Calm before the storm:
Pre-exam relaxation techniques
Murky waters
Vague regulations take the
fun out of “funnelling”
By Leon Schnell and Lionel Faull
A
The incident highlights the need for
greater clarity in the alcohol misuse
policy at Rhodes. At present, there is
one set of guidelines for sports clubs
in addition to the university’s Student
Disciplinary Code. A new Alcohol
Misuse Policy has recently been drafted
by the Dean of Students and will be
finalised at the end of the third term.
On Thursday 10 May, the Underwater
Club held a graduation ceremony
combined with a Cheese and Wine at
their clubhouse on the Great Field. A
photographer for The Oppidan Press
attended the event to take photos of what
was expected to be a straightforward
certificate hand-over. Events took an
unexpected turn when Phanor Montoya-
Maya, the warden of Botha residence
who was attending the event in his
capacity as a diving instructor, asked
graduates to drink a can of beer which
he poured through their snorkels before
handing them their certificates. After
photographing four graduates, our
photographer was approached by the
Underwater Club chairperson Andrea
Bernatzeder, and was asked not to
publish the photographs because Sports
Admin would not approve. She also said
that it was not the image she wanted the
Underwater Club to portray.
In response to an initial inquiry
from The Oppidan Press, Head of Sport
Aziez Madatt told us that “funnelling is
outlawed on campus”. Madatt’s response
prompted a fuller investigation into the
university’s policies by The Oppidan
Press.
The Sports Council guidelines do not
explicitly outlaw or define funnelling.
However, two clauses, which may be
applicable to funnelling, state: “Clubs
should discourage the excessive use of
alcohol amongst their members from a
personal health and performance point
of view”, and “Club members should be
page 7
The Oppidan Press
aware that the misuse of alcohol is in
contravention of both the University’s
and the Sports Council’s codes of
acceptable behaviour”.
According to Madatt, what happened
at the sports club’s Cheese and Wine
was not funnelling. Funnelling, Madatt
believes, is determined by three factors:
the aim of the event at which the
alleged funnelling occurred, the type of
alcohol consumed and the amount of
alcohol consumed.
Seeing as the club’s Cheese and Wine
was a celebration of club members’
graduating, and only one beer per
member was “funnelled”, according to
Madatt the event cannot be equated
to his definition of funnelling where
the idea is “getting drunk as quickly as
possible”.
Bernatzeder pointed out the irony of
being investigated by the newspaper for
a once-off incident because, according
to her, “We’re a chilled club. It’s not like
we’re a crazy club.”
She explained that it was the first time
that something like this had happened at
the Underwater Club, that funnelling is
not a club initiation ceremony and that
there was no mixing of drinks involved.
Montoya-Maya explained his role
in initiating the drinking incident: “In
Columbia where I come from that’s
what we do when divers graduate. We
did it here for the first time and I wasn’t
completely aware of the repercussions
for the Underwater Club.”
“Diving does not go with alcohol,”
Montoya-Maya said. “I do not allow the
divers to consume alcohol for at least 24
hours before they go underwater. But
the graduation was a special night to
celebrate. I apologise.”
Madatt said that new club committees
are given a guide containing all Sports
Council regulations, and are familiarised
with the contents of the guide by their
Sports Officer. This year, committees
were also given an orientation workshop
at the start of the year, where committee
PG GLASS wishes all students the best of
luck for exams!
53 Bathurst St Grahamstown. Tel 046-622 2950/622 8700. Tim: 082 800 9276 Kevin: 082 772 0400
Grahamstown’s soldiers
members were trained in regulations
regarding their specific portfolios.
Bernatzeder was unable to definitively
answer The Oppidan Press’s initial
questions about the possibility that
her club broke Sports Admin rules at
the Cheese and Wine. “I can’t tell you
whether I’ve specifically read anything
regarding funnelling. That’s not necessarily
Sports Admin’s fault. They do give us
the documents,” she said. She later
confirmed that the Sports Council alcohol
guidelines were included in her sports club
committee manual, but that she had not
read the guidelines before.
When questioned whether the
regulations as they stood were too vague,
Madatt said: “It’s a difficult thing, in
that do you then specify everything in
life?” When it comes to club committees
having to make decisions on-the-fly
during an event and being hampered
by the vague regulations, Madatt said:
“Those who are responsible for the
function must monitor it.”
Madatt later concluded that the
page 3
In the trenches and the township
Edition
Edition4,6,
Edition 2523
5, 9April
Pic: Leon Schnell
incident at the sports club function
did not constitute funnelling, and that
consequently “there is nothing to be unduly
concerned about at this moment in time”.
Dean of Students Professor Vivian de
Klerk said: “Staff at the university must
remember that they are role models.” De
Klerk indicated, however, that she had
spoken with Montoya-Maya and had
reassured him that the incident would
“blow over”.
Once Sports Admin’s position became
clear, Montoya-Maya contacted The
Oppidan Press to retract his earlier apology
for the incident: “We did not have our
facts together before we met you and that
made us apologise for something that
now we understand was not wrong at all.
I do recognise that alcohol is a problem at
Rhodes but what we did that night was not
‘funnelling’ as it is: we did not consume a
large amount of alcohol in a short space of
time. So please let us stop using that word.”
To see highlights of the new Rhodes
University Alcohol Policy draft, visit our
website www.TheOppidanPress.com
May2007
May 2007
By Delia de Villiers and Mzoxolo Budaza
According to Registrar Dr Stephen
Fourie: “Rhodes recently acquired a
new version of the software that allows
for the timetable to be set up here.
Unfortunately, the programme does
not function automatically and still
relies on manual input. This means
that people first need to be trained to
enable them to work the programme.”
As a result of time constraints
Rhodes Administration could not
get their own staff to do the manual
input. The setting up of the timetable
was outsourced to a private company
in Pretoria. The company, however,
failed to realise that 16 June is a public
holiday. In response to this mistake,
Fourie said: “We had one of three
choices: they could start the whole
setting up process again, they could
change the timetable or [students]
could deal with it.”
The SRC, class reps and other
relevant parties were consulted after
the release of the first draft. However,
the South African Students Con-
gress (Sasco) was the most vocal in
complaining about students having to
write on the public holiday. A letter
was sent to the Registrar expressing
dissatisfaction with the schedule.
After a few negotiations, it was agreed
that all exams on 16 June would be
rescheduled for another day.
While this issue may have been
resolved, students remain dissatisfied
with the process of scheduling exams.
BJourn student, Jessica Cash, ques-
tioned: “If a university like Stellen-
bosch can release the exam timetable
at the beginning of the year then why
can’t Rhodes do the same?”
Jesse Burton, a History Honours
student, also criticised the timetable
process: “Rhodes administration
knows that exams must be written so
why is there no permanent timetable?”
she asked.
In response to this concern, Fourie
said: “This would greatly limit the
subject choices that students have.
Rhodes allows for inter-faculty subject
selections and this would not be pos-
sible if there was a fixed timetable. If
there was a permanent exam timeta-
ble, students would have to check both
the lecture timetable and the exam
timetable at the beginning of the year
and select their subjects around this.”
 THE OPPIDAN PRESS

Editorial
Trade unions page 9
 National strike explained

Ed’s view point

The Underwater Club were under-

standably mortified when word of our
investigation leaked out, in case their
beloved club should be shut down by
Sports Admin. We have been accused
of ambush journalism and bad faith,
but nothing could be further from the
truth. Our photographer was not sent
to the event with an exposé in mind.
When the club chairperson asked him
not to publish the “snorkel” photos, our
photographer’s initial and inadvertent
response was to consent. We would still

