Scarred for life

Seven year old, Simnikiwe Kanise was shot dead in the chest by a fellow playmate in the location of Kwanobuhle two months ago. The shooter was his three year old neighbor who remained unnamed for safety reasons as he is a minor. The children had been playing around with the three year old’s grandfather’s gun when it accidently went off and hit Kanise in the chest causing his death. The grandfather rushed to where the kids had been playing after hearing the gun shot to find Simnikiwe lying on the ground. Before dying, Simnikiwe muttered that he had been shot as he had not been bleeding yet. He was taken in the kitchen where he died in the man’s arms while waiting for an ambulance.

The children had been playing without any adult supervision as the grandfather had been in the bathroom, the grandmother sleeping in the next room and the 21 year old mother had been out when the tragedy occurred. The mother of the three year old came to find her son crawled in a corner shaking by what he had done, though he was not fully aware of the consequences of his actions, he was able to grasp the magnitude of his actions.

Uitenhage Police Communications Department Representative, Mariet Olivier confirmed that the three year old along with his friends have started counseling and not one of them has missed any of their sessions. She added that the three year will be paid close attention to as he was the one who pulled the trigger “a psychologist has to monitor how severe the effects of the shooting are and to try and prevent any disturbances in the boy’s psyche”. When shooting is involved it is always important to get psychological support because the children involved could suffer from post-traumatic stress and if unmonitored, the results could end badly for the children. They could suffer from social detachment or other psychological disorders.

Uitenhage Senior Prosecutor opened a case of negligence against the grandfather, no arrests have been made as the prosecutor is still collecting evidence and building a case against the grandfather.  On the one hand residences threw stones at the home of the three year old after rumors circulated that the boy’s grandfather had beat up the child after the accident. Close sources say “we are not angry at the boy but rather the grandfather for beating up the child because none of this would have happened if he had been more careful with the placement of his weapon” added the source. No further incidents have been reported and no harm has come to the children involved as well as their families.  

Nomazima Nkosi

A tale of a Nation

The story of the New Zealand Allblacks is one that will forever be told around camp fires while roasting marsh mellows all across New Zealand. This will be the tale of how great the class of 2011 that won the William Webb Ellis Trophy on home soil.

This will be the tale of how courageous captain Ritchie McCaw was in leading his men to that ellusive World Cup title in 24 years. A story how coach Graham Henry lost his job after crashing out in the quarter finals in 2007 to the hands of France to re-gaining his job a week later and then leading his side to world cup glory. This will be a story of how Steven Donald kicked the winning points in the final at Eden Park.
All these stories will keep kids of the next generation in New Zealand interested and proud to be New Zealand citizens and part of a nation of such rich rugby talent and two world cup titles to their name.

The Allblacks came into the this tournament under enormous pressure from 4.2 million rugby mad population of the small pacific Island of New Zealand and to watch the emotion on the Allblacks fans faces on television after referee Craig Joubert blew the final whistle at Eden Park in Auckland was something very special to witness, tears of joy, relief, happiness, triumph, disbelief streemed down the faces of the 90 000 contingent that come to Eden Park to witness the Allblacks claim their 2nd World Cup title in 24 years. The Allblacks had to show some character after the loss of star flyhalf and playmaker Daniel Carter and reserve flyhalve Colin Slade, both suffering groin injuries, many wrote Graham Henry's side off to win the title but they believed in themselves and their abilities. Their replacements also gave a good account of themselves when the opportunity came, 22 year old Aaron Cruden don the important number 10 jersey after the demise of Dan Carter and proved to be a worthy replacement but unfortunately or fortunately injured his knee 30mins into the final and reserve flyhalf Steven Donald proved to be the catalist on the night of great history in New Zealand rugby.

The victory of the French team will never be forgotten in New Zealand and will go down as one of the greatest victories in Allblack history and rightly so. This is a tale of a great rugby nation indeed.

By: Philasande Sixaba
Picture: http://www.allblacks.com/news/17882/Exhausted-McCaw-wont-worry-about-foot-for-now

Semi-final Review

This weekend we look forward to the world cup semi finals in New Zealand. Semi final 1 sees the Welsh Dragons take on the French in a mouth watering encounter in Auckland and then in the second semi final sees the hosts New Zealand take on trans  tazman rivals Australia in what has been deemed the match that will determine who takes home the William Webb Ellis trophy.

Wales come into their semi final clash against France having finished 2nd in their group having only lost to defending champions South Africa who have been knocked out off the competition by the Austalians in  the quarter finals. Wales overcame 6 Nations rivals Ireland in an epic battle that went down to the wire. Although Wales beat Ireland in the quarters they come into this match against France as the under dogs, this is Wales' first semi-final appearance since 1987 and coincedently in New Zealand.

France will be the favorites to progress to the final of the world cup as they overcame a lackluster English team who were plagued with off field controversy the whole tournament. This is Frances 3rd consecutive semi-final appearance, they boast a world of experience in their side with some stalwarts of the game in their ranks. France were rather unconvincing in their group stage campaign having lost two of their group stage games.

