to accomplish extraordinary
feats. It has been a pleasure to serve
you throughout this year.


By Eusebius McKaiser
So there I was, sipping my beer in
Olde 65, playing with my philosopher
friends while my eyes darted around
the room. Some might call it flirting. I
call it multi-tasking and having fun. Or,
just being human. Negotiating predomi-
nantly heterosexual spaces is always
tricky for gay people. You feel compelled
to accommodate other people’s ho-
mophobia (hatred of gay people) by not
‘offending them’. Yet, at the same time,
you have to invent games to help you
meet potential partners. The alternative
is repression. After a while I plucked up
the courage to engage a well-dressed
man. Let’s pretend his name was Jon. He
was, rather proverbially one might say,
tall, dark and handsome. I was relieved
when I discovered mutual interest and
agreeable conversation. I was particu-
larly impressed that a young, masculine
Zimbabwean man should self-identify as
gay, in defiance of Bob’s homophobia.
We walked to his place. When we
arrived, he woke his brother, who had
left ahead of us earlier. Upon seeing
that Jon and I were evidently ‘together’,
he started hitting Jon. It was utterly
unprovoked. I pleaded for sanity. But
prejudice and logic are fierce enemies.
Instead, he turned to me and knocked
me hard on the side of my head; my
WORLD FOOD DAY
19 OCTOBER ‘07
Proceeds go to Umthathi Training Project:
“Empowering people to choose their own way
of life.”
Details to follow
IT’S BEYOND RHODES
THINKING OF WORKING FOR
THE AFRICAN UNION ONE DAY?
Attention Rhodes leaders! Rhodes is going to host the prestigious:
All African Students Conference in June 2008.
The SRC are looking for a Local Organising Committee to co-ordinate
the conference.
Positions needed:
Secretary
Treasurer and Sponsorship
Media and Communications Keep an eye out for a job profiles on StudentZone/Student News.
Conference Logistics
Features
ear was still ringing more than twelve
hours later. He threatened greater force
and literally chased me out of the yard. I
managed to run away and call the police.
It was a frightening experience. You
just do not know what someone with
such intense hatred of your identity, of
your existence, is capable of. I felt like
a black person who had accidentally
stumbled onto the property of an AWB
member. Fortunately, the Grahamstown
police arrived swiftly. Yet my ordeal was
not over. There is the inevitable worry
that institutions are homophobic too.
How would these police officers react,
I wondered, to the fact that I am a gay
person claiming to have been victim-
ised because of my orientation? I had to
think quickly. I decided to come across
as particularly well-spoken, assertive and
educated, such that they – the police,
that is – would not dare to be prejudiced
for fear that I might have the necessary
connections, or knowledge, to have them
disciplined. I am very happy to confess
that my worries were unfounded. The
police were superbly empathetic and
professional.
Within minutes we had travelled to
the perpetrator’s house, and he was of-
fered a very stern warning. His brother
Jon corroborated my story. The homo-
phobe himself did not deny the facts.
When asked why he had punched me
(and his brother), he had the shocking
audacity to reply: “They are gay. I did not
know my brother is gay.” He apologised,
and in a moment of Desmond Tutu-
weakness, I accepted. He appeared
genuinely remorseful. I left, feeling sorry
for him in fact.
Homophobia is a terrible disease
that is catching on quite quickly in this
country. The killing of two lesbians in
Soweto earlier this year was the most
A CV and a Motivation letter must be emailed to:
Ricardo Pillay: srcpresident@ru.ac.za
Application deadline: 15 October 2007, 17h00
For more information contact Ricardo Pillay.
THE OPPIDAN PRESS
shocking example yet. But other cases
do not make the headlines. Black lesbian
women, in particular, are being raped by
men who think that they can ‘cure’ them
of their lesbianism. Yet, the problem is
complex. Jon’s brother is a victim too.
He is a victim of a black conservative
culture that has instilled in him deeply
homophobic attitudes, and warped
conceptions of what it means to be ‘a
black man’. “How can my masculine
brother be gay? It is unnatural. It is
un-African. It is un-Christian.” That is
the kind of unreflective nonsense that
makes a mockery of the liberal constitu-
tion we have. As long as we do not have
civic classes at schools, and responsible
parenting that encourages tolerance
and acceptance of diverse lifestyles,
hate crimes will continue to spiral. I
have just returned from four wonderful
years in England. I returned despite the
crime figures, despite insidious forms of
racism, despite the growing inequality,
despite the uprisings in Khutsong and
Soweto. I returned because this country
is alive with possibilities. Let’s not kill
the dream. The first step is to take the
values at the heart of our constitution
seriously. We can begin that journey by
confronting our own prejudices towards
people who happen to be different to
ourselves. Homophobia has no place in
a decent society.
Eusebius McKaiser studies Moral
Philosophy at Oxford University and is
currently visiting in the Department of
Philosophy at Rhodes University.
Pic: Leon Schnell
JOZA STATIONERY DRIVE
RUNNING UNTIL 26 OCTOBER ‘07
Please donate any old stationery or
school gear.
Hand in to Oppidan Councillor or
Community Engagement Rep.
IT TAKES A COMMUNITY
TO RAISE A CHILD
SRC MEDIA WANTS YOU!
SRC Media Task Team
Aim: Under the supervision of the SRC Media Representative
(Hanna Barry) co-ordinate all SRC media initiatives.
Positions needed:
Poster Designer for major events
Purple Press Design layout and content developer
Web designer and Administrator
A CV and a Motivation letter must be emailed to:
Hanna Barry: srcmedia@ru.ac.za
For further information contact Hanna Barry.
 THE OPPIDAN PRESS

Politics 

By Claire Waterhouse

By Helina Bischoff them from the inevitable wrath of the

generals. Police opened fire on crowds,
killing at least 10 people, although the
number is estimated to be far higher in
The atmosphere in the Barratt lecture
reality. Hundreds of protesting monks
theatre was something to behold as
were arrested, while others in their
excited students sang and chanted,
monasteries were beaten and arrested in
while awaiting the arrival of the former
midnight raids, and many were hauled
Gauteng Premier. When he finally
off to a hastily erected camp on one of
entered, the room erupted into frenzied
Rangoon’s main sportsfields. Reports
applause and it took a while before it