Illustration: Alex Dubb

be within our legal rights to publish
them now, but that would be going
against our word. We have also been
accused of “ratting on” the Underwater
Club by explicitly naming Montoya-
Maya, Bernatzeder and the Underwater
Club to Sports Admin when we first
enquired about the legality of events at
the function. We enquired, yes, but we
were fastidious in not naming anybody
to the university authorities until it be-
came clear that both Montoya-Maya and
Bernatzeder had been to see the Head of
Sports and the Dean of Students of their
own accord.
I strongly believe that we are justified
in publishing the outcome of our inves-
tigation, for three reasons. Firstly, in the
context of Rape Awareness Week last
week, it is important for the university
community to recognise the connec-
tion between alcohol consumption and
incidents of rape. It wasn’t too long ago
that Activate reported an alleged rape
that occurred on a sports field outside a
club Cheese and Wine.
Secondly, it is important to clear up
exactly where sports clubs stand in rela-
tion to the complex web of often vague
rules to which they are held accountable.
By the same token, the university ad-
ministration must understand the rules
by which it governs. The draft Alcohol
Misuse Policy will be released for public
comment this week. Whatever your
opinion may be about our front page sto-
ry, YOU need to make sure you read the
draft policy and comment on it before it
is finalised at the end of third term.
Thirdly, our front page story is an
opportunity for us all to debate the role
of student newspapers at our university.
If we call ourselves a student newspaper,
should we only hold admin and the SRC
to account? Should we hold back on
reporting on incidents that might not
portray our friends and lovers in the best
light? How can student newspapers be
held accountable by their readers? Watch
this space.
Lionel Faull
editor.oppipress@gmail.com
Ludicrous to defend “murderous” Zim gov’t
Editor,
I am writing in response to a letter
submitted by Comrade Young Musango.
First of all, I would like to be the first
to congratulate you, Musango, on
finally coming forward and speaking
for the ruling party. Apart from within
Zimbabwe, there are few supporters of
Zanu PF with the courage to defend
the ruling party anywhere else! There
is a good reason for this. It is utterly
ludicrous to defend the murderous greed
of the Zimbabwean government, which
has shattered the hopes and dreams
of all those they initially purported to
represent.
I know, and you know, that things in
Zimbabwe are not fine, and the problems
at home are not a result of sanctions
or any other political or economic
pressures exerted from abroad. You must
avoid sliding into the absurd rhetoric
that defenders of the regime have leant
on for so long – blaming the West,
blaming the whites, blaming drought
and the MDC. The fact remains that
nearly ONE THIRD of the population
has fled the chaos. The lucky ones run to
the very people whom the government
blames for the collapse! The problems in
Zimbabwe lie within the power-hungry
dictatorship. The leaders are too terrified
and greedy to let go of the single party
state that they built through the 80s and
90s, on the reliance that the people they
had liberated were too caught up in their
newfound liberty to immediately start
challenging their iconic leaders. Absurd
is how I feel right now, spelling out these
facts. We need to move past debating
Letters to the Editor
who is to blame; everybody knows
who it is. As the future of the country,
we should seek a better future for
Zimbabwe. We should seek to make it a
place where people actually want to live.
As far as intimidation on campus
goes, there has been some. Perhaps
coming from Zimbabwe, where
intimidation is much more dangerous
and overt, has made you numb towards
it and you wonder what the big deal
is. It’s just a few threats and grimaces
after all. It’s just the ripping down of
posters advertising events focused
on the problems at home. We are in a
liberal space here and it’s a real novelty
for Zimbos, and I wish that they would
use it! Having said this, I promise you
that the undercurrent of animosity has
scared Zimbabweans here. People are
afraid that the police or the CIO or the
army forces ironically meant to protect the
citizens, will carry out retribution on their
families at home. I certainly fear inducing
suffering on my family. Nevertheless, a
careful and unified voice must speak out
from Zimbabweans at Rhodes. We must
not forget the suffering at home, and the
difficulties our parents endure in sending
us here.
Although you would gain VERY little
support, you should hold a march if you feel
oppressed. Alternatively, please attend one
of the functions advertised by the informal
group trying to end the silence. There is
always room to air your views without the
threat of violence or intimidation. I want to
know more about your experiences of being
a ZANU PF supporter.
Harry
Wouldn’t you rather be safe than green?
Dear Editor, students would agree that the issue con-
cerning security should be the number
Is the environment more important one priority.
than student safety and security? This I certainly do believe that prevention
is the question that one would be posed is better than cure. We cannot wait until
with attending the recent student a tragic incident occurs (be it on or
forum meetings. I must point out from off-campus) until we decide. The ques-
the outset that I certainly do support tion is not about what the University is
initiatives driven towards protecting going to do for us to ensure that we are
our environment, however as you will safe and secure. It is about what we as
discover upon reading this letter, I am students are willing to do to ensure that
not convinced that the creation of an our safety is guaranteed (at least to a
environmental representative is justifi- certain extent).
able based on reasons which shall now I would like to repeat that I am not
be discussed. against protecting our environment. I
The idea concerning the creation am merely of the opinion that, although
of the environmental representative both of these issues are pressing mat-
portfolio was recently put before the ters which demand attention, one can
SRC by various interest parties who ex- deduce that the security issue is more
pressed their concern about the lack of important (especially from a student
an environmental representative. This perspective). As for which of these is-
is important, certainly, but surely not as sues is the more important one to you
important as a representative which ad- — make that choice on your own. In
dresses the issue of safety and security. conclusion I would like to wish all Op-
It is my humble opinion that both pidans the best of luck in the upcoming
viewpoints be put to public debate. If examinations and to thank those of you
students feel that they would rather who have taken your time to read my
have an environmental representa- letter.
tive, then I have nothing further to say.
However, in light of the recent wave of Kindest regards,
crime which has plagued the student Samuel Simango,
body, in particular the Oppidan com- Oppidan Union Senior Student
munity, I am of the opinion that most Oppidan Committee Chairperson
The Oppidan Press publishes letters that are bona fide expressions of opinion as long as
they are not clearly libellous, defamatory, racist or sexist. We reserve the right to shorten
letters due to space constraints and to edit them for grammatical inaccuracies. Any letters
that do not make it into our print edition will be published on our website.
Do you have something to say? Write a letter to the Editor and email it to
editor.oppipress@gmail.com.

The Oppidan Press

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 Opinion
THE OPPIDAN PRESS

Allison Wonderland The Oppidan Comm ent

Why I’ve lost faith in our honourable judiciary
By Simon Allison purely theoretical grounds, this is
rubbish – the reaction of the victim is
completely irrelevant to the crime. If
my car gets stolen, is the robber going
to get a lighter sentence because I didn’t
cry enough? But on factual grounds this
“mitigating factor” is also rubbish – the
trial had to be halted a number of times
because the girl broke down in court.
The judgment: the honourable Judge Not the reaction of somebody who is
President Somyalo passes sentence on the coping.
about Osama bin Laden? He hardly
registers on the scale – a few thousand
in New York is nothing in the grand
scheme of things. We’ll give him a slap
on the wrist and a warning.
You see how absurd that is. By apply-
ing this logic in his courtroom, the hon-
ourable Judge Somyalo has undermined
his authority and that of the entire
legal system of this country. I submit,
respectfully, that he has ignored the basic
doesn’t mean that the courts have to bow
down to these social pressures.”
Courts don’t have to bow down to
social pressures, and they shouldn’t. But
we’re not talking about social pressures.
We’re talking about right and wrong.
The rapist’s daughter is going to suffer
the psychological effects of being raped
by her father for the rest of her life, and
the man responsible will walk away after
20 years.

Pic: Mike Dexter

father. He is guilty. But not that guilty. Be- And on these grounds, our honour- principles of justice and decency which After the Jacob Zuma trial, many
cause, according to our honourable Judge, able Judge did not impose a life sentence, are meant to be the basis of the law, and people began to question the legal
the rape was not that bad. giving the convicted rapist only 20 years: delivered a judgment so ill-thought out system of this country – that the courts
There were mitigating factors. The girl “My conclusion is that this particular and careless that the fight against rape were not as impartial as they should

had no physical injuries, for a start. No
physical injuries? Her father repeatedly
stuck his penis into her – she was eight,
remember – and there were no physical
injuries? That is absolutely ridiculous.
Another mitigating factor cited was
that the girl seemed to be coping. On
rape was not the worst one.”
Let’s analyse this logic for a second.
We’ll use mass murderers. We’ll give
Hitler life – he killed six million Jews,
that’s quite a lot. Pol Pot only managed
a million Cambodians, clearly not in
the same league. 20 years for him. What
has been significantly set back.
However, the judge, understanding
that his verdict would be controversial,
defended himself: “Communities around
South Africa are up in arms against
rape, in particular when it is committed
against young children. This, however,
Sport passions
be, that women were not protected or
listened to, that rape was not taken seri-
ously. In that instance, I don’t think the
criticism was fair. However, the honour-
able Judge Somyalo has just proved their By Hazvineyi Mushambadope
point, and given the rest of us something
to be very worried about.

