Interview with a friend of my families, who is South Africa.

How do you think South Africa’s police force has responded to the media attention that it received from Oscar Pistorius?

I think they have done a reasonable job in managing what has been a very difficult period for them. Starting with the Marikana Mine Massacre last year they have had huge scrutiny within the media and have responded as best they can.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marikana_miners'_strike

  

Do most South Africans carry guns in their homes to protect themselves?

I would not say 'most'. I think it’s something like 13/100 people carry firearms...not sure how this stacks up with the States etc. In Johannesburg (Gauteng) its seems more prevalent but not so much in the Western Cape. A lot of the farming communities are armed in the North of the country.

 

Do South Africans trust the police force and appreciate what they do for them, or do they believe they don’t get it right?

I think fundamentally there is a ‘mistrust’ of the police by the majority of people.  More prevalent within the  lower socio-economic groups where the police have not really covered themselves in glory. They are in some instances seen as the puppets of the ANC regime when they have been used to quell public unrest/demonstration in response to poor service delivery by the Government.

 

What is your take on Oscar Pistorius and his court case with Hilton Botha?

Did not follow it that closely but I think it just  case of the police not being diligent when putting together a thorough investigation. If it were just a ‘regular’ case I don’t think there would be that much scrutiny on the investigating officers etc.

 

Do you feel that the police force sometimes abuse their power?

Yes, there is considerable corruption within the police force. I think it starts at the top though with most South African Governmental Departments suffering from corruption at high level. See ‘Jackie Selebi Trial’.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Selebi#Arrest_on_corruption_charges

 

Do you think that when examples come out of them killing a man they promote violence to younger people?

yes.

 

Do you feel the police force set a good example?

Not generally. I think they are too far stretched in day to day operations to have time to put a decent PR campaign together.

 

Questions

In the past 15 years how has south african society changed regarding the relationship between blacks and whites?
Is the police force seen as safe and reliable, do you feel save knowing that they are around and that they have a fast response if there is an emergency?
Do you think the Oscar Pistorius case has been handled well by the police force and government?
Do you think that the South African police force is heading towards corruption, because a lot of people are leaving to take jobs in the UK and USA?
What are South African's overall response to the Oscar Pistorius case and the way it has been handled by the police and in the court case?

Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle

The two rhetorical questions at the beginning of the article set a critical tone. They are blunt and pushy; making a quick point, short and snappy. It is a cynical opening, yet does state some truth. It’s an interesting take on the situation, possibly because that’s what people were thinking. It throws the question in their as the first sentence, getting straight to the point. Asking a question that doesn’t need an answer.

The author’s attitude to Susan Boyle is blunt and rude, but in the context of it and what she’s saying it speaks truth. She is a female writer for the Guardian. We are shocked that she’s writing it in an open newspaper, yet we can’t deny the fact that we were perhaps thinking the exact same thing. Describing her she says, ‘small and rather chubby, with a squashed face, unruly teeth and unkempt hair’ its rude and exemplified. The reaction from the audience, ‘walked out to chatter, giggling and a long unpleasant wolf whistle’. The journalist tells us that that is what she would expect the reaction to his middle-aged woman

The writer then goes on to describe her life, ‘unemployed, single, lives with her cat Pebbles and has never been kissed’, its brave on her part to say that on national TV and you could even go as far to say that she’s brought ridicule on herself by saying that sort of thing. Yet its sad that her sentence sums her up and shows us that what we perhaps were thinking is in fact true, showing the stereotype of the unsuccessful candidate. The journalist has included this to show once again the harsh stereotype of the world we live in, showing that it’s a key part to her argument and proving her point.

The rhetorical question used by the author shows the stereotype of women who are middle-aged, not married and lives with her cat, the question poses an interesting point. It’s asking why women who are ‘ugly’ can’t get out and make something of their life, just because they aren’t stunning doesn’t mean they aren’t talented and doesn’t mean they aren’t aloud to get up a do something with their lives. Women should not be ridiculed and judged for how they look, they should be judged on their talent or personality.