Pic: Leon Schnell

was calm enough for proceedings to
begin.
Sexwale’s introduction by Sandile
Thole Mandla, regional chairperson
of National Education Health and
Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), was
somewhat bizarre, and not particularly
flattering – Tokyo cut him off when he
started going into how Tokyo did not
trust those around him. Despite this,
Sexwale’s speech began on a cheerful
note as he acknowledged all the female
support with a smile: “I’m married,
ladies,” he said. Things only got more
electrifying when he announced that
he was “running for president”, before
jokingly adding “of Sasco!” as cheering
reached a fever pitch.
Although he had been invited to help
celebrate the 16th anniversary of Sasco,
very little of Sexwale’s speech featured
the organisation at all. Instead he
focused on “engaging with the students”
and getting across his ideas – ranging
from non-racialism to the failure of
revolution.
Tokyo spoke as if having a personal
conversation with each of the five
hundred-plus people present in the
venue. He talked for more than an hour
without referring to a piece of paper
and veered off course with ease to
interact with the audience. His humour
and earnestness had the audience
mesmerised.
The talk was designed to appeal to
every group present. He referred to
worries about tuition prices, BEE, crime
and even health. The latter prompted
a snigger from the audience, to which
as “one of the most highly politicised
audiences I’ve spoken to”.
Tokyo was keen to point out that he
was not at Rhodes as part of a would-
be campaign trail before the “show in
Limpopo” in December, and was clear
that he would under no circumstances
“be going for presidency [of the ANC]
at the cost of a dagger in the back of
others”.
One or two self-contradictions did
arise though. Sexwale was adamant
that he was a Marxist in terms of his
thinking; not necessarily his actions.
This was a little hard to swallow when
he began talking about how he woke
up one morning and decided to buy a
bank. True, his intentions seemed good,
and the Absa shares he bought were
spread over 1.2 million BEE candidates
in South Africa, but is this Marxist
thinking or just a capitalist with a good
sense of PR?
Either way, Tokyo was a hit at
Rhodes: he received a standing ovation
and hordes of students scrambled to
try and speak to him on his way out.
His positive and honest message about
South Africa’s future and the role of the
younger generation seemed to strike a
chord with the audience.
However, the main branch of Sasco
did not share these feelings. They
recently denounced his visits to Rhodes
and other universities as surprise visits
in a campaign for ANC presidency.
allege that the government is planning
to cart the monks off to prisons in the
In the last few weeks, Burmese north of the country.
monks have been taking to the streets The events have created an
for an altogether different reason. For atmosphere of fear and anger in the
more than 40 years, Burma has been country’s former capital. Citizens remain
ruled by an often violent and brutal subject to a curfew, nightly police raids
military dictatorship. This has resulted in and broadcasts threatening the use of
organisation into disrepute.” The Rhodes
innumerable human rights abuses, mass force. Monks have also stopped their
branch of Sasco quickly responded to
poverty and worldwide condemnation daily alms as they refuse to accept
clarify that Sexwale was invited to speak
of the regime. When government price anything from the military, raising
as part of Sasco’s birthday celebrations.
hikes made the economic situation even concerns for their health. The situation
worse, even the monasteries felt the is now brutally calm; but how long can it
EXCLUSIVE Q&A! pinch as alms and donations dried up. In remain so?
an unprecedented move, the monks took
Through the cheering masses
to the streets in protest.
surrounding Sexwale after his speech,
The protests were peaceful, and
The Oppidan Press sent our intrepid
found much popular support – some
reporter, Khumo Makgothi, to ask him
citizens formed a human protective
about an issue he hadn’t covered:
cordon around the monks to shield
The Oppidan Press: What would
you do to curb the HIV/Aids problem
infesting the youth of the country?
Sexwale: Well, let me start by telling
you that I am the chairperson of the
largest advisory board in the country
called LoveLife. I deal with health
in general but the day I come to talk
about [the HIV/Aids problem], I will
talk about the slogan ABC, which
stands for Abstinence, Be Faithful
and Condomise. What I would like
to tell the youth is that your life is in
your hands; only you can truly control
it, nobody else. I’m not going to tell
people to wait or to do otherwise,
you have to decide that for yourself.
What I can say is before the advent of
Aids, sex was more fun, but now it’s
linked to death; thus, the youth has to
be careful when doing such things. In
true essence though, we all still need to

Pic: Supplied
he responded, “You are very naughty… Sasco National President David Maimela
I know what you are thinking!” It said, “We demand a public apology from help one another.
prompted him to compliment Rhodes Mr Sexwale for bringing the name of our

Dubya’s despots speak out

Conspiracy theories are all well and good, but this one from

! Blunder
Archbishop Francisco Chimoio, the Head of the Catholic
Church in Mozambique, is certainly one of the more loony.
God’s chief representative in Mozambique released a statement
encouraging his fellow Mozambicans not to use condoms
of the week because – wait for it – there are at least two European countries
purposely infecting condoms with Aids: “They want to finish
Condom conspiracy theory with African people as part of their program to colonise the
continent. Some companies are also manufacturing anti-
retroviral drugs already infected with the virus, also in order to
finish more quickly the African people.”