In the army: where the ‘real’ men are
By Lara Faris
I happen to be on speaking terms
with some of these army folk after a
chance introduction at the semi-dodgy
Champs Action Bar, where champions
meet other champions. I must be honest:
there isn’t much to say to these lads.
Conversation ranges from jumping out
of airplanes, to tackling obstacle courses,
to firearm handling and, of course,
Metallica. In one such conversation, in
a very strong Afrikaans accent, I was
animatedly told of a recent field mission
where “we go into the bush and two of
us dig a trench. Do you know a trench?”
Not personally, no, it sounds very 1914
to me.
“Two of us guys is living in this
trench for a week, securing the trench
using strategies and tactics.” These tactics
are of high military standard; any op-
ponent is accurately aimed at and shot.
Nice twist to paintball don’t you think? I
did learn something new though: water
is the most important provision they
take with them because “when you are
thirsty, you drink”.
On further investigation of these
important survival provisions, pointing
at different areas of his belt, this army
boytjie explained: “Over here you have
your water bottle, and over here you
Pic: Gaynor Barnard
two men in a trench, for a week, alone,
magazines, Playboy. I oh-so-cleverly
say: “Your Playboy magazines?” “No
man!” he protests. Then I click: he means
ammunition magazines. So I tease: “Oh
sorry, Hustler?” “No man!” He turns to
a tall army comrade, hits him on the
shoulder and says: “Jis man! Wat is ʼn
magazine in Engels?”
These men have dedicated their youth
to discipline, intense physical train-
ing, military instruction, and adrenal
stimulation skills. All jokes aside, regret-
tably not all encounters with the army
lads are a laughing matter. My army
acquaintances often inform me that for
some consecutive weeks they sit around
wasting time, often going out at night to
compensate for the monotony of lengthy
days. Many people in the township are
not so accepting of the military location
for this particular reason. A number of
army boys (not taking into account the
ones I know), are known for fraternis-
ing with young township girls on their
nights out. The military as a whole are
blamed for causing kak in the township.
This includes contributing to a propor-
tion of the increasing pregnancy rates,
drunken violence and other related
incidents.
This takes me back to my point of the
‘real’ men of the military. In the movie
300 an outnumbered Spartan army fights
for their survival, only to be defeated by
their weakest link: one of their own who
fraternises with the enemy. In Graham-
stown the army lives to defend citizens,
but it is ironically these same citizens
that are subject to some soldiers’ bad
behaviour. Their actions damage the
army’s otherwise good intentions. This
Being in digs surely means one
thing for most people: “to mind my
own business.” This translates as: “I
do not want to be disturbed what-
soever, so bugger off.” But surely it
should not be like this – you’re still
part of a broader community. Every
now and again we do feel lonely in
our digs, always facing the same old
walls: the TV is boring, the same
CD has played over and over again
and you’ve been drunk more than
enough. Why not then de-tox all
the alcohol and boredom by taking
your racquet, basketball, swimming
costume and, most importantly, your
digsmates out to play. Life is fun if
you add some spice to it and I think
any kind of sport will do the trick.
My plea is to all the Oppi girls
out there: stop thinking about books,
EQ, the Rat and Parrot or Friars for a
change and spend those girl-outings
on the sports field playing soccer on
either Saturday mornings or Sunday
afternoons. You don’t need to be a
sporty person to be on the fields, all
that is required is passion and your
time. Hope to see you out there!
Hazvineyi Mushambadope is Sports
Rep on the Oppidan Committee.

have your first aid kit, over here you
have your eating utensils, and over here
[hands now crossing his proud chest]
you have your magazines.” My imme-
diate thought process was as follows:
principle holds outside of the army: we
are all ‘real’ men and women, trying to
be honest, but more often than not the
majority is forced to take the fall for the
cowardly few.

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 THE OPPIDAN PRESS


Features
Dealing with depression
With exams just around the corner, the heat is on for Oppies in par-
ticular as we juggle end-of-term essays, revision and the daily admin
of digs life. If you are taking strain, read on...
By Laura Durham CBT has developed notably in the last
decade and takes a practical approach,
looking at how a client interprets events.
A depressed person will interpret any-
thing negatively, and this therapy aims
to rectify these thoughts. Depression is
an illness with episodes that come and
go but through CBT, future episodes are
prevented.
Not all depressed people think about
suicide on a serious level, but rather have
Charles Young, head of the Rhodes “suicidal idealation”, according to Young,
Counselling Centre, said that of all and this needs to be dealt with before it
clients seen, 17 percent suffer from becomes dangerous. Intervention can
depression, which is a worryingly large occur, by contacting the parents and in
number. The number increases through- some cases hospitalisation, but this is
out the year – not because of any ‘suicide usually done with the consent of the de-
season’, but because after some time pressed person, as negotiation provides a
students are more comfortable and con- basis for therapy.
fident to go to the Counselling Centre According to Inspector Coetzer of the
and seek assistance. South African Police Services, suicide
statistics cannot be released out of

Pic: Leon Schnell

respect for the families, but the number
of unnatural deaths (most as a result of
suicide) was eight in April, and already
five this month. It is very emotionally
draining for all involved in a suicide
case, and caseworkers find the images

Riding with the donkey cart men

There are three main ways in which
help is offered to people suffering from
depression: psychological therapy, Cog-
nitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and
psychiatric therapy – where a psychia-
trist comes to the Counselling Centre
and is able to prescribe anti-depressants.
Open
9am - Late
Tel
(046) 622-3042
difficult to deal with long after the case
has been closed.
For any assistance in dealing with
depression, please contact the Counsel-
ling Centre (top floor of Union Build-
ing); email: counsellingcentre@ru.ac.za;
Lifeline: 0861 322 322; SMS Suicide line:
31393; CPU: 046 603 8146/7
Deliveries
6pm - 12pm
Deliveries Fee
R2-50
By Cara-Ann Carstens and Michael Kaeflein
Patric Doyi owns two donkeys. He
was given his first by his father and then
bought another one for R250. With this
problems from the police or traffic of-
ficials, nor motorists, who have learned
to tolerate the donkey carts in the streets
of Grahamstown.
Patric is one of the 56 cart owners
registered with the Makana Donkey
Association. The association fights to
protect the rights of donkeys and to
ensure that they are treated in a humane
manner. The association was founded
5 years ago by Annerie Wolmarans,
a former SPCA employee, who was
concerned about the abuse that the
donkeys were suffering because their
owners overwork them so they can earn
decade. Annerie describes cases where
animals are stabbed and sometimes even
killed. This is mainly because rivalry
between donkey cart owners is fierce.
Donkeys have had their ears or tails cut
off and one even had an iron rod pushed
up its rectum. Annerie explains that
when a donkey owner makes a mere R60
a day, “the donkey always comes last”.
Ever since the Makana Donkey As-
sociation was established, the commu-
nity and the donkey owners have been
encouraged to cooperate in report-
ing any ill treatment of the donkeys.
Concerned motorists often call in to

The bigger, better burger

pairing, called Blackie and Whitie, he more money. For Annerie to regulate the report when a donkey cart is overloaded.
can often be seen making his way along way donkeys were treated around town, Legally, the association’s cause is gaining
Beaufort Street with his cart on the way she asked the donkey owners to become ground – there have been three success-

“You Ring We Bring”

back to the township. He makes his liv-
ing carrying loads of firewood from the
forests outside Grahamstown and selling
Telephone them in the township.
It takes Patric and his friend an hour
(046) 622-3042 and a half to make their way through
town to fetch wood and return to the
28 New Street township. There they sell the wood for
R40 a load and their day’s work is done.
Patric insists that he takes good care of
the donkeys; they sleep outside at night
and are allowed to roam free. He feeds
them carrots and cabbage and they are
NEW & IMPROVED watered in the breaks between carrying
members of the association. At present, ful prosecutions of animal abuse against
members of the association total about donkeys in Grahamstown.
90% of Grahamstown’s donkey owners.
They meet every other month in the
townships.
Annerie has a passion for donkeys
that has been with her since childhood.
“I have a photo of me as a three year old,
perched on top of a donkey; maybe that’s
where the love came from,” she says.
On its mission to educate, the
Makana Donkey Association sent eight
donkey owners to Cape Town on a
course to teach them how to look after