End of a Golden Generation

The 11-9 quarter final loss to the Australian Wallabies ended what was deemed as South Africa’s golden generation of Springbok rugby players. It is saddening to know that we shall never see Victor Matfield, John Smit, Bakkies Botha, Johann Muller, Fourie Du Preez and possibly even Butch James don the green and gold of the springboks that has so often than not unified this beloved country of ours.

Between Matfield and Smit alone they bolster over 200 caps of invaluable experience which no other tom dick or harry can replace. These men have been the core and the balance of the Springboks for nearly a decade; they have achieved all that has to be achieved in international rugby. Matfield, Du Preez and Botha have 3 super rugby titles, John Smit has one, 2 tri-nations titles, participated in 3 world cup tournaments with the cherry on top being the eventual winners in France in 2007 and not forgetting the 2-1 series triumph of the British and Irish Lions( the best players from the northern hemisphere) in 2009. These players have broken records almost at will with Captain John Smit holding the record for the most international caps as captain for any international team in world rugby.

This golden generation not only boasts a lot of experience but they have literally been a generation that has coached itself, they have devised tactics against numerous opposition to great effect. One notable and famous victory that springs to mind is the win over the New Zealand All blacks in 2008 at the dreaded Carisbrooke stadium in Dunedin also commonly known as the house of pain. Again these players played a central and vitally important role in what was the Springboks first ever test win at the venue. Going down to the Wallabies in that quarter final was rather a bitter pill to swallow for these elite players, they would have been happier to bow out in a more glorious fashion with a second successive world cup to their names.

Never the less the country salutes their incredible contributions to a nation that so desperately needed an identity and the country wishes them the best of luck in their future endeavours as they retire from the beautiful game we call rugby  

Three year old causes death of seven year old

A boy from the location of Kwanobuhle was shot dead by a fellow playmate while playing ‘Russian roulette’, this game ended up taking the life of seven year old, Simnikiwe Kanise on Saturday. The children had been playing at a friend’s house when they decided to take out a gun belonging to the three year old playmate’s grandfather. The grandfather had been in the bathroom at the time of the accident, while the grandmother had been asleep in the next room. The mother of the three year old had been out at the time of the shooting.

The traumatized children admitted to playing with the gun and even said that Simnkiwe had tried to shoot the gun himself but it did not go off. The three year old boy then took the gun and told them that he knew how as he had seen his grandfather fiddle with it before and fired; to their horror, the gun went off and hit Simnikiwe in the chest. Shocked by what had occurred, the child dropped the gun and ran away but was later apprehended by family members. Simnikiwe died in the arms of the three year olds grandfather while the ambulance was still on its way. The 21 year old single mother came home to find her son “shaking and crying in a corner” and was mortified to hear what had happened.

Over 50 percent of child deaths are caused by unintentionally injury, meaning they can be avoided, provided they are strictly monitored by their parents. In this instance one might argue that this is another case of a teenage mother who cannot handle her responsibility of being a parent and just want to hang-out with her peers and a Saturday than being indoors with a clingy toddler. When teenage moms have children, they get their own mothers to look after their children while they get on with being teenagers. Some grandmothers cannot handle the level of responsibility that their daughters bring upon them, as this can lead an RDP house to have nine people living under one roof. 64 year old Ntombizanele Mahlati, says her youngest daughter, Ntombizethu 27 has three children from two different fathers and is currently unemployed. “She hardly ever sleeps at home and is currently dating another guy whom is neither of the children’s father, and whenever she gets a piece job; she hardly contributes to the house saying she does not live here.”

Uitenhage Police Communitcations Department Representative, Mariet Olivier confirmed that a murder case had been opened but that the child will not be charged because he is a minor. “All that will be required of him would be for him to go for counseling in trying to deal with what he had done” added Olivier, this is the responsibility of the boy’s mother to make sure that her son attends these sessions because it benefits him in the end. The Senior prosecutor has opened a docket to investigate whether the owner of the firearm had been guilty of negligence in the placing of his weapon as the grandchild was able to find the gun and use it without much effort in getting hold of the handgun.

The identity of the shooter has been kept secret as a means of protecting the child against the deceased family members but close relatives and neighbors are up-in-arms and have been throwing rocks and cursing at the home of the incident. A neighbor was arrested after he was found with the gun that killed Simnikiwe as police feared he might use it because the residents are upset and to get even for the deceased. A life for a life. No comments have been given by either of the families involved as this is a delicate case because minors were involved, Warrant Officer Mbombosi added that even though Simnikiwe’s death was a tragic accident, the three year old must remain protected from the media and angry because the investigation and statements made by the children corroborate that this was an accident.

By: Nomazima Nkosi

Unprotected Sex Article

A worldwide survey conducted World Contraceptive day found that the number of teenagers that participate in unprotected sex with new partners has increased in the past three years. The poll surveyed 6,000 teens from 26 different countries. The level of unplanned pregnancies among young people is a global issue and the rise in unprotected sex in several counties has sparked concern about the quality of sex education available to youngsters.

