News from South Africa this week

[PersephoneX]

Hey all,

You guys don't generally get too much hardcore South African news from me. But i thought I’d type you a news report of my own, so I’ve compiled a list of some of the interesting things in our news this week.

Two years ago Dina Rodriguez hired three men to murder her baby, to spite the child’s father. She was caught and the trial has been dragging on since June last year. The three men hired to kill the child have been accused of robbery, conspiring to commit murder and completing the act. Dina has been found guilty of hiring the men to murder the child. Their sentencing was put of for two days, and has now been postponed until the 4 June. So while the criminals know they have been found guilty, they have no idea what their sentences will be…

Anyone hear about the Kenyan plane that crashed? They’re fishing the dead bodies out of the mangroves. No survivors. There were seven South Africans on board. The scary thing is, it crashed ten minutes away from their take-off point. And it took them a couple of days to find them…No one knows why it crashed, yet.

Members of communities in Cape Town have been taking to the streets and marching to drug dealer’s houses. The communities are rallying together, taking the law into their own hands and actively fighting the organized crime dudes. There’s been a noticeable drop in drug related activity since they started doing it. Which I think is great…

And now for my personal favorite. The South African Witchcraft act is being amended. They’re getting stricter! The court feels the act needs to be amended after a group of people in a village cornered a woman they accused of being a witch, and her family, in her house and tried to burn it down. The people are all in protective custody. And the court date is set for sometime in the near future. The shitty thing about that is that that it seems the court is siding with the villagers! Kinda makes me think we’re regressing to the dark ages!

I'll add more as it comes to mind...

[PersephoneX]

I’m not sure if anyone heard about this one:

But according to an ex government dude, here in SA. If you have sex and have a shower afterwards, you can’t get AIDS. Isn’t that nice? He was accused of ****** a family friend, who has HIV. And Mr. Jacob Zuma (the ex government dude) said that he was not concerned about contracting the virus as he had a shower after having sex with her. He’s one of this pricks that say that a girl that wears a shorter skirt is ASKING for it! What the hell kind of world do we live in? Best part of this story? The government wants to give him his job back.

JUST IN:
People who saw a four-month-old baby pulled dead from a salt pan where his father had thrown him, beaten and drowned him, before police arrived to help. The man and the child’s mother had a fight. The drunk father took it out on the child! One of their neighbors went to see what the noise was about, and ended up fishing the child’s body out of the salt pan. Once he called the police, residents of the suburb started beating the father; police had to step in to restore order. The father was too drunk to make a statement!

[PersephoneX]

But wait there's more...

Stalker Ismail Shaik has been granted bail of R50 000, pending his appeal against his conviction on kidnapping and indecent assault charges...The man is a police officer!

[PersephoneX]

And my last one for the day:

The Cape High Court has jailed for life a science graduate who launched a fatal axe attack on his former gay partner, who had started a new relationship.

[Vako]

And I thought L.A. is a wild place. You guys might have us beat!

[PersephoneX]

We're one scary fucked up country.

[Vako]

I was actually messaging with a South African guy once and he told me this thing they used to do there during riots called a "Johannesburg Necklace" where the person will put a tire around his enemy and light it on fire, leaving the person to slowly immolate and smolder.

[PersephoneX]

Yip. They still do it sometimes. They once locked this guy in his car and he burned inside the car. Its quite sick. There are places where people know if it starts to get dark they have to get out ASAP. It’s so bad that you cant take a walk on the beach alone. And these street kids broke into the old people that live behind my grand parent’s house, and beat the old people with hose pipes filled with concrete, barbwire and broken bottles. When the old people go too weak to fight, they killed their Maltese poodle. The sad thing is that I know those old people pretty well, and they ALWAYS give the street kids money and in winter the old lady there gives them soup and old blankets and clothing…Its upsetting.
And now I’m scared for my grandparent’s sake. They left Europe to retire in a quiet, peaceful, new South Africa, which they helped fight to break out of Apartheid…

[Dancing_in_rain]

Poor you Persephone. I hope your grandparents stay safe. And yes, Zuma is an imbecile. He deserves to die. Africa has trouble enough dispelling so many of the rumours about HIV/AIDS already without a person in authority adding to the stupid stories. Like: "If you have sex with a virging, you will be cured of AIDS." Bulls*it. All you'll do is give the virging AIDS. I hate Zuma. May he wither in hell. And on that note, please be careful PersephoneX. I nearly got mugged in Jo'burg when I was there at Christmas but luckily my guy friend came running with his dad.