“Bush is the Reagan of these times…Yankee [Bush] “The problem that President Bush has is in

forbade peace, he wanted to bring death and
destruction to the region. The Yankees no longer
rule Nicaragua!”
— Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, in a
speech in the run up to his election as president in
November 2006.
“His hands drip with the blood of many innocent
nationalities… He kills in Iraq. He kills in
Afghanistan. And this is supposed to be our master
on human rights? Almighty Bush is now coming back
to the UN for a rescue package because his nose is
bloodied. Yet he dares to lecture us on tyranny.”
— Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, 27
September 2007, in an address to the UN Security
Council.
BUDDY’S LAUNDROMAT
his mind; he wants to solve everything with
bombs. But bombs are not the answer. His
foolishness is the cause of it all.”
— Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
25 September 2007, in an interview on 60
Minutes. For Friendly, Fast Service
“The devil came here yesterday. It still smells
of sulphur today…He came here talking as if
he were the owner of the world.”
• Wash
— Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, 20 • Tumble Dry Open 7 days per week
September 2006, in an address to the UN
Security Council a day after Bush spoke.
• Iron Mon - Sat: 8am - 8pm
• Fold Sun: 8am - 6pm
Compiled by Claire Waterhouse

14 New Street Tel: 046 622 9560

 “
THE OPPIDAN PRESS Art does not solve problems but makes

 eyes to see and our brain to imagine.
The Big Screen
By Hayley Mueller
But this is not always the case.
There is an emerging trend of
meaningful, elegantly produced
documentaries; some of the best
will be shown soon in Roxbury’s
latest film festival. A programme
of eight award-winning films from
the Encounters Documentary
Festival, held in Cape Town and
Johannesburg each year, will show
from Friday 19 October to Thursday
1 November. The Festival organiser,
Nicole Schafer, says that the films
to be screened were chosen with
Grahamstown audiences in mind.
She feels that the stories will
“resonate with the environmental
and culturally conscious nature of
By Sarah Laird
Following that, they had to have the
names of all their colours written on
their pencil crayons. Colour-blindness is
hereditary and usually only shows up in
men. Often women can carry it, and then
pass it to their children. The Stirlings
probably got it from their grandfather on
their mother’s side, who was also colour-
blind.
The brothers are both studying Fine
Art. Scott is majoring in painting and
Cole is focusing on photography. While
they can see that there are different co-
lours, they battle to distinguish between
them. Scott commented that it is “like be-
ing dyslexic in your vision”, as colours get
mixed up. Colours such as red and green,
blue and purple, and pink and white
become difficult to tell apart, as the boys’
colour sensitivity is slightly muted. Scott
notes that some colours, when paired, re-
sult in their disappearance, such as when
Arts
us aware of their existence. It opens our
— Magdalena Abakanowicz ”
eyes and minds to make the connections.
So while they might not see a colour
the same way as others, they force their
brains to link the colour they see with its
correct name. After many years of train-
ing their eyes and mind, they are nearly
perfect at making these connections.
The brothers don’t think of their
colour-blindness as a disability, and did
not let it get in the way of their desire
to study art. Art is not impossible, the
brothers believe. While they have no
concept of how to mix colours, once
they are shown a ‘recipe’ by a fellow
art student, they train themselves to
create the same colour. For them, art is
more about form, composition and the
thoughts behind subject matter than the
colours used. They both like to challenge
themselves by using colour in their art,
but they have not found the need to
focus on colour-blindness as a subject in
their art work.
Although Scott is interested in a
career in business, Cole would like to
build on his photography by becoming a
commercial wildlife photographer — be-
ing colour-blind makes your eyes more
sensitive to tone, which makes spotting
animals in the veld far easier than for
‘normal’-sighted photographers.

Pic: Sarah Laird

the community”.
The Real Dirt on Farmer John
is the product of three decades of
film following the life of eccentric
mid-western farmer, John Peterson,
from rural childhood to rebellious
adulthood in his efforts to save
his family farm. This grassroots
epic was described as “genuinely
beautiful . . . a cause for hope”,
by master documenter Albert
Maysles, and will be screened
alongside Johnny Apples – The Last
Strandloper, a charming tale about a
colourful character who makes his
living from the sea in Arniston.
The Shutka Book of Records is
a compelling exploration of the
idiosyncratic lives of the inhabitants
of a small town in the Balkans,
where everyone claims to be a
champion of something – whether
it’s the biggest cassette collection
or sweetest canary. Its greatest
achievement lies in its evocative
sketches of characters like Cousin
Jasha and Didara (The Terminator),
who specialise in exorcising evil
genies, and Uncle Suljo, who puts
bread on the table by working as a
red chalk is used on a green board.
It is because of this “frustrating” ele-
ment that they have had to teach their
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satellite dish-selling vampire hunter.
Francois Verster’s Emmy award-
winning A Lion’s Trail uncovers
the controversial story behind
the world famous song “The Lion
Sleeps Tonight”. The song, originally
composed by Solomon Linda, a
Zulu herdsman, was transcribed
by American folk singer Pete
Seeger into “Wimoweh”, before
gaining international recognition
in Disney’s The Lion King. Despite
being one of the most widely
recorded songs in history, Linda
saw none of the royalties. He lived
and died in poverty. One can
immediately tell that documentaries
are no longer what they used to be,
but have instead evolved into stories
everyone can relate to, produced
with cinematic beauty.
New specials at Roxbury
The 22:30 shows are now R10 from
Monday to Saturday; from Monday
to Thursday the 15:00 shows are R10.
EVENTS DIARY
Wednesday 10 October
19:00: Eastern Cape Opera, Rhodes
Vocal Ensemble and Child Welfare
present Mozart’s The Magic Flute at
the Rhodes Theatre. Tickets will be
available at Computicket or at the
door for R70. Special price of R40
for students. For more information
contact (046) 603 8489.
Sunday 14 October
12:00 – 16:00: The Oppidan Picnic
will be combined with a chilled
bowling session at the Bowling Club
(across from Taphuis). Tickets cost
R15 per person, or a discounted price
of R50 per team of four; available at
the Oppidan Secretary (08:30 –12:00)
Thursday 11 October
19:30: The Grahamstown Music
Society presents Douglas Mark
(saxophone) and Elna van der Merwe
(piano) in the Guy Butler Auditorium
at the Monument. Tickets are
available at the door. Cost to be
announced.
Wednesday 17 October
19:30: The Concert in Brass will be
taking place at the Beethoven Room
(Music Department). Tickets cost R15
per student and are available at the
door.
Friday 12 October
19:00: For a glitzy evening out,
attend the Ballroom Grading in
the Thomas Pringle Hall at the
Monument. Transport will be
provided and tickets are available
at the library quad every day from
12:30 to 13:30. Tickets cost R45 per
guest.
Saturday 20 October
09:00 – 16:00: Rhodes Aquatics are
hosting their annual water polo
tournament at St. Andrews Pool.
Both the Rhodes men’s and women’s
first teams will compete, along with a
number of school and varsity teams.
Refreshments will be available.
Friday 12 October
22:00: If you’re in the mood for rap,
funk or punk, Cape Town band Allstar
Funk Four will be playing at the
Old Gaol Music Festival. For more
information email claire.martens@
gmail.com. Cost to be announced.
Sunday 21 October
15:00: The Port Alfred Soirée presents
Songs from Broadway, performed by
Hugo Warren, in aid of Brookshaw
Home. The event takes place at the
Trinity Presbyterian Church (55 Hill
Street) and tickets are available from
Casablanca Florists in Peppergrove Mall.
R35 per person including refreshments.

