Edition 9, 25 September 2008
5
>> Flying the old SA flag
It all started with a billboard next to the N1. Read
about all the controversy on the Politics page.
Strange, iRregular Communication
Robyn McCormick
O
n their website, the SRC prom-
ises to “disseminate information
for the benefit of all students at
regular intervals … to strive for better
communication with, and participation
of, the student body.” However, regard-
ing the elections at the end of last term,
it was the SRC’s lack of communication
which led to a number of students not
being able to cast their votes for the new
SRC. This miscommunication has fol-
lowed the SRC into the new term, leav-
ing students disgruntled and confused.
The irregular election process was
one of the first signs of this miscom-
munication, as the computer system did
not allow voters to cast their vote, even
though StudentZone displayed posts
encouraging students to vote for the
new SRC. Nyali stands by his belief that,
“the recent SRC elections were substan-
tively free and fair,” despite the electoral
margins between the second, third and
fourth candidates (Thapelo Tseladi,
Pumeza Mdangayi and Lloyd Meikle
respectively) being so close that even
this small number of votes could have
changed the face of the SRC.
Nyali concedes this point: “Those
votes could have changed standing of
either candidate or reaffirmed either
candidate. Is it enough to render the VPs
questionable? On an electoral principle
one could argue ‘yes’; on what is in the
interests of the student body and the
SRC, then one would say ‘no’”.
Nyali continues, “perhaps now
Goodbye to ouzo and ‘Hopa’
Nicola Saner
Article 15 of the SRC Societies policy
states that: “Every Society should
have a community service or social
responsibility aim and should embark on
some project every year in this regard.
Progress in this area should always
be included in the termly reports.” If
a society does not fulfill this, it could
face disbandment. A recent SRC
society review has led to the impending
dissolution of Greek Society.
“We looked at if the societies
fulfilled their mandates that they exist
for – [the review] is aimed at holding
societies accountable,” explained SRC
liaison Lutando Charlie. He said that
societies are notified of their community
obligations and the SRC’s expectations.
Distribution subsidised by the Oppidan Committee and the South African Post Office.
students will understand the power they
have at their disposal; a few votes could
have turned the tables in favour of other
candidates!” Students who were not able
to vote may feel the same way.
Paul Hjul, a former member of the
SRC and a student observer, disagrees
with the manner in which the elections
were run and is questioning the validity
of the recent elections: “I am continu-
ing the laying of a foundation in which
to ensure that the electoral process is
exhaustively investigated.”
Some students feel that Hjul’s inves-
tigations may be taking matters too far.
Benita Botha, a second year BA student,
said of the election process: “It was
faulty, but in the same vein, if the stu-
dents who attempted to vote knew that
their votes had not gone through, they
ought to have just voted again. There is
no point in re-doing the elections.”
This student lethargy may have
contributed to the fact that the SRC is
still missing an Oppidan Councillor, de-
spite the fact that nearly half of Rhodes
students live in digs. Only one candidate,
Mahomed Haniff, ran for the position.
However, he ran simultaneously for In-
ternational Officer, which he chose over
the Oppi Councillor position, leaving
Oppies without a representative. Accord-
ing to Nyali, there will be by-elections
this week to solve this problem.
Kholosa Loni, the new SRC president,
says these problems, along with any
other queries the students may have, will
be covered this week: “We are holding a
general meeting on Tuesday at 19:00 in
the Barratt Lecture Theatre discussing
“Basically, there are some societies that
are here just for balls and we have to ask:
should we fund a society for parties?”
said Charlie.
“We have been completely left in the
dark regarding what exactly resulted in
our disbandment and consequently have
a very vague idea as to what is expected
from us,” said President and Chairperson
of the Greek Society, Michelle Stylianou.
She also said that the SRC has offered no
advice as to solving this problem.
According to Charlie, this is not the
first time a review of this nature has
been conducted, but Stylianou said that
Greek Soc has been running the same
way for years. She feels the consequences
of not ‘passing’ the SRC’s review were
not explained clearly. Since their
disbandment, the SRC has not replied to
any of the Greek Society’s emails.
“The end of the year is in sight. Work
hard, play hard and good luck!”
16 >> Row, row, row your boat
Turn to the back page to catch up on boat races in Port Alfred.
And everything in between.
the mandate with the students concern-
ing what they want the SRC to do for
them. The SRC will come up with a plan
of action based around the mandate
from the students.” The Media Represen-
tative, Aslam Seedat, confirmed this.
This ought to point to an improve-
ment in the SRC’s organisation, but
this is undermined by the fact that on
StudentZone, the venue is marked as
the General Lecture Theatre. Nyali was
adamant that “the General Student Body
Meeting will not be on Tuesday. There
must be a five day period between the
time that the SRC President calls such a
meeting and the time that the meeting
actually takes place. So we are looking at
Wednesday or Thursday earliest”.
It seems that Nyali’s lack of commu-
nication played a substantial role in the
election mishaps. In a post on the Rho-
des Forums, Nyali commended the IT
division for their help in setting up the
polling stations via the internet. A com-
ment underneath Nyali’s, however, reads:
“As the person in the IT Division who’s
ultimately responsible for this, I’m a little
intrigued by your statement. I haven’t re-
ally had any meaningful communication
from the SRC about this since the 23rd
of July.” This prompted scorn from sev-
eral posters on the forums, one of whom
wrote that they were “[trying] to think of
just one SRC election in the last six years
that hasn’t been an abysmal cock-up”.
Despite the confusion, Nyali asks
the student body to support the SRC,
saying: “At this time, those guys need to
know that they have the support of the
students. That is what keeps them going.”
Stylianou believes that this
disbandment has been procedurally
incorrect. “It went from a review to
discontinuation, surely a warning should
have been given. Tell us what we are
doing wrong and give us a chance to
correct the problem,” she said.
She argues that Greek Soc exposes
people to Greek culture. In addition
to bringing a priest to Grahamstown
every term to hold religious services, the
society, which has been operating for 35
years, donates money to disadvantaged
communities in Grahamstown.
“Greek Society is something we all
treasure and is a big part of our varsity
experience. With such a small Greek
population of only 7 Greek students, I
feel the SRC should be commending us
rather than trying to bring us down,”
added Stylianou.
Pic: Malcolm Freeman
Voter, Interrupted
Original voting date delayed by a week.
The voting polls were billed to open
at midnight on 29 August. The voting
polls remained closed for around
seven hours during the early hours of
the Friday morning when they were
expected to open.
Because of this, Nyali promised the
voting system would remain open after
the closing time to compensate for the
students who were not able to vote.
However, Nyali did not communicate
this to the IT division, who closed the
voting system. Again, students were
not able to vote for approximately six to
eight hours.
The system was reopened on 5
September. The polls remained open
until 6 September, the first day of the
September vacation.
Setting a new President
Kholosa Loni has become the new presi-
dent of the SRC with a staggering lead of
153 votes. It seems the student body has
confidence in their new leader. So who is
Kholosa Loni?
Loni is excited to be the new SRC
president, although she admits that it
will be a “daunting task”. And as always
with the rigmarole of SRC elections, they
were not held without controversy, and
Loni freely admits that she was originally
only running for the position of Vice
President.
Loni changed her mind because of
the confidence the students had in her,
along with the support she received from
the new SRC team.
Aslam Seedat, the new Media
Representative on the SRC said, “I just
remember Kholosa coming into the
office and saying, ‘I am going to take the
presidency in my stride.’”
One of the aims Loni has for the new
SRC is to try and address student apathy
with better communication between
the SRC and students: “There’s nothing
better to cure apathy than to get in their
faces, to force them to listen. Take the
awareness weeks for example; people just
don’t come! These events are organised
by students for students, and the fact
that people don’t come is not OK.”
“Ultimately we serve the students, so
in the end the students have their say - it
is our university. I get angry. People don’t
come to the Student Forums, and this is
the platform for students to be informed
and make decisions,” Loni says.
Loni appeals to the students to com-
municate with the SRC: “Please don’t
talk in corners! If there are problems,
come to us. We are students too.”
Pic: Lauren Kent
2 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08
Saying sorry to Steve
Students, lecturers, ground staff and
a few VIPs, including Grahamstown
Mayor Phumelelo Kate and members
of Steve Biko’s family, crowded into the
entrance of the Rhodes Union for its
renaming.
The Bantu Steven Biko building
was officially opened with speeches
by Dr Saleem Badat and Professor
Barney Pityana, the Principal and
Vice Chancellor of the University of
South Africa (UNISA), last Wednesday
afternoon.
In Badat’s opening address, which
also signalled the start of Anti-Racism
and Xenophobia Week, the Rhodes VC
issued a formal apology on behalf of the
We’re on the highway to citizen journalism
September vac has come and gone,
but while some of us were tanning in
Durban or shopping in Joburg, others
stayed in Grahamstown to watch it
transform from a sleepy hollow into a
hyped-up SABC event.
The annual Highway Africa
conference is now in its 12th year
and was hosted at Rhodes on 8 and 9
September. It drew in not only the SABC
and MTN, but highly-acclaimed band
Bongo Maffin, as well as bloggers and
new media gurus from all over Africa.
The theme of this year’s conference was
‘Citizen Journalism, Journalism for
Citizens’. The SABC-Highway Africa
Digital Journalism awards, a televised
event held at the Monument, was the
most excitement Grahamstown had seen
since Festival.
Rhodes pledges to keep it critical
Last week, Rhodes hosted the 2008
DCS Oosthuizen Memorial Lecture
on Academic Freedom delivered by
Professor Barney Pityana, principal and
Vice-Chancellor of the University of
South Africa (UNISA).
Pityana emphasised the
responsibilities that universities have to
produce intellectuals who are not only
“tolerant but also argumentative” so that
they can critically challenge society’s
prevailing injustices. He referred
>> That’s a weird mannequin!
daytime diva
One lucky gentleman got to place his pecs in some dainty lingerie as part of the fun and festivities of the MTN Campus Challenge. The overall winners
of the event were DJ Icandi and Carlyn Smith, who will be moving on to the finals in Joburg. >> Malcolm Freeman
university for its reprehensible actions in
the past. “Institutional loyalty, especially
in the case of a university, does not mean
being uncritical and denying historical
truths,” he said.
These historical truths include
Rhodes practicing racial segregation
for more than a decade before it was
introduced by law into the higher
education system.
Additionally, Rhodes University
gave an honorary doctorate to staunch
Afrikaans Nationalist and State President
Charles Robberts Swart in 1962, just
two years after the horrific Sharpeville
massacres. Not too long ago, Rhodes
was certainly not the anti-apartheid
Linked to Highway Africa is the
Digital Citizen Indaba (DCI) which
celebrated its third year of existence on
7 September. It was well-attended by
young bloggers, vloggers, podcasters
and online media practioners from
around the continent. DCI co-ordinator,
Elvira van Noort, expressed enthusiasm
about the potential of the conference.
In her welcome address she encouraged
everyone to discuss “empowering new
media skills that make it possible to
create and sustain a long-lasting, far-
reaching digital voice”.
Both conferences presented
important issues surrounding the
‘struggle’ between new media and
traditional media. The DCI highlighted
the fact that these two mediums never
have to wipe each other out – they can
particularly to institutions of higher
education.
Pityana also raised concerns about
issues of unemployment, crime, HIV/
Aids and increasing drop-out rates in
colleges.
Rhodes Vice-Chancellor Dr Saleem
Badat took this opportunity to apologise
for the university’s segregationist policies
during apartheid and acknowledged the
renaming of the Rhodes Union building
as a step towards transformation.
Taken a cool pic? Send your creative masterpiece to us and we will
consider it for publication. photos@theoppidanpress.com.
institution we Rhodents would like to
think it was.
The renaming of the Union was
an act of contrition and an attempt at
reconciliation on behalf of the university.
It seemed particularly fitting to name the
building after this icon of South African
history as Bantu Steve Biko, founder
of the Black Consciousness Movement,
had his last taste of freedom close to
the university – he was arrested at a
roadblock near Grahamstown
in 1977.
His life and all that he stood for is
now honoured and commemorated by
the Rhodes Community.
>> Nonceba Mhlauli
work together and utilise each other’s
strengths in order to create a better
product for the user. “Print will never
die,” exclaimed Dan Gilmor, author of
We the Media and a speaker at DCI. The
Oppidan Press couldn’t agree more.
>> Ines Schumacher
SRC president Kholosa Loni spoke
about the importance of exercising
academic freedom by ensuring that
students, irrespective of race, gender,
or sexual orientation, participate in the
privileges, amenities and opportunities
provided by the university.
In addition, Loni pledged her
dedication and loyalty to ensuring the
protection of academic freedom at
Rhodes.
>> Ayushi Chhabra
Reeling in the SABC awards
Rhodes’ reputation for producing
the best journalists in the country
was reinforced when four of our own
received awards at the 2008 annual
SABC News Awards on 13 September.
The event, which took place at Sun
City, aims to reward excellence in news
journalism among SABC staff members
and aspiring student journalists.
Out of four student categories,
Rhodes took the gold in two. Fourth year
students Ashleigh Nash, Gaby Grey and
Demelza Bush of Fab Productions, won
the award for best student journalist in
current affairs in the TV category; and
second year student Nontobeko Sibisi
won the award for best student presenter
of a radio news bulletin.
“The SABC went out of their way to
make their nominees feel special,” says
Fab Productions representative, Ashleigh
Nash. “When you look at the statistics,
it is only apt to feel proud of one’s
nomination. This year there were more
than 500 entries and only 42 finalists
chosen.”
Nash says she didn’t expect to win:
“I felt like I had stolen the Oscar from
R U Enviro-savvy?
The Environmental Science Department
is celebrating 20 years of existence
this year. As part of its celebrations,
this year’s Honours class pulled off
an impressive quiz on Wednesday 17
September.
“R U Enviro-savvy?” shouted the
MC’s Geraldine Simak and Brendan
Turk. Grade 11s from six schools
nervously shouted, “Yes!”, only to
discover that they were not as clued
up as they thought they were. Rhodes
students and staff also attended the
event, and a few stumped faces could be
seen throughout the audience. Did you
know that an oven uses more electricity
than a microwave? And that an oil heater
uses up more than an electric blanket?
Knowledge that Oppies are surely going
to use to their advantage from now on.
The participating schools were
Kingswood, Victoria Girls, Nombulelo
High, Mary Waters, Nathaniel Nyaluza
and Graeme College. The teams quizzed
Pic: Megan Lewis
Charlize Theron! It was a moment that I
will treasure for the rest of my life.”
In his address, chairperson of the
News Committee, Bheki Khumalo, said
that as the country’s public broadcaster,
the SABC is mandated to inform,
educate and entertain all South Africans
in a language of their choice.
“At SABC News, we have elected to
move beyond our mandate and have
converted it into a passion – a passion
which enables all our citizens, through
our extensive radio, television and new
media services, to understand more
about our increasingly complex world,”
Khumalo emphasised.
He also said, “this passion is brought
to life by our people and these awards
give recognition to those who deliver the
world to our home on a daily basis”.
Nash feels that the awards are a
great platform for student journalism,
“especially as you are treated equally
to the SABC’s own staff. Most
importantly, of course, to actually have
your work seen and admired is the
biggest victory”.
>> Kelly Adami
Pic: Megan Lewis
it out for a R5,000 first prize, R2,000
second prize and R1,000 third prize.
Turk said: “We originally thought of
making this quiz for Rhodes students,
but decided on Grahamstown schools
because environmental knowledge and
awareness is important for young school
children who will take it back to their
parents and schools.”
Victoria Girls, Kingswood and
Graeme College won first, second and
third prize respectively, with Nathaniel
Nyaluza a close fourth. Kelsey Smailes,
one of the scholars in the Victoria Girls
winning team, was happy that her school
won the money, hoping for VG to invest
in new computers for the biology lab.
The event was paid for by the
Environmental Science Department and
gift packs for the participating schools
were sponsored by Kisma Kreative. The
department is hoping to make this quiz
an annual event.
>> Ines Schumacher
 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08