Out of curiosity, did you write the poem in your signature? It's beautiful...

[PersephoneX]

Its the lyrics to my favourite song...

"Take this life" by Inflames.

[Kraven de Sade]

Originally Posted by Dancing_in_rain

Like: "If you have sex with a virging, you will be cured of AIDS." Bulls*it. All you'll do is give the virging AIDS.

People still say that?! That was a popular myth back in the second half of the 19th century, in the Old West. Except it was syphilis instead of AIDS.

[PersephoneX]

Yip. People in Informal settlements still believe this. The government has been spending millions and millions, every year on educating the masses. They send public announcements on TV, in newspapers, on billboards, on the radio, in schools. There are free condom dispensers all over the place. Even at the movies and on train stations! Some people CHOOSE to turn a blind eye.

[Dancing_in_rain]

I've seen the condom dispensers everywhere. I think it's good that condom use is being encouraged as it may well get the message through at some point or another.

[Gamma]

I JUST HAD TO REGISTER and put PersephoneX off!

DUDE are you diluted???

I Currently live in SA in Pretoria.

Its bad but like every country they have their problems, sicko's, etc.


Im immagrating to Dubai in 2 months time not because its this bad at this current point no, because it will be in 5 years time with the way the government is running this country,and the fact that getting a job here is very difficult this side.

But please dont say something like "SA is so bad", every other country has their own KAK

if its that bad leave no one is asking you to stay

[Dancing_in_rain]

Gamma, go make an intro post. This should not be the first message you put up. That would be your introduction. Go! Shoo!

(Oh, and for future reference, spelling is greatly appreciated here. Just thought you'd like to save your butt a little scorching.)

[Nevan]

Gamma, I also live in Pretoria - you don't realize how bad this country really is until you've been overseas - If you have been, I don't know. It's easy for you now to look at the country with a brighter perspective because you're already on your way out. You sound like that politician who publicly stated that 'If you don't like it here, leave'. What could be easier than that?

Sure every country has problems, I agree, but to say that 'it's not so bad'? Keep telling yourself that.

PersephoneX - I'm also from Hell... You didn't mention in your news-bits about the baby that was stuffed in a toilet shortly after being born 'cause the mother didn't want him - or the 70-year old farmer that was beaten and tied up behind a car and dragged over a gravel road until there was no more skin left on his body? I can think of lots more things but just reading this forum has made me sick, knowing that I actually live in this place.

[HumanePain]

PersephoneX says hi to everyone!

[Senor_Sadomachism]

*cries* Perx!!! Haven't heard from you since like what more than three months? Where have you been?!? And the articles made me sadder! Don't mind me, I'll be Emo for a couple days. :P Oh and Gamma, hun... PersephoneX's been here longer than you have.

[HumanePain]

I know! I keep trying to get her back here, but she has some logistical issues. Like being at the mercy of her parents in regards to computer access.

But she is still accessible on MySpace.

[Clockwork]

My, I hope those logistical issues are solved soon =/

[Senor_Sadomachism]

When an adult says that they have a lot of problems, what do they mean? I know I know it says so right there but I need details. Like problems at home, financial issues, love affairs? Anything serious? I am so confuzzled.

[HumanePain]

I would like to explain the details but it is Persephone's place and not mine to decide if she wants to share them with everyone else.

[Senor_Sadomachism]

I understand, I know it is her personal business. But I meant lots of problems in general.