Entertainment
By Zinziswa Mani
People competed in teams ranging
from between two and six friends,
trying to get spotted at any of the bizarre
locations picked by the organisers: in the
local hairdresser, bush diving in Cotch
Creek or, better yet, sucking a lollipop
in Jan Smuts, amongst other wild and
adventurous things.
Team OutRhodes won the first prize
of R600 and the second prize winners got
MP3 players and Steers vouchers. If you
missed out this year, don’t despair. By the
looks of things, next year will be even
bigger and better. The organisers are
hoping the event will be as early as first
term and that the event will eventually
become as popular and entertaining as
TriVarsity.
Get Spotted is the brainchild of Helen
Hayes, the new SRC media liaison,
who envisioned it as a charity event.
Funds raised were used to buy books in
aid of the Raglan Road Multi Purpose
Community Centre’s new library. The
campaign offered its sponsors the
opportunity to establish a positive
involvement in the social development of
the community.
137 High Street
Guest House and Restaurant
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Custom menus can be made.
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We cater to suit
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Saturday
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THE OPPIDAN PRESS
By Lulamile Mzamane
Up until now many art forms have
been catered for, yet there has been no
arena for stand-up comedy. Sure, once
in a while Barry Hilton or Cokey Falkow
will stroll into town and make us chortle
for a few hours, but there is no regular
funny forum. This is set to change.
I met Khuli and Andile, two Rhodes
students, at the Botanical Gardens for
what I hoped would be an afternoon of
uncontrollable giggling. Unfortunately,
the weather decided to play the joke
on us, and not many people pitched.
This was meant to be the very first
Comedy Campaign meeting, a sort
of test run to see how much interest
there is in Grahamstown for this
Pics: Supplied
form of entertainment. Depending
on the success of further trial runs,
Grahamstown could see a growing
community of comedians not only from
the university, but from the greater
community as well. This is why Khuli
and Andile organised a meeting at Duna
Hall the following day – to give those
non-Rhodents a chance to display their
talents. The turnout was not any better
than the previous day’s, which made me
wonder about the viability of the project.
A comedy club seems to be a great
idea and long overdue. This town of ours
has the potential to be rather funny, but
why was there such a lack of interest?
Could the blame lie with the low-key
advertising employed by the organisers,
or could it be that the same old routine
of drinking from Thursday right until
Sunday has become too entrenched in
the minds of Rhodents? I do not have
the answer. But what I do know is that
the next time an attempt is made to get
us laughing at ourselves, I will be the
annoying person sitting front row centre,
laughing the loudest.

Hitting the G-spot
A sixth century Chinese Taoist
named Most Noble Tung developed
this rather peculiar sexual practice.
It was believed that smiling and
laughing during sex would spread
the pleasure from your genitals to
the rest of your body. Most Noble
Tung came up with sexual games
called “Cat and Mouse in one hole”
and “Goat Butting Tree”. Whether
this is true or just some amusing
internet drivel that I stumbled
upon, the benefits of laughing and
smiling are undeniable.
Laughing increases your heart
rate as well as the amount of oxygen
in your blood. When you laugh,
endorphins are released. This emits
a happy natural chemical from your
brain which helps to relieve pain
and stress and leaves you feeling
euphoric. Laughing also reduces
muscle tension and helps you burn
ten to forty calories.
At this point I’m sure you’re
wondering what could possibly
be funny while you’re having sex.
There are three forms of humour
that you could try. Verbal humour,
visual humour and good old
fashioned tickling. If you know
you are not a particularly funny
person, leave the stand-up comedy
to the professionals or you could
kill the mood. The same goes for
visual humour. Avoid acting out
Dumb and Dumber while you’re
having sex. It’s distracting and lame.
Instead go out and watch a funny
movie beforehand to get you both
relaxed and open to giving and
receiving pleasure. Tickling can be
very exciting between the sheets,
believe it or not. If performed
properly – meaning not the rough
playground armpit kind of tickling
– it can be extremely sensual. Use
a feather, preferably a clean one
that you’ve bought, not picked up
off your lawn or plucked out your
feather duster, or a silky soft piece of
ribbon to tease your lover. Run your
chosen prop all over their naked
body slowly, from top to bottom,
lingering on erogenous zones like
the neck, nipples, thighs, genitals
and behind the knee. This will help
them to relax and take them to the
edge, begging to be pushed over.
If you’re having problems in
your relationship, or just
getting bored, finding
ways to laugh while
having sex will help
you both to de-
stress and maybe
bring you a little
closer. Oh and
did I mention
that laughing
during sex
can lead
to multiple
orgasms?
 THE OPPIDAN PRESS


SciTech
SciTech shorts
By Andrew Slaughter and Shea Karssing
The South African Space Think twice about that
Age begins BP run
By Laura Richter By Andrew Slaughter

GM foods are banned in many

Today over 800 satellites orbit the
earth. Our exploration of space and
the harnessing of space technology
has brought with it innumerable
technological benefits, from weather
monitoring and disaster prediction
to communication and television.
The South African government
is prioritising space science and
technology, with the South African
Space Agency expected to be
launched next year. Early this month,
South Africa hosted the second
African Leadership Conference on
Space Science and Technology for
Sustainable Development. In his
Reducing caloric input in
animals by 30-40% allows them
to live longer, and a similar result
has been discovered in human
cells. The research team discovered
that reducing caloric intake (for
example, choosing the apple over
the pepper steak pie) activates a
series of genes that cause an increase
in the enzymes SIRT3 and SIRT4.
These two enzymes invigorate the
mitochondria within a cell and
prevent it from releasing proteins
European and African countries, but
South Africa has subscribed to the New
Partnership for African Development
(Nepad) position of being open to GM
products.
At present, all GM products on the
shelves have passed risk assessments
and no bad effects on humans have been
detected. However, as South Africans, we
need to be aware that we are exposing
ourselves to GM food products, with
very little labelling or publicity.
GM products are produced from
organisms that have had their DNA
changed through genetic engineering. In
this process, a gene coding for a useful
trait (usually from bacteria) is artificially