Jennifer Woodside of the International Planned Parenthood Federation said: "What the results show is that too many young people either lack good knowledge about sexual health, do not feel empowered enough to ask for contraception or have not learned the skills to negotiate contraceptive use with their partners to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies or STIs (sexually transmitted infections)."

Carol Le Roux, a nurse at the Greenacres Hospital in Port Elizabeth, said that the most common reason for not using contraceptives is the lack of preparedness for sexual activity. Another reason is that there was no contraceptive available at the time of intercourse.

Pupils that attend school say that they do not feel comfortable with asking questions about sexuality and intimacy at school. Excuses made for not using protection when having sex includes, being too embarrassed to ask a health-care provider for contraceptives, one or another partner preferring not to use contraception, being too drunk to remember to use a condom, and that it is “not cool”.

Olga Van Wyk, from Livingstone Hospital, said that there are alarming amounts of under-aged pregnancies. She said that girls come to the Hospital seeking help, unaware that Livingstone would not be able to assist them. Teenagers that require abortions will be referred to Dora Nginza Hospital, and then they would be put on a waiting list. Some patients have to go back a few times before being helped and this might also be the reason why illegal abortions take place.

Dora Nginza visited a Primary School in Zwide a few weeks ago and injected the girls with contraceptives from the age of 10. Most of these pupils were had not yet started menstruating. Although it is unethical, it was also understood to be in response to the high pregnancy rate that has surfaced.

The biggest consequences to these young individuals are getting pregnant. Children are ignorant when hearing about STI’s that can also be attached. The general thought is that “It’ll never happen to me”.  An estimated 5.6 million people were living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa in 2009, more than in any other country.1 It is believed that in 2009, an estimated 310,000 South Africans died of AIDS.2 Prevalence is 17.8 percent among those aged 15-49, with some age groups being particularly affected.

By: Octayvia Nance

Crime and Courts

Three year old causes death of seven year old

A boy from the location of Kwanobuhle was shot dead by a fellow playmate while playing ‘Russian roulette’, this game ended up taking the life of seven year old, Simnikiwe Kanise on Saturday. The children had been playing at a friend’s house when they decided to take out a gun belonging to the three year old playmate’s grandfather. The grandfather had been in the bathroom at the time of the accident, while the grandmother had been asleep in the next room. The mother of the three year old had been out at the time of the shooting.

The traumatized children admitted to playing with the gun and even said that Simnkiwe had tried to shoot the gun himself but it did not go off. The three year old boy then took the gun and told them that he knew how as he had seen his grandfather fiddle with it before and fired; to their horror, the gun went off and hit Simnikiwe in the chest. Shocked by what had occurred, the child dropped the gun and ran away but was later apprehended by family members. Simnikiwe died in the arms of the three year olds grandfather while the ambulance was still on its way. The 21 year old single mother came home to find her son “shaking and crying in a corner” and was mortified to hear what had happened. 

Over 50 percent of child deaths are caused by unintentionally injury, meaning they can be avoided, provided they are strictly monitored by their parents. In this instance one might argue that this is another case of a teenage mother who cannot handle her responsibility of being a parent and just want to hang-out with her peers and a Saturday than being indoors with a clingy toddler. When teenage moms have children, they get their own mothers to look after their children while they get on with being teenagers. Some grandmothers cannot handle the level of responsibility that their daughters bring upon them, as this can lead an RDP house to have nine people living under one roof. 64 year old Ntombizanele Mahlati, says her youngest daughter, Ntombizethu 27 has three children from two different fathers and is currently unemployed. “She hardly ever sleeps at home and is currently dating another guy whom is neither of the children’s father, and whenever she gets a piece job; she hardly contributes to the house saying she does not live here.”

Uitenhage Police Communitcations Department Representative, Mariet Olivier confirmed that a murder case had been opened but that the child will not be charged because he is a minor. “All that will be required of him would be for him to go for counseling in trying to deal with what he had done” added Olivier, this is the responsibility of the boy’s mother to make sure that her son attends these sessions because it benefits him in the end. The Senior prosecutor has opened a docket to investigate whether the owner of the firearm had been guilty of negligence in the placing of his weapon as the grandchild was able to find the gun and use it without much effort in getting hold of the handgun.

The identity of the shooter has been kept secret as a means of protecting the child against the deceased family members but close relatives and neighbors are up-in-arms and have been throwing rocks and cursing at the home of the incident. A neighbor was arrested after he was found with the gun that killed Simnikiwe as police feared he might use it because the residents are upset and to get even for the deceased. A life for a life. No comments have been given by either of the families involved as this is a delicate case because minors were involved, Warrant Officer Mbombosi added that even though Simnikiwe’s death was a tragic accident, the three year old must remain protected from the media and angry because the investigation and statements made by the children corroborate that this was an accident.