Rate your digs. If you’re keen to tell the world what your digs is
like, rate today. www.ru.ac.za/oppidan/digsrating.

Rate your digs online

Vimbai Chikukwa
The Oppidan Committee launched
their digs rating website two weeks ago
to coincide with the claws-out, lease-
waving digs hunting season of 2008.
Last year, the committee launched
a website with the same intention, but
experienced problems related to safety
concerns as anyone could access a
person’s name, address and safety status.
This year’s improved webpage is
different in that the content of the
questions has changed considerably
to give students the information they
really need to know about a digs they are
considering leasing.
Web representative Imogen Wright
said, “we essentially decided that the
best way to resolve security issues
in Grahamstown was to ensure that
irresponsible landlords were held
accountable for poor security”.
the persons,” he said.
The security concern of making
people’s safety status public is still
present, but the committee will keep a
close watch on the site and each entry
will most likely be censored to conceal
this information.
According to Wright, the user stats
have been great, with over 20 responses
within two days of being registered. “I’m
going to have to sort out multiple pages
for results, because I had no idea we’d get
popular so fast,” she said.
The site has received diverse
responses. Nyiko Mavundza, who has
already rated his digs, said: “I find the
latest development on the Oppi website
a useful tool as it exposes some of the
concerns students have about their digs.
It is a source of knowledge.” Kalaivani
Naicker, another Oppi, said: “the digs
rating is a start. I think the format needs
to be refined.”
Oppidan Malcom Freeman feels “it

Oppidan Warden Gordon Barker,
who is also a landlord, fully supports
the site because it is a tool to empower
students. However, he feels the website
needs “urgent tweaking” so as not to
suffer risk of defamation. “The focus
should be on the property, and not on
will lead estate agents and landlords to
provide better services for students in
general”.
The site is relatively easy to access
for any students who desire to make
use of it or rate their digs by going to
http://www.ru.ac.za/oppidan/digsrating.
Pic: Screenshot
Click on “rate your digs”, enter your
student number and password, view or Security Concern
answer the questions, and your digs is Revealing security details on a public website was a
rated. security concern last year that has not been addressed.

The cement garden

Paul Harris
The building of an environmental
education centre on the Rhodes
campus might finally be underway, as a
solution concerning the final stage of its
development has been reached.
Earlier this year, the proposal that
the centre be built within the actual
Botanical Gardens resulted in a huge
outcry by environmentalists and the
Grahamstown public at large. The
main contention was that the proposed
building site would spoil the natural
layout of the gardens and that the centre
would attract more traffic, especially
buses, in the already-congested Lucas
Avenue. “People became upset and the
debate became very personal because
they felt that their voices were not
being heard,” said Nikki Kohly, head of
the Rhodes University Environmental
Education and Sustainability Unit.
Postings on the environmental
listserv revealed the extent to which the
debate was taken. Dr Simon Childs of
Stellenbosch University was the most
outspoken about the development. He
accused Rhodes Administration of being
undemocratic in their handling of the
situation and of intimidating certain
environmentalists who had attempted
to speak out against the building of the
centre. “If your very own institution,
Rhodes University, succeeds in
entombing one of South Africa’s oldest
and potentially best botanical gardens in
concrete, what environmental precedent
does that set? If Rhodes succeeds in
trashing the Botanical Gardens, where
can’t you build and what can’t you do,
environmentally speaking?” said Childs.
As a result of Childs’ comments,
Kohly decided to moderate the listserv:
“The whole point of the listserv was not
to stir up a hornet’s nest; it is just not
the forum to do it. I hoped the forum
would be primarily constructive where
people could use it to share useful
environmental tips and bring attention
to certain serious issues, but still under a
constructive approach,” she said.
If Rhodes succeeds in
trashing the Botanical
Gardens, where can’t you
build and what can’t you do,
environmentally speaking?
Since then, a beneficial public meeting
has been held and an agreement was
reached as to the new official site – the
vacant spot next to the alumni building,
opposite the Eden Grove complex.
Although Les Reynolds, Rhodes Estate
Manager, was unavailable for comment,
Rob O’Donoghue, associate professor
in the Environmental Educational
Unit, is excited with the progress in
development. On the site he admitted
that a lot still had to be done, however
the costing process of the centre was
almost complete. “The building of the
centre should start up in the first few
months of next year and will take about
eight to ten months to complete, so will
be ready for the beginning of 2010,” he
said.
Better looks and more books
Nolulamo Matutu
Corrugated iron encloses the old library
parking lot. After years of careful
planning and gathering of funds, the
Rhodes University Council finally
approved the R90 million library
expansion project and construction has
already begun.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor in
charge of academics and student affairs,
Professor Sizwe Mabizela says expansion
of the library is long overdue, “the
library we have now was built in 1960
for a student population of less than
1 000 and has never been extended
since. The new library will have modern
electronic technology that is essential
to the project of learning, research and
community engagement”.
This two year project proposes to
double the size of the existing library. says Berger.
Jeanne Berger, the library project “It is very noisy but I am desperate
manager, says collections of the new to use the library so I have to come
library will be divided up into the here,” says fourth year student Louisa
Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences Tinarwo. Dean of Students Dr Vivian
and Commerce subject areas, each de Klerk is currently looking into
managed by their individual librarian. alternative study spaces on campus
One floor of the new section will such as dining rooms. The Library has
be dedicated to an “Information set up a Neighbours’ Forum to keep
Commons”, which will offer students the staff and students in neighbouring
access to a large number of computers. buildings up-to-date with progress
This space will also have group study and possible disruptions.
areas and a presentation rehearsal Third year student Zethu
room. Attention has also been focused Mtshemla thinks this project
on creating accessible facilities for will be great for the Rhodes and
physically challenged users. “It will be Grahamstown community and will
a far more welcoming environment, help ensure that the Rhodes students
conducive to study and offering more and academics continue with their
assistance and study space for students,” impressive research output.

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 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08
The pain in Palin
The beast wakes up in Alaska, her
one beady eye staring all the way to
Russia. Her beak glistens with crude
oil, and her fangs are made from bullets
inscribed with phrases from the book
of Revelations. She turns and begins
her descent on Washington DC. As she
moves, young women find themselves
mysteriously pregnant, power lines
explode and are ripped out of their
moorings. The horizon darkens…
As you can tell, I strongly dislike
Sarah Palin. In fact, I think loathing
would be a more appropriate term. This
insane ‘hockey mom’ is so right wing
that it would be funny if she was an
imaginary character. But she’s not.
Come November, Palin could be
one assassin’s bullet away from being
president. This is a woman who doesn’t
believe in global warming, any form of
birth control, the teaching of evolution at
schools, or any kind of legal recognition
of gay rights. On the other hand, she
believes that the Iraq war is a mandate
from God, and the Alaskan wildlife
reserve should be drilled for oil. Palin
represents everything that is small-
minded and hateful in the stereotypical
redneck. In so much as she has any
ideas, she represents an ignoble political
tradition that stretches from Barry
Goldwater to the current president. Like
her hero, Dubya, her speeches have all
the articulation of someone who has
been beaten with a pipe. She stumbles
over questions, avoids giving straight
answers and then falls back on clichés
about the essential goodness of the
United States. The most obvious problem
is that the US is on the brink of the
largest economic crisis since 1929. The
last Great Depression allowed terrified
populations to elect ranting leaders who
promised a myth of national renewal
through violence. That’s right, I’m
comparing Palin to Hitler.
And who is to say she couldn’t
become president? McCain is so old
that he is probably being kept alive
with regular doses of electric
current. The God
she believes in
will soon bring
the world to a
violent close
separating the
believers from
the unbelievers.
Trust me, Sarah
Palin is dreaming
Armageddon.
videotronic
Radio and TV Services
73 High Street
For all your electronic requirements
3G Connections
All Rhodes lead to …
chantilly
31 New Street Grahamstown Tel 622-9136
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Goodbye, Mr President!
Gugu Khumalo
“Any force that tries to block our way
we will eliminate. We have a mission
here and we will crush you. It does not
matter who you are…even if you are in
the ANC.” Thabo Mbeki should have
taken heed of this warning by ANC
Youth League President Julius Malema.
Indeed, Mbeki has now been eliminated,
as the National Executive Committee
(NEC) decided to ask for his resignation,
or else remove him through a vote of no
confidence.
The NEC came to the decision
during the second day of deliberations
to recall the president before his term
of office expires which were held in
Johannesburg last weekend and held
the country’s political future on a knife’s
edge. Mbeki has already agreed to step
down and has accepted the news. Mbeki
told close aides on Thursday that he
would not resist if the NEC told him to
go. He obliged to the decision and said
he would immediately step down after
all the constitutional regulations have
been met. According to ANC’s secretary
general Gwede Mantahse, Mbeki did not
display shock; he welcomed the news
and agreed that he would participate in
the process and the formalities. Many, if
not all, of Mbeki’s ministers are expected
Worldview >> Wall Street lives to fight
another day
Claire Waterhouse
Times have been rough on the US stock
markets lately, with several major firms
and investment banks crashing and af-
fecting everything from the price of oil
to the price of melamine-infected baby
milk. As the US government takes dras-
tic steps (think $500 billion steps) to try
and bail out the companies, The Oppidan
Press considers some opinions.
“The Bush administration swung for
the fences on Friday with an unprec-
edented bailout of the financial sector
that will cost taxpayers “hundreds of
billions of dollars.” It jolted markets
back to life for the day, but questions
remained about whether the bold effort
would actually work. Truth is, no one
knows. America and its financial mar-
kets haven’t been down this road before.”
– Miami Herald.
Tel. 6227119
DSTV
TV
Vodacom
AGENTS
What about the other side? Do you support McCain and Palin? Let
us know why. letters@theoppidanpress.com
to quit in sympathy with him, including
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-
Ngcuka who has already reported that
she will resign out of loyalty to Mbeki
when he steps down.
It is only a matter of months until
Mbeki’s term as president will officially
be over and there is no doubt that the
ANCYL, the Young Communist League
and many of the other branches of the
ANC would stop at nothing to remove
Mbeki, with the ANCYL proclaiming
that if the NEC did not recall the presi-
dent, they (the Youth League) would call
for the dismissal of the Executive.
This is a drastic historical and politi-
cal move for South Africa. It is the first
time a president has been unceremoni-
ously ousted from office by his own
party. The call to remove Mbeki was
brought on by the recent judgment by
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge
Chris Nicholson, who ruled in favour
of Jacob Zuma, declaring his corruption
and fraud case invalid. Judge Nicholson
implied that President Mbeki played a
significant role in Zuma’s court case, by
influencing acting National Director of
Public Prosecutions Moketedi Mpshe’s
decision to charge Zuma.
The ruling obviously gave enough
incentive for the ANC to move forth and
call for the axing of Mbeki. Malema went
as far as saying that the organisation
“In the wake of half a dozen half-
baked moves that drove the markets
even lower, the Bush administration
yesterday came up with a fresh scheme.
Is this the final kick at a cat that will now
go away? Or will this kill the cat? At the
end of it all, should this nightmare of
state craziness end, can capitalism rescue
the United States from its massive regu-
lation crisis?” – Canada National Post.
“The amount of taxpayer money
committed, or about to be committed,
to this rescue effort is simply stagger-
ing – easily a trillion dollars, when all
the loans, purchases and guarantees are
added up. Although most if not all of
that is likely to be returned to the Trea-
sury, it still represents a massive shift of
liability to the balance sheet of the U.S.
government. All that to save free-market
capitalism from its own excesses.”
– The Washington Post.
Every Friday and Saturday night: R10 burgers at Nandos from 8.30 till closing, sit in only.
intended to press disciplinary charges
against him and have his “membership
card removed.” The ANCYL president
added that the decision to appeal Judge
Nicholson’s judgement was further proof
of political meddling.
Mbeki did defend his dignity and spat
back at his critics, denying that he had
Pic: Supplied
any involvement in the decision by the
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
to appeal against the ruling decision by
Judge Nicholson. Mbeki asked what kind OUT OF A JOB
of society was South Africa building President Thabo Mbeki is expected to
and informed by what kind of value leave office without a fight.
system if there was a growing tendency
“to hurl insults at organs of state and to
present demeaning caricatures of public and an interim president will have to be
representatives”. Mbeki was commenting appointed.
through his spokesperson with regards Speaker of National Assembly Ms
to the numerous allegations that he was Baleka Mbete is likely to become the
constantly trying to bring down Zuma acting president, until the Assembly can
ever since he fired him as the Deputy appoint a new president from among
President of South Africa in 2005. its members. The remaining cabinet
Zuma, on the other hand, has been members will delegate a president to run
cautious about removing Mbeki from for up to 30 days until Chief Justice Pius
office. He told activists it was not worth Langa can convene an electoral college
wasting energy on a “dead snake”; pretty of members of Parliament to elect a new
understandable coming from a man who president who will serve out Mbeki’s
still needs as much support as possible term.
for the upcoming 2009 elections. According to Malema, politicians are
A general election may be held earlier easy to replace: “We will move forward
than expected, where it is highly possible and will carry on with the programmes
that Zuma will win. For now, it is certain which are there, and the administration
that he will not take over immediately will still be there.”
NYC = NYC
In this week’s craziness, Microsoft is accused of sending subliminal messages
through its ‘Wingdings’ font! Apparently, different combinations of letters in
the font clearly indicate that terrorism is cool, that 9/11 was a good thing , and
that Jews should all be killed (see headline). Microsoft has obviously strongly
denied that the letters mean anything and says allocation was random – but
isn’t that what any major terrorist organisation parading as a software giant
would say?
Two litres later...
Is drinking two litres of beer the same as drinking two units of alcohol? The
Premier of Bavaria, Guenther Beckstein, in Germany certainly seems to think so,
after he publicly announced that people attending Oktoberfest could drink up to
two litres of beer and still be fine to drive home afterwards. And even worse, de-
spite coming under extreme fire for his comments, he has stood by them! Maybe
he’d had two litres of beer...
Dress-up? Come and see our vintage
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GRAHAMSTOWN
R26.95