Pic: Paul Harris

opening speech at the conference,
Minister of Science and Technology,
Mosibudi Mangena, emphasised that
space has a role to play in meeting
Africa’s development goals. South
Africa’s first satellite, SunSat, was
launched in 1999 and it is being
followed by a second satellite project,
SumbandilaSat.
that trigger the death of cells
(apoptosis).
Researchers believe that all
of mammalian SIRT genes may
be targetted by drugs aimed at
extending life and preventing
age-related illnesses. The team is
currently experimenting on mice,
pumping them with SIRT3 and
SIRT4 enzymes, to test the theory.
incorporated into the genome of a
commercially exploited organism. This
process has been used since the 1990s
and has, to date, been used to increase
the shelf life of various fruits and
vegetables, to produce herbicide tolerant
strains of soy beans, maize and cotton,
and to produce insect resistant maize.
Other potential benefits of GM foods
include the production of food that is
more nutritious and less allergenic, and
crop strains that can survive drought
conditions; an immensely important
development in a future affected by a
changing climate.
On the other side of the genome,
concerns about GM foods include the
stability of the artificially introduced
gene, a loss of the diversity of organisms
and an upset ecological balance, an
increased use of chemicals in agriculture,
as well as issues of consumer health
and safety. Only one case of concern
has become a reality; a GM maize
strain in the US that was approved only
for livestock feed appeared in maize
products for human consumption.
A 2003 survey done by the Pew
Research Center found that a majority of
people in all countries surveyed felt that
GM foods were “bad”. The lowest scores
were in the US and Canada, where 55%
and 63% (respectively) were against it,
while the highest were in Germany and
France with 81% and 89% disapproving.
The survey also showed a strong
tendency for women to be more opposed
to GM foods than men.
A survey by global market research
company Synovate has revealed that
62 percent of South Africans who are
familiar with genetically modified foods
are satisfied that “anything that makes
food taste better is fine”.

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The cutting-edge humanoid robot
named Asimo (made by Honda) is by
no means the first attempt to create a
human-like robot. Eighteenth century
Frenchman Pierre Jaquet-Droz created
many complex machines, three of which
are still functional today. One little figure
(called The Drawer) sketches several
different drawings, and also breathes,
shifts in his chair and periodically blows
the dust off his pencil.
In the 15th century, Leonardo da
Vinci also had a go at the gadget game,
creating a programmable mechanical
lion. Even earlier, Islamic artist Al-
Jazari created a group of four automata
musicians in 1206 that floated on a boat
and entertained guests at royal parties.
By moving wooden pegs around inside
the machine, the creepy little maestros
were programmed to play different
tunes.
A similar group of mechanical figures
female worshippers were built into a self-
propelling programmable cart that was
mechanised simply by using string.
Accounts of automata go as far back
as 1000 BC. In ancient China, there was
a figure constructed by Yan Shi made
of leather, wood, glue and lacquer that
could walk, sing, dance and even flirt
with the king’s wives. The king, incensed
at this behaviour, demanded that the
frisky figure be dismantled on the spot.
Perhaps the most famous example of
a programmable mechanical is the
‘Antikythera’ mechanism, which dates
back to 100 BC. A date would be entered
(with a crank) and the mechanism could
calculate the position of the sun, moon
or certain planets for that date. This
piece of bronze mechanical clockwork
has up to 70 extremely complex and
miniaturised gears. The technology and
intricacy in this only matched again in
the 18th century.
Catch the robots in action on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fre32oY7Qx0
 THE OPPIDAN PRESS

Business 

Business shorts
Big bucks at stake in Cell phone ads: the next
social networking big thing
By Mbali Sikakana By Mbali Sikakana

Microsoft teamed up with

Facebook in 2006 in a deal to form
a strategic alliance where Microsoft
became the exclusive provider of
banner advertising and sponsored
links on Facebook. The objective is
to join Microsoft’s cutting-edge ad-
vertising technology and sales force
with Facebook’s innovative social
Pic: Supplied
It is a small business at present,
raking in $871 million worldwide
compared to the $24 billion spent on
Internet advertising. But marketing
wizards are abuzz with talk of its
future potential.
Should the current trends
continue, it is only a matter of

