Years In South Africa Research Articles

Untold Stories of a Group of Black South Africans about the Apartheid Era

The aim of this research was to explore the alternative stories of a group of black adults who survived the apartheid years in South Africa. It was surmised that the lives of many of the black adults who experienced the atrocities of the apartheid years, might have been shaped by the dominant stories of hardship, and that alternative stories of survival may not have played as important a role in the shaping of their lives as should have been the case. Nine black participants (males = 7, females = 2, age range = 37 to 62 years) participated in the research project. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed using categorical content narrative analysis. Analysis of the data yielded eight prevalent themes, namely support, religion, role models, education, the “struggle,” culture, positive experiences with white people, and acceptance as aspects of participants' alternative stories.

Apartheid and Beyond: South African Writers and the Politics of Place (review)

Reviewed by: Apartheid and Beyond: South African Writers and the Politics of Place Barbara Harlow Rita Barnard. Apartheid and Beyond: South African Writers and the Politics of Place. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007. xii + 221 pp. In a poignant paraphrase of J. M. Coetzee's commentary on Nabokov, Rita Barnard suggests that “one must look at the past with a cruel enough eye to see what made its joy and innocence possible” (32). Apartheid and Beyond: South African Writers and the Politics of Place, Barnard's critical reading of five of South Africa’s best-known contributors to the narratives—and its drama—of both the struggle against the legendarily oppressive regime of apartheid and its incipient probing [End Page 915] toward novel renovations, both textual and socio-political, takes just such a “look at the past.” While the critic’s own eye is not a “cruel” one, her review does offer an unflinchingly piercing retrospective on what have become the classics of that long, still being drawn-out, story: Coetzee’s Life and Times of Michael K, Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People and Burger’s Daughter among others, Athol Fugard’s Tsotsi and A Lesson from Aloes, Miriam Tlali’s Muriel at Metropolitan, and Zakes Mda’s The Heart of Redness. Barnard makes clear in her introduction that she is reconsidering the period from 1948 to 2000, from the election of the National Party to the millennium—forty-one years of apartheid (1948–1989), five years of negotiated transition (1989–1994), and six years of South Africa’s new post-apartheid, or “beyond” apartheid, democratic dispensation (1994–2000). At stake in Apartheid and Beyond, however, is not only that historical scenario, but also its geographical axes as well, the “politics of place,” as the subtitle indicates. Barnard emphasizes, in her literary critical analyses, the “way in which writing for or from a particular location makes a difference in the form and significance of a text” (3). Apartheid and Beyond, in other words, proposes nothing short of a “geographical history of South Africa” (9). That “geographical history” is formatted along largely conventional literary-critical lines: following the introduction and its focus on the “impact of apartheid on literary critical production” (3), the six subsequent chapters treat five individual authors and selected works from their oeuvre. The very selection is critical and, indeed, the apparent symmetry is tellingly interrupted by, for example, the two chapters on Gordimer and the inclusion of Athol Fugard, best known perhaps for his dramatic productions. Chapter 1, “Dream Topographies,” focuses on Coetzee, with special attention on two novels by the Nobel laureate and twotime Booker Prize winner: the apartheid Life and Times of Michael K and the post-apartheid Disgrace. While noting the “somewhat hypertheoretical Coetzee industry” (25), Barnard’s own interest is in Coetzee’s “fictional and literary critical engagement with the tradition of the South African pastoral”, thus creating the landscaped setting for the next two—urban renewed—chapters on the work of Nadine Gordimer, “Leaving the House of the White Race” and “Of Trespassers and Trash.” The first of these chapters treats the space of the “house, or, more specifically, the white suburban home,” in The Lying Days, July’s People, and My Son’s Story, before turning in chapter 3 to the “fundamental South African injustice: the fact of territorial dispossession” as exemplified in The Conservationist (81). Following the three chapters on South Africa’s Nobel literary laureates, chapter 4, “A Man’s Scenery,” turns to internationally reputed dramatist Athol Fugard. The discussion of Fugard’s novel Tsotsi [End Page 916] (in which interest has been renewed by its Academy Award-winning film adaptation) notwithstanding, Barnard examines, in particular, the ways that the dramatist’s controversial art, his “engagement with matters of space and place” (99), makes use of the “public arena of the stage” (100) to raise again the “question of viable space” (106) for South African citizens. Barnard’s “Beyond the Tyranny of Place” in turn brings to the fore perhaps the least known of the literary classics under consideration: Miriam Tlali’s Miriam at the Metropolitan (recently reissued under an earlier considered, but then discarded title, Between Two Worlds...