Joke or insult? What do you think about Ons vir Jou’s
marketing campaign? letters@theoppidanpress.com.
It all started with a billboard next to the N1
Ines Schumacher
Why is everyone surprised that flying
the old South African flag and the old
Transvaal Vierkleur flag on a billboard
next to the N1 is creating an uproar all
over South Africa? It’s the equivalent of
hauling out the Nazi flag and draping it
around what’s left of the Berlin wall.
When Oppi Press tackled the furore
around the song De la Rey written by
Bok van Blerk last year, we thought that
would be the end of that. Who could
have foreseen that a small musical in
Pretoria could dig up the whole mess
again? The production Ons vir Jou tells
the story of the Anglo Boer War from
the perspective of the Afrikaner and
A new youth consciousness arises?
Nonceba Mhlauli
The South African youth have yet
another organisation to look forward
to. This time it is one which promises
to address issues that are still enslav-
ing the common man of South Africa,
particularly those in poor communities.
It appears that this particular society will
do more than throw around slander and
host expensive parties.
The Youth Consciousness Movement
(YCM) is an organisation that originally
started in Cape Town by two UCT stu-
dents, Tshepho Baloyi, 24, and Thamsan-
qa Mqaba, 25. “This youth organisation
was formed out of the realisation that
South Africa lacks proper, reliable and
responsible youth,” said Tshepho Baloyi,
the secretary general of the YCM.
The fundamental principal of the or-
ganisation is to draw a clear line between
political youth representation and youth
representation. “It aims to represent the
youth outside the political arena and
promises to make sure that young South
Africans are no longer misled,” Baloyi
added. These objectives arose because
the average young South African is no
longer interested in issues that affect
him or her, since organisations formed
to deal with such issues are generally
politically based. This means that young
people who are not interested in politics
>> Claire Waterhouse
incorporates Bok van Blerk’s music.
But hold on, the issue is not really
about the musical. It’s about the advertis-
ing campaign. Imagine you’re driving
along the N1 on your way to work (you’ll
get there) and you see a black billboard
with white text on it: “Hoe oorleef ‘n
volk teen ‘n oormag? Daar was net een
keuse…veg of verdwyn!” (Rough transla-
tion: How does a nation survive an
overwhelming force? There was just one
choice…fight or disappear!). The two
flags mentioned above flutter merrily in
the wind.
Now forgive me if you don’t share my
feelings but this seems a tad ominous to
me. People have gone so far as describ-
ing it as a subliminal message to get
are not represented, something which
the YCM wishes to rectify. This is not to
say that the organisation is anti-political;
rather, it is a movement focussing on
youth development instead of party
politics.
“We realise that our current govern-
ment and other government entities in
South Africa are lip service organisations
and we want to strive to keep them to
their words. We know that successful
political movements are the ones that
deliver the image that they create, hence
we believe that an image is not good
enough for this movement because we
want to see results,” said Baloyi.
The YCM is different to other organi-
sations with a similar nature in that it
The founders of the new Youth Conciousness Movement, Tshepho Baloyi
The Oppidan Press 25.09.08
Afrikaners to rally behind old nationalist
sentiments.
In our current politically and socially
volatile climate, I can see why some may
find it less than amusing and actually
quite insulting. Especially when the
director, Deon Opperman, writes a letter
on Litnet, inviting only Afrikaners to
come and see the show.
Now don’t get me wrong: there’s
Pic: Supplied
nothing bad about a play celebrating
Afrikaners’ history. Every people should
have a sense of cultural pride. But why
not invite all races? Something that
excludes rather than unifies in this sensi- FLYING THE FLAG
tive time is rather unwelcome and just This billboard advertising the musical Ons vir Jou
serves to drive a division between people is causing a heated debate about racial divisions
where there should be none. and acceptance around South Africa.
is going to assist where development is
Disillusioned by the deal
However, fourth year Zimbawean
needed through projects such as lectures Harriet McLea
student Felicity Sibindi is not convinced
on entrepreneurship and skills develop-
by Mbeki’s actions. She says, “this whole
ment, among others. Baloyi says that the
Arch rivals, Zimbabwean president thing has turned into how good Mbeki
organisation is not yet recognised as a
Robert Mugabe (Zanu-PF) and can look in the public eye. Mugabe has
legal entity due to all the legal documen-
opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai been playing with Mbeki for decades
tation that still needs to be processed,
(MDC) signed a power sharing deal now and I doubt very much that
but this should soon be completed
in Harare last week. After 18 months suddenly Mbeki can produce some
and the organisation will then be fully
of negotiations, the two leaders agreed ‘end-all-evil’ document. A mediator with
operational.
to work together and urged parties to backbone is there not to humour the
If you feel that this type of organisa-
unite. parties involved, but to come up with a
tion is your cup of tea and you wish to
The agreement has established a new solution that is in the best interests of the
join, you can do so by joining the YCM
Prime Minister position for Tsvangirai. people, as quickly as possible”.
group on Facebook. Unfortunately for us
Both Prime Minister and President At the signing ceremony Mbeki said
Rhodents the organisation is only based
will choose two deputies. Mugabe will that the finer details of the deal are yet
in Cape Town for the time being, but
chair the cabinet with Tsvangarai as to be finalised, and many people remain
as the movement spreads, hopefully the
deputy chairperson; and Tsvangarai sceptical of whether it will bring any real
office branches will too.
will chair a newly created and separate change.
council of ministers that will form a Political analyst in Harare, John
government policy. Mugabe has control Makumbe said, “I don’t think it’s a
over the National Security Council wonderful deal, but I think it is a start.
(which includes the army, police and I worry that it will take only a small
secret services), but Tsvangirai will be a mistake from one idiot to wreck the
member of this body. whole thing.”
Chief facilitator of the negotiations, Over $1.8 billion in foreign aid for
Thabo Mbeki, is in a fragile position Zimbabwe is on hold according to a
back at home. Mounting pressure to European diplomat in the capital who
secure a deal has been placed on Mbeki said: “We want to see this government in
as he needs to ‘save face’ and prove his action before we commit to support it.”
Pic: Supplied
mettle as the reconciliatory diplomat Signing an agreement on paper
that he so fervently strives to be. does not mean a thing. Time and again
Despite criticism for being soft politicians have signed deals only to
THE START OF SOMETHING GREAT on Mugabe and denying the crisis in renege on them. Only time will tell if
Zimbabwe, Mbeki’s quiet diplomacy has Morgan Tsvangirai will turn into another
and Thamsanqa Mqaba. seemingly paid off. Joshua Nkomo.
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 6 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08

Budding with creative inspiration? Send us your recommendations for

what to do and see on the art scene. arts@theoppidanpress.com.

AFRICA FILM FESTIVAL

Chimurenga film workshops and
screenings will be held at the Barratt
Lecture Theatre from 23 September to 3
October. The workshops deal with issues
in the African film industry and the
screenings will showcase some of Africa’s
finest films and documentaries. Entrance
is free and the first screening starts at
18:00.
DATING SHOW • 26 September
Kimberly East Hall will be hosting a
dating show at 19.30 on Friday which
promises to be a night of fun and
romance. Besides possibly meeting the
love of your life, you could win a fancy
dinner among other prizes. Tickets are
R10 at the Kaif or R15 at the door. Food
and drinks will also be on sale.
CHRISTIANS@RHODES WEEK
A dance, drama and visual art workshop
Risky Business confronts risqué taboos
Timothy Gabb & Kelly Ramputswa
“We can’t all be infected, but we’re all
affected.” This is one of the crucial
messages of the Applied Theatre
production Risky Business which toured
Rhodes dining halls last term.
Applied Theatre is offered at
Rhodes, and its sole purpose is to
use the aesthetic appeal of a play to
convey a powerful message. It is a
form of education, and is performed in
unconventional theatrical spaces such
as prisons and healthcare facilities. As
Rhodes Drama lecturer Alex Sutherland
explains, “art can be used for multi-
functions, which results in change”.
One of these important functions is to
generate social awareness.
Risky Business fires a potjie pot of
humour, shock, explicit language and
spellbinding songs to vividly unveil the
reality of HIV/Aids in our everyday
lives. The play targets the fallacies
Business is that Aids is a reality we need
to accept, but due to the information
overload we have received about the
topic in recent years, people have
stopped paying attention.
The showcase was presented in
residences on campus in the form of a
tutorial to which students could easily
relate. The challenge with which the
young actors of the production were
faced, however, was the poor turnout
in some of the residences. Although
discussions held after the play between
the actors and audience members were
incredibly helpful, it was difficult to
convey the message as extensively as
intended, due to the low turnout.
TAKING THE TEST
Members of the UBOM! Eastern Cape Drama
Company proudly exhibit their HIV test

Pic: Risky Business

is the first event of Christians @ Rhodes of stereotypes, openly reviewing the
Week from 29 September to 3 October. misunderstandings many of us secretly papers. The group went together to support
The workshop will be held at the Eden harbour yet dare not reveal in everyday each other and show the necessity of voicing
Grove seminar rooms between 19:00- conversation. The message behind Risky status knowledge.
21:00 on Sunday. Entrance is free. For
more information on the other events
to follow contact Ian at ian@rucus.net.