networking technology. time before cell phone advertising

By Shingirirai Chaza and Mbali Sikakana
In 1989, John Williamson converged
with other economists from different
schools of thought to compile a list of
ten prescriptions of political economy.
These were compiled mainly with Latin
America in mind.
countries eliminating restrictions and
regulation in trade, price fixing and
foreign investment. Additionally, the
implementation of these policies soon
became a prerequisite to obtaining
financial support. In short, the reforms
resulted in state economic models based
on open markets, as opposed to those of
government intervention.
The results of the policies have not
turned out to be as successful as hoped.
By the mid-’90s, all the countries that
had adopted these policies had been
hit by financial crises, such as Russia
in 1997 and Brazil in 1998. This was in
stark contrast to the models adopted
by Asian countries. These Asian Tigers
demonstrated that it was possible for
underdeveloped countries to have
economic success with a governmental
presence, known as the Governed
Market. This emphasised the need for a
balance between the market and the state
nationwide problem of poverty, and
the role of these policies in diminishing
the gap between the haves and have-
nots, Mboweni said that workers and
employers have to negotiate, and that
it is necessary to look after one’s own;
that we all have our own responsibilities.
Although a conclusive answer as to
whether South Africa is still in the
Washington Consensus era was not
given, the governor emphasised the need
for a market-oriented economy with
prudent monetary and fiscal policies as
well as efficient debt bodies.
Economics journalism lecturer
Robert Brand agrees with Mboweni
about the role of markets in an economy,
noting how South Africa, in the past ten
years, has taken a very market-centric
approach. The ANC (a nominally
left wing government) has been very
conservative with its handling of the
economy, and has allowed for a free-
Recently, both Microsoft
and Google have also expressed
interest in acquiring a 5% stake
in Facebook. The benefits of this
are clear, namely the sheer traffic
volumes and possibility of increased
future revenue streams. However,
the valuation of Facebook stands
at more than $10 billion and is due
to rise when the expected bidding
war between Microsoft and Google
begins.
It is unlikely that Microsoft or
Google will attempt to acquire
Facebook as a whole because social
networking sites are risky in that
they are vulnerable to defection. One
only has to look to Hi5.com which
was popular five years ago, but has
since lost many members.
The 5% stake could cost Microsoft
anywhere from $300 million to $500
million. Interestingly, Fox acquired
MySpace for $770 million and
YouTube fetched $3 billion from
Google. Both MySpace and YouTube
are rival social networking sites to
Facebook.
substitutes for Internet advertising
(the current fad) as well as television,
radio, and print; all previously
considered the traditional pillars in
the marketing business.
Advertising strategies are also
keeping up with the advent of more
sophisticated mobile phones, now
including video clips, webpages,
music and game downloads.
The advantages of this form
of advertising are clear. There are
2.5 billion mobile phones in use
worldwide and people carry their
cellphones with them everywhere,
something that cannot be said of
televisions or computers. As a result
of this increase in usage, the market
is expected to reach $20 billion by
2011.
Just because you work with
numbers, doesn’t mean you can’t
write for us!
Contact Shingirirai Chaza at
business.oppipress@gmail.com if you’re
interested in seeing your name in print.
NEW & IMPROVED

These ten prescriptions consisted
of fiscal discipline, a redirection
of public expenditure to improve
commodities such as primary health
care, education and infrastructure.
Further recommendations included tax
reforms, the freeing of the interest rate,
the insurance of secured property rights,
and trade liberalisation, to list a few.
Together, these prescriptions comprise
what is known as neo-liberal economic
theory. Such policies have now been
linked to institutions such as the World
Bank and the International Monetary
Fund (IMF).
The neo-liberal measures, as
applied by such institutions, were
initially aimed to service debt crises
and were seen as short term actions
to stop the deterioration of national
economies. This involved developing
in order to achieve success.
The position in South Africa seems
to be somewhat different. Mboweni,
in his speech, attributed the failure
of these prescriptions to different
factors. According to him, where these
reforms have failed has been due to
poor implementation that was not
“undertaken with vigour”. He continued
by noting that it is easy to come up with
a policy to redirect subsidies to health,
but implementation is difficult because
how do you explain to the people that in
order to fund health there will no longer
be food subsidies? In dealing with the
Wallace’s Pharmacy
market approach to reign. GEAR, a
government initiative supporting free
markets, embodied many of the views
expressed in the Washington Consensus.
To this Brand attributes SA’s healthy
financial position, with well-developed
financial sectors and stock markets,
increased investor confidence and a Beat exam stress with Liver Tonic Oil or
reasonable degree of stability in the
economy as a whole. Vitamin B injections for R10.
These policies might change,
however; Brand’s view is that South
Africa is seeing a development in its Clinic open daily from 9am-1pm
economic climate, with government now
becoming more interventionist due to
the availability of resources that make
it possible to do so. Nonetheless, there
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10
By Geoff Wakefield
Teams were charged a nominal fee
to enter, the sum of which was donated
to Grahamstown Hospice in aid of
approximately 200 patients suffering
from terminal illnesses such as Aids and
cancer. Play started at 09:30 sharp when
eight teams – Team Supercool Dynamite
Alpha Wolf Squadron and BHASP (both
from Winch), Impi Warriors (from
Founders Hall), Team Pirate (from
Pirates Pizza), Canterbury/Salisbury,
Team Photo Soc, Team Question Mark
and finally Gabba Gun Dog (both from
the Rhodes Rugby Club) – braved the
chilly weather on Kings Field for a
chance to be crowned the touch rugby
champions.
The teams were divided into two
pools of four, with the top two in each
pool going through to the semi-finals
and then the winners proceeding to
the finals. With a small gathering of
supporters and music blaring from the
Kings clubhouse adding to the festive
atmosphere, Gabba Gun Dog and Team
Question Mark met in the final which
saw Gabba Gun Dog come out on top,
combining several well-constructed
moves and a willingness to run with
the ball. The victors walked away with
Open
9am - Late
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(046) 622-3042
“You Ring We Bring”
Peppergrove Mall, African Street
Tel: (046) 622-2246
Fax: (046) 622-3915
Watch out for our great weekend specials!
an impressive R520 worth of food
vouchers, sponsored by Calabash, the
Rat and Parrot and Dulce’s, as well
as kit bags from Elixir and a hamper
of skin care products from Wallace’s
Pharmacy. Pirates Pizza sponsored the
stomachs of the second prize winners,
Team Question Mark, with six ‘totally
awesome’ pizzas. There were also spot
prizes given during the course of the day.
The mastermind behind the event,
Winch Community Engagement Rep
Rouan Wilsenach, said: “We believe
that after this year’s success, we will be
able to get more entrants for next year’s
competition,” adding that Winch is
Telephone
(046) 622-3042
28 New Street
Stockists of organic wines
Sport
THE OPPIDAN PRESS
aiming to make this an annual event in
the future.
The event raised R500 for the
Grahamstown Hospice. “Supporting
events like these ensure that there are
more opportunities and motivation for
students at Rhodes to get involved in
making a difference in the community
around them,” said Wilsenach.
By Saint-Francis Tohlang
Carlos Alberto Parreira has been
reeled in to restore the glory of a golden
age long gone for South African soccer.
I say the man is being cushioned with a
R1,3 million cheque a month; it’s about
time he whips out the tricks and starts
performing miracles.
His reign started in what seemed
to be an upward crescendo for Bafana
Bafana; they won a match or few and the
praises, as predicted, began to stream
in. Months later, South African soccer is
back to where it started. Bafana Bafana
were ranked 69th when Parreira took
Pic: Geoff Wakefield
over; four places better than they are
now. Is the problem with the over-
qualified coach, the players themselves,
or the bureaucracy running soccer? Let
me try unpack this:
With an illustrious career behind
him, Parreira is faced with the challenge
Deliveries of getting the mostly ill-disciplined
6pm - 12pm South Africans to play the same kind of
fluid soccer the Brazilians play. I think
Deliveries Fee R2-50 the problem lies with the very fact that
Parreira is trying to emulate the feats
of Ronaldinho and Kaka. The man is
still stuck in the samba way of football.
South Africa’s style of play is somewhat
different. Diski is a different brand of
soccer, very different from the street
style played in the favelas. Parreira has
coached minnows such as Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates, although
he was fired as the coach of Saudi Arabia
during the 1998 World Cup two matches
in the tournament. Why? Because
The best positioned and best priced
liquor store in Grahamstown
We cater for special functions and deliveries can be arranged.
TRADING HOURS:
Monday-Thursday 9am – 7pm
Friday 9am – 8pm
Saturday 9am – 5pm
Pic: Supplied
Parreira can only be successful when
leading a team that plays the brand of
football he understands (like Brazil).
The quality of a coach is in the way
he transforms a team and creates a
new line of attack and vigour. Parreira
failed in Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates; what makes us think
that he can make the difference here?
I hope that I will swallow my words
when he leads us to World Cup victory,
or even a strong showing, but I highly
doubt that.
Going back to the ultimate
question: the problem. Safa (South
African Football Association) and
clubs are constantly locking horns
with regards to releasing players. This
is certainly going to hinder Parreira
from fielding a strong team and
experimenting with combinations.
However, during the recent defeats
against Zambia, Scotland and Uruguay,
Parreira fielded his strongest team. Yet
we were crushed!
As badly disciplined as the players
are, South African players are talented.
They have natural flair. The U12
national team has won the Danone
World Cup on a number of occasions,
which bodes well for the future.
What players need is a coach that will
assemble a game plan that suits their
own style of play and understands
their game. I somehow wonder if
Parreira is the man to do so. Parreira
says that the nation should be patient
with him, as he believes the defensive
4-5-1 formation is the way to go
forward. However, players like Benni
McCarthy believe that this formation,
mostly favoured by the Brazilians, is
not suited to the players. I do hope
that this formation can save us from
the humiliation we stand to face when
we face world champions, Italy on 17
October.
 Sport
THE OPPIDAN PRESS