Evaluation of crisphead lettuce cultivars (Lactuca sativa L.) for winter production in a soilless production system

Soilless cultivation of lettuce gained popularity in recent years in South Africa because of improved yield and quality. Thirteen crisphead lettuce cultivars were evaluated in a gravel-film production system during the winter season at the experimental farm of the ARC-Roodeplaat. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design with five replicates. For each cultivar, yield, internal quality, compactness, uniformity, ribbing, tip-burn, disease tolerance, bolting tolerance and number of days to maturity were recorded. The cultivars were ready for harvest from 70 - 77 days after transplanting. Results showed clear differences between cultivars, with four cultivars, namely Del-Rio, Patagonia RZ, Winter haven and Winter Supreme, out yielding the rest of the cultivars included in the trial. These four cultivars were also more tolerant to tipburn and disease, compared to most other cultivars included in the trial. Cultivars Annie, Del Rio, Supreme Plus and L425 showed the best core ratio, combined with a good colour and tip burn resistance. Results, thus, indicate that variability in yield and quality of crisphead lettuce are determined by cultivar differences, changes in environmental conditions, as well as different production systems utilized by farmers. Improved yield and quality can be obtained by selecting the correct cultivars for winter production in a soilless medium. Key words: Gravel-film technique, quality, yield, growing season.

Keep them in school: the importance of education as a protective factor against HIV infection among young South African women

To identify risk factors for HIV infection among young women aged 15-24 years reporting one lifetime partner in South Africa. Design In 2003, we conducted a nationally representative household survey of sexual behaviour and HIV testing among 11 904 young people aged 15-24 years in South Africa. This analysis focuses on the subset of sexually experienced young women with only one reported lifetime sex partner (n = 1708). Using the proximate determinants framework and the published literature we identified factors associated with HIV in young women. The associations between these factors and HIV infection were explored in multivariable logistic regression models. Of the young women, 15% reporting one lifetime partner were HIV positive. In multivariable analyses, young women who had not completed high school were more likely to be infected with HIV compared with those that had completed high school (AOR 3.75; 95% CI 1.34-10.46). Young South African women in this population were at high risk of HIV infection despite reporting only having one lifetime partner. Few individual level factors were associated with HIV infection, emphasizing the importance of developing HIV prevention interventions that address structural and partner level risk factors.

Experiences of Discrimination and the Impact on the Identity Development of a Group of Incarcerated Adolescents in South Africa

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between discrimination and identity development using a sample of 83 incarcerated male adolescents, aged 15 to 18 years in South Africa. Seventy-seven percent of the respondents were black, 96 percent were in prison for the first time, and the majority (49.4%) were in prison for aggressive offenses, such as murder and robbery. The findings indicate a linear relationship between a lower level of identity development and experiences of discrimination on the basis of physical appearance and behavior of the parental figures and siblings during the critical developmental stage of adolescence. The study concludes that the offending behavior of the incarcerated adolescents could be viewed as a tool of self-destruction due to the negative impact of experiences of discrimination on their level of identity development.

Commentary: Cautionary Notes on Interpreting History from Additional First-Hand Observers of Poverty, Health and Policy in South Africa

In an interesting and innovative approach to the study of poverty, health and policy, William Pick, Laetitia Rispel and Shan Naidoo have summarized three important commissioned government reports generated during the racially segregated apartheid years in South Africa. They seek thereby to evaluate both the background factors and the social context under which these reports were generated, and to evaluate effects of both on policy. In doing so, the authors usefully review material perhaps too infrequently examined in subsequent decades. However, the degree to which these three commission reports truly serve as landmarks in their effects remains an open question. Having lived through the period under review, we cannot but doubt whether in themselves these commission reports promoted or even reveal the central historical developments and links between poverty, health and policy over the past century in South Africa, as the writers suggest they do. First, consider the two figures accompanying the text. Figure i shows the decline in infant mortality over the period 1929-198 3 among whites only. No comparable national data were available for blacks (indigenous South Africans, by far the majority; South Africans of mixed descent, so-called coloured people; and South Africans of Indian origin). This figure, thereby necessarily limited to