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loads. Every now and again he gives peo-
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a foreign family during Festival, because
they wanted to experience Grahamstown
from the back of a donkey cart. He says
Exam stress = greasy hair. Buy new Aqua Shampoo he would even give students a ride, at R5
a pop.
(for sensitive scalps) for only R25.00. Patric says that he never has any
their donkeys. These eight owners now
take the liberty of sharing their know-
how with the rest of the donkey owners
in the Grahamstown community. Since
then, things have “improved a hell of a
lot” for the Grahamstown donkeys, says
Annerie.
Donkey abuse has been rife in the last
With Annerie and the Makana
Donkey Association keeping an eye
on the donkeys that work tirelessly to
provide many families with a livelihood
and firewood, it is reassuring to know
that they are being treated in an
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 Politics
THE OPPIDAN PRESS

By Melissa Nefdt and Lionel Faull

By Muzoxolo Baduza, Tinyiko Mushwana point of discussion in voter behaviour,” he says,

At the second student forum sitting
last Saturday evening, the assembly wait-
ed for 20 minutes until one latecomer
arrived to fulfil the two-thirds quorum.
Quorum was insufficient for Constitu-
tional changes to be ratified, however,
as student delegates started drifting out
of the meeting almost as soon as it had
begun. As a result, delegates had to be
content with discussing the “inconsisten-
cies and muddles” which Bryony Green
had identified in the draft constitution.
A five-person working group has
now been set up to incorporate the latest
amendments. It is unclear what the fate
and Simon Allison
In a country where the ruling party has
more than a two-thirds majority, this is a vital
question. Democracy works on the principle of
checks and balances, and a strong opposition
party is central to maintaining this. The ANC
needs to be held accountable, and as the official
opposition, the DA should be responsible for
this.
But the appeal of the DA and Zille is
centred in mainly white, urban areas. The DA
is often perceived as a white party that does
not represent the needs and interests of the
country’s majority black population. Critics say
they will never be able to attract black voters
because of this, and will never really be able to
make significant inroads into the ANC’s sup-
port base – something that needs to happen if
the DA is to become stronger and more effec-
adding that skin colour is not the determin-
ing factor in getting votes. He argues that the
DA’s problems stem from their policies, which
are not all that different from the ANC’s. “In a
substantive manner the DA is offering exactly
what the ANC is already offering. It is fishing
in the same pond as the ANC,” he says.
However, it might take more than poli-
cies to change popular perceptions. Hoeane
floats the possibility of an ANC-DA alliance
sometime in the future. “This would be the
best thing that would ever happen in South
Africa. It will also go a long way in eradicating
the race issues that South Africa has faced and
continues to deal with,” he says. This would
also help South Africans realise that they have
very common interests.
Do the ANC and the DA really have that
much in common? Rhodes SASCO president
Awethu Zumana doesn’t think so. “We believe
that even if the DA had a black leader it would
still not get black votes because of its neo-liber-
al agenda,” which, according to Zumana, does
not cater for poor blacks in South Africa. He
said that the DA needs to change its policies if
it wants to realise more popular appeal.

Illustration: Alex Dubb

of the amended Constitution will be if
a third student forum does not meet
quorum this week.
The lack of student interest shown at
the two student forums so far is surpris-
ing considering the furore two months
ago when Paul Hjul led a crusade against
tive as an opposition.
However, politics lecturer and expert on
South African politics Dr Thabisi Hoeane ar-
gues that this is a simplistic analysis. “We need
to be careful of highlighting race issues as a
Either way, the DA needs more support if
it is to properly fulfil its role as South Africa’s
official opposition and keep the ANC in check.
How Zille will do this is not yet known; that
she has to is clear.

The World View

the SRC. More than three hundred
students attended that meeting, where
it was agreed that the SRC Constitu-
tion is seriously flawed. However, once
the Constitutional review process was
underway, less than ten students in Compiled by Simon Allison
total attended the three working group
meetings.
At the first student forum two weeks
ago, many participants were not inter-
ested in being involved, and some were
seen to be voting with the majority just
so that the process would be over sooner. Le Monde Diplomatique
PARIS – Though he claims that the state will protect
France and the French people, his economic and social
Does anybody care? programme draws on old Thatcherite remedies and
favours those whom fortune has already favoured. His
By Melissa Nefdt republican sallies cannot obscure his security-based vi-
sion of society in which repression is the only answer to
the claims of the lower classes and the young.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“I don’t care and I don’t have time
to worry about it,” says Clare Hoggan,
a third year BAcc Oppidan. “Marches
are fun and exciting but meetings are
boring.”
Lucie Pinson, a third year BA
Oppidan, agrees. She says that students
see marches as revolutionary activities,
an opportunity to shout and make
noise and to show that you’re active and
care for things other than themselves.
Meetings, on the other hand, are tedious,
and there is no one to acknowledge your
involvement and praise you for being
there. “So in brief, students see meetings
as a waste of time, which is the sad truth
about human nature,” she says.
The lack of student participation in
the review process means that the new
SRC Constitution is an entirely SRC-run
procedure. This shows a huge amount
of trust on the part of the student body
that the SRC can examine and correct
itself. If things go wrong later down the
line, students will have only themselves
to blame.
WASHINGTON DC – With some 85% of the
population voting, France took an irrevocable step to
the right. President Sarkozy promised tough policing
and anti-immigration measures, fewer taxes and state
handouts, a smaller bureaucracy and a renewed work
ethic…Sarkozy has already begun to undermine the
sensual, rhythmically slower France much loved by
expatriates – long meals, fine foods and wines, extended
vacations and always a backdoor approach to getting
things done.
The Mail & Guardian
DAKAR – The weekend election of right-winger
Nicolas Sarkozy as the new president of France has
raised fears in Africa because of his tough line on im-
migration. But some on the continent also hope for a
paradigm shift in ties with France’s former colonies,
removed from the so-called Francafrique network of
past French leaders who maintained relations with
some dubious African leaders. Sarkozy was the architect
of France’s tough immigration policy and as interior
minister stepped up the expulsion of illegal immigrants,
prompting sharp criticism from rights groups.
Financial Times
BRUSSELS – Nicolas Sarkozy’s declaration that
France was now “back in Europe” was greeted with a
mixture of relief and foreboding in European Union
capitals, where the new French president has as many
enemies as admirers…Yet, for all Mr Sarkozy’s bruising
Gaullist style, his election was greeted with relief in the
EU’s biggest power centres – Berlin, London and Brus-
sels – where he was seen as the best candidate to drag
France into the 21st century.