The men she mentions are powerful men who have made a name for themselves in many different careers; they are not beautiful or handsome people yet they have carved a brilliant career in showbiz. Yet these men don’t have to be perfectly pruned and gorgeous. Women in showbiz doing similar jobs have to have ‘something about them’, they have to be sexy or beautiful, they aren’t aloud to be ugly and if they are they have to do something about it, funny, clever, smart. If they are none of these things, but are extremely talented sometimes talent is overlooked for physical features. Take Miranda Hart, she is a very tall woman who isn’t the most beautiful, yet she has made herself a brilliant career and people love her, she’s funny and doesn’t fall into society’s harsh ways and is respected (especially by women) for that.

Yes I do agree with what she says, because it’s true. Women do have to be perfect in our world now. Men don’t have half the worries about body image as women do. The writer makes us think about it, and the more you think about it the more you realize that it’s true. The sentence ‘we don’t want to look at you’ is horrid, its mean but shockingly we are only sympathetic towards women who might be ‘ugly’ when something has gone wrong like a personal tragedy, and most of the time people just feel sorry for them because of the way the look. Women feel better about themselves when they see someone who is less attractive than them, and it gives them confidence, that is how you can get self confidence in modern society today. 

Analytical article - Should we have trial by Jury?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19842608

Chris Hulme is involved in a long term trial between himself and his ex-wife. In 2003 Hulme, former cabinet minister asked his wife to take his points for him after he was caught speeding.

South Africa Article's

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21705374

Hilton Botha has resigned from the South African Police Service. 

"Botha has also been heavily criticised for giving contradictory evidence at the bail hearing of Mr Pistorius."

"Det Botha, the first officer to arrive at the scene of the Valentine's Day shooting, was accused of mishandling the investigation after he amended his testimony during fierce questioning by Mr Pistorius's defence lawyers in last month's bail hearing.

Det Botha then admitted that police had lost track of ammunition found inside the house, and was accused of not wearing protective clothing at the crime scene. Det Botha is set to appear in court in May, along with two other officers also accused of opening fire on the taxi. Mr Pistorius, who is charged with premeditated murder, was released on bail on 22 February and is due to appear in court again in June."

Comparing the two articles 
The other from The Times talking about the South African Police Service, titled "Police arrested for murder after 'dragging' taxi driver"

The two articles both touch on a similar thing. The article above tells us what happened to Botha, and showing what went wrong in his hands regarding the Pistorius case.
The other article tells a completely different story yet it discusses the corruption in the Police service with comments from the South African president Jacob Zuma and South Africa's police commissioner.

These two sources are both very reliable and written very recently. Neither are biased and both give interesting information and valuable quotes. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21543851

BBC news 22nd February 2013 

By Andrew Harding 

Oscar Pistorius: South Africa under the spotlight 

The article discusses how South Africa has been affected by the Oscar Pistorius case. 

Hilton Botha, "underpaid policeman arriving for an important job without the necessary equipment - shoe covers - to avoid contaminating the murder scene, and without enough "connections" - his word - or colleagues, to ensure that the most basic evidence could be processed in time for the bail hearing."

The article also says how the 'highly paid defence' picked Botha's case to pieces in the Court room until Botha had to admit that all of his bold assumptions about Oscar's guilt was didn't in fact have any clear evidence to back it up as a result. 

"He had no records yet of Reeva Steenkamp's mobile phone calls, no information about the post-mortem, no forensic or ballistic information beyond a few informal conversations with experts at the scene."