Introduction to Blood Transfusion Technology

In 1989, following several years of being national examiner for blood transfusion technology in South Africa, I wrote a book that was updated in 1992: Introduction to Blood Transfusion Technology. The aim was to provide written information as simply as possible, so that students who found themselves without adequate training and support were able to gain knowledge for themselves. The book was privately printed and distributed in South Africa for many years. Some copies also found their way to other parts of the world ... Technical information, such as that given in Introduction to Blood Transfusion Technology should be regularly reviewed and updated, but unfortunately this did not take place. In April 2007 the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) made the rewriting of this original publication a possibility by offering to support its printing and dissemination by both physical and electronic means. In June 2007 the project began its journey towards becoming a reality, thanks to a small and select group of medical technologists specialized in blood transfusion technology, with a combined total of more than 170 years’ experience. A short introduction follows: Rob Wilkinson, an expert in all aspects of quality, particularly within the management of a transfusion service, wrote the ‘Quality’ section as well as ‘Equipment and materials management’, and ‘Safety, health and the environment’, besides giving critical comment on all sections and coauthoring ‘Genetics’ and ‘Compatibility testing’. Elizabeth Smart, an experienced immunohaematologist with international recognition, coauthored many sections; her major input being the ‘Blood group systems’. Her contribution to the ‘Principles of laboratory techniques’, ‘Donation testing’, ‘Haemolytic diseases’ and ‘Compatibility testing’ has also been invaluable. Jonathan Hardwick, an expert in cold chain management and the preparation of blood components, has contributed outstanding value in writing the sections on ‘Blood processing’ and ‘Blood storage and transportation’. Leesha Raman, a practicing training officer, coauthored ‘Principles of laboratory techniques’ and ‘Donation testing’ and provided important practical input into the other sections, particularly from the perspective of the student. I was involved in training and development for many years in South Africa, and recently had the privilege of working in Blood Transfusion Safety at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. The original publication of Introduction to Blood Transfusion Technology consisted of 150 pages and included the fundamentals of haematology, immunology, antigen–antibody reactions, causes of false results, genetics, blood group and HLA systems, blood donation and storage, blood components, safety in the laboratory, quality control and assurance, proficiency testing, donor grouping and the detection of viral markers, crossmatching, transfusion reactions, blood transfusion regulations, haemolytic disease of the newborn, antenatal and postnatal testing, haemolytic anaemias, laboratory glassware and equipment and sterilization. This publication is not an updated edition of the original texts that were written almost 16 years ago. Although it shares the same title as its predecessor, it takes into account the advances in technologies and presents introductory information for international benefit. The primary objective of this publication has been to meet the academic needs of students whose courses relate to blood transfusion technology, particularly when they find themselves in areas of the world where there is not ready access to information and facilities. It has not been written for experts; it has been written as a training manual to give access to the inexperienced. It contains a broad spectrum of information with sufficient detail to provide a platform for students to build on their knowledge and become experts themselves one day. The information covers the transfusion chain and is supported by many illustrations, a comprehensive glossary, an index and list of abbreviations. Information that relates to more than one section has either been cross-referenced in the text, or duplicated sufficiently in the section so that each can be studied as a stand-alone module. Each section lists the learning objectives, provides a content summary and suggests additional learning activities. The scope of this publication does not include some of the more recent technological advances, such as stem cell production, cord blood banking and detailed molecular techniques and findings. Education is a crucial component of lifelong learning and continuous improvement. Without it, quality cannot be attained and maintained in a blood transfusion service, and professional capacity and leadership cannot be built for the future. Blood transfusion is about saving lives, and we should take this very seriously. Although a blood service needs to run as a business, it first needs to cherish and develop its scientific capacity. Nelson Mandela has said on many occasions that ‘education is the key’, and the five of us fully endorse this philosophy.

Tears for the World

This sermon was preached in 2006 in the chapel of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond with a combination of students, faculty and staff in attendance. Although not preached on the exact day, this sermon was very much conceived in the spirit of World Aids Day. Living and working part of the year in South Africa, the topic of HIV/Aids is close to my heart.