 believe in life.
EVENTS
DIARY
By Amanda Strydom
Before starting rehearsals for the
play, the production team has to decide
what it is they want to say to people.
Van de Ruit: the madness continues…
By Bridget O’Keeffe
Spud has become South Africa’s
equivalent to Harry Potter, in which
tales of Quidditch and broomsticks are
replaced by rugby and an embarrassing
Roxbury Cine gets its hooks into illegal download pirates
By Hayley Mueller
. for artists to market not only their prod-
Art is made for consumption: it is
an artist’s dream for their works to be
distributed to as many people as possible
and DC seems to provide the perfect
platform for this. However, Roxbury’s
campaign bluntly states that piracy is
no different from stealing: a crime that
THE OPPIDAN PRESS
Arts
“It should evoke thoughts and feel-
ings; it must have affected you in some
way,” says Barnard, an honours Drama
student.
With Venus, they began by getting
scripts, allocating roles and then doing a
read-through. The next step is ‘blocking’,
which involves working out the ‘skeleton’
of the play. This determines how each
movement is made on stage and why. It
also provides an opportunity to see what
actions will work. Both the director and
the actors work together in formulating
the final product.
“The movement is essential in
old station wagon. Van de Ruit attended
Michaelhouse School in the Natal Mid-
lands, and his novel is loosely based on
his adventures as a thirteen year old in
his first year at the school.
Anyone who has gone to school,
particularly boarding school, will be able
to relate to the quirky characters and
stereotypical teachers portrayed in the
book. Everyone likes to reminisce about
their childhood and Spud successfully
draws on people’s memories.
I started reading Spud on a jam-
packed flight home. It took a couple of
dirty looks from fellow passengers before
I realised that I’d been caught laugh-
The Big Screen
severely impacts struggling local artists.
It seems elitist to think that only
those who can afford to buy art should
be afforded the privilege of consuming it.
It’s a catch-22 situation: students down-
load music and movies because they
can’t afford them any other way and thus
movie prices increase as no one spends
money on the big screen.
We live in a culture where it’s normal
uct, but themselves. Popular rock band
Fall Out Boy released their first album
on the Internet for this very reason.
They preferred the exposure and fame of
music-making to the actual record sales,
as this is what defines solid success. The
real money is no longer made from the
“
To be an artist is to
portraying relationships between the dif-
ferent characters,” Barnard says; “a well
choreographed piece makes it so much
more successful.”
Barnard admits that it’s tricky to learn
lines because the words are secondary:
“It’s never about what you’re saying but
how and why and to whom you’re saying
it.” Learning the lines is easy, but execut-
ing them is what takes time. She explains
that it’s a process that develops as the
character does.
The amount of time put into a
production makes it very demanding
on everyone involved. This particular
ing out loud. Van de Ruit writes with
a unique sense of humour that readers
may recognise from his collaborations
with Ben Voss, which included the satiri-
cal play Green Mamba.
Spud has, however, been criticised
because it is written from the point of
view of the adult author rather than the
teenage boy. This argument is weak, con-
sidering that the novel is targeted at an
adult audience re-living school memo-
ries. Furthermore, critics have written off
its wide appeal to a lack of stimulation: it
is unchallenging and therefore accessible
to a wider audience.
Regardless, the Spud phenomenon
amount of CDs sold, or how much the
box-office brings in. It lies instead in
the amount of sponsorship deals, prod-
uct endorsements, guest appearances,
interviews and talk shows done.
The choice remains in the individu-
al’s hands. Art is a fickle field and artists
usually understand this when they
choose to enter this volatile industry.
However, entertainment comes at a
price and artists need to be supported
as much as possible.
This feature will be appearing weekly as a joint
effort between The Roxbury Cine and The Oppidan
Press. Its purpose is to keep you updated with
what’s going on at The Roxbury. Due to deadline
clashes a detailed listing of shows is not feasible. It
is all available on our website: www.roxbury.co.za.
– Joan Miro ”
Pics: Gaynor Barnard and Mike Dexter
piece is very physical so it takes up a lot
of energy. Barnard says she is constantly
thinking of elements surrounding the
character. Spiritually, you’re trying to ex-
tend yourself: your beliefs and thoughts
are challenged, leaving a vast space for
self-reflection.
Barnard says that drama “is such an
intimate process, you learn to work with
different people you don’t necessarily
like”.
She stresses that you need to know
every motion: “People on stage are very
transparent. The audience will know if
you don’t know what you’re doing”.
has taken over in terms of re-defining
the image of South African boarding
schools. Van de Ruit’s witty humour and
vivid imagery make all the scenes easy to
imagine, whether you went to boarding
schools or not.
The sequel to this outstanding
book has recently been released, and
production on the film version of Spud
is set to commence in early 2008. Novels
are rarely adored in the way Spud has
been by thousands of readers, and the
film is eagerly anticipated. Now we can
only wait and see if the South African
film industry will do justice to this
magnum opus.
 THE OPPIDAN PRESS

Entertainment 

Hitting the G-spot

By Malebo Mogorosi, Nelisa Mniki,
Solomzi Khoza and Zinziswa Mani
MASSAGE
For those nights when you’ve been
studying till your neck can’t turn and
your back feels like it’s been dismantled,
you can pop into Tranquillity and
get yourself a back,
neck and shoulder massage for only
R100. Tranquillity is a health and beauty
clinic on the corner of High Street and
Somerset Street, owned by Lizelle Jacobs.
The garden is laced with beautiful purple
flowers and green trees for a relaxing
environment – an ideal setting to enjoy
peace of mind. Other options on offer
include Indian head massages for R75,
stress reducing back massage for R150 or
the de-stress aromatherapy for R200. Ja-
cobs says: “There is no place in the world
you would rather be than laying on the
massage table being taken to new
heights.” It’s the perfect
excuse to neglect your
studies for half an
hour and lower the
stress levels for the
next round of cram-
ming.
Set up an appoint-
ment by phoning
046 622 6077
or going
there
Barnard
yourself. Tranquillity is open Monday to
Thursday from 08:00 to 19:00, Fridays
from 08:00 to 17:00 and Saturdays from
08:00 to 16:00.
ASHTANGA YOGA
If you’d like something slightly more ac-
tive, follow Madonna’s example and give
Ashtanga yoga a try. Alan Parker, a local
yoga instructor, says that Ashtanga yoga
is a form of meditation and a method of
deep breathing and movement that can
improve strength, flexibility and stamina,
as well as relieving stress. As a bonus,
throughout a yoga session you are also
removing toxins from your body and
getting rid of mental distractions.
Yoga classes are run by the Drama
department and take place three times
a week. Mondays (18:00-19:30) are for
beginners, while Tuesdays and Thurs-
days (13:05-14:05) are for the more
experienced. The first class is a free trial,
after which you can attend at a rate of
R12 per session.
MOTHER EARTH WORKSHOPS
Another relaxing option is the Moth-
er Earth Workshop. This is a
workshop that deals with many
types of relaxation. This is an
opportunity for free spirited
people to get together and
be one with nature, taking a
break from all the stress of
varsity. The purpose of the
our true selves and release the tension
in the body. The workshop will be held
twice a week on Sunday afternoons
(14:00-17:00) in the Bot Gardens dur-
ing the exam period.
CAPOEIRA
Last but not least, Capoeira is always
a welcome alternative for de-stress-
ing. Capoeira is normally defined as
a Brazilian martial art with rhythm
and music, but this doesn’t seem to
do it justice. It can be a way of life
when exercised properly. Gone are the
stuffy formalities and coloured belts of
traditional martial arts. Instead, they
are replaced with musical instruments
and dancing. It’s like working out, but
without the work.
Typical Capoeira games consist of
two people in a roda (circle) while the
bateria play the instruments. The bat-
eria will have three berimbaus (gourd
bows), two pandeiros (tambourines),
a reco-reco (rasp), an agogo (gong bell)
and, optionally, an atabque (drum).
The people forming the roda will sing
about what is happening inside it.
Often, call and response songs about
everyday life and love are used. The
two players facing each other do not
make any physical contact but show
their ability to attack and defend as
well as some gymnastic moves. No
two games are ever the same though,
as there is much room to freestyle and
Sweet Revenge
By Takondwa Nyasulu
Well, on Christmas, which also hap-
pens to be my birthday, I got an email
and a phone call from his soon-to-be
Mrs. I was distraught, but, after some
sweet talking from Ex, I was convinced
that I was dealing with a group of haters
who were jealous of what we had. I was
naïve enough to believe him. But the
story doesn’t end just yet. Ex twisted the
knife that was already stuck in my back
even further by sleeping with a herpes-
infected streetwalker (at least that’s how
I think of her). To top it all off, she hap-
pened to be in one of my classes. After
a year of devotion to a verbally abusive
ogre, I decided I’d had enough…and
what’s more, I would stop at nothing to
get revenge.
I thought of attacking his most prized
possession. Yes, chopping off his penis
was an option but I was put off by the
idea of having to wear an orange prison
jumpsuit for the rest of my life. His Japa-

workshop is to allow you to you can progress at your own pace. nese car was like a precious baby to him,
rediscover your Inner Child. So, for a great way to express yourself so I thought of scratching the old hunk of
r
Pic: Gayno

The Mother Earth Workshop
comprises of a variety of play activities
such as drawing, letter writing, finger
painting and trust exercises. These ac-
tivities are said to help reconnect us with
and relax while getting fit, join Lara
Beryis and Ricardo Rorich for Capoeira
at the Princess Alice Hall on African
Street on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, 19:00-21:00. Lessons cost R5.
junk with my keys from bonnet to boot.
One of my darling friends even advised
me to pour sugar into his petrol tank and
assured me that this would wreck the
crusty thing for life. Others advised that
I get with his brother or send him hate