FOUNDERS CHALLENGE
The annual, reputedly gruelling,
Founders Challenge is taking place this
Sunday 28 September. If you are up to
the challenge hurry to hand in your
registration form today. Check-in is at
9:00 at the Kaif Lawns. The action begins
at 10:00 at Jameson Dam. Competitors
cycle, paddle, orienteer and run around
Grahamstown, racing to cross the finish
line first at the Kaif Lawns.
Terribly good and quintessentially British
Lauren Minnie
At some stage in life, most of us foster
a secret fantasy to become a musician.
But not everyone will go out and buy an
instrument, and even fewer people will
embrace their lack of musical prowess
and form an orchestra famous for its
absolutely disastrous performances.
The Really Terrible Orchestra (RTO)
was founded in 1995 by Edinburgh
businessman, Peter Stevenson, and
best-selling author, Alexander McCall
Smith. RTO focuses on playing music for
pure enjoyment, and the official website
states that the policy of the orchestra
is to erase the “distinction between the
various grades of ability, various forms of
music, or time signature”. This has been
achieved through continuously lowering
standards in order to highlight acces-
sibility, but it has also led Michael White
of The New York Times to describe RTO
as not incidentally, but fundamentally
bad.
The melodic abilities of the RTO
musicians vary drastically. Some write
the names of strings on the bridge of
their cello, while others simply do not
play certain chords due to a “design fault
of the instrument”. Yet, without fail, each
performance receives a standing ovation,
which McCall Smith attributes to the
cheerful acceptance of failure.
After performing at the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival, the RTO performed its
sold-out debut concert in 2007, and just
two years later it is performing at the
2009 New York Concert – something
most professional musicians would
consider the highlight of their career.
The lesson to learn from this? Delusional
optimism clearly pays off!

werecommend
READING…
...The Poisonwood Bible by
Barbara Kingsolver. Although
it isn’t new on the market, it is
well worth the read. The novel is
about an American missionary
family who moves to the Congo
to “enlighten” the indigenous
people. Kingsolver brilliantly
portrays the difficult and
unexpected circumstances in
which the family finds itself and
Pics: Supplied
LAUGHING AT...
...the Cyanide and
Happiness cartoon
application on
Facebook. Download
the application and get
a hilarious stick-man
cartoon everyday on
your profile to brighten
up your day. The
humour is dry and
silly and often a tad
REVEALING…
...how a semantic map on a computer
works. According to Cognition
Technologies this map allows software
to “understand” words based on
context and tenses – as a human brain
would. This could mean that when
doing an internet search in the future,
more exact content would appear
instead of just matching words to
online content. This map promises
to have a vocabulary more extensive

illustrates the country’s political gross, but it’ll have you than that of a college graduate. It’s one
turmoil. It’s a thick book but giggling all day long at step closer to manufacturing artificial
certainly deserving of your time. the stupidity of it. intelligence.

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 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08 7

Overalls fun. Watch a slideshow of the Mr and Miss Overalls

competition. www.TheOppidanPress.com. Entertainment
Overall, Jo’s Mellons come in tops! HITTING THE G-SPOT >>

The low-down on going down

Takondwa Nyasulu
In a quest to find, “the elite and ultimate”
Rhodent, the Tennis Club hosted the
first ever Mr and Miss Overalls. In true
Rhodes fashion, and never the ones
to miss a good party, many braved the
chilly weather and made their way to
Equilibrium to show their support for
the nominees. The event was organised
as a tour fundraiser for a tennis
tournament taking place in Stellenbosch
between Rhodes, UCT and the hosting
university. “We just wanted a chance to
play against other universities, but we
had to finance it ourselves so we decided
to have this contest,” said Christie
Alexander, one of the organisers and the
captain of the women’s team.
The Tennis Club sent a call for
nominations from the student body.
There were many nominations, which
were then narrowed down to eight
female finalists and ten male finalists.
The impressive prizes included meal
vouchers from the Rat and Parrot, pizzas
from Pirates Pizza, body massages and
various Spice Gold items. There were
even Ox Braai tickets up for grabs for the
audience member with the most spirit.
The criterion for winning was simply
to embody the Rhodes spirit. Many of
the contestants were active sportsmen
and women who had received accolades
and high praise for their sporting
accomplishments, but it was the off-field
activities that seemed to entertain the
audience the most. Jo Mellon, the newly
crowned Miss Overalls was clearly a
crowd pleaser and even had a team of
over-zealous supporters sporting, “I
heart Jo’s Mellons” tops.
One of the male contestants, Ricky
Forster, had the most eye catching
overalls which were faded purple, one
size too small, with a luminous floral
cycling top underneath. Despite his
great display of spirit, the crown of Mr
Overalls went to Clive Eley.
Colin Cloete, the MC for the evening
and organiser of the event said, “we
wanted to create sports awareness after
the TriVarsity debacle and have fun. To
me, the Rhodes spirit is something that
is an indescribable and unbreakable
bond between Rhodes students that you
never lose. We hope everyone had fun
and had a chance to experience that”.
In the women’s contest, first princess
for Miss Overalls went to Jax Stephenson
with Jess Van Zyl in third place. In the
men’s finals, the runner up was Dave
Elliot with Julian Pearce in third place.
SUPPORT GROUP
Tigress Jo Mellon brought a formidable posse
along to support her at Miss Overalls.
Sayinile Gregory
The list of cancer-causing agents seems
to get longer by the day, taking the fun
out of everyday activities such as smok-
ing cigarettes, using hair dye, or even
eating too much fruit! And believe it or
not, too much oral sex can also increase
your chances of getting throat cancer.
As if we didn’t already have a lot to
worry about.
For many students, oral sex is con-
sidered an alternative to penetrative sex
for a number of reasons. For some it’s a
‘safer’ option than the real act; others,
mostly virgins, view it as one of the
bases they need to pass through before
they reach ‘home’. And, of course, there
are those who simply enjoy the cunni-
lingus and oral sex for the pleasure of it.
But before you go all Lil’ Wayne on your
partner and lick them like a lollipop,

Blanca brings sexy back to town bear scientific revelation in mind.

Pic: Scott Stirling

Takondwa Nyasulu
Café Blanca is the latest establishment
to open in Grahamstown and seems to
have the potential to inject some much-
needed sparkling freshness to this town’s
entertainment scene. Located on the
upper end of High Street, the new “coffee
shop by day and beer garden by night”
had a successful opening on Friday night
despite the depressingly cold weather.
With DJ Jason Le Roux on the decks, the
thumping music added to the welcoming
and attractive atmosphere.
Christopher Maxwell, the owner and
manager of Café Blanca, said he wanted
to open something new in Grahamstown
which would cater to the student body
as well as the local community. A unique
selling point is that Blanca is open from
Monday to Sunday from as early as
07:30, perfect for grabbing a quick bite
before those dreaded dawnies.
The mornings will be dedicated to the
breakfast run where smoothies, french
toast and other morning munchies will
be served. And if that doesn’t already
sound like an enticing offer, they even
have a R10 special for bottomless coffee.
In the evenings, the bar will be open
NOW OPEN
RESTAURANT OPEN
and drinks are available at a fair price
with cocktails going for R20 and draught
beers selling for R13.
Although the inside bar area is a
bit of a squeeze, the outside garden
area offers a sleek and sophisticated
setting for patrons to enjoy their drinks.
In warmer weather, the garden will
undoubtedly be a beautiful area in which
to lunch away with friends and, in the
evening, enjoy a relaxed and laid-back
night. “This is a place where anyone and
everyone can come. We just want to have
fun,” said Maxwell.
Café Blanca is everything the G-town
scene needs right now: fresh, sexy and
mature. Time will tell whether it will be
able to maintain this level of quality.
Blanca Final verdict
Service
Cocktails
Vibe the films are based on historical people
Affordability
Studies show that people who have
had more than five oral-sex partners
in their lifetime are 250 percent more
likely to develop throat cancer than
those who do not have as many part-
A showcase of all-African awesomeness ners. I hope that lots of you have joined
me in sighing with relief. Thankfully,
due to my zealous ‘penophobia’ before
Amy Green an eighteenth century South African my proverbial cherry was popped my
prison. The unconventional atmosphere oral sex track record is rather lacking.
is further embodied in Les Saignantes (Yes, no bait, I was terrified of the one
The Chimurenga Workshop in collabo- (The Bloodettes) described as a “sci-fi ac- eyed snake so oral sex was never on the
ration with Rhodes International Office tion horror hybrid”. cards, but fortunately I have since over-
is presenting the ‘Africa at the Pictures’ The opening evening, on 23 Septem- come such fears!). But for those who
film festival, starting this week and run- ber in Barrat Lecture Theatre, showcased have swopped and shared love juices, re-
ning until early October. The eight films the Nigerian film Suffering and Smiling searchers believe oral sex may transmit
to be presented are either set in Africa or and guest speaker Sikhumbuzo Ngadi, human papillomavirus (HPV), which is
deal with issues relating to the continent. a South African film researcher, deliver the virus implicated in the majority of
According to Koketso Potsane, eda speech on the changes in concep- cervical cancers.
founder and creative director of the soci- tions of film and society in this conti- After other risk factors for throat
ety, the Chimurenga Workshop is a stu- nent. He also discussed the tensions that cancer, such as drinking and smoking
dent organisation that aims to “nurture arise between film makers and academ- were controlled, the researchers’ analysis
an audience for local art, African films ics regarding discourse surrounding
revealed that people who had a prior
and African writing that is committed to their films, as well as the ways in which infection with HPV, likely contracted
social development”. “new films have changed the landscape from oral sex, were 32 times more likely
Potsane says that the presentations of film making in Africa and how in to have this cancer than those with no
are different from the usual so-called ‘Af- certain ways they haven’t”, says Potsane. evidence of ever having contracted the
rican films’ created by foreigners as “they A movie portraying controversial sexual virus. Those who tested positive for a
tell real and personal stories”. Many of relations, for example, would have been particularly aggressive strain of the vi-
taboo as subject matter to a film maker rus, called HPV-16, were 58 times more
and events with the expected inclusion in Africa only a few years ago. likely to have throat cancer. By compari-
of Africa’s often tumultuous politics, The films promise to provide a breath son, smoking and drinking increases the
but there are also original stories about of clean, fresh air amidst the pollution of
risk of throat cancer by three times.
homosexuality. American romantic comedies to which Before you vow never to participate
A highlight of the festival, Proteus, the public has become accustomed. in oral sex again, there is a solution,
is a South African film directed by Showings will take place at the Bar- but it may have the guys groaning for
Jack Lewis and John Geyson, portrays ratt Lecture Theatre at 19:00 on 24, 25, all the wrong reasons. Condoms! This
a homosexual relationship between a 26, 29, 30 September and on 1 and 2 latex wonder has come a long way and is
Dutch settler and a livestock herder in October. available in an assortment of colors and
flavors. I recommend the tried, tested
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Goboza on SABC 1, and Out of the Box on SABC ated with the development of cervical
3. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for Paul’s “most
awesome sauce ever”.
cancer and genital warts and protects an
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Pic: Supplied