Soldier of Franco, Soldier of Christ: Roy Campbell and Spain in the 1930s

After Roy Campbell's death in Portugal in 1956, Alan Paton gave future students of the poet very sound advice: he warned us not to try to understand the man, not to look for consistency in his political statements or even in his outlook on life, for “[t]here was only one base to Campbell's philosophy and that was Campbell himself” (1984, 85). Campbell's work, life and politics are often so difficult to decipher in relation to one another that to follow Paton's advice seems to be the only sensible choice. For how can we possibly reconcile Campbell's liberal and anti-establishment views during the Voorslag years in South Africa with his political allegiances in Spain during the Civil War and into the 1940s and 1950s; his contempt for English society with his quasi-patriotic stand alongside Britain during World War II; his admiration for Franco and the Spanish National Movement with his active participation in the war against Hitler; or the latter with his defence of fascism as the most efficient of revolutions?English in Africa Vol. 34 (1) 2007: pp. 21-41

Changing vulnerability to predation related to season and sex in an African ungulate assemblage

The consequences of predation for prey population dynamics depend on the extent to which this mortality is predisposed by malnutrition or senescence, or additive in the sense that animals that would otherwise not have died at that time were killed. In places lacking effective predators, few adult ungulates die during the summer or wet season months when food is plentifully available. Hence the seasonal distribution of predator kills as well as the age and sex classes of the prey indicates the extent to which malnutrition contributes to mortality as well as other influences on vulnerability. Using records of animal deaths assembled over 35 years in South Africa's Kruger National Park, these patterns were investigated for 12 ungulate species forming the prey of lions, and for three other large predators with respect to one prey species. Buffalo, kudu and giraffe were more strongly represented in kills made during the late dry season, while wildebeest and zebra made relatively greater contributions during the wet season. Impala, waterbuck, warthog and rarer antelope species became more prominent in kills during transitional periods between seasons. Five prey species showed an elevation in representation of males in lion kills during the mating season, as well as impala for all predator species. Females were more prominently represented in kills during the time of late gestation and parturition for three prey species. Hence reproductive activities as well as changing vegetation cover and food resources affected vulnerability to predation. Shifts in susceptibility to predation over the seasonal cycle corresponded with rainfall‐related variation in the annual representation of these ungulate species in lion kills. The availability of vulnerable prey species, age and sex classes at different stages of the seasonal cycle helps maintain a high abundance of lions. These factors contribute to the strong additive impact that predation has had on the abundance of some of these ungulate populations.

Suicide and Suicide Risk Factors: a Review of Literature and Some Case Studies

The prevalence of suicide in our society is on the increase. Suicide is a psychiatric emergency and the awareness of its seriousness in our society should not be overlooked. It is a significant cause of death world wide. It accounts for about 30,000 deaths per year in the USA and more than 5,000 deaths per year in South Africa. Suicide can be defined as intentional self-inflicted death. Etiological factors for suicide include social, psychological and physical factors. But suicide is multi-factorial in nature. This review will focus mainly on the associated risk factors for suicide such as demographic factors, psychiatric disorders, terminal or chronic medical conditions and recurrent unresolved psychological stressors. In conclusion, suicide remains a serious cause of mortality worldwide.

Fifteen Years On: Central Issues Relating to the Transformation of the South African Judiciary

At its 52nd National Conference held in Polokwane from 16-20 December 2007, the African National Congress adopted a strongly-worded resolution calling for the transformation of the judiciary to be expedited. The judiciary has also recently attracted controversy due to the ongoing legal travails of ANC President, Jacob Zuma, and allegations regarding improper conduct on the part of Hlophe JP. This is therefore an opportune juncture to step back and consider the transformation of the judiciary over the past fifteen years of SouthAfrica’s constitutional democracy. The article commences with a brief discussion of the role of the judiciary under apartheid. In light of this, the following issues are discussed as components of judicial transformation: the process whereby judges are appointed; the need to change the attitudes of the judiciary; the need to foster greater judicial accountability; and the need for a more efficient judiciary. The conclusion reached is that post-apartheid South Africa has generally made impressive strides towards transforming its judiciary while respecting judicial independence and the separation of powers. However, recent legislative activity, resolutions and statements of the ANC and its alliance partners have not always heeded this approach. Judicial transformation must continue to be pursued but in a manner that is not counter-productive to the constitutional project as a whole.