Sudoku mail. In the end, I did nothing. Planning

revenge is time-consuming and draining,
and I’m not that kind of person.
Each puzzle has a unique solution which can
be found by logic alone. When someone betrays you, you go
through a wave of emotions. You’re an-
gry: at the other person for treating you
so badly, and yourself for being foolish
enough to let it happen. You mourn for
what could have been, feeling completely
defeated. And finally, you pick yourself
up and begin the healing process. In my
experience, this is the most painful part
of it all.
It’s been a year since my Prince
Charming went riding off into the sunset
with another woman, and I’d be lying if
Puzzler Media Ltd. 2007

I said that the experience hasn’t left me

bitter and skeptical about relationships.
Even though I’ve moved on and dated
other people, my heart still hurts when I
see them together because I’m reminded

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119 HIGH STREET,

GRAHAMSTOWN
The sex and relationship column of The Oppidan
Press, Hitting The G-Spot, is intended to explore
sex and sexual relations in a responsible and
informative way. Sex – whether you’re getting it
Pic: Leon Schnell

TEL/FAX 046 6361525 or not – is a big part of being a young adult and
EMAIL rhodope@fables.co.za Hitting The G-Spot is here to promote personal
safety, physical health and emotional wellbeing.
 THE OPPIDAN PRESS


SciTech
SciTech shorts

By Seranne Howis By Jessica Cockburn

Last week astronomers had the
chance to watch the brightest
exploding star ever recorded. This
explosion was a hundred times more
energetic than a typical supernova.
The star that exploded (named
“SN 2006gy”) was estimated to have
been 150 times the size of our sun.
This is as large as the laws of physics
allow a star to get. Many of the first
generation stars in the universe are
believed to have been this massive,
and this rare supernova allowed as-
tronomers a glimpse of how the very
first stars would have died. Superno-
vas usually happen when extremely
large stars exhaust their fuel and col-
lapse, but SN 2006gy did something
different. There is evidence that the
very distant SN 2006gy expelled a
large amount of matter just before
it exploded. A much closer massive
Researchers have recently applied
nanotechnology to a new fashion
line, aptly named ‘Glitterati’.
Textiles are coated with silver
nanoparticles that give the fabrics
the ability to combat many harmful
bacteria and viruses. This means
that the wearer of the garment has
a much lower risk of catching com-
mon ailments, such as flu, which are
transmitted by these microbes. The
silver nanoparticles are electro-
statically charged, which creates a
charged shield around the cotton
fibres in the garment. On the na-
noscale, the antibacterial properties
of silver are enhanced to the extent
that they neutralise any viruses and
bacteria that come into contact with
them.
At a mere $10,000 per square
yard, this new fashion breakthrough
By Seranne Howis and Silvana Barbali
Pelargonium reniforme and Pelar-
gonium sidoides are two species in the
plant family that are commonly known
as Geraniums. P. reniforme is limited
to a small area between Grahamstown
and Port Elizabeth and is ranked as the
28th most traded plant in the Eastern
Cape. P. sidoides has a wider distribution
throughout the Eastern and Western
Cape. The root tubers of both species
are used by traditional healers to treat
damaging effect on the species. Tra-
ditional harvesting methods leave a
portion of the Pelargonium plant in the
ground, having little impact on actual
numbers of plants and allowing tubers to
regrow (this is called sustainable harvest-
ing). Commercial harvesters frequently
remove the whole plant, leading to the
wiping out of entire populations.
Andrew White’s research found that
(after using the traditional harvest-
ing method) greenhouse grown plants
showed regrowth rates six times that of
plants left to regrow in the wild, sug-
gesting that the best possible method of
meeting export demands could be the
commercial greenhouse cultivation of
Pelargonium.
The majority of commercial harvest-
ers who destructively collect Pelargo-
nium plants from the wild are impov-
erished and unemployed, and they are
paid a paltry R3 to R15 per kilogram of

Pics: Simon Capstick-Dale (bottom) and supplied (top)

star in our own galaxy (named Eta
Carinae) appears to be following the
same course of action.
fused with nanotechnology is a must
for beating the winter colds and flu
that will soon be upon us.
stomach complaints and respiratory tract
infections (including tuberculosis).
Extracts made from plants may
have up to 50 or more phytochemicals
(plant-produced compounds) dis-
solved in them. Many of these bioactive
compounds can have an antibacterial
effect. The antibacterial properties of at
least one of these compounds has been
studied by Rhodes student Andrew
White, who undertook his MSc on the
harvesting and extraction of bioactive
compounds in P. sidoides.
The last 20 years have seen a growing
interest in and utilisation of plant prod-
ucts in the international pharmaceutical
industry. Four years ago, the interna-
tional market began to take an active
research interest in the two Pelargonium
species, with an esti-
harvested root. The middlemen who sell
these roots on to French syndicate buy-
ers in Cape Town can easily make up to
R1000 per kilogram.
The majority of Pelargonium roots
that are commercially harvested are ex-
ported by large corporations in Germany
and France. P. sidoides has been used
in Germany to develop a treatment for
bronchitis, creating a multimillion-dollar
industry in Europe based on this South
African plant.
The South African government’s
White Paper on the Conservation and Pelargonium sidoides and Pelargonium
Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Bio- reniforme, also known as Geraniums.
logical Diversity aims to control access
to indigenous resources through the vital for their people’s well being.
introduction of legislature. Harvest per- Initial attempts at stamping out
mits are required to harvest Pelargonium the pillaging of South Africa’s natural
in the Eastern Cape. Despite this, illegal resources for European corporations

DROSTDY RENTALS mated five tonnes of

plants exported from
the Grahamstown area
on a weekly basis. Extracts
DIGS 2008! as
from Pelargonium (marketed
medicinal products) are
COME VIEW OUR HOUSES AND GET THE available for purchase in the
overseas market, with
BEST DIGS EARLY up to US$6 million
generated annually
Pic: Supplied
harvesting and abuse of issued permits
continues. The Department of Conserva-
tion, deciding that the permit issuing
policy is inadequate, have declared a
moratorium on all harvesting of indig-
enous plants. This is highly problematic
given that most people in the Eastern
Cape rely on medicinal plants for their
health care, in an area that is known as
the poorest region in South Africa. This
appear to have been less than successful.
Further impending legislature aimed
at hardening control over the collec-
tion and export of South African plant
material could have dire consequences
for general botanical research. A strict
reading of the proposed legislature
could require that a researcher must
have a permit merely to go into a public
herbarium to inspect a sample of a plant

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moratorium also means that traditional
harvesters may be arrested for collecting
what they see as communal property
prevent the bed floating off across the
floor, it is tethered at each corner. The
visual effect achieved by the designers is
as though the bed were falling upwards.
Its use isn’t limited to only a bed; it can
also be used as a sofa, a Japanese dining
table or even a display platform. The
floating bed is available for purchase
that has been stored there for the last
hundred years. This could have a nega-
tive impact on research in this country.
now, for the trifling sum of US$1.5
million. Buyers should probably be
advised to remove their earrings before
vacuuming underneath.
To find out more, go to
www.universearchitecture.com.
Gadget discovered by Seranne Howis

COLLETE Jillian Soné

Tel: 046 636 1388
Cell: 083 268 8808
Email: rentals@eragrahamstown.co.za
We offer top quality service and exceptional customer care. Contact
Pic: Supplied