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l  Pour over the chicken and enjoy.
8 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08
The number you have dialled
is not available at present
Originally, I wanted to write my editorial
about the SRC societies review and the
fact that Greek Soc is potentially being
disbanded. One camp told us Law Soc
had also been disbanded but another de-
nied the allegations. We decided to leave
it out because we couldn’t reach the new
SRC Societies Councillor. We couldn’t
find his number and no one sent it to us.
A newspaper cannot work on hearsay,
which is all the SRC has been giving us
for the past week.
The comment from SRC president
Kholosa Loni that she wants to improve
communication both within the SRC and
between the SRC and students brought a
wry chuckle from around the newsroom.
I’m not one for tip-toeing around the
issue, so let’s deconstruct the evident
communication breakdown.
Loni and former SRC president
Xolani Nyali did not seem to agree on
anything we approached them about for
this edition: from the time and place of
the General Student Body meeting, to
whether or not the SRC was meant to
participate in the Allan Webb Adven-
ture. In the case of the latter, the alleged
person who was allegedly responsible for
organising the alleged teams could not be
reached. Allegedly.
Loni could not be contacted during
the week for our front page story and
when she was finally tracked down, she
only answered questions over email
because she was so busy. But even then
she only gave a comment on the SRC
elections, after dismissing the rest of the
questions as “loaded”. But we wanted to
find out more about her (resulting in the
sidebar on the front page), so we called
again. And again. Her phone was off.
Now you need to know that the SRC
president has a presidential phone.
Which is quite nifty. But she lost the
charger for it so we could not reach her
until Saturday morning after she had
found it again. At this point we sched-
uled an interview, which she insisted
would take place on the corner of Som-
erset and Beaufort street. Our reporter
turned up her trenchcoat collar and went
to meet her at the drop off point. We left
the car running, it was raining, and even-
tually we were allowed into Loni’s digs.
The one person on the SRC who has
been invaluable to us this week is the
Media Representative Aslam Seedat. He
always answered his phone and did his
best to herd the SRC councillors in our
direction to give us comment.
SRC, I have just one desperate re-
quest: keep your phones switched on and
make time for us! Because if a newspaper
with a large staff cannot reach you or
meet with you, how is a regular student
meant to?
Ines Schumacher
072 461 3174
editor@theoppidanpress.com
Editor: Ines Schumacher
Deputy Editor: Catherine Boulle
Managing Editor: Lionel Faull
Advertising Manager: Masixole Mdingane
Advertising Manager: Meike Mann
Marketing Manager: Andrew Lynch
Financial Manager: Solomon Moyo
Distribution Manager: Douglas Mbululu
Assistant Distribution Manager: Phillip Furusa
Ombud’s report >> Anonymity unjustified
Robert Brand
A reader, Kirsten Mackintosh, has com-
plained to The Oppidan Press about a
front page opinion piece on the Student
Body Meeting to introduce SRC candi-
dates. The piece, which appeared in the
3 September edition under the headline
“Potential leaders get into catfight…”,
took issue in particular with two candi-
dates, Pumeza Mdangayi and Katherine
Henry, who, it said, “clearly hate each
other”. The article, by a “student observer
[who] prefers to stay anonymous in
order to keep her claws to herself ”, refers
to the “complete inadequacy of almost
every other candidate”, implying that
Henry and Mdangayi are leading candi-
dates, and goes on to question whether
the two would be able to work together if
both were elected.
In a letter to the editor of The Op-
pidan Press, Mackintosh took issue with
running an anonymous opinion piece on
Letters to the editor >> Don’t put the blame on the Irish
Dear Editor,
We read it. And screamed in outrage.
The article that induced this screaming
was the editorial written in response to
the opinion piece “An Entire Continent
of Sexually Hyperactive, Illiterate
Indigents” in your last edition. We have
a number of points to raise about this ill-
researched, poorly argued opinion piece.
Firstly, accusing Mr Myers, the
Irish columnist who wrote the article,
of sitting “in his Irish ivory tower” is
unfounded because, as he states in the
article, “unlike most of you, I have been
to Ethiopia”.
If you had emerged from your news
office, you might know that he was there
in the depths of the Ethiopian famine in
the 1980s, writing impassioned pieces
about the obligations of the world to save
starving children. His experiences there
Dear Editor,
So, the self-righteous have spoken and,
once again, too quickly and in poor
taste. “We shouldn’t be too outraged by
this opinion. After all, it comes from
Ireland” - the very words written by
the editor of The Oppidan Press. What
exactly is she implying? Calling the
conflict in Northern Ireland a religious
conflict is a gross simplification. Some
Irish people want Ireland to belong to
Britain, whereas others want Ireland to
be completely independent. True, the
majority of people supporting a unified
Ireland were Catholic, and the majority
of people wishing Ireland to be part of
Britain were Protestant. However, reli-
gious differences have moved on to more
social and cultural differences of lifestyle
and politics between Irish citizens.
Then we have the issue of calling Ire-
land a post-colonial state. This is highly
misleading. Post-colonial has taken
on a new meaning, revolving largely
around non-European states which were
colonised and later given independence,
Community Engagement: Barry Sierra
Arts Editor: Amanda Strydom
Assistant Chief Designer: Ashleigh Swaile
Business Editor: Mbali Sikakana
Chief Designer: Stefania Origgi
Chief Sub-Editor: Emilie Gilbert
Chief Sub-Editor: Shea Karssing
Entertainment Editor: Takondwa Nyasulu
Features Editor: Cara-Ann Carstens
Got a complaint? Send your editorial complaints to our
Ombudsman for a fair and impartial ruling. r.brand@ru.ac.za.
the front page: “since when do ‘opinions’
get printed on the front page even when
it is more than apparent that they are
completely unsubstantiated?” There is
no evidence, she said, for the assump-
tion that Henry and Mdangayi were
the leading candidates, and that others
were inadequate. “This sort of gross
negligence in reporting, disguised as
‘opinion’, more than ruffles my feathers,
and furthermore this article is enough
to sway votes,” she concludes, signing off
pointedly as “Kirsten Mackintosh (No
‘anon’)”.
The South African Press Code, to
which most major newspapers subscribe,
states that a publication “is justified in
strongly advocating its own view on con-
troversial topics provided that it treats
its readers fairly by making fact and
opinion clearly distinguishable”. There
is no question that The Oppidan Press
has a right to express an opinion on SRC
candidates, and that it may express that
opinion anywhere in the paper, as long
have led to further discoveries and new
ideas, which formed the ideas expressed
in his piece that were so viciously at-
tacked in your editorial. Perhaps pause
for a moment and consider the fact that
he might have thought about this more
than you have (20 years is a long time).
It is ironic that in this outraged
piece, which seems to express a loathing
for what could be perceived as ‘racist’
views, the fact that the journalist is
from Ireland means that his thoughts
are dismissed out-of-hand. It is also
interesting that you draw similarities
between the colonisations of Ireland
and Africa, when Ethiopia was never
significantly colonised (except for six
years, after which it was liberated by an
Irishman), and Ireland was colonised
for roughly a thousand years. Compare
their socio-economic standings. Besides,
surely Ireland’s success after its liberation
but which suffered much both during
and since colonisation. If we are to bring
Ireland into this, then we have no choice
but to involve both England and France
as both have been conquered and held as
parts of each other’s empires. Are we to
assume then that England is a post-colo-
nial state after the French invasion that
left the English nobility French? Do not
be absurd. Post-colonialism has a very
different meaning these days.
I notice that what your retort has
conveniently omitted is any challenge to
the facts that Myers pointed out about
African states. Ethiopia is a disaster
area that has done little, if anything,
to correct its problems over the years.
The population has more than doubled,
and it still cannot feed itself, nor build
a functional economy. Is the rest of the
world expected to forever feed this grow-
ing child? And what is the rest of Africa
doing? It is so happy that it finally has a
voice in the world that it can’t help using
it, as opposed to listening to what others
have to say. Mugabe was attacked for
destroying Zimbabwe and the African
Multimedia Editor: Daniel Calderwood
News Editor: Anja Müller-Deibicht
News Editor: Kelly Adami
Opinion Editor: Sivuziwe Mzamo
Pictures Editor: Sarah Schäfer
Politics Editor: Claire Waterhouse
Sports Editor: Siphosethu Stuurman
Ombudsman: Robert Brand
Printers: Grocott’s Publishers and Printers
as it is clearly labelled as opinion or com-
ment. The piece in question is clearly
labelled “Opinion” in a tagline above the
headline; I doubt anyone could mistake
it for a factual report. I therefore cannot
agree with Mackintosh’s contention that
the article is a “report” dressed up as
“opinion”. The opinions expressed appear
to be substantiated by the behaviour of
the two candidates at the meeting. It is
robust political comment; and whether
you agree with it or not, the writer and
newspaper have the right to express it.
But should it have been expressed on the
front page?
There is no rule that opinion pieces
may not be carried on a newspaper’s
front page, even though the front
page is usually reserved for factual
news reports. Although not common,
editors sometimes publish comment or
opinion on the front page when they
think an issue is important enough.
However, such comment would
usually be attributed to the editor, or
means that it has more right to criticise
other post-colonial countries that are
developing airs of entitlement. Ireland
received no aid during their devastating
famine; whereas Ethiopia continues
to receive assistance, and continues to
decrease in terms of development.
It is our opinion that a journalist
courageous enough to admit his past
mistakes, and to suggest a possible
solution to an endlessly deteriorating
state of affairs, should be applauded
rather than demonised.
If one disagrees with his facts or
views, it might be better to firstly, open
one’s eyes to the facts as opposed to
merely bleating unsupported ‘facts’
espoused by one’s colleagues; and
secondly, construct a logical, rational
argument against his ideas.
Sincerely,
Unblinkered, by email
leaders defend him! Africans like the fact
that they can stand up and defend fellow
African states, but all they use are their
voices. Very few even pretend to try and
help fix the problems, or build up places
of stability. If African countries cannot
help one another, even though they have
the means, they why should the rest of
the world?
Now South Africa has a potential
president waving a machine gun and
patriarchal ideology, followed by many
poor young men who believe in his
promises to provide for them. South
Africans have forgotten how to talk and
how to complain. We have the most
expensive phone lines in the world due
to a monopoly company, faulty electric-
ity due to a failure to plan, leaders who
deny the existence of Aids, and failing
legal systems. Has this country no longer
got a voice? I pray we do not go the way
of Zimbabwe, nor end up being another
Ethiopia. The signs are there, but it’s up
to us to respond to them.
Sincerely,
James Shone
Letters to the Editor:
letters@theoppidanpress.com
Editorial complaints: r.brand@ru.ac.za
Advertising details:
advertising@theoppidanpress.com
Distribution queries:
distribution@theoppidanpress.com
presented as the newspaper’s own. It
is highly unusual to give an individual
who does not represent the newspaper
such a prime platform to express views
anonymously, especially if they are
derogatory views about other people.
In this case, the writer clearly was not
the editor, and the opinion expressed
not that of the newspaper. We do not
know who the “student observer” is.
We cannot judge whether she has an
unexpressed agenda (who knows, she
may even be an opposition candidate).
To my mind, newspapers should not give
people a platform to attack others from
under a cloak of anonymity, especially
not in such a prominent front-page
position. The piece may, as Mackintosh
pointed out, influence voting choices
and the election outcome; it exposed
the newspaper to charges of bias or
impartiality. For those reasons, it would
have been advisable to use the article on
the opinion pages, and to insist that the
writer put her name to her opinions.
P
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Editor’s response >>
We decided to drop the editorial
cartoon this week to make way for
your letters. Thank you for writing in
to us. You made sure that our readers
also got the other side of the story and
you added some valuable points to the
debate. The Oppidan Press tries to
be a platform for student debate and
thoughts, so all opinions and views
are accepted and published. However,
it’s important that opinions are also
challenged in an educated way, which
is what these two letters brought to
the table. I remain unconvinced that
my previous editorial was entirely of-
fensive and irrelevant, nor that I am a
goat. But as Voltaire said: “I might not
agree with what you say, but I will de-
fend your right to say it to the death.”
 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08 9

Freedom of speech. Does cartooning extend to ridiculing our leaders

and ripping off celebrities? letters@theoppidanpress.com.

“It hurts only

when I laugh”
Harriet McLea
Does freedom of expression have a limit?
And has South African cartoonist, Jona-
than Shapiro, better known as Zapiro,
finally exceeded it?
His cartoon of Jacob Zuma about to
rape the Lady justice system has caused
a huge uproar, with many angry heads
shaking in dismay arguing that he has
overstepped his boundaries. But others
have commended Zapiro for continuing
to produce much-needed criticism and
debate in our country.
over 1,000 women in South Africa are
raped every day, this is a fair response.
The problem is that if cartoonists are
barred from illustrating sensitive topics
then they would have very little to draw
at all. What is sensitive is relative. It is
those prickly things which make the best
content for satire, and Zapiro knows it.
Many online readers left comments
congratulating Zapiro for one of the
“greatest cartoons of our era” (see: http://
www.mg.co.za/article/2008-09-08-
zapiro-in-zuma-cartoon-uproar). The
discussion was carried into other pub-
lications where columnists added their

Zapiro is a self-confessed “freedom-
of-expression junkie” and pushes all the
boundaries with his satirical, and often
controversial, take on South African
politics and society. His personal ‘red
line’ is when his work can potentially
cause physical harm or death. He feels
that, “everybody has a right to sue, but...
that public figures such as Zuma sue to
try to intimidate the media and to have
power over freedom of speech.”
Within a day of the cartoon’s pub-
lication, comments were streaming in.
Zuma and his cronies, depicted as gang
rapists holding down a blindfolded Lady
Justice, had much to fuss about.
Conservatives from all areas criticised
the illustration of rape, which they said
was a “sensitive issue”. Considering that
own and varied opinions to the growing
sea of voices.
To get such a varied response from
a single cartoon must make cartoonists
shiver with delight. It means they are
doing something right. Mark Wigget,
from The Weekend Post, paid tribute
to Zapiro in one of his recent cartoons
showing Zuma sitting on an examining
table being inspected by his doctor. He
had an oversized pen stuck into his back
with the word ‘Zapiro’ on it. The doctor
asked him if it hurt and Zuma’s response
was, “Only when I laugh.”
That is what cartoons are meant to
do, they’re meant to make you laugh.
And if Zapiro can make some laugh
and others wince in pain, he has most
certainly succeeded.
>> Refusing to let Zapiro tickle the funny boner
“We feel absolutely vindicated. We want
to see who are the rapists of the judicial
system,” said Cosatu secretary general
Zwelinzima Vavi in response to the re-
cent Zapiro cartoon that showed Zuma
about to rape justice, represented by a
woman held down by alliance leaders.
The SACP’s Blade Nzimande expressed
similar sentiments, saying Zuma’s rights
had been raped.
“Zapiro, don’t try and make fun of
rape. Our sisters, our mothers are vic-
tims of rape on a daily basis. Don’t play
with rape. It’s you, along with the other
media people who are rapists,” said
Nzimande. “We are happy for Msholozi
[Zuma’s clan name] and we did say we
would support him until the end.”
ANC Youth League president Julius
Malema said he always knew Zuma
would win his court bid to have the
prosecution declared invalid.
“The problem in this country is
[President] Thabo Mbeki and his
people...We don’t want him,” Malema
said. “The NEC [National Executive
Committee of the ANC] has got a
responsibility to recall Mbeki or else we
Pic: Supplied
will recall them.”
If ANC president Jacob Zuma sues
Jonathan Shapiro for his latest cartoon,
it will bring the number of defamation
cases Zuma has filed against media
organisations to 14 since the beginning
of his rape trial in 2006.
Zuma has demanded a total of R63
million in damages from a collection of
media organisations.
His spokesperson, Liesl Gottert, said
his legal team is investigating whether
there are grounds for another defama-
tion suit.

Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality

Debbie Liebenberg
It is amazing how a story about a
young girl from a depression-era farm
in Kansas who was transported by a
tornado to a magical land of fake flowers
and midgets captured the imagination of
millions. Throw in a couple of witches, a
scarecrow, a lion, a tin man and a pair of
fabulous ruby red shoes and you’ve got
The Wizard of OZ in all its technicolour
glory.
Despite the far-fetched plotline, The
Wizard of Oz dazzled film frequenters
for the first time in 1939. This multi-
Oscar winning film did not attract
viewers for the expensive special
effects, but rather as a means of escape
from the devastating aftermath of the
Great Depression. It is no coincidence,
however, that during the depths of this
depression an average of 60 to 75 million
movie tickets were bought by the public
each week. Today, increasingly more
people are finding their escape through
similar fantasy and animated genres of
media.
Last year, movies like Pan’s Labyrinth,
The Bee Movie, Beowulf, and Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix hit
the circuit with great audience appeal.
What do animations and fantasies have
in common? They are out of this world -
literally. Unlike the 1930s, however, films
are not our only option to escape our
contemporary realities.
Blizzard Entertainment has held the
record for number one selling games
for over a decade. Their most famous
contribution is World of Warcraft, a
game that allows players to become a
virtual character, fighting the undead,
goblins, and many other imaginative
creatures to fulfill noble quests. It’s living
the virtual good life.
The 1930s could attribute their
attraction to virtual realities to the Great
Depression, but what are our reasons
in 2008? People with access to these
expensive games and movies are surely
not living in poverty and trying to
escape harsh times.
Then again, perhaps the virtual
realities are not so far removed from our
own. Take top South African celebrity,
Jacob Zuma. This guy seems to think
that you can get rid of fatal diseases by
taking a shower…hmm, where else have
I seen this? Oh yes! In The Sims II your
character can literally regain their health
just by (you guessed it) taking a shower.
As if that’s not enough Zuma’s signature
song, “Umshini wami” (“Bring Me My
Machine Gun”) mimics the metallic
quotes uttered by shooting characters
in games such as Unreal Tournament,
Quake or Duke Nukem! It seems the
borderline between Zuma’s reality and
virtual reality has become somewhat
blurred (to say the least).
But there is one difference. You have
to admit that it is appealing to know that
if things do not go as planned in a virtual
reality, you can simply restart, switch
channels or turn it off.

P Yellow House
Our republic and its press will rise or fall together.
- Joseph Pulitzer

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n Gender issues in the media, with a focus on covering rape and women’s issues
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 9

Kholosa Loni Pumeza Mdangayi Thapelo Tselapedi

srcpresident@ru.ac.za srcvpinternal@ru.ac.za srcvpexternal@ru.ac.za

Mabocha Mokobane Tiisetso Thabana Kyle Langley Nyashadzashe Chikukwa

srctreasurer@ru.ac.za srcacademic@ru.ac.za srcenvironmental@ru.ac.za srcresidence@ru.ac.za

?
Position vacant
By-elections to be held
Neil Savy
srcbenefits@ru.ac.za
Garth Elzerman
srcsocieties@ru.ac.za
Mahomed Haniff
srcinternational@ru.ac.za
this week

Mnyamezeli Qeqe Jacob Phamodi Giuliana Colarossi Aslam Seedat

srcprojects@ru.ac.za srcactivism@ru.ac.za srccommunity@ru.ac.za srcmedia@ru.ac.za
 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08

Enjoy creative writing? Join the Features team. Just

drop us a line. features@theoppidanpress.com.

Police reservists – combating crime in the community

Gabi Falanga
We are surrounded by the early morn-
ing coffee rush at the Kaif when Vusi*
walks up to me. He looks just like any
other student but during weekends and
holidays, Vusi and a handful of other
students become part of the force that
protects us and our country. They are
police reservists.
Being a police reservist (a voluntary
police officer) “takes a lot of guts” says
Rhodes student, Andrew*. “Many police
reservists are very young and you won’t
sleep for two days after some of the stuff
you see.” And indeed, these brave young
men have seen things that will cause
most of us to have nightmares for weeks.
Vusi was once called to a scene where
a two-week-old baby had been flushed
down a toilet. Both students tell stories
of how they have been called out to stop
dangerous drive-by shootings involving
taxis and how one of their colleagues
assisted during the recent xenophobic
attacks in Alexandria. He could hear the
bullets rushing past his ears. For these
students, house break-ins, car accidents
and drug busts are a regular part of the
job.
Police reservists have to work for at
least 16 hours each month. Their duties
entail crime prevention, where they pa-
trol central Grahamstown as well as the
townships, looking for potential trouble
and stopping it before anything could
happen. They are often the first to arrive
at a crime scene where they conduct
searches and keep an eye on bystanders
to prevent further trouble.
These students’ lives are constantly
in danger, regardless of whether they
are on duty, hence their desire to stay
anonymous. They constantly receive
threats which, according to Andrew, is
one of the major disadvantages of the
job. “The criminals know where you live
and they know who you are. You walk
into it knowing it is dangerous, and you
could lose you life. But you are doing it
for someone else, not yourself.”
Many of us don’t realise it, but these
are the men who ensure our safety at
events such as the O-week street party.
They not only face threats but disrespect-
ful remarks and have had bottles thrown
at them by fellow students. These reali-
ties have given Vusi a new-found respect
for the police. He says “people are quick
to say that cops are slack, but they are
the unsung heroes. There are some who
are genuinely doing [their job] to make
a change.”
Vusi says that in order to be a police
reservist “you need to know why you are
doing it because it gets hectic. You need
to have a strong will and a strong gut.
You must be willing to do good and be
doing it for the right reasons.” Andrew
adds that many people want to join the
police reservists because it looks good
on their CV, but he says this shouldn’t
be their reason for joining: “You’re not
doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for
others, for the community.”
*Names have been changed to protect their
identities.

A rose amongst the Digs gardening tips

Michael English

thorns One of the best things to do when start-

Jade Smith
When Rhodes employed Sindiswa
Hanise to work at Grounds and Gardens,
chances are they didn’t realise that not
only were they gaining the only female
gardener on the staff, but a hard-working
woman whose dedication to her job se-
cured her a nomination in the Amnesty
International Awards for Social Change.
The Amnesty Awards recognised the
work that individuals do on campus and
in the Grahamstown community. The
ceremony was held on 20 August this
year, but Hanise only heard about her
nomination in the support staff category
on 16 September. Nonetheless, the news
was a pleasant surprise. “I was still very
excited,” she said.
Alinka Brutsch, chairperson of the
Rhodes Amnesty International Society,
said that one of the aims of the awards
was “to recognise the importance of men
ing a garden is to find out what grows
well in your area. A good place to start is
to see what the neighbours are growing.
that I work with them. Men give you no It is often cheaper to buy the seed-
problems. Women are always fighting or lings than to plant the seeds yourself and
talking about each other. My skills also this may give you better results if you do
lie more in ‘men’s work’.” not have green fingers.
Rhodes’ only female gardener is not Plant vegetables such as tomatoes,
the silent type. “She’s a talkative woman,” spinach, spring onions and other salad
said Sylvia Maqanda, another member of types in your garden as these are easy to
the university’s support staff. “Hanise is grow. Herbs are always handy to have to
a very hard worker and she likes all her jazz up even the most simple digs meals.
things to be neat and clean, especially When planting flowers, plant annuals
her house.” which are cheaper, but remember this
“You can also see that she loves her means you need to change them with
husband very much,” Maqanda says, the seasons. Try to grow colourful plants
“she is always walking around with him such as petunias and pansies. Cosmos
wherever she goes”. Hanise lives with and asters, as well as marigolds are
her husband and youngest daughter. She colourful summer annuals that are well
maintains a close relationship with her worth the effort.
children even though her son and other Be aware of the sunny and shady
daughter are in colleges in East London areas of your garden to make sure you
and Port Elizabeth. “I love my family so grow your plants in the conditions they
much,” says Hanise. “They have always need.
given me lots of support, especially when Buy some good fertiliser like Bounce
I was new to this job.” Back, which is organic, or get manure
When she’s not working in the gar- and make your own compost if you have
Pic: Anthea van Heerden

and women working together to shape
our society”.
Hanise is certainly worthy of the
nomination. “I am the only woman but I
do the same work as the men,” she says.
She cheekily adds: “You know women
are the hardest workers.”
Hanise enjoys working alongside men
now, but this was not always the case. “It
was a big sacrifice for me to work with
men, but at the time I was desperate for a
job,” she explains. “But now I thank God
dens on campus, Hanise enjoys reading
and going to church. She is also an active
member of a women’s club stokvel, where
a group of women contribute money
to a fund which can be loaned out and
repaid with an added interest rate. The
money can also be collected for a person
who needs it for a costly event such as a
funeral.
Although Hanise did not win the
award in her category, she still continues
to set an example to everyone who sees
DOING IT HER WAY
her ‘in action’ in the gardens around
Sindiswa Hanise works as hard as anyone
campus. “I really love my job,” she says.
as the only female gardener at Rhodes. She
was recognised for her dedication by being
nominated for an Amnesty International
Award.
the space. A good garden needs lots of
nutrients.
Speak to your local nurseries as
they will be able to give you some good
advice on what does well and what to
plant when.
Spend time in your garden, successful
gardens need the attention. Just half an
hour of watering four times a week can
make a big difference.
Most importantly, you should enjoy
doing it!

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give-aways! Email: wallace@intekom.co.za
 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08
The big bang of the super small
Laura Richter
In the past 250 years since the inven-
tion of the microscope, scientists have
been dabbling in the mini realms of
the very small: we discovered that our
bodies were made up of trillions of tiny
components called cells, and cells are
made up of other tinier components;
moving down smaller still, we found that
all matter, living and non-living, is made
up of atoms. The word ‘atom’ is actually
derived from a Greek word which means
“uncuttable.” So surely the atom must
be the world’s smallest component? Not
so — as we all know, atoms themselves
are made up of electrons surrounding a
nucleus which is made up of protons and
neutrons, the smallest we can go, right?
Wrong! Welcome to the world of
particle physics. According to physicists
in this discipline, there are actually many
diverse, smaller particles that make
up our world. The standard model of
particle physics tells us that fundamen-
tal particles are ‘uncuttable’ particles
which are the smallest building blocks of
everything. These are the quarks and the
leptons.
These are six different types of
leptons, one of them being the electron.
All together, the many different leptons
and quarks, and the way quarks can join
together to form different larger par-
ticles, create a curious world of particles
Pic: Supplied
BURNING BOTTOMS
iPod batteries may soon become a cause for concern,
diminishing the pure joy of entertainment.
smaller than the widely known atoms,
protons and neutrons.
Ordinarily, scientists can observe tiny
objects by bouncing particles of light, or
electrons, off them (this is what a micro-
scope does). But what about looking at
these new objects? There are no particles
much smaller than a quark, or a lepton,
to bounce off them to enable us to figure
out what they look like.
So how then do scientists study
them? Well, mostly with complicated
mathemathics. But they also need to be
able to test the maths with experiments,
so scientists fire beams of these particles
at each other at incredibly high speeds
and observe what happens when they
crash into each other. Instruments that
do this are called particle accelerators.
There are quite a few throughout the
world, including at iThemba labs outside
Cape Town.
The largest particle physics laboratory
in the world is the European Laboratory
for Particle Physics, Cern, situated on the
border between France and Switzerland.
The latest Cern project is the Large Had-
ron Collider (LHC), a ring of diameter
approximately 8.5 kilometres, buried 100
metres below the ground. Two beams
of protons travel in opposite directions
around the ring, faster and faster, gain-
ing energy until they are travelling at
nearly the speed of light. The beams then
collide head on, and scientists monitor
what happens. The LHC was commis-
sioned on 10 September, when the first
beams were circulated through the ring.
The first proper high-energy collisions
are scheduled to take place towards the
end of October.
The beams collide in an ultra-high
vacuum, and as they collide they
generate temperatures over a hundred
thousand times the temperature of the
Sun. During the collisions, the LHC will
recreate the conditions just after the Big
Bang, hopefully enabling scientists to an-
swer some really fundamental questions
about our universe: what is mass? What
is dark matter? And dark energy? Why
is there more matter than anti-matter?
What was the universe like in the first
second of its life?
All of this meddling with the funda-
mental particles of nature might seem
a bit dangerous. And there are those
who argue that it is. Dr Otto Rössler has
called for a conference on the safety of
the LHC because he has concerns that
mini-black holes could be created in the
collider and grow exponentially to cause
a bosenova, something like a small-
scale supernova. Dr Rössler, a German
professor of Theoretical Biochemistry,
estimates that there is about a ten per-
cent chance that these mini-black holes
could be created by the LHC.
Cern scientists counter his argu-
ment by saying that LHC-type collisions
occur in our outer atmosphere all the
time, with high-energy particles from
Holy exploding iPods!
Seranne Howis
Reports of exploding cell phone batteries
have made the news for the last few years
and now stories of exploding iPods are
joining the ranks. A recent news report
of a man’s exploded iPod battery setting
his pants on fire may make some iPod
users more than a little cautious to avoid
burning their backsides.
iPods all rely on lithium-ion or
lithium-ion polymer batteries. These
batteries are commonly used in portable
electronics and are popular due to their
minimal weight and slow charge loss
when not in use.
However, there are disadvantages
to the use of lithium-ion batteries. One
of the least publicised of these is that
the battery’s lifespan is measured from
its date of manufacture, regardless of
its usage or charge levels prior to being
A0 - A7 Posters, Flyers, Banners,
T Shirts, Photos & Canvas Printing
General Printing, Copying, Binding etc.
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Send us the link! letters@theoppidanpress.com.
outer space. And the mini-black holes
possibly created in these collisions have
not harmed us so far, so surely similar
mini-black holes from the LHC should
also pose no risk to us. Dr Jennifer
Williams from the Rhodes Department
of Physics and Electronics says that the
black holes created in these processes are
both incredibly tiny and, more impor-
tantly, unstable. So they decay to nothing
in almost no time and cannot build up
enough to become dangerous.
Dr Rössler refers to what he calls a
historical rule, that “whenever there is
a technology jump by a factor of ten...
major accidents happen.” The energies
created in the LHC will be eight times
inserted into a device. This means that
two identical devices that are used
and recharged in the same way can
have widely different life spans if their
batteries were manufactured at different
times prior to insertion into the device.
Another limit on lithium-ion batteries
is that they should never be discharged
below a certain level, or they can suffer
irreparable damage.
While some doubt has been cast on
the truth of the claims of the unfortunate
man whose iPod apparently exploded in
his pants, there are documented cases of
batteries failing catastrophically while
being recharged. One charging iPod
battery exploded so violently that it sent
the unfortunate device bouncing off a
desk. This explosion can happen when
lithium-ion batteries are exposed to high
temperature environments.
While exploding batteries are
Best Prices Guaranteed!
Pic: Supplied
THE BIG BANG THEORY
The Large Hadron Collider in Europe is ready
and set to cause collisions in our outer
atmosphere.
higher than energies ever created on our
planet before, so Dr Rössler is doing all
he can to stop the project, going as far as
taking the Cern team to the European
Court of Human Rights.
As the LHC website tells us, “our
understanding of the universe is about
to change”. But for the moment, South
Africa can be secretly glad this instru-
ment is a continent away from us.
rare, there are some tips to ensure
your battery lasts longer. Lithium-ion
batteries are rated for more than 500
charge cycles and should be charged
early and often (although for long term
storage, they should be left at a charge
level of around 50 percent). These
batteries should never be depleted to
below their minimum voltage and they
should be kept cool (some say ideally
in a fridge, but they should never be
frozen). For long term storage, the
battery should be discharged to 40
percent and placed in a fridge.
Repeated exposure to high heat can
cause the batteries to age faster and the
high temperatures found in cars sitting
in the sun can cause batteries to degrade
rapidly. Exposing a lithium-ion battery
to high temperatures can lead to a
permanent loss of up to 40 percent of its
storage capacity.
 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08 13