11

By Anesu Chingono and Richard Moor
An idealistic policy, no doubt, but it
seems to be full of loopholes. In South
Africa we fought for years to abolish a
system (apartheid) that was based on
colour, but the quota system seems to
do exactly the same thing. Yes, we need
to improve representation in our senior
teams, but the current methods of going
about this are not helping anybody. The
stark reality is that SA does not have
enough world class rugby or cricket
players that come from previously
disadvantaged backgrounds. If we did,
there would be no issue – they would be
picked on merit. But including a black
player in the team purely for his skin
colour, not because he can play well, just
makes him, the team, and the country
look bad.
The root of the problem lies in
development structures; in creating
more interest in these sports at
Pics: Nimi Hoffmann
grassroots levels. This is not happening.
Grahamstown is a case in point. The St
Andrews first rugby team has only two
black players. The Rhodes’ rugby Firsts
have only two black players, while there
are no black players in Rhodes’ top
cricket squad. If the situation changed
at this level, it would eventually be
reflected at national level. Like many
things however, such a process takes
time, which is not something that elected
politicians or sports administrators seem
to have in abundance.
Personal and cultural preference
also comes into the mix. Rhodes’ rugby
captain Vaughan Oudsthoorn believes
there is lack of black players in Rhodes
teams due to their greater interest in
sports such as basketball and soccer. It is
a valid point – the Rhodes soccer team
is almost exclusively made up of black
people. This also raises the interesting
point that if black player quotas are to
be enforced on so-called white sports,
should white player quotas be enforced
on so-called black sports?
In the end, sport is about enjoyment;
for the players, for the spectators, and
even for the administrators. If we make
plans to develop all talent at an early age
– in programs like Bakers Mini Cricket
– then the representation issue will take
care of itself in the long run. For now,
let’s scrap the quotas and let the talent
speak for itself.

By Adam Wakefield
But let’s focus on the drinking. The
South African Student Sports Union
recently warned Rhodes that it would be
excluded from sports events like “The
Fish” if the behaviour of its supporters
did not improve.
The Dean of Students office has
hardened their stance on drunken
student behaviour. The Compulsory
Service Program was recently scrapped
and efforts are being made to limit the
amount of drinks a student can consume
at a Cheese and Wine. Student behaviour
has come under increased scrutiny with
the Fish River Canoe Marathon being an
acid test for Rhodes students.
The Fish River Canoe Marathon
Organising Committee was asked how
they felt Rhodes University students
behaved over Fish weekend. In their
response, Louis Copeman, Public
Relations Officer for the organising
committee, said that all they ask for as a
committee is non-destructive behaviour,
and that vandalism of any kind will not
be tolerated: “We don’t have a problem
with the students enjoying themselves
and there was hardcore partying at the
afterparty but thankfully, no unpleasant
incidents. We also appreciated the
presence of the Rhodes Security at prize-
giving; this was a great idea.”
There was, however, one incident
involving a Rhodes student at Cradock
Weir, according to Copeman, where
“an inebriated female Rhodes student
(a non-paddler) dived over the weir
into the backwash, and if it were not
for the lifesavers she would have most
certainly drowned”.
Richard Glennie, also a member
of the organising committee, voiced
his displeasure about what he
saw taking place at the afterparty.
Glennie said that Rhodes students
were seen vomiting and urinating in
public. Glennie, from his personal
perspective, found the behaviour of
Rhodes students at Fish River this year
unacceptable and “despicable”:
Moves are being made within
university administration to ensure
that drinking at sports events and
general events is controlled and
limited.