the rental agents on 046 636 1388


2003
Notable strikes in the clothing
and textile sector. Municipalities
were affected by recurring work
stoppages.
2004
Latest large public sector strike.
Unions demand better wages and
working conditions.
2005
Unions aligned with the Congress
of South African Trade Unions
(Cosatu) demand better wages
for teachers, nurses and security
guards.
2006
National Education Health and
Allied Workers Union (Nehawu)
members from provincial
Departments of Roads and
Transportation on a protected strike
due to conditions of employment.
2007
Public Sector Unions, affiliated
with Cosatu, demand a 12% wage
increase.
The role of inflation
The mainstream definition of
inflation refers to a general rise in
prices measured against a standard
level of purchasing power. It is
measured by comparing two sets
of goods at two points in time, and
then calculating the increase in cost
which has not been affected by an
increase in quality.
Although an increase in inflation
is often viewed as having negative
effects on the economy, its upside
is that in the short term it is often
difficult to renegotiate prices
downwards, so often prices are
readjusted in the same direction.
This has been a problem for the
unions because the expectation
with an increase in inflation is an
increase in wages to meet the higher
prices; however, this has not been
addressed.
Business
Inflation leaves
workers behind
By Shingirirai Chaza
Statistics South Africa says that the
recent increase in inflation is the highest
in three and a half years.
Trade unions are enraged and have
entered into negotiations concerning a
public wage demand increase, which is
said to be almost half the rate of infla-
tion. The unions are united, demanding
a 12% increase, and have reportedly
placed a deadline for their demands
to be met by the end of May 2007. If
their demands are not complied with
by government, the threat of a national
public sector strike could turn into a
reality. Recently, government offered an
THE OPPIDAN PRESS
initial increase of 5.3%, which was later
revised to 6% – this has been rejected by
the unions.
This initiative for an increase in
wages is said to be long overdue and
necessary. The burden of the increase in
inflation has been most felt by the poor,
the majority of whom are public sector
servants and are earning minimum
wage, as they are unable to afford rising
product costs. Additionally, as the higher
and more elite employees receive higher
wages and bigger bonuses, the only
change felt by those at the bottom is the
widening of the wage gap.
It is said that about 80% of pub-
lic workers would benefit from this
increase, and that the increase would
also better the public sector as a whole
by making jobs such as nursing, teaching
and police work more attractive.
It is suggested though that the threat
of a strike is not so much linked to the
needs of public workers, but more as an
illustration of the unions’ political influ-
ence. Despite this, it is widely believed
that the most likely agreement will be
reached at about 6.8%.
Pics: Supplied
BUDDY’S LAUNDROMAT
For Friendly, Fast Service
14 New Street

Business shorts
By Shingirirai Chaza By Shingirirai Chaza
If you’ve walked into Pick ‘n Pay re- Over the next two years, a monorail
cently to pick up milk, you may have will be built between Soweto and
noticed the sign telling you there is a Johannesburg. This will mean that
national milk shortage. Current milk commuters will be able to get from
supply is not meeting the required the one destination to the other in
demand and an international milk less than 15 minutes. Construction
shortage, due to the drought in Aus- is said to begin in September this
tralia, has also impacted on South year.
Africa’s milk problems. The monorail will run on both
The small and medium-sized electricity and solar-powered batter-
dairy farmers in the country are put ies. It will consist of rubber wheeled
at the most risk by this, as they can carbon fibre carriages, each of which
no longer afford the rocketing input will be able to carry 107 people.
costs such as fertiliser and labour. Rails will run between carriages and
Their selling prices can no longer dock at aerial stations which will be
meet those of the ‘big boys’; large accessed by escalators.
manufacturers such as Clover and The reasoning behind this project
Parmalat. If the shortage is main- is to ease congestion on the roads
tained for much longer, other milk and enable people to commute easily
products, such as cheese, will also be and affordably. It is hoped that the
affected. monorail will transport 1.5 million
The shortage is forecasted to end commuters a day between the two
only by late November 2007. areas.
economic indicators
Exchange Rate (16 May 2007)
Weighted average of the banks’ daily rates at approximately 10:30am.
Rand/Dollar R6.9301
Rand/Pound R13.7580
Rand/Euro R9.4249
Interest Rates (May 2007)
Repo 9.00%
Repurchase rate: Rate at which the private (sector) banks borrow rands from
the SA Reserve Bank.
Prime 12.50%
Benchmark rate at which private banks lend out money to the public.
Inflation Rate (March 2007)
CPI 6.1%
CONSUMER PRICES Total (metropolitan areas) 12-Term % change.
CPIX 5.5%
CONSUMER PRICES CPIX - CPI excluding interest rates on mortgage bonds
(metropolitan and other urban areas) 12-Term % change.
• Wash
• Tumble Dry
• Iron
• Fold
MATTHEW STRYDOM
Open 7 days per week
Mon - Sat: 8am - 8pm
Sun: 8am - 6pm
Tel: 046 622 9560

10
Ad vertorial
Fulfilling all your sporting needs
By Samantha Dormehl “We carry the widest range of sports
equipment in Grahamstown,” says
Wescott. “We are able to source products
from other sources through email and
Internet and have accessed unusual
things like jukskei and adventure equip-
ment.” Wescott is more than willing
to fulfil your every sporting need and
emphasises this fact (and no ladies, he
simply means your sporting equipment
needs, nothing more).
Pics: Leon Schnell
Sport
THE OPPIDAN PRESS
I tentatively ask, wanting to avoid
sounding like a student mining for
discounts, if there are any specials for the
low-budget student.“We rotate footwear
specials all the time!” answers Wescott.
There is currently a special on all leisure
styles in the new Reebok range. Albany
Sports offers a 10% discount for all
students and caters for Rhodes specific
equipment such as hockey and rugby
socks.
Wescott has always been a sports fan,
having played tennis, rugby and cricket,
but he is now most passionate about
golf. Albany Sports originally began as
a fishing shop in the 1970s, but because
of legislation that prevented people
from driving on the beaches, fishing
equipment was increasingly replaced by
footwear.
Wescott’s passion for golf is evident in
the computerised driving range set up at
the back of the shop. The driving range is
intended to help people who have swing
problems: “It’s a fun way of specifically
focusing on certain aspects of the swing,”
says Wescott. So if you’re an avid golfer,
or involved in any other sport, get down
to Albany Sports for some tips, great
sporting equipment and clothing.
Cricknis: serving
sixes out the court
By Saint-Francis Tohlang
What inspires such a great concept
of combining two sporting codes,
entirely different in their form, yet
equally enjoyable? “Fusing the two
sports is easier than expecting people
to play tennis,” Philippa Francis,
chairperson of the Tennis Club says.
“We wanted many people to come
and enjoy themselves.” The small
crowd seemed to enjoy the theatrics of
drunken players smashing sixes with
tennis racquets.
There were some mixed reactions
from the spectators, who were in
cheerful and high spirits induced by a
little action punch. Zakhele Xulu said:
“I liked the casual-meets-formal vibe,”
instigated by the merger of cricket
and tennis. While others like Kenneth
Goldswain felt that “it didn’t work very
well”.
This gets me thinking about the
fusion of cricket and tennis. Could this
be a winning formula? I mean nowa-
days, with the right kind of support,
anything can become a fully-fledged
sport. Take paper jet throwing or
chucking or whatever it is. The idea
of cricket and tennis, amalgamated
to satisfy my desire to sweetly strike
the ball clearly over the rope or fence
excites me. Emma Herbert says this
is an exciting concept, as it is “fantasy
fulfilling”. Those who aspired to
emulate their childhood heroes, or to
smash the ball as Matty Hayden does,
can let this aspiration come alive in
this form.
Francis speaks of how there have
been attempts on their part to estab-
lish more regular games of this kind
and possibly a social league. She said:
“We originally asked the Cricket Club
to host the event with us, to make it
more exciting. It is something we will
look into.”
If that’s the case, I am in. Keep
tabs as I will soon smash my way to
the fastest Cheese and Wine Cricknis
century – guaranteed.