How odd. Check out a list of the 37 weirdest

jobs. Ever. www.TheOppidanPress.com.
Keeping it clean... and getting filthy rich
Mbali Sikakana
Interest in ‘going green’ has soared in
recent years, largely thanks to volatile
oil prices and Al Gore’s 2006 documen-
tary An Inconvenient Truth. This has
translated into public sentiment shifting
towards more environmentally-responsi-
ble companies.
Green investors typically invest
in companies that produce goods or
services aimed at solving environmen-
tal problems. They invest in alternative
energy, conservation, recycling, organic
foods and pollution control. Alterna-
tively, there is a ‘best-in-breed’ approach,
where fund managers look at various
sectors or industries and try to find the
greenest retail store or auto manufac-
turer. The focus is on companies that
are recycling and re-using raw materials
using energy-efficient products, and who
are also conscious of the impact of their
transportation. In such companies, there
far below the Energy Star requirements.
In addition, new cellphones now include
an energy-saving reminder alert that no-
tifies users when a mobile device is fully
charged. Nokia offers product take-back
and recycling programmes in more than
80 countries. For these reasons, Nokia is
considered by many to be green.
Back home, companies are increas-
ing profits by going green. South Africa’s
largest companies are boosting their
profits a million-fold by getting paid to
cut down on their pollution. Fertiliser
giant Omnia Holdings expects to add a
bonus of at least R60 million to its bot-
tom line for years to come — over ten
percent of its average profit figure — by
simply reducing the amount of environ-
mentally-damaging greenhouse gases it
produces.
European companies unable to meet
emission reduction targets set out in the
international Kyoto agreements purchase
‘credits’ from companies in developing
countries that are able to reduce theirs.
Business
cashing in, because the nitrous oxide
waste gas they produce (popularly
known as laughing gas) is 310 times
more valuable than carbon dioxide on
the carbon market.
Going green is all well and good, but
the lengths to which it is relied upon for
business seems to be altogether too risky,
especially when the concept deviates the
company from its core business. Take for
example Bill Ford, who stepped down
as CEO of Ford Motor Company after a
disastrous five year reign during which
the company shares lost two-thirds
of their market value. He appeared to
be more concerned about being green
than being profitable. In May 2000, he
declared that SUVs, his company’s most
profitable product, harmed the environ-
ment. In 2004, he announced his support
for higher gas taxes to reduce fuel con-
sumption. Now the public reduces fuel
consumption by not buying Ford SUVs.
Go figure. When you start losing sight
of the main objective, which is looking

is a significant amount of money being
invested; not in the form of donations,
but in capital outlays.
For instance, Nokia’s new cellphone
chargers do not contain polyvinylchlo-
ride (PVC), and have energy demands
Omnia has already ‘forward-sold’ its first
year’s worth of pollution-saving through
the World Bank and Dutch bank Rabo
after just three months of clean produc-
tion. Explosives companies — including
African Explosives — have also been
Pic: Supplied
after the objectives of all stakeholders
and increasing wealth for investors, the
‘business’ component of good manage-
ment is lost in the rush to take advantage THE GREEN REVOLUTION
of new opportunities such as the ‘green’ Many companies are boosting their profits by ‘going green’ while others lose
revolution. sight of their business objectives in the face of the green revolution.

SA economy: boom or bust? Student Savvy >>

Mbali Sikakana
South Africa’s current economic situa-
tion is wrought with contradiction, and
keeping up with who is saying what and
why can be confusing, and downright
exhausting. As a student soon to be en-
tering this new world, negotiating these
murky economic waters is essential in
order to plan successfully for the future.
The data collected by the Rand
Merchant Bank/Bureau for Economic
Research (RMB/BER) business confi-
dence index is disheartening. The index
fell by 22 points during the first half of
2008 and declined by another 11 points
during the third quarter between 4
August and 2 September. These figures
mean that only a third of respondents
were satisfied with prevailing business
conditions compared to four-fifths last
year. All sectors showed a decline in the
third quarter, the largest fall being at-
tributable to new vehicle trade which fell
to a nine-year low.
According to Rand Merchant Bank,
this is easily explained by South Africa’s
historically high household debt service
burden. The National Credit Act,
introduced a year ago, aiming to tighten
credit standards also reduced credit
options available to consumers. There
is a growing number of car owners
who are unable to continue their car
payments and the fall in vehicle trade-in
values have also put a strain on new car
sales. This is a warning sign for all of
us would-be first-time car buyers fresh
out of varsity: we need to plan well and
project our future income accurately to
be able to buffer the higher repayments.
The wholesale and retail sectors have
felt the ripple effects. Weakened demand
from the retail sector as a result of un-
planned high stock levels caused by con-
sumers monitoring their budgets more
rigidly has hit wholesalers notably. These
Wheeling and dealing
comedian Barry Hilton who popped
in to Grahamstown to see the prog-
ress of the team’s stall on the fourth
diving indicators, slower global activity
and higher interest rates have increased on campus day of their September promotion.
To advertise their product, the
fears that South Africa is heading into
Mbali Sikakana business uses newspaper advertise-
a recession. However, the National
ments, an advert on StudentZone
Treasury insist that the huge government
forums and RMR. For further
investment programme to boost energy,
An exciting transportation business exposure, posters and flyers were
transport and other infrastructure will
initiative, 2-Five, was conceptualised distributed around campus.
continue to support the economy.
by a group of second year entrepre- “The big advantage in going
The first-quarter growth figures
neurs, Blaise Dobson, Yasmin Sitoto forward with the venture is that we
for the economy this year were much
and Lwandlekazi Gaga. The schem- are not responsible for the product
lower than the previous quarter. This
ing began when Dobson saw a Vuka itself, only for selling and marketing
has been attributed to the electricity
Scuta scooter on the street and ac- the product,” Gaga comments. This
blackouts which were rampant at that
cessed the company’s website to find means that the team is able to rely on
time and which significantly impacted
out more. He discovered that there the integrity of the Vuka Scuta brand,
the mining and manufacturing sectors.
is a Vuka Scuta franchise in Port and the quality, warranties and good
The economy is expected to keep grow-
Elizabeth, prompting the creation services with which the franchise
ing (albeit at a slower rate) and is not
of 2-Five. Dobson contacted the PE provides its customers. The promo-
expected to go into a recession. This is
branch to propose a venture which tion also offered potential Vuka Scuta
believable when you note how interest
entails that the team promotes and buyers a chance to win free petrol for
rates have probably peaked and are now
sells scooters on campus for which a year with the purchase of a scooter.
expected to decline, as well as consider-
they are paid a base fee and commis- To date these entrepreneurs have sold
ing how the oil price has fallen by nearly
sion. five scooters. The minimum price of a
a third, a serious economic contraction
The franchise in PE is owned by scooter is R5,499.
is unlikely.

28a Hill Street (cnc Hill and Beaufort)

P O Box 2010
Grahamstown
6140
Property Shop Tel: (046) 636 1174
Fax: (046) 636 1186
Rentals: Jeff 0829401418
E-mail: propshop@telkomsa.net

n Park Dr: Large bed sitter R1650pm incl. water. Furnished with built in cupboards, fridge and 2
plate stove.
n African St: African Lodge: Bachelor in block of flats at R1920pm incl. water& elect . Semi Furnished:
fridge, Bookshelf, desk, chair & curtains
n Beaufort St: Epworth Court - bachelor flat at R2200pm. Electricity on prepaid. Furnished.
n Fitzroy St: Bachelor flat R1865pm each incl. water, Hi Tec and garden service. Electricity on pre-
paid. Furnished: Bed, desk, wardrobe, chest of drawers, fridge, 2plate stove/oven.
n Lawrence St: 1 bedroom flat available R1950 incl. water, electricity and Hi-Tec. Furnished: Double
bed, 3 seater lounge suite, wardrobe, wall unit, mini stove and curtains.
n Lawrence St: 1 bedroom flat available at R2530pm incl. water, garden service and Hi-Tec.
n Electricity on prepaid. Furnished: 3 wardrobes, linen cupboard, 4 piece dining room set, lounge
chair, curtains.
n Shepperson Ln: 1 bedroom flat R1800pm incl. Hi-Tec & garden service. Stove &fridge Electricity on
prepaid. Wireless internet access
n Beaufort St: 2 bedroom garden flat R3400pm incl. Hi-Tec and Garden service. Electricity on pre-
paid.
n Ellenor Court: 2 bedroom Flat in secure complex R4000pm incl. water. Has fridge & built in
stove.
n Hill St: 2 bedroom garden Flat R2640pm incl. Hi Tec and garden service. Off street parking.
n Kings Manor: 2 x 2 bedroom unit in secure complex R4200pm each incl. water, Hi Tec and garden
service. Electricity on pre-paid. Furnished with oven, stove, hob and blinds.
n Fitzroy St: 3 bedroom house R3630pm incl. garden service. Electricity on pre-paid. Has an alarm
system.
n Hill St:4 bedroom house at R6480pm incl. Hi-Tec and garden service. Off street parking. Elec. on
pre-paid. Furnished: 2 fridges, stove, washing machine, lounge suite, dining room table and chairs, TV
set, beds, desks, chairs, cupboards
MATURE GRAD STUDENTS ONLY
n Robinson St: 3 or 4 bedroom house R1700/room incl. Garden service and Hi Tec. Electricity on
pre-paid. With built in stove and a fridge. Off street parking. ADSL.

Please feel free to give us a call, or come by the office for a consultation!
 The Oppidan Press 25.09.08

Sports Does it or doesn’t it? Do you think the sex tape

really exists? letters@theoppidanpress.com.

Sex and lies in South African rugby $how me the money

Barry Sierra
Springbok rugby coach, Peter de Villiers,
has been at the centre of a flurry of accu-
sations and public furor beginning with
his alleged involvement in the scandal-
ous sex tape that has created stirs within
the ranks of the South African Rugby
Union (Saru).
The alleged existence of this compro-
mising sex tape was made public on 15
August, the day before the New Zealand
Test in Cape Town. The tape suppos-
edly shows de Villiers and an unknown
woman engaging in sexual activities in
a parking lot in King Williams Town
earlier this year.
The official statement by Saru follow-
ing the emergence of the alleged tape
stated that “a company employee made
certain extraordinary claims which
Saru has since looked into but has been
unable to find any basis to support the
claims”.
Springbok Communications Man-
ager, Chris Hewitt, was subsequently
named as the individual in possession
of the tape and was allegedly intending
to use it as blackmail to force de Villiers
to include a certain unnamed player in
the team. De Villiers said this black-
mail “nonsense” had since grown into a
“If it exists, nobody has a copy of it. I,
personally, think it doesn’t exist.”
De Villiers further commented on
the allegations surrounding his suppos-
edly steamy vidoe saying, “I knew there
were still people who do not want a
black coach; I just never knew the extent
people would go to discredit me”. His
remarks only served to fuel the already
fragile situation, and de Villiers later
apologised for the racial connotations
of his statement. Saru President Oregan
Hoskins pledged his full support for de
Villiers should he decide to take any
legal action against the claims.
De Villiers has achieved something
no Springbok coach before him could
accomplish: the biggest winning margin
ever against Australia in a test match.
With the United Kingdom tour looming,
let’s hope good rugby replaces good
gossip.
Pic: Supplied
Anesu Chingono
The colour white usually symbolises
peace in western society, but in other
countries such as China it symbolises a
state of mourning.
Across the world, in Spain, the
colour white is synonymous with nine-
time European Champions League
winners Real Madrid. Arguably the
world’s most famous football club,
with both a rich heritage and legacy
of success, “Los Merengues” are a
footballing heavyweight.
Thus, it came as a surprise to many
when Brazilian step-over king, Robson
de Souza — better known as Robinho
— dumped the Spanish capital for
Manchester City, a mid-table Premier
League side.
Whatever happened to buying a
yacht and soaking up some sun
in Monaco and St Tropez whilst
spending your billions on luxury
goods? Sport has become a major
investment for the wealthy, and
this is affecting players’ morals and
loyalities.
Malcolm Glazer and Randy Lerner are
just a few of the billionaires making
football a playground for the rich and
famous.
Whatever happened to buying a yacht
and soaking up some sun in Monaco and
St Tropez whilst spending your billions
on luxury goods? Sport has changed and
has since become a major investment for
the wealthy, and this is affecting players’
morals and loyalities.
Owning a sports team can be a
daunting proposition. Expensive players
get into trouble off the field, big coaches’
egos need soothing, and fans are fleeting
when their team is losing and ticket
prices are rising.
Money bears the burden of great
expectation and athletes can succumb to
the pressure of this. An example of this
is in America where college athletes are
awarded multimillion dollar contracts
before they even turn professional. The
pressure, coupled with new-found fame
and fortune, is often a recipe for disaster
for those who are easily distracted.
Talent has also become victim to
money; sports agents are now more
concerned with their clients’ financial
situations rather than their performances
on the field. This is also detrimental to
international sporting competitions as
players refuse to play for their national

“smear” that was intended to oust him
from the Springbok camp. Hewitt is now
facing disciplinary proceedings but no
date has been set for his hearing. Andy
Colquhoun, the Strategic Communica-
tions Manager said of the sex tape claim:
PORN STAR IN THE MAKING?
South African rugby coach, Peter de Villiers, has allegedly been involved in an
erotic affair with an unknown KWT woman.
It was clear his move was not for
footballing reasons. His motivation was
money. And he is not alone in where his
loyalties really lie.
Roman Abrahmovich, Mike Ashley,
teams because they risk jeopardising
their massive club contracts.
Sport is no longer just that; poor
performances are not only bad for the
team, but they are becoming increasingly
bad for business.