Sport inside page 10
Parreira’s South African samba
Newsshorts
By Daniel Lemmer
It will also provide a space
where tenants, landlords and
the Oppidan Committee can
discuss issues relating to digs,
such as repairs and maintenance.
“Landlords that care about their
houses and run a good show
shouldn’t have to worry,” said
Gordon Barker, Oppidan Hall
Warden.
The website will also come in
handy next year during O-week.
“This year 300 first-year students
arrived here with no clue where
to stay,” said Barker. Now all
they need to do is sit down at
a computer to check what is
available. “They’ll have all digs’
at their fingertips,” said Samuel
Simango, the Oppidan Committee
Chairperson.
It has cost every Oppidan less
than R1 to finance the site, with
most of its R7000 development
expense subsidised by the Dean of
Students division.
The page can be viewed at
http://oppies.soc.ru.ac.za/welcome.
By Lionel Faull
De Klerk had accused Adesina of
failing to execute his responsibilities and
Adesina had accused de Klerk of racism.
Johnson, stressed that the matter
had been conducted as an investigation
By Tami Duncan
It will deliver top quality
news, entertainment (including
a gig guide), sports and opinion
pieces on a daily basis. The site
will be a source of information
and entertainment for Rhodents.
Ross van der Linde, former
RMR Programming Manager,
and Technical Manager Richard
Oakley, are the co-creators of the
website, which is an initiative
of the RMR news team. They
are hoping to include a video
streaming service and online
access to audio clips from RMR
news reports. The two have been
working on the website for two
months and hope to have it up-
and-running by mid-October.
Seen anything dodgy?
Blow the whistle!
news.oppipress@gmail.com
into why de Klerk and Adesina had
been at odds with one another, not as a
disciplinary process.
Neither de Klerk nor Adesina could
be contacted last week. De Klerk was in
Cape Town, but has hitherto declined to
comment on the matter. Adesina is on
leave until June 2008.
Professor Arthur Webb chaired the
panel which made its recommendations
to both the Vice-Principal and the two
parties. He said: “I am afraid I have
nothing of interest I could say to you.
Our committee reported to the VP
several months ago. Since then I have
not been in the loop, so for me the
matter is terminated.”
THE OPPIDAN PRESS
By Robyn McCormick and Anja Muller-Deibicht
You go for a walk around town and
catch sight of a poster proclaiming
“One-day Abortion. 100% Pain-Free,”
with an encrypted physical address and
a cell phone number. A quick and easy
solution, no strings attached. However,
before you call and schedule an appoint-
ment with the ‘Dr Mike’ who popped up
in Grahamstown two weeks ago, take a
moment to read this small warning. It
may save your life.
Doctor Barbara Bull is the only
doctor in Grahamstown that is qualified
to perfom abortions. She consults with
patients at her practice at 120 High Street
and uses ward F1 at Settlers Hospital
to perform the procedure safely and
legally. Dr Bull requires that patients
stay overnight in the ward although the
procedure takes only 15 minutes. She
also insists on pre- and post-counselling,
By Paul Harris
Digs are most commonly being
broken into either through forced entry
or as a result of negligence when a
window or door is left open or unlocked.
Electrical goods such as Hi-Fis and
computers as well as clothes appear to
be the most sought-after possessions.
Ayliff Street and Jacobus Uys Road have
emerged as new crime hotspots whilst
others, such as Beaufort Street and St
Aidans Avenue, have improved since The
Oppidan Press last checked the police
crime stats in May. Others, like Milner
Street and African Street continue to be
among the worst hit.
One particular digs on African Street
has been broken into ten times this year
with damages estimated to be around
R10,000, despite security measures
such as gates, mesh burglar bars and
endless complaining to their estate
agent, Drostdy Estates. “It’s just word on
which deals with the reasons for
having the abortion, as well as available
alternatives such as adoption, and advice
for future precautions. Dr Bull also
stresses the need to address both the
physical and emotional effects of making
such a huge decision. However, she says
that “abortion should not be necessary,
contraception is freely available”.
What if you don’t want to go through
the hassle or expense (Dr Bull charges
R1180) of going the legal route? At
R600, the alternative may look attractive,
but the results may not be the most
desirable. Firstly, the mysterious ‘Dr
Mike’ was consulted and freely admitted
that he “doesn’t use medical doctors”
and refused to give any details of how or
where the procedure would be done. He
only said that it would take “quick quick”.
Strike one. On more than one occassion,
he agreed to perform a Termination of
Pregnancy (TOP) on a woman who was
more than 20 weeks pregnant. Twenty
weeks is the legal abortion limit unless a
life-threatening situation develops. Strike
two. He also agreed to perform a TOP on
a woman at the request of her ‘boyfriend’
without her written permission. Strike
three, and he’s out.
Dr Mike’s plan may be to charge the
the street that 23 African Street is easy
game,” said Ashleigh Nash, digs resident
and third year BJourn student. Hayley
Richardson, another digs resident and
third year BA student added: “It is
irritating that this petty crime keeps
happening again and again.” They
identified the thieves as being mainly
teenagers and young adults. The digs
has been so badly affected by crime
Pic: Leon Schnell
client before the appointment and then
vanish with the cash. The more horrible
option to contemplate, however, is
that this unqualified man is actually
performing some kind of surgery.
Dr Bull says that the most frequently
practised illegal abortion is to administer
two Misoprostol tablets. These tablets are
used by doctors to prepare (ripen) the
womb/uterus before the actual TOP via
suction of contents. If only the tablets
are taken, pelvic inflammation, infection
and septicaemia can occur as dead tissue
stays in the uterus and rots. Not quite
the quick fix it is claimed to be. Illegal
abortionists may also use equipment
which has not been sterilised, causing
infection and excessive bleeding, which
may even lead to death.
Since the Choice on Termination of
Pregnancy Amendment Act was changed
in 2005 to legalise abortions and make
them more freely available, maternal
deaths have decreased dramatically.
However, of these deaths, 52% still occur
from backstreet abortions like the ones
Dr Mike is offering. Don’t become a
statistic. A cheap fix may look like the
easy way out, but your life is priceless.
Dr Bull’s number is 046 636 2063
that Ashleigh admitted that she and her
housemates all see their digs “not as a
home but just as a shelter” for the time
being.
Pic: Joe Hanly