Cannabis use trends in South Africa

<div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 447.989px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.923593);" data-canvas-width="392.83500000000015">The purpose of this review is to synthesise cannabis use data</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 471.318px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.862584);" data-canvas-width="392.8349999999999">from surveys, specialised alcohol and drug treatment centres,</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 494.648px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.869006);" data-canvas-width="392.805">cannabis-related trauma unit admissions and arrestee studies</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 517.977px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.909271);" data-canvas-width="238.32000000000002">over the past 12 years in South Africa.</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 555.49px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.935025);" data-canvas-width="392.835">Results indicate that cannabis is the most common illicit</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 578.819px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.914313);" data-canvas-width="392.84999999999997">substance used in South Africa, with particularly high use</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 602.149px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.855811);" data-canvas-width="392.7600000000001">among the youth. Current self-reported cannabis use was 5 -</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 625.478px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.912193);" data-canvas-width="392.77500000000003">10% among adolescents and 2% among adults, higher among</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 648.808px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.897703);" data-canvas-width="392.7749999999999">men than women, higher in urban than rural areas, higher</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 672.137px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.886058);" data-canvas-width="392.74499999999995">in the urban provinces of Western Cape and Gauteng than</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 695.467px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.875593);" data-canvas-width="392.8349999999999">the other provinces and higher among coloureds and whites</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 718.796px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.940702);" data-canvas-width="392.79">than other racial groups. Cannabis is commonly misused by</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 742.126px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.927193);" data-canvas-width="392.7899999999999">trauma patients (29 - 59%) and is often associated with crime</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 765.455px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.847996);" data-canvas-width="392.82">(39%). There has been an increase in seizures and treatment</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 788.785px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.882278);" data-canvas-width="392.805">demand for cannabis. The current (2006) treatment demand</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 812.114px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.896133);" data-canvas-width="392.79">for the whole country was 17% for cannabis and 3.4% for</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 835.444px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.901687);" data-canvas-width="392.82000000000005">cannabis and mandrax (methaqualone), which has implications</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 858.773px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.916696);" data-canvas-width="392.8350000000001">for treatment service delivery. Screening and brief intervention</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 882.103px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.917804);" data-canvas-width="392.81999999999994">of substance (cannabis) use should be included in health care</div><div style="left: 81.8143px; top: 905.432px; font-size: 15.45px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.854401);" data-canvas-width="49.185">settings.</div>

Child Nutritional Status and Household Patterns in South Africa

About 25% of all children under 5 years in South Africa are severely malnourished. The objective of this study was to assess the comparative effect of person-related and household characteristics on nutritional status of children <5years old in South Africa before 1994 realization of democracy. A secondary analysis of 4 027 children under 5 years from the 1993 Living Standards and Measurement Survey (LSMS) conducted by the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) in South Africa was performed. Only children with plausible Z-scores (n = 4 027) were selected for subsequent analyses. The influence of person-related and household related characteristics on the nutritional status of children were assessed, taking into account variables such as, gender of household head, de jure and de facto household head, relationship of child to household head, size of household, type of toilet facility and type of dwelling. Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS/PC + ) was used for the analysis. Chronic malnutrition and underweight were significantly pronounced in children from households with de jure household heads (P<0.05). However, chronic malnutrition was markedly prevalent among children from male- headed households. Thus, the presence of the de facto household head and the gender of the head of the household are important in determining nutrition outcomes. Furthermore, children of the head of the household had better nutritional status (P<0.05) than the grandchildren and other children in the household. Both person related and household related variables were significantly associated with malnutrition, but at varied levels. Household expenditure, particularly on the basic needs of life, is the most frequently used measure of socio-economic status in nutritional analysis studies. Expenditure is considered as precisely representing the household’s reserves that influence the health status of its members. In the absence of variables used for measuring household expenditure proxy variables are used. The proxy variables (type of dwelling, household size, water source, and toilet location) for economic status of households seem to influence nutritional status more directly while the person related variables seem to indirectly influence nutritional status.