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Experience it. Watch a slideshow of the Allan Webb
Adventure online. www.TheOppidanPress.com.
Pic:s: Malcolm Freeman
Oppies do it again at AWA
Robyn Bowles
The Allan Webb Adventure was both
amusing and challenging to some extent.
I was asked to join in a group called
‘The Expats’ and, expecting an event
similar to the exhausting Founders
Challenge, was slightly reluctant to
accept the invitation. However, I was
completely surprised and quite relieved
to find that instead of a ‘hardcore’ and
muscle-wielding competition, us Expats
participated in fun events including a
tug of war, paint ball, and one hell of an
unusual orienteering race.
The orienteering race stood out as
one of the more challenging events,
requiring the team to run from the Bot
Gardens to Pick ’n Pay where we had
to find the prices for a number of
random products in the shop, one of
which was nipple cream (random, like I
said!). After we completed that task we
SUMMER STOCK ARRIVING
were sent forth to Nando’s. Our group,
having had a few drinks at the Rat the
previous night, were not quite prepared
or eager for the task that awaited us. We
were confronted with the hottest chilli
chicken wings and a bottle of Fanta
which our group had to finish in a water-
fall ‘down-down’. A few burning mouths
and sweating bodies later, we were
running on to face the next challenges
of the day.
The Allan Webb Adventure was just
that, and was filled with many laughs
and delightfully childish competitive
streaks. Without a doubt I would
recommend people participate next year,
as it was a fantastic experience and very
well organised day.
It was fun to see staff there, like DoS
Dr Vivien de Klerk (see paintball photo).
The winning team was the ‘Oppidan
Comm’ with 145 points, ‘One Daze’ and
‘K7’ finishing with 130 and 127 points
respectively.
A Michael Schumacher in the making
Anesu Chingono
Benjamin Franklin once said: “Hide
not your talents, they were made for us,
what’s a sundial in the shade?” Although
everyone in the world of Formula One
knew Germany’s Sebastian Vettel was
talented when, at 21, he became the
youngest driver to secure championship
points last year in America, his true
talent remained largely hidden until the
Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Now, his
proverbial sundial is in full sun.
Boyish looking, always smiling, and
known for being polite, Vettel delivered
what many analysts have labelled, “the
drive of the season”. Claiming pole
position in Ferrari’s own backyard, and
SA’s golden paralympians
Taona Karidza
The burns of South Africa’s dismal
Beijing Olympics performance
have been soothed by the inspiring
performances of the Paralympics team.
The team has fiercely fought to keep
South Africa from local embarrassment
with its awe-inspiring performances.
Team South Africa was led by
sensational swimmer Natalie du Toit
who bagged a total of five gold medals.
In her second consecutive Paralympics
appearance, du Toit displayed class in all
the races she competed in. Her success
was echoed by sprinter Oscar Pistorius,
who took home three gold medals and
broke the 400m world record in the
PHYSIOTHERAPIST
SPORTS • SPINAL • GENERAL PRACTICE
Mark Anderson
BSc. (Hons) Wits
10% student discount on presentation of student card.
Terms and conditions apply
St Andrews College Sanatorium
Bedford St, Grahamstown
6139
Tel: 046 648 2875
Cell: 079 381 4466
Fax: 046 648 2875
markanderson@telkomsa.net
then winning the illustrious Grand Prix,
Vettel wrote himself into the history
books by becoming the youngest winner
ever to do so.
“For sure the best day of my life, these
pictures, and these emotions I will never
forget,” said Vettel at the post Grand Prix
interview. This was not only a success for
Vettel, but for Red Bull’s supposed “B”
team, Scuderia Torro Rosso.
Whilst other experienced
campaigners struggled for pace, the
German whiz kid - dubbed the new
Michael Schumacher - drove with the
composure and poise of a champion
as he led the field from start to finish.
Could he really be the next Schumi? We
shall wait and see, but for now Vettel is
set for a fast and furious future.
Pic: Supplied
process. The success of the Paralympics
was the result of a team effort, as
less famous athletes such as Hilton
Langenhoven, Philippa Johnson and
Fanie van der Merwe bagged a few gold
medals of their own.
The Paralympians displayed the
quality and competitive edge that was
lacking in the able-bodied Olympic
team’s performance in August, in which
athletes had to settle with one silver
medal.
It is safe to say that the bitter taste
of the Olympics has been sweetened
by the victorious tinkle of gold medal
glory by the Paralympics team. The team
obtained a total of 30 medals (21 gold,
3 silver and 6 bronze), just off the 35
medals they receives at Athens 2004.
The Oppidan Press 25.09.08
Sports
Are you for real?
“White South Africans want the 2010
World Cup to flop”. These are the feeble
sentiments made by Essop Pahad,
Minister in the Presidency. Where does
he get off thinking that it is okay to make
such a divisive statement?
Known fact: white people in South
Africa aren’t all that crazy about soccer
and that is fair enough. However, is
this enough to assume that all white
South Africans want the 2010 to flop?
Let us deconstruct the logic in that.
There is none. Pahad has got it horribly
wrong in trying to argue that the white
community is indifferent to the 2010
World Cup being hosted here. There is
an element of faint, unproven truth in
that argument and to further suggest
that they want it to be a flop is largely
misleading.
Pahad’s claims tend to dabble in
those mythical conspiracy theories
purporting that white people want to see
black leadership fail on an international
podium such as the World Cup,
apparently to reinforce the idea that
white supremacy is the way forward.
This could be true, this could be an
ideology deeply entrenched in the white
South African psyche, but I highly doubt
it. However, should such irrational fears
fabricated by the likes of Pahad find
expression in sport, let alone on a public
platform?
Pahad claims: “My task is to ensure
that the South African public buys into
the idea that the World Cup belongs
to all South Africans”. Well, we surely
won’t buy into the idea if members of
your crew and yourself single out a race
group in the country as not being fully
supportive of the event. So much for
nation building, Mr Pahad; really, your
progressive thinking is truly outstanding.
It makes me just a
tad sceptical of the
spectacle that should
be the World Cup.
I hope you are
sensible enough to
revoke such divisive
statements.
 It’s Allan Webb Students who are part of
Adventure time! the SAPS.
Page 15 Page 11

Rhodes cox up at Boat Races

Litha Mpondwana
The Rhodes rowing teams could only
manage a solitary win in the recent
Mutual and Federal Universities Boat
Races, which were held in Port Alfred
from 11 to 13 September. The event,
which marked the rapid halt of Rhodes’
dominance in the competition, saw the
outgoing Rhodes Rowing Chairman
Jon Handley was not disheartened by
the performance of the Rhodes teams.
“The women did very well, and the
men gave all they could,” he said. He
cited the youthful nature of the Rhodes
teams as one of the main reasons for
the underachieving performance of the
Rhodes crew. “Since the men’s crew is
such a young team, their performances
University, who won both the men’s and
women’s A standings.
The Rhodes women’s A crew fought
hard to defend their title in the Heads
Race, but after gaining an early lead in
the race, the powerful Wits University
team outlasted them to win by 13
seconds. Buoyed by the dominating
performance of the women’s B crew in
their section, Rhodes B women’s crew

Pic: Denis Handley

women’s B crew salvage some Rhodes
glory with their overall victory in the
women’s B section.
During the competition, held on the
Kowie River, the Rhodes women’s A
crew did well to finish second behind
their Wits University counterparts,
while the men’s A crew managed a
disappointing fifth place in the overall
standings of the men’s A section. The
men’s B crew managed a third place
overall finish in their respective group.
Speaking of the outcome at the races,
were not too disappointing against the
more experienced and fitter teams,”
he said. “Some universities went on
international tours, and had been
training more than us,” he added.
The Rhodes crew has also had a
grueling training schedule, as they
had trained from January through to
September, and also went on a tour to
the United Kingdom.
The boat race, which is modelled
on the renowned and historic Oxford/
Cambridge race, was dominated by Wits
captain, Karen Vercuil was very positive
about the overall performance of the
Rhodes team, and of their future. “We
trained very hard, and gave it our all,”
she said.
An emphatic overall victory by Vercuil remained positive about ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT
over two minutes highlighted the the other Rhodes teams which did not The Rhodes University women’s A crew prepare
preparedness of the women’s B team fare too well at the Boat Race. “We all for the finals at Boat Races. The team came
for the challenge of the Boat Race. The trained hard, but came up against very second after competing in one of the most
women’s A team should also be credited, competent teams,” she said. She also closely contested races that day.
as despite their inability to defend expects the Rhodes team to be very
their title, they came up against solid competitive again next year, and hopes
competition in Wits University. for more victories in the future.

Ex-Olympic winning coach visits Rhodes
Bianca Perry
Rhodes University was honoured to have
coaching legend Ian Harris give a talk
about himself and his coaching memoirs
in the Sports Admin conference room
last week.
A man brimming with humour
and passion, Harris, who is originally
from Zimbabwe, has had 41 years of
experience in sport, 36 of them coaching
international athletes and numerous
Olympians. “I love the technical aspect
of coaching; you have got to place
yourself in the science of it all,” he said.
“How to get the best
coach in touch with the
athlete is the catalyst to
performance.”
SA whites want 2010 SWC to be a failure
said Harris. Siphosethu Stuurman of dismal performances.
During his career he has been “I’d like to say that 2010 is important
approached by numerous athletes for South Africa’s image, personally I’d
looking for a coach, taking many of South African whites want the 2010 like to see it be successful, it upsets me
them to the Olympics in 2000 and 2004. Soccer World Cup to be a dismal failure, that some people would want it to be a
In 2004, however, he took the leap according to Essop Pahad, a member of failure,” said Phillips.
and stopped coaching Olympians and the 2010 Local Organising Committee
retired. He moved on to high schools to (LOC). Pahad made the controversial
coach sports teams. Harris now works statement in a recent interview at the
for Virgin Active as a personal trainer. Beijing Olympics. “Although they may be
“It was great to transfer the skills of “They also do not really care that in the minority, there are
biomechanical and physiological aspects the Soccer World Cup will take place in
to other forms of sport,” he said. South Africa, all you have to do is to read
still many white people in
Harris coaches and trains people their sentiments about it on websites,” South Africa who do not
who are only looking for training on a Pahad said.
consultancy basis to keep fit and lose It appears that Pahad’s argument is
support Bafana Bafana.”
weight. His words of wisdom are: “The motivated by the fact that few white
hardest way to lose weight is through South Africans support the struggling
exercise. You’ve got to work with the Bafana Bafana and the local premier It is unclear where Pahad found the
kitchen first.” league. He said that white South Afri- information to base his argument on as
He also helps people who are cans prefer European rather than local there has been no official research done
involved with, and compete in, specific football. regarding this issue.
sports such as mountain biking, “Although they may be in the minor- “I don’t know why the focus is on
canoeing, running, swimming and golf. ity, there are still many white people in race, the focus should be on making
Pic: Caroline East

Harris was the national coach of the
Zimbabwean sports team for three years
before moving to Gauteng to coach at
the Vaal Triangle Technikon. “How to
get the best coach in touch with the
athlete is the catalyst to performance,”
This range of sports explains Harris’
critique of the profession: “Although
[coaches are] very holistic, we try to do
too much.” He left the audience with
words of inspiration: “Keep everything
in perspective. Find what you’re good at
and pursue it.”
South Africa who do not support Bafana
Bafana,” added Pahad.
Rhodes students like Brent Phillips,
chairperson of the Table Tennis Club,
A LEGEND IN COACHING disagrees with Pahad, stating that the
Inspiring former Olympic coach Ian Harris gives only reason Bafana Bafana is not well
Rhodes a fitness run. supported is because of their long streak
2010 a success and uniting the country,
such statements by members of 2010
LOC will perpetuate further segrega-
tion,” said former SRC president Ricardo
Pillay.
For an opinion on the topic, read Saint-
Francis Tohlang’s column on page 15.

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