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2290213/South-Africa-angry-nation-brink-dangerous-warns-Nelson-Mandelas-wife.html
8th March 2013
By Sara Malm 

South Africa is a 'angry nation' on the blink of 'something very dangerous' warns Nelson Mandela's wife

The article tells us how last week Nelson Mandela's wife stepped up and spoke at the funeral of Mido Macia, held in the township of Daveyton in Johannesburg. She spoke about South Africa still being a 'angry nation' that has not 'forgotten about its apartheid past'.

‘South Africa is an angry nation,’ she said. ‘We are on the precipice of something very dangerous with the potential of not being able to stop the fall.


'The level of anger and aggression is rising. This is an expression of deeper trouble from the past that has not been addressed. 

'We have to be more cautious about how we deal with a society that is bleeding and breathing pain.’

This is a interesting opinion of a woman who has seen so much of the country. Her husband is South Africa's most influential man and it seems that she intends to continue his legacy. There is a lot of debate is South Africa about what will happen when Mandela dies, will the black people continue to live in harmony with the whites and follow Mandela's legacy after he has gone, or will the country turn to havoc. Many in SA are frightened that if something goes wrong they won't be able to leave, I know this because I have spoken to a friend who lives out there with her husband. They don't know what will happen and the fear of the future does worry White South African's. Bringing this back to the topic of the police I think white people feel that they can't trust them either, because at the end of the day the police service is mixed race (as it should be) but as we know from the continuous examples plastered across the front pages of our newspapers they are not perfect and do kill and rape, setting a bad example on the countries population. 

The picture below is a protester at the funeral of Mido Macia, the sign reads 'Police, why must you kill because you are the police?' 

Oscar Pistorius's father blames South Africa's gun culture on ANC

By Aislinn Laing, Johannesburg

7:00PM GMT 03 Mar 2013

The Telegraph online

"Henke Pistorius said he and other members of his family owned guns because they could not rely on the police to protect them against criminals.

He laid the blame for South Africa's violent crime rates, which are among the highest in the world with 15,000 people murdered last year, on the ANC government." 

"He also singled out crime against white South Africans. Many Afrikaners living in the rural areas fear they are being targeted because of an estimated 1,600 murders of white farmers since 1990."

He told the press in a controversial statement that many of his friends carried guns in fear, mainly because they did not trust the police service; therefore felt that they had to take their safety into their own hands. Defending his son he also singled out crime against white South Africans, that they targeted the wealthy. The article tells us that the Pistorius family in total own around 55 shotguns and hand guns between them, showing that they are a family familiar with guns and using guns.

What we did in Lessons?

Thursday 28th February 2013
Firstly our teacher introduced the topic and what we would be doing over the next 10 weeks. We were put in groups to discuss topic ideas and went through the GCSE criteria for what we needed to contain and how we were to structure our ideas. Our teacher also showed us a previous essay example which got full marks.

Friday 29th March 2013
We researched more and I wrote about other aspects of the topic such as security in South Africa and my personal experience.

Friday 8th March 2013
We researched news articles and gathered important information to write in our blogs. We then updated our blogs on what we found, my main article was from The Times written on the 2nd of March 2013.

The Times article

Police arrested for murder after 'dragging' taxi driver 

By Our Foreign Staff
The Times, 2nd March 2013

Eight police officers were accused of dragging a Mozambique taxi driver behind the back of a van, killing him as a result of head injures and internal bleeding. Footage of the incident spread quickly online all over YouTube and 'once again shining a spotlight on the country's much-maligned police force.'

Riah Phiyega, South Africa's police commissioner said, "any death is one too many, what is in this video is not how the SAPS (South African Police Service) in a democratic South Africa goes about its work."

The article then goes onto say "South Africa's police service is under intense pressure after a series of incidents which has tarnished its reputation."
"The service was also humiliated when it emerged that the officer investigating the murder case against Oscar Pistorius, himself faced charges of attempted murder for shooting at a taxi."

The article outlines how yet another story has come out about the police service and the problems arising in the police service. The Oscar Pistorius case has put South Africa on the front page of newspapers for around a week with the world watching their every move.