Grahamstown Aviation Day
Pictures by Gaynor Barnard
All eyes on the Springboks after Super 14 thriller
By Shiraz Jogee
The fact there were two South African
teams in the Super 14 final is testament
in itself to the change in the standard
of South African rugby. The Sharks and
Pic: Supplied
Bulls have dominated and really come
into their own, giving us a nail-biting fi-
nal on Saturday, with the Bulls lifting the
trophy courtesy of a last-gasp overtime
try from Bryan Habana.
In the semi-final, Derick Hougaard
Sport
THE OPPIDAN PRESS
Razza’s Ramblings
up-staged Daniel Carter in the Bulls
match against the Crusaders. Carter,
who is rated the best player in interna-
tional rugby and is the highest earning
rugby player in the world, looked aver-
age to an in-form Hougaard. That just
showed that in a game needing compo-
sure and strong nerves under pressure,
we have the talent to match the best.
White may invite the Bulls flyhalf and
one more player to the original squad
of 46 to join the elite group. But, he will
have to get the approval from Hoskins.
The selection of the squad has
brought about much debate, as one can
imagine. Questions have to be asked
about choices such as Ashwin Willemse,
who played only one match against the
Cheetahs, and Zimbabwean born Tonde-
rai Chavanga, who has not played in the
Super 14 all season yet finds himself in
the Springbok squad. The Luke Watson
issue has been discussed on a number of
occasions with the relationship between
Skydiving: it’s not as stupid as it looks
By Saint-Francis Tohlang
But this frantic media coverage
should not prevent you from satisfy-
ing that crazy quest to jump out of an
aeroplane 10,000 feet above the ground.
Skydiving instructors follow very strin-
gent safety procedures and skydiving is
safer than most people think.
EP Skydivers has been clouded in
controversy, as there are question marks
regarding their safety procedures.
However, can the blame be levelled at
EP Skydivers? Lisa Briggs, a professional
skydiver, says: “Skydiving is essentially
a risk management sport.” Research
presented at the IPC (International
11
him and Jake White being described as
a ‘problem relationship’ for SA rugby.
When asked if there would be further
intervention by the selection leaders to
include Watson in the final 30 man draft,
Hoskins said that he hopes it would not
be necessary.
With the display of good scrum-
ming and running rugby seen from the
South African teams over this Super 14
tournament, I look forward to seeing
the Boks in action. With the likes of JP
Pietersen, who has claimed the prize for
the most tries scored in the tournament,
young Francois Steyn and veteran Schalk
Burger, we can only expect the best from
the Springboks against the English. We
have both speed in the back line players
Pic: Supplied
and strength in the scrum. Watch out
for a fresh looking Springbok team next
weekend at the Vodacom Stadium in
Bloemfontein.
Shiraz is a sports journalist with Sun-
day Media in Cape Town.
Parachuting Commission) Technical and circumspect derision of skydiving will
Safety Subcommittee Congress revealed be surprised to know that more people
that skydiving accidents are caused have died of highway accidents than
by human error 92% of the time. EP skydiving.
Skydivers ensure the best possible safety
measures, which leave it up to the indi-
vidual to practice safe skydiving. This
research was based on 245,162 jumpers
who made 4,848,025 jumps. EP Skydiv-
ers were unavailable for their comment
regarding the incident and this may be
attributed to the rather unkind publicity
this has generated for their business.
What makes this incident interest-
ing is the fact that Houghton is an
experienced jumper who has 80 jumps
under his belt, but his 3500 feet jump
did not go according to plan. What lead
to Houghton’s rather hard landing was
Pic: Simon Capstick-Dale
due to him not following the correct
procedure of cutting his parachute into
his main canopy.
Regardless of the fatalities that occur,
some people will always be dedicated
to the course. Those who have that Packing properly is vital for safety.
 THE OPPIDAN PRESS

Sport inside: page 10

Jake’s Springbok selection headache
Silence is not always golden
By Katie Wilter
As part of Rhodes University’s Rape
Awareness Week, 80 women volunteers
spent last Tuesday with their mouths
covered with black duct tape, wearing
T-shirts that read ‘Sexual violence =
silence’.
However, with negative reactions
“Rape just isn’t an issue for people.
There is more discussion on Britney’s
hairstyle than there is on rape,” com-
mented Klazinga.
Another event scheduled for the week
was the ‘Men as Partners NOT Perpetra-
tors’ march that took place last Friday
afternoon. This opportunity for men to
take action against sexual violence was
supported by only 130 male students
and staff, who marched from the Union
building towards the front steps of the
News
and sensed a deep self-consciousness.
I kept thinking: ‘Everybody must
be thinking something – do they even
notice me?’ Sitting in my psychology
seminar this morning, I began to feel
increasingly isolated. I kept wanting to
speak, and was repeatedly reminded
that I couldn’t. I couldn’t express myself
properly or communicate with anybody.
Often people misunderstood my gestures
and in frustration I would give up. It was
just too hard to ‘say’ anything.

Pic: Leon Schnell

such as that of the male student men-
tioned above, the Rhodes community’s
apathy and lack of involvement in
the Rape Awareness Week is a major
concern.
The silent protest project, co-ordinat-
ed by Larissa Klazinga, concluded with
a ‘Silence Take Back the Night’ candle
light march where students and staff met
at the clock tower, led by the silenced
women who moved down High Street to
the Cathedral. This was followed by a ‘1
in 9 Break the Silence Vigil’ that began
with the volunteers unsealing their
mouths and breaking into song.
The volunteers and supporting
audience were addressed by various
speakers including the Dean of Students,
Professor Vivian de Klerk; National 1
in 9 Campaign Co-ordinator, Dawn
Cavanagh; SRC president Fatema Morbi;
and volunteer and rape survivor, Bianca
Sampson. However, there were few male
supporters and only a handful of Rhodes
staff present.
Klazinga felt that the week went rea-
main administrative building.
Since September last year, 55 rape
and indecent assault cases involving
women between the ages of 17 and 24
years old have been reported to the
Grahamstown Police station. However,
as many victims do not report the crime,
this is not a true reflection of the actual
amount of sexual assaults that occur
daily. South African statistics indicate
that only 1 in 9 rape survivors go on to
report the rape and of these, only seven
percent are successfully prosecuted.
These statistics translate to approximate-
ly 500,000 rapes annually.
Today I was silent, standing in solidar-
ity with all those women who cannot
speak about their rape. As the tape was
strapped across my mouth this morning,
I felt an overwhelming sense of panic
rise up, almost choking me. With an
The world took on a new perspective
today, as I lived with my own silence. I had
constant thoughts trapped inside my head,
unable to be voiced. I felt an inexplicable
sense of solidarity with the other volun-
teers that I saw on campus. It gave me
strength to know that there were ‘others’
out there, who knew and understood how
I felt, and that I wasn’t completely alone.
Throughout the day, I had a mixture
of responses to my presence. Sometimes
people felt awkward by my silence,
averted their eyes, or ignored me com-
pletely. Some were really encouraging,
saying, “Thumbs up!” or “You go girl!”.
Others walked past, saying, “Oh, there are
those protestors”, as if we couldn’t hear
them. Only about 100 people out of 6000
students came to the vigil this evening,
which made me realise just how great the
silence on campus still is. This was con-
firmed by one person, who commented
that while it’s “not exactly bad to com-
memorate rape for the week, does it really
make a difference?” It just reminded me
what would happen if everyone was as

Pic: Leon Schnell

sonably well but was disappointed that effort, I had to fight this strangling emo- apathetic. We would remain in silence,
there were not more Rhodes students tion and try to keep calm. As I walked to and no one would ever speak out against
and staff involved in the week’s events. lectures, I was faced with inquisitive eyes the horrific violation of women’s rights.

Oppidan sub-warden spot check

With Oppidan crime on the rise and Oppi sub-wardens being the supposed first ports of call, The Oppidan Press phoned
each sub-warden three times to test their availability. We phoned the cell numbers published on the Oppidan website.

Name Answered the phone?

Oppidan sub-wardens Morning Afternoon Evening
Farayi Chikuni Unavailable for health Unavailable for health Unavailable for health
076 915 2972 reasons reasons reasons
Aameena Daya Yes No No
082 932 4057
Grant Howarth This number does not This number does not This number does not
084 577 8669 exist exist exist
Tanya Milward Yes Yes Yes
082 300 2948
Samantha Mundeta Yes Yes Yes
Table compiled by Caroline East

083 673 8509

Garyn Rapson No Yes Yes
072 048 8499
Jen Thorpe Subscriber unavailable Subscriber unavailable Subscriber unavailable
074 379 1460
Xoliswa Dzakwa Yes Yes Yes
072 382 8624

Rhodes leads nationwide Zim march

By Joe Hanly and Paul Harris
This Rhodes University SRC initiative was
organised by the SRC treasurer, Xolani Nyali.
He said: “This is the first time that the SRC had
endorsed a project on such a large scale.” He
insisted that politics was not on the agenda but
that promoting “the respect of human rights and
restoration of the rule of law in Zimbabwe” was the
principal purpose for the Africa Day protest.
The proposed route for the Rhodes march is
from Drostdy Arch to the cathedral; however this
is yet to be confirmed. After a number of reports of
intimidation, it has also been decided that masks
will be supplied, so that all those “scared to show
their face have a chance to voice their opinion,” said
Felicity Sibindi. Sibindi organised the ‘My Brother’s
Keeper’ march and vigil held in March.
At the march at UCT, Rhodes SRC president
Fatema Morbi will make a statement along with
other dignitaries, including a speaker from
parliament and the President of the Pan African
Parliament Dr Gertrude Mongella. The marches will
commence at 1pm.