On Memory, Narrative and Forgiveness

On Memory, Narrative and Forgiveness Rachel Tzvia Back (bio) Abstract In this letter to Bridges, the author summarizes her experiences at a conference in Capetown South Africa on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The conference focused on trans generational transmission of trauma and included presentations by apartheid era survivors and perpetrators as well as second-generation Holocaust survivors and perpetrators and by Eva Moses Korr, a survivor of Mengele's experiments on twins. Dear Editors: I've just returned to Israel from a conference on "Memory, Narrative and Forgiveness: Reflecting on Ten Years of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission" [in Capetown, South Africa, November 2006] to find your call for submissions on reconciliation and alternatives to war. How wonderful that you are devoting an issue to this theme; so much at the Capetown conference spoke exactly to that. Sadly, I don't think I'll have time to fully write of my experiences before your deadline (I came home [End Page 6] to family illnesses demanding my time and energy), so I'll just note a few names and ideas that stood out. In addition to South Africa's story (I saw video footage of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the first time and kept wondering why I hadn't seen any earlier), the stories of second-generation Holocaust survivors and perpetrators were most profoundly present. Indeed, the focus on the trans-generational transmission of trauma was intense, disturbing and (of course) appropriate. Our stories have become our children's stories—our pain and prejudices have become (or will become) theirs, and I wondered throughout the four-day conference about the generations of healing necessary after each war and every horror. I gave a paper on a local initiative—Galilean Jews and Palestinians meeting to share their narratives. What bonds us in this group, its raison d'etre, is that the Jews (myself among them) live on land where a Palestinian village stood until 1948. (The people of Mi'ar, the village in question, were evacuated from their homes during the fighting of Israel's War of Independence and were never allowed to return. The village was eventually destroyed.) The Arabs of our group are all descendents of that village, and they still view Mi'ar as home. It is, as you can imagine, a powerful and emotionally charged story. As far as we know, this type of encounter between Arabs dispossessed of their land and Jews now living on that land has never before taken place. But there is hope, a hope embedded in the ability to acknowledge wrongdoings, the ability and desire to feel each other's pain, losses and fears. The initiative is small and local, but significant nonetheless, and one looks for hope where one can… (The story of Palestinians on the Israeli side of the Green Line is little known and often confused with that of Palestinians in the territories occupied by Israel after the 1967 war. They are not the same story.) The closing plenary of the conference was delivered by Eva Moses Kor, one of the twins experimented on by Mengele. She is the subject of a new documentary, Forgiving Dr. Mengele—we viewed a brief extract of the film, which was moving and deeply provocative. A small woman, her speech still marked by her Eastern-European origins, Moses Kor spoke about the decision to forgive Mengele as a turning point in her life, as an empowering and liberating moment. What also impressed me about her was that with all she had seen and also endured, she spoke with a gentle and embracing humor. Another very interesting presentation was delivered by Ilona Kuphal, who is part of a group called One by One—they promote dialogue between descendents of Holocaust survivors and descendents of Nazi perpetrators. Similar efforts to build bridges between erstwhile enemies, and between victims and perpetrators, have become the life-work of a white South African woman, Ginn Fourie. Fourie, whose teenage daughter was killed in an ANC attack on a pub, spoke of her decision to seek out the man who ordered the attack and, together with him, found a center working toward reconciliation on both...

Antiretroviral costs halved after first year in South Africa

Antiretroviral costs halved after first year in South Africa

Estimating the burden of disease attributable to vitamin A deficiency in South Africa in 2000.

To estimate the burden of disease attributable to vitamin A deficiency in children aged 0 - 4 years and pregnant women aged 15 - 49 years in South Africa in 2000. The framework adopted for the most recent World Health Organization comparative risk assessment (CRA) methodology was followed. Population-attributable fractions were calculated from South African Vitamin A Consultative Group (SAVACG) survey data on the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children and the relative risks of associated health problems, applied to revised burden of disease estimates for South Africa in the year 2000. Small community studies were used to derive the prevalence in pregnant women. Monte Carlo simulation-modelling techniques were used for the uncertainty analysis. South Africa. Children under 5 years and pregnant women 15 - 49 years. Direct sequelae of vitamin A deficiency, including disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), as well as mortality associated with measles, diarrhoeal diseases and other infections, and mortality and DALYs associated with malaria in children and all-cause maternal mortality. One-third of children aged 0 - 4 years and 1 - 6% of pregnant women were vitamin A-deficient. Of deaths among young children aged 0 - 4 years in 2000, about 28% of those resulting from diarrhoeal diseases, 23% of those from measles, and 21% of those from malaria were attributed to vitamin A deficiency, accounting for some 3,000 deaths. Overall, about 110,467 ( 95% uncertainty interval 86,388 - 136,009) healthy years of life lost, or between 0.5% and 0.8% of all DALYs in South Africa in 2000 were attributable to vitamin A deficiency. The vitamin A supplementation programme for children and the recent food fortification programme introduced in South Africa in 2003 should prevent future morbidity and mortality related to vitamin A deficiency. Monitoring the effectiveness of these interventions is strongly recommended.

Antiretroviral costs halved after first year in South Africa

Antiretroviral costs halved after first year in South Africa

Critique: More Than 30 Years of Socialist Theory

Critique, since its founding in 1973, has been edited by Hillel Ticktin. Hillel H. Ticktin was born in Cape Town in 1937 and lived his childhood and teenage years in South Africa. During the proces...

Address of the President, Lord Rees of Ludlow Kt FRS, given at the Anniversary Meeting on 30 November 2006

Address of the President, Lord Rees of Ludlow Kt FRS, given at the Anniversary Meeting on 30 November 2006